We’ve planned many interesting speakers and topics that will appeal to all types of pilots.  On Sunday, March 4^th we partnered with the North Dakota Business Aviation Association to bring a discussion on the paperless cockpit concept, a discussion on aviation insurance, and another edition of the popular “Mayday, And They Walked Away.”  Registration opens Sunday at noon.  Don’t forget the Sunday evening opening social in the hotel courtyard.

Monday includes a discussion on aircraft homebuilding by mechanic and homebuilder Larry Buller, a presentation on aviation medicals by Dr. Dale Klein, a conversation on the Recreational Aviation Foundation by Brian Rau and more.  Monday night is the social in the exhibit hall.

Tuesday brings an explanation of the Pilots Bill of Rights by Senator Hoeven’s State Director Julie Fedorchak, a question and answer session with North Dakota airport managers and the presentation of Fly ND Airports Passport program awards.  The NDPA annual meeting will be held Tuesday at 3:30.

There are too many sessions to list here but the full program will be available at the registration desk.  Don’t miss out on the annual gathering of the aviation industry.  Register now. 

The FAA has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to create an area of Restricted Airspace near Camp Grafton which is just south of Devils Lake, ND.  This proposed area would include multiple sections covering an area as large as 30X40nm square and would be layered in altitudes from the current surface up to 18,000’ MSL.  The area would be used by Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to fire “non eye-safe” lasers.

In addition to taking away our valuable airspace, this proposed restricted area would cut off parts of V170 between Devils Lake and Jamestown, as well as V55 between Grand Forks and Bismarck.  It would also make it more difficult to transit through a large portion of our state, causing reduced traffic and the potential for lost income for aviation businesses in the area.

For this and other reasons, the North Dakota Pilots Association is opposed to the creation of this restricted airspace.  We have drafted a formal response to the NPRM and are asking you to do the same.  We must make our voices heard, as an association and as individuals, if we are going to protect our airspace.

Information about the NPRM can be found here.

Comments must be received by the FAA by January 12, 2012, so there is no time to waste.  Please submit your comments to the address in the NPRM (make sure to include both docket numbers and send three copies) or online here.  You can use part or all of the NDPA response to assist you in writing your comments.

Once restricted airspace is created, it almost never goes away!  We must work together to protect our airspace now and for the future.

UAV’s

Day two of the Symposium began with a topic that is very important to many people in our state, UAV’s.  A panel of speakers including UND and industry representatives gave an update on the current status of UAV’s in the state and some information about future developments.  UND currently has 7 small UAV’s that they fly in designated areas around Grand Forks.  Customs and Border Patrol is also flying a UAV.  They use a TFR over the Grand Forks Air Force Base to climb above FL180 where they are controlled by ATC like all other aircraft.  The Air Force itself is beginning to receive UAV’s at the base but they are not currently flying any in state.

A large part of the discussion was focused on the fact that North Dakota is on the forefront of this new technology and it is imperative that we do it correctly here.  This is especially true when it comes to the issue of airspace.  NDPA has advocated that the developers and users of UAV’s must find a way to integrate them into the airspace system without restricting airspace.  It appeared our speakers agree.  John Walker, retired FAA, specifically said, “I do not believe in restricted airspace.”  Development and testing of sense and avoid technology is underway but in the meantime there may be an alternative.  The Limited Deployment – Cooperative Airspace Project (LD-CAP).

LD-CAP is a project being pushed by UND that will give UAV’s an area to fly while protecting traditional aircraft.  Most importantly it does not require any restricted airspace.  The project would create a triangle of airspace in North Dakota that is completely covered by a radar system that monitors everything in the airspace.  UAV pilots would be able to see other traffic on radar displays and maneuver to avoid a conflict.  Pilots flying through the area would not have any additional equipment or communication requirements.  As developments with UAV’s move forward, NDPA will continue to advocate on behalf of pilots in our state and work to find a solution that is acceptable to everyone.

Public Benefit Flying

Kelby Hovey gave a talk about ways pilots can give back using their love of flying.  Volunteering our talents is a great way to share aviation with others, as well as a good reason to pull the airplane out of the hangar.  How to get involved depends on the individual pilot’s desires, passions and abilities.  One place to start would be the Air Care Alliance.  The Alliance is a national listing of organizations that rely on volunteer pilots.  Another option discussed was Angel Flight which provides flights in times of personal and community crisis.  One local organization discussed was the Civil Air Patrol which does search and rescue as well as other missions in North Dakota.  Whatever part of aviation you love there is an organization that could use your talents and abilities.  Get involved and start giving back!

In the next post we will discuss emergencies.  Two pilots shared their stories of when things went wrong so that we can learn from them and hopefully be prepared.  In one, a pilot experienced a medical emergency and in the other an emergency landing did not go as planned.  Stay tuned!

WINGS Seminar

On Sunday, Chris Susie and Al Skramstad teamed up to give a WINGS Safety Seminar (remember you need two safety seminars to complete your Fly ND Passport Book).  Chris began with a discussion on winter flying and icing in particular.  He reminded us that icing can occur anytime there is visible moisture and temperatures at or below freezing.  It can accumulate quickly and unexpectedly so pilots must always be vigilant.  Even though winter is coming to a close pilots should review the various weather and icing forecasts available to them.  One particularly useful resource is the icing page on the National Weather Service’s ADDS website.

