AOPA Pilot Blog: Reporting Points

One of the great things about general aviation is the willingness of the industry to help its own and others.  The Wolf Aviation Fund was created to provide grants to those who are doing great work in GA.

Each year the Wolf Aviation Fund provides grants for a number of individuals and organizations doing great work in general aviation.  The fund has made more than 330 awards,which have allowed worthy recipients the funding and recognition for their ideas. 

The deadline to apply for grants in 2013 is Dec. 15.  The fund seeks applications in seven major program areas: Developing Public Policy and Airports; Networking and Mutual Support; Development and Alternative Resources; Communications, Media, and Community Relations; General Aviation Technology, Safety, and Noise; Improving Public Understanding and Perception; and Aviation and Space Education.

Past winners include:

• Doug Stewart of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), Inc., who received a grant to form a new Aviation Educator Hall of Fame to recognize those having made significant contributions to aviation education;
• The Atlantic Aviators Chapter of Women in Aviation International, which is building a custom-designed, aviation-themed playground at New Bedford Regional Airport in Massachusetts.
• Penny Rafferty Hamilton, Ph.D., who will research, write, and publish a Flight Instructor Communication Manual presenting proven and effective communication techniques for providing instruction to women wishing to be involved in General Aviation;  
• Teachers’ Day at AirVenture 2012, an event organized by Build a Plane’s Lyn Freeman designed to educate teachers how to use aviation in the classroom to motivate students to learn STEM subjects;
• John Zapp of the Flying Musicians Association, who received a grant to organize career fairs and related events supporting the Association’s objectives; and
• Flying High Coffee received a grant to support bringing its high quality product to the marketplace, with a portion of the proceeds being set aside to fund worthy non-profit aviation organizations. 

Most proposals receive  partial financial support because the Wolf Aviation Fund believes recipients can use the honor and recognition that comes from a grant to approach others and seek additional funding.  The fund also seeks donations in order to award more grants.

Go to www.wolf-aviation.org for more information about the Wolf Aviation Fund.

It’s a highway, it’s a runway! An unnamed pilot carrying two passengers flying a single-engine aircraft were forced to make an emergency landing on a stretch of I575 in Kennesaw, Ga., reports the Marietta Daily Journal.  The aircraft experienced engine problems.

It wasn’t a field of dreams. Pilot Charlene Fulton and her passenger managed to walk away after an emergency landing of her Cessna 172 in an alfalfa field outside of California’s Modesto City-County Airport, reports the Patterson Irrigator.  The accident happened when Fulton and her passenger were taking pictures and the plane lost power.

The only one missing was President Obama!  Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport found itself at the center of the presidential campaign when aircraft from Mitt Romney, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Vice President Joe Biden all landed at nearly the same time, reports Reuters.  The visits were part of last-minute campaigning in the battleground state of Ohio.

Blommberg Businessweek: how to de-Romneyize an airplane.  Now that the election is over, the McDonnel Douglas MD-83 that presidential candidate Mitt Romney used for his campaign has been returned to USA Jet Airlines, reports the magazine.  The aircraft will get a thorough cleaning, a new livery and reconfigured seats. Romney also used a Hawker 400, a Learjet 35, a Cessna Citation, and an Embraer Phenom 300 during the campaign.

He’s now a hall of famer.  Former Livonia, Ohio, police officer Jim Work has become the latest inductee into the White Castle Hall of Fame after he used a helicopter in the late 1980s to deliver the chain’s addictive hamburgers to a fellow retired officer, reports Michigan Live.  More than 700 people applied for entry into the hall for 2102, but only 11 were selected.

Can’t she afford to buy her own aircraft? Singer Lady Gaga took to Twitter to rave about the Boeing 757 given to her by her concert promoter Live Nation, reports ABC News Radio.  She waxed poetic about the 757′s Internet acces and custom seats.

