Analyzing PBOR2

As long-time readers know, weve been following developments on industry attempts to deregulate the FAAs airman medical certification process. Happily, on December 15, 2015, the full U.S. Senate passed its version of the underlying measure, the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR2), by unanimous voice vote. The bill, S. 571, now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives, where its immediate future is uncertain at this writing. The Senates vote to pass PBOR2 comes on the heels of literally years of work by industry organizations, individuals and Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the bills sponsor, to deregulate, or reform if you prefer, circumstances under which an FAA medical certificate is required for pilots commanding personal aircraft. The PBOR2 legislation builds on more than 10 years of experience with the FAAs sport pilot certification, which merely requires a state-issued drivers license as proof of fitness to fly. The Senate-passed version may actually require pilots to spend more time with their personal physician, reviewing their fitness to fly than before. The sidebar on the opposite page summarizes the bills provisions.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR2), aimed at reforming FAA medical certification requirements for private pilots, and sent it to the House of Representatives.
PBOR2 would exempt eligible pilots from third-class medical certificates under specific flight and aircraft limitations, requiring instead a valid state driver's license, an online airman medical education course every two years, and a comprehensive medical examination by a personal physician every four years.
Despite its Senate passage, the bill's future in the House is uncertain, potentially facing challenges linked to broader FAA reauthorization legislation and debates over air traffic control privatization.

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As long-time readers know, we’ve been following developments on industry attempts to deregulate the FAA’s airman medical certification process. Happily, on December 15, 2015, the full U.S. Senate passed its version of the underlying measure, the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR2), by unanimous voice vote. The bill, S. 571, now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives, where its immediate future is uncertain at this writing.

The Senate’s vote to pass PBOR2 comes on the heels of literally years of work by industry organizations, individuals and Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the bill’s sponsor, to deregulate, or reform if you prefer, circumstances under which an FAA medical certificate is required for pilots commanding personal aircraft. The PBOR2 legislation builds on more than 10 years of experience with the FAA’s sport pilot certification, which merely requires a state-issued drivers license as proof of fitness to fly. The Senate-passed version may actually require pilots to spend more time with their personal physician, reviewing their fitness to fly than before. The sidebar on the opposite page summarizes the bill’s provisions.