FAA

While some members of the aviation community congratulate themselves and each other based on the belief that threats represented by the TSA to the general aviation community are subsiding, the author of Flightwatch does not agree with their assessment. If you think the TSA is getting out of the general aviation business, please consider...

The reason for the investigation by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) was described as follows: Our objectives were to identify Transportation Security Administration security requirements for general aviation reports, threats to general aviation, measures taken to secure general aviation, steps nonfederal stakeholders have taken to enhance the security of general aviation, and any “incidents of concern” with security at general aviation airports. In addition, we evaluated allegations of security vulnerabilities at three Houston-area general aviation airports.

Historically, if a pilot is accused of violating the Federal Aviation regulations, he receives a trial or hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. The judge considers the evidence and then renders a decision based upon the evidence. There is, however, a disturbing new trend at the National Transportation Safety Board. This trend is to have pilots lose their cases without ever having a hearing. This article will discuss that phenomenon.

A jet pilot who made a number of low level, high-speed passes over the Santa Monica Pier had his license revoked. The flight in question took place on November 6, 2008, when the pilot, as part of a two-ship formation flight, departed Van Nuys Airport (VNY)

The week before the Battle of Midway practice session had been a hectic one. I had to prepare for a deposition in Alabama, fly to Alabama meet with the client and co-counsel, take the deposition and then return home. Arriving back in Atlanta late on a Friday evening with the Midway practice session set for Sunday, I decided the best thing for me to do was to drop by the office on Saturday and run through the Battle of Midway aerial script and Flight Sequence Schedule one more time so that I could brief the pilots, our pyrotechnic personnel, air boss and announcers.

With no supporting data and contrary to its previous findings, TSA declared general aviation was largely unregulated and presented a threat to national security. An arbitrary trigger weight of 12,500 pounds was selected by the TSA without any supporting data.