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transportation:faa [2025/06/10 00:43] – [Leadership] timbtransportation:faa [2025/06/10 04:39] (current) – [Obsolete / Windows 95] timb
Line 182: Line 182:
  
 https://slate.com/business/2022/12/clear-airports-line-tsa-precheck.html https://slate.com/business/2022/12/clear-airports-line-tsa-precheck.html
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +===== Fuel =====
 +
 +== FAA Continues To Stall On G100UL ==
 +
 +Paul Bertorelli - June 5, 2022
 +
 +When last I worked myself into a virtual lather over the glacial non-progress of the stupidly over complicated process of finding an unleaded aviation fuel, I allowed as how I had grown old watching this process. I’m two months older now and still, nothing has happened.  
 +
 +At Sun ‘n Fun, George Braly told us he was assured by the FAA’s Earl Lawrence that STCs for General Aviation Modification Inc.’s G100UL would “almost certainly” be approved by early May. It’s early June and not only is Lawrence gone from his job overseeing certification at the FAA, he’s gone from the FAA. A new person, Lirio Liu, now has Lawrence’s old job, and evidently has to start over again with the final review. She has declined to respond to Braly’s request for either an update or a face-to-face meeting.
 +
 +In the interim, I was asked by a reader why I thought the FAA was delaying this approval. First, recall that GAMI has been at this for 12 years and has completed, in detail, all the FAA-specified test parameters and is the only company to have done this, plus a long-term fleet durability test with Embry-Riddle. The Wichita certification office has reviewed the project ad nauseum and sent it on to Washington for the final approval. All boxes checked.
 +
 +https://www.avweb.com/insider/faa-continues-to-stall-on-g100ul/
  
  
Line 190: Line 208:
  
  
-===== Employees =====+====== Employees ======
  
 == Over 90% of U.S. airport towers are understaffed, data shows == == Over 90% of U.S. airport towers are understaffed, data shows ==
Line 209: Line 227:
  
  
-==== Hiring ====+===== Hiring =====
  
 == The FAA's Hiring Scandal: A Quick Overview == == The FAA's Hiring Scandal: A Quick Overview ==
Line 259: Line 277:
  
 https://www.tracingwoodgrains.com/p/the-full-story-of-the-faas-hiring https://www.tracingwoodgrains.com/p/the-full-story-of-the-faas-hiring
-===== Fuel ===== 
  
-== FAA Continues To Stall On G100UL ==+===== Leadership =====
  
-Paul Bertorelli - June 5, 2022+== The FAA Has No Clear Leader During the Worst Air Disaster in 16 Years ==
  
-When last I worked myself into a virtual lather over the glacial non-progress of the stupidly over complicated process of finding an unleaded aviation fuel, I allowed as how I had grown old watching this processI’m two months older now and still, nothing has happened +The former FAA head tussled with Musk and wanted to fine SpaceX for safety violationsHe resigned after Trump won the election and hasn't been replaced.
  
-At Sun ‘n FunGeorge Braly told us he was assured by the FAA’s Earl Lawrence that STCs for General Aviation Modification Inc.’s G100UL would “almost certainly” be approved by early May. It’s early June and not only is Lawrence gone from his job overseeing certification at the FAA, he’s gone from the FAA. A new person, Lirio Liu, now has Lawrence’s old job, and evidently has to start over again with the final review. She has declined to respond to Braly’s request for either an update or a face-to-face meeting.+Matthew Gault - January 302025
  
-In the interim, I was asked by reader why I thought the FAA was delaying this approval. First, recall that GAMI has been at this for 12 years and has completed, in detail, all the FAA-specified test parameters and is the only company to have done this, plus long-term fleet durability test with Embry-RiddleThe Wichita certification office has reviewed the project ad nauseum and sent it on to Washington for the final approvalAll boxes checked.+Last night commercial airliner carrying 64 passengers collided with U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C. This morning authorities said they’d pulled 27 bodies from the crashThey don’t expect to find any survivors.
  
