MAKE CHAPTER 288 YOUR AVIATION HOME! E-AB, TYPE CERTIFIED, VINTAGE, WARBIRD, ETC.
MAKE CHAPTER 288 YOUR AVIATION HOME! E-AB, TYPE CERTIFIED, VINTAGE, WARBIRD, ETC.
NTSB Safety Alert: Mechanics, The “B” Nut can be Deadly!
Notice Number: NOTC2986
"B-nut" is a common term for a nut that provides the clamping force to create a reliable seal in lines (fuel, oil, or air, lines on a reciprocating or turbine engine) installed on an aircraft. If a B-nut is improperly secured (either torqued too much or not enough), a loss of engine power or an engine fire could result.
Under- and over-torqued B-nuts could cause fuel, oil, or air leaks depending on where the B-nuts are installed; over-torqued B-nuts could also result in deformation and damage to a line. Fuel or oil leaked onto a hot engine could result in a fire.
B-nuts are exposed to vibration and thermal expansion and contraction during aircraft operations; therefore, maintenance personnel must ensure that the B-nuts are properly secured.
Here is a link to the NTSB Safety Alert SA-086: https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2023/May/SA-086.pdf
For more information, visit www.ntsb.gov
**************************************
Upcoming WEBINAR: "Flight And Ground Instructor Pro-Tips"
Topic: Instructor Pro-Tips From Attendees And Other Instructors From All Over The US.
On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 19:00 Central Daylight Time (17:00 PDT; 18:00 MDT; 20:00 EDT; 14:00 HST; 16:00 AKDT; 17:00 Arizona; Thursday, May 25, 2023 00:00 GMT)
Select Number:
SW19121954
Description:
Free for any instructor or future ground and flight instructor that wants to learn, AND HELP SHARE YOUR TIPS, along with the top tips from others, to help your learners become much safer pilots. This webinar will share pro tips from 50,000 hours and >100 years of combined teaching experience. The speaker is Gary "GPS" Guy in the Pink Shirt, Reeves, a lead rep for the FAA Safety Team and the 2019 FAA National CFI of the Year.
A must--attend webinar where you can share your tips live and learn from others.
A special focus of this program is how instructors and pilots can benefit from using the FAA Safety WINGS program for all levels of learners.
To view further details and registration information for this webinar, click here.
The sponsor for this seminar is: NTX FSDO
The following credit(s) are available for the WINGS/AMT Programs:
Basic Knowledge 3 - 1 Credit
***************************************
"Goodyears Tire Maintenance for Pilots"
Topic: Exactly When is that Tire Worn Out and Other Issues that Effect the Life of the Tire.
On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 19:00 Eastern Daylight Time (16:00 PDT; 17:00 MDT; 18:00 CDT; 13:00 HST; 15:00 AKDT; 16:00 Arizona; 23:00 GMT)
Select Number:
EA39121442
Description:
Aviation Development Specialist for Goodyear, Mary Beth will explain proper care for your tires. The importance of always maintaining tire pressure to increase the life of your tire. She will cover standard tire issues and what to look for so you know when its time for a new GoodYear Tire. She will cover tube tires along with tubeless. Best selection practice and much more in this informative webinar.
To view further details and registration information for this webinar, click here.
The sponsor for this seminar is: FAASTeam
The following credit(s) are available for the WINGS/AMT Programs:
Basic Knowledge 1 - 1 Credit
AMT: 1.00
------------------------------------------
Click here to view the WINGS help page
-----------------------------------------
In early March 2023, the FAA published guidelines for an optional task-based Phase I flight-testing program, thereby establishing an alternative to the standard 25 or 40-hour flight-testing requirement for amateur-built aircraft and replacing the hours-based testing period with a list of comprehensive and concise tasks.
Upon an applicant aircraft’s completion of the newly-specified tasks, the FAA will approve creation of a unique Aircraft Operating Handbook (AOH*). The applicant aircraft, thereafter, is considered to have completed the Phase I flight-testing period.
The program prescribes a series of 17 discrete flight-test tasks, and recommends the tests be flown per test cards carried in the aircraft. The program further requires the creation of an Aircraft Operating Handbook (AOH)* from the test results. Such a document benefits the builder and any subsequent owners of the vetted aircraft. Test plans—provided they accomplish the FAA-prescribed tasks—may be written by anyone, including kit manufacturers and type clubs. Users of the EAA’s Flight-Test Manual will note similarities in the requirements of the EAA and FAA protocols.
