AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011 - 12

AOPAACTION

COMPILED BY KATHY DONDZILA

What AOPA is doing to keep you flying

TSA to AOPA: Security program won’t target small airports
he Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has confirmed that a new proposal for general aviation security will not target small airports; instead, the proposal will focus on aircraft. During the American Association of Airport Executives Aviation Security Summit in Arlington, Virginia, TSA Assistant Administrator John Sammon said that a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking working its way through the TSA would reflect the input from AOPA and other GA stakeholders shared in industry working-group meetings held last year. The TSA is working on a new GA security proposal—after deciding to go

back to the drawing board on its proposed Large Aircraft Security Program in June 2009 thanks to pressure from Congress and more than 8,000 public comments from the GA community. The origi-

nal proposal would have applied commercial air carrier security measures to GA aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds, regardless of the type of operation. AOPA maintained that it was burdensome and

costly, calling for crewmember criminal record checks, watch-list matching of passenger manifests, biennial third-party audits of each aircraft operator, and new airport security requirements. AOPA will review the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking as soon as it is released. The association expects the new proposal to increase the weight threshold and do away with calls for third-party audits, watchlist matching, federal air marshals on board the aircraft, and airport security program requirements. Also, AOPA believes the proposal will establish “trusted pilots” who have final authority over items and people on the aircraft.

NATIONAL ACTION

Write to your Congressman: Join the GA Caucus!
The House GA Caucus, an informal, bipartisan group of members of the House of Representatives dedicated to strengthening general aviation and educating other members on the issues affecting GA, must be reconvened with each new Congress. Every member who served on the GA Caucus in 2010 (103 members) must rejoin for the 2011 Congress. Reach out to your representatives and tell them to join the GA Caucus!
AOPA PILOT •

Aircraft registry no terrorism threat, explains AOPA
he FAA’s aircraft registry is out of date, not dangerous, AOPA explained to reporters after media reports claimed that inaccuracies in the FAA’s aircraft registry “could be exploited by terrorists and drug traffickers.” The FAA began a process of re-registration in November 2010 in an effort to clean up the aircraft registry. An Associated Press story that received wide use in other news outlets suggested that aircraft with “questionable registration”—such as inactive aircraft or ones with invalid addresses—are a gap in security that allow crimi-

nals to evade the authorities by using phony N numbers. The registry does need to be updated; however AOPA explained, it is not, itself, a security issue. “We can understand how not knowing who owns a given aircraft might concern law enforcement officials, but the registry is not a gaping hole in security,” said AOPA Director of Media Relations Chris Dancy, who spoke with CNN, Fox News, the Associated Press, and other news outlets. A layered approach to security keeps general aviation safe. Pilots and airport personnel across the country participate in AOPA’s Airport Watch, looking out for suspi-

cious behavior and reporting it to 866/GA-SECURE. All certificated pilots are vetted against existing watch lists, and foreign flight students are required to submit fingerprints and be vetted by the TSA. Suspicious flights are monitored by government agencies and ATC. And flights across the U.S. border undergo security screenings.

Flight training industry weighs in on CFI renewals
he FAA does not plan to make regulatory changes to the flight instructor refresher clinic (FIRC) or CFI renewal process, the agency confirmed recently.

12 • FEBRUARY 2011

AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2011