Regional Meeting hosted by AOPA Italy and Switzerland on 21 and 22 September
The European countries, that are part of IAOPA EU, gather two times a year for a so called Regional Meeting. The next meeting, 138th RM, will take place in Milano/Lake Como and will be organized both by AOPA Italy and AOPA Switzerland.
There are plenty of issues to be discussed and coordinated:
- EASA is asking us for input to the next round of regulatory improvements for GA, the socallled GA Roadmap 2.0
- The new Basic Regulation for aviation in Europe has been adopted and opens up both challenges and new opportunities
- IAOPA will next month be attending the ICAO Air Navigation Conference in Montreal. Here IAOPA will be presenting two papers promoting a new medical standard for the lighter end of GA and a study on the importance of GA for the wider aviation sector. These subjects must be promoted among national aviation authorities to gain the widest possible support.
Also on the agenda is challenges and opportunities regarding ADS-B, closer cooperation with AOPA US, fees and charges at European airports and our new joint database for IAOPA Europe that allows us to provide European wide member benefits like for instance the new partnership with Jeppesen where all AOPA members in Europe can obtain a 15% discount on most Jeppesen products and services (see more below). In short, too many subjects to go into detail here. But of course we will keep you informed and you will be able to read more about it in future editions.
If you have any issue that you would like to discuss during the meeting, please contact the AOPA board of your country, so they can put it on the European agenda.
European Wide AOPA Member Benefit: 15 Percent Discount on most Jeppesen products and services
Thanks to a recent agreement between Jeppesen and IAOPA Europe, members of all European AOPAs can now take advantage of a 15% discount on several of Jeppesen’s most popular products and services:
· Paper Charts
· Electronic Charts
· iPad Apps
· Jeppesen PilotPak for Garmin 1000 or GTN Series
· EASA Training Products
Members in the following countries can already now contact Jeppesen directly to take advantage of the offer using their AOPA membership number: Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden & Switzerland.
Members in other countries should first check up with their national AOPA to make use of the offer.
Your privacy and ADS-B
The new Euorpean Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO) (EU) 2016/679 has been in force since May 25th 2018. These regulations also after the popular online ADS-B portals. These portals can be used to follow the scheduled air traffic online, but a by-product of this is that the data of privately operated aircrafts can also be followed. Not everyone is happy with this infringement on their privacy, which is why we decided to explain our position on the issue again, but this time more precisely.
Aircraft data may be personal data and therefore worthy of protection!
Article 4 of the GDPR quite broadly stipulates that "personal data" worth protecting is all information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. In normal traffic this would hardly be a discussion: If your car can be tracked online on the basis of the license plate, you would not be happy with this, as we would not feel comfortable with the thought of being stalked online. For our aircraft, it is exactly the same as for cars, only in "3D". Therefore, our aircraft movement data should not be stored and published.
What does AOPA have against the publication of airline data?
We have no objection to the publication of airline data. According to Article 1, the GDPR only protects data of natural people. Businesses cannot have their data protected, or only when ultimately natural people need to be protected, such as their customers. So: An airline that flies according to published schedules, cannot claim protection against publication of their flight data, just as the operators of bus or train lines have no protection status. On the contrary, many airlines also see these websites as a marketing tool. It should be somewhat more difficult to define the protection status of commercial air taxis or company airplanes and their passengers, but we do not want to deal with the exploration of these gray areas here, others should clarify that.
Why isn’t AOPA satisfied with the solution of requesting website providers to no longer publish your aircraft data online?
Because it is unreasonable for an aircraft operator to approach each of the many providers and ask for the suppression of their data. That would be the so-called opt-out solution. Instead, we want an opt-in solution: If you want to see your data published, you can give your consent. What the Swedish website operator www.flightradar24.com currently offers is that, at the request of an aircraft operator, its data will no longer be displayed. They estimate that there will be 30 days processing time, a faster 24 hour service is available at a charge of $ 500. The legitimate protection of our data must not become a lucrative business model.
As an association, do you want to enter into lengthy complaint procedures?
We definitely have no interest in tough and protracted legal battles as we on the one hand lack the funds, and on the other hand are not entitled to legal action against these websites, this is something only aircraft operators themselves are entitled to. We just want to inform all those concerned and hope that a friendly solution will be available. One conceivable compromise for us is that the Internet portals continue to display the movement data of private aircraft but only in an anonymised way, without the airplanes’ call signs.
What can I do as a victim?
It is best to contact the data protection officer of your country, describe your request and ask for support. Due to the European nature of the regulation, supervisors are also required to provide administrative assistance within Europe, although they currently are also very busy dealing with all the requests.
AOPA Denmark goes from 200 to 1200 members after merger with Danish Motorflying Union
After several years of close cooperation between AOPA Denmark and the Danish Motorflying Association (DMU) the two associations finally voted to merge on September 2'nd. The new association with the name of 'AOPA DMU' encompasses 31 local flying clubs plus both corporate and direct members. The new association has two full time employees in the secretariat which is also handling more than 600 members of DULFU, the Danish Ultralight Flying Association.
