Page 12 - August 2015 Volume 9, Number 8

Congress has agreed with NBAA that people should not have to surrender their privacy and security just because they travel on a general aviation aircraft. In past FAA reauthorization measures, Congress has included language requiring the FAA to provide an “opt-out” for those who do not want their aviation movements broadcast in real time, and lawmakers need to address this issue in the pending 2015 FAA reauthorization bill.
Protect the nation’s airport system. In some parts of the country, attempts are being made to close important airports. NBAA supports giving the Secretary of Transportation sufficient discretion to allow an airport to remain open for the purposes of protecting or advancing the civil aviation interests of the United States, if standard conditions become unenforceable.
Improve the certification and approval process. The approval process for new aviation technologies and other products can be cumbersome, unnecessarily taking up time and resources. The FAA should constantly look for ways to keep or improve safety, while adopting more efficient, effective business- like processes.
Ensure the safe introduction and integration of new aviation technologies. NBAA urges Congress to work closely with the Department of Transportation,
FAA and the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) industry to integrate UAS into the national airspace system in a thoughtful, deliberative process focused on safety and security.
Ensure continuity of government aviation services. Aviation aircraft and parts cannot be produced, financed, bought or sold without the written approval of the federal government. NBAA urges lawmakers to include language in FAA reauthorization legislation to ensure that the important aviation safety and security functions of the FAA Registry Office are protected from future government shutdowns.
After Committee chairman Shuster’s comments revealing some of the details of the proposed Reauthorization Bill, NBAA called upon its more than 10,000 Member Companies to make their voices heard in strong opposition to any legislative proposal that would strip congressional oversight of the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) network in favor of a private entity funded through user fees.
Similar to past instances when legislative proposals represented potential threats to the freedom and mobility provided through business aviation, NBAA issued this latest call to action to inform NBAA Members about the implications of Shuster’s remarks.
Bolen’s message also advised how members of the business aviation community may encourage their elected representatives to oppose any legislation that would enact user fees, and take away the focus on the public interest that comes with congressional oversight of the nation’s aviation system.
NBAA’s Contact Congress online resource provides a quick, convenient means for people in NBAA’s Membership to inform their elected officials that they oppose ATC privatization and user fees. “Members of Congress are most attentive to their constituents, who live and work in the states and districts they are charged with representing,” Bolen noted in his call to action.
NBAA has also established a way for the business aviation community to use social media to make its concerns understood. NBAA Members with Twitter accounts can alert their lawmakers to the concern over that social media venue using NBAA’s Twitter advocacy tool.
“Our industry cannot be silent or complacent against these threats,” Bolen added. “We must once again make our united voice of opposition heard on this issue.”
For more information and guidance on how you can contact Congress regarding the FAA Reauthorization Bill, go to www.nbaa.org/advocacy/contact/. KA
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10 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
AUGUST 2015