WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democrats are rejecting President Trump’s plans to privatize America’s air traffic control system, instead introducing legislation to stabilize FAA funding. Rep. Rick Larsen (Washington), the top-ranking Democrat on the House Aviation Subcommittee, joined by Rep. Peter DeFazio (Oregon) and other Democrats on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, introduced H.R. 2800, […]
FAA
Federal agencies get green light to study auctioning off space on radio spectrum
A team comprised of the FAA, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has received approval and approximately $71.5 million in funding from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to study the feasibility of making space on the radio spectrum available for […]
FAA issues final NavWorx AD
AVweb is reporting that the FAA has published its final Airworthiness Directive for certain NavWorx ADS-B devices. The final AD requires owners to remove, disable or modify the ADS–B unit. The FAA said the unsafe condition in the units “relates to the potential for the NavWorx unit to incorrectly report its own position to other aircraft […]
The FAA gets its knuckles rapped
The FAA’s drone registry is unlawful. So says the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Way back when the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act was passed, the legislation stated “that the FAA ‘may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft.’” Circuit Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote, “Statutory interpretation does not […]
Gryphon Sensors demonstrates UAS detection system at DFW
Gryphon Sensors, which specializes in drone detection, demonstrated its Skylight system at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) from April 24-28. A wide variety of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) were flown in an operational airport environment to test the capability of the system to detect, track, classify and display threats. The Skylight system integrates a diverse […]
FAA updates Product Certification Guide
An Updated FAA/Industry Guide to Product Certification has been approved. The last version of the guide was published in 2004. The updated guide will help institutionalize best practices and a new operating norm for the FAA, companies and applicants, according to officials, who note it will help aviation reach “the next level of safety and […]
BasicMed: One pilot’s story
Since being signed into law as a part of the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016, most pilots have been eagerly awaiting the official rollout of BasicMed. On May 1, the law was officially implemented by a brand new FAR Part 68 — Requirements for Operating Certain Small Aircraft Without a Medical Certificate. Pilots who […]
FAA releases study on drone collision hazards
WASHINGTON, D.C. – What would happen if a drone hits a person on the ground? What’s the risk of serious injury? Although the FAA can’t yet definitively answer those questions, studies by a consortium of universities have made a start toward better understanding the risks of allowing small unmanned aircraft – or drones – to […]
FAA tests space-based ADS-B
Aireon and the FAA recently completed a successful flight test of space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology, collecting ADS-B data to be used as part of a larger validation effort exploring the new system’s capability from low-earth orbit. The flight took place on Thursday, March 30, 2017, utilizing the FAA’s specially equipped “flying laboratory” Bombardier jet […]