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, is strongly opposing the FAA's proposed Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for powered lift (eVTOL) pilot training and certification, criticizing its prescriptive, hours-based approach.
Industry stakeholders recommend crediting existing pilot certificates to directly add a powered lift type rating, arguing the current 50-hour requirement for a commercial powered lift certificate is impractical and costly.
The industry advocates for eliminating the mandate for dual-control training aircraft, pushing for greater reliance on advanced flight simulation training devices (FSTDs) and streamlined qualification processes for simulators.
A key demand is for performance-based operational rules for powered lift aircraft, suggesting the FAA apply a mix of airplane and helicopter regulations based on each aircraft's specific flight characteristics, rather than a uniform "airplane rules" approach.

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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.