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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
After receiving a bachelor’s degree, private pilot certificate and instrument, multi-engine and commercial ratings from Embry-Riddle, ERIK GUNDERSEN flew for Delta Connection. A short time later, he left the airlines to get his MBA and work in the family manufacturing busi- ness in which he now serves as CEO. Joining COPA in 2013, Erik owns a 2003 SR22 G1, N609AE. He has served on the COPA board of directors and also as Migration Chair. He and his wife Danielle have two daughters and live outside of Los Angeles in Chino Hills, California.
Erik welcomes your feedback
and can be reached at President@ CirrusPilots.org. You can also email the entire COPA Board at Directors@ CirrusPilots.org.
Working Together
While COPA is a great community and we advocate for our members directly on many issues, there are times it is best to partner with others. I am proud to announce that COPA has partnered with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to support their efforts in Washington, D.C., advocating for Cirrus Owners and Pilots along with all the owners and operators they represent. This has been very important these past six months as the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) reauthorization bill from 2018 expires this year.
It is easy for general aviation (GA) interest to be lost in the size/scope of the FAA Reauthorization Bill that has been proposed as it covers everything under the FAA’s purview, from certification to air traffic control. There are several items that look to be improved in the proposed bill.
One of the significant issues that COPA highly supported AOPA was with Transient GA Parking. The fees for just picking up/dropping passengers are inconsistent and have reached unfair prices at some airports that have seen a consolidation of FBOs to national chains. The bill proposed would:
1. Allow FBOs to charge a fair and reasonable transient parking fee.
2. If a GA pilot does not purchase products from or use the FBO facilities or services, the FBO cannot charge related fees.
3. If the FBO is the only access point to and from your aircraft, the FBO cannot charge you a fee for simply walking through the building.
Other highlights in the bill that affect GA include:
Data Privacy – Decoupling Mode S codes, new ICAO aircraft identification code, and a study on encrypting ADS-B
Aircraft Registration Validity During Renewal
Expansion of BasicMed – Covered aircraft expanded to 6 pax + pilot and MTOW
up to 12,500 lbs. from 6,000 lbs.
Continued Availability of Aviation Gasoline – The FAA shall ensure that any of such varieties of aviation gasoline as may be necessary to fuel any model of piston-engine aircraft remain available for purchase at each airport listed on the national plan of integrated airport systems.
There is a lot more discussion on this topic on our forums; just search for the “2023 FAA Reauthorization Act.”
If you are not an AOPA member, I encourage you to join the association to help support their efforts in promoting general aviation more broadly.
Blue skies,
Erik Gundersen COPA President
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JULY 2023 COPA Pilot