AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - December 2011 - 16

2 Washington

Seaplanes in, mussels out at Lake Whatcom
Washington state seaplane pilot Doug Tomczak can now dock his airplane at Lake Whatcom. Tomczak had received a conditional use permit to moor his seaplane at his dock on Lake Whatcom, which has a seaplane base, but the state Department of Ecology overturned the permit, claiming that the seaplane could introduce invasive species such as zebra mussels. Concerned that it could create a precedent for keeping seaplanes off of Lake Whatcom, the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association (WSPA) appealed the denial. With the help of a volunteer legal team and support from area pilots, WSPA and Tomczak reached a settlement with the Department of Ecology that both approves the permit and protects the ecology of Lake Whatcom. “This has truly been a team effort and has involved many of our members as well as outside experts and all of our board members, especially Bruce Hinds and Greg Corrado,” said WSPA President Stephen

Form a support group
Promoting and protecting your community airport is a big job—bigger than any one person. AOPA’s Airport Support Network volunteers work hard to keep the association’s Airports staff in the know about any challenges or problems at their airports, but that’s just scratching the surface. The best way to ensure your airport is both safe from problems and appreciated by the community is to form an airport support group. Bringing together a group of airport users and supporters is the best way to share the work and have fun doing it. Archie Taylor, ASN volunteer at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth, helped AOPA organize an event with area pilots to discuss this idea. Taylor and his friends at the airport did a great job hosting the event in a hangar owned by AOPA member Stan Thomas. To help local pilots organize, AOPA has written a guide to Organizing your Airport Group (www.aopa.org/asn/1106asn_org airportgroup.pdf ). In it you will find step-bystep instructions on how to pull your entire airport community together, how to use the group to effectively tell the story of your airport to your neighbors, and how to protect the airport should problems arise. Keep in mind there are lots of people who care about or benefit from a local airport. Reach out to the airport management, local officials and business owners to build your airport group. Remember, the airport benefits many aspects of the community—not just pilots.
For more information on learning how to volunteer for AOPA, visit AOPA Online (www.aopa.org/asn).
AOPA PILOT • 17 • DECEMBER 2011

Ratzlaff in announcing that a Washington state appeals board had approved the settlement. Seaplane pilot and attorney Ken Berger donated his time to represent Tomczak, and the public interest legal organization Pacific Legal Foundation led representation of WSPA, Ratzlaff said.

3 Idaho5

Fuller, governors discuss state fees, ADS-B
AOPA President Craig Fuller participated in a panel of Democratic governors and private sector leaders to discuss the future of the nation’s transportation and infrastructure—and, specifically, the direction of general aviation. During the discussion, hosted by the Democratic Governor’s Association (DGA) in Charlotte, North Carolina, Fuller highlighted several pressing issues facing GA, ranging from detrimental state tax proposals to the lack of progress in establishing sufficient funding —AOPA President Craig Fuller for NextGen. “Engaging governors at events like this is invaluable to our advocacy efforts,” said Fuller. “Governors not only make key decisions on taxes and the management of airports at the state level; many of these respected leaders also have a strong voice in Washington as Congress and the president make decisions on important issues like user fees and FAA funding.”

“Engaging governors is invaluable to our advocacy efforts.”

http://www.aopa.org/asn/1106asn_orgairportgroup.pdf http://www.aopa.org/asn/1106asn_orgairportgroup.pdf http://www.aopa.org/asn

AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - December 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - December 2011