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NASA Transfers Delay-Reducing Software to FAA
By Jim Banke
NASA Aeronautics
Research Mission Directorate
Timing is everything.
In delivering the punch line to a good joke, passing the football to a receiver in the end zone or launching a new crew to the International Space Station – knowing the exact moment to go is the key to success.
Air traffic controllers face that kind of scheduling challenge every day as they work to move thousands of passengers and tons of cargo efficiently and safely through every phase of an airplane’s journey from airport gate to gate.
Take departure, for example. Controllers must smartly direct aircraft from a terminal gate, along the taxiway, onto the runway and then into the sky, allowing the airliner to join smoothly with the busy air traffic lanes overhead.
To do this, controllers must determine as best they can the precise amount of time it will take for an airliner to get from its gate to a fixed spot in the sky, and therefore be able to predict when pilots should receive clearance to push away from the terminal.
Now a new computer software tool developed by NASA’s aeronautical innovators – the Precision Departure Release Capability, or PDRC – will soon help controllers better manage that part of the airplane’s trip.
NASA officially presented the prototype software by to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during a ceremony at the FAA’s headquarters in Washington Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Proposed AD Demands Removal of Thousands of ECI Titan Cylinders
Mark Baker Named President And CEO Of The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Mark R. Baker has been named the new president and chief executive officer of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. (aopa.org)Mark R. Baker, a longtime general aviation (GA) pilot, has been named president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the world’s largest aviation association. Baker is only the fifth AOPA president since the association’s founding nearly 75 years ago.
“We are pleased to announce that Mark Baker has been selected as the next president and chief executive officer of AOPA,” said Bill Trimble, chairman of the AOPA Board of Trustees. “He has all the tools this job demands. Mark brings 35 years of involvement in the GA community as a pilot and decades of experience in leadership positions in the home improvement industry, such as Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and The Home Depot. He has an extraordinary understanding of the importance of serving our membership and advancing their needs. He is well-suited to build on the foundation established by his predecessors and move AOPA forward.
Contrails: Yesterday’s Treasures
By Steve Weaver
Beacon tower at U.S. Air Mail field at North Platte, Nebraska. (National Air and Space Museum Archives)If you’ve ever flown into the Elkins, West Virginia Airport (EKN) on a clear night you may have noticed during your approach to the airport that the rotating beacon became visible much sooner than you might expect. And if you stopped to consider that the airport is tucked into a broad valley guarded to the east and west by fifteen hundred foot ridges of the Appalachian Mountains, you might have wondered how you could see the beacon at all. The answer of course is that a beacon is located near the airport, but at the very top of the eastern mountain ridge. That in itself isn’t so unusual, but I find the origin of that beacon to be very interesting.
Aviation history has always had a great fascination for me. I love reading about it, and examining preserved items in aviation museums across the country is one of my favorite things to do. However, the thing that really fires my imagination is stumbling across the bits and pieces of yesterday’s aviation that still exist outside of museums.
Schubach Aviation Sponsors Rescued Shelter Dog “Charlie” on his Journey to Become Wingman for U.S. Military Veteran
San Diego air charter firm is funding costs to put Charlie through Shelter to Soldier’s training program to become a certified service companion dog for a U.S. veteran with PTSD
Charlie getting comfortable with his future role as co-pilot for a U.S. veteran. (Dennis Hoover Photography)For nearly all his life, he’s known only rejection and isolation. But “Charlie”, as the Schubach Aviation team has named him, is now on his way to becoming a certified service companion dog and the cherished wingman for a U.S. veteran with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as he or she navigates the hardships of daily civilian life.
Schubach Aviation is San Diego’s premier private air charter firm, with headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif. The company’s sponsorship will cover costs to specially train, house and feed Charlie, as well as pay for medical care, equipment, travel and grooming costs, as he goes through Shelter to Soldier’s three-step training program.
We Fly with the Geico Skytypers: A Truly Unique Act
By Larry E. Nazimek
Full team formation. (Geico Skytypers)The GEICO Skytypers are a precision formation flying team, but they are also an aerial advertising team that gets the messages out in a most unique way: “skytyping.”
“Skywriting,” with a single aircraft flying in patterns and releasing smoke to form large letters, was far more popular 50 years ago than it is today. What had been common then is not common now.
“Skytyping” is a type of dot matrix printing made by puffs of smoke released by a five aircraft flying line – flying abreast.
The 2013 Chicago Air and Water Show - Still Successful
By Larry E. Nazimek
Action took place both on the water and in the skies along the Chicago lakefront. (Geico Skytypers)Practically all the articles about this year’s airshows focus on the effects of the sequester that keeps military aircraft from performing. Many airshows were cancelled, and if you googled “Chicago Air and Water Show,” prior to the show, as you were typing in the letters, among the various options in the drop box were “Cancelled.” Suggestions that the show would be cancelled, however, were about as factual as the emails you get from the foreign princes who want to come to the U.S. and split their fortunes with you.
