The AIRR Act - FAA Reauth that includes GA and Medical Reform

[Conju]

Looks like they rolled PBOR2 (original form) into this legislation.

Since the FAA Funding expires March 31, this could either be an opportunity or we could see another stopgap measure to fund the FAA.

http://transportation.house.gov/airr-act/#top2

 

[murphey]

Looks like they rolled PBOR2 (original form) into this legislation.

Since the FAA Funding expires March 31, this could either be an opportunity or we could see another stopgap measure to fund the FAA.

http://transportation.house.gov/airr-act/#top2

In other words, if we want PBOR2, we're gonna get user fees, privatized ATC, etc.

Looks like we're (*&**(^^&* either way.

 

[wilkersk]

This is a congressional game of Kick-the-Can, 2nd string scrimmage at best.

 

[Brad Z]

Honestly, that works in medical reform's favor. The fight over privatization will overshadow medical reform. In the end I really don't think privatization will happen this time around either.

 

[Conju]

Honestly, that works in medical reform's favor. The fight over privatization will overshadow medical reform. In the end I really don't think privatization will happen this time around either.

Looks like a lot of congress is opposed to the ATC privatization. AOPA is against user fees.

This may have a shot to accomplish med reform with the reauth.

 

[Brad Z]

There are not many losers in the medical reform proposal. Perhaps AMEs, but I really don't think 3rd class medicals are their bread and butter. ALPA came out against PBOR2 but we haven't heard anything else from them regarding 3rd class medical reform, and I doubt they'd got to the mat to fight it. Perhaps the insurance underwriters like the 3rd class medical, but they've always been free to require it as a condition of insurability regardless of what the FAA does.

 

[steingar]

I suspect Congress will once again kick the can with a continuing resolution. A good metaphor, wish I'd thought of it. Congress does a lot of that these days. And then they wonder why he FAA can't do anything.

I have to give the FAA serious kudos though. Despite all the Congressional shenanigans the American ATC system is the safest Earth.

 

[frfly172]

Congress,could care les about the third class medical it's about the money and funding ATC.

 

[N918KT]

Seems that the House AIRR bill is shelved. And the Senate is going to work on their own version of the FAA Reauthorization Bill. Do you think the Senate's version for medical reform would include the amended and more restrictive PBOR2 medical reform language in their version of the bill rather than the medical reform language see in the House bill? My gut feeling said it is likely.

 

[Palmpilot]

...ALPA came out against PBOR2 but we haven't heard anything else from them regarding 3rd class medical reform, and I doubt they'd got to the mat to fight it...

I thought AOPA got ALPA to back off from that position.

 

[N801BH]

I thought AOPA got ALPA to back off from that position.

ALPA backed off their bitching when a couple of high profile airline ATP's fell over dead while flying airline flights and those made the headline news..

 

[denverpilot]

I suspect Congress will once again kick the can with a continuing resolution. A good metaphor, wish I'd thought of it. Congress does a lot of that these days. And then they wonder why he FAA can't do anything.

I have to give the FAA serious kudos though. Despite all the Congressional shenanigans the American ATC system is the safest Earth.

I used to think this way too. Made a lot of noise to get folks to push Congress the last time FAA funding was stuck in CRs instead of a real authorization bill.

Then they were authorized and guess what? Nothing really changed. Bunch of expensive ADS-B garbage got pushed that nobody really needs.

Money from Congress is money from Congress and all of it backed only by debt anyway, I finally decided. Don't care in the slightest if FAA runs on CR debt money or Magic Big Legislation Document debt money anymore.

Same diff from here. Same same. Taxes look the same each of those years out of the ol' paycheck and follow on taxes too, about half of it.

Agreed on the ATC system but there's other places that run a good ship on that front also. Ever listen to Japanese controllers late night on LiveATC? Or Sedgwick on the HF rig?

The new-ish Russian stuff on LiveATC is interesting... Dave's been adding some fascinating locations where allowed by law... (It's illegal to put ATC on the Internet in some countries. Goofy.)