AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - March 2023 - 14

AOPA ACTION
TOP STOR IES /
FAA LODA requirement eliminated
AOPA, industry pushback successfully defeats 'burdensome' barrier
A CONTROVERSI AL FAA directive requiring
all experimental aircraft owners,
pilots, and flight instructors to obtain a
letter of deviation authority (LODA) if
they wanted to give or receive flight training
in experimental aircraft was largely
eliminated when President Biden signed
the National Defense Authorization Act.
The 2021 directive received backlash
from AOPA and other general aviation
organizations and advocates, as it effectively
grounded nearly 40,000 pilots,
reduced the number of available flight
instructors, and negatively impacted aviation
safety in the experimental category.
The directive was originally characterized
as a " document drill " and " a
loophole we had to close " by then-FAA
administrator Steve Dickson. The new
law now eliminates the LODA requirement
for all experimental aircraft owners
who hire instructors to provide flight
training in their own aircraft, or in a borrowed
aircraft.
" This reversal was a significant priority
for AOPA, " said AOPA President Mark
Baker. " There was overwhelming support
to eliminate the burdensome and unnecessary
barrier this created for thousands
of pilots. "
The 2023 defense bill is named after
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), the ranking
Republican on the legislation, because of
his monumental role on the Senate Armed
Services Committee during his five terms
serving in the Senate. Inhofe, a pilot and
New York governor vetoes
contentious 'stop the chop' bill
A BILL THAT would have allowed citizens to sue pilots and other associated
company personnel for alleged helicopter noise pollution was
vetoed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The " stop the chop " bill was intended to mitigate noise from helicopter
operations at the West 30th Street Heliport in New York City but
could have had devastating effects on the industry and the state's economy.
It passed the New York state assembly and was immediately met
with opposition by AOPA, the National Business Aviation Association,
Helicopter Association International, and other aviation associations.
AOPA and the New York Aviation Management Association shared
their concerns in a joint letter to Hochul and AOPA members contacted
the governor's office personally to express their opposition to this bill.
" On behalf of our nearly 10,000 New York members, AOPA thanks
Gov. Hochul for her leadership vetoing the 'Stop the Chop' legislation,
Senate Bill 7493-A, and for her recognition of the state's limitation on
enacting local restrictions on flight activity, " said Sean Collins, AOPA's
Eastern regional manager. " The governor's action to stop this bill will
help to preserve the vitality of New York's general aviation industry,
which supports $79.9 billion in annual economic impact. "
aopa.org/pilot/stopthechop
14
AOPA PILOT / March 2023
longtime general aviation advocate who
retired from the Senate in January, advocated
strongly to include the provision to
eliminate the LODA requirement in the
FY23 NDAA alongside Senator Roger
Wicker (R-Miss.) and Reps. Sam Graves
(R-Mo.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), and Kai
Kahele (D-Hawaii).
The legislation signed by the president
does not eliminate the LODA requirement
entirely: Lawmakers included language
that effectively retains the LODA requirement
for flight instructors who provide
instruction in experimental aircraft that
they own, or in aircraft that are advertised,
or otherwise " broadly " offered for flight
training or testing.
aopa.org/pilot/loda
AOPA calls for DOT rule to
include FBO transparency
WHI LE CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS has been made with
industry acceptance of the Know Before You Go program,
developed to assist pilots in their preflight planning by
providing online transparency of all FBO fees and prices,
AOPA continues to hear from pilots about fees and prices
at some locations. Therefore, AOPA submitted comments
requesting the Department of Transportation expand the
scope of a proposed rule to include FBO fee and pricing
transparency.
" For pilots, this is all about doing the right thing and
helping create competition at our airports where it is
needed. Pricing transparency should be required for every
consumer good, and we are appreciative of those in the FBO
industry that have voluntarily complied with making their
fees and prices transparent for pilots, but unfortunately,
several chain FBOs continue not to do so. Hopefully, this
proposed rulemaking can help address this important issue, "
said AOPA President Mark Baker.
aopa.org/pilot/fbotransparency
http://www.aopa.org/pilot/loda http://www.aopa.org/pilot/fbotransparency http://www.aopa.org/pilot/stopthechop
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - March 2023

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