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More flying cars: Introducing the M400 Skycar

General Aviation News has recently reported that the US’s FAA has accepted Moller International’s application for an Experimental Airworthiness Certification for the M400 Skycar – the last step in the federal regulatory requirements process just prior to an actual flight test.

In case you are not familiar with this flying car idea, the M400 Skycar differs from the more well known Terrafugia Transition flying car concept as its designed to be the world’s first and only feasible personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle that is intended to replace the automobile. Moreover and as you can see from the aircraft specs below, the M400 Skycar is designed to be a green aircraft as it will fly on ethanol.

However and as we noted last week, a debut of a Terrafugia Transition flying car prototype will be delayed as they have “encountered a number of the challenges that are common in aircraft development programs, including problems with third party suppliers.”

Hence, I suspect that the M400 Skycar will run into the same types of issues when its time to move into the prototype and production phases. Nevertheless and from the pictures below and on the company website, the M400 Skycar looks like a great alternative idea to being stuck in traffic!

How much income do you need to own a private jet?

In the USA, there is a bit of political theater going on as President Obama has repeatedly called people earning as little as $250,000 a year “jet owners.” However, does President Obama’s numbers really add up? In other words, could someone earning $250,000 a year really afford to own, operate or charter their own private jet?

The Wall Street Journal’s Robert Frank and Kelsey Hubbard recently sat down and gave a reality check about the level of income it really takes to become a true jetsetter.

Specifically, the pair noted that a good private jet will cost $5 million to purchase – unless you go for a scaled down version for a few hundred thousand dollars. However, they also noted that it will typically cost $500,000 to $1 million a year just to operate a private jet. This means that a private jet owner will probably need at least $10 million in income per year to afford to become a jet setting jet owner.

Moreover, it was noted that the cheapest rate to charter a private jet from New York to Florida was $3,000 an hour – starting from the moment you board. Hence, a round-trip flight from New York to Palm Beach Florida would probably cost at least $20,ooo or one-tenth of the income of someone earning only $250,000 a year.

In other words, owing and chartering a private jet is really just an option for a very small and elite group of wealthy individuals in our society – not those earning “merely” $250,000 a year.

Turtles on runway delay New York flights

In the past, we have written about emus, rabbits and wild pigs running across runways but Reuters has recently reported that turtles crossing the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York have delayed flights.

Apparently, the turtles were crossing the runway in order to lay their eggs on the sandy shores of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge bordering the airport. Moreover, it wasn’t just one turtle crossing the runway but a whole herd (?) of 150 diamondback terrapin turtles that were spotted on JFK’s Runway 4L.

Fortunately for passengers, the initial flight delays caused by the turtles were minor and amounted to roughly 15 minutes. However, the turtles kept coming and hence, aircraft were directed to use other runways.

Not wearing a shoulder harness makes a Cessna 150 crash fatal

General Aviation News will often publish short excerpts from accident reports prepared by the USA’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) – including this accident report from June 2009 that involved a Cessna 150 in Rockwall, Texas that had a fatal crash. Specifically, the aircraft loss power shortly after takeoff, crashed in a field and ended up on its back.

According to the investigation, the pilot of the aircraft had a history of right shoulder pain which he would intermittently treat with prescription narcotic medication. Moreover, he did not wear a shoulder harness while flying because it would only exacerbate his shoulder pain. Finally, both the pilot’s shoulder pain and his treatment for it was not disclosed to the FAA.

After the fatal accident, an examination of the aircraft revealed no obvious anomalies and indicated that there was little to no power at the time of the crash. However, there was corrosion in the carburetor and the temperature at the time of the crash was conducive for the carburetor icing to occur.

Further investigation revealed that the pilot suffered fatal injuries from impacting the instrument panel and control yoke that would have been less likely to have occurred had he been wearing a shoulder harness at the time of the accident. Moreover, a toxicology test also suggested that the pilot had taken narcotic medication either on the night before the fatal accident or on both of the previous nights before the accident.

Hence, the probable cause of the crash was ruled the pilot’s failure to control the aircraft after loosing engine power due to the carburetor while the pilot’s failure to use a shoulder harness likely caused his death.

Taking people flying for the first time

This is a great guest post from Rich Wellner, of the Left Base blog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckz3kyx6Aq0

Intro

A lot of people have never been in small planes and there is a certain apprehension about going up in one for the first time.

Some of this is understandable; these people have only been exposed to general aviation as a result of news reports when an accident occurs. They just don’t have the familiarity with the thousands of flights a day that take place without incident.

