AOPA Action

AOPA Honors Longtime Members at Sixtieth Anniversary Expo

Some 14 charter members and 60 fifty-year AOPA members were honored at AOPA Expo '99 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in October. In addition, special Expo ribbons identified member longevity.

"AOPA is tremendously proud of its loyal and dedicated membership," said AOPA President Phil Boyer as he unveiled a new system of AOPA recognition pins for longstanding AOPA members.

Singled out as the representative for some 2 million pilots who have joined AOPA since 1939 was Capt. Johnny Miller, now of Poughkeepsie, New York. At age 93, he is the president of the United Flying Octogenarians, the social organization of pilots over age 80.

Miller was honored for his unique role in Philadelphia aviation history as a test pilot for early Pitcairn and Kellett autogiros developed there before the modern helicopter. Miller won fame flying nearly 3,000 airmail flights from the roof of Phil-adelphia's down-town post office. Miller also made the first trans-continental autogiro flights before his decades-long career as captain on Eastern Airlines DC-2s through DC-8s. He remains an active Bonanza pilot.

Expo '99 attendees relived this exciting history through a special video tribute, then welcomed Miller onstage during the Expo opening luncheon.

Journalism Award Winners Emphasized Women Pilots, Saving Airports

Stories on women in aviation, a unique example of GA's utility, and balanced coverage of an airport controversy won 1999 Max Karant Journalism Awards for Excellence in Aviation Coverage.

AOPA's annual awards recognize the best in fair, accurate, and insightful reporting on GA in the general audience, nontrade media.

The TV program-length category winners were Dawn Bayman and Jennifer Lewis of KSPS in Spokane, Washington, for "Women in the Sky: Ninety-Nines of the Northwest."

In her winning print entry "Their Dreams Took Wing," Providence (Rhode Island) Journal reporter Mary Grady profiled young women becoming new pilots.

In the TV news or short feature category, Duluth, Minnesota, public station WDSE journalists Karen Sunderman and Steven Ash told the story of a pilot who makes houseboat maintenance "house calls" by airplane. This "Flying Houseboat Mechanic" flies a Piper J-3 Cub on floats around Minnesota's lakes.

Talk show host Art Cronk of WENG-AM in Englewood, Florida, won the radio category with well-balanced coverage of a controversy over Englewood's Buchan Field residential airport. Ultimately, with full airing of the issues, a groundswell of public opinion defeated a push to close the field.

Special lifetime achievement honors went to veteran aviation reporter Jack Elliott of The Newark Star-Ledger in New Jersey.

The annual awards honor the legendary Max Karant, AOPA pioneer and first editor of AOPA Pilot magazine.

Shuster Accepts 1999 Hartranft Award at Expo '99

U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) was awarded AOPA's 1999 Hartranft Award as the elected official whose work has made the year's greatest contribution to the advancement of aviation.

As chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Shuster led the battle to unlock the surplus in the aviation trust fund and permit all taxes collected from aviation users to be spent promptly on aviation needs.

Over the opposition of some in of the congressional leadership, he was successful in reserving part of the projected budget surplus to allow for full spending of the aviation trust fund. Most important, he developed and successfully won House approval this year of legislation to unlock the aviation trust fund for the future.

AOPA's top award in government advocacy honors the organization's first full-time president, Joseph B. "Doc" Hartranft, Jr.

CFI, A&P, Avionics Technician Awards Presented at AOPA Expo '99

FAA Administrator Jane Garvey honored the flight instructor, aviation maintenance technician, and avionics technician of the year at AOPA Expo '99 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on October 22.

David Faile of Fairfield, Connecticut, is the 1999 Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year. He has been a CFI for 34 years and is the AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer at Connecticut's Sikorsky Airport.

Harry Shannon of Winter Haven, Florida, is the 1999 Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year. The 30-year veteran owns the Amphibians Plus maintenance organization in Bartow, Florida.

The winner of the first Avionics Technician of the Year award is Daniel Derby of Greensboro, North Carolina. Derby is vice president of service marketing for Atlantic Aero.

AOPA Donates $15,000 to ERAU Scholarship; Supports Alaskan Air Safety with $5,000

Two grants totaling $20,000 were awarded at the AOPA Expo '99 closing banquet.

A joint AOPA-Air Safety Foundation grant of $15,000 to the AOPA Career Pathways Scholarship at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was accepted by Tom Connolly, ERAU Daytona Campus interim chancellor and 33-year AOPA member.

