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United States Pilots Association |
The FAA has issued a Notam restricting flight in the Miami, FL, area during the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 4, from 4:00 p.m. until 11:59 p.m. EST.
Please check with FSS before flying in this area.
Of course, it will not affect those pilots watching the game on their flat screen HDTV sets.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
August 3rd of 2006 saw yet another Predator Drone go down, this time in the state of Nevada. The operator of the drone, which was flying out of Creech AFB in Nevada, thought he was retracting the landing gear, when in fact he shut off the fuel to the engine. This sounds almost identical to the Predator crash in Arizona last year where the operator lost control of the drone on his computer and the backup operator shut off the fuel causing the crash. Be alert out there if flying anywhere in the vicinity of these unmanned aircraft.
An announcement was made last week by Homeland Security that inspections are starting on GA aircraft utilizing airline-served airports. They are not doing full blown security checks, but they are checking IDs and licenses and probably looking through your planes. Currently at Midland International (MAF) when you land coming in from Mexico, not only does Customs meet you, but so does the Midland Police Department, who search your aircraft. It does not take too much imagination to see a long backup of planes waiting to clear Homeland Security after landing at one of these airports.
Speaking of HSA has anyone taken notice of their recent budget expenditures? I have seen $90,000,000 for anti-stinger missile equipment (lasars) installed on large commercial freighters. FEDEX is currently flying one. The estimated cost for the Predator drones and other support aircraft to fly our northern border with Canada is astronomical. The cost to the aviating public (you and me) is still uncalculated.
Do not fear. Our government has the answer. The newly appointed head of the federal DOT (Secretary of Transportation) is back beating the drums for user fees to help fund the new FAA in the future. Personally, this looks and feels like a shell game with us as the losers.
Do we all remember how much money the FAA was going to save by outsourcing the Flight Service Stations? Lockheed Martin was given the contract and appears in most cases to be doing a fine job. Now comes the OOPS! The FAA forgot that the checking of precision landing systems at uncontrolled airports fell under their jurisdiction. This service was not included in the Lockheed Martin contract. Now the FAA wants to discontinue their monitoring of these systems. Imagine this scenario. You depart your home airport on an IFR flight plan with your destination being one of these smaller airports, untowered, with an ILS. During your flight the ILS system goes down and the indications you receive are unreliable. Do you still shoot the approach to minimums? You are in the clouds not understanding what you are seeing on your instruments. You are low on fuel. The FAA is no longer monitoring the equipment on the ground, so no notam is available to you.
The point is we are again being offered the short end of the stick. When I see seven or eight CFIT accidents every month where IFR qualified airplanes are flown into the ground, where the systems were working perfectly, I can only wonder how many more accidents will occur if the FAA ceases to monitor and repair, and most important, notify of any system irregularities.
Just my thoughts. What do you have to say?
Steve Uslan,
President, USPA
For some time now USPA has not been having its annual directory printed, but has been posting it to our website at www.uspilots.org. As new members join, I send each one a hard copy to start him/her off.
The 2006-2007 Directory has been posted to our website, and I encourage you to look at it and use the information it contains. If you find any errors, please report them to me for correction. Thanks!
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
The FAA has issued a NOTAM for a TFR centered on the RIS VOR's 133-degree radial at 9.9 NM, to FL 180, from 10:20 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. on Thursday, January 25. May KC area airports will be affected. Please consult FSS before flying in the area.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
I would wager that most of us who have a panel mounted GPS in our plane that we use for navigation which requires a data disc to operate are flying an unairworthy airplane. Why, you ask?
The FAA requires that every time a data disc is replaced a legal entry must be made in your airplane maintenance logbook before the plane can be returned to service and is considered safe to fly. Yes, I agree that there are probably few FAA requirements that are more foolish than this one. One must ask, what does this requirement for an entry in a logbook have to do with safety? Nothing that I can tell.
Here is the how and why for this requirement. FAR Part 43.5 stipulates that an aircraft that has undergone maintenance, to include preventive maintenance, must have a maintenance logbook entry before it can be returned to service as by Part 43.9 or 43.11. This means date work completed; description of work performed; signature, name, type of pilot certificate and certificate number. This entry constitutes the approval to return the aircraft to service. The pilot must hold a private certificate or above to be able to sign the logbook.
