FAA Reauthorization including Medical Reform headed to President

[TedK]

At 215pm Eastern time the Senate voted 89 to 4 for the FAA Reauthorization as was amended by the House. It includes the "Feinstein version" of Third Class Medical reform. The Bill now needs to go to the President before Friday in order to avoid impacting FAA Operations. I don't see any Veto threat.

If your 3rd class Medical isn't due till August of 2017, you may have seen your last AME.

Ted

[Tom Charpentier]

Beat me to it Ted. An EAA story should be up on our website shortly. By Friday we should be celebrating the enacting of a law that will bring about the most significant change in the medical process since Sport Pilot. Thank you to everyone who wrote and called your elected officials. I can honestly say it made a serious difference in getting this done. See everyone in Oshkosh in a week and a half!

Tom

[LooneyBird]

Thanks to you and the EAA Advocacy teams hard work. After the big push last year, and the lack of movement, I was doubtful it would happen. What a great outcome for your years work! Way to go!

[Mike Switzer]

If your 3rd class Medical isn't due till August of 2017, you may have seen your last AME.

What??? I thought if we had a medical in the past 10 years we would be OK??? I let mine lapse last fall since I don't have access to a plane at the moment.

[Tom Charpentier]

What??? I thought if we had a medical in the past 10 years we would be OK???

That is correct. I believe what Ted was saying is that this does not become effective for day-to-day flying until the FAA implements it via rulemaking. Under the legislation they have a year to do that. Therefore if you are currently an active pilot, you'll need a valid medical until the rules take effect. If not, but you held a valid medical on or after July 31, 2006, sit tight and in most cases you'll be good to fly once the rule is published.

[Jndz1010]

This is great news! EAA at work.

[Mike Switzer]

That is correct. I believe what Ted was saying is that this does not become effective for day-to-day flying until the FAA implements it via rulemaking. Under the legislation they have a year to do that. Therefore if you are currently an active pilot, you'll need a valid medical until the rules take effect. If not but you held a valid medical during on or after July 31, 2006, sit tight and in most cases you'll be good to fly once the rule is published.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

[Dave Stadt]

That is correct. I believe what Ted was saying is that this does not become effective for day-to-day flying until the FAA implements it via rulemaking. Under the legislation they have a year to do that. Therefore if you are currently an active pilot, you'll need a valid medical until the rules take effect. If not, but you held a valid medical on or after July 31, 2006, sit tight and in most cases you'll be good to fly once the rule is published.

Tom,

What if the FAA does not enact a rule change within one year? Government agencies ignoring a law does not mean what it once did.

[dedgemon]

part of the law prevents the faa from going after us if they fail to update the rules in a year. pretty clever i would say

[CarlOrton]

That is correct. I believe what Ted was saying is that this does not become effective for day-to-day flying until the FAA implements it via rulemaking. Under the legislation they have a year to do that. Therefore if you are currently an active pilot, you'll need a valid medical until the rules take effect. If not, but you held a valid medical on or after July 31, 2006, sit tight and in most cases you'll be good to fly once the rule is published.
Hmmm..... I thought I was ineligible, but now I'm wondering. If I had a 3rd class medical issued in 12/2004, it would be valid until 12/2006. So you're saying that I'm grand-fathered-in since mine didn't EXPIRE before the 10 year period closed?

[Tom Charpentier]

The legislation says "held" a medical certificate on or after 10 years from enactment (so assuming the president signs by Friday that's 7/15/06). Doesn't say anything about when the exam was.

Implementation by the FAA is the next phase of this process and we'll be working to make sure everything we've fought so hard for is included in the final rule.

[dclaxon]

That is correct. I believe what Ted was saying is that this does not become effective for day-to-day flying until the FAA implements it via rulemaking. Under the legislation they have a year to do that. Therefore if you are currently an active pilot, you'll need a valid medical until the rules take effect. If not, but you held a valid medical on or after July 31, 2006, sit tight and in most cases you'll be good to fly once the rule is published.

Am I remembering something incorrectly, or didn't the legislators give the FAA a 1 year deadline to write the Part 23 reforms, about 3 or 4 years ago?

Dave

[VA Maule]

dclaxon, I think you are remembering correctly, but the Part 21&23 did not have the " if no rule no enforcement actions may be made " clause. Now it's time to push for this !

[Byron J. Covey]

Beat me to it Ted. An EAA story should be up on our website shortly. By Friday we should be celebrating the enacting of a law that will bring about the most significant change in the medical process since Sport Pilot. Thank you to everyone who wrote and called your elected officials. I can honestly say it made a serious difference in getting this done. See everyone in Oshkosh in a week and a half!

Tom

Signed by POTUS today.

Congratulations, Tom, to you and all at EAA and AOPA who worked to make this happen.

Thank you.


BJC