Archive for March 2010
Watsonville – Appeals court sides with California Pilots
Local groups stand firm against encroachment
The city of Watsonville, Calif., violated state law when it approved a plan to eliminate safety zones around Watsonville Municipal Airport to develop the area, an appeals court affirmed March 15.
FAA Seeks Pilot Input on Notam System
A little over one year after local (L) notams were reclassified as distant (D) notams, the FAA wants to know how the new system is working for pilots. The agency has created an online survey to get feedback from pilots and uncover any operational issues the change might have caused. All responses will remain anonymous,…
Read MoreOceano Airport – Letter to County Supervisors
To read the open letter to the San Luis Obispo County Supervisors supporting the Oceano Airport click Read More below.
Read MoreFrom NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System
Unusual Attitudes Everyone who obtains a pilot’s license receives training in how to recover from unusual attitudes–potential loss-of-control situations in which there is an excessive aircraft bank or pitch angle. But reporters to ASRS sometimes note that “unusual attitude” can convey another meaning that occasionally surfaces in ASRS reports-a state of mind that can lead…
Read MoreBill in Congress to Correct the FAA's Through the Fence Order
Bill introduced to correct FAA’s TTF policy
The “Community Airport Access and Protection Act of 2010” was introduced March 11 to Congress by the Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) to correct the FAA’s recent policy to prohibit “through the fence” access at any airport receiving Airport Improvement Grant funds. Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has introduced a similar bill on the Senate side.
Read MoreHollister – Memorial Day Air Show
HOLLISTER, Calif. — A new air show is coming to Hollister. Organizers jumped at the chance to hold an air show after the Watsonville Fly-In moved from Memorial Day weekend to the Labor Day weekend.
Read MoreExcellent 1950's Aviation Video
You will LOVE this Eastern Airlines Silver Falcons production that includes Arthur Godfrey and Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker reminiscing about flying. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard Capt. Rickenbacker speak. It is a combination of an old commercial for Eastern Airlines, as well as military aviation, and aviation in general. Please plan accordingly because it…
Read MoreTSA Planning to Inspect Maintenance Shops
TSA Planning to Inspect Shops that Repair Jets
Thousands of airplane maintenance shops would get increased scrutiny to make sure they are not easy prey for terrorists looking to sabotage U.S. jets during routine repairs, according to a story in USA Today, which notes:
“Some experts and lawmakers have warned for years about potential terrorist saboteurs infiltrating airplane repair shops, and have urged security oversight. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says the greatest danger is posed by repair shops that are on or next to airports because a terrorist could take control of an airplane.”
Editor’s Note: It appears that TSA is a bureaucracy which can do anything it wants and that USA Today continues to distort the facts to sell papers.
Read MoreSpeaking Up for General Aviation
In a column printed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, talk show host — and pilot — Neal Boortz opines about the anti-GA crowd flying off the handle after the Austin crash. He tries to set things straight: “Let me start with the idiot talking heads I heard on the cable news channels in the hours after…
Read MoreAOPA: Why The User Fees Battle Isn't Over
New aviation user fees aren’t in the Obama administration’s budget, but they still may be packaged elsewhere, AOPA’s Lorraine Howerton told AVweb Thursday. Howerton is AOPA’s vice president of legislative affairs, and while she said AOPA’s efforts had created some breathing room, the country’s fiscal woes may become a serious influence on future funding decisions. As the budget deficit soars, legislators are under increasing pressure to shrink federal spending wherever possible. Currently, the general fund for the FAA is down 30 percent, said Howerton. She added that the decrease may translate into a greater draw on the Aviation Trust Fund, and that draw may in turn drive legislators to seek alternate forms of funding — potentially, user fees. There are other concerns.
Read More