-https://www.avweb.com/insider/faa-continues-to-stall-on-g100ul/+The plane was a 20-year-old Bombardier CRJ700 on its way from Wichita, Kansas, and approaching its runway at the airport. The Black Hawk was flying a training mission out of nearby Fort Belvoir. The night was clear and both FAA and Army officials have told the public that there were no indications of malfunctions or miscommunications.
  
 +The jet was flying north towards its runway. The helicopter was coming south from the fort. They collided with each other just after 9 p.m. on Wednesday. The crash was captured on video and uploaded to social media after it occurred and the debris field spread across the water of the Potomac. Recovery efforts are ongoing.
  
 +https://gizmodo.com/the-faa-has-no-clear-leader-during-the-worst-air-disaster-in-16-years-2000556932
  
  
  
-===== Space Regulation ===== 
  
-==== SpaceX ==== 
  
-== Citing slow Starship reviews, SpaceX urges FAA to double licensing staff == 
- 
-“Licensing at this point for Starship is a critical path item for the Artemis program." 
- 
-Eric Berger - 10/17/2023, 7:09 AM 
- 
-In a remarkably frank discussion this week, several senior SpaceX officials spoke with Ars Technica on background about how working with the Federal Aviation Administration has slowed down the company's progress not just on development of the Starship program, but on innovations with the Falcon 9 and Dragon programs as well. 
- 
-The SpaceX officials said they want to be clear that the FAA is doing a reasonably good job with the resources it has, and that everyone supports the mission of safe spaceflight. However, they said, the FAA needs significantly more people working in its licensing department and should be encouraged to prioritize missions of national importance. 
- 
-In recent months, according to SpaceX, its programs have had to compete with one another for reviews at the FAA. This has significantly slowed down the Starship program and put development of a Human Landing System for NASA's Artemis program at risk. Inefficient regulation, the officials said, is decreasing American competitiveness as space programs in China and elsewhere around the world rise. 
- 
-https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/10/citing-slow-starship-reviews-spacex-urges-faa-to-double-licensing-staff/ 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
-===== Technology ===== 
- 
-== US air traffic control still runs on Windows 95 and floppy disks == 
- 
-Agency seeks contractors to modernize decades-old systems within four years. 
- 
-Benj Edwards – Jun 9, 2025 8:36 AM 
- 
-On Wednesday, acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told the House Appropriations Committee that the Federal Aviation Administration plans to replace its aging air traffic control systems, which still rely on floppy disks and Windows 95 computers, Tom's Hardware reports. The agency has issued a Request For Information to gather proposals from companies willing to tackle the massive infrastructure overhaul. 
- 
-"The whole idea is to replace the system. No more floppy disks or paper strips," Rocheleau said during the committee hearing. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the project "the most important infrastructure project that we've had in this country for decades," describing it as a bipartisan priority. 
- 
-Most air traffic control towers and facilities across the US currently operate with technology that seems frozen in the 20th century, although that isn't necessarily a bad thing—when it works. Some controllers currently use paper strips to track aircraft movements and transfer data between systems using floppy disks, while their computers run Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system, which launched in 1995. 
- 
-https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/06/faa-to-retire-floppy-disks-and-windows-95-amid-air-traffic-control-overhaul/ 
- 
- 
- 
-==== Cellular ==== 
- 
-== Why you can never get any cell service on the tarmac == 
- 
-Dec. 08, 2019 - Madison Blancaflor 
- 
-While just about everyone knows to turn their cellphone off or on airplane mode once the plane takes off, there's no rule against using it while your plane is on the ground. But we've probably all faced the struggle of trying to use our phones on the airport tarmac, only to get caught in an endless loading cycle. 
- 
-I've experienced it personally on many occasions. I'll want to send a quick text to friends or family to update them that I'm about to be unavailable for a bit. Or I'll remember last minute that I wanted to download an episode of the Netflix show I'm currently bingeing for the flight. But more times than not, I'm unable to get a stable connection. 
- 
-https://thepointsguy.com/airline/slow-connection-airport-tarmacs/ 
- 
-== Exclusive: FAA Investigates If It's Safer to Leave Cellphones On == 
- 
-4G and 5G signals might help warn pilots when their GPS is being spoofed 
- 
-Mark Harris - 02 Sep 2021 
- 
-The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been quietly funding tests with live cellphones in light aircraft cockpits as a possible counter-measure to GPS spoofing attacks, Spectrum has learned. 
- 
-The series of tests, which occurred this summer in the skies over Virginia, used commercial smartphones connecting to standard 4G and 5G wireless networks operated by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, according to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC). 
- 
