Federal AviationAbout FAA
-------------------------------------
Offices
Key Officials
Budget
Business Opportunities
Contract Opportunities
Fiscal Year 2008 Procurement Forecast
More » Business Opportunities
Plans & Reports
2009 – 2013 Flight Plan (PDF)
Administrator's Fact Book
2009 Business Plans
Performance and Accountability Reports
More » Plans & Reports
Mission & History
Mission
What We Do
History
Photo Album
More » History
Offices
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Headquarters
Airports
Air Traffic Organization
Aviation Policy, Planning and Environment
Aviation Safety
Chief Counsel
Civil Rights
Commercial Space Transportation
Communications
Financial Services
Government and Industry Affairs
Human Resources Management
Information Services
International Aviation
Regions & Center Operations
Security and Hazardous Materials
Field & Regional Offices
Aircraft Certification Offices (ACO)
Airports Regional Offices
Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO)
Manufacturing & Inspection District Offices (MIDO)
Aircraft Evaluation Groups (AEG)
International Field Offices and Units (IFO) (IFU)
Certificate Management Offices (CMO)
Regional Offices
Security and Hazardous Materials Offices
Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
FAA Academy
Center for Management and Executive Leadership
Logistics Center
William J. Hughes Technical Center
Organizational Chart (PDF)
Welcome
FAA Contract Opportunities is used by our contracting organizations to announce FAA’s business opportunities to the public.
Using options in the left menu, users can search for current opportunities.
Prospective Contractors
To do business with FAA, you must register with Central Contractor Registration (CCR).
Subscription
To be notified of new opportunities/updates via email, click Email Subscription in the left menu.
View Fraud Alert
Browser settings
To use this website, we recommend using Microsoft Internet Explorer.
For the application to work properly, cookies and pop-ups have to be enabled. See your browser's help for instructions.
Technical questions accessing website, or website functionality
Click Contact Us at the bottom of this page.
Airport Improvement Program (AIP)
Funding for Airport Planning and Development
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview: What is AIP & What Airports/Projects are Eligible?
Acquiring Land for Airports and Relocation Assistance
Benefit-Cost Analysis
Grant Assurances for the AIP
Letter of Intent (LOI) Program
Military Airport Program (MAP)
Procurement and Contracting Under AIP
Advisory Circulars (ACs)
Series 150 AC Library
AIP ACs
AC Checklist for AIP and PFC Projects (3/21/2007) (PDF)
See also Obstruction Marking and Lighting, AC 70/7460-1
Contact Us
Airport Improvement Program Branch
Financial Analysis and Passenger Facility Charge Branch
Data, Tools, & Resources
AIP Grant/Apportionment Data
AIP Grant Histories
Airport Acronyms
Airport Capital Improvement Plan (ACIP)
FAA Acquisition System Toolset (FAST)
NPIAS Airports (2009-2013) (MS Excel) (10/1/2008)
Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) & All-Cargo Data
Guidance & Policy
AIP Handbook (Order 5100.38)
AIP Program Guidance Letters (PGLs)
Assessment of Innovative Financing Options for the AIP (PDF)
Best Practices
ACC/FAA Best Practices, 2008 (PDF, 1.21 MB) (7/8/2008)
Bulletin 1: Best Practices-Surface Access To Airports (PDF)
Appendix: Notice of Policy Regarding the Eligibility of Airport Ground Access Transportation Projects for Funding Under the Passenger Facility Charge Program (PDF)
Land Options Used in Federally Funded Airport Projects (PDF)
Orders
Publications & Forms
Federal Register Notices
Forms
Reports
AIP Annual Reports
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS)
Statutes & Regulations
Regional Supplemental Guidance
Alaskan (AK)
Central (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Eastern (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV)
Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI)
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Northwest Mountain (CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY)
Southern (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI)
Southwest (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Western-Pacific (AZ, CA, HI, NV)
Related Information on Other Sites
Impact of Air Carriers Emerging From Bankruptcy on Hub Airports, Airport Systems, and U.S. Capital Markets (PDF)
Overview: What is AIP?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this page . . .
What Is the Airport Improvement Program?
How Much of the Project Cost Does the Grant Cover?
What Airports are Eligible?
What Types of Projects Are Eligible?
What Are the Obligations for Accepting AIP Funds?
How Does FAA Determine Which Projects Will Receive AIP Funds?
What is the History of the AIP?
What Is the Airport Improvement Program?
The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) provides grants to public agencies---and, in some cases, to private owners and entities---for the planning and development of public-use airports that are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS).
How Much of the Project Cost Does the Grant Cover?
For large and medium primary hub airports, the grant covers 75 percent of eligible costs (or 80 percent for noise program implementation). For small primary, reliever, and general aviation airports, the grant covers 95 percent of eligible costs.
What Airports are Eligible?
AIP grants for planning, development, or noise compatibility projects are at or associated with individual public-use airports (including heliports and seaplane bases). A public-use airport is an airport open to the public that also meets the following criteria:
Publicly owned, or
Privately owned but designated by FAA as a reliever, or
Privately owned but having scheduled service and at least 2,500 annual enplanements.
Further, to be eligible for a grant, an airport must be included in the NPIAS. The NPIAS, which is prepared and published every 2 years, identifies public-use airports that are important to public transportation and contribute to the needs of civil aviation, national defense, and the Postal service.
Recipients of grants are referred to as "sponsors." The description of eligible grant activities is described in the authorizing legislation and relates to capital items serving to develop and improve the airport in areas of safety, capacity, and noise compatibility. In addition to these basic principles, a sponsor must be legally, financially, and otherwise able to carry out the assurances and
obligations contained in the project application and grant agreement.
What Types of Projects Are Eligible?
Eligible projects include those improvements related to enhancing airport safety, capacity, security, and environmental concerns. In general, sponsors can use AIP funds on most airfield capital improvements or repairs except those for terminals, hangars, and nonaviation development. Any professional services that are necessary for eligible projects — such as planning, surveying, and design — are eligible as is runway, taxiway, and apron pavement maintenance. Aviation demand at the airport must justify the projects, which must also meet Federal environmental and procurement requirements.
Projects related to airport operations and revenue-generating improvements are typically not eligible for funding. Operational costs — such as salaries, maintenance services, equipment, and supplies — are also not eligible for AIP grants.
The table below lists typical examples of eligible and ineligible projects; the list is not exhaustive. Questions about AIP eligibility should be directed to the appropriate Regional Airports Office.
Examples of Eligible Versus Ineligible AIP Projects Eligible Projects Ineligible Projects
Runway construction/rehabilitation Maintenance equipment and vehicles
Taxiway construction/rehabilitation Office and office equipment
Apron construction/rehabilitation Fuel farms*
Airfield lighting Landscaping
Airfield signage Artworks
Airfield drainage Aircraft hangars*
Land acquisition Industrial park development
Weather observation stations (AWOS) Marketing plans
NAVAIDs such as REILs and PAPIs Training
Planning studies Improvements for commercial enterprises
Environmental studies General aviation terminal buildings
Safety area improvements Automobile parking lots
Airport layout plans (ALPs) Maintenance or repairs of buildings
Access roads only located on airport property
Removing, lowering, moving, marking, and lighting hazards
Glycol Recovery Trucks/Glycol Vacuum Trucks** (11/29/2007)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*May be eligible. Contact your local Airport District or Regional Office for more information.
**To be eligible, the vehicles must be owned and operated by the Airport and meet the Buy American Preference specified in the AIP grant. Contact your local Airport District or Regional Office for more information.
In addition, the following must also apply for FAA to consider a project for AIP funding:
The project sponsorship requirements have been met.
The project is reasonably consistent with the plans of planning agencies for the development of the area in which the airport is located.
Sufficient funds are available for the portion of the project not paid for by the Federal Government.
The project will be completed without undue delay.
The airport location is included in the current version of the NPIAS.
The project involves more than $25,000 in AIP funds.
The project is depicted on a current airport layout plan approved by FAA.
What Are the Obligations for Accepting AIP Funds?
Airports sponsors who accept a grant offer are also accepting conditions and obligations associated with the grant assurances. These include obligations to operate and maintain the airport in a safe and servicable condition, not grant exclusive rights, mitigate hazards to airspace, and use airport revenue properly.
How Does FAA Determine Which Projects Will Receive AIP Funds?
Because the demand for AIP funds exceeds the availability, FAA bases distribution of these funds on present national priorities and objectives. AIP funds are typically first apportioned into major entitlement categories such as primary, cargo, and general aviation. Remaining funds are distributed to a discretionary fund. Set-aside projects (airport noise and the Military Airport Program)receive first attention from this discretionary distribution. The remaining funds are true discretionary funds that are distributed according to a national priortization formula.
What is the History of the AIP?
To promote the development of a system of airports to meet the Nation's needs, the Federal Government embarked on a grants-in-aid program to units of state and local governments shortly after the end of World War II. The early program, the Federal-Aid Airport Program (FAAP) was authorized by the Federal Airport Act of 1946 and drew its funding from the general fund of the U.S. Treasury.
In 1970, a more comprehensive program was established with the passage of the Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970. This Act provided grants for airport planning under the Planning Grant Program (PGP) and for airport development under the Airport Development Aid Program (ADAP). These programs were funded from a newly established Airport and Airway Trust Fund, into which were deposited revenues from several aviation-user taxes on such items as airline fares, air freight, and aviation fuel. The authority to issue grants under these two programs expired on
September 30, 1981. During this 11-year period, 8,809 grants totaling $4.5 billion were approved.
