AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 12

AOPAACTION

COMPILED BY KATHY DONDZILA

What AOPA is doing to keep you flying

Odds are good to quash user fees in 2012, Fuller says
Fuller said safety is among the arguments being marshaled against the latest threat to the nation’s freedom to fly. The FAA currently draws about two thirds of its funding from a tax on aviation fuel, a more equitable—and “progressive”—way for aviators to pay their share, Fuller said, noting that aircraft owners and operators pay according to the fuel they burn. While the remaining third of the FAA budget comes from general revenue, Fuller noted that all Americans, aviators or not, benefit from aviation. Air cargo, medical flights, public safety, and agricultural flights are just a few examples. “The aviation community serves the nation, whether you’re flying on those airplanes or not,” Fuller said. AOPA is counting on its many friends in Congress to block the fees, and Fuller expects to succeed—this year, at least. “I don’t believe in a national election year, that Congress will go for this,” Fuller said. “My bigger concern is next year.” Whether President Barack Obama wins reelection, or a new administration begins in the White House, lawmakers will be seeking new revenue sources, and it will take the effort of all 400,000 AOPA members and staff to win the battle to come, he said. Fuller noted that AOPA has members in every congressional district in the country, and lawmakers pay attention to pilots who speak up. “They know our size,” Fuller said. “Our strength, in all honesty, is in our numbers. It’s with all of you.” Fuller told the crowd AOPA will continue to work with industry partners to build aviation communities, protect the freedom to fly, protect airports, and support flight education and pilot retention.

OPA President Craig Fuller addressed a crowd of about 150 at a Pilot Town Hall meeting, held during the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida. The first question Fuller fielded from the audience was about user fees. What are the chances of stopping the latest push, an attendee wanted to know. The odds are good, Fuller said—this year, at least.

The White House is backing a $100-per-flight user fee for aviators using air traffic services, despite a petition that gathered nearly 9,000 signatures from opponents of the budget-balancing maneuver. AOPA is working to mobilize congressional opposition to a burden on GA that could compromise safety by discouraging pilots from utilizing flight following and other air traffic services.

FAA proposes plan for navigation in NextGen environment
By 2020, all IFR traffic will rely on satellites for navigation under an FAA proposal now open to comment

50-percent reduction to the existing VOR network, part of the transition to NextGen, is planned by 2020, with a scaled-down VOR network retained as a backup to GPS. According to the notice, the FAA plans to transition from defining airways, routes, and procedures using VORs and other legacy navaids toward a National Airspace System based on area navigation (RNAV) everywhere, and required 12 • MARCH 2012

navigation performance (RNP) where beneficial. In addition, the proposed plan would require IFR aircraft to use high-precision Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)-enabled GPS as the primary navigation system, consistent with other NextGen requirements including the Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) Out mandate that utilizes WAAS-like technology.

Heidi Williams, AOPA senior director of airspace and modernization, said AOPA members have upgraded to WAAS technology at a rate of 5,000 to 10,000 aircraft per year since WAAS was introduced in 2003. Membership surveys show GPS is the navigation system of choice for 78 percent of AOPA pilots. “GA has embraced WAAS technology because of the benefits,” Williams said,

adding that current FAA policy does not require pilots to maintain backup navigation systems while flying with WAAS. “That is the plan for the future as well: You will still not have to carry an onboard backup if WAAS equipped.” FAA proposes retaining all existing VOR stations in the Northwest Mountain Region, Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. islands and territories as the current infrastructure

AOPA PILOT •

AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012