Another indication that communications in the nation’s capital should be improved is the Department of Transportation’s proposed five-year plan in which the agency sets out its goals through 2015. General aviation is all but forgotten, except for pushing again the idea that the current funding of the FAA should be something other than fuel taxes.

The plan states: “The administration believes that FAA should move toward a model whereby the agency’s funding is related to its costs, the financing burden is distributed more equitably, and funds are used to pay directly for services the users need.”

This sounds like user fees, despite the fact that the House of Representatives has said “NO” to those.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 15 the Federal Communications Commission issued a notice of proposed rulemaking prohibiting the certification, manufacture, importation, sale, or continued use of 121.5 MHz. Yet FAA regulations require the use of Emergency Locator Transmitters, most of which use 121.5 frequency.

An interesting dilemma for aircraft owners: Obey the proposal from the FCC and get a violation and possible fine from the FAA; obey the FAA and get a violation from the FCC; or spend hundreds of dollars on new equipment. The latter might be difficult. The FCC said its proposed rule would go into effect 90 days after being published in the Federal Register. This would not be enough time for manufacturers to produce ELTs for about 200,000 GA aircraft. Nor would there be enough mechanics to install them even if they could be made. What to do? What to do? Don’t panic.

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Once again the Senate and House could not agree on reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and the House passed a one-month extension of funding and taxing authority to keep the FAA operating through July. The FAA has been without long-term authority since Sept. 30, 2007. It has been operating on a series of three-month extensions. The existing extension expires July 3.

Long-term reauthorization has been passed by the House but action on it has been held up in the Senate over several matters. The most difficult to resolve concerns unionization of Federal Express workers. Staff members have been meeting diligently in this extension period with neither side showing any signs of giving ground.

Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) said both houses are close to agreement and he hopes to have an agreement by Aug. 1, when the latest extension will expire.

After 17 months without an administrator and two failed nominations, the Transportation Security Administration finally has a leader. John Pistole was confirmed for the post Friday, June 25, by the full Senate. As administrator of TSA, he also is assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

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A coalition of aviation alphabet groups and petroleum industry associations is striving to meet the challenges created for general aviation by recent government decisions to phase out 100 low-lead avgas. Elimination of 100LL was brought about by a petition from the Friends of the Earth to the Environmental Protection Agency in 2006. This led to the Clean Air Act, which put 100LL on the death list to meet national air quality standards. In response to this, in April the EPA issued an advance notice of proposed rule to stop production and use of 100LL, requesting comments by Aug. 27. A final notice of rule making is expected in 12 to 24 months.

About 30% of high performance aircraft consume roughly 70% of the avgas, industry experts speculate. Using a fuel other than 100LL would allow most to operate, but would affect performance of the aircraft. No replacement fuel is currently available. Without a viable transition, general aviation flying could face severe problems. Recognizing the inevitability of the elimination of 100LL, the coalition is putting together plans and programs to make the transition as easy and inexpensive as possible. Read More→

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Interest is increasing to use more unmanned aerial vehicles for security, law enforcement, weather studies, and other dangerous or dull jobs and this is posing big challenges for the FAA and pilots.

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Without a confirmed head for more than a year and a half and after three trys, the Transportation Security Administration may soon have an administrator.

On Thursday, June 17, the Senate Commerce Committee favorably reported John Pistole out of the committee to be TSA administrator and an assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Sen John “Jay“ Rockefeller (D–W.Va.), chairman of the committee, said this is very good news. “Pistole brings outstanding expertise that will help us tackle some of our nation’s most difficult transportation security challenges,” Rockefeller said. “As FBI’s deputy director and second in command, Mr. Pistole has diverse experiences and a broad investigative and national security background that will make him a highly effective leader at one of the toughest posts in Washington. I look forward to his full Senate confirmation to put him on the job for the American people.”

Pistole was nominated after two previous selections had withdrawn their names. Approval by the committee almost assures Pistole of quick confirmation by the full Senate.

Pilots operating at airports with air traffic control towers will get new phraseology to make taxi clearances clearer. Starting June 30, 2010, air traffic controllers will no longer use the term “taxi to” when authorizing aircraft to taxi to an assigned takeoff runway, according to FAA officials. With the change, controllers must issue explicit clearances to pilots crossing any runway (active/inactive or closed) along the taxi route. In addition, pilots crossing multiple runways must be past the first runway they are cleared to cross before controllers may issue the next runway-crossing clearance.

One exception to the new rule is at airports where taxi routes between runway centerlines are fewer than 1,000 feet apart. In this case, multiple runway crossings may be issued if approved by the FAA Terminal Services Director of Operations.

The elimination of the “taxi to” phrase will apply only to departing aircraft. Arriving aircraft will still hear the phrase “taxi to” when instructed to taxi to the gate or ramp. However, controllers in these situations still will be required to issue specific crossing instructions for each runway encountered on the taxi route. For more information on the change, refer to FAA Order N JO 7110.528, which can be found here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Consider the similarities between the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the FAA’s recent announcement setting requirements for ADS-B Out equipment to fly under the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. In both cases, everybody hopes something will work but can’t be sure; expenses are gushing out; and all parties are looking to protect their own hides.

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