Aviation Blog
Arizona Aviation
The right amount of rudder, a light touch on the stick
May 1st
It’s a shame that sometimes we learn more about a person after they have gone than we did in their presence. Such has been the case more often than not for me. I recently attended the memorial service for a friend that I worked with in one of the aviation circles I travel in. His name was Jim Burch. I liked him. I think most people did.
Jim and I served together on the Aviation Safety Advisory Group of Arizona for a number of years, but other than sitting across a table from Jim once a month and seeing him at a couple of other functions, I never took the time to say, “hey, let’s go grab some lunch or can we meet for breakfast some time?” Had I done that I think my life would have been much richer.
The thing about people in aviation, especially pilots, is that there is a shared bond, a shared respect in many cases that ties us together. When I was younger I didn’t appreciate it as much as I do now. Now that I’ve aged a bit, well a lot, I tend to focus on relationships a bit more. Being at the memorial service More >
The Marginalization of Aviation in Arizona
Nov 22nd
A recent dismissal of top aviation management from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) looks to be another step in the further marginalization of aviation in the State of Arizona. Barclay Dick, former Director for the Aeronautics Group noted, “if that’s the direction of the march, the Aeronautics Group staff will have great trouble funding the outstanding grants, issuing new grants, and continuing the improvements to the state’s airports.”
Hits to Arizona’s Aviation Fund has resulted in the State having to defer grant payments and eliminate any further state grants for the foreseeable future. Arizona was listed recently as second only to California, as having been hit the hardest in these trying economic times. We think everyone recognizes the need for making tough decisions, but one has to wonder if the impact on aviation has been disproportionate.
We wrote several months ago about a lack of vision on behalf of the Arizona Governor and Legislature for having swept over $40 million from the aviation fund to plug holes in the general fund, and there is talk of sweeping more funds from that account. We are led to believe that there are many that don’t understand what the long-term impact this action is More >
