NEWS

• High Flyers

Well done also to Richard Bellamy who has completed his first Solo Flight.

• CAA Safety Evening

Soloflight will be hosting a CAA Safety Evening on Thursday 19th March 2009. The venue will be announced later.

• First Solo's

Congratulations to Gareth Wilson (left) and Lee Jackson (right) who both  achieved their first Solo flight in the Piper PA28 warrior four seat aircraft at Humberside Airport.

• RAF Cranwell Visit - postponed
  

This visit has had to be postponed as Central Flying School are moving premises. The new date will be confirmed after their move.

The provisional program for our afternoon visit to Central Flying School has been set:

Welcome tea and coffee

Brief on Central Flying School

Brief on flying training/RAF Instruction

Look around the Squadron set up and flightline

Possible Tutor display

Possible formation fly through

Bar for a drink!

There is no cost for this visit, but we will make a donation to the station charity.

Flying in is possible, landing fees are not cheap (confirmation of how much will follow).

Please register your interest with Sandra as soon as possible as places are limited.

• RAF Cranwell & Brize Norton report
  

Soloflight's Mel Stewart and 20 other selected guests were invited to join Rick Peacock-Edwards, Master of the Guild of Air Pilots & Air Navigators at RAF Cranwell and RAF Brize Norton, the largest base that the RAF control.

The invitation to RAF Cranwell included a tour and briefing about the Aptitude testing at OASC, a guided tour of College Hall with lunch and an air display in the afternoon. The weather  delayed some of the flying, but the Spitfire, Typhoon, Kingair,  Grob Tutor and the Red Arrows managed to show their abilities. The skies cleared to enable the Red Arrows to perform their full 2008 display. Photos available HERE

The Brize Norton visit involved a flight in the VC10 Air to Air refuelling aircraft. After an introduction by the station Commander and a full briefing regarding the history and future of Brize Norton, everyone boarded the bus to go round the base and board the aircraft.

The plan for the flight was to go to the Area 5 refuelling area off the coast of Teesside to meet four Typhoons to be refuelled Air to Air. The next destination was Area 8 off the Norfolk coast to refuel two M2 Mirage fighters and  four GR7 Harriers along with anyone else who was around. Unfortunately, the Typhoons cancelled their flight out of Coningsby so we headed south for an approach into Waddington en route for Area 8. A call on the Radio then diverted us north again as two Mig 29 fighters were inbound from Russia to have a nose around north of Scotland and the two Tornados scrambled out of RAF Leuchars would require refuellling whilst they intercepted the "visiting" aircraft and "encouraged" them to go home.

Whilst we flew north, lunch was served.

We flew the towline pattern and one of the Tornados joined alongside so the Captain could see him. He then dropped down and came up behind to refuel. Whilst it was difficult to see the process because of the angle from inside the VC10, the Flight Engineer had a screen so he could see everything. After refuelling he flew back to rejoin the interception.

The second Tornado then joined, but struggled to latch onto the line. He was very low on fuel and the search and rescue was already on its way because of a possible ditching becoming necessary. However, the pilot succeeded after the fourth attempt, taking on 7.3 tonnes, having capacity for only 8 in full. A short video of one of his attempts is available HERE.

The return to Brize Norton via Glasgow and Gloucester was uneventful and the flight which was going to be only a couple of hours had extended into five. A tour of 101 Squadron and a talk about it's history and the future of Air to Air refuelling followed the flight and ended a unique day. Photos HERE

• The last test for the Typhoon

With a deafening roar, a Typhoon powers through the haze on the runway and into the desert sky.

Such is the effort to make the exercise seem realistic that Hollywood set designers have been brought in to make the villages look real from the ground as well as the air and local Afghans living in the US (and sometimes Iraqis depending on the exercise) are asked to live in the mock-up villages for days on end.

After a long wait, these planes are now ready to form the backbone of the RAF's war-fighting capability for decades to come.

The Typhoon, along with half a dozen others, was cruising over villages populated by Afghans thousands of feet below, watching over a brigade of soldiers from the US Army.

The RAF Typhoons, as well as US fighter jets and layers of other reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, took off in a near constant stream to provide air cover for the troops.

But this is not yet Afghanistan - it's the Nevada desert and an exercise called Green Flag West. The strange sights of the Las Vegas skyline lie in the distance with mock pyramids and Eiffel Towers providing the backdrop for the runway at Nellis Air Force base.

This exercise was the final chance for the Typhoon to go through its paces before it was declared ready for combat.

And the verdict from all quarters - including the US Air Force pilots who flew alongside it - was that the Typhoon was more than ready.

Different scenarios are run through, to test both the US Army on the ground as well as the air cover provided by the US Air Force and the RAF.

A key part of the mission is to train both army Forward Air Controllers (FAC) and the pilots they talk to in how to work together successfully.

In a part of the exercise replayed to us, you could hear a FAC hesitantly trying to direct the planes to spot someone moving out of a building.

In a battle-field context, ensuring that the information is accurate is vital in making sure either aerial surveillance capability or the deployment of weapons is employed accurately and does not endanger civilians.

"The aim is to train for the current flight," explains Lt Col Ron Hanselman who runs the exercise about 10 times a year for those soon to head off to the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The arrival of the Typhoon - or the Eurofighter to give the aircraft its generic name - has not been without controversy.

