Hidden in one of the new T-hangars on Lincoln Regional Airport's North Ramp is a treasure of historical books, artifacts, and other unique items reflecting the achievements of flying's early Aviatrices. Nancy Ginesi-Hill has assembled an intriguing collection which extends past the display cases and onto the hangar floor itself. The Lincoln News-Messenger expands on Nancy's passion in this article contained in the June 25th edition of the paper.

NOTE: Photograph © 2009 by Gold Country Media.

The Sacramento County Airport System (SCAS) Web-Accessible Aircraft Flight Tracking System enables the public to see the general location of flights and air traffic flow in the greater Sacramento region. This flight monitoring system known as "ANOMS" (Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring System) is a sophisticated, acoustical system which monitors aircraft flight tracks, fleet mix, and noise levels by time of day, season and on an annual basis. It includes specific information about flights from Sacramento International, Mather, Executive and McClellan airports as well as information about other air traffic operating in the Sacramento region. Information provided includes flight identification, aircraft type, and altitude in Mean Sea Level (MSL).

Flight and aircraft radar data originate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Data viewed in WebTrak is delayed by 140 minutes for aviation security and to ensure data accuracy. Flight track data viewed in WebTrak is available for up to 90 days in the past.

Wonder exactly what information the ANOMS records? Click the photo on the right and you'll see an example of a data tag for an aircraft that was flying from Sacramento Executive to Lincoln Regional on Thursday, June 18th. (This particular aircraft was chosen as the example because I knew it's owner wouldn't mind!)

A new congressional caucus to help ensure the future of general aviation, founded and co-chaired by Reps. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) and Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), is picking up steam, as members of Congress in key aviation-related committees add their names to the ranks of those supporting GA.

Ehlers said he helped form the GA caucus to help enlighten some of his colleagues in Congress. “General aviation is an important part of our nation’s transportation system and economy. This new caucus will highlight general aviation issues on the Hill, and I hope it will help my colleagues recognize the great value of general aviation in each of their districts.”

As exciting as it is to see elected officials make an effort to become knowledgable about General Aviation the Caucus is falling short of the goals we in the Lincoln region hold for it. A glance at the roster of Caucus members reveals a conspicuous absence of northern California Legislators. How are we to expect our Representatives to accurately understand our needs if they aren't receiving information that is essential to promoting and protecting General Aviation?

Well here's your chance to be heard! Write your Representative and ask them to join the General Aviation Caucus. It is really easy, too. Just visit your Representative's website and click on the "contact" link. This will take you to a short form offering you room to state your message. There is no right or wrong way to get your message across. Simply tell them exactly what you're requesting them to do. A little "why" could be helpful in making your case, too.

Most General Avaition enthusisasts in the Lincoln area reside in California's 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Congressional Districts. To make it easy to contact your Representative, just click on their picture below to be transferred to their official website. If you live outside of these three districts visit the United States Congress website (www.house.gov) to find your Representative.

The Lincoln Regional Aviation Association will be providing its own urging to the area's Representatives. However, nothing is as effective as communication directly from a person who lives in the district they represent or, in other words, a voter! Please take a few minutes to drop your Representative a message.

NOTE: Portions of this article excerpted from aopa.org/advocacy

Scores of local aviators and enthusiasts gathered on a bright, sunny Saturday morning to celebrate a milestone in the life of the Lincoln Regional Aviation Association ... it's first annual Members Meeting & Gala. While Chef-extraordinaire Steve Schulte fired up the grill, Members engaged in an active business session that recounted the numerous activities of the Association and culminated with the election of two new Directors (Nancy Ginesi-Hill and Bill Turpie) and resolving questions about membership terms and dues: all membership terms will expire annually on December 31st so that the member renewal notices only need to be sent once a year instead of searching the member records every month to determine whose expiriation is coming up. Dues will remain at $20 per calendar year.

