arizona aviation journal - november/december 2011

Arizona Aviation JournalNovember 2011 Issue #5

Air FairReturns with a Flair

ASAG Aviation Safety Banquet

AzAA Fall Conference

Copperstate

Scottsdale

2011

ArizonA AviAtion JournAl November 2011

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Contents

SaberCatHD helicopter was on display at the Scottsdale Air Fair. Photo by Kenn Potts.

On the Cover

Wright Flight - Helping kids reach new heights.

Tucson Airport Authority hosts AAAE’s National Airports Confernce.

Cutter pilot Helen Consolino is passionate about her trade and about safety.

Scottsdale Air Fair makes return to airport after 11 years.

The Arizona Airports Association holds their annual Fall conference in Gilbert.

Copperstate Fly-In 2011, powers up in Casa Grande.

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Publisher/Editor/ Kim J. StevensGraphic Design/ Andrew StevensLayout Design/ Andrew StevensAdvertising Director/ Photography/ Kim Stevens Kenn Potts Contributing Writers Claire Stern Andrea Brennan Stacy Howard Hall Lewallen

Published by the State Aviation Journal9866 W Lone Cactus Drive, Peoria, AZ 85382. 623-326-1125

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Skydive Arizona Hosts USPA Nationals in Eloy.

Air Force One pilot is keynote speaker at ASAG aviation safety awards banquet.

Deer Valley Pilots Association holds open house and “Roundup.”


From the Publisher

The return of the Scottsdale Air Fair is good for everyone in the business of aviation. It’s good for Scottsdale. It’s good for the Valley and it’s good for the state of Arizona. It can have a positive impact on the economy, the growth of the industry and perhaps more importantly, on the psyche of those of us who love aviation and find our livelihood there. Scottsdale Mayor, Jim Lane, understands this. He is aware of how important an airport is to a community. In his welcoming remarks to those attending the Air Fair on Saturday morning, he said the airport brings a lot of business and leisure travelers to enjoy all that Scottsdale has to offer.

He also points out that just beyond the airport fence is Scottsdale Air-park - home to about 2,500 companies that provide jobs for about 48,000 employees. That is the key. Whether it is Yuma, Kingman, Page, Sierra Vista or Scottsdale, it’s about educating and enlightening a community about the depth of service that exists at each airport, many times unno-ticed, that touches everyone’s life. The Scottsdale Air Fair exposed that depth by shining a light, not just on the value of the airport, but on the men, women and children who came together on a recent weekend in November. It was about the Scouts who earned aviation merit badges. It was about kids who were inspired that day to become pilots or work in a related field in aviation. It was about the over 200 volunteers who thought enough about their community and their airport to contribute untold hours. It was about bringing a commu-nity together. The Mayor had it right when he said “the Scottsdale Airport is our air-port. It is such an important part of our community and of our economy, and the Scottsdale Air Fair is an opportunity for people to get to know it, enjoy it – and celebrate it with us.” Let me echo his words but put a slightly different spin on it. If you love aviation, the Scottsdale airport, along with all of the others, are our air-ports. They are an important part of our industry - important to our state, and an important part of our life. Enjoy them, utilize them, protect and promote them, and yes, let’s come together and celebrate them.

Air Fair’s Return is Good for All


What motivates us to excel? What drives us to go above and beyond? Is the love of aviation, the desire to soar through the clouds, in and of itself a motivator? For more than 20,000 students who have graduated from Wright Flight, the goal of flying is exactly the motivation they needed to stay in school, get better grades, and stay away from drugs. Based in Tucson, Wright Flight is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the goal of “Helping Kids Reach New Heights.” Each year approxi-mately 20-30 schools take part in the program. In order to participate, students must sign a contract promising to raise their grade in at least one subject, stay in school, stay out of gangs and say no to drugs. Once they’ve signed the con-tract, students go through a nine-week course on aviation history in which they learn about everything from the Wright brothers to space flight. Students who abide by their contract and pass the Wright Flight “History of Flight” test earn the thrill of a lifetime: each student takes to the skies with a volunteer licensed pilot, takes over the controls and co-pilots the plane. For Wright Flight participants, graduation day is actually called “Flyday.” Retired Lt. Col. Robin Stoddard, founder and executive direc-tor of Wright Flight, emphasizes that each student must earn the privilege of participating in Flyday and co-piloting a flight. He says, “We do not give out charity flights.” And as a former fighter pilot he means it. Approximately 60-70% of students earn the right to fly, but not all of them. Born on an F-86 base in Japan to parents who were both pi-lots, Stoddard spent 30 years as an Air Force fighter pilot him-self. He flew three tours in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan where he earned the Bronze Star and Air Medal. He also flew tours in Panama and Europe. In fact, one of his three children is now an Air Force pilot training to become an A-10 fighter pilot. For some parents that would be a scary thought, but not for Stoddard. “I was flying in combat when I was 50 years old and my mom was still worried for me,” he says with a smile in his voice. “I don’t fret too much.” Stoddard knows first-hand the thrill of flying and what an incredible motivating force it can be for students. “Kids are naturally enthusiastic around airplanes,” says Stoddard, “some kids want to fly so badly that they work really hard.” These are the students who pass the program and participate in Flyday. This year alone, Stoddard anticipates Wright Flight will host 20 Flydays for different schools.

