Chapter 890

Newsletter

Calendar

Membership

Member Projects

Young Eagles

Fly-In Breakfast

Reference

Photo Albums

Links

Newsletters

June 2009 Chapter Meeting

The June 2009 meeting of E.A.A. Chapter 89 was called to order June 13, 2009 at the Fort Payne Airport by President Mike Atwell. Twenty (20) members were present. Minutes were read and approved. The Treasurer’s report was read and accepted.

OLD BUSINESS:
The Treasurer reported that three young people had been approved for space academy and fees had been paid. Tori Nelson had just finished her week, Jake Waller was going in June, and Tanner Blakely was going in July. We hope to have some of them report to us about their experiences in the near future.

The May 30th Fly-In and cookout were successful. Food was especially good and many attended the cookout.

The discussion of flying seniors seemed to go by the wayside and if you know of a senior (65 or over) who would like a flight, then this could be done on a meeting weekend if they would sign the release form. Bob and Guy were not available to check on the Wings & Wheels fly-in.

Young Eagles will be July 11, we are hoping for pilots & help. John Isbell, John Shippey, Mike Atwell have offered to fly their planes if weather is good. We need help in registration & on the ramp.

Projects were discussed. Meeting adjourned.

Dr. John said he has a Cast Saw available if anyone needs it for cutting plexiglas. Mike Atwell is going to Oshkosh. Is anyone else? John Bundy reported that if you fly within 100 miles of Washington D.C. you must have taken a special test to allow you to do that. (If you are heading to New England that means going north and west of Altoona, Pennsylvania). Otherwise avoid that area.
~ submitted by W. Playford, Secretary.

Other News:

User Fees Planned for 2011 Budget
User Fees are still out there. A footnote in the Obama administration budget plan has become a serious threat to those opposed to user fees to support the FAA budget. According to the Transportation Department, cost-based user charges are expected to yield $9.6 billion of the FAA operating budget for Fiscal Year 2011. Details are under development, according to a statement. The FAA's current excise tax system, which generated $12.4 billion in 2008, is largely based on taxes that depend upon the price of customers' airline tickets. Plans for user fees pick up from similar proposals promoted during the Bush administration. Most general aviation proponents oppose the fees and maintain that the current system of excise taxes on aviation fuel more accurately represents GA's demand on the FAA and the ATC system. -- Flying Magazine e-newsletter 5/14/2009

Tide may turn for potential GPS backup
(Adapted from AOPA online) With the proposed termination of the LORAN (long-range navigation) system in the president’s budget for next year, aviation users could lose a potential backup for GPS. But measures in the House and Senate could save the system from the chopping block.

A Coast Guard authorization bill in the Senate and a Homeland Security appropriations bill in the House call for the Coast Guard, which operates loran, to maintain and upgrade the system as a backup for satellite-based navigation.

“In the event of a GPS outage, it is important to have a separate, ground-based navigation system in place,” said Craig Spence, AOPA vice president of regulatory affairs. “AOPA has long cautioned against decommissioning loran before a backup is established.”

Establishing a reliable backup system for GPS is especially important given a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office that says delays in the development and launch of new satellites could lead to interruptions in GPS service as early as next year. An Independent Assessment Team (IAT) report released this year from the Institute for Defense Analyses recommends that the U.S. government complete its upgrade of loran, to eLoran, so that it can serve as a long-term backup for GPS.

The legislation in the House and Senate rejects the proposal to decommission loran, which the White House says will save $36 million in 2010 and $190 million over five years. Both bills continue funding for loran and eLoran and direct the Coast Guard to report on the transition to the enhanced system. The Senate bill (S.1194), which authorizes Coast Guard programs over the next two fiscal years, directs the Coast Guard to maintain the current loran-C navigation system until explicitly told otherwise. The House bill, which provides funding for the Department of Homeland Security for the next year, rejects the termination of loran-C sites that had been recommended by the Obama administration. From AOPA Online

More on backups: Bob Brown reported that finding LORAN equipment has become very difficult. According to John Ewing of Aviation Mentor, "There are few functioning LORAN units out there and no new units that I know of currently being manufactured for aviation use. The FAA has decommissioned many NDBs and they plan to decommission more (basically not fix the ones that fail). They'd also like to do away with most VOR stations. For better or worse, we seem to have put all our navigational eggs into the GPS space basket."

TSA Security Badge Requirements
Under the new security directive (SD-8G) that became effective on June 1st, pilots who are based at air-carrier airports will have to get a badge in order to have unescorted access to the airport. Transient pilots flying into air-carrier airports must remain close to their aircraft, leaving it only to walk to and from the fixed-base operator, service provider, or airport exit. Many pilots and airports are struggling to meet the new requirements. To date, no definitive list of affected airports has been issued but the directive will cover about 400 airports including some smaller airports in class C and D airspace. In addition, no federal funding has been provided to cover the cost of running background checks or issuing badges.

DHS inspector general: GA terrorism threat "mostly hypothetical"
The inspector general of the Homeland Security Department issued a finding on Wednesday that the terrorism threat posed by general aviation is "limited and mostly hypothetical." In response to a Houston TV news report, Richard Skinner said TSA guidelines, "coupled with voluntary measures taken by owners and operators of aircraft and facilities, provide baseline security for aircraft based at general aviation sites." In preparing the report, Skinner's staff visited a mix of large and small GA airports across the country. "The current status of [general aviation] operations does not present a serious homeland security vulnerability requiring TSA to increase regulatory oversight of the industry," Skinner's report concluded. Government Executive (6/17)

From Our Members

Ron Prater will be starting chemotherapy on July 7th. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Upcoming Events

Chapter Meeting - July 11, 2009 at 10 AM
The regular chapter of meeting of EAA 890 will be held at the Fort Payne FBO at 10 AM.

Young Eagles - July 11, 2009
Young Eagles flights will be offered on Saturday, July 11th from 9 am to Noon. Bring your young aviation enthusiast to the airport for a free introduction to the world of flying. Young Eagles that complete the orientation will receive a free flight in a general aviation plane and a certificate of completion.

Fly-in Breakfast - August 29, 2009
Chapter 890 will be hosting the next fly-in breakfast on Saturday, August 29, 2009. Breakfast for members begins at 7:00 and is open to all others from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM CST. Please contact Laura or John Bundy if you would be willing to help in the kitchen, or hangar cleanup.

Newsletter Archives

October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
March 2009
January 2009

2008 -2007
Newsletter archives

Website

A website is always a work in progress. If you see errors or if there are additions you would like to see, please contact Laura Bundy (lbundy@kijikdesign.com). Photos and articles are always welcome.

site map