Space Coast Aviator
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The SPACE COAST AVIATOR September 2021 Fly-out Eddie’s Diner September 11, 8:00am First Electric Airplane at Florida Tech Flight-testing began in August Thanks to a grant from the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust, Florida Tech is the first American university to own and fly an electric airplane. The airplane produced in Slovenia, is a Pipistrel Velis Electro a two-seat tricycle gear LSA trainer. It is the first electric-powered airplane certified in Europe by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The FAA has awarded Florida Tech $85,000 to fly the aircraft under a regimented test program for eventual U.S. certification. Former Florida Tech, associate dean of aviation, Isaac Silver, is part of the program and flew the aircraft on its first flight for 22 minutes. It used about one-third of its battery capacity. Operating cost about $1.03. The FAA has restricted the lithium battery powered aircraft to the traffic pattern. Cross-country flight will occur during the program as data is collected. The FAA will study data from the first 50 flight hours toward U.S. certification. Dr. Silver said that while electric powered airplanes are in the future the lithium battery is a potential issue and receive close study as the test program proceeds. ✈ Embraer gets $97.2 Million EXIM Loan Working Capital Loan On August 3, 2021, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) announced Embraer Executive Aircraft of Melbourne would receive a $97.2M two-year revolving working capital loan from EXIM to support export business jets produced at Melbourne, FL. The loan guarantee will support about $211.4M in export sales and an estimated 800 U.S. jobs. The loan is part of EXIM’s COVID-19 economic recovery measure to support U.S. businesses and American jobs during the global pandemic and met approval in July 2020. The guaranteed lender is Apple Bank for Savings in New York, NY. The financing arranged and serviced by AirFinance Leasing, LLC, in Virginia Beach, VA, which is an EXIM Qualified Advisor that has originated and serviced numerous EXIM-backed asset financings over the past decade. The loan will support not only the 800 jobs in Florida but also related supply chain jobs located throughout the U.S. EXIM Acting President and Chairman James Burrows said, “…The pandemic has affected the liquidity of commercial lenders and their ability to make new loans, which has, in turn, hit the aircraft and aviation industries particularly hard. EXIM’s support enables these loan facilities to continue to support America’s aerospace manufacturers and the jobs that their exports create and sustain.” The Embraer manufacturing, sales and servicing facility at Melbourne has approximately 1,100 U.S. employees. Production at Melbourne consists of the Phenom 100EV, the Phenom 300E, Praetor 500, and Praetor 600. Its fleet exceeds 1,400 aircraft in more than 70 countries. ✈ EXIM/kmlb.gov exim.gov Aviation Weather How to Make the Best Use of Weather Information Today’s pilots enjoy an abundance of weather information sources, but having weather information available is only part of the weather decision-making equation. Knowing how to acquire, interpret, and make operational decisions based on weather information is essential to safe flying. See the FAA latest FlySafe fact sheet at https://bit.ly/3fFaORY to learn how to make better-informed weather decisions. Check this informative Phil Dixon video, “57 Seconds to Safer Flying” on Use of Weather Information. More and more pilots are using self-briefing, make sure you review AIRMETS and SIGMETS something easily overlooked or forgotten. ✈ International Travel Requires proof of negative COVID-19 test result The CDC has reissued the COVID-19 testing Order that requires ALL passengers entering the U.S. by air to have been tested for COVID-19 no more than 3 days before you travel by air into the U.S. This order applies to all: general aviation private personal flights, Part 135 charter flights and Part 125 flights. You must show your negative result to the airline/operator before you board your flight, or be prepared to show documentation of recovery. E.g., proof of a recent positive viral test and a letter from your healthcare provider or public health official stating that you were cleared to travel. Further, the Bahamas have strict travel and entry protocols in place. It would be prudent to review their entry protocols before you go. View the CDC order here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html View the Bahamas travel COVID protocols here: https://travel.gov.bs/ KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! ✈ Cross Country Electric Air Race Planned Winner receives the Pulitzer Trophy The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) has announced it plans to hold a cross-country air race for electric