Citing challenges facing general aviation, Craig Fuller, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, unveiled Monday a $1.5 million advertising and promotion campaign to gain public support to keep government from imposing devastating user fees, airport limitations, and other restrictions on air transportation that serves America. The program includes radio, television, on-line and print […]
Work begins on FAA reauthorization
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reauthorization of the FAA is nearly two years behind schedule. The House is trying again to pass a bill, hoping that it won’t be stalled – again – in the Senate. The present temporary reauthorization expires March 31. “We need to get a bill passed as quickly as possible,” said Rep. Jerry […]
Congress gets to work
WASHINGTON. D.C. – Congress has a plateful of aviation issues to work on and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has started to take bites into them. Committee Chairman Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) called a meeting of the full committee in the early days of the 111th Congress to set out the agenda. Then, […]
President’s 2009 budget includes user fees, drop in airport aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The President’s fiscal year 2009 budget request for the FAA has been met with harsh criticism from aviation groups, as well as doubts and questions from the House aviation subcommittee. Continued calls for user fees, coupled with a decline in airport aid, brought quick comments from general aviation leaders. “The White House […]
Politics put FAA’s top spot in limbo
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nowhere is it more evident that politics rules government than what is going on with the inaction on presidential nominees. Robert Sturgell was nominated last October to be FAA administrator, but the Senate hasn’t held even one confirmation hearing. His is one of at least 75 nominations held up in the Senate. […]
Political climate creates uncertainty for GA
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington political situation will make the climate for general aviation “”uncertain”” this year. That’s according to James Coyne, president of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), who stressed this at a recent meeting for the Washington, D.C., press. Uncertainty brings with it many issues that can cause concern, he notes. However, […]
Will going green cost pilots a lot of green?
WASHINGTON, D.C — Pilots and aircraft owners might find that efforts to go green will cost them a lot of green. Planning over where, when and how to build wind turbine farms is little known among many general aviation users, but can have a major direct effect. Federal agencies are wrestling over development of wind […]
Expect big battles in Congress next year: User fees, runway safety and overworked controllers just the beginning of the conflicts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democrats in Congress recently attacked the FAA over runway incursions and air traffic controller conditions — and were immediately rebutted by the FAA and a Republican member of the aviation committee, an indication there will be strong conflicts next year. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, […]
Don’t like an FAA regulation? Now is the time to speak up
WASHINGTON, D.C. — If there is something about FAA regulations that you don’t like, now is the time to make your opinions heard. The FAA is asking for comments from the public “”to identify those regulations currently in effect that we should amend, remove or simplify.”” This action is the third round of regulatory review […]