AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - April 2022 - 14

AOPA ACTION
VIEW FROM CAPI TOL HILL /
Pay it forward
We need all pilots to become AOPA pilots
BY JIM COON / Senior Vice President,
Government Affairs and Advocacy
I WAS RECENTLY asked what the biggest threat to general aviation
is today. I didn't hesitate, and without a hint of irony, I
responded that having it taken away is the biggest threat. I suggested
that we simply cannot take the freedom of flying for
granted. It's an unfortunate situation, but what we have here
in the United States is not the norm around the world. Many
new pilots are unaware of the challenges and threats we face as
a community. Often, those who get started in GA become successful
commercial or military pilots, and many others-but not
all-tend to leave GA as a memory, even though many started at
their local flying field with a dream.
General aviation in this great country is the exception rather
than the rule. I'd like to think it is the combined efforts of AOPA
pilots over the past 83 years that have ensured our system is the
envy of pilots in other countries.
AOPA has the influence and respect of policy makers
and we have the interest and heart of pilots across
the nation, all because we have an engaged and
passionate membership.
As our population grows here in the United States, especially
around urban areas, the challenges facing general aviation will
continue to grow and threaten our fragile general aviation ecosystem.
It will take the combined efforts of each AOPA member, and
those to come, to help protect what we have today and improve it
for future aviators.
Pilots join AOPA not only for the extraordinary association benefits
but because they also have a passion to fly-or maybe a family
member is a pilot, and they simply are aviation enthusiasts. For many
years, pilots got into aviation through the military, but today general
aviation is where most commercial and airline pilots get their start,
and the trend is growing.
In my humble opinion, and being in the political arena, it
is time for all pilots to pay it forward and join this community
because quite simply, we are stronger when we work together at
the local, state, and federal levels. AOPA has the influence and
14
AOPA PILOT / April 2022
respect of policy makers and we have the interest and heart of
pilots across the nation, all because we have an engaged and passionate
membership. Spread the word to your fellow pilots who
are not AOPA members, because it matters.
I will be the first to admit, we certainly don't have a perfect system
and much work remains. We have the benefits of a safe and
efficient airspace; we have more than 19,000 landing areas including
airports both public and private, heliports, seaplane bases, and
backcountry strips. Many face the constant threat of poor landuse
decisions by local politicians or a developer who sees profit in
shopping malls or housing tracts.
Yes, we have challenges and battles that pop up every day in
every form. Policy makers need to understand and all pilots must
appreciate the social and economic benefits of GA.
While other nations have seen overregulation and increased
government fees, which have led to significant declines in GA,
we have been able to stave off many unwanted and unneeded
ideas here in the United States. General aviation in other nations
is suffering because of very high fees, steep rental costs, and stifling
government oversight and regulation. Even amid a global
pandemic, GA thrived for the past two years here in the United
States, while total hours flown by some other countries decreased
by almost one-third. No doubt, aviation is a very regulated industry
and while we support regulations that make sense and improve
safety, we continue to work to alleviate, reduce, or eliminate duplicative
and needless regulations or processes as much as we can,
such as in third class medical reform and other issues.
We are now deep in the trenches to develop and implement
a safe and smart transition to an unleaded GA future. I cannot
think of another issue at this moment that is more important to
our general aviation system. It is issues like this that can help
if all pilots and aviation enthusiasts join our AOPA ranks and
help us advocate for this freedom to fly, whether you are in GA
now or flying commercially.
Help keep the passion for flying
available and accessible,
not only for today's aviators
but also for those to come.
jim.coon@aopa.org
JIM COON joined AOPA in
2014. He spent 25 years on
Capitol Hill in several senior
staff positions.
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - April 2022

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