AOPA Action: AOPA says Heber City is wrong

AOPA is challenging the city’s excuses. For nearly two years, the Heber City airport’s sole fixed-base operator, OK3 AIR, has been at the center of controversy following complaints from pilots who have incurred egregious fees at the airport.

With support from AOPA, Heber officials voted to revise the airport minimum standards in 2017 and even issued a request for proposals for a second FBO. While things were looking positive, the airport has since hit the brakes. Hoping to dodge further legal battles after a 2017 lawsuit by OK3 AIR, the Heber City Council voted to revert to 2016 Airport Minimum Standards and suspend consideration of a new FBO and self-service fuel until completion of a new airport master plan. Despite sharing AOPA’s concerns about fuel prices and a lack of competition on the field, Heber City Manager Matthew Brower said he believes the current situation at the airport is not conducive to updating the master plan process, claiming more time is needed.

Brower claims the FAA was supportive and encouraged passage of the two recent resolutions. The city also claimed that the FAA had threatened to withhold future grants from the city if the city did not update its airport master plan. There is no basis in FAA regulations for such actions, and this would appear to be outside of the agency’s regulatory authority.

In a letter to Brower, AOPA General Counsel Ken Mead wrote that the city’s actions are at odds with the goals of competitively priced fuel and enhanced competition at the airport.

“It is not appropriate for master plan development to serve as an excuse or mask for allowing an unlawful exclusive right enjoyed by a monopoly position FBO to continue unabated. AOPA cannot and will not support master plan development at the airport when the apparent motivating factor is to cement in place a monopoly position and provide cover for continuing violations of the grant assurances,” Mead wrote.

Senate resolution commemorates AOPA

Senate resolution, S.Res.203, led by Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), passed the full Senate commemorating AOPA’s eightieth anniversary.

“AOPA, representing the largest aviation community in the world, has been a leader for the general aviation community for decades. With the passage of this resolution, I am proud to pay tribute to AOPA’s 80 years of faithful service to the aviation community,” said Inhofe. “They have a strong legacy of being tireless advocates for pilots and contributing to aviation safety. AOPA has always been a strong voice on Capitol Hill for pilots and I wish them success for the next 80 years.”

Duckworth also reiterated praise for AOPA: “For eight decades, AOPA has been a leading advocate in the aviation community, educating the public and members of congress about the many important issues facing our nation’s GA pilots. I’m excited to have worked alongside Senator Inhofe to pass this resolution.”

AOPA President Mark Baker said, “I am honored that the U.S. Senate is commemorating AOPA’s eightieth anniversary. Our staff works hard to protect GA and ensure its lasting vitality.”

Other key supporters of the resolution include Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.).

Action in the states

Indiana adopts AOPA-backed bill
A bill giving airport operators a procedure for removing derelict and abandoned aircraft from ramps and hangars has become law in Indiana. AOPA and the Experimental Aircraft Association worked with Aviation Indiana, the state aviation agency, at its request to develop procedures to accomplish the disposal of derelict aircraft or the recovery of delinquent hangar or ramp fees by airport management or a fixed-base operator.

AOPA members in Montana help pass airport legislation
As the 2019 legislative session came to a close, Montana legislators voted overwhelmingly to support an aviation bill that helps the state generate matching funds for federal grants that were formerly left on the table. The 2,100 AOPA members in Montana strongly supported the bill and were willing to personally fund it via fuel purchases, said AOPA Northwest Mountain Region Manager Warren Hendrickson. He added that the legislation—which House legislators passed, 67 to 32—was “absolutely essential for funding Montana’s airports.”

AOPA supports Maine seaplane access
Maine legislative committees have had hearings on bills AOPA supports to restore permanent seaplane access to a northern Maine lake, and to widen employment and training opportunities for aviation mechanics. The bill to restore seaplane access to Katahdin Lake seeks to reverse the Baxter State Park Authority’s action to ban seaplanes—a move that contradicted a commitment the state made to the private landowner when the property was deeded to the state, as the family that sold the land has reiterated.

Virginia airport facility gets AOPA support
A Virginia county has cut the property tax rate it imposes on aircraft, acting on a recommendation urged by the executive director of the area’s regional airport. In October 2018, AOPA Manager of Airport Policy Adam Williams attended an airport stakeholder expo that showcased Winchester Regional Airport’s value as an economic engine and informed those in attendance that the facility supports 179 jobs and generates a regional economic impact of $20.9 million, according to a study cited by the airport’s executive director.

AOPA supports Connecticut runway expansion
A growing coalition is supporting an AOPA-backed bill to allow Connecticut’s Tweed-New Haven Airport to extend its main runway, which advocates say would allow the airport to modernize and expand its services. AOPA, long a supporter of extending the main runway, filed testimony for a Transportation Committee hearing, noting that lengthening Tweed-New Haven’s Runway 2/20 “would allow for increased operations, improved safety, and the operation of newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft.”