#faa

When the #FAA released its draft powered-lift safety continuum for #eVTOL aircraft two years ago, it appeared to be moving closer to harmonization with #EASA. Not anymore. In my latest story for The Air Current, I break down what's changed. #aviation #electricaviation https://theaircurrent.com/regulation/faa-powered-lift-safety-continuum-easa-evtol-certification/

Every July, a secretive all-male encampment (past guests: presidents, senators, SCOTUS justices) gathers in the Sonoma redwoods for an event called “Bohemian Grove”. This year, for those 3 weeks, Santa Rosa airport quietly ran the departure route it's told residents for 2.5 years is impossible. No safety issues, no delays, 82% fewer low-altitude flights. #BohemianGrove #Sonoma #SonomaCountyAirport #NoisePollution #FAA https://mmalc-x-machina.ghost.io/bohemian-grove/

@angryastro @angryastro.bsky.social‬ Starship has passed all static fires with flying colors! The next test flight is a few days away! But the FAA, as usual, has not given their approval yet. Is this a bad sign? Probably not...and here's why. https://youtu.be/pUw_WVTrksw #NASA #SpaceX #FAA

The #FAA has confirmed that Electra's ultra-short take-off and landing airplane will be certified as... an #airplane. Although not surprising, it's a big deal for #Electra, which is positioning its EL9 to compete with #eVTOL aircraft. Full story in The Air Current. #aviation #electricaviation https://theaircurrent.com/aircraft-development/electra-faa-g-1-certification-basis-part-23/

Silencing the Cessnas No other neighborhood in the #Portland metro area has as much nuisance air #pollution and noise pollution traffic as do we in little Forest Grove, Oregon. I started compiling this data a long time ago, and myriad more now compounding the glaring facts. When you live more than 15 miles away from a small airport, what is the likelihood that small aircraft fly over your block more than 8 times a day. 10 times a day? I've got videos, pictures, a whole entire repository of time-stamped screencaptures like these, showing that #Hillsboro Aero Academy treats the airspace over Forest Grove like a playground. Not Lake Oswego. Not Beaverton. Not Scappoose. They seem to explicitly avoid flying over every other populated area in the whole valley except ours. I first noticed the issue about ~ 2 years, and shortly after that I wrote a complaint to the #FAA about noise pollution and airplanes flying too frequently OVER MY BLOCK and too low over the giant #sequoia trees in my neighborhood. I have this complaint copied on one of my many Linux partitions from years ago, I gotta go dig it up soon. I can't do anything in my yard when there are airplanes circling over my house. My yard shows the neglect, too. I have suffered intense emotional, mental and physical distress. You may have noticed how much I post about airplanes? This is not what I want to be doing. The planes were more infrequent back before I complained. This could be intentional, or a "coincidence" related to the backlash against the expansion of the airport itself, while out-of-state "businessmen" try their damnedest to avoid accountability where they live and work and send their kids to school. In either case, the noise has increased, so I'm putting my talent in the pool. My #AI talent, my descriptive words like razors that cut through oodles of bullshit, my research skills honed to a precision of 5 nanometers, which I trust Intel to measure. Sometimes 15 times a day do these parades of toxic 1977 Cessnas, 1979 Cessnas, 1981 Cessnas. Seminoles fly overhead, choking out toxic diesel fumes and noise. This is tedious., stressful work but I will get compensated for each and every airplane pass that flies overhead. If I hear it and capture it, $???,??? per violation, to be distributed among my comrades. We ask for a lot, because we deserve it. And we'll use this as a #model to help other people in our community and other communities that might not be in Oregon. By the way, the owner of the #Hillsboro Aero Academy is not an #Oregon resident. He does not pay taxes here. He bribed someone to take the #ACT test for his kid to get a better score for University. Went to prison for it, too. Is this who we want to be suffering for? Someone pumping his bank account full of money from young wannabe pilots while harassing all the people, birds and wildlife in a state he does not even live in! The frequency of flights increased after I used the FAA Federal government tool to make the complaint, and this will be a key aspect of the lawsuit. In the meantime ... I'm taking all the data to the police station, too, to file a restraining order. If you live in this area, I encourage you to do the same. Use my data, or capture your own, we can be collab buddies on the repo. We'll use advanced math to map the average flight paths, where they cross most. Juries LOVE this kind of nuance. Note that my complaints are specifically against Hillsboro Aero Academy, not the airport itself. We can keep the Hillsboro airport, the airshow where ONCE per year, people expect and delight in airplane noises ... but we're going to shut down Hillsboro Aero Academy.

