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GA News 
Cessna to reduce workforce by 700
Just a day after a panel of private economists said the recession ended in June 2009, Textron said there is continued weakness in new jet orders and announced an adjustment in aircraft production schedules and a reduction in workers at Cessna Aircraft Co. “While we are seeing solid performance in most of our other businesses, we have not yet seen a discernable improvement in business jet order activity,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott C. Donnelly. “Therefore, we are taking further production and restructuring actions at Cessna.” Read more >>
Eclipse gets better windshield
Eclipse Aerospace announced completion of a new windshield design application for its EA500 business jet that will better dissipate precipitation static. The new, FAA-certified design consists of a thin carbon strip that is bonded to the windshields of existing EA500 twinjets. The strip creates a conductive path for precipitation static, which diverts potential electrical energy fields away from the airplane. “The new diverter strip replaces the previous chemical-based application, which was hard to apply and difficult to maintain,” said Ken Ross, president of Eclipse Aerospace Inc. Global Service and Support Division. Read more >>
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High winds bring early Reno finish
Air race pilot George Giboney of Des Moines, Wash., walked away from the dramatic crash of his Thunder Mustang, Rapid Travel, Sept. 19 during the Super Sport Gold Race at the forty-seventh annual National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nev. Giboney’s airplane pancaked and then cartwheeled before coming to a stop on the airport. However, Giboney was able to walk from the wreckage and waved to race fans before being taken to a hospital for evaluation. Because of high winds, which are very evident in the video of the crash, officials canceled the T-6 Gold and Unlimited Gold races. Read more >>
Flight plans, not fairy tales, says Girls With Wings founder
Since 2005, Lynda Meeks has been both a professional pilot and the motivational force behind Girls With Wings, the nonprofit organization she founded with the sole purpose of bringing the aviation world into the lives of as many young women as possible. But as a result of the financial downturn and her pending furlough at NetJets, Meeks found herself at a crossroads, and a difficult decision needed to be made about what her life’s work was really all about. A clue to help her down the right path came in summer 2009. Read more >>
1,000 RV-8s
One thousand kit-built RV-8 aircraft have been built and flown, designer Van’s Aircraft has confirmed. The two-seat, metal sport airplane was designed in 1996 and comes with fixed tailwheel or tricycle landing gear. About 2,000 more RV-8s are under construction, so “new ones should be flying with regularity,” Van’s Aircraft officials said. More than 6,000 RV designs have been built and flown, and the company expects to surpass 7,000 this year. Designs include the single-seat RV-3, LSA-approved RV-12, and four-seat RV-10. RVs have been licensed to fly in 45 countries.
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Solar Impulse making bolder flights
The baby steps taken by the Swiss battery-powered airplane Solar Impulse on its way to a nonstop flight around the world are getting longer. Two cross-country flights were completed recently at speeds of 25 to 29 knots. The prototype, piloted by André Borschberg, flew from Payerne to Geneva International Airport before returning to its base in Payerne. It then made a second flight to Zurich and back. “These flights are just amazing. Thanks to the airplane’s low speed, I was able to discover Switzerland from a completely new angle, fully taking in the beauty of our country,” said Borschberg, CEO and co-founder of Solar Impulse. Read more >>
Grants target turboprop purchases for Mission Aviation
Nothing beats a STOL-equipped turboprop single with a high useful load for tackling tough assignments. That’s why an aircraft like the PT6-powered Quest Kodiak meets the needs of Mission Aviation Fellowship of Nampa, Idaho, a faith-based nonprofit ministry that takes on challenges in remote areas with a fleet of 58 aircraft. On Sept. 20 the organization announced that a donor has provided a $1.7-million challenge grant that would fully fund a new Kodiak purchase. The condition is that the donation be matched by year’s end. Read more >>
First cargo flight to be celebrated
