Air travel up at Youngstown Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport (KYNG), Vienna, Ohio

VIENNA, Ohio (WYTV) – Air travel is up at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna.

In June, they had more than 18,000 passengers – the most in a month since 1992.

This comes as the Federal Aviation Administration gave the airport a good yearly review, finding no major problems.

Director of Aviation Dan Dickten said the FAA told them to fix two minor issues:   They plan to re-paint faded runway markers in the fall, as usual and will remove taxiways with paving problems, after years of concern over poor design.

Source:   http://wytv.com

Authority seeks bids on management contract for Atlantic City International Airport (KACY), New Jersey

The South Jersey Transportation Authority is seeking proposals from private companies to oversee the day-to-day operations at Atlantic City International Airport for the next five years.

Kevin Rehmann, a spokesman for the transportation authority, said several firms attended a pre-bid meeting Thursday to discuss the management contract and take a tour of the airport. Bids are due Aug. 21, with the new contract starting Jan. 1, 2015.

The Virginia-based AvPORTS Management LLC is Atlantic City International’s current operator, but its five-year contract expired in 2013 and it has been serving under a one-year extension since then, according to the company’s website.

Rehmann said AvPORTS officials picked up the bid package, but it is not clear whether the company plans to submit a formal proposal in hopes of winning a new five-year deal. The transportation authority, which owns the airport, did not immediately disclose how much it has paid AvPORTS under its old contract.

The airport’s management contract calls for the daily operation, maintenance and cleaning of the passenger terminal and other facilities. One major responsibility handled by the operator is to keep the airport’s roadways, sidewalks and “aircraft movement areas” clear of snow, the South Jersey Transportation Authority’s contract proposal says.

The operator’s duties will be separate from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the transportation giant that was brought in last year to attract new airline service to the Atlantic City market. However, the bid proposal says that the new operator will support the Port Authority’s recruitment of new airlines and would also help to develop air-cargo facilities.

Atlantic City International’s growth strategy has focused primarily on attracting more airline service, but a new element is emerging — packages, as well as passengers.

UPS, FedEx, DHL and other air-freight companies don’t fly to Atlantic City at this time. Airport supporters say that cargo operators may be just as prized as passenger airlines because of the jobs and economic development they could bring to the region.

Source:  http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com

The first United Airlines flight Atlantic City International Airport arrives, Tuesday April 1, 2014, in Egg Harbor Township. 

Photo by Michael Ein/The Press of Atlantic City

RLU-1 Breezy, N3AZ: Accident occurred July 31, 2014 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

NTSB Identification: CEN14FA399
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, July 31, 2014 in Oshkosh, WI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 07/29/2015
Aircraft: ZIMMERMAN BREEZY, registration: N3AZ
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious.

NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The accident pilot flew a passenger on a 10-minute flight during the Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure Oshkosh 2014. During landing, the pilot lost airplane control and subsequently struck a parked ground vehicle. A pilot in another airplane that had been cleared to land reported that he saw two airplanes in front of his airplane: a light-colored high-wing airplane that was turning from the right base to the final leg of the traffic pattern, and a high-wing airplane, which was the accident airplane, directly in front of him on the right downwind leg. The pilot of the trailing airplane stated that the air traffic controller was providing instructions to the pilots of the other two airplanes simultaneously and that it appeared that the controller was concerned about the spacing between the two airplanes ahead of him and the fact that his airplane was a faster airplane than the other two airplanes. The pilot heard the controller tell the accident airplane pilot while he was on short final to "pick it up a bit" and inform hit that a faster airplane was behind him. The accident airplane touched down and then become airborne again, and the controller subsequently stated to the accident pilot that “he could set it down.” The airplane landed again and veered left on the runway. The pilot appeared to correct the airplane’s ground track back on the centerline for a short time before the airplane veered right off the runway and onto the grass. The airplane then became airborne again and was in a nose-high, right-wing-low attitude; the pilot was likely attempting to clear a row of vehicles parked in the grass outside of the safety area. However, the airplane’s tail hit one of the vehicles, and a small ground fire ensued. The pilot of the trailing airplane did not see any debris on the runway nor anything fall off the accident airplane before it hit the parked vehicle, and no debris or separated parts were found on the runway. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

The tower communications were consistent with the air traffic controller simultaneously coordinating the landing of three airplanes on the same runway. Photographs revealed that, after the accident airplane landed behind the first airplane, the separation between the two airplanes decreased before the accident airplane exited the runway. It is likely that after the accident pilot landed the airplane, he observed that the separation between his airplane and the airplane ahead of him was decreasing, which led to his loss of airplane control.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing while the air traffic controller was simultaneously coordinating the landing of three airplanes on the same runway, which resulted in the airplane exiting the runway and impacting a parked ground vehicle. 

