Short Takes

 

WHAT A CFI WANTS YOU TO KNOW- The Things You Need to Know Before You Solo - Learning to fly an airplane is not like learning to drive a forklift or a stick shift. - From Flying - "As a student pilot you don’t know what you don’t know. There is so much information coming at you, so many skills to learn, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and buried—especially when it comes to what you need to know before your first solo.

Your instructor will appreciate it if you take ownership of your training by insisting on and following a syllabus. The first part of the syllabus will consist of tasks listed under FAR Part 61.87—the aeronautical knowledge and skills required for solo flight.

Your instructor needs you to understand that learning to fly an airplane is not like learning to drive a forklift or a stick shift—it takes more than an afternoon to learn the maneuvers and procedures required for solo flight, and even more time to become suitably proficient in them."  Read More Here.

 

Off-Field Landings - Instructional - From AVweb - "When your aircraft is in tip-top shape and everything is working properly, you should be able to reuse the plane after each landing. Unfortunately, every now and then our beloved flying machines let us down."  Explore several  considerations Here.

 

Why Electric Airplanes Face Such A Tough Haul: Joby Edition - VIDEO -  Paul Bertorelli / AVweb - "Electric airplanes are coming at us a mile a minute with claims that seem to defy the laws of physics and maybe even Ohm’s Law. In this AVweb video, Paul Bertorelli takes a critical look at what most people in the industry consider to be a leading contender to own the urban air mobility market: the Joby S4. It’s a remarkable design and appears surprisingly mature. But can it make it..."  View it Here.

 

Jason Blair: Modest Growth In Pilot Population - VIDEO - W/Paul Bertorelli - AVweb - "Some of us in aviation obsess about pilot population growth because it, more than anything, signals the future health of the general aviation industry. In this AVweb news video, Paul Bertorelli talks to veteran pilot examiner Jason Blair about the state of pilot certification. The good news? There’s modest growth in the overall pilot population."  Watch the Video Here.

 

Which Aircraft Fits Your Traveling Plans?  - INFO to CONSIDER - Thoughts upon buying a GA Aircraft - From Flying - "When you tell fellow pilots you are shopping for an airplane that can cover serious distances, some are likely to respond with a short list of “traveling machines.” That’s general-aviation shorthand for fast models like the Beechcraft Bonanza and Mooney 201.

But those suggestions might stem from a lack of creativity or a sense of adventure. The most thoughtful flying friends will probably ask three things:

• Where are you headed?
• Who is going with you?
• How soon do you need to get there?

Read the whole story Here!

 

WHY ME? - MEDICAL HEALTH - From AOPA - "Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of disability and mortality in the world. The statistics on cardiovascular heart disease are sobering to say the least and here in the U.S. heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women of all racial and ethnic groups. Statistically CAD accounts for 1 in every 4 U.S. deaths. One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease; that adds up to about 900,000 deaths each year." What CAN YOU DO?  Some answers gained by reading Here.

 

Does The FAA Seem Nastier Than Usual? - From AVweb - "Stories about confrontations with the FAA are legion among just about every sector in aviation but I seem to be detecting an even more combative stance by the agency that everyone loves to hate. - The MAX debacle put the agency on the ropes and it seems to be fighting its way back into the ring with a kind of nasty attitude toward fellow government agencies that inevitably overlap its jurisdiction. That’s not to say the FAA has a reputation of playing nice with anyone but there’s an edge there that I haven’t noticed before."  From Russ Niles - Read the opinion Here.

 

Buying A Used Aircraft: Decathlon And Citabria - From AVweb - "The Citabria is a proven design, based on the Champion 7-series airframe. The more rugged 8 series is the more fully aerobatic Decathlon. Pre-1990s Citabrias have wooden wing spars, and with that comes the possibility of strut corrosion. The aerobatic 7GCBC model, with slightly longer wings and flaps, is arguably the most popular with first-time aerobat pilots, followed by the 7KCAB, a more capable aerobatic ship with a fuel-injected 150-HP AEIO-320-E2B Lycoming engine and inverted fuel and oil systems." Read a lot about this fun series of planes Here.

 

‘It’s Embarrassing’: FCC-FAA Skirmish Over 5G Leads to Lawmaker Frustration - From AviationPros - "WASHINGTON — Lawmakers on Thursday sharply criticized the process leading up to the deployment of 5G wireless technology around airports last month, repeatedly questioning how the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission had such a disconnect. - “There’s no excuse for us to be in this situation,..." Continue Here.

 

747 Damaged After Hitting Cargo Pallets - VIDEO - Opinion - Webmaster: Contaminated runways and taxiways with snow present a REAL DANGER. Reduced braking due to surface considerations, which may include hydroplane danger becomes a reality.  China Airways ran into a big taxiway movement problem. Watch it HERE.

 

Little Shops of Horrors - From Aviation Safety Magazine - "The first sign of trouble was when ATC couldn’t radar-identify the Archer. That was a problem because the Archer’s base was an airport at which one needs a transponder. The KT-76 was working fine when the airplane was dropped off, but now, after the inspection, it wasn’t. If it had been during the shop’s normal working hours, I would have turned around and given it back to them, but that wasn’t in the cards."  Continue Here.

 

Most Of Us Know How To Stay Alive In An Airplane: Until We Don’t - Paul Bertorelli, AVweb - "When I was learning to fly more years ago than I care to reveal, the accident rate was 18.1/100,000, more than three times what it is now. Just 10 years before that, in 1960, the rate was a whopping 36.5. Crashes occurred at the rate of more than a dozen a day. Lots of causes, of course, but drunken flying was common then, as was driving while stewed. It was a different era then and we should all be glad it’s gone. The current overall accident rate, at about 4.9, has ticked up a little recently, but..."  Continue HERE.

Shooting the Gap - From Aviation Safety Magazine - "Poor weather has always topped my list of potential aviation hazards. But after earning the instrument rating, I was much more willing to go out and tackle low ceilings and visibility, which inevitably led to poking around thunderstorms and frontal activity. I quickly learned there were no iron-clad rules or procedures for safely penetrating them and that the best strategy was to remain in visual conditions and avoid getting too close. - Every now and then, however, I was sorely tempted to poke through a narrow gap between storms. Invariably, doing so “violated” the FAA’s admonition to remain at least 20 miles away from such weather. But, I rationalized, if I could see through the gaps to blue sky on the other side, how bad could it be? Pretty bad, it turned out a few times."  Continue Reading

 

Sleepwalking To 100UL - From Paul Bertorelli at AVweb - "In yet another milepost in the galactically slow train wreck that is finding a replacement for lead-spiked avgas, the EPA has finally announced its intent to declare leaded fuel environmentally hazardous. And this time, says EPA, we’re serious so all you FAA footdraggers better pay attention. No, really. We mean it. But wait, hold up. What the press release headline said was this, exactly: “EPA to Evaluate Whether Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft Endanger Human Health and Welfare.” The waffle word here is “whether.” If the answer is no, no endangerment, then what? Or was this just sloppy prose? Try not to think about it."  Continue HERE.

 

 

 

ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT? EXPLAINING AIRCRAFT DAMAGE ASSESSMENT - When an aircraft crashes, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) air safety investigators and aerospace engineers must determine if the event can be classified as an accident or an incident, as defined by  Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 830. Read More Here.

 

Don't Ignore Service Bulletins - Service Bulletins and the Aircraft Owner

 

IFR FIX: SIX OF ONE - SAFETY INFO / COMMENT - From AOPA - "Yes, it’s that question about recent flight experience required to act as pilot in command under IFR (FAR 61.57(c)), which, no matter how frequently pilots go over the rule, causes much head-scratching and uncertainty:..." Read the short article HERE.

 

Archer and Lilium to Become Publicly Traded - From Aviation Today - "Two electric aircraft companies, Lilium and Archer Aviation, have announced completed business mergers resulting in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft companies becoming public.

Joby Aviation became the first publicly traded eVTOL company last month after a completed merger with Reinvent Technology Partners. Lilium and Archer will become the second and third eVTOL companies to go public." Continue Here.

 

FAA Invites Public to Comment on Draft Environmental Review of SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Program - FAA - WASHINGTON-The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today invited the public to provide its input on the draft environmental review for the proposed SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy program in Boca Chica, Texas. - The draft document, formally called a Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA), evaluates the potential environmental impacts of SpaceX’s initial mission profile for the program, including launch and reentry. It also reviews debris recovery, the integration tower and other launch-related construction, and local road closures in Boca Chica, among other issues. - The FAA plans to hold virtual public hearings on Oct. 6 and 7 as part of the 30-day public comment period that ends on Oct. 18, 2021.

SpaceX cannot launch the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle until the FAA completes its licensing process, which includes the environmental review and other safety and financial responsibility requirements. The proposed Starship/Super Heavy operations fall outside of the scope of the existing 2014 Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision for the Boca Chica launch site and requires this additional environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

 

SCAUWG.ORG friend Wayne has sent us this link to the 8/08/2021 Blancolirio VIDEO.: "I send this video out for educational purposes. For all of us aviators, it is a sad day when we lose one of our own. Thoughts and prayers for Snort's family and friends." - Wayne

 

INSPIRATIONAL PILOT JESSICA COX PURSUING THIRD CLASS MEDICAL AND FOUR-SEAT AIRCRAFT - ARMLESS PILOT ANNOUNCES FOOT-CONTROLLED RV–10 BUILD PROJECT - ARTICLE - From AOPA - "Cox and her husband Patrick Chamberlain said that building an airplane from the ground up to address her special needs would “dial down the difficulty of flying” and help pave the way for others with physical limitations." Continue Here.

 

Cleared for the MSA? - INSTRUCTIONAL - From Aviation Safety Magazine - "Shortly, I got my own distraction. We received an approach clearance recently that I’d never heard before, one that made me doubt one of the basic precepts of IFR flight. It may be something Aviation Safety readers look at and say, “Duh, everyone knows that.” I suspect, however, that many or most will not have received this clearance before, and ..." Continued Here.

 

California man arrested after firing gun at helicopter - NEWS REPORT  7/23/21 - From KCRA 3 - 

"The helicopter crew was flying around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday in Lake Casitas, about 80 miles north of Los Angeles, for training operations, the sheriff's office said. The crew realized there was gunfire aimed at them, and the pilot took evasive actions and saw..."  Read The Story Here.

 

Decisions In The System - From Aviation Safety Magazine

"The hands-on part of flying an airplane, even single-pilot IFR, is easy. Managing your flight - making decisions in real time - is the hard part." Read this safety scenario lesson here.

 

Cutting Through All the Noise

For decades, the FAA has been committed to mitigating and reducing aircraft noise. This includes efforts to accelerate the development of more noise-friendly aircraft and engine technologies and engage directly with communities impacted by noise. To read more on the FAA’s strategy for noise mitigation, as well as how recent survey data is helping to inform these decisions, see the article “Cutting Through All the Noise” at https://medium.com/faa/cutting-through-all-the-noise-4f99910f918c. To view our entire “Embracing the Environment” issue, go to www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing.

 

Best Of The Web: When Yeager Wasn’t Famous - STORY & VIDEO - "Famed test pilot Chuck Yeager was a household name through much of his career. But not always. In his first book, “Across the High Frontier,” Yeager said his work during the X-1 project to exceed Mach 1 gave flight test pilots a profile—and respect—they never enjoyed before that. In 1949, he became instantly famous when Time magazine put him on its cover. But, as this video from the popular television program “What’s My Line” shows..." Continue Here.

 

A 737 Home Sim -When flying your own airplane becomes too expensive. Build yourself a Boeing 737 and fly the world from inside your garage - These links were sent to us by Wayne. See the videos illustrating the homebuilt sims - the installation, and when in action, Here:

Tour of my sim | 737 Home cockpit - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRaiCEzDFKA

 

Bad Bounce - Airspeed control and managing the flare help prevent bounces, but we also have to know how to go around. - ARTICLE From Aviation Safety Magazine - "If the primary yardstick determining what constitutes a “bad” landing is the number and magnitude of its bounces, my worst landing ever was in a Cessna 182 at a beachside airport in North Carolina, with all the seats filled. I dropped it in pretty good, and the airplane’s eloquent reflection of my ineptitude resulted in a series of maybe five more bounces, becoming less harsh each time until—finally—all three wheels decided to stay on the ground at the same time. I had little to do with the eventual outcome, but at least I maintained directional control. I haven’t bounced one like that since. - That was long ago and far away from what I’d do now...  Continue Here.

 

A July 4th Holiday Safety Gift!  The Possible vs. The Impossible.  Many are the stories about returning to the runway after an engine failure. Some Pro and some Con are usually expressed with vigor! Here are two presentations that may help you to formulate a method that works for your circumstances.

   * THE RUNWAY BEHIND YOU - REALITY CHECK - VIDEO - ARTICLE - "The AOPA Air Safety Institute decided to test the disputed turnback theories, using a Piper PA-18 Super Cub, a Van’s RV-4, a Cessna 172N, and a Beechcraft Bonanza A36. Our study was conducted by highly experienced and proficient pilots flying predetermined profiles in near-perfect conditions. But the different results of turning back to the runway were surprising for each of us flying these profiles. You’ll see why in this Reality Check video." You Can Watch the Results HERE.

*  The POSSIBLE TURN by Captain Brian Schiff - WEBINAR - From NAFI - "And the turn shouldn’t be a decision you make on the spot, but one that’s made before takeoff and with plenty of practice and forethought." - Janice Wood, General Aviation News. Brian details a conservative and safe method that a pilot should consider when preparing for the "possible turn." EVERYONE should benefit from this presentation. Watch the Video Here.

 

5 Flying Cars Take to the Skies - ARTICLE - From The American Society of Mechanical Engineers - "While the future of mobility on the road shapes up to be electric vehicles, flying cars look to dominate in the sky. Vertical take-off and landing aircrafts (VTOLs) and road vehicles that can transform into winged air- craft are growing in popularity and becoming mainstream.

VTOLs are small in design when compared to commercial aircraft. Instead of fixed wings, many are designed with rotors and wings that fold. This allows them to be more efficient in forward flight and useful in urban areas with their ability to hover off the ground. According to the study, Role of Flying Cars in Sustainable Mobility, conducted by the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems, there are several advantages to VTOLs that, alongside electric vehicles, could help society reach a sustainable mobility system."  Continue Here.

 

If The Wright Brothers Started In The Age Of Electric Airplanes - ARTICLE - From AVweb - Paul Bertorelli writes, "Kitty Hawk—The Wright Cycle Exchange announced today that it has firm commitments from several airlines to purchase 50 Wright Flyer machines with options on 100 more. The airline companies will be announced as soon as such companies have actually started and it can be determined what an airline actually is, which is expected by the first quarter of 1904, second quarter at the latest.

The company said the Wright Flyer, powered by a single 600-horsepower Taylor Dragon engine, is capable of carrying 30 passengers over a distance of 500 miles...."  Continue Here.

 

Second Look: Why Light Sport Aircraft Suffer So Many Crashes -VIDEO - From AVweb - "Light sport airplanes were supposed to be a cheaper alternative to certified aircraft and they are. But in this republication of AVweb’s analysis of the accident record of these airplanes, the data confirms what many skeptics worried about: They suffer more crashes than standard category aircraft. This video explains why."  See it HERE.

 

"We’re putting it in the trees."

On a flight back to his home airport in a single-engine Piper Cherokee 140, pilot Truman O’Brien ran into engine trouble. FAA air traffic controllers at the Portland, Oregon, TRACON were in close communication with the pilot, offering him multiple landing options and working hard to help guide him to safety. But, flying at 8,000 feet, the aircraft lost altitude quickly. Even with top-notch air traffic control services, O’Brien had no choice but to make an emergency landing in the trees, deep in the forest of southwest Washington.

Listen to the episode on FAA.gov, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts! 

In this episode, we hear from the people on both ends of the transmission – Krissy Lewandowski, Portland TRACON Controller; Patrick Elmore, Portland TRACON Operations Supervisor; and the pilot himself. It’s a story that underscores why clear pilot-controller communication is so critical.

 

Don’t Fear the Drone!

There’s a false belief that drones will eventually replace traditional pilots with faceless robotic automatons. But drones are not performing the same jobs as traditional pilots. They’re creating entirely new ways to solve practical problems that might otherwise be insolvable or dangerous for people and pilots to perform. Drones are not only having a positive impact on society, they’re also providing a huge boost to the U.S. economy. But just like traditional aviation, this industry must show that it can be safely integrated into the National Airspace System (NAS). To hear the “buzz” on the many benefits that drones provide and to learn how the FAA is working to safely integrate, not segregate, these new entrants to the NAS, read, “Don’t Fear the Drone! Let’s Reap the Benefits that Drones Have to Offer,” at https://medium.com/faa/dont-fear-the-drone-dc9056d5ef3d. You’ll find the entire issue on new entrants to the NAS at www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing.