The current program, known as the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), was established by the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-248). Since then, the AIP has been amended several times, most recently with the passage of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for 21st Century (AIR-21). Funds obligated for the AIP are drawn from the Airport and Airway Trust fund which is supported by user fees, fuel taxes, and other similar revenue sources.
Airport Obligations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Airport sponsors agree to certain obligations when they accept Federal grant funds or Federal property transfers for airport purposes. The FAA enforces these obligations through its Airport Compliance Program.
Overview: Airport Compliance Program
Airport Financial Reporting Program
Airport Privatization Pilot Program
Complaints (Parts 13 and 16)
Grant Assurances
Advisory Circulars (ACs)
Series 150 AC Library
Compliance/Obligation ACs
AC 150/5190-6, Exclusive Rights at Federally Obligated Airports
AC 150/5190-7, Minimum Standards for Commercial Aeronautical Activities
Contact Us
Airport Compliance Division
Data, Tools, and Resources
Part 16 Decision Database
Airport Financial Reporting Program (CATS) Website
Publications and Forms
Forms
Federal Register Notices
Orders
Order 5190.6A, Airport Compliance Requirements
Policy and Procedures Concerning the Use of Airport Revenue (PDF)
Regional Supplemental Guidance
Alaskan (AK)
Central (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Eastern (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV)
Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI)
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Northwest Mountain (CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY)
Southern (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI)
Southwest (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Western-Pacific (AZ, CA, HI, NV)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Airport Safety Program addresses general aviation airport safety, runway safety, airports certificated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 139, and the Airport Safety Data Program, which makes airport information available to the public.
Airshows
Open or Close an Airport or Runway
Part 139 Certification
Reducing Runway Incursions
Runway Safety Program
Safety Management Systems (SMS)
Signs and Marking
Wildlife Hazard Mitigation
Advisory Circulars (ACs)
Series 150 AC Library
ACs - Airport Safety
Draft ACs
Contact Us
Airport Safety and Operations Division
FAA Aviation Safety Hotline
Data, Tools, & Resources
Airport Acronyms
Airport Data (5010) and Contact Information
Airport Diagrams
Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) System
National Wildlife Strike Database
State Aviation Offices
Guidance & Policy
Airport Safety Presentation (MS PowerPoint, 1.03 MB)
Certalerts
Guidelines for Submitting a Supervisory Fueling Safety Program (PDF)
NOTAM Briefing: Guidance for NOTAM D Standardization: MS PowerPoint (1.38 MB), PDF
Orders
Signs and Marking Supplement (SAMS)
Publications & Forms
Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM)
Federal Register Notices
Forms
Notices for Airmen (NOTAMs)
Reports
Statutes & Regulations
Regional Supplemental Guidance
Additional guidance on this topic is available for the following regions of the country:
Alaskan (AK)
Central (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Eastern (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV)
Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI)
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Northwest Mountain (CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY)
Southern (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI)
Southwest (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Western-Pacific (AZ, CA, HI, NV)
Related Information on Non-FAA Sites
National Transportation Safety Board
Construction On or Near Airports
Guidance for Design, Engineering, & Construction Projects
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acquiring Land for Airports and Relocation Assistance
Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)
Airport Lighting
Airport Surveying / GIS Program
Construction Standards
Design Software
Design Standards
Obstruction Evaluation/Airport Airspace Analysis
Open or Close an Airport or Runway
Pavement Design and Construction
Procurement and Contracting under AIP
Wildlife Hazard Mitigation
Advisory Circulars (ACs)
Series 150 AC Library
ACs - Design, Construction, Maintenance
Draft ACs
New and Revised ACs
Contact Us
Airport Engineering Division
Data, Tools, & Resources
Aircraft Characteristics Database
Airport Acronyms
Airport Data (5010) and Contact Information
Airport Diagrams (digital - Terminal Procedures Publication)
Aviation Forecasts
FAA Operations and Performance Data
National Airport Pavement Test Facility
National Flight Procedures (Instrument Approach Procedures)
Guidance & Policy
ACC/FAA Best Practices, 2008 (PDF, 1.21 MB) (7/8/2008)
Engineering Briefs (EBs)
Flight Procedure Policies and Guidance
Orders
Issue Papers
Shortage of Potassium Acetate-based Runway Deicer Fluid for 2008-2009 Winter Season (PDF) (10/21/2008)
Note: Please see clarification at end of document.
Letter to Industry about the Use of Newer Generation Runway Deicer Fluids (PDF, 1.54 MB) (11/18/2008)
Publications & Forms
Air Traffic Publications
Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM)
Federal Register Notices
Forms
Reports
ACRP Reports
Technical Notes
TERPs Instruction Letters (TILS)
Regional Supplemental Guidance
Alaskan (AK)
Central (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Eastern (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV)
Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI)
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Northwest Mountain (CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY)
Southern (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI)
Southwest (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Western-Pacific (AZ, CA, HI, NV)
Related Information on Non-FAA Sites
Aeronautical Survey Program (National Geodetic Survey)
Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations
Davis-Bacon Poster
Fair Labor Standards Minimum Wage Poster
Equal Employment Opportunity Poster
Military Specifications, Standards, and Related Publications (DODSSP)
Environmental Program
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Airport Environmental Program helps airports implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other Federal environmental laws and regulations. This includes airport noise compatibility planning (Part 150), airport noise and access restrictions (Part 161), environmental review for airport development, and the application of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970.
Airport Air Quality
Voluntary Airport Low Emissions Program (VALE)
Airport Noise (Part 150 and Part 161)
Compatible Land Use
Environmental Records of Decision
Acquiring Land for Airports and Relocation Assistance
Wildlife Hazard Mitigation
Advisory Circulars (ACs)
Series 150 AC Library
ACs - Environmental
Contact Us
Planning and Environmental Division
Environmental Personnel
Planning Personnel
Data, Tools, & Resources
Airport Noise Compatability Planning Data/Program Status (by State)
Airport Noise Compatability Planning Toolkit
Airport Noise and Land Use Information (including Noise Exposure Maps)
Guidance & Policy
Air Quality Handbook
Best Practices
ACC/FAA Best Practices, 2008 (PDF, 1.21 MB) (7/8/2008)
Best Practices for Environmental Impact Statement Management
Environmental Desk Reference for Airport Actions
Environmental Guidance Letters and Memorandums
Environmental Policy and Guidance Resources
Orders
Environmental Due Diligence Audits (EDDA) in the Conduct of FAA Real Property Transactions (Order 1050.19)
Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures (Order 1050.1)
Land Acquisition and Relocation Assistance for Airport Projects (Order 5100.37)
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Instructions for Airport Projects (Order 5050.4)
Prevention, Control and Abatement of Environmental Pollution at FAA Facilities (Order 1050.10)
Publications & Forms
Federal Register Notices
Forms
Reports
Report to Congress on the Environmental Review of Airport Improvement Projects (PDF)
Wildlife Hazard Mission Statement - Memorandum of Agreement: PDF, MS Word
Regional Supplemental Guidance
Additional guidance on this topic is available for the following regions of the country:
Alaskan (AK)
Central (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Eastern (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV)
Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI)
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Northwest Mountain (CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY)
Southern (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI)
Southwest (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Western-Pacific (AZ, CA, HI, NV)
Related Information on Non-FAA Sites
ARC: Acquisition, Relocation, Certification
An instructional application of real property acquisition and relocation assistance requirements for FAA-assisted airport projects
Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) Program
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) Program allows the collection of PFC fees up to $4.50 for every enplaned passenger at commercial airports controlled by public agencies. Airports use these fees to fund FAA-approved projects that enhance safety, security, or capacity; reduce noise; or increase air carrier competition.
