Boyer Tells Town Meetings GA Health Is Improving
AOPA President Phil Boyer spread the
good news about the improving health of general aviation at a
series of Pilot Town Meetings this week in Texas and Ohio. More
than 800 pilots attended the meetings in Houston, Dallas, and
Columbus. He also addressed issues of specific concern to pilots in
those areas and described AOPA's fight to preserve general aviation
airports. And a highlight of the Houston meeting was Mark Zeller,
winner of AOPA's Centennial of Flight Sweepstakes Waco, describing
his open-cockpit cross-country flight to deliver the aircraft to
its new owner in Minneapolis.
A leading indicator of the state of general aviation is the
number of new students starting flight training. In 2003, the
number of new students increased two percent, more than offsetting
the decline in foreign flight students since the 9/11 attacks and
change in security rules, Boyer told the audiences. More than
16,000 new pilots are expected to be added to the rolls by 2005.
Sales of new single-engine aircraft, the backbone of the industry,
were up by 11 percent in 2003, and growth continues strong in
2004.
There is even greater activity in the avionics market as owners
upgrade their aircraft. Shops are booked-up three months in
advance, and owners are spending an average of $27,000 on new
avionics. And WAAS (the GPS wide area augmentation system) is
bringing new benefits to general aviation first, allowing GPS to be
used as the primary source of navigation and providing ILS-like
instrument approaches to virtually every airport. AOPA has
championed WAAS for more than half a decade.
In each city, Boyer highlighted AOPA's ongoing efforts to save
airports, particularly the extraordinary win last year in Florida
with Albert Whitted Airport.
In Dallas, a top issue concerned
Addison Airport (ADS), where AOPA is challenging the way the city
is running the airport. AOPA contends the city is diverting revenue
from the airport, and that is causing higher costs for pilots. AOPA
has filed a Part 13 complaint with FAA against the city, and FAA is
beginning an investigation. (FAA Southwest Regional Administrator
Ava Wilkerson introduced Boyer at the beginning of the
meeting.)
US Representative Michael C. Burgess (R-TX), a pilot and AOPA
member, addressed the Dallas meeting via video, and stressed the
importance of general aviation to the Texas economy. Rep. Burgess
sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
In a video address to the Houston meeting, US Representative
Nicholas V. Lampson (D-Texas) praised AOPA's work in defending
pilots' right to fly. A pilot and AOPA member, Lampson sits on the
House aviation subcommittee. Dave Fulton, director of the Texas
Department of Transportation, opened the Houston Pilot Town
Meeting.
Flying up to the center of the country, Boyer addressed pilots
in Columbus (OH). A top issue there was the ongoing battle to save
Kent State Airport. The university trustees have voted to close the
airport and move the school's flight training operations to Portage
County Airport. But Kent State has accepted federal grants, and
that obligates the university to keep the airport open. AOPA has
advised the university of its obligation and has asked FAA to
enforce the grant obligations.
US Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) spoke to the audience on
video, stressing the importance of general aviation airports,
including Kent State, Burke Lake Front, and Blue Ash airports. Gus
Ubaldi, president of the Ohio Aviation Association, introduced
Boyer.