Aviation is extremely complex from both a regulatory and operational perspective and it is constantly changing. Interpretations of the regulations change as do the regulations themselves. Alan Armstrong follows changes in the aviation regulations and writes about them in Flightwatch, a blog/newsletter. He also provides commentary and analysis in the wake of aviation accidents and incidents.
Pensacola beach Airshow: November 5 and 6, 2021
The backstory on this airshow is that the United States Navy had cancelled the airshow at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Several concerned citizens and business organizations took up the slack and decided to organize a private airshow.
NTSB and FAA drug test error
Can a pilot be sanctioned for refusing a drug test when the technician administering it fails to follow the rules? On Monday, December 13, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments in Pham v. National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Judicial deference and the futility of litigating civil penalty cases
In the sphere of administrative law that pertains to aviation litigation, due process is a commodity in very short supply. In fact, the notion of “administrative law” is an oxymoron because of the dearth of due process available in the administrative arena.
Alan Armstrong on CBS on deadly P210 crash
Interview with Crystal Bui of CBS-46 on October 21, 2021, about the crash of a Cessna P210 aircraft at the DeKalb Peachtree Airport on October. 8, 2021.
Structuring Flight Operations of Jet Aircraft
Structuring the operations of expensive aircraft operated by well-endowed corporations is an activity associated with hazards. Engaging in this work requires a thorough understanding of the Federal Aviation Regulations, FAA Advisory Circulars, pertinent exemptions, and case law. In this article, we will examine this complex and confusing area of the law. The basic questions are who or what exercises “operational control” over the flights of the aircraft, and do those operations require the operator to possess an air carrier certificate issued under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 135?
Palm Beach requests stay on jet ban decision at Lantana Airport
On May 3, 2021, Palm Beach County (“PBC”) submitted a letter to the FAA Director of Airports requesting a stay of the FAA’s Final Agency Decision (“FAD”) requiring PBC to permit jets to operate at the Lantana Airport (KLNA). Three days after the FAA Final Agency Decision, PBC filed a Petition for Review with the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Alan Armstrong on CNN: United Flight 328 catastrophic engine failure
Alan Armstrong interviewed by CNN's Brianna Keiler on Feb. 22, 2021, about the grounding of the Boeing 777 fleet following a catastrophic engine failure on United Flight 328 on Feb. 20, 2021. This interview disclosed the fact that there were two prior catastrophic...
The Continuing Saga of Lantana Air Park
Captain Errol Forman (a retired Eastern Airlines pilot) has been engaged in a struggle with Palm Beach County for nearly five years to force Palm Beach County to lift its restriction on the operation of jet aircraft at the Palm Beach County Park commonly known as...
Alan Armstrong on WSB: Cessna jet crash Feb 2020
Alan Armstrong is interviewed by Michael Seiden of WSB-TV, Channel 2 in Atlanta about the crash of a Cessna Citation jet aircraft in the North Georgia mountains on Saturday, February 8, 2020, while operating in poor weather conditions.
Palm Beach County Jet Ban at Lantana Air Park Struck Down by FAA, January 13, 2021
The complaining party was Captain Errol Forman who is represented by Alan Armstrong, Esq., of Atlanta, Georgia. The FAA Associate Administrator struck down as a violation of FAA Sponsor Grant Assurance 22, the “Jet Ban” at KLNA. The FAA has not only stricken the jet...