Advisory Circulars (ACs)
Series 150 AC Library
ACs - PFC Program
AC Checklist for AIP and PFC Projects (PDF)
Also see Obstruction Marking and Lighting, AC 70/7460-1
Contact Us
Financial Analysis and Passenger Facility Charge Branch
Data, Tools, & Resources
Addresses for Air Carriers and Commercial Service Airports
PFC Monthly Reports
Guidance & Policy
Best Practices
ACC/FAA Best Practices, 2008 (PDF, 1.21 MB) (7/8/2008)
Bulletin 1: Best Practices-Surface Access to Airports (PDF)
PFC Audit Guides
PFC Order
See chapter 10 for PFC levels above $3
PFC Update 47-04: Low-Emission Airport Vehicles and Ground Support Equipment (PDF)
PFC Update 55-08: Streamlined PFC Application Procedures for Non-Hub Airports (PDF) (7/21/2008)
Publications & Forms
Federal Register Notices
Forms
Statutes & Regulations
Regional Supplemental Guidance
Additional guidance on this topic is available for the following regions of the country:
Alaskan (AK)
Central (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Eastern (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV)
Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI)
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Northwest Mountain (CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY)
Southern (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI)
Southwest (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Western-Pacific (AZ, CA, HI, NV)
Related Information on Non-FAA Sites
Airport Business Practices and their Impact on Airline Competition (PDF)
Essential Air Service Program
Planning & Capacity
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capacity Needs in the National Airspace System, 2007-2025 (FACT 2)
Military Airport Program (MAP)
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS)
Advisory Circulars (ACs)
Series 150 AC Library
ACs - Airport Planning
Airport System Planning Process (AC 150/5070-7)
Master Planning Guide (AC 150/5070-6), Change 1
Contact Us
Planning and Environmental Division
Planning Personnel
Environmental Personnel
Data, Tools, & Resources
Air Traffic Activity Data System (Historic Airport Operations)
Airport Categories
Design Standards
Instrument Approach Procedures/National Flight Procedures
NextGen Implementation Plan (formerly Operational Evolution Partnership (OEP))
Passenger and All-Cargo Statistics
Airport Activity Survey
All-Cargo Reporting
Terminal Area Forecast (TAFs for Individual Airports)
Guidance & Policy
Best Practices
ACC/FAA Best Practices, 2008 (PDF, 1.21 MB) (7/8/2008)
Bulletin 1: Best Practices-Surface Access To Airports (PDF)
Appendix: Notice of Policy Regarding the Eligibility of Airport Ground Access Transportation Projects for Funding Under the Passenger Facility Charge Program (PDF)
Aviation Forecasts
Forecasting Aviation Activity by Airport (MS Word)
Guidance on Review & Approval of Local Aviation Forecasts (6/2008) (PDF) (8/27/2008)
Request for Review & Approval of Local Aviation Forecasts (5/2008) (PDF) (8/27/2008)
Revision to Guidance on Review and Approval of Aviation Forecasts (12/2004) (PDF)
Publications & Forms
Forms
Orders
Reports
WAAS Brochure: Maximizing Airport Operations Using the Wide Area Augmentation System (PDF)
Regional Supplemental Guidance
Additional guidance on this topic is available for the following regions of the country:
Alaskan (AK)
Central (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Eastern (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV)
Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI)
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Northwest Mountain (CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY)
Southern (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI)
Southwest (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Western-Pacific (AZ, CA, HI, NV)
Related Information on Non-FAA Sites
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Below is a list of recent news articles released in relation to aviation safety. To read an article, simply click on the article title.
FAASTeam Training Update
November 19 2008 by FAA Production Studios
ATN/ESP Broadcast - FAASTeam Training for FAASTeam Representatives on December 3, 2008
Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award Ceremony
November 03 2008 by Bryan Neville
FAASTeam Program Manager Receives Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
Lessons Learned
October 28 2008 by Thomas P. Turner, Mastery Flight Training, Inc.
Flying Lessons Learned, suggested by this week’s aircraft mishap reports
FAASTeam CFI Workshops
August 08 2008 by Jim Leavitt, FAASTeam Program Manager, Albany NY
. . . Remember, working together we can make the biggest difference in aviation safety
Reaching the Next Level of Aviation Safety
April 17 2008 by Nicholas Sabatini, FAA Associate Administrator of Aviation Safety
When effectively combined, the SMS and QMS ensure safe and quality products.
2008 FAA AMT Award Winners
March 26 2008 by Phil Randall, Assistant National FAASTeam Manager, AFS-8a
The FAA AMT Advisory Committee is pleased to announce. . .
GA Awards Program Seeks Missing Names
December 14 2007 by Alexander "Sandy" Hill, Communications Director, GA Awards Program
. . .has recognized aviation professionals for their contributions to aviation. . .
2008 AMT Industry Contest Prize Listing
November 15 2007 by Phil Randal, Deputy National FAASTeam Manager
Every year the AMT Advisory Committee works relentlessly . . .
THE GENERAL AVIATION AWARDS PROGRAM
September 13 2007 by Alexander "Sandy" Hill, Communications Director GA Awards Committee
These annual awards highlight the important role played by these individuals . . .
Angels of Aviation
August 13 2007 by John M. Allen, FAA Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service
. . . see, it’s more than introducing kids to their first flight. . .
Why I Like the New WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program
August 06 2007 by Rich Martindell, FAASTeam Lead Representative
First, and foremost, the new WINGS program puts each pilot in control of his or her own training program . . .
The All New WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program
April 11 2007 by James E. Pyles, National FAASTeam Outreach Program Manager
. . . it’s no longer an “Award” program but a true proficiency program designed to help improve our skills and knowledge as pilots.
New Passport Requirements Now Required.
February 23 2007 by James M. Wilkinson, Regional FAASTeam Manager, Alaska Region
. . . all persons, young and old, including U.S. citizens, must have a valid passport. . . .
TCAS Safety Bulletin - Now Available!
October 30 2006 by James E. Pyles, National FAASTeam Outreach Manager
. . . emphasis on assuring that flight crews properly respond . . .
Gary Martin Assigned to Oversee the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award Program
October 30 2006 by James E. Pyles, National FAASTeam Outreach Manager
Bill O'Brien is retiring . . .
FAA-ATA Human Factors in Maintenance and Ramp Safety a Success
September 22 2006 by Dr. Bill Johnson
The result was a success when over 300 delegates . . .
Introducing the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team
September 21 2006 by Kevin L. Clover, National FAA Safety Team Manager
The FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) will be launched on October 1, 2006. . .
The Upcoming Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team
June 12 2006 by Kevin L. Clover, National FAA Safety Team Manager
FAASTeam! What's it all about?
"Resume Own Navigation, What does it really mean?
March 29 2006 by John Black, Spokane, WA Safety Program Manager
A Scenario Based on Actual Events . . .
Tools For Giving Better Flight Reviews
January 31 2006 by Susan Parson, Special Assistant, AFS-802
Need ideas for conducting a more effective flight review?
Fly Neighborly!
October 20 2005 by James E. Pyles, Acting National FAASTeam Outreach Manager
It is time for each of us to reflect on our responsibilities!
System Safety! What is it?
July 24 2005 by Cary Meier, Systems Safety Analysis Branch, AAL 240, Alaska
. . . human performance system safety. This is more along the lines of how a human uses a component, how a process is followed. . .
Turning Up Training
June 27 2005 by Fred P. Harms, Safety Program Manager
The more we turn up the training, the more we will turn down the accidents.
To improve the Nation's aviation safety record by conveying safety principles and practices through training, outreach, and education. At the same time, FAASTeam Managers and Program Managers will establish meaningful aviation industry alliances and encourage continual growth of a positive safety culture within the aviation community.
" The new FAASTeam will help the FAA and industry focus their resources on combined efforts to reach our common goal of reducing accidents.
Join the FAASTeam and be part of the solution! "
-- Kevin Clover, National FAA Safety Team Manager
Each of the eight FAA Flight Standards regions now has a Regional FAASTeam Office dedicated to this new safety program and managed by the Regional FAASTeam Manager (RFM). Based on the makeup of the aviation community in each region, the RFM has selected a group of FAASTeam Program Managers (FPM) with specific aviation specialties and assigned them to geographic areas of responsibility within the region. FPMs do not report to work where the RFM resides. They are "hosted" at FAA facilities within their assigned geographic area but they still report directly to
the RFM.
This new structure allows each regional FAASTeam to station employees throughout the region and still remain focused on its plan to reduce accidents.
The FAASTeam uses more data to decide what should be done to reduce accidents. Each Regional FAASTeam Office develops a business plan based on information compiled by FPMs from each of the region's geographic areas. The data includes:
Accident/incident reports involving airmen from the area
Hazards identified by Inspectors at local Flight Standards District Offices
Information from the local aviation community
Once the data is collected and analyzed the FPMs develop tasks that they plan to accomplish, with the help of all their FAASTeam Members, in an effort to mitigate future accidents.
The FAASTeam uses system safety techniques to shift the safety culture. New risk management tools will be created for individual airmen. A product to deliver safety management system tools to air groups is in the development process.
The FAASTeam is "teaming" up with individuals and the aviation industry to create a unified effort against accidents and "tip" the safety culture in the right direction.
FAASTeam Members
A FAASTeam Member is anyone who makes a conscious effort to promote aviation safety and become part of the shift in safety culture. To become a member:
Sign-up to use FAASafety.gov and take part in all it has to offer.
Pilots – participate in our new WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program
Mechanics – participate in the AMT Awards Program
Attend live FAASTeam seminars and events in your area
FAASTeam Representatives
Aviation safety volunteers that wish to work closely with FAASTeam Program Managers (FPM) to actively promote safety may be designated as FAASTeam Representatives. These volunteers will receive training and will be supported by the FPM with equipment and materials.
FAASTeam Industry Members
The FAASTeam is in the process of developing guidelines for the establishment of Industry Members. They are companies or associations of people that have a vested interest in aviation safety.
The guidelines will describe how these groups and the FAASTeam can formalize their desires to promote aviation safety together.
We invite you to join the FAASTeam at whatever level is right for you.
Together, as a team, we can make a difference by reducing aviation accidents!
Aviation Learning Center Online Course Catalog
Category: All categories
Below you will find the available training courses for the Aviation Learning Center. To register for a course, click on the Register Now link next to the course name below. If this list indicates that you are already registered for a course, simply click the course name to resume the course.
A course can be completed in multiple sessions, which means you may log out at any time and resume it later. When you are ready to resume, just login and click on "My Courses" in the left-side navigation. You may also view completed courses in the "My Courses" section.
To view courses grouped by Category click here.
