In Flight USA March 2023

Calendar of Events

Tolist your group’s event on a space available basis, please send your event notice with date, time, place w/city and state, contact name, and phone number to: Calendar, In Flight USA, P.O. Box 5402, San Mateo, Calif. 94402, or email 3rdavenue@embarqmail.com.

Note: Calendar includes only information available by our press date, Friday, March 3.Confirm the status before attending.

MARCH

4 Chino, CA: Hangar Talk/Flying Demo, 10:30 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-3722, www.planesoffame.org.

Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Frazier Lake Airpark, (408) 835-1694, frazierlake.com.

5 Oakland, CA:Open Cockpit Day, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oakland Aviation Museum, (510) 638-7100, oaklandaviationmuseum.org.

6—9 Atlanta, GA:HAI Heli-Expo, Georgia World Congress Center, heliexpo.com.

11 El Centro, CA:NAF El Centro Air Show, gates 8:30 a.m., elcentroairshow.com.

11 — 12

Yuma, AZ:MCAS Yuma Air Show, gates 9 a.m., yumaairshow.com.

Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Open House, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hollister Municipal Airport, (408) 804-3591, markstar@garlic.com.

18 Burnet, TX:Bluebonnet Air Show, gates 9 a.m., Burnet Municipal Airport, (512) 756-2226, bluebonnetairshow.com.

Riverside, CA:Aircraft Display Day Fly-In, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Flabob Airport, (951) 683-2309, flabob.org.

Hayward, CA:Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hayward Executive Airport, (510) 280-4111.

Petaluma, CA:Petaluma Display Days, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Petaluma Municipal Airport, (707) 778-4404.

Burlington, WA:Safety Seminar, 10 a.m. to noon, Skagit Regional Airport, (360) 370-8067, dybergaviation.com.

Santa Rosa, CA:Open Cockpit Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Coast Air Museum, Sonoma County Airport, (707) 575-7900.

18—19 Palmdale, CA:Los Angeles Air Show. CANCELED Pt. Mugu, CA:Naval Base Ventura County Air Show, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., lemooreairshow.com.

19 San Diego, CA:Historic Aircraft Display, noon to 2 p.m., MontgomeryGibbs Field, (619) 301-2530.

25 Riverside, CA:Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, Riverside Municipal Airport, (951) 312-4832.

25—26 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA:Defenders of Liberty Air Show, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Barksdale AFB, (318) 456-1015, defendersoflibertyairshow.com.

Tucson, AZ:Thunder & Lightning over Arizona, gates 9 a.m., DavisMonthan AFB, dmfss.com.

28 — Apr. 2 Lakeland, FL: Sun ’n Fun, Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport, flysnf.org.

APRIL

1 Bullhead City, AZ:Laughlin-Bullhead Air Show, Laughlin/Bullhead Int’l. Airport, laughlinbullheadairshow.com.

Chico, CA:Chico Air Museum “Run the Runway” Run, 9 a.m., Chico Regional Airport, (530) 345-6468, chicoairmuseum.org.

Chino, CA: Hangar Talk/Flying Demo, 10:30 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-3722, www.planesoffame.org.

Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Frazier Lake Airpark, (408) 835-1694, frazierlake.com.

1—2 Homestead. FL:Wings over Homestead ARB, gates 9 a.m. More details TBA.

8—9 Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Open House, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hollister Municipal Airport, (408) 804-3591, markstar@garlic.com.

15 Riverside, CA:Aircraft Display Day Fly-In, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Flabob Airport, (951) 683-2309, flabob.org.

Hayward, CA:Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hayward Executive Airport, (510) 280-4111.

Petaluma, CA:Petaluma Display Days, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Petaluma Municipal Airport, (707) 778-4404.

Burlington, WA:Safety Seminar, 10 a.m. to noon, Skagit Regional Airport, (360) 370-8067, dybergaviation.com.

Santa Rosa, CA:Open Cockpit Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Coast Air Museum, Sonoma County Airport, (707) 575-7900.

15—16 Cocoa Beach, FL:Cocoa Beach Air Show, gates 9 a.m., tickets (321) 328-8686, cocoabeachairshow.com.

Key West, FL: NAS Key West Southernmost Air Spectactular, gates 10 a.m., Boca Chica Field. Contact TBA.

16 San Diego, CA:Historic Aircraft Display, noon to 2 p.m., MontgomeryGibbs Field, (619) 301-2530.

22 Riverside, CA:Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, Riverside Municipal Airport, (951) 312-4832.

Abilene, TX: Big Country Airfest, doors 8 a.m., Dyess AFB, dyess.af.mil. Louisville, KY: Thunder over Louisville, 3 p.m. over Ohio River, (502) 584-3378, thunderoverlouisville.org.

TECNAM TRAINING MAKINGA BIG SPLASH

ByEdDowns

Rememberthe“goodolddays”of flighttraining?Oftenthoughtof asthe“goodolddays”becauseit wassolongagothatthedownsideshave justbeenforgotten?Inmostcases,GA trainingwasbeingdonetosatiateapassionforflying,sometimesalong-held passiononecanfinallyactupon,based ontheirstationinlife.Thetypicaltrainingenvironmentwasalocalflightschool atalocalFBO.Theflightlineconsisted ofthreeorfourCessna150/152s(typically,havingagreatdealofuse),aCessna 172forinstrumenttraining,andfinallya PiperArrow,ormaybeCessnaRGfor highperformanceandcomplextraining. Eventhosefineold“retractable”airplanesfellshortoftrainingneedswhen theFAArequireda“highperformic” planetorequire“morethan200hp.”

Yourinstructorwasprobablywell skilledintheuseoftheE-6B,couldcrank aNarcoMK12nav/comorKX-150up, andmakeitwork.IFRflyingwastaught inaplanethatstillhadalow-frequency radioforthosepeskyADFapproaches.A personseekingacareerasaflight

crewmemberinamajorairlinewasoften compelledtoflyfourorfivedifferentaircraftjusttomeetminimumFAAcommercial/instrument/ATPrequirements.A

singleflightschoolseldomhadallthe planesneededtocompletetrainingfora professionalcareer,andchanging instructorswassimplythenormforthe

day.Stillsoundlikethe“goodolddays?”

Asseemstohappenwiththepassage oftime,thingschange.Whileyourparentsorgrandparentsmighthavetakenup aviatorskillsoutofthequesttofulfilla dream,today’sstudentsarequitedifferent.Now,inthe23rdyearofthenewmillennia,weseeaworldwideshortageof professionalpilots,and,forthatmatter,a shortageofmanyskillsassociatedwith aviation.Whilethe“dreamers”arestill outthere,thehighdemandfortraining thesedaysiscomingfromalotofyoung students,lookingtotakeadvantageof careeropportunities.Therearenowflight schoolsthatspecializeinprofessional pilottraining,andmanyuniversitiesare offeringexcellentflightcoursesdirectly totheairlines.Eventhosenotheadedfor acareerbutsimplywishingtobypassthe increasinglyunpleasantworldofbeing an“airlinepassenger,”areexpecting sophisticationinboththequalityoftheir trainingandaircraftbeingused,asthey lookaheadtopurchasingaplanetomeet theirroutinetravelingneeds.

Airlinestypicallystartnew-hiresin theregionalworldofairlineflying,

(CourtesyTecnam) ContinuedonPage7

Tecnam’sP-Mentor,whichwillbeatAirVentureinJuly,featuresoneplatformtototake studentsfromtheirfirstflightthroughIFRcommercialpilottraining.

TECNAM AIRCRAFT MEET DEMANDING TRAINING SCENARIOS WITH TECHNOLOGY, PERFORMANCEAND PIZZAZZ!

BuckeyeAirFair,InConjunctionwithAOPA,WowsCrowds................8

AirSafetyInstituteReleasesStabilizedIFRApproachVideo............10

SparInspectionResultsRaiseFAAConcern,ADNowFinal..............11

EAARayAviationScholarshipProgramReaches300Pilots............13

GAMAReleases2022AircraftShipment,BillingReport......................14

PiperAircraftSeesGrowthin2022........................................................16

HaywardAirRally…AddRacePilottoYourResume..........................19

DoroniAerospaceCompletesUntetheredFlightTest..........................21

ContinentalEngineIssuePromptsImmediateAD................................22

Sun‘nFunOverviewandAirshowSchedule........................................40

TwoTecnamAircraftReadyforMissionSystemInstallation..............44

AOPARecognizesBestRegionalFlightSchoolsandInstructors....45

SanAntonioAirmenSupportTurkey-SyriaEarthquakeVictims........47

‘ACCELERATING THE LEGACY 2023’

2017 Socata TBM 930

1974CessnaT337G Pressurized Skymaster

AirplanesUSA is proud to present this beautiful, pressurized Skymastertothe market. This solid traveling machine has a great maintenance history and is well equipped for just about any mission. The airplane has spent the last several years in Germany (under N registry) but was recently brought to the US for selling. The low time factory reman engines and recently overhauled props mean you have plenty of life by– come see it today!.…......................................................

1994 Commander 114B

AirplanesUSA proudly present this Oshkosh award winner!

Timeless warbird with Navy

1976BeechcraftV-35B Bonanza

1975 Cessna U206F

HONORING TUSKEGEE AIRMEN’S LEGACY THROUGH AVIATOR DEVELOPMENT,STUDENT OUTREACH

ByStaffSgt.DawnM.Weber 628thAirBaseWingPublicAffairs

AirplanesUSA is proud to present this beautiful 1976 Beechcraft V-35B to the market! Six seats and an outstanding avionics package, this airplane is a cross country machine. She has spent most of her life in the dry South Dakota environment and is currently hangered in Iowa. Excellent maintenance history, complete and original records, and a low time engine. All this airplaneneedsisanew home. Call today!.……...........$209,900

1979BeechcraftA36Bonanza

AirplanesUSA is proud to present this beautiful, damage free Bonanza to the market. An exquisite example of Beechcraft’s heavy hauler, this A36 is sure to attract attention on any ramp with great paint and like new interior. This awesome Bonanza is powered by a Victor Aviation Black Edition 550, with a beautiful three blade Hartzell prop up front. The ADS-B compliant avionics are in good working order, and ready for an upgrade of your choosing! The 550 upgrade also gives a nice performance bump tothealreadygood characteristics of the A36. This is an airplane you will $269,900

Morethan600TotalForce Airmen,U.S.AirForceAcademycadetsandAirForce ROTCcadetsgatheredforathree-day BlackHistoryMonthaviationheritage eventatJointBaseCharleston,Feb.16-18.

‘AcceleratingtheLegacy’isanannual eventhostedbyJBCharlestonthathonors thelegacyoftheTuskegeeAirmenbydevelopingtoday’saviatorsandempoweringthe nextgenerationofAirmenandaviators.

Thisyear’sguestsofhonorincluded originalTuskegeeAirman,retiredLt. Col.JamesHarveyandAirForceChief ofStaffGen.CQBrown,Jr.

Browngaveaspeechtoattendeesat a‘LegacyDinner’tokickoffthethreedayevent.

“Thisgrassrootseventpositively impactstheentireaviationcommunity,” Brownsaid.“TuskegeeAirmenbelieved inhardworkandpreparation,andthey pavedthewayforme.NowI’mcharged toensurethatallAirmenhavetheopportunitytoserve.”

HarveythenjoinedBrownonstage forafiresidechat.Thetwoaviators sharedstoriesanddiscussedthecharacteristicsthathaveledtotheirsuccess.

“Whentheydraftedme,thatwasmy firstexperiencewithsegregation,” Harveysaid.“ButI’mnotaquitter.”

Harveyexplained,alongwithhis fellowTuskegeeAirmen,hewentonto fightintheKoreanWarandtowintheAir Force’sinauguralTopGunaerialgunnery competitionin1949,althoughtheirwin wouldnotberecognizedfordecades.

“Afterwewonthe[TopGun]meet, wehadtoclearout,”Harveysaid.“We finallygotourrecognitioninJanuaryof 2022.Eachoneofuswantedtobethe best.Whenyouputallthosebeststogether,youhavequiteateam.”

Bothaviators’careersaremarkedby theircommitmenttoserviceandadrive toperformunderpressure.

“Personallyandprofessionally,Iplay towin,”Brownsaid.“Ithriveunderpressure,andthat’swhenI’matmybest.”

Brownsaidheoftenthinksaboutthe experiencesoftheTuskegeeAirmenand whattheywentthroughtoserve.

“WhenyoulookattheTuskegee Airmen,theybelievedtheycoulddoit,” Brownsaid.“Theyachievedit.They openeddoorsandopportunitiesforso

AC-130HerculesfromtheSavannahAir NationalGuard,Ga.taxisbyaC-17 GlobemasterIIIatJointBaseCharleston, S.C.,Feb.16,2023,whiletransportingparticipantsforAcceleratingtheLegacy2023.(U.S AirForce/Tech.Sgt.AlexFoxEcholsIII)

many,toincludemyself.”

Ontheseconddayof‘Accelerating theLegacy2023,’Airmengatheredfor variousprofessionaldevelopmentseminarsoncareerdevelopment,diversityand inclusion,andthefutureoftheforce. Commanders,commandchiefs,andfirst sergeantssatonmentorshippanelsto answerquestionsonarangeoftopics.

Thefinaldayof‘Acceleratingthe Legacy2023’wastheLegacyFlight Academy’s‘EyesAbovetheHorizon’ event.StudentsofallagesmetwithAirmen tolearnaboutdifferentAirForcemissions andaircraft,andtoexperienceflightson CivilAirPatrolaircraftorontheAirForce’s C-17GlobemasterIIIandKC-46Pegasus.

Capt.NicYoung,‘Acceleratingthe Legacy2023’committeepresidentand C-17pilot,saidthegoaloftheeventwas toshowstudentsfromthelocalareathat JBCharlestoncaresaboutthemandtheir futures.

“IhopeweinspirethelocalcommunitytobelievethatJointBaseCharleston caresandthattherearesomanyopportunitiesoutthereforthem,”Youngsaid. “BringinginAirmenfromdifferentbases aroundtheworld,whilealsoallowing studentshands-onexperiencesinaircraft, providesauniqueopportunitytopromote anddevelopfutureAirmen.”

EventslikeAcceleratingtheLegacy enabletoday’saviatorstoreachthenextgenerationthroughthelegacyoftheTuskegee Airmen,hands-onSTEMexhibitsandflight.

“Ireallybelieveyoungpeopleaspire tobewhattheysee,”Brownsaid.“Thisis agreatopportunitynotonlytomeet membersofourAirForce,buttomeet somelegendsofourAirForce,with JamesHarveyoftheTuskegeeAirmen.

Forthoseservingintoday’sAir Force,andforthoseconsideringjoining, Brownsaidheintendstocreateaforce whereeveryone,regardlessofraceor gender,canreachtheirfullpotential.

colors and military records. Zero-timeengine with 2022 overhaul by Radial Engines. This excellent example needs absolutely nothing. This is your opportunity to own a piece of history. Ready for aerobatic ridesand grass strip adventures!.….............. CALL!

CoverStory

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sometimeslackingthesophisticationof trainingthattheirbigbrothershave.They needpilotswhoarefullyuptospeedon moderntechnology;mostimportantly havingtheabilityto“manage”aplane, notjustflyit.Takeitfromthosewho havebeeninthetrainingbusinessfor manyyears.Theskillsneededto“manage”moderntechnologyandthoseneededto“fly”aplanearesignificantlydifferent.

So,herewehaveachallenge.How doesapersontraininamachinethatis bothajoytofly,whileatthesametime learninghowtomanagethemosttechnologicallyadvancedintegratedflightsystems?Howdoesonesavetimeand moneybystickingwithonetrainer throughoutallinitialtraining?Wheredo yougotoobtainamulti-enginerating withhighperformanceandcomplex endorsementsthatcancarryastudentall thewaythroughanunlimited,multiengineATP?Tostealalineformawellknownmotionpicture,“whoyagona call”whenyouneedaircrafttomeet thesenew,demanding,trainingscenarios?Theshortansweristhebestanswer, TECNAMAIRCRAFT.

Let’stakeamomentforashort introduction.TecnamisanItalianaircraft manufacturerwithaglobalnetworkof dealersandservicecenters,withahistorythatspans74years.Thecompanyproduceslight,generalaviation,next-generation,pistonaircraftwithtwoto11seats forcommercialoperators,specialmissions,flightschools,andprivateowners.

TECNAM’srootsgoalltheway backtotheItalianbrothers,Luigiand GiovanniPascale,whobegantodevelop andproduceinnovativeaircraftsoon aftertheendofWWII.Sincethoseearly beginnings,thefamilyhascontinuedto createoriginalmodels,firstgaining worldwiderecognitionunderthename Partenavia,whichtranslatesas,“Naples Aviation.”

CostruzioniAeronauticheTECNAMwasestablishedinMarch1986 andnowoperatesintwoproductionfacilities.TheCasoriafacilityislocatedadjacenttoNaples’Capodichino InternationalAirport,whilethemainfactoryisnexttothe“OresteSalomone” AirportinCapua.PhonecallswithDavid Copeland,NorthAmericaSalesDirector forTecnamUS,isshepherdinganexpansionofTecnamrepresentativesfrom shoretoshorewithupdatesregarding dealerexpansionavailableat https://www.tecnam.com/cat egory/tecnam-in-the-news/.Davidcanbe reachedatd.copeland@tecnam.com.

ThisisseriousexpansionofTecnam’s presenceintheU.S.

With10aircraftintheTecnamproductline,thoselookingforadvancedtechnologycombinedwithperformanceand pure“pizazz,”neednotlookanyfurther. Avisittowww.tecnam.comiscertainlya tripworthtaking.Butwhataboutthe “realthing?”Wherecanyougoto“kick thetiresandenjoythecabincomfort firsthand?”ThegoodnewsisthatMr. CopelandandhisteamwillbeattheSun ‘nFunAirshow(March28-April4, Lakeland,Fla.).Anditisnosmalllevel ofparticipation.Tecnamwillhavesixaircraftondisplay.Let’sexplorewhatshow attendeescanlookforwardto,butfirst let’sfigureouthoweachaircraftearnsits numericalname.Whyiseachdesign identifiedwiththeletter“P?”Doesn’t “Tecnam”startwith“T?”Remember, TecnamwasfoundedbythePascale Brothers,andcontinuestobeledbythe Pascalefamily.TheproudPascalename adornseachdesignwiththeletter“P” precedinganumericalsequencethatrepresenttheyearofdevelopmentthatanew designbegan.Ifyouneedtotalktothe managementthatrunsTecnam,theonly languageissueisItalian,withacompany locatedinItalyandownedbyanItalian family.Itisprobablethatyouwillbe talkingtoa“Pascale.”

WhileTecnamproducesaircraftthat areperfectforpersonalandcorporate charteruse,twooftheTecnamofferings catchthiswriter’seyewhenthinkingof thetrainingmarket.First,thereisanew entryintotheTecnamlinethatwillnotbe atSun‘Fun,butwillmakeit’sformal entryintotheU.S.marketatEAA AirVenture2023,scheduledforJuly2531.Thisistheall-newP-Mentor,atwoseatsingle-enginepistonaircraftfully IFR–compliantwiththelatestFAAdefinitionofaTechnicallyAdvanced Aircraft(TAA),allowingPBN/RNAV /AFCScapabilities.Themodernflight schoolswillhaveoneplatformtotrain studentsfromtheirfirstflightuptoIFR CommercialPilot,includingVariable PitchPropellerandSimulatedRetractableLandingGear.

TheP-Mentorprovidesthe“managementtrainingexpectedbytheairlines andfamiliarizationwiththeadvanced technologyofotherTecnamAircraft.The P-Mentorisdesignedtoofferthebest humanmachineinterfaceresultinginthe mosteffectiveVFR/IFRtrainingwhile thegenerousfueltankallowsflight schoolstoflyalldaylongwithoutrefueling;nointerruptionisequaltoimprove operationalvalue.Lowestcostof

ContinuedonPage22

ByMarkBaker AOPAPresidentandCEO

Formanyofus,theweatheristurningwarmer(yes,Iknowmanyof youenjoythewarmthyear-round –andwe’rejealous!),we’veshinedand buffedouraircraft,madenecessary repairsandadjustments,andaretakingto theskiesforanamazing2023.

Wealltalkaboutofthewonderful placeswe’llflytoin2023and,yes,I haveabusyagendasetfortheyear.But forme,there’snothingmoreexciting thanseeingthefacesofourmembersand thewonderfulmembersofourgeneral aviationcommunity.Flyingisourpastime,butspendingtimewithgoodfriends aroundtheairportisourpassion.

Therearenobettertimestocome togetherasaGAcommunityandshare ourenthusiasm,tellourstories,andbask infriendshipthanataviationevents. Gatheringsatairportsandcommunities largeandsmall,cityorrural,eastorwest, dayornight,ourcommondenominatoris thisunbridledenthusiasmfortaking

MAGICINTHE GATHERINGS

flight–andtalkingaboutit.Talkingalot!

Thisyearisshapinguptobeabusy oneforaviationevents,anditalreadyhas kickedoffattheAOPAFly-Inatthe BuckeyeAirFairinArizona.Ihadan amazingtimeseeingourmembersinthe GrandCanyonState,andswappingstoriesandexperiencingwarmcamaraderie withmyold–andnewlymade–friends.

TheBuckeyeAirFairrepresenteda refinementinthewayweapproach eventsatAOPA.Insteadofputtingonthe wholeeventfromAtoZ,likewe’vedone forfly-ins,hangoutandotherhappenings,ourfocusisnowtoworkwithexistingeventstopartnerwhatwedobest–aviation–withwhattheydobest–puttingonanairshow.

Whileoureventstrategyhas evolved,whathasn’tchangedisour focusonbringingthemostengaging, excitingandeducationalexperienceto theaviationcommunity,andproviding youwitharewardingopportunityto interactwithyourpeers,AOPA,andthe aviationbusinesscommunity.

Ihopemanyofyougottoflyin(or

driveifyouhadto!)toBuckeye,butif not,therewillmanymoreopportunities toexperiencethemagicofanaviation gatheringwithustherestofthisyear.

Stayingtruetoourdirection,we’ll bewithourgoodfriendsattheTriple TreeAerodromeinSouthCarolinain September.Forthoseofyouwhohave flownintoTripleTree,youknowthatan incrediblegrassrunway,gorgeous sceneryandSouthernhospitalitycombineforoneofthemostamazingexperiencesinGA.Wecan’twait!

AOPAwillbebackwithanother AviatorsShowcase,alsoinSeptember, andwe’llbeaboutasclosetohomeas youcanget–atourhomeairportin Frederick,Maryland.Weloveshowing FDKoff,andwelookforwardtobringingpilotsandaircraftownerstogether withtheexpertsinavionicsandcockpit technology,flightplanningandweather resources,andaircraftmanufacturingand sales.TheShowcasewilltrulybeanaviationbuyer’sparadise.

Ofcourse,wehavealotoffriends thatputontremendousevents,andthis

yearshouldbebetterthanever.We’rejust abouttoheadtoLakeland,Florida,for theannualSun‘nFunAerospaceExpo. Youknowthatwhenyou’reatLinder International,theairshowseasonisin fullswing.

Andspeakingofairshowsandaviationevents,thediscussionstartsandends withEAAAirVenture.Havingbeento Oshkoshfornorthof40years,landing there(onlandorsea)isalwayslikedoing itforthefirsttime.There’snogreater placetoconnectwithourmembers,make newfriends,seeamazingaviationdemos, andjustsoakupeverythingimaginablein aviation.

Whileeachoftheseeventshasits ownflavoranduniqueingredients,they willalladduptoanamazingyear2023 aheadforaviation,andanexcitingtime formeandtheAOPAteam.There’s absolutelynothingbetterthantoshare thispassionweallhaveforflight.Stay safeandseeyoudowntherunway.

Blueskies!

BUCKEYE AIR FAIR WOWS THOUSANDS: AOPA'S FIRST FLY-INOFTHE YEARA ROUSING SUCCESS

ByNikiBritton

AOPA

Morethan500aircraftand 30,000aviationenthusiasts descendedontheBuckeye MunicipalAirportinArizonaforAOPA’s firstfly-inoftheyearattheBuckeyeAir FairFeb.17through19,aweekendof high-octaneentertainment.

