Advertisers
            
Got news? Contact ePilot . Having difficulty using this service? Visit the ePilot Frequently Asked Questions now at AOPA Online or write to [email protected].
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, MD 21701
Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
301/695-2000
Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | Protecting GA
| FAA ACCEPTS AOPA PROPOSAL ON 9/11 TFRs
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the FAA have accepted an AOPA-proposed compromise and softened the temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) around New York City for the first anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Instead of the three-day total ban on aircraft weighing less than 12,500 pounds operating within 30 nm of Ground Zero, the restrictions, announced Thursday morning, will allow all GA aircraft to operate IFR during the September 11 through 13 period. There are significant periods of time on September 11 and 12 when no general aviation operations will be permitted. At other times, GA pilots will be able to conduct IFR operations, provided they file a flight plan with a flight service station (no DUAT or air-filed) at least six hours in advance (the Islip FSS is adding additional staff during the three-day period to handle the anticipated extra volume of calls), maintain radio contact with air traffic control, and transmit assigned discrete transponder codes. No flight training and no VFR flights will be allowed.
…BUT BEWARE NEAR CEREMONIAL SITES
In addition to the three-day restriction around Ground Zero, the notam establishes TFRs around the Somerset, Pennsylvania, and Pentagon crash sites during the times of scheduled remembrance ceremonies on September 11 itself. At Somerset, the TFR prohibits VFR general aviation operations within 30 nm of the crash site. Aircraft on an IFR flight plan will be permitted to operate. In Washington, D.C., there will be a 30-nm restricted area, with IFR flights in the outer ring of the restricted area (15 sm to 34.5 sm, or 30 nm) permitted while the restricted area is active. All general aviation flights will be prohibited within 15 sm of the Washington Monument, as they are currently under SFAR 94. AOPA staff was in daily contact with TSA representatives as the security measures were being drafted and provided crucial, quantifiable information about the impact the TFRs would have, including the number of airports, aircraft, and GA operations that would be affected by the various proposals. Because the air traffic situation could change, see AOPA Online for the latest updates.
| | GA�News | CESSNA DENIES BABY JET REPORT
Cessna Aircraft Company is denying a report by a well-known aviation publication that it is developing a baby jet to compete with the Eclipse 500. Aviation International News reported that Cessna would unveil a jet in the four- to five-seat range, powered by a Williams engine and carrying a $2.6-million price tag, at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention and trade show in Orlando, Florida, next week. A Cessna spokeswoman told ePilot that AIN was "reporting rumors." The spokeswoman did confirm that Cessna will announce a new aircraft on Monday, but would not comment on the size or performance of the aircraft, only saying that it is another model in the Citation line. AIN also reported that Cessna would announce a stretched version of its popular Citation CJ2. An announcement of a new design should not come as a surprise to the industry. Former Cessna CEO Gary Hay hinted that the company was working on a new aircraft at a NBAA event two years ago. Speculation had been mounting before then.
FLIGHT ACROSS AMERICA TO VISIT AOPA
More than 40 general aviation aircraft are scheduled to land at AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Maryland, today as part of the Flight Across America event to honor those who fell in the September 11 terrorist attacks. The event was also created to celebrate the freedom of flight in America. The participants will meet with AOPA President Phil Boyer and other staff members before driving to Washington, D.C., for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon. The participants will later join up with flag-bearers from all 50 states in New York City. The flags will be carried in an airborne parade past the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero and later presented during a ceremony on the USS Intrepid. Pilots throughout the country have been asked to dedicate flights made between August 11, 2002, and this September 11 to the cause. As of late August, more than 2,500 flights had been registered on Flight Across America's Web site.
VICKERS VIMY SETS SIGHTS ON ATLANTIC CROSSING
 The Vickers Vimy replica team is planning to launch next year on its most historically significant journey, a transatlantic flight. To honor the first 100 years of flight, the team plans to recreate the 1919 flight on which John Alcock and Arthur Whitten-Brown flew from Newfoundland to Ireland in 16 hours and 12 minutes under extreme conditions. The feat was one of the flights credited with showing society that airplanes could be used as more than tools of war. The twin-engine biplane is named after the World War I battle. Previously, the replica recreated the London to Australia flight of 1919 (in 1994) and the London to Cape Town flight of 1920 (in 1999).
WRIGHT FLYER COULD LAUNCH FROM AIRCRAFT CARRIER
It's not exactly a first-line fighter, but a replica of the world's first powered aircraft will appear on the flight deck of the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier in February or March, according to the Dayton Daily News. There are even plans to fly it down the deck. The Navy has invited Dayton-area resident Nick Engler, founder of an educational program called the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company, to display a replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer on the ship. Engler has plans to fit it with modern-day flying surfaces that will allow a Navy pilot to fly it safely down the deck. Two Navy pilots will be selected for training, although it is not yet certain that the flight has full approval. Engler said a reproduction of the Wright Flyer would be too difficult to control. He plans to train the two Navy pilots at Jockeys Ridge State Park in North Carolina in October using a 1902 Wright Glider that he built.
For daily news updates, see AOPA�Online.
| Inside AOPA
| AOPA URGES CALIFORNIA GOV TO SUPPORT FUNDING INCREASE
AOPA is asking California Gov. Gray Davis to sign Assembly Bill 2630, under which the state would pick up the local funding match (typically 10 percent) for security-related projects funded under the federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP). "This is a great idea. Oftentimes smaller communities are not able to come up with the local match for federal airport projects and this bill will alleviate that concern in California," said Anne Esposito, AOPA vice president of airports. The bill would apply to airports with less than 80,000 annual operations and could be used for airport fencing, gates, security lighting, access control systems, and surveillance systems to help improve security. AOPA members in California are encouraged to contact the governor's office and ask him to sign the bill. See the Web site.
