EAA Reports FAA Sets Goal To Implement New Rules By A January Deadline

After President Obama a short-term FAA funding bill in July that included aeromedical reform long sought by EAA, the question still remains: Now what? For those who have been waiting to get back to flying through medical reform, it’s tough to wait some more. That is, however, where things stand.

The legislation directed the FAA to implement the rule 180 days after its signing. That would by January 12, 2017. EAA released a press release saying that the agency has stated it intends to honor that deadline.

If the FAA misses the deadline, the FAA has until the one-year mark (July 16, 2017) to act before it would no longer have authority to enforce medical rules against pilots who comply with the new medical provisions. While this clause in the legislation sounds like a viable backup plan if the FAA does not act in a timely manner, it would be difficult for pilots to actually comply with the law when no regulatory framework for implementing the new medical procedures would exist. The bottom line is, we need FAA regulations for medical reform to work.

In the EAA press release, Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety is quoted as saying, “We are pleased the FAA has set a goal of meeting the rulemaking deadline in January. However, we will keep a close eye on how the FAA implements this legislation into its regulations. We will make sure there are no surprises that would diminish the intent of aeromedical reform as passed by Congress.”

Because of concerns that the regulations reflect the true intent of the medical reform legislation, EAA says they are working with their aeromedical and legal advisory councils to provide resources that will help members and their personal doctors understand the provisions of the new regulations.

As an extra resource for information regarding the progress of medical reform, EAA has updated its Q&A to reflect current circumstances.

FMI: www.eaa.org