CONTRAILS - Summer 2015

DIY

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL PREP

Border crossings made easier

THE PRIVATE JET MAGAZINE

FLYING THE MAGENTA LINE

Will you fall victim?

SUMMER 2 015

THE PHENOM FAMILY Getting bigger all the time

PAG E 4 6

AUTOMATED FORECASTS Why computer WX prediction is worrisome

READY FOR A FLYING CAR? Lots of manufacturers race from freeways to airways

THE HISTORY OF YOUR LEATHER JACKET When leather went to war

FAA Type Ratings & Recurrent Flight Training

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Azma FLT Inc. is based in Orlando Florida at KORL. Our experienced & professional flight instructors are also available to provide training at your location.

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contents 06.15

FEATURES 14 20 24 30 36 40 EMBRAER’S VERY FORECASTS LIGHT JET REPLACED BY With its sleek AUTOMATION lines and high tech profile, the Phenom 100 just keeps turning heads.

BY SCOTT C. DENNSTAEDT

BY BILL COX

Read the First Look review on Embraer’s Phenom 100 starting on Page 14

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MAGENTA-LINE THINKING

How many times do you just follow the course your GPS creates?

BY THOMAS P. TURNER

GOING HERE COME THE WHEN LEATHER INTERNATIONAL FLYING CARS WENT TO WAR Research and One of the preparation required for complex world

BY DAVE HIGDON

longest-running fantasies in aviation is about to become real.

BY PAMELA BROWN

The fightin’ A-2.

BY JAMES WYNBRANDT

Backup ATTITUDE app

WAAS GPS unlocks track up moving map and terrain Subscription-free datalink WEATHER Dual band ADS-B TRAFFIC

Give your iPad

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Built-in AHRS for backup attitude Dual band ADS-B traffic Subscription-free in-flight weather Improved GPS and ADS-B reception Totally wireless with 8-hour battery Made for ForeFlight Mobile Designed and built in USA

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contents 06.15 DEPARTMENTS 8 PUBLISHER’S LETTER It’s officially summer

10 LIFESTYLES

The best new gadgets available to pilots on display.

12 COMPANIONS’ PAGE

Must-have products to make those cross-country trips more pleasant.

46 WEATHERING THE WEATHER

10

Weather data all comes from the same place, but there are big differences in how it’s presented and in what else the app does.

BY WAYNE RASH JR.

46

50 HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS Living (doing) the good life

BY JUDY BUMGARNER

52 A PILOT-SHAPING PURPOSE A Canadian aviator is working to give everyone a plan for living a happier life.

BY LYN FREEMAN

54 PARTING SHOTS

52

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SUMMER 2015 VOLUME 2/ NUMBER 2

AJ PUBLICATIONS STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Lyn Freeman MANAGING EDITOR

Michelle Carter SENIOR EDITOR

Bill Cox ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Hans Lubke EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

William Henrys CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Nina Harris, Paul Simington, Katrina Bradelaw, Paul Sanchez, Wayne Rash Jr. ART DIRECTOR

Robbie Destocki PHOTOGRAPHY

Paul Bowen, Mary Schwinn, James Lawrence, Lyn Freeman, Jodi Butler, Gregory L. Harris PUBLISHER

Thierry Pouille PRODUCTION MANAGER

Guillaume Fabry ADVERTISING MANAGER

Meredith Howard Telephone: +1 (561) 841-1551 ext. 7 meredith@ajpublications.com CORPORATE OFFICES

1931 Commerce Lane, Suite 5 Jupiter, FL 33458 Telephone: +1 (561) 841-1551 Fax: +1 (954) 252-3935 RATES AND MEDIA KIT INFORMATION ONLINE AT

www.ContrailsMag.com or call +1 (561) 841-1551 FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, REPRINTS, BACK ISSUES

please log onto www.ContrailsMag.com or call +1 (561) 841-1551

CONTACT THE EDITOR:

Lyn@AJPublications.com CONTACT THE PUBLISHER:

Thierry@AJPublications.com ©2014 CONTRAILS Magazine is published quarterly.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without written permission from the publisher is prohibited.

Please send comments to the attention of the publisher.

PRINTED IN THE USA.

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Publisher’s Letter

IT’S OFFICIALLY SUMMER

By Thierry Pouille

I

t seems like just moments ago it was winter. We were taxiing through icy puddles and slogging around on snowy ramps. But by everyone’s reckoning, summer is finally here. But not without a fight!

My winter flying was interesting. Besides my normal comings and goings, I had the chance to fly towards the Galapagos. I say “towards” the Galapagos because, to be honest with you, I flew the last leg commercial. Flying all the way to the Galapagos in your own airplane puts you in front of a passel of issues. Do you have the range to fly there and back, given that fuel is not typically available there? And if you could solve the fuel problem, then there’s the hefty landing fees, parking and handling. It’s one of those situations where it makes lots of sense to just put away your logbook and jump a commercial jet.

But don’t let me discourage you in any way from flying down to the Galapagos. It’s an amazing journey just flying to South America and back. And heading toward the equator in winter is always a nice relief from colder weather.

And, unlike winter flying, some of us aren’t as concerned about icing when the summer months roll around. That’s something we might want to reconsider.

Recently, I was flying in one of two Cessna Mustangs at FL380 in IMC with a separation of about 25 miles. Both aircraft experienced an anomaly at exactly the same place along the airway — crystal icing on an engine probe. Initially, I had an OAT of 33 degrees of ram air temperature. When the RAT dropped to -15, the engine FADEC system rolled the power back to idle to protect the engine. My indicated airspeed went from 178 to 137, a little too close to the donut of 1.3 VSO. Later, analysis on the ground with Team Mustang at Cessna helped us confirm the problem was crystal icing. Their suggestion?

Follow the checklist and, if speed becomes an issue, as it did for me, ask for a lower altitude.

Over the last 20 years, more than 200 airplanes have reported crystal-icing issues. One of the most recent was an MD-83 operating out of Ouagadougou in Africa on its way to Algeria. The airliner lost both engines, and the aircraft did not survive the encounter.

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NASA investigators studying the problem have developed a theory that aircraft experiencing crystal icing are flying through dense clouds of small ice crystals. The crystals are ingested into the engines where they melt on the warm surfaces inside the engines. During flight, the surfaces eventually become cold enough that ice can begin to build up, or accrete, which can affect the normal operation of the engine. This is what’s behind the growing concerns over crystal icing.

I had another run-in with icing in Florida of all places. I fly in and out of there regularly, and I’m used to being assigned lower altitudes as I approach the peninsula. Lower altitudes help ATC de-conflict the steady stream of traffic out of Orlando, Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. So I wasn’t surprised recently, when arriving from the Dominican Republic, that ATC asked me to leave FL400 for FL260. No sooner did I arrive at my lower assigned altitude than I found myself covered in ice. In Florida. Ice. In summer. Needless to say, that got my attention.

Summer or winter, I guess icing is here to stay.

This issue of Contrails takes a long look at the new jets from Embraer, the Phenom 100 and 300. We also examine the advantages and disadvantages of something that impacts all of us now, the automatic weather forecast. And do you ever find yourself just blindly following the magenta line on your screen? In other words, do you just let your GPS lead you to wherever you’re going? Maybe it’s something you want to rethink, especially after reading this issue of Contrails.

Despite the fact that your aircraft cannot reach Hawaii from the West Coast of the United States, did you know you can still fly yourself to Japan? China? Russia? Read about it in this issue.

If you’re not quite up to speed on all the ins and outs of international travel, we’ve got something in this issue for you as well. And for those of you who already enjoy crossing borders, stand by. Soon enough I’ll be wheels up on our fifth Journey Around the World, flying to 29 countries, making 39 stops and covering more than 27,000 nautical miles. I’ll have a full report in a future issue of Contrails magazine.

This is our fifth issue of Contrails, and I sincerely thank all of you who have given us such strong encouragement and appreciation for creating a magazine for those of us who fly our own jets. It’s a wonderful niche in aviation that we thank you for helping us fill!

See you on the ramp!

Thierry Thierry Pouille, Publisher

EMBRAER PHENOM 100 N389MW, Belted Potty, Aerowave 100 In-Flight Internet, TCAS I, Dual Transponders (ADS-B Out Compliant), Enrolled on EEC and ESP. Fresh 72-Month Inspection by Eagle Creek Aviation, an Embraer Authorized Service Center.

TWIN COMMANDER 900

TWIN COMMANDER 690B

N927SM, Dash Ten Engines with 1832 SMOH and Enrolled on MSP, Wide Chord Q-Tip Props, RVSM Certified, Dual Meggitt EFIS, 2100 DFCS Autopilot, GNS 530 and GNS 430.

N36SW, Garmin G950 Avionics Panel, S-Tec 2100 Digital Flight Control System, Dash Ten Engines with 2117 SMOH, New Paint in 2013 and Fresh 150 Hour Inspection.

TWIN COMMANDER 980

TWIN COMMANDER 840

N940AC, Dash Ten Engines with 2245 SMOH, 411/913 SHSI, Garmin GNS 530 and Freon Air Conditioning.

N848LG, Garmin G600 Panel with Synthetic Vision, Dash Ten Engines with 1960 SOH (5,000 Hour TBO), Long Range Fuel (474 Useable Gallons), Hartzell Wide Chord Q-Tip Props and Freon Air.

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Search its website at GoRentals.com.

Arsenal of Democracy WWII Flyover

LS New aviation film debut Brian Terwilliger fell in love the day he soloed in a Cessna 150 at Van Nuys, Calif., Airport. For him it was so much more than a deep, emotional attachment to flying that many pilots feel when learning to fly. Terwilliger was entering into a true romance with General Aviation. No one was really surprised when the young man announced he wanted to make a movie about what he’d discovered. The result was the highly acclaimed “One Six Right” about the Van Nuys (VNY) Airport.