Wright Flight has three programs for students. The Minute-man program is for students in grades 3-8, the Wright Flight program is for students in grades 5-12 and the Voyager pro-gram for students in grades 4-12. Although there are Wright Flight chapters across the nation, approximately half of the 20,000 students who have graduated from the program have been from Pima County schools. Founded in 1986, Wright Flight now has two paid staff members and a team of 60-80 volunteers. Stoddard is gaining national recognition for the Wright Flight program. In September he went to Washington D.C. to receive the 2011 Outstanding Achievement in Advancement of Public Benefit Flying Award from the National Aeronautic Associa-tion and the Air Care Alliance. The award is part of the Public Benefit Flying Awards Program. “We were very honored to have presented this award to Mr. Stoddard,” says Jonathan Gaffney, President and CEO of the National Aeronautic Association. “Public Benefit Flying is a very important component of the aviation industry in the United States and the remarkable efforts of Mr. Stoddard is a great example of that. He is most deserving of this honor.” Now retired from the Air Force, Stoddard certainly is still at the forefront of aviation. He teaches A-10 pilot tactics in pre-combat training at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, but one of Stoddard’s greatest thrills is hearing from former Wright Flight students. “I had a guy come up to me 15 years later with a Polaroid picture from his Flyday,” he says, “and last fall we got a $1,000 check from a man who went through Wright Flight 18

Helping Kids Reach New HeightsBy Claire Stern

Wright Flight

Left to right are, William ‘Rol’ Murrow, Wolf Aviation Fund, Robin Stoddard and Jonathan Gaffney, President of the National Aeronautic Association.

Continued on next page.


years ago and went on to become an Air Force pilot.” Wright Flight is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. The organization is always looking for donors who would like to pass on their love of flying and their experiences in aviation with a new generation. Stoddard says the organization’s greatest need is money - Wright Flight’s costs associated with insurance, fuel and maintenance are significant. Wright Flight is also in need of more airplanes – it currently owns three, but would like to be able to add additional planes to its fleet. In addition, Wright Flight always needs more volunteers. Stoddard says that new volunteers provide different approaches, develop new ideas and help keep the organization moving forward.

If you would like to contract Wright Flight to make a dona-tion, find out more information, or inquire about enrolling your child’s school in the program, visit wrightflight.org or call 520-294-0404.

David Cushing, recently selected as the Los Angeles Airport District Office (ADO) Manager, was introduced to Arizona airport managers at the 2011 annual “Walter Burg” Fall Confer-ence organized each year by the Arizona Airports Association (AzAA). Although there is talk of the FAA Western Pacific Region creating an ADO in either Nevada or Arizona, for the time be-ing Cushing will be responsible for airport issues in the State. Cushing, who has worked in the Airport Compliance Division in the FAA’s Office of Airports in the Washington Headquar-ters, joined Debbie Roth, Deputy Manager, Airports Division for the FAA Western Pacific Region in Los Angeles and Brian Armstrong, Manager, Airport Safety, Standards & Compliance Branch, for the FAA, in a session to update conference attend-ees on what’s happening within the FAA “Post Furlough.” Cushing, in his former capacity, guided FAA regional offices, airport sponsors, Congress, the press, interest groups and the public on all issues of airport sponsor compliance with grant assurances and Federal law. He has investigated dozens of for-mal complaints and drafted final agency decision documents. Cushing has developed policy in compliance, specifically policy in the areas of application for release, disposition of air-port property, requirements of airport land-use and allowances for airport marketing and promotion. Prior to joining the FAA in Compliance, Cushing worked for the Division of Aviation for the State of Kansas as an aviation projects planner. There, he worked on the state’s systems plan-ning, airport inspection and legislative relations. Cushing received a Master’s degree in public affairs from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Bachelor of Arts degree at Rice University in Houston, Texas. His official start date will be November 28.

