Safety supervision is "inadequate" at general aviation airfields in the USA, says the US General Accounting Office (GAO), adding that its concern is shared by the country's general aviation (GA) community. Breaches of regulations include the use of airfields for hunting and landfill.
Only four of the US Federal Aviation Administration's 23 field offices monitor GA airfields to enforce compliance with rules limiting land use to aviation, says John Anderson, transportation issues director at the GAO community and economic development division. Those four rely on self-certification compliance and third-party complaints, he adds.
In cases of infringement, the FAA prefers negotiation and settlement rather than enforcement - an approach that Anderson says is not always effective.
But David Traynham, FAA assistant administrator for policy, planning and international aviation, says he "strongly disputes any suggestion that negotiating with an airfield owner or operator is not enforcement".
Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), cites "outrageous abuses" at GA airfields - many of which were first identified by AOPA - including hunting and landfill use, which increases the risk of birdstrike incidents.
Edward Bolen, president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, is calling for the enforcement of Airfield Improvement Program (AIP) requirements, which state that communities accepting AIP money must keep their airfields open for a minimum of 20 years. Compliance with an AIP government contract "should not be optional", he adds.
Pete West, senior vice-president of government and public affairs at the US National Business Aviation Association, says the FAA "must do a better job" of keeping GA airfields open and fully operational.
Source: Flight International