-The phones were running an app developed by the Mitre Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation Systems Development, a federally-funded research center that provides the FAA with advanced technical capabilities in systems engineering, mathematics, and computer science. 
- 
-https://spectrum.ieee.org/faa-tested-4g-5g-flights 
- 
-== Aircraft can't land safely due to interference with upcoming 5G C-band broadband service == 
- 
-Expect flight delays and diversions, US Federal Aviation Administation warns 
- 
-Katyanna Quach Wed 8 Dec 2021 21:50 UTC 
- 
-The new 5G C-band wireless broadband service expected to rollout on 5 January 2022 in the US will disrupt local radio signals and make it difficult for airplanes to land safely in harsh weather conditions, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. 
- 
-Pilots rely on radio altimeter readings to figure out when and where an aircraft should carry out a series of operations to prepare for touchdown. But the upcoming 5G C-band service beaming from cell towers threatens to interfere with these signals, the FAA warned in two reports. 
- 
-Flights may have to be delayed or restricted at certain airports as the new broadband service comes into effect next year. The change could affect some 6,834 airplanes and 1,828 helicopters. The cost to operators is expected to be $580,890. 
- 
-https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/08/aircraft_5g_interference/ 
- 
-== FAA urges airlines to replace altimeters that can’t filter out 5G signals == 
- 
-Better late than never: FCC asked aviation industry to fix problem in early 2020. 
- 
-Jon Brodkin - 5/4/2022, 9:36 AM 
- 
-The Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly urging airlines to retrofit or replace altimeters that receive transmissions from outside their allotted frequencies. The FAA is meeting Wednesday "with telecom and airline industry officials on a push to retrofit and ultimately replace some airplane radio altimeters that could face interference from C-Band 5G wireless service," Reuters reported Tuesday. 
- 
-https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/05/faa-urges-airlines-to-replace-altimeters-that-cant-filter-out-5g-signals/ 
- 
-== FAA to airlines: 5G-sensitive radio altimeters have to go == 
- 
-Affected jet equipment will need retrofitting and eventual replacement, agency warns 
- 
-Brandon Vigliarolo - Wed 4 May 2022 14:31 UTC 
- 
-The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) met with airline and telecom officials yesterday to present its latest solution to the instrument interference problem presented by C-band 5G: replace the affected equipment. 
- 
-A letter from the FAA's head of aviation safety, Chris Rocheleau, proposed the meeting to establish a timeline for retrofitting or replacing radar altimeters in US airliners that are affected by 5G C-band signals, Reuters reported. 
- 
-5G C-band was expected to roll out in the beginning of 2022, but was put on hold until July while the FAA, airlines, and jet manufacturers seek a resolution. A number of different planes were affected, including most of the Boeing 737 family, due to their use of radio altimeters, which use radio signals to determine the plane's distance from the ground.  
- 
-https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/04/faa_5g_altimeters/ 
- 
-== FAA Wants US Airlines To Retrofit, Replace Radio Altimeters == 
- 
-Posted by BeauHD on Thursday May 05, 2022 03:00AM 
- 
-The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will meet Wednesday with telecom and airline industry officials on a push to retrofit and ultimately replace some airplane radio altimeters that could face interference from C-Band 5G wireless service. Reuters reports: 
-<blockquote>The altimeters give data on a plane's height above the ground and are crucial for bad-weather landings, but airline concerns about wireless interference from a planned 5G rollout led to disruptions at some U.S. airports earlier this year. The FAA wants to use the meeting to establish "an achievable timeframe to retrofit/replace radar altimeters in the U.S. fleet," according to a previously unreported letter from the FAA's top aviation safety official Chris Rocheleau reviewed by Reuters. It also asked aviation representatives "to offer options and commit to actions necessary to meet these objectives."</blockquote> 
- 
-https://tech.slashdot.org/story/22/05/05/008229/faa-wants-us-airlines-to-retrofit-replace-radio-altimeters 
- 
-== AT&T and Verizon give FAA another year to remedy C-band 5G interference issues == 
- 
-Airlines are retrofitting altimeters with radio frequency filters. 
- 
-Kris Holt - June 17th, 2022 
- 
-AT&T and Verizon have given the Federal Aviation Administration another year to fix altimeter issues as they look to roll out C-band 5G services around airports. “We believe we have identified a path that will continue to enable aviation and 5G C-band wireless to safely co-exist,” acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen said in a statement. 
- 
-Under a phased plan, operators of regional aircraft with radio altimeters that are most susceptible to interference are required to fit them with radio frequency filters by the end of this year. That work is underway and the FAA says it will continue on an expedited basis. 
- 
-The agency also says it worked with AT&T and Verizon to identify airports where they can bolster service with minimal risk of upending flight schedules. The FAA plans to monitor the pace of RF filter retrofits on altimeters too. 
- 
-https://www.engadget.com/faa-c-band-5g-verizon-att-airports-altimeters-183206836.html 
  
