Cessna's NGP - Where is it? 

6-4-10: A few years ago Cessna was talking about a new cantilevered wing aircraft design that they were calling a POC (proof of concept). It was originally intended to go after the Cirrus market. But when they acquired the Lancair/Columbia aircraft and called them the Cessna 350 and 450 the Cessna NGP aircraft disappeared from sight. According to Wiki, they even deleted the NGP web page. It resembled a Cardinal but had the muscle of a 210. Avweb did a decent video when it was first shown at Sun'n Fun 07. In the video it says that it had a control stick on the floor. However, the pictures on the British web site show a side stick. Talk about a collectors item. From what I can tell, only one was made and flown around airshows. Click on the airplane icon to see a British website that still has some pictures of it.

"X" MARKS THE SPOT! 5-27-10:If you haven't been to Sanford airport for a while, you might notice that runway 25/7 aren't being used very much. That's because it's closed with the big "X". I heard that this project has been in the wings for a while and some of the details of the modification had to be worked out. I even heard that they will be reducing the width of the runway and moving the thresholds. The "Bush" pilots might enjoy the new makeover, but for many GA pilots a nice 1500 ft grass strip will do just fine. Not to long ago, we used to land (and take-off) in the grass  right next to the taxiway.

BILLIONS & BILLIONS ~ 5-27-10: Aviation editorials are now saying that the ADS-B program cost are going up from $1.2 billion to over $4.5 billion. OK, those numbers are impressive, but for the everyday person that likes to fly a Skyhawk now and then, those numbers are "really big!" Looking back on an article AOPA published in 2007, they said, "from today's radar to ADS-B will take more than 13 years, it is important for the FAA to get it right," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "At the current cost of $8,000 to $10,000 per aircraft for ADS-B equipment, it is a lot of money to spend for the same access and services we now have with a transponder." The math implies that the individual cost could go up to $30k to $37k per aircraft... 

FLYING LESSONS AT SKYHAVEN! -5-23-10: As the economy continues to search for recovery, activity at Skyhaven is also showing a return of some new services. I recently had a conversation with Kelby Ferwerda a CFII who is offering flight lessons in a recently obtained nice looking Cessna 150. Kelby wants to start his new business at Skyhaven and offer flight instruction at an unbeatable price. How about $100/hr wet, including dual flight instruction. Wow! Here's an opportunity for anyone who's on a tight budget looking to get maximum value for your investment. From what I've seen, the only way to come close to that cost is for Light Sport pilot license. Here's your chance to get a full private pilot license at the cost of a LSA ticket. Click on the pics for more information.

WOOPY-FLY INFLATABLE WING ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT ? - 5-20-10: Supersonic Jets not in the cards for you? Well how about the "Woopy-Fly." It's a paraglider/trike/ultralight hybrid at AERO Friedrichshafen this April 2010 in Germany. It has a wing like a paraglider but it's also inflatable. Currently, it appears the wing itself is only available from distributors in Switzerland, Russia, and Japan. The going price that you can expect for a complete kit cost to run about 13,780 Swiss Francs, which currently is about US$12,400. I think I might like to try a paraglider first. On second thought, I think I'll stay with LSA's. CLICK on the Woopy icon to see a YouTube video of this thing in flight.

The Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airport - 5-15-10: The activities at airports are starting to ramp up and sometimes getting the word out doesn't reach everyone in time.  A member of the Northeast Pilot Group contacted Mike Hart, the owner of Hampton Airport to find out what the story was and Mike answered with a very informative email. CLICK HERE TO READ MIKE HARTS EMAIL. There is also a poster at the Hampton website that you can see by clicking on the icon in this article. This year is said to be the 37th Aviation Flea Market and is open to anyone who wants  to sell or buy aviation items. There are no fees and most sellers sell out of their vehicles with a table they provide themselves. There is normally about 30 - 40 "vendors" that attend and about 1500 people that drive or fly in. Biplane and Helicopter rides are available. Light Sport aircraft dealers for Sport Cruiser, Flight Design CTS, and Legend Cub will be represented. All are welcome. Pass the word around and come and enjoy the day.

QSST - SuperSonic with no Boom? 5-11-10: I've been reading about two aircraft that are talking about traveling at the speed of sound with no supersonic boom. They make it sound like they have eliminated the sonic boom, but I think it's more of a reduction. Aerion claims to be able to fly at 1.1 Mach without a boom, but they may actually mean that the boom doesn't reach the ground. Once they get out by Labrador you push the throttle forward and cruise to Europe at 1,100 mph. Another aircraft being developed by Gulfstream in conjunction with Lockhead SkunkWorks have their version of the QSST that seems to have similar specs as the Aerion but with a different looking aircraft. Aerion's wing design has a more conventional look and claims to be able to land and take-off at airports like Sanford. 

EFB on your iPad ~ 5-8-10: More articles are showing up about EFB's (Electronic Flight Bags). The new iPad is 9.56 x 7.47 x .5 inch thick and weighs 1.5 pounds is just a little smaller than a pad of paper. Now, a company called ForeFlight is marketing their app (computer program) for the iPad that has all kinds of aviation data. "It can display radar and satellite weather maps in rich color, whether you're in the office or on the ramp. It can download and store charts, approach plates, taxi diagrams, and checklists—or, if you prefer, entertain your passenger with an in-flight movie." I wonder if they have a strap so you can fasten it on your leg like a knee board? Click on the icon in this article for more information.

