MAKE CHAPTER 288 YOUR AVIATION HOME! E-AB, TYPE CERTIFIED, VINTAGE, WARBIRD, ETC.
Don't Miss Our Next Meeting on THURSDAY, September 19th
The next date is approaching and we’re already making preparations.
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YOU ARE INVITED TO BECOME A MEMBER OF EAA 288
Chapter 288 works to continue the spirit of general aviation in the Daytona Beach area. We host several events throughout the year for our members which feature prominent aviators and aviation technology.
Chapter 288 members also volunteer at aviation related functions throughout the community to teach people about general aviation. Volunteering at local airshows and hosting Young Eagles events are some of the ways that EAA 288 members participate in the community.
Chapter 288's members are also very involved with the EAA on a national level. The chapter also has a good turnout at the EAA's annual fly-in, 'AirVenture', in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
To join, click the block below and fill out the simple membership form. Then you may pay your annual dues for our chapter which are only $25.
You may pay them at the monthly meeting via the old fashioned way, with cash when you enter the room OR you may pay by credit card by clicking the link in the box below:
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We look forward to meeting you and we welcome you to our Chapter!!
The Website was updated SEP 7th @ 0830
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2024 EAA288 DUES ARE NOW DUE. Please pay them!
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CONGRATULATIONS TO US!!!
OUR CHAPTER, EAA288
NOW HAS 303 MEMBERS
AND IT'S NOW THE LARGEST EAA CHAPTER - PERIOD!
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BASIC MED EXPANSION IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
BUT IT'S NOT HERE YET
For those wanting more from BasicMed, your wait is almost over. On May 16, 2024, President Biden signed into law H.R.3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (the “Act”). Part of the Act is Section 828, entitled “Expansion of BasicMed.”
Among other things, Congress made two meaningful changes to the definition of “covered aircraft” (i.e., aircraftallowed to be operated under the BasicMed rules). First, Congress increased the maximum certificated takeoff weight to “not more than 12,500 pounds” (up from 6,000 pounds). Second, Congress increased the number of occupants the aircraft is authorized to carry to seven (up from six). To correspond with this increase, Congress modified the BasicMed operating limitations by allowing for an extra passenger (now six, up from five). Soon, a BasicMed pilot will be able to operate an aircraft up to 12,500 lbs MTOW and authorized for up to seven occupants with six passengers onboard.
Operationally, nothing else has changed. A pilot operating under BasicMed is still limited to 250 knots or less, 18,000 MSL and below, and may not fly for compensation or hire.
So, when can you start taking advantage of this amendment? Even though the statute was amended when signed by the President, the regulations have yet to be updated (and that will take some time). While the Act includes a mandate for the FAA to update its regulations, there is no timeframe given for when the FAA must act. Fortunately, there is also an "applicability" paragraph which requires the FAA to “apply parts 61 and 68 … in a manner reflecting the amendments made by this section” 180 days after the enactment of the Act (i.e., November 12, 2024). Although the law has been enacted, we recommend waiting the full 180 days or until the FAA updates its regulations, whichever occurs first.
There's also some good news for DPEs. In section 815 of the Act, Congress opened the door for DPEs and other pilot examiners to utilize BasicMed to administer practical tests and proficiency checks “notwithstanding [FAR] 61.23(a)(3)(iv).” The FAA is developing the policy necessary for DPEs to perform their functions under BasicMed. The Act gives the FAA up to three years to promulgate the corresponding rules, which is in work now. This rulemaking will not hold up DPEs’ use of BasicMed; once the policy is complete, they can use BasicMed. Once the policy is out, we encourage DPEs to consult with their managing office before making the switch to avoid unnecessary issues.
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New airport fees could be coming to several Florida airports, with invoices autogenerated using ADS-B data.
A new proposal to impose landing fees and use ADS-B data for invoicing operators at several Florida GA airports is drawing criticism from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). It’s unclear what the revenue from the fees, many tentatively set at $3 per 1,000 pounds of aircraft weight, would be used for. AOPA points out that local taxpayers pay a minimal amount to support airports that are largely federally funded.
The initiative is incentivized by new technological capability to invoice operators based on ADS-B data. AOPA said in a statement that Florida contracted with a company named Virtower, which has a strategic partnership with Vector Airport Systems to use Virtower’s ADS-B data to automatically invoice aircraft operators. Vector has been reaching out to Florida airport sponsors to pitch its services.