 

REPORT: Plane in fatal crash had part installed upside down - "IMPORTANT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED HERE!!!"  -webmaster . "MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — A small private plane that crashed in South Carolina last month, killing the pilot, had a key part installed upside down and backward after maintenance, according to a federal report." Read the Story Here

Webmaster Comment: Besides the obvious observation that notes an extensive preflight is necessary after any maintenance, my experience as a CFII has demonstrated to me that few pilots associate the trim tab settings in the plane, with the correct direction of movement of the tab itself, and do not include that trim tab check in their routine preflight.

 

THE THREE P'S - ADVICE re Medical Renewal - From AOPA - "...when pilots start flying again, many of them need to renew their medical certificates, and sometimes those pilots aren’t issued medicals at the time of the exam. That results in a 'deferral'..."  Read this opinion Here

 

INTO THE ALLIGATOR’S MOUTH: FINAL CHAPTER- SAFETY OPINION - From  AOPA 5/2021 - "Right now, as pro-pilot flying a single engine—it is all on me.  I have to make sure I am good to go with health and wellness. Additionally, I have 1-12 passengers on board that are my responsibility. They don’t necessarily understand minimums the way I do. It is my job to make the best decisions I can based on the advanced planning and the reality of the flight conditions. One thing I’m firm on is that I won’t  go unless I see minimums or better forecast at the destination airport. To depart I need to see an upward trend in the weather." Read Opinion from Jolie Lucas re; Personal Minimums Here

 

RUDDER MISAPPLICATION CITED IN FATAL KING AIR CRASH -MNTSB DETERMINES PROBABLE CAUSE OF 2019 PLUNGE INTO HANGAR - ARTICLE - From AOPA - "Investigators found no faults in the left engine of a Beechcraft King Air 350 that stopped producing power just before the aircraft rolled to inverted and crashed into a hangar 17 seconds after takeoff from Addison, Texas, on June 30, 2019. The crash killed both pilots and eight passengers on a private flight to Florida."  Read the Accident Summary Here.

 

What To Do About UFOs? Change The Name - ARTICLE - From AVweb - "In my (sometimes) fevered imagination, I can conjure tense meetings in a windowless government conference room where well-meaning functionaries and assistant sub-secretaries are arguing about who’s going to do it." “Well, I’m not doing it. You do it.” “I’m not doing it. You have to do it.” “No way. Someone else has to do it.” The “it” in this case will be done by the poor bastard who has to push the send button next month on the report detailing what the government knows about UFOs." Continue Here.

 

Knee Jerking Against The New - From AVweb - "Douglas Adams, the noted author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” was a prolific writer whose creative work encompassed essays, books, screenplays and television. I can’t say I’m a devoted fan, but I think I read Hitchhiker some years ago. After his death in 2001, an unfinished novel called the “Salmon of Doubt” was published by his estate. I saw a quote from it recently in an essay attempting to explain our sometimes knee-jerk response to the remorseless march of progress."  Continue Here.

'SPECTACULAR' FLIGHT ACROSS NORTH POLE -  From AOPA - EICHHORN LOGS NEARLY 20 HOURS NONSTOP DURING BEECHCRAFT BONANZA V35 FLIGHT - Beechcraft Bonanza V35 pilot Adrian Eichhorn deflected personal kudos to favorable weather and his support team after completing an “absolutely spectacular” 3,239-nautical-mile flight from Reykjavik, Iceland, across the North Pole to Fairbanks, Alaska, May 11. Read the Article Here. 

 

INTO THE ALLIGATOR’S MOUTH: INSTALLMENT 3 - SAFETY OPINION - From  AOPA 4/2021 - "Planning for a 4.5-hour trip over some beautiful but inhospitable terrain is a challenge.  With no de-icing or anti-icing systems on my vintage Mooney, weather can be a friend or foe.  For this trip 30-35 knot headwinds were forecast at my “normal” altitude of 10,500-12,500.  Typically, I leave my fuel stop in Northern California and climb right up to cruising altitude.  Due to the forecast winds I decided to fly low until reaching Redding, CA, then up and over the terrain." Read The Rest Here.

 

New study: Pilots downplay the impact of stress on flight safety - SAFETY OPINION - From General Aviation News - "New research from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland has found that general aviation pilots do not consider stress to be as great a risk to flight safety as other factors, such as weather. - This is contrary to guidance from flight safety bodies that state stress can compromise performance, according to the researchers.

A team of researchers from the Applied Psychology and Human Factors (APHF) group at the university, led by Dr. Amy Irwin along with PhD researchers Nejc Sedlar and Oliver Hamlet, set out to examine the risk perception of GA pilots and how this impacts decision-making in relation to takeoff — specifically in deciding whether it is suitable, and safe, to takeoff or not.  Read More Here.

 

AINsight: Runway Excursions and Crosswind Landings - Safety - From AINonline - "Runway excursions have become one of the most common types of aircraft accidents worldwide. Most of them occur during landing with lateral excursions and are becoming a growing concern. -Typically, poor pilot technique or aircraft handling errors combined with environmental factors such as weather contribute to these events. Crosswinds in particular have proven to be a challenge. While these events are rarely deadly, lateral runway excursions, or veer-offs, often result in a hull loss.

Last month’s blog focused on runway excursions and crosswind takeoffs..." Visit the entire story Here.

 

INTO THE ALLIGATOR’S MOUTH: INSTALLMENT 2 - SAFETY OPINION - From AOPA 3/2021 - "Last month we began our journey into the mindset needed for the functional implementation of personal minimums.  As I pondered minimums in a pandemic, I reached into my address book of pilot friends, to ask questions about minimums, guidelines, self-restrictions and the like.

I spoke to range of folks from pretty newly minted private pilots, to those working on an instrument rating, commercial, CFI and DPE.  I talked with female and male pilots with hours ranging from low hundreds to 25,000."  Continue Here

 

Aviation Columnist has Pilot Certificates revoked. - Webmaster Opinion - All over the aviation news sources during the last few days (April '21) is the story of how an elder aviator / writer known to be a relative influence on readers over the years took an opportunity to fly carelessly, and was videoed by security cameras.  So, why do I mention it?  A couple of years ago that same writer wrote a blistering story critical of the FAA WINGS recurrent training program. I kept that magazine issue. It resides undignified on a shelf somewhere.

 

LAist Publishes a Caroline Champlin 4/22/21 article:  'She Coughs When She's Sleeping': Life In Polluted Pacoima' - WEBMASTER OPINION - Another reference was made to KWHP as a polluter.  My response to the LAist editors was as follows:

"Hello,

You have a great site, something that as a webmaster myself I appreciate.  Here is the “but…”

The Pacoima Champlin article though written with no doubt good intentions, just is not real good.

Using the reference to Whiteman Airport maybe as an easy reference to bolster an argument for pollution maybe works as an eye catcher for the less informed, but it doesn’t do anything for the real community benefit that KWHP provides, and/or the recipients of that benefit, and in fact might further negative community benefit.

I am hoping that Caroline Champlin continues to write; but that she can more carefully think through the arguments she presents that may cause others to be influenced by. There is little excuse for just a little research.

Continued success to LAist.

Sent with the best of regards,

Ron Berinstein cfii - Member S.A.F.E., NAFI, SCAUWG - Director SCAUWG.ORG website -www.scauwg.org"

 

Bill Berle (Aviation enthusiast and local EAA chapter 40 member)  also replied.  

I'm compelled to address one of the air quality issues that is inferred in the article, Whiteman Airport (KWHP). I also found the following statements in your section on ethics:

"We build trust. Our journalism is independent, non-partisan, fact-based and rigorous. We build trust by delivering news and information that is of the highest quality and done with the highest standards. We believe in verification and on obligation to the truth."

"Our editorial ethics and guidelines are currently under revision to better reflect issues of race and gender as they apply to our news coverage."

So I have a question or two, an opinion that might differ from a narrative and/or agenda some may hold dear, and a challenge for you, from one working writer to another...

(Full Disclosure - I am a pilot and aircraft owner at Whiteman Airport, a 59 year old white man, center-right politics, and strongly pro-airport)

Questions: If your journalism is non-partisan, fact based, and is obliged to the truth, why does the truth need to be "revised" to reflect anything involving of race and gender? The laws of physics don't get revised because of a political climate, the laws of nature don't get revised because of a political climate. What facts and truths are changed by anything involving race and gender?

Opinions: The air quality in Pacoima is affected 100X more than anything else by a million cars and thousands of smoke-belching18 wheel DIESEL cargo trucks that are on the freeways, and working around the HUGE number of small and medium sized businesses in the northeast valley region.

The diesel turbine Metrolink trains and freight trains are a VERY efficient means of transportation overall, but they do put tons and tons of pollutants into the air in the northeast valley. All of the airplanes at Whiteman Airport over the 75 years of its existence amount to a tiny fraction of the pollutants from other sources. Focusing attention on the airplanes as high-priority polluters is misleading.

The misguided activist group called Pacoima Beautiful is making a lot of noise toward shutting down the Whiteman airport. If your news outlet is in fact non-partisan and not supporting anyone's political agenda, please have the integrity to honestly consider that the airport is a FAR greater asset to the northeast valley than the Pacoima Beautiful group, and any park or strip malls they want to put in that location.

Pacoima Beautiful does not and has not created any educational or career opportunities, has not created one job, and has not contributed one dollar to the local economy. Please read that again. Whiteman Airport HAS put tens of millions into the local economy, has created or directly supported  hundreds of ABOVE-MINIMUM-WAGE jobs, and has directly provided SIX THOUSAND educational and career-oriented youth outreach experiences for local kids in the northeast valley.

And make NO mistake, these kids were and are of all races, colors, genders, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds.

The youth educational programs at Whiteman Airport provide desperately needed economic empowerment, confidence-building, career pathways, and promote positive life choices. The "under-served youth" served by these educational programs are the ones who are far more drug-resistant and resilient, become interested in higher education, and have gone on to careers in aerospace, aviation, military officers, airline & corporate pilots.

The kids exposed to aviation through these types of programs are kids who stay in school and out of gangs. They're the boys who don't settle for working at a tire shop, and the girls who go to college instead of getting pregnant at 17.

A new program being launched on Saturday will offer yet another huge benefit in job skills, self-confidence, drug and gang resistance, and build career pathways to high-paying jobs in aerospace, electronics, manufacturing, engineering. Youth, teens, kids, and parents will actually learn how to construct a real, flying aircraft. Once completed (and FAA safety-inspected) these same kids will be able to fly in the airplane they built. The hands-on skills they learn are a direct pathway to employability in aerospace manufacturing jobs.

There is nothing Pacoima Beautiful, strip malls, or parks can ever do to come anywhere near this level of economic benefit, quality of life improvement, and RACE / GENDER EQUALITY. The airport has DELIVERED results in these areas.

Who is reporting on that?

There are dozens of parks in the northeast valley. The majority of "jobs" created by these parks are for drug dealers, prostitutes, and gang criminals.

There are hundreds of strip malls in the northeast valley. They do create jobs, but they create minimum wage jobs that keep people of color impoverished and under-employed, with no ambition or economic future. No strip mall ever created a pathway for a person of color to become an airline pilot, astronaut, or an aerospace engineer. Maybe that needs to be looked into by a journalist with integrity and ethics?

The Challenge: Come to Whiteman Airport this Saturday and see local kids of all colors being given free STEM youth education flights, and  a future that includes higher achievements. Come to the airport and see a free program being offered to local kids, where they learn to build an airplane, acquire life skills and job skills, and take the first step on a pathway to economic empowerment.

Sometimes "social justice" looks like an airport, and sometimes the ones "keeping people of color down" are activists desperately looking for something to oppose.

Bill Berle

 

‘CITIZEN OF THE WORLD’S’ STEM EDUCATION MAKEOVER!- ARTICLE - From AOPA - "The goal was to prepare her for a new high visibility mission for the year ahead as a STEM Education platform. The Citizen of the World will be visiting various aviation events across the United States including the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo, EAA AirVenture, the NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, as well as various museum events... I would like to share what I learned about the difference between a good paint job versus a great paint job with those of you that feel it’s time to spoil your aircraft as well." Read the Story Here.

 

Air Taxis Likely to Not Deploy in Early to Mid 2020s as Predicted, New Report Says - ARTICLE - From Aviation Today - "PitchBook’s Mobility Analyst, Asad Hussain, writes in the report that the eVTOL industry will have to overcome issues such as battery density, manufacturing competition from high-volume automakers, lack of infrastructure, certification hurdles, and a possible pilot shortage.  However, the industry can be successful with the support of non-traditional investors funding research and development of these aircraft." Full Story Here.

 

Subaru Working On A Flying Motorcycle - ARTICLE - From AVweb - "Drawings show a heavily faired gas engine-powered motorcycle with conventional throttle, clutch and front-brake controls on its handlebars. It also shows a piggyback airframe component with a pair of wings folded back against the side of the fuselage, each with a propeller driven by five electric motors."  Full Story

 

'AN AMAZING JOB YOU HAVE DONE' - CAP MARKS YEAR OF COVID-19 RELIEF OPERATIONS - "Small airplanes have done mighty things in the hands of the Civil Air Patrol in the first 12 months of coronavirus pandemic response. The U.S. Air Force auxiliary marked a full year of moving food and critical supplies on March 24, having transported blood, meals, masks, test kits, test samples, and vaccine doses by the thousands." "Small airplanes have done mighty things in the hands of the Civil Air Patrol in the first 12 months of coronavirus pandemic response. The U.S. Air Force auxiliary marked a full year of moving food and critical supplies on March 24, having transported blood, meals, masks, test kits, test samples, and vaccine doses by the thousands." Continue Reading.

 

Hold Everything - INSTRUCTIONAL OPINION - From Aviation Safety Magazine - "Holding patterns are aviation's equivalent of hurry up and wait. They can appear complicated, but they all have some basic features in common." Author describes common problems, and offers tips. Read it HERE.

 

R44 Emergency Autorotation - From Website Contributor Wayne - "A good friend of mine sent me this video of Robinson R44 performing an emergency autorotation. Great outcome even though the Robbie was bent."  See the Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYBf3XPwvaU

"Several comments:  At the start of the video, the altimeter displays approximately 1,200 ft. MSL, the field elevation. The cell phone is mounted whereas the video viewer cannot see the cluster of warning lights at the top of the instrument panel, and blocks the top portion of the airspeed indicator. All the engine instruments are in the green. The main fuel tank is full and the auxiliary fuel tank is half full (think about the fuel load and the weight of three men and equipment - most likely very near gross weight).

The pilot flies a normal takeoff profile and accelerates to 60 Kts and climbs up to and level's off at 1,300 ft MSL  (100 ft AGL) and maintains 60 Kts. The next photo is right when the engine quits.

Slips: Forward Or Side, What’s The Difference And Why Care? - INSTRUCTIONAL OPINION - From AVweb - "This article’s title would’ve been killer material in the third grade, and since pilots never grow up, let’s consider what is barely whispered in polite aviation society: Slips. Forward or side, the terms are casually interchanged while illustrating uncoordinated maneuvers with ambiguous hand gestures that compound uncertainty. So, after decades of teaching them, I’m determined to attempt to learn the difference." Continue HERE 

 

AIRPORT ADVOCATES PUSH BACK ON RUNWAY-SHORTENING PLAN - ARTICLE - From AOPA - "Organized opposition to shortening the runway at Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport in Colorado helped persuade city councilors to walk back that idea. (Photo courtesy of Lamp Post Camera Works.)" Read more 

 

HITTING THE GLOBAL RESET – BACK TO FUNDAMENTALS - ARTICLE - From AOPA - Commentary from ROBERT DELAURENTIS - "When I was flying over the North Pole my critical flight systems started failing. First, my two GPS systems dropped offline, next my attitude heading and reference systems, next my autopilot, and finally HF and VHF communications. It literally felt like the world — my world — was falling apart. What could I rely on?" Finish His Commentary Here.

 

Accident Probe: Mountain Obscuration - SAFETY ARTICLE - From AVweb - "These pages regularly urge new private pilots to go on to earn their instrument rating. Especially if you ever want to use a personal airplane for regular, reliable transportation, the rating is pretty much mandatory. If you’re content to only fly on good-weather days in search of expensive hamburgers and to abandon the peace-of-mind the rating confers, you also have to accept that not having it leaves you with fewer options, even when it’s clear and a million." Read the Story Here.

