Pilot Briefing

Weather provides challenges for racers

Each year since 1994 the U.S. Air Race organization has put on a cross-country air race, now called the Marion Jayne Air Race, an 1,800 nm race, as well as a companion one-day race, dubbed the Renaissance 300 this year. And though the race history boasts a number of course changes and segues caused by the capricious weather gods, this year's pair of races was indelibly affected.

The Renaissance 300 took place on July 20, tracing a triangular course around New York, starting and ending in Elmira at Elmira/Corning Regional Airport. The start time was pushed back an hour because of the notorious ground fog (which local pilots noted normally marks spring and fall, not the summer with its heat). But when the scud parted, the skies were blue and clear. Racers flew using pilotage and dead reckoning alone to navigate the course, reluctantly turning off their GPSs and panel-mount moving-map displays — even their VOR displays were covered — only to find how fun and challenging it is to tick off checkpoints successfully at high speed. Winners Charles Robinson and Maisie Stears flew Stears' Piper Geronimo and bested second placers (and first-time air racers) Maggi Dodson and Michelle Dacy in a Cessna 172. Third place went to veteran racers Denise Waters and Nancy Toon in Waters' Grumman Tiger.

But the clear skies didn't last. The weather for the start of the Marion Jayne race on July 21 looked gloomy and stormy across New York and Pennsylvania. Because both races are conducted in strictly VFR conditions — and because no sane pilot wants to fly through a thunderstorm, no matter the prize — the route from Elmira to Cumberland, Maryland, and back to eastern New York was off-limits. However, racers made the best of it, getting to know each other and swapping flying stories while seeing such local sights as the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in nearby Hammondsport. The museum was the site of Curtiss' operations, and the first official public flight made in the United States, according to the museum.

The bad weather persisted through Wednesday and Thursday — but Friday offered a chance to stage an abbreviated race. And race they did — more than 834 nm, reaching several originally planned race stops in New York: from Elmira, to Hudson, to Hamilton, to West Saranac Lake, to Laconia, and back to Elmira. Division A (handicaps from zero to 160 mph) was won by Ed Hutson and Larry Chubb in a Cessna 172; Division B (161 to 190 mph) was won by Bob Samson and Carol Burns in a Piper Lance; and Division C (more than 190 mph) was won by Marv Guthrie and Cheryl Finke in a Beechcraft F33A Bonanza. Overall winners of the combined races were Samson and Burns. For more information, see the Web site ( www.us-airrace.org). — Julie K. Boatman

FAA trades paper for plastic

Forget cardboard. The FAA is now issuing more durable plastic pilot certificates that might actually survive better in the washing machine and look more serious than library cards. They also feature nostalgic aviation graphics. FAA Administrator Marion Blakey made the announcement at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this summer. The credit card-size certificates incorporate new security features, such as a hologram of the FAA seal. "The new certificate's durability and features will further protect pilot identities and add one more element of security to our aviation system," Blakey said. It doesn't mean that all pilots will get one. The certificate will be issued to all new and existing pilots as they achieve higher certificate levels or additional ratings. It will also replace certificates that have been lost or damaged.

Angel Flight, AirLifeLine join forces

Two organizations, Angel Flight America and AirLifeLine, use general aviation pilots who donate their time and aircraft to fly patients in need to vital medical care. Both share the same mission and success — and some of the volunteer pilots. Now, in a move to leverage these common goals and reduce overhead, the two organizations are merging under the name Angel Flight America.

Angel Flight's regional structure will be used in the new organization, with AirLifeLine pilots added to the appropriate regional Angel Flight rosters. Pilots will be able to choose from a larger pool of available flights, and patients will have an increased number of pilots on whom to rely. The organizational structure of Angel Flight America will continue to include six autonomous regional Angel Flight member organizations: Angel Flight West, Angel Flight Central, Angel Flight South Central, Angel Flight Northeast, Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, and Angel Flight Southeast. Mercy Medical Airlift is also a member of Angel Flight America and provides access to free or discounted airline tickets for passengers needing to fly more than 1,000 miles.

In 2002, Angel Flight America flew nearly 11,000 missions while AirLifeLine's pilots completed another 4,500 missions. Combined, they served some 32,000 passengers. Nearly 40 percent of the missions are for children.

Continental Motors looks at high-powered diesel

Teledyne Continental Motors officials are studying options for derivatives of the prototype Jet-A-fueled engine demonstrated under the NASA General Aviation Propulsion (GAP) program in 2002.