Now the cinema auteur brings “Living in the Age of Airplanes,” released by National Geographic Studios to theaters, museums and iMAX screens across the country. The new film is a tribute to how airplanes have changed the world and was filmed in 18 different countries across all seven continents, at 95 locations across the globe. Narration is provided by Harrison Ford, and the music comes from Academy Award-winning composer James Horner (Titanic, Avatar). The narrative weaves together the profound ways that aviation has transformed our lives, connecting countries and cultures while expanding horizons and minds.

For a full list of theaters or to view the trailer, visit AirplanesMovie.com.

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To honor the heroes who fought in WWII and those on the home front who produced the tanks, ships and aircraft that enabled the United States and its Allies to achieve victory, one of the most diverse arrays of World War II aircraft ever assembled will fly above the skies of Washington, D.C. on Friday, May 8, the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, as part of the Arsenal of Democracy World War II Victory Capital Flyover.

The flyover will include dozens of World War II aircraft flying in 15 historically sequenced Warbird formations overhead. The formations will represent the war’s major battles, from Pearl Harbor through the final air assault on Japan, and concluding with a missing man formation to Taps. Never before has such a collection of WWII aircraft been assembled at one location to honor the large assemblage of veterans gathered at the WWII Memorial for a ceremony.

On Saturday, May 9, a selection of the planes will be featured at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport for a one-day exhibition. The display will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. No advance tickets are required.

Learn more at WW2Flyover.org

Legacy 600 Trailing Edge Kit

New maintenance-protection kits developed for Embraer models and Gulfstreams

Personal cabin pressure monitor

Trisoft™ Covers Inc. has developed custom-sized, long-lasting protective-cover kits for the Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 and Legacy 600 and for Gulfstream mid- and large-cabin models.

These brightly colored covers are made of lightweight crosslink foam and protect the trailing edges, gear-door corners, belly antenna and masts from damage caused by facility lifts, stands and ladders. These protective kits also help eliminate personal injuries while working around the aircraft.

The XLPE foam is resistant to UV light, heat and cold, and its closed-cell structure is chemical-resistant and will not Phenom 300 Trailing Edge Kit absorb water. Trisoft maintains that its covers last 10 times as long as any other product on the market.

Joe Garland, president of Trisoft, said, “Trisoft is growing very fast. Our unique patented covers have gained worldwide interest. Our covers are protecting the Aviation Industry in 10 countries, and here at home we have expanded to 31 states. These covers protect both the airplanes and anyone who works near them in the hangar. As we like to note, ‘Trisoft is here to protect and prevent.’ Having covers in place before an accident occurs is the foundation to a solid safety program.”

Available now, the complete kits are priced as follows: $1,224.50 (TAP-200 for mid-cabin Gulfstream), $1,313.66 (TAP-500 for large-cabin Gulfstream) $449.80 (TAP-P100 for Phenom 100) $494.20 (TAP-P300 for the Phenom 300) $956.90 (TAP-L600 for the Legacy 600) All prices are F.O.B. Sarasota, Fla. For more information, contact Garland at TrisoftCovers.com, 800.844.2371 or 941.780.4827.

LS

While aircraft operating in the flight levels have pressurization-failure warning systems, pressurization accidents are still with us. The Carlsbad, Calif., company Aviation Technology has introduced the AltAlert, a new portable cabin-pressure monitor with both visual and aural warnings to pilots of pressurization issues, well before the onset of hypoxia. The device clips onto a shirt pocket or can be suction-cupped to a window and has an 18-month battery life. The AltAlert is based on a NASA patent with new algorithms to customize the unit for aviation uses.

“I started researching the number of accidents, logged with the NTSB, related to pressurization,” Stacy Sawaya, CEO of Aviation Technology, said. “The Payne Stewart accident is the most highly publicized, but the number is enormous.”

The device “chirps” and a red light flashes every 15 seconds if the cabin altitude rises to 10,000 feet. At 11,500 feet, the AltAlert’s red light flashes every five seconds and emits two chirps. Cabin altitudes of 12,500 feet bring a flash every second along with a triple chirp.

Visit AviationTechnologyInc.com.

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Companions’ Page Gizmos and Gadgets

Canon Powershot G1 X Marks II

Canon CameraWindow App

The all-new PowerShot flagship, the PowerShot G1 X Mark II raises performance and quality to new heights in a compact, brilliant design. The PowerShot G1 X Mark II delivers the outstanding image quality you would expect with a digital SLR camera but in a portable, Wi-Fi and NFC enabled package. It has the power to handle most any photographic situation it encounters. Canon.com

Snap It, Share It! Download the free Canon CameraWindow app to your iOS or Android device to start getting the full benefit of your PowerShot camera with built-in Wi-Fi. The app makes transferring and viewing high-quality images and videos on your camera fast and easy

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Eyefi Mobi automatically transfers your photos and videos from your camera to your smartphone or tablet, no matter where you are. That’s because Mobi creates its own WiFi network. You take the pictures then watch them appear on your mobile device to enjoy and share, instantly. Eyefi.com

Store It – Camera Bag The BlackRapid SnapR 35 is great for the Micro 4/3 systems cameras. SnapR systems include a sling, wrist strap and durable bag, providing a complete system for your compact gear. SnapR Complete System. The SnapR 35 combines the sling strap concept with a durable, padded camera bag for Micro 4/3 systems cameras. Your camera rests upside down, attached to the strap, ready to slide into shooting position. BlackRapid.com

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Residential Fly-In Living Like No Place on Earth!

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Phenom 100

EMBRAER’S VERY LIGHT JET WITH ITS SLEEK LINES AND HIGH TECH PROFILE, THE PHENOM 100 JUST KEEPS TURNING HEADS.

By Bill Cox

FIRST LOOK

Whatever else you say about Vern Raeburn, cockeyed optimist, con man or visionary, he was at least partially right that there apparently IS a market for very light jets.

OK, so he did wildly exaggerate the impact of light business jets. We’ll probably never see the sky darkened by thousands of little, six-seat, twin-turbine jets as Raeburn predicted, but he did correct-

ly forecast a market for owner-flown light jets in the 350/400-knot category available for $3 million to $4 million.

Raeburn almost single-handedly created the very light jet market, even if most other VLJ manufacturers prefer not to call it that. Today, there are three viable light, mini-jets on the market, and at least one more to premiere in the near future.

Predictably, Cessna’s Citation Mustang was the first to reach certification, followed in short order by the Eclipse 500 and the Brazilian Embraer Phenom 100. By now, everyone knows the story of the Eclipse’s rescue from bankruptcy by Mason Holland’s investment group and subsequent resurrection as the Total Eclipse and later, the improved Eclipse 550.

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Phenom 100

later models of the PW-617F-E engine The Phenom 100 was Embraer’s first foray into the world of light jets, an off-the-draw- provide a 10-minute thrust rating of 1,820 pounds, about 108 percent power. ing-board-and-into-the-marketplace effort You board the 100 through a convenwith virtually no resemblance to anything tional one-piece, swing-down door that Embraer had built before. Additionally, most people should be able to operate with Embraer sidestepped any possible xenoone hand. There are boarding rails on both phobia from Americans who might have sides, and once you’re inside, you turn felt that light jets are primarily a U.S. prodright for first class and left for the office. uct. The Brazilian company constructed an There is no coach. assembly plant in Melbourne, Fla. Like so Flight crew are greeted with the Prodigy many other technologically sophisticated flat-panel, cockpit display, a variation machines, Phenom 100s are truly multion the Garmin G1000. Prodigy includes national products, assembled from mainly checklists, a business jet imperative, and American components. synoptics, a system that automatically (When the Phenom 100 was introduced highlights any anomalies, a welcome carin 2007, the Austrian/Canadian SF-50 ryover from Embraer’s experience building D-Jet, Piper Altaire and the Cirrus Vision, airliners. All variations of the G1000 take all three single-engine models, were the some getting used to, and I’d wager you’ll only other light jets planned for the VLJ spend more time studying the avionics class. Development was discontinued three system than on learning to fly the Phenom. years ago on the Altaire and D-Jet, but Engine start is a simple matter of turning Cirrus hopes to certify and begin deliveries a switch to Start and monitoring the of the SF-50 Vision later this year.) gauges. The FADEC system takes care of For power on the Phenom 100, Embraer practically everything. In seeming contrachose the Pratt &Whitney Canada PWdiction of the traditional wisdom that jets 617E-F turbofan engines, rated for 1,695 are extremely complicated, the Phenom pounds takeoff thrust up to ISA +10C. The 100 does practically everything by itself, engines feature dual, full-authority, digwith little more than monitoring ital engine control (FADEC), and an FIRST by the flight crew. If any engine automatic performance reserve feaLOOK parameter crashes into the red, the ture boosts thrust to 1,777 pounds FADEC system will automatically in the event of an engine failure on shut down the engine. takeoff. If that’s not enough power,

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Meanwhile, back in the executive end of the airplane where the bills are paid, Embraer designed the fuselage in an appropriately oval shape, 61 inches across by 59 inches tall. Interior appointments were commissioned through BMW Designworks USA, and the result is a nearly 7-series main cabin, in all the best respects.

The Phenoms have the largest windows in the class, brightening the interior measurably. The fuselage cross section is wide enough to offer plenty of room in the aisle and the seats without crowding.

Embraer paid special attention to sound deadening in back, and no one should need to raise his or her voice to be heard, even at max cruise.

You have your choice of a number of seating configurations. With a single pilot up front, you can carry up to seven folks in back, and there’s a blue room at the far aft station. True, all the occupants can’t be 170-pounders, and two will be riding sidesaddle, but it is possible to fill the seats and travel a short distance FADEC makes setting takeoff power almost silly simple. Push to the appropriate visual preset, takeoff/go around power, and the engines take care of themselves. There’s a max continuous climb setting, a max cruise setting and, if you get into trouble, there’s a max power position full forward, the only one guarded by a detent.

