NBAA Participates in Session on Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2

July 31, 2014

NBAA will participate in a “listening session” that U.S. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is convening on Aug. 2 at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture Oshkosh, to receive feedback from the general aviation (GA) community on his proposed Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR2).

NBAA’s Vice President of Government Affairs Dick Doubrava will represent the Association at the meeting.

The new bill, which Inhofe plans to formally unveil this fall, would provide support for the general aviation community by expanding on the first Pilot’s Bill of Rights, and more clearly defining the FAA’s authority on a number of regulatory and legal issues of importance to general aviation operators.

“We look forward to working with Sen. Inhofe as he moves to introduce this important legislation later this year,” Doubrava said. “We urge Congress to promptly pass the measure, which would be beneficial to our Members in the business aviation community.”

View NBAA’s earlier comments about the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2.

Doubrava noted that the senator has indicated that, in considering various components of a PBOR2 bill, he would like to open “a dialogue on language that will make it easier to install new, safety-enhancing equipment on existing aircraft without going through a lengthy, expensive certification process.” This would be a positive development for NBAA Members, who often want to equip their aircraft with the latest avionics equipment in the interest of enhancing flight safety, Doubrava noted.

He also highlighted the senator’s support for restricting Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) stops and searches of people using GA aircraft, and requiring CBP to follow general law enforcement standards when exercising its powers.

The original bill, which became law two years ago with broad bipartisan backing, was intended to provide GA pilots with more equitable treatment during federal enforcement actions against them, and improve the presentation of notice to airmen (NOTAM) information used for preflight planning.

Inhofe said on his website that he has “heard from the aviation community that more improvements still need to be made to cut red tape,” and that his Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 is designed “to continue addressing unfair practices and regulations toward the aviation industry.”

Inhofe, a long-time champion of general aviation, is a member of the Senate General Aviation Caucus and a certified flight instructor with more than 11,000 flight hours.