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United States Pilots Association |
If you don’t already have it, here are links from the Emergency Email Network, free, as a public service.
**** HURRICANE RITA LINK ****
http://www.emergencyemail.org/rita2005.asp
. . . . . Severe Weather Map Link . . . .
http://www.emergencyemail.org/weathermap.asp
. . . . . Weather Radar Map Link . . . .
http://www.emergencyemail.org/weatherradarmap.asp
. . . . . Airport Closing and Delay Link . . . .
http://www.emergencyemail.org/remoteflight.asp
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
USPA has formed a strategic planning committee with past president Bob Worthington as the chair. As a former business professor and current management consultant, he has both taught strategic planning in a graduate school of business and works with several businesses assisting in the creation of a corporate strategic plan.
For USPA this committee has been charged with evaluating the history of USPA to create a plan for it's future to determine what it is best suited for in one year, three years, and five years.
This committee needs members. If you are interested, contact Bob at rworthin@zianet.com or 505 522 6785. Even if you do not want to serve on this committee, but have some thoughts, concerns, or ideas, please contact Bob with your input.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
The next USPA quarterly board meeting (which is definitely open to pilots) will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 5, at a location to be announced in the printed AOPA Expo information which will be available upon arrival. For some time now, USPA has scheduled its last meeting of the year during Expo, in hopes that members will come to both the USPA meeting and avail themselves of the tremendous show that Expo provides.
All board members are strongly urged to attend (or send proxies), all members are encouraged to participate, and non-member pilots and friends are also invited. This meeting is always brief, but worthwhile.
For more information, email me at jan@uspilots.org, and go to the AOPA Expo website at http://www.aopa.org/expo/2005/.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
If you haven’t already done it, and if you use the Internet and email, it’s a good idea to go to the FAA’s website and sign up for emails that will be of interest to you. See the following for more information.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
FAASafety.gov - What's New!Stay Connected to Aviation Safety Information at FAASafety.gov.
The FAA's Aviation Safety Program Invites You to Log In Today! FAASafety.gov was launched in March 2004 to help airmen find and use current aviation safety information. Over 260,000 users, along with yourself, have signed up to use this interactive safety resource since its inception.
New information and services are being added continuously based on feedback from users. Here is just a sample of what you can find at FAASafety.gov now or in the near future:·
SPANS - Safety Program Airmen Notification System, the Safety Program's official way to communicate with airmen via e-mail about programs, events, and safety of flight information. (Hence, this e-mail today!) ·
Find an Event - Find a safety event on any topic anywhere in the country. Register for the event or just find out more about the topic being presented. ·
Aviation Learning Center - On-line library, links and informative courses on a variety of safety topics. New topics and courses added all the time. Soon the courses will qualify for and be tracked for your WINGS and AMT awards program participation right on-line.
Log in today by visiting http://www.FAASafety.gov
Please sign on and update your preferences. This will insure that you get the safety information you need and avoid what you don't want.
You don't want to miss anything new on FAASafety.gov!
The FAA, AMT's, Pilots and Safety all come together at faasafety.gov!
During our September meeting in Roswell, NM, this past weekend, the Board of Directors of USPA voted to remove ourselves from the Emergency Response list with FEMA. This decision was made after great debate of the ramifications involved. However, it was decided that since FEMA is now a part of Homeland Security (they of nail file and cigarette lighter fame), we were better off seeking other ways to help our fellow citizens in their time of need. Simply stated, we were not called to assist during or after either hurricane. Obviously, we were not wanted.
My suggestion to all of you is to consider flying for Angel Flight. This non-profit organization has been let in to the affected areas, and does a marvelous job of rendering support and aid to those in need. I have flown several missions, and can tell you the satisfaction you get after completing one of their missions is huge. The people are so grateful for the services we render.
Go to Angel Flight South Central on your address bar. You will be guided to a pilot application to become mission approved. All you need is 200 hrs. PIC, access to an airplane, and evidence of insurance.
