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February 2017
www.inflightusa.com
3
Calendar of Events
To list 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.
FEBRUARY
4
7 11 — 12 12
14 16 18
18 — 19 19
25 25 — 26
MARCH
2—4 3—4 4
7 7—9 10 — 12 11 17 — 18 18
18 — 19
19
Q Buckeye, AZ: Buckeye SciTech Festival, Buckeye Municipal Airport, www.buckeyeairfair.com. Q Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Frazier Lake Airpark, free, (831) 637-9822, www.frazierlake.com. Q Chino, CA: Living History Flying Day “P-38 Lightning,” 10 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-3722, www.planesoffame.org. Q Chino, CA: Kilroy Coffee Klatch, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-7576. Q Brownsville, TX: Air Fiesta 2017, gates 9 a.m., South Padre Island Airport, (956) 541-8585, www.rgvcaf.org. Q Laredo, TX: Stars & Stripes Air Show Spectacular, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Laredo Int’l. Airport, (956) 722-0589, www.wbcalaredo.org. Q West Chester, PA: Say “I Do” in the Air, 12:30 p.m., reservation deadline 2/9, American Helicopter Museum, (610) 436-9600, www.americanhelicoptermuseum. Q Chino, CA: “Love Is in the Air” Buy-One-Get-One Free Admission, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Yanks Air Museum, (909) 597-1735. Q Troy, OH: Aviation Lecture Series, 6:30 p.m., WACO Air Museum, (937) 335-9226. Q Chino, CA: Open Cockpit Day — F-86 Sabre Jet & EC-121, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Yanks Air Museum, (909) 597-1735. Q San Luis Obispo, CA: Vintage Aircraft Associate’s Airport Day, San Luis Obispo Airport, (805) 801-7641. Q El Cajon, CA: Warbirds West Air Museum Open House & Pancake Breakfast, 8 to 10:30 a.m., Gillespie Field, (858) 414-6258, www.wwam.org. Q Riverside, CA: Aircraft Display Day Fly-In, 8 a.m., Flabob Airport, (951) 683-2309, www.flabob.org. Q Santa Rosa, CA: Climb Aboard Weekend, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Coast Air Museum, Sonoma County Airport, (707) 575-7900. Q LaVerne, CA: Antique & Special Interest Aircraft Display, 10 a.m to 2 p.m., Brackett Airport, (909) 593-1395. Q San Diego, CA: Montgomery Field Historic Aircraft Display, noon to 2 p.m., Gibbs Montgomery Executive Airport, (619) 301-2530. Q Plant City, FL: Planes, Trains & Automobiles, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Plant City Airport, (813) 754-3707, www.plantcity.org. Q Puyallup, WA: Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show, Washington State Fair, (866) 922-7469, www.washington-aviation.org. Q Lake Buena Vista, FL: Int’l. Women in Aviation Conference, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, www.wai.org. Q Casa Grande, AZ: Cactus Antique Fly-In, gates 8 a.m., Casa Grande Municipal Airport, www.cactusflyin.org. Q Vero Beach, FL: EAA Chapter 99 Aviation Day, Vero Beach Municipal Airport, www.eaa99.com. Q Chino, CA: Living History Flying Day, 10 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-3722, www.planesoffame.org. Q Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Frazier Lake Airpark, free, (831) 637-9822, www.frazierlake.com. Q Chino, CA: Kilroy Coffee Klatch, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-7576. Q Dallas, TX: Hai Helli-Expo, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, heliexpo.rotor.org. Q Titusville, FL: TICO Warbird Airshow, Fri. noon/Sat. 8:30 a.m., Space Coast Regional Airport, (321) 268-1941, www.valliantaircommand.com. Q El Centro, CA: NAF El Centro Air Show, gates 7 a.m., (760) 339-2220. Q Yuma, AZ: MCAS Yuma Air Show, gates Fri. 5 p.m./Sat. 8 a.m., MCAS Yuma, www.yumaairshow.com.. Q Chino, CA: Open Cockpit Day — P-51 Mustang & EC-121, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Yanks Air Museum, (909) 597-1735. Q San Luis Obispo, CA: Vintage Aircraft Associate’s Airport Day, San Luis Obispo Airport, (805) 801-7641. Q El Cajon, CA: Warbirds West Air Museum Open House & Pancake Breakfast, 8 to 10:30 a.m., Gillespie Field, (858) 414-6258, www.wwam.org. Q Riverside, CA: Aircraft Display Day Fly-In, 8 a.m., Flabob Airport, (951) 683-2309, www.flabob.org. Q Waco, TX: The Heart of Texas Airshow, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., TSTC Waco Airport, www.heartoftexasairshow.com. Q China Lake, CA: NAWS China Lake Air Show, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., tickets (615) 223-1008, www.chinalakeairshow.com. Q Santa Rosa, CA: Climb Aboard Weekend, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Coast Air Museum, Sonoma County Airport, (707) 575-7900. Q Napa, CA: Vintage Aircraft Display, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Napa Airport, (707) 944-9236. Q LaVerne, CA: Antique & Special Interest Aircraft Display, 10 a.m to 2 p.m., Brackett Airport, (909) 593-1395.
Continued on Page 7
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4
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
COVER STORY
13TH ANNUAL SEBRING, FL EXPO
A
February 2017
WHOPPING SUCCESS!
U.S. Sport Aviation Expo Kicked off on Wednesday, Jan. 25 with Glorious Weather that Continued all Four Days
Visitors and exhibitors raved about the new layout and entrance through the Sebring Airport Terminal. Said Bill Shannon, attendee from Palm Beach County, “Been coming the last four years… best layout seen ever this year”…Loved the entrance through the (airport) terminal.” Wes Chumley of Stemme had this to say about the event, “I spoke to 200-300 people everyday! Way busier than last year. And, Bev made it really easy to get in here.”
(Interactive Explorers)
Andy Wall, CEO of AutoGyro exclaimed, “We have three contracts from the show and a new dealership on board as a result of being at Expo.” “Zenith’s rudder workshop was completely filled, and attendees were ecstatic to have the opportunity to build their own rudder,” remarked Beverly Glarner, Sebring Expo Event Director.
(Interactive Explorers)
Students Connecting With Aviators
More than 700 students from area schools came to hear famous aviators who defied the odds, and built remarkable aviation-related careers. After listening to these powerful speakers, Expo’s YAZ (Young Aviators Zone) became the
youth hangout to have personal conversations with Shaesta Waiz, Patty Wagstaff, Jamail Larkins, La’Shanda Holmes, and Melissa Mathiasen in person and obtain personalized autographs on post cards created specifically for the youth. Exclaimed Jenn DeWitt, ninth grade AVID teacher at Sebring High School about YAZ, “We truly enjoyed this aviation experience! With college and careers on our brain, this offered more dreams to ponder! A lot of our high school students said that the event “surpassed their expectations!” From the engaging speakers to the hands-on drone racing, we completely enjoyed ourselves. Seeing live flights on the airstrip was fascinating as well!”
Drone Racing Results
Two distinctly different races were held over the four-day event in the DroneZone. Hobbico held a special Continued on Page 22
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TABLE Volume 33, Number 6
OF
CONTENTS February 2017
650-358-9908 • Fax: 650-358-9254 • E-mail: vickie@inflightusa.com • www.inflightusa.com
ON THE COVER COVER STORY
PHOTO FINISH
U.S. NAVY’S FIRST CARRIER SQUADRON VFA-2
U.S. SPORT AVIATION EXPO
“BOUNTY HUNTERS” By Mike Heilman and Ed Wells Story starts on Page 44 Photo Page on 49
Story starts on Page 4 Cover courtesy of Interactive Explorers
NEWS FAA Issues General Aviation Medical Rule..................................8 AOPA ASI Launches Safety Alliance ............................................8 EAA Statement on FAA Release of Third-Class Medical ............9 FAA Issues Final Rule on Small Airplane Safety ......................11 AEA Announces 2017 Conference Dates, Locations................16 Russia Premiers Stop In 2017 Red Bull Air Race ....................21 Pioneering Women Pilots to be Honored ..................................22 Goodies & Gadgets: 2016 Year in Review ..................................27 Red Oak Municipal Honors World’s Oldest Active Pilot ..........28 AOPA Comments on Proposed NavWorx AD ............................32 In Remembrance: Capt. Eugene A. Cernan, USN ......................33 Pilots From Chile and France Join Red Bull 2017 ....................36 Volunteer for the 75th Anniversary of Doolittle Raid ................43 Stallion 51 Celebrates 30 Years of Making Mustang Memories ..45 Schweiss Doors’ Signature Project: Sacramento Kings Arena ..46
The U.S. made Evolution Trike (www.evolutiontrikes.com) is but one of the many remarkable S-LSA aircraft sport-flying products represented at the 2017 U.S. Sport Aviation Expo. Considered one of the premier trikes on the market today, this form of Weight Shift aircraft represents the fastest growing form of recreational flying in the world today.
FEATURES Editorial: New Third Class Medical Provision By Ed Downs ..................................................................6 Warbird Sanctuary By David Brown ............................................................17 Wonder Woman’s Iconic Invisible Plane By Mark Rhodes ............................................................20 Through Airmen’s Eyes: Journey to Recovery By Sr. Airman Kyle Johnson ............................................24 Free Airline Travel… Standby By Bert Botta ................................................................38 Recalling: 1944 Crash Landing at Kimbolton, England By Barbara Title ............................................................42
COLUMNS Flying Into Writing: LA Photo-Shoot By Eric McCarthy ..............12
Flying With Faber: A Visit to Aruba By Stuart J. Faber ..............29
The Homebuilder’s Workshop: The Fourth Factor By Ed Wischmeyer ............34 Safe Landings: Communications Be Improved ........................................40
DEPARTMENTS Calendar of Events ..........................................................3 Classifieds ......................................................................48 Index of Advertisers ......................................................50
6
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
NEW THIRD CLASS MEDICAL PROVISIONS
Editorial 2014 Piper Meridian
1969 Piper Arrow
435 TTAF. 435 SNEW. An immaculate and damage free PA46500TP. The aircraft was exported to Paraguay in 2014, and is a one owner, pristine aircraft always maintained by Piper Service Centers. Garmin G1000 Avionics Suite with Synthetic Vision. Currently on Paraguay registry and located in Santiago, Chile, we are available for export and transfer to registration of any county in the world. .......................................................$1,550,000
TTAF 4015. 470 SMOH. 148 SPOH. A clean, well maintained, and always hangared Piper Arrow. Great step up for pilots transitioning from a trainer to a single with retractable landing gear and controllable-pitch propeller. Beautiful cross-country IFR platform with low time engine. Garmin GNS 430 WAAS GPS/COMM, Isham Extended Wing Tips and Dorsal Fin. Located at KFTG Watkins, CO. ... $64,900
1963 CESSNA 336
1999 Socata TB-21
3070 TTAF, 346 SMOH Both Engines, Fixed gear Cessna Skymaster. Only 195 of these were produced, and they combine the safety and security of 2 engines with the simplicity of fixed gear. Low time, damage free, always hangared airplane, been in California since new. Owned by the same owner (WWII B-17 Airman Crewmember) since the early ‘70s ...........................$59,000
559 SNEW. Cruise in style, speed, and comfort. Fully IFR capable and ready for fast fun flights. Capable airframe is complimented by fabulous avionics and instrumentation. Always hangared, complete logs, and no known damage history...................$189,900
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www.airplanesusa.com
I
February 2017
By Ed Downs
t is now official, as of May 1, 2017, the FAR’s will contain provisions that allow an individual to exercise the privileges of a private pilot without the need for a third class medical certificate. But, let me quickly add, there are a number of conditions and caveats in the new rule. Those looking for specific details must review the “Final Rule,” www.faa.gov/news/updates/media/final_r ule_faa_2016_9157.pdf, and Advisory Circular 68-1, www.faa.gov/document Library/media/Advisory Circular/AC_681.pdf. These two fun-filled documents total 112 pages of legal language that needs to be read several times in order to get a full grasp on what is going on. It had been the intent of this writer to summarize this final ruling, but space will simply not allow this. Instead, allow the opinions of this writer to set the stage and then take a look at the FAQ’s that are included directly from Advisory Circular 68-1. This is probably the fastest way to get some idea of what this ruling entails. But first, a small dose of history. Why do we care about dropping the third class medical? Simply stated, the third class medical certificate has become a major cost factor and obstacle for those currently involved in recreational flying and for those who would like to start flying. Policies of the FAA Medical Division have moved far away from the original intent to ensure that we have reasonably healthy pilots. It has become an overwhelming intent of the bureaucracy to maintain jurisdictional power and self-preservation. While it is certainly reasonable to have rules that try to ensure that pilots with health issues, which can affect flight safety do not endanger passengers or persons on the ground, we do not need the huge expense and complexity of the current FAA medical structure. The main point to remember is that medical issues that affect the pilot’s ability to fly the plane are not even a “nit” in safety statistics and never have been. There has never been a statistical reason for having a medical certificate for recreational and amateur pilots. There were no federal medical standards for pilots from the Wrights’ first flight until 1926. The Department of Commerce did pick up some responsibilities in 1927 for professional pilots, as did the U.S. Postal Service (airmail pilots). In many instances, a pilot certificate could be issued by a state with no federal intervention. Civil aviation was fully federal-
ized in 1938, with creation of the Civil Aeronautics Authority, (CAA) the direct predecessor of the FAA, created in 1958. However, medical standards for civil pilots came into play in late 1938, with the creation of the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP). This was a grant program designed to help pull the private aviation industry out of the doldrums of the Great Depression, but it had a dark secret. While sold to Congress by the Roosevelt Administration as a boost to civil industry, it was actually designed to train pilots for the upcoming war that loomed on the horizon. As such, medical standards were included, primarily to identify those who would later be drafted into military service. The plan worked, but the medical standards designed for military service became entrenched in civil aviation, to include recreational flying. Once in place, they have never been withdrawn. Now we jump forward to 2012, when Congress decided that it needed to put a lid on the draconian enforcement practices of the FAA. The Pilot’s Bill of Rights, passed in Aug. 2012, required the FAA to stop unilateral enforcement actions and required the FAA to use the same practices of due process that are afforded a jerk who robs a convenience store. The FAA implemented normal legal practices but did not pursue an action in a reasonable time, meaning pilots accused of an infraction might have the threat of action hanging over their heads for years. Along came the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, which corrected this problem and sought to do away with the obsolete and very costly process of the third class medical. Regretfully, the Executive Office made it very clear that the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 would not be signed if any part of the FAA bureaucracy ended up without a job, even if the job was obsolete. Federal employee unions won the day, and Congress wrote a compromise to the “ending of the third class medical battle” that would help get rid of this obsolete “boat anchor” while maintaining a useless bureaucracy. Yep, only our politicians could figure out how to make this happen. The result is the Final Rule, to be enacted on May 1, 2017. I think the FAQs will answer some of your questions, and this writer will follow this rule closely with more details in continuing issues of Continued on Page 10
February 2017
www.inflightusa.com
7
Calendar of Events Continued from Page 3 19
24 — 26 25 — 26 31 — Apr. 1
APRIL
1
1—2
4 4—9 8—9
15
15 — 16
16
22 22 — 23
28 — 30 29 — 30 30
Q San Diego, CA: Montgomery Field Historic Aircraft Display, noon to 2 p.m., Gibbs Montgomery Executive Airport, (619) 301-2530. Q Brunswick, GA: Wings over the Golden Isles Air Show, Fri. 6 p.m./ Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m., Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, wingsovergoldenisles.com. Q Palmdale, CA: Los Angeles County Air Show, William J. Fox Airport, (661) 927-7469, lacoairshow.com. Q DeFuniak Springs, FL: Marvel of Flight Fly-In & Expo, DeFuniak Springs Airport, (850) 892-2000, www.marvelofflight.com.
Q Riverside, CA: Airshow 2017, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Riverside Airport, (951) 351-6113. Q Hollister, CA: Antique Aircraft Display & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Frazier Lake Airpark, free, (831) 637-9822, www.frazierlake.com. Q Chino, CA: Living History Flying Day, 10 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-3722, www.planesoffame.org. Q Corpus Crhisti, TX: NAS Corpus Christi Wings over South Texas. Q Melbourne, FL: Melbourne Air & Space Show, gates 9 a.m., Melbourne Int’l. Airport, (321) 395-3110, airandspaceshow.com. Q Tavares, FL: Seaplane-A-Palooza Fly-In, Tavares Seaplane Base, (352) 742-6176, www.tavares.org. Q Chino, CA: Kilroy Coffee Klatch, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-7576. Q Lakeland, FL: Sun ’n Fun Int’l. Fly-In & Expo, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, www.flysnf.org. Q Montgomery, AL: Maxwell AFB Open House & Airshow, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., www.maxwell.af.mil. Q Columbus, GA: Thunder in the Valley Air Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Columbus Airport, www.thunderinthevalleyairshow.com. Q Chino, CA: Some Bunny Loves You w/Easter Bunny & Scavenger Egg Hunt, noon, Yanks Air Museum, (909) 597-1735. Q San Luis Obispo, CA: Vintage Aircraft Associate’s Airport Day, San Luis Obispo Airport, (805) 801-7641. Q El Cajon, CA: Warbirds West Air Museum Open House & Pancake Breakfast, 8 to 10:30 a.m., Gillespie Field, (858) 414-6258, www.wwam.org. Q Riverside, CA: Aircraft Display Day Fly-In, 8 a.m., Flabob Airport, (951) 683-2309, www.flabob.org. Q Petaluma, CA: Historic Airplane Appreciation Day, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Petaluma Municipal Airport, (707) 778-4404. Q Santa Rosa, CA: Climb Aboard Weekend, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Coast Air Museum, Sonoma County Airport, (707) 575-7900. Q Napa, CA: Vintage Aircraft Display, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Napa Airport, (707) 944-9236. Q San Diego, CA: Red Bull Air Race, @noon, www.redbullairrace.com. Q LaVerne, CA: Antique & Special Interest Aircraft Display, 10 a.m to 2 p.m., Brackett Airport, (909) 593-1395. Q San Diego, CA: Montgomery Field Historic Aircraft Display, noon to 2 p.m., Gibbs Montgomery Executive Airport, (619) 301-2530. Q Louisville, KY: Thunder over Louisville, 3 p.m., Waterfront Park, (800) 928-3378, thunderoverlouisville.org. Q Belle Chasse, LA: NAS JRB New Orleans Air Show, gates 8 a.m., www.neworleansairshow.com. Q Panama City, FL: Gulf Coast Salute - Tyndall AFB Airshow, gates 9 a.m., www.gulfcoastsalute.com. Q Peachtree City, GA: CAF Dixie Wing WWII Heritage Days, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Falcon Field, www.wwiidays.org. Q Lake Charles, LA: Chennault Int’l. Airshow, show Fri. 5 p.m./gates Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m., Chennault Int’l. Airport, chennaultairshow.com. Q Beaufort, SC: MCAS Beaufort Air Show, gates 9 a.m., www.beaufortairshow.com. Q Half Moon Bay, CA: Pacific Coast Dream Machines, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Half Moon Bay Airport, (650) 726-2328, www.miramarevents.com.
Faster, cheaper, better This past December the FAA released a new rule—actually it’s a rewrite of an old rule— that should make it easier, faster, and less expensive to bring innovative new general aviation aircraft to market— and that’s great news for GA. The Part 23 rewrite completely changes the FAA’s approach to certification. It’s nothing short of groundbreaking. In the past, the FAA approached certification by setting out detailed requirements and standards for each category of aircraft. These requirements were so detailed that they stifled innovation, forcing manufacturers to keep building aircraft the way they did 60 years ago, even though new materials, construction techniques, and technologies made those brand-new aircraft seem archaic. But under the rewrite, the categories—such as utility, aerobatic, and commuter—are going away for aircraft certified in the future. Instead of highly prescriptive standards, the FAA will use four levels of performance and risk, based on the aircraft’s maximum seating capacity, to certify aircraft. Performance levels will also be designated as low speed for aircraft with maximum design or operating limits of 250 KTAS or less, or high speed for aircraft with a maximum speed greater than 250 KTAS. Even better, the FAA will allow applicants to use consensus standards to demonstrate how they will comply with Part 23’s certification requirements. That gives manufacturers more flexibility to do what makes sense, instead of following an exact procedure set out in the regs. Of course not everyone is going to be able to run out and buy a new airplane that takes advantage of these new standards. And even if they could, it would take decades for manufacturers to replace the existing fleet at current rates of production. But even so, I believe the changes are very good news. They demonstrate that the FAA recognizes that regulations haven’t kept up with the times and that the agency is willing to take a new approach. The next step is getting the FAA to apply that approach to the legacy fleet so every pilot, no matter what they fly, can benefit from newer, safer, and more affordable equipment.
Anna Serbinenko Mark R. Baker President & CEO, AOPA
“I love both teaching and flying. . . I know of nothing more rewarding than sharing your greatest passion with others.”
• Aerobatics Instruction and Air Shows • For more information visit my website: www.cfc.aero Call 604.946.7744 or email anna@cfc.aero.
