The GAO called on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to complete an overall risk assessment study for general aviation and GA airports, but the report does not recommend a mandate for physical security upgrades at the nation's 5,200 public-use airports.
"This new GAO report confirms and adds validity to what AOPA and the GA industry has been saying ever since the September 11 attacks," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "General aviation airports are so many and so varied that a 'one-size-fits-all' security plan is just not feasible."
The report concludes, "[H]omeland security and national preparedness often begin with the private sector. While the federal government can provide guidance and some amount of funding for security enhancements, long-term success in securing general aviation depends on a partnership among the federal government, state governments, and the general aviation industry."
AOPA's FBO Rebate program surpasses $15 million
Since its inception in 1997, the AOPA/MBNA FBO Rebate Program has given back more than $15 million in rebates to AOPA members. For student pilots, the AOPA FBO Rebate credit card can be a great way to cut some of the cost of flight training while supporting AOPA's mission of defending general aviation's interests.
AOPA members who carry the AOPA FBO Rebate credit card, issued by AOPA Member Products partner MBNA America Bank, N.A., receive 5-percent rebates on their first $5,000 in purchases from qualified FBOs each year (up to $250 in rebates yearly). The savings could pay for products or services ranging from pilot supplies to aircraft rental and flight instruction.
For more information or to sign up for AOPA credit cards, see the Web site.
AOPA upgrades medical certification services
AOPA recently completed several major upgrades to make it easier for members to contact AOPA's Medical Certification staff, and for AOPA staff to stay in touch with the FAA's Aerospace Medical Certification Division in Oklahoma City.
First, AOPA installed state-of-the-art encryption software to ensure that all member medical status inquiries submitted to the FAA have the highest degree of protection available.
A new customized medical status inquiry management database allows the medical certification staff to track member medical cases as they're routed through the FAA's certification process. Members can submit a status check request online.
"Going in for an FAA medical exam unprepared is an invitation to be grounded for months," said Gary Crump, AOPA's director of medical certification. "But having complete medical records available for the aviation medical examiner may result in an issuance in the office."
Congressional action includes overhaul of future pilot certificates
The final action of the 108th Congress is going to change what you get when you pass your checkride. The so-called 9/11 Intelligence Reform Bill includes a provision requiring the FAA to develop and implement a new pilot certificate that includes a photo ID and biometric data within one year. AOPA worked closely with Congress to address some of the problematic implementation questions, such as where and how pilots would get their photograph taken.
Shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, AOPA and the General Aviation Coalition made a number of security enhancement recommendations including a photo ID certificate. AOPA also suggested, and the FAA agreed, that requiring pilots to carry a government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license in addition to a pilot certificate would be a good interim security measure.
"Even before the September 11 attacks, the FAA was woefully behind the times when it came to photo ID certificates," said Andy Cebula, AOPA's senior vice president of government and technical affairs.
The bill sent to President Bush permits aviation medical examiners to take pilot ID photos. The original language would have required pilots to make an appointment at the nearest FAA Flight Standards District Office to get their pictures taken.
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