HB 1689   2-16-12 - A bill (HB 1689)  intended to make the hangars taxable and to reverse House Bill 2 of 2011 was introduced this year by Rep. Fred Leonard of Rochester. This bill was reported unfavorably from the House Municipal and County Government Committee, and on February 15 was resoundingly defeated (roughly 80% against), declaring it “ITL “(Inexpedient To Legislate). The City of Rochester will not be sending out hangar tax bills for the current year. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Aerobatic Capable LSA ~ 02-15-12: Aerobatic capable? Here's another light sport that claims to be 100% made in the USA. The company is called Renegrade seems to have two aircraft on their website. A low wing model called the Falcon, and a Pitts like looking biplane called the FK-12 Comet. I have to say, that the low wing model looks pretty streamline with a very impressive intrument panel. It also features Lycomings new 4 cylinder IO-233-LSA 123 hp. A visti to Wiki shows both aircraft have their roots in Europe and are now being built in the US. The big point that Avweb made on their video was that the Renegage Falcon is the first plane to have Lycoming's new IO-233-LSA. Click on the icons for more info...

EAA Chapter 225 ~ -02-09-12: Here's a copy of "The Seacoast Airfoil" sent in by Gerry Peterson:

First Week of February? -02-07-12: Do you believe this is the first week of February? Unusual weather for sure, but for some the 48 degree temperatures is a welcome site. Although the winds aloft were blowing a brisk 45 knots, and  it translated at some airports to be 13 knots gusting to 21 knots. A good day to brush up on your cross wind landings. The winds aloft in northern VT and NH were reported from 290 degrees at 64 knots at 9000 and 280 at 36 knots at 3000. A typical westerly flight, fly low going west, fly high coming east. Aside from a little mild turbulence, Monday (2-6-12) was a beautiful day to take a ride around the neighborhood.

Navigationally Challenged General Aviation Pilots ~ -02-04-12 The mission of the Civil Air Patrol seems to cover a wide range of activities. Recently, an article in the AOPA newsletter talked about how F-16 pilots practice general aviation intercepts by using the CAP as the make believe unsuspecting "navigationally challenged pilot" (or bad guy terroist), that has wondered into the forbidden D.C. airspace. The CAP were flying a single-engine, fixed-gear GippsAero G-8 Airvan, an Australian made utility aircraft that's used in the outback country of Australia. The Airvan also has a Garmin MX20 multi-function display that allowed them to track the approaching F-16's as blips on the MFD before they could be seen out the window. I guess I've watched to many Steven Spielberg movies lately. I thought the video was going to be more exciting... they could have at least recorded the sound from the afterburner blast... Click on my Photoshop rendition of the event to see the movie.

Vans RV-7A Homebuilt ~ -02-01-12: There's some beautiful aircraft in the neighborhood that are hiding behind closed doors, but if your patient and stay on the alert, you just might see one land at Skyhaven, or you might make a landing at Littlebrook Airport and catch a hangar door partially open revealing an aircraft that is truly one man's treasure. Take for example the smooth lines and aerodynamic shape of the RV-7A shown here that belongs to Tony Gallo. The RV-7A is a kit airplane that Tony built and says is flies like a typical RV... fast, efficient, and handles like a dream. You can get it with a choice of 160hp, 180hp, or 200hp. The 160hp version climbs at 1900 fpm and cruises at 191 mph. If you're not in a hurry, you can slow it down to 55% power which brings the airspeed down to 172 mph. Tony wasn't taking the plane out and I didn't get a offer to go for a ride, but that's ok, maybe next time...  Note: A Skyhawk SP with 180hp has a best climb rate of 750fpm and cruises at 142mph at 75% power... hmmm. Somebody said that after flying a Vans RV, a Skyhawk feels like a truck.

Pease Development Authority ~ -01-31-12: The Skyhaven Airport facility is owned and maintained by the Pease Development Authority. The runway and taxiways are kept clear in the winter time by an experienced staff with well maintained equipment for plowing and other requirements. Have you ever seen a plow that hinges in the middle? Jim tells me that being able to make either an inside or outside vee shape gives you versatility and options that allows you clean up easier and quicker. Click on the plow to see some of the equipment.

Updated T-Hangar Wait list now available ~ -01-30-12 You can go to the SAAC web page, or click on the following heading to download the pdf file.

CTLE Light Sport Police Aircraft  ~ -01-30-12: Looks like the most popular light sport in the U.S. has found another market. According to Avweb, the Tulsa police have begun using the CTLE light sport to replace police helicopters. Armed with high tech cameras and video technology, the aircraft lets them do almost everything that the helicopter will do. They claim a helicopter cost around $500/hr vs. the CTLE at $25/hr. (Holy Makerel!) So, I get up in the morning, put on my uniform, go down to the airport and preflight the CTLE sport aircraft and cruise around town waitng for a call to video record the bad guy trying to escape the police speeding at 80mph on city streets. (I want that job...)

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It's not required reading, but contains information that is...