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Pilots around the United States have reported a surge in near-collisions and other dangerous encounters with small drones in the past six months at a time when the Federal Aviation Administration is gradually opening the nation’s skies to remotely controlled aircraft, according to FAA records. Since June 1, commercial airlines, private pilots and air-traffic controllers have alerted the FAA to 25 episodes in which small drones came within a few seconds or a few feet of crashing into much larger aircraft, the records show. Many of the close calls occurred during takeoffs and landings at the nation’s busiest airports, presenting...

Remember that record flyover of 49 Van's RVs at last season's Chiefs-Raiders game in Kansas City? The FAA remembers too. In the wake of that sanctioned overflight, some pilots of Experimental-category airplanes are now receiving letters of investigation from the agency for other flights that may have run afoul of regulations.

A no fly zone has been instituted above and around Ferguson, Missouri while reports are emerging that area airports are being shut down. The Federal Aviation Administration announced the no fly zone after the grand jury decision came through on Monday night in the Michael Brown shooting. Listed under the reason for the no fly zone, the agency put: “To provide a safe environment for law enforcement activities.” It later said that the decision stemmed partially from reports of gunshots being fired into the sky. The prohibited airspace is designated as three nautical miles around Ferguson. “On the ST LOUIS...

U.S. airlines are saving tens of millions of dollars every week because of lower prices for jet fuel, their largest expense. So why don't they share some of the savings with passengers? Simply put: Airlines have no compelling reason to offer any breaks. Planes are full. Investors want a payout. And new planes are on order. In fact, fares are going higher. And those bag fees that airlines instituted in 2008 when fuel prices spiked aren’t going away either. …

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Channel 9 learned a plane that sparked a security scare at the airport last week was escorted by two fighter jets. But many questions remain about what caused a security scare Friday on a Charlotte-bound U.S. Airways flight. When U.S. Airways Flight 744 from Dallas landed in Charlotte Friday, the FBI kept passengers on the plane while agents questioned the crew and nine passengers. One passenger, Eric Pillmore, said a police officer told him a threatening note had been found on the plane. Meanwhile, some travelers said they deserve to know more about what that note said....

USAA wants to take to the skies in an effort to fast-track insurance claims. The financial services company, whose members include U.S. military personnel and their families, asked the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to test unmanned aircraft last week, becoming the first insurance provider to seek an exemption. Since commercial drone use is prohibited by regulators, USAA has conducted four years of research in partnership with the FAA and public entities. The exemption would pave the way for independent testing of small drones that could help USAA quickly settle insurance claims during natural disasters.

Following reports that someone infected with Ebola has turned up in his home state of Texas, Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday asked the Federal Aviation Administration to “take every available precaution in preventing additional cases from arriving in the United States.”The FAA so far has responded to concerns about Ebola by saying it is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is taking the lead on responding to the threat.“Due to the Obama administration’s unclear approach to addressing the threat of the Ebola virus, Americans — particularly the Texans who have possibly been exposed — deserve...

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has attacked the Obama administration for its "unclear" handling of the Ebola crisis, while urging the Federal Aviation Administration to take extra precautions to prevent more infected victims entering the United States. Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/Ted-Cruz-Ebola-FAA-West-African-nations/2014/10/03/id/598426/#ixzz3F5g0dLUI Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is demanding more details on the Federal Aviation Administration’s strategy to contain Ebola amid mounting public concerns about the disease’s spread through air travel.Blasting the Obama administration’s “unclear approach to addressing the threat of the Ebola virus,” Cruz said people should know how the top U.S. travel officials are protecting them from Ebola on airlines.Cruz highlighted travel restrictions enacted by several other countries and asked whether the FAA plans to limit or suspend flights. He also asked for more details about how airline workers are trained to recognize symptoms of the disease.“It is imperative that the...

