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GA News
| RASH OF GA COLLISIONS REPORTED
 | Photo courtesy of Photogrammetric
Technologies, Inc., Clearwater, FL | Since ePilot reported on midair collisions in the Los Angeles and Chicago areas last week, there have been four additional collisions between general aviation aircraft. The accidents happened in Palm Springs, California; Sandusky, Ohio; Clearwater, Florida; and McAlester, Oklahoma. Only the Oklahoma crash on February 16 involved fatalities; one pilot died when a Cessna 208 Caravan cargo aircraft just departing McAlester Regional Airport and a Cessna 182 collided, shearing a wing from the 182. At Palm Springs on February 15, a Cessna 172 collided with a Piper PA-28 aircraft. The 172 was damaged in a landing in the desert one-half mile from Palm Springs International Airport, while the Piper landed safely. For photos of the Palm Springs incident, enter "midair" as the search word. Over Sandusky on the same day, a Cessna 172 lost a door after colliding with a Piper PA-28, but both aircraft landed safely. And at Clearwater on February 12, a Cessna 140 tailwheel aircraft in a nose-high landing attitude landed atop a Cessna 150 that had completed 300 feet of a landing roll at Clearwater Air Park. The 150 carried an instructor and student. Occupants of both planes escaped injury.
'TRADER JON' DIES IN PENSACOLA; FRIEND OF NAVY PILOTS
Martin "Trader Jon" Weissman, closely associated with naval aviation in the Pensacola, Florida, area, died last Friday at a Pensacola hospital. Since 1953, Weissman owned a Pensacola tavern that he renamed "Trader Jon's;" it became a regular of the area's many naval aviators and then found acceptance among pilots of all backgrounds. Aviation memorabilia given to the colorful Weissman transformed the tavern into an aviation shrine of sorts. But the proprietor suffered a disabling stroke in 1997, and a cadre of supporters has been raising funds and negotiating to purchase the property in the hopes of preserving it as an operating business. For more information, visit the Trader Jon's Preservation Squadron Web site.
SOCATA WANTS YOUR HELP
Socata Aircraft wants AOPA members to help design a new paint scheme for its new line of Generation Two TB models. You'll be able to select from several stripe patterns and colors, or design a scheme from scratch. The winning paint scheme will be displayed at EAA AirVenture 2000 in Oshkosh. The winner gets a trip for two aboard an Air France Concorde SST to Paris, and a side trip to Socata’s plant in southern France. The contest ends May 15. Click here for details.
For daily news updates, see AOPA's Pilot Briefing.
| Inside AOPA
| AOPA ASKS FAA TO TAKE ACTION IN ATLANTIC CITY
AOPA stepped up its support of Bader Field in Atlantic City last week. In a letter to FAA Eastern Region headquarters, AOPA said the city's well-chronicled efforts to close the airport have reached a critical level. The city is currently ignoring maintenance needs of the airport, and operates an ice rink on airport property that was never approved by the FAA. Runways are closed at the whim of the city so as not to disturb baseball games in a stadium that the FAA previously approved on the property. The city is obligated to keep the airport open until 2006. The FBO that opened only a year ago left the property two months later, citing contractual and safety issues with the city. AOPA has called on FAA official Robert B. Mendez, manager of the airports division for the Eastern Region, to take enforcement action against Atlantic City.
| On Capitol Hill
| UTAH CONGRESSMAN AIDS AOPA IN PUSH FOR BACKCOUNTRY AIRSTRIPS
House national parks and public lands subcommittee chairman Rep. Jim Hansen (R-Utah) has introduced H.R.3661 to help ensure general aviation access to airstrips on federal lands. Known as the "General Aviation Access Act," the AOPA-encouraged bill would turn back efforts by federal agencies to restrict or prohibit GA use of backcountry airstrips, particularly in the western United States. AOPA President Phil Boyer pointed out during past congressional testimony that such airstrips are necessary for search-and-rescue operations, fire fighting, and forest management and research, as well as emergency landing areas. "Aircraft overflights do not leave litter, clog roads, or physically damage wilderness areas," Boyer told Congress. "Aviation provides access to those physically unable to enjoy this often rough terrain from the ground." Hansen is a pilot and long time AOPA member. Three powerful committees in the House will study the bill--Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure.
| Airport Support Network
| VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK - LEE SOMMER
After Airport Support Network (ASN) volunteer Lee Sommer of Maryland heard about a notam that banned student pilot operations at College Park Airport, he discussed the situation with the airport manager. As it turned out, county officials had won the right to restrict--but not prohibit--student operations when they purchased the airport from the federal government. With guidance from AOPA, Lee again discussed the situation with the airport manager. The manager agreed to make the appropriate changes to the notam and to the Airport Facility Directory that would allow student operations in accordance with the stipulation agreement.
