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| GA News
| AOPA LAUNCHES TV SPOTS TO SAVE MEIGS FIELD
AOPA is launching an unusual airwaves campaign to save Chicago's Meigs Field airport. An AOPA-produced television commercial designed to convince Illinois state legislators and the public to keep Merrill C. Meigs Field open will begin airing this Sunday evening on TV stations in Springfield, the Illinois capitol. The timing is critical as the Illinois legislature adjourns next Friday. "At a time when the nation's attention has turned to airport capacity problems, particularly in Chicago, should a reliever airport like Meigs be closed?" asked AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Our 370,000 members want to draw attention to this issue that is so important to Illinois and the nation's air transportation system." Chicago Mayor Richard Daley intends to close Meigs Field in February 2002. AOPA is working for a solution that will keep the airport open and meet Daley's desire for more parks. In a recent independent survey, a majority of Chicago residents were in favor of keeping Meigs Field open. Click to download the commercial from AOPA Online.
CAF GROUNDS UNIT FOLLOWING FATAL CRASH
The Confederate Air Force has grounded one of its units following a fatal crash on Monday. CAF members Dan Secker, 61, and Neal Clifton, 54, died when their Vultee BT-13A military trainer crashed at Bates Field near Odessa, Texas. The NTSB and the FAA are investigating. The CAF board of directors voted to ground the High Sky Wing pending a review of the wing's operations and maintenance procedures. Exactly one month earlier on April 14, another aircraft assigned to the High Sky Wing, a Fairchild PT-19, crashed, killing CAF member Roy Green. The High Sky Wing has one remaining airplane in service, an AT-6/SNJ-4 Texan. The grounding does not affect other CAF units. For more, see the Web site.
RACE CAR LEGEND TAKES ROBINSON R44 TO THE TRACK
Legendary auto racer Bob Bondurant has found yet another use for the Robinson R44 helicopter. Bondurant will use the Raven to observe and photograph racing lines around corners for student drivers at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix. He bought the aircraft in partnership with professional helicopter pilot Barry Sprague. Bondurant became interested in helicopters and auto racing at about the same time in the early 1960s. For more on Robinson, see the Web site.
MURPHY HEAVY-HAULER MAKES MAIDEN FLIGHT
The Murphy SR3500 Super Rebel kitplane made its first flight recently. Based on the SR2500, it features a 1,759-pound useful load with a nine-cylinder M-14P radial engine. Switching to a lighter Lycoming IO-540 increases the useful load even more. At gross weight, the four- to six-place taildragger climbs at 1,400 feet per minute and cruises at 143 knots. Murphy Aircraft said fast-build kits are available for the all-metal airplane. For more, see the Web site.
AIRSHOW PERFORMER GOES SOLO
 Former Northern Lights pilot Michael Mancuso will be performing alone this season in his Extra 300L. He is being sponsored by Klein Tools, a manufacturer of professional-grade hand tools and protective equipment. Mancuso left the competitive aerobatic arena in 1998 to join the Northern Lights aerobatic team. He was with the team until last year. The Northern Lights team will be flying L-39C Albatross jets instead of the Extra 300s for the 2001 season. Mancuso's next performance is at Air Expo 2001 at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland, May 25 through 27. For a complete performance schedule, see the Web site.
For daily news updates, see AOPA Online. |
Inside AOPA
| AOPA UNDERSCORES NEED FOR REAL-TIME SUA DATA
Pilots need improved "real-time" information on special use airspace, AOPA told the FAA recently. In the agency's Operational Evolution Plan (a 10-year blueprint for improving safety, increasing capacity, and managing delays), the FAA calls for better coordination and more efficient utilization of special use airspace when not in use by the military. AOPA said the agency has to go further. AOPA wants the FAA to add controlling agency radio frequencies and telephone numbers to charts so that pilots can ask if the airspace is actually in use. AOPA also said that flight service stations and general aviation pilots should have access to special airspace management system (SAMS) scheduling data. As part of a test program with the FAA, AOPA members can currently access the SAMS database on AOPA Online.
COURT OVERTURNS WINGS FIELD RESTRICTION
A Pennsylvania court has overturned a 1998 state law that restricted which airports could receive federal and state funds. The law was targeted at just four airports and it singled out AOPA's birthplace, Wings Field, outside of Philadelphia. "This is a significant decision not only for Wings Field, but for other airports as well," said Phil Boyer, AOPA president. "Had this law remained on the books, it could have set a precedent in other states and given local agencies the power to interfere with the national air transportation system." For more, see AOPA Online.
NEW SKYDIVING RULE NEEDS REPACKING, AOPA SAYS
Last week the FAA issued final changes to FAR Part 105–the regulations governing skydiving operations. The agency refused to address two issues raised by AOPA: the need for flight service notification (the FAA said that the requirement is implicit in the existing regulation) and the issue of a pilot's being held responsible for the actions of individuals not on board the pilot's aircraft. But the FAA did agree to eliminate the proposed accident-reporting requirements for pilots, stating that it did not have the resources to administer the program. See AOPA Online.
FAA ISSUES NOTAM FOR AOPA FLY-IN
The FAA has issued a notam for the eleventh annual AOPA Fly-In and Open House at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK), Maryland, on Saturday, June 2. The notam includes special VFR arrival procedures and information on the temporary control tower that will be operating from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reduced runway separation and simultaneous arrivals to intersecting runways will be in effect. Arrival/departure information and a map are available on AOPA Online.
