Archive for May 2014
Endings, beginnings, and opportunities
Regular readers of this column may notice a small change to the bio blurb that runs below. It’s shorter. The line about being the founder and president of the Polk Aviation Alliance has been removed, because although I remain the founder, I am no longer the president. I’ve resigned. My local newspaper, which seems to…
Read MoreNew Web Site to Promote Santa Monica Airport
What We Stand For: We support a Charter Amendment requiring a vote of the people before 227 low-density acres of Santa Monica Airport can be redeveloped for other purposes. http://www.smvotersdecide.com
Read MoreIvanpah Solar Farm
The Ivanpah Solar Farm At the Ivanpah solar farm, 347,000 software-controlled mirrors that track the sun’s movement throughout the day. They direct light toward one of three towers, where a water boiler creates steam that powers a generator. Ethan Miller/ Getty Images
In February, the Ivanpah Solar Electricity Generating System opened over a 3,500-acre stretch of the Mojave Desert. The solar thermal farm operates at 392 megawatts—just under 1 percent of California’s total energy production, or enough to power 140,000 homes.
Read MoreFAAST BLAST
Hands Off! Could a simple change to your flying style help save your life? Veteran flight instructor Gene Hudson thinks it just might. In his article on page 13 in the latest edition of FAA Safety Briefing (http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/) he suggests a methodology for avoiding unintentional stall through the proper use of trim. To learn more…
Read MoreTFR over San Jose, CA beginning Thursday, May 8, 2014
32 NM RADIUS TFR
Location
On the SAN JOSE VOR/DME (SJC) 276 degree radial at 2.6 nautical miles.
From the surface up to but not including 18,000 feet MSL.
Times
3:15 PM local Thursday, May 8, 2014 until 11:30 AM local Friday, May 9, 2014
Read MoreTell your story
Perhaps it has occurred to you. as it has to me, aviation attracts high achievers like a moth to a flame. Ours is not the domain of the weak or timid. Similarly it’s not an exclusive outpost for rich, old, white guys who split their time between the golf course, the yacht club, the airport,…
Read MoreRecreational-use liability bill progresses in California
Bill submitted on behalf of the Recreational Aviation Foundation – With the introduction of Senate Bill 1072, California becomes the latest state to consider legislation to add aviation to the activities protected under the state’s recreational-use statute. This bill would include general aviation under a current code that limits a landowner’s liability for recreational use of the property by others.
FAA seeks help for annual GA survey
The FAA is asking for help on the thirty-sixth annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey covering calendar year 2013. The annual survey serves as the only source of information on the GA fleet, the number of hours flown, and the ways people use GA aircraft.
The data will be used to determine funding for infrastructure and service needs, assess the impact of regulatory changes, and measure aviation safety. It also will be used to calculate fatal accident rates for GA and Part 135 aircraft.
Read MoreFAA opens dialogue on sleep apnea
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Officials at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) say they welcome a step taken by the FAA to open a dialogue with the aviation industry about the agency’s pilot-screening proposal for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The FAA recently circulated draft revisions of its proposal as a mechanism to engage industry stakeholders on…
Read More