Of the many tens of thousands of FAA employees, most are conscientious hardworking folks who want to do a good job. Nonetheless, the FAA has a reputation for overly aggressive, yet seemingly arbitrary enforcement action by certain individuals in positions of authority over pilots. A quick read through 14 CFR Part 91 offers a near-infinite number of ways a pilot can run afoul of the FAA with little to protect us. About our only defenses are a legal assistance plan like the AOPA offers and the wholly pilot- and safety-focused Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). (If you dont know about ASRS, download, read and study AC-0046E. Now. My meager words here can wait.)
The FAA has a reputation for overly aggressive and arbitrary enforcement actions against pilots, with limited defenses available to them.
The 2012 Pilot's Bill of Rights Act, spurred by Senator Inhofe's own experience, introduced protections for pilots, including timely written notification of investigations, information on their nature, and access to air traffic data.
The proposed Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 (S.571) aims to further strengthen pilot rights by abolishing the third-class medical for most recreational flying, placing more burdens on the FAA to make its case, and promoting flexible resolutions like warning letters.
Of the many tens of thousands of FAA employees, most are conscientious hardworking folks who want to do a good job. Nonetheless, the FAA has a reputation for overly aggressive, yet seemingly arbitrary enforcement action by certain individuals in positions of authority over pilots.
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