For a brief overview of the Aviation Learning Center course system, click here.
*Navigating the New DC ADIZ
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
This course explains the requirements and procedures for operating in the reconfigured Washington DC Air Defense Identification Zone (DC ADIZ). Successful completion satisfies the regulatory requirement mandated by 14 CFR Part 91.161, "Special Awareness Training" for any pilot who flies under VFR within a 60 nautical mile radius of the DCA VOR.
0.50 WINGS
Airspace and Weather Format Review with Sporty's
Register Now
$$ This course, provided by Sporty’s, allows you to receive WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program Credit for completion of “Sporty’s Airspace and Weather Format Review” DVD course.
1.00 WINGS
Aviate - Navigate - Communicate
Register Now
"Aviate, Navigate, Communicate" (A-N-C), is a phrase that has been used by pilots for many years. It's a reminder of the pilot-in-command priorities during emergency situations, and can be used as a guide to create training scenarios. 1.00 WINGS
Destin/Eglin AFB FL Part 93 Operations
Register Now
Visiting Destin, FL? This course makes the the first-time visitor as comfortable with the Destin/Eglin AFB Part 93 airspace as the pilot who is using this airspace on a regular basis. 0.50 WINGS
Failure to Follow Procedures - INSPECTIONS
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
This course highlights the consequences of failing to follow procedures with specific emphasis and best practices presented in the areas of installation, inspection, and maintenance. 0.50
WINGS
Flight Review Prep Guide
Register Now
This course is a structured guide to reviewing Part 91 and the AIM in preparation for your next flight review. 1.00 WINGS
Flight Review with Sporty's
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
$$ This course, provided by Sporty’s, allows you to receive WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program Credit for completion of “Flight Review” DVD or download course.
1.00 WINGS
Hold Short for Runway Safety
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
This course uses is a simulation of an actual pilot deviation to help pilots understand runway safety issues. 0.50 WINGS
Hot Air Balloon Maintenance for Pilots
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
A Review of the Maintenance Requirements for Hot Air Balloons, especially those that pilots can perform. 1.00 WINGS
Inflight Icing
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
This course is designed to help pilots understand conditions and hazards of inflight icing, and to develop strategies to minimize inflight icing risks. 1.00 WINGS
Instrument Proficiency Check Review Guide
Register Now
This course provides a structured guide to reviewing regulations and procedures for flying under IFR. 1.00 WINGS
Instrument Proficiency Check with Sporty's
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
$$ This course, provided by Sporty’s, allows you to receive WINGS - Pilot Proficiency Program Credit for completion of “Instrument Proficiency Check” DVD or download course.
1.00 WINGS
Know Your NOTAMs
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
This course provides information on the new "D" NOTAM format, which takes effect on January 28, 2008. 0.25 WINGS
Maneuvering: Approach and Landing
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
By improving your skills in flying approaches, and knowing the techniques for handling all kinds of landing conditions, you will be a safer and better pilot. Your passengers (and/or cargo) will benefit from a smoother touchdown, and the aircraft will receive less wear and tear. 1.00 WINGS
Multi-Engine Safety Review
Register Now
This course, based on "Flying Light Twins Safely" (P-8740-66), offers a brief review of multi-engine aerodynamics and best practices for safe operation of light twins. 1.00 WINGS
Normal Approach and Landing
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
This course offers a basic refresher on techniques for consistently good landings in a normal situation. It covers base leg, final approach, roundout, touchdown, and after-landing roll. 0.25
WINGS
Positive Aircraft Control
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
This course explores scenarios and common traps where pilots fail to maintain positive aircraft control and is designed to increase awareness of potentially hazardous situations. 1.00 WINGS
Teaching and Performing Pre-Flight Preparations
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
The "small" general aviation (GA) fatal accident rate is between two and three orders of magnitude worse than air carriers, the military, and corporate "big" GA. Certificated Flight Instructors (CFIs) are in a pivital position to influence the small GA fatal accident rate by advocating to their clients the adoption of key operational procedures used by big GA. Much of this can be done within the context of pre-flight preparations as is shown in this Master Level course. 1.00 WINGS
TFRs and Special Use Airspace
Register Now
Presented By:
Online Courses
This course provides a review of the requirements and procedures for navigating temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) and special use airspace (SUA). 1.00 WINGS
The Art of Aeronautical Decision-Making
Register Now
This course presents a framework for developing situational awareness, evaluating options, and making safe decisions. 1.00 WINGS
TIPH - Taxi Into Position and Hold
Register Now
Runway Safety topics, including taxi into position and hold instructions, are discussed and explained. 1.00 WINGS
The Aviation Learning Center Library is organized into categories for your convenience. Click on a category name to view the titles in that category. You may also perform a Learning Center
Library Search to locate documents based on keywords. Click here to return to the Learning Center Library portal.
Aviation Learning Center
Document Library Categories
Aircraft (25 publications)
Documents on operating your equipment safely and efficently.
Airmen - AMTs (8 publications)
Documents and training materials for Aviation Maintenance Technicians
Airmen - Pilots (42 publications)
Documents of special interest to pilots.
Airports (13 publications)
Documents and training materials that relate to the operation of aircraft and vehicles in and around the airport.
Airspace (15 publications)
Documents and training materials related to the U.S. airspace system.
Airworthiness (8 publications)
Documents on airworthiness
Flying Lessons - Lessons Learned (6 publications)
FLYING LESSONS uses the past week’s mishap reports as the jumping-off point to consider what might have contributed to accidents, so you can make better decisions if you face similar circumstances.
Guidance, Standards, & Regulations (27 publications)
Documents with information on official guidance, standards, and regulations
Human Factors (22 publications)
Documents related to human factors (non technical) aspects of flying
Nuts and Bolts Newsletter (6 publications)
Nuts and Bolts Newsletter for Mechanics is published quarterly by the SW Region
Reference Materials (20 publications)
Safety-related reference materials
Safety Pamphlets (24 publications)
Aviation Safety Program "P-Pamphlets" on a range of topics
Safety Tools (22 publications)
Safety-related resources, including kneeboard-sized pamphlets on various topics
Temporary Course (1 publication)
Temp Course for testing.
Videos and Interactive Content (6 publications)
Multimedia content releated to aviation safety.
Weather (19 publications)
Documents and training materials related to aviation weather
To take full advantage of SPANS, log in or register now!
What is SPANS?
SPANS is an online event notification system. Many of you now have taken advantage of FAA sponsored events and seminars to increase your skills as airmen. The FAA has recently launched the SPANS system to provide better seminar and event information notification in a timely manner and easy access for Airmen. The SPANS system is taking the place of the current paper based snail mail system. This transition will provide better service to Airmen at the same time as reducing costs.
Who can use SPANS?
Anyone can search the SPANS system and even register for events online! Just click on events in the navigation and find events in your area now!
The Benefits of Registration
You don't have to be an airman to register. As a registered user you can get automatic email notifications, detailed event information, important notices, and local contact information via email! Spans is 100% free and our user database is never given out to anyone. Click on Registration and complete the online registration form. We strongly recommend that airmen also register their email address at http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/airmen_
services/ and update their current mailing address if needed.
Getting the Most out of SPANS
Click here to learn how to keep your email address current. Make sure you "allow" us to send you information by adding FAASafety.gov to your "allowed" list of email addresses in your spam blocking software if necessary. After logging in, check your preferences to make sure you will be receiving the information you desire. (We don't want you to get items that are of little or no concern to you while missing out on the very important information you really need.) You do not have to be registered to search for events!
Your Information is Private
Our email database will not be given to anyone. It is used only to promote safety through timely notification of safety information by the FAA Safety Program. If you would like to know more about the FAA privacy policy, click here.
New York Airports Slot Auctions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delays at all New York airports soared in 2007. These delays resulted in a cascading effect where delays dramatically increased at other airports nationwide. The summer of 2007 became the second worst on record nationally for flight delays. This daunting rise in delays prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to limit flight operations at both John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Newark Liberty (EWR) in 2008. The existing caps at LGA, introduced in 2006, remain.
In October 2008, FAA published final rules to address congestion and reduce delays at LGA, JFK and EWR. The LGA (PDF) and JFK/EWR (PDF) final rules grandfather the majority of operations at the airport and will develop a robust secondary market by annually auctioning off a limited number of slots. As part of these rules, a proportion of the slots will be available for lease by a series of annual sealed-bid second-price auctions and awarded to successful bidders for the duration of the final rules. These rules are designed to encourage more efficient airline behavior, help alleviate congestion, and allow access to a small number of new entrants. The agency plans to use the proceeds from the auctions to mitigate congestion and delay in the New York City area.
Below you will find helpful resources, including important dates and a link to the website where the auctions are being conducted.
Calendar of Events
Limited Slot Allocation Presentation (PDF) (12/4/2008)
Press Releases
President Bush Discusses Aviation Congestion and Transportation Safety, (11/18/2008)
Secretary Peters Releases Final New York Congestion Management Rules, (10/9/2008)
FAA to Auction Slots at Newark Liberty Airport, (8/5/2008)
FAA Puts Temporary Measures in Place to Control LaGuardia Congestion, (12/29/2006)
Final Rules
Congestion Management Rule for LaGuardia Airport (PDF), (10/10/2008)
Congestion Management Rule for John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport (PDF), (10/10/2008)
New York Airport Slot Auctions website (Auction Services Contractor)
NextGen Implementation Plan 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By 2025, U.S. air traffic is predicted to more than double. Our current air traffic control system will not be able to manage this growth. NextGen is a transformation of the National Airspace System (NAS), including our national system of airports, which uses 21st century technologies to ensure future safety, capacity and environmental needs are met. NextGen will be realized through coordinated efforts by the Departments of Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, and Commerce, as well as the FAA, NASA, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The NextGen vision was developed by the Joint Planning and Development Office , which facilitates inter-agency cooperation.
