Short-Term Defeat of User Fees, But Bill Creates Two-Headed Monster
The Clinton administration's FAA Air Traffic Services Improvement Act, introduced on April 20, would split the FAA into two organizations, each managed by the Department of Transportation.
"The administration's proposal would send air traffic control in the wrong direction," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "It would create two organizations, Air Traffic Services and the FAA, directly involving the secretary of transportation in setting user fees to fund air traffic control and making technical policy decisions. Since the secretary is a presidential appointee, this scheme can only further politicize air traffic control, while doing little to modernize the system."
"AOPA has argued for decades that the FAA should be independent of the Department of Transportation," Boyer continued. "Splitting the FAA in two and giving bureaucrats an unlimited money supply — and letting them micromanage both organizations — does not solve the problems aviation faces today and in the future."
The bill does exempt GA from user fees, at least initially, but Boyer urged caution.
"GA has been singled out for not paying enough," Boyer said. "That makes us wonder about long-term plans for increased taxes or future general aviation user fees."
AOPA, Airline Industry Make Joint Recommendations on Satellite Navigation
AOPA and the Air Transport Association (ATA), which represents the nation's airlines, have agreed to ask the FAA to proceed with both wide-area (WAAS) and local-area (LAAS) augmentation systems for GPS precision approaches.
Both systems will allow precision GPS approaches, but the wide-area WAAS system will provide basic precision guidance to all airports, while LAAS systems would furnish precision GPS approaches to ILS Category II and III standards, but only at specific airports.
Among the AOPA/ATA recommendations:
- Conduct an independent risk assessment to determine obstacles and solutions for GPS operations.
- Continue development of WAAS to provide sole-means navigation services by the year 2001.
- Accelerate development of precision approaches based on GPS augmented by WAAS.
- Implement the second GPS frequency for civil-use navigation as soon as possible.
- Accelerate the implementation of public-use LAAS services under FAA's Flight 2000 program, with these LAAS systems serving as Beta test sites for the Flight 2000 test program.
The two organizations praised FAA and WAAS program managers for keeping the program on schedule.
No User Fees, Powerful Congressman Tells AOPA Pilot Town Meeting in Texas
House Majority Whip Rep. Thomas D. DeLay (R-Texas) has pledged to AOPA Pilot Town Meeting attendees that he'll fight aviation user fees.
"For three decades, general aviation pilots have paid their fair share for the airway system through the fuel tax," DeLay said in a videotaped message specially prepared for the 240-pilot meeting in Houston on March 23. "I know that pilots want to continue to pay at the pump."
AOPA conducts some 30 Pilot Town Meetings each year to learn the concerns and needs of pilots nationwide. Meetings feature fast-paced audio and large-screen video presentations on hot general aviation issues. AOPA President Phil Boyer encourages questions, answers, and opinions from all pilots at the meetings.
Drastic Cuts in FAA Airport Grants Averted With Help of AOPA Legislative Action
An attempt in Congress to rescind some $275 million in approved airport grants has been turned aside, in part due to opposition by AOPA Legislative Action.
The money grab was to have offset spending for disaster relief, the U.S. military presence in Bosnia, and other new projects. A substitute measure developed by Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) reduced the cut to just $32 million. House aviation subcommittee Chairman John Duncan (R-Tenn.) and Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.)also played key roles in preserving airport funding. A House-Senate conference later reduced the cut to zero.
The originally proposed cuts would have amounted to about 16 percent of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) spending for fiscal year 1998 and would have disproportionately affected GA airports.
AIP grants come from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, replenished by excise taxes on airline passenger tickets and general aviation fuel purchases. AIP funding for 1998 is $1.7 billion.
AOPA REGIONAL ACTION
AOPA Wins Fight Against Training Restrictions at Florida Airport
AOPA was instrumental in defeating proposed flight training restrictions at Orlando Sanford International Airport, home to Comair Aviation Academy.
The restrictions would have limited certain GA flight activities, including flight training, during so-called "peak density periods" between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Those periods coincide with the airport's eight foreign charter flights per day.
