FAA responds to AOPA pilot ID petition

The FAA has told Senator Max Cleland (D-Ga.) that the agency is now drafting a rule to implement AOPA's petition to require pilots to carry a government-issued photo ID along with their pilot certificates.

In a letter Sen. Cleland received today (although the FAA sent it on May 22), the agency said, "The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) supports the proposed requirement as a low-cost interim measure to enhance security throughout the general aviation community that may be quickly implemented before a permanent system is developed and implemented." Both senators Cleland and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) have endorsed the AOPA proposal.

AOPA President Phil Boyer said, "I'm happy to see the FAA and TSA working together to quickly implement this common-sense proposal. This is an excellent first step with the new agency and the FAA." Boyer said AOPA would continue to work with Congress and the administration to ensure the pilot ID proposal doesn't become bogged down in executive review.

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