Chicago's Meigs Field to Remain Open
Victory Proves Pilots Can Overcome Long Odds to Save Airports, Says Boyer
Chicago's close-in Meigs Field will remain open for another 25 years, capping more than six years of unceasing efforts by local pilots and AOPA to save the embattled airport.
Illinois Gov. George Ryan and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley inked the agreement to preserve the airport on December 5.
"This historic political deal should send a message to pilots everywhere about saving airports," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "A strong local coalition, Friends of Meigs, with the support of national organizations such as AOPA can succeed in overcoming unbelievable odds in favor of closing an airport. As Gov. Ryan said, 'This is bigger than the both of us.' Saving Meigs Field was bigger than any one organization."
The pact keeping Meigs open is part of a larger agreement between the city and state to expand O'Hare International Airport and to build a new airport south of Chicago at Peotone. Although the agreement calls for Meigs to stay open until at least 2026, one clause would allow the Illinois legislature to close it after 2006. Observers say that clause is unlikely to be exercised.
Meigs' operating deficit will be covered by the two largest airlines operating out of O'Hare — United and American.
In the course of fighting to keep Meigs open, AOPA participated in lawsuits, lobbied both the Illinois legislature and Congress, produced television commercials and newspaper ads, and mounted an extensive behind-the-scenes effort.
It was AOPA's experience with Meigs that led to the formation of the association's Airport Support Network of AOPA volunteers dedicated to defending GA airports throughout the United States.
"AOPA will continue to monitor the finalization of the agreement," said Boyer, "and make sure that the airport receives support in the legislature when the 2006 clause might be implemented."
At least five congressional leaders are working to buttress the Daley-Ryan agreement with national legislation.
Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), along with Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), both AOPA members, introduced an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill in early December to cement that agreement. They were forced to withdraw it after a filibuster threat by Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.). The senators plan to reintroduce the legislation, perhaps as a standalone bill.
Rep. William Lipinski (D-Ill.) said he would offer companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Boyer praised both Gov. Ryan and Mayor Daley for making Meigs a key part of the deal. "You stood by what you believed was the right thing to do and for that our members are grateful," Boyer wrote to Ryan. He told Daley, "Your compromise with the governor is indeed one of the most significant agreements ever reached between a Chicago mayor and an Illinois governor."
Why Meigs?
Victory! Meigs Field looks like it is saved! I savor writing those words.
It has been a long six-year battle, and up until the last moment it appeared that we might lose. But as Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'til it's over." A last-minute political deal between Chicago Mayor Daley and Illinois Gov. Ryan means Meigs' future is secure. Now all that is left is to seal their agreement in federal legislation so a new mayor or governor can't change the deal. That might not happen until spring.
Why Meigs? Why did AOPA fight so hard to save this one little airport?
Partly because Merrill C. Meigs Field is an icon. Located on the Lake Michigan shoreline right next to downtown Chicago, Meigs is the perfect example of all of the benefits that a GA airport offers a community — easy access for business and recreational travelers, a traffic reliever for major hub airports, and an important part of the city's public safety system.
But mostly, AOPA fought so hard because of what Meigs means to pilots everywhere. "If they can close Meigs, they can close my airport!"
So we threw all of AOPA's resources into the battle. We fought on the public relations front with newspaper ads and television commercials. We fought behind the scenes.
We battled on the legislative front, lobbying the Illinois legislature, the governor, and even Congress. We fought in the courts.
But the most important thing we did was to ally our efforts with a strong, local coalition of area pilots and concerned community members that was giving its all to save the airport. Friends of Meigs, spearheaded by Steve Whitney, a dedicated Chicago pilot, was the local advocate for the airport. And without the efforts of that group, Meigs would have been closed and turned into yet another lakefront park.
In fact, Whitney's unrelenting efforts won him AOPA's coveted Sharples Award in 1997.
And there is a message for pilots everywhere in that: A strong local coalition, with the support of strong national organizations such as AOPA, can overcome unbelievable odds that favor closing an airport. But AOPA never could have saved Meigs alone.
The Meigs battle has been won. But how about your airport? General aviation pilots are still losing about two public-use airports a month.
If your airport already has an Airport Support Network volunteer, contact him or her and offer your support. And if your airport doesn't yet have an ASN representative, volunteer yourself. You can find more information online ( www.aopa.org/asn/).
But don't wait until a local politician is on the verge of closing the airport. The time to save your airport is now!
Congressional Support for GA Relief Urged
AOPA has been pressing Congress to help general aviation businesses devastated by fallout from the terrorist attacks of September 11.
