FAA and Regs

Acting ahead of this this Friday’s (May10) midnight deadline, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a one-week extension yesterday (May 8) for a five-year reauthorization agreement. The short-term “patch” came as the Senate works to reach agreement on the bill. FAA reauthorization is considered the last “must pass” measure facing Congress before this fall. The […]

U.S. Congress negotiators from the House of Representatives and the Senate agreed this morning (April 29) on language of a long-term FAA reauthorization bill addressing potential safety breaches as well as consumer protections. The House voted in favor of a reauthorization bill in July 2023 that would have included raising the mandatory airline pilot retirement […]

The final rule on the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) is now expected sometime in 2025. When the comment period closed for the MOSAIC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in January it was suggested that the final rule might be announced at AirVenture 2024 but that is no longer the expectation. “It is correct that early […]

The FAA has issued a final rule requiring charter, air tour operators and many manufacturers to develop and maintain safety management systems. The agency said last fall that it would make the requirement, and it sent the final rule to the Federal Register on Monday. “Requiring more aviation organizations to implement a proactive approach to […]

On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced its plans to revise air traffic controller rest guidelines, mandating a minimum of 10 hours off between shifts (previously 9 hours) and 12 hours off before midnight shifts.   The change comes in response to a new report released by a panel of safety experts detailing the […]

For the first time in its history, the FAA has issued a special flight authorization to allow Boom Supersonic to break the sound barrier. The approval will allow the Colorado startup to fly its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft faster than Mach 1 up to 20 times over the next year in the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor […]

The FAA has launched a barrage of social media posts aimed at gathering applicants for its next intake of air traffic controller trainees. The next application period begins Friday and lasts until May 8. The agency is short about 3,000 controllers and is under pressure to get those posts filled in light of a rash […]

A Boeing engineer and whistleblower is calling for the grounding of all the more than 1,000 Boeing 787s for an issue Boeing says has been addressed and signed off on by the FAA. In an exclusive interview tonight on NBC Nightly News, Sam Salehpour says he’ll tell a Senate committee on Wednesday he believes the […]

The FAA has notified Santa Clara County it is investigating noncompliance issues at Reid-Hillview and San Martin Airports with an eye to getting safety issues fixed. In an April 8 letter, the agency detailed a long list of areas it would be looking at on the field including signage and runway markings, areas of pavement […]

The FAA has barred a wing walking company from conducting flights and revoked the owner’s pilot certificate, deeming the operation unsafe and reckless, according to a report from The Seattle Times. Mason Wing Walking, based in Sequim, Washington, in the summer and Ventura County, California, in the winter, gives thrill-seeking amateurs the opportunity to strap […]