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Our flights are planned and we're ready to head to sunny Florida for SUN 'n FUN 2014 with some exciting news to share...

Keep an eye on SUN 'n FUN Today and be sure to stop by and visit with the iFlightPlanner Crew in Booths B-084 and B-085 in Hangar B to see what it's all about!  You'll find us with Sennheiser Aviation, our partners and presenting sponsor of iFlightPlanner for iPad.

Travel safe, we will see you in Lakeland!

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN.FLY.LOG.

Attention Seaplane Pilots: The next two print issues of General Aviation News will focus on seaplanes and they would like to get some insider information from you!

• What are some of the best places to fly (and land) in your seaplane?
• What is it about seaplane flying that you like the best?
• What tips and advice can you give to fellow pilots who are considering a seaplane rating?

Head to GeneralAviationNews.com and share your insight, your recommendations might just find their way into the next issue!

» More on GA News

By AVweb Staff

After months of negotiations and a legal challenge in the courts, EAA said this week it has agreed to pay the FAA's expenses to send controllers to AirVenture through 2022. "This ends the uncertainty that began with the FAA's sudden assessment of ATC fees for the 2013 event and the potential that air traffic support might not be provided this year or in the future unless such fees were paid," EAA said in a statement on Friday.

After EAA was forced to sign a one-year ATC agreement under protest in 2013, the organization filed a petition with the U.S. Seventh District Court of Appeals, arguing that the FAA has no legal right to charge for ATC services without clear Congressional authorization. That challenge has now been dismissed by the court and can't be filed again, EAA said.

» More on AVweb

iFlightPlanner announced today the availability of the iFlightPlanner Widget on GeneralAviationNews.com.  Pilots and aviation enthusiasts who are signed in to their iFlightPlanner Free or Premium account gain 1-click access to a complete Airport/Facility Directory, Weather Center and seamless Aviation Charts through any website that hosts the iFlightPlanner Widget.

The iFlightPlanner Widget

•    Color-coded METARs
•    Airport/Facility Directory
•    Weather Center
•    Aviation Charts
•    Airport & Route lookup

If you are not yet an iFlightPlanner member head to https://www.iFlightPlanner.com/Join and create your Free or Premium account for access to the iFlightPlanner Widget, as well as our fully-integrated flight planning solution featuring iFlightPlanner for iPad presented by Sennheiser.

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.

The 2014 SUN 'n FUN NOTAM specifies sign codes used to inform ground personnel of your desired parking area at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (KLAL).  You'll need to display one of these signs for your arrival and another for departure based on your aircraft type and parking or camping preference.

Arrival Signs

• General Aviation Camping (GAC)
• General Aviation Parking (GAP)
• Homebuilt Parking (HB)
• Homebuilt Camping (HBC)
• Handicapped Parcking (HC)
• Seaplane Parking (SP)
• Vintage Aircraft Camping (VAC)
• Overnight Camping (ONC)
• FBO-Northside (FBO-N)
• FBO-Southside (FBO-S)
• LAL Existing Airside Hangar Tenants (E1)

Departure Signs

• VFR Departure (VFR)
• IFR Departure (IFR)

The 2014 SUN 'n FUN NOTAM is required reading and should be part of every pilot's preflight preparation.  Remember to print your arrival and departure signs before your trip and fly safe!  We'll look forward to seeing you in Lakeland!

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.

On Friday, March 14, Textron announced the acquisition of Beechcraft complete, which integrates the Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft brands into the new “Textron Aviation” business segment.

The acquisition brings together three iconic brands, each pioneering many of general aviation’s most notable advances in the past century. Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker bring 200-plus years of combined aviation experience to the market and an installed customer base of more than 250,000 airplanes worldwide. Cessna and Beechcraft together produced about $4.6 billion in revenues during 2013. Going forward, Textron Aviation intends to share and leverage best practices across all operations to further its position as an aviation authority. Scott Ernest, who has served as Cessna’s President and CEO since 2011, will lead the Textron Aviation segment as CEO.

» More via King Air Nation

By Rick Durden, AVweb

In a strongly-worded posting on its website, the FAA directly addressed what it called “misconceptions and misinformation about unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) regulations.” It listed seven common myths and set out the underlying facts on each.

The myths include that the FAA doesn’t control airspace below 400 feet—it is responsible for all U.S. airspace from the ground up, and said it believes the myth comes from the idea that manned aircraft must generally stay at least 500 feet above the ground; that commercial UAS flights are legal if over private property and under 400 feet—not so, trying to operate a UAS commercially by claiming compliance with Model Aircraft guidelines doesn’t cut it, commercial operations must be approved by the FAA on a case-by-case basis; and that commercial UAS operations fall under a “gray area” of the FARs—again, not so, operating any aircraft in U.S. airspace requires some level of FAA approval.

» More on AVweb

The March/April 2014 issue of FAA Safety Briefing takes a look at what it takes to "get back in the flying game." Whether it’s transitioning to a new type of aircraft, or returning from a flying hiatus, the articles here will provide safety and training advice and help you fine tune your plan for returning to the skies.

Among the feature articles in this issue include:

• "Getting Back in the Game" - how pilots can get back into flying after inactivity
• "Hands Off!" – how to prevent stalls with the proper use of trim
• "All Hands on Deck!" – Single-Pilot Resource Management (SRM)

Get your fully compatible PDF, ePub for iOS, Nook and Android, or MOBI file for your Kindle of this issue at faa.gov!

By Mary Grady, AVweb

A new federal budget plan released by the White House on Tuesday includes a proposal to "establish a surcharge for air traffic services of $100 per flight." NBAA President Ed Bolen said similar proposals in the last three budgets were stopped when the aviation community mobilized and asked elected officials to oppose the fees. "There is bipartisan opposition to user fees on Capitol Hill," Bolen said. NBAA will continue working with leaders in Congress, he said, "to support FAA funding and aviation system modernization without user fees for general aviation, so that our nation's aviation system can remain the world’s largest, safest and most efficient." General aviation already pays for its use of the aviation system through the fuel tax, Bolen added.

» More on AVweb

In-flight loss of control (LOC) has emerged as the number one causal factor for fatal general aviation accidents. On the premise that prevention is better than cure, this live webinar from the FAA Safety Team Lead Representative Gene Benson on Thursday, March 13 will focus on practical ways to help prevent in-flight loss of control rather than recovery techniques.  In addition to the technical reasons for aircraft loss of control, this webinar will examine the human factors that are frequently cited as underlying causes in LOC accidents. Several recent accidents will be discussed and analyzed to learn from the mistakes of others.

The webinar will last approximately one hour and is worth one Basic Knowledge 3 credit toward the FAA "WINGS" Pilot Proficiency Program.

» Why Did They Do That?

Official FAA data for the 03/06/14 cycle, including airport diagrams, approach plates, sectional charts and terminal area charts, was updated today at 09:01Z.

Anytime you access iFlightPlanner.com or mobile.iFlightPlanner.com you can be confident that you are seeing the most current and accurate data available.  To ensure that iFlightPlanner for iPad is current, 'Check for Updates' in the lower-left corner of the Downloads tab.  The app will quickly tell you which files need to be updated!

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.

The March 2014 digital issue of Avionics News Magazine is now available!

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

• The View from Washington
• International News & Regulatory Updates
• AEA Member Profile: Clay Lacy Aviation
• ADS-B Early Adopters
• A Conversation with John Gauch of Gulf Coast Avionics
• Creating the Perfect Avionics Suite
• What's Working? Spirit Aeronautics

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

» Download LOOP from iTunes