Aviation Relations
Non-Federal Airport Infrastructure Assessment
23 questions. About 10 minutes. A written report by email, typically within one business day. Free for smaller commercial service and general aviation airports.
What This Is
A structured self-assessment of the non-federal systems your airport is responsible for: what governs them, what is expected to stay current, what your answers bring into focus, and how each finding gets funded. 23 questions, about 10 minutes, answered by whoever knows the airport best. Every report is reviewed before it goes out and arrives by email, typically within one business day.
It is not an audit, an inspection, or an engineering evaluation, and it does not grade you. It is the plain-language picture most airports have never had in one place: what you have, what applies to it, and what to do first.
Why This Matters Now
The obligations and support arrangements around these systems do not announce themselves. They surface when a contractor changes, when equipment ages into its replacement window, or when an FAA question arrives. Airports that already hold the picture handle those moments as routine. Airports assembling it under pressure do not.
The horizon adds a second reason. The infrastructure beneath these systems has been shifting from isolated circuits to shared networks for years, and federal attention to aviation cybersecurity is moving in the same direction, with rulemaking underway that is expected to affect airports and ground systems. The shape of any resulting requirements and funding is still being worked out. Still, airports with a documented operational picture will be better positioned when it lands than airports starting from zero.
The shape of any resulting requirements and funding is still being worked out. Still, airports with a documented operational picture will be better positioned when it lands than airports starting from zero. The assessment captures the vendor access and monitoring baseline that the conversation will start from.
What the Report Covers
For each system you report, the governing FAA framework and what it asks of the airport. ILS localizer and glideslope, DME, AWOS, MALSR and other approach lighting, PAPI, runway and taxiway lighting, REIL, and lighting control are all mapped.
What your answers bring into focus. Manual currency, technician verification, inspection recency, records, licensing, monitoring posture, and vendor access arrangements, with findings prioritized by where attention may be most useful.
How each finding gets funded. Which findings may be candidates for grant-funded capital projects and which are operating responsibilities, with the FAA office or resource associated with each pathway, so nobody spends a year pursuing the wrong door. Eligibility determinations are the FAA's responsibility; the report maps the pathways.
A prioritized roadmap. 30-day, 90-day, and 180-day actions, plus a 72-hour quick-start plan that requires no budget and no outside help.
Who This Is For
Airports that own or are responsible for non-federal navigation aids, approach lighting, or weather systems, even when a vendor maintains them. If your airport has an ILS, DME, AWOS, or approach lighting and the documentation lives in more than one place, this was built for you.
If the FAA owns and maintains the systems on your field, the assessment will tell you that and explain what would change if that ever shifts. Knowing which side of that line you are on is worth ten minutes by itself.
The Model
Assess first. Advise when asked. Walk the path with you. No vendor relationships. No financial interest in any remediation outcome. The only result that matters is that you leave with an accurate picture of your own operational environment and the documentation to back it up.
Common Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. The assessment, the written report, and the Airport Readiness Tracker are free, with no obligation and nothing to cancel. One thing is paid: an ongoing advisory seat, if you ever want a standing advisor who watches your infrastructure with you. You will never be pushed toward it.
Do I need to be technical to answer it?
No. The 23 questions are written to be answered by whoever knows the airport best. If the honest answer to a question is "I am not sure," that is a useful answer too.
What do you do with my answers?
Your responses are used to generate your report and to prepare any follow-up you request. We never sell or share your information.
How long does it take, and how do I get the report?
About 10 minutes. Every report is reviewed by a person before it goes out and arrives by email, typically within one business day.
What if the FAA owns and maintains the systems at my field?
The assessment tells you that, and explains what would change if that ever shifts. Knowing which side of that line you are on is worth ten minutes by itself.
Who is behind this?
Aviation Relations brings aviation systems experience across military and federal service: hands-on work with navigation aids, airfield lighting, weather equipment, and the FAA frameworks that govern them. The assessment reflects that background, applied to your specific field.
Are you going to try to sell me something?
The report has no sales pitch and no follow-on obligation. The findings belong to you, with no vendor recommendation attached. If ongoing help would serve your airport, we will say so plainly and leave the decision with you.
Is this a compliance audit?
No. It is not an audit, an inspection, or an engineering evaluation, and it does not grade you. It is the plain-language picture most airports have never had in one place: what you have, what applies to it, and what to do first.
Start Now
Answer 23 questions about the systems your airport is responsible for. Takes about 10 minutes. Every report is reviewed before it goes out; you will receive it by email, typically within one business day. No conversation required. Free for smaller commercial service and general aviation airports.
QUESTIONS?
Email: info@aviationrelations.com
PRIVACY NOTE: Your responses are used to generate your report and to prepare any follow-up you request. We never sell or share your information.
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Need to know:
All consulting activity conducted by Aviation Relations is in a personal capacity, independent of any federal employment. Content is based on publicly available information and does not represent FAA policy, positions, or endorsements.
Aviation Relations does not provide Part 171 equipment compliance consulting or services. Work is conducted using personal time and resources.