Max Trescott on General Aviation

Another Airport Saved! Reid-Hillview off the Chopping Block--for Now

Like the TSA, we should assign a colored threat level for every airport in the country, based upon the current level of threat posed to the airport. If we did, San Jose's Reid-Hillview Airport would have been operating all year at a Level 4, Orange, High Threat of Airport Closure. As we reported earlier, that's because the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to study the legal issues and potential financial benefits associated with closing the airport and developing the land. It's the third time in 25 years that the airport has been in danger of closing.

Yesterday, pilots in Silicon Valley...

Wish list for AOPA’s new President Craig Fuller

Apparently it will be official tomorrow. Phil Boyer is retiring and Craig L. Fuller will be the next President of AOPA. A hearty congratulations to them both. Before I get to my wish list for Craig and AOPA, let me talk a little about this important change and the great industry in which many of us are privileged to work.

In the 69 year history of AOPA, there have been only three Presidents, which speaks to the remarkable stability of the organization. Phil started in early 1991, so it will have been about an 18 year run for him, assuming he serves through the end of this year. When I say "run" I mean it. AOPA is the point of the spear for the General Aviation industry, and no job is more important than the President’s. Being AOPA President means being constantly on the run, and Phil’s earned a reputation as a tireless advocate for General Aviation.

As to the greatness of this industry, one needs only to look to...

JetWhine article - CFI, Entrepreneur

"Knowing Max for just a short time has opened my eyes to the fact that I truly miss teaching people how to fly myself." So says Rob Mark in the article he posted yesterday on his www.jetwhine.com blog. JetWhine has always been one of my favorite blogs, so when Mark contacted me a few months ago and suggested that he interview me for the blog, I was happy to do it.

Previous blog articles had talked about CFI issues, such as the high turnover among instructors and the relatively low pay for CFI's employed by flight schools (hmmmm, do you think the two might be related?). I think Mark was wondering how one succeeds in the CFI game given those challenges. The article title, Max Trescott...CFI, Entrepreneur certainly fits with my idea of how one should attack any job. Be an entrepreneur. Seek opportunity, identify needs and provide value. It's no different in flight instruction. You can read Mark's full article here.

User Fees Off the Table for 2008!

So says an AOPA website story from Friday, April 24. That is welcome news that’s been a long time in coming. It means that the stalemate in the Senate, over what method to use to fund the FAA for the next four years, appears to be over. There are still many steps needed before an FAA reauthorization bill is actually signed into law, but at least the logjam is broken and progress is being made. It also means that General Aviation can now...

Keeping Flying Affordable

I was at Sun 'n Fun last week, and several of the conversations revolved around keeping flying affordable. If you haven’t been to Sun ‘n Fun, put it on your calendar for next year. It’s the second largest air show after Oshkosh, and it’s always held in April at the Lakeland, FL airport. That’s a hop, skip and a jump from either Orlando or Tampa International airports, which gives you lots of choices if you choose to fly via the airlines. If you fly in yourself, make sure that you read next year’s NOTAM for the show. The 2008 Sun ‘n Fun NOTAM is a pdf file that runs 45 pages and applies to 17 airports in the area.

AOPA had a large presence at Sun ‘n Fun, and they were...

Reid-Hillview airport in the Crosshairs--Again. Pilots Need to Act Now.

The Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, CA is the target again of a potential closure action by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. In March, the board voted for studies of the potential net financial benefits of developing the airport and the potential legal issues with closing the airport. At their June 3, 2008 meeting, they will vote on whether to continue toward closure, and if so, will familiarize themselves with a closure process at their August meeting. Now is the time for pilots and aviation supporters everywhere to begin mobilizing to preserve this valuable regional resource. As you know, once an airport is gone, it can never be replaced.

Here's a list of the ways you can help. First and foremost.....

2008 National CFI of the Year

I was flattered recently to receive a shirt in the mail, which is pictured here. You'll notice that it says 2008 National CFI of the Year. Oddly, it also has my name on it. Wow. There's not much I can say, which most people know is unusual for me. Except perhaps thank you. For more of the details on this amazing honor, here's the press release.

Anyone who knows me knows I've been passionate about aviation my whole life. Passion is wonderful to experience. There's nothing better than throwing yourself wholehearted into something--anything--that you really enjoy. The time flies by quickly and pleasantly. I'm very lucky that my work--both as an author, publisher and flight instructor--keeps me thoroughly immersed in aviation and in contact with...

The ADS-B NextGen Mandate: Time is Running Out for Your Comments

There's always a marriage of sorts between pilots and Air Traffic Control, and final vows are about to be exchanged for the FAA’s NextGen Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The proposal mandates ADS-B equipment in all aircraft by 2020, but the deadline for comments is just two weeks away, so now is the time for you to carefully read this prenuptial agreement.

In the past, the FAA has embarked on other multi-billion dollar modernization programs that ballooned in size and failed to deliver as promised. This program could be more successful than those, but it may need changes to optimize it to deliver the right benefits at the lowest cost. Whether you own or rent, your money is at stake and...

Clancy Prevost, CFI, American Hero

There's hardly a person in America that doesn't know that on 9/11, Flight 93 didn't achieve its target of crashing into the White House or the Capitol. Instead, a group of brave passengers seized the moment and took destiny into their own hands. These brave people altered the course of history and kept a national tragedy from becoming worse. As a nation, we're indebted to them doing what they felt was right.

Clancy Prevost, Flight Instructor, is the American Hero who gave the passengers a critical advantage. Instead of 5 hijackers, only 4 were on board, since Clancy warned his superiors, who eventually called the FBI, that the "20th hijacker" assigned to him for training didn't fit any reasonable profile for a person training in a 747 simulator. Clancy spoke up and persisted, even when his supervisors felt that it might be better to just keep the cash and give the training. Hopefully there's a little Clancy in all of us, and when we see something that's not right, we'll speak up and persist, even in the face of others who seek to avoid controversy and look the other way.

If you think Clancy's the product of small town American values, you're right. Coincidentally, I can tell you in detail about the town and the values that influenced a man like Clancy Prevost. After all, we grew up two blocks from each other...

User Fees: Dormant not Dead

Senator Bill Nelson's recent comment that "User fees are dead" was surely well received by the 400 constituents who heard him speak recently in Ft. Lauderdale. Coming from such a credible source--the Senator sits on the aviation subcommittee of the Senate's Commerce, Science and Technology Committee--this undoubtedly cheered the crowd as well it should.

Phil Boyer's more cautionary words that "in politics it isn't over until the final vote" bespeaks a more important truth: user fees are possibly dormant but not dead. There's been a long history of government urging user fees for general aviation, and perhaps Senator Nelson meant that user fees are dead for now. If history has any predictive value, then...