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 31, 2014, about 0857 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Zimmerman Breezy airplane, N3AZ, exited runway 36R at the Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and impacted parked vehicles east of the runway. A ground fire subsequently occurred. The pilot was fatally injured and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial wing and fuselage damage. The airplane was registered to A Z Air Lease Inc. and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as personal flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a flight plan. The local flight originated from OSH.

The rear seat passenger was a volunteer at Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Airventure Oshkosh 2014. She asked for a ride in the Breezy. During an interview, she said that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and volunteer staff get priority for flights. She stated that prior to the ride she signed a waiver in reference to the flight and recalled getting a safety brief on where to keep hands and feet placed. The brief included a warning not to have loose items. When asked how she was told to sit, she replied that she was told to keep feet on either side of seat and not to interfere with the control stick. She indicated the stick was marked, "Do not touch." She further said that she was told to keep her hands on her lap. She reported she wore headphones during the flight, which lasted about 10 minutes and subsequently said that it was a great flight. She reported that the airplane landed and indicated that it was a good landing. The airplane turned immediately to the right. The pilot pulled up and was able to land the plane for a second time, which was a good landing as well. The pilot pulled up and went in for another landing. The airplane turned right again. She stated that the airplane hit a taxiway light. She felt the lenses from the taxiway light hit her leg. She recalled seeing a truck and the airplane pull up. She thought the airplane was not going to clear the truck. She recalled that the airplane hit the truck and felt being separated from the airplane. She recalled flying through the air and waking up on the ground. She could not move her left arm and remembered asking for help. She then remembered waking up in the ambulance.

A pilot in the airplane trailing the Breezy stated that he was cleared to land while flying a left base to runway 36R from FISKE [an intersection south of OSH]. He saw two airplanes in front of his airplane. One was a white or light colored high wing airplane that was just turning from a right base to final for 36R, and the second was a high wing airplane, a Breezy, on right downwind. He turned final behind the Breezy. The controller was giving instructions to the high wing and the Breezy. It appeared to the pilot that the controller was concerned about the high wing airplane and Breezy spacing and the fact that his airplane was a faster airplane behind both of them. The controller referred to the pilot's airplane as a Mooney, which the pilot did not "pick up on right away." However, his passenger did recognize the reference to Mooney. When the pilot was on short final, he heard the controller tell the Breezy to "pick it up a bit" or words to that affect, and that a Mooney was behind him. The pilot's statement, in part, said:

At that point, just prior to my touching down on the numbers, the
Breezy became airborne again and flew no more than 10 feet off the
ground for a couple hundred feet. Once I was on the ground, I heard
the controller tell the Breezy he could set it down. The Breezy landed
again, and quickly veered to the left, but stayed on the runway. The
Breezy then corrected his ground track and appeared to be back on the
centerline for a short time before veering off the right side of the
runway and onto the grass. He seemed to correct his course again and
was able to travel straight ahead and in parallel with the runway but on
the grass for a short time, but he then became airborne again. He left
the ground and travelled nose high and right wing low towards the east
where a row of military vehicles were parked. These vehicles were
facing the airport and in a row paralleling the runway from north to
south.

As the Breezy attempted to clear the military vehicles in a nose high
attitude, it appeared that the tail of the aircraft hit a vehicle causing the
aircraft to flip over. The aircraft became to rest on its back on top of the
military vehicles. I was about 100 yards behind the Breezy at the time
he impacted the vehicles. As we taxied by the Breezy I could see a small
fire had started away from the aircraft to the north east approximately
20 feet or so. I did see the pilot hanging upside down in his harness still
attached to the aircraft. I only saw his upper torso and legs. I did not see
his head. I also did not see the passenger and was unaware there was
one until later that day.

I did not see anything fall off the Breezy during the time it was flying or
on the ground prior to it hitting the military vehicle. I saw no debris on
the runway. I lost sight of the light colored high wing just prior to
touching down.

