Academy of Model Aeronautics Press Release-“Special Rule For Model Aircraft”

AMA has been working with the FAA on setting up certain guidelines that will still allow model aviation to take place in the United States of America. I could have posted this article over on my other blog (Flash 255 Bunker), but since this also involves real world politics and the FAA; I decided that it had to go on this blog.

For months, modellers have been worried that Homeland Security/Federal Aviation Administration will come up with some sort of rule set that in effect will force thousands of people out of the hobby. Thousands more to lose their jobs when their industry has(had) just be outlawed by the Feds.

So it was with some releif to read the press release by the AMA (dated February 18, 2011) entitled "AMA Works to Amend Reauthorization Bill Providing Relief for Model Aviation from sUAS Rules".

I will post the entire press release below -

M U N C I E, I N – Sen. James Inhofe, OK, successfully sponsored S.223 in the Senate yesterday with an amendment specifying a “Special Rule For Model Aircraft” that provides an exemption from regulation for model aircraft operating within the following parameters:

 Flown specifically for recreational, sport, competition, or academic purposes;

 Operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization;

 Limited to 55 pounds or less unless certified through a design, construction, inspection, flight test, and operational safety program currently administered by a community-based organization.

“On behalf of our 140,000 members I want to thank Senator Inhofe, Chairman Jay Rockefeller and Ranking Republican Kay Bailey Hutchinson for their leadership in shepherding the FAA reauthorization bill through the U.S. Senate,” said Academy of Model Aeronautics President Dave Mathewson. “Aeromodeling is an exceptional family recreational and education activity that has traditionally been a stepping stone for our children to careers in aviation and aerospace. With the Senators’ help we hope model aviation will continue to help provide that impetus for future generations of engineers, pilots and astronauts.”

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, which is expected to rule on the matter in the very near future.

AMA has contended that the purpose and operation of model aircraft flown for recreational purposes is uniquely different from the operation of the growing number of commercial small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for which the FAA is drafting regulation. Aeromodelers operating under AMA’s guidelines have earned a reputation of being one of the safest, if not the safest users of the National Airspace System. This exemplary safety record spans more than 75 years.

The Academy of Aeronautics, founded in 1936, charters 2,400 clubs across the country, sanctioning more than 2,000 events and competitions as a member of the National Aeronautic Association. It is dedicated to promoting aeromodeling as a recreational, competitive and academic pursuit.

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On a more mundane note, I flew my Seagull Models sport-scale PC-9 this morning for the first time. This now makes THREE of these models that I have owned. They are nice flying airplanes. The wing to this particular model I flew today actually came off my very first PC-9 which had a accident (i.e it crashed - busted out the landing gear). Totally rebuilt the wing and the fuselage came from someone in Greece. The landing was ok, but the model drifted off to the side of the runway, hit a clump of grass and ripped out the right landing gear. So more repairs are now needed. But - that just goes with part of this hobby.

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Ref.

1. AMA "AMA Works to Amend Reauthorization Bill Providing Relief for Model Aviation from sUAS Rules". February 18, 2011. (AMA Works to Amend Reauthorization Bill Providing Relief for Model Aviation from sUAS Rules).

FINALLY - Only ONE Engine for the F-35!

Pratt & Whitney has finally beaten out General Electric and Britain's Rolls-Royce to power the troubled F-35 fighter jet program.

And all it took was a coalition of Democrats and Tea Party Republicans to get it done. The U.S. House of Representatives finally voted down the mandate to have a backup engine design (which was a thinly disguise jobs aid program to GE for House Speaker John Boehner's southwestern Ohio and surrounding districts.

For years, going back to former President George W. Bush, and current President Barrack H. Obama; have tried to kill off the GE engine for the F-35. But the House kept on voting funds for that engine. And that added to the cost of the overall F-35 program.

For more information, check out the link below.

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Ref.

1. CT Now.com. "Pratt Wins F-35 Engine Battle" by Mara Lee. February 16, 2011. (http://www.ctnow.com/business/hc-pratt-engine-20110216,0,4274620.story).

Two Shuttles Might Stick Around Through 2017!

Found this little bit of news on the nsmbc.mns.com website.

NASA is consider keeping shuttles Endeavour and Atlantis in flight-ready condition after Endeavour's last scheduled mission instead of turning it into a museum piece. Endeavour was the replacement shuttle for the space shuttle Challenger that was lost in a lift-off explosion 25 years ago this year.

Thanks to the proposal from Commercial Space Transportation Service, or CSTS. They would use Endeavour as well as a sister shuttle, Atlantis, to fly two missions a year from 2013 to 2017 at an annual cost of $1.5 billion.

The contractor that currently manages the shuttle program on NASA’s behalf, United Space Alliance; has offered this proposal for the second round of funding from the space agency’s Commercial Crew Development initiative, also known as CCDev 2. United Space Alliance is the only company that proposes keeping the shuttles operational.

Other companies like Boeing and Sierra Nevada Corp, SpaceX, etc. plan on their own replacement vehicles to the shuttle. SpaceX has just successfully flown their Dragon capsule that they propose to make it human-rated.

For more information, check out the link below.

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Ref.

1. msnbc.msn.com. "NASA weighs plan to keep space shuttle until 2017" by Rob Coppinger. February 3, 2011. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41397955/ns/technology_and_science-space/).

