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WOW, we are still doing great so far this year!  As of  August 1st, the general aviation fatal accident rate for the state of Arizona remains at only one, the crash of a Piper PA-22-160 south-southeast of Kingman back in January. 

Within the fatal accident guidelines of the GAARMS reporting process, our pilot-based safety record still stands at an outstanding rate of 100% safe, with NO Arizona-based general aviation pilot fatalities so far this year.  In the Kingman crash cited above, the student pilot received serious injuries, but the owner/non-pilot rated passenger received fatal injuries.

GAARMS maintains the auspicious goal of trying to reduce the fatal accident rate to zero, or said a different way, to operate every flight safely, with a 100% success rate.  That rate means NO fatal accidents, with NO fatalities, including passengers.  You have often heard me tout “The Four 9’s Program,” where we try to operate at a safety rate at or above 99.99% for any given year versus the pilot population here in Arizona, currently at approximately 26,000 pilots.  As of August 1st, we actually stand at a pilot safety rate of 100%.  That is really outstanding, but the real challenge facing us is to stay at, or greater than, the 99.99 percentile for the rest of 2019!


gaarms august 2019 freds perspective piper

Fred’s  Perspective…   

I am VERY pleased to announce that my stepson has earned his brand-new Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) ticket back in Maryland and starts his new job at Dream Aviation at the Westminster–Carroll county airport in Maryland where he trained. 

OK, ready for this?  The check ride only cost him $1000 plus a travel fee for the examiner to actually come to the airport (that was not his home airport) of an additional $300.  That, in my opinion, is outrageous, and part of the reason why general aviation is slowly dying – it is simply becoming too expensive.  Private, instrument, and commercial pilot check rides here in Arizona are going the same way, up to over $700, and sometimes have been known to take 2 days to complete! What has happened??  And where will it end??  I remember when examiners were limited to 2 check rides a day, because they could/should be done in 4 hours.  What happened??  And a 4-hour time period to do the ride at $700 comes out to $175 an hour!!  Really???  Oh yeah, and don’t forget the cost of the airplane thrown into the equation, and the private pilot check ride comes out to almost $900 to $1,000.  That is almost 10% of the cost of the flight training for the entire private pilot rating, and over 20% for an instrument or commercial rating. 

(Could it be a government conspiracy??)

 


gaarms august 2019 safer skies through education

From the FAA Safety Team

Safer Skies Through Education

Your ADS-B Questions Answered:

Get the Facts Here

Notice Number: NOTC9592

July 2019

Where are the current ADS-B Out equipage levels for general aviation?

As of July 1, 2019, the equipage level for U.S. fixed wing GA aircraft stood at 64,959. Of those installs, 4,375 were recorded as having non-performing emitters or NPEs.  For more information on NPEs and how you can run a free, online test of your ADS-B system to make sure that it’s transmitting correctly, see the article “Is My ADS-B Broadcasting Me?” in the January/February 2019 issue of FAA Safety Briefing here: http://bit.ly/adsbemitter.

To find the latest equipage levels, go to https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/installation/current_equipage_levels.

Will there be a change to the Jan 1, 2020 ADS-B Out deadline?

No, the FAA is not changing the deadline. After January 1, 2020, aircraft flying in airspace where transponders are currently required will be required to have ADS-B Out installed. That means you now have less than 6 months remaining to get equipped. Repair shops may soon reach their capacity limits for the year, so please plan accordingly.

Don’t Get Left in the Hangar. Equip Now!

For more information, please visit the Equip ADS-B website at www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/.

Questions about equipping?

Please see our FAQs at https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/resources/faq/ or contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


With the new Top Gun coming out, people are asking "What ever happened to Iceman?"  Well, I Heard Iceman got out and went to the airlines; here is his career in a nutshell...

  • 22 years old: Graduated from college. Went to military flight school. Became hot shot pilot. Got married.gaarms august 2019 went to military flight school
  • 25 years old: Had 1st kid. Now hotshot jock getting shot at in war.
  • Just want to get back to USA in one piece. Get back to USA as primary flight instructor pilot. Get bored. Volunteer for war again.
  • 29 years old: Get back from war all tuckered out. Wants out of military.
  • 30 years old: Join airline. World is your oyster.
  • 31 years old: Buy flashy car, house and lots of toys. Gets over the military poverty feeling.
  • 32 years old: Divorce boring 1st wife. Pay child support and maintenance. Drink lots of booze and screw around while looking for 2nd wife.
  • 33 years old: Furloughed. Join military reserve unit and fly for fun. Repeat above for a few more years.
  • 35 years old: Airline recall. More screwing around but looking forward to a good marriage and settling down.
  • 36 years old: Marry young spunky 25-year-old flight attendantgaarms august 2019 marry spunky 25 year old flight attendant
  • 37 years old: Buy another house. Gave first house to first wife.
  • 38 years old: Gives in to second wife to have more kids. Father again. Wife concerned about "risky" military Reserve flying so resigns commission.
  • 39 years old: Now a captain. Hooray! Upgrade house, buy boat, small single engine airplane and even flashier cars.
  • 42 years old: 2nd wife runs off with wealthy investment banker but still wants to share house (100%).
  • 43 years old: Settle with wife #2 and resolve to stay away from women forever. Seek a position as a check Captain for 10% pay override to pay mounting bills. Moves into 1-bedroom apartment with window air conditioners.
  • 44 years old: Company resizes, and you're returned to co-pilot status. 25% pay cut. Become simulator instructor for 10% override pay.
  • 49 years old: Captain again. Move into 2-bedroom luxury apartment with central air conditioning.
  • 50 years old: Meet sexy Danish model on International trip. She loves you and says you are very "beeeeg!"
  • 51 years old: Marries sexy Danish model for wife #3. Buy big house, boat, twin engine airplane and upgrade cars.
  • 52 years old: Sexy model wants kids (not again). Resolve to get vasectomy.
  • 54 years old: Try to talk wife out of kids, but presto, she's pregnant. She says she got sick after taking the pill. Accident, sorry, won't happen again.
  • 55 years old: Father of Triplets.gaarms august 2019 join motorcycle club
  • 56 years old: Wife #3 wants very big house, bigger boat and very flashy cars, "worried" about your private flying and wants you to sell twin engine airplane. You give in. You buy a motorcycle and join motorcycle club.
  • 57 years old: Make rash investments to try and have enough money for retirement.
  • 59 years old: Lose money on rash investment and get audited by the IRS. You have to fly 100% International night trips just to keep up with child support and alimony to wife #1 and #2.
  • 60 years old: Wife #3 (sexy model) says you're too damned old and no fun. She leaves. She takes most of your assets. You're forced to retire due to Age 60 rule. No money left.
  • 61 years old: Now Captain on a non-schedule South American 727 freight outfit and living in a non-air-conditioned studio apartment directly underneath the final approach to runway 9 at Miami Int'l. You have "interesting" Hispanic neighbors who ask you if you've ever flown DC-3's.gaarms august 2019 fedex crew member
  • 65 years old: Lose FAA medical and get job as sim instructor. Don't look forward to years of getting up at 2 AM for 3 AM Sim training in every god-forsaken town you train in due to the fact your carrier can find cheap, off-hours Sim time at various Brand X Airlines.
  • 70 years old: Hotel alarm clock set by previous FedEx crew member goes off at 1:00 AM. Have heart attack and die with smile on face. Happy at last!

Ain't aviation great…

 

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