Cherokee Lands On Stinson: All OK
A Piper Cherokee with instructor and student aboard, and a Stinson with one pilot aboard, met on the runway at non-towered Northwest Regional Airport near Roanoke, Texas, Thursday afternoon, coming to rest on the runway with the Cherokee perched atop the Stinson. All parties walked away from the crash. The Stinson was departing and the Piper was arriving at the airport, sometime near 2 p.m., but at precisely the same moment. Pilot Jim Austen was waiting in the Stinson (apparently on the runway) to take off when the Cherokee cleared trees on approach and may have spotted the Stinson on the runway, but too late to avoid impact. It all reminds us of a previous incident back in December of 1999 -- only that time, the contact took place above the runway. See Joe Godfrey's interview with Alan Vangee who was flying a 152 on approach when it was impacted by a Piper Cadet also on approach -- both with about 150 feet left until touchdown.
Question of the Week: Are Aircraft Engines Going Diesel?
Between new designs, new fuels, and better engineering, aircraft engines can be the most dynamic segment of the aviation business. Diesels have garnered a lot of attention lately, and we'd like to know whether you think this is a genuine shift in thinking or just a fad. Plus: Did AVweb readers see a future for air taxi operations when we asked them last week?
Viper Aircraft Introduces the FanJet
For the homebuilder who likes to go fast, Viper Aircraft has just released the newest member to their personal jet family, the Viper FanJet. This new aircraft is 17% larger than the existing model, the Mk II. This increase in space allows for pilots over 6' 5" tall to comfortably fit in the pressurized cabin, 25 cubic feet of cargo space, and the ability to utilize a turbofan engine for better fuel economy. The standard power plant for the FanJet is the Pratt & Whitney JT-15-4D turbofan engine. Compared to the MKII's J-85 engine, the company says the JT-15 burns less than half the fuel while still providing over 2900 pounds of thrust. At economy cruise and full fuel this engine will provide a 1500 nautical mile range. "This is definitely a multi-purpose airplane," Viper Aircraft VP Dan Hanchette told AVweb. "With full fuel and economy cruise this is a great cross country airplane. But load the aircraft with only 1 1/2 hours worth of fuel and the FanJet will retain the same power-to-weight ratio as the MKII giving you a very capable, high-performance aircraft."
Thielert: No Warranty Support For Diamond Diesels
Owners of Diamond aircraft with Thielert diesels are getting bad news this week. Thielert says it won't support warranty claims and any owners who need parts and services to keep their airplanes flying will have to pay upfront. As we've reported on AVweb, Thielert declared bankruptcy two weeks ago and is now undergoing financial restructuring. In the meantime, the company pledged to continue building and shipping engines and parts, but buyers will have to pre-pay and await delivery. One DA42 owner has already contacted us expressing unhappiness about this policy. Diamond told us Wednesday that it doesn't yet know if it will step into the breech and support owners who have warranty claims. "We're relatively early into this, we're still making a lot of decisions on how to handle this. I can't give you an answer on that right now," said Heike Larson, Diamond's VP of sales. Meanwhile, Diamond predicts it will have its own line of Austro four-cylinder diesels certified in Europe by this summer and plans to unveil the powerplant at the Berlin Airshow in two weeks.
Picture of the Week: AVweb's Flying Photography Showcase
With storms sweeping the country, we've spent a lot of time indoors this week. At least our readers have been kind enough to send us a few video clips original photos to brighten our days. Seems the least we can do to return the favor, for all the rest of you who don't get the pleasure of rifling through our submission boxes. This week's top photo arrived over the information superhighway from veteran submitter Gavin Conroy of Blenheim, Marlborough (New Zealand), and we immediately knew it would be our "Picture of the Week." (There's something fun about a photo you can flip in all directions and still enjoy it!)
On the Fly ...
New flight patterns at Newark are confusing pilots, controllers say...New Learjet 85 will have PWC Pw307b engines, Bombardier says...The 2008 Milton Caniff "Spirit of Flight" Award goes to the X Prize Foundation...AeroLEDs now offers AeroSUNLite aircraft lights, smaller and less expensive...Hawker Beechcraft's Hawker 750 has received EASA certification...Online discussions about DayJet continue in the blogosphere.
