Guide to AOPA Member Services

"The city council is meeting next week to vote on closing the airport. Can you help us?" This, one of the most frustrating calls AOPA receives, means that yet another of the approximately 5,400 public-use airports is on the block.

Most troubling, however, is that in many cases, no one was aware that the airport was in jeopardy. Often, pilots and other airport users can avoid these developments by detecting signs of impending trouble and putting in place plans to protect the airport from closing before it is even under attack.

AOPA's A Guide To Obtaining Community Support For Your Airport was specifically developed to address this issue. It's intended for use by pilot groups and community leaders interested in defending their general aviation airport against organized opposition. The book is full of constructive information and tips that will help turn the bulldozers around to build runways rather than destroy them.

Written by Bill Dunn, AOPA's vice president of regional affairs and founder of the San Francisco area Coalition for Responsible Airport Management and Policy (CRAMP), the support packet draws from Dunn's firsthand experience in successfully protecting the interests of embattled general aviation airports in the San Francisco area such as Reid-Hillview Airport.

The guide offers practical advice in the form of five detailed modules: organizing an airport support group; public relations and political action; what's your airport worth?; airport noise, safety, and airport land-use planning; and a resource guide. Included are important contacts for FAA and state aviation offices, statistical tables to help demonstrate the positive economic impact of airports on the community, and samples of contracts and by-laws for support groups. Sample newsletters and speeches that can be effective for garnering support for your local airport and tips on overcoming negative public opinion about noise and safety concerns complement the 224-page guide. A common thread throughout the packet shows that pilots should organize locally before a problem arises. The key in being effective is to identify, establish, and nurture support for your airport on a local level.

The step-by-step instructions are easy to comprehend and extremely useful in getting organized. Concisely written and explained, this book will show any pilot, individual, or group who wishes to take action in support of their local airport how to cut through the red tape and unite with their neighbors. For more information or to order the guide, call 800/USA-AOPA. — Machteld A. Smith