 |
 |
 |
March
6, 2009 Volume 9,
Number 9 |
TOM POBEREZNY NAMED EAA
CHAIRMAN
Leadership
Succession Initiative Announced
EAA this week announced the appointment of Tom Poberezny as
chairman of the board. EAA's founder and previous chairman of
the board, Paul Poberezny, 87, officially stepped down as
chairman earlier this month. Tom will continue with his current
duties as president while also assuming the chairman's role.
Additionally, Tom announced a leadership succession initiative
to prepare the organization for the next phase of growth. He
will begin work with the Board to initiate and lead a search for
a new president. Continued success and continuity of leadership
are key objectives. Read
more
|
USER FEES ISSUE REAPPEARS
IN BUDGET
 The
recently unveiled Obama Administration's proposed budget includes a line
item calling for aviation "direct user charges" -- in other
words, user fees. Page 129 of the White House budget proposal suggests
user fees to replace some repealed aviation excise taxes. It's a notion
we've heard before: dismantle a fuel-tax system that is already in place
and working, and replace it with a whole new system of user-fee
collections requiring more expensive bureaucracy. Read
more
|
EAA REMEMBERS RADIO ICON
PAUL HARVEY
 EAA
joins the legions of people across America mourning the death of beloved
radio broadcasting icon Paul Harvey, who passed away in Phoenix
Saturday, February 28, at the age of 90. Harvey, a pilot and aviation
enthusiast, belonged to EAA since 1973 and contributed to the creation
of the Paul Harvey Audio-Video Center, allowing EAA to tell the world
"the rest of the story." Read
more | Share
your thoughts on Gone West.
|
EAA WELCOMES ANOTHER
CHAPTER LEADERS ACADEMY TO OSHKOSH
 Last
weekend, EAA welcomed another enthusiastic group of chapter leaders to
EAA headquarters for a Chapter Leaders Academy. The weekend was packed
with informational sessions, small work groups, idea exchanges, and
access to a wide variety of EAA resources. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. There are a few
spots remaining for the March 27-29 session - our final session until
the schedule resumes after AirVenture, September 18-20 and October 16-18,
and more sessions will be held in 2010. Outside of travel costs,
the Chapter Academy is free. Once in Oshkosh, we'll take care of your
housing, food, and program materials. Drop us a line at chapters@eaa.org
to learn more or to sign up.
|
FORMER VAA BOARD MEMBER
PASSES
 Maurice
"Kelly" Viets, Topeka Kansas, 90, passed away on Friday,
February 27. Kelly was a Lifetime Member of both EAA and the Vintage
Aircraft Association. He served on the EAA Aviation Foundation Board
from 1974-1983, was a director of the Antique/Classic Board starting in
1972 and became secretary of the division in 1980. He was also elected
to two terms as vice-president and was inducted into the VAA Hall of
Fame in 1995. Kelly's dedication and hard work was instrumental in
making Antique/Classic the popular division that it is today. Read
more
|
'PUBLIC ENEMIES' TRAILER
FEATURES EAA'S TRI-MOTOR
 The
new movie
trailer for the film Public Enemies was released this week and EAA's
1929 Ford Tri-Motor made the cut. Much of the film, which stars Johnny
Depp and Christian Bale, was shot in Oshkosh, and filmmakers made good
use of EAA and its resources, including Pioneer Airport and its
collection of vintage aircraft. EAA's Ford shows up about a minute into
the video, and if you take
a close look, you can see EAA Director of Flight Operations Sean
Elliott in the cockpit! Public Enemies is set for release on July
1, 2009.
|
HOMEBUILDING HINT OF THE
WEEK: STRIPPING MIL-SPEC WIRE
 We're
celebrating another milestone for our wildly successful Hints for
Homebuilders series. We recently exceeded 600,000 plays on the EAA
website. Thanks to everyone for watching, and stay tuned for more!
This week we tackle the seemingly simple task of stripping
wire, but there is a correct way to do it. Kas Osterbuhr demonstrates
how to strip mil-spec wire and how to get the inner conductor out of a
shielded bundle. Kas is an EAA SportAir Workshop instructor for EAA's
SportAir Workshop - Electrical Systems, Wiring and Avionics. Watch
the video.
