FAA

Despite years of one short-term resolution after another, the Senate yesterday took a lead from last week’s move by the House and passed the FAA reauthorization necessary to carry the agency forward until September 30, 2023. The bill, minus the controversial effort to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system, passed with bi-partisan support on […]

The FAA has had enough of drone operators who don’t seem smart enough to remain clear of locations where their aircraft might interfere with wildfire containment crews, law enforcement efforts, or other first responders, such as medical flights. The agency said last week that violators are now more likely to face serious civil penalties, even […]

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed a five-year reauthorization of the FAA, ending the streak of a half dozen short-term resolutions. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association says the new legislation advances key priorities for the general aviation manufacturing and maintenance industry. The bill – H. R. 302 – is should be headed to the […]

The Academy of Model Aeronautics is rallying its members to lobby congressional representatives to vote against the latest iteration of FAA reauthorization, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The bill includes modifications to the Special Rule for Model Aircraft, also known as Section 336, modifications the AMA claims will put burdensome restrictions on the use […]

One topic that sometimes receives scant attention during flight training is the effect of temperature on a pilot’s ability to understand just how much air separates them from the ground. Aircraft altimeters don’t operate normally when subjected to extremely cold temperatures. In cold regions of the globe, failure to compensate for extreme cold can induce […]

The FAA announced last Thursday that its final low altitude authorization and notification sector had gone live. LAANC allows drone pilots to quickly receive automated airspace authorizations from approximately 300 air traffic facilities serving nearly 500 airports nationwide. FAA Administrator Dan Elwell said in an agency video, “LAANC is a technological solution that helps us […]

Loss of Control, also referred to as LOC, is one of the most common causes of fatal general aviation accidents, representing more than 1,200 fatal accidents in the past 10 years, according to the FAA. As such, it is one of the focuses of the FAA’s effort in reducing the risk of flying. The effort […]

The FAA is warning drone operators to fly clear of areas that have been affected by Hurricane Florence. According to statements released by the FAA on its website and Twitter, flying drones in the impacted regions could interfere with local, state, and federal recovery missions. Drone pilots caught breaking this rule could be slapped with […]

It’s not exactly breaking news that the aviation industry is running short of pilots and maintenance technicians. Boeing recently said the industry worldwide will require nearly 800,000 flight crew and nearly the same number of technicians over the next 20 years. The FAA last week held a Workforce Development Symposium in Washington to call attention […]

Swift Fuels has suspended its work with the Phase-II Piston Alternative Fuels Initiative (PAFI) — the FAA’s initiative to test and develop ASTM standards for unleaded replacements for the low-lead aviation fuels currently used in approximately 167,000 aircraft. Swift Fuels and Shell were the two finalists in the program. In June it was announced that […]