This Day in FAA History: May 29th

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19390529: CAA’s Indianapolis Experimental Station opened with the mission of seeking improvements in ultra-high-frequency radio ranges, transmitters, receivers, instrument landing systems, airport lighting methods, and other air navigation aids. Located on a landing area contiguous with the municipal airport, the station was made available by the city of Indianapolis through a long-term lease arrangement. Its facilities included a hangar, laboratory, and shop building constructed in accordance with the Authority’s specifications.
19740529: FAA announced a new advisory circular on safety parameters for hang gliding, which included recommendations not to fly: over 500 feet above general terrain; in clouds; in controlled airspace, or within five miles of an uncontrolled airport without proper notification; in restricted or controlled areas without prior permission; over or within 100 feet horizontally of buildings, populated areas, or crowds. Hang gliding, a sport involving unpowered, kite-like craft, had grown rapidly in recent years. In announcing the circular, Administrator Butterfield stated his hope that observance of the guidelines would make it unnecessary to regulate the sport. FAA also advised hang gliding clubs to establish training and safety programs, and urged manufacturers to ensure quality control. (See September 2, 1982.)
19750529: Secretary of Transportation William T. Coleman, Jr., announced that FAA’s National Aeronautical Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) would remain at Atlantic City, N.J. On January 15, 1974, a study team had recommended that NAFEC be combined with the Aeronautical Center at Oklahoma City. (See May 29, 1980.)
19800529: FAA changed the name of its National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) to the FAA Technical Center, and at the same time dedicated a new complex of buildings at the New Jersey facility (see May 29, 1975). Under an agreement signed in 1976, the Atlantic City Improvement Authority had constructed the new complex for lease to FAA. On May 28, the agency had also dedicated a new heliport at the facility, and on June 20 dedicated the Center’s large new fire research building.
19870529: FAA commissioned the first of its Host Computer Systems at the Seattle air route traffic control center (ARTCC). On June 23, 1988, the agency commissioned the last of the systems at the Salt Lake City ARTCC, completing the Host implementation program at all 20 continental ARTCCs. (See July 26, 1985.)
20010529: FAA announced it would begin using an alert warning system at the country’s 34 busiest airports to help prevent runway accidents. Already in use at San Francisco and Detroit, the Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS) provided air traffic controllers with visual and aural alerts of potential runway accidents caused by runway incursions. AMASS was an enhancement to the ASDE-3 (airport surface detection equipment ) radar that processed surveillance data from the ASDE-3 and the terminal automation system. It then determined conflicts based on the position, velocity, and acceleration of airborne arrival aircraft with ground-based aircraft and vehicles. (See July 15, 2000; August 14, 2001.)
20080529: Three Iraqi nationals became Baghdad’s first tower-certified air traffic controllers after completing months of rigorous instruction based on international aviation safety standards and overseen by a FAA-led team. At a ceremony on May 29, the Director General of Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority Sabeeh Al Shebany and Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters presented the controllers with their certifications at Baghdad International Airport’s air traffic control facilities.
20130529: State officials dedicated a new air traffic control tower at Kona Airport, Hawaii. The new tower replaced one constructed almost 43 years ago. Officials also formally broke ground for a new 24,000-square-foot aircraft rescue and firefighting facility. FAA and state funds covered the cost of the $14.5 million project.
20130529: Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport celebrated the completion of a $29 million project designed to support the expansion of its largest tenant, Gulfstream Aerospace, while making room for future aviation businesses. Announced in late 2010, the north aviation development project involved the realignment of Gulfstream Road, including construction of a tunnel; a new electrical vault; a taxiway bridge; Taxiway H; as well as the extension of existing Taxiway A. FAA grants and airport revenues funded the project.
20130529: The Office of Management and Budget told federal agencies to prepare their fiscal 2015 budget requests with three levels of spending in mind, including 5 and 10 percent cuts from the projection provided agencies in April with the 2014 request. The budget-crafting guidance represented the first formal recognition of the long-term effects of the 2011 Budget Control Act, whose first round of widespread, automatic sequestration rescissions took effect in March 2013.
20180529: RTCA’s umbrella charter agreement with the FAA as a federal advisory committee expired. As a result, FAA reestablished its Drone Advisory Committee and the NextGen Advisory Committee as separate entities with their own charters. RTCA had served as a federal advisory committee since 1976. (See September 16, 2016.)
20200529: FAA extended through July 31, 2020, four regulatory exemptions it previously issued to scheduled and on-demand U.S. air carriers. The exemptions gave operators grace periods for completing certain training and qualification requirements, and gave crewmembers relief from having to don protective breathing equipment or oxygen masks in training, checking, or evaluation. The exemptions originally were set to expire on May 31.