In a letter sent in late November to every member of the House of Representatives, AOPA President Phil Boyer wrote that GA businesses "do not appear to qualify for relief under any established federal law or program." He commended the General Aviation Industry Reparations Act of 2001 (H.R.3347), introduced November 27 by Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House aviation subcommittee. The bill would provide $2.5 billion in direct grants and $5 billion in federal loan guarantees to GA businesses that have suffered severe economic injury as a result of the terrorist attacks.
Mica's bill is similar to the General Aviation Small Business Relief Act (H.R.3007) that Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) introduced with the help of AOPA. Congressman Shuster is an original cosponsor of H.R.3347.
2002 FAA Funding of $13.3 Billion Passes, Includes Many GA-Favorable Provisions
A transportation appropriations package approved by the U.S. Senate on December 4 includes a record $13.3 billion for 2002 FAA operations as well as many AOPA-encouraged provisions benefiting GA pilots.
"Most importantly, this funding bill abides by the provisions of AIR-21, which unlocked the aviation trust fund in 2000," declared AOPA President Phil Boyer. "In passing this budget authorization, our lawmakers have kept the faith with GA pilots."
AOPA-requested provisions in the legislation include:
Replacement of FSS computers — OASIS
The legislation provides full funding for the Operation And Supportability Implementa-tion System, replacing aging computers currently used by specialists in the FAA's 61 automated flight service stations.
Weather information, cockpit display research
Congress appropriated $39.3 million, a third more than the president's request, for continued development of advanced cockpit systems that combine GPS moving-map displays with weather reports and forecasts, provide in-cockpit displays of real-time ground-based radar, and alert pilots to collision hazards with other aircraft or terrain.
Increased benefit for GPS users
Congress added $5 million to an existing $75.5 million in funding for development of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), which will improve GPS accuracy enough to allow GPS precision instrument approaches.
More nonprecision GPS instrument approaches
Nonprecision GPS instrument approaches developed specifically for GA airports received a $5 million boost. The approaches — many likely to be developed for airports that have never before had any instrument approach — will increase the utility of general aviation travel nationwide. In addition, Congress is requiring development of GPS "airways" to supplement the current VOR airway route system, giving pilots additional options in increasingly congested airspace.
Improvement in notam dissemination
In the wake of terrorist attacks on September 11, it became obvious to all that the notice-to-airmen (notam) system was broken, something AOPA had been telling the FAA for years. In this year's funding authorization, $1 million was dedicated to repair that deficiency. The bill directs the FAA to transfer notams to the more efficient Special Use Airspace Management System.
General aviation fuels research
Some $400,000 more than the president's budget request was provided for the General Aviation Propulsion — Compression Ignition Test and Evaluation Program (GAP CITEP), a joint NASA and FAA effort. That AOPA-supported program is evaluating alternative fuels for general aviation, needed because of the almost-certain loss of leaded fuels for GA aircraft within the next few years.
$50,000 landing fee nixed after AOPA warnings, FAA action
The town of Islip, New York, has agreed to drop enforcement of a $50,000 nighttime landing fee at Long Island MacArthur Airport.
AOPA had tried several times to discuss nighttime curfew issues with Islip but was rebuffed. AOPA then asked the FAA to investigate the town's operation of the airport.
The agency responded, putting the town on notice with a letter requiring Islip to rescind the excessive landing-fee ordinance to remain in compliance with federal regulations.
Islip has received more than $47 million since 1982 in federal Airport Improvement Program funds.
AOPA Response to Attacks Recalls Founding, AOPA Board Chairman Tells Employees
AOPA Board of Trustees Chairman R. Anderson Pew thanked AOPA employees in December for their efforts in returning GA pilots to the skies following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Speaking on videotape, Pew compared AOPA employees' post September 11 efforts to the days of AOPA's founding in 1939, when World War II clouds were gathering.
Telling of a fellow board member's impression of AOPA activity during the crisis, Pew said, "It was like the World War II London war room. Men and women knowing exactly what they were supposed to do in a totally and beautifully coordinated team effort to protect all of us and our rights to fly.
"I can certainly imagine the sacrifices in time, sleep, and energy that you all have had to make," he told employees. "But do know that it is so very much appreciated."
AOPA Guide to FAA Enforcement Actions Revised, Expanded
A 48-page revised, updated, and expanded AOPA publication titled An Overview of FAA Enforcement is now available free to AOPA members online ( www.aopa.org/members/files/guides/enforce.html).