Okay, now go to Part 43, Appendix A. This is the list of major repairs, major alterations, and preventive maintenance. Paragraph (c) is a list of preventive maintenance which the pilot can do. Paragraph (c)(32) states that updating a self-contained, front instrument panel-mounted ATC navigation software data base is a preventive maintenance operation. It also states that an operational check must be performed before using per Part 91, as applicable.
Doesn't make a lot of sense does it? A small logbook just for making these logbook entries is acceptable according to AOPA.
So, are you flying your plane legally? Do you have your data card change maintenance logbook entries every 28 days?
Bob Worthington, President
New Mexico Pilots Association
VP Meetings Arnold Zimmerman has just informed us that the Battlefield Inn in Vicksburg, MS, has extended our hotel reservation date to March 3. This is good news! Make your reservations now so that you won't miss our block of rooms at the great price of only $69, plus tax.
A fun time is planned for ALL USPA MEMBERS in Vicksburg, and you will have a hand in helping support GA through our united efforts. Come join us! There is definitely strength in numbers.
View details and register at www.uspilots.org.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announced in the Winnipeg, Canada, Free Press plans to start patrol of the U.S. Canadian border by Predator Drones, beginning in September of this year. You can expect future TFRs up and down the border similar to a 300 mile TFR in operation in Arizona. The northern Predators will operate from Grand Forks, North Dakota, and will fly in both east and west directions. Grand Forks will also get 22 pilots to fly airplanes and helicopters on patrols over the border.
AOPA signed in by taking a page from our prior press release by talking about the Predator crash in Arizona saying, "an aircraft flying legally under the TFR could have been hit by the disabled drone."
Additional operations along the northern border will be set up in Bellingham, Washington, Great Falls, Montana, and Plattsburgh, New York. Obviously they are not looking for Mexican citizens crossing the Canadian border. They claim they are looking for terrorists. My question is, just how much money is being spent on this program looking for people illegally crossing our northern border?
Now a comment directed toward the controllers located in the San Diego towers. A recent midair collision resulting in an explosion and fireballs cost the lives of three people when the tower controllers failed to warn both aircraft of the impending accident. The collision alert system sounded in the tower, and the controllers tuned the sound out and ignored the almost one minute warning. This on top of the recent Learjet departure (VFR) where the controller observing the radar target on his scope failed to warn the aircraft of high terrain directly ahead. The plane hit the mountain. The controller stated he was not required to warn the pilots because they had chosen to take off VFR and pick up their instrument clearance in the air. Let this be a lesson to all of us. We must fly the airplane, not the controller. Now get this! The NTSB found eleven (11) crashes where pilots did not get "safety alerts," even though the alarms were going off in the tower or center The same day as the midair above, the FAA issued an order to controllers that they provide safety alerts to pilots when the equipment says they are too close to the ground or each other. It is not known if the order came before or after the crash.
Several months ago I flew from Odessa, TX, to Oklahoma City. I was at 7500 feet VFR talking to Center when I was given a conflict alert by the controller. Another aircraft was approaching on an intersecting course from behind me, and was not obeying the controllers instructions to turn left to avoid traffic. When the controllers alarm went off and I was advised, I turned 45 degrees to the right and climbed 500 feet to get out of this idiot's way. He never strayed from his cardinal heading. And if I had not deviated, I could have been accident #12. Courtesy and common sense is usually all it takes. Use both. It pays.
Be Safe!
Steve Uslan
President, United States Pilots Association
Forty-eight people from west Texas, southern New Mexico, and southern Arizona attended a safety program on January 13 in Deming, NM, conducted by the New Mexico Pilots Association, in conjunction with the FAA's FAASTeam area manager John Boatright.
Presenters were USPA Vice President Bob Worthington and Bill Turner of Sierra Vista, AZ. Bill gave a very enlightening one-hour presentation about the background of UAS (Unmanned Aviation Systems), a thorough explanation of the FAA regulations (AFS-400 Policy 05-01) governing the UAS, and what we as pilots need to know about them in the air. Bill wants to educate GA on this topic as UAS are going to become more prevalent in the southwest as time goes by and the UAS technology grows faster than the FAA and other government agencies can publish regulations controlling their usage.
