Coming up, Hurricane Dorian
and what you and general aviation can do to help.
GA to the rescue for an isolated island community.
The FAA says no to this
and an American treasure you can visit
from our upcoming Tullahoma Fly-In.
AOPA Live This Week begins in just a moment.
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This is AOPA Live This Week,
with Tom Haines and Melissa Rudinger.
Welcome to AOPA Live This Week.
Tom and Melissa are on assignment.
I'm Warren Morningstar.
And as we record this Thursday,
Hurricane Dorian is lashing the Carolinas
and moving slowly up the Eastern Coast of the United States.
Authorities have ordered people
to evacuate the coastal areas.
And in the Bahamas, near total devastation.
The Red Cross estimates that at least half the homes
on the islands have been destroyed.
Relief efforts are very difficult.
Communities are cut off.
Many of the island airports are under water
or strewn with debris and not usable.
Nevertheless, the general aviation community
is joining with many others
to get help to people devastated by Hurricane Dorian.
And that includes Mark Baker and Tom Haines,
along with other AOPA staffers.
Now Tom was originally working on a story in Colorado
but diverted to Florida to help
with AOPA's contribution to the relief mobilization effort.
He joins us now and Tom, how can pilots help?
Oh yeah Warren, boy as we've seen,
the devastation is terrible in the Bahamas.
Much worse than even what we saw
when we were flying in 2017 after Irma in the Keys.
And so there is a lot that general aviation pilots can do.
Mostly in this situation however,
the best thing that pilots can do
is to support some of the relief organizations with cash.
Because they need to buy fuel
and there are certain supplies that they need.
So AERObridge and Operation Airdrop
and some of the others that you can see on our website
are a great way for pilots to help.
In general, what we're gonna be doing in Florida,
is to help coordinate communication
among some of the federal agencies,
both in the Bahamas and the United States.
And among the groups themselves that I just mentioned
and some of the others.
There's already airplanes assembling on the Florida coast
to help move supplies in
as the airports in the Bahamas begin to open up.
And so it's gonna be a massive effort.
It's total destruction on some of the northern islands
in the Bahamas and so it's gonna be many, many years
before we see recovery down there.
So immediately though of course,
we need supplies to help people begin to rebuild their lives
and keep them safe.
And so that's why general aviation pilots
can really help by donating to some of the organizations
that are already at work down there
and beginning to move supplies already.
Well thanks Tom.
And we just established communication
with Mark Baker in Florida,
and got a quick update from him.
The number one thing you can do right now
is start donating to some of these groups
that are gonna be in the area, to get these materials done.
And to make sure that we're working together
with as much knowledge as possible.
As we learn things, we'll be posting things
and updating this several times a day.
So that we can do this in the best fashion possible.
This is a complicated relief effort.
There are lots of boats en route.
There are lots of airplanes, lots of military traffic
and we've got two governments at work here.
Both the Bahamian government and the US government.
It's gonna be a lot of frustration and I get it.
I ask for your patience.
We're gonna try and work this thing through
as best we can, as fast as we can.
And now as Mark just mentioned,
we have a lot more information for pilots
who are looking to help.
Just go to our homepage aopa.org
and click on the yellow bar at the top.
We'll show you where you can donate cash and supplies.
Now for example, Sun 'n Fun
and the Aerospace Center for Excellence,
are collecting supplies
at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.
Just as they did in 2017,
in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
Starting on Friday, supplies can be dropped off
or shipped to Hangar C.
And Sun 'n Fun will get them where they're needed.
Now we also have information on organizations
that are coordinating volunteer relief flights.
And at this point, let me say,
it's critical that you do coordinate your flight.
As Mark mentioned earlier, there are a lot of moving parts.
It's chaotic and a solo pop-up aircraft
can really cause problems.
And it's frustrating for you
because if you just show up,
there won't be anything for you to do.
Communication and coordination are vital
in these relief efforts.
AOPA has a role here of communicating
to the general aviation community,
about the needs and the efforts going on
and the relief in the Bahamas.
And trying to make sure we can be as coordinated as possible
with all the great pilots and all the great organizations
that wanna do great relief effort.
But doing it in a coordinated and safe fashion,
is what our role is.
And drone maker DJI is reminding drone pilots
not to fly in the aftermath of a hurricane.
Airspace in a disaster area can be crowded
with low flying helicopters and other aircraft.
TFRs can pop up on short notice.
Unauthorized aircraft like drones,
can interfere with the relief operations.
And even ground critical flights
until the airspace is cleared.
And drone pilots interfering with emergency response
could face fines as high as $20,000.
Now that said, drones are expected to play
an important role in search and rescue,
damage surveys and restoring public services.
DJI for example, has unlocked geofencing
for drones operated by Florida Power and Light.
