IDWEST FLYER M AGAZINE JUNE/JULY 2010 Published For & By The Midwest Aviation Community Since 1978 midwestflyer.com JUST A REMINDER... You can buy your tickets online now and save time and money. Go to www.airventure.org/tickets and get to the fun faster…and cheaper. SEE YOU THERE! JULY 2 6 – AUGUST 1 AV10Remind_MidwestFlyer_7.25x9.875.indd 1 3/10/10 11:42 AM H ONDAJET MIDWEST THE JET. REDEFINED. ENGINEER E D FOR PE RFORMANCE . DESIGNE D FOR DESIRE . BUILT FOR PE RFE CTION. EXPERIE NCE HONDAJE T. INTE RNATIONAL AIRP ORT, D E S MOINE S , IOW A 50321 877.686.0028 • HONDAJETMIDWEST.COM © 2008 Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. MidwestHondaJet_Feb09.indd 1 1/12/09 5:07:52 PM Vol. 32. No. 4 ContentsContents ISSN: 0194-5068 ON THE COVER: An American Champion Aircraft 160 hp, aerobatic-certified 7GCAA Citabria “Adventure.” Complete story on this model, and the other five models built by the American family-owned and operated aircraft manufacturer, beginning on page 29. IDWEST FLYER Photo by Mike Fizer, AOPA M AGAZINE JUNE/JULY 2010 COLUMNS AOPA Great Lakes Regional Report - by Bill Blake They Might Be Better Off Leaving Well-Enough Alone! ............................................14 Aviation Law - by Greg Reigel FAA Clarifies New DUI Policy For AMEs ..................................................................28 Dialogue - by Dave Weiman Television Station Story Criticizes Money Spent On GA Airports ............................. 5 Published For & By The Midwest Aviation Community Since 1978 Minnesota Aeronautics Bulletin - by Christopher Roy midwestflyer.com It’s So Sweet! ............................................................................................................48 Wisconsin Aeronautics Report - by Jeffery Taylor Stabilized Approaches ..............................................................................................46 SECTIONS Airports ............................................25 Calendar ..........................................56 FEATURES Classifieds .......................................60 Good Report Card Led To Career For Former Cessna CEO… Destinations .....................................62 Russell W. Meyer Addresses Illinois Aviation Conference - by Jim Bildilli ...............21 Fly-Ins & Air Shows .........................35 The “Champ” Continues To Fly The American Way! - by Dave Weiman ......................29 Let’s Fly & Dine Sun 'n Fun – Spring Break For Pilots! - by Dave Weiman .............................................35 “Pilot Pete’s” Organs To Airplanes: The Remarkable Story of Wicks Aircraft Supply - At Schaumburg, Illinois ...............25 by Ed Leineweber .....................................................................................................41 Letters ..............................................13 Madden’s, Site of 2010 Minnesota Seaplane Pilots Association Fly-In - Manufacturing ..................................62 by Dave Weiman .......................................................................................................44 Midwest Seaplane Pilot News .........44 Minnesota Aeronautics Bulletin .......48 Minnesota Aviation Industry News ..52 HEADLINES Sun 'n Fun Gets $7.5 Million Grant For New Academy Building ...................................37 New Products From Minnesota .......49 FAA Administrator Wants GA To Upgrade For NextGen ..............................................37 Products & Services ........................41 State Aviation Conferences Cessna’s Jack Pelton Is Pro Environment.....................................................................38 Minnesota ...................................16 Minnesota WASP, One of Five Honored At Sun 'n Fun ................................................39 Iowa.............................................17 Red Bull Helicopter Steals Show At Sun ‘n Fun ............................................................39 Wisconsin ....................................18 AOPA’s Craig Fuller Challenges All Pilots To Get Engaged In Aviation .......................40 Illinois ..........................................21 CEO Delivers First PiperSport LSA ...............................................................................40 WATA Difference .............................50 Cirrus Closer To Shedding Debt ....................................................................................53 Wisconsin Aeronautics Report ........46 GO TO www.MidwestFlyer.com for special announcements • Sport Pilot Rule Changes Finally Take Effect! • Canada’s Ruling On Requiring 406-MHz Emergency Locator Transmitters •General Aviation Industry Prepares For An Unleaded Future 4 JUNE/JULY 2010 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE Dialogue Television Promo Reads: “Barely Used Minnesota Airports Getting Millions In Tax Dollars To Expand” by Dave Weiman reporter asked a lot of questions like: 1. Why would Blue Earth build an $8 million runway? im Hanson, airport manager 2. Why is Faribault spending $3 million on a ramp? and fixed base operator in 3. Every one of these small towns has an airport… Are Albert Lea, Minnesota, tipped they really necessary? Jus off that Minneapolis-based KSTP 4. How much money is the local community putting into Television Channel 5 was planning to the project? air a television story on May 13, 2010, 5. In the case of Albert Lea, what made you do the criticizing government spending on project now? Was it the stimulus money? general aviation airports. 