FAASAFETY FIRST FORAviation GENERAL AVIATION News Balloon Fiesta from the Ground Up September/October 2008 Volume 47/Number 5 In this issue… Launching Dreams Energizing the Next Generation Small is Beautiful Where There’s Smoke What Not to Learn What Not to Burn About the cover: This photo shows just one of the many nontraditional shape balloons that decorate the skies at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta®. Mario Toscano photo U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration ISSN: 1057-9648 September/October 2008 Features Volume 47/Number 5 Mary E. Peters Secretary of Transportation Launching Dreams ...............................2 Robert A. Sturgell Acting Administrator Nicholas A. Sabatini Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Energizing the Next Generation ................5 James J. Ballough Director, Flight Standards Service John S. Duncan Manager, General Aviation and Commercial Division Julie Ann Lynch Manager, Plans and Programs Branch Small is Beautiful .................................7 Susan Parson Editor Louise C. Oertly Associate Editor Where There’s Smoke .......................... 10 James R. Williams Assistant Editor Lynn McCloud Contributor FAASTeam CFI Workshops .................... 13 Gwynn K. Fuchs GPO Creative & Digital Media Services The FAA’s Flight Standards Service, General Aviation and Commercial Divi- How We Learn .................................. 14 sion’s Plans and Programs Branch (AFS–805) publishes FAA Aviation News six times each year in the interest of aviation safety. The magazine promotes safety by discussing current technical, regulatory, and procedural aspects What Not to Learn .............................. 16 affecting the safe operation and maintenance of aircraft. Although based on current FAA policy and rule interpretations, all material herein is advisory or TFR Taxonomy .................................. 19 informational in nature and should not be construed to have regulatory effect. The FAA does not officially endorse any goods, services, materials, or products of manufacturers that may be referred to in an article. What Not to Burn ............................... 26 All brands, product names, company names, trademarks, and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved. Aviation Word Search .......................... 31 Certain details of accidents described herein may have been altered to protect the privacy of those involved. FAA Extends Duration of First- Comments or questions about this magazine should be directed to the staff at and Third-Class Medical Certificates ........ 32 (202) 267-8212. Written comments can be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed. Mailing address: Editor, FAA Aviation News, Federal Aviation Administration, AFS-805, 800 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20591. The FAX number is (202) 267-9463. The FAA Aviation News e-mail is [email protected]. The Office of Management and Budget has approved the use of public funds for the printing of FAA Aviation News. Departments The magazine is available on the Internet at: http://www.faa.gov/news/aviation_news. Jumpseat ..........................................1 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE (GPO) SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES Aeromedical Advisory ......................... 18 New Orders: The Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402–9371, sells FAA Aviation News on subscription. Use the self-mailer form in the center of this magazine to subscribe. For new Checklist......................................... 22 orders, you can telephone the GPO at (202) 512-1800 or toll-free at 1-866-512- 1800. 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To ensure continued ser- AVNews ......................................... 34 vice without interruption, please return your renewal notice with payment promptly. Your subscription expiration date is listed on your mailing label. Editor’s Runway ................................ 36 **************3–DIGIT 342 FAN SMITH212J JUN05 R 1 423* FAA Faces .................... Inside Back Cover JOHN SMITH 212 MAIN ST FORESTVILLE MD 20747 JAMES J. BALLOUGH DIRECTOR, FLIGHT STANDARDS SERVICE We Are Here to Help You You may have heard the expression, “I’m affecting flight safety, as well as a pilot/controller Online Resources from the government and I’m here to help you.” It is glossary of terms used in air traffic control. for Pilots often followed by a chuckle, since some might ask, Preflight Becoming a pilot: “How can a regulator be helpful?” Yet, we must be http://www.faa.gov/ helpful, since our top goal is improving safety and We wrote in the last issue about the pilots/become/ saving lives. We do this by using every tool we can, importance of getting a preflight weather brief- http://www.aopa.org/ including developing and enforcing regulations, ing from 1-800-WX-BRIEF. In this issue, we include an article (see page 19) on Temporary learntofly/index.html but equally important tools include education and http://www.beapilot.com training, technical assistance, information sharing, Flight Restrictions (TFR), which restrict airspace and working together. for several reasons, including air shows, forest Pilot training: This issue’s “Jumpseat” highlights FAA fires, and presidential/VIP movements. This http://www.faa.gov/ resources that can help you fly more safely. We information is available at 1-800-WX-BRIEF and pilots/training/ provide a baseline through requirements for is also in graphical form on the Internet. Pilot’s Handbook receiving your pilot and medical certificates and, This issue’s “Checklist” column (see page of Aeronautical of course, through regulations, but we also pro- 22) explains how FAA reaches out to the aviation Knowledge: mote safer operations through a host of products community to spread the word about impor- http://www.faa.gov/ and activities. tant safety issues. One tool is a Safety Alert for library/manuals/aviation/ Operators (SAFO), which alerts, educates, and pilot_handbook/ Learning to Fly makes recommendations to air carrier certifi- Selection of The first step, which you’ve likely passed, is cate holders, fractional ownership program handbooks: deciding to become a pilot. A section on the FAA managers, and flight training centers. Another http://www.faa.gov/ Web site provides some of the basics, but if you’re tool—Information for Operators (InFO)— library/manuals/aircraft/ thinking about taking up flying or know someone contains information for operators to help them who is, great sources are the Aircraft Owners and meet administrative or regulatory requirements Aeronautical Pilots Association’s (AOPA) Learn to Fly Web site with relatively low urgency or affect on safety. Information Manual: http://www.faa.gov/ and the Be a Pilot site, which is co-sponsored by Continuing Education airport_airtraffic/ AOPA and the General Aviation Manufacturers air_traffic/publications/ Association (GAMA). Another point we stress in FAA Aviation atpubs/aim/ On the Pilot Training section of the FAA News is continuing education. There are always Web site, you will find the Pilot’s Handbook of ways to improve your proficiency. Improving Graphical TFRs: Aeronautical Knowledge. It provides an introduc- safety is also the number one objective of the http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/ tion to the broad spectrum of knowledge you FAA Safety Team, or FAASTeam, which uses list.html a coordinated effort to target causes of acci- will need as you progress in your pilot training. FAA safety dents and then focus efforts on addressing A number of other handbooks on airplane flying, information (InFO) and amateur-built aircraft, glider flying, and more, are those causes. FAASTeam members perform a alerts (SAFO): available as well. host of outreach activities, such as conduct- http://www.faa.gov/ One of the most important resources is ing seminars and providing training. There is safety/ the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM). This also an online Aviation Learning Center on the FAASTeam Web site. FAA Safety Team: manual provides basic flight information, as well http://www.faasafety.gov as information about air traffic control procedures Yes, we are from the government and we in the U.S. National Airspace System. It also con- are all here to help you. tains items on health and medical facts, on factors September/October 2008 FAAAviation News 1 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2008 BY JAMES WILLIAMS sk most people when the aviation age began, and you’re likely to hear about the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk in 1903. Actually, Ahuman flight started 120 years earlier (1783, to be exact), when two Frenchmen