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AVmail: February 6, 2012
Letter of the Week: In Defense of the FAAIt is in the nature of pilots to complain about the FAA and the news about the temporary grounding of Operation Migration's aircraft, and its migrating whooping cranes in December sparked some strident criticism of the agency from pilots. As a member of the board of directors of Operation Migration (OM), an EAA member, and a private pilot, I'd like to set the record straight.FAA officials were not the bad guys in this affair far from it. They have long recognized the value and the uniqueness of what OM is doing for an endangered species and the high standards of safety that we have maintained in our flight operations....For the birds,David SakrisonClick through to read the full text of our "Letter of the Week" and other notes from AVweb readers.
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Podcast: New Attitude at the FAA?
As the FAA works on rulemaking to allow the integration of unmanned aerial systems into the national airspace system, there are signs that the agency has significantly ramped up the safety requirements for this brand-new aviation sector. Aviation consultant Gary Church discussed the issues and their potential effect with AVweb's Russ Niles.This podcast is brought to you by Bose Corporation.
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FBO of the Week: Golden Eagle Aviation (K06A, Tuskegee, AL)
>>> AVWEB FUEL FINDERCURRENT PRICE FOR 100LL: $5.74 (no change from last week)CURRENT PRICE FOR JET A: $5.46 (down 5¢ from last week)Fuel prices provided weekly by AirNav, based on prices from the past 2 weeks. Changes are relative to last week's prices. /TEXT_ONLY-->AVweb's newest "FBO of the Week" is Golden Eagle Aviation at Moton Field Municipal Airport (06A) in Tuskegee, Alabama. Reader Billy Tyndall tells us how an unplanned stopover made Golden Eagle a standard by which other FBOs are measured:On a cross-country flight in my Sport Cub from North Carolina to Arizona, I encountered adverse weather and landed at Moton Field Municipal Airport in Tuskegee, Alabama to wait it out. The rain which arrived took three days to pass, and during that time the staff at Golden Eagle Aviation made those days the most enjoyable of the trip. Sylvester and Minnie run the FBO with such personality and warmth that transient pilots immediately feel at home. They helped us with the standard FBO offerings, such as avgas, computer access, and coffee, and went further to see that we found the cultural and culinary assests of Tuskegee, which were many. When it was time to leave, Sylvester improvised an apparatus to preheat the cold engine in the Cub, even though the climate in Tuskegee doesn't normally require preheating engines. He went the extra mile to get us back in the air, and we'll remember his FBO for their caring actions!Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!
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Short Final
Years ago, I had an interesting ATC encounter in Washington airspace that I think would be humorous to your readers of "Short Final." While flying my RV-4 in the narrow VFR slot between the old Washington ADIZ and the expanded Camp David TFR, I lost my GPS. Without a VOR, I contacted Wash. Center. The call went as follows:N1234 (me):"Washington Center, N1234."Center:"N1234, go ahead."N1234:"I've lost all nav aids over Frederick, and I'm concerned that I will violate airspace and cause a little excitement. Please give me vectors to keep me out of trouble."Center:"No worries. Everyone is targeting you."Bruce MacInnesvia e-mail
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Flight Attendants Plan OccuFLY Event
Flight attendants from more than 20 airlines will "occupy" a section of LAX on Monday to protest labor provisions in a proposed FAA reauthorization bill. The OccuFLY protest, organized by the Association of Flight Attendants, is a reaction to change in voting standards for union organization that unions consider an attack on organized labor. "This controversial labor provision is nothing less than an attack by the 1% against the 99%," said AFA PresidentVeda Shook in a news release.
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Video: Where's My Flying Car?
A practical flying car with everyman usability has so far eluded the public, but we may have already been introduced to a design that could lead to a breakthrough. Some of the major challenges of producing a point-to-point simple and safe to operate vehicle are technological in nature. Autonomous navigation (enter the destination, press a button, and allow the vehicle to navigate, communicate with, and autonomously avoid other aircraft) may be one key to safely organizing masses of flying vehicles in the same airspace. And as society progresses, the gap between the dream and reality may be shrinking.
