AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2024 - 11

Aviation is not a
universal language
By Jared Yoshiki
AOPA vice president
airports and state advocacy
WHEN YOU V ISI T your
local airport, you'll often
find fellow aviators
chatting excitedly about
their recent flights and
the cool gadgets they've
come across online for
their airplanes. It's like
a special language we pilots share, which might
seem unfamiliar or foreign to those not involved
in aviation.
Since aviation can include, but isn't limited to,
airport managers, aviation consultants, elected
officials, and even our neighbors, our ability to
effectively communicate with one another in airport
advocacy is becoming more difficult. Take,
for example, a recent discussion with an airport
manager where the community was getting restless
over the lack of adherence to a fly-friendly
program and didn't know how else to address this
without enacting penalties. The manager didn't
realize the pilots' only ability to know about the
program was through the airport website, which
was a few levels removed from the preflight briefing
and not the most convenient task while in the
air. The manager also questioned the flight paths
of three aircraft sharing the pattern and why they
were not following departure procedures. After
another brief conversation, the airport manager
began to understand that the pilots were being
directed to fly a specific heading by air traffic
control and were not allowed to deviate from
those instructions regardless of the airport's flyfriendly
program.
It's essential to establish a common language
for effective communication, especially when
we cannot assume that the other person is familiar
with our terminology. It's truly remarkable
how conversations between pilots and nonpilots
can evolve into mutual understanding when
both parties actively listen and learn from each
other. Airport advocacy can also be approached
as a constructive and respectful exchange of
information without the constant stigma as a
confrontational effort. jared.yoshiki@aopa.org
ON THE FRONT LINES /
REGIONAL NEWS /
A compromise
solution can be
a winning one
By Brad Schuster
AOPA Northwest Mountain
region manager
F I GH T I NG WI TH AI R POR T S over
updates to proposed airport rules,
regulations, minimum standards,
and leasing policies can be an arduous
process where voicing concerns
is challenging without a well-formulated
strategy and advocacy presence.
The AOPA Airport Support Network
(ASN) is a valuable tool that unites
airport users and tenants to help
solve airport issues using collaborative
approaches.
Bend Airport (BDN) in Oregon,
which sought to revise its rules and
regulations late last year, provides
an example where compromise and
collaboration preserved the harmony
of the airport community while protecting
the interests of the airport
and its users. The ASN volunteer for
Bend Airport engaged early, seeking
to improve the proposed rules
and regulations document through
a respectful process with the airport
and bringing other interested
parties together. This led to the reemergence
of the defunct Friends
of Bend Airport organization and a
strength-in-numbers approach to
successfully evolve all or parts of the
draft rules and regulations document
into something more palatable for
airport users. If your airport doesn't
have an ASN, consider joining its
ranks to engage with, promote, and
protect your airport. These examples
are a subtle reminder of how bringing
together stakeholders and respectful
collaboration can achieve success,
benefiting the entire aviation ecosystem.
brad.schuster@aopa.org
NORTHWEST MOUNTA IN REGION
Collaborated with Longmont Airport
Advocates (LMO) in Longmont, Colorado,
in defeating plans for new mixed-use
development projects planned near
Longmont Airport's runway centerline.
WESTERN PACIFIC REGION
Joined forces with NBAA, VAI, and NATA
in opposing the development of new
residential housing within the runway
influence area of Riverside Airport (RAL) in
Riverside, California.
SOUTHERN REGION
Promoting general aviation's critical
role in emergency response planning
by showcasing Florida pilot relief efforts
following Hurricane Helene and continuing to
build a strong defense against the imposition
of economically harmful landing fees at
Florida airports.
GREAT L AKES REGION
Advocating for general aviation priorities
for pilots in Ohio as the Ohio Department of
Transportation Project Advisory Committee
seeks to revise the economic impacts
and infrastructure priorities of its aviation
system plan.
EASTERN REGION
Stewarding the effort to encourage the
Vermont Office of Transportation to invest
in its airport infrastructure and to avoid the
closure and sale of the state's airports due
to neglect.
AL ASKA REGION
Continued to promote the broad expansion of
weather reporting capabilities for Alaska as a
vital necessity through its statewide aviation
system plan.
aopa.org/advocacy/state-advocacy
More online
Read more about these stories and
the latest from AOPA's advocacy team.
aopa.org/advocacy
AOPA PILOT / December 2024
11
http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/state-advocacy http://www.aopa.org/advocacy
AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2024

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