Florida Pilot Urges Passage Of State Bill To Prohibit Practice

Donald Frano, a member of the Central Florida Pilots Association, posted a statement on Facebook to serve as an urgent warning about the increasing number of airports using or considering using a third-party vendor to send landing fees to pilots based on ADS-B data. This began in Florida and is a growing threat that the aviation community needs to stand up to and strongly oppose.

He rightly points out that the practice is a violation of the intent of ADS-B technology, which was sold on the premise that it was supposed to be for safety only.

In his statement, Frano said the situation is at a crossroads in general aviation and Florida is ground zero. Indeed, Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM) was the first airport in the country to implement fee billing based on ADS-B data.

Airports around the country have been adopting the practice as a way to raise revenue, and there is discussion surrounding whether it violates FAA grant assurances. Frano said the Association had hoped to gain some traction in Washington, D.C. for the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act but that has not yet made it to committee.

He pointed out there is a bill is coming up in the Florida legislature that would prohibit the practice in the state for all aircraft less than 12,500 lbs flying under Part 91, and Frano is urging pilots to contact their representatives to get this legislation passed.

Here are some specific actions pilots can take to voice their opinions on this issue:

• Call/write/visit your Florida State Representatives/Senators to support Florida SB422/HB387 (prohibition on using ADS-B to bill fees for aircraft flying part 91 and under 12,500 lbs)
• Call/write/visit your US Congressman, US Senators to support the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (S. 2175 and H.R. 4146) which calls for full banning of ADS-B for billing.
• Sign the petition here:  www.change.org/
• Join the pilot Facebook group standing up against this practice (ADSB Tracked Billing Has Begun)
• Read/post comments in Foreflight for any airport you find is participating (review the comments for KISM for example) when flight planning and avoid those airports
• Visit/share the website stopadsbabuse.com/

FMI:  www.flykissimmee.com/