FAA's NextGen Implementation Plan and Process
FAA's NextGen Implementation Plan defines this agency's path to NextGen. The NextGen Implementation Plan contains firm, fully-funded commitments to new operational capabilities, new airport infrastructure, and improvements to safety, security, and environmental performance. The plan's management process ensures these will be delivered by a specific near-term dates. The FAA and its partners are also undertaking research, policy and requirements development, and other activities, to assess the feasibility and benefits of additional proposed system changes that
could be delivered in the mid-term (2012-2018). The goal of this plan is to turn these proposals into commitments, and to guide them into use.
The NextGen Implementation Plan was formerly called the Operational Evolution Partnership. Its name changes with this version to clarify its purpose.
NextGen Implementation Plan, June 2008
2008 Implementation Accomplishments (PDF)
2008 Implementation Overiew (PDF)
Initiate Trajectory-based Operations
Improve Arrivals/Departures in High-Density Airports
Improve Flexibility in the Terminal Environment
Improve Collaborative Air Traffic Management
Reduce Weather Impact
Improve Safety, Security, and Environmental Performance
Transform Facilities
OEP 35 Airports
OEP Metropolitan Areas
Aircraft & Operator Requirements
Implementation Strategic Timelines (PDF)
Program Reference Sheets
Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B)
Data Communication (Data COMM) in Support of NextGen
NextGen Network - Enabled Weather (NNEW)
NAS Voice Switch (NVS)
System-Wide Information Management (SWIM)
Additional NextGen Resources
NextGen Video
Related Plans
NextGen 101
History
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Brief History of the Federal Aviation Administration
Origins
Early Responsibilities
The Civil Aeronautics Act
The Birth of FAA
From Agency to Administration
Changing Duties
ATC Automation
The PATCO Strike
Structural Changes
Technology for the Future
Bibliography
Origins
The Air Commerce Act of May 20, 1926, was the cornerstone of the Federal government's regulation of civil aviation. This landmark legislation was passed at the urging of the aviation industry, whose leaders believed the airplane could not reach its full commercial potential without Federal action to improve and maintain safety standards. The Act charged the Secretary of Commerce with fostering air commerce, issuing and enforcing air traffic rules, licensing pilots, certificating aircraft, establishing airways, and operating and maintaining aids to air navigation. A new Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce assumed primary responsibility for aviation oversight. The first head of the Branch was William P. MacCracken, Jr., who played a key part in convincing Congress of the need for this new governmental role.
Early Responsibilities
In fulfilling its civil aviation responsibilities, the Department of Commerce initially concentrated on functions such as safety rulemaking and the certification of pilots and aircraft. It took over the building and operation of the nation's system of lighted airways, a task begun by the Post Office Department. The Department of Commerce improved aeronautical radio communications, and introduced radio beacons as an effective aid to air navigation.
In 1934, the Aeronautics Branch was renamed the Bureau of Air Commerce to reflect its enhanced status within the Department. As commercial flying increased, the Bureau encouraged a group of airlines to establish the first three centers for providing air traffic control (ATC) along the airways. In 1936, the Bureau itself took over the centers and began to expand the ATC system.
The pioneer air traffic controllers used maps, blackboards, and mental calculations to ensure the safe separation of aircraft traveling along designated routes between cities.
The Civil Aeronautics Act
In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Act transferred the Federal civil aviation responsibilities from the Commerce Department to a new independent agency, the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The legislation also expanded the government's role by giving the Authority the power to regulate airline fares and to determine the routes that air carriers would serve.
In 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt split the Authority into two agencies, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). CAA was responsible for ATC, airman and aircraft certification, safety enforcement, and airway development. CAB was entrusted with safety rulemaking, accident investigation, and economic regulation of the airlines. Both organizations were part of the Department of Commerce. Unlike CAA, however, CAB functioned independently of the Secretary.
On the eve of America's entry into World War II, CAA began to extend its ATC responsibilities to takeoff and landing operations at airports. This expanded role eventually became permanent after the war. The application of radar to ATC helped controllers in their drive to keep abreast of the postwar boom in commercial air transportation. In 1946, Congress gave CAA the added task of administering the Federal-aid airport program, the first peacetime program of financial assistance aimed exclusively at promoting development of the nation's civil airports.
The Birth of FAA
The approaching introduction of jet airliners and a series of midair collisions spurred passage of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. This legislation transferred CAA's functions to a new independent body, the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) that had broader authority to combat aviation hazards. The act took safety rulemaking from CAB and entrusted it to the new FAA. It also gave FAA sole responsibility for developing and maintaining a common civil-military system of air navigation and air traffic control, a responsibility CAA previously shared with others.
The scope of the Federal Aviation Act owed much to the leadership of Elwood "Pete" Quesada, an Air Force general who served as President Eisenhower's principle advisor on civil aeronautics. After becoming the first Administrator of the agency he helped to create, Quesada mounted a vigorous campaign for improved airline safety.
From Agency to Administration
In 1966, Congress authorized the creation of a cabinet department that would combine major Federal transportation responsibilities. This new Department of Transportation (DOT) began full operations on April l, 1967. On that day, FAA became one of several modal organizations within DOT and received a new name, Federal Aviation Administration. At the same time, CAB's accident investigation function was transferred to the new National Transportation Safety Board.
Changing Duties
Even before becoming part of DOT, FAA gradually assumed responsibilities not originally contemplated by the Federal Aviation Act. The hijacking epidemic of the 1960s involved the agency in the field of aviation security. In 1968, Congress vested in FAA's Administrator the power to prescribe aircraft noise standards. The Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970 placed the agency in charge of a new airport aid program funded by a special aviation trust fund. The same Act made FAA responsible for safety certification of airports served by air carriers.
ATC Automation
By the mid-1970s, FAA achieved a semi-automated air traffic control system based on a marriage of radar and computer technology. By automating certain routine tasks, the system allowed controllers to concentrate more efficiently on the vital task of providing separation. Data appearing directly on the controllers' scopes provided the identity, altitude, and groundspeed of aircraft carrying radar beacons. Despite its effectiveness, this system required enhancement to keep pace with the increased air traffic of the late 1970s. The increase was due in part to the competitive
environment created by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. This law phased out CAB's economic regulation of the airlines, and CAB ceased to exist at the end of 1984.
To meet the challenge of traffic growth, FAA unveiled the National Airspace System (NAS) Plan in January 1982. The new plan called for more advanced systems for en route and terminal ATC, modernized flight service stations, and improvements in ground-to-air surveillance and communication.
The PATCO Strike
While preparing the NAS Plan, FAA faced a strike by key members of its workforce. An earlier period of discord between management and the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) culminated in a 1970 "sickout" by 3,000 controllers. Although controllers subsequently gained additional wage and retirement benefits, another period of tension led to an illegal strike in August 1981. The government dismissed over 11,000 strike participants and decertified PATCO. By the spring of 1984, FAA ended the last of the special restrictions imposed to keep the
airspace system operating safely during the strike.
Structural Changes
FAA's organizational structure has continued to evolve since its creation. The agency's first Administrator favored a management system under which officials in Washington exercised direct control over programs in the field. In 1961, however, his successor began a decentralization process that transferred much authority to regional organizations. This pattern generally endured until a 1988 "straightlining" again charged managers at national headquarters with more direction of field activities. Another notable change occurred in 1987, when Washington National and
Dulles International Airports passed from FAA's management to that of an authority representing multiple jurisdictions. (National was opened by CAA in 1941, Dulles by FAA in 1962.)
In November 1994, a reorganization structured FAA along its six key lines of business in order to make better use of resources. A seventh line of business was added one year later when the Office of Commercial Space Transportation was transferred to FAA from the Office of the Secretary of Transportation. The addition of this office gave the agency regulatory responsibilities concerning the launching of space payloads by the private sector. Reform legislation gave FAA increased flexibility regarding acquisition and personnel polices in 1996. Further legislation in 2000 prompted action to establish a new performance-based organization with responsibility for air traffic services within the agency. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress created a new Transportation Security Administration that succeeded FAA as the agency with primary responsibility for civil aviation security.
Technology for the Future
FAA addressed a wide variety of technical issues as the rapid evolution of aeronautics continued. The Aviation Safety Research Act of 1988 mandated greater emphasis on long-range research planning and on study of such issues as aging aircraft structures and human factors affecting safety. In February 1991, FAA replaced the National Airspace System Plan with the more comprehensive Capital Investment Plan (CIP). The new plan included higher levels of automation as well as new radar, communications, and weather forecasting systems.
