FAA

The FAA has authorized drone delivery and logistics company Zipline to make commercial deliveries using drones flying beyond the operator’s line of sight. According to the agency, Zipline will use its Sparrow drone, which releases payloads via parachute and is capable of traveling up to 120 miles, for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. […]

A coalition of aviation organizations sent a letter last week calling for the U.S. Senate to move forward as soon as possible on an FAA Reauthorization bill and confirming the next FAA Administrator. FAA reauthorization legislation was introduced in both the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives last June. A bill was passed by […]

The White House confirmed on Thursday that President Joe Biden is nominating Michael Whitaker to serve as the next FAA Administrator. Whitaker was deputy administrator at the FAA from 2013 to 2016 and spent 15 years at United Airlines, where he held positions including director, vice president and senior vice president. A private pilot, he […]

The FAA has published a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) aimed at preventing injuries to ground personnel towing and guiding airliners. The agency recommended that operators ensure their towing and marshalling procedures require that chocks are installed whenever aircraft towing stops, all personnel to remain clear of an aircraft in tow until it has come […]

The FAA has met its goal to hire 1,500 air traffic controllers in 2023, bringing the number of controllers currently in training to approximately 2,600. The agency set the goal as part of an effort to rebuild its training pipeline following disruptions related to COVID. The FAA noted that, due to the pandemic, it closed […]

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R. 3935) on Thursday in a 351-69 vote. The bill, which will reauthorize the FAA through 2028, was introduced on June 9 by House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., and co-sponsored by full Committee Ranking […]

The FAA has opened applications for a pair of grant programs designed to generate interest and prepare students to step into careers in aviation. Together, the Aircraft Pilots Workforce Development Grants and Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development Grants fund programs that educate pilots, aerospace engineers, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drone) operators and aviation maintenance technicians. […]

The U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee has approved a bill to reauthorize the FAA by a unanimous vote. The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R. 3935) was introduced last Friday by T&I Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., full Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen, D-Wash., Aviation Subcommittee Chairman […]

Legislation to reauthorize the FAA has been introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. On the Senate side, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023 was sponsored by Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Ranking Member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Aviation Subcommittee Chair Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and […]

The FAA is proposing new rules to establish requirements for pilot certification and operation of powered-lift aircraft. Under the proposed regulations, pilots would be required to hold a type rating for each powered-lift model they fly. The rule (PDF) also includes provisions aimed at forming an initial cadre of powered-lift instructors by allowing pilots employed […]