Fuel: The Money You Save And The Price We'll Pay?

I thought this was an interesting article considering we all want general aviation to not only survive, but thrive.

April 18, 2013

by Glenn Pew

Contributing Editor, Video Editor

Tecnam USA CEO Phil Solomon thinks he sees the beginnings of a problem for general aviation, and we may all be a part of it.
Solomon believes he's watching a transformation take place in aviation. It's starting at the grass roots level and extending all the way to the FAA. And each level plays off the other for an overall negative effect. As Solomon describes it, this transformation begins with the desire for lower fuel costs but ends as a long term detrimental impact on general aviation. After hearing his concerns and experiences we went out in the world to learn if, or how, other people were affected. This is what we found.

Read more...

Exclusive: Lion Air crash pilot felt jet "dragged" from sky

Recently in the Bay Area we have experienced continued extreme windy conditions accompanied by major turbulence with SFO regularly reporting winds up to 45-50 kts.  Many of the smaller airports such as SQL, PAO, and HWD have reported winds as high as 28 gusting 38 kts. 

A few days ago around 2 pm a student and I were going out for some traffic pattern work at PAO.  The winds were manageagle but then started picking up dramatically as we taxied out.  By the time we took off the winds were 18 gusting to 22-25 kts about 30 degrees off the runway heading.  So I said to my student that the first one would be a test and we would make a decision wether to continue after that.

Sure enough it was quite turbulent, and then on final the preceding aircraft reported -15 kts of windshear.  Well that made the decision...and we terminated the flight.  ATC is required to announce the pilot report of windshear and then record it on the subsequent ATIS. When I flew for the airlines, any detection of windshear was an automatic go-around.

Exclusive: Lion Air crash pilot felt jet "dragged" from sky

By Tim Hepher and Trisha Sertori

PARIS/DENPASAR, Indonesia (Reuters) - The pilot whose Indonesian jet slumped into the sea while trying to land in Bali has described how he felt it "dragged" down by wind while he struggled to regain control, a person familiar with the matter said.

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All 108 passengers and crew miraculously survived when the Boeing 737 passenger jet, operated by Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air, undershot the tourist island's main airport runway and belly-flopped in water on Saturday.

Read more...

Life in a World Without Towers

by Paul Bertorelli
Editorial Director
March 28, 2013

So now that all the towers are closed, what are we to do? Will chaos reign? Have the dogs of doom been loosed? Not quite, but depending on where you fly, there could be some challenges ahead that will be unnerving. And just to put some numbers on it, the FAA-announced closures will shutter 149 of 516 control towers in the U.S. or 29 percent. It's not a trivial number so irrespective of safety or risk, many of us will have to adapt to operational changes.


On the other hand, for pilots already operating out of non-towered airports and who don't fly IFR much, if it all, it will be business as usual. It probably will not be business as usual for IFR operations, however. The control facilities which handle these—Centers and TRACONs—will be impacted by furloughed staff and controllers tell us service will inevitably suffer, we just don't know how much. One way to look at the tower closures is to consider VFR operations first, then IFR ops.  Read more...

FAA plan to close towers a ‘flawed policy assault on pilots’

March 25, 2013 by General Aviation News Staff

DUPAGE, Ill. — A federal plan to impose across-the-board spending cuts by closing 149 active control towers nationwide will compromise air safety and “should not stand,” according to Craig Fuller, president and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).

“The White House does not understand the consequences of these actions, or they do and they simply do not care,” Fuller said. “Either way, this approach is dangerous and should not stand.”

Speaking to a group of more than 100 pilots at an AOPA pilot town hall at DuPage Airport outside of Chicago, Fuller said that FAA cuts directed by the White House will have a serious impact on general aviation in the United States. 
Read more...

Schedule for tower closures released

The FAA has released its three-part phase in period for closing federal contract towers. On April 7, 24 contract towers will close, followed by 46 on April 21, and the remaining 79 on May 5. The FAA is closing the towers based on activity levels, with the first to close having fewer than 1,000 commercial operations in fiscal year 2012. The second group had fewer than 2,500 commercial operations.

Earlier in March, AOPA President Craig Fuller warned FAA Administrator Michael Huerta that the “cuts will have unacceptable consequences for the nation and the flying community.”  Read more...

Women of Aviation Worldwide Week March 4-10, 2013

EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL 'WOMEN OF AVIATION WORLDWIDE WEEK' - MARCH 4-10, 2013!

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions."

This observation made by American judge Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. in the late 1800s describes perfectly the impact of the Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week initiative.



Not only are we getting ready to stretch the minds of thousands of girls and women during the 3rd annual Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week but we are also getting ready to stretch the minds of many stakeholders in our beloved industry.

When midnight strikes on March 10 2013, no one involved will return to his or her original mindset. Girls and women will know that contributing to the air and space industry is for them too. CEOs of aerospace corporations, presidents of associations, and aviation educators will irrevocably know that girls and women are interested and eager to join our industry and will begin to take steps to assist their inclusion.

The wind of change is blowing. Each one of us is responsible for creating this powerful flow.

Let's never forget that individual air molecules acting together are responsible for the magical lift force that allows us to soar. Our coordinated individual actions are generating a force strong enough to lift our industry and society.

One flight, one community at a time. Worldwide. Together, we are better.

For information about how to organize an event, visit:  www.womenofaviationweek.org/event/organizing-an-event/

To locate an event near you, visit: www.womenofaviationweek.org/event/event-list-registration/

First Solo - Jayne!

Congratulations to Jayne who soloed on November 26, 2012. Jayne was flying a C172 last year, and after a break to go traveling and buy a mountain chalet, she decided to switch to the C162 Skycatcher and fulfil her dream.