EAA & AOPA NEWS
From
the EAA
NEW EPA PROGRAM COULD
THREATEN AVGAS AVAILABILITY
EAA working to ensure current and future GA fuel supply
Announcements made by the Environmental Protection Agency today could further
tighten the screws on our nation's general aviation fuel supply, making EAA's
ongoing advocacy and work on fuel-related issues increasingly relevant and
urgent.
The EPA announced a broad-sweeping program of air-quality testing and monitoring
to enforce newly adopted, and considerably more stringent, standards for
allowable levels of lead. This program entails EPA scrutiny of numerous
industries and commercial activities involving lead emissions. As part of this
effort, the EPA will direct state governments to examine whether
general-aviation activity at certain airports contributes to unacceptable levels
of lead in the air. The new standards lower the allowable amount of lead to
one-tenth of previously accepted levels.
Read more
WOMAN BORN WITHOUT ARMS
EARNS SPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE
Jessica Cox of Tucson, Arizona, became the first person without arms to earn a
Sport Pilot Certificate last week. An
Able Flight scholarship winner, Jessica passed her checkride on October 10th
after several months of training with instructor Parrish Traweek in his Ercoupe
415C. With its unique control system, the Ercoupe proved to be the right
airplane for her to fly using only her feet (she does not use prosthetic arms).
"I highly encourage people with disabilities to consider flying," Jessica said.
"It not only empowers you but also helps others realize that people with
disabilities are adept at attaining privileges that a small percentage of
society takes part in. It helps reverse the stereotype that people with
disabilities are powerless into the belief that they are powerful and capable of
setting high goals and achieving them." Learn more about Jessica at
www.rightfooted.com.
RAINBOW'S 120-HOUR
REPAIRMAN COURSE WRAPS UP IN OSHKOSH
Rainbow Aviation Service of Corning, California, conducts the only
FAA-accepted 120-hour Light-Sport Repairman Maintenance training program, which
provides the Repairman Maintenance rating for special light-sport aircraft (S-LSA).
In the spring and the late fall, Rainbow holds these courses at its Corning
facilities, but for the past three weeks 18 students have been immersed in the
course here in Oshkosh at the EAA Aviation Center.
Read more
EAA MEMBERS' COMMENTS
FOCUS ON POTENTIAL ADDED BURDENS TO BUILDING
EAA members are not shy about sharing their opinions of FAA's
proposed policy changes in the 51-percent rule for aircraft builders. The
comment period, which runs through September 30, has already drawn hundreds of
responses from those who have built or may build an aircraft.
EAA maintains that instead of creating additional burdens that
could hinder growth in the homebuilt community, FAA should instead enforce the
existing amateur-built aircraft rules and abandon proposals that would impose
new and complicated requirements for documenting and reporting an amateur
aircraft builder's work.
Read more
CLARIFICATION OF ELT REQUIREMENTS
This week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)
sent out notifications to U.S. aircraft owners regarding upcoming changes in
emergency locator transmitter (ELT) services. NOAA reminds owners that after
February 1, 2009, satellite coverage of 121.5 MHz ELTs will end and that only
ground-based monitoring will take place. NOAA recommends that aircraft owners
transition to the improved digital 406 MHz ELT systems. This has caused some
confusion among aircraft owners, many of whom feel they are now required to
upgrade to the 406 MHz units.
Read more
RESPOND TO TSA'S
OMINOUS PROPOSAL
60 days added for
public input
As initially reported last month, the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) has proposed sweeping security rules for the operation of
aircraft that weigh more than 12,500 pounds. The proposed regulation, the Large
Aircraft Security Program, would require owners of those aircraft to obtain
permission from TSA to operate their own personal aircraft every time they carry
passengers. Additionally, all flight crews would be required to undergo
fingerprinting and a background check, all passengers would have to be vetted
against the government's terrorist watch lists, and numerous security
requirements would be imposed on airports serving these "large" aircraft. EAA
adamantly opposes this regulation and urges all members to respond to TSA.
Read more
From the AOPA;
Permanent D.C. ADIZ a bad precedent for GA
In a final
attempt to prevent the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone from
becoming permanent, AOPA met with the Office of Management Budget (OMB) on Nov.
10. The OMB, which is reviewing the FAA's proposal to make the airspace
permanent, is one of the last hurdles a proposal must clear before being
implemented as a final rule. "The Bush administration is set on pushing this
rule through," said Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government
affairs. "We're going to fight this until the very end."
