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
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