AOPA members convince Time Inc. to pull anti-GA advertisement
When Time magazine pilloried general aviation in an ad, AOPA and its members moved decisively, writing to complain about the unfair portrayal. The number of responses apparently convinced the magazine to pull the ad because it could be misinterpreted.
The full-page advertisement, which ran in the December 23, 2002, issue of Time magazine and at least one sister publication, showed two GA aircraft tied down on an airport ramp, with two nuclear power plant cooling towers in the background. The photo carried the caption, "Remember when only environmentalists would have been alarmed by this photo? Join the conversation." The clear and incorrect implication was that GA aircraft pose a security risk to nuclear power plants.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "And we felt we had to move decisively to counter such a misleading impression."
The day after the issue of Time hit the newsstands, Boyer sent a letter to the editor. In his letter, Boyer wrote, "By using such an inflammatory caption, you have chosen to begin the conversation by yelling, 'Fire!' in a crowded movie house. You preclude any further rational discussion."
But AOPA recognized that changing Time's mind was going to require more than a single letter from one organization. So using the AOPA Web site and the AOPA ePilot newsletter, the association urged members to act.
And act they did, contacting Time Inc.'s president and publisher in droves. "There are times when hearing from a large national organization like AOPA is enough," said Boyer. "And there are other times when hearing from scores of individual members has much more impact. This was one of those times when the members made all the difference."
One member in Pennsylvania pointed out some of the work that GA pilots do for the nonflying public. "General aviation does incalculable good for this country, and much of its work is done in the background — medevac, Angel Flight, organ donation delivery, to name just a few, and in just the medical field."
And a California member pointed out that the law requires pilots to have their information in order. "Pilots are required by Federal Aviation Regulations to obtain all information relevant to a flight before takeoff. Time should take upon themselves equal care in doing the same with this inflammatory type of advertising."
In an e-mailed response to those who wrote to her, Time Inc. President Eileen Naughton said, "The ad was not intended to suggest that small aircraft pose a particular danger to our national security, or that a small aircraft could in any way penetrate a nuclear tower. Time regrets any inference to the contrary that may have been taken by general aviation pilots.
"Out of respect for the general aviation industry, Time has removed this ad from its media schedule."
"This episode demonstrates two things about the U.S. media," said Boyer. "Responsible news organizations do want to 'get it right.' And a reasoned response from our many members can influence the media."
Getting the point across
AOPA's efforts against the Time Inc. ad succeeded for two reasons: A large number of members responded by writing to people of influence, and those responses were well-reasoned defenses of general aviation.
For better or worse, much of what the man on the street knows about GA is through the general media. Letters to the editor provide an opportunity to put a positive face on a negative report.
The AOPA Communications Division has put together a guide for writing effective letters to the editor. For instance, according to the guide, "Your letter must come as soon as possible after the first [report]. It must strike directly at the vital point. It must be delivered with force, but with cool calculation. Anger is self-defeating." The guide also lists the six "essential qualities an editor looks for in a letter: brevity, clarity, relevance, fairness, honesty, and timeliness."
Remember as you craft your letter that the GA Serving America Web site ( www.gaservingamerica.org) can be an invaluable source of information, including statistics, to support your position.
An AOPA Guide: Writing a Letter to the Editor is available from AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/info/editor.html). In addition, single printed copies may be obtained free of charge by contacting AOPA Communications (301/695-2000).
WACO WINNER
Monthly Waco flight winner takes a spin, literally
Larry Tucker may still be grinning from his chance to train in a Waco biplane. Tucker recently collected the monthly prize in the AOPA Centennial of Flight Sweepstakes. In all, 24 monthly winners will get a four-hour training session in a Waco similar to the sweepstakes grand prize: a $225,000, fully restored 1940 Waco UPF-7 biplane.
"My Waco flying experience can only be described in two words: adrenaline rush," enthused Tucker. "During my flight, I wanted to try it all. Stalls, spins, spin recovery, unusual attitudes, steep turns, aerobatics. And we did!"
On the way back to Long Beach, California, Tucker told Mike Hanson, owner and pilot of the demonstration Waco, that he thought he'd died and gone to heaven.
According to Tucker, Hanson told him, "No way, buddy, you're alive and well. You're just having a Waco experience! But it's going to be difficult to get that smile off your face for the next few weeks!"
