Category Archives: Aviation Law
Expect third class medical reform in 2015
By Janice Woods, General Aviation News At the last Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) regional fly-in of the year, pilots clamored to sign a giant petition calling for reform of the third class medical. It’s a scene that’s been played out at all the AOPA events throughout the year, association officials say, reporting that more than… Read More »
Drone sightings up dramatically
By Joan Lowy, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a million small drone aircraft have been sold in the past few years, and a growing number of them are turning up in the skies near airports and airliners, posing a risk of collision. Reports of drone sightings near other planes, helicopters and airfields are… Read More »
AP EXCLUSIVE: DRONES LEFT OUT OF AIR TRAFFIC PLANS
BY JOAN LOWY ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — Designers of the ambitious U.S. air traffic control system of the future neglected to take drones into account, raising questions about whether it can handle the escalating demand for the unmanned aircraft and predicted congestion in the sky. “We didn’t understand the magnitude to which (drones) would be an… Read More »
Study: More pilots testing positive for drugs
BY JOAN LOWY, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Tests of pilots killed in plane crashes over more than two decades show an increasing use of both legal and illegal drugs, including some that could impair flying, according to a study released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The study examined toxicology reports for almost 6,700 pilots… Read More »
FAA proposes to fine Southwest Airlines $12M
By JOAN LOWY, Associated Press WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is proposing a $12 million civil fine against Southwest Airlines for failing to comply with safety regulations related to repairs on Boeing 737 jetliners. It is the second-largest fine the agency has proposed against an airline. The largest proposed fine was… Read More »
Detailed report about 2013 McClellanville fatal plane crash released
By Natalie Caula Hauff, The Post & Courier What sounded like a scream was heard over the radio. Within five minutes, air traffic controllers had lost all contact with a pilot and a flight instructor aboard the turboprop plane that had been 15,000 feet above McClellanville. Minutes later, someone reported seeing a plane plummeting into… Read More »
Eyes in the sky: Small drones have FAA shaping regulations
By Christina Elmore, The Post & Courier Like something out of a science-fiction flick, the four-rotor apparatus looks the part of an oversize, mechanical dragonfly. A distinct hum similar to the insect exudes from the gadget when it hovers at eye level. The buzz fades to silence in seconds when the device darts skyward and… Read More »
Charleston airport board postpones decision on attorney’s contract
By Warren L. Wise Charleston County Aviation Authority attorney Arnold Goodstein will have to wait until January to see a contract for his legal services. The 13-member airport board voted Thursday to ask an employment attorney for an opinion on whether the agency should seek bids for professional services and, if not, draw up a… Read More »
Fiery cargo jet crash kills 2 in Alabama
A UPS cargo plane slammed into a field and burst into flames near an Alabama airport Wednesday, killing the pilot and co-pilot and strewing debris for hundreds of yards, authorities said. The plane, an Airbus A300, was en route from Louisville, Ky., when it crashed on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen… Read More »
Mosquito pilot cleared after inquiry into Ravenel Bridge scare
The Post and Courier A pilot spraying for mosquitoes near the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge has been cleared of any wrongdoing after drivers called 911 saying they feared his aircraft might hit the span. The Federal Aviation Administration said it reviewed the flight of pilot Tommy Phillips of Williamsburg Air Service and determined there was… Read More »