AOPA Action

National ACTION

Your Flying Future: AOPA Works to Ensure that Airline Solutions Also Benefit GA

As the FAA works to solve airline delay and congestion problems, AOPA is making sure that the solutions benefit general aviation as well. Your association has been a key player in developing the FAA's Operational Evolution Plan (OEP), a 10-year blueprint for changes to the air traffic control system, airport improvements, and new equipment requirements, all designed to safely increase capacity and manage delays. It is being developed in a partnership between the FAA and the industry.

"You might wonder why AOPA is so involved in an airline issue," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "After all, 90 percent of delays are experienced at the hub airports which GA pilots don't use very much."

But when the airlines aren't happy, he pointed out, they frequently point the finger at GA. And what the FAA plans to do to make the airlines happy will affect your flying.

AOPA has been part of the OEP from the very start. At the first industry meeting, AOPA pointed out that the plan didn't mention more airport capacity; it now calls for additional runway capacity at the 31 delay-plagued airports.

"But don't stop there," AOPA told the FAA. "GA pilots must have continued access to airports near these major airports. And additional GA and reliever airports will further help to ease airline congestion."

What changes will you likely see under the OEP? The FAA plans to reconfigure terminal airspace (Class B and C) at the choke points where air traffic is the heaviest. Some terminal radar approach control (tracon) facilities will be consolidated, and lower and parallel arrival and departure routes will be added. Many of these new routes will require RNAV (area navigation) equipment such as GPS or a flight management system. The OEP also recommends that ATC give RNAV-equipped aircraft "preferential treatment."

"We've told the FAA that RNAV must not be the cost of admission' to Class B airspace," said Boyer. "The RNAV requirement should only apply to the primary airport. GA pilots must continue to have access to nearby reliever airports without having to buy expensive new equipment."

AOPA is also insisting that in the case of airports with many GA operations, any RNAV requirement must be phased in over a reasonable period of time. "AOPA will oppose any mandate that imposes too great an equipment burden on GA and doesn't provide significant benefits to the pilot," said Andy Cebula, AOPA senior vice president of government and technical affairs.

The OEP also recommends implementing ADS-B to expedite aircraft movements on the ground. (ADS-B is a nonradar, GPS-driven system where each aircraft broadcasts its position to other aircraft and to ATC.)

"ADS-B alone doesn't provide enough benefits for GA," said Randy Kenagy, AOPA director of advanced technology. "It should be expanded to provide graphical weather and non-ADS-B traffic in the cockpit. Really, the Capstone system should be implemented, because that provides enough benefits for GA pilots to voluntarily equip" (see " Future Flight: Air Traffic Control's Evolution," October 2000 Pilot).

The OEP also takes up an issue that AOPA has been pressing for years: better access to special-use airspace (such as MOAs and restricted areas) when not used by the military. AOPA said the FAA must put real-time use information in the hands of pilots, including making special-use airspace management system (SAMS) scheduling data available to flight service stations and GA pilots.Your association is helping to shape the OEP into a solution that will benefit all users. As FAA Administrator Jane Garvey told Boyer, "I think we are on the right track, and I appreciate your input into the process. A long way to go but I'm optimistic!"

A MORE BUSINESSLIKE FAA

The Operational Evolution Plan Represents A New Way of Doing Business at the FAA

"In my 10 years in AOPA's left seat, I've never before seen the FAA dedicate so many resources to finding pragmatic solutions to a national problem," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.

The FAA has consulted the users from the start, so the solutions to the congestion problem are bound by realistic thinking, are technically feasible, and can be implemented over a reasonable time frame.

More importantly, the plan makes individual FAA managers accountable for fixing the problems, and gives them the resources from across the agency's "lines of business" to get the job done.

"The FAA has followed the business model for solving a problem," said Boyer. "It's a refreshing break from the past."

ILS-Like GPS Approaches Forecast by 2003

Pilots will be able to make ILS-like instrument approaches using GPS by the end of 2003, the FAA said recently. The announcement included a new timetable for commissioning the GPS Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) that will make the precision approaches possible.

At the same time, the FAA released a report from the Independent Review Board (IRB) stating not only that GPS WAAS will work but also that it is critical to both aviation and other users.

"While we're disappointed that the WAAS schedule has slipped a year, the IRB report confirms our position that GPS WAAS will bring a new level of safety and utility to more than 4,000 vital community airports," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.

