The 136^th General Assembly has released the capital budget bill community project application. This application to both the Ohio House Representative and Ohio Senator whose district

Contains the potential project. Applications are due to member offices by Thursday, March 12, 2026.

The OAA held a member only webinar back in September 2025 to provide guidance on capital bill projects.  Capital bills include appropriations for the repair, renovation, reconstruction and construction of capital assets of state agencies, colleges, universities and school districts.

OAA members are encouraged to fill out the form provided below and submit the projects to their House and Senate members as soon as possible before the deadline.  It’s also good to look at the list of previous projects below and work with a “nexus” state agency, such as a higher educational institution, that would be supportive of the project.

2026_0224 OAA Newsletter - 136th GA Capital Budget Application.pdf

Under the new federal rule, government websites must be fully ADA compliant by April 24, 2026. This means our websites must be accessible to individuals using assistive technologies such as screen readers and other accessibility tools.

Some key compliance items include items such as videos- must include captions or subtitles, all buttons, links, and images must have proper labels / alt text, no inaccessible drop-down menus or navigation features, PDFs and posted documents must be readable by assistive technology, forms, calendars, and interactive content must be accessible.

The ADA has published a helpful “first steps” guide.  Click here to access this guide. 

For those looking to evaluate their current website, this free tool is a good starting point: https://wave.webaim.org/

It’s worth noting that website accessibility is increasingly becoming an audit, legal, and risk management issue, not just an IT concern. Early planning will make this much easier and help avoid last-minute scrambles or compliance exposure.

Dear Ohio Aviation Association Members,

We’re pleased to announce that the Ohio Aviation Association has purchased full access and integration of Spatial Engage for all dues paying members. This innovative platform will allow each member airport to:

• Access a contextual map of their airport and link it to our master state association map,
• Create one private map to engage stakeholders,
• Support master plan promotion, operations, and long-term sustainability efforts.

Ohio airports are a doorway to our communities.  As your association we want to help you get noticed, funding, support, stakeholder engagement, connect us together, visibility, provide a way show to data, and move us to the next level of communication.  Check out the soft launch of this new tool for Ohio airports on the OAA homepage - www.ohioaviation.org. ;

Spatial Engage will be presenting what we are doing as an association at our upcoming conference in April.

In an effort to complete as much back end work as possible, we kindly ask that you click here to complete a QUESTIONNAIRE before as soon as possible.  There are only a few questions so it should only take you a few minutes to complete. 

Eventually, as a paid member, you will all get access to your own map portal which will be explained to you at an onboarding webinar before the annual conference.  That session will guide you through logging in and making the most of your Spatial Engage access.

The OAA is committed to ensuring our aviation community remains a national leader in forward-thinking aviation protection, investment, and long-term sustainability. Airports—regardless of size—are critical to the economic development and vitality of the communities they serve.

You may recall that Spatial Engage presented at the April 2025 Ohio Aviation Conference, where they demonstrated their unique expertise in community engagement and visual storytelling. Their specialization and technology are unmatched, helping airports effectively communicate their value and vision.

At a time when we face pilot shortages, rising fuel costs, and staffing challenges, it’s more important than ever to embrace tools that help Ohio’s airports and aviation industry thrive.

We also wish to congratulate Spatial Engage on their successful appointment as the official engagement platform for the 2030 Summer Olympics in Australia — a testament to their global leadership and innovation.

For a local perspective on effective this tool is, please reach out to Dave Gal  (Cambridge Airport Manager), who can share his firsthand experience with Spatial Engage.

Additionally:

• Advanced Air Mobility (AAM): Spatial Engage is the world leader in AAM visualizations and communications, supporting airports expanding into new mobility initiatives.
• Lake Erie Region Airports: For airports with flights to Pelee Island or Canada, Spatial Engage already powers Pelee Island’s tourism and airport mapping, enabling seamless collaboration across the border.  Click here to see how the airport becomes the portal to the local community and a tool to drive economic development within the community.

Think of Spatial Engage as a shared communication platform — that makes collaboration and storytelling easier than ever.