The scholarship was created in 1997 as part of a landmark alliance between AOPA and ERAU. It has received some $33,000 from AOPA and ASF over the past three years, including 10 percent of the AOPA annual dues of ERAU alumni who are AOPA members. ERAU has applied the contributions to an endowed scholarship that will help aviation students well into the next century.

AOPA continued its long-running support for improved air safety in Alaska by presenting a $5,000 grant to Tom Wardleigh, chairman of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation.

House Rejects User Fees...Again!

The U.S. House of Representatives on October 19 again slapped down Clinton administration proposals for aviation user fees. In a 419-to-0 vote, the House rejected H.R.3085, a bill that would have imposed $1.5 billion in new taxes and user fees for air traffic control and other FAA services.

"Aviation users already pay the lion's share of the FAA's costs through taxes on airline tickets, air cargo, and aviation fuel," AOPA President Phil Boyer said. "The budget request is a tax increase, pure and simple, and it is intended to free funds for the administration's pet social programs. It amounts to handing the FAA a blank check."

H.R.3085 was introduced by representatives Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.) to allow Congress to take a stand against new taxes disguised as user fees.

AOPA's Airport Directory Due in January

AOPA members who marked their membership application or renewal with a request for AOPA's Airport Directory should receive the 2000 edition by mid-January.

The thirty-ninth edition of AOPA's Airport Directory lists more than 7,100 airports, 5,225 FBOs, and 25,254 restaurants and motels. It also offers flight planning information and telephone numbers for attractions and ground transportation.

A special 3 percent icon beside business listings indicates FBOs that qualify under the AOPA FBO Rebate Program. That program offers a 3 percent rebate — paid by MBNA Bank — on any eligible purchase made with an AOPA Visa or Master Card at a qualifying FBO.

The once-a-year hardcopy edition complements the electronic version of AOPA's Airport Directory, which is updated continuously and available on the Web www.aopa.org/members/airports/.

KC Pilot Wins AOPA Sharples Award for PRO-GA Citizen Action

The Sharples Award, AOPA's top honor for local citizen action in defense or advancement of general aviation, went this year to Tim McDermott of Kansas City.

McDermott, a pilot and businessman, led community action to preserve Richards-Gebaur Memorial Airport, a former Air Force base south of Kansas City recently converted to civilian use. The important reliever is the target of local plans to convert it into an intermodal truck-train transfer facility.

Colorado MOA Changes Include AOPA Proposals to Mitigate Impact on GA

Changes to military operations areas (MOAs) in Colorado that take effect December 31 will include most AOPA proposals to lessen their impact on GA pilots.

"The first proposals weren't very well thought out and placed undue burdens on civilian aviation," said Melissa K. Bailey, AOPA director of air traffic services. "But thanks to the dogged efforts of the Colorado Pilots' Association, the Colorado Department of Aviation, and AOPA, we have an airspace design that meets the military's needs but with reasonable GA access."

The most important improvement will allow GA pilots to get real-time information on military flights in the MOAs, with radio frequencies and a telephone number for the Airburst (formerly Fremont) MOA published on sectional charts. Availability of real-time activity information had been a long-time AOPA goal.

Other changes include:

• Elimination of the Cougar MOA;
• Reduction in size of the Airburst MOA, providing more room for the Fremont County and Canon City airports;
• Elimination of the northwest tip of La Veta MOA for a GPS instrument approach to Fremont County Airport;
• Reduction in size of the Pinon Canyon MOA; and
• Downsizing or eliminating several military training routes.

"Once again, we've demonstrated that we can find ways to efficiently share airspace," said Bailey.

AOPA Flight Training Web Site Adds Real-World Info for MS Flight Simulator 2000

The new, dedicated AOPA Flight Training Web site for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 users ( www.aopa.org/special/microsoft/flightsim.html) is now providing AOPA resources, information, and guidance to enhance the PC simulation experience for real and virtual pilots alike.

"Users of Microsoft Flight Simulator are already flying in the virtual environment and make excellent prospects for becoming future pilots," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.

Flight Simulator 2000 was released in October. Content from the new AOPA Flight Training program and AOPA Pilot serves experienced pilots and allows virtual fliers to learn more about real flying. More than 200 articles cover everything from basic flight to navigation to aerobatics. Special resources for virtual pilots include databases to help locate flight schools and flight instructors.

Flight Simulator 2000 features a special e-mail link to AOPA staff pilot-instructors for questions about learning to fly and getting started.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for people to learn about flying," said Boyer. "The AOPA Flight Training Web site, with its links to Flight Simulator 2000, should open the doors to many new student pilots."

