timber

Eternal Blue Skies Joan! Thank you for being one of my great instructors at Cal City!

That would be Leona Helmsley!

Biden Administration Proposes Fivefold Jet Fuel Tax Hike For Bizjets By Russ Niles - Published:March 11, 2024Updated:March 12, 2024 69 The Biden administration made good on the President’s State of the Union Address promise to raise taxes on business jet operators by raising the federal tax on jet fuel fivefold over the next five years. The White House’s 2025 budget proposal would boost the current tax of 22 cents per gallon to $1.06 by 2030. It’s estimated it would raise $1.1 billion over the five years. The proposal also includes a major funding increase for the FAA, including money to hire 2,000 air traffic controllers. The fuel tax hike is being championed as a fairness issue by the administration. The background documents say business aircraft account for 7% of FAA airspace workload but the current tax only covers 1% of the revenue into the federal trust fund for aviation and airports. Airline passengers pay a flat $4.50 on each flight and 7.5% excise tax on the fare to pay for the other 99%. The backrounder on the State of the Union address said the administration wanted to make private jet operators “pay their fair share.” In the speech itself Biden send he wanted “end tax breaks for big pharma, big oil, private jets, massive executive pay.” Aviation groups responded quickly to the SOTU address and were ready with comments on the budget proposal. NBAA President Ed Bolen reiterated his Thursday stance that private aviation is an important business tool and that most of those flying on the jets are mid-level managers doing company business and not their ultra-rich employers. “The Biden administration’s sweeping plan would hurt business aviation and the jobs and communities that depend on it, and make it harder for U.S. companies to compete in a global economy,” Bolen said. The National Air Transportation Association hit all of NBAA’s points and also alleged that much of the revenue raised by the aviation fund is diverted to a similar fund for highway projects. “We are concerned that the Biden Administration is failing to account for the billions of business aviation tax dollars that are diverted from the Airport and Airways Trust Fund (AATF) into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF),” said NATA President Curt Castagna. “Such diversion weakens the National Airspace System and could place the safety of the industry at risk.”

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2024-02-08/faa-reauthorization-passes-senate-committee-following

I have a hard time believing Trump was so hard up to try and get with Ms. Carroll. She seems to be a bit of a nut case. Another Democrat smear tactic like Mrs. Blasey-Ford against Justice Kavanaugh. I think Tara Reade was a bit more credible. Politics sure is a dirty business! Why can't we have better leaders? Jeffery Sachs seems like he would have been a good choice at some point that both sides could live with.

Ashley Biden's diary and Hunter's laptop with his niece Natalie would suggest the Biden's are indeed a very close family!

I was watching YouTube last night and Dan Gryder of Probable Cause mentioned that Senate Bill 1939 has passed and is on the way for Biden's signature. Skydiving Operations within three years will be required to operate as a certified Air Carrier under FAA Part 135 Operations. How do you think this will affect your drop zone? Most large drop zones will have the means to develop and have the FAA inspect and grant certification after a lengthy and expensive process. My guess that many drop zones will close or have to lease aircraft from someone like Eagle Air Transport or Win Win Aviation. This is the result of several skydiving operations aircraft accidents. I am sure the USPA has been lobbying against it but I have not seen any news about it lately.

Best are Classic Reebok High tops. Flat on the bottom so you can ski on the grass. Some ankle support and a velcro strap to keep those shoe laces from coming undone and flapping in the wind!

What are your thoughts on the "Great Reset" And "Agenda 2030"? Do you think tis will affect your personal freedom and affect your lifestyle? Is the aim really usher in a global communist utopia without borders as some conspiracy theorist claim? Will paying carbon taxes to the technocrats who profess in order to save the planet we need restrictions to population production of food fuel and industry be effective? As a scuba diver I acknowledge that bleaching of coral reefs is happening. As a skydiver how much will it affect the ability of the average drop zone owner to stay in business? Hopefully the technology of electric or hybrid powered aircraft will continue to evolve. However strip mining for lithium and producing batteries has environmental issues also.

Looks like the Russians planted some videos on pornhub that match videos on Hunter's laptop. Now Gatewaypundant is running with the story.

We are a Republic!