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Phenom 100 EMBRAER’S STEP-UP, NOT-SO-LIGHT JETS

F

or those with a need for slightly more room speed and range, Embraer’s next airplane in the hierarchy offers what may be the perfect formula.

For $9.13 million, the swept-wing Phenom 300 pushes the cruise ante to 453 knots, increases max altitude to FL450, boosts total capacity to two crew and nine passengers and extends max range out to nearly 2,000 nm.

Embraer’s true mid-weight business jets are the Legacy 450 and 500, both of which should have been certified by the time you read this. Max seating is two crew plus 12 passengers on the 500, two plus nine on the 450. Both airplanes are certified for operation at FL450 and will cruise at a max 450 knots, about Mach .78-.80. Range is typically 2,500-3,000 nm, and the airplanes can use runways as short as 4,500 feet.

The 2014 prices were $16.6 million for the Legacy 450 and $20 million for the Legacy 500.

EMBRAER PHENOM 100E New Price (2014):

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brake-by-wire system is a new experience, but it’s nothing to fear. Just as with fly-bywire, there’s no cable or control rod connection between the cockpit controls and brakes, just an electrical connection that measures how much pressure you apply to each pedal and feeds back the appropriate brake action.

There is one caveat, however. As mentioned above, Vref on the airplane is 91-105 knots. The problem on the Phenom 100 was that the airplane was/is not equipped with thrust reversers, and it’s so clean, it’s critical that pilots maintain accurate speed control on final.

Early Phenom 100s had problems with pilots trying to use differential braking.

The brake-by-wire system was touchy and could cause loss of control if pilots didn’t stay ahead of it.

As a result, Embraer recently installed the ninth BCU (Brake Control Unit), added spoilers to the Phenom 100 and redesignated the airplane the 100E (the “E” stands for enhanced). The boards may be used in flight and deploy automatically when the airplane senses weight on the wheels after landing and enhances braking action. (The system is available as a retrofit for $300,000 and adds 110 pounds to empty weight.)

One of Embraer’s goals on the Phenom 100 was to offer better performance than any of its competition, and the airplane achieves it in practically every area. Pilots have signaled their approval of the Phenom 100 by purchasing more than 300 of the type since the beginning of 2009. The Phenom 100 is faster, arguably more comfortable, equally as easy to fly as the Mustang or Eclipse 550, and it looks great sitting on the ramp, a turbine-powered stiletto for the pilot who has (practically) everything.

Just don’t call it a VLJ.

P&W-917-E-F

Thrust (lbs t ISA +10):

1695

TBO (hrs):

3500

Fuel type:

The Phenom 100 scampers uphill at an initial 3,000 fpm, but most pilots will drop the nose to maintain 1,500-2,000 fpm for a better view of what they’re not going to hit.

Like all the light jets, the Phenom 100 bleeds off to about 500 fpm near the top of climb.

The straight-wing Phenom 100 is certified for flight at FL410, so pressurization limits have been set at a maximum 8.3 psi. That means the 100 should maintain an 8,000foot cabin altitude at its maximum cruise height or a sea-level cabin to about FL210.

Cruise speeds can be as you like them, depending upon how quickly you need to get to your destination. Max cruise is listed at 390 knots at altitudes in the mid30s, burning 127 gph. The more popular settings are 323 knots at 103 gph at the same altitude or 333 knots at 41,000 feet on a relatively miserly 78 gph. Higher is nearly always better in any turbine.

You’ll typically burn about 25 percent of your fuel load during climb, so you’ll have about 310 gallons (2,077 pounds) remaining for cruise. That makes operation at FL410 all the more important, where you’ll have about three hours endurance plus reserve.

If you have experience in any of the cabin-class piston twins of the 1970s and 1980s, you’ll find the Phenom 100’s pattern handling almost ridiculously docile. Typical approach speeds are 91 to 105 knots, depending upon weight, slower than most pilots used for the Duke, 421 or 414. Like most jets, there’s very little flare.

You simply “pinch” the inverted A yoke back an imperceptible amount, and the Phenom 100 will practically land itself. The stout trailing beam gear absorbs even the most ham-handed approach and assures a reasonable transition from sky to ground, no matter what your previous experience.

Once you’re down and rolling, the

$4.35M

Engine make/model:

Landing gear type:

Jet A Retr/Trailing Beam

Max ramp wt (lbs):

10,516

Gross weight (lbs):

10,472

Std empty weight (lbs):

7132

Max landing weight (lbs): Useful load – std (lbs):

9766

3384

Usable fuel – std (gal/lbs):

418.5/2804

Payload – full std fuel (lbs): Wingspan:

580

48’ 4”

Overall length:

42’ 1”

Height:

14’ 3”

Wing area (sq ft):

201.7

Wing loading (lbs/sq ft):

Power loading (lbs/hp):

51.9

3.09

Seating capacity:

Cabin doors:

8 (max) 1

Cabin width (in):

61

Cabin height (in):

59

Performance Max Cruise Speed (kts): 390 (@ FL330 @ 127 gph) Rec. Cruise Speed (kts): 323 (@ FL330 @ 103 gph) LR Cruise Speed (kts)): 333 (@ FL410 @ 78 gph) Best rate of climb, SL (fpm):

3030

S/E rate of climb, SL (fpm): S.E service ceiling (ft):

521 23,260

Maximum Operating Altitude (ft): Stall – Vso (kts): TO ground roll (ft): Ldg ground roll (ft):

FL410 77 3400 2722

For more information, contact Embraer Executive Jets 1111 General Aviation Drive Melbourne, FL 32935 Tel.: 954.359.5387 (Sales only) Tel.: 321.751.5050 (Front Desk) EmbraerExecutiveJets.com

All specifications are based on manufacturer’s calcAll specifications are based on manufacturer’s calculations. All specs and performance numbers are drawn from official sources, often the aircraft flight manual or the manufacturer’s website

forecasts

FORECASTS REPLACED BY AUTOMATION

By Scott C. Dennstaedt

With tighter budgets and fewer human resources, more and more weather forecasts are becoming automated. You don’t have to struggle to find automated forecasts. They are plastered all over the Internet, and some may even show up in your inbox or on your smartphone on a daily basis.

For years, pilots have relied on forecasts issued by highly trained meteorologists, but that’s slowly changing. The Collaborative Convective Forecast Product or CCFP is one of these forecasts that on Nov. 1 was replaced with an automated version called the Collaborative Decision-Making Convective Forecast Planning guidance (which is still, coincidently, abbreviated CCFP).

A Little Review Convective weather is undoubtedly the single most disruptive force affecting the National Airspace System (NAS), and these disruptions can quickly cause major delays in the system. So the best the FAA and NWS can do is pinpoint where those disruptions will likely be located in the near future and then develop a master plan for coping with the inevitable loss of this precious and busy airspace. Developing such a plan required a collaborative effort among the NWS, FAA and commercial air carriers. The Collaborative Convective Forecast Product was born in 2000 as the primary convective-weather forecast product used as input to develop this strategic plan.

Weather Channel Studios

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forecasts

The legacy CCFP was made available on the Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS) website. You may have been tempted to use it on an occasional basis. The CCFP was a seasonal product that began in early March and ran through the end of October. During this time it provided a single convective forecast for strategic planning of en route aircraft operations within the NAS. It is not intended to be used for traffic-flow control in the airport-terminal environment, nor for tactical traffic-flow decisions.

As the name suggests, this was a collaborative forecast effort involving meteorologists for the Aviation Weather Center, commercial air carriers, Center Weather Service Units, Air Traffic Control Command Center and Environment Canada. Their ultimate goal was to produce a short-range forecast that aids in air-traffic flow management to reduce delays, rerouting and cancellations due to convective weather for the U.S. and its coastal waters as well as southern-most portions of Ontario and Quebec, Canada.

CCFP Criteria Deep, moist convection (for the purposes of the CCFP forecast) uses criteria that are

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quite different than the criteria used for issuing convective SIGMETs. To be included in the CCFP, the area of convection must meet the following minimum forecast criteria: 3 A coverage of at least 25 percent with echoes of at least 40 dBZ composite reflectivity; and

3 A coverage of at least 25 percent with echo tops of FL250, or greater; and

3 A confidence of at least 25 percent.

Note that all three of these threshold criteria combined are required for any area of convection of 3,000 square miles or greater to be included in a CCFP forecast. Besides areas, lines of convection can also be identified in the forecast. Lines can stand alone or be included within an area. Note that these lines or areas are instantaneous forecasts. That is, they describe the convective coverage at a particular point in time (e.g., 2100 UTC), not over a period of time.

The new kid on the block The automated version of the CCFP intro-

duced last year is still considered experimental.

Similar to its earlier counterpart, this new guidance is a graphical representation of convection meeting specific criteria of coverage, intensity, echo height and confidence mentioned above.

The experimental CCFP guidance graphics are produced every two hours and valid at two, four, six and eight hours after issuance time.

This is done 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long (certainly a distinct improvement to the legacy CCFP).

Not a forecast for thunderstorms General Aviation pilots must be careful when using the CCFP for preflight weather analysis. Most are unaware that the CCFP is not a thunderstorm forecast. It is created to provide forecast guidance to air-traffic managers and may not always take into consideration areas or lines of convection that may or may not meet convective SIGMET criteria. Unlike the criteria used for convective SIGMETs, the CCFP threshold criteria do not consider lightning, precipitation or severity (i.e., tornadoes, large hail or damaging winds).

It’s really all about describing convection that is disrupting busy airspace.

