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  #181  
Old 02-05-2015, 10:40 AM
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Ironflight Ironflight is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neal@F14 View Post
DOT rulemaking tracker for Jan 2015 http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/fil...%20Report.docx

Shows that it's now delayed yet an additional couple months. See #18 in the document.
Publication date is now 5/5/2015 with end of comments in July 2015.
These delays are simply killing the industry - which might be exactly what the FAA wants to do! I have lost track of the number of people who have told me "I am ready to pull the trigger on an 'XXXXX' (insert E-AB kit name here), but I am waiting to hear if I can fly it without a medical."

We can't wait for FAA action - aint' going to happen. Need to take the congressional route!
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  #182  
Old 02-05-2015, 10:43 AM
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Mike S Mike S is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironflight View Post
We can't wait for FAA action - aint' going to happen. Need to take the congressional route!
Totally agree---------and if by some strange chance the FAA does act, I doubt that it will serve the interests of a lot of pilots.
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  #183  
Old 02-05-2015, 11:04 AM
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DaleB DaleB is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironflight View Post
We can't wait for FAA action - aint' going to happen. Need to take the congressional route!
I have to agree. As much as the FAA makes noise and tries to look like they are trying to get something done, we all know how this stuff works. Create something in secret, don't let anyone see what's in it, pass it around to various agencies... with a wink and a nod. "Yeah, no hurry on this", which really means "Please bury this in red tape and delays for eternity".

If and when we ever get to actually see what they are proposing, my bet it will be a very poor subset of what we would consider to be an improvement - and years before it actually goes into effect. Need proof of this? How many years has this been simmering already?

Now for the worse part. As much as Congress wants us to think they are doing something, I fear the GAPPA bill won't see the light of day during our lifetimes, since there aren't enough major campaign contributors who want it passed. I really, really hope I'm wrong.

OK, I'm done venting now.
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  #184  
Old 02-05-2015, 12:29 PM
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DanBaier DanBaier is offline
 
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I wonder where AOPA and EAA are on this - you'd think that they'd be coordinating a program to contact elected officials.

Why aren't they doing that?

Dan
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  #185  
Old 02-05-2015, 04:29 PM
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plehrke plehrke is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike S View Post
Totally agree---------and if by some strange chance the FAA does act, I doubt that it will serve the interests of a lot of pilots.
Somehow we need to get government to be reminded who they work for.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DanBaier View Post
I wonder where AOPA and EAA are on this - you'd think that they'd be coordinating a program to contact elected officials.

Why aren't they doing that?

Dan
I had faith in AOPA and EAA but it is starting to wear thin. I am starting to wonder if they are just using the 3rd class medical issue to continuously ask for more money to be given to their legislative affairs PAC. I keep getting asked for "just a little more support" so they can keep working the issue with FAA and congress. Not sure they ever want it solved as it keeps the membership up as long as they look like they are doing something on a hot issue that has a lot of interest.
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  #186  
Old 02-05-2015, 04:47 PM
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DaleB DaleB is offline
 
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I just wrote three more letters to my Congress-critters, sent to their local offices since apparently mail to DC gets delayed and molested indefinitely. Two of them (one Senator and the Rep) are new. I explained that the House and Senate bills, to which apparently virtually no one objects, seem stuck in committee while the FAA tries to forestall Congressional action by faking a rulemaking proposal.

Think faking is a little harsh? Well, consider that apparently no one has seen the actual proposal... no one will talk about it... and it's months and months past the original timeline they gave us, with no end in sight. I'd call that a ruse.
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  #187  
Old 02-05-2015, 06:12 PM
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Mel Mel is online now
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plehrke View Post
Somehow we need to get government to be reminded who they work for.
I think you are thinking of the "OLD" government. You know, the one based on the Constitution!

The "NEW" government has turned things around!
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  #188  
Old 02-09-2015, 10:36 AM
Daniel S. Daniel S. is offline
 
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Default Seriously

I have not been on here in months & months... My 2 year old has brought my building to a slight hault for a bit. I honestly cant believe we have heard absolutely nothing new on this topic except delay, delay, delay. unbelievable!
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  #189  
Old 02-19-2015, 08:00 AM
Jack Tyler Jack Tyler is offline
 
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If you haven't been hearing AOPA encourage members repeatedly to contact Congress about GAPPA, you haven't been listening. They have been urging two kinds of action:
1. If your House Rep is not a member of the GA Caucus, educate and coach them on why they should be. Surely, most of us know enough about aviation to exceed whatever's known inside a congressional office.
2. Urge (as in 'lobby') them to support GAPPA. Why would your Congressman care? A majority of members on the subcommittee with authority for the Bill has already voiced support of it, that support is bipartisan, and its supported by both the 'consumer' and industry sides of aviation. So the real question is why wouldn't your Rep support it.

