|
United States Pilots Association |
Those of you who missed the June meeting of USPA in Oklahoma City passed what ultimately turned into the best meeting held in recent memory. The weather was outstanding, the hotel wonderful, and our guest speaker was terrific. We are preparing an equally exciting event for the August meeting in Branson, MO. Do not miss the opportunity to sail on the Titanic and attend the rejuvenated American Bandstand show.
Here are some unrelated facts of interest that surfaced during the end of June. Congress refused to get involved in the contract dispute between NATCO (the controllers’ union) and the FAA. The FAA has imposed a new contract on the controllers, and best guesses say that many of the controllers hired in the 1980s will retire shortly leaving the system with a shortage of qualified help. The good side to all this is the FAA’s budget will reflect the lessening of payroll. Never mind the reduction in services.
Airbus announced a huge delay in projected delivery of the new A-780 Super Jumbo jet. Although the plane is built using composite technology, it has evolved into a much heavier-than-anticipated aircraft. The plane has also failed American certification, which means that until it conforms to requirements it will not be permitted to fly into this country.
While this is going on, the US D.O.T. has floated a trial balloon offering a “reinterpretation” of the ownership of airlines domiciled in the United States. They are now saying foreign ownership is going to be permitted where currently it is forbidden. Think of Daimler Benz purchasing Chrysler. Do we really want French ownership of American airlines. I think not.
We have all read of the proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) popping up along our southern borders. Not to be outdone, the City of Los Angeles is flying small UAVs over the city to assist in crime prevention, etc. These things are small--really small. If one comes through your windshield, it will be far worse than a bird strike. Never mind that this is some of the most congested airspace in the country. We must be protected at all costs. Where is the FAA when we need them?
A report had just come out chastising the TSA (Airport Security) for reducing the number of staff at key airports around the country. Did you know that the average wait to go through security in Miami or Orlando is 50 minutes? TSA’s solution is to further reduce staff at these airports, thereby increasing the time to go through security. Oh yes, at Kahalui, Maui, the average wait time is seven minutes. TSA has increased their staff by 20%.
Finally; I took note of the fact that the European union has banned entry into Europe of over 50 certificated airlines due to poor maintenance and other deficiencies. Many of these airlines are domiciled in Africa, and many have had numerous fatal accidents. None are U.S. certificated.
N736DD made it to Oklahoma City without string and paper cups. The radios worked fine, I had a tailwind on all three legs, and life is good.
Steve Uslan, President
United States Pilots Association