Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19490602: Administrator D. W. Rentzel announced completion of a CAA reorganization begun in May 15, 1945 (see that date). The change was intended to centralize policy control to assure uniformity, while allowing technical supervision of programs to continue in the field. The Administrator was now assisted by two deputies, one charged with general supervision of personnel, budget, and management functions. The other deputy coordinated the activities of Washington offices in planning all programs and evaluating their implementation in the field. Additional steps to insure a closely knit organization included establishment of a staff school where technical personnel would receive uniform training in administrative procedures, and placement of Washington representatives on regional boards for approving new types of aircraft.
The principle headquarters offices now were: Federal Airways (building, maintaining, and operating the air navigation and air traffic control system); Airports (the Federal Aid Airport Program and airport advisory services); Aviation Safety (airworthiness, airman competency, medical certification, flight operations, and other safety issues); Technical Development (development and testing of air navigation devices and other aviation products); General Counsel (legal affairs); Aviation Information (information, publications, and audio-visual services); and Aviation Development (a recently formed office bringing together the developmental functions of aviation education, air marking, personal flying promotion, and flight information). The Office of Field Operations was abolished. A new International Region, with headquarters in Washington, was given responsibility for CAA’s international affairs and missions abroad. The reorganization also involved a sharper delineation of the responsibilities of the Administrator’s “special” and “program” staff officials.
19660602: Surveyor I became the first U.S. spacecraft to make a soft landing on the moon. The spacecraft transmitted television pictures back to earth. (See February 3, 1966.)
19760602: In a suit brought by a citizens group known as Virginians for Dulles, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that the “vastly expanded use” of Washington National and Dulles International Airports over recent years required FAA to file Environmental Impact Statements concerning the operations of these airports. (See March 23, 1978.)
19830602: An in-flight fire aboard an Air Canada DC-9 filled the cabin with smoke and prompted an emergency landing at Greater Cincinnati airport in Covington, Ky. A flash fire enveloped the aircraft interior about 60 to 90 seconds after the exits were opened, killing 23 of the 46 persons aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board was unable to determine the cause of the fire, which originated in the aft lavatory. The Board concluded that an underestimate of the seriousness of the fire and misleading reports of its progress delayed the captain’s decision to land and contributed to the accident’s severity. (See March 29, 1985.)
19860602: FAA and the Coast Guard concluded a Memorandum of Agreement outlining the roles of each agency in developing the LORAN-C navigation system for use by civil aviators (see August 23, 1984). In an updated edition of the National Airspace System (NAS) Plan issued that same month, FAA included a new project for LORAN-C, an interim, supplemental radio navigation system providing at least single-level coverage for instrument flight rules (IFR) navigation for the contiguous U.S., eventually including the “midcontinent gap” not covered by existing transmitters. FAA would provide procurement funds, while the Coast Guard would operate and maintain the transmitters. Nonprecision LORAN-C approaches would also be supported where signal requirements were met, and FAA therefore planned to acquire and operate equipment to check the quality of LORAN-C signals. In October 1986, the agency awarded a contract for the first 112 of these signal monitors. (See May 14, 1991.)
19880602: After a six week review of Texas Air Corp. and its subsidiaries, Eastern and Continental Airlines, Secretary of Transportation James Burnley announced that the airlines were currently operating safely. He noted however, that labor-management hostility at Eastern was at an unprecedented level. To prevent this tension from threatening Eastern’s future safety, Burnley had asked former Secretary of Labor William E. Brock to mediate the situation. (See March 4, 1989.)
19910602: As of this date, Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC) was operational at all 29 continental U.S. airports designated to receive the system, which used data link to speed departures and reduce voice radio frequency congestion. (An additional PDC system was planned for Honolulu.) Operational evaluation of the first PDC workstation had begun at Dallas/Fort Worth in July 1989.
19940602: Administrator Hinson announced that FAA would halt further development of the Microwave Landing System (MLS) for use under the more difficult visibility conditions rated Category 2 and 3 (see June 15, 1992). He stated that the agency instead would concentrate on the development of the Global Positioning System, known as GPS (see February 17, 1994). On June 8, FAA issued a request for proposals for an initial Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for GPS. The initial WAAS would be a network of 24 ground stations and related communications systems that would enhance the integrity and availability of GPS signals (see entry for August 1, 1995). On July 16, Administrator Hinson and President Phil Boyer of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association landed at the Frederick, Md., airport using the first FAA-approved public “stand alone” GPS instrument approach. On October 17, the Administrator formally offered free use of GPS for 10 years to International Civil Aviation Organization member states, reconfirming a previous verbal offer (see entry for April 1, 1991). Other related events during 1994 included FAA’s December 8 announcement of approval of GPS as a primary means of navigation for oceanic/remote operations, subject to certain conditions.
19980602: The Department of Transportation Inspector General issued a report saying that, despite the fact that adverse weather conditions had caused or contributed to nearly 25 percent of aviation accidents in the last decade, FAA still had failed to provide leadership in aviation weather programs.
20000602: Department of Transportation issued a rule prohibiting smoking on all scheduled passenger flights by U.S. airlines and on scheduled passenger flights of foreign carriers into and out of the U.S.
20100602: Transportation Secretary LaHood proposed new consumer protections for air travelers, building on the Department of Transportation’s earlier rule banning carriers from subjecting passengers to long tarmac delays and other deceptive practices. The proposed rule would
* increase compensation for passengers involuntarily bumped from flights
* allow passengers to make and cancel reservations within 24 hours without penalty
* require full and prominently displayed disclosure of baggage fees as well as refunds and expense reimbursement when bags are not delivered on time
* require fair price advertising
* prohibit price increases after a ticket is purchased
* require timely notice of flight status changes (See April 29, 2010.)
20110602: FAA announced it would begin to impose civil penalties against people who point a laser into the cockpit of aircraft. An agency legal interpretation determined shining a laser beam into an aircraft cockpit could disrupt a flight crew’s ability to perform its duties while operating an aircraft, in violation of federal aviation regulations. FAA could impose a civil penalty of up to $11,000 on anyone who interfered with a flight crew.
20220602: FAA sought public comments for its Draft Environmental Assessment and Draft Conformity Determination of the Chicago O’Hare International Airport proposed terminal area plan and changes to air traffic procedures. The assessment would determine whether proposed projects could decrease environmental effects.
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This Day in FAA History: June 2nd
