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News and Updates – New PBN Routes Improve Flights to Florida, Caribbean

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Flights between the Northeast and the major international airports in Florida and the Caribbean are more direct, more efficient, and safer since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented 55 new Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) routes on November 8.

Satellite-equipped aircraft now can fly new routes that begin at the North Carolina/South Carolina border and flow south toward Florida and the Caribbean. The new routes will augment the existing structure of conventional jet routes. The Agency also updated 11 existing PBN routes. It previously added two PBN routes to the system

Implementing 55 new satellite-based routes on one day is a significant milestone in our work to modernize the air traffic control system, said Dan Elwell, Acting FAA Administrator. We are providing better access to busy airspace along the southern part of the East Coast, to the major international airports in Florida and beyond.

The Agency also is designing high-altitude PBN routes from the northeast to join the new routes that began today. When the new route structure is completed, equipped aircraft will seamlessly fly on satellite-based routes along the East Coast to South Florida and the Caribbean.

The project is part of the FAAs South-Central Florida Metroplex initiative. The Metroplex team designed the new routes, 39 are over water and 16 are over land. This brings the total number of PBN routes over the United States to 316. Get more facts about the South-Central Florida Metroplex on our website.

These new routes, along with other PBN procedures and new technologies are part of the FAAs Next Generation Air Transportation System. NextGen is moving the National Airspace System from ground-based radar to satellite-based navigation, from voice to digital communication, and from point-to-point data to a fully integrated information management system. These initiatives change how we see, navigate, and communicate in our nations skies.

News and Updates – FAA ADS-B Rebate Relaunch Rising

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FAA rebates are quickly being claimed by general aviation owners equipping their aircraft with Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast avionics.

A month after the FAA relaunched its $500 rebate program, 1,438 rebates have been taken from a total of 9,792 available through October 11, 2019, as long as supplies last. Thirty to forty rebates are claimed on an average day.

The FAA relaunched the program to encourage owners of fixed-wing, single-engine piston aircraftto equip with ADS-B Out avionics, which will be required in certain, controlled airspace beginning January 1, 2020, which is less than 14 months from now.

Aircraft owners need to follow five steps to receive the $500 rebate:

  • Purchase the equipment and schedule its installation.
  • Obtain a Rebate Reservation Code by reserving a position online.
  • Have the equipment installed.
  • Conduct the required equipment performance validation and get an Incentive Code.
  • Claim the $500 rebate online using the Rebate Reservation Code and Incentive Code.

As with the earlier rebate program, the relaunched rebate program is available only to those who have not yet equipped their aircraft.

In addition to the ADS-B Rebate reservation portal, the FAA’s Equip ADS-B website lists FAA-certified ADS-B equipment and features an equipage database searchable by aircraft type and model.

News and Updates – FAA Statement on Boeing Model 737-8 and -9 Airplanes

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The existing FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) identifies existing flight crew procedures to be used in those circumstances. The FAA and Boeing continue to evaluate the need for software and/or other design changes to the aircraft including operating procedures and training as we learn more from the ongoing investigation.The FAA is not doing a safety probe separate from the ongoing Lion Air Accident investigation of which we, the NTSB and Indonesian officials are a part.

News and Updates – FAA Statement on Las Vegas Tower

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On Wednesday evening, an air traffic controller at the Las Vegas tower became incapacitated while on duty. The FAA is deeply concerned by the incident, is thoroughly investigating what occurred, and is taking immediate steps to modify its overnight shift staffing policies. No safety events occurred during this incident. The controller is currently restricted from working air traffic.

News and Updates – FAA Restricts Drones Operating Near DOD and USCG Mobile Assets

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At the request of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations 99.7 Special Security Instructions to address concerns about potentially malicious drone operations over certain, high-priority maritime operations.

The FAA, in cooperation with DOD and USCG, is restricting drone flights near U.S. Navy (USN) and USCG vessels operating in the vicinity of Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia. Drone operations are required to maintain a distance of at least 3,000 feet laterally and 1,000 feet vertically from these vessels.

These special security instructions, provided in an FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), are effective today. The full text of this NOTAM and additional information on these special security instructions, including a visual depiction and geospatial definition of the relevant airspace.

The FAA also warns drone operators in this NOTAM that these USN and USCG vessels are authorized by law to take protective action against drones perceived to be safety or security threats such as those violating the cited FAA special security instructions. This action could result in interference, disruption, seizure, damage or destruction of these drones. Further, operators who do not comply with the FAA special security instructions also may be subject to enforcement action, including potential civil penalties and criminal charges.

Any operator with an overriding reason of public interest or necessity (e.g., conducting a search and rescue mission) to operate their drone in close proximity to the cited USN and USCG vessels must first coordinate with the USN or USCG point of contact identified in the website linked above.

In a separate Special Notice Advisory NOTAM, also effective today, the FAA strongly advises drone operators to remain clear of DOD and Department of Energy (DOE) facilities and mobile assets, as well as USCG vessels. This Special Notice applies nationwide and alerts operators who ignore this caution and conduct drone flights perceived to be a safety or security threat to these facilities and mobile assets could face a reaction by security forces that results in the interference, disruption, seizure, damage or destruction of their aircraft.

Information can be found here on these two NOTAMs, and all of the locations currently covered by 99.7 restrictions. This website also provides an interactive map, downloadable geospatial data, and other important details. Additional information, including frequently asked questions, is available on the FAAs UAS website.