This Day in FAA History: July 26th

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19510726: The three U.S. armed services agreed to the establishment of Project Lincoln, a study of the air defense program by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (See April 10, 1953.)
19590726: FAA consolidated responsibility for the planning, coordination, and utilization of radio frequencies in a newly established Frequency Management Staff Division within its Bureau of Facilities. In addition to these functions, the new staff division was assigned responsibility for representing FAA before the Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee.
19720726: FAA retitled the V/STOL (vertical/short takeoff and landing) Special Projects Office the Quiet Short-Haul Air Transportation System Office. The new title better described the broadened functions of the office, which was charged with fostering a short-haul air transportation system acceptable to the public. (See April 29, 1971, and June 11, 1974.)
19850726: FAA announced the award of a contract for replacement of the IBM 9020 computers at the nation’s 20 air route traffic control centers (ARTCCs) as part of the agency’s Advanced Automation Program. IBM won the replacement contract in a competition with Sperry Corp. under a pair of contracts that had been announced on Sept 22, 1983. The new installations were designated the “Host” Computer Systems (HCSs) because of their ability to run the existing 9020 software package with minimum modifications. Using the IBM 3083-BX1 computer as its key element, the Host system would provide greater speed, reliability, and storage capacity. Each installation would consist of two units, one serving as the primary processor and the other providing support and backup. (See March 22, 1983, and May 29, 1987.)
In addition to installing the Host systems at the ARTCCs, IBM agreed to supply the systems to teams working on the other major element of the Advanced Automation Program, the Advanced Automation System (AAS). Under a pair of contracts announced on August 16, 1984, IBM and Hughes Aircraft Co. were engaged in a competition to produce the best AAS design (see July 26, 1988). Among the key elements of AAS were controller work stations, called “sector suites,” that would incorporate new display, communications and processing capabilities. AAS would also include new computer hardware and software to bring the air traffic control system to higher levels of automation. Once the full AAS system was operational, FAA planned to begin the integration of en route and terminal radar control services at the ARTCCs, which would be renamed Area Control Facilities (ACFs) and expanded to handle the new functions (see April 19, 1993). Among the planned future enhancements to AAS was Automated En Route Air Traffic Control (AERA), which would automatically examine aircraft flight plans to detect and resolve potential conflicts.
19880726: FAA announced it had awarded IBM a $3.55 billion contract to develop, deploy, and service the Advanced Automation System (AAS). The announcement ended almost four years of competition between IBM and Hughes Aircraft Corp. (See July 26, 1985, and October 1, 1991.)
19900726: FAA adopted a new rule, effective November 29, 1990, requiring pilots to consent to the release of information from the National Driver Register when applying for an FAA-required medical certificate. Pilots were also required to provide FAA with written notification of each driving conviction related to alcohol or drugs. The rule authorized FAA to deny, suspend, or revoke a pilot certificate if the individual concerned received two or more alcohol or drug-related convictions within a three-year period. (See February 17, 1987, and February 3, 1994.)
20070726: FAA announced it was modifying the restricted airspace over the National Capital Region to make it safer, more secure, and easier for pilots to navigate. The new, circular 30-nautical-mile-radius restricted area eliminated the “mouse ears” shape of the previous air defense identification zone and allowed pilots to use a single navigational aid instead of four. The change, which went into effect on August 30, 2007, freed 33 airports and helipads from difficult restrictions affecting approximately 1,800 square miles of airspace. (See February 10, 2003.)
20110726: A FAA contract award to Harris Corporation was announced. Under the 10-year contract, worth $85 million, Harris would replace and upgrade the existing satellite communications network linking the Alaska ARTCC in Anchorage with 64 FAA facilities throughout the region.
20130726: An aviation rulemaking committee (ARC), convened by FAA recommended a broad range of policy and regulatory changes that could significantly improve the safety of general aviation aircraft while simultaneously reducing certification and modification costs for those aircraft. The committee’s recommendations covered the areas of design, production, maintenance, and safety. The ARC’s goal was to identify ways to streamline the certification process, making it cheaper and easier for manufacturers to incorporate safety improvements into their products, allow for upgrades to the existing fleet, and provide greater flexibility to incorporate future technological advancements.
20130726: FAA issued an airworthiness directive (AD) giving Boeing 787 operators 10 days to inspect Honeywell emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) or remove them from service. The AD, triggered by the July 12 fire on an Ethiopian Airlines 787 at London Heathrow Airport, ordered checks of the ELT, its lithium-manganese-dioxide battery, and associated wiring for discrepancies. (See July 25, 2013; September 30, 2013.)
20230726: DOT issued a new rule that required airlines to make lavatories on new single-aisle aircraft large enough to permit a passenger with a disability and attendant, both equivalent in size to a 95th percentile male, to approach, enter, and maneuver within as necessary to use the aircraft lavatory.