UCAP Fodder

When Bad things Get turned into Good things...

2008-06-08T12:50:00.002-04:00

Great story around this week, about a little airport in Alabama reopened!
And after sitting idle from being closed four years ago...amazing and worth considering.

Seems too often too many of us, jaded, perhaps, a a bit cynical, look at an outcome and say, "Well, that's the end of that...another one down the tubes..."

Here is proof positive that people can change outcomes with smart, diligent, never-say-die effort.

I'm betting there are other stories of a similar but less-extreme nature, worth hearing...

Maybe a local community that rallies to protect an airport threatened by an unfriendly airport-board member, incompatible development plans or because someone covets the real estate for "what it could be" -- if, of course, it was something less useful. Maybe its a story of how an airport, airplane or pilot helped someone, gave 'em a new chance, changed their life or saved one...maybe it's nothing more than a tale about one pilot making a new one by simply being the person who explains the joys of the GA community and small-plane flying to someone who converts, joins in and makes a difference of their own...

So here's an invitation to give us an earful...we'd love to hear any such stories, regardless of how small or seemingly inconsequential...UCAP has a place to make others aware -- so make us aware.

And remember the ultimate selling point of becoming a pilot: Time spent flying is NOT subtracted from your lifespan.

Dave

When Worlds Collide

2008-04-19T09:02:00.002-04:00

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.

Heading home, loaded with lots of new ideas.

2008-04-13T17:42:00.002-04:00

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

Florida and its Use Tax Controversey...

2008-03-21T16:59:00.002-04:00

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

Mountain Landing

2008-02-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

Homework assignment

2008-01-03T06:18:00.000-05:00

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

Hot 'lanta

2008-01-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

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

Gloria Winters Trivia

2007-12-21T14:02:00.000-05:00

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

Thanks.

-- Jack

F-16s in the pattern at Lake Parker?

2007-12-13T07:27:00.000-05:00

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

Student Pilot Crashes Sim

2007-12-12T18:38:00.000-05:00

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

Reducing delays?

2007-12-06T08:06:00.001-05:00

The Air Transport Association, which represents major U.S. airlines, asked readers of its daily electronic news summary to participate in an online poll gauging their recommendations on the best way(s) to reduce delays. Since the readership is mainly comprised of airline industry insiders, the results -- which basically echo the ATA's wish list -- are predictable.

Nevertheless, the statistical and virtual "tie" between ideas like peak pricing, building more runways and peak-hour bizjet restrictions is rather interesting.

A screenshot of the then-ongoing poll taken Monday, December 3, 2007, is below.

High risk of runway collision plagues US

2007-12-06T06:05:00.000-05:00

From AP coverage of a GAO study on runway incursions released yesterday:

This year has seen dramatic near-misses:

_On Aug. 16, two commercial jets carrying 296 people came within 37 feet of colliding at Los Angeles International.

_A Delta Boeing 757 touched down in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 11 and had to take off immediately to avoid hitting a United Airbus A320 mistakenly on its runway.

_A Delta Boeing 737 landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport on July 5 narrowly missed a commuter jet mistakenly cleared to cross its runway.

Read the whole thing here

Jeb

AirVenture 2008 -- It's not too early to plan to go...

2007-11-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

This morning's trove of e-mail brought one from our friends at the Experimental Aircraft Association noting that planning for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008 is well underway, along with some subtle reminders of why this event is like no other in the world.

My message is simple: Now is not too early to start planning your own visit to this aviation icon of an event. Whether you plan to fly yourself, endure a trip in a Human Mailing Tube, drive, camp, rent a house or hotel/motel room, think about getting ahead of the crush and start making your arrangements now. EAA's housing bureau can help those with accommodation needs.

And we will, as before, nudge everyone who plans to fly about the importance of getting, reading and keeping handy a copy of the AirVenture NOTAM the FAA will issue next Spring.

The dates are July 28 through Aug. 3. Hope to see you there, doing my traditional gig and a couple of podcasts, as well, like we did earlier this year.

A couple of chances to fly cheap...

2007-11-08T13:11:00.000-05:00

Winning EAA's 2008 Sweepstakes is one way to get into the sky cheaply...

