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AV I AT I O N
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OUR HANDHELD RADIO ROUNDUP FOR 2021 APRIL 2021
FAST AND CLEAN
6 MODERN HIGH-PERFORMANCE SINGLES
STARTING YOUR PLANE Made Slightly Easier
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT PLANEANDPILOTMAG.COM
Why Aviation’s Future Is Bright
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VOL. 57 NO. 3
❯FEATURES
30 6AVIATION HISTORICAL EVENTS THAT CHANGED QUICKLY AND PROFOUNDLY Science and technology, including aviation, are often affected by powerful outside forces that drive change in all segments of life, including flying. By W. David Pond
38 6PISTON MODERN HIGH-PERFORMANCE SINGLES
46 THE ART OF THE START Getting persnickety engines going can be a challenge. Here’s some help. By LeRoy Cook
50 WHICH HANDHELD RADIO IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
A new way of looking at what high-performance means to pilots helped these post-war piston singles change flying for the better.
Regardless of your needs, these powerful handhelds are a must-have accessory for any safety-minded pilot. Here’s a look at the most popular models on the market today.
By Plane & Pilot / Introduction by Isabel Goyer
By Mark Phelps
❯ VISIT THE PLANE & PILOT® WEBSITE
AT PLANEANDPILOTMAG.COM
inside ❯SPACES
6 GOING DIRECT Why Are Young Pilots So Darned Different From Us? By Isabel Goyer
8 PLANE FACTS Low & Slow By Desiree Kocis
26
10 MYSTERIES OF FLIGHT Did Helen Keller Really Fly A Plane?
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8
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54
By Desiree Kocis
12 CHECK POINTS News Of Note By Bethany Whitfield And Plane & Pilot Staff
16 PRO TIPS FOR
PRIVATE PILOTS Airline-Style Checklist Flows For Private Pilots By Frank Ayers
18 ACCIDENT BRIEFS Reports From The NTSB
19 CROSS CHECK Your Aviation Crossword
20 GEAR Cool Pilot Stuff
26 LESSONS LEARNED about flying (and about life)
62
About Alaska By Ken Wittekiend
54 AFTER THE ACCIDENT Birds Take Down A Citation By Dave English
58 CROSS-COUNTRY LOG
2
62 WORDS ALOFT A Frosty FBO Camp Out By Jeremy King
64 THIS INCREDIBLE PLANE
Flying Through Africa In The Midst Of Turmoil
The Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST) ‘SkySleeper’
By Bill Cox
By Frank Ayers
APRIL 2021 Ç Plane&Pilot
ON THE COVER: Jack Fleetwood captured this shot of another talented air-to-air photographer, Glenn Watson, flying his A36 Bonanza over the Central Texas countryside.
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PLANE & PILOT® (ISSN: 0032-0617)—Vol. 57 No. 3—is published monthly except bimonthly Jan./Feb. by Madavor Media, LLC. Executive, editorial and advertising offices: 35 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 101, Braintree, MA 02184, (617) 706-9110. Periodicals Postage Paid at Boston, MA, and additional mailing offices. Single copy price—$7.99. Annual subscription in U.S., Possessions, APO/ FPO—$19.94. Canada—$34.94; other foreign—$34.94, including postage and taxes. Payable in U.S. funds. For orders, address changes and all other customer service, phone toll-free (800) 283-4330. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Plane & Pilot, P.O. Box 8507, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8507. Canada Post Publications Mail Class Agreement No. 1559788. Email us (editorial matters only) [email protected] or visit our website at www.planeandpilotmag.com. Copyright ©2021 by Madavor Media, LLC. No material may be reproduced without written permission. This publication is purchased with the understanding that information presented is from many sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy, originality or completeness. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or providing instruction as a substitute for appropriate training by qualified sources. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS: Plane & Pilot assumes no responsibility for solicited or unsolicited contributions and materials. We do not accept original transparencies or negatives. Otherwise, insurance for such materials, in transit or in our possession, must be the responsibility of the writer or photographer. Plane & Pilot does not accept or agree to the conditions and stipulations printed on delivery memos, packing slips and related correspondence as they are presented without prior notice accompanying submission materials. Exceptions to this disclaimer of liability on the part of Plane & Pilot must be prearranged, executed in writing and signed by both parties prior to the shipment of materials in question. All submissions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient postage to cover the cost of return. The class of mail and insurance coverage for returns will be determined by the amount provided for on the SASE. SUBSCRIBERS: Any obligation we owe to you, including delivery of your magazine, is contingent upon you providing us with your correct mailing address. If the Post Office notifies us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation to you unless we receive a corrected address from you within two years of the Post Office notification. BACK ISSUES are available for one year prior to the current issue. To order within the U.S., send $7.00 plus $4.00 postage and handling (Canada: $7.00 plus $5.00; International: $7.00 plus $10.00) for each issue to Back Issue Dept., Plane & Pilot Magazine, 35 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 101, Braintree, MA 02184, or go online and visit the eStore. No orders processed without proper funds and specific issue information. Plane & Pilot is a registered trademark of Madavor Media, LLC. Copyright ©2021 Madavor Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
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GOING DIRECT By Isabel Goyer
Why Are Young Pilots So Darned Different From Us? Today’s young flyers are, indeed, very different from my generation’s. That is a great thing. ith the passing of General Chuck Yeager late last year, America didn’t just lose a supersonic pioneer; we lost a symbol of an entire generation, the one defined in large part by World War II and our coming together as a country to defeat the rise of fascism on the European continent and in the Pacific. To many pilots, Chuck Yeager was the face of that victory, of that generation, which journalist, author and historian Tom Brokaw dubbed “The Greatest Generation” in his book by that same title. The real story is far more complicated than that, of course, as it always is with tales of heroes. Look no further than the history of the Tuskegee Airmen squadron for proof of that. That’s the nature of the American Experiment. But if World War II helped shape progress in so many social, cultural and economic ways, making us what we are now, it needs to be asked: With the World War II generation now largely gone, what becomes of aviation with this generational changing of the guard? I’d be lying if I were to say that I had the names of the generations straight in my head. I don’t. Gen-Xers were, of course, the generation that followed Baby Boomers,
W
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APRIL 2021 Ç Plane&Pilot
like many of us. After that are probably the millennials, but I’d have to look it up, and, frankly, when it comes to flying, it just doesn’t matter. Vne is Vne no matter what the birth year or astrological sign. When I was a kid, adults regularly uttered some version of, “Kids are different today.” Same thing’s true today. And in aviation, because our circumstances are so precarious, one might be tempted to ask, “Can we trust the youth of today to be the guardians of the legacy of this most amazing activity and all that it encompasses? “Can we trust them with our planes, especially given that so many of these planes have far outlived their intended lifespans, though with lack of any life limits on these planes—who figured we’d be living in a world in which there were 15,000-hour Skyhawks—they just keep flying? “And can we trust them with our precious warbirds, these astonishingly complex and expensive-to-maintain artifacts of our shared history, artifacts that are unlike anything else in the world that I can think of, because a big part of their beauty and value is that so many of them continue not just to exist but to fly?” (So reup your
EAA membership and donate your time and support to organizations like the Commemorative Air Force, which keep these planes flying.) Perhaps most importantly, can we trust young people to keep us pilots flying—that is, actually getting into airplanes and going and doing things in them? Without that, the kind of aviation that we care so much about ceases to exist. So, it might surprise you to learn that my answer to all of those questions is not just “yes” but “hell, yes.” The all-too-common complaint in aviation about young people, that they aren’t as passionate about flying as their elders are, is flat-out wrong. How do I know? Well, if you keep your ear to the TikTok and Instagram annals of young life, you’ll discover that young people are insanely involved with aviation—way more, in fact, than kids in my generation were. Kids today have the added advantage of virtually unlimited resources online. I never flew a circle-to-land approach to JFK in a thunderstorm at night, but if I wanted to do that right now, thanks to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, I could. And it would be intensely realistic. And lots and lots of kids are doing things just like that. The ones who love airplanes really love airplanes, and they know exactly who Chuck Yeager was and is, and why he matters.
And these young aviators have another added advantage: community. In an age when older folks bemoan the loss of community, the irony in the aviation world is that it’s never been better. A young pilot has a tough time getting over the hump to solo, so he posts that he’s frustrated and thinking of hanging up his headset for good. In many of these groups, he’ll typically be greeted with dozens of admonitions to “hang in there!” Other group members will relate similar stories. A few days or weeks later, the original poster will report back that he successfully soloed, to huzzahs all around. Kids today are different. They have tools, and they have awesome support. As we navigate 2021, we face enormous challenges as a nation and as a community. None of those challenges have anything to do with the kids who are already there, maybe in the right seat of an RJ or helping a slightly younger kid understand the intricacies of steep turns and DME arcs, ferrying an airplane from a past owner or training to be a naval aviator or, just maybe, an astronaut. They are, you know, flying. And they’re not doing it because they’re good Samaritans. They’re there because they’re as crazy about flying as we were. Let there be no doubt. We’re in excellent hands. One day, they will be, too. PP
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PLANEFACTS
Low & Slow Speed isn’t the be-all and end-all of airplane design. BY DESIREE KOCIS Slowest Speed An Aircraft Can Stay Airborne: Stall Speed (Vs) Typical Vs For Single-Engine Plane: 42-50 mph Commercial Airliners: 155 mph Variables: Aircraft density, air density, aircraft length, gravitational acceleration
First Human-Powered Aircraft Capable Of Controlled Flight: MacCready Gossamer Condor Vs: 7 mph Powered By: Pedaling First Flight: Dec. 26, 1976 Top Speed Of Its Successor, The Gossamer Albatross: 18 mph
Time It Took To Fly Across The English Channel: 2 hours, 29 minutes Altitude Flown: 5 feet
Designed to keep flying at a crawl, the big Antonov An-2 biplane is a famously slow and mighty hauler.
Lowest Controlled Flight Speed Recorded: 25 mph Max Speed: 160 mph
Popular Demonstration At Airshows: Flying backward Slowest Maneuver Performed By The Blue Angels F/A-18: “Section High Alpha” Speed: 120 mph Degrees Nose Pitched During Maneuver: 45 Illusion Created: Appears to stand on its tail
Jet-Powered Aircraft Capable Of Hovering: Harrier “Jump Jet” Seconds It Takes To Slow To 0 MPH From 620 MPH: 12 Additional Capability: Vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL)
Miles: 22.2 Physical Exhaustion: High Reward For Feat: £100,000
Downside: “Unforgiving to fly” Worldwide Crashes: ~170 Marine Pilots Killed Over 30-Year Period: 45
World Speed Record For Human-Powered Flight: 27.5 mph
Leading Cause Of Fatal General Aviation Accidents: Loss of control
Empty Weight: 53 pounds
Typical Culprit: Stalling
Power Generation Requirement By Pilot: 250 W
Most Common Flight Phase: Takeoff, landing
Aircraft With No Published Stall Speed: Soviet Antonov An-2 Bi-Plane Empty Weight: 12,125 pounds
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APRIL 2021 Ç Plane&Pilot
Safety Maneuver Taught At Flight Schools: Slow flight
PHOTO BY FOX52
Aircraft: Rochelt Musculair 2
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MYSTERIES OF FLIGHT
Did Helen Keller Really Fly A Plane? How could this admittedly remarkable woman, who was deaf and blind, pull it off? BY DESIREE KOCIS
MYSTERY Is it possible that Helen Keller—unable to hear or see—could have really flown an airplane across the Mediterranean Sea in 1946?
BACKGROUND “Like a great graceful bird sailing through the illimitable skies.” —Helen Keller’s description of an airplane Born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, in 1880, Helen Keller was a mere 19 months old when she came down with a febrile illness that tragically robbed her of both sight and hearing. Deaf, blind and mute, she spent her youngest years struggling to wade through the dark, dense fog that had settled over her life. Her family described her as wild and unruly—understandably so—but also quite intelligent. Remarkably, young Helen Keller invented more than 60 hand signs for communication and learned to identify people by the vibration of their footsteps. On a day Keller would later call the birthday of her soul, a visually impaired woman named Anne Sullivan entered Helen’s life. Sullivan’s goal was to reopen the world to Keller by teaching her to communicate through touch. It would be an uphill battle, fraught with frequent, sometimes violent, outbursts by the frustrated child. After all, up until that point, Keller had no idea that Famous around the world for her brilliant mind, Helen Keller, though deaf and blind, words even existed. was said to have flown an airplane. Could this be true? Using what she described as a strategy of patience, love and obedience, Sullivan finally had a breakthrough with Keller in April of 1887. exclaimed through hand motions, going on to demand While running cool water through one of the girl’s the names of everything around her. The door to the hands, Sullivan signed the letters “W-A-T-E-R” into world had finally swung open. the palm of her other hand. She repeated this over and Keller went on to tackle life’s challenges with remarkover until, finally, in one amazing moment, everything able passion and determination. A prolific author, clicked. Keller boiled over with excitement. “Water!” she activist, scholar and lecturer, she earned many titles. 10
APRIL 2021 Ç Plane&Pilot
It’s even said that on one special day in June of 1946, she added a quite extraordinary title to her list: pilot.
of aircraft: airplane, rotorcraft, glider, powered-lift and lighter-than-air aircraft. Basically, so long as communication isn’t required with ATC, they have the greenlight. FLY, HELEN! FLY! One small hurdle, however, is that in While most take their first flight lesson order to satisfy the requirements of Part “Sight and sound in a single-engine plane, like the practi61 and qualify to take the check ride, stucal Cessna 172 or ever-forgiving Piper dent pilots must conduct three takeoffs be damned, she Warrior, that was not the case for the and landings at a towered airport. To jumped straight into overachieving Helen Keller. Sight and navigate this, the student and instructhe right seat of a sound be damned, she jumped straight tor can make prior arrangements with four-engine Douglas into the right seat of a four-engine the tower, so a controller can use light C-54 Skymaster—an Douglas C-54 Skymaster—an impressive signals in lieu of voice communication. impressive aircraft for aircraft for anyone to tackle. As the pilot Because flying has such a critical reached the shores of the Mediterranean, visual component, certification for the anyone to tackle.” he handed over the flight controls, and blind is not possible and would require for 20 glorious minutes, Keller soared significant advancements in flight techacross the sea. nology in order to ever become a reality. That doesn’t mean those who are visually impaired can’t still fly, IMPOSSIBLE though. They just can’t get their certificate. A viral post on social media recently attempted to cast doubt on Keller’s accomplishment. According to a DOES KELLER’S STORY HOLD WATER? self-proclaimed internet expert on TikTok, @krunk19 “It was wonderful to feel the delicate movement of the (I know… I know!), not only was her feat unimpressive, aircraft through the controls!” it was impossible. Despite @krunk19’s questionable According to an American Foundation for the Blind qualifications to speak on this matter, or perhaps any article, “Wonderful Helen Keller Flies a Plane,” she was matter, his post still caused people to raise their eyeable to fly the aircraft using Tactical Sign Language brows. How, they wondered, could someone with so communication through her travel companion, Polly many sensory limitations pilot an aircraft? Thompson. Despite being unable to hear the rumbling of the engine or see the beauty of the world from above, TACTICAL SIGN LANGUAGE she could still feel the incredible exhilaration of conIn 2002, a 15-year-old deaf-blind girl demonstrated trolling an aircraft in flight. Helen said that flying made how the communication method known as Tactical her feel more physically free than anything else had in Sign Language could be used for flight instruction. her life. Clearly, that’s the soul of a pilot speaking. PP Climbing into the right seat of a Piper Warrior, she used one hand to manipulate the flight controls and the other to speak to her interpreter. Using a series of motions on the palm of her hand, the interpreter communicated the CFI’s instructions. Not only was the girl’s first flight lesson a success, but, like most of us, she immediately got hooked. She later told the press, “Maybe next time we’ll do more tricks!”
