FAA Admin. Huerta speaks on aviation safety, efficiency at event in Wisconsin

Michael Huerta

At a recent meeting of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in efforts to enhance the aviation industry’s safety and efficacy in its daily operations.

Huerta stated the FAA was working to become a “more efficient and nimble organization” and that the agency has shifted its approach to how it certifies aircraft and equipment, specifically by defining safety goals and giving the industry the freedom to come up with innovative solutions.

“The FAA is streamlining its processes so you can benefit from upgraded equipment, lower costs, and higher levels of safety,” Huerta said.

He continued, stating that partnership wasn’t a two-way street and that if the industry was going to succeed in securing its own future, all involved needed to step up. The administrator pointed to a January 1, 2020 deadline for pilots to equip their aircraft with automatic dependent surveillance — broadcast (ADS-B), a surveillance technology in which an aircraft’s location can be determined through satellite navigation and periodically broadcast it so it can be accurately tracked.

Huerta noted the FAA is currently offering a $500 incentive to assist eligible aircraft owners offset the cost of installing the ADS-B system on their own planes. However, he said, the January 2020 deadline will not change.

Huerta also spoke on the the agency’s recent change to its medical certification requirements for pilots. Now, pilots can receive an exam with their own doctors and take an online medical education course in order to be qualified through a process called BasicMed.

Prior to the change, pilots were required to see a certified Aviation Medical Examiner and obtain a third-class medical certificate before receiving qualified status.

“There’s this misperception out there that dealing with our medical team is the first step toward losing your license. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Huerta said. “In fact, we approve the majority of the requests we receive for special issuance medical certificates. We’re not adversaries. We want you to be able to keep flying. We just want to work with you to figure out a way to do it safely.”