FAA Response to Young Eagles Petition
The FAA's response to EAA's Young Eagles petition falls far short of everything we wanted and asked for. However, I urge EAA's leadership to quickly accept the waivers the FAA granted and pass the new guidance on to our Chapters. Our chapter has always been very active Young Eagle (YE) flyers. However, over the past few years, the number of pilots willing to fly in YE events has dwindled and the number one reason is cost. We have several partner organizations who are willing to cover all the fuel costs, but current FAA rules prohibit that.
As I read the response, what it will do for us is allow pilots who meet the minimum certification and experience requirements and who are flying normal category aircraft, to accept full reimbursement of our fuel costs. That would include more than 90 percent of our YE pilots and aircraft who regularly fly YEs. There would be an additional documentation and reporting requirement, but it would be worth it.
What I don't think it would do is prevent continued YE flights by Sport and Recreational Pilots in Experimental aircraft, or prevent low-time pilots from conducting YE flights. However, it would prevent them from participating in a 100 percent fuel reimbursement.
It would essentially create two classes of participating YE pilots. Those that meet the FAA criteria and can accept full fuel reimbursement, and those that do not meet the criteria and must continue to operate under the existing rules.
It's clearly not what we wanted, but we aren't going to get an exemption that will help everyone. It IS a huge step toward the funding assistance we need to keep the program going. I've owned 5 Experimental aircraft and flown YEs in some of them, but the reality is that the FAA will always treat them differently. We need to accept what they have offered and do so quickly. At nearly $7/gallon fuel prices, it's essential to the viability of the program.
YE program & 'the rest of us'.
I am a low-time commercial pilot- ~2000 hrs.- and have flown hundreds of first-timers in the several acft I have owned, including an RV-4. I presently own a 'geezer hawk' 152/150 and have stopped flying 'newbies'. Why? Liability.
Not long ago, I participated in a public activity where there was an 'incident' involving a heavy, waddling-type woman who twisted her ankle on uneven ground, broke something and sued the 'H" out of the organizers (unrelated to aviation). Anyhow, since that event and having watched the thousands of dollars exchange hands in all directions, I am very hesitant to take anyone flying I do not know. And, even then there's that gnawing concern.. what if the kid's grandma/mother/whomever gets a walk-about injury as they are walking to my hangar on my field?
The last flying event I participated in had folks walking dogs on long leashes by spinning props, loose dogs running around starting-up acft, etc. Knowing how very much today's effete love there animals, imagine what that could cost in lawyer's fees.:rollseyes:
Anyhow, when I started flying many moons ago, kids were kids, hung on the fence and gratefully accepted a ride AND had <adult> parental permission sans lawyers.
I guess what I am saying is that part of the demise of the free-flying, ride-offering of yesteryear has to do with more than just the price of fuel. Be careful out there.
