French Connection pilots die in crash
The French Connection couple, Daniel Heligoin, 68, and Montaine Mallet, 52, died on May 27 at Flagler County Airport in Bunnell, Florida, while performing a maneuver from their airshow act. The maneuver was being taped for study and possible promotional use.
The two were performing a side-by-side hammerhead maneuver in which the two CAP 10B aircraft climb vertically in close formation before bringing the noses over laterally—like a hammer—and descending. They had successfully performed the same maneuver minutes earlier.
Based on a report from an individual who viewed the videotape, Heligoin apparently got under Mallet’s aircraft during the vertical descent. At that point in the descent, the maneuver calls for both aircraft to roll and depart the area in opposite directions. But when Heligoin rolled, his aircraft hit Mallet’s wing, separating Heligoin’s left wing from the tip to the midpoint. The leading edge of Mallet’s right wing was damaged, causing her to enter a spin.
There was no time for the pilots to use their parachutes, an official of Mudry Aviation said.
FAA inspectors from Orlando plan to return the videotape shot from the ground to Mudry Aviation as soon as the investigation is complete. It is not known if video cameras mounted on the aircraft were functioning at the time of the accident. Those tapes have also been obtained by investigators.
Relatives of the two French natives were to arrive from France to attend memorial ceremonies and to determine the future of Mudry Aviation, the flight school and FBO at Flagler that the two pilots owned. The two had specialized in aerobatic training since the early 1970s. — Alton K. Marsh
Winners announced in Trinidad paint contest
After putting out a call to AOPA members, the lucky winner of Socata Aircraft’s "Paint the Trinidad" contest is a symphony conductor and an active pilot. Scott Dorsey of Alliance, Ohio, has won a trip for two aboard an Air France Concorde SST to Paris and a side trip to Socata’s factory in southern France. Two second place winners—Bryan C. Rivera of Bronx, New York, and Bill Smith of Carmel, Indiana—have won Honeywell GPS units. Third-place winners were still being selected at press time. Socata is welcoming the new century with the introduction of a new generation of TB aircraft. Dorsey’s winning design will be painted on a TB20 to be displayed at EAA AirVenture 2000 in Oshkosh.
Commander unveils 115 series
Commander Aircraft, located in Bethany, Oklahoma, has introduced the 115 series featuring a long list of improvements to the airframe, engine, avionics, and range capability.
Improvements include a composite engine cowling, an electrically operated cowl flap, and dual Garmin GNS 430 GPS/nav/coms with color moving maps. The 160-knot normally aspirated aircraft’s range was increased by using the wing from the turbocharged model, which carries an additional 20 gallons of fuel, boosting the range to 854 nm (including IFR reserves) at 75-percent power.
The Commander 115 replaces the 114 series, and has a base price of $425,500 for the normally aspirated model and $472,500 for the turbocharged model. Commander Aircraft officials said that the company delivered 13 aircraft last year and expects to build 24 in 2000. For information, visit the Web site ( www.commanderair.com) or telephone 405/495-8080.
Company earns FAA approval for vortex generators
Micro Aerodynamics has earned FAA approval to produce vortex generator kits for the Bellanca Scout and Cessna 180. Both aircraft saw significant reductions in stall speed and takeoff runs.
"The greatest value for most pilots is the transformation in handling at slow speeds," said company President Charles White. "People report that their aircraft suddenly feel like new and substantially improved models."
Micro Aerodynamics has received 87 supplemental type certificates for vortex generator kits for single- and twin-engine aircraft. For more information, see the company’s Web site ( www.microaero.com/micro).
Raytheon Aircraft has begun deliveries of the new Air Force/Navy trainer, the T–6A Texan II (see "JPATs: This is Not Your Father’s T–6," August 1997 Pilot). Initially, only two will be delivered for operational testing for both the Navy and Air Force. By the end of this year the Air Force will have 26 of the tandem two-seaters. Although powered by a turboprop engine, computers on board make the airplane fly like a jet. The Navy will receive the aircraft beginning in 2001.
