Departments
GA News 
Inside AOPA 
On Capitol Hill 
ASF News 
Quiz Me! 
Picture of the day 
ePILOT Calendar 
Weekend Weather
|
GA News
| MONTE BELGER TO BE NUMBER TWO AT FAA
The current FAA associate administrator for air traffic services, Monte R. Belger, has been nominated to become the deputy FAA administrator, second only to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey. The U.S. Senate must still confirm Belger. Belger will face an increasingly unionized FAA. In the last six months, at least four unions have made gains in members, and even the FAA general counsel’s office is now unionized. A vote December 2 resulted in more than 500 FAA personnel in four divisions joining the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The problem is a new core compensation plan based largely on merit that ends the federal pay system and does away with the annual presidential compensation pay increase. Employees don’t like it, and are increasingly wearing the union label. It appears all key staff working in air traffic at FAA headquarters will be unionized by Jan. 5, 2000. The National Transportation Safety Board was unionized two years ago.
GTE DUATS SOLD TO DYNCORP
Completing a divestiture that was announced November 4, GTE has completed the sale of its GTE Information Systems, including aviation weather provider GTE DUATS, to DynCorp. DynCorp is a privately held technology and information services company based in Reston, Virginia. For now, the GTE DUATS aviation weather-briefing site is still called GTE DUATS http://www.duats.com. No word yet as to whether the Web address will change, but pilots will be notified well in advance if there is a change. GTE Information Systems was part of GTE’s Government Systems division. With the recent sale of three other divisions to General Dynamics, this transaction completes GTE's sale of its Government Systems business.
LAS VEGAS AIRCRAFT NEED NEW YEAR’S RESERVATION
So many of you are planning to celebrate New Year's in Las Vegas that you'll need an aircraft parking reservation at most of the Las Vegas area airports, whether you arrive in a jet or a four-seat propeller airplane. In addition, the FAA will have a Special Traffic Management Program (slot reservation) in effect for domestic nonscheduled IFR arrivals from December 26 to 31, and for domestic non-scheduled IFR departures from January 2 to 4. For general information on procedures at McCarran International Airport, call 800/726-2810 or 702/736-1830. For turbojet parking reservations, call the FBOs at McCarran: Signature Flight Support, 702/739-1100; Las Vegas Executive Air Terminal is 800/726-2810 or 702/736-1830. If you plan to fly a single- or twin-engine propeller aircraft, plan to land and park at North Las Vegas Airport or Henderson Executive Airport. Again, you must call the FBOs to make a parking reservation. For North Las Vegas, call 702/261-3806; for Henderson, call 702/261-4800.
NEW MOA AREA OPENS IN COLORADO
Pilots flying in the vicinity of Canon City, Colorado, should be aware that the Fremont Military Operations Area has been renamed the Airburst MOA and begins operations December 30. Airburst Range Control can be contacted by telephone at 719/547-3988, or via VHF radio on 126.2 and 134.1. From the west, Denver Center is available on 132.5 or 379.15 for MOA status. From the east, contact Pueblo Approach Control on 120.1 or 290.5.
For daily news updates, see ( http://www.aopa.org/members/).
| Inside AOPA
|  AOPA TESTS 3-D RUNWAY MARKINGS
A three-dimensional hold-short line has been painted on AOPA's ramp in Frederick, Maryland, as part of a MITRE Corporation test project. MITRE is a nonprofit, FAA-funded research think tank. Using an artist's technique called anamorphic projection, the hold-short line appears to stand up like a wall. MITRE is testing to see if this will make hold-short lines more conspicuous, thereby reducing the number of runway incursions. Pilots taxiing on to AOPA's ramp will be asked to complete a survey on the effectiveness of the 3-D hold-short line.
AOPA TO ATTEND FAA MEETING ON AGING GA AIRCRAFT
Staff members from AOPA’s Government and Technical Affairs Division will attend an FAA General Aviation Summit on January 11 and 12 in Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss problems related to the aging general aviation fleet. The GA fleet averages 34 years in age, and includes aircraft that are no longer supported by manufacturers. AOPA urges interested parties to attend. For information, contact Bill Timberlake in the FAA Small Airplane Directorate at 816/329-4178.
