FAA and Regs

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 […]

There were no fatalities among the 143 people aboard a Miami Air Boeing 737 that went off the end of the runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville Friday night. The plane was on a flight from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba when it ended up in shallow water in the St. John’s River about […]

The pilot walked away (after being helped to the ground) but left authorities in western Idaho to figure out how to retrieve his airplane from the top of a 60-foot fir tree. John Gregory took off last week from McCall, Idaho, and lost power in his Super Cub. He headed for a clearing but a […]

Like peanut butter and jelly, Southwest Airlines and Boeing have been inextricably linked but maybe not so much anymore. Southwest officials have reportedly been asking questions about the Airbus A220, the highly regarded former Bombardier CSeries single-aisle program acquired by Airbus last year and now being operated by Delta, Korean Air and Swiss, among others. […]

The comment period on the FAA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on its rules for drone operations has ended and 899 comments were received on the highly detailed document. The agency says it’s now digesting those comments and won’t give an estimate of how long it will take to turn the NPRM and the comments into […]

Canada’s Transport Minister Marc Garneau is suggesting he’ll break ranks with the FAA’s handling of the Boeing MAX 8 fix and require simulator training for MAX pilots flying in Canadian airspace. The FAA has so far said it will not require sim time for MAX pilots as it works with Boeing on a software update […]

Nine aviation associations are objecting to a proposed FAA study that would perform toxicology tests on anonymous urine samples gathered during pilot medical exams, according to a letter sent to the FAA on April 3. The letter (PDF) states that the study proposal was presented to Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) team members during […]

The FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) for the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet on Wednesday in response to three reports of the stall warning and protection system (SWPS) or Electronic Stability & Protection (ESP) System “engaging when not appropriate.” According to the AD, “Cirrus and Aerosonic (manufacturer of the technical standard order AOA [Angle […]