With sequestration set to kick in on Friday, March 1, the aviation industry received a briefing this week from FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari, during which the two said their clear mandate is to minimize effects on the “traveling public” — meaning airline passengers. This is good news for anyone traveling to HELI-EXPO 2013. In addition, the mandatory notification period required before laying off or furloughing federal workers means there will be some lag time before lack of staffing affects domestic aviation.

But the picture becomes far grimmer for the entire general aviation industry as time goes on. Huerta and Porcari acknowledged that in order to minimize the impact on Part 121 air carrier operations, the burden of sequestration will fall disproportionately hard on general aviation. Over time, the FAA would close 189 air traffic control towers operating under the Contract Tower Program. Those towers serve primarily general aviation airports. An additional 49 federally funded towers would also close, and 72 more would see their operational schedules reduced.

Repairs to navigation aids would be curtailed. For instance, only VORs scheduled to remain in long-term service as part of the Minimal Operating Network — the emergency back-up for NextGen — would be repaired, and those repairs would take longer. At the same time, funding to continue developing and building NextGen all but dries up.

HAI and fellow aviation associations including AOPA, EAA, GAMA, NATA,  No Effect , NBAA, and others are working with the FAA and other agencies to ensure that safety is not compromised. And the groups are working with the General Aviation Caucuses in Congress to urge members to find an alternative solution to budgetary issues that led to sequestration, since the only “fix” for the problem is a legislative one.