AOPA to Help TSA Fix Citizenship Validation Rule
AOPA has partnered with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to fix the citizenship validation/alien flight training rule while still addressing national security concerns, and perhaps to create a model for future development of TSA aviation-related rules.
After hearing the grave concerns of AOPA members during his appearance at AOPA Expo on October 22, 2004, in Long Beach, California, Rear Adm. David Stone, the head of the TSA, made good on a promise to AOPA members. He sat down with AOPA President Phil Boyer and senior members of AOPA's government and technical affairs staff to get AOPA and the TSA working together to ensure that security concerns can be met without imposing onerous or ineffective regulations on general aviation.
"It makes no sense for TSA, with all of its security knowledge, and AOPA, with all of its knowledge of GA, to not work together," Boyer said at the meeting. "That's obviously the best, most effective way for us to achieve our common objectives of a safe country and a healthy and growing GA community."
Item one for the meeting was to allow the TSA to explain the underlying risks the rule was intended to eliminate. The TSA is operating under a congressional mandate to increase security related to flight training and authenticate any foreign student.
Stone summed up the TSA's overall direction as making sure "we never have a repeat of 9/11." His overarching question: "How can we stop people from using flight training they receive in the U.S. as a weapon against us? We need to make sure it does not happen again." At the same time, Stone indicated a keen — and growing — sensitivity to the need to protect the fragile flight training industry, the key to all future aviation from GA to the airlines.
Boyer and Stone discussed partnering to address three critical areas in the rule: defining flight training, streamlining the TSA's citizenship validation process, and simplifying the requirements for flight instructors.
Under this cooperative model, the TSA would clearly define the types of flight training that the rule is intended to address, with AOPA providing the detailed understanding of GA and guidance on developing and implementing the program.
"Let me caution those immediately affected by the October 20 rule: This is not going to happen overnight," continued Boyer.
"This meeting was the needed start to put things back on track. We look forward to an effective partnership with Adm. Stone and his organization."
AOPA Expo Videos Online
Those who could make it to AOPA Expo 2004 and the general session at which Rear Adm. David Stone, the head of the TSA, spoke know that the members' reception of Stone was passionate but ultimately respectful (see " AOPA Expo 2004: Maximum Expo-sure," December 2004 Pilot). But thanks to the power of the Internet, even those who were not able to attend can get a sense of what Stone faced. For the first time, AOPA has posted streaming videos of all of AOPA Expo's major events, including Stone's speech and the Q&A session that followed ( www.aopa.org/expo/).
"We were thrilled that more than 11,000 people could make it to Expo," said Karen Gebhart, AOPA's senior vice president of products and services, who oversees AOPA Expo. "It's such a special experience, we wanted to share it with AOPA's other 390,000 members."
In addition to Stone's appearance, videos of general sessions with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and with AOPA's senior leadership are available online, as well as SpaceShipOne pilot Mike Melvill's awe-inspiring presentation at the opening luncheon.
NATIONAL ACTION
Elections Keep Many Friends of GA in Office
President George W. Bush won his hard-fought battle for a second term in the White House in November. Bush, who flew F-102 fighters in the Texas Air National Guard, will be inaugurated for his second term on January 20, ensuring that many familiar faces will remain in place at the FAA and other regulatory agencies.
"Who controls the executive branch is important, of course, but over the long term, it is Congress that sets the course for aviation through legislation and control of the purse strings," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "AOPA's friends and contacts remain in the top positions on the four congressional committees key to general aviation — in the Senate, the Commerce and Appropriations committees, and in the House, the Appropriations Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
"With AOPA's more than 400,000 members representing votes in nearly every congressional district, we are an organization that can't be easily ignored."
And AOPA has good relationships with Congress. Fourteen pilots and AOPA members won reelection to Congress. That means there will be 18 AOPA members in the House and Senate.
"We expect that general aviation policy and funding will continue on essentially the same course," said Boyer, "but there is likely to be a change in emphasis in some areas.
"With this election, we kept our strong allies in the battles against user fees and air traffic control privatization and continued support for general aviation airports."
