WELCOME PILOTS
I had a nice tour group of first graders that came over to RDU to visit and look at some airplanes. It’s always as much fun for me as it is for the many smiling faces I have the pleasure of showing around some cool aircraft. It’s interesting to note some of the interesting questions and observations the youth make while experiencing general aviation for the first time. One cute young fellow grew anxious while I demonstrated putting together a balsawood airplane and blurted out, “Are we going to see airplanes Mr. Tom?” It’s great to see such positive energy in our youth for aviation!
One another note, great news! We have branched out into the rapidly growing drone training business. This is being done under our new division DronePilotSafety.com. The new ebook training course, “Flying Small Drones, Legal and Safe” gives small drone pilots training on how to avoid breaking FAA regulations while creating safe flight operations. While FAA regulations are forthcoming for commercial operators, we felt it important to educate all drone pilots (potential commercial operators, hobbyists and governmental agencies) on how to comply with complex regulations be it federal, state or local. Conventional aircraft pilots might relate this training to a self-study Private Pilot ground-school. Don’t worry, WingsOfun pilots will keep receiving our normal weekly BLOG.
A reminder from last week: Be sure to check out the News section with information about contacting your elected officials regarding the “Expansion of the Driver’s License Exemption for Pilots.” It’s important for the future of the aviation industry for this bill to get passed.
~TC Freeman
Aviation Speaker and Author
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NEW PRESENTATION
“PILOT AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE"
Order at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tcfreeman2
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Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:http://tinyurl.com/woffb
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PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #37 ~ PASSENGER COMFORT
http://youtu.be/mUUUxNvLd7c
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Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;
How to Afford a Speaker for Your Group
http://www.wingsofun.com/how_to_afford_a_speaker.html
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CAN DIESEL ENGINES SAVE GENERAL AVIATION?
By TC FREEMAN
At a recent seminar I attended, a representative from Cessna Aircraft Company was there who is working to introduce diesel engines into the single engine aircraft market. They are reasonably concerned about the low production number in the General Aviation (GA) market and think this design could help sustain the single-engine market.
First hearing this I immediately remember Diamond Aircraft’s entry into this market several years ago with their twin-engine diesel. The impressive part was the extremely impressive fuel economy. Six gallons per hour comes to mind, and that’s total, not per engine. This thrifty engine also provided a very nice cruise speed, not 35% to make the numbers look good. Unfortunately, pilot opinion was mixed. Many flying conventional 100LL aircraft feared change. There were logical questions posed such as, Will the aircraft perform as advertised? Is the Time Before Overhaul (TBO) realistic? Will a new design be riddled with problems and who will work on this aircraft? Sales were less than expected for some of the reasons stated with maintenance being one of the biggest problems. For instance, when an aircraft breaks down at most any airport, finding qualified maintenance personnel is an issue.
In Diamond Aircraft’s defense, I’ve always thought of their company as progressive and ahead of its time. Being the tail-blazer in technology comes with its challenges. I commend their effort to bring not only diesel engines into the market but also Rotax engines years prior, not to mention fly-by-wire systems we discussed in last week’s article. The fate of the Rotax engine is ironically familiar, with the lack of qualified personnel; owners demanded a more conventional motor.
Getting back to the Cessna diesel, I must agree that they have a lot going for them in the international market. Once in production I personally feel that domestic sales will be sluggish. However, as the representative pointed out, the remainder of the world has a thirst for such and aircraft. We think 100LL is expensive in the US, but in the rest of the world it is outrageous and difficult to find. Sure, single and multi-engine turbines will have a significant stake, but piston-powered singles using the same Jet A will most definitely have a significant piece of the aviation pie. Making this sale easier is the fact that the rest of the world is a lot more familiar with diesel technology than in the US (although we are learning quickly).
Please don’t just take my word. Cessna hires some of the brightest minds in the industry to determine market opportunities, minus the Skycatcher disappointment. Loosely quoting the Cessna representative, he said, “We have to quit building on a small scale in order to be a formidable competitor in the global economy.” Ultimately, I see a good future for this line of powerplants on the world aviation scene.
About the author:
TC Freeman has been flying since he was a teenager and is now an aviation speaker and author. Being employed as an Aviation Safety Specialist for state government, he has passion for spreading the thrill of flying just for the fun of it via the website, www.WingsOfun.com.
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NATIONAL TAKE FLIGHT DAY, SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2014
www.NationalTakeFlightDay.com
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“We are excited to donate this segment of the WingsOfun BLOG to this great program that promotes; airport visitation, education and tourism.” ~TC FREEMAN
OPERATION: FLY NC NEWS
Discuss OP: Fly NC with fellow pilots at: http://tinyurl.com/opflync
Stamp NOTAMS (no additional Stamp NOTAMS at this time)
Upcoming Events: Good for OP: FLY NC stamp/signature, most posted to: www.SocialFlight.com.
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IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:
“OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS”… for pilots flying just for the fun of it.
With the issue of sequestration, the shut-down of many Air Traffic Control Towers is a possibility. Regardless, it is important to know how to safely and efficiently operate at Non-Towered Airports. In this audio book TC Freeman discusses; straight in approaches, dealing with aircraft on extended downwind and traffic pattern entries.
Available at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tcfreeman
(Run time: 34 minutes)
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NEWS FROM THE WEB
Brought to you by:
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FLIGHT TRAINING eBook
*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!
Available at Amazon.com (click here) or
http://tinyurl.com/lw2s674
*Cool video showing the the flight tracks in Europe. It would be nice to see something like this for sport aviation pilots on National Take Flight Day, Saturday, April 12, 2014.
http://www.flyingmag.com/pilots-places/pilots-adventures-more/mesmerizing-video-tracks-flights
*Two of the champions of industry merge, Cenna and Beechcraft under the Textron Compnay.
http://www.flyingmag.com/news/new-textron-aviation-brings-together-cessna-beechcraft
*Solar plants deemed an issue to vision according to several pilots.
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Solar-Plant-Glare-Draws-Pilot-Complaints221630-1.html
*Drones for wildlife control...interesting.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2399941/Canadians-order-DRONE-strikes-nuisance-geese-away-Petrie-Island.html
*A great idea to honor public service aviation despite the tickets being a little rich for my wallet.
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Endeavor-Awards-To-Honor-Public-Service-Aviation221623-1.html
*Winston-Salem Fun Fly-in, May 9, 2014 (2 p.m. – 6 p.m.) Coordinated by subscriber Jonathan Miller.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Winston-Salem-Fun-Fly-In/220046331535808
*The FAA introduces the new Airman's Information Manual (AIM), check it out online for free.
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/AIM_Basic_4-03-14.pdf
*WingOfun Call to Action: “Senate Acts On Third-Class Medical Exemption” (AvWeb). A quote from the article from Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, "The FAA has had two years to review this request for an exemption.....Let's get this thing moving."
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Senate-Acts-On-Third-Class-Medical-Exemption221581-1.html
Contact your elected officials in support of the “expansion of the driver’s license medical exemption to more (non-commercial) pilots. To find your senate representatives go to:
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
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OUR FAVORITE VIDEOS FROM THE WEB ~ Dji Phantom Crash From Above The Clouds With GoPro
http://youtu.be/f9H3Ods1sQ8
I would like to think the fellow that made the video is honest when he states that loss of signal accounted for not being able to control the drone. This might give full-scale pilots and idea of what could happen while flying through clouds (not to mention VFR). Education is the key for creating a future in sharing the same airspace safely.
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Questions? Contact: tom@wingsofun.com