In order to utilize the task-based flight-testing program, an applicant aircraft must have an operating limitation allowing said program’s use. Operating limitations are issued along with airworthiness certificates by the FAA or Designated Airworthiness Representatives (DAR) as part of an aircraft’s airworthiness certification process.
As the traditional time-based Phase I program remains unchanged, aircraft builders are free to utilize such. On 21 April, the FAA released a formal policy memorandum fully enabling the use of the task-based methodology. The new operating limitation reads (blank fields to be filled in by the appropriate inspector or DAR:
No person may operate this aircraft for other than the purpose of meeting the requirements of § 91.319(b). The pilot in command must comply with § 91.305 at all times. This aircraft is to be operated under VMC, day only. Unless operating in accordance with the task-based flight test program described in Advisory Circular (AC) 90-89C, Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing Handbook, chapter 2, section 1, during Phase I flight testing, this aircraft must be operated for at least _____ hours with at least_____ takeoffs and landings in this geographical area: [The area must be described by radius, coordinates, navigational aids, and/or landmarks. The size of the area and airports must be that required to safely conduct the anticipated maneuvers and tests.] This aircraft may only operate from [identify name of airport(s)].
By dint of the antecedent memo, all newly inspected amateur-built aircraft should obtain the revised operating limitation. Aircraft builders are advised to query their respective DARs prior to aircraft inspections vis-à-vis subject memo. Builders/owners/operators of amateur-built aircraft already flying and still in phase I are advised to petition their local FSDOs to reissue their respective aircrafts’ operating limitations with the updated language.
The new operating limitation will be incorporated into a future change to FAA Order 8130.2.
*The term AOH is new and makes its initial appearance in the revised (AC) 90-89C, the Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing Handbook. The term was suggested by the EAA as a homebuilt-specific alternative to Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) or Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM), both of which have regulatory connotations not applicable to experimental aircraft.
Limited Aircraft Registry Services Now Online
The FAA Registry is now offering limited online aircraft registration services at cares.faa.gov. Individual aircraft owners can complete self-guided aircraft registration applications, upload legal and supplemental documents, receive auto-generated notifications, request aircraft registration N- numbers, use modernized online payment options, receive instant notification of payment, and digitally sign Aircraft Registration Applications. Online services will be continuously improved and expanded to include corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and non-citizen trusts.
The $300 Annual
The General Aviation Joint Safety Committee (GAJSC) (www.gajsc.org) states that inadequate maintenance and inspections are common factors that can cause general aviation accidents. Aircraft owners should be wary of seeking bargain-priced mechanical services that are often too good to be true and instead seek qualified aircraft mechanics who emphasize quality and detail during an inspection. Read about our latest Fly Safe topic here https://medium.com/faa/beware-of-bargain-priced-aircraft-maintenance-services-f95004a5253c.
Space Race 2.0
The commercial space industry is booming, but what does that have to do with the FAA? To learn how and why the FAA ensures safety as we meet the needs of this innovative industry, see the article “Space Race 2.0 – Why the FAA is Aiming for the Stars,” here https://bit.ly/3VRximr.
For more on the FAA’s leading role in advancing commercial space transportation, see the May/June 2023 commercial space-themed issue of FAA Safety Briefing at www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-safety-briefing-magazine.
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-safety-briefing-magazine
Address questions or comments to: SafetyBriefing@faa.gov
Follow us on Twitter @FAASafetyBrief or https://twitter.com/FAASafetyBrief
With the increased helicopter activity at 7FL6, this may be a webinar you should have great interest in viewing.
“Caution Helicopter Wake Turbulence:” This is something you either have never heard or very seldom. Several accidents have occurred as a result of helicopter wake turbulence to fixed wing aircraft. This session will explore the impact of helicopter wake turbulence on fixed wing aircraft both in the VFR environment and the IFR environment.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a new tool designed to help users better visualize information on recent general aviation accident investigations. Called the General Aviation Accident Dashboard, the online tool offers statistical summaries, investigative findings and safety recommendations for GA accidents. The dashboard covers accidents taking place between 2012 and 2021.