Trying To Save Fuel? AOPA Has Pointers
Prices at the pump are sure to rise with summer here, and AOPA this week has some suggestions about how to minimize the pain. Three simple techniques can result in "significant savings," AOPA says: leaning the fuel, economy cruise settings, and gradual descents. Such efforts can save hundreds of dollars in fuel costs, AOPA says. Meanwhile, a report from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that carbon-dioxide emissions from aviation overall have decreased since 1995. That conclusion is already being disputed, though -- a blogger at Wired.com says the data doesn't include fuel burned for international flights.
Brainteasers Quiz #133: Stuff You Should've Learned in Ground School
Chances are you learned how to convert Celsius to Frankenstein, but can you remember all the other testable -- and forgettable -- minutiae from your primary training days? Neither can we, so let's see what you know.Take the quiz.
Silver State Students Sue Lender
When Silver State Helicopters, which operated flight schools in 17 states, closed its doors in February, hundreds of students who had paid thousands of dollars up front were left high and dry. Now, a California law firm representing two of those students has filed suit against KeyBank, which loaned them the money to give to Silver State. The school required students to pay the full $69,900 tuition before training started, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Wednesday, and it provided access to "preferred" private lenders, such as KeyBank. The law firm, Pinnacle Law Group in San Francisco, alleges that the bank and the flight school worked together to "ensnare" the students. Further, the bank "intentionally omitted" a federally required consumer protection clause from its loan documents, Pinnacle says.
Cirrus Migration Coming Up In July
Lots of type clubs have a fly-in over the summer, but the one for Cirrus owners, the annual Migration to their factory in Duluth, Minn., has achieved a certain standout quality. Maybe it's because last year, the migrants were the first to get a sneak look at Cirrus's new personal jet mockup. Or maybe it's just that the Migration has become more than just a social gathering and qualifies as a bona-fide event, complete with seminars, exhibits, factory tours, parties, a banquet, activities for the whole family (including tennis, golf, and fishing on Lake Superior), and renowned aviation guest speakers. This year, Rod Machado will be there, to give a talk on single-pilot flying strategies. The fly-in will run from July 10 to July 13.
NTSB: Pilots Need Better Information About Turbocharger Failures
The emergency procedures provided to pilots for coping with turbocharger failures in flight are inadequate, the NTSB said this week, and the FAA should require manufacturers to revise pilot operating handbooks. In a fatal crash in May 2004, the NTSB says, the turbocharger failed on a Cessna T206H, and investigators found that in-flight emergency procedures in the POH did not provide a way to assess the difference between an engine and a turbocharger failure. The POH also did not provide any clear guidance about how to handle such a failure once a pilot identified the problem. Manufacturers of aircraft equipped with turbochargers still have not voluntarily improved emergency procedures for turbocharger failures, and accidents and incidents continue to occur, the NTSB says.
FAA Says Emergency Medical Helicopters Need Safety Improvements
Three men died last weekend when an emergency medical-services helicopter crashed near Madison, Wis., and this week the FAA responded with an update on its work to address safety concerns about such flights. The NTSB reported on the helicopter emergency medical services fleet in 2006, and asked the FAA to impose stricter requirements on all such operators. "While the FAA has not ruled out proposing new or changing existing rules, the agency has prompted significant short-term safety gains that do not require rulemaking," the FAA said in a statement on Tuesday. The agency said it is focusing on better training for flight crews; encouraging the use of technology such as night-vision goggles, radar altimeters, and terrain awareness and warning systems (though such systems don't work optimally in helicopters, the FAA says); and more detailed, airline-type FAA oversight for operators. "Safety improvements are needed," the FAA said.
AVweb Insider Blog: Our Honda Wish List (An Aerodiesel Engine!)
"What's needed here is for Honda to stop screwing around with four-cylinder gasoline engines and to get busy with aerodiesel" so says AVweb Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli in the latest installment of commentary and criticism on our blog, the AVweb Insider. Read more here.
