Pilot Briefing: How the airplane has changed the world
New Terwilliger film celebrates air travel
By Julie Summers Walker
A young filmmaker caught our attention in 2005 when he released his high-definition documentary, One Six Right, which told the story of Van Nuys Airport in California and highlighted the struggle to survive for many general aviation airports. Now pilot and producer Brian J. Terwilliger—no longer quite the youthful newcomer—releases his aviation epic Living in the Age of Airplanes on April 10 with National Geographic Studios to the Giant Screen, IMAX, and Digital and Museum Cinemas.
GAMA numbers released
Contributions of general aviation to the U.S. Economy in 2013
1.1 million jobs
$219 billion to U.S. economy
$24.5 billion—GA airplane production worldwide
$4.9 billion—helicopter production worldwide
9.6% increase in piston airplane shipments (2014)
6.5% increase in business jet sales (2014)
Web: www.aopa.org/GAMA
FAA clarifies CFI checkride requirement
Change eases burden for many
By Jim Moore
The FAA has revised the flight instructor practical test standard to clarify when a complex aircraft is required for the checkride and when it is not.
Changes published in January clarify that a complex aircraft is not required when adding an airplane class rating to an existing certificate when the pilot has already been certified to operate complex aircraft. For example, a CFI seeking to add a single-engine airplane rating to an existing certificate with a multiengine rating need not perform the single-engine checkride in a complex aircraft.
Many flight schools, including industry leaders, had for decades conducted initial CFI checkrides in twin-engine aircraft and the single-engine CFI add-on in a Cessna 172 or similar aircraft; students progressed through commercial ratings in similar fashion, demonstrating their complex aircraft operation competency in twin-engine aircraft, while testing for single-engine ratings in aircraft that are not complex (because they lack a constant speed propeller; land-based aircraft also must have retractable gear and flaps, and seaplanes must have a constant-speed propeller and flaps to be considered complex). AOPA staff learned that the FAA rejected a number of applications for the single-engine add-on because the checkride was not conducted in a complex aircraft.
AOPA staff worked with the flight training industry to bring the problem to the FAA’s attention and resolve the issue with a common-sense solution. Had the change not been made, many schools would have been forced to purchase complex, single-engine aircraft at significant cost—most of which are decades old if available.
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Garmin to offer GPS training
The good thing about the GPS navigation revolution is that software offers so many time-saving features. The bad thing is that the software takes a while to learn, and if you are an aircraft renter, you may need to learn two or three different systems. Garmin is addressing the problem by offering in-classroom and online training.
Slimmed-down two-day live training courses on Garmin GTN-series avionics cost $495 and are offered April 9 and 10 and June 6 and 7 this year at Garmin headquarters in Olathe, Kansas. More encompassing two-day courses on GTN-series equipment plus the Garmin G500-600 radios cost $625 and take place April 23 and 24, May 16 and 17, June 18 and 19, September 18 and 19, October 22 and 23, and November 12 and 13.
There is also web-based courseware for the Garmin G3000 and the G5000. Each costs $699. Another course covers the Garmin 2000+ data link for $249. Garmin will add courseware for GTN series radios and is considering a weather radar course. You can schedule private instruction by appointment with Garmin trainers for the G1000, G3000, and G5000. Prices will be determined based on your needs.
Check pilot supply stores and King Schools for more training. King offers training courses for Garmin, Rockwell Collins, and Bendix/King avionics. Dynon Avionics offers a half-day class at its factory in Woodinville, Washington, and at AirVenture. Avidyne offers training software courses. GRT Avionics offers video tutorials. Sporty’s Pilot Shop offers DVD courses on Aspen Avionics and Garmin products. Pilot Mall offers training DVDs for Garmin and Avidyne avionics. —Alton K. Marsh
Sandbar Mitchell rises from the dust
If Patrick Mihalek’s dream comes true, in 10 years and $1 million from now a North American B–25J bomber will fly and reside as the star of his Warbirds of Glory Museum in Brighton, Michigan. The aircraft has made it from a sandbar in Alaska’s Tanana (TAN uh naw) River—where it was looted and salvaged down to its wing box—to a private hangar in Michigan (the search is on for a public home for the museum). That’s how it became dubbed the Sandbar Mitchell and you can visit it, but only by appointment.