The airplane impacted parked armored Oshkosh vehicles and a ground fire occurred where the airplane came to rest. First responders extinguished the fire and transported the pilot and passenger to local hospitals. The pilot subsequently died from the injuries sustained during the accident.


PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The 74-year-old pilot held a FAA commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, single-engine sea, glider, and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot held a FAA third-class medical certificate, dated May 21, 2014, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. On the application for that certificate, he reported that he had accumulated 2,490 hours of total flight time and 15 hours of flight time in six months prior to the medical certificate.


AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N3AZ was an experimental amateur-built Zimmerman Breezy high-wing, propeller-driven, fixed landing gear, tandem two-seat airplane with serial number JD1. A review of the airplane's logbooks revealed that the airplane had accumulated a total time of 1,230.6 hours at the last condition inspection, dated July 10, 2014, which was endorsed by the airplane builder who held a repairman certificate for the accident airplane. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming O-235-C1 with serial number 5795-15. The engine data plate indicated that it was rated at 108 horsepower at 2,600 rpm. The logbook endorsement revealed that the engine had accumulated 94.2 hours total time at the last condition inspection.


METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 0853, the recorded weather at OSH was: Wind 300 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 20 degrees C; dew point 16 degrees C; altimeter 30.00 inches of mercury.


COMMUNICATIONS

A transcription, which covered the OSH Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) radio communications for the time period from July 31, 2014 , 0847, to July 31, 2014 ,0909 was reviewed. The transcript, in part, stated:

Agencies Making Transmissions Abbreviations
Breezy N3AZ
Local Control South LCS
...

0852:44 N3AZ breezy ready papa three

0852:47 LCS breezy ah roger hold short of runway three six left

0852:50 N3AZ breezy

0853:57 LCS breezy runway three six left ah line up and wait

0854:00 N3AZ line up

0854:28 LCS breezy cleared for takeoff runway three six left

0857:08 N3AZ breezy turning base ah following the tail dragger

0857:12 LCS okay breezy thank you sir you're going to follow that
taildragger runway three six right you are cleared to land

0857:16 N3AZ breezy

0857:29 LCS mooney left base ah you're cleared to land you're
following the breezy just turning the ah base for runway three six right
mooney three six right you're cleared to land mooney

0858:14 LCS aeroshell ah runway three six left you're cleared to land
breezy go ahead and set it down now that that tail dragger's going to
set it down here shortly

0858:31 LCS cirrus or mooney type go ahead and ah keep a high speed
taxi you're following that breezy ahead breezy go ahead and set it down
now taildragger on the runway keep it ah keep the speed up for me please
sir keep the speed up for me please

0858:41 N3AZ (unintelligible)

0859:00 LCS okay ah ford go around for me ah mooney ah just keep it ah
just keep it goin down the taxiway for me please ford go around and ah
aeroshell team go around for me p lease all aircraft inbound from fisk ah
we're going to be ah ah you're we' re going to have to turn back up to ripon
for me all aircraft inbound from fisk turn to ripon for me please ah big ford
ah go ahead and take it ah take it south ah just continue on the upwind now
and ah you turn right abeam the tower for me please

0859:31 LCS cher cherokee in the aeroshell team there cherokee just
sidestep to the right for me please and go around keep the up wind turn ah
just keep the upwind for me


AIRPORT INFORMATION

OSH, located approximately two miles south of downtown Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was a towered airport, owned by Winnebago County, with a surveyed field elevation of 808 feet above mean sea level. The airport's primary runways are runway 9/27 (6,178 feet by 150 feet, asphalt) and runway 18/36 (8,002 feet by 150 feet). However, during AirVenture, permission has been granted to allow the use of its parallel taxiway as a runway. Runway 18/36 becomes 18R/36L and taxiway A becomes 18L/36R under special flight procedures that were effective from 0600 on July 25 to Noon on August 4, 2014. The temporary runway was about 50 feet wide and was about 5,500 feet in length from its threshold to the A2 intersection. The temporary runway was about 2,750 feet in length from its threshold to the A3 intersection and was about 1,325feet in length from its threshold to the A4 intersection.

The EAA website, www.airventure.org, provided pilots with information about air traffic control procedures and aircraft movement on the ground. The website listed approximate available runway lengths associated with colored dots on runway 36L. The website did not list the approximate runway lengths associated with intersections on temporary runway 36R.