If you have a hint to share with your
fellow EAAers, we'd love to hear from you! Drop us a note at Info@EAA.org,
and please put "Hints" in the subject line.
|
SPORTAIR WORKSHOPS SOARS
AT AIM CAMPUS
 EAA's
recent SportAir Workshops weekend at the Aviation
Institute of Maintenance (AIM) campus in Chesapeake, Virginia, drew
more than 100 attendees who took advantage of a full slate of sessions
covering the most popular homebuilding techniques. EAA is grateful to
AIM for providing its world-class facilities in hosting the SportAir
Workshops that weekend. "We were delighted to be there and
appreciate the support AIM's staff gave us during the workshop
weekend," said Mark Forss, EAA SportAir Workshops
coordinator. Read more
|
EARNING HIS WINGS
Recording in-flight video
 "I've
received numerous questions about what gear we're using to record video
of our flights. As a student pilot, I've benefited greatly from being
able to watch the video of each lesson after the flight. It's amazing
how much more you hear the second time through - and it's just fun to
watch!
"If you're interested in recording
video of your flights,
check out the latest blog post where I detail our setup, describe how
we're doing it, and explain what I like and don't like about our system.
As always, please leave us a comment
if you have questions or have other ideas to share."
Brady Lane, EAA multimedia journalist,
is taking flight lessons in pursuit of his sport pilot certificate, and
he's sharing the experience in real time on EAA's website, "Earning
My Wings: A Video Blog About Learning to Fly."
|
PRE-ORDER 2009 AIRVENTURE
PROGRAM AND SAVE!
The AirVenture 2009 Commemorative Souvenir Program is now available for
pre-sale online when you order your advance AirVenture tickets. Order
now and save $2! Pick up the program at the gate when you exchange
your advance ticket for a wristband. Order
yours today!
|
SEE EAA SWEEPSTAKES PLANE
ON DISPLAY AT SEBRING
 Every
year the parking aprons at Sebring, Florida's airport become packed with
business jets and other aircraft in support of teams competing in the
Twelve Hours of Sebring auto race. During that time, all airport
visitors will have a chance to help EAA's Young Eagles program by seeing
the Flight Design MC in the lobby where they can buy a ticket to win
this light-sport aircraft. Flight Design of Germany donated the airplane
to EAA as the Grand Prize in the 2009 EAA Sweepstakes, which benefits
the Young Eagles program. The prize drawing will take place at EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2009. The aircraft will be on display in the Sebring
terminal building until Friday, April 17, and then displayed at Sun 'n
Fun in Lakeland, Florida, from April 21-26, 2009. Learn more, or enter
today at www.AirVenture.org/sweepstakes.
|
WHERE ARE YOU FLYING
THIS WEEKEND?
 EAA
Chapter 59 Pancake Breakfast & Information Exchange, Waco, Texas
(Saturday, March 7, 2009) Pancake breakfast, demonstrations,
presentations from Texas State Technical College, aircraft on display,
Wag Aero cub project, Fly Market. For more information, visit www.eaa59.org,
or contact Kenny Grisham, 254-749-5490, (Send
an e-mail.)
EAA Chapter 62 Flying Gourmets,
Hollister, California
(Saturday, March 7, 2009) Fly in to the Hollister Airport for lunch at
the Ding-a-Ling Cafe at 11 a.m. After lunch, we will tour the
Warbird Museum on the field. For more information, visit www.eaa62.org,
or contact, Terri Gorman, 408-828-6707. (Send
an e-mail.)
To learn more about calendar events, or
to find/submit others, visit www.EAAcalendar.org.
|
EAA MEMBERS SAVE $10 AT
LASERGRADE
 EAA
Members now receive a $10 discount on the price of all FAA tests taken
at LaserGrade testing centers. That's double the previous discount! With
more than 1,000 LaserGrade testing centers across the United States and
Canada, you're sure to find one located in your area. To take advantage
of your discount, call 800-211-2754 when you're ready to schedule your
test. Tell the registrar you're an EAA member and you'll receive $10 off
of the regular price. Locate
your nearest LaserGrade testing center.