Following a fabulous cookout-style meal, event attendees were treated to an engaging discussion with Mr. John Pfeifer, California Representative of the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Regional Affairs progam. Armed with an intimate knowledge of both current issues facing General Aviation and those looming just over the horizon, Mr. Pfeifer related tales of experiences endured by other airport communities and what we may anticipate to see in our own neighborhood. He enouraged the LRAA to establish professional relationships with officials who have jurisdiction over our airport and its immediate environs. (Anyone interested in participating in this activity is asked to contact Corl and coordinate the effort to assure we don't accidently tread on the limits of our Association's charter as an educational, non-profit entity.)

Amazingly, the only drawback to the day's event was the perfect flying weather! With such beautiful skies, many people opted to go flying instead of attending the Gala. Still, for those who were there the day was entertaining, enlightening, and most enjoyable! Look for future LRAA events periodically throughout the year!

Members and guests of the Lincoln Regional Aviation Association will gather at the Lincoln Regional Airport (Karl Harder Field) on Saturday, April 25th to celebrate their first official anniversary. The Gala will begin with a brief welcome and introductions followed by a brief Association Business meeting and an Open Forum. (Members will receive agendas no later than April 18th via email. If you need a copy mailed to you, please contact by the LRAA President at 916-276-5216.)

Of course, there's nothing that will bring a group of aviation enthusiasts together faster than food and we'll have plenty to go around. A hot, "cookout style" meal featuring Walter Caton's famous Tri-Tip and fixin's will be served at 11:30. The lunch is free for dues-paying LRAA members ... guests are welcome with a donation. Please RSVP by Wednesday, April 22nd to assure we have enough for everyone! (Send an email with your name and number of members and guests to lunch@LRAA.aero or contact Steve Schulte at 916-622-4011.)

Highlighting the event is the keynote address being presented by Mr. John Pfeifer, AOPA's Regional Representative for California. He will be winging into Lincoln with a briefcase full of topics General Aviation participants need to know ranging from changes in the TSA's approach to "securing" GA to Congress' waffling on funding the FAA's future. Plenty of time for questions will be available to address additional issues of specific interest to those attending.

There is a lot of work being put into the production of this event and the LRAA would like to thank Mr. Don Ratcliff for providing the use of his facility. (This hangar is currently available if you're interested in making the Lincoln Regional Airport your aviation home! Contact Mr. Jim Miner at Lyon Realty for details!)

Get your calendar ready for several "big time" aviation events in the area this summer and fall! First up is the Beale AFB Air Show & Open House on April 18th and 19th. This event features nearly two dozen military aircraft on display as well as a full slate of aerial demonstrations and exhibitions. (Rumor has it that they may actually conduct a flight of the unmanned Global Hawk during the show!)

Once your appetite as an observer has been fulfilled, think about volunteering to help with the production of one (or more) of the locally-produced yet awe-inspiring events. Opportunities range from being an over-worked committee chairman to simply lending a hand taking tickets or parking cars for a couple of hours. Regardless of your level of participation, each is extremely vital to assuring the success of the event.

While my first inclination is to urge your lending a hand at Lincoln's own Airport Day & Airshow being held on Saturday, October 3rd, two earlier events rely on the local communities to provide most of the people-power. Experimental and light aircraft fans will delight in June's Golden West Regional Fly-In & Airshow held at the Yuba County Airport in Marysville (Olivehurst on the map). September 12th and 13th will bring the California Capital Airshow, undoubtedly the local area's largest and loudest production. The USAF Thunderbirds will be performing at show's Mather Airport location.

As more events of interest to our local aviation community are published, we will make sure to put them on our list of activities as well as send notices to those who have joined the LRAA Message Distribution list.

The Lincoln Regional Airport is home to a community of diverse aviators. Light Airplanes, Business Jets. Helicopters. Ultralights. Skydivers. Hot Air Balloons. What do all these activities have in common? They must all share the same airspace and do so safely.

We are inviting all members of the local aviation community to attend a seminar that examines the procedures, techniques, and regulations that apply to each activity and highlights how we can all work together to enjoy our sky. Individual pilots engaged in these various types of flying will be present as will representatives of the FAA's Northern California TRACON.

Join us at 1:30 pm on Saturday, February 28th at the Lincoln Public Library (Twelve Bridges Branch), 485 Twelve Bridges Drive, Lincoln, CA 95648. Reservations are not required however those wishing to receive credit toward the FAA's "Wings" Pilot Proficiency program may wish to initiate their participation by registering on the event website at www.FAASafety.gov.

