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In Flight USA Articles
Contrails: Looking for Bubba
By Steve Weaver
He was, way country. I was a West Virginia country boy too, back there in the late ‘60s when I met Bubba, but this guy was light years ahead me. He exuded the aura of his mountaineer heritage, and you could hear his roots in his speech and see ancient times in his countenance.
In age, he was a few years beyond my own late 20s when I met him. He had been raised by his grandparents on a mountainside farm, where the folds of the Appalachians first rise up out of the foothills of Central West Virginia and begin their march to the Piedmonts.
He had enlisted in the service after high school, more to have a job than as a career choice. In those opportunity-starved years, the old West Virginia saw of ‘coal mines, moonshine or movin’ on down the line’ applied to almost every boy unable to go on to college after high school. And so Bubba moved on, into the blue uniform of the U.S. Air Force, and after basic training was stationed at a Strategic Missile site in North Dakota.
Cessna’s Flagship Citation Latitude Debuted at NBAA
The Citation Latitude, Cessna’s newest midsize business jet, made its public debut at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention & Exhibition, giving customers and industry observers a first look at the company’s latest in a long line of Citations, the world’s most popular line of business jets. Cessna Aircraft Company is a subsidiary of Textron Aviation, Inc., a Textron Inc. company.
“From cabin to cockpit, customers are impressed with the expansiveness of the Citation Latitude,” said Kriya Shortt, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing. “The superior flight functionality, performance and reliability that are inherently Citation are matched by the clean, contemporary cabin environment, superior in-flight productivity and integrated flight management suite– elevating the flight experience for both passengers and pilots.”
Well and Truly Grounded
By Ed Wischmeyer
There’s a trick to avoiding having the FAA ground you for medical reasons. Just like in telling a joke, the answer is “timing.”
In my latest case, the problem is scoliosis, meaning, that my spine is not straight, but rather looks like the ground track of a pilot landing with a tailwheel for the first time. That spinal curvature puts pressure on the nerves coming out of the spinal column (stenosis) and causes pain. I’m guessing that it could eventually cause full lack of functionality.
The king-kong fix for this is spinal fusion, meaning, the doctor opens his erector-set catalog to “implants” and gets all the metal bits and pieces to hold the selected vertebra in place until they can grow together, i.e., fuse. The downside of this is that with those vertebra rigidly affixed, stresses accumulate at the end of the fused region. A real world example is that on many sailplanes with extra stiffening around the spoilers, eventually, the paint cracks around the end of the spoilers, indicating the stress.
Zlin Meister
By David Brown
Proud Owner Jeff Koehler with Zlin N242DC in its present paint scheme. (David Brown)Twenty years ago former F-15 pilot and Air Force Academy graduate, Jeff Koehler, worked for Northrop Grumman on the B2 program, but still yearned to return to the skies. Initially he used a Cherokee 140 to commute to Los Angeles from his home in Camarillo, but eventually he realized that he wanted more from his flying. What he really hungered for was an aerobatic aircraft, so took his time looking at all the possible contenders, ranging from the Pitts Special to the CAP 10. One consideration was cockpit room, as Jeff is over six feet tall. This ruled out a number of contenders with cramped cockpits.
Working in Melbourne, Fla. by this time, Jeff had an opportunity to fly the Moravan Zlin 242, which was a Lycoming-powered variant of the Czech Zlin 241 of famed aerobatic lineage (Zlin 526 and Zlin 50) and was at that time relatively cheap for a new aircraft ($125,000). Also, the cockpit was of ample size.
Orion Trial By Fire Video
Orion's First Flight
Taste of Flight Gala
Pan American Airways at Historic Flight Dates
Aircraft Spruce Announces Customer Appreciation Day
The Man, The Myth and The Legend: Author John F. Ross’s new book on Eddie Rickenbacker Celebrates the Life and Times of America’s First Aviation Hero
By Mark Rhodes
Eddie Rickenbacker’s natural charisma helped forge the public image of military aviation as a glamorous, albeit risky profession. (National Archives)Eddie Rickenbacker is a major figure in U.S. Military History, becoming America’s first flying Ace in World War I and subsequent Medal of Honor winner. After the war, his work as a businessman and aviation advocate with Eastern Airlines helped pave the way for sustainable, safe and reliable commercial aviation in post World War II America. Add to this his dashing exploits as an early pioneer of auto racing and his many escapes from death (the publicity material for Enduring Courage lists eight separate incidents, including a horrific Pacific Ocean crash where he and several others were stranded on rafts for 24 days in 1942) and you have a great example of American Heroism taken to the nth degree.
Despite this, Eddie Rickenbacker, while not an obscure figure is not exactly the household name he was in the first half of the 20th century. John F. Ross’ brilliant new biography Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of Speed (St. Martin’s Press) is a welcome corrective to this, placing Rickenbacker’s contributions in a variety of fields in proper context in 20th century American history. Mr. Ross paints a picture of a tough-as-nails, complex man whose quick thinking, physical skills, hard edged charisma and instinct for survival helped make him one of America’s most influential and admired men of the first half of the 20th century. Mr. Ross was nice enough to correspond via email about his work and the man, the myth and the legend of Eddie Rickenbacker.
