REFLECTOR: Fw: "FAAST Blast" - FAASafety.gov (AC 90-109)

[Andrew Ellzey]

I thought this would be of interest to the Reflector community. New AC 90-109.

Andy Ellzey

ajlz72756 at yahoo.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: FAASafety.gov 
To: ajlz72756 at yahoo.com 
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 6:22 PM
Subject: "FAAST Blast" - FAASafety.gov


     FAA Safety Team | Safer Skies Through Education 
      FAAST Blast
      Notice Number: NOTC2931


      FAAST Blast — Week of April 18-22, 2011 
      Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News Update 


      New AC Advises Pilots on How to Stay Safe in Unfamiliar Aircraft  
         Accident data indicates that a significant number of GA fatalities occur when experienced pilots first fly an unfamiliar aircraft, especially when they are the second owner or pilot of an experimental amateur built aircraft. To help address this issue, the FAA issued a new Advisory Circular (AC 90-109, Airmen Transition to Experimental or Unfamiliar Airplanes) which advises that all pilots should consider the first flight in any particular experimental airplane a test flight. This AC may also be useful in planning the transition to any unfamiliar fixed-wing airplanes, including type-certificated (TC) airplanes. It urges pilots to review the associated hazards and risks (outlined in the AC) and complete the recommended training. 

         This AC is part of the FAA’s focus on reducing GA accidents by using a non-regulatory, proactive strategy to get results. Go to www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/90-109.pdf to view the AC. 
        
      Get Ready for the Virginia Festival of Flight 
         On April 30 and May 1, 2011, Suffolk Executive Airport (KSFQ) will host the 14th Annual Virginia Regional Festival of Flight, a fly-in event dedicated to promoting aerospace education and recreational aviation. Events on tap for this year include an exciting mix of exhibits, workshops, and an opportunity to visit the Spirit of Freedom, a WWII era Douglas C-54. Touting education and safety as primary objectives, the Virginia Festival of Flight will also host more than 45 educational forums and workshops, including a two-hour FAA presentation on aircraft owner maintenance requirements and a Flight Services 101 session presented by Lockheed Martin. These and other presentations at the event qualify for WINGS credit. 

         “We expect visitors all the way from Maine to Georgia this year,” says Dee Whittington, the event’s public relations chairman. “Thanks to the feedback we receive each year, we’ve made several improvements that have helped us become one of the leading fly-in events on the East coast.” For more information, go to http://www.virginiaflyin.org/. 
       
      Cruise Control: Avoiding VFR into IMC 
         When it comes to weather planning and decision-making before and during a flight, pilots should arm themselves with as much information as possible. However, don’t think that just by having this information you’ll be safe. In more than 50 percent of the VFR-into-IMC accidents reviewed by the NTSB, the pilot did receive a weather briefing, but failed to realize its implications until it was too late. To avoid falling victim to the deceptive changes of a VFR-into-IMC encounter, be sure to get all the facts, but also be ready to act on those facts. 

         For more helpful tips on how to avoid one of the leading causes of GA fatal accidents, see the FAA Safety Briefing article “Cruise Control: Avoiding VFR into IMC” in the March/April 2011 issue available at http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/. 
        
      Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/
      Address questions or comments to: SafetyBriefing at faa.gov. 
      Follow us on Twitter @FAASafetyBrief or www.twitter.com/FAASafetyBrief.


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      Over 136,600 pilots earned WINGS credits last year. Will you, this year?  
     
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