Compromise Bill Passed By Conference Committee ... Next Stop The Full House And Senate

House and Senate leaders have reached agreement on long-term FAA legislation to improve the nation’s aviation infrastructure, modernize our air traffic control system, and reform FAA programs.

Had Not Previously Been Included Under The Provisions Of The Law

Nearly two decades after the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was signed into law, Flight Attendants and other flight crews have been granted the same access to coverage that has long benefited working families. Monday, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) President Veda Shook took part in the official announcement from Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis on the implementation of the Airline Flight Crew Family and Medical Leave Act.

Veteran Of Five Spaceflights Logged 223 Days In Space

Shannon Lucid, a member of NASA's first astronaut class to include women, has retired after more than three decades of service to the agency. A veteran of five spaceflights, Lucid logged more than 223 days in space.

Palatka, FL, Event Shows How To Do Things Right

Having recently attended the 2012 LSA Expo where the new management is quickly turning it into a profit machine for the organizing body (at the expense of the vendors and general public), I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the Kay Larkin airport (28J) in Palatka, Florida executed their fly-in. I spoke with John Youell, the Airport Manager, and heard some refreshing things.

InFO Stresses That Pilots Need Clearance To Enter Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum Airspace

The FAA has relased an Information for Operators (InFO) document emphasizing RVSM flight planning guidance. The document states “If either the operator or the aircraft or both have not received RVSM authorization (non-RVSM aircraft) the pilot will neither request nor accept a clearance into RVSM airspace…”

Avionics Master Switch Seeing Accelerated Failure Rate In Some Airplanes

The FAA has issued an SAIB (Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin) concerning he avionics master switch on Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Model 172R, 172S, 182T, T182T, 206H and T206H airplanes. There is a potential for an accelerated rate of failure of the switch, which may result in the loss of avionics equipment on Garmin G1000-equipped airplanes.

Kansas Fourth District Congressman Mike Pompeo Presents Award To Spirit AeroSystems CEO At Annual Gala

Kansas Fourth District Congressman Mike Pompeo and officials of the Wichita Aero Club presented the organization’s second WAC Trophy Saturday to Spirit AeroSystems Chief Executive Officer Jeff Turner at a gala attended by 250 local and regional aviation leaders. Mr. Turner and Spirit AeroSystems were chosen by the Club’s Selection Committee from among seven nominees.

Viral Video Drawing Massive YouTube Views

One of the latest viral videos on YouTube was created by two high school seniors from Canada, who were inspired by edge-of-space projects using weather balloons. Their video shows a Lego man holding a small Canadian flag as he climbs to 80,000 feet, high enough to clearly see the blackness of space and the curvature of the Earth. Since the video's posting on January 25th, it's attracted over two million views.

Process Slowed By Discovery Of Asbestos In Firewall

In an odd twist, investigators looking into the Friday crash of a vintage biplane in Australia had to halt their work Saturday because a 1930s safety feature designed into the plane was declared a hazard to humans in later decades.

'Flying The Tail Wheel Airplane' A Detailed Course In Conventional Gear Flying

Whether its the low, slow flight of a Cub or Champ, or the high-performance of a P-51, flying an airplane with conventional gear requires a different skill set. A new book “Flying the Tail Wheel Airplane”, by Master CFI Jim Alsip, offers a detailed course on piloting aircraft with a conventional gear. Tail wheel airplanes present specific challenges that Alsip aims to address in this guide to better stick and rudder skills.

Kern Planning Commission OK Was Unanimous

Retired aircraft can face a wide variety of fates, from being salvaged for their expensive components, as in the case of the 747s acquired by Stratolauncher, to being left for decades in desert graveyards. But one Boeing 727 will be buried 38 feet below the surface of the Mohave Desert to create an unusual work of art.

Empennage Damaged, But Only Minor Injuries

An instructor was flying with a student on approach to an airfield in Lingayen, Pangasinan in Central Luzon in the Philippines in a Cessna 152, a scenario which has been duplicated many times around the world. But the flight took an odd turn when a motorized, three-wheeled taxi wandered onto the runway and into the path of the plane.

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Avidyne's R9: So Simple, Even A Pilot In IMC Can Do It!

So... a few months ago, we had the chance to sit back in awe at the expertise already displayed by one of the Avidyne R9 glass panel's most passionate advocates... and users. There are few more knowledgeable people on the planet, as far as R9 is concerned, than Trip Taylor and for the better part of a few hours, we had the chance to sit back and enjoy his synoptic descriptions of just a few of the many intriguing features built into one of the most usable glass panel cockpits we've yet flow... now made even more so with the advent of the DFC100 digital autopilot.

Both Companies Say Court Ruled In Their Favor In Landing Skid Dispute

Bell Helicopter and Eurocopter have very different interpretations of a Canadian Federal Court's ruling over a patent infringement case brought by Eurocopter. The two companies issued news releases, and both claim the court ruled in their favor.

Congressman Pompeo's Online Petition Reaches 1,000 Signatures

Last week marked the 1,000th signature on the AmericaFlies.us online petition, where citizens from across the United States have spoken out against President Obama's attacks on general aviation. The goal of the site is to reach 5,000 signatures. More than two dozen petition-signers have also shared their personal stories of how general aviation impacts their lives, families, communities and the economy.

Nineteen Labor Organizations Object To Changes In The Railway Labor Act

Nineteen labor unions released a joint statement on Monday denouncing the compromise reached between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)) and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) on the long-term funding bill for the FAA. They say "rewriting decades of labor law without debate or discussion sets a dangerous precedent."

Get Your Wacky Ideas In NOW!

Time is fast ticking down to a date the entire ANN staff looks forward to every year. See, each April 1st, we have a problem getting our stories straight... we make things up, we get silly, we exaggerate and lampoon. In other words, we act weirder than the loons who run Sun 'n Fun and/or the FAA... and in this group, that's really saying something. (At least we get group rates on appropriate professional care... which comes in handy more often than we care to admit -- Ed.) Once a year it's fun to let it all hang out, and this year is no exception. Rest assured we already have some "doozys" in the can for April 1... but we wanted to give our readers THEIR CHANCE to submit their ideas for April 1st, in hopes of

European Budget Carriers Offer Discounts to Stranded

A sudden, unannounced shutdown by the Spanish airline Spanair has canceled 220 flights, and forced a reported 22,000 passengers to make other plans. The airline blamed its action Friday on a lack of funding. The government of Spain has laws requiring notice of such a shutdown, and could fine the airline 9 million euro, or about $11.8 million.

Optionally-Piloted Aircraft Acquired By 'armasuisse'

The Swiss Department of Defence has become the first customer for the Diamond DA42-based Centaur Optionally-Piloted Aircraft (OPA). 

Unmanned Flight Will Have Apogee Far Higher Than ISS Orbit

The first flight of the Orion crew capsule is being planned for sometime in 2014, though a specific target date has not been identified.

"We remain strongly committed to passage of a clean FAA Reauthorization bill. An aviation safety and security bill is no place to impose unrelated and controversial labor provisions that will ultimately serve to harm both airline and railroad workers." Source: Excerpt from a joint statement by 19 labor unions concerning the compromise FAA funding bill.

Average seating configuration of an airline’s operating fleet. The measure is derived by dividing total available seat miles flown by the number of aircraft miles flown.

The Recreational Aviation Foundation

The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) was founded by a group of Montana pilots who realized the threat of recreational airstrip closure was of national concern.