What’s the difference between a model aircraft you’d take out to the park and fly for your own amusement without having to worry about being fined or penalized by the Federal Aviation Administration, and operating a remote-controlled aircraft that does fall under the regulatory umbrella of the FAA? Earlier this year, a federal administrative law judge said it was pretty clear that model aircrafts of any sort are exempt from FAA oversight, but the National Transportation Safety Board today said the judge was mistaken. [More]
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FAA Protecting Baby Walruses By Rerouting Planes Away From Giant Clump Of Marine Mammals
By 10.2.14
Proving that a walrus emergency is an emergency for everyone, the Federal Aviation Administration is taking preventative measures to make sure no baby marine mammals get stampeded, rerouting flights around an Alaska beach where a big cluster of 35,000 walruses have gathered. [More]
FAA: More Than 1,300 Boeing Jets Must Replace Pilot Displays To Prevent WiFi Interference
By 10.1.14
While travelers can now use a slew of mobile devices during flight, it’s not just the gadgets in the cabin that fall under the auspices of the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency issued an order yesterday saying more than 1,300 Boeing jets must have their pilot displays replaced, to make sure they’re resistant to any possible interference coming from WiFi devices used in the cockpit. [More]
Lawmakers: Phone Calls On Planes Are Unsafe Because People Will Have Fights
By 9.26.14
Flying is painful enough as it is. Between arduous lines at security and ever-shrinking legroom, passengers are already plenty on-edge. Adding cell phone chatter to an already-tense high-altitude situation could be a recipe for disaster, and 77 members of Congress agree. [More]
Disney Wants Drone Patents So Puppets Can Fly Around In Air Shows
By 8.26.14
If the idea of hot air balloon creatures causes you to tremble — all those huge, leering smiles floating above like some kind of slow-moving demons just biding their creepy time — you might not want to think about puppets gamboling around in the sky controlled by drones. That’s exactly the future Disney is envisioning with three drone-related patents it’s working on. [More]
Congress Hates You, Votes To Bring Back Glory Days Of Opaque Airfare Pricing
By 7.28.14
Remember the good ol’ days of 2011, when you would see an airline advertising $99 tickets to somewhere nice, only to later find out that the actual airfare was much higher? For some reason that has absolutely nothing to do with huge amounts of donation money from the travel industry, the House of Representatives has decided that consumers should no longer have access to transparent airfares. [More]
FAA Lifts Flight Restrictions To Israel
By 7.24.14
After a two-day ban on U.S. airline flights to and from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, the Federal Aviation Administration has lifted the restriction. [More]
FAA Extends Ban On U.S. Airline Flights To Tel Aviv For Another 24 Hours
By 7.23.14
Yesterday, the FAA temporary halted all U.S. airline flights to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel for 24 hours. The agency has now extended that ban for another day. [More]
FAA Halts All U.S. Flights To Israel For 24 Hours Due To Missile Concerns
By 7.22.14
The FAA has just issued an order prohibiting U.S. air carriers from flying into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport for the next 24 hours. [More]
Amazon Asks FAA For Permission To Blacken The Skies With Delivery Drones
By 7.11.14
Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration laid down a speed bump in the road toward the impending robot apocalypse, clarifying that package-delivery drones like the ones being planned by Amazon and others are currently illegal. But, much like a locked door or a cinderblock wall will not stop a T-1000, a bit of bureaucracy will not stop Amazon from its destiny of creating Skynet Amazon Prime Air. [More]
FAA Delays Robot Uprising, Says No To Amazon Delivery Drones… For Now
By 6.24.14
While the Second Industrial Revolution — by which I mean an actual revolt against humankind by sentient machines — is inevitable, it may be delayed a while after the Federal Aviation Administration is attempting to clarify its authority to regulate the commercial use of small, remote-controlled aircraft and has specifically called out package-delivery drones, like those planned by Amazon and others, as something it currently deems illegal. [More]
FBI Offering $10,000 Rewards To Help Catch People Pointing Lasers At Airplanes
By 6.4.14
The government meant it before when the Federal Aviation Authority said it: Pointing lasers at planes flying overhead is a really bad idea and could hurt the pilot or otherwise muck up that aircraft’s flight. To drive that point home, a new FBI campaign is offering a hefty reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest of just such a laser user. [More]
American Airlines Flight Returns To Gate Because No One Wants To Travel In A Flying Ball Of Fire
By 3.24.14
Flight delays are always an inconvenience. But officials at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport had a good reason for holding back an early morning American Airlines flight Monday. [More]
Will Amazon Get Those Drones After All? Judge Dismisses FAA Fine For Commercial Drone User
By 3.7.14
Chin up, Amazon! Turn that frown upside down, local brewery sending beer through the air! Delivery by commercial drone might still be possible, despite the Federal Aviation Administration going around putting the kibosh on the unmanned aerial vehicles. A federal judge has dismissed the FAA’s only fine against a commercial drone user. [More]
Pilot Shortage To Cut Flight Options? Maybe, Maybe Not, Says Govt. Report
By 2.28.14
Once upon a time many youngsters dreamed of careers as pilots. The thrill of taking flight and the glamorous depictions on television and the big screen created fantasies of a career in the sky. Over the years the industry has changed. Recently regional airlines have reported new regulations, higher costs of school and lower salaries are causing a pilot shortage that could result in fewer flights for consumers. But a new report by the Government Accountability Office shows that the issue may be more complicated than it seems. [More]
Bill To Ban In-Flight Wireless Voice Calls Moves Forward
By 2.11.14
The battle for a maintaining relative amount peace and quiet on commercial airlines moved on to the next stage this afternoon after a Congressional committee voted to advance a piece of legislation that would ban the in-flight use of the “phone” part of your cellphones. [More]
Pilots Head To The Wrong Airports More Frequently Than You Might Imagine
By 2.10.14
Last month, a Southwest Airlines flight made headlines when it landed at the wrong Branson, MO, airport, but a new report finds that while it’s rare for a pilot to make a mistake about where to land his or her plane, it happens more than you probably think it does. [More]
Fliers Lost $2.5B In Air Travel Expenses In January Thanks To The Polar Vortex, FAA Regulations
By 2.4.14
If you believe Punxsutawney Phil, then we’re in for a lot more winter. More winter weather means the possibility of more flight cancellations and delays on the horizon. And that’s not a comforting thought for consumers who already lost more than $2.5 billion in travel expenses in January. [More]
