Skylark Flyers Blog

The House just finished discussing HR2881 on the floor right now. There aren’t many members on the floor, so it doesn’t look like it’s coming up for a vote.

I only happened to turn it on at about 12:15 pm, but from what I’ve heard so far, most of the talk isn’t covering fees/taxes, but the congestion actions. Also they talk about the revised flight patterns in the Northeast, and passenger/flight attendant rights for those planes sitting on the ramps for extended periods of time.

I don’t think I’ve heard anyone say anything against the bill. Oberstar says there are two items of disagreement. One was controller staffing, and then he ran out of time before saying what the other was.

Now they’re talking about amendments.

The first amendment is regarding the passenger bill of rights.

Continuing Tom Petri (R-WI) and John Mica (R-FL) have come out against the “Managers” amendment. Undesirable items would require airlines to notify passengers if the plane they are flying on has been sprayed with insecticide within the last 60 days, and included $1.9 bln for labor items, fees imposed on FedEx, and mandate fire fighting requirements at medium and small airports.

The amendment passed.

Next amendment $1.5 million to purchase an airport in northeast OH to increase capacity. The amendment passed.

Next amendment Require drug and alcohol testing for foreign repair station employees that work on aircraft. The discussion had conflicting information on whether this applied to reparimen working on US registered aircraft, or if it applied to all aircraft that will fly in the US. The amendment passed.

1:08 PM The next amendment comes from Rep Shays (R-CT). He has an amendment that will require a report on congestion on Now FAA considers safety and efficiency, but not noise. The amendment was adopted.

1:10 PM Amendment requires FAA consolidation to consider FAA regional offices. The amendment was adopted.

1:12 PM Amendment From Udall (D-MN) Rules require annual training for gate agents and flight attendants on dealing with drunk and disruptive passengers. Rep Tom Petri (R-WI)is against the amendment since it is redundant the FAA already has a NPRM to expand the training. The amendment passed.

1:21 PM Kline (D-FL) Require the DOT to handle customer complaints. Oppositions says the limited resources of the Aviation Enforcement Office would have to use most of its resources for this one issue. The amendment was adopted.

1:31 PM Neugebauer (R-TX) Creates a study on the affects of wind turbines near airport, such as safety and radar. The amendment was passed. A 15 minute recorded vote was requested.

Information obtained during the vote-This is a four year $58 bln appropriation process. One year longer than previous bills. Almost 1/2 for FAA operations. Rest for equipment and airport improvements. This extends the current ticket taxes, and increases GA fuel taxes. The White House says it hates the bill. They still want user fees. No one in Congress wants them. White House also doesn’t like labor rules. FAA would have to go back and negotiate the labor rules it imposed last year.

1:57 PM Amendment was passed 418 to 1

2:24 PM The entire FAA reauthorization bill HR2881 as adopted, was passed by voice vote. A recorded vote was requested. The bill passed 267-151 which is a veto-proof majority.

The senate version of the bill is now in the Finance Committee.

Word is out that there is an “Easter Egg” function within the current version of Google Earth that will put you in the pilot’s seat. You need the current version from Link . Then from the main screen in Windows press <CTRL><ALT><A> or <Command><Option><A> on an Apple computer. Here is a list of the keyboard commands Userguide . It will work with a joystick, and even has some force-feedback functions.

The US-tour will take the A380 flight-test-aircraft MSN009, powered by four Engine Alliance GP7200 engines, to the United States. The visits are part of the ongoing route proving process for this aircraft/engine-combination. The aircraft, which has no passenger-cabin, is on static display at the following airports:

Both demonstration tours are part of the extensive campaign to prepare the A380 for a smooth entry into service. Operating under typical airline conditions, both aircraft will undergo airport compatibility checks, ground handling and maintenance procedures to confirm its readiness to enter service. The A380 has already visited more than 45 airports and by 2011, more than 70 airports will be ready for A380 operations.

The numbers for Airventure are in, and it looks like it was a very good week.
Estimated attendance-560,000 which is an increase of 3.2% from 2006
More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Whittman Regional Airport and others in east-central Wisconsin.
Total showplanes-2,647
Homebuilt-985
Vintage-1,014
Warbirds-365
Ultralights-136
Seaplanes-117
Rototcraft-30

There were 784 commercial exhibitors
Approximately 1,700 International visitors registered from 60 nations. This only counts international visitors who did register, so the actual number is larger.

Estimated campers in Camp Scholler-Over 38,000
Media-887 representatives from six continents (Including 1 from East Windsor, CT)

At the chapter leaders breakfast on Saturday, several items were announced.

