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United States Pilots Association |
NMPA NOTICE FEBRUARY FLY-IN AND SAFETY SEMINAR
The February NMPA Fly-in and safety seminar will be held Tuesday evening, 7 February in Carlsbad. We will meet at the Carlsbad Airport (Cavern City Air Terminal CNM) in the pilot's lounge at 7 pm for a two hour FAA WINGS safety seminar presentation.
Gold Seal CFII Dick Samuels will discuss IFR currency regulations; airspace regulations; and radio communications protocol. FAA official Ron Keller will present the latest information on the deployment of ADS-B; the status of decommissioning of the NDBs and if you can still use them for practice approaches; the updated AFSS timelines; and the next generation FAA communication radios. NMPA president Bob Worthington will discuss pilot's personal; go-no go decisions and what to do when having either VFR or IFR radio failure.
This will also offer attendees the opportunity to ask questions regarding any aviation or FAA concerns you might have. Samuels is a retired USAF pilot and retired university aeronautical professor. Keller is an FAA employee and assistant manager in radar and communications technology. Worthington is an aviation writer and aviation business consultant. All three are FAA Aviation Safety Counselors and NMPA members.
For more info contact Dick Samuels at 505 336 2194 or email at dmsam@zianet.com.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
NMPA MEMBERS January meeting notice.
The January NMPA fly-in and safety seminar will be on Sat 7 January at Desert Aviation FBO, Deming, NM (DMN), with the manager, Bob Benevidez, being our host. The seminar will be from 10 am until noon.
The presenters will be FAA employee Ron Keller who will discuss the updated AFSS timelines; ADS-B deployment decisions and schedule; the latest status on the decommissioned NDB approaches (can you still use them for practice approaches?); and the next generation FAA communication radios. NMPA president Bob Worthington will discuss every pilot's personal go-no go decisions and what to do with VFR/IFR radio failure. Gold Seal CFII Dick Samuels will present info on current airspace regulations; radio communications procedures; and IFR currency requirements. If possible Ron will bring an FAA Air Traffic Controller to address ATC procedures and you, the pilot. These topics should be of interest to all pilots and with the different backgrounds of the presenters this is your opportunity to ask questions and get the straight answers.
After the seminar Desert Aviation will host a free hamburger cookout.
For more info contact Ron Keller at 505 869 5733 or radarpapa182@yahoo.com.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
Aircraft Authentication StatusAircraft Owners and Operators - Check your RegistrationIs your aircraft properly registered? Is the aircraft you are about to operate properly registered? Did you forget to register that new aircraft you recently purchased?If an aircraft does not have a valid registration or if information contained on the registration is not correct, such as current owner name or address, your aircraft may show a status of "in Question" on FAA records.
On February 1, an operator and or/owner of an aircraft attempting to operate or operating within the NAS without a currently effective registration or a registration which is "questionable" and/or without a TSA required security measure/waiver may have actions taken such as but not limited to:1. Notification of deficiency2. A pilot deviation may be filed against the operator3. The operator may be denied access to the NASCheck your aircraft registration by going to http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/ and clicking on the link "Registrations at Risk" (left hand side) , type in your N number. If your aircraft is contained in this list then your registration is "in question."
You can contact Aircraft registration toll free at (866) 762-9434 for assistance.See notice FR Doc 05-23852 filed 12-8-05 for complete summary by following this link:http://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/events/2005-Dec/21_FR_Doc_05-23852.pdf
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
The February NMPA Fly-in and safety seminar will be held Tuesday evening, 7 February in Carlsbad. We will meet at the Carlsbad Airport (Cavern City Air Terminal CNM) in the pilot's lounge at 7 pm for a two hour FAA WINGS safety seminar presentation.
Gold Seal CFII Dick Samuels will discuss IFR currency regulations; airspace regulations; and radio communications protocal. FAA official Ron Keller will present the latest information on the deployment of ADS-B; the status of decommissioning of the NDBs and if you can still use them for practice approaches; the updated AFSS timelines; and the next generation FAA communication radios. NMPA president Bob Worthington will discuss pilot's personal; go-no go decidions and what to do when having either VFR or IFR radio failure.
This will also offer attendees the opportunity to ask questions regarding any aviation or FAA concerns you might have. Samuels is a retired USAF pilot and retired university aeronautical professor. Keller is an FAA employee and assistant manager in radar and communications technology. Worthington is an aviation writer and aviation business consultant. All three are FAA Aviation Safety Counselors and NMPA members.