Richard Benito and Sharon Newson prepared food (provided by the FBO, Desert Aviation), and did an outstanding job feeding some 50 people.
This was an excellent start for NMPA for 2007, and they are just beginning!!!!!
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
Details for the USPA gathering in Vicksburg, MS, March 15-18, indicate a great time in this historic city on the Mississippi River. Check out the details now and register directly on line at www.uspilots.org.
The hotel room cutoff date is Feburary 15, so be sure to make your hotel reservation soon. We look forward to seeing you in Vicksburg in March!
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
For those of you who thought the issue of user fees was over, think again. Avweb today published their business edition stating that the airlines are hunkered down to commence a long campaign to (1) increase GA's contribution to the operation of the ATC system, and (2) attempt to get control of this system. It was stated that we incur about 6% of the operating cost of the system and, imagine this, we contribute through fuel taxes about 6% of the actual cost. In other words we ARE paying our way. This fight is a long way from being over. It would be a good thing if you write your individual members of Congress and express your opinion of this attempted travesty.
Once again some genius piloting a Maule MX-7 busted the Crawford, TX, TFR several times in one flight before being escorted by F-16s to the ground. This occurred on New Year's Day. It took the discharge of flares from the fighters to get this guy's attention. When will these pilots finally learn that you cannot fool around with permanent TFRs. A simple pre-flight briefing is all it should take to be reminded. I for one hope the FAA gives this individual a 12-month cooling off period (suspension) if it turns out he did what he is accused of.
A USPA member wrote to us complaining that several FBOs representing aircraft manufacturers are refusing to work on aircraft built by those manufacturers if the planes are over 18 years old. Regardless of who or what is at fault here, we need to avoid these FBOs. And when the time comes to buy a newer model aircraft, find a reputable broker and buy from him or the seller direct. If this is indeed a liability issue, the alphabet organizations representing FBOs (NBAA, NATA, etc.) should contact the various insurers and lobby against this crazy idea. Considering all of the accidents that Cirrus aircraft have had in the past several years, and the cylinder and crankshaft problems Lycoming has experienced, it is ludicrous for the FBOs to take this position. It has become very difficult for prop shops, paint shops, and engine overhaulers to find adequate insurance at reasonable prices.
The Sovereign State of Hawaii has entered the news arena. Several years ago the Navy gave up the Barbers Point NAS and it became a public use airport administered and managed by the State of Hawaii Airports Division. This is not an airline-served facility, instead concentrating on GA and reliever function for Honolulu International Airport (HNL). You would think the state would want GA people to move out there from HNL to relieve some of the congestion at the main airport. An old friend called me this week complaining that the state was up to their old tricks once again. He has asked for a land lease to erect at his own cost a private hangar on currently unused land on the new airport. The state is offering a 30-day conditional use permit which means he could be evicted from the airport upon 30 days' notice. He still wants to build the hangar. The state is demanding a $30,000 surety bond with unlimited expiration before considering the request. The bond would guarantee the removal of the hangar within the 30-day period if required. No bonding company I know of would issue such a bond. Result: the hangar probably will never be built. This may seem like a small issue to us in Texas or Kansas, but it is another infringement on our rights as pilots and aircraft owners, and may well be in violation of the FAA rules governing operation of the airport.
One other blurb from Hawaii. For those of you who served in Hawaii in the military, you may well remember the P-3 Orion sub hunting aircraft formerly based at Barbers Point. These planes are military versions of the Lockheed Electras of 1950 and 60s vintage.. The planes were moved to Kaneohe Marine Corps station when Barbers Point closed down. The Navy is scrapping the P-3 program and replacing it with a bomber, torpedo, mine, missile etc.carrying version of the Boeing 737 aircraft called the P-8A. Eighteen aircraft are being considered for Hawaii in three squadrons. The navy plans to buy 108 P-8As eventually. This story taken from The Honolulu Advertiser Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2007. A scoping meeting for environmental impact will be held at the Pacific Beach hotel on January 18th, 2007, at 5:00 to 8:00PM in Honolulu.
Steve Uslan, President
United States Pilots Association