Pilot Briefing: News

Lost and found

Wright brothers’ patent application discovered

By Dan Namowitz

A long-lost file containing the patent application filed by the Wright brothers in March 1903 for a “flying machine,” and the patent issued three years later, has been found and is now on display at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C.

Displaying the document—last seen 37 years ago—will mark the 110th anniversary of the awarding of the patent to Orville and Wilbur Wright on May 22, 1906, the National Archives Museum said.

The most recent display of portions of the file was at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight. “However, after the loaned pages were returned to the National Archives, the patent file went missing,” the museum said.

The document was found “in the wrong box” through a special program launched in 2006 to recover “alienated and stolen archival materials.” The patent file “was discovered to have been misfiled among more than 269 million pages of patent records held by the National Archives,” said the museum. It was found March 22 “in a limestone cave outside Kansas City,” where the National Archives stores some historic records.

“The discovery of this misfiled record highlights our unwavering commitment to the recovery of alienated and stolen historical records as part of our immense responsibility as stewards of the records we hold in trust for the American people,” said Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero.

The National Archives holds more than 107,600 cubic feet of patent files.

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Save Wright brothers’ factory, McCullough says

Touring the two buildings in Dayton, Ohio, that once comprised the original Wright brothers’ factory, Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough and author of The Wright Brothers, said the century-old factory should be preserved.

“I am a great believer in historic preservation because you’re reminding people that you’re living in a community that has a sustained connection to the past, and those who went before us here and did things of merit and changed the world deserve to be present, as it were, among us,” McCullough said. The National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA) hopes to raise awareness of the now-vacant factory.

“These [two factory buildings] are symbolic or emblematic structures in that they contain stories that are of importance not just to this community, but to the country and the world,” McCullough said.

Web: www.aviationheritagearea.org

FAA NEWS

20 hours allowed

Use of ATD time approved

An FAA final rule that took effect May 12 makes it possible, once again, for pilots training for the instrument rating to count up to 20 hours of use in an approved aviation training device (ATD) toward their flight time requirements.

AOPA and much of the flight training industry strongly advocated for the new rule, which doubles the amount of approved ATD time allowed. The rule restores the amount of approved ATD time pilots counted toward the instrument rating until early 2014, when an FAA policy statement cut the hours to 10.

In December 2014, the FAA fast-tracked a rulemaking proceeding to restore the 20-hour limit—but that process ran into procedural obstacles when two adverse comments required the FAA to withdraw the rule, which it revised and resubmitted.

The rule allows instrument students to log a maximum of 10 hours using a basic ATD (BATD) and a maximum of 20 hours using an advanced ATD (AATD). Using a combination of the two, however, credit may not exceed 20 hours.

Allowances have been increased for Part 141 programs as well. Students training for an instrument rating in a Part 141 program may credit no more than 40 percent of training toward total time requirements in an AATD. The limit for using a BATD will increase to 25 percent of total time requirements, and the limit for the combined use of both types is 40 percent. Previously, Part 141 training time was limited to 10 percent for either type, or both combined.

The now-final rule drops a requirement for students to wear a view-limiting device when logging instrument time in an approved ATD, if the student is operating solely by reference to the instruments and the device is representing instrument meteorological conditions.

“AOPA pushed strongly for all of these changes,” said David Oord, AOPA vice president of regulatory affairs. “The new provisions will benefit the safety of training while significantly reducing the costs associated with it. Training using simulation has proven to be safe, effective, and economical for commercial aviation, and we support its increased use in GA flight training.”

The FAA said it gave weight to comments stressing the importance of instrument students being able to learn emergency procedures “using meaningful repetition” until mastery of the skills can be confirmed. The final rule acknowledges AOPA’s support of this view.

The FAA added that people will use the new provisions “only if the benefit they will accrue from their use exceeds the costs they might incur to comply.” Given the high use of ATDs in the training industry, “the change in requirements is likely to be relieving.”

