BendixKing Throws It’s Hat in the Glass Panel Ring

A Complex Clearance?

ByHank Gibson August 25, 2017August 29, 2017

I was flying in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas a few weeks ago and heard an IFR clearance given to a King Air that pricked my ears up.  It was a clearance from CRP to LRD, but the routing was one you don’t hear too often anymore.  Because of active military airspace, the routing was via a radial and DME off the CRP VOR (so a point defined by the radial and DME) to another radial and DME point off the LRD VOR.

It took me a second to think about how to do this the easiest (without setting up the VOR and watching the DME).  After a moment’s thought, it’s actually a snap with the G1000.  You create 2 user waypoints, one for each Radial/DME spot, then put those 2 user waypoints in your Flight Plan.

Here’s how.

Step 1

Using the big knob, go to the Waypoint chapter.  Once there, scroll down to the User Waypoint page using the small knob.

Step 2

Press the New soft key.  If you want to name the waypoint something specific, you can do that at the top of the page.  If not, it will default to something like VOR 1 or VOR 2.

Step 3

Under Waypoint Type, use the small knob to select RAD/DIS (stands for Radial/Distance).

Step 4

Under Reference Waypoints, again using the small knob (or your keypad), type or dial in the VOR identifier, the radial from that VOR, and the DME distance.  Press enter and you are done.

Once you have both User Waypoints created, then just put them in your flight plan (if you forget what you named them, you can just go back to the User Waypoint page), and off you go.

A Flying Car in the Future?

ByHank Gibson July 31, 2016August 11, 2016

EAA Airventure at Osh Kosh always draws great innovators every year, leading the aviation consumer to discover something new and different.  Flying cars have always been a dream for the everyday pilot.  Why not fly to work?  Why not park the plane in the parking lot?  Why not drive from the runway onto the freeway?  All excellent questions!

Well, Samson Motorworks is trying to make those dreams a reality.  Samson’s Switchblade flying car is in the (hopefully) finally stages of development this summer.  The company expects to be able to conduct test flights early next year, then begin selling the experimental kit.

The Samson Switchblade will be in the Experimental category, but Samson has a builder assist program that only adds $20,000 to the final cost of the kit.  The total price of the kit, which comes 49% completed and only takes 3 weeks to complete with the builder assist program, comes in at $140,000.  That includes the engine, avionics (it’s equipped with Dynon’s 7″ Skyview glass panel display, a Dynon radio and transponder, a Dynon intercom, a Dynon AOA, an iPad mini, and an ADS-B GPS), and the builder assist program.  Similar to a Cirrus, it is also equipped with a Ballistic Parachute Recovery system.

The Samson Switchblade has several different engine options, including a supercharged, liquid cooled, V-4 similar to a Corvette engine that will produce 190 HP.  Max cruise in the air should be around 170 knots.  The Switchblade will hold 30 gallons of mogas, burn 9 GPH in the air, and get 35 mpg on the ground.  The gross weight will be 1,750 pounds.

How does the car to plane transition happen?  Samson has developed a fly by wire system to retract the rudder down while the car is in drive mode.  The wings use a mechanical linkage to fold up into the belly.

There are several different packages for the Samson Switchblade:  the Snowbird, the Aurora, and the Trek options.  Details can be found on Samson’s website.

I, for one, will be keeping an eye on the freeways next summer to keep an eye out for cars sprouting wings.  No more traffic jams!

The Do’s and Don’ts of Drones

ByAndrew Robinson June 7, 2016June 14, 2016

I’m surprised how often I’ve been asked about drones by concerned passengers as they load up for a charter flight. Most commonly I’m asked how many drones I’ve seen while I’m flying, or how many drones I’ve hit/ almost hit. Sadly, the media has made this drone crisis into something that it isn’t. I’ve never seen a drone while I was operating a full scale aircraft, and I’ve certainly never been put into a situation where I felt that a drone was a threat to my safety or the safety of the flight. In fact, I only personally know one pilot who has reportedly seen one around an airport and that was an isolated incident (and a non-event).

The reality is that while Unmanned Aerial Vehicles can be a real danger to full scale aircraft, incidents aren’t actually all that common and detailed information is often lacking or missing altogether. It is likely that some of the reported drone incidents were actually a case of a pilot confusing a loose balloon or a bird for a drone. This, combined with the media’s sensationalizing of every “close” encounter nationwide has led the public to believe that the problem is much bigger than it actually is.

In actuality, when the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics, the USA’s governing body for model aircraft) analyzed the data from the FAA’s 764 recorded Drone sightings, only 27 of them (3.5%) were actually recorded as “near misses” or “near collisions.” Additionally, only 10 of the records (1.3%) indicate that pilot was required to take evasive action.

The records also include reports of drone sightings at altitudes which would be impossible for civilian models to attain (19,000-24,000′). Finally, some of the sightings took place in areas which are specifically set aside for model aircraft and drones to operate.   In those cases, the person flying the drone when it was reported was actually doing so in a safe and legal manner in an area designated for that specific purpose. If you’re interested, the whole article is available here and has a lot of great information.

As pilots, it is important that we do our part in helping reduce the risk of drone strikes. The biggest thing that we can do to help is to report any activity that we see so that it can be investigated and hopefully the drone operator can be found and dealt with. Try to get as much detail as possible about the incident, such as the size, color, location, direction and altitude of any sighted UAVs and report it to the closest tower or controlling agency.