❯❯
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA PUBLIC DOMAIN
Minutes from Cincinnati s e c i 25% r l P ed l A uc d e R
CERTIFICATION FOR THE DEAF OR BLIND Although the certificate will come with the limitation, “Not Valid for Flights Requiring the Use of Radio” (14 CFR section 61.13), a hearingimpaired individual can obtain a student, recreational or private pilot certificate in any of the five categories
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11
CHECK POINTS
News Of Note BY BETHANY WHITFIELD AND PLANE & PILOT STAFF
CONGRESS FIGHTS BACK AGAINST GPS THREAT After the FCC gave Ligado Networks the green light to pursue a 5G network on a frequency band dangerously close to that used by GPS, lawmakers have taken action to stem the potential fallout of such a move. As part of the recent defense bill that went into effect on Jan. 1, the Department of Defense will now conduct an independent review to assess the details of the Ligado agreement and determine the costs any interference might pose for the aviation industry. Such costs might include new equipment and infrastructure costs needed to protect against interference, and given the potentially far-reaching effects of any frequency disruption, preliminary estimates suggest such expenses could be steep. The safeguarding measures come after the DOD overtly opposed the FCC’s approval of Ligado’s network last year due to serious concerns about the integrity of GPS as well as possible interference with radar altimeters. The latter are critical
PILATUS CELEBRATES 100TH JET DELIVERY Swiss-based Pilatus marked a key milestone for its PC-24 twin jet program earlier this year when it delivered its 100th jet. The achievement comes three years after the versatile twin jet received certification from the FAA.
in that they allow many larger aircraft to conduct approach procedures. Experts expect Ligado to challenge components of the new law due to potential liabilities it might place upon the company.
minutes into the flight, air traffic controllers realized the airplane had deviated from its intended course, and repeated attempts to reach the crew were unsuccessful. The 27-year-old airplane, operated by Sriwijaya Air, crashed into a shallow area of the Java Sea, where the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have since been recovered. Early reports indicate the airplane experienced a rapid descent prior to impact, plunging more than 10,000 feet in less than a minute. Given the compact nature of the wreckage, investigators say the airplane likely impacted the water intact. The crash is the deadliest accident to occur in Indonesia since the 737 MAX Lion Air crash in 2018. The investigation into the recent accident is ongoing, and a probable cause has yet to be determined.
737 CRASHES IN INDONESIA A Boeing 737-500 intended for Borneo crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in early January, killing all 62 people aboard. Just 12
APRIL 2021 Ç Plane&Pilot
WAI GOES VIRTUAL; HELI-EXPO BOWS OUT FOR 2021 Women in Aviation International will hold a virtual
gathering March 11-12, while the Heli-Expo, which was set to take place March 22-25, has been canceled after numerous exhibitors pulled out. Oshkosh AirVenture is still a go, as are Reno and the High Sierra Fly-In. Subscribe to Plane & Pilot’s eNews to stay on top of COVID-19 cancellations and rain dates.
DA-40 SOLIDIFIES STATUS AS TOP DIESEL SINGLE Diamond Aircraft delivered its 500th Diamond DA-40NG, which is the turbo-diesel-equipped version of its popular four-seat single, reinforcing the plane as the most-built diesel single in the world.
BOEING PAYS BILLIONS FOR “FRAUD CONSPIRACY” In January, Boeing agreed to pay out $2.5 billion as part of a settlement for concealing information about the 737 MAX from the FAA in the leadup to the airplane’s certification. The Justice Department revealed the company hastened the airplane’s entry into service through a number of means, including moves aimed at eliminating the need for additional training for pilots of pre-737 MAXs. Through its investigation, the Justice Department found that some of the top-ranking pilots at Boeing discovered important information about a change to MCAS in November of 2016. However, instead of relaying the critical information to the FAA, Boeing concealed it, leading the FAA to eliminate MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) details from the final report on the airplane. The deceit ultimately resulted in the production of MAX manuals and pilot training materials that lacked information about the MCAS system, which has been implicated in the fatal crashes of two MAX airplanes and the deaths of 346 people. The impetus behind Boeing’s hurried proceedings was the company’s desire to compete with the Airbus A320 Neo, which boasted superior fuel efficiency in comparison to the pre-MAX 737s. In addition to the failings of the major airplane manufacturer, the FAA has also been severely criticized by members of Congress for its negligent oversight of the MAX certification process.
AOPA STRIVES TO FIX BROKEN EXAMINATION SYSTEM To address issues with FAA-designated pilot examiners, AOPA has put together a working group of aviation professionals to tackle what many in the aviation community are calling systemic dysfunction. The group will help inform AOPA’s work with the FAA in modernizing the system.
NEW FAA REVERSES COURSE ON KEY RULE The FAA is now allowing limited supersonic flight testing over land, a change in policy from previous regulations that only allowed testing over water. The new rule limits such flights to experimental aircraft at this time, but it paves the way for innovation for a number of companies working to make commercial supersonic flight a reality.
CIVIL AIR PATROL AIDS IN VACCINE ROLLOUT The Civil Air Patrol announced that it was working as part of Project Warp Speed to deliver the coronavirus vaccine to remote communities in need. It recently flew its first missions in support of the initiative to deliver the vaccines to communities in Michigan and Minnesota. planeandpilotmag.com
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CHECK POINTS (CONTINUED)
Continued from page 13
VIRGIN ORBIT MARKS SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH AIR RACES CONTINUE THANKS TO CASH INFLUX The National Championship Air Races will hold its annual races in Reno, Nevada, on Sept. 15-19, 2021. The organization had to cancel its 2020 show over pandemic concerns, but a major charity campaign in December raised $460,000, allowing it to continue its work toward a 2021 event.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit launched a number of satellites into space from a modified Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl in January, less than a year after the company’s first attempt to break the space barrier failed due to an engine malfunction. The satellites were carried by the company’s LauncherOne rocket, which was launched from the 747 at 35,000 feet.
VOLOCOPTER EYES U.S. FLIGHTS
FAA FOCUSES ON FLIGHT SECURITY TO DC The FAA issued stern warnings to passengers that it would have a zero-tolerance policy on passenger disruptions on flights to and from the nation’s capital. Airlines reported widespread passenger conduct issues, including threats and racial taunts to crew members, on flights both before and after the Jan. 6, 2021, siege on the Capitol building.
NEW REQUIREMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIERS The United States is now requiring those arriving in the U.S. on international flights to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within three days of travel or documentation that they have previously had and recovered from the virus. The new stipulation replaces a previous order that limited the requirement to those arriving from the U.K. 14
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Germany-based Volocopter, maker of the eye-catching 18-rotor autonomous VoloCity aircraft, is asking the FAA to give it the green light to pursue passenger flights in the U.S. The company joins a continually growing number of other eVTOL makers seeking to make air taxis a reality. So far, there are no such craft even close to FAA approval.
FIAT CHRYSLER ENTERS EVTOL SPACE Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has paired with Archer, a California-based eVTOL company, to bring the latter’s soon-to-be-unveiled air taxi design to fruition. The companies are hoping to begin production of the aircraft in 2023 and say the partnership will allow Archer to benefit from the automobile maker’s supply chain and engineering expertise.
SIGNATURE AVIATION HAS NEW OWNER Signature Aviation, which operates the world’s largest FBO network, will now fall under the ownership of Global Infrastructure Partners, the result of a $4.6 billion deal to buy the company that outdid several competing bids from other firms. GIP says it plans to help Signature grow, in part through acquisitions.
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PRO TIPS FOR PRIVATE PILOTS By Frank Ayers
Airline-Style Checklist Flows For Private Pilots The way the pros often do it is to let the airplane do the organizing. hecklists are an essential link in the safety chain response, the airlines turned to the checklist flow concept. at all levels of aviation. The checklist, like any sucIn this strategy, each pilot has a unique memorized “flow.” cess story, has many parents. However, the 1935 It usually starts in the overhead panel, then flows to the crash of the Boeing 299, the prototype of the legendary pilot’s instrument displays, center engine and systems Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, is generally regarded as a displays, and ends up down on the center console. This key turning point. The 299, with a crew of five on board, check is done in a logical sequence from memory. Then, it crashed shortly after takeoff due to the pilot’s failure is immediately followed by the recitation of the checklist’s to release the gust locks, killing the pilot and a second items (from a simple one-page paper checklist) by the crewmember. This innovation protected the tail surfaces first officer/pilot not flying, with responses from each from wind damage while parked by locking the elevapilot. This system of checklist flows places the items to tor and rudder. Thankfully, the accident did not spell be checked in a logical sequence and develops a strong the end of the B-17, but it did highlight the need for a habit pattern that contributes to accuracy and efficiency. pre-takeoff checklist to ensure that these increasingly As airline cockpit design has advanced, instrument and complex airplanes were operated safely. systems panels have been optimized for the flow concept. Flash forward to today, and checklists come in numerWatching a modern airline crew conduct their flows is ous shapes, sizes and formats, some good and some like watching a well-rehearsed symphony. bad. Unfortunately, in the spirit of more is less, many So how does this apply to general aviation pilots? modern general aviation checklists appear to have been Glad you asked. The checklist flow does not replace the written as much by the legal department as by flight printed checklist. Rather, it allows the pilot to efficiently operations. The military suffered from this issue a few check all the required items for each phase of flight, then years back. Every time an accident or refer to the checklist to recheck that each incident occurred, especially one involvitem is complete. It is especially valuable “Unfortunately, ing the unfortunate loss of life, it would for pilots who fly a variety of aircraft on a in the spirit of more surely be followed by what the aircrews regular basis. Developing a flow pattern is less, many modern dubbed a “posthumous technical order in the cockpit allows the pilot to effigeneral aviation change.” This would add several pages to ciently review each of the required switch the military equivalent of the POH and positions and configurations, then back checklists appear to several steps to the checklist. it up with the written checklist. So, what have been written The end results of decades of these might a general aviation flow look like? as much by the legal changes were incredibly large manudepartment as by flight als and checklists. It got so bad at one • Start at the top: Twins, turboprops, operations.” point in the 1980s that the U.S. Air Force and some complex singles have overdictated that all regulations (and in the head instrument and switch panels, military, a checklist is considered a regulation) would be but this can also apply to some older singles that have reduced by one third. This resulted in shorter, cleaner overhead trim cranks and other miscellaneous items and more effective checklists as well as lighter flight in the roof. bags to lug around. And, as it turned out, no decrease • Proceed left to right on the upper half of the instruin fight safety. ment panel: This usually covers all the flight instruWell, the airlines had a better idea. While military of ments, navigation radios, autopilot controls and other the 1980s embraced the traditional challenge and response accessory equipment. system, where the co-pilot prompted the pilot for each • Come back across right to left on the lower half
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of the instrument panel: Here we often find circuit breakers, the throttle quadrant, landing gear and flaps, and, depending on the aircraft, engine instruments and electrical switches. • Then head down the center console: Hit the cowl flaps, trim wheels, more circuit breakers, throttle quadrants and other interesting items. • And, finally, check the floor and the side panels: This is the usual home of fuel selectors, but as aircraft designers run out of panel real estate, these areas can be filled with circuit breakers, occasionally used switches, and anything else that did not fit anywhere else. The older or more unique the aircraft, the more stuff is on the floor or even under the seat! • Once the flow is complete, pick up the checklist and verbally call out each item and recheck that it is complete: This allows the pilot to catch any items that might have been missed. Again, this system is especially effective if the pilot moves from one aircraft to another on a frequent basis. It develops a consistent habit pattern. And the followup with the actual checklist gives that critical second look that develops confidence that the aircraft and pilot are ready. Checklists come in a variety of formats. A popular Missionary Bush Pilot YouTube series combines checklist flows with a small rectangular box on the glareshield, which contains eight toggle switches. Each toggle has
one label above and a different label below each switch. All switches in the “up” position signify ready for takeoff. All switches down, ready to land—really helpful for the stressful life of the masters of backcountry flying in New Guinea. Many glass cockpit displays, as well as popular iPad apps, contain a variety of checklist formats. And there are some nice laminated checklists out there that use the empty space on the instrument panel to key the pilot to the critical items required for takeoff, climb, cruise, descent and landing. Each of these works well with checklist flows. Whatever type of checklist, personal style or aircraft you fly, consider adding the checklist flow concept to your set of habits. If you get a chance, check out the numerous posts on YouTube to see how airlines and your general aviation colleagues use flows effectively. If you fly multiple aircraft types, this technique can be a lifesaver and a time saver. And whatever you do, make your insurance company happy by always completing a “GUMP” check before each and every landing! Landing gear down, three green and checked. Fly safe and enjoy the ride! PP Frank Ayers has been flying for over 45 years. He is an experienced military instructor pilot with over 4,000 hours in the Boeing B-52 and holds both ATP/B757/767 and CFI certificates with over 2,300 additional hours in a wide variety of general aviation aircraft. He enjoys teaching young people about the art and science of aviation and flight safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. planeandpilotmag.com
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ACCIDENTBRIEFS Beech A36 Bonanza Chebanse, Illinois/Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious, 1 Minor The pilot reported that, during a cross-country flight, while in cruise altitude at 3,000 ft mean sea level, the engine lost power. He subsequently performed a forced landing to a muddy wheat field. Examination at the site revealed that the left and right main fuel tanks were intact; the left tank was empty and the right tank contained about 25 gallons. The wing tip tanks were breached during the accident, but burns in the field were indicative of fuel being in the wing tip tanks at the time they were breached. The fuel selector was found in the left tank position. Further examination revealed that the fuel line from the fuel selector to the engine-driven fuel pump contained no fuel. A test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. Given the absence of fuel in the left tank, the position of the fuel selector at the accident site, and the engine’s nominal performance during a postaccident test run, it is likely that the engine consumed all of the available fuel in the left fuel tank, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent total loss of engine power. PROBABLE CAUSE(S): A total loss of engine power due to
fuel starvation.