“The NTSB has always been a data-driven agency and the proof is in our safety recommendations—every one of which is evidence-based,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “Similarly, we want to maximize the number of stakeholders and researchers who can draw safety lessons from our accident data. That’s exactly what we hope this dashboard will accomplish.”
The General Aviation Accident Dashboard can filter information by year, location, phase of flight and defining event. The NTSB noted that it also includes preset filters for common searches such as findings related to aircraft control, powerplants or weather. Alongside the dashboard, the NTSB released four video tutorials on its use.
The NTSB’s General Aviation Accident Dashboard and tutorials can be found at www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Pages/GeneralAviationDashboard.aspx.
The FAA Registry is now offering limited online aircraft registration services at cares.faa.gov. Individual aircraft owners can complete self-guided aircraft registration applications, upload legal and supplemental documents, receive auto-generated notifications, request aircraft registration N- numbers, use modernized online payment options, receive instant notification of payment, and digitally sign Aircraft Registration Applications. Online services will be continuously improved and expanded to include corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and non-citizen trusts.
-From AOPA-
The FAA's Aviation Weather Handbook consolidates weather information from several advisory circulars into one place and operates as a technical reference for anyone flying in the national airspace system.
The handbook, published on December 20, is the result of a yearslong effort to streamline user access to aviation weather guidance.
Information in the handbook comes from the most-used weather products and information and meets the FAA's standards for pilot weather training and certification.
"Publication of the Aviation Weather Handbook is the culmination of 3+ years of hard work by Flight Standards and a host of others within the aviation weather community," FAA aviation safety manager, James Marks said. "The new handbook combines information and guidance from 6 separate weather related advisory circulars into a single source document to support pilots, dispatchers, and operators with flight planning and decision making."
The handbook is available for download from the FAA's website; however, the FAA says it is essential for users to be "familiar with and apply the pertinent parts of Title 14 CFR and the Aeronautical Information Manual."
The handbook is currently available online in PDF format. The 500-page document can be downloaded onto mobile devices and computers and can be viewed with a PDF reader app.
A bit of confusion regarding VFR charting rules going forward was subtly cleared up this week (Jan. 10) when the FAA issued a follow-up notice regarding a September publication.
That notice had said that “Effective November 3, 2022, Visual Flight Rules (VFR) aeronautical charts will no longer make reference to emergency value in private airport charting.” Worsening the news, it added that “Only private airports with landmark value will be retained and charted beyond February 23, 2023.” Many in the general aviation community took this to mean that private airports would largely be absent from future VFR charts, leaving out useful landmarks and safety options for aviators reliant on the maps for navigation. The EAA noted that nearly ¾ of the country’s airports are private. Without being able to locate them, the imperiled aviator is all the worse off.
In response, the FAA published a notice this week, clarifying that the only real, essential change noticed by the average pilot will be the removal of the term “emergency” from the chart legend when referring to private airfields. The FAA clarified that it determines the inclusion of such fields based on their use as a landmark, and those criteria will remain unchanged, leaving any previously charted private airports just as they were before the updated cycle. Airports are evaluated by operational status, airspace, length and surface of their runways, owner’s preference, satellite imagery, and airport remarks before adding them to VFR charts.
The updated notice states that “aeronautical charts users should not see a significant change to private airports depicted on VFR charts.”
In late October the FAA changed its standard on electrocardiogram (ECG) findings for medical applicants, decreasing the types of results that would lead to a medical deferral. While Class II and III medical holders are not subject to routine ECG testing, the FAA also mirrored the change in its protocol for heart arrhythmias, which all airmen are required to note if diagnosed.
The change allows airmen with a “First-degree AV (atrioventricular) block with PR interval less than 300 ms (0.30 sec)” to receive a medical certificate without deferral. This change was actually known informally to the aeromedical community as far back as 2018 but was formalized in the October change to the FAA’s list of 18 “normal abnormal” ECG findings that do not require medical deferral.
The FAA made this change because airmen with this abnormal – but benign – result almost never showed any concerning indications upon follow-up testing, so the FAA eliminated the deferral requirement.
