News and Updates – FAA Issues Groundstop at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

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6:15pm ET Update

The FAA has lifted the groundstop for Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.Flight operations are resuming but at a lower-than-normal rate.Please continue to check with your airline andwww.fly.faa.govfor flight status and updates.

According to Alaska DOT, the airports upper arrival and lower departure ramps and several roads leading to the airport have been closed due to the earthquake. Before traveling to the airport, check with Alaska DOT for the latest local conditions.

3:30 pm ET Update

The FAA is now departing some aircraft from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. However, a groundstop remains in effect for arrivals.

Please Check with your airline and the airport for more information.

The FAA has implemented a groundstop for flights into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport as a result of this mornings earthquake.

Travelers should check with their airline for flight status. We do not yet know when flights into Anchorage will resume.

News and Updates – FAA Seeks Comment on ATP, Type Rating Standards

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As the latest step in its transition to a more integrated and systematic approach to pilot certification, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is asking for public comments on new draft standards for obtaining an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate in the airplane category or for obtaining an airplane type rating.

Along with the October 22 Notice of Document Availability, the FAA included the draft Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for public review and comment. The proposed standards include what a pilot is expected to know, consider and do in order to prepare for the FAA ATP knowledge test and practical test and ultimately receive an ATP certificate or airplane type rating, as applicable, if the standards are met. The areas covered are preflight preparation, takeoffs and landings, inflight maneuvers, stall prevention, instrument procedures, emergency operations and postflight procedures.

The ACS also includes guidance for applicants on eligibility requirements for taking the single-engine or multiengine airplane knowledge tests and practical tests. Guidance for evaluators conducting the practical test is also provided.

The Airman Certification Standards program is based on collaboration between the FAA and a diverse group of aviation industry experts. The goal is to make sure testing and training standards for pilots keep pace with todays operating environment. In June 2016, the Agency replaced the Practical Test Standards for the private pilot (airplane) certificate and the instrument (airplane) rating with the new corresponding Airman Certification Standards. The proposed ATP standards are the latest to be offered for comment.

Submissions on the standards are being accepted until the comment period closes December 21, 2018.

News and Updates – More than 50,000 LAANC Applications processed

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The Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) nationwide deployment of the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) has exceeded all of the programs original objectives.

Since the program began with a prototype system in November 2017, LAANC has processed more than 50,000 applications from drone operators for authorization to fly in controlled airspace. The system now covers almost 300 air traffic facilities serving approximately 500 airports, providing near-instantaneous approvals and allowing operators to quickly plan their flights. View a list of the participating facilities.

LAANC helps support the safe integration of drones into the nations airspace. The system uses airspace data provided through temporary flight restrictions, Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) facility maps that show the maximum altitude ceiling around airports where the FAA may authorize operations under Part 107, the small drone rule for commercial and public agency operators.

The FAA has approved 14 LAANC service suppliers. Instructions on how to apply are provided by each supplier:

Drone operators also may file for airspace authorizations using the FAADroneZone, including for areas not covered by LAANC or when the operator holds a Part 107 waiver.

News and Updates – FAA Wants You To Pack Safely This Holiday Season

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Millions of travelers will take to the skies during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to help you make it to your destination safely. You can help with that by paying close attention to whats in your bag.

Some common toiletries that passengers pack could be hazardous. Check your bags for the following items: aerosol cans that may contain hair spray, deodorant, tanning spray or animal repellant, nail polish, artist paints and glues.

Wondering what to do with those e-cigarettes? Passengers should know that e-cigarettes, vaping devices, and spare lithium batteries are not authorized to be packed in checked luggage. Spare lithium batteries the kind that are found in personal electronic devices and back-up charging devices can only travel in carry-on baggage.

Electronic devices powered by lithium batteries can catch fire if they are damaged or have exposed electrical terminals. If devices start to smoke or catch fire, they are much easier to extinguish if they are in the cabin area rather than the cargo hold. The FAA recommends that passengers keep cell phones and other devices nearby in the cabin to quickly access them if necessary.

Spare lithium batteries must be placed in carry-on baggage and protected from damage or short-circuiting. Batteries should be packed so that they are not touching or bumping something that could potentially cause them to spark. If batteries are not sealed in manufacturer packaging, the battery terminals should be protected by covering them with tape and placing them in separate bags to prevent short circuits.

For more detailed information about materials that should not fly, check out our Pack Safe: When in Doubt, Leave it Out video, the FAA’s PackSafe website, and the FAAs Hazardous Materials Safety website.

To be on the safe side, when in doubt, just leave it out!

News and Updates – FAA Dedicates New Atlanta Flight Operations Facility

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today dedicated the new Atlanta Flight Operations Facility at Cobb County International Airport in Kennesaw, GA. The new facility will enable the Agency to continue providing outstanding support of the National Airspace System.

The FAA is pleased to locate our critical flight inspection services out of this state-of-the-art facility, said Teri L. Bristol, Chief Operating Officer of the FAAs Air Traffic Organization. We appreciate the Atlanta communitys support of our continued mission to provide the safest, most efficient airspace system in the world.

Flight Inspection ensures the integrity of instrument approaches and flight procedures that pilots fly in the National Airspace System. FAA pilots fly specially equipped Beechcraft King Air 300 (BE-300) aircraft to conduct airborne inspections of all space- and ground-based instrument flight procedures and they validate electronic signals in space transmitted from ground navigation systems.

The 32,050-square-foot facility includes a 23,100-square-foot hangar that will accommodate six BE-300 aircraft that support Flight Program Operations flight inspection mission. The facility also includes shop space for aircraft maintenance and repair, and administrative space that can accommodate 26 FAA employees.

The Atlanta Flight Operations Facility is part of the FAAs Flight Program Operations service unit in the Air Traffic Organization. The program consolidates all of the agencys aircraft and people into a single organization responsible for all aspects of flight program safety, administration, operations, training, and maintenance.

Other Flight Program Operations facilities are located at Anchorage, AK; Atlantic City, NJ; Battle Creek, MI; Fort Worth, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Sacramento, CA; and Washington, D.C.