Supporting Sport Pilot Major Goal In 2005

By EAA President Tom Poberezny

This month, as I wrote the president's "Position Report" column for the January 2005 issue of EAA's Sport Aviation, it occurred to me that just 12 months ago, many of us were thinking that we would be hard-pressed to imagine 2004 as being as significant as the flight centennial year of 2003.

We were wrong. 2004 became a year of achievements that launched the second century of flight in a very memorable way. I am especially proud of many EAA members who contributed to those accomplishments.
Just a few of the year's highlights included:

• The final enactment of the sport pilot/light-sport aircraft rule.  There is no rule packet in the past 50 years that will mean as much to recreational aviation as this one.  EAA had spent a decade working with the aviation community to make sport pilot a reality.  Now it has arrived and the future is what we make of it.
• The incredible flights of the SpaceShipOne team, led by EAAers Burt Rutan and Mike Melvill, that captivated the world's imagination over the summer and early fall.  Having known Burt and Mike as fellow EAA members for more than 30 years, watching them open the door to private space flight was nearly beyond description for us.

• Other highlights for EAA included the introduction of the amateur-built aircraft Designated Airworthiness Representative (AB-DAR) program, the growth of Young Eagles to include more than 1.1 million young people, another successful EAA AirVenture fly-in at Oshkosh and the innovation, enthusiasm and aviation participation of EAA members around the world.
  There were some items that were memorable for not-so-good reasons in 2004 as well, including:
• The continuing struggles over flight restriction areas and the Washington D.C.-region ADIZ;

  

• Legislative attempts on the federal, state and local levels to further restrict pilots from enjoying their flight privileges;
• Media sensationalism on the "threat" of general aviation, such as the scam by two NBC reporters trying to rent a helicopter in the St. Louis area; among others.
  There were some sad moments during 2004 as well, especially as EAA and aviation lost some close members and friends.  Those included, along with many others, such people as air show legends Duane and Judy Cole; Doc Brokaw of the Brokaw Bullet fame; and Sam Johnson, who considered himself as a pilot as much as the chairman of the huge S.C. Johnson corporation.

What's ahead in 2005?  Many exciting possibilities and more than a few challenges, such as: 

• Now that sport pilot is part of the landscape, it's important to keep building the infrastructure on all levels to make it successful.  Planning and preparation within government, industry and the pilot communities are essential in order for sport pilot to build on its early enthusiasm, breaking down the time and money barriers to flight.
• Programs are emerging that provide aviation access to more people. EAA has programs ranging from Young Eagles and scholarship programs for young aviation enthusiasts, to SportAir Workshops, EAA Chapters, Technical Counselors and Flight Advisors for adults. Plus there's Be-A-Pilot and many fine local programs, supported by EAA, that open the door to aviation.

  

• With the beginning of the President Bush's second term, there's the usual turnover of cabinet and top government positions.  EAA and other aviation groups are hoping that the new leaders in such offices as TSA and Homeland Security will be people who understand the importance of general aviation and its role within the total transportation system.

New innovations will continue to come forward.  There has been a new burst of innovation in the past several years, judging by what we've seen at EAA AirVenture each year.  It shows that there is a desire for new concepts and ideas as we enter the second 100 years of powered flight.  EAA will work, as it has for more than 50 years, to bring together the elements that allow these ideas to grow and mature into inventions that many of us can't even imagine today.

FMI: www.eaa.org