AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2023 - 11

The art of
the possible
Mike Ginter, AOPA vice president,
Airports and State Advocacy
E V E R WONDE R W H Y
some airports are great
and others struggle to
survive? Your airport
may be a fun place for
pilots and the community,
where hangars
are available, fuel is
reasonably priced, and the runway and buildings
are in good shape. Or your local airport
may be in dire need of hangars or runway rehabilitation,
has sky high prices for hangars and
gas, or is trying to push GA out. So, what drives
this vast difference in the trajectory of an airport?
We've been chasing the elusive answer
for many years, and we keep coming back to the
same simple conclusion: It takes vision!
To be a great airport, the airport sponsor has
to want to be great. It must articulate a vision
and then implement the phases to realize that
vision. It's that simple.
During a recent aviation conference in
Bentonville, Arkansas, we met with several airport
managers who are chasing their vision for an
improved airport. Bentonville Municipal Airport
(Louise M. Thaden Field) has turned its vision
into reality and transformed a tornado damaged
airport into a thriving and inviting haven
for pilots and the local community (check out
thadenfield.com). Its vision was supported by
FAA and state funding, local grants, local businesses,
and superb airport management. We
also met with BJ Teichman, airport manager
at Bloomsburg Municipal Airport (N13) in central
Pennsylvania, where her vision and passion
for general aviation have driven expanded community
engagement, connection with local
businesses, two courtesy cars, an active pilot base,
and access to STEM activities for local schools.
The red carpet is out at Bloomsburg Airport.
The difference between these two airports
is stark-but the common thread is that
they both improved with a solid vision. We
need more sponsors to adopt a pro-airport
vision-everybody wins when this happens.
mike.ginter@aopa.org
ON THE FRONT LINES /
REGIONAL NEWS /
Protecting our
airspace
By Tom Chandler
Central Southwest
Regional Manager
A I R P OR T S N AT I ONW I DE F A C E
encroachment pressure from a
variety of sources. We often discuss
incompatible land use near
the airport, such as residential
development. Encroachment can
also come from the development
of obstacles ranging from tall light
poles near an airport to large communications
towers and wind
turbines many miles away.
FAR Part 77 outlines requirements
triggering FAA evaluation
of proposed new structures on or
off airports. The FAA's Obstacle
Evaluation/Airport Airspace
Analysis team evaluates thousands
of cases annually to determine the
impacts of each proposed structure.
These impacts can negatively
affect the utility of an airport, ranging
from minor changes of VFR
pattern heights to raising IFR
approach minimums or losing
approaches entirely.
In most cases, the FAA has
zero power to directly impact
construction, and it is up to the
airport sponsor (usually the city
or county) to permit construction
or not. Unfortunately, despite the
requirements of FAA grant assurances,
many cities and counties,
especially in rural areas, do not
have any airspace zoning to provide
them the power to control
the construction of vertical structures,
thus putting future grants at
risk. Want to help protect your airport?
Consider becoming an AOPA
Airport Support Network volunteer
at aopa.org/asn.
tom.chandler@aopa.org
2,300
AOPA Airport Support
Network volunteers are working to keep
airports open and accessible for pilots.
EASTERN REGION
AOPA testified before the Massachusetts
legislature Joint Committee on Revenue
opposing efforts to repeal sales tax
exemptions for aircraft and maintenance.
CENTR AL SOUTHWEST REGION
Met with FAA and Kansas City Aviation
Department and wrote an op-ed in the
Kansas City Star in response to city
manager's comments suggesting the
closure of Charles B. Wheeler Downtown
Airport to reduce FAA limitations placed on
proposed real estate development projects.
GREAT L AKES REGION
Testified in Ohio legislature in support of
Airport Protection Act updates that will help
the Ohio Department of Transportation to
ensure the tall structure permitting process
conforms with federal law and FAA policy.
WESTERN PACIFIC REGION
Protected White Mountain Lake Airport
in Arizona from incompatible land use
development that threatened safe helicopter
operations. Hosted the West Coast ASN
gathering at the Reno Air Races with almost
50 ASN volunteers, race pilots, and state
aviation officials in attendance.
NORTHWEST MOUNTA IN REGION
Testified before the King County Council
(Washington) opposing proposed ordinance
which will disrupt the well-functioning
Boeing Field Airport Roundtable.
AL ASKA REGION
Working with Alaska stakeholders to add
VFR checkpoints to major Alaska Range
mountain passes to improve aviation safety.
aopa.org/advocacy/state-advocacy
AOPA PILOT / November 2023
11
http://www.thadenfield.com http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/state-advocacy http://www.aopa.org/asn
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2023

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