FAA

A bipartisan crusade to get airline passengers a little more legroom continued last week with the reintroduction of the Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. The act was first introduced in 2016 as an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization bill; however, Congress failed to pass it. […]

As the countdown continues to the Dec. 31, 2019, deadline for ADS-B Out installation, the pace of updates is expected to increase significantly and the agency is concerned about shops rushing to complete the required work. The FAA, in a safety alert for operators (No. 17002), recently warned of adhering to proper testing procedures for […]

“You gave us all quite a scare last night.” I gradually became aware that I was in a hospital and Martha was explaining to me that I had had a lapse of consciousness. You will appreciate that the very first thing that came into my mind was concern for my aviation medical certificate. The hospital […]

General aviation leaders are welcoming a bipartisan letter from Senate Appropriations Committee leaders opposing plans for the creation of a privatized air traffic control system. The letter was sent February 28 to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL), and signed by Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS) and […]

John King confirmed to Flying a personal issue that has been rumored for many months: the FAA has denied the well-known aviation educator’s medical certificate, leaving him unable to act as co-captain aboard the Dassault Falcon 10 he and his wife, Martha, fly. John King is, of course, half of the legendary John and Martha […]

Airport surveillance videos detailing last week’s incident at John Wayne International Airport (SNA) involving actor Harrison Ford have surfaced. The actor was cleared to land his single-engine Aviat Husky on SNA’s Runway 20L, but instead landed on the airport’s taxiway “Charlie” that runs parallel to Runway 20L. As the Husky approached the intersection of taxiway […]

Developers of electric aircraft are rejoicing now that the Part 23 rewrite is complete. Unlike before, the new rule will allow for certified airplanes to be developed with electric propulsion. “The new Part 23 rewrite allows for the full benefit of electric propulsion in the larger, heavier general aviation size of aircraft,” says George Bye, […]

Roei Ganzarski, the CEO of BoldIQ, a transportation logistics software startup firm based in the Seattle area, says that whether you agree with Donald Trump’s politics or not, on the issue of ATC privatization the president is 100 percent right. Privatizing air traffic control would lower costs, boost efficiency and usher in new technologies that […]

For aviation interests that have battled for years to keep Santa Monica Airport open, the fight is far from over. The National Business Aviation Association is leading an effort to overturn an agreement between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica that would see the airport close after 2028. NBAA, along with the Santa […]

Helicopter safety statistics released this week by the FAA indicate that years’ worth of hard work by the agency and a number of industry groups to improve operational safety are paying off. The agency reported that the raw accident rate, as well as the fatal accident rate in helicopters, recorded a downturn for the third […]