Read more >>
CONGRESS PUNTS FAA FUNDING ISSUE INTO 2009
Call it the Washington, D.C., version of kick the can. With the
latest extension of the FAA funding bill set to expire at the end of September,
Congress wrangling over a $700 billion bail-out bill for U.S. financial
institutions, and legislators wanting to get out of town to campaign, Congress
decided the FAA funding issue could wait until next year. "That means we can
declare victory in the battle against user fees, at least in 2008," said AOPA
President Phil Boyer. On Sept. 23, the House and Senate passed a bill that
extends the current aviation taxes on fuel and airline tickets until March 31,
2009. It also gives the FAA the authority to spend nearly $7.9 billion over the
next six months. Read more on
AOPA Online.
FOOTBALL SEASON KICKS OFF WITH STADIUM TFRs
With football season now under way, pilots need to be mindful of
temporary flight restrictions around stadiums. The FAA's
blanket notam prohibits aircraft and parachute operations at and below 3,000
feet within three nautical miles of large stadiums. The TFRs go into effect an
hour before and extend until an hour after the scheduled events. To help pilots
avoid the TFRs, AOPA has compiled a
list of the NFL stadiums. You can also find information about the locations
of other sporting events.
SKYCATCHER TO UNDERGO SMALL DESIGN CHANGES
The crash of the Cessna SkyCatcher prototype on Sept. 18 during
flight-testing will result in only small modifications where appropriate, a
Cessna Aircraft Company spokeswoman said. The aircraft will become Cessna’s
entry into the light sport aircraft market. A spokeswoman said the project
engineer reports the aircraft entered a nose-down, normal spin. At the time the
spin was entered, the test pilot had performed a power-on, cross-controlled
“spin test.” Read more on
AOPA Online.
~ AOPA Close to Home ~
AOPA ASKS AUBURN TO PREVENT RESIDENTIAL ENCROACHMENT
Building a continuing care facility in a restricted development area
underneath the traffic pattern for Runway 7/25 at Auburn Municipal is a bad
idea, AOPA told Auburn city officials. In a
Sept. 24 letter, AOPA pointed out that the proposed Timberline development
would put a continuing care facility about one mile from the airport and
completely within compatibility zones C1 and C2. Under the airport's compatible
land-use plan, nursing homes are prohibited in those zones. Read more on
AOPA Online.
~ AOPA Close to Home ~
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THREATENS TRACY
AIRPORT
Building homes too close to an airport
is bad public policy that threatens investments in airports and creates
noise and safety concerns for homeowners, AOPA told city of Tracy
officials in a Sept. 10
letter. In the letter, AOPA asks city officials to stop a proposed
plan to build homes, an aquatic center, and a commercial district within
one mile of Tracy Municipal Airport, a busy field with more than 60,000
annual operations and 120 based aircraft. In fact, the densest
residential development of the proposed Surland's Subdivision/Ellis
Project lies within the airport's protected zone. AOPA reminded city
officials that they have accepted airport development grants that
obligate them to protect the airport and prevent development that could
threaten airport operations or safety. In addition, the letter points
out that the proposed development is not in keeping with California's
land-use planning guidelines. |
GA SECURITY: WHAT'S CHANGED SINCE 9/11
In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy, general aviation
security was immediately thrust into scrutiny. AOPA, the pilot community, and
the federal government implemented numerous security measures in response, even
though GA had no role in the events that morning. "AOPA and the pilot community
have worked hard during the past seven years to increase GA security," said AOPA
President Phil Boyer. "GA is more secure, in large part, because the pilot
community has a vested interest in protecting their aircraft and airports."
See where GA security stands.
FATAL ACCIDENTS IN NORTH LAS VEGAS SPARK PUBLIC OUTREACH
Within a one-week period, two fatal accidents occurred near North
Las Vegas Airport, sparking concern among the public about aviation safety. AOPA
and the Air Safety Foundation reached out to a shocked community in an effort to
present the facts about GA and its safety record. On Aug. 22, a Velocity
experimental aircraft crashed into a house near the airport, killing the pilot
and two people on the ground. Then, on Aug. 28, a Piper Navajo crashed into a
yard, burning two homes. The pilot was killed, but those in the houses survived.
"Fatal general aviation accidents are very low, and it is rare that anyone on
the ground is injured or killed when an aircraft crashes," said Bruce Landsberg,
executive director of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. Read more on
AOPA Online.
