Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/449720
EAA Checklist for 2015 BY JACK J. PELTON LIKE ANY GOOD PILOT we use checklists at EAA to prioritize our activity and be cer- tain we don't neglect critical issues. Here's what is on the checklist for the new year: AN EVEN BETTER OSHKOSH Our annual fl y-in and convention at Oshkosh is the biggest and most impor- tant thing EAA does every year. And what we in EAA leadership have realized is that Oshkosh is the most critical annual event in all of personal aviation. That fact was driven home two years ago when dramatic and unexpected FAA budget cuts threatened Oshkosh due to unavailability of controllers. Suddenly the entire industry was jerked up short. A year without Oshkosh? It would be a disaster for all, not just EAA. The good news is that we were able to come to a long-term bud- geting agreement with the FAA to provide air traf c control at Oshkosh. In fact, last year's Oshkosh was the best in many years and clearly shows new life and interest in private fl ying, the fi rst solid uptick since the global recession began seven years ago. This year we are making still more improvements in the Oshkosh facilities to make everyone's stay more comfortable and enjoyable. New programs are being added to cover our members expanding aviation interests. And as always, you, the volunteers who make Oshkosh possible, are being consulted and included in planning and preparation to make this year the best Oshkosh ever. THIRD-CL ASS MEDICAL REFORM EAA's number one advocacy ef ort is to demand that the FAA implement third-class medical reform. There was progress in 2014 with a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) coming out of the FAA, but that proposal has been locked up in review by other gov- ernment authorities. We don't know at this writing what is in the NPRM, but EAA and other aviation groups continue to insist that the document be released for comment. Though we are pleased the FAA is following the normal rulemaking path, we also continue to work with personal avia- tion supporters in Congress to pressure the regulators to act. There are a large number of members of both the House and Senate who support third-class medical reform, and bills have been introduced. There is no more important regulatory reform, and EAA leadership promises to keep the pressure on for logical and meaningful change. E-AB SAFETY ADVANCES EAA and the FAA have made improving the safety record of exper- imental amateur-built (E-AB) airplanes the number one safety checklist item. And I'm pleased to report solid progress with release of FAA Advisory Circular AC 90-116 last fall. Flights early in the Phase 1 testing of an E-AB airplane have been overly risky compared to the entire safety picture. At EAA we believe that allowing a second pilot with demonstrated expertise and experience in the airplane being test fl own can make a big improvement. And with release of AC 90-116 the FAA agrees. Now a builder can, under many circumstances, fl y with a second highly experienced pilot during those critical early fl ights. YOUNG EAGLES SUPPORT There has never been a more successful program to introduce youngsters to the thrill of fl ying than Young Eagles. In the 20-year history of the program EAA member volunteers have taken nearly 2 million young people for an airplane ride, and many of those kids have gone on to learn to fl y and begin a lifetime in aviation. Young Eagles is supported by the entire industry from Boeing to Van's Aircraft. Industry leaders have recognized the critical importance of creating a new generation of pilots and people involved at all levels of aviation. You, the EAA members, are the essential component in the program when you volunteer your airplane and your time to fl y a Young Eagle. And here at EAA headquarters we and the many generous sponsors are redoubling our ef orts to support you and your chapters who host the Young Eagles rallies. KEEP 'EM FLYING That is the motto of the EAA Warbirds, but that dedication applies to all who love historic aircraft, and that is to say all of us at EAA. Preserving our aviation heritage is a fundamental mis- sion of EAA. We keep our hands on by fl ying hundreds of people each year in the EAA B-17 and Ford Tri-Motors. Those programs make avia- tion history real for so many, and also are a real-world continuing education that uncovers the challenges and solutions to keeping our history alive. And that's the key to EAA historic ef orts. We can't predict exactly what challenges lay ahead for warbird and historic airplanes fl ying this year, but we are ready to meet them. Your directors and EAA staf wish you a safe and happy new year in the air, and vow to do our utmost, with your support, to preserve our rights to fl y and welcome all to the exciting world of personal aviation. 2 Vol.4 No.1 / Januar y 2015 TOWER FREQUENCY Photography by Jason Toney