We are setting up our trips for the rest of the year as well as the early part of next.

Right now, it looks like:

Alaska               7/23/10    Closed

Reno Air Race    9/16/10    To Open Soon

AOPA Summit   11/11/10    Non-BBP Event

After AOPA       11/14/10    To Open Soon

CenAm One        1/10/11    To Open Soon     

CenAm Two        1/24/11    To Open Soon

Whales 2011      2/24/11    To Open Soon

And, there is talk of a quick two night Rocky Point trip.

Additional information as well as registration information will be posted in the near future.

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March 26, 2010:  Mexico Extends the 406 Requirement 

Mexican DGAC has just informed us that they have extended the 406 MHz ELT requirement for private aircraft flying in Mexican airspace to December 31, 2011.  Commercial aircraft flying in Mexican airspace have until April 2, 2010 to make the change.  In working with the DGAC in Mexico, we are getting the feeling that the 406 requirement for private aircraft may be extended indefinitely.  We will continue to keep all updated regarding this and other issues.

Free eAPIS Service:  The BBP has a program that will help you with your eAPIS requirements....  For current BBP Members for a limited time, we will register and open an account for you for no charge.  Conditions apply, Click here

MedJet Service:  A program that will provide medical evacuation from almost anywhere in the world to almost anywhere else in the world....  at a very low cost based on an annual MedJet membership fee.Click here

24/7 Mexican Liability Insurance:  The BBP has put together a program that allows you to purchase Mexican Liability Insurance directly from the BBP Website, instantly.  Click here

Fill in the form(s) for the requested service(s) and fax in to 480-730-3251 

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The Federal Communications Commission took the general aviation world by surprise when it said in a recent report it will prohibit the sale or use of 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitters, effective in August. The Aircraft Electronics Association said it just learned of the new rule today, and has begun working with the FAA, FCC and others to allow for timely compliance without grounding thousands of general aviation aircraft. The 121.5 ELTs are allowed under FAA rules. The FCC said its rules have been amended to "prohibit further certification, manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs." The FCC says that if the 121.5 units are no longer available, aircraft owners and operators will "migrate" to the newer 406.0-406.1 MHz ELTs, which are monitored by satellite, while the 121.5 frequency is not. "Were we to permit continued marketing and use of 121.5 MHz ELTs ... it would engender the risk that aircraft owners and operators would mistakenly rely on those ELTs for the relay of distress alerts," the FCC says. AOPA said today it is opposed to the rule change.

"The FCC is making a regulatory change that would impose an extra cost on GA operators, without properly communicating with the industry or understanding the implications of its action," said AOPA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Rob Hackman. "There is no FAA requirement to replace 121.5 MHz units with 406 MHz technology. When two government agencies don´t coordinate, GA can suffer." The AEA said dealers should refrain from selling any new 121.5 MHz ELTs "until further understanding

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We have been advised that some Mexican AOE´s have been filing aircraft into Bay of LA.  At the prompting....

....the same process is being used at El Fuerte.

The two most popular BBP lead group trips are now open. 

Central America (CenAm) departs in about six weeks.  Stops include Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia.

Whales will have people arriving Mulege on March 4 for four days of fun and adventure. 

To see more on either trip, go to our Group Trips page on our website or click here to go direct.

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Some joke about the Controlers in Mexico and Central America when they say "Line up and Wait" however....  From BBP Member Sanders Achen

TOWERS MAY SOON TELL PILOTS TO “LINE UP AND WAIT”

Soon controllers may be issuing new instructions to pilots when they are given permission to taxi onto a runway before issuing a takeoff clearance, if a new Air Traffic Control phraseology is adopted. The FAA Safety Risk Management Panel concluded that it is safe to replace the FAA phraseology, "position and hold," with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) phraseology,

"line up and wait."

The National Transportation Safety Board previously recommended that the FAA amend order 7110.65, requiring the use of standard ICAO phraseology for airport surface operations.

The change, which is being coordinated within the FAA, requires an extensive awareness campaign to ensure pilots and controllers are informed. If approved later this month, the changes could be implemented by June, 2010.

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Impending permanent closure of Bay of LA airport (BAX)

We have added an additional menu choice to "Airports of Mexico" to show changes, additions, and or deletions to the airports/airstrips in the book.

We are requesting that our members be the eyes and ears for us regarding airports / airstrips.

If you see a change of a permanent nature to one of the airports that we have in the book or, if you see an addition that is registered with Mexico which is not listed, please let us know so that we can confirm and add to this area.

Thanks in advance for this help,   Jack

Menu choice is listed towards the top of our menu choices

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We were just told at 6:00 A.M. this morning (Sat, Oct 31) that Immigration and Customs are now at MMPE.  And the name is Mar de Cortes International Airport.  To see more information on the new airport, click below.

Two things:

If you bring anything down on your own to Mulege, it is critical that you do not leave your donations un-attended.  Once you get there....

And, we have supplies in the following areas that need to be picked up....