First Bell 47 Fly-In Scheduled for April 21

Bell 47 owners, operators, mechanics and enthusiasts will converge on Brackett Airport in La Verne, CA, on April 21 for the Bell 47 Fly-In. The Fly-In follows the suggestion of Charlie Hollinger and Jack Kelly, both Bell 47 operators, to form an association dedicated to the specific needs and interests of the community. After receiving numerous statements of interest about membership and activities, the development of a draft charter for the association has commenced. In a related topic, FAA, HAI and the Experimental Aircraft Association met to discuss the Bell Model 47 main rotor grip airworthiness issue. As a result of that meeting, FAA said it expects to issue an Airworthiness Directive to supercede the current AD, and may change the inspection interval for the inspection of the grips. Transport Canada and the Australian Airworthiness Association were asked to provide their inspection process for evaluation, too. FAA said it will prepare a General Aviation Alert, coordinated with HAI and EAA, to discuss future actions.