Bipartisan group of U.S. House members supports bill to double safety, cut costs in half

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today welcomed the introduction of the Small Aircraft Revitalization Act of 2013 by U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo and a bipartisan group of U.S. House members.  The bill, H.R. 1848, would establish a date certain for implementing the FAA’s Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) recommendations, with the goal—as stated by FAA Administrator Michael Huerta—of doubling safety and cutting certification costs in half for small general aviation (GA) airplanes.

In a report filed with the FAA last week, the ARC recommended setting performance-based design requirements, rather than prescriptive, technology-dependent requirements that rely on assumptions based on weight and propulsion type.  Adopting the new regulations would simplify the current process and give manufacturers needed flexibility by allowing them to achieve compliance through consensus-based standards.  The current rules—which are overly prescriptive, rigid, and outdated—have hindered new safety-enhancing products from coming to market and hurt the lighter segments of the GA market.

“GAMA is very pleased that Representative Pompeo and his colleagues on both sides of the aisle recognize the need to embrace the ARC’s recommendations and adopt new certification rules so that manufacturers can invest in new designs and put critical lifesaving safety equipment into existing airplanes,” GAMA President & CEO Pete Bunce said.  “We hope the bill will spur the FAA to move quickly in adopting the ARC’s recommendations to improve safety and help to revitalize the lighter end of the aircraft market.”

The ARC, composed of 150 government and aviation industry representatives from around the world, spent 18 months developing the recommendations.  Greg Bowles, GAMA Director of Engineering & Manufacturing, served as industry co-chair of the ARC.