This fits a pattern of recent reforms at the FAA’s Office of Aerospace Medicine, currently under the leadership of Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Susan Northrup, that is gradually making the application process easier for airmen. While EAA continues to work aggressively to reduce barriers to medical certification, Dr. Northrup – a GA and warbird pilot herself – and her team have been very receptive to change and community input.
Unfortunately, there have been recent allegations that the ECG change was due to an ulterior, political motive. This is absolutely false, and the associated personal attacks on Dr. Northrup, a career public servant and U.S. Air Force veteran, are inexcusable. Given the criticism, often warranted, that aeromedical certification is too difficult in the United States, it is ironic that a change that removed a medically unnecessary barrier to easy certification has garnered controversy.
Dr. Stephen Leonard, EAA Aeromedical Advisory Council chairman, explained, “rather than requiring AMEs to defer the exams of pilots showing those changes, and requiring the pilot to schedule consultation with a cardiologist and a few thousand dollars’ worth of testing, FAA authorizes us as physician examiners to question the pilot, verify that there are no associated symptoms or other conditions that might indicate a clinically significant cardiac issue, and go ahead and issue the medical certificate.”
Dr. Leonard further clarified that “we still send the EKG to FAA, their doctors still review it, and if they have any question, they follow up. Never, in 42 years as an AME, have I seen one of those ‘normal abnormals’ turn out to be clinically or aeromedically significant.”
Other recent FAA reforms include a new policy on situational depression and mild post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), two very positive steps as the FAA looks to overhaul its mental health policies. There is much more work to be done, but EAA looks forward to accomplishing it together with Dr. Northrup and the Office of Aerospace Medicine in the coming years.
**********************************
AND ANOTHER UPCOMING POLICY CHANGE AUTHORIZED BY THE FEDERAL AIR SURGEON
Vision limitations for corrective lenses/glasses have been reduced from 1,2,3,4,6,19, and 20 to ONE:
Vision Limitation #102:
Must use corrective lens(es) to meet vision standards at all required distances
1- Must have available glasses for near vision.
2- Must wear corrective lenses.
3- Must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision.
4- Must wear corrective lenses for distant vision and have glasses for near vision.
6- Must wear prismatic correction
19- Must wear corrective lenses, and possess glasses for near / intermediate vision.
20- Holder shall possess glasses for near/intermediate vision.
102- Must use corrective lens (es) to meet vision standards at all required distances.
Note: 17- Not valid for night flying or by color signal control remains.
This was reflected in AMCS on December 28, 2022.
FROM AOPA:
The FAA concurred with AOPA and individuals who supported a rulemaking proposal that enables pilots who medically qualify under BasicMed to act as required crewmembers other than pilot in command—more specifically as safety pilots.
The FAA announced November 16 that Acting Administrator Billy Nolen has signed the final rule that will take effect 30 days after its forthcoming publication in the Federal Register. The rule brings significant change to the relatively small commercial balloon industry, establishing a medical certification requirement for the first time estimated to apply to just under 5,000 pilots. It also includes BasicMed provisions that now enable about 50,000 pilots (and counting) to take advantage of opportunities to fly as a safety pilot, as well as enabling pilots to act as pilot in command during a special medical flight test authorized under FAR Part 67 without holding a medical certificate.
The agency published a draft copy of the final rule online, a document in which most of the 71 pages are spent detailing the requirement for balloon pilots to hold a second class medical certificate when conducting commercial operations (flying for compensation or hire) other than flight training. The FAA estimates that just under 9 percent of the 4,869 certificated commercial balloon pilots have already been required to obtain a second class medical by their insurance carriers, requirements implemented following the fatal accident that prompted the creation of the final rule.
That accident happened on July 30, 2016, when the pilot and 15 passengers aboard a balloon operated by Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides were killed when the balloon descended through clouds into power lines. The NTSB determined that the pilot was impaired by prescription medications, and the FAA determined that a second class medical requirement could have prevented the pilot from making that flight. The FAA noted in the final rule that another accident in June 2021 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in which the pilot and four passengers were killed, remains under investigation. Taken together, the accidents “demonstrate that ballooning is not insignificant, and the potential risk for catastrophic accidents is not insignificant.” While the number of commercial balloon operations is small as a percentage of total aeronautical operations, “the FAA notes that balloons are frequently used for carrying passengers for compensation and present a risk that justifies a level of medical oversight equivalent to that of pilots of powered aircraft for certain operations such as commercial sightseeing operations.”
