Training News and Notes

AOPA Fly-Ins

Battle Creek bonanza

A surprising aviation mecca

There’s a big surprise for visitors to W.K. Kellogg Airport in sleepy Battle Creek, Michigan—and it isn’t snap, crackle, and pop and the smell of cereal. Behind hangar doors is a bonanza of aircraft—from historic, handmade Waco biplanes to high-end business jets—and a nearby aviation museum rivals the Udvar-Hazy Center. Battle Creek is the perfect spot for AOPA’s third 2016 fly-in, scheduled for September 16 and 17.

Attendees will have an opportunity to view amazing aircraft at the Waco Aircraft Corp. and Duncan Aviation. Waco, which constructs new biplanes from original plans, will serve as show central and offer tours to attendees; its final assembly bay will be the backdrop for the skills seminars.

Duncan Aviation, started in 1956 by Iowa farmer Donald Duncan, has grown to become the world’s largest privately owned business jet support facility. Special tours are scheduled for fly-in attendees.

The lineup of 26 Cirrus aircraft at Western Michigan University on the airport is just a small indication of the innovation taking place at this aviation college. Attendees will have an opportunity to visit the school.

In nearby Kalamazoo at the Air Zoo, you’ll find authentic and replica aircraft of every vintage, kiosks and learning centers, hands-on experiences such as simulators, and more.

RSVP for the AOPA Fly-In at Battle Creek.

Rules for ‘remote pilots’

FAA integrating UAS in national airspace

The FAA has released its final rule for the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) weighing less than 55 pounds, along with new airman certification standards for small UAS operators.

The new rule, Federal Aviation Regulation Part 107, was expected to take effect in late August. It allows operators to use small UAS for a number of noncommercial and commercial operations without going through the exemption process currently required.

“Unmanned aircraft are an increasingly important part of the aviation universe, and we’re pleased that the FAA is taking steps to fully and safely integrate them into the National Airspace System,” said Melissa Rudinger, AOPA vice president of government affairs.

The rule incorporates many of the comments made by AOPA during the rulemaking process, including restricting the maximum operating altitude for small UAS to 400 feet agl in order to provide a small buffer between manned and unmanned aircraft. The final rule also allows current Part 61 certificate holders, aside from student pilots, to take an online training course from the FAA instead of the FAA knowledge test. AOPA recommended the online training as a way to lower the cost of compliance for current pilots and ensure widespread access to training information.

Under the provisions of the new rule, the operators of small UAS will be known as remote pilots and the FAA will create a new remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating. Applicants must be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration, be at least 16 years old, and demonstrate aeronautical knowledge.

Remote pilots will not be allowed to operate small UAS in ways that interfere with traffic patterns or operations at any airport, heliport, or seaplane base, including delaying a manned aircraft.

Web: www.aopa.org/drone