Rutan, four others stranded briefly at North Pole
Dick Rutan—who, with Jeana Yeager, circled the world nonstop aboard Voyager in 1986—was briefly stranded at the North Pole with four other men in May when their Polish-built PZL Mielec An–2 became mired in thin ice after landing.
The men were traveling with a Cessna 185 flown by Lee Wareham of Anchorage, Alaska. Wareham had a passenger as well. The group had stopped at the North Pole a few days earlier on the way to Spitsbergen, Norway.
Retracing the route the following week on the return trip to Alaska, Wareham landed first, his wife said. He quickly took measurements of the ice’s thickness and tried to signal a warning to Anchorage pilot Ron Sheardown in the An–2. The 11,000-pound biplane landed anyway and taxied near to where Wareham was standing. Wareham could see the ice billowing, either from prop blast or because of the weight of the aircraft, and signaled frantically for the An–2 to take off. However, it was too late, and the An–2 sank through the ice to its belly, said Canadian Coast Guard Capt. Barry Tolmie. Tolmie coordinated rescue efforts.
Sheardown, Rutan, a friend from Norway, and two men from Anchorage removed survival gear from the aircraft. Wareham then took off, seeking help, and reached an amateur radio operator friend in Fairbanks who had been monitoring the journey. The five were rescued by a commercial de Havilland Twin Otter summoned by the Canadian Coast Guard. There were no injuries.
There were hopes that the biplane could be recovered, but rescuers had better hurry. The Arctic Ocean is 13,000 feet deep at the North Pole. — AKM
John and Martha King recently celebrated 25 years of helping pilots fly more safely. The Kings, co-owners of King Schools in San Diego, are known for producing a wide range of aviation videotapes and other training tools. About half of the licensed pilots in the United States have trained with King videos in their flying careers, King Schools President Dave Jackson said. The Kings started out by teaching accelerated ground schools before making videotapes that use humor to help pilots remember key points. Recently they’ve been developing training tools in multimedia and interactive software formats. "That’s (software) right up our alley—or should I say, our runway," John King said.
Glasair closes doors, looks for investors
Glasair and GlaStar builders around the world have been clamoring to get information after they learned on May 8 that the kits’ manufacturer was in financial straits, had to lay off employees, and closed its doors.
Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft Inc. officials dodged media inquiries but sporadically released comments on the company’s Web site ( www.stoddard-hamilton.com).
An initial statement cited sluggish sales and mentioned "liquidation" and "termination" of the business. But a later statement from Stoddard-Hamilton President Bob Gavinsky asked for help from above.
"We are standing at the shores of the Red Sea and by faith are awaiting the waters to part. We have nowhere to turn except to ask the Lord to work a miracle," he said.
But Gavinsky also said that bankruptcy is a last resort and that the company is pursuing investors as part of a "reorganization" process, besides consulting with legal and financial experts.
The closing, nonetheless, caught many builders and competitors by surprise. Mike Shrader, North American director of sales and marketing for Lancair’s Columbia, said some of Stoddard-Hamilton’s problems may have stemmed from a lack of new products on the market. The highly acclaimed Glasair II and III lines trace their lineage back to 1980, when the company introduced the world’s first premolded composite kitplane.
There are currently 2,000 kits in the field, and 800 of them are flying, according to Stoddard-Hamilton. But the high-wing GlaStar is the only new kitplane to come out of the Arlington, Washington, factory in recent years, and Shrader said it’s in a highly competitive market. Lancair, meanwhile, developed quick-build kits and went through the certification process with its Columbia 300.
In the absence of solid information, builders have been speculating about Stoddard-Hamilton’s financial woes. Some are flying completed aircraft while others have just begun the long building process. There is talk among the builders of forming their own association to help each other out or possibly try to save the company.
"I was always happy to tell the controllers what type of plane was streaking through their screen. This may change that. I have friends that are well into their project, and I suspect this may cause some very ill feelings about the homebuilt movement," said Glasair builder John Anderson.
