Coming up, a call to action
we're asking for your help to protect the future of flight training
and see what it's like to fly along with the AeroShell aerobatic team
and living the dream flying off the farm in Ohio.
AOPA Live this week begins in just a moment.
This is AOPA Live this week
with Tom Haines and Warren Morningstar filling in for Alyssa Cobb.
We don't do this very often, but when we do, it's really important.
We need you to contact your member of Congress now. That's right.
It's about the future of flight training.
And just because you don't fly
an experimental airplane doesn't mean that it doesn't affect you.
You know, it's really important that at the end of the day, you
in your constituencies in that area, around your airport,
speak out in your very own terms to your local congressman or woman or senator,
and let them know that you feel very strongly this is an important topic.
They listen to you. You vote in that community, you matter.
And that's why we asking you to go be heard. It works.
Last time we got a BasicMed done the very same way by being heard
at the local level.
If you're an AOPA member, you should have already received this email.
If you missed it, please check your inbox again.
That email will take you to this Web site, which will tell who your representatives
are, their contact information and some suggested language.
But it's always better if you put it in your own words
and tell them why the issue is important to you.
If you didn't get Mark's email, you can go to our Web site
where we'll give you the links to find the addresses
for your senators and representatives.
And you know, Tom,
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to really put it in your own words.
And if you know your member of Congress, you know, remind them that you know them
and that why why you voted for them and why this is going to affect
your vote in the future. That's right. It really is
important that we get the word out, get this change,
because, as Mark said, you know, it doesn't add anything to safety.
And it really is a distraction from flight training and causes a lot of confusion.
The FAA said they're going to take
as long as four years
to get the rulemaking done, to change it. And Congress with Congress,
we can do a much better way to get it done much faster.
And and as we said earlier, while this
you think this affects experimental aircraft right now,
the way this thing is worded, it comes down to bite us in the future
for across the board. Yeah, it could be a slippery slope.
It could be indeed.
Well, speaking of Slope's, we have a pretty impressive one behind us.
And we're not in Maryland anymore, Tom.
So why are we here? Oh, well, great question.
We are definitely not in Maryland. It is beautiful.
Got the Tetons behind us we're in Driggs, Idaho, and we're out here
with some aviation friends, going to do some backcountry flying this weekend.
And we'll be reporting on that later.
And coming up in some magazine articles and that sort of thing.
So lots more to come on that.
But, you know, we've really seen backcountry flying take off
and it's really become a significant part of general aviation flying it has.
But we have also seen have seen some accidents
coming out of backcountry flight.
And that's one of the reasons why our own Richard McSpadden is here.
That's right. So I talked to Richard about what's going on,
going on in the back country, because he's been out here doing some flying.
And what what are some of the issues that pilots are facing?
Backcountry flying has really become popular among a lot of people.
However, there's been some challenges around some of the safety issues,
and they are safety institute.
And you personally been involved in trying to get out there and remind people
about some of the challenges.
Tell me about that. Yeah, you're exactly right, Tom.
It's a growing segment of GA
and we love that it's bringing people into GA to do this kind of flying.
The challenge is it's really demanding flying.
So people are coming into flying and they're dealing with
some of the most demanding circumstances, high density altitude
winds, one way strips.
So all those things can sometimes combine and get people in trouble.
And that's what we're seeing.
You're right. We put together a coalition to try to help people get the word out
about, hey, come back here and have some fun, but be prepared.
Well, we just got a request from a fire department in Oregon.
But what they're asking us to do really applies no matter where you fly.
Colonel Paul Ehrhardt of the Benton County Sheriff's Office asked us
to ask you to watch out for fire starts.
Now, you can report any fire that you see to flight service ATC
if you're using flight following or you're on an IFR flight plan or a nearby tower.
GPS coordinates are great if you've got them, but any sort of
locator ID will do.
Colonel Ehrhardt says this is already has and it will continue to make
a big difference.
Well, here's some good Covid news for a change.
Canada is opening up the borders to us
yanks to come up and maybe go a little bit out and about. Eh?
but it's not quite as simple as you might think.
And our government affairs team has plowed through all the requirements
the Canadian government
has tossed out there and boiled it down to three checklists.
Checklist one, make sure you meet all of Canada's Covid requirements.
They have extensive info on their website
checklist to know the border crossing requirements.
Now can pass that we've all gotten so used to using has been suspended for now.
So you can't use that.
You need to arrange your arrival into a Canadian airport of entry.
Again, our friends to the north
have a Web site with all the airports of entry, but be careful.
Just because an airport is on the list doesn't mean it's
currently available for cross-border traffic.
And checklist item three, the usual stuff for flying into Canada
and then, of course, getting back.
Back into the United States,
including eAPIS information that's confusing for just about everybody
now we couldn't give you all the details, so be sure to check out our website
for more information on all the details on how to fly into Canada these days.