AIRPORT PRESERVATION A TOP PRIORITY FOR AOPA
A recent meeting of the AOPA Airport Support Network Board of
Advisors focused on the 10-year-old organization's future with working groups on
recruiting and retaining volunteers, encouraging advocacy, and the use of social
networking. The Sept. 6 meeting placed special emphasis on new strategies for
finding and retaining volunteers. "Airport Support Network volunteers are our
eyes and ears at nearly 2,000 airports nationwide," said Andy Cebula, AOPA
executive vice president of government affairs. "But we need more members to
help protect the nation's airports. We want to see a volunteer at every
public-use airport in the country." Visit
AOPA Online to find out if your airport has an ASN volunteer and learn how
you can help.
Older stuff (continue to post on web site)
GUIDANCE FOR VINTAGE AIRCRAFT PARTS, MATERIALS SUBSTITUTION
The FAA has issued a
draft advisory circular (AC), providing guidance on parts and materials
substitutions needed to maintain the safety of old or out-of-production
aircraft.
AOPA supports the FAA's efforts to keep vintage aircraft flying and has
requested that the agency regularly review and expand the AC. AOPA also asked
the FAA to consider creating an online database for vintage aircraft owners that
would have real-time information on acceptable parts substitutions. The
association offered to work with the vintage aircraft community and the FAA "to
provide the data needed to populate the database and develop new approvals to
benefit the safety and viability of the vintage fleet." To learn more about
caring for these aircraft, take the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's
Aging
Aircraft online course.
FAA WEIGHS SPORT PILOT RULE CHANGES
With some four years of real-world experience behind it, the FAA is
zeroing in on proposed changes to the sport pilot rule. In addition to the
22 proposed changes that were already announced earlier this year, AOPA
wants to see the aircraft gross weight boosted beyond the current 1,320 pounds.
This could allow the inclusion of a bigger group of existing production
airplanes such as the Cessna 150. It would also allow room for advanced safety
equipment like emergency parachutes. Read more on
AOPA Online.
AOPA CALLS ON FAA TO BROADEN SUPPORT FOR GA
The FAA needs to show even greater support for general aviation
than what is in a key short-term strategic planning document known as the FAA
Flight Plan. That is the message in a letter from AOPA President Phil Boyer to
FAA Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell. "AOPA believes the agency needs to put
a special emphasis on preserving and improving America's general aviation
airports, increasing all-weather access to those airports, and finding an
unleaded alternative to today's low-lead aviation gasoline," said Boyer. Read
more on
AOPA Online.
FAA INTENDS TO REDUCE VOR NETWORK SOON
The FAA has confirmed to AOPA that it is making plans to reduce the
network of VORs across the country, beginning in 2010. However, AOPA members are
not quite convinced that a widespread VOR reduction is acceptable. Survey
information shows that only about half of AOPA members believe a significant
number of VORs can be eliminated without affecting their flight operations.
"Clearly this marks a big step forward in pilot acceptance of GPS and reduced
reliance on VORs, but members are still saying 'not yet,'" said Andy Cebula,
AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. Read more on
AOPA Online.
AOPA Close to Home
AOPA WORKS FOR COMPATIBLE LAND USE AT SAN DIEGO AIRPORTS
AOPA is working with Montgomery Field AOPA Airport Support Network Volunteer
Rick Beach, airport operators, city planning departments, developers, landowners
and their attorneys, aviation representatives, community groups, and military
representatives to create compatible land-use plans at 16 airports in San Diego
County. AOPA Vice President of Local Airport Advocacy Bill Dunn recently
traveled to California to see how the plans are coming. Read the latest in his
travel log on
AOPA Online.
FAA PREPARES TO RELEASE RIALTO'S AIRPORT PROPERTY
After exhausting options to keep Rialto Municipal/Miro Field open,
the FAA is considering the phased release of part of the airport's land, paving
the way for its closure. The FAA was forced to release the land after Congress
passed an amendment to the Federal Highway Administration bill known as the
"Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act" that
demanded the airport's closure. Read more on
AOPA Online.
CALIFORNIA'S REID-HILLVIEW AIRPORT SAVED, FOR NOW
Santa Clara County officials have backed off on
their attempt to close California's Reid-Hillview Airport. The board of
supervisors on Aug. 12 voted 4 to 1 to take no further action toward closure,
and to accept a county counsel report that outlined the legal options relating
to the airport. As AOPA had pointed out in a letter to the board, the only real
option was to keep the airport open. "This vote puts to rest the latest attempt
to close Reid-Hillview," said Bill Dunn, AOPA vice president of local airport
advocacy. Read more on
AOPA Online.
