Certification, Safety Lead EAA/FAA Summit Topics

March 4, 2021 – General aviation safety, aircraft certification, and the MOSAIC initiative were among the numerous topics discussed as top officials from EAA and the FAA wrapped up the three-day Winter Recreational Aviation Summit, again held in a virtual format based at EAA headquarters.

"Even in a virtual format, this was a spectacular success as we look forward to the return of in-person meetings in the future," said Jack J. Pelton, EAA's CEO and chairman of the board, in his closing remarks on Thursday. "We welcomed a record 38 participants to these sessions. I was impressed with discussions all week, especially the safety discussions focused on even more improvement in GA and amateur-built safety."

Other topics on the robust agenda included drones and airspace, aircraft certification and maintenance regulations, airport operations, and more. Although the virtual format was successful given the limitations on gatherings, returning to face-to-face meetings in Oshkosh next year is essential to build and maintain the necessary collaborative relationships with the FAA's leaders.

"Technology makes connecting possible and fruitful, but it's not the same as building and maintaining working relationships through in-person conversations," said Sean Elliott, EAA's vice president of advocacy and safety.

The summit finished with an agreed-upon action list of more than 30 items, many of which will receive an update at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in July. Look for more information on the progress of several of these topics in EAA's communications in upcoming weeks and months.

The winter EAA/FAA summit has occurred annually for more than a decade, typically with meetings at EAA headquarters in Oshkosh. It is a unique occurrence where leaders from throughout the agency's departments meet directly with an aviation organization on a multitude of issues that directly affect pilots and aircraft owners.