One of the problems with the aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) process is that it gives people, and especially FAA lawyers, too much time to think. And too much thinking often leads to onerous interpretations of what seem like simple regulations.
A good example of this is a new proposed interpretation of 14 CFR Part 39, the rules governing Airworthiness Directives. Remember, if you don’t like the looks of this interpretation, the only way to put a wrench in the works is to make a comment (deadline May 16). You might also want to ask organizations of which you’re a member what they think; after all, that’s part of what you’re paying for when you join NBAA, NATA, ARSA, RACCA, AOPA, PAMA and AMTSociety.
Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.
