Federal Aviation Administration
Flag of the Federal Aviation Administration
|Formed||August 23, 1958|
|Jurisdiction||Federal government of the United States|
800 Independence Avenue SW|
Washington, D.C. 20591
38°53′14.31″N 77°1′19.98″W / 38.8873083°N 77.0222167°W
|Annual budget||US$15.956 billion (FY2010)|
|Parent agency||U.S. Department of Transportation|
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States is a national authority with powers to regulate all aspects of civil aviation. These include the construction and operation of airports, the management of air traffic, the certification of personnel and aircraft, and the protection of US assets during the launch or reentry of commercial space vehicles.
The FAA's roles include:
- Regulating U.S. commercial space transportation
- Regulating air navigation facilities' geometric and flight inspection standards
- Encouraging and developing civil aeronautics, including new aviation technology
- Issuing, suspending, or revoking pilot certificates
- Regulating civil aviation to promote safety, especially through local offices called Flight Standards District Offices
- Developing and operating a system of air traffic control and navigation for both civil and military aircraft
- Researching and developing the National Airspace System and civil aeronautics
- Developing and carrying out programs to control aircraft noise and other environmental effects of civil aviation
- Airports (ARP) — plans and develops projects involving airports, overseeing their construction and operations. Ensures compliance with federal regulations.
- Air Traffic Organization (ATO) — primary duty is to safely and efficiently move air traffic within the National Airspace System. ATO employees manage air traffic facilities including Airport Traffic Control Towers (ATCT) and Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACONs). See also Airway Operational Support.
- Aviation Safety (AVS) — Responsible for aeronautical certification of personnel and aircraft, including pilots, airlines, and mechanics.
- Commercial Space Transportation (AST) — ensures protection of U.S. assets during the launch or reentry of commercial space vehicles.
Regions and Aeronautical Center Operations
The FAA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. as well as the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and its nine regional offices:
- Alaskan Region – Anchorage, Alaska
- Northwest Mountain – Renton, Washington
- Western Pacific – Lawndale, California
- Southwest – Fort Worth, Texas
- Central – Kansas City, Missouri
- Great Lakes – Des Plaines, Illinois
- Southern – College Park, Georgia
- Eastern – Jamaica, New York
- New England – Burlington, Massachusetts
The Air Commerce Act of May 20, 1926, is the cornerstone of the federal government's regulation of civil aviation. This landmark legislation was passed at the urging of the aviation industry, whose leaders believed the airplane could not reach its full commercial potential without federal action to improve and maintain safety standards. The Act charged the Secretary of Commerce with fostering air commerce, issuing and enforcing air traffic rules, licensing pilots, certifying aircraft, establishing airways, and operating and maintaining aids to air navigation. The newly created Aeronautics Branch, operating under the Department of Commerce assumed primary responsibility for aviation oversight.
In fulfilling its civil aviation responsibilities, the Department of Commerce initially concentrated on such functions as safety regulations and the certification of pilots and aircraft. It took over the building and operation of the nation's system of lighted airways, a task initiated by the Post Office Department. The Department of Commerce improved aeronautical radio communications — before the founding of the Federal Communications Commission in 1934, which handles most such matters today — and introduced radio beacons as an effective aid to air navigation.
The Aeronautics Branch was renamed the Bureau of Air Commerce in 1934 to reflect its enhanced status within the Department. As commercial flying increased, the Bureau encouraged a group of airlines to establish the first three centers for providing air traffic control (ATC) along the airways. In 1936, the Bureau itself took over the centers and began to expand the ATC system. The pioneer air traffic controllers used maps, blackboards, and mental calculations to ensure the safe separation of aircraft traveling along designated routes between cities.
In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Act transferred the federal civil aviation responsibilities from the Commerce Department to a new independent agency, the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The legislation also expanded the government's role by giving them the authority and the power to regulate airline fares and to determine the routes that air carriers would serve.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt split the authority into two agencies in 1940, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). CAA was responsible for ATC, airman and aircraft certification, safety enforcement, and airway development. CAB was entrusted with safety regulation, accident investigation, and economic regulation of the airlines. The CAA was part of the Department of Commerce. The CAB was an independent federal agency.