The cabins in Galaxy Aerospace jets will be among the quietest in business jets, thanks to a recently completed sound-reduction program. In conjunction with sound specialists at Flight Environments, the company modified the aircrafts’ environmental control system and installed advanced sound-absorbing materials between the fuselage skin and interior cabin panels. The package has been incorporated in Galaxy’s demonstrator jet, serial number 005. The package will be provided at no additional cost to the rest of the Galaxy fleet as a retrofit and be installed in new aircraft. "It only took one flight to convince us that we had a remarkably quiet aircraft," said Roger Sperry, Galaxy’s executive vice president. "Our customers will no doubt be delighted with this improvement."
Helicopters help keep Brazilian city honest
Bank robbers beware: The sky is falling. A Brazilian company called LRC Taxi Aero has been keeping an eye on São Paulo by flying four-seat Robinson R44 helicopters around the clock. Each bank has a special radio alarm that sends a signal to LRC Taxi Aero’s centrally controlled base station. GPS receivers pinpoint the location, and technicians dispatch the nearest helicopter.
Traveling at 113 knots, the helicopters, made by Torrance, California-based Robinson Helicopter Company, can typically arrive on the scene before the robbers flee. The average response time is one minute, 48 seconds. The helicopters then follow the suspects until they’re nabbed by ground patrols.
By the end of last year, the security company had flown more than 5,000 hours over São Paulo, using seven helicopters. In that time, robberies at the participating banks dropped 80 percent.
Because of an overwhelming response from the aviation community, Generation Air International is offering quarter shares of the certified Lancair Columbia 300 without the previously offered management services. This will allow owners and pilots to fly, insure, hangar, and maintain their aircraft locally. Generation Air will help find four interested clients in a particular geographic area. The company also adds value to aircraft purchases by providing early delivery positions. For further information, contact Shawn C. Goans, account executive, at 877/281-2465; e-mail [email protected]; or see the Web site ( www.generationair.com).
Jetcruzer passes critical test for high-altitude flying
The Jetcruzer 500 has been certified to 30,000 feet to give the turboprop canard better fuel economy.
Advanced Aerodynamics and Structures Inc. of Long Beach, California, made the announcement on May 10 after passing the complex structural pressurization tests.
"Pressurization is a key feature that distinguishes this aircraft from our originally FAA-certified Jetcruzer 450," said Carl Chen, AASI chairman and chief executive officer. "By successfully passing this test, our organization now has experience in all phases of the FAA certification process."
Chen said the company is ready to accelerate final structure, systems, and flight testing of the turboprop for the amended certification and deliveries this year. The company recently increased its backlog to 188 aircraft, representing $226 million.
Powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-66A, the Jetcruzer 500 is designed to cruise at 300 knots and carry six people including the pilot. For more information, see the company’s Web site ( www.aasiaircraft.com).
Cirrus SR20 receives Australian certification
The Cirrus Design Corporation at press time was planning to deliver the first SR20 to be registered in Australia. The announcement came after the company was notified on May 11 that the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) issued a type certificate for the composite airplane. "The interest in the SR20 has been strong in Australia for a long time," said Steve Maltby of Cirrus Aircraft Sales in Brisbane, the company’s sales agent in Australia. "Certification and delivery of the first customer SR20 will further fuel that interest." Cirrus plans to pursue certification in many other countries. To date, the Duluth, Minnesota-based company has sold 593 SR20s and delivered 37. About 21 percent will go outside the United States. The company also announced that the fabrication of the SR20 fuselage will be transferred to its Grand Forks, North Dakota, facility to capitalize on employee skills there. Grand Forks employees have been building components that were later shipped to Duluth for final assembly. Company officials said wing construction will remain in Duluth.
AOPA members in the news
Patrick Malone, AOPA 1354544, will be attempting to fly a Cessna 185 Skywagon to Africa to work as a bush pilot for a medical relief organization this summer. To raise money for the trip, he has developed a series of portable study tools for students preparing for FAA exams. The software is called PocketTest and runs on PalmPilot computers. Malone will be posting reports about his adventures on his Web site ( www.lonelyscribe.com/journeys). Information about the software is also available on the Web ( www.pockettest.com).
