AOPA Action

FAA investigating 100LL ban

Santa Clara County ‘rushed’ unsafe transition to unleaded fuel

The general aviation industry is committed to an unleaded future, but through a smart and safe transition. In a strongly worded letter to Santa Clara County officials in California, the FAA said it is investigating the county’s rushed ban of 100LL fuel as of January 1, as it considers possible violations of federal law. The FAA cited a sizable list of complaints, including the 100LL fuel ban proposal, as a basis for its investigation. The letter also includes “the failure to address a significant number of significant safety concerns, which have been enumerated in detail to the county via letters from the FAA….The county is on notice with regard to these serious safety concerns and the issues remain unresolved.”

AOPA and other aviation groups say the ban carries significant safety risks as it does not provide a safe transition to unleaded fuel. AOPA and the GA industry have called on the FAA to look into the legality of the ban, which could cause risks of misfuelling and potential engine failure in aircraft with the wrong fuel.

The FAA also received multiple complaints from airport tenants and users, along with a group representing industry stakeholders, who allege violations of grant assurances at Reid-Hillview of Santa Clara County Airport and San Martin Airport. The agency is commencing an investigation under FAR Part 13 (“Reports of violations”). In addition, the FAA is looking into the county’s refusal to offer long-term leases for all tenants at the Reid-Hillview airport whose leases expired on December 31, 2021. In all, the FAA is investigating the county for eight potential violations.

“The FAA is, and has been, testing and evaluating replacement fuels so that we can transition safely,” AOPA President Mark Baker said. “The FAA is our nation’s premier aviation safety organization, and this investigation has brought to light the safety issues surrounding the county’s proposal. It should compel them to reverse their actions and cooperate as soon as possible.”

aopa.org/100UL

Aviation groups concerned over 5G C-band rollout

AOPA continues to advocate for a commonsense solution that allows 5G C-band service to commence without compromising aviation safety. The potential for 5G C-band transmitters to render radio altimeters (also known as radar altimeters) unreliable will significantly disrupt air travel, including airline flights and emergency medical transportation. Verizon and AT&T voluntarily held off on activation of the new transmitters until mid-January, but as the new activation date approached, the FAA issued about 1,500 notams limiting operations at many airports in poor weather. These limitations can compound air travel delays and cancellations, and also complicate other operations including off-airport landings of emergency medical services helicopters. AOPA commends the FAA for prioritizing aviation safety. “The FAA has done a superlative job handling a tough problem that would have been much easier to tackle had the Federal Communications Commission acted three or more years ago,” said Jim Coon, AOPA senior vice president of government affairs and advocacy. “Protecting the safety of all airspace users is aviation’s most important priority.” aopa.org/pilot/c-band

Bill leaves flight training safety in doubt, says AOPA

A bipartisan provision supported by the GA community and included in the House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to address the FAA’s interpretation of flight training policy was not included in the final legislative package. The annual NDAA package appeared in doubt, but House and Senate negotiators ultimately finalized a bill and sent it to President Joe Biden for signature. However, the Senate left the flight training amendment (which AOPA thought would be included) out in the final hours. Last summer, GA leaders had expressed dismay to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson and to Acting FAA Chief Counsel Mark Bury about the absurdity of the FAA’s reversal of decades of interpretation in characterizing payment for flight instruction as payment for carrying a person for compensation or hire. At EAA AirVenture in July, Dickson called the LODA process a “four-letter word” and “a document drill,” and explained it was just a loophole the FAA had to close. LODA is a letter of deviation authority, which, as of July 12, is required for owners of experimental aircraft to receive training in their aircraft from a CFI. AOPA rallied its membership to speak up in the name of flight safety, resulting in more than 100,000 letters to Congress urging the reversal of the FAA policy. aopa.org/pilot/flighttrainingsafety

Regulatory Affairs

Please join us

By Mike Ginter, AOPA vice president, airports and state advocacy

It started with a simple, but challenging, problem: how to respond more effectively to the last-minute pleas for help from members whose airports were about to close? That was the situation in the 1980s and 1990s. AOPA staff received urgent calls for help to oppose imminent local government votes to close an airport, but we were often late to the game. Thanks to the visionary leadership of Bill Dunn, who served as AOPAs vice president of airports for more than two decades, the AOPA Airport Support Network was created in October 1997 as a platform for members to monitor local airport developments and then work with AOPA staff as soon as threats emerge.

Now in its twenty-fifth year, the Airport Support Network continues to be the most effective tool in our airport advocacy arsenal. In 2021, 170 members joined the ASN program, which now numbers 2,000 volunteers. Our ASN volunteers worked closely with AOPA staff to resolve more than 200 airport issues in 2021.

Are you already a volunteer? To show our appreciation for your efforts, you will receive invitations to special twenty-fifth anniversary events throughout 2022, including those at AOPA programs, Sun ’n Fun, AirVenture, Reno Air Races, and regional events.

Want to be a volunteer? We’re hiring! There are still 3,000 public-use airports in this country that need an ASN volunteer. All it takes is a desire to promote and protect your airport and a willingness to stay abreast of local issues such as airport funding, zoning, proposed residential developments, and other community issues. To volunteer, simply go to aopa.org/asn (select Start Your Search or Volunteer Today). Or you can call 800-USA-AOPA and we’ll answer your questions. Hope to see you at an ASN event in 2022. [email protected].