IAOPA-Europe e-newsletter, May 2007

Welcome to the May 2007 e-news of IAOPA-Europe, which circulates to 23,000 AOPA members across the continent.

IAOPA at AERO 07

Ruedi Gerber reports: Europe’s biggest and most important general aviation exhibition and fair attracted more pilots and guests than ever. More than 45,000 pilots and customers from five continents and 40 nations spent four days under blue skies admiring new aircraft, in special sessions on technical and political issues, and at the airshow. IAOPA Europe, as a co-organiser of Aero 07, welcomed at the booth shared with the AOPAs of Germany, Switzerland and Greece hundreds of pilots and members for highly qualified contacts and exchanges of success stories and sorrows about increasing costs and restrictions in European airspace. 553 exhibitors from 30 countries established a new record in the history of the Friedrichshafen Aero.

IAOPA opens Aero 07

IAOPA Europe featured prominently in the opening ceremony and reception with speeches by Senior Vice President Ruedi Gerber and AOPA Germany President Elmar Giemulla. Ruedi Gerber pointed out clearly what general aviation expects in the future. He said we first should prefer good industrial standards and best practices to a rulemaking that always tries to maximise and to complicate, instead of keeping regulations simple and user-friendly. Regulations should always be focused on the real existing problem, respect its dimensions and minimise side effects like costs.

Ruedi Gerber pointed out that general aviation is an import and innovative industry in Europe, employing 50,000 highly qualified people and creating annual revenues of 15 billion Euros. “We all make up part of this industry, and can be proud of it,” he said. “Many positive facts about general aviation are familiar to us, but unknown to the public. They become visible at international exhibitions, and Aero Friedrichshafen is the most important among the few that still are successful in Europe.”

Dubai and Bosnia-Herzegovina ask for membership

IAOPA General Secretary John Sheehan and Vice President Ruedi Gerber welcomed representatives of pilots in Dubai and Bosnia Herzegovina seeking support to found new AOPAs in their countries.

AOPA Session with Eurocontrol and European Commission

With an estimated 50 attendees, the AOPA session with representatives from Eurocontrol and the European Commission was quite successful. Presentations by Martin Robinson (IAOPA), Peter Alty, Alexander Krastev and Bent Collin from Eurocontrol (8.33, airspace and runway infringements), Ron Jenkins from JAA on flight crew licensing, and Jirki Pajaanen from the EC (GA overview) were well received with substantive questions from the audience.

116th Regional Meeting

IAOPA-Europe welcomed at the 116th Regional Meeting for the first time a delegation from Ukraine, and learned about the huge problems GA faces in this, the biggest European country by surface area. All aircraft lost their registrations and must now to run through the JAR process, with associated costs of tens of thousands of dollars. Only 15 aircraft have been registered to date. The import of leaded fuel is not allowed. But there are always ways to fly.

Jacob Pedersen’s report from the EASA working group MDM.032 is a success story. All IAOPA proposals concerning light and complex aircraft were accepted. But the fight for proportional rulemaking is going on.

The next Regional Meeting will be held in Cyprus on September 22nd 2007.

Boscomantico reopens

Verona Boscomantico airport has finally reopened to VFR flights after a long period of unavailability.

The airport became available again on April 16th and is open from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. Avgas will be available.

AOPA Italy president Massimo Levy reports that the airport has reopened thanks to the initiative of a private consortium who have taken it over from the local aero club, who have run Boscomantico for the past two decades.

Verona Boscomantico is a wonderful base from which to explore the Lake Garda region – the lake is less than 20km away – as well as Verona itself, with its Roman arena still functioning after 2000 years.

Boscomantico lies about eight kilometres north east of the large commercial and military airport of Verona Villafranca (LIPX ) which has IFR procedures. LIPX is open to both VFR and IFR traffic ,but a prior notice call is required to the general aviation handler on +39 3358446387. Avgas is not available.

AOPA Italy General Assembly

All AOPA members Europe-wide are welcome to AOPA Italy’s General Assembly, which is being held in Carpi (LIDU) on Saturday June 2nd. Carpi is a very nice airport with a hard earth runway and avgas availability. Says Massimo Levy: “Most important of all there is a very good restaurant.”

If you’d like to go, please inform Massimo via email at president@aopa.it

Changes at AOPA-Sweden

New Board members of AOPA-Sweden were elected at the recent AOPA assembly there. Lars Hjelmberg (president) and Sven A Svennberg (secretary) retired. Lennart Persson was elected president, Martin Antvik deputy president, and Ms Linn Rittmalm-Glimne secretary.

Come to Aero Expo

The UK’s biggest general aviation event, Aero Expo, will be held at Wycombe Air Park north west of London from June 8th to June 13th, and is supported by AOPA UK. It promises to be a fantastic show, well worth visiting wherever you are in Europe. See the website www.expo.aero for details