FLIGHT RECORDERS

A GoPro camera, belonging to the passenger, was found in the wreckage. It was shipped to the National Transportation Safety Board Vehicle Recorder Laboratory. The camera video files were corrupt and were recovered. The recovered camera files did not contain data associated with the accident.


WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane fuselage was found resting on its right side on the rear section of an armored Oshkosh vehicle parked in a grass area east of runway 36R and north of the A4 taxiway. This armored vehicle's rear passenger-side tire and chassis was charred and discolored. Other armored Oshkosh vehicles parked south of this vehicle exhibited witness marks that were oriented in the direction of the resting fuselage. Debris, consisting of pieces of fuselage frame tubing, a section of left main landing gear structure, and laminated wood shards, were located between the other armored vehicles and the airplane fuselage.

The airplane's right wing, engine, and right main landing gear structure were found resting on the ground behind the charred rear passenger-side tire. The right wing was fabric was consumed by fire and its aileron control cables were traced to its bellcrank. The engine throttle linkage was intact and the mixture control was safety wired in the full rich position. The carburetor heat linkage was intact on the intake bracket. The wooden propeller hub remained attached to the engine propeller flange. However, its blades were not in place.

The left wing separated from the fuselage and was found about 25 feet north of the fuselage. Its aileron control cable ends were found outside the wing, separated in a broomstraw appearance consistent with overload. The aileron moved when the separated cables were pulled by hand. The empennage separated from the fuselage and the empennage was found about 55 feet north of the fuselage.

Flight control cables were traced and all observed breaks were consistent with overload. Examination of the engine controls cables revealed no pre-impact anomalies.

An examination of runway 36R revealed no debris or separated parts on the runway. The grass infield area east of runway 36R and north of the A4 taxiway exhibited a path of disturbed grass from the edge of the runway through the infield in a northeast direction toward parked armored Oshkosh vehicles. There was a section of runway abeam the start of the path in the grass that exhibited a depression consistent with spalling. An airport edge light consistent with a taxiway light was found separated from its base. The light's separated support stem was found on the ground in the disturbed grass path through the infield.

The wreckage was relocated and further examined. The engine was lifted by a hoist and a sparkplug was removed from each cylinder. The removed sparkplugs did not exhibit any anomalies. The propeller hub was turned by hand and all cylinders produced a thumb compression. The right magneto produced spark at its four distributor cap lead towers when its impulse coupling was rotated by hand. The left magneto exhibited internal heat damage when it was disassembled. It produced spark at its center electrode when its impulse coupling was rotated by hand. The carburetor fuel screen was removed and no debris was found in it. The gascolator housing exhibited a soot colored discoloration. Its bowl was not in place. All three wheels were rotated by hand and they exhibited no binding. The Hobbs meter indicated 1,251.3 hours.


MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Winnebago County Coroner's Office. The autopsy listed multiple blunt force injuries as the cause of death.

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report. The report was negative for the tests performed.


FIRE

The airplane's right wing and a ground vehicle's rear passenger side exhibited discoloration, charring, and deformation consistent with a ground fire. Witness statements confirmed the fire was consistent with a ground fire.


TESTS AND RESEARCH

Pictures supplied to the NTSB investigator in charge revealed that there was a high wing airplane, which was landing in front of the Breezy airplane. The images revealed the separation between the high wing airplane and the Breezy was decreasing prior to the Breezy exiting the runway.


ADDITIONAL DATA/INFORMATION

During the interview, the rear seat passenger stated that she did not see anything fall off the airplane and did not see anything break. She said that the pilot did not do preflight inspections between flights. He shut down the engine, the passenger would get off the airplane, and the next would get on the airplane. She did not recall an airplane in front of the Breezy during the landing. She stated that the engine did not sputter or have any unusual sounds. The passenger asked if there is "any way to get these parked trucks moved?" She said a Mooney previously hit similarly parked trucks in a prior accident at OSH.

The impacted vehicles were parked outside of the safety area associated with the temporary runway.

The information provided to pilots on the EAA website, in part, stated:

Change of Plans
Be prepared! The control instructions may change from what you were
initially told. For instance you may have been instructed to "land on the
numbers". This would have been issued if there was another aircraft
ahead of you landing at the Purple Dot, however by the time you reach
the runway…

The other aircraft has exited the runway, therefore the controller may
now instruct you to "land on the Purple Dot" which will allow for
another aircraft to land behind you (on the numbers) and still provide
for allowable runway separation.

