Recent Updates

The FAA is proposing relaxing rules for flying drones over people and at night. The FAA released a draft of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Monday. The NPRM will be published in the Federal Register “at a later date.” A draft Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was also released laying the groundwork for public input […]

The Transportation Security Administration is warning that there could be more security checkpoint closures and longer lines at the screening points that are open after at least two closures over the weekend. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental closed all of Terminal B late Sunday because too many TSA workers, who are not being paid in the […]

The government shutdown is delaying an urgent update of the World Magnetic Model, the underlying basis for all modern navigation systems, and those systems are in danger of becoming unacceptably inaccurate. Magnetic North, the wandering point near the North Pole that is the reference for navigation services, is racing away from Canada toward Siberia. It’s […]

You don’t have to join the Air Force and wait for the next generation of supersonic business jets to fly a Mach-busting jet. The only flying MiG-23 in the U.S. is for sale in Texas and it can go Mach 2.35, although not legally over land in the U.S. The Cold War-era Soviet fighter has […]

After celebrating a series of successful launches, including the final shipment of Iridium satellites to low earth orbit last week, SpaceX has announced it’s laying off about 10 percent of its staff. The company told Reuters that it faces some “extraordinarily difficult challenges ahead” and needs to lean out its operation. “To continue delivering for […]

In a show of solidarity with their unpaid U.S. counterparts, Canadian air traffic controllers ordered pizza for FAA controllers at facilities across the U.S. over the weekend. It started with controllers in Edmonton, Alberta buying pizza for the staff in Anchorage. The movement quickly spread and by Sunday, every Canadian ATC facility had been paired […]

Boeing and Embraer now have all the approvals they need to move forward with two joint ventures that will change the commercial and perhaps military aircraft market. Boeing will take over 80 percent of the Brazilian company’s passenger plane business and will also take a 49 percent stake in the development of the KC-390 military […]

Heading north from Santa Monica to Oakland and approaching San Jose, I heard the following: Approach: “N1234, remain east and north of highway 101.” N1234: “Ah, 1234, roger.” Approach: “N1234, please remain east and north of the freeway.” N1234: “Ah OK, 101, 1234.” Approach: “N1234, do you see that long thing on your right with […]

Remembering Herb Kelleher Just wanted to say thank you for publishing Myron Nelson’s beautifully crafted remembrance of the late Herb Kelleher. It was spot on. I was privileged to oversee the induction ceremony of Herb in 2008 (along with Sean Tucker and two others), while serving as Executive Director of the National Aviation Hall of […]

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government alleging that NATCA members had been “unlawfully deprived […] of their earned wages without due process” as a result of the partial government shutdown that began on Dec. 22. A hearing has been scheduled for Monday in District Court in […]