FAA Drafted 'Unneeded Restrictions That Will Not Serve Safety'

The Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) is encouraging Light-Sport Aircraft professionals to comment on FAA Draft Policy 8130.2(H). The draft proposal from the agency contains restrictions that will harm the enterprise of industry participants without creating identifiable beneficial results for safety or consumer protection. If not omitted from the policy draft, consumer use of their aircraft may be negatively affected.

FAA is proposing that fully built LSA (SLSA) that are converted to Experimental LSA status (ELSA) be restricted to single place operation only and not be allowed to fly over densely populated areas or at night or to conduct instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. LAMA believes no safety argument can be advanced to support such onerous restrictions.
 
FAA is further proposing that electric powered aircraft share the above restrictions but would also require electric-powered aircraft to conduct all operations within a specified geographical area. Again, no safety argument has been shown to demand such heavy restriction and the action, if enforced, could sharply curtain development of electric-powered aircraft. The most promising sector of aviation to be early adopters of electric power includes LSA, light kits, and ultralight aircraft.

FMI: www.lama.bz, www.LAMAsafety.org