AOPA RESPONDS TO LAKE PROPOSED AD
AOPA has formally responded to a proposed airworthiness calling for removal of the wings from Lake aircraft to inspect for cracks. AOPA suggests eliminating proposed inspection requirements, modifying proposed compliance schedules and removing some Lake models from the final AD. To see AOPA’s response, go to ( http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/regulatory/lakecomments.html).
| On Capitol Hill
| UTAH REP FIGHTING SLC AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS
Utah Rep. Jim Hansen (R), a pilot and AOPA member, has asked FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to release important information regarding the classification of airspace near Salt Lake City’s Ogden-Hinkley Airport. The FAA is proposing to raise the ceiling of the Salt Lake City Class B airspace and expand it east of Ogden-Hinkley Airport, after receiving numerous complaints of near-mid-air collisions involving general aviation aircraft. AOPA has formally requested details about the events from the FAA. However, the administration replied that AOPA would have to use the burdensome Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process to obtain the information. The procedure is highly uncommon for such a request, and one that could take several months. Rep. Hansen has personally intervened in an attempt to bypass the FOIA procedure and help AOPA get the information as soon as possible.
| Air Safety Foundation News
| RUNWAY INCURSIONS MAY EXCEED LAST YEAR’S
Runway incursions will exceed last year’s total of 325 if the present rate continues. At towered airports, most incursions involve aircraft that taxi onto the runway without a clearance. The FAA recently gathered its Runway Incursion Team to discuss the subject, and AOPA President Phil Boyer was the only industry representative sitting alongside FAA Administrator Jane Garvey and her key department heads. General aviation accounts for 50 to 60 percent of the runway incursions. This serious issue affecting both air carriers and light planes is one of the key areas of emphasis for the FAA. Boyer pledged AOPA support in getting the word out, and the FAA plans to provide major airport runway and taxiway diagrams for AOPA Online on February 24, 2000. The AOPA Air Safety Foundation has conducted dozens of safety seminars this year on how to operate safely at towered airports. For a free Safety Advisor on the topic, go to the ASF Web site at ( http://www.aopa.org/asf), or write AOPA Air Safety Foundation, ATTN: ePILOT Ops at Towered Airports, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701.
| Quiz me!
| Here's a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: Just how many pilots are actually denied certification because of medical reasons?
Answer: We referred to the FAA Aviation News, September 1999, which states: "Only 0.7 percent of all airmen are denied certification. This is reduced to 0.1 percent when the airmen follow up and provide the Aero Medical Division with the requested information."
Got a technical question? Call 800/872-2672 or e-mail [email protected].
| Picture of the day
| Jump to the AOPA Online Gallery to see the featured airplane of the day. Click on the link for details on how to capture wallpaper for your work area. Visit ( http://www.aopa.org/online_gallery/).
| Aviation Opportunities
| Here's your chance to turn your avocation into your vocation. AOPA is seeking a vice president of membership marketing. If you love aviation and have 10 to 15 years of experience in direct marketing at a management level, you might be who we're looking for. See the web for details: ( www.aopa.org/info/jobs/).
| ePILOT Calendar
| FLY AWAY PICKS FOR THE WEEKEND
Dickinson, North Dakota. Beautifully lit displays line the Heart River in Dickinson December 4 through 31. Dickinson Municipal Airport (DIK) serves the area and is five miles south of the city, 701/225-1062. For festival information, call 701/483-4988.
Dunsmuir, California. This mountain town celebrates the holidays with its "Candles in the Canyon" festival December 3 through 19. Dunsmuir Municipal-Mott Field (1O6) serves the area and is three miles north of the city, 530/235-4822. Call 530/235-2177 for festival information.
For airport details, see AOPA’s Airport Directory Online at: ( http://www.aopa.org/members/airports).
OTHER EVENTS
18— Richmond, VA. Virginia Aviation Museum, Richmond International Airport (RIC). First Flight Celebration. Call Jan Wagener, 804/367-0037.
18-19—Santa Rosa, CA. Sonoma County Airport (STS). Call M.J. Brown, 707/575-7900.
For more events, see ( http://www.aopa.org/pilot/calendar/).
AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
(All clinics start at 7:30 a.m.)
December 18-19—Austin, TX. Omni Austin Hotel Southpark, 4140 Governor's Row, Austin, TX.
18-19—Chicago, IL. Ramada Plaza Hotel-O'Hare, 6600 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont, IL.
18-19—Reston, VA. Sheraton Reston Hotel, 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA.
For more ASF Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics, visit ( http://data.aopa2.org/asf/schedules/firc1.cfm).
AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION PINCH-HITTER COURSES
December 19—Reston, VA. Sheraton Reston Hotel, 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive. 9:30 a.m.
For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see ( www.aopa.org/asf/seminars/pinch.cfm). |
Contacting ePILOT
Got news? Having difficulty using this service? Write to [email protected]. To UNSUBSCRIBE: reply to this e-mail, a free weekly newsletter on general aviation, with the word "unsubscribe" as the subject. Do not include a message. To SUBSCRIBE: visit ( http://www.aopa.org/members/epilot.html).
AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701
Telephone: 800/USA-AOPA or 301/695-2000
Copyright � 1999. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
| Sponsors
    
|
