,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dfde ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #bb1 #bjbj,ms4 ,baldwin introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,a ,,bill ,to improve the requirements for commercial air tours and commercial air tour operators1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,amy and ,jocelyn ,gannon ,helicopter ,tour ,safety ,act4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,,faa4 7#b7 ,commercial air tour ,the term commercial air tour has the meaning given that term in section #aaj4b of title #ad1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 as it applies to helicopters4 7#c7 ,commercial air tour operator 7,a7 ,in general ,the term commercial air tour operator means any person1 operating under part #ia1 #ic1 #aba1 #ace1 or #acf of title #ad1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 who conducts a commercial air tour4 7,b7 ,clarification ,the operations described in subparagraph 7,a7 include any operation under section #aai4a7;e77#a7 of title #ad1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 provided that the operator of such operation has received and is in compliance with a ,letter of ,authorization issued under section #ia4adg of title #ad1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations4 7#d7 ,,faa ,the term ,,faa means the ,federal ,aviation ,administration4 7#e7 ,,ifr conditions ,the term ,,ifr conditions has the meaning given that term in section #a4a of title #ad1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations4 7#f7 ,,ntsb ,the term ,,ntsb means the ,national ,transportation ,safety ,board4 #c4 ,review of ,commercial ,air ,tour ,routes 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall do the following3 7#a7 ,develop a process to review and approve any flight route used by a commercial air tour operator4 7#b7 ,update the operator manual content requirements under part #ace of title #ad1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 as it relates to helicopter air tour operators1 to require information about flight routes4 7b7 ,evaluation of weather data ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator1 in consultation with the ,national ,weather ,service1 shall develop and implement the following3 7#a7 ,a process to obtain and evaluate weather data to identify any flight route1 or segment of a flight route1 used by a commercial air tour operator that is susceptible to rapidly changing weather events4 7#b7 ,criteria to determine whether the frequency of such rapidly changing weather events on such flight route1 or segment of such flight route1 requires that a commercial air tour operator be prohibited from flying along any section of a flight route4 #d4 ,,faa ,aviation ,weather ,camera ,program 7a7 ,weather cameras ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall issue such regulations as are necessary to implement the following ,,ntsb recommendations3 7#a7 ,safety ,recommendation ,a-#ac-jbe1 issued on ,august #ae1 #bjac 7relating to initiating an aviation weather camera program in ,hawaii that includes the installation and maintenance of aviation weather cameras at critical locations in ,hawaii and to establish public access to these aviation weather cameras' real-time imagery74 7#b7 ,safety ,recommendation ,a-#ac-jbf1 issued on ,august #ac1 #bjac 7relating to installing and maintaining aviation weather cameras in those mountain passes in the continental ,united ,states identified as being high risk and to establish public access to these aviation weather cameras' real-time imagery74 7b7 ,survey of weather cameras 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act and biennially thereafter1 the ,administrator shall survey the number and placement of any weather camera installed through the ,,faa's ,aviation ,weather ,camera ,program1 or an equivalent ,state-sponsored program1 to determine whether there is sufficient weather camera coverage4 7#b7 ,request for additional resources ,if1 as a result of the survey conducted pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 the ,administrator determines that additional funding for the installation or maintenance of weather cameras is needed1 the ,administrator shall include that information in the ,,faa's annual budget request to ,congress4 7c7 ,training on weather cameras 7#a7 ,commercial air tour operator training ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall establish training requirements for each commercial air tour operator to utilize real-time weather information made available through the ,,faa's ,aviation ,weather ,camera ,program1 including-- 7,a7 using the information to determine whether it is safe to fly in any area of a flight route used by a commercial air tour operator that is susceptible to rapidly changing weather events2 and 7,b7 advising flight crew members on alternative flight routes or the need for an immediate landing when any rapidly changing weather event develops or occurs4 7#b7 ,flight service station specialist training ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall initiate rulemaking to implement ,,ntsb ,safety ,recommendation ,a-#ac-jbg1 issued on ,august #ae1 #bjac 7relating to equipping the flight service station specialists responsible for ,hawaii and the continental ,united ,states with the technical capabilities and training to provide verbal preflight and en route briefings using aviation weather camera imagery74 #e4 ,flight ,data ,monitoring ,program ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall initiate rulemaking for such regulations as are necessary to implement the following ,,ntsb recommendations1 as they relate to helicopter air tour operators3 7#a7 ,safety ,recommendation ,a-#af-jcd1 issued on ,november #c1 #bjaf 7relating to requiring all #ad ,code of ,federal ,regulations ,part #ace operators to install flight data recording devices capable of supporting a flight data monitoring program74 7#b7 ,safety ,recommendation ,a-#af-jce1 issued on ,november #c1 #bjaf 7relating to requiring all #ad ,code of ,federal ,regulations ,part #ace operators to establish a structured flight data monitoring program that reviews all available data sources to identify deviations from established norms and procedures and other potential safety issues1 after action in ,safety ,recommendation ,a-#af-jcd is complete74 #f4 ,operational and ,training ,requirements 7a7 ,instrument ratings ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall initiate rulemaking to require any commercial air tour operator to use pilots who-- 7#a7 if applicable under part #fa4fe of title #ad1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 hold instrument ratings appropriate to the aircraft flown2 or 7#b7 hold an ,airline ,transport ,pilot certificate appropriate to the category and class of aircraft flown1 but which is not limited to ,visual ,flight ,rules according to the requirements under sections #fa4eg and #fa4fe of title #ad1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations4 7b7 ,,ifr conditions competency program ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall initiate rulemaking to require any commercial air tour operator to establish an ,,ifr conditions competency program to allow pilots to maintain their ability to operate a commercial air tour under ,,ifr conditions4 #g4 ,,ifr ,conditions ,equipment ,study 7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall conduct a study on the feasibility of requiring any helicopter used for a commercial air tour to be equipped with the minimum equipment necessary to operate in ,,ifr conditions4 7b7 ,report ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall submit to ,congress a report on the study conducted pursuant to subsection 7a7 together with recommendations for such legislation or administrative action as the ,administrator determines to be appropriate4 #h4 ,commercial ,air ,tour ,videos ,study 7a7 ,helicopter ,mounted ,video ,study 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall conduct a study on the feasibility of permitting commercial air tour operators or ,,faa inspectors to conduct random audits 7that meet the requirements described in paragraph 7#b77 of helicopter mounted videos of commercial air tour flights4 7#b7 ,requirement ,the requirement described in this paragraph is that an audit address flight safety and commercial air tour operator performance with respect to-- 7,a7 safe flying techniques2 and 7,b7 the avoidance of-- 7i7 dangerous terrain2 and 7ii7 rapidly changing weather events4 7b7 ,report ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall submit to ,congress a report on the study conducted pursuant to subsection 7a7 together with recommendations for such legislation or administrative action as the ,administrator determines to be appropriate4 #i4 ,exemption from certain regulatory requirements ,any rule or regulation promulgated by the ,administrator pursuant to this ,act-- 7#a7 shall not be considered a rule or regulation under ,executive ,order #acgga 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 #fja note2 relating to reducing regulation and controlling regulatory costs72 and 7#b7 shall not be subject to the requirements set forth in such ,executive order4