Friday, March 12, 2010

ICAS Fast Facts -- March 11, 2010

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL DEADLINE APPROACHES

As the deadline for renewing your organization's membership in ICAS approaches, we wanted to remind you that lists for the 2010-2011 ICAS Industry Guide will be pulled off the ICAS membership database within hours of the renewal deadline. For contact information about your organization to be included in this year's Guide, you must renew your membership as soon as possible and not later than midnight on Wednesday, March 31.

And, thanks to new upgrades to the ICAS website, renewing your membership has never been easier. Just click here, log in with your user name and password in the upper right corner, and you can complete the transaction in – literally – less than three minutes.

FAA ATC PROVIDES TFR GUIDANCE

In 1997, after a safety stand-down in which non-participant aircraft incursions into waivered airspace were identified as one of the most pressing safety hazards facing the air show industry, ICAS embarked on a multiple year effort to create air show specific Temporary Flight Restricted (TFR) areas to help mitigate the risk posed by pilots who accidentally wander into or near the aerobatic box.

More than a decade later, air show TFRs are an accepted part of the air show safety program, but the process of applying for and receiving that TFR can often be difficult, confusing and time consuming.

Recently, air traffic control personnel within the FAA have been working to simplify and clarify that process.  That initiative is ongoing, but our ATC contacts within the FAA recently offered this guidance:

"In order to prevent problems in getting a TFR for your aviation event, discuss it with the assigned FAA inspector when you make application for the air show waiver at the Flight Standards District Office. A TFR is only requested if your show will have aircraft performing aerobatics at speeds in excess of 200 Knots Indicated Air Speed (KIAS) outside of B, C or D airspace. Without a TFR, transient aircraft are permitted to fly in the waivered airspace, but are advised by NOTAM to be cautious. A TFR NOTAM prohibits transient aircraft from entering the TFR airspace without specific clearance to do so. In addition, most military participants in U.S. air shows now require a TFR if they will be flying.

"Any request for a TFR, waiver or authorization for an aviation event requires coordination by the aviation event's responsible person or air boss with the appropriate ATC facility(ies) and the Regional Air Traffic Organization Service Center approximately 90 days prior to the event.

"The request for an air show TFR must be submitted to the Systems Operations Support Group Manager at the Service Center and copied to the appropriate ATC facility at least 60 days prior to the aviation event. This will allow the Service Center to forward the request to staff and forward the recommendation to the Airspace and Rules Group (ATO-RAJR-33) 30 days prior to the event. The Airspace and Rules Group will review the request and issue the TFR seven days prior to the event. Any special conditions considered necessary by the Air Traffic Service Organization will be made a part of the certificate of waiver or authorization."

Click here to download a Service Area TFR worksheet for an air show, aerial demonstration or major sporting event. Click here for a pdf version of the above instructions that also includes contact information for TFR-knowledgeable contact points at the Eastern Service Center in Atlanta, the Central Service Center in Fort Worth, and the Western Service Center in Seattle.

AIR FORCE APPROVES AFI 10-1004

More than ten years in development, Air Force Instruction (AFI) 10-1004 is a 117-page document that digests decades of air show/open house-related memorandums, guidance documents, and letters or interpretation from many different groups within the Air Force. Developed to eliminate contradictions and provide Air Force open house project officers with a single reference tool, AFI 10-1004 has received strong early reviews even as air show professionals – civilian and military – work to identify those parts of the document that require – or seem to require -- changes in the way that Air Force bases conduct their events or in the way that civilians interact with Air Force bases conducting air shows and open houses.

"AFI 10-1004 represents an enormous step forward for the Air Force's administration of air shows and open houses," said ICAS President John Cudahy. "And, as you would expect for any document this big, there will be issues raised, problems to overcome, and interpretations to make as the Air Force and the entire air show community begins to actually go about the business of putting this new document to work."

To download the entire document, click here.

NAVY SOLICITS AIR SHOW PARTNERS FOR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

To maximize the visibility of the Centennial of Naval Aviation (CoNA) in 2011, the U.S. Navy is encouraging air shows and other major events to participate. In exchange for utilizing the theme "A Salute to 100 Years of Naval Aviation" for their event, up to 25 events will be selected to participate as designated Tier One Official Centennial Events and may receive additional Navy support next year. Although this designation will not include a commitment to appear by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, it may include the scheduling of other aerial demonstrations, static displays, Navy owned exhibits, flight simulators, and other assets that would enhance the entertainment value of the show to the general public.  Tier One events would also be permitted to use the official Centennial of Naval Aviation logo in their advertising and promotion of these events.

Selection criteria for Tier One designation will include a willingness to incorporate the CoNA theme into the event, the historical importance of the show location to the history of naval aviation, market size and air show demographics/diversity, availability of a 200-person chalet for each day of the event to entertain CoNA sponsors, availability of ramp space (200' x 100') for use by CoNA sponsors, availability of a full-page color ad in the air show program to provide recognition to CoNA sponsors, availability of one 15'x30' location to sell CoNA merchandise (tent and staffing to be provided by CoNA); and the ability to engage local Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard entities and associated organizations to become a part of the event.

Air shows interested in participating must apply before March 31, 2010. (Note: this deadline has been extended from the original deadline date of February 22.)  For more information and an application form, click here or contact Lieutenant Kevin Ferguson, phone 619-545-1805, e-mail: kevin.ferguson1@navy.mil.

ICAS SCHEDULES AIR BOSS ACADEMY FOR FORT WORTH IN OCTOBER

If last year is any indication, the 15 spots available for our 2010 ICAS Air Boss Academy will fill up quickly.  The event is scheduled for October 28, 29 and 30 in conjunction with the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show. Click here for additional information and registration materials.

INDIAN PILOTS KILLED IN AIR SHOW ACCIDENT

Two Indian navy pilots were killed on the morning of Wednesday, March 3 while performing in an air show at the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad in the central India state of Andhra Pradesh. Commander S.K. Maurya and Lieutenant Commander Rahul Nair were both members of the four-ship Sagar Pawan navy flight demonstration team flying in the two-seat, single-engine HJT-16 Kiran Mk2 jet trainer when the aircraft crashed into a two-story apartment building. Several people on the ground were injured, but none fatally. Indian military officials are investigating the cause of the accident.

© International Council of Air Shows, Inc.
750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite F-3
Leesburg, Virginia 20175
Phone: 703-779-8510
 

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