This Day in FAA History: June 12th

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19340612: The President signed the Air Mail Act of 1934 into law (see February 9, 1934). The principal provisions were
19470612: At the request of the Air Coordinating Committee, the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics established a special committee (SC-31) to study and develop recommendations for the safe control of expanding air traffic. This action followed acceptance by the ACC of an Air Transport Association report on the same problem. (See February 17, 1948.)
19630612: The Administrator announced the appointment of David D. Thomas to the new FAA position of Deputy Administrator for Programs. Thomas would be responsible for planning and coordinating the operating programs of FAA’s Air Traffic Service, Flight Standards Service, Airport Service, and Systems Maintenance Service. The title of the position was changed on June 28, 1963, to Associate Administrator for Programs, at the same time that the positions of Deputy Administrator for Administration and Deputy Administrator for Development were redesignated Associate Administrators for Administration and for Development.
19710612: The first passenger death in a domestic hijacking incident occurred on a TWA aircraft bound from Albuquerque to New York. The hijacker had forced his way aboard the Boeing 727 aircraft during a scheduled stop at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, seized a stewardess, and demanded to be flown to Vietnam. The passenger was killed attempting to aid the stewardess. When the medium-range aircraft landed at New York’s Kennedy International Airport for substitution of a long-range aircraft, the hijacker was wounded and arrested. (See March 17, 1970.)
19810612: FAA announced a planned regional consolidation, to be effective July 1, that would reduce the number of regional headquarters from eleven to six (see April 2, 1971). The headquarters at New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and Honolulu would be phased out, and their functions merged with the remaining sites. Boston would take over the functions of New York, and Kansas City would assume those of Chicago. Seattle would take over the functions of Denver, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. The regional offices at Anchorage, Atlanta, and Fort Worth would remain essentially unchanged. The plan aroused political opposition, and FAA agreed to review the decision. (See September 4, 1981.)
19870612: FAA commissioned its new National Concepts Development and Demonstration Heliport at the Technical Center. The research heliport was fully equipped with such items as a microwave landing system, an automated weather observing system, precision approach path indication lights, and reconfigurable landing lights.
19940612: The Boeing 777, the first U.S. jetliner to use a “fly-by-wire” control system, made its first flight. The long-range, twin-engine transport was designed for a basic seating capacity of 375 passengers. On April 19, 1995, the aircraft received joint certification by FAA and Europe’s Joint Aviation Authorities. After an unprecedented testing program, FAA on May 30, 1995, approved the 777 to fly on long, over-water flights as far as three hours from a landing site. This was the first time that the agency had granted this Extended Twin-Engine Operations (ETOPS) authority without an extensive period of in-service operation. The 777 entered commercial service, with United Airlines, on June 7, 1995.
20020612: FAA announced plans to purchase new radar automation display systems for some low- to medium-activity airports that currently lacked radar displays. The display systems were part of the FAA’s plan for providing interim tower displays in advance of the full national deployment of the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS). Called the ARTS IE (Automated Radar Terminal Systems IE) and STARS LITE (STARS local integrated tower equipment), the displays were based on existing air traffic control technology, enabling the FAA to minimize the need for additional testing, evaluation and training. (See May 9, 2002; September 17, 2002.)
20150612: FAA removed the requirement for a pilot-in-command who had reached age 60 to be paired with a pilot under age 60 in international commercial air transport operations by air carriers conducting flag and supplemental operations, as well as for other pilots serving in certain international operations using civil airplanes on the U.S. registry. The removal of this restriction allowed all pilots serving on airplanes in international commercial air transport that had more than one pilot, to serve until age 65 without having to be paired with a pilot under age 60. (See November 13, 2014.)
20180612: The NBAA filed a petition to overturn a controversial settlement agreement between the FAA and Santa Monica, California, concerning the city’s airport. The subsequent ruling by the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit did not address the merits of the filing by the NBAA, but rather denied the petition on procedural grounds. (See January 28, 2017.)
20230612: FAA issued a special airworthiness certificate to a flying car model developed by California-based Alef Aeronautics, allowing the aircraft to fly in limited locations for exhibition, research, and development. The Armada Model Zero, dubbed the “Model A,” was a fully electric flying car that could take off and land vertically.