"Our efforts related to our Jet-A engine have been on hold largely due to the recent difficult business environment and the resulting need to prioritize our R&D programs," said Continental President Bryan L. Lewis. "We also question whether or not the 200-horsepower configuration of the prototype engine is the best for initial market introduction. There is a lot of potential interest in the 300- to 375-hp range and the engine configuration to address that range would benefit greatly from the experience we have gained from our work with the prototype configuration."

Accordingly, Continental has begun to visit potential launch customers to determine their interest in a Jet-A-fueled engine in that horsepower category. The company is also conducting further tests of the GAP engine at its Mobile, Alabama, headquarters, focusing on improving the engine's turbocharging system. The current testing in Mobile will also evaluate the capability of the engine to run on a number of common heavy fuels. — Alton K. Marsh

ePILOT Headliners

Recent news from AOPA's weekly e-mail newsletter.

A little plane that could

A group of aerospace engineers has achieved its goal of flying a tiny model airplane across the Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to Ireland.

Production CJ3 flies

The first production Cessna Citation CJ3 completed its first flight in Wichita in August. The CJ3, powered by Williams International FJ44-3A engines producing 2,780 pounds of thrust apiece, stretches the cabin (almost 21 feet long) and range (1,900 nm with VFR reserves) of the CJ2.

Husky Pup gets FAA nod

Aviat Aircraft received FAA certification for its latest model, the Husky Pup, after successful completion of its flight testing program. The Pup builds upon the Husky A1B with increased useful load and range, but with a smaller engine and no flaps.

Pilot dies in Hughes Racer

Jim Wright of Cottage Grove, Oregon, died August 4 in the crash of his Hughes H-1B Racer replica in Yellowstone National Park. Wright was returning home from EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.

OMF offers parachute

OMF Aircraft will offer a Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) parachute as an option on its two-place Symphony 160 model for an additional $15,995. The parachute will be standard equipment on OMF's planned four-place airplane, the Symphony 4.

Eclipse secures needed funding

Eclipse Aviation, which will manufacture the Eclipse 500 jet, has completed its fifth round of private equity funding, raising $87 million, for a total of $325 million to date. The funding will be used to complete testing and FAA certification of the Eclipse 500 jet.

Hartzell props on Diamond Stars

Hartzell Propeller has received supplemental type certificates (STCs) in the United States and Canada to install its new blended airfoil two-blade metal propeller on the DA40 Diamond Star. The constant-speed prop is said to improve performance by allowing an rpm increase without restrictions.

Now you can receive a customized version of the free AOPA ePilot e-mail newsletter tailored to your interests. To customize your weekly newsletter, see AOPA Online ( https://www.aopa.org/apps/epilot/).

The Wright Experience names two pilots

On December 17, 2003, at 10:35 a.m., two people will stand in the lee of Kill Devil Hill, flip a coin, and one of them will take the controls of an airplane made of wood and fabric and fly into history — like the Wright brothers did a century before.

Except that one will be a man and the other a woman and they aren't siblings. Terry Queijo, a captain for American Airlines who made history in her own right by being the copilot of the airline's first all-female crew, and Kevin Kochersberger, an engineer and educator, form the first team, with pilots Ken Hyde and Chris Johnson continuing — in the style of Mercury astronauts — to train in case any contingencies arise for the first pair.

Hyde, president of The Wright Experience, built the Wright Flyer for the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). It is the most accurate replica out there where workers had to erase 100 years of aeronautical knowledge and force themselves to make the same mistakes the Wrights did. At EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh in August, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey presented the EAA with a special airworthiness certificate. "An FAA aviation safety inspector has reviewed the Flyer and determined that it is prepared to fly," she said.

Arkansas museum to host reunion of aviation cadets

The Aviation Cadet Museum at Silver Wings Field in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, will host a reunion of aviation cadets the weekend of October 11 and 12. The museum was created to honor some 300,000 military personnel — including pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and observers — who earned their wings through the Aviation Cadet program between its creation by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1917 and its termination by the U.S. Air Force in 1961. World War II alone saw 192,000 men enter the program, which counts Charles Lindbergh and Eddie Rickenbacker among its graduates. Many of these pilots later were active in general aviation or went on to aviation careers.

Plans include a fly-in and airshow at the museum's airport both days, as well as a golf tournament Sunday morning and a banquet at the Crescent Hotel on Sunday evening. Registration for the convention is $75 per person and must be paid in advance.

The Country Mountain Inn (800/626-7120) is the host hotel. Errol Severe, president of the museum and organizer of the reunion, suggests that anyone interested in attending make reservations as soon as possible. "October is the biggest month of the year here and there are so many events that hotels are sold out sometimes several years in advance," he said, noting that the museum has contact information for other hotels.

