This just in from National Association of Flight Instructors e-mail : NY Proposes Pilot Legislation The New York Assembly is considering three bills that would, in effect, regulate flight training in that state. The three bills would require background checks for a variety of flight students and set age limits for student pilots—limitations pilot groups say are illegal and redundant. The first proposal, Bill 3512, would require flight students to undergo a criminal background check, and the commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice would have the final word to approve training. This is the state’s second attempt to regulate flight instruction in the state. The Assembly passed a similar bill last year, but it was never considered in the New York Senate. The New York Legislature has also introduced bills 2043 and 3899. Assembly Bill 2043 would require students receiving training in flight simulators to undergo criminal background checks. Assembly Bill 3899 would prohibit a person under the age of 17 from piloting an aircraft in the state. “The federal government has already adopted security recommendations that address all the concerns of the New York Legislature,” said Andy Cebula, AOPA’s senior vice president of government and technical affairs. Those security measures already adopted by the federal government include the recently adopted TSA/FAA security rules that direct FAA to revoke the airman certificate of anyone that TSA determines is a threat to transportation or national security. Regulations also require background checks of foreign pilots seeking a U.S. pilot certificate or flight training in large aircraft. BAHA ACUNER - CFI,CFII,MEI www.bahadiracuner.com www.acuwings.com