Fees for overflight services going up
U.S. aircraft should be exempt, AOPA says
The fees the FAA charges to recover some of the cost of providing the services were set to be raised in three annual increments, starting February 1, 2017. Also going up, according to the rule published in November, is the minimum billing threshold amount: from $250 to $400, in response to comments submitted by AOPA. The association also noted that raising the minimum charge would provide relief for many casual U.S. fliers visiting the Caribbean.
Raising the billing threshold will reduce the impact on GA, but AOPA continues to emphasize the association’s contention that the charges were not intended to apply to U.S.-registered GA aircraft.
“Many general aviation pilots fly in the Caribbean. If they make a fuel stop en route to their final destination and then proceed under IFR or VFR using FAA-provided air traffic services, as is the case in many parts of the Caribbean, they become subject to an overflight fee,” said Rune Duke, AOPA director of airspace and air traffic. “It was not the intention of Congress to impact U.S. general aviation, and AOPA believes it is a legitimate safety concern for the FAA to continue to charge these pilots for FAA-provided air traffic services.”
The FAA took the position in its final rule that Congress did not differentiate between GA and commercial aviation when it comes to paying the fees, and noted generally that the increases will bring the agency closer to “full cost recovery” for the services. The higher fees will “provide greater incentives” for users to economize on using U.S.-controlled airspace and services, the agency said.
AOPA submitted two letters of comments during consideration of the rule that was proposed in August 2015 to update fee rates, noting that floor debate on the original legislation in Congress focused on commercial air carriers.
2017 Bahamas and Caribbean guides now available
Plan your flight to the Bahamas and the Caribbean
If you are thinking of a trip to the Bahamas or the Caribbean in 2017, start your planning with AOPA's The Bahamas and Caribbean Pilot’s Guide books.
These comprehensive guidebooks are updated annually and are packed with everything you need to prepare for a trip to the Bahamas and Caribbean islands, including maps with airport data and the layout of each island, customs and immigration information, and more. Plus, you get information on the local culture, customs, the best way to get around while you’re there, what the food is like, and tips and suggestions from other pilots for where to stay and fun things to do.
The Bahamas and the Caribbean have been a pilot’s playground since aircraft started making cross-country flights. If the turquoise waters and white, sandy beaches are calling your name, start your preflight with The Bahamas and Caribbean Pilot’s Guide books.
The guides are $34.95 each, or $40 bundled with a chart. Visit the website to place your order.
Multimedia
Right Footed on DVD
Jessica Cox subject of documentary
Jessica Cox has earned a black belt in taekwondo, a pilot certificate, and a host of admirers for achieving these things and more. Cox, who was born without arms, has long encouraged others to overcome their own challenges and is the subject of an award-winning documentary, Right Footed, now available on DVD.
Filmed in Africa, the Philippines, and locations in the United States, the movie documents Cox’s personal journey, including her aviation journey from flight training and first solo to her certification, as well her current mission of campaigning for the rights of people with disabilities around the world through advocacy and work with nongovernmental organizations. Producer and director Nick Spark captured the story of how Cox transformed “from victim to conqueror, showing how determination can overcome most anything.”.
Cox addressed the International Women in Aviation Conference in March 2016, explaining she has had to prove herself to skeptics many times, long after confronting and overcoming her own fears. Those skeptics made Cox take a driver’s test twice before being convinced she was safe behind the wheel. She also had to try several flight instructors before finding the right fit, and aircraft, an Ercoupe, in which the toughest challenge she faced was fastening the four-point safety harness. Cox told attendees not to let fear rule their decisions, calling fear nothing more than “false evidence appearing real.”
Right Footed is available online in DVD form, and the documentary also can be streamed from several online platforms.
Web: http://rightfootedmovie.com/
Notable People in Aviation History
Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot a spacecraft. Collins was the pilot of the space shuttle Discovery on its mission to the Russian Mir Space Station. She became an astronaut in 1990 after getting her pilot certificate at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma, was a T–41 instructor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and was the second female pilot to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. She had 6,751 hours in 30 aircraft when she retired in 2006. “I came back from my last flight and tried to read a novel, and it was boring. My life was like way above anything I could read in a book.”
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