*For more information on the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association HUK [OL PZZ\LZ [OH[ HɈLJ[ `V\Y Å`PUN NV [V www.aopa.org [VKH`
DELIVERING SAFER SKIES
8
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
G
By Mark Baker
February 2017
the FAA to meet the requirements of BasicMed, the FAA’s name for medical reforms that will allow tens of thousands of pilots to fly without ever getting another FAA medical certificate. While that course is sure to bring some newcomers to the Air Safety Institute, you may be surprised to learn just how many pilots are already taking advantage of ASI’s safety programs. Last year alone, ASI touched pilots some 2.3 million times with online and in-person education programs, seminars, safety quizzes, and much more. Wondering what your fellow pilots are learning about? For 2016, the most popular topics included general aviation security, decision making, runway safety, VFR into IMC, and aerodynamics. But that barely
scratches the surface of what’s available. If you’ve never taken an ASI course, you’ll be amazed at the breadth and depth of information you can access. There are interactive courses on weather, flying IFR, mountain flying, charts, regulations, aging aircraft, and even aging pilots. The courses are fun and engaging, making it easy to spend an hour or so refreshing your knowledge or learning something new. And perhaps best of all, they’re free. You can even earn FAA Wings credit and maintain an online transcript of the courses you’ve completed. ASI also offers accident case studies that allow you to see how the accident chain develops–a great tool for honing your decision-making skills. And there’s a wide range of safety videos on topics
that include low-altitude maneuvering, flight planning, traffic pattern stalls, weather factors, and all kinds of medical topics from cancer to heartburn. Let’s not forget the safety quizzes–a fun way to test your knowledge–or the webinars, podcasts, and live seminars. And for flight instructors, ASI offers a choice of in-person or online FIRCs as well as a free “CFI to CFI” newsletter to help you sharpen your teaching skills and stay abreast of new developments. So whether you’re still dreaming of becoming a pilot, you’ve got a little rust on your wings, or you’re out there flying everyday, ASI has something for you. I challenge you take advantage of all ASI’s resources and do your part to keep making GA safer and stronger.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Jan. 10 issued a final rule (www.faa.gov) that allows general aviation pilots to fly without holding an FAA medical certificate as long as they meet certain requirements outlined in Congressional legislation. “The United States has the world’s most robust general aviation community, and we’re committed to continuing to make it safer and more efficient to become a private pilot,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “The BasicMed rule will keep our pilots safe but will simplify our regulations and keep general aviation flying affordable.” Until now, the FAA has required private, recreational, and student pilots, as well as flight instructors, to meet the requirements of and hold a third class medical certificate. They are required to complete an online application and
undergo a physical examination with an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner. A medical certificate is valid for five years for pilots under age 40 and two years for pilots age 40 and over. Beginning on May 1, pilots may take advantage of the regulatory relief in the BasicMed rule or opt to continue to use their FAA medical certificate. Under BasicMed, a pilot will be required to complete a medical education course, undergo a medical examination every four years, and comply with aircraft and operating restrictions. For example, pilots using BasicMed cannot operate an aircraft with more than six people onboard, and the aircraft must not weigh more than 6,000 pounds. A pilot flying under the BasicMed rule must: • Possess a valid driver’s license;
• Have held a medical certificate at any time after July 15, 2006; • Have not had the most recently held medical certificate revoked, suspended, or withdrawn; • Have not had the most recent application for airman medical certification completed and denied; • Have taken a medical education course within the past 24 calendar months; • Have completed a comprehensive medical examination with a physician within the past 48 months; • Be under the care of a physician for certain medical conditions; • Have been found eligible for special issuance of a medical certificate for certain specified mental health, neurological, or cardiovascular conditions when applicable; • Consent to a National Driver
Register check; • Fly only certain small aircraft, at a limited altitude and speed, and only within the United States; and • Not fly for compensation or hire. The July 15, 2016 FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 directed the FAA to issue or revise regulations by Jan. 10, 2017, to ensure that an individual may operate as pilot in command of a certain aircraft without having to undergo the medical certification process under Part 67 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, if the pilot and aircraft meet certain prescribed conditions outlined in the Act. The FAA and the general aviation community have a strong track record of collaboration. The agency is working with nonprofit organizations and the notfor-profit general aviation stakeholder groups to develop online medical courses that meet the requirements of the Act.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute (ASI) has launched a new industry-wide initiative, the Safety Alliance, which brings general aviation safety education resources together in one location online and makes it easier for pilots to find a variety of content all in one place. Organized by topic on ASI’s Safety Spotlight web pages, and also on the Safety Alliance web page, the content is
free to all pilots and for the first time, allows them to find the information they want, without having to search multiple websites. Topics cover the spectrum of safety-related materials. “ASI is proud to provide a common platform for anyone who is passionate about aviation safety education. Further improvements to GA safety requires a team effort and isn’t something we can do alone,” said AOPA Senior Vice
President, Aviation Strategy and Programs, Katie Pribyl. “We know that many other organizations provide highquality safety-focused content, and we want to make it easy for pilots to find that information.” The launch of the Safety Alliance is the result of a collaboration between ASI and several general aviation companies and organizations. ASI thanks the following for being
part of the initial Safety Alliance launch: ASA, Jason Blair, Flight Chops, Garmin, Hartzell Propeller, Leidos, Rod Machado, MzeroA, PilotWorkshops.com, Sportys, TBM, and The Finer Points. New programs will be added regularly, so pilots are encouraged to visit often for the latest in general aviation safety education. For more information, visit www.aopa.org.
President and CEO AOPA eneral aviation has never been safer, and the work of the AOPA Air Safety Institute (ASI) is a big reason why. Since 1950, ASI has been creating and delivering free safety and educational resources to pilots. And, since 1950, the general aviation accident rate has decreased by 90 percent. That’s no coincidence. ASI’s focus has always been on one thing – making your flying safer. But the way we deliver that safety information and the range of topics we cover is always expanding. For example, ASI will soon be releasing an online course on aeromedical factors designed in conjunction with
FAA ISSUES GENERAL AVIATION MEDICAL RULE
AOPA ASI LAUNCHES SAFETY ALLIANCE
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EAA STATEMENT ON FAA RELEASE OF THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL REFORM RULE February 2017
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FAA’s BasicMed Will Take Effect on May 1, 2017
Years of effort by EAA and AOPA culminated last month as the FAA announced regulations that will implement the aeromedical reform law passed last July. The regulations will be published as a final rule, to take effect May 1, 2017. According to the FAA, no changes have been made to the language in the law. Because it is final, the rule––named “BasicMed” by the FAA––will not go out for a typical public comment period. The FAA also said it would publish an advisory circular describing the implementation of the rule later this month. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, as the provisions of aeromedical reform become something that pilots can now use,” said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO/chairman. “EAA and AOPA worked to make this a reality through legislation in July, and since then, the most common question from our members has been, ‘When will the rule come out?’ We now have the text and will work to educate members, pilots, and physicians about the specifics in the regulation.” Last month’s announcement finalized the highly anticipated measure that was signed into law last July as part of an FAA funding bill. That was the ultimate success of a long effort by EAA and AOPA to bring
significant aeromedical reform to pilots flying recreationally and eliminate the time and expense burdens on those holding third-class medical certificates. The law guaranteed that pilots holding a valid third-class medical certificate issued in the 10 years before the reform was enacted will be eligible to fly under the new rules. New pilots and pilots whose most recent medical expired more than 10 years prior to July 2016 will be required to get a one-time third-class exam from an FAA-designated AME. The FAA was required to implement the law within 180 days of its signing and did so by Jan. 12. Since AirVenture 2016, FAA senior leadership has been assuring EAA that the 180-day deadline would be met. Despite the release of the regulations as a final rule, EAA will be reviewing the language carefully to ensure it fully reflects the language and intent of the law. EAA has updated its Q&A and will continue to update them to provide the latest information. EAA is also working with its aeromedical and legal advisory councils to provide resources that will help members and their personal doctors understand the provisions of the new regulations. For more information, visit www.eaa.org.
In Dec. 2016, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) renewed its Government/Industry Partnership with the National Air Transportation Association - Compliance Services (NATACS) for an additional five-year period. This renewed agreement will result in two decades of uninterrupted services to the general and business aviation community by NATACS. The agreement authorizes NATACS to continue as a Trusted Fingerprint Facility to process biographical and biometric information and other services for general and commercial aviation populations worldwide. Over the years, the TSA/NATACS partnership has expanded to include: • Known Crewmember Program for Part 135 on-demand air charter operators
participating in the Twelve-Five Standard Security Program (TFSSP) and Private Charter Standard Security Program (PCSSP). • Maryland Three (MD3) - Federal Restricted Zone (FRZ) Airports • DCA Access Standard Security Program (DASSP) • Alien Flight Student Program (AFSP) “We are honored to continue our work with TSA,” stated NATACS CEO Michael Sundheim. “NATACS exists to help TSA carry out its critical security mission, ensuring industry compliance with the government’s strict requirements, all while minimizing the costs and impact on businesses. NATACS looks Continued on Page 13
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February 2017
Editorial: Third Class Medical Continued from Page 6 In Flight USA. It is the intent of this writer to utilize the new provisions, so stay tuned for a firsthand account.
AC 68-1 Appendix B. Frequently Asked Questions General
Q: How did the FAA come up with these BasicMed requirements? A: The FAA did not develop these requirements. The requirements are from the U.S. Congress, which enacted the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (PL 114-190) (FESSA) on July 15, 2016. Section 2307 of FESSA, Medical Certification of Certain Small Aircraft Pilots, directed the FAA to “issue or revise regulations to ensure that an individual may operate as pilot in command of a covered aircraft” if the pilot and aircraft meet certain prescribed conditions as outlined in FESSA. Q: Is there a grace period for meeting BasicMed? A: You can operate a covered aircraft either with a medical certificate or by using BasicMed privileges. If you don’t meet all of the BasicMed requirements, then you must hold an FAA medical certificate. Q: Does BasicMed affect sport pilots? A: No. If you are exercising sport pilot privileges in an aircraft that meets the definition of a light-sport aircraft, then you may continue to operate using either a driver’s license or an FAA medical certificate. BasicMed privileges are not intended to be exercised by Sport Pilots. Q: What documents do I need to carry to exercise BasicMed? A: Only a valid driver’s license (in addition to the other required documents not identified under BasicMed such as your pilot certificate and photo ID (which can be your driver’s license)). Q: What documentation do I need to keep? A: You only need to keep a copy of your Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist and your medical education course completion certificate. You can store these in your logbook, or you can store them electronically in any format, as long as you can produce an accurate representation of these documents at the request of the FAA. You don’t have to carry these documents while flying under BasicMed. Q: Can I exercise my CFI, as PIC, under BasicMed? A: Yes, as long as you are flying a covered aircraft. Q: Can I use BasicMed to act as a safety pilot, rather than holding a med-
ical? A: Only if you’re acting as PIC while performing the duties of safety pilot. BasicMed applies only to people acting as PIC; it cannot be exercised by safety pilots who are not acting as PIC but are required crewmembers. Q: Do I still have to have a flight review required by § 61.56? A: Yes. BasicMed does not affect any pilot requirement other than the holding an FAA medical certificate. Q: I’ve mislaid my BasicMed course completion certificate. Can I still fly under BasicMed? A: No. Although they don’t need to have them in your personal possession, you must be able to produce the BasicMed course completion certificate and the completed CMEC (or an accurate and legible representation of those documents) while operating under BasicMed. You should contact the provider of the medical course to obtain a replacement course completion certificate. Q: Can I tow advertising banners or gliders while exercising BasicMed? A: Yes, as long as you are not receiving any compensation for those flights. Q: Can I use BasicMed privileges to take an Airline Transport Pilot practical test? A: Yes. A person taking any FAA practical test is exercising no more than private pilot privileges because the operation is not being conducted for compensation or hire. Q: I use an electronic pilot logbook. Can I use this to store my BasicMed documentation? A: You can attach those documents to your electronic logbook, or you may store them in any other fashion as long as an accurate and legible representation of those documents can be made available upon request, the same as for your pilot logbook. Q: The medical course required that I enter my personal information and the name and license number of the physician who conducted my individual medical examination. Why is the FAA collecting this information? A: The legislation (FESSA) requires the FAA to collect that information. The pilot’s personal information will be used to conduct the NDR check. The FAA will store the information. It is required by FESSA to collect in the airman’s record.
Hold, or Have Held, a Medical Certificate Since July 15, 2006
Q: I can’t remember if my medical certificate was valid after July 15, 2006. Continued on Page 13
February 2017
FAA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON SMALL AIRPLANE SAFETY CERTIFICATION STANDARDS www.inflightusa.com
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently issued a final rule that overhauls the airworthiness standards for small general aviation airplanes. This innovative rule will reduce the time it takes to move safety-enhancing technologies for small airplanes into the marketplace and will also reduce costs for the aviation industry. “Aviation manufacturing is our nation’s top export, and general aviation alone contributes approximately $80 billion and 400,000 jobs to our economy,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “The FAA’s rule replaces prescriptive design requirements with performance-based standards, which will reduce costs and leverage innovation without sacrificing safety.” FAA’s new Part 23 rule (PDF) establishes performance-based standards for airplanes that weigh less than 19,000 pounds with 19 or fewer seats and recognizes consensus-based compliance methods for specific designs and technologies. It also adds new certification standards to address general aviation loss of control
Rule Will Streamline Approval of New Technologies accidents and in-flight icing conditions. “The rule is a model of what we can accomplish for American competitiveness when government and industry work together, and it demonstrates that we can simultaneously enhance safety and reduce burdens on industry,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. The rule responds to the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 and the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013, which directed the FAA to streamline the approval of safety advancements for small general aviation aircraft. It also addresses recommendations from the FAA’s 2013 Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee, which recommended a more streamlined approval process for safety equipment on small general aviation aircraft. The new rule also promotes regulatory harmonization among the FAA’s foreign partners, including the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), and Brazil’s Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC). This harmonization
may help minimize costs for airplane and engine manufacturers and operators of affected equipment who seek certification to sell products globally. The rule affects airplane manufacturers, engine manufacturers, and opera-
A
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tors of affected equipment. Go to www.faa.gov to learn more from the FAA and industry about the benefits of streamlined certification. This regulatory change is a leading Continued on Page 13 P.O. Box 5402 • San Mateo, CA 94402 (650) 358-9908 • Fax (650) 358-9254
Founder ..................................................................................................................Ciro Buonocore Publisher/Editor................................................................................................Victoria Buonocore Managing Editor..........................................................................................Annamarie Buonocore Production Editors ..............................................................................Anne Dobbins, Toni Sieling Associate Editors ........................ Nicholas A. Veronico, Sagar Pathak, Richard VanderMeulen Staff Contributors..................................................................................................S. Mark Rhodes, .........................................................................................................Larry Nazimek, Joe Gonzalez, Columnists ....................................Steve Weaver, Stuart Faber, Larry Shapiro, Ed Wischmeyer, ..................................................................................................................Marilyn Dash, Ed Downs, Copy Editing ............................................................................................................Sally Gersbach Advertising Sales Manager ........................................Ed Downs (650) 358-9908, (918) 873-0280 In Flight USA is published each month by In Flight Publishing. It is circulated throughout the continental United States. Business matters, advertising and editorial concerns should be addressed to In Flight USA, P.O. Box 5402, San Mateo, Calif. 94402 or by calling (650) 358-9908–fax (650) 358-9254. Copyright © 2008 In Flight Publishing. In Flight USA is not responsible for any action taken by any person as a result of reading any part of any issue. The pieces are written for information, entertainment and suggestion – not recommendation. The pursuit of flight or any action reflected by this paper is the responsibility of the individual and not of this paper, its staff or contributors. Opinions expressed are those of the individual author, and not necessarily those of In Flight USA. All editorial and advertising matter in this edition is copyrighted. Reproduction in any way is strictly prohibited without written permission of the publisher. In Flight USA is not liable or in any way responsible for the condition or airworthiness of any aircraft advertised for sale in any edition. By law the airworthiness of any aircraft sold is the responsiblity of the seller and buyer.
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LA PHOTO-SHOOT
February 2017
Flying into Writing By Eric McCarthy
C
limbing out of Palomar (KCRQ) on the Alpha North departure, we remained relatively low as we turned north over the coastline. Cleared to change frequencies, we contacted SoCal Approach and requested VFR flight following for our photo mission in the LA Basin. We had several sites to photograph, the most challenging of which would be a site just south of downtown Los Angeles. I knew we’d be handed off a few times before we got to our sites, so I made sure they knew we had several sites but focused on the first and second when describing our intentions. I’m happy to provide detailed descriptions of our proposed routing, but I didn’t want to tie up the frequency unless requested to. I also know from experience that little of my explanation would be passed on to the next controller; they’re busy and primarily want to know where we’re headed on this leg, what altitude we’ll be at over the target, when we’re “on-station,” when we’re done, and where we’re headed next. Much beyond that is superfluous. As we approached Oceanside, the controller reminded us that R-2503A was active, so we planned our flight to be about two miles off the coast to avoid Camp Pendleton’s traffic. Approaching John Wayne (KSNA), we descended to 1,300 feet to remain clear of their Class C airspace. The plan was to fly to Emmy and Eva, the two oil platforms just off the coast north of the Huntington Beach Pier, then fly over the Seal Beach VOR (SLI), and Los Alamitos AAF (KSLI) to the first target. Upon reaching the oil platforms, SoCal requested that we continue on our “present heading” for traffic, but quickly cleared us to turn on course and transit feet. Our site was about eight miles north of the airport, in an industrial park in the congested Norwalk area. I identified our site a few miles out, and we prepared for the photos. I turned over the controls to my trusty copilot, Jerry, strapped on the Nikon, opened the window, and slid the seat back. A few turns over the target, and we were off to find the LA site. We had to stay down low to remain clear of the Class Bravo, which started at 2,000 feet along our route. ATC called traffic ahead, and we spotted a police helicopter crossing our path 500 feet below and a couple of miles in the distance. As we approached downtown Los Angeles, we located our next target site just a few hundred yards from the high-rise build-
ings towering over the city, their tops reaching to our altitude. The location provided us with a spectacular view of the great skyscrapers of the city and the Hollywood hills beyond. At our location, the controllers
Downtown Los Angeles (Eric McCarthy)
turned LAX traffic from downwind to base directly overhead. We had airliners of all description passing over us as we circled the site, but the most impressive were the big Boeings and Airbuses, like this Emirates Airbus A380, turning base for runway 24R. With a takeoff weight of more than 1.2 million pounds, an overall length of 238 feet, and a wingspan of 261 feet, the double-decker A380 is a big bird, and it looks even bigger when it’s hanging, apparently motionless, a mere 1,500 feet over you!
Emirates A380 over Los Angeles (Eric McCarthy)
Always a consideration when flying, but particularly so when low over the ground, is where we’d go in the event of an emergency or engine failure. As you can imagine, the options are severely limited in downtown LA. For us, it would have meant putting down in the nearby LA River, which was mostly dry at the time, and offered several straight stretches long enough to land on. This would have been a significant challenge, with high voltage transmission lines on both sides and several bridges crossing potential landing sites, but it was probably our best option. We made several circuits around the target, got our photos, and departed to the east.
RC traffic at 1,200 Feet
On our way to our next target in South El Monte, we had a bit of a surprise when we spotted a radio controlled model aircraft at our altitude performing aerobatic maneuvers. This was not a small quad-copter drone but a large model aircraft with a 4-5 feet wingspan, and it was climbing and diving within just a few hundred feet of us. We had been talking to El Monte Tower (now San Gabriel Valley) to coordinate our activities within their airspace, and I immediately notified them of the RC aircraft. The controller was clearly concerned and asked for the details and where we had seen it. Initially, he thought we were reporting a quad-copter-type drone, but I explained that it was a large model airplane. I described – I only saw it for a few seconds, and not being from that area, I wasn’t familiar with the local landmarks. I told him that we had seen it about a mile behind our present position, assuming he had us on radar since we had discussed our intentions regarding the photo mission. Between dealings with other traffic at the airport and in their airspace, the controller came back to us a couple of times while we were circling our targets seeking details, particularly about where we had seen it. Approaching from the west, we were feet AGL descending to our photo altitude of 1,000 feet AGL when I saw the RC plane over what I now know to be (thanks to Google Earth) the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area. In fact, just north of the 60 freeway, and certainly within El Monte’s airspace, there is an RC airfield, and I’m sure the aircraft was being operated from there. I am surprised that the controller didn’t appear to see the connection. I would have thought this RC field would have been “on their radar,” so to speak. Even at our reduced speed of about 90 knots for the photo mission, a collision with an object of that size could have been catastrophic. It’s bad enough that we have to contend with birds in flight. RC aircraft operators need to be mindful of the potential dangers their aircraft can cause at altitude; had we hit it that day, I suspect this column would have been delayed, perhaps forever...
San Diego
With our photo mission completed in El Monte, we departed the area for San Diego and our next photo target. We
skirted around the east side of the LA basin, beneath the outer shelves of the Class Bravo airspace and over the Chino Hills, then against the western slopes of the Santa Ana Mountains to avoid John Wayne’s Class Charlie, and back toward the coast at San Clemente. Back out to sea to avoid Pendleton’s restricted airspace and down the coastline to La Jolla, where we descended to remain clear of San Diego International’s Lindbergh Field (KSAN) Class Bravo airspace. This time, our target site was on Lindbergh Field, just north of the runway, at the core of the Class Bravo airspace. While this certainly presents its own problems, finding a suitable emergency landing site was not one of them! Lindbergh’s 9,400 feet lone runway would suffice in a pinch! I had called the tower earlier in the day to introduce myself, explain my intentions, and to seek any guidance or requests they might have had for us. I always try to get in touch with the controlling agency – usually the tower – prior to arriving at a site in controlled airspace – especially in a major airport’s airspace. I’ve been able to coordinate my photo missions in some very busy airspace, including on the active ILS approach to Boston’s Logan Airport (KBOS), and adjacent to Class Delta, Charlie, and now Bravo airports. In each case, the controllers were very accommodating. In most cases, the controllers are relieved to find that I’m only planning to be ‘on-station’ for five to 10 minutes, a relatively minor interruption to their schedules.
San Diego skyline and the Coronado Bridge (Eric McCarthy)
We were kept at 1,500 feet and north of the field and the approach corridor for runway 27. We made several passes to get our photos, watching the airliners approaching and departing Lindbergh from our perch 1,500 feet over the ground. Finished, we thanked them for their help and departed over the Mission Bay VOR (MZB) and then to the coast over Pacific Beach. Three hours after departure, we touched down at Palomar, Continued on Page 14
February 2017
www.inflightusa.com
13
Editorial: Third Class Medical Continued from Page 10 How can I find out if I meet the BasicMed requirements? A: You may contact Federal Aviation Administration, Medical Certification Branch, AAM-331, P.O. Box 26200, Oklahoma City, OK 73125-9914 (phone: 405/954-4821) to ask when your most recent medical certificate expires or to request a copy of your most recent medical certificate. Q: Can I exercise BasicMed and hold a medical certificate at the same time? A: Yes. If you are operating under BasicMed, then you must comply with the BasicMed operating limitations (such as flying only within the U.S. and at or less than 250 knots). When operating under BasicMed, you are not exercising the privileges of your medical certificate. Q: My medical certificate expired in 2011 and I submitted an application for an FAA medical certificate using MedExpress, but I never went to an AME for my physical exam. Does this application prevent me from using the previous medical certificate to meet the requirement to hold a medical certificate at any point after July 15, 2006? A: No. Since an AME never accessed your application, you didn’t complete the application process, and you may use the previous medical certifi-
cate (before you submitted your MedXpress application) to comply with BasicMed. Q: My most recent medical certificate was suspended by the FAA and then later reinstated. May I operate under BasicMed? A: No. If your most recent medical certificate was suspended (even if it was later reinstated) you must obtain a new FAA medical certificate of any class before operating under BasicMed.
Comprehensive Medical Examination
Q: How do I find a physician to conduct the BasicMed medical examination? A: Any physician who is familiar with your complete health history would be a good choice. Also, some AMEs may elect to provide medical examinations under BasicMed. Q: My state-licensed physician who conducted my medical examination refused to sign the CMEC. What can I do? A: You should check with your physician to see what the medical reasons were behind his or her decision not to sign the CMEC. You may not operate under BasicMed without a completed CMEC, and the FAA strongly recommends addressing those medical issues before flying under any circumstances.
Aviation Security Partnership
Continued from Page 9 forward to an ongoing, strong partnership with TSA in the coming years.” “Public-Private Partnerships are tremendously important for TSA’s mission success,” added Eddie Mayenschein, TSA’s Assistant Administrator for Security Policy and Industry Engagement. “Our partnership with NATACS is a great example of successful collaboration with industry.” NATACS manages more than 200 certified enrollment specialists worldwide who conduct collections for regulated parties throughout the industry. Under the agreement, NATACS will provide all pre-enrollment, enrollment, fingerprint collection, and secure data transmission for TSA-conducted background checks
and results distribution on tens of thousands of flight crewmembers and flight students each year. Martin L. Hiller, President of the National Air Transportation Association concluded, “NATA congratulates both TSA and Compliance Services for reaching agreement to continue working together for an additional five years. The NATACS suite of products is an important component in our mission to help aviation businesses succeed in the marketplace. It’s another demonstration of the fact that public/private partnerships like these can make our nation secure without creating undue burden on small businesses.” For more information, visit www.nata.aero.
FAA Issues Final Rule Continued from Page 11 example of how the FAA is transforming its Aircraft Certification Service into an agile organization that can support aviation industry innovation in the coming years. The Service is focused on using risk-based oversight to refresh the certifi-
cation strategy, investing in management systems to improve performance, and improving the overall organization. The rule will be effective eight months from publication in the Federal Register. For more information, visit www.faa.gov.
