On AeroShell Square on Friday afternoon (July 31), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) hosted a press conference to tell business aviation’s story. Instead of GAMA president Pete Bunce defending the business use of aircraft, he invited several business operators to share their stories first hand. Of the six operators to take the stage, Shye […]
Opinion
No user fees in Senate FAA reauthorization bill
WASHINGTON. D.C. — FAA reauthorization has been introduced in the Senate for only a two-year extension, “so President Obama will have a chance to work out his program.” Reauthorization is usually approved for four years. If the Senate and House versions of the bill are reconciled, this means no user fees — at least for […]
Why I embrace user fees — and you should too!
Following is my speech and (notes) from an AirVenture forum that will never take place. “I want to thank you, Mr. President, and all 535 members of Congress for coming to Oshkosh for EAA’s annual AirVenture and my forum, “Why I embrace user fees — and you should too!” Also, thank you to EAA for […]
Link: ‘From a Concerned Pilot’
Following is an excerpt of a post titled, “From a Concerned Pilot” on the Transterrestrial Musings blog that is making its way around the internet. If you haven’t seen it, the original post and the comments are worth a read. A tiny minority of Americans, a minority of which I am a member, are airplane […]
Florida’s controversial use tax clarified
By Jennifer Renner-Gowan The Florida Department of Revenue has given the green light to visitors to bring their new airplanes to the state. The state has a long-standing statute that requires sales tax to be paid on new aircraft purchased elsewhere and then brought to Florida within six months of the date of purchase. If […]
Bill Introduced to Give GA Direct Input to TSA Rulemaking
General aviation interests will have a direct say into the security measures for large aircraft if a bill introduced by a Pennsylvania Representative moves its way into law. Rep. Charles Dent introduced a bill June 29 to require the Transportation Security Administration “to engage in a negotiated rulemaking process for creating a security regimen for […]
Pearl Harbor vet, 99, honored by sailors, Marines
In one of those wonderfully honorable gestures we don’t hear about very much, these days, a group of Navy and Marine Corps aviation ordnancemen held a ceremony at the U. S. naval base in Bahrain, June 21, honoring a Pearl Harbor veteran who is the oldest living recipient of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s […]
Centennial of Naval Aviation to be celebrated
Stand by, my fellow Naval Aviators. Our service will be a century old on 8 May 2011 – less than two years from now. Pensacola will be the focal point, although the year-long celebrations will be nationwide. On 8 May 1911 Captain Washington Irving Chambers, USN, signed the requisition for the Navy’s first airplane, which […]
FAA Administrator Shows Pilot Knowledge at Congressional Hearings
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ten days after being sworn in as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, J. Randolph Babbitt appeared as a witness at two Congressional hearings, providing an opportunity to judge how he will approach the job. His testimony and responses to questions indicated he knows aviation and will not be rushed into changing regulations for […]