The museum's airstrip, Silver Wings Field (5A5), opened this spring; the first airplane landed there on March 15, bringing tourists to visit Eureka Springs. Maj. Brent Ramsey, safety officer for the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 125th Fighter Squadron, and his family flew into Silver Wings Field in a Cessna 182 to attend the St. Patrick's Day parade and do some shopping in downtown Eureka Springs. It wasn't Ramsey's first visit to the airport, however; he was the lead pilot of a flight of four F-16s that conducted a fly-by when the runway was dedicated in October 2002.

Silver Wings Field, located northeast of Eureka Springs, is the only public-use airport in the area. Runway 16/34 is turf, 1,900 feet long, and 65 feet wide. Fuel is not currently available.

Several helicopters, a Pitts Special, a Fairchild PT-19, and perhaps a North American T-6 are among the aircraft expected to participate in the fly-in and airshow. Fly-bys of a C-130 Hercules, Cessna T-37, and F-16s are also expected.

"I am hoping to get at least a fly-by from the Thunderbirds, who will be performing at Ft. Smith the same weekend," Severe said. "I have been told that it can't happen, but I have been told that all my life." Several training classes are holding individual class reunions in conjunction with the all-cadet event, Severe noted. For more information, call 479/253-5008 or 253-9471, or visit the Web site ( www.aviationcadet.com). — Michael P. Collins

Members in the news

Durward Lewis, AOPA 236014, has republished two aviation classics, Robert Serling's The Left Seat and Ernest K. Gann's A Hostage to Fortune. Lewis, of B.D. King Press, seeks to reignite the passion behind aviation by printing timeless writings. See the Web site for more information ( www.bdkingpress.com).

Winston Scott, AOPA 1099600, a retired astronaut, has been named executive director of the Florida Space Authority. He replaces Ed Gormel, who retired in April. Established in 1989, the authority serves to retain, expand, and diversify Florida's space-related businesses, institutions, and infrastructure. Scott completed two shuttle missions, three space walks, and logged nearly 25 days in space during his seven-year service as a NASA astronaut.

John J. Nance, AOPA 1265436, takes you for a wild ride with fire bomber pilots in his next novel, Fire Flight, due out in November. The book is wrapped around a pair of ferocious forest fires that threaten to destroy two national parks and incinerate thousands of homes. Just as things begin to heat up, there's a string of mysterious crashes among the aircraft fleet that veteran pilot Clark Maxwell must solve. Published by Simon & Schuster, the book will sell for $25 in bookstores.

Rona Mitrovich, AOPA 1156348, Greg Mitrovich, AOPA 1197473, Steve Mitrovich, AOPA 1129660, Bob Rutherford, AOPA 1232926, John Brems, AOPA 1267814, Chuck Kinney, AOPA 394438, Brian Spitznagel, AOPA 1195532, Dave Klima, AOPA 1290700, and George T. Gilby, AOPA 846104, all helped produce a DVD titled Icing for General Aviation Pilots by donating their time and aircraft. The AOPA members worked with the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to improve safety for general aviation. A GRC official said that without their help the DVD wouldn't have been possible. The DVD is available from Sporty's Pilot Shop ( www.sportys.com) for $5. (See " Wx Watch: Ice Flight," page 153.)

Nina Anderson, AOPA 1359483, has written a novel using her experience flying as a corporate pilot. 2012 Airborne Prophesy is a conspiracy thriller that takes place in a Raytheon Hawker 800. After the fallout from terrorist attacks in the year 2012, the Hawker flight intercepts an atmospheric rift that could be the key to a global brainwashing scheme. The heroine is the pilot, Kate, who works to save the planet from technological advances that could become the trigger for an apocalypse predicted for December 2012. Published by ATN Publishing, the book is available for $16.95 by calling 888/628-8731 or ordering online (pilotmall.com).

Rolf W. Estela, AOPA 1011661, is coordinating a Wright brothers centennial lecture/discussion series for the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Rockland, Maine, and the Maine Humanities Council. He has compiled an extensive aviation bibliography (75-plus pages) of primary and secondary sources, covering everything from early balloonists to after the space station. Photocopies are available for $14 each, including postage, while e-mail copies in Microsoft Word format are also available for $9 each. Ordering information is available by e-mail ( [email protected]).

Michael L. Cooper-White, AOPA 1174422, president of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and a former parish pastor, has written On a Wing and a Prayer: Faithful Leadership in the 21st Century. Using the example of pilot training to illustrate leadership qualities, Cooper-White develops a checklist that will help anyone lead congregations and other organizations toward their goal. Published by Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the book is available for $9.99 and may be ordered online ( www.augsburgfortress.org/store/).