Wright FlightContinued from previous page.

New LA ADO Manager Introduced to Arizona Airports

Cushing and Debbie Roth, Deputy Manager, Airports Division.

Retired Lt. Colonel Robin Stoddard.


Cutter Pilot Combines UK Experience with U.S.

Helen Consolino with C-90 Beechcraft at Cutter Aviation at Sky Harbor International Airport.

As many of us engaged in the aviation industry know, one of the most positive and unique aspects of the flying community is the opportunity to meet many individuals (both in the private and professional sectors) who are very passionate about what they do and contribute in huge ways to the past, present, and future of flying. One of these individuals is Helen Consolino, a pilot for Cutter Aviation who is also the Safety Manager for the company’s charter department, Cutter Flight Management, Inc. Helen, who grew up in England, became involved with avia-tion when she enrolled in an evening class at a local college that taught students about flying light aircraft. “The instructor, a retired bank manager, owned a Cessna 172 Skyhawk,” Consoli-no said, “I attended the evening class once per week and got to fly occasionally on weekends.” These new experiences caused Helen to become interested in a career in aviation, and she soon pursued employment within the airline industry, at the outset working for British Airways Regional as PA (Personal Assis-tant) to both the Chief Pilot and Head of Engineering, and later as a dispatcher and customer service agent. Helen then came

to the United States and initiated training for a Private Pilot Certificate at Gillespie Field (KSEE) in San Diego, California. “Following the accomplishment of gaining an FAA private [certificate] in 1993, I got hooked on flying and commenced the journey to becoming a professional pilot by continuing on the FAA route in Phoenix at Westwind Aviation and then with a lo-cal independent Instructor,” she explained. After these impor-tant tasks were accomplished, Helen continued on to acquire European certification and earned a JAA Frozen ATP license upon graduation from Oxford Aviation Academy in 1999.

A Frozen ATP is when you have completed the written exams for the ATP without the hours (usually via an approved course of around 200 hours), followed by the completion of a commer-cial/instrument checkride. The license issued is initially a com-mercial/Instrument. Once you meet the hour requirement for the ATP, the license is issued without an additional checkride. This route is carried out under a special approval from the Aviation Authority via an approved course. With an official JAA license in hand, Consolino completed

By Hall Lewallen


Helen Consolino


her JAA instructor certificate and began instructing at a small flying club based at Wellesbourne Aerodrome, which is close to Stratford Upon Avon in the United Kingdom. “I also flew for an air charter company based in Oxford flying Seneca and Chieftain aircraft around the UK and parts of Europe. At the time I was fully qualified to apply to the airlines, as the industry was in a downturn following 9/11,” says Consolino. As a result, she continued flight instructing and spent two years as Deputy Chief Flight Instructor for Oxford Aviation Academy in Tyler, Texas followed by an additional year managing the company’s operation here in Scottsdale, Ari-zona (alongside Sabena Flight Academy as the subcontracting company). In late 2004, Con-solino gained employment with Eastern Airways as a First Officer flying the Jetstream 41 and returned to the UK. After 18 months of flying in the right seat, she was promoted to captain and simultaneously began completing her next achievement in pro-fessional flight. ”My long-term ambition was to gain a higher academic qualification in aviation. In order to embark on such a demanding course of study, I first needed to reach a stable position in my career. Once I was settled into my Command position at Eastern Airways, I enrolled in the Masters Degree program in Aviation Safety Management at City University London in 2007,” Consolino said. Following her graduation in 2010, Helen would soon take the next step in her professional aviation career, which was once again located in the State of Arizona. “I moved back to Phoenix permanently in early 2008 to marry my fiancé, and I came on board at Cutter Aviation in Phoenix as Charter Department Safety Manager in January 2011,” Helen explained. “I was qualified on the Beechcraft King Air C90GTi in April and now have a joint role as Safety Manager and Pi-lot.” As a flight crewmember for on-demand charter (Part 135 and Part 91), Consolino is prepared to fly within a two hour call out, duty time permitting of course. When not in the cockpit, Helen can be found in the Cutter Flight Management, Inc. of-fice at the company’s Phoenix Sky Harbor (KPHX) headquar-ters carrying out her Safety Manager duties and responsibilities. “I am currently developing and implementing a Safety Man-agement System (SMS) for the Charter Department. I gener-ally work Monday – Friday, 8am-5pm with some flexibility for flying,” Consolino said. Her favorite experience thus far while working for Cutter Flight Management, Inc. was the initial training on the Beechcraft King Air C90GTi that she received

