THe FAA Reauthorization Act on the Senate side is stuck in subcommittee because Sen Duckworth refuses to have a markup session. She won't have a markup session because she knows the bill will not meet her desires. This is due to Sen Sinema, who is on the subcommittee, changing from D to I and Sinema wants to see some changes in ATP minimums - specifically substituting up to 250 hrs of sim time for flight time.
I guess Sen Duckworth feels that 250 hrs at straight and level is better than sitting in a dial-a-disaster box.

Anyway until Sen Duckworth schedules a markup session in the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation, the FAA Reauthorization Act is dead in the water.

ICAO changed to 65 prior to the US.

Love it! There’s several coming up for retirement in my BES in the next few months. Take your time, Tammy…..👍🏻

I just donated to her campaign… and I’m not a democrat.

ICAO didn’t change 65 because the US did, you have the exactly opposite. ICAO moved up to 65 and the FAA followed suit after Congress changed the law.

In case you haven’t been paying attention there have been massive labor strikes in Europe over raising retirement ages…. So if you’re hanging your hat on “ICAO will do what the US does” you’re delusional.

Remember when the entire globe grounded the 737 max even though the FAA was saying it’s safe? Yeah that’s how much they GAF about anything the FAA says. Kinda like how EASA and CAAC refuse to give the 737-7/10 certification waivers for EICAS like they got in the US. We have no clout, and the rest of the world doesn’t care.

oh Andy. It goes much deeper than Duckworth. Schumer is running this show. I told you buddy. The Democrats are a friend of Alpa. The RAA knows whazzup….

From the RAA letter to Congress in June:

A bipartisan group of Senate Commerce Committee Members have worked with stakeholders, constituents, airports, and community leaders to draft sound amendments to address the pilot shortage. These measures have the support and votes needed to pass in the Committee. Unfortunately, the Air Line Pilot Association (ALPA) opposes them, and the Senate Majority Leader will not allow the mark-up to be scheduled until these issues are resolved. We can speculate on why ALPA doesn’t want to solve the pilot shortage.2 However, Senate leaders must ensure a labor union representing the wealthiest work group in America3 does not exert undue influence on what can and cannot be considered by the U.S. Senate.

Back the PAC!!

Lol way to quote the RAA. Paragons of safety and excellence right there.

LOL!
The FAA Reauthorization Act doesn't need to pass until Sep 30. After that date, there needs to be an FAA reauthorization or there needs to be an extension. They will extend. But the extension will not include all of that .gov money/pork that's going to be spent in the bill.

Schumer and the Ds are going to get that bill through the Senate going into an election year. There's too much .gov pork that they'll want to spend. With that comes political donations from the big recipients of those FAA contracts.

At the moment, the 5 meter target is the debt ceiling. After that's raised, Senate priorities will shift to getting the FAA Reauthorization Act passed.

Politicians don't care about pilots. And that applies to both sides of the aisle.