Maule M7-235B Sunriver, Oregon/Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor
the airflow restriction of the separated baffling resulted in a partial loss of engine power and the airplane’s subsequent inability to climb after takeoff. PROBABLE CAUSE(S): A partial loss of engine power due
to the separation of baffling in both mufflers. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to retract the landing gear on the float-equipped airplane before performing a forced landing to the river.
Beech 200 King Air New Braunfels, Texas/Injuries: 1 Serious The pilot reported that the airplane was descending through 2,500 ft while about 200 knots when a single bird struck the upper left corner of the pilot-side windshield. The windshield was broken and cracked by the impact. The pilot was seriously injured by flying glass that ejected from the broken inner ply’s surface, which affected his vision. The passenger in the cabin moved up into the copilot’s seat, and while being instructed by the pilot, landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained minor damage to the windshield. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. PROBABLE CAUSE(S): The airplane’s in-flight collision
with a bird. The pilot and passenger departed on a local flight in the amphibious airplane from a paved runway. The passenger described the airplane’s rate of climb after takeoff as “slow” and stated that it was apparent that the airplane would not clear the 50-ft-tall trees ahead. A witness described the airplane as “struggling to gain altitude” and noticed a “definite power loss.” The pilot performed a forced landing to a river, where the airplane immediately nosed over and began filling with water. The landing gear was found in the extended position and the water rudders were retracted. The landing gear position indicators were operational and also indicated that the landing gear was extended. The position of the landing gear likely resulted in the airplane nosing over upon impact with the water. Examination of the engine revealed that the muffler baffles had broken at the weld point. The left muffler baffling moved freely inside of the muffler. The right muffler baffling was turned 180° and was obstructing the exhaust outlet. A test run of the engine with the mufflers installed was unsuccessful; however, upon removal of the mufflers, the engine performed with no anomalies. There is no requirement to check the inside of a muffler during annual or 100-hour inspections to ensure that the baffling is intact. It could not be determined as to how long these mufflers had been in this condition. It is likely that
Cessna 172 Skyhawk Key West, Florida/Injuries: 1 Serious The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection at night and started the airplane, but the airplane would not move forward as he attempted to taxi from parking to the runway. The pilot looked out the left window to see if there were wheel chocks, and his passenger exited the right door and checked the right main landing gear wheel for chocks. The passenger subsequently moved to the front of the airplane and attempted to remove the chocks from the nosewheel. The passenger’s right hand was struck by the propeller, which resulted in a serious injury. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. PROBABLE CAUSE(S): The pilot’s and the passenger’s
improper decision to have the passenger attempt to move a wheel chock while the propeller was turning, which resulted in a serious injury.
NOTE: The reports republished here are from the NTSB and are printed verbatim and in their complete form.
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CROSS CHECK
YOUR AVIATION CROSSWORD
ACROSS
29 Forensic science tool
1
____ E100
4
Might be a Goose, might be a Mallard
31 Possible forced landing site, except in summer?
16 Magnetic ones are still mostly required 18 __ tight schedule, 2 words
33 What flying B-29s are not
19 Folksy term for “airport”
10 GPS provides it, for short
35 This can shake things up (abbr.)
11 “Sporty’s learn to fly course” or “Foreflight/Garmin Pilot,” for example
37 Mantra for when things get dicey?
21 Trim __, found on the edge of ailerons and rudders
12 METAR “misty” for me 14 Piper _____ PA-28-236 15 The last word in airplane makers (abbr.)
38 Suggestion for a wobbly approach 39 What used to come before Piper’s name
23 Unwelcome accumulation on a plane 24 “George’s” abbr. 26 Daher predecessor 27 A portmanteau for the company’s two founders
17 Beech or the late Mr. Hilton
DOWN
19 Pattern position in reference to the numbers
2
Moved to Florida in the ’60s
30 Basics of a subject
3
Not the cockpit
4
Vertical part of GPSbased approach (abbr.)
32 The side yoke makes it easier for pilots to do this
5
Aviation humorist Machado
34 Right away!
6
Blue Angels’ nation
7
Mustang or Mite?
36 The Beluga is this, for sure (abbr.)
27 Uses satellite timing to give you position (abbr.)
8
Close call, 2 words
9
Distorted, as a transmission
28 ‘’Top Gun’’ targets
13 Nurse (abbr.)
20 Famous alien flier, abbr. 22 A popular flying departure place 24 Good grades in exams 25 Land or don’t line references, abbr.
33 Family relation, for short
Check your answers at planeandpilotmag.com/article/ april-2021-crossword-key. planeandpilotmag.com
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YETI Lowlands Blanket This Lowlands blanket from YETI combines the protection of a tarp with the comfort of a super-soft blanket. Perfect for tailgates, camping or cold airplane cabins, this blanket checks all the boxes. Equipped with a waterproof layer that protects from the elements? Check. Designed to repel pet hair and dirt? Check. Machine-washable? Check, check, check. Unfolded, the blanket measures 55 x 78 inches. It weighs close to 6 pounds and comes with a zippable carrying case. Available in fireside red, smoke blue or coral, the blanket is priced at $199.99. Learn more from yeti.com.
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These Air Boss shoes from Lift Aviation are specifically designed with pilots in mind. The sport shoes feature a patent-pending heel slider that enables the shoe to roll and slide with the foot, meaning the wearer’s precise movements never get lost in translation when manipulating the rudder. On top of the ergonomic heel slider, the shoes also have Response Core EVA midsoles and OrthoLite performance insoles, making for a comfortable walk on the tarmac or wherever a trip takes you. Made of a form-fitting mesh fabric, the shoes are breathable and adapt to the shape of the foot. The shoes are available in sizes 7-14. Sizes run slightly small, and it’s recommended that buyers select half a size larger than they typically wear. The shoes are available for $139 per pair. Learn more at liftaviationusa.com.
Lift Mini Flight Bag Based on Flight Outfitters’ original Lift bag, this miniature version provides the same organization for your flight gear minus a bit of the bulk. The bag features a central padded compartment large enough to hold a headset with some room to spare, along with a padded iPad pocket in a separate zipped compartment. In the front of the bag, a smaller section with two mesh pockets and a keyring is the perfect place to store small valuables or doodads. Three exterior pockets allow pilots easy access to a fuel tester, flashlight or other essentials. Little touches such as elastic bands for headset batteries and a pass-through cable slot for charging an iPad set this bag apart from other options of similar size. The bag measures less than a foot in height and trims several inches in depth in comparison to its larger alternative. The Mini also shaves $30 off the price of the bigger bag, for a total cost of $69.95. Learn more at flightoutfitters.com.
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pingStation 2 uAvionix has added to its line of easy-to-install ADS-B products with the newly released pingStation 2, a dual-band receiver that collects inputs from both 978 MHz UAT and 1090 MHz. The simultaneous reception on both frequencies allows the product to track the location of aircraft over 200 miles away, providing pilots with a rich picture of aerial traffic to enhance flight safety. The product combines the receiver, GPS and antenna in a single unit encased in a weatherproof exterior. The pingStation is powered via a POE network cable that connects to LAN and is easy to install on an airplane by using its poleclamping components. The product is MLAT capable if used with thirdparty multilateration software. The pingStation 2 is available for $1,750. Learn more at uavionix.com.
Airplane Charm This delightful charm from Tiffany & Co. is a great indulgence or gift for those with a passion for flying and brand-name style. Made of sterling silver, the simple twin turboprop design can be added to a charm bracelet or strung alone on a necklace chain for greater emphasis. The charm is available for $175 and comes in the store’s iconic little blue box. Learn more at tiffany.com.
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Sparrow W500 Carbon Monoxide & Air Monitor The Sparrow W500 is a portable monitor that tracks air quality and provides emergency alerts when carbon monoxide reaches dangerous levels. The device stores data over time to give users cumulative information about their exposure to harmful environments while also offering location data so that users can plan routes that avoid unhealthy conditions. In addition to providing emergency notifications when conditions breach hazardous levels, the device allows users to set their own custom alerts according to their exposure comfort level. The device can also be set up to send emergency text messages to a designated contact number in the event of very high CO levels, as long as the device is linked to the mobile app via an active wifi connection. The device comes with a price tag of $208.87. Learn more at aircraftspruce.com.
Flight Gear 3 Port Charger Whether it be a tablet or your smartphone, keeping your electronic devices powered up is essential for today’s pilot. This three-port charger allows you to replenish multiple devices at once via two USB-A ports and one USB-C port. The former ports provide 2.4 amps simultaneously, while the latter provides a quick charge and is rated at 18 watts. The plug prongs on the charger fold back, minimizing the possibility of damage and making for a compact, portable item. The charger is available for $22.95. Learn more at sportys.com.
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A 400-HOUR TBO EXTENSION IS REAL VALUE Lycoming holds itself to its own standard – the Lycoming Standard. It is a bar, continuously raised, to be better than everyone, including ourselves. For example, our recent 200-hour TBO extensions give our customers more flying time, increased cost efficiency, and peace of mind. In some cases, 400-hour TBO extensions can be approved. Genuine Lycoming engines and parts are held to high quality standards, offer improved wear characteristics, and incorporate Lycoming’s latest innovations and enhancements. Add all this to our customer service, which is unmatched in general aviation, and a factory warranty, and you quickly realize that a genuine Lycoming engine is the right choice. There is no substitute for the reliability and durability that you expect and receive from Lycoming. Don’t trust your safety to imitations. Choose a genuine Lycoming. Contact an authorized Lycoming Distributor to purchase genuine Lycoming engines and parts.
www.Lycoming.com
© 2021 Avco Corporation
LESSONSLEARNED ABOUT FLYING (AND ABOUT LIFE)
ALASKA Figuring out where the lessons began, and where they might end, on a nine-week floatplane journey from Texas to Alaska and back home again. Story And Photos By Ken Wittekiend
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A
s the Cessna Amphibian I’m flying emerges matters. A reminder that we should be grateful for the from the ragged overcast into the fading journey and learn to appreciate the small events and light of a cool September evening, I can activities that add texture to the memories. barely pick out the end of the runway Between the challenges, there were breathtaking through the rain-smeared windshield. A stiff left vistas of pristine mountain lakes and immense crosswind shoves me off centerline, requiring a wilderness landscapes where clouds fell from the boot-full of rudder to keep the nose straight. After forested ramparts to the rocky shores of the Inland touchdown at my small central Texas airport, feeling Passage. I remember the lights of Juneau emerging relieved to be safely on the surface, I slowly taxi to a from the mists of the Gastineau Channel at the end of parking spot and shut down the big Lycoming. In the a ridiculously long day. Steep slopes, brooding forest enveloping silence, I remain seated for several long and black rocks, casting ribbons of whitewater onto minutes as the realization sinks in that this summer’s the tidal flats below. Point Bishop, the JD Bridge, Ship Alaska adventure is truly complete. Creek and the heliport, reporting points slowly rolling The trip took nine weeks and almost 100 flight by before a friendly controller clears me to land on hours, covering thousands of miles through some Runway 8. of the most amazing scenery and some of the worst The playful banter from the waitress at the Red weather I’ve seen, including furnace-like heat across Dog Saloon, who, facing an uncertain future given the southern tier of states, followed by near-constant the devastation of downtown tourism by COVIDrain and low ceilings in Southeast Alaska. Throw in an 19, still manages to dispense beer and attitude with in-flight emergency, and you get to enjoy an unplanned a smile that almost hides the worry lines in her and expensive week in Oregon while engine repairs young countenance. are made. A silence beyond imagining as the engine sounds While in Alaska, I was joined by several friends and fade away while the floatplane coasts to a stop on the family members who flew in via airline to spend a week small gravel beach. Slowly, the waves from our landing or more sharing the adventure. The mercurial weather dissipate, leaving a perfect mirror, reflecting trees, left us occasionally trapped in town, sitting in a motel hills and sky of a mountain lake, deep in the forest, waiting on improving conditions so we could get out to ours alone for the next few days. We sit there for a our destination. few minutes, unwilling to disturb Even when we finally made it the quiet, before climbing out to “The trip took nine weeks out to the wilderness cabins of begin setting up camp. Speaking the Tongass National Forest, there in hushed tones, as if in church, and almost 100 flight hours, were times when we were stuck pausing often to simply look and covering thousands of miles in a small, dark cabin, unable to listen. Beauty beyond description. through some of the most do much more than hunker down Home fries and scrambled eggs amazing scenery and some and watch the rain pour off the in a cast-iron skillet. And hot coffee of the worst weather I’ve wood-shingled roof, unable to fish made from filtered lake water. We seen, including furnace-like or explore. Other times, we had eat our breakfast sitting at the old to come back earlier than I would table in our small cabin, talking of heat across the southern tier have liked to assure that my guests earlier adventures, telling stories of states, followed by nearcould make an airline connection we’ve both told before. Sharing constant rain and low ceilings home. On my return trip back the latest news of children, wives in Southeast Alaska.” home to Texas, there were hours and work. Then, we settle into a flown through wildfire smoke comfortable silence, simply happy while dodging Temporary Flight Restrictions, then low to share this time and place. Two old friends with no ceilings across the final stretch—including a couple of secrets left to tell. IFR approaches to near minimums. Cut to the sweet release of the Wipline Floats So why am I telling you this? Sounds like a rather breaking free of the water’s grasp. Instant acceleration miserable time, right? And, if one were given to and affirmation that flight is our floatplane’s natural focusing on the problems and disappointments that element, water streaming off the tails as our reflected occasionally accompany such adventures, I would image draws away. agree. And certainly, there were moments when it These small realizations matter. Call it all seemed a huge mistake to have invested so much “mindfulness” if you must, but they are all too easy to time, effort and money, only to have things turn out so miss in the drama and chaos of these turbulent times. differently from expectations. Maybe we need to be reminded not to take them for But now, with perspective altered by the passage granted but to stop, notice, reflect and appreciate of time and distance, a more nuanced and balanced simple pleasures such as… view comes into focus. Call it a distilling of what really The haunting cry of the loons, a curious flock
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A big part of learning to fly in the 49th State is accommodating both challenging terrain and unpredictable and sometimes extreme weather.
unruffled by our presence, as they follow our small skiff across the inlet, where we hope to fool the trout rising to slurp this evening’s hatch. Sunlight breaking through the overcast to shine a celestial spotlight on the surrounding boreal forest, too many shades of green to count. Returning at dark to our cabin just ahead of the weather, soon settled into my camp chair, whiskey in hand, watching skeins of rain drift across the lake while a woman I don’t deserve cooks today’s catch on a Coleman stove. The values and lessons of uncertainty. Knowing the dangers, accepting this could end badly but convinced the juice is worth the squeeze. The unseemly arrogance of thinking about how we are among the cool kids, the precious few lucky enough to be here, before realizing we are not yet done with this, and there is plenty of time and many ways to screw it up. Watching the line of floatplanes returning to the Juneau float pond at the end of a working day. Beavers and otters sliding down final, almost close enough to touch. They turn and taxi to the dock, unloading passengers, fishermen and tourists, soon whisked away by shuttle vans while the young pilots complete
their evening chores, shouting and teasing one another, looking forward to a bit of relaxation before it all starts again early tomorrow. A hot shower after days in the wilderness followed by a cold beer, chips and salsa at the local Mexican restaurant while swapping stories with the waitress about her fishing trip yesterday. She is worried about her husband, who was just laid off due to COVID-19. They may have to sell the boat, she tells me. The otherworld of the Misty Fjords as we try for Wilson Lake. There is a sense of implacable menace in this place, danger close around, as we weave our way through canyons of cloud and stone. Following the cascading river, a flash of water unveils the small lake far below. Diving now, flaps out, power off, gear up for water landing, deeper into the narrow cloud-choked valley, sinking past any possible go-around point toward a new adventure. And, finally, the sweet sadness of one last leg, across the West Texas badlands into the hills of home. And, best of all, a warm embrace upon journey’s end. Finally home, I find myself already yearning to return. And thinking, maybe this isn’t about a trip to Alaska at all. PP planeandpilotmag.com
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AND THEN THIS HAPPENED ...