Adam Smith stated that they are working to improve chapter communications. A speakers bureau will be formed by mid-September to provide a list of speakers who will be available to chapters nationwide. Also an online nationwide calendar of events is planned, as well as increase to the number of people staffing the chapter office.

Tom Poberezny expressed the concern to get the public more involved in aviation. Since we don’t have anything like the GI Bill, aging pilots aren’t being replaced. It’s still too expensive and time consuming to get into flying. 70% of those who start flying don’t finish. The new goal of EAA is to increase the pilot population from the current 640,000 to 1 million.

Paul Poberezny also spoke to the group. Paul expressed the need to continue safety improvements. We don’t want to slip backwards with safety. We can’t afford to lose our privileges. He said that EAA and the chapters are an aeronautical, educational, and most importantly, a social organization.

He continued stating a concern that the Light Sport Aircraft are still expensive, and people don’t get the educational experience as you do with homebuilding. Homebuilding too has become mostly an assembly process.

On the concern of the commercialization of the convention, early on he got no response from the major small aircraft manufacturers when he offered them free display space. His wife Audrey suggested charging for the displays so it showed the value

The chapter awards were then presented.
Major Achievement Awards went to:
Chapter 484-San Adreas, CA
Chapter 1300-James Bonelli
Chapter 274-Deactur, IL
Chapter 471-Gray Bridwell
Chapter 976-Barry Davis
Chapter 690-Debbie Huffman
Chapter 1414-Polar Grove, IL
Chapter 13-Ray, MI
Chapter 129-Bloomington-Normal, IL

Newsletter Editor Awards were won by:
5th place Chapter 976
4th Place Chapter 59
3rd Place Chapter 105
2nd Place Chapter 376
1st Place IAC Chapter 19

Web Editor Awards went to:
5th Place Chapter 48
4th Place Chapter 50
3rd Place Chapter 62
2nd Place Chapter 1226
1st Place Chapter 1410

Also announced at the breakfast, there will be a chapter summit workshop held September 14-16 at the Air Academy Lodge.

I’m back from the big show, and as I write this I’m listening to the Ed Hamill performing at the air show over EAA’s internet stream service. Sean D. Tucker is coming on now. Earlier Tom Poberezny, along with some of the major sponsors, announced the winners of the various prizes at the show. The closest winner to us was from Eastern Massachusetts.

Before we left Saturday afternoon, I spent some time listening to Bob Hoover speak at the Eagles Hangar in the museum. Bob covered a lot of the reasons he was, and continues to be, so successful.

When he was a test pilot, Bob always wanted to learn. Not just about test flying, but about engineering and manufacturing. When he was flying he concentrated on flying precicly to the test plan. This would reduce the data points in the test results. This made him a favorite pilot for the engineers, and also saved the company millions of dollars in testing costs.

His reputation did not go unnoticed by management who even wanted him to stay on their payroll when he went to work for another company so he would qualify for a bonus.

Even at 85 years of age, Bob isn’t taking it easy. He just started his third company three weeks ago. 

Both EAA and AOPA are pressing for the FAA reauthorization bill to not include any type of user fee. EAA devoted a large section of the Member Village tent to the cause. A petition is available to be signed, along with buttons that state “EAAers Unite: Say NO! to User Fees.” Hundreds of photographs of the people who signed the petition are now posted on the display. Senator James Inhofe is expected to be in the Member Village tomorrow. Sen. Inhofe, along with other members of Congress are expected to attend a forum on this topic tomorrow. The people who are staffing the booth, including myself, estimate that about 1,000 people a day have stopped by to sign the petition.

One member came back requesting another button. He wanted us to ask him why he needed another button. OK, We asked him. He said he saw FAA Administrator, and user fee proponent at an aircraft display and told her he wanted to give her something. He then handed the button to her.

AOPA has very large posters for people to sign to express their opposition to user fees. They went through six of these posters today alone.

Early reports are saying that an explosion has killed 2, and injured 4 people at the Scaled Composites rocket engine test facility in Mojave, CA. Unconfirmed reports say the test was supposed to be a cold flow test with no motor ignition.

At the end of August, the size of the Washington DC Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) will be reduced to a constant 30 nm radius from National Airport. There will be a cutout for Leesburg, VA. This removes 33 airports from the zone.

This is the first of (hopefully) many postings during AirVenture next week. I’ve picked up a new lens to get better long range shots and look forward to capturing a little of the ‘look & feel’ again this year at OSH. If anyone has a particular item, aircraft, engine (or whatever) you would like commented on, or photographed, let us know and we will try to accommodate your requests.