Microsoft selected AOPA this year to be the exclusive aviation membership organization for Flight Simulator 2000.

Action in the States

AOPA Airport Support Net-work volunteer activity is italicized. For information on how you can help AOPA's efforts to save your local airport, visit www.aopa.org/asn/ on AOPA's Web page.

Florida. Naples: AOPA ASN volunteer Scott Cameron is organizing a campaign to elect pro-airport city council members. A small but vocal group called Citizens Against Noise (CAN) is trying to restrict Naples Airport operations. Pompano Beach: Trees obstructing Runway 15/33 approaches at Pompano Beach Airport have been cleared and the NOTAM suspending IFR approaches has been rescinded. AOPA ASN volunteer Bill Bahkle led the battle to restore full use of the runway.

Illinois. Chicago: About 2,000 people attended the September 19 Meigs Field open house sponsored by the Friends of Meigs Field. Despite the show of support, city officials still appear to be determined to close the airport in 2002. Galena: AOPA Regional Representative Bill Blake has been named an honorary life member of the Illinois Public Airports Association. The newly elected chair of the IPAA is AOPA member Bob Rieser.

Iowa. Ankeny: AOPA ASN volunteer Scott Smith helped organize the first annual Wings, Wheels, and Water Festival in September to help promote GA. Among the attractions were a "learn-to-fly center" and donation of 10 introduction flights by local FBOs. Media coverage reached more than 1.2 million Iowans.

Kansas. The revitalized Kansas Aviation Council counts three AOPA ASN volunteers among its board members. The KAC will push for pro-GA legislation on the state level. Also, the KAC's new "Wings Over Kansas" Web site ( www.wingsoverkansas.com) is recording more than 3,000 visitors a month. Lawrence: AOPA ASN volunteer Larry Kellogg reports that plans to upgrade the Lawrence Municipal Airport include a large NASCAR racetrack near the airport.

Michigan. Detroit: AOPA ASN volunteer Gary Soloway is helping to draft new airport minimum standards for the Detroit/Grosse Ile Municipal Airport.

Minnesota. Minneapolis: Newly appointed chairman of the Metropolitan Airports Commission Charles Nichols has agreed to work with AOPA ASN volunteers to improve communication with pilots at the five MAC airports. One item under discussion is possible MAC support for the "Discover Aviation Days" celebration at Anoka County-Blaine Airport.

Missouri. Fulton: Longtime FBO Tig-Air Aviation is managing the Fulton-Hensley Memorial Airport on a day-to-day basis while bids are taken for a new FBO and airport manager. AOPA ASN Dana Morgenthaler is following events to ensure fair treatment of GA. Ozark: AOPA is working with local and state officials to develop Airpark South Airport as a reliever airport for Springfield/Branson Regional Airport.

New Jersey. Gov. Christine Todd Whitman has signed a bill exempting GA aircraft over 6,000 pounds from sales tax on FBO services. Airliners are already exempt.

Washington. Ellensburg: AOPA ASN volunteer John Dugan has been working with the County Planning Commission to help protect Bowers Field Airport from encroachment.

Wisconsin. West Bend: AOPA ASN volunteer Jim Pieper reports that an environmental assessment is being prepared for construction of a new 5,500-foot runway at West Bend Municipal Airport. Actual runway construction is not expected to start until 2003.

AOPA Adds to Airport Defense Staff, Bolsters Airport Support Program

AOPA has upgraded its Airports and Regional Affairs staff and added resources to its growing Airport Support Network program, all to strengthen the defense of GA airports.

Miguel Vasconcelos has been promoted to AOPA director of airports. He will focus on precedent-setting, long-range airport issues such as privatization, airport closures, military base reuse programs, and FAA compliance issues, as well as state legislative affairs.

Christy Gerencher has joined AOPA as manager of airport policy. She will focus on policy research, strategy development, environmental issues, and member/airport interests.

David Yinger, the newest Airport Support Network staff member, works on airport technical issues and provides expert assistance to local ASN volunteers.

Mary Catherine Tennant has been promoted to manager of the AOPA Airport Support Network. She will focus on growth of the program, which has an ultimate goal of one AOPA member volunteer monitoring each of 5,000-plus public-use airports in the United States.

AOPA Flight Training Magazine Now Serves AOPA's CFI, Project Pilot Mentor Programs

AOPA Flight Training magazine will become the backbone of AOPA's revised Flight Instructor and Project Pilot Mentor programs. Both feature a six-month AOPA Flight Training trial membership in AOPA.

