FAA UPDATES MEDXPRESS TO SPEED UP MEDICAL CERTIFICATION

The FAA is modernizing the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system to improve the delivery of safety-critical information, ensuring that NOTAMs are relevant, timely and accurate. Join us on June 26 at 12:30 PM ET for our monthly user forum to receive updates and interact with our NOTAM Program Team.

Register for the webinar at http://bit.ly/3FVJIGw.

We encourage you to submit questions ahead of time through our NOTAMs mailbox, notams@faa.gov. We will cover frequently asked questions, including those from our previous forum.

This webinar is open to anyone who interacts with the NOTAM system. Please share this registration information with anyone you think may be interested in attending. We look forward to working closely with you to ensure a safe, efficient NOTAMs transition.

Agency will eliminate some ‘red tape’ for pilots in the process.

The FAA announced an immediate policy change that allows experienced pilots to operate multiple experimental aircraft with less documentation and procedures.

Effective immediately, pilots who hold three Authorized Experimental Aircraft (AEA) authorizations in high-performance piston aircraft can operate additional experimental aircraft by completing only aircraft-specific ground and flight training, without the previously required practical test.

“Experimental aircraft pilots have had to jump through many cumbersome hoops in order to operate additional experimental aircraft,” said Representative Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in a statement. “Based on a requirement I fought hard to include in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the FAA has now streamlined this process and made it easier for experienced pilots to operate multiple types of aircraft without all the red tape. This commonsense change will reduce costs for the agency and allow more pilots to enjoy their freedom to fly.” 

The change represents a major shift in how the FAA manages authorizations for experimental aircraft operations. Previously, pilots needed to submit formal applications and documentation to the FAA for each additional experimental aircraft they wanted to fly.

The Experimental Aircraft “All Makes and Models” Program implements Section 806 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which mandated the agency to authorize pilots with three AEAs to operate additional experimental aircraft without the practical test requirement.

Under the new program, authorization will be provided through a simple logbook endorsement from the flight instructor who provided the training, rather than through formal FAA documentation. This endorsement serves as proof of authorization and must state that the pilot “holds at least three high-performance single-engine piston or high-performance multi-engine piston AEA authorizations, has received the required ground and flight training, and is proficient to act as PIC” of the specific make and model of experimental aircraft.

For pilots who don’t yet have the required three AEAs, the traditional process outlined in FAA Order 8900.1, Volume 5, Chapter 9, Section 2 remains in effect. These pilots will still need to follow the established procedures to obtain their initial authorizations before qualifying for the simplified process.

The agency notes that previously-issued airworthiness certificate operating limitations specify that pilots must hold a model-specific type rating, AEA, or temporary letter of authorization (LOA). As a result, pilots wanting to utilize the new program must first apply for an amended airworthiness certificate with an operating limitation that allows for the new logbook endorsement.

While the new program is effective immediately, the FAA is seeking public input on the guidance. Comments must be submitted by June 9 and should reference docket number FAA-2025-0906.

The FAA also said the program may be revised based on comments received, and interested parties can review the associated guidance posted to the docket number.

The air that’s sent swirling when a helicopter hovers or does a slow air taxi is called ‘downwash.’ Downwash is absolutely a source of turbulent air and a hazard to people and aircraft that are nearby. Most helicopter pilots understand this and do their best to avoid risk to those around them. But it’s still wise to make sure loose items are secure—including light airplanes—if a helicopter is hovering nearby. Most sources say the risk area is three times the rotor diameter from the edge of the rotor arc of the helicopter. To put some numbers on that, a Coast Guard Jayhawk has a rotor diameter of 54 feet. Three times that plus the radius of the rotor itself means being 189 feet from the helicopter. That’s almost two thirds of a football field.

Once the helicopter is in forward motion over about 20 knots, however, it produces wake turbulence trailing behind it similar to an airplane. This wake can drift in the wind, just like airplane wake turbulence. However, helicopter wake doesn’t always sink right away. It can even rise. Three minutes is the recommended duration to wait before landing behind a helicopter, even if you think it’s not much bigger than your airplane. Failure to do so could create a situation like a Cessna 120 that was captured on video and made the rounds of the internet a while back. If you’re interested in more technical details, the FAA did a study on helicopter wake vortices in 1996.

