The FAA has released its proposed rule on the use of small remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).
In an unusual Sunday morning press conference, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta released the details of the proposed rule, which affects RPAs that weigh less than 55 pounds and are flown for non-recreational purposes. [Read more…]
LIEPAJA, Latvia — Elviss Straupenieks has launched an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign for AirBoard, what he’s calling the world’s smallest manned aircraft.
The all-electric personal air vehicle, featuring four propellers powered by four separate electric motors, moves in reaction to shifts in the rider’s weight, he explained. [Read more…]
LINCOLN, NEB. — Duncan Aviation recently updated its Straight Talk book on the NextGen initiative Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). [Read more…]
ASTM International, one of the largest standards development organizations in the world, is forming a group to develop standards for training workers in the aerospace industry. ASTM Committee F46 on Aerospace Personnel will be led by manufacturers, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and other key stakeholders.
“We are bringing everyone together to help ensure a strong pipeline of workers who can keep up with the fast pace of technological change in this dynamic industry,” says James A. Thomas, president of ASTM International. [Read more…]
Blogger Tori Williams at GlobalAir.com makes the case that there’s five essential skills a pilot must learn (besides all that airplane stuff): Good Study Habits; A Willingness to Make Mistakes; Quick Decision Making; Punctuality; and A Sense of Adventure. Check it out here, then comment below if you agree or are there are other skills essential to being a safe pilot she didn’t mention?
“The drone industry – in 2014 – delivered enough units to more than double the entire number of aircraft in the United States,” says NoFlyZone.org founder Ben Marcus. “And that, for many people, is a privacy issue.”
With that, Marcus – an ATP-rated pilot, flight instructor and co-founder of aircraft brokerage firm jetAVIVA, launched NoFlyZone.org. “Most of the major drone manufacturers are including a no-fly database of airports in their software. We are adding other types of sites to the no-fly database, including individually opted-out properties.” [Read more…]
The FAA has withdrawn a change to a rule that would have permitted a wider use of aviation training devices for instrument flight training in the U.S. — because the rule received two adverse comments.
DULUTH, Minn. — Cirrus Aircraft reports that new aircraft shipments in 2014 were the best company performance since 2008, with the Cirrus SR22 maintaining its position as the best-selling airplane in its segment for the 12th year in a row.
A Bridgewater, Virginia, company is exploring the possibility of returning President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Columbine II” to the air. The 1948 USAF Lockheed C-121A Constellation — the first presidential aircraft to be called “Air Force One” — is presently languishing in the Arizona desert. [Read more…]
The FAA has expanded the airspace for remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in North Dakota. [Read more…]