FAA and Regs

The FAA issued an emergency AD affecting more than 2,000 second- and third-generation Boeing 737s that have been parked since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March. The AD requires immediate inspection of the fifth stage bleed air check valve to check for corrosion. The corroded valves don’t close after the engine is throttled back […]

Icelandair fired all its flight attendants Friday and told pilots they’ll be doing those jobs temporarily starting Monday. The airline and the FAs had been in a monthlong labor dispute and on Friday the company ended it. “Icelandair will permanently terminate the employment of its current cabin crew members and permanently discontinue the employment relationship […]

The FAA had no idea who was flying swarms of drones over Colorado and Nebraska around the New Year and still doesn’t according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request filed by a group that normally investigates UFO sightings. The Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies unearthed emails and documents from the FAA, including […]

The FAA and Boeing have completed the certification flight tests for the grounded Boeing 737 MAX. According to the FAA, the tests were aimed at evaluating “Boeing’s proposed changes in connection with the automated flight control system on the aircraft.” The test flights occurred over three days with the first series performed on Monday. “While […]

A glider pilot has updated a popular YouTube video on his channel with a cautionary tale of how a little flattery can turn into a seven-month certificate suspension and thousands of dollars in legal fees. Bruno Vassel was showing off his ASW27 high-performance glider on the ramp at an air and car show at Spanish […]

FAA and Boeing test pilots will start wringing out the updated version of the Boeing 737 MAX flight control software on Monday, according to a report by Reuters. Citing unnamed sources, the news agency said the pilots will spend three days in various flight configurations to test the effectiveness of the rewrite of software for […]

The FAA has signed off on significant changes to the Boeing 737 MAX’s flight control systems mandated by Canada and the European Union. The changes won’t delay the return to service but will cost Boeing money in the long term. According to the Seattle Times, the European Aviation Safety Administration (EASA) has demanded three changes […]

The FAA has issued an amendment expanding a special federal aviation regulation (SFAR) designed to provide regulatory relief for individuals unable to meet some training, experience, testing and checking requirements due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The original SFAR, which was published on April 30, extended the validity of medical certificates expiring from March 31, […]

A whistleblower says the FAA should pull Boeing’s production certificate for the Boeing 737 MAX because of the company’s “continued deception and gross errors in the design and production” of the aircraft. Curtis Ewbank, a 34-year-old flight deck systems specialist, wrote a letter to the Senate predicting more fatal crashes if systemic issues with the […]

During a Wednesday hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson acknowledged that the FAA and Boeing both made mistakes in regards to the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX. “The manufacturer made mistakes and the FAA made mistakes in its oversight of the manufacturer,” Dickson said […]