State Law Requiring State License For Aerospace Workers At Odds With FAA Regulations

It's one of those examples of two governments working at cross purposes ... with regular people caught in the middle.

A state law in Georgia requires anyone working to design, build or repair airplanes, helicopters, and other things that fly to be licensed by the state. But the Savannah Morning News reports that the state no longer administers the exams because the FAA oversees the operation of aircraft. That leaves aerospace engineers in Georgia with no way to get a state license to do their jobs unless they take a general engineering exam that requires them to know about things like concrete and building ventilation.

While that might seem to be a pretty major problem, most Georgia aerospace companies simply ignore the law. As Greg Kress, co-owner of Top Flight Aerostructures in Dallas, GA, told the paper, "no one from the state ever knocks on our door saying 'let me see your license'."

Florida is reportedly the only one of 50 states that does not require a state license for aerospace engineers ... at least officially ... because of the work done in Florida by NASA during the last half of the 20th century.

The quirk in the Georgia law came to light during a hearing held by a legislative committee looking at ways to bolster the aerospace industry in the state. Analysts say Georgia is considered to be among the leaders in the UAV industry, and community leaders in Camden County on the Georgia Coast are looking at a parcel of land for a proposed commercial space launch site.

FMI: http://georgia.gov/