When I was growing up I had a great collection of tee shirts from Perris Valley! I wore them all most everyday! I need to post up some pictures when I can find them. I know Rob Thundercloud did some that said "Party Til you Puke Boogie Til You Bounce" and one that was a bit morbid "skydivers eat their dead". But I also had some great ones with such detail! One had a 12 way in and out formation looking down at Perris with the runway the DC-3 and even the swimming pool below. I sure would like another one! Also a really cool one of a night jump out of a Cessna with full moon and clouds. Post up pictures if you have any please!

I loved it when he got schooled by Alex Jones!

"As the prop turns and so are the days of our dives"!

Sadly it appears that we will add Emerald Coast Skydiving to this list! Open as various names as Grandview Parachute Center and Panhandle Parachute Center and Emerald Coast Skydiving. It has been in operation since the mid 1960's when the "Colonel" an his special forces buddies would get together and jump for fun. With the loss of his beloved son Jimmy Horak earlier this month. He does not have the will to continue and is worried about liability concerns. I believe Emerald Coast still has the Alabama state record of 45 set in the late 1990's. "Damn has it been that long already"? Jumps to the world famous Flora-Bama and Pensacola Beach were the big attraction! we enjoyed hosting the Memorial Day weekend beach boogies until the last couple of years. I believe some beach jumps will continue from time to time if we can keep a jump plane close by. Some alternatives are being looked into but no details yet. Most of us will likely migrate to Gold Coast Skydiving in Lumberton or Skydive Panama City in Altha, Florida or Skydive Live in Paxton Florida. Still not the beautiful view we enjoyed at E.C.S.C.! Many great memories and friendships and even marriages and children resulted from there! (Not mine that I know of);)!

Services for Jimmy Horak will be held Thursday August 8th.At the Holy Spirit Catholic Church at 10650 Gulf Beach Highway in Pensacola, Florida. Visitation will be from 10am to 11am. Mass will follow at 11am. Burial will be at Prince of Peace Cemetery Highway 98 and County Road 95 in Elberta, Alabama. All who had the privilege of knowing Jimmy are invited to attend. Jimmy had such a deep passion for skydiving and aviation! He treasured fellow skydivers and was always looking to make the sport as safe as possible. Jimmy would want us to learn as much as possible from this incident apply it and carry on with the sport we love! Blue Skies Friends!

Emerald Coast Skydiving has a Cessna 182 with a Continental IO-550 300 hp " Air Plains" conversion. Climbing to 12,000 feet in 17 minutes. It has a Hartzell 78 inch 3 bladed prop. It would actually climb faster to altitude if I didn't climb at an airspeed faster than Vy due to the high Cylinder Head Tempature. That and not having speed brakes slows our turn around time a bit. A $ 60,000 prop and motor in a $20,000 air frame. You could get Cessna 206 for that.

I am really sad to hear this! Freddy was a great guy and aside from the WFFC he would come hang out with us jumpers at the Blue Angel Airshow every year! Blue Skies Freddy!

Sounds like a typical day hauling meat to me! I am fairly small for a tandem master 5"6 and 155 pounds. The people especially in Alabama seem to be getting bigger by the week! Climbing out of a C-182 with someone 230 LBS and 6'2" plus is a challenge. Then you get the girls that are built wide as they are tall and large "mammalian protuberances" No matter how you adjust the harness they seem to "OOZE" through it and end up sick! I am learning to just say "NO"! Hope you have a better weekend ahead! Thanks for the heads up!

A single engine turbine aircraft with a tail gate like this!

Any News on Bob Sinclair Lately? I know he is living in the Deland area! I know he is also in poor health and would like any updates. I would like to have a "roast" to him before he departs.

R.I.P. Mongo! Thank you for taking me under your wing and putting me on some great loads in the early 90's. Blue Skies!

I just recieved a letter from Bob Sinclair. He is living at Frank Arenas 's airport in Coleman,Fl. He is dealing with serious health issues but is still hanging tough! A real legend in my mind!

Friends don't let friends sell their rigs!

I lost my Dad Mack McKinney to lung cancer on April 9 2011. I am sure he is meeting with his other friends that passed for one hell of a party.