AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2023 - 28

GUEST EDITORIAL
A strong focus
Investing in GA is key to the future
of flight in the U.S.
BY REP. SAM GRAVES
Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
GENERAL AVIATION UNDERPINS the U.S. aviation sector as
we know it. GA airfields across the country have given more
Americans than ever the opportunity to fly. From providing the
foundational building blocks for most airline pilots to serving
as economic engines for small and rural communities, our
aviation sector wouldn't be where it is today without a strong
GA community.
Congress has an opportunity this year to pass bipartisan, longterm
FAA reauthorization legislation-a bill that must pass to
keep airplanes in the sky and operating safely. As the chairman
of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and
an avid general aviator, I am thrilled that our bipartisan Securing
Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R.
3935) includes the first-ever title focused solely on GA. Nearly 300
of my colleagues and I serve on the General Aviation Caucus, and
we all recognize the importance of GA to our communities. As
the House and Senate work to reach final agreement on a shared
bill this summer, I will fight to ensure that any final agreement
maintains this strong GA focus.
To begin with, the bill seeks to increase Airport Improvement
Program (AIP) funding to $4 billion per year, up from the $3.35
billion per year it has remained at for years while construction
costs have continually increased. This AIP increase will especially
help improve infrastructure at GA airports. We will also dedicate
$25 million to the development of GA aircraft hangars, plus $25
million for the development of transient ramp parking.
In 2016, Congress established BasicMed, a common-sense
medical qualification that allows private pilots to get approved
by a state-licensed medical physician to take to the skies. This
year's bill capitalizes on BasicMed's successes by expanding the
specifications for eligible aircraft. Specifically, the bill proposes to
increase the occupancy restriction to seven people and to raise the
maximum gross takeoff weight to 12,500 pounds. The bill allows
a BasicMed pilot to carry up to six passengers.
The bill also strives to grow and support the aviation workforce
through the establishment of the National Center for the
Advancement of Aerospace, a center where government and aviation
industry stakeholders will collaborate on advancing programs
to develop a twenty-first-century aviation workforce. Programs
28
AOPA PILOT / August 2023
like the AOPA Foundation's high school aviation curriculum program
readily come to mind, and I look forward to ensuring that the
center provides a forum for growing talent pipelines and leveraging
GA communities in carrying out its mission.
Additionally, the bill expands protections for pilots by prohibiting
the FAA from weaponizing the exclusive review of
automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data
against a pilot in certain instances. This means that although
the FAA administrator could still use ADS-B data in an investigation,
the investigation cannot have been initiated based on the
sole review of ADS-B data by an FAA bureaucrat. For those of us
who were required to equip, we were told that ADS-B was to be
installed for the purpose of enhancing safety, but too often we
hear about the FAA abusing this data and using it against our fellow
pilots. This bill solidifies ADS-B as a safety enhancing tool,
not an enforcement tool.
The FAA must also work to provide better services to
those it regulates. Under our proposal, the FAA must not only
ensure that aircraft registration and renewal applications are
processed in a timely manner upon receipt, but must also
authorize aircraft owners to continue operating their aircraft
during the renewal process so long as certain conditions are
met. We also establish an ombudsman to assist individuals with
administrative actions (or inaction) attributed to a certification,
certificate, registration, waiver or exemption, interpretation,
determination, or other activity. In other words, GA pilots will
have a point of contact within the FAA whenever they have
questions or need assistance.
I will always fight for our right to fly, but we have a shared
responsibility in ensuring that our passion for flying is passed on to
the next generation of Americans. And to do that, we need to ensure
that general aviation continues to thrive for decades to come. I am
honored to work with AOPA and its members in that effort, and
I look forward to partnering
with the entire GA community
in sending this legislation
to President Biden's desk so
that we can lead for another
century and beyond.
REP. SAM GRAVES
(R-Missouri) is the chairman
of the House Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee
and holds an ATP certificate.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2023

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