When flying a highly maneuverable aircraft such as a helicopter, you can view the world from a completely different vantage point. The Enstrom F-28F, which can seat up to three people, is shown here hovering above Green Bay near Menominee, Michigan, the location of the Enstrom factory.
WHAT: Enstrom F-28F
WHERE: Menominee, Michigan
PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Rose
2015 AOPA Fly-Ins announced
Join us in California, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, and Tennessee
By Elizabeth Tennyson
AOPA has announced plans for five fly-ins in 2015 following the success of last year’s inaugural events.
AOPA’s 2015 Fly-Ins are scheduled for California’s Salinas Municipal Airport (SNS) on May 16; Minnesota’s Anoka County-Blaine Airport (ANE) on August 22; Colorado’s Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS) on September 26; and Tennessee’s Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA) on October 10. In addition, the AOPA Homecoming Fly-In will be held at Maryland’s Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) on June 6.
During 2014, more than 16,000 people attended AOPA Fly-Ins, which also drew more than 2,800 aircraft. AOPA received requests from more than 40 airports to host a 2015 fly-in. Final selections were made based on a combination of location, runway and ramp capacity, facilities, prevailing weather, and several other important factors.
The AOPA Fly-Ins are designed to give anyone the chance to experience the fun, wonder, and excitement of general aviation. Each AOPA Fly-In will kick off with a Friday night social event. Most locations will also offer on-field camping.
“We hope people will make a weekend of it,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “Join us for a great social gathering on Friday, camp under your wing, and spend Saturday soaking in all the camaraderie and fun of a day at the airport with fellow pilots and aviation enthusiasts. I can’t think of a better way to spend the weekend.”
Participants will be able to see, test, and buy the latest aviation products and services from exhibitors. Aircraft displays will feature everything from newt models rolling off the assembly line to rare antiques and venerable warbirds. A variety of seminars and educational opportunities will be offered throughout the day with an expanded slate of speakers on aviation safety, maintenance, flying tips, and aircraft ownership.
Attendees also will have the chance to hear directly from Baker during a Pilot Town Hall, and to ask questions and mingle with AOPA staff throughout the day.
Food is an important part of any fly-in, and AOPA will honor tradition by offering a pancake breakfast for just $5. Lunch will be provided by gourmet food trucks or local restaurants, and special pricing will be available for attendees who register in advance.
For those just venturing into aviation, each AOPA Fly-In will include a “Learn to Fly” area with information and activities for future pilots.
Get more information and see a map of the locations on AOPA’s 2015 Fly-Ins website. Attendees can pre-register beginning in February.
AOPA at Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In & Expo
Join us at Sun 'n Fun April 21-26
AOPA's new location on the Sun 'n Fun grounds is larger and easier to find. A new activities tent will host special gatherings, seminars, breakfasts, and luncheons. Join us in this exciting and dynamic new environment to engage in safety training and presentations by some of aviation’s greatest leaders and educators. AOPA’s main tent will offer a chance to meet our staff, renew your membership, learn about AOPA products and services, shop for AOPA merchandise, enter to win prizes, and see AOPA’s 152 sweepstakes aircraft. You can make a souvenir customized luggage tag, talk to AOPA employees, learn more about AOPA’s Strategic Partners and how they can make your flying more affordable, check the weather, or just hang out in our outdoor courtyard area to relax, enjoy conversation, and build new friendships.
Web: www.sun-n-fun.org
Take action now, AOPA says
Association pushes to end medical reform delay
It has been nearly seven months since the Department of Transportation began a planned 90-day review of the FAA’s proposed medical reform rule, and members of AOPA and the general aviation community are frustrated by the department’s inaction, AOPA President Mark Baker told Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx recently.
“Proposed medical reforms, which simply seek to expand on a standard used successfully for a decade, have been under review for three years, making it incomprehensible to many in the aviation community that no action has yet been taken,” Baker said.