But don't write a letter, which due to terrorism threats takes 7 weeks to reach your House Rep. About the only options that potentially provide influence are to call or visit. If you politely explain you want to speak to the Rep's staff member responsible for transportation issues (and are persistent), I think I can guarantee that you will end up with a staffer who a) knows less about GA and GAPPA than you do, and b) is coaching his/her Rep to take a position (or perhaps not take a position) based on incomplete or even false information. And that's where the work begins.

Example from my experience: A staffer told me that 'The Congresswoman prefers to have the FAA set pilot medical standards, not the local driver's license office.' Response: Did you know the FAA has allowed multiple categories of pilots to fly without FAA medicals for many years, including one class of pilots with no medical requirement beyond self-certification? Or another example: 'The Chair and Ranking Member of the subcommittee both do not support GAPPA.' [Notice how that sounds like they oppose it]. Response: Surely you know that a) those two members have just not yet taken a position on the Bill yet, which is quite common, and b) a majority of the members (19 or 20) already support it.

Our problem is that most of us aren't willing to do the work. We find 'politics' distasteful and act like we are too pure to deal with the political scene as it is. I found my Rep's staffer to be both ignorant about GAPPA's rationale and also GA generally, yet very influential to my Congresswoman's actions. Unless you are a big contributor, about the only way in most cases to influence a non-aviation literate Rep is to first influence their staffer. That takes some personal investment. There's constant encouragement here to turn off the computer and build the project. Same's true here.

Who's been to their Rep's district office and asked to speak to someone about GAPPA? Bet not too many hands were raised...

Jack

Last edited by Jack Tyler : 02-19-2015 at 08:14 AM.
  #190  
Old 02-19-2015, 11:57 AM
koda2 koda2 is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: West Texas
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Default Get on the stick

For those of you concerned about the situation of third class medical reform, be advised.

The reason that there is no fire under the FAA to get anything done is that there is no fire under the FAA to get anything done. House Bill HR3708 and Senate bill S2103 died in committee last year and to-date no bill has been introduced in the 114th Congress to replace it. So there is no pressure to do anything.

It is my understanding that Congressman Todd Rokita is working to re-introduce the same or similar bill but this has not been accomplished yet. He is an active pilot and a real gentleman (I am told), and is concerned about this issue. Currently his office is working on determining the amount of support there is in the current membership for the bill. Last session there were something in the neighborhood of 130 cosponsors of the bill.

If the bill is reintroduced, it will likely be assigned again to the Aviation Subcommitte of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the House. Rep. Frank LoBiondo and Rep. Bill Shuster(PA) are the chairmen of the two committees respectively. Ultimately, the House leadership, i.e. Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner, will decide which bills get acted on. So if you want to blame anybody for dragging their feet once the bill is reintroduced, start with these individuals.

If you are reading this forum and you have not communicated with your representative and strongly urged him/her to AGAIN be a co-sponsor of any new bill, shame on you. Nothing will happen unless you do.

If you are reading this forum and are from Texas, double shame on you. Texas is an aviation-friendly state and general aviation is vital to commerce here because of the industries located here and the distances involved. Texas has 36 congressional districts and that potentially means 36 voices in Congress.

You can easily find out your representative's phone number and much more about the workings of Congress from this website:
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

Do not write a letter to their DC office; it will take weeks to get through. Send an email or a fax directly to their office. Better yet, call their office and talk to a staffer. Toward the end of the week is better for getting through. How you interact with the staffer is important because they are the eyes and ears of the Representative. Make some notes before calling so you can yet your message across in a timely manner. Identify yourself as a pilot (and whatever).

Again, here are some talking points if you don't have your own:

- 600,000 GA pilots in this country and they are a positive influence on their communities. Many have prior military or commercial aviation experience. They are watching closely how Congress is dealing with this legislation.

-This effort is to reform the medical certificate process and NOT exempting pilots from responsibility.

-The current system used by the FAA is cumbersome, irrational in its approach, and in some cases, discriminates against pilots.

-Supporting these bills will be a big stimulus for general aviation in the congressman's state.

-The creation of the Light Sport Pilot program has been an outstanding success with a good safety record and some of the aircraft flying under the light sport rules have greater performance than many aircraft that pilots currently must have a third class medical for.

-To-date the FAA has not made any real effort for meaningful reform and Congressional action is essential to get something done.
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