It was originally conceived in the Cold War designed for aerial combat with Soviet aircraft.

Its delivery has been beset by cost over-runs and delays and questions over how well it could adapt to the new 21st century era of warfare with a priority of supporting troops on the ground rather than engaging in dogfights in the air.

The RAF has driven forward towards developing air-to-ground sensor and weapons capability and getting the Typhoon ready for operations with 1 July 2008 as a deadline.

Seven Typhoons in all were brought over from the UK for the exercise which provided a chance to fly on training ranges far bigger than are available in the UK and also interact with US counter-parts with extensive debriefing after every mission.

There's no doubt about the affection the pilots and engineering support staff have for the Typhoon.

"You can turn on a sixpence," said Wing Commander Gav Parker who is charge of 11 Sqn as he showed me round one of the Typhoons.

'New generation'

The latest technology in the Typhoons means that data can be downloaded from the plane's sensors to a laptop style devices held by those on the ground.

This can help guide a pilot onto a target by allowing them to see exactly what is coming through the Typhoon's sensor pod.

"It's a new generation of aircraft," Group Captain Stuart Atha, in charge of the RAF's Typhoons explained.

"It is fast, it can carry lots of weapons. It has new sensors. It has got data links. It has got radar. So the pilot knows a lot more of what's going on around him."

During their time in the US, the Typhoons managed to fly 99.3% of the sorties that were planned and a total of 67 weapons were dropped onto a range with a 100% falling into the expected area.

The exercise was used to prove that the Typhoon is not just useful for air-to-air combat but has also been successfully adapted for air-to-ground and the modern battlefield.

Until now, the Typhoon's deployments have been limited. Ironically, it has been busiest performing a throw-back to the Cold War by intercepting Russian aircraft heading towards UK airspace.

But with Green Flag now complete and judged a success, the Typhoon has been declared ready for deployable combat operations.

Officials stress that this does not mean that the Typhoon will be rushed into missions over Afghanistan or Iraq immediately - but that day is now closer.

Story from BBC NEWS.

Click HERE to see the video

Own a Typhoon click HERE

• Mark Nelson took part in the Bridlington to Blackpool Charity Bike Ride

............. on 20/06/2008 to raise money for three charities and would really welcome your support after this gruelling two day challenge.

St Leonard's is part of the Hospice Movement, a voluntary service for people with life-threatening illness. The specially trained medical and nursing staff offer daycare for people living in their own homes and in-patient care in a purpose built 20-bedded unit. No charge is made to patients.

Provides holistic care and support to children and young people with life limiting illnesses, and to their families.

Cancer Research UK, the UK's leading charity dedicated to cancer reasearch

Many thanks for your support.

• Tandem Sky Dive raises money for charity

Mel Stewart's nephew William (aged 16) carried out a successful tandem skydive from 10,000 feet to raise money for Lepra. Will  raised over £400 and wants to do it again.
Watch it HERE

• Airline proves that small can be beautiful

A tiny British airline that boasts a fleet of one plane - a 34-year-old Boeing 737 - was yesterday named one of the four best carriers in the world.

Palmair, which flies from Bournemouth airport, was rated ahead of global brands such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic thanks to its very personal service, which includes a member of staff who greets every passenger to make sure the seating plan she drew up on her kitchen table the night before suits everyone.

The airline was shortlisted by the consumer champion Which? with four other much bigger names. Singapore Airlines (1.5 million passengers a month) won top prize but Palmair (70,000 passengers a year) was runner-up along with India's Jet Airways and Air New Zealand.

David Skillicorn, managing director of Palmair, said: "We are just little Palmair with a little Boeing 737 yet we beat off the likes of Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.

"Singapore Airlines has onboard massages and a choice of DVDs. All we can offer is the choice of tea or coffee."

Palmair was founded by businessman Peter Bath in 1957 when the company leased an aircraft to take passengers to Mallorca. It bought its own plane and now flies to 14 European destinations, including Spain, Tenerife, Portugal and Croatia.

Bath used to make sure he was in the departure lounge for each flight to greet the passengers.

When Bath died longstanding employee Teresia Rossello took over the role. She draws out the seating plan on her kitchen table the night before flights.

Stewardesses place fresh flowers on the plane every day.

Palmair employs 25 cabin crew and 25 back-office staff. The plane flies twice a day in the summer and once a day in winter.

The airline does not operate night flights as Bath believed they were antisocial.

Which? asked 30,000 consumers about experiences on airlines. They were asked to rate factors such as the cleanliness of the planes, the amount of legroom, the quality of the in-flight meal and the helpfulness of the cabin staff.

• Pilots live to tell about dangers in the Circuit

Aircraft converging on final approach can find themselves in precarious spots. On a few occasions they’ve flown so close, they’ve got stuck together.

On May 15, a Piper Cherokee landed on top of a Stinson at Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke, Texas. The Piper was carrying a flight instructor and a student while only the pilot was aboard the Stinson. The Piper was apparently landing while the Stinson was starting its takeoff, according to press reports. The final approach path is obscured by trees. Luckily, no one was seriously injured.

Most midair collisions take place close to airports and in good weather conditions. That’s why you have to be especially careful on final approach. This brings to mind two other accidents in recent years where, as they say, aircraft swapped paint in the circuit.

