Aviation World

"It would be nice to get closure" -- Steve Fossett

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:21:00 +0000

There's big news today from the search for Steve Fossett. A hiker in eastern California has located belongings that appear to have been those of the famed aviator. While they have not yet found the crash site, this is welcome news that will likely lead to new discoveries of what transpired during the final hours of this mans life.

Who was Steve Fossett?

Personally, I've always been impressed by his accomplishments and persistence. To his name are 90 aviation related records, including:

First Solo Flight Across the Pacific in a balloon

First Non-stop Solo Flight Around the World in a balloon

First Solo Unrefueled Flight Around the World

Longest Distance without Landing

His drive and determination allowed him to press on to accomplish many of these goals despite great obstacles, with the around the world balloon flight in particular only succeeding after 6 separate attempts!

On the morning of Monday, September 3rd, 2007 he departed in a Bellanca Super Decathlon for what was intended to be a survey flight. Unfortunately, he did not return and a search was started a mere six hours later. While many resources were spent, the effort to find him and the crash site ultimately turned up fruitless. The events of today open new hope that we might finally discover what happened on that day.

More Aviation Security Insanity

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 02:30:00 +0000

I'm sure Bruce Schneier would be proud:

The investigation began in February of last year, when investigators first learned testing of the drone was underway. Officials said the drone was being designed to carry more than 600 pounds of explosives.

"It could be in the air for 8-10 hours and there's potential harm if it is carrying a large amount of toxic material," NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in explaining why his department's counterterrorism officials were concerned.

Read the Scary Sounding WNBC Report for more information.

Apparently this guy was working on the thing at night (perhaps moonlighting after a day job), never flew it therefore never needing registration, and ultimately successfully sold the aircraft to a company for further development. Presumably it netted him some cash, and participation in good old fashioned American capitalism. He never did more than run an engine on the ground, so no FAA involvement was necessary, or even useful. And lets be honest, had he told the FAA, the outcome and investigation would likely not have been different.

Despite the hysterical reporting, it seems that the police did the right thing by questioning the fellow, and then letting him go. It sounds like they had enough common sense to realize that nothing was amiss here.

On the other hand, I am very disappointed by this remark from a fellow aviation blogger (and usually a good one at that):

Police say the engineer never registered the drone with the FAA or told any authorities about it. Further drawing concern was the fact that the man behind the project was an Egyptian national who came to the U.S. on a Sudanese passport.
Yup, that wouldn’t raise suspicion.

The engineer was building it at the former Calverton Airport in Suffolk County, NY. Calverton is the airport that won’t die. No one really knows what it’s still doing there, since it’s a private airfield with just about no airplane.

There are a few problems here:

Why is an aviator seemingly begging for an airport to close?

What does him being an Egyptian have to do with anything? Are we to profile pilots by race now? Ugh... Ugh... Ugh...

What would we say today about a few Ohioans building a cargo carrying aircraft in their bicycle factory?

Innovation. R&D. Pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. Business Development. These things are evil and scary now if they involve and aircraft that can potentially be remotely controlled? REFUSE TO BE TERRORIZED!!!!

Review: Flight Design CTLS

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:49:00 +0000

2FLYTV.com has posted a fairly thorough review of the Flight Design CTLS:

Flight Design did not become the best-selling light sport aircraft in the country by being the best looking kid on the block. In fact, the FD is more like that nerdy guy in high school who got straight As and then hooked up with all the chicks. In other words, looks are deceiving. It is more than just a solid performing aircraft. Despite its funny looking design it has won this low-wing guy over.

This is well worth checking out, and is one of my favorite LSAs on the market. Overall, I still tend to favour the Jabiru 230-SP due to its greater capacity.

Is there a skybike in your future?

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:36:00 +0000

Sam Bousfield would like to think so. The Skybike is planned to be a three-wheeled two-seat vehicle with unique telescoping wings:

While I mentioned this in passing earlier, in my Airventure (Oshkosh) wrapup post, I think it is worth a closer look. While there are aspects of that design that some sharp readers may think would make it impractical, it should be remembered that these pictures are intentionally holding out on us.

It seems that several control surfaces have been redacted from the drawings due to patent registration issues. Swift Engineering has apparently designed a somewhat conventional "folding" tail, along with a system of "tiperons" for roll control. Similarly, some of the control surfaces will be used during ground operation in order to enhance road handling.