The initial system will allow precision approaches to decision heights of 400 feet with one mile visibility at most GA airports. Later upgrades will be able to provide minima of 200 feet with one-half mile visibility at properly equipped airports.

AOPA, IAOPA Condemn Peruvian Attack on Missionary Plane

Both AOPA and the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) acted quickly to condemn the April military shoot-down of an unarmed civilian aircraft carrying missionaries in Peru.

"Nothing justifies a no-questions-asked destruction of civilian aircraft," said Phil Boyer, president of both organizations. "And it's a violation of international law intended to protect civilian pilots and their passengers."

In the United States Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), a pilot and AOPA member, introduced AOPA-backed legislation to repeal authority for U.S. government employees or contractors to provide information helping foreign countries in forcing or shooting down aircraft suspected of drug-related operations. AOPA opposed the legislation permitting such aid when it was introduced in 1994.

AOPA also fought a long campaign in the late 1980s and one again in 1998 to defeat proposed legislation authorizing the U.S. Customs Service and other agencies to shoot down or force down civilian aircraft flying under suspicious circumstances toward a U.S. border.

Although AOPA supports efforts to fight drug smuggling, the association maintains that there are effective alternatives to the use of deadly force.

AOPA Responds to Media Misinformation

When Newsweek magazine misstated facts on general aviation in mid-April ("Seven Ways to Fix Flying") AOPA was quick to respond. In a letter to the editor, AOPA President Phil Boyer pointed out that GA doesn't cause airline delays, since it represents less than 5 percent of the traffic at the most delay-plagued airports.

And when The Wall Street Journal editorialized recently in favor of a privatized ATC system, AOPA answered back, showing why privatization would be a bad idea.

AOPA also recently sent Boyer's editorial " It's More Runways, Stupid!" (March Pilot) to the publishers, editors, and editorial writers of the nation's major newspapers.

Backcountry Airstrips Essential, AOPA Tells Administration

AOPA is urging the Bush administration to reverse course and protect backcountry airstrips, a response to the administration's FAA budget proposal deleting an AOPA-supported provision prohibiting the use of federal funds to close backcountry airstrips.

AOPA is "interested in the preservation of existing backcountry landing strips as a matter of safety," AOPA President Phil Boyer wrote in letters to Secretary of Interior Gale Norton and Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman.

AOPA also asked the secretaries to support the Backcountry Landing Strip Access Act (S.681/H.R.1363), reintroduced in Congress by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Rep. Butch Otter (R-Idaho).

Court Agrees with AOPA, Overturns Law Blocking Airport Development

A Pennsylvania court has overturned a 1998 state law that could have set a precedent allowing local agencies to interfere with the national air transportation system.

The law, in essence, would have prevented airport improvements by giving local officials veto power over improvements to a federally- or state-funded airport.

Because of the national implications, AOPA filed a "friend-of-the-court" brief supporting a petition by Wings Field Preservation Associates, target of the 1998 law, that asked the court to declare the state law unconstitutional.

"A single community can't ban an interstate highway, and a single community shouldn't be able to block the expenditure of federal funds to improve an airport that's part of the national system," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.

AOPA was founded at Wings Field in 1939.

REGIONAL ACTION

AOPA Airs TV Commercial Aimed at Saving Chicago's Meigs Field

An AOPA-produced television commercial aimed at saving Chicago's Meigs Field airport aired in the Illinois capital of Springfield during the last week of the Illinois legislative session in late May.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has announced his intention to close the historic airport in February 2002. AOPA is trying to structure a resolution that maintains Meigs Field while still meeting Daley's interest in providing additional parks on the city's waterfront.

In a recent independent survey, a majority of Chicago residents favored keeping Meigs Field open.

The lakefront location of Meigs Field saves travelers to Chicago's downtown more than an hour of commuting, and allows arrivals and departures over Lake Michigan, keeping aircraft noise over water (see " Postcards: Chicago in a Day — Or Two," p. 113). It also allows much GA traffic to avoid the saturated O'Hare and Midway airports, helping to minimize already serious delays for millions of airline passengers.

The 30-second AOPA commercial establishes the airport's history and longstanding support from Chicago political leaders. It then moves to dramatic low-level aerial footage of the airfield, showing the airport's proximity to Chicago's business district and other nearby landmarks.

The commercial ends with the words, "Meigs Field is a valuable asset. Isn't it worth saving?"

"Meigs is a showcase and an icon of Chicago with its unique lakefront location," AOPA President Phil Boyer said. "We should leave no stone unturned at a time when runway capacity is so important to moving people."

