NAA Honors Record-Setters

At NBAA Annual Convention

   NAA presented several awards to aviation record-setters at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) 63rd Annual Meeting & Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, October 18-21, 2010.The event attracted more than 24,000 attendees - up more than 5 percent from last year - showing that business aviation is recovering.

   "In spite of the challenges confronting business aviation in the past two years, people and companies are optimistic and forward-looking," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.

   Throughout the three-day meeting, NAA President & CEO Jonathan Gaffney honored the following record-setters (all for speed over a recognized course) at the meeting:

• Gregory Sheldon & Jaime Bahamon - Tokyo, Japan to Hong Kong, China at an average speed of 462.40 mph on 6/7/2010 in a Gulfstream G450
• Eric Parker & Jaime Bahamon  - Savannah, GA to Sao Paulo, Brazil at an average speed of 498.33 mph on 8/9/2010 in a Gulfstream G450
• Robert Blouin & Michael Reese - Lisbon, Portugal to Berlin, Germany at an average speed of 482.13 mph on 10/8/2009 in a Hawker 4000
• Robert Blouin & Michael Reese - Berlin, Germany to Milan, Italy at an average speed of 395.62 mph on 10/9/2009 in a Hawker 4000
• Robert Blouin & Michael Reese  - Milan, Italy to Bahrain at an average speed of 480.14 mph on 10/10/2009 in a Hawker 4000
• Robert Blouin & Michael Reese - Bahrain to London, UK at an average speed of 454.42 mph on 10/12/2009 in a Hawker 4000
• Errol Wuertz & Scott Schramm - London, UK to Dubai, UAE at an average speed of540.39 mph on 1/17/2010 in a Hawker 4000
• Mark Danin & Bradley McKeage - Bedford, MA to London, UK at an average speed of 542.70 mph on 4/29/2010 in a Hawker 4000
• Chris Walker & Kerry Swanson - Wichita, KS to Cali, Columbia at an average speed of 462.99 mph on 8/8/2010 in a Learjet 60
• Chris Walker  & Kerry Swanson - Wichita, KS to Sao Paulo, Brazil at 4an average speed of 43.06 mph on 8/8/2010 in a Learjet 60
• Chris Walker & Kerry Swanson  - Cali, Columbia to Sao Paulo, Brazil at an average speed of 468.89 mph on 8/8/2010 in Learjet 60

    In addition to the record-setters themselves, the manufacturers of the record-setting aircraft were on hand for the ceremonies.
   "Applying for record flights through NAA is very important to us," said Bob Blouin, Vice President of Flight Operations for Hawker Beechcraft. "The mix of short-haul and long-haul flight segments in these record flights demonstrated the comfort and versatility of the H4000."
   He added that the nonstop flight from Bahrain to London flew over Iraq, but "cooperation with the numerous air traffic control organizations along the way was world-class, and deviations were kept to a minimum."
   "NAA gives us the opportunity to consistently demonstrate the exceptional long-range, high-speed performance of our aircraft, as we have recently with the G450 and G550 and soon will with the G650," said Gulfstream Vice President of Communications Jeff Miller.

Dr. Peggy Chabrian to

Receive Brewer Trophy

   NAA has announced that Dr. Peggy Chabrian, President and Founder of Women In Aviation International, will receive the prestigious Frank G. Brewer Trophy for Aviation Education. The award is presented annually for significant contributions of enduring value to aerospace education in the United States.

   The citation for Chabrian's award reads, "A longtime aviation enthusiast and educator, Dr. Chabrian's passionate promotion of aerospace education and careers, nationally and internationally, has touched the lives of thousands of young men and women. Many lives have been changed and careers have been built from the scholarships, mentoring, and fellowship she has made possible through Women in Aviation, International. Her determination and enthusiasm serve as a role model to all who have chosen aviation as a career."

   As an aviation visionary, Chabrian conceived and implemented an outreach program for women and men involved with or interested in aerospace and aeronautics. She created a conference in 1990, held in Prescott, Arizona, which brought together 150 men and women and established a cornerstone for the organization that has evolved to become Women in Aviation, International (WAI)

   Chabrian created WAI in 1994. Under her tireless guidance, ensuing annual conferences have surged in growth and popularity. As a networking center for aviation enthusiasts and vocational opportunists, the event has spotlighted and promoted countless career fields, offered educational and entertaining programs, and brought together a wide cross-section of attendees from more than 70 chapters from around the world.

   By 2006, WAI reached a total of 15,000 members and the annual WAI Conference welcomed upwards of 3,000 attendees. To date, more than $6.5 million has been distributed among scholarship winners to encourage their educational achievements and advancement.

   The award will be presented by NAA President and CEO Jonathan Gaffney at the WAI Conference in February 2011 in Reno, Nevada.

Brett Lambert Outlines Plans to Increase

Efficiency of the Defense Industrial Base

   Brett B. Lambert, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy, offered NAA members an inside look at cost-saving and efficiency initiatives at the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) at the October NAA Luncheon.

   Lambert works in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (USD)  for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics (AT&L), where he serves as the principal advisor to USD (AT&L) Ashton B. Carter on all matters relating to the defense industrial base, including industrial capabilities and assessments, defense industry mergers, acquisitions and consolidation, preservation of essential industries and technologies, and other related matters.

   Lambert noted that "the base is becoming more competitive from non-U.S. heritage firms competing for our products and services. In order for heritage U.S. firms to be competitive we need fundamental reform of export controls, specifically in the space sector. We are making some progress but it is slow. Defense trade agreements would be helpful to everyone."

   He also explained that 39 percent of DOD workforce is made up of contractors and that Defense Secretary Bill Gates has demanded a 10 percent reduction in contractor staff over the next few years.