As one of the administrators of the AOPA Facebook page, I thought it would be interesting this morning to ask members the following question:  “so, the election is over. What do you think the prospects for general aviation will be in a second Obama term? And please — let’s just stick to the GA issue.”  We’ve already had 58 comments this morning.  Below are some of them.

“It’s not ideal for GA growth, but I’m not convinced user fees are inevitable either. I fly for a living, but also for pleasure thanks to a flying club at half the rates of a FBO. With over 10k pilots retiring from US carriers in the next 8 years, something is going to have to give. The pilot shortage finally coming to fruition should have a positive affect. Support AOPA and similar organizations. They are our voice.”

“General aviation will suffer… we pilots won’t have the money to fly! And it’ll be regulated to the point where it’s pointless to fly anyhow.”

“I don’t think the political climate is what GA needs.. what GA needs is a much lower cost of entry to new participants (Next generation training) and new certified airplanes that are capable of at least some useful load which don’t cost $300K new (I’m looking straight at you, Cessna and Piper).”

“Not good. Good thing I have a professional pilot job, because I can’t attract a single student as a part-time CFI due to the overwhelming cost of learning to fly.”

“$20 per Gal AVGAS.”

“It will be the same. Administration proposes user fees, GA rallies its membership with advocacy efforts, and Congress dispenses with user fees.”

“Costs have got to come down. This includes everything from hangar rent, insurance, to aircraft purchases. The days are gone of flour drops and pancake flyins at local airports. Those days need to come back. Also, airports need to be public friendly and appear inviting, not restricting. The FAA needs to push back expensive equipment installs (ADS-B appliances) timeframes and increase training for controllers to handle “flight following requests.”

“ I feel for those who are in aircraft manufacturing…. No reason to expect Obama will stop demonizing business GA aviation.”

“ In my opinion, the US economy is in such bad shape that either candidate would have had difficulty coping with it. I’m not a fan of user fees – particularly since it already costs so much to fly. However money for economic recovery has to come from somewhere.”

“Hopefully people will start buying airplanes again and get down to the great business of flying again. Lets hope our leader stops criticizing business jets as well!”

“ User taxes, higher gas taxes, greater penalty for being successful enough to buy an airplane.”

“ It’ll be just fine. Obama is not one dimensional and he sees the economic benefits GA provides. The time for politics is over and we just need to work together for the greater good.”

It’s a runway, it’s a highway. Pilot John Wright found himself making an emergency landing on I-95 in Georgia’s McIntosh County, reports WTVM-TV.  He was not injured.

The timing for this purchase was bad. Nigerian Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State is getting some flak after taking delivery of a new $45 million Bombardier Global 5000 right after thousands of residents in his state have been displaced by the worst flooding crisis in the state’s history, reports the Osun Defender.  He traded in an Embraer Legacy 600 to buy the new jet.

Talk about the frozen tundra…A Cessna 207 enroute from Emmonak to Kotlik, Alaska, ended up making a tundra landing after developing engine problems, reports KTUU-TV.  The pilot and his passenger were uninjured.

Do the crime, do the time.  Jerry Edward Kuwata, a former executive at Lincoln-based aircraft parts company WECO Aerospace Systems Inc., is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to endangering aircraft, reports KSWT-TV.  He used uncertified parts and falsely certified that the FAA approved their use in aircraft repair.

Glad this one got caught.  Adam Gardenhire has pleaded guilty to pointing a laser at aircraft including a Cessna jet and a police helicopter, reports the Sacramento Bee.  He could get up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

China sets up a no-fly zone.  The Chinese government has started to clamp down on the sale of radio-controlled helicopters and planes, reports the Globe and Mail.  The government made the move as it tightens security as the Communist Party begins a major transfer of power starting on Nov. 8.

We’ll end the week with this cool time-lapse video by Duncan Aviation on the painting of a Gulfstream GV at its new facility in Lincoln, Neb. Enjoy!