In its statement, AOPA wrote, “[ADS-B data] was never intended to be used to collect fees, or to enable aircraft tracking by third parties. AOPA is considering legislative action to make sure ADS-B data is used solely for its intended purpose.” The fees could be imposed as early as Oct. 1 throughout the state “as local officials race to take advantage of a newly available opportunity.”
And the fees could set in motion a domino effect. John Eiff, airport manager at DeLand Airport, said at a public meeting that his intent in imposing the fees is to deter an influx of traffic from other nearby airports that are imposing the fees. He said, “The primary reason we are even considering a landing fee is to protect ourselves from other airports that are signing up for this. We’ve got Orlando Executive, Kissimmee, Flagler, Ormond Beach and us that are considering landing fees. If we do not impose landing fees, airplanes that are using the other airports and paying landing fees, they will choose to come to DeLand and saturate our pattern to an unsafe level. For us to add a landing fee is kind of protection against this.”
AOPA Southern Regional Manager Stacey Heaton said, “The city and county governments considering these new landing fees have been conspicuously silent about the fact that these airports appear to be in good financial condition, and they’ve received $67 million in federal grants, collectively, over the past decade. This is misguided and stands to devastate the flight training industry and local Florida pilots.”
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GO NASA -- GO MEATBALL
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Our 2023 Ray Scholarship Awardee
New heights: Spruce Creek tennis star Zane Ensminger owns his pilot license and big plans
by Chris Vinel: Daytona Beach News-Journal
Click Below to read this article
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'SPRUCE CREEK GAGGLE' IN SKIES
Seasoned pilots display skills weekly from airpark
from: Nadia Zomorodian
Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY NETWORK
If you live in Volusia County, you might regularly see groups of airplanes flying over the region in formation and wonder, who are these people?
They are members of an informal club called the “Spruce Creek Gaggle.” They live in the Spruce-Creek Fly-In, the largest residential airpark in the nation.
The Gaggle has been around for more than 20 years, they tell us. There are roughly 25 members. Most are highly experienced pilots who have spent many hours in the cockpit. Saturday they can be seen in the skies above Volusia County flying many different kinds of airplanes.
Flying in formation can be risky, so pilots are extra careful in their preparation.
On Saturdays, they meet and go over a detailed flight itinerary. It includes a report of current winds, temperatures, and cloud heights. Also discussed are flying events of the day and future plans. They do not fly when the weather is bad or when the wind gusts over 20 mph.
The group participates in flyovers at community events and holiday celebrations. They can also be seen flying the “missing man” formation for celebrations of life. Individually, the pilots fly local kids on introductory flights as part of the Young Eagles program of the Experimental Aircraft Association After the briefing, the group heads to their planes for takeoff. On most Friday nights the group practices.
The Gaggle has made quite a name for itself locally and is well-known at the Spruce Creek Fly-In. They were even profiled in a 2004 edition of Smithsonian Magazine.
“I started flying an airplane solo before I could drive over 57 years ago. I've been teaching and flying formation for over 48 years and enjoy the challenge of flying with fellow pilots as it's different every flight.”
Jeff Edwards Gaggle member
Jeff Edwards is a Gaggle member. He's been around aviation his whole life. His dad flew in World War II and was an airline mechanic for over 40 years.
“I started flying an airplane solo before I could drive over 57 years ago,” he told the News-Journal. “I've been teaching and flying formation for over 48 years and enjoy the challenge of flying with fellow pilots as it's different every flight.”
So the next time you see that formation of planes overhead, be sure and wave, it might just be members of the Gaggle.
Nadia Zomorodian is a regular contributor to The Daytona Beach News-Journal and enjoys watching the Gaggle from her home in Port Orange.
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The Experimental Aircraft Association Sport Aviation Halls of Fame continue to grow as six new inductees will be honored as part of the 2024 class. The six inductees each represent a different area of aviation – homebuilders, ultralights, the International Aerobatic Club, the Vintage Aircraft Association, and EAA Warbirds of America.
The 2024 inductees include:
- EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame: Sebastien Heintz – Owner and president of Zenith Aircraft Company, a leading aircraft kit manufacturer
- International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame: Linda Meyers Morrissey – Multi-time medalist at the World Aerobatic Championship, and long-time member of the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team
- Warbirds of America Hall of Fame: Frank Strickler – A former Air Force and American Airlines pilot, and founder of Fox 51, a maintenance business focused on antique and warbird airplanes
- Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame: Dave and Jeanne Allen (posthumous) – Husband-wife restoration team known for several outstanding projects including a 1930 Waco ASO and a 1947 Piper PA-11 Cub Special
- EAA Ultralights Hall of Fame: Dave Goulet (posthumous) – Co-founder of Quad City Ultralight Corporation, known for manufacturing the Quad City Challenger
The EAA Sport Aviation Halls of Fame were established to honor the outstanding achievements of men and women in aviation who share the spirit of EAA and its community. Those inducted into the halls of fame are selected by their peers for myriad contributions made to their respective areas of aviation.
