Search Results for : MG 21

As I preflighted a rental J3 Cub last fall, an older gent, kind of scruffy looking, was keeping me company, though we’d never met. *** A pilot and airport regular, he quickly revealed his belief about preflighting in general. “Aw,” he said, rubbing his grizzled chin, “just go. It’s a Cub, it’s fine, just get in it and takeoff.” I looked at him, wondering if he was kidding. He wasn’t. *** “Well, thanks… I think…,” I replied, mildly annoyed, “but I think I’ll just finish up here if you don’t mind.” *** “Naw,” he said, waving at the air, “just jump in and go; it’s alright.” *** I ignored him and his distracting insistence, wondering what his game was. *** We didn’t know each other. He had no reason, or right for that matter, to try and persuade me to skip a vital part of good airmanship practice. Perhaps, I thought, he’s an angel sent to cement my determination to do things right.

Right after Sun ‘n Fun, the e-flight Expo kicks off for the third time at “Aero” in Friedrichshafen, Germany, April 13-April 16. *** Bunches of new aircraft and propulsion technologies along with the awarding of the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP) will mark the gathering of 550 exhibitors from 26 countries. *** The e-flight name stands for more than electrical flight innovations: ecological and evolutionary advances in flight regardless of their nature are embraced, although electric is certainly leading the show. *** Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles Lindbergh, will present his foundation’s prize for outstanding achievements in the development of electric flight. *** This year should bring several exciting advances in electric flight . I’ll be doing a broad story for Plane & Pilot magazine soon on what’s up and what’s coming. *** Another highlight of the Expo is “History for the Future of Flight”, a tantalizing assemblage of descendants and close relatives of last century’s aviation pioneers:  Claude Dornier, Igor Sikorsky, Marcel Dassault and Count Zeppelin.

There’s been some controversy lately regarding FAA’s mandate that flight training towards the Sport Pilot license is not allowed to count toward the Private Pilot (PPL) and higher licenses and ratings unless the instructor is a certificated CFI, rather than a CFI-S (as FAA delineates Sport Pilot-only instructors). *** Recently, AOPA petitioned the FAA to change the regulations and allow those hours to count for all higher levels of certificated airmanship. *** The pilot member organization picked up support along the way from EAA, GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association), and NAFI (National Association of Flight Instructors), all of which are now petitioning FAA to change these regs: FAR Part 61.99 and 61.109.  The specific language asks FAA to “permit the instruction time received in pursuit of a sport pilot certificate to be credited toward the instruction requirements of additional certificates and ratings.” *** Of course, getting advanced ratings requires training from a qualified CFI.

I’d call this Day 4 but rush-deadline work for the mag intervened after the last day at Sebring so just getting to it now. *** The Sebring experience gets better every year, I believe precisely because Bob Woods keeps it consistently valuable without tricking it up with a lot of extraneous booths selling things like Miracle Kitchen Knife or iPhone WonderMuffin Pocket Baker and the like: it’s an LSAshow, pure and simple, and a great opportunity for folks to crawl out from wherever winter is tap-dancing on their heads and let them see, compare, fly and even buy aircraft and peripheral stuff.Many airframe makers reported sales at the show, or expected deals to close afterward. Exhibitors hope for sales of course, but realize folks often need to go home, reflect on what they’ve seen, then push the button or think more on it. *** I’d say from everybody I talked to, optimism was rekindled that 2011 will be better than the last — a real toughie.

Cessna’s Skycatcher program is really gaining traction. I had a fun chat with Julie Filucci, Mgr of Cessna Pilot Centers (an excellent formation stick too — she flew for my Cessna shoot a year ago). *** Matt Tutton, an Orlando Cessna dealer, and Bob Stangarone, Cessna’s VP of Corp. Communications also weighed in the haps in Wichita. *** By the end of 2010, 30 Skycatchers had been delivered, mostly to flight schools across the U.S. *** “We expect to deliver 150 more by the end of this year,” says Bob, “and more than that in 2012, although we don’t have an exact number yet.” *** Cessna’s working tirelessly working away at that backlog that initially climbed to 1000 orders when the scratch-built LSA was first announced a few years back. *** Both Julie and Matt Tutton had recent long XC trips with the Skycatcher. Julie’s reached out to Oshkosh from Wichita, while Matt’s went southeast from Wichita to Orlando.