Tag: FAA

FAA Awards uAvionix BVLOS Contract

Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “uAvionix is to advance the commercial utilization of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) through a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contract. The Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) contract aims to develop highly reliable Command and Control (C2) communications for extended Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations across challenging terrains.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Boom’s XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator Takes Flight for First Time

Aviation Week reports, “Boom Supersonic flew its XB-1 demonstrator—the world’s first privately developed faster-than-sound civil aircraft—for the first time at Mojave Air & Space Port, California, on March 22.”  The successful flight “marks a step toward the development of the company’s planned Mach 1.7 Overture airliner later this decade.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Wisk Sees Pathway to Autonomy Without Rule Changes

Aviation Week Network reports that Wisk Aero “believes there is a path to operate its uncrewed air taxis on commercial services without the need for new FAA rulemakings, by relying instead on a mix of existing regulations, letters of agreement with air traffic control (ATC), waivers, exemptions and other special procedures.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

FAA Calls for Extending Length of Cockpit Voice-Recording Requirements

Reuters reports the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday “said it is proposing to extend the cockpit voice-recording requirement to 25 hours for all new airplanes from the current two-hour loop.” Reuters explains the voice recorder “captures transmissions and sounds in the cockpit…and can be crucial in understanding why airplane crashes occur.” The National Transportation Safety Board “has been pushing for the change since 2018, and the United States is behind much of the world in the requirement for commercial planes.” Europe, for instance, “has required new airplanes to collect 25 hours of cockpit voice recordings since 2021.” Reuters adds that the issue “has taken on new urgency after a series of near miss incidents raised alarm about U.S. air safety. The NTSB has opened seven investigations into near-miss incidents since January, including some that could have been catastrophic.”
Full Story (Reuters)

AIAA Statement on Senate Confirmation of the Honorable Michael Whitaker as FAA Administrator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 2, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement on the Senate confirmation of the Honorable Michael Whitaker as FAA Administrator:

“On behalf of the Institute’s nearly 30,000 professional and student members, congratulations to the Honorable Michael Whitaker on being confirmed as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator. We are pleased to see strong bipartisan support for our nation’s aviation regulatory agency.

We see significant opportunities for the FAA to continue its important mission ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the largest aerospace system in the world, including the integration of space operations into the U.S. airspace system and regulation of the commercial space industry around the launch and reentry of space vehicles.

Under Administrator Whitaker’s leadership, we anticipate the FAA will benefit from his depth of aviation experience in government and the private sector, as well as his commitment to safety.

AIAA looks forward to supporting Administrator Whitaker in his new role as we strive to maintain our nation’s leadership in aviation, while also helping make critical advances in technology development and research to advance safer, smarter, and more sustainable flight.”

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

FAA Proposes New Rule to Reduce Space Debris

UPI reports that SpaceX “launched 22 satellites for its Starlink ‘constellation’ into low-Earth orbit late Saturday night as the Federal Aviation Administration proposed a new rule to reduce space debris from commercial flights.” The FAA said in a statement that limiting debris will “reduce the potential for collisions with spacecraft and satellites to promote a sustainable space environment,” and added, “If left unchecked, the accumulation of orbital debris will increase the risk of collisions and clutter orbits used for human spaceflight and for satellites providing communications, weather and global positioning system services.” The proposed rule “would require companies like SpaceX to dispose of the upper stages of their rockets in one of five ways.” Companies would be “required to either conduct a controlled entry, move the upper stage to a less congested storage or graveyard orbit, send the upper stage on an Earth-escape orbit, remove the upper stage debris within five years in a process called active debris removal, or perform and uncontrolled atmospheric disposal.”
Full Story (UPI)

FAA Approves BVLOS Flights for Zipline Cargo Drones

Aviation Week reports that the FAA “has authorized Zipline International to perform beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights of its cargo drones.” The company, which “is a Part 135 operator, is now authorized by the regulator to deliver commercial packages using its UAV and a parachute.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

FAA Reveals Wing’s Drone Delivery Network Plans

Aviation Week reported that plans to “expand Wing’s drone delivery network throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area have been revealed in a draft environmental assessment released by the FAA for public comment.” The plans would “expand Wing’s operating bases, or ‘nests,’ from three to as many as 25 across the metroplex.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

FAA May Grant Launch License for Starship by October

CNN reports that the FAA says it is “optimistic” that it “could allow SpaceX to launch its mega rocket, Starship, by the end of October.” Starship has been “grounded since its inaugural test flight in April ended when the rocket – the most powerful launch vehicle ever built – exploded over the Gulf of Mexico.” Last week, the FAA “said it had completed its safety investigation into the explosion and laid out 63 corrective actions SpaceX must take to obtain a launch license from the agency.” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk “posted on social media on Sunday that the company had completed and documented 57 ‘required’ actions out of a list of 63.” He also has “posted pictures of the rocket fully stacked and ready on the launchpad, which lies due east of Brownsville, Texas, on the state’s southernmost tip.” The FAA “said the corrective actions also must pass an environmental review.”
Full Story (CNN)