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.

ATC

Canada proposes new fee structure

After 12 months of consultation with all segments of its domestic and overseas customer base, Nav Canada–Canada’s privatized air navigation service provide
ATC

FAA invites stakeholder input at forum on permanent ADIZ

With nearly 20,000 comments received on the proposal to make the Washington, D.C., air defense identification zone (ADIZ) permanent, the FAA will hold two
Rotorcraft

Enstrom Gets South Korea OK

Enstrom has received South Korean certification for its full product line and added the 480B to its Brazilian ticket.
“We were successful in opening
Regulations and Government

Delayed SDR Rule Withdrawn

As expected, the FAA withdrew a delayed final rule that amended the service difficulty reporting (SDR) requirements for air carriers and repair stations.
Regulations and Government

New Crew Oxygen Rule Quickly Withdrawn

The FAA quickly removed a new requirement easing crew oxygen use in Part 121 operations upon learning that it apparently used inaccurate data to justify th
Safety

Training To Meet New Hazmat Rules

Dangerous Goods International of Redwood City, Calif., designs training modules and conducts compliance seminars in various cities for regional airlines an
Regulations and Government

More teething troubles ahead for EASA

Sir Roy McNulty, chairman of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), has said that management and financial problems at the European Aviation Safety Agency
Regulations and Government

Controversial Insulation Rule Is Amended

The FAA has amended new regulations regarding aircraft thermal and acoustic insulation in response to industry concerns that the requirements applied to a
Charter & Fractional

Fractional rules divide EBAA

The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has been split by a major disagreement over what operating rules should apply to fractional ownership in
Regulations and Government

Drug/Alcohol Testing Rules Clarified

The FAA recently amended Part 121 regulations governing drug and alcohol testing to clarify that “each person who performs a safety-sensitive function for
Safety

NTSB Wants an AD for Eurocopter AS 350s

Investigations into two accidents involving Eurocopter AS 350 helicopters led the NTSB to determine that the hydraulic pump drive belt (P/N 704A33690004) p
Regulations and Government

Inmarsat To Manage Galileo Network

Inmarsat announced it has been selected to manage the company that will look after Galileo’s global network operations, including performance monitoring an
ATC

FAA moves ahead on RNP and Rnav implementation

The FAA is making progress toward instituting a future Rnav and RNP (required navigation performance) environment across the National Airspace System (NAS)
ATC

Europe considers a new plan for ATM integration by 2020

Faced with the likelihood of the number of flights in Europe doubling to 17 million by 2020, the European Commission launched the ambitious Single European
ATC

Europe and Russia build satnav networks

On December 28, the European Space Agency launched the first test satellite of its future Galileo navigation system.
Aircraft

New Prop-plane Noise Standards Eased

New amendments to Part 36 require a minimum 3 dB–noise reduction for small single-engine propeller aircraft– including turboprops–weighing more than 3,307
Safety

NTSB takes shot at Part 91 EMS OPS

At a public hearing last month, the NTSB singled out allegedly less safe Part 91 operations in a special study on helicopter and fixed-wing EMS accidents.
Regulations and Government

Pilots Face a New Threat to Access

Starting February 1, owners and operators of aircraft with “questionable registrations and/or no TSA required security measures/ waivers” might be denied a
Regulations and Government

Operators fear permanent ADIZ in Washington will set precedent

Last month pilots, airport managers and others gathered at two public meetings to tell the FAA what they think of the agency’s proposal to make the Washing
Regulations and Government

Congressional Observer: April 2006

• Controlling earmarking, or “pork” amendments, and restraining lobbyists’ largesse continued to command the attention of lawmakers, and that led to a
Safety

ARSA asks Feds to review FAA drug/alcohol policy

The cost of having a business aircraft worked on by a certified repair station that also works on airline aircraft may go up as a result of new FAA drug an
Regulations and Government

Experts finally feel aviation budget woes

Have you ever heard the comments about Washington, D.C., being a merry-go-round or the suggestion that reality stops at the Beltway? There’s a host of such
Regulations and Government

NBAA, along with the FAA and industry representatives, is looking at a way to reduce delays in the flow of air traffic during the severe weather seasons

The effort began in May last year with the formation of a collaborative decision-making workgroup.
Regulations and Government

FAA funding troubles fuel industry concerns

FAA financing and the prospect of user fees to help pay for modernization of the ATC system is the primary issue facing general aviation in the coming year
Regulations and Government

Kenneth Mead resigns DOT post

Transportation Department Inspector General Kenneth Mead, a tireless ally of disgruntled airline passengers and often a thorn in the side of the nation’s a
Regulations and Government

Independent flight crews draw more IRS scrutiny

Some flight departments employ independent contractors as a way to keep their costs in check.
Regulations and Government

Project Mercury ADS-B Initiative Moves Quietly Ahead

First revealed publicly by AIN (December, page 20), but still not reported in other aviation media, the aerospace industry’s hitherto secret Project
Regulations and Government

Concerns raised over airline bias in ADS-B plan

FAA Air Traffic Organization (ATO) officials early last month briefed government and industry representatives on the cost-benefit analysis of nationwide AD
Regulations and Government

Category I WAAS coming at last?

The FAA’s announcement last month that its GPS wide area augmentation system (WAAS) will support ILS-like 200-foot Category I approaches marks the agency’s
ATC

The great New York Tracon experiment will end on May 13

The 90-day performance tolerance standard assessment was prompted by a review at New York Tracon conducted last year that revealed some small operational-e