AOPA also sent a copy of the commercial, with a personal letter from Boyer, to each Illinois state legislator, federal government representatives, and the news media.

For AOPA members with high-speed Internet access, a Quicktime version of the 30-second commercial is available online.

MEMBERSHIP ACTION

Garvey to Appear at AOPA Expo 2001

FAA Administrator Jane Garvey will address AOPA members on November 8 at the 2001 AOPA Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (see " Sun, Water, and Swing," p. 107). The speech will be her last at an AOPA Expo as FAA administrator.

Garvey's term as administrator ends in August 2002. She is the first administrator to serve a fixed five-year term, rather than simply serving at the pleasure of the president. AOPA had pushed for the fixed term to help keep FAA policies and priorities stable, something difficult under a succession of short-term administrators.

AOPA Expo 2001 will run from November 8 through 10 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

AOPA Fights for Oceanside Airport

AOPA warned the Southern California city of Oceanside in May that it will oppose any efforts to close Oceanside Municipal Airport.

"The airport creates jobs in the community," said AOPA Vice President of Regional Affairs Bill Dunn in a letter to Oceanside Mayor Terry Johnson. "Airport tenants also pay personal property and possessory interest taxes that help support local schools."

AOPA ASN volunteer David Barrett was the first to notify AOPA of the possibility that city officials were considering closing the airport in favor of other money-making operations.

AOPA AIRPORT SUPPORT NETWORK

Public-use airports in the United States are closing at the rate of more than one every two weeks. The AOPA Airport Support Network, launched in 1996, designates one volunteer per airport to watch for threats and encourage favorable public perception of general aviation. For more information on how you can help support your airport, visit AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/asn/ ).

Action in the States

Alaska. North Pole: City officials have commissioned an airport master plan study that may lead to purchase of the privately owned Bradley Sky Ranch airport as the municipal airport. AOPA ASN volunteer Curt Cebulski is following developments.

Colorado. Boulder: Noise complaints from a few citizens around Boulder Municipal Airport have generated inflammatory articles and letters to the editor in the local newspaper. AOPA ASN volunteer Phil Ecklund is working for more balanced coverage and is building ongoing support for the airport. Ecklund also reports that city officials have agreed to lengthen the runway slightly for safer operations.

Florida. Cocoa: Rental rates for aircraft owners based at three Florida airports are likely to rise again, according to Merritt Island Airport ASN volunteer Tony Yacono. The Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority is seeking an increase comparable to last year's hike of 8 percent for Merritt Island Airport, Arthur Dunn Air Park, and Space Coast Regional.

Idaho. McCall: A proposal for 50 upscale homes within a quarter-mile of McCall Airport is being investigated by AOPA ASN volunteer Scott Findlay. The proposed homes would be directly under the downwind leg for primary Runway 34.

Indiana. Elkhart: AOPA ASN volunteer David W. Dodson reports that a press conference on expansion of the Elkhart Municipal Airport brought favorable publicity on three local TV stations and two newspapers.

Kansas. Gardner: A proposal for more than 500 homes on 162 acres directly north of Gardner Municipal Airport is under study by AOPA ASN volunteer Richard McNett.

Maryland. AOPA ASN volunteers are still needed for Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Bay Bridge Airport.

Massachusetts. AOPA ASN volunteers are still needed for airports serving the communities of Southbridge, Marshfield, Stow, Gardner, Vineyard Haven, Orange, Worcester, Pittsfield, and Plymouth. Nantucket: A plan by Nantucket Memorial Airport management to allow a vehicle repair shop in the safety area for Runway 33 was defeated after AOPA ASN volunteer Mark S. Conway pointed out the safety implications.

Michigan. Jackson: AOPA ASN volunteer Chet Dziak is working with the management of Jackson County-Reynolds Field on new hangar and tiedown lease forms for aircraft owners. Dziak also reports that the airport has been selected by the FAA for a special study on runway safety zones.

Minnesota. Fairbault: Thanks to quick action by AOPA ASN volunteer Martin L. "Roy" Redman, AOPA received proposed new rules for the Fairbault Municipal Airport in time to suggest changes fairer to aircraft owners based there.

Montana. Hamilton: AOPA ASN volunteer Wendy Ross Beye has arranged for the chairman of the Ravalli County airport authority to use AOPA videos Local Airports: Access to America and Flying Friendly in presentations to service organizations in the area.

