The FAA dedicated its new National Airport Pavement & Materials Research Center at the William J. Hughes Technical Center at Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Aug. 27. The research center allows FAA engineers to use a custom-designed vehicle simulator to test asphalt and other pavement materials at very high tire pressures and temperatures. Airport pavement temperatures […]
FAA
FAA funding up in the air
The unfinished debate over highway funding in Congress is likely to ground hopes for passing a new funding bill for the FAA, according to a report from The Hill. The FAA bill is scheduled to expire Sept. 30. But Congress is expected to return its focus on highways upon returning to Washington next month, because […]
Mitigate risk with FAA’s new FRAT
Every flight has some level of risk. It’s up to the pilot to review that risk in advance and then develop the appropriate risk mitigation strategies. One of the best ways of doing this is by using a Flight Risk Analysis Tool or FRAT, according to FAA officials. FRATs are generally easy to use tools that […]
Wildlife strike reporting on the rise
Wildlife strike reporting for both commercial and general aviation airports continues to increase, according to a new report by wildlife expert Dr. Richard A. Dolbeer. At the request of the FAA, Dolbeer recently published the wildlife report, which shows that 47% of the wildlife strikes that occurred from 2009 to 2013 were reported to the […]
FAA passes 1,000 RPA exemptions
The FAA has granted 1,008 exemptions to unmanned aircraft operations. Companies and individuals from a broad spectrum of industries are taking advantage of the Section 333 exemption process, according to FAA officials. Many of the exemptions the FAA has issued allow aerial filming for uses such as motion picture production, precision agriculture and real estate photography. […]
FAA: Wildfires and drones don’t mix
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Responding to recent incidents in which remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) — also known as drones and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) — interfered with manned aircraft involved in fighting fires, the FAA is supporting the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service in a simple message to drone operators: If you fly, we can’t. “Flying a drone […]
FAA agrees to work with GA on charts
The FAA has agreed to work with officials from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, as well as other GA stakeholders, regarding the future of world aeronautical charts (WACs). The decision follows an earlier announcement that the agency would stop producing the charts later this year. FAA officials claim publishing the WACs has become cost-prohibitive as […]
FAA extends SoCal Metroplex comment period
The FAA is extending the public comment period for its Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Southern California Metroplex project to Sept. 8, 2015, to allow for a full 90 days of comment. The project is a comprehensive proposal to improve the flow of air traffic into and out of Southern California. It proposes to replace […]
Call to action issued over ATC privatization
GA advocates are sounding the alarm about a plan to create a privatized Air Traffic Control system funded by user fees. The plan was unveiled last month by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), when the Congressman said he intended to introduce legislation to create an independent ATC corporation that would […]