And that company can unlock other drones
that are being used by qualified public safety agencies
and others on authorized relief missions.
Now if you're in the path of this hurricane,
or a future one,
your obvious first concern is protecting life.
But a little farther down the list,
is taking care of your airplane.
And the best thing to do is what the military does.
Fly the plane to some place
outside of the hurricane weather.
Some insurance policies will even help pay for that.
Next best is getting the airplane into a hangar,
even if you have to buy a spot
for the duration of the threat.
Now we have more tips for you on our website.
The address is aopa.org/hurricanetips.
And while most civilian and military airplanes
are flying away from the hurricane,
they are a few flying toward it.
This incredible video shows one of NOAA's P3s
flying right through the eye.
The brave men and women of NOAA and the Air Force,
fly around the clock to take important measurements
to help with forecasting,
to warn those in the path of the hurricane.
And the flights are continuing
as Dorian batters the Carolinas and Virginia.
Well the pilots gearing up
to bring aid after Hurricane Dorian
are just another example of how general aviation
is a powerful tool for making that difference.
Along with that theme,
we have a story about a group of pilots
who use their airplanes to serve the residents
of a remote fishing village in Virginia.
AOPA Live's Josh Cochran has the story.
Tangier Island on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia,
isn't just a scenic place to fly to.
For many, it's home.
A way of life worth protecting.
Grace Pruitt has lived on the island for 86 years.
I love it, I love it.
But Grace and many others on the island,
are faced with the economic challenges
that come with living in this remote fishing village.
Every young man, when they got a certain age
they went to work on the water.
It used to be a thriving business, but not anymore.
Everything is so expensive.
Pilot Mike Marra,
recognized the tough conditions on Tangier
when he and some friends from a flying club in Pennsylvania,
came to the island for lunch.
And it looked like they were a little down on their luck.
So we asked them, is there something we could do?
The pilots and other people,
people from the church,
is there anything we could do to help?
And they said yes.
Mike assembled some flying buddies
and friends from church
to come to Tangier for a week to help the residents.
Our theme is to make it safer, drier, warmer
for the great folks at Tangier Island.
Many of them do not have access to help or assistance,
with fixing roofs, decks, carpentry, plumbing,
electric, that sort of thing.
So we're here to fill that gap.
Five years later,
the group has grown to nearly 40 people,
from churches around the area.
It's all about being a blessing to the residents of Tangier.
My wife and I, we attend Carlisle Evangelical Free Church.
And we believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior
and he has given so much to us
and he has blessed us so much.
And we feel like we need to go
and we need to bless other people.
Because of the love that Jesus showed us.
(hammer banging)
If it wasn't for these guys fixing my roof,
I just wouldn't have the funds to fix it on my own.
So they really are a godsend.
And general aviation is essential to this work.
If it wasn't for general aviation,
I'm not sure we could do it.
We come down here several times throughout the year.
Pilots that are members of AOPA and have small aircraft
and we land at this great little airport
to of scope the work.
If we can't scope the work,
then we won't know what skills are needed,
what tools we have to have
and more importantly,
what materials we have to have on the island
weeks in advance of our projects.
There are no big hardware stores here
so everything has to be shipped in.
So these reconnaissance trips by small airplane,
allow us to do precision planning.
So when we get here, we're able to go to work right away
and make every day count.
The work on Tangier is encouraging to the residents
and gives them hope for a bright future,
despite the challenges.
Many people have said that we're not worthwhile.
We're not worth saving.
We're a dying breed.
But we have a history here
and we've been generational in what we do.
We're proud of our island
and proud of the commitment that we've made to it.
And when we have groups come out to help us,
and to lend a hand and to offer us hope,
it makes us feel like that we are worth something.
And it gives us hope for the future
and something to look forward to.
And it encourages us to keep on keeping on.
Josh Cochran, AOPA Live.
Oh what a great story.
Those folks are really doing
some nice work on Tangier Island.
And by the way, if you ever have the chance
to fly to Tangier Island,
it is a wonderful place to visit.
Truly a slice of our historic past
and a wonderful opportunity.
And we hope they don't get beat up too badly
by the hurricane coming up the coast.
Well, when we come back,
a new record in putting more pilots back in the air.
And a visit to an historic, iconic site,
just a bit over yonder from our upcoming Tullahoma Fly-In.
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before purchasing an aircraft.
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help guide you through the process.
We combine expert knowledge,
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Learn more at aerospacereports.com.
Well welcome back.
It's a major accomplishment.
Two years have past since general aviation pilots
were given the choice to bypass
the hoops and hassles of Third Class Medical Certification,
with BasicMed.
And now more than 50,000 aviators
are enjoying the freedom to fly under the new rule.
