Table of contents for July 2015 in Flying

A BOLD AND INDEPENDENT LOOK AT AVIATION’S BIGGEST ISSUES I never write about what you’re going to read in the following pages of this magazine. Today I make an exception. On page 48 our award-winning senior editor Stephen Pope writes about a new light airplane manufacturer, Airbus. You might have heard of the company. It is one of the two biggest aircraft manufacturers in the history of the planet, and the initiative it has undertaken is potentially one of the most important launches in the history not of commercial but of general aviation. Historically advances in propulsion technology have quickly paid off in huge improvements in the capability of aircraft to do more and do it more efficiently and more elegantly. From repurposed Henderson motorcycle engines to massive turbofan engines,…

Aerion, the would-be maker of the AS2 tri-engine supersonic business jet, officially began taking orders for the airplane at the European Business Aviation Convention and Expo in Geneva, Switzerland, in May at an introductory price of $120 million — right around the level many observers expected. The initial price tag for the jet is being offered to the first 50 customers, who would also receive additional undisclosed perks. Aerion also noted that the price is in 2015 dollars, meaning the final tally will climb by the time the AS2 is certified, predicted to happen in 2021. The Reno, Nevada, firm also announced it’s strengthening ties with project partner Airbus, which is providing technical and certification support in a bid to build and fly the AS2 prototype before the decade is…

THE FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS FROM NTSB REPORTS OF GENERAL AVIATION ACCIDENTS. GRUMMAN G-44 Catskill, New York INJURIES: 1 Fatal Witnesses reported observing the twin-engine amphibious airplane flying southbound low above a river and hearing the engine running. The airplane then made a 180-degree left turn, which was consistent with the pilot flying a tight traffic pattern before attempting a water landing. The airplane then descended, leveled off above the water, and suddenly banked left. The airplane’s nose and left pontoon then struck the water, and the airplane nosed over, caught fire, and sank. Postrecovery examination of the wreckage revealed that the landing gear was in the “up” position and that the flaps were extended, which indicates that the airplane had been configured for a water landing. No evidence of any…

A NO-HOLDS-BARRED LOOK AT PILOTS, PLANES AND LIFE IN THE AIR “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. … I am haunted by waters.” — Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It I’m haunted by the sky … by wind and clouds, by airplanes and fliers. It’s been a gift, a blessing: struggling to acquire and hone skills; taking written exams and practicing for check rides; feeling the pride of earning a certificate or rating and the gloom of a less-than-stellar performance; teaching neophytes how to land and advanced students how to do lazy eights, enter holds or fly back-course approaches; testing sport pilots in J-3s and veterans in King Airs, Beech 18s and DC-3s; mustering the self-confidence to fly a bigger or faster airplane,…

CUTTING THROUGH THE MYTHS TO GET TO THE FACTS OF FLIGHT In April, Tampa, Florida, postman Doug Hughes landed his gyrocopter in the backyard of the U.S. Capitol. He was trying to deliver 535 letters to members of Congress explaining his opinions on campaign financing, but I suspect they ended up in an evidence room instead. They wouldn’t have had much effect on the thinking of congressmen who benefit from current campaign finance laws anyway. Hughes’ unorthodox conveyance produced more buzz about “flying bicycles” than about the pros and cons of Citizens United. The next morning found Joe Scarborough and even the normally temperate Willie Geist bloviating on Morning Joe about “yet another lapse in Capitol security” and how Hughes ought to have been shot down. They must have been…

A LOOK BACK AT FLYING MAGAZINE 25 AND 50 YEARS AGO 25 YEARS AGO OUR COVER FEATURED THE LOPRESTI SWIFTFURY PROTOTYPE, A SEXY TWO-SEATER THAT HOPED TO “RECAPTURE PILOTS’ IMAGINATION” BY PROVIDING A FASTFLYING AEROBATIC PLATFORM THAT COULD SELL FOR THE LOW PRICE OF $120,000. WHILE THE AIRPLANE ACQUIRED HUNDREDS OF ORDERS, IT NEVER MADE IT TO PRODUCTION. In “The Far Side,” Len Morgan detailed the more humorous and bizarre side of aviation, including the true origin of the “Mile High Club” and a story of an out-of-commission B-24 at Morgan’s African base that was turned into an airborne beer cooler. We flew BendixKing’s KLN88 and explored the leap in capabilities the panel-mounted loran brought to GA navigation. Among those were the benefits of an exhaustive airspace database from Jeppesen…

