AOPA Action

Momentum Builds for Independent FAA Reform; Bill Introduced in Senate

Proposals to reform the Federal Aviation Administration within government, not through privatization or a government corporation, are gathering momentum.

Senators James Inhofe (R-OK), Conrad Burns (R-MT), and Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) have introduced the FAA Reform Act of 1995 in the U.S. Senate. The bill is similar to one already introduced in the House by Representative Jim Lightfoot (R-IA).

In the House, Representative James Oberstar (D-MN), ranking Democrat on the House aviation subcommittee, has announced he will co-sponsor the FAA Reform Act.

"These FAA Reform Act sponsors are knowledgable and experienced in aviation," said AOPA Legislative Action President Phil Boyer. "They have examined FAA's problems carefully and have concluded that reform, not privatization or corporatization, is the solution."

Speaking on behalf of Burns and Kassebaum, Inhofe said, "I have concluded there is no real support for privatizing or corporatizing air traffic control. People who use the system know these proposals won't work. It is irresponsible to play the budget game with ATC's safety function."

Inhofe is also a co-sponsor of the Truth in Budgeting Act. That bill would take the transportation trust funds "off-budget," making it easier to spend the $5 billion surplus in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund for aviation infrastructure improvements.

The FAA reform bills now in both the House and Senate incorporate major elements of the five-point proposal AOPA Legislative Action presented to Congress earlier this year.

The bills would re-establish the FAA as an agency independent of the Department of Transportation and grant the FAA significant relief from cumbersome government procurement and personnel procedures. The FAA administrator would serve a fixed seven-year term.

The bill would also mandate regulatory reform, including faster FAA action on all rulemaking. An 11-member board, comprising the secretaries of transportation and defense and a broad representation of the FAA's "customers," would advise the administrator on management, policy, spending, and regulatory matters.

AOPA Legislative Action Endorses Duncan-Lightfoot FAA Reform Bill

AOPA Legislative Action is enthusiastically endorsing new FAA reform legislation jointly crafted by House aviation subcommittee Chairman John Duncan (R-TN) and Representative Jim Lightfoot (R-IA).

"We wholeheartedly support the Duncan-Lightfoot bill," said AOPALA President Phil Boyer. "This far-sighted legislation will return the FAA to its proper status as an independent agency once again actively working for the improvement of U.S. aviation and aviation safety."

The new Duncan-Lightfoot bill retains most of the key elements of the FAA Reform Act previously introduced by Lightfoot, including FAA independence from the Department of Transportation and relief from cumbersome government procurement and personnel procedures.

Duncan's proposals add a five-member independent Federal Aviation Board to set policy and ratify key decisions. Day-to-day FAA management would be in the hands of a chief operating officer, who would take the place of the current FAA administrator.

The bill would also take the Airport and Airway Trust Fund "off-budget," making it easier to spend the $5 billion trust fund surplus for aviation infrastructure improvements.

Separately, House Appropriations Committee transportation subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf (R-VA) has also added his voice for FAA independence and reform.

In the report accompanying the Fiscal Year 1996 DOT appropriations bill, Wolf added: "The committee believes the status quo is unacceptable. The committee agrees that FAA reform is essential and believes effective reform could be achieved if the FAA and the administration were to pursue aggressively an exemption from the existing procurement and personnel laws and work strongly for an independent FAA, rather than a government corporation."

"We're delighted that the chairmen of both the aviation and appropriations subcommittees responsible for aviation funding support an independent and reformed FAA," said Boyer. "This is a clear demonstration that, after deliberate study, key members of Congress have concluded that corporatization or privatization will not solve the FAA's problems or protect the safety concerns of the flying public."

Rick Hodges Named Director of Legislative Communications for AOPALA

AOPA Legislative Action has announced the appointment of Rick Hodges as director of legislative communications.

Hodges previously served as public affairs specialist for the Air Line Pilots Association. He also has experience as a state legislative lobbyist.

