Friday, June 29, 2012

FAA Safety Team Note

FAA Safety Team | Safer Skies Through Education
Moving Away From Paper - The use of MedXPress is mandatory beginning October 1, 2012
Notice Number: NOTC3897
Effective October 1, 2012, pilots must use FAA MedXPress to complete an electronic application  for an Airman Medical Certificate or Airman Medical and Student Pilot Certificate, FAA Form 8500-8.
 
As many of you know, the Federal Government is taking steps across the board to become more efficient and to reduce costs, and our move to electronic records is consistent with those initiatives.
 
One of the significant enhancements will establish a tracking program so that pilots and AMEs can query the system and electronically determine the status of applications.
 
Future enhancements will also transition air traffic control specialists (ATCSs) to MedXPress, after internal FAA coordination and some modifications to the ATCS certification system.
 
Why wait for the October 1, 2012 deadline? We encourage you to begin using MedXPress today. MedXPress is located at https://medxpress.faa.gov/ 

If applicants have any technical issues with MedXPress, they may reach MedXPress Support at 877-287-6731.

History, and a hot dog


Click on the link below for some information on a cool project that is happening right here up the road at Owen's Downtown airport.

History, and a hot dog

Friday, June 22, 2012

This is a great way to support our Vets


Volunteer Pilots Needed!!!

Mission:  To Salute, honor and pay tribute to America’s military men and women, including our veterans on the 4th of July.

Background:  Salute from the Shore is a very accessible opportunity for South Carolina beachgoers to honor and pay tribute to our armed forces on Independence Day, the most important patriotic day of the year for all Americans.  Organized in 2010, the Salute features a flyby of four F-16s from Shaw Air Force base down the entire coastline of South Carolina.  Beach-goers dress in red, white and blue, create patriotic displays visible from the air and wave their American flags as the jets fly at low altitude overhead.  On July 4th of 2012, four F-16s from the 79th Fighter Squadron, “The Flying Tigers”, from Shaw Air Force base will fly the mission from north to south beginning at 1:00 pm on the North Carolina/South Carolina border.  “The Flying Tigers” were the last Americans to leave Iraq and are proud to be flying this mission!

Scenes along the SC coast are filmed on shore and by aerial photographers.  Additionally, men, women and children have an opportunity to offer their own personal tributes which are recorded by professional videographers on the beaches.  All of the scenes are compiled and distributed through various internet sources, the Salute from the Shore website (www.salutefromtheshore.org) and via DVD to military personnel around the globe as a way of showing them South Carolinians’ appreciation for their courageous service to our country.

We are told by the Air Force that Salute from the Shore is likely the largest flyby in the history of America as it is witnessed by an estimated one million people on the beaches of South Carolina.

New Initiative:  The organizers of Salute from the Shore want to take the Salute to new heights in 2012 by specifically acknowledging the selfless contributions of America’s veterans.  In addition to a comprehensive public relations campaign highlighting the veterans, it is our goal to fly numerous vets down the beach, preceding or immediately following the F16s, to give these representatives of our military an opportunity to have a birds’ eye view of the patriotic spectacle on the beaches and witness first-hand this tribute to them and their peers.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!  To accomplish the flyby of veterans, Salute from the Shore needs many, many volunteer pilots to fly a patriotic mission on July 4th.  The concept includes a parade of private airplanes filled with veterans who most likely will be selected from those who have participated in the Honor Flights to Washington, DC.

If you want more information or you are inclined to volunteer your aircraft, your fuel and your time to participate in the flyby, please contact John Folsom at your earliest convenience.

Salute from the Shore can always use additional volunteers to provide aerial photography.  Helicopter pilots, professional or highly qualified amateur photographers are essential to producing high quality video to share with our military men and women.

CONTACT
John W. Folsom
803.401.4265
john.folsom@colliers.com

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

FAA Docket on 3rd Class Medicals

If you haven't commented on the proposed changes to 3rd class
medicals, you should go now and do it. It takes literally a minute or
two. And forward this to your pilot friends, and your potential pilot
friends, and your no-longer flying pilot friends, and everyone that
may support it.

The proposal has been on the FAA docket since March 20, and only ~2000
people have commented on it since it opened up for public comment!
Tens if not hundreds of thousands of pilots could be directly and
immediately affected by this positive change, and no one cares enough
to write a sentence or two supporting it? And if you're not having
medical questions now, you most likely will in the future. Why have we
become so apathetic?

Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2012-0350-0001
and comment now!

For more info, see the AOPA article at
http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2012/120612time-running-out-to-support-medical-exemption.html

The Ambassador 2012 News Letter

For the Mooney folks at Whiteplains, here is the latest Mooney Ambassador news letter. With list of current event inside. 

If you have a news letter for your MFG plane, email it to me so I can post it.




Click on this link below:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1.1&thid=137e6bf75727952b&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D4eaaf96373%26view%3Datt%26th%3D137e6bf75727952b%26attid%3D0.1.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26zw&sig=AHIEtbQjtAReWXh7QJoIo4uVS465o4hqMw&pli=1

Monday, June 11, 2012

Acadia Air Tour Flight Bar Harbor, ME


Video by: Don Cook

Last week we managed to get up to Bar Harbor, in Maine.  Got a short flight around the island in a Cessna 182.  Great place, and the view from the air made the flight worth while.  The airport is really nice.  I wouldn't mind going back, but this time in the Mooney.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Jim Causey 6-8-2012 RV Flight


Video by: Don Cook Short video of Jim Causey during his BFR flight with Mike Moore this past Friday.

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

K-Mart Breakfast Club

Photo By: Steve Sanderson

Our thanks to all of those who are still employed for joining us at K-Club on Memorial Day Monday.  They came to see for themselves what their Social Security contributions are supporting.