Steve Uslan, President
USPA
I have watched with great interest the many individuals and organizations offering support to hurricane victims, and have participated individually by contributing cash through my Rotary Club and other organizations, as well as providing accommodations in my home beginning before the hurricane struck our Gulf Coast. USPA as well as done its part by remaining a ready resource to FEMA to provide our member planes and pilots to serve as part of an ordered plan, to carry people and/or supplies in and out of the afflicted areas. And yet, USPA has not been called.
I find that offers of many other organizations and individuals have also been declined, and in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars have been expended toward preparing such help, only to be told they will not be needed.
When I was President of the Missouri Pilots Association in 1991, I organized an official plan for MPA’s emergency response, which was accepted by SEMA into their state emergency plan, including flying search and rescue dogs to Omaha, NE, where they would be flown by government transportation to the affected areas. Then, Paul Hough (who was Emergency Management Director for Stone County, MO, and a SEMA instructor) and I brought the plan to USPA, who adopted it for their participation, and which was ultimately accepted by FEMA as an emergency resource. We have several trained members, have done exercises with Emergency Management and other officials, and have a call-up list at our disposal, ready to assist as a part of an organized plan.
Although USPA has officially been a listed resource for many years, we have never been called. They have utilized the CAP and National Guard, as rightly they should, but have never incorporated our small planes into their efforts. Some organizations have “done their own thing” in spite of FEMA, and have managed to contribute largely for the benefit of those suffering. But USPA, not in existence solely for the purpose of emergency relief, believes we should wait to be called, to be part of an organized plan, so that we are assured we will be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. I’m not saying that others are making things worse. Not at all. I’m simply saying that we developed a plan, and we’re sticking to it.
That said, USPA President Steve Uslan, who is also an Angel Flight member, was assigned a flight by Angel Flight for Monday, September 19, to transport an individual within the state of Texas. He requested the transport be made via the Lago Vista Airport in Texas (see the appeal from Lago Vista Mercy Flights received by USPA through TPA 9/14/05, http://70.179.238.150:81/uspanews/) so that he could then take a load of freight to Slidell, LA, helping with that effort. Steve arranged to have seats removed from his Cessna 206 following the passenger transport, allowing more room for freight. However, he has since been advised that the total amount of supplies to transport (30 tons) would fill a semi, and that plans may be made to do just that, canceling the need for small planes, his included.
Why am I bothering you with all this information? I guess it’s because most USPA members (as all Americans) are feeling the frustration of wanting to help and finding our outreach is not being accepted. We feel we could do more, but are not wanted. We know we could help, but we feel restrained by the need to “follow the plan.”
But please remember that money is always needed by the organizations which are participating, now and in the long term. This disaster is not short lived. We can give money, we can provide housing and jobs, we can remain ready with our planes for future emergencies, and we can hold all those affected by Katrina up in our prayers.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
USPA
Terrence Jarog, TPA President, has received the following request for help with the on-going hurricane relief effort from D’Anne Gloris of Lakeview Aviation and Airport Advisory Board Member of Lago Vista’s Rusty Allen Airport northwest of Austin, TX (5R3). This effort is on the Angel Flight schedule of flights to accomplish, and USPA requests members to consider participation if able, and to forward this information to whomever you feel might assist in this endeavor.
http://www.airnav.com/airport/5R3
>>> "Allison Martin" <AMARTIN3@dot.state.tx.us> 9/13/2005 1:55 PM >>>
Good afternoon. This is D'Anne Gloris of Lakeview Aviation.
Our organization, Lago Vista Mercy Flights is asking for your help. Our "grocery run" for Katrina victims is in high gear at the Lago Vista Rusty Allen Airport (5R3). However, we need your help. We need pilots who are willing to donate their time and aircraft to airlift donated food supplies to Louisiana and Mississippi during daylight hours, any day or days of the week. We have the supplies, but we need your help. Please contact Bob Gloris at Lakeview Aviation (512) 267-0120 or (512) 731-1553 cell.
Angel Flight has already been coordinating their pilots to stop here on the deadhead leg when retrieving people from LA and dropping off supplies first before their passenger pickups. To date, we have sent out over 115 flights and 53,000 lbs of food/supplies. We invite others to come & be a part of this incredible opportunity.