Before joining ALPA, he was the Washington correspondent for Airline Executive, Air Cargo World, and Commuter Air magazines.

A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Hodges has a master's degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Virginia.

Did You Know...

...that the 1995/1996 AOPA membership card will have a bold new look? AOPA is introducing a new "collector series" of cards; members will be asked to help in choosing the photograph that will grace the 1996/1997 card. Look for details in "AOPA Action" in September.

AOPA NATIONAL ACTION

AOPA Says Delaware Traffic Observation Balloon is Extreme Hazard

AOPA says a new tethered observation balloon system now being used by the Delaware Department of Transportation at traffic jams and special events is an extreme hazard to aviation. The association has asked the FAA to stop granting waivers permitting the balloon to be flown in busy airspace, pointing out that an aircraft collided with the system on its first day of operation (see "Pilot Briefing," p. 32).

"This accident occurred even though the FAA had issued an appropriate notice to airmen and the pilot was in radar and radio contact with air traffic controllers," AOPA noted. "The pilot couldn't see the tether, and controllers apparently didn't warn him that he was on a collision course."

The Observation Balloon System (OBS) uses a video camera in a helium balloon tethered to a ground station by a pencil-thin fiber optic cable. The balloon can be flown as high as 1,500 feet above ground level. The FAA must grant a waiver each time operators want to fly the balloon higher than 200 feet agl. But advance warning to pilots may be all but impossible if OBS is used as intended. The company marketing the balloon system has told the FAA that to respond to traffic jams, they must fly the portable balloon system at random locations with no advance notice.

AOPA Opposes FAA Plan to Discard Flight Plan Form in Favor of ICAO Form

AOPA is opposing an FAA proposal to replace the standard half-page flight plan form with the full-page ICAO international form.

"In any given day, the U.S. has more aircraft movements than the rest of the world combined," said AOPA president Phil Boyer. "But the FAA has provided no compelling reason to force the majority of the world's pilots to use a new form."

Boyer said the FAA had not provided any cost estimates for replacing existing FAA flight plans, changing numerous publications, or training for both FAA personnel and pilots. He noted that a recent survey of AOPA members found that 70 percent were satisfied with the U.S. form and did not want to switch to the ICAO format.

The FAA proposal claimed that one standard flight plan would make it easier for pilots to file anywhere in the world and would reduce the costs of software development for datalink equipment, DUATS, and the next generation flight service station computer. The FAA also said Mexico and Canada had adopted the ICAO form, but the agency failed to note that Canada doesn't require the ICAO form for domestic flights or transborder flights to the U.S.

"There already exists inexpensive technology that can automatically convert the FAA flight plan into the ICAO format or any other," said Martin Shuey, AOPA's vice president for air traffic control. Shuey also pointed out the RTCA Free Flight Task Force is examining the flight plan form and will probably revise it.

AOPA Continues to Negotiate With Signature Over Ramp Fees

As member complaints continued to mount regarding new ramp fees implemented by Signature Flight Support (see "AOPA Action," July Pilot), AOPA President Phil Boyer and Vice President of Regional Affairs Bill Dunn met on July 20 with Signature CEO George Howard and other senior Signature managers.

Boyer and Dunn presented the concerns of AOPA members, focusing particularly on the 17 FBO facilities where Signature is the sole-source provider of services and where AOPA members have no viable options to avoid the fees — which range from $9 to $20 for a single-engine piston aircraft if minimum amounts of fuel are not purchased.

The meeting was productive, Boyer reported, and Signature agreed to take into consideration the issues presented by AOPA.

At press time, another meeting with Signature management was scheduled to continue to seek a solution acceptable to all parties.

AOPA SAFETY ACTION

New ASF Safety Report Shows Record Low Accident Numbers

The latest edition of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Joseph T. Nall General Aviation Safety Report documents record low fatal and total accident numbers in 1994, but it also shows that general aviation's improvement in safety has leveled off.

