FAA

The FAA has proposed a new rule that would require commercial hot air balloon pilots to hold second-class medical certificates when operating for hire. As the regulations stand, balloon pilots are exempt from the medical requirement under 14 CFR 61.3(c)(2)(vi). According to the agency, the change will address the directive laid out in the FAA […]

The FAA announced on Monday that it has seen a rise in the number of laser strikes reported by pilots for the fourth year in a row. For 2021, 7,186 laser strike reports for had been received as of Oct. 14, the highest number recorded by the agency since 2016. 6,852 laser strikes were reported […]

The FAA has announced that it will open registration for its annual Airport Design Challenge on Nov. 1, 2021. The science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-focused competition allows K-12 students to design virtual airports using the popular game Minecraft. The challenge includes five weeks of organized lesson plans covering topics such as airport layout, pavement, […]