CLICK ON THE UNDERLINED WORDS TO SEE THE VIDEO OR READ THE STUDY

The FAA Aircraft Registration Branch has developed and is implementing the ability to electronically issue registration certificates for both aircraft and aircraft dealers. In lieu of physically mailed documents, the FAA will now email copies of aircraft registrations and dealer’s registration certificates after applications are made online, providing “streamlined and expedited delivery service while also reducing the cost and labor burden of mailing for the Registry,” according to their announcement. Owners are still required to carry their registration in the aircraft, and will need to print a copy once received from the FAA. An aircraft owner may still request a traditional paper certificate from the Registry.

In the notice, the FAA emphasizes,

“…the issuance of a registration certificate in electronic form does not, in any way, obviate or affect the need to comply with statutory, regulatory, or other requirements involving aircraft registration or dealer's registration certificates. Notably, in general, a Certificate of Aircraft Registration must still be carried on the aircraft.”

With a January 17, 2025, notice in the Federal Register, the FAA announced the immediate adoption of these changes to enable the use of the new Civil Aviation Registry, FAA Aircraft Registry Branch, to utilize the Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Service (CARES) system. CARES is a web-based electronic system that allows applications and supporting documentation to be uploaded securely to the FAA. The system also allows for the use of digital signatures, the payment of fees, and the tracking of applications. According to the FAA, a feature of CARES allows the electronic issuance and delivery of registration certificates, thus avoiding their need to be printed and mailed, a process that generally created a 7-10 business day wait for aircraft owners.

Spruce Creek Pilots,

At a recent Safety brief several websites and radio frequencies were discussed.

For your convenience the AAC is providing you with that same information for your future reference.

Here they are:

• Restricted Area status for R-2910, R-2906,  R-2907 and the Palatka MOA's can be obtained by contacting “Sealord” on 134.65, or by phone at 904-542-2250.
  
  
• Whenever possible monitor 121.5. Sealord will “broadcast in the blind” to advise aircraft if they are near or inside of restricted airspace.
  
  
• The status of all Special Use Airspace including Temporary Flight Restrictions nationwide is available online at SUA.FAA.GOV
  
  
• FAASAFETY.GOV is another web site which provides current procedures and important information.  This site allows users to receive email notifications based on personal preferences such as TFR’s, SUA, GPS outages,etc.  This is the same site used by the FAA wings program.
  
  
• SCPOA.COM (airport tab)Has the latest procedures and registration links for all flight and ground activities at 7FL6
  

JUNE WEBINARS

Tips for Flying Into EAA AirVenture 2025  |  Qualifies for FAA WINGS credit
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2025, 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Fred Stadler

Learn all about the 2025 AirVenture NOTICE arrival procedures. This presentation will be especially helpful for someone who has not flown into AirVenture before. EAA’s volunteer NOTICE Chairman, Fred Stadler, describes FAA required procedures and shares useful tips for reducing pilot workload when flying into Oshkosh for AirVenture 2025. Qualifies for FAA WINGS credit.

Register

Ultralight/Homebuilt Rotorcraft Arrival Procedures — AirVenture 2025  |  Qualifies for FAA WINGS credit
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2025, 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Mark Spang

Flying into the ultralight/homebuilt rotorcraft grass runway at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 requires compliance with the FAA-issued NOTICE. Mark Spang will discuss the NOTICE arrival and departure procedures specific to the Fun Fly Zone grass runway on the south end of the airport used by ultralights/lightplanes and homebuilt rotorcraft. Qualifies for FAA WINGS credit.

Register

EAA AirVenture 2025 Features and Attractions
THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025, 7 P.M. CDT
Presenters: Rick Larsen and Sean Elliott

Join this webinar to learn about what to expect at AirVenture 2025. Rick Larsen, EAA vice president of communities, member programs, and AirVenture features and attractions; and Sean Elliott, vice president of advocacy and safety, will discuss the latest news on what to expect at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025.

