WASHINGTON, D.C. — The full committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will hold a hearing next week focused on preparing the next reauthorization of the FAA and the modernization and operation of the U.S. airspace system.
The current FAA law expires at the end of September 2015, and as the committee continues to develop the next reauthorization of the agency and its programs, air space and air traffic control modernization is an area of focus, according to officials.
The hearing, titled “FAA Reauthorization: Issues in Modernizing and Operating the Nation’s Airspace,” is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Witnesses include:
- Calvin Scovel, III, Inspector General, Department of Transportation
- Nicholas Calio, President and CEO, Airlines for America
- Mark Baker, President and CEO, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
- Captain Lee Moak, President, Air Line Pilots Association
- John Engler, President, Business Roundtable
- Paul Rinaldi, President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association
The hearing will be streamed live online.
Maybe they should attach GAPPA to the reauthorization and then we will finally get the progress we need. With so many mambers of the House as co-sponsers it would seem like an easy thing to do. And with the “R” control of the Senate the bill will actually stand a good chance of moving forward and becoming law.
The witness list is impressive but it lacks representation from aircraft manufacturing, recreational, kit built, air traffic control and military segments al with a vested interest in a more functional and modernized FAA.
So now is the time for US aviation industry organizations to collectively say to Congress and FAA “No More Money for FAA” unless and until:
1) FAA suspends the ridiculous flawed ADS-B plan relative to FAR 91.225 and FAR 91.227
2) Empowers a NON-FAA high level industry team to review and fundamentally redesign the NextGen Ops Concept (as once happened beneficially with ATCAC back in ~’68)
3) Release the hostage hold on the 3rd Class Medical for GA
4) Releases a UAV “ANPRM”
5) And no more NextGen user equipage for anything, …without first clearly demonstrated and industry agreed benefits, as with present RNP, FANS, and some data links
etc…
As always, thanks for your incitefull comments on this blog. I have only one comment about your # 5) “…industry agreed benefits”. When the industry (avionics) has a say then it directly affects their pocketbook and their motives become less objective (read that “dollars”). Otherwise, with the recent change in Congress let’s hope they shut down the rampant overregulation in all agencies and not only the FAA.
@Tom – Complete concurrence with your most relevant comment about the concern for both the “Avionics Industry, as well as modifiers” now having a vested interest in prejudicing the outcome in this ADS-B equipage compliance issue!!
God bless you sir.