These "last minute" adjustments will probably occur no matter what
runway you land on. The only difference will be the description of the
touchdown point ("the numbers" or Purple Dot).

Stay alert for traffic ahead of you on final and also for any potential
traffic that may be sequenced from the right base.

============

DOWNERS GROVE – The experimental aircraft known as the Breezy will land in Downers Grove at 5 p.m. Today at Brookeridge Airpark, to reunite with its previous owner and fly to a celebration of the airplane in Wisconsin.

The airplane landing in Downers Grove Thursday was acquired by Downers Grove resident Arnold Zimmerman in 1976. He flew this airplane for 23 years – also featured in the Chicago Air and Water show before selling it to Mark Trimble of Branson, Mo. in 1999.

On Thursday, a friend of Trimble's, Dave Kennerly, is flying the plane into Downers Grove to meet with Zimmerman. The Breezy has been highly modified with amphibious floats, and fitted with a much larger engine, along with an actual Nautical Captain’s Steering Wheel as the control yoke, according to a press release.

Zimmerman built his current Breezy in 1995, and will fly alongside his first plane, piloted by Kennerly, to OshKosh, Wisc. for the big Breezy 50th Anniversary Celebration where approximately 12 Breezy aircraft will be participating in the festivities.

Zimmerman's first flight with his current Breezy was in September 1998. he and his "Breezy N3AZ” have flown more than 12,000 passengers and registered more than 1,400 Young Eagles, according to a press release. Young Eagles is a free program started by EAA in 1992 of volunteer pilots who help bring the aviation to youth between the ages of 8 and 17.

Zimmerman has been flying for more than 59 years and has received many awards. He was inducted into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame in 2010, and received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2005 for 50-plus years of accident free flying. He was also awarded the Philips 66 Leadership Award in 2000 along with Commander Chuck Yeager.

In addition, he kicks off the annual 4th of July celebration in Bolingbrook with fireworks from his Breezy, and will also be doing so at AirVenture this year for the night-time airshows.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the experimental aircraft known. The Breezy is an all frame, “open air” seated aircraft, originally designed by Carl Unger, who died in September 2013, according to a press release.

Source:  http://www.mysuburbanlife.com

Royal Canadian Mounted Police sells Piaggio Avanti P180, C-GFOX for half of asking price: RCMP paid $8 million for plane many considered a vanity purchase by then commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli

The RCMP is getting far less than its asking price at the online auction of a controversial Italian-made plane ordered by former commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli.

The Piaggio P180 Avanti luxury turboprop was listed for sale on the government of Canada's surplus website last spring with bids starting at $2.5 million.

A spokesperson at the department of Public Works tells CBC News it accepted a winning bid of $1.3 million for the Piaggio on July 17. The identity of the buyer is protected under the Privacy Act and the number of bids will not be released until the sale is formally closed.

The RCMP paid more than $8 million for the nine-seater executive aircraft when it bought the plane in 2002. At the time, many viewed the plane as a vanity purchase. Zaccardelli hand-picked the spiffy-looking turboprop aircraft.

Niche market

A source in Canada's aviation industry, who did not want to be identified, calls the P180 a niche aircraft, "You've really got to want an Avanti. The market is very limited," he said.

He added that the aircraft is not very desirable because it has a short range of roughly 1,500 kilometres and is noisy. Even so, he said, someone got a deal, because according to the plane's age, history and specifications, it should have sold for around $2 million.

The RCMP retired the Piaggio on April 1, 2014, as part of its efforts to cut costs. A spokesperson for the Mounties told CBC News the decision was made after "an evaluation of maintenance costs and operational requirements."

Story, Comments and Photos:   http://www.cbc.ca

GC Surplus: https://www.gcsurplus.ca

A 2003 Piaggio Avanti P180 was auctioned off earlier this year on a government of Canada surplus website. It was bought by the RCMP under former commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli for more than $8 million, but sold for $1.3 million. (gcsurplus.ca)

Nanaimo Airport sees federal investment

Nanaimo Airport will upgrade its firefighting capabilities and make a clean sweep of its runways thanks to a cash injection from Transport Canada’s Capital Assistance Program.

Lisa Raitt, federal transport minister, announced $1 million in funding to help purchase a new runway sweeper and an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle.

The capital assistance program ensures airports have adequate maintenance and emergency-response capability as air transport grows across the country, Raitt said, during the announcement at Nanaimo Airport on Tuesday.