  
 +====== Incident ======
  
  
Line 604: Line 499:
  
 https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/07/faa_notam_air_traffic/ https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/07/faa_notam_air_traffic/
- 
  
  
Line 622: Line 516:
  
 https://www.fox5dc.com/news/flights-resume-at-dc-area-airports-after-equipment-issue-grounded-all-planes https://www.fox5dc.com/news/flights-resume-at-dc-area-airports-after-equipment-issue-grounded-all-planes
- 
- 
-==== Radios ==== 
- 
-== Airlines’ faulty altimeters spur FCC plan to regulate wireless receivers == 
- 
-In 4-0 vote, FCC takes big step toward crackdown on poorly designed receivers. 
- 
-Jon Brodkin - 4/22/2022, 11:53 AM 
- 
-The Federal Communications Commission unanimously voted to launch an inquiry into poorly designed wireless devices that receive transmissions from outside their allotted frequencies. The Notice of Inquiry (NOI) approved Thursday could result in new receiver regulations and is the first major step in the FCC's quest to prevent future conflicts like the high-profile battle between the aviation and cellular industries, in which a 5G rollout was delayed because airplane altimeters receive transmissions from the wrong spectrum band. 
- 
-The FCC said it will "explore options for promoting improvements in radio frequency (RF) receiver performance, including through use of incentives, industry-led voluntary approaches, commission policy and guidance, or regulatory requirements." The inquiry will also "gather up-to-date information on receiver performance, advances in receiver technologies, and various approaches for promoting development and adoption of more interference-resilient receivers while fostering innovation in the marketplace." 
- 
-https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/04/fcc-to-fight-wireless-devices-that-receive-signals-from-the-wrong-frequencies/ 
- 
- 
  
  
Line 719: Line 596:
  