NATIONAL ACTION
AOPA TV ads about GA score big returns
AOPA enjoyed tremendous success with a television advertising campaign that ran during the Christmas and New Year's holidays to educate the nonflying public about general aviation.
Each of the 30-second ads on The Weather Channel showed viewers an interesting fact about general aviation, and directed them to the GA Serving America Web site ( www.gaservingamerica.org) to learn even more. The ad campaign drew 10 times the usual number of visitors to the Web site, exposing thousands to general aviation who might otherwise never give it a second thought.
"These ads and the GA Serving America Web site help raise awareness among the nonflying public about how vital GA is to our nation," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.
Streaming versions of the ads may be viewed online ( www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2002/02-4-159x_video.html).
AOPA launches new effort to gain driver's license medical for recreational pilots
AOPA has petitioned the FAA for an exemption that would permit AOPA members exercising student or recreational pilot privileges to use a valid driver's license in lieu of an FAA medical certificate. The request is part of AOPA's ongoing effort to make the recreational pilot certificate more user-friendly.
"AOPA has been working since 1985 to reduce the medical requirements for pilots," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Our ultimate goal is still no medical certificate for recreational pilots. This exemption would be an interim step toward that goal."
The exemption would be valid for two years, and during that period AOPA and the FAA would collect new data to validate previous AOPA studies showing that a "driver's license medical" would not affect safety.
Previous AOPA and AOPA Air Safety Foundation statistical analysis has shown that only about one-third of one percent (0.3 percent) of GA accidents involved pilot incapacitation that might have been predicted by a medical certificate examination. Last year the FAA denied an AOPA petition for a rulemaking change that would have permanently permitted a driver's license medical for recreational pilots. The agency turned down the request, not because it disagreed with the proposal, but because the concept was "premature" while the agency continued work on the sport pilot rulemaking.
The latest AOPA action seeks a two-year exemption (rather than a rule change) to establish a medical research baseline for the FAA to consider in future rulemaking. Under this exemption, AOPA members wanting to fly without a medical certificate would be required to provide information to the association and to electronically report flight activity on a regular basis.
"AOPA is absolutely convinced that a driver's license can safely be used to set a minimum medical safety standard for student and recreational pilots," said Boyer. "This study would prove it, once and for all."
AOPA membership tops 390,000
AOPA gained more than 12,000 new members in 2002, ending the year 390,749 members strong. And now the association is setting its sights on 400,000.
"Passing another 10,000-member milestone and achieving 390,749 provides a number that commands attention," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "As the 108th Congress gets down to business and the country faces many issues that could impact general aviation pilots, aircraft, and airports, we're pleased to represent the many pilots who trust us to protect their interests.
"Whether we are in the halls of Congress, state legislatures, county councils, or city halls, politicians take particular note of the size of AOPA's constituency," Boyer continued. "Growing membership sends a strong signal that general aviation is alive and well, in spite of these troubled political and economic times."
AOPA scolds California county: new ordinance violates federal law
In a strongly worded letter to the San Mateo County, California, Board of Supervisors, AOPA told the Board it had blundered into an area of exclusive federal authority when it passed a pilot background-check ordinance.
The Board approved a measure that requires students and pilots to complete a "Flight School Applicant Security Questionnaire," which is turned over to the sheriff's office to verify the applicant's identity and criminal history.
AOPA Counsel Kathleen A. Yodice wrote in the letter, "A law imposing this type of local security verification process ... is a violation of federal law because it attempts to regulate in the aviation security field, a field already occupied by the federal government."
"We're talking about the nation's airspace," said AOPA Vice President of Airports Anne Esposito, "not San Mateo County's airspace or the State of California's airspace.
"AOPA supports reasonable national efforts to improve aviation security, but we can't afford a patchwork of differing regulations all across the country. Aviation security measures must be the same for everyone, and only the federal government can do that."
FAA approves less costly inspections for Ercoupe wing spar, as recommended by AOPA
The FAA has incorporated recommendations from AOPA and the Ercoupe Owners Club (EOC) into its final airworthiness directive (AD) for alternative wing spar inspection procedures on Ercoupe aircraft.
AOPA and EOC had opposed the FAA's proposed inspection procedures as too costly and less effective than other available methods for detecting corrosion. The final AD reduces time and expenditure by extending the repetitive inspection interval to three years.
The AD affects approximately 2,600 Ercoupe, Alon, Forney, and Mooney airplanes. More information is available online ( www.aopa.org/whatsnew/regulatory/regercoupe.html).
