Is the FAA moving as it should in decisions and actions relating to the Next Generation Air Transportation System — NextGen — and if not, why not? That is what the office of Inspector General of the Department of Transportation will try to determine in an audit of the FAA’s progress on the program. The […]
FAA
House passes Pilot’s Bill of Rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Pilot’s Bill of Rights has been approved by the House of Representatives and is on its way to President Obama’s desk. U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a member of the Senate General Aviation Caucus and a CFI with more than 10,000 flight hours, introduced the bill, which is designed to remedy […]
Contract towers equal in safety, less in cost
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 250 air traffic control towers operated under contract to the FAA handle 28% of all operations, but cost only 14% of the budget, according to statements before an aviation subcommittee whose members expressed concerns about possible severe cuts in operations if the President’s threatened automatic budget sequester goes into effect in […]
A day in the life of an FAA test pilot
CBS recently profiled Lorry Faber, a pilot who has had some amazing adventures during her 25-year career, including flying the President of the United States overseas, taking dignitaries to and from Washington D.C. and hovering over Mount Fuji in a helicopter. Currently, she tests air transportation projects, such as those for NextGen and ADS-B. Check […]
Hearing will review FAA’s Contract Tower Program
WASHINGTON, DC – The Subcommittee on Aviation, chaired by U.S. Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.), will hold a hearing on Wednesday, July 18, to review the FAA’s Contract Tower Program and the Department of Transportation Inspector General’s (DOT IG) ongoing audit of the program. Under the Contract Tower Program, the FAA contracts with private entities to […]
Changes to flight training in the works
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pilots and future pilots might find new and different approaches to studying and testing for certificates and ratings if recommendations from a panel are adopted by the FAA. Over the past several years the aviation training community has raised concerns that the FAA has not kept up with training methods and technology. […]
A roadmap to finding a new fuel
The transition to an unleaded aviation fuel is still years away, according to the final report from the FAA’s Unleaded Avgas Transition Aviation Rulemaking Committee (UAT ARC). And whether it is GAMI’s G100UL, Swift Fuels biofuel, or some other alternative, all candidate fuels require “significant assessment” by the FAA to ensure safety, according to the […]
FAA buys King Airs
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. reports it has received a follow-on order from the FAA for two Beechcraft King Air C90GTx turboprops with the option for one additional aircraft. The FAA, which operates a fleet of six King Air C90GTx turboprops, will use the two new aircraft to further support the FAA’s Flight Standards Flight Program. The […]
FAA releases video on ‘Climb Via’
The FAA has released a new video to help pilots prepare for the Aug. 15 implementation of the new “Climb Via” instruction for standard instrument departures (SIDs). Review the video here.