New Guidelines Ease Regulations, Allow Greater Access

The FAA is close to releasing its updated list of air show policies, and it appears the agency has heeded nearly all of the recommendations presented by the EAA and the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS).

"We are very pleased that FAA worked with EAA, the International Council of Air Shows and other groups as the agency developed these policy statements," said EAA VP of Industry and Regulatory Affairs Earl Lawrence. "FAA has worked with air show and aerobatic groups to maintain the best level of air show safety in the world, while not causing unnecessary costs onto air show organizers or hampering displays of historic and vintage aircraft."

According to an Experimental Aircraft Association release, specific EAA recommendations accepted by the FAA include:

• Allowing certain formation flights to enter the airspace from different directions, when flying above 1,000 AGL. Many warbird air shows use these formation flights, at stacked altitudes, during their events.
• Allowing working media photographers and videographers past the air show crowd line under controlled procedures, so they may capture images of aerial demonstrations not available to the public.
• Use of readily recognizable landmarks as corner markers for air show and aerobatic airspace boxes when more practical and identifiable.

Also accepted were recommendations in several administrative areas, which clarify air show policy statements that could be misinterpreted, according to the EAA.

EAA officials had discussed air show issues with the FAA on several occasions over the past year, including at a meeting between top FAA and EAA officials during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2005. Those discussions included such air show issues as airspace requirements, audience overflights, essential personnel in aerobatic boxes, and media access. EAA drew on its more than 50 years of fly-in and air show experience, and its close working relationships with performers and groups such as ICAS, when making its recommendations.

"FAA, EAA and the air show community will work as partners to always make safety the top priority," Lawrence said. "When issues do arise, the expertise of EAA and the air show community are valuable resources for FAA to create practical solutions that keep air shows the exciting and memorable entertainment they have become."

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.eaa.org, www.airshows.org