Bad News In Tragic Case of Girl's Abduction The body of an 11 year-old girl has been found in Sarasota after a Nationally publicized "Amber Alert" and related media attention. The crime scene is now the subject of a TFR that is in force until at least 1700. The area is guaranteed to be a media circus, so we strongly recommend that flyers avoid this area aggressively and give LE officials room to do their horrific task without interference or distraction.

NOTAM: 4/0922 Issued: 02/06/2004 06:36 Effective: 02/06/2004 11:00 - 02/06/2004 17:00 State: FL Facility: ZMA - MIAMI (ARTCC), FL. Type: HAZARDS Description: SARASOTA, FL.

AOPA Takes Fight To New Level

The beauty of flying in the western part of the US is enjoying the land's natural beauty, uncongested skies and isolated landing areas, which allow for spectacular flying excursions. Unfortunately, these airfields are being threatened and one organization is fighting for their survival. AOPA, in its continuing fight to protect pilots' access to backcountry airstrips, has appealed a U.S. Forest Service decision to ban all but emergency access to four such strips in Idaho. The association maintains that the Forest Service does not have the required authority to close the Dewy Moore, Mile-Hi, Simonds, and Vines airstrips in the Frank Church-River of No Return wilderness area. AOPA President Phil Boyer recently met with

Don't Stumble Into Airspace

We have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the Baltimore/Washington Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is still active. The good news is the FAA has finally decided to chart the darn thing. AOPA reports that pilots who use the Washington, D.C. sectional and terminal area charts will see a significant change on the February 19, 2004, editions. The FAA will chart the ADIZ, hoping that it will reduce the number of airspace incursions. The flight-restricted zone within the ADIZ will continue to be highlighted as well. The National Aeronautical Charting Office will use the same symbology for the Baltimore/Washington ADIZ as it does for the border air defense identification zones but will highlight the blue markings to stand

Texas Aviation Hall Of Fame Announces Call For Nominations

Do you know of a Texan that has shaped aviation within the Lone Star State? If so, the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame wants to hear from you.   The organization is now accepting nominations for its Class of 2004. Nomination deadline is April 16, 2004. Confirmed by the Texas Legislature in 1997, the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame honors the aviation heroes and pioneers of Texas who have made lasting achievements to the advancement of aviation.  Eligibility is open to any native Texan or Texas-domiciled business responsible for outstanding aviation achievement conducted within or outside the state. Nominees who are not native Texans or Texas-domiciled businesses are eligible for significan

NAFI Lauds January's Master CFI's

On Tuesday, the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) announcing a significant aviation accomplishment on the part of some very special aviation educators. Recently, they were all designated Master Instructors by NAFI, their professional aviation organization. The Master Instructor designation is a national accreditation recognized by the FAA that is earned by a candidate through a rigorous process of continuing education and peer review.  Much like a flight instructor's certificate, it must be renewed biennially.  This process parallels continuing education regimens used by other professionals to enhance their knowledge base while increasing their professionalism. Simply put, the Master Instructor designatio

AD Number 2004-03-01

MANUFACTURER: Air Cruisers Company PRODUCT: Emergency Evacuation Slide/Raft System ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for a certain Air Cruisers Company Emergency Evacuation Slide/Raft System. That AD currently requires a one-time unpacking and subsequent repacking of the slide/raft systems, identified by basic part number (P/N) with dash numbers, and serial numbers (SNs) listed in the AD, and mandates repacking of all other slide/raft systems of the same design at the next required normal maintenance schedule of the slide/raft system. This AD contains the same requirements but replaces the specific s