Recently, CATs and LaserGrade notified the general aviation industry and its testing centers of a pending fee increase of $50 per knowledge test. Subsequent conversations have revealed that this fee is needed to cover costs of transitioning to the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA), as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), and the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) representing the combined interests of general aviation, aircraft owners and flight training providers, are concerned that this fee increase will further exacerbate the dilemma of the declining pilot population.