Register

JULY WEBINARS 

Borescope Initiative One Year Later | Qualifies for FAA WINGS and AMT credit   
WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2025, 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Mike Busch

Savvy Aviation launched its borescope initiative on January 1, 2024. A little more than one year later, more than 100,000 borescope images had been uploaded to its cloud-based borescope image repository, and more than 70,000 of them had been looked at by its team of professional analysts. In this webinar, Mike Busch discusses some surprising lessons learned from these images, and how it should change the way owners and mechanics deal with cylinder issues. Qualifies for FAA WINGS and AMT credit.

Register

Safe Operation at Nontowered Airports | Qualifies for FAA WINGS credit
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2025, 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Prof. H. Paul Shuch

Five years ago, Prof. Shuch presented an EAA webinar on safe operation at airports with operating control towers. These days, most flight training occurs at towered airports, and new pilots may have limited experience operating in a nontowered environment. Yet some of the country’s most interesting airports are “uncontrolled.” In this webinar, he will help you to become more self-reliant as you safely navigate the nontowered environment. Qualifies for FAA WINGS credit.

Register

EAA gratefully acknowledges the support of Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. for its generous sponsorship of our webinar programs.

This week the FAA published a long-awaited rule that will make transition training and other specialized instruction easier in experimental, primary, and limited category aircraft.

The rule, entitled Public Aircraft Logging of Flight Time, Training in Certain Aircraft Holding Special Airworthiness Certificates, and Flight Instructor Privileges, makes several changes to Parts 61 and 91 of the regulations. The rule was proposed in the summer of last year and EAA submitted comments alongside Warbirds of America..

The rule codifies the final resolution to a legal situation that arose three years ago that briefly made it impossible to pay an instructor to train in one’s own aircraft. The FAA rectified this situation at the time by requiring Letters of Deviation Authority (LODAs) for pilots or instructors in experimental aircraft, and an exemption held by EAA for limited category warbirds.

The LODA requirement was eliminated by legislation in December 2022, however the fix had not been officially adopted into FAA regulations until this final rule. Additionally, the legislation did not address training in limited and primary category aircraft. This rule allows compensated flight training in limited category aircraft in a similar manner to experimental aircraft and restores the ability of primary category aircraft to be used in flight training operations.

Flight training involving the compensation of both the aircraft and instructor, i.e. a flight school or flight training experience offered to the public for a fee, has historically carried additional requirements in both experimental and limited category aircraft. This rulemaking, however, makes approvals for these operations more streamlined and creates more opportunities for this safety-enhancing training to occur.

Notably, the rule allows instructors with experimental aircraft to offer training under a LODA for endorsements, primary training toward a sport pilot certificate in certain cases, and re-enables experimental light-sport aircraft (E-LSA) to be used in compensated training. These changes were championed by EAA over almost a decade of advocacy.

Under previous rules, a person receiving transition training under a LODA would need to have all necessary endorsements first. For example, a person building a tailwheel experimental aircraft with no tailwheel endorsement could not receive the endorsement with a transition training operation. Instead, they would first need to get the endorsement elsewhere. Under the new rule and upcoming supporting policy, a person with a “specific need” to receive the training, such as building or purchasing a similar type, can receive the endorsement in an experimental aircraft under a transition training LODA. 

The new rule adds important training avenues in some of the lightest aircraft in the community. The 2004 light-sport rule envisioned that all training toward the operation of Part 103 ultralight vehicles, previously conducted under exemptions, would eventually transition to special light sport aircraft (S-LSA). Therefore, the regulators at the time added a specific rule that E-LSA, many of which were aircraft previously operated under these training exemptions, could not be used for any compensated training after 2010. Unfortunately, the ultralight and “lightplane” training market remains underserved. Therefore, EAA successfully pushed for the prohibition on E-LSA training to be repealed in this rulemaking.