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Flying Into Writing Continued from Page 12 another successful photo mission completed.
Franconia, NH
Several years after getting my license in the mid 1980s, a couple of friends suggested we get a bunch of us together to share a ski house in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Interstate 93 runs right up the middle of New Hampshire and provides easy access to some of the best skiing in New England, including Waterville Valley, Loon Mountain, and Cannon. There are lots of other great ski areas in New England (Sugarloaf in Maine, and Killington, Sugarbush, and Stowe in Vermont, to name but a few), but “Ski-93” as the area was known, is the most convenient at just two hours away from the Boston area. As luck would have it, there’s a small grass strip next to Cannon Mountain called Franconia Airport (1B5) – well, it looks like it’s next to Cannon on the sectional! (As I was to find out, it’s certainly not within walking distance!) So I offered to fly us up there to househunt – George and Bill jumped at the chance. It was a beautiful, warm August Saturday morning, the sky festooned with puffy white fair-weather clouds as we departed Hanscom Field (KBED). Passing Lake Winnipesaukee, we spotted a couple of A-10s ahead dogfighting over the hills in the Yankee MOAs. They were long gone by the time we reached where we had seen them. Taking in the beauty of the area, I opted to fly through Franconia Notch, former home of New Hampshire’s iconic Old Man of the Mountain rock formation, which unfortunately collapsed in 2003. Route 93 carves its way through the Notch, a narrow valley between the steep cliffs of the 4,000 feet and 5,000 feet mountains on either side. Following the road as it curves west, we passed over Echo Lake at the base of Cannon’s ski area and located the airstrip a couple of miles distant, an open field with a treelined cemetery protruding into the north end of the landing area. As on any typical summer Saturday, the airport was busy with sailplane traffic. Franconia Airport is known for its soaring, and a local club keeps busy throughout the soaring season taking members aloft. The prevailing westerlies rise over the White Mountains providing the lift for the sailplanes to ply. Each of the four seasons in New England provide amazing scenery, but it’s the fall, with its exquisite palette of reds,
oranges, and yellows of the maples, oaks, and birches interspersed with the evergreens that is so spectacularly beautiful and draws tourists from all over the world. We entered the pattern carefully and made an uneventful landing among the gliders and tow planes. Taxiing to a parking spot on the side of the grass strip, we shut down and climbed out. Hmm… this is pretty rural. Not much more than a gravel parking area with a few cars, a small shack, a few sailplanes (including a nice Grob 103, which I would come back to fly several years’ later), a couple of tow planes, and a beautiful green 1940-something Waco UPF-7. We went into the FBO/clubhouse to inquire about a rental car. They laughed. Hmm, without a rental car, we weren’t going to get very far in our search for a chalet. I guess we hadn’t really thought this through… time to regroup. Okay, well, we’re here – where can we get something to eat? “Well, you can try the inn, they’ve got a nice restaurant.” The Franconia Inn was an elegant, stately colonial building with a large farmer’s porch across the front and white clapboard siding with black shutters – a very New England-looking country inn located, conveniently right across the street. We walked across the street, entered the foyer, and found the front desk. A young woman was at the desk, and we inquired about the restaurant. She was very kind but looked us up and down in our jeans and polo shirts and said that we would need a coat and tie to get into the restaurant. Really? Bear in mind: we were in the middle of nowhere, and they’re going to require a coat and tie? Okay, can you recommend something a little more casual – you know, someplace where we could grab a quick bite to eat without getting dressed up? “Well, there’s Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill.” Yum! That sounds good! How do we get there? “You’re not from around here? Okay, go down this street to Main Street, turn left, then left on Sugar Hill Road, and it’s a couple of miles up on the right.” “We can’t walk there? We just flew in and we don’t have a car…” “That’s okay – you can take mine!” And with that, she gave us the keys to her car – without a second thought, she gave us her car! We were astonished and yet, it felt very normal for this part of the country! It felt good to know that there were still places where people will trust you. Her car was a small Fiat, not unlike what they sell today, and a bit of a challenge for three six-footers to get in. As Continued on Page 16
February 2017
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DATES
AND LOCATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2017 AEA CONNECT CONFERENCES
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
February 2017
Registration Now Open for AEA Europe Connect in Amsterdam, April 10-11
The Aircraft Electronics Association unveiled the dates and locations for its 2017 AEA Connect Conferences. The 2017 AEA Connect schedule is as follows:
April 10-11 Europe Connect (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Sept. 6-7 U.S. West Connect (Reno, Nev.) Sept. 18-19 U.S. East Connect (Jacksonville, Fla.) Oct. 26-27 U.S. Central Connect (Kansas City, Mo.) Nov. 8-9 South Pacific Connect (Cairns, Australia) TBA Canada Connect (TBA) TBA Latin America Connect (TBA) The AEA annually hosts conferences in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the South Pacific. The AEA Connect Conferences offer a forum
to see, hear, and learn about all the new technology on the market, network with industry peers, and discover best practices for the aviation repair station industry. Attendees and exhibitors gather for two days of regulatory and technical seminars, business management sessions, and exhibits. For more information about the AEA Connect Conferences, visit www.aea.net/connect. The first AEA Connect Conference takes place April 10-11 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and registration is now available online at www.aea.net/connect. The Hilton Amsterdam will serve as the site for the event. Advance registration for all the AEA Connect Conferences will be accepted online in early 2017. The Canada Connect and Latin America Connect dates and locations will be finalized and announced in early 2017. For more information, visit www.aea.net/connect.
Flying Into Writing
Continued from Page 14 we were driving away to find our pancake paradise, it probably occurred to her – about the same time it occurred to us – that she had just given her car to three complete strangers, and now it was gone. From our perspective, recognizing that this was a very small town, we envisioned everyone in town knowing her and her car, but seeing it drive by with three big guys in it. Her boyfriend might see us – this could be bad... We found Polly’s and put our paranoid thoughts on hold long enough to enjoy our delicious breakfasts. We decided we needed to do something nice for her; so we struck out to find flowers and gas––a task more difficult than we had imagined. The gas was easy, but the flowers… I don’t know if it was just too early in the day, or if the florists just didn’t open on weekends, but we could not find one open. We tried several in Franconia, stopping at phone booths (remember them?) to check the Yellow Pages, but no luck. We ended up driving
to the next town a couple of miles further north, finding a florist shop attached to a home, convincing the homeowner to open for us and purchasing the largest bouquet of flowers they had it barely fit into her small car. We topped her car off with gas and headed back. When we enter the inn, she was again helping someone with their reservations, so we hid behind the flowers and waited. When our turn came, we approached the desk and lowered the flowers. “Oh, thank God you came back!” I think, maybe, she was a little nervous… We thanked her profusely, gave her the flowers and her keys and returned to the Cessna. I preflighted the plane while they got themselves situated and before long we were flying home. We didn’t accomplish our goal of securing a ski house for the winter, but he had an adventure nonetheless, and along the way discovered that there are kind, friendly people all around us. Until next month – fly safe!
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February 2017
C
By David Brown
amarillo is an airfield steeped in aviation history and located 20 miles west of Los Angeles. F-89 Scorpion jets and F-101B Voodoo supersonic fighters were based here until the base was closed in 1969. Since then, it has been used for general aviation. I have flown into Camarillo on many occasions in a succession of singles and twinengine Cessnas and Pipers. Some years ago, a Lockheed Constellation was restored at Camarillo. And then there are the Warbirds. These days, Camarillo is a Warbird Sanctuary. Warbirds are notoriously difficult to operate. There are very few individuals who have the financial clout and technical ability to manage warbirds. But organizations with individuals of many talents can master this trick. The Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, and the American Aeronautical Foundation are both based at Camarillo. A recent visit to Camarillo airport was like stepping back in time. The Commemorative Air Force Hangar contains the WWII Aviation Museum.
The Commemorative Air Force WWII Aviation Museum at Camarillo. (David Brown)
Warbird from the Japanese side, the Mitsubishi Zero, which took part escorting the Japanese bombers attacking Pearl Harbor in Dec. 1941. (David Brown)
This Zero was restored in 1998 and has been flying behind a Pratt & Whitney R 1830 in place of the original Japanese radial engine. In 2010, it was shipped to New Zealand to participate in the annual warbird flying display at Wanaka. One item of interest was that the aircraft did not need to be totally disassembled for ship-
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ping. It fit nicely into the permitted space on the ship just with the wingtips folded, as it used to be on the Japanese aircraft carriers. It presently is grounded after suffering engine problems in flight. The CAF is a volunteer organization and depends to a large extent on donations to fund operations and repairs. They need an engine.
The largest twin-engine transport aircraft, Curtiss C-46F China Doll is the centerpiece of the Southern California Wings collection and has been a familiar sight in California skies. (David Brown)
China Doll can carry jeeps, supplies, and passengers inside its cavernous fuselage. Crew normally includes two pilots in the cockpit and the navigator sitting at the table. Wartime equipment included parachutes. Passengers sit on the canvas seats along each side. (David Brown) feet. It was much bigger than the contemporary C-47 transport. The cavernous fuselage of China Doll shows the bare metal structure. This aircraft was flown over “The Hump,” which was the supply route between Burma and China over mountain ranges, which stretched up to 20,000 feet. Flying in the noisy and uninsulated transports must have taxed the resolve of their shivering crews. Passengers sat on the canvas seats along each side.
The Spitfire at sunset at Reno in Sept. 2016 displays its elliptical wings and underslung radiators that cooled the powerful Griffon engine. (David Brown)
The five-bladed propeller was needed to absorb the power of the V-12 Griffon. Capable of more than 400mph, this later model Spitfire was capable of fighting and winning against the later FW 190s in Europe. Cannon armament gave it a powerful punch. China Doll has flown at Camarillo for many years. After early Army Air Force use, N53594 came to the Camarillo wing in 1981 after extensive restoration. The C-46 burns 135 gph and is powered by a pair of 2000HP Pratt & Whitney R2800 two-row (18 cylinder) radials driving Hamilton Standard propellers. In service, it could carry a 15,000-pound load at 150knots and cruise to 24,000
R2800 radial engine. An armament of 6 0.5-inch Browning machine guns gave it devastating firepower. Good performance, heavy armament, and a structure of legendary toughness enabled it to operate from land bases and aircraft carriers while piling up a huge score of kills against Japanese aircraft.
The F6F-5 has its kills displayed under the canopy on the right side of the cockpit. (David Brown)
One of the rarest warbirds, a Supermarine Spitfire, in the hangar at Camarillo. (David Brown) The iconic Supermarine Spitfire operated by the CAF is one of the last variants of this classic fighter. This is a Mark 14 (XIV) with a 2050 HP Griffon engine. NH 749 spent much of its early life in the Indian Air Force. Craig Charleston in England restored the plane, and David Price brought it to the USA. Steve Barber was flying it when a coolant system failure resulted in a forced landing. The team at Camarillo took six years to get the Spitfire flying again.
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The F8F Bearcat was the last singleengine piston-engine fighter produced for the U.S. Navy by Grumman. Here the Bearcat undergoes maintenance in the CAF hangar at Camarillo. (David Brown) The Bearcat replaced the F6F Hellcat as a U.S. Navy fighter. It has a later R2800 radial, with horsepower boosted to 2,100 HP, but the airframe is smaller and lighter. This is an F8F-2 restored between 1991 and 1993. Its armament of 4 x 20mm cannon in the wings gave it a powerful wallop. It has a taller vertical fin and dive recovery flaps, developed after flight test problems with the original F8F-1. Its rate of climb was 4,600 feet per minute, a thousand feet per Continued on Page 18
Folding wings on the Grumman F6F were the hallmark of all carrier-based fighters operated by the USN in WWII. (David Brown) The Grumman F6F Hellcat was one of the most successful Navy fighters during WWII. N1078Z was restored by Col Mabee and sponsored by David Price. It is now painted in the colors of Commander David McCampbell the CAG (Leader of the Carrier Air Group) of VF-19 aboard the USS Essex in WWII. It is powered by a 2,000HP
My warbird favorite is the P-51D Mustang. I have fond memories of this aircraft, as it was in Man O’ War that I was introduced to the Mustang by legendary Mustang pilot, Elmer Ward, some years ago. (David Brown)
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In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
Warbird Sanctuary Continued from Page 17 minute greater than that of the Hellcat. On my flight with Elmer Ward, we flew in formation with another Mustang, and I got a taste of what it must have been like to fly escort missions in WWII, although I did not share the cold and sixhour missions that the young pilots had to endure. With six 0.5 Browning machine guns, and unbeatable speed and range, the Mustang was a superlative escort fighter over the Pacific and Europe. Man O’War is painted in the colors
of Claiborne H Kinnard of the 334th Fighter Squadron as part of the legendary Fourth Fighter Group operating out of England. The Man O’War operations are currently sponsored by Todd and Brett Ward. Warbird rides are available in the Mustang operating out of Camarillo. Give it a try. This medium bomber came to Camarillo from Midland, Texas in 1993. After an extensive restoration, the PBJ dubbed “Semper Fi” flew in May 2016. It is currently appearing at airshows and
February 2017
giving rides. In its brand-new paint scheme, the PBJ still has the distinctive twin tails of the B-25 Mitchell. Complete to the guns in the turrets, the PBJ is better than the one that originally rolled off the North American production line in 1944. A labor of love to the volunteers of the Southern California Wing of the CAF, the PBJ has taken 23 years for the extensive restoration to be completed. Another B-25 Executive Sweet is operated by the American Aeronautical
The latest addition to the Camarillo fleet is this PBJ, a Marine-operated version of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. This photo was taken shortly before first flight in the spring of 2016. (David Brown)
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The PBJ is powered by a pair of 1,700HP Wright R2600-95 Cyclone radials. Guns in blisters on the fuselage side and machine guns in the top turret gave the PBJ a hefty punch in addition to the bombs carried in the bomb bay. (David Brown) Foundation out of Camarillo. Executive Sweet has three guns in the nose, two each in upper turret and waist positions, and two in the tail, in addition to the four fixed guns on the fuselage side, a total of 13 0.5” Browning machine guns. The comprehensive restoration of Executive Sweet includes the Norden bombsight in the nose. This particular B-25 was the lead aircraft Vestal Virgin in the film Catch 22, which depicted wartime B-25 operations. You might find the dramatic stream takeoff of a dozen B-25s during the making of this film on Youtube. It’s impressive and scary. The B-25 was used in the Pacific and in Italy. Undoubtedly the most famous raid was in April 1942 when 16 B-25Bs under the command of Jimmy Doolittle flew from the Hornet aircraft carrier from a position at sea 700 miles away from Japan, bombing the Japanese mainland in retaliation for the Pearl Continued on Page 19
The B-25 Executive Sweet in its wartime paint scheme. (David Brown)
February 2017
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Warbird Sanctuary
Continued from Page 18 Harbor attack. It was a heroic trip, which was made more difficult by the operation having to be launched from 400 miles further out to sea than planned because it was thought that a Japanese picket ship had raised the alarm. The B-25s had been stripped down to make them light enough to operate from the carrier deck, but the longer range made it effectively a oneway mission, and all of the B-25s were lost after flying on to China. Luckily, most of the crews survived. The success of the raid raised morale at home immensely. A present-day visit to Executive Sweet shows how cramped the interior of the B-25 is, with the crewmembers having to crawl fore and aft from the midsection using tunnels to reach the forward crew position and the tail turret. Not the easiest job in the world!
Here is the right-hand Browning machine gun in the waist position of Executive Sweet. This B-25 carries a total of nine movable guns in addition to the quartet of forward-facing fixed guns mounted in blisters on either side of the glass nose. (David Brown)
The North American SNJ/AT-6/Harvard is one of the best-known training aircraft of the second world war. (David Brown)
Wartime pilots learned their craft on this advanced trainer before moving on up to the fighters and bombers. Student pilots learned aerobatics, navigation, and formation flying in the SNJ/AT-6. A total of 15,495 were built in all versions. It is immediately recognized by the distinctive blare from the supersonic propeller tips, the SNJ/AT6 is also used for formation flying in displays out of Camarillo. Although strictly speaking not a warbird, coming into service in the 1950s, most of the instruments and systems are the same as the WWII aircraft. This is another one of my favorite air-
A Beech T-34 Mentor. This is a Navy T34B trainer based at Camarillo. (David Brown)
craft, which was used extensively for aerobatics and formation flying. I flew both the Air Force T-34A and the T-34B with the March ARB and Edwards AFB Aero Clubs. It’s an honest and fun airplane. I flew an uprated T-34A, which was great for aerobatics, and sweated through formation training with Fred Zoltz and Don Goodin at the March ARB Aero Club. There’s nothing like having stars and bars on your aircraft to cause you to step your flying up a notch.
19 Camarillo regularly sees formation flights of up to 7 T-34s with SNJs and other warbirds at their regularly scheduled Open Days. It’s very expensive to operate Warbirds. Every little bit helps, and every ticket from a visitor helps to ensure that Warbirds will continue to have this California sanctuary. The museum is located at 455 Aviation Dr., Camarillo, CA. For more information visit www.cafsocal.com.
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A LOOK BACK AT WONDER WOMAN'S ICONIC INVISIBLE PLANE AT 75 YEARS OLD
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
Planes of Fame Air Museum Over 150 Aircraft and Displays
See the P-51 Mustang Fly!
W
By Mark Rhodes
Living History Flying Day Saturday, March 4, 10 am The March 4th Living History Flying Day will feature the P-51 Mustang. A speaker panel of distinguished aviation experts, historians and veterans will give a presentation, followed by a flight demonstration of the featured aircraft. Living History Flying Days occur the first Saturday of each month at the Chino, CA location. (Schedule subject to change.)
Visit us:
Sun-Fri: 10-5 • Sat: 9-5 Closed Thanksgiving & Christmas
CHINO AIRPORT (KCNO) • 7000 MERRILL AVE., #17 • CHINO, CA Corner of Merrill and Cal Aero Drive Dr. Chino Airport
WWW.PLANESOFFAME.ORG
• Beijing, Wuhan, Yichang, Chongqing, Chengdu, Guilin, Xi’an, Suzhou & Shanghai • ALL 5-Star hotels and 5-star cruise ship (all cabins with private balcony). • Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, & Summer Palace • 4-night Yangtze River Cruise through Three Gorges and 5 locks of world’s largest dam with 3 included shore excursions • Baby Pandas at Chengdu’s Breeding Center
• 8000 Clay Soldiers, ancient city wall, famous Tang Dynasty show • Exotic Guilin with Li River mini-cruise plus tea plantation & Reed Flute Caves • VIP Tour of NEW WW II Flying Tigers Museum plus VIP Banquet • Cruise Grand Canal of Suzhou, World’s Silk Capital & the “Venice” of China • Tour the old and the new modern Shanghai • And SO MUCH MORE ...
12th Annual VIP Delegation led again by local retired UAL Capt. Larry Jobe & his wife “China Nina”
209.962.5588 or toll free 866.669.2288 www.TravelAireTours.com for full details
February 2017
onder Woman, AKA Princess Diana of Paradise Island, created by William Moulton Marston, is without a doubt the most famous and influential female superhero in comics history. The past year 2016 saw her celebrate her 75th anniversary, and 2017 will see her come to cinematic life in a live-action feature starring Gail Gadot set during World War I. Wonder Woman’s iconic status today overshadows in some ways her origins, which were connected to early feminist thought that foreshadowed the women’s movement of the mid to late 20th century. So it was with Wonder Woman’s Invisible Plane. The Invisible Plane made its first appearance in Sensation Comics # 1 in 1942. This creation was the handiwork of Princess Diana as a youth on Paradise Island. The idea being that the Plane could fly undetected at high speeds without necessarily having to engage in combat unless absolutely necessary (a theme of the early Wonder Woman stories set during World War II was the collateral damage of male-oriented military conflict). Of course this notion foreshadowed late 20th to early 21st century stealth aircraft. Besides being invisible, the plane could travel at more than 2,000 mph and was able to be activated and summoned by Wonder Woman’s tiara where she would board it or exit it from a rope ladder. As Wonder Woman’s narrative
advanced in the comics, the plane evolved into an ever more sophisticated mode of transportation, being able to fly into space with minimal effort. Reflecting advancements in aviation in general, the plane evolved into a jet in the 1950s. The Invisible Jet continued to be a fixture in Wonder Woman stories as her main method of super speed, space travel, and inter-dimensional transport up to the 1970s. In the early 1970s, Wonder Woman’s writers gave her the power of pseudo flight, allowing her to glide on currents of air for short distances, and the plane’s “abilities” began to feature aspects that were heavily influenced by science fictions such as the capability to fly faster than the speed of light and the ability to “talk,” foreshadowing the artificial intelligence call and response of entities such as the Apple Corporation’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. The Invisible Plane’s appearances during the Modern Age have been more convoluted as DC has attempted to reboot its universe and continuity. Also, Wonder Woman’s powers have evolved to the point where she can fly as easily as Superman, so the need of an aircraft, no matter how sophisticated, was rendered mostly redundant. The current comic incarnation of Wonder Woman relies sparingly on the Invisible Plane (it appears in some stories in flashback), and there is some debate on Internet sites about whether the plane may make the final cut of the upcoming Wonder Woman feature. However, the Invisible Plane remains integral to the Wonder Woman/DC Comic universe and an Continued on Page 21
February 2017
RUSSIA PREMIERS STOP
The announcement of the 2017 Red Bull Air Race season reveals a longanticipated return to one of the most memorable stops in the 10-year history of the World Championship, plus a debut at a new venue in Russia. The 2017 season of the Red Bull Air Race will begin with its diamond 75th race and conclude at the motorsport mecca; Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Along the way, the official World Championship will celebrate its 10th season with a longawaited return to San Diego, USA as well as a premier in Kazan, Russia. The eight-race calendar takes off on Feb. 10-11, 2017 with the celebration of a double anniversary: UAE will mark the 75th Red Bull Air Race of the World Championship and the 10th consecutive season opener in Abu Dhabi. Then on April 15-16, the raceplanes will return to San Diego, USA, which became a favorite over three consecutive seasons from 2007-2009. Next: A third stop in Chiba, Japan on June 3-4. 90,000 fans cheered home hero, Yoshihide Muroya, to his first race win last year, and his triumph only fueled their passion. The exhilaration will continue on July 1-2, as the raceplanes dart under the Chain Bridge in Budapest, Hungary, the spiritual home of the sport. As the summer continues, the Red Bull Air Race will write a new chapter in its history. A July debut in the Sports Capital of Russia, Kazan, with its rich 1,000-year-old culture and colorful skyline then the fight for the championship will move to two more locations in Europe, which will be announced later. The season finale will rev up back in the USA on Oct. 14-15, with the second consecutive race at the epic motorsport track of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the 2017 Red Bull Air Race World Champion will be crowned. “ I can’t remember when I’ve been so excited about a season. The calendar goes from strength to strength, with every
Wonder Woman
Continued from Page 20 important representation of scientifically inspirational aircraft in fiction. For more information on Wonder Woman’s origin, history, and evolution of her Invisible Jet, see two recently released histories and story collections of the Amazing Amazon Wonder Woman: A Celebration of 75 Years (DC Comics) and The Golden Age Wonder Woman Omnibus Vol. One (DC Comics).