Markers on the Grass! 5-5-10: Because of a rough edge between the taxi way and the grass some markers have been placed in the grass a few feet from pavement. Click on the small pic in this article to see more detail about the markers. You'll also see some deep blue sky, yes blue sky! What a day for flying. Mike McMahon with a student pilot took advantage of the beautiful weather with one of the flying clubs Skyhawks. Have you ever taken a ride in a CTLS? When I first saw one, I thought it was a Remos LSA. A couple of pics in this article show a CTLS at Sanford. I managed to sneak a shot of the "glass  panel." At the rate they are going with these glass panels, a check ride will end up taking 2 hours. 1.5 hrs for the glass, and .5 for flying the plane. What happened to simple? 

The World's Smallest Twin Engine Airplane?5-2-10: Here's some information sent in by Jim on an amazing aircraft that's on YouTube. When people ask me what it's like to fly a small low wing LSA I tell them to imagine riding in an MG sports car that has wings on it. Now if I were to describe, or imagine what it's like to fly in a "Cri-Cri" [is that "cry-cry" or "cree-cree] I would compare it to riding in a soap box derby with wings on it. The aerobatic video floating around the web looks pretty exciting. They claim the cri-cri has a 360deg/sec roll rate... wow! So, if you're looking for bare minimums on getting into the air, it looks like the "Cri-Cri" might be the airplane for you. For now, I think I'll draw the line at the 2 place LSA level.

10th Annual Seaplane Safety Expo at Brandy Pond~  4-30-10: This year is the 10th anniversary to be held on June 12, 2010, from 9 AM to 2 PM at the Brandy Pond Seaplane Base (5ME) in Naples, Maine. Straight floats or amphibious aircraft are invited since there is plenty of room at the docks and a nice ramp to exit the water onto the grass. The morning presentations will be on Personal Minimums and on Piston Engines and their Operations. A barbecue lunch will again be served by the Katahdin Wings, Maine's Chapter of the International Women Pilots. For more information click on the icon pic in this article.

UAV's, UGV's, UMV's, and SUAS's ~ 4-24-10: UAV's continue to hit the news not only with aircraft, but in other vehicles as well, including unmanned ground vehicles and unmanned marine vehicles that include USV and UUV's. Combine this technology with some of the recent computer advances and you get commentaries about sending unmanned vehicles out that navigate and follow a mission without a remote control pilot. They are saying that in the future, many military robots will operate autonomously. "Right now, the big stumbling block is sense and avoid [technology].” The FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Program Office is currently working on new regulations to enable the commercial use of "small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS),” and allow military UAVs to fly in national airspace. "That will open up the market for new, nonmilitary applications, such as unmanned cargo aircraft, crop dusters and advertising blimps." Unmanned crop dusters?

FAA Safety Seminars ~  4-22-10: Here's a list of some of the safety seminars coming up. Another glass panel seminar is scheduled to be at Pease. Here's an excerpt from the cover sheet: " As flat panels, solid state gyros and advanced navigation become increasingly available, more and more aircraft are becoming "Technically Advanced". FAA Safety Team Representative Rob Montgomery and Certificated Flight Instructor Tennessee Garvey will present an interactive discussion about the technology and how it all fits into the "human centered cockpit." As pilots, it is imperative that we have an intimate understanding of the systems in our aircraft; Learn from the PROs!" Click on the FAAST logo for a PDF list. CLICK here to see the Pease seminar.

4-21-10: Every time I go to Florida to visit friends and relatives the timing never seemed to match up with the Sun'n Fun airshow fly-in at Lakeland. But this year I managed to catch the last day of the event. Unfortunately, it was raining but there was marginal VFR conditions that would open up holes to a 4000 foot ceiling allowing the show to go on. I didn't get a chance to see much of the exhibits but I did see most of the airshow. The T6 aerobatic formation and the Yak aerobatic teams were impressive along with an F-18 “Super Hornet” from the United States Navy and a C-17 “Globemaster” cargo jet. The Hornet made a "high alpha" (high angle of attack) pass at less the 100 mph followed by some 90 deg 9g turns. I also saw a mean looking Stationair with a five bladed 450hp tuboprop hanging on the front of the airplane.Click on the 2010 icon for more information. I didn't have my camera with me so I had to improvise and use my cell phone.

Helicopters On The Ramp ~  4-12-10: When you get ready to taxi to the active runway, being alert and aware of air traffic is important. In some cases, traffic pattern and taxiway activity is not the only concern you need to be on the lookout for. At Sanford on the east ramp you might see several Robinson helicopters departing the local area. I believe that there is some level of service available for Robinson helicopters over there. So before you holler clear, take a look around and you might see traffic departing right overhead. Click on the pic to see what I'm talking about...

Clear Below 10,000 but Overcast ~  4-8-10: Is that an oxymoron? Not only that, but you could actually run into some rain showers dripping from the high overcast clouds and still have good VFR conditions. As you can see from this recent flight, the sun was trying to peek through the clouds but the clouds were reluctant to give way. Not only were there sun rays but some hazy walls of moisture that turned to rain beating on the canopy. The wind that afternoon was gusting to 18 knots but eventually calmed down to around 4 knots later on that evening. It's nice to fly on a blue sky sunny day, but sometimes you have to take what you can get.

Aeroworks LLC in The Maintenance Hangar -4-1-10: Landing at Skyhaven after 6 pm is usually a very quite experience. But if you look carefully, there's usually something going on either inside or outside of the hangars. These days, you're apt to find some activity at the maintenance hanger. Today I found two workers from Aeroworks LLC busy at work with a couple of aircraft tucked inside amongst tools and equipment. They noticed the light sport aircraft I was flying and pointed out that they also specialize in maintenance on the 912 Rotax engine that so prevalent in the LSA's