FAA 3rd Class Medical Reform Appears Poised to Move Forward
Congressional support for the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 continues to grow. As of Dec. 10, 2015, 69 senators and 151 members of the House of Representatives and 40 percent of the entire congress had signed on as co-sponsors of the bill. On December 9, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved S. 571, better known as the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, bringing significant third-class medical reform one big step closer to reality.
In order to secure approval in the Senate, a few changes in the bill were necessary. New pilots would be required to obtain FAA medical certification one time in order to establish a benchmark for their health. For private pilots who have a valid medical certificate, either regular or special issuance, within 10 years from the date when the bill is signed into law, no further FAA medical will be required. The only ongoing requirements will be to take a no cost online medical education course every two years and visit your personal physician once every four years, noting the visit in your logbook. No requirement will exist to report the outcome of this visit to the FAA.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Experimental Aircraft Association fully support the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, including these recent modifications, as do I. FAA 3rd class medical reform has never looked more promising. If the bill does become law, it will have a major positive impact on the general aviation industry.
Plan Now to Attend the 2016 Texas Aviation Conference
Registration is now underway for the 2016 Texas Aviation Conference. This year’s conference will be held March 9-11, at La Torretta Lake Resort and Spa in Montgomery, Texas. I’m proud to announce that this year’s keynote speaker is Retired U.S. Navy and NASA Astronaut (Gemini 9, Apollo 10, and Apollo 17) Captain Gene Cernan.
More information, including the tentative agenda, is available in pages 7-10 of this issue. You may register online at http://ttigroups.wpengine.com/conferences/ tac16/. Hope to see you there!