AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2020 - 12

AOPA ACTION 

AOPA joins FCC petition
Aviation groups speak out against Ligado network
AOPA, NINE OTHER aviation associations, and the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration have urged the Federal Communication
Commission to rescind approval issued to Ligado Networks for its proposed
5G wireless network over concerns about its potential to overwhelm GPS
reception. The groups challenged the credibility of Ligado's aviation advisers and said they believed that the FCC accepted Ligado's arguments about
aviation safety despite those arguments being contradicted by "virtually the
entire aviation industry."
Ligado, the successor entity to LightSquared, responded to its critics
with a sharply worded news release that sought to nudge the FCC to move
on and close the case. The high-profile case is unfolding as the FCC moves
forward on the rollout of 5G to support internet demand, GPS is becoming
ever more essential to individuals and organizations, and Ligado spends
eye-popping amounts on the lobbying front.
Positions taken by Ligado "and its hired allies" against the petitions "frequently evade responding directly to the arguments of Joint Petitioners and
repeatedly mischaracterize the Petition, the FAA's analysis, the record, and
even the Order," the aviation groups said.
The FCC's approval order was inadequate "to address the harmful
interference that Ligado's planned deployments will cause GPS receivers

BAKER ON THE NEWS

"The real DNA of this association is in its
advocacy work."

-AOPA President Mark Baker

and satellite communications terminals,"
the aviation groups said.
Ligado insists that "strict conditions"
the FCC included in its approval order
provide assurance that the network's
L-band transmissions would not overwhelm GPS signals of lower power on
adjacent frequencies.
aopa.org/pilot/ligado

AOPA awards more than $1.1 million in scholarships
MORE THAN 120 high school students and teachers, primary student pilots, and pilots working toward advanced certificates
and ratings have been awarded scholarships totaling more than
$1.1 million through the AOPA Foundation, thanks to generous
donations from the Ray Foundation and the pilot community.
Scholarships funded by the Ray Foundation went to 80 high
school students and 20 high school aviation teachers, who
each will receive
$10,000 for trainAOPA's You Can Fly program and
ing toward their
the AOPA Air Safety Institute are
funded by charitable donations to
private pilot certhe AOPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3)
tificates. Generous
organization.
aopafoundation.org/challenge
donations to the
AOPA Foundation

12 | AOPA PILOT August 2020

from the pilot community funded an additional 17 primary flight
training scholarships and seven advanced rating scholarships
of varying amounts.
"These scholarships are all about helping people reach their
dreams," said AOPA Foundation Executive Director Melissa
Rudinger. "The aviation community knows the immense value
of learning to fly and has generously helped fund scholarships
for 124 students, teachers, and pilots to help them experience
the same sense of joy and accomplishment."
The scholarships, which are available exclusively to
AOPA members, are part of the AOPA You Can Fly program,
a collection of initiatives to build a larger, more vibrant pilot
community.
aopa.org/pilot/scholarships2020
http://www.aopa.org/pilot/ligado http://www.aopafoundation.org/challenge http://www.aopa.org/pilot/scholarships2020
AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2020

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