AVIATION
HISTORICAL EVENTS THAT CHANGED AVIATION QUICKLY AND PROFOUNDLY Science and technology, including aviation, are often affected by powerful outside forces that, like it or not, drive change in all segments of life. Here are six world events that have changed the way we fly in the most dramatic ways imaginable. BY W. DAVID POND
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As a measure of humanity’s progress with things technological, it’s hard to come up with a more dramatic example than aerospace, which in the course of just 66 years went from the Wrights coaxing their rackety flyer into the gusty North Carolina oceanside air to Neil and Buzz going for a stroll on the moon. There were people alive in 1969 who remembered very well the first planes flying. That all of that progress came within an average human’s lifespan is unfathomable in terms of human history. After all, it took us millennia to figure out agriculture, but by the time the internal-combustion engine showed up on the scene, things started happening fast. Evolutionary biologist and lifelong New York Yankees fan Stephen J. Gould came up with the idea of punctuated equilibrium, that is, that evolutionary changes in organisms don’t happen in a steady, predictable way but, rather, in peaks and valleys. As change becomes more rapid, the process becomes an incubator for even more change, like a wildfire creating its own weather. And that’s what happened with flying, too. As new technologies were developed, those technologies helped spawn others. In just a small example, the advent of instrument flying, for instance, helped give rise to the development of advanced instrumentation, a variety of sensors, ground navigation systems, onboard radar, incockpit weather and more. But as great as the jumpstart that invention gives to further invention is, nothing drives technological progress as much as world events. And aviation has been changed fundamentally over the past hundred-plus years by events whose impact on culture were both unforeseeable and terribly, obviously waiting to happen. planeandpilotmag.com
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THE MASS MOBILITY MOVEMENT The move to mechanically propelled forms of transportation, including everything from steamboats and trains to electric trolleys, part of the Industrial Revolution, was a major driver in the development of the first aircraft. But nothing came close to the impact that the development of personal transportation vehicles, namely the automobile and the motorcycle, had. One reason was scale. Both cars and planes, at least as far as they imagined the latter’s future, were seen A 1910 Indian Motorcycle. The lightweight engines and frames of these modern vehicles were inspirations to aircraft designers. as transportation for no more than a few people, to be powered by a single engine, with a drive train spinning the motive mechagasoline became widely and readily available, maknism, wheels vs. propellers, respectively. Many of the ing the choice of powerplants an easy call. The problems that automobile engineers were attemptother critical development of the automobile was ing to solve, including the development of suitably infrastructure. As cars and trucks got highways and lightweight engines for their vehicles, were exactly bridges, so, too, did aircraft get airports, runways the same things that plane makers were concerned and service providers. When the paving of roads with. They came up with numerous good ideas, from became commonplace, the paving of runways to the opposed engine to the arrangement of the instruaccommodate faster and larger planes was easy to do. ments and controls to the enclosing of the seating Finally, the development of manufacturing proarea. These were usually adopted and adapted for cesses to build large numbers of cars would soon aircraft use in some modified form. allow the mass manufacture of large numbers of And the widespread use of cars meant that airplanes in what would come next.
PHOTO, LEFT, TOP: COURTESY OF MECUM AUCTIONS
Technology has played a big role in war since time immemorial. But it was World War I that saw big changes, including the widespread use of aircraft, like the D.III Albatros, which featured a monocoque fuselage for greater strength.
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Developed at the tail end of World War II, the Boeing B-29 combined pressurization, ultra-long-range design and great payload-carrying ability to change the tide of the war in the Pacific.
THE FIRST TECHNOLOGY WAR What came next was, of course, a global conflict, one in which modern mechanized technology played a larger role—the crossbow notwithstanding—than in any previous war in determining not only who won or lost but also how many causalities were inflicted. Despite all the energy that both sides put into their development, aircraft wound up being an almost negligible factor in the outcome of the First World War, dwarfed in importance by advances in firearms, artillery and chemical weapons. But what the great aerial experiment did was drive a refinement of aircraft that might have taken decades without the pressure bearing down on developers. Over the course of several years, planes went from gracile, awkward and slow to much faster, stronger, well-armed and highly maneuverable. The war also allowed nations to understand better how aircraft needed to continue to advance if these new instruments of war were to become major factors in large-scale conflicts. For better or for worse, within 20 years, they had gotten it right, and aircraft would become not only a factor but a deciding factor in who won the next war.
THE FIGHT AGAINST FASCISM It’s tempting to credit, or blame, the meteoric rise of aviation progress in the ’30s and ’40s to World War
II, but the truth is that even before the war began in earnest, world powers were already upping their game in advance of their moves to either attack or protect territory that might soon be in dispute. The major players were, in approximate order of appearance (approximate because it’s complicated): Japan, Germany, Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States (with Italy and others acting as wild cards along the way). Based on lessons learned from World War I, the architects of power in each of those nations knew that in order to win in future wars, air power was a necessary ingredient. To achieve that, they correctly surmised that they’d have to produce huge numbers of pilots to fly huge numbers of aircraft that would be orders of magnitude more capable than their predecessors from the last war. They’d also need to better define and delineate between aircraft types, i.e., fighters, bombers, attack planes, liaisons, dive bombers and more, taking into account the special needs of each type. Their missions, in many cases, drove design approaches that were incompatible with other missions. Bombers couldn’t have massive payloads and also be nimble, as fighters had to be. Training strategies and equipment were also more specialized and effective. Germany was prohibited by the Treaty of Versailles ending World War I from assembling a new air force. So, it trained thousands of planeandpilotmag.com
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ABOVE: During World War II, Germany developed the Messerschmitt Me-262 twin jet fighter. In terms of its speed and climbing ability, it was unrivaled by any Allied aircraft. Only its late entry into the conflict kept it from changing the tide of the war. BELOW: Technologies developed by NASA and others for space exploration had thousands of crossover applications for GA.
Part of the great allure of personal aviating is the very real thrill of winging over vast, uninhabited stretches of land and sometimes landing smack dab in the middle of all that glory.
pilots in sailplanes, which were not banned because, after all, what was the harm? But by 1933, Germany had secretly created the Luftwaffe, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, and by the time Germany launched its Blitzkrieg attack in Poland and France just over six years later, it had the largest and most capable air force in the world. Japan, too, had been amassing its air forces as part of its imperialist move against China, so by the time the island nation launched its attack against the United States, it had the best aircraft carriers in the world, a development that allowed it to take the battle far and wide. The United States, for its part, was building its air force and other military powers years before it entered World War II officially. The subject of how the lead-up to World War II and the eventual war itself drove aviation innovation could be the subject of volumes. But in brief, the conflict drove the development of powerplant technology—by the end of the war, the jet engine was widely understood to be the future of propulsion—and airframe development, with far larger, faster and more maneuverable aircraft, and flying tactics and training. The years between 1930 and 1945 changed the world of aviation forever for all of us.
SPACE Even before we got there, the very idea of getting to space captivated researchers in the most technologically advanced nations, most notably Germany, whose scientists beat everyone to nearly practical rocket planes—the Messerschmitt Me 163 was an operational rocket plane during the latter years of World War II—and who were just slightly too late, luckily, in their development of operational jet fighters that would likely have air superiority over Europe had they been more numerous earlier in the conflict. While space was kind of a dead-end for aviation in terms of crossover propulsion technology, the advances in materials, aerodynamics, craft control and communications that modern space programs developed created direct benefit to aviation. Manufacturing advances also drove improvements in aviation technology, chiefly in the refinement of metallurgy and the honing of very finetolerance machining tools that were put to use in ever-more-efficient, lightweight and powerful turbine engines, which have defined atmospheric aviation in the last 70 years. We shouldn’t forget that space and the satellites we’ve put there have given us previously unimaginably powerful tools for navigation (GPS and other planeandpilotmag.com
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One of the big crossovers from the space program was the development of highly sophisticated sensor and displays, as well as navigation and performance-monitoring capabilities.
satellite systems), weather detection and avoidance, and communications.
FREEDOM, GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHICS While progress in aviation technology was driven by the necessities of competing in a modern global arena, and it was, then putting that technology into action and into use was made possible by big changes in demographics around the world. This was very notable in the United States, which during the war years became the world leader in all things aerospace. It has maintained that position ever since, albeit with some impressive competition from around the globe—European megalith Airbus is arguably the predominant aerospace manufacturer in the world. But the United States’ embrace of general aviation has been far greater than anywhere else in the world, thanks to a confluence of factors. First, there was the sheer number of citizens returning from war in the 1940s, the fact that they were returning to a country that had not been directly devastated by the conflict, and that they were captivated by the aviation technology they had witnessed at war, 36
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often firsthand. The subsequent rise of the American middle class was a direct outcome of the war experience, and soon, American factories began churning out high-quality, relatively low-cost, entry-level aircraft manufactured using the same materials and design concepts as some of the warplanes American factories were no longer turning out at high rates. These factors combined with two others to help create the remarkable story that is American private aviation. These uniquely American factors are the wide-open and largely privately owned continent that was still being settled by the end of the war, a culture of individualism and an almost religious belief in progress. All these came together to make aviation the perfect complement to the American Experience. This was true for practical reasons—airplanes offer an unprecedented degree of personal mobility even to an average person—and philosophically, as its core tenets of freedom of movement and personal autonomy were as American as one could imagine. The result was that from the 30-plus-year span from the mid-1950s to the early 1980s, American aircraft manufacturers turned out hundreds of thousands of low-cost personal aircraft for millions of American pilots and aircraft owners.
Over the past 25 years, the use of personal computer technology has transformed light aviation.
THE AGE OF COMPACT AND CHEAP COMPUTERS If you were a pilot in the mid-to-late 1980s, it was impossible to own a personal computer, or even to be merely aware of the technology, and not wonder how these devices might someday affect aviation, as it had already gained a foothold in space flight. The rise of computer tech into private aircraft was, predictably, at first into commercial and business jets because early digital products—everything from solid-state navigation gear, like inertial guidance nav systems, to CRT displays and autoflight computers—were big, heavy and breathtakingly expensive. So, these products were a better fit in every way for bigger, more expensive aircraft. In fact, it seemed unlikely to many industry observers that such gear would ever find its way into light aircraft. But as market-savvy economists predicted it would, computer technology became smaller, more powerful, less expensive and more adaptable to different uses. By the 1980s, computerized navigators, like BendixKing’s KLN-series Loran and GPS navigators, offered unprecedented capabilities to small-plane pilots, including never-beforeseen levels of situational awareness. Before long, moving-map technology, first portable and soon panel-mount, came to light planes. These included products from companies such as II Morrow, Arnav and Lowrance. And in the early 2000s, light planes started getting flat-panel primary flight displays, with Avidyne breaking ground with its Enterra suite in the Cirrus SR-series aircraft and shortly thereafter
with Garmin’s groundbreaking G1000 glass panel suite, which debuted in Cessna single-engine planes but soon made its way as standard equipment into many dozens of aircraft models. New digital solutions are constantly coming to the fore, with the FAA even adopting ADS-B, a new nationwide digital radar replacement that offers tremendously accurate aircraft position information, as well as free aviation weather, to anyone with an ADS-B In system installed. On top of that, a whole new breed of computer programs, called apps, made their way into aircraft cockpits around the world, allowing pilots amazingly capable and innovative navigation, flight management, data, weather and planning utilities that live and travel aboard inexpensive, compact and widely commercially available tablet computers.
THE FUTURE What’s next? We can’t even begin to guess at what marvels the next decade might bring. An increased share of the ramp for electric propulsion aircraft is a near certainty at this point, though how much of that market they take over could range from a tiny portion to all of it, depending on how far battery and charging technology progresses. Autonomous power management is already coming, and multi-copter craft, most of which will be autonomously controlled, are a likely part of our shared future. And if that sounds like less fun than tooling around in the kinds of planes most of us fly today, we have to agree. PP planeandpilotmag.com
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MODERN HIGH-PERFORMANCE PISTON SINGLES
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A new way of looking at what highperformance means to pilots helped these post-war piston singles change flying for the better. BY PLANE & PILOT / INTRODUCTION BY ISABEL GOYER
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One of the descendents of the plane that created the modern high-performance segment, the straight-tail F33 Bonanza was derived from the first Model 35 V-tail Bonanza, which came to market almost 75 years ago.
HE STORY OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE singles is a fascinating one, not only because the airplanes themselves are masterpieces of engineering and design. They are, granted, limited masterpieces, but in aviation, the word “limitation” is hard-coded into the lexicon. It’s not just that these planes are cool, and they are, but also that they tell a tale of how airplane builders saw their customers both as pilots and as people, and how that perspective drove their design decisions. It’s the story of how these designers worked within the current bounds of the state of technology in terms of propulsion, materials and electronics, to create a plane that met the then-new needs of a new breed of pilot. It’s also a tale of manufacturers’ evolving understanding of what pilots wanted, tempered as always by what plane makers and regulators believed that pilots could and should be allowed to handle. While the answers to these questions changed over time, the questions themselves haven’t. Of the planes we’re featuring here, the Beech Bonanza, the Piper Comanche, the Cessna 210, the Mooney 201, the Piper Saratoga and the Cirrus SR22, only the first and the last were conceived as they were rather than reworked from previous designs. That’s a commentary as much on the realities of aircraft manufacturing as on any lack of vision. In our view, these bookend planes, the Bonanza and the SR22, are truly revolutionary designs. Beechcraft’s Bonanza designers, working as a cell independent of the company’s business-as-usual approach, arrived at the Bonanza not by connecting lines from the company's previous high-performance single, the D-17 “Staggerwing,” but by imagining what could be. The D-17 and the Model-35 are planes from different eras of history, and it’s funny to think that for two years, the unlikely duo was produced side by side, as though Ford were building Model As and Mustangs at the same time. We left off some planes, too. Why no Ryan/North
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ABOVE: The Piper Comanche was the first in the next wave of high-performance four- to six-seat singles. The plane was produced through 1972, when a hurricane destroyed the tooling for the model and Piper decided to discontinue it. BELOW: The Cessna 210 evolved into numerous models, including the turbocharged, pressurized P-210.