“In general in Canada we have a very safe air transportation system and we’ve seen a great increase, much like the increase we’ve seen with passengers here in Nanaimo in the past number of years,” Raitt said. “We’ve increased by 40 percent the passenger throughputs in Canada between 2002 and 2011, but at the same time the number of aviation accidents have actually decreased by 25 percent and, indeed, in 2011 the total number of accidents in Canada declined to the lowest recorded figure in modern aviation history.”

Nanaimo Airport is experiencing rapid growth in passenger numbers as more people catch regional flights aboard several air carriers. Passenger counts for 2014 are up 35 percent over 2013 figures.

The new sweeper will improve how quickly and efficiently the airport can clear snow and slush from runways and taxiways and, should an accident occur, the upgraded crash truck will improve response times and capability to deal with any size aircraft that can be landed at YCD.

Monday, WestJet, which started operating flights to Edmonton in 2013, announced it will start daily scheduled flights to Calgary.

Airport president and CEO Mike Hooper said the WestJet flights to Calgary will further meet the airport’s goal of serving Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest and allow passengers to connect with flights from Calgary to the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean.
 
Source:   http://www.nanaimobulletin.com

Lisa Raitt, federal transport minister, poses with maintenance vehicles at Nanaimo Airport Tuesday. 

Photo Courtesy of  CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin

New smart goggles to let pilots see through fog

In some good news for pilots who often face adverse weather conditions such as fog, torrential rain and dust storms, new smart goggles have been developed that can help them in smooth landing and take off.

The goggles known as Skylens have been created by an Israeli company and can provide pilots of small business jets or helicopters with a better view of their surroundings.

The goggles are fed video by multi-spectral cameras embedded in the plane's nose, providing clear, wrap-around images of the terrain, 'New Scientist' reported.

Skylens also displays information such as altitude, speed and an artificial horizon to help the pilot keep the aircraft level.

A depth-sensing camera on the instrument panel tracks head motion.

The headset works with an aircraft's other on-board systems to monitor the positions of nearby aircraft from their radar signals.

"We have had 150 pilots try it out in rain, snow, haze and dust on five types of aircraft. They really like it," said Dror Yahav of Elbit Systems, the makers of Skylens.

The goggles are expected to hit the market in 2016, the report said.

Source:   http://www.business-standard.com

Soaring into camp: Flying W Airport (N14) Medford/Lumberton, New Jersey

Get your child's head out of the clouds − or maybe higher in them − by signing him up for this soaring camp.

The Flying W Airport Resort presents a hands-on Aerospace Camp that offers children ages 7-12 the opportunity to learn about planes, rockets, helicopters, instruments and navigation. Campers will also enjoy an airport tour, using the Fly It Simulator and an introductory flight with a Young Eagles pilot, weather permitting.

The camp is taught by New Jersey certified teachers as well as experts in the field of aerospace education from the Flying W. All programs, supplies, speakers and lunch is included in the $300 price.

An extended-care package, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., can be purchased for an additional $75, which offers campers supervised swimming and snacks.

The five-day camp begins Monday and is 9 a.m to 3 p.m.; however, alternate dates include Aug. 4-8 and Aug. 11-15.

Flying W is at 60 Fostertown Road in Medford. To register, visit aerospace4kids.com or call 609-261-0555.


Source:   http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com

Photo Courtesy of Nancy Rokos

Bell 407, HR-AWI: Accident occurred November 21, 2015 in Justo Romero, Nicaragua

NTSB Identification: CEN16WA048
14 CFR Non-U.S., Non-Commercial
Accident occurred Saturday, November 21, 2015 in Justo Romero, Nicaragua
Aircraft: BELL 407, registration:
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.

The foreign authority was the source of this information.

On November 21, 2015, at 1000 central standard time (cst), a Bell model 407 helicopter, Honduran registration HR-AWI, serial number 53978, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Justo Romero, Nicaragua. The pilot and his 2 passengers were not injured.

The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Nicaraguan government. Further information may be obtained from:

Instituto Nicaraguense De Aeronautica Civil (INAC)
Km 11 1/2 Carretera Norte
PO Box 4936
Managua, Nicaragua
Phone: (505) 233-2907
Fax: (505) 2276-8588
E-mail: seguridad@inac.gob.ni
Webpage: http://www.inac.gob.ni

This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the Instituto Nicaraguense De Aeronautica Civil (INAC) of Nicaragua.