Wait — this *isn’t* a runway?  A pilot in Michigan thought he was landing at St. Cloud Regional Airport, but in fact landed on a country road, reports the Sleepy Eye Herald Dispatch. The pilot, who said it was raining, noted that the weather was “less than ideal” for flying.

Look up – you’re being pulled over! The Wisconsin State Patrol reports it has given out 1,324 speeding tickets, 1,662 citations and made 2,197 traffic stops using three Cessna Skyhawks, reports the LaCrosse Tribune.  The patrol called its aerial enforcement program, ”a valuable traffic safety enforcement tool,” and plans to bring it back in 2013.

This time, the plane was not to blame.  Officials at Philadelphia International Airport say an aircraft was not to blame for a tire that smashed a hole into the roof of a local building, reports NBC Philadelphia. Instead, the damage is being blamed on a truck that lost a tire.

It was the accident that wasn’t, part 1.  Residents in the Wildomar/Murrieta/Temecula, Calif., region reported an aircraft accident after hearing a “loud bang” around 7 in the morning, reports the Temecula Patch. A search by the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was called off after it was determined the residents just heard a loud noise.

The accident that wasn’t, part 2.  On the other side of the country, the Warwick, R.I. Fire Department called off the search for a airplane that appeared to drop off the radar at the air traffic control tower at T.F. Green Airport, reports the Boston Globe.  No calls about a downed aircraft were made and searches by the Marine Task Force and the Coast Guard came up empty.

Airplane meets deer. A pilot and his student are fine after their single-engine airplane hit a deer while trying to take off at Ohio’s Carroll County Airport, reports WTOV-TV.  The owner and student pilot, Tom Erb, had just bought the aircraft.

Taking some air out of the campaign.  A blimp being used for advertising by the Mitt Romney presidential campaign was forced to do an emergency landing in Davie, Fla., because of high winds, reports the Washington Post.  The pilot and passenger were unharmed.

The first two general aviation flights I ever took were both trips to view fall foliage, one in Burlington, Vt., and one in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.  AOPA recently created the AOPA Flying Club Network Facebook group, and one of the members – Sam Wiltzius (@wiredforflight) – sent in a comment that turned into this post.

The Winnebago Flying Club has been around since 1978, after the merger of two other clubs.  It currently has 28 active members and flies a 1972 Cessna 172L that’s been upgraded with GPS, said Wiltzius.  “We keep our aircraft up to date.  We believe in having a quality aircraft and keeping things  simple,” he said.  “Our membership ranges from people in college up right up to our president, who is retired. We have three CFIs and one designated examiner.”

The club wanted to do something in the area of new member recruitment and show people what they can do with a pilot certificate, said Wiltzius. “My friend Tom and his wife wanted to do a fun flight somewhere. His wife has early onset dementia, so we wanted to do something where she’d enjoy it and get something out of it,” he recalled.

They had many memories in Door County, Wis., which has beautiful foliage, said Wiltzius.  “So I came up with the idea to fly over the foliage and do a video for Tom and our club,” he said.

The results were amazing, both for the passenger and the club. “Tom’s wife was nearly in tears being able to see her old stomping grounds by air. She was thrilled and excited to see the area from a different angle,” said Wiltzius. “It brought back so many good memories for her and the colors were amazing. It was a magical time.”

Once the video was ready, Wiltzius used social media to get the word out. “Twitter and Facebook are our primary means, but we did do an email blast to our members as well,” he said. “I’m a big fan of social networking. Our membership is aging and social media is a great way to attract new and younger members and get them excited about GA.”

The club wants to show the beauty and magic of aviation in a social and non-negative way, said Wiltzius, and that’s not limited to Winnebago County.  “If I can get someone in Chicago to get excited about flying, that’s great.  They don’t have to join our club,” he stated.  “We just want them to become advocates for GA or even become a pilot. It’s all about joining the family that is aviation.”

You can view the Winnebago Flying Club’s video below. 

