Wingin' It - Arlington Municipal Airport Newsletter Wingin' It - Issue 2 - April 2014

Wingin’ It Arlington Municipal Airport Newsletter Issue 2—April 2014 Web address: www.arlingtontx.gov/aviation Email address: [email protected] 5000 S. Collins Street Arlington, TX 76018 Ofc: 817-459-5570 Fax: [phone] GKY Business Spotlight AgustaWestland 4846 S. Collins Street Arlington, TX 76018 Office: 817-375-7200 For those of you at Arlington Airport who may have wondered what the red and white, slightly strange looking aircraft is doing here; well, the easy answer is that it is a tiltrotor – “a smaller cousin of the V-22 Osprey” is how the test pilots describe it to the various air traffic controllers who ask. The 609 program was until recently a partnership between Bell Helicopters and AgustaWestland. In 2012, the program became solely owned by AgustaWestland and at this point, the facility moved across runway 16/34 to the east side of the airport where the AW609 now taxis from (just abeam Echo taxiway for those who know KGKY well – so if you are taxying north on Alpha abeam Echo then keep a look out right!). A tiltrotor can be either an airplane or a helicopter – the angle of the nacelles is controlled by a small thumbwheel operated by the pilot’s left hand. However, as far as FAA certification is concerned, it is neither. It will be certificated in the ‘Powered Lift’ category (not the airplane or helicopter category). Pilots will need a Powered Lift license and it will be the first civilian tiltrotor in the cate- gory. That is, fundamentally, what the aircraft is doing at Arlington – pursuing FAA certification. (continued on page 4) EAA Hosts B17 Tour at GKY Tuesday, April 29, 2014 EAA Chapter 34 is offering historic flight experiences in its beautifully restored B-17G Flying Fortress “Aluminum Overcast.” One of only 13 Fortress's still flying, this aircraft is an icon of the Allied strategic bombing effort that helped turn the tide of battle in World War II. Unlike reading a history book, you can actually fly a mission back in time and feel the might of this magnificent machine, just as those brave young men did more than 60 years ago. To book a flight please call 1-800-359-6217 or b17.org Daily Schedule: 10:00 – 11:00 – 12:00 – 1:00PM Ground Tours are scheduled from 2 to 5 PM Pricing: Pre-book - for EAA members $409, for non-members $449 Walk-up – for EAA members $435, for non-members $475 Ground Tour Pricing - Cost $10 per adult, $20 per family. Active Military, Veterans & Children 8 and under are Free. Photo courtesy of Bob Brennan Photography