American Navion? North American/Rockwell/ Commander Aircraft Commander 114? The Diamond DA-40? The Meyers 200? The Socata Trinidad? All are possible inclusions that we left out, some quite reluctantly. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this list of remarkable planes is how very different they are from each other. High-wing, low-wing, small bore, big bore, six-seat, four-seat…they not only took different approaches to arrive at a place of greatness, a place where pilots then and now find a plane that fits their mission but, more often than not, their personality, as well. —Isabel Goyer
a thousand pounds greater than the original and cruise speeds almost 20 knots greater. All of that was driven by customer preference, and for good reason. High-performance planes are intended to go fast, carry a good load and go a long way, all of which the Bonanza excelled at. The Bonanza was always long-legged, with the original boasting about 700 statute miles of range, another one of the revolutionary design precepts that set the bar high for coming competitors, a design element that required that the Bonanza get bigger to hold enough fuel for its thirstier engines to get the expected range or better, which they did.
PIPER COMANCHE
PHOTO, LEFT, TOP: COURTESY OF ALAN RADECKI, WIKI COMMONS. BOTTOM: PHOTO BY JACK FLEETWOOD.
BEECHCRAFT BONANZA As mentioned in the introduction, the Beech Bonanza came into the world in 1947 pretty much fully formed, a four-seat, retractable-gear, all-metal, lightweight, lower-powered single-engine transportation airplane. It’s not a stretch to say that the Bonanza created the segment. It was inarguably a revolutionary airplane. In an era where its principal competitors were taildraggers, some of them tube-and-rag relics, all of them with round engines, the Bonanza was the in-your-face product designed for a world on the other side of a war that changed everything. It was intended to be economical, light, slick and fast, giving private pilots an airplane in which they could go places and take a few folks with them. Though it has been continuously produced for nearly 75 years now, the plane has evolved greatly over time, to the point where today’s Bonanza is a very different aircraft than the original. A switch to a straight tail was perhaps the most gradual component phase-out in aviation history, with the introduction of the first non-V-tail Bonanza, the Debonair, in 1960, and the last V-tail model finally phased out in 1982. So the idea of a straight-tail Bonanza is hardly shocking. In fact, it’s safe to say that, for many years, the state of Bonanza art has been the Model 36 Bonanza, a straight-tail, six-seater that is a much larger and more capable airplane than the original. Along the way, there were a number of different Bonanzas, but since at least the late 1950s when the V-35 got bigger engines and more modern, constant-speed props, the plane went from being a relatively lightweight flyer to a substantial single with a maximum weight
In general, it takes competitors in aviation around 10 years to catch up with a truly revolutionary design, and in the case of the Beechcraft Bonanza, that 10-year mark was the magic number, indeed, as by 1957, both Cessna and Piper had come out with nominally competing designs. With its original 180 hp engine, the Piper PA-24 Comanche was an impressive counter to the Bonanza. The all-metal, efficient and modern PA-24 wasn’t very fast, though, so Piper soon upgraded the Comanche to a bigger engine. The 250 hp version boasted 160knot cruise speeds and an economy range of up to 700 nautical miles. In terms of aesthetics, the Comanche is a tough case. On the one hand, its all-metal, laminarflow wing design with swept tail and sleek glass—a one-piece front windscreen is a popular mod that even improves on that—make it a slick enough-looking plane, but its squared-off lines and low-slung appearance seem to many pilots to work against its overall appearance. The plane was a player, to be sure, but it sold in lesser numbers than its competitors, and the lack of any standout feature made it a second-tier player in what was a hot market in the 1960s and ’70s. With that being the case, it wasn’t a hard call for Piper to cancel the model when, in 1972, Hurricane Agnes destroyed much of the tooling for the model at its home in Pennsylvania, and Piper chose instead to focus on other models, namely the PA-28R Arrow and, later, the PA-46 Malibu, which would emerge as a force by the end of the decade.
“IN AN ERA WHERE ITS PRINCIPAL COMPETITORS WERE TAILDRAGGERS, SOME OF THEM TUBEAND-RAG RELICS, ALL OF THEM WITH ROUND ENGINES, THE BONANZA WAS THE IN-YOUR-FACE PRODUCT DESIGNED FOR A WORLD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A WAR THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING.”
CESSNA 210 If the story of the Bonanza is clean-sheet design planeandpilotmag.com
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capturing a new idea, that of the Cessna 210 was anything but. The original in 1957 was little more than a Cessna 182 with retractable gear, though in fairness, the first real 210 didn’t arrive on the scene until Cessna decided to make the commitment in 1961, giving the plane a redesigned fuselage with another pair of windows, a greatly updated wing and a more powerful engine. A few years later, Cessna introduced the cantilever wing that pilots today identify with the type. The 210 Centurion was the primary competitor to the Beech Bonanza throughout most of the ’60s and all of the 1970's. It was fast—by the time it reached its pinnacle, the 210 could do around 200 knots up high and 180 or better at more common altitudes with a maximum 900 nm range and an impressive payload to boot. The 210, with its high-wing design and Cessna’s maker’s mark, attracted famously loyal Cessna flyers, who needed little additional incentive to move up from a 182 to the premier Cessna piston single. And over the years Cessna added new models, including a very popular turbocharged model that gave the type excellent cruise speeds in the mid-teen flight levels and improved hot-and-high capabilities, ideal for pilots from the south and especially southwest, where mountainous terrain and high temperatures were hugely limiting factors for normally aspirated aircraft. The ultimate expression of the type was the pressurized 210, a fast, comfortable and high-flying airplane that demanded pilot skill and fine attention to detail. It was the only aircraft on our list, by the way, to evolve to a pressurized version, as other manufacturers balked at the costs and complexities. Piper did create a clean-sheet pressurized plane, the PA-46 Malibu, which has expanded into an impressive lineup of aircraft, most of which are turboprop powered but that also include the sophisticated and successful M350, the direct descendent of the Malibu. Cessna, on the other hand, turned to light jets in a big way, a decision that it hasn’t regretted, either.
waltzed into the marketplace as though that was the idea all long. Efficiency is the keyword. The company for years prided itself on getting the most speed out of the least power, and it did that in impressive fashion. The aerodynamically cleaned-up Mooney 201 (the M20J) came out in 1976 with the claim that it got one mile per hour of airspeed for every horsepower. The truth is the first M20 was a 150 hp woodwinged plane that had nothing but room to grow, and it did. By the early 1960s it had gotten an allmetal wing, improved control surfaces, a bigger engine—200 hp seemed like a sweet spot—and updated amenities. They were still cozy airplanes, with the back seats being particularly so, though the latest updates did much to address this issue (along with adding a pilot’s side door, as well). As just about every aircraft manufacturer has at some point, Mooney has gone through a rollercoaster ride of financial reversals, with more than a half-dozen owners over its lifespan and even more numerous production shutdowns over the years. And while the core of the Mooney design DNA is still thought of as efficiency, latter airplanes were higher powered and, hence, less fuel-efficient, but, happily, faster than ever. The Mooney Acclaim is the fastest GA piston production single ever, using turbocharging and the ever-slick Mooney aerodynamics to make good on around 240 knots true at its ceiling of 25,000 feet. But for many people, the ultimate Mooney remains that J Model, a fast, fuel-efficient and sexy light single that delivered on the original concept of the personal, high-performance plane that Beechcraft invented in 1947.
MOONEY 201 If we were to choose three words to describe the original Bonanza, they would be “modern,” “efficient” and “slick.” Those same adjectives could be used to describe the Mooney single, which came about as an evolution of a design that was really none of those things. But to Mooney’s great credit, the company pulled it off and created a plane, the Model M20, that was all of those things and wore them all as it 42
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PIPER SARATOGA The Piper PA-32R, the retractable version of the Cherokee Six, wasn’t Piper’s first high-performance single, nor its last, but it is much beloved by its owners and checks all the high-performance boxes. As the FAA sees them, Piper PA-32 series aircraft are all “High-Performance” aircraft. But pilots don’t see them that way any more than they see a Cessna 182 Skylane as a high-performance aircraft, even if the FAA does categorize it as such. The PA-32, first produced in 1965, didn’t become what pilots saw as a high-performance aircraft until 10 years later with the launch of the Lance, a six-place, retractable-gear PA-32 that featured the original Hershey Bar wing. Powered by a 300-hp
PHOTO, RIGHT, TOP: PHOTO BY ALAN WILSON VIA CREATIVE COMMONS. BOTTOM: PHOTO BY JACK FLEETWOOD.
“THE 210 CENTURION WAS THE PRIMARY COMPETITOR TO THE BEECH BONANZA THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE ’60s AND ALL OF THE 1970s.”
ABOVE: The Mooney M20J (the MSE shown here) is a lightweight, fast and efficient single that gets great speed out of modest power. BELOW: Though not originally conceived of as a speedy transportation plane, the Piper PA-32 grew into a fine high-performance cruiser with room for the whole family.
Lycoming fuel-injected engine, the Lance was faster than the fixed-gear model by around 20 knots, which is one of the best payoffs for a simple tucking of the gear that we know of. Later, Piper adopted a tapered wing for the PA-32R and incorporated a number of aerodynamic cleanups, resulting in the Saratoga RG, which is a true 165-knot cruiser. The Saratoga is an excellent airplane, not super speedy but plenty fast enough for long cross-country treks. Sophisticated and comfortable, it’s a true competitor to both the Beechcraft Bonanza A-36 and the Cessna 210 Centurion, though the old Piper never seemed to value the model as much as it did the PA-46, the latter of which it produces still. Piper paused PA-32 production in 2009 and has never restarted the line. It’s understandable, as the PA-46, produced in unpressurized form as the Matrix for a time, offers more room, better performance and far greater ramp appeal, as well. Still, the Saratoga RG is a capable and satisfying airplane. Plane & Pilot editor-in-chief Isabel Goyer flew one such plane for business and family travel
for several years and still lauds the plane’s easy flyability, decent long cross-country performance and passenger-friendly cabin design, which, as is true for all PA-32s, includes a big easy-to-access side double-door.
CIRRUS SR22 It might be tempting to call the Cirrus SR22 a modern high-performance airplane, but it is not. It’s one of a few high-performance post-modern aircraft, others including the Columbia 300 (and later derivatives) and some formative kit planes, all of which featured all-composite airframe construction. The SR22 happens to be the only surviving example of the type still in production. Moreover, the SR22 represents a conceptual departure from previous fast GA planes. For starters, the SR22 was and is a fixed-gear plane, a design decision arrived at in order to decrease complexity, make the plane cheaper to insure, and allow new pilots an easier journey upstream to a faster ride. It’s also an all-composite design, which represents
WHAT EVEN IS A “HIGH-PERFORMANCE” AIRPLANE? Our quest for the definition was problematic. It became enlightening. BY ISABEL GOYER
As we selected the aircraft we’d choose to feature here, we were greeted with a seemingly endless chain of questions, one often leading quite unexpectedly to the next. What planes were worthy of being a part of this conversation? What features did they need to possess? Was retractable gear a necessity? Was its lack disqualifying? Could we even create a single test of what constitutes a highperformance single, as the FAA has unsuccessfully attempted to do for more than six decades now by yoking the concept to horsepower? That rubric is to equate performance with power, a test that the FAA has saddled itself and us with ever since. And the more we thought about
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it, the more problematic the idea became. After all, pure cubic centimeters don’t equal speed, or even necessarily payload power. Besides, if the FAA’s 200/201-hp threshold was problematic, how could we hope to do better by choosing a different number? But how low-powered an engine could a “high-performance” aircraft have and still be classified as such? We had no idea, because the idea wasn’t a defining principle to begin with. Ultimately, we decided instead to focus on how pilots regarded these aircraft, because that answered all of our questions in one elegant way (one that admittedly doesn’t lend itself to regulatory definitions). So, according to this new approach, retractable gear is an optional feature on high-performance planes, at least according to pilots starting in around the year 2000, when the Cirrus SR lineup started changing minds in a big way. In the same vein, any horsepower figure is seen in relation to what level of performance it, along with the airframe it’s mated to, can deliver to the end vision.
PHOTO BY EDDIE MALONEY VIA CREATIVE COMMONS
With innovations galore, the Cirrus SR22 is the most successful post-modern light plane ever and the best selling one, too.
a commitment to that material at a level not previously seen in light GA (though it was not the first such plane—the Windecker Eagle predated it by three decades, in fact). The Cirrus SR-series aircraft also featured (and feature today) a standard wholeairplane recovery-parachute system, which was a first for a production aircraft. The “chute,” as it’s nearly universally referred to these days, allows the pilot (or a passenger in case of pilot incapacitation) to pull a handle that activates a rocket-propelled parachute that lowers the entire aircraft to the ground at a survivably slow rate of descent. The chute, along with the company’s commitment to initial and ongoing flight training for its pilots, has contributed to an enviable safety record after a spotty one early on. Other revolutionary design features included flat-panel avionics, though that technology wasn’t quite ready in time for the first SRs, which were equipped with mechanical gauges for the pilot and a center-mounted multifunction display. Within a couple of years, all SR20s and SR22s would feature full glass panels. And while it’s not a very advanced design in terms of its engineering, the SRs also boast a side-stick-esque control stick, which Cirrus refers to correctly as a “side yoke” because its function is exactly like that of a control yoke, in that it has pushpull action coupled with side-to-side control input.
