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Click here to view this week's custom content online Today's Top StoriesPilots troubled by TSA's Large Aircraft Security Program Boyer wins prestigious NBAA awardAOPA President Phil Boyer credited the 415,000 AOPA members, the association's staff, and his wife, Lois, for his recognition Oct. 6 at the National Business Aviation Association's annual convention in Orlando, Fla. In front of a room full of aviation dignitaries, Boyer said NBAA's Meritorious Service Award, one of aviation's most prestigious awards, is a reflection of the support he has received from others during his nearly 18 years as president of AOPA. "I've been nothing more than the pilot in the left seat. Everything I've done here I've looked at as a pilot might. With every issue, a pilot might wonder, 'How would it affect my airport, my maintenance, the airspace I use?' I did what any other pilot might have done in this position," he said. Read more >> GA NewsReps. Costello, Boswell provide insight into '09 user fee debateFAA funding will be a top priority for the House aviation subcommittee in 2009, said chairman Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), during a meeting with pilots earlier this week. The meeting was hosted by AOPA member, pilot, and congressional general aviation leader Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) in Ankey, Iowa. Both representatives oppose user fees and have been strong supporters of financing general aviation airports. AOPA Midwest Regional Representative Bob Dickens spoke at the event, highlighting the work both representatives have done on behalf of GA—namely their efforts in Congress to prevent user fees. President Bush on Sept. 30 extended the FAA's current funding through March 31, 2009, effectively pushing off debate on the topic until a new administration is in place. FAA needs to break down hurdles to ADIZ trainingWith the FAA's mandate that all pilots who might fly within a 60-nautical-mile radius of the Washington, D.C., VOR/DME take awareness training for the area's Air Defense Identification Zone, one would think the agency would make it easy to take. Not so. Instead, the agency's online course, Navigating the New DC ADIZ , is buried behind multiple layers, including a registration section, making it difficult for pilots to even find the course. Read more >> Dogs with wings
For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.
NBAA NEWSDiamond D-Jet flies with new engine Seastar makes a splash at NBAA showAn unusual amphibious airplane, asleep for more than 15 years, may be resurrected under plans announced by Dornier Seaplane Company. The new company, founded by Conrado Dornier, grandson of Dornier Aircraft founder Claude Dornier, plans to dust off the plans for the Seastar, a large, in-line twin-engine turboprop amphib that was certified in the early 1990s but never put into production. The Seastar, which can seat as many as 12 passengers plus two crewmembers, features a high wing with the two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-135A engines mounted tandem to one another in a push-pull arrangement and all-composite construction. Read more >> Gulfstream's 'super' jetsGulfstream revealed its new G250 super mid-size business jet on Oct. 4. The G250 is a successor to the G200, which began life as the Galaxy. However the company was coy about persistent rumors at the National Business Aviation Association convention concerning its plans for bringing a supersonic business jet (SSBJ) to life. The Defense Department has evidently assigned the "X-54" designator, but Gulfstream is feigning ignorance. Read more >> Avidyne and WSI team to provide worldwide weatherAvidyne Corp., an avionics firm that specializes in integrated cockpits, has joined with WSI Corp. to provide worldwide, datalink weather to aircraft in flight. The companies will provide the datalink weather via Avidyne's MLX770 transceiver and the 66-satellite Iridium constellation. The new service will provide graphical weather as well as METARs, TAFs, temperatures, and winds aloft. A premium service will add WSI's proprietary radar images and lightning data. Read more >> Comp Air Aviation to produce certified airplanesComp Air Aviation, a longtime manufacturer of utility kit airplanes, has received $150 million in financing to produce a pair of certified, single-engine turboprops, founder Ronald Lueck said Oct. 6 at the National Business Aviation Association convention in Orlando, Fla. Both aircraft, the Comp Air 9 and the Comp Air 12, flew to Orlando from the company's home base at Merritt Island, Fla., for the announcement. Read more >> Safety & ProficiencyNever Again Online: Lost at nightAn airport can disappear quickly into the night, as the pilot of a Cessna 182 discovered after briefly leaving the pattern of his home field in McMinnville, Ore. Read more >> Improve your safety by learning from othersGain invaluable knowledge about flying safely by learning from the mistakes of others. Using your ePilot personalization preferences, like "piston single-engine" or "turbine," the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Accident Database generates a list of accidents that have been added to the database in the past 30 days. If you haven't personalized your newsletter, select your aircraft preferences from the "types of aircraft" section on the ePilot personalization page. Airport SupportAOPA explains airport protection at FAA conferenceAn audience of more than 400 regulators and airspace users gained insight into AOPA's diverse advocacy and airport protection efforts as part of an FAA-sponsored conference on airspace. The Competition for the Sky Conference, which took place Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 in Las Vegas, brought together a wide range of FAA departments as well as military, commercial, and private airspace users to discuss the best ways to manage competing demands on the National Airspace System. Read more >> Member BenefitsVoting in photo contest finals opens Put AOPA Member Products on your Expo must-see listMake sure you plan to stop by the Member Products aisle during your trip to AOPA Expo, Nov. 6 through 8. Here, you can visit our AOPA-certified partners offering financial, insurance, and pilot services. Find out how you can protect your pilot certificate for just pennies a day; purchase the only term life insurance trusted to carry the AOPA name; finance your training; apply for an AOPA credit card; and score great discounts on everything from FAA computerized testing to car rentals. Read more >> AOPA sponsors events for youth, teachersIn an ongoing effort to boost the pilot population, AOPA is reaching out to high school students and teachers. Teachers will gain new ideas for bringing aviation into the classroom and learn from former astronauts Bonnie Dunbar and Janice Voss during the AOPA-sponsored National Conference on Aviation and Space Education, Oct. 16 through 18 in Washington, D.C. On Oct. 21, more than 200 hand-selected high school students will learn about careers in aviation and hear from Jamail Larkins, a 24-year-old acrobatic pilot, and Lt. Meagan Varley, a Navy fighter pilot with more than 1,000 flight hours. AOPA joined ProJet Aviation to sponsor the Third Annual Aviation Education Expo at Winchester Regional Airport in Winchester, Va. Changing mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update. Quiz MeHere's a question asked by an AOPA member who contacted our aviation services staff through the AOPA Pilot Information Center. Test your knowledge.