EAA will honor the new inductees at a dinner ceremony on October 16, 2024, in the Eagle Hangar of the EAA Aviation Museum.
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AND THE WINNING NATIONAL CHAMPBIONSHIP AIR RACING HOST CITY IS…
by Mark Phelps, AOPA
The decision is in, and the winning contender to host the National Championship Air Races is … Roswell, New Mexico.
The Reno Air Racing Association (perhaps they chose Roswell partly so they wouldn’t have to change their ‘RARA’ acronym?) announced late yesterday (May 23) that the first air races will take place in Roswell in September 2025. The competition will continue to include seven classes of air racing (still no word of an official extraterrestrial class), static displays, military demonstrations and more.
The site will be the Roswell Air Center airport (KROW), a former military airfield about five miles outside of town. The 5,000-acre airport is widely known as a storage facility (aka “boneyard”) for retired airliners and other aircraft—notable among them, Elvis Presley’s Lockheed JetStar, finally sold at auction in 2017 after more than 30 years at KROW. Among the reasons for choosing Roswell over the other two finalists, Casper, Wyoming, and Pueblo, Colorado, was the range of side attractions nearby, such as the Mescalero Sand Dunes, the Walker Aviation Museum located onsite at KROW, the Spring River Zoo, Carlsbad Caverns and of course the city of Roswell itself, famous for its connection to the history of investigating unidentified flying objects. An annual UFO Festivalis held in Roswell in early July.
After a long history of racing in Reno dating back to 1964, there will be no National Championship races this year, but the Nevada city will host a 60th anniversary celebration and airshow in October, including a full slate of military display teams and individual performers. Fred Telling, CEO and chairman of the board of the RARA, said of the association’s ultimate decision, “While Roswell was chosen, we are truly grateful for the overwhelming support, dedication, and enthusiasm shown by all the communities who submitted their bids to host our event. We’re thrilled to bring our honored tradition of racing [to Roswell] and are confident that they have both the enthusiasm and resources to expand the future of our races for many generations to come.”
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THE COUNTDOWN TO SUN n FUN 2025 IS UNDERWAY
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THE COUNTDOWN TO AIRVENTURE 2025 IS UNDERWAY
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THIS WAS --> EAA AIRVENTURE - 2024
Attendance
Approximately 686,000 – Highest total on record! (Previous: 677,000 - 2023).
“We had record-setting totals of campers, exhibitors, volunteers, and more. It was also a challenging year at times with weather, logistics, and other factors, which makes me even more proud of the efforts by our volunteers and staff to organize an outstanding event.”
Total Aircraft
More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 16,780 aircraft operations in the 11-day period from July 18-28, which is an average of approximately 113 takeoffs/landings per hour when the airport is open.
Total Showplanes
2,846 including: 1,200 vintage aircraft, 975 homebuilt aircraft, 337 warbirds, 154 ultralights and light planes, 82, aerobatic aircraft, 65 seaplanes and amphibians, 52 aerobatic aircraft, 23 rotorcraft, and 10 balloons.
Camping
More than 15,000 sites in aircraft and drive-in camping accounted for more than 40,000 visitors.
Volunteers
Nearly 6,000 contributing in excess of 250,000 hours.
Commercial exhibitors
861 (record number).
Forums, Workshops, and Presentations
More than 1,600 sessions hosted during the week at 65 venues.
Social Media, Internet and Mobile
More than 23.9 million people were reached by EAA’s social media channels during AirVenture, with engagement of 3.7 million; Total social media video views: 17 million (up 149 percent over 2023); Nearly 45,000 social media followers gained; More than 142,000 hours of viewing EAA video clips online also occurred during the event.
International guests
A total of 2,581 attendees registering at the International Visitors Tent from a record-setting 98 countries outside the U.S., a 9 percent increase over 2023. As a significant number of international visitors do not officially register at the tent when they arrive, the actual international visitor total is much higher.
The Gathering shines
The EAA Aviation Foundation’s annual event to support its aviation education programs attracted more than 1,000 people and raised a record $2.8 million dollars that will be focused on EAA’s mission of growing participation in aviation.
Media
836 media representatives on-site, from six continents.