Each year the Nall Report analyzes safety trends for fixed-wing aircraft with gross takeoff weights of less than 12,500 pounds. Data are derived from preliminary NTSB and FAA reports, as well as the ASF's Aviation Safety Database. It is the industry's first look at the last year's overall aircraft accident picture.

"Pilot error continues to be the leading factor in all general aviation accidents," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "If pilots avoided low-level maneuvering and weather for which they are not qualified, there would be a significant reduction in the number of serious accidents."

The new Nall Report, double the size of previous editions, examines the trend in new, informative charts and graphs. Also new is tabular statistical detail for the report's graphical presentations. Key findings include:

• Single-engine fixed gear: Maneuvering flight (buzzing, aerobatics, scud-running) accounted for 43 percent of fatal accidents. Weather-related accidents constituted 21 percent of fatal crashes. Most common was attempted VFR flight into instrument conditions, accounting for 82 percent of weather-related fatalities.
• Single-engine retractable: Weather accidents accounted for 51 percent of fatal accidents, followed by takeoff/climb (16 percent) and maneuvering flight accidents (14 percent).
• Multiengine aircraft: Fatal accident factors included weather (33 percent), takeoff/climb (18 percent), and approach (18 percent). All but one approach accident in twins were attributed to "improper IFR approach."

For a free copy, write: Nall Report, AOPA Air Safety Foundation, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Enclose a large (6 x 9-inch) self-addressed envelope with $1.50 postage affixed.

New ASF Report Examines Aviation Safety in Alaska

Alaska has a higher total general aviation accident rate but a lower fatal accident rate than the United States as a whole, according to new data from the AOPA Air Safety Foundation.

ASF's Alaska Safety Report finds that general aviation in Alaska experienced 15.43 total accidents per 100,000 flight hours, compared to the national average of 9.47. But Alaska's fatal accident rate of 1.46 is below the 1.87 per 100,000 hour rate for the United States as a whole. ASF cautions that rate data can sometimes be misleading because it is derived from an estimate of hours flown that is difficult to verify, especially in Alaska.

The report concludes that the flying environment plays a big role in Alaska's total accident rate. Data show continued VFR flight into instrument conditions to be a major factor. "Two contributing factors in such accidents are Alaska's rapid weather changes and generally poor dissemination of weather information in the state," said Bruce Landsberg, ASF's executive director.

Inhospitable runways also contribute to the high accident rate. Landing accidents accounted for 38 percent of total accidents in Alaska, compared to 27 percent on a national basis.

Maneuvering fatalities often result when a pilot inadvertently stalls an aircraft at low altitude while circling something of interest on the ground. Northern pilots call them "moose stalls." Half of Alaskan maneuvering accidents are fatal, compared to 31 percent nationally.

ASF's Alaska Safety Report also expresses concern about increasing reports of "homemade" GPS approaches and use of VFR-approved GPS to navigate through uncontrolled airspace in instrument conditions.

The report was made possible by a grant from AIG Aviation, Inc. To help improve safety in Alaska, AIG has also helped ASF to provide safety seminar kits to flight instructors and safety counselors in remote Alaskan locations. The "Seminar in a Box" is a self-contained aviation safety briefing for small groups, including program outline, videotapes, and take-home brochures.

ASF Publishes Generic 'How To' Guide for GPS and Loran Navigation

The AOPA Air Safety Foundation has just released GPS/Loran — A Guide to Modern Navigation, general aviation's first generic safety and "how-to" publication on GPS and loran navigation. The new guide provides concise and easy-to-understand descriptions of how GPS and loran work. The advantages and limitations of each system are described.

GPS/Loran offers useful tips on using both systems, including strategies for successfully filing direct off-airways IFR routes across ATC center boundaries.

The guide explains the ins and outs of certifying GPS and loran units for IFR. It also details why existing hand-held units cannot be certified and should not be used for IFR navigation.

