Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19720126: FAA began a series of briefings for manufacturers as part of a new program to promote the export of U.S. aeronautical goods and services. The action was a response to requests by aeronautical manufacturers for the government to develop mechanisms to help them deal with stiffening foreign competition in world markets. The program involved: providing information on export opportunities through reports on the implementation of regional air navigation plans of the International Civil Aviation Organization; and formulating plans for eventual revision of bilateral airworthiness agreements as a way of facilitating U.S. exports and promoting worldwide commonality in airworthiness standards. (See Calendar year 1974.)
19830126: FAA announced that a year-long demonstration of the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) would begin at selected airports later in the year. The demonstration was a step toward FAA’s goal of developing an unmanned weather station that would employ standard weather sensors working in tandem with data processing equipment to produce weather observations for dissemination to pilots, controllers, and other users. The agency had begun testing a prototype in 1978, and awarded contracts for demonstration systems in 1982. The airport demonstration program was completed in 1984. On April 11, 1986, FAA issued an advisory circular containing standards for AWOS systems for non-Federal acquisition. The agency also planned to acquire AWOS systems for Federal use. (See February 28, 1989.)
20020126: FAA launched the User Request Evaluation Tool (URET), a software decision-support tool designed to aide controllers in providing direct routes to high altitude aircraft more quickly, at the Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center. January 27, controllers began using URET at the Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center and on January 30 at the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center. With Kansas City center already up and running, four URET sites were then in service. (See December 2001; May 6, 2002.)
20090126: Following up on an executive order signed on November 18, 2008, the Department of Transportation named Karlin Toner, Ph.D., as the chief multiagency liaison for the NextGen air traffic control modernization effort. Toner would serve as the senior staff adviser to the transportation secretary regarding NextGen and would be the senior liaison between the Department and the different agencies involved in the Joint Planning and Development Office. Toner was detailed to the secretary’s office from FAA, where she recently had been selected to head the human factors research and engineering group. Toner had 15 years of experience at NASA. She served as NASA’s director of airspace systems programs from August 2006 to December 2008 and had held several other NASA positions in aerospace and aeronautical planning and research. (See November 18, 2008; see February 26, 2010.)
20150126: The Wichita Airport Authority renamed Wichita Mid-Continent Airport the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport.
20210126: Terrafugia announced it had received a FAA Special Light-Sport Aircraft airworthiness certificate for its Transition® roadable aircraft. As a unique integration of a two-seat aircraft and an automobile, the Transition® was designed to meet safety standards from both FAA and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. The vehicle that received the certificate was legal for flight only and represented the initial version of the Transition® roadable aircraft. Terrafugia planned to produce and sell additional initial (flight-only) versions to interested parties and hoped to develop the driving portion of the Transition® design, with the goal of being legal both in the sky and on local roads in 2022. (See June 21, 2016.)
20220126: FAA and the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority finalized an agreement that allowed the two countries to share each other’s evaluation and acceptance of flight simulators. (See March 25, 2021.)