AOPA focused its comments responding to the 2021 notice of proposed rulemaking on the “miscellaneous amendments” that affect about 50,000 pilots to date who have completed the requirements (an online course and a medical exam conducted by their personal physician) to fly powered aircraft under BasicMed, the alternative medical process enabled by a law in 2016. More than 75,000 pilots have completed the requirements of the BasicMed program since its inception, and an estimated 50,000 pilots are currently exercising these privileges.
The FAA noted that comments from AOPA and individuals were “generally supportive” of the miscellaneous amendments. “Accordingly, the FAA is implementing the amendments as proposed,” the agency stated in the final rule. Specifically, the final rule amends various provisions within Part 61 and Part 68 to make BasicMed pilots eligible to act as safety pilots (required crewmembers other than the PIC).
“AOPA appreciates the FAA’s amendment to allow persons who operate under BasicMed to serve as a required pilot flight-crewmember when not acting as PIC,” said AOPA Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs Christopher Cooper. “This change will allow for increased access and opportunities for training, proficiency, and experience for the entire pilot community. We also appreciate the FAA’s continued support for and expansion of BasicMed.”
The FAA rejected suggestions to extend BasicMed eligibility to commercial balloon pilots, along with other alternatives proposed by those who submitted comments related to medical certification of balloon pilots.
Over the past decade the FAA has increased its use of electronic communication methods substantially. The Agency use to view communicating electronically with aircraft owners, users, maintainers, and the general public as a convenient additional way to get its message out. In 2022, in appears, the FAA has decided to cross the electronic Rubicon to now rely solely on electronic communication methods. That is both great news for General Aviation and very big a problem for General Aviation. Its great news in that now aircraft owners and maintainers have near immediate access to the most current information available about the aircraft they operate and maintain. It’s a problem for some segments of General Aviation since not every owner checks the internet for maintenance updates before flying. For example, while I worked for the FAA’s Legal Office an oft debated question was the application to the facts of a case the phrase in §43.13, “current manufacturer’s maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness.” Does that phrase mean the most current manual or ICA the manufacturer has published or the latest version the owner or maintainer possesses? Owing to the time it takes for a design approval holder to mail a new manual update to “persons required … to comply with any of those instructions” (see, §21.50) which version of the ICA must be followed could materially affect whether the owner or maintainer complied with the rules. Now, with the advent of the FAA’s new Dynamic Regulatory System or DRS, the agency seems to want everyone to rely exclusively on the DRS for that information – no more mailing of important documents.
Just a couple of weeks ahead of the change, the FAA announced that effective in mid-August of 2022 it would no longer mail copies of Airworthiness Directives (AD’s) to registered owners, as had been the practice for many decades. Now owners and maintainers must check the DRS for updates to see if the FAA has published an AD that might affect the operation of the aircraft or require a maintainer to perform extra tasks before approving the aircraft for return to service. The FAA used to carefully consider that not every aircraft owner (particularly in some segments of General Aviation) even had a home computer much less access to high-speed internet service. Apparently, no longer. The FAA’s announcement that it will end mailing hard copies of AD’s to registered owners means that the agency is, in essence, requiring that to be an aircraft owner you must have a computer and internet access. Further, the burden is now shifted from the FAA to the owner. An aircraft owner cannot wait to get an AD in the mail, you must search the DRS for applicable AD’s. How often do you have to do that? Monthly? Weekly? Before each flight?
Some thoughts to remember going forward. If you are contemplating an aircraft purchase, part of your due diligence now must include the DRS. You cannot rely solely on the paper records the previous owner will give you at the time ownership transfers. If you are a maintenance provider, you are likely already use to searching the FAA’s Regulatory and Guidance Library or other electronic databases for applicable AD’s. Those other FAA databases are now subsumed into the DRS so get used to using the DRS. If you are already an aircraft owner, proactively check the DRS for new AD’s applicable to your aircraft and check them carefully for applicability and the time in which maintenance tasks are due so you can have your maintenance provider do what is necessary to keep your aircraft flying. I still believe the DRS is, on balance, a good tool. Just be aware that the FAA is now, to a greater and greater extent, relying on it as the agency’s exclusive method of communication.
