California flight instructors and flight schools are on the verge of bankruptcy. The reason: California A.B. 48, a state law that, if passed, will levy heavy fees on Part 61 and Part 141 flight schools and flight instructors.

According to the new law, flight instructors will be charged a $5000 application fee followed by $3500 renewal fees every three years. Even better, CFI’s who teach at multiple locations will be required to fork over $1000 for a second location. Furthermore, flight instructors will have to pay an operation fee of 0.75% of the CFI’s income. All of this in addition to the enormous expenses incurred to become an FAA certificated flight instructor. Does the term “nickel and dimed” come to mind?

What I find most concerning is the fact that most CFI’s struggle to make a living as it is. They are among the hardest working and lowest paid pilots in aviation – even more so than regional airline pilots. And now they are going to lose five grand before they fly with a single student. If I were a Californian CFI, I’d be looking very closely at jobs in neighboring states.

What Can You Do?

But there is still time to make a change, and Max Trescott – 2008 CFI of the year, and a Californian flight instructor himself, is asking pilots to help. From MaxTrescott.com:

If you can attend the public hearing in Sacramento on June 7, please go and express your concerns. You’ll find details here: http://www.bppe.ca.gov/lawsregs/propregs_notice.pdf
Writing Your Letter
Individual letters are more effective than form letters. Please write as little as a few sentences but not more than 1 page of comments telling your personal story and how these regulations will affect you. Explain the impact that complying with the new rules will have on you.

If you know a Member or staff aide, say so at the start of your letter and state if you live in the member’s district. Be courteous, constructive, and not negative. If the regulations seem to be the wrong solution to a problem, propose constructive alternatives. Staffs are severely overloaded, so confine your comments to one typewritten page and address only one topic: implementation of A.B. 48.
Contact Information
Please contact the following:
1.Joanne Wenzel Staff Services Manager III
Bureau of Postsecondary Education
1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite S 202
Sacramento, California 95834
Phone: (916) 574-7784
Fax: (916) 574-8652
Email: Joanne_Wenzel@dca.ca.gov
2. Your California state assemblyman and state senator. To get contact information for your California state assembly and senate representatives, go to
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/defaulttext.asp and click on “Find My District” in the left column .
3. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160
Email: fill in form at http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email

Cessna delivered the first Cessna 162 Skycatcher today. The aircraft was delivered during a ceremony at Yingling Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas – Cessna’s corporate headquarters. The first aircraft was delivered to Rose Pelton, the wife of Cessna CEO Jack Pelton.

The Skycatcher marks Cessna’s first foray into the new Light Sport Aircraft category which defines LSA’s as an aircraft with a maximum gross weight of 1,320 pounds and a top speed of 120 knots. Like all modern Cessna aircraft, the 162 features a fully integrated glass cockpit.

Cessna launched its Skycatcher program at EAA Airventure 2007 and has since amassed more than 1,000 orders for the light sport aircraft.

With rising fuel prices and falling profits, the airline industry is constantly searching for bold new ways to pinch a penny and boost efficiency. Most airlines have already cut back on planned cruise speeds to conserve fuel. But you can only slow down so far before induced drag begins to eat away at aircraft fuel efficiency. Stanford’s Dr. Ilan Kroo has a radical new solution: fly in formation.

Kroo’s research is nothing new. According to an article in The Economist, scientists have known that birds flying in formation expend less energy. Much like airplanes, vortices form at the wingtips of birds which curl upwards  – a phenomenon known as upwash. Birds flying in the upwash experience a notable reduction in drag, and require less thrust to maintain speed.

Could this be the future of air travel?

Dr. Kroo and his team applied these results to see what would happen if three airliners took off from three separate airports, rendezvoused over Utah, then continued in formation to London. They found  the jets would consume 15% less fuel under ideal conditions.

There are still a few issues to be resolved, most notably in the area of safety. Even with the proposed two to three miles of separation in formation, aircraft would still be uncomfortably close to one another – especially in instrument meteorological conditions and turbulence. Then there is the difficulty of scheduling flights to rendezvous on time.

