Feed THIS To The Conspiracy Theorists

What in the world (or otherwise) hit Night Ship 282, a Cessna 208B Cargomaster (file photo of type, below) flying over southern Alabama? In a report some observers say is unprecedented, the NTSB admits the aircraft collided with something. But no one who's investigated the case seems to know just what.

Full Underwriter Support

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), which has directly supported and promoted the upcoming sport pilot/light-sport aircraft rule as the biggest growth opportunity for general aviation in perhaps a half-century, today announced that the EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan is ready to serve both sport pilots and owners of light-sport aircraft.

Officials associated with various iterations of the struggling OMF Aircraft operation have told ANN that an answer to their financial problems and corporate may finally be at hand. After the bankruptcy of the German parent operation and associated issues with the Canadian manufacturing arm announced just last year, virtually all operations, including the development of a diesel powered two seater and a four-place version of the OMF Symphony have come to a halt. Progress is being made, though. The assets of OMF GmbH, the German parent company, have been sold to another German company known as SMW that is apparently looking for a toehold in the aviation and aerospace market.

Pacific AeroSport, LLC, at Arlington, Washington, has rolled out the first kit-built example of the Twister single seat aircraft. The Twister, designed by Silence Aircraft of Verl, Germany, and built by DG Flugzeugbau of Bruchsal, Germany, is to be sold in the USA and Canada in fast-build kit form by Pacific AeroSport, LLC. It is equipped with a BRS 1050 ballistic parachute recovery system, attached to a cockpit "safety cell" using technology borrowed from the Formula 1 racing world. The Twister's Jabiru 2200 engine, coupled with electrically retractable landing gear, will provide a 146-mile per hour cruise, with a very low fuel burn of only 3 gallons per hour.

One Child Hurt In Apparent Prop Strike

A Piper Arrow crash-landed on a busy California interstate during rush hour Tuesday, coming to rest and burning in the highway median before emergency workers arrived. Although the pilot and his teenaged son walked away from the incident, one girl was in serious condition with severe injuries to her leg.

This Time: $383 Million In The Red

Here come those tears again -- the tears investors in Delta Airlines have now shed for the past 13 straight quarters. Delta lost money again during the first quarter of 2004 -- $383 million -- and warned this can't go on much longer.

AOPA Telling Stories

With only a week left in the public comment period for the FAA's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to change the charity/sightseeing rules, AOPA has released a video making a strong case against the proposal and demonstrating the need for the agency to talk directly to pilots.

Straight From DoD

(We got this email from the government Tuesday --ed.) The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  They died April 11 in Baghdad, Iraq when their helicopter was shot down.  Both soldiers were assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Yup, These Guys Are All Wet...

The aviation world's fascination with amphibious aircraft knows no bounds... so it's always news when a cool new amphib shows up. The first amphibian to be designed especially to comply with the FAA's new Light Sport Aircraft rules has debuted this week. Designed and produced by CZECH AIRCRAFT WORKS (CZAW), the Lake Sport Amphibian is also the first new certified single-engine amphibian to reach production in decades.

New Grip Features Four-Way Coolie-Hat Style Switch For Two-Axis Trim

The Ray Allen Company, a California vendor who specializes on trim systems and control stick hardware for aircraft, has introduced a new stick grip with an enhanced trim control four-way switch at S-N-F 2004. The new stick grip, model G307, has four trim switches incorporated into a coolie hat switch, a faceplate slotted vertically and horizontally for two-axis trim, a PTT switch and two additional SPDT momentary contact pushbutton switches for functions such as auto pilot disconnect and transponder remote IDENT. The pushbutton switches can also be replaced with four different style toggle switches.

First Turbojet Ratings Issued by Embry-Riddle

Thomas J. Aude and Wade Wallace, graduates of the groundbreaking Commercial Airline Pilot Training (CAPT) Program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach (FL) have become the first graduates of the program to earn their Boeing MD-90 EFD captain's type rating.

Aircraft Specialty Lubricants is showing off its CamGuard product at S-N-F 2004, and in particular the results of its independent testing that appear to show significant advantages to using the product vs. its competitors. CamGuard is a supplemental lubricant additive product for infrequently used piston engine motor oils, including piston aircraft, passenger vehicle, marine and heavy duty diesel oils on aircraft, marine, motorcycles, emergency equipment, backup generators, classic and antique vehicles, agricultural and all seasonal equipment. The product is currently limited to use in experimental aircraft only, but FAA approval testing is ongoing and certification is expected sometime in the fall season.

NOTAM: 4/3076  Issued: 04/13/2004 12:57  Effective: 04/15/2004 16:00 - 04/18/2004 22:00  State: MS  Facility: ZME - MEMPHIS (ARTCC),TN.  Type: AIR SHOWS/SPORTS  Description: NAS MERIDIAN, MS. 

Marines Battle Iraqis And The Heat To Keep Their Aircraft Flying In Iraq

The weary Marine slowly lowered himself into his chair off to the side of the flightline in the hot, Iraqi sun. Cpl. Robert T. Smith, aviation ordnance technician, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, from Marine Corps Air Station New River (NC) has been up and about re-arming, checking and re-checking weapons systems on UH-1N Hueys and AH-1W Cobras every time his squadron's pilots get tagged with a mission at its headquarters on the Al Taqaddum Air Base.

NOTAM:  4/3124  Issued:  04/14/2004 14:30  Effective:  04/15/2004 15:55 - 04/15/2004 18:45  State:  IA  Facility:  ZMP - MINNEAPOLIS (ARTCC),MN.  Type:  VIP  Description:  DES MOINES, IOWA, APRIL 15, 2004 LOCAL.  

Web Hits Break 1.5 million mark, Bids Exceed $200,000

DFW Airport is entering the final week of the Airport's largest-ever all-Internet auction, and the Airport's numbers -- from web hits to bidders and their bids -- are well ahead of expectations.

Tampa Subsidiary Will Do Heavy Lifting

Lockheed Martin has signed a contract valued at more than US$73 million (C$95 million), with options, to provide three KC-130J Weapon Systems Trainers (WSTs) to the US Marine Corps. Design, manufacture, and integration of the KC-130J WSTs has been subcontracted to CAE USA in Tampa (FL) on a contract valued at approximately US$34 million (C$44 million).

AD NUMBER: 2004-07-22 MANUFACTURER: Boeing (Correction) SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2004-07-22 SUMMARY: This amendment supersedes two existing airworthiness directives (ADs), applicable to all Boeing Model 747 series airplanes, that currently require that the FAA-approved maintenance inspection program be revised to include inspections that will give no less than the required damage tolerance rating for each structural significant item, and repair of cracked structure. Those ADs were prompted by a structural re-evaluation that identified additional structural elements where, if damage were to occur, supplemental inspections may be required for timely detection of fatigue cracking. This amendment requires additiona

AD NUMBER: 2004-08-01 MANUFACTURER: Fokker SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2004-08-01 SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Fokker Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 series airplanes, that requires a magnetic inspection of the sliding members of the main landing gear (MLG) for cracking, and replacement of the sliding members with serviceable parts, if necessary. This action is necessary to prevent fatigue cracking of the sliding member, which could result in possible separation of the MLG from the airplane and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane upon landing and possible injury to passengers. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.