Photo contest: Ready, set, shoot

Paul Morel of Georgia, a former Delta Air Lines pilot, took his photo, “Waiting for Weather to Pass,” of Glen Gladis’ 1942 Stearman with his Nikon D90 55-mm lens to win the places category. “I used high dynamic range (HDR) to give the photo more vibrant color and details,” he said. His photo garnered the most votes in our online voting.

Jeff Titterington of Florida took his photo, “Yellow Hot Rod,” to win the Aircraft category. The airplane is the Granville brothers’ Gee Bee Z City of Springfield, which is in the Fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City, Florida.

W. Scott Olsen, of Fargo, North Dakota, a contributing writer to AOPA Pilot and Flight Training magazines, won the People category with his photograph, “Prairie Crosswind,” of Jacey Mitziga in 40-knot winds on the northern prairie at Fargo’s Hector Field.

Honorable mentions go to Mike Young for his photograph “Are We Home Yet?’ of puppies on board and Patty Reyes for a toddler in a headset, “Cleared for Takeoff” in the People category; Kevin Brown for “Campers Take Cover” and David F. Clemmer for “Grassroots GA” in the Places category; and Richard Jones for “Proteus” and Mike Mulligan for “Preparing to Launch” in the Aircraft category.

FAA NEWS

‘Get off the sidelines,’ Huerta says

FAA bets on more ADS-B installs with rebate

By Ian J. Twombly

The FAA is betting that $500 will spur more aircraft owners to equip with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out technology in the next year. Following months of encouragement from AOPA and others in the industry, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta placed such a bet in June during a meeting at the Wichita Aero Club in Kansas.

“Equipage rates are not where we’d like to see them,” the administrator said. In an effort to increase the number of owners who equip prior to the January 1, 2020, deadline, the agency is offering $500 to the first 20,000 owners of single-engine piston aircraft who apply when the program launches this fall. “Get off the sidelines and take advantage of all the benefits ADS-B has to offer,” he said.

Although some benefits are still being finalized, Huerta said he expects the program to launch this fall, at which point only those who have not yet installed ADS-B can take advantage. There are no retroactive rebates. The Aircraft Electronics Association will administer the rebates, which can be redeemed after a successful compliance check following the installation.

Huerta said that to meet the mandate, the fleet needs to be equipping at a rate of roughly 23,000 to 25,000 aircraft a year.

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FAA releases small drone rules

The FAA on June 21 released its final rule for the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) weighing less than 55 pounds, along with new airman certification standards for small UAS operators.

The new rule, known as Part 107, is expected to take effect in late August. It allows operators to use small UAS for a number of noncommercial and commercial operations without going through the exemption process currently required.

“Unmanned aircraft are an increasingly important part of the aviation universe, and we’re pleased that the FAA is taking steps to fully and safely integrate them into the National Airspace System,” said Melissa Rudinger, AOPA vice president of government affairs.

The final rule incorporates many of the comments made by AOPA during the rulemaking process, including restricting the maximum operating altitude for small UAS to 400 feet agl in order to provide a small buffer between manned and unmanned aircraft. The final rule also allows current Part 61 certificate holders, aside from student pilots, to take an online training course from the FAA instead of the FAA knowledge test. AOPA recommended the online training as a way to lower the cost of compliance for current pilots and ensure widespread access to training information.

Under the new rule, the operators of small UAS will be known as remote pilots, and the FAA will create a new remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating. A person operating a small UAS will be required to hold the certificate or operate under the direct supervision of an individual who does.

Remote pilots can fly only under daylight VFR conditions and must remain within visual line of sight of their UAS, among other restrictions. They will not be allowed to operate in ways that interfere with operations at any airport, heliport, or seaplane base. Recreational operations will not be affected by the rule. —Elizabeth A. Tennyson

Web: www.faa.gov/uas/media/Part_107_Summary.pdf

Manufacturers' rebates bridge gap

FreeFlight Systems and Avidyne are offering $500 rebates for qualifying ADS-B hardware now, bridging the gap until the FAA’s rebate becomes effective in September. For FreeFlight Systems’ Bridge Rebate Program, customers must take delivery of products by September 30 or when the FAA’s program goes live, whichever comes first. Systems must be installed in 2016. Avidyne’s Don’t Wait Rebate is good for ADS-B rule-compliant equipment ordered for U.S.-registered single-engine piston aircraft between June 17 and September 30.

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible?
Owners of single-engine, fixed-wing piston aircraft who install ADS-B Out equipment after the program takes effect.

Is there a limit to the rebate?
The FAA is offering a single $500 payment to each owner of an eligible aircraft. The rebates are limited to the first 20,000 owners who are eligible, or for a year from the program launch, whichever comes first.