Thesuccessfulpartnershipbetween AOPAandtheBuckeyeAirFaircouldbe seenfromthegroundupasattendees exploredarampbrimmingwithunique andeye-catchingaircraft,localvendors, aviationindustryleaders,andanairshow thatisamongthemostpopularaviation eventsintheUnitedStates.

ThemayorofBuckeye,Eric Orsborn,apilot,AOPAmember,andaircraftownerhimself,expressedgratitude andexcitementaboutthecollaboration betweentheBuckeyeAirFairandAOPA. “ThepartnershipwithAOPAaccomplishedexactlywhatwehadhopedthis year.Creatinganenvironmentwherethe generalpublicwhohassomeinterestin aviationcouldinteractwithaviatorsanda trustedorganizationinAOPAthatwill helpthembecomeaviatorsthemselves.”

OnFeb.17,theBuckeyeAirFairput onitsannualFieldTripFriday,where over1,500studentsfrom16localschools enjoyedlearningaboutaviationand careeropportunities.

ThefirststopformostAOPAmembersinattendancewastheAOPAexhibit hall,whereaviationindustryleaders, flightschools,andvendorswereready andwaitingtoanswerquestionsanddemo theirproductsandotherofferings.Here, membersalsohadtheopportunitytosign uporrenewtheirAOPAmembershipsand pickuptheirwristbandsfortheAOPA FlightlineChalet,anexclusive,membersonlyareawherevisitorscouldtakeaload off,grabsomefoodanddrinks,andwatch theairshowfromsomeofthebestseatsin thehouse.Thechaletwaspackedwith smilingfacesandcamerasallpointed towardtheskyduringtheprivatepractice airshowonFriday,andsubsequentairshowsonSaturdayandSunday.

OnSaturday,ZacharyCovey,a newlycertificatedprivatepilot,andhis grandfather,anAOPAmemberforover 50years,flewintotheeventintheir beautiful,polished1948Cessna140. Pilotsfromacrosstheaircraftparking rampandcampingareasgravitatedtothe

eye-catchingvintageaircrafteagerto swaptheirown140stories,meetafellow taildraggerenthusiast,andtalkaviation aspilotsareknowntodo.Theduospent thedaycheckingoutairplanesondisplay andwatchingtheairshowfromthecomfortoftheAOPAFlightlineChalet.

Theaerialperformanceswereperhapsthebiggestdrawoftheweekendas visitorsbeganclamberingforspotsin advanceoftheshowhopingtostaketheir claimonapremiumperspective.Bythe timetheshowstarted,nearlytheentire flightlinewasbrimmingwithspectators. Thenearlytwo-hourshowwaschockfullofaerobaticandentertainingperformancesthatdazzledviewersfrom starttofinish.

Tucker’sAirPatrol,alow-altitude aerobaticperformancebyEricTuckerin hisPiperJ–3Cub,entertainedBuckeye AirFairattendeesforthefirsttimethis yearandbroughtwithittheexcitementof aerialacrobaticsandthecomedyandfun ofachoreographedproduction.Tucker’s performanceas“Red,”theunwillingand accidentalpilotwhomanagestolandthe J–3Cubontheroofofamodifiedvintage fordambulanceafteraseriesofaerobatic

ThenearbyWhiteTankMountainsframe airshowparticipantsduringtheBuckeye AirFairinArizonaFeb.18.

(DavidTulis/CourtesyAOPA)

AirshowperformerEricTucker’s1941 PiperJ-3Cubwasacrowdfavoriteatthe BuckeyeAirFairnearPhoenixonFeb. 18.(DavidTulis/CourtesyAOPA) ContinuedonPage10

CalendarofEvents

APRIL cont’d.

ContinuedfromPage3

Chino, CA: Hangar Talk/Flying Demo, 10:30 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-3722, www.planesoffame.org.

1 Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Frazier Lake Airpark, (408) 835-1694, frazierlake.com.

1—2 Homestead. FL:Wings over Homestead ARB. Details TBA.

8—9 Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Open House, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hollister Municipal Airport, (408) 804-3591, markstar@garlic.com.

15 Riverside, CA:Aircraft Display Day Fly-In, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Flabob Airport, (951) 683-2309, flabob.org.

Hayward, CA:Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hayward Executive Airport, (510) 280-4111.

Petaluma, CA:Petaluma Display Days, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Petaluma Municipal Airport, (707) 778-4404.

Burlington, WA:Safety Seminar, 10 a.m. to noon, Skagit Regional Airport, (360) 370-8067, dybergaviation.com.

Santa Rosa, CA:Open Cockpit Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Coast Air Museum, Sonoma County Airport, (707) 575-7900.

15—16 Cocoa Beach, FL:Cocoa Beach Air Show, gates 9 a.m., tickets (321) 328-8686, cocoabeachairshow.com.

16 San Diego, CA:Historic Aircraft Display, noon to 2 p.m., MontgomeryGibbs Field, (619) 301-2530.

22 Riverside, CA:Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, Riverside Municipal Airport, (951) 312-4832.

Abilene, TX: Big Country Airfest, doors 8 a.m., Dyess AFB, dyess.af.mil.

Clovis, NM: Wings over Cannon, Cannon AFB. Details TBA.

22 — 23 Beaufort, SC: MCAS Beaufort Air Show, gates TBA, beaufortairshow.com.

29 — 30 Biloxi, MS: Thunder over the Sound, Keesler AFB. Details TBA.

Fort Lauderdale, FL:Fort Lauderdale Air Show, (954) 241-7937, fortlauderdaleairshow.com.

30 Half Moon Bay, CA:Pacific Coast Dream Machines, 10 a.m., Half Moon Bay Airport, dreammachines.miramarevents.com.

MAY

5—7 Monroe, LA:Red White & Blue Airshow, gates Fri. & Sat. 4 p.m./Sun. 11a.m., Monroe Regional Airport, redwhiteandblueairshow.com.

6 Chico, CA:Chico Air Museum Spring Fly-In, 8 a.m., Chico Regional Airport, (530) 345-6468, chicoairmuseum.org.

Chino, CA: Hangar Talk/Flying Demo, 10:30 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-3722, www.planesoffame.org.

Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Frazier Lake Airpark, (408) 835-1694, frazierlake.com.

6—7 Hampton, VA:AirPower over Hampton Roads, JB Langley-Eustis, (757)764-5701, jble.af.mil.

Corpus Christi, TX:Wings over South Texas, noon, NAS Corpus Christi, wingsoversouthtexas.com.

13 Paso Robles, CA:EstrellaWarbirds Wings & Wheels, Paso Robles Municipal Airport, (805) 238-9317, ewarbirds.org.

13—14 Belleville, IL: Scott AFB Air Show, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., scott.af.mil. Westfield, MA:Westfield Int’l. Air Show, Barnes ANGB, westfieldairshow.org. Passes required for general and VIP parking.

Augusta, GA: Augusta Air Show, gates 9 a.m., Augusta Regional Airport, augustaairshow.com.

Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Open House, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hollister Municipal Airport, (408) 804-3591, markstar@garlic.com.

19—20 Hayward, CA:Hayward Air Rally, Fri. noon/Sat. 7 a.m., Hayward Executive Airport, (530) 621-1049, hwdairrally.org. Register by May 15

Peru, IL:TBM Avenger Reunion & Salute to Veterans, Illinois Valley Regional Airport, tbmreunion.org. Details TBA.

19—21 Lake Charles, LA:Chennault Int’l. Airshow, gates Fri. 5 p.m./Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m., Chennault Int’l. Airport, chennaultairshow.com.

Hillsboro, OR: Oregon Int’l. Air Show, gates Fri. 6 p.m./Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m., Hillsboro Airport, oregonairshow.com.

20 Riverside, CA:Aircraft Display Day Fly-In, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Flabob Airport, (951) 683-2309, flabob.org.

Hayward, CA:Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hayward Executive Airport, (510) 280-4111.

Petaluma, CA:Petaluma Display Days, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Petaluma Municipal Airport, (707) 778-4404.

Burlington, WA:Safety Seminar, 10 a.m. to noon, Skagit Regional Airport, (360) 370-8067, dybergaviation.com.

Santa Rosa, CA:Open Cockpit Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Coast Air Museum, Sonoma County Airport, (707) 575-7900.

20 — 21 Yuba City, CA: Beale AFB Air & Space Expo. CANCELED

Goldsboro, NC: Wings over Wayne, gates 8 a.m., Seymour Johnson AFB, wingsoverwayneairshow.com.

Wrightstown, NJ: Power in the Pines Open House & Air Show, McGuire AFB, jbmdl.jb.mil.

www.PCA.aero | 800.353.0370

AOPA’SAIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

TheAircraftOwnersandPilots Association’sAirSafetyInstitute(ASI) releasedanewvideoinits Beyond Proficient videoseriesthatprovidesa uniqueperspectiveonhowtoflysafelyin thedeparture,enroute,andapproachprofilesunderinstrumentflightrules.

“BeyondProficient:StabilizedIFR Approach capturesthecriticalphasesof flyinganinstrumentapproachfrom approachclearancetolandingortransitioningtoamissedapproach,”saidASISenior DirectorPaulDeres.“Inaddition,thevideo offerspracticaltipsonhowtoidentifyand dealwithtasksaturationandregainsituationalawarenessontheapproach.”

FlightInsightFounderDanGeorge added,“Thisfirstvideoaddressesapain pointformanyinstrumentpilotsofall experiencelevels:howtostayorganized andstableonaninstrumentapproach.”

ASIcollaboratedwithFlightInsight

AOPA’sAirSafetyInstituteprovidesaviatorstheopportunitytotapintosafety topicsneatlyarrangedbysubjectto quicklyfindlinkstorelevantvideos, quizzes,publications,andcourses. (Findthemathttps://www.aopa.org/ training-and-safety/air-safety-institute/safety-centers)

tocreatetheseries’videosthatoffertips andtrickstomastercomplexinstrument flyingaspects.

View BeyondProficient:Stabilized IFRApproach fromtheAOPAwebsite (aopa.org)ordirectlyathttps://www.

ContinuedonPage14

BuckeyeAirFair

ContinuedfromPage8

maneuvers,broughtraucouslaughterand smilesfromeveryonewatching.

First-timeBuckeyeAirFairperformer KarlGashler,whoflewhisYak50from RedThunderAirshows,said,“Myfavorite partofanyairshowistalkingtothekids.I believeairshowsshowpeoplewhatispossible.Generalaviationreallychangeslives! AsfortheYak50,it’sthewildestaerobatic rideyoucangetinanywarbird.Itputsa biggrinonmyfaceeverytime.”

OtherentertainmentincludedformationflyoversbytheCondorSquadron’s fourNorthAmericanAT-6Texansand ArizonaAirNationalGuardF-16s.As wellasasurprisefly-byofa ConsolidatedPB4Y-2Privateer,theonly remainingairworthyPrivateer.

WESTCOAST’S LEADING AVIONICS DEALER

Behindthescenes,AOPAand BuckeyeAirFairvolunteersworkedtirelesslymakingsurethingsmovedsmoothlythroughouttheweekend.Fromsetup, check-in,andvisitorassistancetoaircraft marshallingandcrowdcontrol,therewas somethingforeveryoneinterestedingivingbacktotheaviationcommunityand theBuckeyecommunityatlarge.

OnSaturday,AOPApresidentMark BakerledthePilotTownHalltobrief attendeesonAOPA’slatesteffortstopro-

AOPAPresidentMarkBakeranawardat theBuckeyeAirFairinArizonaonFeb. 17.(DavidTulis/CourtesyAOPA)

tectfreedomtoflythroughadvocacy, supportingdevelopmentanddistribution oftheaviationfuelsofthefuture,growingthepilotpopulationthroughtheYou CanFlyprogram,andbuildingontheAir SafetyInstitute’smanycontributionsto piloteducationandaccidentreduction.

ThisAOPAfly-ineventisjustthe firstofmanyAOPApartnershipswith establishedaviationeventsacrossthe countrythisyear.Thosewhowereunable toattendwillhaveplentyofotheropportunitiestogatherwiththeirfellowaviatorsasairshowseasontakesoffin2023. KeepcheckingbackonAOPA’swebsite (www.aopa.org)forupdatedinformation onupcomingevents.

BuckeyeMayorEricOrsbornpresented

SPAR INSPECTION RESULTS RAISE FAA CONCERN: AD N OW FINALFOR CESSNA 210/177

ByJimMoore AOPA

TheFAApushedbackoncommentersseekingtoreducethe scopeofanairworthinessdirective toinspectwingsparcomponentsoncertainCessna210and177models,citingthe resultsofinspectionsperformedtodate.

ThefinalAD,publishedFeb.13and effectiveMarch20,wasproposedinMay 2021followingthein-flightbreakupofa Cessna210MinAustraliain2019.An

FAA-estimated3,421U.S.-registeredaircraftweretobesubjecttovisualand eddycurrentinspectionsofthelower wingsparcarry-throughcap.Thefinal ADcitesthesamenumberofaircraft,and continuestorequireone-timevisualand eddycurrentinspectionofthesamewing sparcomponents.

TheFAAestimatesthatrequired inspectionswillcost$3,108peraircraft, upto$3,788ifoxygenandairconditioningmustberemovedforinspection access.On-conditioncosts,including additionaleddycurrentinspectionand,in theworstcase,wingsparreplacement, arefarhigher:upto$40,200toreplace thesparofaCessna177,thoughthatisa theoreticalnumbersincethepartsareout ofproduction.

“Outofthe211Model177-series reportsreceivedbytheFAAasofJan.13, 2023,120havereportedcorrosion,”the agencywroteinthefinalAD.“Ofthose, atleast14wereremovedfromservice duetocorrosionordamage.”

The14Cessna177sparstakenout ofservicefollowinginspectionstodate havenotlikelybeenreplacedwithnew parts.TheFAAnotedthatTextron Aviationisstillworkingtodevelopa

Continued on Page 18

P.O.Box5402•SanMateo,CA94402 (650)358-9908•Fax(650)358-9254

Founder..................................................................................................................CiroBuonocore Publisher/Editor................................................................................................VictoriaBuonocore ManagingEditor..........................................................................................AnnamarieBuonocore ProductionEditors............................................................................AnneDobbins,StevePastis AssociateEditors....................................NicholasA.Veronico,SagarPathak,PaulT.Glessner StaffContributors........................................................................S.MarkRhodes,LarryNazimek Columnists..................StuartFaber,EricMcCarthy,EdWischmeyer,MarilynDash,EdDowns CopyEditing............................................................................................................SallyGersbach AdvertisingSalesManager........................................EdDowns(650)358-9908,(918)873-0280

(Chris Rose,/Courtesy AOPA)

CommentsontheproposedAD notedthatnoCessna177winghasfailed inflight,andthatservicedifficulty reportsdidnotsupporttheinclusionof thatmodelintheAD.TheFAAdisagreed,citingthefailurerateofCessna 177wingsparinspectionstodate:

InFlightUSA ispublishedeachmonthbyInFlightPublishing.Itiscirculatedthroughoutthecontinental UnitedStates.Businessmatters,advertisingandeditorialconcernsshouldbeaddressedto InFlightUSA,P.O.Box 5402,SanMateo,Calif.94402orbycalling(650)358-9908–fax(650)358-9254.Copyright©2008InFlight Publishing.

InFlightUSA isnotresponsibleforanyactiontakenbyanypersonasaresultofreadinganypartofany issue.Thepiecesarewrittenforinformation,entertainmentandsuggestion–notrecommendation.Thepursuitof flightoranyactionreflectedbythispaperistheresponsibilityoftheindividualandnotofthispaper,itsstaffor contributors.Opinionsexpressedarethoseoftheindividualauthor,andnotnecessarilythoseof InFlightUSA

Alleditorialandadvertisingmatterinthiseditioniscopyrighted.Reproductioninanywayisstrictlyprohibitedwithoutwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.

InFlightUSA isnotliableorinanywayresponsiblefortheconditionorairworthinessofanyaircraftadvertisedforsaleinanyedition.Bylawtheairworthinessofanyaircraftsoldistheresponsiblityofthesellerandbuyer.

March 6, 2022 • Noon to 4 p.m.

Open Cockpit iswhenthemuseum’s visitors can view our famous aircraft including A-3 Skywarrior, A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair, Harrier jump-Jet T-39 Saberliner, Mustang P-51 ¾ scale, Cessna 0-2 and a Mig-15.

Short Solent Flying Boat walk through tour for an additional fee.

Activities during Open Cockpit include:

•Color Guard.

•Santa Clara Masonic Lodge will o er refreshments for purchase.

•Live music by The Friends of Ken Band.

•European Train Enthusiasts exhibit.

•Southern Alameda County Radio Controllers RC aircraft display.

•ORCA Ham Radio exhibit and demonstration.

•Simulators available for an additional fee

Open Cockpit day is a GROUPON Blackout day

8252 Earhart Road, Oakland, CA 94621

• oaklandaviationmuseum.org

An FAA-estimated 3,421 U.S.-registered aircraft are subject to visual and eddy current inspections of the lower wing spar carry-through cap.

54 Years of Manufacturing Excellence Buy Factory Direct!

THE UNTAPPED ALTERNATIVE Donating an Aircraft Can Save a Life

By Annamarie Buonocore

Over the years, we have seen many individuals come to a point where they no longer want to keep their aircraft for whatever reason. Sometimes these aircraft sell, and sometimes they don’t. Reasons aircraft don’t sell can range across the spectrum from disorganized records and logbooks to age and wear and tear on the aircraft.

In the U.S., we often hear about car, boat, and even real estate donations, but did you know that you can also donate your aircraft? Donating an aircraft doesn’t mean that your aircraft will land in a junkyard and be sold for parts. In the case of MatchingDonors.com, your plane will be restored and used or sold to save patients’ lives through their Planes4 Kidneys.com program. These patients need vital organs replaced. Sometimes they need the organs delivered to them, and sometimes they need transportation to hospitals. This month, In Flight USA had the opportunity to sit down with MatchingDonors.com CEO and Founder Paul Dooley and his Executive Director John Dolan as they answered important questions about aircraft donation.

In Flight USA: How did Matching Donors get started?

Paul Dooley: I am an entrepreneur with many companies. I had a dental clinic in Boston on Newberry Street. I had 17 doctors and tons of staff. When I was there, my father was a great guy, a WWII veteran and former Boston police officer, but he had two good teeth. I told him, “I am going to give you the best teeth you’ve ever had in your life.” So he would come in twice a week, and one day he came in, and we found out he had a tumor. If you have a tumor in your jaw, that’s probably the last place it’s showing up, so he went to the doctor, and they told him it was all over and that he had three years to live. I took care of him while he was dying. One day, the doctors told him that his kidneys were failing and that he needed at least one new one. Then we realized that the list for an organ transplant was seven to 10 years long. He knew he wasn’t going to make it, so he died after three good years.

I had another company that was creating job boards for help wanted. We would match people who needed jobs with companies that were hiring. That was when I got the idea to use that same logic to match people who were in need of organs with people who were willing to donate. We put it out there, and in

2004, it became the first organization to facilitate an organ transplant over the Internet. Within a year or two, it became one of the largest nonprofits in the world. We get between three and 26 organ donors registering on Matching Donors.com a day. They come on, and they donate to someone out of the goodness of their heart.

IFUSA: Tell me a little bit about the donations you seek. How does it work?

PD: We accept many different kinds of donations from cars and real estate to airplanes. We’ll take anything that we can facilitate, turn over, and turn into money for organ donations. We get three or four car donations per day. We get one or two boats per month. Right now, we are really trying to tap into the aircraft market. It is a great market for us, and we know that there are many used aircraft out there that could use a new home, be refurbished and sold, or used for organ donation purposes. The planes that we have had have done very well. We had one Cessna 150 sell for $20,000. Planes can be anywhere in the world. We have volunteers who are pilots and mechanics. The pilots can fly them to us, and our mechanics can check them out. We also accept donations of stock. We got $1 million worth of stock the other day. All donations qualify for tax write -offs. We are a very honest and viable company. Planes are great, and people who own planes are great people.

IFUSA: Do you have people on staff such as appraisers who can help with aircraft transactions?

PD: Yes, we do. What’s great about it is that I have a lot of full-time volunteers who are spectacular. My brother, George, was in the army and can fly. He is willing to fly anything anywhere. We have mechanics who can check it out and good appraisers. We have all the people in place, and we can accept any type of plane. We can work with commercial airliners all the way down to two-seater Cessnas and Pipers.

IFUSA: Do you have any stories of how a donation saved a life?

PD: Sure, we do. We had a great guy named Joe Michaelson who was 83 years

Continued on Page 13

EAA RAY AVIATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM REACHES 300 PILOTS

More than 300 young people have reached their dream of earning their pilot certificate with support from the EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program.

The scholarship program is funded by the Ray Foundation, managed by EAA, and administered through the EAA chapter network. Through the program, EAA is able to provide deserving youths up to $11,000 to help cover flight training expenses. EAA is receiving $1.8 million from the Ray Foundation for 2023.

“The cost of flight training can be a barrier for many aspiring pilots, so EAA working with the Ray Foundation helps break down the barrier and make the goal of becoming a pilot even more attainable for future generations,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programming. “We’ve found that more than 80 percent of Ray Aviation scholars are completing their pilot training, which is the complete opposite ratio of those who would start flight training on their own, so this program’s outcomes are having a direct, significant effect on the pilot population.”

There are EAA chapter and scholar eligibility requirements for the Ray Aviation Scholarship that indicate a commitment to success. Once a chapter is approved for the program, it nominates the chosen scholar for EAA’s final review. Many chapters are granted the

With support from the EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program, more than 300 young people have reached their dream of earning their pilot certificate.

(Courtesy EAA)

full $11,000 for their selected scholar, but some chapters have committed 25 percent of the award to secure their slot in the program. All EAA and divisional chapters in the United States and Canada are eligible for a grant up to $11,000.

The Lightspeed Aviation Foundation and EAA award a Zulu 3 headset to each scholar after they complete solo flight or, if they soloed pre-scholarship, after passing the written exam. This is meant to recognize and incentivize the scholar as they progress and ultimately complete flight training.

More information on the EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program can be found at EAA.org/RayScholarship.

The Untapped Alternative

Continued feom Page 12

old. He was a pilot, but he needed to stop flying due to age and medical issues. He called me up and said that he wanted to donate his plane. He said the plane was worth anywhere from $15-25,000. It turned out to be worth $20,000. We met Joe and his girlfriend Julie at the airport with Ray Jerzylo, a very experienced volunteer airplane mechanic. We confirmed that it was a viable plane and said we could use it. The only problem was that it didn’t have a certain type of radar that was necessary at the time. We found an expert in Massachusetts who was able to get the plane what it needed. Soon after, we sold it. We took that money and helped several critically ill patients with a range of needs from medical to fighting their insurance companies. Joe did not want his money to go to one specific person. The money from his plane helped several people who didn’t have any money. Thanks to him, they were able to

get back and forth to appointments and get the care they needed during and after their transplants. We also take care of the donors. We help them with transportation and compensation for lost wages.

IFUSA: Do you still assist people with finding a match?

PD: Yes, that is first and foremost what we do. The idea came from a job board, so it is very important to us that we help patients in need find willing donors. We interview all of our donors, and the most important thing they have to put in is their blood type. We then compile a list of patients, and the donors can contact the patients as they see fit. But blood type is everything. If it is the wrong blood type, the organ will reject it. We welcome all donors to apply or for people to call us up and say they have something to donate. We accept donations from everywhere.

IFUSA: Thank you! For more information, go to www.matchingdonors.com.

Fly By Wire Air is a one-stop shop for aviation. You will find RC models, general aviation planes, services and accessories, as well as sites rich in historic aviation. We hopy you enjoy visiting our site. When you think of flying - Fly By Wire.

www.flybywireair.com

GAMA RELEASES 2022 AIRCRAFT SHIPMENTAND BILLING REPORT

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) on Feb. 22 released the 2022 General Aviation Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report during its annual State of the Industry Press Conference. Overall, when compared to 2021, all aircraft segments saw increases in shipments and preliminary aircraft deliveries were valued at $26.8 billion, an increase of 6.0 percent.

increase 10.4 percent, with 582 units; and business jet deliveries increase to 712 units from 710. The value of airplane deliveries for 2022 was $22.9 billion, an increase of approximately 5.8 percent.

