Greetings! First, Here is an update from Washington, D.C. Congress recently approved the extension legislation, H.R. 6984, that will continue to fund the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Aviation System through March 31, 2009. An FAA reauthorization bill passed last year by the House, and under consideration by the Senate, includes an adjustment to the general aviation fuel tax to provide additional funding each year for continued transformation toward a satellite-based aviation system, also known as NextGen.
While general aviation groups remain pleased that new user fees have not been implemented by Congress via long-term FAA reauthorization, airport groups remain frustrated by the series of continuing resolutions coming out of Congress. Airports continue to call for raising the cap on Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs) to $7 from the current $4.50, and call for increases to Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding by $100 million per year.
Secondly, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to put all incoming air cargo through radiation detectors at the nation’s major airports to prevent terrorists from smuggling radioactive bombs into the U.S. Homeland Security Michael Chertoff says he is concerned about weapons of mass destruction getting into the country by air or by boat. Four major U.S. airports will be outfitted with radiation detectors before the end of the year, plan calls for the nation’s 30 largest airports to have detectors.
Thirdly, The Government Accountability Office (GAO) Gerald Dillingham, the agency’s top authority on aviation safety, tells a House panel that even though FAA “has given a higher priority to runway safety” there were 24 of the most serious kinds of runway incursions-defined as an event in which any aircraft, vehicle or person intrudes in space reserved for takeoff or landing-in fiscal 2008. The rate of serious incidents, measured by number of incidents per one million takeoffs and landings, increased 5 percent in the first three quarters of FY2008, according to Dillingham.
The rate of all types of runway incursions, ranging from near collisions to minor incidents in which there was no threat to safety, was 6.72 in the first three quarters of 2008, up 10 percent compared to the same three quarters in 2007 and 2001, when the rate was at its previous peak of 6.11.
Fourthly, following is an update concerning Missouri Aviation. The Aircraft and Airport Bills are as follows:
Missouri
House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
(2008)
Bills Indexed by Subject
AIRCRAFT AND AIRPORTS
HB 1495 --- Sponsor: Bruns, Mark J. --- CoSponsor: Sater, David
Changes the laws regarding the Aviation Trust Fund and the funding for certain air traffic control towers
HB 1639 --- Sponsor: Bruns, Mark J. --- CoSponsor: Richard, Ron
Changes the laws regarding the Aviation Trust Fund and air traffic control towers
HB 1760 --- Sponsor: Storch, Rachel --- CoSponsor: Oxford, Jeanette Mott
Requires statewide elected officials and members of the General Assembly to report any use of a private plane, the cost of the flight, and all the passengers within 72 hours after the flight
HB 1888 --- Sponsor: Schoeller, Shane --- CoSponsor: Lampe, Sara
Allows a municipality to annex land within the airport zone of the City of Springfield if it agrees to enforce Springfield's zoning ordinance
HB 2221 --- Sponsor: St. Onge, Neal C.
Revises the definition of "commercial aircraft" as it relates to the taxation of aircraft by lowering the maximum certified gross take-off weight from 7,000 to 1,000 pounds
HCR 10 --- Sponsor: Scharnhorst, Dwight
Urges Congress to enact legislation to protect airline customers
HCR 43 --- Sponsor: Funderburk, Doug --- CoSponsor: Darrough, Bruce
Urges the United States Air Force to reconsider its decision to replace a Boeing-made refueling tanker with a tanker supplied by a foreign country
HCR 46 --- Sponsor: Funderburk, Doug --- CoSponsor: Darrough, Bruce
Urges the United States Air Force to reconsider its decision to replace a Boeing-made refueling tanker with a tanker supplied by a foreign country
SB 930 --- Sponsor: Stouffer, Bill
Removes cap on amount of aviation-generated revenue that may be deposited in state aviation trust fund and expands purposes for which moneys in the aviation trust fund may be used
SB 943 --- Sponsor: Clemens, Dan
Allows cities to annex land within airport zones in Greene County if cities agree to enforce Springfield's airport zoning ordinance
SB 947 --- Sponsor: Stouffer, Bill
Removes cap on amount of aviation-generated revenue that may be deposited in state aviation trust fund and expands purposes for which moneys in the aviation trust fund may be used
SB 1049 --- Sponsor: Kennedy, Harry
Expands sales tax exemption purchases of tangible personal property used in the repair and maintenance of aircraft
SB 1073 --- Sponsor: Dempsey, Tom
Creates a state and local sales and use tax exemption for defense articles sold to foreign governments
NOTE: Your Web site address for Texas Legislation: www.texas.gov
Look for Transportation-Aviation, to search all aviation bills.
Web site address for Illinois legislation: www.illinois.gov
Look for Transportation-Aviation, to search all aviation bills.
All other states should follow this same format, to search your specific state’s aviation and airport bills.
Remember, that as members of USPA, MPA, TPA, TXAA, NMPA, NPA, IPA, EAA, AOPA, or other pilot associations of which you may be a member, we have a powerful voice, in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, or whatever state you may represent. Every group of taxpayers and pilots carries a strong voice to Washington, D.C., as well as at the state and local level.
We need to learn how to use our voices, and speak up for general aviation.
So let us not forget to exercise our rights and privileges, so we can continue to make a “Difference for General Aviation”.
UNTIL NEXT TIME!
SAFE FLYING!
Larry G. Harmon
Vice President
Government & Technical Affairs
United States Pilots Association