AOPA Action

A new pilot facility, donated by AOPA on behalf of its members, was set to open in December at First Flight Airport (FFA) in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, site of the memorial to the Wright Brothers' first powered flight on December 17, 1903.

"Sponsorship of the permanent pilot facility is an appropriate way for AOPA members to honor the Wright brothers' legacy and the generations of pilots who have followed them in flight," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Visiting the birthplace of powered flight is a rite of passage for many pilots. AOPA is proud to sponsor this pilot facility for the safety and convenience of the thousands of pilots who visit First Flight each year."

While many organizations are sponsoring activities in conjunction with next year's celebration of the 100th anniversary of powered flight, the AOPA pilot facility is the only permanent structure that will remain.

AOPA worked closely with the National Park Service and the First Flight Centennial Foundation to develop the facility, which will make First Flight Airport even more appealing as a cross-country destination. The 900-square-foot building will house restrooms, a pilot briefing room, telephones, wall-mounted navigation charts, and computerized weather and flight planning equipment. It will replace the portable toilets and small shack that currently greet pilots flying into the airport.

The facility will also include displays to explain general aviation to nonpilot visitors to the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

AOPA Questions Huge TFRs Around Presidential Visit Sites

White House security personnel are increasingly asking for - and getting - huge areas of temporarily restricted airspace around sites visited by President Bush.

Twice in one week during late September and early October, the FAA issued notams establishing 10-nautical-mile no-fly zones with an additional 20-nm ring of restricted space (30 nm total radius) when the president visited his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and his father's home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

"AOPA recognizes the need to protect the president of the United States," said Melissa Bailey, AOPA vice president for air traffic, regulatory, and certification policy. "But we don't understand why restrictions around the president became more severe after the Office of Homeland Security dropped the terrorist threat level from orange back to yellow."

Those two restrictions affected more than 50 airports, closing two entirely during the effective periods of the notams, and nearly 700 aircraft.

In the restricted areas, pilots were required to be on an IFR or VFR flight plan, squawking a discrete transponder, and talking to air traffic control. No flight training or traffic pattern work was permitted.

"AOPA has been working with the FAA and Transportation Security Administration for months to ease restrictions as much as possible within the confines of national security," said Bailey. "We will continue to work with them, and the Secret Service, to address their concerns and see that these huge TFRs don't become routine."

AOPA Wins Clarification On Blanket Stadium Security TFR

AOPA in September won a months-long battle for revision of the infamous "Catch-22" notam restricting flight near large open-air events. The revised notam better defines times and locations of the temporary flight restrictions.

The new notam incorporates AOPA recommendations, applying airspace restrictions only to major league baseball, NFL, NCAA Division IA, and auto races in major stadiums seating 30,000 or more people. It limits the effective time of the restrictions from one hour before the scheduled start of the event to one hour after.

The original notam prohibited flight above "any major professional or collegiate sporting event, or any other major open-air assembly of people." Pilots had no way of knowing when and where such events were taking place.

AOPA Asks OMB To Expedite Driver's License Pilot ID

AOPA Senior Vice President of Government and Technical Affairs Andy Cebula met in late September with the government agency that is the final hurdle for AOPA's proposal to use government-issued photo IDs, such as driver's licenses, as pilot IDs.

AOPA petitioned the FAA in February for a direct final rule requiring pilots to carry a driver's license or other government photo ID. After a lengthy review, the FAA agreed, sending the proposal to the Office of Management and Budget for final sign-off. "Our meeting gave us the opportunity to answer any questions OMB may still have," Cebula said.

GAservingamerica.org: Your Tool For Explaining Why You Fly.

When you try to explain to family and friends about learning to fly, do your explanations leave them scratching their heads, wondering exactly what general aviation is?

A new Web site aimed at nonpilots may help you put it in terms they'll understand. The site ( www.GAservingamerica.org ) was developed to help clear up misconceptions about general aviation. And because the site is designed for the nonflying public, it's an excellent place for pilots to find simple explanations.

Does your family say, "It's not safe"? Yes, it is. Support your argument by clicking on the safety page. Do friends argue, "That rinky-dink airport on the edge of town's not worth taxpayer support"? Prove them wrong. Point them to the "Serving all Americans" and "Serving Your Community" pages, and show them the $102 billion in economic activity generated by general aviation, or the nearly 700 percent return on every dollar spent on airport improvement.