AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018 - 12

AOPA ACTION

Aircraft-manufacturing
reform welcomed by AOPA
Acceptance of new standards is 'pivotal'
THE FAA HAS taken a "pivotal" step in reforming the rules for certifying general aviation aircraft-long an advocacy goal of AOPA and other organizations.
The FAA announced in May that it has formally accepted standards of the nonprofit
consensus standards organization ASTM International as a means of complying with
the overhauled certification procedures for Normal-category aircraft.
Revisions to the certification rules, known as Part 23 regulations, opened
opportunities aircraft manufacturers said would allow them to quickly implement new and cost-saving technologies and production methods. This important
follow-up gives them more-and more modern, less prescriptive-options to show
they've complied with the regulations. The new compliance options should accelerate development across a range of innovations, said David Oord, AOPA senior
director of regulatory affairs.
AOPA has been an active supporter of the effort to overhaul Part 23, led by the
General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and participated in the FAA aviation
rulemaking committee that paved the way for the rule change. The association has
been an active member of ASTM's Committee F44 on general aviation since its inception, and currently serves as the membership secretary of its executive committee.
AOPA's advocacy also included strongly supporting the Small Airplane
Revitalization Act-a law that bolstered the Part 23 reform effort by setting a deadline for the FAA to draft the new rules.

BAKER ON
THE NEWS
"These pivotal changes will bring new
and safer technologies into the cockpit and reduce costs for pilots and
operators. The entire general aviation
industry worked hard to bring about
these reforms and we applaud Congress
and the FAA for enacting smart regulations that preserve safety and promote
innovation."
-AOPA President Mark Baker

www.aopa.org/pilot/aircraftregs

FAA drops complex aircraft requirement
for some flight tests
AOPA advocated for money-saving step
THE FAA ANNOUNCED in April it had set aside the requirement
for commercial pilot or flight instructor applicants with a single-engine airplane rating to provide a complex airplane for the
practical test. AOPA has long urged the FAA to drop the complexairplane requirement for the two practical tests.
Complex aircraft-which have retractable landing gear, flaps,
and a controllable-pitch propeller-aren't just often more expensive than their fixed-gear counterparts, they're becoming more
difficult to find on school flight lines. Training providers had also
raised the issue of the scarcity of single-engine complex airplanes,

12 | AOPA PILOT July 2018

the FAA said in a notice of the policy update, adding that "complex
airplanes that are available are older airplanes that are expensive
to maintain."
The policy change does not eliminate the complex airplane
training and endorsement requirements of FAR 61.31(e), or existing aeronautical experience requirements.
The FAA has updated the Commercial Pilot Airman
Certification Standards and the Flight Instructor Practical Test
Standards to reflect the new policy.
www.aopa.org/pilot/complex
http://www.aopa.org/pilot/aircraftregs http://www.aopa.org/pilot/complex
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2018
