Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19420106: Pan American Airways Pacific Clipper landed at New York, the first commercial airplane to circle the globe, exclusive of the continental United States. The aircraft had left San Francisco on December 2, 1941, and was operating in the South Pacific when the Pearl Harbor attack forced it to return to home territory by flying west.
19600106: A National Airlines DC-6B crashed near Bolivia, N.C., killing 34 passengers and crew. The Civil Aeronautics Board accident investigation revealed that the plane had disintegrated in flight as a result of a dynamite explosion. Bomb fragments were found imbedded in the body of passenger Julian Frank, who, in the preceding year, had taken out more than a million dollars in life insurance. The indication of sabotage sparked demands for the use of baggage-inspection devices and moved FAA to clamp a ceiling of $165,000 on the amount of airline trip insurance a passenger could purchase at Washington National Airport. (See November 10, 1964.)
19730106: The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it had awarded a contract for an electronic voice switching (EVS) system, which would increase communications efficiency at air route traffic control centers and would eventually replace all existing FAA radio control and signaling equipment at the center and remote sites. In August 1974, however, FAA Administrator Alexander Butterfield cancelled the contract because of increasing cost estimates and schedule delays.
19750106: FAA published a new regulation setting maximum noise levels for small propeller-driven aircraft that were newly produced or newly type-certificated. The rule was effective February 7, 1975, and applied to all propeller-driven airplanes under 12,500 pounds, with the exception of those used in agricultural and firefighting operations (which frequently required all available engine power to carry large loads). (See October 26, 1973, and December 23, 1976.)
19940106: DOT, FAA, and the Council of Economic Advisors held a press conference to unveil the Clinton Administration’s plan to revitalize the aviation industry. The plan entailed action on most recommendations of the National Commission to Ensure a Strong Competitive Airline Industry (see April 7, 1993). Included were efforts to move ahead with conversion of FAA’s air traffic control function to a government corporation (see September 7, 1993, and May 3, 1994). Other elements of the plan aimed at: bankruptcy reform; increased foreign investment in U.S. carriers, contingent on reciprocal opportunities; encouragement of new entrant carriers; heightened scrutiny of airline financial fitness; and promotion of employee ownership of airlines.
19970106: Illinois Governor Jim Edgar and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley announced a compromise under which the city would reopen Meigs Field and operate the airport for five years. After that, Chicago would be free to close the airport.
19970106: FAA announced the appointment of William Albee as aircraft noise ombudsman, a new position mandated by the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-264). (See September 30, 1996.)
20210106: FAA issued a final rule to facilitate the safe development of civil supersonic aircraft. The rule streamlined and clarified procedures to obtain agency approval for supersonic flight testing in the United States. (See September 23, 1977.)