AVweb Will Be At EBACE
One of the most respected shows for business aircraft is the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Geneva and AVweb will be there to capture all the announcements and inside stories of the event. Exhibitors, now is the time to flood our inbox at newsteam@avweb.com with what you're planning for the show. Coverage begins Tuesday May 20 and runs through Friday May 23. If you don't want to miss it, but sure to add our business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz, to your AVweb e-mail subscriptions. (Log in here and click on "Update E-Mail Subscriptions.")
New Maintenance-Management Service Offered For GA Owners
Owners of high-performance GA aircraft who want their airplanes perfectly maintained but don't want to spend the time to oversee every detail now have another option -- they can hire a professional to manage their airplane, for a modest annual fee. Mike Busch, a general aviation maintenance expert, announced on Monday the launch of Savvy Aircraft Maintenance Management (SAMM), a new company providing professionally managed maintenance for owner-flown aircraft. The service will cover high-performance single-engine airplanes to cabin-class twins and very light jets. "Professional maintenance management has long been the norm for corporate jets, but has never been available for owner-flown aircraft until now," Busch said. Annual fees range from $500 to $1,000 for most piston aircraft. SAMM assigns an account manager to act as the owner's advocate and ensure that the aircraft receives the best possible maintenance at the lowest possible cost.
UAVs May Patrol High Arctic
With ice floes melting in the Arctic Ocean, maritime traffic is increasing across the Northwest Passage -- a fuel-saving shortcut between Asia and Europe. To ease security concerns about all that traffic, the U.S. Air Force wants to step up deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles in the vast Arctic region. "There's some extensive work that has to be done with the Federal Aviation Administration and Transport Canada," Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart told The Associated Press, "to ensure that we use these systems in a way that doesn't provide a challenge for our general aviation friends." He said air traffic congestion in the region is a problem, and UAV operators must be trained to navigate in the North's heavily wooded terrain. Gen. Renuart commands the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which commemorated its 50th anniversary this week.
Short Final
Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"Heard on 121.5 on December 1, 2001 in the Frederick/Hagerstown, Maryland area (near Camp David or P40):Pilot:"Air Force on 121.5, Cherokee One Two Three."Air Force (my guess is this was the AWACS controller):"Go ahead."Pilot:"There are some F-15s near me. They do not answer my calls."Air Force:"F-15s do not have VHF capability; F-16s do."[pause]"Where are you?"Pilot:Near Hagerstown; I am doing some photo work.Air Force:"You are probably violating expanded P40 and they are escorting you out."Herbert RosenthalBethesda, Maryland
On the Fly ...
Irish helicopter pilot rapped for landing on city parkade ...Smoke may have obscured Jim LeRoy's view in fatal crash ...Airport sale items worth millions.
FBO of the Week: Quality Aviation (KFBL, Faribault, MN)
>>> AVWEB FUEL FINDER CURRENT PRICE FOR 100LL: $5.19 (up 10¢ from last week)CURRENT PRICE FOR JET A: $5.43 (up 11¢ from last week)Fuel prices provided weekly by AirNav, based on prices from the past 2 weeks. Changes are relative to last week's prices. /TEXT_ONLY-->AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Quality Aviation at KFBL in Faribault, Minnesota.AVweb reader Rick Lemon made a day stop at Quality while touring a nearby college with his daughter and wife:Jerry [from Quality] met me at the plane and provided a courtesy car for the day. The car itself was fun a recycled police car, so you couldn't open the back seat door or the window from inside. While I was gone, a thunderstorm blew in and Jerry put my plane in a hangar to avoid any possible hail damage. He refueled the plane even though it's advertised as self-serve.Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!
Video of the Week: Powered-Parachute Skydiver Dell Schanze Testing the Emotion Paraglider
In our latest "Video of the Week," Powered Skydiving founder Dell Schanze puts a new paraglider through its paces by what else? tumbling through the sky with it. We see some pretty nifty stuff on the receiving end of your video recommendations, but this is something to behold. (Click through to watch.)