In terms of performance, the SR22 is without question a high-performance aircraft. In fact, turbocharged models can cruise at its ceiling of 25,000 feet at 214 knots, though, in truth, precious few pilots fly at that altitude, instead contenting themselves with a predictable 200-knot cruise in the mid-teens with range of around 900 nm. Cirrus has built more than 8,000 SR-series singles as of early 2021. One could argue that with the SR22, light plane manufacturers have reached the end game on the high-performance piston single, though others would argue that there’s still performance to be eked out of the type, as evidenced by Mooney’s remarkably swift Acclaim model. At the same time it’s tempting to say that in terms of development, the piston engine has reached its expiration date. One could argue, in fact, that Cirrus already built the ultimate next-Gen single, the SF-50 Vision Jet, a turbofan single that pushes the speed limit up over 310 knots and incorporates creature comforts and user-friendliness unimaginable for the visionary engineers who dreamt up that first true modern high-performance plane, the Beechcraft Bonanza, though we’re far from certain about what the future will bring. An all-electric 300-knot silent speedster? There are speedy electric planes on drawing boards, but the physics don’t work, at least not yet. Similar, revolutionary airplanes have happened before, though. PP planeandpilotmag.com
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ART THE
OF THE
START
E Getting persnickety engines going can be a challenge. Here’s some help. BY LEROY COOK
very flight begins with an engine start. Without running engines, airplanes are simply inert objects of beauty, filled with potential but unable to perform their intended purpose. Our success, or lack of it, when attempting to coerce an aircraft engine into life speaks volumes about our understanding of the processes involved. It follows, then, that a pilot must always approach the engine start with a thorough knowledge of basic engine principles and follow the correct procedures to minimize the effort and time required. Nothing is more impressive than watching a crew chief bring a huge radial piston engine into smokewreathed life after the turning of a few lazy propeller blades. That minimalist display shows who is the true artist behind the cockpit’s knobs and levers. Pilots often devote most of their attention to the upcoming flight, with trip planning and weather challenges dominating their considerations. Getting the old bus started is an assumption, one that may result in disappointment if not followed through with due diligence. At the beginning of my career, the customary procedure to initiate flight began with a single determined flip of a propeller blade, conducted by hand. With proper preparation, the little Continental motor would immediately begin its gentle, breathy idle, and I could then release the precautionary tiedowns. Needless to say, there were many times when repetitive swings of the propeller, delivered with appropriate incantations, were required until I got the recipe just right. Compared to those days, we have it easy. When teaching new pilots, I always have to begin with an introduction to engine operation, something that no longer readily continues from automotive acquaintance. No more choke valves these days. Cars start, and run, with no more than a twist of a key or a press of a button, operated by full-FADEC computer controls, regardless of the temperatures and pressures under the hood. Because we in aviation seek, above all, “bulletproof ” reliability from our powerplants, we are both blessed and saddled with 100-year-old technology. Our magnetos, carburetors and rudimentary fuel injection systems are stone-age simple and almost never quit working. But they require participation if we’re to achieve mastery of the start. And so, I have to instruct the beginning aviator to follow a checklist of procedures, rather than just strap in and twist the key to “start.” A fuel supply valve may need to be turned on, perhaps in a couple of places; fuel pressure might need to be applied; and priming the engine’s induction system will probably be necessary. After the start, continued observation of engine indications will require the pilot’s attention. Full planeandpilotmag.com
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participation is expected; “this is not an automobile,” I have to stress repeatedly.
BEFORE YOU DO IT YOUR WAY, TRY OUR WAY Most frequently, when pilots tell me about their difficulty with an engine start, I ask them to describe the operating handbook’s procedure, as if I didn’t know what it said. They can’t, and that’s often the problem. Yes, there are short-cuts that can be tried, and there may be an underlying issue, but the basic fact is, the people who built the airplane had a system that worked best. Follow it, and you’ll avoid a lot of frustration. “Handling such There are general principles a conflagration that are key to engine operaparticularly getting it requires a cool tion, started. Good compression, head and correct tight induction runs, proper procedure—not valve opening and closing, correct ignition timing an immediate and are all necessary. But the most evacuation to important ingredient is having watch the aircraft the fuel supply uninterrupted, tank to intake valve. All of burn up.” from us have left a mixture control in idle cut-off when cranking up, instead of pushing it back up to rich, and felt the sting of on-lookers’ derision when the engine starts and immediately dies. The chants of “checklist, checklist” often follow. Like checklists, carburetors are unfamiliar beasts to modern students. Even if they know about them from vintage autos, airplane carbs are different, being underslung below the engine for visibility purposes, which is hardly their most desirable position because the fuel/air mixture has to be sucked upward into the cylinders. There’s no choke control to richen the mixture when cold, and acceleration is often compromised under sudden throttle application. And automobiles, with their top-mounted carbs, don’t need carburetor
heat to avoid icing at the venturi. Rotax engines do have choke controls on their carbs, and as a result, they start beautifully with the choke on, needing only a little warm-up time to settle down, so the choke can be pushed off. But, despite their drawbacks, aircraft carburetors are simple and reliable, exactly what we need on an aircraft engine. Getting one to initially vaporize fuel in a steady stream, particularly at cold temperatures, is a bit tricky, normally mandating an alternative means of getting fuel to the cylinders until the carb begins to do its job. A priming system simply pumps the gas through lines and nozzles routed into the induction piping, activated by a manual pump. Using the recommended number of strokes (less in warm weather, more in colder temps) and immediately cranking the engine before the fuel dissipates should begin ignition. Carburetors usually have accelerator pumps that enrich the fuel mixture during rapid movement of the throttle to lessen stumbling. Many pilots try to “pump the throttle” to get the engine to run, just like their parents taught them to “pump the footfeed” in an old car. Overuse of this technique has caused many a carburetor fire when the engine backfires through the induction system and ignites pooled fuel downstream. Handling such a conflagration requires a cool head and correct procedure—not an immediate evacuation to watch the aircraft burn up. Pull the mixture to idle cut-off and crank the engine with the starter, advancing the throttle to wide open. This will draw the fuel into the cylinders, extinguishing the fire by eliminating its supply source. If the engine starts when the excessively rich mixture is cleared, you may advance the mixture to normal and retard the throttle. Otherwise, continue cranking until the smoke and flames are gone. Again, stick to the recommended starting technique, counting the primer strokes, opening the throttle slightly (termed “cracking the throttle”) and using the boost pump as called for. Excessive priming washes the oil film off the cylinder walls. I often leave the primer pump extended while cranking, so it has a full charge that I can squeeze in if the engine starts
to die after exhausting its initial priming fuel. If all goes well, I just slowly push the primer in and lock it.
FUEL INJECTION STARTING Fuel injection, by comparison, swaps the cold-start headaches of the carburetor for some hot-start considerations. The two major engine builders, Lycoming and Continental, use different fuel-injection systems and require different starting techniques. And individual aircraft manufacturers can recommend customized methods. Again, read the POH and do it their way. Even if you think you already know how to start a fuel-injection engine, consult the manual. The Beech Barons, for instance, call for full-rich mixture and use of boost pump for priming, EXCEPT for the pressurized Baron 58P, which is started in idle-cutoff after priming, advancing to rich as the engine begins to run. All fuel injection systems (other than throttle-body injectors) need a source of fuel pressure for starting, usually an electric boost pump, aka auxiliary or standby pump. Having the pump operating brings fuel to the injectors if the mixture is advanced or keeps fuel flow at the ready if the mixture is in cut-off. Shutting the boost pump off also keeps fuel from flowing to the cylinders if the engine-driven pump isn’t operating, so it’s normally turned on at critical phases of flight, such as when taking off or landing. The boost pump switch may have a “high” position as well as a “normal” or “low” setting. For starting, “high” is often used momentarily for adding priming fuel to the system, for a recommended number of seconds or by referring to a fuel pressure gauge. The injection system is then pressurized, and the engine should start as soon as it’s cranked, continuing to run as long as fuel pressure is maintained. During fuel-injection starting attempts, there can be an interruption of fuel flow from exhausting the priming fuel, in which case more priming may be needed, either by momentarily advancing the mixture or turning on the boost pump, as recommended by the POH. During hot weather, particularly when restarting after a short shut-down, vapor may form in the
heat-soaked fuel lines atop the engine. To clear this vapor, you’ll need to run the boost pump to circulate liquid fuel through the lines, again per the POH. It is possible to short-cut the fuel injection priming procedure after a shut-down in normal temperatures. Because there’s still pressure in the system, cranking the engine can produce an immediate start, but to sustain the start, a quick shot of high-boost pump may be needed as the engine begins to die. If this fails, go back to the POH priming technique.
RESPECT THE STARTING MACHINERY If you have trouble getting the engine to commence combustion, don’t just keep cranking in a vain “more is better” attempt. Airplane starters are high-torque but lightweight devices, with specified duty cycle limits; exceed those limits, and you’ll pay a hefty price. My policy is to count the propeller blades when I engage the starter; after two or three complete compression cycles, it’s time to stop and do something different. What do you do if the aged battery exhausts all its amps and the prop stops turning? Even though I proudly claim a history of outhouses and Armstrong starter motors, unless you’re flying an antique plane, you shouldn’t think about trying to pull the prop through by hand. That procedure was for older smallengine taildraggers, not today’s fuel-injected, highcompression, big-block cruisers. Even if you get lucky and have the engine start without crippling you, your alternator will not put out current because it needs electricity to excite it into life. Your dead battery precludes such initiation of electron flow. What you need to do is call for jumper cables or APU booster start service before the battery goes completely dead, as soon as the propeller slows down its snappy turning. Just be sure you follow the POH procedure; not every make and model uses the same jump-start technique. Starting is an art. You can be an artist, or just try and try again, hoping to get a start. Learn the right way to do it, and you’ll save wear and tear on your aircraft, and on your anxious nervous system. PP planeandpilotmag.com
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Which Handheld Radio Is Right For You? Regardless of your needs, these powerful handhelds are a must-have accessory for any safety-minded pilot. Here’s a look at the most popular models on the market today. BY MARK PHELPS
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Icom A16/A16C
B
Icom A25C/N
attery-powered handheld radios are a staple of a pilot’s flight bag. Some remain buried under the barf bags awaiting the “unlikely event” of an electrical failure in flight. Other pilots enjoy using their handhelds regularly for checking ATIS before engine start and monitoring airport traffic just for fun. Simple, communication-only handhelds start at around $200. Basic features you can expect are an LCD frequency display, probably with a battery-life icon; a choice of using a knob or lighted keypad for selecting frequencies; single-button access for 121.5 (emergency) and weather frequencies, along with automatic severe weather alerts from NOAA; and storage space for regularly used frequencies. Moving up the ladder in comm-only used units, you will probably see larger, higher-resolution displays and more options for storage as you spend more money. There’s usually a tipping point in price when navigation features are added. Moving up the price points, it starts with just VOR frequencies, then VORs and localizers, full ILS capability with glideslope, and, lastly, GPS at the top of the product lines. All handhelds have the capability to plug your headset in, and that should be considered a virtual necessity in most cockpits due to the noisy environment. As far as features go, if you intend the handheld to be for emergency use primarily, less is probably more. No one needs to be thumbing through the instruction manual while bouncing around in the clouds at night. You might even
Yaesu FTA-250L
want to pack a “grab bag,” including a headset adapter and a Velcro push-to-talk switch all plugged in so you can access emergency comm capability with minimal effort. Depending on how intuitive it is to tune a frequency, you could tape a memory card to the outside of the radio with the necessary menu steps written out. Many handhelds have nav capability—usually VORs, localizers and, in some cases, full ILS capability. Only the top-of-the-line units have GPS. That makes sense in that most pilots already have pretty sophisticated emergency GPS nav access on a phone or tablet. But the tablet app can’t put you in touch with a controller or receive ILS frequencies. Whatever your setup, take the time once a month or so to review your emergency plan. Even practice physically yanking the handheld from the bag and following your procedures. It can be reassuring to run a quick radio check with Unicom. And while it ought to go without saying, keep the battery charged or carry fresh AAs if that’s what your unit uses. Here’s a quick rundown on eight handheld options available through most pilot supply shops.
Icom A16/A16C AROUND $260-$300
A basic comm unit, the A16 is compact, simple, weather-resistant and durable. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at 17 hours’ use planeandpilotmag.com
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between charges and has a cradle rapid charger. With six watts’ transmitting power, it also has what Icom describes as “loud audio” specifically designed for aircraft cabins (though a headset would be advisable) and airport ramps where line personnel find the A16 a rugged, reliable communications tool. Other features include choice of a knob or full keypad for entering frequencies, dedicated button for 121.5 emergency frequency, automatic noise limiter, LCD backlit display, low-battery indicator, weather alert and more. The A16B—around $300—has all the features of the A16 plus Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free operation.
Icom A25C/N AROUND $300-$500
The A25C comm-only version of Icom’s A25 series features a large, 2.3-inch backlit LCD display with day and night modes, six watts of transmitting power, “flip-flop” channel selection, “smart” battery with status display, weather channel presets, 121.5 mHz emergency key, Bluetooth connectivity and more. For a few dollars extra, the A25N adds navigation capability, including GPS. It can store up to 300 user waypoints and 10 flight plans, loadable from a computer, tablet or phone via Bluetooth. The navigation display features a facsimile of a CDI and an omni bearing selector (OBS), a to-from indicator and automatic bearing set system (ABSS) for setting the current course as a new course. The A25N does not include localizer or ILS frequencies. Like all Icom handhelds, it comes with a three-year warranty.
Yaesu FTA-250L AROUND $210
Yaesu’s basic comm-only model offers five watts’ transmitting power, a .5- x 1.4-inch LCD display and IXP5-rated waterproofing. The FTA-250L weighs in at 10.1 ounces and uses a lithium-ion battery with a cradle charger. It has preset NOAA weather channels, automatic NOAA weather alerts and 250 memory channels. Users can choose between using the knob or the backlit keypad for entering frequencies. It comes with a belt clip, battery charger, AC adapter, cigarette lighter DC cable and headset adapter cable. 52
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Yaesu FTA-450L Yaesu FTA-550L ProX
Yaesu FTA-450L AROUND $250
The step-up FTA-450L comm-only model from Yaesu has a larger 1.7-inch-square dot matrix display with Yaesu’s “advanced user interface” icon symbology. The display is backlit and includes a low-battery indicator. The FTA-450L also offers the option of using the included six-AA alkaline battery tray instead of the lithium-ion battery.
Yaesu FTA-550L ProX AROUND $290
Yaesu’s 550 series adds VOR/LOC navigation capability (but not glideslope). Buyers can choose the version that includes a six-AA battery tray in addition to the rechargeable lithium-ion
battery pack. When tuned to a VOR or localizer frequency, the 1.7-inch-square dot matrix display shows a course deviation indicator, to-from arrow and an omni bearing selector.
Yaesu FTA-750L AROUND $380
For around $90 more than the FTA-550L ProX, Yaesu’s top-of-the-line FTA-750L adds GPS and full ILS (glideslope) capability.
