IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH 

One sentence can make your day (or destroy it).  One of the services Fly-Low provides is a TFR Notification to those who request the service (go to the link of the left to be included).  Some of the first names I acquired were ones that I had personal contact via e-mail.  We are now sending out thousands of e-mails.  I guess that makes me a “spammer”.  Each time the FAA issues a lot of TFRs or if they happen to be in our publication’s coverage, we send out an e-mail TFR Notification.  

On occasion, we get someone asking to be removed from the list.  That is no problem.  One person practically accused me of being a ‘terrorist’ because I spread the word where the President was going to be.  He thought of me as a traitor for informing pilots of the sixty mile diameter TFR that protects President Bush. 

I attempted to explain to him that my concern was not for the president, he would be well taken care of by the Secret Service and the Air Force.  My concern was for the poor pilot who didn’t call FSS before he took off.  Thus, getting a force down or shot down action pulled against him.  I don’t think he ever understood.  Yep, I removed him from the list. 

To be added to the NOTAM list click here.

Then there are times that I get an e-mail like this one: 

Dear Fly-Low,

I think it's really great that you offer this service to folks.

Thanks!
Spook 

Or this one: 

Ralph, 

Thank you so much for being diligent in sending these out.  You are doing a great service to the aviation community. 

THANKS!

Tim   

It doesn’t take much to bring a smile to my face… thanks to those of you who took the time to write. 

AIR SHOW SEASON CONCLUDES 

September and October will be the closing months of the 2004 Air Show Season.  The weather will be cooler (at least).  If there is an air show near you, make sure you go.  There are some real good performers out there today.  Some are “newbee’s” and some are “old timers”.  Either way it is a great way to support aviation.  Take the kids and a friend.  We have several of the air shows featured in this publication.  Pick one and fly or drive.   You can check our events calendar in this issue for the September air events.  If you want to get November’s air events go to www.fly-low.com and our events page. 

WE’VE BEEN TRICKED        

Sometimes we get our hopes up for something and the “big guy” pulls the carpet out from under us.  Well, the new sport pilot rule seems to have been a bag of mixed tricks.  What we felt would allow those who were medically legal to drive a car to fly certain small aircraft, didn’t work out that way.  It appears that the FAA doesn’t want anyone to fly under those rules if they have ever been turned down by the FAA for medical reasons.   

If, however, you have a problem and have never told the FAA about it, you’re legal to fly.  Not having applied for a medical wavier would certainly benefit those today.  AOPA & EAA are putting on the ‘boxing gloves’ to do combat against this new ‘fuzzy’ rule change.  Every so often we get tricked… this may have been one of those occasions.