GAMA and Other Industry Groups Cast Shade on FAA Powered Lift Pilot Proposal

A collection of industry stakeholders rallied against the FAA’s proposed rules for powered-lift pilot certification.

Thursday, August 17, 2023 at 06:17 PM ET

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The AAM industry criticized the FAA’s proposal for qualifying pilots of eVTOL aircraft, like Wisk Aero’s Gen 6. [Courtesy: Wisk Aero]

Key Takeaways:

The general aviation industry, led by GAMA, has strongly opposed the FAA's proposed rules for powered lift pilot training and certification, arguing the SFAR will impede Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) integration.
Industry groups criticize the FAA's requirement for 50 hours in "generic" powered lift aircraft for already certificated pilots, advocating for direct type ratings based on existing airplane or helicopter certificates and training-focused curricula.
The proposal also faces pushback for mandating dual-control training aircraft and rigid flight simulator qualification processes, with stakeholders promoting simulator-based training and more flexible FSTD standards.
The industry demands performance-based operating rules for powered lift aircraft, arguing that regulations should differentiate between airplane-like and helicopter-like flight characteristics rather than applying prescriptive "airplane rules."

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The FAA is no stranger to the occasional wave of pushback. But this week the agency was hit with a tsunami of opposition.

In a level of coordination and political mobilization not that uncommon in the industry, what seems like the entirety of general aviation has rallied against the FAA’s proposed rules for training and certification of powered lift pilots. And it did it the old-fashioned way: by penning the agency a strongly worded letter.