The fuselage is a load-bearing carbon fiber design, with an integral 120hp motorcycle engine packed behind the cockpit. Interestingly, airborne propulsion is expected to be via a ducted fan design, with air inlets in front of the rear wheels. The aircraft is expected to be built as a flying prototype by summer of 2009, and will initially be offered as a kit with a price of approximately $50k (expect that to rise as development progresses) and potentially later as a built SLSA.

It will be fascinating to see how this develops over the coming year.

Wrist writing formalized and simplified?

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:48:00 +0000

Yes! According to avweb:

Jack Cribbs is a woodworker from Plymouth, Mass., who needed a better way to write down measurements. Realizing what he needed was a pad and pen attached to his wrist, he went into his shop and put together WristWriter in about two hours. "I almost didn't try it on," says Jack, "because it looked too goofy even for me. But I decided to give it a week." It worked so well he has used it ever since and started selling it at home shows.

Sporty's is now selling the WristWriter for $19.95, and honestly as goofy as it looks, this really does sound like a useful tool for pilots keeping track of flight details while enroute. The product even uses water-resistent paper for better handling of potentially wet conditions during preflight.

Would you fly with a tool such as this?

Beyerdynamic introduces another Bose/Zulu killer, and at a better price!

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:29:00 +0000

According to the KitplanesMag Blog:

Beyerdynamic debuted its new HS 600 DANR (Digital Adaptive Noise Reduction) headset at AirVenture, offering a discount to the first 50 "test pilots." Using proprietary software, a microprocessor in the headset adapts to the noise level in the cockpit and reduces background noise. The digital design will allow product updates to be accomplished as needed.

As you can see from looking at it, this is an attractive package with more of an audiophile background than that of traditional aviation headsets. The units are German built, and come with a five year parts/labor warranty with service centers placed in the US. They are planning to offer custom coloring, and text imprinting via the Beyerdynamic USA website as well. Final pricing is expected to be in the $699-$749 range. It will be interesting to see the first thorough reviews on these units to see if they are truly all they are advertised to be (and thus competitive with the popular Zulu and Bose units).

Electric Flying... We really are closer than you think...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:38:00 +0000

Randall Fishman has been working on Electric powered aviation for years, and his latest aircraft at Airventure is a real treat. The ElectraFlyer-C concept shown at Airventure is capable of a 70 mph cruise at a 33% power setting, yielding a time aloft of 1-2 hours. And all of that can be had for a 6 hour charge that costs a mere $.75 USD!

While the limitations of the technology currently limit its usefulness to trikes, and motorgliders, it is exciting to see the continued advance. Batteries are expected to improve in performance by 3-4 times over the next 20 years, and that could yield enough of a performance boost to make this a truly practical option for aviation. I look forward to seeing the continued work from the Electraflyer team!

I wasn't there, but these folks were...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:20:00 +0000

And what a show Airventure (Oshkosh) has been this year! Here are just a few of the top stories from around the web:

Lycoming Introduces Spectacular New Engines - Electronic fuel injection, knock sensors, for single lever control with maximum efficiency? You got it! GA engines are finally starting to join the modern age.

Where are my flying cars? Here they are, from Terrafugia. The company is taking $5k refundable deposits for the aircraft, which is expected to cost $194,000. And best of all, there is talk of possible first flights by the end of the year! While the end is not yet in sight for this project, it is hopeful that they already have about 50 deposits and do appear to be making progress with solid financial backing. AV8RDAN (great aviation blog, btw) has more to say.

Piper coming to life? - Its too bad that they don't really have anything new to offer in the piston space at the moment, but I am glad that the jet is now flying. Hopefully this will work out for them to keep the company alive.

LSA Luxury Liner? The Ecoflyer from Explorer Aeronautique may be an LSA with only room for two passengers, but the passenger and cargo room aboard this aircraft is simply amazing. Best of all, they expect that even with a full 30 gallon load, you will have close to 390 pounds of payload! LSA meets practicality!

Can a 6'5" pilot fit into a backyard flyer? Sure they can! This looks like an exciting aircraft, and is exactly the kind of thing I'd love flying around here.

