Is the FAA "mad as a hatter"?

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

COVID-19 Update on Part 107 Testing | Aloft

Kittyhawk provides an update on how to renew your Part 107 certificate and how aspiring Remote Pilots can become certificated given testing center closures due to COVID-19.

kittyhawk.io

FROM THE ARTICLE:

"Current FAA guidance is that unfortunately, if you needed to take the recurrent exam before the end of March and you were unable to do so, you are not allowed to utilize your Part 107 certificate. "

Translation- we screwed up but we are penalizing you.

"For example, the FAA has provided guidance for other parts of the aviation community that enforcement actions will not be taken against required pilot crew members or flight engineers whose medical certificate expires from March 31 through June 30 of this year. "

But couldn't provide the same guidance to the Part 107 community? Many of us here not only fly commercially but for public safety.
I've emailed the UAS Desk for clarification, no reply yet.

 

[R Martin]

But couldn't provide the same guidance to the Part 107 community? Many of us here not only fly commercially but for public safety.
I've emailed the UAS Desk for clarification, no reply yet.

Hopefully they will take the time to think things through a little more than simply tossing us under the bus.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Hopefully they will take the time to think things through a little more than simply tossing us under the bus.

We are still screwed...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Pansky, Steven CTR (FAA) <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2020 1:29 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Recurrent exams and COVID-19

So the feedback was that no decision or publication of any SFAR or blanket exemption yet, unfortunately. Part 107 pilots who’s currency expired on 31 March are still grounded for now.

Steve Pansky/SAIC
Senior Aviation Analyst-AVS Safety Technical Services Support contract
Air Traffic and Public Safety/SAC-EC Liaison
Supporting Federal Aviation Administration Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Safety and Operations Branch, AUS-430 and Policy Team, AJV-P22
Phone: 202-904-9400
Email: [email protected]

Greetings Steve,

Hope you are well. Most test sites are closed for COVID-19 . Are there any plans to extend our Remote Pilot certificate renewal dates?

Luis Martinez

 

[R Martin]

We are still screwed...

Being up poop creek without a paddle is what civil service is all about. The more things change, the more they stay the same. To quote Roger Daltry, "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss." Hope you Luis and all the rest of you are in good health and spirit.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Being up poop creek without a paddle is what civil service is all about. The more things change, the more they stay the same. To quote Roger Daltry, "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss." Hope you Luis and all the rest of you are in good health and spirit.

Thanks, still good, hope you are too.
Gotta love the FAA, pilots can fly airliners, carrying hundreds of passengers, with expired medicals but we can't fly UAS with expired currency status. Somewhere in Washingtoon that makes sense...

 

[AH-1G]

Sometimes ya gotta look the other way......??

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Thanks, still good, hope you are too.
Gotta love the FAA, pilots can fly airliners, carrying hundreds of passengers, with expired medicals but we can't fly UAS with expired currency status. Somewhere in Washingtoon that makes sense...

Sometimes ya gotta look the other way......??

Well they better get their act together by my recurrent month (August) or I'll be looking the other way.

 

[Airmapper]

Seems to me like they want to make us jump through the same hoops as pilots, and call us pilots, but they don't really see us as pilots.

But there are only so many things I can get worked up about, NPRM has me worried enough about the future of remote pilots.