A little more than 44% of all airline flight delays between May 2016 and April 2017 were categorized as Air Carrier Delay. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics defines Air Carrier Delay as “within the airline’s control (e.g. maintenance or crew problems, aircraft cleaning, baggage loaded, fueling, etc.).” So it feels a tad misleading when Southwest […]
FAA
Latest FAA Safety Briefing answers questions about BasicMed
Still have questions about BasicMed? The July/August 2017 issue of FAA Safety Briefing explores several key facets of the new rule, which offers pilots an alternative to the FAA’s medical qualification process for third class medical certificates. Under BasicMed, a pilot will be required to complete a medical education course every two years, undergo a […]
General aviation survey underway
The 39th annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey is now underway. The survey is the FAA’s primary source of information about the size and activity of the general aviation and on-demand Part 135 fleet. According to the FAA, data collected from the survey helps the agency: Anticipate and meet demand for National Airspace System […]
House, Senate introduce competing FAA bills
Transportation committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate introduced two competing bills a day apart to reauthorize the FAA. The House bill includes a plan to spin off ATC to a non-profit corporation controlled by the aviation industry, while the Senate bill does not. Not surprising, GA’s alphabet groups have come out in […]
Expect the unexpected
Expected the unexpected — that’s the latest message released by the FAA in its Fly Safe: Prevent Loss of Control Accidents campaign. The FlySafe campaign is designed to educate GA pilots about the best practices to calculate and predict aircraft performance and to operate within established aircraft limitations, FAA officials say. It focuses on Loss […]
FAA ADS-B rebate ends soon
FAA officials are noting the $500 ADS-B rebate ends soon. Aircraft owners have until Sept. 18, 2017, to make a reservation to qualify for the rebate. “But it goes away Sept. 19, as the FAA has no plans to extend the program now,” an FAA official said, noting “there is plenty of room for more sign […]
CNBC poll results: America says hands off the FAA
CNBC released the results of a quarterly “All America Economic Survey” June 20, 2017, conducted by Hart Research Associates on a wide range of topics, including public-private partnerships, infrastructure, and a proposal to spin off the air traffic control system from the FAA into a private non-profit corporation. As part of the survey, respondents were asked their opinion […]
ATC spin-off bill reintroduced in House, GA voices opposition
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster has introduced a modified version of his legislation to privatize air traffic control. The revised bill would spin off ATC from the FAA, creating a private non-profit corporation run by a board of directors nominated by the aviation industry and the federal government. First introduced in February 2016, the bill died with […]
Senate committee rejects Trump’s plan to spin off ATC
The Hill is reporting that a Senate committee did not include President Trump’s controversial proposal to separate air traffic control from the federal government in a must-pass aviation bill. The post reports that Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who leads the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said the Senate’s long-term reauthorization of the FAA will not include the […]