AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2024 - 12

AOPA ACTION
VIEW FROM CAPI TOL HILL /
Common sense
We could use a good strong dose of it
BY JIM COON / Senior Vice President,
Government Affairs and Advocacy
AOPA Foundation Legacy Society member
WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY DEFINES COMMON SENSE as having
" sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of
the situation or facts, " and as we look around the world today,
including here at home, we could use a good strong dose of it.
Billions of people fly safely every year in all sectors of aviation-
general, business, commercial, military-and flying is only going
to continue to grow despite a vocal and organized number of
organizations and policy makers, amplified by mainstream media,
who are trying to disrupt or destroy it. Ever hear of the Green New
Deal? Climate activists gluing themselves to the tarmac? This is
just craziness!
We are fortunate to be living in a time with one of the safest,
if not the safest, forms of travel ever created by man. And some
want it wiped out despite serious and continuing efforts that have
led to safer, quieter, and more efficient technologies. Where is the
common sense? I'm not saying being environmentally aware is a
bad thing, as most everyone I know wants clean air and water, but
they also want to fly and travel too.
Together, and with strength in numbers, we have fought,
clawed, and scratched for what we have today. We must
continue to fight so we don't lose this privilege.
At the moment, aviation in Europe faces a much more
challenging situation, and we must take heed and do everything
we can to prevent those who are against aviation from gaining
ground here in the United States. Whether it be in the form of
egregious fees pilots pay at airports, government leaders calling
for more taxes, airlines pushing privatization, or so-called
environmentalist referring to industry efforts that will reduce
emissions as " greenwash, " they all have a detrimental impact on
aviation. Developing clean or cleaner forms of energy is a laudable
goal and one we should all support. But let's make sure we know
the environmental impacts, good and bad, of all energy sources
before we castigate others or needlessly radicalize the issue.
Removing lead in avgas by 2030 is real; it's not some newly
12
AOPA PILOT / January 2024
formed mythical fabrication but rather a concerted years-long
effort with industry and government support. Yet, we have those
who suggest six years is too long and are using lead as an excuse
to close airports despite the fact that lead content levels are higher
in some areas farther from the airport. Clearly, many of these
" thought leaders " lack common sense.
We have such a dedicated general aviation community here in
the United States with hundreds of thousands of pilots and more
than 220,000 GA aircraft flying nearly 27 million hours each year.
That number of hours equates to more than 3,000 years of flying
time in one year. We have more than 19,000 airports, landing areas,
backcountry strips, and heliports.
How is this when we see general aviation in other countries
across the globe fighting every day to survive? Well, there is somewhat
of a simple answer. Together, and with strength in numbers
we have fought, clawed, and scratched for what we have today. One
of the benefits of effective advocacy and activism is, you guessed
it, common sense. We must continue to fight so we don't lose this
privilege. And for those countries where GA is smaller and where
common sense is severely lacking with environmental radicals,
governments, and decision-makers, well, they are slowly pushing,
or at least trying, to pummel aviation back to the Bronze Age. We
must be cognizant of these warnings and challenges that others
are or haved faced so they don't grow here.
I would be remiss if not mentioning the loss of our good
friend, colleague, and aviator, Richard McSpadden, who so
diligently and effectively led the AOPA Air Safety Institute.
This world needs more people like Richard, as he personified
common sense. To be a
better pilot, to grow your
flying competence, to be
safer, and to keep this
dream of flying available
for the next generation,
Richard would always keep
it simple and direct with his
signature phrase: " Go fly! "
jim.coon@aopa.org
JIM COON joined AOPA in
2014. He spent 25 years on
Capitol Hill in several senior
staff positions, including staff
director for the U.S. House of
Representatives Committee
on Transportation and
Infrastructure.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2024