Web: www.aopa.org/advocacy

AOPA news

Senate passes reauthorization bill

Includes third class medical reform

The Senate has passed FAA reauthorization legislation, including third class medical reform, on a 95-to-3 vote with strong bipartisan support. The measure would authorize FAA programs until September 30, 2017. Final passage on April 19 followed a procedural vote the previous day.

AOPA President Mark Baker noted that the FAA reauthorization bill marks the second time in five months that the Senate has passed bipartisan third class medical reform.

“There are now several bills in the House of Representatives that will get third class medical reform across the finish line thanks to the leadership of our members and Senators John Thune, Jim Inhofe, Joe Manchin, John Boozman, and Bill Nelson,” Baker said.

Under the Senate bill, most pilots who have had a regular or special issuance third class medical certificate within 10 years of enactment will never need to see an aviation medical examiner again. Pilots would need to see a personal physician every four years, make note of the visit in their logbook, and keep a form signed by the doctor in their logbook following the examination.

Additionally, should a pilot develop certain specific cardiac, mental health, or neurological conditions, he or she will only have to get an FAA special issuance medical once.

“I am pleased that the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 was included in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act that passed the Senate,” said Inhofe, who sponsored the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 legislation. “I am grateful for the strong and consistent voice of AOPA members who shared why third class medical reform is necessary. I want to thank Mark Baker, the president of AOPA, and his team for their leadership and support from the beginning. I look forward to continuing to work with AOPA and the whole general aviation community to see the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 be enacted into law.”

Compared to the earlier third class medical petition, the legislation would give pilots greater latitude, allowing them to fly aircraft up to 6,000 pounds and carrying up to five passengers at altitudes below 18,000 feet and speeds up to 250 knots.

And unlike an earlier House bill, the Senate FAA reauthorization legislation does not include user fees for GA, nor does it privatize air traffic control.

The FAA is currently operating under an extension through July. With the Senate bill now passed, the House will have to move swiftly to consider the Senate measure or adopt its own bill in order for FAA reauthorization to become law ahead of the July deadline.

Two fuels in Phase 2

The FAA has selected two unleaded fuels to move to the next phase of testing for use in general aviation aircraft. Fuels from Shell and Swift Fuels will move to Phase 2 testing in engines and aircraft. The fuels were selected from four initial candidates—two from Swift Fuels, one from Shell, and one from TOTAL—identified in September 2014.

Additional tests on the finalist fuels are scheduled to begin this summer, and will be completed in 2018. Data from those tests will be used to help the companies obtain an ASTM International production specification for their fuels, which would allow the FAA to authorize the use of the new fuels in the existing GA fleet. The first phase of testing includes tests for low-temperature fuel flow, carburetor icing, hot surface ignition, storage stability, detonation, particulate emissions, and more. The process also included a review of production and distribution costs and environmental factors.

A lead additive in today’s fuel for piston-engine aircraft helps boost fuel octane, prevents knock, and prevents valve seat recession and subsequent loss of compression for engines without hardened valves.

The development and deployment of a new unleaded aviation fuel to replace leaded avgas is being facilitated through the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI), a government-industry partnership that includes AOPA. Congress appropriated $7 million in the fiscal year 2016 budget to support the PAFI test program. The reauthorization bills that are currently pending in the House and Senate include future funding for the program.

Baker on the news:

“This is a solid bill for general aviation. The third class medical reform language goes far beyond the AOPA-EAA 2012 petition and means that hundreds of thousands of pilots will never need another FAA medical exam." —Mark Baker, on the U.S. Senate’s passage of FAA reauthorization legislation that includes third class medical reform

Web: www.aopa.org/advocacy

Headlines that affect you
Recent news from the aviation world

Icon may revise customer agreement
In an open letter to customers, the California maker of the A5 Light Sport amphibian says it might tweak its controversial purchase agreement. —Flying magazine

Comment period extended on area forecast replacement
The National Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center extended the public comment period on the experimental graphical forecasts for aviation until June 11. —AOPA.org