 

Still no answer on unleaded avgas 30 years on - ARTICLE - From General Aviation News

"A new study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on getting the lead out of general aviation fuel gave me a sense of deja vu. Sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, the study found that getting rid of lead in avgas was going to be difficult and maybe we should push an unleaded 94 octane fuel along with the 100LL now on the market.

The push for unleaded avgas started in the 1980s with the issuing of STCs for mogas by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and Petersen Aviation. This was more for cost and reduced spark plug fouling in 80/87 engines." Continue Reading Here.

 

INTO THE ALLIGATOR’S MOUTH: INSTALLMENT 1 - SAFETY OPINION - From Jolie Lucas - AOPA  2/2021- "For the next few months this series will center on the psychology of personal minimums.  Like most relationships, we will focus why we create them, why we commit them to paper [or not], when we fudge on them, what we learn from them, and what we hope never to again experience." "In regard to minimums a DPE pondered,  “How far do I put my head in an alligator’s mouth before I can’t get it out?”  Read the first installment of the series Here.

 

A Note from SCAUWG Member R.E. - Many of you will have seen this … and many will not.  Further, few of you are at present flying Internationally. HOWEVER … it’s important to remember that FAA rules and guidelines sometimes remain in effect long after their relevance is needed.  As the threat of COVID-19 diminishes, cross-border flight may become possible again – and you’ll want to double-check to see if this NOTAM FDC 123431 is still in effect. The rule has been fairly well publicized as applicable to airline flights – BUT as noted below, it also applies to general aviation flights … even the leisure or personal flights that we in general aviation might undertake!

Here is the NOTAM:  COVID-19 Pandemic NOTAM Highlighting 12 Jan CDC Order for all Passengers Entering the U.S.
Notice Number: NOTC1682

The FAA Safety Team would like to draw your attention to NOTAM FDC 1/2431. It can be accessed on the Defense Internet NOTAM Service Defense Internet NOTAM Service (faa.gov)  To locate the NOTAM please find and select the "FDC Notices" button and then keyword sort for the term 2431.

FDC 1/2431 (KFDC A0014/21) FDC Special Notice of Public Health Requirement for All Air Passengers Entering the United States (U.S.) and its Territories.

All air carriers and other aircraft operators departing a foreign country intending to land in the U.S. or a U.S. Territory are advised the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order, effective 26 Jan 2021, prohibiting the embarkation of any air passenger on a flight to the U.S. from a foreign country unless the passenger, in accordance with the specific terms of the CDC order, presents documentation of:
1) A negative result for a pre-departure test for SARS-COV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) taken no more than 3 days in advance of departure; or
2) Recovery from COVID-19 within the previous 3 months or as specified in CDC guidance.

Effective immediately, all affected operators are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with this CDC order, which provides important details, including info on: applicability; exemptions; criteria of a qualifying test; requirements for documentation of recovery, including a positive test result for SARS COV-2 and confirmation from a licensed health care provider or health official that the individual is cleared to travel; passenger attestations; and compliance implementation, including requirements levied directly on operators. This CDC order and a link to FAQs may be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/fr-proof-negative-test.html

Non-urgent questions regarding the CDC order may be directed to eocgmftcommsme@cdc.gov Operators should also refer to FAA SAFO 20009, as discussed in the CDC order. - Urgent questions may be referred to the FAA Washington Operations Center at (202) 267-3333. - The FAA is issuing this NOTAM in support of extraordinary public health measures in the face of a global pandemic.

 

Author, Vietnam veteran reflects on time as helicopter pilot in war - From Forsyth County News - "Freeland served one tour in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division as an Infantry Officer and CH-47 helicopter pilot. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star and other military service medals. Throughout his time in Vietnam, Freeland wrote letters home, had tapes and a diary that he used to document his thoughts and experiences, which helped him pull together a story with powerful emotions that readers could understand."   Read a Review Here.

 

Bolen: Innovation Will Drive Industry Forward, Even in Pandemic Moment - From NBAA - "NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen recently met with three regional groups to discuss the state of business aviation today and share his optimism for the industry’s future. In virtual events, Bolen met with the Chicago Business Aviation Association (CBAA), the Colorado Aviation Business Association (CABA) and the newly formed Iowa Business Aviation Association (IBAA), presenting themes the industry can build upon in 2021: sustainability, emerging technologies and workforce development, in part through diversity and inclusion." Read More Here.

 

You Could Hear an Autopilot Announcing its Intention to Land - Notice Number: NOTC1667

Emergency Autoland Overview

Three aircraft have been certified with Emergency Autoland (EAL) systems in 2020: the Piper M600, the Daher TBM 940, and the Cirrus Vision Jet SF50.

EAL systems can perform an emergency landing in the event of suspected pilot incapacitation. When these systems are activated, the autopilot will begin to announce its intentions on air traffic frequencies. Here’s what other pilots in the area should know about EAL systems.

EAL can be activated in three ways:

1. EAL senses erratic flying, stabilizes the aircraft, and checks for pilot responsiveness; if no input, EAL activates.
2. Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) activates. After descending, EAL checks for pilot responsiveness; if no input, EAL activates.
3. EAL can be manually activated by a pilot in distress or a passenger.

EAL will squawk 7700 and broadcast a Mayday advisory on the aircraft’s last pilot-selected frequency and on Guard (121.5) as follows:

“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, November One Two Three Four (N1234), Emergency Autoland activated, standby for more information.” 

After the initial broadcast, there will be a 25-second pause for Air Traffic Control (ATC) to move conflicting traffic. Twenty-five seconds after activation, EAL broadcasts the following:

“N1234, pilot incapacitation, XX miles southwest of KABC, landing KXYZ airport. Emergency Autoland in XX minutes on Runway 00.”

 

The aircraft then begins maneuvering to the selected landing airport.

Subsequent broadcasts will be on Guard. After initial activation, it will immediately broadcast on Guard if EAL changes destination due to weather or other factors. As necessary, the aircraft descends in the hold at the final approach fix for landing at the emergency airport.

EAL will broadcast on the appropriate ATC frequency or Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) within 12 miles of the landing airport. Subsequent broadcasts at intervals repeat information and update time to landing. After landing, EAL broadcasts at 90-second intervals on Tower/CTAF and 5 minutes on Guard as follows:

“Disabled aircraft on Runway 00 at KXYZ airport.” 

Once activated, the EAL system will make verbal announcements to passengers in the cockpit on upcoming maneuvers, and indicate the route of flight and ensuing maneuvers via a video map display. A push-to-talk button is available for passenger communications to ATC.

EAL will avoid: prohibited areas; known obstacles and terrain; and significant You CC Areas, or Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR).

• Turn on aircraft lights (lights that are already on when EAL activates will stay on).
• See and avoid other traffic.
  • Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) is not linked to EAL.

EAL Operational Considerations:

• Only selects airports with a published Global Positioning System (GPS) or Area Navigation (RNAV) Approach
• May cross international boundaries
• Does not exit the runway
• May land opposite direction to current traffic
• Does not receive braking action reports
• Does not know about personnel and equipment on the runways
• Will not alter route of flight per ATC instructions
• Must have a terrain database loaded (may be out of date)

The EAL system selects a suitable landing airfield based on several factors: weather, wind, runway length, and towered/non-towered airport status. EAL selects towered airports over non-towered airports where possible, and uses runway requirements that depend on the aircraft type. If the system loses the GPS signal, the airplane continues straight flight without attempting to land until GPS coverage resumes.

 

CDC Updates Guidance for Transporting Individuals with COVID‑19, or Virus Exposure - From NBAA - "The CDC recently published updated guidance on transporting individuals who have COVID-19, or have been exposed to the virus.

The guidance states individuals with COVID-19, or exposed persons who meet the definition of a close contact, are prohibited from traveling on scheduled passenger airline flights. “Close contact” is defined as, “Someone who was within six feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.” See the Guidance and the story Here.

 

INVENTION AUTOMATES WEIGHT-AND-BALANCE CALCULATION - 'A SANITY CHECK' - From AOPA - "Imagine seeing weight and balance depicted graphically, automatically, in real time, based on actual weight. Aviation writer and inventor Tim Kern has a patent pending." Continue Reading Here.

 

Pattern Rage? Why Bother? - Opinion - Video - Paul Bertorelli, AVweb - "In the long sputtering arc of my life, I’ve never gotten around to suffering from road rage. Which is kind of surprising, given how much stuff gets up my nose on an average day before breakfast. I just don’t get annoyed at drivers who cut me off, drive at the speed of snail trails or fail to use signals. Similarly, I don’t snipe at people for flying traffic patterns like the morons many of them are nor do I respond if they snipe at me when I do something imbecilic. The best revenge is silence. That also allows deep contemplation with a like-minded simpleton."So in this week’s video, I amused myself by regurgitating every traffic pattern sin I could think of. Continue Reading Here.

 

Twin Otter Knocked Camera From Photographer’s Hands - France’s civil aviation investigations organization, the BEA, issued a report (French only) last Thursday saying a Twin Otter was a little low when it knocked the camera out of the hands of a photographer while landing at the Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts) Airport in January of 2014. St. Barts is a French island in the Caribbean. The photographer was knocked off balance but not injured. The BEA didn’t explain why it took seven years to finish the report.  Continue Reading Here

 

 

UPDATE 12/14/2020   Whiteman Airport (Los Angeles) - LA City Council seems to be possibly inappropriately assesing the community value of KWHP and has stated that the airport should be closed. The airport is not under the LA City juristriction.  KWHP is owned and operated by LA COUNTY.  There appears to be a feud brewing between the two spearheaded by 7th district councilwoman Monica Rodriquez.  Same is not an admirable circumstance. AOPA has commented on Twitter as follows:

"We are aware of comments made by the LA City council. We are confident that LA County Airports Aviation Division and Aviation Commission, who have sole authority and jurisdiction over KWHP, will continue to operate the airport."

More on KWHP:  A resolution calling for the eventual closure of Whiteman Airport was unanimously supported Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez called the 182-acre general aviation airport a blight on the Pacoima neighborhood, where it was founded as Whitman Air Park in 1946 and eventually purchased by Los Angeles County in 1970.  Continue Reading More About This by Clicking HERE.  We at SCAUWG.ORG believe that if you are in favor of aviation at KWHP, and if you recognize that KWHP IS A COMMUNITY ASSET, Monica Rodriquez should not be re-elected.  Waging such PR Campaigns that seem to bring attention to the councilwoman. but have no basis in reality, should not be rewarded with  public office. - (WEBMASTER OPINION)

 

Industry Letters Show Ongoing Concern with Pilot Records Database Proposal - Political Advocacy - From NBAA - "Industry representatives continue to express wide-reaching concerns over the FAA’s proposed electronic Pilot Records Database (PRD) through letters to Congress and the agency.

Phil Roberts, president of PAR Travel Tech, Inc., along with Robert Tamble, city manager of Smithville, TX and the South Dakota Pilots Association, separately wrote the FAA, expressing their concerns with the PRD requirements. The letters were also sent to the chairmen and ranking members of the U.S. House of Representative Transportation Committee and Aviation Subcommittee and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and Aviation and Space Subcommittee." Continue Reading More.

 

Regarding Councilwoman vs. KWHP:

NEW:  Current RESPONSEs motivated by Councilmember's action and this opinion email is published below.

Close WHITEMAN Airport Effort - An Exercise in Silly and Stupid - OPINION - From Ron Berinstein CFII - Letter to Monica Rodriguez, Los Angeles City Councilwoman, 7th District  - sent to her 11/21/2020 via email on her website.

Hello,

My name is Ron Berinstein.  I am the director and webmaster of SCAUWG.ORG, an independent website produced on behalf of the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AIRSPACE USERS WORKING GROUP originally organized under the aegis of SCAG – Southern California Association of Governments, as a primary response for solving airspace concerns arising from the 1986 Cerritos air disaster.

Someone tried to use WHP as a way to save their life, and because of their allegedly bad aeronautical decision making (ADM),  attempted a landing at WHP, and landed on a street nearby.

Had that pilot not been on a flight originating from Bakersfield, but rather from say Santa Barbara intending Catalina as a destination, and experiencing a mechanical failure in flight chose to try a glide to LAX, but landed on a street nearby, would you suggest closing LAX?

The fact is: Airports Save people from landing in streets.  Not all pilots make poor decisions.  That pilot might well have made a better decision and landed at Aqua Dolce… I personally do not know all of the pertinent accident facts.  What I do know is that I support woman in business and politics.  I support minorities.  I also support SMART DECISION MAKING.

Glendale College’s Aviation program is at WHP, besides the obvious LA COUNTY FIRE Dept. and CAP, private business and hundreds of pilots make WHP their home base.

Perhaps a future headline could read:  HOMES DESTROYED BY FIRE because LA COUNTY HELICOPTERS WERE DELAYED by RELOCATED DISTANCE caused by Monica Rodriquez.

I strongly advise you to rethink your effort to close what is truly a benefit to the community, and because of your position what will no doubt bring you the wrath of many, including several national organizations, besides the local advocates for aviation safety and community enhancement such as my endeavor visited by thousands monthly..

With the best of regards,

Ron Berinstein CFII - Member of SAFE NAFI AOPA SCAUWG - Director SCAUWG.ORG website -  www.scauwg.org

I thank Bryan Hudson CFII for bringing this to my attention.

 

11/23/2020     Response from the Councilmember to my e-mail published above:

Sincerely,

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, 7th District , 200 N Spring Street, Rm 455, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Phone: 213-473-7007 Fax: 213-847-0707 - www.monicarodriguez.org

11/23/2020   RE: response to Councilmember's timely response:

 

Global Leaders Fear Toll of Economic Duress on Aviation Safety - ARTICLE - From AINonline - "As the Covid-19 pandemic takes an economic toll on the airline industry, global leaders are wary about how financial stressors could erode safety. When airlines look at organizational changes, they must consider unintended consequences of those decisions, said Mark Searle, global director of safety for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), during the recent Flight Safety Foundation International Air Safety Summit." Continue reading Here.

Fight breaks out on plane after passenger refuses to wear face mask - ARTICLE & VIDEO - NBC NEWS - "Rylie Lansford captured the ensuing argument between the two men on camera while waiting for the flight's departure Saturday at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Salt Lake City NBC affiliate KSL reported. Lansford was seated near the passengers, but when someone threw the first punch, she said she immediately retreated and started recording the incident." You can see the video here.

 

It’s Time To Sunset The ELT Requirement - OPINION - From AVweb - "In the midst of plowing through almost 300 accident reports for my research on ELTs, I took a break to actually look at a couple of installations in real airplanes. One word came to mind: ridiculous."  Continue Reading Here.

 

The LA Speed Story - VIDEO - "One Day it was really cool being an SR-71 Pilot" - A nice way to spend a few minutes, compliments of website friend Wayne.  Watch it Here.

 

19-Year-Old Helicopter Pilot joins the Fight Against Wildfires in California -  Video - From CBS News

Young Pilot gets to do serious flying as a co-pilot of a Chinook helicopter with her father.  Sent to us by website friend Wayne, who often sends great aviation content. See the story Here.

 

AOPA RECONVENES MEDICAL-EXPERT PANEL TO PRESS FAA REFORMS - From AOPA 

The AOPA Board of Aviation Medical Advisors is a six-member body that is developing solutions to help the FAA reduce delays, eliminate outdated review processes, bring technology online, and eliminate redundant steps often required in medical evaluations.

“We have assembled a distinguished board of aviation medicine professionals and aviators who fully understand that the FAA’s medical certification processes need serious attention,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “They will advise us in the development of long-overdue commonsense solutions to benefit the pilot community and the FAA.”  Read about the AOPA strategy Here.

 

Air Force Eying Supersonic Air Force One - From Avweb - Article

The Air Force is toying with the idea of giving the president a supersonic ride to his or her international appointments. According to military.com the Air Force’s Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate has awarded a $1 million small business innovation research contract to aerospace start-up Exosonic to nail down the basics of a low-boom supersonic aircraft that could serve as Air Force One. The aircraft would be a derivative of Exosonic’s 70-seat Mach 1.8 airliner that the company is hoping to roll out in 2025.  Read More Here.

 

"Blocked ILS Signals Prompt Whistleblower Complaint" -  ARTICLE & VIDEO - From AVweb

"The FAA is apparently resisting moving a localizer at Detroit Metro Airport whose signals are sometimes blocked by taxiing aircraft. According to WXYZ, an air traffic controller at the airport filed a whistleblower complaint after he and fellow controllers, as well as pilots who suddenly lost the signal on final, were ignored by the agency." What is "acceptable risk? Is sometimes losing a final approach signal acceptable?  WHAT IS YOUR OPINION? SEND IT TO CONTACT US@SCAUWG.ORG   -  Read About This Case Here.