Jetpack aviation finally starts to take off. Its very reminiscent of the Solotrek efforts of a few years ago. While I'd love to predict a better outcome, I'll have to admit that I don't see it. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to watch their enthusiasm and progress!

Diamond adds a pressurization option for the DA-50 Superstar! This is great news, and I'm sure will add a lot of versatility to this already impressive aircraft. I look forward to seeing these in person.

Swift Engineering works on Telescoping wings! - This is another idea for building a roadable aircraft. While I will have to admit that I generally have little optimism for these aircraft, this one is being built by Swift Engineering of racing and Eclipse single jet fame. They are working on a telescoping wing design with tremendous potential, and I expect that we will hear more from them at Airventure '09.

Need ground transportation after your flight? Take your motorcycle with you! These guys have developed a pod to house a small motorcycle attached to the bottom of a Van's RV-10.

It sounds like an exciting show, and I have enjoyed reading all of the latest news from GA. What has been your most exciting announcement?

Longer medicals? You bet...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:56:00 +0000

Effective July 24th, the FAA has extended the duration of first and third class medicals. Unfortunately, the change only affects pilots under the age of 40, however it is a boon for those among the "younger generation" of pilots.

The best part is that these changes are retroactive to both pilots who currently have valid medicals, as well as to pilots with expired medicals! For instance, if your 3rd class medical would have expired in February 2008 under the old rules, it would have been expired until July 24th. However, as of July 24th, it would have automatically been valid again until February 2010!

Similarly, 1st class medicals have been extended from the old 6 month period, to a full 12 calendar months!

To avoid confusion, AOPA is recommending for pilots with previously issued medicals (that do not have the new information printed on them) to carry around this informative card.

Congratulations, and thanks to the FAA for instituting the new rule!

And the latest remarkably cost-effective, competitive aviation product is from...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:56:00 +0000

Bendix/King? Amazingly enough, it would appear that it is. Bendix/King has now introduced AV8OR, their new portable nav system:
Features:
• Intuitive touch-screen interface is easy to use in flight
• Bluetooth interfaces for cell phones or XM Weather receiver
• XM Weather capable (requires separate receiver and subscription, see below)
• Multiple uses: aviation, auto and entertainment
• Music player, movie player, electronic book reader and photo viewer
• Terrain display with vertical profile view
• Automotive mode with 3D view and turn-by-turn directions
• Large, 4.3” color screen with a bright, 480 x 272 pixel display
• Sleek, lightweight case takes up little space in a flight bag
• Connect to your PC and logged flights can be viewed on Google Earth
• WAAS-capable GPS for up to 5 meter accuracy

Best of all, the new product is available from Sporty's at a price of only $675.00, with the bluetooth wireless wx additional available for only an additional $722. So, you could conceivably have strong competitor to the Garmin 396 for "only" about $1400 (as opposed to closer to $1800 for the Garmin). While Garmin may still be the safe bet, I am glad to see that they now have a new competitor in the portable navigation unit space. We've been needing one for a long time.

Have you ever accidentally stalled an airplane?

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:43:00 +0000

AOPA had a fantastic article in this month's issue about the dangers of inadvertantly stalls in an aircraft. In their scenario, a flight instructor was flying with a student, and the student's husband (the aircraft owner) nearly stalled during takeoff. The situation was quickly explained in the debriefing:

During the few minutes after the preflight inspection, while the instructor had walked back to the office to find a headset for the backseat-riding spouse, said spouse decided on impulse to top off the Piper's fuel tanks from gas cans in his vehicle. The flight had gone out heavy.

They had done the W&B beforehand, but those calculations were invalidated by the owner's last second decision, resulting in a near accident on departure! Unfortunately, many aircraft accidents have their start from just such small errors going unnoticed and ultimately resulting in bent metal, or worse. In this particular case, they were fortunate to clear the restaurant off the end of the runway and continue on.

Worse yet, many pilots are likely unprepared to deal with some of these scenarios, as the stall experience from an inadvertent encounter is often very different from the dramatic nose-high, clearly visible experiences that we use in training.

I wonder, have you ever found yourself in, or very near an unexpected stall? What circumstances lead up to it, and how did you deal with it?

Phil Boyer Leaving AOPA?