AOPA-Backed WAAS Enhances Air Safety
Imagine being able to lessen your workload while flying GPS instrument approaches, increase situational awareness, and standardize the way you fly them at thousands of airports across the country. All of that is possible now that the FAA has begun VNAV (vertical navigation) certification for WAAS-enabled GPS units. (WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System.)
AOPA has fought for nearly a decade to see WAAS developed and activated (see " What's Up With WAAS?" December 2004 Pilot). WAAS uses a system of ground-based receivers that correct any errors in GPS signals, greatly enhancing the performance of GPS. VNAV adds the third dimension — a glideslope-like path — to the GPS-derived guidance.
With the VNAV certification of WAAS-enabled GPS units and software updates expected later this year that will allow WAAS-capable GPS units to use LPV (a near-precision approach with vertical guidance) approaches, an important tool is now in place to add precision approaches at potentially thousands of U.S. airports.
"AOPA's job now is to press the FAA to approve LPV approaches as quickly as possible, at airports where we need them — where no precision approach currently exists," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Pilots need to show the FAA that the government's $3 billion-plus investment in WAAS was worth it by either equipping with WAAS-enabled GPS units or upgrading existing units as soon as the software is available."
While LPV approaches will have to be surveyed, developed, and published, WAAS can pay dividends right now. Using the GPS unit's approach database, VNAV-certified WAAS units can generate a "pseudo-glideslope" for thousands of already-published nonprecision, straight-in GPS approaches. That means pilots can configure their aircraft for a constant-rate descent down to the minimum descent altitude (MDA), rather than using the traditional "dive and drive" step-down method.
"Pilots still must not descend below the minimum descent altitude," said Randy Kenagy, AOPA's senior director of advanced technology. "The obstacles that the MDA is designed to protect them from are still there. But with the pseudo-glideslope, a pilot's workload down to MDA is reduced considerably."
A video that shows how closely a satellite-based LPV approach mirrors a ground-based ILS approach and what an approach using VNAV looks like is available on AOPA Online at http://media.aopa.org/041023waas.asx. A broadband connection is strongly recommended.
MEMBERSHIP ACTION
AOPA Insurance Agency Adds Coverage for Flying Clubs
Recognizing a growing gap in available insurance policies, the AOPA Insurance Agency has stepped in with new coverage available to flying clubs — even those with high-performance, complex aircraft.
"Some insurers are even refusing to renew existing flying club policies," said Karen Gebhart, AOPA's senior vice president of products and services. "Our members turned to AOPA for help, and the AOPA Insurance Agency responded. By working closely with major insurance companies, we can offer policies designed to meet your club's unique needs."
"At AOPA, we believe that your club's insurance should be tailored to fit the needs of your club's membership, not the other way around," added Greg Sterling, general manager and executive vice president of the AOPA Insurance Agency. "So we'll work with you to cover your entire fleet, including high-performance or complex aircraft, and to enable your pilots to transition safely to higher-performance aircraft."
The AOPA Insurance Agency will also provide general liability coverage for flying clubs' use of airport facilities.
Another benefit for flying clubs is the AOPA member discount. "If all of your flying club members also belong to AOPA, you'll earn an additional 5-percent premium credit," said Sterling.
For more information about aircraft insurance for flying clubs, call the AOPA Insurance Agency at 800/622-2672.
AOPA Ready to Give Away 2004 Win-A-Twin Sweepstakes Grand Prize
AOPA is looking forward to presenting some lucky winner with the grand prize in the 2004 Win-A-Twin Sweepstakes — a better-than-new 1965 Piper Twin Comanche — sometime in the next few weeks.
Anyone who joins or renews membership in AOPA between January 1, 2004, and midnight, December 31, 2004, is automatically entered.
Over the past year, our giveaway aircraft has acquired a new paint job, overhauled engines, new props, a new panel, and new interior. A complete look at the finished work is available online at www.aopa.org/pilot/twin/.
By the time the Win-A-Twin Sweepstakes concludes, AOPA will have given away, in addition to the Twin Comanche, more than 2,300 prizes ranging from AOPA T-shirts and eyeglass lanyards to AOPA Zulu watches and leather flight jackets.
For complete rules, eligibility requirements, and alternate methods to enter, visit www.aopa.org/sweeps/rules.html. And stay tuned for information about AOPA's 2005 sweepstakes in the February issue of AOPA Pilot.