IN
2017 RED BULL AIR RACE
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stop holding special significance as either a landmark location in the sport’s history or a premiere in a dramatic new setting. We’re especially thrilled to bring highspeed, low-altitude racing to a new audience in Russia,” said Erich Wolf, General Manager of Red Bull Air Race GmbH. “ Each pilot and team is keen to clinch the honor of winning the 75th Red Bull Air Race at the opener in Abu Dhabi just a
few weeks from now, and the pace and intensity will only build throughout the season. What a year it’s going to be.” Ticketing for the 2017 season of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is underway. For all the latest news and information, visit www.redbullairrace.com. Red Bull Air Race 2017 Calendar February 10-11: Abu Dhabi, UAE
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April 15-16: San Diego, USA June 3-4: Chiba, Japan July 1-2: Budapest, Hungary July 22-23: Kazan, Russia August 12-13: TBA, Europe September 2-3: TBA, Europe October 14-15: Indianapolis, USA
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The first class of women Naval aviators, the highest ranking African-American woman pilot in the U.S. armed forces, and a trailblazer in humanitarian and missionary flying have been selected as the 2017 inductees into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame. The inductees will be honored March 4 at the closing banquet of the 28th annual International Women in Aviation Conference at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. “Honoring these women and chronicling their achievements is an important mission for Women in Aviation International,” said WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian. “Not only have these women had great individual accomplishments, but they have paved the way for other women to have similar success.” In Jan. 1973, eight female trainees were selected to train as naval aviators. They reported to Pensacola, Fla., for flight training in May 1973. Two women were dropped from the program, but the other six went on to earn their “Wings of Gold,” becoming the first women to be designated as full-fledged military pilots. The members of the first class of women Naval aviators are Judith Neuffer, Barbara Allen, Jane Skiles, Ana Marie Scott, Joellen Drag, and Rosemary Merims. Their success opened the door for subsequent female naval aviators. Lt. General Stayce Harris is the highest ranking African-American woman military pilot in all the U.S. Armed Forces. She is the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. Harris also serves as Deputy Chairman of the Air Force Council and is the Air Force accreditation official for
TO
February 2017
Lieutenant Junior Grade Barbara Allen, USN; Ensign Jane M. Skiles, USN; Lieutenant Junior Grade Judith A. Neuffer, USN; and Ensign Kathleen L. (Photo courtesy of McNary, USN. Women in Aviation International)
the international Corps of Air Attachés. She has logged more than 2,500 hours in military aircraft, including the C-130H, KC135R, C-141B/C, T-38, and T-37. The late Elizabeth “Betty” Everts Greene was a trailblazer in humanitarian and missionary flying. Greene learned to fly in 1936, served as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II, and went on to help found the Mission Aviation Fellowship that today operates 135 aircraft in 33 countries, flying five million nautical miles a year to provide medical care and disaster relief, and participate in community development. The Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame was established in 1992 to honor women who have made significant contributions as record setters, pioneers, or innovators. Special consideration is given to individuals or groups who have helped other women be successful in aviation or opened doors of opportunity for other women. Each year, the organization solicits nominations from throughout the aviation industry for the WAI Pioneer Hall of Fame. For more information, visit www.wai.org.
13th Annual Sebring Expo
Continued from Page 4
Vusion Spec Race in partnership with Multi GP on Saturday. Winners of the Vusion Spec Race: First place: Ivan “EnvyAstro” Rodriguez – $3,500; second place: Frank “Realeyez” Mainade Jr. – $1,000; third place: Luis “WarraGP” Guerra – $500. Sebring Expo’s unprecedented DroneZone Race gave a $10,000 first place purse to the winner on Saturday after a series of qualifying rounds. The top three winners of the final race in the DroneZone were announced on Saturday, – Cain “Mad-Air” Madere; second place – Zach “FALCONX” Carlson; third Place – Chris “GARZ” Garza.
Youth Aviator Zone Speakers (YAZ): last to right: Lyndse Constable of Dreams Soar, Melissa Mathiesen, Jamail Larkins, La’Shanda Holmes, Patty Wagstaff, Shaesta Waiz
To learn more, visit www.sport-aviation-expo.com.
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In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
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By Senior Airman Kyle Johnson Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Public Affairs
RECOVERY
February 2017
(This feature is part of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Through Airmenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eyesâ&#x20AC;? series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story). Then-Tech. Sgt. Janet Lemmons realized she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t breathe in the hospital room. It was as if there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough space for her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grief and the air collectively. She had to get out. Lemmons stepped into the elevator that would take her someplace where she could breathe, but the cold steel walls provided no comfort as they sealed her in. She took several deep breaths as the elevator descended. The doors opened on friends and family, and they all knew exactly what had happened as soon as they saw her. Her oldest son, Tommy, was dead. Lemmons stepped out into a surreal world where nothing was as it should be and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like it ever would be. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How am I going to laugh again?â&#x20AC;? said Lemmons, now a senior master sergeant and the sustainment services superintendent for the 176th Force Support Squadron. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What is life going to be like? How am I going to eat again? How is anything ever going to be enjoyable again?â&#x20AC;? Before Tommy grew into a six-foot, four-inch tall bodybuilder, he was a small child with large ambitions. Lemmons said by 12, he was pretty much running the family business, a drive-thru coffee shop, as the self-proclaimed manager. He had an important task, to relieve his mother from her shift, so he was always on time. When he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t making money at the coffee shop, he was buying bulk candy and selling it for profit at school, Lemmons said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I remember one day I asked him if I could have an Airhead and he said â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Only if you have a quarter.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; He was not going to eat his profits,â&#x20AC;? Lemmons said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was so cute.â&#x20AC;? As Tommy grew up, so did his ambitions. He started working at a bank as a teller and worked his way up the corporate ladder. By 21, he was selling mortgages to would-be homeowners. His interests branched off into mixed martial arts and bodybuilding, but Lemmons said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always be her ambitious little son.
Shock
It was three in the morning when she got the call. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I usually never keep a phone in our bedroom,â&#x20AC;? Lemmons said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But that
Senior Master Sgt. Janet Lemmons, the 176th Force Support Squadron sustainment and services superintendent, holds up a note her son Tommy wrote to her and his stepfather, Tom, when he was younger. She found the note among a pile of old receipts when she was looking to trade in some diamond earrings after his death. Lemmons tells everyone the note is a thousand times better than diamonds and she keeps it at her desk. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Kyle Johnson) night, I just happened to plug it in. I answered it and heard, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is trooper so-and-so, are you Tommy Blairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mom?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; He got into a fight with someone and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in jail, she thought. But it was much worse. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The trooper said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tommy was at a party, there was a gun, and he shot himself,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; she recalled. Confused, she tried to process the words, still struggling out of sleep. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, where did he shoot himself?â&#x20AC;? she asked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the head,â&#x20AC;? the trooper replied. Lemmons asked the trooper to call Rick Cavens, the wing chaplain, and spat out the command postâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number. Her husband wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t home; he was two hours away on business. In thick fog of interrupted sleep, Lemmons assumed the injury was just a graze. The thought of a fatal accident was an alien concept. That kind of thing happened on the news, not at home where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe. As she washed her face, Lemmons recalled thinking, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is this real? Am I dreaming or am I awake?â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when the police started pounding on her door, and the house went from very quiet to very loud. Her son Ausdin hollered, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on?â&#x20AC;? and answered the door. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are you Janet Lemmons?â&#x20AC;? the police officer asked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get to the hospital now!â&#x20AC;? Still thinking heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d grazed himself, Lemmons reacted as any mother awakened by her sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shenanigans might. She started explaining to Ausdin, her youngest son just how bad Tommy was in for it when she got there to chew him out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I got there, I thought ohâ&#x20AC;Ś this is not what I thought,â&#x20AC;? Lemmons Continued on Page 25
February 2017
Recovery
Continued from Page 24 said. “I saw the wing chaplain standing there waiting for me. He said, ‘What’s going on?’ I told him I didn’t know. “I walked into this small little room and all the chairs were just full. Everybody was crying.” The hospital’s chaplain pulled Lemmons and Cavens aside to explain what had happened. “It was really weird,” Lemmons said. “She was explaining how he shot himself in a lot of detail and the impact to his body. He was this vibrant, full-of-life young person. He’d never talk again; he was basically going to be a vegetable.” Then, the hospital chaplain said something much worse – he was going to die. Walk, sit, walk, sit. It was all she could do as she tried to process what was happening. She sent a police officer to fetch her husband from Glenallen and called Tommy’s dad. He started screaming. “No! Keep him alive! Just keep him alive until I get back!” he shouted at her from where he worked on the North Slope, thousands of miles away. “I promised I would,” Lemmons said. “How could I promise that? It felt like a lie.” Neither her husband nor Tommy’s father would make it to Anchorage in time. Lemmons went upstairs, where she was met by a team of doctors who pulled her into another room to explain to her again that her baby boy was going to die. He lay on the hospital bed, wearing nothing but a sheet pulled up just below his chest. Lemmons couldn’t kiss her son, who had tubes and cords spilling out of him, robbing her of one last moment of intimacy. “You couldn’t even tell anything had happened,” Lemmons said. “He had a bandage on the back of his head. There was no swelling or anything. He couldn’t talk, he was unconscious.” She sat watching with her daughter, Andrea, a few years Tommy’s senior, and Ausdin. The whirring of the various machines keeping her son alive began to get quieter and quieter as the nurses shut them down. Ausdin couldn’t stay; Lemmons said he couldn’t watch his big brother pass away. She called in Tommy’s girlfriend, knowing she’d want to be there. There they sat and she could feel his hand getting colder, then his arm, as she followed the receding warmth to his chest and then it was gone. The first week was the worst. “I remember that first day, I could count every half hour of that first day,” Lemmons said. “I lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling. I was too tired to cry anymore, and I could hear my son,
www.inflightusa.com Ausdin, my sister, and my niece wailing – it was as if my house and walls were mourning the loss of Tommy.” Then, Lemmons found out she wasn’t done crying yet. She wept silently because her family was hurting.
Anger
Every moment was a different emotion as Lemmons began the process of healing in her own way. The feelings weren’t consistent or logical, just powerful waves of raw emotion. She woke up the next day, furious. “I wanted to throw the biggest fit,” Lemmons said. “Nobody was awake yet, and I thought I was going to break something.” Lemmons wasn’t going to let the cold, hard ground take her son, she said. When the day came for her family to pick an urn at the funeral home, the director peppered her with questions. He kept referring to Tommy with deference and distinctly in the past tense. “I wanted to scream at him to stop it,” Lemmons said. “Then he asked me to sign documents to release the body, and I felt like I was signing the last time as his mom.” Mixed with her sorrow, she found confusion and its accomplice – anger. “Why did they do this to themselves? If it was an accident, you’d want to blame somebody, the brakes, the rain, circumstance,” Lemmons said. “But with suicide, you blame the person because they did it to themselves.” Tommy’s death was ruled a suicide, but it was also different. He’d had 14 drinks and no food. He wasn’t himself and packed a pistol for a planned hike for protection from bears. Lemmons suspects it was an accident during a drunken, angry argument, but the doubt will always be there – and with it the emotions. “Couldn’t we have done something to help him process?” she said. “Why didn’t he want to reach out to us? When someone takes their life, they might think they are taking away their pain, but what they don’t realize is they are leaving their pain with their loved ones left behind.” The week following his passing was the worst of her life, Lemmons said. Her house was flooded with well-wishers and family, in whom she found great comfort. But explaining to each new person forced her to relive the worst night of her life again and again.
Isolation
“I knew it was hard for my friends and co-workers,” Lemmons said. “I used
25
to hear, ‘I just can’t imagine what you’re going through,’ I felt so alone – it was as if the world was saying, ‘Whatever you have, I don’t want it.’” Eventually, the friends had to leave, and the family members had to fly back home. That left Lemmons and her family alone in their grief. When she went to pick up Tommy’s Social Security card from the bank, a young lady at the counter greeted her with all the cheer of a good customer service agent, inquiring as to the quality of her day. “I wanted to scream at her, ‘My son just died!’” Lemmons said. “I took a deep breath and tried to smile and said, ‘Fine.’ I had to put on a fake smile. I just kept thinking fake it until you make it; I thought if I kept faking it, it’d be true.”
Recovery
Lemmons realized she didn’t want to be alone; it scared her, so she started reaching out for help. “Sharing my story helps me in my grief recovery,” she said. “If one person is touched by Tommy’s story, then my prayer has been answered.” Lemmons and her family spent the
first year following Tommy’s death picking up the pieces of their life and began to put them back together into something distinctly different than it had been but functional all the same. “I couldn’t stop crying at first,” Lemmons said. “Until at one point, my husband just said, ‘That’s enough. You have two other children, and you have me. You can grieve Tommy, but this is enough. You can’t make the other two feel guilty.’ It really put perspective to my grief. I was making my kids feel like he was more special because he was gone, and they’re still here.” “I just don’t want these strongholds in my life,” she continued. “I want to enjoy my other two children. I want to have goals and dreams myself. I don’t want to be stuck in grief. I want to live.” Determined to make something of her grief, Lemmons applied to be a first sergeant. “After I got the job, one of the security forces’ young men killed himself,” Lemmons said. “His brother was in my unit; he was 22. I remember how Ausdin felt losing his brother. I was always checking up on him. I asked (the unit) if Continued on Page 26
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In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
Their Stories, Our History.
The American Aviation Historical Society reaches out to you, to help us preserve rare aviation photos and film: • Personal photos, WWI battle scenes • Newsreels of 1910-1930 • Early Naval aviation seaplane photos • 1909-1930 lantern slides • Unidentified airline photos, and many many more.
February 2017
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
The Mucinex commercials, with their green mucous character, are very entertaining. You have probably seen the one where he is on an airliner, sitting next to a woman with sinus problems as they wait for takeoff. He tells her that things will really get bad for her once they reach 10,000 feet. This, however, is medically false because sinus pain is a problem on descent, not ascent, as is the case for a person who cannot clear his or her eardrums. On climb out, air is able to escape from the ears and sinuses, as the outside air pressure decreases. On descent, however, the higher-pressure air has a tough time entering the ears and sinuses, much like a one-way flap valve, and that causes the pain. Sincerely, Larry Nazimek Editor, Annamarie Buonocore, would love to hear from you. To submit a letter to our new “Letters to the Editor” section, please email it to buonocore.annamarie123@gmail.com or mail it to P.O. Box 5402, San Mateo, CA 94402 Attn: Annamarie Buonocore.
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AAHS, as an all-volunteer historic preservation organization needs your help and funding for this important effort. Our history doesn’t educate anyone in a dumpster. 909-297-6688 www.aahs-online.org
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GAMA LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH SECRETARY ELAINE CHAO ON GA ISSUES
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) recently welcomed Secretary Elaine Chao’s statement at her confirmation hearing for U.S. Secretary of Transportation that she wants to address “unnecessary bottlenecks” in regulations governing manufacturing processes. Appearing before the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Secretary Chao also said she looks forward to working with the Committee on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s transition to NextGen and facilitating the innovation and creativity necessary for emerging technologies. “We were very impressed with Secretary Chao’s remarks, which speak to her extensive and notable public-service record—including serving as Deputy Transportation Secretary—that will give
Recovery
Continued from Page 25 they were checking on (the brother). I reached out as much as I possibly could, but a couple months later, the brother killed himself. “I remember talking to his mother, thinking she lost two of her four children in less than six months,” she continued. “I remember just bawling and crying together. I realized that’s where I was supposed to be.” Lemmons spent the next six years wading through the weeds of grief, using her experience to help others vocationally while she led grief share groups on her own time. When her time was up as a first
her an immediate jumpstart on the critical issues facing the U.S. transportation sector,” GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said. “In responding to a wide variety of questions during the hearing, it is evident that she clearly understands the importance and complexity of the issues our industry is dealing with as manufacturers seek to bring new, safety-enhancing products and technologies to market, including the development of autonomous vehicles.” Bunce continued, “We encourage the U.S. Senate to move expeditiously in confirming Secretary Chao as Transportation Secretary, and we look forward to partnering with her and her team to improve safety and grow the general aviation sector.” For more information, visit www.gama.aero.
sergeant, she began taking speaking opportunities to thousands of troops all around the Pacific theater. One day, Lemmons got another phone call, this time it was from Ausdin. He told her that he was officially older than his big brother. Lemmons grieved, not just for herself, but for her son who counted the year, month, and day to his brother’s death. “I realized then that life would always be bittersweet, and I had to make a decision,” she said. “That decision was, I choose to be happy. One thing about grief is you have to lean into it, not run from it.”
February 2017
OODIES AND ADGETS
www.inflightusa.com
One of the truly great things about being an aviation buff is the number of “Goodies and Gadgets” available to play with. Here In Flight USA has collected a few new ones worthy of your consideration.
2016 was loaded with ground breaking new product announcements and achievements for Garmin. It’s hard to imagine they could ever top the past year, but they’re definitely going to try. Let’s look back at some of the crowning moments of the past year, and look forward to an even better 2017!
2016 YEAR
vacuum-driven instruments, the certificated version allows aircraft owners to install G5 as an upgrade for aging attitude or turn coordinators.
IN
REVIEW
Bravo, and expanded on that line in 2016 with the Titanium. With a built-in heart rate monitor, Titanium bezel and Titanium band, this aviation watch took elegance and capability to a new level.
Aera 660 Portable Navigator
GTX All-In-One ADS-B Transponder With three years remaining until the NextGen airspace deadline, aircraft owners were asking for a simple solution to replace aging transponders. Garmin responded with their GTX 345 series of ADS-B transponders. With a standard footprint allowing easy installation or remote mounting choices, the GTX 345 series provides options from basic ADSB “Out” compliance (GTX 335), to combined “Out” and “In” capabilities (GTX 345) that provide ADS-B weather and traffic data for portable/mobile devices via Bluetooth.
It had been a few years since they brought portable navigator to market, a product they’re well known for in the aviation community. But the aera 660 represented the new trend in aviation technology as they went smaller, and more feature-packed while still utilizing touchscreen capabilities and Bluetooth connectivity for ADS-B weather and traffic information.
G6 Electric Flight Instrument
A highly anticipated project over the past few years, the G5000 integrated flight deck retrofit for Beechjet 400A and Hawker 400XP aircraft crossed the finish line in the fall of 2016. Among its many capabilities, this upgrade saves weight and lowers the cost of operation while solving part obsolescence with zero-time avionics.
Their G5 Electronic Flight Display took the year by storm. After first being announced for the experimental market at Sun ‘N Fun, they announced its availability on more than 560 models of certificated aircraft at Oshkosh. A cost-effective and reliable replacement to antiquated
Garmin Team X experimental engineering team didn’t disappoint with this new audio panel for experimental/lightsport aircraft. With superior sound quality, Bluetooth wireless music, phone, 3D Audio, and more, this product hit the right chord with amateur homebuilders.
Jeppesen Terminal Chart and Chart Overlay feature within Garmin Pilot for iOS.
Garmin continued growing it’s popular pilot app with new features and tools. Among them were Jeppesen Terminal Charts and chart overlay, weight, and balance, plus checklists, just to name a few.
Telligence Voice Control for GTN Series Flight Stream 510
G6 Electric Flight Instrument
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Garmin redefined the cockpit connectivity game with our Flight Stream 510 MultiMediaCard. This product, which is inserted into a GTN series touchscreen navigator, allows pilots to connect mobile devices to a GTN via Bluetooth. Once a connection is established, databases can be easily updated via Database Concierge, traffic and weather data can be shared across devices, voice calls, and text messages can be completed, plus much more. They launched the second generation of the D2 pilot watch series in 2015, the
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Citation Excel/XLS G5000 Upon the successful completion of the Beechjet G5000 upgrade program, we announced the launch of otheir next platform – the popular Cessna business jet Citation Excel & XLS.
GMA 245 Audio Panel
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Garmin made talking to an airplane actually practical with Telligence voice control. Pilots can control certain functions within a GTN series touchscreen navigator, and get specific information by simply pushing a push-to-command button on the yoke and speaking into the mic. As great as 2016 was, stay-tuned for what is in store for 2017! Be sure to share all your aviation adventures and pictures with them using #flyGarmin on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information, visit www.garmin.com.
RED OAK MUNICIPAL AIRPORT HONORS WORLD’S OLDEST ACTIVE PILOT
28
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
February 2017
Ernie Smith, 99 Years Old, Recognized at Airport Ceremony on his Birthday
Red Oak Municipal Airport (KRDK) honored the Guinness Book of World Records certified World’s Oldest Active Pilot, Ernie Smith, with a ceremony at the airport last month – Smith’s 99th birthday. Smith, having flown out of Red Oak Airport for more than 80 years, was presented a model aircraft from the airport and a pre-loaded WingPoints Rewards Card from Phillips 66 Aviation
to help fuel his future flying adventures. “We gather today to honor and congratulate Ernie Smith for his achievement of being recognized by the Guinness World Records as the oldest active pilot in the world. We also want to thank him for his loyalty to the Red Oak Airport and his friendship and inspiration to all pilots around the entire world,” said Kevin McGrew, Manager of Red Oak Municipal Airport.
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Ernie Smith has been flying out of Red Oak Airport for more than 80 years. western Iowa. The airport offers Phillips Born just 14 years after the Wright 66 Aviation branded Jet A and Avgas Brothers’ first successful powered flight, 100LL fuel. The terminal building feaSmith’s passion for aviation took flight at tures a pilot’s lounge, conference room, the age of seven. He earned his private weather services and Wi-Fi. The airport pilot’s license in 1946 and has since pilotcaters to general aviation, offering hangar ed more than 30 aircraft models. Among space, aircraft rentals, and fixed and Smith’s achievements as a private pilot is rotary-wing flight training. crossing the Rocky Mountains, flying to Canada five times, and visiting several As a member of the World Fuel U.S. states. Services Network, Red Oak Municipal In response to being asked how it Airport has access to comprehensive busifeels to be named the World’s Oldest ness and general aviation FBO solutions. Active Pilot, Smith simply smiled and From training, to credit card processing, to said, “I would rather be the world’s marketing support, Word Fuel Services youngest pilot.” Network FBOs are provided customized Red Oak Municipal Airport services by World Fuel Services’ team of (redoakiowa.com/148/Airport), also dedicated industry professionals. known as R.K. Belt Field is located just a For more information, visit mile west of the city of Red Oak in southwww.redoakia.city
OREGON AVIONICS COMPANY RECEIVES WORLDWIDE DISTINCTION
Pacific Coast Avionics announces, that for the 14th consecutive year, they have received the Genesys Aerosystems (S-TEC Autopilot) Top Dealer Award. The Oregon-based avionics dealership has received this distinction above more than 700 other Genesys Aerosystems dealers worldwide every year since 2002. “The Genesys Aerosystems/S-TEC Autopilot product line is the most popular autopilot product line-up available today. These systems make every phase of flight easier, safer, and more reliable,” said Dewey Conroy, Vice President of Pacific Coast Avionics. “When you combine that superior guarantee with the technical expertise of our staff along with our fabrication and installation capabilities, the results speak for themselves.”
“Pacific Coast Avionics is one of the leading avionics facilities in the western United States and has continued to grow every year,” continued Conroy. “With partners like Genesys Aerosystems providing outstanding autopilot systems, we are able to keep doing great things for the future of aviation.” In addition to the Genesys Aerosystems Award, Pacific Coast Avionics has received numerous additional awards – positioning the Company as a recognizable leader in the avionics industry. Notably, Pacific Coast Avionics has received Top 10 Garmin Elite Platinum Distinction for the past 20 years. For more information, visit www.PCA.aero.
