AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2018 - 6

PRESIDENT'S POSITION

Our game plan

BY MARK BAKER
President and CEO

Bringing down the cost of flying
ANY GOOD COACH KNOWS the best teams are made up
of a strong offense and defense, and that's exactly how
AOPA continues to succeed at promoting and protecting the freedom to fly. In the past five years, we've gone
on the offensive, creating cost-saving initiatives to help
pilots fly more often and more affordably. And we've
defended GA against harmful regulations and legislation.
A recent win that will reduce the cost of flight training and maintaining proficiency resulted in updates to
Part 61 of the federal aviation regulations. We worked on
this issue for more than two years, but it was worth the
effort because the changes are expected to save the GA
community approximately $113.5 million over five years.
The updated regulations will allow instrument-rated
pilots to use a simulator or advanced training device to

A winning team also makes sure its players have
the tools they need to succeed.

MARK BAKER

is an active GA
pilot who has been
an AOPA member
since his 20s.

6 | AOPA PILOT October 2018

maintain instrument currency. Pilots can also use the
simulator for recurrency without a CFI, further reducing the cost. Pilots training for a commercial certificate
can save by having the option to train in a technically
advanced aircraft instead of a complex aircraft.
Another regulation that is expected to put money
back in pilots' wallets-to the tune of nearly $70 million
over the next 10 years-is third class medical reform.
Already nearly 40,000 pilots strong, BasicMed eliminates some of the red tape associated with regular and
special issuance medicals, and gives the power back
to the pilots and their personal physicians. Instead
of worrying about a doctor in Oklahoma City snatching away a medical, pilots and their doctors finally
can have an open conversation about their fitness to
fly. BasicMed also helps pilots avoid unnecessary and
repetitive tests and office visits, many of which are not
covered by insurance-and that equals money in the
bank. If you are still considering your options under
BasicMed, you can always check out our Fit to Fly
resources online (www.aopa.org/fittofly).
We're also fighting to save pilots money where you
live and fly-our advocacy work runs deep through
small hometown airports and local FBOs. For nearly two
years, we've been pushing the FAA to take action against
egregious, hidden FBO fees, and to improve affordable

access to publicly funded ramp space. Our AOPA-led
coalition of GA groups is calling on the FAA to pay attention to its responsibilities for protecting airport access
and insisting on publicly disclosed fees online, access to
parking ramps on reasonable terms, charted transient
parking, and an end to charges for services pilots don't
ask for or want. And many airport leaders are taking
notice and making changes. When the Orange County,
California board of supervisors voted to put an end to
outrageous prices at John Wayne Airport, the move was
a win for local pilots, the airport, and the industry. Since
the improvement, according to FAA data, GA activity
accounted for 68 percent of the total aircraft operations
in January 2018, an increase of 40 percent when compared to January 2017.
A winning team also makes sure its players have
the tools they need to succeed. Our work with the
FAA to streamline the pathway for bringing affordable,
modern equipment into the existing general aviation
fleet through non-TSOed avionics is another important cost-saving initiative. By giving pilots easy access
to more affordable options, such as angle of attack indicators, solid-state attitude indicators, and other safety
enhancing devices-and saving thousands of dollars at
the same time-we are improving safety and reliability
and lowering costs.
While we prefer to focus on proactive initiatives
that we know will effectively reduce the cost of flying for pilots and our members, we understand that
going on the defensive is a necessary part of protecting
GA. And that's why we've mounted a strong and united
defense against the privatization of air traffic control.
This proposal has reared its ugly head many times, but
we, our members, and other aviation associations have
made it clear that we won't accept an air traffic control
system controlled by the airlines.
These are high-profile issues. But some of our
greatest victories are invisible-the legislation that's
never written and the regulations that are never
proposed, thanks to the influence of our team in
Washington, D.C., and in state capitals. We win when
bad ideas never see the light of day. But whether our
victories play out in public or private, whether we're
on offense or defense, our end game will always be to
protect the freedom to fly.
AOPA
EMAIL mark@aopa.org
http://www.aopa.org/fittofly
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2018
