Darren Pleasance new President AOPA USA
Darren Pleasance took office early this year as the new President of AOPA USA. He is only the 6th person to hold this position in the 85-year history of AOPA USA.
Darren Pleasance previously held executive positions at major companies such as Cisco, Google and McKinsey. At the beginning of his professional career, however, he first indulged his aviation tendencies, was a bush pilot in Alaska, a flight instructor and a corporate jet pilot. He also worked as a volunteer for the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) in Oshkosh and for the International Aerobatic Club.
He now returns to aviation as a full-time professional: as President of AOPA USA, he will also lead our international umbrella organization IAOPA. We wish him a happy hand and much success in all his endeavors!
IAOPA Europe members now get a special deal on SafeSky
IAOPA Europe is happy to announce a coperation with SafeSky so that members get a 20% discount on the annual SafeSky subscription.
SafeSky offers a unique way to provide the most complete source of traffic information in the cockpit. Essentially SafeSky is combining both certified and uncertified sources such as ADS-B, Flarm, ADS-L, Mode S multilateration, etc. into what is probably the most complete traffic picture you can get in a GA aircraft. If you have your own ADS-B receiver onboard SafeSky can even combine its data with other traffic information received from the SafeSky server. This means your traffic feed is as complete as possible also when you do not have a data connection. The SafeSky service can be used free of charge but if you want to seemlesly feed it into Foreflight, SkyDemon etc. you pay an annual subscription. This is where you now save 20% if you are a member of an AOPA that is part of IAOPA Europe.
SafeSky is about improving flight safety and reducing the risk of collisions. This fits like hand in glove with IAOPA Europe's mission and we hope many members will make use of the offer to make our sky safer.
Click the banner below to go directly to the SafeSky member offer. You must have your national AOPA membership number available to use the offer.
Online data in the cockpit
For many years AOPA has been working to achieve better access to data in the cockpit, particularly access to weather and traffic would be a big plus for flight safety. SafeSky is an obvious example of an app that benefits from a good and stable data connection to provide traffic information.
UAT has proved its worth in the US for uplinking both traffic and weather data from the ground to the cockpit. This is still one of the promising technologies that IAOPA is working intensely to promote in Europe since it works with many existing certified devices already in the cockpit. Progress is there, but is is slow and in the meantime we need to consider alternatives that are available now or in the near future.
The cellphone or ipad with a simcard is of course there, but only works at fairly low altitude and is not a 100% reliable. An alternative that is tested and works today is the Starlink Mini which is small enough that it can be mounted in for instance the rearwindow of a Cessna 172 (see photo). Members report that they reliably obtain connections of more than 50Mbit. Stable enough that passengers can participate in online meetings and the pilot can get up to date weather and traffic data. Starlink previously had a term that explicitly dis-allowed the use of Starlink onboard an aircraft but this has now been removed so it is now up to the pilot to decide if a receiver can be safely mounted in accordance with aviation regulation without becoming a fixed installaton.
Starlink's pricing model unfortunately is not very GA friendly since they have introduced a speed limit on the basic subscription that will shut down the connection if you move faster than 100kts - a speed that many light GA aircraft will exceed particularly with a bit of a tailwind. That means the monthly price jumps from around €40/month to around €300/month probably making it unattractive for most GA pilots only flying a couple of hours every month. If you are flying an even faster aircraft that moves at more than 250 knots you are looking at a monthly price of up to €10.000 but would probably also want to go for a fully certified installation.
Looking at other solutions, Apple is collaborating with Starlink and T-Mobile to enable direct satellite messaging on iPhones. Initially, this service is available for emergency and text messages in remote areas. Currently, it's being tested in the U.S. and might expand further.
The coming direct-to-cellphone service delivered through Starlink is expected to work with existing smartphones (both Apple and Andoid) since the sattelite essentially works a cellphone tower in the sky, so the phone does not know it is communicating through a sattelite.
The new Samsung S25 phone has dedicated sattelite connectivity built in, but the service depends on the cellphone operator and currently only Verizon has enabled the feature and only in the US.
Also these services are currently not for high speed data connection but only for sending simple text messages. Still, they could prove extremely convenient in an emergency where you might end up in an area without cellular covarege.
Increased visibility of GA air traffic in Belgium thanks to new ground station project
In line with EASA's iConspicuity project and the ADS-L concept, Belgium is working on an innovative ground station project to significantly improve General Aviation (GA) visibility in the country.