Sen. Ted Cruz is pressuring the government to clamp down on air travel from West Africa. Citing the Liberian patient being treated in Dallas for Ebola, Cruz, R-Texas, wrote the Federal Aviation Administration demanding assurance that the FAA is “doing everything within its authority to prevent the spread of this infectious disease.” Public health authorities have insisted that a travel ban is unnecessary and potentially counterproductive. CDC director Tom Frieden reiterated the point this afternoon. But he and others also concede that screening in Liberia and other nations where Ebola is raging cannot detect or deter every infected traveler —...

Purpose: To give information to airlines on stopping ill travelers from boarding, managing and reporting onboard sick travelers, protecting crew and passengers from infection, and cleaning the plane and disinfecting contaminated areas. Key Points: ** A U.S. Department of Transportation rule permits airlines to deny boarding to air travelers with serious contagious diseases that could spread during flight, including travelers with possible Ebola symptoms. This rule applies to all flights of U.S. airlines, and to direct flights (no change of planes) to or from the United States by foreign airlines. ** Cabin crew should follow routine infection control precautions for...

Brian Howard, 36, of Naperville has been charged with one felony count of Destruction of Aircraft or Aircraft Facilities after he allegedly set a fire in the basement of an Aurora FAA facility, cut the feeds to the radar and damaged the communications system, forcing a ground stop at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway international airports, the FBI says. Investigators say Howard managed to do extensive damage to the host computer, as well as the lines to radar in the facility. The Air Route Control Center monitors high altitude aircraft before landing in Chicago or flying through the area.

Flights at both Chicago airports have been halted Friday morning, due to a fire at Federal Aviation Administration radar facility in Aurora. Emergency crews found a man with self-inflicted wounds while putting out the fire. A ground stop was in place at O’Hare International and Midway International airports as a result of the fire. Flights headed into both airports were being diverted to other airports, while flights departing the airports were being delayed. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said fire investigators were at the scene, as part of the DuPage County Fire Investigation task force. Aurora...

The Reno Fire Chief tells CBS13 the plane fell apart in the air, as it was flying low through an obstacle course during the qualifying stage of the Reno National Air Race Championships. The plane quickly hit the ground, killing Lee Behel, 64 of San Jose, a man well-known in the air racing community.

NASA Working The Drone Problem Amazon, Google and plenty of others are eager to use drones; the FAA is facing a deadline to allow them into the airspace; pilots are worried about how this will affect them -- and amid all this worrying, NASA scientists are working on new technology that could solve the problem.

FAA says too risky to fly over Syria. Banned US carriers from flying.

BREAKING ALERT—–FAA WARNING –Airspace restriction over Ferguson, Missouri– All commercial pilots in the country are getting this notice.Notice to Airmen: Airspace restriction over Ferguson.FYI: Ferguson, Missouri is located right next to Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri.A local commercial pilot and former military aviator informed The Gateway Pundit that there is a no fly zone and this is extremely uncommon.

More than half of the latest batch of air-traffic controller job offers nationwide went to people with no aviation experience as part of a program designed to expand hiring among the general public, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday. About 22,500 people without an aviation background initially applied. Of those, 837 were offered jobs. The remainder of the roughly 1,600 new controller slots went to more traditional applicants, including military veterans with aviation experience and accredited aviation school graduates. The hiring breakdown marks a major shift in FAA recruitment strategy, which is now geared toward trying to keep ahead of...

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is proposing a $12 million civil fine against Southwest Airlines for failing to comply with safety regulations related to repairs on Boeing 737 jetliners. It is the second-largest fine the agency has proposed against an airline. The largest proposed fine was against American Airlines for $24.2 million in August 2010. That one was ultimately settled for $24.9 million as part of American’s bankruptcy proceedings, although the final settlement included other safety violations not part of the original proposal. …

At the very end of an interview with CNBC’s Steve Liesman Thursday, President Barack Obama addressed the accusations, from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and others, that the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to ban U.S. flights from landing in Israel for 48 hours was politically motivated. Obama called the move “purely technical,” saying the United States does not make “decisions when it comes to airline safety” based on “politics” or “even our strong alliance with Israel.” He elaborated: “The initial ban that was imposed by the FAA was based on Israel needing to show us that in fact it was safe...