AOPA Action: AOPA named top trade association
‘The Hill’ recognizes advocacy on behalf of pilots
According to the article, AOPA and AOPA President Mark Baker, along with other top advocates, industries, and unions, were recognized for a “demonstrated ability to wield influence and deliver results on Capitol Hill on behalf of its members seeking a voice in Washington.”
AOPA’s advocacy arm was in full force in 2018 to protect the freedom to fly. Under Baker’s leadership, and with strong support from its membership, AOPA and GA won the fight against ATC “privatization.” The membership rallied with more than 200,000 emails, phone calls, and letters to lawmakers opposing the legislation.
AOPA has also been working with the industry, regulators, and community leaders to ensure that public airports owned by all of us provide fair pricing and access to all aircraft and pilots. As a result of the egregious fixed base operator pricing and transparency initiative, many airports have taken steps to improve their business model by adding transient ramp space, adding a second FBO for competition, or reducing the cost of avgas. AOPA calls these “self help” airports and will continue to work on this issue in 2019.
Changes to FAR Part 61 also provided a huge win for GA pilots in 2018. The rule change would reduce costs to pilots by leveraging advances in avionics, aircraft equipment, flight simulators, and aviation training devices. AOPA worked closely with the agency on the change, which is expected to save the GA community more than $110 million in five years.
Santa Monica battle continues
City intends to use airport revenue to destroy pavement
The Santa Monica city council has decided to move forward seeking bids to remove pavement at each end of the runway safety area of Santa Monica Municipal Airport’s already shortened runway, funded entirely by airport revenue. But the city’s decision to dip into airport funds for a project that serves zero aeronautical purpose has led aviation groups to fight back once again.
In a November 2018 letter, AOPA, the National Business Aviation Association, and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association requested that the FAA look into significant concerns regarding the use of airport revenue to fund the runway shortening from 5,000 to 3,500 feet and the destruction of pavement in the runway safety area zones at the Santa Monica airport. The
letter called out the FAA’s questionable advice given to the city, stating, “Absent a legitimate aeronautical purpose, beneficial to the tenants and users of SMO, the FAA should have concluded, and should now confirm, that costs of runway restructuring are entirely ineligible for funding with airport revenue. If the city is to proceed with this project, it must do so in sole reliance on taxpayer funds.”
Action in the states
Michigan bill would limit flying club operations
A Michigan House bill that would designate flying clubs as commercial entities and limit combined takeoffs and landings to 10 per day at private landing areas ran into stiff opposition from aviation advocates at a legislative hearing in November. AOPA Great Lakes Regional Manager Kyle Lewis urged the Michigan House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to reject the bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Yaroch (R-District 33). Lewis noted that by lumping flying clubs into commercial operations, the bill’s proposed definitions directly conflict with FAA policy and the state aeronautics code. “AOPA believes that this legislation, if passed as written, will negatively impact the current operation of flying clubs and the formation of future flying clubs in the state of Michigan,” Lewis said.
Web: www.aopa.org/pilot/michigan
AOPA hosts security exercise
An exercise held at AOPA’s headquarters in Frederick, Maryland, in December brought stakeholders together to sharpen their security awareness based on real-world scenarios. Approximately 40 participants in the TSA’s Intermodal Security Training Exercise Program (I-STEP) considered hypothetical security-breach scenarios as the basis for discussing their general security arrangements and exploring how they would respond to the kind of threat posed by the scenario. For example, the discussion included debating whether it would be best to contact local law enforcement or the AOPA Airport Watch hotline—which routes the call to the Transportation Security Operations Center—given the nature of the scenario.
Web: www.aopa.org/pilot/security
Pilots rush to save Houston’s Weiser Airpark
Houston-area pilots are hoping they can save a Texas airpark that calls itself the friendliest airport in the United States from becoming a “prime location” for commercial real estate development. Weiser Airpark, a privately owned, public-use airport with a 3,455-foot-long runway in northwest Houston, has gone on the market after the death of Cecil Weiser, who was president of the airpark for more than 50 years. AOPA member Robert Ziegler has initiated an effort to bring together a group of pilots to purchase the airport from the Weiser family or encourage that it be continued as part of the aviation infrastructure, said Tom Chandler, AOPA Central Southwest regional manager.
Virginia airport tenants press for changes
A substantial number of respondents to an AOPA survey conducted in November believe policy making at Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport in Blacksburg, Virginia, needs an overhaul that stresses open government. AOPA first became aware in 2017 that users of the Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport faced obstacles they described as impractical rules, arbitrary barriers to new hangar development, an unwelcoming service atmosphere, and a policymaking process that didn’t invite input from tenants, said Adam Williams, AOPA manager of airport policy. AOPA is working with the tenants to air their complaints with the airport authority’s managing board, which at first did not acknowledge the conflict but has recently shown more willingness to address the issues, Williams said.
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