North Las Vegas (KVGT) in the news again...

[John Clark]

This just appeared on Aero-News:

Lawmakers Introduce Resolution To Ban Homebuilt Planes From VGT

Wed, 11 Feb '09

Says Experimental Planes 'Have Higher Accident Rates' Than Other Types
The sentiment among residents and lawmakers in Las Vegas, NV against homebuilt aircraft has reached the state assembly. Aero-News has learned State Senator Steven Horsford and Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick introduced a joint resolution Monday than, if enacted, would ban all flights by homebuilt aircraft from North Las Vegas Airport (VGT).

According to documents received by Aero-News, Senate Joint Resolution 3 urges Congress "to authorize the Clark County Department of Aviation to ban flights of experimental homebuilt aircraft to and from the North Las Vegas Airport." The resolution asserts "experimental homebuilt aircraft have higher accident rates than other types of aircraft and accounted for more than 12 percent of airplane accidents nationwide in 2007," noting homebuilt planes "have been involved in more than 20 accidents in Clark County since 2003..." and "resulted in the deaths of several persons on the ground in 2008." As ANN reported, the latest outcry against experimental aircraft operating from VGT came following the August 22, 2008 downing of a Velocity 173RG (similar to type shown below), which claimed the lives of the pilot and two persons inside the North Las Vegas home the plane impacted. The accident spurred Clark County Aviation Director Randy Walker to call for all homebuilt planes to be banned from "busier" airports.
While the NTSB's probable cause report has yet to be issued, preliminary evidence indicates the accident flight was the first for the plane after the installation of a non-approved engine supercharger... taking the aircraft out of its originally certificated approval parameters.

With just 5.1 hours on the Velocity, it also appears the pilot was operating the aircraft over North Las Vegas without authority from an FAA inspector or Designated Airworthiness Examiner. The plane's logbook showed a notation authorizing operation for the first 25 hours only over sparsely populated areas, with an exception granted for the aircraft's home base of Show Low, AZ.

Here are the websites of the two responsible for this:

FMI: www.stevenhorsford.com, www.marilynkirkpatrick.com

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

[flytoboat]

Isn't Air Force One an Experimental? Are they going to tell the President he can't fly into their airports?

[RV10Rob]

Originally Posted by John Clark

Aero-News has learned State Senator Steven Horsford and Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick introduced a joint resolution Monday than, if enacted, would ban all flights by homebuilt aircraft from North Las Vegas Airport (VGT).

That statement is false. If the resolution is approved, it just means that the state legislature in Nevada urges the US Congress to enact a law allowing them to ban "homebuilt" aircraft. The resolution itself doesn't ban anything.

[John Clark]

Originally Posted by RV10Rob

That statement is false. If the resolution is approved, it just means that the state legislature in Nevada urges the US Congress to enact a law allowing them to ban "homebuilt" aircraft. The resolution itself doesn't ban anything.

True, the Aero-News writer got a little ahead of themselves but that doesn't change the big picture. Two state lawmakers have re-opened an issue that the "alphabet groups" thought they had under control.

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

[Ron Lee]

You also have to consider that if the flight in question was done with callous disregard for flight safety...as some pilots do...then his selfish actions just provided the fodder for what we see now.

[Steve Brown]

Originally Posted by John Clark

.................................................. ...........................
With just 5.1 hours on the Velocity, it also appears the pilot was operating the aircraft over North Las Vegas without authority from an FAA inspector or Designated Airworthiness Examiner. The plane's logbook showed a notation authorizing operation for the first 25 hours only over sparsely populated areas, with an exception granted for the aircraft's home base of Show Low, AZ.............

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

That there is already a law that makes this illegal. In typical moronic legislative form, they are trying to make something which is already illegal, more illegal, while simultaneously throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

[Rosie]

Just saw this on the EAA website, and it looks like there is positive progress happening Rosie