January - March 2023
Advocacy At Work by Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs
GAL VOR The Galena VOR is an anchor and critical part of the low and high-altitude IFR route structure for Interior Alaska and the international routes. It also is a great “ace in the hole” for VFR pilots. A spring flood ten years ago wiped it out. The FAA has had difficulty getting the VOR…
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137 Pilots Affected by FAA Reexamination Notice
Recently the FAA discovered a deficiency in several instrument check-rides that took place during a four-year period in Alaska. Our members, the public, and the media reached out to the Alaska Airmen’s Association, seeking information and clarity. Below is a brief overview of the issue, actions taken by the FAA, and the position of the…
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Notes from the Safety Committee
Note from the editor: The Alaska Airmen Association recently reconvened our Safety Committee, meeting monthly, to set goals and suggest initiatives to increase safety in aviation in Alaska. The Committee is made up of Board members, staff members, NextGen members and members of the public who are tasked with brainstorming how we can best use…
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President’s Report
Greetings Airmen Association Members,Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe 2023 is already here but what a great year 2022 was for the AlaskaAirmen’s Association. As I reflect on the year, we were fortunate to accomplish the goals we set out toachieve. Some of the goals achieved included increasing our scholarships, raising awareness throughadvocacy, continuing…
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Letter from the Director
This time of year, its hard to resist the urge to look back and review. When I think of 2022 for our aviation community, I can’t help but think of WEATHER. It felt like a monsoon summer and then, not to be outdone, a record-breaking start to winter! This last snow and windstorm marked the…
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NextGen Spotlight
Recently, members of our NextGen Aviation Club expressed an interest in more purely social events where they could network, make friends with similar interests, and build a community! We loved the idea so before the holidays, we hosted our first NextGen movie and aviation trivia night. We received great feedback, and it was definitely a…
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Behind the Scenes of the Alaska Airmen Scholarship Program by Dennis Bedford (former Board Member) and Nick Kellar (current Board Member)
Starting in 2016 we began to explore how to properly manage an effective scholarship program. That year we awarded 4 scholarships totaling $11,000. By setting clear guiding principles and partnering with the community, we have grown the program each year. Last year being our biggest with 67 awarded scholarships totaling $102,000. Plenty has been written…
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Most Popular Alaska Military Training Routes by Tom George, AOPA Alaska Regional Manager
We all learned about Military Training Routes, or MTR’s, during pilot training. While they are depictedon the flight charts (VFR and IFR), how many of us have actually seen them in use, or know which onesare used the most?The fall meeting of the Alaska Civil Military Aviation Council included a briefing on the MTR’s that…
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A Big Concern in the Aviation Community and How Fairbanks International is Making a Difference.
If you haven’t heard of PFAS before, it stands for polyfluoroalkylsubstances. These substances are widely used chemicals that breakdown very slowly over time. They are mainly used to create productsthat are resistant to stains and grease, so you can find them in lots ofaverage household items. Cleaners, clothes, food packaging, andeven cosmetics are good examples.…
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Member Milestones 2023 Q1
Have you gained a new rating or certificate? Purchased your first airplane orflown your 5000th hour? Shout out a friend that has landed in a challenging newplace or welded their first tube on a new project. Or maybe you want tocommiserate after shelling out for your first annual inspection. Whatevermilestone you have achieved, help us…
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WELCOME TO 2023 AND A NEW YEAR WITH NEW OPPORTUNITIES! By John M. Dahlen
Happy New Year! (US & Canada), З Новим роком! (Ukrainian); С Новым Годом! (Russian); あけまして おめでとう ございます! (Japanese); Bonne année! (French); Frohes neues Jahr! (German);Gelukkig nieuwjaar! (Belgian); 新年快乐! (Mandarin). No matter where you live, or how and whenyou say it, it’s time to preserve the best of our 2022 memories, haul the rest of 2022…
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Why Do You Fly? by Bernie Willis
Last time we talked, it was confirmed that we fly a lot and significantly morethan our friends around the world. I wonder why that is… Let’s consider someoptions and see if I get it right. My first idea is that we fly because we want to get somewhere the roaddoesn’t go. I’d been in Alaska…
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Advocacy at Work
Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs G100UL General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI) was just awarded another STC for their 100LL replacement fuel. Their previous STCs were for limited types of aircraft/engine combinations, primarily low compression or low horsepower. This new STC is what we have been looking for from the FAA for a few…
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President’s Report
President’s Report – Transponder Greetings Airmen’s Association Members, Fall is here and I’m hopeful you’re getting out to fly around and see the incredible fall colors. I always enjoy this time of year as life starts to slow back down a little and we settle back into our normal routine. This last summer went by…
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New IFR GPS Routes
Tom George, AOPA Alaska Regional Manager IFR pilots should look for changes on the Low Altitude Enroute Charts across Alaska. In the September 8th chart cycle, the FAA added or modified thirteen IFR T-Routes in the state, with an additional twenty-three routes yet to be added over the next several cycles. These routes look different…
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Updates from the Executive Director
Greetings Airmen Association Members, Despite the dreadful weather, hopefully the summer was full of fish on the line, visits to the cabin, successful harvests, and hours penciled into the logbook. With the tourist season coming to an end and the snow creeping down the mountains, before long, a good many of us will be thinking…
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Get involved in aviation workforce development!
An exciting new construction project has started at the Mat-Su Career and Technical High School. The Matanuska Susitna Borough School District has partnered with the non-profit Tango Flight to provide students with an opportunity to learn about aircraft maintenance and construction while assembling a Van’s Aircraft RV-12iS kit. This construction project will take approximately two…
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NextGen Spotlight
The NextGen team has been busy in recent weeks sharing the joys and opportunities of the aviation industry in our beautiful state with a wide range of young folks! The fun started in August with the return of the NextGen Youth Aviation Day. This year, the University of Alaska Anchorage graciously agreed to share their…
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MACK RUTHERFORD BREAKS TWO GENERAL AVIATION GUINESS WORLD RECORDS! by John Dahlen
What were you doing when you were 16 years old? Mack Rutherford became the youngest person to ever fly solo around the world in August, turning 17 along the way. He also set a new world record as the youngest person to ever fly solo around the world in a microlight/ultralight airplane. He wants today’s…
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Flying for Ukraine Air Rescue – Small planes, big mission by John Bone
(Editor’s note: Alaska Airmen’s Association member John Bone sent me this story recently after I asked him about all the flying I saw him doing this summer over in Europe. Having flown to Russia in his Cirrus with him in 2019, I knew he would have a story to tell. And he did! He is…
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