They represent the best in their fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics, and safety outreach. On Wednesday evening, July 28, at Oshkosh’s Theater in the Woods, these dedicated leaders of aviation safety and education received well-deserved recognition. The winners of the 2010 National General Aviation Awards are:  Thomas P. Turner, FAASTeam Representative of the Year;  Jeffrey Robert Moss, Flight Instructor of the Year; Neil Nederfield, Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year; and Kirk H. Peterson, Avionics Technician of the Year.

• To learn more about this year’s GA Award winners, see page 34 in the July/Aug 2010 issue of FAA Safety Briefing –www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/ . If you’re at Oshkosh, check out the new, permanent display for the National GA Award winners at the EAA Museum.

Tim Weber, a top airshow performer in the United States, has confirmed his speaking engagement at the 2010 Aviation Safety Advisory Group’s (ASAG) annual safety banquet to be held in Phoenix on Saturday, November 6th.

Tim Weber and his Geico Extra 300

Weber discovered aviation at the age of 13, having moved to within bicycling distance of Turf Soaring School in Phoenix, Arizona. It wasn’t long before he was a regular visitor to the airport. By the time Weber was 14 years old he had gone from being the kid looking through the fence to becoming a line-boy, trading work for flying lessons.

Weber has flown a variety of aircraft and experienced thousands of hours of aerobatic flying.  His aggressive flying and natural ability have enabled him to become one of the top airshow performers in the United States today.

In addition to flying, Weber’s passion for music has grown through the years.  Tim, a self-taught musician, was playing lead guitar professionally by the age of 17.  He has since incorporated his love of music into his airshow routines by writing and performing original songs and instrumentals for his performances.  He is an Aerobatic Competency Evaluator for the International Council of Airshows as well as a certified aircraft mechanic with A&P and IA ratings.

The aircraft of choice for Tim is the German built Extra 300.  The Extra 300 is an unlimited-class composite monoplane stressed to handle even the most demanding maneuvers. With over 300 horsepower and a roll rate in excess of 340 degrees per second, this aggressive mid-wing aircraft provides the performance and looks to make it an instant crowd pleaser.

ASAG hosted 27 FAASTeam Representatives and guests on May 30th, 2009, at what can be considered a successful workshop followed by our annual Appreciation Dinner at the Deer Valley Airport Restaurant. Representatives discussed a number of topics including runway safety, how to enter safety events on the FAA website, and other resources to help FAA volunteers. Allen Banen received his Master Pilot Award from Dominick Gallo, Jr. during the meeting. Also in attendance were Donna and Bob Morris and Alice and Ed Daror. Ed coordinated the event for ASAG.

Dominick and AL

Donna and Bob

Alice and Ed