New GE Flight Path
The world has become increasingly aware of the environment and the damage being done; with businesses and the public looking towards eco-friendly alternatives in their daily lives. And with these concerns in mind, the aviation industry has been developing new routes and technology to contribute to a cleaner world and reduce the cost to travelers. A recent flight made by American Airlines marked the start of a new era in aviation. It is hoped that this will pave the way to future success and development.
GE Aviation has been a part of a significant project run by Naverus that forms part of GE Aviation, which has led to this historical flight taking place. The project was undertaken to enhance the NextGen project that the FAA has implemented to modernize airspace, challenging Naverus to develop a flight path that makes use of RNP, or Required Navigation Performance Technology, which not only reduces the amount of CO2 emissions released into the air by aircraft, but to streamline air traffic and shorten the flight time on various journeys. This technology and planning goes hand in hand with finding flight paths that reduce the noise levels of aircraft for communities and trying to solve the problem of airport congestion.
American Airlines showed their support of the project by conducting the first flight traveling along the new GE Aviation flight path. Taking on the role of passenger was one of the pioneers of RNP technology, Steve Fulton. By following the precise course set out by GE Aviation, the American Airlines Flight 1916 made history. Steve Forte, the General Manager of Naverus, commented on the success of their first flight by saying: “Modernizing the U.S. air traffic management system is a monumental task that requires the best efforts of government and private sectors alike. Today we showed how third-party navigation providers, like GE, and airlines, like American, are helping accelerate these improvements.”
With this great achievement comes the excitement of looking toward the modernization of aviation in America and innovations that are yet to come. Eric Waldron, administrator of Bradley Airport where the flight landed, also spoke to the press, commenting: “Thank you to GE Aviation, American Airlines and our partners at the Federal Aviation Administration for bringing this additional safety feature to Bradley which benefits everyone, most especially our customers.”
New Altitude Proposal
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), has put forward a new proposal for altitude adjustments for commercial aircraft space, also referred to as Class B Airspace. Even though the FAA is confident that their Airspace Redesign Project will not be increasing the noise level, but reduce it, there are many agencies fighting the changes and suggesting that all the options and impacts have not been explored. The New Jersey Coalition Against Aircraft Noise has received a few documents that contradict the FAA findings and consist of reports sent through from different airports, stating the negative impact the reduction in altitude will have on the airport and surrounding areas.
The proposal for the New York skies wants to reduce the Class B Airspace from its present 3 000 feet, to 2 500 feet and in some places it is proposed to drop to 2 000 feet. Many believe that the increase in noise level is understated by the FAA and does not reflect its true impact. It is therefore been requested that an environmental impact study be done, to properly investigate how the proposed changes will affect those on the ground. The affects on the other industries will also be massive.
If the Class B Airspace is lowered, helicopter pilots will be given a lowered airspace, and in doing so they will be unable to reduce their noise impact. It will also affect their ability to operate, as many of them use routes across the metropolitan area and make use of the Class B Airspace. A great number of community members in the suburbs surrounding the airports have already submitted complaints, as the present altitudes have already caused nervous reactions and fear, and it is believed that lowering the altitude will be viewed as even more dangerous. Restoring the faith of the community in the safety of aviation has been an uphill battle, and changing the altitude for the Class B Airspace could jeopardize the progress made and damage the relationship between the public and the aviation industry. Areas such as the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge will also be suffering under the new proposal, as protected wildlife species will be bewildered and endangered by the outlines of the project.
The proposal will first be released in the Federal Register, which will give community members and agencies the opportunity to note their comments in regard to the proposal, which has become the object of great criticism and controversy. The majority of the aviation industry believe that it would be best for all concerned if the proposal is not brought into effect, but only time will tell how this critical issue unfolds.
FAA has Decided to Review Eclipse Light Jets
Responding to complaints that the certification of several Eclipse 500 very light jets may not have been properly tested, the Federal Aviation Administration has decided to conduct a somewhat unusual 30-day review of the aircraft. The aircraft in question were certified in 2006 despite objections raised by engineers who were still testing the high-tech jets.
Fuel Inerting Rule Issued by US FAA
The new fuel inerting rule that is about to be instated by the US FAA may have a number of airlines grumbling about cost, but it can also potentially save thousands of lives. The rule will require US airlines to retrofit as many Boeing and Airbus passenger aircraft as possible, at a cost of about $150,000 to $400,000 per aircraft over a period of seven years.
FAA’s New En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) Program
The implementation date for the FAA’s new En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) program has been set for 29 June 2008. ERAM will replace the En Route Host computer processing systems currently in use at twenty Air Route Traffic Control Centers, making this the largest National Airspace System (NAS) equipment replacement program in the history of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
New Garmin® Synthetic Vision System Receives Certification
Garmin International Inc. has proudly announced that it has received FAA supplemental type certification for the new Garmin Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT). The new technology is designed to work in conjunction with the G1000 avionics suite, which has already been installed in numerous aircraft and which has also won much acclaim.
FAA Inspections to Improve
The Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Washington DC recently announced the results of a safety audit as well as internal plans to improve the general standards of the FAA Inspections. The safety audit showed that a striking 99 percent of airlines were complying with the Airworthiness Directives (ADs). While this is exceptionally high, steps are being taken to ensure that this success continues.
FAA Mandates Black Box Upgrade
Usually orange in color to make it easier to find in the event of a crash, the Black Box, containing a cockpit voice recorder and digital flight data recorder, has proven invaluable in analyzing the cause of many airplane disasters. Some nine years after the National Transportation Safety Board put forth recommendations for the improvement of the Black Box, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is mandating that existing equipment be replaced with more up-to-date technology.
Build Your Own SparrowHawk III Gyroplane
It is a legal requirement in the United States that all amateur built and homebuilt aircraft must be inspected and then registered with the Federation Aviation Administration (FAA) before an Airworthiness Certificate can be issued. This is a thorough, and sometimes painstaking, process which can be drastically simplified for the builder if the aircraft kit is on the FAA Eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits list. On 21 February 2008, Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc. announced that the FAA has confirmed that their SparrowHawk III gyroplane kit meets the necessary specifications to be included on the Eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits list.
FAA Approves World’s First Light Jet
The FAA has given the world’s first very light jet (VLJ) certification to Eclipse Aviation’s Eclipse 500. The aircraft company made the announcement at this year’s EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh. Eclipse expects full type certification of the 500 by August 30th, after which it can begin fulfilling existing customer orders. The company anticipates delivering more than 50 of the new aircraft before the end of 2006.
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