Mon, Oct 18, 2004
Powerful House Member Calls On TSA To Resolve Difficulties
The chairman of the House aviation
subcommittee, Rep. John Mica (R-FL), has joined the call for the
Transportation Security Administration to extend the compliance
deadline of the so-called alien flight training rule. AOPA has
formally petitioned TSA to defer implementation of those portions
of the rule that affect flight training in aircraft weighing less
than 12,500 pounds.
In a letter to TSA chief Rear Admiral. David Stone, Mica wrote,
"I am now hearing concerns from the pilot and flight training
community that the TSA's rule implementing this law is creating
problems as it applies to smaller aircraft."
"We've thrown all our resources at this new TSA rule," said AOPA
President Phil Boyer. "I've personally gone to Chairman Mica and
other members of Congress, and AOPA's senior people have been
talking to TSA on an almost daily basis."
In his letter, Mica points out Congress' intent in passing the
law that led to the alien flight training rule. "Given the
complexity of the interim rule and the impact this rule has on
existing pilots, as well as students and flight instructors across
the country, I encourage the TSA to work with the industry to
resolve difficulties with the rule by extending the compliance
deadline for 90 days."
"Unless and until TSA changes the portions of the rule applying
to training in small aircraft, every pilot and flight instructor in
the United States has to be prepared to deal with its requirements
starting next Wednesday," Boyer said. "We support the intent of the
rule, that is to screen out foreign terrorists from the flight
training system. But the implementation of the rule for training in
smaller general aviation aircraft needlessly impacts more than
650,000 pilots, 85,000 resident aliens with US pilot certificates,
93,700 flight students, 88,700 flight instructors, and some 3,400
flight schools."
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