General Aviation Pilot Protection Act

[Av8r3400 1179]

Since the FAA has sat on their butts hoping this would go away, some courageous lawmakers have proposed a new law basically eliminating the third class medical for VFR.

 

 

 

Driver's license medical for six-seat aircraft?

After nearly two years of FAA inaction on the AOPA/EAA third-class medical petition, Congress has taken matters into its own hands, offering up legislation that would vastly expand the number of pilots who could fly without going through the expensive and time-consuming third-class medical certification process. Reps. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), a member of the House General Aviation Caucus, and GA Caucus Co-Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) on Dec. 11 introduced the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act. The legislation would dramatically expand the parameters for flying under the driver's license medical standard. Rokita and Graves are both AOPA members and active pilots.

"We have waited far too long for the FAA to expand the third-class medical exemption to more pilots and more aircraft," said AOPA President Mark Baker. "Congressmen Rokita and Graves stepped forward to take decisive action in the best interests of general aviation when the FAA refused to act. We appreciate their outstanding leadership on this issue and look forward to seeing this bill move forward."

The General Aviation Pilot Protection Act would allow pilots to use the driver's license medical standard for noncommercial VFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with no more than six seats. That includes virtually all single-engine airplanes with six or fewer seats, including Beech Bonanzas, as well as many light twins like the Piper Aztec, Beech Baron 55 and 58, and Cessna 310. By way of comparison, most large SUVs on the roads today weigh more than 6,000 pounds and can carry six to seven passengers, making them larger than the aircraft that would be operated with proof of a valid driver's license under this new bill. 

Pilots would be allowed to carry up to five passengers, fly at altitudes below 14,000 feet msl, and fly no faster than 250 knots. The act also would require the FAA to report on the safety consequences of the new rule after five years.

"As a pilot, I am pleased to introduce this important legislation with my colleagues and fellow pilots," said Rokita. "This bill eliminates a duplicative and therefore unnecessary medical certification regulation that drives up costs for pilots and prevents the general aviation industry from fulfilling its economic potential."

"For many recreational pilots, the FAA's third class medical certification process is nothing more than a bureaucratic hoop to jump through," said Graves. "It discourages new pilots and does not truly improve safety. As a pilot, I have gone through this process several times. However, like all pilots, I am responsible for determining whether I am medically fit to fly during the time between my mandated medical certifications. Expanding the current exemption makes sense and will promote greater recreational aviation activity across the U.S. without an impact on safety."

In addition to Rokita and Graves, the bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Bill Flores (R-Texas), Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.), and Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.). All four co-sponsors are members of the GA Caucus.

The legislative action comes after the FAA has repeatedly declined to rule on a March 2012 petition filed by AOPA and EAA. That petition asked the FAA to expand the driver's license medical standard already used by sport pilots for nearly a decade. Under the petition, pilots would be able to operate noncommercial VFR flights in single-engine aircraft with 180 horsepower or less, four or fewer seats, fixed gear, and a maximum of one passenger. To participate, pilots would need a valid driver's license and would be required to take recurrent safety training to help them accurately assess their fitness to fly.

More than 16,000 overwhelmingly favorable comments were filed during the public comment period on the petition. But despite strong support from the aviation community and solid evidence that the exemption would maintain or improve safety, the FAA failed to act, so AOPA turned to supporters in Congress for help.

Building support for the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act will be critical to its passage, and AOPA will be calling on members to show their support in January after Congress returns from recess. Look for details about how you can help in upcoming issues of AOPA ePilot and on AOPA.org.

 
http://www.aopa.org/-/media/Files/AO...TA_024_xml.pdf
 

 

 

Contact your representative here:
 
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

 

[horsepower 24]

Ive read a little about this Larry,I hope it goes through.Most pilots I know wouldnt go flying if they were not feeling medically up to it.Still have to do biannual check rides so doesnt make you less of a pilot.Alot of my friends will hold off flying because they dont want to do their medical for some reason or another and then when they do go back and get it they are not proficient at flying ,where as if they didnt need the medical they would have kept their proficiency up.In my mind the medical is an obstacle that gets in the way of alot of good pilots.The government always think they know whats best for us,they should look in the mirror and figure it out.Randy

[Emory Bored 61]

+1 Mister Horsepower.  A sound analysis.

 

Dan

[EDMO 1078]

Medicals don't make good pilots - There was a Doctor in our area some years ago that owned a twin Piper - After the 3rd gear-up landing, his insurance company grounded him. 

EDMO

[C5Engineer 1170]

If I remember correctly the Bonaza V-tails were nicknamed Dr. Killers for a reason.

[C150L 6]

Still sitting in committee.

 

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr3708#overview

[Av8r3400 1179]

Actually the Senate has introduced a companion piece of legislation to help push this through.

 

Hopefully more movement will happen.

 

Until then please follow this link to the EAA's petition drive to add your support.

 

http://govt.eaa.org/14781/support-general-aviation-pilot-protection-act/

[SuberAvid 617]

Done.  Easy to do on the EAA web site.  Thanks for the link Larry.

[Av8r3400 1179]

And forward the link to every pilot you know.

[rdooley79 28]

Sent to a bunch of my friends. Got a few of them to sign it.