WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, June 11, the Small Business Committee, under the chairmanship of Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), a pilot who also co-chairs the House General Aviation Caucus, will conduct a hearing titled FAA’s 2020 NextGen Mandate: Benefits and Challenges for General Aviation.
In an effort to modernize the nation’s aviation surveillance system, as part of its NextGen initiative, the FAA has mandated that by January 2020 all aircraft operating in certain airspace be equipped with advanced technology systems.
This hearing will examine the benefits of the 2020 mandate to the general aviation industry, challenges GA may face in complying with the mandate, and the importance of both incentivizing and ensuring widespread adoption.
“The NextGen initiative is an opportunity to make air travel safer and more reliable by embracing the best technologies available,” said Graves. “General aviation not only directly supports thousands of small businesses, but is a critical component of the economy at large. NextGen establishes worthy objectives in the FAA’s effort to address congestion and safety concerns, though the 2020 technology mandate brings some challenges. We look forward to a healthy discussion of these issues, and welcome the testimony of both FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and those in the general aviation industry.”
Also slated to testify are Paula Derks, President, Aircraft Electronics Association; Tim Taylor, President and CEO, Free Flight Systems, Inc., Irving, Texas; Bob Hepp, Owner, Aviation Adventures, Manassas, Va.; and Kenneth Button, Director, Center for Transportation, Policy, Operations and Logistics, George Mason University, Arlington, Va.
The hearing begins at 1 p.m. EDT.
WATCH LIVE HERE
Air travel safer????????? Please, give us a break. How many “mid-airs” are wrecking havoc over the countryside every day that we need to stop? We can’t afford it and don’t want it and it doesn’t make us safer. By the way please get us some mogas at all airports, get rid of the 3rd class medical, stop making me buy ELT batteries, etc. etc. etc. -now that would really make us safer because then we would have some money to buy some stuff that really helps like sun glasses, some new windshield visors, and tires. Seriously. Thanks.