I found a very interesting video from the FAA's fire experts at its William J. Hughes Technical Centre at the Atlantic City International airport in New Jersey today while researching a story about new non-Halon 1211 fire extinguishers for airline cabins.
Not your typical General Aviation blog for me, but some things you might like to know if the airline passenger next to you experiences thermal runaway on their laptop battery. HINT: DO NOT COVER IT WITH ICE....
In parallel with completing a new piston-powered 11-seat twin (the P2012 Traveller), a new four-place single (the P2010). an amphibious light sport (the P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane), Tecnam today revealed its newest product, the P92 Tail Dragger light sport.
While going from tricycle landing gear to tail dragger might at first seem to go against the grain, the company says its research shows:
Customers in the US can power the light sport with a Rotax 912ULS2 or Lycoming O-233 engine. More details will emerge during the Sun n' Fun show in Lakeland, Florida in April.
The thing that caught my eye about this NTSB preliminary accident report on a Guardian Flight Bell 407 prang in Rock Springs, Wyoming on 13 December, was the following line:
"The passengers reported that the pilot, who was an employee of Guardian Flight, immediately departed the scene".
The reasons for that departure became clear after a little research, and the somewhat disturbing realization of how little an emergency services provider like Guardian, the largest air medevac provider in Alaska and nascent provider in Rock Springs, might really know about its employees.
Though the helicopter's landing gear skids and lower cabin structure were deformed, and the tail boom severed, in the hard landing, neither the pilot nor any of his four passengers were harmed, at least in the physical sense.
Mentally, they may have been harmed when they found out via the NTSB that the pilot, hired as a helicopter mechanic by Guardian Flight, was not authorized to fly the helicopter by his employer, quite possibly because he didn't have a pilot's license. The FAA said he was issued a student pilot certificate in 1988, but that was it. He was, however, a properly certified airframe and powerplant mechanic, however.
"An acquaintance of the accident pilot reported that he observed the pilot flying N8067Z on serveral previous occasions for personal reasons," the NTSB states. "Passengers were carried during these 'joy rides'".
More of Calvin Franklin Connor Jr's dark secrets began to emerge soon after he was apprehended in another state.
According to a complaint filed by the government in US District Court, Connor was in possession of firearms from outside the state despite having earlier in his life been convicted of a crime carrying jail time of more than a year, a federal offense. In 1992, he was sentenced in Georgia to 15 years in jail for two counts of forgery. A year later he received a three-year sentence, also in Georgia, for "theft by taking". The document doesn't mention actual time served.
Then there's the firearms...
Guns in Connor's possession and guns his co-workers had either seen him with or fired with him run the gamut, according to the complaint... Pictured below are examples of the guns listed (not the actual guns he owned or was seen with).
One co-worker interview by the ATF special agent worker on the case, said he had met Cannon several years ago when they both worked for EMS operator Hawaii Life Flight, where he had observed Cannon's "all decked out" AR-15 assault rifle. Another co-worker had said Cannon had carried a 0.40 or 0.45 caliber handgun on his side while he worked at Guardian Flight.
I Received pricing and availability data for the Sea-Sky from Tecnam North American CEO Phil Solomon this morning:
The models on offer will be available as fully factory delivered aircraft with everything needed for amphib or normal land operation and run at just under $159,900 for an Echo Classic with Garmin SL40, Garmin GTX 327, Garmin Aera 500 GPS, PM3000 intercom, Speakers, ELT and the new Trutrak Gemini PFD to give it full six pack capability. The Eaglet with a similar configuration would run around $12,000 more expensive. Retrofit kits will also be available for existing Echo Classics and Eaglets and will cost about $35,000 plus installation labor and shipping. A float only version will also be offered at a lower price that has not yet been finalized.
We will have a program in place in the US for "Early adopters" to get an incredible deal on these aircraft. We plan to provide some more information in the next week or so with a full program launch timed for Sebring.
We will definitely have a product at Sun and Fun and hopefully some considerable time before that as well but there is still some logistical work needed before we get the first delivery in the US. The factory already has, as you have seen, a flyable model that has been used for testing.
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Tecnam today revealed its newest light sport family member, the P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane. As it's name suggests, it's an amphibian, and it's pretty sweet looking.
Here's the press release from the company. I've asked for cost and delivery estimates (and will update this blog when the numbers come in).
Tecnam today announced the launch of the Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane, the 6th generation model of the very successful Tecnam P92 Echo Classic and Eaglet range of aeroplanes.
Tecnam's reputation for developing aeroplanes for all aspects of General Aviation flying was further established today with the introduction of the Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane.
This 6th generation development builds on the tremendous success of both the P92 Echo Classic and P92 Eaglet to offer potential customers seeking an innovative, spacious and cost effective seaplane.
Requiring a take-off run of less than 200 metres, coupled with an impressive climb rate and a 100 hp engine, the Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane affords ease of operation, both on the water (be it lakes, rivers or sea) and in the air.
Tecnam aeroplanes are especially known for offering outstanding value. One reason for the Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane low cost is that it is produced at Tecnam's new composites production facility, home to both the Tecnam P2008 and Tecnam P Twenty-Ten, in Capua, Italy.
''Our Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane offers you the pleasure of enjoying both blue waters and blue skies'' said Paolo Pascale, Tecnam's Managing Director. ''Not just designed to perform superbly on water but also on the remaining 29% of the worlds surface, land, by using our innovative 4 wheels retractable landing gear. Wherever you want to go today Tecnam has got the right aeroplane for you! Enjoy your time, meet land, sky and water!''
The company in December revealed that it will fly a new four-place single (the P2010) early this month (in January)
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