The FAA today published its Interim Final Rule on alien flight training. The interim rule is effective today. Flight schools providing instruction in aircraft weighing in excess of 12,500 lbs. must comply with the rule by October 5, 2004. Flight schools providing instruction in aircraft weighing 12,500 lbs. or less must comply with the rule by October 20, 2004.
The interim rule transfers the responsibility of background checks on aliens seeking flight training from the Department of Justice to the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration. Ground training and demonstration flights are not covered by the interim final rule. The interim rule also exempts recurrent training from fingerprinting and security threat assessment requirements. Any flight school subject to this interim rule should review the rule in its entirety to ensure that it is familiar with the compliance requirements.
Comments are due no later than October 20, 2004 and may be submitted by mail, fax or in person to Docket Management System, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room Plaza 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001; Fax: (202) 493-2251 or online at http://dms.dot.gov or through the federal rulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