  
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +====== Regulation ======
 +
 +===== Space Regulation =====
 +
 +
 +==== SpaceX ====
 +
 +== Citing slow Starship reviews, SpaceX urges FAA to double licensing staff ==
 +
 +“Licensing at this point for Starship is a critical path item for the Artemis program."
 +
 +Eric Berger - 10/17/2023, 7:09 AM
 +
 +In a remarkably frank discussion this week, several senior SpaceX officials spoke with Ars Technica on background about how working with the Federal Aviation Administration has slowed down the company's progress not just on development of the Starship program, but on innovations with the Falcon 9 and Dragon programs as well.
 +
 +The SpaceX officials said they want to be clear that the FAA is doing a reasonably good job with the resources it has, and that everyone supports the mission of safe spaceflight. However, they said, the FAA needs significantly more people working in its licensing department and should be encouraged to prioritize missions of national importance.
 +
 +In recent months, according to SpaceX, its programs have had to compete with one another for reviews at the FAA. This has significantly slowed down the Starship program and put development of a Human Landing System for NASA's Artemis program at risk. Inefficient regulation, the officials said, is decreasing American competitiveness as space programs in China and elsewhere around the world rise.
 +
 +https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/10/citing-slow-starship-reviews-spacex-urges-faa-to-double-licensing-staff/
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +====== Technology ======
 +
 +===== Obsolete / Windows 95 =====
 +
 +== US air traffic control still runs on Windows 95 and floppy disks ==
 +
 +Agency seeks contractors to modernize decades-old systems within four years.
 +
 +Benj Edwards – Jun 9, 2025 8:36 AM
 +
 +On Wednesday, acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told the House Appropriations Committee that the Federal Aviation Administration plans to replace its aging air traffic control systems, which still rely on floppy disks and Windows 95 computers, Tom's Hardware reports. The agency has issued a Request For Information to gather proposals from companies willing to tackle the massive infrastructure overhaul.
 +
 +"The whole idea is to replace the system. No more floppy disks or paper strips," Rocheleau said during the committee hearing. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the project "the most important infrastructure project that we've had in this country for decades," describing it as a bipartisan priority.
 +
 +Most air traffic control towers and facilities across the US currently operate with technology that seems frozen in the 20th century, although that isn't necessarily a bad thing—when it works. Some controllers currently use paper strips to track aircraft movements and transfer data between systems using floppy disks, while their computers run Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system, which launched in 1995.
 +
 +https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/06/faa-to-retire-floppy-disks-and-windows-95-amid-air-traffic-control-overhaul/
 +
 +== Floppy disks and paper strips lurk behind US air traffic control ==
 +
 +Not to worry nervous flyers, FAA vows to banish archaic systems... in a few years
 +
 +Richard Speed - Mon 9 Jun 2025 12:43 UTC
 +
 +The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that the US air traffic control system still runs on somewhat antiquated bits of technology, including floppy disks and paper strips.
 +
 +This came during last week's Budget Hearing for the US House Appropriation Committee, in which the current FAA boss, Chris Rocheleau, explained to the committee that a new system would mean "no more floppy disks or paper strips."
 +
 +Asked by Congressman Mike Quigley how the FAA plans to make up for the "12 percent of aeronautical information specialists" – who update charts, maps and key data – that had either left the FAA or were planning to leave, Rocheleau said "first and foremost we're assessing how we're doing that and what what can we do better – so for instance going from a paperbased process to an electronic based process, that's one of them."
 +
 +A few staffers should probably expect their job descriptions to enlarge, it seems. Rocheleau said the FAA would keep hiring for critical safety positions but would also be "leveraging the talent that we do have that is staying and making sure that they can both do the critical safety functions as well as those support functions."
 +
 +Asked by Kentucky representative Hal Rogers whether the FAA planned to "build a new system separate and apart from the present system" where it would simply switch the one system to "on and the other one to off," Rocheleau described the transition as "a little more complicated than that" while committee chair Tom Cole quipped "They'll be doing it while you're in the air, Mr Rogers."
 +
 +https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/09/floppy_disks_and_paper_strips/
 +
 +== FAA To Eliminate Floppy Disks Used In Air Traffic Control Systems ==
 +
 +Posted by BeauHD on Monday June 09, 2025 08:30PM
 +
 +An anonymous reader quotes a report from Tom's Hardware:
 +
 +<blockquote>
