State Aeronautics directors gather for the annual NASAO Convention & Trade Show in Rogers, Arkansas.
Daniel Stanley Photo
by Jim Bildilli
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine December 2023 Digital Issue
Many of us are familiar with the acronyms AOPA, EAA, NBAA, GAMA and several others, but there’s also an aviation organization called the National Association of State Aviation Officials or NASAO for short. NASAO was organized in 1931 and held its 92nd Annual Convention and trade show in Rogers, Arkansas in mid-September 2023. Starting with the Wright brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, many states became interested in promoting the aviation industry as a potential benefit to their local, regional, national, and international economies, not only on an economic basis, but for safety as well. Recognizing that this common interest would affect every state, its efforts were concentrated on developing national standards for airport and airway design, as well as standards for pilots, accident investigation and search and rescue operations. Due to many states establishing their own standards, it was soon recognized that an effort to establish national standards was needed.
NASAO is comprised of aviation officials from all 50 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Unlike most “alphabet” group organizations, NASAO doesn’t represent any one special interest group. Instead, its main focus has been to establish uniformity of safety and the standardization of airport regulations to ensure a true national air transportation system. It also seeks to guarantee that those standards take into account the needs of local, state and regional areas. To that end, the United States enjoys an aviation system that is second to none.
Besides the standardization of aviation regulations, NASAO has been highly involved with the review of new technologies and their impacts on new federal rules and regulations. In addition, it also provides review and comments on pending federal funding legislation. In fact, it was through its efforts, and that of three states which performed a demonstration program, that convinced Congress to pass State Block Grant Program legislation. Collectively, member states invest over $3 billion annually for planning, operations, infrastructure development, maintenance, and navigational aids at more than 5,000 airports. The sharing of information and new technologies and initiatives between states through NASAO has helped reduce design and construction costs for airports, including navaids and maintenance. In many cases, the reduced costs have been the result of increased efficiencies.
As a pilot, did you know that NASAO is directly involved in your preflight planning? Most of the information contained in FAA’s Chart Supplement (formerly the Airport Facilities Directory) is the result of a contract with NASAO. That contract allows each state to collect and update information that is not only used by the FAA, but by other organizations which publish similar documents. Currently, there’s a three-year cycle on collecting information and entering it into the Airport Data and Information Portal (A.D.I.P). However, states, airport managers, owners and other responsible individuals are allowed to access the system (with proper identification and passwords) and will frequently update an airport’s information.
In short, NASAO represents the states’ opinions and views, and makes recommendations to Congress, the Administration, and the FAA. They accomplish this by working closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Transportation Research Board (TRB), and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (ASHTO). NASAO is the only organization of its type to have official Memorandums of Understanding with the FAA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Besides its strong relationships with the other aviation-related associations, NASAO also maintains associations with the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
NASAO is governed by a Board of Directors that is comprised of an Executive Committee and Regional Directors. Gregory Pecoraro is President and CEO. At this year’s convention and trade show, a new Executive Committee and Regional Directors were sworn in. For 2023-2024, the Executive Committee includes: Kyle Wanner (ND) Chair, Martin Blake (IN) Vice-Chair, Clayton Stambaugh (IL) Treasurer, Frank Farmer (AL) Secretary, and David Ulane (CO) Immediate Past Chair. The elected Regional Directors are as follows: Tim McClung (IA) Central, Greg Campbell (VA) Eastern, Michael Trout (MI) Great Lakes, Denise Garcia (MA) New England, Kenji Sugahara (OR) Northwest Mountain, John Paul Saalwaechter (TN) Southern, Grayson Ardies (OK) Southwest, and Kurt Haukohl (NV) Western-Pacific.
Included in the more than 300 attendees at this year’s conference were representatives of 40 aviation-related companies and aviation directors from 37 states and territories. Staffers from several states made presentations and participated in panel discussions. Topics covered at this year’s conference included the Airport Inspection and Weather Camera Programs, Block Grant updates, Communicating the Economic Value of Airports to the Public, Engaging the Public on Infrastructure and Public Safety, Linking Airports and Communities through Innovative Statewide Programs, Maintaining Airport Pavements, New Technologies for Airport Operations and Airport Obstructions, Readiness for the Advancement of Mobility Initiatives, Delivering on UAS Integration and Community Partnerships, Complexities of Airport Consolidation and Relocation, Building Regional Aviation Education and Workforce Development Pipelines, and Creative Approaches to Airport Construction and Small Community Engagement.
As you will note, the subjects covered very diverse topics and not all are listed above. However, what you will notice is that they are directed toward the sharing of individual state initiatives that are in the interest of aviation safety and the efficient use of limited funds to promote programs and expand aviation education and workforce.
If you are interested in learning more about NASAO, you can visit its website at nasao.org and become familiar with its staff and identify the regions in which your state is located. Many state aviation agencies maintain a similar database that covers safety, construction initiatives, future plans and proposed legislation.
Next year’s conference will be held September 7-11, 2024, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square.
