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 The
average GA aircraft is 35 years old, according to the FAA, and
plenty of aircraft even older are still being flown every day.
To address issues about how to regulate the fleet and keep it
safe, the FAA's Small Airplane Directorate hosted an Aging
Aircraft Summit in Kansas City, Mo., last week.
Representatives from AOPA and EAA were there and agreed that
one thing GA doesn't need is more regulation. "GA aircraft,
regardless of age, are safe," said
AOPA's Luis Gutierrez. The rate of accidents due to
mechanical causes has remained stable over the past 20 years,
he said. AOPA said the best way to increase GA safety and
improve the maintenance of older aircraft is to educate pilots
and aircraft owners. "Right now, there is a general consensus
that more maintenance data needs to be made available to
aircraft owners and A&Ps to ensure that aircraft are properly
maintained," Gutierrez said.
 Earl
Lawrence,
EAA's vice president of industry and regulatory affairs,
says too much time and money is spent trying to comply with
regulations that do nothing to improve the safety of aging
aircraft, and in fact, the current rules have become an
impediment to safety. "We need a different system," he told
AVweb on Saturday. EAA and the Vintage Aircraft
Association have asked the FAA to create a new category for
vintage aircraft, Lawrence said. "Aircraft flown by private
owners in low-stress, personal flying need to be able to
modernize. We need to make it easier for owners to maintain
their aircraft and keep them safe while cutting down on
paperwork." The FAA liked the proposal, he said. It would make
their work easier, and enable them to use their limited
resources more efficiently. But that doesn't mean change will
happen overnight. A 10- to 12-year time frame would not
surprise anyone, Lawrence said.
 In
their
proposal for a new vintage category, EAA and the VAA said
that such aircraft would not be limited in size or complexity;
Part 43 airworthiness regulations would still apply; the
installation of parts and items that are not PMA- or TSO-compliant
would be allowed; and aircraft in the new category would lose
any privileges to carry persons or property for hire. The
owner would have the option to transfer to the new category or
not. No specific age limits were proposed. Lawrence said that
many fundamental safety issues associated with aging -- such
as fatigue and corrosion -- can be found in aircraft of just
about age, depending on how the aircraft is used and
maintained, so aging is not just a matter of calendar years,
but a combination of factors.
Earlier this month, more than 1,300 people met in Atlanta to
address issues of aging aircraft in the commercial and defense
fleet, at the 9th Joint FAA/DoD/NASA Conference on Aging
Aircraft. The conference provided opportunities for networking
about common problems and a showcase for vendors with new
technology designed to alleviate those problems.
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