Course the odds are small, but the cause is good: Supporting EAA's educational and preservation programs.

Top prize for the August 2008 drawing: a new Cirrus SR20 worth about $220K; next prize, a RotorWay A600 Talon helicopter kit worth $60K -- plus a $20K credit for use at RotorWay's new flight academy...plus a plethora of plane-oriented prizes...

Can think of worse ways to travel than cruising at 160 knots in an SR20 -- and worse plane in which to learn to fly...

Check out the ways to enter at www.winaplane.com -- and good luck, since it's my plan to buy the winning ticket...

A Long Way Flown...

2007-11-07T11:17:00.000-05:00

How's 3,500 airplanes flown two million hours -- in eight years?

That's what Cirrus Design's Alan and Dale Klapmeier have wrought on general aviation, a degree of success that so defied convention wisdom of 1994, when the brothers -- already 10 years in business as an aircraft-kit maker -- unveiled a mock-up of their futuristic SR20 at Oshkosh.

Thanks to cutting-edge airplanes that perform, innovative design and creative marketing, the Cirrus SR22 has become the single best-selling piston airplane in just six years...

Now the company is going in two new directions at once: growing up to a single-engine "personal" jet; and growing down to a Light Sport Aircraft...

And to think naysayers once proclaimed Cirrus would never deliver an airplane...

Congrats to all the folks at Cirrus. Nothing improves the breed like competition -- and nothing says success like imitation...

Winter Flying? Another area for preparation, for aircraft and you...

2007-11-06T16:20:00.000-05:00

Yep, the days are getting shorter and the temperatures lower...Fall is in full swing and half over -- which mean that Old Man Winter, well, it's only about six weeks out and inbound direct.

Here's an FAA site that can help you be ready for those lovely cold-weather flights:

http://www.faa.gov/ats/afss/newyork/winter-t.htm

Here's another that addresses aircraft preparation, specifically, with notes on avoiding somewhat arcane problems -- like crankcase-breather freeze-up and its nasty byproduct: engine failure, or heater-system problems and its equally nasty prospect of carbon-monoxide poisoning...

http://www.faa.gov/ats/afss/newyork/PREP.htm

Be warm, be careful, be prepared -- and enjoy the unique wonders of winter flying.

Think we were kidding about Night Flying?

2007-11-06T15:58:00.000-05:00

Lest there be any nagging doubts or denial about the different risks of night flying without proper qualification or competency, consider this little squib from Aero-News.Net on the NTSB preliminary on last month's non-fatal crash of a Thorpedo LSA near Denton, Texas:
====================================================================

NTSB Issues Prelim On North TX Thorpedo Accident

Mon, 05 Nov '07

Sport Pilot Tried To Land At Wrong Airport... At Night

The National Transportation Safety Board recently released its Preliminary Report into the October 4 downing of a T-211 Thorpedo near Denton, TX.

According to the report, the aircraft crashed while on approach to land at Denton Municipal Airport (DTO) just before 2000 CDT, approximately 20 minutes past the end of civil twilight. The pilot, who was flying under a sport-pilot license -- and, thus, not trained or cleared for nighttime flying -- told the agency he became disoriented on a flight back from Granbury Municipal Airport (GDJ), located southwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, to Grand Prairie Municipal (GPM).

The pilot and his passenger departed GPM at 1751 CDT. After landing at Granbury, the aircraft departed under VFR conditions at 1905 intending to return to GPM. The pilot -- who admitted he had never flown at night -- told the agency he began to "follow the highway" back to GPM.

The pilot told the NTSB he saw a lake that resembled a body of water near Grand Prairie, with an airport nearby. He entered the traffic pattern at the airport, believing it to be GPM, and attempted to activate the pilot-activated runway lights on the GPM frequency. When the lights did not come on, he said, he realized he was at the wrong airport.

Knowing he had to set down due to darkness, the pilot attempted to land at Denton, located on the northwest end of the DFW metroplex -- 31 nautical miles from Grand Prairie, which lies south of D/FW International Airport.

