Oct. 29, 2010, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' newsletter

Bid on flying adventures
What’s up with datalink?
Proposed R.I. regs overreach
Quiz Me: Change of address

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FEATURED

Above the spill

Scattered clouds explode like popcorn in the humid dawn air above the Gulf of Mexico. Pilot Gary G. Hornosky and photographer T. Keith Riddle step from the air-conditioned office of Atlantic Aviation at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport into the steamy sauna bath outside. They’re wearing full Civil Air Patrol flight suits. Less than a minute after takeoff, their Cessna 182 climbs over the shoreline where workers in yellow vests, with plastic bags over their feet, comb the sand for tar balls. They find barely enough this mid-September morning to cover the bottoms of six white buckets. The Gulf oil spill is drawing to a close. Riddle said that during the peak of the crisis he worked seven days a week. “It’s sort of like Groundhog Day. The same day keeps happening over and over.” Read more >>

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GA News

Midwest windstorm impacts aviation

A major windstorm, stretching across some 2,200 miles, caused widespread flight delays and cancellations across the upper Midwest on Tuesday as it sped toward the Northeast. Three general aviation airplanes were substantially damaged in a wind gust at DuPage Airport in West Chicago, Ill., ChicagoBreakingNews reported. Damaged at DuPage were an Allegro light sport airplane, a Cessna 152, and a Piper Cherokee. One of the airplanes reportedly was tossed over an 8-foot-high chain link fence. Airport officials reported a 70-mph wind gust around the time the airplane made its unscheduled flight. Read more >>

Hawker Beechcraft moving 820 jobs

Hawker Beechcraft has completed the previously announced 350 layoffs and said it will move 820 jobs to existing plants in Mexico or to third-party suppliers. In a letter to employees, Chairman and CEO Bill Boisture said cutbacks have been made in compensation at all levels, including his own, and through better training to reduce rework and scrap metal, and to speed work. Read more >>

Emivest SJ30 factory files for bankruptcy

Emivest, the Dubai-based owner of the former Sino Swearingen factory in San Antonio and Martinsburg, W.Va., has filed in a Delaware federal court for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The state of West Virginia had made a $2 million investment in the firm. Emivest, one of 13 companies owned or invested in by Emirates Investment and Development Corp., has an 80-percent stake in the company, with most of the remainder owned by the Taiwanese government. A bankruptcy could be good for the firm, eliminating the Taiwanese investment and simplifying the sale of the company. Read more >>

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Bid to win once-in-a-lifetime flying adventures

Have you dreamed of being a World War II bombardier with the fate of the entire war depending on you? Or what about flying a private tour of Los Angeles with superstar Harrison Ford as your pilot and guide? The AOPA Foundation’s A Night for Flight auction offers these two thrilling rides—and many more exciting items and experiences—for you to bid on. One winning bidder will treasure lunch and a flight with actor and pilot Harrison Ford. Another will ride in the only flying B-29 in the world, Fifi —and sit in the most exhilarating seat on the aircraft, the bombardier’s seat. Read more >>

ForeFlight offers group pricing

Recognizing the growing use of iPads in the cockpit, aviation mobile application company ForeFlight has announced new group pricing plans that allow operators to order ForeFlight HD subscriptions for up to 100 devices. ForeFlight HD, the company’s flagship product, provides “Preflight Intelligence”: weather maps, charts, approach plates, taxi diagrams, flight plan filing capability, and more. Read more >>

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FlightAware rolls out FuelAware

A new, free online service that lets pilots and trip managers submit pricing requests for fuel and other services has made its debut. The service, dubbed FuelAware, is the creation of FlightAware, the “world’s largest online flight tracking and flight planning service,” according to the company. FuelAware is now available for use. In effect, the service performs as an online handler. Under FuelAware, FBOs respond to anonymous bids that consolidate facility photos, location maps, amenity listings, and user reviews to assist trip managers in making the best decisions. Read more >>

