FAA and Regs

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) has criticized the FAAs Jan. 2 Notice Of Policy Change that restricts the use of flight simulators as an action that will adversely affect flight safety. As of Jan. 1, 2015, a maximum of 10 hours of simulator time will be allowed toward an instrument rating. Currently, […]

If you were paying attention to the news last week, you may have noticed that the otherwise chronically broken Congress actually proposed a bi-partisan budget package. Now lets not delude ourselves into thinking strains of Kumbaya will soon be pealing from the Capitol and the members will be caroling on Pennsylvania Avenue, but this little […]

The FAA is moving ahead with implementation of mandatory screening and tests (apparently regardless of widely reported objections) for obstructive sleep apnea in pilots with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, the agency said Thursday. Individuals are typically categorized as obese by current BMI charts if they score a number higher than […]

On September 10th, 2001, the world of general aviation was, if not rosy, not too bad. Cessna had re-started single-engine production and a new company called Cirrus was having encouraging success with a composite airplane with a parachute. You could see a future. A day later, it all but vanished in a choking cloud of […]

The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) Wednesday joined the NTSB, AOPA, EAA, the National Air Transportation Association and others in requesting that the FAA reconsider proposed rulemaking regarding ECi cylinders used in Continental engines. ARSA wrote in electronic comments submitted to the FAA that the agency disregarded the most basic requirements for promulgating a regulation, […]

Representatives in the house Wednesday introduced legislation that would expand the use of a drivers license as an acceptable qualifying medical standard for pilots flying light certificated GA aircraft. The General Aviation Pilot Protection Act would set the drivers license as the medical requirement for noncommercial VFR flights in aircraft with no more than six […]

Letter of the Week:A Technological Solution to a Human Problem? I have several thoughts about the sudden concern by the FAA over sleep apnea in pilots and controllers. The NTSB Safety Recommendation was issued August 7, 2009. Why has it taken more than four years for the FAA to jerk its knee in response? Has […]

The U.S. House of Representatives has created a bill that would require the FAA to open a public comment period and apply normal rulemaking procedures before imposing new policy regarding pilot girth, medical testing, and sleep apnea. AOPA and EAA reacted to the announced policy with strongly worded letters demanding that it be suspended. They […]

Dr. Brent Blue is a senior FAA air medical examiner from Wyoming who says the new policy on sleep apnea announced by Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Fred Tilton is “one of the craziest things to come out of the FAA in many years.” AVweb’s Russ Niles spoke with him. Duration: File Size: download here

If you woke up tomorrow and were suddenly King, to be challenged by no man or woman and could do as you please with, say, the FAA, what would you do? Sixty three percent of you would reform it from top to bottom if the results of last weeks pollquestion were accurate. Surmising that this […]