Economic impact*
$170 million for the five counties in the Oshkosh region (Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Brown). * - based on 2017 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh economic impact study
Upcoming Events
AirVenture 2025 Outlook
“We’ve already received plenty of ideas for next year and a little bit later this summer, we’ll begin reviewing what might be possible for 2025. Our annual goal is to create a gathering of people and airplanes that is found nowhere else in the world, and continue to improve the experience for EAA members and visitors.”
Starliner Returns to Safely Returns to Earth
September 7, 2024
The Starliner spacecraft was released from the space station at approximately 6:04 p.m. EDT, springs pushing the spacecraft away − in the opposite direction of the space station before it fired its thrusters without issue. Starliner flew up and over the space station before preforming its deorbit burn. The thrusters, which caused the concern about the spacecraft, preformed without issue.
Just after midnight Eastern time, Starliner landed under parachute and airbag at NASA's White Sands Space Harbor facility in New Mexico. Boeing teams began action to recover the spacecraft, which will be shipped back to Kennedy Space Center for evaluation.
September 2, 2024
In space no one can hear Starliner pulse anymore. The cause of the strange pulsing noise in one of the speakers on the Boeing crew capsule reported by astronaut Butch Wilmore on Saturday has been found and turned off. "The feedback from the speaker was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and Starliner," NASA said in an X post. "The speaker feedback Wilmore reported has no technical impact to the crew, Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner’s uncrewed undocking from the station no earlier than Friday, Sept. 6."
September 1, 2024
NASA astronaut stuck in space reports ‘strange noises’ coming from troubled Starliner capsule
Starliner slated to leave International Space Station on Sept 6, return to Earth on autopilot
A NASA astronaut at the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday reported hearing a "strange noise" coming from the Boeing Starliner spacecraft just days before it is set to leave the station and return to Earth on autopilot.
The astronaut, Butch Wilmore, radioed Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston to inquire about the noise.
On an audio recording of the exchange, Wilmore holds up a phone to the speakers so that Mission Control could hear the noise he was referring to. A pulsating sound emanating at steady intervals can be heard through Wilmore’s device.
"Butch, that one came through," Mission Control says after not hearing it the first time. "It was kind of like a pulsating noise, almost like a sonar ping."
"I’ll do it one more time and let you all scratch your heads and see if you can figure out what’s going on," Wilmore tells Mission Control, playing the sound one more time.
Mission Control tells Wilmore the recording will be passed along and that they'll let him know what they find.
Wilmore clarifies that the sound is emanating from the speaker inside the Starliner.
The bizarre sound was first reported by Ars Technica, which cited a recording first captured and shared by Michigan-based meteorologist Rob Dale.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Mission Control and Boeing to inquire if the source of the sound has been identified.
Starliner is slated to undock from the ISS, empty, and attempt to return on autopilot with a touchdown in the New Mexico desert.
NASA decided it was too risky to bring back Wilmore and Suni Williams until February. The astronauts were originally slated for a weeklong trip in early June, but the mission has been mired in problems after thruster failures and helium leaks.
Boeing had counted on Starliner’s first crew trip to revive the troubled spacecraft program after years of del
ays and ballooning costs. The company had insisted Starliner was safe based on all the recent thruster tests in both space and on the ground.
this from: FOX News
August 24, 2024
NASA officials announced on Saturday that the troubled Boeing Starliner spacecraft that shuttled two astronauts to space in June will return to earth without them.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stuck in space after engineers discovered helium leaks and issues involving thrusters shortly after Boeing's CST-100 Starliner docked with the International Space Station, which prompted NASA and Boeing to investigate.
The uncrewed return allows NASA and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight back to earth, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew, NASA officials said.
"The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star," NASA administrator Bill Nelson told reporters.
"I’m grateful to both the NASA and Boeing teams for all their incredible and detailed work."
The pair originally blasted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 5, on a test flight mission that was initially expected to last a week.
They will now return with a SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon mission, which will not launch before Sept. 24 as that mission needs to reduce its crew of four to two to make room for the stranded astronauts, who are expected to return in February 2025. The Crew-9 mission will carry additional cargo as well as Dragon-specific spacesuits for Wilmore and Williams, as their Boeing spacesuits are incompatible with the SpaceX spacecraft.
Since the problems were identified, engineering teams have been poring over data, conducting flight and ground testing, as well as developing various return contingency plans.
The uncertainty and lack of expert agreement about being able to return the crew safely on the Starliner prompted NASA leadership to move the astronauts to the Crew-9 mission.
Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and land back on earth autonomously in early September, which it is designed to do. The spacecraft has completed two uncrewed flights in the past.
Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said Starliner is a very capable spacecraft and, ultimately, the decision came down to needing a higher level of certainty to perform a crewed return.
"The NASA and Boeing teams have completed a tremendous amount of testing and analysis, and this flight test is providing critical information on Starliner’s performance in space," Stich said.
"Our efforts will help prepare for the uncrewed return and will greatly benefit future corrective actions for the spacecraft."
Aug 19, 2024
The latest on the evolving story of the Boeing Starliner Spacecraft
As NASA brass debate the future of its crew capsule, Boeing is said to be trying to get out of the space launch business. Reuters is reporting that Boeing and Lockheed Martin, who jointly operate United Launch Alliance, are in talks to sell their rocket business to Sierra Space, a subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation, an increasingly influential defense contractor that recently landed a $13 billion deal to build the federal government's new Survivable Airborne Operations System based on five used Boeing 747-8s.
The talks about the rocket business are in their early stages, and ULA has previously tried to unload it without success. The company competes with SpaceX to launch government payloads into orbit. Reuters said the company should bring in between $2 billion-$3 billion and could fit Sierra Nevada's plan to bring its Dream Chaser space plane to market and service the space station it's planning to build in partnership with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin.
Meanwhile, NASA officials say they continue to consider options to return two test pilot astronauts to Earth after an extended stay, but it seems unlikely Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will be going back on the Boeing Starliner crew capsule. A decision on whether to use the problematic capsule must be made by the end of August and NASA brass told reporters earlier this week that it's considering a variety of alternative plans to get them home, including leaving them on the ISS for another six months as substitute members of a new four-member crew that will launch to the ISS for a six-month tour in September. Instead of bringing four astronauts, the SpaceX rocket would have two crew on board who would return with Williams and Wilmore after their tour is complete.
Aug 9, 2024
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have now spent more than two months on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Boeing Starliner’s crew flight test (CFT), which the space agency intended to be an eight-day stay. NASA now says they may not return until February.
NASA officials on Wednesday held a media briefing, during which stakeholders revealed that confidence in Starliner’s ability to return the astronauts is waning. According to Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of the agency’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, teams are “getting more serious about evaluating our other options.”
The primary alternative, officials said, is to fly SpaceX’s upcoming Crew-9 mission with two astronauts rather than four, leaving room for Wilmore and Williams to hitch a ride when that mission concludes in February. They estimated that NASA will make a decision by mid-August.
“We could take either path,” Bowersox said.
Boeing and SpaceX representatives were not present on the call, the intention of which, NASA said, was to provide the agency’s perspective on the mission.
On its way up to the ISS, Starliner suffered two main issues that are giving crews pause over how to return the astronauts. A set of helium leaks that emerged on the spacecraft have since stabilized, according to NASA. However, the other issue, which involves five faulty reaction control system (RCS) thrusters on Starliner’s expendable service module, is still being evaluated.
Officials on Wednesday said ground testing of an identical thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico revealed that the problem is linked to a tiny Teflon seal on an oxidizer poppet, which controls the flow of propellant into the thruster. Teams theorize that the extreme heat the thrusters experienced during Starliner’s rendezvous with the ISS caused the Teflon to expand, inhibiting flow and causing them to fire at weaker-than-expected levels.
According to Steve Stich, who manages NASA’s Commercial Crew program, a July 27 Starliner hot fire test showed that the affected thrusters—with the exception of one, which has been deactivated—are now firing as expected. This has led engineers to hypothesize that the teflon seals contracted and are no longer blocking propellant from reaching the thrusters. Now, the task is to understand how and why.
Teams are working to better understand how those seals might behave during Starliner’s return trip, but there is not yet consensus on whether they are good to go. According to Bowersox and Stich, there is internal disagreement about returning the astronauts on Starliner versus Dragon, which was amplified with the discovery of the faulty teflon seal.
Aug 6, 2024
Dragon Rescue For Starliner Crew Looking More Likely
It's looking more likely that test pilots Sunni Williams and Butch Wilmore won't be going Boeing for their trip back to earth from the International Space Station. Instead, there are reports now leaking out of NASA that a SpaceX Dragon capsule will do a quick turnaround launch from Cape Canaveral to pick them up and take them home. Before that can happen, the problem-plagued Starliner crew capsule that took them to the ISS will be sent back empty to make room for the Dragon to dock. Several space publications are reporting anonymous sources as saying there's at least an even chance the Starliner will be considered too risky for an occupied reentry.
