FAA Warns About Illegal Charter Operations
Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advised pilots and passengers to take caution regarding illegal charter operations, primarily those pilots soliciting flights for payment on web-based applications.
Pilots and passengers are cautioned to avoid these types of situations and verify their air transportation provider is authorized by the FAA to conduct Part 135 charter operations, which can be found on the FAA’s website. Pilots flying for Part 135 operations are required to complete extra training as well as undergo mandatory drug and alcohol testing, and the aircraft flown in these charter operations are maintained to a higher minimum standard.
For the entire communication, go to: https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/safe_charter_operations/.
Northeast Airspace to Undergo Big Changes in 2020
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) reported that business aircraft flying along the Eastern Seaboard may soon have relief from the usual delays as the FAA will be implementing changes to the airspace in that area with a projected completion date of November 2020.
“Among the FAA’s goals for the Northeast Corridor Atlantic Coast Routes (NEC ACR) optimization project are enabling greater use of offshore route options, particularly during Severe Weather Avoidance Plan operations; reducing offshore vectoring and holds; and better segregating overflight traffic from busy arrival and departure corridors into New York and Washington, DC.”
According to Ernie Stellings, senior manager at NBAA Air Traffic Services, FAA officials have met with key stakeholders in the NEC project, including the NBAA, during the past several months to outline milestones and ensure operators are aware of these changes beforehand. Flight planning services used by business aircraft operators have also been included to “make sure they have time to make the necessary alterations to aeronautical charts prior to the targeted implementation dates.”
“The FAA hopes to improve routing and decrease operational complexity through the nation’s busiest airspace,” Stellings said. “This may be the biggest route change in 50 years; the Eastern Seaboard is the most congested airspace in the country, and it’s all being redone.”
FAA Provides Easy-to-Understand Resource for OTC Meds
The FAA has published a new resource for pilots pertaining to over-the-counter (OTC) medications and being in the middle of cold and flu season, it couldn’t be timelier.
The paper titled “What Over-the-Counter (OTC) medications can I take and still be safe to fly?” aids pilots in deciding if they are fit to fly in reference to regulation 14 CFR 61.53, which prohibits flight with known medical deficiency. It includes questions to ask yourself before each flight, what to look for when choosing an OTC medication, a list of “NO GO” medications as well as those that are safe to take for various ailments, an example of how long to wait before you fly if you did take one of the NO GO meds, and other valuable information.
To access the paper go to: https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/medical_certification/media/OTCMedicationsforPilots.pdf.