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:35:00 +0000

I'm not sure how much stock I put in this rumour, however there are reports that AOPA's chief, Phil Boyer could be leaving the orginization as early as November. Reportedly, they have already lined up a replacement in well connected businessman and former White House staffer Craig L. Fuller. Aero-News is reporting that the official announcement could come as early as Monday morning.

While Boyer's tenure has occasional had some controversy, most pilots will remember him as the man who put a good face on GA, and insured that our interests were attended to within Congress. Perhaps the greatest achievement of his tenure was what didn't happen, as he was able to successfully hold back the airlines effort to attach user fees to general aviation flying in America.

While I know little about the man who (may... reportedly) ultimately replace him, if this turns out to be true, we will always miss the presence and friendly nature of Boyer's leadership. More to come as the news occurs...

You can observe a lot just by looking...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:53:00 +0000

What happens when Dennis Collins of Daily Aviator takes an air tour through Whitehaven Beach?

We get beautiful pictures:

And some awesome video, too:

I had no idea that Australia was so beautiful!

Some people really do know what they are talking about...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:04:00 +0000

Fly Patch Fly! realizes that low wing airplanes are intrinsically superior to their high wing counterparts:

Not only did the Piper Archer “feel” more secure, it flew fantastic. I was trying to put this into a power-on stall and it just wouldn’t “break” into the stall. The CFI I was flying with said that was about all I was going to get. Wow! I was amazed at how well the plane handled. Solid, stable and secure.

I know that not everyone holds this view, however, I did find it interesting that his experience in transitioning from the Cessna 172 to a Piper Archer exactly matched mine. Compared to the Archer, the 172 felt sloppy and less solid. The Archer was an absolute joy to fly, with a solid and responsive feel to the controls that the 172s that I had flown just didn't have.

This isn't the best picture, but even the "quadrant" throttle controls on the archer simply feel better than the push pull knobs on the 172:

Cessna 172 Panel with push pull throttle in the middle:

Ok, so this wasn't the most serious post that I've ever made. Perhaps others disagree?

$1.4 billion dollars burned up by a few drops of water, and AVweb brings us video...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 04:09:00 +0000

The aircraft pitched up abruptly during takeoff, appeared to struggle to maintain altitude until ultimately dragging a wing upon the ground. At that point the crew was forced to eject, with the pilotless aircraft crashing into a giant fireball. Fortunately, the crews ejection was successful.

The accident was the direct result of failing sensors about the aircraft. The failing sensors caused the crew to believe that they were at a much higher airspeed than they actually were during the takeoff. The result was a premature takeoff, and greater than expected flight control sensitivity. All of this was triggered by a few undetected sensor anomalies caused by water in the sensors.

Further investigation revealed that the entire incident could likely have been avoided had the crew used pitot heat during the pre-takeoff checks to cause any water droplets within the system to evaporate. Unfortunately, that step was not in the checklists used by the pilots of the doomed aircraft.

This accident illustrates the kinds of problems that we have in aviation safety. Even in the most complex of aircraft, the problems that do us in are often the most basic of elements. As an example, in February of 1990 a Boeing 727 (Northwest Flight 5) lost an engine as the engine separated from the aircraft falling 30,000 feet. The aircraft was able to continue on to an uneventful emergency landing. The likely cause? A failed lavatory. Similarly the current leading theory for electrical system failure aboard a January 2008, Boeing 747 flight is currently a water leak in the lavatory.

These incidents serve as reminders to all of us that all pieces of the aircraft have the potential to impact the safety of flight, and therefore it is paramount that we exercise great caution in planning our flights and in determining which items are go/nogo components.

I applaud their honestly and openness, but...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:57:00 +0000

Did the FAA really just claim that the NOTAM system failed due to a mere faulty hard drive? Apparently the system was down for nearly 20 hours due to a hard drive failure on an old piece of Sun hardware.

"What happened was the drive in an end-of-life Sun box failed in the middle of updating the information on the hard drive, so it screwed up the database," Davis said.

I understand that stuff happens, but doesn't this imply that the system wasn't even built on a simple RAID array for redundancy and reliability?

Of course, as always with IT reporting, we cannot be sure that we are getting the facts in any meaningful way. Perhaps the problem was actually with the controller or some piece of software on the system. Nevertheless, the details from that article leave a lot more questions than answers in my mind.

