FAAST Blast — Week of Oct 03, 2022 – Oct 09, 2022
Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News Update
Vertiport Design Guidelines Published
Last month the FAA released new design guidelines for vertiports, infrastructure that will support advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft. The design standards will serve as the initial step to provide key information for airport owners, operators, and infrastructure developers to begin the development of facilities that will support operations of AAM aircraft that are electrically powered and take-off and land vertically. These vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) operations will transport passengers or cargo at lower altitudes in rural, urban, and suburban areas.
The design standards include critical information that designers and builders will need to follow to allow for safe takeoffs and landings. Some of those include safety-critical geometry and design elements; lighting, markings, and visual aids; charging and electric infrastructure; on-airport vertiports; and elevated vertiports.
The final design standards are based on research conducted by the FAA, collaboration with industry partners, and feedback from the public. Download FAA Engineering Brief No. 105, Vertiport Design, at bit.ly/3fpJwS0.
Rotorcraft Collective Video Highlights Performance Planning
We should all understand the performance capabilities and respect the limitations of the aircraft we are flying. Watch this new video from The Rotorcraft Collective for steps to improve helicopter performance planning and power management.
“The Rotorcraft Collective” is a group of engineers, pilots, mechanics, accident investigators, and communication specialists from industry and the FAA who produce short safety videos packed with information on topics such as preflight inspections and passenger briefings, helicopter icing, and securing cargo. Check out the entire video series here bit.ly/RotorYT.
Flying in Formation
If you’ve read the latest issue of FAA Safety Briefing, you’ll know the FAA owns and operates a fleet of aircraft as a certificated 14 CFR part 135 operator. But did you know that through the formation of several strategic partnerships, Flight Program Operations aircraft and crews also contribute to the mission of other federal agencies and the military? The FAA partners with the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, NTSB, and FEMA, which means you might see FAA aircraft assisting with rescue operations or even inspecting navigational aids in Antarctica. To learn more about how the FAA partners with other agencies, see the article “Flying in Formation” at https://medium.com/faa/flying-in-formation-ccc82c087c25. Check out the entire Flight Program Operations issue here www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-safety-briefing-magazine.
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-safety-briefing-magazine
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