In 2004 a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172 Skyhawk collided on approach to Cincinnati West Airport in Harrison, Ohio. The two aircraft became locked together in flight at 300 feet agl and spiraled into a gravel pit. The pilots and a passenger in the Cessna 172 suffered serious injuries.

And in 1999, a student pilot and her CFI survived a freak midair collision involving a Piper Cadet and a Cessna 152 in Plant City, Fla., Municipal Airport. The two airplanes locked together and landed safely.

• Eclipse Goes Ahead With Single, Hikes Price Of Twin

Eclipse Aviation formally announced its intention to begin production of a $1.35 million single-engine jet called the Eclipse 400. The announcement was made earlier today at the company's annual "E-rrival" event in Albuquerque. At the same time, Eclipse announced it was boosting the price of its twin-engine 500 model by more than $550,000 from $1.595 million to $2.15 million. The announcements came as Eclipse was celebrating the tenth anniversary of the company. In both cases, Eclipse founder and CEO Vern Raburn said they were ideas whose time had come.

Regarding the 400, Raburn said there was overwhelmingly positive response to the single-engine "Concept" jet unveiled at EAA AirVenture last year. The four-place aircraft is claimed by Eclipse to be the "world's most fuel-efficient jet aircraft" and will be powered by a PW615F engine. Deliveries are planned for the end of 2011. Existing Eclipse 500 owners get first crack at one and a $125,000 discount if they order by July 25. It goes on the general market at EAA AirVenture. As for the price increase, Raburn said it costs more to build the Eclipse 500 than they thought it would and they aren't able to build them in the kind of volume they thought they could so they had to increase the price. "Eclipse's cost-driven pricing model requires Eclipse to re-examine aircraft pricing if actual costs change significantly from projections," the company said in a news release.

• Pilot still flying at 101

Although Ernie, as he prefers to be called, no longer holds an FAA medical, he still drives his Mini Cooper daily and can exercise the privileges of a light sport pilot. He received his most recent sign-off in an Avid Flyer in August 2007 from flight instructor Richard Gibbs, a friend and member of the Somerset (Pennsylvania) Aero Club flying group that Trent helped found in 1940.

“Usually I go with him, but he is officially signed off,” said Gibbs, who added that Trent flies only a couple of times a year but still enjoys getting aloft. And he passed the flying bug on to his family. Trent’s grandson is a former Navy pilot who now flies Boeing 757s for UPS.

What does a 101-year-old man do for fun when he’s not flying? Among other things, Trent enjoys eating out—often driving himself 50 miles to a favourite restaurant—and performing routine maintenance on his car.

• Pilot, Director and Producer Sydney Pollack dies

Legendary director Sydney Pollack was passionate about two things—film making and flying. And he approached them both with a desire to be the best, a consummate professional. In fact, Pollack began his flying career at the controls of a Learjet.

He died on the 26^th May, aged 73 at his home in Pacific Palisades, California, after a battle with cancer.

After becoming frustrated with airline travel, Pollack began chartering aircraft to help him make the demanding and long commutes between Los Angeles and various movie locations. Then he purchased a Lear 25 and committed himself to learning to fly it, quickly earning a type rating for the jet.

“I don’t have other hobbies. I’ve never been on a golf course, I don’t play cards, and I don’t collect art; but I love to fly airplanes,” Pollack told AOPA Pilot during a 1998 interview

Pollack later moved on to larger jets, continuing to fly them himself and always maintaining professional standards.

“I’m not a professional pilot, and I never will be, but when I work and study with professional pilots, it’s up to me to work as hard as I can to meet their standards. So I take lots of notes at FlightSafety, and I study hard so that I can keep up with these high-time guys. I love to spend time with pilots, real pros who take pride in what they do,” Pollack told AOPA Pilot.

Pollack was so passionate about flying that he often encouraged others in the film business to learn to fly, including Tom Cruise who worked with Pollack in The Firm and went on to earn a pilot certificate.

Pollack’s storied film career included directing 20 films and producing another 40, as well as acting credits in numerous films. He earned many Oscar nominations and won two for Out of Africa, one of seven films he made starring Robert Redford. Pollack’s other big hits included Tootsie and The Way We Were.

Pollack is survived by his wife Claire, two daughters, a brother, and six grandchildren.

• Piper to Remain in Vero Beach

Piper Aircraft announced yesterday afternoon it was staying in Vero Beach, Florida, following a two-year site selection process that included two other possible headquarter/factory sites. Piper accepted a $32 million incentive package from Florida and Indian River County to stay. An economic impact study revealed that Piper contributes an estimated $518 million per year to the local economy. Piper President and CEO James Bass cited the Piper workforce as a prime element in the decision to stay in Vero Beach, where Piper has been based for 50 years.

• Anti-Smoking Drug Banned for Pilots and Controllers

In a recently completed study by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, Chantix, a drug made by Pfizer and used to help stop smoking, was found to produce serious side effects. As a result, the FAA issued an emergency revocation of the drug's approved status for pilots and air traffic controllers—even sending notices to pilots, controllers and FAA licensed medical examiners. Pilots and controllers may not fly or man their ATC stations for 72 hours after their last dose of Chantix, and they must discontinue use of the drug. According to an FAA statement, the tests showed evidence of seizures, loss of consciousness, heart attacks, vision problems and "various psychiatric instabilities" in patients who take the drug.