|
EAA 'TIMELESS VOICE OF
THE WEEK': 'RED'
BARON TAYLER
 Professional
farrier “Red”
Baron Tayler had always wanted to fly, but never had the time to pursue
it. A near death experience in 1999 convinced him to follow his dreams,
and he began flying powered parachutes in 2002. In 2005 “Red” became the
first pilot to receive a Sport Pilot Certificate with a powered
parachute rating from an FAA Designated Examiner. Soon after he founded
the non-profit PowerChute Education Foundation to promote the sport of
powered parachuting. To help support the foundation’s mission, in 2006 “Red”made the first coast-to-coast flight in a powered parachute, flying
deck-to-deck from the USS Midway in San Diego, California, to the USS
Yorktown in Charleston, South Carolina over 17 weeks (May 1- September
17). Watch
the video.
|
GÜNTHER RALL'S MY
LOGBOOK: REMINISCENCES 1938-2006
 The
autobiography of WWII Ace Pilot Günther Rall - the third most
successful fighter pilot in history - is available from EAA at a special
price for a limited time. This personally autographed hardcover book
tells the story from Rall's time in the Luftwaffe, his role in testing
and introducing the Lockheed F-104 G Starfighter into the new German Air
Force, as well as his later role as chief of staff of the West German
Air Force. Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson provides the foreword. My
Logbook has 373 pages, with 153 photographs, and it's available
until March 31 for only $58.50 - a $6.50 discount off the regular price.
Order
online or call toll-free, 800-564-6322.
|
|
|
Q
& A:
Question of
the Week
For EAA
Information Services
My
local chapter is looking into buying a set of scales
so we can do our own weight and balancing. I haven't
been able to find any reference in the FARs or ACs
that talks about how often the scales must be
calibrated, or the accepted procedure for
calibrating them.
We would like to have
all this info before we purchase the scales. If we
have to calibrate them often, and it is expensive,
it may not be worth the chapter buying the scales.
Answer:
The FAA has no requirements at all for scales used
to weigh experimental aircraft, and as a matter of
fact, many builders over the years have used
ordinary bathroom scales - using a known weight to
calibrate them immediately prior to weighing the
aircraft.
Having said that, the
more accurate your scales are, the better; however,
accurate scales cannot compensate for improper
weighing procedures or improper calculations!
Have a question?
To ask a question regarding government issues,
e-mail govt@eaa.org.
For questions about registration, airmen, aircraft
and medical certification, safety records,
performance, or any other matter, e-mail infoserv@eaa.org.
March
2009
EAA
Desktop Calendar
Dave Williams' reborn Dyke Delta is this month's
featured EAA calendar image. The airplane was the
subject of a
cover story in the December 2008 Sport
Aviation, and a video about the airplane can be
found on the EAA
video player. Photo by EAA
Chief Photographer Jim Koepnick.
Download
this wallpaper image at the EAA
website, where you can choose among several different
resolutions to suit
your screen...or select an image from the archive.
|
|
|
 |
OPTIMISM ON BOARD AT WAI
CONFERENCE
The 20th Annual International Women in Aviation (WAI) Conference
concluded on Saturday, February 28. Its theme was "A New Approach
for Your Tomorrow," but the Conference's underlying thrust was
unquestionably jobs and the economy. Despite furloughs, fears, and
dwindling retirement funds, conference-goers were full of determined
optimism about their futures. WAI members who have spent their careers
in the aviation industry were quick to assure younger attendees that the
aviation industry operates in cycles and this one, too, shall pass.
Conference highlights included attendance of nearly 3,000 women and men,
including representatives from 15 countries; 125 exhibitors; and
$459,450 in scholarships awards. Next year's conference will be held at Walt Disney
World's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, February
25-27, 2010. For more information, visit www.WAI.org.
FLIGHT DESIGN PRESENTS
NEW 'GREEN' PROPULSION SYSTEM
Flight Design GmbH, will debut one of the first legitimate
"green" projects for light aircraft power plants at the Aero
show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, April 2-5, 2009. The concept is based
on using a well-established certified aircraft engine together with an
electric booster. This combines the reliability of a certified engine
with a very high boost power of the electric motor, which is only used
for take-off and climb. "The result is an optimized engine in
respect to size, weight and fuel efficiency for cruise flight, with
additional 40 horsepower for take-off, climb or during an engine
stoppage due to fuel starvation," Betsch said. Learn more at www.FlightDesign.com.
