Posted on by

81 Turn World Record Inverted Flat Spin

This video of a world record breaking inverted flat spin will make you dizzy just watching it.

The Pitts S-2B just drops like a rock! Watch as he plummets, upside down over 21,000 feet.

Air show performer Spencer Suderman makes an 81 turn, three minute long inverted flat spin in his Pitts S-2B that took him from 23,000 feet to less than 2,000 feet over the California desert. You can watch the altimeter spinning as he’s descends, upside down.

Number of spins: 81.7 – now that’s a precise count.

This was his third attempt to beat the previous record, which is 78 turns set by airshow legend Wayne Handley in a Giles 202 in 1999. In his previous attempts at beating that record, he was able to do 64 spins and 77 spins.

Suderman credits ElectroAir, who makes FAA-certified, variable-timing, electronic ignition systems for this success, allowing his engine to operate at that altitude and throughout the spin.  He is helping the company collect engine data for FAA certification in six-cylinder Lycoming engines.

Suderman had to apply for FAA permission to fly the VFR biplane, built in 1984 over the California desert. Over El Centro, in the Salton Sea, he climbed up to 23,000 which took him approximately 30 minutes. He wore gloves, an oxygen mask and several layers of clothing as the outside temperature was 9 degrees F.   The event was recorded with three onboard cameras.


[divider]

Get all the top aviation stories emailed weekly

[divider]

Posted on by

Lightspeed Zulu 2 – Headset Review

The Lightspeed Zulu 2 is the ultimate blend of design, comfort and technology. The Zulu 2 is the latest upgrade from the Zulu model headsets and are lighter and more comfortable. Not surprisingly, like all new headsets, it has all the latest features including Bluetooth.

The Zulu 2 weighs in at only 13 ounces and has a magnesium ear cups which are really cool looking – and very effective at cancelling noise. Lightspeed states that magnesium performs better at absorbing noise than plastic, and it also increases strength without increasing weight.

lightspeed zulu2 mic

The Zulu 2 is superior in blocking high frequency noise.   It uses patent-pending “Microport Vent”  technology and electronic cancellation components, the Zulu 2 offers improved active noise reduction (ANR) consistency and performance over a deep, broad range of low frequency noise. The magnesium ear cup is superior to plastic at blocking out high frequency noise.

Parts replacement is easy, and easy to adjust, the ear cups feature soft, leather like material, which are easily replaced and retail at about $30.  We find these ear cups last about 1-2 years. The head pad pulls off and can be easily snapped back into place, and it can also be replaced.

The flexible boom mic has an adjustment on it where you can adjust mic sensitivity.  You can use this when you exhaust all other options for noise adjustment, and when you fly with someone whose headset is unusually loud or quiet.  

lightspeed zuluBluetooth enabled

The controller has a sliding volume control, an auxiliary input,  plus controls for bluetooth. To activate the bluetooth, simply hold down the button until the light flashes red and blue – your headset is now in pairing mode and you can connect it to your cell phone.  With bluetooth, you can initiate voice dialing, answer or terminate a call, redial, or listen to music.

If you like to listen to music during your flights, we recommend using the auxiliary input in the controller for your phone or MP3 player instead of bluetooth. If you pair your device with bluetooth it uses battery from the headset and will drain it faster.  We recommend you use the bluetooth for calls only and the auxiliary for music so it preserves battery life.


The headset features an audio priority feature which slowly fades your music out while when there are radio transmissions.  The audio priority feature can be turned off so it just lowers music volume when ATC calls, and does not turn it off completely. It allows to music to remain playing in the background in your ears while you are active on the radio.

Flightlink compatible

Perhaps the coolest feature, and certainly most unique of this headset is it’s compatibility with FlightLink software. Lightspeeds FlightLink technology for iPad and iPhone is exclusive to Lightspeed headsets, and turns your headset into your personal cockpit.  This app is free and proprietary, developed by Lightspeed. FlightLink works seamlessly to capture and retrieve incoming and outgoing communications.

With FlightLink, users can record everything going through the intercom, archive communications and use it like a scratch pad for note taking.  It is a unique and useful feature which is extremely helpful for flight training. You can record all your communications of your flight and review it on the ground later.

The system can also be combined with the Zulu PFX headset, which allow the user to set a variety of personal and operational preferences (the Zulu PFX retails for $1100).