 

Guest Blog: New Jersey Needs The Maryland 3 Airspace Rules - Aviation Opinion by Steven Parker in AVweb

"As we in central New Jersey endure a fourth year of summer Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) covering the area surrounding the Trump Bedminster Golf Course, I have to reflect on the fight those of us in general aviation have waged to bring a sensible solution to a situation that has damaged the aviation community in our area.

When President Trump was elected, it became obvious he would spend significant amounts of time at Mar-a-Lago in Florida and his Bedminster, New Jersey, Golf Club. Mid-Atlantic Aviation Coalition (MAAC) and the New Jersey Aviation Association (NJAA) promoted the idea of using the existing rules governing the three Maryland airports near Washington, D.C., shut down initially after 9/11 (aka the “Maryland 3 Rules”). The FAA provided a program to screen pilots who wish to fly to/from these airports and provide them a code to allow regular entry. This program has been successful for nearly 20 years and the background check process has promoted aviation and ensured security around our nation’s capital."  Continue Reading Here.

From Learjet To Cessna 150 In The Same Day - Story by John Mahany in Air Facts Journal

"My concern: I was planning to fly myself back to Long Beach in my Cessna 150 if we weren’t too late getting back to Sacramento. Otherwise, I would spend the night somewhere. I was not going to push it! It’s two, two-hour legs for me with a fuel stop. About four hours and four hundred miles total. Hopefully the weather would hold and Long Beach (LGB) would not go IFR with the marine layer before I arrived. I was keeping my fingers crossed."  Webmaster Note: John has had a long career in Avaition streching from Alaska to an Instructor's spot at Flight Safety Long Beach. He is a founding member of S.A.F.E. and is very active to this day at SoCal Pilots Association.  You can read his article Here.

Safety Shouldn’t Be Negotiable - Opinion from Russ Niles and AVweb

"...there are some jobs in which doing a good job is the only option. The roles performed are so fundamental to public safety or security that to do anything else amounts to negligence and might even be criminal." -  "In the wake of the revelations from the investigation into the certification process of the Boeing 737 MAX, the FAA was ordered to carry out a survey of safety division staff to see how they felt about the way things were going out in the field."

"When the bosses start moving the goalposts and overtly suggesting that ways be found to make those rules less onerous on the companies— and maybe not all companies—they are essentially co-opting the inspectors into a fragmented process where safety is assigned a monetary value. That’s bad enough in itself because it makes safety a commodity that is open to negotiation."  Read More about this very important subject Here.

 

Ag Pilots - From Aviation Safety Magazine - "Flying low and heavy, dodging obstacles."

"The old stereotype of crop dusters—excuse me, aerial applicators—is that they are scofflaw daredevils, perhaps with behavior issues. That caricature is a relic of the past, when an enterprising farmer would buy a $300 war-surplus Stearman, put a hopper in the front cockpit and fly the plane hard until it broke.

It follows that some might think ag pilots are an unlikely source of safety wisdom, and have fallen far behind aviation’s cutting-edge technology, but the truth is quite different.

With the conversion from piston to turbine engines nearly complete—today, more than 90 percent of the fleet is turbine-powered—the modern ag aviation industry is dominated by $1 million-$3 million aircraft equipped with sophisticated GPS systems."   Knowlegable Opinion from a former 121 pilot who now during the season flies Ag from Morning until Night.  Good Stuff... Read it Here.

 

Ask Paul: Are Lycoming O-320s available with roller cams? - From General Aviation News

Q: Given Lycoming’s propensity for cam lobe spalling, are O-320s available with roller cams? - More details and the answer from Paul McBride Here.

 

Proposed sytem would gather data about helicopter noise in the D.C. region - The Washington Post

D.C.-area lawmakers are pushing a measure that would create a centralized system to track complaints about helicopter noise in the region similar to ones used to collect information about airplane ...   This is a Washingtom Post story and may be accompanied by a subscription request.  Link to it Here.

Ask Paul: Why is our engine running hot in the summer?  - From General Avaition News

Q: Our flying club’s airplane, a 1976 Cessna 172 Model M, has a Lycoming O-320 E2D engine that runs hot only during the summer months of June, July, and August near Grand Rapids, Michigan.  - More details and Read the possible answer Here.

 

Preparing to Fly Again after a break due to the Covid-19 Virus?

Here is an opinion expressed by NAFI - National Association of Flight Instructors - about what you might consider.  Read it Here.

 

A Pervasiveness of Disservice - published in General Aviation News

"This morning I got up and out early to keep a doctor’s appointment. The plan was to discuss an MRI my doctor had requested the previous week. I donned my mask before entering the building, where a nurse took my temperature and directed me to the hand sanitizer all patients are required to use upon entry.

I made my co-pay, then waited. I waited some more. As the first patient of the day I assumed I would be whisked in quickly to discuss the findings of the MRI. I was wrong. The bulk of my visit involved waiting. Lots of waiting."  - Reflection upon this gentleman's day (Gold Seal CFI) led to a comparison with a recent experience with alleged poor CFI instruction - You can read about the author's experience Here.

 

WRONG FREQUENCY - Can cause an accident!

"An airline transport pilot in an aerobatic low-wing airplane, an Extra 300, with a passenger on board was landing while an airline transport pilot in a high-wing airplane, a Cessna 172, near maximum weight with two passengers on board, was conducting a short/soft-field takeoff from the non-towered runway on North Fox Island, Michigan, which was surrounded by tall trees."  Be careful!  Read the rest of the story Here.

 

NBAA Comments Support FAA’s Supersonic Aircraft Noise Standards - 

"In comments submitted this week, the association underscored its support for the development of new noise standards for supersonic aircraft. Washington, DC, July 14, 2020 –  In comments submitted this week, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) reiterated its support for guidance outlined in a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to develop new standards for noise certification of supersonic aircraft operating in the United States." Read More Here.

 

Lack Of Assertiveness

'Unable' is a perfectly acceptable response when ATC is distracting you from flying the airplane. By Jeb Burnside for Aviation Safety Magazine - "Any pilot who’s flown “in the system” much knows air traffic controllers can be intimidating. The very use of the term “controller” implies a level of authority over pilots, which often translates into the mindset that pilots always must comply with a controller’s instructions, or else. That’s true to an extent, but the pilot is always the final authority as to the operation of the aircraft. It says so, right there in FAR 91.3" This is a case study of a relatively well know tragic Cirrus accident that all of us can benefit from.  Worth the read. See it Here.

 

Tips for that first flight after down time

By JAMES B. BLAKLEY of General Aviation News  - ARTICLE - Have you been flying lately?  If not, and even if you have, this piece may help provide some good advice about getting current and proficient so that being safe stays goal #1. You can view Mr. Blakley's tips Here.

 

Reference AC 90-66B – Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_90-66B_CHG_1.pdf

Please give special attention to safe operations at non-towered airports during flight planning, student through advanced pilot training, Practical Tests, WINGS/Flight Reviews, airmen currency checks; whenever a pilot is being trained and/or evaluated by a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), Designated Pilot Examiner ( DPE ), Chief Pilot, Chief Flight Instructor, Check Airman, etc..

With the safety concerns at non-towered airports (the U.S. has approximately 500 airports with control towers compared to about 20,000 non-towered airports) along with temporarily reduced hours of operation for towers across the country, this is especially timely and will serve safety now and later.

Thank You!
Lee Unger
FAASTeam Representative
Scottsdale FSDO

 

AOPA OPPOSES FAA’S NEW RULE ON PILOT RECORDS

"AOPA raised concerns over the FAA’s proposal of an electronic database intended to replace the longstanding Pilot Records Improvement Act (PRIA) for air carriers and to verify certification, training, and currency of pilots. AOPA and other aviation organizations believe that the Pilot Records Database (PRD) described in a notice of proposed rulemaking will place an undue burden on many individual pilots."  NBAA has also raised significant concern over this matter.  You can read about it here.

 

LAWA PR Email - Another promoting "Starbucks" and  the "Clipper Café," - Retail business okay/FAASTeam volunteers, not so much.

It is a shame that the PR department for LAWA Van Nuys created a roadblock for what was the very successful FAASTeam WINGS Aviation Safety Program held for free at the Van Nuys Flyway, and is more concerned with promoting commercial efforts related to the Airtel Hotel such as:  "The Airtel Café and Starbucks are ready to serve you! - For more information click here. (Link disabled for this post) - The menu listed below reflects a 30% discount off all original priced items. - Breakfast served from 7am to 11am - Lunch served from 11am to 6pm - Starbucks is available all day - To place an order, please call 818 -xxx-xxxx."  Then the entire menu is included.  This was sent by VNYPR@lawa.org.

Is advertisement PR? They are in fact different animals!  Advertisements are paid for via a charge from the publication. Honest PR is not charged for by the publication.

My point: If LAWA's PRVNY office is going to provide what appears to be advertising for independent ventures, then maybe they could have promoted the FAASTeam WINGS Aviation Safety Programing Events held at the Flyaway, wherein thousands of WINGS credits were awarded over the years that preceded the VNY PR office from effectively closing it down. This via the PR department's refusal to return to the presenter a "hold harmless" agreement signed by that flight instructor, who at the time was unaware of its implications, and per policy, as it was later explained in a department email, currently as a  representative of a government agency i.e. FAA WINGS, is not required to currently sign.  The refusal to return the old agreement caused the presenter to cease what was the current volunteer effort.

Disclaimer: I own Starbucks stock and would love to see the Airtel Plaza store successful, but not at the expense of the lack of attention given to WINGS programing at te VNY Flyaway that truly brought honor and credibility to the LAWA organization, not to mention the net safety results.

I have received several such advertisements for the Airtel recently from LAWA PR.  I am not naïve, I understand why they are being sent.  I only ask that LAWA PR become a better citizen-centric department, and correct possible past inappropriate behavior.   - authored by Ron Berinstein cfii - authored as an individual, and the personal opinion contained herein may or may not represent any other individual or organization.

 

An afternoon at Weiser Airpark before it closed.  - Letter to the Webmaster 

Since the start of the Pandemic, I've been spending some time watching various VLOGs (video logs) on YouTube on various subjects that I enjoy,. Aviation, Travel, and History.

One series of VLOGs is from a young gentleman named Ian who owns a nice Experimental Amateur Built RANS S6S Coyote ll that he purchased and flies around the State of Texas. The aircraft is Sport Pilot Compliant (1320 Lb gross weight) and is powered by a Rotax 100 hp 912 engine. The cabin width is a comfortable 44" wide (four more inches than a C-172) with side-by-side control sticks and dual set of brakes.

Around this country, there's literally thousands of small privately owned airports and airparks that are in danger of closing. Weiser Airpark was one of them. It was located NW of Houston, TX about 11 nautical miles.. The airpark closed in the summer of 2019.

I've visited Weiser back in 1990 when I was in Houston for three weeks on business. I spent one full Sunday afternoon hanging out, having lunch, and managed get an hour of flight time with a local gentleman at his invite in his Stinson Station Wagon.

Sit back and enjoy Ian's good videography and editing skills as he spends an afternoon at Weiser Airpark before it closed.

Wayne

Saying Farewell To Weiser Airpark

See it here:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8V1F5hmooc

 

LOAS FOR ADS-B? - OPERATORS RECEIVING AUTHORIZATIONS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES

The FAA’s ADS-B Out mandate, which became effective on January 2, presented a problem for John Morrissey. He runs a small aerobatic flight school at the East Kansas City Airport, located 29.6 nautical miles southeast of Kansas City International Airport—a Class B primary airport—which puts his hangar just inside the Mode C veil, and just inside the airspace where ADS-B Out is required.   Read More of this AOPA story with comment from Rune Duke Here

 

NBAA Challenges FAA’s Dismissal of Additional Comment Time for New Pilot-Reporting Proposal, Sounds Call to Action

Washington, DC, June 19, 2020 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today called upon the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to rethink its questionable decision to deny requests from NBAA and others in the industry for additional time to comment on new, onerous pilot-reporting requirements.

The FAA’s new data-gathering criteria, outlined in a 200-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), introduce sweeping new mandates for certain Part 91 operators and others to submit a raft of additional pilot data to the agency, through the use of an electronic Pilot Records Database (PRD). Although the FAA’s new rule was issued March 30, the agency has elected to disallow additional time for pilots and other affected parties to offer first-hand perspectives on the proposal’s most-troubling elements.

“Make no mistake: this plan raises serious privacy, administrative and other concerns in an era of big-data gathering, sharing and use,” said Brian Koester, NBAA’s director of flight operations and regulations. “Certainly, the proposal has the potential to create efficiencies for air carriers under current data-reporting laws. That said, the rules would not enhance safety for everyone, they propose substantial new regulatory burdens for a large segment of the Part 91 community, and for many NBAA members, the plan could create more problems than it solves.”

Koester noted that the new FAA rules would expand the data-collection requirement provisions outlined in the Pilot Records Improvement Act (PRIA). That legislation, enacted in 1997, was intended simply to establish requirements for airlines to conduct pilot-background checks – including aviation experience and history, drug and alcohol testing results and driver-registration records – as part of the hiring process.

As a result of congressional updates to PRIA in 2010, the FAA’s newly proposed rule would widely broaden this mandate, in the process layering on a new administrative burden for Part 91 operators, which often count only a handful of employees in their ranks.

The flaws in the FAA’s new mandates are all the more troubling, given the nearly decade-long effort on pilot-reporting requirements, in which NBAA has been a supportive partner to government. In 2011, the FAA chartered a government-industry Aviation Rulemaking Committee to explore reporting criteria, partly in response to the fatal 2009 Colgan Air accident in Buffalo, NY.

Over the ensuing nine years, a concerted effort was undertaken to examine options for increasing the efficacy of the information in the database, while mitigating concerns raised by NBAA and others. Nevertheless, the resulting rule from the FAA looked past many of those concerns, and only 90 days have been provided for stakeholders to comment on the plan, including its exhaustive list of more than 20 additional technical questions for affected stakeholders.

“It is exasperating that the FAA has given industry just 90 days to unpack a complicated plan amassed over nine years, and released as the aviation community fights for its survival during COVID-19,” said Koester. “It would not seem unreasonable to allow another 30 days for discussion, so we are pursuing other means to encourage the FAA to provide for this minimal, reasonable accommodation.

“Further, given the FAA’s request for industry input on over 20 technical questions, it seems this rulemaking process would have benefitted from an Advanced NPRM to allow the FAA to receive preliminary industry feedback, and include those perspectives in a more thorough and polished proposal.”

With that in mind, Koester pointed to a new NBAA resource association members can use to digest the massive proposal and develop their individual responses for the FAA to help ensure industry’s voice is heard.

The NBAA Regulatory Alert provides operating members with an overview of the proposed rule, highlights concerning provisions, and includes instructions for submitting comments to the FAA. Link to NBAA’s Regulatory Alert and make your voice heard.

“The public comment period for the NPRM ends June 29, 2020, so we need everyone to make their voices heard today,” Koester concluded.

 

NBAA-Supported Workforce Legislation Included in Major Infrastructure Bill

Washington, DC, June 19, 2020 – NBAA today welcomed action last evening by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to advance the Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act, and applauded the inclusion of an amendment promoting diversity and workforce development in business aviation, and all transportation sectors vital to the nation’s economy.

Transportation has been pivotal to America’s safety and security during the COVID-19 pandemic, with business aviation key to the delivery of medical supplies, and a crucial connection for thousands of communities across the country without commercial airline service. As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread, the trucking, maritime and general aviation sectors also reminded congressional leaders of transportation’s essential role in our lives, and highlighted the need to strengthen the country’s supply chains to enhance disaster-response preparedness.

The INVEST in America Act recognizes the importance of the U.S. transportation industry with the addition of the bipartisan Promoting Service in Transportation Act (H.R. 5118) as part of the Manager’s Amendment. The legislation supports and strengthens the transportation industry by authorizing the Department of Transportation to develop a series of targeted broadcast, digital and print public service announcements to attract a new, diverse and inclusive generation of transportation workers.

“On behalf of NBAA and the broader transportation community, I thank Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee Rick Larsen (D-2-WA) for his dedication to H.R. 5118, and commend the work of the bill’s original co-sponsors, Don Young (R-AK) and Angie Craig (D-2-MN), to help build a brighter future for the transportation industry in the INVEST in America Act,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.