February 2017
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Flying With Faber If you wanted to chart a course which would enable you to island-hop in a single engine aircraft from Florida to South America via a string of Caribbean islands, you would probably launch from Key West, Fla., head south to Cuba (hopefully, in the near future, you can land and explore), then a slight southeastern turn where you could touch down anywhere from Turks and Caicos, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua, Guadalupe, Martinique, Barbados, St. Martin, Montserrat, St. Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, then northwesterly, skirting the coast of Venezuela, to Aruba and Curacao. If the mood beckons you at some point along the route, you could divert to Jamaica, Caymans, or the Bahamas. From Aruba, it’s just an 18-mile sprint to South America. The distances between this collection of islands ranges from 200 to thousands of miles. I’ve listed only a few of the 7,000 islands, which arch along that great body of water, the Caribbean Sea. The mission would be like a mini-tour of Europe, for you would encounter islands, which in the early years, were colonized on-andoff by France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, the U.S.A., and the United Kingdom. Many of these colonizing nations are still present in spirit and culture. Today, virtually each island enjoys its independence. If anything good can be said to have emerged from imperialism, it is that the original expeditions resulted in the settlement and development of destinations for many folks to enjoy today, (albeit at the expense of the natives). Plus we now can be immersed in a kaleidoscope of cultures. Of course, how many modern countries in the world, including our own, weren’t at some point, occupied by folks other than their current residents?
The Antilles
Since I first studied geography in grade school, I was intrigued with the term, “Antilles.” I thought that Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles had some special meaning. The word “Antilles,” which has a rather uncertain etymology, originated prior to the explorations of Columbus. Christopher referred to the
A VISIT
TO
ARUBA Stuart J. Faber and Aunt Bea
Cloudy Sunset at the Hyatt.
An old fishing shack.
(Stuart J. Faber)
islands as the West Indies – distinguishing this region from the Asian East Indies. He also used the term, “Antilla,” which was an island for which he was searching in Asia. Some scholars claim that the term could have originated from the Latin “ante,” which means “before,” and “antilla,” which means “island.” The Antillean Islands is the Caribbean Sea archipelago that commences south of the Gulf of Mexico and northwest to the Atlantic Ocean. This geographic region has many names. The Greater Antilles include Cuba, Jamaica, the Caymans, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Lesser Antilles, which comprise the Leeward Islands and Windward Islands, the Bahamas, Turks, and Caicos and perhaps a portion of the West Indies. At one time, the islands were referred to as the Indies. Hope this resolves the confusion.
(Stuart J. Faber)
Check Ride in ATV.
(Cheryl Wilson)
Aruba – Short Geography and History
Located just 18 miles north of the coast of Venezuela, this small island, just 20 miles long and six miles at its widest part, is a constituent country of the Netherlands Kingdom. Aruba is situated around the southernmost part of the Caribbean archipelago in an area also referred to as the Dutch Caribbean. Aruba’s first inhabitants were more concerned with safety from attacks. The Arawak tribe is thought to be the first group of folks who migrated from nearby Venezuela around 1000 AD to seek refuge. Europeans discovered Aruba shortly after Columbus made his first sojourn to the Caribbean. Amerigo Vespucci (from whom we derived the word, “America”), showed up around 1499. Initially colonized by Spain, the Arubans welcomed the first Catholic priests who presented the natives with a wooden cross as a gift.
Spanish settlers hung around for most of the 1500s. During the late 16th century, Dutch, French, and English merchants tangled with Spanish and Portuguese shipping companies for control of the territory. The Dutch arrived in 1636 after which the Dutch West India Company occupied the island. The British took over for a period between 1799 until about 1816 when the island returned to the Dutch. Since the 1950s, Aruba has been an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1983, Aruba was granted its independence. Approximately 104,000 permanent residents populate the 69 square miles. Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino, J. E. Irausquin Boulevard #85, Palm Beach, Aruba, 011-297-58-61234 www.aruba.hyatt.com This premier resort, built in 1990 and completely renovated in 2008, rests on 12 lush acres of Aruba’s exclusive Palm Beach. Fashioned with Spanish colonialstyle architecture, this expansive, fun-filled compound has an open lobby gently intruded upon by the Trade Winds. The spacious, re-designed guestrooms offer stunning ocean/island, ocean/pool, or garden views. All have chic-modern interiors, tiled bathrooms, and Hyatt’s signature Grand Bed. For a few extra bucks, on the top Regency Club Floor, guests receive extra lavish amenities, including concierge service and access to the private Regency Club Lounge, which serves complimentary Continental Breakfast, evening cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres. The resort has four specialty suites, which include the 2,500-square-foot Governor’s Suite, the 1,900-square-foot Netherlands Suite, and two 1,150-squarefoot VIP Suites. All feature handsome Italian furnishings and designer accoutrements, including Philippe Starck bathroom amenities.
Things to Do
Red Sail Sports, a full-service dive and water sports facility located at Piet’s Pier Continued on Page 30
30
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
Flying With Faber Continued from Page 29 Bar, offers a variety of adventures aboard a 53-foot racing catamaran: snorkeling, daysail, sunset, dinner, and starlight cruises. Water sports on Palm Beach include Hobie Cats, Sun Fish, Sun Kats, paddleboats, ocean kayaks, banana boats, and more. Red Sail Sports can also arrange waterskiing, wave runners, parasailing, Atlantis submarine, and deep-sea fishing excursions. Snorkel gear is available for guests for full and half-day sailing excursions to the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secluded beaches. Beginner and full certification scuba programs are offered at the resort. A variety of plunges for certified divers are available daily, including shipwreck and night dives. Red Sail Sports offers diving programs for the disabled, with instructors certified by the Handicapped SCUBA Association. An 8,000-square-foot, three-level pool complex has cascading waterfalls, a three-story water slide, two whirlpools, tropical gardens, and a 5,000-square-foot fresh water lagoon stocked with tropical fish and wildlife. If you have any remaining energy, stop by the fitness center, outdoor basketball court, the tennis courts, or try your volleyball skills.
The Spa
ZoiA Spa houses eight treatment rooms, many of which offer an indoor/outdoor ambiance with an extensive spa menu of luxurious treatments and native ingredients. An aloe garden located in front of the spa further expresses the theme and demonstrates the importance of Arubaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multidimensional plant. Hand-pressed aloe oils and home-grown herbs are provided by herbologist, Dina Veeris. The ZoiA Salon has an attractive variety of hair, nail, and makeup services for guests, locals, and bridal parties. The retail boutique sells handmade
jewelry, clothing, luxury linens, and resort-wear.
Bring The Kids
For kids from 3-12, the resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Camp Watapana operates supervised activities and special programs that focus on environmental awareness and Arubaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture and geography. Camp Hyattâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5,000-square-foot facility serves as the headquarters for the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program. It has an arts and crafts center with an outdoor playground, a Nintendo Playstation, a 35-inch stereo TV, and over 100 different types of games and toys. Day and evening activities, led by professional camp counselors, include nature walks, Papiamento lessons, games, arts and crafts, playground, pool swimming, and beach activities. Camp Hyatt also provides special family rates, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menus and room service, and a special check-in packet. In my opinion, the best cuisine on the island is served right at the resort. The quality and variety of culinary offerings was outstanding. Mexicado, the first Mexican restaurant in Aruba, features table-side guacamole, multiple types of ceviche, traditional and contemporary Mexican dishes, and a bar with an extensive tequila selection. Great Italian cuisine in the Caribbean? Absolutely. CafĂŠ Piccolo is an Italian bistro with an elegant show kitchen and an intimate atmosphere. Every night, the chef lights up the wood fired, stone oven to deliver mouthwatering pizzas, along with the succulent pastas, antipastos and wines. The menu features specialty dishes made with fresh seasonal ingredients. The lamb shank
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Dining
February 2017
was phenomenal. FootPrints Beach Grill serves grilled items al fresco under palapas (or huts) on the sandy beach. Each palapa seats four to six people for an intimate, cozy setting while tiki-torches provide a warm glow. Palms is a casual beachside grill with a Latin Bistro concept and South American and Caribbean cuisine. For snacks, Shoco Market CafĂŠ serves made-to-order sandwiches, pizzas, plus, treats like artisanal ice creams, frozen yogurts, and gourmet chocolate. They will prepare special Picnic in Paradise dinners and lunch meal packs. Scattered throughout the resort are several other friendly bars, coffee stands, plus juice and snack bars. You can swim up to the Balashi Bar for a nibble and a drink. Also, while you are hanging out in the casino, soothing snacks, drinks and hand-rolled cigars are available to mollify your losses.
Exploring Around the Island
We hopped on ATVs and rumbled to and fro across the island, from the beaches to the wilderness. We visited craggy shorefronts, ancient fishing shacks, archaeological sites, museums, an aloe factory, and several local shops. Our De Palm Tours driver, a native Aruban named Richie, was one of the best guides Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had. He educated us in local history, politics, and sociology. De Palm Tours offers individual jeeps or open-air Defender ATVs. You can also take excursions to nearby islands, Bonaire and Curacao. Or, the hotel can schedule a few rounds of golf.
Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Meet
For pilot club meetings, corporate retreats, weddings or other functions, the
resort offers nine separate meeting rooms with more than 25,000 square feet of interior and exterior meeting and prefunction space. The recently renovated 5,300-square-foot Regency Ballroom can accommodate 400 people for a banquet, 450 in schoolroom style, 600 in theater style, and 650 for a reception. A 3,900-square-foot redwood deck and tent, accommodating up to 200 people exudes a delightful balmy outdoor meeting experience.
Airport
If you elect to pilot your own aircraft and island hop to Aruba, you will touch down at Riena Beatrix International Airport (AUA). Latitude: N1230.1 Longitude: W07000.9 are the coordinates. The field elevation is 60 feet above sea level. There are VOR, DME, and ILS approaches to Runway 11/29, which is 9,600 feet in length. Universal AV is the FBO.
Special Facts
Local time (Atlantic standard time), or UTC-4, is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time. The Florin is the local currency, but U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Average daily temperatures are 80 degrees F. with an annual rainfall of 20 inches. Electricity, the same as in the U.S., is 110 volts/60 cycles. Dutch is the official language. English and Spanish are widely spoken. Papiamento, the local language, is a blend of Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, French, English, and African dialects. Aruba is an ideal destination for both the new and seasoned traveler. The island has cultural elements of tropical and European countries, yet you will feel right at home. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a safe, colorful, and friendly place to visit.
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February 2017
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AOPA COMMENTS
ON
PROPOSED NAVWORX AD
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
In its comments to a proposed airworthiness directive (AD) that would require the removal of certain NavWorx universal access transceivers (UATs) from an estimated 800 general aviation aircraft, AOPA recommended that the FAA provide additional information on the UATs’ reported deficiencies, as well as greater clarity on the necessity of the proposed AD. The affected UATs provide an Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B) datalink on the 978MHz radio frequency, giving aircraft ADS-B Out and In capabilities. ADS-B uses GPS satellites instead of ground-based radar to determine aircraft position and is a fundamental technology behind the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. The FAA has mandated ADSB Out equipage for operations after Jan. 1, 2020, in any airspace where a transponder is required today. “We’re urging the FAA to provide more information for our members to assess and understand the proposed AD,” said Justin Barkowski, AOPA director of regulatory affairs. “The safety benefits offered by UAT technology, along with the cost of compliance, is leading to confusion and concern.” NavWorx also could have been more forthcoming with information
February 2017
FAA Should Provide Clarity, Association Says
about the affected UATs, he added. The comment period on the FAA’s notice of proposed rule making ended Dec. 19. The FAA issued an unapproved parts notification Oct. 14 affecting NavWorx UATs with part numbers 2000012 and 200-0013. The agency followed up Oct. 20 with the proposed AD, which would require removing the UATs from the aircraft in which they have been installed; the notice of proposed rule making also added NavWorx’s non-technical standard order ADS600-EXP UAT with part number 200-8013. The FAA suspended the company’s technical standard order authorization for the affected TSO’d UATs on Nov. 21 after NavWorx reportedly declined on repeated occasions to allow the FAA to conduct required inspections. The FAA has expressed concern that the affected UATs may contain an internal GPS receiver that does not meet the FAA’s minimum ADS-B performance standards. NavWorx ADS-B transceivers with part numbers 200-0112 and 2000113 contain a different WAAS GPS position source and are not subject to the proposed AD or any of the FAA’s other regulatory actions. “To eliminate confusion and concerns, the FAA should address whether
the internal GPS position source in the NavWorx ADS-B UAT met the applicable performance requirements during certification,” Barkowski said. “The FAA should explain with greater descriptive clarity how emitting an incorrect SIL value constitutes an unsafe condition, which may lead to an aircraft collision.” He also said the FAA should clarify why the non-TSO’d UAT, intended for use in experimental and light sport aircraft, is included in the proposed AD. AOPA also asked the FAA to clarify the meaning of “uncertified GPS source” as used in the notice of proposed rule making proposing the AD, as well as whether the FAA intended to apply the proposed AD to experimental category aircraft. “If the proposed AD is necessary, AOPA believes the FAA should amend the proposed corrective action to minimize the economic impact on owners,” Barkowski wrote in AOPA’s comments, noting that the FAA’s $85 estimated cost of compliance does not include the cost of purchasing and installing another ADS-B Out system to comply with the 2020 mandate. AOPA encouraged the FAA to allow continued used of the UATs if the system uses an approved external position source and not the integrated GPS; if NavWorx updates its software,
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This NavWorx ADS600-B Universal Access Transceiver has been installed in the tail of a Cessna 152. (Mike Collins)
returning the UATs’ SIL to the previous value; or if NavWorx upgrades the internal position source with one that meets the FAA’s requirements. NavWorx has indicated that if the FAA implements the proposed AD, it will offer upgrades to a different position source. “If the FAA does not allow the use of the internal GPS, then we will offer the ability to modify the products from the 200-0012 and 200-0013 part numbers to part numbers 200-0112 and 200-0113,” said NavWorx President Bill Moffitt. AOPA’s full comments to the proposed NavWorx AD can be read online at www.aopa.org. The notice of proposed rule making’s docket received a total of 174 comments, which are also available at www.aopa.org.
NATA STATEMENT ON TSA ADMINISTRATOR PETER T. NEFFENGER
The following is a statement by National Air Transportation Association President Martin H. Hiller following last week’s announcement by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that Administrator Peter T. Neffenger left on Jan. 20: “All Americans owe Administrator Peter Neffenger a debt of gratitude for a career dedicated to protecting our nation’s security. His leadership of the Transportation Security Administration was marked by his affinity for collaboration across agencies and willingness to work with industry to identify and address areas of mutual concern. We were honored by his willingness to appear in person several times at NATA leadership events to report on developments at the agency and hear our suggestions firsthand. Administrator Continued on Page 37
AIRCRAFT SPRUCE ACQUIRES POBEREZNY ESTATE
February 2017
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Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. is pleased to announce that it has purchased the former home of Paul and Audrey Poberezny in Oshkosh, Wisc. and will make the home available to the EAA for tours and special events. The original stone farmhouse is more than 100 years old and was Paul and Audrey’s home from 1991 until his death in 2013. Located near Wittman Field, the nineacre estate reflects the standards and culture the Pobereznys utilized in building the world’s leading sport aviation organi-
zation, EAA, and the world’s premier aviation event, AirVenture. This home hosted many of aviations leaders and icons, and countless aviation artifacts and photos representing the relationships and events that shaped Paul’s remarkable life are on display throughout the home, providing insight into the lifetime passion and vision of one of aviation’s greatest leaders. This is where Paul built airplanes, read about aviation history, and wrote countless letters and articles. As he often said, “There isn’t a day that goes by
The International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) is pleased to announce the following have been elected to serve as Officers of the Association for an effective term of Jan. 1, 2017 through Dec. 31, 2019.
Vice President: Hao Jianhua, (China), Asian Region Vice President: Chris Martinus, (South Africa), Africa/Middle East Region Vice President: Jaime Fabrega, (Panama), South American Region Vice President: Phillip Reiss, (Australia), Pacific Region
IAOPA ELECTS OFFICERS
President: Mark Baker, (US) Senior Vice President: Dr. Michael Erb, (Germany), European Region Vice President: Bernard Gervais, (COPA), North American Region
Ken Mead has been reappointed to IAOPA Chief Counsel, Erica Saccoia has been reappointed as Treasurer, and Craig
that I don’t say the word airplane.” Aircraft Spruce and the Irwin family have maintained a close relationship with the Poberezny family and EAA for more than 50 years and is honored to have the opportunity to partner with the EAA to make this historic home available to EAA members and aviation enthusiasts in the years ahead. Contact EAA for details on visiting the Poberezny home beginning in the summer of 2017. Aircraft Spruce’s complete product line is available at www.aircraftspruce.com.
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IN
OSHKOSH
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Request your complimentary copy of the company’s free 1,100-plus-page catalog (available in print, CD, or PDF formats).
2017-2020 TERM
Spence has been reappointed as Secretary General of IAOPA. As IAOPA looks to the future and explores ways to engage ICAO at the regional level, the importance of the regional VP program will increase. Regional Vice Presidents serve as the focal point for IAOPA Affiliates and act to stimulate the interest and expansion of IAOPA in their respective regions.
About IAOPA
IAOPA represents the interests of AOPA affiliates in 78 countries of the world and was formed in 1962 to provide a voice for GA in world aviation forums. GA encompasses four-fifths of all civil aircraft and two-thirds of all pilots worldwide. For more information, visit www.iaopa.org.
THE NATIONAL AVIATION HALL OF FAME REFLECTS ON THE PASSING EUGENE A. “GENE” CERNAN, 2000 ENSHRINEE
OF
"Last Man on the Moon" a Passionate Proponent of Renewing Manned Exploration of Space
It is with much sadness and admiration that the National Aviation Hall of Fame reflects on the passing of 2000 Enshrinee, Capt. Eugene A. “Gene” Cernan, USN, age 82. Capt Cernan died on Jan. 16, 2017 in Houston, Tex., after a lengthy illness. We find comfort in learning from NASA that he was surrounded by family, and offer our sincere condolences to his wife, Jan Nanna Cernan; former wife, Barbara Jean Atchley; daughter, Tracy Cernan Woolie; and the extended Cernan Family. Like his fellow moonwalking astronaut and NAHF Enshrinee, Neil Armstrong, Capt. Cernan was an engineering graduate of Purdue University and Naval Aviator. Unlike most of his astronaut peers, Capt. Cernan was recruited by NASA in 1963 not from the test pilot community, but from service as a carrier-based attack pilot, a distinction he carried with much pride. He made three record-setting flights into space––Gemini 9 with Thomas Stafford in 1966, Apollo 10 (to the moon’s surface but not landing) with Stafford and John W. Young in 1969, and Apollo 17 in 1972 with Ron Evans and Harrison Schmitt,
the mission on which he became the last man to walk on the moon. Capt. Cernan’s 566 hours spent in space included 73 on the lunar surface. Capt. Cernan was enshrined with the Class of 2000 and immediately became a valued supporter of the NAHF. He was often heard to exclaim that of all the many accolades he had received in his career, the two he held most dear were his election into the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor and his induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Capt. Cernan returned to Dayton to participate in the NAHF 2003 Pioneers of Flight Homecoming, and the 2009 Apollo Crew Reunion at which the group received the Milton Caniff Spirit of Flight Award. On Oct. 1, 2016, Capt. Cernan was honored with the NAHF’s Neil Armstrong Outstanding Achievement Award, but due to health issues, he was unable to attend the Dayton ceremony. 2015 Enshrinee Eugene Kranz accepted on his behalf. Additionally, Capt. Cernan often served as an Enshrinee representative at the annual National Aviation Heritage Invitational, held at the Reno Air Races, where with fellow enshrinees, he enjoyed
co-presenting winners of the juried competitions for best restored vintage aircraft with their trophies. He also joined fellow Enshrinees for the presentation of the annual Combs Gates Award at the NBAA convention. Ever the advocate for education and inspiring youngsters to higher achievement, in 2005 he was among several Enshrinees who participated at various stops in the nationwide tour of the NAHF’s SkyReach Education Program and carried on a specially modified Douglas DC-3 named “Duggy.” The inscription he penned in the copy of his book in the NAHF archives reads, “Always shoot for the moon, and you will land somewhere among the stars.” Capt. Cernan is certainly among those stars, along with his fellow air and space pioneers who have gone before him. The NAHF recommends two excellent sources of information about Capt. Cernan and his air and space achievements: His 1999 autobiography, The Last Man on the Moon, co-written with Don Davis and published by St. Martin’s Press, and the acclaimed 2016 documentary of the same name by Mark Stewart Productions.
Though he ably carried the mantle of “the last man on the moon,” he was a passionate proponent, all the way to the halls of Congress, for the renewal of America’s manned space exploration program. Frequently referencing himself as not the last, but the most recent to have walked the lunar surface, he also reveled in encouraging youngsters to consider the potential that they might be the next to walk on the moon or perhaps Mars. Capt. Cernan was often heard to challenge an audience to “Dream the impossible and go out and make it happen. I walked on the moon. Why can’t you?”
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
34
THE FOURTH FACTOR
February 2017
Homebuilder’s Workshop
H
ave you sometimes on takeoff had to put in a lot of right rudder when there was no obvious reason for the need? Sure, if there’s a crosswind from the left, the plane may have a tendency to weathervane, and you’ll need to compensate for that, but sometimes, for no obvious reason… Observation of the Fourth Factor started 20 years or so when I had jumpseat privileges on the airlines. When riding on MD-82s, just before the aircraft rotated on takeoff, the vertical speed indicator would indicate a descent of 600 or 700 feet per minute. The phenomenon is easily explained in that the plane was compressing the air ahead of it as it traveled down the runway, and as the airplane accelerated, this air pressure increased at a rate corresponding to a descent of 600700 feet per minute. Hold that thought. There are three traditional factors that describe the need for right rudder when the engine is generating power: Pfactor, torque, and slipstream. P-factor is the big one, and it describes the need for right rudder (with normal propeller rotation direction) when the propeller’s axis of rotation is offset above the direction of the airplane through the air, causing the blades to take bigger bites of air when passing through the right side of the propeller disk. It’s the reason that you often need a bunch of right rudder on climb, when the airplane is at a high angle of attack, and the engine is developing a lot of power. But the closer the axis of propeller rotation and the flight path vector
are to each other (corresponding to low angle of attack), the less P factor. So here’s the Fourth Factor – perhaps on the runway, the down-going propeller blade compresses the air ahead of it, that compressed air bounces back off the runway, the prop blade pushes an extra air mass and generates extra thrust on that side of the propeller disk, namely, the right side. I frequently see this on the RV-9A on takeoff when there is negligible angle of attack, and the need for right rudder disappears after takeoff, supporting the hypothesis. I frequently see this. But not all the time… My tootsies aren’t calibrated well enough to accurately measure rudder pedal forces, but there are abundant confounding phenomena, as the epidemiologists call them, that could make this phenomenon hard to spot if it’s there, or look like it’s there when it’s not. And if you fly a tricycle-gear airplane with a steerable nosewheel, you probably won’t see the Fourth Factor whereas the castoring nosewheel on the RV-9A makes that plane less directionally stable on the ground and does not mask the Fourth Factor. So is the Fourth Factor real? Or have I felt a crosswind from the left that was playing hide and seek with the windsock? Or does a crosswind from the other side sometimes mask the Fourth Factor? I can’t tell. If it is real, you read it here first. And if it’s not, I’ll put this on the shelf next to the patent applications for the perpetual motion machines. And the name “Fourth Factor” needs work. Something with “Ed” in it…
Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta urging him to withdraw a recent cease and desist order regarding Santa Monica Airport. FAA issued the order after the City of Santa Monica began taking steps to establish its own fixed-base operator service.
