In a video posted Jan. 18, 2024, of the FAA series “Pilot Minute,” Federal Air Surgeon Susan Northrup, MD, goes over requirements for BasicMed and the mental health, neurologic, or cardiac conditions that would require a pilot — by law — to be reexamined by an FAA designee Aviation Medical Examiner (AME).
FAA
Slipping the surly bonds of ice
When Lancair pilot Matt Johnson was told to descend by ATC, he complied, then found his airplane was picking up ice. He remembers thinking about “how insane it was that I descended into ice-filled clouds from blue sky, no traffic within a hundred miles of me, just because some guy told me to.”
EAA issues guide for those wanting to comment on LSA proposal
EAA has been promoting the MOSAIC concept for a decade as a natural evolution in the safe flying history demonstrated by sport pilots and light-sport aircraft over the past 20 years. MOSAIC would replace the current arbitrary gross weight limit in favor of performance standards and would allow thousands of sport pilots to continue flying familiar aircraft. Comments must be submitted by Jan. 22, 2024.
Questions from the Cockpit: Weighty words
Noah, a student pilot in Arizona, writes: I’m trying to get my head around weight and balance, especially the terms: Moment, arm, station, datum… None of them seem particularly descriptive. Can you help me out?
Flight training regulations need to be updated
As Congress tackles a long-term reauthorization bill for the FAA, it’s time to tackle a hotly debated topic in flight training: Increasing the number of hours a pilot can log as part of the 1,500 hours the FAA requires to become an Airline Transport Pilot.
FAA to study air traffic controller fatigue
The three-person panel will begin its work in early January and provide a final report to the FAA about six weeks later, according to agency officials.
FAA certification for the ICON A5
With the new approval, ICON Aircraft is “one of only a few Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) manufacturers in the world to meet the certification standards of the FAA,” according to officials with the Vacaville, California-based company.
Video: The dangers of helicopter wake turbulence
A new video from the FAA looks at how helicopters can generate wake turbulence as hazardous as fixed-wing aircraft — and hazardous to general aviation aircraft.
$66 million for airport improvements
The $66.2 million in grants in 2024 will go to airports in 23 states and Puerto Rico.