21. Modernize the F.A.A.

Aside from the refusal of the F.A.A. to require the latest technology for air traffic control (a refusal that costs hundreds of lives each year) there is the issue of the F.A.A.'s requirements for private pilots. Under their guidelines, a person with diabetes (regardless of type or status of condition) is automatically disqualified from being permitted to fly.

For those unaware of what this means...it means that a person with type 2 diabetes who has their condition under control with medication is not permitted to fly anything at all. Not even a hot air balloon.

The skies are the property of the people of their respective countries. While it makes sense to restrict operation of a commercial airliner to those who have a flawless medical record, it makes NO sense to eliminate the right of individuals to fly smaller craft at altitudes which do not require pressurized cabins.

As for craft such as jets, it is a fact that most turbo type aircraft fare able to routinely exceed the altitudes of the type of craft which are flown by corporate commercial airlines. And all come equipped with autopilots.

At most, a person with diabetes should be required to have a backup pilot with them. Someone to take over in the event of a medical emergency.

In addition to this, FAA reg's also state that a person with a history of mental problems shall be automatically disqualified from holding a private pilots license.

The problem with this is that it is very vague. Shall a person with a history of depression be denied the right to fly...even when their depression is under control with medicine? How about a person who is transgendered? Technically, thats a mental disorder as well....At one time, being Gay was considered a mental disorder. And what about those of us who have accessed the use of a therapist because of nightmares or night terrors? Should WE be denied a license to fly as well?

The FAA's regulations are vague enough to drive a truck through. Handy for corporations who want to fire people without just cause (and yes, they have done it...more than one transgendered pilot has been fired for the crime of admitting they are going through transition).

I may be way off base here, but I believe that the FAA is an organization so steeped in corporate control as to be in serious need of a complete overhaul...or at the very least, a serious revue of its regulations, rules and policies.