“It is imperative that all of us protect the future of our nation, and by providing people of all races, genders, ethnicities and socioeconomic status an opportunity to enjoy a rewarding and fulfilling career in transportation, we ensure the future success of a vital part of our economy,” Bolen added. “NBAA members have been vocal supporters for H.R. 5118, and I encourage all of our members to continue this advocacy by engaging with members of Congress to support the transportation workforce.”

Now that the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has completed its markup of INVEST in America Act, the bill will continue moving through the legislative process.

To learn more about NBAA’s congressional outreach, please visit the association’s Contact Congress resource.

NBAA is dedicated to bolstering the business aviation workforce of today and developing and diversifying the next generation of industry leaders. Find out more about the organization’s Workforce initiatives.

 

New FAA policy allows special flight permits for home-builts needing condition inspections

Following a request from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the FAA has released a policy that will make it easier for some owners of experimental aircraft to obtain special flight permits (SFPs) for their airplanes to reposition them for condition inspections.  From General Aviation News - Read the story Here.

 

Reflections upon New Zealand & Building New 100-Year Old Gnome Rotary Aero Engines & Castor Oil

I have spent time in New Zeland. A beautiful country with wonderful people. While I was there, I spent my weekends visiting various airfields and automotive events just to be around like-minded aviators, restorers, and tinkerers. I quickly discovered that the Kiwis are exceptional craftsmen.

Unlike the current mindset here in the U.S. that everyone must attend University/College, the Kiwis still follow the old European model that not everyone can obtain a degree, but most everyone should learning a craft/trade. This leads an exceptional population of highly intelligent and capable craftsmen.

Building New 100-Year Old Gnome Rotary Aero Engines In NZ

Tony Wytenburg from CAMS (Classic Aero Machining Service) talks to HAFU about the replica Gnome rotary aero engines that the company has been building for the last few years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtMu8mrwM2k

P.S. A little bit of Aerospace Medicine:

The Gnome Rotary Aero Engines are true two-stroke engines with no oiling system. Therefore the fuel must be mixed with a lubricant. Since gasoline is a byproduct of distilling oil it cannot be mixed with petroleum based oil for added lubrication because gasoline and oil are of the same hydrocarbon molecule chains. A non-petroleum based oil must be used.

Castor oil, a non-hydrocarbon based vegetable oil, had already been in use for thousands years. Most importantly, castor oil can be mixed with gasoline and retain it's lubricating properties. Unfortunately, there was an unforeseen problem in using castor oil as a lubricant within a two-stroke engine.

For centuries, castor oil has been used as a stimulant laxative, meaning that it increases the movement of the muscles that push material through the intestines, helping clear the bowels. I remember my mother giving castor oil as a child several times. Yuck! Ingesting too much will cause diarrhea.

WW1 aviators that were flying behind Gnome engines were ingesting residual castor oil from the exhaust, and started to experience diarrhea while flying. Not a happy experience. Never-the-less, castor oil must be retained as a lubricant since there was not other alternative.

Physicians at the beginning of the last century already knew medically that diets full of non-soluble fiber (residual diet) will provide healthy bowel moments. They quickly reasoned that if an aviator ate a no residual diet before they fly will reduce the change of experiencing diarrhea after ingesting the castor oil. So aviators were "prescribed" to eat a steak or bacon and egg diet (all protein diet/no residual diet) with coffee (a natural diuretic) before each mission. Problem solved.

As engines and lubrication technology advance, and aviators were no longer ingesting castor oil, one would think the eating of an all protein/no residual "aviator's breakfast" before flight would be unnecessary. It was also discovered that an aviator's breakfast slowed the motility of one's bowels and thus reduced the chance in having a bowel movement while flying a mission. A tradition was born out of medical necessity.

Believe it or not, this "aviator's breakfast" tradition continued into the U.S. Space Program out of medical necessity. Early Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo Program Astronauts ate an aviator's breakfast before every launch into space.

And all of this became because of using castor oil as a lubricant.

Cheers Mate,

Wayne
(a very knowledgeable aviator and contributor to SCAUWG.ORG - Webmaster Note)

 

Will General Aviation Climb, Descend Or Hold Altitude In The Months Ahead?

"Despite the national paralysis, COVID-19 hasn’t put a stop to GA flying. Federal regulations require private pilots to maintain proficiency to fly safely, so their flying activity has been deemed “essential”. But the number of airplanes flying is definitely fewer."  From Forbes - Read Eric Teglder's opinion about where GA is pointed toward and what you can expect Here.

 

DOCTORS REFINE ADVICE TO VOLUNTEER PILOT GROUPS - Patient Needs May Justify Coronavirus Risk in Some Cases

"Volunteer medical transport flights have been curtailed for months in keeping with social distancing advisories, but as states begin to ease restrictions on the general population, physicians advising the Air Care Alliance said that resumption of high-priority flights may be indicated, with appropriate precautions and a mission-specific risk assessment."   Read the article written by Jim Moore for AOPA and gain insight to this very important and timely topic by Clicking Here.

 

College flight schools adapt to new learning environments

ERAU to resume flight training with precautions - April 29, 2020 By David Tulis  -  College flight schools are adapting to learning environment changes by implementing virtual reality options, wellness checks, social distancing, mandatory face mask usage, and other personal safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Flaps or Gear First? - From Aviation Safety updated December 2019

Depending on what you’re flying, its manufacturer may have placed specific go-around recommendations in the POH/AFM. If so, it’s always a good idea to follow them and conform to the listed sequence of actions. Going around can be a busy time, and scrounging around for the balked-landing checklist is a no-no. You should have the appropriate sequence of actions memorized from your previous landing-practice sessions.  Read the Opinion Here

.

So Unfortunate: April 6 Air Facts - "Be Afraid of Stalls" by Mac Maclellan   - Opinion from Ron Berinstein cfii

From a longtime aviator who certainly has more jet time than I, this treatise depicts a very sad approach to flight training.  "Seems to me we should all be very afraid of stalls when they claim so many lives. I’m afraid of thunderstorms, super strong winds, icing, slippery runways, and a list of other hazards to aviation safety. Why shouldn’t I be afraid of stalls?"  To read this article here is a link.  Suffice to say, he feels pilots should be "afraid" of a stall.

Air Facts solicits comments, and this article a lot of them, none the least of which was/is mine.  Here is how I replied (with a couple of small typos corrected).

Mr. McClellan, politely offered, there are some real circumstances with this article and your positions regarding stalls… Though I compliment you upon your first airplane pick; a Cessna 140 is a great way to begin… though hardly anything to fear in the air, on the ground, it can help keep you awake.

#1 recovery – Please do not allow the suggestion that GA prop pilots should add power first and then lower the nose as you associated with jets. Please advocate to reduce AOA first, then use power as appropriate so that spin departures can be avoided.

#2 Pilots who stall airplanes in maneuvering flight kill, the stall itself is just the honest result derived from a poorly trained pilot.

#3 Stalls are your best friend when trying to make a proper landing. Pilots train to make “full stall” landings, or at least should… Perhaps you remember flying that Cessna 140 tailwheel craft and holding it inches off the deck until it purred to the runway tail held full back and power off?

#4 There were a lot of well written comments already typed, so I without being redundant, will assign a certain amount of blame to our teaching structure when it comes to stalls. Most stalls during ground prep and in the air are illustrated and flown stalling the (upright) plane nose high above the horizon, stick back… followed by recovery. However, that is NOT the stall that chiefly kills folks. The often touted “base leg to final approach” stall does not happen that way. The nose is not way up above the horizon, rather it starts BELOW the horizon (and in a turn). Unless we teach pilots the actual ways stalls occur and how to sense them – and NO you do not need to wait for buffet to know there is a stall event occurring (even in craft w/out AOA meters or warning devices), we will continue to see pilots repeat the very same errors as those who have gone before them.

#5 Pilots need to be able to determine relative wind direction. Think that’s easy? Nope!
Most pilots have no idea while on a final approach where the relative wind is. They do not associate reducing power with level wings as an increase in AOA. Nor do they associate the flaps, or perhaps lowering a landing gear with same.

#6 What you have attacked is just a piece of physics. (and by the way – re: physics “…wing can stall at just about any airspeed…” that should be “at any airspeed.”

#7 You advocate being scared of stalls… I direct you to read a bit about the Yerkes - Dodson law. Studying Startle reflex might be good as well. Being afraid rarely makes a poor pilot better, rather it makes them a funeral expense.

#8 Good Instruction incorporates ADM and Situational Awareness skills that are reinforced with scenario based flight so that pilots are not scared, but prepared. The imagery that otherwise could kill is properly already stored in their brain's toolbox (think amygdala).

#9 Add training as a cfi to your resume. Hopefully, choose a good cfi to learn from. Then, add some EMT to the repertoire. Important though: you’ll need to make room for the experience, i.e. an open mind. Drawing only upon old anecdotal observations and patterns long since revised just shouldn’t be the stuff we need to currently write about.

Be well and safe.

 

Webmaster Note: This response was published by Air Facts, and presumably a copy was forwarded to the story's author, Mr. MacClellan.  To date 4/26/2020, there has been no response from the author.

 

Quieter GA LA Skies

3/29/20  Thoughts from SCAUWG.ORG Director Ron Berinstein CFII - FAASTeam VNY

Responding to a note that asked if air traffic was reduced in our LA area.  I had these reflections:  

A note about those...
It would seem (possibly) that many "safety first" stories recently published address in-flight instruction, and why it should be halted, rather than continued as the letter of the law referring to essential activity allows.

 

I Almost Died Flying Into A Mountain Near Kobe's Crash: Veteran Navy Pilot Explains The Risks - The truth is that accidentally flying into clouds happens more than anyone wants to admit. I break down the Kobe crash and my own brush with death.

By Chris Hammer   From Feb. 19. 2020

"My crew and I escaped that near catastrophe with our lives by the narrowest of margins. The reality is that it can happen to anyone, from the private pilot on a weekend recreational flight to the passenger-carrying helicopter pilot on a routine hop with a beloved sports star and his friends and family on-board to the most capable and well-trained military pilot. Here’s what we know about the Kobe flight and why it reminded me of my own brush with death."

Read the Story Here

 

Pandemic Response:  GA READY TO HELP

Based upon past experience, GA Pilots can assist in times of emergency. That is the position of Aviation Groups that sent a letter to the Transportation Secretary 3/17/20 with an offer to help.  You can read the letter Here.

 

Opinion: How Incomplete Language Standards Threaten Aviation

by Elizabeth Mathews March 03, 2020  in Aviation Week Network

"Nearly 20 years after English language testing requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers were introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), language continues to threaten global aviation safety.

“We are now at takeoff.” That ambiguous communication preceded the 1977 runway collision at Tenerife, Spain, and focused industry attention on the importance of communications."    To read more about her opinion that language may be a significant contributory factor regarding accidents today just CLICK HERE

 

Industry urges funding for contract towers

As the House Appropriations Committee is allocating its FY2021 funds, AOPA and eight industry groups are urging the committee to earmark nearly $173 million for the FAA Contract Tower Program.  From AOPA - Read it Here

 

Burbank and Van Nuys Noise  - Task Force Info 

Task Force News that in part mirrors Community comments is scheduled to have their final meeting April 1, 2020.  Here is a link to the press release that highlights the agenda of their recent meeting, and announces their planned final meeting. View it here.

 

Kobe Bryant Helicopter Topic     - input sent to SCAUWG.ORG and it is presented here as personal commentary relayed to us for the benefit of our readers.

Sent: Sun. Feb 9

Just my thoughts and opinion for what they're worth and admitting that I do not have all the facts regarding this accident.

Assuming everyone here has viewed the ground tract of the flight in question, the pilot probably saw that he wasn't going to get through the Santa Susanna Pass, Rocky Peak vicinity and decided to go to the SW part of the valley to follow the 101westbound. Pushing on that way he had no choice, with that weather but only to stay right over the 101. My thoughts are that when he pulled up and went inadvertent IMC and lost visual with the ground he panicked about being violated, big time at that, for being on a Part 135 charter with 8 pax in the back. Next move was lowering the collective, rapidly, with a 180 turn to get back down to the marginal VFR conditions and without, hopefully, getting caught and having to make that dreaded call to ATC. The pilot in my opinion might have been hoping that he would be back over the flatter level terrain of the valley while attempting to descend back down into VFR conditions. Pilots sometimes make rash decisions to save themselves from that instant moment of "WTF did I get myself into". The Operation Specifications for this charter company I'm not familiar with, although if this particular aircraft was allowed to fly in instrument conditions and conduct specific instrument approaches, (ie., ILS, VOR etc.) and S-76's are generally certified and definitely more than capable of instrument flight. If a pilot immediately accepts the fact that he is inadvertent IMC he can then make the next move, clear thinking, of getting an immediate clearance from ATC and get assigned to a Minimum Safe Altitude and vectored to an airport, in this case Van Nuys Airport ILS Runway 16R or Burbank's ILS Runway 8. Keeping in mind that this flights destination was to a private helipad and that an approach and landing would have to be conducted in VFR conditions. We are all affected immensely by these aviation tragedies because it sure hits close to home. Sometimes we are hesitant to comment about what may have happened due to not having every bit of information and all the facts. Given more time for the investigation possibly more relevant and contributing factors will be discovered.

Hopefully all of us pilots of all experience levels continue to feel free to discuss, with others, this and all other accidents and learn from the lessons that they present us.

Forwarded to the site at 4:59 pm

………………..…….

Forwarded to the site  on Feb 8 2020 - with the sender's comment: "So close to making it."

The  BLANCOLIRIO Report - VIDEO - Commentary - VIEW IT HERE

………………..……..

Sent: Sat. Feb 8 2020

NTSB Issues Preliminary Report - Read it Here

………………..………

Sent: Sat.   Feb 8 2020

Number one cause of fatal accidents in aviation…..continued VMC to IMC…….total pilot error and didn’t need to occur (my opinion only) ….
I guess we’ll never know why he didn’t follow the 118 instead but may not have made any difference...

Forwarded to the site at 8:57 a.m.

………………..……...

Referred the site by Pat Carey -

Kobe Bryant S-76B UPDATE 31 Jan 2020 - VIDEO - See it Here

………………..……...

Sent: Wed., Jan 29, 2020 9:08 am

That is a radical heavy drop and beyond a normal steep descent..
He could have gotten disoriented and the helicopter turned over and fell out of the sky??

- Website visitor

----------------------

Sent: Wed, Jan 29, 2020 7:05 am
Subject: Comments on my Kobe email

Hi Folks

Thought those of you who responded might read what was said by others.
Longer notes are at bottom.
(Xxxx's comment discounts Kobe's part).

-Website Visitor

Gxxx:
Not surprising-pilot should not have been at that location due to deep amount of fog. Location is very close to me.
-------------------
Rxxx:
I came to the same conclusion as you. It was pilot error.
50 yrs ago a wise older pilot told me, that if you feel like you're about to fly a mission and that you're going to be a Hero. Then bells and whistles should go off in your head, because you are about to F#@$& up.
-------------------

Yxxx:
"VIP induced"(!)
Boy, haven't we all been in THAT position. At least been EXPOSED to what could happen.
I always hated flying VIPs, military and civilian. Frankly, I seem to have gotten more pressure from COLONELS rather than Generals.
-------------------
Sxxx:
Bad deal. Pilot AFU. Perhaps VIP pressure. No excuse.
I did not fly helo but spent many hours below 500 ft. practice for long range nuc strike.
A circular situational awareness imperative.
VFR running into IFR...what is the a/c direction for terrain avoidance while maintaining a/c control?
-------------------

Txxx:
I’m all in on this and believe its pilot error. The trying to get a following by Burbank airport, the route taken and witness comments all indicate pilot error, sadly, which of course means the tragedy could have been avoided. Having flown extensively in the LA Basin extensively I get the “get there itis “ either self or passenger induced. The decision is clear to me on how to proceed although I do not have a thorough description of the weather conditions such as, at destination was it special VFR or even VFR. Still Lott’s of questions I have but the cause appears apparent to all of us.
-------------------
Vxxx
Spot on Xxxx,

Probably not the VIP fault …. another pilot that flew with him often said Kobe never requested the envelope be pushed or any pressure to “get there”.

It was obvious scud running in Special VFR into a fog/overcast with terrain raising to meet the flight path.

What I don’t know is if this pilot was IFR qualified … That is a big deal for two reasons… First he would be able to declare an emergency and execute an emergency rapid climb that this machine is capable of to VFR on top then fly to an airfield of it he were qualified, to file IFR.