On the eve of America's entry into World War II, CAA began to extend its ATC responsibilities to takeoff and landing operations at airports. This expanded role eventually became permanent after the war. The application of radar to ATC helped controllers in their drive to keep abreast of the postwar boom in commercial air transportation. In 1946, meanwhile, Congress gave CAA the added task of administering the federal-aid airport program, the first peacetime program of financial assistance aimed exclusively at promoting development of the nation's civil airports.
The approaching era of jet travel, and a series of midair collisions (most notable was the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision), prompted passage of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. This legislation gave the CAA's functions to a new independent body, the Federal Aviation Agency. The act transferred air safety regulation from the CAB to the new FAA, and also gave the FAA sole responsibility for a common civil-military system of air navigation and air traffic control. The FAA's first administrator, Elwood R. Quesada, was a former Air Force general and adviser to President Eisenhower.
The same year witnessed the birth of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), created in the wake of the Soviet launching of the first artificial satellite. NASA assumed NACA's role of aeronautical research while achieving world leadership in space technology and exploration.
In 1967, a new U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) combined major federal responsibilities for air and surface transport. The Federal Aviation Agency's name changed to the Federal Aviation Administration as it became one of several agencies (e.g., Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, the Coast Guard, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Commission) within DOT (albeit the largest). The FAA administrator would no longer report directly to the president but would instead report to the Secretary of Transportation. New programs and budget requests would have to be approved by DOT, which would then include these requests in the overall budget and submit it to the president.
At the same time, a new National Transportation Safety Board took over the Civil Aeronautics Board's (CAB) role of investigating and determining the causes of transportation accidents and making recommendations to the secretary of transportation. CAB was merged into DOT with its responsibilities limited to the regulation of commercial airline routes and fares.
The FAA gradually assumed additional functions. The hijacking epidemic of the 1960s had already brought the agency into the field of civil aviation security. In response to the hijackings on September 11, 2001, this responsibility is now primarily taken by the Department of Homeland Security. The FAA became more involved with the environmental aspects of aviation in 1968 when it received the power to set aircraft noise standards. Legislation in 1970 gave the agency management of a new airport aid program and certain added responsibilities for airport safety. During the 1960s and 1970s, the FAA also started to regulate high altitude (over 500 feet) kite and balloon flying.
By the mid-1970s, the agency had achieved a semi-automated air traffic control system using both radar and computer technology. This system required enhancement to keep pace with air traffic growth, however, especially after the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 phased out the CAB's economic regulation of the airlines. A nationwide strike by the air traffic controllers union in 1981 forced temporary flight restrictions but failed to shut down the airspace system. During the following year, the agency unveiled a new plan for further automating its air traffic control facilities, but progress proved disappointing. In 1994, the FAA shifted to a more step-by-step approach that has provided controllers with advanced equipment.
In 1979, Congress authorized the FAA to work with major commercial airports to define noise pollution contours and investigate the feasibility of noise mitigation by residential retrofit programs. Throughout the 1980s, these charters were implemented.
In the 1990s, satellite technology received increased emphasis in the FAA's development programs as a means to improvements in communications, navigation, and airspace management. In 1995, the agency assumed responsibility for safety oversight of commercial space transportation, a function begun eleven years before by an office within DOT headquarters. The agency was responsible for the decision to ground flights after the September 11 attacks.
