AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2020 - 6

PRESIDENT'S POSITION

Accolades for advocacy

BY MARK BAKER
President and CEO

Protecting your freedom to fly
"YOUR FREEDOM TO FLY" isn't just the tagline etched on

AOPA President
MARK BAKER

testified before
the House
Subcommittee
on Aviation in
September.

6 | AOPA PILOT January 2020

AOPA baseball caps, bumper stickers, and merchandise
that you'll find at fly-ins and airshows. The mantra means
something different to each of our members, but overall
it signifies our commitment to building and maintaining
a strong pilot community for generations to come.
Like most of you, I am a pilot, and have been since
1977. And I have been an AOPA member since 1987. Back
then I never imagined that I would be in a position to
direct the largest aviation association in the world, but
some 30 years later, here I am.
As I take on another year as president and CEO, I
believe our mission is just as important today as it was
in 1939. Together, as pilots, aircraft owners, and aviation
enthusiasts, we are one AOPA community-eager to share
our favorite activity and all that it has to offer. And while
an AOPA membership gets you access to everything from
aircraft financing and legal services to safety and training
programs and award-winning media, our advocacy arm
has always remained the heartbeat of this organization.
Our government affairs staff in Washington, D.C., protects many of the flying freedoms we enjoy. In fact, thanks
to the efforts of this department, AOPA has been named
a top 50 lobbying trade association for the past five years
by D.C.-based publication The Hill. This is significant
given that there are thousands of trade associations in
Washington, and it is a testament to our outstanding and
experienced team in the nation's capital. Our government
affairs team, which also includes seven regional managers across the country, ensures that GA is represented and
involved at the federal, state, and local levels.
In 2019, major accomplishments included Mexico's
recognition of BasicMed, joining the Bahamas in international acceptance. Our team also is on the front lines
in support of our nation's airports and with our friends
in Congress. AOPA was able to secure millions of dollars
in funding to reimburse nongateway airports affected by
presidential temporary flight restrictions. Our advocacy
also led to the implementation of new integrated airman
certification standards, deployment of safety-enhancing
technologies, funding for airports, and implementation
of efficiencies in the cross-border travel experience.
Additionally, the deadline to equip with ADS-B Out is
upon us, and I'm pleased that thousands of aircraft owners were able to take advantage of the FAA rebates we
advocated for. While these are just a few of our past
accomplishments, it's time that we look to the future.

Forecasts for 2020 show a full plate of new and ongoing advocacy initiatives. Being an election year, chances
are many congressional leaders will be busy on the
campaign trail, but it's our goal to continue building the
House and Senate GA Caucuses, which currently boast
272 members. The House GA Caucus is one of the largest
caucuses in the House of Representatives and expanding
this bipartisan group is imperative to educating, developing, and maintaining champions of GA in Congress.
A few months ago, I testified before Congress on the
challenges and opportunities facing aviation, including
the need for a sustainable aviation workforce to fill jobs as
pilots, controllers, and technicians. A provision included
in the 2018 FAA reauthorization law, and of which I am
very proud, included grant programs aimed at assisting
in the development of aviation STEM curricula as well as
recruiting and training the next generation of aerospace
workers and pilots. AOPA and others have made it a priority to ensure a proposal to establish the National Center
for the Advancement of Aviation (NCAA) gets traction
and support in the days and months ahead.
Spearheaded by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and others, and as an independent, nonprofit center, the NCAA
would help foster programs that create a diverse and
skilled aviation workforce, leverage knowledge and
sharing of new and emerging flight training methods,
and conduct safety and economic data analysis. This
center would help grow, develop, and promote aviation
and bring together the much-needed collaboration of
general, business, commercial, and military aviation.
There are so many programs seeking to move aviation
forward, but coordination is desperately needed. I also
sat down with FAA Administrator Steve Dickson and
encouraged him to support this crucial endeavor. You
will be hearing more about this proposal and I know
that together we can make the NCAA a reality.
As we begin a new year, I encourage you to keep
safety as your top priority and to make your voice heard to
elected officials on behalf of general aviation. Get involved
at your local airports. Share concerns with AOPA, and
we'll make sure you get the most out of your membership and flying experiences. As a community of pilots, we
have a common goal of leaving a lasting legacy for future
generations of aviators. Let's work together so that the
freedom to fly never has an expiration date.
AOPA
EMAIL mark@aopa.org

AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2020