Flight Training Fatalities Cut In Half
Flight training fatalities have been cut in half in the last 20 years according to stats compiled by AOPA and the Liberty University School of Aeronautics. The study found 287 fatal flight-training accidents from 2000 to 2019 in piston singles and light twins with six seats or less and engines no bigger than 500 horsepower. Loss of control, mostly stall/spin accidents, made up most of the total while midair collisions came in second. Controlled flight into terrain accounted for most of the rest. “The good news is that flight training is getting safer,” said Liberty SOA Director of Safety Professor Andrew Walton.
UND Finds 128 Damaged Cylinders After Unleaded Trial
The University Of North Dakota found 128 cylinders in its Piper Archer fleet exhibiting valve seat recession after about four months of using unleaded fuel in them. The school switched to Swift Fuels 94UL last summer but went back to 100LL at the end of October when problems started showing up. A thorough examination of the 76 Archers, 14 Seminoles and five Robinson R44 helicopters resulted in the final figure. The study, done by Dean Robert Kraus and Director of Maintenance Dan Kasowski, did not determine a cause for the damage. “We are continuing work with Lycoming and Swift Fuels to identify the specific causes of damage experienced here,” Kraus said.
California FBOs Told To Start Selling G100UL
The Center for Environmental Health in California has warned FBOs in the state that they’ll have to start selling G100UL unleaded avgas as soon as it becomes “commercially available” possibly in the first half of 2024. The FBOs signed on to a consent agreement in 2014 to settle a lawsuit launched by the environmental group three years earlier. The effect of the consent agreement is a matter of some legal debate. General Aviation Modifications Inc., which developed the fuel, says the document compels the FBOs to stop selling 100LL while CEH says FBOs can keep selling the leaded gas as long as they also sell G100UL or any other lead-free 100-octane fuel that comes along. GAMI has signed a licensing agreement with Vitol Aviation, which is gearing up to produce commercial quantities of G100UL.
Van’s Customer Support Strong
Van’s Aircraft plans to be in business this summer and beyond as its plan to emerge from bankruptcy gains customer support. The company said in late February that it is planning to have its normal exhibit at AirVenture 2024 but was skipping Sun ’n Fun and Aero Friedrichshafen. About 80 percent of customers who held deposits on airplane kits, engines, propellers, and avionics agreed to let those deposits stand and pay up to 30 percent higher prices for their orders. The company had set 70 percent deposit retention as a baseline for being able to continue the business and cut off the process for accepting the new terms in late February.
Flight Training Study Funded
The FAA has given Embry-Riddle a $1 million grant to study new training methods that build both judgment and motor skills, both of which are needed to fly an aircraft. “This work aims to bring pilot training and operational performance to a new level,” said ERAU Associate Professor Dr. Barbara Holder. All pilots are taught the basic manual skills of flying an airplane and those are relatively simple to grade. The more esoteric requirements for staying ahead of the airplane are tougher to measure. “The FAA wants airline operators to ensure that pilots are equally proficient in technical flying skills, such as hand-flying and autopilot operations, and non-technical skills,” said Holder.
NOTAMs
The FAA has finalized new curriculum for accelerated ATC training … Finnair is asking passengers to weigh in before flight … Signature Flight Support says its network of FBOs will join the fight against human trafficking … Piper introduced the new M700 Fury, its fastest turboprop … The FAA’s 46th annual general aviation survey is under way … U.S.’s first ace in 50 years shot down seven drones over the Red Sea … Air Force plans to have autonomous KC-135s … Find breaking news in general aviation at AVweb.com.
