Category Archives: FAA

Aviation insurance rates on the rise!

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Aviation insurance rates on the rise!

Aviation insurance rates are on the rise. For years the aviation insurance market has been pretty slow in increasing the premiums.

But if you have followed my posts and articles, you will know that in the past year rates have been going up and it doesn’t look like it will stop anytime soon.

There are lots of reasons why the increases could be happening: from airline crashes, general aviation crashes, bad weather, to the financial markets. Whatever the reason for the increases. Here are a few things you can do to manage your insurance premium:

  1. Make sure your broker has your most updated and accurate pilot hours.  Keep flying and putting on hours. It’s an excuse to fly.
  2. If you have hull coverage, re-evaluate the insured value of your aircraft. Are you insuring it for enough or too much?
  3. Get that advanced rating. While an instrument might not save you a huge percentage, it might open the market for more options.
  4. Keep it simple. Some of the best insurance rates are on fixed tri-gear aircraft. Thinking of moving up to a retractable gear or tail wheel aircraft, be prepared that the insurance rates are going to be higher.
  5. If you are an older pilot don’t let your insurance expire (lapse). Age is also a barrier to getting insurance coverage.

And as a final thought, please note, Insurance Agents/Brokers don’t have any control over the rates of the insurance companies.  There’s the old saying, “Don’t shoot the messenger”, and that applies here.

 

National Air and Space Museum Renovation Update

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Contractors work on installing motorized scaffolding on the Northwest corner of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, July 31, 2019. (Smithsonian photo by Jim Preston)

National Air and Space Museum Renovation Update

Museum Remains Open During Construction

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s renovation of the building on the National Mall continues with artifact moves and significant changes to the “Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall.” The North American X-15 will be the first major artifact to be lowered and removed from the museum’s main hall. Visitors will continue to see changes as other artifacts shift and move over the next few months. These adjustments will prepare the space for the construction of a large wall to divide and close the Independence Avenue side of the Hall, the Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery and the Albert Einstein Planetarium. Work to construct the floor-to-ceiling wall will begin Oct. 7, at which time the museum’s Independence Avenue entrance will close for approximately two years. The entrance on the National Mall side (Jefferson Drive) will remain open for visitors.

This week, the X-15 (which holds the record for top speed by a crewed aircraft) and the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket will be relocated to the museum’s storage facilities near Dulles Airport.

Construction on the museum’s exterior continues to progress now that artifacts have been removed from the west wing (near 7th Street). The ceremonial first stone will be removed from the exterior Aug. 21. Scaffolding on the exterior of the museum’s west end will allow for the removal and replacement of the stones and the window walls.

FAA- New Changes to Recreational Drone Flying in the United States

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Reprinted from the FAA website at – https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/

Recreational Flyers & Modeler Community-Based Organizations

You are considered a recreational user if you fly your drone for fun. It is important to know when and where you can fly and how to register your drone.

New Changes to Recreational Drone Flying in the United States

There’s a new law (PDF) that describes how, when, and where you can fly drones for recreational purposes. Following these rules will keep you and your drone safe and will help keep the airspace available to everyone.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Register your drone, mark it on the outside with the registration number (PDF), and carry proof of registration with you.
  2. Fly only for recreational purposes.
  3. Follow the safety guidelines of a community based organization.
  4. Fly your drone at or below 400 feet when in uncontrolled or “Class G” airspace. This is airspace where the FAA is not controlling manned air traffic. To determine what type of airspace you are in, refer to the mobile application that operates your drone (if so equipped) and/or use other drone-related mobile applications. Knowing your location and what airspace you’re in will also help you avoid interfering with other aircraft.
  5. Do NOT fly in controlled airspace (around and above many airports) unless:You are flying at a recreational flyer fixed site that has an agreement with the FAA. The FAA has posted a list of approved sites (MS Excel) and has depicted them as blue dots on a map. Each fixed site is limited to the altitude shown on this map, which varies by location.

    NOTE: Flight in controlled airspace is temporarily limited to these fixed fields. The FAA is upgrading the online system, known as LAANC (the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability), so that recreational operations can get automated airspace authorizations to fly in controlled airspace. This system is currently only available for certified Part 107 drone pilots.

    NOTE: If your organization is interested in establishing a letter of agreement for a fixed flying site, please contact us at ajt-9-uas-integration@faa.gov.

  6. Keep your drone within your line of sight, or within the visual line-of-sight of a visual observer who is co-located and in direct communication with you.
  7. Do NOT fly in airspace where flight is prohibited. Airspace restrictions can be found on our interactive map, and temporary flight restrictions can be found here. Drone operators are responsible for ensuring they comply with all airspace restrictions.
  8. Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports.
  9. Never fly over groups of people, public events, or stadiums full of people.
  10. Never fly near emergencies such as any type of accident response, law enforcement activities, firefighting, or hurricane recovery efforts.
  11. Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Recreational flyers should know that if they intentionally violate any of these safety requirements, and/or operate in a careless and reckless manner, they could be liable for criminal and/or civil penalties.

Read the Authorization for limited recreational operations as described in section 44809 (PDF). All limited recreational operations should be conducted in accordance with this authorization.

Changes Coming in the Future

The FAA is upgrading the online system, known as LAANC (the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability), so that recreational operations can get automated airspace authorizations to fly in controlled airspace.

The new law also requires:

  1. Drone operators to pass an online aeronautical knowledge and safety test and carry proof of test passage.
  2. The FAA to issue guidance for how it will recognize community based organizations.

The FAA plans to have all of these features and requirements fully implemented by the summer of 2019.

Recreational Drone