Long way to Long Beach

The first airplane to take off for AOPA Aviation Summit in Long Beach, Calif., is a Waco YMF-D like the one in the AOPA Foundation’s A Night for Flight auction, to conclude Nov. 13 on the RMS Queen Mary. Follow the rumbling, open-cockpit biplane as it makes its way across the continent from AOPA's Maryland headquarters all the way to the Pacific. AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Dave Hirschman and photographer Chris Rose will chronicle their adventures in words and pictures online. Track their flight >>

US Aviation sees success with Chinese students

The professional pilot program at US Aviation in Denton, Texas, has graduated nearly 200 Chinese professional pilot students with a multiengine instrument rating, the school said. Some have become first officers, some are in advanced training in China, and others are in primary training for Chinese airlines. Read more >>

Lenders tighten up

Looking to buy a pre-owned business jet? Then get ready to face more stringent financing requirements. General aviation analyst Brian Foley says that banks are ready to lend, but often turn down loan applicants. “Loans are evaluated very differently now,” Foley said. “Residual values have plummeted, so today’s loans are based more on the borrower’s balance sheet and less on the asset value of the aircraft, although that continues to play some role. Most banks won’t finance jets more than 20 years old. For some, even 10 years is the cut-off point.” Read more >>

Crossover Classic 2011: Air Plains adds power, speed

Air Plains Services of Wellington, Kan., has been hard at work installing the Crossover Classic 2011 Sweepstakes airplane’s new Continental IO-550 engine, its accessories, and the Flint Aero tip tanks. Those tanks each hold 12 gallons of fuel. Add that to the airplane’s existing, 79-gallon long range tanks and we’ll have a 103-gallon Cessna 182. At 75-percent power, the IO-550 burns about 16 to 17 gallons per hour, so that makes it an airplane with at least a six-hour endurance. If the true airspeed is about 150 knots, that makes this an 800-plus nautical mile airplane. Read more >>

AOPA Now: Aviation DVD

AOPA President Craig Fuller always enjoys movies with an aviation theme. Not long ago a few friends told him about a film he had missed from the late 1980s—“Bat*21.” The discovery led him to a wealth of aviation-related products on Amazon.com. Read more >>

Hover Power: Robinson’s coning hinge

In a departure from the traditional semi-rigid rotor system design, Frank Robinson used a coning hinge on each blade when designing the R22 in the 1970s. When rotor blades produce lift (especially under high load or low rotor rpm) they flex upward (coning). Although some mistakenly refer to this as a flapping hinge, it is used for blade coning. Previous rotor systems used a fixed coning angle built into each blade. Robinson’s design allows the coning angle to vary according to different conditions such as rotor speed, acceleration, and weight. Read more >>

Hero Flight 2010 to honor veterans

More than 1,600 aircraft owners and pilots have helped to transport wounded vets and their family members through the Veterans Airlift Command, and now the organization is hosting a Veterans Day event in Las Vegas to celebrate those who have fought for their country. In an interview with AOPA President Craig Fuller, VAC “Air Boss” Walt Fricke discusses his organization’s work and Hero Flight 2010, an event where attendees will hear the personal stories of wounded warriors and mission pilots and support the work of the VAC. Reserve a table through the VAC, or bid on one in A Night For Flight auction. Watch AOPA Live® >>

PC-12 NG: New front end and space for all the toys

Pilatus’ new PC-12 NG is equally capable of hauling golf clubs to the Bahamas or carrying executives to a meeting. Check out Honeywell’s Primus Apex integrated flight deck and tour the versatile airplane with Epps Aviation demo pilot Sean Sanders. Watch AOPA Live >>

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Seastar flying boat: Luxury for land, water, air

The all-composite twin-engine Dornier Seastar, new to the American market, brings a business-jet interior to the amphibious turboprop. With a luxurious interior and a 54-cubic-foot baggage compartment that could fit half a moose, the aircraft was one of the more unusual airplanes on display at the National Business Aviation Association convention. “I used to tell people I was selling an airplane that lands on the water, and I’ve now learned that I’m selling a 200-mile-an-hour boat that flies,” says Joe Walker, CEO of Dornier Seaplane Co. Watch AOPA Live >>

