ANN Salutes Those Who Did The Most For Aviation And Aerospace

It is both the most "fun," and most difficult task, facing the ANN staff at the end of every year -- determining who, or what, did the most to promote the cause of aviation in the past 365 days... while also chastizing those who did all they could to undermine the many successes the aerospace community has managed to accomplish.

Thankfully, 2006 was a year in which we saw the best and brightest among us step forward and work tirelessly on behalf of us all. No doubt about it... the challenges we faced in 2006 were numerous, and ongoing... so was the quality of expertise and passion brought to our defense by those who heroically demonstrated to the the world the very best side of aviation... via their deeds, words and actions.

It is ANN's honor to recognize the first three of our Aero-Heroes of 2006. Thank you, folks... we really needed you this year, and you didn't let us down.

"THE Guys" --  Ed Bolen, Phil Boyer, Tom Poberezny

With every passing year, general and business aviation comes under attack by legislators and the media with greater urgency, ever-louder (and completely bogus) allegations of inflated threat risks, the erstwhile battle with the FAA and the airlines over user fees... and staggeringly mediocre coverage of GA's role in aid and rescue efforts.

2006 saw FAR more than its share of all these events... which is why ANN is once again comforted to know that we pilots have some VERY heavy hitters (pictured above and below, alphabetically) in our corner, fighting against these efforts.

This year, especially, showed us the power of what a united front can do. Efforts by Ed Bolen, CEO of the National Business Aviation Association; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association president Phil Boyer; and EAA president Tom Poberezny, in particular, tirelessly worked to promote the importance of general aviation to the entire country -- while also standing strong against relentless attacks from the general media, and those looking to saddle GA with higher fees to benefit the airlines.

All three are repeat honorees in this category -- a sign of both the continued importance of their respective organizations, as well as the constant struggles facing general aviation. (We wonder if all three wouldn't appreciate a year where they WEREN'T recognized as such, as that would mean far calmer skies for GA.) This year, however, added a new wrinkle... as Bolen, Boyer and Poberezny -- all representing different interests within the ever-widening umbrella over GA -- joined forces against the threat of user fees, and media attacks on GA safety and security.

In particular, Bolen and Boyer made it clear to the FAA early on, that trying to pit private and recreational pilots against their "bigwig" counterparts in the business aviation community in the fight over user fees wouldn't be successful. Poberezny joined in this fight, as well, to represent the homebuilder and experimental pilot community. All three recognized what affects any one of them, affects ALL of them... and if it doesn't now, you can bet your Glasair it will down the road (as Boyer put it... "beware the camel's nose.")

We COULD have recognized only one of these guys, and justifiably so; it's far more gratifying, however, to recognize all three -- for just as the Allied nations battled the Axis in WWII, these guys are all fighting for the greater good of general aviation. While they approach those same battles from different angles -- and don't always agree on some issues -- all three have allied against common foes, and shown a great degree of class in doing so.

The war is far from over -- but the guys on the frontlines are doing their jobs, giving us the 110% we so desperately need -- so without a shred of doubt, they deserve our thanks.

FMI: www.nbaa.org, www.aopa.org, www.eaa.org

Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA)

Anyone can ask why small aircraft continue to go down -- even as planes continue to be safer, and training protocols and safety equipment are more advanced and widely available than ever. But the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association is working to find solutions to benefit its burgeoning membership... and all pilots.

Aero-News was HIGHLY impressed with what we saw during COPA's annual meeting, which coincided with AOPA Expo 2006. The gathering was alternately great fun... any event that starts off by launching a remote control helicopter from a cake earns points with us... and deadly serious. The meeting was held one month after the high-profile crash of an SR20 into a Manhattan highrise... and that, combined with other accidents involving Cirrus planes in 2006, clearly had the membership somewhat rattled.

But COPA doesn't merely pay lip service to the issue: it offers its membership several outstanding programs and seminars, all to propagate what the group calls a "safety culture" throughout its pilots.