The guide contains pertinent articles by AOPA General Counsel John S. Yodice, many of which appeared in AOPA Pilot magazine from 1974 through 1999.
It also features six new chapters, including "Medical Certification Actions," written by AOPA Director of Medical Certification Gary Crump. Another new chapter outlines the AOPA Legal Services Plan. Four other new chapters look at FAA emergency actions, the FAA's "ticket program," how to handle a ramp check, and how the FAA's record-expunction program works.
For AOPA members without Internet access, a limited number of hardcopy editions of An Overview of FAA Enforcement are available.
Flight Training Edition of ePilot Debuts
A new version of AOPA's electronic newsletter ePilot, tightly focused on the needs of student pilots, debuted in December.
The flight training edition of AOPA ePilot will be sent every Friday morning to about 10,000 student pilots who are Flight Training magazine trial members of AOPA.
"Research indicates that a student who joins AOPA is three times more likely to get his or her certificate," said Michael P. Collins, editor of AOPA Flight Training magazine. "This online bridge to specific informational resources will go a long way toward that end."
The flight training edition of ePilot includes news that benefits student pilots. It complements "Online Resources for Student Pilots" on the Web site ( www.aopa.org/flight_training/student/).
Aircraft Improvement Loans Launched, Choose-Your-Rate Option Added
Refurbishment of older aircraft is now more practical, thanks to new programs available through AOPA Certified Partner MBNA America Bank, N.A. (Delaware).
AOPA's new Aircraft Improvement Loan Program, with minimum improvement loans of $10,000 and flexible repayment terms, is based on an owner's equity in the aircraft and is available even with an existing aircraft loan.
At the same time, a new choose-your-rate financing arrangement for either improvement or purchase loans allows AOPA members to purchase points to further lower interest rates on those loans. The points can be rolled directly into the financing package with no out-of-pocket expenses.
More information on the AOPA loan program and the choose-your-rate financing option is available by calling 800/62-PLANE (800/627-5263) or visiting the Web ( www.aopa.org/aircraftfinancing/). An online loan application is available.
'Personalized' Airspace Notices Debut; Free to AOPA Members
A new AOPA service alerts individual members by e-mail when important changes occur in that member's local flying area.
The new "personalized" notices are available free to any AOPA member who receives AOPA's electronic newsletter ePilot.
To register, visit the Web site ( https://www.aopa.org/apps/epilot/).
Airspace User Group Guide Revised, Taken Public
AOPA's online guide to participation in airspace user groups has been updated and moved from the members-only section of AOPA Online into the public section.
Airspace user groups provide recommendations to the FAA on establishing and changing Class B and C airspace.
The step-by-step AOPA guide helps pilots understand why airspace is configured as it is and describes who should be group members and what should be accomplished at group meetings. It also provides plain-language airspace-design standards and information about aeronautical-chart depictions of airspace.
The new guide is available online ( www.aopa.org/whatsnew/air_traffic/tcagroup.html).
Patriotic Logo on AOPA Apparel at Sporty's; GA Restoration Fund Benefits
AOPA's new patriotic logo is now an option when ordering embroidered apparel from Sporty's Pilot Shop, and a portion of each sale will go directly to AOPA's General Aviation Restoration Fund.
Sporty's is offering the colorful stars and stripes AOPA logo (as well as the traditional AOPA wings logo) on shirts, jackets, and caps. The entire collection may be seen online ( www.sportys.com).
The GA Restoration Fund will finance a public education program to help political leaders and the public better understand the value of general aviation. Among other things, the campaign will buy advertisements on television and radio stations, as well as display advertisements in major metropolitan newspapers.
AOPA AIRPORT SUPPORT NETWORK
Volunteer of the Month: Lillian LeBlanc
After nearly three years of working for protective zoning around the Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport in Auburn, Maine, AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer Lillian LeBlanc is finally meeting with success.
At its December 2001 meeting, the Auburn Lewistown Airport Board asked LeBlanc to work with city fathers to develop an "airport zone" to help protect the airport from encroachment.
LeBlanc has been pushing for such protection since assuming the ASN position in May 1998. Her campaign gained strength in late 2000, when a new Ford auto dealership was constructed on a hill just beyond the airport boundary, effectively ending any hope for meaningful lengthening of the airport's primary Runway 4/22.
In September 2001, LeBlanc helped turn away another threat to the airport, when proposed expansion of a variety store would have encroached on the airport's runway protection areas. LeBlanc researched aviation restrictions that could result from the construction, providing data that allowed newly appointed Airport Manager Peter Drinkwater to negotiate with store officials. They are now seeking a new location far removed from the airport.