Excerpts from Mr. Lieu’s Letter:
•••••
Last summer, I went through two Dynon D2 Pocket Panels on my RV-9A. I really liked them, but the phenomenon observed was that the D2 attitude indicators would get the leans in level flight, disqualifying them from consideration as IFR standby attitude indicators. So I got a Garmin G5 and installed it. Guess what? A friend was flying the RV-9A the other day and the G5 got the leans, just like the Dynons. Garmin has not seen this in any of their own airplanes, so it appears that my RV-9A has an infestation of Murphy’s Law on standby instruments, probably a vibration-related phenomenon affecting the instrument’s microelectronic accelerometers or something. Garmin has upgraded the G5 software to address this issue, and we’ll be watching carefully to see if this rare but unseemly phenomenon recurs. Or maybe adding some weight to that part of the panel will change the resonant frequency.
•••••
Garmin has excellent tech support, as good as it gets, their folks being very pleasant and quite knowledgeable. What I’ve encountered, though, is all kinds of problems when downloading or uploading databases for the spiffy avionics, usually when the task was about to finish. What’s curious is that most of the database downloads and uploads work just
fine most of the time, so the usual suspects all have Ed alibis and good Wischmeyer ones. Suspicion now shifts to the Macintosh, as Apple has given up usability, reliability, and elegance, their traditional strengths, in favor of stylishness or whatever they think they’re doing now. I’ve seen my brand new (refurbished) Mac sometimes shadow out portions of the background screen. Apple tech support has also been excellent, helping me find some startup daemons (background programs) that are no longer used and may be the culprits. Alibis notwithstanding, the current suspects are the computer’s wireless connection to the Internet (better reliability with a wire), SD card readers, the Russians, and fake news. Brute force repetition eventually placated one database, but another one insists on being reloaded every time the avionics are turned on, and fortunately, that’s a trivial task. The good news is that since the avionics are on an experimental aircraft, I don’t have to fly to an avionics shop an hour away and let them fu$$ with things for hour$ and hour$. Or maybe they wouldn’t have these problems. Leans are in three electronic standby instruments. These are databases that poop out at the very end of long transfers. Mac OS with bugs, and just for fun, multiple items at home that all needed batteries at the same time. What is the fifth factor?
CONGRESSMAN LIEU SENDS LETTER TO FAA ADMINISTRATOR HUERTA ON CEASE AND DESIST ORDER AT SANTA MONICA AIRPORT “In the Order, the [FAA] incorrectly stated that the city of Santa Monica ‘chose not to oppose’ judicial motions filed by the two fixed-base operators, American Flyers, Inc. and Atlantic Aviation FBO, Inc. In fact, the city clearly opposed the motions in court filings, and no orders were issued from the motions by the FBOs…”
“Even more troubling than the FAA's ignorance is that the Order contradicts the FAA’s own guidance allowing airport sponsors to exclusively provide aeronautical services. The FAA's Order prevents the city, the operator of Santa Monica Airport, from seeking to serve as its own FBO providing various aeronautical services, including fueling services. The FAA, however, specifically gave cities such as Santa Monica the right to
be its own FBO…” “The mission of the FAA is ‘to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.’ The FAA's mission is not to be a shill for corporations. I call on the FAA to live up to its mission by rescinding its overreaching order and, instead, work with the city of Santa Monica.” The full text of the letter can be found at lieu.house.gov.
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February 2017 www.inflightusa.com 35
36
STANDOUT PILOTS FROM CHILE AND FRANCE JOIN 2017 RED BULL AIR RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Two top international pilots, Cristian Bolton of Chile and Mikael “Mika” Brageot of France, will join the exclusive lineup contending for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2017. The action will take off in February as the season opener in Abu Dhabi celebrates a landmark 75th race. Looking to shake up the standings in 2017’s Red Bull Air Race World Championship will be two new Master Class pilots with exceptional experience in high-speed, low-altitude flying: Cristian Bolton of Chile and Mikael “Mika” Brageot of France. At eight stops in seven countries, Cristian Bolton Racing and Brageot’s Breitling Racing Team will face off against 12 other top teams to earn points toward the official World Championship sanctioned by the global governing body, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Both of the newcomers hold the required Master Class Super License and have previously earned season podiums in the Challenger Class, an element of the Red Bull Air Race that gives the next generation of pilots the chance to develop their skills in actual racing conditions.
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
Bolton marked a motorsport first when he competed in the final two Master Class races of 2016 (Indianapolis and Las Vegas, USA) as a standby pilot, making him the first ever from Chile to fly for World Championship points. The former Lieutenant Colonel in the Chilean Air Force is thrilled to now be confirmed as an official member of the Master Class going forward. “We are really excited for 2017, though you might say that for us, our season started back in Indianapolis, because everything since then has been a good learning curve,” said Bolton, who in addition to racing is ranked as Chile’s top aerobatic pilot by the FAI and is one of the leading aerobatic performers in all of Latin America. “The way we look at it, our ‘warm-up’ races are over, and now we are focused to continue learning and win races! We are a great team and fully dedicated to eventually becoming the best, and to be the fastest adversary possible to the other teams at every race.” Brageot, who was 2015’s Challenger Cup champion, also has valuable experience flying a Master Class raceplane, thanks to his pioneering participation in
the Master Mentoring Program. Introduced in 2016, it enabled him to benefit from firsthand mentoring by former World Champion Nigel Lamb in the British pilot’s final season before retirement––including training flights in Lamb’s high-performance MXS-R through the series’ racetracks worldwide. “I was right there, backstage, so to speak, and able to watch the whole Master Class team process. I learned a lot, race after race,” explains Brageot, who has a stellar background as a goldmedal-winning pilot at the highest level of aerobatic competition.” “I would really like to give the best first impression that I can at the season opener. My other objective is to keep learning, until someday, hopefully, I win the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.” Bolton, Brageot, and the entire Master Class field – including reigning champion Matthias Dolderer of Germany – will kick off their quest for the 2017 Red Bull Air Race title as the season opener in Abu Dhabi celebrates the landmark 75th World Championship race on Feb. 10-11, 2017.
February 2017
2017 Master Class Pilots Cristian Bolton (CHI) Kirby Chambliss (USA) Mikael “Mika“ Brageot (FRA) Matthias Dolderer (GER) Michael Goulian (USA) Matt Hall (AUS) Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) Petr Kopfstein (CZE) François Le Vot (FRA) Pete McLeod (CAN) Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) Peter Podlunšek (SLO) Martin Šonka (CZE) Juan Velarde (ESP) Be there! Ticketing for the 2017 season of the Red Bull Air Race is underway now. For more information on tickets and all the latest, visit www.redbullairrace.com.
UPWIND SUMMER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO AWARD FLIGHT TRAINING TO A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
The Upwind Foundation (Upwind), now in its fifth year of operation, has released the 2017 scholarship applications and program dates. Upwind provides a scholarship that includes flight and ground training for a high school student to prepare him or her to obtain their Private Pilot certificate during the summer between their junior and senior year. Upwind was created to promote piloting and general aviation, to cultivate interest in aviation as a career and to address the nationwide pilot shortage. Upwind awarded eight scholarships to high school students between 2013 and 2015, and all earned their private pilot certificate. In 2016, Upwind awarded scholarships to five high school students with the first ever helicopter scholarship. For 2017, Upwind is seeking high school students to apply for either the airplane or helicopter scholarship. Upwind selects high school students and awards them a scholarship for an intensive, nine-week flight and ground training program provided by expert
instructors. Additionally, the scholarship recipient(s) will receive mentorship and guidance from other pilots and enjoy many other social and flying activities. The 2017 program winner(s) will be selected in March and will begin ground training in April with flight training beginning in June.
Call For Applications
Applications are now being accepted and the deadline to apply is Feb. 17, 2017. To apply, download the application at http://www.upwindscholarship.com/appli cations/. The successful candidate must be a U.S. citizen and a high school student who will be 17 years of age before program completion on Aug. 11, 2017. For more information about the Upwind Summer Scholarship Program, please visit www.upwindscholarship.com or email info@upwindscholarship.com.
NEW CARBON CUB TRANSPONDERS DELIVER ADS-B COMPLIANCE February 2017
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37
CubCrafters Offers New Garmin Transponders with Integrated ADS-B Functionality
CubCrafters has announced two new transponders for Carbon Cub buyers who select the company’s Executive GLASS touch instrument panel, which includes Garmin’s G3X Touch 10.6” flight display system. The new transponders, Garmin’s GTX 335R and GTX 345R, both include an integrated WAAS/GPS position source enabling ADS-B “Out” functionality. Thus, all new Carbon Cubs equipped with Executive GLASS touch panels will fulfil NextGen requirements for ADS-B compliance. The Garmin GTX 335R will be included as standard equipment on CubCrafters’ Executive GLASS touch panels installed on the company’s production Carbon Cub models. The GTX 335R will also be included with Executive GLASS touch panels purchased for Carbon Cub EX-2 aircraft kits. The GTX 335R is a 1090 MHz transponder that allows Carbon Cub owners to operate at any altitude, in any airspace around the globe. It combines a Mode S Extended Squitter (ES) transponder and WAAS/GPS-position source in a single unit. Garmin’s GTX 345R will be offered as an Option on CubCrafters Executive GLASS touch panels. Like the GTX
335R, the GTX 345R is a 1090 MHz transponder with Mode S Extended Squitter (ES) and WAAS/GPS- position source, but the GTX 345R also provides dual-link ADS-B “In” traffic and subscription-free weather on the G3X Touch flight display. Both the GTX 335R and GTX 345R are remote-mount instruments that do not occupy valuable panel space, and are intuitively controlled on the Garmin G3X Touch flight display. “As we approach the mandated 2020 ADS-B deadline, most Carbon Cub buyers are already choosing optional ‘add-on’ instruments that satisfy the NextGen requirements such as Garmin’s GPS 20A,” said Randy Lervold, CubCrafters’ President. “These new Garmin transponders deliver an elegant, integrated ADS-B solution that functions seamlessly on our Executive GLASS touch panel.” The two new transponders will be available on new Carbon Cub aircraft and kits produced after Jan. 20, 2017. For more information, contact CubCrafters or your local Certified Sales Center. For more information, visit CubCrafters.com.
NATA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2017 AMT EMPLOYER AWARD PROGRAM
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is pleased to announce that applications for the 2017 Aviation Maintenance Technician Employer Award Program will be accepted through March 24, 2017. This award program is designed to recognize companies that employ aviation maintenance technicians (AMT) and encourage and support AMT training. The
award is based on the percentage of AMTs that participate in qualifying training events. The AMT Employer Awards, along with the Industry Excellence Awards, will be presented at a luncheon held during NATA’s Aviation Business Conference in June 2017. For more information on the program, or to download an application packet, go to www.nata.aero.
Peter T. Neffenger Continued from Page 32
Neffenger’s gregarious nature and commitment to commonsense solutions were just a few of the admirable traits that made it a pleasure to work with him. NATA looks forward to continuing our work with TSA in promoting risk-based
security programs that greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of airport checkpoint security screening for both crewmembers and the traveling public.” For more information, visit www.nata.aero.
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A GENERAL AVIATION LOOK INSIDE THE WORLD OF FREE AIRLINE TRAVEL: FORMER AIRLINE PILOT AND SPOUSE BRAVE HOLIDAY AIRLINE TRAFFIC, EXPERIENCE RICH REWARDS FLYING STANDBY! In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
By Bert Botta
What better way to start a New Year writing resolution than to start a blog for aviation peeps and normal friends on the first day of the year! As a former pilot and aviation copywriter with a passion for general aviation and travel, I usually write with the wants, needs, and desires of my audience in mind. So excuse me for not writing with you, my GA audience specifically in mind, but I hope you can glean some entertainment from our â&#x20AC;&#x153;freeloadingâ&#x20AC;? travel antics. Regarding the strange and wonderful world of retired airline employees with free, standby airline travel benefits, here are some definitions and rules that we must adhere to. Definitions: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Revenueâ&#x20AC;? passengers:
Full-paying passengers or ones traveling on frequent flyer miles. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Non-revâ&#x20AC;? passengers: Freeloading, non-revenue, current, or former airline employees, traveling on low- or no-cost standby tickets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pass Ridersâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Current or former airline employees traveling on a free or low-cost pass Rule number one: Airline employees should never travel on a Friday because that is usually the busiest travel day of the week, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sure to get bumped by revenue (paying) passengers! Rule number two: Break rule number one: if you check the passenger load, and it looks like one, or in our case, two, might bag some open seats! Exception to rule number two: We figured since this is the holiday season and the world is already in a state of chaos and unpredictability, what the
heck, why not travel on Friday! Rule number three: Release all expectations of being treated humanely by harried airport employees, especially gate agents over the holidays. This is the time when they are more grossly abused and stressed than normal by scared, outraged, demanding passengers. Rule number four: If by chance, a non-revenue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;pass riderâ&#x20AC;? as we are known in the aviation world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; should be blessed with open seats on a Friday flight and have caring, concerned gate agents working your flight, forget the rules, except for rule number five below. Rule number five: Never, ever forget to profusely thank the gate agent working your flight, offer to buy them coffee or promise to name your firstborn after them for getting you one or two seats, regardless if the seat is in the last row of the airplane, against the bulkhead, in earshot of a flushing toilet, or in the middle seat between two Biggest Loser applicants.
Begins the Journey, Anticipating But Not Expecting, Blessings
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Airline employees learn to begin every journey with a prayer. A prayer of thanks to God for the abundance we are blessed with, a prayer of safety, of mercy, and last but not least, for getting a seat in first, or business class. After a 4 a.m. getup, we hustled to get out the door by 5, made it by 5:10, me dealing with life-long travel anxiety, exacerbated by 35 years of â&#x20AC;&#x153;making scheduleâ&#x20AC;? as a professional pilot. Traffic on Highway 101 south was a non-issue due to most of the world still celebrating the holidays. It was weird, even though there was light traffic, there was a palpable feeling of every one rushing to get somewhere, as traffic rolled at 80 mph plus. It was the quickest trip through the City on 19th Avenue, thankfully not at 80 mph, that I can remember at that time of the morning.
Airport Parking
Thanks to my nine years of flying for a fractional jet company, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still part of the corporate aviation family at the SFO Executive Jet Terminal, where Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m
February 2017
able to get free long-term parking. I never take things for granted though, as I continue to bribe them with fresh donuts, copies of my book, and handsome, for me anyway, tips. This blatant boot licking is probably out of guilt that my non-airline friends donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have such a privilege but one that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m eternally grateful for. The good news is I managed to keep a lid on my pre-departure OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) by trying to focus on my breathing, mouthing silent prayers, and maintaining a long-practiced, false sense of outward composure. Pre-flight jitters are especially prevalent among non-revenue freeloaders at the departure gate as we anxiously scan the seating charts above the departure gate for our name at the top of the standby list or for anything else that could possibly indicate our getting a free seat. This is great training for aviators who need to keep their situational awareness fine-tuned. How this happened, I still donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a clue; we both got TSA pre-check that allowed us to jump in the short security line. This prevented me from having to exercise my â&#x20AC;&#x153;over 75 exemption,â&#x20AC;? a very sweet deal for those of us who qualify for the exemption or just plain look old! We got to the gate, looked up at the boarding sign above the gate, and we were number one and two on the standby list! The flight was supposedly full, and it was announced that first class checked in full. Expectations of a first-class seat were dashed at that point. The two gate agent ladies working the flight were very friendly, and, almost as good as first class, gave us two emergency exit row seats, with the seat between us open! Then, just before departure, one of the gate agents strolled back in the cabin, stopped at our seats, and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have one seat in first class open, do one of you want it?â&#x20AC;? I looked at Janeth, she looked at me, and I said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thank you, but I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll stay put.â&#x20AC;? And then, I thought to myself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know exactly what would have happened to our relationship if I took that seat!â&#x20AC;? The Colombian saga continuesâ&#x20AC;Ś
Visit In Flight USAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website for the latest aviation news...www.inflightusa.com
February 2017
BELL HELICOPTER Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced this month the delivery of the first Bell 407GXP to Nepal with customer Simrik Air. This is the customer’s first Bell helicopter and is outfitted for multi-mission capabilities, including travel and tourism and search and rescue. Bell Helicopter and Simrik Air commemorated the delivery at a special ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal. Simrik Air, established in 2001, is a leading helicopter company in Nepal with a superior track record in high altitude rescue services. Simrik Air’s trained pilots and rescue specialists from the United States and Switzerland carry out long-line missions for rescues, heli skiing missions, filming operations, aerial surveying, and more. “At Simrik Air, we are proud to provide our customers with reliability, innovation, and one of the best safety records in Nepal and believe the addition of the Bell 407GXP will allow us to continue to serve our customers,” said Capt. Rameshwar Thapa, Chairman, Simrik Air Pvt Ltd. “We are excited to be the first customer in Nepal to operate this incredible aircraft and celebrate this milestone with Bell Helicopter.” Last November, Bell Helicopter suc-
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Business News 39
SIMRIK AIR CELEBRATE FIRST BELL 407GXP DELIVERY IN NEPAL
cessfully completed a demonstration tour of the Bell 407GXP throughout Nepal. The demonstration included flights in Kathmandu, Nepal and into the Mount Everest Base Camp area. While there, the Bell 407GXP successfully climbed to an altitude of 20,000 feet. The demonstration flight was executed from Lukla airfield and demonstrated several landings from 13,500 feet to 19,600 feet near the
Everest Base Camp. “Simrik Air was able to test the aircraft and experience first-hand the incredible performance of the Bell 407GXP during the Nepal demonstration tour and, as a result, selected this aircraft to join its fleet,” said Sameer A. Rehman, managing director, Asia Pacific. “Operating helicopters in the highest terrain on the planet presents unique chal-
lenges, and the Bell 407GXP meets those challenges as the ideal platform for this demanding environment.” Derived from the Bell 407GX platform, the Bell 407GXP has an additional 50 pounds (22.5 kg) of payload capability, coupled with the new M250 RollsRoyce engine that improves performance and fuel efficiency delivering class-leading hot and high performance. The aircraft is also equipped with new avionics features such as a hover performance calculator improvement, as well as a transmission TBO extension of 500 plus hours that is expected to lower maintenance costs. “It has been a privilege to work with Simrik Air and Capt. Thapa as we carefully understood their operations, and are proud of their selection of the Bell 407GXP to meet their needs,” added Rehman. “We look forward to growing our presence in this region by providing advanced performance capabilities and outstanding customer support and service for which Bell Helicopter is known.” For more information, visit www.textron.com.
WESTERN AIRCRAFT PARTNERS WITH GOGO BUSINESS AVIATION TO DEVELOP STCS FOR GOGO 4G SERVICE Gogo’s Latest Technological Advancement Remains on Schedule for 2017 Launch
As Gogo Business Aviation, a leader in connected airplanes, continues toward its scheduled launch of its 4G service in the first half of 2017, Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company is currently developing Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for the new system. Western Aircraft is an authorized full-service maintenance, repair, and overhaul Gogo dealer. It will develop STCs for Gogo’s 4G system for Dassault Falcon 2000 series aircraft and will participate as a partner for hardware sales and installations on other business aircraft. “The new Gogo 4G system is something our operators are excited to add to their aircraft,” said Austin Shontz, vice
president and general manager for Western Aircraft. “Our experienced avionics technicians are experts in Gogo’s system installations, and they are ready for the next step with 4G. We’re excited to certify the new system when it’s ready to launch in the coming months.” Gogo will deliver a 4G experience with reliable connectivity for passengers over existing technologies. The new service will include services such as Gogo Vision, providing the latest movies and TV episodes, flight tracker, weather reports, and additional features; Gogo Text & Talk, allowing passengers to call and text with their personal smart phones and mobile numbers; streaming video
and audio; as well as face-to-face conversations with a user’s favorite applications; email with attachments; and web browsing––on a proven network in the continental U.S. and large portions of Alaska and Canada. “Western Aircraft remains one of Gogo’s trusted partners with expertise and a long-standing reputation of delivering great service to its clients,” said Andy Geist, senior vice president of business aviation solutions for Gogo. “As we progress toward the launch of the Gogo 4G service in 2017, and our next generation network in 2018, partners like Western Aircraft are crucial to ensuring our customers will have our service and experience to bring the system to the
market.” Created specifically for the business aviation market, Gogo’s 4G system is a specially designed application of Gogo’s air-to-ground technology that leverages its existing ground network of more than 250 towers, fiber backhaul, and technology that has already flown hundreds of thousands of hours aboard thousands of business and commercial aircraft. The 4G-equipment package will incorporate dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi service and a host of other features––all from a single, lightweight box. For more information, visit www.gogoair.com.
40
In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
February 2017
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.
Extensive and accurate communications are imperative in aviation operations. Whether conducting an airline operation or a general aviation equivalent, communications occur in various ways through many channels. Communications must be efficient and explicit between Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Dispatchers, Maintenance Technicians, Relay Services, Ramp Services, Flight Attendants, Passengers, Customer Services, and Command and Control Authorities. An old aviator’s maxim wisely bids one to “aviate, navigate, and communicate.” Effective communications may preclude a multitude of aviation problems or even restore success from imminent failure, while poor or no communications can quickly steer a desirable outcome toward potential disaster. As Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” We might all benefit if we strive to better our communications with the same commitment as the effort expended to resolve personal weight and balance issues that emerge each January. In this issue, CALLBACK examines reports that reveal communication deficiencies during aviation operations. In these reported incidents, the resulting circumstances yield important lessons where ambiguity is unacceptable and may have serious consequences.
An Air Carrier’s Premature Pushback
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” - George Bernard Shaw. • At the same time we were cleared to push, we received a [third] message for inaccurate weights. I told the push crew that we needed to get new weights before we pushed. We got new weights and loaded them into the FMC. When cleared to push, I released the brakes and said, “Brakes released, cleared to push, disconnect abeam gate XX.” We started moving, but no verbal response was
COMMUNICATIONS BE IMPROVED
heard from the push crew. After trying to contact [the push crew] on the headset, the aircraft stopped. I still thought we had a communication problem. One of the wing walkers got on the headset and told us there was no one in the tug.