Just that small piece of history has inspired several Michigan youth to adopt the airplane as their pet volunteer project. Perhaps some will continue in aviation. The aircraft is to be restored with parts begged, borrowed, and salvaged from other B–25 aircraft. Mihalek, in his early 30s, will use his airframe and powerplant mechanic skills to return the aircraft to the sky and plans on getting a pilot certificate so he can fly it. He has the experience needed for the project, including an aviation degree from Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation. He owns the Legend Of Aces Aviation restoration company in Brighton and has a healthy backlog of warbird restoration work. —AKM
Piper updates Meridian turboprop
Features Garmin G1000 glass cockpit
By Jim Moore
Updated Garmin G1000 avionics bring electronic stability protection and other automated safety features to the six-seat Piper Meridian M500, the 2015 edition of Piper Aircraft’s turbine-powered member of the Malibu family.
First delivered in 2000, the Meridian has seen several updates, including airframe changes that boosted the maximum takeoff weight to 5,092 pounds, with a useful load of 1,698 pounds. The M500 can cruise at 260 knots with a maximum range of 1,000 nm.
Updates to the Garmin G1000 avionics suite for 2015 include electronic stability protection, underspeed protection, and an automatic level function—a blue button that directs the autopilot and flight director to return to straight-and-level. Stability protection functions independently of the autopilot and works only when the aircraft is flown by hand. It is designed to apply small corrections to control surface positions to avoid exceeding the flight envelope. Underspeed protection functions with the autopilot engaged, and is designed to prevent stalls. This feature allows coupled go-arounds without disengaging the autopilot, allowing the autopilot to fly the missed approach. If insufficient power is added, the system will adjust pitch to maintain lift.
The G1000 displays now incorporate various cautions, including the master caution, gear warning, and gear position indicators. Additional upgrades include digital pressurization, an Aspen EFD-1000 standby instrument, electroluminescent placards, a Mode S GTX 33ES transponder capable of sending out 49 pieces of information about your aircraft and route (compared to today’s Mode C which sends only three parameters), a single center-mounted audio panel, and dual USB charging ports.
The M500 price tag is $2.26 million.
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Cover contest
AOPA Pilot through the years
By Mike Collins
After nearly a year of online voting, AOPA members chose the March 2000 cover of AOPA Pilot as their all-time favorite. It features the Grumman G–44 Widegeon photographed by AOPA Senior Photographer Mike Fizer in Orcas Island, Washington. Fizer’s photograph accompanied the feature story by Barry Schiff, “Grumman’s Gosling”.
Members voted weekly to select their favorite covers by year and then decade until the field narrowed to the five contestants shown here.
It’s obvious seaplanes hold a special affection for AOPA members, as three were favorite covers. Alaska holds a special place, too—two covers were photographed in The Last Frontier state.
Eco-friendly aircraft proposed in Britain
This one’s got it all—a bio-fuel engine, electric motors, solar panels, a recovery parachute, and a race-car impact cage to protect the passengers in a crash. A British company naming itself Faradair—after the electric motor genius Michael Faraday launched a Kickstarter campaign to build a six-passenger, three-engine, tri-wing airplane. It will have a diesel engine in back driving a pusher prop and recharging batteries for two electric jet motors. It gets power from solar panels, too. However, the Kickstarter program was to have raised $31,000 by last Christmas but generated only $2,500. —AKM
AOPA Fly-In schedule announced
A phenomenally successful fly-in season in 2014 convinced AOPA to continue regional fly-ins across the country in 2015. Four new sites have been selected as well as the return of the Frederick, Maryland, headquarters fly-in in June. Here are the dates and locations:
May 16, 2015—Salinas Municipal Airport (SNS), Salinas, California. The agricultural area is home to aerobatic star Sean D. Tucker.
