FAA Renames GA Magazine, Readies Stand Down
The Safety Stand Down, an educational initiative to improve general aviation safety, will be launched at the 36th annual SUN 'n FUN International Fly-In & Expo, April 13-18 in Lakeland, Fla.
The FAA's magazine for general aviation, FAA Aviation News, has been renamed FAA Safety Briefing starting with its March/April 2010 issue, and the issue highlights the FAA Safety Team's work to increase safety in the skies through a national program of training and education. The team, known as FAASTeam, includes some 120 FAA safety professionals and more than 2,000 volunteer representatives across the United States, John M. Allen, director of the FAA Flight Standards Service, wrote in his column in the March/April issue.
FAASTeam's Safety Stand Down, a safety and education initiative to improve general aviation safety, will be launched at this year's 36th annual SUN 'n FUN International Fly-In & Expo, a major event for pilots taking place April 13-18 at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Fla. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt will attend, as will Jeff Skiles, first officer on the US Airways flight that landed safely in the Hudson River last year after bird strikes caused the aircraft to lose power in both engines. Babbitt is scheduled to participate in a "Meet the FAA" session April 16.
The Safety Stand Down will focus on four key areas: loss of control, surface safety, owner-performed maintenance, and risk management. FAASTeam will provide live and webcast presentations on the four topics at SUN 'n FUN, will offer online resources at www.faasafety.gov, and will distribute a DVD nationwide.
Allen said the magazine's name has been changed to one that more accurately reflects its mission. "As for the word briefing, briefings are used in health care, in the military, and in aviation and are essential to get crucial information before the flight," he explained. "That's the point of FAA Safety Briefing: providing pilots, aviation maintenance technicians, and more across the general aviation community with valuable safety information."
FAA Aviation News began in 1961 as a newsletter and became a magazine in 1962. It has focused on general aviation since 1976. "Through this bimonthly print and online publication we strive to make the GA community aware of FAA resources, help readers understand safety and regulatory issues, and encourage continued training," Editor Susan Parson said. The magazine is available free at this site.