The decision will likely be announced soon because there's a long-scheduled Dragon flight scheduled to bring four long-term tenants to the ISS on Aug. 18. The sources are now saying that flight, dubbed Crew Nine, will be pushed to Sept. 24 and two pilots will take their capsule to the ISS for the sole purpose of picking up Williams and Wilmore, who NASA continues to insist are not "stranded" on the station. The Crew Nine mission is supposed to take three NASA astronauts and one Russian to the ISS for a six-month rotation. The Starliner has major issues with its maneuvering thrusters and has sprung at least five helium leaks.
Aug 4, 2024
The Boeing spacecraft was supposed to remain at the International Space Station for eight days but has seen its stay extended to nearly two months.
A Boeing spacecraft responsible for returning two NASA astronauts to Earth has contended with an array of issues that have extended its stay on the International Space Station from eight days to nearly two months. Over the weekend, though, engineers conducted a test that could be critical in bringing home NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner—a semireusable spacecraft under a multibillion-dollar contract with NASA for Commercial Crew rotation missions to the ISS—underwent a hot fire test on Saturday intended to evaluate the capsule’s reaction control system (RCS) thrusters. The vessel is in the midst of its crewed flight test (CFT), which is intended to be its final mission before NASA certifies it for service.
On its way to the orbital laboratory, five of Starliner’s RCS thrusters failed to perform as expected, which, coupled with a series of helium leaks, has led NASA and Boeing to keep the spacecraft at the ISS for further testing both on the ground and in orbit. The issues are traced to the spacecraft’s service module, which, unlike the semireusable crew module, will be jettisoned and lost at the end of the mission.
Starliner had already undergone one on-orbit hot fire test in June. According to Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, all thrusters, except for one which has been shut down, performed at 80 to 100 percent during that test. Stich in July said the space agency continues to hold that assessment.
However, it appears the test was not satisfactory for NASA and Boeing, which last month began hot fire ground testing at White Sands Test Facility Test Facility in New Mexico. The campaign is using an identical thruster to recreate the cadence of Starliner’s thrusters during its docking with the ISS, which engineers believe is the maneuver that caused the issue.
As part of those evaluations, officials suggested there could be a second hot fire test of Starliner on orbit, which came to fruition Saturday. With Wilmore and Williams inside the spacecraft, teams fired 27 of the service module’s 28 RCS thrusters one at a time.
The test showed that all thrusters are back to preflight levels, firing at 97 to 102 percent of peak thrust according to Boeing. In addition, engineers confirmed that helium leak rates remain stable and that the spacecraft has more than enough fuel for its return trip.
Boeing predicted that a flight test readiness review will take place by the end of this week, following which teams will select a return date. Wilmore and Williams will also participate in two undocking simulations during the week in preparation for their homecoming.
The astronauts in July gave their first Earth-to-orbit update since arriving at the ISS, saying they are in good spirits and have been in contact with their families.
from: Flying Magazine
SEE VIDEOS OF OUR 2024 TAXI-IN
Stefan Buntenbach took some great videos of the aircraft during the Taxi-In this year. They are attached here as YouTube links. Please enjoy them, and pass them on to those outside the chapter if you like. Many thanks to Stefan for the hard work he put in.
Here are the links:
This one shows just the drone footage:
EAA288 TAXI-IN PICTURES - OUR MARCH 2024 MEETING EVENT
EAA288 TAXI-IN PICTURES - OUR APRIL 2023 MEETING EVENT
Do You use FAASafety.gov? Then Register for New MyAccess MFA Service
Notice Number: NOTC3222
Date: Sep 29, 2023
For individuals who access FAASafety.gov, this message contains information regarding an upcoming change.
The FAA’s Office of Information & Technology is pleased to introduce the FAA’s enhanced MyAccess multi-factor authentication (MFA) service, used to secure access to the FAA’s network, systems, and applications.
In October 2023, the new MyAccess MFA service will secure access to the FAASafety.gov website for external (non-DOT/FAA) users.
As a result of this change, you will no longer be able to log-in using your current username and password. Instead, you will need to use the FAA’s new MyAccess MFA service via the Okta Verify or Google Authenticator app that you can install on your computer or mobile device.
- If you are an employee or contractor of a U.S. federal agency (excluding DOT/FAA): Register your existing CAC/PIV account with Max.gov. Visit Max.gov and select “Register for a Max.gov account”. After your Max.gov account registration is complete, visit the FAA’s MyAccess login webpage, select “Sign in with Federal CAC/PIV”, and then follow the prompts to sign in with your CAC/PIV card to complete your registration with MyAccess.