From Defect to Conflict and Complexity
“The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.” Sydney J. Harris. • [The airport] was running an east operation, and we were on approach for Runway XX. We were given vectors to turn north for the base leg and 3,000 feet. I had spotted the preceding aircraft as well as the aircraft on approach for Runway YY. Approach called us and issued a right turn to a heading of 070. I sensed everything went quiet because usually there is a bit more with that clearance, so I looked at [the] radio and realized that Communication Radio 1 was transmitting. We had a stuck microphone, yet as I scanned all the switches, none were in the [Radio Transmit (R/T)] position. The First Officer (FO) and I both [realized the condition] at the same time, and [we] began checking our switches more thoroughly. The FO was the Pilot Flying (PF), and as we were converging with traffic from the adjacent runway, coupled with a small delay caused by our becoming aware of the malfunction, he elected to disengage the autopilot to expedite the turn back toward our localizer. Additionally, because we had strayed, and it appeared that the adjacent aircraft had started a descent based on our TCAS, [the FO] started a shallow descent as well. Once we established a heading back toward our approach course and were no longer in unsafe proximity of the Runway YY approach course, we leveled off. To make matters worse during this situation, we didn’t realize for a few moments that he and I
couldn’t hear one another over the crew intercom, and the FO is hearing impaired. We were both talking, thinking the other person could hear, and at one point, he asked me to take the controls so he could investigate his headphone jacks, but I didn’t hear him. Nothing came of that because he was only a moment in doing so, but under a different set of circumstances, there could have been very different results. I didn’t think there was a procedure in the QRH for our situation and felt that what little time I had to correct this problem without it escalating into an even bigger problem was best spent trying to [troubleshoot] a couple of things I knew of from basic system knowledge. I isolated the [communication radios] by selecting EMERG on both [audio control panels], and it solved the problem. Although the FO could not hear ATC or me, I was able reestablish communication with the Approach Controller and obtain proper clearances. As we crossed the outer marker, ATC issued a low altitude alert as a result of the descent maneuver we performed earlier. We had leveled off at 2,200 feet, and ATC advised us that the minimum altitude at the outer marker was 2,700 feet. We established the aircraft on the glideslope and continued to a normal landing. The FO’s [communication radios] came back somewhere along the approach but went back out during taxi in. We reported to ground control that we were having problems with the radios, and we were extra vigilant during taxi in. The biggest threat was losing communication with ATC at a very critical phase of the approach, in very congested and busy airspace... The nature of this malfunction didn’t allow a determination of the full scope of debilitation immediately; it became a huge distraction when coupled with the tight constraints of the operating environment. The idea of flying in such busy, complex airspace without [communication, and thereby] imperiling one’s own aircraft as well as others, caused extreme pressure to correct the issue.
Impaired Crew Communications
“Communication usually fails – except by chance. If communication can fail – it will. If communication cannot fail, it nevertheless, usually does fail.” – Osmo A. Wiio. • The first attempt to land… was unsuccessful due to fog, and the flight returned to [the departure airport]. The flight then changed Captains and was redispatched... The [second] Captain was on his second day of being [assigned involuntary flying] and [had been] pulled off his deadhead aircraft home to [fly this] turn... He was understandably upset and was having problems hearing the First Officer (FO) through the [communications system], since there was no HOT MIC function on this [aircraft]. Unfortunately, this was not identified until the return trip. The Captain missed several CRM calls from the FO on climbout, and the FO assumed it was due to his emotional state, but it was also due to the [communications system issue]. Upon approach to [the airport], Approach Control vectored the flight to a position north of [the airport] and asked if they had the field in sight. [The destination] recently had a snow and frost event, and the Crew was having problems identifying the field. Everything looked white. The Captain responded that they had it; the FO concurred and began to maneuver for landing. At approximately 1,300 feet AGL, both pilots noted that the runway did not line up with the navaids and verbalized, “This doesn’t look right.” At that time, [the] Tower informed the Crew that they were lined up on the wrong airfield. A goaround was conducted, the flight maneuvered for the proper airfield, and [we] landed uneventfully. The HOT MIC function should be installed on all aircraft.
A Numerical Near Miss
“Precision of communication is important, more important than ever, in Continued on Page 41
“AMA DRONE REPORT” VIDEO NEWS PROGRAM DEBUTS
February 2017
www.inflightusa.com
41
Special Programming Initiative Between AMA and Aero-News Debuts To Rave Reviews
The Academy of Model Aeronautics and the Aero-News Network have debuted their recently announced new programming initiative, The AMA Drone Report (www.amadronereport.com). The AMA Drone Report is a weekly video series that will cover the latest news and educational opportunities in the recreational drone and model aircraft community. The fast-paced, mobile-friendly program will be available through AMA, ANN, YouTube, Vimeo, and dozens of other ANN syndication outlets. “We are excited to work with ANN to highlight news and stories from the recreational community for the broader UAS industry. For eight decades, we have represented enthusiasts, and we look forward to sharing our hobby and
expertise through the AMA Drone Report in the years to come,” said Dave Mathewson, executive director of AMA. More than just a business decision, the ANN team members are passionate advocates for every aspect of aviation and aerospace––though AMA has special significance. “AMA has been a part of my aviation life since I was in grade school and an early RC modeler, this organization helped me start my aviation career, and I couldn’t be more pleased or proud to work alongside them now, many decades later.” noted ANN CEO/EditorIn-Chief, Jim Campbell. The program is off to a good start with early reviews. Aero-News reader/viewer Roland D. called the program an, “Utterly out-
standing job. Polished, thorough, credible, clear as a bell and engaging, informative; a very complex piece of research, writing, presentation, production, and editing. Wow. Just wow.” Another viewer, Geoffrey K. responded that, “With a growing fascination for drones, I knew I could count on ANN to report them right. You’ve been my ‘go-to’ news site for 10-12 years, and while I shouldn’t be surprised that you nailed this thing with the first episode, it’s still a really awesome start. I congratulate AMA on their smarts in working with ANN and wish you could get a lot of the other aviation associations to work with you as well. Well done, ANN!” Educators, companies, or personnel operating in the recreational drone com-
munity are encouraged to reach out to AMA and ANN and share what is happening in their local communities around model aircraft and drones. To find out more about the AMA Drone Report or AMA’s other programs and educational opportunities, news, and story suggestions may be submitted to the Aero-News Network via Editor@aero-news.net or via calls to the editorial office at 863/299-8680. Manufacturers, personnel, educators, and companies working in the Recreational drone community are strongly encouraged to reach out to ANN in order to introduce themselves and learn more about contributing to the AMA Drone Report effort
Continued from Page 40 our era of hair-trigger balances, when a false or misunderstood word may create as much disaster as a sudden thoughtless act.” - James Thurber. • Upon my landing flare on Runway 17 at CVO, I noticed a single engine, low-wing plane off to the left side of the runway, heading toward me. The plane had moved off to the left of the runway and was flying above the taxiway at about 100 feet AGL. It was my third landing at CVO on Runway 17 that day, and I had communicated with other planes on 123.075, all of which were using Runway 17. During my [last] left downwind, I did see a plane to the west of the airport above traffic pattern altitude, but I didn’t hear any calls on CTAF and thought [the plane] was transitioning through the airspace. So I was a little shocked to see it buzz past me as I landed. I was able to complete the landing without incident. I do know that the sectional shows CTAF at CVO as 123.0, but the frequency is 123.075, so maybe they were reporting on this frequency, but I don’t know.
• As I was building the release for this flight, I was getting an error that [indicated] the drift-down alternates could not be calculated because of an error. [A fellow Dispatcher] told me to file it and make sure that the drift-down information was on the release. I filed it and checked the release, but the [driftdown] information was missing. After I corrected this issue, I called [the associated ARTCC] to pull the flight strip, sent
the corrected [flight plan], sent an ACARS message to the crew, and then called Ops to pass the information to the crew to print the new [flight plan]. While the flight was enroute, I got a message from the crew that the route given to them by ATC was not matching what was on the release. I sent [the crew] the corrected flight summary, the drift-down information, and the weather for [their] escape airport. I then did a pen and ink
for the new flight plan. The Captain said he was not notified by the gate agent and did not receive [my] ACARS [message]. There was a breakdown of communication. The gate agent did not notify the crew to print the new [flight plan], and the crew did not receive the ACARS message. The next time, I [will] directly call the Captain and follow up to ensure that they have the correct [flight plan].
“The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.” - Joseph Priestley.
(just south of Phoenix)
Safe Landings
Dispatch Isolation
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CRASH LANDING AT KIMBOLTON, ENGLAND – 1944 AFTER BOMBING RAID OVER GERMANY – IN HIS OWN WORDS In Flight USA Celebrating 32 Years
By Barbara Title
“Our target that day was Hanover, Germany. Right after the bombs, we received three close hits that not only knocked out number four engine and caught number three engine on fire but also injured my co-pilot in the right leg, and my bombardier was also wounded in
Byrd “Bert” Ryland in uniform. (Courtesy Barbara Title)
the upper leg. We went from 27,000 feet to approximately 5,000 feet in a spin. As we got it under control at 5,000 feet, the fire went out on number three, and we were able to feather it. By throwing out most of our equipment, we were able to maintain altitude across the North Sea. The crew took care of the wounded, and the co-pilot stayed in his seat to help me control the aircraft. “When the crew inspected the aircraft prior to trying to land my ball turret, gunner told me that the left main gear was partially hanging down and was holding on by hydraulic lines only. I couldn't get any indication of gear condition, so the engineer tried to crank it down. It still didn't come down, and I elected to land it in that condition, as I couldn't have gone around after an approach and sure as hell didn't want to bail out when I might have been able to save it. I made a good landing as far as it goes until I lost control of speed.
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“At that time, we started swerving off of the runway to the right. I was headed toward another B-17, which was parked and could do nothing about it. My navigator saw what was about to happen and threw himself over the bombadier to protect him. The wing tip of the other plane came in through the nose of the aircraft and hit my navigator in the face, caving his face in from the eyebrow to his chin. Out of the nine crewmembers that were aboard, six walked away. They had to sedate me after this one. Col. Preston called me in––had a long talk with me and stopped me from grounding myself. You know, during this talk, there was no mention of a DFC, but he did suggest a 48-hour pass! We were back on duty and flew another mission six days later on Aug. 13, 1944.” Crew members were: Pilot - 1/Lt Byrd W. Ryland Co-Pilot - 1/Lt James C. Denny Navigator - 2/Lt Harry A. Braswell
A
February 2017
Byrd at Kimbolton, England. (Courtesy Barbara Title) Bombadier - 2/Lt Harold Frankle Engineer - Sgt Joe V. Jewell Radio Operator - Cpl Bernard L. Dolan Ball Turret Gunner - Cpl. Herbert O. Lawton Waist Gunner - Cpl Charles D. Bush Tail Gunner - Cpl Harold V. Lehman Byrd “Bert” Ryland was my uncle. To be continued...
WORLD CLASS PERFORMERS JOIN THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY AIR SHOW
The Los Angeles County Air Show presented by Lockheed Martin will take place on March 25-26, 2017 at General William J Fox Airfield in Lancaster. Joining this year’s headliner – the United State Air Force Thunderbirds – will be some the most thrilling aerobatic performers in the world. The theme of this year’s Show is “Red, White, and Boom!” It is poised to be the biggest and best airshow ever seen in LA County, with an amazing line-up of performers and exhibitions. “As one of the nation’s premier airshows, located in a community with several of the world’s most important aerospace companies, we felt it essential to bring in an excellent mix of performers from all over the country,” said Airboss Ralph Royce. “In addition to the USAF Thunderbirds, we have aerobatic pilots such as sixth consecutive U.S. National Aerobatic Title champion, Rob Holland, performing in his MXS-RH aircraft; accomplished Reno Air Racer, Vicky Benzing, performing in her WWII 1940
Boeing Stearman; Sword of Excellence award recipient and ICAS Foundation Hall of Fame inductee, Bill Stein, performing in his Zivko Edge 540; and Greg Coyler in his Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, known as America’s first operational jet fighter and jet trainer just to name a few. And, that’s not all, we have an impressive line-up of additional performers, skydivers, and vintage WWII warbirds, soon to be announced.” said Mr. Royce. In addition to the aerials, the Los Angeles County Air Show is home to an impressive interactive STEM exhibition, extensive static airplane displays, Aeronautical Historical Panel, and more. Plan on spending the entire day at the Show. For more information on the Los Angeles County Air Show, STEM scholarships, and pre-show ticket sales, please go to www.lacountyairshow.com. Follow on Facebook, Twitter @LACounty AirShow, Instagram and SnapChat for updates.
Have an event coming up? Submit it for publication in the In Flight USA Events Calendar online at inflightusa.com
VOLUNTEER FOR THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DOOLITTLE RAID
February 2017
www.inflightusa.com
HFF seeks up to 24 intrepid volunteers (and contributors) to join its B-25 “Grumpy” crew for the 75th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid to be celebrated April 16-20 at the Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Dick Cole, the surviving Raider, plans to greet the HFF crew and participate in a full schedule of activities. Honored guests will include several Chinese nationals who risked their lives to rescue downed Raiders and several surviving members of the crew of the USS Hornet. Sixteen
B-25s are expected. With reasonable weather, the trip will begin on the 16th and end on the 20th. Contingencies include the possibility of an overnight stay en route. Crew members enjoy the benefits of: • B-25 travel in Grumpy (inbound or outbound). • Two nights accommodation. • Custom crew apparel. • Two event lunches. • Reunion Banquet. • Special crew excursion to Orville
Wright’s “success mansion” at Hawthorne Hill. • Participation in a B-25 ground school prior to departure. Cost sharing is $5,000 per person. We require a deposit of $2,500 with the balance due on Feb. 1. Space is limited. Go to https://app.etapestry.com to volunteer for this historic mission. For more information, contact visitorservices@historicflight.org or call 425/348-3200 any day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
EPS has reached another significant milestone in the development of the Graflight Flat 8 diesel engine: Bosch has delivered First Level redundant software that is ready for three stages of testing. The tests are expected to lead to the first FAA approval according to the recently modified and more stringent DO178-C standards. Stage one will involve ground-based tests on a pedestal that will be driven to altitudes up to 14,000 feet in Colorado. Further altitude testing will then occur in an altitude chamber. Finally, in phase three, the software will be used in test flights with a conforming engine. This is
expected to occur in the second quarter of 2017. The mechanical parts of the engine were advanced to conforming status this past fall. As the software is proven in testing with an engine, the project will advance significantly toward completion of the FAA Certification process. “There are existing software programs that met the criteria for DO178-B, but the Graflight 8 will be the first to conform to the higher standards of DO178C,” said Michael Fuchs, CEO of EPS. “We now have a highly refined engine operations program that includes the type of enhancing upgrades found in the higher
class business jets. As such, the Bosch software will provide real-time analysis of all systems and call out predictive maintenance diagnostics. It is a highly developed pilot information system that goes far beyond the sensitivities found in the most modern automotive engine monitoring.” EPS reports that they are on time and on track to complete certification in 2017 and expect to have production-line capability by late in the year. For more information, visit EPS.aero.
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U
THE U.S. NAVY’S FIRST CARRIER SQUADRON VFA-2 “BOUNTY HUNTERS” In Flight USA Celebrating 30 Years
By Mike Heilman and Ed Wells
.S. Navy’s VFA-2 Fighter Squadron is used to being at the tip of the spear, after all, they were the very first fighter squadron deployed on America’s first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley (CV-1). The squadron was established in 1922 and began flying the Vought VE-7SF Biplane. It would be 1925 before the USS Langley, also known as the Covered Wagon, would take seven pilots and 42 enlisted personnel from VF-2 out to sea for the very first time in maneuvers off the coast of California. In 1927, the squadron was named the “Flying Chiefs” and was considered by many as the “Hottest outfit afloat.” The “Flying Chiefs” would not see combat until the start of World War II. In 1942, the squadron was deployed aboard the USS Lexington (CV-2) during the Battle of the Coral Sea. It would be the first ever battle between aircraft carriers. The unit would claim 11 kills, but the Lexington would be so crippled from torpedo damage that the Navy would have to scuttle the ship so it wouldn’t be captured by the Japanese. The “Flying Chiefs” with no ship were disbanded in July of 1942 until the next iteration of VF-2 was established on June 1, 1943, and the squadron was now known as the “Rippers.” VF-2 would be assigned to the USS Enterprise (CV-6). The squadron would see action at the Gilbert and Marshall Islands while aboard the Big E. In 1944, the squadron would transition to the USS Hornet (CV12) and would see action in the Marianas Campaign, which includes the famous Marianas Turkey Shoot. Once World War II was over, the squadron was disbanded once again. It would be 1972 before the Navy would reestablish VF-2 as the first F-14A “Tomcat” Squadron. VF-2 would now be known as the “Bounty Hunters.” The squadron would once again be the Navy’s first unit to deploy with the “Tomcat” aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). VF2 would fly the F-14 as air cover for the evacuation of Saigon during that deployment. The unit would deploy in the F-14 multiple times in ‘70s and ‘80s and would include flying air cover for Operation “Eagle Claw,” which was the failed attempt to recuse the Iranian hostages. The squadron would see action during several deployments in the 1990s, including Operation Desert Storm and
An F/A-18F “Super Hornet” from VFA-2 “Bounty Hunters” taxis in after landing aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) during the ship’s final Composite Unit Training Exercise or COMPTUEX off the coast of Southern California in Oct. of 2016. (Mike Heilman) Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. In 2003, VF-2 would be re-designated as VFA-2 and would transition from the F-14 to the F/A-18F “Super Hornet.” The transition to the “Super Hornet” took less than five months, and the “Bounty Hunters” would deploy in Oct. of 2004 in the “Super Hornet” on the USS Abraham Lincoln. VFA-2 has made several deployments in the “Super Hornet” since 2003 and is currently embarked on the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) with Carrier Air Wing Two. The USS Vinson was training off the coast of California before its upcoming deployment. VFA-2 was aboard the USS Langley 91 years ago off the coast of California, and all the pilots were experiencing what current day pilot, Lt. Matt McDonald, is experiencing on his first deployment. Lt. McDonald was assigned to VFA2 right out of F/A-18 school and in his first assignment as a Naval Aviator as he explains, “I am a squadron pilot in VFA2. I haven’t been in the squadron too long. I joined six months ago. I got out of the F/A-18 training squadron and then joined VFA-2.” McDonald is known as a “Nugget,” a name given to all naval carrier pilots making their very first cruise. McDonald’s training as an F/A-18F pilot continues while on deployment, he explains, “I am finishing up my level-two syllabus, so as a pilot you first start in level two. Level two, your combat wingman qualification, usually takes six to eight months. I will start my level three at the beginning of next year, which is a combat flight lead of two airplanes. Then
usually in the third year we get our fourth-level qualification, which is to lead a division. I am just starting out the whole training process.” Carrier Air Wing Two will go through several different cycles of training before the air wing deploys on the USS Vinson. The squadron’s deployment schedule dictates how the new pilot’s training is going to be completed as McDonald explains, “Working up for a deployment is a yearlong cycle. There were all kinds of different evolutions of the training. I joined VFA-2 then we came out to the Vinson on TSTA (Tailored Ship’s Training Availabilities) for six weeks, which is a good experience, but the airplane and the ship really determine what kind of flights you are doing.” “On TSTA, we flew a ton of Close Air Support (CAS) training on San Clemente Island with Air Force J-TAC, Marines, Army, and Navy SEALS. After I fulfilled my two CAS training flight requirements, I needed to do air-to-air, but then we might not be scheduled to do an air-to-air hop. It is really like ebb and flow of when they can fit it in. A lot of it is me gaining the experience so I can be knowledgeable and safe with the tactics. It is also where I can be safe operating the airplane in the carrier environment, and that way they would trust me to lead a section. It’s a crawl – walk – run,” explained McDonald. The squadron just completed its airwing composite training at NAS Fallon before the wing’s final training exercise, COMPTUEX (Composite Unit Training
February 2017
Exercise). McDonald explains, “Naval Air Station Fallon is about an hour East of Reno. The Navy has their Naval Aviation Developmental Warfare Center. It is where TOPGUN and Strike school are located. We had a month of large force strikes and air-to-air presentations. That is where the Navy premier training ranges are at. It’s just a massive area with all kinds of ranges.” McDonald continues, “Carrier operating was not why we were there. It was more for having the air wing together and having the air space. We were there to have the air wing learn to operate together. We had 24 planes in a strike package versus a known or unlimited amount of bandits. That was probably the biggest learning experience for me. Fallon was the focus on the air-to-air and air-toground in a big-picture mindset.” Pre-deployment exercises such TSTA and COMPTUEX have helped McDonald in his development as a squadron pilot. “There will be a lot of tanking (aerial refueling) for new guys like myself, when we are bolting and can’t get aboard, we are going to have to tank. On TSTA, they would say, ‘okay we have given him enough shots at it; just take it to North Island and get some gas.’ In COMPTUEX, we will be simulating that we are 3,000 miles from the nearest piece of land, and you need to bring the jet back onboard. This is our last bastion to complete before we go on deployment.” The exercises and training on the USS Vinson bring another element that all naval pilots must master and that is night operations aboard carrier as McDonald explains, “No matter how much training you have, we all get briefed before every night mission. It’s half the speed, twice the caution. Because it is at night, we have to go super slow.” Taxing on the flight deck is almost as challenging as landing according to McDonald, “The biggest difference is during the day when the yellow shirts that taxi us out will be walking with us, but at night, they have to be stationary when they are giving us directions. If they were moving, it would be super easy to be more susceptible to optical illusions, so you don’t know if you are rolling backwards or forwards, so they are stationary. It will take a long time taxing because they start to move you and then give the stop and then they have to run maybe a 100 feet and then they bring you again.” McDonald added, “When the taxi Continued on Page 47
STALLION 51 CELEBRATES 30 YEARS February 2017
For three decades, Stallion 51 Corp. has been known world wide for aviation excellence, making Mustang memories and fulfilling flying dreams. This year, Stallion 51 is celebrating their 30th Anniversary at Sun N Fun April 4-9, 2017. As long as there has been a Stallion 51, they have attended Lakeland, Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sun N Fun airshow, bringing their stable of Mustangs to the Warbird Flight line as well as Lee Lauderback flying his Signature Solo Mustang Demo routine in the airshows. This year at Sun N Fun, Stallion 51 will be bringing a â&#x20AC;&#x153;few of their Mustang friendsâ&#x20AC;? to the airshow and Warbird Flight line to help celebrate and commemorate the occasion. In 1987, Stallion 51 Corp. established itself as a unique aviation business that specializes in rare expensive vintage aircraft built on the dream and passion of the Lauderback brothers. Lee, Peter, Richard, and John are the cornerstone of the Mustang world, restoring, operating, and marketing the most rare of the breed. Thousands of people have shared the cockpit with founder and president, Lee Lauderback, and his crew through the years, learning about the magic of the Merlin and the mystique behind the Mustang. Stallion 51 not only offers the opportunity to experience the Mustang in an orientation flight but also understand the Mustang through their extensive comprehensive Mustang checkout program. Pilots from all over the world enroll in Stallion 51â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training programs knowing that Insurance companies recognize that Stallion 51â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s checkout program is the gold standard in training for those who want to own and operate their own Mustang and/or Texan. Through the years, Stallion 51 has developed a large presence on the Kissimmee Gateway Airport with their three hangars, encompassing the flight operations for their two-dual cockpit, dual control P-51 Mustangs, and T-6 Texan as well as the UAT program, a division of Stallion 51 that offers upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) in their specially equipped L-39 Turbojet. All Orientation flights in both the legendary P-51 and historic T-6 include; preflight briefing that tailors the orientation flight to the individual's experience, expertise, and expectations; preflight walk around and cockpit orientation; hands-on orientation flight that encourages the individual to do 95 percent of the flying, followed by a post-flight briefing reviewing the three-camera video that captures all of the action during the flight. Certificate of completion, autographed photo of the aircraft flown, and log book entry also come
OF
MAKING MUSTANG MEMORIES
www.inflightusa.com
with the orientation flights. The P-51 Mustang Front Seat Transition Training is another hands-on opportunity for pilots to take the controls of the Mustang from both the fully operational rear cockpit before transitioning to the front cockpit. Extensive ground school prepares the pilot for the air work that will be executed during the instructional flight that will include aerobatics, touch-and-go landings, and basic fight maneuvers. The second day of flying will be from the front cockpit that includes another thorough briefing and orientation of cockpit layout and procedures; including procedures exclusive to the front cockpit, including engine start, taxi, take-off, and normal and emergency procedures. For every hour of flying, there is approximately three hours of ground school to give the pilot a depth of understanding on what the Mustang is capable of. The Mustang Check Out Training program is typically a five-day Course consisting of two flights per day plus extensive ground school. Training program is a specialized course designed for the owner/pilot or potential owner/pilot of a P-51 Mustang or similar high performance warbird aircraft. The program is endorsed by the FAA, major aircraft insurers, and is widely respected by members of the aviation community. Checkout training familiarizes the pilot with aircraft systems, normal and emergency procedures, basic flight maneuvers, slow flight, high performance maneuvering, loss of controlled flight, stalls, and an emphasis on takeoff and landing proficiency. It is highly recommended that the pilot have a minimum of 200 hours T-6 and/or tail wheel time before starting the checkout-training course. Stallion 51 can help with the acquiring of needed tail experience in their T-6 Texan. Stallion 51 offers P-51 Mustang and T-6 Texan Recurrent training. The courses can be tailored to your individual requirements but are typically structured around a one or two-day course consisting of ground school and flying covering: aircraft systems, emergency and normal procedures, slow flight, and high-AOA maneuvering, stalls, both clean and configured, simulated engine out flight and landing, review of aerobatics, basic preand post-flight inspections. The UAT program, a division of Stallion 51, offers real-time, real-life advanced upset prevention and recovery training in a specially modified L-39 TurboJet. The UAT programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose is to familiarize pilots with the recognition and recovery from unusual attitudes and
45
in-flight upsets. The program is structured to train pilots to recognize and respond accurately and quickly in both VFR and IFR situations before the situation progresses into one from which they are unable to recover. This type of comprehensive aerodynamic training combined with aero-medical training has not been available to civilian pilots in corporate and business aviation departments until recently. www.JetUAT.com The addition of AVDOC 51 makes the Stallion 51 campus truly a unique aviation destination. Where else can you fly in for your FAA medical? Senior AME Dr. William Busch believes, the ability to fly in this day and age is dependent on desire, training, skill, and financial and physical ability. These are all refreshable resources except one, physical ability or health. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without good health and the ability to pass an FAA medical exam, all the dough, desire, and skill in the world will not keep you in the cockpit.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Doc Buschâ&#x20AC;? is an integral part of the team at Stallion 51 as an instructor pilot and teaching the aeromedical aspects of unusual attitude training in the UAT program. John Lauderback assists the transition-training clients further by helping them to find the perfect vintage plane to match their dreams of owning one. Through Stallionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many warbird con-
Lee Lauderback at the controls. (Stallion 51)
Lee Lauderback flying inverted. (Stallion 51) nections, the Lauderbacks know every Mustang flying or project available in the world. John helps connect those who want to find a good home for their Mustang with the perfect new owner who is looking for a P-51 through â&#x20AC;&#x153;Group51.â&#x20AC;? Stallion had grown into a multi dimensional international university of higher learning; meeting the needs and dreams of pilots from all over the world. For more information, visit www.stallion51.com.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS ARENA THE MOST RECENT SIGNATURE PROJECT FOR SCHWEISS DOORS In Flight USA Celebrating 30 Years
February 2017
Golden 1 Center Hosts NBA Games, Concerts, and Conventions
The $507 million Golden 1 Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Sacramento, Calif. and is mostly known as the home of the Sacramento Kings. With much anticipation, it officially opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 30, attended by NBA team owners, various political figures, current and former Kings players, as well as former Commissioner David Stern. The 17,500-seat arena will host concerts, conventions, and other sporting and entertainment events. It features more luxury suites and a potential capacity of 19,000 seats. Schweiss Doors engineered and built five one-of-a-kind bifold strap latch doors to be installed at the arena entrance. Three doors measure 29-feet wide by 41-feet, 5inches high, while the other two doors are four inches wider. Three five-horsepower motors with liftstraps six inches wide lift each door, double the normal width. The doors, constructed of glass, each weigh approximately 28,000 pounds. “We were honored and proud to have had the opportunity to do a designer door project of this magnitude at the Golden 1 Center,” said Mike Schweiss, owner of Schweiss Doors. “It’s one of the finest modern state-of-the-art entertainment venues in the world.” Three motors, housed in the ceiling, require 480V, three-phase, 50-amp electrical power to raise the doors quickly, quietly, and safely. The doors are glazed with a low-E safety-laminated glass. Three doors face down at an 11-degree angle to make them partly self-shading and to prevent unwanted reflections. The doors can also be controlled by an iPhone app.
