ERAU Researchers Have Been Granted About $500k

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University researchers received four FAA grants this month to assess risks and help develop safety protocols for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, as they are increasingly integrated into such uses as package delivery and aerial taxi services. The grants, totaling about $500,000, are intended to advance FAA efforts to “integrate UAS safely and efficiently into our nation’s airspace system, ultimately delivering new transportation and solutions and economic benefits for the American people,” said Acting U.S. Secretary of Transportation Steven G. Bradbury in a U.S. Department of Transportation press release.

O'Hare, DFW and FLL Await Big Money

Three grants for infrastructure projects through the FAA FY2021 Airport Improvement Program have been announced. The grants, the first of approximately $3.2 billion in funding available through this program annually, will provide a total of $76 million to Chicago O'Hare International, Dallas-Fort Worth International and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airports. "Modernizing our nation's infrastructure is a top priority for President Biden's economic agenda, and the Airport Improvement Program allows airports nationwide to upgrade and improve the safety of their facilities," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

AD 2021-02-19 Repetitive General Visual Inspections Of The Bilge Barriers Located In The Forward And Aft Cargo Compartments

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes. This AD requires repetitive general visual inspections of the bilge barriers located in the forward and aft cargo compartments for disengaged or damaged decompression panels, reinstallation of disengaged but undamaged decompression panels, and replacement of damaged decompression panels. This AD was prompted by reports of multiple incidents of torn decompression panels being found in the bilge area. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective Mar