Click here to learn more about the Airport Support Network.
| AOPA Air Safety Foundation News
| LANDSBERG GIVES WEATHER LECTURE AT UND
Nearly 650 students and local area pilots attended an AOPA Air Safety Foundation seminar by ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg at the University of North Dakota (UND) earlier this month. Landsberg presented an interactive "Never Again" seminar on actual weather encounters, along with an update of the GA safety picture based on the most recent safety statistics. ASF gathered stories from "AOPA Pilot" magazine that included decision-making challenges for both VFR and instrument-rated pilots. While there, Landsberg also visited two UND safety classes to discuss what to do about GA weather decision making.
ASF MAILS CESSNA 172 BOOKLET TO AIRCRAFT OWNERS
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation is partnering with USAIG (United States Aircraft Insurance Group) this year to produce and distribute four new "Safety Highlights" on specific general aviation aircraft. The free booklets provide an analysis of accident causes and offer operating and safety tips for each model. In February, "Cessna 172 Skyhawk Safety Highlights" (the first in the series) was mailed to more than 27,000 Cessna 172 owners and operators in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Each edition of "Safety Highlights" will be available free on the ASF and USAIG Web sites. Single printed copies of ASF publications may be requested from the Air Safety Foundation, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701, or ordered online.
| Quiz me!
| Here’s a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: A student pilot asked, "What does the acronym 'GUMP' stand for?"
Answer: Although there are many opinions on exactly what the letters in the landing checklist "GUMP" mean, the most common version is: G--gas (fuel selector valve set on both or fullest tank), U--undercarriage (gear down and locked), M--mixture (rich), P--prop full forward (in case of a go-around). You may add to that S for seatbelts (secure and shoulder harnesses in place).
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 the AOPA Online Gallery.
| What's new at AOPA Online
| Airport taxi diagrams are now available for more than 330 United States airports on AOPA Online. Previously unavailable in electronic form, these diagrams will especially benefit VFR pilots who do not normally have such information on their charts.
| ePILOT Calendar
| FLY AWAY PICKS FOR THIS WEEKEND
Lake Placid, New York. The Empire State Winter games take place on the site of the 1980 Olympics February 25 through 27. The competition features 11 sports with various qualifying rules. Lake Placid Airport (LKP) serves the area, 518/523-2473. Call 518/474-8889 for event information.
North Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The Tahoe International Spring SnowFest takes place February 25 through March 5, featuring ski races and a snow dog challenge. Minden-Tahoe Airport (MEV) serves the area, 775/782-9871. Call 775/832-7625 for event information.
Eagle River, Wisconsin. Trig's Klondike Days, celebrating Wisconsin's logging heritage takes place February 26 and 27. Eagle River Union Airport (EGV) serves the area. Call 800/359-6315 for event information.
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. The Sourdough Rendezvous Air Show is billed as "the friendliest air show in Canada," and takes place February 26 and 27. Whitehorse Airport (CYXY) is the host of the event, 867/667-8440. Call 867/667-2148 for event information.
PLANNING AHEAD
Scottsdale, Arizona. One of the top juried arts shows in the nation takes place in Scottsdale March 10 through 12. Scottsdale Airport (SDL) serves the area, 602/994-2321. Call 480/994-2787 for event information.
AOPA Expo. Join us for AOPA Expo 2000, October 20 through 22 in Long Beach, California.
For details on individual airports, see AOPA’s Airport Directory Online. For more calendar events, see the AOPA Pilot magazine Aviation Calendar of Events.
A SF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
(All clinics start at 7:30 a.m.)
The next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are in Nashua, New Hampshire; Kent, Ohio; and Reston, Virginia, on February 26 and 27. Clinics are scheduled in San Mateo, California; Norfolk, Virginia; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 4 and 5. For complete details, visit the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule.
ASF PINCH HITTER GROUND-SCHOOL COURSES
(Pinch Hitter courses start at 9:30 a.m.)
The next Pinch-Hitter� Ground School will take place place March 11 and 12 in Phoenix, Arizona. For details and a complete schedule, see the Pinch Hitter Ground School Schedule.
AOPA PILOT TOWN MEETINGS
Featuring AOPA President Phil Boyer
(7:30 p.m.; admission is free)
The next Pilot Town Meetings are in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 29; San Jose, California, March 1; and Concord, California, March 2. Phil Boyer is a featured speaker at the Northwest Aviation Conference in Puyallup, Washington, February 26; the Montana Aviation Conference in Billings, Montana, March 4; and the Upper Midwest Aviation Symposium in Fargo, North Dakota, March 5. Click for more information on Pilot Town Meetings.
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Contacting ePilot
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