The standard, which allows some pilots to fly recreationally without obtaining a third class medical certificate, has been in use since 2004 when the FAA adopted the Sport Pilot rule.
“The evidence is clear: Allowing pilots to fly without going through the third class medical process is safe,” Baker said. “The FAA’s proposed rule would simply extend this standard to more pilots flying more types of small aircraft.”
The proposed medical reforms have the support of more than 180 bipartisan members of Congress, who co-sponsored legislation known as the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act (GAPPA) that would have allowed thousands more pilots to fly without obtaining a medical certificate. Major aviation organizations and type clubs have also publically expressed support for reform as have the Flying Physicians Association and the AOPA Medical Advisory Board, whose members are both doctors and pilots.
Allowing reform to move forward will also save time and money for pilots and the federal government, while bolstering general aviation—an industry that contributes $150 billion to the economy and supports more than 1.2 million jobs but is struggling, in part because of rising costs.
AOPA estimates that medical reform, as proposed under GAPPA, would save pilots $24.6 million every year. A conservative estimate also shows an annual savings of $1.9 million to the FAA.
Because third class medical exams take place only once every two or five years depending on age, they are no substitute for an honest relationship with a primary care doctor and the self-assessment that pilots must conduct before every flight. To help pilots accurately assess their fitness to fly, AOPA is developing a comprehensive online educational course, which will be offered free to the public.
Baker also noted that even without a medical certification requirement, pilots must undergo an evaluation with a flight instructor at least every two years to act as pilot in command. During these flight reviews, instructors evaluate the pilot’s cognitive condition, as well as his or her physical ability to safely operate an aircraft. If either is in question they do not endorse the pilot.
“Our members, the general aviation industry, members of Congress and the American people are frustrated with our government’s inability to move efficiently and effectively on issues that will improve safety, save money, and help create jobs and support local economies,” Baker said. “On behalf of our members and the aviation community we must ask, when will the Department of Transportation allow third class medical reform to move forward? The time to take action is now.”
Wipaire announces seaplane rating scholarship
Winner to be announced at EAA AirVenture
To celebrate 55 years of continuous production in 2015, floats manufacturer Wipaire Inc. will award a seaplane rating scholarship to one individual.
The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company said the Ben Wiplinger Memorial Seaplane Rating Scholarship is named in honor of the company’s founder, who established Wipaire in 1960. Wipline floats are found on aircraft ranging from Piper Cubs to Viking Twin Otters.
The $1,500 scholarship is open to applicants who hold at least a sport pilot certificate. Applications must be received by June 30. For more information or to download an application, see the website. The scholarship will be awarded during EAA AirVenture, held July 20 through 26 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
AOPA scholarships available
For information on available flight training scholarships through AOPA, visit the website.
Sporty’s unveils Cessna 172LITE project
Stripped-down Skyhawk to offer cheaper training
By Jill W. Tallman
A refurbished Cessna 172 that will offer more cost-effective flight training is at the heart of Sporty’s Cessna 172LITE project.
“Sporty’s is acquiring 172s and equipping them with basic flight instruments along with significant interior and exterior enhancements,” the company announced in December 2014. The first one is on the line at Sporty’s Flight Academy at Clermont County Airport, Batavia, Ohio. It rents for $99 per hour.
With avionics limited to a communications radio and a transponder, the Cessna 172LITE is intended to be a simple mission trainer that will not overwhelm new students with “dozens of switches, buttons, and knobs providing access to unneeded information.” At the same time, the airplane has been given a new metal panel with new, durable switches, as well as new paint—“for that attractive first impression,” Sporty’s said.
The Lycoming O-320 engine and the propeller were overhauled. The rear seat was removed; the seats have been reupholstered; and the sidewalls, head liner, and floor covering have been replaced.
The result is an airplane that looks new to the client, said Sporty’s Founder and Chairman Hal Shevers. “Due to the low acquisition cost, we can offer it for just $99, lowering the cost of admission in a Part 23 certified aircraft capable of flying two real-sized adults,” he said in a press release.
