AOPA Action: Stay always vigilant
AOPA asks members to maintain security, safety as hallmarks of general aviation
Aviation is often in focus when concerns about possible terrorist attacks are elevated. GA pilots can take several steps to help keep aviation safe, including:
- Take or retake AOPA’s online General Aviation Security course (aopa.org/gasecurity).
- Participate in AOPA’s Airport Watch program (aopa.org/airportwatch), a comprehensive set of proven measures to secure the country’s GA aircraft and airports from potential acts of terror.
- Keep aircraft and hangar doors securely locked, and follow other security practices for pilots.
- Extend your security awareness to cyberthreats by being aware of suspicious emails, phone calls, texts, and messages sent through social media.
- Report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement or to Airport Watch (866-GA-SECURE), as appropriate.
- Check notices to airmen frequently and note any changes in procedures or effective times.
Aircraft noise proposal not needed, AOPA says
AOPA is among nine aviation organizations that sent a letter urging a congressional committee to oppose legislation that would allow the regulation of airport noise at the local level, reversing course on the policy of federal aviation regulation that has been in place since the 1920s. The proposal—known as the Aircraft Noise Reduction Act, sponsored by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.)—would undercut the “utility and safety” of thousands of airports, according to the letter sent to the chairmen and ranking members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Subcommittee on Aviation. The law already on the books deals effectively with the problem, AOPA and other aviation organizations said. The new proposal would also authorize general aviation airport operators to impose their own restrictions on aircraft used for compensation or hire, which could threaten to destabilize an industry that supports a wide variety of jobs and provides a vital source of income to help airports sustain themselves. Such provisions could motivate operators to move their aircraft to commercial airports, “many of which are already capacity constrained,” the letter said.
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