The Senate today approved a new FAA funding bill that is widely supported by GA advocates. NBAA President Ed Bolen said the new bill provides “a smart, targeted approach to funding the FAA’s efforts to modernize what is already the world’s safest air-traffic control system.” GAMA President Pete Bunce also said he was “extremely pleased” with the bill, which he said will “improve aviation safety, make better use of FAA and industry resources, and bolster manufacturing competitiveness.” The bill also includes the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, which would simplify medical certification for many recreational pilots. The Senate approved the bill by 95 to 3, but it still must be reconciled with the House bill, which proposes to shift control of ATC from the FAA to a not-for-profit corporation. The Senate version did not address the privatization issue.
The Senate bill does support Part 23 certification reform, Bunce said. “Throughout the Congress, there is widespread agreement on the need to advance certification reform, which this bill does,” Bunce said. “It is time for the U.S. House of Representatives to also move forward in a bipartisan way to address certification reform, providing general aviation manufacturers, their customers, and the entire aviation community greater certainty moving forward.”
AOPA President Mark Baker said the medical reform provisions in the bill would affect hundreds of thousands of pilots. “Getting these reforms is vital to the entire general aviation community,” he said. “Add to that the fact that there are no user fees for general aviation in this bill, and there are provisions to continue research into unleaded fuels and increase grants for improvements to GA airports, and it’s all good news for GA.”The Senate and House have until July 15, when the FAA’s current authorization expires, to work out a compromise bill, which then goes to President Obama for final approval.
