September was a busy month for the APA team and we have a lot to talk about in this month’s President’s Report, so let’s get right to it.
As I reported last month, the Air Force issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) covering a broad expansion of the Special Use Airspace (SUA) that encompasses the fifteen MOAs and Restricted areas in Arizona. To recap, the proposal expands the operating hours and frequency of operations in a majority of the MOAs and proposes a sizeable expansion of the Tombstone MOA in southern Arizona. In addition, it proposes to lower the floors of to as low as 100 feet and authorize supersonic flight and the use of chaff and flares at much lower altitudes. These proposed changes have obvious flight safety implications based on the volume of VFR and IFR traffic in Arizona, particularly VFR flight training traffic.
I attended one of the public hearings organized by the Air Force to allow the public to provide comment and I can tell you virtually everyone who spoke was vehemently opposed to the proposed changes. This was particularly true of the residents living within the boundaries of the Tombstone MOA and the tribal and environmental groups. I would not be surprised to see one or more of these groups engage in litigation to stop the proposed changes.
APA submitted a formal letter of comment which highlighted the safety of flight issues in particular for VFR traffic operating “see-and-avoid” in the MOAs with military aircraft operating at high subsonic/supersonic speeds. We also highlighted the impact to instrument approaches and access to public and private airports within the MOAs. Click here for the full letter in PDF…
And now on to an equally controversial topic – airport landing fees. I’m sure that all of you have been keeping up with what seems like daily articles in the aviation press regarding airports looking to implement transient aircraft landing fees using ADS-B information to identify transient aircraft and bill for landings. Some of these systems take it one step further and incorporate cameras to document tail numbers for billing purposes. While most of the press has been focused on Florida, the company behind these initiatives, Vector Airport Systems, has been actively soliciting business in Arizona as well.
You may recall that the city of Cottonwood was considering implementing transient landing fees to discourage touch-and-go traffic from Embry-Riddle of Prescott. APA and AOPA reached out to the city to oppose the fees, and as of this writing the landing fee initiative at P52 is on hold. However, I do have to report that the city of Safford implemented transient landing fees at Safford Municipal (KSAD) using the Vector system during the month of September. Landing fees will be charged for landings and touch-and-go’s and are based on Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight (MGTW) - $2.00/1,000 lbs for aircraft up to 12,500 lbs and $3.00/1,000 lbs for MGTW’s greater than 12,500 lbs. Based aircraft are exempt, and the fee will be waived if you buy fuel.
I had a long conversation with the KSAD airport manager, Cameron Atkins, to get a better understanding of what drove the implementation of landing fees. Here are the highlights:
- ·Airport Budget Deficit – Although KSAD has received FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants to complete projects such as runway/taxiway lighting improvements, funds from the state aviation fund have been reduced. This is because $12M was “swept” from the aviation fund in 2023 to support projects such as I-10 improvements rather than the airport operations/improvements it was intended to support. Cameron mentioned the potential for another $20M sweep in 2024.
- ·Transient Traffic Increases – As we have seen at a number of airports in Arizona, the amount of transient traffic associated with flight schools conducting touch-and-go’s and practice approaches has skyrocketed. The airport operators must ensure that their facilities are safe and well maintained but these kinds of operations do not contribute to revenue in terms of fuel flowage fees since the flight schools do not typically buy fuel. These fuel flowage fees are a good option for having frequent users, like the flight schools, contribute a bit more to keep our airports healthy.
- ·Lack of User Engagement – Cameron mentioned that he has reached out to the flight schools in the Phoenix area to develop an arrangement for them to buy fuel in lieu of landing fees, but this outreach has not been productive. Apparently, they have made the decision to pay the fee for every touch-and-go and pass it on to their students, with the addition of their overhead of course. And then there is the King Air operator that flies into KSAD every week, uses the free airport courtesy car to do business in town, and leaves without buying fuel – “I’d rather just pay the fee.”
To be clear, these kind of transient landing fees set a dangerous precedent and will ultimately erode safety, since pilots will cut back on recurring training like touch-and-goes. As a tailwheel pilot, getting in some landing practice on every flight is important to maintaining proficiency. but these are good examples of the kind of things that drive airport operators to move to landing fees and leave the rest of the GA community to deal with the proliferation of landing fees at municipal airports.
We’ve had a number of discussions on this subject with AOPA recently, and of course landing fees are a hot topic for them as well. You may have seen Mark Baker’s recent letter to the FAA administrator regarding the use of ADS-B data for commercial, for-profit purposes such as billing landing fees. Although we have not seen any response to this letter yet, we have told AOPA that APA will support any initiative to development of a policy case and legislation at the federal level to limit ADS-B data use to it’s originally intended purpose, air traffic management and safety. We will also pursue a parallel approach this fall with the AZ legislature that supports the federal effort and addresses the practice of sweeping the aviation fund for non-aviation purposes.
Unfortunately, none of this effort will result in the issue of landing fees going away overnight. In the meantime, take some time to get to know the management at your airport to get a better understanding of the issues they are facing and where they are heading in terms of new programs and policies. Let them know that landing fees are a bad idea that could easily drive traffic away.
We’ll keep you updated as information becomes available (be sure to check our Facebook page) and let us know if you have any new information as well – reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Finally, just a few reminders:
- ·October Grapevine Camping Weekend – October 18 – 20 - This will be our first event for the 2024 -2025 season. Keep an eye out for updates on our Facebook page and if you are interested in being a camp host reach out to Leanne Tawoda – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- ·Scholarship Program Application Deadline – October 31 – The deadline for APA scholarship applications is fast approaching. If you or someone you know is interested in applying, go to our website at https://azpilots.org/pilot-info/scholarship-program
Thank you for supporting APA’s mission through your membership and please feel free to reach out to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any comments, concerns or questions.
Fly Safe,
Chris