PBS STATIONS AIR FAMED AVIATION FILM
One of the greatest challenges for pilots is conveying to nonpilots
the joy and emotion received from piloting an airplane. Most pilots who have
seen the film
One Six
Right agree that the high-definition documentary with its
spectacular images and soaring musical score carries the message better than any
other medium. Now, nonpilots across the country have the opportunity to view
this film through their local PBS stations. Read more on
AOPA Online and learn how to find when it will air in your area.
DON'T LET MEDICAL PROBLEMS BREAK YOUR HEART
A heart problem doesn't necessarily mean the end of your flying
days. Nearly 21,000 pilots are flying on special-issuance medicals with some
type of cardiac medical history, including heart attack, coronary bypass
surgery, angioplasty with coronary stents, heart rhythm problems, pacemaker,
valvular disease, and even
heart transplant. To get a special-issuance medical certificate for a heart
condition, the FAA requires a maximum exercise treadmill stress test, routine
blood chemistry profile, and cardiac exam report. The tests must not show
evidence of disruption of blood supply to the heart or other significant
abnormalities. For more information, call AOPA's medical certification
specialists (800/872-2672), or visit
AOPA Online.
|
GA News |
CAN GA GET THE LEAD OUT?
AOPA is telling
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that any immediate changes to
current aviation fuel standards to remove lead would have a "direct
impact on the safety of flight and the very future of light aircraft in
this country." Testifying on June 12 in Baltimore before an EPA hearing
on air quality standards for lead, AOPA Executive Vice President of
Government Affairs Andy Cebula said, "The aviation industry shares the
concern about lead in the environment. The general aviation community is
actively researching alternative fuels, and we're developing
certification standards for new fuels and engines. But despite a decade
of research and trials, there is currently no unleaded alternative for
100LL avgas that can be used safely by all piston-powered aircraft
flying today." Read more on
AOPA Online. |
COST OF
FLYING A HINDRANCE TO NEW PILOTS, MEMBERS SAY
When AOPA recently asked members for ideas about boosting the pilot
population, many responded that rising costs in aviation are a significant
barrier. "We recognize that rising costs are a factor in the declining pilot
population," said Greg Romano, AOPA vice president of public relations. "That's
why AOPA is working to reduce the cost of flying on several fronts: on Capitol
Hill, through discounted pilot products and services, and by offering flight
training scholarships." Cost has always been a factor, but it's not the only
one. AOPA wants to know your creative ideas for getting more people interested
in flying. In the 5,000-plus responses we've received so far, we've heard clever
ideas ranging from new ways to develop communities among local pilots to
opportunities to enhance the flight training experience.
Share your ideas now!
AOPA WORKING ON FUTURE AVGAS
100LL—its rising cost, future availability, and environmental
impact—is on the minds of everyone in the aviation industry. AOPA is working to
help find a viable fuel replacement that would have a minimal impact on our
members and general aviation aircraft. On March 17,
AOPA responded to the Environmental Protection Agency's publication of a
rulemaking petition to limit lead emissions from general aviation aircraft. The
EPA's move stems from a petition from the environmental group Friends of the
Earth. Removing lead from avgas without having a suitable alternative would have
a catastrophic impact on 30 percent of the GA fleet. Read more on
AOPA Online
TIPS FOR FACING DOWN FUEL COSTS
With the increasing price of avgas, many pilots are looking for
ways to conserve fuel and reduce the cost of flying. "Unfortunately, many of the
habits we formed in operating airplanes when fuel was one-quarter or even
one-half of what it costs today are not optimal given the current fuel prices,"
explained Peter A. Bedell in
"Facing down fuel costs: How to ease the high price of avgas" in the
September 2006
AOPA Pilot.
Read Bedell's article for 11 techniques to help you save fuel, plus several
products to help reduce fuel costs. Use the
AOPA Airport Directory Online to look up FBO fuel prices at airports along
your route of flight and plan your fuel stops accordingly.
HAVE YOU SWITCHED FROM PAPER TO PLASTIC?
The FAA is reviewing comments on a proposal that would require
pilots to replace their paper pilot certificates with tamper-resistant plastic
certificates. The final rule is expected to be released early next year, and
it's anticipated that pilots will have two years to make the change. Beat the
rush by requesting a
plastic pilot certificate online. You should keep your paper certificate,
with your original issuance date, for your records, because your plastic
certificate will have a new issue date. Ordering a new certificate costs $2, but
if you want the FAA to remove your
Social Security number from the certificate or its records, you can get a
plastic certificate for free.