This Day in FAA History: July 27th

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19310727: A convention of “Key Men” involved in organizing the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) voted for affiliation with the American Federation of Labor. On August 10, the AF of L formally granted affiliation to ALPA, which became the largest union representing airline pilots. ALPA’s presidents and the dates of their election were: David L. Behncke, 1931; Clarence N. Sayen, 1952; Charles H. Ruby, 1962; John J. O’Donnell, 1970; Henry A. Duffy, 1982; and J. Randolph Babbitt, 1990.
19710727: FAA put into operation two mobile lounges that could be raised and lowered to accommodate varying aircraft floor heights at Dulles International Airport. The new lounges, which carried up to 150 passengers were designed to mate with the Boeing 747, Lockheed L-1011, and McDonnell Douglas DC-10, and other commercial aircraft. The older model mobile lounges had been fitted with a portable stairway to bridge the space between the lounge ramp and the newer and higher aircraft; however, this attachment did not protect passengers from adverse weather. (See April 2, 1959.)
19730727: FAA issued a rule requiring air carriers, air travel clubs, and air taxi operators to have electronic public address systems and interphone systems in all aircraft with more than 19 passenger seats. The rule was intended to help keep crew and passengers informed during emergencies. The deadline for compliance was September 8, 1975. (See October 20, 1989.)
19870727: During a public ceremony in which he took the oath as FAA Administrator a second time, Allan McArtor described his plan to restore public confidence in the aviation system through a set of initiatives later dubbed Impact 88. In a speech on September 15, McArtor outlined these eight initiatives, which were to be revealed in more detail during the succeeding weeks. Focusing on fiscal 1988, the program was to enhance aviation safety in the areas of airline accountability, aircrew performance, airspace capacity, advanced technology, aviation awareness, air transportation security, airport development, and agency effectiveness. Among the elements of Impact 88 were reviews of training for pilots and air traffic controllers, and an inspection of the aircraft manufacturing industry (see September 21, 1987).
20000727: For the first time, general aviation aircraft could obtain cockpit displays of digital weather graphics and text through a FAA-sponsored service called the flight information service data link. This service provided basic text weather information directly to general aviation pilots if the aircraft had the necessary avionics. Using a small display in the cockpit, flight crews could receive basic text messages, including aviation routine weather reports, special aviation reports, terminal area forecasts, significant meteorological information (SIGMET), convective SIGMETs, airman’s meteorological information, pilot reports, and severe weather forecast alerts issued by FAA or the National Weather Service.
20000727: Armed with a gun, Aaron Amartei Commey tried to take hostages at John F. Kennedy International Airport on a National Airlines Boeing 757 headed for Las Vegas, Nevada. He demanded to be taken to Miami, Antarctica, or Argentina, and to speak to the Argentinean ambassador, Guillermo McGough. Negotiators from the FBI, New York’s Port Authority, and the New York Police Department joined forces to persuade Commey to release the pilot and then the co- pilot. Passengers and crew had escaped from the plane when Commey was in the cockpit. Some of the 143 passengers aboard the flight to Las Vegas and Los Angeles exited by using an emergency chute that flight attendants deployed. July 29, a federal magistrate charged Commey, who authorities said had been planning for months to take over a plane, with one count of air piracy and ordered him held for psychiatric evaluation. (See July 19, 2000; July 17, 2001.)
20060727: Eclipse Aviation won FAA provisional certification for the Eclipse 500 very light jet. (See April 2007.)
20220727: FAA proposed mandating a second barrier to flight decks on select commercial aircraft to protect flight decks from unwanted intrusion when the flight deck door was opened.