A half dozen UAVs and associated control systems are now in line for certification by the FAA. The Agency published guidelines on Friday describing the airworthiness criteria the FAA finds to be appropriate and applicable for the unmanned aircraft systems designs
Federal Aviation Administration
Two major takeaways from FAA Administrator Dixon’s 737 MAX test flight
On Wednesday morning Steve Dickson, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, took Boeing’s 737 MAX for a test flight. Following the successful flight Dickson repeatedly stated, “I like what I saw” from the progress, particularly in how the MCAS system was revised. But that optimism must be tempered against a few very real remaining challenges in getting the aircraft back into commercial service.
Amazon’s first 763 freighter is now registered
Fresh off the issuance of its Airline Operations Certificate over the weekend Amazon is now also the proud owner of its first cargo 767 operating under a direct registration rather than through a leasing agreement. The registration N503AZ was issued on 31 August 2020 to Amazon.com Services LLC.
Amazon Prime Air drones secure FAA exemption
Amazon’s Prime Air drone delivery plans scored a boost on Thursday. The Federal Aviation Administration approved an exemption allowing the company to move forward with operations while working towards formal certification of the MK27 UA aircraft and the airline operations. The approval comes with significant limits, but allows the company to continue development of the platform and supports progress towards the necessary certifications.
Virgin Galactic looking beyond space for profits
Virgin Galactic is keen to bring intrepid travelers into space on its SpaceShipTwo vehicle, but the company is also looking at alternative revenue sources. Among them, renting out the WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) launch support aircraft for government or private businesses to use for science, research, and national security applications. There’s just one problem: Legally it cannot do that.
Virgin Galactic makes a move in supersonic travel
Virgin Galactic knows that not everyone will go to space. The company is now (slightly) broadening its potential customer base with plans for a Mach 3 aircraft, focused on delivering high-speed travel around the globe.
Supersonic sound standards set; Boom schedule slips
How loud will the next generation of supersonic aircraft be? Facing a continued surge in design and construction efforts from a handful of companies, the FAA set out guidelines this week for how the new aircraft are expected to perform. Just as interesting as the numbers is the model that was left out of the […]