The bill below was introduced to both the house and Senate. Its called the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 and would allow pilots flying recreationally in a wide range of aircraft to no longer obtain a third class medical certificate. The new bill would allow private pilots to make noncommercial VFR and IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with up to six seats.

EAA members (and all other pilots) should get involved NOW with the community's top priority in GA advocacy.

TAKE ACTION HERE and contact your representatives (this will help you find who your representative is and allow you to email them a letter that EAA has prepared)http://govt.eaa.org/17422/support-pilots-bill-rights-2/

(CalPilots Editor's Note: Using the term "Airport Commission" is laughable when it comes to Santa Monica. In the spirit of the true airport commission, it is supposed to look after the airport and include actual aviation expertise, not real estate and other business interests such as the City of Santa Moncia populated it with)  The Santa Monica Airport Commission showed its support for the city's strategy to eventually shut down aviation operations at the airport, recommending this week that the city council move ahead with taking over chunks of the 227-acre field and imposing new rules for hangar owners and other users.

This latest move in the long battle over KSMO's future prompted airport advocates to reiterate their position that federal obligations require that the land must continue to operate as an airport. "These proposals have been offered by opponents of Santa Monica Airport before, and they've been shown to be lacking a basis in federal law and grant obligations," NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said in a statement Wednesday. "We have long fought these and other attempts to restrict access at SMO, and we will continue to do so."

The Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, which would broaden third-class medical exemptions and expand legal rights, began its journey through the legislative assembly line this week as GA Caucus members in the U.S. Senate and House introduced companion bills. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., introduced S. 571 as an expansion of his legislation that was signed into law in 2012. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., co-chair of the House GA Caucus, introduced the companion bill H.R. 1062. The medical reform is similar to the proposals introduced in 2013 and 2014. The bills would exempt private pilots from the third-class medical for VFR and IFR flights below 14,000 feet and up to 250 knots, in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with up to five passengers. In an effort to force the FAA to comply in a timely fashion, there is also a provision to allow pilots to fly under the new rules 180 days after enactment if the agency fails to update its policies.

LOS ANGELES — Community leaders joined in Feb. 12 to break ground on Clay Lacy Aviation's new South Campus, a $10 million, six-acre expansion of its current headquarters facility at Van Nuys Airport (VNY).Attended by more than 100 students from NVOC-Aviation, a VNY-based aircraft mechanics school, the event celebrated local job creation and economic growth. (CalPilots wants to acknowledge Clay Lacy's longtime support and congratulates Clay on his well deserved success). 

Large Scale Project Begins Next Month, Will Continue Into 2017A large-scale runway construction and rehabilitation plan at KLAX will begin in March 2015, and continue into 2017. The construction will take place in the five phases.

Please be aware that with the SMO VOR being out of service (2/10/15 - 3/14/15) the Mini Route is not available and the Special Flight Rules Area is only available to aircraft with suitable RNAV equipment.Frequently Asked Questions

For the latest information on airman testing, check out the completely revamped frequently asked questions document available on the FAA's Airman Testing page at www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/ . The FAQs are presented in terms of three main topics: certification, training, and testing with easy-to-navigate hyperlinks. The Airman Testing page also includes a link to submit an airman knowledge test question idea and a link to submit general feedback. You can also find newly updated information on the industry-developed Airman Certification Standards (ACS) along with sample tests for the private pilot airplane, helicopter, and glider knowledge exams.

General aviation supplied 1.1 million jobs and contributed $219 billion to the U.S. economy in 2013, according to a study (PDF) conducted for eight major GA groups. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association released the study Wednesday at its annual news conference in Washington. The study, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, examined GA-related industries and their direct and indirect benefits to the economy, such as aircraft component makers selling parts and charter flight passengers spending money on hotels. It used the latest data available from 2013.

In state-by-state data, California had the highest total economic impact at $30.2 billion. The top 10 states ranked by total output attributable to GA in 2013 were California, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Ohio, and New York. They accounted for 57 percent of the total output nationwide.