After reading and seeing all tapes and presentations, just before the crash, the pilot asked if he could turn south to intercept the 101, with the obvious idea of following the freeway West. When that transmission was made, it appears he was already over the freeway, and thus flew past the freeway in the direction of the ocean and towards higher terrain. He was in deep trouble at that point. The rapid increase in altitude he made would have been what I would have done as well to get over the fog/clouds and to a place where he would have control again. The sudden 4000 fpm descent and major increase in speed just before impact appears to speak to the possibility of vertigo and lack of IFR flying technique. I have seen more scud running than I would like in Viet Nam, and we lost several pilots to that. In Viet Nam most were not instrument rated … I got that rating after I got back to the US. Disorientation and vertigo are all too real and are killers, as John Kennedy and others have proved.

I retrospect, while only one pilot is required, when flying a high profile person, and more importantly one with the funds, two pilots would not be a bad plan. It offers redundancy in event of pilot incapacitation as well as tough situations such as this. Kobe would not have known where to draw the line, it is up to the PIC. We would all say that we would have not done this, but hard telling. Good pilots run into bad spots occasionally and it is that split minute decision that makes the difference. It is possible that after a rapid climb, he saw a hole below and was trying to get to it, though I doubt it. Like I said if in the box he was, I would have slowed forward speed, pulled max pitch and power to get through was a relatively thin layer and declared an emergency enroute … but then I am comfortable in trusting the instruments in the soup.

Sad day

-Website visitor

 

Sent: Tue, Jan 28, 2020 9:06 am
Subject: Fw: Kobe Bryants S-76 Helicopter Crash

Thanks Xxxx, this reinforces the opinion I came to Sunday.
In the half century since I became a pilot (rotor & fixed) I generally avoid quick decisions until more facts are known.
But this is one of the few cases of obvious pilot error. I will be very surprised if details come out that proves otherwise.
There is only one part of the event we likely will never know:
Was the pilot error totally self imposed or was it VIP induced?
In either case it is still pilot error (& NOT the VIP's fault).
In case #1, the pilot wants to show they 'can do it'; they can accomplish something others can't. Reportedly law enforcement pilots were not flying.
In the VIP scenario, it is still fully the pilot's responsibility.
An example from military aviation is the young pilot hearing that the general must get to their destination without delay. The only part the VIP plays is to avoid saying or doing things that create that atmosphere. When I was an aide-de-camp, I always made it clear to the flight crew that my general's priorities don't override safety.
But it is still the pilot's responsibly, NOT the VIP's.

- Website visitor

 

Sent: Monday, January 27, 2020, 10:44:10 PM PST
Subject: Fwd: Kobe Bryants S-76 Helicopter Crash

Sounds like this guy knows what he is talking about. What an absolute tragedy. Makes a good argument for 2 pilot airplanes.

-Website visitor

 

Sent: Mon, Jan 27, 2020 10:11 pm
Subject: Kobe Bryants S-76 Helicopter Crash

 

 

 

 

 

>> For anyone who might be interested, the attached is an altitude, airspeed, and climb/descent profile for the last minute of flight of the N72EX, Sikorsky S-76 helicopter in which Kobe Bryant, his 13-year old daughter, and seven others were killed.

>>
>> Note, just before the moment of impact:
>> The aircraft was on a westerly heading, level at about 1,800 feet at 118 KIAS…pretty normal for VFR conditions in that area.
>>
>> The aircraft suddenly made a 180 degree turn from a westerly heading to an easterly heading…
>> - (Pretty typical of inadvertent IMC...Perhaps after flying into a cloud or fog?)
>>
>> Note: At the moment of impact with terrain...
>>
>> Altitude: 1,350’ MSL
>> - (Minimum altitude in that sector, west of Van Nuys Airport, is 5,200' with some hilltops shown at 2408 feet, others higher)
>>
>> Airspeed: 161 Knots
>> - (Increased from about 118 KIAS to 161 KIAS)
>>
>> Rate of Descent: 4,860 fpm
>> - (A very steep descent. By comparison, the normal for commercial operations is generally no greater than 500 fpm).
>>
>> Notice the green line with the very rapid climb & descent data shown.
>> - (Could be indicative of pilot disorientation?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pure conjecture but looks like it might have been Inadvertent IMC with an attempt to find VFR conditions and perhaps disorientation with controlled flight into terrain.

>> I hate to say it and its sad but…a pilot error issue and nothing was wrong with the aircraft?
>>
>> It was a 1991 model and may not have had the latest, greatest autopilot and been equipped with the "single IIMC button" found on most of today’s IFR capable helicopters.
>>
>> (One button autopilot feature on a helicopter of this type enables the pilot to push a single button, let go of the controls and feet off the pedals. This feature automatically levels the aircraft, establishes optimum trim, establishes a 500 fpm rate of climb, and increases power to the optimum airspeed…generally 90 KIAS, all with no input from the human pilot. Some helicopters call it a “Go Around” button (used for missed approach procedures) while other manufacturers refer to it as an Inadvertent IMC (IIMC) button or feature.
>>
>> Flight data shows a very erratic route…might have been sight seeing a bit over Glendale or waiting for clearance from Burbank Airport to transition North along the I-5.    (webmaster note:  the pilot was waiting for a special VFR clearance from SoCal)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>>
>> Anyway, FYI…for anyone interested…
>> Audio of N72EX talking to Burbank Tower for a transition north along the I-5 then to 118 Freeway.

>> He wanted to go to Camarillo so he would have had to transition through Van Nuys airspace and turned toward the 101 freeway west of Van Nuys and perhaps north of the 101 freeway…or so it sounds…
>> They might have gone north along the I-5 looking for better weather conditions as the most direct route would have been west along the 101 freeway to Camarillo…
>>
>> Asked to go north along the I-5 then transition north of Van Nuys and loop around to the 101...
>>
>> Below, final 1 minute of flight data from automatically sent data from aircraft...
>>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Website Visitor

 

Webmaster Note:  Click HERE for a Video link that features a recreation of the flight that also includes some sound bites.

 

Redlands Airport Association <redlands.airport.association@gmail.com>
Thu 12/12/2019 7:01 AM

Hi Ron,

Just wanted to share some additional information we learned about the new UPS approaches being developed for Runway 24 at SBD. We received this information through a San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors contact. Matt Knox is the Chief of Staff for SB County Supervisor Dawn Rowe. Dawn's district is the SB County area under the flight path. Matt reached out to some FAA contacts about the draft procedures and its potential impacts to their constituents. It appears the FAA will not be subjecting the proposed procedures to an environmental review. Please see the email string below.

I am not comfortable with the rationale given for the exclusion. But, the development of SBD as a cargo hub will generate considerable revenue for the area. Rules sometimes get bypassed when there is this potential for economic benefit.

We were told by UPS that the use of these procedures would be minimal. But, we never really heard any real forecast frequency for the use of the runway 24 procedures. Its clear from Mr. Lusk's response to Matt Knox, the FAA doesn't know the frequency either. He states the approach will be used during Santa Ana wind conditions. Yet, the Santa Ana's are typically out of the north east and favor the use of runway 6 at SBD.

These approaches will be "public" and may eventually be used by others with the proper equipment and training. They are certain to create noise complaints from residents in the flight path in Redlands, SB County and Highland. I like airplane noise, but I think the FAA is going to get an earful from these residents.

Ted Gablin
Redlands Airport Association, Chapter of California Pilots Association

 

Sent: Monday, December 2, 2019 2:21 PM
To: Knox, Matt <Matt.Knox@bos.sbcounty.gov>
Subject: RE: Proposed Approach Route to San Bernardino International Airport

Hi Matt –

Sorry for the delay on this, here is what I found out on this approach procedure. This is a special approach that will be used by UPS for uncommon wind events that currently forces them to divert from landing at San Bernardino International Airport. So conditions where this would be utilized would be during the uncommon Santa Ana wind events. This type of project is usually categorically excluded from further environmental review absent any extraordinary circumstances and the CATEX process does not typically entail a public comment period. However, Hughes Aeronautical - who is developing the procedure for UPS - has done some community outreach as part of their work, including separate meetings with the cities of Redlands and Highland in early October. We are currently still in the process of documenting the CATEX determination but do not have a timeline at this juncture.

Keith

 

Webmaster response to the recent 12/13/2019 MyNewsLA.com story reporting that LA sued the FAA

The story relates that "hundreds of thousands" of noise complaints were received by the city attorney's office.  One might reasonably ask in response how many are "unique" comments, and how many were generated by the same people?

The story reports that the noise being complained about has resulted from the FAA having "narrowed the width of its flight patterns."  So, one might also ask just how many hundreds of thousands of people even live in that supposed narrowed path near Burbank?

Then there is a very real argument that can be made that the departures in reality have not substantially changed over the years.  One can refer to the actual flight tracks as captured by the ChartAware feature on our site that depicts definite reality as captured this past September mid-week and during a weekend.

Then there are the following questions that might be asked: Are there interests that profit from raising noise issues?  What is the addresses of those who have lodged complaints?  Do any of the complaint writers have a vested profit motivation that might inspire spurious complaints?

At SCAUWG.ORG we report aviation airspace news, but news stories often have many sides to them. It is hoped that any government entity truly represents informed well intentioned citizens without bias, and that those who represent the people via government positions do adequate homework before, when or after lodging legal action.  So to that end, it is hoped that the future will deliver a fair and equitable solution.   - RB

 

"How many “avoidances” have occurred is unknown..."     - 2 Letters addressed to the editor

"I’m sure you’ve seen this one...  ...or one like it. Predictable. In fact, it appears to have happened before on at least one occasion of which I know. How many “avoidances” have occurred is unknown for both fixed and rotary aircraft.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2019-12-05/drone-hits-newscopter-over-la

Fortunately, this collision did not result in a tragedy. I fear that unless this regulatory thorn bush and political spiderweb is not successfully navigated we (the people of LA as well as those of us concerned) will have much about which we will not be thankful. On a smaller but more likely scale, this is Cerritos. Or could be larger scale. Déjà vu all over again."

Signature on record at SCAUWG

.........................

A response to the above by someone also addressed by the sender       - Some edits were made by the SCAUWG webmaster

 

"I read it somewhere in one of the numerous online aviation newsletters that I subscribe to. Though very disconcerting, I also have to think about the other incidents that have occurred, involving UAS; namely the drone that landed between the taxiway and the runway at KLAS within the last couple of weeks, or the UAS flying around and shutting down the airport for several hours at EGKK several months back.

Re:  'Fortunately, this collision did not result in a tragedy.'    -  Thank God!

I fear that unless this regulatory thorn bush and political spiderweb is not successfully navigated we (the people of LA as well as those of us concerned) will have much about which we will not be thankful. On a smaller, but more likely scale, this is Cerritos. Or could be larger scale. Déjà vu all over again.”

I could not agree more (about the thorn bush and spiderweb)! Since we are all operating within the most complex and busiest airspace on the planet, even with this incident, which was probably innoxious in nature, draws concern. As we have more and more UAS occupy our already compressed and compacted airspace, I am afraid that we will see an increase of problems, especially as you integrate the budding air taxi service (FLOAT as an example), but also the emerging VTOL aircraft which will add considerable traffic to our airspace. Therefore we should approach this issue in as much a proactive manner as we can, analyze the current situation, and forecasted growth, problems that are occurring presently, as well as forecasted problems, and solutions/mitigations to resolve current and forecasted problems, and present our recommendations. This again, is considering the UAS operators are acting in an innoxious fashion. I want to present to SCAUWG an added scenario; of those operators that have hostile intent, that could utilize a UAS armed with guns/missiles (I’m sure that you all saw the video on AOPA live that had guns mounted to UAS, and firing remotely), but also utilizing high-end explosives (such as C4), biological agents, or nuclear materials. I think that though it has already been thought of by the TSA/DHS/FAA/NSA/FBI/CIA, etc., I think that has an organization, SCAUWG needs to be thinking of this, and being prepared to offer recommendations/solutions to mitigate/resolve issues in these arenas to the other organizations; especially has it affects the airspace over Southern California. I know that some would agree; and probably most of you, that this is moving faster than we can probably keep up with. However, never-the-less, SCAUWG should work on this, and try to keep up in the best fashion possible.

Signature on record at SCAUWG

 

"Not all bolts are created equal" - FAASafety.gov

Notice Number: NOTC9804

Proper maintenance in aviation is so crucial to safe operation and so well-established that it almost goes without saying. But a person could easily make a mistake in assuming that all maintenance is of equal importance. Much like that quote from Syndrome of The Incredibles, “And when everyone’s super, no one will be,” if all maintenance is assigned equal importance, then truly critical items could fail to get the attention they need.

FAA airworthiness directive (AD) 2016-17-08 “Elevator Tab Control System” is a case in point. That AD mandates repetitive inspections and prohibits reuse of attachment fasteners on the elevator trim tab push-pull rod. Certainly every bolt on a plane is important, but for the airplanes listed on that AD, these bolts are more important than most.

In particular, the forward bolt that attaches the push-pull rod to the actuator merits special attention. For starters, it is recessed within the elevator and not readily visible, unlike the aft bolt that connects the push-pull rod to the trim tab. A pre-flight check of the tab might only amount to wiggling it a bit to check for free play. If the bolt was present but missing the nut and cotter pin, such a check wouldn’t detect anything wrong. However, it would only be a matter of time before the bolt worked its way free. The AD mandates repetitive inspections to make sure the hardware gets thoroughly checked at least occasionally.

If this bolt comes free, the push-pull rod and elevator trim tab will freely move as a unit. If the tab rises high enough, the free end of the rod will clear the spar cut-out. At this point, the end of the rod is likely to drop and jam against the spar, resulting in the trim tab becoming fixed in an airplane nose-down condition well beyond the normal limits of travel.
There have been several accidents over the years attributed to this condition. Out of seven events documented by the NTSB, five resulted in fatal crashes. The other two both occurred shortly after takeoff and the pilots were able to make hard landings that resulted in substantial damage to the airplanes. NTSB accident number ERA17LA329 was the most recent. The bolt was located in the elevator, but the nut and cotter pin were not found. The airplane had recently undergone maintenance and paintwork.

Accordingly, the AD prohibits the reuse of any attachment fasteners on the push-pull rod to ensure these attachment points are as robust as possible. That prohibition includes the bolt, washer, castellated self-locking nut, and cotter pin. So, for example, if the attachment hardware is removed to facilitate removal of the elevator, such as for painting and balancing, new hardware is required.

Following release of the AD, some industry media articles were published to discuss different aspects of this issue. Here are two that might be of interest for further reading.

NEW AD on elevator trim hardware affects all Twin Cessnas by Tony Saxton, Director of Tech Support
https://www.twincessna.org/pdf/Trim%20AD%20Article%20April%2016.pdf
Tales of woe (Whoa! This isn’t an Inspection) by Mike Busch
https://www.savvyaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/articles_aopa/AOPA_2016-10_tales-of-woe-(not-an-inspection).pdf
Indeed, not all bolts are created equal. Pay attention to this one!

For more information please contact:
Adam Hein, Aerospace Engineer
Wichita ACO Branch
Adam.Hein@faa.gov

 

We're teaching stalls all wrong - An argument for more advanced training - By Ian J. Twombly

"Repeat after me: Reduce power, hold the nose back, add full flaps, maintain altitude until the stall, lower the nose, add full power, and reduce flaps in increments. Bored yet? I bet you’ve flown the power-off stall routine around 50 times. If you have any sort of pilot certificate you’ve demonstrated one on a practical test."  "...The problem is not you. You fly to the standard. The problem is us. We have spent decades teaching pilots useless stalls. Want proof?"    Read the rest of the story published by AOPA by clicking HERE

 

How do airports remain safe against the constant threat of cyber-attacks?     (See International Airport Review)

Airports have been supplanted by the perfect storm of cyber-security, but how can the industry make sure airports are as secure as they can be? International Airport Review’s recent webinar, in association with AlertEnterprise, provided a platform to discuss how airports must be totally secure. From the webinar five key points surfaced: The perfect storm of cyber-security; security convergence; cultural changes; insider threat and patterns of behaviour.

The perfect storm of cyber-security

Constant developments within the cyber industry have resulted in old systems becoming more vulnerable to advances, and the inability to accurately identify threats means we are just waiting for disaster to strike. New technology is being implemented quicker than it can be secured, and many systems are just an open invitation to malicious attacks. A perfect example of this is the speed at which IoT has expanded. In practice IoT will help individuals in organizations make better decisions based on real-time data. However, if the data fed is wrong or skewed in some way, the outcomes can be drastically different.

