FAA trekker tilbake kravet om transponder i glidefly - Curt Lewis

FAA LEAVES GLIDER EXEMPTION INTACT

The FAA has withdrawn an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that could have led to a requirement for gliders to carry transponders, a costly upgrade that would have driven many glider pilots out of the sky. AOPA opposed the change soon after the FAA issued the advance notice of proposed rulemaking in 2015, citing limited benefit and high cost.

The FAA, after reviewing comments prompted by a 2015 advance notice of proposed rulemaking, has opted not to require gliders to carry transponders. AOPA file photo.

The FAA published its withdrawal notice in the Federal Register Dec. 23, stating exactly that argument as the rationale: "The FAA is withdrawing that action because the limited safety benefit gained does not justify the high cost of equipage."