 +The head of the Federal Aviation Administration just outlined an ambitious goal to upgrade the U.S.'s air traffic control (ATC) system and bring it into the 21st century. According to NPR, most ATC towers and other facilities today feel like they're stuck in the 20th century, with controllers using paper strips and floppy disks to transfer data, while their computers run Windows 95. While this likely saved them from the disastrous CrowdStrike outage that had a massive global impact, their age is a major risk to the nation's critical infrastructure, with the FAA itself saying that the current state of its hardware is unsustainable.
 +
 +"The whole idea is to replace the system. No more floppy disks or paper strips," acting FAA administrator Chris Rocheleau told the House Appropriations Committee last Wednesday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also said earlier this week," This is the most important infrastructure project that we've had in this country for decades. Everyone agrees -- this is non-partisan. Everyone knows we have to do it." The aviation industry put up a coalition pushing for ATC modernization called Modern Skies, and it even ran an ad telling us that ATC is still using floppy disks and several older technologies to keep our skies safe. [...]
 +
 +Currently, the White House hasn't said what this update will cost. The FAA has already put out a Request For Information to gather data from companies willing to take on the challenge of upgrading the entire system. It also announced several 'Industry Days' so companies can pitch their tech and ideas to the Transportation Department. Duffy said that the Transportation Department aims to complete the project within four years. However, industry experts say this timeline is unrealistic. No matter how long it takes, it's high time that the FAA upgrades the U.S.'s ATC system today after decades of neglect.
 +</blockquote>
 +
 +https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/06/09/2249232/faa-to-eliminate-floppy-disks-used-in-air-traffic-control-systems
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +===== Cellular =====
 +
 +== Why you can never get any cell service on the tarmac ==
 +
 +Dec. 08, 2019 - Madison Blancaflor
 +
 +While just about everyone knows to turn their cellphone off or on airplane mode once the plane takes off, there's no rule against using it while your plane is on the ground. But we've probably all faced the struggle of trying to use our phones on the airport tarmac, only to get caught in an endless loading cycle.
 +
 +I've experienced it personally on many occasions. I'll want to send a quick text to friends or family to update them that I'm about to be unavailable for a bit. Or I'll remember last minute that I wanted to download an episode of the Netflix show I'm currently bingeing for the flight. But more times than not, I'm unable to get a stable connection.
 +
 +https://thepointsguy.com/airline/slow-connection-airport-tarmacs/
 +
 +== Exclusive: FAA Investigates If It's Safer to Leave Cellphones On ==
 +
 +4G and 5G signals might help warn pilots when their GPS is being spoofed
 +
 +Mark Harris - 02 Sep 2021
 +
 +The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been quietly funding tests with live cellphones in light aircraft cockpits as a possible counter-measure to GPS spoofing attacks, Spectrum has learned.
 +
 +The series of tests, which occurred this summer in the skies over Virginia, used commercial smartphones connecting to standard 4G and 5G wireless networks operated by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, according to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC).
 +
 +The phones were running an app developed by the Mitre Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation Systems Development, a federally-funded research center that provides the FAA with advanced technical capabilities in systems engineering, mathematics, and computer science.
 +
 +https://spectrum.ieee.org/faa-tested-4g-5g-flights
 +
 +== Aircraft can't land safely due to interference with upcoming 5G C-band broadband service ==
 +
 +Expect flight delays and diversions, US Federal Aviation Administation warns
 +
 +Katyanna Quach Wed 8 Dec 2021 21:50 UTC
 +
 +The new 5G C-band wireless broadband service expected to rollout on 5 January 2022 in the US will disrupt local radio signals and make it difficult for airplanes to land safely in harsh weather conditions, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
 +
 +Pilots rely on radio altimeter readings to figure out when and where an aircraft should carry out a series of operations to prepare for touchdown. But the upcoming 5G C-band service beaming from cell towers threatens to interfere with these signals, the FAA warned in two reports.
 +
 +Flights may have to be delayed or restricted at certain airports as the new broadband service comes into effect next year. The change could affect some 6,834 airplanes and 1,828 helicopters. The cost to operators is expected to be $580,890.
 +
 +https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/08/aircraft_5g_interference/
 +
 +== FAA urges airlines to replace altimeters that can’t filter out 5G signals ==
 +
 +Better late than never: FCC asked aviation industry to fix problem in early 2020.
 +
 +Jon Brodkin - 5/4/2022, 9:36 AM
 +
