It would be a “proof of concept” aircraft only. Cessna is working with aerospace technology firm Bye Energy to design and develop the electric propulsion system, now just for the Skyhawk.

“As we look at the landscape of alternative fuels for general aviation aircraft, the electric power plant offers significant benefits, but there are significant challenges to get there,” said Cessna Chairman, president and CEO Jack J. Pelton.  (Please, no jokes about long extension cords.)

“We believe Bye Energy has gotten off to a good start in understanding those challenges and how to overcome them,” added Pelton.

Cessna, headquartered in Wichita, Kans., has produced more than 43,000 Cessna 172 aircraft in its long history, making it one of the most popular general aviation aircraft of all time.

The aircraft now costs between $269,500 and $301,500, depending on avionics and other options, with a range of around 687 nautical miles.

Based in Englewood, Colo., Bye Energy has been working to develop clean energy systems for aircraft since 2008 and is also looking into biomass-based alternatives to conventional aviation fuels, Cessna said.

“We are honored to work with Cessna in accomplishing the proof of concept endeavor,” George Bye, CEO of Bye Energy Inc., said. “Cessna’s support of the electric and electric-hybrid program is vital to moving general aviation into the future.”

Fly In To Rosamond Dry Lake?

Edwards AFB and the FAA are coordinating the first ever civilian fly-in to the historic Rosamond Dry Lakebed ... but there’s a catch.

The event, to be held on Friday, Oct. 1, will be limited to 100 aircraft and the pilots will be selected by lottery. It will begin at 7 a.m.

“Those not selected to fly-in will be able to drive to the lakebed. Details are pending final approval (presumably by the Air Force), this is only a Ôheads up’ notice,” the FAA said.

The sponsor for what is in effect a safety seminar is the FAASafety Team -FAAST and attendance fulfills the requirements of the WINGS/AMT program called KEB 1.00.

For more details go to www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/event_details.aspx?eid=33617

Speaker(s): include Maj Gen David Eichhorn, AFFTC Commander; Col Dawn Dunlop, 412 Test Wing Commander, and Bill Koukourikos, AFFTC Flight Safety. At the time of this writing, there were 1,000 seats available but only 777 were left (in early August) for online registration.

The Rosamond Dry Lake Bed is located 12 miles west of Edwards’ main runway.

“We are currently planning a pancake Breakfast and lunch banquet on the lakebed,” an FAA spokesman said. “Although not yet confirmed, there may be military aircraft static displays and a slight possibility of a military aerial event.”

Organizers of the Red Bull Air Races have announced the cancellation of the 2011 series.

Two of the last three races in the 2010 series were cancelled abruptly earlier this summer. And the race suffered its first accident (a non-fatal involving Brazilian pilot Adilson Kindlemann during a race in Perth, Australia) and a near accident (Australian pilot Matt Hall in Windsor, Ontario).

Also, race pilot Alejandro “Alex” Maclean, 41, was killed last month practicing for an airshow in Spain unrelated to the races.

Race organizers were also known to be concerned about a number of planning and venue issues, a spokeswoman said. She conceded it was to allow for a “headquarters” restructure as well as the implementation of new safety measures.

FINAL RACE

Britain’s Paul Bonhomme won the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship by taking second place behind Austria’s Hannes Arch in the final race of the season at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany last month, his second championship in a row.

Australia’s Matt Hall got the third podium of his career with third place in the 50th race in the sport’s history while Germany’s Matthias Dolderer finished seventh to the delight of the big home crowd. A total of 118,000 spectators watched the racing over the weekend, Red Bull said.

Bonhomme, who also won the 2009 championship, finished the six-race season with 64 points and two victories, in Abu Dhabi and New York. Arch, the 2008 champion, ends the year with 60 points and four wins, in Perth, Rio, Windsor and Germany. Britain’s Nigel Lamb ended up third overall on 55 points.