For more info contact Dick Samuels at 505 336 2194 or email at dmsam@zianet.com.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
Controlled, powered flight seemed impossible until Orville Wright took off on December 17, 1093 (102 years ago Saturday). The key to their success was their engineering which had gone beyond the trial and error methods of their contemporaries. Having very limited resources, they showed great scientific ingenuity, including their famous wind tunnel experiments. They were the first to understand how lift from the airfoil changes in flight, and the first to design their propellers as a form of airfoil.
Thank you, Orville and Wilbur, for our gift of flight!
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
The FAA has published a Notice in the Federal Register stating that the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration will “revitalize and refocus” their airspace-monitoring capabilities to ensure that the requirement to update aircraft registration is met so that the FAA and aircraft manufacturers can notify owners of safety and maintenance-related information.
On February 1, operators of aircraft with questionable registrations and/or no TSA-required security measures/waivers will be notified of the deficiency, a pilot deviation will be filed on the operator, and the operator may be “denied access” to the national airspace.
To make sure you’re not on the target list, you can go to Registrations at Risk to look for your N number. If you’re not in that database, the FAA believes you’re in the clear.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
USPA VP for Meetings Arnold Zimmerman has finalized the flyout/meeting plans for March, and now is the time to mark your calendar. With the many things to see and do in the Tunica, MS/Memphis, TN area, you won’t want to miss this one!
Following is the registration form. Note the hotel cut-off date of February 16. Tunica is so popular, there is no guarantee you can reserve a room after that date. And note the price! Only $79. Plus a fuel discount at the FBO, and no tiedown fee.
Make your plans now!
United States Pilots Association
WINTER FLY-OUT, TUNICA, MS – MARCH 16 – 19, 2006
Our Winter Fly-out and meeting will be held in the South’s Hottest New Destination, Tunica, Mississippi. Home to world class casino resorts, Tunica boasts nine of them with 6,300 new hotel suites and rooms, sparkling pools and luxurious spas. It has the largest concentration of casinos between Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Located in the northwest corner of the state, on the Mississippi River just south of Memphis, Tunica has 14,000 slots and electronic games, and more than 400 table games. Entertainers are a daily feature at each of the casinos. Many of the world’s top-name performers are familiar faces in Tunica showrooms. Good food is easy to find in this entertainment city. Whether you’re in the mood for fine dining by candlelight, a tasty buffet, or just a quick snack, Tunica gives you plenty of choices that will meet your best expectations. Casual is the key word in Tunica. Whether you spend all of your time at the casinos and shows, or shopping, dressing comfortably and casually is most important. And, when you are having fun, shopping is almost always on the
agenda. At the Casino Factory Shoppes, you’ll find thirty brand-name outlet stores. Historic downtown Tunica offers a variety of boutiques and antique shops with small town charm. Tunica is the epicenter of the Mississippi Delta Blues Heritage, offering three museums filled with artifacts from the Delta’s rich history. Begin a historical tour at the Tunica Museum, and then discover the stories behind the blues at the Blues & Legends Hall of Fame. Plus, real Hollywood memorabilia at the Hollywood Casino is another treat for history and movie buffs. The stunning new RiverPark is America’s newest place to learn about “The River That Made America.” A museum and interactive center and a nature trail on the river levee are sure to fascinate you. Learn about the geography and history of the river, the Delta and why the river was so important to the union victory in the civil war.
And with all of this in Tunica, you just can’t find enough to do there, then, a half-hour north is Memphis, Home of the Blues and Birthplace of Rock-n-roll. Memphis offers a diverse choice of attractions, fine dining and special events.
Attractions include Elvis Presley’s Graceland where you can tour the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog Aircraft, Mud Island, the Memphis Belle and legendary Beale Street plus Sun Studios, where Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and
dozens of other famous rockers first recorded. And, you would not want to miss visiting the famous Peabody Hotel where you can sip a favorite beverage while watching the “March of the Ducks.”
Hotel: Sam’s Town-Tunica, 1477 Casino Strip Resorts Boulevard, Robinsonville, MS 38664. It has 1,000 guest rooms and suites, four restaurants, lounges and all the other amenities expected in a first class facility. The rate is $79 plus tax.
Call 1-800-456-0711, 662-363-0711 or fax 662-363-0874. To obtain our special rate, you must tell them that you are with the United States Pilots Association. The cut-off date is February 16, 2006. Tunica is a very popular place, particularly on weekends, so there is no guarantee that you can reserve a room at any price at Sam’s Town after the cut-off date. So, make your room reservation now! There will be a hospitality suite in the hotel. Check for the location on arrival.
Airport and FBO: Tunica Municipal Airport (UTA) is the airport of arrival. Runway 17-35 (7,000x150) has ILS and GPS approaches. CTAF is 123.0. Host FBO is Tunica Air Center, a full service FBO open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00
p.m. They have offered us a discount of 15 cents per gallon on fuel and free tie-down. Phone 1-877-359-8864, 662-357-7330 or fax 662-357-7331. If you are arriving commercial, Memphis International (MEM) is your destination.
