MAGAZINEMAGAZINEMMMIIIDDDOCTWWWOBER/NOVEMBEREEESSS 2007TTT FFFLLLYYYEEERRR Published For & By The Midwest Aviation Community Since 1978 midwestflyer.com 2 VOL. 29, NO. 6 CONTENTS ISSN:0194-5068 MAGAZINEMIDOOCTOBER/NOVEMBERWCTOBER/NOVEMBERES 2007T FLYER ON THE COVER: Michael Kukulski of Grayslake, Illinois, is taxiing his RV-4 in for the EAA Chapter 1389 Fly-In Breakfast held July 8 at Middleton Municipal Airport-Morey Field (C29), Middleton, Wis. Photo by Geoff Sobering COLUMNS Published For & By The Midwest Aviation Community Since 1978 AOPA Great Lakes Regional Report - by Bill Blake .......................................................................42 midwestflyer.com Aviation Law - by Greg Reigel........................................................................................................22 Dialogue - by Dave Weiman.............................................................................................................4 SECTIONS Guest Editorial - by Phil Boyer .........................................................................................................7 Aircraft . .28 High On Health - by Dr. John Beasley ...........................................................................................48 Airports . .44 Light Sport Aircraft - by Ed Leineweber..........................................................................................54 Awards & Recognition . .47 Minnesota Aeronautics Bulletin - by Gary Workman & Dan McDowell..........................................40 Calendar . .49 Wisconsin Aeronautics Report - by Jeff Taylor...............................................................................36 Classifieds . .60 EAA AirVenture-Oshkosh 2007 . HEADLINES . .10-20, 24-27 & 57-59 Aviation Community Urges Naming of New Administrator Without Delay........................................9 Education . .45 Ohio Pilot Makes Safe Landing On Highway Enroute To OSH......................................................19 Fly-Ins & Air Shows . .37 & 62 Legislative Affairs . .42 FEATURES Minnesota Aviation Industry News . .33-35 Bizjets, Biofuel & Batteries – EAA AirVenture-Oshkosh 2007 - by Jim LaMalfa ..............10 New Products . .18 The Twin County Air Force - by James LaMalfa ......................................17 People In The News . .53 Flamingo Watching At EAA Is Sport Aviation - by Karen Workman ...................... .24 Safety . .21 Cessna’s Light Sport Aircraft “SkyCatcher” Unveiled At EAA AirVenture - by Tom Thomas .....28 Upcoming Events . ..21 Commercial Growth At Osceola, Wisconsin Airport - by Chelsea Lindemann .............. .37 Very Light Jets . .43 Lost In Time! A Search For World War II MIAs . .50 WATA Difference . .32 CHICAGO ® www.chicagopiper.com www.dmfs.com Single-Engine Turbine Power For Optimum Cost Efficiency Authorized Factory Sales & Service • Strong, Smooth, All-Metal Fuselage • Maximum Cruise: 360 knots For Additional Information Call • Maximum Range: 1300 nm Chicago (630) 466-9258 Des Moines (515) 256-5300 Omaha (402) 753-0742 CALL TO RESERVE YOUR POSITION NOW! • Full-Fuel Payload: 800 lbs. • Certified For Altitudes Above Weather • Six-Seats With Optional Seventh • FADEC Engine & FIKI Approved OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2007 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE 3 Blakey Finally Admits That Airline Delays Are Result of Scheduling Practices, Not Air Traffic… Not GA! Too Little, Too Late? by Dave Weiman FAA Administrator Marion Blakey with EAA President Tom Poberezny at the “Meet The Weiman Boss” forum, July 26, during EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wis. Dave ith FAA Administrator Administration to make the appoint- have had some effect on the summer Marion Blakey closing her ment permanent, yet another strictly travel season, I guess they are better WFAA political or controversial appointment late than never,” said Costello. “As office door for the may not go well with the anti-Bush she also noted, the FAA has all the last time on Congress. authority it needs to take action in September 13, after Jaws dropped during Blakey’s regard to scheduling and delays, as it completing her farewell speech on September 11 to has done in the past. I have been five-year contract, an industry group in Washington, making similar points all year.” many of us are ask- D.C., when she blamed airline delays Examining what the