at FlightSafety International’s Hawker Beechcraft Learning Center in Wichita, KS. “It was an awesome experience with top-notch instructors and state of the art equipment. One of the highlights was getting a tour of the King Air and Beechjet production lines. It was interesting to see how the aircraft are built, starting from scratch at one end of the building to being completely ready to be rolled out to fly at the other end.” The majority of Helen’s aviation experience that has taken place within the UK was almost entirely as an airline pilot, while on the contrary, all of the flying that she has done in the United States has been in General Aviation. “In my experi-ence, GA flying in the US is much more accessible than in the UK, mainly because of cheaper fuel costs, fewer fees, and the airspace is less complex and less congested than in the UK. Radiotelephony and terminology is also slightly different. The US is more relaxed, most likely because it is an English speak-ing country where as the UK is much smaller and is surrounded by non-English speaking countries leading to more ambiguity.” In her spare time, Helen enjoys spending time with her hus-band, Chris, and their dogs named Bronco and Buffy. Believe it or not, she is actually training Bronco to become a therapy dog to help others. She and Chris also take advantage of living in an area where they can readily access the outdoors, and like to hike, mountain bike, and camp in the high country. Most of all, however, they are avid skiers and make several trips each year up to Colorado in seek of some real powder. They travel back to the UK at least once every two years, but always enjoy coming home to the Grand Canyon State and the outstanding aviation community that it offers.

ConsolinoContinued from previous page.

Helen Consolino with Jetstream 41 in the UK.

In the cockpit of a C90GTi.


Tucson Hosts National Airports Conference

Rubin J. Salter, Jr., Chairman of the Tucson Airport Authority Board and Bonnie Allin, President and CEO of the Authority.

The Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) was the host of the 2011 F. Russell Hoyt National Airports Conference held September 17th through the 21st at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson. The conference is offered each year through the Ameri-can Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).Rubin J. Salter, Jr., Chairman of the Tucson Airport Authority Board and Bonnie Allin, President and CEO of TAA were on

hand to welcome attendees. The theme, Strategies for Managing Through Unpredict-able Times, drew over 240 registered attendees from across the country to participate in workshops, meetings and general sessions. Social activities included a golf tournament, an open-ing reception, and a dinner event held at the Pima Air & Space Museum. J. Spencer Dickerson, Senior Executive Vice President of AAAE moderated the opening general session which included notables Kate Lang, FAA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Airports, Lisa Piccione, Senior Vice President-Government Affairs, for the National Business Aviation Association, Sharon Pinkerton, Vice President-Government Affairs for the Air Transport Association and Douglas Hofass, a Deputy Assistant


Tina Moore, Tucson Airport Authority and Sylvia Ambrogio.

Opening session panel discusses the “state of the aviation industry”.


Administrator for the Transportation Security Administration. The broad topic was the state of the aviation industry. Arizona’s own Lynn Kusy, Executive Director for the Phoe-nix-Mesa Gateway Airport joined with other airport executives from around the country to round out the panel. Kusy noted that as a focus city for Allegiant Airlines, passengers at his airport are increasing - up 25%. Kusy said that Phoenix-Mesa Gateway serves 30 destinations including their latest Duluth & Appleton, Wisconsin. A tour of the Tucson International Airport was also offered to attendees at the end of the conference on Wednesday.

Continued from previous page.

NAC

Jim Harris, Coffman Associates, left and Mac McCall, Sedona Airport.

Mike Williams, Director of Airports, San Bernardino County, left and Lynn Kusy, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway.