Recently, the people in Washington have come up with a bunch of new rules to regulate the operation of model aircraft. As of this year, every unmanned aerial vehicle between 0.5 and 55 lbs must be registered with the FAA and have an FAA issued registration number located on the model itself. The logic here is that if someone crashes a drone where it shouldn’t have been operated, the officials will be able to identify the owner of the model and take action.

Model manufacturers and vendors have also agreed to start providing information about a program called “Know Before You Fly” (KBYF) in the packaging of the drones.  This program seeks to help educate new hobbyists to the rules and responsibilities associated with model aviation. For more information on KBYF, here is a link to their website.

In the end, the sad reality is that it’s a combination of many factors: new technology making models cheaper and easier to fly, GPS navigation and automation, the media blowing the incidents out of proportion, and inexperienced and foolish operators which have caused the growing concern and required the FAA’s action. I think that it is important to understand that thousands of people have been flying radio controlled models for many years responsibly and this has never been a problem. The AMA has rules (which are the same ones now adopted by the FAA) regarding flying location, altitudes, speeds, and more which have kept both the modelers on the ground and the pilots in the air safe until now. Its a classic case of a few foolish individuals who have caused all modelers to be cast in a bad light.

There is no reason to fly in fear, though. A pilot should always be watching for hazards as he or she is flying, regardless of the variety. In fact, according to the FAA’s website, there were 142,000 wild life STRIKES with civil aircraft in the USA between 1990 and 2013. That seems like a much bigger concern to me than the 764 reported drone SIGHTINGS. As with any new technology, drones are suffering from growing pains. As the rules fall into place and new operators become better experienced, hopefully we will hear about fewer incidents on the evening news. Anyway, I’ll stop “droning” on. Fly safe.

Andrew Robinson is a 135 Charter Pilot and flight instructor who lives with his wife and 2 daughters in Pennsylvania.  He flies Pilatus PC-12s and instructs in Beechcraft Bonanzas.

MODAERO NextGen Aviation Festival

ByHank Gibson March 8, 2016March 7, 2016

Looking for something different to do this Spring Break week?

Consider checking out the First Annual MODAERO NextGen Aviation Festival in Conroe, TX.  It’s a fly in event, complete with camping opportunities, at the Lone Star Executive Airport, KCXO.  The festival itself is being held right next door to the airport at the Lone Star Convention Center.

What’s the draw, do you ask?  Not only are there going to be representatives from all the major aircraft manufacturer’s (along with tons of airplanes), there will be a multitude of speakers and live music.  There are even drone races!  The live music sets the event apart from the well known national fly in events like Osh Kosh and Sun N Fun.  It’s a different type of Festival, geared toward the younger generation of pilots.

For more information or to register, check out MODAERO’s website.  The festival runs from Wednesday through Saturday, March 16-19.

MAF Provides Disaster Relief in Haiti

ByHank Gibson October 9, 2016October 11, 2016

Hurricane Matthew rolled through the Caribbean last week and dumped vast amounts of rain across several of the island nations.  Haiti was one of them.  Haiti has been hard hit by disasters over the last 10 years.  Hurricane Ike in 2008, he devastating earthquake in 2010, Tropical Storm Isaac in 2012 and now Hurricane Matthew.

MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) has provided relief through all those disasters in Haiti.  Their disaster response team is preparing to provide relief yet again to the island nation in the form of relief supplies and personnel as well as damage assessment flights.

MAF-US is based in Nampa, Idaho.  The organization uses aviation and technology to gain access to isolated people groups in order to allow those people to experience the love of Jesus Christ.  MAF-US serves in 6 countries around the world spread out amongst 15 bases.  MAF International works in 33 countries around the world.

In addition, MAF works with multiple non-profits and human aid organizations to provide transportation to doctors and aid workers to those remote parts of the world where automobile transportation is impossible.

In Haiti, MAF has 3 airplanes based in the country that serve 13 remote airstrips.  To read more about MAF, visit their website.

Cirrus Vision Jet Receives FAA Certification

ByHank Gibson November 8, 2016

The long anticipated certification of the Cirrus Vision Jet finally happened.  On October 30th, the FAA awarded certification to Cirrus’ single engine jet.  Marketed as the world’s first single engine personal jet, the Cirrus Vision Jet will seat five adults, two children, and cruise around 300 knots.

The Williams FJ33-5A Turbo Fan engine is operated by a FADEC, single handle throttle, similar to the throttle in the piston powered Cirrus family.  In fact, the SR series was taken into consideration when designing the Cirrus Vision Jet in order to simplify the upgrade for pilots.  Many of the buttons and knobs are in the same places in the Cirrus Vision Jet.

The Cirrus Vision Jet is equipped with the Cirrus Perspective Touch by Garmin that is very similar to the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin in the piston powered line.  Equipped also with the Flight Into Known Icing system and the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), both of which are standard.

Unlike the piston powered Cirrus lines, the CAPS system on the Cirrus Vision Jet is actually mounted in the nose.  Also, unlike the piston lines, the jet CAPS is integrated with the aircraft avionics to slow the airplane to between 67 and 160 knots when the system is activated.  In the jet, the CAPS system was designed to withstand higher weights, higher speeds and higher altitudes.

Cirrus hopes to start deliveries of the Vision Jet by the end of the year, with many more rolling off the line in 2017.  All Cirrus Vision Jet pilots will need to be type rated in order to fly the aircraft.  Cirrus is doing all the type rating training in house at their new Vision Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.

To read the full press release, click here.