FAA

It was a policy that never made a lick of sense in the first place, and now it’s going away. The FAA yesterday issued a final policy on “non-aeronautical use of hangars” that purges terms like “incidental use” and “insignificant amount of space” from the document. As a result, the FAA will consider the construction […]

As of yesterday, applicants for the Private Pilot Airplane and Instrument Rating Airplane knowledge and practical tests will be evaluated based on the new Airman Certification Standards (ACS), which replaced the decades-old Practical Test Standards (PTS). The ACS provides more detailed guidance on what the applicant must know, consider and do in order to pass […]

As notam warnings for potential GPS interference continue for flight operations during portions of June near the U.S. Navy’s China Lake Air Warfare Center in the western Mojave Desert, the FAA on Saturday alerted operators to a specific threat, one the agency said could affect flight-stability controls for Embraer Phenom 300 aircraft. The agency said […]

NBAA’s president and CEO Ed Bolen took the opportunity to encourage attendees at the NBAA Regional Forum in Van Nuys, California, last week to contact their representatives in hopes of moving the FAA reauthorization bill along while opposing the ATC privatization provision that is stalling its progress. NBAA recently implemented a system that makes it […]

With the July 15 deadline for the passing of an FAA reauthorization bill swiftly approaching, a handful of prominent aviation groups have banded together, drafting a letter urging Congress to put aside its differences for the good of the aviation community. A controversial provision in a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that […]

In spite of our best efforts, the weather is still a problem. Though we have better access to weather-focused graphics, both through aviation sources as well as those for the general public, confusion reigns when it comes to interpreting that data and displaying that knowledge on a check ride. In other words, everyone knows about […]

In-flight internet just got more accessible for general aviation aircraft. BendixKing this week announced the FAA has approved installation of its AeroWave 100 in-flight internet product on several popular turboprop and turbine airframes. The approved model list includes Cessna Mustang, M2, CJ2, CJ3, CJ4, Caravan, Embraer Phenom 100 and 300, Pilatus PC-12, Daher TBM 700/850/900, […]

In an effort to spur adoption of ADS-B avionics ahead of the 2020 equipment mandate, the FAA yesterday announced a rebate program for owners of U.S.-registered piston airplanes — but as you might guess, there’s a catch. Once the incentive program goes into effect in September, the first 20,000 aircraft owners to equip with ADS-B […]

John, Dr. Williams is dead. I thought you’d want to know.” The news hit me like a thunderbolt. The caller was an FAA inspector. Just two weeks earlier, I had asked him to talk with Dr. Williams. Dr. Williams was a towering figure. He was a physician, a radiologist, and an Episcopalian priest. He was […]

The cost and hassle of complying with the FAA’s 2020 ADS-B Out mandate is vexing many aircraft owners, but quite a few of us are already enjoying the benefits of ADS-B In: real-time weather, Nexrad radar and traffic information, all for free. There are a number of feature-rich portable receivers on the market, like the […]