FAA Administrator Michael Huerta came to EAA AirVenture this week to take on the usual round of Q & A during the Meet The Administrator session, and addressed recurring issues about how the agency relates to the everyday concerns of GA pilots, and how it’s funded.Huerta acknowledged the slow progress on changing the third-class medical requirements. “We addressed the matter last year and although we are working on it, there is not yet a proposal to change the requirements,” he said. “I know this is frustrating to hear; it is frustrating to report. … We are working closely with Congress on this issue, and there is a lot of interest in Congress to provide us the authority to change the medical certification requirement. We want to make a lasting policy that will stand the test of time. We want a standard that will not require another re-think, or another process, for years to come.”
Huerta also said the agency is “looking forward to the advent of the new Part 23 aircraft certification,” but he didn’t provide a timeline.During a Q & A with EAA chairman Jack Pelton, Huerta said the agency is trying to be more flexible about allowing technological innovation. “We’re trying to get away from saying ‘it’s illegal,’ and instead say, ‘It’s not currently authorized … we need to figure this out.'” That attitude, said Pelton, represents “a significant change.”Huerta agreed that the effort represents “a big cultural change for us,” since the staff is used to working with “black and white standards.” He is trying to get everyone “to focus on how to assess risk — it’s not black and white, but shades of gray. This is one we’re struggling with … we’re trying to create a window for innovation. We’re committed, but it’s a big, big change.”
Asked about proposals that would privatize the agency, Huerta acknowledged that the funding system needs some kind of overhaul. “The problem is, there is no stable funding,” Huerta said, “and we’re in an unsustainable place right now, in respect to how we pay for the system.” Under the current structure, he said, there’s a conflict between the need to provide the most efficient system for the largest number of people, and the need to provide a basic level of access to small commercial and private users.
He alsopromoted the FAA’s Fly Safe campaign, which is focused on preventing loss-of-control accidents, and affirmed that the ADS-B deadline of January 1, 2020, is not going to change. He also said that educating drone operators is an essential step to ensure the safety of the national airspace system. The full text of Huerta’s talk is posted at the FAA website.
