Association says "impossible" 20 October deadline would prevent US students completing courses already begun
The US Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has formally requested the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to suspend the 20 October deadline for compliance with parts of its "alien flight-training rule" that apply to smaller general aviation aircraft.
The law, which is intended to prevent foreign terrorists obtaining flight training in the USA, may force US citizens who want to train as pilots to go through the same lengthy security clearance process, according to AOPA president Phil Boyer.
"TSA has set an impossible deadline for a rule that directly affects more than 650,000 US certificated pilots, 85,000 resident aliens with US pilot certificates, 93,700 flight students, 88,700 flight instructors and around 3,400 flight schools," says Boyer.
If it were put into practice as written, the alien training rule would "hit every US pilot, flight training instructor and flight school" by preventing US flying students from completing training courses they have already begun, says AOPA.
The rule would require US pilot trainees not only to prove their citizenship, but to supply their addresses for the past five years, plus more personal information, and be charged $130 by the TSA for carrying out the checks.
Boyer says AOPA knows this was not the intended effect of the Congressional legislation, but adds: "We have long experience of dealing with federal regulations. We know that, at some point, the most restrictive interpretation permitted by the letter of the rule is likely to be applied."
AOPA's most immediate concern is for student pilots approaching the end of a course licensing them to fly aircraft of less than 12,500lb (5,000kg) take-off weight, because although the trainees may start their course before TSA checks have been completed, they cannot complete it without receiving clearance.
DAVID LEARMOUNT / LONDON
Source: Flight International