NTSB PRELIMINARY
REPORT: SEBRING REMOS CRASH
Todd Gunther, NTSB investigator in charge of the January 25 crash of a
Remos GX aircraft at Sebring, Florida, has released a preliminary report
on the accident. In his findings, Gunther established control continuity
to the rudder, elevator, and right wing, however, "control
continuity could not be established to the left aileron." The left
wing had been folded the night before the flight and was extended just
prior to takeoff. It appears that the left aileron quick fastener was
not secured.
Following the initial investigation,
Remos Aircraft issued a Mandatory Safety Directive on January 31, titled
"Inspection of Quick Fasteners on Control System." The
document was distributed to all Remos owners. The Safety Directive
contains illustrated directions for the proper method of securing the
aileron controls when extending the wings. "We have issued this
mandatory safety directive to assure that all pre-flight procedures are
followed with precision," said Corvin Huber, CEO of REMOS Aircraft.
"We are in the process of making a safe airplane even safer."
Learn more at www.Remos.com.
FAA PROVIDES ADVICE TO
ECLIPSE EA500 OWNERS
A Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) advises owners and
operators of Eclipse Model EA500 aircraft of the current status of
Eclipse Aviation Corporation and requests that owners and operators
inform the FAA of any unsafe condition involving the EA500. At this
time, this airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would
warrant AD action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Aviation
Regulations (14 CFR) part 39. Eclipse Aircraft Corporation filed Chapter
11 bankruptcy in November 25, 2008. The creditors for Eclipse Aviation
have now petitioned the court to move from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7
bankruptcy proceedings. All Eclipse operations (including certification,
production, service centers, training centers and dealers) are closed.
In the interim the FAA requests that
owners and operators report to the FAA all unsafe conditions that may
exist on Eclipse EA500 Aircraft to the Airplane Certification Office in
Fort Worth, Texas. For other information contact Alma Ramirez, Program
Manager, ASW-150, at 817- 222-5147 or e-mail alma.l.ramirez@faa.gov.
ROTAX INTRODUCES
ENGINE TRADE-IN PROGRAM
Rotax has released a new Engine Trade-In program in effect from March
1-April 30, 2009. Trade in your Rotax, Hirth, HKS, Jabiru, Lycoming, or
Continental aircraft engine and receive a trade-in allowance off any New
Rotax 912 UL/A/F or 912 ULS/S aircraft engine. Terms and conditions may
vary from country to country. Visit your local Rotax dealer to learn
more, or visit www.Rotax-Owner.com.
BULLY HAWK ANNOUNCES
TURBO CONVERSION KIT FOR ROTAX
Bully Hawk Aero Performance has developed a turbo conversion kit that
can turn an 80 hp Rotax 912 series engine into a turbocharged equivalent
of the Rotax 914. The company has also released its Soft Start option
for 912S operators that reduces engine start kickback. In addition,
Bully Hawk now offers a 40-amp external alternator for all Rotax 912 and
014 models, for those who need additional power to run avionics and
radios. Learn more at www.BullyHawk.ca.
SEBRING EXPO 2010 DATE
ANNOUNCED
January 21-24, 2010, are the dates for next year's US Sport Aviation
Expo at the Sebring Regional Airport in Sebring, Florida. Several new
LSA "Expo type" events are also being scheduled for other
dates throughout the year. These events focus on light-sport aircraft
and the sport pilot and related certificates. Learn more at www.sport-aviation-expo.com.
SONEX AIRCRAFT
INTRODUCES SUB-KITS
Sonex Aircraft, LLC has announced yet another option for building Sonex
Aircraft: Sub-Kits for Sonex and Waiex airframes. These Sub-Kits are
designed to give Sonex and Waiex builders more flexibility and options
for constructing the Sonex aircraft. "Sonex has received requests
for Sonex and Waiex Sub-Kit building options since we started offering a
complete kit in 2001," said Jeremy Monnett, Sonex Aircraft, LLC,
General Manager and CEO. Learn more at www.SonexAircraft.com.
NASA 'MISSION
MADNESS': VOTE ON GREATEST MISSION
NASA's 2009 "Mission Madness" tournament - a fun twist on
college basketball's March Madness and the NCAA tournament - will have
the public determine NASA's greatest past, present or future mission. A
64-mission field and match-ups will be released on March 9 at www.nasa.gov/missionmadness,
then voting for the Round 1 begins March 19 when participants can fill
out a bracket by choosing the "winning missions." The first
Mission Madness championship winner will be determined on April 8.
|
|
|
