Members Page

Sorry It's taken a while, but many of you have asked why your current membership hasn't been reflected in the "update" date listed on the Banner.  The date on the Banner only indicates the date some new information was added to the website.  The date on the membership page indicates the date I've posted that information. I can't put a different banner on each page.... that would be cool if I could!

Welcome Greg Corrado

At the May 13th Board of Directors meeting Greg Corrado was offered and accepted the position of Vice President.  Greg brings with him a world of experience from flying his C-180 all over the place on wheels and floats.  We plan to tap into Greg's enthusiasm  and welcome him to the organization.
We'd also like to thank George Johnson for all his dedication and hard work over the years.

President Bush signed the bill creating Wild Sky! 

Here is the link to the story.... Bush signs bill creating Wild Sky
HeraldNet - Everett,WA,USA
    At the end of the story, there is the mention of a special event to celebrate.  I've called Senator Murray's office to let them know how much we appreciate her efforts and if a site hasn't been chosen yet, the seaplane pilots would like to participate! As you may know most if not all other wilderness areas ban seaplanes.  Wild Sky was written with the provision to allow "Floatplanes" to continue to operate at Lake Isabel.(do you think anyone will notice my Seabee isn't a floatplane?)

Finally, it's actually been 9 years in the making.  Wild Sky in no different in it's restriction of motorized vehicles than any other wilderness area, EXCEPT for Float Planes.  Yes, you heard that right.  As quoted from the bill, Float Plane Access- As provided by section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), the use of floatplanes on Lake Isabel, where such use has already become established, shall be permitted to continue subject to such reasonable restrictions as the Secretary of Agriculture determines to be desirable.

So, this is a big change.  What does the Secretary of Agriculture have to do with anything?  I'm not sure.  You can bet nothing will change just yet, when the new administration come in though we should be prepared for a fight.

The Bureau of Reclamation

 The BoR is supposedly yielding.  This is good news.  Word has it they will be restoring the CFRs to pre-ban wording.  SPA is their contact and all seems to be quiet there.  We are waiting to see what happens.  According to the website www.usbr.gov/seaplanes  The change should be published this month.  We believe this has been a direct result of the reaction to the States weighing in on the issue. 

Classifieds.... continue to be problem?

Gweduck Flys...

For those of you unaware of this marvelous project that has been in development for about the last 17 years, you can visit their website at www.gweduck.com Ben and Marty Ellison with the help of Ross Mahon and others have been hard at work to built the all composit twin engine amphibian designed especially for saltwater operations.
We reported here about a year ago last October on their float tests conducted at Renton.  This past week it has flown.  You can watch it on youtube... enjoy...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHc5U7VPnmU

How to pay On Line.... or dues by mail....

You have 3 options for payment this year, we recently mailed a printed newsletter, you can send in the last page with your check, or you can print a page right off this website to send in with your check.  Go to Dues Payments/Donations by mail, and for the first time ever, we now have a pay pal account where you can pay on line directly from our Dues/Join/Donations On Line page. 

We have set up the pay on line service with Pay Pal, it's a secure service and you don't need a personal account with Pay Pal to use their service, it will accept credit and debit cards too. 

Missouri Breaks Still and Issue

The BLM final plan prohibits seaplanes from using the river, but allows other power vessels, even though the BLM admits they’ve still never seen a seaplane there and don’t know that there is really any problem.  It appears they have denied our access since we are not “locals” and they wanted to show environmentalists involved that they were being hard on aircraft somewhere in the plan (the BLM allowed several grass strips to remain and this has angered some of the environmental groups).

Two web sites to look at are, first the BLM site of the final report:
http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_office/um_rmp_process/rmp.html
And the second, the Friends of the Missouri Breaks web site showing what they are encouraging their members to object to, like the airstrips and use of the river by power boats:  http://www.missouribreaks.org/

 The BLM final plan says that seaplanes can use the river in an “emergency” which is something.  But the issue is that as a navigable river and a pathway for interstate commerce, the seaplane use should simply be allowed outright.  If it remains “emergency” use only, then:

 1) the pilot is required to get into an emergency before using the river – rather than using the river before declaring an emergency as precautionary or just good judgment; the history of aviation accidents tells us this will predictably lead to serious accidents; and

 2) there is the inevitable problem of what the definition of an “emergency” is, and park rangers are likely to give out a ticket anyway to be safe on their side, which would then require the pilot to return to a court in Montana to defend themselves – guilty until proven innocent. 

Aron Faegre, President

Columbia Seaplane Pilots Association