Australia’s Matt Hall got the third podium of his career with third place in the 50th race in the sport’s history while Germany’s Matthias Dolderer finished seventh to the delight of the big home crowd. A total of 118,000 spectators watched the racing over the weekend, Red Bull said.

Arch stopped the clock through the 15-gate track set up in the infield of the EuroSpeedway Lausitz race track in 1:12.30 while Bonhomme took second in 1:12.66 and Hall was in 1:17.41- hurt by four seconds in penalties. Lamb was knocked out of the Final Four due to a flat tire suffered just before take-off.

Bonhomme is the first pilot to win back-to-back titles and joins American Mike Mangold as the only two-time champion in the eight-year race history.

SHUT DOWN

“Following 10 years of rapid growth, the organization had decided that it needed to make the tough decision to take a break for 2011 in order to implement the changes required with regard to the restructuring of the organization and, importantly, to develop the various commercial areas of the business,” said Red Bull spokeswoman Barbara Proske.

The Red Bull Air Race, established in 2003 and created by Red Bull, is a series of air races in which competitors have to navigate a challenging obstacle course in the fastest time. Pilots fly individually against the clock one at a time and have to complete tight turns through a slalom course consisting of pylons, known as “Air Gates.”

The races were held mainly over water near cities, but are also held at airfields or natural wonders. They are accompanied by a supporting program of show flights.

PILOT KILLED

Red Bull Air Race pilot Alejandro “Alex” Maclean, 41, died on Tuesday, August 17 near his home in Spain while practicing aerobatics for an upcoming air show. The former captain of the Spanish national aerobatic team, Maclean had been competing in the Red Bull Air Race series since 2003. Spanish regulatory authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. He is survived by his wife and two children, ages seven and 12.

“Definitely not one to suffer fools gladly, the articulate and considered pilot often made journalists work hard for their quotes but his level of introspection and self-awareness added a fascinating dimension to any interview,” a Red Bull spokesman said. “His colorful character was a welcome contrast to many of the more reserved pilots.”

Outside the Red Bull Air Race, Alex was a dedicated ambassador for flying and was recently named as the 2010 recipient of the prestigious Paul Tissandier Diploma for his contribution to sporting aviation. Fascinated by the idea of flight since childhood, he started flying ultralight aircraft before moving on to high performance aerobatic planes and was a celebrated competition pilot on the European stage before embarking upon the next chapter of his career with the Red Bull Air Race.

The group had a Russian An-2 they called “Boris” which was to ferry equipment and supplies to the site, from which the famed P-38 “Glacier Girl” was recovered. Based in Ovid, NY, they were going to build a base camp on the glacier and the An-2 was fitted with retractable skis, a first for that aircraft. The team included Ken McBride, Mike Domler, Mike Brown, Mark Bryers, Chris Alm, Ted Hellerud, and Raymond Beck. Stan Boyer was to fly the An-2 across the Davis Straight to Greenland then head back to the US.

They were headed for the “Lost Squadron” that  made an emergency landing on the Glacier in July of 1942. The An-2 would be used to ferry equipment and supplies back and forth from the base camp .

Up until last month, everything was going well, Beck reported. Numerous tests were made of the hydraulic skis as well as testing the load that the Antonov would have to carry.

However, when the time came for departure for Greenland, the An-2 developed a problem in one of the wheels, which poked down through the skies.

“Air in the compressor used for steering had depleted beyond the lower limit during the night and the plane was having problems turning,” Beck said. “Once completed, the chalks came out and Boris began to taxi to the end of the grass strip,” Beck wrote.

When they made the turn back into the windward direction of the runway the throttle was pushed forward without delay and the plane lumbered down the strip. Although loaded to near maximum capacity, the aircraft lifted off the runway without any complaint and slowly flew upward and into the distance.”

Those crewmembers who would come along later received a message from the plane that wasn’t good news.

