Fun in the sun. “Low and slow” takes on a whole new meaning when flying above the turquoise waters of the Bahamas. Here, a Super Cub on floats taxis to a spot near Pittstown on Crooked Island for some snorkeling and fishing. The availability of
aviation fuel at Out Island airports occasionally can be questionable—an FBO could be closed, or a fuel pump could be malfunctioning—so pilots often carry spare gas cans just in case.
What: Piper Super Cub
Where: Bahamas
Photographer: Chris Rose
Flight made simple
Europeans research aviation for the masses
Experienced helicopter pilots might find themselves with more of a learning curve than a random nonpilot using a control scheme being cooked up in Europe. Research teams hope to make aviation a transportation option for the masses in years to come, and achieve that by making future aircraft as simple and intuitive to operate as a car.
The German aerospace agency DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) is collaborating with counterparts and institutions across Europe to develop personal aircraft that can be flown with little or no training, an airborne everyday driver for the masses.
With the four-year project to investigate potential technologies, designs, navigation, and operation of personal aerial vehicles drawing to a close, DLR announced the agency’s own contribution to the European Union-funded research project dubbed “myCopter.” The announcement is illustrated by a rendering of a futuristic design powered by three ducted rotors embedded in a reversed delta wing, a smiling occupant in the cabin hanging below as virtual buildings flash past—an occupant with very little else to do, compared to current pilots.
DLR developed a control system for myCopter based on an automotive steering wheel that replaces the cyclic stick of a helicopter, and rudder pedals rigged to control acceleration and deceleration—the brake pedal analogy can even bring the aircraft to a hover. A computer registers the operator input, and translates that into the appropriate actions. A version of the collective control would adjust altitude with a lever, similar to current collective controls, or a paddle mounted on the steering wheel.
“The key to simplifying helicopter flight for everyday purposes and—in addition to the controls themselves—[is] to introduce suitable sensors and screen content that make piloting the aircraft as intuitive as possible for the user,” said Heinrich H. Bülthoff, the myCopter project manager from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics.
A highway-in-the-sky (HITS) display would help the masses guide their personal aircraft along the most efficient route, though a French team is working on collision avoidance, swarm flight, and automatic landing site detection—concepts that would minimize the need to use the steering wheel at all.
DLR has tested the steering wheel control system in a simulator, and plans to use its highly modified Eurocopter EC135 for real-world flight testing.
It’s taking too long
AOPA promises to keep working toward overdue medical reform
Third class medical reform is taking too long and legislation didn't pass in 2014, but AOPA will keep advocating for change and the prospects for reform this year are good, AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Coon said.
With the pressing issue of funding for the federal government still up in the air, the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act was not likely to come to a vote in 2014, he said. But, Coon added, while reform is much too slow in coming, it is coming.
The FAA’s proposed rule to change the third class medical process was expected to move to the next step—a mandatory review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)—in early December, following completion of a similar review by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Both reviews are required because the rule is considered to be a significant change to current FAA policy and requirements.
At the same time, Coon said, he expects legislation to reform the third class medical process that will be introduced once again when the new Congress convenes early in 2015.
“It takes way too long, in my opinion, but the fact of the matter is it’s moving forward. And when Congress convenes anew in January, we’ll start anew,” he said.
Coon added that AOPA will continue to simultaneously pursue both legislative and regulatory action and will respond to whichever comes first. Because 2015 will see FAA reauthorization legislation, which sets the agency’s budget and priorities for spending, AOPA will look for medical reform legislation either as a standalone bill or as part of the reauthorization package.
“If we can’t get that moved through Congress separately, we’ll work as hard as we can to get it included in the FAA reauthorization bill,” Coon said.
“It’s taken too long, there’s no doubt about it,” Coon said of medical reform. “But from where we started to where we are today, it’s light years in government terms. I’m not happy about the pace of how this has gone, but we’ve gone from zero to 180 co-sponsors in the Congress, so there’s strong support. We’re not going to leave any stone unturned. That’s the bottom line.”
NBAA, EAA offer scholarships
Funds for college, career development
Aviation professionals and college students have an opportunity to get help paying for their aviation education from scholarships offered through the National Business Aviation Association (www.nbaa.org) and Experimental Aircraft Association (www.eaa.org).
NBAA scholarships are open to business aviation professionals, including cabin crewmembers and heads of flight departments, who want to continue their education or keep their credentials current. A range of scholarships offered through EAA will help students work toward aviation degrees, from professional pilot to aerospace engineering.
College scholarships offered through EAA range in value from $500 to as much as $12,500 per year. Through the Clay Lacy Professional Pilot Scholarship Program, up to four private pilots with demonstrated financial need will be granted an opportunity to attend a professional pilot program at the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. Each scholarship may total up to $12,500 per year. The $10,000 Pratt & Whitney Canada Women in Engineering Scholarship will be granted to a woman studying engineering. Other scholarships include the $500 Harry E. Arcamuzi Aviation Scholarship for an inner-city student to pursue an aviation career following high school, and the $5,000 Payzer Scholarship for someone pursuing a career in engineering, mathematics, or the physical or biological sciences. Applications are due February 28, and a free EAA Student Membership or recommendation from an EAA member is required.
The NBAA Charities scholarship program is offering the Dale “Potsy” McBurney Aviation Scholarship to one recipient who embodies a commitment to excellence in business aviation. Applicants for the scholarship, given in memory of former business aviation flight attendant Dale “Potsy” McBurney, must explain how they will use the scholarship either “to enhance and/or pursue your professional development” or “to promote cabin safety and the importance of the third crewmember” in business aviation. Applications are due February 28.
Current and aspiring certified aviation managers may apply for the NBAA program’s Certified Aviation Manager Scholarship. The scholarship covers the cost of becoming a certified aviation manager or maintaining the credential. NBAA’s Certified Aviation Manager program “identifies qualified professionals to lead departments and organizations that use business aircraft,” and scholarship applicants may apply for up to $1,225 to pay for the exam application, the CAM Study Guide, and the exam registration fee. Applicants who are already certified aviation managers may receive $300 to cover the cost of recertification, which must be done every three years.
SAFE executive director to step down
Doug Stewart says he’ll retire in February 2015
Doug Stewart, executive director of Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), will step down when his contract expires in February 2015, the organization has announced. Former Board of Directors Chairman John Dorcey will be interim executive director until a successor is named.
Stewart has served as executive director since November 2011. He was instrumental in the formation of SAFE and was elected its first chairman in 2009.
“It is due in large part to Doug Stewart’s vision and commitment to excellence in aviation that SAFE is well positioned for growth in the coming years,” said Donna Wilt, current chairwoman of the organization’s board of directors.
Stewart organized SAFE’s Pilot Training Reform Symposium in 2011, administered the Flight Instructor Open Forum series, directed the organization’s Pilot Proficiency Project, and established its online quarterly magazine (SAFE—The magazine). He said he intends to remain connected to the organization and will continue to flight instruct.
A search committee for a new executive director has been created, and a solicitation for applicants for the position is forthcoming, SAFE said.
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