With only essential instrumentation, the student will learn fundamental airmanship, Shevers said. After mastering those necessary flight skills, the student could then advance to more expensive aircraft to complete training, he said.
Sporty’s said it plans to add a second Cessna 172LITE to the flight line, and will share resources, best practices, and information with other flight schools interested in assembling a basic trainer.
FAA site makes finding notams easier
Finding the notams relevant to your planned flights just got easier
The FAA’s new online search tool streamlines the burdensome and confusing process of wading through scores of safety notices filled with obscure acronyms. The new system offers pilots the ability to filter notams to their own preferences, and it presents the information more clearly by offering plain language.
Pilots might consider bookmarking the website for convenience.
AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Safety Advisor Bruce Landsberg said the new FAA system makes progress, but he urged the agency to do more.
“If everything is important, nothing is important,” he said. “Prioritization is the key. If I’m flying day VFR, I don’t need to be inundated with changes to IFR procedures or unlit towers.”
When it’s fully complete in late 2015, the FAA says the search tool will make notams easier and quicker to submit, and pilots will be able to retrieve the information on a wide variety of devices.
Terrafugia requests, weight, stall speed increase
Are you ready for the flying car?
By Alton K. Marsh
Terrafugia of Woburn, Massachusetts, has requested a second exemption from the FAA for its two-place Transition flying car. A previous exemption in 2010 allowed the air-car to increase weight from the light sport standard of 1,320 pounds for land aircraft to 1,430 pounds. The latter weight is the standard for Light Sport seaplanes.
The new exemption request takes the weight to 1,800 pounds, mostly to allow systems that meet federal highway standards, and also asks for an increase in stall speed from the present Light Sport aircraft standard of 45 knots calibrated airspeed to 54 knots.
Terrafugia CEO and Co-founder Carl Dietrich said he is “cautiously optimistic” that the exemption will be granted. Approval under the Light Sport aircraft rule, where standards are set by industry consensus, will allow a faster approval than is the case if the company is required to seek a Primary Category certification. Disapproval of the exemption request would mean pursuit under Primary Category rules resulting in higher certification costs and a delay in certification, Dietrich said. Since highway rules are more volatile than Light Sport rules, new automobile regulations could be introduced during any lengthier process requiring additional changes to the aircraft. Whether approved or not, the aircraft will need to weigh 1,800 pounds, he said. He did not offer a guess as to the increase in certification costs or sales price if the aircraft is certified in the Primary Category. The first six aircraft will be sold for $299,000 to gain experience with the fleet. After that the price will be re-evaluated.
The company bases its request on the grounds that meeting highway safety standards ultimately makes the aircraft more crashworthy. It offers a safety improvement by allowing pilots encountering unfavorable weather to land and drive to their destination, the FAA filing states. Granting the exemption also supports the future of the personal aviation industry, the filing says.
The greatest weight increase came from the need for “roadability” systems, adding a total of 266 pounds to the aircraft. In that category, ground handling to include steering, suspension, and braking added 150 pounds. Occupant structural protection added 69 pounds, while non-structural occupant protection added 52 pounds. The ballistic recovery parachute adds 36 pounds. The company included a “contingency” allowance of 57 pounds.
The Transition converts to an aircraft when the occupant stops the vehicle and throws switches to electrically unfold and lock the wings. The process is verified by computer. “Due to the location of the rear wheels (further aft of the center of gravity than most other LSAs), the Transition cannot rotate for takeoff until there is more than adequate airspeed for flight,” the exemption request states. It will have a longer than normal landing roll for a light sport aircraft. In flight the aircraft is controlled by a stick, rudder pedals, and a throttle. On the ground it is driven with a steering wheel plus gas and brake pedals.