Changing your mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
| On Capitol Hill
| SHOOT-DOWN LAW MUST BE REPEALED, SAYS AOPA
AOPA is urging Congress to repeal the law brought to light in the shoot-down of an American missionary aircraft in Peru. In a letter to all members of the House, AOPA President Phil Boyer asked for support of House Bill 1818, which was introduced by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), a pilot and AOPA member. That bill would prohibit employees and agents of the U.S. government from assisting foreign countries in interdiction of aircraft suspected of drug-related operations. For more, see AOPA Online.
| Airport Support Network
| ASN LOOKS FOR PILOTS TO SAVE NATION'S AIRPORTS
What would you do if your airport closed tomorrow? Every day 915 AOPA Airport Support Network volunteers are working with AOPA headquarters on a local level to help save their airports. That's a lot, but not enough. Ask yourself these questions: Has my flying been affected by development, new restrictions, or negative public relations about my local airport? Have local issues or political pressures affected my use and the efficiency of my local airport? If the answer is "yes" to either question, you may be just the kind of person we're looking for to help ensure the health and availability of your airport. See your regional section under the calendar below for a list of airports that are particularly in need. To learn more about ASN, see AOPA Online.
| AOPA Air Safety Foundation News
| MINNESOTA LIFE DONATES $100,000 TO ASF
Minnesota Life Insurance Company has marked the fiftieth anniversary of its relationship with AOPA by creating a $100,000 special endowment fund for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. "The excellent partnership between AOPA and Minnesota Life is now enhanced with the addition of ASF programs," said Bruce Landsberg, ASF executive director. "It is in our collective best interest to continue to improve general aviation safety." For more, see AOPA Online.
ASF RELEASES NEW COLLISION AVOIDANCE BOOKLET
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation has released a new Safety Advisor to supplement its acclaimed collision avoidance seminar. The booklet can also serve as a self-study course. The new 16-page publication, Collision Avoidance: Strategies and Tactics, is illustrated with dramatic photographs and graphics. It includes concise information on the physiology of vision, points out when and where most midair collisions occur, and suggests techniques and resources for avoiding such accidents. Click to download it from AOPA Online.
| Quiz Me!
| Here’s a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: I'm a military pilot. Can I receive a civilian rating for my military experience?
Answer: Under FAR 61.73, current and former military pilots may, depending on experience, receive: (1) a commercial pilot certificate; (2) an aircraft rating in the category and class of aircraft for which that military pilot is qualified; (3) an instrument rating with appropriate aircraft rating for which that pilot is qualified; or (4) a type rating, if appropriate. The pilot must present documentation showing compliance to an FAA flight standards district office in the pilot's area. The military pilot must pass a military competency knowledge test for the certificate or rating sought, and if not on active flight status within the past 12 months, pass a practical examination. See AOPA Online for a copy of the regulation.
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? Call 800/872-2672 or e-mail to [email protected]. Send comments on our Quiz Me! questions to [email protected].
| AOPA Sweepstakes Bonanza Update
|  If you're not convinced yet that the AOPA 2001 Sweepstakes Bonanza is on the cutting edge of technology, try an oxygen system with computerized delivery. Thanks to Mountain High Equipment and Supply Company of Redmond, Oregon, the airplane will have a much safer and more efficient oxygen system for those high-speed, high-altitude cross-country sorties. For the latest project update, see AOPA Online.
| On The Road To Expo
| MACHADO TO OFFER FOUR SEMINARS AT AOPA EXPO
Rod Machado, aviation humorist and columnist for AOPA Pilot, will conduct four seminars at AOPA Expo 2001 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The programs are titled Defensive Flying, Handling In-Flight Emergencies, Pilots, Poets, and Psychologists–How Literature Can Help Us Make Better Cockpit Decisions, and Aviation Humor–Reducing Cockpit Stress by Developing Your Aviation Sense of Humor. For complete Expo information, see AOPA Online.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Pine Bluff, Arkansas. "Operation Skyhook," the Black Pilots of America Memorial Day Fly-In, takes place May 24 through 28 at Grider Field (PBF). Call 870/879-6612 for event information.
Watsonville, California. Annual Fly-In and Airshow takes place at Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) May 25 through 27. Call 831/763-5600 for event information.
Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland. Air Expo 2001 takes place May 26 and 27. Call 301/757-3976 for event information.
Brunswick, Georgia. The World Beechcraft Society Fly-In takes place May 31 through June 3 at Glynco Jetport (BQK). Call 800/345-9066 for event information.
For more airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For more events, see Aviation Calendar of Events
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
The next AOPA ASF Safety Seminars are scheduled in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, May 19 and 20; Charlotte, North Carolina, and Baltimore May 21; Jamestown, North Carolina, May 22; and Raleigh, North Carolina, May 23. See AOPA Online for more information.
ASF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
(All clinics start at 7:30 a.m.)
The next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic is scheduled in Austin, Texas, June 2 and 3. For the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule, see AOPA Online.
ASF PINCH-HITTER GROUND-SCHOOL COURSES
(Pinch-Hitter courses start at 9:30 a.m.)
The next Pinch-Hitter� Ground School will take place June 10 in San Jose, California. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
For comments on calendar items or to make submissions, contact Julie S. Walker at [email protected].
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Contacting ePilot
Got news tips? Contact ePilot editor Nathan A. Ferguson at [email protected]. Having difficulty using this service? Visit the ePilot Frequently Asked Questions now at AOPA Online or write to [email protected]. Changing your mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
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Copyright � 2001. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
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