Upset Training Aircraft Crash Kills Two
An Extra 300L operated by Aviation Performance Solutions LLC (APS) crashed Friday, killing two aboard. APS offers upset recovery and spin training. APS instructor Jim "Clap" Clapper was killed in the crash along with another pilot identified by a local CBS news affiliate as "an experienced commercial pilot." Clapper is a former F-4 and F-105 pilot. He had 20 years and 1,400 hours experience flying competition aerobatics, with 8 years flying competitive unlimited aerobatics. In 1995 Clapper was Arizona State Champion -- Advanced Aerobatics. Clapper was employed with the school as an instructor in aerobatics, upset recovery and spin training. The aircraft was returning from a training flight when it crashed approximately eight miles east of the Phoenix/Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona. "The type of maneuvers they were doing during that flight were very basic, nothing advanced," said Paul Ransbury, president of APS. "It is clear that numerous families were affected by this terrible tragedy," he said. "Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with all of those who were involved in this tragic accident and their families."
Tumbling Bear Airshow Pilot Survives Modesto Crash
Airshow performer Rob Harrison Saturday crashed his Zlin 50LX while performing at Modesto airport, and though one witness told a local ABC news channel, "the plane just went all to pieces," Harrison, 66, survived the impact with serious injuries. The pilot, nicknamed "The Tumbling Bear," was performing a rolling maneuver at low level near the end of his routine when the aircraft touched the ground and slid for about 100 feet before coming to rest on its side, relatively far from spectators. A crowd of about 4,000 people witnessed the crash and stayed to watch remote-control aircraft perform following Harrison's evacuation by helicopter to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Harrison was reported Sunday to be resting in stable condition. Details of his injuries were not released.
NTSB On NASCAR Cessna 310 Crash
"I don't give a sh-t about that. I'm taking the airplane." Juan Solis, an aircraft mechanic, told the NTSB the now-deceased Michael Klemm, an ATP certificated pilot with more than 10,500 hours flight time, spoke those words on July 10, 2007, about the accident aircraft (a NASCAR-operated Cessna 310R) prior to his fatal flight, according to a report released Friday by the NTSB. The flight ended approximately 10 minutes after it began when the aircraft, which was, according to witnesses, trailing smoke, impacted two homes, killing Klemm, along with Dr. Bruce Kennedy (the husband of International Speedway Corp. President Lesa France Kennedy). The death toll on the ground added three others -- including an infant and a four-year-old girl. Klemm's comments are associated with his knowledge of a problem with the aircraft's radar, though the extent of that knowledge remains uncertain.
China Inaugurates Commercial Jet Manufacturer
Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (CACC) was inaugurated Sunday, having been bolstered by a $2.72 billion cash infusion, almost one-third of which comes from the state. The company is expected to be involved in the development of the 90-seat ARJ21 regional jet, which rolled off the production line last December, should be test flown later this year and may be the first commercial regional jet developed and produced by China. Deliveries are scheduled for 2009. The aircraft's initial specifications "indicate that it's a bit heavier" than current offerings from other manufacturers, according to Teal Group aviation analyst, Richard Aboulafia, and may be built without extensive use of lightweight composites. Still, "they might be able to establish a presence in the business over the next 10 to 20 years," he told the International Herald Tribune. Airbus has forecast that China will need more than 2,600 new passenger jets within the next two decades.
FAA: Smooth Frost May Not Be OK
The FAA has proposed to change its regulations regarding operations with "polished frost" on an aircraft's flying surfaces ... just in time for summer. Frost polished to make it smooth would no longer be permitted as the FAA has determined it poses a threat to safe flight. The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) officially applies to parts 125, 135, and certain part 91 operations. Though the FAA previously recommended that aircraft manufacturers could offer recommended procedures for polishing frost, no current manufacturer has issued any recommendations for polishing or operating with polished frost, and the FAA stipulates that "polished frost" is an "ambiguous" term. Plus, the FAA has correlated at least 11 accidents with circumstances involving individuals who crashed shortly after takeoff after attempting to smooth frost on the aircraft's wings. According to the FAA, nine of the 11 accidents would not have been prevented by the newly proposed rule because those accident aircraft were not operating under regulations that would be affected by the proposed rule. Nonetheless....