June 6, 2015—Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK), Frederick, Maryland. AOPA headquarters is located on the field.
August 22, 2015—Anoka County-Blaine Airport (ANE), Minneapolis, Minnesota. Home to two remarkable aviation museums.
September 26, 2015—Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS), Colorado Springs, Colorado. Located under the shadow of beautiful Pikes Peak and home of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
October 10, 2015—Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA), Tullahoma, Tennessee. Home to Arnold Air Force Base and the Beechcraft Heritage Museum.
AOPA Fly-Ins are supported by grants from the AOPA Foundation.
Web: www.aopa.org/fly-ins
This month in aviation
APRIL 16, 1912. Harriet Quimby is the first woman to fly across the English Channel.
APRIL 30, 1917. Pacific Aero Products changes its name to Boeing Aircraft Co. William E. Boeing is president.
APRIL 20, 1930. Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh set a transcontinental speed record from Los Angeles to New York in 14 hours, 45 minutes.
APRIL 8, 1931. Amelia Earhart establishes altitude record of 18,451 feet in the Pitcairn autogyro.
APRIL 27, 1947. United Airlines introduces the Douglass DC–6.
APRIL 15, 1952. First flight of the Boeing B–52 Stratofortress.
APRIL 19, 1971. Salyut 1, the first manned spacelab, launches.
APRIL 4-9, 1983. First flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
APRIL 27, 1995. Global Positioning System (GPS) is fully operational.
APRIL 29, 2005. Last Titan 4 rocket takes off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Sponsored by Breitling
Originally titled Aviation: The Invisible Highway, Terwilliger’s new film is a tribute to how the airplane has changed our world. It was filmed in 18 countries across all seven continents, at 95 locations across the globe. Narrated by actor and pilot Harrison Ford, the film’s musical score is by Academy Award-winning composer James Horner (Titanic, Avatar).
“Since we were all born into a world with airplanes, it’s hard to imagine that jet travel itself is only 60 years old—just a tick on the timeline of human history,” Terwilliger said. “Yet practically overnight our perception of crossing continents and oceans at 500 mph has turned from fascination to frustration. I want to reignite people’s wonder for one of the most extraordinary aspects of the modern world.”
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Awards: Finding inspiration
Endeavor awards to honor Affleck, Lacy
By Julie Summers Walker
Aviation’s answer to Hollywood’s Academy Awards will highlight the work of individuals who inspire others. The Endeavor Awards Inspiration Award will be presented to actor Ben Affleck and Tempus Jets CEO Scott Terry for their collaboration in using aviation for humanitarian work and to Clay Lacy, CEO of Clay Lacy Aviation, for his lifetime of contributions to aviation.
Affleck founded the Eastern Congo Initiative in 2010 to combat the humanitarian crisis in the Congo. He recently joined with Terry—founder of Global Flight Relief, a nonprofit company dedicated to providing aviation assistance around the world.
The group uses both a Lockheed L–1011 and a King Air E–90 to provide medical assistance. The Lockheed—also known as The Flying Hospital—features four operating rooms, 16 pre- and post-op beds, a pharmacy, and more.
Lacy’s lifetime of aviation activities—especially his pioneering work in aerial filming for the movies—has inspired many to become pilots.
“There are two reasons why many people become pilots,” said Mark Wolper, chairman of the Endeavor Awards and president of the Wolper Organization at Warner Brothers. “They live near an airport and grow up watching airplanes or they see airplanes in the movies. Clay Lacy made it possible to watch airplanes in the movies and inspired us all.”
The Endeavor Awards take place May 30 at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and also will present three $15,000 grants to organizations that promote public benefit flying.
