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Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
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Frederick, MD 21701
Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
301/695-2000
Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | Protecting GA
| FEDS WON'T CHARGE PILOT WHO CAUSED WHITE HOUSE STIR
Federal law enforcement officials say no criminal charges will be filed against the pilot of a Cessna 182 who caused the brief evacuation of the White House Wednesday night. The pilot violated the temporary flight restriction (TFR) over Washington, D.C., after diverting around weather. That very sort of pilot error was the topic of AOPA President Phil Boyer's Pilot Town Meeting in Nashville, which took place at virtually the same time as the violation. "In the climate that exists after the terrorist attacks, pilots have got to fly smarter than ever," Boyer told the assembly. "It is imperative that GA pilots adhere to the restrictions. Not doing so could undo all that AOPA has accomplished since September 11." Boyer reiterated that pilots must check and understand all notams before flight. See AOPA�Online.
…AND AOPA CALLS ON FAA TO PROVIDE GRAPHICAL NOTAMS
In the wake of the inadvertent flight of the Cessna 182 through the Washington, D.C., TFR, AOPA is calling on the FAA to make graphical notams available to pilots. "This pilot made a mistake he shouldn't have," Boyer said. "On the other hand, the government can and should make it easier for pilots to comply with the regulations." See AOPA�Online.
FAA DRAFTS RULE ON AOPA PILOT ID PETITION
The FAA has told Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) that the agency is now drafting a rule to implement AOPA's petition to require that pilots carry a government-issued photo ID along with their pilot certificates. "The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) supports the proposed requirement as a low-cost interim measure to enhance security throughout the general aviation community that may be quickly implemented before a permanent system is developed and implemented," the FAA said in a letter to Cleland. Senators Cleland and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) have endorsed the AOPA proposal. AOPA will continue to work with Congress and the Bush administration to ensure that the pilot ID proposal doesn't become bogged down in executive review. See AOPA�Online.
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY REPORT BACKS UP AOPA'S FINDINGS
A nuclear industry report has concluded that a hijacked commercial airliner could not penetrate a U.S. nuclear power reactor and release deadly radiation. The study's preliminary findings were released Monday, and add more weight to an AOPA-commissioned study which concluded that a general aviation aircraft couldn't cause a radiation release. According to Reuters, the new study was commissioned by the Nuclear Energy Institute. It looked at what would happen if a Boeing 767 crashed into a nuclear power plant. See AOPA's study or the Reuters story.
| | GA�News | MOONEY DROPS PRICES 20 PERCENT
In an unprecedented move in the piston world, Mooney Airplane Company Inc. has slashed airplane prices across its line by 20 percent. This means an average price reduction of $90,000 for each of three models. How is that possible? Mooney Aerospace Group LTD Chairman and CEO Roy Norris told ePilot during a visit to AOPA headquarters on Tuesday that he eliminated expensive perks, improved employee efficiency, and will rely on factory-direct sales rather than a dealer organization. With the same equipment as before, the price of  an Eagle2 drops from $360,000 to $299,950; an Ovation2 from $445,000 to $349,950; and a Bravo from $505,000 to $399,950. The first new Mooney since production resumed after bankruptcy flew on Tuesday before 100 teary-eyed employees. Norris said the new company will build 20 Mooneys this year followed by 100 next year. Mooney plans to be in the black by next February. See AOPA Online for a photo gallery of the first flight.
...AND SHELVES JETCRUZER PROJECT
After conducting a review of the Jetcruzer 500 project, Mooney Aerospace officials discovered some distressing news. The single-engine turboprop aircraft was 1,000 pounds overweight, it was 40 knots slower than once thought, it exceeded federal noise standards, and it had a center of gravity problem. The newly renamed company decided to shelve the project. Norris said that although nonrefundable deposits were accepted by the company formerly known as Advanced Aerodynamics & Structures Inc., Mooney Aerospace will refund the money. Norris said he has contacted all 188 people who had placed orders, and starting in September, the company will begin returning the deposits, which total $1.6 million.