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FAA UAS Rule May Reflect New Standards
The FAA's next major rulemaking effort may reflect a shift in agency standards that could hobble one emerging sector and set the tone for the rest of the industry, according to a Washington-based consultant. Gary Church, of Aviation Management Associates, has been representing companies developing unmanned aerial systems for several years and he told AVweb in a podcast interview he believes the forthcoming notice of proposed rulemaking on UASs will set a new standard for safety regulations. He said the agency appears to be aiming for a "do no harm" regime called a "targeted level of safety" that may realistically be unachievable. He also expects legal challenges to the current ban on commercial use of small UASs if the agency continues to drag its feet in establishing regulations.
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Migration Pilots Defend FAA
Operation Migration (OM) has leapt to the defense of the FAA in light of the recent controversy over the use of allegedly paid pilots in the well-known aircraft-led migration of whooping cranes to Florida. In a letter to AVweb, OM spokesman David Sakrison said the temporary grounding of this year's migration resulted from the persistent complaints of an unidentified person outside of OM and was not initiated by the FAA, which has been supportive of the effort and had previously inspected and cleared all aspects of the operation. The LSA-category trikes flown by the OM pilots cannot be used commercially and OM and the FAA had previously agreed that while the pilots were paid OM employees, the flying was done voluntarily. However, the launching of a formal complaint by the same person obliged the FAA to open an investigation and the pilots voluntarily grounded themselves in Alabama to avoid any chance of being found in violation. "At that time, agency officials made it clear that they would work with us toward a solution, possibly through a permanent exemption from the 'flying for hire' prohibition," Sakrison wrote. The new rule is expected to be in effect in a few months, in time for the spring cycle of the migration. However, not even the blessing of the mighty FAA is more powerful than Mother Nature and the pilots won't be needed any longer.
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Air Force Plan Would Cut 10,000 Airmen
Nearly 10,000 of the Air Force's active National Guard and Reserve airmen would be cut next year if plans detailed Friday by the Air Force go into effect. Cuts will reportedly target the National Guard for more than half of the total personnel, aircraft and other equipment to be trimmed. Specific numbers trim 5,100 guardsmen, 3,900 active-duty members and 899 reservists.The Air Force Times has reported that the Air Force does not intend "to employ involuntary cuts in the active force to reach that goal." Changes will come to forces in all 50 states and cuts may not stop there. The plan brought immediate push-back.
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American Airlines' Bankruptcy May Cost You
As part of its bankruptcy reorganization, American Airlines could announce plans next week to lay off more than 13,000 workers and eliminate pension plans, or, warns one analyst, the end of the airline could be near. "American made promises to pilots" about "pay, benefits, retirement and employment," that in many cases "are not going to be kept," according to Glenn MacDonald, an economics professor at Olin Business School at Washington University, St. Louis. MacDonald believes the airline is not positioned to compete and generate sufficient profits to sustain operations without "significant reduction" in what it provides to employees. According to MacDonald, without those reductions, American "will soon be gone, not just reorganized," with pieces bought up by competitors. Whether that proves prescient or propagandist, pilots' pensions appear to be in the crosshairs and, you (the taxpayer) may be on the hook for something.
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Gippsland's Airvan: What "Nice Flying" Really Means
If you fly one LSA after another, you sometimes forget what a good handling really is.
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Podcast: Controllers to the Rescue
When a Mooney pilot got into trouble last December, stuck above the clouds and running out of fuel, controllers at the Seattle tracon helped him to a safe landing. In this podcast, AVweb's Mary Grady takes you through the audio tape of the event, which won the controllers an Archie League Award this week from NATCA.This podcast is brought to you by Bose Corporation.
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Kestrel Collecting Resumes
Production may be about two years off and the facility has yet to be built, but Kestrel Aircraft Co. hopes to create 600 jobs in Superior, Wisc., over the next few years, and resumes are already coming in. The company currently employs about 50 engineers who are working to transform the Kestrel prototype single-engine six- to eight-seat turboprop into an FAA-certified production aircraft. Successful completion of that task precludes any mass hiring. New hires will also need a physical workplace and Kestrel will break ground on a 35,000-square-foot production facility this spring, likely by April. Wisconsin's Indianhead Technical College of Superior hopes to work with Kestrel to develop training courses that would address specific needs at Kestrel.