Coverage

Isolated

Widely scattered

Scattered

Broken

Percentage

< 10 percent

10 – 24 percent

25 – 39 percent

40 – 74 percent

Tops (feet MSL)

40,000 +

35,000 – 39,000

30,000 – 34,000

25,000 – 29,000

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Another unique aspect of the CCFP that continues to confuse some pilots is the echo tops forecast; the echo tops provided in the CCFP are not a forecast for maximum tops as they are in a convective SIGMET. The best way to understand this aspect is to use an example.

Assume that an area of convection meeting the CCFP criteria has been identified as a polygon on the graphics.

Using the table below, the automated tool believes that, with this area of convection, isolated coverage of echo tops will exceed 40,000 feet. On the opposite extreme, broken coverage is expected with echo tops anticipated to be between 25,000 feet and 29,000 feet. Even though widely scattered or isolated echo tops are expected to occur above 35,000 feet, the CCFP graphic will show scattered (sparse) coverage at 34,000 feet since most of the echo tops will be located at or below 34,000 feet in the example at the bottom of page 26.

CCFP graphics The automated CCFP graphics can be viewed online at AviationWeather.gov/ ccfp/. Each of the four forecasts for two, four, six and eight hours will largely consist of one or more hatched or filled polygons describing areas of convection (if any) that are expected to meet the CCFP criteria.

The color of the polygons describes the confidence, and the hatching or fill denotes the expected convective coverage. Note that areas of higher convective coverage or lines of convection can be included within other polygons of lower convective coverage. Each polygon will also include a categorical echo tops forecast as described earlier.

the specified time and place. It is identified in one of two possible categories: 3 Low confidence – 25-49 percent (border and fill gray) 3 High confidence – 50-100 percent (border and fill slate blue) Echo tops within each area of convection are forecast in one of four possible categories: • • • •

25,000-29,000 feet MSL 30,000-34,000 feet MSL 35,000-39,000 feet MSL At or above 40,000 feet MSL

Human In the loop Despite the fact that the new CCFP guidance is totally automated, there is still a human element. As of March 3, the NWS will implement the experimental Collaborative Aviation Weather Statement (CAWS).

The CAWS is a new product collaborated

by NWS meteorologists, airline meteorologists and other airline and FAA personnel. Sounds vaguely like the legacy CCFP guidance, right? Well, yes and no. CAWS is event-driven and focuses on specific, convective impacts to the Core 29 airports and high traffic en-route corridors. So it’s not a product that you will see issued in northern Montana, ever.

When the automated product isn’t aligned with reality, forecasters can issue one of these statements. This could be due to convection that developed but was not properly depicted by the automated tool or perhaps it could be the opposite situation — convection that was expected and did not form or have a great enough impact. You can find the CAWS product here: AviationWeather.gov/caws.

This legend depicts the symbology used in the CCFP graphics to include categories for convective coverage, confidence and echo tops.

Coverage is identified within each area of convection, in one of three possible categories: • Sparse 25-39 percent (sparse fill) • Medium 40-74 percent (medium fill) • Solid 75-100 percent (solid fill) The confidence is an estimate that conditions defined by the minimum CCFP criteria will occur in the forecast polygon at

The Collaborative Aviation Weather Statement (CAWS) will include a graphic such as the one shown here as well as a textual description of the situation.

Extended Convective Forecast Product (ECFP) The automated CCFP is only valid out to eight hours. However, to provide traffic planners and collaborators with a quicklook forecast of the greatest probability of thunderstorms (not just convection) beyond this period, the AWC issues an Extended Convective Forecast Product (ECFP) valid in six-hour time periods out to three and a half days (84 hours) in the future. The ECFP is updated four times a day and can be viewed online at AviationWeather.gov/ecfp.

The Extended Convective Forecast Product (ECFP) uses similar CCFP-style shading. Contours are drawn at 40 percent, 60 percent and 80 percent and represent the probability of thunderstorms. Hashed areas represent 40-59 percent probability; solid lined areas represent 60-79-percent probability; and solid blue-filled areas represent greater than 80 percent probability.

The ECFP planning tool is a graphical representation of the forecast probability of thunderstorms. The product will identify graphically where in the U.S. thunderstorms are the most likely based solely on the calibrated thunderstorm-probability forecast from the Short Range Ensemble Forecast (SREF) model. While this graphical product will use CCFP-style graphics, it is automatically generated and does not use the same CCFP criteria since this is a thunderstorm forecast. This is to facilitate ease of interpretation and use by those already familiar with the operational CCFP and is intended to support the long-range planning for CCFP-type of constraints in the NAS. In the end, the CCFP can provide some useful forecast guidance concerning convective weather along your proposed route of flight, assuming you are aware that it is not a forecast for thunderstorms. Be sure always to integrate this forecast with other official guidance (especially convective SIGMETs) provided by the NWS before making any preflight decisions using this new automated guidance.

Scott C. Dennstaedt is a CFI and former NWS research meteorologist now working as a weather scientist at ForeFlight. To learn more about aviation weather, please visit his website at http://avwxworkshops.com or on Twitter @AvWxWorkshops.

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MAGENTA-LINE THINKING HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU JUST FOLLOW THE COURSE YOUR GPS CREATES?

By Thomas P. Turner

A friend of mine has a TBM 850. A few years ago he asked if I was going to be in Wichita and available to meet about a project we were working on together at the time. I said yes and, shortly afterward, we scheduled a day and time to get together.

He was still flying off insurance-required time with an instructor before he could be covered as pilot-in-command of the TBM. My friend and his instructor left California and planned to fly nonstop to Wichita. I watched the airplane on FlightAware.com and drove to the airport at what looked like a few minutes before they would land.

They were about 20 minutes later than I expected, descending out of a mid-level overcast for the visual straightin approach. After shutting down, they took what seemed like an abnormal amount of time to exit the airplane and come in to the FBO. Both looked a bit disheveled.

Only later I learned why. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the fatigue from a nonstop flight halfway across the country. Before takeoff, they had made a nonstop flight to Kansas their objective. But they had wisely decided that they would evaluate their fuel state as they passed Pueblo, Colo., which was directly under their route of flight. If, at that point, they did not anticipate landing in Wichita with their planned fuel reserve, they would fuel up at Pueblo. As they neared Pueblo, they checked, re-checked and (they later told me) re-re-checked their fuel and determined they could just make it with their planned 45-minute reserve. They pressed on toward Wichita.

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magenta-line far as their decision-making process was going, they were going to land at Wichita or die trying. This is a prime example of what I call “magenta-line thinking.”

A little east of Pueblo, however, ATC directed a descent to a much lower altitude for traffic. Suddenly the TBM’s fuel consumption increased significantly. They flew on eastward for 150 miles, discussing their fuel state almost constantly. When controllers gave them a long vector for sequence on the approach into Wichita, they knew they would not have their expected reserves when they landed. And, because they were not headed directly from waypoint to waypoint, their fuel totalizer was unable to predict exactly how much fuel it would take to get to the airport. It was, I was later told, getting very tense in the cockpit.

After landing, the time spent before exiting the airplane was a mutual cooldown period while they gathered their wits and contemplated their luck in making it to the airport. Only when they saw the fuel bill for topping off the TBM’s tanks were they able to figure they had less than 20 minutes of low-altitude cruise fuel remaining when they shut down. Had something required them to power up for a go-around, they might have exhausted

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all their fuel before they could set up to land again.

Was any regulation broken? No, unless you consider this reckless operation of an aircraft. The Federal Air Regulations concerning 45 minutes of fuel reserve for IFR flights is for preflight planning purposes only. Preflight calculations showed it could be done, and if they had not had to descend to the lower altitude 150 miles from Wichita and then been vectored wide for the approach, they would have had at least that much fuel remaining.

Was the flight safe? Business aviation safety researcher and lecturer Dr. Tony Kern tells us, “not having an accident does not imply the flight was conducted safety.”

When my friend and his instructor independently told me about their experience and the horrible feeling of knowing they might have insufficient fuel to make it to Wichita, what struck me is that neither one of them had even considered anything but pressing on to Wichita. After they had checked their fuel state crossing Pueblo, they mentally checked the option of landing before Wichita off their list. As

It’s a trap Magenta-line thinking is a mindset that all your options lay along the route you’ve set into your GPS or other navigation device. It’s a risk management trap that causes many pilots to ignore other possibilities when conditions change and may require a diversion for weather, an aircraft abnormal condition or an emergency.

Magenta-line thinking isn’t new. In fact, I frequently saw pilots fall into the trap before General Aviation GPS existed, before we had magenta lines. For several years, I was a simulator instructor for a common make of single-pilot personal and business airplanes. In recurrent training, we presented a scenario that includes a roughly one-hour flight in IMC. I’d brief the pilot on the session the day before and provide printouts of a weather briefing to take back to the hotel so he or she could plan the simulated flight.

This was back in the days of “Weather

by Fax,” and using this service — where weather briefings were sent by fax machine on request of the pilot — was ubiquitous among my clients. Like much modern tablet computer-based briefing software, the weather information that resulted was for a path 25 miles either side of the pilot-defined route of flight unless the pilots asked for more information.

Most pilots, in my experience, stuck with the default setting. So unless they asked otherwise, that’s what I gave them.

Once in the simulator, I’d present a minor mechanic problem — primary alternator failure in the single-engine airplanes or a low oil pressure/high oil temperature condition in the twins. The briefed weather was circling minimums at the departure airport, with conditions worsening — only slightly better than minimums expected at destination at the time of arrival, and IMC along the entire route of flight. Over several years of presenting this scenario, I learned that pilots are almost certainly going to choose one of three options, most frequently in this order: 1. Continue to the planned destination, flying an approach to near-minimums. I recall about 90 percent of the pilots would

magenta-line Magenta-line thinking is a mindset that all your options lay along the route you’ve set into your GPS or other navigation device. It’s a risk management trap that causes many pilots to ignore other possibilities when conditions change and may require a diversion for weather, an aircraft abnormal condition or an emergency.

