Four FAA representatives were on hand for a town hall Q & A at the NBAA-BACE. Some of the topics discussed included Part 135 training, airman medicals, and letters of authorization (LOA).
David Boulter, the FAA’s associate administrator for aviation safety, updated the crowd on efforts to standardize Part 135 training programs as a federal register notice on a Gulfstream V training program was published on Oct. 18. Public comment should open this week.
“If we didn’t have industry support in this, it wouldn’t happen,” Boulter said.
Boulter explained the GV standardized program is just the first of a broad-scope initiative to standardize training programs for many aircraft types and said voluntary adoption of standardized training programs “will move Part 135 training to a new level,” as the industry moves from what he calls the “practice, practice, check” training method to a more realistic, scenario-based training method.
Launched in 2022, the Training Standardization Working Group (TSWG) provides advice and recommendations to the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) on the most effective ways to standardize check pilot qualification, flight instructor qualification, and Part 135 air carrier training curricula provided by Part 142 training center.
Also, on hand was Dr. Susan Northrup, the FAA’s federal air surgeon. She discussed how the agency addresses treatment for conditions such as ADD and ADHD.
“We use a science-based approach and look at the diagnoses and the data behind treatment methods,” said Northrup, adding the FAA uses a safety management system approach.
Additional information on attention deficit disorder treatments is expected soon.
She also shared efforts to streamline special issuance airman medicals, utilizing local aviation medical examiners more effectively and providing pilots better tools for obtaining medicals.
Giovanni Dipierro, FAA’s manager of the agency’s runway safety program, shared runway incursion data and ongoing education and outreach initiatives, encouraging pilots to ask ATC for clarifications when instructions are in doubt. Miscommunication is often a cause of runway incursions.
Wesley Mooty, FAA’s acting deputy executive director of Flight Standards Service, shared efforts to use remote technology in surveillance activities, including pilot line checks.
“It’s not that all surveillance will go to remote technology, but it is a tool where inspectors can determine if remote technology can be used for the surveillance task,” Mooty said. “We do have the pandemic to thank for that, for motivating us to find other ways to do it [surveillance].”
According to Mooty, the agency would like to share resources across different field offices to address LOA requests and other tasks. Also, operators were encouraged to ask their inspectors for access to the new Operational Approval Portal System. The system provides operators with a tracking mechanism for LOA requests. Mooty also reported positive results for the streamlined LOA issuance for new aircraft processes that were launched last year.
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