2. Picture of a space shuttle on launch pad.

Challenger Disaster 25 years Ago Today

I was driving to work that morning with the radio on and heard a news report that the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch that morning. Later, I was able to see the video. I was sad for the families, but more so for the American spirit.

Then there was the President - Ronald W. Reagan whos speech tried to make things right again. We would later discover the reasons why the Challenger Disaster took place and tried to correct those mistakes.

On Michelle Malkin's website today, she ran President Reagan's video of his speech. She also posted the transcript of that speech.

Also included in that post is the most beautiful poem (my opionion) I have ever heard in my life... High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. I'm going to copy and paste that poem here into this post. But please use the link info below to go to her site to read President Reagan's speech. Searching on YouTube, I have randomly selected a link to view the explosion and here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaKSrOpLJPo .

High Flight — John Gillespie Magee, Jr

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —

And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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REf. Michelle Malkin. "The Challenger Disaster: 73 seconds, 25 years" by Michelle Malkin. January 28, 2011. (http://michellemalkin.com/2011/01/28/the-challenger-disaster-73-seconds-25-years/).

Unexpected Ghost Hunting

Its weird sometimes how one person (me) can help another to solve a mystery by telling a co-worker that you know who does do paranormal investigations; something odd is going on in someone else's house.

That co-worker of mine let the rest of his team of investigators know about what was happening in my friend's house and they did a initial investigate and "got a hit" was what I was told at work the next day.

Tonight however, I was invited to take part in their first investigation of my friend's house and auto repair business.

I stayed out in the garage for about an hour with two members of the Caprock Paranormal Investigation team. I was with Brad and Billy Don while my friend and co-worker Mitch went with the other team members into my friend Ricky's house.

Just like on the TV show (which by the way, I hardly ever watch), they set up their gear, asked questions to the empty, dark air. Nothing happens for the majority of the time I was present. Then a air compressor that Ricky said he turned off after work this afternoon - came on all by itself. No timer or nothing. A switch as to be turned to teh correct position and a lever valve moved from the down position to the up position for the compressor to start running and filling up the big holding tank.

It was interesting watching them do the setups and equipment checks. But I've been sick today and my back and left ankle were killing me. But the air compressor coming on all by itself got my attention.

When the CPI team have finished their work and posted their report, I hope to be able to cross-post the results here as well.

Anyway, the Caprock Paranormal website link info is below so check it out.

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Ref.

1. Caprock Paranormal Investigations. (http://www.caprockparanormal.com/)

The F-35 in the News Again

Two pieces of news dealing with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

With China's increased military buildup, countries are looking harder at the progress being made with the F-35 test program. And in light of the recent release of information covering China's new J-20 "Fifth Generation" jet fighter. A stealthy, radar-eluding high end fighter aircraft. (F-35B picture shows aircraft in SVTOL mode. Smaller picture shows the J-20 in flight).

Lochkeed Martin's Tom Burbage, the general manager of the F-35 program; said that China's J-20 progress has created a "Stronger sense of urgency" throughout the Asian-Pacific region about air force modernization. Japan, South Korea, Singapore are indiscussions with U.S. government over the future of the F-35 and their purchase of the F-35.

The other bit of news was the progress the F-35B was finally making in the SVTOL flight test program. The F-35A and C models test flight program has been making better progress than the Marine's Harrier replacment. Test between January 6 and the 13th are among the 42 expected test flights that must be completed before the F-35B can be tested at sea on a amphibious assault ship.

Problem with the verticle fan lift doors have forced the delay of the F-35B part of the JSF program.

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1. ELP Defens(c)e Blog. "In the wrong league–the F-35 won’t handle growing Pacific Rim threats" by Eric Palmer. January 18, 2011. (http://ericpalmer.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/in-the-wrong-league-the-f-35-wont-handle-growing-pacific-rim-threats/).

2. "F-35B Shows Progress With 5 Vertical Landings: Analysts" by Dave Majumdar. January 18, 2011.(http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5475628&c=AIR&s=TOP).

Viking Did Find Evidence of Organic Material 30 Years Ago!

NASA re-examine the Viking 1 & 2 Lander science findings recently. Scientists conducted a new experiment on Mars-like soil and discovered that Viking did indeed discover organic material 30 years ago.

Prompted by a August 2008 discovery of some powerful oxygen-busting compounds called perchlorates at the landing site of the Mars Phoenix probe landing site.

Quote: Scientists repeated a key Viking experiment using perchlorate-enhanced soil from Chile's Atacama Desert, which is considered one of the driest and most Mars-like places on Earth, and found telltale fingerprints of combusted organics -- the same chemicals Viking scientists dismissed as contaminants from Earth.

"Contrary to 30 years of perceived wisdom, Viking did detect organic materials on Mars," planetary scientist Christopher McKay, with NASA's Ames Research Center in California, told Discovery News. "It's like a 30-year-old cold case suddenly solved with new facts." End quote.

For more information, please read the article. Link below.

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Ref.

1. Discovery.com. "VIKING FOUND ORGANICS ON MARS, EXPERIMENT CONFIRMS" by Irene Klotz. January 4, 2011. (http://news.discovery.com/space/viking-mars-organics-experiment.html).