Bigger, faster, farther

Why are large jets doing so well in a down market? “The world has changed,” Bombardier President Steven Ridolfi explains in an exclusive AOPA Live interview at the NBAA convention. The company launched the 2,600-cubic-foot-cabin Global 7000 and the Global 8000, which has a target of 7,900 nm range at Mach 0.85 with eight passengers, at the convention. The company bills its new family of large-cabin, ultra-long-range business jets as providing more freedom: “freedom to work, freedom to live, freedom to reach any destination.” Watch AOPA Live >>

Bucking the large-cabin trend

Manufacturers at the National Business Aviation Association convention touted their large-cabin offerings, a category that has fared better than others during the recession. AOPA Pilot Editor at Large Thomas A. Horne looks at how Hawker Beechcraft is bucking that trend with its new entry-level business jet, the Hawker 200. Watch AOPA Live >>

For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.

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Safety & Proficiency

Wondering what’s up with datalink?

Datalink technology has been around quite a while now, but if you still fly with older avionics you may not be up to speed on what it can and can’t do. If so, the Air Safety Institute’s Datalink minicourse is a good place to start. The short course covers basic facts you need to know about the technology: how it works, the kinds of information it can provide, and how to use it safely in the air. Take the course >>

In the dark: Night flying

After the sun sets and the only lights are twinkling towns and starlight, familiar terrain becomes a world transformed. The beauty of an evening flight in the cool, smooth autumn air is enticing, but it’s worth a review of night flying before you venture out into the darkness. The AOPA Pilot Information Center subject report discusses the limitations that darkness puts on human vision, weather minimums, regulations, and tips for making your night flight pleasurable and safe. Read more >>

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Don’t let fatigue drag you down

When we think about fatigue in the cockpit, most of us probably focus on the risk of dozing off at the controls—but there’s a lot more to it than that. Fatigue can be insidious, and it can radically degrade your piloting performance in myriad ways before you actually start to nod off. Learn more about it, and how you can avoid it, in the Air Safety Institute’s Fighting Fatigue Safety Brief.

Flight service tips and tricks

Go beyond briefing and flight plan services with the Air Safety Institute’s A Pilot’s Guide to Flight Service. You already access basic services, but do you use all resources available on the ground and in the air? For example, did you know you can set up your individual profile to speed up flight plan filing? Do you ask for and give pireps? Do you recall the meaning and use of the letter “R” found on the sectional chart? Get the most from FSS >>

Air Safety eJournal: Summit in LGB

If you’re interested in the new aviation products—aircraft, avionics, stuff in general— AOPA Aviation Summit is a great place to go.  Long Beach (LGB) is the place to be this year, and despite being in high density traffic AOPA has always had great ATC service. Mere mortals can do this! The airport itself serves as a poster child of complexity, and if you’re a bit foggy on airport signage, review the Air Safety Institute’s Runway Safety course. Read more >>

Reporting Points: Avionics overkill

When AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Dave Hirschman had an opportunity this year to transform the instrument panel of his single-seat RV-3, he went ahead and did it—even though the maneuverable little sport plane was never meant for flying in clouds. The project added a Garmin G3X PFD/MFD; an SL30 nav-comm radio; a GTX 330 transponder; AeroLED lights, and a TCW standby battery. It’s avionics overkill, but the new panel has safety tools that combat the main pilot killers: weather, traffic, and terrain. Read more >>

ADVOCACY

Proposed R.I. aeronautics regulations exceed authority

AOPA has notified the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) that its proposed aeronautics regulations include numerous provisions that exceed the state’s jurisdiction, intrude on private property rights, or impose paperwork burdens that could expose pilots to identity theft. RIAC, a quasi-governmental agency, acts as the state’s aeronautics agency and operates seven of the eight public landing areas in Rhode Island. One section of the proposed regulations calls for the owner of a private landing field to notify local police and fire officials 24 hours “prior to the date and time of each use or operation at the Landing Field.” Read more >>

FAA’s redrawn airpark policy a ‘better treatment’

The FAA’s revised draft policy on residential through-the-fence access (RTTF) puts forth “a much better treatment” of the issue than earlier proposals, AOPA said in formal comments submitted Oct. 25. AOPA also continues to point out that the policymaking now in progress on RTTF gives the FAA an opportunity to consider the larger question of encroachment of airports by nonaviation-related development—a problem which imposes tremendous operational and economic constraints at many airports. Read more >>