Yes, you just got pulled over — because of a plane. The Florida Highway Patrol has begun using a Cessna SkyHawk  to catch speeding drivers in the Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach and Broward counties, reports the Palm Beach Post.  An officer pilot tracks speeders from the skies and transmits the informantion to a patrol car on the ground, who then issues a speeding ticket.

I guess he wanted a certain look. Embattled Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries has been embarrassed by a set of rules required for the actors and models that serve as flight attendants on the company’s Gulfstream G550, reports Bloomberg. According to a 40-page document released as part of an age discrimination lawsuit filed against the company by a former pilot, Jeffries insisted on rules including: black gloves had to be used when handling silverware and white gloves to lay the table; males required to wear a belt, hat, gloves, boxer briefs and a “spritz” of the retailer’s cologne; and specific seating arrangements for the CEO’s three dogs.

He had a ticket to ride. Ultimate Fighter Champion Stephen Bonnar had a problem — he had to be in Rio de Janeiro for a championship, but his wife was in Las Vegas about to deliver their first child. UFC founder Dana White came to the rescue, offering Bonnar a ride home in his Bombardier Global Express, reports Flying magazine.

Speaking of tickets to ride… Amber Nolan is hoping to visit all 50 states…by hitching rides on general aviation aircraft, reports the Seattle Times.  So far, she has visited 11 states and flown in planes ranging from a Piper Lance to an Eclipse 500.

Nice haul.  The Australian Federal Police seized nearly $100 million in luxury goods from criminals in the past year, nearly double that of the previous year, reports CQNews.com. Among the items seized was a Beechcraft A36 and “multiple” Rolls-Royces.

The accidents that weren’t. An alleged aircraft accident in El Reno, Okla.,  turned out to be a controlled burn, reports KFOR-TV.  Fire companies and a helicopter searched an area in Fredericksburg, Pa., for a reported accident that turned out to be  plane doing a smoke show, reports the Lebanon Daily News.

Amazing! 90-year-old pilot and World War II veteran Vernon E. Bothwell Jr. managed to land his 1986 Woody Pusher when it went down after experiencing engine failure, reports WTHI-TV.  Bothwell was treated for a ankle fracture and a head laceration.

Last week at the AOPA Aviation Summit, our new Center to Advance the Pilot Community announced it was creating a network of flying clubs as part of a long-term initiative to facilitate flying club growth, which, in turn, will help grow the pilot population.  Center Senior Vice President Adam Smith did a PowerPoint presentation, “Special Interest Education: AOPA Flying Club Network,” to show benefits including the ability to share information and resources.

A mere week after starting the AOPA Flying Club Network Facebook group, we’re already at 639 (sorry, make that 644) members and growing.  The group was created to start a conversation among flying clubs and those who want to start or join a flying club, and what a conversation it’s been so far.  Topics already covered include:

• Templates/models to create a club;
• Aircraft used by flying clubs
• Financing and insurance;
• Setting club dues;
• Attracting new members;
• What members expect from clubs; and
• Finding the time to fly.

So join the Facebook group, pass along your Twitter handle for our flying clubs list, and go here to join our email list to be updated on the latest news and events within AOPA’s Flying Club initiative.

Mid-air miracle. Pilots of two Piper Cherokees are happy to be alive after theyclipped each other midair in the skies above Maricopa, Ariz., reports the Arizona Republic.  Despite heavy damage, both planes landed safely, one at Gila River Airport and the other at a vehicle test track, the newspaper reported.

If he can pose with the wreakage, then he’s OK.  Tony Vowels was flying his brand new experimental aircraft from Albuquerque, N.M., to Durango, Colo. when he went down into trees after attempting to land four times in a slight crosswind and an uphill breeze, reports the Silverton Standard.  His plane was destroyed, but Vowels only had a small laceration on his left hand, a bump on the back of his head and a bruised shoulder, the newspaper reported.

