Tag Archives: kitplanes

EAA: GA safety must be considered in UAS airspace integration

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GA safety

EAA MAINTAINS IMPORTANCE OF GENERAL AVIATION AND SAFETY IN COMMENTS TO FAA ON AMAZON PETITION

Retailer seeking regulation exemption to begin unmanned drone deliveries

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (September 3, 2019) — GA Safety for manned aircraft, not commercial expediency, must be the priority for federal air regulators as they consider an exemption application by Amazon regarding package deliveries by unmanned aerial systems (UAS), noted the Experimental Aircraft Association in formal comments to the Federal Aviation Administration.

EAA made the comments in response to Amazon’s petition to the FAA that requested relief from certain rules in order to conduct deliveries by UAS, commonly known as drones. The exemption would allow Amazon additional freedom to operate below 400 feet above ground level (AGL) without the line-of-sight observation requirements for UAS operations.

“There is an asymmetrical challenge to safety as UAS flights are integrated into the national airspace, as the priority must be preventing hazards to people in the event of a collision over threats to unmanned machinery,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety, “EAA is not opposed to integrating unmanned systems into the airspace, as long as they observe appropriate safety protocols and do not lead to additional regulations and mandated equipment for manned aircraft. In addition, manned aircraft must have the right-of-way in all circumstances.”

In addition to reaffirming EAA’s long-standing position on UAS integration, the organization’s comments give specific examples of various types of flying that takes place on a regular basis below 400 feet AGL, where Amazon intends to operate. Those operations include ultralight vehicles, private airports and helipads, emergency medical flight operations, backcountry flying, seaplanes, and flights over open water or sparsely populated areas. This affirms the need for extremely reliable sense-and-avoid technology aboard unmanned systems that can detect any and all manned aircraft.

“While we are pleased that Amazon stated in its petition that it must demonstrate an equivalent level of safety to ‘see-and-avoid’ principles of manned aircraft, we urge the FAA review and confirm Amazon’s risk assumptions are accurate and its redundancy procedures are as vigorous as those for manned aircraft,” Elliott said. “It is the responsibility of every entity using the airspace to maintain the equivalent safety standards as we explore the opportunities and benefits of this new technology. The stakes are too high for any alternative to be acceptable.”

About EAA

EAA embodies The Spirit of Aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 225,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAA.

Aviation insurance rates on the rise!

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Aviation insurance rates on the rise!

Aviation insurance rates are on the rise. For years the aviation insurance market has been pretty slow in increasing the premiums.

But if you have followed my posts and articles, you will know that in the past year rates have been going up and it doesn’t look like it will stop anytime soon.

There are lots of reasons why the increases could be happening: from airline crashes, general aviation crashes, bad weather, to the financial markets. Whatever the reason for the increases. Here are a few things you can do to manage your insurance premium:

  1. Make sure your broker has your most updated and accurate pilot hours.  Keep flying and putting on hours. It’s an excuse to fly.
  2. If you have hull coverage, re-evaluate the insured value of your aircraft. Are you insuring it for enough or too much?
  3. Get that advanced rating. While an instrument might not save you a huge percentage, it might open the market for more options.
  4. Keep it simple. Some of the best insurance rates are on fixed tri-gear aircraft. Thinking of moving up to a retractable gear or tail wheel aircraft, be prepared that the insurance rates are going to be higher.
  5. If you are an older pilot don’t let your insurance expire (lapse). Age is also a barrier to getting insurance coverage.

And as a final thought, please note, Insurance Agents/Brokers don’t have any control over the rates of the insurance companies.  There’s the old saying, “Don’t shoot the messenger”, and that applies here.

 

EAA OSHKOSH 2019: FACTS AND FIGURES

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EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2019: FACTS AND FIGURES FOR A RECORD YEAR

Comment from EAA CEO and Chairman Jack Pelton:

  • “What I’m most proud of this year is how our volunteers, staff, and the community joined to overcome the challenges resulting from the massive storms that hit the airport and campground just prior to opening day. It took a true team effort to meet the additional demands on time and resources to provide services to our members and visitors.”

Attendance: Approximately 642,000 – 6.8 percent above of 2018’s record total.  Comment from Pelton:

  • “EAA members and aviation enthusiasts attended in large numbers, and stayed throughout the week. On July 22, we thanked Oshkosh residents for 50 years of support with free opening-day tickets and more than 8,700 of them attended – which equates to 13 percent of the city’s population. Throughout the rest of the week, our efforts to create unique attractions and aviation highlights across the grounds were incredibly successful in creating ‘Only at Oshkosh’ moments.”

Total aircraft: More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 16,807 aircraft operations in the 11-day period from July 19-29, which is an average of approximately 127 takeoffs/landings per hour.

Total showplanes: 2,758 included: 1,057 homebuilt aircraft (including a record 592 homebuilt aircraft campsites), 939 vintage airplanes, 400 warbirds (6 percent increase), 188 ultralights and light-sport aircraft, 105 seaplanes (40 percent increase), 62 aerobatic aircraft, and 7 in other categories.

Camping: More than 12,300 sites in aircraft and drive-in camping accounted for an estimated 40,000 visitors.

Volunteers: More than 5,500 contributing in excess of 250,000 hours.

Commercial exhibitors: 863.

Forums, Workshops, and Presentations: A total of 1,500 sessions attended by more than 75,000 people.

EAA aircraft flights: 3,051 people flew aboard EAA’s Ford Tri-Motors, while 3,173 people flew aboard EAA’s Bell 47 helicopters and 669 flew aboard EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast.

Social Media, Internet and Mobile: More than 17.6 million people were reached by EAA’s social media channels during AirVenture; EAA’s website had more than 2.1 million page views; EAA video clips during the event were viewed 4.5 million times; and EAA’s 2,740 photo uploads were viewed more than 13.3 million times. Additionally, EAA web streams were accessed more than 1.6 million times by viewers in more than 200 countries, who watched more than 315,000 hours of activities from the AirVenture grounds. The AirVenture app was downloaded and used by nearly 47,000 attendees. EAA Radio reached more than 104,000 listeners in 158 countries with 6,735 hours of audio, and more than 47,000 viewers of 405,000 minutes of streaming video.

Guests registered at International Visitors Tent: A record 2,772 visitors registered from 93 nations, also a record total. (Actual counts are higher since international visitor registration is voluntary.) Top countries represented by registered visitors: Canada (561 visitors), Australia (386), and South Africa (177).

The Gathering shines: The EAA Aviation Foundation’s annual event to support its aviation education programs attracted some 1,400 people and raised more than $2.8 million dollars that will be focused on EAA’s mission of growing participation in aviation.

Media: 851 media representatives on-site, from six continents.

Economic impact*: $170 million for the five counties in the Oshkosh region (Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Brown). * – based on 2017 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh economic impact study

What’s ahead for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2020 (July 20-26, 2020)?  Comment from Pelton:

  • “Planning is well underway for next year’s event, including discussions during AirVenture 2019 about possible features and attractions for 2020. In the next few months, we will be finalizing highlights in all areas to make the 68th annual EAA fly-in convention the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.”

OSHKOSH 2019