FAA and Regs

The Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut off the engines from a flight deck jump seat says his earlier consumption of magic mushrooms triggered deep-seated mental issues that put him in a dreamlike state. In an exclusive interview with The New York Times, Joseph Emerson, who was the safety representative for Alaska’s San Francisco-based […]

With concerns raised over whether pilots fear seeking treatment for mental health issues, the FAA announced today (Nov. 9) it will establish a Pilot Mental Health Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to address the issue. According to the announcement, the FAA “expects the committee to provide recommendations on breaking down the barriers that prevent pilots from […]

Transient general aviation aircraft will need prior permission before landing at Las Vegas area airports ahead of the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023. Harry Reid International Airport (KLAS), Henderson Executive Airport (KHND) and North Las Vegas Airport (KVGT) are all enforcing the prior permission required (PPR) program, which will be in […]

SpaceX says it’s ready to launch its Starship rocket for a second attempt as soon as an environmental review of its new launch system is complete. On Oct. 31, the FAA wrapped up a safety review of the first Starship launch in April. That attempt resulted in the destruction of the rocket and massive damage […]

The city council in Torrance, California, is trying to ban touch and goes at its airport despite warnings from aviation groups and the FAA that it’s blatantly illegal. Zamperini Field is home to 10 flight schools and the Robinson Helicopter factory. After decades of noise complaints and numerous attempts to whittle down access to the […]

An NTSB final report into the fatal crash at an impromptu STOL competition in Nebraska in May of 2022 suggests the FAA inspectors onsite could have prevented the tragedy by enforcing rules already established for the STOL drag race that was supposed to be going on. The accident occurred during an unofficial STOL competition that […]

The Senate confirmed White House nominee Michael Whitaker as the new FAA Administrator in a vote Tuesday. Whitaker seemed to breeze through the confirmation process, which was without the rancor and finger-pointing that marked the grueling questioning that previous nominee Phil Washington endured. Washington withdrew when it became obvious he didn’t have the votes to […]

Cancellations mounted at Spirit Airlines on Friday as the airline cited “necessary” inspections for some of its aircraft. Data from FlightAware  shows Spirit had canceled roughly 100 flights or 11 percent of its daily operations by Friday afternoon. Spirit said 25 aircraft were being inspected and the FAA was aware of the situation. It did not […]

The FAA has officially closed its investigation into the crash of Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket system shortly after launch on Sept. 12, 2022. According to the agency, the loss of the uncrewed research mission was the result of the “structural failure of an engine nozzle caused by higher than expected engine operating temperatures.” […]

A coalition of sports leagues including the NFL, MLB and NASCAR are opposing a provision in the FAA Reauthorization Bill, currently making its way through the Senate, which relaxes flight restrictions over the nation’s stadiums during sporting events—a first since 9/11. As it stands, the FAA issues a temporary flight restriction above any stadium or […]