By JOHN CROFT, FAA NextGen Outreach Writer/Editor Pilots will soon have access to new weather data in their cockpits over the 978 megahertz (MHz) Universal Access Transceiver link. In June, the FAA will begin broadcasting six new weather products: Lightning strikes, turbulence, icing forecasts, cloud tops, graphical Airmen’s Meteorological Information (AIRMET) and Center Weather Advisories. The […]
FAA
Long-term FAA reauthorization bill introduced in the House of Representatives
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have introduced the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 4), a five-year bill to reauthorize the FAA. H.R. 4 was introduced in the House by the entire bipartisan leadership of the Committee and its six subcommittees, including Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill […]
PAPR Chase
By JOHN CROFT, FAA NextGen Outreach and Reporting Pilots accustomed to receiving live ADS-B traffic updates from FAA radar through the Traffic Information Service-Broadcast (TIS-B)will feel blind — and less safe — if that service gets shut off. But that is exactly what might happen if their ADS-B equipment is transmitting hazardous information or performing incorrectly […]
How to avoid an ADS-B call sign mismatch
By TOM HOFFMANN, Managing Editor, FAA Safety Briefing Your aircraft’s registration number or approved call sign is critical to the integrity of the ADS-B Out system, defining who you are in the National Airspace System (NAS). But what happens when your ADS-B name is different from your given name?A large number of operational inconsistencies with ADS-B […]
Aerobatics and ADS-B
By DAVE HUGHES, FAA As of Jan. 1, 2020, ADS-B-Out will be required in most controlled airspace — and that includes pilots who are practicing aerobatics, performing in an airshow, or competing in an event such as this week’s SUN ’n FUN. This requirement is no different from the current requirement to use an operating transponder […]
One signature changes everything
When he signed the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that funds the federal government through the remainder of this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, President Donald Trump changed everything at SUN ’n FUN — at least for this year. That’s because included in the bill is a requirement that the FAA cover all costs […]
No kidding: ADS-B 2020 deadline is firm
The folks at the FAA say they have a sense of humor too, but an April Fool’s joke that the agency is extending the ADS-B deadline is just that. As stated in the final rule published with industry input in May 2010, all aircraft flying in designated controlled airspace — generally the same busy airspace where […]
Would you report a risky pilot to the FAA?
In a new blog post, Leah Read, a senior air safety investigator in the NTSB Office of Aviation Safety, warns against turning a blind eye to risky behavior in another pilot. She notes that when NTSB investigators arrive at the scene of a fatal accident, they soon pick up on clues that the pilot exhibited […]
FAA issues fact sheet for drone pilots
The FAA has issued a new fact sheet that gives the highlights of the agency’s rules for small unmanned aircraft (UAS) operations other than model aircraft — Part 107 of FAA regulations – that cover commercial and government uses for drones weighing less than 55 pounds. So if you need a refresher or are just […]