I hope all of you had a Very Merry Christmas and look forward to having a prosperous New Year. This report was written at the very end of December, and looking over the past year it has been an interesting time. Looking at it from my point-of-view, I don’t remember anything happening from an aviation standpoint that was really earth shaking. This past year I’ve had a few friends that have either hung it up and stopped flying, or have drastically cut back on their flying and sold their airplane. It’s always good to be able to know when you’re making your last flight than not knowing. I’ll be looking forward to having a good year flying, and will eagerly see what happens.
December hasn’t been the greatest for getting out and flying to breakfast on Saturday because of either weather or other conflicts. Next year has to be different! So, let’s get out there and go flying.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
FAA
I think the past month has been a quiet one as far as the FAA is concerned. The comment period on their MOSAIC NPRM will be ending on January 22, and they will start reviewing the comments received and develop a final rule based on the comments. It would be nice if the process was speeded up and the final rule was announced at the AirVenture at Oshkosh this year, but realistically it will probably be in 2025 or ’26.
AIRSPACE
I haven’t heard of any FAA regulation changes or proposals that would negatively impact our flying activity, and I certainly hope this will continue into the coming year.
As if the skies around here aren’t crowded enough, it may get worse because we should be seeing a significant increase in the parachute activity around the state. Because of the yearlong good weather we all enjoy, there are a number of private companies that will be increasing their contractual air drop activities, and there are a number of U.S. and foreign military groups that will be undertaking advanced parachute training in our skies. Some of this military training will involve exiting the airplane at flight level altitudes and opening their parachutes immediately upon exiting the aircraft, or there may also be cases where the parachutists may “free fall” for a significant period, and open their parachute, as normal, near the ground. These operations should be conducted with the issuance of a NOTAM and with airborne radio notification. These operations may be conducted at sites ranging from Bishop (formerly known as Mobile) down to Marana or possibly even Benson. When flying near these known parachute activity sites, monitor the appropriate radio frequency for that site, and always check for NOTAMS before your departure.
Remember, we are entering an election year, and Arizona is supposed to be a swing state, so the President may show up along with his VIP TFR. Be keenly aware that these VIP TFRs are administered by the Secret Service, NOT THE FAA, and that these TFRs are indeed serious, are administered by serious individuals, and need to be avoided.
SAFETY
The number of pilot deviations were still rather high again this past reporting period. The number of deviations had only gone down by one deviation from last month! I wish I knew what was going on with the pilots out there: why are they doing what they do? Is it because with the cooler weather there are more of the marginal pilots out there flying around? That could be a bit hard to believe because some of these deviations are being committed by Commercial and ATP certified pilots with CFI ratings. Apparently, they just don’t seem to be aware of what type of airspace they are flying in, or may be about to enter, or realize what is required of them. Pilots need to listen very carefully to ATC instructions, and follow them, and if they can’t comply, immediately tell the controller why they can’t comply. Pilots need to be aware that when flying in controlled airspace, they should never try to be creative, but always first tell ATC before doing anything that may differ from the ATC instructions that were given. Always pay attention to airport signs and runway markings, know what they mean, and comply with them. And always fly with forethought and caution.
In summary, the pilot deviations this reporting period are:
9 IFR Deviations 3 Brashers
2 Class Bravo Airspace Deviations 2 Brashers
4 Class Delta Airspace Deviations 2 Brashers
5 Air Traffic Control Instructions No Brashers
14 Runway Incursions 4 Brashers
For the details of these deviations see my Pilot Deviations Report located elsewhere in this newsletter.
In this past reporting period aviation safety was not very good because of the very large number of accidents/incidents reported, and the number of fatalities that also occurred. We started the first half of the year rather well, but the last portion of the year was really bad as far as fatalities were concerned. I certainly hope next year will be much better. Please use caution when flying.
For the details of these accidents and incidents see my Accident/Incident Summary Report located elsewhere in this newsletter.
Members, please continue to send accident information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the date, location, aircraft make, and type, if anyone got hurt, and with as much detail as possible. Thank you.
It was again fortunate that in this past reporting period the FAA did not report any Near Mid-Air Collisions.
CONSTRUCTION
It’s that time of the year that airports around the state have construction projects underway or are at least well into the planning stage. Unfortunately, we don’t have any specific details on all of these projects, but we certainly suggest that you always check for NOTAMS at your destination airport so you don’t have an unexpected surprise when you arrive.
APA is working with airports around the state assisting with the updating of their Airport Master Plans by providing the pilot, and aircraft owner’s perspective in the process. Payson just had their final Master Plan Update meeting this past month, and Eloy just started their Master Plan update process. Sierra Vista Municipal Airport will be starting their Master Plan Update process soon. The initial planning meeting is yet to be scheduled. An Airport Master Plan Update process normal takes about a year to complete from start to the final FAA approval of the new revised Airport Layout Plan.
THINGS TO DO - PLACES TO FLY FOR BREAKFAST:
The fly-in breakfast at Coolidge Municipal Airport (P08) is on the first Saturday of the month.
On the second Saturday of the month, consider flying down to Ryan Field (RYN) near Tucson for breakfast or lunch at Ritchie’s Restaurant. They are open daily from 6 am to 2 pm to serve you.
The Falcon Field Warbirds Squadron normally has had a fly-in breakfast on the third weekend of the month, and it was planed to start in October, but because of the storm damage at FFZ, the October breakfast was canceled, and it is presently undetermined when they will be able to restart their breakfasts. We will advise when we have new information.
Grapevine is open full time, and the third Saturday weekend camping and cookouts have started. The camp host will prepare the main course, and campers, please bring a side dish or dessert to share. Grapevine, which lies within a National Forest, is heavily used by the Forest Service for fighting wildfires, and the Military for Special Training.
On the last Saturday of the month a fly-in breakfast is continuing to be put on by the Casa Grande Masonic Lodge in the air-conditioned Terminal of the Casa Grande Airport.
When you fly to any of these venues, be sure to look for the Fly Arizona Passport Placard at the restaurant, and at the airport terminal. Scan the placard with your smart phone to get credit on the passport program for being there.
Check with the APA Getaway Flights program and online calendar for fun weekend places to fly.