“The plan was for Ken and Stan to fly to Massena, NY for fuel then make the leg that would take them into Canada. When they touched down they had no brakes and the tail wheel strut was low on pressure.

“The landing was safe and uneventful but they pulled the airplane off the runway to ensure it was clear for other pilots to use. Phone calls ensued, plans for Patty (King) to fly (one of the crewmen) to the airport with spare parts were made, and a replacement Pilot was found to take Stan’s place as he has other commitments which he can’t break that are now impossible to schedule with the delay.”

In the end, Beck said, “it was decided that we need to postpone the expedition for the time being and shoot for getting on the ice as early as possible next Spring.”

Assembly Bill 1140 passed the Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee by a vote of 6 to 1 Aug. 9. The bill would give flight schools 12 months to comply with the postsecondary act.

“The bill still faces significant legislative hurdles, however, and will need a fiscal analysis and could require another hearing from the Appropriations Committee or be sent directly to the California Senate floor for a vote,” AOPA said.

The act, which was intended to protect students from unscrupulous businesses practices of some private educational providers, went into effect Aug. 1. The act requires flight schools to pay multiple new administrative fees and open their books to regulators, the pilot’s group said.

AOPA had advised flight schools to file for a waiver from the act in advance of Aug. 1. Individual flight instructors, however, are not affected by the act and do not need to take any action, according to AOPA’s review of the law.

AOPA had worked to get a legislative fix before the Aug. 1 deadline, but the California legislature went into recess for the month of July. The issue has been one of the first priorities the lawmakers have addressed since returning to session.

“This committee vote is a step in the right direction, but we still face significant legislative hurdles,” said AOPA Director of State Government Affairs Mark Kimberling. “Given the immediate financial burden of these new fees on already ailing flight training operations, it is important that this legislation is passed prior to the close of this year’s session, and we will continue working to that end.”

The intent of the bill is to allow time for public hearings to be conducted to determine the impact of the law on flight schools and establish a permanent fix.

The bill requires that every pilot flying for a commercial airline must hold an ATP certificate, effectively increasing the minimum requirement from 250 flight hours to 1,500, effective three years after the bill is enacted. According to the website AvWeb, the bill also requires the FAA to implement NTSB recommendations related to training for Part 121 pilots, including stall and upset recovery training.

“The FAA must review research on fatigue and mandate new flight and duty time rules for pilots within a year,” AvWeb reported. “Also, the bill says the FAA must create a database with a comprehensive training record for every pilot and require airlines to offer remedial training to pilots if needed.”

Laura Brown, spokeswoman for the FAA, told AVweb her agency is currently reviewing the bill and has no comment yet on its implications.

Chris Dancy, AOPA spokesman, told AVweb the GA pilots who will be affected most by the bill are those who are in training for Part 121 careers.

“It will obviously mean more time as a flight instructor or a freight dog, or any of the other ways future airline pilots build time,” he said.

The safety measures have largely been driven by reaction to last year’s Colgan Air crash in Buffalo, the website reported. FAA funding will continue at present levels until Sept. 30, with no extra funding specified for NextGen.

The FAA has been operating on short-term funding for about three years. The Helicopter Association International said it appears likely that the Sept. 30 deadline will be reached without any agreement on a new long-term funding bill, and the process will have to start all over in the next session, the website said.

The EPA had suggested previously it was going to ban 100LL as environmentally unfriendly, mean that unless someone, somewhere came up with an unleaded replacement quick, we were all going to be grounded. However, AOPA, EAA, NBAA and other aviation groups jumped on the statement and made their own waves and EPA seems to have backed down.

“EPA has not established or proposed any date by which lead emissions from aircraft operating on leaded avgas would need to be reduced,” Oge wrote. “In fact EPA does not have authority to control aviation fuels.”

That, in itself, is a significant admission.

