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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today unanimously passed H.R. 1848, the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013, cosponsored by Alaskan Congressman Don Young.  H.R. 1848 would expedite needed reforms to the certification process of General Aviation aircraft.

“Today’s legislation will bring much needed reforms for General Aviation pilots throughout the state,” Rep. Young said.  "The current FAA certification system is outdated, costly and burdensome and has hindered the modernization and safety enhancements of older aircraft, or purchase of newer models.  This legislation reforms the aircraft certification process without compromising pilot safety, while stimulating innovation and technology adoption.  I was proud to co-sponsor this bill and see such bipartisan support to help bring General Aviation into the 21^st Century.”

Background Info on H.R. 1848

This legislation would require the FAA to issue a final rule based on the Part 23 Rulemaking Committee recommendations by December 31, 2015.

The final rule must:

• Create a streamlined regulatory regime for small airplanes that improves safety and decreases costs;
• Set safety objectives that will spur innovation and technology adoption;
• Replace the existing prescriptive regulatory regime with new standards for compliance and testing; and
• Use FAA-accepted consensus standards to clarify how FAR Part 23 safety objectives may be met by specific designs and technologies.

The General Aviation industry includes nearly 600,000 pilots, employs roughly 1.3 million people, and contributes approximately $150 billion annually to the U.S. economy.   Alaska is home to the largest number of pilots and aircraft per capita in the United States.