Squadron 2

Heads up folks... Presidential TFR for the Central Valley this Monday, September 14. MCC and within 30 miles of MCC including all airports in the vicinity of Sacramento are impacted. As always check NOTAMS before you fly! https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_0_1665.html

Sorry for the late notice... we found out about this this morning... the lack of communication is incredible. Please attend if possible and report back what's being said.

Reid-Hillview Airport is being used as a rapid refilling station by CalFire to support fighting the SCU Lightning Complex Fire in the Diablo Range and East Bay ...Hills. According to the CalFire staff there, this station allows the fire fighters to refill CalFire helicopters with fire retardant in minutes. Also, Reid-Hillview is ideally positioned to support fighting the SCU Lightning Complex that still burns less than 10 miles and minutes of flight east of the airport. Another reason to preserve this essential asset for the people of East San Jose and the rest of the county!

Less than a year ago I attended a meeting for residents of the Alum Rock foothills area regarding fire safety in the area. This meeting was hosted by the County.... SJFD, the Sheriff’s Department, and Cal Fire members came to speak to residents regarding the danger our hills can pose. Present at this meeting was Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez. I have spoken to Supervisor Chavez as well as the rest of the board of Supervisors regarding the future of Reid-Hillview airport. On several instances Supervisor Chavez and Dave Cortese have dismissed the necessity of having a general aviation airport within our community. Whether it is for safety, job opportunities, or transportation, the County does not care. In community meetings, I have voiced my concerns regarding the use of the Reid-Hillview as a staging area for natural disasters such as earthquakes, fire, and other events. Repeatedly, the County has failed to see the value of Reid-Hillview that the Santa Clara County residents have trusted them to maintain. Due to the current events, as a pilot at Reid-Hillview airport and local resident, I have decided to take action and notify my community of the importance of Reid-Hillview airport and the danger the County puts the residents in by neglecting the airport’s assets. While Supervisor Chavez may not care, and has publicly stated she wants the airport gone, I am incredibly thankful that the brave men and women of Cal Fire see differently. Today, while at the airport I noticed several large cylinders and trucks moving onto a portion of the field. I spoke with the airport manager and the control tower to confirm. Rapid deployment tanks for helicopter fire-retardant refueling have been placed on the field. They are to be used by Cal Fire helicopters that can fly during reduced visibility to hit the hot spots burning on our hills. Cal Fire has a main base in Hollister, but they need facilities like Reid-Hillview to stage operations and provide rapid emergency service. The time it takes Cal Fire to travel from San Jose to Hollister can mean dozens of acres burned, homes lost, and property damaged. The time saved by getting the help Cal Fire needs at Reid-Hillview can mean families keep their homes, land is saved, and local wildlife preserved. Even before our current fires I have witnessed Cal Fire helicopters use Reid-Hillview airspace services and use local businesses for refueling. Reid-Hillview airport has the capacity to meet most of the aerial needs of Cal Fire. The essential workers and volunteers at the airport have been here for the community for years. Volunteers have been conducting flights for various medical charities for years, even during the COVID lockdowns these volunteers did not stop their work. Now with the fires, the essential County operations workers are tirelessly assisting Cal Fire and the wonderful men and women in the control tower assisting with the difficult aerial traffic management. I leave this message to the community. Please be safe and please stress to our local representatives the importance assets like Reid-Hillview airport are for our community. While in normal times it may not seem necessary, it is during these horrific moments in time that their true value is shown to us. The additional risk we all face by removing vital infrastructure is something our elected representatives need to take seriously.

Hello Squadron2 Pilots... the county is continuing its efforts to "reimagine" what to do with the RHV airport site if they are successful in shutting down the airport. They did one community meeting and are doing a virtual community meeting to gather additional input. This is an opportunity for you to provide your input into the process. PLEASE take the time to watch the survey and provide your input. The deadline is June 18th.