• Socata Considers Launching a Twin-Size TBM as Early as Next Year

The general aviation division of European aviation giant EADS announced at EBACE it is considering launching a twin-engine variant of its successful TBM series as early as next year. A market study has apparently shown the company there is demand for an upsized, multiengine product that would seat eight (the TBM 850 seats six) in an all-composite fuselage. If funding prospects pan out, Socata would then decide whether the new airplane would be a turboprop or a turbofan.

• Skydiver's Balloon Escapes; Stymies Record Attempt

A balloon valued at $200,000 apparently slipped away from ground handlers before skydiver Michel Fournier could board a gondola from which he intended to jump—after reaching an altitude of some 25 miles above the Earth. Fournier had hoped to set records for the highest jump, and also for freefall velocity, perhaps even exceeding Mach 1.

• FIRST FLIGHT OF NEW ZEPPELIN AIRSHIP COMPLETED

The Airship is scheduled to enter commercial service in June, and head for the US in September. Friedrichshafen, Germany and Moffett Field, California – May 21, 2008 – Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik and Airship Ventures today announced the successful first flight of the fourth, and latest, Zeppelin NT airship over Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Construction of the fourth Zeppelin NT airship having recently been completed, the ship was handed over to the flight test department to begin the testing phase. The hangar doors opened and the airship left the 360 foot long hangar for the first time since the start of airframe assembly in March 2007.

Robert Gritzbach, Zeppelin VP of engineering, commented "Being the fourth ship in our series production, we were able to incorporate a number of design improvements – reducing weight while increasing lift and achieving a near doubling of airframe lifetime – that make this our finest ship to date!"

A proud and long awaited moment for all involved, it is a special moment when a new airship exits the hangar for the first time.

Alex Hall, Airship Ventures CEO, remarked "What an incredible process we have witnessed over this past year – the assembly of the frame, fitting out of the gondola, helium being put into the envelope, the first start up of the engines, and now her maiden flight."


The engines having been started one by one, the airship was released from the mast truck, and right away started for the sky. Taking off nearly vertically, the ship proceeded to the calm air over Lake Constance to head right into her initial flight tests.

The first pilot to fly the airship, Fritz Günther, Zeppelin Flight Operations Manager and the first pilot to fly the new airship said "This is the 3rd Zeppelin for which I have been part of the maiden flight, and feeling of pride in knowing all our hard work has resulted in success never diminishes. As a pilot, I look forward to confirming the new performance characteristics." In the meantime, two pilots of Airship Ventures have arrived in Germany and are training with their new ship.

• Soloflights' North Weald Fly-In report.

The flying action was started by the Missing Man Formation Flypast by Bulldog aircraft of North Wealds own SkyHawk formation team after the unveiling of the Spirit of North Weald. Peter Teichman of Hangar 11 and long time friend of Soloflights’ Mel Stewart, then put his unique Spitfire through its paces.

Pete’s spitfire was followed by a fly - by demo by two North Weald based "Red Arrow" Gnat aircraft of Area 51 was followed by fly pasts by Hurricane and Spitfire of RAF Memorial Flight. The finale of the flying display was a series of fly-bys of representative military aircraft that have onwards flown from RAF North Weald, along with other visiting and airfield based veterans.

The next North Weald event is the Air Britain Fly-In on June 21st and 22nd, this year commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Air Britain.

• Pieper Bullish On Air Taxi Future

The largest investor in Eclipse Aviation says the European market for VLJs is huge and a plant in Russia is likely to fill that void. In his first public appearance on behalf of ETIRC, which poured more than $100 million into Eclipse, Dutch business magnate Roel Pieper announced at EBACE 2008 that a perfect storm of crowded airports in Western Europe and primitive transportation in burgeoning Eastern Europe is creating major opportunities for the charter/air taxi business. "We believe the demand for fleet and air taxi operations in Europe is huge," Pieper told AVweb. He said the company could be building aircraft in Russia by the end of 2009 and that it will be busy. "We believe very much that the VLJ market is real and that the Eclipse 500 will set the standard. He noted U.S. and Canadian authorities have granted export permits for the airframe and engine (Pratt and Whitney Canada) However, European certification of the aircraft still eludes the company and CEO Vern Raburn isn't saying when he thinks that might occur. "We are optimistic that we'll get (EASA) European Aviation Safety Agency certification," he said. "I'm just not prepared to say when." also said that he expects the company to "be cash-flow-positive next year."

Raburn said recent events like the scaling back of expansion plans by Florida-based air taxi operator DayJet have had "no effect on Eclipse whatsoever" and there have been plenty of customers anxious to take the aircraft that DayJet has deferred. DayJet is selling off 16 of its 28 aircraft and concentrating its efforts on serving 11 hubs in the U.S. southeast after failing to find the financing needed to expand the operation to a profitable size. DayJet is Eclipse's largest potential customer, with 1,400 aircraft on order but Raburn said he's unconcerned by the issues there and said he believes the scale back is a "bump in the road." Eclipse owners who had hoped to fly the aircraft have also had a bumpy ride. "We have flunked a significant number of people (in the mandatory type rating course.)" he said. "Some of those people have come back but a lot of people have chosen to hire their own pilots, which is the way we think it should be."

