AOPA Action

During an aviation security hearing this summer before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, Transportation Security Administration chief Kip Hawley said that there is a strong general aviation community that is security conscious and is cognizant of its security responsibilities. Airport Watch, the AOPA/TSA initiative, encourages GA pilots to "Lock Up. Look Out." Pilots voluntarily lock their aircraft and hangars and report any suspicious activity or persons at their airport. "Hawley's comment that the GA community is security conscious is a tremendous compliment to all of the pilots who follow the Airport Watch program," said Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. "Our industrywide, concerted effort is paying off. Continue to lock up and look out!"

FAA intends to reduce VOR network soon

The FAA has confirmed to AOPA that it is making plans to reduce the network of VORs across the country, beginning in 2010.

However, AOPA members are not convinced that a widespread VOR reduction is acceptable. Survey information shows that only about half of AOPA members believe a significant number of VORs can be eliminated without affecting their flight operations.

Despite high levels of GPS use, FAA regulations require pilots who use GPS to also carry a primary navigation system, and for general aviation the primary system available for regulatory compliance is VOR. Second-generation GPS systems that incorporate the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) do not require VOR as a backup, but only about 15 percent of the GA fleet is equipped with WAAS.

In a letter to the FAA, AOPA cautioned against making plans to reduce VORs because there are several key issues currently preventing the dismantling of the VOR infrastructure. Barriers include pilot reluctance to rely solely on GPS signals and the lack of systematic implementation of area navigation.

ADIZ training rule angers and confuses members

AOPA members are both angry and confused about the new air defense identification zone (ADIZ) training rule. The new rule applies to any pilot flying VFR within 60 nautical miles of the Washington, D.C. (DCA) VOR/DME, even though they may not intend to fly into the ADIZ itself.

Pilots must complete the FAA's "special awareness training" by February 9, 2009, if they will be flying anywhere near Baltimore, Maryland, or Washington, D.C.

AOPA had argued forcefully against the mandatory training when it was first proposed in 2006. But because of the number of inadvertent ADIZ penetrations through the years, security and national defense officials wanted to ensure that any pilot who might come close to the ADIZ knows about it.

There are two online courses that meet the requirements of the rule. Some pilots may have already taken an older FAA course, Navigating the DC ADIZ, TFRs, and Special Use Airspace. While no longer offered, the course still qualifies, and pilots who have taken it can retrieve a copy of their completion certificate from the "My Courses" section of the FAA's FAASTeam Web site.

The current course is Navigating the New DC ADIZ (www.faasafety.gov). It takes about 90 minutes to complete. If you've already completed the course, simply download a copy of your certificate. Pilots can also complete the special awareness training by attending an FAA safety seminar and obtaining an ADIZ training certificate.

Don't stay in the dark on night flying

As the days get shorter and opportunities to schedule daytime flights become fewer, it's a good time to start thinking a bit more about night operations. That's why it's a great idea to check out the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Flying Night VFR Safety Hot Spot. Hot Spots are collections of resources on specific topics, designed to give pilots all the info they need in one convenient location. You'll find a quick "checkup" document that covers the need-to-know information, as well as streaming videos, a collection of articles from AOPA Pilot magazine, ASF Safety Advisors, accident reports, and quizzes. Check it out before your next night flight (www.asf.org/hotspot).

Getting rewards is easy with AOPA's credit card

You know that you automatically earn reward points every time you use your AOPA WorldPoints credit card from Bank of America. But do you know how easy it is redeem those rewards?

You can do it in five minutes or less with a visit to the WorldPoints Web site (www.bankofamerica.com/worldpoints). In fact, many rewards, including cash, can be redeemed at any time.

Just how many ways can you use your reward points? In addition to requesting cash, you can use points for travel all over the world with no blackout dates. Or you might want to exchange points for gift cards to your favorite retailers shipped to you free of charge. Perhaps you'd rather just shop with your points the merchandise you buy will be shipped to you free. Or, you can get concert, sports, or other event tickets. And don't forget that you earn double points for most aviation purchases.

To get started earning or redeeming points today, visit AOPA Online (www.aopa.org/info/certified/creditcards.html)