SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION!

[rockwoodrv9]

koda2, great info to help get this FINALLY passed. Even if you can pass your physical now, this helps ALL aviators.

[wirejock]

Thanks David.
I e-mailed all three again. This makes the third time.

[Jack Tyler]

Thanks for adding your comments, koda2. FYI Rep. Sam Graves again co-chairs the House GA Caucus and believes the Bill will be reintroduced shortly.

If you think pilots are able to and should self-certify, I'd encourage you NOT to email your Rep. Yes, it's very easy...but it's equally ineffective. The two best ways to actually influence a staffer (and so, his/her Rep) is through an office visit or a phone *conversation*. I stress *conversation* because many Reps set up their office phone lines to allow constituents to voice support/opposition to a Bill via recording. This gets tallied in the same way emails get tallied. The content itself isn't captured. Sums show up in reports but that's a long way from discovering the staffer's areas of ignorance and offering factual, convincing detail. Just treat the staffer like the Uncle you respect but who is clueless about GA.

I work on occasion with an aviation lobbyist in the Southeast. He recently explained one of the typical questions a Rep asks of his/her staffers is 'who asked about what this week?' When a Rep hears there were X calls & visits on a given topic that week, the next step is often a directive to 'brief me up on that'. So our goal is to help him/her get that brief.

435 Reps. ~180,000 EAA members, ~380,000 AOPA members, ~600,000 licensed pilots. Their phones could be ringing off the hook...

Jack

[Don]

I just received an e-mail from a gentleman at my local airport (KXSA) that a new Bill has been introduced in the House and Senate. Hopefully this one makes it into law. Here's what the email said in part. The whole thing is too long to post and I have not found a link yet...but I know someone here will post one. I am particularly intrigued with the provision that pilots will be allowed to follow the requirements of the law even if the FAA fails to act within 180 days - and failing to act is something I'm certain the FAA is able to accomplish.


The Pilot?s Bill of Rights 2 would allow pilots flying recreationally in a wide range of aircraft to no longer obtain a third class medical certificate. The new bill would allow private pilots to make noncommercial VFR and IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with up to six seats.

A group of powerful senators and representatives has introduced new legislation in both houses of Congress that would allow thousands of pilots to fly without going through the costly and time-consuming third class medical process and would offer new protections for general aviation pilots.

Under the Pilot?s Bill of Rights 2, pilots flying recreationally in a wide range of aircraft would no longer need to obtain a third class medical certificate. The new bill would allow private pilots to make noncommercial VFR and IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with up to six seats. Pilots also would be allowed to carry up to five passengers, fly at altitudes below 14,000 feet msl, and fly no faster than 250 knots. Pilot?s Bill of Rights 2 also includes a provision to ensure that pilots can fly under the new rules even if the FAA fails to comply with the bill?s provisions 180 days after enactment.

?The introduction of the Pilot?s Bill of Rights 2 is great news for the general aviation community and we are grateful to Sens. Jim Inhofe and Joe Manchin, and Reps. Sam Graves and Dan Lipinski, and all their bipartisan colleagues for putting forward this legislation that would do so much to help grow and support GA activity,? said AOPA President Mark Baker. ?Pilots have already waited too long for medical reform, so we?re particularly pleased to see it included in this important measure. Third class medical reform is our top legislative priority, and we will actively work with Congress to build support for this legislation that is so vital to the future of general aviation.?

In addition to third class medical reform, the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, which was introduced in the House (H.R. 1062) and the Senate (S.571) late on Feb. 25, would protect GA pilots from liability on charitable flights, extend legal protections to FAA representatives, and require FAA contractors to provide information under Freedom of Information Act requests.

[Mike S]

Sounds like a big improvement over the verbiage in last years bill.

Still not seeing any addressing of the issue of pilots who currently fly under special issuance.

Here is the AOPA pres link, email address is linked there. http://www.aopa.org/About-AOPA/Presidents-Page

This is the message I sent to Mark Baker.

I see talk of the PPBOR being reintroduced as a newer version, with much better verbiage in it. I love the 180 day clause-------but why not make it 60 days instead??

But, there is no mention of those of us who currently fly with a special issuance for our 3rd class medical.

Knowing the FAA, I suspect that if there is not specific language to allow ALL current 3rd class medical holders to fly via the PPBOR, then they will grasp at any straw they can----------and SI is a ripe one for them.

Please be sure to ask that SI is also included in the PPBOR

Thank you,
Mike Starkey
AOPA 5914731

I will be sending the same to EAA folks. jpelton@eaa.org I believe is the address. Someone please correct me if I am wrong-------the EAA does a very good job of hiding their email addresses for individuals.

[flyingriki]

Originally Posted by Don

...even if the FAA fails to act within 180 days..

I think your quote may be misleading. I think it leaves them an out? See this wording from EAA today:

"...unless the FAA has issued regulations within 180 days of the enactment of this legislation."

Seems to vary with each recounting....!

[rockwoodrv9]

The faa will fight anything that helps general aviation as much as they can. They will not give in and lose their self appointed power. The changes we want MUST be done by law - not some ***** in a building who thinks they know what is best. Elected officials need to assure we are protected as pilots. This looks good - but just as flyingriki days - watch out for any trick including semantics they will try to use. Contact your representatives and remind them they are the people that make the laws and not give that power to faa lackys.

[Arlen]

Go to the EAA site and send letters to your Congress people: http://govt.eaa.org/17422/support-pilots-bill-rights-2/

[Mike S]

http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/A...use-and-Senate

[grubbat]

It's nothing personal to the FAA or any other government agency. The core problem is that govt agencies exist to provide oversight, enact new rules with more oversight, and brainstorm neat and new ways to generate revenue (taxes). It's not in their structure to get smaller ................ (Deleted the rest of my old age rant...)

Nevertheless, lets encourage our elected officials to support this legislation.

The legislative route is, in my humble opinion, the best way to go on this one and I for one am glad to finally see both parties working together on this.

Thanks for sharing!

Originally Posted by rockwoodrv9

The faa will fight anything that helps general aviation as much as they can. They will not give in and lose their self appointed power. The changes we want MUST be done by law - not some ***** in a building who thinks they know what is best. Elected officials need to assure we are protected as pilots. This looks good - but just as flyingriki days - watch out for any trick including semantics they will try to use. Contact your representatives and remind them they are the people that make the laws and not give that power to faa lackys.