Delivers Upbeat Message At Oshkosh

By ANN Editor Pete Combs

FAA Administrator Marion Blakey delivered a positive message at AirVenture today, saying the advent of the Sport Pilot rule will spark a renaissance in aviation.

After receiving a warm welcome from the crowd of almost 800 people at the Honda Pavilion on Thursday, Blakey said the new rule will cut the cost of learning to fly from about $9,800 to perhaps as little as $2,600. That, she said, will encourage more and more people to become aviators.

Within an hour of arriving at Oshkosh, Blakey flew an ultralight. Even though Blakey herself isn't a pilot, she said she still got a thrill from the ride. "The grass flying by between her feet and the birds there," she said.

Blakey did not arrive at Oshkosh alone. Instead, she had about two dozen of her top people with her -- leaders of several FAA divisions including Aeromedical, Commercial Space Sport Pilot, (represented by Sue Gardner, who was greeted with thunderous applause from the EAA members attending).

In her opening remarks, Blakey acknowledged the angst a lot of general aviation pilots have expressed over the last-minute addition of a caveat to the "driver's license medical" provision of the new rule. Since Sport Pilot was first contemplated almost a decade ago, pilots whose medical certificates were either denied or revoked have pinned their hopes of returning to the sky on the reduced medical standards of the new rule.

Realizing the importance of Sport Pilot to our readers, ANN sent its entire staff to the briefing. Many of them were able to ask questions of the administrator. Refresh often today -- we'll have much more to follow.

Lingering Questions About "Drivers License Medicals"

Given the amount of interested generated by the Sport Pilot medical certification, might the FAA AeroMedical department might be overwhelmed with special issuance medical applications? ANN asked the administrator if there were any plans to provide the AeroMedical department with more resources -- not only to process the additional applications, but to provide refresher training for AME's who have no experience in handling special issuance applications.
 
Blakey said she's working closely with Dr. Jon Jordan, Federal Flight Surgeon and director of the AeroMedical department. She promised Jordan and company would closely monitor the workload.

Jordan said he expects the workload will actually decrease with the advent of Sport Pilot. Why? He said some pilots will allow their special issuance medicals to expire and use their driver's licenses to fly light sport aircraft. He also expects no radical increase in the number of special issuance applications when Sport Pilot takes effect, September 1st.

Time, of course, will tell whether Jordan's prediction comes true.

Is It Fair?

Mimi Steel (below), who's based at Livermore Airport (CA), laid out a scenario for the administrator. "Take two pilots," she said. "One has the 20 hours minimum [training required by Sport Pilot] and has never been to an FAA doctor. The other is a one-thousand hour pilot who had a medical denied, but has a valid driver's license. The rule will prevent the one-thousand hour pilot from flying a Light Sport Aircraft. That doesn't seem fair.

"It is a little like the Clinton era's, 'Don't ask don't tell,'" she continued. "If the FAA knows somebody has a medical condition, they won't let them fly. But if FAA doesn't know about someone's medical problem, FAA will let them fly a Light Sport Aircraft."

"This question is a good one and was considered by FAA," said Blakey. "There are avenues for a pilot who has been denied a medical to get a review and be reconsidered.  Perhaps a Special Issuance medical could be utilized as well.  And remember that the rules require all pilots, including Sport Pilots, to self-evaluate to be sure they are medically fit before any flight."

Just What DOES Make A Sport Pilot Different From A GA Pilot?

ANN's John Ballantyne who has long been a Sport Pilot advocate, asked the administrator, "Ms. Blakey, I am a long-time ultralight instructor and FAA Certified Flight Instructor who appreciates that the Sport Pilot rule requires only one-half the minimum flight instruction time. I see that I will teach less in the area of night flying, but night flying is not very much of the training time for private pilot. 

"Also," he continued, "Sport Pilots are limited to one passenger, but the student will still need to calculate aircraft weight and balance, and aircraft performance.  The questions is, what exactly will I not need to teach to a Sport Pilot, who may fly a 138 mph aircraft with a passenger over downtown?"

"In addition to the night and single passenger limit, Sport Pilots are limited in air-traffic communications," Blakey replied, "and to aircraft of slower speeds than in previously existing certificate programs.  These simple, slow aircraft are simply not as difficult to learn to fly."

Sue Gardner, the Manager of the FAA's Sport Pilot effort, chimed in as well. "Sport Pilot comes in levels based on a tiered process. Initial Sport Pilots may only fly aircraft that can fly 87 knots and they are restricted from airspace controlled by ATC.

"The additional training for privileges into that airspace and for the faster Light Sport Aircraft is not required for anyone," she said. "Those who wish to seek the additional privileges may request the training, and expect to incur the additional costs, only if they so desire."

(ANN Publisher Jim Campbell, Associate Editor Juan Jimenez, along with correspondents Chris Armstrong, John Ballantyne, Kevin O'Brien, Tyson Rininger and Aleta Vinas all contributed to this report.)

FMI: www.aero-news.net