Aviation Research

Yasmina Platt

Texas Well Represented in Women of Aviation Worldwide Week Awards

Dianna Stanger and Vanessa Molina prepare for a ride during the Fly It Forward Challenge at the South Texas International Airport.

Dianna Stanger and Vanessa Molina prepare for a ride during the Fly It Forward Challenge at the South Texas International Airport.

The Women of Aviation Worldwide Week was held on March 6-12 and the state of Texas can proudly boast three winners that helped to foster aviation awareness and help grow the number of women pilots.

Texas had two winners in the 2016 Most Dedicated Female Pilot Worldwide division, which is awarded to the registered female pilot who conducts the most reported flights (girls reporting divided by number of passenger seats) during the week. Dianna Stanger from Port Lavaca was the overall winner flying 574 girls during the week and Yasmina Platt from Houston was the first finalist.

The South Texas International Airport at Edinburg won the 2016 Most Female-Pilot-Friendly Airport Worldwide Award. This award was presented to the airport hosting one or more official activities that generate the most valid female first flight reports for the week, March 7-13, 2016.

The highly-successful Fly It Forward Challenge took place at the South Texas International Airport. The volunteer-based event was hosted by the airport and Calhoun Air Center, and was an opportunity to foster aviation awareness and help grow the number of women pilots.

The challenge invited pilots to introduce girls of all ages to flying with the goal of addressing the flight introduction gender gap and fostering gender balance in the industry. In addition to free rides, participants learned about the history of women in aviation, received information regarding necessary training and special scholarship opportunities.

The aim of Women of Aviation Worldwide Week is to help women feel welcome, valued and qualified to pursue aerospace based goals; to prepare female students through quality Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum and to expose girls to positive female role models.

“The WOAW initiative is one that I truly believe in and, after giving someone their first flight, it is one that each new passenger believes in,” said Calhoun Air Center Director Stanger. “Each year Calhoun Air Center tries to target a different location in order to make sure that those kids that are in different areas are able to experience the thrill I get each time I fly. It is one of the most remarkable weeks in terms of the volunteer time, flights given and lives touched.”

AOPA’S Report: New Texas Laws Benefit General Aviation

By Yasmina Platt,
AOPA’s Central Southwest Regional Manager

We had a very busy, but productive, legislative session in Texas in 2015 and AOPA members, pilots and aircraft owners among others will reap the benefits.

New Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a number of general aviation friendly bills into law after the 84th Texas Legislature adjourned June 1st. In addition to working with state legislators, we met and talked with staff in Abbott’s offices in both Austin and Washington D.C. to ensure GA pilots’ voices were heard.

Thanks to advocacy efforts from AOPA and other aviation stakeholders who tracked 54 bills throughout session, pilots can enjoy many of the benefits being afforded to GA. The bills that Abbott signed into law provide:

  • $84 million (state, federal and local dollars) to support and promote GA services and airports for each of the fiscal years ending Aug. 31, 2016 and 2017;
  • Free Texas Department of Transportation Airport Directories (the directory previously cost $6);
  • A requirement to mark and register meteorological evaluation towers (better known as MET towers) to mitigate safety-of-flight hazards for pilots;
  • Clarification of how GA aircraft leasing and business practices operate so that sales and use tax changes don’t affect the industry’s positive contribution to the state’s economy.
  • The ability for repossession agents to file a petition in a justice court for a writ of assistance to receive help from law enforcement officials when repossessing an aircraft.

Yasmina Platt said leadership and support from Reps. Paul Workman (47th District), Armando Martinez (39th District), Chris Paddie (9th District), Rick Miller (26th District), and John Otto (18th District), and Sens. Charles Perry (28th District), Van Taylor (8th District), Royce West (23rd District), and Jane Nelson (12th District) helped push the positive legislation through session.

You can get more information about these and other developments in our region, and specifically in Texas, by visiting http://www.aopa.org/Advocacy/Airports-and-State-Advocacy.aspx or following me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/AOPACentralSW or @AOPACentralSW).

Air Race Championship Team Awards $2,500 Scholarship to Female Pilot

Yasmina Platt and Dianna Stanger.

Yasmina Platt (left) accepts the $2,500 scholarship from Dianna Stanger.

The Racing Aces, Dianna Stanger and Joyce Wilson who won the 2014 Air Race Classic, awarded a $2,500 scholarship on Saturday, May 16th at the Southeast TX Fly-In to Yasmina Platt, Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) Regional Manager of the Central Southwest Region.

The purpose of the Racing Aces Aviation Aces Scholarship for women is to provide funds to further the recipient’s pursuit of a career in aviation. The Racing Aces seek to empower women to contribute to the future of aviation through access to education.