In a similar vein, the rule and follow-on LODA policy will allow for experimental aircraft weighing less than 650 pounds empty and with a VH of less than 87 knots to be used for training toward a sport pilot certificate in a commercial flight training operation. Training opportunities in very light fixed-wing, powered parachute, and weight-shift control aircraft are minimal in many parts of the country, and this change aims to address that. There had already been a precedent for allowing experimental gyroplanes to be used for training in a similarly sparse training market.

Under this change, a flight training operation with a properly issued LODA may offer training toward the operation of an ultralight vehicle, including student solo, and may offer an upgrade path to a sport pilot certificate, all while using an E-LSA or other experimental aircraft to provide the training.

There are several other issues that EAA is still working to address in this rule change, most notably the ability of multiple trainees to fly in large multicrew warbirds and cycle through a crew station on a single flight. Overall, however, this rule resolves many issues with specialized training and is a milestone in a long advocacy effort by EAA to address training in homebuilts, light-sport aircraft, and ultralights.

The rule becomes effective on December 2. An advisory circular further explaining the rule and detailing the application process for a LODA will be issued in the coming months.

Some troublesome restrictions may be on the way out.

The FAA today announced a public filing in the Federal Register of a 118-page final rule that states it will open up several areas of operations enabling pilots to credit flight time toward civil regulatory requirements. Notably, under the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, the final rule amends the operating regulations “for experimental aircraft to permit certain flight training, testing, and checking in these aircraft without a letter of deviation authority.” Also, under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, “the same relief will be extended to certain flight training, testing, and checking in limited category, primary category, and experimental light sport aircraft.” That ruling also revises certain amendments related to logging recent flight experience, flight instructor privileges, flight training in aircraft holding special airworthiness certificates, and “the related prohibitions on conducting these activities for compensation or hire.”

The new ruling also allows pilots conducting public aircraft operations to log that time toward their civil regulatory requirements, consistent with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. Effective dates for the changes are specified as 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

According to an FAA spokesperson:  "Generally speaking, the FAA will accept [a pilot’s] last airman certificate application (Form 8710-1) or what they reported on their last medical application (Form 8500-8)." You should have access to at least one of those documents.

Pro tip: Moving forward, you may want to invest in an electronic logbook and save the information to the cloud, or at least record a digital image of each page of the paper logbook when you fill it up. If you rent aircraft, sometimes you can re-create your experience by cross-referencing your receipts. 

(from: Flying Magazine)

From the FAASTeam
Notice Number: NOTC3401

Using a checklist is a fundamental part of any safe flight. During preflight, a checklist ensures pilots inspect an aircraft’s components and systems for proper operation and structural integrity and allows them to verify airworthiness. On taxi and during flight, they help ensure the airplane and engine are functioning properly and are configured appropriately for each phase of flight. Checklists provide important structure to the things we check often, usually in a prescribed order of priority. Bottom line: checklist usage is a sound and proven way to reduce errors and improve flight safety.

But just like airplanes change with upgrades or modifications, so too should checklists to include those new items and procedures or omit those that are obsolete. Maybe you’ve added some new avionics equipment or installed a new fire extinguisher. Or perhaps you’d like to reorder your instrument and gauge checks in a more logical manner. Or maybe you’d prefer to use a more specific term to verify a desired state than the sometimes vague “check and set” response. The question for some might be - how exactly do I modify a checklist?

While there is no approval required from the FAA to modify or customize a checklist, pilots and aircraft owners should start by consulting their aircraft’s Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) or Airplane Flight Manual (AFM), or panel placards with some older aircraft. These steps should constitute the baseline for your checklist. If there is a manufacturer-prescribed task or procedure you wish to omit -- perhaps due to concerns about mechanical wear and tear on a particular component – you should consult directly with the manufacturer to ensure safety is not compromised.

The FAA issued a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO 17006) in 2017 that addresses safety concerns with using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or personally developed checklists. The notice was prompted by an accident involving a landing gear failure in which the pilot used a COTS checklist that lacked key steps regarding manual gear extension. The SAFO urges pilots to ensure any COTS or personal checklist is consistent with what the manufacturer states.