Continued on Page 16

IADA Comments on Impact of Higher Airplane Deliveries Normalizing the Resale Market

The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) congratulate GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association) member companies on their rising airplane billings and shipments in 2022. The aircraft resale association’s comments followed the release of annual new aircraft shipment report at GAMA’s 2023 State of the Industry Press Conference in Washington, D.C.

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“The general aviation manufacturing industry continues to show increasing strength despite workforce and supply chain challenges across our industry. Our product development across the spectrum of fixed wing, rotorcraft and Advanced Air Mobility vehicles is spurred by the recognition that our industry is the safety and sustainability technology incubator for global civil aviation. These safety, performance and sustainability efforts are built upon progress with lighter weight materials, new structural and wing designs, fly-by-wire control replacing heavy hydraulic systems, additive manufacturing reducing the number of parts, lighter weight and more reliable avionics, and engines and airframes that can fly on a 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel blend. Of course, the impressive list of progress doesn’t even begin to touch on the revolution of electric, hybrid and hydrogen propulsion our companies are developing. As we look towards FAA reauthorization in the U.S., we will be looking for Congress to focus the FAA on improving their processes to facilitate the certification of new technologies as well as support their validation efforts globally to deliver safety, performance and sustainability benefits,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA President and CEO.

Airplane shipments in 2022, when compared to 2021, saw piston airplane deliveries increase 8.2 percent, with 1,524 units; turboprop airplane deliveries

“Higher deliveries and the substantial backlog by GAMA member companies will contribute to further normalizing the business aircraft resale marketplace, which is good news for aircraft buyers and sellers and our industry in general,” said IADA Vice Chair Phil Winters, who is Vice President of Aircraft Sales & Continued on Page 16

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Castle Air Museum, adjacent to Castle Airport (MER) is in its 41st year of operation, and has become the West Coast’s largest static display of vintage military aircraft dating back from the late 1930’s. With over 80 aircraft in the collection and more due soon, such as the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk and FA-18 Blue Angel Aircraft, the Museum is situated on 31 acres, 25 of which are currently occupied by aircraft. The most comprehensive collection of WWII Bombers, from the Douglas B-18 Bolo to the mammoth Convair RB-36 Peacemaker, B-52D Stratofortress

tratofortress B-52D S er, -80

AOPA’S Air Safety Institute

Continued from Page 10

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The Museum is located at 5050 Santa Fe Dr., Atwater, CA 95301, and open daily 9 am to 4 pm, with last admission to the Aircraft Exhibit Grounds at 3:15 daily.

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For more information, please call 209-723-2178 or visit www.castleairmuseum.org.

Since 1950, the AOPA Air Safety Institute has been working to create a safer culture for general aviation through knowledge, training, and proficiency. As the world’s largest provider of free general aviation safety content, ASI is responsible for guiding and positively influenc-

ing pilot behavior, policy makers, manufacturers, and training providers with engaging material, thoughtful research and analysis, and modern, effective outreach. In addition to its best-in industry online flight instructor refresher course, ASI offers more than 300 free online safety programs including videos, podcasts, webinars, publications, courses, and quizzes that are proudly funded by the AOPA Foundation (foundation.aopa.org). To learn more, visit ASI at airsafetyinstitute.org.

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A 2016 Bombardier Global 5000 for sale exclusively by IADA OEM member Bombardier listed on IADA's marketing platform AircraftExchange.com.

PIPER AIRCRAFT SEES S TEADY GROWTHIN 2022

Piper Aircraft, Inc. announced its 2022 achievements on Feb. 22, including a 15 percent increase in aircraft deliveries over 2021. In addition, Piper incorporated innovative updates to their flagship aircraft, the M600/SLS, and provided support to more than 25 philanthropic organizations that best embody the company’s values and mission. In 2023, Piper continues to see backlog for the M-Class lineup deep into 2024 and trainer aircraft reaching into 2025 and beyond.

The M-Class product line includes the turbocharged and pressurized piston M350, the entry-level M500 turboprop, and the M600/SLS, featuring the HALO Safety System with Garmin Autoland. In total, 69 M-Class aircraft were delivered over the course of the year. This includes 19 M350s, 9 M500s, and 41 M600/SLSs, 43 of which were delivered domestically and 26 internationally.

In the trainer lineup – including the diverse Archer family (Archer DX, DLX, LX, and TX), the value-priced Pilot 100i, and the multi-engine Seminole – Piper delivered 167 total aircraft, with 150 delivered domestically and 17 internationally. Piper saw existing flight school customers grow their fleet, such as ATP Flight School, Spartan College, and American Flyers, as well as welcomed new customers to the Piper Flight School Alliance, including Thrust Flight and Fly Gateway.

“Growth in our two primary aircraft markets is of paramount importance to Piper Aircraft,” said Piper President and Chief Executive Officer John Calcagno.

“Despite the supply chain and labor challenges our industry faced this year, we were still able to deliver our aircraft as promised, create valuable enhancements across our product lineup, and pass these improvements to our Piper dealer partner network and retail customers.”

Product highlights included the M600/SLS receiving FAA approval on a Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL), defining an easier pathway to enter the aircraft into Part 135 charter service. The M600/SLS also gained unpaved field approval in Q4 of 2022, expanding the value of an already capable aircraft. Together with these improvements, Piper Aircraft announced their collaboration with CAE to engineer an electric PA-28-181 Archer Supplemental Type Certificate.

Looking into 2023, Piper will be first to market with exciting new innovations in G3000 software on the M600/SLS, which were previewed at NBAA-BACE in Orlando, FL at the end of 2022. Piper also recently announced the integration of an Agile Manufacturing Robot to the PA-46 production line to elevate efficiency and safety throughout the Piper factory in Vero Beach, FL.

In addition to meeting the demands of the 2022 delivery schedule, Piper Aircraft saw success in other elements of the year, focused on customers and the community. One of these efforts was the inclusion of two new flight schools to the highly successful Piper Brand Ambassador program, the L3 Harris Flight Academy, and long-standing Piper fleet

customer, North Star Aviation of Minnesota State University at Mankato. Piper also presented six aviation-focused college scholarships to students in 2022, and will add three more scholarships for local high school students this year.

About the Piper M600/SLS

The Piper M600/SLS with HALO Safety System is the first general aviation aircraft certified with Garmin Autoland. The revolutionary system supports digital technology that safely lands the aircraft at the nearest suitable airport in the event that the pilot is incapacitated. Additionally, the Garmin G3000 avionics suite includes Autothrottle, Autoland, Emergency Descent Mode, Electronic Stability Protection, Surface Watch, and SafeTaxi, all of which are designed to enhance safe operation of the aircraft. Beyond the flight deck, the six-seat M600/SLS is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A 600 SHP engine. The aircraft has a maximum cruise speed of 274 ktas/507 km/h, a max range of 1,658 nm/2,748 km, and a standard useful load of 2,400 lbs/1,089 kg.

About Piper Aircraft, Inc.

Piper Aircraft Inc., headquartered in Vero Beach, FL, offers aviators throughout the world efficient and reliable single- and twin-engine aircraft and is the first general aviation aircraft manufacturer in the world to certify Garmin

In the trainer lineup — including the diverse Archer family (Archer DX, DLX, LX, and TX), the value-priced Pilot 100i, and the multi-engine Seminole — Piper delivered 167 total aircraft, with 150 delivered domestically and 17 internationally. On Jan. 30, 2023, Piper delivered the Pilot 100i S/N #100 to Paragon Flight Training. The Piper Pilot 100i was introduced in 2019 as the latest ideation of the Piper PA-28, now in production for more than 60 years.

(Courtesy Piper Aircraft)

Autoland. The single-engine M-Class series–the M600/SLS, M500, and M350–offers businesses and individuals elegant performance, value and a superior ownership experience. The Personal Class Archer LX and Archer DLX balance proven performance, efficiency, and simplicity in a piston-powered aircraft. The Trainer Class Pilot 100i, Archer TX, Archer DX, and Seminole aircraft form the most complete technically-advanced line of pilot training aircraft in the world. Piper is a member of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. To learn more about Piper Aircraft, visit the company’s website at www.piper.com.

GAMA Releases 2022 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report

Continued from Page 14

Piston helicopter deliveries for 2022, when compared to 2021, saw an increase of 7.2 percent, with 194 units; and preliminary civil-commercial turbine helicopter increase 7.6 percent, with 682 units. The preliminary value of helicopter deliveries for 2022 was $4.0 billion, an increase of approximately 6.8 percent.

Year-end Aircraft Shipment and Billing

Aircraft Type20212022% Change

Piston Airplanes1,4091,5248.2%

Turboprops 52758210.4%

Business Jets7107120.3%

Total Airplanes 2,6462,8186.5%

Total AP Billing$21.6B$22.9B5.8%

Piston Helicopters1811947.2%

Turbine Helicopters6316827.6%

Total Helicopters 8128767.5%

Total Heli Billing$3.7B$4.0B6.8%

*Leonardo Helicopters fourth quarter data was not available at the time of publication. Leonardo Helicopters will release year-end results in March. GAMA excluded 2021 fourth quarter data for Leonardo in the comparison table.

GAMA’s complete 2022 year-end report can be found at gama.aero.

GAMA is an international trade association representing over 100 of the world’s leading manufacturers of general aviation airplanes and rotorcraft, engines, avionics, components and related services. GAMA’s members also operate repair stations, fixed based operations, pilot and maintenance training facilities and manage fleets of aircraft. For more information about the shipment and billing report or for general information about the organization, visit GAMA’s website at www.GAMA.aero.

Continued from Page 14

Charter Management for Western Aircraft in Boise, Idaho.

Winters and IADA Executive Director Wayne Starling, representing the resale association, both commented on the increase in deliveries. “Continued increasing deliveries of turbine powered business aircraft demonstrate that the aircraft industry is continuing to successfully address supply chain issues which will bolster the depleted inventory of aircraft available for resale,” Starling said.

IADA members recorded 1,399 business aircraft transactions in 2022, another record year, while the available inventory of pre-owned aircraft for sale has remained low. GAMA companies reported delivery of 1,294 new turbine powered airplanes in 2022, and with a substantial backlog anticipate increasing production.

IADA’s AircraftExchange marketing search portal is the only site where every aircraft listed for sale is represented by an IADA-accredited dealer. AircraftExchange enables users to create a confidential dashboard of business jets for sale, filtered based on their features and amenities, class size, age, and price. Users can browse through data-rich listings for available business aircraft. For more information go to https://www.AircraftExchange.com.

IADA is a professional trade association formed more than 30 years ago, promoting the growth and public understanding of the aircraft resale industry. For more information, visit the IADA website at https://www.iada.aero.

Spar Inspection Results Raise FAA Concern

Continued

replacement spar for those aircraft, long out of production.

None of the later-model Cessna 210s inspected to date had spars taken out of service due to corrosion too severe to grind down and leave enough structure to remain in service, the FAA noted, though two Cessna 210 spars were removed from service due to damage. Just under 7 percent of the newer 210s had any corrosion found on inspection. Among the older Cessna 210s, the rate of corrosion discovery was much higher – 47 percent.

The FAA noted, however, that while the rate of corrosion discovery was lower, the newer Cessna 210 models are more susceptible to spar failure if the structure becomes compromised:

“Analysis completed by Textron revealed that later Model 210-series airplanes, due to their weight and configuration, demonstrate higher stress levels in operation when compared to earlier Model 210-series airplanes. Therefore, the critical crack length –the length at which the crack reduces the capability of the structure below that provided in the

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certification basis – is smaller in the later Model 210-series airplanes.”

While the FAA did not entirely close the door on alternative methods of compliance, it rejected arguments that the AD should mirror a 2020 AD issued to address spar corrosion in Piper Aircraft PA–28 and PA–32 models.

“The unsafe condition on the Model 210-and 177-series airplanes addressed by this AD involves both corrosion and cracking,” the agency wrote. “The FAA cannot use an evaluation similar to the one used for the Piper airplanes to draw

the same conclusions or correlations to the unsafe condition addressed by this AD, as the unsafe condition associated with AD 2020-26-16 [applicable to Piper airplanes] is primarily associated with fatigue cracking concerns.”

AOPA continues to monitor the effects of age and corrosion across the general aviation fleet, and encourages owners to remain engaged in the process. Information that aircraft owners provide to AOPA (in addition to the reports required by the FAA) will help bolster future advocacy on behalf of aircraft owners against mandating inspections and other measures not supported by data indicating they are needed in the interest of safety. Learn more at AOPA’s website, www.aopa.org.

Piper Arrow IV PA-28RT-201

1979-1982

Piper Arrow IV Turbo PA-28RT-201T1979-1990

Piper Cherokee 140 PA-28-1401964-1977

Piper Cherokee 150 PA-28-1501961-1967

Piper Cherokee 160 PA-28-1601961-1967

Piper Cherokee 180 PA-28-1801963-1973

Piper Dakota PA-28-236

1979-1994

Piper Cherokee Lance PA-32R-3001976-1978

Piper Navajo PA-31-310 B/C

1972-1980

Piper Navajo Chieftain PA-31-3501973-1984

Piper Saratoga SP PA-32R-3011980-1992

Piper Saratoga SP Turbo PA-32R-301T1980-1987

Piper Tomahawk PA-38-112

Piper Warrior 151 PA-28-151

Piper Warrior II PA-28-161

MANY MORE MODELS COMING SOON!

1978-1982

1973-1977

1976-1986

rugged construction

HAYWARD AIR RALLY… ADD “RACE PILOT” TO YOUR RESUME!

No kidding, mark May 19-20, 2023, on your flying calendar. The weather is great in the San Francisco East Bay area at this time of year and Hayward Exec Airport (KHWD) beckons to those who thought the excitement of participating in an air rally was out of their reach. A challenge awaits those who want to demonstrate the difference between being a “pilot” (an airplane driver) or an “aviator” (one who embraces all the skills aviation has to offer). Interested?

The Hayward Air Rally is the longest standing such event in North America. With a tradition that dates back to the early days of aviation, air rallies involve accurate speed timing between two places, flight planning, navigation, knowledge of aircraft performance and fast thinking as the environment changes and unfamiliar landmarks stress aviating skills to the max. Of course, accurate ground speed counts (tablet vesus E-6B?) and your plane has a race number taped to the tail but the “race” part of the program is you competing against your own speed estimates. Every aviating skill is explored.

As in the old days, comradery and fun are the order of the day for this event. The fun begins with early arrivals (noon) on May 19 and concludes with a luncheon BBQ and award ceremony on May 20. Sometimes referred to as a “handicap” race, all entrants have an equal opportunity to gain recognition. In other words, a 1948 Stinson Voyager (using paper charts and an E-6B) can go head to head with a 2023 Cirrus SR-22T (full auto flight and computers). And for those who trust tablets and batteries, this is your race! Let the best “aviator” win!

But the Hayward Air Rally is more

AIRCRAFT FOR SALE

1965 Cessna 172 Skyhawk

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1973 Cessna 172M Skyhawk

$94,500

1957 Piper PA-22-150 Conversion $29,500

1997 Lancair 320

The Hayward Air Rally, the longest standing such event in North America, is slated for May 19-20 out of the San Francisco East Bay.

(Courtesy Hayward Air Rally)

than just a fun time. Participants will be preserving a tradition that took a hard hit during the Covid crisis. You can be a part of re-energizing this truly historic activity. Better yet, entry fees ranging from $50 to $100 represent a significant savings over previous years, making this event fun and affordable. Participation fees will serve to keep the Hayward Rally tradition alive and well for years to come. This year welcomes the return of Wings credits for the event. Wings program credits show that you actively participate in FAA sponsored safety programs, with potential savings being offered in aircraft insurance cost. Be sure to update your Wings account at www.faasafety.com.

So… let’s summarize. Prove yourself to be a true “Aviator,” get to have a temporary race number on your plane (great photo op!), fly over some of the most interesting country in the U.S., meet great people, and score points with the FAA. Sound like a plan? For more information, visit Hayward Air Rally (hwdairrally.org). This web site is being updated regularly and you can sign up for e-mail updates.

U.S. MINT PRESENTSITS NEW BESSIE COLEMAN COMMEMORATIVE QUARTERTOTHE FAA

FAA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., was the site of a truly special moment on Feb. 21 when the U.S. Mint presented a new quarter honoring aviator Bessie Coleman to FAA officials.

The coin, presented by Ventris Gibson, former FAA chief human capital officer and now director of the U.S. Mint, occurred in the most fitting of places – The Bessie Coleman Room – and at the most

Continued on Page 21

Bessie Coleman Commemorative Quarter (Courtesy FAA)

CORSAIR REUNION AMONGTHE WARBIRDS HIGHLIGHTSAT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2023

A reunion of the Chance Vought F4U Corsair, the unique gullwing fighter aircraft best known for its exploits off U.S. aircraft carriers, will be among the warbird highlights at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023. The 70th edition of EAA’s fly-in convention is July 24-30 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

“With only about two dozen flying examples of the Corsair remaining in North America, the opportunity to bring together the largest-possible group of these unforgettable aircraft at Oshkosh was one we had to organize,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “This airplane recently marked the 80th anniversary of its introduction to the U.S. military and remains a favorite warbird among many enthusiasts. Our goal is to create a memorable program with several activities that feature the Corsairs on ground display and in the air.”

Corsair owners are encouraged to join this unique reunion by contacting Chris Henry at the EAA Aviation Museum (CHenry@EAA.org) for further details and registration information.

Hudner families invited to participate.

In addition, visitors will have the opportunity most of the week to visit the newly opened Corsair display inside the EAA Aviation Museum, which is open to all attendees as part of their AirVenture admission. The exhibit honors both Brown and Hudner, including a Corsair flown by Hudner on his subsequent deployments in the early 1950s and painted with its original VF-32 squadron markings.

The EAA AirVenture Museum’s F4U-4, built in 1945, spent the first part of its military career in mothballs. Accepted by the U.S. Navy in October 1945, this Corsair went straight into storage until 1949. It was used as a trainer at several Naval Air Stations between 1949 and 1955, then disappeared from Navy records until 1966, when it was sold to a private owner. It was used as a show plane and racer until 1974, then not flown again until 1982, when it was donated and flown to the EAA Museum. EAA spent 12 years restoring this aircraft, unveiling it in May 1994. It is now on permanent display in the museum’s Eagle Hangar.

The Corsair received heightened attention at the end of 2022 with the release of the major motion picture Devotion, which recognized the Korean War exploits of Medal of Honor recipient

(Courtesy EAA)

Thomas Hudner and his wingman Jesse Brown, the first Black U.S. naval aviator. That movie will be played during AirVenture at the event’s Fly-In Theater, with descendants of the Brown and

The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was first flown in 1940 and introduced to the U.S. military on December 28, 1942. Its unique gullwing design came as a way to allow use of the powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine and allow shorter, more rugged landing gear for use as a carrier-based aircraft. With those attributes and a top speed of more than 450 miles per hour, the aircraft became renowned as a naval aviation fighter and in support of ground forces. To learn more, visit the EAA website at eaa.org and to see a video on the Corsair, visit YouTube, https://www.youtube .com/watch?v=RkBJLqp7tPc&t=12s.

BELL 505 BECOMES WORLD’S FIRST SINGLE ENGINE HELICOPTERTO FLY USING 100 PERCENT SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL

Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced on Feb. 21 the Bell 505 completed its first flight fueled solely by 100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), marking the first-ever single engine helicopter to fly with 100 percent SAF. Bell collaborated with Safran Helicopter Engines, Neste, GKN Aerospace and Virent Inc. to make this Bell 505 flight possible.

“This flight is a monumental achievement for sustainability and decarbonization in the rotorcraft industry,” said Michael Thacker, executive vice president, Commercial Business, Bell. “Showcasing a single engine aircraft’s flight capabilities with 100 percent SAF signals Bell’s commitment to alternative fuel usage and builds on its sustainability practices in its flight operations.”

Valentin Safir, executive vice-president, Programs, Safran Helicopter Engines said: “SAF is one of the key pillars in our strategy to decarbonize the helicopter industry. Our engines are certified to operate on up to 50 percent SAF and our objective is to certify in the coming years the use of 100 percent SAF,

which can potentially result in carbon lifecycle emissions reductions by up to 80 percent.”

To achieve this flight, Bell collaborated with Safran Helicopter Engines, manufacturer of the Arrius 2R engine on the Bell 505; GKN Aerospace, the fuel system component supplier; Neste, the SAF supplier; and Virent, Inc., a Marathon Petroleum Corp. subsidiary that manufactures renewable fuels and chemicals. Safran Helicopter Engines and GKN Aerospace conducted thorough testing on the engine and fuel system components.

Neste and Virent collaborated to blend, test, and deliver the SAF for this project as a 100 percent drop-in fuel. SAF, made from used cooking oil or other bio-based feedstocks, typically must be blended with petroleum products because it doesn’t include a component called “aromatics,” which is required to meet today’s aviation fuel specifications. Virent manufactures an aromatics component made from renewable plant sugars, which was added to Neste’s neat SAF, eliminating the need to blend SAF

with petroleum fuel. The SAF supplied for this test flight by Neste and Virent is therefore a “100 percent drop-in” replacement for petroleum-based aviation fuel, requiring no engine modifications.

Bell’s own training fleet and demonstration aircraft currently use SAF in their operations. The team continues to guide customer conversations around its implementation and monitors SAF testing in a dedicated Bell 505 with Safran Helicopter Engines. This flight supports Textron’s Achieve 2025 Sustainable Footprint goal for 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the enterprise, among other sustainability initiatives.

The Bell 505 is a five-seat aircraft designed for safety and efficiency while using the most advanced technology to date. The platform uses a fully integrated Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite and Safran Arrius 2R engine with a dualchannel FADEC.

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Bell is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., with locations around the

Bell Textron Inc. completed its first flight fueled solely by 100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), marking the firstever single engine helicopter to fly with 100 percent SAF.

globe. Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.tex tron.com.

(Courtesy Textron)

DORONI AEROSPACE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES UNTETHERED FLIGHT TESTWITHEVTOL PROTOTYPE

Doroni Aerospace, Inc. (“Doroni”), a Miami-based company developing a two-seater eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft), announced on Feb. 27 that the company recently completed a successful untethered flight test with the Doroni H1 eVTOL prototype.

This milestone comes a few days after Doroni announced the successful completion of tethered flight tests with the H1 prototype; and yaw, pitch, and roll testing several days prior to that.

“This is an extremely exciting time for Doroni. Our team has poured seven years of tireless innovation and sacrifice to reach this point, but it’s only the beginning of what we’ve set out to accomplish. It’s truly a dream come true.”

Doroni also announced that their Reg CF raise on the equity crowdfunding platform StartEngine.com concluded on March 3, 2023. To date (Feb. 27), Doroni has raised more than $1.8M from 716 investors in its current crowdfunding raise, and previously maxed out its first raise at $1.06M from 914 investors.

About Doroni Aerospace

Doroni Aerospace was founded in 2016 by serial entrepreneur Doron

Doroni has announced the company recently completed a successful untethered flight test with the Doroni H1 eVTOL prototype. (Courtesy Doroni)

Merdinger. With 25 years experience in design, manufacturing, and managing eight-figure firms, Doron assembled a world-class engineering and technical team to deliver on his ultimate vision –providing the world with an entirely new mode of sustainable transportation.

Doroni’s mission is to democratize the power of flight by delivering transformative electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology directly to consumers.

By offering the public a safety-centric mobility option – commonly referred to the general public as ‘flying cars’ –Doroni will empower people to intuitively transport themselves within urban environments and between cities at a fraction of the time possible with traditional automobiles.

Continued on Page 22

Bessie Coleman Quarter

Continued from Page 19

fitting of times, Black History Month.

In opening remarks, Deputy Administrator Brad Mims, said, “As someone who’s deeply invested in diversity, equity, access, and inclusion, the Bessie Coleman coin feels like a gift from the past. It’s a valuable symbol of an important chapter in U.S. aviation history.”