====================================================================
There's more, but the important thing to note is the pilot's admission that he became disoriented in terms of his location -- over a huge, light-intensive urban landscape. LSA pilots are not provided with night privileges under the limitations of the pilot certificate, though properly equipped Light Sport Aircraft may be flown at night by private pilots. Even though the pilot kept the shiny side up, he didn't know which way was which.

So now that Standard Time is in effect and the hours of light are getting shorter by a few minutes a day, let's be careful up there -- and brush up on night skills, even if you don't think you'll need them. Our accident pilot didn't plan on his brush with night flight, either -- otherwise, it's not hard to imagine him making a different decision.

GAMA Names 2008 Leaders

2007-11-06T15:49:00.000-05:00

Some familiar names here, as GAMA's release shows...

GAMA LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCED FOR 2008, TWO NEW MEMBER COMPANIES

WASHINGTON, DC, November 6, 2007 The board of directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has elected Alan Klapmeier, Chairman and CEO, Cirrus Design Corporation, as GAMAs chairman for 2008. Klapmeier previously served as GAMAs vice chairman and chairman of GAMAs security issues committee.

The board also elected Mark Van Tine as GAMAs vice chairman. Van Tine is President and CEO, Jeppesen. He has served as chairman of the international affairs committee and will continue this roll in the coming year.

GAMAs board of directors also approved two applications for membership: Wichita-based Aero Mach Labs, and Zurich's Jet Aviation.

For those who may not know, GAMA serves as the trade association representing the majority of the general-aviation aircraft, engine and accessory manufacturing concerns on the planet.

On an observational note, Alan's steady move through the GAMA offices stands as graphic testimony to the position Cirrus and he have attained in general aviation. Not bad for a company started by two brothers to develop a safe, speedy kitplane that morphed into an innovative, leading player in the industry -- particularly considering the "conventional wisdom" of the mid-1990s that said Cirrus would never certify the SR20...or ever certify the on-board parachute system...or actually produce an airplane...or...well, you get the idea.

Hats off to both Alan and Mark on their elevation.

One-Stop Piston Shopping Coming in 2008

2007-10-09T14:48:00.000-04:00

AMPT Associates and FLYING Developing Regional Shopping Events

Here's the teaser that accompanied the release:

October 9, 2007 (Duluth, MN) – Today AMPT Associates, Inc. officially launched Parade of Pistons™, an innovative series of regional aircraft expos specifically designed to help the piston aircraft consumer shop for new aircraft. FLYING magazine, the world’s most widely read aviation magazine, has shown their support by becoming the 2008 title sponsor to help make Parade of Pistons a success for both consumers and aircraft manufacturers.

Taking a page from the folks in sport and business aviation (LSA and NBAA folks, specifically), AMPT plans a series of regional events to provide side-by-side comparison shopping opportunities for pilots interested in buying a new plane -- complete with advisers representing aircraft finance, training, insurance and brokering. One stop covers it all, in theory. The AMPT folks also plan to produce a buyer's guide covering all the participating manufacturers...

Though no schedule is on the Web site, there is a way to sign up for more info as it becomes available. Check it out here: www.paradeofpistons.com

Meanwhile, don't be shy about sounding out with your opinions about such a series of shows...good idea? not likely to impact the market? or only a test of a new way to make a small fortune in aviation?

From my perspective, anything likely to contribute to the health and growth of general aviation, specifically, and aviation in general, is a good thing for us all -- even those many of us interested in buying an airplane but not in a position to buy new...used airplanes gotta come from somewhere and if that means others must sacrifice their finances to buy new, well, that's part of the cycle of flight.

Not that there's anything wrong with that new-plane stuff. If more of us could, more of us would -- guaranteed.

The organizers plan on events that draw piston planes across the reciprocating spectrum -- from the LSAs to piston twins, making the appeal as broad as possible. FLYING's sponsorship and AMPT's demonstrated expertise in aviation helps my expectations that this event will draw good crowds of "qualified" candidates -- and, hopefully, allow some of us not as qualified to enjoy one of their Parade of Planes. Don't we all enjoy indulging our fantasies about what we'd fly after winning the next multimillion-dollar lottery?

But my two cents aren't worth any more than any other pair of pennies...What do you think?

Soaring for beginners.

2007-10-07T21:06:00.001-04:00

Here's another entry point for the new pilot who can't afford the full private pilot thing just yet.

