AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2023 - 12

AOPA ACTION
TOP STOR IES /
Better days
Detroit's City Airport is 'open for business and excited for the future'
DESP I T E DEC ADES OF neglect, there
is good news for Detroit's Coleman A.
Young Municipal Airport (DET) following
the approval of an FAA layout
plan-making it eligible for an estimated
$100 million in federal grants over the
next 10 years.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan recently
unveiled the city's plans for the airport,
including new hangars, a new control
tower, improved taxiways and safety zone,
new airport development opportunities,
and the return of its aerospace academy
to the field. Plans to reestablish aircraft
rescue and firefighting services are also
in development.
" City Airport has been an underutilized
asset and in decline for generations, "
said Duggan. " Less than a decade ago, the
city's emergency manager had considered
selling our airport to pay off some of the
city's debts. Thankfully, that didn't happen
and today, thanks to the great work of our
airport leadership team and partnership
with the FAA and MDOT, City is about
to see new investment and new life as a
center of opportunity. "
Officials are hopeful the investment
plan will bring in new business to the
community and generate money to the
local economy.
" This is a very exciting time for the airport
and [the city], " said Airport Director
Jason Watt. " This marks the first time in
30 years that we have a plan that meets all
[federal and state] airport design standards
and allows the airport to be redeveloped
over the next 20 years. We are open for
business and excited for the future. "
AOPA has been a vocal advocate of City
Airport since 2005-when the city was
first weighing its options and considering
closing the airport. Along with such associations
as Friends of Detroit City Airport
and the Coleman A. Young International
Airport Education Association, AOPA has
taken an active role in encouraging the city
to invest in the airport and ensure transparency
in any discussions being made.
AOPA has also worked extensively
with its Airport Support Network volunteer
on the field, Euel Kinsey, who has
been communicating with city staff and
pilots every step of the way.
" Thanks to a cooperative effort by the
airport director, the mayor, city council,
pilots, AOPA, and other stakeholders, I
believe there is a bright future for the airport.
It will become a symbol of the city's
revitalization and renewal, " Kinsey said.
To the dismay of some, the FAA plan
includes decommissioning City Airport's
crosswind runway; however, doing so
would free up nearly 80 acres for additional
aeronautical development.
aopa.org/pilot/detroitairport
AOPA, COPA call for Canadian BasicMed acceptance
IN A LETTER sent to Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen
and Canada's Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra,
AOPA President Mark Baker, and James Ferrier, interim
president and CEO of the Canadian Owners and Pilots
Association, requested that pilots from the United States
be able to enter Canadian airspace while flying under
BasicMed privileges.
Baker and Ferrier noted that more than 75,000 pilots in
the United States have qualified to fly under BasicMed in its
five years of existence, and a 2021 FAA study did not detect
a statistically significant difference in aviation safety outcomes,
such as accident rates, between BasicMed pilots and
pilots holding third class medical certificates.
" Canada is a high destination country for U.S. pilots, and
we are pleased to be working with our colleagues at COPA
on this issue. Having Transport Canada accept U.S. pilots
using this program is the right thing to do. It's proven to be
12
AOPA PILOT / January 2023
safe and the program has the support of the Federal Aviation
Administration and other nations, " said Baker.
The letter also cited the positive economic impact of
allowing pilots under BasicMed to fly into Canada. " The
increase in GA traffic and pilots into Canada would undoubtedly
help businesses rebuild, provide opportunities for
families to see one another, and allow tourism to again flourish
with tens of thousands of border crossings by GA pilots
each year, " the letter stated.
" COPA is excited to collaborate with AOPA and
Transport Canada to explore the acceptance of BasicMed
in Canada for U.S. pilots. Incorporating the support of AOPA
and building on the success of BasicMed in other countries,
COPA is eager to examine the possibilities with [Transport
Canada] to introduce a similar process in Canada for our
Canadian pilots, " said Ferrier.
aopa.org/pilot/basicmedcanada
http://www.aopa.org/pilot/detroitairport http://www.aopa.org/pilot/basicmedcanada
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2023
