Your Least Favorite Reg

[Way2Broke]

What is your least favorite regulation, how would you change it, and why?

All parts are fair game (61, 91, 119, 121, 135 etc.)

 

[CFIcare]

peeve

I'd change that one from the original list of 25 FARs from the stone age. It's #21, the one about "pilots will not use spurs while flying" rule. It's a shame because my black leather Tony Lama boots that I wear to work look great with a set of black steel rowel spurs. It would be nice to be able to go from the cockpit to the corral direct. Oh well.

The "no hedge-hopping" rule bothers me too....grrrrr!

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/rules.htm

 

[SharkBait]

Pilot duty and rest requirements. I would like to see it changed to 13 hours scheduled on/ 11 hours off. Max. 8 hours in the air. No reduced rest, no compensatory rest garbage. Keep it simple.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

91.13

 

[labbats]

Up to 16 hours duty time. You can't possibly comprehend how unsafe it is until you're in the seat after 15 hours.

 

[Bus Driver]

121 subpart S
121.521 No duty time limitation at all.

 

[A Squared]

91.13

Yeah, me too. Not because I favor operating carelessly or recklessly, but because the FAA uses it as a catchall for anything they don't like but can't find a regulation against. It's like handing them a blank check.

 

[A Squared]

Up to 16 hours duty time. You can't possibly comprehend how unsafe it is until you're in the seat after 15 hours.

Yet, research has shown that 17 hours of wakefulness (being awake, not 17 hours of flying or duty, just being out of bed with your eyes open) results in a degradation of reactions, judgement and motor skills equivelent to a BAC of 0.8%. It's that elephant in the middle of the room that the FAA and the ATA is pretending isn't there.

 

[SPilot]

FAA Aircraft registration and ownership

47.3 link

I'd like to see it changed so that people on student or work visa, who are TSA approved and hold FAA license(s), could own aircrafts and register them with the FAA.
Currently one has to have citizenship or be a legal resident to be an owner of a US registered aircraft. That effectivly eliminates the option for foreign people who conduct professional flight training in the US of buying an aircraft for themself or with friends, to build hours or go on cross country expeditions.

Legal resident pilots must have TSA approval just like pilots on student visa, so in terms of terrorist risk assessment and comprehensiv background checks, legal residents and student/work visas are at the same security level.
Therefore, I dont see why pilots on student visa or work visa shouldn't be allowed to waste money on buying an aircraft. It supports the american economy and it can make the typical two year visit to america even more fun and pleasurable. And once any pilot, regardless of immigration/visa status, holds an FAA license, he is sort of by definition equally qualified to fly in the US national airspace as any equally licensed american FAA pilot. We were all born equal, Jefferson once said...
And for those who might intervene and say that foreigners shouldnt be in the sky above America at all...well, TSA-approved pilots on student visa allready fly completely unrestricted in rental and flight training airplanes, and can do pretty much anything they desire! Not allowing people on a student-visa to purchase an airplane is just plain unfair, and leaves them hanging as easy prey for the likely more expensive rental market. Especially since most students on J1 visas only have two years to do 500-1000h of hour building.

Just a quick estimate to give you an idea of the possible savings for a student building hours:
Rental: 500h C182 * $150 wet lease = $72K.
Owner: C182 (Buy-Sell=Expense): ($85K-$74K=$11K) + (500h * 12GPH * $2.70 Per Gallon (pre-paid fuel card)= $16K) + 12months insurance $2000 + Registration $2000 + Maintenance $6000 = $37K

Maintenance would probably be half what I've accounted for, and insurance is also alot cheaper. I dont know the price of registration, but it cant be all that expensive. So the savings are likely even greater than what I managed to illustrate. Most significant difference between rental and ownership however, is the added convenience and comfort of having the airplane all to oneself, without minimum daily block hours or time restrictions.

 

[CalifDan]

Just a quick estimate to give you an idea of the possible savings for a student building hours:
Rental: 500h C182 * $150 wet lease = $72K.
Owner: C182 (Buy-Sell=Expense): ($85K-$74K=$11K) + (500h * 12GPH * $2.70 Per Gallon (pre-paid fuel card)= $16K) + 12months insurance $2000 + Registration $2000 + Maintenance $6000 = $37K

I think you are a little low on fuel expense, even pre-paid, by at least 1 dollar per gallon. You also did not include property taxes, tie-down, etc. And, I think 6K for maintenance is low given 500 hours annually. Also, would it really cost 150 per hour for a 182 block time? I agree that at 500 hours, maybe even as low as 150 hours, owning might be less expensive, just not that much less expensive.

The FAR I would like to change is the one regarding the sharing of cost among passengers on Part 91 flights. If I rent a Duchess I can split the cost among three other friends or relatives for a flight at the full rental rate, say 200 an hour or about 50 per seat. Flying my Duchess I can share fuel cost only or about 80 per hour and 20 per seat. Just has never seemed fair.