60 Minutes 4/17

Wow. Did I actually see some positive mainstream GA press? I thought
it was going to be a piece on how sportpilot planes were going to fall
out of the sky...


Watch Mollers stock take off again. Might break $0.25 this time.


Jim

http://www.unconventional-wisdom.org

Wow. Did I actually see some positive mainstream GA press? I thought
it was going to be a piece on how sportpilot planes were going to fall
out of the sky...


It was a good piece but is mostly the same thing we've been seeing and
hearing for several years. The difference now is that we've got a bunch of
GA airplane manufacturers actually delivering glass cockpits, synthetic
vision and HITS type displays can happen. Unfortunately, NASA Langley's
budget for aerospace research which funds programs like HITS and SATS has
recently been cut way back.

Look for some news about the big exposition in Danville, VA in early June
showing off the SATS research results.

I saw a bit of the GA feature -- was I hearing no license needed if
under 400 feet? Someone else was talking about 400 kts. Oh yeah, 400
feet high speed see and be seen.

I remember how much work went into making the Mooney 201 go fast, so
I'm not sure of the speed claims. Tell you what, though, I want a big
hunk of airspace reserved controlled traffic.

"Jimbob" wrote:
Wow. Did I actually see some positive mainstream GA press?

It would have been better if they hadn't included Moller and his
phoney-baloney Skycar. I guess we shouldn't be surprised that CBS would
fall for that bs.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

Dan Luke wrote:
"Jimbob" wrote:

Wow. Did I actually see some positive mainstream GA press?


It would have been better if they hadn't included Moller and his
phoney-baloney Skycar. I guess we shouldn't be surprised that CBS would
fall for that bs.

Agreed, 60 minutes should have been investigating Moller, not promoting him.

Other problems with the story:

- Again another promotion of the idea that aircraft have to land vertical,
or drive on streets, in order to be "common".

- They were promoting Nasa's HITS program and calling it "future" aviation,
instead of simply going down to Cirrus and showing that most of that technology
is shipping right now.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 14:25:43 -0700, Scott Moore
wrote:


- Again another promotion of the idea that aircraft have to land vertical,
or drive on streets, in order to be "common".

It would have to be VTOL to truely replace the car whcih is really the
angle the piece was going for. However, to be competative with the
airlines, it does not. I think they touched on both scenerios.



- They were promoting Nasa's HITS program and calling it "future" aviation,
instead of simply going down to Cirrus and showing that most of that technology
is shipping right now.

That's why I'm not concerned about the lack of funding through NASA.
We've got everything needed to implement HITS now. Glass, GPS and
Synthetic vision. We just need FAA guidance for the routes, protocol
and a business case for a company to write the software.

FAA certificaiton of the software is the real problem. It wouldn't
surprise me for it to be in in experimentals 5 years before standard
category aircraft got it.


Just say yes to FAA deregulation


Jim

http://www.unconventional-wisdom.org

"Jimbob" wrote in message
...
Wow. Did I actually see some positive mainstream GA press? I thought
it was going to be a piece on how sportpilot planes were going to fall
out of the sky...


Watch Mollers stock take off again. Might break $0.25 this time.


Jim

http://www.unconventional-wisdom.org

Too bad nobody watches CBS.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 00:05:19 GMT, Jimbob
wrote in ::

Wow. Did I actually see some positive mainstream GA press?

There was a piece on the Science Channel's 'Discoveries This Week'
series about the Carter Copter that was also favorable. Carter is
hoping to increase the speed of his gyrocopter beyond that of helos
through the use of wings for the high speed region of the envelope.
He indicated that current technology exists to make his aircraft
totally computer operated and guided. With nearly the STOL
capabilities of a helo, the potential speed of a Glassair, and
automated operation, it's being touted as the everyman aerial car.
....

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 00:05:19 GMT, Jimbob
wrote in ::

Wow. Did I actually see some positive mainstream GA press?

There was a piece on the Science Channel's 'Discoveries This Week'
series about the Carter Copter that was also favorable. Carter is
hoping to increase the speed of his gyrocopter beyond that of helos
through the use of wings for the high speed region of the envelope.
He indicated that current technology exists to make his aircraft
totally computer operated and guided. With nearly the STOL
capabilities of a helo, the potential speed of a Glassair, and
automated operation, it's being touted as the everyman aerial car.
...


It will never have the speed of a Glassair. I just don't think that is
possible.
I thought at one time everyone should fly then I realized it is already
crowded up there and it would suck.
It would be nice if Piper sold its Cherokee 180 for around 50k then most
everyday pilots could have a new plane. This would be economical carry an
average 2 person family and still get you their in a decent time.

"aluckyguess" wrote:
It would be nice if Piper sold its Cherokee 180 for around 50k

Nice for whom? Certainly not for the insane New Piper executive who approved
such an idea. That would be a lot less than NP's direct cost to build the
airplanes (if they did still build the 180, that is), never mind any overhead
and profit.

I guess it would be nice if prime ribeye steaks were a dollar a pound, too,
until all the beef businesses collapsed.
--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM