|
United States Pilots Association |
Don’t ask me how, but I managed to leave off one of our most important sponsors of last week’s MPA/USPA meeting in Branson—the Branson Airport LLC.
Not only did this first and only private commercial airport in the U.S. provide the refreshments for our hospitality room, but they also made a presentation at our MPA meeting about their project underway which plans to begin commercial flights in May, 2009. And on top of that, their three key people—Gene Conrad, Jeff Bourk, and Jeremy Berven—all joined USPA and MPA!!!!!! How can you ask for more than that?
Maybe we’ll want to be at the Branson Airport air show next year. They’re planning a dandy!
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
USPA
There were several businesses who generously gave door prizes for our MPA/USPA joint annual meeting in Branson last week. Lest we let their generosity go unnoticed, I would like to remind you who they are so that should you have opportunity to patronize them, doing so would reinforce our appreciation for their support of our organizations. Therefore, I send you the following list:
Kings Avionics, New Century Airport (IXD), Olathe,KS
Branson Aircraft Repair, Clark/Taney Co. Airport, Branson, MO
Clark/Taney Co. Airport (KPLK), Pt. Lookout, MO
Lodge of the Ozarks, Branson, MO
The show SIX, Branson, MO
Regions Bank, Branson, MO
Hughes Brothers American Family Theatre, Branson, MO
Lowe’s, Hollister, MO
Keeter Center Restaurant, College of the Ozarks, Pt. Lookout, MO
Staples, Branson, MO
Blue Olive Restaurant, Branson, MO
Fashion House, Branson, MO
Mule Barn, Hollister, MO
Golden Corral, Branson, MO
Branson Drug, Branson, MO
Aspen Avionics, Albuquerque, NM
Stone Hill Winery, Branson, MO
Red Stevenson books, Oklahoma
Fly Low, Russellville, AR
We also greatly appreciate the support of our Business Sponsor, Springfield Trust and Investments and our Sustaining Donor Members who regularly give beyond their annual membership dues. All USPA and MPA members and officers are volunteers, and we thank them all for their efforts to make this gathering so much fun and such a success. Pilots are definitely plane people with a special air about them!
L&K,
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director, USPA
Past President, MPA
SUPPORT OUR USPA BUSINESS SPONSORS. THEY SUPPORT GA:
Troy Kennedy, 800 375-1355, tkennedy@springfieldtrust.com
MESSAGE FROM:
Dick Azar
5T6 Resources & Blue Feather Aero Flight Training
8000-12 Airport Rd
Santa Teresa, NM 88008
richardnazar@bluefeatheraero.com
Dona Aña County Airport is CHANGING
BIG CHANGES. For pilots, the new facilities for flight services at 8100 Airport Road are beautiful. Offering a new first class lobby, pilot shop, break kitchen, and rest lounge, Blue Feather Aero has stepped up its level of FBO services to compete with those of major airports. Blue Feather Aero is also the area’s largest flight school with a fleet of outstanding training aircraft and professional instructors. The flight school has also relocated to 8100 Airport Road at the Santa Teresa airport. It has added “Elite Simulator Training” for instrument instruction.
The second Big Change at Doña Ana County Airport is its identifier. Everyone knows what LAX or DFW stand for, but what in the world is 5T6? That has been the identifier for Doña Ana County Airport for the past 25 years. Now, because it has an instrument approach, Doña Ana County Airport will be renamed: DNA.
So join us for an Open House (with a display of beautiful aircraft), Fly Bys, Pilot Competitions and refreshments to celebrate our new facilities and the new identifier.
THURSDAY, JUNE 5 - 3 – 7 PM - Blue Feather Aero - 8100 Airport Road Santa Teresa, NM 575/589-4586
Please join us! We’ll be waiting for you.
Richard N. Azar
Suzanne S. Azar
Blue Feather Aero
575/589-4586
suzannesazar@bluefeatheraero.com
Last weekend was the annual USPA meeting held in beautiful Branson, MO. If you were not there you missed a wonderful joint weekend with USPA and The Missouri Pilots Association. Following is true and I caution all pilots to watch for this sleight of hand.
We took off from Odessa, TX in a Cessna 206 which was leaned to 14.5 gallons/hour of fuel flow. After flying for two hours and five minutes we landed in at an airport in Southern Oklahoma and requested the plane be topped off. When I returned to the airport after a short lunch I was handed an Avfuel bill reflecting 47 gallons put into the plane. I took off for Branson and landed there two hours and twenty minutes later. The plane was again topped off and took 32 gallons. The plane had not flown since the previous week when I took it to Huntsville, TX and returned, and had it topped off before locking it into a hangar. I routinely fly this plane and it's fuel burn is remarkably consistent. Upon arriving back in Odessa I again topped it off where it took 61 gallons for a 4.3 hour flight.
It became obvious to me that I was charged for more gas than actually pumped into the plane. That was gas priced at $5.61 per gallon. I called the FBO who tried to convince me that it must be my mistake. Today I received an $85.00 check from the FBO for the overcharge.
My suggestion is to wait while your bird is refueled and watch the flow gauge being sure it starts on zero. Fuel prices being what they are today and knowing the dealers are not really making any more money indicates to me that somebody will always try to find a way to squeeze us for a few more dollars. Be on your toes folks. The fun is only just beginning.
Steve Uslan, President
United States Pilots Association
It’s not too late to register! But do it NOW!
Look at these fantastic door prizes which will be awarded at the luncheon on Saturday:
David Clark H10-135 Headset from Kings Avionics, New Century Airport $312 $312
2 Tickets for 2 to SDC, White Water, Celebration City, or Ride the Ducks $ 96 $192
4 $10 coupons for Golden Corral $ 10 $ 40
2 Family Passes to the show “SIX” $ 89 $178
2 Family Passes to Hughes Brothers American Family Theater Show $ 89 $178
2 One-night stay, Lodge of the Ozarks $ 92 $194
1 Single engine oil change, Branson Aircraft Repair, PLK Approx.$300 $300
1 Box of dog treats from the Mule Barn, Branson $ 15 $ 15
1 Bicycle from Regions Bank $500 $500
25 gal. 100LL from Taney Co./Clark Airport Approx.$522 $522
Plus a road GPS, Aspen Avionics ball caps, and other items yet to come in!
You don’t want to miss out on one of these great door prizes, plus Fred Harms’ last safety seminar presentation for the FAA on Thursdaya evening, Pam Anderson of the COU FSS giving us information on their progress and plans, Mickey Gilley’s keynote address at the Saturday luncheon, a lunch cruise on a new Lake Taneycomo paddle wheeler, the Mickey Gilley Show, and free time to see and do whatever else you enjoy in Branson.
And last but certainly not least, showing up in large numbers at our MPA and USPA meetings shows solidarity and concern/action for GA in the US today. We need now, more than ever before, to show our strength in numbers and take a stand to protect our right to fly! Bring a friend!
To register on line, go to www.uspilots.org. You can pay with PayPal right there.
See you in the Family Fun Vacation Area next week.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director, USPA
Past President, MPA
This is being written on Friday, May 2nd. I have just been informed that after two years of begging, lobbying, cajoling, and other appropriate verbiage, we have gotten to the point where a no user fee bill is about to pass in both houses of Congress. To help you all analyze what comes next, I offer the following scenario.
The bill passes and President Bush vetos it because it does not give the airlines greater power to regulate the air traffic control system. His second reason to veto is that user fees to you and I are excluded in the current version of the bill as it comes out of the joint Senate-House conference. Both reasons have been stated by the President's advisors. (See the AOPA newsletter of today online).
I have a theory on why the President is doing this. First, John McCain (Republican) is on record as stating no new taxes. If President Bush forces the inclusion of user fees and permits the proverbial fox into the hen house by giving the airlines the ability to control the skies, Sen. McCain will not be blamed for the increases in fees, should he be elected. The dubious honor will fall to President Bush.
Do we really want the airlines running the FAA ATC system?. I think not. Every time deregulation has been tried, it ends up a disaster. Just look at your electric and phone bills. Look at the chaos in the airline industry with bankruptcies and mergers where the only ones who profit are the CEOs and upper level management. Look at the banking industry where greed leads to lending that requires the federal government to step in and bail them out. I see convoys of truckers surrounding the capitol protesting the price of fuel. Even the brilliant CEOs of the airlines missed that one coming. I also see many less of us out there flying every day due solely to the price of fuel. Even with all of the inconvenience, it is still cheaper for two people to fly in an airliner than to use their own plane.
It has become very apparent to me that our government is pro big business (the airlines) and wants to get out of the aviation regulation business by "outsourcing" as much of the FAA's functions as it can. The problem, as I see it, is: What happens when most of the remaining airlines are unable to stem the flow of red ink and succumb to their own greed by filing for bankruptcy protection? Who then benefits? Is the government going to spend our money bailing out the airlines as they have done the banks and the investment industry (Bear-Stearns)?
My suggestion is to get rid of the petrified wood running the FAA. Send Mr. Sturgell to a FSDO in Alaska and let him learn first hand what it takes to be an administrator. Send Nick Sabbatini to retirement. Anyone who grounds a fleet of MD-80 aircraft because of a possible half inch or less of spacing in wire bundles needs to be fired. Why was it OK to take the grounding action against American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, when all the furor raised over the weather delays last winter was legitimately blamed on the airlines, and here the FAA grounded hundreds of thousands of people for no legitimate reason?
I was there when the Aloha 737 shed it's cabin roof in Hawaii. I totally agree with the required inspections for fuselage cracks, now mandated by the FAA. Could someone please explain to me how an airline can perform dye penetrant or eddy current inspection on a fleet involving hundreds of planes and get it done in one night. This is what was done by Southwest. The wiring bundle problem (?) involving the American Airlines MD-80 fleet astounds me. I think this is all part of the "feel good" mentality the government is trying to promote.
My conclusion inevitably comes back to this. George Bush has an agenda favoring big oil, the airlines, and big business. He apparently owes some folks big time for getting him into his present position. There is no doubt in my mind that the price of oil will sooner or later fall back to far more reasonable costs. Will we be flying when this happens? Only time will tell.
Steve Uslan, President
USPA
This information was sent to USPA President Steve Uslan, and he is forwarding it to our membership:
From: Jerry Dorre
To: airone@troychesnut.com
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 9:31 AM
Subject: The FAA Bill to extend liability protection
Dear Grace Flight and Angel Flight Pilots:
Yesterday (April 30th), U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced an amendment (S.A.4606) to the FAA Reauthorization bill to extend liability protection to volunteer pilots, volunteer pilot organizations (VPO), such as Grace Flight of America and the various regional Angel Flight organizations.
We would like to ask all of our pilots to call their 2 Senators in Washington as soon as possible to voice support for this amendment. Phone numbers for your senators can be found at www.senate.gov.
PLEASE, make your voice heard by calling today! This legislation has been in the works for 8 years and this is the closest we have come to success.
Thank you for the gift of Wings and everything else you do to help people in need!
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director