Maybe it was only cracked.  A pilot decided to forgo an emergency landing at Kansas’ Salina Airport after reporting a broken windshield, reports the Salinas Journal. The pilot opted to fly his damaged Cessna Citation jet  to Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, which has a Cessna Citation Service Center.

Isn’t it usually kittens that get stuck in trees?  An unidentified man found himself stuck in a tree 80 feet above the ground after his powered parachute malfunctioned, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  He was rescued by fire fighters about 45 minutes after the accident.

Speaking of cats… Bernard Harris and cat survived an acciddent after his Piper PA-28 struck power lines and went down about a mile south of Beatty, Nev., reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  The man was hospitalized in fair condition, but the town was without power for 14 hours.

Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “takeoff.” Billy Wayne was forced to land his Cirrus SR22 in the parking lot of a strip club after experiencing visibility problems, reports CBS-42.  Wayne, who deployed the Cirrus’s parachute, was credited for his quick thinking in making the landing.

I guess he really needed to air it out.  An unnamed Kansas City Chiefs fan took out his frustration on quarterback Matt Cassel by hiring an aircraft to fly a banner over Arrowhead Stadium that said “WE DESERVE BETTER! FIRE PIOLI — BENCH CASSEL,” reports USA Today.  The team lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 9-6.

The bad news for me is I won’t be at Summit this year.  But it doesn’t mean I can’t dream about all the things I would have done while I was there.  So below is my list, in no particular order.  And for those of you are are attending, have a great time!!

1. The Parade of Planes. How often do you get to see a large mass of planes in a parade from the airport to the convention center? But thanks to the wonders of livestreaming, I’ll be able to see this event tomorrow, Oct. 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific time. I even get AOPA President Craig Fuller and AOPA Pilot Editor Tom Haines giving me their personal commentary on the festivities. And you can follow along using the Twitter hashtag #AOPAPOP.
2. iPads, iPads, iPads!  There are some great iPad education sessions this year, including: Advanced iPad: Tips and Tricks for Becoming an Expert; iPad 101; iPad Weather Options; and iPad: Beyond the EFB.  And please use the hashtag #AOPAiPad so we can all follow along.
3. The 2012 Elections’ Effect on GA. During the Friday keynote address, Fuller, actor/pilot Harrison Ford, Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, Haines and Flying magazine Editor Robert Goyer will discuss how GA will be affected after the election. The hashtag for the Friday keynote is #AOPAKey2.
4. The Thursday Keynote. This event includes Adam Kisielewski, awounded war veteran and LSA pilot who will share his inspirational story. And Craig Fuller will moderate a panel with Haines, AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Dave Hirschman and Editor at Large Tom Horne where they will talk about their global GA travels. The Twitter hashtag for this event is #AOPAKey1.
5. The Center to Advance the Pilot Community.  Senior VP Adam Smith will join others with more details on this new initiative, including plans to work with flying clubs, along with the winners of the Flight Training scholarships and the Flight Training CFIs and flight school award winners.
6. New Sweeps Plane.  Right after we give away the Aviat Husky, we’ll announce the next sweeps plane. Don’t ask me what it is!!
7. Airportfest. Speaking of planes, check out the display of aircraft surrounding the convention center, ranging from the Beech S35 to the Van’s RV-14.
8. A Night For Flight Gala.  This event provides a lovely evening of  food, fun, and amazing entertainment, all to benefit the work of the AOPA Foundation.  If you can’t make the event, you can still help by bidding on items at the online auction. There are prizes that fit any pocketbook, so please put in a bid by Oct. 13.
9. The Exhibit Hall.  I’m a student pilot, so of course I want to see — and buy — the latest gear.  The Summit exhibit hall will have around 400 booths that will let attendees to just that!
10. The people.  Having already attended Sun ‘N Fun and Oshkosh this year, I’m convinced we have the best members.  I’m sorry I won’t be able to meet more of them at Summit this year. But I’ll see you in Fort Worth in 2013!