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precepts, the court ruled that the general plan and its made-to-fit Environmental Impact Report (EIR) are to be rescinded.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.

JUNE 26, 2008, EAA PAST PRESIDENT DIES IN ULTRALIGHT CRASH.
Dan White, past president of EAA, retired teacher at Harbor High School and avid aviator, wanted to give the bride and groom a farewell flyover before turning his ultralight plane west to head home to Aptos after attending a wedding in Gilroy on Saturday. A smiling crowd gazed up at the sky to watch White circle the party at Bonacich Ranch on Pacheco Pass Highway. Moments later, as he turned into the sun, the plane clipped a set of electrical lines and crashed in a field. The 60-year-old was flown to Valley Medical Center in San Jose where he died a short time after the accident, which happened about 7:30 p.m. See more of this Santa Cruz Sentinel article at http://www.scsextra.com/story.php?sid=77714. See comments from his former students at this Santa Cruz Sentinel site.

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.
Based on a recent discussion with Jim Babcock, FAA Tower Manager of Monterey (KMRY) I am requesting members of Watsonville Pilots Association, EAA Chapter 119, Monterey Bay 99s, all Watsonville FBOs and Flight Schools/Flight Clubs to encourage their members, customers and the local pilot community to be ever vigilant, continue our excellent safety record and be re-commit to communicating the importance of safety.

MARCH, 2008 FAA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON PLASTIC PILOT CERTIFICATES---Requires Changeover By March 2010. When it comes to the question of "paper or plastic?" the FAA has given its final answer. This week, the FAA released its final rule on the matter, announcing the required switch to plastic pilot certificates by March 31, 2010. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association states its members "overwhelmingly" supported the move, when the FAA first proposed the matter in 2005. In addition to being far more durable than traditional paper certificates, the plastic cards also offer greater resistance to counterfeiting. Temporary, student, and flight instructor certificates are not impacted by the change. Those with nonpilot certificates -- such as ground instructors, flight engineers, and mechanics -- will have three additional years to change over to the plastic certificate. Those pilots with a particular attachment to their paper certificates, or the original issuance date (the plastic certificate will have a new one,) will still be able to keep their paper certificates -- they just won't be able to use them to fly. Pilots may request the plastic certificate through the FAA’s website, at a cost of $2. That fee will be waived, however, if you change your pilot certificate number to your Social Security number, according to the pilot advocacy group. If pilots should miss the 2010 deadline, they won’t have to take a checkride or any exams to get back in the air as pilot in command; they'll simply need to request the plastic certificate... but until they receive their new certificates, those pilots won't be able to fly as PIC

WPA's REGULAR WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEETING BEGINS AT 7 PM. It's usually scheduled for the last Wednesday of each month except no meetings in May 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. It's usually scheduled for 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.