DO YOU HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION QUESTION? GO TO FLYINGMAG.COM/CS. FEEDBACK FROM OUR READERS WHEN THE ENGINE QUITS The key to mastering nopower approaches is for the pilot to be so accustomed to power-off flight that he or she will, in the event of a sudden and unexpected loss of power, be less inclined to have the “heart in the throat” attack and will be more likely to rapidly respond with the correct control inputs [“Mastering No-Power Approaches,” May 2015]. Gliding instruction is an excellent way to acquire this skill since, of course, complete flights — after launch by winch or towing — are conducted without engine power and all landings are deadstick with no possibility of conducting a go-around. In addition, all glider pilots must demonstrate the ability to rapidly…

Italy’s Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam, which has become known for its ever-expanding light airplane product offerings, has announced a possible step up to the jet market. The company is, however, not yet attempting to break into the bizjet segment. The conceptual P-Jet, as Tecnam has named it, is a two-set jet designed for both military and civilian operations, to be certified under FAR Part 23 regulations (CS-23 in Europe). Tecnam is currently evaluating the viability of the program; however, a conceptual prototype shows a sleek single-engine design with the engine mounted on top of the fuselage inside an engine pod, a configuration Tecnam says maximizes efficiency. The pod mount also provides easier access for maintenance inspections and major service, and enhanced fire protection, Tecnam says. Another unusual design feature is the…

NO-NONSENSE RISK MITIGATION FOR PILOTS LIKE US “Centerline!” called Martha. She was using our standard call-out for advising the pilot at the controls that he is wandering off the taxiway centerline. We were at Dallas Love Field. There were piles of snow all around the place, and the taxiways had patchy ice. It was a good time to stay on centerline. The problem was that the iPad strapped to my leg had quit displaying our position on the airport diagram. I had made the mistake of allowing myself to be distracted by it, and was head down when I should have been head up. With so many apps and enticements, the use of a tablet like an iPad in the cockpit provides abundant opportunity for distraction. It also provides a…

FLYING THE HEAVY METAL WITH AN AIRLINE CAPTAIN A brief smirk passed my lips. In an effort to hide my nerves, I made a feeble attempt at humor and queried the simulator instructor, “You really want me to execute the ILS without a flight director?” His wordless, stone-faced response wasn’t quite the reaction I had hoped for in alleviating my anxiety. I was about to demonstrate my flying abilities as part of my airline’s hiring process. For this part of the simulator session, an applicant was allowed only the use of good old-fashioned left/right, up/down needles. The magic guidance of the bat wings and delta bars would remain off. Raw data only. Fortunately, the story had a happy ending. Reflecting on the experience from over 31 years ago, it was…

ACCIDENT ANALYSIS THAT GOES BEHIND AND BEYOND THE NTSB REPORT The King Air had been airborne for just 30 minutes, en route from Pine Bluff to Bentonville in Arkansas, when it began its descent from 16,500 feet. The weather was clear, and the 3,400-hour private pilot, 72, was on VFR flight following with Razorback Approach at Fort Smith. Nine minutes after leaving 16.5, he told the controller that he wanted to change his destination to Fayetteville. “Any reason for the change?” the controller inquired. “Sir, fuel seems to be a little low, ah, could you give me vectors real quick please?” “King Air 9JG, fly heading 200, vector for the right downwind entry Runway 34 at Drake, wind 310 at eight, the altimeter 29.85.” “Got it, 9JG.” Less than 20…

TALES OF WHEN FLYING, DISCOVERY AND LIFE CONVERGE It was a typical spring day in Minnesota, warm and clear at last, but with a brisk south wind blowing across the runway. I’d just driven 45 minutes to f y the Cub for the first time since November, and I thought that the wind was still within the plane’s capability. Once I broke ground and was promptly churning sideways through the maelstrom, though, it didn’t seem like such a great idea after all. I climbed above the bumps and did a bunch of stalls, slow flight and steep turns, reacquainting myself with the old bird’s handling and psyching myself up for the dismount. Back at Airlake Airport, I surprised myself with an artful crosswind landing and was feeling pretty good as…

FROM THE OPERATING ROOM TO FLIGHT OPS: A SURGEON’S JOURNEY The first part of the flight was peaceable enough. It was just two hours from Savannah, Georgia, to White Plains, New York, with two passengers (one a spry 95 years of age, delightful smile included) and plenty of gas. The weather at the destination was the only wrinkle in the silk fabric of a perfect day. KHPN was showing quarter-mile visibility and 200 vertical visibility, but things were forecast to improve to 600 and a half-mile about the time we were to get there. We needed three-eighths-mile visibility or RVR of 1,800 feet to start the approach. We kept abreast of the metars as we shuffled along at Flight Level 410 at 440 knots. Things weren’t getting any better, so…

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