GA: Extend Looming FAA Deadlines Further

摘要

As we reported last month, in late April the FAA released special federal aviation regulation (SEAR) 118, "to enable individuals to continue to exercise their airman certificate privileges during the national emergency" associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. "Without this final rule, certain individuals will not be able to continue exercising privileges in support of essential operations due to their inability to satisfy certain training, recent experience, testing, and checking requirements," the FAA noted in the SEAR. At the time, we noted "that the deadline extensions-basically two or three months-may not be long enough, given the uncer- tainties surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic." We also reported that it "was unclear whether the SFAR's deadline extensions may themselves be extended...if conditions warrant." According to a May 29, 2020, joint letter from seven general aviation trade associations, conditions warrant those additional extensions. In their letter, the organizations were quick to point out that SEAR 118 has had the intended beneficial impact. "Pilots with medicals near-ing expiration have been able to keep flying with low risk to safety, and have been able to retain flight currency to continue operations for the public benefit. These are just a few examples of the successful outcomes for the general and com- mercial aviation communities and the public because of SEAR 118," the letter stated.