Yasmina was born in the beautiful Canary Islands, Spain. Raised in Zaragoza, she has called the United States home for over ten years. Since childhood, she dreamed of becoming a pilot. Platt is a commercial pilot with instrument, multi-engine land, single engine land and single engine sea ratings as well as a Certificated Flight Instructor (CFII and CFI). She enjoys teaching and sharing her love of flying with others. She especially likes to introduce flying to young people who, like her, have dreamed of becoming a pilot. Yasmina holds a B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a M.S. in Transportation Planning and Management from Texas Southern University. She is also a Certified Member (C.M.) of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).

Her passion and commitment for aviation is evident in the number of professional credentials that she holds as well as the number of awards she has obtained. Her focus is aviation safety, outreach, research, education, and the promotion and protection of aviation.

In addition to representing AOPA member interests with state and local government officials, she hopes to stimulate and encourage greater involvement among pilots and aviation enthusiasts.

Platt is also an Adjunct Aviation Professor at Utah Valley University (UVU) having taught classes in aviation logistics, private pilot flying, business aviation, and aviation management. She lives in Houston, TX with her husband Jared, an airline pilot and GA supporter.

“It’s very important for our team to award these scholarships,” said Stanger. “The female pilot population is very low — only 6 percent! We’re doing our best to pay it forward and promote aviation. Yasmina is an excellent role model for any girl wanting to learn to fly. She is always willing to volunteer her time when we host aviation events.”

The team has awarded $12,500 in scholarships since 2012.

AOPA’s Report: General Aviation Initiatives in 2015’s Texas Legislative Session

By Yasmina Platt,
AOPA’s Central Southwest Regional Manager

The 84th Texas Legislature is in full swing and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Accociation (AOPA), along with other aviation stakeholders, is working on several initiatives to promote and protect general aviation in the state. We are tracking about 50 bills in Texas. Below are some of the ones we are most interested in, including the bill numbers and a brief summary. If you are interested in seeing the progress of a specific bill search http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/.

  • HB 946 / SB 505 – Marking/Registration of Meteorological Evaluation Towers (MET Towers): MET towers are temporary structures used to measure wind speed and direction to identify locations for future wind turbines. They pose a continuing hazard to low-altitude aviation operations, such as agricultural, helicopter flights, and search and rescue. These towers are below the 200-foot Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) threshold for evaluation, are very difficult to see from the air, and are usually erected overnight and without notice. Both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA have published documentation encouraging the states to mark and register these towers. These bills follow the research and recommendations of both of those agencies.
  • HB 1458 / SB 798 – Tax Exemption on the Maintenance of General Aviation Aircraft: Tax exemptions for general aviation maintenance help to increase aviation activity, generate jobs and raise revenue for maintenance businesses. Only operators using aircraft as a certificated carrier of persons/cargo, for flight training, or for agricultural use are currently exempt from the sales and use tax (including both parts and labor) when repairing, remodeling, or maintaining aircraft. This bill would include all general aviation aircraft and activities. Texas aircraft are often flown to other states which do not apply sales taxes to obtain cheaper maintenance. This means local companies are losing business.
  • HB 1605 – TxDOT Airport Directories: TxDOT-Aviation prints the Texas Airport Directory every few years for use by the public and the aviation community. The directories include information about all public use airports (approximately 400) in the state. By state law TxDOT charges $6 per airport directory but, as a state resource, it should be available to the public for free from public facilities, the Texas highway maps. This bill would offer the directories for free. TxDOT-Aviation will be printing an aeronautical chart this year and they could be distributing both resources for free at the same time.
  • HB 3287 / SB 1396 – Texas Sales/Use Tax: In 2014, the Texas Comptroller attempted to change the tax rules and standards that impact the ownership and operation of aircraft in Texas. The proposed rule tried to change when operators could qualify for the “sale for resale” exemption through aircraft leasing. This legislation would recognize the leasing of aircraft as a legitimate transaction eligible for resale exemption, allowing aircraft to be brought into the state for completions without being subject to tax. The bills also would address out of state use and related party transactions and exempt fractional programs from sales/use tax.
  • HB 3077 / SB 1493 – Emergency Medical Air Transportation Account: These bills would create the above mentioned account and the commissioner of State Health Services could use the appropriated funding to fund and reimburse emergency medical air transportation.
  • HB 3901 / SB 1133 – Repossession of Aircraft: A repossession agent may file a petition for a writ of assistance for the repossession of aircraft in a justice court.

You can get more updates about these and other developments in our region, by visiting http://www.aopa.org/Advocacy/Airports-and-State-Advocacy.aspx or following me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/AOPACentralSW or @AOPACentralSW).

AOPA at the 2014 EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI

AOPA’s Central Southwest Regional Manager Yasmina Platt riveting the One Week Wonder Zenith aircraft from Mexico, Missouri. Photo courtesy of AOPA.

