In a recently released Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on securing and defending U.S. airspace, the FAA said general aviation pilots accounted for most of the 3,400 restricted-airspace violations recorded between Sept. 12, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2004. The report attributes most of these violations to weather diversions, pop-up temporary flight restrictions or pilots’ failure to check for notices of restrictions.
Federal Aviation Administration
October 4, 2006 - 4:14am
The FAA has proposed levying a $1.5 million fine against Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA), now doing business as Independence Air, for flying several of its aircraft for months without performing required scheduled maintenance and inspections.
October 3, 2006 - 11:19am
The FAA has hit Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based charter operator Platinum Jet with civil penalties totaling more than $1.86 million for violations involving 49 passenger-carrying flights.
The agency became aware of the violations during its investigation of a February 2 accident at Teterboro Airport in which a Challenger 600 operated by Platinum Jet crashed into a building after an aborted takeoff.
October 3, 2006 - 11:13am
If there’s one thing that FAA COO Russell Chew has going for him as he faces $8.3 billion in budget losses by 2009, it’s that he has lots of people on the sidelines giving him advice.
October 2, 2006 - 1:57pm
A “commercialized” ATC system in the U.S. could result in lower charges to airlines for ATC services, but it almost certainly would mean higher fees for general aviation operators, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
October 2, 2006 - 1:33pm
Last month we reported that, in the fallout from the February 2 Challenger overrun at Teterboro (TEB), the FAA levied a fine of almost $2 million against Platinum Jet and its principal officer and owner. I requested a copy of the action so that I could review it myself.
October 2, 2006 - 12:01pm
The FAA has conducted a review of accidents involving commercial emergency medical services (EMS) helicopters between January 1998 and December last year. It offers evidence that controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), inadvertent flight into IMC and lack of operational control were predominant factors, particularly at night and in low visibility. “Of the 27 fatal helicopter EMS accidents, 21 occurred during night operations.
October 2, 2006 - 11:59am
Helicopter Adventures has opened a new flight-training facility. The new building, located at Space Coast Regional Airport, near Titusville, Fla., adds four large classrooms and 7,000 sq ft of office and administrative space to the existing school.
The pilot training school, which claims to be the only one certified to both FAA and JAA standards, trains some 250 students annually from 50 different countries.
October 2, 2006 - 10:59am
While most speakers discussed current training issues and new learning concepts at the Air Traffic Control Association’s recent “ATC Training for the Future” conference, one presenter proposed that tomorrow’s air traffic controllers should possess, at minimum, a bachelor of science degree with emphasis on mathematics, computer science, engineering, probability theory and interpersonal psychology from an accredited university.
October 2, 2006 - 10:57am
The number of aircraft flying in Europe with controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) equipment has about doubled in the past few months from 152 airplanes to more than 300, according to Eurocontrol officials. By contrast, CPDLC in the U.S. seems stuck in neutral, despite strong demand for the technology among airlines.
