SEPTEMBER 2, 2008, WATSONVILLE CITY OWES LEGAL FEES IN BUENA VISTA LAWSUIT:On August 27, 2008, Judge Paul Burdick ordered the City of Watsonville to pay for the attorneys' fees of Friends of Buena Vista (FBV) and the Watsonville Pilots Association (WPA) in the lawsuit they won earlier this year. The two groups - WPA & FBV - argued successfully that the City did not follow proper procedure in its review of the City's General Plan. The pilots, supported by the state's Division of Aeronautics, opposed the redesignation of runways 8-26 and the elimination of safety zones designed to limit development under airports' traffic patterns. **Kudos to the supporters and promoters of the WPA & FBV for this achievement.**

JULY 15, 2008, STATE-WIDE SUPPORT NEEDED FOR AIRPORT PROTECTION:
The Watsonville Pilots Association (WPA), the Friends of Buena Vista (FOBV), and the local Sierra Club were successful in litigation against the City of Watsonville, CA. The Superior Court ruled that the City is in violation of State Aeronautics Law and certain California Environmental Qualities Act (CEQA) provisions. Since the City's general plan update was predicated on a council resolution inconsistent with airport land use planning precepts, the court ruled that the general plan and its made-to-fit Environmental Impact Report (EIR) are to be rescinded.

On June 24, 2008, however, the Watsonville city council voted to appeal. A ruling by the appeals court makes this a precedent setting case. The ruling will then be applicable to future state-wide airport land use litigation in California. A ruling supporting State Aeronautics Law would help to protect all airports in California.

The Watsonville Pilots Association once again needs the financial support of the aviation community in California. Fighting the appeal will be backing a case that has already won at the lower court level. The Caltrans Department of Aeronautics is involved in the appeal supporting State Aeronautics Law and associated CEQA law (as relates to noise and safety around airports). The Department of Aeronautics supports the lower court ruling. Attorneys for Watsonville Pilots Association (et. al.) are cautious and conservative, but feel confident that the lower court decision should and will be upheld.

Contributions to the legal fund should be sent to: Watsonville Pilots Association, P.O. Box 2074, Freedom, CA 95019-2074. Please make checks payable to "WPA" and in the check memo section write "legal fund." A favorable ruling at the appeals court will mean protection for not only Watsonville Airport (WVI), but all GA airports in California.

EFFECTIVE MARCH 1, 2009, AREA OF NONVISIBILITY TO Monterey Airport Traffic Control Tower. Due to obstructed vision, Monterey Airport Traffic Control Tower (MRY ATCT) is unable to provide airport traffic control service in the Runway 28L run up area. Tower personnel are unable to determine whether this area is clear of traffic or obstructions. All aircraft use caution entering and leaving this area.

JANUARY 30, 2009, FAA SAFETY SEMINAR "WINGS" HELP!! So you attended the recent Watsonville Pilot's Association (WPA) WINGs seminar and learned a lot. However, you forgot to register on-line at FAA Safety.Gov but you remember signing in before you left the Seminar. How do you get credit?
This has happened to quite a few pilots and to assist you here's a "cheat sheet": Remember it only works if you have a "profile" on FAA Safety.Gov. If you don't have a profile, why not sign up today!

(1) Login to the FAA site at http://www.faasafety.gov/ (you will need your registered email address and password or go to "Register Now"...
(2) After logging in, look for the Events/Seminars link on the left side; select it...
(3) Now on the "Event Search" page enter the airport ID and check the "Only Past Events" box...
(4) Select "Perform Search"...
(5) Look at the bottom of the page (last entry)...
(6) Mouse over the icons to the right (the red pen on paper is "Request Credit")...
(7) You are now on the Validation page; you'll need to "Find a Validator"...
(8) Pull down menu: Find = FAAST Reps; within=50; miles of = 95076...
(9) You are looking for the FAAST Safety Rep who hosted the seminar...
(10) Click submit!!

MAY 7, 2008, FAA SAFETY ALERT - VIOLATIONS BEING ISSUED FOR FOR PILOT DEVIATIONS!! From: Rayvon Williams, MCFI; FAA Safety Representative – KWVI As you may know over the recent weeks and months the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been heavily scrutinized by the public, press and on capital hill. This scrutiny has found its way to our aerodrome as FAA management has made it clear all system participants (pilots, controllers, and FAA management) must understand, effective immediately, there will be no quarter given relative to pilot deviation, controller errors or management failures.
For pilots this effectively means the FAA will no longer allow controllers or their management to “just warn a pilot” or “simply dismiss a deviation which is obviously no harm/no foul”. Effective immediately the controllers (ground, clearance delivery, tower, approach/departure and center) must issue violations if any pilot commits a deviation, no matter how slight or seemingly innocuous. No longer a simple warning, no longer a simple phone call…but now an actual pilot deviation/violation will be issued and appropriate action taken.

An example of what has changed might be as follows:
Pilot lands and is instructed by the Tower to exit and contact Ground, Point-Seven. Pilot acknowledges. Pilot proceeds off the runway and stops. After a moment the pilot commences taxi without contacting Ground. In the past the Tower (or Ground) would inform the pilot he/she should have contacted ground before proceeding. Pilot would probably apologize, and nothing else happens.

Another example:
Pilot is told to: “Taxi to Two-Nine run-up and hold short Runway Two-Nine.” Pilot reads back instructions and begins to taxi. Pilot taxis to Two Nine, completes run-up and begins to taxi to runway. Pilot crosses hold short line, realizing mistake, turns quickly to get back in the run-up area. No aircraft was cleared to land/no aircraft was on final. In the past the tower would have given the pilot a number to call. Pilot would call, based on his/her mea culpa attitude, nothing would have happened.

Final example:
Pilot departing Palo Alto north bound under class Bravo. Violates Class B by 200 feet for 15 seconds and corrects just as Departure informs of bust. In the past the pilot might have received a warning and/or a number to call. Beginning immediately pilots should expect to receive a Class Bravo violation and find themselves in the San Jose FSDO office shortly thereafter.

Going forward, in these examples and others you can easily construct, the FAA is requiring controllers to no longer provide any leeway and as such we (the local pilot community) must be on guard against any deviation or infraction. This note should not be interpreted as a “we are out to get you” or construed as a plan to restrict our freedom of flight; in fact the mere fact local FAA resources have reached out requesting our help should be viewed similar to the pilot/controller partnership we rely upon every time we fly.

WPA's REGULAR WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEETING BEGINS AT 7 PM. See the WPA "WINGS" Seminar Calendar above for valuable seminars and safety presentations scheduled. Meetings are normally held the last Wednesday of each month except no meetings in May, November or December. Regular meeting place: the WAEC Building, 60 Aviation Way, Watsonville Airport. All visitors and guests are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

EAA CHAPTER 119's REGULAR TUESDAY NIGHT MEETING BEGINS AT 7:30 PM. Meetings are normally held the first Tuesday of each month except no meeting during Oshkosh week. Regular meeting place: the WAEC Building, 60 Aviation Way, Watsonville Airport. All visitors and guests are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

MONTEREY BAY 99s REGULAR WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEETING BEGINS AT 7:00 PM. Meetings are normally held the third Wednesday of each month. Regular meeting place: the WAEC Building, 60 Aviation Way, Watsonville Airport. They generally have a guest speaker, a business meeting, some hangar flying and refreshments (not necessarily in that order).