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The IMC Club and iFlightPlanner announced today a new strategic partnership that will result in the availability of enhanced resources for pilots who are committed to maintaining the highest standards of instrument flying proficiency. 

iFlightPlanner and the IMC Club will work together to enhance iFlightPlanner’s integrated, digital logbook with features that will allow pilots who are participating in the club’s Inner Marker Circle, a subset of members who have committed to proficiency standards that are higher than FAA instrument currency requirements, to easily manage their flying.  As part of the joint announcement, iFlightPlanner was named the presenting sponsor of the Inner Marker Circle concurrent with their Platinum Sponsorship of the IMC Club. 

“I deeply appreciate iFlightPlanner’s commitment to the IMC Club,” said Radek Wyrzykowski, IMC Club President.  “We are excited to introduce our members to iFlightPlanner’s Free and Premium flight planning resources that reinforce our mutual commitment to safety and proficiency in General Aviation.”

Additionally, iFlightPlanner will be offering special pricing on annual iFlightPlanner Premium memberships for all IMC Club members through the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In & Expo.  After Sun ‘n Fun (April 15, 2013), the discounted pricing will only be available to IMC members who have committed to the Inner Marker Circle proficiency standards.

“The iFlightPlanner Crew quickly recognized the importance of the IMC Club’s mission in General Aviation and that our common principles could lead to technology that supports a common goal” said Andy Matthews, iFlightPlanner’s Co-Founder, Director of Business Development and IMC Club member.  “We look forward to building this relationship and continuing to shape the future of iFlightPlanner with input from General Aviation’s most committed instrument rated pilots.”

The cooperation between the two organizations is already visible in the form of a customized iFlightPlanner Widget on the IMC Club’s homepage, which allows pilots to quickly access iFlightPlanner’s airport/facility directory, color-coded weather and freely accessible aviation charts.

For more information on this partnership please visit www.IMCClubs.org and www.iFlightPlanner.com.

The Director of Operations at McMahon Helicopters in Canton, MI, has posted a petition on the White House "We The People" website in an effort to convince the government to reduce the size and duration of TFRs over sporting events and during Presidential visits.

"Sporting Event Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) prohibit aircraft flight operations within a 3 nautical mile radius of the venue. Every MLB, NFL, and NCAA Football games (with seating capacities 30,000 or greater) carry a TFR beginning one-hour prior to the event – extending to one-hour after the event.  There are thousands of these TFRs annually costing aviation businesses millions of dollars in lost revenue.  3-nautical mile radius restrictions are large enough to blanket entire metropolitan areas – shutting down aviation business for the duration in every major market.  Worse yet, Presidential TFRs create restrictions with a 30+ nautical mile radius around the President.  This is thousands of square miles of airspace.  TFRs need to be reduced SIGNIFICANTLY in size."

For more information on the petition, visit http://wh.gov/Vexj.

As the New York Times reported Tuesday, 2012 was the safest year in aviation history since 1945, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

The report, which was released in January, stated that for the year 2012 there were 23 total fatal accidents, much lower than the ten-year average of 34.  There were 11 accidents involving passenger flights, compared to the ten-year average of 16.

Read the full New York Times article here.  For the full report from the ASN, click here.

The IMC Club announced the "Brown Jacket" Instrument Mastery Award that will be presented annually to one outstanding General Aviation Instrument Pilot for his or her safety, proficiency and helping other pilots in their quest to “Master the Art of Instrument Navigation.”

The award recognizes excellence in areas of flight proficiency, continuing education and service to the aviation community and will be presented each year at the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In & Expo in Lakeland, Florida starting in 2014.  In addition to a leather, “Instrument Master” flight jacket, the winner will receive a Sennheiser S1 Digital aviation headset.

For more information about the IMC Club and the "Brown Jacket" award, visit http://www.IMCClubs.org.

This week's flight planning Quick Tip highlights iFlightPlanner's integrated weight & balance calculator and demonstrates how easy it is to email or text your CG results to yourself or a friend.

Did you know that there is a host of aviation videos about safety, trending news items, training, NextGen, and administration policy right at your fingertips?

» FAA Television

Links on the main page allow you to share the content via your favorite media platform, or you can download the videos as an MP4 for future reference.  Visit http://www.faa.gov/tv/ for more information!

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.™

The planned 22013 State of the Union Address in Washington, DC are scheduled for February 12, 2013. At the request of the Department of Homeland Security and as part of the airspace security measures for the event, the FAA will be modifying the Washington Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) and Washington Metropolitan Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) with additional flight restrictions.

The NOTAMs discussed in this advisory may change with little or no notice. Pilots are advised to check NOTAMs frequently for possible changes prior to operations in the area. Pilots are strongly advised to contact a Flight Service Station at 1-800-WX-BRIEF (1-800-992-7433) prior to their flight to check for all current NOTAMs.

» 2013 State of the Union NOTAM

As an alternative to calling 1-800-WXBRIEF, this week's flight planning Quick Tip shows you how to retrieve a weather brief using iFlightPlanner that is also certified and recorded with the FAA.

The February 2013 digital issue of Avionics News Magazine is now available!

In this month's issue, you'll find:

• The View from Washington
• Portable Powerhouses, VHF to GPS
• Member Profile: Lexavia Integrated Systems
• Wires, Cables & Connectors
• Avionics News Through The Years
• The Place to Be, AEA New Product Introductions
• Develop You Best Salesperson (the WWW)
• Before & After: Tech Aero Avionics

For more information on the Aircraft Electronics Association visit http://www.aea.net/.

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.™

iFlightPlanner was recently featured on SkilledPilots.com, aviation's newest industry directory where businesses and pilots can create listings in an effort to grow awareness for their respective brands.

SkilledPilots.com boasts over 27,000 followers via their @SkilledPilots Twitter and YouTube accounts, which the company uses to highlight the industry's leading businesses.  Media outlets such as ABC News, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, The Columbus Dispatch, The Telegraph, San Francisco Chronicle, Sign On San Diego and more have already noticed the work being done by SkilledPilots.com.

We invite you to check out our listing, and if you represent an aviation organization or can benefit personally from a listing, create one of your own!

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.™