AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - June 2021 - 12

AOPA ACTION 
TOP STORIES |

Save airshows, too, AOPA says
Industry rallies to support relief for aviation events
A COALITION OF GENERAL AVIATION organizations wrote to
congressional committee leaders to highlight the reasons why
airshows should be given the same consideration as concerts,
movie theaters, museums, and other venues in the distribution
of federal pandemic relief. Like many other businesses, airshows
across the nation suffered greatly because of COVID-forced cancellations, eliminating the tremendous economic support they
provide local communities.
The letter, signed by AOPA, the National Business Aviation
Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association,
the Experimental Aircraft Association, the National Air
Transportation Association, and Helicopter Association
International, reminded leaders of the Senate Committee on
Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the House Committee
on Small Business that the more than 300 events held each year
attract more than 10 million visitors, provide a combined economic

boost of nearly $900 million to cities and towns, and account for
more than 20,000 jobs through hundreds of small businesses.
The letter stated that these events " provide the larger general
aviation community with an opportunity to familiarize the public
with general aviation and local airports " and " provide outreach
to those who might otherwise have no exposure or understanding of the value and importance of aviation in their communities. "
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 that was signed
into law on December 27 included the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit
Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, which established
the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program. Congress provided
$15 billion for the grant program to help entities hardest hit by
the pandemic. The letter asks that airshows be considered by the
Small Business Administration in the same manner as other entertainment and live venue events.
aopa.org/pilot/airshowrelief

AOPA seeks to have glider pilots squawk 1202
for all VFR ops
AOPA SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL to the
FAA requesting that beacon code 1202
become the standard for pilots flying
gliders VFR to use regardless of whether
they are in contact with air traffic control. Currently, the 1202 code is assigned
to VFR glider operations that are not
in contact with ATC to differentiate
them from VFR traffic squawking 1200

12 | AOPA PILOT June 2021

because of the different nature of the
operations.
While powered " VFR aircraft typically
fly in straight, predictable path[s], gliders
often make abrupt changes in direction
and/or altitude, " AOPA said. " This makes
it very important for ATC to be able to differentiate gliders from other aircraft. "
This change would help ATC better

identify gliders flying near busy airspace
and landing at towered airports, increasing safety in the airspace system. It would
also allow glider pilots to operate using
one code rather than having to change
codes in flight, which can be difficult to
do on a compact transponder and in a
cramped cockpit.
aopa.org/pilot/glidersquawk
http://www.aopa.org/pilot/airshowrelief http://www.aopa.org/pilot/glidersquawk
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - June 2021

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