In 2007, two FAA whistleblowers, inspectors Charalambe "Bobby" Boutris and Douglas E. Peters, alleged that Boutris said he attempted to ground Southwest after finding cracks in the fuselage, but was prevented by supervisors he said were friendly with the airline. This was validated by a report by the Department of Transportation which found FAA managers had allowed Southwest Airlines to fly 46 airplanes in 2006 and 2007 that were overdue for safety inspections, ignoring concerns raised by inspectors. Audits of other airlines resulted in two airlines grounding hundreds of planes, causing thousands of flight cancellations. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held hearings in April 2008. Jim Oberstar, former chairman of the committee said its investigation uncovered a pattern of regulatory abuse and widespread regulatory lapses, allowing 117 aircraft to be operated commercially although not in compliance with FAA safety rules. Oberstar said there was a "culture of coziness" between senior FAA officials and the airlines and "a systematic breakdown" in the FAA's culture that resulted in "malfeasance, bordering on corruption." In 2008 the FAA proposed to fine Southwest $10.2 million for failing to inspect older planes for cracks, and in 2009 Southwest and the FAA agreed that Southwest would pay a $7.5 million penalty and would adopt new safety procedures, with the fine doubling if Southwest failed to follow through.
In December 2000, an organization within the FAA called the Air Traffic Organization, (ATO) was set up by presidential executive order. This became the air navigation service provider for the airspace of the United States and for the New York (Atlantic) and Oakland (Pacific) oceanic areas. It is a full member of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation.
The FAA issues a number of awards to holders of its licenses. Among these are demonstrated proficiencies as an aviation mechanic, a flight instructor, a 50-year aviator, or as a safe pilot. The latter, the FAA "Wings Program", provides a series of three badges for pilots who have undergone several hours of training since their last award. For more information see "FAA Advisory Circular 61-91H".
On March 18, 2008, the FAA ordered its inspectors to reconfirm that airlines are complying with federal rules after revelations that Southwest Airlines flew dozens of aircraft without certain mandatory inspections. The FAA exercises surprise Red Team drills on national airports annually.
On October 31, 2013, after outcry from media outlets, including heavy criticism from Nick Bilton of The New York Times, the FAA announced it will allow airlines to expand the passengers use of portable electronic devices during all phases of flight, but mobile phone calls will still be prohibited. Implementation will vary among airlines. The FAA expects many carriers to show that their planes allow passengers to safely use their devices in airplane mode, gate-to-gate, by the end of 2013. Devices must be held or put in the seat-back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing. Mobile phones must be in airplane mode or with mobile service disabled, with no signal bars displayed, and cannot be used for voice communications due to Federal Communications Commission regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using mobile phones. If an air carrier provides Wi-Fi service during flight, passengers may use it. Short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards, can also be used.
In July 2014, in the wake of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, the FAA suspended flights by U.S. airlines to Ben Gurion Airport during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict for 24 hours. The ban was extended for a further 24 hours, but was lifted about six hours later.
The FAA has been cited as an example of regulatory capture, "in which the airline industry openly dictates to its regulators its governing rules, arranging for not only beneficial regulation, but placing key people to head these regulators." Retired NASA Office of Inspector General Senior Special Agent Joseph Gutheinz, who used to be a Special Agent with the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation and with FAA Security, is one of the most outspoken critics of FAA. Rather than commend the agency for proposing a $10.2 million fine against Southwest Airlines for its failure to conduct mandatory inspections in 2008, he was quoted as saying the following in an Associated Press story: "Penalties against airlines that violate FAA directives should be stiffer. At $25,000 per violation, Gutheinz said, airlines can justify rolling the dice and taking the chance on getting caught. He also said the FAA is often too quick to bend to pressure from airlines and pilots." Other experts have been critical of the constraints and expectations under which the FAA is expected to operate. The dual role of encouraging aerospace travel and regulating aerospace travel are contradictory. For example, to levy a heavy penalty upon an airline for violating an FAA regulation which would impact their ability to continue operating would not be considered encouraging aerospace travel.
On July 22, 2008, in the aftermath of the Southwest Airlines inspection scandal, a bill was unanimously approved in the House to tighten regulations concerning airplane maintenance procedures, including the establishment of a whistleblower office and a two-year "cooling off" period that FAA inspectors or supervisors of inspectors must wait before they can work for those they regulated. The bill also required rotation of principal maintenance inspectors and stipulated that the word "customer" properly applies to the flying public, not those entities regulated by the FAA. The bill died in a Senate committee that year.
