PULLQUOTES
“It’s taken us a long time to fall from approximately 800,000 pilots to 600,000. It’s going to take us some time to build those numbers back up.”
Craig Fuller, president/CEO, AOPA
“The threat to Avgas, 100 Low Lead, by environmental groups, is a policy matter we can do something about.”
Craig Fuller, president/CEO, AOPA
We need to do a better job of telling opinion leaders, elected officials, and the general media who do not understand general aviation, just how much we contribute to the economy and to communities.
Craig Fuller, president/CEO, AOPA
AOPA opposes user fees but it’s not that we oppose any kind of charge.
Craig Fuller, president/CEO, AOPA
Craig Fuller remembers the exact day he was bitten by the aviation bug. He was 14 years old and on vacation with his family in Oregon when he saw a sign advertising seaplane rides for $5. He begged his father to take him, and he did. He says, “I remember the sensation to this day of getting perspective from the air for the first time.”
That plane ride put him on a path toward a career in aviation that began with flying lessons in a Cessna 150 when he was 16, and eventually led him to take the helm of the country’s No. 1 pilot organization --the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). As the organization’s president for the last five years, Fuller has tapped into his own varied background that spans senior public affairs positions in business, association leadership, and executive positions in the federal government, including eight years of service in the White House from 1981 to 1989, to lead AOPA and position it for the future.
Fuller recently shared his perspective on the state of general aviation -- talking everything from 100 Low Lead (100LL) to user fees and pilot shortages -- with Airport Business.
What were the reasons behind your recent decision to step down as president and CEO of AOPA?
In 2008, AOPA asked if I would make a five-year commitment and I said I would. It’s been five years. I’m not leaving to go someplace else. I think it will be great for the association to bring in someone new with new ideas and new energy … they have a wonderful team of people to work with here and a very, very strong foundation to build upon.
What are some of the challenges facing general aviation and how have they changed over the years?
Since AOPA’s founding in 1939, the first and foremost purpose of the association has been to advocate on behalf of general aviation pilots to the federal, state and local government. In 1939, with World War II approaching, there was a fear that federal government might regulate or tax general aviation away. Nearly 75 years later, that mission is still very much the same. One of the most important things we’ve done in the last five years has been to help build the general aviation caucus both in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate. The Congressmen who are members of the caucus have been great supporters of general aviation.
The FAA recently reported there were 41 percent fewer pilot certificates issued in the last decade at the same time that the APOA reported up to 80 percent of aviation students drop out of flight training. What can be done to increase the pilot population?
It’s taken us a long time to fall from approximately 800,000 pilots to 600,000. It’s going to take us some time to build those numbers back up. I think we have to attack the problem in four to five different places if we want to be successful.
We’ve been working through the AOPA Center to Advance the Pilot Community on this issue. We learned a few years ago that 80 percent [of students] drop out before they complete their training to become a certified private pilot. Our research shows there are approximately 47 identifiable factors that go into creating a successful flight training experience. Some flight schools graduate many or almost all of their students, and others graduate almost none. In light of that, we decided to share our research with current and future student pilots, flight instructors and flight schools.
We also launched an awards program to recognize excellence in flight training. We gave out the first of those awards at our Aviation Summit in 2012. The idea is to get individuals to look at what makes a good flight training program and nominate instructors and flight schools for this recognition to try to increase student success in flight schools.
People have told us that it’s obvious what the problem is: It is money. And I will grant you that as they investigate learning to fly some students find it too costly. But we were really interested in those who knew what it cost, were taking instruction and just fell off for some reason. Money was a factor but we found being able to identify with and become part of a flying community was just as important. Today’s students are interested in being part of a community of aviators, and where you see that existing you see more completion. This discovery led us to look more closely at ways to establish the community … through the flying club. While flying clubs have been around for some time, nobody ever studied them or had a list of them available. We have identified about 600 flying clubs, and AOPA has launched a flying club initiative to help pilots form clubs. We have already had some good results. Clubs that were thinking about going out of business suddenly had more business because we were talking about them, and new flying clubs are forming.
What impact has the Sport Pilot certificate and light sport aircraft had on attracting aviation enthusiasts to general aviation?
The economic conditions and the economic slowdown produced an economy where purchasing new aircraft or light sport aircraft still required an expenditure of money that was fairly significant. Because of the poor economy, used aircraft that people were familiar with which might even cost less than light sport aircraft, came to market. The jury is still out on the impact light sport aircraft will have on the community. But, there are advantages. Light sport aircraft cost less to operate which could ease the costs for flight training schools.
What can be done to improve the image of general aviation overall?
We need to do a better job of telling opinion leaders, elected officials, and the general media who do not understand general aviation, just how much we contribute to the economy and to communities. Jobs are the No. 1 issue today: creating jobs, saving jobs, protecting jobs. Mobility is a big part of that. The ability of a company to expand often ties into the ability of the company to fly in and out of the local airport.
The other side is that we have so many incredibly generous people doing things like flying our wounded soldiers, flying in the Angel Flight program for kids and others who need treatment and flying animals in programs like Pilots N Paws. This happens every day. All of these stories need to be told. We have formed a group called General Aviation Serves America, and Harrison Ford was very generous in his participation, to help tell that story.
Many rural general aviation airports now have perimeter fencing. What impact does this have on general aviation’s image?
I think it’s had a negative consequence. Airports used to be friendlier, more inviting places. But where there has been a perceived need to increase security, it has inevitably created barriers that don’t allow people to access the airport more freely. That being said, there are good examples of airports that have outdoor picnic benches or observation areas that allow the public to observe what’s going on without easy access to aircraft.
Talks of user fees have reared their ugly head again. What are your thoughts on this issue?
One of the things that is almost insidious about user fee proposals is they never spell out exactly how they are going to work. They’re talking about a $100 per flight operation user fee being applied to aircraft, but then they are going to exempt various aircraft and emergency services aircraft. The fact is a $100 per flight user fee, regardless of who it applies to in the general aviation community, is a bad thing. It raises operating costs but also deters people from using air traffic control or practicing approaches they need to learn. And eventually, as has been the case nearly every time user fees have been adopted across the world, even though a certain aircraft is exempt in the beginning, once the bureaucracy is set up to collect this fee, it begins to expand to all aircraft.
AOPA opposes user fees but it’s not that we oppose any kind of charge. We have even said to Congress: ‘If you need additional funds that go toward aviation then an additional fuel tax is something we’d be in favor of.’ The Administration doesn’t buy into that, and I’m not sure why.
However, there is little likelihood that a user fee will pass this year. It’s not getting much traction in Congress.
Let’s talk 100LL.
The threat to Avgas, 100 Low Lead, by environmental groups, is a policy matter we can do something about. Research for an alternative fuel is included in the budget. Everyone is focused on whether there is a fuel that will work as well as 100LL. Right now there are some encouraging developments but there is not any one fuel that is viewed as a drop-in substitute. There are aircraft flying with special fuels that are being vetted and evaluated. In the years ahead, I believe there will be an alternative for 100LL.
What is the biggest challenge threatening general aviation’s future?
We need to encourage more young people to explore aviation. AOPA started asking people if they have the aspiration to actually fly an airplane some day and found millions of people share that aspiration. Millions! For one reason or another they don’t ever do it. That says to me we need to get more creative in our outreach and help nurture the idea I had at age 14. This is an area I hope to explore further … after I give up my day job.
