In Other Words, Nothing New

Day 4 of EAA’s Oshkosh AirVenture featured an underwhelming conference from Federal Aviation Administration leadership, thanks to a surprise absence of Administrator Michael Whitaker.

In his place was Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson, who took the stage for a little too much presentation, and not enough Q&A for the usual AirVenture crowd. It's no surprise that the biggest event in hobby aviation is just about the only time in the year the that so many pilots can actually talk to the theoretical buck-stop that sits atop the FAA's org chart, so Whitaker's absence was sorely felt by those with specific concerns only a head honcho could tackle.

That's not to belittle Thomson's work by any means, but to a grumpy crowd, that "Deputy" label provides a convenient way to shy away from accountability, and years in the biz have made the old salts of aviation wary towards slippery bureaucrats. Thomson made her second appearance at AirVenture this year, with decades of industry experience in the DOT and FAA coordinating policy and resources. That made her a fine figurehead, in the end, despite the grumbling in the back.

The conference kicked off with Thomson discussing preflight safety and recognizing risk areas in General Aviation. She mentioned their From the Flight Deck Series and 70+ manuals that have been made available to pilots, promoting the idea that safety efforts start “long before the pilot gets in the aircraft and starts the engine, and don’t stop until we leave the airfield.” Their identified high-risk areas involve too-low speeds, especially over terrain, and pilot deviations. The FAA is using this information in an attempt to lower the GA accident fatality rate, with the ultimate goal being 0 fatalities per 100,000 flight hours.

Shortly after Thomson’s introduction, the FAA leadership panel began. They discussed the five-year FAA reauthorization, which was passed by Congress in May of this year. David Boulter, Associate Administrator of Aviation Safety, mentioned that this was “one of, if not the most significant General Aviation package we’ve seen in recent history.” They continued by explaining their next focus for GA safety, which is to redouble efforts on fundamental training/technology and release a second version of the Flight Test Manual.

When the time finally came to discuss the 3 upcoming “enabling rules,” the panel seemed to hit a wall. Boulter noted that they were on short final for powered lift, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), and MOSAIC, but that they would likely not be finalized until around the 2025 Oshkosh Airventure event. All three of these rules would be complete game changers for General Aviation, and the industry is waiting not-so-patiently for their arrival.

The conference’s canned conversation occupied the original time block for the event, leaving time for just a few questions (and complaints) at the end. Through this, they provided some useful insight on the process of obtaining medicals and expressed their sympathy for those who were expecting an early release of MOSAIC.

For now, the GA community will need to continue stalling for the introduction of these programs. All we can do is hope that, when the time comes, the anticipation will have been worth it.

FMI: www.faa.gov