piloted aircraft. The Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Air Race will be a rebirth of the Pulitzer air races that began in 1920 by publisher Ralph Pulitzer. The near 1,000nm cross-country scheduled for May 16-19, 2022, will begin in Eppley Airfield (KOMA) Omaha, NE and end at Dare County Regional airport (KMQI) Manteo, NC near Kitty Hawk with the winner to receive the Pulitzer Trophy. The Pulitzer air races that began in 1920 were initially cross-country from randomly selected locations and ended in Cleveland, OH for the Cleveland National Air Races. Eventually they became the National Air Races and went from cross-country to pylon races. Now decades later held in Reno, NV. This challenging 1,000-mile race will be limited to 25 contestants, open to any piloted aircraft using “zero-emission electric propulsion” including fixed-wing, helicopters and multi-rotor urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles. According to NAA, “The cross-country format, rather than a closed-circuit speed event, was selected to emphasize electric aircraft range and reliability, in addition to speed, in a realistic operating environment. A cross-country race will require careful logistical planning from the race teams and highlight different electric propulsion technology choices and operational strategies such as rapid battery charging, whole battery changes, and solar power augmentation to extend range.” It will be in day VFR conditions only. Contestants will be required to carry and operate a GPS flight data recorder during the race. A self-contained GPS flight data recorder will be provided for each contestant aircraft. The GPS data recorder must be operated continuously beginning 5 minutes before each takeoff through landing rollout until clear of the runway. The winner determined by “the fastest speed calculated from the cumulative flight time, not including time on the ground for maintenance, charging, or overnight stays.” This next year 2022, this event will likely be a manufactures race. There must be over two dozen companies in the process of research and development in electric manned air vehicles. The Pulitzer Trophy winner should reap huge rewards in recognition and sales. ✈ https://naa.aero/ 2 Aviation History for September The Unfriendly Skies Due to the clandestine nature of intelligence gathering over flights, it is sometimes difficult to establish accurate details or dates of information released decades later. Details are the best guess between the most likely sources. Dick Peiffer Sept. 1, 1983. Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 Flight KAL007, enroute from Anchorage to Seoul, South Korea entered Soviet airspace over the Kamchatka peninsula. Two Su-15s scrambled to attempt an interception. After finding the 747 over Sakhalin Island, the Su-15s fired two K-9 missiles. At least one struck the Boeing. All 269 SOB died. A USAF RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft had been in the area earlier monitoring Soviet missile testing off the peninsula. Sept. 2, 1958. Four Soviet MiG-17s shot down a USAF C-130A that entered Soviet Armenia airspace. The C-130 was a Sun Valley SIGINT aircraft. The remains of four airmen were returned to the US on September 24, 1958. The remains of the others were recovered in 1998. Sept. 3, 1978. An Air Rhodesia Viscount flight 825 on a flight from Kariba to Salisbury was shot down shortly after takeoff by a SA-7 Grail surface-to-air missile fired by Zimbabwe Peoples Revolution Army (ZIPRA) guerrillas. Of the 56 people on board, 38 died in the crash and guerrillas killed ten more that survived the crash. Sept. 4, 1954. Two Soviet MiG-15s attacked a US Navy P2V-5, from NAS Atsugi Japan 40 miles off the coast of Siberia. The aircraft ditched and one crewmen, was lost. A USAF SA-16 Albatross rescued the other crewmembers. Sept. 4, 1962. Cuban Air Force instructor Jose Diaz Vasquez, flying a Zlin 326 Master-Trainer, defected to NAS Key West. His trainee, Edel Ramirez Santos asked to return home. Sept. 6, 1976. Victor Belenko, a Soviet pilot, flying a MiG-25, defected and landed at Hakodate Japan. After examination by Japanese and the US, the aircraft was shipped back to the Soviet Union on a freighter on November 12. Belenko was given asylum in the United States. Sept. 10, 1956. A USAF RB-50G was lost over the Sea of Japan. The crew of 16, presumed killed. No evidence of shoot down. It is suspected that the aircraft was lost due to Typhoon Emma, a powerful storm, which was in the area. Sept. 10, 1958. The People's Republic of China complained that a US Navy P5M-1 and a USAF U-2 had violated Chinese airspace. Sept. 11, 1965. An SA-2 missile damaged a USAF RB-57F, operated by Pakistan Air Force over India while it was beginning its descent towards Peshawar Ambala. The missile exploded near the RB-57F, causing damage, but the aircraft was able to make a successful landing at Peshawar.