User fees in FAA reauthorization legislation
By Elizabeth Tennyson
AOPA will stand firm in its opposition to user fees as FAA reauthorization legislation moves to the full House. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the bill on a 32-to-26 vote following a marathon markup in late February.
“We’re profoundly disappointed that user fees are still part of this legislation,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “AOPA simply won’t accept user fees in any form on any segment of general aviation. And while there are some very positive provisions for GA in this proposal, user fees are a nonstarter for us.”
Following an amendment, the proposed Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act of 2016 (see “Reauthorization Bill Details,” p. 28), would exempt Part 135 charter operations in Alaska and Hawaii from user fees, but operators in other states would still be subject to the charges—a situation AOPA says is unacceptable, despite the inclusion of pro-GA provisions such as third class medical reform and certification reform in the bill.
“This isn’t over. We’re going to keep fighting to protect every segment of general aviation in every state from user fees when this legislation goes to the full House,” Baker said.
Baker pledged to continue to work with GA advocates, including Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), to defeat user fees. Graves and Rokita have a long history of opposition to user fees and both voted against sending H.R.4441 to the full House.
In addition to user fees, the bill retains plans to separate air traffic control functions from the FAA and place them into a federally chartered not-for-profit entity. The controversial privatization plan survived a proposed amendment from Committee Ranking Member Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), which would have kept the FAA intact and provided a portion of the agency’s funding through mandatory spending, reducing the funding uncertainty caused by the annual appropriations process. That measure failed on a 25-34 vote along party lines.
The bill now moves to the full House, where it will likely face another round of amendments—as well as skepticism from appropriators who have expressed opposition to removing ATC operations from the fiscal oversight of Congress.
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$69 billion, six years -- H.R.4441: Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization Act of 2016
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Baker on the move
AOPA President Mark Baker uses his extensive business experience to help AOPA build value for its members, with a special emphasis on aligning association resources with member priorities.
Last month
March 2—HAI CEO Panel, Louisville, Kentucky
March 8—Collier Selection Committee, Arlington, Virginia
March 10-12—Women in Aviation International, Nashville, Tennessee
March 17—Aero Club of Atlanta
This month
April 5-10—Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In, Lakeland, Florida (Pilot Town Hall April 8)
April 28—AirSpace Minnesota, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
“User fees are an all-or-nothing proposition as far as we’re concerned.”
Action in the states
This month’s focus: Great Lakes Region
Great Lakes Regional Manager Bryan Budds testified before Michigan lawmakers in support of two pro-general aviation bills. He spoke before the state Senate Transportation Committee in favor of H.B.4727 which would require meteorological evaluation towers to be marked and charted. The bill passed the committee and is awaiting consideration by the full Senate. Budds also spoke before the state Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of H.B.4244, which would clarify existing liability protections for private airstrip owners. In addition, AOPA sponsored and took part in the first-ever Michigan Aviation Safety Forum. The full-day event was held in Ypsilanti with the mission of delivering safety education to pilots and aviation maintenance technicians. And the association is formally opposing plans to build a wind turbine within the traffic pattern of a private airstrip in Michigan’s “thumb.”
AOPA also took part in the Aviation Association of Indiana’s aviation day at the capitol. Throughout the day, Budds met with legislative leaders and discussed opportunities to strengthen the state’s general aviation airports. In Wisconsin, Budds has contacted airport managers and Airport Support Network volunteers to get feedback on plans to expand the Volk Airspace Complex, a military operations area. AOPA is concerned that the proposal would reduce the utility of underlying civilian airports and make north-south air travel difficult. Budds provided testimony to the Ohio House State Government Committee in favor of H.B.386, sponsored by Rep. Rick Perales, which would add an image of the Wright Flyer to the Ohio Great Seal.
Advocating for your region
Through AOPA staff, a network of seven regional managers, and a corps of 2,500 Airport Support Network volunteers, AOPA advocates for its members at the state and local levels to:
• Promote, protect, and defend America’s community airports.
• Maintain sufficient state and local funding for GA Airports and infrastructure.
• Prevent excess state taxation on flying.
• Protect general aviation from unnecessary state and local regulation.
• View proposed releases of airport property that could affect your local airport.
• Please click on your state on the map online to see news, blogs posts, and tweets for your region.
Meet Your Regional Manager
Bryan Budds, Great Lakes Region
Bryan Budds has been AOPA’s Great Lakes regional manager since 2011. He is responsible for state advocacy, policy, and other general aviation-related issues in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. Budds has extensive aviation policy experience at the state and federal level, including as staff to a member of Congress and as a transportation analyst for the U.S. Defense Department. He majored in public administration and public policy at Michigan State University and earned a Master of Arts in transportation policy, operations, and logistics from George Mason University. Budds is a former AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer, and flies from Willow Run Airport in suburban Detroit.
Alaska Region: Tom George, Fairbanks, Alaska
Northwest Mountain Region: Warren Hendrickson, Seattle, Washington
Western Pacific Region: Melissa McCaffrey, Temecula, California
Central Southwest Region: Yasmina Platt, Houston, Texas
Great Lakes Region: Bryan Budds, Detroit, Michigan
Southern Region: Steve Hedges, Columbus, North Carolina
Eastern Region: Sean Collins, Bangor, Maine
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