How It All Started
Design Principal architect, Rob Rothblatt of AECOM Architecture in Los Angeles, visited the Schweiss Doors factory, accompanied by a draftsman, to get a better handle on how Schweiss designs and builds its doors. The meeting included a preliminary exploration of the door details and the scope of the project. Sold on Schweiss, Rothblatt returned to California and worked with a team of architects to design what was required of the doors. “We challenged Schweiss to do things they had never done before,” Rothblatt said. “One, they are canted on an 11-degree angle, they are not battered. They are not the same length, two of the doors are angled, and three doors are
The new Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center seats 17,500 in its modern arena. Schweiss Doors engineered and built five bifold, straplatch main entrance doors, made of a combination of steel and aluminum frames. Three of the doors measured 29 x 41.5 feet, and the other two are 29.4 x 41.5 feet each with respective clear openings of 32 and 28.8 feet. (Paul Crosby Architectural Photography) straight, meaning they don’t travel the of the doors. We don’t have any reflective same distance, and they don’t stack exactglass. We have fritted glass and small panly the same way. We challenged Schweiss els that allow birds to see ahead of them. to make that work, and they did.” The Schweiss doors are glazed with gray Schweiss Doors provided some budgglass, so birds will never bang into them by etary figures, and the project was a go. mistake. We’ve had no crashes at all.” “They liked what we had and decided we These doors are also windows, with were the best company to design these five another set of conventional pedestrian large stadium doors for them,” Schweiss doors at the base to handle foot traffic said “It was a very fun and uniquely formientering and exiting the arena. The first dable project. We have manufactured thoupiece of the six-story bifold door was testsands of doors through the years, and these ed over a couple months’ time to make doors were by far unique in so many ways; sure it was functioning properly before one being the doors were angled from the Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems of stadium. Our Schweiss design team spent Sacramento installed the glass. many challenging hours figuring out a method of closing the doors against the Installing was a Challenge structure. We worked on the Kings Stadium door project for eight months.” Bill Schmidt Construction of Maxwell, Calif., has a lot of experience More Challenges with the installation of Schweiss Doors products and was charged with the threeAECOM’s client wanted something month installation of the five doors at the uniquely Sacramento. The city was Golden 1 Center. replacing a failing mall and needed to “It was pretty hard,” said Bill renew a failing district for rejuvenation of Schmidt, CEO of Bill Schmidt the area. It involved working with the Construction. “We had to use a chain hoist wonderful temperature, being able to and a forklift because of the weight limitahave indoor-outdoor expression, and it tions on the concrete. The plaza level is on needed to meet the stringent California the second story, and it’s just decking and Title 24 Energy standards. concrete. We had six people at one time “We are the first LEED Platinum drilling all the holes. The headers were box arena in the whole world,” Rothblatt said. headers with center webs in them; we had “NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said a one-inch plate to drill through, three that Golden 1 Center is the ‘gold standard’ holes per bolt. The side rails were hard to of arenas, and Schweiss Doors is a part of do because the doors weren’t vertical but that. No one has ever done an arena with leaning out 11 degrees. The engineers put doors like this. The (Minnesota) Vikings thicker side rails on than normal.” have these 90-foot high swivel doors, but There was a strong emphasis on they are very different. Part of being working safely, resulting in plenty of uniquely Sacramento is to be kind to the paperwork. flora and fauna and celebrate farm-to-table “Just knowing that I did these doors is and the delta. We are absolutely state-ofwhat I like most about the doors,” Schmidt the-art in bird protection; it’s partly because said. “It was the first of its kind with the
top-mounted autolocks on these doors. It was hard because no one had ever done it before. They are fantastic doors that make the stadium top of the line. The doors make the arena, that’s what everybody talks about. It was a one-of-a-kind project that was hard from everybody’s standpoint: engineers, architects, and installers. It was really challenging.” Schweiss Doors was the only choice “I looked at several door companies, and during the interview process, Schweiss basically said, ‘OK, you want something atypical, it’s a challenge, but we think we can do it.’ Everybody else dropped out,” Rothblatt said. “Schweiss won the project by being willing to take the risk and doing something architecturally challenging. The other companies couldn’t do a bifold door like Schweiss, and they wanted to charge us $60,000 upfront in engineering costs on a door they didn’t even think they could do. We said no to the engineering cost. “We also needed lights that could shine down on the plaza and when the doors folded; that was perfect. We lobbed some grenades at Schweiss, and this is going to set the standard for some time to come. These doors are monumental. That doesn’t mean they are large. The Schweiss doors are perfect. I say, let’s make it twice as big next time!” Rothblatt said the huge mobile door panels are central to the architectural design, merging indoor and outdoor life while ventilating the arena. The bifold doors at the entrance allow the Delta Breeze to serve as a natural cooling system, pulling air in through small vents found under the seats in the stands. The doors can open to turn the venue into an indoor-outdoor arena, and the “smart turnstiles” allow fans to enter at more than triple the usual speed. “What I like most is that when you open the doors and stand on the balcony, you don’t know if you are inside or outside the building,” Rothblatt said. “That is just fantastic! Second, they are really dynamic. You watch them move, they make it feel like something that is movable and mobile and what we think about as a 21st century thing. They also have an industrial feel to them, which is perfectly cool for an arena. They look great! They are exactly what I was expecting and when they are closed, they fit in really nicely with the quality of the rest of the building.” The Kings have had discussions with Continued on Page 47
February 2017
www.inflightusa.com
Sacramento Kings Arena
Continued from Page 46 the league about what conditions need to be met before they could play a game with the doors open, and they believe it will be able to control the temperature, humidity, and wind enough to make conditions on the court comparable to a full-indoor arena. The team held practices with the doors open to gather data. The doors also provide a unique setting for concerts, as concertgoers will be able to stand outside and hear music from the plaza connected to the 16-story mixed-use Downtown Plaza Tower. Greenest arena in the world is powered by solar energy Perhaps most important to Kings owner, Vivek Ranadive, are the environmental benefits that make it the first indoor venue to receive LEED Platinum certification––the highest level of recognition for environmentally conscious buildings. The arena will be the first professional sports venue powered completely by solar energy. It’s estimated it will save about one million gallons of water a year compared to a typical venue of its size. Golden 1 Center has many first-ofits-kind features, along with some of the modern accouterments that have become commonplace. Smartphone apps will allow fans to order food or watch replays from their seats, giant screens to watch the game, and high-speed connections will let fans post photos almost instantaneously. Befitting a team owned by a tech mogul who made his billions in Silicon Valley, the arena was built with enough technology to “future proof” it. It has
enough bandwidth for a small city, allowing fans to post 250,000 Instagram photos per second and 500,000 Snapchats per second. “We felt we had to set a new bar,” Ranadive said. “We have to be cognizant of the kind of planet we want to leave our kids and next generations. This had to be the greenest arena ever built. I fully expect that arenas in the future will be even better, be even more sustainable. Hopefully what we have here is an example of how to build a great arena and still be responsible to the environment.” The arena is part of a $1 billion development project that includes 1.5 million square feet of mixed-use property that will have a hotel, restaurants, retail shops, offices, and condos. About $500 million in outside investment is also expected in the area. The arena will employ as many as 2,000 workers on event nights. Approximately 4,000 sheet metal installers, electricians, plumbers, and other construction workers participated in the erection of the arena. The city of Sacramento will pay $18.3 million each year to help fund the Kings’ new $557 million downtown arena – a financial burden that won’t expire until 2050. Schweiss Doors is the premier manufacturer of hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors. Doors are custom made to any size for any type of new or existing building for architects and builders determined to do amazing things with their buildings, including the doors. Schweiss also offers a cable to liftstrap conversion package. For more information, visit www.bifold.com
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American Aircraft Sales Co. WE HAVE MOVED! 50 YEARS IN BUSINESS–NEW LOCATION
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1600 TTSN, 671 SFRMAN, King IFR, New leather interior, Original Paint, Hangared, NDH...........................................................$79,950
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1864 TTSN A&E, NARCO IFR, A/P, Good Original Paint and Interior, NDH, ..$99,950
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One owner and hangared since 1976, 1197 SMOH, 2789 TTSN, COMPLETE LOGS, NDH ......$19,950
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60 HRS Since Restoration....................Make Offer
3800 TTSN, 1900 SMOH, One owner and kept hangared last 20 years, Fresh Annual, King IFR..............................................................$29,950
Carrier Squadron VFA-2 Continued from Page 44 Director is taxing you toward the edge of the flight deck, the hardest thing about the F/A-18 is that the two-seat model that VFA-2 flies in the nose gear is right behind where the Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) sits. I am in front in the pilot’s seat; the nose gear is a good six to eight feet behind me. Our nose gear is so good it can turn 170 degrees, and the taxi Directors know that. The Directors know because of this turn radius that they can pack in 10 airplanes side-by-side, but the only way to do this is to get your tire exactly to the edge. You are hanging over the dark ocean, and you can’t see the horizon, essentially our lives are in hands of the taxi director and our brakes” If taxing on the flight deck at night is stressful, McDonald expresses landing on the carrier at night can leave a pilot stressed and amped up, “At the boat all night, landings are flown via an instru-
An F/A-18F “Super Hornet” from VFA-2 “Bounty Hunters” taxis in after landing aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) during the ship’s final Composite Unit Training Exercise or COMPTUEX off the coast of Southern California in Oct. of 2016. (Mike Heilman)
ment approach, during the day its 100 percent visual. Landing during the day, you break over the ship and are flying the jet to put yourself 15 to 18 seconds behind the ship then you fly down to Continued on Page 49
1942 Grumman Bearcat F8F-2
1944 North American P-51 D Mustang
820 hours since new...Considering Offers
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Garmin IFR Avionics, GNS 530 GPS, GTX 330 Transponder, GN 340 Audio Panel, New paint and interior, 978 SMOH, 3000 TTSN, NDH, One owner since 1983.............$49,950
Office Space & Tie Downs Available for Rent Robert Coutches
Cell - (510) 783-2711 • (925) 449-5151 550 Airway Blvd. • Livermore, CA 94551• Livermore Airport (KLVK)
www.americanaircraft.net
In Flight USA Celebrating 30 Years
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AIRCRAFT We have moved! American Aircraft Sales, now at Livermore Airport, CA, www.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, www.tjair.com. 3/13
Husky - America's Favorite Taildragger. Call to schedule your own Husky Experience. Aviat Aircraft, Afton, WY, (307) 885-3151, husky.aviataircraft.com. 12504:TFN J.T. Evans Aircraft Sales. Specializing in landing gear & control surfaces. Also recovery & storage for singles & light twins. (800) 421-1729, Orlando, FL. 11/14 Largest variety of quality aircraft, plus training and other services. Alliance International Aviation Flight Centers at Chino, Riverside and Brackett Field, CA, airports. www.AIAFlight.com. 11/13
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ENGINES Quality, Service & Price, keeping the cost of aircraft engine maintenance down. Aircraft Specialties Services, Tulsa OK, (918) 836-6872. 10/06 Corona Aircraft Engines. Complete engine overhauls on all Continental & Lycoming engines. ECI Titans in stock. Corona Airport, CA, (951) 736-6452, www.coronaengines.com. 8/14 Aircraft Engine Parts & Service. Gibson-Aviation, El Reno, OK, (800) 9924880, gibsonaviation@msn.com. 11/14
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SERVICES Protect your assets. Legally avoid California Aircraft Sales and Use taxes. Call for free consultation. Associated Sales Tax Consultants Inc., (916) 3691200 or visit www.astc.com. 3/06 Divorce-Paternity Cases. Contact Lawyers for Men's Rights, (213) 3848886, www.mensrightslawyers.com. Offices of Stuart J. Faber. 4/10 Susan Biegel, MD, Certified FAA Medical Examiner, Upland, CA, (909) 985-1908, wwww.susanbiegelmd.com. 11/16
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PILOT SUPPLIES The Airport Shoppe, Reid-Hillview Airport, San Jose, CA, orders (800) 6344744, www.airportshozppe.com. 10/06
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New one-piece doors. Hydraulic or bifold. Schweissdoors.com, (800) 7468273. 1/15
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FBOs Serving the General Aviation Community since 1981. Wisconsin Aviation, Watertown Municipal Airport, WI, (920) 261-4567, WisconsinAviation.com.3/13
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February 2017
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THE U.S. NAVY’S FIRST CARRIER SQUADRON VFA-2
Continued from Page 44 hopefully a nice landing. At night, it is very procedural in nature. When you are coming back to the ship from where ever, the first thing you do is check in with Marshal Control. Marshal will stack the airplanes in a piece of sky.” McDonald continues, “A night approach starts with a mental math problem, which stinks because the minute you put on a flight helmet, your math capacity drops by 90 percent. You have to figure out your timing, and usually we are late so we have to plug in the afterburner to get up there in time. We will push out the stack, and you can down very steeply at 250 knots, and at 4,000 feet a minute you come down. Then Marshal will hand you over the ship’s approach control, and approach will try to get you set up on a 10-mile final at 1,200 feet. “This is the last chance to get prepped for that night landing. Usually what I do is press my G-suit test button that will squeeze all this blood up to me, then I take a couple of big breaths and a drink of water, and I rub my eyes because I know within three minutes I will be back on deck. We come in from 10 miles, and we have a couple of different landing aids aboard the ship. Usually we will fly what’s called the ACLS or Automatic Carrier Landing System. It is very similar to a civilian ILS (Instrument Landing System), but there is only one data point that you are chasing instead of localizer and the glide sloop. It is just one little tadpole. As long as you follow this tadpole, it will take you to three miles behind the ship at 1,200 feet, and that is where you tip over and start your final approach. “Depending on the weather, you can see the boat at 20 miles away. You come down the glide sloop and pick up the ship, and at three quarters of a mile, approach control will make their famous “call the ball” call and you give back the ball call. I still fly the glide sloop for
“BOUNTY HUNTERS” maybe five more seconds and then go back to our daytime scan, but it is a lot harder because all you see is the meatball and the lighted LA (Landing Area), and in the jet, we are scanning our angle of attack. You just keep that scan going meatball, lineup, and angle of attack. Also at night, Paddles (Landing Signal Officer or LSO) are a lot more amped to talk to us. The bolter rate goes up dramatically at night. Every time we bolter, it is a minimum of 1,000 pounds of gas gone, and you are increasing wear and tear on the jet and the pilot’s nerves,” commented McDonald. “I don’t think I realized how much I focused on this until I had a few nights where I made three or four passes to get aboard. I remember taxing way too fast because I was so amped, and the taxi director gave me the calm down signal, and I looked down and my knees were shaking. I had to shake it out of me, but it is a total rush. They send us new guys up at night often to get us the “experience,” explained McDonald. Transition from flight school to his first combat squadron has been one that McDonald has enjoyed. “I love the camaraderie. I would say that it parallels my experience in my Greek life at school to a T. You are a part of this tight-knit unit that works together, lives together, and plays together. We are very rich in our history, customs, traditions, and our rivalries. This niche in naval aviation is rich in tradition, but to be in small unit, I think it is the connection you have to have.” The history of VFA-2 has taken several paths, from being known as the “Flying Chiefs” to the “Bounty Hunters” and from pilots flying biplanes to supersonic jets. The very first fighter squadron is alive and well today. Naval aviation has changed dramatically over the past 90 years, but some things have stayed the same for the aviators who are the tip of the spear.
An F/A-18F “Super Hornet” from VFA-2 “Bounty Hunters” lands aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) during the carrier’s final training exercise COMPTUEX in Oct. of 2016. (Mike Heilman)
A pair of F/A-18F “Super Hornet” from VFA-2 “Bounty Hunters” set on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) next to F/A-18C “Legacy Hornet” from VFA-34 “Blue Blasters” during the ship’s final training before deploying in early 2017 (Mike Heilman)
A two-seat F/A-18F “Super Hornet” taxis out to launch on a training mission aboard the USS Carl Vinson during the ship’s final training exercise COMPTUEX before deploying (Mike Heilman)
A two-seat F/A-18F “Super Hornet” taxis out to wait in line to launch on a training mission aboard the USS Carl Vinson during the ship’s final training exercise COMPTUEX before deploying. (Mike Heilman)
A two-seat F/A-18F “Super Hornet” chained down with a tow bar on the flight deck of USS Carl Vinson. Notice that the wings fold to create space on the crowded flight deck of an aircraft carrier. (Mike Heilman)
A two-seat F/A-18F “Super Hornet” is chained down on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson. This Hornet is painted with “Langley Stripes” to honor the Navy’s first aircraft carrier and honor VFA-2 as the Navy’s first ever carrier fighter squadron. (Mike Heilman)
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In Flight USA Celebrating 30 Years
February 2017
AD INDEX AAHS ..................................26
Assoc. Sales Tax Consult. ..35
Horizontal Rain.................. 25
QREF Media ......................18
Aircraft Specialties Service 19
Aviation Ins. Resources ......22
JT Evans ................................4
Schwiess Doors ..................42
Aircraft Tool Supply ............9
Corona Aircraft Engines ....37
Mike Smith Aviation ..........45
Sterling Air ..........................13
Airtronics ............................31
Divorce For Men ................26
NBAA..................................52
Gibson..................................22
Pacific Coast Avionics ........10
Hartwig ..................................3
Pacific Oil Cooler ..............16
Aerozona Parts ....................42
Aircraft Spruce....................15
Airplanes USA Aircraft Sales6
Attitude Aviation ................51
Corona Air Venture ............28
Cotter Airport ......................30
Alliance Intl. Aviation ..........6
Dr. Susan Biegel, MD ........14
AOPA ....................................7
Hanks Aero Adventures ....24
American Aircraft Sales ....47
Arizona Soaring ..................41
Arizona Type Ratings ........16
HME Watches ....................21
Jorgenson Lawrence ..........50
Kitfox ..................................11
R&M Steele........................14
Sky Dancer ............................7
Mountain High Oxygen........3
Tiffin Air..............................43
OEO ......................................2
TravelAir Tour ....................20
Pac. Coast Dream Machines36 Planes of Fame....................20
TJs Aircraft Sales ................23
US Sport Aviation Expo ....21
USA Aircraft Brokers ..........9 Vans Aircraft........................24
Zanette AC Insurance ..........5
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FORT WORTH REGIONAL FORUM March 23, 2017
This industry event brings together local business aircraft owners, operators, manufacturers, and other aviation professionals for one-day at one of the most accessible business aviation airports in the nation. As an attendee you can visit with exhibitors, view business aircraft side-by-side on the static display and take part in education sessions throughout the day. Visit the website to learn more and register today.
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