The guide provides an overview on how GPS approaches are flown and the distinction between "overlay" and "stand-alone" approaches. Citing the GPS Runway 5 approach at Frederick, Maryland, one of the nation's first stand-alone approaches, the guide explains GPS receiver procedures in case of holding, executing a procedure turn, or flying vectors to the final approach course.

Explanations are offered on such basic but often confusing GPS concepts as "Standard Positioning Service," "Selective Availability," and "RAIM." For instance, the guide discusses why GPS-generated altitude will probably differ from altimeter indications.

GPS/Loran is a companion piece to the new GPS education seminar offered by ASF.

For a free copy, write: GPS/Loran, AOPA Air Safety Foundation, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Enclose a large (6 x 9-inch) self-addressed envelope with 55 cents postage affixed.

Did You Know...

...if you're looking for a way to reach your congressional representatives, you can find their Internet e-mail addresses as well as postal addresses on AOPA Online. The file is called congress.txt and is located in AOPA's forum on CompuServe in library 10, Government Info/Hot News.

AOPA MEMBERSHIP ACTION

Fifth Annual Fly-In to AOPA Headquarters Smashes Attendance Record

More than 500 aircraft and 5,000 attendees boosted AOPA's Fifth Annual Fly-In to AOPA Headquarters to record attendance levels on June 17. Pilots flew in from as far away as North Dakota.

Nearly 50 aircraft were on static display, ranging from a giant Russian AN-2 biplane to a Rutan Defiant push-pull twin with Ford engines. Manufacturers and dealers displayed new production aircraft from Aerospatiale, Cadmus, Commander, Mooney, Pilatus, Piper, and others.

Some 54 booths in the exhibitor tent drew large crowds. Products displayed included flight simulators, noise-canceling headsets, moving-map displays, and GPS receivers.

The FAA/MIT/Lincoln Labs data-link project exhibited equipment that the AOPA Air Safety Foundation will fly in its upcoming demonstration/evaluation. The project is researching affordable systems for in-cockpit weather graphics and traffic information displays.

Standing-room-only seminars included "How Safe is Your Airplane?" and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's famed Pinch-Hitter course. Pilots who found all 14 faults in ASF's pre-flight inspection contest won safety videos. Overflow demand for ASF's new GPS seminar required an extra session later in the day.

Twelve FAA controllers worked a temporary control tower furnished by the Air National Guard to handle the unprecedented volume of air traffic. The FAA's Leesburg Automated Flight Service Station provided on-site departure briefings inside the AOPA building.

AOPA is open every business day of the year for visits and tours, but the annual fly-in provides a weekend opportunity to see AOPA headquarters up close and personal.

The next Fly-In to AOPA Headquarters is scheduled for Saturday, June 15, 1996.

Eugene T. Sullivan of Fairfax Station, Virginia, won the AOPA Fly-In grand prize, a FlightMate Pro hand-held GPS receiver donated by Trimble Navigation. As AOPA President Phil Boyer made the presentation, Sullivan, an AOPA member since 1989, noted that his new GPS would find a happy home in his 1966 Cessna 182, based at Virginia's Warrenton-Fauquier Airport. Sullivan is director of maritime surveillance programs for the Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Group in Arlington, Virginia.

AOPA Legal Services Plan Introduces Enhancements

The AOPA Legal Services Plan has been expanded to include enhancements frequently requested by plan participants. New services include unlimited consultation with plan legal staff for denied medical certification, legal representation by an attorney for revoked or suspended medical certificates, hangar and tiedown agreements review, aircraft rental and leaseback agreements review, FAA appeals representation, and coverage of flight engineers (See " Pilot Counsel," p. 150).

The Legal Services Plan provides coverage for full or partial fees for legal representation on members' behalf for FAA enforcement actions, aircraft accidents, alcohol and drug testing, and certain aviation-related tax matters. For more information, call 800/USA-AOPA (872-2672).

