CAPA Applauds The Bill's Passage, Waits Senate Action

The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday passed H.R. 3371, the "Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009."  The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN), Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello (D-IL), and the ranking GOP members, John Mica (R-FL) and Tom Petri (R-WI), has been strongly supported by the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA).
 
One of the key provisions in the bill would require that all pilots, Captains and First Officers alike, hold an FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) license and have at least 1500 hours of flight time to fly FAA part 121 commercial aircraft. A late change was made to the legislation allowing "credit" toward flight hours for specific academic training, which CAPA is opposed to, but overall HR 3371 goes a long way to address important safety issues. CAPA feels strongly that there is no substitute for actual experience in the cockpit and that "one level of safety" should be the standard for all ATP licensed pilots.
 
H.R. 3371 contains other important provisions that would require firm implementation dates for new Flight Time and Duty Time limitations, require the implementation of Fatigue Risk Management Systems to more adequately track pilot fatigue, and facilitate the establishment of Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP) and Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) programs by all commercial airlines and their Unions.
 
In a news release, CAPA expressed thanks to Chairman Costello, Ranking Member Petri, the entire Aviation Subcommittee members and staff for this landmark achievement in aviation safety legislation. "We fully support the effort to advance these critical safety provisions and stand ready to work with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Commerce Committee to send a bill to President Obama this year that reflects the important principals laid out in H.R. 3371 which will improve safety for the American flying public."

FMI: www.capapilots.org