Elixir Aircraft's EASA-certified two-seat Elixir comes in two versions, a Rotax 912 iS-powered trainer and a Rotax 915 iS-equipped traveler model. In this video from AirVenture 2022, company co-founder Cyril Champenois discusses plans to bring the aircraft to the U.S. market along with its design, performance and features.
First Air Force potential screening requirement…see if they get sick. So, buy a composite aerobatic trainer and have them flown by instructors who fly C-17’s. And buy a 100+ airplanes in this new venture. That number probably was determined by the number of C-17 aircraft in inventory then. Only $32 mil of our taxpayer money.
Second pilot screening/training process after the Firefly fiasco, is buy a fleet of DA-20’s. The Diamond DA20 two-seat aircraft was flown in the USAFA Introductory Flight Training program from 2002-2007. A fleet of Diamond DA20 trainer aircraft is used for the U.S. Air Force Initial Flight Screening Program in nearby Pueblo, Colo. DA20s were once used at the U.S. Air Force Academy. A fleet of 20 Diamond DA40 piston-engine aircraft is currently flown in the U.S. Air Force Academy Powered Flight Program
Third screening and training process went to Cirrus when Cirrus was awarded a $6.9 million contract for 25 SR-20’s by the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on March 8, 2011…with Diamond protesting.
After investing and crushing the Firefly, the USAF may or may not be using the Diamond DA20, DA40, and Cirrus SR-20’s for screening and initial training, wanting to save costs by investing in the electric Pipistrel Alpha.
And we wonder why the USAF has a pilot shortage? They can’t even make up their mind on initial screening and primary flight training aircraft. No surprise that they had their instructors come from the heavies to induce vomiting during stall/spin/aerobatic introduction flights in the Fireflys.
Now that the Firefly is only a vague memory, I guess the training modus operandi for the SR-20 students is pull the chute during for spin recovery. I don’t know what they are teaching the poor student assigned a DA20 or DA40…bail out for stall/spin recovery? At least there will be no need to crush perfectly good airplanes. Eventually, they will be all wrecked.
What’s next for the USAF prospective flight screening trainee, a Belite Ultra-Cub ultralight with a ballistic chute, being flown remotely by a non-flying pilot/instructor, in a dark room wearing sunglasses, from some underground bunker/command center? I guess the USAF can save on cleaning costs as the only one getting sick is the Ultra-Cub driver.
GEEZ! Sounds somewhat typical. And here I thought the old L-21 Super Cub was the atypical primary training aircraft. So, what do I know? That flight training was 60+ years ago but seems to me that airplane did everything required. What am I missing here? Just money. (and trials, and studies, and more stuff for Systems Command, or whoever does this stuff now)
Yes, it was DA-20’s which had already developed a reputation as outstanding trainers for their safety and handling. If you could convince your mechanics that they were not working on a 172 and were neither smarter than Diamond nor Continental, they would have much the same reliability.
Unfortunately, the USAF has to be smarter than the market, and demanded changes for their aircraft which were not necessary, but seemed not to do any harm.
The politics would likely prevent it, but it would seem to me the best program would to be to have a flight test. Let the applicant get trained for it on the market at their own expense. This would have the added benefit of the “wanna be airline” guys getting a little education on what they were getting into and perhaps dissuade some of them thus leaving more spots for those with truly military aspirations.
The USAF Academy had a very similar problem with the Schweizer TG-7A (SGM 2-37) motorglider in the 80’s, too. Nine were ordered for use in the Academy flight program. These airplanes had the pilot sitting on the right side so that normal military L hand / R hand dexterity could be developed. After a fatal crash there involving an instructor and cadet, and another when in use by experienced test pilot aspirants at the USAF Test Pilot School at Tehachapi, CA, the Commandant of the Academy personally requested a high priority Test Pilot School analysis of the airplane. I was involved with the evaluation which basically showed the same problem … it was a totally different airplane being flown by military pilots with little to no light airplane or glider experience. Although FAA Type Certified, with a 60’ wingspan and an O-235 engine, there was little notice of a stall which required finesse and altitude to recover from. In the end, we added a stall strip to warn of a stall and some aileron vortex generators which gave better lateral control if one was entered. These airplanes went on to serve until ~2003. Each of the TG-7A cost us about $70K in 1980’s dollars. The Firefly was likewise evaluated at Edwards AFB. Only issues with the fuel system were uncovered.
