This Day in FAA History: August 15th

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19330815: The Aeronautics Branch announced the abolition of solo pilot licenses and gave the solo flying privileges of that license to student pilots. The change was part of the Branch’s response to curtailed appropriations. (See September 15, 1933.)
The Aeronautics Branch also announced that it now required airlines to make detailed reports of all forced landings experienced on interstate scheduled passenger flights. Previously airlines had been requested only to report the number of forced landings.
19350815: Pioneer aviator Wiley Post and humorist Will Rogers were killed when an aircraft piloted by Post — a hybrid, pontoon-equipped Lockheed Orion-Explorer — plunged into a lagoon on takeoff, 16 miles north of Point Barrow, Alaska.
19360815: Bureau of Air Commerce regulations governing instrument flight became effective. Under the new rules, all civil pilots desiring to fly intentionally by instruments over a civil airway were required to have an instrument rating and a Federally licensed aircraft equipped with two-way radio and approved instrument flying equipment. Pilots were required to file a flight plan if they intended to fly by instruments or along a civil airway when visibility was less than one mile. At this time, almost all general aviation pilots lacked instrument ratings and equipment for instrument flying. During bad weather, therefore, the new rules generally kept them off airways used by air carriers.
19460815: For the first time, CAA began charging for certain of its services. The agency began requiring a fee of $5 for registering and recording aircraft titles, with an additional fee of $5 for recordations involving liens or other encumbrances. CAA charged $5 for certificating parachute lofts and $10 for certificating flying and ground schools, mechanic schools, and repair stations. On May 1, 1947 the Agency lowered the aircraft title recording fee to $4.
19630815: FAA issued a request for proposals (RFP) that established performance objectives for the United States supersonic transport (SST), providing the basis for design competition among airframe and engine manufacturers. The program timetable called for initial submission of manufacturers’ designs based on this RFP by January 15, 1964. By September 10, 1963, three major airframe manufacturers and three major engine builders had notified FAA of their intention to submit proposals. (See July 29, 1963, and November 19, 1963.)
19750815: FAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) signed an agreement under which NASA would operate a third-party reporting system guaranteeing anonymity to persons providing information about safety hazards and incidents (see April 8, 1975). This system was designed to overcome fears that FAA’s Aviation Safety Reporting Program would not provide genuine immunity. NASA agreed to: receive and process reports; delete information that would reveal the identity of the informants; analyze and interpret the data; and provide the results to FAA and the aviation community. Information concerning criminal offenses, however, would be referred directly to FAA and the Justice Department. The system was to become operational by April 15, 1976 (see that date.)
19790815: Neil E. Goldschmidt became Secretary of Transportation, succeeding Brock Adams, who had resigned on July 20. Goldschmidt, who had been the mayor of Portland, Ore., at the time of his selection by President Carter, received a recess appointment. The Senate eventually confirmed him on September 21, and he took the oath a second time on September 24. Goldschmidt served the remainder of the Carter Administration and resigned effective January 20, 1981.
19800815: PATCO-affiliated controllers at O’Hare International Airport conducted a one-day traffic slowdown that caused 616 delays of 30 minutes or more and cost air carriers more than $1 million in wasted fuel. The slowdown followed FAA’s turning down a demand by O’Hare controllers for an annual tax-free bonus of $7,500. (See April 15, 1980, and October 20, 1980.)
19900815: FAA and the Community College of Beaver County, Pa., signed an agreement under which the college would conduct a five-year prototype training program for air traffic controllers. Qualified graduates would be eligible to become controllers without attending the FAA Academy.
19910815: FAA issued a rule prescribing more stringent standards for hiring, training, and performance of airline and airport security personnel as mandated by the Aviation Security Improvement Act. (See November 16, 1990, and September 28, 1995).
19940815: FAA issued a regulation which, for the first time, set length of duty and rest requirements for airline flight attendants. Under the rule, attendants could remain on duty for as many as 14 hours within a 24-hour period, but would get a rest period of at least 9 hours after that duty period. Longer duty periods would be permitted, but in such cases FAA required that rest periods and the size of the flight attendant crew would increase. Due to litigation, FAA did not begin enforcing the rule until February 1, 1996.
20070815: FAA Administrator Marion Blakey assembled a meeting of over 40 aviation leaders to brainstorm short-term remedies for reducing runway incursions. The one-day meeting involved senior FAA officials and industry executives. Blakey asked the meeting participants to consider solutions in four areas: cockpit procedures, airport signage and markings, air traffic procedures, and technology. The aviation community agreed to a five point short-term plan:
* Within 60 days, teams of FAA, airport operators, and airlines would begin safety reviews at the airports where wrong runway departures and runway incursions were the greatest concern.
* Within 60 days, disseminate information and training across the entire aviation industry.
* Within 60 days, accelerate the deployment of improved airport signage and markings at the top 75 airports, well ahead of the June 2008 mandated deadline.
* Within 60 days, review cockpit procedures and air traffic control clearance procedures.
* Implement a voluntary self-reporting system for all air traffic organization safety personnel, such as air traffic controllers and technicians.
* By focusing new procedures and technology on mid- to long-term goals, maximize situational awareness, minimize pilot distractions, and eliminate runway incursions. (See June 24, 2008.)
20120815: FAA issued a “does not exceed (DNE)” determination for the proposed construction of 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound. A FAA study determined the proposed construction of the 130 wind turbines, individually and as a group, would have no effect on aeronautical operations. Therefore, FAA concluded the project, if constructed as proposed, posed no hazard to air navigation.
20150815: A glitch in newly installed ERAM system at the Washington ARTCC resulted in a large number of flight cancellations for flights flying in to and out of Washington, DC, area airports.
20160815: FAA announced Indonesia complied with ICAO safety standards and had been granted a Category 1 rating. FAA first assessed Indonesia’s civil aviation authority in September 1997 and found it in compliance with ICAO standards and then lowered the rating from Category 1 to Category 2 in April 2007. The Category 1 rating was based on a March 2016 FAA assessment of the safety oversight provided by Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation. A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complied with ICAO standards. With the Category 1 rating, Indonesian air carriers that were able to secure the requisite FAA and DOT authority, could establish service to the United States and carry the code of U.S. carriers.
20160815: FAA rejected an appeal by Santa Monica to overturn a recent FAA decision that required the city’s airport to remain open at least until 2023. (See)