President's Message


WPA State President Les Smith

Welcome to a New Year. This old orb is on its way on another trip around the sun. Have you been up yet in the new year? I try to always fly on January 1. It serves as a message to myself to seize every opportunity to go and it just simply starts the year off right! So I joined the FATPNW and their fly in to eat at The Hub on Tacoma Narrows (TIW). 60-plus pilots and crew and 40-plus aircraft. As one participant told me, “this is what flying USED to be like!” Perhaps with dropping fuel prices, we’ll see more of what flying used to be like.

2014 was a good year for your Washington Pilots Association. We grew in membership. We participated in land use discussions with numerous local jurisdictions. Chapters across the state teamed with their airports for airport days, fly ins and all kinds of outreach events. In particular, the Spokane Chapter went all-in with their support of the Northwest AOPA Regional Fly In. In Olympia, we testified four times before legislative committees and attended each meeting of the newly formed Washington State Legislative Aviation Caucus. We joined AOPA in walking the halls of Olympia in support of the 2014 aircraft excise tax bill. We attended annual meetings of Washington Airport Management Association and the Washington State Community Airport Association. We joined the Air National Guard in meetings for the Cascadia Subduction Zone Aviation Planning. We are invited to Puget Sound Regional Council’s soon-to-launch NextGen Airspace Optimization Study. We are participating in the Advisory Committee for WSDOT Aviation’s Airport Investment Study. Most recently, we joined with like-minded aviation associations to meet and develop plans for an organization for the purpose of protecting and promoting general aviation interests in our state. Efforts to coalesce aviation groups have formed and failed in the past, tending to last only as long as impending threats were perceived. The Washington State Aviation Alliance (WSAA) is intended to formalize an organization for the long run. Please see the article elsewhere in these pages with the Mission Statement and a White Paper on this exciting new organization in Washington.

Building on the work of the last two years with SB5430, a bill to reallocate aircraft excise taxes at 100% to the Aeronautics Fund, new companion bills are to be filed in 2015.once the new legislative session is underway. At that time they will be assigned bill numbers. The Senate bill is sponsored by Senator Steve Hobbs (44th District), who also sponsored last year’s SB5430, and by Senator Curtis King (14th District), who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. The House bill is sponsored by newly elected Rep Tom Dent (13th District), a WPA member who owns an aerial application company in Moses Lake. New this year is that the Association of Washington Business is adding its support for this legislation. Keep your powder dry and your pens sharp for when we ask for your support in contacting your legislator on these bills.

Speaking of support in contacting your legislator, please read the piece elsewhere in these pages about Airport Awareness Day. We will be contacting members soon on ways they can help with this important outreach and advocacy event.

Later in February, we will participate in the Northwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show. Our booth will be in its familiar location near the Blue Lot entrance. On Saturday, February 21st at noon, we will conduct our Annual General Meeting. We’ll hear about our accomplishments, our financials, recognize some deserving folks with awards, and elect a slate of state officers. Pay close attention to voting instructions elsewhere in this issue of WINGS and look for a mail in ballot. We have two candidates for the VP West position and you can read their statements in this issue. Remember to mail in your ballot according to the instructions. There will not be a voice vote at the meeting. All voting this year is by the mail in ballot. You can also find the ballot, instructions, and the candidates’ statements on our web page. Hope to see you in Puyallup.

Watch the weather and go fly! There’s nothing like getting above it all!

If any of the above triggers a thought or a comment that you would like to share, please drop me a message at president@wpaflys.org.

Les Smith
State President

Washington Pilots Association

Page Last Updated: 01.31.15

Washington Pilots Association - PMB 397 - 227 Bellevue Way NE - Bellevue, WA 98004-4721