Al Skramstad then gave a discussion and presentation on the benefits of the WINGS program and how to join.  There are three levels in the WINGS program; Basic, Advanced, and Master.  To complete a phase of the program pilots accomplish three knowledge and three flight activities within a level.  If done within 12 months the phase counts as a biennial flight review.  Any number of phases can be completed within each level of the program.  To participate in WINGS pilots need to register at the FAASTeam website.  Use the link “create an account” on the right side to set-up your account.  Then select “pilots” from the dropdown menu and click on WINGS.  In addition to WINGS, creating an account at the FAASTeam website will get you notices of safety events in your area and access to a wide range of important and useful resources.

In the next post we will review Monday’s program which started out with a very interesting presentation on UAVs.  Stay tuned!

• A free WINGS seminar on Sunday from 9am until noon
• An “ice breaker” social at the Dakota Territory Air Museum Sunday evening
• Discussions of recent accidents
• A roundtable discussion with ATC facility managers
• An update on unmanned aircraft operations in North Dakota
• The NDPA annual meeting
• The Awards Banquet Tuesday evening featuring Brian Shul
• And much more!

It’s not too late to attend.  Registration is available at the door.  For more information see the North Dakota Aviation Council’s website.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

By Kyle Pedraza

During your pilot training you may remember talking about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning with your instructor. Carbon monoxide poisoning is more of a threat during the winter months because it is most often associated with your heating system. Most piston-driven airplanes utilize a heater that circulates air over a warm exhaust pipe and then into the cabin (these types of heaters are called exhaust gas heat-exchangers). CO poisoning is still a threat year-round because it could also result from other defects in the exhaust system or a crack in your firewall. Today we’ll review some symptoms of CO poisoning, what to do if you suspect CO on board, ways to detect carbon monoxide and finally prevention.

CO poisoning is actually a form of hypoxia. It is considered hypemic hypoxia because it interferes with the blood’s ability to transport oxygen to your body. Even if there is plenty of oxygen available in your environment, CO attaches itself much more efficiently to the hemoglobin (oxygen-carrying part of your blood) than oxygen does. So anytime you are exposed to even a small amount of CO, it will essentially block oxygen from being able to attach itself to your hemoglobin. An advisory circular put out by the FAA (AC 20-32B) states that concentrations of CO exceeding one part in 20,000 parts of air (or 0.005%) are hazardous!

Since CO poisoning is a form of hypoxia, you will notice some very similar symptoms such as headache, nausea, weakness and dizziness. CO poisoning, if left untreated, can also result in an eventual loss of muscular power, coma or death. As you can see, CO poisoning is not something to be taken lightly. Adding to the danger of carbon monoxide is the fact that it is a colorless and odorless gas. Luckily there are many options and a wide variety of price ranges available for detectors.

A quick search on Sporty’s website for carbon monoxide detectors yields several good options. You could spend as little as $5 on a small adhesive indicator that lasts 90 days from when it’s opened. With this type of indicator, a chemical reaction causes a spot to change colors to tell you that there is CO present. That is probably the simplest and cheapest option. Another option would be to have an electronic detector that would give you an audible alarm if it detects any CO. The electronic one on Sporty’s is listed at $379. Newer 172’s with the G1000 system come with an option to have CO detection integrated into the avionics. You would get an aural alert and a message on your PFD telling you if CO has been detected.

Detection is only the first part of the battle. So what should you do if you start to feel the symptoms of CO poisoning or you are getting an alert from your newly-purchased detector? If your airplane’s manufacturer has an emergency procedure for dealing with CO, follow that. Otherwise, in general, most emergency checklists would mirror what the FAA recommends in their advisory circular:

• Immediately shut off the cabin air heater and close any other openings that might convey the engine compartment air to the cabin
• Open a fresh air source immediately
• Inhale 100% oxygen if available
• Land at the first opportunity and ensure that any effects from CO are gone before further flight
• Determine that CO is not being allowed to enter the cabin because of a defective exhaust, unsealed opening between engine compartment and cabin, or any other factor

The last bullet point really should be done at regular intervals as a form of prevention. Some aircraft manufacturers recommend that exhaust and heater systems be inspected as often as every 25 hours of flight time. There are many ways that CO could sneak into your cabin and put your life at risk. If you haven’t had your exhaust system inspected by a mechanic lately, please do so as soon as possible. Also, with all the options available for detection, you can’t afford not to invest in some form of CO detector! Prevention and detection are the best ways to combat CO poisoning. Stay warm and don’t let carbon monoxide get in the way of your winter flying!

We would also like to take a moment to tell you about our largest event which will be happening soon.  The Upper Midwest Aviation Symposium (UMAS) will be held at the Holiday Inn in Minot on March 6 to 8.  NDPA has numerous speakers that we think you will find very interesting.  Details will be listed in the next Aviation Quarterly magazine but some highlights include, “Owner/Operator Responsibilities” by Vance Emerson of the Fargo FSDO, “Human Factors/Fatigue” by Dr. William Johnson of the FAA, a discussion of public benefit flying, and a roundtable discussion with the managers of the Air Traffic Control facilities from around the state.  The NDPA annual meeting will also be held during UMAS.

The guest speaker at the Awards Banquet the final night will be Brian Shul.  Mr. Shul is a former SR-71 pilot who has a motivating story of overcoming challenges.  Registration is now open.  Additional information and the registration form can be found on the North Dakota Aviation Council’s website at www.ndac.aero/umas.htm.

Welcome to NDPA and we hope to see you at UMAS 2011!!!