A re-enactment of the nation’s first air cargo flight is planned in Ohio on Oct. 2 from Dayton to Columbus. In 1910, using one of their airplanes assigned to the Wright Exhibition Team, and with one of their newly trained pilots, the Wright brothers accepted an order from an Ohio businessman and carried 200 pounds of silk cloth along the route. Read more >>
CAP contacting WWII members
Were you in the Civil Air Patrol during World War II? The CAP is looking for members who served between Dec. 7, 1941, and Aug. 15, 1945, who were at least 18 years old during part of that service. The search was prompted by legislation pending in both houses of Congress that, if passed, would award a Congressional Gold Medal to the CAP for the service of its members during World War II. Read more >>
AOPA Now: A day at the airport
AOPA President Craig Fuller loves seeing airports open their doors to the community. What a great way to build relationships with neighbors, encourage future pilots, and have fun! At “A Day at the Airport” in Bloomington, Ill., Sept. 18, he talked to a receptive crowd about general aviation and the value it brings to all Americans—and introduced future pilots to the fun of flying. The airport invited pilots, neighbors, and aviation fans to come spend a day eating pancakes, looking at aircraft, taking airplane and helicopter rides, and enjoying being out with the kids. Read more >>
Reporting Points: Aerocar still flying
Nearly 50 years ago Molt Taylor produced a real, working flying car. It nearly went into production a time or two, but never made it to the big time. It did make several appearances on a television quiz show and a comedy series, “The Bob Cummings Show.” So where is it now? Read more >>
Hover Power: Frank Robinson
In the early 1970s, an engineer named Frank Robinson wanted to build a small two-seat personal helicopter. He pitched the concept to major manufacturers, but none saw any market potential in the civilian market—the big money was in military machines. So in 1973, Robinson left his job at Hughes Aircraft and started the Robinson Helicopter Company in his home. His son, Kurt Robinson, told aviation blogger Tim McAdams that he came home from high school one day and found a tail-rotor blade baking in the family oven. Read more >>
‘The shackles are off’: DFC90 autopilot to the test
A pilot hand-flying an airplane with Avidyne’s new DFC90 or DFC100 autopilot can simply push the “straight & level” button, and that engages the autopilot and commands it to right the aircraft. But does the S&L feature work in all loss-of-control scenarios? AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Dave Hirschman took an Experimental-category Cirrus SR22-G3 into some extreme attitudes and used the S&L button on a DFC90 autopilot to recover. “We looped it, we rolled it; we did half-Cubans, Immelmanns,” he said. Find out how it fared when Hirschman engaged it while inverted. Watch AOPA Live >>
Reporting Points: Upside-down in a Cirrus
AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Dave Hirschman blogs about getting the keys to the Experimental-category Cirrus SR22-G3 that Avidyne used for a test bed, putting it in any attitude he wanted, pushing the S&L button, and seeing what happened. Read more >>
Fuller stresses flexibility on through-the-fence ops
The FAA has taken great strides toward a more enlightened policy on permitting residential through-the-fence access for airparks at public-use airports, AOPA President Craig Fuller told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in a statement prepared for its Sept. 22 hearing on those operations. In this interview, AOPA Vice President of Airports and State Advocacy Greg Pecoraro explains AOPA’s stance on through-the-fence access and turns your attention to a more pressing issue regarding airports and residential development. Watch AOPA Live >>
For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.
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Safety & Proficiency
Remember to ‘line up and wait’
Heads up! Put a reminder on your kneeboard: Effective Sept. 30, “line up and wait” replaces “taxi into position and hold.” What do these new words mean? The same thing—you may taxi onto the runway and wait for a takeoff clearance. This change in ATC terminology brings the United States in line with standard International Civil Aviation Organization phraseology. It also is expected to minimize confusion with or misinterpretation of ATC instructions. Learn more >>
Cut costs with AOPA
Looking for ways to trim flight expenses? Learn tips from AOPA's experts on ownership options, aircraft maintenance, ways to put your aircraft to work, and more in the recorded Webinar “Reducing the cost of flying.” Visit the AOPA Pilot Information Center Webinar page to watch the Webinar or view the slides.