If you have any questions or require support, please contact:

• John Clark – Spatial Engage Liaison - Ph 1-800-986-9409 (Direct Line)
• Dave Gal – Cambridge Airport Manager  - Ph: 740 432-3726
• Tony Fiore – Executive Director, OAA - Ph. (614) 462-5428

We look forward to helping every Ohio airport leverage Spatial Engage to build stronger communities, attract investment, and ensure a sustainable aviation future.

In January 2026 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a draft transition plan to unleaded aviation gasoline for public comment.  The comment period ends March 13, 2026.

Currently, aviation gasoline (AvGas) is the only transportation fuel in the United States that contains TetraEthyl Lead (TEL), a lead-based additive that has been added to AvGas since 1921 to boost octane ratings and prevent engine damage and knocking at higher power settings. According to the FAA as of Fall 2025, 100-octane low lead (100LL) is the most used AvGas for spark ignition piston-powered aircraft. While many piston-engine aircraft designs are best suited for 100LL, due to evolving market factors and public health considerations the FAA initiated transition efforts from 100LL to unleaded aviation fuels.

The 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act (the Act) Section 827 directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to continue to partner with industry and other Federal government stakeholders in carrying out the mission of the industry-government initiative, Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE), and take such actions as may be necessary to facilitate:

• safe elimination of the use of leaded aviation fuels by piston-engine aircraft in the United States by the end of 2030 (end of 2032 for Alaska) without adversely impacting the safe and efficient operation of the impacted, general aviation (GA) fleet; 
• approval of the use of unleaded alternatives to leaded aviation gasoline for use in all piston-engine aircraft types and piston-engine models;
• implementation of the requirements relating to the continued availability of aviation gasoline; 
• efforts to make unleaded aviation gasoline widely available for purchase and use at airports in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS); 

• development of a Transition Plan to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline (Transition Plan)

The FAA’s stated goal in providing transition plan is to comply with the Act and provide a nationwide plan to support a safe and orderly transition to unleaded fuels. This plan is provided with an understanding that many of the factors that affect the ultimate transition are market driven. The decisions made by private individuals and companies could have a significant influence on the ultimate transition. The FAA also acknowledges that the process of the transition will continue to evolve as 2030 approaches, more information becomes available, and therefore may require an update to the Transition Plan at a later date.

We have provided a step-by-step guide below if you would like to review the transition plan and provide public comment to the FAA.

Step-by-Step Submission Guide:

1. Go to the FAA's Aviation Safety Draft Documents page.
2. Scroll down under "Air Certification Service (AIR) Draft Documents" click on "Publications" to find under "Draft Document" the "Draft FAA Transition Plan to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline" .
3. Download the Matrix: Download the accompanying "Comment Matrix".
4. Fill Out Your Comments: Enter your feedback directly into the matrix.
5. Email Your Submission: Send the completed matrix to  9-AVS-AIR670-AVGAS@faa.gov before the March 13, 2026 deadline. 

For additional information, please contact:

Paul Wrzesinski, PhD.

Senior Technical Specialist, Aviation Fuels

Telephone (M): 817-201-6726

Email: Paul.J.Wrzesinski@faa.gov

On a side note, we are excited to welcome back representatives from the FAA-ADO to the 2026 OAA Annual Conference in April.  The ADO staff to Be sure to get your registration and hotel reservation in as soon as possible to join us at the conference in April!

On January 14, 2026, the ODOT - Office of Aviation released the FY 2026 Ohio Airport Improvement Program, Project list for Supplemental Direct Grants to General Aviation Airports.

OAA and its members worked hard to advocate for more infrastructure funding opportunities for Ohio airports in the last state operating budget cycle.  We appreciate ODOT's support for opening the door for such supplemental grant opportunities for fuel and hanger projects around the state.  The list of approved projects are below.

Did you know that the Office of Aviation has been undergoing a comprehensive review of the system of airports in Ohio for the last few years?  They plan to release their report in March and will be presenting at the 2026 Ohio Aviation Association Annual Conference April 6-8, 2026 at the Hilton Downtown Columbus.  Don't miss your chance to hear all of these important updates by registering for the conference today!  Sponsorship, exhibitor and registration information is below and on the the OAA website: www.ohioaviation.org.