Wish list for Jack Abramoff

[Tony_Scarpelli]

Lets say we could hire a Jack Abramoff type lobyist and get some laws passed or pressure applied to faa to make flying more affordable, attractive to more people. What would we wish to change to add more pilots to the GA pool?

1. Considering all the aircraft forsale for lost medical... the age/medical and general decline thing is going to hit GA hard over the next 20 years. Why not let your DL be your medical for PPL? At least not come up with a safety pilot for pilots who loose their medicals and still want to own and fly a plane. This safety pilot would of course need be qualified to fly the plane similar to a safety pilot in the IFR sense and fly as copilot with another pilot without medical. you can do it now but could run amuck of the common purpose rules if the safety pilot is not commercial or CFI.

2. Push 90-93 octane mogas fuel and let FBO's decide to carry it or not but make it authorized, available and see how things fall out.

3. Push for whatever is necessary to burn ethanol so mogas or pure ethanol is more available in states that mandate ethanol.

4. Have an owner maintenance training program and certificate where an owner can annual his own aircraft not used commercially. EAA has a training program that is 2 weeks. Something like that but specific to each model of aircraft. Perhaps these could be offered and administrated through type clubs and you would need specific training to your aircraft model. Or have an IA inspect the plane every other year and owner certified every other year.

What other ideas?

 

[Henning]

Owner Maintenance Experimental category allowing owners of certified aircraft to move them into Experimental for non commercial operations allowing for the use of modern avionics at 10% of current cost and more efficient engine accessories such as electronic fuel injection and ignition without the $60k per price tag, and the development of better Diesel engine options.

 

[frfly172]

Ease up on making changes to certified airplanes, make field approvals more standard throught the FAA system. The DL medical would be a big step to becoming your warm and friendly FAA

 

[hindsight2020]

Owner Maintenance Experimental category allowing owners of certified aircraft to move them into Experimental for non commercial operations allowing for the use of modern avionics at 10% of current cost and more efficient engine accessories such as electronic fuel injection and ignition without the $60k per price tag, and the development of better Diesel engine options.

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!^^^

 

[steingar]

A lightening of the certification standards for aircraft under 12,000 pounds. Of course, might as well wish for the Moon while we're at it.

 

[PW_Plack]

How about tort reform which makes manufacturers of FAA certificated aircraft immune from liability for accidents involving certificated aircraft, and which makes the pilots of experimentals solely liable for their safety?

We're all paying the ongoing bills for insanity like the lawsuit that drove Parker Hannifin to settle for millions and get out of the vacuum pump business over a crash in which both pumps were working at the time of the crash.

 

[Henning]

How about tort reform which makes manufacturers of FAA certificated aircraft immune from liability for accidents involving certificated aircraft, and which makes the pilots of experimentals solely liable for their safety?

We're all paying the ongoing bills for insanity like the lawsuit that drove Parker Hannifin to settle for millions and get out of the vacuum pump business over a crash in which both pumps were working at the time of the crash.

You're gonna ask lawyers to limit the income of lawyers? Let's ask Congress to roll back their salaries while we're at it to minimum wage and only pay them the hours they actually work? You have just as much chance on that.

 

[steingar]

How about tort reform which makes manufacturers of FAA certificated aircraft immune from liability for accidents involving certificated aircraft, and which makes the pilots of experimentals solely liable for their safety?

We're all paying the ongoing bills for insanity like the lawsuit that drove Parker Hannifin to settle for millions and get out of the vacuum pump business over a crash in which both pumps were working at the time of the crash.

Actually, airframe manufacturers are insulated from liability suits after their airframes have been in service 18 years. To find out where the 18 year number comes from you'd have to delve into the byzantine workings of the US Congress. Still, airframe manufacturers are the only manufacturers in the US to receive such protection, or at least the only ones of which I am aware.

 

[PW_Plack]

Actually, airframe manufacturers are insulated from liability suits after their airframes have been in service 18 years...airframe manufacturers are the only manufacturers in the US to receive such protection, or at least the only ones of which I am aware.

And there are loopholes which still allow lawsuits to get through if any factory parts are used in overhauls and repairs.

I agree that aviation enjoys special protections, but it's also one of the few industries which requires government approval of the design to sell the product.

I'd love to see such tort reform extended to any consumer product which could be shown to have met a published standard at the time of manufacturer.

 

[steingar]

And there are loopholes which still allow lawsuits to get through if any factory parts are used in overhauls and repairs.

And unintended consequence. And you should add to your list Lycoming, who lost a multimillion dollar lawsuit stemming from a crash in which an aft-loaded airplane stalled and crashed under full power with a fully functional engine.

I agree that aviation enjoys special protections, but it's also one of the few industries which requires government approval of the design to sell the product.

Autos plying US roads have to meet safety, emission and fuel usage standards. I imagine there are maritime standards for boats as well.

I'd love to see such tort reform extended to any consumer product which could be shown to have met a published standard at the time of manufacturer.

I suspect most tort reform is actually quite sane. No one thinks that someone dying because they intentionally crashed their car into a tree is the fault of the auto maker. But aircraft are mysterious, and often used by high value individuals. This seems to have made them lightning rods for lawsuits.

 

[wabower]

But aircraft are mysterious, and often used by high value individuals. This seems to have made them lightning rods for lawsuits.

"Willie, why did you rob the banks?"

"Because that's where they keep the money."