Sun, Jun 25, 2006
Third Time The Charm For Post-9/11 Legislation?
Although federal
regulations now require US flight schools to submit information on
prospective flight students -- that is checked against terrorist
watch lists -- the New York State Senate approved a bill Thursday
that would require finger printing and criminal background checks
of would-be student pilots... before they could take their first
flight at New York flight schools.
Senate Bill 4493 was passed and returned to the State Assembly
(as Assembly Bill 2122) on June 22. If enacted, prospective
students would be grounded until blessed by the state Division of
Criminal Justice Services.
American City Business Journals reported that this legislation
was first introduced in 2002 after lawmakers learned that the 9/11
hijackers had trained at US flight schools. The measure wasn't
approved by the state Senate in 2002 or when it passed the Assembly
again during the 2003-2004 legislative session.
Craig Dotlo, northeast regional representative for the Aircraft
Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), said that the delay involved
in doing criminal background checks before taking flying lessons
would drive students away from New York flight schools and cost the
schools customers.
(Editor's Note: An ANN review of the state
bill indicates New York criminal justice officials would have 15
business days to grant or reject new pilot screening
requests.)
According to Richard Kaylor, director of Richmor Aviation's four
New York flight schools, all the bill would do is make it harder
for flight schools to enroll students. Federal regulations already
have student screening covered, he said, a state law isn't
needed.
Brian Shaughnessy, spokesman for the New York Aviation
Management Association agrees with Kaylor. This kind of regulation
needs to be done by the federal government, not state government,
he said. If approved by the Assembly, his group may ask Governor
George Pataki to veto the legislation.
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