Congressmen Join Fray…
Two more congressmen and the state of Tennessee have joined the fight against a controversial set of proposed rules governing air tour operators and sightseeing flights by businesses and charity groups. The National Air Tour Safety Standards were introduced as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) last October amid howls of protest from many aviation sectors. Now Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) have written FAA Administrator Marion Blakey with their concerns, as has the Aeronautics Division of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The proposed rule would force all air tour businesses to conform to Part 121 or Part 135 standards and it would stiffen restrictions on volunteer and charity flights.