“be a hero” and complete the flight as planned despite the circumstances.

2. Return to the departure airport, flying an approach to visual conditions a couple of hundred feet above minimums. This might be 7 percent or 8 percent of the pilots.

3. Attempt an approach at an airport almost directly beneath the airplane as soon as the abnormal checklist was compete. This entailed briefing and flying an unfamiliar non-precision approach into a non-towered airport under a stressful time crunch. Over the years, a very few of the pilots chose this option.

Regardless of the pilot’s choice, the approach was flown with use of only part of the avionics and electrical equipment (single-engine airplanes) and on one engine after a precautionary shutdown in the twins.

I recall a few times when a multi-engine pilot did not secure the engine pre-emptively, and I gave them a total engine failure during the instrument approach.

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In four years of presenting that scenario, not one pilot got on the radio and asked ATC about weather conditions for airports not along the direct route of flight. If they’d only asked, I was ready to tell them of marginal VFR conditions at an ILS-equipped, 10,000-foot runway, tower-controlled airport about 40 miles off the cleared route. During debrief from the sim session, I’d highlight that option. Sure, some pilots considered their response an artifact of being in an artificial flight environment. Maybe so.

Funny thing, though — in subsequent sessions, including pilots’ future visits to the simulator center, they always asked ATC for help when I gave them any sort of problem en route.

Make a choice The proliferation of GPS moving map displays and weather-data uplinks should have given us unparalleled ability to detect and avoid hazards. Yet Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) continues to be high on accident-causation lists, a sure indicator pilots don’t know where they are. And pilots

like my friend and his instructor in the TBM tend to focus on a destination (perhaps with one decision point, in the case of Pueblo) and press on even when all indications are they should consider other options.

As my instructor colleague and prolific Designated Pilot Examiner Bob Gawler says, “Pilots know where they’re going and when they’ll get there, but they don’t know where they are.”

I’ve found this among my clients too.

When I ask pilots where they are, they usually say, “52 miles from Wichita” or something similar. But they don’t know what’s around at the moment. A 2010 NTSB report on glass cockpit avionics in light airplanes concludes that although “accident pilots flying glass cockpit-equipped aircraft were found to have higher levels of pilot certification and more total flight experience than those flying conventional aircraft,” there is a “higher fatal accident rate” in glass-cockpit airplanes and “introduction of glass cockpits has not resulted in a measurable improvement in safety.”

GPS navigation should augment our flight planning by replacing old-school finger-onthe-chart estimations with precise location, direction and trend information. But I think, instead of continuing to study routes and options before a flight, the world of computer-based flight planning and inflight moving maps lulls many pilots into shortcutting the flight-planning process. Why waste time looking at charts, off-route weather and diversion options before taking off when you can push a couple of buttons and have a moving map, in-cockpit weather data and the “nearest airport” feature on your GPS? I believe, in many cases, GPS has actually reduced situational awareness because pilots don’t spend as much time looking at charts and planning a trip beforehand. They create a flight plan online and then just “fly the magenta line” from here to there. If you’ve ever been given a revised clearance to go direct to a fix, and you have no idea where it is, you’ve suffered at least a bit from magenta-line thinking.

If you bother to spend a little time preparing for your flight ahead of time, you’ll have unparalleled situational awareness and know where you are at all times. But if you don’t do your homework, you may be worse off in some situations than you were pre-GPS. It’s time to make a choice. Will you fall victim to magenta-line thinking? Or will you plan your flights, and then actually be safer for having these wonderful devices in your cockpit?

RESEARCH AND PREPARATION REQUIRED FOR COMPLEX WORLD

By Dave Higdon

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To truly appreciate how easy we pilots have it in the U.S., try flying yourself internationally. The contrast appears quickly.

Within the lower 48, we can fly a few miles or a few hundred, to other states and with nearly total freedom. If the plane is capable, we can visit the other two states and the U.S. territories with only a little need to notify authorities.

IFR requirements tend to get the government involved.

Cross international borders, on the other hand, and the situation changes radically. But using General Aviation internationally offers a unique experience â&#x20AC;&#x201D; foreign destinations without commercial-travel constraints.

More and more American pilots are flying their planes internationally, and trips to Canada, the Caribbean nations and Mexico offer the easiest cross-border options.

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international travel But enjoying the GA alternative requires preparation and planning beyond any domestic trip. The myriad issues involved require far more advance preparation and should begin well before you approach the U.S. border en route to any foreign destination. Furthermore, as you fly across more nations, complexities and local considerations can multiply.

However, you don’t have to take it all on alone. In fact, the more complicated a trip, the more wisdom you’ll find in working with experts knowledgeable and experienced in the intricacies of international private-aircraft travel.

The rewards are generally self-evident at the destination.

So why fly internationally?

For some, it’s strictly business; for others, the appeal is rooted in a desire for adventure or romance – the accomplishment of piloting your own international journey.

That allure never completely ebbs for many – particularly folks with aircraft capable of stringing together the legs to visit their dream destinations. Say Brazil for the 2016 Summer Olympiad. Or fly the Alaska route. Or maybe a trip to Grand Cayman or Cancun.

Maybe even circle the world!

Preparation is always the key. One easy piece of prep work: Become familiar with U.S. Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS – see sidebar) followed by a process that is taught to all pilots — planning, with some new elements.

Consider some of the elements of international General Aviation travel.

International Flight Plan The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a wing of the United Nations that helps standardize and coordinate aviation issues internationally. Among its products is the International Flight Plan form.

It’s different in several ways – and, like eAPIS, it’s easier if you spend some time in advance of using and filing the form with the FAA and the nations you plan to overfly or visit.

You can find the form and guidance here; FAA: gov/documentLibrary/media/Form/ FAA_7233-4_PRA_revised_12-2013.pdf Next in the paper trail...

Permits Permits exist for a broad array of bureaucratic needs. Each country has its own rules, fees and timetables. And they seldom all fall neatly in line.

• Flight permit – Permission to fly there.

• Landing permit – Yep, required to land.

• Fuel permit – Some places require a permit, maybe two — one, to get fuel to the plane, the other to dispense it into the aircraft.

• Flight plan – Typically it must be filed locally and, like permits, requires the appropriate fee.

• Departure permit – Self-explanatory.

• Overflight permit – Yes, so you can pay for air-traffic services to countries over which you may never actually fly, but you occupied their Flight Information Region so your paperwork should reflect that, as well as the fee, even if they never handled you.

Visas A visa is a document granting permission to be in a country for a specified time. Visas remain fixtures of international travel, and most countries require some form of a visa.

Rules for them vary widely, and the rules may be different, whether you’re passenger or crew. In some countries members of the flight crew need no visa; in other nations, everyone needs a visa.

eAPIS: BEFORE YOU GO — OR RETURN — USE AMERICA’S ALL-BORDERS CHECKPOINT

B

efore you start your engine(s) to fly that out-of-country experience, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service of the Department of Homeland Security wants you to take care of some home-country business, something foreign visitors also face coming to the U.S. Thanks to modern technology, this one you can handle on your home computer with the Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS).

Using eAPIS allows you to enter or upload passenger and crew manifests online. You first must register to begin using eAPIS, and it’s strongly suggested that you do this well in advance of your departure (or return) in order to learn the process and its requirements.

You can start that here, at the eAPIS website: eAPIS.cbp.dhs.gov.

Depending on your destination, taking care of eAPIS may cover the majority of the required paperwork for the trip; but certainly not all of it. Be sure to read: AOPA.org/Flight-Planning/eAPIS-Frequently-Asked-Questions

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Further, the acquisition process varies.

Some countries allow you to obtain a visa upon arrival; others require a visit to an embassy or consul office before you start the trip.

And these rules usually apply to “technical stops” – for fuel before continuing.

Insurance The coverage of our aviation insurance often ends at our borders – at least without a rider or another coverage option.

Special insurance on the aircraft and owner is required in most nations. Some only require proof that an existing policy provides the required coverage in the nation you’re visiting, but many policies are domestic-only.

Country-by-country rules vary.

Aircraft documents Start with the same documents the FAA likes us to carry: airworthiness certificate, registration, title, weight-and-balance. Add to that proof of insurance (as we said...) and possibly finance information.

Crew documents Beyond passports and visas (where require), most national authorities require proof that the flight, cabin and maintenance crews hold the appropriate certificates for their jobs. That means licenses and medical certificates.

Vaccination documents Depending on where you plan to stop, you and any fellow travelers must produce documentation of inoculation against several exotic, but not-rare-enough maladies – yellow fever among them. Check with the State Department for what’s required. And be sure your shots are also up to U.S.-entry standards after visiting some nations.

Avoidance Strategies The State Department can also help the pilot identify and avoid using the airspace over certain parts of the world.

You may need to avoid flying over some nations due to ongoing hostilities, prohibitions at your departure airport or at the destination. Some nations won’t let you land if you have come through an enemy’s airspace.

Other countries restrict arrivals to flights originating from approved airports – where that nation’s security may check you before you launch.

Know before you go.

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It costs nothing to join. Start saving today at uvair.com/save.

Call us at N. America +1 (866) 864-8404 or Worldwide +1 (713) 378-2708, or visit uvair.com to learn more.

international travel Ground Services It pays to know before you stop that the location offers what’s needed – fuel, catering, access to ground transportation and rooms.

In some countries private aviation remains rare enough that no GA FBOs exist – only an airline service system.

Since aviation gas can be rare, be certain any stops offer your fuel. Landing with too little fuel to get somewhere with fuel could leave you stuck for a while.

Trip planners, organizers and escorts There are purveyors of an easier way.

International travel – at least beyond neighboring countries – contradicts the old adage, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” Here, expert help is worth its weight in fuel.