• Dambusters remembered 65 years on

A service and fly-past was held on the16th May to mark the 65th anniversary of the World War II Dambusters mission.

A Lancaster bomber flew three times over Derwent Reservoir in Derbyshire, which was used by the original pilots to train ahead of their famous raid.

In 1943, the RAF's 617 Squadron set out to destroy three dams in Germany's Ruhr valley. They managed to breach two, giving a boost to Britain's war effort.

The service remembered the eight aircraft and 53 crew who were lost and was held on top of the Derwent dam on Friday morning.

A Spitfire, a Hurricane, two Tornadoes and a Dakota transport plane - all from the present 617 Squadron joined the fly-past travelling from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to take part.

Squadron Leader Les Munro, the last surviving pilot from the mission which was codenamed Operation Chastise, was one of the guests of honour together with Michael Gibson, whose uncle, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, led the Dambusters.

During the service, 88-year-old Richard Todd, who played Mr Gibson in the 1954 film The Dambusters, layed poppies on the water of the reservoir.

On 16 May 1943, 19 aircraft set out to destroy the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany's industrial heartland.

They used specially-designed drum-shaped bouncing bombs which skimmed across the water, rolled down the dam wall and exploded at depth.

They were the brainchild of legendary aviation engineer Barnes Wallis who was knighted in 1971. (from the BBC)

Visit the Dambusters web site by clicking on the logo

• High Flyer

Andrew Miller completed his Private Pilot Licence on fixed wing aeroplanes. Andrew already holds a Private Pilot Licence on helicopters. Well done.

• FAA Flight Tests
  

Our UK resident FAA Examiner is now able to conduct Flight Tests on G-registered aircraft as well as all other registrations.

• Agents to quiz Bush 'visit' pilot

The wife of a pilot held after landing his plane near US President George Bush's ranch says her husband is sure he did not go into restricted airspace.

Kirstie Kirk, of St Donats, Vale of Glamorgan, said she hoped US officials realised her "eccentric" husband wanted to leave a thank you note at the ranch.

Maurice Kirk was held in a psychiatric unit after sheriffs detained him minutes after he landed in a field.

The 62-year-old is expected to be questioned by US special services.

He has been in custody since last Friday following his unannounced landing in a McLennan County farmer's field some six miles from the president's Crawford ranch.

He was first accused of being drunk because his arthritis meant he could not walk a straight line. Then he was taken away for psychiatric assessment.

Mr Kirk, who calls himself the "Flying Vet", although he was struck off six years ago, is engaged in a solo round-the-world flight challenge.

In February he had to ditch his 65-year-old aircraft Liberty Girl in the Atlantic ocean off the Dominican Republic, when he was rescued by US coastguards.

Mrs Kirk said her husband wanted to thank Mr Bush for his rescue from the shark-inhabited waters and said he was adamant he did not stray into the prohibited zone around the ranch.

"The fact that he is suspected of being a threat to the president, when he was quite safely outside the prohibition zone, is quite worrying. He told me he was going to leave a thank you note on the gate, which I do believe. I don't think even Maurice would think he could land on the president's lawn, not without repercussions. It's quite typical he'd do something that would be a gesture. He is a very good pilot for that sort of aircraft. He is a purist's pilot. An aviator. The sort of flying that Maurice does is landing in fields and little grass airstrips. He uses a plane the way some people use a sports car, to get to things. He just loves flying."

Mrs Kirk, 48, said the couple flew around Ireland in the Liberty Girl for their honeymoon 10 years ago.

• Should a VLJ air taxi be flown single-pilot?

Vern Raburn, President and CEO of Eclipse Aviation, was the keynote speaker at a VLJ conference sponsored by the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) in London during March.  At the close of the conference, he challenged attendees to initiate a research project that would validate the acceptability of single-pilot VLJ air taxi operation.

Obviously, the reason for this proposed project is economic.  Even though very light jets are already being certified for single-pilot operation, any jet operated commercially in Europe is required to have two pilots.  Even DayJet in the U.S. is using two-pilots.  While the financial model for a two-pilot air taxi business may be acceptable, the bottom line would obviously improve dramatically if only one-pilot were required.

Last week during a VLJ session at the World Aviation Training Conference (WATS) in Orlando (FL), attendees were asked: "Should the VLJ be flown by single-pilots in air taxi operations?"  This question stimulated some interesting comments but one of the more thought provoking was this:

"When aviation first began, there was only one pilot.  Through the years we've added more crew members as the aircraft and/or its role has become more complex.  Fortunately, we've always been able to produce the number of pilots required.  Now, there is a major pilot shortage on the horizon for all of commercial aviation.  The backlog of aircraft orders and the projected public demand for air travel indicate that there is an increasing spread between the number of new pilots required each year and the projected pilot production.  However, human nature being what it is, we are still reluctant to retrace our steps even if technology can be shown to make the task more manageable by fewer people.  Moving from three to two pilots was a major behavioural challenge for a variety of reasons many of which involved human perception and politics.  Of course, there were also crew management transition issues as well (think 3-pilot vs 2-pilot CRM).  Moving from two pilots to one pilot creates similar challenges (think single-pilot resource management).  However, the reality is that the demand for more pilots and the proven capabilities of technology are now leading us through a complete cycle that began with one pilot over a hundred years ago and is rapidly moving back toward one pilot or less (think RPV) for both economic and practical reasons."

