The FAA recently issued its 20-year forecast for aviation, showing growth prospects for business jets and LSAs. It also forecasts a decline in the total number of piston-powered aircraft. Viewed from a distance, this might seem beneficial to LSA producers and sellers. Reasonably, FAA’s report appears to suggest recreational pilots will enjoy more hours aloft […]
FAA
Latest FAA Safety Briefing online
The May/June 2012 issue of FAA Safety Briefing is now available online. The issue focuses on extreme weather. Articles provide tips on how to detect, prepare for, and avoid some of the more extreme varieties of weather conditions you may encounter in your region of the country. The issue also highlights several weather-related tools and […]
General Aviation Airport Coalition launches petition against $100 fee
The General Aviation Airport Coalition has initiated a petition on the White House website that, if signed by 25,000 people or more by May 16, 2012, will elicit an official response by the administration about how they determined that the proposed $100 fee for general aviation aircraft is fair. “Even if we don’t get the […]
NextGen update now available
The FAA’s NextGen Implementation Plan is now available. The 100-page report chronicles the accomplishments of NextGen in 2011 and outlines plans for the current year and moving forward. During 2011, the FAA improved airport access for general aviation by continuing to publish Wide Area Augmentation System Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance approaches, bringing the total […]
By demand: More on WAAS
By JEFFREY BOCCACCIO. This is the eighth in a series of articles looking at the impact of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) on GA pilots. First I would like to thank all the readers who have responded to the NextGen series. Feedback is always beneficial in providing a clearer understanding of each article’s […]
General aviation pilot input needed for survey
Researchers at the University of Michigan are surveying general aviation pilots on their experience with modern Primary Flight Displays (PFDs). The survey is conducted as part of an FAA-funded project that focuses on the evaluation and certification of modern flight deck displays, according to Principal Investigator Dr. Nadine Sarter, University of Michigan, Department of Industrial […]
Could NextGen ground GA?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — When good developments are made, most people are delighted and few consider the secondary effects. These, however, are often significant. Take the unintended consequences of NextGen. It has been said a secondary effect of the development of the cheap transistor radio was important in bringing turmoil in the Middle East. Prior to […]
Helicopter operations added to FAASafety options
For those who subscribe to FAA Safety Team continuing education content at FAASafety.gov, helicopter specific information is now an email notification option. From their news release, “We are beginning to realize that we need the ability to send pertinent information to helicopter operators who fly low-altitude operations. Included in this group are EMS operations, helicopters […]
A banner year for general aviation
This has actually been a banner year for general aviation, according to U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), who hosted a Town Hall Meeting Saturday morning on the Sun ’n Fun campus. “We got a lot done in the FAA reauthorization,” he reported. Among the victories were amendments that protect Through The Fence agreements — “I think […]