FAA
Administrator Breaks Ground For New Control Tower
FAA Administrator Makes EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh
Launchpad for Revolution in Aviation
Blakey experiences joy of sport aviation firsthand
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — July 30, 2004 — Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) Administrator Marion Blakey and more than a dozen
senior FAA officials chose EAA AirVenture as the venue for making
dramatic announcements about new federal regulations for recreational
and sport aviation. This afternoon Blakey wraps up a two-day visit to
AirVenture, the annual, weeklong convention, fly-in, and air show of the
Experimental Aircraft Association. During her stay, she participated in
a series of meetings with EAA officials, volunteers, and members.
"We recently celebrated the first century of powered flight by
observing a major milestone in aviation, the Wright brothers' flight at
Kitty Hawk. Now, the second century of flight is off and running with
the achievement of a second major aviation milestone, the sport pilot
and light-sport aircraft rule," Blakey said to a packed forum pavilion
during yesterday's "Meet the Boss" session. "With one stroke of a pen
we've made recreational flying more fun, safer, and more affordable. At
your request, getting wings just got to be considerably easier to do,
and that's a wonderful thing," she said.
Following up on a comment she made earlier in the day asserting
that the sport pilot rule will stimulate a "real infusion of pilots,
enthusiasts, and manufacturers" into the general-aviation marketplace,
Blakey projected that this revolution will have "a profound effect on
local economies." She added, "AirVenture and general-aviation businesses
around America are going to see a boom as a result of this."
The new regulations -- the result of a decade-long effort by FAA,
EAA, and other principals in the aviation industry -- will make basic
sport and recreational flying a viable pastime for many more aviation
enthusiasts. They define flight operations that allow for lower costs of
training and aircraft.
Blakey explained that "these are less
 complex
aircraft. They do not create the same kind of challenges in pilot
training. We're also talking about daytime VFR [visual flight rules]
flying. So … the flight training required is appropriate for the type of
aircraft," Blakey said.
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Current control tower
Because the training focuses on the specific type of flying
stipulated in the rule, prospective sport pilots receive intensive
instruction tailored to their needs. They can obtain certification after
as few as 20 hours of training. "Now the words 'safe,' 'fun,' and
'affordable' all belong together in the same sentence," Blakey said.
Less than an hour after the FAA jet landed at Oshkosh's Wittman
Regional airport, Blakey was an airborne passenger again ‑‑ this time at
AirVenture in a Quicksilver 2S, a two‑place ultralight trainer that
qualifies as a light-sport aircraft under the new rule. "Gee, guys, I
wish someone had told me about this before now," she said. "It was
absolutely fabulous!"
Tom Poberezny, EAA president, believes many will share Blakey's
reaction. "This kind of flying inspires that kind of enthusiasm. It's
flying for the sheer fun and wonderment of the experience. It connects
to the roots of aviation and it will spawn the next generation of
enthusiastic participants," he said in an interview after hosting the
forum with Blakey. Tom Poberezny
and others at the ground breaking >>>>>>
In closing out the forum, Blakey reinforced EAA's important role
in advancing the dream of flight. "All I can say is you can count on me
to be a booster of EAA and general aviation, because I really believe
it's the backbone of aviation," she said.
EAA, The Leader in Recreational Aviation, is an international
association with 170,000 members and 1,000 local chapters. To join EAA
or for more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA
(1-800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org.
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