Public Law 111-216: Effects of New Legislation on Collegiate Aviation Flight Training Programs

In response to the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash, new legislation has been enacted. Among this new legislation is Public Law 111-216 (PL 111-216) that will require newly hired airline pilots to have acquired an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate. This new requirement will affect aspiring pilots and training institutions. Collegiate flight training institutions have been particularly concerned with the implementation of PL 111-216. To explore the potential effects of this new legislation and the perceptions of the survey respondents, this study surveyed collegiate flight training institutions. Results indicate collegiate aviation training institution respondents concerned that as a result of PL 111-216, programmatic and training costs will increase, recruitment and retention of student pilots will be adversely affected, and overall, the law will be detrimental to collegiate aviation flight training programs.