As the modernization program evolved, problems in developing ambitious automation systems prompted a change in strategy. FAA shifted its emphasis toward enhancing the air traffic control system through more manageable, step-by-step improvements. At the same time, the agency worked to speed the application of the Global Positioning System satellite technology to civil aeronautics. Other notable programs included Free Flight, an innovative concept aimed at providing greater flexibility to fly direct routes. At the opening of the 21st Century, Free Flight's initial phase was beginning to deliver benefits that added to the efficiency of air transportation.
Bibliography
The following is a list of works that includes information on the history of the Federal Aviation Administration and its predecessor agencies. Posting of this bibliography does not constitute a relationship between FAA and the authors or publishers of those listed works that are not published by the agency.
Bilstein, Roger E., Flight in America, 1900-1983 (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984).
Burkhardt, Robert, The Federal Aviation Administration (NY: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967).
Burkhardt, Robert, CAB - The Civil Aeronautics Board (Dulles International Airport, Va: Green Hills Publishing Co., 1974).
Davies, R. E. G., Airlines of the United States Since 1914 (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1972).
Gilbert, Glenn A., Air Traffic Control (Chicago: Ziff-Davis, 1945)
Gilbert, Glenn A., Air Traffic Control: The Uncrowded Sky (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1973).
Halaby, Najeeb E., Crosswinds: An Airman's Memoir (Garden City: Doubleday, 1978). An autobiography by FAA's second Administrator.
Jackson, William E., ed., The Federal Airway System (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 1970).
Kane, Robert M., and Allan D. Vose, Air Transportation (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 8th ed., 1982).
Kent, Richard J., Safe, Separated, and Soaring: A History of Federal Civil Aviation Policy, 1961-1972. (Washington: DOT/FAA, 1980). See list of FAA historical publications in print for more information.
Komons, A., Bonfires to Beacons: Federal Civil Aviation Policy Under the Air Commerce Act, 1926-1938. (Washington: DOT/FAA, 1978). See list of FAA historical publications in print for more information.
Komons, Nick A. The Cutting Air Crash. (Washington: DOT/FAA, 1984). See list of FAA historical publications in print for more information.
Komons, Nick A. The Third Man: A History of the Airline Crew Complement Controversy, 1947-1981 (Washington: DOT/FAA, 1987). See list of FAA historical publications in print for more information.
Leary, William M., ed., Aviation's Golden Age: Portraits from the 1920s and 1930s (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1989). Includes essays on the first leader of FAA's initial predecessor agency and the Secretary of Commerce under whom he served.
Leary, William M., ed., Encyclopedia of American Business History and Biography: The Airline Industry (New York: Bruccoli Clark Layman and Facts on File, 1992). Includes historical articles on FAA and its predecessors, and on related legislation.
Osborn, Michael, and Joseph Riggs, ed.s, "Mr. Mac:" William P. MacCracken, Jr., on Aviation, Law, Optometry, (Memphis: Southern College of Optometry, 1970). The authors used oral history to produce this first-person narrative of the life of the first head of FAA's earliest predecessor agency.
Pisano, Dominick, To Fill the Skies with Pilots: The Civilian Pilot Training Program, 1939-1949 (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1993). Describes a major program of the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
Preston, Edmund, FAA Historical Chronology: Civil Aviation and the Federal Government, 1926-1996. (Washington: DOT/FAA, 1998). See list of FAA historical publications in print for more information.
Preston, Edmund, Troubled Passage: The Federal Aviation Administration During the Nixon-Ford Term, 1973-1977. (Washington: DOT/FAA, 1987). See list of FAA historical publications in print for more information.
Rochester, Stuart I., Takeoff at Mid-Century: Federal Civil Aviation Policy in the Eisenhower Years, 1953-1961. (Washington: DOT/FAA, 1976). See list of FAA historical publications in print for more information.
Schmeckebier, Laurence F., The Aeronautics Branch, Department of Commerce: Its History, Activities and Organization (Washington: The Brookings Institution, 1930).
Strickland, Patricia, The Putt-Putt Air Force: The Story of the Civilian Pilot Training Program and The War Training Service, 1939-1944 (DOT/FAA, Aviation Education Staff, 1971). Describes a major program of the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
Thompson, Scott A., Flight Check!: The Story of FAA Flight Inspection (DOT/FAA, Office of Aviation System Standards, 1993).
Whitnah, Donald R. Safer Airways: Federal Control of Aviation, 1926-1966 (Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1966).
Wilson, John R. M., Turbulence Aloft: The Civil Aeronautics Administration Amid Wars and Rumors of Wars, 1938-1953. (Washington: DOT/FAA, 1979). See list of FAA historical publications in print for more information.
FAA Historical Publications in Print
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following books are for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. These works are also available in the government documents section of many of the nation's university, state, and larger public libraries.
Reference Chronology:
FAA Historical Chronology: Civil Aviation and the Federal Government, 1926-1996, edited by Edmund Preston. Soft cover, Stock No. 050-007-01222-5. Describes key events in: the evolution of the aviation regulatory structure; the history of airlines and aircraft manufacturing; the development of air traffic control and air navigation; accidents and safety issues; and notable flights and aeronautical achievements. 375 pages.
Narrative History Series:
Bonfires to Beacons: Federal Civil Aviation Policy Under the Air Commerce Act, 1926-1938, by Nick A. Komons. Hard cover, Stock No. 050-007-00419-2. Examines the background of the passage of the first Federal civil aviation regulatory statute, the subsequent evolution of Federal civil aviation policy, and the enactment of the Civil Aeronautics Act. 454 pages.
Turbulence Aloft: The Civil Aeronautics Administration Amid Wars and Rumors of Wars, 1938-1953, by John R. M. Wilson. Soft cover, Stock No. 050-007-00486-9. Deals with the first 14 years of the CAA, a period dominated by World War II, the Cold War, and the Korean conflict. 346 pages.
Takeoff at Mid-Century: Federal Civil Aviation Policy in the Eisenhower Years, 1953-1961, by Stuart I. Rochester. Soft cover, Stock No. 050-007-00355-2. A history of the Civil Aeronautics Administration during Eisenhower's two terms. The work also examines the events that led to the CAA's demise and the creation of the Federal Aviation Agency. 352 pages.
Safe, Separated, and Soaring: A History of Federal Civil Aviation Policy, 1961-1972, by Richard J. Kent, Jr. Soft cover, Stock No. 050-007-00566-1. An examination of the issues facing FAA between Kennedy's inauguration and the end of Nixon's first term, including airways modernization, labor unrest, the SST, hijacking, and the creation of the Department of Transportation. 422 pages.
Troubled Passage: The Federal Aviation Administration During the Nixon-Ford Term, 1973-1977, by Edmund Preston. Soft cover, Stock No. 050-007-00774-4. Describes a period in which FAA faced frequent changes of leadership as well as challenges concerning aviation safety, security, and the environment. 340 pages.
Printer Friendly Email Page Delegation and Designee Background
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before introducing a new aircraft into commercial service, a manufacturer must get certification by FAA that an aircraft meets safety standards. In three-to five years the manufacturers must supply FAA with detailed analyses and produce a prototype of the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 was the original statute allowing FAA to delegate activities, as the agency thinks necessary, to approved private people employed by aircraft manufacturers. Although paid by the manufacturers, these designees act as surrogates for FAA in examining aircraft designs production quality, and airworthiness. FAA is responsible for overseeing the designees' work and determining whether the designs meet FAA's requirements for safety.
Delegation and Designee History
1927 -- Private people began examining, testing, and inspecting aircraft as part of FAA's regulations for aviation.
1938 -- Congress passed legislation specifically considering integration of the private sector into the certification process.
1950 -- Congress clarified the language. One reason given for this clarification was "FAA was clearly in need of private sector expertise to keep pace with the growing aviation industry."
The FAA Act of 1958, Section 314, gives the current legislative authority to appoint a wide variety of designees to issue certificates.
1962 -- Regulation for this legislation is 14 CFR part 183.
1973 -- Congress questioned the ability of the industry to work for FAA. Congressman Jack Brooks said, "... it appears the regulated are regulating themselves. Such a procedure is most unique and requires exceptionally critical oversight." At the same hearing the Administrator suggested the Act "recognized the practical necessity of utilizing the technical capabilities of the private sector in administering the many complex certification programs required by law." The Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board noted, "... the safety problems involving delegation which have come to our attention have involved such isolated circumstances that, with one exception, it is difficult to apply any generalities to our findings. It is clear, however, that these problems have generally been related to the implementation rather that the concept of the program."
Historical Dates
1956 -- Delegation Option Authorization (DOA)
1965 -- Designated Alteration Station (DAS)
1969 and 1979 -- The scope of work for Designated Manufacturing Inspection Representatives (DMIR) increased
1978 -- Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) number 36 initially promulgated
1980 -- Acoustical Designated Engineering Representatives (DER)
1983 -- Designated Airworthiness representatives (DAR)
Each time the program expanded, regulatory notification provided justification for the expansion by saying service to the public by designees will be faster than service provided by FAA.
Overall, government costs will be reduced. Amendment 8 to 14 CFR part 183 suggests that, "... safety will be enhanced because FAA personnel relieved from tasks accomplished by Designated Airworthiness Representatives will be able to redirect their efforts to other areas affecting safety."
The delegation system continues to grow in numbers of designees.