If single-pilot operations are to be the future reality of commercial aviation, what are the issues and concerns that  must be addressed in order to facilitate this step?  Is the VLJ air taxi an operational prototype for the future of commercial aviation?

By Robert Barnes

Volunteer Chair International VLJ Training Stakeholders' Discussion Group

• Manchester to sell their share of Humberside Airport

The majority owner of Humberside Airport has announced it is planning to sell its stake in the business.

Read the letter from Manging Director, Robert Goldsmith HERE

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) said it wanted to sell its 82.7% share to focus on its larger airports - Manchester, East Midlands and Bournemouth.

The news surprised North Lincolnshire Council which owns the remaining 17.3% of Humberside Airport.

Council chief executive Simon Driver said the local authority "now needed to consider its position".

A spokeswoman for MAG admitted that its decision had left an uncertain future for the 730 people who are employed by a variety of companies based at Humberside Airport.

"It is a great airport, it returns a profit but we feel it needs somebody else to take it forward as we concentrate on our core business at our other airports," she said.

"We have grown the business since taking over in 1999 and we would hope that would be the case under new ownership.

"However, it is difficult to say how someone else is going to run the business."

MAG chief executive Geoff Muirhead said: "Humberside Airport is a solid business but the attention needed to maximise its full potential may not fit easily with the group's emerging strategy.

"The Humberside Airport team has done a fantastic job retaining and attracting airlines and maintaining stable passenger numbers, particularly during the last few years when competition has increased significantly."

Mr Driver said: "North Lincolnshire Council welcomes the long-term relationship with Manchester Airports Group and recognises that now is the time to look to the future.

"We will build on the success of the airport for the benefit of North Lincolnshire and the wider region.

"The airport has real potential and the council, as a shareholder, will look to maximise the development of the airport in the future.

"The council has maintained its shareholding in the airport since 1996.

"In light of the news from Manchester Airports Group, the council now needs to consider its position. It is inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

Since buying its majority stake in Humberside Airport in 1999 for £10m, MAG has invested nearly £7m to improve and develop the airport's infrastructure.

Routes currently served from Humberside include Air France/KLM's worldwide hub at Amsterdam, many popular holiday destinations, including the Canaries, Lapland and the Channel Islands, and domestic services to Scotland.

Government forecasts indicate that Humberside Airport is expected to handle about one million passengers every year by 2016.

• EASA: New VLJ Certification Requirements Possible

The European Aviation Safety Agency may put very light jets through additional scrutiny, adapting requirements beyond those of basic certification and addressing an aircraft's specific performance envelope and complexity. Considering that the Eclipse 500 VLJ can cruise at 41,000 feet, but has no spoilers to facilitate an emergency descent, EASA has suggested that it may devise regulatory requirements to address that and other issues -- regardless of the 500's (or another given aircraft model's) acceptance by the FAA. Such requirements may include tougher testing for software or hardware used in advanced heavily integrated avionics suites often found aboard VLJ designs, tougher checks for backup electrical power, and perhaps a requirement for demonstration of more precise navigational capability that may include a requirement for Mode S transponders. Eclipse is hoping for EASA certification of its Eclipse 500 by late 2009. EASA seems to be setting the stage for the potential introduction of some additional hurdles.

• Vulcan Update
  

The

• Flights resume after airport sale

• Are You Space Worthy?
  

You run five miles a day. You're at the gym more than the curly-haired kid that sits behind the front desk. You eat your fruits and vegetables. You may think you could easily handle the physical and psychological demands of a flight to space, but would you bet £150,000 on it?

While our newest space adventure won't officially qualify you for a suborbital space flight, it will give you a pretty good idea if you have the right stuff for space. 

Using the same sophisticated simulators used to train astronauts and fighter pilots, we'll test your senses (and your stomach) in ways you never imagined. We've found a way to deliver a suborbital flight experience that doesn't require you to leave the atmosphere...or even the building.

Here is an opportunity to go to the National Aerospace Training & Research (NASTAR) Center in Pennsylvania for an intense two-day introduction to space flight. 

You'll receive detailed classroom briefings and centrifuge and altitude chamber training before completing a simulated suborbital flight.

Think of this adventure as a "suborbital flight with training wheels" or "Disney's Mission Space on steroids".

The introductory price of this two-day Space on Earth adventure is $4950 + accommodation and airfare. The first program for individuals takes place November 29th & 30th. Groups of six or more can pick their own dates.