Sporty’s PJ2 comm $199
With its two in-house models, Sporty’s embraces “simpler is better.” The comm-only “dead simple to operate” PJ2 is designed for one-handed operation. It also has PJ jacks for standard headset transmit-receive plugs, so no adapter is needed (unless your headset has the six-pin “LEMO” plug). The PJ2 has separate volume and squelch knobs, and a choice of knob or keypad for entering frequencies. In the bad news-good news department, the PJ2 does not come with a lithium-ion battery. It uses AA alkalines, since Sporty’s believes the batteries’ longer shelf life gives you a better chance of having a full charge when you need it most. But it does have a USB-C plug-in, so you can use an external portable phone charger.
Yaesu FTA-750L
Sporty’s PJ2 comm
SP-400
SP-400 $299
The SP-400 has been around for decades and set the precedent for Sporty’s in-house “simpler is better” philosophy. Like the PJ2, it is designed to be capable but easy to operate with one hand. Unlike the PJ2, you will need a headset adapter, but the SP-400 does offer an optional lithiumion rechargeable battery pack. Its eight-AA alkaline battery pack (two more than most) provides up to 40 hours of operation. But the big difference for the extra $100 is navigation capability, including full-ILS with glideslope. Sporty’s catalog listing for the SP-400 includes a testimonial from a buyer who describes how the SP-400 “saved my life” after an electrical failure on a dark and stormy night flight. PP planeandpilotmag.com
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AFTER THE ACCIDENT By Dave English
Birds Take Down A Citation Even the NTSB understands that some accidents are impossible to avoid, like this one. history of violations or certificate actions. n March 2008, two minutes after takeoff from the Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma (KPWA), a Cessna Departing KPWA was routine. The pilots showed Citation 500 business jet suddenly entered a steep up at about 2 p.m. and readied the jet. A manager from descent and crashed. Interstate cleaned and stocked the cabin. Nothing There was no warning of what was to come. The seemed amiss. The weather was good VFR, temperature weather was good, the afternoon takeoff uneventful. 52 degrees, greater than 10 miles visibility, clear skies. At 3,000 feet, the crew checked in with Oklahoma City Wind 150 degrees at 9 knots. The passengers arrived at departure, and the controller issued a climb-and-turn 2:50 p.m., an Interstate rep carrying their bags to the instruction, but it went unanswered. About 30 seconds airplane. All was as it had been several times before. later, on the Wiley Post tower frequency, someone said, They taxied out at 3:05 p.m. “I just saw an airplane crash and explode.” Both pilots NTSB Member Kathryn Higgins is correct when she and all three passengers were killed and the airplane says, “This was an illegal flight that never should have destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. taken off in the first place.” Nonetheless, aside from How the flight came together was complicated the legal status, everything here seems benign. No and controversial. One week before the flight, United mechanical issues, no weather issues, no ATC issues. Engines called Interstate Helicopters, a Part 135 charter No terrain issues, no fuel issues, no procedural issues. operation, to transport three United executives from Competent, rested pilots at the controls. Still, fate was KPWA to Mankato. The plan was to spend the night the hunter that day, and minutes after takeoff, all five and come back. United had previously used Interstate occupants would be dead. Helicopters, as well as some other local The cockpit voice recorder was not charter firms, for occasional company working, but the NTSB does have all the “It looked for all flights. It didn’t know that Interstate ATC tapes. At 3:06, the pilots received the world like the had no fixed-wing aircraft on its FAA their IFR clearance: “…on departure, plane hit birds and certificate, meaning that Interstate, turn right heading 200, maintain 3,000, suddenly crashed. Now, according to the NTSB, was facilitating expect flight level 270 ten minutes after eyewitness accounts an illegal commercial flight. departure. Oklahoma City departure frequency 124.6, squawk 3403.” Six While attracting a lot of NTSB and and initial layman FAA interest, the legalities have no conminutes later, the tower controller guesses to accident nection to the accident cause. cleared them for takeoff from runway cause are notoriously The left-seat pilot was 44 years old, 17L. Handed over to OKC departure, unreliable. But in this had about 6,100 total flight hours with they checked in, reporting out of 2,000 case, first impressions type ratings in the Cessna 500, Citation feet for 3,000. The controller was busy were proven right.” III and Learjet, and was the chief pilot on a landline coordination call and of a FAR Part 91 corporate flight operadidn’t respond. The Citation checked tion. He was trained and legal to operate some Citation in again, now level at 3,000 feet. The controller radar jets single-pilot but not this one. During post-accident identified them and issued clearance to “climb and interviews, pilots who knew him described a “good guy” maintain 15,000 turn right heading 290.” There was no with a “good reputation” who “loved flying.” The rightresponse. “Citation three sierra hotel, did you copy?” seat pilot was 40 years old and had almost 1,400 flight “Citation three sierra hotel, how do you hear?” “Citation hours, many of which were as PIC in Cessna 340A light three sierra hotel Oak City approach, how do you hear?” piston-twins. He had logged over 70 hours as CE-550 There’s no flight data recorder information, but OKC second-in-command but had no record of required SIC approach control has good radar coverage in this area training in the Citation. A former missionary in Brazil, he and captured the event. A STARS computer using an had a reputation as “a planner and a plotter. Everything ASR-9 radar at the Will Rogers World Airport first dishe did, he thought of the last detail.” Neither had any played the jet climbing through 1,500 feet. It leveled at
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PHOTO BY JAMES, COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
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A Cessna Citation 500 similar to the accident airplane.
3,000 feet and flew straight on the assigned 200 heading, from Wiley Post airport over wooded countryside and Lake Overholser. Suddenly, there was a steep descent. A ping at 2,400 feet, then no further returns. Observers, wreckage analysis and simulation studies all agreed that a sudden left roll continued through 290 degrees. Eyewitness accounts and security camera footage show the plane descending in a 60- to 70-degree nose-down attitude, trailing white or gray smoke. It impacted the ground inverted at a pitch angle of 53 degrees. There was an immediate large fireball. A person by the lake heard a bang and saw the plane diving as well as what appeared to be bits of bird and feathers floating down. Another witness saw remains of two large white birds in the water. It looked for all the world like the plane hit birds and suddenly crashed. Now, eyewitness accounts and initial layman guesses to accident cause are notoriously unreliable. But in this case, first impressions were proven right. At the location where the aircraft disappeared from radar, NTSB radar analysis found “a trail of primary targets consistent with birds.” During 10 minutes covered by the radar data provided by the FAA, there were an amazing 5,985 primary targets observed by the OKC airport surveillance radar. We share the sky with many flying friends. It’s not always a peaceful coexistence. Bird remains were all over the wreckage. The jet probably lost power in the right engine and likely breached the left wet-wing fuel tank. It was likely fuel streaming out the left wing that was the “smoke” seen
by eyewitnesses. The Board determined that damage to the airplane’s flying and/or control surfaces produced “pitching and rolling moments that could not be compensated by pilot control inputs,” even worse than losing an engine and a fuel tank. A perfectly good airplane had instantly become unflyable. After the accident, the NTSB delved deep into aircraftbird impact certification. What it found is not comforting. It’s not that Citations don’t meet FAA standards, but, rather, “current airframe certification standards for bird strikes are insufficient.” The Board found regulations “are not based on bird strike risks to aircraft derived from analysis of current bird strike and bird-population data and trends” and allow for varying levels of bird strike protection on different structures on the same airplane. The Citation’s departure from controlled flight likely resulted from wing structure bird damage, “which far exceeded the airframe’s design certification limit.” In compliance with FAA transport category airplane requirements, the windscreen and wing structures of the Cessna 500 are certificated to withstand an impact from a 4-pound bird while cruising at normal cruise speeds at sea level (for this Citation that’s 287 knots) without damage that would prevent safe flight and landing. The empennage must withstand an 8-pound bird at the same speed. The problem is that many large birds are heavier than 4 or 8 pounds. The Citation impacted a flock of American white pelicans, where each bird can weigh up to 20 pounds. The energy of a 20-pound object planeandpilotmag.com
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hitting at “just” 200 knots was calculated by the NTSB as 34,416 ft-lbs. That’s well over double the general structure certification energy value of 14,586 ft-lbs. It’s rare in aviation that a certification parameter can so easily be exceeded, and extremely rare we can casually exceed it by a factor of two. Building an airplane invincible from bird strikes would result in a tank too heavy to fly efficiently. In safety, they are few absolutes and lots of compromises. Most bird strikes cause little damage. Wipe the blood off and go fly again. Investigators later determined that the birds the Citation had struck were American white pelicans, one of the largest North American bird species. The American white pelican is an exceptionally big bird, bested in wingspan only by the California condor. find that painting an aircraft in bright colors helps, as Captain Sully ditching an Airbus A320 into the Hudson does installing pulsating exterior lights. Engines on the River after hitting a flock of Canada geese (also at 3,000 right side of multi-engine aircraft get fewer bird strikes feet) was a unique, once-in-a-movie-universe event. than those on the right, a phenomenon believed to be Only it turns out that seriously damaging bird strikes caused by avian eyes being more sensitive to the green aren’t that rare. It was just 17 months after Sully that navigation light than the red. Changes to the frequency a Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737 smashed into a flock of spectrum of red navigation lights, making them more geese while climbing out from Amsterdam’s Schiphol visible to birds, might reduce the impacts on that side. Airport, causing a huge amount of damage. The crew did The KPWA ATIS noted “birds in the vicinity of the a fantastic job to return safely to Schiphol. The airline airport,” but these always-on blanket warnings are industry was lucky to be saved, again, by great pilots. designed more by lawyers to shield liability than for Since the first reported bird strike in 1905—by one pilots to enhance safety. It’s like your vehicle navigaOrville Wright—planes have hit a lot of birds. The tion system warning you there are cars in the vicinity total damage, according to one recent study, is 618 of the road—every time you start the engine. It’s not hull losses and 534 fatalities. Our feathered friends actionable information. While there’s been amazing are estimated to be causing over a billion dollars of progress bringing high-quality weather, navigation damage a year to aircraft. And it’s getting worse. The and traffic information into the cockpit, there’s been Board cites research showing that in North America, nothing new for birds. Neither the internet nor the the population of large bird species, with body masses iPad has helped us with this problem. greater than 8 pounds, has increased significantly in What can we do as pilots? Not a lot. Probably the the past 30 years. best precaution is to slow down. Kinetic energy of A lot more could be done as an industry to mitigate impact goes up as the square of the airspeed, so every the bird strike hazard. Stopping the building of bird few knots here help a lot. In a brightly painted plane sanctuaries next to airports would be a start. A few with exterior lights flashing, going slower gives birds years after the “Miracle on the Hudson,” New York more time to maneuver themselves away. For jet pilots, City built the North Shore Marine Transfer Station, a the 250-knot speed limit below 10,000 feet is relevant bird-attracting garbage facility just 2,200 feet from runhere, and 200 knots or less may be better if you suspect way 13/31 at LaGuardia Airport. There exist practical flocks of birds. All of us can slow down a bit and plan bird-sensing radar systems that can alert ATC about on limiting flying through known danger areas like active flocks in the air. Drones, lasers, mirrors, effigies, over lakes or active migratory bird paths. pyrotechnics, falconry and more can discourage birds There are some concepts for birdstrike avoidance, close to runways. Stronger certification standards of but none are ready for market. Until that time, birds airframes and engines might be warranted. are a threat we manage alone, mostly blind, using best There’s some good news in recent research. Studies guesses and luck. PP 56
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CROSS-COUNTRY LOG By Bill Cox
Flying Africa In The Midst Of Turmoil The geography was challenging; the political landscape, even more so. weapons could probably have reached us. f you’ve never been to Africa, you may be surprised, As I looked back at the aft cabin, I saw life vests, a as I was, to learn that the continent is actually a four-man raft and cold-water dry suit, all protection huge horizontal band of semi-impenetrable jungle enclosed on top and bottom by twin strips of the world’s against going down in the ocean. But there was nothing most forbidding deserts. there to protect us from the heat of the desert. I should have known, but I guess I never realized the In fact, we all know there’s unlikely to be any search scope of the Sahara on top and the Kalahari/Namib and rescue of any kind in the Sahara unless someone on the bottom. It was 1984, and a quartet of mostly in the U.S. military hears about an American crash in dissimilar airplanes was being ferried from the U.S. the desert. The countries we overfly have a hard time to South Africa, mine to Johannesburg, one to Durban funding food and support for their own people, never and two to Cape Town. mind spending money looking for wayward Americans. It had been a long trip in relatively good weather, If we have any emergency in the desert, we better hope and we were happy to have made it to Libreville, Gabon, we can solve our survival problems ourselves, as it’s with no mechanical glitches. I was flying the largest unlikely anyone will come looking for us. airplane of the four, a Cessna Crusader twin, destined On our first African desert hop, we crossed near the for Rand Airport in Jo’burg. There was also a Piper village often named as the end of the Earth—Timbuktu, Seneca, an Arrow and a Mooney 231. Mali, is desolate and nearly uninhabited, no matter We’d flown to St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, then how you spell it. diagonally 2,000 nm across the Atlantic to Funchal in As we passed Bamako, Mali, the Earth began to fade the Madeira Islands off the coast of Morocco (yes, the back through tan toward light green, a region known as home of Madeira wine). the Sahel, and worthy of its name. The blistering Sahara For me, the assault on the world’s fell behind and Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, unrolled beneath our wings. largest desert seemed almost incomprehensible. The Sahara is roughly We finally saw the Gulf of Guinea and “The ‘itch’ is where the size of the entire United States our next overnight stop, Abidjan, weather systems (excluding Alaska), a little over 2,000 Ivory Coast (or Côte d’Ivoire, in the from the northern and miles across by 1,500 miles tall. Looking French translation). southern hemispheres down on the expanse of sand and rock, As we approached the sometimesconverge and sometimes mountains and dry lakes, it seemed dangerous Intertropical Convergence create hellacious almost incomprehensible that anyone Zone (sometimes standardized as simcould live there, but nomadic tribes of ply the ITCZ, pronounced “itch”), we’re thunderstorms.” Tuaregs and Bedouins have somehow especially cautious about the weather. managed to find water and subsist The “itch” is where weather systems despite 120-degree heat in summer and terrain that is from the northern and southern hemispheres converge totally resistant to any attempts at farming. It’s Death and sometimes create hellacious thunderstorms. Valley times 1,000. The terrain below turns from tan/brown to hard Fortunately for us, we don’t need to fly the entire green where the jungle becomes an unforgiving mass expanse of the Sahara. Our route took us across 1,700 of intertwined trees that offer very few places for an miles of Mauritania, Mali and Ivory Coast to keep us emergency landing without totally destroying the clear of countries in conflict, which was common at airplane and everything in it. that time. At our cruising altitude of 11,000 feet, their The Mooney’s pilot lifted our spirits a little by