The Zulu 2 is very comparable to it’s more popular competitors, such as the Bose A20 for instance. One is price: the Zulu is very comparable in quality but is a few hundred dollars cheaper at $895.

Comes with twin plus for general aviation aircraft. The headset comes with a 5 year warranty.

Advantages

Considering that this headset has the same features, quality and comfort level as the more expensive headset and retails for a few hundred dollars less, it is a powerful competitor.

The Flightlink app is a great advantage, allowing you to easily record your flights along with notes.  This is incredibly useful for flight training. The Zulu also boasts better audio sound (music), comparable to the Sennheiser in audio quality.

Disadvantages

There is not too much negative feedback with this headset, with the exception of a lighter construction that is not as robust, including the cabling.  They are reportedly a little cheaper constructed than the Bose, but also lighter.  Some customers complain of the ear cups not sealing properly around your ears compared to other brands of sets, hence not sealing the noise out well enough when not in ANR mode.   The headset also tends to use more battery on average.

See how it compares with the Bose A20.

The Zulu 2 is available in our store and ships for free. Or, buy the latest Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset on Amazon.


Posted on by

Video of low-flying Piper Aerostar moments before crash

Amateur video footage captures the last tragic moments of a lone pilot in his Piper Aerostar twin airplane just moments before striking the ground. It appears that the pilot was performing low-flying manoeuvres over the Colorado neighbourhood over which he was flying.

Apparently the pilot was from the area, which crashed in a neighbourhood just outside of Aurora, Colorado. He was flying extremely low over the area, and it is suspected he was probably buzzing his own home or that of a friends.  The accident is a disturbing one for NTSB investigators, as the pilot likely knew the area and was performing dangerous, low flying manoeuvres over a populated area.

Low level flying over a populated area is illegal in many jurisdictions.  For example, Canadian Air Regulations (CARS) prohibits flight below 1000′ AGL over a built up, populated area (CARS 602.14).

The Aerostar 601, built in 1975 crashed in a fireball while performing aerobatic manoeuvres next to homes on the edge of Aurora. Nobody on the ground was hurt. The pilot has not yet been identified.


[divider]

Get all the top aviation stories emailed weekly

[divider]

Posted on by

Video of extreme airport approach and landing in Iceland

In keeping with a theme of amazing approaches, check out the latest we dug up. This one is to a small airport in the remote western fjords region in Iceland, in a Fokker 50 turboprop operated by Air Iceland.

This airport, Isafjordur in Iceland, (IFJ) is not for the faint of heart. You land on a runway that is positioned on one side of a fjord, which commands a u-turn that essentially wraps up the base leg and final leg in one turn.  There is no time to fly base – it’s downwind direct to final!

The airport serves the largest town in the Westfjords region of Iceland. It is only 8 feet (2 meters) above sea level and runways 08/26 are 4500′ long (1500 meters). There are definitely no right turns after departure from 08, and no left turns from 26.  An expedited left turn is required right after departure from 08.   Looks like an airport you wouldn’t want to go into on a day of low visibility, which probably happens often in this area considering it’s in the steep fjords right next to the ocean.

A Fokker 50 turboprop operated by Air Iceland.
A Fokker 50 turboprop operated by Air Iceland.

The aircraft in this video is a Fokker 50 turboprop, the model came into service in 1985 and is currently out of production.  Iceland Air has six of these airplanes in service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See another amazing approach from Milford Sound, New Zealand and an instrument approach to Queensland, also New Zealand.  It seems like airports in the fjords make for the best approach videos.


[divider]

Get all the top aviation stories emailed weekly

[divider]

Posted on by

Sexist note left on napkin for female Westjet Pilot

Coming by this sad  piece of news was especially disappointing given the fact that it’s worldwide women of aviation week.  Last Sunday, March 2, on a Calgary-based airline Westjet flight from  Calgary, Alberta to Victoria, BC, a male passenger only identifying himself as David, left a sexist note on a napkin for the female Captain.

The note was left on the seat for Boeing 737 Captain Carey Steacy, a seasoned pilot, who has been flying for 17 years. She was outraged at the note and posted the note on her facebook page, and has sparked a lot of support with hundreds of reposts and comments.   In the note, he states that a cockpit of an airplane is “no place for a woman” and that we are “short mothers, not pilots.”

sexist pilot note on napkin westjet
Sexist note left for female Westjet pilot. Image courtesy of Carey Steacy.