From the FAA: Pilots flying in the are of the Los Altos Rod and Gun Club Notice Number: NOTC0108... To all Pilots flying in the area of the Los Altos Rod and Gun Club: The Los Altos Rod and Gun Club is located in Los Gatos, Ca. in the Santa Cruz Mountains (see location below) at an elevation of approximately 2800 MSL. Be aware of the hazards a live firing range presents to aircraft. Flight within 500 feet of the club presents potential small arms hazards to the aircraft flying over the gun club. Due to low over flights of the gun club recently, the FAA is monitoring flights in the area. Please choose a course and altitude which will not present a potential hazard for your aircraft when flying near the Los Altos Rod and Gun Club. !SJC 10/049 SJC AIRSPACE SMALL ARMS FIRING WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 1NM RADIUS OF SJC210011.5 SFC-1000FT AGL 1710171914-PERM

The FAA is finally stepping in and telling the Santa Clara County BoS it will not allow them to shut down RHV easily. They are also requiring the County do it's duty and maintain the airport to FAA standards, regardless of the county's intent in 2031.

Heads up Squadron 2... presidential TFR tomorrow. 1015-1600 local. Check NOTAMS before you fly and make sure you understand the requirements to operate in and near this TFR.

Looks like the FAA means it this time... The ICAO format flight plan will become mandatory for all flight plans, IFR and VFR starting August 27th. Most flight planning applications and websites make setting up and filing ICAO flight plans quite easy. If you aren't already using the ICAO format for your flight plans, start doing it today. ----- FAA Transitions to Mandatory Use of International Flight Plan Notice Number: NOTC9616... The FAA has successfully completed system testing and will transition to mandatory use of the international flight plan format for all IFR and VFR domestic and international civil flights on **August 27, 2019**. The change is part of an effort to modernize and streamline flight planning and supports the FAA’s NextGen initiatives. Several improvements to the international form make it easier and more intuitive for pilots to use and will increase safety, which include: An increase in the size of the departure and destination fields to allow a greater variety of entry types, including Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) flight plans A wake turbulence category (maximum certificated take-off mass) H Heavy (300,000 lbs. or more) M Medium (less than 300,000 lbs. but more than 15,500 lbs.) L Light (15,500 lbs. or less) Transmission of the supplemental pilot data field, which contains pilot contact information, along with the VFR flight plan to the destination facility, to reduce Search and Rescue response times. Air traffic control gains access to detailed equipment codes to identify aircraft capability. When using flight plan filing services, all features available today will be part of the new format and provide an additional level of detail required for deployment of the FAA’s NextGen technologies and procedures. Please use the international format now. Simplified guidance on how to complete an international flight plan is available at bit.ly/2JiUkQN.

https://www.mercurynews.com//opinion-why-santa-clara-coun/

Excellent discussion of IFR lost comms procedures with Jason Miller and DPE/CFII Scott Rohlfing. It really isn’t as hard as people make it out to be.

Congratulations to Ryan SooHoo (and his CFI Anissa Mohler) who earned his Commercial Single Engine Land Certificate today!!

To all Pilots flying in the area of the Los Altos Rod and Gun Club Notice Number: NOTC8396 The Los Altos Rod and Gun Club is located in Los Gatos, Ca. in the Sa...nta Cruz Mountains (see location below) at an elevation of approximately 2800 MSL. Be aware of the hazards a live firing range presents to aircraft. Flight within 500 feet of the club presents potential small arms hazards to the aircraft flying over the gun club. Due to low over flights of the gun club recently, the FAA is monitoring flights in the area. Please choose a course and altitude which will not present a potential hazard for your aircraft when flying near the Los Altos Rod and Gun Club. https://www.faasafety.gov//Los_Altos_Rod_and_Gun_Club_Revi !SJC 10/049 SJC AIRSPACE SMALL ARMS FIRING WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 1NM RADIUS OF SJC210011.5 SFC-1000FT AGL 1710171914-PERM Thomas B. Holden, Manager Manager, San Jose FSDO (408)795-4027