The FAA has a plan to ensure flying doesn’t grind to a halt during a government shutdown. [Credit: Julie Boatman]
Key Takeaways:
A federal government shutdown will furlough FAA employees and delay some administrative processes, but essential services like air traffic control, maintenance of navigational aids, and existing flight standards field inspections will continue.
Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) can still administer check rides, however, the processing and issuance of new pilot certificates may be delayed as principal operations inspectors will not be paid.
The shutdown will halt the development of new air traffic control specialists in training and other non-essential aviation rulemaking, research, and infrastructure development, potentially leading to long-term staffing shortages.
“Will my flight training be affected if the federal government shuts down?”
This question is being asked a lot at local airports, because as part of the Department of Transportation, the FAA will most certainly be affected as employees will be furloughed.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