Thank you so very much. In obedience & blessing,
D'Anne Gloris
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association
We have all read in the newspapers and seen on television the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the destruction, desolation and despair left in her wake. Rather than participate in the blame game I would offer some positive suggestions to the Federal Government.
The United States is unique in that we have by far the largest population of single engine and multi engine privately owned aircraft in the entire world. This is a resource that could have been tapped to bring supplies into and people out of rural towns and cities all across the gulf coast. One volunteer agency (Angel Flight) could have been selected to lead this civilian-helping-civilian program, and quite possibly could have taken a great deal of stress off the military (who did a fine job in New Orleans and surrounding parishes). A Cessna 206 will never replace a Sea Stallion, a Chinook, or a Black hawk. However, it has a place in this response with its ability to deliver over a half ton of cargo into almost any 1500 ft. field or piece of highway. Imagine if general aviation had been assigned the task of running necessities, (water, blankets, diapers, food and personal hygiene items) into the rural parishes hard hit in Louisiana and further east into the Mississippi gulf coast communities. The military would then have been able to devote their unique rescue abilities to the inner city of New Orleans.
USPA has an agreement with FEMA to supply aircraft and personnel when a disaster hits. No one from FEMA has ever called us. And as this is being written on September 7, well after the storm has passed and cleanup and other duties are already underway, I do not expect we will ever be called.
I listened to Newt Gingrich, former Speaker in Congress, as he told of the problems inherent in the Homeland Security Agency. There are so many levels of approval that have to be sought and given before they can act. This agency was created as an afterthought of the 9/11 attacks. What have they accomplished in four years? First, they have made airline security a living hell for anyone wishing to travel that way. They are preventing legitimate visitors to our country from obtaining visas, while at the same time allowing thousands of undocumented illegals into our country across our southern borders. They have created the largest collection of nail clippers, nail files, and cigarette lighters ever.
General Aviation is suffering from temporary flight restrictions, newly imposed flight restrictions, and no access to most airports in the Washington, DC, area. Our fuel prices have soared, not as a result of Katrina, but solely due to the greed of oil companies and their retailers. The refinery in Louisiana that makes avgas has suffered no interruption in service. The refined gas on the ground has been there from well before the storm. So why the big increases? Greed my friends, pure and simple.
I have taken note of folks like John Travolta who flew a load of necessities into Louisiana at his own expense in a transport category aircraft. Regardless of the size of his plane; this was General Aviation at its finest. I called the FAA offering the services of at least ten small aircraft for emergency services. After speaking to a Safety Inspector, I never received an answer to my offer. What a shame that this resource goes untapped. I guess all we are good for is our ability to get criticized whenever some idiot strays into the Washington ADIZ or some kid manages to joyride a small plane.
Steve Uslan, President
United States Pilots Association
The USPA Roswell Flyout/Meeting, September 22-25, is right around the corner. If you haven’t already made your reservations, now is the time to do it. The hotel cutoff date for the special USPA rate is past. However, I know of one room that may be available. So if you need one, contact me.
And if you are a USPA Board Member, and cannot attend the board meeting, please be sure to send your proxy with someone, or send it to me. Email proxies are accepted. A form follows for your convenience.
We plan to have a great time in Roswell. Some are going out early to take in more of the local attractions. And Paul Hough is making reservations to meet an alien and fly in a space ship.
PROXY
The undersigned, being a designated voting member of the Board of Directors and/or Individual Member of the United States Pilots Association, and entitled to vote at the ________________ Meeting of the Board of Directors and/or annual membership meeting, do hereby constitute and appoint _________________________, my true and lawful attorney-in-fact and proxy to attend and represent me at the Board Meeting and/or annual meeting to be held on ____________________ , or any continuation or adjournment thereof, with full power to vote and act for me and in my name, place, and stead, in the same manner, to the same extent, and with the same effect that I might were I personally present thereat. Any proxy or proxies heretofore given by me to any person or persons whatsoever are hereby revoked.
In WITNESS WHEREOF, I have executed this Proxy on this ___________ day of ______________, 2005.
Signature
Name Printed
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association