CFIs may nominate their students for the free six-month trial membership, which includes six issues of AOPA Flight Training magazine, use of AOPA's toll-free Pilot Information Center for the period, and access to the "Members Only" section of AOPA Online. Research has shown that students who use AOPA services are three times more likely to complete their flight training.

Participating CFIs also receive a free subscription to AOPA Flight Training and may chose to receive the Flight Instructor Kit with program details, identifying lapel pin, and a teaching tips video that features AOPA's national CFI mentor Ralph Hood.

Students or prospects being mentored by AOPA members will receive the six-month free AOPA Flight Training trial membership, six issues of AOPA Flight Training magazine and other services, and an AOPA Flight Training welcome kit. Mentors receive a redesigned Mentor Kit including an identifying AOPA Project Pilot lapel pin, plus helpful hints to successfully mentor a new student pilot.

For more information, call AOPA at 800/USA-AOPA (800/872-2672) or visit the Web site ( http://flighttraining.aopa.org).

AOPA ePILOT Speeds Latest GA News to Pilots' Virtual Desktops

The editors of AOPA Pilot have launched AOPA ePilot, a weekly free-to-members electronic newsletter covering GA news and information.

"Whether it's the details of a new AD or the status of a new aircraft design, AOPA ePilot will deliver timely GA news directly to pilots' e-mail in-boxes," said Thomas B. Haines, AOPA Pilot editor in chief. "Our focus will be on what GA pilots need and want to know."

AOPA ePilot information includes happenings within the FAA and on Capitol Hill. It provides an insider's look at how AOPA goes about protecting pilots' wallets and their right to fly.

The newsletter links to featured new material on AOPA Online, including the latest safety tip from AOPA Pilot columnist Rod Machado. AOPA ePilot readers get previews of upcoming articles in AOPA Pilot.

AOPA ePilot will also feature a link to the "picture of the day," allowing readers to update their computer desktop wallpaper with stunning aviation photography.

AOPA members may subscribe to AOPA ePilot free of charge by visiting the "Members Only" section of AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/epilot.html).

Good News for the Gift-Challenged

Hundreds of dramatic airplane images from the pages of AOPA Pilot are available for purchase from the newly relaunched AOPA OnlineGallery.

The gallery features hundreds of original photographs taken by AOPA Photographer Mike Fizer and other AOPA Pilot staff members.

To purchase an unforgettable photo for a hard-to-buy-for pilot, visit the Web site ( www.aopa.org/online_gallery/).

AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION

New ASF  "Safety Highlights" Series to Feature Cessna 172

The first in a new AOPA Air Safety Foundation series on individual aircraft types will debut in December with an analysis of accident causes and safety suggestions for the Cessna 172.

Three others follow in 2000, for the Piper PA-28, the Cessna 182, and another yet-to-be-determined. The series is sponsored by the U. S. Aircraft Insurance Group.

Each Safety Highlight edition comes with sample test questions (with answers) and a training course outline that emphasizes procedures and areas of operation most likely to cause accidents.

Each Safety Highlight edition will be available free on both AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/asf/publications/) and in booklet form. For a single copy of ASF Safety Highlights, write to the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701, or contact USAIG at 199 Water Street, New York, New York 10805.

ASF Will Send 30,000 Free Safety Videos to New Private and Instrument-Rated Pilots

The AOPA Air Safety Foundation is sending some 30,000 safety videos — free of charge — to newly minted private pilots and new instrument-rated pilots.

"We conduct some 300 free safety seminars each year and reach thousands of pilots," said Bruce Landsberg, ASF executive director. "But there are tens of thousands of pilots for whom seminar locations and times are inconvenient. These safety videos get the information to them at home."

Many new private pilots will receive ASF's new Lost and Crossed, which provides real-world tips to keep from getting lost or getting "crossed up" in crosswind landings. ASF research determined that positional awareness and crosswind landings were a new pilot's biggest concerns.

Selected new IFR pilots will receive Weather Decision-Making, which focuses on practical ways to get the best weather information from ATC and flight service, and how to use that information in real time.

The unprecedented free distribution of safety videos was made possible by a generous grant from AOPA.

The independent, nonprofit ASF was created in 1950 to provide GA education and safety programs. Since then, ASF research, publications, and seminars have helped generations of pilots as GA accidents have been cut by almost 75 percent.