UCAP Fodder

The tech/hacker DIY world, is about to meet the aircraft homebuilder crowd. Several EAA chapters are gonna appear at the next Makers Faire and introduce people to the world of building your own airplane.

The results could be very interesting.

From EAA.org:

Several California EAA chapters will participate in the 2008 Bay Area Maker Faire, coming May 3-4, at the San Mateo County Event Center and Fairgrounds in San Mateo. Maker Faire is a two-day, family friendly event that celebrates the do-it-yourself mindset. It’s for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things, organizers say.

Participating EAAers will introduce Maker Faire attendees to aircraft homebuilding by displaying several experimental aircraft, and a hands-on riveting station. Member will also be available to answer questions about the aircraft they built, and about EAA’s support for people who make their own airplanes. The DVD, Oshkosh: The Spirit of Aviation, will also be shown continuously at the display.

I'm sitting in the terminal in Sarasota FL waiting for my flight home. I just had a great week at Sun 'n Fun 2008.

We recorded two episodes (#76 & #77), and had a great time seeing all the sights, hanging with old friends, and meeting new ones.

I had many chances all week long to talk with people about the podcast, and it's filled my head with all sorts of ideas about places to go with this exercise.

The first one is not a new idea, but a return to an old one. This blog.

With the advent of the Forums area, this blog has gotten a little neglected, but I want to change that. In the coming days I hope to return to posting GA news and pointers here. Let's see.

-- Jack

Putting this everywhere UCAP listeners might go, so here goes...

A few moments ago a press release from Sun 'n Fun landed in my e-mail addressing aviation-media reports about a tax issue in Florida that could expose aircraft owners to thousands of dollars in taxes if they visited the state during their first six months of ownership but had not elsewhere paid taxes on the airplane an equivalent to the Florida tax.

Well, turns out the problem wasn't exactly as portrayed; it sounded credible, given what we know is happening in other states...but not in this case.

Here's the skinny straight from the Sun 'n Fun release; and a note: John Burton, Sn'F president, is someone I've known nearly two decades and dishonesty has never been one of his faults.

So, with no further ado...
==================================================================

March 21, 2008

Sun ’n Fun has recently been made aware of media reports of a “Florida Tax Ripoff” and the impact this may have on the Sun ’n Fun Fly-In, which opens Tuesday, April 8, and runs through Sunday, April 13.

The reports erroneously describe “non (Florida)-resident pilots who have been caught in the FL tax trap” and who have been “targeted for ‘use tax’ by agents of the state’s Department of Revenue . . . despite the fact that the targeted aircraft were not owned or operated by state residents.”

This is inaccurate and misleading. Sun ’n Fun contacted the Florida Department of Revenue and received a definition of the regulation in question. Language within the Florida Tax Code quoted in the media reports clearly indicates this tax affects ONLY those owners who have:

Purchased their airplane in another state (outside of Florida) within the past six months but who have the aircraft titled, registered or licensed in Florida and have not paid Florida tax on that airplane.

This DOES NOT impact Sun ’n Fun Exhibitors who bring aircraft to Lakeland.

• It DOES NOT impact aircraft owners whose airplane is more than six months old, which comprises a vast majority of aircraft being flown to Sun ’n Fun.

• It DOES NOT impact aircraft owners who have owned their airplane more than six months and have it titled, registered or licensed in another state.
• It DOES NOT impact aircraft owners who have purchased an airplane within the past six months and have it titled, registered or licensed in another state (other than Florida).
• And it DOES NOT impact aircraft owners who have purchased their airplanes within the past six months in Florida and have paid the appropriate tax.

The bottom line is that the Florida Tax Code in question has the capacity to impact a minute number – if any – of the aircraft flying to Lakeland for Sun ’n Fun. More importantly, the Florida Department of Revenue has assured Sun ‘n Fun that there will not be any agents assigned to the Fly-In event conducting “ramp checks” and that out-of-state aircraft flying to Florida for Sun 'n Fun are not subject to the "sales/use" tax as long as the aircraft owner is not trying to avoid taxes owed because he/she is a Florida resident or operates a business in Florida and uses the aircraft for that purpose.

We look forward to seeing you at Sun ’n Fun!

