FAA and Regs

The FAA has confirmed that Trevor Jacob, the California pilot who intentionally crashed a Taylorcraft for a YouTube video two years ago, has been issued a temporary pilot certificate. “His pilot application is working its way through our standard process. He has a temporary pilot certificate. You can read more about temporary certificates here,” the […]

In a move under consideration for “decades,” the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced yesterday (Dec. 6) it plans to mandate that aviation repair stations in foreign countries require their employees to submit to drug and alcohol testing if they perform safety-sensitive maintenance procedures for U.S. airlines. According to the FAA, such testing is rare, […]

In conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Park Service (NPS) has introduced strict new rules for air tour operators conducting sightseeing within national parks. The new restrictions stem from the National Park Air Tour Management Act of 2000—legislation signed into law requiring operators conducting commercial air tours over national parks, or over tribal […]

Yesterday (Nov. 30), General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) president and CEO Pete Bunce testified before the Aviation Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The hearing, titled “Turbulence Ahead: Consequences of Delaying a Long-Term FAA Bill,” addressed the importance of providing funding and leadership stability within the Federal Aviation Administration. GAMA was […]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing to extend cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) recording time to 25 hours for all newly manufactured aircraft that require them, according to a press release issued today (Nov. 30). Existing regulations require CVRs, commonly known as black boxes, to record a minimum of two hours before new data begins to overwrite […]

The Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) team announced today (Nov. 29) that the first high-octane unleaded aviation fuel has reached an FAA milestone. According to an FAA announcement today, the agency “has approved the advancement to full-scale engine and flight testing of unleaded UL100E aviation fuel for piston-engine aircraft developed by LyondellBasell Industries/VP Racing. […]

The Short Wing Piper Club says a proposed AD to replace rudders on almost 31,000 Piper aircraft built before 1974 is a huge overreach and the process itself is deeply flawed. Last week the FAA issued a notice that the comment period for the AD would be extended 90 days until late February. The Short […]

The FAA says Boeing can start certification flight testing of its MAX 10, the flagship of the latest generation 737 and a key part of the overall business plan for the brand. The 10 hadn’t been certified when the MAX 8 and MAX 9 fleet was grounded in 2019 and that, combined with a rule […]

The FAA has extended the comment period on an AD that would require the replacement of rudders on almost 31,000 Piper aircraft made before 1974.  In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in October, the agency ordered every rudder equipped with a rudder post made of 1025 carbon steel be replaced with rudders that have posts […]

Recently confirmed FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker has received his first assignment from the Government Accountability Office, and he should be familiar with the subject matter. The GAO says Whitaker should get cracking on the NextGen air navigation modernization program. Whitaker was in charge of the program as the assistant administrator from 2013 to 2016. The […]