CSPA URGENT Request To Take Action

[jjbaker]

CSPA Members and Friends
Northwest SPA Members
And Seaplane wannabee’s,

Please Click On The Banner To Visit The AOPA Blog!

It has come to our attention through Tom George and David Ulane, the AOPA Regional Managers in Alaska and the NW Mountain area respectively, that there is a planning process going on in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory that will affect your availability of services at this International Airport. Schwatka Lake Seaplane Base has been and needs to continue to be a major stopping point for straight float planes traveling between the Lower 48 and Alaska, as well as for tourism into the further North reaches of the Yukon Territory. In the AOPA blog, below, you will see a discussion of the goals of the planning process and a link to take a Survey of your past use of the Schwatka Lake Seaplane Base and your thoughts for the future of the waterfront. As always, we ask you to take a few minutes to consider this request by viewing the material, but at the least clicking on the survey and answering the questions regarding past use and in the comments areas discussing future intended uses.

If we lose the ability to fuel and get Customs in Whitehorse, travel along this route will be gravely compromised, not only further inconveniencing the straight float pilot, but compromising safety in ways that can only be measured with statistics.

We only have until November 5th to respond on the Survey.

Click this to read AOPA’s blog about Schwatka Lake

Click this to take the survey.

No delay, please folks. I did not learn about this until yesterday.

Send this thread to every single seaplane pilot you know or have in your email list. Post it on other forums, too.
I will attempt to get it into AvWeb.com and Aero-News.net

[CFII]

Done, thanks again Jason

[jjbaker]

Thank you kindly, Dave!

Can you share with/ on other sites you frequent?
Don't think the issue has made it onto the SPA Forum yet, either.

Remark: Survey Takes ALL but 5 minutes.
Access to this water-body is critical for transient pilots.

[Tim McCormack]

It does take literally 5 minutes or less. Living on the east coast, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever visit the area, but who knows? In any event I can spare 5 minutes to help my brother seaplaners on the shaky coast, CAN YOU?


I just noticed; at this writing there have been 94 views but only 3 responses. C'MON GUYS!! This isn't asking for much.

[KlausNW]

I've been on that lake a number of times. It's not that busy around there, it won't be much of an impact on the lake or community if the lake is fully open for all recreational and commercial activity.
Remember the water events on the lake are only half the year. The other half, it's used for Snow-machine and ice fishing activities.

[btwainwright]

Thank you SEAPLANEFORUM for taking up the message. Here is a link for those reluctant to set up a Survey Monkey account this goes directly to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SchwatkaLake

CSPA VP

[jjbaker]

Those of you using separate email addresses to complete the survey, clear your browser history/ cookies or use a proxy such as http://hidemyass.com/
Surveymonkey does record IP addresses, so using a proxy may help just a tiny whee little bit.

[jjbaker]

Those of you wondering why this topic is getting many views but not much action: Read up on the Roman Empire.
Experts say it was a mixture between arrogance and simple ignorance which brought it crashing down. IOW's one can turn a blind eye and covered ear only for so long, before things start to backfire.

The press has confirmed the existence of the topic, but prefers to report on our large moving sale to China and shiny jets as well as shootings at crazy airports in even crazier states. No risk to seaplanes is being perceived. The issue seems to be too small to heat up the stove. Sorry. Try again.



(I know, that's blunt and rogue. Yeah, I am some miffed.)

So, dear Bill & those 3-4 of us who have taken action, where can we go from here?

Deadline is on Tuesday.

[RKittine]

Hasn't this been posted in more than one location though? I immediately took the survey and then posted that I did it and that I did not think much of the survey. Is that another Thread? Can the be combined as I think there at least is a little more activity than what might just appear here on this Thread.

[Tim McCormack]

Hasn't this been posted in more than one location though? I immediately took the survey and then posted that I did it and that I did not think much of the survey. Is that another Thread? Can the be combined as I think there at least is a little more activity than what might just appear here on this Thread.

Bob, I can't find any other thread about this. Maybe you were on another forum. Is it even mentioned on any other forum? In any event, with 266 views I would think that more than a half dozen people would make the miniscule effort to help. I agree, the survey is inadequate, but it's what they're working with.

[jjbaker]

Just a quick-check:

Topic cannot be located on SC.org
Topic cannot be located on BCP.org
Topic cannot be located on SPA's Forum
Topic cannot be located on any other forum currently on my "occasional" reading list.

I can't (lack of privilege) or won't feel very welcome if post to any of those.

The issue was discussed in the Top Secret, Iron Curtain, Shot On Sight - Founders Lounge, but only the fewest can see that.
No, I don't think the survey is well thought out. But as Tim says, its what we're dealing with. It could not possibly be asked to much for people to at least read up and do a tiny whee bit of thinking about this. Unless the seaplane industry is attentive and visible in such issues (even if these issues are low risk) we will loose, long run. Its called PROACTIVE Advocacy and it really works.