Editorial: Stick and Rudder
By Ed Downs
Does that title sound familiar? For many, the book, Stick and Rudder, written by Wolfgang Langewiesche, appears on nearly every bookshelf of aviators around the world. First published in 1944, this book became the quintessential word on the “art of flying,” stressing the need to develop well-understood skills to be used in controlling the aircraft. Those of us who teach Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics (FIRC’s) are hearing the term “stick and rudder” again, but not in reference to this classic book. This time it comes from the FAA, having added mandated content to approve FIRC curriculums that addresses the subject of “stick and rudder” skills, or more accurately, the lack of such skills. But let me take a step back and explain the issue at hand.
Every CFI must undergo classroom (or today, web-based) training once every 24 calendar months. The course undertaken is approved by the FAA and must contain a specific amount of FAA mandated content. Companies that conduct such courses maintain an FAA approved status, as do their instructors, like this writer. The program (class or web) MUST contain a minimum of 16 hours of actual training, and significant paperwork is involved. Failure to attend a FIRC every two years and pass two written exams means the CFI loses the privilege to instruct. Once a FIRC is missed, the CFI must attend a FIRC and take an FAA check ride to reinstate CFI privileges. Stop and think about it, how many other licensed professions (medical, legal?) have such requirements?
Where American Legends Live On: Yanks Air Museum Welcomes AOPA to Chino, California
By Donia Moore
Setting the Stage
Imagine a younger America where patriotism was the order of the day and dashing heroes boldly flew legendary aircraft, fighting wars to defend American ideals of freedom at all costs. Envisage new and unconventional aircraft turning the tides of history forever. Discover more than 200 fully restored proud American legends of yesterday living on at world-class Yanks Air Museum in Chino, Calif.
A Stellar Trio
The “sister” ship of the famous “Ryan N.Y.P.” Spirit of Saint Louis, piloted by Charles “Lucky” Lindberg. The aircraft is made of welded chrome-moly steel tubing, solid spruce spars and covered with fabric (Yanks Air Museum) The lanky, quiet young U.S. mail-carrier ambled out to the airstrip and climbed into his Ryan B-1 Brougham. On May 20-21, 1927, this former barnstormer/wingwalker wasn’t flying his regular route. He was on his way to accomplish the first solo non-stop New York to Paris flight. He caught the imagination of the world. The popularity of his five-seat passenger transport sky-rocketed. Demand was so high among aviators that production of the B-1shot up to three planes a week for a price of $9,700.00 per plane. Only 142 of these were eventually built. Today, the only flyable Ryan B-1 in the world, the “sister” ship to Charles “Lucky” Lindberg’s “Spirit of St. Louis,” is at Yanks Air Museum in Chino, Calif.
NASA's Orion Spacecraft Stacks Up for First Flight
The Orion crew module for Exploration Flight Test-1 is shown in the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) Cell, positioned over the service module just prior to mating the two sections together. The FAST cell is where the integrated crew and service modules are put through their final system tests prior to rolling out of the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for integration with its rocket. Technicians are in position to assist with the final alignment steps once the crew module is nearly in contact with the service module. In Dec., Orion will launch 3,600 miles into space on a four-hour flight to test the systems that will be critical for survival in future human missions to deep space. (NASA/Rad Sinyak)With just six months until its first trip to space, NASA’s Orion spacecraft continues taking shape at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Engineers began stacking the crew module on top of the completed service module Monday, the first step in moving the three primary Orion elements––crew module, service module and launch abort systems – into the correct configuration for launch.
“Now that we’re getting so close to launch, the spacecraft completion work is visible every day,” said Mark Geyer, NASA’s Orion Program manager. “Orion’s flight test will provide us with important data that will help us test out systems and further refine the design, so we can safely send humans far into the solar system to uncover new scientific discoveries on future missions.”
Aviation World Record Achieved for Coast-to-Coast Flight
By EAA Staff
(eaa.org)
Michael Combs and his son Daniel Routh celebrate in Charleston, South Carolina, after unofficially setting a point-to-point transcontinental world record. (Courtesy of Flight for the Human Spirit)Michael Combs earned a sixth aviation world record in his Hope One Remos GX light-sport aircraft after completing a coast-to-coast flight on Saturday, June 7, as part of his Flight for Human Spirit project.
If Combs’ flight is verified by the National Aeronautic Association and ultimately the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, it would establish a new point-to-point transcontinental speed record for this class of aircraft.
Between April 2010 and September 2012, Combs flew for the Flight for Human Spirit project through all 50 states and British Columbia, Canada. He departed Ontario International Airport in California at 5:27 a.m. on June 5 and landed at Charleston, South Carolina, 34 hours, 1 minute later. Flight for the Human Spirit’s mission is to spread the message that it is never, ever too late to follow your dreams. This was Combs’ third attempt at the transcontinental record.
