August 03

AOPA-Chile President Gonzalo Picó Domínguez reports that after just a few months of existence the association has attracted more than 150 members. Additionally, a major membership drive is underway that will reach all pilots within Chile.

Mr. Dominguez has met with and been well received by top officials within the Directorates of General Civil Aviation and Airports, national aero club and aviation associations to discuss the vision and mission of AOPA-Chile. Soon they will have a web site, www.aopachile.org, in place to promote their work and communicate with members.

AOPA-Russia Works to Revise Regulations

AOPA-Russia has been invited to assist in a total revision of the civil air law and regulations within Russia. This is a major event for general aviation and aerial work within Russia since few provisions have been made specifically for this form of aviation. AOPA-Russia Chairman Leonid Koshelev said, "Expert groups on single branches of economy are being set up under the auspices of the Economic Department of the President's Administration - with the task to draft new regulations to be passed by the State Duma as National Law. AOPA-Russia is to lead and coordinate the GA-related effort within this group. This is an important breakthrough for us in general aviation."

ICAO Provisions for Carrying Survival Equipment

Provision is made to permit carriage of some prohibited items: "...except by authorised persons who require them to undertake tasks essential to the operation of airport facilities or aircraft, catering facilities or restaurants, or by flight crew who require them for the performance of normal in-flight duties." However, IAOPA is concerned that some security and facilitation personnel may not be aware of the survival equipment requirements and needs of general aviation and aerial work operators around the world. A number of countries require aircraft operating over remote areas to carry extensive survival kits containing, inter alia, firearms, flares, saws, axes and knives.

Carriage of survival items should be permitted regardless of whether such carriage is specified by regulation. A prudent pilot-in-command of an aircraft will carry items deemed essential in protecting and sustaining the flight crew and passengers in the event of an aircraft accident.

Therefore, IAOPA recommends that a statement be inserted in the preamble to the list of prohibited items that will clarify the need for carrying survival items. Suggest modification of the above sentence excerpt to read: "...except by authorised persons who require them to undertake tasks essential to the operation of airport facilities or aircraft, catering facilities or restaurants, or by flight crew who require them for the performance of normal and emergency duties incident to flight."

Further, recommend that an additional footnote be included for specific items permitted to be carried as a part of a survival kit. Those items would include: firearms, flares, flare pistol, saw, axes, hatchets, and knives. Recommended wording for this footnote: "Permitted for carriage by flight crew when intended for post-flight survival purposes."

AOPA-Malta Working With Local Authorities

Elizabeth Micallef, President of AOPA-Malta, has recently met with officials of the Malta International Airport Authority and Malta Air Traffic Services to better integrate general aviation operations into these entities. Importantly, she is working with the airport authority to develop a strategic plan for future general aviation operations at that airport. Finally, AOPA-Malta is working with the Minister of Tourism to help promote general aviation tourism to the island country.

AOPA-Germany Opposes Nuclear Power Plant Restrictions

The German DFS recently issued notice that beginning in September aircraft would be restricted from overflying 41 nuclear power plants within Germany. This ruling was made summarily, with no input from the aviation community permitted. Michael Erb, Managing Director of AOPA-Germany, reacted strongly to the new regulations, stating that, "Little rationale exists for imposing such a rule. Extensive tests have shown that light aircraft do not have sufficient mass or kinetic energy to endanger the safety and security of nuclear power plants. More importantly, avoiding these facilities by the altitude and distances specified may make it unsafe for pilots flying in low visibility and ceilings." Erb pledged to oppose these regulations that, at best, provide a false sense of security to the population and, at worst, impose a potential weather and navigation hazard for pilots. Stringent penalties for violation of this rule may cause pilots to choose to avoid these areas by a great amount and in so doing jeopardize safety of flight during marginal VMC.

Canadian Certified Private Aircraft Decline

COPA reports good news about the private aircraft fleet: it has grown by 792 aircraft in the last three years, which is 3.7% growth. Yet, the number of private certified aircraft is actually going down, losing 118, or 0.8%, in the last three years.

Of the non-certified aircraft, basic ultralights lead the way with 290 new registrations in the past three years, growing by 7.6% in that period. Next are amateur-built aircraft, which added 246 aircraft, increasing their numbers by 9.5%. Next in popularity are owner maintenance aircraft adding 212 aircraft. Advanced ultralights added 144 aircraft, which is a whopping 24.6%, increase in their numbers over three years previously.

The report speculates: will ultralights, owner maintenance and amateur-builts surpass private certified aircraft in Canada? If the past three-year trends are any indication of the future, that will happen 19 years from now in the year 2022. By then private aircraft should be 77% of all the aircraft in Canada, up from 72% today (there are currently 22,438 private aircraft out of 28,921 total aircraft in Canada).

World Assembly Registration Packets Distributed

AOPA-France has recently distributed registration packets for the 22nd IAOPA World Assembly. If you have not received one or need additional packets please contact AOPA-France at WA2004@aopa-fr.org (Fax +33 1 48 35 96 40) or Ruth Moser, IAOPA Administrator, at ruth.moser@aopa.org (Fax +1 301 695 2375). You may reproduce registration forms locally to provide them to other members. Note there is an advantage to early registration since the registration fee is increased by 20 percent after 30 September 2003.

Plan to attend the IAOPA World Assembly in Toulouse, France

19-23 April 2004