This one’s been circulating around the web for a week now. On May 31, a piston twin ran off the 2,100 foot runway in St. Barthelemy Airport (SBH) in the Carribean. What makes this video so interesting, aside from the surfer-dude commentary, is that the pilot opted not to go around even after floating for nearly three fourths of the runway.

When should you execute a go around? As one of my first flight instructors said: go missed anytime the approach does not look perfect. Seriously now, increase power and go around if there is any doubt in your mind as to the safety of your upcoming landing. Continue on to the video.

An MD-11 operated by Fed Ex Express crashed and burst into flames during landing at Narita International in Tokyo, Japan. The pilot and copilot of Fed Ex Flight 80 were killed in the accident according to a CNN report. The video shows the airplane bouncing twice and rolling left before landing inverted next to the runway.

Earlier this year a Fed Ex ATR-42 operated by Empire Airways crashed after landing short of the touchdown zone on January 27, 2009.

It looks as though the nose came down hard, leading to a bounce. The airplane pitched down aggressively, leading to a nose-first landing, followed by a second bounce. The airplane then rolled left into the ground.

With the ditching of US Airways 1549 and crash Colgan flight 3407, this is turning into a rough year for aviation. Be careful up there, and fly safe.

NPR’s Talk of the Nation raises questions on the quality of airline pilot training and support made available to newer pilots. Topics discussed in this thirty minute show include Captain Chesley Sullenberger’s handling of US Airways flight 1549, airline schedules, crew rest periods, and flight safety. Airline pilots call in and discuss the state of the airline industry, advancements in technology, and raise questions on the quality of airline training programs.

Guests include Matt Wald, aviation safety reporter for the New York Times and John Nance, a former captain for Alaska Airlines and prominent aviation author. 

Ferry Boats Rescue Passengers of US1549

Nance makes a great point about the importance of cockpit standardization and its effect on safety. He breaks it down into Star Trek terms to say that the airlines have “fired Captain Kirk and hired Captain Picard.” He also discusses the differences between the pre-standardization days and drops the bombshell that it was not uncommon for checklists to go unused in the past. Furthermore, Nance discusses the advancement of crew resource management and the importance that captains create an open environment and encourage feedback from the rest of the crew.

One Chicago based first officer (presumably from American Eagle), provides his insight on the importance of experience and its importance to aeronautical decision making by highlighting his ever changing perception of aviation as he accumulates more hours.

“Experience is excellent, but an experienced pilot can make a mistake too,” responded Nance. He cited the military’s ability to train pilots to land on carriers with only 400 to 500 hours of experience.

Nance focuses on airline training and cockpit procedures. Not wanting to take away from Sully Sullenberger’s deeds, Nance claims that well established procedures may have made the key difference in the Hudson River crash by unloading the flight crew’s mind and providing “a bubble of time … to make a decision.”

A corporate pilot called in and questioned the movement towards “heads down” flying and reliance on automation as opposed to stick and rudder skills.

Related:

Read the full story at NPR.org
Transcript of US Flight 1549

Legendary rock group The Doobie Brothers will perform live July 27, 2009 at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The event takes place at Aeroshell Square on Airventure’s opening night, right after the afternoon airshow.

Presented by Ford Motor Company, the performance will be free of charge to Aeroshell guests that day.

“Like EAA AirVenture, the Doobie Brothers are known the world over and have attracted multiple generations of fans. Led by co-founding members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, the Doobies have accumulated Grammy awards, gold and platinum records. They are currently working on a new album of original material scheduled for release this year.”

The Doobie Brothers

“The Doobie Brothers’ unique style defies a single definition, but has left its unquestioned mark on music history. From their first top 40 hit in 1972, “Listen To The Music,” through No. 1 hits such as “Black Water” and “What A Fool Believes”, and classic songs such as “China Grove” and “Minute By Minute,” the Doobie Brothers have created an instantly identifiable American sound that continues to thrill longtime fans and welcome a new generation to their music.”

Doobie Brothers hits include Listen to the Music and Black Water, among others.

Further details at www.airventure.org and the band’s official website: www.doobiebros.com.

Amendments to current aviation security regulations have been proposed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to expand airline style screening to include corporate and private general aviation operations. TSA’s proposal, the Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP), will apply to general aviation operators of “large” aircraft with a maximum certificated operating weight above 12,500 pounds.