Get a copy of Orville Wright's certificate

You can own an exact copy of "Pilot Certificate #1" awarded by Congress to Orville Wright in 1940 during the dedication that year of the Wright Brothers Monument in Dayton. As a fund-raising effort, the Engineers Club in Dayton reproduced the certificate in limited quantities and put it in a gold frame; it's offered to the public at $500 each. Wright was a founder of the club in 1914 and served as its president in the 1920s. For information, call the Engineers Club at 937/228-2148, or purchase the certificate on eBay by searching for the title: "Orville Wright Pilot Certificate No. 1." — AKM

Squawk Sheet

The FAA in August, building on an action that took place last spring, ordered the grounding of all 173 Learjet 45 corporate jets flying under U.S. registration. There are 230 of the aircraft flying worldwide. The problem stems from an actuator in the tail that affects pitch control. A crack in an actuator last March caused severe vibration and nose-down pitch, but the crew was able to control the airplane and land safely. A new part was then made and installed in the fleet, but the FAA now has concerns over quality control of that part. It is made by MPC Products, of Skokie, Illinois. Another new part was expected to be ready for FAA approval by the end of August. Meanwhile, Bombardier, manufacturer of the jet, is helping to subsidize the travel needs of Learjet 45 owners.

This month in GA

For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. My disease has increased in severity and I feel it will soon cost me an increased amount of money, if not my life. — Wilbur Wright, 1900

October 4, 1905. Orville Wright keeps his aircraft in the air for 33 minutes, 17 seconds.

October 7, 1908. Mrs. Hart O. Berg, wife of the Wrights' European business manager, is the first female passenger in an airplane, flying with Wilbur Wright.

October 8-November 5, 1909. Army aviation students Lts. Frank P. Lahm, Benjamin D. Foulois, and Frederick E. Humphreys are selected to learn to fly an airplane with Wilbur Wright at College Park, Maryland, on the grounds of the current College Park Airport (see " Pilotage: What's Happening at College Park," page 50).

October 11, 1910. Former President Theodore Roosevelt flies with Arch Hoxsey piloting a Wright Flier at a St. Louis flying meet. The first president to fly during his term is Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1943.

October 18, 1917. McCook Field in Dayton is established as an active research and development (R&D) program facility for military aviation.

October 30, 1919. The first reversible-pitch propeller is successfully tested at McCook Field.

October 17, 1922. U.S. Navy Lt. Virgil C. Griffin, in a Vought VE-7SF [A987], takes off from the USS Langley moored at York River, Virginia. This is the first ship-borne takeoff.

October 18, 1922. Brig. Gen. William H. Mitchell becomes the first U.S. military pilot to hold the recognized speed record at 222.97 mph in the Curtiss R-6 at Selfridge Field, Michigan.

October 20, 1922. Lt. (later Maj. Gen.) Harold Harris bails out of a crippled airplane he is testing at McCook Field and becomes the first man to join the Caterpillar Club — those whose lives have been saved by parachutes.

October 26, 1922. U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Godfrey Chevalier, in an Aeromarine 39-B, lands on the USS Langley, in the first ship landing. He is fatally injured in a crash two weeks later.

October 4-5, 1931. Hugh Herndon and Clyde Pangborn complete the first nonstop transpacific flight from Sabishiro Beach, Japan, to Wenatchee, Washington, in 41 hours, 13 minutes, in a Bellanca Skyrocket.

October 1, 1942. Bell chief test pilot Robert M. Stanley flies the first turbojet aircraft, the Bell XP-59A. The next day, Col. Laurence C. Craigie becomes the first U.S. military pilot to fly a turbojet. In October 1943, Ann Baumgartener Carl of the Women Airforce Service Pilots flies a YP-59A and becomes the first American woman to fly a jet airplane.

October 14, 1947. U.S. Air Force Capt. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager in the Bell X-1 breaks the speed of sound, reaching a speed of 1,127 kilometers (700 miles) per hour, Mach 1.06, at an altitude of 13,000 meters (43,000 feet).

October 19, 1953. In the first commercial nonstop transcontinental flight, a TWA Lockheed Super Constellation reaches New York from Los Angeles in 8 hours, 17 minutes. In 2003, the flight on a Boeing 777 averages 5 hours, 42 minutes.

October 1, 1958. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is formed.

October 24, 1986. The EAA Aviation Foundation's replica of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis is officially retired. The replica was built in 1976 to 1977 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Lindbergh's historic solo flight.