Flight Inspection History
The History of Flight Inspection in the United States of America
By Scott Thompson - Sacramento Flight Inspection Office (Written in 1993)
A transcontinental airway segment between Illinois and Wyoming was equipped with the beacons and nighttime service was begun on July 1, 1924. Additional segments were lit both east and west, and the entire route, from New York to San Francisco, was completed in 1929. The passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926, transferred the airway system to the Department of Commerce, which created an Aeronautics Branch with an Airways Division. The last segment over the California Sierras, with the most difficult terrain was completed by the new Aeronautics Branch.
With the installation of radio navigation aids, the Airways Division established airborne flight inspection as a safety requirement and by 1932, six pilots were employed by the branch as airway patrol pilots. These six pilots and the operations they conducted were the real predecessors of flight inspection as it is known in the U.S. today.
The first practical radio navigation aid, introduced in 1928, was the low frequency Four Course Radio Range. The courses from several ranges could be aligned to provide airway guidance.
Pilots listened on their radio receivers to the transmitted signals, a combination of a Morse Code "A" (dot-dash) and "N" (dash-dot) letter, so that an on-course signal was a steady tone. This new aid, rudimentary as it was, nonetheless created the first all-weather airways. The four-course ranges required airborne evaluation of the radiated signals, particularly in proper airway alignment of the four courses (minor adjustments were made by imbalancing the power output from the four antennas used to transmit the courses) and checking for false courses.
An article in the Air Commerce Bulletin in 1933, explicitly outlined the responsibilities of the new airway patrol pilot positions. In the description can be seen the developing mission of flight inspection. It noted that "their chief duties are concerned with such matters as checking relative brightness and elevations of beacon light beams; orientation of radio range courses and transmission of proper signals; correctness of speech and transmission of weather broadcasts to planes in flight; operating principles and procedure of airways radio stations in carrying on
communications with aircraft; reception of marker beacons and 2-way radio communication service from the marker beacon stations; the functioning of the facilities and condition of landing areas at Department of Commerce intermediate landing fields, and investigation work pertaining to all phases of aeronautic facilities on the Federal airways system."
Each of the airway patrol pilots were assigned 3,000-3,500 miles of Federal airways to patrol. The pilots were assigned to a Lighthouse district and patrol offices were established within that area. The Airways Patrol Headquarters were scattered at offices spread across the country. A variety of aircraft were initially assigned to the patrol pilots. The early patrol fleet apparently consisted of five Bellanca Pacemakers, a Curtiss-Wright Sedan-15, several Stearman C-3Bs, and three Stinson SM-8As. Three earlier Douglas M-4s were phased out by the end of 1930. Most of the aircraft were utilized for both airway survey work and airway flight inspection.
Patrol work continued in limited fashion through the balance of the 1930s, constrained primarily by Depression-era budgets despite the mushrooming air transport system and proliferation of radio navigation aids. The early flight inspection fleet was nonetheless slowly supplanted by newer equipment such as the Stinson SR-8B with an electrical system to handle required radio equipment. In 1938, the Bureau of Air Commerce was reorganized as the Civil Aeronautics Authority, with newly established administrative Regions given charge of flight inspection within their own area. In 1940, the Civil Aeronautics Authority gave way to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) establishing an organizational framework that has carried forth to the current FAA.
With U.S. involvement in World War II looming, flight inspection remained a relatively small organization within the framework of each of the regional offices. Each of the eight regions was apparently allowed two patrol pilots. The Flight Inspection sections, although administratively assigned to the regions, continued to operate under the Office of Federal Airways. The Chief Airways Inspector (Flight) was nominally in charge of establishing flight inspection procedures and promoting standardized methods. Aircraft assignment, dispatch and maintenance, however,
was maintained by the Aircraft Control Service that had jurisdiction over the entire CAA fleet, with the exception of those at the Experimental Station.
Beginning in 1940, ten new twin-engine Cessna T-50 Bobcats were purchased for use in the flight inspection fleet, and an additional five were purchased in 1942. There is little information about how these aircraft were modified for the flight inspection mission except that airway patrol pilots of 1944 found them woefully inadequate to perform the job. The recorded minutes of a May 1944 Airway Patrol Pilot meeting termed the assigned aircraft "entirely unsatisfactory, and in some cases, actually extremely dangerous to use for this kind of work." It went on to note that the aircraft created a "bad impression" among air carrier pilots because the limitations of the Bobcats often precluded facility checks in instrument weather or at night. The remainder of the flight inspection fleet consisted of outdated Stinsons purchased in 1936 and 1937.
Other items of interest divulged in the minutes for that meeting was the call for the hiring of a third airway patrol pilot in each region to help relieve some of the workload. As of July 31, 1941 there were 30,913 miles of airways with another 1,945 miles under construction. Since only 16 airway pilots were assigned to inspect the airway structure, and as the radio ranges occupied most of their flight check time, there was little attention given to the airway beacons or radio communication capability. Also, newer inspection requirements for instrument approach and landing
procedures were seen as being neglected because of the lack of pilots.
Work had been progressing steadily since 1928 on the development of an instrument landing system. In that year, the Bureau of Standards began work on a system for the Aeronautics Branch, incorporating a low frequency loop-type range localizer and position marker beacon. Lt. James Doolittle then conducted a series of demonstration flights resulting in the first successful blind landing on September 23, 1929. As the conversion to the VHF frequency range was obviously desired, research continued at the Indianapolis Experimental Station, Indiana, where the first modern VHF ILS installation was demonstrated to the military and the airline industry in early 1940.
This system incorporated all the elements of the modern ILS, including aircraft instrumentation, that remains in use today. The localizer signal was standardized to use a VHF frequency in the range of 108 to 112 megahertz, while the glide path transmitter utilized a range of 330 to 335 megahertz. Two marker beacons, termed the outer and inner marker, each transmitted on 75 megacycles and illuminated a purple and amber light, respectively, in the cockpit. Also installed was a prototype runway approach lighting system for demonstration.
Work had also progressed on converting the low frequency airway navigation transmitters to the VHF band. The Visual-Aural Range (VAR) was the first navigation range developed to utilize the higher frequency bands, but even though the VAR system introduced both the VHF frequency band and direct course read-outs to the airway navigational system, it was still limited by the number of courses created by the transmissions. The VAR system was installed on the New York-Chicago airway for demonstration purposes beginning in 1941. However, the shortage of VHF equipment caused by the war effort impeded the aircraft installations and minimized the effect of VHF navigation through the war years.
The delay bode well for the development of the first truly versatile enroute navigation system, that being the VOR, under steady development since 1937 but first deemed practical in late 1943.
The creation of a rotating radiation pattern transmitted simultaneously with a stable reference signal created an unlimited number of possible courses and made true multi-course VHF navigation a reality. A frequency range of 112 to 118 megacycles was set aside for the new navaid. The old four-course radio range was instantly made obsolete with the perfection of the VOR, but continued difficulties in obtaining the electronic equipment and industrial priority during World War II delayed equipment delivery until 1944 and deferred the widespread installation of the
VOR system until the late 1940s and early 1950s. When the first VOR airway was established in 1951, over 271 VOR units had been installed and commissioned. By June 1, 1952 over 45,000 miles of airways utilizing the VOR were in operation.
The advent of the ILS and VOR dramatically increased the importance of flight inspection as each installation required extensive commissioning checks and mandated regular rechecks of the transmitters. Instrument procedures developed using the ILS and, particularly, the versatile VOR were such that dependable instrument approaches would be possible at many smaller airports not previously used for instrument flying. These procedures had to be developed by the regions and flight checked by the regional flight inspection sections, which only added to the potential workload. The regions, however, remained saddled with inadequate aircraft without the electrical systems, instrumentation, or radio equipment required to perform the job. Both the installation of new navaids and the acquisition of suitable aircraft to check them remained stymied by the mobilization required to fight World War II.
With the end of the war in 1945, however, aircraft acquisition no longer remained a problem. The U.S. military found themselves with over 75,000 usable aircraft at the end of the war, most of which were eventually scrapped for their aluminum content. Before being released for disposal, surplus aircraft were made available to other government agencies, and the CAA obtained nearly thirty surplus Douglas C-47s and seventy-five surplus Beech C-45s for agency use. At least one C-47 and several Beeches were assigned to each of the regional aircraft fleets and utilized for flight inspection. With the addition of these aircraft to the regional flight inspection fleets, the airway flight inspectors finally had suitable aircraft with which they could perform their jobs.
Lack of standardization continued to plague the fleet, though, as each regional office installed radio receivers and other equipment to suit their individual needs. The development of additional radio navigation aids also added to the demand for flight inspection capability.
The installation of the VOR ranges went far to establish a reliable navigational tool. However, without range information, which was not provided by the VOR, accurate positioning was left to triangulating between two or more VOR stations or using timed turns across several radials to approximate range from the station. The CAA developed Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) beginning in 1945 as the solution. Paired with the VOR ranges, the pulsed signals from the DME station would provide a properly-equipped aircraft with both azimuth and range information.
The CAA planned widespread installation of the DME beginning in 1948 and sought to establish the VOR/DME combination as the international standard navaid for enroute navigation. In 1950, the CAA placed 450 DME stations on order for pairing with the VOR transmitters.
