FAA and Regs

On the Way to OSH: U.S. Air Force National Museum Thank you, Tom. Like you, I was a young admirer of the B-70. Today as an engineer that admiration has only strengthened. I remember the last (and only) time I saw this magnificent machine in person. Fifteen years ago, I spent two days at the […]

A government report says a longtime FAA inspector allowed unqualified pilots to fly for the U.S.’s largest airline. The report issued by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Transportation says that the 28-year veteran “seems to have been affected by his relationship with [American Airlines].” The safety concerns—which only involved maintenance […]

The FAA issued a statement on Wednesday warning drone owners to steer clear of people and companies offering to help register their drones with the agency. According to the FAA, it “neither regulates these entities nor will speculate on their legitimacy” and cautions that some of the vendors offering these services have made attempts to […]

Turbofan engines for airplanes should be required to pass tests showing they could keep flying after ingesting a medium-sized bird during climb-out or landing, the FAA said in a proposed rule published on Friday. The proposal is based on a 2015 report following the “Miracle on the Hudson” flight in 2009, when an Airbus A320 […]

The FAA says owners of certain Bonanza models can use an exhaust clamp made for Cessna aircraft as an alternative means of compliance for an AD that has grounded some Bonanzas. According to AOPA, the agency issued the AD requiring replacement of exhaust v-band clamps on A36TC and B36TC Bonanzas after one failed and led […]

The FAA is sticking to its decision that there is no safety reason for the agency to regulate airline seat size, according to a letter published by the agency on Monday. The letter comes in response to a 2017 court order that called for the FAA to reconsider its decision to deny a petition from […]

As private space launches increase and diversify, those activities are causing “significant impacts” on commercial aviation, according to a white paper (PDF) published by ALPA last week. Those impacts include flight delays, flight-plan alterations, increased distance flown, longer flight times, flight cancellations, crew duty cycle changes, gate slot management and added fuel burn. As one […]

The FAA has completed only 10 of the 22 initiatives it proposed in 2015 to address the problem of runway incursions, according to a report published last week by the federal Office of Inspector General. The OIG report said the FAA reported an 83-percent rise in incursions between 2011 and 2017, including serious incidents when […]

The FAA plans to shut down circling approaches wherever feasible, and last week the agency published its selection criteria for deciding which approaches will be cancelled. The changes are part of an effort to “right-size” the National Airspace System, and eliminate redundant and unnecessary procedures, the FAA said. Input from AOPA was taken into consideration. […]

A proper FAA reauthorization may have to wait (again) thanks to this week’s surprise retirement of a Supreme Court justice. All of the focus in Washington will be on the maneuvering ahead of President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy and unless everything goes exactly right for the long-awaited FAA bill, it’s likely […]