Also defeated were "no-fly zones" within four miles of the airport. According to the Sanford Airport Authority, the restrictions were needed to reduce delays and adverse operating effects on airline traffic, an idea that AOPA says is nonsense.
"Airline traffic accounts for only 0.3 percent of total operations," AOPA Vice President of Regional Affairs Bill Dunn told Sanford officials. "And the FAA tells us it will not…condone any restrictions on GA flight."
"Restricting flight training constitutes unjust and prohibited discrimination," Dunn said.
AOPA Requests Changes in Proposed Cincinnati Class B, Extends Comment Time
AOPA has asked for modifications to the Class B airspace proposed for Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and has convinced the FAA to extend the comment period on the proposal, which has not yet been published in the Federal Register.
"The FAA's design doesn't adequately address many of the problems identified by the ad hoc user group in 1992," said Melissa K. Bailey, AOPA director of airspace and system standards. "And the FAA hasn't talked to the users since then. A lot can change in six years."
In formal comments, AOPA said that the proposed changes to the Class B airspace would hamper pilots operating from satellite airports. The association argued that the FAA has exceeded the agency's own guidelines for airspace design.
Among other concerns, the FAA's design includes an outer boundary 25 nm from the center of the CVG airport. AOPA said that the Class B boundary should be no farther than 20 nm out, placing Clermont County Airport at Batavia, Ohio, and Snyder Airport in Falmouth, Kentucky, outside Class B airspace.
AOPA also called for reexamining the floors of this proposed Class B design and suggested VFR "flyways" through the airspace.
Comments on the proposed establishment of Class B airspace at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport should be sent in triplicate to: FAA, Office of the Chief Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket (AGC-200), Airspace Docket No. 93-AWA-5, 800 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20591. Comments may also be sent by e-mail to 9-NPRM-CMTS@faa.dot.gov.
GA Welcome Again in Las Vegas Class B
AOPA efforts helped to reopen the door to the Las Vegas Class B airspace for general aviation. Last January, the ATC facility manager abruptly changed policies and made it much more difficult for VFR traffic to obtain clearance through the airspace. Prearranged VFR air tour operator routes through the Class B were also canceled.
An AOPA team led by Marty Shuey, vice president for air traffic control, convinced FAA officials to restore the routes and implement new procedures to facilitate VFR clearances. AOPA is also leading a Las Vegas airspace user group, which will work with the FAA to develop new VFR flyways through the Class B.
Sacramento Development Would Endanger Mather Field, AOPA Tells County Supervisors
A proposed 621-acre mixed-use residential development near Sacramento, California's Mather Airport would be the first step in that airport's demise, AOPA told Sacramento County Supervisors in a strongly-worded April 13 letter.
AOPA Vice President for Regional Affairs Bill Dunn told supervisors that the planned medium-density development, just 1,000 feet from the Mather runways, would violate grant assurances given to the FAA by the county when the airport was converted from a military field in 1995.
"In addition, a California Department of Transportation report showed aircraft noise in the area would exceed the recommended 55-decibel level," Dunn said. "Residential developments near airports always lead to increased aircraft noise complaints and calls to close the airport.
"We urge you to protect the public and taxpayer investment in Mather Airport," Dunn concluded. "Let the airport be all that you intended it to be when you decided to convert a surplus military airfield into a civil airport."
Kentucky Creates Dedicated Airport Fund; Georgia Adds $35 Million For GA Airports
Funding victories in the 1998 Kentucky and Georgia legislatures will help to bring new vitality to GA airports in those states, AOPA Legislative Action reports.
In Kentucky, the legislature established the state's first "Aviation Economic Development Fund." The bill will become effective on July 1, 2000, and will transfer the current six-percent sales tax on jet fuel from the state's general fund to a dedicated aviation fund.
AOPA Legislative Action has lobbied for dedicated aviation trust funds in all 50 states. With the addition of Kentucky, 30 states now have them.
In Georgia, the legislature dedicated $35 million for GA airport improvements. Leadership by Gov. Zell Miller was cited in the success of the appropriation.
AOPA participated on the technical advisory committee that identified the 27 Georgia airports to be improved, and lobbied the legislature to approve the one-time appropriation. While Georgia does not have a dedicated aviation trust fund, it appropriates about $2.3 million a year for aviation.
