EAA IN ACTION
EAA RESPONDED TO THE FAA regarding its policy for
through-the-fence (T TF) and on-airport residential
access. EAA believes that the FAA should not have a
blanket policy against residential T TF operations.
Rather it should continue the prior policy that
allowed adjacent residential property through-the-fence agreements on a case-by-case basis that was
based on the economic and operational needs of the
public airport, and when safety, security, and equitable compensation issues were addressed.
EAA WARBIRDS OF AMERICA and Earl Lawrence,
EAA’s vice president of industry and regulatory
affairs, will participate at the National Warbird
Operator Conference in San Diego, California, on
February 18-21. The conference provides an opportunity to discuss common goals and address the
changing environments in which warbird aircraft are
operated. In light of the FAA’s recent notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) requiring proficiency
checks for a pilot in command of a single-piloted,
turbojet-powered airplane, the need to organize as a
community has never been greater, so these aviation
participants can maintain their freedom of flight.
THE FAA AMATEUR-BUILT FLIGHT Standards Review
Board will include EAA participation. The board
was recently established with the goal of enhancing
amateur-built safety. Watch www.EAA.org for
development of this newly formed group.
EAA CO-CHAIRED THE FIRST meeting of the Light
Sport-Joint Safety Committee (LS-JSC) during the
U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in January. The LS-JSC has
been established to provide strategic oversight and
direction for light-sport operations and manufacturing. It will serve as a vehicle for government-industry
cooperation, communication, and coordination on
light-sport safety issues.
COMMENTS FROM EAA ON the TSA Repair Station
NPRM included agreement that security for repair
stations that work primarily on commercial and
transport category aircraft needs to be high. EAA
disagrees, however, that the same level of security
needs to be applied to small, general aviation (GA)
repair stations. A one-size-fits-all approach would
be financially burdensome and unnecessary for
many GA repair stations.
EAA ALSO PARTICIPATED IN the ASTM Light Sport
Committee meetings held during the U.S. Sport
Aviation Expo. Presentations were given to both
the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board
to update those agencies on the light-sport aircraft community.
TSA BACK ON HIGH ALERT
By Earl Lawrence, EAA Vice President of Industry
and Regulatory Affairs
IN RECENT WEEKS THE news was filled with stories about the attempted terrorist bombing of a Delta/Northwest flight on December 25, 2009. This attempted
bombing of an airliner will also have a significant effect on general aviation security. Even though a GA aircraft has not been part of a terrorist attack in the
United States, the public and many government entities paint aviation with a
single brush. Terrorist attempts instill additional caution or bias among national
security personnel/regulators. It often results in more restrictions and controls
for all flight operations. The general public is also less sympathetic of increased
burdens placed on general aviation, such as additional security checks, temporary flight restrictions, and airport restrictions after such incidents.
Over the last few years I have seen a growing divide in the perceived “reali-
ties,” with general aviation pilots and aircraft owners on one side and with
government regulators charged with national security and the public demanding
increased aviation security on the other.
Case in point: Sometimes what the government feels is an effort minimize
regulation is perceived as no action or worse by pilots directly affected by more
regulations or security measures. This divide is leading to greater animosity and
anger between pilots and our public officials.
I contend that our public officials are driven by the public’s fear and jealousy
of general aviation. Aircraft owners are viewed as rich and spoiled. Here’s one
example: I recently read a story from an aircraft owner in which she shared her
experience with a grocery store bag boy who was helping carry bags to her car.
The boy noticed the pilot organization stickers in her car window and asked if
she owned an aircraft. She answered that she and her husband owned an amateur-built airplane. The bag boy then asked why she was not driving a luxury car.
He didn’t understand that someone of moderate income could fly, let alone own,
an aircraft. This is the public perception of aviation that conflicts with GA’s advocacy efforts.
Interestingly enough, December’s airliner incident and the resulting
increased vigilance at commercial airports has led airline passenger groups to
publicly debate the viability of airline travel. In recent interviews, those groups
have questioned the effectiveness of many security measures versus the cost in
travel freedom that results.
This is the new reality we face, and 2010 will be another challenging year for
aviation security. TSA has pending new regulations for large aircraft security;
the administration will be pushing security agencies to take additional measures
to prevent possible terrorist bombing.
This is a challenge that reminds me of our challenge with safety. While it is an
ultimate dream, we can never prevent every single aviation, car, or motorcycle
accident. Is it realistic to consider that every terrorist action in or out of aviation
can be stopped? As EAA has maintained since 9/11, the challenge is developing a
reasonable balance between our freedom to fly and safety and security.
What do you think? How can each of us and your EAA organization best
influence public opinion to favor our freedom to fly over burdensome security
and safety restrictions? Share your comments in the Hangar Talk forum at www.
Oshkosh365.org.
