The road to RVSM approval can be as smooth as a ribbon of freshly laid desert highway or as rough as a rock-strewn forest switchback. From those unfortunate enough to find themselves stuck on the rocky path, there has been a chorus of complaints recently about lengthy approval delays and other problems, with some business aircraft operators saying the difficulties they face are just as likely to be related to genuine issues with the airplane and RVSM paperwork as to bureaucratic fumbling by local FSDO inspectors.
From online pilot forums to FBO lounges and aircraft hangars, RVSM talk these days is most likely to focus on the requirements for obtaining a letter of authorization (LOA) from the FAA to operate in the soon-to-be-restricted airspace. Spanning FL290 to FL410 across the continental U.S., domestic RVSM (DRVSM) is intended to ease ATC delays and save fuel by allowing more airplanes to operate in the same airspace at the same time. But for some the cost of new avionics, coupled with long delays, has conspired to create one gigantic headache.
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