AOPA President Conducts Town Meeting in Minneapolis
On May 3rd, Phil Boyer, President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, visited Minneapolis to conduct one of his town meetings. A packed room listened to Boyer warn pilots to be alert over the next year or so regarding FAA and airline – backed proposals to change funding of FAA programs. According to Boyer, a key date will be September 30, 2007. That’s when the current financing system ends. AOPA’s concern (along with others) is that the FAA and the airlines want to replace this financing system with one that creates user fees for general aviation pilots. There is also concern that the FAA is using smoke and mirrors to create the impression that FAA trust funds are not well funded, and that the FAA wants to eliminate Congressional oversight of FAA activities in the future. Of course, between now and then the 2006 Congressional elections will take place, and the composition of the new Congress could have an impact on the FAA situation. To monitor developments in this area watch the EAA and AOPA websites — www.eaa.org and www.aopa.org.