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AMATEUR-BUILT FLIGHT TESTING CRITERIA HAS CHANGED
Task-Based Phase 1 is Revolutionizing Flight Testing
AND NOW
A NEW VIDEO ON THIS IS AVAILABLE FOR EAA MEMBERS TO VIEW
CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW
THEN
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A multi-year project between the FAA and EAA has resulted in important changes being inserted into the latest advisory circular pertaining to Experimental/Amateur-Built flight testing. In the latest version of AC90-89 (the C suffix), it includes a task-based Phase I flight test option to the traditional 25- or 40-hour programs. In short, when the tasks are successfully completed, the airplane is released from Phase I flight test.
According to the FAA, the latest version of AC90-89 “attempts to make you aware that test flying an aircraft or ultralight vehicle is a critical undertaking, which you should approach with thorough planning, skill, and common sense. The flight test plan is the heart of all professional flight testing. The plan should account for every hour spent in the flight test phase and you should adhere to it with the same respect for the unknown that all successful test pilots share.”
As part of the changes, a new concept called the Aircraft Operations Handbook has been introduced. The idea is that information gathered during Phase I flight test is fed back into the AOH for the purposes of performance verification and operational cues. (Currently, homebuilts are not required to have a tradition POH [pilot operating handbook] or AFM [aircraft flight manual].) According to the FAA, “This AC also provides criteria for the use of an optional, operationally centric or task-based experimental aircraft flight test plan. This task-based option provides at least the same level of safety and reliability that the existing hourly minimum 25 or 40-hour flight test provides, but with the advantages of having operational completion criteria, a plan to record data for the creation of an AOH, and a flight test report documenting the flight testing results.” EAA and industry generally have been proponents of the flight-test cards and structured program as a more useful alternative to “free form” types of Phase I flight test.
Compliance with the new system requires use of the EAA test cards and alterations to the operating limitations. According to EAA, “In order to utilize the task-based flight testing program, the aircraft must have an operating limitation that allows the program’s use. Operating limitations are issued along with the airworthiness certificate by the FAA or DAR as part of the airworthiness certification process. EAA expects that the FAA will update policy on operating limitations soon so that the standard operating limitations will include the task-based Phase I authorization language. If you are currently in Phase I flight testing or plan to have your aircraft inspected soon, email govt@eaa.org for details on how to obtain the new task-based Phase I operating limitation.”
REMEMBER - A GOOD PREFLIGHT IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!
ULA/BOEING STARLINER PHOTOS - CST-100 JUNE 5, 2024
UPCOMING & PAST LAUNCHES FROM KSC and CCSFS
SPACEX WILL LAUNCH THE FALCON- 9 POLARIS DAWN MISSION NOW SEP 9 @ 0338 FROM LC-39A
SPACEX WILL LAUNCH A FALCON 9 WITH THE GALILEO FM26/32 MISSION SEP 15 @ 2257 FROM SLC-40
SPACEX WILL LAUNCH THE FALCON- 9 POLARIS DAWN MISSION NOW SEP 9 @ 0338 FROM LC-39A
There was a weather delay, then a helium leak delay and now a few more weather delays. Patience and safety are the names of the game.
First of the 3 "Polaris" series missions paid for by Jared Isaacman. The mission will include the first private citizen spacewalk and ascend to 1,400 kilometers, the highest orbit with humans since the Apollo 17 moon mission.
SPACEX WILL LAUNCH A FALCON 9 BLUEBIRD 1-1 MISSION SEP 12 @ 0852 FROM SLC-40
SPACEX WILL LAUNCH A FALCON 9 WITH THE GALILEO FM26/32 MISSION SEP 15 @ 2257 FROM SLC-40
SPACEX WILL LAUNCH THE FALCON- 9 POLARIS DAWN MISSION NOW SEP 9 @ 0338 FROM LC-39A
The first 5 satellites for AST SpaceMobile. The constellation will feature direct-to-device service.
The booster will be recovered on a barge on the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after launch.
SPACEX WILL LAUNCH A FALCON 9 WITH THE GALILEO FM26/32 MISSION SEP 15 @ 2257 FROM SLC-40
SPACEX WILL LAUNCH A FALCON 9 WITH THE GALILEO FM26/32 MISSION SEP 15 @ 2257 FROM SLC-40
A UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE (ULA) VULCAN ROCKET WILL LAUNCH THE CERT-2 MISSION ON SEP 16(?) @ TBD
A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch a batch of satellites for
the European Commission for the Galileo Satellite Constellation. This will be the second of 2 launches for the European Commission.
The booster will be recovered on a barge on the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after launch.
A UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE (ULA) VULCAN ROCKET WILL LAUNCH THE CERT-2 MISSION ON SEP 16(?) @ TBD
A UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE (ULA) VULCAN ROCKET WILL LAUNCH THE CERT-2 MISSION ON SEP 16(?) @ TBD
A UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE (ULA) VULCAN ROCKET WILL LAUNCH THE CERT-2 MISSION ON SEP 16(?) @ TBD
Tory Bruno, chief executive of ULA, said that the upcoming Cert-2 mission, now scheduled for Sep 16, will carry an inert payload the company originally built as a backup in case the payload for the first Vulcan launch, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander, suffered delays. It will take the place of Dream Chaser, a cargo spaceplane that was to make its first flight to the International Space Station.
“We have been informed by Sierra Space that they feel that they have significant risk towards making the mid-year flight date” previously planned for Cert-2, he said. “They told us they will step aside in order to support our critical national security space missions that will come afterwards.”
ULA is impatient to launch Cert-2 because it is the second of two launches needed for the Space Force to certify the rocket for launching national security payloads. The company says it wants to launch two of those missions, designated USSF-106 and USSF-87, before the end of the year.
SPACEX WILL LAUNCH A FALCON 9 CREW-9 MISSION NOW SEP 24 @ 1450 FROM LC-39A
A UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE (ULA) VULCAN ROCKET WILL LAUNCH THE CERT-2 MISSION ON SEP 16(?) @ TBD
SUCCESS! SPACEX LAUNCHED A FALCON 9 STARLINK 8-11 MISSION SEP 5 @ 1533 FROM LC-40
SpaceX Crew-9 is planned to be the ninth crewed operational NASA Commercial Crew flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the 15th overall crewed orbital flight. The Crew-9 mission will transport four crew members to the International Space Station, Zena Cardman; Nick Hague; Stephanie Wilson; Aleksandr Gorbunov
The booster will be recovered on a barge on the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after launch.
SUCCESS! SPACEX LAUNCHED A FALCON 9 STARLINK 8-11 MISSION SEP 5 @ 1533 FROM LC-40
A UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE (ULA) VULCAN ROCKET WILL LAUNCH THE CERT-2 MISSION ON SEP 16(?) @ TBD
SUCCESS! SPACEX LAUNCHED A FALCON 9 STARLINK 8-11 MISSION SEP 5 @ 1533 FROM LC-40
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system. The booster was recovered on a barge on the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after launch.
OVER 70? PAYING HIGHER AIRCRAFT INSURANCE PREMIUMS?
A recent survey conducted by AOPA of pilots and aircraft owners across the country confirmed what we have been hearing from many members for several years: Older pilots who are just as safe, current, and proficient as any others continue to find their insurance policies unceremoniously dropped or canceled, or much more expensive—just for being a day older than 70.
Our History
Daytona Beach's Spirit of Aviation
Daytona Beach's Spirit of Aviation
Chapter 288 started in the 1970s, and originally met at nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The chapter took regular trips to the Spruce Creek Fly-In, located in Port Orange, Florida, and soon moved their meeting location to Spruce Creek. Chapter 288 is unique, because of it's location. 288 is located at the intersection of young aviation enthusiasts from the University and experienced aviators along Florida's Space Coast.
Daytona Beach's Spirit of Aviation
Daytona Beach's Spirit of Aviation
Daytona Beach's Spirit of Aviation
Chapter 288 works to continue the spirit of general aviation in Daytona Beach area. We host several events throughout the year for our members which feature prominent aviators and aviation technology. Chapter 288 members also volunteer at aviation related functions throughout the community to teach people about general aviation. Volunteering at local airshows and hosting
Young Eagles events are some of the ways that EAA 288 members participate in the community. Chapter 288's members are also very involved with the EAA on a national level. The chapter has a good turnout at the EAA's annual fly-in "AirVenture" in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
EAA HQ OSHKOSH, WI
Daytona Beach's Spirit of Aviation
EAA HQ OSHKOSH, WI
The EAA works on a national level to help endure the "spirit of aviation." They work to get children who have an interest in becoming a pilot, air traffic controller, mechanic, etc. achieve their goals. EAA sponsors workshops for homebuilders teaching skills neccesary for them to build their own airplanes. Founded in 1953 by Paul Poberezney, the EAA has worked for over 60 years to keep general aviation alive and prospering into the future. They work today with other aviation organizations to ensure that aviation friendly laws are passed in Washington D.C., and to help ensure that general aviaiton will continue well into the future. To learn more about the Experimental Aircraft Association on a national level, and how to join, please visit their website at EAA.ORG