Question: How can I find out if an airplane I am thinking about buying has damage history?
Answer: To find out if the airplane has a damage history, first talk to the owner and ask to see the maintenance logs. The information may not specifically state what happened and what damage occurred, but you can get a good idea about what has been done to repair damage. During a title search, you can also request to have an Accident/Incident Report and any 337 forms on file with the FAA to see information on a major repair or alteration. Also, a thorough prepurchase inspection by an airframe and powerplant mechanic can help allay your fears. For more information read, " Determining Aircraft Value" from AOPA Flight Training. Got a question for our aviation services staff? The AOPA Pilot Information Center is a service available to all members as part of the annual dues. Call 800/872-2672, or e-mail to [email protected]. Send comments on our Quiz Me! questions to [email protected]. Get Your Glass Sweepstakes UpdateDo modifications equal more speed?One of the questions most often asked about the 2008 Get Your Glass Sweepstakes airplane is what the modifications do to the airplane's performance. The Archer has a number of mods, from aileron gap seals to speedpants. This year, we had the unusual opportunity of getting to test the mods, and the results may surprise you. Learn more in this week's update. Picture PerfectLooking for some really fabulous aviation photography? All the air-to-air photos and beautifully detailed ground images used by AOPA Pilot magazine over the years are yours at the click of a mouse button. Download your favorite images to use for wallpaper or send an e-postcard. For more details, see AOPA Online. Aviation Events & Weather Flight Instructor Refresher ClinicsThe next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are scheduled in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Oct. 11 and 12; Windsor, Conn., Wichita, Kan., Corpus Christi, Texas, Oct. 18 and 19; Columbia S.C., Oct. 25 and 26; Austin, Tex., and Reston, Va., Nov. 1 and 2. For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the CFI Refresher Online. AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety SeminarsAOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Oct. 13; Colorado Springs, Colo., Cohoes, N.Y., Oct. 14; Northglen, Colo., Syracuse, N.Y., Oct. 15; Rochester, N.Y., Oct. 16; and Fairbanks, Alaska, Oct. 17. Topics vary-for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. | Advertisers
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AOPA has expressed its concern that the Large Aircraft Security Program proposal announced Oct. 9 by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) could have serious implications on general aviation. "This proposed rule is an unprecedented imposition of security requirements on the general aviation community, affecting 10,000 individual operators and hundreds of airports," said Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. "An overwhelming majority of our members surveyed last week expressed strong concerns about the proposal." 
Who can resist the big brown, pleading eyes of a canine? For pilots who are animal lovers, it just takes a puppy's innocent look or the knowledge that an abandoned pet will be euthanized to get them in the air for a quick rescue flight. With avgas prices running $5 to $6 a gallon, connecting pleasure flights with a good cause is helping some pilots justify the expense of flying. 
On Oct. 5, Diamond Aircraft flew its D-Jet for the first time with the airplane's new Williams International FJ33-5A engine of 1,900 lbst. Meanwhile, a D-Jet engineering prototype was on display at the National Business Aviation Association convention in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 6 through 8. The 315-KTAS aircraft has done the bulk of development flight-testing. The five-seat aircraft has a ceiling of 25,000 feet and a long-range cruise speed of 240 KTAS, giving it a range of 1,350 nm. Previously, the airplane was fitted with a Williams engine of 1,500 lbst. 
It may not be Nov. 4, but it's time to vote in the AOPA Pilot 2008 General Aviation Photography Contest. 
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