According to Mary May, Public Relations Coordinator of Chicago’s Dept. of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, cancellation was never considered. “We’ve been doing this since 1959, and we’re not about to quit now. The show must go on!” And so it did.
Editorial: Thanks, Paul
By Ed Downs
A visionary, leader and damned good pilot flew over the southern horizon for the last time on Aug. 22, 2013. Paul Poberezny, founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association, is gone.
Virtually every aviation publication in the world will comment on the passing of this remarkable man, most recounting the creation of the EAA, the incredible success of this organization and the part that Paul Poberezny played in shaping the modern world of recreational flying. To be sure, the creation of the EAA and all that it has stood for over the years is a story that needs to be told in perspective with the amazing person who fathered what we now refer to as the “homebuilt movement.” But this writer would like to take a different approach.
You see, Paul was my friend. The funny thing is that thousands of people can correctly say the same thing. To meet Paul was to become his friend. To work with Paul was to become a friend for whom he would always take time to greet and say “hello” to, when the occasion permitted, usually at AirVenture.
Flabob Airport Cafe to Open Sept. 16
From Skies to Stars - August 2013
There is No Such Thing as a “Dumb” Question
By Ed Downs
As pilots, we have all taken folks, both adults and kids, for their first airplane ride. We aviators hope that our “newbie” will thrill at the wonder of flight. As a CFI who grew up in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, the first reaction I saw was almost always, “wow, look at all the swimming pools!” Not exactly the wonder of flight I was hoping for.
The same can be said of those who take their first look through a telescope. One would expect wonder at the size of the universe, a thrill at seeing planets “first hand,” and amazement when stars are magnified to show magnificent color differentials. But, the actual observations of “newbies” are often quite different than one might expect. Recent events offered an opportunity to hear unexpected questions first hand. With broad media coverage of the “Super Moon” in late June, a good friend could not resist his passion for astronomy and invited this writer to attend a large family gathering, complete with great food and all the accoutrements. The catch was, “would I bring my telescope so his family and guests could see this somewhat unusual lunar event.” Pilots and amateur astronomers have a lot of common interest, one of which is food, so it was a deal!
Goodies and Gadgets - August 2013
Hellcat Bottle Opener
Get ready to pop that top with this truly unique handcrafted, Hellcat bottle opener. Not only is this a fun keepsake and a functional gadget, but it also resembles the Grumman F6F carrier-based fighter used in World War II.
The Hellcat bottle opener is made with lead-free pewter with some sterling silver that provides an exceptional shine. You can keep the Hellcat bottle opener clean by hand washing with ammonia free mild soap and water. Dishwashing is not recommended. A pewter cleaning cloth available from any hardware store is also an option for keeping your bottle opener shiny bright. The Hellcat bottle opener and gift box packaging is completely made in the USA. It fits in the palm of your hand, has a nice feel, and measures approximately 4.25-inches long by 3.25-inches across the wingspan.
Anyone interested in aviation would enjoy owning this opener. This is available for $25 on the Banyan Pilot Shop website at www.BanyanPilotShop.net/hellcat
Joseph Flint's Rescue From Innocence
A combination of aviation thrills, ripped from the headlines intrigue and romance make for a satisfactory late summer beach read.
By S. Mark Rhodes
Author Joseph Flint is one of the most experienced flight test engineers in the world. He has tested all variety of aircraft and has now added ‘author’ to his impressive resume. (Courtesy of Joseph Flint)Joseph Flint is one of the most experienced flight test engineers in the world with more than 30 years experience testing and flying experimental aircraft all over the globe. He has tested all variety of aircraft including the Chinook, Apache, as well as the Boeing 737, 777, 787 and 747. To this impressive resume Mr. Flint has just added author with the recent publication of Rescue From Innocence (Xlibris Corp.), which was inspired by Mr. Flint’s own experiences working within the realm of global politics more than two decades ago. The book reads as a satisfying thriller with some welcome romance and soap opera elements (as well as a charismatic protagonist named Walter Judge) thrown in for good measure, Mr. Flint was nice enough to check in with In Flight’s Mark Rhodes about his colorful and accomplished life and his recently published book.
Contrails: An Errant Airman
By Steve Weaver
This shot of the Beechcraft Twin Bonanza was taken at the Aurora, IL airport in 1987. (Glenn E. Chatfield)In my early days in aviation, many of the errant airmen that I happened upon were WWII vets and sometimes ex Army Air Corps flyers; as a young pilot, their age and experience seemed to me to afford them a certain license to be… well, different.
One of those types that come readily to mind would be Richard. Richard B. was the owner of a Beechcraft Twin Bonanza and he and the airplane were memorable to me, since they were the only twin/pilot combo that dared to frequent our 1,600-foot sod strip. He was from Elkins, just a few miles to the east of us and he flew the mighty Twin Bo in pursuit of his business as a lumber broker. He also flew it in pursuit of a covert heart’s interest that happened to reside in our town, hence the frequent visits by the big twin.
Editorial: All We Can Do is Rant?
