FAA and Regs

The FAA has given drone operators an extra six months to install mandatory electronic identification gear on their aircraft. Operators now have until March 16, 2024, to add the tiny modules or buy factory-equipped aircraft so they can broadcast the identification and location data the FAA mandated a couple of years ago. The agency said […]

The FAA has ordered SpaceX to fix 63 deficiencies in its Starship megarocket system before it can attempt another launch. Earlier this week the company said it was ready to take a second crack at getting the Starship into orbit after a spectacular failure in April. The agency said Friday that its joint investigation into […]

The White House confirmed on Thursday that President Joe Biden is nominating Michael Whitaker to serve as the next FAA Administrator. Whitaker was deputy administrator at the FAA from 2013 to 2016 and spent 15 years at United Airlines, where he held positions including director, vice president and senior vice president. A private pilot, he […]

A California partnership says its fly-by-wire two-seat helicopter can be flown away by anyone with $188,000, a driver’s license medical and 30 hours of training as soon as the new MOSAIC regs come into effect. Advance Tactics and RotorX say the ATRX-700 will be easy to fly thanks to the computer on the other end […]

The FAA has issued an update to an AD on hundreds of Boeing 777s because it’s concerned they might explode if struck by lightning. The AD was issued this week to update earlier action to address cracks in wing chords. When it reviewed the wing problems, the agency discovered that there were errors in the […]

The FAA has published a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) aimed at preventing injuries to ground personnel towing and guiding airliners. The agency recommended that operators ensure their towing and marshalling procedures require that chocks are installed whenever aircraft towing stops, all personnel to remain clear of an aircraft in tow until it has come […]

The FAA has met its goal to hire 1,500 air traffic controllers in 2023, bringing the number of controllers currently in training to approximately 2,600. The agency set the goal as part of an effort to rebuild its training pipeline following disruptions related to COVID. The FAA noted that, due to the pandemic, it closed […]

Coming changes to Light Sport rules are expected to bring a boon to the still-nascent eVTOL industry, according to manufacturer Doroni Aerospace. In a news release this week the company says the new Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) initiative will include eVTOLs and allow them to be developed under the more permissive and less […]

When you present yourself to a designated pilot examiner (DPE) or an FAA employee for a checkride to add a new certificate or rating, both you and the aircraft are subject to closer inspection than you may be accustomed. Pilots aren’t expected to know the dry torque specification for an engine’s cylinder studs, but they […]

A continuing controller shortage at the New York TRACON has prompted the FAA to extend its relaxation of slot use requirements at the three main New York airports to Oct. 28, 2023. The agency announced the extension in a news release on Wednesday and it will allow airlines to reduce flight frequency without risking the […]