This seminar is sponsored by the Lincoln Regional Airport and presented by the Lincoln Regional Aviation Association and FAASafetyTeam. Attendance fulfills a knowledge component of the FAA's Pilot Proficiency "Wings" program.

The Transportation Security Administration is winding its bureaucratic tentacles deeper and deeper into the realm of General Aviation. On the front burner of concern for local General Aviation enthusiasts is the "Large Aircraft Security Program."

If you're thinking that you're not affected because the airplane you fly weighs less than the 12,500 pound limit this NPRM addresses, think again. I found the following sentence buried within the NPRM's 260 pages of text particulary significant to our local flying scenarios: The "TSA is proposing to require additional airports to adopt security programs, because these airports serve aircraft operators that either currently must carry out a security program or would be required to have a security program under the proposed rule." As the Lincoln Regional Airport is a designated "reliever airport" for Sacramento International, it falls within the scope of the proposal. Although reliever airports will initially be required to only implement a "partial" set of the security mandates, just being on the list of affected airports makes it that much easier for the TSA to step it up a notch in the future and place more regulatory burdens where they simply are excessive.

What can we do to voice our concerns about the TSA's plan? Well, my recommendation is first and foremost, learn more about the Large Aircraft Security Program and how it will affect even casual General Aviation users. The Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association has risen to the task and created a particularly useful set of web pages, the "TSA Large Aircraft Security Program Member Action Center," that will take you from the education stage right up to submitting your own comments into the TSA Docket ... and you don't even have to be an AOPA member to take advantage of this service!

If you're really fired up to get the TSA to hear your voice, consider attending the TSA's public hearing on the proposal. The next hearing will be held at 9:00 am on Friday, January 23rd at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel in Burbank. Individuals wishing to speak may register beginning at 8:00 am.

Long-time aviator Gene Fincham has assumed the position representing Lincoln Regional Airport/Karl Harder Field within the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association's Airport Support Network. This Network provides AOPA and the general aviation community direct contact, on a day-to-day basis, with qualified individuals who can serve as a vital communications channel and advocates on issues of importance to general aviation pilots, airport managers, and community citizens. ASN volunteers will endeavor to enhance industry professionalism and assist airport service providers, airport sponsors and owners, elected officials, and airport users stay ahead of the growing needs of general aviation aircraft owners and pilots.

Gene brings many skills and areas of expertise that will enable him to be an effective ASN volunteer. He has run a successful flight school; been an aviation department head for a college; served as Chief Pilot for Atkin Air's Part 135 charter operation; and now tackles the immense challenge of being that companyÃŒs TSA Air Operations Security Coordinator. He is also been actively involved in numerous aviation organizations recently serving as Treasurer of the Northern California Chapter of the Silver Wings Fraternity and as a Charter Member of the Lincoln Regional Aviation Association.

To communicate with Gene, send an email to him at gfincham@surewest.net.

In celebration of the 105th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first successful flight, local aviation enthusiasts donated over 100 aviation-themed books to the Lincoln Public Library. Coordinated through the Lincoln Regional Aviation Association and the Friends of the Lincoln Library, the donation effort took off when it was noted that the Library's new Twelve Bridges Branch was short on titles addressing aviation topics. Recognizing funds were limited for the purchase of books of any sort, LRAA members and other aviation fans lept forward, combing their personal collections for books to contribute to the Library.

Ms. Andi Adkins-Pogue received the donation on behalf of the Lincoln Public Library. During the presentation, LRAA Board Member Steve Gorman expressed amazement at the wide range of titles highlighting aeronautical adventures, historical personalities, and both technical and aesthetic sides of flight. Furthermore, LRAA President, Corl Leach commended the generosity of the local aviation community saying the Association has provided a significant foundation toward establishing the Lincoln Public Library as one of the area's premier facilities for aviation students, professionals, and fans.

Aviation history tidbit: Laid end to end, the cumulative length of the books donated by the LRAA was nearly 120 feet ... the distance of the Wright Brothers' first successful flight on December 17, 1903!

This page updated: 06-25-2009
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