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Where's My Flying Car?
Back in 2003, the SEC filed a complaint against Moller International and Paul S. Moller, for the development and marketing of a Skycar -- on January 30, 2012, Moller International began promoting two new Skycar designs for the LSA category. The SEC's complaint cited "false and misleading statements" Moller used in promotional releases and soliciting "approximately $5.1 million from more than 500 investors." Moller settled by paying a $50,000 fine and agreeing to a permanent injunction. The latest "LSA" offerings from Moller International are currently available in brochure form. Specifications for one include a cruise speed of 237 mph -- about twice the light sport category's current cruise-speed restriction. A practical flying car with every-man usability has so far eluded the public, but we may have already been introduced to a design that shows promise, aside from the Terrafugia Transition roadable aircraft.
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Question of the Week: Crash Pilots as Criminals?
A New Hampshire pilot is facing manslaughter charges in the death of his daughter after the twin he was flying without a multi-endorsement crashed in Massachusetts. Are there circumstances where pilots should face criminal action?Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers about the proposed weight limit increases for light sport aircraft; click through to see the breakdown of answers.
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American Wants To Slash 13,000 Jobs
About 400 pilots are affected by sweeping layoffs proposed by American Airlines as it tries to emerge from bankruptcy. In a plan unveiled Wednesday, the airline announced it will lay off 13,000 employees, about 15 percent of its workforce, cancel unprofitable routes and retire old inefficient aircraft. "We are going to use the restructuring process to make the necessary changes to meet our challenges head-on and capitalize fully on the solid foundation we've put in place," CEO Thomas Horton said in a letter to employees. The employees have a different take.
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DOT OIG: FAA Faces Controller Shortage
Southern California, Atlanta, Chicago and New York were identified as areas that face the risk of having too few controllers as veteran controllers retire, according to a report (PDF) by the Department of Transportation. The FAA anticipated the problem, but efforts to train new recruits have seen too many fail to qualify for work at high-traffic facilities. To complicate matters, the report says those high-traffic facilities have seen attrition rates above the national average and many hold high numbers of controllers eligible to retire. The reportconcluded that "the Nation's most critical air traffic control facilities are facing significant staffing shortages" that "could lead to potential risks to their daily operations."The FAA has a different opinion and has issued a statement.
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Super-Heroes Fly Over New York City (With Video)
What appeared to be human forms recently seen flying over New York city made passes along the Brooklyn bridge, flew past the Statue of Liberty, and some even performed loops -- they were also part of a viral marketing campaign. To promote a movie, three remote-controlled aircraft designed to look like flying people were flown by ground-based operators. The illusion is at least surreal and at most rather convincing. The RC people design is a product marketed by rcsuperhero.com, which offers "full scale RcSuperhero 78-inch show plane plans and kits, as well as hand tossed gliders shaped as flying people." Click through to see them in action.
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GA Groups Welcome FAA Funding Bill
Aviation organizations reacted with relief this week to news that a $63 billion, four-year FAA funding bill has finally been agreed on in Washington. AOPA said, "General aviation pilots can celebrate" -- the bill left out user fees and doesn't increase taxes for avgas or jet fuel. The bill makes it possible for the government to create an incentive program to help GA pilots equip for NextGen, and authorizes $13.4 billion for airport improvement projects. It also addresses through-the-fence operations, allowing airport access to adjacent property owners. Other aviation groups, such as NBAA, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, and the Air Line Pilots Association, also reacted positively to the news.
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Stratolaunch Starts Construction In Mojave
Stratolaunch Systems, the new company formed in December by Paul Allen to build a giant Burt Rutan-designed aircraft that will launch payloads into Earth orbit, has started construction on a production facility and a hangar at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Over the next year, the company plans to tear down a pair of 747-400 aircraft and salvage parts and subsystems to integrate into the new airplane. "Today marks the start of an exciting journey for us," said Gary Wentz, CEO of Stratolaunch. "We look forward to many years of great work in Mojave." The two new buildings together will comprise about 180,000 square feet of workspace and offices.
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