Mooney Gets FAA Approval For Garmin WAAS
Mooney's Acclaim Type S, Ovation 3, and Ovation2 GX have earned FAA approval to use Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)-aided navigation and Safe-Taxi technology via amended Type Certificate. The systems work with the Garmin G1000 avionics' GPS to ease pilot workloads in instrument conditions and better manage high traffic environments both in the air and on the ground, according to Mooney. Deliveries of WAAS-approved Mooney aircraft with the Safe-Taxi software upgrade will begin immediately. Upgrades to earlier aircraft are expected to become available in the second quarter, after Mooney establishes its pricing structure for retrofit packages. Mooney says the move to WAAS meets with the company's determination to provide aircraft that are built with the ability to safely and efficiently perform in the same environment as turboprop business aircraft. Working in Mooney aircraft, the WAAS system can interface with the Garmin GFC700 autopilot and also generate a virtual glide path for more than 3,000 straight-in GPS and RNAV approaches already in the aircraft's navigation system.
CAFE, Electric Aircraft And 100 MPG Airplanes
The second annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS) held late last month offered a lot of theory and some progress. For now, the tone at EAS may suggest development of electric aircraft could follow the path of electric cars, and see their most immediate practical incarnations take the form of gas/electric hybrids. Boeing, which this year flew a small fuel cell aircraft, has one research group targeting a hybrid that could fly 300 miles per charge. That initiative is connected with a navigational control package that aims to take the work (fun?) out of flying and make it accessible to individuals without special training. That offering may appear sometime in the next few decades. Later this year, however, expect Pipistrel to offer its "world's first two seater self launching glider powered by electrical means." In August the CAFE (Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency) foundation will host a contest to test the practical application of current designs and award $50,000 to the most efficient aircraft.
Aircraft And Marriage, Perfect Together
When was the last time you heard that? For AVweb reader Jeff Goosetree, it seems to be the case. Goosetree currently flies 30- and 40-series Lear Jets out of northwest Arkansas, but maintains his earlier-won CFI. Currently, he is in the process of teaching his girlfriend, Maria, to fly, but on May 3 took a carefully planned deviation from the course book. Jeff arranged for Maria's first cross-country flight to fly west into the sunset, headed for the couple's favorite Italian restaurant. He even made sure to request some extra time with the crew car for the evening's dinner. Then, while en route in a 172, with Maria flying, Jeff began talking about their life together with her 8-year-old daughter, Halle. It was about halfway through the flight when, with ring in hand, "I managed to get up on one knee in the seat and proposed."
Aircraft Industry First Quarter Check-Up
The "current uncertainty in the U.S. economy is having an effect," specifically on the spectrum of piston aircraft, according to General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) President and CEO Pete Bunce. This year, Q1 piston-powered airplane shipments dropped 28 percent to 399 from 544 for the same period last year, according to GAMA's report. However, turboprop shipments were slightly higher and business jet shipments rose dramatically -- by more than 40 percent. In sum, total industry billings reached all all-time first-quarter high, up more than 16 percent over last year's. The divergent trends may be partially explained by worldwide economics. Accounting for 67 percent of piston deliveries last year, the North American market is an important player in worldwide figures and a downturn in that economy has broad effects. However, growth is strong in markets outside of North America and a good footing in multiple markets may ultimately provide some stability for those manufacturers best able to adapt to worldwide demand. The turbine segments showed impressive gains as did market share outside of the U.S. and North America. Economic stimulus in the form of bonus depreciation may be having a positive impact on aircraft sales, this year.
Picture of the Week: AVweb's Flying Photography Showcase
"Picture of the Week" submissions are still hovering in the fair-to-middling range, as least where sheer numbers are concerned but we won't tire you with our usual bellyaching and begging. Why? Because the quality is still sky-high, and we're having to turn away some awfully eye-catching pics just to whittle the finalists down to a managable number. Kicking off the excitement this week is 12-year-old Austin Randall of Clyde, Texas, who shot this week's super-sharp winning photo at Dyess Air Force Base this past Saturday. "It was awesome!!!" writes Austin and we agree!