X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:06:02 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from mail-qy0-f204.google.com ([209.85.221.204] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.3.4) with ESMTP id 4180034 for lml@lancaironline.net; Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:39:05 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=209.85.221.204; envelope-from=mwsletten@gmail.com Received: by qyk42 with SMTP id 42so913670qyk.7 for ; Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:38:28 -0700 (PDT) DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=from:to:subject:date:message-id:mime-version:content-type:x-mailer :thread-index:content-language; b=hRlZ0BT9HOS7CaNjm6tk7RLQz2eZJDzFobach4JcZWDvsDh7f9RcQ6GnfMfeUy1DnB 6fDvitlJKDEaBxn3RyfVy39QOTmXmUzlWgPgNkheNk6W+bmjLZavmREEawtddiE/NFXH YweIMxsk4etqQX7gCWQa9D4ufPbdpm9XJdqMQ= Received: by 10.229.45.80 with SMTP id d16mr1570782qcf.69.1269632307773; Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:38:27 -0700 (PDT) X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from MarkDesktop (208.65.125.151-dsl.stj.hometel.com [208.65.125.151]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id 22sm786657qyk.10.2010.03.26.12.38.24 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5); Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:38:26 -0700 (PDT) From: "Mark Sletten" X-Original-To: "Dancy, Chris" Subject: Today's Aviation eBrief X-Original-Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:38:29 -0500 X-Original-Message-ID: <008c01cacd1b$ebe33eb0$c3a9bc10$@com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_008D_01CACCF2.030D36B0" X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 12.0 Thread-Index: AcrNG+lkCgaioxTfTCmA3GDP7Bc2Dg== Content-Language: en-us This is a multipart message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_008D_01CACCF2.030D36B0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Chris Dancy AOPA Media Relations Director Mr. Dancy, I writing to you regarding my immense disappointment with an article published in today's AOPA Aviation eBrief, March 26, 2010, titled FAA issues safety warning on some home-built aircraft. The text of the story in the email included just enough information to get me to click the title to read more. I expected to see a page on AOPA's website open with the text of the FAA's letter, or perhaps AOPA's analysis. Instead, I was outraged when the link connected me to this Associated Press piece written by Joan Lowy. Ms. Lowy opens her 'article' with the following statement: "High-performance homemade planes like the one that killed a beach jogger last week in South Carolina are prone to stall, especially when going slower while waiting to land, and have been involved in a disproportionately large number of fatal accidents, federal officials warned Thursday." The NTSB has yet to determine the cause that resulted in the tragic death of a person on the ground during an emergency landing last week of a Lancair IV, but despite Ms. Lowy's artless implication, I think we can be fairly certain it had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that the aircraft was experimental, or that the FAA thoughtlessly released an InFO letter discussing the safety of experimental aircraft such as the Lancair just days after such a tragedy. This is precisely the kind of sensationalistic drivel in the non-aviation media AOPA is constantly complaining about. It seems to me instead of the de facto stamp of approval given when it provided a link to this story, AOPA might better have commented on the FAA's head-slappingly poor timing and Ms. Lowy's obvious intent to sell copy by including a pointless reference to a man's horrific death in a story full of breathless ignorance. AOPA has done the Lancair and experimental aircraft communities, as well as its membership, a tremendous disservice today. Regards, Mark Sletten AOPA Member 01317619 & Member, Lancair Owners and Builders Organization ------=_NextPart_000_008D_01CACCF2.030D36B0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Chris Dancy

AOPA Media Relations Director

 

 

Mr. Dancy,

 

I writing to you regarding my immense = disappointment with an article published in today’s AOPA Aviation eBrief, March 26, 2010, = titled FAA issues safety warning on some home-built aircraft. The text = of the story in the email included just enough information to get me to click = the title to read more. I expected to see a page on AOPA’s website open with = the text of the FAA’s letter, or perhaps AOPA’s analysis. = Instead, I was outraged when the link connected me to this Associated Press piece written by Joan Lowy.

 

Ms. Lowy opens her ‘article’ with the = following statement:

 

“High-performance homemade planes like the = one that killed a beach jogger last week in South Carolina are prone to stall, especially when going slower while waiting to land, and have been = involved in a disproportionately large number of fatal accidents, federal officials = warned Thursday.”

 

The NTSB has yet to determine the cause that = resulted in the tragic death of a person on the ground during an emergency landing last = week of a Lancair IV, but despite Ms. Lowy’s artless implication, I think = we can be fairly certain it had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that the aircraft was experimental, or that the FAA thoughtlessly released an = InFO letter discussing the safety of experimental aircraft such as the = Lancair just days after such a tragedy.

 

This is precisely the kind of sensationalistic = drivel in the non-aviation media AOPA is constantly complaining about. It seems to me = instead of the de facto stamp of approval given when it provided a link to this = story, AOPA might better have commented on the FAA’s head-slappingly poor = timing and Ms. Lowy’s obvious intent to sell copy by including a pointless = reference to a man’s horrific death in a story full of breathless = ignorance.

 

AOPA has done the Lancair and experimental aircraft = communities, as well as its membership, a tremendous disservice today.

 

 

Regards,

 

Mark Sletten

AOPA Member 01317619

&

Member, Lancair Owners and Builders = Organization

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