AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2014 - 14

LETTERS
Although it's a shame not to
use all the gee-whiz features,
you can eliminate surprises by
learning and practicing just the
essentials.
Bert Love
AOPA 597891
Murphy, North Carolina

Coming to terms

and it would be much easier
to manage. Assign each general aviation airport a specific
squawk code. If you are coming into the area, or flying out
of the area, from an airport
inside the SFRA, you would
use the squawk code for that
airport. No flight plans. No
need to call flight service, or
the Potomac Tracon.
John Shoemaker
AOPA 956578
Arnold, Maryland

Just a little more than a year ago
I purchased my first airplane, a
1963 Bonanza P35. Prior to my
purchase I took the wise advice
of AOPA and had a prepurchase
inspection by Adrian Eichhorn.
I had arranged to fly to
Eichhorn's hangar in Manassas,
Virginia (HEF), for the prepurchase inspection-inside the
SFRA! This was a little intimidating as I am a fairly new

HANGAR TALK

I just read Tom Haines'
"Waypoints" article. I have
flown in the BaltimoreWashington area for 26 years.
Before the SFRA, it used to
be fun. I didn't have to talk to
anyone on the radio. I didn't
have to file a flight plan. I
could fly over the Chesapeake
Bay and wave to the fishermen. I park my airplane at
Lee Airpark. For many years,
there were no tiedown spots
available. Now, there are
plenty. Pilots have moved outside the SFRA.

If I want to fly to Frederick,
I fly to the northeast and outside the SFRA as quickly as
possible. Then, I fly around
the north side of the SFRA.
That way, I only have to talk to
Tracon for about 10 minutes. I
have written the FAA and the
TSA several times, to no avail.
I didn't get a reply of any kind.
The SFRA regulations
absolutely stink, and I have
actually given thought to moving out of this area. Not just
the airplane; moving everything, into an area where they
appreciate their citizens, and
rely more on common sense
than politics. I have lived
here all my life, and I think I
have just about had enough.
Why not use the BaltimoreWashington Class B airspace
as the SFRA?
It would make things so
much easier for local pilots,

JIM MOORE was drawn to
aviation and writing alike
by curiosity and a sense
of adventure, so flying
by Quest Kodiak to the
northern reaches of North
America was a no-brainer.
"The Arctic is a wild and
breathtaking place, and
I'm very grateful to those
who made it possible for
me to go there. I'd go
back in an instant-as
long as it's summertime."
Moore joined a small Mars
Society team setting up a
remote outpost for a
year-round science
mission ("MISSION TO
'MARS,'" page 50).

14 | AOPA PILOT January 2014

Senior Editor AL MARSH
and Senior Photographer
Mike Fizer, who prepared
our 2006 story on the first
American Legend Aircraft
Cub, traveled once again
to Sulphur Springs,
Texas, east of Dallas, for
this month's story on the
new model, the Super
Legend ("HARLEY IN THE
SKY," page 42). A lot has
changed since that first
story. Now the company
has a real factory and
is preparing for manufacturing in China. The
Super Legend certification was delayed by the
government shutdown
and was finally approved
as a Light Sport aircraft
in November, just in time
for the U.S. Sport Aviation
Expo in Sebring, Florida,
in mid-January.

"Being close enough to
touch a gray whale gives
a sense of the power and
mystery of these majestic beings, and also their
curiosity and playfulness," says Senior Editor
DAVE HIRSCHMAN, who
flew to a dirt strip in Baja
California for the opportunity to see them up close
("THE WHALES OF BAJA,"
page 60). "The youngest
seem to seek out tourist
boats, and whale moms
appear proud to show off
their newborns." A nearby
landing strip gives general
aviation pilots exceptional
access to this haven for
once-endangered whales.

pilot, currently working on
my IFR rating. I took AOPA's
online course on flying in the
SFRA and my friend, a veteran pilot, and I made the trip
after both passing the required
course on flying the SFRA. My
friend filed IFR and we had
absolutely no problem. I left
Manassas a proud owner of my
first Bonanza. I plan on flying
from Wisconsin to Maryland,
my first solo trip out East, VFR.
Although I can skirt around the
SFRA, it will still be intimidating, but Tom Haines' comments
eased my fears.
Andrew W. Nahas
AOPA 7214586
Boscobel, Wisconsin

Power curve

Thank you for Tom Horne's
excellent piece "Proficiency &
Efficiency: Behind the Power
Curve." It struck me that this
might have been the exact
thing that happened (plus the
delay time it took to spool up
the engines) on the Asiana
Airways jet that earlier this
year crashed at San Francisco
International Airport and
killed three passengers. All
that I heard on the news would
seem to have similar power
curve results, along with the
pilot error(s) that created the
accident. The contunued loss
of altitude and the increased
angle of attack would seem to
fit the power curve Mr. Horne
explained. A follow-up article that shows the example
of a power curve applied to a
specific crash such as in a jet
would be interesting.
Bill Riddell
AOPA 6921073
Jacksonville, Florida

We welcome your comments.
Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation
Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701
or email (pilot@aopa.org). Letters may be edited for length
and style before publication.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2014
