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January 2008

Aircraft

2007 Gobosh G700S by Staff
Cirrus SR22-G3 by Staff
Cirrus SR22-G3: Brazil Or Bust!
After our first flight in the newest Cirrus over San Francisco, we couldn’t wait to fly one all the way to Brazil
by Jeff Berlin Wow, now that’s a lot of trees. I’m 9,500 feet over the Amazon rain forest, and the only thing I see from horizon to horizon is a bumpy carpet that’s toned British-racing green. A couple days ago, I set off from the Cirrus plant in Duluth, Minn., for what was then a distant port, pointing the nose of this spanking-new Cirrus SR22-G3 south and saying to myself, as I climbed to my initial cruise altitude, “São Paulo or bust.”

With a name derived from the phrase, “Go big or stay home,” the Polish Gobosh is an LSA with attitude

If there was ever any question regarding the viability of the LSA market, Cirrus and Cessna pretty much erased those concerns with announcements of their own LSAs at AirVenture 2007. Both companies obviously hope to lure new pilots to their step-up models.

SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 by Staff

SIAI-Marchetti SF.260: Bellisimo In Tre Dimensioni

Yeah, it’s Italian, and if you’re thinking “flying Ferrari or Lamborghini,” you’re ABSOLUTELY right

Just as I’m about to squeeze the trigger, the airplane ahead jinks into a tight, descending right turn, wings nearly perpendicular to the ground, pulling hard. I’m caught a little off guard and wrap my airplane over, slightly past vertical, trying to catch up. The adrenaline pumps, and I pull too hard and push the G-meter to 5.0, right into the stall buffet.

State Of The Industry
Keep aviation vital and strong
From the Wright brothers to The Right Stuff, the thrill of flight has sparked the imagination and stirred the human spirit. We take to the skies to experience the freedom and exhilaration of flight. Now more than ever, people look to general aviation as a way to speed travel and increase business. Consequently, it’s important for those of us who love general aviation to step back and examine the health and strength of this great industry.

Proficiency

VMC Vs. VFR
What’s technically legal isn’t necessarily safe
In basic flight training, student pilots memorize the cloud clearance and visibility criteria for operation under visual flight rules and instrument flight rules (VFR and IFR). Flight schools and instructors drill into students the cloud clearance and visibility requirements for VFR operations in various categories of airspace, all the while neglecting to mention that none of this has much to do with the ability to keep an airplane upright during periods of restricted visibility and/or lack of terrain definition.

Winter Flying: A Strategic Approach

Tips for staying safe in a cold season

by Michael Vivion

Winter presents many complications for those who live in northern latitudes. Residents of warmer states like Florida and Arizona probably consider us northerners to be their somewhat slow-witted (and perhaps crazy) cousins, but winter offers its own set of pleasures—and challenges.

Products

January 2008 Readback by The Editors Liberty announced the closing of a major debt financing, arranged by Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain), which will allow the company to expand its production capacity. “The decision to raise finance was based on the strong worldwide demand for Liberty’s XL2 aircraft,” said the General Manager of Kuwait Finance House, Abdulhakeem Alkhayyat. “The finance is important, as it gives strength, stability and resources to Liberty, which will culminate in Liberty’s further success in aircraft sales.”

Staying Safe

A guide to gadgets that will keep you and your passengers secure

by Tim Kern

Remember when CB radios were actually useful? Like CBs and just about everything originally intended for emergency purposes, many of the safety items listed in this article are for situations of distress, where life, eyesight or organ health is in danger. Let’s all be careful and professional when using PLBs (personal locator beacons) and ELTs (emergency locator transmitters).

Pilot Talk

From The Editor: GA Popularity Contest
Why isn’t flying cooler?
by Jeff Berlin When I was a kid in grade school, I had this friend named Jonathan Meyer. His dad was a minister and had a collection of Revolutionary War–era muskets, flintlocks and a blunderbuss. That name alone was enough to get us kids laughing. One day, the reverend came to our school and gave our class the ultimate show-and-tell: He loaded one of his muskets with black powder, aimed it high at the ceiling and pulled the trigger.

Travel

Is General Aviation Losing The Popularity Contest?

With user fees looming on the horizon, student-pilot numbers dwindling and airlines experiencing pilot shortages, what can be done to reinvigorate general aviation?

by Marc C. Lee

You remember, don’t you, when you first fell in love with aviation? Perhaps it was a warm, sunny day with a jeweled, blue morning sky beckoning you to the airport on your trusty Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycle. Maybe you crouched in the tall, brown grass by the run-up area, the stiff propeller wash blowing your hair. You blocked the sun with your hand and gazed up in wonder.

News

January 2008 NOTAMS
Plane & Pilot’s Guide to aviation's most current promotional deals
by Staff
As part of its “Only In A Taildragger” campaign, CubCrafters will pay you to earn your tailwheel endorsement. The manufacturer has announced an industry-first program that will allow broader participation in the fun and adventure of tailwheel flying. With this program, more pilots than ever can enjoy camping, hunting and fishing with their airplanes, backcountry flying, weekend gatherings at the local grass strip and more.