IAOPA meets in Germany
The biennial World Assembly of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) met from September 29 to October 2 in Bad Homburg, Germany.
The thirty-first assembly was hosted by AOPA Germany. More than 100 attendees including AOPA delegates from 25 countries, government officials, and industry representatives gathered to address a number of challenges and opportunities to help move general aviation forward on a global basis.
The IAOPA World Assembly serves as a platform in bringing global AOPA affiliates together along with leaders from civil aviation authorities, including the FAA, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and others, as well as industry representatives to discuss important issues, advancements, and challenges that impact the GA sector globally.
EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet; Germany’s Senior Ministerial Officer of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Nabil Naoumi; AOPA Germany President Elmar Giemulla; and U.S. AOPA acting Co-President Katie Pribyl addressed the assembly. All outlined initiatives to help grow and promote GA, such as the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification; medical reforms; transitioning to unleaded fuels; and EASA’s GA Flightpath 2030+, which focuses on safety, airspace regulations, and other areas important to GA. Delegates also heard from representatives of the FAA.
“When AOPA U.S. and pilot groups from Australia, Canada, the Philippines,and South Africa started IAOPA in 1962, they knew pilots needed a seat at the table at ICAO,” Pribyl said. “More than 60 years later, that’s still true. IAOPA gives general aviation one voice internationally. Decisions made at ICAO and elsewhere affect whether pilots can get into airports and access airspace, hold a license and a medical, and afford the equipment to fly. Our job is to make sure the people who fly have a say in those decisions, and to keep flying attainable so the next generation can join the ranks.”
Attendees took in two days of panel discussions covering a wide array of topics including aviation standards development, medical reforms for private pilots, the aviation maintenance workforce, cross-border reciprocity to avoid duplicative rules and regulations, future fuels and new propulsion systems, and advancing GA safety.
Industry sponsors and participants included representatives from Diamond Aircraft Industries, Europe Air Sports, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, RTCA Inc., the European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment, Vertical Aviation International, Jeppesen ForeFlight, NATA, Bollinger Aviation, Sixt, and TRIWO.
During the business meeting portion of the assembly, delegates debated and approved several resolutions. These included implementing risk-based medical standards for private pilots, reducing regulatory burdens on GA operators, and encouraging ICAO to impose timely and proportionate international standards.
“The issues general aviation faces here in the United States are similar around the world. These gatherings are so beneficial, especially as many look to the U.S. for leadership and experience to help navigate challenges and provide solutions that work for pilots and aircraft owners,” said Jim Coon, IAOPA secretary general. Coon also serves as senior vice president of government affairs and advocacy for AOPA in the United States.
Michael Erb, executive director of AOPA Germany, concluded that the assembly shows that “the strength of IAOPA has always been the worldwide network of AOPA organizations, working together to reach the objective of protecting the freedom to fly while working constructively and critically with the respective agencies.”
Delegates also elected Pribyl to fill the vacancy of IAOPA president, the first woman to hold this position.
A highlight of the event was a meeting at the Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, where attendees from all over the world were invited to fly the Pipistrel Velis Electro or take a sightseeing flight with local AOPA members over the area.