John Burton
President
Sun ‘n Fun

==================================================================

So, if you had decided against attending Sun 'n Fun because of worries over this, well, now you can come and watch Jack, Jeb and me blather on during our two live podcasts -- after the opening-day air show on Tuesday, April 8, and at 10 a.m. on closing morning, April 13. We'll be on the porch of the Sun 'n Fun Radio station, where our musings will be broadcast live on the station's frequency, 1510 a.m....

Ya'll come by, no, ya'here??

Dave

In a recent episode, the gang discussed a current FAA regulatory proposal in which the agency asks the public to submit suggested regulations it believes should be eliminated or amended. I noted this wasn't the first time the FAA had done something like this and took as a homework assignment the task of looking it up. As it turns out, I didn't have to look far: The 2007 FAA document delineates the agency's previous efforts.

Here's the poop (links where available):

• In response to a [1992] request for public comments designed to "weed out unnecessary and burdensome government regulations, which impose needless costs on consumers and substantially impede economic growth,"...the FAA received more than 300 comments.
• In January 1994, the FAA published a request for public comments.... [It] received more than 400 comments from 184 commenters.
• In August 1995, the FAA published its proposed plan for periodic regulatory reviews for comment.
• In May 1997, the FAA published its first request for comments under the three-year review program. The agency received 82 comments.
• In July 2000, the FAA began the second round of regulatory review under the three-year program. Some 476 comments were received and published.
• In February 2004, the FAA began its third round of regulatory reviews. It received 97 comments from 30 different commenters and
  published results of the review in June 2007.

The current regulatory review announcement is also available [PDF].

Don't misunderstand -- I'm not suggesting the FAA is always right; I'm just trying to close this loop and demonstrate this is not the first time the agency has asked the public to suggest outmoded rules.

Jeb

From the AP:

For the third year in a row, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has retained its title as the nation's busiest airport in terms of flights, according to preliminary government data released Wednesday.

The Atlanta airport logged 994,466 flights in 2007, up 1.8 percent from 976,447 flights in 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Flights include takeoffs and landings.

Its rival, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, was listed second busiest, with 935,000 flights in 2007. That number was down 2.4 percent from the 958,643 flights it had in 2006, the FAA said.

The FAA only released preliminary data for what typically are the nation's top three busiest airports — Atlanta, Chicago's O'Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, said spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.

Full story here.

I will not soon fly myself to either location.

Jeb

The Gloria Winters Trivia question has been answered and the "winner" will be announced in UCAP#60.

Thanks.

-- Jack

From SnF's Donna Gabriel (and a guest on our SnF episode):

SUN ’N FUN CAMPUS, LAKELAND, Fl. – (December 11, 2007) – The United States Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds military jet team announced today that the Sun ’n Fun Fly-In has been included on this year’s Thunderbirds schedule. The announcement was made today at the International Council of Airshows (ICAS) Convention currently underway in Las Vegas, NV. The 2008 Sun ’n Fun Fly-In will be held April 8 – 13 at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Fla.

“Sun ’n Fun is honored and excited to hear that the world’s most recognized military jet team – the Thunderbirds – has included our event on their 2008 schedule,” said Sun ’n Fun President and Convention Chairman John Burton. “Their participation will add to the aircraft and activities already being planned for this year’s Fly-In. We look forward to having the Thunderbirds here in Lakeland and know they will find the people and businesses throughout Lakeland, Polk County and central Florida to be avid enthusiasts and most hospitable hosts.”

The Thunderbirds plan to arrive at Sun ’n Fun during the early portion of the Fly-In and remain through the remainder of the week. They may engage in individual media flights and possibly a team orientation flight prior to their scheduled performances on Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13.

According to the U.S. Air Force, the Thunderbirds (officially named the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron) perform precision aerial maneuvers demonstrating the capabilities of Air Force high-performance aircraft to people throughout the world. The Thunderbirds squadron is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots (including six demonstration pilots), four support officers, three civilians and more than 130 enlisted personnel performing in 25 career fields. The air demonstration is a combination of formation flying and solo routines.

I'm looking forward...

Jeb

Too funny. Be sure to check the byline and read all the way to the end...