In presenting the coin, Gibson said Bessie Coleman “defied the odds and… became an aviator. Her tenacious drive and fearless personality helped pave the way for future generations of aviators and for women.”

Recalling his own awakening to the world of aviation as a small child, Acting Administrator Billy Nolen noted, “there’s no telling what will spark a child’s imagination and literally make them take flight. As someone who is concerned about aviation’s workforce and how we will meet the needs of our country in the future, I am always buoyed and excited by these kinds of stories,” because

they’re the about the key moments that bring people into aviation. Perhaps, he intimated, the new coin will do just that for someone in the future.

The coin is the first issued this year under the Mint’s “American Women Quarters Program.” Coleman was the first licensed African American and Native American female pilot, and the first African American to earn an international pilot’s license.

The reverse (tails) side of the quarter depicts Bessie Coleman as she suits up in preparation for flight. Her expression is reflective of her determination to take to the skies, the only place she experienced a freedom she did not have on the ground. Among the inscriptions is “6.15.1921,” the date Coleman received her pilot’s license.

Watch a video from the U.S. Mint of the Bessie Coleman quarter design and production on YouTube at “Bessie Coleman B roll” or on the FAA website, faa.gov.

CONTINENTAL ENGINE ISSUE PROMPTS IMMEDIATE AD

By Jim Moore AOPA

The FAA estimates that the owners of 1,632 aircraft now need to pull up to three cylinders to inspect their Continental engines and verify (or rectify) the crankshaft assembly to prevent possible in-flight failure.

The airworthiness directive published Feb. 23 made a recent mandatory service bulletin issued by Continental Aerospace Technologies legally enforceable upon publication in the Federal Register. The potential for improper crankshaft assembly first came to light when Cirrus Aircraft opted to ground its fleet of SR22 and SR22T models equipped with one of the Continental engine models subject to the service bulletin (and now the AD) that pertains to engines in the 360, 470, 520, and 550 series.

Cover Story

Continued from Page 7

maintenance, lowest fuel consumption, and the greatest value for the money make this aircraft a unique profit opportunity for any flight school. While the promotion of the P-Mentor is directed towards flight schools and training, do not overlook the remarkable plane’s adaptability as a personal transportation machine. For more information on the P-Mentor, visit https://www.tecnam.com/aircraft/pmentor.

Next on this writer’s list of remarkable Tecnam planes especially well suited for training, is the Tecnam P2006T. First, and one just has to say it, the

The Feb. 13 service bulletin arrived five days later. Cirrus briefed owners, shedding more light on the issue, and the AD further refined the estimate of affected aircraft. (The service bulletin was revised on Feb. 16, the FAA noted.)

Inspecting an estimated 544 of the affected crankshaft assemblies will be easy, as the counterweight retaining rings are clearly visible when the crankshaft assembly is not installed, but more difficult (and time-consuming) to access when already in the aircraft. The FAA expects 544 engines can be inspected with one cylinder removed, another 544 will require the removal of two cylinders, and 544 engines will need three cylinders removed, with the cost per aircraft ranging from about $1,000 to about twice that amount, depending on the number of cylinders removed for inspection.

“The FAA has included all known

costs in its cost estimate. According to the manufacturer, however, some of the costs of this AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected operators,” the agency noted in the AD.

Unlike the Continental bulletin, the FAA did not exclude engines with more than 200 hours time in service.

“While the manufacturer’s service information excludes engines accumulating 200 or more operating hours, the FAA has not, as of yet, been provided with adequate data to support that exclusion,” the agency wrote. “In the event the FAA receives data to support the exclusion of engines with more than 200 operating hours, or make other changes to this AD, the FAA may consider further rulemaking.”

To learn more about the AD, visit the AOPA website at aopa.org or the FAA

The mandatory service bulletin issued by Continental Aerospace Technologies included this view of the crankshaft counterweight retaining ring assembly that needs to be verified.

(Courtesy Continental and AOPA)

website at faa.gov. The airworthiness directive published Feb. 23 is available at https://www.federalregister.gov/docume nts/2023/02/23/2023-03796/airworthiness-directives-continental-aerospacetechnologies-inc-reciprocating-engines

P2006T is one of the sexiest planes you will lay your eyes on. It literally screams “Italian design.” A light twin in a class of its own, the P2006T is powered by two Turbo Rotax 912 S3 engines with constant speed and full feathering propellers. Burning as little as nine GPH (total, both engines!) of environmentally friendly mogas or avgas, cruise speeds of up to 145 knots make this twin less costly to own and operate than many singleengine aircraft. This is the perfect personal twin or multi-engine for high performance, complex training. The P2006T just begs to be used for ATP training.

Equipped with the most advanced avionics/auto flight suite available, pilots learn advanced skills in the P200T and will approach airline transition training with management skills that are highly developed. Combined with retractable gear, flight training schools can utilize the P2006T for basic multi-engine, complex and high performance training. The P2006T will be on display at the Sun ‘n Fun show.

Tecnam is a remarkable company. Family owned and operated, pride and tradition are the principles that run Tecnam. Tecnam has learned how to

embrace tradition, design excellence, technology, and classic Italian styling into a line of aircraft that will most surely shape the future of training and define personal ownership that competes with airline travel, but with comfort and dignity. Take a closer look and see what a leader in aviation really looks like. Visit www.tecnam.com

Doroni Aerospace Successfully Completes Untethered Flight Test

Continued from Page 21

Doroni’s Flagship eVTOL

The Doroni H1 is the company’s goto-market vehicle, and the company is on track to begin flight testing by Q4 of this year, with plans to secure FAA certification and launch commercially in the second half of 2024.

The Doroni H1 currently under development is a two-seater personal

eVTOL that will be made available for public purchase (with an estimated starting retail price of $195K) which anyone can own, fly, and park in a standard two car garage. In order to get started, customers will need a current valid driver’s license and completion of a 20-hour training course provided by the company.

Traction

To date, Doroni has raised $2.7M-

plus from more than 1,550 investors on the equity crowdfunding platform StartEngine.com. The company maxed out their first raise on the platform, and has received 230-plus pre-order requests for go-to-market aircraft. Doroni Aerospace recently relocated operations to a 13,000 square R&D facility in Pompano Beach, Florida, where the company expects to complete prototype testing and development.

Doroni is proud to be supported by

Space Florida, a state agency dedicated to maintaining Florida’s leadership position in global aerospace, who is helping the company scale their operations by providing land, facilities, and tooling.

Tony Gannon (VP Research & Innovation) and Matt Chesnut (VP Business and Economic Development) are among Doroni’s closest collaborators and biggest champions.

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1978 CESSNA P210N

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1972 PIPER ARROW II

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2006 FLIGHT DESIGN CTSW

Price lowered on this Special Light Sport Airplane! All the features you would like on an S-LSA rolled into one airplane. Wide cabin, comfortable seating, fast, long range, good visibility, great useful load, baggage limit a whopping 110 lbs. Always hangared in dry California.

1941 BOEING/STEARMAN A75 N1

Thousands of WWII era pilots trained in this ubiquitous bi-plane. Fly low and slow and make a huge amount of noise. Nobody will miss you as you fly by. An older restoration, still mechanically very strong airplane owned and maintained by an A&P IA for many years. Owner says, "Sell her now!" –Make offer!

1941 PORTERFIELD LP-65

Abreathtakingtotal restoration of a classic WWII era primary trainer. Fly solo from the front seat. An absolute hoot to fly. Comes with a spare overhauled pickled engine. Add $2,500 to price with electric start. Call for details

1981 BEECHCRAFT 58P BARON

Although this one is gone, let TJ know if you’re looking for a similar aircraft… Cruise at 232 kts. in pressurized air-conditioned comfort at 25,000 feet above the weather, get to altitude quickly and with a 1,500 ft. rate of climb, generous useful. The mechanic looking afterthisplane for the last 10 years says, “It’s as clean as they come.”

TJ Aircraft Sales can help with your aircraft needs. We are a full service aircraft sales business operating in Marin County, CA, since 1986. We principally represent single-engine piston airplanes and are Socata specialists. We also provide help in setting up partnerships, consulting, appraising, purchasing/renting hangars, repossessions and more. Please call us with your aircaft questions.

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CÉDRIC MAH:OVERTHE HUMPAND MONEYTO C HINA

ByDominiquePrinet

Oneofthemostextraordinary pilotsatGatewayAviationin Yellowknife,whenIwasbased theremyself,wasCédricMah,bornin 1922inBritishColumbiatoChineseparents.Atthestartofthewar,heandhis brotherAlbertwerebarely20yearsold andalreadytrainingnewmilitarypilots, untilonedaytheynoticedajoboffer fromtheChineseNationalAviation CorporationthatsentthemtoIndiato helptheUSAsupplytheChinesearmy. TheAmericanswantedtoencourage ChinatocontinuethewaragainstJapan, soastomobiliseamillionJapanesesoldierswhowouldotherwisehavebeen redeployedonthePacificfront.

Atage22,Cédricfoundhimselfin Dinjan,inthenorth-easterncornerof India,andbeganhisregulareastbound flightsovertheHimalayastowestern China,toKunmingandoneortwoother centres.Theflightswerethreeorfour hourslong;theywerethefamousflights “OvertheHump.”

HefirstflewDC3sandthentheir militaryversion,C47s.Thebulkofthe fleetflownovertheHimalayas,however, wasmadeupofCurtisC46s,whichhada highercapacitybutwerepronetofre-

quentmechanicalproblemsandhad earnedthenickname“flyingcoffins” amongthepilots.Whilethepilotsregularlyhadtodealwithpropellerissues,the mostseriousproblemwasenginefires,as therewasneitherafireextinguishernora firewalltopreventthefirefromspreadingtothefueltanksinthewingsjust behindtheengines.BetweenMay1943 andMarch1945,inlessthantwoyearsof Operation“OvertheHump,”31C46airplaneswerelosttofireand/orexplosion alone.Itcertainlydidn’thelpthatthe planeswerecarryingammunition,fuel barrels,gunpowderanddynamiteto China.Theywouldcomebackloaded withmercury,tin,lead,andzinc.

Cédricflewdayandnight,inall weatherconditions.Thewind,athigh altitude,blewatupto200or300km/h. Theplanes,ofcourse,werenotpressurised,andtheoxygeninthemasksdidn’talwayslastlongenough.Thewings wouldofteniceup,andtheaircraftcould thennolongermaintaintherequiredaltitude.Ontheground,intheHimalaya mountains,livedheadhuntingtribes.The U.S.governmentwouldtrytobuyback pilotswho’dcrashedtherewithbagsof salt,ofwhichthenativeswereveryfond. ButasCédriclatersaid,“unfortunately, wedidn’tknowforhowlongtheywould

carryonwantingsalt”.

IntheHimalayas,theplaneswould getcaughtinterriblestorms,especially duringthemonsoonseason.Pilotsnavigatedwithoutradioassistance,and wouldtrytofindtheirwaywithoften inaccurateandincompletemaps.The planeswereoccasionallyattackedand shotdownbyJapaneseZeros.Between April1942andNovember1945,the FlyingTigerswhoflewtheC46sand C47sovertheHimalayaslost600planes: anaverageoneeveryotherdayforthree andahalfyears.InJanuary1945,35 planeswerelostinasinglestorm.Cédric oncetoldmethestoryofoneofhiscolleagueswho’dcrashedinthemountains withhisC46andwastheonlysurvivor: hesliddownthesnow-coveredslopeson theelevatorofhisplanelikeasled,and emergedfromthejungletwomonths later.

InlateJuly1945,hepilotedthree flightsfromCalcuttatoChongqingina DC3totransport$13millioningold bars.Thiswaspartofthe$100million thattheUSAlentChinainhardcash, requiringatotalof22flights.Butthat wasjustthebeginning.

Cédric’smostextraordinarystory, theonethatmadehimalegend,wasthat ofhisflighttotakeChinesegovernment

moneytoChina,onAug.23,1945.The newnoteshadbeenprintedintheUnited States,andCédricwastocarryfivetons ofthesefortheBankofChina:atotalof $866million.Thismoneywasforthe nationalistgovernment,toreplace Japanesecurrencyattheendofthewar. Icebegantobuilduponthewings,then aleakinthehydraulicsystemcausedthe landinggeartodescendpartially,andone ofthetwoenginesfailed,probablydueto

ContinuedonPage25

RESTRAINING AIR POWER:ESCALATION MANAGEMENT BETWEEN PEER AIR FORCES

byMarkRhodes

RestrainingAirPower:Escalation ManagementBetweenPeerAir Forces (UniversityPressof Kentucky)byAuthor,FormerAirForce PilotandEmbry-RiddleProfessorof AeronauticalScienceRobertC.Owen, andseveralothercontributors,isatimely workthatasksthequestion(amongothers)isitpossiblefortwocombatantswith equalairpowertoassertrestraintsto allowforlimitedairoperations?This questionisaddressedinProfessor Owen’sworkframingthisquestion throughhistoricalcasestudiesstartingin 1945andgoinguptothepresent. ProfessorOwen’sworkisbothtimely andtimelessandhewaskindenoughto participateinanemailinterviewwith MarkRhodesabouthiswork.

InFlightUSA: Whatwasthe processlikeofworkingwithothercontributorstothisbook?

ProfessorRobertOwen: Doing groupprojectsisalwaysdifficultfora

numberofreasons.Inthiscase,threeof theoriginalauthorsdroppedoutbymutualagreement,onewhocouldnotwrite (thatcameasasurprise),onewhofound myeditorialcommentsdifficult,andone whojustwentNORDO(USAF-esefor “noradio,”i.e.juststoppedcommunicating).Thefourwhostayedonboard,however,werechampionsofworkingtoa schedule,producingqualityprose,and stayingontarget.

IFUSA: Amajorthemeofthebook isthenecessityforescalationmanagementintheutilizationofmilitaryair power.Isthisnotiononethatisnewin themodernmilitary?

RO: AsForrestMorganablydiscussedinthefirstchapter,theideaof controllingormanagingescalationis basicallya20thCenturynotionborneof nuclearweaponsanddeterrence.Priorto that,mostmilitarytheoristsarticulated warasatotalaffair,oratleastonetendingtototality,inwhichrestrainttolimit enemyreactionswasconsideredunlikely andfoolish.Nuclearparitybetweenthe

SovietUnionandtheU.S.dampened enthusiasmfortotalwarandfostereda literatureondeterrence.Little,however, wasdiscussedinthecontextofconventionalwar.Now,asmassprecisionair poweroffersthecapacitytodogrievous harmtoenemystatesinveryshortperiodsoftime,theteamfeltthatitwastime todiscusstheoryandexperiencerelevant tomajorairwarsbetweenpeers.

IFUSA: Thebookisframed withessaysaboutconflicts(suchas theAngolanWarofthemid70s) stretchingoutoverthelasthalfof the20thcenturyandhowtheywere managed.Howfamiliarwereyou withtheseconflictsindividually andwereyousurprisedwithanyof thedetailsoftheseconflictsinparticular?Whatwerethecriteria involvedinchoosingtheseconflicts?

RO: WhenIformulatedthestudy andbeganrecruitingauthors,Iwasaware ofmostoftheconflictsthatfitouranalyticalrequirements(thereweren’t many–seetheIntroductionchapter),butI

wasnotnecessarilyanexpertonanyof them.Ibegantheprojectbyseekingcolleagueswhowereexpertsandwillingto putinthetimenecessarytodoaquality job.StephenPagetiswellpublishedon

CédricMah(CourtesyTheChinese (CanadianMilitaryMuseum)

RobertC.Owens,Author (CourtesyUniversityPress ofKentucky)

CédricMah

carburetoricing.Theplanerapidlylost altitude,droppingfrom7,000to4,000 meterswithinminutes.

Cédricwasabouttoorderhiscrew tojumpwhenherememberedthatthey wereflyingintheregionoftheLolos,a tribeofsevenmillionpeoplelivinginthe mountainsnexttoTibetandChina.They werehostile,andenslavedallthecaptives theycouldcatch.Inanycase,evenifthey weren’tcapturedintheheartofthe Himalayas,thecrewhadverylittle chanceofmakingitoutalive.Cédric therefore,onsecondthought,orderedhis mentothrowoutthecargo.Ofthe52palletsofbanknotes,theykeptonlyfourto buildafireinthemountainsandaspocketmoneytobuyhelpincasetheydidn’t makeitbacktotheirbase.

At3,000metres,Cédricmanagedto restartthefailedengineand,havingconsiderablyreducedtheweightofhisheavy financialburden,hemanagedtoregain altitude,edgehiswaythroughthemountainsandgetbacktobase.Ofcourse,the authoritieswerewaitingforthemand accusedCédricofhavingdroppedoffthe moneytoaccomplicesifnottoayoung ladyfriend.Hewassoonreleased,however,andtoldmeinYellowknife,some 20yearslater,thathehadnevergone backtopick-upupthecashsothatthe moneymuststillbethere,amongthe eternalsnowsoftheHimalayas.Perhaps withglobalwarming…

Thesupplymissionsendedin November1945.Cédricalonehadcarriedout337flightsovertheHimalayas. In1946,hereturnedtotheregiontofly forthreeyearsandsupplyChiangKaishek’snationalistarmyuntilthe Communiststookpower.Cédricthen returnedtoCanada.

Afterthewar,hereceivedtheHump VictoryMedalfromtheChinese,and, fromtheAmericans,themedalsforthe AsiaticPacificCampaign,American Campaign,andWorldWarTwoVictory.

Itwasnotuntil1997thathisfeats werefullyrecognised:Cédricreceived theU.S.AirMedalandtheDistinguished FlyingCross,thehighestdecorationfor U.S.airmen.

WhenheretiredinEdmonton, Cédricbecameavolunteerguideatthe AviationMuseumandenjoyeddrivingan oldcarinwhichhetookmeforaspinone day:hehadinstalledalltheengineand navigationinstrumentsofaC46hehad flown,andwhichhadbeenflippedover onthegroundandbeendestroyedbya stormatthefootoftheHimalayas.His

CédricMahinYellowknife,infrontof oneoftheGatewayAviationBeech18s onfloats.Mahisthefourthfromleftand theauthor,DominiquePrinet,isleftof him.(CourtesyDominiquePrinet)

passinginEdmontonin2011,atage88, waswidelycoveredintheCanadian,U.S. andBritishpress.

Sources: Manylongdiscussions withCédricMahwhilewewerebothflyingforGatewayAviationoutof Yellowknifeinthelate1960s,anddozens ofarticleswrittenabouthimontheoccasionofhisdeathat88inEdmontonin 2011.Severalfilmedinterviewsarealso availableontheWeb.

Editor’sNote: AuthorDominiquePrinet obtainedhisCanadiancommercial licensesin1965,andhisATRin1970.

HeflewforayearalongtheB.C. coast,andthenforGatewayAviation,in Yellowknife(NWT),from1966to1971, withBeavers,OttersandBeech18s,on floats,wheelsandskis.Betweenflights, heobtainedanengineeringdegreefrom UBCandanMBAfromMcGill.

DominiquebecameVPofNordair (Montreal)inthe1970s,andjoined CanadianAirlines(Vancouver)asVP Marketingin1987.Hethenspentfive yearsinAfrica,turning-aroundandmanagingthenationalairlineAirTanzania. Heobtainedhishelicopterlicenseat70. In2021,hepublished FlyingtoExtremes (HancockHouse),describinghisadventuresasabushpilotintheArcticduring thelate1960s.ThisCedricMahstoryis nottakenfromthebook Flyingto Extremes. ThisisapreviouslyunpublishedstorybyDominiquePrinetand doesnotappearinthebook.

CédricMahattheEdmontonaviation museum. (CourtesyCBC)

Images and visions of Sagar Pathak

RV-15: THE RESTOFTHE S TORY

By Ed Wischmeyer

Yes, the title is a bit presumptuous, but here’s what other reports on the RV-15 may not have told you about the upcoming kit prototype version of the RV-15, as the airplane flying now is an engineering development airplane.

Background: The RV-15 is the newest plane from Van’s Aircraft, and this is their first high wing airplane. It’s designed to be a back country airplane – more on that later – but, like all of their other airplanes, “total performance,” i.e., a general purpose design with good low and high speed performance, not compromised to be a full gonzo STOL competition airplane.

Specializing in Aviation Photography

Van’s did extensive market research and their plane most closely – not close, but most closely – is kind of like a Cessna 170, they say. Sort of. But, realizing that the RV-15 numbers are not yet finalized, let’s look at the Cessna 180 instead. Comparable cruise speeds, comparable full fuel payload, but the RV-15 baggage is 200 lb. instead of 120 lb. Some websites say that the Cessna 180 can carry six, but six 170-pounders would mean trying to fly with empty tanks. And the ASM standards for LSAs use 190-pound average weights. Lastly, the C180 has 230 HP, the RV-15 will have 180-215 HP.

The RV-15 is two seats (not enough headroom in the back for more, and a four seat back country airplane for four people and baggage would be huge); tailwheel (for back country, nosewheel and float versions to come, but the float fittings and tricycle gear fittings are the same); with an amazing, bounce proof, patented landing gear design incorporating two gear shocks for each main gear, and a parallelogram tailwheel design with a shock absorber.

Van’s mentions the RV-15 as a trainer aircraft with the tricycle gear, and the FAA’s nascent MOSAIC program was mentioned as a possible new avenue for aircraft certification and production.

The wing is unchanged, constant chord with big flaps, but no leading edge slots or slats or vortex generators. An advantage of this design is that the deck angle is lower for landing. Check the videos of Just Aircraft STOLs landing tailwheel first with main wheels way in the air. Instead, Van’s chose to get low speed performance with a larger wing. The airfoil is a NACA 23000 series but with a new leading edge for a gentler stall.

The engineering prototype spar caps were laminated aluminum strips, like on the early RVs, but the new wing will use extrusions for ease of construction. The fuel tanks are no longer in the wing leading edge

but are moving aft in the wing, between the spars, likely for crash protection. The engineering prototype tanks were 25 gallons per side, but the production tanks will be 30 gallons. My guess is that the extra ten gallons better allows trips into the back country and explore a little bit before heading out for more gas. Interestingly enough, the fuel tanks will be removable through the bottom of the wing, and the bottom wing skin is the bottom of the tank.

With the huge baggage compartment, having enough volume for two bicycles, it seems likely that Van’s was concerned with the c.g. being too far aft when fully loaded. Whatever the reason, the wing was moved back an inch and the engine moved forward an inch, and also down to maintain over the nose visibility. This, in turn, required longer landing gear legs. And, with the wing moved back, a longer fuselage moved the tail back for stability and control.

Van’s has done a lot of work exploring pop rivets for the RV-15 for those of us who aren’t fond of dimpling and bucking. Word at this point is that a lot of the RV-15 will be plain old pop-riveted. Countersunk pop rivets don’t have satisfactory fatigue characteristics for this application. However, Van’s is exploring bucked rivets for the RV-15. In any case, the pre-punched holes are final size, so no drilling or de-burring.

Assembly instructions for the RV-15 won’t be as detailed as the RV-10/-12/14. Unlike with other RVs, the kit sequence will be wings, then tail, followed by fuselage and finishing and firewall forward kits. Kits may be available in 2023, but RV-15 kits production should not impact other kit deliveries. As they say, they’ll ship when it’s “right, not right now.”

Bottom line? Van’s is really smart about kit manufacture, has taken the time to define exactly the product they want to build and is taking the time to make it a plane that pilots will want to build, own, use, and fly. Given the market interest built up by the smaller bush planes, I think Van’s will have a hard time meeting demand.

The Van’s Aircraft RV-15 prototype. (Courtesy Van’s Aircraft and vansairforce.net)

A GREAT OPPORTUNITYTO RESCUE HEROIC NAVY HISTORY

By Taras Lyssenko, Dr. John T Dorwin, PhD, Ed Ellis, (Capt. USN Ret.) and Joe May

Foundation, the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum (Air Zoo), A and T Recovery, of other experts with the combined experience and expertise in conducting and completing such efforts. It is hoped that the Naval History and Heritage Command will approve and support the proposal. From their mission, it would seem that they would be more than willing to be a part of the effort.