The #FAA has been sending mixed messages as to whether it will allow commercial operations in non-certificated #aircraft under the #eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. My latest story for The Air Current goes deep into the controversy around the prospect, and the dueling identities of electric aircraft as both passenger vehicles and emerging technologies with considerable political support. #aviation #electricaviation #eipp https://theaircurrent.com/regulation/faa-pilot-program-evtol-commercial-operations-beta-joby-archer/

Home - CBSNews.com | United flight makes U-turn over "four-letter word" Bluetooth device AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. A United Airlines Boeing 767 bound for Palma de Mallorca was forced to turn around and land back at Newark Liberty International Airport after air‑traffic control heard that a passenger’s Bluetooth device had been labeled with a profane four‑letter word, prompting a security inspection of the aircraft and cargo hold. Crew repeatedly asked passengers to turn off all Bluetooth devices, but two remained on, leading to the aircraft’s return at 9:37 p.m. and the evacuation of the 190 passengers and 12 crew members, who were re‑screened by TSA and Customs before boarding a replacement flight the next morning. The FAA said the return was due to a “passenger disturbance,” noting that airlines have logged more than 640 unruly‑passenger incidents so far in 2026, and this was United’s latest incident after a recent domestic flight diversion and an earlier collision at Newark. Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-flight-diverted-bluetooth-device-four-letter-word/ #UnitedAirlines #Boeing #PortAuthority #TSA #FAA

Business | Dogfight over California: The ugly battle between electric air taxi leaders Joby and Archer by Caroline Petrow-Cohen AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. California’s two leading electric‑air‑taxi firms, Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, are locked in a bitter legal battle even as they race to launch commercial eVTOL services. Joby has sued Archer and a former employee for allegedly stealing confidential technology, while Archer counters that Joby is hiding its dependence on Chinese money and parts and accuses it of fraud. Industry observers say Joby is ahead in development, producing about one aircraft a month and likely to secure FAA passenger certification in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, whereas Archer is believed to be one to two years behind, still working on pre‑production models. Both companies are courting investors and municipal airports—Archer recently spent over $100 million to acquire Hawthorne Airport—while the broader market is projected to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2040. Read more: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-05-20/dogfight-over-california-inside-legal-battle-between-archer-joby #JobyAviation #ArcherAviation #GeorgeKivork #FAA #MorganStanley

The Daily Beast Latest Articles | Travel Chaos Looms as United Cuts 100+ Flights at Major Airport by Mary Papenfuss AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. United Airlines will trim its schedule at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport by more than 100 flights per day, dropping from 780 to 650 daily beginning in June, after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the cuts to stave off widespread delays. The FAA’s mandate calls for a total of 300 daily flight reductions at the nation’s busiest airport, which handles over 857,000 takeoffs and landings each day, and the airline plans to preserve early‑morning and peak‑afternoon slots while assuring that no staff layoffs will occur. The decision follows a series of meetings cited by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, with United’s O’Hare vice president emphasizing the focus on maintaining key travel times. Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/travel-chaos-looms-as-united-cuts-100-flights-at-ohare-airport/ #UnitedAirlines #OHareAirport #FAA #SeanDuffy #OmarIdris

Chicago Sun-Times - All | United Airlines cuts more than 100 daily flights at O'Hare after FAA mandate by David Struett AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. United Airlines announced it will cut more than 100 daily flights at Chicago O’Hare Airport this summer to comply with a Federal Aviation Administration mandate that requires a 12 % reduction in flights to improve safety and prevent massive delays. The carrier’s revised summer schedule will feature about 650 daily departures—still roughly 11 % higher than in 2025—and will rely on larger aircraft to carry approximately 13 % more passengers despite the cuts. The FAA’s order follows an over‑booked flight schedule driven by intense competition with American Airlines and ongoing construction at Terminal 1, which has strained the airport’s capacity and lowered on‑time performance. American Airlines also plans to reduce its O’Hare traffic by around 40 daily arrivals and departures. Read more: https://chicago.suntimes.com/transportation/2026/05/01/united-airlines-ohare-flight-cuts-american #UnitedAirlines #FAA #ScottKirby #AmericanAirlines #OHareAirport