MEMBERSHIP ACTION
Mark your calendar: AOPA Fly-In is coming up
Save the date: June 7, 2003. That's when AOPA will host the thirteenth annual AOPA Fly-In and Open House at our headquarters at Frederick Municipal Airport in Frederick, Maryland.
Last year was the most successful fly-in ever. Some 895 aircraft jammed the infield at Frederick Municipal. An estimated 8,000 people attended the one-day event. The temporary tower was the second busiest tower in the country that day, behind Atlanta's William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport and just ahead of Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
This year, the 2002-2003 AOPA Centennial of Flight Sweepstakes aircraft, a fully restored 1940 Waco UPF-7, will headline a great static display. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the AOPA headquarters building, browse through displays from dozens of vendors, and attend seminars on topics ranging from aviation humor with Rod Machado to safety topics with AOPA Air Safety Foundation speakers.
So mark your calendars and your charts, and plan to attend the thirteenth annual AOPA Fly-In and Open House.
AOPA, MBNA ink new deal that helps reduce cost of flying
AOPA and MBNA America Bank, N.A., have renewed a contract that means money in the pockets of AOPA members. The six-year pact allows popular money-saving programs such as the FBO 5% Rebate and the Sporty's Pilot Shop Discount to continue. More than 40 percent of members hold an AOPA MasterCard or Visa, and more than $10 million has been rebated to members since the program began.
"AOPA and MBNA have been partners for 18 years now," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "This very special relationship has allowed us to offer members programs that reduce the cost of flying, have kept our member dues at $39 for 13 years, and helped pay for AOPA programs like Project Pilot, Airport Watch, and the Airport Support Network."
Thanks to nearly two decades of working with AOPA members, MBNA America has become one of the most pilot-friendly banks in the United States, offering the AOPA credit card, very favorable terms for aircraft purchase or aircraft improvement loans, and most recently, a flight-training loan program.
Application forms are available at FBOs throughout the country, or members may apply by visiting the AOPA Certified page on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/info/certified/) and clicking on the Credit Card & Financial tab or by calling 800/932-2775 (mention Priority Code B8B8).
AOPA makes it easier than ever to get high-quality prints from online gallery
For years, AOPA Pilot has been known not only for its outstanding coverage of aviation issues, but also for its spectacular aviation photography. Hundreds of those images are available for purchase as photographic-quality print reproductions at AOPA's Online Gallery ( www.aopa.org/online_gallery/).
And now making that purchase is even easier. Simply browse through the gallery using the intuitive search engine and click on the image you want to order. A menu of choices, including a clearly marked Purchase Print button, appears. That leads to a streamlined payment and shipping page. AOPA members who provide their membership numbers don't need to provide shipping information.
The prints are available in sizes from 8 by 10 inches to 20 by 30 inches. They are high-quality digital photographic prints, comparable to 35mm photographs, printed on premium photographic paper and suitable for mounting and framing.
Lower-resolution versions of the gallery images may be downloaded for use as computer-screen wallpaper. The photos also may be sent as e-cards, free of charge.
AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION
Runway incursion flashcards now available as a PowerPoint presentation
ASF has added a Microsoft PowerPoint-presentation version of the ASF airport safety flashcards, originally produced by ASF for the FAA Office of Runway Safety ( www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/flashcards/fcards.htm). The free downloadable presentation can be used to help pilots and others understand the many airport signs and markings important in helping to prevent potentially deadly runway incursions.
"This program is an excellent example of the federal government working closely with the private sector to solve a difficult problem," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "It provides yet another outstanding resource that pilots, instructors, and safety counselors can use to combat runway incursions."
Runway incursions — unauthorized entry to active runways at towered airports — have been a top safety concern for both the FAA and the NTSB for more than a decade, and ASF has led the way in helping pilots learn to avoid such incursions. Just last fall, in cooperation with the FAA Office of Runway Safety, ASF created and distributed the printed flashcards, each of which features a runway sign or pavement marking on the front and an explanation of its importance on the back. Some 80,000 sets were distributed to flight instructors and designated examiners throughout the United States for use as both a teaching and testing tool. In the same package, ASF provided its completely revised Operations at Towered Airports Safety Advisor, the ASF-produced Operations at Towered Airports video, and the FAA Office of Runway Safety's Airport Signs, Markings, and Procedures video.
