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May 2008

April '08

NEWSLETTER

June 2008

www.AZPilots.org

Tommy Thomason, President

Tucson Control Tower / FAA to Celebrate 50 years

Tommy Thomason, President

Many of you may know that October 11, 2008 will be the Tucson International Airports 60th birthday party. It will be 50 years for the control tower, and 50 years since the beginning of the FAA. So, a big party is planned. There will be static displays, booths from the Arizona Pilots Association, a Film Fest, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the 99's, the Civil Air Patrol, and many more. A marching band will kick off the event at 9 AM and it will go until 3 PM. There will be some fly overs but no air show since this is still a business day.
The Arizona Pilots Association will use this day as a fly in event, stay over night, and a dinner with speaker. Several of us have rooms reserved at the Desert Diamond Casino/Hotel, Arizona's newest Casino/Hotel, just west of the Airport. Stay tuned to our website www.azpilots.org as more developments occur.

It is not too soon to make plans for this event.

Thanks,

Tommy

tethomason@cox.net

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Jim Timm, Executive Director

It was good to see many of you at our annual meeting at the Boeing Helicopter plant in Mesa. We had a good speaker again this year and a very interesting plant tour. Very big thanks to Boeing for hosting our meeting.

It seems it's a never ending fight to keep developers from wanting to build homes off the end of an airport runway. This past month I spoke at a City of Mesa planning/zoning meeting encouraging them to select a planning alternative that would not permit the development of homes near
he end of the runway at Gateway Airport.

The Maricopa Airport Feasibility Study has been completed and will be presented to their City Council for approval. Upon approval, the next steps will be to develop an airport master plan, airport layout plan and environmental assessment. The site selected is where the present Estrella Sail Port is located and the plans include sail plane operations. We also continue to work with several airports in the state that are in the process of updating their Airport Master Plans. In this capacity we continue represent the general aviation users’ needs and attempt to make certain that these needs will be met in the future development of the airport.

In an airspace users meeting it was revealed Flight Standards has redefined how minimum vectoring altitudes (MVA) are to be calculated, resulting in the PHX TRACON preparing a new MVA chart for approval. If approved, the MVA's in some areas are significantly higher and would impact operations significantly. This could lead to another PHX airspace redesign. APA will be closely following this issue.

APA has received questions from members concerning Presidential TFRs if Senator McCain is elected president. Unfortunately, the FAA has very little input in TFR issuances and the Secret Service has full authority over these. In light of this, I don't think we would be able to expect
any breaks and we could expect some operational problems. In the near future, we can anticipate multiple smaller-scale TFRs for conventions which should be easier to manage than a presidential TFR, but for now, we will have to standby and see what develops...

Stay hydrated and survive the hot flying weather and please Fly Safe.

Win a Garmin 496 GPS

Raffle Tickets on sale for Garmin 496

Print Flyer with details of ticket sales and drawing.

www.azpilots.org/PDF%20Files/GARMIN%20RAFFLE%20NOW%20flier-rev.pdf

Noteworthy

AZ Airports System Plan

The following is link to a survey sent out in the AOPA newsletter for Arizona pilots to fill out for input into the State Aviation System plan. The direct link is "www.wilbursmith.com/azpilot/". Please take a little time to fill it out on line and send it in.

Stellar Airpark

Joe Martin-Manager Stellar Airpark

As you probably know, Stellar Airpark is a PRIVATE AIRPORT, with limited Public use. The limited public use does not include itinerate training aircraft, and practice instrument approaches are not authorized. The close Proximity of residential housing, vehicles and pedestrians operating on the

Surface and other considerations are not conducive to the safe operation of Itinerate training aircraft.

The most recent crash at Stellar involved an instructor and student conducting training in violation of Stellar Airpark regulations and local trespassing laws.

This is a request for your help in preventing trespassing by itinerate instructors and students at Stellar Airpark.

Coolidge Practice Area

KCKY has an unpublished approach that is being used in the Southeast Practice Area into Coolidge Airport. The main problem is the radio usage in the Coolidge area along with the KCKY missed approach can cause pilots to enter the aerobatic box and the Coolidge DZ. Students that use the KCKY approach are holding just north of the town of Coolidge. Not all of them are talking on the practice area frequency. Some (not all) don't even talk on the P08 frequency until they begin their approach. Being that the approach is not published, other traffic is unaware of where the hold is and it is doubtful that the aerobatic pilots even know that these students are flying through their aerobatic box. This problem is similar to the Casa Grande GPS approach problem we had until the AFTW helped solve the issue. Hopefully a solution can be reached and some sort of standardization be put in place.

July Safety Seminar

Howard Deevers

The next safety seminar presented by the ARIZONA PILOTS ASSOCIATION, will be in Prescott on July 19, 2008. The subjects are: Aging airplanes, and Aging pilots. Aging Airplanes will be presented by Howard Deevers, and Aging pilots will be presented by Dr. David Bryman. Check the web site: www.azpilots.org for more details.

WINGS Safety Program

Have you registered with the FAA so you can participate in the new WINGS program? The new FAASTeam program is in effect. You must register with the FAA on the following link to be able to participate.

www.faasafety.gov/WINGS/pppinfo/default.aspx

Upcoming Events

The following are just a few of the aviation events planned around our great state of Arizona. Check out our website for more. www.azpilots.org

$100 Pancake

Sunwestern Flyers is hosting a free pancake breakfast from 7am to 10 am this Saturday morning June 28 at Goodyear Airport. Come out early and beat the heat. Oh yeah, I can use some help to flip pancakes at this event. If you can help, send me an e-mail at tethomason@cox.net or call 602 708-2040.

Hope to see ya there.

Tommy

Safety Seminar

Prescott, AZ Aging Aircraft and Aging Pilots presented by Howard Deevers and Dr. David Bryman.

Grande Canyon Valle Fly-in

EAA Chapter 856 is sponsoring their 4^th annual “Thunder over the Coconino” fly-in. Saturday August, 23, 2008: 8am to 4pm. www.valleairport.com

Tucson Tower / FAA Birthday

Saturday, October 11

Copperstate Fly-in

October 23 – 26, 2008

Scottsdale Aviation Day

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Ask Dr. Dave

Click on the following link to ask Dr. David Bryman your personal and confidential aero medical questions.

www.azpilots.org/aeromedical_advisory_committee_.htm

Arizona Pilots Association Supporters

Scottsdale, Gateway, Goodyear Pilot Shops

Scottsdale 480 948-8994

Gateway 480 988-7780

Goodyear 623 451-4577

Online Store: www.scottsdalepilotshop.com

Mention you are an APA member and get 10% off (not applicable to electronic and Jeppesen express packs)

Sun Western Flyers

www.Sunwesternflyers.com

The Wolf Aviation fund

www.wolf-aviation.org

I know I have missed several of our other supporters and promise to make sure I mention you in future news letters.

For Sale

Want to see your aircraft related ad in the news letter? Send an e-mail to tethomason@cox.net

1979 Turbo Cessna 183RG, 4304 TT, 288 SMOH, GPS, Dual Nav / Com, Autopilot, Intercom, IFR, Oxygen and more. $115k. Call Arv (602) 275-1016

Click here to read the Deer Valley Pilot's Association's Newsletter and visit their site at www.dvtpilot.com