Going the Extra Mile
With its sleek lines and efficient high-aspect ratio wing, the four-seat DA-40XLS cruises at 150knots TAS on the 180 HP of the IO-360. This equates to about 16mpg while eating up the distance at over three miles a minute. The composite construction results in a smooth airframe. Fuel capacity has been increased to 50 gallons in a pair of wing tanks. (Diamond Aircraft) DA-40XLS Flight Report
By David Brown
The long-winged Diamond DA-40 has been steadily entering the market in the four-seat fixed-gear general aviation aircraft, which has been long dominated by the Cessna 172. With sleek and sturdy composite construction, the DA-40 can show a clean pair of heels to the competition.
Diamond has not been resting on its laurels but has been continuously improving the DA-40. I was eager to fly the latest version, the DA-40XLS. I met up with the XLS on the ramp at Long Beach Airport in Southern California. The day did not seem promising for our mission with a thick overcast blanketing the area, but Robert Stewart, my demonstration pilot, was not dismayed. With a full avionics fit and integrated autopilot, the DA-40XLS was fully IFR capable, and the inclement weather would give us a chance to see the advantages of the system under instrument conditions.
SkyCraft Declares Light Sport Compliance, Purchases New Factory in Utah
A Brief Analysis of Takeoff Safety Concerning the Proper Decision Making of GO/NO GO
By Ehsan Mirzaee
Introduction: Do more planes crash on takeoffs or landings? This is a challenging question for some people and an easy, clear one for others. According to official statistics, landing phase of a flight is the most dangerous phase, noticing the number of incidents and accidents occurred during this phase. In this final phase of flight, pilots are required to take into consideration more variables in a shorter period of time. They should deal with speed, altitude, pitch corrections, comply with ATC instructions, and at the same, time monitor all other systems and instruments to know if they are working properly.
On the other hand, takeoff is the second most dangerous phase of flight. During the takeoff roll, as the speed of the aircraft is increasing, the pilot is supposed to decide more quickly and react more precisely in case of an emergency.
In this essay, I want to talk about the importance of decision making by pilots during takeoff run in case of an abnormal situation; whether to continue takeoff or to reject it and to discuss the standards according to which pilots must decide GO/NO GO.
An Interview with Bob Leuten
By Michael J. Scully
If there is one word to describe Bob Leuten, it is achiever. Bob Leuten is not a man who has ever been satisfied just waiting for good things to come his way. Bob Leuten gets it done.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bob was a scholarship swimmer at Bowling Green State University where he made the record books more than once. After earning a business degree and completing the ROTC program, Bob was commissioned as an Army 2nd Lieutenant in 1965. Already having reached the highest status in HAM radio, the army applied Bob’s talents in the Signal Corps, both domestically and in Vietnam. Three years later, Bob left the army as a Captain but not before earning an Army Commendation Medal and a Bronze Star for meritorious service.
Editorial: Safety Last: Lies and Cover-Ups Mask Roots of Small Plane Carnage
By Ed Downs
Does that title grab your attention? It should, as it is emblazoned across the USA Today web link to an article written by Thomas Frank (with 11 additional “contributors” listed at the end of the article), an investigative reporter for the print publication, USA Today. The print article was entitled, “Unfit for Flight,” but the web version seeks to grab readers’ attention with a title smacking of yellow journalism, (a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines and photos to sell more newspapers) complete with a full-color photo of a crashed helicopter engulfed in flames. To be sure, the title, photo and article are designed to incite fear and mistrust of General Aviation by the reading and web-viewing public. Written in six short “installments,” accusations are made that General Aviation is an industry full of large companies that do not care about safety, an FAA that is obscuring the facts, longstanding deficiencies in design that go unchallenged and multiple lawsuits that prove just how dangerous General Aviation is. Now do we have your attention?
Contrails: Oh, The Places You’ll Go
By Steve Weaver
When most pilots consider the hours they have logged in the air, the time usually remains just hours to them. The recorded flights are remembered as a cross-country, as an instrument flight, or as the hour spent learning recovery from unusual attitudes. But as time aloft accumulates, it can also be viewed using other measurements. By the time a student pilot has qualified for his or her private license, he or she has gained a bit of experience and is ready to begin learning to fly the airplane on instruments. He or she has probably spent about a week apart from the surface of the earth. That would be a total of seven 24-hour days spent hanging suspended above the earth or 168 hours total. Later, at the 500-hour milestone, our pilot has been missing from the earth for over two and a half weeks, and on the day he or she logs his or her one thousandth hour, he will have spent a total of more than 41 24-hour days some place other than on the planet where he was born.
Those of us who have flown most of our lives as a profession, rack up a prodigious amount of hours in the air, and the high timers among us have lived aloft literally for years.