Newest Edition of AOPA's Airport Directory on its Way
The 2005-2006 edition of AOPA's Airport Directory is at the printer's and will soon be ready for mailing.
A key AOPA member benefit, the directory has the most comprehensive preflight information available on more than 5,300 public-use airports, and more than 5,400 aviation businesses including FBOs, flight schools, and repair services in the United States.
The directory also incorporates more than 2,600 airport diagrams for airports with published instrument approaches as well as more than 28,000 listings for restaurants and lodging, 10,000 car rental and taxi service companies, and local attractions and general notes for almost every airport.
If you are interested in landing at one of the many private-use airports sprinkled throughout the country, you will find the special index of 2,000 private-use airport locations and telephone numbers handy to obtain permission from the owners prior to landing.
Members also have access to AOPA's Airport Directory online ( www.aopa.org/members/airports/), which is updated every business day to include the latest changes. The Online directory is searchable and incorporates even more data than the printed version, including member comments, current instrument approach charts, taxiway diagrams for most towered airports, and printable kneeboard-format airport information sheets.
" AOPA's Airport Directory enables pilots to become thoroughly familiar with their planned destination well in advance of a flight," said AOPA Senior Vice President of Publications Thomas B. Haines. "Coupled with the online version and the Real-Time Flight Planner it provides pilots with an invaluable resource for preflight preparations."
AOPA members who have selected the directory with their membership renewal can look forward to the new edition arriving in their mailboxes in February.
AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION
U.S. Air Force, ASF Team Up for Free New Night-Flight Safety Course
A new program to help pilots fly more safely at night in military operations areas (MOAs) is expected to debut this month. Titled "Mission: Possible, Navigating in Today's Special Use Airspace," the course was developed by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation at the request of the U.S. Air Force, which will soon begin flying jets at night without navigation lights in certain MOAs (see " How Low Do They Go?," page 70).
"The military has a legitimate need to train in realistic conditions," said AOPA ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg, "and one of those conditions is in the dark with no exterior lights. But because military and civilian pilots have to share the national airspace, it's imperative they both know what's going on. That's where 'Mission: Possible' comes in."
The half-hour to 45-minute interactive course is available by clicking the Online Courses button in the ASF Web site ( www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/mission_possible/).
"Mission: Possible" also will be available as a Seminar-in-a-Box for use by local pilot groups, and includes a new printed ASF Safety Advisor on the subject.
The new online course is being considered for ground instruction credit in the FAA Wings proficiency program.
"OK, Now What?" — Newest Live ASF Seminar Offers Weather Advice You Can Really Use
Following a tremendously successful, standing-room-only introduction at AOPA Expo in Long Beach, California, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's newest seminar, "Weather Wise: Practical Tips and Tactical Tricks," hits the road this month.
ASF researchers spent months collecting the best truly practical weather tips from high-time pilots and instructors, and wove their real-world experiences into the fast-paced new seminar.
For instance: You got your weather briefing, took off, and now, as you climb through 3,000 feet, there it is, just as forecast — a layer of haze. What's your best course of action? If you'd already attended the "Weather Wise" seminar, you'd know that your answer might depend on the time of year.
"There's a difference between having the required weather information and knowing what to do with it," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "'Weather Wise' is not some dusty old weather theory course. It's the first truly practical pilot-oriented guide to understanding the weather."
Other tips and tricks in the "Weather Wise" seminar: how to spot potentially erroneous forecasts before you take off; when to believe the flight service station's "VFR not recommended" warning...and when to take it with a grain of salt; easy ways to perform validity checks on forecasts; how to find smooth air for your passengers (it's not impossible!); secrets for estimating storm intensities along a frontal boundary; why fog doesn't burn off like the weather forecasts promised it would; and the advantages of storm detection equipment.
To learn more about ASF live safety seminars, visit the Web site ( www.asf.org) and click on Safety Seminars.
ASF Seeks Firsthand Narratives
ASF is seeking firsthand accounts of how ASF safety information helped you prevent an aeronautical emergency or save a critical flying situation from becoming disastrous. If selected, your testimonial would be used to help illustrate for the general public the value of ASF programs in bettering general aviation safety. Your identity would be withheld, of course, unless you give specific permission. Particularly thrilling accounts may be considered for use in an ASF publication, such as InstructoReport. Please e-mail a summary of up to 200 words of your experience to [email protected].
