Pilot Briefing: Cuba bound

Today, under liberalized rules, U.S. citizens can travel to Cuba under one of 12 categories approved by the Treasury Department (see "Who Can Fly," on right). However, GA pilots must cross additional paperwork hurdles before launching for Havana or one of the other nine international airports there.

AOPA staff traveled to the capital city under a professional research and professional meetings license, flying a Cessna Caravan from Key West. While a pilot can make arrangements for a visa and landing permit number—which must be included on the international flight plan form—as well as for processing through customs and passport control, Cuban aviation authorities recommend an international handler be involved to ensure a smooth process. Even using a handler, arrival and departure procedures each took some 90 minutes or so for the AOPA flights, including paying of fees, getting required signatures on numerous documents, filing flight plans, and getting approved routings. Nearly all flying to and within the island is IFR, although officials said “controlled VFR” was possible for domestic flights.

In all, there are 23 airports on the island, 10 with international services.

Representatives of the Cuban IACC, the equivalent of the FAA, are anxious to receive GA airplanes from the United States, but are cautious about mixing airliners and GA at the same airports. AOPA is working to show them how it can be done safely.

In meeting with the Cubans, AOPA President Mark Baker assured them that while U.S. pilots are anxious to visit the nation, everyone is interested in a safe and predictable experience.

Jorge Castillo, director of air transport and international relations, agreed. “For us, safety is first. We are on the same path. We are concerned about the increase in general aviation traffic and we thank you for your offer to help with education and more information on safety.”

Craig Spence, AOPA vice president of operations and international affairs and secretary general of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations, offered examples of U.S. airports where airline, military, and GA operate in harmony. Especially around Havana, airports closer to the center of the city would make for ideal GA reliever facilities, keeping traffic away from the main airport. AOPA staff invited Cuban authorities to the United States to tour various types of airports and to learn more about GA operations.

Pictured top right: AOPA staffers meet with Cuban aviation officials.

FYI

Can I fly to Cuba?

Not as a tourist; tourist activities are still prohibited.

Who can fly to Cuba?

The 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba are family visits; official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations; journalistic activity; professional research and professional meetings; educational activities; religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; humanitarian projects; activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes; exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials; and certain authorized export transactions.

Is there a U.S. embassy in Cuba?

The U.S. Embassy in Havana recommends that all U.S. citizens in Cuba register with the American Citizens Services Unit. Travelers can register their visit in person or online by visiting the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program website.

Cash or credit?

U.S. credit and debit cards do not work in Cuba. Bring enough cash for the entire trip. U.S. dollars can be exchanged into Cuban convertible currency at the airport, hotels, or exchange houses. There is usually a 10-percent charge on exchanging U.S. dollars. 

FAA News

Proposed Part 61 changes would benefit GA

New rules would save pilots time, money

The FAA has published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would improve pilot certification and training. The changes, which primarily affect Part 61 of the federal aviation regulations, respond to requests made by AOPA. FAR Part 61 governs the certification of pilots, flight instructors, and ground instructors.

The most significant changes for the general aviation community include increased use of aviation training devices (ATD) for maintaining instrument currency, the option to use new technically advanced aircraft instead of older complex or turbine aircraft for single-engine commercial pilot training, and giving credit for hours accumulated during sport pilot training toward earning a recreational or private pilot certificate. The NPRM also would make changes to flight instructor certification and renewal of Part 141 certificates for flight schools, and includes many clarifications of existing regulations.

“AOPA has long advocated for many of the changes in the NPRM, and we believe they will benefit the general aviation community,” said David Oord, AOPA vice president of regulatory affairs. “Many of the proposals in the NPRM will save pilots time and money, while making it easier for them to maintain or expand their skills. We’re pleased that the FAA has heard our concerns and requests and is responding with positive changes.”

AOPA will file comprehensive formal comments on the proposed rule ahead of the deadline.

Industry News

285-knot aircraft to be driven by GE engine

By Thomas A. Horne

At the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE), Textron Aviation fleshed out more details of its upcoming single-engine turboprop (SETP) project, and revealed a cabin illustration and a rendering of the airplane. Textron also said that letters of intent to purchase the clean-sheet design are now being accepted.

The SETP will be powered by a single, FADEC-equipped GE turboprop engine of 1,240 shaft horsepower. The engine will have a 4,000-hour recommended time between overhaul; and drive a McCauley 105-inch-diameter, composite-construction, five-blade propeller. Cruise speeds of up to 285 knots—with a pilot and four passengers—are expected; at high-speed cruise power, the range will be 1,600 nautical miles. This range will serve city pairs such as Los Angeles-Chicago, New York-Miami, or Geneva-Istanbul, Textron said.

Garmin’s G3000 avionics suite has been chosen for the SETP. Other standard cockpit equipment will include weather radar, an advanced terrain awareness warning system, and full Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast compliance. The SETP will have a flat floor, a forward airstair door, and a 53-inch-wide aft cabin cargo door. The pressurization system will maintain a 6,130-foot cabin altitude at the airplane’s service ceiling of 31,000 feet, Textron said. Six reclining seats and an optional belted lavatory seat are other interior features.

Images of the T-tail SETP at EBACE suggest its likeness to a smaller-scale take on a Pilatus PC–12. The windshield evokes that of a Citation Mustang, and the cabin windows resemble those of a Beechcraft King Air.

A cabin prototype mockup is scheduled to debut at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this summer. The SETP’s first flight is scheduled for 2018.

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Icon says it will 'walk before we run'

Icon Aircraft has slashed the number of aircraft it plans to deliver this year, laid off manufacturing workers, and will make major changes to its controversial purchase agreements. Icon will deliver 20 airplanes this year, down from 175. It eliminated 60 full-time jobs and 90 part-time and contract positions.

“The unfortunate fact of the matter is that Icon had an overly aggressive production schedule for 2016,” company founder Kirk Hawkins said. “We are working hard to find the balance between high-rate production and our exacting standards for quality, performance, and affordability. While the A5 is extremely well engineered and an amazing aircraft to fly, frankly we need to improve its manufacturability. We’ll have to slow down and walk before we run.”

The two-place sport airplane was announced in 2008 and became a sensation. It won FAA approval for a weight increase in 2013 for a stall-resistant wing designed to enhance safety. The first production model received glowing flight evaluations from the aviation media in 2015, and Icon took deposits for about 1,850 aircraft.

The company announced a highly restrictive sales agreement for buyers early this year that became a rare public relations blunder for the company. It plans to release a revised version in the next few weeks, removing some of the most controversial elements—including an airframe life limit—from its purchase agreement for the amphibious A5 Light Sport airplane.

“We’ve listened carefully to your feedback and have significantly revised the Icon purchase agreement in response,” Hawkins said. “The original version was long, complex, reader-unfriendly, and included many unusual terms. We should have done a much better job sharing our philosophy and eliciting your feedback in advance. We’ll own that failure.”

Hawkins said he hopes the revised contract terms put the matter to rest.

—Dave Hirschman

Headlines that affect you Recent news from the aviation world

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Appeals court reverses dismissal in Santa Monica case
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This month in aviation

July 4, 1908
Glenn H. Curtiss flew his June Bug, a tricycle-gear airplane with his pusher-type Curtiss engine, for nearly one mile over a course in Hammondsport, New York, to win the Scientific American trophy for the first public flight in America. He was airborne for one minute and 42.5 seconds and said of the flight:

“When I gave the word to let go, the June Bug skimmed along over the old race track for perhaps two hundred feet and then rose gracefully into the air.”