President's Position: Staying Focused

AOPA efforts to fight ATC privatization have been at full throttle for months, with no sign of slowing down. Our government affairs experts in Washington, D.C., are leading the charge while working alongside industry leaders and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The airlines will continue pushing for privatization until we have a long-term solution for FAA funding, and that’s why we urge you to keep reaching out to your congressional representatives and remind them to vote no on privatization.

Privatization would not only threaten the safest, busiest, and most complex airspace in the world, it would disproportionately hurt rural America, where GA provides jobs and economic support to many local communities. What is being proposed will not fix airline delays, which almost 80 percent of the time are caused by the airlines and weather. Furthermore, handing a monopoly to an unaccountable, too-big-to-fail organization is hardly privatization, as we have learned from the U.S. Postal Service and Amtrak. We cannot risk handing over our skies to the airlines, and we encourage you to join AOPA in the fight to protect GA. Please go online (www.aopa.org/takeaction) to reach your local representatives.

While the privatization debate rages on, we’re also focused on battling egregious pricing at certain FBOs and ensuring the successful implementation of BasicMed.

Continued consolidation in the FBO industry has created serious concerns across GA. This year, AOPA has collected hundreds of complaints from members regarding egregious FBO fees and pricing. Unreasonable practices and cost-prohibitive airport access can harm all aspects of GA and the surrounding economy. Unlike gas stations along a highway, simply going somewhere else is not always a practical option. While reaching out to community leaders, airport boards, and supervisors, we have been pleasantly surprised by overwhelmingly positive feedback and the desire to work together to protect GA.

Many communities have asked for help. Some, like Orange County, California, have already taken steps to stand up for general aviation. In January, concerns over higher than normal prices at John Wayne Airport came to a head when the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to replace Signature Flight Support with California-based ACI Jet. Signature filed an FAA Part 16 complaint, citing violations of certain grant assurances and unfair discrimination, which the FAA subsequently denied. The FAA ruled that airport sponsors have a “right and responsibility” to consider FBO pricing. The decision sets a precedent for community leaders and airport boards looking for guidance and encouragement to stand up for the rights of their customers and the GA community.

The most-complained-about FBO in the country, OK3 Air at Utah’s Heber City Municipal Airport, was confronted with an FAA complaint by tenants and based operators, following reports of having some of the highest fuel prices in the region. At the same time, AOPA sent a letter reminding the city of its responsibility to ensure fair and reasonable access and to promote competition. Airport officials are working with AOPA toward a solution, which includes working to revise the airport’s minimum standards to facilitate competition.

The overall themes in working with airport boards and community leaders have been reasonableness, transparency, and competition. Through collaboration, AOPA believes the contentious climate at many other locations can be improved. For updates, or to submit a report, go online (www.aopa.org/FBOpricing).

Lastly, we’ve seen great success so far with more than 15,000 pilots (and counting) now eligible to fly under BasicMed, the new rules that provide an alternative to third class medical certification. Pilots can now fly to the Bahamas under BasicMed, and the Civil Air Patrol has also begun allowing BasicMed. You can find more information on BasicMed online (www.aopa.org/fittofly).

Another great way to get familiar with all our initiatives are AOPA Fly-Ins (www.aopa.org/flyin). Our expanded two-day format provides a great opportunity to connect with fellow aviators, deepen your aviation skills, and grow your experience. Our remaining fly-ins are October 6 and 7 in Groton, Connecticut, and October 27 and 28 in Tampa, Florida. I look forward to seeing you there—and to what the next five years may bring.

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