What is a safety culture? It's an aviation way of life; where safety is paramount not only in word, but also in deed.

For starters, there is the Cirrus Pilot Proficiency Program -- a two-part, ground and flight training program all members are encouraged to attend annually. Subjects discussed include normal and emergency procedures, weather, advanced avionics, maintenance and single-pilot resource management. The flight portion is nothing short of an intense biennial flight review -- you know, the kind your local FAA flight examiner might give.

Just as a smart pilot always reviews his performance and looks for ways to improve, COPA as an organization isn't shy about pointing out its own flaws. This one observation should tell you a great deal about the association.

COPA also hosts a Cirrus-sponsored seminar on Critical Decision-Making (CDM). COPA members attending the CDM seminar participate in discussions on key safety topics. Cirrus factory pilots maintain a higher than average safety record and they share their observations and techniques with attendees. Also of note to COPA is the difference between currency and proficiency. Seminar leaders help attendees understand how to evaluate their own proficiency and factor it in decisions relating to personal minimums.

Cirrus Design co-founder Alan Klapmeier believes so strongly in the CDM program, the company makes them free to attend -- all you have to do is get yourself there.

COPA also publishes a document it calls a "Code of Conduct." If one document could embody the COPA safety culture, this would be it. In COPA's own words, the Code provides a set of guidelines helping pilots improve their airmanship, flight safety, and to sustain and improve GA. The Code presents a vision of excellence in GA. Its principles both complement, and supplement, what is merely legal.

COPA makes this "Code of Conduct" available for free download on its website, as it should not apply only to Cirrus jockeys. Pilots should laminate this code, and stick it on their lapboards immediately... and reread it at EVERY opportunity.

We are heartened, and excited, by the attitude we see among COPA membership. When a member of COPA tells you safety is THE overriding concern for ALL of his or her flights, you can be sure you're not just receiving lip service -- you're speaking to a believer.

It would behoove other pilot groups -- and manufacturers -- to adopt similar attitudes, and quickly. It may just save lives.

FMI: www.cirruspilots.org

The Unsung Masses At NASA

No doubt about it: 2006 was a banner year for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The number of successes the space agency enjoyed in 2006 was unprecedented, and far too numerous to mention here (We go into more detail elsewhere.) NASA Administrator Michael Griffin also seems to be coming into his own as the agency's head, and chief public figure -- publicly, and convincingly, defending President Bush's plan to return to the moon.

While we may not always agree with where NASA's agenda is heading, and how it intends to get there... NASA has certainly earned kudos in 2006. But no one person at the space agency deserves more credit for NASA's string of successes, than the untold numbers of scientists, engineers, and workers who seldom (if at all) receive public acknowledgement for their roles in exploring space.

We're speaking of the scientists who labored over the precise calculations that brought the Stardust space probe back to Earth safely, and with a wealth of data; the engineers who returned the shuttles Discovery and Atlantis to flight this year, and came up with the kind of quick thinking, on-the-fly solutions to vexing problems we haven't seen since the Apollo 13 mission.

We're talking of the unsung workers behind the scenes... each with a significant duty to perform, in a business where the slightest single error can spell disaster for both man and machine.

We dare you to watch a shuttle launch, or the ascent of a new space probe to the heavens, without feeling a lump in your throat, or chanting "go, baby, go" under your breath. While you may not think about it at the time... these workers are right beside you in spirit. And they all have a stake in each success, or failure.

In Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel's book "Working," the reader sees a person's fundamental need to be able to point at something that displays their accomplishments... while also keeping sight of their dreams, even as fate may conspire to keep those dreams distant. For employees at NASA, those two disparate needs are one in the same... but with the added onus if the job isn't done correctly, those dreams can very quickly become nightmares.

We saw a lot of dreams come true in 2006.

Good job, guys.

FMI: www.nasa.gov

Coming Sunday... ANN's First Three Heartbreakers Of 2006

FMI: Comments? Suggestions?