In October 2022, in accordance with the regulatory guidelines (32 CFR 767) under the Sunken Military Craft Act of 2004 (10 U.S.C. §113), a proposal was submitted to the Underwater Archeological Branch of the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) for the recovery and presentation to the American public of Douglas TBD-1 Devastator Torpedo-Bombers and a highly significant Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat Fighter aircraft. The team who submitted the proposal consists of staff from Naval Aviation Museum

The mission of the Naval History and Heritage Command, “Is to collect, preserve, protect and make available the artifacts, documents, and art that best embodies our naval history and heritage for present and future generations; advance the knowledge of naval history and heritage through professional research, analysis, interpretation, products and services; make naval history “come alive” for our Sailors and Marines to enhance readiness and esprit de corps; and remind America of its need to maintain a strong Navy and Marine Corps to protect its citizens, their freedoms and the nation’s maritime commerce.”

The project team has set its sights on the U.S.S. Lexington (CV-2). The carrier had been the American side’s loss at the Battle of the Coral Sea, where she went to the sea floor, 9800 feet deep, with over a dozen TBD-1 aircraft parked on her deck.

In late 2017, some of the team, were searching the Navy’s records of the Battle of the Coral Sea at the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park Maryland. They came across the Destroyer Squadron reports of the sinking of the U.S.S. Lexington (CV2). In those reports was the location the ship went to the bottom. The team immediately scanned the documents and emailed them to the leadership of Paul Allen’s search crew. Several months later, the crew of the R/V Petrel notified the world they had located the Lexington and many of her aircraft.

The Lexington’s wreck lies in four sections plus a large debris field. The main section of the wreck lies upright at a depth of about 9800 feet on the bottom of the Coral Sea. The bow and stern sections as well as a portion of the bridge are approximately one-half kilometer from the main section with the subject TBD-1 Devastators and F4F-3 Wildcat even further removed. The locations of the aircraft are separated by a substantially safe working distance of over a half kilometer from the wreckage of the U.S.S. Lexington (CV-2), as well as another 100 meters from the bow and stern sections, therefore ensuring that any potential war grave would remain undisturbed. Note that the aircraft had been spotted, unmanned, on

the bow of the flight deck after recovery from combat operations. Therefore, these TBD-1 Devastator and F4F-3 Wildcat aircraft are not war graves.

Side scan imagery of the U.S.S. Lexington’s (CV-2) wreck site, including debris field. Note the far distance between the main hull of the Lexington and the aircraft (© Navigea Ltd. R/V Petrel 2018)

Sadly, Mr. Allen passed away and the team thought all hope for recovery was lost. However, in June of 2022 another prominent patriotic American indicated that he would be willing to greatly assist in the effort, if the Naval History and Heritage Command upper management wished to bring it to fruition. Therefore, the team put forth the time to draft a detailed comprehensive proposal/plan.

Continued on Page 32

Torpedo-Bomber Squadron 2’s (VT 2) Logo

Flying With Faber

AN EXTRAORDINARY DOG FRIENDLY RESORT

About six months ago, we adopted Dr. Bartolo, a puppy of pit bulllab ethnicity. All of our pooches have been pit bulls or combinations thereof. Regardless of what I consider the unjustified and misunderstood reputation of this breed, our dogs have been the most gentle, loving and loyal pets. Dr. Bartolo is no exception.

As an ardent fan of the opera, I often name our dogs after opera characters. Our last dog was Figaro. We named Dr. Bartolo, our current dog, after a character in The Barber of Seville, my favorite opera of all time.

As I’ve insisted, we regard pit bulls as safe, gentle pets. However, due to his young age, Dr. Bartolo is quite rambunctious. He is relentless in his insistence on frequent outdoor excursions to visit and express his affection to other dogs and their human companions. In order to expand his social horizons, we decided to take him on our recent trip to Newport Beach. As I expected, Dr. Bartolo has taken on a major aspect of my personality. We both love to travel.

The City of Newport Beach

Approximately a 15-minute flight, or a 1-hour drive from the Los Angeles region, you will instantaneously find yourself immersed in another world. Southern Orange County and its surrounding villages are a collection of tailored, meticulously planned, yet colorful seaside communities including, among others, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Dana Point. Newport Beach, a bustling coastal city, is known for its large, boat-filled harbor. Balboa Peninsula has two piers, Newport Beach Pier and Balboa Pier, plus the Balboa Fun Zone, an old-school amusement park with a Ferris wheel and ocean views. Local beaches include the Wedge, known for its big waves, and Corona del Mar State Beach. The Orange County Museum of Art exhibits modern and contemporary works.

Within moments from settling into the beach and island communities, you will lose sight of the fact that you are actually surrounded by a huge metropolitan area. That is the beauty of southern Orange County. At any given time, you can take a few steps and return to the big city life, then take a few steps back and retreat to the bucolic beach communities.

Newport Beach is adjacent to sever-

al tiny islands. The entrance to Balboa Island is just down the road from the expansive Fashion Island Shopping Center. Or you can arrive by ship –a car ferry. Whenever we visit the Newport Beach area, we love to take our car across the bay on the Balboa Island Ferry for a reunion with this charming island. Since 1919, the ferry has provided continuous service for drivers and passengers in vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians between Balboa Island and Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach. The picturesque trip takes about 15 minutes. Once on the island, you can explore numerous shops and restaurants that have been serving the community for decades. We also visited Lido Isle, another small island. We paused for dinner at the Circle Hook in Lido Marina Village, 3432 Via Oporto #104, Newport Beach, 949/ 200-9476, circlehookfishco.com. Our table overlooked the marina. We gazed at the boats while we enjoyed an

ahi tuna salad and a heaping plate of fish and chips. I proclaim both the fish and chips and the ahi salad as among the best we’ve ever enjoyed. After dinner, we sauntered along the Lido Village walkway and visited some charming shops.

Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 West Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA 92663, 949/645-5000, www.balboabayresort.com

Balboa Bay Resort, Newport Beach’s premier waterfront retreat, offers stunning bay views and sunsets over Balboa Bay’s harbor. Recently named the #1 Resort in Newport Beach by U.S. News & World Report, the Forbes Four-Star and AAA Four-Diamond property features 159 luxurious guestrooms and suites, offering relaxed yet refined accommodations.

Dr. Bartolo availed himself of the VIP (Very Important Pooches) program, which is also referred to as the Pampered Pooch Program. From the moment of our arrival, with profound dedication, the doctor was treated like a VIP. The lug-

gage guy approached the doctor and within seconds, they were embracing, playfully sparing and almost rolling around the parking lot pavement. The doctor was greeted at check-in, had his photo taken with Cheryl and was furnished with a bag of treats, special beverages and a cozy blanket. He joined us at the A+O restaurant for an outstanding dinner and a hearty breakfast. Throughout our stay, every staff member we encountered was genuinely friendly –both people and dog friendly.

We selected a bright, tastefully furnished 500-square-foot bay view room. It featured a huge patio with panoramic views of Newport Bay, a gorgeous, tiled bathroom, plus all amenities including wi-fi and a giant TV. Along with Dr. Bartolo, we lounged on the patio for what seemed like hours as we gazed at the boats cruising back and forth – especially as the sun disappeared over the harbor. No, we never grew weary of watching the boats passing by.

The culinary program includes A+O Restaurant and Bar. With food and beverage direction by Executive Chef Prabeen Prathapan, the restaurant serves innovative cuisine, craft cocktails along with live acoustic music. For the grab-and-go diners, Blend is a shop which offers fresh delicacies and delights.

A+O Restaurant and Bar offers a delightful waterfront dining experience for guests. It’s another ideal spot to watch the endless array of boats meandering up and down the Newport Harbor. The color palette features vivid shades of ocean

Continued on Page 30

Stuart J. Faber and Aunt Bea

Harbor at Dusk.

(Stuart J. Faber)

Fish & Chips at Circle Hook. (Stuart J. Faber)

Dr. Bartolo and Cher at the Balboa. (Stuart J. Faber)

Entrance. (Courtesy Balboa Bay Club)

Flying With Faber

Continued from Page 29

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blues, crisp whites and a burst of bright yellow on the umbrellas. Inspired by the waterfront restaurants and cafés on the Italian Riviera, the décor is enhanced with white-washed wood paneling and custom glass front doors that offer a warm welcome to A+O Restaurant Outside. On balmy days and nights, you can lounge on a wrap-around patio with striped umbrellas, white resin stone tables, wicker chairs and multiple fire pit tables to eat, drink or enjoy the nightly live music. Entrees include an assortment of home-made dishes such as seared scallops, burrata caprese, and salt and pepper shrimp.

Balboa Bay Resort’s Recreation Concierge can arrange land and water sport rentals from the hotel’s private dock along with a Poolside Cabana program. Outdoor activities include a choice of Duffy Boats, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards or e-bikes. The resort can also prepare a picnic lunch, which you can take to a nearby secluded beach.

Wellness amenities include a fitness studio, year-round heated outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool with poolside cabanas, a full-service 10,000-square-foot spa, and Drybar salon. The spa has a vast selection of traditional and signature massage services, skin treatments, and body therapies using only the finest ingredients from around the world. Guests of the spa enjoy access to whirlpools, steam rooms, saunas, and the quiet lounge as well as refreshments in the luxurious locker rooms. The resort also has a gym with state-of-theart weight and cardio machines.

With its 32,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and its efficient, courteous staff, the resort can host a variety of business and social events. The indoor and outdoor meeting rooms include ballrooms, a bay front lawn, and numerous private rooms with attached terraces to take in all the gorgeous views of the Newport harbor. Wedding and group offerings include the waterfront Lighthouse Room, Bayfront ceremony lawn and more.

I’m not much of a shopper, but Fashion Island, 401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach is a world renown shopping and entertainment destination. There are hundreds of stores, ranging from Neiman Marcus to one-of-a-kind clothing and specialty boutiques. The compound consists of numerous acres of theaters, restaurants and places just to hang around and spend the day. The eateries range from premier steak houses to ice cream parlors. With the ideal southern California weather almost 356 days per year, the walking-around areas are entirely outside. Cheryl and Dr. Bartolo spent hours and hours exploring the many

stores and attractions. I was concerned that I would barely have sufficient funds to fill up the tank for the journey home.

We paid several visits to Newport Dog Park, 1521 Avocado Ave, Newport Beach. Just a stone’s throw from Fashion Island, this is one of the most immaculate and inviting dog parks we have ever visited. Within minutes, Dr. Bartolo established an impressive number of canine and human friendships.

In addition to its serene beauty and excellent staff, what we love the most is that, in the midst of bustling Newport Beach, this resort becomes a secluded oasis the moment you enter the environs. From the tranquility of your quarters, you are never more than fifteen minutes from most of the attractions that I have described.

The Airport

John Wayne International Airport (KSNA) is like an old friend of mine. I can recall the days when it was little more than a grass strip. The field opened in the 1920s and, by 1939, was known as Orange County Airport. During WWII, the field was used by the Army Air Corps. Commercial airline service began in 1952. The airport, at an elevation of 55 feet, is now a major international destination. Runway 2L/28R is 5,700 feet long. Runway 2R/28L is 2,886 feet long. ILS, GPS and RNAV are available to R20R. ACIJET, 949-201-2550 is my recommended FBO. The field is approximately a 15-minute drive from Newport Beach. Newport Beach offers the best of both worlds. Every attraction offered by big cities, plus the peace and safety of small American villages.

Tecnam P2006T SMP

Cessna 310R

ecnamT

Lido Village. (Stuart J. Faber)

Room with a view.

(Courtesy Balboa Bay Club)

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Homebuilder’s Workshop By Ed Wischmeyer TRIVIA

How well do you know the current Federal Air Regulations?

§ 61.11 Expired pilot certificates and re-issuance.

(b) The following pilot certificates and ratings have expired and will not be reissued:

(1) An airline transport pilot certificate issued before May 1, 1949, or an airline transport pilot certificate that contains a horsepower limitation. So if you were 23, the minimum age, when you got your ATP on May 1, 1949, you’d be going on 97 years old now. The acting FAA head says that inclusion is his #2 priority behind safety, so hopefully he’ll address this egregious regulation for those who cannot get a re-issuance – in the name of inclusivity, of course.

§ 61.153 Eligibility requirements: General.

To be eligible for an airline transport pilot certificate, a person must:

(a) Meet the following age requirements:

(2) For an airline transport pilot cer-

tificate obtained under the aeronautical experience requirements of § 61.160, be at least 21 years of age. i.e., approved college graduates. Everybody else must be 23 years old.

§ 61.165 Additional aircraft category and class ratings.

(g) Category class ratings for the operation of aircraft with experimental certificates. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, a person holding an airline transport certificate may apply for a category and class rating limited to a specific make and model of experimental aircraft, provided –

(1) The person has logged at least 5 hours flight time while acting as pilot in command in the same category, class, make, and model of aircraft that has been issued an experimental certificate;

(2) The person has received a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor who has determined that he or she is proficient to act as pilot in command of the same category, class, make, and model of aircraft for which applica-

Restraining Air Power

Continued from Page 24

RAF history, so my main contribution to the South Atlantic War chapter was to research recent English and Spanish documents on the politics of the conflict and Argentine operations. For years, Ben Lambeth was RAND’s leading expert on air warfare and combat aircraft, and had written already on the Kargil War. So, he was a natural to write that chapter. Likewise, Lazar Berman was well-versed on the 1973 War, a very good writer in English, and had access to the most recently declassified Israeli documents. For my part, I had a previous interest in the Sagebrush exercise and the Angolan War, so I took those and collaborated elsewhere as necessary to flesh out other chapters and to collaborate with Forrest on the conclusion. For me personally, I found the find-

ings and after effects of Sagebrush on American defense policy, and Ben’s discussion of the Kargil War to be the most interesting “woo whoos” of the study. I also had a lot of fun stretching my high school Spanish past its limits to decipher the Argentine reports on the South Atlantic War, and the few Cuban documents available on the Angolan conflict. What was the process like of working with other contributors to this book? There were other conflicts that fit our criteria. But, long books don’t get read, so I focused our efforts on ones that I thought were most relevant and sufficient to make our points.

IF USA: What are your feelings about the future of Air Power in the modern world? Do you see any trends or directions that this aspect of modern warfare is moving towards?

Rescue Heroic Navy History

Continued from Page 28

U.S. Navy’s Devastator fulfilled the dual aircraft carrier borne tactical roles of either torpedo attack or horizontal bombing –hence the Devastator’s designation as a torpedo-bomber. This was the flexible tactical theory of the age, an age of rapid evolution aircraft in design. Debuting in 1937, the Devastator was revolutionary with hydraulically folding wings as well as

wheel brakes for faster deck handling. It also was the first naval aviation aircraft possessing a full metal construction and a single wing. Other advanced features were a fully enclosed cockpit and semiretractable landing gear. Each Devastator had up to three aircrew: a pilot up front who also aimed and dropped the torpedo; the bomb aimer in the middle cockpit; and the radio operator/gunner in the rear cock-

tion is made; and

(3) The flight time specified in paragraph (g)(1) of this section must be logged between Sept. 1, 2004 and Aug. 31, 2005. I once saw a private pilot license, single engine land, with an endorsement for (twin-engine) experimental AirCam.

Aviation is getting more and more woke. As if “Notices for Air Missions” wasn’t woke enough, one charter airline has now prohibited cabin announcements from using the phrase, “ladies and gentlemen” because some people might get offended.

going to work my way through her YouTube series on light aircraft design.

The struggle to get my skills back to where they once were and where they ought to be continues. These days, the major embarrassment comes from steep turns, i.e., 45-degree “steep” turns. Steep turns used to be 55 degrees, and before that, 60 degrees. I used to nail the 60-degree steep turns. These days, on the 45-degree…

Some of my DPE friends say that they see CFI applicants who get unsettled beyond 45 degrees, or even at that. My safety research indicates that a number of supposed stall/spin accidents really aren’t, suggesting that the pilots got overwhelmed in a steep bank, or maybe a sort of steep bank.

A few years ago at Oshkosh, I heard Sonja Englert talk about spin-proof and spin-resistant aircraft. She is a very accomplished general aviation test pilot, designer and builder in the Pacific Northwest. With high expectation, I’m

Maybe it’s time to bring back the 60degree steep turns, or at least the 55degree – which gives pilots five degrees of slack before they need parachutes, as if that generalized regulation should limit one specific maneuver.

RO: Well, that’s a big question and one best answered for yourself by reviewing our final chapter. But, here are a few points worth considering. Modern air warfare is the product of a vastly complex and hugely expensive system of air, space, cyber, logistical, and cultural systems. Consequently, only a few nations are capable of practicing it at any scale. In my view, the United States retains the only global air force. First class regional air forces capable of playing the whole game on a lesser scale would include Britain, Australia, France, Japan, China, India, and Israel. China is a special case, of course, since it borders on global status in limited but expanding contexts. A few other countries, such as most other NATO states, are capable of engaging in modern air warfare on limited scales, or more broadly as

members of alliances hopefully supported by U.S. logistical and C3I capabilities. The Russian Air Force, of course, remains what it has always been, a force propping up tyrants with oversold equipment of mediocre capabilities and a self-destructive military culture. So, depending on their underlying causes and the mixes of air forces engaged, air forces can be very dangerous and potentially decisive elements of future wars. In cases where the causes are existential and the mixes of air forces are powerful, air operations can trigger dangerous escalations by any side of a conflict. Avoiding or intentionally triggering such escalations in those cases will oblige enemies to understand each other’s motivations and fears and to constrain their actions accordingly.

IF USA: Thank you!

pit –with torpedo attack missions often omitting the bomb aimer. The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of a mere 130 TBD Devastator aircraft by the time the United States found itself at war.

In its torpedo delivery role the TBD was armed with a single Mark 13 torpedo which was more a handicap in early World War II than a threat through no fault of the TBDs or aircrews. Mark 13s

of the time often ran at the surface, which severely diminished their accuracy, or their magnetic exploders would malfunction. During horizontal bombing missions the bomb aimer would slide to a position under the pilot’s cockpit to use a Norden bombsight through a pair of opened bomb sight doors.

During the first few months of the

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Rescue Heroic Navy History

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Pacific War the U.S. Navy employed Devastators in daring surprise aircraft carrier raids against occupied island bases requiring Japan’s military forces to quickly alter planning as well as targets. This set the stage for the Battle of the Coral Sea.

The pinnacle of Devastator effectiveness was the accurate delivery of several torpedoes which assisted in the sinking of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) aircraft carrier, Shōhō, during the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy was able to deliver a coordinated attack of Dauntless dive bombers and the TBD squadrons were able to execute a classic “anvil” attack in this battle. Remarkably their Mark 13 torpedoes “ran hot, straight and true.” Targeting with a Mark 13 was no simple task and a task made much harder if not approaching from dead ahead. The Mark 13 did not possess high speed, only getting up to 33 knots, so targeting a fast moving ship from the side meant a large offset angle (60º +) –slowly overtaking at a large lead angle leaves a slim margin for error. Compounding the challenge to Devastator crews was the preference to drop at 600 yards from the targeted ship. TBD crews had to fly straight and level at a consistent (slow) airspeed for a minute or more to accurately drop their torpedoes so they would arm and close with the ship –then peel away a mere 12 seconds of flying time from the target, if not directly overflying it. Each TBD crew would expect to fly through the escorting screen an aircraft carrier or other capital ship not once but twice. They deserve to be remembered and honored.

Along with the Lexington’s TBD Devastators is an exceptionally historic Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat (Bureau Number 3986). This fighter had been flown at different times by LT Edward ‘Butch” O’Hare, LCDR John Smith “Jimmy” Thach, LT Noel A. Gayler, and LT Albert Vorse, all Aces and revered Naval Aviators. O’Hare became the Navy’s first Ace of WWII and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the others became admirals.

On 4 May 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea opened as Task Force 17 attacked the Japanese Tulagi Invasion Force, sinking four smaller vessels and damaging four others. The Yorktown’s Air Group suffered two Wildcats and one Devastator lost. That same day (4 May 1942), Japanese transports sailed from Rabaul, bound for Port Moresby to carry out Operation MO as it was designated by the IJN.

The Battle resumed on 7 May as RADM Fletcher’s force turned north to engage the IJN Carrier Strike Force.

Dauntless and Devastator aircraft (VB 2, VB 5, VS 2, VS 5, VT 2, VT 5) from the Yorktown (CV-5) and the Lexington (CV2) attacked the Japanese Close Support Force, and sank the carrier Shōhō, off Misima Island.

The Battle continued into 8 May after a Dauntless pilot (VS 2) from the Lexington sighted the Japanese Carrier Strike Force, formed around the large aircraft carriers Shōkaku and Zuikaku Dauntless aircraft from the Lexington and the Yorktown damaged the Shōkaku and forced her retirement. Japanese dive bombers and torpedo planes, however, penetrated the screening aircraft and ships of the U.S. Navy and damaged aircraft carriers Lexington (bombs and torpedoes) and Yorktown (bombs).

Lexington was further damaged when aviation fuel vapor ignited and triggered massive internal explosions. She was later abandoned when her fires blazed out of control. All of her surviving crew members were rescued by escorting ships. The Lexington was then scuttled by the destroyer U.S.S. Phelps (DD-360) with the launching of five torpedoes. As the ship sank the aircraft which had been on the forward portion of the flight deck windmilled away from the ship as they also sank –ultimately settling a substantial distance from the wreck’s location.

The significance of the Battle of the Coral Sea and even its victor has been the subject of much debate and has changed through time. At first it was thought to have been one more in the string of IJN victories because more American ships were lost and the loss of the Lexington was far more devastating than the Japanese loss of the Shōhō. It was, however, acknowledged that Japanese expansion had been stopped for the first time. Subsequently, historians have concluded that Coral Sea was the first naval engagement in which the opposing ships never saw each other or exchanged gun fire. Additionally, Imperial Japan was forced to cancel Operation MO, the invasion plan for Port Moresby. This battle had such significance that Australia began Coral Sea Week to commemorate the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1946. The battle was seen, at the time, as having saved Australia from invasion by Japan. As more history and analysis came to light the celebration has been renamed The Battle for Australia, on the first Wednesday of each September, recognizing the chains of events as well as all participants in the war effort.

The proposal, presented to NHHC, highlights the strategic significance of the Battle of the Coral Sea and the important

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contribution the Douglas TBD-1 Devastator played in Naval Aviation. Knowing the extreme depth of the recovery site, the team has requested the support and assistance of the Navy’s Supervisor of Diving and Salvage and the Director of Salvage Operations and Ocean Engineering. It puts forth what will be needed for the conservation of the aircraft and explains that according to the standards set forth by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the aircraft should be restored to as close as possible condition at the time they went to the sea bed. Additionally, there is detailed information concerning the expertise of the team from recovery, conservation/restoration, through public educational outreach.

Aviation development rates were high before and during World War II, the Devastator’s design was quickly outclassed by more modern fighters by 1942, the year of the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway. Yet, in 1942, when these battles took place, it was the torpedo bomber most in place and available for carrier operations by the USN. The Navy’s brave Devastator aircrews flew them into harm’s way by pressing attacks against Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) aircraft carrier forces in these battles although at immense disadvantage against Mitsubishi A6M interceptor aircraft

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2) leaving San Diego, California (USA), on 14 October 1941. Planes parked on her flight deck include Brewster F2A-1 fighters (parked forward), Douglas SBD scout-bombers (amidships) and Douglas TBD-1 torpedo planes (aft). Note the false bow wave painted on her hull, forward, and badly chalked condition of the hull's camouflage paint. (Naval History & Heritage Command [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

and anti-aircraft artillery due to their, by then, lack of speed and Mark 13 aerial torpedo launching limitations. Only 130 were produced for the USN yet none are displayed in museums, in public or private spaces, or under restoration. Devastator crews made historic differences in the dire opening days of World War II for the United States with their aircraft. The Devastator has been unjustly maligned when its per-

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Rescue Heroic Navy History

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formance was simply overtaken by events –although it was the weapons delivery system at the time which could be used as torpedo attack aircraft in concert with dive bomber aircraft (the tactics of the time for aircraft carrier borne naval warfare). Recovery, restoration and display of Douglas TBD-1 Devastator aircraft will fill a significant gap missing in the Navy’s, as

well as the world’s museums and bring largely absent remembrance of the dedication of their aircrews in the highest tradition of the Navy –a remembrance which can best be illuminated by actual aircraft, especially these historic battle veteran aircraft.