Changes to air traffic controller application process
In 2014, the FAA modified their approach to air traffic control hiring. They launched more "off the street bids", allowing anyone with either a 4-year degree or 5 years of full-time work experience to apply, rather than the closed college program or VRA bids, something that had last been done in 2008. Thousands have been picked up, including veterans, CTI grads, and people who are true "off the street" hires. The move was made to open the job up to more people who might make good controllers but did not go to a college that offered a CTI program. Before the change, candidates who had completed coursework at participating colleges and universities could be "fast-tracked" for consideration. However, the CTI program had no guarantee of a job offer, nor was the goal of the program to teach people to work actual traffic. The goal of the program was to prepare people for the FAA academy in Oklahoma City, OK. Having a CTI certificate allowed a prospective controller to skip the Air Traffic Basics part of the academy, about a 30- to 45-day course, and go right into Initial Qualification Training (IQT). All prospective controllers, CTI or not, have had to pass the FAA Academy in order to be hired as a controller. Failure at the academy means FAA employment is terminated. In January 2015 they launched another pipeline, a "prior experience" bid, where anyone with an FAA Control Tower Operator certificate (CTO) and 52 weeks of experience could apply. This was a revolving bid, every month the applicants on this bid were sorted out, and eligible applicants were hired and sent directly to facilities, bypassing the FAA academy entirely.
In the process of promoting diversity the FAA revised their hiring process. The FAA later issued a report that the "bio-data" was not a reliable test for future performance. However, the "Bio-Q" was not the determinating factor for hiring, it was merely a screening tool to determine who would take a revised Air Traffic Standardized Aptitude Test (ATSAT). Due to cost and time, it was not practical to give all 30,000 some applicants the revised ATSAT, which has since been validated. There were also charges that the FAA discriminated against qualified candidates and was helping minority candidates "cheat" to ensure they passed the test.
In December 2015, a reverse discrimination lawsuit was filed against the FAA seeking class action status for the thousands of men and women who spent up to $40,000 getting trained under FAA rules before they were abruptly changed. The prospects of the lawsuit are unknown, as the FAA is self-governing entity and therefore can alter and experiment with its hiring practices, and there was never any guarantee of a job in the CTI program.
List of FAA Administrators
- Elwood Richard Quesada (Nov 1, 1958 – Jan 20, 1961)
- Najeeb Halaby (Mar 3, 1961 – Jul 1, 1965)
- William F. McKee (Jul 1, 1965 – Jul 31, 1968)
- John H. Shaffer (Mar 24, 1969 – Mar 14, 1973)
- Alexander Butterfield (Mar 14, 1973 – Mar 31, 1975)
- John L. McLucas (Nov 24, 1975 – Apr 1, 1977)
- Langhorne Bond (May 4, 1977 – Jan 20, 1981)
- J. Lynn Helms (Apr 22, 1981 – Jan 31, 1984)
- Donald D. Engen (Apr 10, 1984 – Jul 2, 1987)
- T. Allan McArtor (Jul 22, 1987 – Feb 17, 1989)
- James B. Busey IV (Jun 30, 1989 – Dec 4, 1991)
- Thomas C. Richards (Jun 27, 1992 – Jan 20, 1993)
- David R. Hinson (Aug 10, 1993 – Nov 9, 1996)
- Jane Garvey (Aug 4, 1997 – Aug 2, 2002)
- Marion Blakey (Sept 12, 2002 – Sept 13, 2007)
- Robert A. Sturgell (Sept 14, 2007 – Jan 15, 2009)
- Lynne Osmus (Jan 16, 2009 – May 31, 2009)
- Randy Babbitt (Jun 1, 2009 – Dec 6, 2011)
- Michael Huerta (Dec 7, 2011 – present)
Designated Engineering Representative
- Company DERs act on behalf of their employer and may only approve, or recommend the FAA approves, technical data produced by this company.
- Consultant DERs are appointed to act as independent DERs to approve, or recommend the FAA approves, technical data produced by any person or organization.
Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR)
A DAR is an individual appointed in accordance with 14 CFR 183.33 who may perform examination, inspection, and testing services necessary to the issuance of certificates. There are two types of DARs: manufacturing, and maintenance.
- Manufacturing DARs must possess aeronautical knowledge, experience, and meet the qualification requirements of Order 8100.8.
- Maintenance DARs must hold:
- a mechanic's certificate with an airframe and powerplant rating under 14 CFR part 65, Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers, or
- a repairman certificate and be employed at a repair station certificated under 14 CFR part 145, or an air carrier operating certificate holder with an FAA-approved continuous airworthiness program, and must meet the qualification requirements of Order 8100.8, Chapter 14.
Specialized Experience – Amateur-Built and Light-Sport Aircraft DARs Both Manufacturing DARs and Maintenance DARs may be authorized to perform airworthiness certification of light-sport aircraft. DAR qualification criteria and selection procedures for amateur-built and light-sport aircraft airworthiness functions are provided in Order 8100.8.
- Federal Aviation Regulations
- National aviation authority (generic term)
- United States government role in civil aviation
- Acquisition Management System
- Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition
- SAFO, Safety Alert for Operators
- F.A.A. Chief to Lead Industry Group—New York Times.
- FAA Chief To Become Aerospace Lobbyist—washingtonpost.com.
- Offices. Faa.gov (2013-05-24). Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- Airports. Faa.gov (2012-01-05). Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- Air Traffic Organization. Faa.gov (2013-02-05). Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- Aviation Safety (AVS). Faa.gov (2013-04-29). Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Faa.gov (2013-06-25). Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- "Regional Offices & Aeronautical Center". FAA.gov. 2011-04-06. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- FAA History from official website.
- Johanna Neuman, "FAA's 'culture of coziness' targeted in airline safety hearing" Los Angeles Times (April 3, 2008). Retrieved April 11, 2011
- Paul Lowe, "Bill proposes distance between airlines and FAA regulators" AINonline.com (September 1, 2008). Retrieved April 11, 2011
- David Koenig, "Southwest Airlines faces $10.2 million fine" Mail Tribune, Associated Press (March 6, 2008). Retrieved April 11, 2011
- John Hughes for Bloomberg News. March 2, 2009. Southwest Air Agrees to $7.5 Million Fine, FAA Says (Update2)
- Air Traffic Organization Official website.
- FAA looking to see if airlines made safety repairs.
- "At last! FAA green lights gadgets on planes". Fox News. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- "British Airways CEO insists flights over Iraq are safe". The UK News. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- Steven M. Davidoff, The Government’s Elite and Regulatory Capture, The New York Times (June 11, 2010).
- Library of Congress, Thomas Official Website Bill Summary & Status 110th Congress (2007 - 2008) H.R.6493
- Library of Congress, Thomas Official Website Bill Summary & Status 110th Congress (2007 - 2008) S.3440
- "FAA will stop calling airlines 'customers'" Reuters, USA Today (September 18, 2009). Retrieved October 17, 2009
- Shapiro, Adam; Browne, Pamela (20 May 2015). "Trouble in the Skies". Fox Business. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- Reily, Jason L. (2 June 2015). "Affirmative Action Lands in the Air Traffic Control Tower". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- "Unqualified air traffic control candidates cheating to pass FAA exams?". Fox Business. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- Shapiro, Adam (30 December 2015). "Reverse Discrimination Suit Filed Against FAA, Hiring Fallout Continues". Fox Business. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- Air Progress: 76. August 1989. Missing or empty
- Designated Engineering Representative (DER).
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Federal Aviation Administration.|
- Federal Aviation Administration (official site)
- Federal Aviation Administration in the Federal Register
- FAA Safety Briefing
- FAA - Pilot Safety Brochures
- Works by or about Federal Aviation Administration at Internet Archive
- Works by Federal Aviation Administration at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- Official FAA Record of the Acquisition Management System: FAA Acquisition System Toolset (FAST)