   At the same time, Lambert said, "We have made an effort to bring in contractors to explain to the secretary the issues they face." He also acknowledged that some policies need to change and that "we are not fast enough in our technology, in our contracts, and incorporating new ideas."

   As part of the DOD efficiency initiative, all sectors are being asked to find more efficient ways to meet goals. One example is a $300 million missile system that was terminated because DOD could achieve the same objective with other systems.

   "Secretary Gates is very focused on not having systems that are designed for a sole purpose," Lambert said.

   He emphasized that the base must remain healthy despite any cuts, noting, "We are in two wars and we need war fighters that we can deploy immediately."

   Lambert also explained, "The sad truth of the defense budget is that the true cost of fielding a soldier increases 2-3 percent per year. Due to the cost of oil, healthcare, personnel costs, etc., we have grown 43 percent since 9-11 but we know that will not continue. We will continue to get 1 percent growth. So we need to make up 1-2 percent. It is irresponsible to not look inside first to see where we can make up that money."

   As for outside contractors, he indicated that the focus is on "trying to improve productivity and not reduce profitability. We want to reward companies that perform better. If we find efficiency in programs such as the Joint Strike Fighter we can get 22 planes instead of 20. We are trying to get better performance out of our industrial partners and ourselves to increase our warfighting capacity."

   One of the most important trips on my calendar each year is NAA's visit to the NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention. Like all who are there, it is one of the best occasions in the world to visit with colleagues, connect with our members, and - most importantly for us - support the industry with our work.

   As you can see from the photo and article in this month's newsletter, the way we can support our members and the industry in such a monumentous conference is through the awarding of aviation records.

    I was honored to present 11 different World Records at the conference and each honoree and their companies were able to use the presentations as a way bringing attention to their aircraft, their company, and their people.

    But, what is an NAA Record?

    An aviation record certified by the National Aeronautic Association is "one-of-a-kind." No other entity in the United States has the authority, responsibility, or the skill to certify aviation records. We have been certifying flying records of every kind in our nation since 1905, and our current record database consists of records from space to balloons, from gliders to corporate jets, from single-engine piston aircraft to aircraft models.    

   Therefore, a National Aeronautic Association record is not only a source of pride for the individuals and crews who set them, but also, for the manufacturers, they demonstrate the speed, efficiency, quality, and competitiveness of the aircraft themselves. It is one of our most important responsibilities and it is a function that we do with great pride and professionalism. 

Cloudbase Foundation Giving

Back to Communities

   The Cloudbase Foundation, a group of hang glider and paraglider pilots whose focus is giving back to communities where they participate in their sports, completed another philanthropic endeavor recently when it donated an interactive projector and screen to a special education elementary class in the town of Dunlap, Tennessee.

   The foundation has successfully completed several projects in its first year of operation in and around areas that pilots visit. The organization built a classroom for a struggling school in Canoa, Ecuador and provided it with a teacher and supplies for two years, purchased a large water tank for an orphanage in Ghana, and provided school supplies for an elementary school in Big Spring, Texas.
    "We are working diligently on projects in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Morocco for next year, as well as continuing to support the school in Ecuador and the orphanage in Ghana," says Foundation President Ricker Goldsborough.

P-39 Recovered from Russian Lake After Six Decades

   The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) reported that a Bell P-39Q Airacobra built in a western New York state factory in 1943 has returned home after resting at the bottom of a Russian lake since 1944. The aircraft was part of 4,719 P-39s sent to the Soviet Union under the United States' Lend-Lease program, which propped up Allied forces with war material before and after the United States entered World War II.

   Miss Lend-Lease, as it has been named by the Ira G. Ross/Niagara Aerospace Museum (NAM) that is undertaking the restoration, served in a frontline Soviet Air Force squadron along the border with Finland. The discovery in 2004 is rare since remains of the pilot along with key artifacts found with the aircraft have provided insights into the mystery of why the aircraft suddenly broke formation as the squadron repositioned to an airfield closer to the front 66 years ago.

Miss Lend-Lease, designated White 23 when it flew for the Soviet Air Force, emerges from Lake Mart-Yavr, Russia, along the Arctic Circle. The initial ditching was successful but the aircraft eventually broke through the still-thin ice in November 1944

   Miss Lend-Lease began as P-39Q-15BE, serial number 44-2911, one of the last of the Q-15 marks of the Airacobra produced at the Bell Aircraft Corporation in Buffalo, New York.

   In summer 2004, the warbird recovery group UK Warbird Finders was diving in lake Mart-Yavr, Russia, looking for another WWII aircraft wreck, when a local fisherman asked "Are you going to get the other airplane out of here?" said Paul Faltyn, vice president of the Niagara Aerospace Museum. The fisherman had noticed the faint outline of the aircraft in the silt in 16 feet of water. It was buried up to the propeller, but was noticeable in the crystal clear water of the lake located along the Arctic Circle.

   As the aircraft was raised out of the water a stunning discovery was made: The pilot, Lieutenant Ivan Ivanovich Baranovsky, 22 at the time of the crash, was still in the aircraft. Due to the location of the propeller shaft, the pilot of a P-39 sits much higher in the aircraft and exits from the aircraft through doors much like those found on a car. The roof of the aircraft is fixed and cannot be jettisoned; however, the doors can be. While the raised seat provided excellent visibility, the configuration further complicated emergency egress. Normal procedure in the case of a water ditching called for the doors to be jettisoned before landing, even in the case of landing on ice.

   "We found out that two connecting rods in the engine had broken, the engine lost oil pressure, and when he landed on the ice (he was found not wearing his shoulder harnesses), he probably bumped his head on the instrument panel," Faltyn said. "While he was unconscious the aircraft broke through the ice and sank, and he drowned in the process."