The Daily Beast Latest Articles | Private Prison Giant Slipped Trump $1M PAC Donation as ICE Contracts Stalled by Tom Latchem AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. A United Airlines Boeing 737 narrowly avoided disaster after its pilot reported striking a red, shiny drone at roughly 3,000 ft during a San Diego approach, prompting an FAA investigation into the illegal high‑altitude flight; separately, GEO Group was revealed to have funneled a $1 million donation to a Donald Trump super PAC on the same day it was shut out of $426 million in ICE contracts, raising questions of pay‑to‑play. In beauty news, PCA Skin launched its Pro‑Max Age Renewal Serum, claiming up to 60 % lift of sagging skin in a week via patented micro‑growth‑factor technology. A San Francisco “orgasmic meditation” firm, OneTaste, is seeking presidential pardons for its jailed founders on grounds of forced‑labor convictions, while country‑music legend David Allan Coe died at 86, remembered for outlaw hits and controversy. Consumer pieces highlighted Canna River sleep gummies, a Bissell vacuum with built‑in lights, and a D4vd murder‑type allegation involving a teen victim. An emu named Adam died from hail‑storm trauma, actor Patrick Muldoon’s death was ruled a heart attack with pulmonary embolism, Ving Rhames collapsed but recovered after “overheating” in an L.A. diner, Will Arnett split from model Carolyn Murphy, and European airlines face a jet‑fuel crisis as U.S.–Iran tensions choke Middle‑Eastern supplies, sparking a global bidding war and flight cancellations. Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/private-prison-giant-geo-group-slipped-donald-trump-1m-pac-donation-as-ice-contracts-stalled/ #UnitedAirlines #Boeing #TRACON #FAA

BBC News | Blue Origin rocket grounded after satellite 'mishap' AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. Blue Origin’s newest New Glenn rocket has been grounded after the FAA ordered an investigation into a “mishap” that left an AST SpaceMobile satellite in a lower‑than‑intended orbit, rendering it unusable. The company said the failure was due to insufficient thrust in an engine, and that the investigation, overseen by the FAA, will help identify corrective actions before flights can resume. AST SpaceMobile’s share price fell over 6%, and the loss will be covered by insurance. The incident comes as Blue Origin pushes its TerraWave program to launch thousands of low‑Earth‑orbit communication satellites, competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink, while Amazon has recently spent $11 billion on a satellite manufacturer to build its own LEO network. Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr9vwz48npo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss #BlueOrigin #FAA #ASTSpaceMobile #NewGlenn #Starlink #DaveLimp #ElonMusk AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information.

THREAT MODEL: COVID for Feb. 19th, 2026 by independent journalist @violetblue@mastodon.social

• #CovidCautious Olympian wins Gold and breaks record

• #NIAID staffers ordered to remove #biodefense, #pandemic preparedness language on website

• The musicians making concerts safer with Covid precautions ( #Deerhoof! )

• #FDA reverses stance to review Moderna #mRNA flu shot application

• Study: Covid in 39% of hospital air samples during outbreaks

• France sees its first court case over death from Covid caught in hospital

• Footballer #JariLitmanen on battling #LongCovid

• It’s time to take Long Covid pacing seriously

• Tucson pilot wins Long Covid fight against #FAA

• The long US surge continues

...and much more.

✨ THREAT MODEL is free to read -- please help keep it accessible to all by becoming a patron, even $1 a month makes a difference! ✨

https://www.patreon.com/posts/covid-february-151134668

#ThreatModel #ThreatModelCovid #ThreatModelNewsletters #VioletBlue #COVIDnews #PublicHealth #CovidIsNotOver

Futurism:It Appears That Immigration Officials Caused the El Paso Airport Shutdown When They Panic-Fired a Powerful Laser Weapon at a Children’s Balloon https://futurism.com/science-energy/immigration-officials-el-paso-balloon-laser?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub #Fascism #CBP #aviation #FAA

For unknown reasons, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) closes airspace around El Paso, Texas, for 10 days, grounding all flights. @AssociatedPress@flipboard.com reports: "The shutdown is likely to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is a hub of cross-border commerce." https://flip.it/98W-Qi #ElPaso #FAA #News #Texas #Mexico