Sun 'n Fun News in Brief

The Piper M600 turboprop is on target for certification later this year and is seeing a 274-knot top speed in testing. The new 135-horsepower Rotax 915 iS turbocharged and intercooled engine will enter ground testing this summer, and deliveries to the mass market are expected to begin in the second half of 2017. Aircraft modification specialist Wipaire Inc. announced supplemental type certificate approval to install Hartzell’s composite Trailblazer propeller on Cessna T206H models. Lightspeed’s wireless Tango headsets are selling faster than the company expected and getting positive reviews among buyers. “To have conquered the wireless thing is a pretty big deal,” said Teresa De Mers, executive vice president. EQ-1 Wireless Communications released the EQ-Multiplace Wireless Hub, which allows up to six EQ-1 wireless headsets to connect in full duplex mode through a single aircraft connection. Flight Design introduced new recommended ADS-B solutions for its aircraft. Appareo Systems has lowered the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of its Stratus ESG ADS-B Out transponder from $3,490 to $2,995. Bose is offering a special program for CFIs on the purchase of noise-canceling headsets.

For more news from the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In, visit the website.

2016 AOPA Fly-Ins:

Beaufort, North Carolina, May 21, 2016
Bremerton, Washington, August 20, 2016
Battle Creek, Michigan, September 17, 2016
Prescott, Arizona, October 1, 2016

News from Aero Friedrichshafen

The all-electric Magnus eFusion two-seat airplane may play a dual role in aviation—an efficient upset recovery training aircraft and a test bed for a battery system for electric powerplant manufacturer Siemens. The composite airplane made its first flight April 11 in Hungary and was first seen at Aero Friedrichshafen in Germany April 20. Honda Aircraft delivered its first European HondaJet April 20, the next step in the production ramp that will lead to approximately 40 deliveries in the next 12 months, according to President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. Eight FAA flight test pilots began evaluating the Piper M600, paving the way for certification of the new single-engine turboprop by early in the third quarter of 2016, according to Piper CEO Simon Caldecott. Continental Motors made good on its promise to increase the lifetime of its CD-100 series of diesel engines. The 135-horsepower and 155-horsepower engines now have times between replacement of 2,100 hours. Jeppesen VFR charts are now available on the Garmin GTN 750 GPS navigator. The introduction makes the famed Bottlang charts available across all Garmin systems that support digital charts in Chartview, including the G1000, G2000, G3000, and certain handhelds. Garmin released its Garmin Pilot iOS electronic flight bag app for Europeans. The new Pilot version for Apple products includes a host of features common on the previous version for U.S. pilots plus some additional enhancements for all.

For more news from Aero Friedrichshafen, visit the website. 

Documentary on Women’s Air Derby coming to PBS

Beyond the Powder, a documentary that meshes the history of women pilots during the 1929 Women’s Air Derby with their modern counterparts, will be made available to public television stations nationwide beginning in June.

The one-hour documentary from Hemlock Films juxtaposes the experience of the women pilots who flew in the 1929 air race with pilots competing in the Air Race Classic, the all-women’s cross-country air race. Director Kara Martinelli was behind the camera for the 2014 Air Race Classic, but she also was a member of a racing team.

Beyond the Powder uses historic photos and re-enacted footage to tell how the Women’s Air Derby pilots endured skepticism, sabotage, engine failures, and in-flight fires for a chance to compete. The 19 racers included Louise Thaden, Amelia Earhart, Florence “Pancho” Lowe Barnes, and Phoebe Omlie.

The documentary’s title is a nod to the nickname “Powder Puff Derby,” which humorist Will Rogers dubbed the 1929 race. The contemporary footage shows 50 teams of women pilots flying from the West Coast to the East Coast. Martinelli said she wanted to make the movie to inspire young women to be interested in flying and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects.

Beyond the Powder is available on DVD and Blu-ray. It will be offered to Public Broadcasting System stations nationally in June, Martinelli said. For more information, see the website. —Jill W. Tallman

This month in aviation
June 6, 1944

A huge airborne armada, nine airplanes wide and 200 miles long—the world’s largest and longest formation flight—flew American and British troops across the English Channel shortly after midnight for the liberation of German-occupied western Europe. Of the D-Day operation, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said:

“This vast operation is undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever occurred.”