AOPA’s Central Southwest Regional Manager Yasmina Platt riveting the One Week Wonder Zenith
aircraft from Mexico, Missouri. Photo courtesy of AOPA.

By: Yasmina Platt,
AOPA’s Central Southwest Regional Manager

“AirVenture Oshkosh 2014 could be one of the best ever” said Jack Pelton, Chairman of the Experimental Aircraft of America (EAA). Attendance, airplane numbers and exhibitors’ reactions and enthusiasm are all trending up significantly. Attendance on Saturday, for example, was up 20 percent over 2013. Aircraft arrival numbers were up significantly from a year ago. As of Sunday morning, there were more than 1,000 additional registered aircraft and Tuesday was full for aircraft parking – first time in a long time this has happened.

In addition to the seven AOPA regional fly-ins (www.aopa.org/fly-in), the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) had a bigger and better location and presence at this year’s AirVenture in Wisconsin. Nearly 20,000 people visited AOPA’s main tent throughout the week. Your Association was right on the flight line across from the famous brown arch. AOPA’s presence was expanded to include not only the many great AOPA brand experiences, products and services pilots have come to expect at the airshow, but also a new activities tent that 3,000 people visited where safety and educational seminars as well as special gatherings were held. Some of those special events included a Pilot Town Hall with President Mark Baker, a Rusty Pilots seminar with 90 attendees, an Airport Support Network (ASN) Volunteer appreciation dinner, a flying club meeting, and an ADS-B learning session.

AOPA celebrated the organization’s 75th anniversary with cupcakes one day and AOPA President Mark Baker held several gatherings to discuss the latest in AOPA initiatives, industry issues, etc with members. Pilots were also able to take a photo and appear on the cover of AOPA Pilot magazine. Disney’s “Planes: Fire and Rescue” had an interactive display for kids to play and Jay simulators were available for adults and kids to try. If that was not enough… AOPA also had a new outdoor courtyard area to relax, enjoy conversation and build new friendships. Many took advantage of this area as an airshow viewing area as well.

Couldn’t attend Oshkosh this year but wish you could have? You can catch a summary of the week’s show and highlights at www.aopa.org/live. Look for the “Live This Week” videos that includes “AirVenture” in the title.

Follow your AOPA Regional Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/AOPACentralSW or @AOPACentralSW for up-to-date information regarding news, developments, initiatives, and issues in Texas.

AOPA’s First Regional Fly-in in San Marcos

By: Yasmina Platt
AOPA’s Central Southwest Regional Manager

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) held its very first (of seven) Regional Fly-in in San Marcos on April 26, 2014. The goal of an AOPA Regional Fly-In is to create a positive, grassroots relational experience for our members and the local aviation community, to promote the value of general aviation, and to draw positive attention to the local airport and its value to the community. We want to meet our members in their own backyards and hear firsthand what is on their minds.

A whopping 700 airplanes had RSVPed to attend but IFR conditions the morning of the event kept some aircraft away. Still, over 2,500 pilots and aviation enthusiasts attended and 350 aircraft flew in despite the overcast layer to check out the aircraft displays and exhibitor tent, attend seminars, and enjoy great food and camaraderie.

The event got underway with a traditional fly-in breakfast: yummy pancakes and sausages prepared by AOPA staff members and volunteers. Lunch was also served and free for all AOPA members: brisket, sausage, and several side dishes.

Aircraft ranged from light sport aircraft to biplanes, jet trainers and helicopters. The Experimental Aircraft of America’s (EAA’s) B-17 Aluminum Overcast gave a few rides also. A couple of Bell Boeing V-22 Ospreys entertained the crowd as well with their helicopter and airplane capabilities.

Several seminars were held throughout the event, including topics like owner-performed maintenance, flying with iPads, stick-and-rudder flying, and improving radio communications. The Pilot Town Hall meeting in the afternoon was standing room only where AOPA President Mark Baker and I gave an update on state and federal issues and initiatives as well as answered questions from the audience.  EAA President Jack Pelton also joined Mark Baker on the stage to talk about the partnership between the two organizations.

A large number of the attendees also signed a traveling petition on display in support of the third class medical reform. This was a popular stop for most pilots.

I also cannot forget to mention the Rusty Pilots seminar conducted on Friday night where approximately 90 people received a great ground school in preparation for their FAA flight review after many years (as many as 28 years) of inactiveness.

But, none of this could have happened without the great help of 185 volunteers, who helped set up, parked cars and aircraft, served meals, cleaned, etc.

Thank you to all of you who came, volunteered, and spent a wonderful day with us. The event was widely successful and we look forward to many more. Unfortunately though, we will have to wait until 2015 to have another one in our Central Southwest Region.

