by Craig L. Fuller
President & CEO
Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association
Pilots tend to be rational people. The decision making process that governs every flight must be firmly rooted in reason. And pilots know that poor judgment leads to poor outcomes. Unfortunately as sequestration cuts begin to take form, it’s clear that not all decisions affecting pilots are made with such care.
The sequestration mandate has compelled the FAA to make across-the-board spending cuts that just aren’t based in reason and aren’t acceptable to AOPA members.
With plans to close more than 200 control towers, allow the navigational aid system to deteriorate, and furlough tens of thousands of employees, the proposed cuts will have a disproportionate effect on the safety and integrity of general aviation operations.
It seems strange that contract towers have been singled out for widespread closure. They have the same excellent safety record as federally-operated towers, but they are much more cost effective. In fact, contract towers handle approximately 28 percent of all air traffic control operations in the United States, but they account for only 14 percent of the FAA’s total tower operations budget. It seems like the type of program you’d want to keep intact when you’re trying to stretch every dollar.
Closing towers isn’t the only alarming part of the FAA’s sequestration plan. We’re also worried about the integrity of our infrastructure if VORs aren’t repaired, the impact of putting a hold on new aircraft certification, delays in processing medicals and pilot certificates, and more cuts to critical weather and flight services.
General aviation is a real economic engine in many communities, providing jobs and supporting businesses. GA is also a critical tool for law enforcement, agriculture, and emergency medical services. And towered GA airports can be vital relievers in busy airspace around major metropolitan areas.
There are better, less damaging ways to reduce spending and cut costs, and we’re asking Congress and the Administration’s budget officials to give the FAA the flexibility it needs to make more rational choices. We’re also asking the FAA to work with AOPA and other aviation organizations to find savings that do less harm.
In recent years, AOPA and others have suggested a variety of cost-saving and cost-cutting measures, and we’re asking the FAA to make those ideas part of the current discussions. But most important, we need the FAA to step back from its rush to action, pause, and take a closer look at what its proposed cuts will really mean to the aviation community and the public at large.