With the merger Denmark now has the strongest possible association to represent GA. The board has already met to set the priorities for the future: Getting more people to take a pilot license is one of the top priorities. Also high on the the list is making life easier for existing aircraft owners and pilots through working to secure AVGAS supplies at more airfields and helping aircraft owners getting the best out of the new Part M-Light regulation which hopefully will very soon be a reality.
Airport Fees and Charges: Both a European and national problem
The dramatic increase of fees and charges at some European Airports has a very negative impact on General Aviation, especially if there are no alternative GA aerodromes available in the vicinity of these airports. Especially the increase of charges at the 14 airports in Greece, operated by Fraport, hurts the GA community. But what can be done? Our reference in this case is directive 2009/12/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on airport charges.
The directive clearly states that Airport charges must not discriminate between airport users. However, charges may be modulated in case it is in the general and public interest and the environmental interest.
Airport users or the representatives of associations of users shall be consulted regularly with respect to the operation of the system of airport charges, the level of airport charges and, when appropriate, the quality of service provided. Consultation will generally take place at least once a year (some exceptions granted). Airport users or representatives of airport users shall be informed about the components on which the height of charges are based on.
The EU gives us the opportunity to ask for transparency on airport charges on national level, and states that we must not be discriminated against. For GA the cost of several hundreds of Euros per landing is clearly prohibitive.
The legal situation under 2019/12/EC is known. The challenge lies on a national level. How can we defend the interests of GA against pressure from the airlines and the airport operators? We need to defend our GA aerodromes in the vicinity of big and busy airports. This is definitely an issue to be continued.
Colour blindness a major risk? No. Limitation to daytime flying. Yes.
Recently AOPA Switzerland raised the question on colour blindness. One of the members of AOPA Switzerland received his medical Class 2 (PPL-Licence) in 1993 and the fact that he has been colour blind
since birth this never hindered the doctor to issues his Medical Class 2. However, a new doctor at the Swiss FOCA rejected the previously issued Medical Class 2, stating that colour blindness is a major risk when flying.
We’ve received many comments about the issue. In general the conclusion must be that the issue is colour deficiency, not colour blindness. The only problems these pilots might face are during night flying and instrument flying, as they cannot tell the differences between red and green. This means that colour blindness is generally only a night VFR problem and not something that affects the pilot’s ability to fly during the day.
Looking into the AMC2, which describes the methods by which colour visions may be assessed, the ‘hard law’ of MED.B.075 states the regulatory requirements: In the case of Class 2 medical certificates, when the applicant does not have satisfactory perception of colours, his/her flying privileges shall be limited to daytime only.
EASA Event in Vienna on 6-7 November 2018
Do you remember EASA´s 2014 event in Rome, when the GA Roadmap was announced? It was definitely an important milestone which helped to improve the way GA is treated by European Authorities. Now EASA has announced another event dedicated to GA.
This year, the topic will be ‘A vision for the future of General Aviation in Europe’. Over the last 4 years we have accomplished a lot within the GA Roadmap. We have managed to introduce simpler, better, and lighter rules, but there is still plenty of room for further improvement.
EASA wants to look forward, envisaging the future, and to create the new European GA. Involving topics include: innovation, new technologies such as electric & hybrid propulsion, research and data, young pilots and new business models, etc.The 2018 EASA Annual Safety Conference will take place on the 6th and 7th of November at the Vienna Marriott Hotel, Parkring 12a, 1010 Vienna/Austria. More information on the event can be found here
MEMORIAL HANS GUTMANN TOURIST RALLY FLIGHT 2018
16 International crews, with a total of 40 pilots from Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Finland, UK, USA, Turkey, The Netherlands, Estonia, Ukraine, and even Israel, completed the challenge of 3,600
km in 10 days. The route took the group via Moldova (Chisinãu), Ukraine (Kiev), Romania (Constanta), Bulgaria (Sophia), Serbia (Nys), Croatia (Rijeka) to the terminus Venice, Italy.
Of course, this time the cultural and culinary experience was enhanced as city and sightseeing tours were offered at almost every destination.
All of this would not have been possible without the help of local aeroclubs, the local AOPAs, and the bonds that have been forged over time between them. The group faced some challenges along the way, including a lack of special and overflight permits, parking spaces, and AVGAS availability at a few locations. Participants arriving in Chisinãu had to land at the International Airport in Chisinãu and reposition to a separate field 25 km away for parking. The group had a similar experience in Constanta (Romania). Upon arrival in Kiev, there was plenty of aircraft parking available, however, this area is not available for general aviation aircraft. Thanks to our AOPA friends in Kiev, the group was able to park in an area at the adjoining airport museum, located just outside of the airport.
All in all, a very interesting rally, lots of new experiences, a good team and - depending on the plane - 25 to 35 hours of unforgettable flight experience! (Submitted by AOPA Luxembourg)
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