There is a magnitude of laws and regulations which are limited and inconsistent; this means that there is a gap within the framework through which exploitation can occur. Regarding airports, this means that sensitive material is available to manipulate. Moreover, there is limited interconnectivity between systems which allows for threats to go undetected for months.   READ THE STORY and FIND A LINK TO A WEBINAR ON THE SUBJECT IN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REVIEW   -  CLICK HERE

 

Be Alert After Maintenance

From:  Fly Safe: Prevent Loss of Control Accidents - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the general aviation (GA) community’s national #FlySafe campaign helps educate GA pilots about how to avoid loss of control (LOC) accidents.

Do you know how to properly preflight your aircraft after maintenance? Many pilots secretly admit that they sometimes don’t quite know what they are looking for. Does that concern you? It should, since the pilot is the final authority when it comes to the aircraft’s fitness for safe flight.
As a pilot and/or aircraft owner, it is in your best interest to know and understand every component of your aircraft. You may think you have even less to worry about after your aircraft comes back from the shop. It should be in great shape, right?
Actually, aircraft just out of maintenance are more likely to have safety-of-flight issues than an aircraft in good condition flown on a daily basis. Something simple shouldn’t cause a problem, but work on multiple systems leaves the door open for more than a few complications.
For example, in-flight emergencies and accidents have occurred with incorrectly rigged flight control or trim systems. Loose bolts or a forgotten connector have led to other tragedies. It’s best to be on the safe side, know what work has been done, know what you are looking for, and perform thorough preflight checks.

Advanced Preflight Checks

Advanced Preflights go above and beyond the normal preflight checklist. Create your checklist by reviewing the maintenance history of the aircraft, and once you have that information, develop your additional items checklist. Once you have made this list, you can use it in all future preflight inspections. Find and review all aircraft records, including receipts, work orders, FAA Form 337s (Major Repair and Alteration forms) and approval for return to service tags (8130-3 Forms). Find any Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) data, including information on items no longer installed on the aircraft.

Some additional tips:

Become familiar with all controls and systems before maintenance, and create a baseline. Having this information will make it easier for you to find any “abnormal” functions after maintenance.

Coordinate with your mechanic to determine exactly what has been accomplished. Give those systems an extra look-over before flight.

Pay particular attention to the aircraft components that were replaced or repaired. If you suspect a problem, ask your mechanic to recheck the aircraft.

Be ready to abort take-off if something doesn’t feel right.

For the first flight, stay in the pattern within gliding distance to the runway.

Your safety, and the safety of those who fly with you, depends on your vigilance. Check, ask questions, and recheck. Your life may depend on it!
Be sure to document your achievement in the Wings Proficiency Program. It’s a great way to stay on top of your game and keep you flight review current.

More about LOC:
Contributing factors may include:
Poor judgment or aeronautical decision making
Failure to recognize an aerodynamic stall or spin and execute corrective action
Intentional failure to comply with regulations
Failure to maintain airspeed
Failure to follow procedure
Pilot inexperience and proficiency
Use of prohibited or over-the-counter drugs, illegal drugs, or alcohol
Did you know?

From October 2017 through September 2018, 382 people died in 226 GA accidents.
LOC was the No. 1 cause of these accidents.
LOC happens in all phases of flight. It can happen anywhere and at any time.
There is one fatal accident involving LOC every four days.

Learn more:
Check out this FAA FAASTeam Fact Sheet on Advanced Preflight After Maintenance. (PDF)
The NTSB (PDF) provides these important preflight safety tips.
AOPA has a number of helpful resources, including How to Pre-Flight an Airplane.
What’s coming for the future? Learn about the benefits NextGen is bringing.
Time is getting short! The FAA’s Equip ADS-B website gives you the information you need to equip now.
Curious about FAA regulations (Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations)? It’s a good idea to stay on top of them. You can find current FAA regulations on this website.
The FAASafety.gov website has Notices, FAAST Blasts, online courses, webinars, and more on key general aviation safety topics.
The WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program helps pilots build an educational curriculum suitable for their unique flight requirements. It is based on the premise that pilots who maintain currency and proficiency in the basics of flight will enjoy a safer and more stress-free flying experience.

 

AINsight: Putting Part 135 Safety Under the Microscope

by Stuart “Kipp” Lau

Chartering a business aircraft is a convenient alternative to flying on an airline. For consumers not versed in aviation, finding the safest operators can be a challenge. The expectation is that chartering a Gulfstream or Learjet should have the exact same level of safety as riding in the back of a Southwest or Delta airliner. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

After reading several recent NTSB accident reports involving chartered flights, a few glaring issues emerged.

Read the article by Clicking Here

 

AINsight: When Can’t I Fly?

by Robert Sancetta

"As I previously noted, U.S. FAR 61.53 outlines basic medical responsibilities that a pilot must adhere to at all times between FAA medical exams with an aviation medical examiner (AME). Pilots have both leeway and ethics in self-assessing whether they are fit-to-fly on any given day.
Are there circumstances, however, when it is certain that a pilot cannot fly? Quite clearly there are, and these provisions are outlined in Part 67 “Medical Standards and Certification.”...  Read the full Article by Clicking Here.

 

Need Pilot Credentials - FAST? - Lessons Learned

Article by Ron Berinstein cfii

We arrived at the emergency room entrance via the ambulance driveway and I stopped front and center just feet away from the entrance. I moved fast, out of the driver’s seat, into the hospital, seeking a wheelchair, plus some strong assistance to help mobilize my friend. The onset of paralysis required getting admitted fast.

It was a bit of a struggle; a chest and knee carry. In the chair wasn’t enough, her legs would not fit the foot supports. I needed a MacGyver solution. There was a cane stored in the back of the van; I crawled in the back door and reached a bit; I got it, rushed back around to the chair, stretched it from left to right, it was enough to lift her feet. We were on the move. During triage it was decided that it was more important for me to answer questions than to move the van.

It wasn’t until hours later that I reached for my wallet and it wasn’t in my pocket. I figured it was in the van which I had by then parked in the nearby structure hours previously. That turned out not to be true, no matter how many times I looked. The wallet was gone. Maybe in the ER room where I sat for 6 hours, or maybe it slipped out of my pocket while playing a TV star, or maybe it was left visible near the front seat while the car was unlocked outside the hospital’s door? Nope, lost and found had no wallets. Not that Allied Universal Security company appeared to care, as a very polite letter addressed to the on-site security chief requesting a video search went unanswered.

So how prepared are YOU should you lose your pilot certificates, medical, credit cards and driver license?

I was not prepared… but I will be now! Here are some findings.

The FAA Airman Certification System really works; but you will need a credit card. A problem if you don't happen to have a card stored away in an accessible safe spot or if you don’t really care to ask a friend for theirs, and also the use of their security code. Neither did I have a record of the CRV information that I could have used immediately, that is just prior to reporting the card stolen.

"Airmen Certification – Airmen Online Services" is where you need to go.
The link is: https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/airmen_services/

No account with them? You will need to create one before logging in. Not difficult but, one tip: keep your password simple. Don’t get fancy and use any of these special characters: < > % : |* ; ( )
Numbers and letters - upper/lower case – and you’ll be fine.

Once you have an account, navigate to “Airmen Services Log-on.”
https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/amsrvs/Logon.asp

Enter your Email address and your password and you are on your way. Choose option: “Request Temporary Authority to Exercise Certificate Privileges”

With two dollars for every pilot certificate you need, you’ll be able to request both replacement certificates and temporary operating privileges at the same time. But plastic only accepted; no checking account numbers.

The result: an immediate email with reference to your medical certificate as well! For the actual medical certificate replacement, you will need to apply separately. Don’t expect a rapid response.

You should submit AC Form 8060-56 to:

Federal Aviation Administration
Aerospace Medical Certification Division, AAM-331
Attn: Duplicate Desk
Post Office Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125

You must include a check or money order for $2.00 made payable to FAA. If you have questions or need additional information, call (405) 954-4821 and select option 3.   It will arrive with a different doctor's signature; it must be signed by you, and like the original, you must carry it with you as it supersedes the original certificate.

So, lessons learned:

Keep a credit card accessible in a safe place. That’s the best solution. Or, should the card be stolen make sure you have a record of same including the CRV code) in the event you need to use it to obtain your temporary operating privileges prior to reporting it lost or stolen.

But should all your cards be stolen, and your driver license as well, you may also experience problems trying to cash a check. A valid passport might do the trick. In my case, mine was not valid. So, I applied for not only a duplicate Driver License, but an official state ID card as well. That, plus the credit card is now in my chosen safe place.  Arriving at the DMV 45 minutes before scheduled opening did the trick.  Bring a folding chair and your laptop. I was out of there in 30 minutes.

So, here is my new trick for eliminating troubles with the need for possible medical certificate replacement that I learned from airspace/pilot expert Pat Carey. Here is the trick: When after the physical while obtaining your medical certificate, have the AME print and sign at least three of them. It won’t cost any more, and though you keep one with an original signature with you, you can keep two additional certificates with original signatures in the safe place with your credit card and ID. Note: an original signature is required; copies are not legal.

I wasn’t happy with the bank where my checking account has resided for about 15 years without being paid interest. Because I rarely go, having elected to use ATMs and get photocopies of the items deposited, I wasn’t personally known there, and they denied me the right to cash a check. Consequently, despite a substantial account balance, using my expired driver license with my picture was not acceptable, and nor was my willingness to supply personal and account usage information. So, yes, I have already opened an account elsewhere, and I will make sure I drop in there every now and then to see Moe, the officer who helped me do it.

I think banks figure it is such a pain in the neck to really change banks, and follow through on threats to do so, and being forced to create new account links etc., that most folks will just put up with a certain amount of abuse. Not me! I found a new bank that will pay $250 if I just set up direct deposits for three months. I did.

Regarding plastic: I found you are instructed that most replacement credit cards will take 7-10 days, but it doesn’t hurt to ask if the process can be expedited via an extra fee. With two cards that worked.

So, thanks to my friend who had some cash on hand, and subsequently thanks to my employer who quickly wrote me check that was cashable at the business, I made it through. My biggest problem now: find a wallet as nice as the wallet I had that replaced the wallet I’m using. I walked for over an hour and visited three different department stores to no avail. I guess one better add an extra likeable wallet to that safe storage place as well! Oh yes, having a data list for all those other items one carries in your wallet is helpful too, and maybe some extra cash as well!

p.s.  Btw, your wallet may not be the best place to keep that "emergency" key for your home's front door, airplane or car.

- Ron Berinstein cfii, director SCAUWG,ORG website - FAASTeam VNY                                                                                                                                                (updated 7/08/2019)

 

Why ask Why?

Article by Mike Jesch ATP MCFI

It’s often said the most underutilized words in the pilot/controller lexicon are “Unable” and “Say Again”. Sometimes, it’s critically important to get your point across; clear up a misunderstanding, get clarification in the most expeditious way possible, and at other times, the issue is a bit more subtle, but just as important.

Recently, a story came to me of a classic case of miscommunication." Fortunately, the outcome wasn’t bad, but it could have been. It’s an interesting event, and perhaps will illustrate the importance of asking questions.

The pilot was departing from one airport and destined for another some 50 miles away, and across about three separate ATC sectors. The weather was good VMC, but he wanted to fly IFR just for the practice. In our area, it’s possible to obtain a “canned” clearance – called a Tower Enroute Control – without filing an IFR flight plan and going through all those hoops. In any event, our pilot did exactly this and was soon on his way, cleared via the expected route and 6000 feet (which was higher than the normal 4000 published for the route). As he was climbing through 4700, the pilot was instructed to maintain 4500MSL for traffic, which he acknowledged and did, and got some additional vectors.

Soon, he was transferred to the next ATC sector, and then another one, and dutifully checked in each time level at 4500. One of the controllers instructed the pilot to “resume own navigation” (normally, an IFR pilot should expect a heading to intercept an airway or to a fix before resuming). The final controller eventually told him “Practice approach approved, no separation services provided.” The pilot responded with, “I guess I’ll cancel IFR then.” I can only imagine what went through the controller’s mind when he heard that!
I think this event illustrates a couple human factors mistakes, and offers a chance to review some best practices that we all might consider bringing into our technique. I believe any mistakes made were honest omissions, and no violations of procedures or regulations appear to have occurred.

First, the controller issued a bit of an unusual altitude to the pilot, which was modified to an even more unusual altitude. While it’s not normal to be assigned a strange altitude above the MEA like that, neither is it out of the question. In this case, conflicting traffic necessitated the change, and the controller probably intended to instruct the pilot to descend and maintain 4000 once he was clear of the conflict. On the pilot’s part, he received a clear reason for the different altitude, and it made perfect sense. I don’t know whether the traffic was pointed out to the pilot, or whether he ever had visual contact with that traffic. And, it doesn’t really matter.

Next, control was moved to the next ATC sector, where the pilot checked in “Level at 4500”. The previous two airplanes in the same area were both at 4500 and under VFR, so the presence of a third probably didn’t seem unusual, and no questions were asked. He might have had a little Confirmation Bias here, expecting that any aircraft at 4500 clearly had to be VFR. I have no idea what was said during the handoff procedure between sectors, or if there is an indication on their screen as to the rules under which the pilot is operating.
Eventually, control was issued to the final controller, and the approach request was made. I know from experience that if the request is made to that second controller, word often doesn’t get passed to the final, and it often seems like a surprise.

So, what lessons can we learn? What can we do to reduce confusion like this and help our teammates out on the other end of the radio? Perhaps an earlier communication with ATC, at almost any point on this flight, raising the question. Something along the lines of, “Hey, ATC, I was cleared to 4500 for traffic; do you still need that?” Or, “When can I expect to go back to 4000?” Or maybe reminding each sector that you’re “IFR, level at 4500.”

Remember that we’re all human. Our Air Traffic Controllers are excellent; they take immense pride in accurately and safely providing the services they provide us, and they do so without problems so much of the time that it may be hard to remember that mistakes will occur. They’re not perfect. But, it’s our kiesters strapped to that aerospace vehicle. If at any time, something seems unusual, or you don’t know why something is happening, don’t be afraid to ask the question. Don’t let any confusion remain in the operation, even if it’s not on your part, but you think the controller might be confused. Poke the controller for clarification or resolution. It’s possible that he or she might have just forgotten that he’d asked you to do something weird.

Finally, please take any opportunity to visit with controllers. Whether it’s visiting the tower at your local field, or a pilot group-sponsored tour of a TRACON or ARTCC facility, or even finding the Pink Shirts at Oshkosh, I cannot recommend highly enough that you avail yourself of any and every opportunity to meet these people and see how they do what they do. Write down your questions and bring them and ask them; they truly enjoy meeting the people they serve and answering them. As it happens, in this case, the pilot happened to be scheduled to tour the very facility in question just two days after the event. It was a tremendous opportunity for them to meet and explore the nuances of this tricky situation in person.

Fly Safe! Have Fun! Fly More!

-Mike Jesch ATP, Master CFI - 2018 LGB District FAASTeam Rep Of The Year

 

The Transformation of Certification
Adopting Consensus Standards for Light-Sport Aircraft

Article by Jennifer Caron, FAA Safety Briefing

"Catherine Ashton’s quote 'I look for the consensus because the consensus drives the policy into new places.' speaks directly to the spirit of the time — 2002 — when the FAA made the decision to use industry-developed consensus standards for the design, manufacture, airworthiness certification, and maintenance of a new, and emerging category of light-sport aircraft.
Back then, manufacturers of single-seat, lightweight ultralight vehicles were creating larger, heavier, and faster two-seater ultralights at a rapid pace. With two seats and affordable, innovative designs, these heavy ultralights were all the rage, and consumers were clamoring to buy and fly these exciting creations that required neither aircraft nor pilot certifications.

But these new ultralights were caught between two worlds;..."   Learn about the history of consensus standards and the way today's world has been influenced by READING MORE HERE

 

The Desanctification of AoA

Opinion by Paul Bertorelli - as it appears in AVweb

"About five years ago, there appeared on the market a handful of angle-of-attack indicator products. I’m not sure why the timing unfolded as it did, but I think it might have been a confluence of several events. One, the technology became cheaper and easier to deliver to market, including displays, envelope protection was becoming a thing, the FAA relaxed the approval process and we were starting to talk about stalls as a persistent accident cause. Wait, what the hell am I saying? When have we not talked about stalls as a persistent accident cause? Wilbur and Orville even had a name for the spin that follows: well drilling."

