Regulations and Government
News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.
Regulations and Government
Carnahan Family Seeks More Damages from Crash
The family of the late Missouri Gov.
Charter & Fractional
NTSB Clears Air East On Some FAA Allegations
Citing insufficient evidence, an NTSB law judge dismissed FAA allegations that charter operator Air East did not comply with several ADs and that some pers
Regulations and Government
Defibrillator Battery Compliance Extended One Year
The FAA extended the deadline from this April 12 to April 30 next year for Part 121 regional and major airlines to equip automated external defibrillators
Regulations and Government
Jail for four with role in CJ2/MD-87 collision
Three Italian aviation officials and an air traffic controller have been sentenced to jail terms of between six and eight years after being convicted of ma
Regulations and Government
NTSB rails FAA, TC and Bombardier in 604 crash
In one of its longest investigations into a general aviation accident, the NTSB released its final report last month on the Oct.
ATC
Controllers Ask Congress to Tackle Staffing Issue
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association urged the Senate appropriations transportation subcommittee to ask FAA Administrator Marion Blakey what th
Regulations and Government
AD Addresses Potential Altitude Error in L-3 TAWS
An AD for the Landmark 8000 terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), manufactured by L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, corrects potential altitude e
ATC
Operators to ‘share the pain’ in gridlock plan
After meeting with industry representatives over several days in early March, the FAA launched a new ATC plan designed to head
off gridlock by “shari
off gridlock by “shari
Regulations and Government
Comment time extended again on air-tour proposal
Interested parties are getting more time to comment on the FAA’s controversial proposal to require all air-tour operators to be certified under Part 135 or
Regulations and Government
Nineteen indicted in jet-a theft at Miami Int'l
An ongoing racketeering and corruption investigation by the Florida state attorney’s office has produced indictments of 19 suspects and seven companies for
FBOs
EPA extends SPCC compliance deadline
Back in June, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) expressed relief with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to propose a 12
FBOs
Sump dumper takes the pain out of draining fuel
Since the EPA crackdown on dumping sumped fuel on airport ramp surfaces, draining fuel has become a problem for aircraft operators.
Safety
ICAO wants safety data guards
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assembly is expected to take action later this month on legal guidance for member states to protect sa
Safety
NTSB revisits child restraints
Although child restraints on airplanes have been on the NTSB’s list of most wanted safety improvements for almost a decade, the agency last month reclassif
Regulations and Government
FSS funding
The House Appropriations Committee has added a directive to a report on FAA funding for Fiscal Year 2005 that would require the agency to ensure that pilot
Regulations and Government
Congressional Observer September 2004
• Congress dodged the dog days of August by taking a six-week recess beginning July 22, but not before legislators increased their bills introduced count t
Aircraft
BBJs banned at Teterboro by legislation
Boeing’s efforts to gain access to Teterboro Airport (TEB), N.J., for its BBJ have been rebuffed, at least for this legislative year.
Regulations and Government
General Aviation Activity Survey in the Mail
Aircraft owners and operators should start watching their mailbox for an invitation to participate in the FAA’s 2006 General Aviation and Part 135 Activity
ATC
FAA cuts LAAS funding, leaving program in limbo
After more than 15 years and $200 million in development effort, the FAA in late January canceled further expenditures on the GPS Category I local-area aug
Regulations and Government
Slew of av compliance deadlines draws closer
Compliance with the ICAO requirement for aircraft on virtually all extended international operations to be equipped with an automatic 406-MHz ELT leads off
Regulations and Government
FAA considers jetliner fuel tank retrofit
Operators of hundreds of Airbus and Boeing jetliners will be required to retrofit fuel-tank flammability reduction systems, if the FAA adopts rulemaking it
Regulations and Government
Despite mixed signals, DOT lauds next-gen NAS
At about the same time Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta was announcing plans for a “next-generation air transportation system” to the Washington Aero
Regulations and Government
Comment deadline near on ETOPS proposal
March 15 is the deadline for comments on the FAA’s proposal to establish regulations governing commercial flights by multi-engine airplanes that go beyond
Regulations and Government
Industry waiting for ‘third party’ appeal option
Nearly three months after being directed by Congress to develop a plan for giving pilots and mechanics a “third party” review process if they lose their FA
Regulations and Government
‘W’ will be flight-plan code for RVSM authorization
Recent guidance from the FAA advises pilots that beginning next January 20, when RVSM is scheduled to be implemented in the U.S., ATC will start using the
ATC
Controllers sue Federal Impasses Panel
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association filed a lawsuit in late January asking a federal court to order the Federal Service Impasses Panel to reso
Regulations and Government
Repair station drug-testing obligations clarified
Under new FAA anti-drug and alcohol-misuse regulations, repair stations are responsible only for their own compliance, and not the compliance of their cont
Charter & Fractional
Canadian operator gets certificate reinstated
Transport Canada found no violations of Federal Aviation Regulations during a special-purpose audit of Georgian Express, and on January 27 returned the ope
Airports
Little Rock noise-compatibility program in review
The FAA is reviewing an FAR Part 150 noise-compatibility proposal for Little Rock National Airport, Ark., and expects to approve or disapprove the plan no