And even as BasicMed has helped thousands
get back in the air,
there are some misconceptions about
what is required for BasicMed pilots,
here at the two year mark.
So at the two year mark, all you had to do
is go back in to the BasicMed landing page.
Log in to the Medical Self-Assessment Course.
Go through the course again.
The physical examination that you should have had done
as part of your BasicMed exam two years ago,
is not required.
The physical exam is required every 48 months.
If you have questions about BasicMed, visit our website.
Or give our medical experts
in the Pilot Information Center a call.
Well when we first read this,
we thought it was a message from captain obvious.
The FAA wants you to know
that drones and weapons are a dangerous mix.
And, it's illegal.
Like, don't mount a gun on your drone.
Or a flamethrower.
So, even if you've seen it done on the internet,
just don't do it.
Okay.
Well this week, what was billed
as the largest commercial drone event of the year,
took place is Las Vegas.
And much to the delight
of many of the drone operators attending,
FAAs number two said that we're moving much closer
to regular commercial drone operations
in the nation's airspace.
We're making big progress on real world testing
for how to safely and securely
integrate drones into the national airspace or the NAS.
And we're developing or delivering new rules
to codify what we're learning.
So that drones can become regular participants
in NAS operations.
Rather than just special or waivered one-offs.
AOPA sits on the FAAs Drone Advisory Committee
and we continue to advocate for safe integration.
To ensure that drones stay out of the way of aircraft.
Well the AOPA Fly-In to Tullahoma Tennessee
is next weekend.
There's plenty to do and see
but there's one very special opportunity.
The Jack Daniels Distillery is just a few miles away
and they are welcoming pilots to the grounds.
You can see how this Tennessee whiskey is hand-crafted,
by taking a tour of the distillery.
AOPA Live's Paul Harrop has a preview.
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It's a trip back in time,
to present day Lynchburg.
Deep in the Hollow, you'll find a place
that's produced the same famous Tennessee whiskey
for generations.
We might be producing enough whiskey here
for the entire world.
But it's still being produced every drop, right here.
In the same Hollow that Jack was making it.
You'll see the process from start to finish.
From making charcoal, to making barrels.
And you'll learn a lot about the craftsmanship.
The fact that craft doesn't mean
it's being made in your dad's garage.
Craft doesn't mean small.
It means that you do as much as possible for yourself.
For us, grinding the grain.
Growing the yeast, grinding the charcoal
and making the charcoal.
Building our barrels.
Producing the whiskey in the same spot
the original founder of the distillery made it.
And you'll get to visit the springs
where every drop of water has come from.
It's a cold mineral rich and iron free water.
You'll stand in the footsteps of Jack himself.
Where he put his first still,
just outside the cave with the spring.
The overhang, still coated in soot
from fires Jack used to distill his early whiskey.
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Just a few feet away, his original office.
That's the original desk and chair.
That's the original stove and that's the original safe.
The man that we're here for,
is the man right there over the mantel.
We call him Jack, but his real name was Jasper.
He never got married, he never had kids.
When he past away at 61,
he gave the distillery to his nephew Lem Motlow.
Lem was his bookkeeper.
So this is where all the paperwork was done,
right here at this desk.
And across the room,
the safe that lead to Jack Daniels death.
Find out more on the tour.
But after walking through these grounds,
seeing the process from start to finish,
you'll have the option of sampling
the range of products you've just seen made.
We're still a dry town.
So there's no liquor by the drink in Lynchburg.
But we are allowed as a manufacturer,
to offer a sampling tour.
So if people choose to do that,
they can sample up to five products.
So just a small tasting of different ones
that is really largely educational.
But no matter what your preference,
it will be mighty hard to leave the Hollow
without a whole new appreciation for this storied brand,
and the stewards it's seen over the years.
It's a little piece of Americana.
A great place to spend a few hours, for sure.
The tour's about a lot more than just whiskey.
It's about the history of those spirits
and the people that have made it for 150 years.
Things you'll learn a lot about, if you come on this tour.
In Lynchburg Tennessee, Paul Harrop AOPA Live.
Well thanks Paul.
AOPA will be providing a free shuttle service
to and from the distillery on Friday,
from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Now be sure to wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes.
Plan to spend several hours learning the rich history
of America's oldest registered distillery.
And we shouldn't have to tell you this,
but remember don't drink and fly.
At least eight hours from bottle to throttle.
And speaking of flying, soberly of courses,
everything you need to know about flying to Tullahoma
is in a video on our website,
aopa.org/flyin.
We hope to see you there next weekend.
And that's our show for this week.
Please share the show with others
and hit that like button on YouTube.
Comments are always appreciated.
The email address is there on your screen.
And we hope to see you back here next Thursday
for the next edition of AOPA Live This Week.
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