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

Verified

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:

General aviation organizations strongly oppose the FAA's proposed powered lift pilot certification rules, criticizing the hours-based training and the requirement for a separate commercial certificate before a type rating.
The industry challenges the mandate for dual-control training aircraft, advocating for alternative pathways that leverage advanced flight simulators.
Concerns are raised over the bureaucratic process for qualifying flight simulators, with stakeholders seeking more flexible deviation authority to expedite adoption.
Opposition targets the FAA's primary application of airplane operational rules to powered lift aircraft, urging for performance-based regulations that reflect whether an aircraft operates more like an airplane or a helicopter.

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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.