DOT report shines spotlight on ADS-B program risks, cost

AOPA agrees with concerns raised by a Department of Transportation inspector general’s report on the FAA’s planned implementation of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) program, which shined a needed spotlight on management risks, cost burdens, and disincentives for early participation in the program by pilots. The report, released Oct. 12, makes nine recommendations to smooth the implementation and enhance contract oversight of ADS-B, which is to be a major component of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Read more >>

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GA working group meets with TSA on security issues

The Aviation Security Advisory Committee’s general aviation working group, on which AOPA serves, met to discuss a variety of issues and initiatives Oct. 25 at the headquarters of the Transportation Security Administration. The group, which provides industry involvement in security decision making, looked into ways to make temporary flight restrictions more manageable for GA aircraft; a TSA request for feedback on a security grants program; better GA access to Ronald Reagan-Washington National Airport; updating the 2004 Security Guidelines for General Aviation Airports; and other issues. Read more >>

Charting a future for GA in China: Delegates visit AOPA

As China carries out plans to open more of its skies to general aviation, delegates from the Civil Aviation Administration of China had the chance Oct. 26 to experience GA at its most robust. A group of 30 delegates visited AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Md., as part of a trip to research general aviation in the United States. During the visit, they tried their hand at flight simulators and took flights in general aviation aircraft. Read more >>

Residential development near airport an ‘unnecessary risk’

A proposed residential development that would place dwelling units within a short distance of aircraft movements in Half Moon Bay, Calif., remains “a prime example of non-compatible land use adjacent to an airport,” AOPA said in comments to local planning authorities Oct. 26. A public hearing is set for Nov. 17 on the final environmental impact report for the Big Wave Wellness Center and Office Park project, a mixed-use development that the developer has proposed to locate south of the approach end of Runway 30 at the Half Moon Bay Airport. Read more >>

Stay healthy, fly longer. Enroll in the AOPA Medical Services Program and gain access to numerous resources designed to keep you in the air. Plus, receive assistance from our Medical Certification Specialists for FAA- related medical issues.

Bill would create N.H. state aeronautical fund

When a bill establishing a trust fund to help maintain airports that do not receive federal funding comes before the New Hampshire legislature next year, AOPA will have played an important role in raising lawmakers’ awareness of the measure’s value to the state economy. House Bill 1506, creating a state aeronautical fund, was referred to interim study on Oct. 21 and will come before the legislature again in 2011. Lawmakers taking it up then will have the benefit of an economic survey of the 12 mostly privately owned, public-use New Hampshire airports to help make the case for passage. Read more >>

Merced urged to rethink housing under traffic pattern

AOPA is urging officials in Merced, Calif., not to pursue a municipal development proposal that would locate residential housing under the traffic pattern of county-owned Castle Airport, northwest of the city. Merced’s draft long-range planning document is moving through the review process. One of the items included is a development to be known as the Castle Farms Community Plan. It would include low density and low/medium density residential development directly under the traffic pattern of the airport, which is the former Castle Air Force Base. Read more >>

AOPA Aircraft Financing Program offers NEW lower rates Our goal is to get pilots into the aircraft of their dreams. To help make aircraft ownership more attainable, we just lowered our rates to make monthly payments more affordable. For more information, or to have a representative call you to discuss financing, go to www.aopa.org/loans.

Peak experience: AOPA aviation summit

Time to buy?

It’s a buyer’s market. Markets for both new and used aircraft have begun to stabilize after a low in 2009, but sales are still slow. If you’re looking to buy, you might walk away with a bargain. If you’re thinking of buying your first aircraft or stepping up to a higher-end model, find out how to navigate the buying process and get tips on making the most of ownership at AOPA Aviation Summit Nov. 11 through 13. Read more >>

Across the airwaves: Tips from controllers

How can ATC help you deal with challenges like mountainous terrain or congested airspace? And how much weather-avoidance assistance can controllers really offer? Air traffic controllers from around the country will be on hand at AOPA Aviation Summit in Long Beach, Calif., to answer questions from pilots and offer advice on effective radio communication. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) will host a series of educational forums in the convention center and mini-forums at Controllers’ Corner in the exhibit hall. Read more >>

Be a part of the action on AOPA Live

Can't make it to AOPA Aviation Summit? Check out AOPA Live at Summit Nov. 11 through 13 for interviews, presentations, and more. While you're watching, you’ll be able to use your Facebook account to post comments and questions, and chat with other pilots and aviation enthusiasts. Don't have a Facebook account? Sign up for free and log in for the main event this November.

