AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Volume 1, Issue 4

AVIATION TOURIS T ATTRACTION PLANNED IN MICHIGAN

JACKSONVILLE MILITARY FIELD GOES CIVILIAN
Jacksonville, Florida’s Cecil Field has gone civilian. Once known as Cecil Field Naval Air Station, it is now just Cecil Field, and goes by the identifier VQQ. The first GA pilot to land at the new airport was AOPA member Ken Smallwood (AOPA 013365716). The airport is served by AirKaman Cecil Field ( www.airkaman.com). Not too many FBOs can advertise an on-premises golf course and gym built to Navy specifications.

MEMPHIS FBO FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST AIRPORT
Wilson Air Center, one of two competing FBOs at Memphis International Airport, has filed a complaint with the FAA charging economic discrimination by airport authorities. The complaint alleges that airport authority officials have consistently made land available at lower prices to Wilson Air Center’s competitor, Signature Flight Support. "Over the years, the airport has made no secret of its desire to force general and business aviation off the airfield," said David Wade, attorney for Wilson Air Center. "This latest effort to check our expansion and stifle competition appears to be designed to do just that." Wilson Air Center is headed by Bob Wilson, son of Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. ePILOT attempted to contact airport authorities for comment, but an attorney for the airport authority did not return phone calls.

WAYNE HANDLEY TO BOOST COMPETITION AIR SHOWS
Air show performer Wayne Handley has retired after "getting the wind knocked out of my sails" in a crash of his Oracle Turbo Raven last month in California. Handley crashed after losing power during a steep descent, the final portion of his air show act, with the prop in flat pitch. His future plans include supporting the growing trend of competition among air show performers. To see how Handley won an air show competition a week before his crash, tune in ESPN2 on December 19 at 6 p.m. EST, and again on January 19 at 2 p.m. EST. Look for an article in an upcoming issue of AOPA Pilot magazine.

For daily news updates, see ( http://www.aopa.org/members/).

AOPA FIGHTING USER FEES WORLDWIDE
AOPA and its international affiliate, the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA), are preparing for a meeting next year of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The purpose of the meeting is to set world guidelines for financing both airport infrastructure and air traffic services. AOPA and IAOPA both are planning to present strong arguments against the imposition of user fees, and will argue in favor of using government contributions for aeronautical services worldwide.

FAA/INDUSTRY MEETING ON FLIGHT SERVICES COMPLETED
A first-ever summit meeting between the FAA and industry representatives on flight services—called a "renaissance"— was attended by AOPA. More importantly, general comments made to AOPA by members were relayed directly to the FAA and the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists at the meeting. Here are a few topics for further discussion: use the VFR-not-recommended phrase only when warranted; make flight service a customer-based, not a lawyer-driven, service; increase FAA awareness of how staffing levels affect service; raise the weather knowledge of every briefer to that required for the Flight Watch position; offer additional 800 numbers for each flight service station; and, incorporate specialized local-area knowledge into weather briefings.