In a way, it would be like asking someone who was only familiar with driving cars from reading the accident reports of 30,000 fatal accidents in the US each year to sit down, strap in and have fun.

So, as pilots, we have to look for signs of nervousness and figure out how to put those fears at ease.

In the past two weeks, I’ve had a chance to take four airplane virgins up for their first flights. This is the story of those flights.

Getting Settled

The day begins by gauging the mood of the passenger. This is always easier with someone you’ve known for a long time. Since I’ve known all three people for more than a decade, and one for more than twenty years, this was easy. All were talkative and laughing nervously.

One told me that he had gotten to edge of the airport property, seen the planes on the ramp and almost turned around to go home.

Like most general aviation airports, ours has some smaller, older planes on the ramp and he panicked because I hadn’t prepped him for what kind of airplane we would be flying.

Our plane is small, to be sure, but it’s a nice looking late model Cessna. If I had prepped him, then he wouldn’t have had trouble making the turn into the parking lot.

I’ve found that highly technical people like to be involved in the pre-flight. For them data is important. So for one of my passengers we spent nearly 30 minutes doing the pre-flight together. Other people want you to have an air of authority. Do you job quickly and efficiently and get the plane off the ground.

Takeoff

Sitting at the end of the runway looking out the window is stressful for a lot of people even when they are flying commercially. While I have always gotten excited to feel the jets push me back in the seat, a lot of folks worry about what can happen in the worst of circumstances.
Now take that same person and put them in a small airplane where they are looking forward so that the can see the end of the runway, the edge of the airport and the trees beyond and their stress factor is amplified.

Pilots are obligated to give a passenger briefing that includes things like keep your hands and feet off the controls, where the exits are and that there is a fire extinguisher between the seats. Many airports have marker beacons at the ends of runways and verifying VORs and such will create unusual noises. It’s great to make sure to give the passenger a heads up that they will hear those kinds of noises from time to time and that they are normal.

Aside from comforting the newbie, it also is good to let them know to expect those noises so that as you are passing the middle marker they don’t ask what the beeping is at the same time tower is requesting a turn or handing the flight over to center.

I like to add a few things that are designed to give my passengers something to keep their minds on. A panel has a dozen or more flight instruments on it. I’ll sometimes show the passenger the airspeed indicator and tell them they can watch as it rises and we’ll take off when it says 65.

Making sure people bring a camera is another fun distraction. Remind them to get it out and take photos or video as the plane leaves the ground.

Cruise

Once in the air and established in cruise it’s good to match the flight plan against the time you noted before takeoff and give an estimated time to the destination. This lets people know that the takeoff phase is over and they don’t need to expect anymore excitement for awhile.

Ask again if they have any questions. Often people will have noticed something during takeoff and want an explanation.

Be ready for anything.

I’ve had people ask what various buildings are, how do wings work, questions about various instruments are, how does one become a pilot, how old is the plane and if I’ve ever had an engine fail. Just to name a few.

One of my recent three flights was IFR because I knew the persons personality and that the skies would be quite smooth despite the clouds.

This flight was extra fun as we took off on a dreary, modest visibility day and quickly popped through the 700ft ceiling into bright sunny skies at 2,000 feet with unlimited visibility.

Landing

On the way to the destination I showed him how the ILS would work and, as with the airspeed indicator on takeoff, told him about the crosshairs and how he could watch those and if we kept them pretty close to center then once we got below the clouds the runway would be right in front of us.

After the Flight

The last thing to do after the flight is to make sure to give people something from which to remember the trip. That same camera comes in handy at this point. If you can do so while stopped at an intersection, grab a quick shot while they are still excited from the flight. Then make sure to take more in and around the plane after you’ve parked on the ramp.

Those photos will be something that they look at for weeks to come, so make sure to take enough that a few of them turn out well and you’ll have helped them make a memory in more ways than one.

Well, that’s my introduction to introductory flights. Now find someone who’s never been in a small plane before and go out there and fly!

ATC to pilots: “Please only listen to women!”

Hat tip to Sylvia, the blogger behind the Fear of Landing blog, who recently mentioned a bizarre incident in Turkey where a man started to give random vectors to pilots flying into Istanbul. ATC (consisting of two female controllers) valiantly tried to sort out the mess by giving advice that any wife of a male pilot would love to hear: “Do not listen to any man!” and “Please only listen to women!”

fake atc by iststatus

Golf Hotel Whiskey: for pilots and aviation enthusiasts