News and Updates – FAA Task Force Focuses on Youth Access to Jobs

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The Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force held its second public meeting on March 31, 2021, hearing from guest speakers from Black Girls Who Drone and the Civil Air Patrol. Ernanda White, founder of Black Girls Who Drone spoke on exploring other entry points to engage underrepresented women and girls in aviation, while Dr. Jeffrey Montgomery with the Civil Air Patrol addressed additional areas of aviation education and outreach.

The FAA wants to attract the best, brightest and most diverse group of people to be part of the aviation and aerospace industry. We need to reach kids and young people in an inclusive and equitable way, said FAA Deputy Administrator Bradley Mims.

The Task Force, comprised of aviation leaders from industry and academia, are charged with providing independent recommendations and strategies to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to educate youth on career opportunities in aviation. In addition, the Task Force will identify and recommend opportunities for apprenticeships, workforce development programs and careers in the aviation for students.

Focusing on U.S. high school students, these recommendations and strategies will be used to facilitate and encourage students to enroll in aviation career and technical education courses. These include aviation manufacturing and maintenance and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The Task Force will submit recommendations and strategies from their meetings to the FAA Administrator and the appropriate Congressional committees. To learn more about the Task Force, comment or get answers to your questions, please contact us atS602YouthTaskForce@faa.gov or visit the Task Force website.

News and Updates – FAA Air Traffic Control is Teed Up for The Masters

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is ready for the influx of general aviation flights to Augusta, Ga., for the Masters Tournament in early April. The agency also is cautioning golf fans to do their homework before chartering a flight to the event and ensure it is operated by an FAA-certificated carrier.

The FAA worked closely with federal, state and local agencies, the aviation community, and officials at Augusta National Golf Club to ensure safe, secure and efficient operations at Augusta-area airports.

Air Traffic Management
The FAA anticipates hundreds of additional take-offs and landings and aircraft parked at Augusta-area airportsfrom April 4 to April 12, 2021. Air traffic controllers may use traffic management initiatives to efficiently move flights into Augusta Regional Airport at Bush Field (AGS) and Daniel Field Airport (DNL). Aiken Regional Airport (AIK) in Aiken, S.C., and Thomson-McDuffie County Airport (HQU) in Thomson, Ga., also may see an increase in flights. Traffic management initiatives include rerouting flights, increasing space between aircraft, restricting altitudes and implementing ground stops, and ground delay programs. Air traffic also has established special arrival and departure routes for jet and turboprop aircraft operating at those airports. Details are posted at FAAs Masters Tournament Air Traffic Procedures.

Safe Charter Operation
If you decide to charter an aircraft to fly to the Masters, verify the operators legitimacy before you before you book your flight. Ask to see the Operator’s Air Carrier or Operating Certificate to validate that the aircraft has authorization for charter use.

Illegal air charter operations pose serious safety hazards, and theFAAworks aggressively to identify and shut down rogue operators.Learn more by visitingSafe Air Charter Operations, Chartering an Aircraft, and at A Consumer Guide to Help You Fly Smarter.

News and Updates – FAA to Implement South-Central Florida Metroplex on April 22

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on April 22 will implement the first phase of the South-Central Florida Metroplex, the agencys plan to move flights more safely and efficiently across the southern half of the state. Metroplex procedures will allow flights that are more direct and have more efficient climb and descent profiles.

The agency will publish 54 new procedures on April 22. Seventeen of the procedures will require additional training of air traffic controllers and automation upgrades at air traffic control facilities before they can be implemented. We expect this to occur by mid-August. While these procedures are being published as a package, they are not intended for simultaneous use. They will be available for pilots and air traffic controllers depending on weather and operational requirements. Air traffic controllers occasionally may direct aircraft off published routesfor safety, efficiency or to reroute them around weather systems.

The comprehensive project will improve the efficiency of airspace in the South-Central Florida Metroplex area by optimizing aircraft arrival and departure procedures to and from airports. New routes include some changes in aircraft flight paths and altitudes in certain areas, but will not result in any ground disturbance or increase the number of aircraft operations at any of the airports. The agency designed the new procedures to follow existing flight tracks when possible.

Community involvement was a critical part of the Metroplex environmental process. The FAA conducted extensive outreach to the public before issuing its final decision on the project. The agency held 29 public workshops and two public comment periods totaling 120 days in 2019 and 2020. The agency also evaluated and responded to 3,239 comments in the Final EA.

The FAA issued theFinding of No Significant Impact-Record of Decision (FONSI-ROD)for the South-Central Florida Metroplex project in October 2020.

South-Central Florida is one of 11 Metroplex initiatives nationwide, and it is the final project to be implemented. The FAA will implement the second and final phase of the project in August 2021.

News and Updates – FAA Approves Renewal of Orbital Sciences Launch Operator Licenses

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After completing a comprehensive review, the FAA approved the renewal of two Launch Operator Licenses for Orbital Sciences, LLC, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman.

The licenses are valid for five years and authorize the company to conduct flights of its Pegasus launch vehicle from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Orbital Sciences must still receive FAA authorization for specific launches.

The Pegasus operates by being attached to a carrier aircraft and launched while airborne to deliver payloads to low earth orbit.

The FAAs top priority in regulating commercial space transportation is that launch and reentry operations are safe for the public.The agency protects public safety by licensing commercial launch and reentry activities and monitoring regulatory compliance in all phases of FAA-licensed operations. It also issues safety approvals for launch and reentry vehicles, various safety systems and the personnel performing licensed activities.

AnFAA licenseis required to conduct any commercial launch or reentry, the operation of any launch or reentry site by U.S. citizens anywhere in the world, or by any individual or entity within the United States.

News and Updates – FAA Releases Scoping Report for SpaceX Environmental Assessment

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today released a report summarizing the public comments received during the scoping period for an Environmental Assessment (EA) of the SpaceX facility in Boca Chica, Texas. SpaceX plans to launch its Starship/Super Heavy vehicle from that site. The agency received 321 public comments during the scoping period, which ended on Jan. 22, 2021.

The FAA is determining the scope of issues for analysis in the Draft EA and will consider comments received during scoping. The FAA will supervise SpaceXs preparation of the Draft EA with cooperating and participating agencies involved in its development. Once complete, the Draft EA will be provided for public review and comment.

The Draft EA will allow the FAA to determine the appropriate course of action: preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) because the proposed actions environmental impacts would be significant; issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI); or issuance of a Mitigated FONSI providing for mitigation measures to address the proposed actions environmental impacts.

If the FAA determines the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action would be significant based upon the Draft EA, and those impacts cannot be properly mitigated to less than significant levels, the FAA would publish a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS and conduct additional public scoping. The FAA may make this determination regarding the course of action at any time, including after the Draft EA has been shared for public review and comment.

As part of the license application process to launch Starship/Super Heavy, SpaceX must complete a safety review and develop agreements in addition to the environmental review.

The SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy proposal falls outside of the scope of the existing Final EIS and Record of Decision for the Boca Chica launch site and requires additional environmental review under theNational Environmental Policy Act(NEPA).