FAA

The FAA announced today it has finalized a set of rules for the routine commercial operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) weighing less than 55 pounds, including a provision requiring the operator to obtain a “remote pilot certificate.” Under the new rule, drone pilots must be at least 16 years old and possess such a […]

Piper’s M600 single-engine turboprop achieved FAA type certification last week, adding a new model to the Vero Beach, Florida, manufacturer’s lineup that features more power and improved avionics. The $2.853 million M600 features the same Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-42A engine as the Piper M500, but power has been boosted from 500 to 600 shp, […]

The FAA is still struggling to find enough qualified people to staff air traffic control facilities around the country, according to a DOT report released yesterday. Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), called the staffing situation a crisis, claiming controller numbers stand at their lowest level in 27 years. The […]

An Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) composed of both aviation and medical experts, working in conjunction with commercial airlines and pilots’ unions, will strive to create a holistic approach to improving pilot mental health evaluations, in part by encouraging voluntary reporting of pilot mental health issues. “While some conditions automatically disqualify someone from flying, many pilots […]

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 […]