Trip planning, concierge service and even guided and self-flown tours are among the offerings of companies whose

names often evoke the romance or adventure of international flying: Caribbean Sky Tours; Caribbean Flying Adventures; Pilot Getaways. Others are more business-like and business-oriented, such as Jeppesen’s services.

Among those catering more to the tourist is one of the most-seasoned escorted self-flying tour operations, Air Journey, based in Jupiter, Fla. Owner and tour director/organizer Thierry Pouille recently returned from leading his fourth trans-world tour, landing at some of the globe’s most exotic and scenic locales. The participants fly in their own aircraft while the tour staff handles the arrangements – including the bureaucracies.

Pouille started offering escorted flying tours in 1998. Air Journey trips can be all-inclusive with lengths ranging from four to 70 days.

Uninterested in an escorted self-flown

tour? Air Journey is among many similar firms that offer something commonly called Concierge Flight Planning Services.

They do the advance work, provide the appropriate paperwork, permits and fee schedules, and offer as much or as little filing service as the pilot desires.

Here is a list of trip services in general.

Other options exist through companies geared more to handling business aircraft operators.

Air Journey AirJourney.com Caribbean Sky Tours CaribbeanSkyTours.com Pilot Getaways PilotGetaways.com General resource ThirtyThousandFeet.com/destinations.htm

An international travel tick list Elements you might never consider litter the landscape of inter national travel.

The aircraft commander is generally on the hook not only for the f lying but for the passengers and their behavior between landing and clearing the entry process into a country. It’s the pilot to whom authorities will turn to cover literally every one of these points.

Passports: Gotta have one for each person.

Visas: Requirements vary; check destination authorities or the U.S. State Department for information.

Shot records: Depending on both destinations and interim stops, some exotic vaccinations may be required.

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Aircraft documents: At least all you normally carry.

Special equipment: Nation- and route-dependent, but necessary for transiting some parts of the world.

Prohibitions: That kit with the survival rifle might have been a requirement f lying through one remote part of the world but a problem in another country; check on restrictions country-by-country.

Insurance: The policy written for the U.S. may not meet local requirements event if it provides coverage outside the country.

Permits: Requirements vary.

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Flying Roadster, developed by the Slovakian company AeroMobil

Airboss Aerospace GF7

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Transition Oceanroad TF-X

ONE OF THE LONGEST-RUNNING FANTASIES IN AVIATION IS ABOUT TO BECOME REAL

By Pamela Brown

It’s been over a century since the invention of both the automobile and the airplane, but we’re still waiting for a successful marriage between the two. What happened to the future that visionaries, scientists and popular culture promised us, a flying car in every garage? Well, if you haven’t noticed lately, some pretty interesting innovations are about to make that dream come true.

The frontrunner in the field may just be the Transition, a flying car from Terrafugia, a Massachusetts-based company founded by MIT graduates. After nearly a decade of research and development and extensive testing of at least three prototypes, Terrafugia has produced a two-seat, road-ready plane already approved for use by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the FAA. Having cleared those hurdles, the hybrid’s future was further enhanced when the FAA granted it Light Sport Aircraft status, relaxing the requirements to get a flying “driver’s license.”

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flying cars

PAL-V ONE

As a car, the Transition (at 19 feet, 6 inches long and 90 inches wide with wings folded) will fit neatly into a standard home garage and may be driven to any local gas station for fill up. But in order to convert the hybrid from car to airplane, it must be driven to a local airport for take off. Once there, it only takes one minute for the patent-pending automated electromechanical folding wing to convert the vehicle into an airplane, which has been designed to be easy to fly.

Terrafugia CEO/CTO and co-founder Carl Dietrich, who flew the prototype at last summer’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., observed, “It’s a very stable and easily controllable platform, exactly what we want to help ease non-pilots into the air. Landing is straight-forward. With no flaps, no retractable gear, no constant speed prop, no mixture control and no carb heat to worry about. If you want to descend, just pull the throttle back.”

The Transition is also the only light sport aircraft designed to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards with driver- and passenger-side airbags, safety cage and crumple zone.

It’s also equipped with an airframe parachute.

Another not so obvious safety feature is the simple fact that, if a pilot faces inclement weather, he can simply drive to his destination.

Terrafugia is in the advanced stages of testing the Transition, with deliveries estimated for 2017. The company has more than 100 orders on the books at an approximate cost of $279,000.

If the Transition doesn’t quite live up to the flying car of your dreams, you can wait for the TF-X, also in development at Terra-

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fugia. The TF-X, a four-seater with a plug-in hybrid power train, will be capable of vertical take offs and landings. Plans to automate controls of the hybrid could mean as little as five hours of training will be required to operate the car-plane. Much like the Osprey, flown by the U.S. military, the TF-X could get airborne from a level clearing of as little as 100 feet by rotating twin wing-mounted propeller motors to a vertical position.

Once airborne, they would rotate back to a conventional, forward position.

In air, the TF-X could reach 200 mph and travel 500 miles. The vehicle would take advantage of a computer network that Krossblade Aerospace SkyCruiser

would automatically guide the plane around crowded airways and bad weather. The TF-X will also feature auto-land capabilities.

Terrafugia estimates the vehicle is eight to 12 years away from reality.

Also headed into the market is the Flying Roadster, developed by the Slovakian company AeroMobil. With its wings folded back alongside the “fuselage,” this two-seat flying car also fits into a standard garage. It runs on automobile gas with a projected range of 545 miles on the ground or 435 miles in the air. And you might not have to take the AeroMobil to an airport. The new craft will take off anywhere you find 650 feet of flat surface and can land on space as short as 160 feet. AeroMobil has a flying prototype (see it at YouTube.com/ watch?v=kzYb68qXpD0) and will begin taking orders in 2016. The company has also unveiled its next venture, a self-flying car.

The Vaylon Pegase (Pegasus) manufactured in France is a two-person combination hang glider/dune buggy and is currently being tested by the French Special Forces for use in missions from reconnaissance to hostage rescue and equipment transport.

The aircraft can take off in less than 330 feet and requires only about 33 feet to land. The Pegasus flies at about 35-50 mph for up to three hours at altitudes as high as 10,000 feet and uses quiet, specially designed propellers for stealth. The company envisions military, humanitarian and leisure purposes. The Pegasus is expected to become available before the end of this year at a price of approximately $130,000.

Developed by Arizona-based Krossblade

Aerospace, the SkyCruiser is a five-seat, electric hybrid concept vehicle – part airplane, part helicopter, part flying car. In airplane flight mode, the hybrid uses two 150 bhp electric motors in the tail. To shift to helicopter mode, the plane is converted to vertical flight by four “switchblade” rotor arms that fold out from the fuselage. The patent-pending switchblade mechanism is what allows the SkyCruiser to convert from airplane mode to vertical takeoff and landing. Currently no certification date is available.

The SkyRunner, like the Pegasus, is part all-terrain vehicle and part light-sport aircraft that uses a propeller and a parachute to glide through the air. Unlike the Pegasus, the SkyRunner is purely recreational. Developed by Parajet International and Dorset Aviation, the hybrid can reach up to 55 mph in flight and has a maximum soaring altitude of 15,000 feet. On the ground, it can reach a maximum speed of 115 mph. Using a Ford 125-horsepower, one-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder engine that runs on mogas, a SkyRuner prototype was recently given an airworthiness thumbs-up by the FAA. Production models will be certified as light sport aircraft. Expect the SkyRunner to come to market sometime next year.

Perhaps the most impressive and futuristic of the current batch of flying cars is the GF7, an electric flying jet car, the concept of designer Greg Brown and engineer Dave Fawcett of Airboss Aerospace (engineers of the Viper, the Maverick and the Javelin jets).

Drawings of the GF7, released last May, reveal a virtual Batmobile that transforms into a sleek four-seat luxury jet (including leather seats) with a 3,500-pound thrust jet engine. The GF7 needs 2,500 feet to take off but can climb to FL380 and cruise at more than 550 mph. Range is projected to be 700-1,000 nm. The prototype is still three to four years away, and the production models are estimated to come with a price tag of between $3 million and $5 million.

PAL-V ONE (personal air and land vehicle) is a road-ready gyrocopter with a pusher prop and a free-spinning rotor to provide extra lift. On the ground, the prop folds, and power from the gas engine drives the three-wheeler at speeds of more than 100 mph. A prototype flew in 2012, and the Dutch manufacturer is now accepting orders for the 45 units it plans to sell in 2016/2017 for a mere 500,000 Euro.

Also waiting in the “wings” is the Moller Skycar, a design that’s been on the drawing board for very long time. The most current it-

eration flies four passengers up to FL250 with a max cruise speed of 350 mph and a range of 750 miles. The most impressive feature is the craft’s proposed vertical takeoffs and landings.

While the Moller invention has taken quite a bit of critical heat over the years, renewed international interest makes the Skycar a real

possibility for the near future.

“Mark my words,” Henry Ford said in 1928, after giving up his attempt to create a flying car. “A combination airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come.”

So smile — and keep your eye on the car in front of you. It may just take off!

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T H E FI G H T IN ’ Ab-2ra ndt

By Ja m es Wy n pment impact on the develo e its r fo ed dg le ow kn is th World War II is ac but equally dramatic d se us sc di ss Le n. tio n. of modern avia rary flight-line fashio po em nt co on ce en flu conflict’s in of us don to strut y an m s et ck ja r he at The le e direct descendants ar s ne la rp ai r ou nd arou models that earned of the legendary A-2 ar II. While W their wings in World arkedly since m aircraft have evolved w designs, new ne those gallant years – gies – flight lo no materials, new tech y rooted in jackets remain proudl ry the past. Contempora ch other ea manufacturers battle ity for tic with claims of authen while ns their A-2 reproductio kets and ar collectors scour flea m r fo internet auction sites Force ir originals. Even the A ement; ov embraces the retro m e A-2 th they recommissioned t to in the ‘80s in an effor rps co rekindle the espirit de these garments evoke.

