Could you provide a link to the FAA site that outlines the new rules? I looked but couldn't find any verifiable information.
Thanks
PULL UP hear it is seek and you shall find............
Congress Passes Landmark Safety Bill
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
USAPA is extremely pleased and proud to report that the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed the "Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010" (H.R. 5900). The landmark safety bill includes the requirement that all Part 121 Airline Transport Pilots be required to hold an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with a three-year implementation rule.
Prior to this law, it would be perfectly legal for an 18-year-old pilot with 190 hours from an approved school to sit as a First Officer on an A-330 trans-oceanic flight. This is not only a blatantly-apparent safety issue, it is an issue for the entire airline pilot profession, and the effects of this bill will be felt from safety to regional airline outsourcing.
USAPA – working extensively through its Officers, the Government Affairs Committee, CAPA, Captain Sully Sullenberger and, in particular, Flight 1549 First Officer and CAPA Vice President Jeff Skiles – initiated the drive on Capitol Hill at our first congressional hearing February 24, 2009.
USAPA developed many of the drafts used by all parties, including the July 2009 "USAPA Statement Regarding First Officer Licensing Requirements," to successfully push the ATP issue to the Subcommittee on Aviation and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House of Representatives. This document and USAPA’s talking points and prepared testimonies were used by the entire CAPA team and our shared political strategists, Albertine Enterprises, as educational material for hundreds of meetings with congressional staffers and their principals.
It was at these meetings that the CAPA team educated lawmakers on the concept of utilizing the ATP requirement to end the negative ramifications of the erosion of new-hire pilot qualifications and thereby reduce the risk of preventable fatal airline accidents. The team was supported by the "Buffalo Family Members," who actively supported the ATP requirement. The tragedy of Continental Connection Flight 3407 shortly after the "Miracle on the Hudson" was a wake-up call, clearly delineating the negative changes in our industry. It was a tragic reminder when weighing the fine line between safety and economics, the need to attract the best and brightest on our flight decks and the distinct difference between training and experience.
The Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010 also will require the FAA to promulgate a rule on long overdue changes to flight and duty time limits within one year. The FAA has postponed the introduction of the "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Changes" (NPRM) two times since the Fatigue ARC Committee finished its work in September 2009. The FAA’s new target date for the release of the NPRM is September 2010, pushing implementation of any new rules to late 2011 or 2012.
Note that the bill is called an "Extension Act." That is because many of the pieces of the FAA Reauthorization Bill were not agreed upon in both the House and Senate prior to an FAA funding deadline. What were agreed upon were the "Airline Safety" provisions from the House side and another extension to fund the FAA to maintain operations beyond August 1, 2010. Important work remains to be done for a long-term FAA Reauthorization Bill. We also note that the ATP requirement will come under constant attack from the industry, but it is the law of the land, and we will protect it vigorously.
We applaud House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello for their real-world dedication to the safety of the traveling public.
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