By Ed Downs
The title of this month’s column is both a statement and a question. Follow along and see if you can decide which interpretation is correct. With patient understanding from the editors and production team of In Flight USA, this writer has been waiting until the last minute, hoping for good news from AirVenture 2013 regarding the outrageous fees assessed by the FAA to support this year’s EAA program.
Regrettably, as of the time this is being written (EAA AirVenture 2013 is underway), the fees still apply and even Congressional efforts have had little or no positive effect.
The FAA tossed in an additional insult by officially announcing that FAA Administrator Michael Huerta was not going to attend the traditional “Meet the Administrator” event at AirVenture 2013. Virtually all FAA activities at the program were canceled, including Wings course participations and safety seminars. The official FAA explanation was that budget constraints prevented the FAA from attending and Administrator Huerta had previous plans made months earlier.
What's For Breakfast?
By Dr. Susan Biegel MD, AME
Everyone has heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this is especially true for pilots. Skipping a nutritious breakfast and having only coffee and a danish is tantamount to putting water in your airplane’s fuel tank. You depend on your airplane engine to perform well, and you should want your body and mind to be performing at top capacity as well. After not having had any food all night, it’s time to fill up with quality fuel, not fuel that’s going to give your body a rocket burst of energy and then fizzle out like a used up firework leaving you fatigued, irritated and not thinking sharply. Your brain and body need to be at peak performance and resilient, able to respond and think quickly. What are some key nutritional guidelines in your operation manual to getting your day started off right?
Homebuilder's Workshop: Fetching the RV-8
By Ed Wischmeyer
The RV-8 in flight. (Courtesy of Ed Wischmeyer)For quite some time, I’ve figured that the RV-8 was probably what would best meet my needs and desires in a sport airplane. There have been any number advertised for sale, many with over-personalized paint jobs, excessive equipment, and astronomical price tags.
Eventually, though, one showed up on the west coast that looked pretty good, and at a good price. However, there are plenty of homebuilts of all sorts out there with beautiful cosmetics but shoddy wiring and engine installation. Those fears were allayed when it turned out that a long-term friend knew the airplane, knew the builder, and knew the seller. Plus, the picture of the engine installation showed numerous details nicely done. As a bonus, those frustrating piano wires in the hard to reach parts of the cowling had been replaced with Dzus fasteners. With absolutely no bargaining on the price, I mailed off a deposit check.
EAA Petitions Federal Court on FAA ATC Charges
Winners Announced for the 16th Annual EAA AirVenture Cup
Race 91, Bruce Hammer, taking off in his Glasair I TD from Mount Vernon Airport on the morning of July 28. Mr. Hammer won 1st Place in the Formula FX Blue division. (Photo courtesy of Geoff Sobering).The winners have been announced for the 16th Annual EAA AirVenture Cup cross-country air race.
The race started at 9:30 a.m. July 28 departing from Mount Vernon, Ill. with two turn points before ending in Waupaca, Wis. for a total mileage of 460 nm. The fastest aircraft of the day was a Turbine Legend, flown by Marty Abbott who came in at a time of 1:17:55 and an average speed of 354.30 mph.
A total of 48 aircraft raced in the event, which included experimental and certified aircraft categories. Two of the aircraft, both Glasair I TDs, where flown by Steve and Bruce Hammer, who have been competing against each other in the race since 1998. Bruce beat his bother this year by just under six minutes.
National Naval Aviation Museum's Golden Anniversary
New Exhibit Is Veritable Scrapbook
(Courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum)A new exhibit created on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the National Naval Aviation Museum is a veritable scrapbook telling our story.
Golden anniversaries only come around once and, in the case of the National Naval Aviation Museum, this year marks that momentous milestone. While the museum was established with its mission outlined by the authority of the Secretary of the Navy in 1962, not until June 8, 1963, did it open its doors to the public for the first time. That 50-year story is told in a new exhibit that has opened on the museum Quarterdeck.
The summer of 1963 was a monumental time in American history as the Civil Rights Movement swept across the South and American astronauts rocketed into space taking the early steps towards realizing President John F. Kennedy’s goal of reaching the moon. In popular culture a band called the Rolling Stones released its first single and moviegoers were first introduced to a spy fond of martinis shaken, not stirred. That year New York Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle made $100,000 dollars and Jack Nicklaus captured the first of his six Masters titles.
X-47B Makes First Arrested Landing at Sea
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brandon Vinson
USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Commun-ication Specialist 1st Class Arif Patani/Released) The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator completed its first carrier-based arrested landing on board USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) off the coast of Virginia July 10.
“It isn’t very often you get a glimpse of the future. Today, those of us aboard USS George H.W. Bush got that chance as we witnessed the X-47B make its first ever arrested landing aboard an aircraft carrier,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “The operational unmanned aircraft soon to be developed have the opportunity to radically change the way presence and combat power are delivered from our aircraft carriers.”
Today’s demonstration was the first time a tailless, unmanned autonomous aircraft landed on a modern aircraft carrier.