Cirrus Perspective is even more impressive than I thought...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Sat, 24 May 2008 00:42:00 +0000

I have mentioned Cirrus' introduction of a G1000 before, however, it seems that I overlooked the importance of one detail.

Do you see that little magic blue button in the middle of the panel? It seems that Cirrus has developed a very capable unusual attitude recovery system. According to AOPA:

The LVL button can recover the aircraft from an attitude of 75 degrees of roll and 50 degrees of pitch, even if they occur simultaneously.

It is not all good news, however, as the new G1000 system will take reduce the useful load of the aircraft by 40 pounds. The last upgrade to the Cirrus (the introduction of the G3 line) improved useful load by 50 pounds, so this essentially takes away the G3's weight advantages for the time being.

The LockMart AFSS Saga Continues...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Sat, 24 May 2008 00:30:00 +0000

What Happened?

According to a notice on the AFSS website the FAA's NOTAM system has crashed as of Midnight on the night of May 22nd. While they are telling pilots to check the LME-NOTAM site for an incomplete list of the latest NOTAMs and to call your local flight service station (1-800-WX-BRIEF) for the latest information.

What is this "NOTAM" thing anyway?

For the non-pilots and students out there, a NOTAM is a "Notice to Airmen" describing circumstances involving the airspace system which may be of interest to pilots. These can include everything from airshows resulting in airport closures to flights by major governmental officials which temporarily shut down regions of airspace. It is critical that pilots get these before their flight in order to avoid dangerous conditions or an unfriendly encounter with patrolling military aircraft.

What will happen in the meantime?

The telephone briefers at 1-800-WX-BRIEF should be aware of previously filed NOTAMs and can provide assistance in getting current information. I have not heard if there were significant hold times being experience by callers, however, it would not be surprising.

Good luck, and fly safe!

It finally happened... Cirrus Gets the G1000!

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Tue, 20 May 2008 06:54:00 +0000

Update (5/23/2008):I've posted a few more details

Cirrus had been the lone holdout in supporting only the Avidyne glass panel system, but now they have introduced a new SR22 only options package called "Perspective". The new airplane will offer a Garmin G1000 display with two 12-inch graphical displays, Garmin's new synthetic vision options for highway in the sky capability, and a new simplified user interface for both the traditional functionality as well as the integrated auto-pilot.

In looking at these changes, it appears clear that Cirrus has thought heavily of the types of problems and resulting accidents that have occurred over the past few years in their aicraft, and they are taking aggressive steps to both simplify the aircraft and dramatically improve their safety in the hands of all-too-human pilots. I know that using electronics and advanced technology to improve flight safety is often seen as a controversial thing in this industry, but all of the data that I have seen points to great potential for advancement in these areas. I am glad to see Cirrus taking the position of pioneering and dramatically advancing General Aviation safety.

More News of Doom for Thielert

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Tue, 20 May 2008 06:45:00 +0000

First they went bankrupt, then the details started to emerge. Then they withdrew warranty support, and Diamond Aircraft (one of their largest customers) announced plans to produce their own line of diesel engines.

Now we hear that the bankruptcy administrators are completely clueless as to how to manage a reorganization of the company and are instead sealing its fate as a liquidation rather than a reorganization. Gearboxes on the engines are replaced frequently (every 300 hundred hours according to some reports) and are now being sold by Thielert for $15,700, with the high pressure fuel pumps and other engine accessories seeing similar ridiculous prices.

And worst of all payment and shipping arrangements are to be made upfront and with little support from the factory. Would you wire 15k to a bankrupt Thielert and then just hope that they deliver? Apparently Diamond is warning owners to be careful and get all agreements in writing before wiring them any money.

The whole situation is terribly unfortunate, and we wish Diamond a speedy recovery and quick certification for their new line of Austro engines.

Company in Indiana Invents Miracle Fuel...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:46:00 +0000

They call it SwiftFuel, and its made from biomass derived synthetic carbons and MAGIC. Ok, maybe not magic, but based on the claimed properties as a 100LL fuel replacement, it sure sounds like it could be:

15-25% increase in range over 100LL (no oxygenates)

20% drop in pollutants over the current 100LL fuel

15% more volumetric energy than 100LL

No need for stabilizers or additives

Seamless replacement of 100LL (no engine modifications)

30-degree lower freezing point than 100LL

The company claims that the fuel could also be reformulated to provide a replacement for Jet/Turbine/Diesel fuels as well. Even better, the fuel is expected to cost half as much to produce as current 100LL fuels, and just 5% of our current biofuel capacity could supply all of the fuel that GA needs each day!