She told the General Aviation Avgas Coalition that EPA will work with the general aviation industry and the FAA as the government and the industry seek a safe, viable alternative to the current formulation for aviation gasoline, which uses a lead additive.

The commitment to work with industry came in a written response to several questions submitted to the agency by the avgas coalition.

In her letter, Oge noted that EPA s responsible for determining which chemical or physical properties of a fuel or fuel additive endangers the public health. However, only the FAA has the authority to regulate which fuels aircraft may burn.

Oge continued, “[H]ence, the EPA is coordinating closely with FAA as we evaluate emissions of lead from piston-engine aircraft.”

“We see EPA’s announcement as a positive step in finding a safe, viable alternative to 100LL,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA chairman/president. “It reaffirms there is no immediate threat to the availability of 100LL as we pursue a long-term solution to identify and transition to an unleaded fuel.”

Finally, the EPA assured the coalition that it recognizes the value of general aviation, and especially piston-powered general aviation, to the nation and the national economy.

“EPA recognizes the value of piston-engine general aviation throughout the United States and specifically in remote regions,” wrote Oge. “Any EPA action to require piston-engine aircraft to reduce emissions of lead in the future will involve a thorough public process of identifying options and will consider safety, economic impacts and other impacts.

“The EPA is committed to working with these stakeholders to keep piston-engine aircraft flying in an environmentally acceptable and safe manner throughout the United States.”

Let’s all let out a giant sigh of relief.

For years he had operated a restoration facility at Flabob Airport in Riverside, Calif. called Antique Aero, not only rebuilding engines and restoring antique aircraft but also building replicas for placing in front of the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurants, his friends said.

He took part in numerous Hollywood films and was close friends with flying icons Paul Mantz and Frank Tallman. He also rebuilt planes for the Champlin  Fighter Museum and the San Diego Air and Space Museum, among others.

His wife, Zona, who told friends that he had passed away at a rehabilitation center in Palm Springs. She said he had fallen and broken his hip, had surgery and was recovering.

When the staff went to turn him over, he stopped breathing, she said. There was no-resuscitate request.

He was also well known for flying into a window in the movie “The World According to Garp” with Robin Williams and for his exploits in the film “Catch 22.”

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, daughters Thea Appleby (Box) and husband Troy, Jean Gradishar both of Noble, Okla., Kim Majeske and husband Ron of Redlands, Calif., Colene Lee and husband Steve of Oxford, Kans., six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

The celebration of life will be held on at noon at the EAA building.

NBAA President Ed Bolen said the incident, in which the 172 they were flying was misidentified as a Cessna 150 stolen eight years ago, points to the need for review of the way the government gathers and shares information about aircraft. In this case, the N-number (N-50545) was cancelled on the 150 in 2005 and reassigned to the Cessna-owned 172 in 2009.

On the aircraft’s first flight, from the factory to company headquarters in Wichita in late 2009, the company pilot was met by police who had been alerted by the El Paso Intelligence Center, a multi-agency intelligence unit that specializes in gathering data on drug dealers and smugglers.

Martha King told the website AVweb that the chief of police, Camerino Sanchez, called her husband to apologize “clearly and profusely” for the aggressive manner in which they were detained.

“He said that the police don’t have any training for aircraft stops, and used the only procedure they knew - a Ôhot stop’ on a stolen vehicle,” she said. The Kings will be providing the department with ideas on how to develop training for officers to intercept aircraft properly.

John King also suggested the training could be developed into a national set of standard operating procedures for all police departments. Martha King said the conversation with the police chief was "very cordial."

AOPA reported that the FAA has removed the N-number from the list of stolen aircraft and the National Business Aviation Association is calling for further action that would likely have prevented Saturday's incident.

“We recognize that law enforcement officials need to have a reliable source of up-to-date aircraft information to prevent illegal activities,” Bolen said. “At the same time, we believe the government process for using the data appears woefully inadequate.