Even while Canada is loosening up the Bahamians, well,
they're starting to clamp down again because of the Delta variant
and all that's going on with Covid, and it's effective immediately.
Fully vaccinated pilots and passengers will also have to show a negative COVID
19 test taken within five days of arrival to that island nation.
You'll need to record that in a Bahamas travel health visa.
More info at the URL there on the screen.
Well, there's a new top boss at the National Transportation Safety Board.
On Monday, the Senate confirmed Jennifer Homendy as the chair of the NTSB.
Homendy has been on the board since twenty eighteen.
She previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer handling
transportation issues.
Well, we're making progress, but there's still a very long ways to go.
You know that only around eight percent of pilots are women, according
to women in Aviation International.
But this week, over a dozen women
came to Frederick, Maryland, for a week long training camp.
The goal was to give the women a chance to get together in a community
and overcome the challenges and build confidence.
AOPA technical editor Jill Tallman reports.
Naomi Wigley has big dreams for her future aviation career.
She hopes to become a pilot in the military.
And then later, a commercial airline pilot.
She is the first in her family to pursue aviation.
It was it was very daunting of the idea
of going into a career that no one in my family has been in before.
But I was willing to take on the challenge and try something new
and to accomplish her goals.
Naomi is at Gift Academy this week.
Gift stands for Girls in flight training.
The weeklong camp has ground school and flight instruction
for women working on a rating or rusty pilot wanting to get back to flying.
But the most important part of the week, mentorship.
It's been really fun and it's been amazing meeting all these women here.
And just I've been really inspired seeing all these women in aviation
because it just tells me that if they can do it, I can do it.
Naomi and the other women here are taught and mentored
by seasoned aviators like gift founder Mary Latimer.
Mary has a long aviation career as an air traffic
controller, corporate pilot and flight instructor.
She started gift a decade ago.
The real secret is the ladies coming together and sharing their stories,
sharing their fears and building each other up and having that confidence level
and knowing that they're not the only one who's afraid of Stall's.
They're not the only one who struggle with figuring out weight and balance.
Every you know, they're not the only ones who are afraid of weather.
And so just sharing those experiences,
that is really what changes them.
And Naomi has been changed by the relationships with fellow aviators.
Her best friend, Destiny Jay, is also at the camp
and the two are supporting each other as they learn to fly.
I would say if you're if you are a female, you are considering aviation.
A hundred percent go into it because you will meet people like her
who will help you through every step of the way,
no matter how hard it is and how many times I've cried many times.
She's just, a few nervous breakdowns,
was because it gets it gets really hard sometimes.
But you got to push through and think about the ultimate goal And
these lifelong friendships formed are what gift is all about, women
bringing other women along with them on the journey to accomplish their dreams.
And so it's just very empowering and life changing for people.
Jill Tallman AOPA Live.
The gift academy takes place once a year.
Next year, it will be in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
And, you know, it really was great
to see those young women there, you know, and you know what they say.
You have to see it before you can be it. Right.
And we we know that as we're trying to increase diversity in aviation,
we know so many people who don't have aviators in their background
just don't realize that it's something that they can do.
It's an opportunity for them.
It really is achievable.
And so it's great to see them recognizing that
and then reaching out to others and already beginning to expand that network.
So it's really nice and Mary Latimer does great work.
Really congratulations to her and the whole gift academy concept
and the team that makes that happen around the country.
It's really a wonderful experience for these young women and really great
for the pilot population in general. Indeed. Right.
Well, hey, coming up after the break, the first electric aircraft race
and building airplanes on the family farm, we'll be back in a moment.
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Welcome back, we're still hearing about the amazing adventures from EAA
AirVenture of a fun couple of weeks ago, AOPA Associate Web editor David Tulis
shares his flight with the AeroShell aerobatic team.
It's not every day that you get to go
flying with the AeroShell aerobatic team at AirVenture.
And I was fortunate to ride along in the slot pilot position
with Jimmy Fordham.
He's been with the team for 10 years, and he told me it was going to be the best
seat in the house.
And he was not kidding. It was awesome.
We took off two by two from the runway, and then we rejoined
kind of over Warbird Island, over Lake Winnebago.
And then we did a loop
wing over and a barrel roll.
It was completely awesome.
You could see by the video that I was having the time of my life.
But doing it with these guys in a North
American T six Texan was just phenomenal.
They really put their heart and souls into it.
And it's all about getting youngsters involved in aviation.
That's the key way to get some of that interest in the younger crowd.
Now, the question I had for Jimmy and for the AeroShell team was,
you know, how different was a daytime flight from a nighttime flight?
Because they're really known for their nighttime air shows.
They've got these LED lights that really light up the sky.
And Jimmy said it really was no different
at night versus the day except for the rejoins.
The rejoins could be a little tricky because of the perspective difference
that you have at night.
But but they practice this all the time and they are so smooth.
I mean, it was like from one maneuver to the next to the next.