• Ensure that their flight crew members have undergone a fingerprint-based
  criminal history records check.
• Conduct watch-list matching of their passengers through TSA-approved watchlist
  matching service providers.
• Undergo a biennial audit of their compliance by a TSA-approved third party
  auditor.
• Comply with the current cargo requirements for the twelve-five all-cargo program
  if conducting an all-cargo operation.
• For aircraft with a MTOW of over 45,500 kilograms operated for compensation
  or hire, screen passengers and their accessible property.
• Check property on board for unauthorized persons.

TSA’s program will also require reliever airports and other airports that regularly serve scheduled or public charter flights to adopt a security program.

The new security measures are based on “TSA’s belief that aircraft of this size pose a potential risk,” according to the LASP docket.

LASP has whipped GA pilots into a fervor. Robert Mark summarized the issue on Jetwhine.com.

Think of TSA’s idea as imposing a severe and highly unnecessary financial burden, a one-size fits all kind of security choke hold on an industry that survives through its ability to be hundreds of different things to the thousands of people who use business and general aviation. Or you might think of the TSA’s proposal as one sure to drive a stake into the heart of an already wounded industry. That means don’t expect much help here from anyone in the airline industry. Do we have your blood pumping yet?

Another Happy Passenger

The Department of Homeland Security released a privacy impact assessment for the proposal on October 2, 2008. “[the privacy impact assessment] also clearly illuminates that they intend to not only collect passenger information for the purpose of comparing against the watch list (which is their stated cause) but that the information about private air travelers will be maintained and shared with any other law enforcement or government agency that wants it,” said one pilot in an internet forum.

The new program is expected to cost $1.4 over the next ten years. At this rate, the total cost per flight for the LASP program is $44. According to the TSA, 85 per cent of the costs will fall on GA aircraft operators.

On projected costs, aviation author and 2008 flight instructor of the year Max Trescott had this to say on his blog:

That’s just the out of pocket cost. What about the decline in general aviation activity that’s likely to occur? When it does, the cost per flight is certain to rise. So while it might cost $44 now, it’s not inconceivable that 5 years from now it would cost a pilot $100 in TSA fees for the privilege of being searched before he or she flies a plane.

TSA is currently accepting written comments on the proposed amendment. The deadline for comments is February 27, 2009.

A commuter flight crashed into a house near Buffalo, NY killing all 49 aboard and one man in the home.

The flight was operated by regional carrier Colgan Airlines, a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines (NASDAQ: PNCL). The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, a 74-seat turboprop departed Newark, NJ for Buffalo at 9:20PM EST, one hour and 49 minutes late before it went down around 10:20PM EST.

“This is easily the saddest day in the history of our airline,” said Phillip Trenary, CEO of Pinnacle Airlines.

Audio recordings of communications between Colgan 3407 and air traffic control reveal nothing out of the ordinary. The pilots remain calm and at no point do they make any indication that there is a problem.

Listen to the audio transcripts here.

A Delta flight made reports of icing in the area, and the weather indicated light snow with temperatures at and below freezing at the time of the accident. Gusty winds were also reported. The Buffalo METAR report revealed:

KBUF 130354Z 24011KT 3SM -SN BR SCT011 OVC021 01/M01 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP103 P0002 T00061006
KBUF 130254Z 24015G22KT 3SM -SN BR FEW011 BKN021 OVC027 01/M01 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP097 P0001 60004 T00061006 51015

According to CNN, Thursday’s accident was the first fatal airline accident since Comair flight 5191 crashed departing the wrong runway in Lexington, KY.

A Northwest Airlink Saab 340B operated by Mesaba Airlines experienced an engine failure after takeoff from Pierre, South Dakota this morning. Mesaba flight 3038 lost power in one of its engines shortly after departure at 7:09 AM from Pierre, South Dakota. The flight was scheduled to arrive in Watertown, SD, then proceed on the Minneapolis, MN.

The flight returned to Pierre without incident just eleven minutes after departure.

Edit: New information from Mesaba pilots indicates that the aircraft received a warning indicating an overheated tail pipe in one of its engines, resulting in the diversion.

Below is a flight track of the incident provided by FlightAware.com

Flight Track of Mesaba 3038