AOPA News

Pilots Bill of Rights introduced in House

Reps Sam Graves R-Mo and Daniel Lipinski D-Ill have introduced a Pilots Bill of Rights measure to give aviators more protection and access to information during FAA enforcement actions urging their colleagues in a letter to co-sponsor its proposed reforms

Odds are good to quash user fees in 2012 Fuller says

What are the chances of stopping the latest push for user fees one attendee asked during AOPA President Craig Fullers pilot town hall Jan 20 at the Sebring US Sport Aviation Expo in Florida The odds are good Fuller said - this year at least

Aviation role advocated on BLM land

Aviation voices are now being heard as the Bureau of Land Management BLM drafts its plans for managing federal land holdings in the Colorado River Valley

Final Ross Lake management plan supported

The decision to include seaplane access as a component of the final planning document for the Ross Lake National Recreational Area in Washington state resulted from an effective collaboration between government planners and aviation organizations during the plans review process AOPA said

AVWEB

X-47 Drone Testing Sparks Ethical Warfare Debate

Northrop Grummans X-47B drone may represent a major qualitative change in the conduct of hostilities according to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC which reports to the Geneva Conventions The X-47B is entering tests to see it land on the deck of an aircraft carrier autonomously -- without in-cockpit or remote-pilot input That sort of capability is only a precursor to whats coming According to an Air Force report the improvements in drone technology will eventually give drones the capacity to make life-or-death decisions while engaged in battle And increasingly humans will no longer be in the loop but rather on the loop And that according to ICRC president Jacob Kellenberger may challenge international law

Border Patrol Planes Used To Smuggle Immigrants

Pilots have begun using small aircraft to smuggle illegal immigrants from the US-Mexico border to inland airports according to authorities who last week seized a Cessna from a Southern California airport and brought charges against one pilot It seems to be a new avenue theyre using Border Patrol Agent Adrian Corona told a local newspaper Federal prosecutors say 30-year-old Lino Rodriguez-Chavez used a Cessna rented from Hemet-Ryan Flight School in El Centro California to fly a group of illegal immigrants from a location near the border to Hemet airport The pilot appeared in court Monday entered a not guilty plea and was release on 20000 bond Multiple flights have been intercepted by El Centro Border Patrol agents in the past few years

Congress Funds FAA For A Few More Weeks

The Senate Thursday followed the House and approved a stop-gap funding measure that will carry the FAA through February 17 at current funding levels The temporary measure provides funds through airport taxes and precedes another vote on long-term funding which is expected to take place in February The temporary measure is the 23rd of its kind and it replaces another that was set to expire on January 31 The last long-term FAA reauthorization bill expired in 2007 For two weeks in 2011 Congress failed to provide either temporary or long term authorization for the FAA leading the agency to temporarily furlough thousands of workers and possibly tens of thousands of contractors Current reports suggest lawmakers are optimistic they can reach an agreement prior to the new February 17 deadline

Barefoot Bandit Anyone Else Would Have Died

In his court room appearances Colton Harris-Moore the late-teen who stole five airplanes as part of a two-year crime spree appeared to be remorseful but he saved his self-praise and color commentary for later according to new reports Emails Harris-Moore sent from prison were monitored by authorities and detailed in a memorandum filed by federal prosecutors ahead of a hearing scheduled to take place in a Seattle court Friday January 27 According to that document the young man referred to police and the prosecution as fools and swine among more colorful language Harris-Moores attorney argues the clips are representative of isolated emotions cherry-picked from personal correspondence to negatively impact her client As released the emails appear to show the young thief had a distinctly more positive opinion of himself and specifically of his piloting abilities

Question of the Week Weight Gain for LSAs

The possibility of an increase in the maximum weight for LSAs is being bandied about at the FAA How much should an LSA weighPlus Last week we asked AVweb readers about crosswind landings Do you crab or slip Click through to see the breakdown of answers

Aero-News

Airborne 012712 GAMA To Obama--Support GA FAA Funding A380 ADs Sebring

Also NTSB Cubs OMB Killing Towers Atlantis New Home Rockwell Collins Optimism Great Glider Vids And Traveling Politicians Airborne 012712 is chock full of info about the week ending Friday January 27th 2012 Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Host Ashley Hale and supported by ANN CEOEditor-In-Chief Jim Campbell Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino and Aero-Journalists Tom Patton and Paul Plack this episode covers 1 GAMA Wants Obama To Support GA 2 House and Senate Leaders Appear To Compromise On FAA Funding 3 EASA Issues A380 AD 4 NTSB Completes Experimental Amateur-Built E-AB Study 5 OMB May Close Nearly Half Of US NFCTs 6 NTSB Details Near Mid-Air Over Gulfport-Biloxi 7 ANN Reports On The US Sport Aviation Expo 8 Oshkosh Is Planning A Field Of Yellow Cubs 9 Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Readies New Atlantic Home 10 Max Trescott Joins Us With A Barnstorming Commentary 11 WingX Pro 7 Gets Upgraded Again 12 ANNs Paul Plack Reviews Red Tails 13 Lockheed Martin F-35 Does Some Night Flying 14 This Weeks AVW Features Great Video Shot From An ASW-20 Sailplane 15 SecDoT LaHood And Acting FAA Admin Huerta Head South

Two Governors Call On President To Support Business Aviation

Bipartisan Effort To Remind President Obama Of Benefits Of BizAv Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin R and New Hampshire Governor John Lynch D have written to President Obama asking for his support for all of general aviation including business aviation The governors letters remind the president of the industrys essential role in supporting job creation helping companies of all sizes compete and succeed and connecting communities to global markets

ANN-FAQ AIRBORNE Episode Roster For 2012

A Guide To All Kinds Of 2012 AIRBORNE Goodness 1 Click HERE For Complete Airborne 2011 Program Guide Well after several months of planning practicing and preparation the first generation of a new programming effort from Aero-TV hit cyberspace late last year In November 2011 ANN released Airborne 111811 -- with the over-riding mission to offer this programming as a weekly news feature through the end of 2011 and then ramp things up in a BIG WAY as 2012 get underway -- and thats just what were doing

NTSB Prelim Released In L39 Fatal Accident

Flight Appeared To Be Routine From Witness Reports ATC Transcripts The NTSBs preliminary report for an accident involving an L39 Albatros indicates the flight appeared to be fairly routine The pilot who according to media reports was qualified both for the airplane and flight in IFR conditions did not give any indication anything was wrong with the aircraft before it went down very shortly after takeoff from Northeast Alabama Regional Airport KGAD in Gadsden Alabama

Deal Struck Between US Airways And Association Of Flight Attendants

Agreement Covers 6700 Mainline FAs US Airways and the Association of Flight Attendants AFA said Friday that they have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement AFA represents the airlines 6700 mainline flight attendants Details of the agreement were not immediately available from either party

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	EBACE Convention and Exhibition	Geneva, Switzerland	May 14-16, 2012
	Airventure Oshkosh	Oshkosh, WI	Jul 22-29, 2012
	CJP 2012 Convention	Coeur d'Alene, ID	Sep 12-16, 2012
	AOPA Aviation Summit	Palm Springs, CA	Oct 11-13, 2012
	NBAA 2012	Orlando, FL	Oct 30-Nov 1, 2012