Many seeking support from others ask that people write their Congressional representation. We are realists, we understand that people do not do such things

for the most part. What our team wishes, that many people share this article and the proposal (available on request, see below) with others, using social media. It is our hope to attract the attention of others with substantial means who are willing to support this effort so that this important part of American heritage is not lost to the harsh marine environment and time. Share this article and the pro-

posal with others, use social media. This article will be available online at www.inflightusa.com.

Sources:

http://lexingtonaircraftrecoveryproject.com

TarasAtSea@AOL.com

MID-ATLANTIC AIR MUSEUM’S 32ND ANNIVERSARY WORLD WAR II

WEEKEND JUNE 2-4

Aviation enthusiasts worldwide have met the first weekend in June at the Reading Regional Airport, the former General Carl A. Spaatz Army Airfield, for more than 30 years. They come to honor our World War II Veterans, chat with reenactors, view military gear, weapons, and armor, enjoy period entertainment, and be thrilled by aerial flight demonstrations performed by authentic World War II aircraft.

Once again, the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum arranged an impressive assortment of aircraft, which will be displayed on the ground and in the air all three days, June 2, 3 and 4. Also, at least a dozen World War II Veterans in attendance will be available for autographs and provide firsthand accounts of their war experiences.

The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum’s spacious grounds will contain living history displays of American, Allied, and Axis equipment. In addition, reenactors will be present to provide detailed accounts of life on the frontlines and the homefront.

Frank Sings Frank, America’s Sweethearts, The Forecast Quartet, and The Spirit of the Airways, WRDG Radio, will provide period entertainment. In addition, Big Band Concerts are scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights from 7 to 10 p.m.

A Night Engine-Run Photoshoot was added in 2021. Especially geared to aviation photographers, it involves three iconic World War II aircraft aligned on the field and illuminated after dark with their engines running, providing an excellent photo-op for network television and newspaper cameras.

This event is consistently ranked by USA Today as one of the top five air shows in North America.

For more information, visit the MidAtlantic Aviation Museum website at www.maam.org . The museum is located at 11 Museum Drive, Reading, PA, telephone number 619-372-7333.

SPIRITOF FLIGHT: CELEBRATING WOMENIN AVIATION

By Denise DeGregoire

As we embark on Women of Aviation Month, I look back at the amazing women who have paved the way for the current and future female pilots to continue to fly high, decrease the gender gap, and inspire future girls and women to join the exciting field of aviation. I tip my hat to the countless women who have been flying powered aircrafts since 1908, as well as the many women who work tirelessly behind the scenes to support these pilots in a multitude of ways. Women have opened doors to possibility and have entered fully into this exciting and amazing field as pilots, mentors, mathematicians, mechanics, air control, ground and air support, journalists, and volunteers to name a few.

In the last century:

Women have joined the ranks in aviation from the development of airplanes, helicopters, along with space travel. Women have been flying powered aircrafts since 1908 – most of which were restricted to work privately or in a supportive position.

History has brought us pioneering women who have led the way like Lillian Bland (the first woman to design, build, and fly her own plane in 1910), Bessie Coleman (the first African American and Native American to hold a pilot’s license), Valentina Tereshkova (a Russian cosmonaut and first woman to go to space in 1963), and Amelia Earhart (the most famous female aviator), in addition to “hidden figures” such as Katherine Johnson, a mathematician working at NASA who was one of the first African American women hired to process aeronautical data in the Space Race era, as well as the countless array of female “trailblazers.”

During the last two decades, there has been a significant growth in the number of women involved in the aviation industry, which continues to steadily increase, and women can be found in every aviation occupation today. However, the numbers continue to be slight by comparison.

Organizations like The NinetyNines, Inc. and Women in Aviation International (WAI) continue to promote advancements in all aspects of women in aviation through mentoring programs, scholarships, and events in which dedicated women are a key component in bringing awareness to this ever-changing industry. Mentorship is essential in ensur-

ing that the next generation will take women further into the aviation and aerospace industry.

The Ninety-Nines:

“The organization was founded Nov. 2, 1929, at Curtiss Field, Valley Stream, Long Island, New York. All 117 women pilots at the time were invited to assemble for mutual support, the advancement of aviation and to create a central office to keep files on women in aviation. Louise Thaden was elected Secretary and worked to keep the group together as they struggled to establish themselves and to grow. Those early purposes continue to guide the organization today.

In 1931, Amelia Earhart was elected the first President, and the group selected the name “Ninety-Nines” to represent the 99 charter members. Membership was immediately opened to other women as they became licensed pilots. In recent years membership has been opened to include women with student pilot certificates. Inspiring Women Pilots Since 1929.”

~The Ninety-Nines official site

Women in Aviation International (WAI):

“WAI began in 1990 and was formally established in 1994 as a nonprofit organization. The first International Women in Aviation Conference was held in Prescott, Arizona, in 1990.

Member benefits include:

•Aviation for Women, the official bimonthly publication of Women in Aviation International

•WAI Connect monthly electronic newsletter

•Annual conference for WAI members in all fields of aviation and aerospace

•Local chapters in communities around the world

•Government and industry representation

•Educational outreach programs

•Network base for personal and career development

•Scholarships

•Merchandise and services discounts

•Aeromedical Advisory Partnership

•Legal Advisory Program

WAI is A nonprofit organization that encourages the advancement of women in all aviation career fields and interests.”

WAI official site

Over the past several years, I have

had the privilege of meeting many amazing women who have been influential within the world of aviation.

My friend Ana Uribe-Ruiz roused my involvement within women in aviation from the moment I first jumped in to help with a local “Girls in Aviation Day” at San Carlos Airport. During this time, I found a strong interest and began following (WAI). Ana is a pilot, Author, CoPresident of Women in Aviation, International – San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (WAI-SFBA), and Jefferson Award winner for Public Service. Ana’s Mission: To inspire girls to explore Aviation & Aerospace Industries, learn STREAM (science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts, and math) and its related fields, and fly! Having recently authored a book with other Latina pilots, Latinas in Aviation, which is a collective of 22 Latina pilots who share their stories and insights. Ana and these trailblazing women are carving the way for girls while empowering the next generation to take flight.

I attended an event at San Carlos Airport as (WAI-SFBA) hosted a mentoring program with the help of champions like Ames Samelu “Sam,” a WAI member, and Co-founder of Captain of Lives Foundation, along with Co-Founder Sandra Clifford, which mentors a diverse group of girls. These women, along with the help of others, graciously opened the San Mateo Air Squadron hangar to the group for a tour and lessons in navigation. The girls talked about how to lead by example and had a lesson in how a compass works which can easily correlate into real life.

More recently I watched history in the making as Zara Rutherford touched down at the Palo Alto Airport (KPAO). Zara, then19, went on to become the youngest female to fly around the world solo in a microlight. Zara continues to inspire young women and girls to go after their dreams – even if those dreams fall within historically male dominated fields. On this day, I met 14-year-old, Sahej Sethi, a student pilot, and aspiring fighter pilot who was there to see one of Zara’s historic landings. Sahej has since gone on to fly her first solo glider flight at age 15 and I have no doubt this young lady will be successful in attaining her own dreams of flight as she, like many others, inspires along the way.

Recently, Shelby Rose King, Global Express Captain at Planet 9 and member of “The Ninety-Nines” caught my attention. Planet Nine Private Air offers a personalized approach to aircraft management services and charter of ultra-long range jets.

“In an industry that is primarily dom-

inated by men, private aviation company Planet 9 is breaking glass ceilings daily, boasting an impressive 11 percent number of female pilots in their crew, which is approximately three times more than the national average for ATP pilots. The pri-

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Ana Uribe-Ruiz at Hiller Avition Museum's Women in Aviation Exhibit. (Denise DeGregoire)

Captain of Life & WAI-SFBA Youth Outreach Program. (Denise DeGregoire)

Sahej Sethi meeting, now world record holder, Zara Rutherford in Palo Alto (Denise DeGregoire)

Spirit of Flight

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vate jet company is proud to be a leading force and example for the continuously evolving airline industry. Whether it be pilots or their management team, these women are proving what it means to flip the script within the aviation industry.

Shelby Rose King, Global Express Captain

“Shelby has had a passion for flying for as long as she can remember. My love for aviation was first discovered in an after-school program at the age of 12,” said Shelby. “I obtained my private pilot’s license during my senior year of high school and looked forward to attending Embry-Aeronautical University.” The next four years of her life revolved around traveling and obtaining her certification, including the opportunity to compete in the Women’s Air Classic, which is widely considered to be the epicenter of women’s flying. She eventually found her way to Planet 9 Private Air, recently completing her type rating on the Gulfstream 4 and serving as a line captain for the company. Shelby is an

active member in the international organization group for women pilots, the Ninety-Nines, where she continues to promote aviation and mentor females in the industry.”

Mariah Bode

I feel honored to have been given an opportunity to learn about and get to know many of these incredible women in aviation and look forward to continuing to share their stories of dedication to making a difference as remarkable women in aviation.

~Fly well!

WAI pilots in front of CHP aircraft at Signature in San Jose (Denise DeGregoire)

It has been said that the only voluntary act in aviation is the decision to take-off. Every action after take-off involves the skillful management of risk, the enjoyment of flight and a continuous stream of decisions that result in a safe landing.

In 1974, NASA created the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) to allow aviation professionals to share experiences in a frank, non-punitive manner. The ASRS structure allows pilots and other aviation professionals to file an anonymous report of an incident, error or occurrence that the contributor feels might be of value to others. These reports are gathered, analyzed and data based by NASA experts and made available to all interested parties as a tool for creating proactive aviation safety programs. Additionally, NASA distributes an electronic publication, CALLBACK, which contains selected, de-identified, reports on a free subscription basis. In Flight USA is proud to reprint selected reports, exerpted from CALLBACK, for our readers to read, study, occasionally laugh at, and always learn from. Visit http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/ to learn how you can participate in the ASRS program.

FIFTH GENERATION 5G C-BANK CO-OPERATIONS

The aviation and telecommunication industries are unmistakable giants of our national identity that are currently engaged in solving a high-stakes problem. New 5G cellular emissions lie near the frequencies used by Radio/Radar Altimeters (RAs) installed in many aircraft. Aviation groups have expressed concern that interference from the 5G signals can degrade performance of RAs and other dependent aircraft systems such that flight safety may be compromised.

Specific issues are many, diverse, and complex, but through collaboration among FAA, FCC, and industry stakeholders, interim fixes for this ongoing issue have been introduced. These temporary solutions employ ADs and NOTAMs prohibiting specific operations, FAA Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs), and controlled 5G rollouts. Progress toward permanent solutions includes RA retrofits, redesigns, and more. For current 5G information, history, chronology, FAA actions, governance, and directives, and overall progress, go to https://www.faa.gov/5g.

This month, CallBack shares incidents reported during the recent 5G rollout period that identify possible effects on RAs and dependent aircraft systems, which crews suggested may have been linked to existing 5G signals at nearby airports.

After Takeoff

Shortly after takeoff, this flight crew experienced multiple abnormalities from what might seem to be unrelated systems. Observables were linked to the Captain’s Radio Altimeter.

From the Captain’s report:

• After rotation from Runway 7L at Phoenix, the Captain’s Radio Altimeter appeared to be frozen at the normal ‘on the ground’ indication of -4 feet AGL. As the pitch attitude was increased above ten degrees on initial climb, the tail strike

pitch limit indicator appeared in the Heads-up Display (HUD) in addition to the normal TOGA flight director cues. Due to the erroneous Radio Altimeter indication, the preselected pitch and roll modes did not engage automatically on climbout. I cross-checked the First Officer’s (FO) Radio Altimeter, and it was operating normally. As we climbed through acceleration altitude, the aircraft was still in TOGA mode and commanding a pitch to maintain V2+20, so I asked the FO to select Level Change and set the speed bug to flaps up maneuvering speed. We accelerated and retracted flaps on schedule. Approaching SPRKY intersection, the flight director did not command a turn, so I initiated the turn manually to comply with the SID. I suspect the lateral navigation, which was armed before takeoff, had not engaged because the Radar Altimeter was still not indicating that the aircraft had left the ground. Approaching our first level-off altitude of 9,000 feet, the flight director command bars operated normally and engaged in altitude hold and lateral navigation. We continued the flight…uneventfully with all flight instrumentation operating normally. We suspected 5G interference affecting the Captain’s Radio Altimeter. The FO’s Radio Altimeter did not display any anomalies throughout the flight. We flew a visual approach…backed up with the ILS approach, with the HUD in AIII mode, and noted no anomalies with either Radio Altimeter. Based on my review of the bulletins disseminated by the Flight Department, I suspect we had an anomaly with the Captain’s Radio Altimeter that may have been caused by 5G interference at Phoenix. I feel it’s important to make these events known in order for contributing factors to be addressed by the parties responsible for the safe implementation of the 5G network.

From the First Officer’s report:

• …We both needed heightened awareness on the approach to make sure

the Radar Altimeter functioned normally. It did.… In the future it is important for us as the crew to be vigilant in monitoring aircraft systems and always understand the details in the anomalies that result with the Radar Altimeter malfunctioning. Especially with the 5G issue still not being fully completed, we…need to be aware that it may happen even though it is supposed to be working correctly at these major airports. We…need to always fly the aircraft first and then ensure we are navigating correctly.

Legality and Paperwork Proficiency

A Dispatcher reviewed the flight release and missed the fact that an alternate was required. An unconfirmed notion and a hint of confusion were in the mix, but the error was caught.

• The release did not have an alternate on it for the 5G NOTAM. As per the Company policy, we are supposed to add an alternate for 5G NOTAMs at destination. I missed the NOTAM in reviewing the flight release for release to the crew. The crew called for a new release for fuel uplift. On pass-off that morning, which happened coincidentally near the time of departure, the oncoming Dispatcher caught this. I ACARS’d the crew. The crew called, and we agreed to amend the flight planned instead of [generating] a new release. I amended the flight release for an alternate of ZZZ1, sent weather, and sent NOTAMs. The flight launched and terminated without incident.

This all happened before block-out. I scanned through the NOTAMs but did not see the 5G NOTAM. The 5G NOTAM to Runway XXR was there. I had thought ZZZ2 was not a 5G NOTAM airport. Better diligence [is needed] on my part in checking and noticing 5G NOTAMs that will affect added alternates and fuel.… I have reviewed the Alternative Method of Compliance 5G alert again and will include alternates when needed. Can we [also] have a monthly update on what is happening between the airlines, FAA, and our internal department? The more clear

communication [we get] on updates to this [procedure], the better we are.

Well-Informed and Ill-Timed

This transport pilot’s approach was interrupted by several abnormal, illtimed terrain warnings. When one came at low altitude, 5G awareness and good judgment were required.

• After receiving a clearance from Approach to conduct an RNAV approach for Runway 9R, we were able to execute a fully stable approach. We then received clearance to land from O’Hare Tower Control, and as we continued a stable descent below 500 feet toward the runway, we received two abnormal terrain warnings around 300 feet AGL. That false warning discontinued around 250 feet AGL. Furthermore, as we continued the descent toward the runway, around 50 feet above the Runway 9R threshold, we received another single “TOO LOW TERRAIN” warning.

Situational facts: We were in VMC…all the time. 5G related NOTAMs were in effect. [We had] full Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOC) approval. Since we were in VMC and were in a safe position to land the aircraft, we decided to continue the approach and land safely.

Human Factors in 5G, Too

This First Officer describes serious system difficulties during approach and landing, possibly due to 5G interference but unknown at the time. An age-old Human Factor is involved, and a fundamental aviation principle is reiterated, yet again.

• [This is a] possible 5G event. On arrival in the terminal area, the crew noticed the autobrakes disarmed twice after arming. I was the Pilot Flying (PF). The Pilot Monitoring (PM) ran the procedure, and we set manual braking for the arrival. At 2,500 feet MSL and again at 900 feet, the Captain’s Radar Altimeter became inoperative with a red flag. This

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By Annamarie Buonocore

As we have read in previous issues of In Flight USA, the state of Oklahoma is making great progress toward a sustainable aviation future. The state is home to many movers and shakers, including former Senator James Inhofe. At last year’s NBAA convention, a few In Flight USA reporters had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the state to learn about their future plans, one of which was Brent Kisling, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The future is looking bright, and we hope that this is one that other states will emulate.

In Flight USA: I understand that Oklahoma is really trying to grow its aviation infrastructure. Tell me about the recent happenings.

Brent Kisling: My name is Brent Kisling and I’m the executive director of the state’s Department of Commerce, which means my job is to work with our legacy companies and help them grow. My goal is also to recruit new industries to the state. Oklahoma does best whenever we are laser-focused on bringing a specific industry into the state, and we have done that over the years with wind energy. Now we are second in the country for wind energy production. We made it our goal about five or six years ago to really focus on the aerospace and aviation industry. We created the ACES program and have some very intelligent and dedicated individuals on that team. With the ACES program, all they think about is aviation every day. These people work with Oklahoma companies, recruit companies from out of state and other countries, and promote the state’s aviation

Safe Landings

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was noticed by the Captain (PM) only, and only on his side. He did not tell the PF. In the flare I noticed a resistance to pitching up. It almost felt like the autopilot was still engaged. I overcame the resistance to set the landing attitude. Additionally, the Autothrottles (AT) did not go to idle at 27 feet, as normal. I manually closed the thrust levers prior to touchdown. The spoilers worked normally. As the nose wheel contacted the runway, the thrust levers started to move forward. I held them back and disarmed the AT. This delayed my engaging the thrust reversers a few seconds. The aircraft was stopped without incident.

The Captain wrote up the Radio

OKLAHOMAONTHE MOVE

industry at trade shows. Today, aviation is the second largest employer in the state. So, that effort has been quite successful.

IF USA: What aviation companies are you proud to have in your state?

BK: Oklahoma has several major aviation assets, with two being the largest conductors for the industry in our state, Tinker Air Force Base and American Airlines. We are the MRO capital of the world. While we are not the primary place for final assembly, our expertise in MRO is unmatched and we truly keep planes flying. Between the Tinker Air Force Base and the American Airlines MRO, everybody who manufactures a part, piece of equipment, or other service wants to be close by. We are very fortunate to have representation from large companies like Boeing and Raytheon here in the state. We have many smaller companies that contract with the bigger companies. Then you have new ones, like PAS that just moved here from California. We have over 120,000 people in the state employed in aviation and aerospace right now in Oklahoma, working at over 500 different companies, and this is distributed all across the state, not just in the metropolitan areas.

IF USA: What makes Oklahoma so wonderful?

BK: I was born and raised here. I am a farm boy from northwest Oklahoma. I did not know much about airplanes growing up, but for many years, I worked for Senator Inhofe. One year, they were saying at Oshkosh that he has done more for aviation in America, coming in second only to the Wright Brothers. He really elevated the industry to a new level. I think having him as our senior senator really attracted a lot of attention from

these aerospace companies. Another great thing about our state, and you can see this in any periodical you read, is that our cost of doing business is lower than anywhere else in the world! We have the lowest utilities costs, especially electrical and power. We have low-priced labor and land. Our permitting regulations are also much easier, and that’s why folks want to be here. The bottom line is going to be better here than in any other state.

IF USA: Where are most of the new residents and companies coming from?

BK: We recently reviewed a study from the Federal Reserve Bank about population trends specifically about Oklahoma. During the last two years in the wake of the pandemic, Oklahoma was one of the fastest-growing states in the country. We ranked 10th in population growth. The total number of people who moved here since the pandemic is 30,000. The two top states where people are moving from are California and Texas. This is why we have made a concerted effort to focus on those two states. We have landing pages set up for people who want to move from California. The slogan is “Leave the coast to get the most.”

IF USA: What are the plans now that Senator Inhofe has retired?

BK: I will be very clear: nobody will ever replace Senator Jim Inhofe. He is one of a kind, especially when it comes to aviation and aerospace, which I consider two different things. He has been strong in both. We have general aviation, business aviation, and parts manufacturing all well-represented in Oklahoma. We are also fortunate to have Governor Kevin Stitt who is very passionate about aviation. Last year, he spent several days up

Continued on Page 40

Oklahoma has several major aviation assets, including American Airlines. (Oklahoma Department of Commerce)

The cost of doing business in Oklahoma is lower than anywhere else in the world, which proves attractive to business aviation. (Oklahoma Department of Commerce)

Oklahoma has more than 120,000 people employed in aviation and aerospace right now, working at over 500 different companies. (Oklahoma Department of Commerce)

Altimeter at the gate. We did not recognize a possible 5G event. The Captain did not communicate his Radio Altimeter failure to the PF. If someone gets a red flag on their side, alert the other pilot. The approach should have been flown with the AT off for both the Radio Altimeter failure and the current 5G policy.

Beware, the Landing Phase

This Captain received a rare, unwelcome surprise during the landing phase of flight. 5G interference was suspected, and a personal mitigating action is served with a dash of humor.

• The FO made a normal hand flown ILS approach to Runway 28R at

San Francisco. We broke out of the clouds at 500 [feet] AGL, and the flare was normal. Right before we made ground contact and before I could react, the speedbrake lever motorized up and deployed the speedbrakes, which made us plop onto the runway from about 3 feet or so. It wasn’t a hard landing, but it ruined what would have been a good landing for the First Officer. There were no Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) messages or any other system failures annunciated. With over 18,000 hours as Captain of Boeing airliners, of which 3,000 are in this type, I have never had the auto speedbrakes deploy uncommanded before ground contact. I find it curious that this should

occur on my first arrival at San Francisco after publication of the 5G NOTAM. After arriving at the gate, we made log entries to document the event, and I also contacted the pilot office to advise them so appropriate investigation could begin. Hopefully the data recorded by the aircraft will allow determination of the cause. In the meantime, I will closely monitor the speedbrake lever on all landings to prevent it happening again, especially at a greater distance above the pavement. While I operate in the 5G environment, I have no intention on being the first to make a 5G landing.

SUN ‘N FUN AEROSPACE EXPO ANNOUNCES 2023 TITLE

PARTNERSHIP WITH E3 AVIATION ASSOCIATION

Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo, one of the largest and most successful aviation events in the world, announced today that E3 Aviation Association is the new title sponsor for the March 28 – April 2 event in Lakeland, Florida. As the first major air show and expo of the year, the partnership allows for the more than 200,000 aviation enthusiasts from around the world to enjoy what has become known as Aviation’s Season Opener and Spring Break for Pilots.

“E3 Aviation Association is the perfect partner to join Sun ‘n Fun this year. It’s an amazing brand fit in every way with the experiential event we’ve created,” said Gene Conrad, President and CEO for Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo. “At the core of it all is our shared passion for aviation. We have so many fun and interesting surprises waiting for our visitors this year.”

“As the premier aviation membership platform, we owe a lot to the incredible passion that aviation fans and pilots have created across the country,” said E3’s Vice President of Marketing, Josh Volpe. “The pinnacle of aviation events and airshows, like Sun ‘n Fun, is a big reason why the industry has grown into such a phenomenon for pilots, aviation enthusiasts and students. When we were introduced to the Sun ‘n Fun team; it was an easy decision to become the title sponsor after seeing their passion, cause and vision as they continue to inspire and educate people of all ages.”

Taking off for its 49th year, Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo showcases hundreds of aircraft on display including Vintage, Homebuilt, Aerobatic, Warbird, Jet, and Light Sport. One of the highlights of the five-day expo is the Blue Angels, the high-flying and awe-inspiring flight

demonstration squadron of the U.S. Navy. Additional special airshow acts include U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightening II Demonstration Team, the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightening II Demonstration Team, and Doug Rozendaal flying Mr. Mulligan, the Howard DGA-6 pioneer racing plane. Sun ‘n Fun also features more than 500 exhibitors, hands-on workshops teaching building and maintenance skills, and educational forums from pilots and maintainers about safety, new products, and other timely topics.

Tickets for Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo are available online at flysnf.org.

Connect with Sun ‘n Fun at:

•Facebook: @FlySNF

•Instagram: @FlySNF

•Twitter: @SunnFunFlyIn

•TikTok: @flysnf

2023 Sun ‘n Fun Airshow Schedule

The Airshow Schedule is tentative, and subject to change without notice. The list shown is to show performers, not order of flight.

