With the swipe of his pen on Friday, July 15, President Obama set into law third class medical reform.
I’m thrilled. So are a good many pilots.
“It’s important to celebrate this moment, which has been a long time coming and resulted from an incredible amount of work over the past five years,” said Jack J. Pelton, CEO/Chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). “EAA was a leader in getting this done because it was the right thing to do for members, working in cooperation with fellow aviation organizations, congressional leaders, and others to persistently pursue this path against many challenges. This win is for everyone who loves recreational flight.”
This has been a long journey.
“We did it together! Medical reforms are now the law, and that’s a big win for general aviation,” said Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) President Mark Baker. “It has taken years of commitment and hard work to make these reforms a reality. AOPA and EAA started the current reform effort back in 2012 when we petitioned the FAA for a medical exemption but the terms of that petition were much more limited than what pilots will get under the new reform law. This is something our entire community can get excited about.”
But I can’t help feel a little … I dunno. It’s hard for me to explain.
I expected fireworks. I expected parades with eco-friendly ticker tape.
OK. I didn’t really expect fireworks and parades. But just like that… it’s done.
Well, almost. The FAA still has to write the rules that officially put in place third class medical reform.
Congratulations to us all. Thank you to the EAA and AOPA for taking up the cause and seeing this through.
But I can’t help but wonder… what’s next?
Source: http://generalaviationnews.comThird class medical reform: Done