FAA Withdraws Proposed Rulemaking on Glider Transponders

January 5, 2017 - In December, the FAA officially withdrew an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) which would have removed the exception that gliders currently have from regulations that mandate the use of transponders and ADS-B out.

The ANPRM came in response to a 2006 nonfatal mid-air collision between a glider and corporate jet near Minden, Nevada. The NTSB and members of the Nevada congressional delegation asked the FAA to re-evaluate the glider transponder exception after the accident.

EAA, in coordination with the Soaring Society of America, took action after the ANPRM was published in June 2015 and commented on the proposal, highlighting the numerous collision avoidance technologies that have proliferated within the glider community as a result of its ability to self-regulate safety-of-flight factors.

The glider community has set the example for developing and promoting unique safety enhancements while preserving the freedom and experience of soaring.

Regarding this issue as well as numerous others facing general aviation, EAA has always supported community best practices and innovations over government mandates.

This proactive community-based approach to safety, along with the unnecessary burden associated with the proposed rule’s requirements, are what ultimately led to the ANPRM’s withdrawal.