With the current dearth of pilots in the USAF, the first class of what will be around 100 total enlisted pilots have all successfully completed primary flight training and are destined to fly drones … thereby releasing the officer pilots doing that work to go back to “normal” flight duties. Enlisted “Boomers” have been flying those little wings on the back of tankers from the beginning … now they’ll be able to point the things, too. Enlisted folks with pilot wings … it’s about time.
Sadly, the senior leadership within the USAF is SO locked into the normal way of doing things that they sometimes just can’t see the forest for the trees. Every one of the people in this program have GA experience … some substantial. The USAF Aero Club system would be an excellent way to start that journey. Beyond that, the people in this program have shown a propensity for military service and lifestyle, too. Frankly, I’d like to see reinstitution of USAF Warrant Officer ranks and allowing enlisted people who distinguish themselves to fly for real and rise up in rank … just as the “Flying Sergeants” did in WWII. There are plenty of airframes that don’t require rocket scientists or test pilots or officers to make the houses get smaller. As you say, Eric … “politics.”
Why can’t they use the system that worked in the past? I’m referring to ROTC pilot training as it was around 1970 or 72. A flight school gave USAF pilot candidates 35 hours in the schools airplanes using the private pilot program as the baseline with spins added. Many a student paid out of pocket to finish up and acquire their private license if they were not quite ready at 35 hours for their check ride.
“What’s next for the USAF prospective flight screening trainee, a Belite Ultra-Cub ultralight with a ballistic chute, being flown remotely by a non-flying pilot/instructor, in a dark room wearing sunglasses, from some underground bunker/command center?”
yes…
It amazes me how far south the military’s collective thinking has digresses since WWII. We have tons of tangible, verifiable information that the civilian pilot training program worked extremely well. Our greatest aviators that excelled in WWII, many continuing to fight in Korea, some flying during Vietnam, and many becoming test pilots that took us through the sound barrier and to the moon and back…spanning many decades…started flying in average civilian airplanes of the day. With those basic skills attained in light airplanes they moved into Stearmans, PT-19’s, PT-22’s, BT-13’s, SNJ/Harvard/T-6, T-28’s, T-34’s, etc eventually being assigned in various types of airplanes that made up the aerial military might that was second to none for decades.
Since the 90’s, we the taxpayer have bought for the military Fireflies, DA20/40’s, SR20’s, after retiring the T-41’s and T-34’s for pilot screening while ignoring the many great civilian flight schools that train average citizens to be pilots for a living.
As others have pointed out, give the applicant 30-35 hours in a 172 at a quality civilian flight school with spins. As was the case in WWII, a quality civilian flight school in average GA airplanes is an excellent screening process for future military aviators. Why mess with a successful, proven formula?
I wish them luck. If they want any chance of success, they need their own flight schools or flight school partners. So long as we keep making pilots like we are now, the 172 will be the solution and cause all new aircraft entrants to fail.
I would like to assume that the designers knew what they were doing when they designed that big scoop on top of the cowl.
But I bet that more air leaves that scoop than goes in.
First, there’s a huge boundary layer problem on the upper cowl, and a spinning prop, turbulating the air only makes it worse. Second, I installed some “flappers” on the top cowl of our Glasair. I saw some guy do it at OSH, and thought it was a cool idea. (No pun intended.) They were simply hinged doors that dropped down via gravity, to cool the engine after shutdown. And, presumably, they closed in flight from a pressurized cowl.
Long story short, it took about 10 years of glazing cylinders during break-in, seeing too high CHT’s on climb out, etc. before I figured out that these flappers were actually opened in flight, depressurizing the cowl! (Impossible to see them in flight.) I glued magnets onto the doors so that they would snap closed and saw my CHT’s drop at least 25 degrees.
Hi Era P.
I usually don’t comment on any videos, forums, etc. But being in somewhat of a foul mood this evening and trying to read some of my beloved aviation material, I erred and read your
little troll missive.
Why is there more air “out than in?”
How much would you really like to “bet?”
Please explain the “boundary layer problem” comment in terms of fluid dynamics versus your word “turbulating” air. I could go on but I’m getting nauseated trying to make some sense of your intellectually bankrupt blather.
These young people have heart/soul and likely saving invested in a new aircraft and you just
sit in your home and beat them up for what?
Why don’t you close your flapper and maybe listen a bit.
I hope these folks are super successful in selling this beautiful aircraft, and you get writers cramp.