Lucifer: 'Devil May Care…'

Commentary By Gene Yarbrough, ANN Political Analyst / Conspiracy Theorist

The grinding wheels of Washington do indeed turn slowly, caring not for the health of a whole industrial segment of our economy as it gasps its last dying breaths, nevertheless Congressional progress is advancing on the Pilots Bill of Rights II (PBOR II) and its important reforms on the Class III medical and Part 23 rewrite.

On Tuesday, April 19th the Senate passed the FAA Reauthorization Act, containing PBOR II, sending the legislation across the hall for reconciliation to a similar House bill. This long coming singular action is the latest, of many, nails in the coffin for the Class III medical, the bane of general personal aviation in America. With any hope and/or luck, the PBOR II will survive the often tortuous convoluted gyrations of our Congress as-is without any further watering-down. Given that the bill is now mostly accepted by the legislative meddlers of our capital, being buried deep within the larger bill, and “under the radar” as bigger issues such as so-called security thru TSA, and other highly political albatrosses divert attention away from PBOR II, we the public, can actually get much needed relief from Commandant Huerta and his miscreants.

A plethora of similar attempts by the alphabet groups, EAA / AOPA et al, have yielded nothing but stonewalling from FAA and complete malice from the general aviation populace. The FAA has held the Third Class Medical noose suffocatingly tight against the throats of the aviating public to such a degree as to single handedly killed off an industry. There is no exaggeration in the assertion that this onerous, impotent, and dangerous regulation has unilaterally degraded and eroded our industry to the point that it is truly dead. Whereas the industry may still be in the 4 minute window where life can be restored, many believe it is far too late to revive. Only time will tell, without PBOR II passage (and soon), there is no question personal aviation in the U.S. is dead, and it will take many years to recover to a viable robust industry if the bill does get passed.

The question still left on the table is how will FAA react to a congressional mandate to reform a regulation they have fought so viciously to keep and have acted in such mean and cold hearted ways to enforce? Will they arrogantly ignore the Congress as they did on Drone regulation, completely disregarding the direct Congressional order to leave model airplanes alone? Will they act passive/aggressively, giving way to the mandate but devising devilish new methods of torture? Dealing with the dragon is tricky at best.

Can there be any other view of the FAA’s actions regarding Medical Reform than that of utter contempt for the flying public. The aforementioned groups have lobbied FAA for relief from this burden for decades. The FAA has acted capriciously, in some instances vindictively, and has spewed much disinformation and outright lies as to the need and background to justify keeping the third class medical.

Even contradicting itself when giving the least hint of the useless nature of the requirements, such as when the Light Sport Pilot certification was being developed, FAA stated less than half of one percent of all accidents AND incidents were contributed to medical incapacities. When pressed by vested parties to abolish the medical requirements the FAA substantiated its position with statistics derived, filtered, and cooked in such a manner as to persuade the ignorant to believing airplanes should be dropping out of the skies due to heart attacks and diabetic comas on an hourly basis. Scare mongering is an old political ploy to sway unknowing masses of people, and the FAA is a master of terror.

In the past attempts to force FAA’s hand the agency has simply looked down its snooty nose at the “little people” trying to make “them” take action in reducing “their” regulatory authority. More accurately they have “accepted” the requests and “considered” their options. Feigning the appearance of cooperation, but actually doing nothing more than employing delay and “fake and move” tactics hoping the public would grow tiresome of the bureaucratic games and move on. Effectively frustrating the efforts of those genuinely interested in fostering growth and maintaining the economic engine of the personal aviation industry. The FAA has stated on several occasions, as recently as Mr. Huerta’s assertion at Airventure 2014, that this type of change is a slow process, that it takes much time and diligent consideration and work to create beneficial outcomes. But 30+ yrs? Hogwash! Juxtapose this to the recent FAA actions regarding drones. The FAA made rulings, websites, registration databases, and even notices of violations and arrests in just weeks. A “New York Minute” in southern parlance.

The bottom line is the FAA can, and does do exactly what it wants, when it wants, and is an untethered, out of control rabid agency. The FAA has far over reached its commission to make aviation a safe endeavor. The agency has crippled, even destroyed, the very industry it was supposed to foster and develop. It is time for Congress, via the people, to take hold of this bull by the horns and either hitch it to the plow and make it do beneficial work, or put it to the grinder for hamburger. Either way we need protection from those that would harm our liberties, freedoms, and livelihoods. Passing of the FAA Reauthorization Act, assuming the PBOR II is left intact, may be the first salvo in reigning in the Effing A and A.

Viva Vox Populi!!

FMI: www.faa.gov