AUGUST 10, 2011, MAKING A CASE FOR KWVI'S EAST-WEST (08-26) RUNWAY---by Dan Chauvet, WPA Member, CFII and Corporate Pilot (retired): Excerpted from the Register-Pajaronian article dated 08-10-2011.
Mother Nature has not changed. In 1969 I was a commuter airline pilot and frequently flew over Watsonville Municipal Airport en route from San Jose to Monterey. I noticed the persistent pattern of fog overlaying the south part of the airport and airplanes using runway 26, taking off and landing to the west.

In Watsonville Airport’s 71-year history, never had an aircraft impacted a home or building. That changed on July 7. In an especially tragic fatal accident, a Mooney M20F, N7759M, with a family aboard, struck the hospital annex. The aircraft hit close to the building, went through the wall, into a medical office and was consumed by fire. True, several years ago an aircraft landed at night on Loma Prieta Avenue and the wing tip scratched the paint on a house, but there were no injuries.

What is the relationship of safety to the Watsonville’s east-west runway? And why in the world would there have to be a case for a runway?    Read more...

MAY 18, 2010, WATSONVILLE AIRPORT ALLIANCE BEATS THE ODDS---by Ed Rosiak, President, California Pilots Assn: “They say that you can’t beat City Hall, but then whoever they are never met these determined groups from Watsonville California.
The Watsonville Pilots Association (WPA), the Friends of Buena Vista - a local airport neighborhood group, some local businesses, and the Sierra Club, along with the California Division of Aeronautics, and the California Pilots Association became allies against a city planning effort that provided more questions than answers."    Read more...

NOVEMBER 7, 2011, QICP Registration: a 'road map' to register for the Qualified Internet Communication Provider service on the ADDS. The United States Aviation Weather Center (AWC) has upgraded the utility of its Internet aviation weather reporting sites (at www.aviationweather.gov). You can now get an official preflight weather briefing from the AWC's Aviation Digital Data Services (ADDS) weather information pages. This means that a record of your ADDS briefing will now be recorded with your N number in similar fashion to a telephone briefing from the FAA Flight Service, or a computer briefing from DUAT or DUATs. So, if anything goes wrong with the flight, you are at least covered as having received an official preflight briefing.

In FAA jargon, this means that ADDS now conforms to the FAA's qualified Internet Communication Provider (QIPC) standards. To utilize this new service you will need to become a certified user. The process for becoming a certified user will mature over time, but at present you will need to call 1-816-584-7206 or e-mail the Aviation Weather Center at caws.reg@noaa.gov and identify yourself by providing the following information:
    * First Name, Last Name
    * E-mail Address
    * Business Address (or home address if you are not operating as a business)
    * City, Region/State, Postal Code/Zip
    * Business or home phone (as appropriate)
    * Cell phone (optional)
Use your e-mail address as your username and AWC will supply you a password.

MARCH 11, 2010, www.FAASafety.gov IS CHANGING...FOR THE BETTER! The FAA Safety Team is pleased to announce that FAASafety.gov is changing on March 12, 2010. You will see a completely new look and feel. A summary of the changes is found by clicking here: https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2010/Mar/Summary_of_Changes.pdf
--Submitted by the KWVI FAA Safety Team.

OCTOBER 23, 2009, PILOT AIRSPACE DEVIATIONS CONTINUE TO BE A MAJOR RISK IN THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM. The FAASTeam has a requirement in FY'10 to promote pilot deviation awareness at every safety seminar. TO REDUCE THE CHANCE THAT YOU MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN AN AIRSPACE DEVIATION INCIDENT, YOU ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO TAKE AN ON-LINE LEARNING CENTER COURSE ON FAASafety.gov, OR SEARCH THE LEARNING CENTER LIBRARY FOR ASSOCIATED GUIDANCE ON AIRSPACE INCURSIONS. Remember---safe and prudent airmen have superior situational awareness, and plan to keep it that way!

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.

WPA's REGULAR WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEETING BEGINS AT 7 PM. See the WINGS Seminar Calendar for valuable seminars and safety presentations scheduled. Meetings are normally held the last Wednesday of each month except no meetings in August, 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).