General aviation organizations urge FCC to reconsider conditional waiver
August 3, 2011, 03:47 pm
Two general aviation organizations, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) are currently asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to repeal a conditional waiver granted to LightSquared.
LightSquared intends to construct a nationwide broadband internet infrastructure. Some of the frequencies used for the system are adjacent to those used in GPS-based air traffic, and severe interference concerns have arisen.
"The evidence is clear. The LightSquared proposal puts the entire GPS system at risk," AOPA president Craig Fuller said, after making a similar comment to a Congressional committee when testifying on the matter. The president and CEO of GAMA, Pete Bunce, told the FCC that LightSquared's proposal "threatens the FAA's multi-billion dollar investment in the NextGen satellite-based air-transportation system."
During the Congressional hearing, a LightSquared executive stated that the company had already spent millions on the project and their tests showed frequency interference happening only 1 percent of the time. Fuller responded that "1 percent can kill a lot of people."
Safety is a major concern for pilots across the country. Last year, the AOPA reports that there were 1,384 general aviation accidents that resulted in 453 deaths. Life insurance for pilots is necessary for those who want to financially support their families in the event of their death.
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