Another important reason for this consistency is apparent during practical exams for a pilot certificate or rating. Designated pilot examiners may require an aircraft manufacturer’s procedure is demonstrated when testing applicants. Those who use a checklist that differs from the manufacturer may omit or incorrectly perform an important step, impacting their ability to successfully pass the exam. If you are providing flight instruction it is essential that you show, demonstrate, and explain any omitted items to students to avoid this potential pitfall. The student should be able to demonstrate the procedure and be able to explain why it has been omitted from the modified checklist and is not performed routinely.

Having checklists that are efficient, logical, and that account for changes to an aircraft’s systems can greatly improve safety and even increase the likelihood of them being used. Just be sure the information you use for those revised checks is correct, complete, and consistent with the manufacturer’s safety standards.

Bonus Tip: Want to take your preflight checklist to the next level? Check out the FAA Safety Team’s Advanced Preflight M-Pamphlet here. This pamphlet helps pilots obtain valuable maintenance history on their aircraft like ADs, ACs, and any manufacturer service-related information, and then develop an Additional Items Checklist that can be used in conjunction with your aircraft’s preflight checklist.

The lack of transition training has been cited as a causal factor in many GA accidents. Accidents frequently result from pilots being unprepared for challenges presented by the new, or different, aircraft they are flying. Even when pilots are legally certificated to operate aircraft within a specific category and class, significant differences can exist among different types of aircraft within that category and class — thus necessitating the need for effective transition training.  Click the button below to learn more.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!  IF YOU'RE A BUILDING AN AIRCRAFT AND WOULD LIKE TO DOCUMENT YOUR BUILD, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE THE EAA'S BUILDER WEBSITE   

TO SEE AND USE THE WEBSITE GO TO:

  https://eaabuilderslog.org/?blhome

Thanks go out to Don White from Merritt Island (and also one of our members) who voluntarily created this site for EAA!!!

TO SAVE TIME AND SEE JUST WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW 

A new course developed by Flight Service and available on FAASafety.gov provides students and VFR pilots guidance on how to conduct a safe and regulatory compliant preflight self-briefing using automated weather resources. The objective of the course is to ensure that the pilot understands aviation weather basics and learns to apply meteorological and aeronautical information in a systematic manner to plan a safe flight. The course includes scenarios, real-life examples, videos, reference materials, and practice exercises for pilots to conduct on their own or with their flight instructor. Access the WINGS credit course here: http://bit.ly/ALC683.  

(FAA-H-8083-9)

Designed for ground instructors, flight instructors, and aviation maintenance instructors, the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook was developed by the Flight Standards Service, Airman Testing Standards Branch, in cooperation with aviation educators and industry to help beginning instructors understand and apply the fundamentals of instruction. This handbook provides aviation instructors with up-to-date information on learning and teaching, and how to relate this information to the task of teaching aeronautical knowledge and skills to learners. Experienced aviation instructors will also find the updated information useful for improving their effectiveness in training activities.

This handbook supersedes FAA-H-8083-9A, Aviation Instructor’s Handbook, dated 2008.

The FAA has recently issued a general notice with regard to Surface Safety.  Several recent Runway Incursions have been attributed to communications. The most important concept in pilot-controller communications is understanding. Pilots must acknowledge each radio communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC) by using the appropriate aircraft call sign and confirming all hold short instructions. 

Please touch the Drug List Button below to go directly to the FAA Document covering the subject.  It's very informative!!

AOPA has a great article about these two inventors

WHAT YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT THE WRIGHT BROTHERS

You’d think Milton Wright would be disappointed by his two youngest sons—high school dropouts who wouldn’t move out of the family home, fussed over their appearance, never married, and jumped from job to job. First, his boys tried a newspaper and printing business, then a bicycle shop, and finally they got the dang-fool idea that they could fly.

Continue reading the article by clicking the button below