Pilot's Bill of Rights now a law
August 6, 2012, 03:58 pm
Senator Jim Inhofe has logged more than 10,000 flight hours and sponsored the Pilot Bill of Rights that would require the Federal Aviation Administration to revamp its investigations on pilot misconduct. The bill made it through the Senate and the House of Representatives in record time and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on August 3.
Inhofe came under his own investigation by the FAA when he caused ground crews and trucks to scatter as he landed on the closed runway. The FAA ordered Inhofe to take remedial training in order to retain his pilot license and he complained that he was not treated fairly by the FAA.
In response, Inhofe began advocating for the Pilot's Bill of Rights which now requires the FAA to give a pilot 30 days notice before opening an investigation on them and will also require the administration to provide the evidence against them at that time
“This is a great day for general aviation, and this would not have happened without the support of so many pilots all across this country,” Inhofe said. “With their help and the work of so many of my colleagues in the House and Senate, we were able to overcome opposition to this law from the Obama administration with a veto proof majority.”
Inhofe said before the bill was signed by the president that the way in which the system was set up left pilots "grossly uninformed" of violations and recourse.
"Over the course of my years in Congress, I have helped an untold number of pilots facing the pressure of dealing with the FAA," Inhofe said. "This bill remedies many of the most serious deficiencies in the relationship between general aviation and the FAA, and ensures that pilots are, like everyone else, treated in a fair and equitable manner by the justice system.”
The bill also requires that pilots be allowed to appeal FAA decisions in federal court, if their first appeal to the National Transportation Safety board is not approved. The bill confronts the issue the aviation community has with the medical process. The 8500-8 medical form asks out of date questions and allows the FAA to punish pilots, even for a mistake, on the application, allowing them to revoke a license or ratings of the pilot. The bill calls for alterations to that form.
The president signing the bill is a win for the general aviation community. Signing up for pilot life insurance is also a win because pilot safety, like the bill, is the number one concern.
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