AircraftOwner Online

I never thought that my founding www.throughthefence.org would land me in front of a Congressional committee but that is exactly what happened on September 22, 2010.  I had the honor and privilege to testify before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee about the FAA’s newly released and updated FAA-2010-0831 (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-22095.pdf) policy on residential through-the-fence access.  (Hearing can be seen at: http://transportation.edgeboss.net/wmedia/transportation/20100922fc.wvx)

The FAA’s “revised” policy essentially allows for all current and “shovel ready” residential through-the-fence (rTTF) properties but codifies a ban on all future rTTF.  This is an important distinction since the current policy (FAA 5190.6B) (http://www.faa.gov/airports/resources/publications/orders/compliance_5190_6/) had only been an interpretation by FAA personnel that rTTF was “incompatible airport adjacent land use.”

The Democrats lined up the FAA and three supporting witnesses while the Republicans selected me and Mitch Swecker who is the States Airport Manager for the State of Oregon which is very support of rTTF access. 

Catherine Lang (http://www.faa.gov/about/key_officials/lang/), who is the Acting Assistant Administrator for Airports at the FAA in Washington, was the first witness after Congressman Kurt Schrader from Oregon spoke favorably as a panel member himself.  Ms. Lang did not go into her background as a member of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s Aeronautical staff.  We certainly know how much Daley’s organization loves general aviation with its undying support of Meigs Field!

Ms. Lang sported the FAA’s previous points, all of which have been proven to be non factual, not supported by data, and/or not on point, except for a new one—some hangar homes enter the runway in the middle and require aircraft to back taxi.  It seems that the FAA has to keep coming up with new rTTF problems at every turn just to stay ahead of the truth.  The FAA office of Airport Compliance and Field Operations has be the model of “don’t let the facts get in the way of our policy!”

Ms. Lang was followed by Carol Comer (http://tomcat2.dot.state.ga.us/Aviation/Contact_Us/staff.cfm), Aviation Programs Manager of the Georgia DOT, who proudly announced she was a pilot who lived on a private airpark but supported the fact that no federally funded Georgia airport had rTTF access.  Ms. Comer may have neglected to mention that her property was made more valuable by her prohibition of rTTF access at public airports!

Mr. Swecker (http://www.aviation.state.or.us/Aviation/staff.shtml) was next and discussed how rTTF helped Oregon airports stay economically viable and active.  He was followed by Ann Crook (http://www.ecairport.com/AboutELM/airport_manager.asp), Manager of the Elmira Regional Airport, who stated her airport, did not have rTTF access nor did it want it.  Crook was followed by James Coyne who heads the National Air Transportation Association, the trade organization of FBOs, which is mostly concerned about off airport competition to on airport FBOs.

I was the last speaker and I had to mention that even though I was a Republican witness, I was the Democratic candidate for coroner in Teton County Wyoming.  I continued that just like the coroner’s office, the rTTF policy should be a non partisan issue.

You may see the full text of my prepared comments at www.throughthefence.org but to summarize, I pointed out the lack of data and supporting information for the FAA’s position.  The FAA policy represents lots of “what if’s” and “maybe’s” that are not realistic.

I also could not let Ms. Lang get away with her written testimony comment where she characterized rTTF home owner’s input at a public airport board meeting as “influence” that was an “inappropriate process.”  Apparently Ms. Lang forgot the FAA is a part of the administrative branch of the United States, a representative democracy based on public meetings and individual input to government representatives.

My most important point is local airport authorities know who their best neighbors are and these local agencies should be allowed to make those decisions, not the FAA.

It is important for all pilots and those with an interest in aviation to contact their Congressman and Senators to support Representative Sam Graves’ house bill HR 4815 (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4815).