Another year has flown by and 2025 will be here before we know it. The winter flying weather is finally with us after the long, hot summer and I hope everyone is getting out to enjoy it.
November is typically a busy month for the APA team and this past month has been no exception. APA and the Arizona Aviation Safety Advisory Group (ASAG) had the opportunity to meet with Senator David Farnsworth, Chair of the Arizona Legislature Transportation Committee, regarding the imposition of ADS-B-based landing fees at Arizona municipal airports. The meeting was informational in nature regarding the evolution of municipal airport landing fees nationwide and the trend we are seeing in Arizona. However, we took the opportunity to carry forward our concerns regarding the continued reallocation of funds from the State Aviation Fund (SAF) intended to support municipal airports for other non-aviation-related purposes. These SAF “sweeps,” in part, drive airports toward landing fees to bridge gaps in airport operating budgets.
We also discussed outcomes that the Arizona general aviation community would like to see going forward:
- ·Protecting the SAF – eliminating “sweeps” and fund reallocation
- ·AZ Legislature support for national efforts to restrict the use of ADS-B data to its intended purpose (air traffic management and safety)
- ·Revitalization of the AZ Legislature General Aviation Caucus to ensure these kinds of issues get visibility and action
Senator Farnsworth was genuinely interested in the issues and offered to host roundtable discussions with the interested parties in the Arizona general aviation community to better understand the issues and frame up required actions. Toward that end, APA and ASAG have taken the action to engage the Arizona Airports Association to better define the impact of the SAF reallocation on municipal airports prior to scheduling a follow-up roundtable. This is just the start of the conversation regarding our efforts to limit the implementation of landing fees in Arizona and we will keep you posted on progress. Our thanks to Senator Farnsworth for his interest and engagement in this important issue.
As I mentioned last month, we closed the 2024 APA Scholarship cycle at the end of October and had a record sixty applications submitted. By the time this newsletter goes to press, the Scholarship Committee will have completed its review and selection process. With very few exceptions, the applications have been, making the committee’s job that much harder. As usual, we intend to award ten $3,000 scholarships to support Arizona students seeking careers as professional aviators, maintenance professionals, and air traffic controllers. We’ll provide you with a detailed update on the selected recipients in the January newsletter.
The Scholarship Program is an important part of APA’s mission and is supported by member donations. As we get ready to bring 2024 to a close, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help APA fulfill this important part of our mission - https://azpilots.org/more-resources/charitable-donations. And remember, no donation is too small - or too large!
In closing, I’d like to take a moment to thank all the volunteers who make APA work. They contribute a lot of time and energy to making APA successful. Things like hosting our fly-in events, maintaining airstrips, and publishing our newsletter take a lot of often unseen effort. So, thank you all – we could not be successful without you!
Happy Holidays and Fly Safe!
Chris