NYAMA received word that the Governor has sign a bill eliminating the sunset of the tax exemtion on maintenance and repair of GA aircraft making the tax exemption permanant!

The Assembly passed the bill (A8891/Schimminger) to repeal the December 1, 2009 sunset after the bill quickly moved through the committees to the floor where it was brought to a vote.

The bill was then delivered to the Senate which was deadlocked in a struggle for control of the leadership. The impasse ended a month later and the Senate was back at work. Final passage was given for the bill (S.5516/Stachowski).

The bill was transmitted to Governor Paterson on the same day, and signed into law the next day as Chapter 204 of the Laws of 2009 making the tax exemption permanent!

There were many bills put on the shelf during the recent events in the Senate. NYAMA was diligent in keeping this bill before Senators throughout the entire process. The passage of the bill is widely seen as a tremendous victory given the political and economic climate.

Please be sure to thank your legislators for their efforts!

New York Governor David Paterson's Executive Budget for 2009-2010 will eliminate certain aviation tax exemptions, increase taxes on aviation related activity and also negatively affect the Airport Improvement Program, all contributing to a further loss of aviation jobs. NYAMA wants to encourage everyone to send letters to their local legislators concerning this impact.

1) See the sample letter we have drafted here. Edit the content to your own personal situation and let legislators know how these changes will affect your family and your business.

2) Go to the following websites (www.senate.state.ny.us and assembly.state.ny.us) to identify your representatives by typing in your zip code. If more than one member appears, please feel free to contact everyone listed.

3) Send your letter to your legislative representatives.

4) Please also send a copy of your letter to Bill McShane, NYAMA President at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For greater impact if you send your letter to us by Monday, February 23, our officers will carry all of the letters with us into our meetings with key legislators in Albany during our Advocacy Day on February 24!

Thank you for supporting the aviation industry in New York State!

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" on October 9, 2008 that represents the largest and most significant regulatory action to face General Aviation (GA) since 9/11. The TSA is calling it the Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP).

There are two basic elements within the 260 page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking; one impacts aircraft operators and the other, GA airports. "Reliever airports" will be required under the TSA proposal to implement a security program. The TSA is proposing to require, among other things, that they designate an Airport Security Coordinator, have a training program for law enforcement personnel, have a system for maintaining records, create procedures for posting of public advisories and develop incident management procedures.

These requirements are widely seen as burdensome mandates that could at the very least overwhelm the limited resources of many GA airports in New York State. NYAMA, the "Voice of Aviation in New York," representative the GA industry in oral testimony given by President Bill McShane on January 8. A copy of the testimony is available here.

Should you wish to find out more about the TSA proposal or other issues impacting GA aviation in New York, contact NYAMA Headquarters at 518-432-9973 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Governor released the Executive Budget a full month earlier than usual in an attempt to address the growing deficit in New York State. According to projections, the deficit gap to be addressed in the 2009-2010 Budget has ballooned to $12.5 billion. While deep cuts were made in virtually every sector, aviation faces a whole set of challenges:

• The Budget cuts state funding for airport projects. The state contribution to the Federal Airport Improvement program is cut from $8 million to $4 million and the hard-fought-for language to capture unused portions of AIP for AIR 99 is eliminated.