COMMUTER AIRLINE PIONEER DIES
A man who pioneered the concept of commuter airline service and was known for his tireless philanthropic efforts died last Wednesday at his home in Salisbury, Maryland, after suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Richard A. Henson was 92. Henson learned to fly in 1930. Shortly after, he formed Henson Flying Service and reopened the Hagerstown (Maryland) Airport. He served as CEO of Henson Aviation Inc. from 1931 to 1989. In addition to operating his FBO, Henson held several positions at Fairchild Aircraft for more than 30 years, beginning as a test pilot and later becoming one of the first dozen scheduled air taxi and commuter operators in the country. Henson established business relationships with Allegheny Airlines and Piedmont Aviation and through an acquisition and name change, his operation evolved into USAir Express. See AOPA�Online.
FAA TO MAKE LOW-COST RADARS AVAILABLE TO TOWERS
The FAA announced last week that it will start purchasing low-cost radar displays for some 15 airport towers that handle more than 30,000 operations annually. And other airports will be able to purchase the systems directly. AOPA has been pushing for such systems since 1998. In 2000, AOPA lobbied for an amendment to the AIR-21 legislation requiring the FAA to develop a national policy and procedures for installing low-cost radar systems in VFR towers. See AOPA�Online.
CINCINNATI CLASS B CHANGE GOOD, BAD FOR GA
Effective July 11, the airspace over Cincinnati will change, and that's good news and bad news for general aviation. The FAA published a final rule that modifies Cincinnati Class B airspace. The good news is that it provides an AOPA-recommended airspace cutout for Clermont County Airport. The bad news is that it also raises the ceiling of the Class B airspace to 10,000 feet msl. See AOPA�Online.
FAA ISSUES AMENDED LYCOMING AD
The FAA on Tuesday issued AD 2002-12-07 which supercedes a previous emergency AD requiring inspection and/or replacement of oil filter converter plate gaskets on about 3,000 aircraft with Textron-Lycoming engines. This new AD formally introduces terminating actions to the condition addressed in the original emergency AD 2000-18-53 issued on September 5, 2000. "AOPA is pleased that the FAA has finally issued this new AD, as it provides much needed closure for those affected operators," said Lance Nuckolls, AOPA director of regulatory and certification policy. See AOPA�Online.
For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.
| Inside AOPA
| AOPA'S BOYER WINS AWARD FOR GETTING GA BACK IN THE AIR
AOPA President Phil Boyer was honored by the Aero Club of New England (ACONE) for his efforts to restore U.S. pilots' flying privileges after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The club presented Boyer its prestigious Godfrey L. Cabot Award during a luncheon last Friday in Boston. "Phil Boyer has shown time and again that he can move political and regulatory mountains to keep the United States the world's greatest venue for the gift of flight," said ACONE President David G. Margolis. "Phil's actions after September 11 topped off a lifetime of leadership in GA." See AOPA�Online.
VOR PHASE-OUT TOO AGGRESSIVE, AOPA SAYS
AOPA told the FAA that the transition time for phasing out VORs in favor of a satellite-based system is too aggressive. The FAA wants to start turning off VORs in 2007. AOPA also said that there aren't adequate backups in the event of a system failure, and that the satellite-based system does not currently provide enough benefits over the existing ground-based system of VORs. The FAA's timetable is based on a presumption that the new capabilities will become available on time and as expected. AOPA is not confident that presumption is correct. See AOPA�Online.
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| Airport Support Network
| AIRPORT SUPPORT VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
More than 1,200 Airport Support Network volunteers throughout the nation are working with AOPA headquarters to help save their airports. They act as the eyes and ears of AOPA to provide an early warning for threats to airfields. Below are just a few airports in your area where ASN volunteers are still needed.