The U.S. military, while initially embracing the VOR ranges for navigation, pursued the development of a purely military system operating in the higher frequency range of 960 to 1215 megahertz. Termed Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN), the system provided both the capability of the VOR's azimuth and the DME's distance information in a smaller package that was better suited for shipboard installations and portable land-based operation. The military and CAA could not agree on an installation standard, but a 1957 presidential commission finally decided to favor the TACAN over the DME, with VOR and TACAN transmitter co-located as VORTACs. The TACAN component of the VORTACs would provided DME information to civil aircraft. In 1959 the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) selected the VOR as the navigational-aid standard for the international community.
Through the early 1950s, the CAA developed a series of ambitious plans for the widespread installation of standardized navigational aids consisting of VOR/DMEs for the airways, plus long-range and terminal radar equipment and ILSs for airport approaches. The continued growth of civil aviation and the advent of the jet airliner soon pushed airspace problems into the headlines. Several major mid-air collisions, including one over the Grand Canyon in June 1956, pressed the Congress and federal government into making a dramatic new commitment to funding air traffic and airspace improvements. By the end of 1956 an overhaul of the system was begun, with a price tag in excess of $450 million.
For CAA flight inspection, the planned installation of hundreds of VORs and ILSs demanded a dramatic increase in flight inspection capability. Toward that end, the U.S. Navy eventually transferred forty surplus R4Ds (DC-3) to the CAA for modification into the new "Type II" DC-3 flight inspection aircraft. The Type II DC-3 became the standard flight inspection aircraft system wide for nearly twenty years, with the CAA eventually operating nearly sixty DC-3s in its fleet. The prime mission of the DC-3 fleet was envisioned to be ILS and terminal approach inspection, plus the detailed commissioning inspections of all new facilities. Each DC-3 operated with two pilots and at least one airborne electronics technician, a crew concept that has carried forth to modern flight inspection.
Also, to explore how VORs and other navaids performed at the altitudes new jet aircraft were now routinely flying, the U.S. Air Force agreed to loan two Martin B-57 Canberra bombers to the CAA for high-altitude use. The Air Force pulled two Boeing KC-135s from the production line for fitting as high-altitude flight inspection aircraft for loan to the CAA.
The Semi-Automatic Flight Inspection (SAFI) program was developed in the late 1950s to perform long-range airway-type inspection. Five U.S. Air Force C-131 Convairs were obtained and modified with DME positioning information and computerized recorders. All five Convairs were modified with the installation of Allison turboprop engines before they joined the flight inspection fleet. The SAFI program flew predetermined grids across the country looking at each of the enroute VORTACs as part of the entire airspace system.
Before most of this new equipment had been delivered, Congress passed the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to overcome differences between the CAA and the military over aviation matters. This legislation created a new independent agency, the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). The FAA was separated from the Department of Commerce, and assigned the final jurisdiction over civil and military aviation as they participated in the national airspace system.
The new FAA faced many problems with the expanding airspace system, but quickly established itself as a technically-proficient, competent authority on aviation matters. In 1959, the U.S. Army and Navy transferred their flight inspection programs to the FAA. The U.S. Air Force, under the prodding of a 1962 Presidential executive order, developed a new sense of cooperation with the FAA and, with "Operation Friendship," transferred much of its own flight inspection capability to the FAA. This transfer included its fleet of Douglas AC-54s, Douglas AC-47s, and Convair AT-29s for the FAA to perform routine Air Force flight inspection. The combat flight inspection mission was retained by the Air Force for its Lockheed C-140 Jetstar-eqiupped flight inspection squadron.
One important international aspect of FAA flight inspection operations during the late 1950s and extending through the 1960s, was the particular emphasis placed upon foreign aid. Under the auspices of the Agency for International Development and other State Department-administered programs, foreign flight inspection programs were developed utilizing the training facilities at the Aeronautical Center. DC-3s, including several drawn directly from the FAA fleet, were modified similarly to the Type II configuration by the FAA and delivered to the foreign governments for flight inspection. In 1965, for example, nine DC-3s and DC-4s, obtained both from FAA and military sources, were provided to the governments of Columbia, Kenya, Mexico, and Vietnam for use in flight inspection or transportation. Other countries that received such assistance over the years included Canada, Spain, Brazil, Greece, Somalia, Argentina, and Chile. The FAA was also instrumental in developing a portable flight inspection package that many nations found more practical to use than establishing a dedicated flight inspection aircraft fleet.
The early 1960s were primarily devoted to standardization of the flight inspection mission across the regions and solidifying the gains made in the late 1950s. Installation of new navaids continued at a rapid pace. By the mid-1960s, FAA flight inspection remained organized at the regional office level but was performed from nearly twenty Flight Inspection District Offices (FIDOs) spread across the country. The SAFI program was based at three Flight Inspection Field Offices (FIFOs), with the entire flight inspection program administered from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, by the Bureau of Flight Standards within the FAA. Other aircraft employed in the FAA fleet included five Lockheed L-749 Constellations for Pacific and Far East flight inspection and several Lockheed TV-2s (T-33) for high-altitude work.
In April 1967, another government reorganization occurred, with the independent Federal Aviation Agency transferring to the new Department of Transportation and becoming the Federal Aviation Administration. Beginning in the late 1960s an effort was made to consolidate the flight inspection fleet organization with a smaller, more efficient fleet. The DC-3s, though still reliable, were deemed too slow for the modern airspace system. Also, new technology using inertial navigation with DME updating and computer analysis was available that made the DC-3 installations obsolete. The FAA purchased a fleet of fifteen Sabreliner 80s to replace the DC-3s, with an additional fleet of five Sabreliner 40s for international work and five Aero Commander AC-1121 Jet Commanders to supplement the Sabreliner fleet. The Sabreliner 80s were equipped with the new Automated Flight Inspection System (AFIS) that utilized modern positioning technology with automated flight inspection analysis. The AFIS eliminated the need for a ground based Radio Theodolite Transmitter (RTT) operator.
In 1972, the entire flight inspection program was reorganized into the Flight Inspection National Field Office (FINFO) and removed from most of the regional organizations. With the delivery of the new jet fleet, a dozen of the FIDOs were closed and consolidated to nine FIFOs, seven located domestically with two overseas offices at Tokyo and Frankfurt. In 1975, the FINFO was reorganized as the Flight Standards National Field Office (FSNFO). By 1982, the last regional flight inspection program, long fought-for and retained by the Alaskan Region, was brought into the FSNFO. Shortly afterwards, in the flight inspection program was removed from Flight Standards and incorporated into the new Aviation Standards National Field Office (AVN). AVN later incorporated other elements of Flight Standards including the Airmen and Aircraft Registry.
In 1978, the Microwave Landing System (MLS) was selected by ICAO as the eventual replacement for the ILS. The FAA began MLS installations in the early 1980s with flight check Sabreliners performing the initial commissioning inspections of the new navaids. Industry resistance and the advent of new satellite navigation technology has slowed the transition to the MLS, but nearly two-dozen installations remain in service and require regular flight inspection.
During the mid-1980s, in an effort to address fuel conservation and the structural condition of the Sabreliner 80 fleet, a decision was made to purchase a new flight inspection aircraft to replace the Sabre 80. Beechcraft offered a modified version of its Beechcraft BE-300 Super King Air turboprop-powered corporate transport. In 1986 the FAA ordered 19 of the Super King with an upgraded AFIS system, with deliveries commencing in 1988.
In 1991, the FAA assumed all of the U.S. Air Force flight inspection mission and accepted the transfer of the six Hawker C-29s (BAe-800) Air Force flight inspection aircraft into its fleet. The BAe-800s are utilized primarily for international flight inspection, supplanting the last of the FAA Sabreliners. Also, in 1991, the Aviation Standards National Field Office became the Aviation System Standards (AVN). Further consolidations resulted in a structure of four Flight Inspection Area Offices (FIAOs) located at Sacramento, California; Battle Creek, Michigan; Atlanta, Georgia; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Satellite offices are located at Atlantic City, New Jersey and Anchorage, Alaska. An International Flight Inspection Office (IFIO) was established at Oklahoma City to perform the world-ranging FAA flight inspection mission.
With the 1990s came also the development of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, promising a new satellite-based positioning navigation source now slated to replace many of the ground-based navigation systems in the next decade. Hundreds of new non-precision instrument approaches based on the new GPS technology are being developed and flight checked each year, with work underway to add the capability of precision GPS approaches with ILS-type approach minimums in coming years.
In the mid-1990s, the FAA flight inspection fleet was supplemented by the purchase of a number of new Lear 60's and Challenger 601's, bringing the total FAA flight inspection fleet today to eighteen Beech BE-300F's, six British Aerospace BAe-800's, six Bombardier Lear 60's, and three Bombardier Challenger 601's, each equipped with an updated AFIS system utilizing GPS-positioning. Additionally, a number of Beechcraft Barons are being employed for regional engineering test programs for new navaid installations with portable flight inspection packages installed as required.
Today, FAA flight inspection routinely inspects thousands of navaids and instrument procedures, including ILS, MLS, VOR, DME, TACAN, GPS, NDB, various radars, and airport lighting.
Continued advancements in avionics with Flight Management Systems (FMS) combined with GPS positioning and other, new high-tech possibilities for aerospace navigational and landing aids suggest an increasing role for flight inspection in the future. Despite the relentless march of technology, there remains the same need for an airborne evaluation of aviation navigation aids and procedures as was established by the original air mail pilots over seventy-five years ago.