AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021 - 15

REGIONAL NEWS /
REGULATORY AFFA IRS /
We hear you
BY MURRAY HULING / AOPA vice
president, government affairs
EFFECT I VE COMMUNICAT
IONS MAKE a difference
in achieving goals and
meeting our needs as aircraft
owners and pilots.
In AOPA's regulatory
affairs section, we work
to enhance existing and
open new communication
channels to help ensure the general aviation
community is heard and considered. In our
work with the FAA, we have been able to help
members through myriad issues, including but
not limited to aircraft and airman certification,
designees, security, air traffic, and airspace.
We also stay engaged in longer-term projects,
including helping to lead DPE reform, ensuring
effective integration of drones into the NAS without
negatively affecting existing GA operations,
providing AD compliance scoping recommendations,
Alternate Means of Compliance
coordination, and the Piston Aviation Fuels
Initiative (PAFI), charged with facilitating the
development of an unleaded fuel capable of fleetwide
replacement for 100LL avgas.
We also have had success in assisting members
with local issues in certification and
discussions by performing outreach directly
to the FAA FSDO leadership to ensure issue
understanding, leading to clarity and resolution
of such matters as efficiently as possible. AOPA
regulatory affairs also assists members in understanding
the " why " of what they hear from the
FAA, ensuring clarity or needed changes.
With your three-person AOPA regulatory
team all being GA pilots, having diverse aviation
work experiences to include maintenance,
flight instruction, and air traffic control, we are
uniquely positioned to help owners and pilots
with large federal organizations and know
where to find the answers, whom to contact,
and what decision-maker(s) need to be in the
room. We support you, so please feel free to
reach out if you have issues in need of regulatory
support, and we will do everything we can
to assist. murray.huling@aopa.org
ON THE FRONT LINES /
'What's up
with that?'
BY BILL DUNN
THE A IRPORT MANAGER says I cannot
perform an engine change in
my hangar-really?
When the sponsor of a publicuse
airport accepts grant funding
from the FAA under the Airport
Improvement Program, they agree
to 39 airport grant assurances. One
of those assurances, 22(f)-which
addresses economic nondiscrimination-prevents
airports from
prohibiting owner-performed maintenance,
repair, and fueling on their
aircraft. The maintenance must be
done by the aircraft owner or, if a
business, by employees of the business.
As an aircraft owner, you have
the right to self-fuel your aircraft,
service your aircraft, and bring
mogas to the airport if that is what
your aircraft consumes.
The FAA does allow an airport
to limit activities and create rules
and regulations to ensure activities
are conducted safely and pose
no risk to the public. Your airport's
rules and regulations may prevent
you from performing major maintenance
or painting an aircraft in
your hangar. Check with your airport
manager to review the rules
and regulations that might impact
your self-service activities.
AOPA's regional managers are
happy to help. Call 800-USA-AOPA
or email pilotassist@aopa.org.
bill.dunn@aopa.org
CENTR AL SOUTHWEST REGION
AOPA supported an increase to the
Iowa state budget, which boosted the
DOT General Aviation Airport Vertical
Infrastructure Fund from $650,000 to
$1 million, providing critical funding.
An Oklahoma appropriations bill
included a $2 million Aeronautics
Commission Airport Infrastructure
Apportionment, which will be used to
initiate a state hangar funding program.
AOPA supported a bill sponsored by
AOPA lifetime member and Texas
State Representative John Cyrier that
opens all protected freshwater areas
to aircraft operations, which were
previously prohibited.
EASTERN REGION
A $1,000 " Climate Mitigation Landing
Fee " bill in Massachusetts was defeated.
Grassroots activism by our members in
Massachusetts sent a strong message
about the economic impact of GA.
WESTERN PACIFIC REGION
AOPA hosted a Pilot Town Hall at
Whiteman Airport (WHP) to address
GA community concerns over a Los
Angeles City Council resolution to close
the airport due to " environmental and
safety concerns. "
AOPA and the City of San Diego
developed voluntary noise abatement
and reduction procedures for local GA
pilots, addressing community noise
concerns near Brown Field (SDM) and
Montgomery Airport (MYF).
aopa.org/advocacy/state-advocacy
600,000
The number of pilots in the
United States, according to the
FAA, the vast majority of whom
fly general aviation aircraft.
AOPA PILOT / September 2021
15
http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/state-advocacy
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021

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