What is ADS-L?
ADS-L (“Light”) is a simplified version of the ADS-B standard, designed for affordable devices and even cell phones. This protocol is considered the minimum standard for visualizing manned aircraft in U-Space and is already supported by platforms such as SafeSky.
Why is this important?
In Europe most IFR aircraft of ≥5700 kg MTOM or with a TAS >250kt are already required to transmit ADS-B. In addition, EASA encourages the voluntary introduction of ADS-B equipment, so more and more GA aircraft are transmitting ADS-B with Extended Squitter (ES) in addition to their Mode-S transponders.
ADS-L: Two variants
- ADS-L 860: Operates on the SRD860 frequency band, like Flarm, but has a different purpose. Whereas Flarm provides advanced collision prevention, ADS-L provides minimal position data for U-Space use. Some Flarm systems can be upgraded with ADS-L functionality.
- ADS-L Mobile: A mobile variant, whose technical specifications are yet to be published.
With the introduction of these technologies, the European e-conspicuity landscape is becoming increasingly complex. Want to know more? Check out the information on the Flarm website. Together we are working for a safer and more visible airspace!
AOPA Germany has developed an app
Members of AOPA Germany can now access information via the new free AOPA app for Android and Apple. With the launch of the AOPA's own app, we want to take advantage of the opportunities offered by digitalization. The app is much more than just another social media channel, as it bundles information and communication on a proprietary AOPA Germany platform.
The app can also simplify processes as a small helper for numerous applications. With its own news and push channels, an events calendar, contact with the office, a digital AOPA membership card and the AOPA benefits, social media integration and media and document management, there are now countless new ways to use the benefits of AOPA membership anywhere digitally. The app is available for members to download at this link.
Update: US address for FAA license holders
In the December issue of 2024 of this newsletter, we reported that FAA license holders must provide to the FAA a US mailing address of an agent for service of FAA documents. For new FAA license applicants, the requirement is effective April 2, 2025, and for existing license holders it applies from July 7, 2025. Note that it is also a requirement if you hold a US validation of your foreign license.
AOPA US is in the final stages of establishing a solution that will assist AOPA members worldwide to comply with the requirement. Therefore, stay tuned here for more info.
The FAA has published details in Advisory Circular AC 3-1. Links to the listed service providers and to the FAA's online tool can be found in this article.
Hydrogen-Electric Bonanza Aircraft - Taking Off in 2025
Stralis Aircraft are an innovative technology start-up business that are developing hydrogen-electric propulsion systems for aircraft. These systems are quieter, emission free, can improve performance, and have operational cost savings.
Stralis are undertaking their technology demonstrator and flight test program with two Bonanza A36 aircraft, known fondly as Bonnie and Clyde. Clyde is the ground testbed who successfully demonstrated its first hydrogen spin at Brisbane International Airport just before Christmas, and Bonnie is the flying testbed that will be taken to the skies with hydrogen in Q3 this year.
These aircraft will initially be flying under an experimental application in Australia, but there has been interest by some Bonanza owners to explore taking the technology through to certification (STC), in Australia and beyond. Stralis are therefore looking to explore and test the market and have put out an expression of interest call to the Bonanza community.
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Progress in lead-free avgas
The transition to lead-free avgas is making progress, both in the U.S. and Europe. In the U.S., GAMI and SWIFT are positioning themselves with their lead-free alternatives, but challenges remain, such as approval for Light Sport Aircraft and blending the fuels.
In Europe, the environmental authority ECHA has given a positive opinion on the three main producers of AVGAS in Europe to continue producing Avgas 100LL until 2032, with pending decisions for other suppliers. The EU's final decision is expected in early 2025.
While the transition to lead-free fuel is necessary, it brings uncertainties, especially if the U.S. and Europe make different policy choices. If there is no settlement, lead addition in Europe will stop from May 2025, possibly with imports as a stopgap solution.
Aviation is long overdue for this switch, but now, under pressure, it is becoming a reality.
Please keep us informed about the aviation news in your country
If you have any news or things that you would like to share with pilots in other countries - for instance if you organize a Fly-in that might be of interest or if there is news about airports or new rules and regulations in your country that other pilots should know.
Please don't hesitate to send all your news to me: Gerrit Brand | Netherlands | email: gerritbrand@hotmail.com, telephone or whatsapp + 31 6 50831893
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