ICAS ENCOURAGES MEMBERS TO OFFER COMMENTS ON NPRM
Some of the air show industry’s largest warbird aircraft would be dramatically impacted by a new “Large Aircraft Security Program” that has been proposed by the Transportation Security Administration. The deadline for public comments on this proposal is February 27, 2009. ICAS encourages all of its members to familiarize themselves with the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and make comments prior to the February 27 deadline. Aircraft impacted by this proposed rule would include DC3s, B-17s, B-25s, Skyraiders, some Korean War-era jet fighters, and any other aircraft with a take-off weight greater than 12,500 pounds.
“As an industry, we need to be aware that this rule has the potential to do away with the active air show participation of a whole class of warbirds,” says ICAS President John Cudahy. “The operators of these aircraft are aware of the threat, but the rest of the air show community needs to become involved and express their concerns about the impact of this proposal.”
Operators would be required to provide criminal-history-record checks, including the fingerprinting of all flight crews. The names of all passengers would be checked against the government’s "No-Fly" list for every flight. Additional screening, similar to that at commercial airports, would be required of all passengers prior to boarding the aircraft, even for a media flight or incentive ride. Administrative and costly third-party security audits would also be required of every aircraft operator.
Comments can be submitted to the Federal Docket Management System several ways:
You can submit your comments electronically by visiting
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=TSA-2008-0021. To add a comment, click on the top yellow balloon "Add Comments." Fill in your personal information (optional), and type your comments in the "Comments" box or attach a separate document containing your comments. When you are finished, click the "Next Step" button at the bottom of the page. When you are satisfied with your comments, click the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page.
You can also send your comments in via standard mail. Send them directly to Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Or you can also fax your comments to the Docket Management Facility at (202) 493-2251.
NECAS, NWCAS AND SWAN PREPARE FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCES
The three geographically based regions of ICAS are planning their midwinter meetings and cordially invite you to participate.
The Northwest Council of Air Shows (NWCAS) Conference will be held February 13 and 14 at the Seattle Airport Marriott Hotel near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Details on the schedule and registration options can be found on the NWCAS website at www.nwcas.org.
The Northeast Council of Air Shows (NECAS) will hold its big event on February 20, 21 and 22 at the Clarion Riverside Hotel in Rochester, New York. For more details on the program and registration information, visit the NECAS website at www.necas.org.
The annual conference of the Southwest Air Show Networking region will be held at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California on February 27 and 28. Details on the program can be found at www.swansafety.com.
USMC ANNOUNCES 2009 HARRIER, OSPREY SCHEDULES
The United States Marine Corps recently announced the performance schedule for the AV-8B Harrier demonstration. Shows included on the 2009 schedule are MCAS Yuma Open House and Air Show in Yuma, Arizona on March 14; MCAS Cherry Point Air Show in Cherry Point, North Carolina on May 15-17; OC Air Show in Ocean City, Maryland on June 13-14; Quad City Air Show in Davenport, Iowa on June 20-21; the Greater Binghamton Air Show in Johnson City, New York on July 4-5; the Tacoma Freedom Fair Air Show in Tacoma, Washington on July 3-5; the Prairie Air Show in Peoria, Illinois on July 10-12; the KC Aviation Expo in Kansas City, Missouri on August 22-23; the Cleveland National Air Show on September 5-7; MCAS Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California on October 2-4; the Great Georgia Air Show in Peach Tree City, Georgia on October 10-11; the St. Petersburg Airfest in St. Petersburg, Florida on October 23-25; and the Wings over Houston Show on October 31 and November 1.
The MV-22 Osprey will appear on static display at the following events: the Joint Services Open House at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on May 15-17; the Indianapolis Air Show in Greenfield, Indiana on June 5-7; and the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show in Forth Worth, Texas on October 24-25.
OPENING SESSION DVD NOW AVAILABLE
The opening general session at the 2008 ICAS Convention was widely hailed as the strongest ICAS keynote presentation of the last 20 years. With the help of moderator Miles O’Brien, Major General Bill Anders, USAF (retired) and Colonel Frank Borman, USAF (retired) captivated the audience of ICAS Convention delegates with an entertaining, behind-the-scenes look at their Apollo 8 mission to the moon in December of 1968.
At the convention and in the six weeks since, ICAS received many requests for a DVD recording of that session. ICAS now has a limited supply of DVDs that documents the entire Borman/Anders presentation. To get your copy, send a check for $10 to Opening Session DVD, ICAS, 750 Miller Drive, Suite F-3, Leesburg, Virginia 20175. Or send your credit card information (Visa, Master Card, American Express) with your street address to icas@airshows.org.