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Third class victory
Medical reform legislation introduced in House and Senate
By Elizabeth A. Tennyson
A group of powerful senators and congressmen have introduced new legislation in both houses of Congress that would allow thousands of pilots to fly without going through the costly and time-consuming third class medical process. It also would offer new protections for general aviation pilots.
Under Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2), pilots flying recreationally in a wide range of aircraft would no longer need to obtain a third class medical certificate. The new bill would allow private pilots to make noncommercial VFR and IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with up to six seats. Pilots also would be allowed to carry up to five passengers, fly at altitudes below 14,000 feet msl, and fly no faster than 250 knots. PRB2 also includes a provision to ensure that pilots can fly under the new rules even if the FAA fails to comply with the bill’s provisions 180 days after enactment.
“The introduction of the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 is great news for the GA community and we are grateful to Sens. Inhofe and Manchin, and Reps. Graves and Lipinski, and all their bipartisan colleagues for putting forward this legislation that would do so much to help grow and support GA activity,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “Pilots have already waited too long for medical reform, so we’re particularly pleased to see it included in this important measure.”
In addition to third class medical reform, PBR2—which was introduced in both the House (H.R.1062) and the Senate (S.571) late in February—would protect GA pilots from liability on charitable flights, extend legal protections to FAA representatives, and require FAA contractors to provide information under Freedom of Information Act requests.
“The Pilot’s Bill of Rights being signed into law in 2012 was a major victory for the aviation community, but I promised we would not stop there,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma). “I am keeping that promise by introducing the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, which expands upon necessary reforms and continues to cut red tape hampering the GA community. The legislation expands the FAA’s existing third class medical exemption for Light Sport aircraft to cover most recreational airmen. This will protect the rights of thousands of qualified airmen who would otherwise be grounded due to excessive medical regulation technicalities.”
The language in PBR2 regarding third class medical reform is identical to that in a new General Aviation Pilot Protection Act (GAPPA) bill also introduced in February in the House (H.R. 1086) and Senate (S.573).
In addition to medical reform, PBR2 includes provisions to improve the notice to airman (notam) program by establishing a rating system to prioritize notams, including TFRs in the program, and creating a repository to maintain the information in a way that makes it accessible to the public. That system would be considered the sole source location for pilots to check for notams. The legislation also would protect pilots from enforcement action if a notam is not included in the repository and prohibit enforcement of notam violations if the FAA hasn’t finished the system within six months of PBR2 being enacted, while providing an exception for national security. PBR2 would ensure that data collected by contract towers and other outsourced FAA programs is subject to the same Freedom of Information Act requirements as data from the FAA itself. The exception would be aviation safety action reports, which are designed to prevent accidents by encouraging voluntary reporting of safety concerns by employees of FAA contractors.
The measure also includes liability protections for representatives of the FAA working on behalf of the agency, such as aviation medical examiners, as well as nonprofit volunteer pilot organizations and volunteer pilots who fly for public benefit. The bill would also protect pilot certificates by preventing the FAA from requiring a reexamination of a covered certificate holder without clear evidence of wrongdoing or unsafe behavior.
AOPA and other GA organizations wrote letters of support for PBR2 to the lawmakers who introduced the legislation in the Senate and the House. The letters emphasized the importance of the legislation to the GA industry and thanked the legislators for leading the way on important reforms.
In addition to AOPA’s Baker, the letters were signed by the leaders of EAA, Flying Physicians Association, GAMA, Helicopter Association International, National Agricultural Aviation Association, National Air Transportation Association, and NBAA.
Email [email protected]
Call your representatives
Is your Congressional representative a sponsor or supporter of the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2? To find out, visit the website. Your association encourages you to reach out to your elected represenatives and encourage them to read and support PBR2.
“Third class medical reform is our top legislative priority and we will actively work with Congress to build support for this legislation that is so vital to the future of general aviation.” —AOPA President Mark Baker
Video: View an AOPA Live This Week interview.
