The US Department of Transportation and the FAA issued a Final Rule (PDF) on January 6 2021 to facilitate the safe development of civil supersonic aircraft. The rule streamlines and clarifies procedures to obtain FAA approval for supersonic flight testing in the United States. The rule will help ensure that companies developing these aircraft clearly understand the process for gaining FAA approval to conduct flight testing, which is a key step in ultimately bringing their products to market.
FAA Announces Final Rule on Civil Supersonic Flight Development
Key Takeaways:
- The US Department of Transportation and the FAA issued a Final Rule in January 2021 to streamline the process for obtaining approval for civil supersonic flight testing in the United States.
- This rule aims to facilitate the safe development of new supersonic aircraft by clarifying the application procedures for companies like Boom Supersonic and Lockheed Martin.
- The rule maintains the existing 1973 prohibition on regular supersonic flight over US land and emphasizes that any authorized test flights require prior consideration of environmental impacts.
- Public comments were received on the rule, with some industry feedback suggesting more flexible and dedicated flight test areas to aid development.
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