6. Why doesn’t Albert Lea and Austin combine and have This was the station’s third negative story aired in less one airport? Why isn’t Owatonna and Faribault doing the than a year slamming GA (see www.midwestflyer.com, same? “Previous Issues,” December 2009/January 2010). We 7. We’ve been filming at airports all day, and this is the in turn alerted state and national aviation organizations only place we've even seen an airplane fly. Is business that and the word spread quickly, allowing us enough time to bad? Where are all of the airplanes that we’re spending contact the station, but not enough time to change the story. money on? Our calls to KSTP were not returned. Hanson told the reporter: “I can’t speak for Blue Apparently as a result of a call received from a Earth, but for Albert Lea, the time has simply come when disgruntled airport employee, KSTP sent a reporter and repairing our existing airport was no longer economical. cameraman around the state of Minnesota to film and “We got 12-15 more years out of our airport than any document general aviation airport projects. Hanson said: other local airport built at the same time. The runway could “I’ve been to this dance before, and noted the tenor of the no longer be overlaid; the lights were substandard. There questioning, (and) I don’t believe it was friendly.” The were obstacles off the end. We are finally completing the JUNE/JULY 2010 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE 5 Index To Advertisers JUNE/JULYMIDWEST 2010 FLYERMAGAZINE Serving The Midwest Aviation Community Since 1978 Academy College .................................. 5 & 52 Midwest Aircraft Appraisal ............................60 Aero Fabricators ...........................................55 Midwest Flyer Magazine .......... 50, 52, 54 & 60 EDITOR/PUBLISHER Aero Insurance, Inc. ............................ 26 & 50 Miminiska Lodge .................................. 59 & 60 Dave Weiman Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) . 15 Minnesota Aviation Trades Ass’n ..................52 Aircraft Propeller Service, Inc. ......................30 Minn. DOT Office of Aeronautics ..................48 PRODUCTION DIRECTOR AircraftInsurance.com ...................................60 Peggy Weiman Minnesota Petroleum Services .....................45 airpac.com ....................................................37 Minnesota State University-Mankato ............ 8 PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS ARMA Research, Inc. ...................................60 Morey Airplane Company .............................60 Jenifer Weiman ASI Jet Center ..............................................13 NationAir Aviation Insurance ............... 50 & 52 Stacy Wilk Aspen Avionics .............................................64 National Air Transportation Ass’n ..................50 PHOTO JOURNALISTS Avfuel Corporation ..................... 8, 28, 52 & 61 NewView Technologies, Inc. ................ 33 & 50 Don Winkler B2W/Win Air .................................................52 North Star Aviation ................................. 8 & 52 Geoff Sobering Bartelt Enterprises, Inc. ................................26 OMNNI Associates .......................................51 Basler Turbo Conversions, LLC ....................50 Orr, Minn. Regional Airport (Hangar Sites) ......60 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Randy Arneson Dan McDowell Beaver Aviation, Inc. ............................ 29 & 50 Pat O’Malley’s "Jet Room" Restaurant .........36 Dr. John Beasley Richard Morey Becher Hoppe ...............................................20 Phillips 66 .............. 18, 21, 34, 35, 37, 43 & 53 Jim Bildilli Greg Reigel Best Oil Company .........................................34 Pine Grove Resort ........................................29 Bill Blake Christopher Roy Blackhawk Technical College .......................27 Piper Aircraft, Inc. ................................ 61 & 64 Rick Braunig Pete Schoeninger Bolduc Aviation Specialized Serv. .... 9, 50 & 52 Price County Airport (Phillips, Wis.) ..............56 Robbie Culver Geoff Sobering Bolton & Menk, Inc. ......................................16 Racine Commercial Airport