“Out of the chaos of COVID-19, we have an historic opportunity to invest in our nation’s aviation system in both technology and physical infrastructure to ensure the U.S remains the gold standard in aviation worldwide,” says Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).
FAA
Expansion of LSA to LPA on track
As the FAA continues its update of the Light-Sport Aircraft and Sport Pilot rules, expect to see a new category of aircraft: Light Personal Aircraft (LPA).
Making general aviation safer focus of new Insights live broadcast
Watching the broadcasts — either live or archived — will earn you FAA Safety Team WINGS Pilot Proficiency credits.
On the path to a less frustrating medical
Increased overtime, additional personnel, and the ability to track your medical through the FAA special issuance process are just some of the actions taken by the new federal air surgeon to make the medical process less frustrating for pilots.
Space launch areas added to navigation charts
All 12 FAA-licensed spaceports, and other federal and private launch and reentry sites, are represented on the charts by a rocket symbol. These areas are in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.
Remote Pilot Certification Standards updated
The Remote Pilot ACS provides the aeronautical knowledge standards for remote pilot certification in the small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) category. This ACS incorporates and supersedes the previous Airman Certification Standards FAA-S-ACS-10A.
Sue Clark honored as Master Pilot
Nominated by friends and colleagues, Sue said getting the award “was quite a surprise and a wonderful honor. I am just an ordinary pilot doing what pilots do.”
Video: Angle of Attack Awareness in 57 Seconds
“A lack of awareness, with respect to angle of attack (AOA), has resulted in the loss of aircraft control and contributed to fatal GA accidents,” FAA officials note in the video’s introduction. “Increasing a pilot’s awareness of the aerodynamic effects of AOA and available technology will help general aviation pilots avoid an inadvertent loss of control.”
Free recurrent training courses for drone pilots online
Drone pilots who have Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification can now take their required training courses for free online at the FAA Safety Team website. The training ensures that pilots have the knowledge necessary to operate in accordance with the Operations Over People rule when it becomes effective on April 21, 2021.