TUESDAY, MARCH 28

National Anthem, SOCOM

Paracommandos –Circling Aeroshell

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team –4 x T-6

Rob Holland –MXS-RH

High Flight Mustangs: Lou Herschel and Ariel Loudi –P-51 x 2

Warbird Show –Various Warbirds

Kyle Fowler –Long EZ

Qyon Aero-Sport Jet Team –2 x S-211 & 1 x L-39

Nathan Hammond –Dehaviland

Chipmunk

Bill Stein –Edge 540

USAF F-35A Demo Team – F-35A & P-51

Oklahoma on the Move

Continued from Page 39

in Oshkosh meeting with companies that might be interested in moving here. He has been with us since 2019 and is doing a great job. I like to think of this era as the age of the airplane in Oklahoma. Outside of those, our state legislature knows the impact this industry has on our state. While Senator Inhofe has retired, you can be certain that our state and its leaders will continue to be passionate about aviation and will work hard to ensure that Oklahoma remains the home to America’s largest MRO operations.

IF USA: Will Senator Inhofe stay on board as a consultant?

BK: Oh, absolutely. We have his cell phone number, and he will continue to be very involved. And now that he is retired, he will have more time to meet with companies and tell them about the value proposition that Oklahoma has to offer. We will continue to utilize him as well as other members of our delegation, including Frank Lucas who has done a great job growing our science and technology industries and working with NASA. We also have Tom Cole who has a lot of seniority on the House rules committee. And then there is our other senator, James Lankford, who is also very interested in aerospace.

IF USA: Has there been any resist-

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29

National Anthem / SOCOM

Paracommandos –Circling Rob Holland

Rob Holland –MXS-RH

Doug Rozendaal –DGA-6 ‘Mister

Mulligan’

Patty Wagstaff –Extra 300LX

Lee Lauderback –P-51D Crazy Horse 2

Warbird Show –Various Warbirds

Larry Kelley –B-25 Panchito

Qyon Aero-Sport Jet Team –2 x S.211 & 1 x L-39

Greg Koontz –Decathlon

Kevin Coleman –Extra 330SC

Jim Peitz–F33C Bonanza

Kyle Franklin –Piper Cub

Michael Goulian –Extra 330SC

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

National Anthem / SOCOM

Paracommandos

USAF F-35A Demo Team –F-35A & P-51

Opener –BlackFly

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team –4 x T-6’s

Jerry Kerby –RV-8

Kyle Fowler –Long EZ

Redline Airshows –RV-8

Nathan Hammond –Dehaviland

Chipmunk

PyroMusical –PyroMusical

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

USN Blue Angels Jets –1 – 4 Circles

F/A-18E/F x 4

USN Blue Angels Jets –5 & 6 Circles

F/A-18E/F x 2

National Anthem / SOCOM

USAF F-35A Demo Team –F-35A & P-51

USN Blue Angels Practice Demo –6 x F/A-18 & 1 x C-130J

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

National Anthem / SOCOM

Paracommandos –Circling Aeroshell

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team –4 x T-6

Michael Goulian –Extra 330SC

Warbird Show –Various Warbirds

Jim Peitz –F33C Bonanza

Doug Rozendaal –DGA-6 ‘Mister

Mulligan’

Patty Wagstaff –Extra 300LX

USMC F-35B Demo Team –F-35B

USN Blue Angels –6 x F/A-18 & 1 C130J

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

National Anthem / SOCOM

Paracommandos –Circling Kevin Coleman

Kevin Coleman –Extra 330

Kyle Franklin –Piper Cub

Jim Peitz –F33C Bonanza

Lee Lauderback –P-51D Crazy Horse 2

Warbird Show –Various Warbirds

USAF F-35A Demo Team –F-35A & P-51

USMC F-35B Demo Team –F-35B

Michael Goulian –Extra 330SC

USN Blue Angels –6 x F/A-18 & 1 C-130J

SATURDAY NIGHT

National Anthem / SOCOM

Paracommandos

Opener –BlackFly

Aeroshell –4 x T-6’s

Manfred Radius –Glider

Jerry Kerby –RV-8

Kyle Fowler –Long EZ

Redline Airshows –RV-8

Nathan Hammond –Dehaviland

Chipmunk

PyroMusical –PyroMusical

SUNDAY, APRIL 2

National Anthem / SOCOM

Paracommandos –Circling Bill Stein

Bill Stein –Edge 540

Greg Koontz –Decathlon

Larry Kelley –B-25 Panchito

High Flight Mustangs –Lou Herschel

Continued on Page 42

ance to this tremendous aviation growth?

What are your challenges?

BK: We haven’t had any major resistance. Our residents have been very supportive. Our biggest challenge right now is that we have had major job growth in the last few years, and we want to make sure we have the population and infrastructure to support it. It is good that our universities such as University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have strong aviation, aerospace, and engineering departments. They are bringing a lot of talent into the workforce. We need a lot more of those here.

IF USA: Thank you!

Brent Kisling, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. (Oklahoma Department of Commerce)

Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo 2023

Continued from Page 40

and Ariel Loudi –P-51 x 2 USAF F-35A Demo Team –F-35A & P-51

USMC F-35B Demo Team –F-35B

USN Blue Angels –6 x F/A-18 & 1 C-130J

Other highlights:

Author’s Corner At The Florida Air Museum Is Back During the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo

Pilot on Taking Risks and Flying High 1:15-2:00 p.m.

Mark Musick - The Fake Death and Final Decades of Howard Hughes

Kick Off Opening Day At Sun ‘n Fun With A 9/27 Club UpgradeMarch 28, 2023

area. It can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions, and it can transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations.

Though known officially as the Globemaster III, the C-17 also has an “unofficial” nickname in the Air Force. See it at Sun ‘n Fun!

Sun ‘n Fun is going big! For the first time ever a C-5 will be making its Sun ‘n Fun static display debut.

a great place to attend an aerospacefocused career fair and has been extended to five days.

Innovations Experience

Presentation and book signing scheduled with the following author’s: Friday, 3/31/2023 –10:15 -11:00 a.m.

Diego M. Alfonso Sr. - The Theory Flight 2.0: It’s Missing Links Revealed

11:15 A.M. - 12:00 p.m.

John Lancaster - The Great Air Race 12:15-1:00 p.m.

Bud Davidson - Unfreeze Your Bird 1:15-2:00 p.m.

Mark Musick - The Fake Death and Final Decades of Howard Hughes

Saturday, 4/1/2023 –9:15-10:00 a.m.

Terrace J. McCaffery - Fighting Aardvarks and Eagles

10:15-11:00 a.m.

John Lancaster - The Great Air Race

11:15 A.M. - 12:00 p.m.

Keith Young - Expect Turbulence: My Real-Life Experience Learning to Fly 12:15-1:00 p.m.

Laura Savino - Jet Boss: A Female

Enjoy a full breakfast and a Paella lunch with a chance to win a ride with the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team. Come early and get a front row seat to the first airshow of the week. Complimentary beer and wine are served from lunch time to end of airshow. Get tickets at the Sun ‘n Fun website, flysnf.org.

C-17 Globemaster III Coming To

Sun ‘n Fun

The C-17 Globemaster III is the most flexible cargo aircraft in the USAF, capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in a deployment

The mighty C-5 Galaxy is a strategic transport aircraft and is the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Its primary mission is to transport cargo and personnel for the Department of Defense. The C-5 coming to Sun ‘n Fun is based at Travis AFB, California.

The C-5 can carry oversized cargo over intercontinental ranges and can take off and land on relatively short runways. Both the nose and aft doors open, allowing ground crews to simultaneously load and off-load cargo from both ends, reducing cargo transfer times. The full-width drive-on ramps at each end enable double rows of vehicles to be transported.

Career Fair

The Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo is

Stroll over to the Education & Innovations Plaza (SE Exhibits Area) and visit the Exhibitors at the Innovations Experience tent to see what aviation looks like in the future.

Also look for a variety of forums and workshops, a wide-range of youth activities, military events and a teacher’s workshop. Complimenting the airshows, the venue offers a large static display. The website (flysnf.org) offers additional information, ticket purchases, parking and camping information.

(Courtesy EAA)

(Courtesy EAA)

(Courtesy EAA)

(Courtesy EAA)

(Courtesy EAA)

OREGON HELICOPTER HANGAR FEATURES 40-FOOT BIFOLD LIFTSTRAP DOOR FROM SCHWEISS DOORS

TheBonnevillePowerAdministration(BPA)isresponsibleformore than15,000milesofelectricallinesand 300substations.BPAemployees,headquarteredatthenewoperationshangarat theRedmond(Oregon)Airport,are chargedwithinspectingthoselines.At leastthreetimesayear,crewsinoneof twoBell407helicopterspatroland inspectthecompany’spowerlines,lookingfordamagetocables,insulatorsand towers.

Thenew5,500-square-foothangar isapre-manufacturedVarcoPruden buildingdeliveredbyAdvancedSteel.It waserectedbyDavidTacyConstruction Inc.,ofBend,Ore.Starttofinish,the project,includingatime-consumingsite excavation,tookaboutsixmonths.The hangarfeaturesawhisper-quietbifold liftstrapdoorfromSchweissDoors, measuring40feet,4-incheswideby20feethigh.Itopensviaheavy-dutynylon liftstrapsratedat29,000poundstensile strengtheach.Thedoorisequippedwith photoeyesensorsandadoorbasesafety edge.Itcontainssixwindows,allowing forplentyofnaturallighting.

RobKelleher,currentlythepresidentandfounderofKellconinBend,was theseniorprojectmanagerandgeneral contractorforHSWBuildersatthetime thehangarwasbuiltandthebifolddoor wasinstalled.KellehersayshediscoveredSchweissDoorswhenhewasbuildingahangarnexttoatiredealershipthat hadadoorfromSchweissandhedoesn’t recalllookingatanyotherdoormanufac-

Thenewesthelicopterhangarutilizedby theBonnevillePowerAdministration (BPA)attheRedmond(Oregon)Airport featuresaSchweissDoorsbifoldliftstrap door,measuring40feet,4-incheswideby 20-feethigh.(CourtesySchweissDoors)

turersbeforegoingwithSchweiss.

“Weareveryhappywiththe Schweissdoor,”Kellehersays.“Itwas thefirsttimeI’dinstalledahorizontal bifolddoorlikethat.Wehadsomereservationsbecausewe’dneverdoneit before.Itwasinterestingtoseeliftstraps forthefirsttime;theyseemedverysimple.ItworkedreallywellandIdon’t thinkwegotanycallbacksfromBPAon it.Weprettymuchfollowedtheinstructionsandwe’velookedatalotof Schweissdoorssincethen.”

SchweissDoorsisthepremiermanufacturerofhydraulicandbifoldliftstrap doors.Doorsarecustommadetoanysize foranytypeofneworexistingbuilding forarchitectsandbuildersdeterminedto doamazingthingswiththeirbuildings, includingthedoors.Schweissalsooffersa cabletoliftstrapconversionpackage.For moreinformation,visitwww.bifold.com.

TecnamannouncedonFeb.16that hascompletedtheproductionoftwo P2012SentinelSpecialMissionPlatform thatarenowreadyformissionsystem installation.

Thetwoaircraftcompletedfactory acceptanceflightsinDecember2022in TecnamheadquartersinCapua,Italy, and,startingJanuary2023,arenow undergoingmissionsysteminstallation fortheirentryinservice.

Afterarigorousevaluationprocess,

ContinuedonPage45

TECNAM P2012SENTINEL SMPAIRCRAFT READY FOR MISSION SYSTEM INSTALLATION

ATecnamP2012Sentinelequippedwith fullmissionequipmentallowsroomfor uptosevencrewmembers.

(CourtesyTecnam)

AOPARECOGNIZES EXCELLENCEIN FLIGHT TRAININGTHROUGH 2023 FLIGHT TRAINING EXPERIENCE REGIONAL WINNERS

Ofthethousandsofsubmissions

AOPAreceivedforthe2023Flight TrainingExperienceSurvey,sixflight schoolsandsixflightinstructorshave beentappedasthebestintheirregion.

Inadditiontotheregionalwinners, 32flightschoolsand65instructorshave earneddistinguishedawards.

Fromtheregionalwinners,one flightschoolandoneflightinstructorwill

berecognizedasthenation’sbest, announcedatRedbirdMigration,aflight trainingconferencehostedApril11and 12attheEAAEducationCenterin Oshkosh,Wisconsin.

Thesurveypollsstudentpilots,new pilots,andpilotswhoarepursuingadditionaltraining.AOPAislookingforfeedbackaboutthequalityofastudent’sflight trainingandflightinstructionexperience.

It’sanopportunityforstudentstohighlightwhereinstructionwassuccessful andwhereflightschoolsmightneedto makeimprovements.

“Successfulflighttrainingisabout morethanjustlearningtofly.Buildinga senseofcommunitytosupportthepeople whoarelearningtakestheexperienceto amuchhigherlevelwheretheycan excel.Thisyear’sinstructorsandschools

haveclearlybroughttheircustomersinto thepilotcommunity,”saidAOPA FoundationSeniorDirectorofFlight TrainingEducationChrisMoser.

Performanceisevaluatedinfourkey factors:educationalquality,customer focus,community,andinformationsharing.Theflightschoolsandinstructors rankedthehighestareawardedasthe

ContinuedonPage46

ZELF VLIEGEN C HOOSES THE P-MENTOR FOR TRANSAVIA’S AIRLINE MPLTRAINING PROGRAM

TecnamannouncedonFeb.21that ZelfVliegenchoseTecnam’sP-Mentor foritsfleetrenewalprogram.Theaircraft willbeusedforbothPPL(PrivatePilot License)aswellastheMPL(MultiPilot License)courses.

ThecharacteristicsoftheP-Mentor meettherequirementsofTransavia’s AirlinePilotProgramandtheconditions thatZelfVliegensetsforitsATOtraining rules.Whenrenewingthefleet,theflight schooltakescontinuityandsustainability intoaccount,amongotherthings.Witha visionforthefuture,ZelfVliegenwill graduallybuildaprofessionalanduniversalfleetofmodernaircraft.

Thepricesofthecurrentaircraftused fortheAirlinePilotProgramhaverisenso muchcomparedto2018thattheyno longerfittheirvision.Inaddition,thefact thattheaviationsectorhastomeetsustainabilityobjectivesalsoplayedarole.

TheTecnamfleetwillbemodern andaffordableandcontributetolower CO2emissions,whichfitsinwiththe overallvisionofZelfVliegen.

TecnamGreenFleet:Basedon recentdataandindustrybenchmarks, flighttrainingschoolsoperating

Tecnam’ssingle-engineandtwin-engine fleetscansaveasmuchas10tonsofCO2 emissionsforeverysinglestudentgraduatingwithaCommercialPilotLicense–a60percentreductioncomparedtolegacyfleetsusingAvgas100LLfuel.(Based on155flighttraininghours,including30 hoursonthetwin.)

MoreinfoonTecnamGreen Aviationisavailableathttps:// www.tecnam.com/soar-greener/.

TheP-Mentor,atwo-seatsingleenginepistonaircraftfullyIFRcompliant withthelatestCS-23EASAandFAA requirements,allowingPBN/RNAV /AFCScapabilities.Themodernflight schooltodayhasoneplatformtotrain studentsfromtheirfirstflightuptoCPLIR,includingVariablePitchPropeller, SimulatedRetractableLandingGearand UPRT.

TheP-Mentorisdesignedtooffer thebesthumanmachineinterfaceresultinginthemosteffectiveVFR/IFRtrainingwhilethegenerousfueltankallows flightschoolstoflyalldaylongwithout refueling;nointerruptionisequalto improveoperationalvalue.

Lowestcostofmaintenance,lowest

fuelconsumption,andthegreatestvalue forthemoney,makesthisaircraftaunique profitopportunityforanyflightschool.

MoreinfoontheP-Mentorisavailableathttps://www.tecnam.com/air craft/pmentor.

AngeliqueBuitenhuis,ZelfVliegen CEO/CFOsaid,“Withthisnewmodern fleet,ZelfVliegenseesthatthepositive developmentsofthepastyearwillcontinuein2023.Amultitudeoftraining flightsarealreadyontheagendaforthe firstquarterandasfarasTransavia’s AirlinePilotProgramisconcerned,there willevenbetwoclassesstartingtheflight phaseoftheirtrainingin2023.”

WalterDaCosta,Tecnam’sChief SalesOfficersaid,“Commercialaviation hasahugedemandofpilots.Tecnam offerssolutionstotrainpilotsinthemost efficientandsafeway.OurP-Mentorisa uniquesolutioninthemarket,ensuring reliability,costscontrol,smarttraining.”

BasedatLelystadAirport,Zelf Vliegenisoneofthemostexperienced GAtraininginstitutesintheNetherlands. Learnmoreathttps://www.zelfvli egen.nl/.TolearnmoreaboutTecnam, visittheirwebsiteattecnam.com.

TwoTecnamP2012SentinelSMPAircraftReady

ContinuedfromPage44

theundisclosedcustomerhasspecifically chosentheP2012Sentineltoreplacehis agingfleetofBN2Defenders.Themain driversfortheP2012selectionamong otherspecialmissionplatformswerethe twin-enginedesign,latestavionics,wide andconstantcabinsection,twofull-size hatches,generousmissionpower,superiorpayloadallowanceandlowacquisition andoperatingcosts.

Theaircraftconfigurationwithtwo crewdoorsandamaincabindoor,combinedwiththehighcabinvolumeandpayloadallowsforoptimalmissionsystem

installationwithplentyofspaceforsensors, equipmentracks,andoperators’consoles.

AP2012Sentinelequippedwithfull missionequipment,allowsroomforup tosevencrewmembers(pilots,operators, observers,andmissioncommanders)and atitsmaximumtakeoffweightof3680 kg(8113pounds),providesupto9hours endurance.

TheP2012twin-enginedesignguaranteesanexhaust-freefieldofviewtothe sensors,grantingincreasedaccuracyand “noise-free”operationsandacarbonmonoxide-freecabinthatwillenhance thesafetyofthecrewmembers.

FrancescoSferra,P2012andSpecial MissionPlatformSalesandBusiness DevelopmentManagersaid,“Tecnamis providingamodern,flexible,safe,highly capableandaffordablesolutiontothose operatorswhoseektointegratetheir fleet,orreplacetheirlegacyplatforms, withastate-of-the-artandefficientturbochargedpistonaircraftliketheP2012 SentinelSMP.”

MoreinformationontheP2012 SentinelSMPisavailableattheTecnam website,tecnam.comordirectlyat https://tecnam.com/aircraft/p2012-sentinel-smp/.

Thelowcostofmaintenance,lowfuel consumption,andthegreatestvaluefor themoney,makesTecnam’sP-22aircraft auniqueprofitopportunityforanyflight school. (CourtesyTecnam)

TheP-Mentorisdesignedtoofferthe besthumanmachineinterfaceresulting inthemosteffectiveVFR/IFRtraining. (CourtesyTecnam)

OODIES AND AND

ADGETS

Oneofthetrulygreatthingsaboutbeinganaviationbuffisthenumberof“GoodiesandGadgets”availabletoplay with.Here InFlightUSA hascollectedafewnewonesworthyofyourconsideration.

AircraftSpruce&SpecialtyCo.hasbeenthesupplierthataircraftbuilders,owners,pilots,andaviationbusinesseshavedependedonsince1965.Theycarryawide selectionofaircraftparts,buildingmaterials,avionics,andpilotsupplies,allofwhichareofferedontheirwebsite(www.aircraftspruce.com)andinthefamousAircraftSprucecatalog,nowover1,000-pagesavailablefordownloadorforfreeinprint.YoucandependonAircraftSpruceforpromptshippingandcompetitivepricingonallorders.

AVIATION SAFETYIS TOP PRIORITYAT AIRCRAFT SPRUCE

Marchhasbeenusheredintomostof theU.S.withheavystorms,wind,rain, snowandjustabouteveryweathersystem known.AircraftSpruce,withtheirextensivepilot-supplyinventory,hassomething foreverypilotthinkingaboutflyingsafely andwhentonotfly,butbeefuponsafety measuresandaviationequipmentfrom homeorhangar.TheAircraftSpruceteam hasanswersforeveryaviationneedand want.Visittheirwebsite,stockedfullof morethan100,000itemsat www.aircraftspruce.com.Also,checkout theironlineuser-friendlycatalogoraskfor aprintversion.Speakingofweather…

ASAAviationWeather Handbook

Thisimportant FederalAviation Administration (FAA)Handbook updatesandconsolidatesinformation previouslyavailable insixdifferent AdvisoryCirculars:AC00-6,Aviation Weather;AC00-24,Thunderstorms;AC 00-30,ClearAirTurbulenceAvoidance; AC00-45,AviationWeatherServices; AC00-54,PilotWindshearGuide;and AC00-57,HazardousMountainWinds.

Pilotsanddispatchersmustlearntodeal withallaspectsofweather,includinghowto appreciategoodweather,recognizeand respectmarginalorhazardousweather,and

avoidviolentweather.Thisknowledgeand theabilitytomakesoundweatherdecisions arecriticaltothesuccessfuloutcomeofall flights.Thisbookdiscusseseachaspectof weatherasitrelatestoaircraftoperationand flightsafetyandprovidesinformationonthe toolsavailableforflightplanningandinflight weatherdecisions,includingobservations, analyses,andforecasts.

Theinformationinthishandbook appliestostudents,experiencedpilots,and flightinstructorsalikeandisakeyreferenceformeteorologyandweatherservices pertinenttoFAAKnowledgeExamsand airmancertification.Itisacomprehensive resourceforwhatyouneedtoknowabout weathertoflysafelyinbothvisual(VMC) andinstrument(IMC)meteorologicalconditions.SubjectscoveredincludetheU.S. aviationweatherserviceprogram;weather briefings;weathertheoryandaviationhazards;meteorology;mountain,tropical,arctic,andspaceweather;observations (ASOS,AWOS,METAR,PIREP,radar); weathercharts;advisories(including AIRMET,SIGMET,windshear);forecasts(TAF,FA);onlineweatherresources andflightplanningtools;andmuchmore.

Theexamplesandexplanationsare supportedwithonlinereferencesforfurther weatherresources,definitions,andrelated FAApublications.Thehandbookisillustratedthroughoutwithdetailed,full-colordrawingsandphotographs.AircraftSpruceissellingthehandbookinsoftcover($39.95)and inPDFandeBookformat($40.90each).

AeroLEDsSunSpot36-400075w

Par36LandingLight–FAAPMAForCertifiedAircraft

TheSunSpot36-4000Series75W offersthesametrustedSunSpotreliability thatpilotsworldwidehavecometoexpect, buttopsthechartswiththehighestcandela intheindustryforaPAR36LEDlanding light.Atjust75Wthis newlineboastsanoutstanding200,000-plus candela!Witha15degreeby15-degree brightwhitebeamangle thatgreatlyimproves visibilitybothonthegroundandintheair fromupto30milesaway.TheSunSpot36 replacementLED’sutilizetheexisting PAR36mountandelectricalconnections foreaseofinstallation.(-Hversions requireanadditionalwire*)

TheSunSpotcomesin14Vor28V withachoiceofnointegratedpulseor withintegratedpulse.Startingpricefor theSunSpotis$349.(VisittheAircraft Sprucewebsitefordetails.)

FlightOutfittersCenterline iPadKneeboard

AllCenteredAroundtheiPad

Themostimportantpieceofmany pilots’avionicspackagesistheonesitting onyourlap.TheiPadhaschangedtheway weflyandhavingitfirmlymountedinthe rightspotisessentialtosituationalawarenessinthecockpit.Anewsiliconeattach-

AOPARecognizesExcellenceinFlightTraining

ContinuedfromPage45

bestintheirregion,withsurveyscores adjustedusingstatisticalmeasuresso smallerflightschoolsremaincompetitive.Schoolsandinstructorsaregiven accesstoacustomerfeedbackreportof surveyresultssothattheycancelebrate positivefeedbackandaddressconstructivecriticism.