From dream to checkride: Summit offers activities for all

The excitement at AOPA Aviation Summit isn’t just for certificated pilots. With everything from simulator flights to educational forums, Summit offers activities bound to spark an interest in flying in prospective pilots and provide student pilots with tools to help them pass their checkride. While more experienced aviators check out forums on spin training or instrument flight rules, their friends and family can get information about learning to fly, get a feel for the controls in a simulator, experience a discovery flight at Long Beach-Daugherty Field, and enjoy breakfast or barbecue at the airport. Read more >>

Know before you go: Flying to Summit

Will you be flying your general aviation aircraft to Long Beach-Daugherty Field for AOPA Aviation Summit? Make sure you’ve reviewed the arrival procedures and notam. Get the procedures >>

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Member Benefits

Holiday cards and other aviation-themed gifts available

It’s time to order your 2010 AOPA holiday cards. Choose from more than 30 designs, including 15 new images, as well as many of your all-time favorites. View all selections at AOPA’s Holiday Card Center website or call 800/308-4285. Each purchase comes with two free gifts and supports the AOPA Foundation’s mission to improve general aviation safety. Free imprinting of your personal message inside the cards is also offered with the purchase of three or more boxes. Also available this year: year-round aviation-themed note cards, holiday jigsaw puzzles, and keepsake photo-framed ornaments—ready for featuring your favorite 2010 photo!

AOPA launches group life insurance program

Now you don’t have to shop around to find quality life insurance that doesn’t have aviation exclusions. AOPA has done the work for you, negotiated lower group rates, and developed a comprehensive offering of products to meet your needs. If your financial planning includes buying life insurance for the first time or rethinking your current insurance needs, take a look at these three different plans from AOPA. Read more >>

FREE Video Tip! — Courses for Beginner to Pro! Click for a Free Video Training Tip and find a course to achieve your next goal, or to make your flying safer and more rewarding. Not sure? Call us at 800-854-1001 and talk to one of our pilot training advisors.

Staying ahead of the airplane

We all know the old adage that it is vital to fly ahead of the aircraft and be aware of what might happen next. We apply this to aircraft systems, but what of the most essential piece of equipment—the pilot? Because of our quite natural focus on getting through that pesky visit with the aviation medical examiner, we may not give the same loving care and do the same preventive maintenance on ourselves that we provide to our aircraft. Read more in this selection from the AOPA Medical Services Program newsletter. AOPA members enrolled in the Medical Services Program get valuable information like this—and much more—bimonthly.

AOPA Insider: Hot topic—AOPA Summit prices

It’s hard to believe, but we’re less than three weeks away from AOPA’s annual gathering, AOPA Aviation Summit. Throughout the year, the association reviews member feedback provided through surveys, the Member Services department, Pilot Information Center, AOPA Forums, blog responses, and social networking sites. Members have raised some good questions recently about this year’s Summit, but some also jumped to conclusions that were a bit off the mark. And since other members may share some of the same questions or concerns, AOPA Vice President of Member Services Ed Thompson digs into them here. Read more >>

Community

ePilot Editor: Sarah Brown	Contributors: Alyssa Miller Jill W. Tallman Warren Morningstar Alton K. Marsh	Dave Hirschman Tom Horne Ian J. Twombly	Production Team: William Rockenbaugh Lezlie Ramsey Mitch Mitchell	Advertise in ePilot: East: Mike Vodarsik, 732/946-0130 Central: Brian Curpier, 607/547-2591 Central: Gary Brennan, 607/547-2591 West: Zane Lewis, 214/789-6094 AOPA Advertising website
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