“This isn't the first time outdated information has resulted in a situation like the one involving the Kings, but we want it to be the last. We’re asking government leaders to look at this unfortunate event as an opportunity for industry and government to collaborate on a solution that will prevent similar incidents in the future.”

Assembly Bill 1889 would delay the controversial flight school regulations from the California Private Postsecondary Act of 2009 until July 1, 2011, to allow time for the legislature and aviation industry to review the issue and consider alternatives, AOPA said. The Senate had already adopted the bill, which now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“This is a major hurdle in resolving an issue that could have serious unintended consequences for the flight training industry,” said AOPA Vice President of State and Local Advocacy Greg Pecoraro. “AOPA will continue working to obtain a final positive resolution.”

The governor has not yet given an indication of whether he will sign the legislation; concerns in his administration over issues unrelated to flight training could affect whether he decides to sign the bill.

Throughout the process, AOPA said it has called on members in the districts of lawmakers on key committees to contact their assemblymen and senators in support of the bills, and AOPA members’ responses have played an important role in moving the bill forward. Pecoraro urges members “to stay tuned for Action Alerts from the association, but is not yet calling on members to contact the governor, as AOPA will first meet with his staff to discuss the bill.”

24 days of rain left plenty of water around.

Special to Pacific Flyer

Bringing together more than a half-million attendees and 10,000 aircraft is a daunting task even in the best of years.

Throw in unprecedented rains prior to that event, however, and the challenges heading into EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010 made it unlike any of the 57 previous EAA fly-ins held before it.

“This was the most challenging fly-in we’ve had in my 35 years as chairman of the event,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA’s chairman and president.
Wittman Regional Airport at Oshkosh, Wis., was hit by more than 10 inches of rain in the first 24 days of July. As the July 26 opening day approached, the conditions complicated aircraft and drive-in camper parking, as large areas of the grounds typically used for parking and camping were under water or too soft to allow any weight.

Two things came to the rescue in time to allow a week long attendance total of 535,000 at Oshkosh, as well as more than 2,300 showplanes and 750 exhibitors. First was a break in the weather, as the rains stopped for much of AirVenture’s seven-day run through August 1.

Second was a never-say-die attitude among EAA’s volunteers and the surrounding community that created the space needed to welcome aircraft and campers.

“Our volunteers and staff brought tangible meaning to words like volunteerism, attitude and passion,” Poberezny said. “In addition, the Oshkosh community and surrounding region came through as never before to make sure airplanes and campers were accommodated.”

At the beginning of the week, many airplanes began their Oshkosh experience at surrounding airports in Appleton, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc and other nearby airfields. Large camping units, meanwhile, were shipped to sizeable hard-surface areas throughout Oshkosh until Camp Scholler dried sufficiently to allow them to park without hazards.

By the second half of the week, all the efforts had paid off, as a series of spectacular programs and activities created new memories for attendees.

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Poberezny said. “And did we ever finish strong.”

DC-3’s diamond anniversary

A total of 40 DC-3s and C-47s descended on Oshkosh to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the venerable aircraft. Those airplanes came from throughout the U.S., as well as Canada and the United Kingdom, to be part of the commemoration.

More than 20 arrived in a mass formation on July 26 and parked in the warbird and vintage areas on the grounds, as well in the showcase AeroShell Square. Joining them were Clay Lacy’s rare DC-2, a DC-4 and a newly restored DC-7.

“For one week a year this is the Mecca of aviation,” said Mikey McBryan, who along with his dad, Joe, brought a DC-3 from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, that is featured in the popular Canadian TV series “Ice Pilots NWT.”

“Everybody is here and every airplane is here, and if you do a show about aviation and you don’t have Oshkosh in it, you’re missing a whole big deal,” he said.

The B-17 bomber also celebrated its 75th anniversary at Oshkosh, with four of the four-engine Boeing machines on the EAA grounds during the week. More details and photos in September's Pacific Flyer. (Brady Lane Photo)