Dinner was served at the Pima Air & Space Museum on Monday night.


Skydive Arizona Hosts USPA Nationals in Eloy The 2011United States Parachute Association, (USPA) National Skydiving Championships wrapped up recently at Skydive Arizona in Eloy. America’s top skydivers competed between October 26th and November 5th for medals and the chance to represent the U.S. at prestigious international com-petitions around the world. Nationals isn’t just for hard-core competitors—everyday jumpers came together to share their unique camaraderie, rub elbows with the best, learn and push their limits to achieve more than they thought possible. Ed Scott, Executive Director for the USPA, said the Champi-onships were a huge success, thanks to great weather and the outstanding performance of their host Skydive Arizona. Scott also credited the skillful orchestration of Meet Director Bryan Burke, exceptionally fast and accurate evaluations by Chief Judge Judy Celaya and her team and the supporting efforts of Meet Controllers Kirk Verner and Jim Hayhurst. “There were 576 competitors (four percent more than last year) who reg-istered for 1,066 competitive slots in sixteen skydiving disci-plines,” said Scott. Skydive Arizona used four de Havilland Twin Otters and a Pilatus Porter to fly over 700 loads and over 14,000 individual jumps throughout the ten days.

Saturday night, everyone gathered for the final banquet, featuring the medal presentations for the artistic events, canopy formation, and formation skydiving 10-way and overall win-ners. Skydive Arizona will again host next year’s USPA Na-tionals. Skydive Arizona is one of the premier drop zones in the world and is owned by Larry and Liliane Hill.

Ed Scott, Executive Director for USPA at Skydive Arizona.

SkyDive owner, Larry Hill in front of a Twin Otter.USPA Judges watch video of a recent jump.

Skydivers practice their positions prior to boarding a de Havilland Twin Otter, shown above.


Thousands Show in Scottsdale

Air Fair Makes Big Comeback The Scottsdale Municipal Airport was busier than usual the first weekend in November as the Scottsdale Air Fair made a big comeback after an 11-year absence. From F-18s to hot air balloons, there was a great display of aviation. Included in the mix were historical aircraft, interactive learning modules, experimental planes, helicopters and even the “Predator,” an un-manned drone. “We were happy to open our doors to let thousands of guests, from the young to the young at heart, visit Scottsdale Airport and see aviation up close,” said Kate O’Malley, a spokesperson for the airport. “They had the opportunity to look at more than 60 airplanes on the ground and in the sky.” Thousands of event-goers came from all over the state to share the Scottsdale Air Fair experience with the local community and residents. The pilots, crew, staff, and over 200 volunteers contributed to the success of the aviation filled weekend. “We are very thankful to our local sponsors, the Toys for Tots Foun-dation and the AZ Wing of the Commemorative Air Force,” said a spokesperson for PSM Squared, Inc., the event manage-ment and promotion company. O’Malley said that visitors also had the opportunity to meet and talk with military pilots on hand, who work so hard to protect our country. “We were are also pleased to help approxi-mately 250 boy scouts and girl scouts earn their aviation and aerospace merit badges this weekend.” Scottsdale Mayor, W.J. “Jim” Lane was on hand to welcome attendees Saturday morning. In his remarks he said the Scott-sdale Airport is the premier corporate aviation airport in the state. With more than 130,000 takeoffs and landings each year,

the airport brings a lot of business and leisure travelers who enjoy all that Scottsdale has to offer. The Mayor went on to say that while sometimes the airport is a bit too loud for some of its neighbors liking, we should never forget how important this facility is to the community’s eco-nomic well being. The Scottsdale Air Fair is an opportunity for people to get to know it, enjoy it, and celebrate it with us. The city canceled the Air Fair in 2001 after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks caused airports across the nation to heighten security. The air fair started in 1985. Gary Mascaro, Scottsdale Airport Director, said prior to the event that this would be an opportunity to showcase the airport, learn about various types of aviation and foster goodwill for Scottsdale Airport and the local community - Mission accom-plished.

Scottsdale Airport Director Gary Mascaro.

By Kim Stevens

More than 200 volunteers helped make sure the 2011 Scottsdale Air Fair was a success.


Jacob Nelson, Matthew Johnson and Marc O’Brien, ASU - Mesa Pilot Development.