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Test your regulatory knowledge
If your last glance at FAR Part 91 was two years ago during a cram session for a flight review, odds are you’re a little fuzzy on some of the details. The rules on supplemental oxygen use, for instance. Or the speed limit in Class C airspace. Or those pesky ELT battery replacement intervals. Or … heck, why not just take the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s latest safety quiz and find out what you’re forgetting? Take the challenge >>
Air Safety eJournal: Bad day at Huntington
It’s a familiar refrain—continued VFR into IMC. This particular case was worse than most as it involved six fatalities. A Piper Seneca—more than fully loaded—went down in West Virginia. The VFR owner-pilot was flying a group of flying club members to check out an aircraft that was for sale. You can review the whole sad saga in the latest Accident Case Study: Cross-Country Crisis . No trip, no mission, no reward is worth the outcome you’ll see here. And as usual, we know what happened but do not understand why. Read more >>
[INT_A]
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ADVOCACY
Congress passes small business bill that could boost aircraft sales
Sales of aircraft and other business machinery and equipment could receive a significant boost after Congress passed a bill that extends a tax provision known as bonus depreciation. The House on Sept. 23 passed the Small Business Jobs Act, which extends bonus depreciation through 2010. The Senate passed the bill on Sept. 16. The act extends a provision that allowed businesses to accelerate recovery of some capital costs made in 2008 and 2009, compared to ordinary depreciation schedules. Read more >>
Decision makers get down to business of NextGen
AOPA President Craig Fuller joined other key aviation decision makers at FAA headquarters Sept. 23 to help shape the industry’s vision of NextGen. The NextGen Advisory Committee was created this year to bring together top-level officials representing a range of aviation interests to reach a consensus on priorities for the process of modernizing the air transportation system. The group looked at the business of NextGen so that it can provide a set of joint recommendations to the FAA on issues critical to its implementation. Read more >>
| | Don’t miss out on the greatest aviation celebration of the year— AOPA Aviation Summit in Long Beach, Calif., on Nov. 11-13. Enjoy educational forums, captivating speakers, the hottest aircraft on the market, and special events at Summit this year. |
Industry calls on Senate to act on pending FAA bill
AOPA has joined with two dozen other aviation-related organizations to press for action on a long-overdue measure to authorize funding for the FAA. The House passed its version of the FAA reauthorization bill last year. In a letter to members of the Senate, the groups say that after three years without a reauthorization, “It is time for Congress to move forward decisively and pass (a) bill.” Hear from AOPA Vice President of Legislative Affairs Lorraine Howerton about the prospects for passing a bill this year and how a long delay could put user fees back on the table. Watch AOPA Live >>
Swift shares progress on potential 100LL replacement
AOPA got another update on alternative fuels research and development Sept. 17 as AOPA President Craig Fuller and senior government affairs staff met with Swift Enterprises in West Lafayette, Ind. The visit continues the association's efforts to stay abreast of efforts throughout the industry, including recent visits with Teledyne Continental Motors and General Aviation Modifications Inc. Swift, which is working on a high-octane unleaded fuel that may be derived from biomass, discussed its progress in fuel development, testing, and certification, as well as the road ahead. Read more >>
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AOPA sets record straight on through-the-fence stance
The FAA’s recent decision to allow existing residential through-the-fence access to continue represented a victory for airport operators, pilots, and AOPA, who fought for that provision. But the new proposed policy misstates AOPA’s stance on future through-the-fence access. The association set the record straight in comments Sept. 17. AOPA’s comments on the FAA’s 2009 proposal to eliminate this access clearly stated “that the FAA should not necessarily close the door to future requests but rather establish specific criteria for new RTTF access and not ban it entirely,” AOPA wrote. Read more >>
Seaplane pilots asked to help preserve Ross Lake access
AOPA is urging seaplane pilots to comment to the National Park Service (NPS) before Sept. 30 on a draft management plan that could curtail access to the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The NPS is drafting a plan for the area, which is part of the North Cascades park complex in Washington state. The plan’s goal is to develop a “management philosophy” to guide decisions over the next two decades on park preservation and land protection, educational programs, visitor access, use and facilities, and long-term operations and management of Ross Lake. Read more >>
Aviation groups urge action on US-EU safety agreement
Aviation industry groups urged Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to make the implementation of the U.S.-European Union Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement a priority in upcoming talks with the European Commission in a joint letter Sept. 16. Cooperation between the United States and EU has led to higher, common safety standards, the organizations wrote. The bilateral agreement would strengthen this cooperation and help reduce costs for product certification and repair stations, they explained. Read more >>
End urged to tree removal delays at Easton/Newnam
AOPA is urging officials in Talbot County, Md., to expedite the topping or removal of trees long recognized as obstruction hazards at the Easton/Newnam Airport. "The need to undertake this project was first identified in 2003 during an Environmental Assessment study for another project at the airport,” wrote Bill Dunn, AOPA vice president of airport advocacy, in a Sept. 15 letter to County Council President Levin Harrison. The letter reminded officials of their contractual obligations flowing from acceptance of federal airport development funds, including protection of the airport’s aerial approaches. Read more >>
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SD transportation official solos a Cessna 172
A first solo is always a time for celebration and congratulations. When the soloing student happens to be South Dakota’s second ranking transportation official who is also participating in his state’s effort to promote aviation, the occasion becomes even more of a special event. That’s what took place at the Pierre, S.D., airport recently when state Deputy Secretary of Transportation Kevin Tveidt made his first solo in a Cessna 172. Read more >>
Pilots gather for town hall meeting
About 125 pilots from near and far joined AOPA President Craig Fuller at Mount Comfort Airport in Greenfield, Ind., for a pilot town hall meeting Sept. 18. Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita and Women in Aviation, International President Dr. Peggy Chabrian were among the member pilots at the event; some drove in from as far away as 100 miles, and more than 15 airplanes flew in to hear about engagement in general aviation and what’s happening on Capitol Hill. Read more >>
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Member Benefits
AOPA Foundation calendar promotes GA
Protect your freedom to fly all year long with the new 2010-2011 AOPA Foundation calendar, where each month you’ll see beautiful photographs, as well as valuable safety tips to remind you of the life-saving tools you help provide. Your support will help ensure that the foundation will have the resources needed to continue to fund air safety courses, quizzes, and Webinars as well as provide additional support for protecting airports, building the pilot population, and improving the image of general aviation. To receive your calendar, please make a donation.