You can read more about these and other developments in our region and specifically in Texas by visiting http://www.aopa.org/Advocacy/Airports-and-State-Advocacy.aspx or following me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/AOPACentralSWor @AOPACentralSW).

AOPA’s Report More Regional and Grassroots Interaction in 2014

By Yasmina Platt
AOPA’s Central Southwest Regional Manager

It was great seeing some of you at the AOPA Aviation Summit in Fort Worth in early October. Thank you for making it a great event! While it is our last AOPA Summit — for now, at least — I am excited that AOPA is going to hold six “Regional Fly-ins” around the U.S. in 2014 in addition to interacting more at other grassroots events. It means I will get to see more of you, more often.

The goal of an AOPA Regional Fly-In is to create a positive, grassroots relational experience for our members and the local aviation community, to promote the value of general aviation and to draw positive attention to the local airport and its value to the local community. The events will be free to all attendees and the public. They will be held on Saturdays and we hope most of you will fly in and bring friends and family along. Exact locations and dates are expected to be announced in January. Watch for our announcement in January, which will also appear in your February issue of AOPA Pilot Magazine to learn the details of the regional events.

While all seven of us Regional Managers have been very involved since the program started in 2012, this new direction is going to give us an even better opportunity to help fulfill President Baker’s vision. To learn more about the Regional Manager program, read Southern Regional Manager Bob Minter’s blog here: blog.aopa.org/advocacy/meet-the-aopa-regional-managers/.

While meeting our members is one of our key objectives, advocacy is still at the heart of what AOPA does. Therefore, in late October, AOPA voiced its opposition to a City of Galveston proposal to hold a Grand-Prix-style race on part of Scholes International Airport. The race could compromise flight safety and it would not be a good or proper use of airport facilities because it would negatively affect normal general aviation operations for several weeks prior to the race and about a week after the event. Initial race plans included closing Runway 18/36, a large portion of the ramp and parallel taxiway, as well as using an old runway/taxiway on the north end of the airport as part of the course. Grandstands, visitor areas, and racecar staging areas would be located in front of the hangar area and the Lone Star Flight Museum, which would restrict access to those areas of the airport.

Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot that will have significant implications for aviation manufacturers, repair stations and other businesses that maintain an aircraft parts or equipment inventory. After getting approval from the Texas Legislature and Governor Perry, Proposition 3 required voter approval to take effect. Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, this amendment will extend the length of time aircraft parts and machinery can be stored in Texas from 175 days to two years without being subjected to an ad valorem (according to value) tax.

You can read more about these and other developments in our region and specifically in Texas by visiting www.aopa.org/Advocacy/Airports-and-State-Advocacy.aspx or following me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/AOPACentralSW or @AOPACentralSW).

AOPA at the Texas Aviation Conference

Yasmina Platt and Joey Calleran standing beside an AOPA exhibit.

L-R: Yasmina Platt, AOPA’s Central Southwest Regional Manager, and Joey Colleran, Director of the AOPA Airport Support Network program. Both reside in Texas.

By Yasmina Platt
AOPA Central Southwest Regional Manager

For the first time, your association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), hosted a booth and the Airport Support Network (ASN) Volunteer Reception during the 31st Annual Texas Aviation Conference in Austin held May 13-15. The booth provided an opportunity to meet and network with aviation industry stakeholders from all around Texas, showcase AOPA’s efforts to preserve your freedom to fly and promote the upcoming AOPA Summit scheduled for October 10-12 in Fort Worth.

In addition to the booth, AOPA held an afternoon reception with a few local ASN volunteers and elected officials, as well as TxDOT Aviation Director Dave Fulton. The ASN program is still looking for volunteers in the state. The list below shows some of the Texas airports that currently need an ASN Volunteer. For information about the Airport Support Network (ASN) program and to view a complete list of airports that need volunteers, visit http://www.aopa.org/Advocacy/Get-Involved/Airport-Support-Network.aspx.

Airport ID

Airport Name

City

ARM

 WHARTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WHARTON

ASL

 HARRISON COUNTY MARSHALL

BBD

 CURTIS FIELD BRADY

BKD

 STEPHENS COUNTY BRECKENRIDGE

ELP

 EL PASO INTERNATIONAL EL PASO

BRO

 BROWNSVILLE/S PADRE ISLAND INT’L BROWNSVILLE

JSO

 CHEROKEE COUNTY AIRPORT JACKSONVILLE

OCH

 A.L. MANGHAM JR REGIONAL ARPT NACOGDOCHES

RPH

 GRAHAM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT GRAHAM

TYR

 TYLER POUNDS REGIONAL ARPT TYLER

 
To learn more about what is happening in Texas, visit https://twitter.com/AOPACentralSW.