The August 2017 issue of Flight Lines focuses on advocacy against ATC privatization, safety in instrument flying, and community engagement. CPA President Gary Tobey urges members to contact Congress to oppose the 21st Century AIRR Act (HR 2997), which would privatize air traffic control through a nonprofit board benefiting airlines at the expense of general aviation. The newsletter emphasizes that the current FAA funding through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund is sustainable and that privatization poses risks to smaller airports and general aviation services nationwide.
The issue highlights several educational and community events, including a notable eclipse fly-in to Alliance, Nebraska on August 21, 2017, and features technical guidance on instrument approaches from Robert Stedman regarding GPS approach planning. Additionally, the CPA hosted ATC expert Rose Marie Kern, who presented on the future of air traffic control and ICAO flight plan filing, drawing approximately forty attendees to a WINGS/AMT event at Front Range Airport.
Key Topics
- Opposition to ATC privatization and the 21st Century AIRR Act (HR 2997)
- Airport and Airway Trust Fund sustainability concerns
- GPS approach planning and instrument flight procedures
- History and future of Air Traffic Control systems
- ICAO flight plan filing requirements
- General aviation’s role in the national airspace system
- Call for volunteer leadership in CPA
Events & Activities
- August 5: Colorado Pilots Association Mountain and High Altitude Ground School at Rocky Mountain Metro
- August 21: Total Solar Eclipse CPA Fly-in to Alliance, Nebraska (Contact: Marty Brophy, 970-215-1916)
- September 2: Wild West Air Fest at Steamboat Springs Airport
- September 16: Fremont County Airshow, Fly-in, and Pancake Breakfast
- September 23-24: Pikes Peak Regional Airshow, Colorado Springs Airport
- November: CPA Annual Meeting with officer elections
Member News
- Rose Marie Kern Visit: Popular aviation writer and ATC expert Rose Marie Kern presented to approximately 40 attendees at Front Range Airport on July 1, 2017. Kern, who entered the FAA Air Traffic Control Academy in 1983, has won multiple national and regional awards and recently published her book “Air to Ground” for pilots about the ATC system. She writes monthly columns for seven aviation publications and will be presenting at Oshkosh Air Venture 2017.
- Call for Volunteers: CPA is seeking new officer candidates for the November annual meeting. Interested members should contact Bart Jones, Chair of the Nominating Committee, at 719-488-0653 or [email protected].
- Merchandise Available: New CPA polo shirts and caps from Land’s End available through business.landsend.com/Colorado_Pilots_Association
