Action in the states

This month’s focus: Northwest Mountain Region

July 11, 2016

In Washington, AOPA is working to advance the cause of general aviation during long-range planning meetings for Seattle’s Boeing Field. AOPA is the only GA member of the Master Plan Update Working Group.

AOPA’s Warren Hendrickson is also working with the Washington State Aviation Alliance on strategic planning for the 2017 state legislative session. In Oregon, AOPA is working with local stakeholders to resolve problems created by recent airspace changes at McNary Field in Salem. The changes have resulted in the FAA issuing a notam identifying an instrument approach to the airport as “not authorized.” On August 13, Hendrickson is scheduled to provide an AOPA advocacy update at Wings Over Willamette at Independence State Airport. Hendrickson also is working with local stakeholders to form a Powder River Council to work to improve communication between the military and civilian aviators and resolve operational issues as they arise at the Powder River Training Complex special-use airspace, which covers 28,000 square miles in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota. In Colorado, AOPA is working to address safety issues raised by a proposal to build a hotel along the approach path to Boulder Municipal Airport. AOPA is working with Longmont Municipal Airport’s Airport Support Network volunteer to address concerns that new rules, regulations, and minimum standards at the airport contain some onerous provisions that need to be revised. Also in Colorado, AOPA took part in the Colorado Airport Operators Association Conference and meetings of the Colorado Pilots Association and the FNL Pilots Association.

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, blog posts, and tweets for your region.

Meet Your Regional Manager

Warren Hendrickson, Northwest Mountain Region

As the Northwest Mountain regional manager, Warren Hendrickson is responsible for general aviation state advocacy, policy, and other aviation-related issues in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. Before joining AOPA, Hendrickson was executive director of the Washington Airport Management Association. His aviation career includes positions as a general aviation airport planner and an Air Force and Delta instructor pilot. He lives in Seattle and is a member of the Washington Pilots Association, EAA, and the RFTS Flying Club, where he maintains his IFR currency in several Cessna aircraft. He is also a Young Eagles and Angel Flight pilot.

Alaska Region:Tom George, Fairbanks, Alaska, [email protected]

Northwest Mountain Region: Warren Hendrickson, Seattle, Washington, [email protected]

Western Pacific Region: Melissa McCaffrey, Temecula, California, [email protected]

Central Southwest Region: Yasmina Platt, Houston, Texas, [email protected]

Great Lakes Region: Jared Esselman, Frederick, Maryland, [email protected]

Southern Region: Steve Hedges, Columbus, North Carolina, [email protected]

Eastern Region: Sean Collins, Bangor, Maine, [email protected]