Transportation: None of the casino hotels in Tunica provide shuttle service to or from the airport (to the chagrin of the airport management there.) The hotels assume that you will be arriving by tour bus or automobile, so if you are arriving
by GA or airline, you are on your own. You will need a rental car also to visit all the sights in the area (share it with other USPA attendees.) Tunica Air Center will coordinate rental car requests with the rental agencies in the area to provide us with the best prices available. Again note that Tunica is a very busy place on weekends, and the FBO has suggested that you make your auto rental reservation no later than March 1 to be sure that they can have a car available for you.
Schedule of Activities:
Thursday, March 16 – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wings Safety Seminar at a location and time to be announced. Hospitality and registration are available at the hotel in the afternoon from 4:00 p.m. and into the evening. All day is open for you to relax and enjoy Tunica.
Friday, March 17 – 8:30 a.m. to noon. Buffet breakfast followed by General member’s meeting in the hotel. Lunch is on your own with the afternoon free to enjoy the gaming activities or touring the many sites in the area. Hospitality suite will be open in the evening after dinner.
Saturday, March 18 – 8:30 a.m. to noon. Buffet breakfast followed by USPA Board meeting in the hotel. All members are welcome. Lunch is on your own with the afternoon free to enjoy the gaming activities or touring the many sites in the area. 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Banquet in the hotel. 9:15 p.m., hospitality suite will be open. It’s time to report your winnings or arrange for a bus trip home.
Sunday, March 19 – Depart at your leisure or stay over a few more days and do some of the things you didn't have time to do in our short weekend.
USPA Registration Form
Name(s)___________________________________________________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________________________________________________________
City_____________________________________________________________ State ______Zip___________________
Phone_____________________ Fax______________________
E-mail________________________________________
Basic Registration: $110.00 (Wings seminar, hospitality suite, meetings,
breakfast on Friday and Saturday and Saturday evening banquet.) ______ @ $ 110.00 $______
Send registration form with check or form below to: United States Pilots Association, 483 S. Kirkwood Rd., Suite 10, St. Louis, MO 63122. If paying by credit card, the registration form may be faxed to: (314) 843-5155. Or, if you would like to register at a secure site on the internet, go to www.uspilots.org.
Charge it! M/C______ or VISA______
Card No._________________________________ Exp.______
Signature___________________________________________
For additional information, please call Arnold Zimmerman at (314) 843-2766, email at zimjr@earthlink.net or USPA at (314) 849-USPA.
To obtain a printed plastic reusable name tag with lanyard, send order with $6.00 for each indicating, first name, last name and home state to Candy
Stewart, 10239 Hartshill Lane, St. Louis, MO 63128.
Allow 10 days for the order to be processed.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
According to an article in Ipilot.com, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey recently said that the FAA could no longer afford to have its hands tied by its current revenue streams from passenger ticket and fuel taxes. She called for a new revenue paradigm based on services rendered.
Does this mean user fees? Likely nothing will change before 2007 when the FAA can no longer collect ticket and gas taxes. But just as Blakey has said repeatedly that the aviation trust fund will not be able to fund the agency in the future, AOPA and others have disputed that claim, arguing that properly managed, the aviation trust fund should provide more than enough revenue.
Keep your eyes and ears open, and continue to tell your elected officials, “NO USER FEES.”
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
Flight Aware offers free live online flight tracking and IFR airport activity. It’s really quite interesting.
Check it out at http://flightaware.com.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
ALAMOGORDO AIRPORT OPEN HOUSE AND FLY IN AIRPORT GRILLE & AIRPORT USERS ASSOCIATION
SATURDAY DECEMBER 10TH FROM 8 - 3
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AIRPORT GRILLE FOR 5 YEARS
BREAKFAST BUFFET STARTS AT 8:30 A.M. $4 A PERSON
BAKE SALE STARTS AT 10 A.M.
BREADS, CANDIES, CINNAMON ROLLS, CAKES!! YUM YUM!
LUNCH BUFFET STARTS AT 12:00 $5 A PERSON
LOCAL ARTISTS AND CERAMICS AND CRAFTS
LOCAL NUT GROWER, HAINES ORCHARDS
AUTO CLUB DISPLAYS
FREE AERO RIDES
The Soaring Assoc., Local EAA, and Private Pilots
DOOR PRIZES AND FUN TO BE HAD BY ALL
COME AND JOIN US
BUY YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS OR JUST COME AND ENJOY THE DAY OUT WITH THE FAMILY
3500 AIRPORT ROAD
ALAMOGORDO, NM
505-439-1093
PUBLIC INVITED
I just finished reading USPA Legislative Vice President Larry Harmon's current report, and cannot resist adding this comment. I refer to the section regarding the proposed redesign of O'Hare International Airport located in the Kingdom of Chicago. "The FAA plans to grant Chicago the full $300 million the city requested for the FIRST phase of a $15 billion makeover of O'Hare International Airport".