 +The Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly urging airlines to retrofit or replace altimeters that receive transmissions from outside their allotted frequencies. The FAA is meeting Wednesday "with telecom and airline industry officials on a push to retrofit and ultimately replace some airplane radio altimeters that could face interference from C-Band 5G wireless service," Reuters reported Tuesday.
 +
 +https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/05/faa-urges-airlines-to-replace-altimeters-that-cant-filter-out-5g-signals/
 +
 +== FAA to airlines: 5G-sensitive radio altimeters have to go ==
 +
 +Affected jet equipment will need retrofitting and eventual replacement, agency warns
 +
 +Brandon Vigliarolo - Wed 4 May 2022 14:31 UTC
 +
 +The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) met with airline and telecom officials yesterday to present its latest solution to the instrument interference problem presented by C-band 5G: replace the affected equipment.
 +
 +A letter from the FAA's head of aviation safety, Chris Rocheleau, proposed the meeting to establish a timeline for retrofitting or replacing radar altimeters in US airliners that are affected by 5G C-band signals, Reuters reported.
 +
 +5G C-band was expected to roll out in the beginning of 2022, but was put on hold until July while the FAA, airlines, and jet manufacturers seek a resolution. A number of different planes were affected, including most of the Boeing 737 family, due to their use of radio altimeters, which use radio signals to determine the plane's distance from the ground. 
 +
 +https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/04/faa_5g_altimeters/
 +
 +== FAA Wants US Airlines To Retrofit, Replace Radio Altimeters ==
 +
 +Posted by BeauHD on Thursday May 05, 2022 03:00AM
 +
 +The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will meet Wednesday with telecom and airline industry officials on a push to retrofit and ultimately replace some airplane radio altimeters that could face interference from C-Band 5G wireless service. Reuters reports:
 +<blockquote>The altimeters give data on a plane's height above the ground and are crucial for bad-weather landings, but airline concerns about wireless interference from a planned 5G rollout led to disruptions at some U.S. airports earlier this year. The FAA wants to use the meeting to establish "an achievable timeframe to retrofit/replace radar altimeters in the U.S. fleet," according to a previously unreported letter from the FAA's top aviation safety official Chris Rocheleau reviewed by Reuters. It also asked aviation representatives "to offer options and commit to actions necessary to meet these objectives."</blockquote>
 +
 +https://tech.slashdot.org/story/22/05/05/008229/faa-wants-us-airlines-to-retrofit-replace-radio-altimeters
 +
 +== AT&T and Verizon give FAA another year to remedy C-band 5G interference issues ==
 +
 +Airlines are retrofitting altimeters with radio frequency filters.
 +
 +Kris Holt - June 17th, 2022
 +
 +AT&T and Verizon have given the Federal Aviation Administration another year to fix altimeter issues as they look to roll out C-band 5G services around airports. “We believe we have identified a path that will continue to enable aviation and 5G C-band wireless to safely co-exist,” acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen said in a statement.
 +
 +Under a phased plan, operators of regional aircraft with radio altimeters that are most susceptible to interference are required to fit them with radio frequency filters by the end of this year. That work is underway and the FAA says it will continue on an expedited basis.
 +
 +The agency also says it worked with AT&T and Verizon to identify airports where they can bolster service with minimal risk of upending flight schedules. The FAA plans to monitor the pace of RF filter retrofits on altimeters too.
 +
 +https://www.engadget.com/faa-c-band-5g-verizon-att-airports-altimeters-183206836.html
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +===== Radios =====
 +
 +== Airlines’ faulty altimeters spur FCC plan to regulate wireless receivers ==
 +
 +In 4-0 vote, FCC takes big step toward crackdown on poorly designed receivers.
 +
 +Jon Brodkin - 4/22/2022, 11:53 AM
 +
 +The Federal Communications Commission unanimously voted to launch an inquiry into poorly designed wireless devices that receive transmissions from outside their allotted frequencies. The Notice of Inquiry (NOI) approved Thursday could result in new receiver regulations and is the first major step in the FCC's quest to prevent future conflicts like the high-profile battle between the aviation and cellular industries, in which a 5G rollout was delayed because airplane altimeters receive transmissions from the wrong spectrum band.
 +
 +The FCC said it will "explore options for promoting improvements in radio frequency (RF) receiver performance, including through use of incentives, industry-led voluntary approaches, commission policy and guidance, or regulatory requirements." The inquiry will also "gather up-to-date information on receiver performance, advances in receiver technologies, and various approaches for promoting development and adoption of more interference-resilient receivers while fostering innovation in the marketplace."
 +
 +https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/04/fcc-to-fight-wireless-devices-that-receive-signals-from-the-wrong-frequencies/
  
  
transportation/faa.1749516214.txt.gz · Last modified: by timb