AOPA INTERNATIONAL ACTION
'Flying Friendly' Enforced in the Netherlands
An American pilot who strayed from the approved noise-avoidance departure corridor last year at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has been found guilty, but escaped sanctions when a Netherlands court found that ATC did not warn the pilot of the impending violation.
Since Schiphol Airport noise corridors were implemented in late 1996, some 20 pilots have been caught outside them. A radar tracking system called Fanomos is used to detect deviations, and the radar data is accepted as authoritative in Netherlands courts.
AOPA-Netherlands suggests that pilots flying in the Netherlands observe noise abatement procedures closely.
AOPA Asks FAA, U.S. Customs to Coordinate Notices of Arrival
Because the U.S. Customs Service won't take the word of another government agency — the FAA — some unlucky pilots get squeezed for as much as $5,000 when they return from foreign destinations. AOPA says that is ridiculous and has asked the FAA to take the lead in fixing the situation.
"It's supposed to be one government for the people," declared Randy Kenagy, AOPA government research specialist, "not lots of little government agencies squabbling like children."
Pilots usually provide U.S. Customs with the required one-hour notice of their return to the United States through an ADCUS (advise customs) notice on the flight plan or by a radio call to a flight service station when in range. If that notification fails to reach Customs, however, the pilot is held responsible and liable for a fine up to $5,000, despite the pilot's notification through the FAA.
AOPA is asking the FAA to initiate a "memorandum of understanding" allowing a notification accepted by the FAA as equivalent to a direct notification to U.S. Customs.
AOPA Urges Nav Canada to Continue Fuel Tax to Fund GA Air Navigation Services
AOPA has told Nav Canada that foreign-registered GA aircraft, including U.S.-registered aircraft, should continue to pay at the pump for Canadian ATC and FSS services and navaid use.
"The aviation gasoline tax has been a reliable source of revenue in Canada for two decades," said AOPA President Phil Boyer in a letter to Nav Canada Director of Rates and Revenues Arthur Andreassen. "A fuel tax is the most efficient, cost-effective, and safest approach for general aviation."
Nav Canada had asked AOPA for suggestions on how general aviation should pay for services under the newly privatized Canadian ATC system. The not-for-profit Nav Canada took over in October 1996 and implemented user fees in March 1997 for aircraft weighing more than 17,600 pounds.
AOPA MEMBERSHIP ACTION
AOPA Document Submission Service Saves Weeks, Study Shows
Aircraft buyers and sellers using AOPA's Document Submission Service (DSS) save nearly three weeks in FAA paperwork processing for their transactions, a study released in April shows.
Average FAA processing time for aircraft bills of sale, registrations, or security agreements not handled by AOPA is now nearly two months. Between 15 percent and 20 percent of such submissions are rejected by the FAA for paperwork errors.
"AOPA's Document Submission Service saves time because we review filings thoroughly and work with interested parties if adjustments are necessary to meet the FAA's requirements," said Ann Lennon, vice president of the AOPA Title and Escrow Service. "Then we file directly with the FAA for the fastest service."
AOPA's Document Submission Service, part of a wide range of services provided by the Oklahoma City-based AOPA office, is $35 for AOPA members and $45 for nonmembers, plus FAA filing fees. DSS is discounted $10 if ordered in conjunction with a title search at the AOPA Title and Escrow Service.
AOPA Fly-In Set
The eighth annual AOPA Fly-In and Open House will take place at AOPA Headquarters on the Frederick (Maryland) Municipal Airport on Saturday, June 6. A control tower will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with breakfast available at 7:30. More than 70 exhibits, a large static display area, and seminars will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Featured on the seminar program is famed raconteur Rod Machado. Complete arrival and departure procedures are available on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/special/fly-in/). Ample parking will be available for participants arriving by aircraft and auto.
AOPA Online Aviation Weather Improved With DTN Aviation Center Services
AOPA Online Aviation Weather now includes more detailed charts, longer-range forecasts, more frequent updates, and an improved user interface. The enhancements came with AOPA's selection of DTN Aviation Center as the new provider of weather information for the "Members Only" area of AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/wx/).