Use the Contact form for more information

• The Most Memorable Aviation and Space Records of 2007

Ballooning
The temperature had just warmed to -27°F (from the record-low that morning of -29°F) as Richard Jaworski launched his AX-5 (32,000 cubic foot), hot air balloon from Grand Forks, ND, on February 4, 2007.  Suspended from the balloon in only a sleeping-bag harness, he flew through the night and landed in the next day in Page, ND, breaking the record for "Duration" at 23 hours, 11 minutes.  He beat his own record of 13 hours, 12 minutes, set in 2006.
Launching from Greeley, Colorado during the night of November 14, Troy Bradley flew over 47 hours, covering a distance 824 miles, landing in Madison, Wisconsin.  His flight in a homebuilt, 16,000 cubic-foot Roziere balloon beat the previous record of 572 miles set in 2005.
Jet Aircraft
Flying from Jacksonville to Los Angeles on July 10, Gulfstream G150 pilots Michael Jarrett and Harold King set the East-to-West Transcontinental speed record at 506 mph.  The 4-hour, 15-minute flight beat the previous record (for jet aircraft weighing 19,842 < 26,455 lbs.) of 468 mph set in 1999.
In a new record class created by NAA exclusively for Very Light Jets, Don Taylor flew an Eclipse 500 from New York to Atlanta on October 7, at a speed of 393 mph.  The 1-hour, 55-minute flight beat the previous record of 318 mph, set just two weeks earlier.
Soaring
After being towed aloft from Ely, NV, Steve Fossett and Terrence Delore flew a Schleicher ASH-25-Mi sailplane over a triangular course of 1,250 kilometers (776 miles) at an average speed of 92 mph.  Their flight on July 13 beat the previous record of 89 mph, set in 1987.
Flying along the Appalachians in Pennsylvania, Dale Kramer flew his Rolladen-Schneider LS8 sailplane a distance of 987 miles on April 5.  This record for Free Three Turnpoint Distance beat the previous records of 866 miles and 891 miles, set in 1993 and 1994.
Space Flight
Under the command of astronaut Pamela Melroy, NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery docked with the International Space Station on October 25.  This 23rd shuttle visit to the space station was the longest yet, lasting 10 days, 21 hours, 52 minutes.  The previous record for Total Duration of Flight of Spaceships While Linked was 8 days, 21 hours, 53 minutes, set during STS-102 in 2001.
Parachuting
Jumping from five "perfectly good airplanes" over Lake Wales, Florida, 100 parachutists descended under open canopies to build a diamond formation.  This Largest Canopy Formation, set on November 21, beat the previous record of 85-persons set in 2005.
In a head-down orientation, sixty-nine parachutists joined together during freefall in the skies over Ottawa, Illinois, on August 3.  This Largest Head Down Formation beat the previous record of 53-persons set in 2005.
Aeromodeling
After winding the propeller 2,200 turns, William Gowen launched his rubber-powered model airplane inside a hangar at Lakehurst, NJ.  After climbing to approximately 180 feet, the model slowly spiraled to a landing after being airborne for 21 minutes, 49 seconds.  This flight on June 30 beat the previous duration record of 20 minutes, 25 seconds, set in 2006.

• Prince William is awarded his RAF Wings - April 14th

Flying Officer William Wales, better known to many as Prince William and 24 other graduates have been awarded their RAF pilot's wings - by the Prince of Wales.

Prince Charles, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, bestowed the awards at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, in his capacity as Air Chief Marshal.

Flying Officer Wales, training with the RAF since January, was one of 25 graduates to receive their wings.

Prince William, a graduate of Sandhurst military academy, will undertake a similar attachment to the Royal Navy.

The Prince of Wales also awarded trophies to graduates who have excelled in various aspects of the flying course.

He and the duchess also met flying instructors, graduates and their families.

They were later viewing a display of various aircraft, including the Chipmunk T10 trainer plane in which Charles himself learned to fly almost 40 years ago.

Prince Charles trained as a jet pilot at Cranwell in 1971. 

He completed his helicopter training three years later.

Like his father, Prince William entered the armed forces after leaving university.

Wing Commander John Cunningham the Chief Flying Instructor at RAF Linton On Ouse, where Prince William spent five weeks training on the Tucano T1 plane, took Flying Officer Wales on his final handling test:

"He was surprisingly good," he said. "It's a credit to William that he worked very hard, he worked every hour he had spare and also mixed in with the boys well and took part in sports with them too.

"There's naturalness to his piloting skill. For someone in five weeks to show that kind of skill really shows that he's a natural."

Flying Officer HRH William Wales was fast-tracked through the RAF's six month pilot training course in just four months. He graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy in December 2006 and has maintained his Army commission with the Household Cavalry.

He also plans to serve in the Royal Navy for a short period which, along with his RAF commission, will give him the Services' full house that is traditionally expected of a British monarch.

Prince William flew his first solo flight with the RAF in a Grob Tutor training aircraft just nine days after beginning his training. He then trained on the faster Tucano T1 plane at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire and his final placement was at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire, where he learnt to fly the Squirrel helicopter.

Wing Commander Cunningham, who was at today's graduation ceremony and had helped develop the Prince's course and supervised his training, added:

"William had a go at everything the other guys normally do. He did formation runs, night flying, low level, target runs, tail chasing and he led formations as well as being a wing man. And he performed all these to a high standard.

"I flew him at the end of the course and it was a pleasure for me to fly with someone with such natural skill."

• Three young pilots flew.......
  

..... a Cessna Mustang in a round-the-world speed record attempt and raised nearly $50,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey. Jared Isaacman, 25; Douglas Demko, 26; and Shaun Leach, 27, didn't manage a new record, but still had a successful journey.
Jared's support team have unofficially determined that the total flight time was 84 hours and 5 minutes.  That means they missed the record by 1 hour and 11 minutes for the 22,000 mile trip through some 15 countries. The flight was hampered by the Russians who closed the Anadyr airport early and the Spanish and Belgium Air Traffic Controllers sorting out a "technical glitch."

