Boca Raton Airport INSIDE
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News from the Florida Department of Transportation Aviation Office Florida Flyer www.dot.state.fl.us/aviation Fall 2010 INSIDE 3 Flying Physicians Association A great family of friends who are dedicated to safety, education, and humanitarian projects 4 New Facility for Aerospace Academy Courtesy of Boca Raton Airport Boca Raton Airport and businesses located on the property provide 1,237 jobs with a at Lakeland Linder total annual payroll of $35,327,800. Regional Airport This growing, aviation- oriented high school is now in its third year of operation Boca Raton Airport oca Raton Airport (BCT) is a pub- Airport activities Blicly owned general aviation airport A variety of activities take place at 5 located on Florida’s east coast halfway the airport, including air taxi and gen- between West Palm Beach and Fort eral aviation jet services, general avia- 2010 Florida Aviation Lauderdale. tion flight training, charter aircraft and Awards The 212-acre airport, situated just helicopter flights, transient military op- two miles northwest of downtown Boca erations, and sport aircraft operations. Stephanie Kopelousos, FDOT Raton, offers convenient access to the Two fixed-base operators, Boca Secretary, and Aaron Smith, city’s thriving business and tourist Aviation and Avitat, serve the airport State Aviation Manager, center. Immediately east of the airport 24 hours a day. Boca Raton Airport Au- presented the awards at the lies the beautiful campus of the Florida thority office hours are from 8:00 a.m. Atlantic University. The Atlantic coast annual Florida Airports to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, is approximately two miles east of the Council conference and the air traffic control tower operates airport, and the internationally recog- from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. nized Boca Raton Resort is two miles southeast. See Boca Raton, page 6 MANAGER’S CORNER It’s hard to imagine that summer is coming to a close, fall is at our doorsteps, and soon winter (or so we call it) will be upon us, and with it, the New Year. Even my nine-year-old daughter pointed out how quickly 2010 has been going by. We started the year off responding to the earthquake in Haiti at the State Emergency Operations Center. The 2010 Legislature appropriated $129 million for Florida’s aviation pro- gram and enacted new provisions addressing aircraft use tax, which will hopefully attract additional general aviation traffic to many of Florida’s great leisure and busi- ness destinations. Speaking of great destinations, Florida opened two new airports: Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, the first commercial service airport to open Aaron N. Smith in 15 years, and Tavares Seaplane Base in Tavares, “America’s Seaplane City.” Both State Aviation Manager facilities had to overcome major hurdles with some still to come. However, both have been skillfully established to enable their communities to thrive in the future. The Department also participated in another successful SUN ’n FUN Interna- tional Fly-in & Expo at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, conducted two very suc- “The 2010 Legislature cessful Airfield Pavement Management Inspection Courses, and put the finishing touches on the Florida Statewide Aviation Economic Impact Study as well as the appropriated $129 Statewide Airport Compatible Land Use Study Guidebook. And, thanks to a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), we will soon be kicking off the million for Florida’s next series of Statewide Airfield Pavement Inspections. aviation program None of these accomplishments would have been nearly as successful without the dedication of Aviation Office and District Office staff, who continue to move and enacted new forward regardless of the challenges placed before them. I would also like to take an opportunity to thank those of you who participated provisions addressing in the Florida Airport Directory survey. Between April 1 and August 20, 2010 the Aviation Office received 2,411 responses out of the 10,000 surveys distributed. Based aircraft use tax, on these results, 98.6 percent indicated that they found the publication to be a useful which will hopefully document while 95.9 percent indicated that they would like to continue receiving the publication in its current printed format. Only 19.8 percent indicated a preference for attract additional an electronic web-based format. Thank you again for participating and for providing comments regarding Florida’s Airport Directory. We hope to continue to produce the general aviation airport directory for years to come. I am pleased to announce that after an eight-year traffic to many of hiatus, Jason Myers has rejoined the Department as the Florida’s great new Airport Inspection and Safety Manager. In his new role, Jason will manage the public airport site approval leisure and business process, airport