I'll admit to being somewhat pessimistic whenever I see breathless commentary along these lines, but at the same time with an impending potential ban on 100LL due to the tetraethyl lead content, something is going to have to be developed to produce the fuel that GA needs without dramatic increases in cost. Perhaps this is the solution that we have been looking for?

For more information, see the Swift Enterprises website.

US Economy and Liquidity Crisis Impacting VLJ Maker?

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:02:00 +0000

Avweb is reporting that, VLJ-based air-taxi operator, DayJet has been forced into a number of layoffs due to a liquidity issue at the company. CEO Ed Iacobucci has indicated that the proof of concept phase for the company has proven the market, and the potential for profitability, however they are short $40 million dollars needed to execute large scale, highly efficient operations. Unfortunately, those needs could not have come at a worse time, as financial markets are making financing more difficult than it has ever been.

Personally, I believe that the financial markets themselves are not the only financing issue facing the company, as 100LL prices are now averaging over $5 USD per gallon. I believe financiers may be concerned about the ongoing risk to the business if fuel prices were to continue to rise disproportionately to other costs.

The hidden bad news in all of this is that a large number of Eclipse Jet orders were made by DayJet in order to support their operations. If these orders now fall through, it could compound the problems that Eclipse is already facing.

Perhaps the era of the VLJ AirTaxi will not be as wide-open as the earlier breathless predictions had indicated?

2006 Phantom X-1 Ultralight For Sale (Pics)

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Sat, 03 May 2008 11:03:00 +0000

This isn't my airplane, but I wish it was. :) This is a 2006 Phantom X-1 Ultralight with a conventional wire-braced wing. The aircraft is an N-Numbered (registered) Experimental LSA with just 140 hours on the airframe. These airplanes are some of the best ultralights in existence with airframes that have been designed to withstand loads of up to +9/-6 Gs.

These pictures looks very nice:

The cockpit is classic Phantom, with just the instruments needed for endless fun:

Specs and Equipment:

Airframe Time: 140 hours

Engine: Rotax 503DCDI

Prop: 3 blade Warp Drive w/C Box

Misc: Powder Coated Tubing, BRS, Flaps, Lightweight Wheel option w/Disc Brakes, ELSA N587F, A/W Cert

Price: $11,500

Perm-a-grin: Priceless!

For more information contact Phillip Freeman.

User Fees... Hold the Happy Dance, and Pass the Ammo...

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Sat, 03 May 2008 02:54:00 +0000

Yes, I know that I had pronounced victory over user fees the other day, but I did mention also that the sharks are still circling, waiting for a weak moment to strike. Well, it seems our shark has arrived.

As covered on 2FlyTV and DailyAviator, President Bush is threatening to veto the bill if it comes to him without user fees attached. Unfortunately, as long as we have people in the airlines pockets (Bush, McCain, not sure about the democrats in this case) in office, we are likely to continue to see this kind of pressure.

Now would be a good time to write, call, or fax:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings... and AOPA/GA will keep fighting!

Weeeeeeee!!! Is it finally over? User Fees are out!

noreply@blogger.com (TheNewsBlogger) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:39:00 +0000

User Fees are out

The Senate will likely vote on Monday or Tuesday on an FAA Reauthorization bill that does not contain user fees for general aviation.
...
Under the deal, the tax on jet fuel for general aviation will rise 65 percent to 36 cents a gallon from the current 21.8 cents, increasing the contribution toward the FAA budget by corporate aviation by two percent to five percent.
...
Byer said the user fee issue has been eclipsed politically by escalating controversies involving the FAA's oversight of airline maintenance and ongoing issues with its air traffic controllers and allegations that control facilities are dangerously understaffed.

But it isn't all good news:

But Byer also said he expects the user fee issue to come back and said aviation groups will have to remain vigilant to prevent that. "If we let our guard down we could be caught with our pants down," he said.

Even small victories should be celebrated, and at least we can keep this up for one more year if this bill is able to pass congress and a presidential veto threat.