L to R are Martha Raether, Ronda Farthing and Inez Bartz, volunteers from the Untouchables Motorcycle Club.

More than 60 aircraft from military, past and present to hot air balloons made an appearance at the Air Fair.

Aviation Exlorers from Post 352.


Photos by Kim Stevens and Kenn Potts

Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane welcomes attendees Saturday morning to the Air Fair.

Tiffany Allen, Michael Soo and Janice Crocker, San Tan Brewing.

Tom Lippincott, left and Fred Pressel, TransPac Aviation Acad-emy. A father and his two sons check out the tailend of an F-18.


Attendees got to see up close everything from WWII military aircraft to modern corporate business jets.

Zach Walling with State Fair Lemonade.

Volunteers Rich and Anne Quigley. Ashlyn Bittorf and Trey Summers.

Jennifer Duncan, owns Whiskey Ranch BBQ with her husband Tommy.


Jim and Judy Harrigan watch as skydivers make their jump.


Left to right are Rex Ginder, Ian McCloskey, and Cameron Schmidt with the University of North Dakota.

A Color Guard from ASU led the Saturday morning parade.


tion, according to Mike Hill, Corporate Director for AzAA and Senior Project Manager for Sundt Construction, doesn’t specifi-cally seek exhibitors for the Fall Conference but pointed out that if a company exhibits during the Spring Conference they get both conferences for the price of one. “AzAA appreciates all the support it received from the sponsors and vendors at the Fall Conference,” said Nystrom. “Without their support, these con-ferences would not be possible.” Attendees agreed that this year’s sessions were interesting, including an introduction to WESTDOG, the Western Airports Disaster Op-erations Group, by John Sawyer, WESTDOG Lead Airport Coordi-nator with Sky Harbor International Airport and Joe Husband, Airport Manager for Phoenix Goodyear Airport. For Feld, the conference was particularly interesting in its focus on the emerging trends in airport economic development, including the potential for airport partnerships with academia and industrial sectors, and the emergence of the Arizona Com-merce Authority, as facilitators for airport economic develop-ment. “The program itself was very instructive, and I person-

AzAA Holds Fall Conference in GilbertOver 160 attendees participated in the 2011 AzAA Fall Conference held at the Legado Hotel & San Tan Elegante in Gilbert.

Gilbert Mayor, John Lewis.

The Arizona Airports Association (AzAA) 2011 “Walter Burg” Fall Conference was held this year at the Legado Ho-tel & San Tan Elegante in Gilbert on October 17th and 18th. Mayor John Lewis welcomed the approximately 165 that at-tended the event. “The 2011 Fall Conference was a tremendous success,” said Jordan Feld, 2nd Vice President of AzAA and Director of Plan-ning for the Tucson Airport Authority. “It continues AzAA’s commitment to annually providing an affordable and highly in-formative single-day event for the airport industry in Arizona.” Jennifer Maples, AzAA President and Aviation Superintendent with the City of Phoenix Aviation Department said relevant and timely topics coupled with participation by the FAA, ADOT, and their business partners, contributed greatly to the success of the conference. “ The conference continues to be a construc-tive event because it offers a centralized opportunity for our members to gather and discuss the issues facing us individu-ally and collectively,” said Maples. “Kudos go to the board and conference planning committee for their continued efforts to deliver the finest conferences possible to our members. “Once again,” said Corinne Nystrom, 1st Vice President for AzAA and Airport Director for Falcon Field in Mesa. “The vol-unteers who put together the program for the Fall Conference did a great job of providing top notch experts in the aviation field who updated us on topics, news, and facts that are impor-tant and relevant to every airport professional in the state.” There were eleven vendors at this year’s event. The associa- Continued on page 22.


Sandra Kukla. Jennifer Maples.Susan Denny, left and Deena Norton.

Barney Helmick. AzAA hats anyone?

Bennett Sloan


Steven Johnston, left and Lance McIntosh.

Mark Turner, left and Ken Keatts.

Holly Hawkins and Bill Harvey.

L to R, Kirt McDaniel, Mel Leseberg and Alan Wiechmann.


Boyd Heckle, left and Scott Sikel.

Gary Mascaro, left and the FAA’s Brian Armstrong. Syncing phones, Jim Harris, left and Dave Gilbertson.


Michael Hemesath.

Nancy Wiley and Robert Crain.

