TALESPINNERS - August, 2002

Hangar Flying
with Stu Faber

RECENT NEWS from General Aviation News magazine. (GAN)
-  BRS Company has received an STC for whole plane parachutes for C-172.
-  EMBRY-RIDDLE, which started at Lunken Airport, is compiling a history of its 75 years. Can you help?
-  GAN Washington correspondent, Charles Spence, points out that the security rules will continue to grow including general Aviation and smaller airports. Be warned.
-  KIT. In case you missed it at Sun-n-Fun, Maverick is moving forward to deliver their twin jet kits. It is an under 12,000 pound, 5 seats in a mid wing and T tail design. Powered by re-configured GE T58 helicopter engines @ 750 pounds thrust it is pressurized and sports a cruise of 300+ knots and 1600 mile range. It is classed Experimental and sells for $750,000 well equipped with a $45,000 non-refundable down payment. The prototype is flying. ---- Eclipse claims it will be offering a somewhat similar plane complete and certified for $850,000.
-  INSURANCE costs are rising all over and aviation is no exception. Companies have been losing money and must make up for it. They are also getting more particular. Be prepared.
-  NEW TECHNOLOGY: Microvision is offering a system to put critical flight data continuously in the pilots vision with an iPAQ Pocket PC and a heads-up viewer attached to a head band. $12,000. 425-415-6847 or MVIS.com.

A PIONEER DIES. July 4th also marked the death of Four Star General, Benjamin O. Davis Jr. the son of long serving General Benjamin O. Davis Sr. Gen. Davis Jr. graduated from West Point as only the fourth black officer to graduate there. In WW II he commanded the famous 332 Fighter Group and later the 477 Bomber Group which were made up of the African American Tuskeegee Airmen. Later he held a number of important commands in the Air Force.

FABRIC FINISH. A short article in 7 June 02 General Aviation News reports good success with Aircraft Finishing Systems' nontoxic material for all types of surfaces. Users report it is easy to use and of competitive costs. See at Oshkosh.

PRIVATIZATION. Reason Foundation's Privatization newsletter for July reports that what is probably the most successful outsourcing program of the Federal Government is the use of 217 airport towers operated by private contractors. They cost about two thirds less to run. It is planned to expand the program and allow Airport Improvement Program funds to be used to build towers to be run under contract.
Australia and China have both auctioned off 99 year leases to private operators to operate a number of major airports. Several of the new operators already own or operate other major airports. Most in the US are owned and operated by public agencies.
Reason Foundation is pressing hard for government privatization for any services that can more economically done by private enterprises. INCLUDING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL BY CHARGING FEES. Reports indicate that many of the foreign systems which privatized are not working out well. Pilots are not happy.

OIL ANALYSIS. Flying Magazine's Back Seat column by J. Mac McCellan discusses the use of oil analysis to judge engine condition. He points out that most labs analyze oil from a number of sources such as heavy construction, railroad, truck, and probably jet, engines. The point is that they do so few small aircraft engines that they don't have a good data bank on that particular use. Therefore the opinions on condition may not be real relevant to your particular engine. To correct this Exxon-Mobil's Exxgard program is using a data bank from oil certification and other tests to relate directly to smaller aircraft engines. The comments may be more significant.

Copyright © 2002 by Stu Faber.  All rights reserved.