ASK QUESTIONS, GET ANSWERS FROM THE NEW ICAS WEBSITE
With so many different functions and so much information, the new ICAS website (www.airshows.aero) has a lot of nooks and crannies for you to explore, but we’d like to direct your attention to one specific feature that requires your active involvement to live up to its considerable potential as an information resource for all of our members.
In the orange navigation bar at the top of the new home page, there’s a button entitled, “Member Forum.” Click on it and you’ll be transported to a “members only” message board that provides all of our ICAS members with a simple, but effective vehicle for communicating with one another on issues of common concern. Only members can get access to these discussion boards when they log in and that means that you can talk about the business of air shows without fear of spectators or the press seeing what you’ve written.
We’ve not publicized the existence of these message boards, so there hasn’t been much activity thus far, but it’s our expectation that – over time – the Member Forum will become a virtual community that provides many of the same opportunities for member discussion that ICAS members could previously only get at the annual ICAS Convention.
If you don’t see a topic that sparks your interest or addresses your specific interest, create a new thread. The software is both very flexible and very intuitive. So, log on and help us get the conversations started.
ICAS SCHEDULES 2009 ACADEMY FOR DAYTON
The staff and leadership of the Vectren Dayton Air Show have agreed to host the 2009 ICAS Academy, to be held on July 16, 17 and 18 in Dayton, Ohio. The management team that will host the 2009 ICAS Academy in Dayton is the same group that helped organize and conduct the first ICAS Academy in July of 2000 in conjunction with the Muskegon Air Fair in Muskegon, Michigan.
As simple as it is effective, the ICAS Academy singles out one air show each year to provide event organizers with a unique opportunity to get a behind-the-curtain look at how an air show is organized, managed and conducted. Participants receive hundreds of pages of important planning documents. Although it is a huge undertaking for the host event, the ICAS members who have participated have found it to be perhaps the single most effective training program that ICAS offers.
Participants arrive on Thursday, spend all day Friday talking with air show organizers, touring the ramp and getting an up-close look at how the show organizes and conducts their event. During the lecture portion of the program, directors with specific expertise about different aspects of the show provide briefings, followed by the opportunity for questions and discussion. On Saturday, Academy participants watch the show from the VIP chalet. This year, Dayton will host the Thunderbirds, the Brazilian Air Force military demonstration squadron, Golden Knights, Sean Tucker, Patty Wagstaff, Tora Tora Tora, and the C-17 demonstration.
The fee to participate in this unique educational program is $265 per individual. The program always sells out and it appears that this year’s Academy will be no different. To learn more about the 2009 ICAS Academy and register for the program, contact ICAS headquarters at icas@airshows.org or by phone at 703-779-8510.
HENLEY BENEFIT SHOW GATHERS MOMENTUM, PERFORMERS
In July of 2008, air show performer Alan Henley suffered a serious spinal injury in a household accident in his Birmingham, Alabama home. The accident left Henley paralyzed with a mountain of expenses that are not covered by his family’s health insurance. To help defray some of those staggering expenses, Alan’s air show friends and colleagues have scheduled a benefit air show for April 18 and 19 at Cecil Field, just outside of Jacksonville, Florida.
Thus far, the event organizers have confirmed the participation of the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, Steve and Suzanne Oliver, Manfred Radius, Gene Soucy and Teresa Stokes, Matt Younkin, Sean Tucker, Patty Wagstaff, John Mohr, Greg Koontz, Gary Ward, Fred Cabanas, Iron Eagles, Red Thunder, Fowler Cary, Greg Poe, Carol Pilon, Gary Rower, Kent Pietsch, Jim Peitz, Jacquie Warda, Corky Fornof, Red Eagles, E-Team Skydivers, Chuck Vincent, Lee Lauderback, Dale Snodgrass, and Jim “Fang” Maroney.
For more information on the show, visit www.cecilfield.aero.
CIRRUS RENEWS WAGSTAFF SPONSORSHIP
The Cirrus Design Corporation recently renewed its sponsor relationship with ICAS member and air show performer Patty Wagstaff for the 2009 air show season. An active, visible and passionate advocate for general aviation, Wagstaff flies an Extra 300 in air shows and flies a Cirrus SR22 to manage her extensive travel schedule.
(C) International Council of Air Shows, Inc.
750 Miller Drive, Suite F-3
Leesburg, Virginia 20175
Phone: 703-779-8510
Website: www.airshows.aero
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