A Starting Guide for General Aviation (GA) Impacted Communities
prepared by Groton Ayer Buzz, 2/7/2024.
General aviation is non-commercial flight per the ICAO. This includes personal flight, flight training, aerobatics, private jets, helicopter flight, gliders, etc.. See detailed definition here. FAA’s airport categories can be found here.
General aviation is non-commercial flight per the ICAO. This includes personal flight, flight training, aerobatics, private jets, helicopter flight, gliders, etc.. See detailed definition here. FAA’s airport categories can be found here.
Identify planes - airport information - pilot information
- To identify aircraft flight tracking sites such as ADS-B exchange.
- Get your own ADS-B station to track aircraft: https://flightaware.store/products/1090mhz-piaware-ads-b-kit
- Look up aircraft at: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/search/nnumberinquiry
- Look up aircraft FAA tower counts (towered airports): https://aspm.faa.gov/opsnet/sys/airport.asp
- Look up airmen: https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/
- Look up FAA grants paid to airports: https://aspm.faa.gov/opsnet/sys/airport.asp
- FAA’s LADD program that allows pilots to block tracking: https://www.faa.gov/pilots/ladd
- FAA’s PIS program for ADS-B privacy: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/technology/equipadsb/privacy
- File a FOIA with FAA: https://www.faa.gov/foia
- Airport Data: https://airnav.com/,
- Waypoints for navigation – used by visual and instrument flyers: https://opennav.com/
- File noise complaints automatically (ask to see if your airport is eligible): airnoise.io
- Aviation database: https://aviationdb.net/aviationdb/AircraftDetailPage
Aircraft Ownership
Flight tracking apps and Airnoise buttons can only ID the aircraft’s N-number, make and model, registration, and owner. The owner is not necessarily the same person as the pilot. When the plane is owned by a corporation or LLC, it gets harder to narrow down who the pilot might be. Some aircraft owners lease their aircraft to flight schools for a discounted storage rate at the airport, or other mutually beneficial arrangement. Some flight schools lease aircraft from large institutional aircraft lease companies such a Christiansen Aviation.
FAA FARs (federal air regulations) related to flight training and recreational flying:
- Minimum safe altitudes FAR 91.119. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-91/subpart-B/subject-group-ECFRe4c59b5f5506932/section-91.119
- Aerobatic flight - FAR 91.303: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-91/subpart-D/section-91.303
- Reckless Endangerment: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-91/subpart-A/section-91.13
- https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2022/july/pilot/for-the-record-is-it-necessary
13 Tips for Successful Advocacy
From Counter Supervisor Joe Simitian (see more here)
- Develop a relationship with the person (1 hour, 1 year, lifetime, etc.)
- Understand what motivates your audience (e.g., member of his or her staff, friend;) and tell them why they care --
- Understand what is possible and what is not possible
- Find a floor manager (a person who will stay on this issue no matter what)
- Joe Jackson Principle. “Tell them what you want.”
- Bring them solutions, not problems (interest group agreement)
- Describe the elements of a solution
- Do not chastise, insult or threaten the Member or his/her staff
- Sometimes less is more
- Layer your campaign via different sources – not additive, expoential promotion
- Woody Allen Corollary (persistence pays off).
- Make it easy to say “yes”
- The value of a “thank you.” – The Power of a Thank You Note