"ASN volunteers like Lil LeBlanc are true unsung heroes of airport support," said Mark Lowdermilk, manager of the AOPA Airport Support Network. "Without ASN volunteers like Lil, pilots would have a lot fewer places to land."
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 1997, 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
California. Hawthorne: Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne Municipal Airport received an overwhelming vote of confidence from the citizens of Hawthorne in November, with 70 percent saying no to an initiative that could have closed the airport. AOPA ASN volunteer Gary Parsons led the fight for a no vote on the ballot, which asked if the city should "pursue reuse of the property currently operated by the city as an airport to generate additional revenues."
Colorado. Colorado Springs: In December, the Colorado Springs City Council appointed AOPA ASN volunteer Stephen D. Ducoff to a three-year term on the City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport Advisory Commission.
Missouri. Lee's Summit: AOPA ASN volunteer Gary Fox reports that Lee's Summit city fathers in December approved the purchase of 53 acres to lessen the aeronautical impact of a proposed residential development near Lee's Summit Municipal Airport. The purchase is part of a lawsuit settlement that also reduces by nearly 75 percent the number of units in the project and triples the distance from the nearest home to the approach end of Runway 36.
Washington. Seattle: At a King County Council Economic Summit in October, AOPA ASN volunteer Jim Combs and a representative from The Boeing Company made three recommendations to help preserve GA in the county. They stressed recognition of aviation in local transportation system plans, a supportive environment for aviation, and a coordinated approach to airport planning, protection, and development for all airports in King County. Vancouver: A new fence with a gate 18 feet high, built by the National Park Service adjacent to Pearson Field, has drawn the ire of local pilots because of its proximity to the approach end of Runway 8. AOPA ASN volunteer Steve Tubbs is helping to coordinate a petition against the project, and reports that the FAA has now asked city fathers to submit information on the obstruction for an official airspace study.
Wisconsin. Waukesha: AOPA ASN volunteer Stephen Betzler is serving as chairman of the new Waukesha Airport Community, Corporate, and Kids Organization (WACCKO), which was chartered in November to promote benefits and awareness of the Waukesha County Airport.
AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION
FAA Corrects Military Intercept Procedures
ASF Caught Error, Provided Correct Information Months Before
In late November, the FAA finally published a notam correcting longstanding errors in military intercept procedures published in the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM).
AOPA Air Safety Foundation staff discovered the errors in late September, after the terrorist attacks made military intercepts of GA aircraft a serious issue. Shortly after that discovery, ASF published a corrected version on its Web site, and followed it up with a convenient downloadable version online ( www.aopa.org/asf/publications/intercept.pdf).
"Before September 11, nobody was concerned about military intercept procedures of GA aircraft, because it almost never happened," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "After September 11, it became literally a life-and-death issue. Pilots should read and understand the corrected procedures."
$11,500 in Scholarships Awarded in 2001 by ASF
Seven college students received $11,500 in ASF-administered aviation scholarships in 2001, given by four different benefactors.
Four of the scholarships, sponsored by ExxonMobil Lubricants and Petroleum Specialties, offer $2,000 each for two students in aviation A&P programs and the same amount for two students in four-year aviation-degree programs.
Winners of the two ExxonMobil A&P scholarships in 2001 were Steven Bontempo of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Edward Bradley of Eastern New Mexico University in Roswell.
ExxonMobil Aviation scholarships last year went to Daniel J. Moseley, of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, and Ryan Phillips, at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
A $1,500 Koch Corporation Scholarship, given annually to a Kentucky resident working on an aviation degree, was awarded last year to Elizabeth Copeland of Upton, Kentucky. She is attending Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.
The 2001 Burnside Memorial Scholarship of $1,000 was won by Benjamin Wielenga, an aviation student at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas. The Burnside Memorial Scholarship honors the cofounder of the Burnside-Ott Flight School in Florida.
The McAllister Memorial Scholarship, also a $1,000 award, in 2001 was won by Christopher W. Guest, an aviation student at Delaware State University in Dover. The McAllister Memorial Scholarship was established to honor flight instructors Eugene and Dorothy McAllister.
Both the Burnside and McAllister scholarships are administered jointly by the University Aviation Association and ASF.
All four benefactors are offering the ASF-administered scholarships in 2002. The application deadline for Burnside and McAllister scholarships is March 31, 2002, while applications for the other five scholarships must be received no later than July 31, 2002. For information and applications, visit the ASF Web site ( www.aopa.org/asf/about/scholarship/).
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