Corinne Nystrom. Antonio Alvarez and Stacy Gutierrez.

ally learned something from each session,” said Maples. Sessions also included updates from the Arizona Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Group and the Airports Division

of the FAA’s Western Pacific Region. “I’m continually im-pressed by the achievements of the ADOT Aeronautics Group,” said Feld, “and encouraged by the State’s significant investment in studying aviation system issues, such as the ongoing aviation economic impact study update and future land use compatibil-ity study.” Highlights of the conference were many and included the venue, which was thought to be one of the newer and nicer locations for an AzAA conference. For Maples, perhaps the biggest highlight was having one of the largest number of 1st time attendees in recent memory. A number of the Board Members interviewed for this article suggested that the Fall Conference acted as a springboard for the upcoming Spring Conference to be held in Tucson. “Expec-tations are high for the Spring Conference this year because it will be recognizing the history of aviation within our state in connection with the Arizona Centennial in 2012,” said Maples. According to Nystrom, “This is a conference that people won’t want to miss.”

Continued from page 18.

AzAA


Kevin Shirer, left and Greg Mead.

Mira Martin and Stewart Spencer.

Stephanie Munoz and Ken Snyder.


2011 Copperstate Fly-In

Joel Sidell camped out at Copperstate. Percival (inset) has logged over 20,000 hours.

Casa Grande Municipal Airport was the scene of the 39th annual Copperstate Fly-In & Aviation Expo,



Debra McBean with Kitfox and Rudi Verstraelen.

John Walkup, President of Chandler Air Service.Arnie Evdokimo brought his his L-39 Albitros to Cooperstate. Inset shows the cockpit.

A Cessna taxis passed rows of aircraft in for the annual Copperstate Fly-In at the Casa Grande Airport.

held October 20 - 22nd. An estimated 500 aircraft were on hand with over 5,000 attendees from all across the country, checking out the various aircraft which included WWII fight-ers, micro-jets, ultra-lights and a wide variety of general avia-tion aircraft. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Arizona Wing Aviation Museum brought a number of aircraft to the Casa Grande air-

port, including “Sentimental Journey” and “Maid in the Shade,” the organization’s B-17 and B-25. Manufacturers of Light Sport Aircraft were on hand as well as food vendors. There were activities for all ages including work-shops and forums for pilots and enthusiasts, led by experienced leaders.

See more photos on the following pages.


Janice Loomis, left and Carolyn Jones.

Robyn Bonfy Johnson.

Jim Timm, Executive Director of the Arizona Pilots Association.

Photos by Kim and Andrew Stevens


Jim Timm, Executive Director of the Arizona Pilots Association.

Sterling Langrell with Vans Aircraft and an RV10.

2011 Copperstate Fly-In


Eye Candy by Andrew Stevens


President’s Pilot Gives Keynote at ASAG

Colonel (ret.) Mark W. Tillman, former Air Force One pilot, talks about safety concerns when flying the President of the U.S.

Colonel (ret.) Mark W. Tillman, the Nation’s 12th pilot and commander of Air Force One, was the keynote speaker at the 39th Annual Arizona Aviation Safety Awards Banquet, spon-sored by the Aviation Safety Advisory Group (ASAG). The banquet was held at the Doubletree Guests Suite on Saturday, November 5th in Phoenix. Tillman, was at the controls during numerous prominent national events, most notably, on September 11, 2001 as well as the secret Thanksgiving trip into Bagdad allowing President Bush to serve dinner to the troops. Following the keynote address by Tillman, the 2011 safety awards were given in a number of categories. The recipient of the Maintenance Technician award was Eugene Sorkine with Landmark Aviation. The Avionics Technician Award was given to Christopher Plumb, of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univer-sity, in Prescott. The recipient of the Certified Flight Instructor went to Jerod Bybee, CAE Global Academy. Jim Anderson, Starr Aviation, was recognized as this year’s FAASTeam Rep-resentative. This year’s Communication Award was given to the Ryan Field Tower in Tucson. This year’s Ruth Reinhold Safety Award was given to the

Arizona Flight Training Workgroup (AFTW). The AFTW is dedicated to improving pilot judgment and decision-making to reduce accidents, incidents and pilot deviations in Arizona.For the first time, at this year’s banquet, the hot air balloon community was invited to recognize someone from their ranks

for demonstrating or represent-ing safety in the Lighter-Than-Air category. This year’s award was given to Eric “Pell” Wadle-igh of Page, Arizona. Wadleigh was piloting his balloon near Cottonwood, Arizona, when a motorized hang glider flew into the side of his balloon. Wadle-igh was able to safely land his balloon, saving the lives of his passengers. The evening’s MCs were

Dominick Gallo and Randy Prine, both FAA FAASTeam Pro-gram Managers.

