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
California Enacts Frax Tax
According to the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), a law recently approved by the California State Assembly would assess all fractional owner
Regulations and Government
Frax rules rekindle FAA-JAA dispute
Next month’s scheduled adoption of the final fractional operation rules–Part 91 Subpart K–will likely reignite the controversy between the FAA, JAA and som
Charter & Fractional
Cheers and some wary eyes greet new frax regs
In the first few days after the new FAR on fractional ownership hit the street last month, the aviation community was reacting with tempered optimism.
Airports
Teterboro operator vows to fight weight proposal
It started several years ago when Boeing began selling its BBJ in numbers that the airline manufacturer never expected (25 in the first year, 82 overall si
Regulations and Government
Raytheon SEC probe focuses on Beech 900D
RAYTHEON SEC PROBE FOCUSES ON BEECH 1900D
• The Securities and Exchange Commission probe of Raytheon’s commuter aircraft (Beech 1900
• The Securities and Exchange Commission probe of Raytheon’s commuter aircraft (Beech 1900
Airports
Second operator sued over VNY noise ban
XtraJet, a Santa Monica, Calif.,-based charter firm, has become the second operator to be sued by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners for allege
Regulations and Government
GAO says operational error stats suspect
FAA data indicates that a very small number of ATC “operational errors” (a reduction in standard separation distances) occur in any given year (about 6.7 e
Airports
FAA strikes down Naples Stage 2 ban
In what is being hailed by general aviation as a landmark decision, the FAA has ruled that the ban on Stage 2 aircraft at Naples Municipal Airport (APF), F
Regulations and Government
Mach number: True or false
Business aircraft crews are being urged to ensure they are using true Mach numbers in all airspace where the Mach number technique (MNT) is applied for lon
Aircraft
Repaired Learjet 45s Return to the Air
Bombardier said its Learjet 45 replacement horizontal stabilizer actuator received FAA approval on September 10 and shipments started immediately at a rate
Aircraft
Embraer Legacy Will Be India’s Air Force One
Last month the Indian Government signed for five Embraer Legacy Executives for head-of-state use.
Regulations and Government
Influx of Non-U.S. Aircraft Prompts DOT IG Audit
The DOT’s office of inspector general is auditing the FAA’s parts certification and surveillance procedures to determine the effect of the increasing U.S.
Regulations and Government
Italian government takes 20-percent stake in Piaggio
Sviluppo Italia, the Italian government industrial investment agency, has bought more than 20 percent of Piaggio Aero Industries, parent company of Piaggio
Regulations and Government
FAA Urging Pilots To Change Certificate Numbers
To help prevent “identity theft,” the FAA is urging pilots who hold an airman certificate that uses their Social Security number (SSN) as their certificate
Regulations and Government
FAA harassment lawsuit downed by federal judge
A federal judge in Kansas City, Mo., dismissed a $1 million lawsuit against the FAA over the 1999 fatal crash of a Cessna CitationJet.
Avionics
Patco Is Alive if Not So Well
In 1981 President Reagan fired virtually all aircraft traffic controllers and banned them from reapplying for controller jobs after their union, the Profes
Safety
NTSB wants more data on Part 135 ops
Perhaps as an example of the NTSB moving forward on long-outstanding issues, it has asked the FAA to require nonscheduled Part 135 operators to report acti
Safety
NTSB: Severe Turbulence Calls for Severe Inspections
The NTSB has called on the FAA to require more extensive inspections of transport-category airplanes for possible structural damage after they encounter se
Maintenance and Modifications
New Repair Station Rules To Be Delayed–Again
For the second time since being adopted on Aug.
Aircraft
Inspection Required of GV Balance Weight Installation
A one-time inspection is required to ensure that all installation fasteners are in place for the left and right aileron balance weights on Gulfstream Vs, i
Airports
HPN Expansion Opposed Due To Reservoir Concerns
Bronx city councilman Oliver Koppell introduced a resolution into the New York state legislature calling for curtailing any plans to expand Westchester Cou
Airports
Customs Desertignates User-fee Airports
Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz., and Roswell Industrial Air Center in Roswell, N.M., have been designated by the Customs and Border Protection Agen
Regulations and Government
MX Software eases working with regs
Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP) has launched its newest software platform–Navigator V.
Regulations and Government
EASA springs to life, but it’s still in infancy
The new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) came almost silently to life last month–as if echoing the muted expectations that many in the aviation indus
Regulations and Government
Bell to appeal dismissal of Able Engineering suit
On September 16 Bell Helicopter Textron officially filed its intent to appeal the dismissal of a lawsuit the OEM had filed against Able Engineering and Com
Charter & Fractional
Fired pilots and Flight Options settle lawsuit
A lawsuit in which four former Raytheon Travel Air pilots alleged they were fired because of their union-organizing activities when the company merged with
Regulations and Government
Got a flight returning from outside the U.S. with leftover non-packaged food items such as dairy products, beef, fruits and vegetables?
Be aware that the U.S.
Regulations and Government
DOT bashes Stars, calls on FAA to stem runaway cost
In a September 9 report to the FAA Administrator, the DOT’s inspector general called upon the agency “to reevaluate the costs of Stars [the standard termin
ATC
Washington Report: No Foul, but Was There Any Harm?
After investigating an allegation that the FAA destroyed an audiotape of six New York Center controllers’ accounts of the 9/11 attacks, Transportation insp
Regulations and Government
Washington Report: AIA Lauds Senator’s Floor Speech
Aerospace Industries Association president and CEO John Douglass commended Sen.