Recreational flying might not immediately leap to mind if you’re looking for a fun, low-cost weekend activity. But throughout the country, nonprofit soaring clubs seek to make the sport as accessible as possible. And nowhere is this more true than at the Valley Soaring Club in Middletown, N.Y., where the only activity members enjoy as much as flying is bringing beginners into the fold.

A White House Awakening? Come on....

2007-10-01T17:38:00.000-04:00

Some people are so quick on the uptake...reference this transcript of the President's statement after last week's White House visit by Mary Peters (SecDoT) and Bobby Sturgell, acting administrator of the FAA:

Today I'm joined by Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, and the Acting
Administrator of the FAA, Bobby Sturgell. I want to thank you all for coming.

We've been having a discussion about the fact that a lot of our air travelers
are not only inconvenienced, they're -- in some cases they're just not being
treated fairly. And there's a lot of anger amongst our citizens about the fact
that, you know, they're just not being treated right.

And the Secretary and I have been talking about what to do about it, and I've
instructed her to report back to me as quickly as possible on two matters: One,
to make sure that consumers are treated fairly and complaints are listened to,
and that we address some of the egregious behavior that our consumers have been
subjected to. Endless hours sitting in a airplane on a runway, and there's no
communication between the pilot and the airport is just not right. And so Mary
is going to work very hard to make sure the system is much more responsive.

The other issue, of course, is dealing with congestion. One of the reasons why
consumers on airlines, airline passengers are being so inconvenienced is because
the skies are too crowded. And there's some short-term things we're going to do,
and Mary is going to report back to me about what those will be.

Also Congress needs to look at this FAA reauthorization -- I call
it modernization -- and work with this department, and work with Bobby
bringing our FAA into the 21st century, so that our consumers and passengers and
citizens won't be inconvenienced with it.

We've got a problem, we understand there's a problem, and we're going to
address the problem. Madam Secretary, I appreciate your willingness to do so.

Guess that's settled, eh? Maybe, though, I should hold off on feeling warm-and-fuzzy...

Thoughts, folks?

Getting the website homepage up to date

2007-09-28T23:39:00.000-04:00

Things have been so busy in UCAP-land lately, that there's been barely enough time to get out the audio for the episodes. I've had to push the home page updating to a back burner.

The show notes are there. If you use the RSS feed, you can click the link there. Or just edit the URL from a previous show, and you'll find them.

I'll be getting things caught up real soon now.

Thanks for your patience.

UCAP#48 Behind the Mic

2007-09-28T23:28:00.001-04:00

Just posted UCAP #48.

Once again, we were trying some new things with the phone connections. The first 10 mins were a little rocky, but it settled down after that.

For extra credit, can you hear the two spots we had to re-record later, due to the really bad connection?

What happened was, we had three people in Atlanta sitting together. One on Skype, and two on cell phones. But the fact that each of their voices was being picked up by more than one mic was introducing really odd echoes, because each of their connections was slightly out of sync time-wise.

When we paused, and had everyone spread out (we edited out that part), things got much better.

It's a good episode, and we were happy to have Bolen and Poberezny join us.

Enjoy.

Another worm turns

2007-09-21T07:38:00.001-04:00

Looks like Jacksonville may come to what's left of its senses:

September 18 2007 - Chalk up another positive development for Jacksonville, Florida-area EAAers and homebuilt aviation enthusiasts. The city’s Land Use & Zoning committee voted 5-1 in support of City Bill 955, which would repeal the city ordinance that prohibits parking, storing, repairing, and operating flying craft and airboats in residential districts.

Again, more from the EAA...

Jeb

U.S. House: No user fees

2007-09-21T07:35:00.000-04:00

Woo-hoo!

September 20, 2007 - The legislation endorsed by EAA and the rest of the general aviation community to fund the FAA - HR 2881 - was approved by the House of Representatives Thursday afternoon on a 267-151 vote, setting the stage for a crucial conference debate with whatever legislation comes out of the Senate. That bill (S-1300) introduces user fees, which GA steadfastly opposes, while HR 2881 preserves GA-preferred and time-tested excise taxes as the funding mechanism for the system.