All articles tagged with #faa regulations
Senator Ted Cruz is pushing for legislative changes to improve safety and oversight of military flights near airports, especially following a deadly airline crash, with proposals including enhanced ADS-B requirements and audits of military airspace procedures.
JSX, a Dallas-based carrier, is offering the private jet experience at business-class prices by exploiting a loophole in US Federal Aviation Administration regulations, allowing them to sell single-seat tickets for scheduled charter planes at affordable prices and quicker security checks. While earning love from frequent fliers, JSX's competitors are criticizing their practices as unsafe, arguing that the company's lax security regulations pose a safety threat. This may lead to federal changes that could impact JSX's innovative business model, despite the company's efforts to stand its ground.
A small home-built aircraft, the Cozy Mark IV, crashed off the California coast, with no survivors found and only one body recovered. The plane, registered to Winged Wallabies, Inc., was constructed over nearly a decade and sold last year to a young pilot. Home-built aircraft like the Cozy Mark IV are part of a growing hobby, with over 33,000 licensed by the FAA. The crash is under investigation, and the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to release a preliminary report within 30 days.
Advanced Tactics and Rotor X have collaborated to design the ATRX-700 helicopter, which is aimed at novice aviators and complies with the proposed FAA regulation to categorize helicopters as Light Sport Aircraft. With simplified flight controls and no requirement for an FAA medical certificate, the ATRX-700 only requires 30 hours of flight training and can be flown by anyone with a driver's license. The helicopter, priced at $188,000, is expected to be built and certified by February 2025.
Advanced Tactics and Rotor X have collaborated to create the ATRX-700, a two-seater helicopter designed for rookie aviators. Inspired by the RotorWay RW7, the ATRX-700 features simplified flight controls and a modern drivetrain. The Federal Aviation Administration's proposed MOSAIC rule would categorize helicopters as Light Sport Aircraft, making it easier for new pilots to fly and purchase helicopters. With no FAA medical certificate required, individuals with a driver's license and 30 hours of flight training can fly the ATRX-700. Advanced Tactics offers training at a lower cost than traditional helicopter instruction, and the helicopter comes fully assembled. The ATRX-700 has a cruising speed of 100 mph and is available for preorder at $188,000.
Virgin Galactic successfully completed its first commercial space tourism mission, flying a pair of Italian air force officers and an Italian engineer to the edge of space. The flight, commissioned by the Italian government, served as a training exercise and conducted science experiments. Unlike traditional rocket launches, Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, Unity, is tethered to a twin-fuselage airplane, which releases it at an altitude of about 45,000 feet. Unity then ignites its engine and ascends to an altitude of about 50 miles before returning to Earth. With this milestone achieved, Virgin Galactic aims to start flying its backlog of customers who have paid up to $450,000 per ticket. The flight comes amid ongoing debates about how to regulate commercial space adventures, as a prohibition on strict regulations imposed by Congress is set to expire.
Double-decker and standing-room-only seat configurations for airplanes are unlikely to take off due to stringent FAA regulations and concerns over passenger safety. The FAA has rules regarding emergency exit access and physical requirements that seats must adhere to in "emergency landing dynamic conditions," but none of these regulations specifically address the issue of comfort or personal space in airplane seating. Additionally, political wrangling around airplane seating has led to legislation that would require a reassessment of evacuation rules and consideration for passengers of different heights, sizes, ages, and mobility.