For weight and balance, the pilot should weigh no less than roughly 120 pounds. The Transition is reported in the exemption filing as having “heavy controls” for a light sport aircraft. “It is a cruiser, not an aerobatic or touchy airplane,” the filing states.
Given previous experience with a weight exemption granted to Icon Aircraft for its A5 amphibious aircraft, FAA consideration could take a year.
GA safety improving
NTSB targets loss-of-control accidents
By Elizabeth Tennyson
The National Transportation Safety Board has named general aviation loss-of-control accidents to its “Most Wanted” list of safety concerns, even as GA accident rates have declined and the industry continues to push for regulatory reforms that will make it easier to put advanced safety technology into both new and older aircraft.
“Safety is the top priority for every pilot on every flight, and that’s reflected in the steady decline in GA accident rates,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “By putting loss-of-control accidents on its ‘Most Wanted’ list, the NTSB is sustaining the focus on an issue that has been at the forefront of safety efforts by AOPA, the aviation industry, and the FAA for some time.”
In 2013, the most recent year for which complete data are available, general aviation pilots in the United States flew nearly 23 million hours and the total number of accidents involving helicopters and light airplanes declined 32 percent compared to a decade earlier. The number of fatal accidents declined by 40 percent during the same 10-year period and the fatal accident rate dropped to an all-time low of 0.90 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours.
“2013 was the safest year on record for GA and the first time ever the fatal accident rate dropped below one accident per 100,000 flight hours,” said Baker. “Education, training, and technology all played a role in that success, and we believe making it easier to bring modern safety equipment into the cockpits of existing type-certificated aircraft will help make GA even safer. We’re working with the FAA and industry to lower the regulatory barriers that have prevented many aircraft owners from upgrading their equipment.”
AOPA co-chairs the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, a standing government/industry committee that uses a data-driven process to identify, manage, and mitigate risks. AOPA also co-chaired a multi-year working group, as part of the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, tasked with analyzing loss-of-control accidents that produced 29 specific recommendations, including changing the FAA’s approach to aircraft certification in order to speed safety enhancements into the cockpit. The proposed changes are intended to better reflect rapid advancements in technology and ensure that more aircraft owners have access to the latest safety equipment.
AOPA and others, as part of the Certification Process Study and the Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee, have worked closely with the FAA since 2008 to reform the agency’s complex certification regulations with the goal of producing “twice the safety at half the cost.” In 2013, the president signed the Small Airplane Revitalization Act, which set a 2015 deadline to complete certification reforms. While the FAA has said it will miss that deadline, the agency has made progress in some areas, including approving the use of angle of attack indicators in GA aircraft as a means to increase situational awareness and prevent loss-of-control accidents. In urging the GA community to embrace the technology, the FAA cited the recommendations of the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee and a study of 2,472 fatal general aviation accidents that found in-flight loss of control was the most prevalent cause.
While the FAA has made some progress, the majority of emphasis has been on Part 23 reform, which would make it easier to put advanced safety technology into new aircraft. AOPA and others have also been pushing the FAA to reform rules to allow new technology into existing aircraft.
“If we want to increase safety and reduce certification costs, we need to include the existing fleet as well as new production aircraft,” said Baker. “That means regulations, orders, and policies regarding the maintenance, installation, and modernization of existing aircraft must also be streamlined and transformed.”
There are more than 200,000 aircraft in the existing general aviation fleet, including more than 100,000 IFR-equipped aircraft, the majority of which are using technology from the 1960s through the 1980s.
Preventing loss-of-control accidents is the only GA-specific target on the NTSB’s “Most Wanted” list. The other items cover all modes of transportation and include disconnecting from deadly distractions, ending substance impairment, enhancing public helicopter safety, implementing positive train control, improving rail tank car safety, making mass transit safer, requiring medical fitness for duty, strengthening commercial trucking safety, and strengthening procedural compliance.
Abeam the numbers
The private pilot population was 180,214 in 2013, and is forecast by the FAA to be 182,450 in 2034.
Related Articles