AOPA Airport Support Network
Volunteer of the Month: David Carroll
David Carroll is living proof that you can fight city hall...and that it pays to have friends in high places.
His home airport, Los Alamos Airport in Los Alamos, New Mexico, will soon be turned over by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to Los Alamos County. The airport sits atop a 7,000-foot mesa, and in the past DOE and the county had been dumping trash over the side just north of Runway 27.
When Carroll learned that DOE's initial plan to clean up the landfill was to build a 9-foot-tall berm paralleling Runway 27, he contacted AOPA. With Carroll's help, AOPA detailed its objections to the berm in a letter sent to the chairperson of the Los Alamos County Council and in an article on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2004/040923nm.html).
No sooner had the story hit the Web site than AOPA received a call from Carroll's fellow AOPA member and chief of staff for Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, Joe McMonigle, asking AOPA to participate in a meeting at DOE in Washington, D.C. He gathered all interested parties, including Carroll, to discuss a mutually agreeable and safe alternative. Thanks to Carroll, two things are now certain: Los Alamos Airport pilots will continue to be a part of the decision-making process, and there will not be a berm adjacent to Runway 27 at Los Alamos.
AOPA ASN Volunteer Update
The Local Touch
Q: What do you get when you put 100 Airport Support Network volunteers in a room?
A: A lot of great ideas!
Our annual ASN volunteer meeting at AOPA Expo 2004 was an overwhelming success, with almost 100 volunteers in attendance.
In fact, all 1,700 of our ASN volunteers were recognized during Expo's opening general session by special guest speaker FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, who said, "I've got to give credit to AOPA as well. The Airport Support Network is a terrific idea.... You're saying loud and clear, 'If you want to get at my airport, you're going to have to come through me!' These volunteer advocates are an early warning system that really works."
During 2004, ASN volunteers said they wanted to learn how to lobby effectively. So during the meeting at AOPA Expo, Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas offered advice from the other side of the fence. He chairs the powerful city committee that oversees four city-owned airports including Van Nuys Airport, the busiest GA airport in the United States. Cardenas made it clear that lobbying for general aviation is best done with sugar rather than vinegar ( www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2004/04-4-019x.html).
The coming year promises many exciting developments, including an updated, more useful ASN Web site, and more regional ASN meetings nationwide.
As ASN volunteer of the month David Carroll's story proves, volunteers are often the star players in any effort AOPA undertakes on the local level. The ASN staff — Kim Reed (program specialist), John Collins (government technical specialist), and Stacy Platone (director) — extend our sincere appreciation to the nearly 1,700 AOPA members who have volunteered to participate in the Airport Support Network. Thank you for helping AOPA protect and preserve our nation's airports for GA pilots.
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
Georgia. Jekyll Island: Lynne Birmingham, the AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer at Jekyll Island Airport, has been waging a battle to make officials on Jekyll Island see the airport as a valuable existing resource rather than underutilized land ripe for development. Working with AOPA Southeast Regional Representative Bob Minter and the ASN staff, Birmingham has argued that maintaining the airport will draw more visitors, which is the purpose of Jekyll Island's current development campaign.
Kentucky. Louisville: One of the keys to protecting an airport is reaching beyond the airport fence to others in the community. David Parrish, the ASN volunteer at Bowman Field Airport, did just that recently, inviting the new leader of the Regional Airport Authority (RAA) to speak to more than 125 pilots and airport supporters from the Friends of Bowman. Both sides called the meeting productive, with the RAA committing to sponsor a Wings Weekend in 2005, resurface Runway 14/32 within two years, and consider reopening the grass runway.
Michigan. Holland: Proving that the Airport Support Network is truly a network, Park Township Airport ASN volunteer Deni Hoogland has turned to Ken Russell, her counterpart at Smith Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for guidance in obtaining a historical designation for the airport's buildings. She and a local committee are trying to protect the airport, which is under pressure. Park Township has a long, rich history dating to before World War II. Pilots at Smith Field used a similar tactic to help stave off a determined effort by Fort Wayne's airport authority to close the airport in 2002.
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