ATC Update Even though Congress took its annual August recess through Labor Day, general aviation groups urged the GA community to continue its grassroots efforts by contacting their local congressional leaders and asking them to stop H.R. 2997, under which congressional oversight of the nation’s aviation system would be replaced by an entity governed by…
On May 23, the White House released a detailed budget for the Fiscal Year 2018, which included plans to cut $300 million from the FAA’s budget and a tax structure to assist in developing an independent, user-funded air traffic control (ATC) organization. Calling the House proposal, spearheaded by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee chairman Bill…
2017 NBAA Top Safety Focus Areas The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) recently released its annual list of Top Safety Focus Areas, topics identified by the NBAA Safety Committee as primary risk-mitigation targets for all business aircraft operators. Each year during its annual risk assessment meeting, the NBAA Safety Committee reviews safety survey results, risk-based…
The Latest on NextGen and ATC While gathering with airline executives on February 9, based on a White House transcript of the meeting, President Trump expressed that he had no confidence in the FAA’s NextGen system saying, “I hear we’re spending billions and billions of dollars. It’s a system that’s totally out of whack. It’s…
Election Results Related to the Aviation Industry For some notable legislators who have supported aviation, there were some close races and some losing their seats. In what media is calling a “stunning” loss, Rep. John Mica (R-Florida), who served as the chairman of the House aviation subcommittee and then of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,…
Phase One of the Southern California Metroplex Project will begin on November 10, 2016. The Metroplex Project, approved in early September, is designed to enhance the safety and efficiency of the airspace in Southern California by utilizing performance-based navigation procedures, as well as optimizing the air traffic sectorization at the local FAA facilities. There is…
Deadline Coming Soon for Part 135 Operators and EASA SMS Requirements Per a new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulation, U.S. Part 135 operators will need an approved safety management system (SMS) program to fly throughout Europe under the Third Country Operators (TCO) regulation. EASA defines a third party operator as any operator holding an…
Congress Passes FAA Funding Extension The House and Senate passed legislation extending funding for the FAA through September 30, 2017, as Congress continues to debate a full FAA reauthorization bill. The extension bill, which was signed into law by President Obama on July 15, includes several priorities advocated for by the general aviation community, while…
Concern Over Another Extension on FAA Bill Aviation groups are becoming increasingly concerned that the U.S. Congress is headed for another extension of the FAA’s operating authority. The FAA is already functioning under its second extension, and Congress has until July 15 to pass a comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill or opt for a third extension.…
Study Recommends New Go-around Procedures Anew study, which was commissioned by the Flight Safety Foundation and presented at a recent Flight Safety Foundation/NBAA Business Aviation Safety Seminar, recommends redefining approach criteria for business and commercial aviation operations. Only three percent of commercial pilots comply with SOPs mandating go-arounds if the aircraft is not on a…