AOPA, MAYOR LEND SUPPORT FOR OHIO AIRPORT
AOPA joined Cleveland, Ohio, Mayor Jane Campbell last weekend to underscore how important Burke Lakefront Airport is to the city and the national air transportation system. "It's our job at AOPA to help community leaders understand how much they lose if they close an airport, and how much they stand to gain by keeping it open," said Anne Esposito, AOPA vice president of airports, who attended the 2002 Cleveland National Air Show. Campbell praised what she called a wonderful aviation event. Burke Lakefront has faced opposition from some members of the public as well as city council members, who think the airport blocks access to Lake Erie. Airport supporters point to the tens of millions of dollars in economic impact Burke Lakefront provides the city and to the 82,000 airport operations last year--operations that otherwise would likely have shifted to an already strained Hopkins International Airport. See AOPA�Online.
Changing your mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
| On Capitol Hill
| BLAKEY'S NOMINATION�REMAINS�IN�HOLDING�PATTERN
Members of the Senate aviation subcommittee on Tuesday sang the praises of Marion C. Blakey, President Bush's nominee to head the FAA. But the final vote on her confirmation is in an indefinite holding pattern because of a dispute over an FAA union contract. Blakey had high praise for the previous administrator, Jane Garvey, and pledged to follow Garvey's practice of seeking input from all elements of the aviation community and trying to achieve consensus. AOPA Legislative Affairs staff provided important information about general aviation to committee members in advance of the hearing. "This is a critical time for the FAA," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "We encourage the Senate to act expeditiously. With new policy being set on access to airspace and aviation security, the FAA needs a strong leader in place who has the confidence of Congress, the president, and the aviation industry." See AOPA�Online.
| Airport Support Network
| PROTECT YOUR AIRPORT BY PLANNING AHEAD
Encroachment can be a serious matter for airports. Historically, airports have experienced everything from telephone calls complaining about airport operations to attempts to implement curfews and noise abatement procedures. It can even escalate to threats of closing the airport. What can prevent this from happening? A well-thought-out compatible land-use plan that includes the airport and its environs. As a condition of receiving federal funds, the FAA places the burden on the airport sponsor to take appropriate zoning action to prevent noise and safety problems near the airport. Some states have similar requirements for the receipt of state funding. For more information, see AOPA's Guide to Land Use and Airport Noise .
To learn more about the Airport Support Network, visit AOPA�Online.
| AOPA�Air Safety Foundation News
| ASF ACCIDENT DATABASE GOES ONLINE
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation is, for the first time, making its database of general aviation accidents available to the public. All of the information is drawn from public government sources, but is organized and collated in a useful way. The search can be as specific as a tail number or as broad as a date range. The information can be sorted in a variety of ways: by type of aircraft, make, model, type of flight, state, injury index (none, minor, serious, fatal), or any combination. "This is the information we use to compile the annual Nall Report on Air Safety," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "Making it available online and in this format should help both pilots and researchers to better understand the cause of accidents and to spot trends." See AOPA�Online.
| Quiz Me!
| Here's a question asked by an AOPA member last week of our AOPA technical specialists. Test your knowledge.
Question: How far apart are runway edge lights?
Answer: According to an FAA advisory circular (AC), Runway and Taxiway Edge Lighting System, runway edge lights are located on a line not more than 10 feet from the edge of the full-strength pavement that is designated for runway use. The longitudinal spacing between the lights should not exceed 200 feet and the lights should be spaced as uniformly as possible with the threshold/runway end lights used as the starting reference points. Download AC 150/5340-24 from AOPA Online.
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].
| Never Again Online
| What do you do when the throttle cable breaks? Some quick action from a CFI lands the flight safely, but leads him to question the new engine installation. See the latest "Never Again Online," titled "Sweaty palms," exclusively on AOPA Online.
| Picture Perfect
| | Did you know you can create a personal e-card using the images from the AOPA Online Gallery? Send one to a friend today. See AOPA�Online.
| What's New At AOPA�Online
| Taking an FAA knowledge exam? AOPA has updated its list of computer testing centers for the required tests. Download the list.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA�Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Lancaster, California. The fifth annual Old Fashioned Fly-in takes place September 14 at General William J. Fox Airfield (WJF). For more information, visit the Web site.
Bayport, New York. The annual Antique Airplane Club of Greater New York Fly-in takes place September 14 and 15 at Brookhaven Airport (HWV). Static display, flea market, and hangar party. Contact Roy Kieser, 631/589-0374.
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 Phoenix, and Boston, on September 14 and 15. A Clinic is also scheduled in Richmond, Virginia, on September 21 and 22. 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 Schools will take place in Phonix, September 15, and San Jose, California, October 13. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Albuquerque, New Mexico and East Windsor, Connecticut, September 9; Warwick, Rhode Island, September 10; Tucson, Arizona and Billerica (Boston), September 11; and Mesa, Arizona, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, September 12. The topic is Single-Pilot IFR. For the complete schedule, see AOPA�Online.
To make submissions to the calendar, visit AOPA Online. For comments on calendar items, e-mail [email protected].
| |