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commenting that there was a Club Med down the coast a few miles. (No, we didn’t stay there.) From Abidjan, it was only a short 900 miles across the Western Notch of Africa to Libreville, Gabon, practically right on the equator. Libreville was a popular stop in those days because several American oil companies had major investments in exploration cites, so Americans received big discounts. Flying south down the West African coast was a lot less comfortable. Now, we were starting to leave the dense African double-canopy rain forest behind as the land below began to transition back toward the desert. Angola was only a few hundred miles south of Gabon, and anyone who had to land there was automatically in deep trouble. Angola was heavily subsidized by Russia, and the best advice if you needed to stop there was “don’t.” It would be better to ditch in the ocean than land in Angola. As a result, we nearly always diverted due east to an imaginary waypoint 20-30 miles back out over the Atlantic just in case some trigger-happy soldier with a surface-to-air missile decided to shoot at us. We’d also climb as high as possible for the same reason. As we traveled south, the weather began to turn back from jungle clouds and turbulence to desert
clear, and we had a good view of Angola’s capital city, Luanda, far to our left. Whenever the performance of our airplanes was compatible on a multiple-aircraft delivery, we tried to stay together, just in case someone had a problem. Fortunately, that was a rare occurrence. (Once on a seven-Cherokee delivery from Florida to Amman, Jordan, I was flying the lead trio of airplanes, and we’d departed from Heraklion, Crete, and were vectored directly across the city of Cairo, Egypt. I knew that had to be a mistake, as I’d made several trips to Jordan, and we’d always been routed to the south over Luxor before being allowed to turn north up the Gulf of Aqaba to Amman.) Sure enough, not everyone had received the memo. We passed over the pyramids, looked down and saw a pair of Mirage 2000 fighters departing an Egyptian Air Base. Thirty seconds later, they went drifting by as slow as they could, and the leader inquired, “Who are you, and why are you flying toward Cairo?” I doubt he thought we were part of an Israeli invasion force. I explained things to the fighter pilot and read him our clearance number, and he came back, angrily, and said, “I don’t care about your clearance numbers. Make an immediate 90-degree right turn and fly direct to Luxor.” We did as instructed, and the two fighters planeandpilotmag.com
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escorted us south for a few miles before finally breaking into the Atlantic. When we passed the river, we knew off and heading back to their base. As they screamed we were back in friendly airspace and could turn left away from us, I felt obliged to advise him that there over Namibia. were four more airplanes several miles behind us. He Once again, we were back over the desert, in this answered with an expletive deleted. case, the Kalahari. The infamous African jungle was far Flying in loose formation was technically against the behind us, and, for me, my destination of Johannesburg rules as we all filed IFR, but no one in Africa seemed was only 700 nm across the bottom third of South Africa. to care as there was hardly any ATC to deal with. We We landed at Windhoek, Namibia, where most other almost never saw another airplane in flight, and almost pilots weren’t familiar with the new Cessna twin or its no one came up on the radio if we called to make posicompetition, for that matter. Its airstair door and big tion reports or ask about weather ahead. cabin were more reminiscent of a corporate turboprop (In Djibouti, East Africa, I once than the Piper Seneca it was actually asked the briefer in the weather office designed to compete with. about weather in Nairobi, and he The following day, the Mooney “We almost never saw handed me a two-day-old satellite pilot and I filed flight plans for another airplane in flight, photo of the entire continent. Not Gaborone, Botswana, slightly west and almost no one came much detail to that.) of the border with South Africa. One of our pilots had firsthand Remember, this was 1984, and we up on the radio if we called experience in Angola following an couldn’t file directly to any destinato make position reports or engine problem a year earlier in a tion in South Africa. South Africa still ask about weather ahead.” Cessna 206. He made a landing on had apartheid policies in effect, and the beach in Angola near Luanda none of its neighbors would have and was promptly accused of being approved a flight directly to South an American spy. He was imprisoned in Luanda and Africa. As a result, we filed for Gaborone (which had finally released eight months later when the U.S. traded substantial business and trade agreements with South a Russian spy for him. He’d lost 50 pounds in the Africa), and ATC looked the other way. When enterAngolan prison. ing Botswana airspace, we immediately changed our We flew south about 700 miles, passing Yuri Gagarin destination to Johannesburg. Airport, just to remind us of who pulled the strings in On the ground at Rand Airport in Jo’burg, I discovAngola, and watched Africa turn back to pure desert ered there was a major celebration planned for the once more. arrival of the first Cessna Crusader to be delivered Finally, we saw the Cunene River that emptied overseas, in this case, halfway around the world. PP
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WORDS ALOFT By Jeremy King
A Frosty FBO Camp Out Serendipity meets Hope, and all is right in general aviation. s the last lights of Texas slid beneath the wings A quick mag check showed the right magneto was runand Arkansas loomed ahead, I eased the power ning rough, and the most aggressive leaning couldn’t off and let the Mooney begin a gradual descent remedy it. I landed just before sunset in Las Cruces, toward my next stop. With apologies and a little artistic New Mexico, and the next morning I cleaned the two license applied to a popular presidential quote from the spark plugs that I suspected while standing out on the 1990s, I believed in a fuel stop in a place called Hope, ramp. The runup was better but not great, and a quick Arkansas, the birthplace of former President Bill Clinton. hop to El Paso found a shop that was open and could help me out. The airport was marked as unattended, with 24-hour self-serve fuel available. I figured it’d make a good quick The crew at El Paso Aero tested the spark plug leads stop to fuel, hit the restroom, stretch and make the last I suspected and found they were fine. They found other three-hour flight of a long cross-country flight. spark plugs that were heavily eroded, and after a thorMy friend Grayson had bought a 1967 Mooney M20F, ough cleaning and re-gapping, I was on my way home and I sort of share the blame in that decision. He’s a with a perfect mag check. pilot at my airline and had longed to get back into My longest flight in a single-engine airplane followed, general aviation. When I paid a visit to his farm in my as I crossed all of Texas in a single bound, aided by a Mooney, he started asking questions and sending me slight tailwind, and found myself on the ground in Hope. advertisements with questions. How about this one? But there, my ambitions were dashed. As I pumped fuel, What should I look for? I noticed frost was quickly forming across the wings. After a few false starts, Grayson found a promising While I’d been careful to note that the dewpoint was a bird in Arizona, hangared at Deer Valley Airport, which bit lower than the sub-freezing temperatures there, I’d I’m told has leapfrogged Van Nuys, depending on the failed to account for the fact that the Mooney and I had statistics you use, as the busiest general aviation airport been hanging out at 9,500 feet, where the air was much in the United States of America. He bought the airplane, cooler than the dewpoint on the ground. sight unseen, after talking with the broker and getting The cold-soaked aluminum was well below the dewthe results of a pre-purchase inspection. On paper, it point and looked like a grade-school science project seemed like a fine bird, although its origidemonstrating condensation, sublimation nal paint and dated panel could use some and deposition. So, my chariot turned into “Friends, attention. Then work piled up, and Grayson a pumpkin—or, rather, a popsicle. It was if you’re flying couldn’t get to Arizona to bring it home. late at night, and I hoped to launch soon general aviation Meanwhile, I had bid a month off from after the sun rose, a winter weather system the airline to knock out some projects, and, close on my heels. I didn’t see much need around Phoenix, my seeing an opportunity for a distraction, I to engage the local taxi or hotel when I’d hat is off to you.” offered to bring the airplane east. I had just be back out the door in a matter of hours, begun installing an engine monitor, and, especially since the FBO was unattended, with my airplane in pieces, the chance for a long flight and there were a couple of very comfortable recliners was too hard to resist. in the back room. Friends, if you’re flying general aviation around In addition to being a presidential birthplace, Hope Phoenix, my hat is off to you. That’s some of the most was home to an ammunition proving ground in World complex airspace I’ve navigated, and the air was thick War II, and there is an impressive display in the FBO with aluminum specks all trying to pick through the building. When I stepped inside, a familiar smell hit same routes over and around the class D airports me—and I have no clue what it is, but it is the exact beneath the Class B airspace. Hem it all in with a mounsame smell that permeated a friend’s house where we tain range on the east side, throw in a weak comm radio, built model airplanes when I was a kid. It made me feel and it was one of the most challenging departures in at home as I floated around the rooms, inspecting the my years of flying. wall of solo shirttails that went back more than 20 years. I’d climbed to 9,500 before I even thought of leaning. A wall-mounted planning chart with a string
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PHOTO: JEREMY KING
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anchored for distance measuring and a sticker in a door’s window glass touting the 1994 AOPA drive for product liability reform to revitalize general aviation were throwbacks to the sorts of FBOs I grew up in. The vending machine took 85 cents of pocket change and gave me a bag of microwave popcorn, and another 80 cents got me a can of Dr. Pepper to wash it down. The lack of company meant I had nobody to apologize to for the horrible smell as I popped the butter-flavored dinner. All I needed was an energetic group of aviators telling tales in the couches around me to really fire up the time machine. The recliners were up against some 1940s-era single-pane windows, and to fight the chill, I bundled up in an airline uniform sweater I’d dug from the bottom of my suitcase and used my jacket as a blanket as An unplanned stopover at Hope, Arkansas, reminded the author of the wonderful world that is I drifted off to sleep. Around midnight, a previ- light GA and the thousands of small airports that are its foundation. ously unnoticed base station radio crackled to life as a feminine voice announced and the rest of the group bundled up to board the that a Stationair was inbound to land. Wait, was plane and return to their home base, a short hop that call for…here? My mind boggled. Nah, that had away in Magnolia. to be for somewhere else. I closed my eyes, and then As they walked across the ramp, I heard a few words they reported themselves to be on short final, and, of a conversation. “You know, we really should…” and sure enough, a collection of lights flashed across the the rest was lost. Moments later, one of the ladies window, then reappeared as they taxied to the fuel bounded back inside and gave me her phone number. pumps. I heard a group of voices approaching and “If you wake up and get weathered in, we can get you prepared myself for company. It turns out that the into a hangar, or if something breaks, we know all six-seat Cessna 206 had been mostly full of folks—a the local mechanics and inspectors. We won’t let you bunch of ladies and one guy, all pilots, who had been get stranded here.” I shot her a text message, and she out enjoying the evening. replied with the phone numbers for most everyone in They’d landed to drop off a friend or two, and as the group. The gabfest, camaraderie and looking out they waited on their ride to arrive, they filled into the for each other was an absolute shot in the arm, and I chairs and couches around me. They told me some of drifted off to sleep having enjoyed the visit. the history about the field that the historical displays I woke just before sunrise and spent several chilly had failed to mention, and we traded stories about minutes wiping away most of the accumulated frost trips we’d made, each of us comparing notes on our with a dirty undershirt, then pulled the Mooney clear recent trips to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. of the hangar’s shadow and angled the nose into the “Wait, why are you camping out here? You could get sunrise to let nature handle the rest. Three hours later, a taxi into town,” one of the ladies asked. I explained I was on the ground in Georgia, texting my new friends about the frost demonstration on the Mooney, which in Arkansas to thank them for the visit. I handed the I’d moved over right in front of the picture window, keys to Grayson, who continued on to his home in and how I hoped to be on my way in just a few hours. Florida, and I drove home, thankful for the layover Luckily, they had been flying down low, and their nature had thrust on me and for the trip back in time wings remained clean. The friend’s ride showed up, that followed. PP planeandpilotmag.com
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THIS INCREDIBLE PLANE By Frank Ayers
The Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST) ‘SkySleeper’ How an idea for a more comfortable airliner inadvertently created a legend. he 1930s truly were the Golden Age of aviation design. The increased demand for air travel, improved engines and aircraft systems, and the influence of art deco streamline design combined to produce some of the most beautiful and functional aircraft of all time, like the Boeing 247, Northrop Alpha and Lockheed Electra. However, the development of the iconic Douglas DC-3 is an amazing story all on its own. Back in 1929, Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) inaugurated the first coast-to-coast air service by combining both rail and air travel. Passengers boarded the train in New York’s Grand Central Station, traveled on to Ohio and then boarded a Ford Trimotor for the daytime flight to Oklahoma. At nightfall, they were back on the train, in sleeper service, to Clovis, New Mexico, where they again boarded a Trimotor for the rest of the trip to California. Two trains, nine flights and 48 hours coast to coast. By 1933, the Douglas Aircraft Company had a bona-fide success on its hands. The new Douglas DC-2 was a truly modern, 14-seat, narrow-body airliner that offered inflight comfort and amenities that other competitors, such as the Boeing 247, did not provide. With its dual nose-mounted landing lights, slab-sided narrow fuselage, angular vertical tail and reliable Wright Cyclone engines, it sold nearly 200 aircraft, over double its nearest rival. It even made money. However, the dream of true transcontinental air travel persisted, and American Airlines CEO C.R. Smith had a better idea. In what has been described as a “marathon phone call” to Donald Douglas, Smith laid out a requirement for a derivative of the DC-2 that accommodated passengers in fold-down sleeper berths, as well as convertible daytime sleeper seats. This required a much larger cabin diameter to accommodate the upper and lower berths, as well as larger wings, engines and tail surfaces. With his company doing all it could to keep up with DC-2 orders, Douglas resisted the idea, but once American placed a firm order for 20 Douglas Sleeper Transports, the work began in earnest. The DST was designed to cross the country in less than 20 hours with three stops. Fourteen passengers were accommodated in comfortable seats that the cabin crew reconfigured at night to provide upper and lower berths.
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Crew changed, aircraft were refueled, but the passengers continued to the destination with little disturbance. The first DST flew on Dec. 17, 1935 (the 32nd anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight), and soon entered service. DSTs, by the way, were easily identified by a second row of four small rectangular windows on each side of the fuselage, located above the normal cabin windows. These allowed the upper berths a scenic view outside the aircraft. The first seven aircraft off the line were DSTs, christened Flagship SkySleepers. While the accommodations were luxurious, the concept never really caught on, and DST production ended in 1940. This is where the story takes a big turn. The eighth aircraft off the line was actually the first DC-3. Configured to seat 21, the DC-3 became an instant hit based on the economics of more, cheaper seats combined with the plane’s already voluminous interior space. Douglas would see nearly 16,000 DC-3/C- 47 variants in the U.S. and under license overseas. These included 500 Japanese L2D variants, built initially under license, from 1939 to 1945, and nearly 5,000 Soviet Li-2 licensed variants produced through 1952. Smith’s requirement for a sleeper version of the DC-2 led to the development of a legendary plane. With a cabin nearly a third wider and with much greater interior volume, this was the aircraft that made revenue for the airlines, won wars and became a legend. While the DST concept quickly faded, replaced by multi-class seating and lie-flat seats, the DC-3 became a part of aviation lore. But it hasn’t faded away. Nearly 200 Douglas DC-3s remain in service today, a fitting tribute to Donald Douglas’ outstanding design, C.R. Smith’s persistence, and a big helping of good old-fashioned luck. PP
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