Dee Holm with silent auction item.


ASAG President Stacy Howard, behind the podium, welcomes attendees to the 39th Annual Aviation Safety Awards Banquet.


ASAG) holds the banquet each year to recognize groups and individuals in Arizona that have made significant contributions to Aviation Safety. This group works closely with the FAA Scottsdale FSDO Safety Specialists. ASAG has three goals:1) Promote aviation safety through individual member effort

and support of public agencies, meetings, and seminars.2) Promote the image of safe aviation in Arizona communities by sponsoring statewide activities.3) Award special recognition to individuals contributing to aviation safety at an annual banquet.For additional information on ASAG visit www. http://aviation-safetyadvisorygroup.org/.

Continued from previous page.

ASAG

Randy Prine, FAA FAASTeam Program Manager congratulates, from left, Christopher Plumb, (Avionics) Eugene Sorkine, (Main-tenance) and V. Lee Unger, who accepted the Communications Award on behalf of the Ryan Airfield Tower in Tucson.

Stacy Howard, President of ASAG receives a special recognition award.

Jarod Bybee, left receives the Flight Instructor Award.

Eric “Pell” Wadleigh, left and Mike England. Pell was the recipient of the LTA award. Carl Heinze, left and Mike Halloran.

Jim Anderson, right, recieves the FAASTeam Representative award.

Rex Ginder, accepts the Rein-hold award on behalf of AFTW.


Deer Valley Pilots Hold Annual “Roundup”The Deer Valley Pilots Association (DPVA) held its 33rd An-nual Membership event Saturday, October 29th at Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, attracting an estimated 275 attendees, ac-cording to George Zukauckas, President. “I feel that our event went well this year,” said Zukauckas. “The purpose for this annual event is to bring our members together to meet each other and some of our local businesses and sponsors.” The Association relies on this event for mem-bership renewals and bringing in new members. According to Zukauckas, they currently have about 600 members. Over the years the organization has had fluctuations in mem-bership but this year they have seen the sharpest increase in membership. This could be the result of new programs. “We have incorporated FAA-FAASTeam safety seminars to our

quarterly dinner meetings and hospitality hangar events where members and guests can get WINGS credit for attending,” said Zukauckas. “The credit for this goes to our Vice President and FAASTeam representative, Dr. Chuck Crinnian.” This year’s event included aircraft displays, aviation exhibi-tors and a Western lunch. The Association is an all volunteer, non-profit organization and has served the Deer Valley Airport since 1978. DVPA has 12 board members that serve 3 year terms. Each year the board elects their officers, President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. For Zukauckas, this is his second year as President and third year on the board. For more information on DVPA you can visit www.dvtpilot.com.

See more photos on the following pages.

Deer Valley Pilots Association President, George Zukauckas.

Steve DuBois, AZ Fish and Game by 1974 Cessna A185-F. Stacy Howard and Dr. Charles Crinnian Vice President DVPA.


Photos by Kenn Potts

Dave Rieder with the RS Warbirds - Tucano T.MK1.

Don Majors, Board Member DVPA.

Left to right are Ernie Forgach, Mike Berg and Lucas Marcum.


Ed Chauza and Nancy Benscoter.

Sonny Weller & Kay AtwoodHeather Lang and Thomas “TJ” Johnson with Air PowerInsurance.

Bernie Gross & Stacey Howard

Joe Farogtstein checks out a helicopter. Jim Anderson, left and Cary Grant.


Andrew Scdoris – FAA, ATC

Scott Pasmore interviews Ed Gossert, FAA ATC, retiring after 20 years at DVT.

Dalia Bureker, Secretary for the DVT Pilots Association.Art Fairbanks, DVT Airport Director.

Left to right are, Ryan Keough, Tara Cesena, and Mike Quintero, all with Cutter Aviation.

arizona aviation journal - november/december 2011

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