House transportation leaders push for FAA funding bill without user fees
| Boyer before the House Ways and Means Committee |
It was an extraordinary display of bipartisan support for H.R.2881, the House version of an FAA funding bill. The four top members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and aviation subcommittee went before the House Ways and Means Committee to urge its members to keep aviation excise taxes, reject the idea of user fees, and fairly distribute the costs of funding the FAA. AOPA President Phil Boyer also testified that "H.R.2881 gets it right." That bill would keep airline passenger taxes the same and modestly increase general aviation fuel taxes to ensure robust funding for airports and money for air traffic control modernization (NextGen).
Report shows glass-cockpit aircraft offer safety benefits
Technically advanced aircraft (TAA) have fewer accidents when compared to the overall general aviation fleet, according to an updated study by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. However, no amount of technology can replace a pilot's vigilance and good judgment.
The foundation encourages all pilots to begin training for TAA with CD/DVD, simulator, flight-training device, or Web-based training, or a combination of those options. A working knowledge of the avionics systems and how to program them should take place on the ground before pilots begin training in the aircraft.
FAA modifies Washington, D.C., ADIZ
As of August 30, the "Mickey Mouse" air defense identification zone pattern around Washington and Baltimore, which was difficult to navigate and enforce, became a 30-nautical-mile radius circle around the DCA VOR/DME. This freed up four public-use general aviation airports and 1,800 square miles of airspace, but still leaves 15 public-use airports covered by the ADIZ restrictions. Of these, three are in the Flight Restricted Zone, closer to the city, and will still be under heavy restrictions. In addition, new rules restrict the speed of VFR aircraft operating near the ADIZ. New charts will be revised accordingly.
"This is part of an incremental process to reduce and hopefully eliminate overly burdensome flight restrictions in the future," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.
FAA launches FSS comment line, thanks to AOPA
Acting on an AOPA suggestion, the FAA has activated a toll-free "flight service comment line" (888/FLT-SRVC or 888/358-7782) for the Lockheed Martin flight service station (FSS) system, operated under contract with the FAA. "The majority of comments have fallen into the same complaint areas," said Melissa Rudinger, AOPA vice president of regulatory affairs. "Delays in getting through to a briefer, and poor briefings or briefers unfamiliar with the area. While the quantitative telephone statistics indicate that hold times and dropped calls are declining, those averages don't capture qualitative information or the experiences of individual pilots," Rudinger said. "If pilots call 888/358-7782 immediately after a bad briefing, dropped call, or excessive hold time, we can generate data on the quality of the service. And that's what really matters to pilots."
FAA clarifies paperless cockpit policy
Thanks to modern technology you can go paperless in the cockpit, but beware of some caveats. The FAA has issued Advisory Circular 91-78, covering portable or installed electronic flight displays, also known as electronic flight bags (EFBs), to clarify its policy. The AC says that EFBs need to be the functional equivalent of paper reference materials and information used for navigation and performance planning has to be current and valid. While the document touches on the benefits of EFBs, it also says it's a good idea to carry paper backups. The responsibility falls on the pilot to decide what is needed to maintain safe flight operations. Bear in mind that pilots should also be ready to explain their decisions if questioned.
ASF launches IFR Chart Challenge minicourse
From the first cross-country to the instrument rating and beyond, aeronautical charts are a fundamental part of flying. But understanding chart symbology is one thing; knowing how to interpret and use it in the real world is something else entirely.
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation's latest minicourse, IFR Chart Challenge: VOR Approach, is the first in a new series of interactive courses aimed at helping pilots grasp the finer points of aeronautical charts and related procedures. Using an actual instrument approach, the course takes pilots through a series of scenarios and asks them to make decisions about how to proceed under the circumstances at hand.
Whether you're working toward an instrument rating or just curious about IFR operations, the course is a great way to spend 20 minutes (give or take). It's free, and available online.
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