The July/August 2013 issue of FAA Safety Briefing focuses on airman preparedness. Articles explore procedures, techniques, and equipment that can help you stay ahead of the aviation safety curve and prepare for the unexpected. Among the feature articles in this issue include: “What Would MacGyver Do?” – a look into aviation survival equipment (p. 10); […]
FAA
EAA petitions federal court on ATC charges
The Experimental Aircraft Association(EAA) filed a petition July 3 with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago, asking the court to review and provide relief from payments demanded by the FAA in relation to air traffic control services at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. In its petition, EAA asks the court to stop […]
EAA vs. FAA: It’s complicated
To be honest, I’m a bit conflicted about all that’s been going on with the Experimental Aircraft Association and the FAA’s demand that the association cover some of the costs of air traffic control at this month’s AirVenture. Of course, EAA is much more than AirVenture. But once a year, it does host the mother […]
Contract towers included in FAA funding bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Funding for contract towers started its long process through government when a subcommittee of the House of Representatives included it as part of the annual appropriations bill for the Department of Transportation, which has the FAA and other agencies. The bill covers fiscal year 2014, which goes from Oct. 1 of this […]
Make your voice heard
Each year, the FAA surveys the flying population seeking information on aviation activity and safety. The general aviation and professional flyer community responds but often recreational aviation details are sparse. You can help change that. The FAA hired an independent research firm called Tetra Tech, which wrote, “The FAA’s annual GA Survey is the only […]
The show must go on
GUEST EDITORIAL By PHILIP HANDLEMAN Sequestration is forcing the Pentagon to slash $41 billion this year on top of the $487 billion reduction in defense spending already mandated over the next 10 years. Resultantly, a cruel triage within the Defense Department has taken hold. Communities across America are waking to the reality that their scheduled […]
Is FAA demand double taxation?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each year the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh attracts more aircraft, pilots, and aviation enthusiasts than any other aviation gathering in the United States, but this year EAA is facing paying the FAA an estimated $500,000 for doing its job. Payment is necessary, say FAA officials, because sequester has cut off necessary […]
Assessment outlines risks if BTL tower closed
A safety risk assessment (SRA) has identified potential hazards for aircraft using W.K. Kellogg Airport (BTL) in Battle Creek, Mich., if the airport’s control tower had been closed by the FAA because of sequestration. JDA Aviation Technology Solutions (JDA) performed the assessment and published its results today in a Safety Risk Management Document (SRMD). Substantial […]
FAA administrator calls for more action on GA safety
As the busy summer flying season approaches, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta recently met with leaders from the general aviation community to agree on actions to enhance safety and reduce accidents. The general aviation fatal accident rate has remained flat over the past five years and 149 fatal accidents already have occurred so far this fiscal […]