inspection and licensing program, Fed- eral Aviation Administration airport master records, and destinations.” numerous consultant contracts. Please join me in welcoming Jason to the FDOT Aviation Office and his new position. In closing, it is with great trepidation I announce the retirement of Micki Liddell, Private Airport Registration Jason Myers Manager. Everyone in the Aviation Office, as well as the Public Transportation Office, knows she has done so much more than manage the pri- vate airport registration program for the past eight years. Micki has been an integral part of the Department for over 30 years, during which time she has seen Secretaries, Managers, and office staff come and go. I have the distinct honor of wishing her and her husband well in their retirement together. Who could ask for more? FLORIDA FLYER 2 Fall 2010 Flying Physicians Association he Flying Physicians Association T(FPA) is a close-knit group of phy- FPA in Florida sician pilots who are dedicated to safety, • A majority of FPA members are education, and humanitarian projects in the Dixie chapter which is related to medicine and aviation. FPA based in Florida. members enjoy flying for a variety of Florida FPA members Doug Johnson, reasons. Some are involved with An- • FPA’s 2011 annual meeting M.D., and Ramon Pabalan, M.D., load gel Flight or Mercy Flight, some fly to will be held on Amelia Island, emergency supplies for Haiti. where they work, some fly for personal Florida, July 3–8, 2011. reasons, and some members fly for all of • The president of FPA is Dr. Felix FPA also offers an aviation scholarship these reasons. Tormes of Pensacola, Florida. every year. The focus in recent years has Safety is a priority for FPA mem- been in supporting youth aviation camps bers, whether flying or practicing medi- the need for a formal organization, and with scholarships for deserving campers cine. When comparing safety practices began taking steps to establish it. In Oc- interested in an aviation career. in medicine and safety practices in fly- tober 1955, the Flying Physicians Asso- ing, “there are a lot of analogies,” says ciation was incorporated under the laws Membership in FPA Alice Henderson, FPA’s Executive Vice of the state of New York as a not-for- FPA welcomes physician pilots who President. The team approach, for exam- profit scientific and educational society. are interested in joining the association. ple, is evident in both fields; the counter- Today, FPA is based in Montgom- Applicants for FPA membership must parts to mechanics and FBO personnel ery, Texas, 50 miles north of Houston. hold a doctorate of medicine or oste- at an airport are the nurses and medical FPA has approximately 300–350 mem- opathy and be a licensed physician or be health professionals at a hospital. bers including physician pilots across enrolled as a full-time medical doctor- the United States, as well as in Canada, ate student in an accredited medical col- Formal organization England, Germany, and the Caribbean. lege or university, and must hold a valid The idea for FPA began with a group In the United States, members par- pilot’s license or otherwise demonstrate of physician pilots who were attending ticipate in one of five chapters: North- a commitment to aviation medicine. An the 1954 Jaycee Transcontinental Air east, Great Lakes, Dixie, Southwest, associate membership category is open Race in Philadelphia. They discussed and Western. Most chapters meet twice to non-pilot physicians who support avi- a year; the Northeast Chapter meets ation medicine. only in the fall. Members also attend an Member benefits include an online annual meeting that is scheduled in a directory of physician pilots; access to different location in the U.S. every year. top aviation/medical speakers and ar- FPA has a great deal of family involve- ticles; a subscription to FPA’s biannual ment, and members often bring family magazine, The Flying Physician; and members to the meetings. tours arranged for those who enjoy ski- Members of FPA participate in a ing, scuba diving, and fishing. A mem- number of humanitarian projects which bership application is available online at recently included providing relief follow- FPA’s web site, www.fpadrs.org. u ing the earthquake in Haiti in January. In the Summer 2010 Florida Flyer, we wrote about FPA member Dr. Kevin Above left: Incoming Ware and his friend Tim White who pro- FPA President Felix R. vided relief in Haiti (see “One Doctor, Tormes, M.D., (right) One Friend, and a Plane” at www.dot. of Pensacola, Florida, is pinned by outgoing state.fl.us/aviation/newsletters.shtm). president John Hall. Following the FPA Winter Board Left: FPA chapter meet- Meeting on February 25–27, 2011, at ing group visits Bell the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fort Myers, Helicopter plant in Ft. Florida, FPA President Felix Tormes Worth, Texas. will lead a second tour to the Domini- can Republic with the opportunity to do more volunteer service in Haiti.