Bill Proposes What The FAA Clearly Refused To Do (Despite AOPA Hype) -- Get Rid Of The 3rd Class Medical

It is yet another sign of potential... a few more glimmers of hope, possibly.

Following Shell's recent announcement of a 100LL replacement and the completion of the Small Aircraft revitalization Act, another group of lawmakers has decided to try and force the FAA to do what it clearly did not want to do... namely, free many (but not all) Private Pilots of the bureaucracy, complication, expense and limitations of the Third Class medical certificate.

This is what just hit the floor of the House (so to speak)... it is the combined product/effort of Representatives Todd Rokita (R-IN) and Sam Graves (R-MO) -- who introduced the bill, and Representatives Bill Flores (R-TX), Mike Pompeo (R-KS), Collin Peterson (D-MN), and Richard Hanna (R-NY), who signed on as co-sponsors.

The purpose of the Bill is to, "To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to issue or revise regulations with respect to the medical certification of certain small aircraft pilots, and for other purposes."

Unlike previous efforts once touted heavily (especially by AOPA, in their fund-raising efforts) by the associations (and pretty much ignored by the FAA), the bill proposes to allow pilots to use a valid state driver's license in place of the traditional medical certificate if:

• The flights are not for compensation
• Conducted in VFR operations only, at or below 14,000 feet MSL
• No faster than 250 knots
• In aircraft with no more than six seats and no more than 6,000 pounds gross takeoff weight.

The bill also requires the FAA to prepare and send a report to Congress detailing the impact of the bill's passage on general aviation safety within five years of the bill's enactment.

EAA seems pleased with this attempt... "This legislation addresses two goals EAA has long advocated: Eliminating excess red tape in the medical certification process while maintaining a safe way to keep pilots flying," said Jack Pelton, EAA's chairman of the board. "Our members and the general aviation community have long supported a change in the medical certification process. This proposal will maintain safety, reduce costs for pilots and the federal government, and allow people to pursue the unique freedom of flight in the same way they can pursue other powered recreational activities."

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