04/20/2004 01:37 PM House TRA

SJR 14-FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATIONS                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLM  announced that  the only order  of business  would be                                                               
SENATE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO. 14, Requesting  the Federal Aviation                                                               
Administration  to  fully  staff   and  maintain  flight  service                                                               
stations in Alaska.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 0034                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HAVEN  HARRIS,  Staff  to  Senator  Donald  Olson,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, presented SJR  14 on behalf of  the sponsor, Senator                                                               
Olson.    He  paraphrased  from  the  following  written  sponsor                                                               
statement [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     SJR 14 is a resolution  requesting the Federal Aviation                                                                    
     Administration to  fully staff and maintain  its flight                                                                    
     service stations in Alaska.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska   is   a  vast   state   that   relies  on   air                                                                    
     transportation   for   much   of   its   commerce   and                                                                    
     connectivity.   A substantial portion  of the  State of                                                                    
     Alaska  does  not  have   the  road  infrastructure  to                                                                    
     facilitate the  transport of  freight and  the movement                                                                    
     of people.  Furthermore,  coastal and river communities                                                                    
     in  Western, Central,  and Northern  Alaska lose  their                                                                    
     marine  transportation alternative  during the  5 to  8                                                                    
     months  of winter  ice conditions.   These  communities                                                                    
     then  are solely  dependent on  air transportation  for                                                                    
     travel, goods and emergency  services for a substantial                                                                    
     part of the year.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Furthermore, there  is a large number  of Alaskans that                                                                    
     own and fly airplanes.   Indeed, Alaska has the highest                                                                    
     percentage of general aviation users  per capita in the                                                                    
     United States.   General aviation  users depend  on FAA                                                                    
     flight  service  stations  to  inform  them  of  runway                                                                    
     closures and conflicting runway traffic.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     FAA  flight  service  stations are  essential  for  the                                                                    
     continued  safety and  dependability of  Alaska's vital                                                                    
     air  transportation  network.     Both  commercial  and                                                                    
     private  pilots are  totally reliant  on the  expertise                                                                    
     and competence of FAA's flight  service personnel.  The                                                                    
     state of  Alaska has over  180 airports that  depend on                                                                    
     flight  service stations  for  weather updates,  runway                                                                    
     conditions, and assistance with safe air travel.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     I respectfully  urge your support for  this resolution,                                                                    
     helping to ensure the safety of air travel in Alaska.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 0179                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MASEK  inquired as to  why SJR 14  was introduced.                                                               
She asked  if the FAA is  planning on closing some  of the flight                                                               
service stations in Alaska.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HARRIS  noted that  over  the  years  a few  flight  service                                                               
stations  have been  closed.   An  individual,  Phil Brown  (ph),                                                               
affiliated with the FAA fight  service stations contacted Senator                                                               
Olson and informed him that there is the potential for cuts.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0256                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLM  related his understanding that  there are discussions                                                               
regarding combining some airports.   Therefore, he inquired as to                                                               
how  [the   flight  service  stations]  would   enter  into  that                                                               
dialogue.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HARRIS  clarified that  flight  service  stations aren't  at                                                               
every  airport,  rather  they   are  centrally  organized.    For                                                               
example, much of  western Alaska is coordinated  through a flight                                                               
service station  in Kenai.   Mr. Harris related that  the concern                                                               
isn't  necessarily the  maintenance  of each  runway, but  rather                                                               
merely  maintaining the  services.   One  of  the great  services                                                               
these flight service  stations provide is the  ability for pilots                                                               
to call in  and find out runway conditions.   In further response                                                               
to  Chair  Holm,  Mr.  Harris explained  that  a  flight  service                                                               
station  isn't  necessarily  a runway  or  airport  landing,  but                                                               
rather  a  building  staffed  with   individuals  who  track  the                                                               
conditions of all the runways.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0415                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STEPOVICH asked  if the  flight service  stations                                                               
have satellite correspondence to track weather.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARRIS answered that he  believes the flight service stations                                                               
would have the same access  as anyone would through the Internet.                                                               
He explained  that when  there is construction  on a  runway, the                                                               
construction company  has to file  daily plans  and announcements                                                               
with  the  flight  service  station  regarding  construction  and                                                               
runway damage.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0498                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING  moved to report  SJR 14 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  SJR 14 was reported  from the                                                               
House Transportation Standing Committee.