AOPA Action

AOPA forestalls renewed N.J. attempt at pilot background check law

Student pilots and aircraft renters in New Jersey will not have to undergo criminal background checks or get special state-issued photo IDs, at least for the time being.

In November, AOPA learned that the New Jersey state senate was about to consider a renewed and even more onerous pilot background check bill. AOPA Senior Vice President of Government and Technical Affairs Andy Cebula met with the bill's sponsor, State Sen. Peter A. Inverso (R-14th District) in the state capital the day the Transportation Committee was to have considered the measure. "We talked at length about the measures the federal government has taken since September 11, 2001, to address aviation security nationwide," said Cebula. "We also discussed measures AOPA and the rest of the GA industry have introduced - from security guidelines for GA airports that we suggested in December 2001 and which the FAA later adopted, to the AOPA's Airport Watch program, which has the full support of the Transportation Security Administration."

Inverso took the bill off the committee's agenda, saying he would continue to monitor the efforts of the federal government and the aviation industry to assure that New Jersey citizens are being adequately protected.

AOPA has filed a federal lawsuit against similar legislation already in force in Michigan. The FAA has filed a letter supporting AOPA's position in the case (see "AOPA Action," January AOPA Flight Training).

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New Congress gets to work, beginning with unfinished business

Even as a large number of general aviation's supporters arrive on Capitol Hill for the 108th U.S. Congress, AOPA's Legislative Affairs department has been preparing for a busy winter and spring.

High on the members' to-do list will be passing all 13 spending bills left unfinished by the 107th Congress. AOPA will work to assure that the FAA, through the Transportation Department's appropriations bill, receives adequate funding for improvements to the Flight Service Station system and the services it provides (including development and distribution of graphical depictions of temporary flight restrictions), and for the Airport Improvement Program.

Also of vital importance to AOPA members is the FAA reauthorization bill. A reauthorization bill is the tool that Congress uses to tell the FAA what Congress thinks the FAA should be doing.

"We will also be keeping a close watch to see if stadium overflight legislation is re-introduced," said Julia Krauss, AOPA's vice president of legislative affairs. A bill backed by several major sporting organizations that would have rescinded waivers for aerial advertisers over many sports venues passed the Senate late last year, but died when the House did not act on it before going home.

"If the legislation is resurrected in the new Congress," said Krauss, "either as a stand-alone bill or as an amendment to other legislation, AOPA will marshal all of its resources to oppose the measure."

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AOPA's Airport Watch in full swing

On December 2, 2002, the Transportation Security Administration activated the new toll-free nationwide hotline for AOPA's Airport Watch. The hotline gives pilots a single, easy-to-remember phone number (866/GA-SECURE) to report suspicious activity at an airport. When a pilot calls, the phone rings at the National Response Center, where an operator will take information and route it to all appropriate authorities, including local law enforcement for the airport being reported.

A brochure detailing steps a pilot can take to help make GA airports more secure is available on AOPA Online www.aopa.org/asn/watchindex.shtml. Printed copies of the brochure will be mailed to all AOPA members.

The Airport Watch program also includes posters for FBOs and a video portraying several scenarios that might prompt a call to the hotline.

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Members can choose their news with customized AOPA ePilot

AOPA's popular e-mail newsletter, ePilot, has gotten personal.

The weekly publication was already regionalized, delivering some information based on a subscriber�s address. Now subscribers with paid AOPA memberships can be even more selective about what they get. By going to the AOPA Web site https://www.aopa.org/apps/epilot/personalize and checking boxes to select their areas of aviation interest and the type of aircraft they fly, members will receive newsletters that include additional information on the subjects that interest them.

Personalization is not currently offered for the ePilot Flight Training Edition-but members who currently receive both newsletters can select the flight training interest area and begin to receive "Training Tips" and other student-oriented material in their regular ePilot, eliminating the need to subscribe to both e-mail newsletters.

AOPA ePilot now has a weekly circulation of 220,000 members.

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New funds for flight training

AOPA and AOPA Certified partner MBNA America Bank are constantly looking for ways to make flight training more affordable. The MBNA America Aircraft Financing Program now offers home equity loans. Funds can be used for flight training, and in many cases interest may be tax deductible.

For more information, visit AOPA Online www.aopa.org/info/he1/.