Tag Archive for: News and Updates

The FAA is accepting applications nationwide from people with experience in controlling air traffic, such as former civilian and military controllers. The application period is Feb. 26 Mar. 2, 2021.

The announcement is open to candidates who have maintained at least 52 consecutive weeks of air traffic control experience involving the full-time active separation of air traffic. The candidate must have an air traffic control certification or facility ratingwithin five yearsof application while serving at any of the following:

• An FAA air traffic control facility.
• A civilian or military air traffic control facility of the Department of Defense.
• A tower operating under contract with the FAA under Section 4712.

Following are other qualifications required:

• United States citizenship.
• No older than 35 years of age on or before the closing date of the vacancy.
• Depending on the nature of an applicant’s previous air traffic controller experience, other qualifications may be required for employment.

Applicants must be willing to work at any FAA air traffic facility, and may be required to attend specialized training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.

See the full application for employment at faa.usajobs.gov.The FAA does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

The FAA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) tonight that requires U.S. operators of airplanes equipped with certain Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines to inspect these engines before further flight.

The FAA is taking this action as the result of a fan-blade failure that occurred Saturday on a Boeing 777-200 that had just departed from Denver International Airport. Although the aircraft landed safely, the failure resulted in damage to the engine, an in-flight engine fire, and damage to the airplane.

After reviewing the available data and considering other safety factors, the FAA determined that operators must conduct a thermal acoustic image (TAI) inspection of the large titanium fan blades located at the front of each engine. TAI technology can detect cracks on the interior surfaces of the hollow fan blades, or in areas that cannot be seen during a visual inspection.

As these required inspections proceed, the FAA will review the results on a rolling basis. Based on the initial results as we receive them, as well as other data gained from the ongoing investigation, the FAA may revise this directive to set a new interval for this inspection or subsequent ones.

The previous inspection interval for this engine was 6,500 flight cycles. A flight cycle is defined as one takeoff and landing.

This AD is effective immediately upon receipt. The FAA will share this information with other international civil aviation authorities.