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miles (200 kilometers) for U.S. national records. The great circle distance between the start and finish points is used to calculate the certified speed, regardless of the route of flight. For airplanes, the start and finish points must be located within 38 statute miles (60 kilometers) of the town or town centers. However, the distance between the start point and finish point shall be no less than 98 percent of the distance between the city centers. To qualify as a record, the certified speed must be equal to or greater than the minimum steady flight speed (stall speed with flaps up) of the aircraft. Records are organized based upon the aircraft, which are placed into classifications, groups and sub-groups based upon the type of aircraft, its engine, and its weight. For example, a Beechcraft Duchess is clas- sified as a “C-1c” (landplane, internal combustion engine, takeoff weight of 1,000 to 1,750 kilograms).
The National Aeronautic Association (NAA), affiliated with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, is the official record keeper for United States aviation. NAA provides observers for many record attempts and compiles the data necessary to certify aviation records through the FAI. Art Greenfield is the organization’s director for con- test and records and is the primary contact for American pilot records. For those with aspirations of having their names in the chronicles of aviating, Greenfield recom- mends careful review of the organization’s “Speed Over
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March 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 19