To nominate a volunteer, which can be yourself, visit AOPA�Online.
| AOPA�Air Safety Foundation News
| ASF, NASA TO RELEASE ICING DANGERS VIDEO
A new video about the dangers of in-flight icing will soon be available from NASA and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. Building on the solid backbone of ASF's Aircraft Icing Safety Advisor, the video explores the dangers of icing by following flights through icing conditions. Several AOPA members helped with the video. "This video is the sort of thing NASA does very well," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "Given ASF's 50-year history of acting as champion for air safety, working together on this project just made sense." The video is expected to be released in late July. It will be available in both DVD and VHS formats. ASF will help with the distribution. See AOPA�Online.
GA ACCIDENTS DOWN FOR 2002
The NTSB has released the most current accident data for 2002. General aviation accidents are down by 6.8 percent (591 from 634) in 2001. Instructional flying posted the biggest decrease, with total accidents falling 12.7 percent (96 from 110), fatal accidents decreasing 30 percent (seven from 10), and fatalities dropping 38.1 percent (13 from 21). Conversely, aerial application accident numbers increased in all areas. Total accidents are up by 78.6 percent (25 from 14). Also, there were two fatal accidents compared to none for the same period last year. For more, see ASF's Web site.
| Quiz Me!
| Here's a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: On my sectional chart there is a white box with magenta borders in a military operations area. It shows the letters "CTC" followed by a frequency. What is this?
Answer: The white boxes with magenta borders are meant for VFR pilots flying in that area and provide information on how to contact air traffic control without the need for other publications. The letters "CTC" stand for "contact" and the information that follows are the facility and frequency that should be used. AOPA has long advocated the addition of this information to VFR charts. A good source of information on charts is the Aeronautical Chart User's Guide .
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 Waco Update
|  SWEEPSTAKES WACO MOVES JULY 1
Rare Aircraft's craftsmen in Minnesota are preparing to move your AOPA Sweepstakes Waco UPF-7 to their new workshop at Owatonna Degner Regional Airport, Minnesota, just 12 miles from the present shop in Faribault. Rare Aircraft also operates the FBO at Owatonna. The moving date is July 1 or shortly thereafter. In the meantime, a new center instrument panel has been laser-cut and is ready for mounting. New fairings to be mounted between the fuselage and the wing, and fairings for the tail feathers, have also arrived. And the center avionics panel is being engineered to install the PS Engineering PMA4000 audio panel with intercom. See AOPA�Online.
| Picture Perfect
| | 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. See AOPA Online.
| What's New At AOPA�Online
| It's thunderstorm season, and to increase pilot awareness of this potential threat, AOPA Online now offers a new Thunderstorm Avoidance online subject report. It is a compilation of articles from AOPA Pilot and AOPA Flight Training magazines, as well as publications from the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, that emphasizes how to anticipate–and avoid–thunderstorms along your route of flight. See AOPA�Online.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA�Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Sidney, Ohio. The Sidney Air Show takes place June 29 at Sidney Municipal Airport (I12). Two safety seminars, many warbirds, barbecue chicken dinners, airplane rides. Contact Eric Kindig, 937/492-9794, or visit the Web site.
Saint Cloud, Minnesota. A Wheels, Wings, and Water Fly-In takes place June 30 at St. Cloud Regional Airport (STC). Pancake and sausage breakfast; free for pilots in command. Contact James M. Schlick, 320/253-6400.
For more airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For more events, see Aviation Calendar of Events
ASF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
(All clinics start at 7:30 a.m.)
The next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are scheduled in Minneapolis and Reston, Virginia, June 29 and 30. Clinics are scheduled in Portland, Maine and Memphis, Tennessee, July 13 and 14. 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 in Minneapolis on June 30. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in East Elmhurst, New York, June 24; Brookhaven, New York, June 25; Poughkeepsie, New York, June 26; and Randolph, New Jersey, June 27. The topics is single-pilot IFR, see AOPA�Online.
To make submissions to the calendar, visit AOPA Online. For comments on calendar items, e-mail [email protected].
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