AOPA asks FAA to implement photo ID for pilots

Airline Industry Information,  Feb 22, 2002  

Tags: FAA, photograph

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AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

In an effort to positively identify legitimate pilots, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has filed a petition which asks the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require that pilots carry government issued photo identification with them whenever they pilot an aircraft.

The AOPA has asked the FAA to implement the change by "direct final rule", which bypasses the normal rule making process and would permit the photo ID requirement to go into effect within 30 days. The petition for rule making asks that the FAA amend Sections 61.3 (a) and 61.3 (1) of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations to read that a person may not act as a pilot of a civil aircraft of US registry unless that person has a "form of photographic identification acceptable to the FAA Administrator," and that each person required to have this ID "must present it for inspection upon request from the Administrator or any federal, state, or local law enforcement officer."

According to informal surveys of AOPA members across the US, general aviation pilots support the proposal.

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