FAA and Regs

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) is reportingthe return to service of the Boeing 737 MAX is being pushed back because something in the investigation has prompted a review of training in the previous model. There are more than 5,000 Boeing 737NG models in use all over the world and the safety record of the […]

The FAA issued an airworthiness directive (AD) on Friday grounding Cessna CitationJet 525, 525A and 525B models with Tamarack active load alleviation system (ATLAS) winglets installed until a modification can be developed and approved. The FAA says the AD (PDF) is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the European Aviation Safety […]

The temptation was to assume that balladeer Billy Joel was enforcing his star quality when news hit mainstream media that the Piano Man was fighting to keep his ability to land a helicopter at his New York home. It seemed he was yet another spoiled celebrity bothering his neighbors with frivolously obnoxious use of a […]

The FAA published a notice in the Federal Register on Friday stating that it is implementing several changes for recreational drone fliers that were mandated by Congress in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The notice (PDF) sets out eight statutory conditions recreational drone users must meet, including requiring recreational drone users to obtain prior […]

Boeing announced on Thursday that it has completed development of updated software for the 737 MAX, as well as concluding the associated simulator testing and completing the company’s engineering test flight. The software update is designed to address faults with the aircraft’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) that are widely considered to have significantly contributed […]

If you’ve been waiting to place your reservation for the FAA’s $500 rebate to install ADS-B Out avionics, well … you’ve waited too long. The FAA announced on Monday that it had taken the last of the 20,000 reservations begun in September 2016. All is not lost, however. According to the FAA, “Some rebates are […]

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had some unusual crew resource management advice for Air India Express after a seasoned captain dumped a Boeing 737-800 in a drainage ditch at Cochin Airport in April of 2017 despite repeated warnings from his much younger female first officer. In its report, the DGCA tribunal said the […]

While Boeing engineers and the FAA put the finishing touches on the software makeover for the Boeing 737 MAX, a potentially more daunting task has been handed to the company’s marketing department as it restores confidence in the aircraft. Some online travel agents have added filters to their search engines to alert customers if they’re […]

Virgin Galactic took a big step away from its test program toward commercial development of space tourism with a move from the high California desert to a purpose-built passenger flight facility in New Mexico. CEO Richard Branson announced Friday that it will be moving a significant part of its operation to a taxpayer-funded spaceport in […]

The Federal Aviation Administration has dusted off its FAA-approved crystal ball and published the FAA Aerospace Forecast for 2019-2039. The extensive report takes into account global economic factors in the recent past to project demand for aircraft, pilots and facilities over the next two decades. Broadly, the FAA sees stable growth for airlines, overall stability […]