January 2024
The Alaska Airmens Association has significant funding available for aviation scholarships in 2024, with at least $60,000 reserved for applicants from Interior Alaska. The application deadline is March 1, 2024. Please see the attached flyer regarding their upcoming outreach event in Fairbanks on Feb. 3, check out the link below, and forward this message to anyone who might benefit from these scholarships.
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Nov 2023
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May 2023
The National Weather Service is planning to discontinue its television broadcasts of the Alaska Weather program and distribution of the evening Alaska Area Forecasts. Please read the message below and attachments from Carrie Haisley, and this article from the AOPA ePilot. The NWS requests your comments on both of these planned changes.
Merle Jantz, President
My name is Carrie Haisley and I oversee the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Alaska TV Weather Program. Big changes are coming to our program and we want to hear from you.
https://fairbanksgaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AKTVWX-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Alaska Weather is a 30-minute TV broadcast produced daily through a partnership between the NWS and Alaska Public Media (AKPM). The broadcast is available through public TV stations, the Alaska Rural Communication Service, cable and satellite providers, and posted to AKPM’s YouTube channel and several NWS websites.
The NWS is currently soliciting comments and suggestions through July 30 for ways to improve services to Alaska’s rural and Native Alaskan communities. We are particularly interested to learn:
1) Current sources of weather or climate information that rural Alaskan residents use;
2) Any additional weather or climate information that is needed but is not currently available;
3) What sources of communication are used to receive weather information;
4) Suggestions for addressing coverage gaps in rural communities; and
5) The impacts of replacing the television broadcast with a web-based version.
Input received from this notice and through our engagement efforts will be used to inform whether additional changes will be made to NWS services.
Please send comments/input to nws.service-changecomments@noaa.gov. If you have questions, send them to carrie.haisley@noaa.gov and donald.moore@oaa.gov.
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Apr 2023
Please see the Events tab for up to date aviation related events for the summer of 2023.
The Spring Meeting of the Fairbanks GAA will be Friday, April 21, 2023 at 7:00 pm at the UAF/CTC Aviation Technology Program Hangar, East Ramp, 3504 S. University Ave. Open to all GA pilots and GA supporters. Election of Officers will be held.
Dec 2022
To get the Pilot’s Lounge door lock code, please call Airport Communications Center at 907-474-2530
FAA is conducting a Pilot Report “proof of concept” project to test filing and retrieving PIREPs over the radio using an automated ground station, located at the Nenana Municipal Airport. Volunteers are needed to fly within a 50 mile radius of Nenana and call by radio to the ground station using a specially assigned callsign. After signing up and going through an online orientation, pilots will be paid for the reports they file. The project is expected to run for about six months. For more information see this AOPA webstory, which includes a link to the signup page and narrated orientation.
Thurs Sept 1, 2022
Hello East Ramp and Float Pond Tie-down Users,
During a recent wind storm an aircraft got loose on the East Ramp. It made contact with several other aircraft causing damage. There are now several unhappy aircraft owners. We don’t know if the cause was broken tie-down ropes, inappropriate knots, failure of the tie-down anchor, failure to tie the down the tail wheel or something else. You can help avoid a future event like this by reading this article by AOPA and taking action if appropriate.
Note this quote from the article: “Yellow polypropylene rope, even if new, isn’t strong enough to secure most aircraft, and it severely degrades with exposure to the weather.”
Please plan to attend the GAA Fall Meeting scheduled for October 11, 2022 at 7:00 pm. We will have more information on this subject.
Safe Flying,
Merle Jantz, President
Wed Aug 24, 2022
If you routinely, or occasionally, listen to LiveATC, you have noticed that it has been down for the Fairbanks area since July’s big wind storm. Wind broke the antenna that picks up ATC and local aircraft radio communications on Fairbanks Tower, Ground, Approach/Departure, and local Anchorage Center frequencies.
It took a while to acquire the replacement parts and equipment to replace the antenna, but we are happy to report that LiveATC Fairbanks is again up and running, and working even better than before. For those who are unfamiliar with it, LiveATC provides the ability to listen to ATC communications at any airport in the world where the required receiving equipment is set up, normally by volunteers. Anyone can listen via the web application (liveatc.net) or using the LiveATC mobile app, available from Google Play or Apple Play Store for a nominal one-time fee. It is also possible to obtain free 30-minute recordings of communications within the preceding 30 days.
If you have any questions about the Fairbanks area LiveATC feeds, feel free to email me at rcombellick@gmail.com.
Rod Combellick, Past president
Mon Aug 15, 2022
Hello East Ramp Users,
The Airport is planning an improvement project for the East Ramp in 2023. The project will include new paving and other safety improvements.
The public comment period is from August 22 until September 24, 2022. There will be a public meeting August 25, 2022 – 5:30-7:30 pm at the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center. A formal presentation starting around 6pm or so is planned.
Attached is the flyer announcing the project public comment period – take a look for more information and send your comments or questions using the contact information provided.
Thanks.
Your General Aviation Association
Merle Jantz, President
Aug 8, 2022
Thanks to Amy Stratman for volunteering to help with a new GAA website. Amy has started work – if you have a suggestion for content that would be helpful, call Merle or send an email using the contact area below.