Correct me if I am in error, but was not the City of Chicago found guilty by the FAA of the unapproved closing of Meigs Field? Now Ms. Blakey wants to give Mayor Adolf H. Daley $15 Billion dollars to do over the main airport . This is not Chutzpah. This is outright malfeasance on the part of Ms Blakey, and she should be removed from her office immediately and sent for mandatory psychiatric evaluation.
It kind of strikes me as rewarding the bank robber by giving him the contract to design the new security system. Where are our federal legislators and why are they not reacting to this egregious robbery taking place? We don't need user fees. Why not just sign our airplanes over to the federal government and let us contribute 50% of the operating expenses to the trust fund? Can you imagine how much graft, corruption, and Pork are contained in a $15 Billion contact? I am positive that Mayor/Archduke Daley has numerous friends who will belly up to the trough for a piece of that pie.
Steve Uslan, President
United States Pilots Association
It is early December as this is being written, and let’s see what the various federal agencies have in their bag for pilots and just plain members of the general public.
From the Transportation Safety Administration is the offer to stop the seizure of cuticle scissors and nail files, etc. while going through security checkpoints at the major airports. They apparently feel they have fooled the public long enough and are now going to devote more time and effort to look for explosives. I sure feel better now that they can really protect me from those nasty villains who want to set their shoes on fire. What about the unhindered movement of airfreight and the thousands of containers entering the country every day at border crossings and container ports?
From the Bush administration we are being given more border patrol agents to strengthen our unprotected borders with Mexico and Canada. Read this one as an increase in the government staff with no difference in security.
Also from the Republican side of the aisle we are now being told there will be a cap on government spending. This comes after they passed the largest pork barrel bill in history (The transportation bill of 2005).
Now, from Marion Blakey who is still railing over the inefficiencies of the aviation fuel tax funding the FAA, I ask, “Since the fuel prices have hit record highs this year, and since we are not seeing any dropping of avgas or jet-A prices at the pump, and since the airlines are already flying a record number of flights, can you please inform us how much money is being generated this year in comparison to previous years?” Inquiring minds wish to know.
Moving back to the TSA, we have the gift of being virtually excluded from the Washington, DC, ADIZ. Furthermore, we are prohibited from landing for all intents and purposes at the Washington DC3 airports. This prohibition exists in spite of the fact that when put out for public comment, the result was overwhelmingly against closing this airspace.
I could go on and on, but you get the point. It will not get easier. We need to be diligent in our efforts to bombard lawmakers with our objections to some or most of these silly proposals.
Here is something new from the FAA. I recently sold an airplane using a title and escrow company to complete the transaction. One month after the sale date I received a form letter from Oklahoma City that under 14CFR47.41(a)(4) I am now required to return the original registration in my name to the FAA Aircraft Registry. "It is in the interest of national security and aircraft safety" according to the Feds. In checking the above CFR, I found that it does not appear in the FAR-AIM manual, but apparently is contained in the mechanics’ corresponding publication. One would think the FAA could publish a notification somewhere where we aircraft owners might be able to read it.
Finally, from the insurance industry, always at the cutting edge of shooting themselves in the foot, we have this seemingly innocuous announcement. Many of the carriers are no longer offering competitive terms for 1960s vintage retractables such as the Comanches, Bonanzas, and 210s. The theory being these are old airplanes, and they contaminate our books of business. I recently looked at a pristine, low time 1960 M series Bonanza with new paint and interior, new engine, new three-blade prop and a King stack. The price of the plane was fair, but the lowest insurance offer I could find was almost $2,500 per year. I have been getting similar answers on Commanches, 210s, and Vikings. I have said before that with normal attrition of aircraft from the overall fleet, it is a matter of time until we who do not want to pay or cannot afford the $300-500,000 prices for new planes are forced out of the activity.
So there you have it. A mixed bag, to be sure. Let us all hope that 2006 brings common sense to the FAA, and may every day be severe VFR with ceilings unlimited and visibility 50 miles.
Steve Uslan, President
United States Pilots Association
The Wolf Aviation Fund has small-scale grants available to help support aviation safety, education, GA airports, etc. And this year’s deadline to submit proposals is December 15. Proposals are welcome from individuals and non-profit groups, and more than 100 projects have received funding in the last few years.
If you have a worthwhile GA project that could use some financial assistance, go to www.wolf-aviation.org for more information.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association