Aviation Regulation

CFIs and flight schools in California are wondering how they will be able to comply with an onerous new law that requires all businesses that offer flight training to operate like colleges and trade schools.

A hearing in California on Monday night was packed with flight instructors and flight school operators worried about the impact of a new California law on their profession. The law requires flight schools to comply with various kinds of oversight and fees that are meant to protect students from financial losses if a school should suddenly close down. However, operators have complained that the new rules are so burdensome and expensive that most flight schools in the state would be forced out of business. Schools must register with the state by Aug. 1 under the law, which took effect on Jan. 1. Michael France, director of regulatory affairs for the National Air Transportation Association, told AVweb on Wednesday that the regulations are “burdensome,” and according to a NATA survey, up to 90 percent of the flight schools in the state would close down if they are forced to comply. “This could really have an impact,” he said. “We’ve proposed some changes to the regulations, and we hope we can find a solution.”

CA Flight Instructors Ready To Lobby For (AB) 48 Exemption

But The Effort Will Be Expensive, And A Win Is Not A Sure Thing

On Monday June 7th, about 50 concerned flight school owners and flight instructors traveled to Sacramento, CA for the Bureau for Private Post-secondary and Vocational Education (BPPE) hearing, and to plead their case for exemption from (AB) 48. While the flight school owners and instructors presented a united front to fight what could be an industry crippling or killing piece of legislation, they were not encouraged by the outcome.

The FAA is converting pilot and nonpilot certificates from paper to plastic. Active pilots made the conversion last year when paper pilot certificates expired on March 31, 2010. Non-pilots— including mechanics, flight engineers, repairmen, aircraft dispatchers, and airmen issued certificates under part 63 and part 65—have until March 31, 2013, to obtain plastic certificates. The reason for the conversion from paper certificates to plastic is to provide enhanced security features as required in the Drug Enforcement Administration Act of 1988 and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.

Under new FAA rules, general aviation is about to undergo massive changes, none for the good, apparently. The FAA Airports Division issued a revised FAA Order 5190.6B, Airport Compliance Manual recently, that, as EAA described it, caught “just about every one off guard.” Not only that it went from 94 to 691 pages of new rules and regulations, and it makes major changes that will affect several aspects of general aviation.

Editors Note: Is this complete over-reaction by the FAA a result of the FAA running scared from TSA and its unwarranted and excessive general aviation proposals?

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending the comment period on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the Aircraft Repair Station Security Program. The comment period will now end on Feb. 19, instead of Jan. 19.

Why should you care? Because what affects your mechanic is going to affect your bottom line.

Don’t lose your chance to submit a comment, click here now.
Note: Once at the page click on Docket ID: TSA-2004-17131 located near the top of the page.

To read the CALPILOTS response to this ill advised NPRM click read more.

What is an airborne pilot deviation? The actions of a pilot that result in the violation of a Federal Aviation Regulation while in flight. Such deviations could result in a loss of separation between one airplane and another, or with the next mountain peak!

By aviation security expert David Hook, president, Planehook Aviation Services, LLC Remember the Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) that the TSA proposed about this same time last year? Well, this time TSA is proposing something similar, but with a twist. The latest proposal has your aircraft mechanic in the agency’s crosshairs… read the rest of…