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when leather went to war

The ultimate fusion of function and fashion, the A-2 was to the Army Air Force wardrobe what the P-51 was to its arsenal. More cultural artifact than article of clothing, it shows up Zelig-like in films and photos, draped on the shoulders of aces and movie stars, always on the scene when history was being made. Yet the A-2 came from rather humble stock.

Early aviators looked dashing, despite their clothes, typically long leather coats and elbow-length gloves, motorcycle goggles and leather helmets. A long scarf wrapped about the face kept them from ingesting the castor oil lubricant that early engines slung back during flight. With the development of cleaner running engines, this cumbersome neckwear was replaced by the glamorous silk scarf, not as a fashion statement, but because pilots needed to be able to swivel their heads, looking for other aircraft, without chaffing their necks.

By the early teens, the first catalogs for flight accessories and clothing appeared, though the military lagged in developing adequate outerwear for its pilots. When the U.S. entered World War I, the Army had to turn to Britain, France and commercial manufacturers to

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secure suitable flight wear.

By the early 1920s, the Army Air Corps was making its own flight clothing and, with open-cockpit planes flying ever higher and faster, its pilots were using rudimentary heated and fur-lined flight suits. But for less extreme flying, military aviators needed a garment that was short, light and warm while providing protection and mobility in the cockpit.

The Army Air’s uniform research specialists answered with the Type A-1 in 1925, “A” standing for summer weight. A sporty, buttoned-down olive-green lambskin jacket with a pair of patch pockets in front, a knit wool collar, cuffs and waistband, it was popular with Charles Lindbergh, Jimmy Doolittle and other aviators of the day. But by the time the A-1’s design was standardized in 1927, it was becoming obsolete, thanks to improvements in the zipper, which was invented late in the previous century.

In 1931, the clothing branch of the Army Air Corps unveiled the “jacket, pilot’s (summer),” designated Type A-2. The original design specifications called for a seal brown horsehide zippered jacket with a one-piece back,

one-piece left and right front panels, two-piece sleeves, epaulets on the shoulders and a pair of patch pockets in front. Cuffs and waistband were of knit wool.

Some later A-2s were made of goatskin or cowhide. Referring to this garment as a “bomber” jacket, by the way, is a misnomer, and aficionados typically cringe when they hear the term used. The A-2 first saw combat in the skies over China with the American Volunteer Group (AVG), commonly called the Flying Tigers, though few pilots in this force had such jackets.

Originally restricted to use by officers, in 1940 the A-2 was approved for wear by all members of air crews, though not all wore them. For example, while the pilots and co-pilots of B-17s favored A-2s for flight wear (they had heaters in the cockpit to help keep them warm), waist gunners, whose stations were open to the elements early in the war, preferred the B-3 (“B” standing for winter weight). They

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when leather went to war were heavy shearling coats which also gained prominence in the air war.

The elaborate artwork that adorns the backs of many original A-2s – which usually mirrored the nose art of the plane the owner flew – came into its own in the European Theater, most notably with the 8th Air Force. Commanding officers encouraged their charges to decorate their aircraft and jackets, as much to take their minds off the horrendous losses its bombers suffered as to inspire camaraderie and crew cohesiveness. The practice quickly spread, with the art form reaching its zenith in the sophisticated – and sometimes pornographic – jacket and nose artwork created in the Pacific Theater.

The Navy developed its own flight jacket, which resembled an A-2 with a fur collar, using several model designations that culminated in the G-1 series, approved in 1947.

However, Navy aviators never decorated their jackets as their brethren in the Army did. The G-1, in a much-modified form, is still standard in the Navy today.

Though A-2s remained in service throughout the war, Gen. H.H. “Hap” Arnold, who favored switching to a cloth shell model, pulled the plug on the jacket in 1942, ordering that no further contracts be signed.

But A-2s remained in production into 1944.

From the time they were approved for use in 1931, more than 40 manufacturers produced well over 500,000 A-2s, according to

Frederick “Fred” Samuel Loschs Flight Jacket

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military historian Charles DiSipio.

Relatively few A-2s survived the war. The jackets were Army property, and pilots and flight crews turned them in at the end of their tours, after which the jackets were refurbished.

In fact, our image of the classic A-2 is literally colored by this rehab process. The A-2s used in war movies and TV programs were invariably refurbished models, and the re-dying this entailed darkened the leather substantially.

First-run jackets were much lighter in color.

At the end of the war, an untold number were purposely destroyed, along with aircraft and other surplus, to keep military stockpiles from slowing conversion back to a civilian economy. Some aviators were able to keep their jackets, often by reporting them as stolen and paying the few dollars for a replacement. Yet for all the devotion garnered during their service, the A-2’s wartime exploits were soon forgotten.

“I don’t get the impression that every vet cared about his flying jacket,” said DiSipio of History Preservation Associates. “More vets were interested in bringing home a trophy of the bad boy they defeated than what they wore to work every day.”

Said Jeff Clyman, another aficionado and collector, “Most people either wore them around to paint their house, or just put it with their uniforms in a foot locker and put it in the attic along with everything else they brought back from the war.”

It took a quarter century for the popularity of the A-2 to re-emerge. As interest in wartime memorabilia surged, they became collectibles.

Clyman, the son of a WWII pilot and himself a warbird flyer on the air show circuit in the early ‘70s, used to wear his father’s A-2 when he performed. People began to ask him where they could get a similar jacket. That led him to start his own company, Avirex, Ltd., which created a variety of reproductions of the A-2.

In the mid ‘80s, when the Air Force was losing aviators to the airlines, the brass decided to bring back the A-2 as a way of forging greater loyalty and enhancing pilot retention. Avirex was involved in the project, helping design the specs for the new version of the jacket.

Nowadays, the A-2 and its knock-offs aren’t as fashionable among the masses as when Top Gun was playing in the theaters (Tom Cruise, portraying a Navy pilot, wore a G-1, of course). Meanwhile, those who can’t get enough of the originals can see the world’s top collection at the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Field in Dayton, Ohio, visit a website (AcmeDepot.com) or a chat room devoted to the A-2, buy one from a collector (at prices ranging from $500-$4,000), or have one custom-made to original specs by any one of several manufacturers.

In vogue or out, those aware of the history of this glorious garment realize they will always be, in a very real sense, the height of fashion.

Lt. Harold W. Grays flight jacket 431st Fighter Squadron

MiPad u ELECTRONICS

Storm by the Weather Underground

WEATHERING THE WEATHER WEATHER DATA ALL COMES FROM THE SAME PLACE, BUT THERE ARE BIG DIFFERENCES IN HOW IT’S PRESENTED AND IN WHAT ELSE THE APP DOES. By Wayne Rash Jr. The early months of 2015 saw some of the worst weather to hit the northeastern U.S. in decades.

In some places, the primary weather worry wasn’t whether you could fly, but whether you could even find your airplane under all that snow.

Because the weather was so extreme and changed so quickly, weather planning took on a whole new di-

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mension. In addition to the normal weather concerns such as visibility, wind speed and precipitation, you had

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to figure the chances of your destination airport being open when you got there. Making sure you had the right weather data — and the means to display it in a way that was useful to you — became more important than usual.

Fortunately, plenty of weather applications are available for the iPad. Of course, not all of them are useful to pilots because they’re designed for people with a casual interest in the weather.

But some provide exactly the information pilots will want.

Some offer very limited details and display it so that you can see it all at a glance. Other apps provide a wealth of information, but they’re likely more useful in flight planning than

in use in the cockpit halfway to your destination.

Storm This new app by the Weather Underground replaces a longtime favorite, Intellicast HD, for the iPad. It includes the features of its predecessor and adds a number of improvements. Again, this isn’t specifically designed for aviation, but it’s a very capable weather radar app that uses high-resolution Dopplar radar data available from NOAA. In addition, this app can use data from non-airport weather sources including personal weather stations. I’ve found this app and its predecessor to be very useful for determining the timing of severe weather.

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MiPad u ELECTRONICS cloud development over time at varying flight levels.

World Aviation Weather primary screen

So if you’re sitting at the FBO waiting for the current storm to blow over, this will tell you when to expect it. The animated images of weather systems are very nicely done. Storm gives you a lot of additional features as well as the ability to display visual information in several ways with charts and tables.

This is a very flexible app.

AeroPlus This app aims to provide weather information for Europe as well as for airports in the U.S. and elsewhere worldwide. Compatible with both the iPad and iPhone, it supports in-app purchases of data from a variety of sources. The data in AeroPlus is presented in a unique way. Airports are shown as circles on a map of the area you’re flying in and can be colored to show general conditions.

Tap on the circle, and you’ll get the name of the airport. Tap on the information icon with the name of the airport, and you’ll get the detailed weather information. One interesting feature is an animated clouds diagram that shows

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World Aviation Weather This app exists for both the iPad and iPhone in slightly different forms. The iPad version displays the METARs and TAF for any airport you wish to see, and that means pretty much any airport out there. The publisher says that it draws from a database of more than 7,000 airports. The primary screen is simply a display of the translated METAR and the TAF, for two times of day, translated and shown in graphical form.

An iPhone version includes a link to Google Maps.

Dark Sky This isn’t exactly an aviation app, but it’s still useful because it’s designed to be what its developers say is “hyperlocal.”

This means it will tell you exactly what the weather is at a specific location, and exactly what it’s expected to be on a minute-by-minute basis. The primary screen shows, at a glance, the current temperature, whether it’s rising or falling, and what to expect in the next hour.

It also forecasts weather for the remainder of the day and for the next week. Dark Sky has an animated map, which displays nice animations of the current weather, that’s fun to play with.