J.B. "Jim" Davey, AOPA 1088985, joined Aircraft Manufacturing and Development Company’s new factory in Eastman, Georgia, as its general manager. The company manufacturers the CH 2000 certified lightplane.
Russ Hensley, AOPA 1402962, of Lexington, Kentucky, has been named secretary of the Lexington Flying Club. The 105-member club is based at Bluegrass Airport (LEX).
J. Henry Warren, AOPA 613980, has published Storm Keeper, a mystery novel about a Baron pilot who finds more than he can handle, from love to deception, in the merger and acquisition game. Published by Xlibris Publishing, an author biography and the first chapter are available on the author’s Web site ( www.jhenrywarren.com), or see the publisher’s Web site ( www.xlibris.com/stormkeeper.html).
Jon McMinis, AOPA 637508, of Panama City, Florida, will lead the twenty-third Caribbean Fly-In on November 26. The trip will start in Florida, then head to Angels Falls, Venezuela, before returning. He can be reached at 850/785-1234.
Mike Coligny, AOPA 370064, of Oceanside, California, was named chief executive officer of FLYIT Simulators by the board of directors of Simpkins Design Group Inc.
Honeywell has received technical standard order approval for its new "AutoTilt" feature for its RDR-4B weather radars. AutoTilt is a terrain-referenced logic that optimizes antenna tilt for better detection of hazardous radar returns. This eliminates excess ground clutter and will give pilots a better picture of storms ahead. The RDR-4B is integrated with an enhanced ground proximity system (EGPWS) and must use a 24-inch-diameter radar antenna.
The big airframe makers are not the only ones reporting outstanding sales. Officials at American Champion Aircraft, located in Rochester, Wisconsin, say they have a problem, but it is a pleasant one: They can’t make aircraft fast enough. The factory is turning out a dozen of the popular tailwheel aircraft a month—sometimes more. The bestseller is the 160-hp Citabria 7GCBC Explorer. Deep in the American Champion "skunkworks" is a project to explore the return of the original 65-hp Champ to production. An airframe has been built and covered. — AKM
Historic Vimy bomber makes U.S. debut
In its first public appearance in the United States, the world’s only flying Vickers Vimy bomber carried aloft eight lucky EAA Young Eagles at Wickenburg (Arizona) Municipal Airport on April 29.
Capt. Mark Rebholz and copilot Dan Downs took two students, clad in helmets and goggles, flying at a time in the Silver Queen. One sat in the open bombardier’s cockpit up front and the other in the aft gunner’s seat. The aircraft is a full-scale reproduction built for reenacting historic flights.
Piloted by owner Peter McMillan and Australian pilot Lang Kidby, the Vimy replica first duplicated the 11,000-mile historic 1920 London-to-Australia flight in 1994. Then, in 1999, a different crew retraced the 1920 London-to-Capetown, South Africa, flight.
Yet to be decided is whether the reproduction aircraft will attempt the most famous Vimy flight—the first nonstop crossing of the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Ireland in 1919. A number of public Vimy appearances are planned this year. For more information, visit the Web site ( www.vimy.org). — Greg Brown
World aerobatic veteran switches to CAP 232
U.S. Aerobatic Team veteran Debby Rihn-Harvey has decided to switch aircraft from her one-of-a-kind Texas Hurricane to a French-built CAP 232.
Rihn-Harvey, a Southwest Airlines captain, said she will use the airplane in world competition from August 7 through 19 in Muret, France, when she will help represent the United States against competitors from 20 other countries. It will be her ninth season of competition at the world level.
The Texas Hurricane is a hybrid of several aircraft and has been extensively modified since it was built nine years ago. Rihn-Harvey said the CAP rolls faster—420 degrees per second—yet does the maneuvers with fewer Gs. It is stressed for plus or minus 10 Gs. The Texas Hurricane will be rebuilt and used by Rihn-Harvey in airshows.
She is also a designated examiner and runs an aerobatic training school in LaPorte, Texas. "The CAP 232 is more favored internationally," she said. "It’s the only one that beat me in a major contest. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em."
