December  2003
		AOPA-India Officially Recognized   Although AOPA-India has been in existence for some years it never received an official inauguration and recognition from India's government.  On 10 November 2003 this was rectified in Delhi when AOPA-India was officially inaugurated and recognized by the government of India.  Frank Hofmann, IAOPA ICAO Representative, gave the keynote address noting that, "With a population of more than one billion people and only 400 operational general aviation aircraft the possibilities for India are enormous.  These possibilities can be released by creating a regulatory structure that favors general aviation.  This structure should be based on evidence and not on conjecture.  India has everything required to have an active general aviation sector except the regulations permitting it."  Mr. Hofmann pledged the support of IAOPA in achieving these goals.   AOPA-India President Atul Dev, Secretary Vivek Nagar, and International Affairs Director Rakesh Bhandari acted as hosts to a number of Indian dignitaries and members of the press present at the ceremonies.  A reception was held after the official presentations.   The officers of AOPA-India and Frank Hofmann also spent time devising plans for the future of the organization.  These plans included devising guiding policies, regulatory initiatives, membership marketing, and individual action items.   Aviation in India: ˇ Registered aircraft - 1100 ˇ Air carrier aircraft - 200 ˇ Registered GA aircraft - 750 (of which approximately 350 are airworthy) ˇ Gliders - 100 ˇ Balloons - 6 ˇ Ultralights - 40 ˇ Licensed pilots - 3000 ˇ Private pilots - 2000   COPA Works on Regulatory Affairs Group   Canada has a mechanism called the Canadian Air Regulation Advisory Committee whose purpose is to provide an open public forum where regulators, private individuals, and the industry meet around a table to discuss and resolve issues before they are passed into law.  As a consequence, much less disputed regulation is brought forward.  The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association regularly participates in this forum to provide support for its members in the regulatory arena.   COPA's checklist for regulatory affairs is an example of the approach taken in its effort to promote general aviation through meaningful regulation.  It challenges:   ˇ Is there demonstrated justification for a given regulation or action? ˇ Does a given regulation enhance freedom or accessibility? ˇ Is the regulation equitable - i.e., is it commensurate to those imposed on other segments of transportation? ˇ Does a regulation uncomplicate the current status? ˇ Does the regulation reduce unnecessary costs to owners/pilots/users? ˇ Is the regulation enforceable?   AOPA-Spain Works to Promote Airports   Noting that all major cities in Spain have airports and use them to good advantage, AOPA-Spain has instituted a program to promote the concept of every town in Spain having their own airport.  Manuel Ortigosa, AOPA-Spain's President, notes, "Every town will benefit from having its own airport whether the town is small or large.  We are promoting the concept of 'one mile of road leads nowhere, but a mile of runway leads everywhere.'"  AOPA-Spain is sending letters to mayors of all Spanish towns to encourage their participation in the program.   AOPA-Netherlands Reaches Out to Pilots   During January through April 2004 AOPA-Netherlands will provide informative meetings for general aviation pilots at aerodromes, flying clubs, and flight schools.  The programs will feature presentations on VFR charts, new editions of AIP, airspace incident investigations, flight safety factors, regulations, medical certification, and pilot licensing. The presentations will be made in conjunction with air traffic control services and the Flight Safety and Pilot Training Center.  More information may be found at www.aopa.nl.   ICAO Publishes IAOPA Security Article   The current edition of the ICAO Journal (Number 7, September 2003) contains an article submitted by the IAOPA Secretariat regarding general aviation security.  It can be found at http://icao.int/icao/en/jr/2003/5807.djvu.   Finding the Best Practices in GA Security   The general aviation industry in the U.S. has worked together on security issues and has been actively promoting security enhancements.  Most recently, the General Aviation Manufacturer's Association, AOPA, and others formed the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) Working Group to develop guidelines for security enhancements at the nation's privately and publicly owned and operated general aviation airports.  This report was provided to the Transportation Security Administration on November 17, 2003.  The report may be seen at http://www.gama.aero/resources/security/dloads/ASACWorkingGroupReportonGASecurity.pdf   Model Aviation Regulations Available   The Model Aviation Regulatory Document was developed by the FAA to provide model civil aviation statute, model regulations, and model implementing standards for carrying a specific regulation.  These model documents were developed as a result of lessons learned during the IASA program, and will support the ICAO Safety Oversight Program. Aviation authorities in a country can use the models to review their present laws and regulations, in order to formulate or modify their own system of laws and regulations to meet ICAO standards.  Because of the increasingly complex nature of civil aviation, extensive references are made to ICAO Annexes and documents, and where appropriate, the Federal Aviation Regulations and the European Joint Aviation Authority (JAA) Joint Aviation Requirements.  This document can be reviewed and downloaded at http://www1.faa.gov/avr/iasa/index.cfm.       Plan to attend the IAOPA World Assembly in Toulouse, France   20-25 April 2004
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