[RKittine]

Jason, What Thread was the apart of as when I posted that I took the Survey and did not think much of it (but I did it to help support it), you said you agreed the survey left a lot to be desired, but not in those exact words. Could it be embedded in a Tread without the exact description?

[jjbaker]

Jason, What Thread was the apart of as when I posted that I took the Survey and did not think much of it (but I did it to help support it), you said you agreed the survey left a lot to be desired, but not in those exact words. Could it be embedded in a Tread without the exact description?

We wrote about that in a PM about the issue and other topics. Gotta remember where we put the Easter eggs. Its been a communication nightmare weekend. I've got guys who're not members of my forums asking me why they can't log in and see everything. I admit, I have lost track of inbound and outbound stuff at this point. Its just too much for one little confused and miffed guy. I forget too, so don't feel bad, Bob.

[RKittine]

Thanks Jason, I knew I posted that somewhere and that was why I had not reposted it here. Didn't want Tim to think I had become one of the unresponsive members out there.

[Tim McCormack]

Thanks Jason, I knew I posted that somewhere and that was why I had not reposted it here. Didn't want Tim to think I had become one of the unresponsive members out there.

Bob, I KNEW better than that. You're always the first is line. I'm just curious to know if the issue is showing up anywhere besides here.

[Tim McCormack]

Jason, can you post that article "The princes have won on Waldo Lake" here? I don't think there would be any copywright issues, especially if you post the source. It really highlights what we are dealing with.

[jjbaker]

Its on CSPA's website. Well written (by CSPA's president) account of whats really going on. Its very disheartening.
I have a copy of the PDF, but I think I might already be in hot and holy water, because SPA's logo is appearing on the alert banner.
Remember, as per 2010, I am not really authorized/ supposed to display SPA insignia without express written permission, which I don't have.

Link To The Princes & Princesses Article is here: http://c-spa.org/v2/uploads/Bullaton_Summer-2013.pdf

[CFII]

Bob and others on SPA: I started a thread on urgent Schwarta Lake issue with my way to make the most of answering the wording in the questions but, can't post hot links to the AOPA Blog or Survey Monkey. Perhaps someone can?

[jjbaker]

Dave, try to post a link just like this:

http://blog.aopa.org/vfr/?p=952 or if you wish to make a hotlink you can do this:

Code: Select all

[url=http://blog.aopa.org/vfr/?p=952]Link To Blog Article On AOPA[/url]

and for the survey:

Code: Select all

[url=https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SchwatkaLake][b]Click this to take the survey[/b][/url]

Click on Select All (that will backround color the text to be copied blue), then right click and Copy Paste Into SPA Forum.
It will display unless links have been disabled for some ultra weird reason.

Again, the only reason Survey Monkey is asking to sign up is that your IP address has been recorded as having completed the survey.
A browser using a proxy or cleaned cookies and cache/ IP reset will fix the issue.

To avoid all of that, open http://www.hidemyass.com with the survey address typed into the box https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SchwatkaLake will work.

[CFII]

Thanks Jason,
Laura at SPA had a hotlink up in a flash this morning!

[jjbaker]

Hotlinks In A Flash Are Simply:

[jjbaker]

The City of Whitehorse is conducting an Area Plan for Schwatka Lake that will impact the future of the lake for aviation as well as marine users. Planners are conducting an online survey, which only runs through November 5th. Pilots who have, or plan to use this facility need to speak up, to counter non-aviation interests.

The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association’s Yukon Chapter is asking Alaskan and other U.S. seaplane pilots to participate in the survey to help the planners understand the importance of this facility—the only suitable float plane lake in the city. COPA Yukon Chapter Director Jean-Michel Sauve says that support from pilots outside Whitehorse is critical to helping them explain the value of the seaplane base to pilots transiting along the Alaska Highway.

..... This Survey Ends Today .....

[Tim McCormack]

The City of Whitehorse is conducting an Area Plan for Schwatka Lake that will impact the future of the lake for aviation as well as marine users. Planners are conducting an online survey, which only runs through November 5th. Pilots who have, or plan to use this facility need to speak up, to counter non-aviation interests.

The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association’s Yukon Chapter is asking Alaskan and other U.S. seaplane pilots to participate in the survey to help the planners understand the importance of this facility—the only suitable float plane lake in the city. COPA Yukon Chapter Director Jean-Michel Sauve says that support from pilots outside Whitehorse is critical to helping them explain the value of the seaplane base to pilots transiting along the Alaska Highway.

..... This Survey Ends Today .....

But the interest in it ended yesterday, or was it last week?

[jjbaker]

But the interest in it ended yesterday, or was it last week?

Not sure there was much to start with... I've given up on the press.
Guess nobody really gives a flying rats bum unless it's Chinese or has $100 bills stapled to it.

Maybe we should start paying seaplane pilots to... oh well.

Back to my bunker. I've got better stuff to do.

[RKittine]

What is the plan Jason, once you get back to Germany?