Takeoff HD showing airport weather details

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Takeoff HD This could best be described as the Swiss Army Knife of weather apps. Takeoff HD focuses on the airports near you, wherever you happen to be at the moment. This app makes it easy to see current and forecast weather conditions while you’re on the ground, but it will also show you the same thing while you’re flying. You can also look at airports along your route. This app will show you METAR reports and, for favorite airports, you can see details about your preferred runways. You can see TAFs for every airport that has them, NOTAMs, winds aloft, AIRMETs, SIGMETs and PIREPs. This app will even show you satellite photos of the airports. Oh, and while you’re at it, Takeoff HD will sync your settings with other devices, including your iPhone.

WeatherMap + and WunderMap Both these apps give you weather maps and both show you the current and forecast weather over a large area.

WeatherMap + offers minimum coverage over a fairly large region. When I was looking at the weather for IAD, for example, I also saw most of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and part of New Jersey. Considering that weather is a regional phenomenon this makes sense but, if what you want is local weather, it’s not as useful as WunderMap. The WunderMap app from the Weather Underground folks gives you a local display by default, but you can

Dark Sky showing specific local information

expand it as far as you like.

Both apps let you select what sort of weather information you wish to see.

I’m sure that many of you are wondering why I didn’t include the AirWX app that’s probably the most complete app out there. In fact, AirWX has been so complete that it has even included approach plates and sectional charts.

Right now, though, this app’s developers say they’re rewriting it and aren’t providing any more updates to the app currently available. This means that a new version of AirWX is coming, and I’ll take a look at it when it does.

This is by no means an exhaustive look at all weather apps that pilots are going to find useful, so I’ll revisit this again, perhaps when AirWX arrives. Meanwhile, perhaps as a reward for spending so much time studying the weather, the conditions around Washington suddenly climbed above freezing and the snow stopped.

This can’t be a coincidence.

Wayne Rash is based near Washington, D.C., where he works as bureau chief and senior columnist for eWEEK. He has been a pilot since 1968. He can be reached at wayne@ waynerash.com

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Humanitarian Efforts

LIVING (DOING) THE GOOD LIFE

By Judy Bumgarner

Dennis Combs wanted two things — to become an adventurer and to make a difference. He succeeded on both counts. As a pilot and the owner of an Eclipse 500 twin fan jet, he already had the means to travel the world, but it was when he got involved with God’s Helping Hands that he found an opportunity to help the people of Guatemala — and that’s when the real adventure began.

“I think when you give money to an organization, you have a responsibility to know that it actually does some good,” Combs said.

“I didn’t want to just write a check.

I wanted to do a real mission.”

He was referred to a guy who knew a guy. “They said, ‘You’ve got money. You’ve got a jet. If you want to help, there’s a trip planned for Guatemala later this week.’”

He was introduced to Dr. Omar Lopez, founder and president of God’s Helping Hands, a California-based mission organization that provides medical

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and dental care to the needy in Guatemala. “It happened very quickly,” Combs added.

The Eclipse isn’t Combs’ only plane. He took flight lessons in 2002 and started out with a Cessna 150. Within just a few months, he purchased a Cirrus SR22.

Then came the Eclipse. Of course, with its speed and comfort, the jet is his favorite, but even the Eclipse can have a rough go of it.

“There’s something about flying in the dark over open ocean. . . . In the clouds. . . . In a thunderstorm. . . . Loaded to the

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max gross weight. . . . Lightening striking within the clouds close to your wings and flying on instruments only at 40,000 feet,” Combs said. “You’ve done the math, and you know you have enough fuel to make it … right?”

Even as they near the airport in Flores, nerves were still ragged. “As we get closer to the ground, the hot, humid air of Central America encompasses the aircraft and both windshields fog up. So when we break out of the clouds, we can’t see anything.

“My co-pilot is trying to

clear the view. I’m trying to fly the plane – keeping the little diamonds in the boxes. At a few hundred feet above ground, we think we spot the runway. And there’s a guy with a flashlight waving us in!”

Even though the risk of a rough landing is pretty high, the risk of catching an illness is even greater. “Oh yeah. You’re going to get sick. I was sick for three weeks after we came back from our last trip.”

The mission team receives the proper inoculations, but when you’re in squalid conditions in a Third World country and interact closely with people who are ill, it’s really a matter of “what you get,” not “if you get.” And accommodations on these excursions have their own special health threats. “My last stay in Machaquila was in a hut with scorpions, snakes and rats!”

Creepy crawlies and dangerous flying conditions have done nothing to diminish Combs’ passion for mission trips. He said the smiles are what keep bringing him back again and again. “You get to see the joy on the faces and hear the shrieking of happiness.

I guess that’s what surprised me most. These kids were happy.

Before we got there. Some of them lived in dumps. I don’t mean next to a dump. I mean in a dump. And they were smiling and happy. It was something.”

Flying and doing good is the life for Combs. “It’s a truly incredible joy,” he said. “If you’re out there flying and helping people and you’re able to capture an adventure and then share what you’ve learned with other people for a good cause … man, that’s the ultimate.”

If you’re interested in flying for a humanitarian effort or need advice from an experienced overseas mission team, contact Dennis Combs at dcombs@combscarcorral.com or 208.850.2541.

For more information about God’s Helping Hands, go to GodsHelpingHands.org.

Humanitarian Efforts

A PILOT-SHAPING PURPOSE A CANADIAN AVIATOR IS WORKING TO GIVE EVERYONE A PLAN FOR LIVING A HAPPIER LIFE.

By Lyn Freeman

Lorne Brett has been selling cars since 1969.

Over the years, he created a remarkably successful collection of car dealerships in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. He lived a comfortable life, flew his own TBM 700 and generally enjoyed the fruits of his labor. But when his son took over the family business, Brett found himself in an odd position.

“It became clear to me I wasn’t going to be needed in the car business,” Brett said.

And that was bitter sweet. It

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was nice to see his legacy continue, but the company’s change in leadership left Brett with virtually nothing to do. He’d been replaced.

He was, in fact, irrelevant. That was a problem. He had no clue what he was going to do with the rest of his life.

Brett shared his dilemma with fellow aviators and found immediate kinship. He was clearly not alone. Many of his pilot friends confessed a similar conundrum.

They’d found themselves in the same boat with no plan for where they were headed next.

“How many pilots would take off without a flight plan?” Brett asked. So why would anyone want to run their lives without a “life plan”?

When he met a woman who had exactly the same issues, a new life plan emerged for each of them: They created a company called Shaping Purpose. “It became the solution to me for a stage in my life that was quite uncomfortable,” Brett said.

Shaping Purpose is a program designed to give people of any age the tools to create a personal life plan that delivers tangible results.

“Everybody has his or her own purpose and expectations of what is really going to be fun for the next stage of life. That’s what Shaping Purpose is about — developing that process, developing that clarity to get to the end goal of ‘wow!’ I really enjoy what I’m doing now.”

Remember that old adage about an idea whose time has come?

Shaping Purpose quickly discovered the “lost without a life plan” condition was more ubiquitous than they’d ever imagined. It wasn’t just retirees who were interested, but the military, first responders, even college students. A psychiatrist and a psychologist were intrigued enough by the work to join the effort and, in a relatively short period of time, Shaping Purpose was on the radar.

One of its first success stories was a retired captain from the Canadian military. During a deployment in the Middle East, he’d been the victim of a roadside bomb but survived with enduring

physical issues. Because of his injuries, he was simply “retired” by the military. He was 33 years old. He was devastated, and he had no idea what to do with the rest of his life.

Enter Shaping Purpose. The young man exited the program with a real plan about what to do and is now a successful engineer. He’s also become an ambassador for Shaping Purpose. The young man even went back to the same Canadian military that had dumped him and shared his success and enthusiasm for the program. The result? The Canadian military has contracted for four Shaping Purpose courses.

In short order Shaping Purpose also received the blessing of Health Canada’s prestigious Research Ethics Board, the federal department that supports research and fosters partnerships with researchers across the country and the world. That accolade speaks volumes toward the program’s credibility.

“Shaping Purpose is now my life plan. This is my purpose,” Brett said with a smile. And he has a tiger by the tail. Four-day seminars are scheduled throughout the year in multiple locations, and the Shaping Purpose program is also available on a 10-day, high-end cruise from Istanbul to Rome in September of this year.

Recently the program became mobile, offering customized seminars for businesses and social groups around the world.

“Creating a life plan is one of those conversations we put typically put off,” Brett said.

“But when you don’t know what your purpose in life is, you become paralyzed and unhappy. This is not just true for the retiree but even teen-agers transitioning to adulthood find themselves with no plan on what they’re going to do next.

Shaping Purpose allows people to learn how to build their own life plans and understand their purpose. And the bi-product is happiness.”

For more information, visit its website at ShapingPurpose.com.

a New Year, a New You live your best life with Shaping Purpose

looking for clarity on what’s next?

Shaping Purpose gives you the tools to make conscious choices and find your direction and purpose.

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May 13 – 16, 2015 Fairmont Le Château Montebello, Québec

Sep. 20 – Oct. 2, 2015 Mediterranean Majesty, Crystal Cruises

escape to québec’s premier luxury destination

During this four-day workshop at the rustic yet luxurious Fairmont Le Château Montebello, you will embark on the Shaping Purpose Journey.

You will identify your core values, passions and patterns of the past, in order to chart the best map for the future.

Meet new people who are asking the same questions and sharing the same experience.

combine your cruise with an inner journey

During a fun and active 13-day itinerary aboard the luxury, all-inclusive cruise Crystal Serenity, you’ll see the wonders of Turkey, Greece, Malta and Italy. At the same time, take a deep dive through the Shaping Purpose program to gain an understanding of your gifts, passions and values – to help you make conscious choices in life.

Gain clarity and identify your unique purpose as you navigate the next chapters of your life, with the world’s most beautiful scenery as your backdrop.

For more information, contact us at 1-844-806-1016 or info@shapingpurpose.com or visit shapingpurpose.com.

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