"AOPA members using AOPA Online get the same high-quality weather graphics and services found on DTN Weather Centers at some 2,000 airports and FBOs across the nation," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Pilots can access from home a wealth of easy-to-understand weather information. And it's free!"
Among the enhanced products now available are:
- Surface forecast maps.
- U.S. radar summaries with convective Sigmets and watch boxes.
- Radar maps with motion.
- Satellite images with motion.
- Improved hourly weather depiction map.
- Winds aloft.
AOPA Online Aviation Weather also provides textual weather products, including local airmets, local sigmets, convective sigmets, and forecast winds and temperatures aloft. A "click through" to GTE DUATS provides en route weather briefings.
First-time visitors to the AOPA Online members-only area will need their AOPA member number to register. Following the one-time registration, a user ID and simple-to-remember password are all that's needed to access AOPA Online Aviation Weather offered exclusively for AOPA members.
Expo '98 to Feature Record Seminar Schedule
A record array of 90-plus seminars on topics ranging from aerial photography to weather forecasting will be featured at AOPA Expo '98 in Palm Springs, California, from October 23 through 25.
The seminar lineup includes 21 topics never before presented, including GPS use, handling of inflight emergencies, and the art of defensive flying.
An expanded group of 14 medical seminars will feature the latest information on diabetes, approved medicines, and refractive eye surgery.
An Expo '98 brochure is available by request on the AOPA Web site (www.aopa.org/expo/) or by calling 888/GO-TO-EXPO (888/468-6397).
Lennon Celebrates 35 Years of AOPA Service
AOPA Title and Escrow Service head Ann Lennon is celebrating her thirty-fifth year with AOPA. Under her leadership, offerings of the AOPA Oklahoma City office have grown to include document submission and escrow services, as well as AD searches. She is a private pilot.
AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION
AOPA Applauds FAA 'Safer Skies' Initiative
The FAA's Safer Skies program, announced on April 14, will shine a safety spotlight on six areas of GA flying: pilot decision-making, loss of control, weather, controlled flight into terrain, survivability, and runway incursions.
"These are precisely the problem areas identified by AOPA Air Safety Foundation research," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "AOPA applauds Administrator Garvey and the FAA for a rational, focused program for improving safety."
AOPA and the ASF had helped the FAA to focus the safety improvement agenda for GA. Boyer noted that GA is enjoying the best safety record ever, with a remarkable 20 percent safety improvement in the last 10 years.
It was the landmark ASF study, GA Weather Accidents, for example, which showed the FAA that most fatal weather accidents were the result of continued VFR flight into IFR weather conditions.
ASF's Nall Report has identified poor pilot decision-making and low-level maneuvering flight as leading causes of accidents.
FAA Removes CFI Renewal Restrictions Following ASF Petition
The FAA has revised regulations and will again permit flight instructors to renew their instructor certificates at any time through the foundation's flight instructor refresher clinics (FIRCs).
When the FAA rewrote Part 61 last year, it changed FAR 61.197(a)(2)(iii) to limit the time period in which graduation from an approved FIRC could be used to renew a flight instructor certificate. Under last year's change, the FIRC renewal could be done only within 90 days preceding expiration of the instructor certificate. The new rule again allows renewal at any time within the two-year validity of the CFI certificates.
ASF pioneered today's two-day FIRC conducted over a weekend. ASF's innovative curriculum and multimedia teaching techniques convinced the FAA to allow a new 16-hour program, rather than the grueling 24-hour course previously required.
California Pilot Wins Transceiver After Attending ASF Weather Seminar
John R. Jones of Northridge, California, is the winner of a Sporty's JD-200 aviation transceiver after attending an ASF Weather Strategies seminar last December in Van Nuys, California.
ASF's new Weather Strategies seminar offers novel planning tools and teaches a "big picture approach" to reducing weather risk. It also teaches pilots to think strategically in gathering weather information.
Jones, AOPA 1276915, was mentored by his brother, a hang-glider enthusiast. "But the move to powered flight just seemed a natural one," said Jones. A private pilot since 1996, he now owns a 1970 Piper Cherokee 235 and enjoys using his airplane for family trips.
