I hope everyone has had a very joyous Christmas, and have started on a most prosperous New Year. Unfortunately, as for me, I got involved in the Christmas and New Year celebrations and personal items that have gotten me behind the proverbial 8 ball, and as a result this January Executive Director’s Report will be a bit shorter than usual.
Because the weather has cooled down, the flying has been great, and that begs the question, why hasn’t everyone been out there flying? The notes from the FAA this last reporting period have been a lot briefer which would indicate that people aren’t flying as much, or they are being more careful. Human nature as it is, I would doubt we are being more careful. Anyway, let’s go flying!
This next year indicates it will be a very busy one for your Pilots Association. As indicated in the last APA Newsletter, we met with local Senator Farnsworth in our state legislator informing him of what we consider the misuse of ADS-B information for potential commercial purposes and the continued taking of our aviation funds for non-aviation purposes. As a result of that meeting, APA is going to be tasked with getting involved with the Arizona Airport Association (AzAA) to make certain they are aware of the general aviation concerns, and how we can get them to be more proactive in addressing the needs of the aviation community. A couple of other legislators have jumped in to defend our fund as well! APA will also need to get more involved with making our state legislators more aware of the general aviation community, and our positive impact on the state’s economy. It’s a big task for the coming year, and unfortunately our manpower is a bit limited. If you think you can assist us, please contact our president, Chris Nugent.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
FAA
I suppose many of you have heard the Federal Aviation (FAA) Administrator Michael Whitaker will be resigning from his role on January 20, 2025, in just over a year in that position. He was appointed in October of 2023. “Serving as Administrator of the FAA has been the honor of my lifetime.” Whitaker stated. Whitaker’s resignation opens the door for President Trump to nominate his replacement at a pivotal moment for the agency which is facing several critical challenges. Everything still seems to be quiet on the FAA front in the way of changes or proposals for changes to the regulations that would impact our flying activity. APA will always be on the alert for any significant changes that may occur and will keep you informed.
AIRSPACE
As you know there is still a significant amount of parachute activity throughout the state, and we hope you are being extra vigilant when flying near airports with known parachute activity. While the Royal Air Force has had teams here recently, there may be other teams from other foreign countries that could be training here. Be advised that this training may be occurring at any of the parachute sites throughout the state. Please be aware that some of this activity could be high altitude jumping with a high altitude parachute opening with parachutists descending through airspace removed from the final landing site. Always be sure to check for NOTAMS for this activity, or use Flight Following for your proposed route of flight. Also possibly monitor en-route facility frequencies for parachute activity.
SAFETY
Aviation safety in this past reporting has not been the best because of the number of accidents/incidents reported. Fortunately, we did not have any fatalities in the past reporting period, and I do hope that the number of occurrences will come down.
For the details of these accidents/incidents in this past November - December reporting period, 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, if anyone got hurt, and with as much detail as possible. Thank you.
Fortunately, in this past reporting period we didn’t have any Near Mid Air Collisions (NMAC) noted by the FAA. ALWAYS WATCH FOR OTHER AIRCRAFT IN YOUR AREA !
The pilot deviations reported by the FAA were from the period from November 15 to December 12, and the number of pilot deviations drastically decreased during this normal reporting period. These deviations were committed by pilots with certificates ranging from Sport Pilot through ATP, and apparently there were seven out of state pilots that committed some of the deviations. It is interesting to note that there were seven out of state airplanes involved in only nine deviations reported this time. Some of the deviations were serious enough to warrant the issuance of a Brasher notice to the pilot.
Note: A controller will issue a Brasher notification to a pilot when further FAA action will be taken, and the controller is thus giving the airman the opportunity to make note of the occurrence, collect information, and their thoughts for their future interaction with FAA Flight Standards.
In this past reporting period apparently a majority of the deviations were considered serious because there were seven Brashers issued out of only nine deviations. In many cases it’s still apparent that the pilot is unaware of what type of airspace they are flying in or were about to enter, and pilots must always listen carefully to ATC instructions, and follow them, and if they can’t comply, immediately tell the controller why they can’t comply. When flying in controlled airspace, pilots must always comply with ATC instructions and always advise ATC before you do anything that may differ from the instructions given. When on the ground, pay attention to all airport signs, and runway markings, and know what they mean, and comply with them.
In summary, the general aviation deviations, and Brashers issued this reporting period are as follows:
2 IFR Route 2 Brashers
3 Class Bravo Deviation 2 Brashers
1 Class Charlie Deviation 1 Brasher
3 Runway Incursions 2 Brashers
CONSTRUCTION
Gateway Airport (IWA) is still undertaking construction projects which may require the closing, or partial closing of one of their three runways from time to time. Phoenix Deer Valley Airport is undergoing a major hangar construction project requiring changes in the normal taxi routing. Be sure to get NOTAMS for both airports before your arrival. Other airports around the state have numerous construction projects in progress or have projects starting soon. Unfortunately, we don’t have the specific details on all these projects, but we would urge you to always check for NOTAMS at your destination airport so you don’t have a 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. The Airport Master Plan Update process usually requires about a year for completion.
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.
Grapevine is open full time, and generally the third Saturday weekend camping and cookouts have restarted. Check the newsletter for a possible weekend change. The camp host will prepare the main course for dinner, 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 will be put on by the Runway 5 Cafe, a new cafe that just started business in the Casa Grande Airport terminal building. Runway 5 Cafe is open for business on Tuesday thru Saturday from 7:00 am to 2:00pm.
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. If you haven’t, 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.