Today, at the International Council of Air Shows ICAS) annual convention, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Aviation Events Specialist (NAES), Susan Gardner, announced upcoming changes to FAA regulatory policy and guidance.

Among those changes are much anticipated and, long sought by the IAC, significant modifications to aerobatic practice area (APA) guidance found in FAA Order 8900.1,Volume 3, Chapter 5.

With the issuance of new, revised FAA guidance, expected in early 2013, we may anticipate the following:
1. Elimination of the 500' APA floor restriction…

The agenda packets from the latest IAC Board of Directors meetings have been posted in the Members Only area of the website. Look for them toward the bottom of the homepage in the Leadership section.

CIVA's proposals for the 2013 Advanced and Unlimited Known sequences – for both Power and Glider – are now published on the Unusual Attitudes forum on EAAForums.org.  Your comments are welcome, but the window to do so is short.  (CIVA's fall meeting, at which sequences will be selected, begins on November 2.)

Please post your comments on the EAA Forums site.  (You'll need an account on the site to post; press the "Register" button in the upper right-hand corner to create one.)

The proposed rule changes for 2013 are posted on the EAA's Unusual Attitudes Forum - click here to view them. If you would like to comment on any of the proposals, you will need to register and log in on the EAA Forums site. The Unusual Attitudes Forum will be the ONLY place for members to make official comment on these proposed rules and knowns. The comment deadline is Nov. 11, 2012.;

Under sunny skies, the 2012 U.S. National Aerobatic Championship competition was held September 23-29 in Denison, Texas.  Ninety-four pilots competed in all five power and four glider categories.  The contest named U.S. national aerobatic category champions in four power and glider categories, a four-minute freestyle champion as well as the 2012-2013 U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team.

U.S. National Aerobatic Champions:
Unlimited:
Power: Rob Holland
Glider: Jason Stephens
Advanced:
Power: Pat Clark
Glider: Conner Deebel (U.S. Air Force Academy)…