AOPA NATIONAL ACTION

AOPA Reiterates Warning to Orange County: Don't Sell John Wayne Airport

AOPA has reiterated its opposition to the Orange County Board of Supervisors' ongoing efforts to sell John Wayne Airport for profit.

"We cannot, nor will we, sit back and allow a valuable portion of our national transportation system to be raided for non-aviation uses," said Bill Dunn, AOPA's vice president of regional affairs. "AOPA does not support privatization through sale or transfer of the assets of John Wayne. We are committed to take all action necessary to prevent any change in airport ownership."

John Wayne Airport is the nation's third busiest general aviation airport and, since airline deregulation, has also seen a massive influx of airline service. It generates revenues of $58 million a year. Orange County officials are eyeing the airport as a $1-billion asset they might sell or transfer to gain debt relief following the county's pension fund debacle.

But the supervisors' own John Wayne Airport Revenue/Sale Task Force concluded on June 21 that current federal law prohibits the county from using revenues generated by the sale of the airport for non-aviation purposes. Task force members noted that any attempt to change federal law would be "extremely difficult, contentious, and met with firm opposition."

FAA Declares Proposed Missouri Radio Tower a Hazard

The FAA has declared a proposed radio tower near the Washington County Airport in Missouri a hazard to air navigation. AOPA and others had urged the action.

A radio station wants to build the 540-foot tower 2.3 nautical miles northwest of the airport, located near the east-central Missouri town of Potosi. The tower would have risen to 1,660 feet msl, just below the 1,700-foot msl traffic pattern for Washington County Airport. FAR Part 77 defines an obstruction as any structure taller than 500 feet above ground level or 200 feet agl within three miles of an airport. The Potosi tower exceeded the latter definition by 340 feet.

AOPA told the FAA that land had been purchased north of the airport for a future runway extension. That would put aircraft even closer to the proposed tower site. Others said the tower would have prohibited future development of an instrument approach with the lowest possible minimums.

In its decision, the FAA noted that pilots navigate to the Washington County runway by visual ground reference, as the airport is not served by a VOR or NDB radionavigation aid or instrument ap-proach. The tower would have been constructed near Missouri Route 21, which defines a heavily used north-south VFR flyway and serves as a prominent landmark for locating the airport in marginal VFR weather. The FAA therefore concluded that the tower would have a substantial adverse impact on operations during marginal VFR weather conditions.

The FAA ruling itself cannot stop tower construction, but the Federal Communications Commission rarely grants a construction permit if the FAA declares a project to be a navigation hazard.

Did You Know...

...that AOPA members can now get a two percent cash rebate on travel booked through the AOPA Travelers Club? ...and that the Travelers Club can help you locate lost luggage? Specially identified luggage tags tell the airline to call the Travelers Club, which relays the passenger's instructions on forwarding the luggage. For information: 800/888-AOPA.

AOPA INTERNATIONAL ACTION

IAOPA Meets in the French Senate to Conduct European Regional Policy Session

The International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations conducted its most recent meeting in Paris on June 10. French Senator Ernest Cartigny hosted the IAOPA European Regional Meeting in the French Senate itself. The chief executives of 21 national AOPA organizations in Europe attended.

IAOPA European Region Vice President Marcel Felten noted that the meeting was held in Paris concurrent with the Paris Air Show, breaking tradition with the session's traditional Amsterdam venue.

The European policy and strategy meeting addressed implementation of planning from the IAOPA Seventeenth World Assembly held recently in Tokyo. The Paris meeting allowed leaders of European national AOPAs to be-gin influencing the expansion of general aviation in Europe.

Welcoming the regional meeting to Paris was President Bernard Nicot of AOPA-France.

IAOPA is the council of 37 national AOPA organizations worldwide, representing nearly 400,000 general aviation pilots. Offices are located in four cities.