Aviation goes to the movies
If you’ve seen James Bond fly a BD-5 jet through a hangar and exit sideways out the other end or watched Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon get sprayed by an aerial applicator in “Odd Couple II,” you’ve seen the work of J.W. “Corkey” Fornof. An airshow performer and movie stunt pilot, Fornof will show footage from some of his most famous flights and talk about the demands of precision movie flying at the AOPA Aviation Summit “Aviation in the Movies” luncheon Friday, Nov. 12. Read more >>
| | AOPA Aircraft Financing Program offers NEW lower rates Our goal is to get pilots into the aircarft 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. |
AOPA Airports book: Limited quantity, limited time
AOPA has shifted financial resources from the print version of AOPA Airports to enhance the association’s online and mobile versions in response to the preferences expressed by the high majority of AOPA members. However, the association knows that the print version still has high value to some of its members who have relied on it as a handy reference in the cockpit. The new 2011-2012 AOPA Airports is your perfect flight-planning companion. Read more >>
Flight planning gone mobile
If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can have more than 5,300 public-use landing facilities, 7,000 FBOs and aviation-related businesses, and more than 55,000 restaurants, hotels, and transportation services at your fingertips with AOPA Airports, powered by ForeFlight. Visit Apple’s App Store to download this exclusive member benefit today.
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The Remos is coming—are all your sweeps entries in?
AOPA's 2010 Fun to Fly Remos GX has started its two-week trip to Long Beach, Calif., for AOPA Aviation Summit. Jill Tallman, AOPA Pilot associate editor, and Patrick Smith, AOPA aviation technical specialist, will wing their way across the country to the giveaway at Summit. Find out what it’s like to fly the Remos on an extra-long cross-country—and how you can increase your chances to win. AOPA will accept additional entries to win the sweepstakes Remos up until Sept. 30. Read more >>
AOPA 2010 Fun to Fly Sweepstakes headed west
The Fun to Fly Remos is headed for the wild, wild West. The first stop is Mount Vernon, Ill., for the Midwest LSA Expo, Sept. 23 through 25. After that, it will keep right on going to Santa Paula, Calif. The airplane has to be in California the first week of November for AOPA Aviation Summit. Since it will be six hours closer to the Golden State and the weather will be kinder and gentler now (hopefully), it makes sense to pack up and head out early. Read more >>
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Community
Picture PerfectAOPA’s online photo gallery allows you to upload your own aviation photography as well as view, rate, and comment on others’ photos. Your favorite aviation images from AOPA Pilot are still available online through this new gallery. Take a look, and submit your own photos! |
When smoke emerges from the corner of a panel, a pilot responds quickly by making an emergency landing. Read more >>
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Engage in AviationCheck out user-submitted events from your region. To include an event or to search all events in the calendar, visit AOPA Online. AOPA does not endorse the events listed below, nor have ePilot editors edited the submissions. AOPA assumes no responsibility for events listed. | ||||
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QUIZ ME!Here’s a question asked by an AOPA member who contacted our aviation services staff through the AOPA Pilot Information Center. Test your knowledge.
Question: I recently completed AOPA’s General Aviation Security course, which meets the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) requirements for initial and recurrent security awareness training required by 49 CFR 1552. The completion certificate requires a distinct identification number. What is this number and how do I obtain one?
Answer: The TSA does not provide the identification number. If you work for a flight school, then the school should develop a numbering system to identify employees or use any employee numbering system that is already in place. If you are an independent flight instructor, AOPA recommends that you use your pilot certificate number as the distinct identification number. You may take the General Aviation Security course online.
Got a question for our aviation services staff? The AOPA Pilot Information Center is a service available to all members as part of the annual dues. Call 800/USA-AOPA (800/872-2672), or e-mail to [email protected].
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| Engage in aviation: Share the joy of flight with someone—he or she just might get hooked on aviation and decide to become a pilot. | Did you know? The AOPA Insurance Agency is the only aircraft insurance agency qualified to carry the AOPA name. Coverage is available for owners, renters, and CFIs. You can get a quote and purchase your aircraft insurance online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And now, AOPA members may qualify for a 5-percent discount on owners insurance or a 10-percent renewal discount on renters insurance. Call 800/622-AOPA (2672) or go online for more information. |
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