MILESTONES
Goulian wins Red Bull Air Race in Dubai
His first win since 2009
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship opened in early February in Abu Dhabi and it was loaded with surprises. USA’s Michael Goulian logged his first victory since 2009 to claim the top of the overall leaderboard for the first time in his career. Defending World Champion Yoshihide “Yoshi” Muroya was second, with the Czech Republic’s Martin Šonka initially placing in third. He was disqualified for a technical infringement of the rules.
Red Bull said Goulian took full advantage of the perfect weather conditions. Known for having great promise but often failing to convert early-race speed into a podium appearance, the Massachusetts native was icy cool, Red Bull said. Going first in the Final 4, he delivered one of the best times of the day, 53.695 seconds, to Šonka’s 54.650, and a 54.768 from fellow American Kirby Chambliss. It was all down to Muroya, and while the Japanese ace flew cleanly, his 53.985 gave Goulian his first win since Budapest 2009, and the second of his career.
“It was awesome. It’s been a long time coming to get to the second win and my whole team is over the moon,” said Goulian. “Now we need consistency. There are 13 other great pilots in the Red Bull Air Race, and I feel nothing but excitement for the rest of the year.”
Another unexpected high point came from Great Britain’s Ben Murphy, the only newcomer to the World Championship this season, who advanced to the Round of 8 in his first race.
Next up is the long-awaited debut of the Red Bull Air Race in France, when the raceplanes fly above the Côte d’Azur at Cannes on April 21 and 22.
Yodice's ‘Pilot Counsel’ column ends
Longtime pilot advocate maintains private law practice
This issue of AOPA Pilot contains the final “Pilot Counsel” legal column by John S. Yodice, who has represented pilots, aircraft owners, corporate and commercial operators, and flight schools for more than 50 years (“Pilot Counsel: Flight Instructor Liability,” page 26). Yodice’s long career as one of the most influential and authoritative aviation attorneys began after he graduated from George Washington University’s law school in 1959. He was asked by then-AOPA President Joseph B. “Doc” Hartranft to provide legal services to AOPA in the early 1960s.
Yodice’s work for AOPA eventually took him to positions as AOPA’s secretary and general counsel, as well as a position as a longstanding member of AOPA’s board of trustees. Although he was AOPA’s legal counsel, he spent much of his efforts as a provider of legal advice to countless individual AOPA members, and as an advocate for the cause of general aviation as a whole. In his role as legal counsel, he encouraged the creation of AOPA’s legal services plan, which offers legal representation to members with aviation-related legal issues.
Over the years, Yodice was central in AOPA’s actions against measures unfair or counterproductive to general aviation. Whether it was access to airports or airspace; discriminatory FAA enforcement policies; or capricious federal, state, or local rules, Yodice spearheaded meaningful actions to reverse them.
By the mid-1980s, manufacturers of piston singles were stopping production, citing punitive product liability lawsuits. Workers were sidelined, and pilots were denied new aircraft and parts. AOPA joined other aviation groups in attempting to formulate a response to this crisis, but there was little concurrence. Yodice organized AOPA’s efforts to push for a single measure to maximize the chances of overcoming the runaway lawsuits. In 1994, the General Aviation Revitalization Act was signed into federal law; it barred lawsuits against manufacturers of general aviation aircraft that are filed more than 18 years after the aircraft were first delivered. Production resumed, and the law remains in effect.
Among Yodice’s greatest contributions have been his monthly “Pilot Counsel” columns, which have run for decades, and which will cease with this issue’s column.
Recently, Yodice earned Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s lifetime achievement award for his contributions. This year, he earned the International Air and Transportation Safety Bar Association’s lifetime achievement award for “having made a truly remarkable contribution to aviation law and aviation safety.” An active airplane and helicopter pilot and flight instructor from his youth, Yodice has owned a number of aircraft. Currently he owns a 1981 Cessna T310R.
Look for a new aviation legal column in an upcoming issue.
AAOPA Fly-Ins
Registration is now open
Register early for the 2018 AOPA Fly-Ins. Let us know you’re coming and save on meal tickets. The fly-ins kick off in Missoula, Montana, in June; then head to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in September; and wrap up in Carbondale, Illinois, and Gulf Shores, Alabama, in October.
“Our fly-ins are a great way to learn and expand your knowledge as a pilot, experience the camaraderie of pilots and aviation enthusiasts, and explore different parts of the United States by air and by ground,” said Chris Eads, AOPA director of outreach and events. During the two-day events, participate in hands-on workshops, educational seminars, aircraft displays, exhibit halls, local culture, fly-outs, and more. The early bird workshops run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays during the event and include a tuition fee. Also on Fridays, the exhibit hall, AOPA Village, and aircraft display open at noon, a happy hour runs from 4 to 6 p.m. in the exhibit hall, and the Barnstormers Party presented by Jeppesen runs from 6 to 9 p.m.
After a full day of fun and learning on Friday, the fly-ins offer another full slate of activities on Saturday, including a pancake breakfast, free seminars, the exhibit hall and aircraft display, lunch, a Pilot Town Hall with AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker, and an ice cream social. “We’ve designed our fly-ins to offer something for everyone,” Eads said. “You can be as involved as you want, from volunteering to taking in the full two days and fly-outs, or stopping in on Saturday. We want to make sure the time you spend with us is fun, informative, and inspirational.”