More information about the Cessna Mustang can be found on our Aircraft page

• Boeing Flies Fuel Cell Aircraft

• New links in Scholarships/Careers
  

• New Destinations & Info in Flying Visits
  

• New Additions on the Extras Page 4th April:

* Free Piper Cub - yes it's true.    

* Pilots and future pilots, go to the Extras page to see some amazing pictures that the ultimate pilot could have taken. You have to see them to believe them ...... Click F11 on your keyboard to see them full screen.

* Fly a Helicopter - it's not as easy as you think!

• FAA Plans Upgraded Aircraft Registration Requirements

• Pilot sentenced to jail for lying on medical application

By US AOPA Correspondent - Alyssa J. Miller

Ronald Crews was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release on March 20 after pleading guilty in 2007 to four counts of making false statements to a federal agency, according to the District of Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office. Crews had made false statements to the FAA about his diabetes and dependence on insulin injections.

The charges resulted from an investigation into a February 2002 incident in which Crews suffered a diabetic seizure while conducting an air taxi flight from Vineyard, Mass., to Hyannis for Massachusetts-based Cape Air. One of the four passengers on board the twin-engine Cessna 402 air taxi flight was a student pilot, who subsequently took control of the aircraft, according to the FAA’s aviation safety information and analysis sharing brief report.

The student pilot, Melanie Oswalt, had the other three passengers restrain Crews, who was incoherent and had pushed her aside while she tried to move into the co-pilot seat. Oswalt landed gear up at Provincetown Municipal Airport in Provincetown, Mass. No one was injured, and the airplane sustained minimal damage.

After the February Cape Air incident, two more were attributed to Crews’ medical condition, and he was fired and lost his pilot certificate, according to the Cape Cod Times.

“It is imperative that pilots not lie on their medical application or continue flying when they know they aren’t fit for flight,” said Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. “While this incident is extremely rare, it is a strong warning to all pilots.”

While this case involved an air taxi pilot, general aviation pilots can learn some valuable lessons.

The FAA medical application form warns pilots about the consequences of falsifying information: “Whoever in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States knowingly and wilfully falsifies, conceals or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact, or who makes any false, fictitious or fraudulent statements or representations, or entry, may be fined up to $250,000 or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.”

Had Crews disclosed his medical condition to the FAA, he would not have been able to receive a first or second class medical certificate. Those who control their diabetes with insulin injections can only get a special issuance third class medical certificate and fly as a student, recreational, or private pilot. Pilots who control their diabetes with diet or oral medication can get a first, second, or third class special issuance medical certificate.

“Don’t try to hide a medical condition from the FAA. It’s illegal, can end your pilot privileges, and result in a hefty fine or jail time,” said Gary Crump, AOPA director of medical certification. “There is hope that you can continue flying—legally—if you have a serious illness that is safely controlled. The FAA is issuing special issuance certificates for more previously disqualifying medical conditions than ever.”

As AOPA has previously reported, a pilot who had a heart transplant is back in the air, and a pilot with multiple sclerosis still has her wings

“Each year we help thousands of AOPA members with serious illnesses, even cancer, get back in the air legally,” said Crump. “Before you give up on flying or go to your next flight physical, talk to our medical specialists. We can help.”

• Leicester Airport is under serious threat of closure...
  

... after the local Co-op and English Partnerships put forward plans to develop the airfield and the surrounding green belt with a 15,000 – 20,000 house Eco Town provisionally to be called Pennbury. The scheme is one of more than 50 bids from around the UK submitted to the Government, of which 10 will be selected by the end of March 2008.

Leicestershire Aero Club, which has been based at the airport since 1949 and can trace its beginnings back to 1909, has 14 years left on its current lease. Leicester Airport is the only licensed airport in Leicestershire and finding a new home in the county for its 500 members, 30 staff and 80 home based aircraft, would be very difficult if the airfield was forced to close. The airfield is home to a thriving recreational community as well as a club run training facility.

Please sign a petition to register their objections on the Governments e-petition web site HERE

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• FAA "English Proficiency" DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 2009

Effective March 5, 2008, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires the following certificate holders who operate internationally to have a certificate stating that the holder is proficient in the use of the English language:

• Private, commercial, and airline transport pilots with powered aircraft ratings
• Flight engineers and flight navigators
• Control tower operators

The ability to read, speak, write, and understand English is already a U.S. regulatory eligibility requirement; the FAA Registry began issuing all new certificates with this endorsement on February 11, 2008. The U.S. has notified ICAO that it filed a difference that will extend the U.S. compliance date until March 5, 2009, in order to provide sufficient time for all affected U.S. airman certificate holders to comply with the ICAO Language Proficiency airman certificate endorsement requirements.

Certificates that are ordered as regular replacement certificates will include the endorsement. You can order a replacement certificate on-line or by mail. You will be asked to register with Online Services if you don't already have an on-line account. Note that there is a $2 fee for replacement airmen certificates.

Airmen who request temporary authority or verification of their airman certificate will not have the English proficiency endorsement until the replacement certificate has been requested and the $2 fee paid. If you have questions, you may contact the FAA Airmen Certification Branch on 001-866-878-2498.

For more information regarding ICAO English proficiency, refer to Information for Operators (InFO) 08012 at the FAA All InFOs page.