In other team news, David Windmiller will be making his first trip to the world championships. He will be flying his new Zivco Edge powered by a special engine that develops more than 340 hp.
"It now flies like an Extra 230 with twice the power," Windmiller said. "The vertical penetration goes way beyond any other piston-powered aircraft in the world."
The team’s performance can be followed on the Web beginning practice week and throughout the competition ( www.usaf-aerobatics.org).
Eclipse Aviation announced that it will build new facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company said that it will build a headquarters and manufacturing facility at Double Eagle II Airport, but will initially occupy existing facilities at Albuquerque International Sunport Airport. Eclipse plans to certify and produce the Eclipse 500, a six-place light twinjet powered by two 85-pound Williams International EJ22 turbofan engines producing 770 pounds of thrust each. The ability to recruit technical expertise was cited as a key factor in the decision to locate in Albuquerque. Although Eclipse will employ only 20 people in Albuquerque this year, it expects to have 2,000 on the payroll by 2007. For more information, visit the company’s Web site ( www.eclipseaviation.com).
Swearingen moves toward certification
Assembly of the prototype Sino Swearingen Aircraft Company SJ30-2 airframes that will be used in the certification program is moving forward at the company’s San Antonio, Texas, headquarters.
The wings and vertical fin were attached to the first airframe on April 17, about a week ahead of schedule. At press time, the company was installing tubing, electrical harnesses, flight control brackets, and other system components.
The jet is on target for its maiden flight in the third quarter of this year. Four other airframes that will be used for the certification program are also under construction.
The company estimates that the certification process will take a year, with first deliveries scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2001. The SJ30-2 is designed as a seven-place business jet with speeds exceeding 478 kt, a range of 2,500 nm, and an operating altitude of 49,000 feet. The company said that it will be certified for single-pilot operation.
Although the company maintains its administrative, marketing, and engineering operations in San Antonio, the jets will be assembled at Sino Swearingen’s factory in Martinsburg, West Virginia. For more information, see the Web site ( www.sj30jet.com).
Legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan was honored by the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation for his work in balancing technology and the interests of the environment. Rutan, president of Scaled Composites Inc. in Mojave, California, was presented with the twenty-third annual Lindbergh Award in Seattle on May 20. The foundation noted Rutan’s commitment to creating fuel-efficient aircraft that reduce pollution. The foundation also drew a parallel between Rutan’s Voyager and Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, both of which stretched the limits of unrefueled flight. Other recipients of the award include Neil Armstrong, Jimmy Doolittle, and Jacques Cousteau.
Cessna Aircraft Company and Wipaire Inc. recently celebrated the 100th installation of floats on Cessna 208 Caravans. The Wipline Model 8000 floats have expanded the capabilities of the utility aircraft. Wipaire, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, makes certified amphibious and seaplane floats for a variety of aircraft, including Cessna Skyhawks, Skylanes, and Stationairs.
Yakima firm puts Top Cub in production
The Piper Super Cub may be out of production, but it is still possible to buy a Top Cub made by Cub Crafters from approved parts. The Yakima, Washington, firm collects approved parts for the Piper Super Cub from companies in as many as 10 states, adds a few approved parts of its own, and assembles new 180-horsepower Top Cubs.
The name was changed to avoid any confusion with the Piper company. It is still a Cub, built according to the Piper type certificate, but the data plate says Cub Crafters. While highly similar, it is, as the marketing world says, "new and improved" with more horsepower and stronger landing gear.
"We have close to 30 supplemental type certificates for the PA–18 Super Cub," said Cub Crafter official Nathan Richmond.
The base price is $129,500. There are numerous options. The U.S. Air Force Academy is buying a few to tow gliders for flight training. For more information, visit the Web site ( www.cubcrafters.com) . — AKM
Squawk Sheet
The NTSB has recommended to the FAA that it require New Piper Aircraft to develop an inspection procedure to detect corrosion in high-wing Piper airplanes. The in-flight structural failure of a PA–18-150 Super Cub prompted the recommendation after the discovery that corrosion had completely penetrated the forward lift strut attach fitting.
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