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Click here to view this week's custom content online today's top stories154 instrument approaches could face chopping blockIn its latest round of proposals to cancel instrument approaches, the FAA expanded its scope from slashing NDB approaches at airports that also had RNAV approaches to include cutting VOR and GPS approaches. Of the 154 approaches that the FAA is considering canceling, 64 are VOR approaches and 19 are circling GPS approaches. While AOPA supports the FAA’s efforts to eliminate redundant ground-based procedures and shift its resources to developing more satellite-based GPS-WAAS approaches, the association wants to ensure that necessary approaches are not canceled. In order to do that, AOPA needs to hear from pilots who have local knowledge of these approaches to assess how their elimination would impact instrument access to those airports. Read more >> Goal: 5,000 pets saved by GA GA NEWSHawker Beechcraft cuts 300 jobsHawker Beechcraft executives have eliminated hundreds of jobs, released three vice presidents, adjusted employee benefits, and reduced the salary of CEO Bill Boisture Jr., from $630,000 to $567,000 effective Sept. 7. The moves, including some cutbacks in employee benefits, are part of an additional effort to cut costs in the face of a continued deep recession. The company did not release details of the latest layoffs, but Wichita Eagle reporter Dan Voorhis discovered that documents filed by the company with the state of Kansas show 300 new layoffs. The company is suspending company contributions to employee 401(k) plans and has raised employee contributions to health care premiums for nonunion employees. Vicki Cruse dies during aerobatic competitionVicki Cruse, president of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC) and a member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, died Aug. 22 during a qualifying flight for the Twenty-fifth World Aerobatic Championships in England. The event takes place every two years. Cruse was a four-time member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team and was the national aerobatic champion in the unlimited category in 2007. Read more >> Chartis waives deductible for parachute deployment damageThe insurance company Chartis will now waive the applicable in-motion deductible on light aviation insurance policies for damage to an aircraft from an emergency in-flight deployment of the recovery parachute, according to a company press release. The waiver, up to a maximum of $1,000, applies to all general aviation aircraft equipped with an aircraft recovery parachute system, including the Cirrus SR20 and SR22. "In the interest of aviation safety, we want to eliminate any chance that a pilot might hesitate in deploying the recovery parachute in an emergency because of insurance or financial implications," said Greg Sterling, vice president and division manager of the Chartis light aviation division. Aircraft owners can contact the division at 800/523-5266 or by e-mail. Teddy Bear Transport to receive new EC145 helicopterAmerican Eurocopter will deliver a state-of-the-art EC145 to Cook Children’s Medical Center at a celebration on Aug. 28 at its delivery center, located at the company’s headquarters in Grand Prairie, Texas. The new EC145 will join Teddy Bear Transport services that also include ambulance and fixed-wing airplane transport. The program’s first helicopter entered service in 2004, and the new EC145 will upgrade the fleet and allow Teddy Bear Transport to continue its mission of providing critical care services to the children of Texas and surrounding areas. Read more >> Chance meeting: Aerial documentary is ‘story of friendship’ For daily news updates, see AOPA Online. ga serves americaAero club helps Air Force do business General aviation helps electrical firm take offPete Burgher of Howell, Mich., is a successful businessman whose second career would not have been nearly as successful without the use of his general aviation airplanes. A CPA, Burgher retired after 25 years with an international firm—then, in 1980, he bought Marelco Power Systems, Inc., which manufactures electrical components. “Its business was confined to a very narrow 200-mile radius in central Michigan,” he said. After one of his employees stole a lot of the company’s money, Burgher had to decide what to do about the business. “I began a strategy of geographic diversification, which turned out to be prophetic,” he recalled. His Piper Twin Comanche made it possible. Read more >> Safety & ProficiencyNew live safety seminar asks, 'What Went Wrong?'Sometimes the cause of an aircraft accident is obvious. Other times, it takes everything from CSI-style forensics to old-fashioned sleuthing to figure out where things went awry. The AOPA Air Safety Foundation's new "What Went Wrong?" safety seminar looks at general aviation accidents through the eyes of the investigator—starting at the scene and working backward to reconnect the shattered links of the accident chain. The free live seminar debuts next week in Tennessee, then tours the country throughout the fall. See the schedule for a location near you >> Hit the books: Get a new ratingAs students of all ages head back to school, why not get in the study groove yourself by studying and training for a new rating or endorsement. You can spend a little or a lot of time depending on what you want to pursue. A tailwheel endorsement or seaplane rating can be added in a weekend getaway of intense flying, while the instrument or multiengine ratings will require more of an investment—in time and money. See AOPA’s Ratings and Endorsements subject report for information about what you can add to your piloting experience. Never Again Online Podcast: Stress changes everythingAn electrical failure on a private pilot’s first trip with his wife brings some tense moments in the sky over a busy California airport. How did the pilot get the Piper Arrow’s landing gear down? Find out in the Never Again Online Podcast. Enjoy the lessons you learn from these pilots? Listen to more stories in AOPA's Never Again Podcast directory brought to you by the AOPA Insurance Agency. airport supportAOPA shows support for Colorado airportsThe twenty-fifth anniversary of Front Range Airport in Watkins, Colo., was a chance to celebrate the state aviation community's successes and plan for the future. AOPA attended the airport's anniversary celebration Aug. 19 and took the opportunity to meet with state aviation officials and members of the Colorado aviation community about efforts to protect Colorado airports and the state's aviation system. Read more >> PEAK EXPERIENCE: AOPA AVIATION SUMMIT | Got news? Contact ePilot. Having difficulty using this service? Visit the ePilot Frequently Asked Questions now at AOPA Online or write to [email protected]. | ||
Lenny—a small, black Pekingese mix dog—arrived at Murray County Shelter in Chatsworth, Ga., with matted fur and signs of neglect. After a few days at the shelter, he was slated to be on the "kill list." But Lenny was saved when a pilot flew him to a rescue group that nursed him back to health and found him a home in Hamburg, N.Y. Pilots N Paws connects animal shelters and pet rescue groups with volunteer pilots who take animals, like Lenny, to facilities in areas where their chances of adoption are high. This September, the group has set a goal of saving 5,000 animals in a week using general aviation. Pilots N Paws 5000 will take place Sept. 12 through 20 and is designed to raise awareness of the need to transport animals to areas with homes available—and the vital role of GA in accomplishing that goal. 
Two pilots, on their way home from EAA AirVenture, make an impromptu stop in an alfalfa field in Indiana. The dairy farmer who owns the field comes to investigate. What happens next is a story of friendship that has lasted for a decade. It has evolved into Barnstorming, a 48-minute documentary. A Pitts and a Pietenpol play lead roles, but the filmmakers say the story really is about the people who are drawn together by the aircraft. 
In Lt. Col. Stephen Hunter’s nearly four years of service at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base, he regularly attended out-of-town conferences and meetings. Hunter and his colleagues coordinated those trips with the base’s aero club, signed out airplanes, and flew off, utilizing the club almost like a motor pool for aircraft. According to Hunter, using GA aircraft not only saved time but also money. /icon_video.gif?w=20&h=16&as=1&hash=7B06DF4EAE5A6E43DE6B4B0EA49D4907){kind=icon}
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AOPA's online photo gallery allows you to upload your own aviation photography as well as view, rate, and comment on others' photos. Your favorite aviation images from AOPA Pilot are still available online through this new gallery. 
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