FAA and Regs

A newly released 322-page report on the Sept. 3, 2010, fatal crash of a UPS Boeing 747-44F noted “catastrophic uncontained fire” in an area that carried a “significant number” of lithium batteries as cargo, but did not resolve how the batteries ignited.Both pilots were killed in the crash. There were no other people on board. […]

New legislation passed through the House Tuesday (by a 411-0 vote) calling for a restructuring of the FAA’s Part 23 certification requirements for the purpose of expediting approvals for safety improvements. The Small Airplane Revitalization Act aims to remove bureaucratic barriers to evolutionary progress within the industry (for the introduction of new designs and the […]

General aviation advocacy groups have been working with the FAA to change the way light aircraft are certified, ditching the traditional Part 23 process and replacing it with an industry-consensus-standards approach. Greg Bowles of GAMA has been a leader in that effort, and he spoke with AVweb’s Mary Grady about the progress made in Washington […]

The FAA, manufacturers and GA advocates have been working to change the federal rules that govern certification for GA aircraft, and this week a bill was passed by a House committee that sets a December 2015 deadline for those changes to take effect. The Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013, passed on Wednesday by the […]

The FAA said Friday that recommendations from an advisory panel that could lead to broader approved use of personal electronic devices aboard airliners have been delayed. Originally expected this summer, the FAA is now says it expects to receive the recommendations this September. Cellphone use is reportedly not within the scope of the panel’s focus. […]

They’re aware that about 12 of their 400,000 members have been stopped and searched by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and AOPA Wednesday sent a letter to CBP seeking clarification regarding the authority for, and legal limits of, such searches. According to AOPA, none of its pilot members who have been stopped knew of any […]

Thursday, EAA finalized a one-time agreement with the FAA that will assure air traffic control services for the 2013 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in at a cost to EAA of nearly $450,000, but according to EAA Chairman Jack Pelton, “This isn’t over.” Pelton has described the FAA’s position as “holding AirVenture and GA hostage this year.” […]

A cargo pilot whose behavior last December while flying a Cessna 210 out of Greensboro for Tampa International Airport prompted authorities to scramble fighters and (later) a blood alcohol test has entered treatment, his lawyer said Wednesday. The blood of pilot Phillip Yves Lavoie, 28, showed an alcohol content of 0.27 percent in a test […]

Faced with an ultimatum from the FAA, EAA Chairman Jack Pelton says his organization will pay the $500,000 fee requested by the FAA if that’s the only way to guarantee that EAA’s AirVenture 2013 is fully staffed regarding air traffic controllers. According to Pelton, the FAA’s negotiations amounted to a demand for the funds and […]

Surf Air, which aims to offer private air travel in PC-12s among four California cities for a flat monthly fee, has received FAA approval to start flying. Flights will start June 12, with service between San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles. The company also said it has closed on a round of funding […]