Hard at work

OK, I’ll admit it, that’s a pretty weak stab at using flying analogies to describe the intertwining of aviation issues and the political process, but I think you get it.

All too often issues unrelated to aviation impose turbulence with the legislative process, and this year’s massive FAA reauthorization legislation is not immune to such a possibility. Will it be something related to our nation’s debt, which is now approaching $32 trillion, or something related to energy, agriculture, or defense? You never know until you know. Why does this happen, you ask?

Generally speaking, between 1 and 3 percent of all bills introduced in Congress each session are actually signed into law. In fact, in the last session of Congress, more than 16,000 bills were introduced and only 365 became law. It’s tough to move legislation through the process.

The massive FAA Reauthorization Act will provide us with an incredible opportunity to influence general aviation for years to come. The chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure—Rep. Sam Graves, who is a pilot himself—has announced plans to have a General Aviation Title in this year’s FAA bill, which will be the first such title in history. AOPA is in the trenches pursuing issues to help pilots, including a provision to require public-use airports to provide transient parking areas for pilots when they don’t purchase fuel or use services provided by the FBO. And if an airport wants to impose a transient parking fee, we believe it should be fair and reasonable.

Most airports don’t impose fees and most FBOs provide great service, but some airports allow FBOs to charge fees that are unreasonable even if a user does not purchase anything or use the FBO facility. We usually see these fees at large FBO chains or airports where an FBO has a monopoly. Unfortunately, and even with our best efforts, many large chain FBOs still do not make their prices and fees available online. In many cases, pilots first learn of an FBO’s fees when they are presented a bill. I wonder if the airlines would be OK not knowing what their airport rates and charges would be until after they land.

We are also seeing large chain FBOs put forth proposals during RFP processes to channel millions of dollars to local communities to assist low-income housing projects or providing funding for what some airports refer to as a “privilege fee” to help determine who wins the contract. These FBOs recoup their investment by charging egregious fees to pilots. Some would call these schemes revenue diversion, and to pay for the privilege of establishing a business on an airport that was paid for with mostly public funds and intended to serve the public—well, it doesn’t seem like the right thing to do.

Most reasonable people would agree that pilots shouldn’t be required to pay private businesses on public-use airports for something they never asked for or needed. Airports that receive federal funding are deemed public use and should be required to have parking available for transient operations—it’s called access. These fair and reasonable access issues pilots are facing at airports are similar to driving down the federal interstate highway and pulling into a rest area to sleep for an hour, only to have someone knock on your window to say, “That will be $200.” And because the car next to you is a sports car, they’ll get charged $300. Neither of you used the facility or the vending machine.

Don’t get me wrong, there is no issue with businesses making a profit—that’s pretty much the purpose of going into business—and we want all sectors of the general aviation industry to be successful. However, when the checks and balances get turned upside down or thrown out the window, it’s time to act.

AOPA would also like to see a program established to allow eligible private pilots to apply for an airport security badge so they can escort themselves and passengers off the secure area of the apron where TSA security requirements are in place.

Getting legislation through the process can be an uphill battle with intense headwinds, but it’s a worthy endeavor. AOPA will be representing today’s pilots and those to come.

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