airlines are ing, just who will on scheduling practices, not on air doing to address delays, and why the the Bush traffic control, and not on general avi- FAA has failed to step in to address Administration Dave Weiman ation, which accounts for a small per- the scheduling issue, was a major get to replace her? centage of the traffic affecting the focus of the House Aviation ue Deputy Administrator Bobby hubs. She even hinted that if the air- Subcommittee hearing held g Sturgell becomes the acting admin- lines don’t shape up, government September 26. istrator until a new FAA chief is intervention is a real possibility. (See So why has Blakey waited until appointed and confirmed by the guest editorial by AOPA President now to tell the truth? Also,why didn’t dialo Senate. Sturgell is a former military Phil Boyer, on page 7.) the FAA remain neutral on the fund- and airline pilot, so he knows some- Blakey’s comments also got the ing issue, rather than show favoritism thing about aviation and how the sys- attention of Illinois Democrat, towards the airline industry? tem works. And according to AOPA, Congressman Jerry Costello, As recently as the “Meet the Boss” he was a key player in helping to Chairman of the House Aviation forum, July 26, during EAA push through the latest improvements Subcommittee: AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., Blakey to the Washington, D.C., Air Defense “While I wish Administrator stood there before hundreds of us Identification Zone. But he is proba- Blakey would have made these pilots with her staff of FAA officials, bly overly qualified for the Bush remarks in January, when they might saying that we should support FAA’s 4 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2007 ill-conceived and unjust proposal to fund the ATC modernization program, “NextGen,” completely ignoring facts and fairness. Thankfully, EAA President Tom Poberezny who emceed the forum, held his (our) ground, as did a num- ber of GA pilots who made statements and asked questions. Regardless of the politics involved in trying to protect the mismanaged airline industry, by not acting honestly and in the best interest of the aviation community and the public as a whole, Blakey let us all down. Her proposal to increase user fees on general aviation to help pay for an ATC system which Weiman she claimed was needed to relieve con- Dave Pilots at the FAA “Meet The Boss” forum at EAA AirVenture tried to convince FAA Administrator gestion and airline delays, while at the Marion Blakey that an aviation fuel tax would be the fairest and most cost-effective means to same time trying to reduce airline fees, fund “NextGen,” but the Administrator was defending her proposal to create a bureaucracy to collect user fees for ATC services. would result in decreasing overall rev- Elliott1Oct05ADSenues, not increasing 9/25/07 them. 3:25 PM Page 1 We wish Marion Blakey well in Administrator in reaching our com- business aircraft, helicopters, her new position as President and mon objectives in a cost-effective and unmanned aerial vehicles, space sys- CEO of the Aerospace Industries fair manner. tems, aircraft engines, material, and Association (AIA)*, and look forward * AIA represents manufacturers related components, equipment serv- to working with the new and suppliers of civil, military, and ices, and information technology. 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While they continue to pull out all the stops to get the Phil Boyer The presidents of EAA, NBAA, GAMA and AOPA held a forum, July 25, during EAA AirVenture, on U.S. Congress to approve user fees on the topic of FAA’s proposed “user fees.” (L/R) Tom Poberezny, Experimental Aircraft Association general aviation, even outgoing FAA (EAA); Ed Bolen, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA); Peter Bunce, General Aviation Administrator Marion Blakey thought Manufacturers Association (GAMA): and Phil Boyer, Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA). it was important to take a parting shot take action if the airlines didn’t do so fodder for late night monologues,” at their poor business practices. on their own. Blakey said. “And if the airlines don’t About halfway through the speech “The airlines need to take a step address this voluntarily, don’t be sur- to an industry group in Washington, back on scheduling practices that are prised when the government steps