ASF collecting weather tales
Ever gone up into apparently " VFR" weather — only to find that you have just flown into instrument conditions? Or taken off into a light snow flurry and watched as ice built up on the wings? Wouldn't it be nice to know ahead of time what to expect?
The single best source for pilots to find out what's going on up there before ever leaving the ground is pilot reports (pireps) filed by other pilots flying along the proposed route.
More than a year ago, ASF created the SkySpotter online training program to raise pilots' awareness about the importance of pireps. Now the foundation would like to hear aviation weather stories from pilots. If you have one you'd like to share, e-mail it to [email protected]. Some will be posted under "Weather Stories" on the SkySpotter Web page ( www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/skyspotter/).
ASF free Ups and Downs video preview available
A free video preview of ASF's new Ups and Downs of Takeoffs and Landings is available on the ASF Web site ( www.aopa.org/asf/seminars/).
The preview, just under three minutes, includes actual video of good, bad, and ugly landings taped by an undercover videographer at a major fly-in during the summer of 2002.
AOPA Airport Support Network
Volunteer of the month: Peter Bruemmer
Peter Bruemmer has been the Airport Support Network volunteer for Cincinnati Municipal Airport Lunken Field since August 1998. The airport and pilots have faced an ongoing battle with local residents concerning noise. Add to that two competing oversight groups trying to run the facility and it's a wonder pilots still use the airport at all. But use it they do. The airport, located in Cincinnati, is home to more than 270 based aircraft with nearly 130,000 annual operations. Lunken field is a critical link in the region's transportation infrastructure.
Recently, the Cincinnati City Council chose to disregard a resolution by the Lunken Airport Oversight Advisory Board (LAOAB) that addressed maximum aircraft weights, noise, and future development at the airport. The resolution followed the process established by the City Community Development Committee, and came with the endorsements of the Lunken Airport Users Advisory Committee (LAUAC) and the city's own Department of Transportation and Engineering.
Instead, the Council sided with the Neighborhood Committee, and is considering a proposal to roll back two decades of advancement at the airport, limiting its use to standards set in 1980. Under the Neighborhood Committee proposal, the reduced standards would be enforced for at least two years.
Bruemmer is working with the oversight board, the airport user's advisory committee, and the city's Department of Transportation and Engineering to reverse the City Council's actions, and get the airport back on track to support the growth of GA at Lunken.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR AIRPORT IS DOING?
www.aopa.org/asn/ to learn more. Do it today!
Public-use airports in the United States are closing at the rate of about one every two weeks. The AOPA Airport Support Network designates one volunteer per airport to watch for threats and encourage favorable public perception of general aviation. For more information on how you can help support your airport, visit AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/asn/).
Action in the states
Florida. Fort Lauderdale: AOPA ASN volunteer Kevin Bolender and the FXE Airport Association are combating efforts by the Fort Lauderdale City Commission to impose severe noise restrictions at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The recommendations are the result of a Part 150 Noise Study. Bolender and the airport association have developed a multipronged approach to show city leaders and residents the wide range of influence that Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport has on the community.
Ohio. Harrison: AOPA ASN volunteer Robert Lussow has been asked to serve on an advisory committee for Cincinnati West Airport. The airport is facing a potential noise issue with the proposed development of adjacent property and safety issues posed by trees on a neighbor's property at the approach end of Runway 18. Bowling Green: Plans to extend Runway 18/36 at Wood County Airport are threatened by a proposed highway interchange and access road to Bowling Green State University. AOPA ASN volunteer George Stossel and local pilots have written to city and county officials opposing the proposed construction, citing four nonintrusive alternatives. AOPA also has written a letter opposing the interchange, as have the FAA and the Ohio Office of Aviation. The Airport Authority acquired the land for the runway extension with FAA money.
Texas. Columbus: AOPA ASN volunteer Troy Millican and local pilots at Robert R. Wells Jr. Airport have formed the Colorado County Friends of Aviation. The airport sits on land leased to the county by the airport's namesake. Wells has since passed away, and the pilot group is working with his widow, heirs, and county officials to ensure the airport's long-term survival.
Washington. Puyallup: A community planning project in Puyallup is causing compatible land use headaches for Pierce County-Thun Field, according to AOPA ASN volunteer Victor Young. He and other airport users are trying to ensure that land under the traffic pattern remains zoned for 100 people or fewer per acre or building.
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