How do I apply for a rebate?
The Aircraft Electronics Association will administer the program with a dedicated website that will launch this fall. Once the install is complete, the aircraft has to be flown and proper operation of the system must be verified. More details are available on the FAA’s website

AOPA NEWS

AOPA issues call to action

Asks members to contact elected officials on medical reform

By Elizabeth A. Tennyson

AOPA issued a call to action on third class medical reform, asking members to contact their representatives in the House and urge them to take up and pass S.571, better known as the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2).

The Senate has passed PBR2 language three times in the past six months. In December, the Senate unanimously passed PBR2 as a standalone bill. It also included PBR2 language in the Senate FAA reauthorization bill that passed by a vote of 95 to 3 in April. And on June 14, the Senate passed PBR2 language again on an 85-to-13 vote as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

“Third class medical reform is vitally important to AOPA members and the entire general aviation industry,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “Elected officials listen to their constituents—that’s why we’re asking our members to reach out and help get these reforms over the finish line. The bill has strong bipartisan support, and it’s time for the House to take action to get it into law.”

In the House, all aviation-related bills have been held up because of ongoing debate over a proposal to privatize the air traffic control system that’s part of the House FAA reauthorization bill. That bill also includes medical reform language.

“Medical reform has nothing to do with air traffic control privatization, but it has everything to do with improving safety for general aviation pilots,” said Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Coon. “Having passed the Senate three different times over the past six months and with nearly 200 bipartisan co-sponsors in the House, we believe this shouldn’t be held up any longer.” 

Under PBR2, most pilots who have held a third class medical within 10 years after the law is enacted would never have to visit an aviation medical examiner again. Instead, they’d need to visit their own personal physician once every four years and keep a signed form in their logbooks verifying the visit. They’d also be required to take a free online medical education course every two years.

Pilots who participate in the program will be able to fly VFR and IFR in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds and carry up to five passengers at altitudes below 18,000 feet and speeds up to 250 knots.

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Headlines that affect you
Recent news from the aviation world

Aviation groups urge House to pass FAA reauthorization
Aviation organizations banded together to urge the House to pass an FAA reauthorization bill that could be signed into law before the agency’s current funding extension was set to expire on July 15. —AOPA.org

U.S. Navy mishap costs soar with recent incidents
The recent midair collision between two F/A–18F Super Hornets is the costliest mishap for the U.S. Navy so far this decade, and combined with the fatal F/A–18C Hornet Blue Angels crash in June puts the Navy on pace for its most expensive year for incidents. —Aviation Week

2016 Flight Training poll open

Have you flown with a flight instructor recently? Whether you’re a student getting ready to solo or a longtime pilot who just finished a flight review, it’s time to take the annual AOPA Flight Training Poll.

Tell us about your experiences with a flight school or an individual flight instructor. Results will be used to select the winners of the 2016 Flight Training Excellence Awards.

You will be eligible to enter the accompanying sweepstakes. Prizes include a $150 Aircraft Spruce & Specialty gift card, your choice of a Jeppesen Part 61 private pilot or instrument pilot kit, a PilotWorkshops Real World VFR online course, and your choice of a Sporty’s Learn to Fly or Instrument Rating online course.

Go online to submit your comments. Flight training providers will find promotional resources, including a sample strategy and timeline, an example of a promotional email, talking points for instructors, a poster to display at your flight school or FBO, and a webinar on how to succeed in the poll. The poll closes on August 22.

Web: www.aopa.org/ftpoll

Piper M600 earns FAA type certification

By Dan Namowitz

Piper Aircraft announced June 17 that its M600 turboprop had received FAA type certification, paving the way for first deliveries.

The six-seat M600, powered by a 600-shaft-horsepower flat-rated Pratt and Whitney PT6A-42A turboprop engine, takes its place as “the most advanced and capable aircraft in Piper’s M-class lineup,” the company said. It has a maximum speed of 274 knots true airspeed, and a maximum range of 1,484 nautical miles. FAA representative Eric Wright presented Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott with the type certificate at a ceremony at the company’s Vero Beach, Florida, Hangar 21.

With a 260-gallon fuel capacity made possible by an all-new wing design, the M600 can carry 90 gallons more than the M500. Its 6,000-pound maximum gross weight represents a 900-pound increase over the predecessor aircraft in the line, based on the original piston-engine Piper PA–46 Malibu.

The aircraft has a Garmin G3000 avionics suite and dual Garmin GTC 570 touchscreen controllers. Enhanced safety features include emergency descent mode, electronic stability protection, level mode, and underspeed/overspeed protection.

A redesigned interior includes executive folding tables and folding seats, and USB charging ports, that were among features included in the aircraft based on a “comprehensive survey process” of pilot and customer preferences, Piper said.

The M600 lists for $2.853 million.

This month in aviation

Harriet Quimby becomes the first American woman to receive a pilot’s license. Quimby received license number 37 from the Aero Club of America. She was also the first woman to solo across the English Channel and was known as America’s First Lady of the Air. Of flying she wrote:

“It is easier than walking, driving, or automobiling;easier than golf or tennis. Flying is a fine, dignified sport for women, and there is no reason to be afraid so long as one is careful.”