TheAOPAYouCanFlyteamhas beensourcingfeedbackandawarding excellenceinflighttrainingsince2012. YouCanFlyisanumbrellaprogram entirelyfundedbycharitabledonationsto theAOPAFoundation,anddedicatedto buildingthepilotcommunity–creating

programsforflyingclubs,rustypilots, andhighschoolstudentswhoneedsupportwiththeiraviationgoals.

RegionalWinners

FlightSchools

CentralSouthwest: InthePattern FlightSchoolandRentals,Denton,

Texas

Eastern: NoVaPilots,Leesburg,Va.

GreatLakes: BlueSkiesFlying Services,LakeintheHills,Ill.

NorthwestMountain: Ridgeline Aviation,Bozeman,Mont.

Southern: MIL2TAP,Goldsboro,N.C.

WesternPacific: BushAir,Cal-Nev-Ari, Nev.

FlightInstructors

CentralSouthwest: BryanGutraj, Dubuque,Iowa

Eastern: DouglasAuclair,Pawtucket,R.I.

GreatLakes: LoganArlis,West Chicago,Ill.

NorthwestMountain: WilliamDale Crabtree,Everett,Wash.

Southern: BrandonGardner,Orlando,Fla.

WesternPacific: WilliamCole Hickcox,Scottsdale,Ariz.

Since1939,AOPAhasprotectedthe

mentmechanismallowsyou toseemoreof thescreenwhile takingupthe minimalamount ofspaceinyourflightbag.Theflexible holderismountedtoafirmsurfacethat alsoprovidesrotationalcapabilities.Do youflylandscapeforcross-countryand portraitforapproaches?Noproblem.The CenterlineKneeboardeasilyrotates aroundthecenter-of-massfortheiPad.

MoreThanJustaniPadMount

Inadditiontobeinganamazing kneeboardforaniPad,thepilotsatFlight Outfittersaddedafold-downplatformto thesideofyourleg.Thisistheperfect spotforholdinganiPhoneornotepad. Thecustom-moldedplatformisrigid enoughtowriteon,yetsoftenoughto easilytuckawaywhennotinuse.Astylus/penpocketisfoundinthisinnovative sidecarpocket.

StrapIn

Whatgoodisakneeboardifitfallsoff yourleg?ThebacksideoftheCenterline Kneeboarduseshigh-frictionfabrictokeep thekneeboardfromslidingaroundyour leg.Twopaddedstripshelpcontourtheflat boardtoyourroundleg,whileanelastic strapholdsitfirmlyinplace.

AircraftSpruceissellingthesmall-size kneeboardfor$69.95andthelarge-sizefor $74.95.Seethewebsiteforspecifications.

ContinuedonPage47

freedomtoflybycreatinganenvironmentthatgivespeopleofallagesthe opportunitytoenjoyaviationandallit hastooffer.AOPAistheworld’slargest communityofpilots,aircraftownersand aviationenthusiastswithrepresentatives basedinFrederick,Md.,Washington, D.C.,andsevenregionsacrossthe UnitedStates.Theassociationprovides memberservicesincludingadvocacyat thefederal,state,andlocallevels,legal services,flighttraining,andsafetyprograms,andaward-winningmedia.AOPA specializesinmakingaviationmore accessibletoeveryone.Tolearnmore, visitwww.aopa.org.

JBSAN ANTONIO AIRMEN SUPPORT SYRIA EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS

ByJimBono 502ndAirBaseWingPublicAffairs

AirmenassignedtoJointBaseSan Antonio’s502ndLogisticsReadiness Squadron,incoordinationwiththeAir ForceMedicalReadinessAgency,preparedapproximately68shorttonsofmedicalequipmentformovementtoIncirlik AirBase,Türkiye,inlessthan48hours

Themedicalsupplieswillbeusedto helpthepeopleaffectedbyrecentdevastatingearthquakesthatstrucksouth-central TürkiyeandpartsofSyriainrecentweeks.

“Thistypeofmissionallowsour teamtodemonstrateallourcapabilities hereattheairterminal,”saidCapt.Joe Arguijo,502ndLogisticsReadiness Squadrondirectorofoperations.“Atfirst, weneededtomakesurealltheteamsparticipatingwereinconcurrencewiththe plan,andoncewecametogether,weexecutedthemissionseamlessly.”

Theteammobilizedtobuildpallets forcommercialtransportfromKelly Fieldandconductedairfieldoperations functionsinsupportofthemovement.

Accordingtotheteam,thesupport

palletsincludedcriticallifesavingmedicalsuppliesneededfortheTürkiye humanitarianmission.

Thiswasacombinedoperation involvingfourdifferentsquadron-level organizationsincludinggroundtransportation,thetrafficmanagementoffice,air transportersandlogisticsplanners.Ittook theteamabout11hoursofthoroughinspectiontoensurethecargowassafeforflight.

“Theteamwasmotivatedtosupport suchanimportantmissiongiventhe healthandtraumaneedsonthegroundin Türkiye,”saidCol.ShamekiaToliver, 502ndInstallationSupportGroupcommander.“Theymetthe48-hourneed timewith12hourstospare,andIcould notbeprouderofourteam.”

ThesupplieswereairliftedFeb.22 toIncirlikAirBase,wheretheywillbe shippedtotheaffectedregion.

TherehavebeenmultiplemajorearthquakesinTürkiyeandSyriasinceFeb.6. Todate(Feb.22),nearly50,000people havediedinbothTürkiyeandSyria,and manythousandsmoreareinjured.The UnitedStateshascommittedtoproviding humanitarianaidtotheregion.

GoodiesandGadgets

ContinuedfromPage46

TheClawAircraftTieDown TheClaw holdsmorethanany otherportablesystemonthemarket.

Advanced AircraftAnchoring System–The Claw®AircraftTiedownkitcomescompletewiththreeEarthanchors,rope,spikes, hammerandcanvascarrybag.TheHarder YouPull,TheMoreItGripsTheEarth.

Featuresinclude:

•Easyinstallation...Easyremoval.No morestrugglingwithscrew-inanchors

•The“Claw”isdesignedexclusively foraircraft

•The“Claw”systemhasa3600lb. combinedcapacity

•Thelasttiedownyouwilleverhave tobuy-LifetimeWarranty

• Tremendousholdingstrength.The harderyoupull,themoreThe“Claw”grips

•Idealforallaircraft,seeallthefeaturesatAircraftSpruce’swebsite,aircraftspruce.com.

KishigoEconomyHighVisibility

LinemanBomberJacket

Kishigo’shigh-visibilitylineman bomberjacketoffersadurablewaterproof

seam-sealedshell withthermalinsulation.Itfeatures2inchwidereflective material,ahidden collarhoodanda blackbottomfront andsleevestokeep acleanappearance.Thisseasonalwinter itemsellsfor$56.95andcomesinsizes mediumthroughXX-large.IthaswonfivestarreviewsforAircraftSprucebuyers.

FindAircraftSpruceat UpcomingEvents

AircraftSpruceisgearingupfor somefunatupcomingaviationevents. Findthematthefollowing:

•March7-9attheHAIHeliExpoin Atlanta,GA(Booth#B2926)

•March28-April2atSun‘nFunin Lakeland,FL(HangarB,Booths1-9)

•April24-27atAEAInternational ConventionandTradeShowinOrlando, FL(Booth#729)

•May6-7attheGreatAlaskaAviation GatheringinPalmer,AK(Booth#174)

• July24-30atEAAAirVenturein Oshkosh,WI(HangarA,booths1022-1029)

Fortheircompletescheduleof events,visittheirwebsiteat www.aircraftspruce.com.

AIRCRAFTFORSALE

American Aircraft Sales, Livermore Airport, CA, americanaircraft.net, cell (510) 783-2711, (925) 449-5151.3/13

From Trade-ins to Aircraft Management, financing and appraisals. T.J. Aircraft Sales, Novato, CA, (415) 8985151, tjair.com. 3/13

AirplanesUSA Aircraft Sales, San Carlos, CA, Airport, (650) 394-7610, airplanesusa.com. 1/16

P2006T Twin Trainer solution for price ofaSingle.Quality aircraft since 1948. TECNAM, (725) 258-3759, cieloblu. aero. 1/23

FlytheDiamondStarDA40G1000 21st century technology in training and cross-country aircraft. Mach 5 Aviation, Auburn, CA, (530) 889-2000, mach5aviation.com. 2/23

JETS

SmallMannedAerialRadarTarget, Model1.Tinyjet aircraft, long-range tank. SMART-1, Tucson, AZ, (202) 2132400, smart-1.us. 5/21

SPORT/ULTRALIGHTS

RV12i5 Total performance perfected. Easytobuild,flyandown. Van's Aircraft www.vansaircraft.com.11/18

Innovative aviation parachute recovery solutions for GA, sport, UAVs, more. aviationsafetyresources.com.11/21

HELICOPTORS&eVTOL

5Bell212s 1996-1991, current maintenance,one owner. Bell412,33017SN, 0engineOH.HudsonFlightLimited, (806)662-5823,or(971)241-8473.6/20

Experience the joy of gyro flight OrbicHelicopters,Camarillo,CA,(805) 389-1070, orbichelicopters.com.6/22

EXPERIMENTAL

BD-10,factory-builtdemonstratorwith airplanesafetymods.Airframe465TT. $275K complete pkg. w/spares. Fuel Fresh, Phoenix, AZ, (480) 345-6677, fuelfresh@aol.com.12/21

AIRCRAFTSALESAIDS

Aviation Sales & Marketing by ABCI Idealforastartuporsidehustleinthe aviation industry. (702) 987-1679 or aviationsalestraining.com/startup.1/21

FLIGHTINSTRUCTION

Sunshine Flyers Flight & tailwheel instruction, rentals, mountain flying, and aerobatics., Auburn, CA, (530) 820-3442, sunshineflyersaviation@gmail.com.3/20

Arizona Type Ratings

CE-500/CE-525 type ratings or recurrent. Insurance approved, staff examiner. arizonatyperatings.com, (602) 614-7994.9309:TFN

SeaplaneInstruction, ASESratings, amphibious flight reviews, re-current training.LakeHavasuSeaplanes,Lake Havasu City, AZ, lakehavasuseaplanes. com,(928) 733-7122. 12/20

Recurrent pilot training and services.

L/D Aerospace, Grace Passmore, (916) 790-0501, idaerospace.com.1/22

Fly for fun or career Discovery flights, pilot training, AOPA Distinguished Flight School & Cessna Pilot Center. Smith Aviation Napa, Napa County Airport, (707) 345-6526, mikesmithaviation.com. 4/22

MAINTENANCE/INSPECTIONS

XL Aviation - Aircraft Maintenance. Custom-tailored programs for all aircraft. Livermore, CA, (925) 961-6135, xlaviationtailwheel.com.8/20

RESTORATIONS

Iconic Aircraft Restoration Repairs, refurbishments, parts fabricated, consulting at reasonable rates. The Wright Experience, (540) 379-9092.8/21

Custom aircraft & high-quality composite parts. Aviation Composites, Sandersville,GA,(937) 243-7303.1/22

4720:TFN

AVIATION SAFETY

Innovative aviation safety solutions and Parachute Recovery Systems for a variety of aircraft, including for sport, UAVs, more. AviationSafetyResources.com.2/22

Get ahead of your daily in-flight risks with SAFETYLINQ flight risk assessment. argus.aero/safetylinq.1/22

AIRCRAFTFINANCING

Wherever business takes you Navigate It. (575) 615-2091, vatit.com.10/21

Scheduling Software that connects to your flight department. Simple, affordable. airplanemanager.com. 9/22

SERVICES

Divorce-Paternity Cases Contact

Lawyers for Men's Rights, (213) 3848886, www.mensrightslawyers.com. Offices of Stuart J. Faber.4/10

Aero & Marine Tax Pros

Legally avoid sales tax on your aircraft purchase. In El Grove, CA, (916) 691-9192, aeromarinetaxpros.com.18500:TFN

Left Seat Pilot Medical Solutions.A confidential solution for pilot medical certification. Free FAA medical consultations. Left Seat, (800) 699-4457.1/21

Fly By Wire Air,aone-stop site for aviators. flybywireair.com. 4/21

"Flying Boat" poster, limited edition. Signed & framed. FlyingBoatFilm.com. 10/21

Aces High Aviation & Military Art (800) 528-0887, aceshighgallery.com.10/21

PUBLICATIONS

Avionics Checklists & Quick Reference gudes Available in book, card & new iPad editions. qref.com or from your favorite supply shop.8/14

"Space Race 2.0." History of commercial space exploration. Quarto.com. 11/22

Allpartsavailabletorebuild 1936RearwinSportster. In Northern California. ContactSueHarmuthat suewilldooo@ outlook.com. 22801:TFN

FBOs

Serving the GA Community since 1981.Wisconsin Aviation, Watertown MunicipalAirport,WI,(920)261-4567, WisconsinAviat2ion.com.3/13

Corona AirVentures.Lowfuel prices, amenities,tie-downs&hangars.Corona Municipal Airport, (951) 737-1300, CoronaAirVentures.com.8/14

AVIONICS

Avionics for Every Mission. All major brands.Airtronics, Calaveras County Airport, CA, airtronicsavionics.com, (209) 736-9400.11/14

Basic installs to complete panel and glass retrofits. Great service and value pricing. Pacific Coast Avionics, (800) 353-0370, PCA.aero.7/15

Updateyouravionics FAA-Certified repair station. Treasure Coast Avionics, Ft. Pierce, FL, (772) 464-3148, treasurecoastavionics.com.2/23

AIRCRAFTPARTS

Keeping "classic" aircraft flying since 1946 Univair Aircraft Corp., Aurora, CO, (888) 433-5433, univair.com.3/21

Iconic Aircraft Restoration for all the classics. Reasonable rates. The Wright Experience, (540) 347-1909.2/23

SAVAGE Magneto Service since 1946. Hayward, CA, (510) 782-7081,2/23

PROPELLERS

Aviation wood, composite or metal propellers.Sensenich,(813)752-3711, (717)569-0435orsensenich.com.4/21

FUEL

FuelCells Repair, overhaul or new. New tanks with 10-year warranty. Hartwig Aircraft Fuel Cell Repair, hartwigfuelcell.com. 2/09

HomeofGAMIjectors®fuelinjectors! STCsandPMAsonover300 different engine models! General AviationModifications,Ada,OK,(888)3594264,(580)436-4833, gami.inc.3/23

OXYGENSUPPLIES

CannulaorMask? Foraicraftservice ceilingstoFL180&FL250.Ask"The Oxygen Lady," info@aviationoxygen. com 2/23

Top Retail for Your Aircraft Sales, management and financing. USA Aircraft Brokers, (877) 417-3069. 51218:TFN

INSURANCE

Specializing in personal, business and charter aircraft Best price, coverage& customer service. Zanette Aircraft Insurance Center, (650) 5933030, (888) 723-3358. 10/06

Insurance solutions for all aviationrelated services. Business Aviation Insurance, bizavins.com, (925) 825-1900.7/20

Protect your whole family, including your pets. Comprehensive health and Medicare solutions. Jen Mathey, owner, Pixie Health Insurance, (941) 200-3738, pixiehealth insurance.com.10/22

AVIATION CONSULTANTS

Informed, accurate aircraft appraisals. jetvaluesjeremy.com, (636) 751-3987.7/20

PILOT SUPPLIES

NocheapimitationwatchesatHME!

Specialpricingon ATP series multifunctional watches with Altimeter. To order or for information, (323) 464-6660 or hmewatch.com. 11/16

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Free 700page catalog, Corona, CA, & Peachtree City, GA, aircraftspruce.com.10/06

Protective covers for every make, and model,plus insulated engine covers. Bruce's Custom Covers, Morgan Hill, CA,(800)777-6405,(408)738-3959, aircraftcovers.com. 10/19

Seewhatyou are missing with new models from Rosen Sunvisor Systems. rosenvisor.com, (800) 284-7677.7/20

Apparel as unique as your journey Discounts to members. AOPA Pilot Gear, aopapilotgear.com.9/21

InPhones with pilot keypad. Convenience& versatility at one low price! Only $199/year. (650) 504-8549, (408) 2340045.10/21

The World's Best CREEPER, adjustableheights. aerocreeper.com.4/22

Mountain Bike, Full-size, pilot-friendly, rugged. FLATBIKE, flatbike.com.10/18

AVIATION RESOURCES

Emergency services, group trips, consulting services. BizAvJets, Inc., Business Aviation Services, bizavjets. com, (702) 465-2027.10/20

Make the most ofyourbusiness aircraftownershipwithourManagement Services. Thoroughbred Aviation, thoroughbredaviation.com.10/20

Global Aircraft Group USPAP bank values for all aircraft, aircraft management, insurance claims & certified aircraft appraisals. Mark Parry, (855) 6GBL- AIR, (413) 335-7507.4/22

Safe, on-time, and customer-oriented shuttle service Tony Goes There Service, Brooklyn Park, MN, (612) 7908070, tonygoesthere.com.1/23

HANGARS/TIEDOWNS

One-piece doors Hydraulic or bifold. Schweissdoors.com, (800) 746-8273.1/15

Aviation Building Systems, custom designed hangars. R&M Steel Co., Caldwell, ID, (208) 454-1800, aviationbuildingsystem. com, (866) 454-1800.51217:TFN

HOMES/AIRPARKS

A Pilot's Paradise—Valley Airport

Private airstrip in the Ozark Mountains on banks of White River. Custom 3BR,3BA home, office and hangar/ workshop, $749,999. Leo and Dianne Doughty, Cotter, AR. Contact Ray (870) 421-7193 to show. 9/22

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Become an Aircraft Broker — #1 Largest USA Network of Aircraft

Start with USA’s proved system for listing and selling everything from highperformance single-engine airplanes, cabin class through jets, and helicopters & jet fractional shares. Includes multi-million-dollar inventory to start. Complete turn-key proved system. Noexperience necessary. Will train. Licensed USA Aircraft brokerage. Call (504) 723-5566 orvisit Business Opportunity Section at usaaircraft.com 4208:TFN

FLYING CLUBS/GROUPS

Join thousands of aviation enthusasts worldwide. American Aviation Historical Society, aahs-online.org.3/21

West Valley Flying Club, San Francisco Bay Area. Palo Alto (650) 856-2030, San Carlos (650) 595-5912, www.wvfc.org.

ART/VIDEOS/GIFTS

Specializing in aviation photography horizontalrain.com.1/15

Custom nose art & handpainted art pieces. on leather, metal or vinyl. Victory Girl, (909) 297-6688, victorygirl.com.2/19

Need a gift? Givearidein an open cockpit biplane. WACO Air Museum, Troy, Ohio, wacoairmuseum.org, (937) 335-9226. 20601:TFN

SEAK, Expert Witness Directory, by Bert Botta for aviation accidents and incidents. (415) 320-9811, bert@ bertbotta.com, bertbotta.com.4/22

"Ghosts," Phil Makanna's legendary warbird calendars are back! Visit ghosts. com. 2/23

HELPWANTED

IN FLIGHT USA, the leading source of general aviation news, seeks writers and photographers to cover all aspects of aviation. Send an SASE for writer’s guidelines to: In Flight USA, P.O. Box 5402, San Mateo, CA 94402.TFN

Oakland Aviation Museum, CA, is recruiting volunteers. Oakland, CA, (510) 638-7100, oaklandaviationmuseum.org. 6/21

MUSEUMS

Rowland Freedom Center Vacaville, CA, (707) 449-3402 rowlandfreedomcenter.org

Castle Air Museum

World's largest static display of vintage military aircraft from late 1930s. Atwater, CA, (209) 723-2178 castleairmuseum.org

Oakland Aviation Museum Oakland,CA,(510) 638-7100 oaklandaviationmuseum.org

Chico Air Museum Chico, CA, (530) 345-6468 chicoairmuseum.org

ORGANIZATIONS

List your non-profit club or organization FREE on a space availablebasis.Sendinformation to: 3rdavenue@embarqmail.com

Donate your plane, vehicle or real estate to help provide organ transplants. Donations are tax deductible. Planes4Kidneys.com MatchingDonors.com (800) 385-0422

Wings of Rescue Flying Animals to Safety wingsofrescue.org

Saved 553 pets and delivered aid after hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Florida.

Sell Your Airplane FAST!! withan In Flight USA

Classified Ad Call (650) 358-9908

Current Ad Expiring? To renew, email: 3rdavenue@embarqmail.com

X-62SOARS AGAIN ABOVE EDWARDS AFB

ByRobKolinsky

TheUSAFTestPilotSchool’sX62VISTAthundersintotheskies ofEdwardsAirForceBaseonce again!IncollaborationwithCalspan CorporationandLockheedMartin,this highlymodifiedLockheedMartinF-16 isunlikeanyFightingFalconvariantin theinventory.Beginningitsserviceas theNF-16D,theX-62hasbeenmodified forthethirditerationoftheplatform,the firsttwobeingMATV(MultiAxis ThrustVectoring)andVISTA(Variable StabilityIn-flightSimulatorTest Aircraft),andnowaddingtheabilityfor theaircrafttobeflowncompletely autonomously,knownasSACS(System forAutonomousControlofthe Simulation).ThisthirditerationalsosupportstheAirForceResearch Laboratory’sSkyborgProgramandjustifiesthechangeindesignationtoX-62.

Dr.ChrisCotting,Directorof ResearchattheUSAFTestPilotSchool, expandedonX-62’scapabilitiesbysayingthatitwaspurpose-builtonthe assemblylinetodoitsmission.

“Althoughfromtheoutsideitlookslike

anF-16,insidetheaircraftisverydifferent.”Dr.Cottingexplains.“Thesoftware thatrunstheflightcontrolsystemiscustomizedforitsmission.Itcansimulate theflightcharacteristicsofmultiple,differentaircraftduringasingletestmission!ThepilotincommandfliestheX62Afromtherearseatwiththeevaluationpilot(eitherapilotoranengineer) sittinginthefront.”Dr.Cottingwasalso quicktomentiontheimportanceofX62’smaintainers.“Wehave,byfar,the mostcreativeandtalentedmaintenance personnelinthebusiness.Theirdedicationandprideinownershipshines throughdailyandisintegraltothesuccessoftheX-62A’smission.”

TheX-designationdenotesaspecializedmissionorradicaldeparture fromconventionallydesignedaircraft. X-62nowjoinstheranksofsuchnotable X-planesastheBellX-1,whichfirst brokethesoundbarrierin1947,andthe X-15,whichbecametheworld’sfirst hypersonicaircraftin1959.TheUSAir ForceTestPilotSchoolisnowtheonly testpilotschoolintheworldwithan activeXplaneaddedtothecurriculum.

TheUSAFTestPilotSchool’sX-62VISTAthundersintotheskiesofEdwardsAirForce Base. (CourtesyRobKolinsky)

TheX-designationdenotesaspecializedmissionorradicaldeparturefromconventionallydesignedaircraft. (CourtesyRobKolinsky)

Below: Creativeandtalentedmaintenancepersonnelisreflecteddaily andisintegraltothesuccessofthe X-62A’smission.

(CourtesyRobKolinsky)

Above: Thishighlymodified LockheedMartinF-16isunlikeany FightingFalconvariantintheinventory.(CourtesyRobKolinsky)

Unlike FAA Medical Examiners or other pilot groups, Pilot Medical Solutions activates ourexceptional team of experts to requirements, Pilot Medical Solutions helps

MARCH 2023

ILOT EDICAL L TIONS

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–Erwin L. Samuelson, M.D

"I can str Solutions also or –BobH

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About Signature

Since the merger of Page AvJet and Butler Aviation in 1992, Signature Flight Support has grown to become the world’s largest network of Fixed Base Operations (FBOs). With over 200 locations providing consistent, exceptional service, Signature’s worldwide network of FBOs delivers essential support services for business and private aviation, including refueling, hangarage, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and a variety of other world-class amenities with exceptional customer service.

The Signature Service Promise

Land at any FBO in our growing worldwide network and you’ll receive a warm, friendly Signature greeting. Consistent, exceptional service. Line support that’s expert, safe and ready on the ramp. Clean, comfortable, well-furnished facilities. Service professionals who go the extra mile for your passengers and crew. Competitive pricing in every market. And our Signature QuickTurn® service for demanding travel schedules.

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