FAA

The FAA is asking laser manufacturers and distributors to add a label warning of the safety risks and federal laws related to laser use to their product packaging. The agency suggested that the label read: “Pointing a laser at an aircraft threatens pilots, and it is a federal crime. U.S. law enforcement agencies and the […]

Construction is underway on a new air traffic control tower at North Carolina’s Asheville Regional Airport (AVL). The airport’s existing tower was built in 1961 and is currently one of the oldest in the national airspace system. The new tower will be 127 feet tall with a 440-square-foot cab and a 13,300-square-foot base building. “It […]

The FAA has signed a Declaration of Cooperation with the Korea Office of Civil Aviation (KOCA) to collaborate on future advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft development and operations. According to the FAA, the agencies will “work together to promote the safety oversight of AAM, including airworthiness, licensing, and operations.” Similar partnerships are in place with […]

The FAA has proposed a rule that would add powered-lift operations to the regulations covering commercial ops. The rule primarily proposes updating the definition of “air carrier”, which currently only refers to “airplanes” and “rotorcraft.” According to the FAA, the proposed changes are part of “a multi-step process of updating the regulations that apply to […]

The FAA has released its initial design guidelines for vertiports aimed at supporting advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities. The design standards are intended to “serve as the initial step to provide key information for airport owners, operators and infrastructure developers to begin development of facilities that will support […]

The FAA has denied a Republic Airways petition for an exemption from regulations requiring pilots applying for an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate to have logged 1,500 flight hours. In the petition, the airline asked that graduates from its Leadership in Flight Training Academy (LIFT) be allowed to apply for a restricted airline transport pilot […]

The Matternet M2 has become the first non-military unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drone) to earn its FAA type certificate. In an announcement on Wednesday, drone delivery system developer Matternet stated that the M2 underwent four years of evaluation by the FAA prior to certification. The company noted that the M2, along with several other drone models, […]

In a first for the aviation industry, the FAA has approved supplemental type certificates (STCs) for the use of General Aviation Modifications Inc.’s G100UL 100-octane unleaded avgas in all general aviation piston aircraft. GAMI co-founder George Braly stated that the fuel will initially be produced in small batches while the manufacturing and distribution infrastructure is […]

The FAA has awarded $231,000 in grants designed to facilitate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) outreach. The grants will go to three universities—North Carolina State University, Kansas State University and Ohio’s Sinclair Community College—for programs aimed at students of elementary, middle, and high school age with a focus on “those who are under-represented in […]

The FAA has awarded a total of $2.7 million to support research on using unmanned aerial systems (UAS/drones) to assist in disaster preparedness and emergency response operations. The funding will go to five universities including the University of Vermont, the University of Alabama Huntsville, New Mexico State University, North Carolina State University and Kansas State […]