CLICK HERE to read the AVweb Story

 

UAS-specific Weather Data Lacking

Opinion by Mark Huber

"The current weather tools and weather training for the UAS industry are woefully inadequate. That’s the assessment of Don Berchoff, a former U.S. Air Force meteorologist and the CEO of TruWeather. “Our Part 107 [UAS pilot] certification training has a weather section in it that is totally irrelevant,” Berchoff said. “We have a mismatch right now in standards and requirements,” he said, adding that current standards may allow UAS operators to “check the box” for regulatory compliance but fall short of operational needs."

CLICK HERE to read the AIN Story

 

AINsight: More Women Finding a Place in Aviation

Opinion by Rolland Vincent

"One stereotype that seems to have the half-life of uranium-238 is that men and women perform best in certain jobs. For example, some believe that men are more suited to technical and mechanical fields, where strength and stamina provide comparative advantages. Others believe that women are better suited to nurturing and educational roles in society, where interpersonal skills and empathy are essential enablers of success. While there may be some elements of logic to each of these stereotypes, are they true? What exactly might that even mean, and why is it important for business aviation?"

CLICK HERE to read the AINsight STORY

 

Those Lyin' Eyes (Part 2)

"Expectation bias (EB), our tendency to believe our “lyin’ eyes” telling us what we want to be true and not what is actually true, can be a killer in an airplane. Last month we discussed EB in detail and cited some examples of just how dangerous it can be. Let’s look at each of these flights we talked about and see how the crews allowed their expectations to affect their decision process. There are important skills to learn from these examples and carry with you on every flight that will help you to recognize your own expectation bias and not fall prey to its powerful charms." From Kenneth Stahl, MD, FACS written in AOPA 5/01/19 Read The Article Here.

 

From the FAASTeam: CFI & DPE Runway Safety Tips

Notice Number: NOTC8443
As a CFI or DPE, you are in a position to make a profound impact in reducing runway incursions. Did you know that from October 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019, there has been an average of two (2) runway incursions per day because of general aviation pilot deviations? These incursions carry a risk of tremendous loss of life and property, and therefore demand your focus and expertise.

Runway Incursion Avoidance standards are the same for Private, Commercial, and ATP pilots (reference applicable ACS or PTS). During training and testing, are you ensuring your students and applicants demonstrate knowledge of and skill in Runway Incursion Avoidance? Check out the pertinent sections in these publications:

FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
AC 91-73 Parts 91 and 135 Single Pilot, Flight School Procedures During Taxi Operations
AC 61-98 Currency Requirements and Guidance for the Flight Review and Instrument Proficiency Check

Several additional resources can be found at:

www.faasafety.gov
www.faa.gov/airports/runway_safety
www.runwaysafetysimulator.com ß Be on the lookout, new scenarios coming soon!

Fly safe!

 

...wanted to share with everyone the story from the Reason Foundation’s Aviation Policy News by Bob Poole - Remote Towers Reaching New Levels 

The cover story of the current issue of Air Traffic Management is “The Digital Tower.” Inside the issue is a 20-page feature that provides both a global overview and profiles of specific programs and accomplishments.

Since my last report on remote towers, in the January issue, a number of air navigation service providers have announced their country’s first digital/remote/virtual (the terms are synonymous) tower projects. These include:

• Australia, with a trial operation for the Royal Australian Air Force, developed and managed by Indra Australia and Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace;
• Brazil, where Frequentis is implementing the country’s first digital tower at Santa Cruz Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro;
• Canada, where Nav Canada and Searidge are considering remote towers to replace aging conventional towers, such as at Red Deer, Alberta;
• Iceland, where ANSP Isavia and Frequentis are researching an extreme-weather remote tower; and,
• New Zealand, where Frequentis is installing a virtual tower with Airways NZ, at Invercargill Airport at the southern end of South Isla

The growing experience with actual remote/virtual towers is rebutting a number of misconceptions about the potential of this new approach to managing local airspace. For example, only a year or two ago there were doubts that aviation safety regulators would approve the control of multiple airports from a single remote tower center (RTC). The most ambitious such project to date is Norwegian ANSP Avinor’s in-operation RTC in Bodo. Now under way is the roll-out of control from Bodo to 15 small airports between now and the end of 2021, with a possible future expansion to a total of 36.

Based on some very early tests, there were also concerns about the difficulty of obtaining a very high data rate to permit nearly real-time control of an airport from the RTC. But bandwidth keeps getting cheaper. Now certified and in operation, DFS’s RTC in Leipzig is controlling traffic at Saarbrücken, 280 miles away. Two additional airports will be added to that RTC’s responsibilities over the next two years.

The idea that a RTC could deliver better performance than a conventional tower had skeptics several years ago, but they are mostly being convinced by the ability of infrared cameras to see aircraft through fog and rain and to provide much better “out-the-window” views at night than controllers’ eyes can provide. Moreover, their cameras (visual and infrared) can monitor runways that cannot be seen from an existing physical tower, which will likely permit Heathrow to avoid building a new tower when its third runway is actually added. (Too bad this technology was not available for two-tower DFW or three-tower O’Hare.)

Conventional wisdom a few years ago maintained that while a remote tower may be fine for small, low-traffic airports, it could not handle a large hub. That is not the view of Katrin Scheidgen of DFS Aviation Services. She told Air Traffic Management’s David Hughes that, “Technically, it is less challenging to provide control through remote technology at a large hub airport. Hubs usually have better surveillance and a more homogeneous traffic mix of mostly IFR movements, which a remote tower system can handle more easily.” London Heathrow already has a contingency remote tower capability, and one is under development for Singapore Changi. And for medium hub Budapest, HungaroControl’s remote tower is now fully capable of handling all the airport’s traffic, but for the time being, the ANSP is using it for training and as a contingency facility—though it may well replace the physical tower in the future.

We are also starting to get a handle on cost savings. U.S. control tower developer Bill Payne told David Hughes that just building the road to reach the site of a physical tower can cost as much as the structure since it must handle heavy airport fire and rescue trucks. The tower must also have an elevator and water, sewer, and power lines—none of which is needed for an at-ground facility added to an existing airport building. Dieter Eier of Frequentis USA estimates that airports needing a new or replacement tower should be able to save 50 percent by using a remote tower instead.

The sad part of this story is that America’s ANSP—the FAA Air Traffic Organization—is still not engaged with remote towers. To be sure, there are two pilot projects under way with the agency’s blessing and monitoring (in Leesburg, VA, and Loveland, CO)—but no funding. Last year’s FAA reauthorization bill nominally created an FAA remote towers program, but Congress has still not appropriated any funding for it. The Defense Department, by contrast, has an RT program under way, with fixed sites at Homestead Air Force Reserve Base and Jacksonville Naval Air Station, both in Florida, plus two deployable RTs for use in the field.

Corporatized ANSPs are leading the way in this paradigm shift, with a number of them forming joint ventures with RT companies to market this new approach in other countries. NATS and Nav Canada jointly own RT developer Searidge. The ANSP of Sweden, LFV, has formed a joint venture with Saab to develop and market RTs. Germany’s DFS and Frequentis have launched DFS Aerosense for the same purpose, as has Norway’s Avinor launching Ninox with Kongsburg and Indra Navia. But as a government department, the FAA’s ATO cannot invest in a business venture of any sort.

Email sent to us by:  Spencer Dickerson
Senior EVP Global Operations
AAAE/IAAE
601 Madison Street, Fourth Floor
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone 703/824-0500, ext. 130

-reprinted here with permission

 

Aviation Groups Object to FAA's Pilot Drug Study

by Gordon Gilbert in AINonline - April 17, 2019

"Nine groups representing general aviation and airline pilots have expressed their “strong opposition” to a proposed FAA study aimed at assessing the use of medications and other drugs among pilots by anonymously collecting and testing their urine during physical exams. The study replies to NTSB recommendation A-14-95, initially published in 2014 but for which the FAA submitted its final response last year."

Read the Entire Article by Clicking HERE

 

"HEADS-UP"   GPS Military Interference Testing       Comments by Richard Eastman, CFI

"Heads-Up" ... "Heads-Up" ... "Heads-Up"

This weekend -- April 5 and 6 in particular -- is fraught with a cross-over of multiple possibilities involving GPS testing AND VIP movement!!!

Now, if you "break" into the VIP TFR, be sure to double-check the GPS testing in effect. It's possible, though doubtful given the relatively new nature of aviation GPS, that your entire GPS system will have "transported" you to a different place!!! Or, you might be able to make the claim (or not)!

1. There are two GPS Testing events on the "event" schedule this weekend ... one which will be ongoing through mid-April (the 19th)

2. There is the GPS "roll-over" on April 6 which is when is when the 10-bit binary system used in Global Positioning Systems reaches its limit -- and will reset to Week 0 (zero)! According to some news media, your car or airplane could all-of-a-sudden find itself in the middle of the Pacific ... or the Great Plains ... while you're driving down the main streets of Los Angeles in your car; OR ... in the middle of the VIP TFR planned for the 6th in the Los Angeles Basin even though you're flying in Palm Springs or Bakersfield. "They say" (whoever "they" is) such a "transition" is unlikely -- unless you have an "older" GPS system. But "older' isn't really well defined either! The specific time of the "roll-over" isn't clear ... beyond that it is supposed to happen on the 6th.

3. Per SkyVector.Com and NOTAM 6373, there is a VIP TFR scheduled to be in effect from roughly 2PM to something close to 8PM on the 5th. Unknown at the moment is whether "the VIP" will overnight in the Los Angeles Basin or not.

It's probably not unreasonable to think that the "conventional" GPS testing that is noted in #1 above is, at least on the 5th and 6th, related to the "GPS roll-over" noted in #2. For the most part, the GPS Testing at Nellis AFB takes place on the 6th and 9th ... and will impact most of the LA Basin at 4000' and below.

Fort Irwin testing is unlikely to impact general aviation as its impact over the LA Basin is at 10,000 or above. However, as you fly toward Las Vegas or Blythe, it comes down to the surface. The testing at Fort Irwin takes place on the 5th from Midnight to 11AM and on the 6th from 11:30AM TO 1:30PM. Starting on the 7th, Fort Irwin testing continues daily from Midnight to 11AM and from 11:30 to 1:30 PM.

It is actually a weekend where it's possible that you could be impacted by GPS testing and/or the roll-over -- and if they don't get you, "the VIP" 32 mile protected areas!

.pdf documents on all of these issues are appended.
// Richard

6373 Notam Details
NTTR_19_05_GPS_ FLIGHT ADVISORY
NTC_19_28H_GPS_FLIGHT ADVISORY
The April 2019 Global Positioning System
GPS Week Number Rollover

Webmaster Note: You are invited to visit our GPS TESTING PAGE located Under AIRSPACE for testing dates, and some additional comments by Richard Eastman CFI.

 

Re: Contacting SoCal over KSMO   - letter to the Webmaster

I believe Jeff and I solved the issue, but that does not account for the ATC response. Here is the situation.

We were in the special flight rules northbound (about 9:50am PST) from KTOA. Over KSMO I called ATC on 128.75.
The controller asked "please state location and altitude only" so I said 4500 over Santa Monica VOR."
He responded "You should check your charts, contract So Cal on 134.2 or 124.6."

Unprepared for the "check your charts" comment I missed the first frequency but caught the second. In order to reduce air chatter I acknowledged the second frequency and changed. On the 124.6 frequency the controller was fine and professional.

My complaint is that I had used the box closest to SMO which said "CTCSOCAL APP ON 128.75" and received "schooling" which distracted my attention while I was navigating the busiest airspace in the world. A more professional reply would simply be "contract So Cal on 134.2 or 124.6."

After reviewing the TAC chart, LA (unlike San Francisco) has blue and magenta boxes for "contact So Cal" details. If I had heard it in my lessons it did not stick, and the chart legend does not distinguish between the colors. I now realize the blue contact boxes are for aircraft entering the bravo area and evidently the magenta boxes are maybe for those transitioning or entering the charlie area, BUT THAT is not applicable for the 134.2 box as I would have been heading away from the Charlie airspace. So if you use the color box of the airspace you are heading away from then the blue frequency was correct!

This creates a conflict in the use of the colored Contact boxes. Do you choose the box based on the color of the airspace departing or entering/transitioning. If I exit special flight rules at KSMO for KSZP would I use 128.75 (I am departing Bravo area) or 134.2 (I am not going toward Charlie for any reason). And if either is valid, why did ATC "school" me?

Having spent most my flight time in the LA area with rare excursions beyond LA or California I had not realized:
1) these contact boxes are not prolific.
2) only blue for bravo areas, but not all have them.

I may have missed in in my lessons, or just not heard it, but after today I now know the difference.

Cheers!

Gary
Last name withheld by request

 

Letter from Dennis Muilenburg (Boeing) to airlines, passengers and the aviation community

March 18, 2019
We know lives depend on the work we do, and our teams embrace that responsibility with a deep sense of commitment every day. Our purpose at Boeing is to bring family, friends and loved ones together with our commercial airplanes—safely. The tragic losses of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight 610 affect us all, uniting people and nations in shared grief for all those in mourning. Our hearts are heavy, and we continue to extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board.
Safety is at the core of who we are at Boeing, and ensuring safe and reliable travel on our airplanes is an enduring value and our absolute commitment to everyone. This overarching focus on safety spans and binds together our entire global aerospace industry and communities. We’re united with our airline customers, international regulators and government authorities in our efforts to support the most recent investigation, understand the facts of what happened and help prevent future tragedies. Based on facts from the Lion Air Flight 610 accident and emerging data as it becomes available from the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident, we’re taking actions to fully ensure the safety of the 737 MAX. We also understand and regret the challenges for our customers and the flying public caused by the fleet’s grounding.
Work is progressing thoroughly and rapidly to learn more about the Ethiopian Airlines accident and understand the information from the airplane’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders. Our team is on-site with investigators to support the investigation and provide technical expertise. The Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau will determine when and how it’s appropriate to release additional details.
Boeing has been in the business of aviation safety for more than 100 years, and we’ll continue providing the best products, training and support to our global airline customers and pilots. This is an ongoing and relentless commitment to make safe airplanes even safer. Soon we’ll release a software update and related pilot training for the 737 MAX that will address concerns discovered in the aftermath of the Lion Air Flight 610 accident. We’ve been working in full cooperation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Transportation and the National Transportation Safety Board on all issues relating to both the Lion Air and the Ethiopian Airlines accidents since the Lion Air accident occurred in October last year.
Our entire team is devoted to the quality and safety of the aircraft we design, produce and support. I’ve dedicated my entire career to Boeing, working shoulder to shoulder with our amazing people and customers for more than three decades, and I personally share their deep sense of commitment. Recently, I spent time with our team members at our 737 production facility in Renton, Wash., and once again saw firsthand the pride our people feel in their work and the pain we’re all experiencing in light of these tragedies. The importance of our work demands the utmost integrity and excellence—that’s what I see in our team, and we’ll never rest in pursuit of it.
Our mission is to connect people and nations, protect freedom, explore our world and the vastness of space, and inspire the next generation of aerospace dreamers and doers—and we’ll fulfill that mission only by upholding and living our values. That’s what safety means to us. Together, we’ll keep working to earn and keep the trust people have placed in Boeing.

Dennis Muilenburg
Chairman, President and CEO
The Boeing Company

credit: Boeing.com

 

I was able to fly a F-35B Demonstrator Simulator - by Anthony Wayne Salleng

Back in February, I attended the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) WEST 2019 Expo at the San Diego Convention Center. While there, I was able to fly a F-35B Demonstrator Simulator. The following is a description I sent to a good friend of mine (a retired USMC Major General and Aviator) the day after my attendance. Read his observation HERE

 

Data Informs, Data Confuses by Paul Bertorelli

Paul Bertorelli comments on the Boeing 737 Max 8 info and relates reported info from Southwest Airlines. LINK to the AVweb article HERE

 

Boeing's crisis: AOPA safety expert weighs in by Richard McSpadden 

Original article appeared 3/21 - Editor's note: This article was updated March 22 after further analysis of NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System reports. The review of the reports and the MAX 8's MCAS reveal that the incidents in the ASRS reports were unlikely to be caused by the MCAS. Edits were also made to correct reference to the Boeing 737 MAX 8's tail. The aircraft has a stabilizer.   Read it HERE

Richard McSpadden - Executive Director of AOPA Air Safety Institute - Richard McSpadden lead’s AOPA’s ASI, committed to reducing General Aviation mishaps by providing free educational resources and supporting initiatives that improve General Aviation safety and grow the pilot population.

 

Aviation Needs More Women On The Flight Deck - And In All Roles - Forbes - Stephen Rice, Contributor Aerospace & Defense

The aviation industry faces a worldwide shortage of qualified pilots. Numerous agencies cite the need to hire thousands of new pilots over the next two decades.  Read the Story HERE