October 1, 1997
The Honorable William O. Lipinski
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Aviation
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510
Re:
Hearing on Flight Service Stations
Dear Congressman Lipinski,
The National Air Transportation Association represents nearly 2,000 member
companies involved in the aviation service industry, including 118 members in the State
of California. NATA member companies provide a wide variety of maintenance, fueling,
and other services to the airlines, military, and business/corporate/individual aircraft
owners. Many NATA members also provide on-demand air charter services under FAR
Part 135/121.
The initial idea to create an FAA program to consolidate and modernize
America’s 317 flight service stations into 61 automated flight service stations was well
received by the aviation business community. Since that program’s inception over 10
years ago, the FAA has gone through many stages of delays and degraded services that
have brought about periods of skepticism in the aviation business community about the
FAA’s ability to transfer the vital services the flight service stations offer a pilot to
another communication device.
NATA realizes that new technologies are available to pilots to gather weather
information and file flight plans via the DUATS system or ASOS equipment located at
the airport. These systems function and perform adequately under normal weather
conditions, affording pilots the necessary information to successfully land or take-off
under VFR and IFR conditions. Under special or unusual weather conditions, the FAA
has kept some flight service stations open. Currently in the state of Alaska there are 14
manned flight service stations still open due to intense weather, thick fog, rain, and
changeable conditions that can occur within minutes.
Last week the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) closed the manned flight
service station located at Arcata Field in Eureka, California, bringing to life serious
concerns that safe aviation operations at Arcata may be in jeopardy. The Arcata Airport
is located on the rugged coastline of Northern California and is well known for its
The Honorable William O. Lipinski
October 1, 1997
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unusual weather conditions. The airport holds the moniker as the “foggiest airport in the
country,” and pilots experience instrument flight conditions an average of 256 days a
year.
The weather conditions are similar, if not identical, to those of the Alaskan FSS.
Because of Arcata’s unique conditions and to protect the lives of passengers and pilots
who utilize the airfield, NATA strongly supports the retention of the Arcata FSS. NATA
member Northern Aviation operates the only fixed-based operation at Arcata. Northern
Aviation operates an air charter operation under FAR Part 135 and an air ambulance
service bringing in patients from across Northern California to the regional medical
facilities in Eureka. Without this manned FSS constantly monitoring the meteorological
changes at Arcata from the airport these operations could be in jeopardy.
Pilots flying into the airport currently having to switch between 5 different
frequencies to gather various information from air traffic control in Seattle to weather
information in Oakland, some 300 miles away, are already incurring delays that will be
detrimental not only to business but to that critical patient who is in the aircraft waiting to
land. Under these adverse weather conditions, it is vital that pilots have the latest
information from the ground concerning ceiling and visibility, and in the case of Arcata
that information can only be provided by a manned FSS.
NATA appreciates your leadership on such a critical safety issue. We ask for
continued support for Congressman Riggs’ measure, The Community Flight Safety Act
of 1997 (HR 1454), and recognize that the continued modernization and automation of
the FSS system must continue but the safety of America’s aviation system must be
ensured.
Sincerely,
James K. Coyne
President