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
Overhaul of FAA Designee Program Concluded
Effective November 14, the FAA will implement its organization delegation authorization (ODA) program that will replace the current designee program.
Regulations and Government
New Rules Aim To Ensure Airworthy Parts
Regulations will go into effect October 17 to help ensure that replacement parts are airworthy.
Regulations and Government
FAA Takes Up Cause To End Fuel Tax Changes
Business aviation groups welcomed a letter from the FAA assistant administrator for aviation policy to the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service ask
Maintenance and Modifications
NY nixes aircraft maintenance and storage tax
The New York Aviation Management Association and the Long Island Business Aviation Association, with support from NBAA, were instrumental in having legisla
Regulations and Government
Some Proposed Part 61 Changes Significant
The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) yesterday that seeks to update, modify and clarify Parts 61 and 141, the sections devoted to pilot an
Regulations and Government
Final Rules Retain Part 91 Air-tour Operators
The FAA’s final rules on air-tour operators, scheduled to be published next Tuesday, ease some of the more controversial requirements that were part of the
Regulations and Government
GA Will Continue To Pay at the Pump in FY08
The Bush Administration is requesting $14.1 billion to run the FAA in Fiscal Year 2008 (beginning October 1), with general aviation–and in particular busin
Safety
Lockheed Asks FAA To Issue JetStar ADs
As the maintenance paperwork trail on the Lockheed JetStar has wound its way from the Atlanta manufacturer to the FAA’s Transport Aircraft Certification br
Regulations and Government
Italian Pilots Cleared
An Italian military tribunal has thrown out cowardice charges against four pilots who refused to fly in Iraq because of the poor state of their helicopters
Regulations and Government
FAA bites $600 million bullet, orders more WAAS satellites
While the FAA’s current WAAS network offers equipped users with improved GPS performance across the continental U.S.
Regulations and Government
TSA mute on who wanted $20.8M for D.C. ADS-Bs
Ten days before the January 20 Presidential inauguration, the FAA issued a six-page national security flight advisory describing airspace restrictions surr
Regulations and Government
Brazilian government may approve Civil Aviation Authority this year
Nearly six years after the creation of a civilian-run aviation agency was first proposed, Brazil’s civil aviation authority, Agência Nacional de Aviação Ci
Regulations and Government
Abag attacks taxes and access issues
Brazil’s business aviation association has a lot more to celebrate this year than it did 12 months ago, with growing demand for aircraft and solid financia
ATC
FAA prepares to meet airspace challenges
While Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has promised that the government will not stand in the way of innovative aviation ideas, at a January meeting
Regulations and Government
Accident spurs town to chip in for tree removal
The FAA and the state of Connecticut were willing to pay 97 percent of the $4.5 million price tag to have trees removed from around Danbury Municipal Airpo
Regulations and Government
Advice for using customs at TEB
International operators arriving at Teterboro Airport (TEB), N.J., are urged to choose the customs clearance facility closest to their final ground destina
Regulations and Government
Expect Customs Diversions during ‘High’ Alerts
Some international business jet flights bound for three New York-area satellite airports were diverted to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to cle
Regulations and Government
Comment Period Extended on Proposed Air-tour Changes
Interested parties will have more time to comment on the FAA’s proposal to require all air-tour operators to be certified under air carrier regulations.
Regulations and Government
New Service Difficulty Reporting Rules Delayed Again
Revisions to the service difficulty reporting (SDR) requirements in FAR Parts 121, 135 and 145 (air carriers and repair stations) set to have gone into eff
Safety
Agencies Fault Seat-belt Buckles and Attachments
Thousands of seat-belt buckles and attachments installed in airliners and corporate jets are the subject of two separate recommendations.
Regulations and Government
Changes Made to Candidate-transportation Rules
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) last month adopted proposed changes to its rules governing the legal rates and timing of travel payments by political
Regulations and Government
ETOPS Proposal Deadline Pushed to March 15
As the result of requests to extend the deadline for comments on the FAA’s proposal to establish regulations governing flights that go beyond certain dista
Safety
Operators Must Replace Certain Fire Extinguishers
Kidde portable fire extinguishers that have been determined to be faulty must be replaced in some 39,000 aircraft, according to a recent AD.
Safety
NTSB Calls for Cockpit Image Recorders
The NTSB, which has long called for the FAA to require cockpit voice recorders on smaller turbine airplanes, is now calling for the installation of so-call
Regulations and Government
FAA Told Not To Weaken on Grant Enforcement
AOPA supports proposed changes to streamline the process of awarding airport improvement program grant assurances, but also told the FAA that it must “main
Regulations and Government
Alcohol and Drug Testing Rates To Remain Unchanged
The minimum percentage rate for substance-abuse testing for next year will remain at 25 percent of covered aviation employees for random drug testing and 1
Regulations and Government
AIA: White House needs to boost aerospace infrastructure
Last year’s slump in commercial aircraft sales and employment was not as sharp as predicted and not nearly as deep as the industry experienced 10 years ago
ATC
Public-private co-op could lower AFSS costs
Members of the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS), the labor union that represents more than 2,700 FAA employees who staff the agency’
Regulations and Government
Complex STC proposal might have wide effect
The FAA is proposing a “Policy for Complex Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) 1” that will change FAR 21.31 (type design) and 21.53 (statement of conform