It was just a smooth transition and it was just a spectacular week
and the exclamation mark on the whole deal.
Thanks, David, for sharing that, what an amazing experience.
And if you're looking for another aviation event to go into
in the near future, well, we happen to have one coming up.
The first AOPA Aviator showcase will be in Manassas, Virginia, on August 27th.
That's a Friday.
The showcase will be much smaller and more intimate.
And then some of the other AOPA events you may have been to recently.
A consumer focused event
will connect pilots and aircraft owners with a variety of aviation businesses.
The showcase features an exhibit hall, aircraft display and educational seminars.
It's all happening at the beautiful Chantilly Jet Center FBO at Manassas
Register for the event.
It's required and there is a twenty dollar registration fee.
Aircraft registration, however, is already sold out.
So if you're planning to fly in.
Sorry too late, but we'd still love to see
you can still drive in and still register.
So we'll look forward to seeing you there on wings or on wheels.
Find out more about it on our website.
And an impressive milestone for Angel Flight West.
They just completed their 90 thousandth flight.
Incredible. Nine zero zero zero zero.
I'm not sure I said it right the first time.
The organization provides free air travel
using airplanes for people with serious medical conditions.
On the milestone mission, volunteer pilot Jon Lang transported a patient
who was hospitalized with COVID 19 for seven months.
Jon flew her from the University of Washington Medical Center
back to her home in Reno, Nevada, in his TBM 700.
Now you can find out how you can volunteer on the Angel Flight West website.
You've probably heard about the electronic chip shortage that's occurring
affecting car manufacturing, car sales, consumer electronics.
And now the supply chain issues have finally caught up with avionics
for aircraft. That's what the Aircraft Electronics Association
said about the latest quarterly avionics report.
Overall, year to year avionic sales are down some seven point
one percent compared to 2020.
AEA said that although the latest report shows a decline
with the success of recent trade shows along with resilient consumers
means there are still positive signs for the future.
And the aircraft of the future
will go head to head on the first electric aircraft race.
The National Aeronautics Association seeks to recapture the magic of those golden
era age races from the 1920s,
and so it will resume the Pulitzer Air races first held in the early 1920s.
The race is thousand miles starting in Omaha, Nebraska,
ending at Dare County Regional Airport in North Carolina near first flight.
Electric propulsion is a must for the airplanes.
Electricity can be stored in any combination of batteries and hydrogen
fuel cells. No word yet on how many airplanes will participate.
Race registration opens in December.
Well, many pilots dream of owning their own airstrip,
and it can be a lot of hard work work to build and maintain,
particularly if you don't live in the flatlands.
Now, AOPA Live's Paul Harrop caught up with a pilot who is living the dream
despite living in some challenging topography.
So we're back at the family farm.
Somewhere outside Zanesville with a Pfilo address and miles of rolling
hills in every direction, you'll find Greg Swingles', high flying homestead.
It's been in his family for generations,
but he's turned it into an airplane playground.
And I wanted I didn't want to drive to
town to fly airplanes,
so I had to find an airplane in a suitable field to fly out of.
So as Ohioans do, he got to work.
He started building Iran's seven before he even took his first lesson
after earning the ticket and finishing the airplane.
He still had some work to do.
So this was the flattest field.
We had the longest, flattest field we had on the farm. It's narrow.
It kind of does.
It's kind of got a valley in the middle.
And then the approach and has some big mature trees
that really kind of get your full attention.
If you can ignore all that and just fly the airplane,
then it's it's a pretty easy strip because it's hard to overrun.
It's got a hill that you're kind of flying into that'll slow you down
even if you're a little bit hot.
But it's taken a long time
to get to this. Quality.
A lot of grit, dirt, work
and determination have made this an even better place to call home.
It was kind of funny, though, because I did Alaska
and did all this stuff, and I came home
and I got to my home strip and it was the hardest strip I'd landed on
in months or, you know, I guess it was six weeks early in.
His next project is coming together, ready to be another
airplane sprouting out of the Ohio Bush.
Paul Herea AOPA la.
Greg's next airplane is Rans S21 outbound.
You can find him on YouTube, just search for Greg Swingle.
That's incredible.
Oh, wow. He really did just carve that out of the pasture field there.
But it looks like once you master it, it looks like that would be a lot of fun.
It actually looked like some of the
airstrips that we landed on in the Alps were in France, the ulti ports.
Yes, I've seen those.
And those amazing videos are pretty amazing. Airplanes landing there. Yeah.
Where you land and then you go to full powers,
you can continue the taxi up to the top.
Yeah, very impressive. And in Ohio, of all places,
who thought that Ohio was anything other than flat, right.
Well, that's our show for this week.
Thanks, everybody, for watching.
If you'd like to see more content from AOPA, check out our YouTube channel.
And please don't forget to comment.
Right. Hit that like button our writers at our email address on the screen there.
And we'll be back again
with another edition of AOPA Live this week, next Thursday.
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