New Jersey. Manville: Central Jersey Regional airport could soon be on the endangered list, reports ASN volunteer Martin G. Christie. Proponents of a senior citizens center have purchased 50 percent of the privately owned airport.

New York. Montgomery: A switch to the less crowded Unicom frequency of 122.725 MHz for Orange County Airport earlier this year was spearheaded by AOPA ASN volunteer Howard Alan Kave.

North Dakota. Casselton: AOPA ASN volunteer Robert J. Miller in May won stronger tall-tower zoning ordinances in the City of Casselton and three surrounding townships, helping to protect Casselton Regional Airport. The lobbying effort was prompted by a proposed 200-foot tower just two miles from the airport. Proponents of that tower have since agreed to reduce AIR SAFETY FOUNDATIONits height and move it farther from the airport.

Volunteer of the Month

AOPA ASN volunteer Ed M. Levine's home airport of Leesburg Executive/Godfrey Field, Virginia, is a busy nontowered airport with nearly 100,000 takeoffs and landings every year.

Because Leesburg is just nine miles northwest of Washington Dulles International Airport and underlies a 1,100-feet-agl ledge of Washington, D.C., Class B airspace, many pilots prefer to use ATC radar services.

But controllers at nearby Dulles were often too busy to provide those radar services at Leesburg, so Levine took the concerns directly to Dulles Acting Air Traffic Manager Sherelle Carper and her assistant, Jaime Llana.

As a result of Levine's intervention, an ongoing dialog between Leesburg pilots and ATC has been established, and Carper and her staff have dedicated themselves to providing Leesburg pilots with ATC services necessary for safety. Informal studies are also under way on the structure of the Class B airspace over Leesburg Executive Airport.

Levine is also founder of the airport support group Leesburg Pilots Association.

Membership ACTION

Boyer Reaches More than 100,000 Pilots

AOPA President Phil Boyer has spoken to more than 100,300 pilots in public meetings during his 10-year career at the head of AOPA. He passed the 100,000-pilot waypoint in March during a Pilot Town Meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"But the speaking isn't the most important part; it's the listening," said Boyer. "I relish the opportunity to talk with AOPA members, to find out what's on their minds, and learn how AOPA can better meet their needs."

Boyer spends about a week a month traveling to cities across the nation to meet with pilots.

New U.S.-Canada Border-Crossing Guide Now Available

A new guide for pilots planning international flights across the U.S.-Canada border is now available from AOPA and the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA).

The 141-page publication, AOPA/COPA Guide to Cross-Border Operations, is the result of a two-year collaboration between AOPA and COPA.

The guide is available without cost in the members-only section of Web sites for both AOPA ( www.aopa.org) and COPA ( www.copanational.org), and in printed form from either association for a small shipping and handling fee.

AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION

ASF Boxes Popular Collision Avoidance and GPS Seminars

Two of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's most popular live safety seminars, Collision Avoidance and GPS for VFR Operations, are now available as prepackaged Seminar-in-a-Box programs for small groups of pilots.

ASF Seminar-in-a-Box programs provide fast-paced, riveting safety information for pilots who are unable to attend live ASF safety seminars held regularly throughout the country. Each program includes the same information presented in the live seminars, and features videos, safety pamphlets, and a presenter's guide. Evaluation forms and door prizes complete the package.

Collision Avoidance focuses on ways to avoid one of the most devastating causes of aviation accidents. The two-hour program uses videos and guided discussions to reveal the secrets of locating and tracking traffic, getting the most effective help from ATC, coping with aerial distractions, and cockpit resource management principles for effective collision avoidance.

The two-hour GPS for VFR Operations, also using videotape, safety pamphlets, and guidance for a discussion leader, presents real-life advice on the joys and tribulations of GPS in general aviation flying.

Cautionary tales in the program include the story of a careless pilot who entered one wrong letter in his destination airport identifier and nearly ran out of fuel trying to reach the erroneous destination 2,000 miles away.

The new Seminar-in-a-Box programs join eight other titles, including Airspace Refresher, Never Again, More Never Again, Operations at Towered Airports, Trigger Tape I, Trigger Tape II, Weather Strategies, and Weather Tactics.

Although all Seminar-in-a-Box programs are free to aviation safety counselors, flying clubs, and other organized aviation groups, there is a charge of $24.95 for shipping and handling. When used under FAA auspices, these seminars satisfy the safety meeting requirements of the FAA Wings safety program.

To order any of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation Seminar-in-a-Box programs, visit the Web site, or call ASF at 301/695-2182.