Flight attendants aboard the flight also indicated that the same passenger questioned them before takeoff if she had enough flight hours to fly the plane. It’s hard to believe there are people in this country that think like that, and especially sad for us that this happened so close to home, and to an airline we know so well.

Carey handled the incident with class and wit, and her employer, Westjet airlines condemned the remarks and called the note “disappointing.”

Because so few pilots are women, people just aren’t used to hearing a female on the PA system on their flight.  That can spark resentment. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of work to be done, and the word needs to spread that aviation is a viable career for women and men equally. Less than 5% of airline pilots are women, after all.  At Westjet, there are 58 female pilots and 1111 male pilots, which is right in that range.

The captains response

Here is Carey’s response to the note, as posted on her facebook page:

“To @David in 12E on my flight #463 from Calgary to Victoria today. It was my pleasure flying you safely to your destination. Thank you for the note you discreetly left me on your seat. You made sure to ask the flight attendants before we left if I had enough hours to be the Captain so safety is important to you, too. I have heard many comments from people throughout my 17 year career as a pilot. Most of them positive. Your note is, without a doubt, the funniest. It was a joke, right? RIGHT?? I thought, not. You were more than welcome to deplane when you heard I was a “fair lady.” You have that right. Funny, we all, us humans, have the same rights in this great free country of ours. Now, back to my most important role, being a mother.”

You go, Carey.  You are awesome.


[divider]

Get all the top aviation stories emailed weekly

[divider]

Posted on by

Women in Aviation Worldwide Week 2014

Did you know this week, March 3 – 9 is Women of Aviation Worldwide week?

Every year, the Women in Aviation international hosts a week promoting aviation for women.

During this week, over 300,000 women are expected to participate in many of the aviation events encouraging them to consider aviation as a career, in order to improve the number of women in the industry. This global outreach worldwide week is organized by non-profit company the institute for Women of Aviation Worldwide (iWOAW), which aspires to improve gender balance in a very male-dominated air and aerospace technical industry.

So how unbalanced is it for women anyway?

While women represent half of the world’s population, in aviation the numbers are still pretty dire in terms of gender representation.  For example: less than 2% of aircraft maintenance engineers are women, less than 5% of airline pilots are women, and less than 10% of aerospace engineers are women.

Raymonde de Laroche, first licensed female pilot.
Raymonde de Laroche, first licensed female pilot.

The annual week long event this March is an international week of awareness which celebrates women in aviation.  It’s always held at the same week of the year, around March 8 because on March 8, 1910, a pilots license was issued to a female for the first time – to Raymonde de Laroche.

Females around the world are invited to visit their local flight school to learn more about flying and aviation.   Many flight schools are hosting free “first flights” for women.  Check your local flight school if they have any promotions.

We had a look at what events were registered for our area. Sadly, there are none in Alberta where we are located but there are events in B.C., Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec. Lots of great events in these provinces – see if there is one near you.   In the U.S., there are activities in 18 states. See what’s happening in your state.

Women of Aviation Worldwide Week - This cool image is from iWOAW.org
Women of Aviation Worldwide Week – This cool image is from iWOAW.org

 Fly it Forward

Aviators around the world are encouraged to “fly it forward” by introducing a woman or girl to the world of aviation.  This could be taking them up for their first flight, for example, so that they can experience flight and know that the field is open to pursue it as a career.

The organization also presents awards to the organization, flight school, airport, pilot, instructor or other supporter who help in this endeavor. The weekly awards include:

Most female friendly airport: introduces most non pilot females to aviation during the week;

Most female friendly flight training centre: introduces the most non-pilot females to aviation during the week;

Most dedicated female pilot: woman pilot who introduces the most female non-pilots to aviation during the week; and

Most supportive male pilot: male pilot, non-instructor, who introduces the most female non-pilots to aviation during the week.

Last year, Canadian Waterloo-Wellingon Flight Centre was recognized as the most female pilot friendly training centre worldwide. This is thanks to their hard work promoting this important event.  This flight school is hosting many events during the week – including a fly in on March 8.  Check out their many exciting events.

There are some great challenges that are being held – one is an art contest, and there is also a first to solo challenge. The latter requires prompt action after the week and will go to the female who solos first after having discovered aviation during this week. This includes a prize of $1500! Pretty cool.

Check out the website for women of aviation worldwide week and for the institute for women of aviation worldwide.

Thank you so much to Women of Aviation Worldwide for organizing this amazing event year after year, and to all the businesses for participating and promoting aviation for women!