FAAST Blast — Week of June 14 – June 20, 2021
Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News Update
FAA’s Runway Safety Town Hall a Success
On June 16, the FAA hosted a virtual Runway Safety Town Hall for all GA pilots. The online event was well received and viewed by more than 2,300 people via FAA’s YouTube channel and via FAA’s Facebook and Twitter channels. It featured several surface safety best practices and a candid discussion among GA pilots, air traffic controllers, and runway safety experts. The focus of the Town Hall was to help pilots reduce the risk of airfield errors and lower the potential for accidents. Discussion topics included preflight preparation, situational awareness, communications, knowledge of runway geometry and signage, and how to prepare for operating at a major fly-in event like AirVenture.
According to Nick DeLotell, FAA’s Acting Manager of the Commercial Operations Branch and a Town Hall panelist, the event was “a great opportunity to showcase the FAA’s internal interdependence across multiple offices, and our collaboration with stakeholders and the public to solve problems and increase safety.” Nick added that the broadcast “successfully raised awareness and provided tools and resources that GA pilots can use to mitigate risk.”
If you missed the event, you can still view the archived version on the FAA’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/wpLPTZsijfk.
Meet the 2021 National GA Award Winners
As they have for more than 50 years, the General Aviation Awards program and the FAA have recognized aviation professionals for their contributions to GA in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance/avionics, and safety. This year’s National General Aviation Award winners are: Ronald Jay “Ron” Timmermans, Flight Instructor of the Year; Michael Colin Dunkley, Aviation Technician of the Year; and Adam Timothy Magee, FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year.
A special live video presentation was held last week allowing the GA community to “meet” the award winners, hear about their contributions to industry, and learn about their top safety recommendations. If you missed the live broadcast, the program was archived and is available to view anytime at www.gaa-live.com/2021.html.
Preparing Tomorrow’s UAS Workforce
Are you, or do you know, a college student interested in pursuing a career in the drone industry? Thanks to the FAA’s new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate Training Initiative, college students will have FAA expertise and backing for a career in unmanned aircraft systems (drones). To learn how the FAA is helping to inform, educate, and inspire the next generation of entrants to the National Airspace System (NAS) read, “Engaging with Academia, How the FAA is Helping Prepare Tomorrow’s UAS Workforce,” at https://medium.com/faa/engaging-with-academia-661aaa3551cb. You’ll find the entire issue on new entrants to the NAS at www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing.
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing
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