Story ID: 5032812alerts
Industry Reps Seek To Ease RVSM Approvals
By: Chad Trautvetter
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Word Count: 201
U.S. aviation industry representatives, including those from NBAA, recently met with officials from the FAA to provide initial recommended changes to the agency’s requirements for operations in RVSM airspace under Part 91 Appendix G. Responding to enduring industry concerns, especially about inconsistencies among FSDO inspectors in issuing RVSM authorizations, the FAA agreed to form a task force to address RVSM more formally.

The 25-member RVSM Action Team, which includes representatives from throughout the industry, has been tasked with providing recommendations for changes to the RVSM approval process. At a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., the team agreed on three key initial recommendations to present to the committee: expedited approvals for new, RSVM-equipped aircraft; better guidance for inspectors for administrative updates; and temporary authorization for manufacturers and repair facilities.

Aviation attorney David Norton, who co-chairs the RVSM Action Team with the FAA’s Madison Walton, said the suggestions offered are “incremental in nature,” meaning they can be applied without having to wait for the FAA to rewrite the RVSM regulations. “[We] focused on changes that could be made in the short-term, to provide both operators and FSDOs some real relief and benefit,” he said.