Expanding Drivers License Medical

[jsstevens]

Just got this email from AOPA:

A paragraph:
The General Aviation Pilot Protection Act would allow pilots to use the driver's license medical standard for noncommercial VFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with no more than six seats. That includes virtually all single-engine airplanes with six or fewer seats, including Beech Bonanzas, as well as many light twins like the Piper Aztec, Beech Baron 55 and 58, and Cessna 310. By way of comparison, most large SUVs on the roads today weigh more than 6,000 pounds and can carry six to seven passengers, making them larger than the aircraft that would be operated with proof of a valid driver's license under this new bill.

Full article:
http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/...s-license-medical.aspx?WT.mc_id=131211special

 

[Jim Logajan]

In my professional opinion as an expert internet commentator, I think it's all going to come down to how much momentum it can gather in the GA caucus then in Congress as a body. I highly doubt it'll become a political issue because the public neither knows about nor cares about the FAA's medical requirements.

In my useless opinion, nobody expected a divided congress to pass the Pilot's Bill of Rights, for them to pass a bill directing changes to Part 23, or the Spanish Inquisition, so I see no reason why the next congress couldn't get this passed.

 

[Jim Logajan]

He can sign bills all day. Funding them is a different matter.

Looked at your photo on you pilot certificate? How many years ago was that signed and the FAA is still waiting for the funding.

The testimony that the Director of Flight Standards Service presented to congress in June mentions several reasons that the photos are not yet on certificates - lack of funding wasn't mentioned:

http://testimony.ost.dot.gov/test/allen1.htm

The testimony implies funding will come from pilots, so the lack of congressional funding does not appear to be a valid argument, but rather development of standards for additional biometric data that is to be on the cards per the 2012 reform act has held things up:

"The cost of this transition has not yet been determined, but analysis of the costs and benefits of various alternatives to meet the statutory mandate is underway.
To justify imposing a new cost on pilots, we must carefully consider the benefits of improved pilot certificates. If pilot certificates with embedded biometrics are intended to permit airport access or increase security, we must coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the TSA, which develop standards for airport access and security."
Soon enough we'll be forced to pay for fancy ID cards....