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Airshow Center ICAS Convention Las Vegas, NV December 2-5, 2013
The International Council of Airshows will hold their annual industry convention in early December. The purpose of this event is to bring all the pilots, sponsors and venues under one roof to solidify schedules and sponsorships for the upcoming 2014 season. “Airshow Center” will return once pilots and venues begin to publicize their schedules. Until next time, fly safe! _________
This Week in Aviation History
november
26 2013
TH
Remembering ERAU’s Beginnings Harold Kosala V.P. 5BTFTS North America and South America During the early days of WW11, Embry-Riddle trained British pilots at Carlstrom Field, Arcadia, Florida and at Riddle Field, Clewiston Florida. The reason is that Germany was bombing England, and the Royal Air Force thought it would be safer to train their pilots in the U.S.A., and they got their approval from the U.S. Government. John Paul Riddle jumped at the chance and started training pilots at these two airfields. It was called Number 5, British Flying Training School (5BFTS). There were other schools located in other parts of the U.S. (Number 1 is at Terrell, Texas, and another one is in the Phoenix, Arizona area. About 1900
RAF pilots were trained by Embry Riddle. The new cadets then went back to England to be assigned to various places all over the world. After the war the group trained by Embry Riddle got together and formed Number 5 British Flying Training School Association. Ever year there has been a reunion, with a few at Embry-Riddle airfield areas. The first 5BFTS reunion was in Miami (when ER was Embry Riddle Aeronautical Institute) in about 1967. They had another at Clewiston a few years ago. Butmost of the yearly reunions were in England, with Bedford England the most popular. This past reunion in September 2013
was the last reunion since most of the cadets died and only few showed up. The remaining few said that maybe if they can get the interest up, maybe the families of the cadets can get together in Bedford for a 5BFTS Family reunion. As of now this reunion is not yet scheduled. At Arcadia, Florida every Memorial Day, at Oak Ridge Cemetary, there is a service for the 17 5BFTS cadets that died while in training, due to accidents,or sickness. They are buried there along with John Paul Riddle. Students of Embry-Riddle are always invited to attend and meet some early ER students or people who worked there. You can get more information about 5BFTS from www.5bfts.org.uk.
Nov 26, 2006
A United Airlines jet safely returns to Denver after suffering a Coyote strike on take off.
Nov 27, 1912
The aeronautical division of the US Army Signal Corps receives the first “flying boat”, a Curtiss Model F, capable of takeoff from water.
Nov 28, 1964
Mariner 4, NASA launches the first Mars fly-by spacecraft.
Nov 29, 1945
A U. S. Army Sikorsky R-5 helicopter off the coast of Long Island, New York, makes the first air-sea rescue.
Nov 29, 1974
First flight of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
Nov 29, 1999
First flight of the Boeing F/A18E/F Super Hornet
Nov 29, 2012
The U.S. Navy successfully conducts the first landbased catapult launch of the Northrop Grumman X-47B unmanned combat air vehicle at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Nov 30, 1913
The first air-to-air dogfight, pilots from rival Mexican factions exchanged revolver shots in the air over Naco, Mexico.
Dec 1, 1910
All Photos Courtesy: Harold Kosala
FAA to Target Obese Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers
The Curtiss Aeroplane Company is founded.
Dennis Hsu Staff Reporter
Dec 1, 1941
Watch out obese pilots and ATC controllers, the FAA is coming for you! In an article written by Dr. Tilton, a Federal Air Surgeon, for the Federal Air Surgeon’s Medical Bulletin, a new policy is coming out requiring Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) to calculate the BMI (Body Mass
The Civil Air Patrol is created by Fiorello La Guardia, Mayor of New York City and Director of the Office of Civilian Defense, with the signing of Administrative Order 9.
Dec 3, 2003
First flight of the Honda HA420 HondaJet
Index) of all pilots and controllers looking to renew their medicals. A person’s Body Mass Index is the ratio between their height and weight and is calculated by weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared then multiplied by 703. The number you get is your BMI. A normal BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9, while overweight is from 25-29.9 and 30 or greater
is considered obese. The reason for calculating a person’s BMI is to check for evidence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA inhibits restorative sleep and is detrimental to aviation safety as it can cause daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairment, sudden cardiac arrest, and hypertension just to name a few. According to Dr. Tilton, OSA affects almost
everyone with a BMI of 40 or more but can also affect people with BMI below 30. If an airman has a BMI of 40 or over, an AME is required to refer the patient to a sleep specialist to be evaluated for OSA, then treated if required, before the airman can receive their medical certificates. The FAA is planning to treat all airman for OSA by first treating those
with BMI of 40 or over, and then gradually expanding to airman with BMI of 30 or lower until all airmen have been treated. With the recent events of pilot and controller fatigue and the FAA trying to combat it by reducing work hours, this new policy could be instrumental in reducing fatigue amongst pilots and controllers from the source of fatigue.