This article is from AOPA: Author: Currently Of Counsel to the firm of Paul A. Lange, LLC, Mr. Christopher Poreda served as the FAA’s New England Regional Counsel from 2002 to 2015. A graduate of the US Air Force Academy in 1974, he flew F-4 Phantoms for the US Air Force in Europe and at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV, before serving as a flight instructor for the Air Force. After leaving the Air Force, he earned a law degree from Northeastern University and clerked for the Massachusetts Appeals Court before working as an associate for Bingham, Dana & Gould in Boston until joining the FAA’s legal office in 1990. Attorney Poreda served as a staff attorney for the FAA and as the counsel to the Engine and Propeller Directorate at the FAA’s New England Region before assuming a management role for the FAA’s legal office in 2002. He retired from Federal service in 2015 after 37 years with the US Air Force and the FAA. He has taught Aviation Law to law students at New England Law, Boston, and undergraduates at Southern New Hampshire University. He remains an active flight instructor in the Boston area.
This is a listing of those parts the US Federal Aviation Administration - Lists as Suspected Unapproved Parts
GA Safety Enhancement Topics
Here's a list of topics for you to choose from. Just click on the one that interests you and you will be directed to that Fact Sheet.
The FAA manages the world’s safest and most complex aviation system. On an average day, we serve more than 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers across more than 29 million square miles of airspace. The National Airspace System is a dynamic organism that is constantly evolving. This interactive dashboard helps explain how it works.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making it easier to research aviation safety guidance material from the Office of Aviation Safety (AVS).
The Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS) combines more than 65 document types from more than a dozen different repositories into a single searchable application. This comprehensive knowledge center centralizes the FAA’s aviation safety guidance material from the Flight Standards Information System (FSIMS) and the agency’s Regulatory Guidance System (RGL).
Each guidance document includes a link to the Code of Federal Regulations provision on which the document is based. DRS contains more than 2 million regulatory guidance documents, which can be browsed or searched. A search engine allows for basic or advanced searches and different ways to sort and view the results. The system includes pending and current versions of all documents along with their revision history. Information in the DRS is updated every 24 hours
The FAA published its latest revision to Advisory Circular (AC) 90-114 (Revision B), Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Operations which provides comprehensive guidance on ADS-B operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) in accordance with ADS-B regulations (14 CFR sections 91.225 and 91.227). Of note in this revision is the clarification of certain operational policies like aircraft that are exempt from 91.225 (Section 3.2), ADS-B Out operations during formation flying activities (Section 4.3.1) and during aerobatic flight (Section 4.3.2.6.2), and inoperative ADS-B procedures (Section 4.3.4.2).
The AC also provides a helpful overview of the ADS-B system architecture, the various forms of available equipment, broadcast services available to ADS-B users, and operational considerations with regard to equipment performance requirements and airspace restrictions.
By Mike Hodges, Air Safety Investigator, and Clint Crookshanks, Aerospace Engineer (Structures)
When an aircraft crashes, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) air safety investigators and aerospace engineers must determine if the event can be classified as an accident or an incident, as defined by Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 830.
The FAA has announced the impending migration of Airworthiness Directives to the Dynamic Regulatory System, or DRS, that will result in all ADs being published on the new system from August 16th, 2022.
The change will allow the administration to simplify the record keeping and dissemination of documents contained within its Regulatory Guidance Library. Those referring to ADs should be familiar with the new system, as new directives will be available solely on the DRS. Current users with a subscription to AD and EAD alerts “may still receive notifications about ADs and EADs,” said the announcement, though new subscribers are advised to use the FAA GovDelivery Service. The FAA will continue to provide mailed copies of the AD Biweekly, since it is a paid subscription overseen by the Government Printing Office.
The migration includes Emergency Airworthiness Directives (EAD), Airworthiness Directives (AD), and Biweekly Airworthiness Directives (AD Biweekly). The DRS is a fresh addition to the regulatory ecosystem, being unveiled earlier this year as the replacement for the Flight Systems Information Management System (FSIMS). The FAA intends for the DRS to become a one-stop shop for all things compliance, a “comprehensive knowledge center of regulatory and guidance materials from the office of aviation safety”. Of course, as a single resource, any other service or office pertaining to flight will be included as well.