Rep. Obernolte introduces Streamlining Aviation for Eligible Veterans Act

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) has introduced H.R. 8811, the Streamlining Aviation for Eligible Veterans Act. This legislation, known as the SAFE Veterans Act, would enable veterans who qualify for vocational flight training through the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program (VR&E) the ability to complete flight training through a flight school. This will increase flexibility for veterans seeking vocational flight training outside of a college degree program while simultaneously working to address the U.S. airline pilot shortage.

The VR&E program is an important component of veteran benefits, providing services to eligible servicemembers and veterans with service-connected disabilities to help them prepare for, obtain, and maintain suitable employment or achieve independence in daily living. The program currently requires flight training programs be tied to traditional four-year college degrees to receive funding; however, most major airlines no longer require college degrees to enter the cockpit. The SAFE Veterans Act takes action accordingly to remove the VR&E degree program requirement specifically for flight training programs, helping to put more veterans in the cockpit.

While roughly two-thirds of airline pilots were veterans in 1980, that number had dropped to around 30 percent in 2019. Simultaneously, the United States has experienced a growing pilot shortage over the past decade that has been exacerbated in the post-COVID era. As a result, major airlines have resorted to cancelling flights and parking regional jets in long-term storage, leaving travelers stranded. Increasing opportunities for veterans to return to the commercial airline cockpit through the SAFE Veterans Act will address the ongoing pilot shortage while dramatically increasing accessibility of vocational flight training programs for those who have served.

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