This Day in FAA History: September 19th

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19280919: The Packard Motor Car Company flight tested the first diesel engine to power heavier-than-air craft. Diesel aircraft engines seemed promising but proved too heavy, and interest in their development waned during the 1930s.
19330919: President Roosevelt appointed Eugene L. Vidal head of the Aeronautics Branch with the title of Director of Aeronautics (see June 10, 1933). Vidal was educated at the University of South Dakota and at West Point. Graduating from the latter institution in 1918, he served in the Army Corps of Engineers for two years before transferring to the Air Service and becoming a pilot. In 1926 he resigned his commission to take a position with a commercial aviation company. He continued in commercial aviation until he joined the Aeronautics Branch as Assistant Director of Aeronautics for Air Regulation in June 1933 (see February 28, 1937).
With Vidal’s appointment as Director, the post of Assistant Director for Aeronautic Development was abolished and the number of Assistant Directors was reduced to two: the Assistant Director for Air Navigation and the Assistant Director for Air Regulation. All the principal functions of the Branch were divided between these two officials. Only the Administrative Section and the Aeronautic Information Section reported directly to the Director.
19660919: AN FAA rule effective this date required U.S.-registered civil aircraft operating outside the United States to meet basically the same operational and maintenance standards as those prescribed for operations within the United States.
19740919: FAA commissioned the first of a new-generation Power Conditioning System for the 20 Air Route Traffic Control Centers in the contiguous U.S. at the Los Angeles ARTCC. The system processed all incoming power, ensuring that it remained at the proper voltage level and frequency. In the event of commercial power failure, it also provided battery power until emergency generators could take over. The system was designed to replace less sophisticated versions in use at some ARTCCs. (See June 27, 1969 and July 13, 1977.)
19910919: FAA adopted two rules that had been mandated by the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990 (see November 5, 1990). One rule required airlines, by the end of 1999, to eliminate Stage 2 noise-level aircraft (see February 18, 1980), and provided interim deadlines and options for transitioning to Stage 3. The companion rule set procedures for any new local restrictions on Stage 2 operations, and required that local restrictions on Stage 3 be achieved by voluntary agreements with the airlines or receive FAA approval. Secretary Skinner announced the new rules on September 24, saying that DOT had fulfilled its “promise to Congress and the American people to formulate a balanced national noise policy.” The Port Authority of New York and New Jersery and local governments in Los Angeles and Minneapolis-St. Paul considered plans for certain restrictions on Stage 2 aircraft in advance of the national phase-out; however, FAA successfully opposed the adoption of local rules that it deemed incompatible with national policy and legislation. Meanwhile, progress on eliminating noisier aircraft brought the percentage of Stage 3 planes in the U.S. airline fleet to 59.3 by the end of 1992 and 70.7 at the end of 1995.
19960919: FAA issued a license to Spaceport Systems International, allowing it to open the world’s first privately-operated space launch facility, California Spaceport. The facility was located on Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
20000919: Department of Transportation announced the swearing in of the first seven members of the FAA Management Advisory Council. This body, established by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 1996, would provide advice and counsel to the FAA Administrator on policy, spending, funding, and regulatory matters affecting the aviation industry. It would consist of 18 members. The president would appoint ten members, representing aviation interests. Five members, appointed by the Department of Transportation Secretary, would serve as a subcommittee, with emphasis on air traffic services. There also would be one designee each from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, and an air traffic services union. The first members included: J. Randolph Babbitt, former president of Air Line Pilots Association; Robert W. Baker, vice-chairman of AMR Corp.; Edward M. Bolen, president of General Aviation Manufacturers Association; Geoffrey T. Crowley, president and CEO of Air Wisconsin; Robert A. Davis, former Boeing vice president; Deborah Branson, private attorney; and Kendall W. Wilson, private financial analyst. Initially, advisory council members would serve from one- to three-year terms. Subsequent appointments would be for three years. (See September 30, 1996.)
20130919: FAA dedicated a new air traffic control tower at Palm Springs International Airport. The $24.5 million project — paid for, in part, with $13.9 million in federal stimulus funds – got underway in June 2010. It replaced the control tower built in 1967.
20140919: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport opened a new runway. The project, which cost $826 million, gave the airport two parallel runways to accommodate more flights and reduce delays.
20160919: FAA’s automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) rebate website went online. It provided general aviation aircraft owners the opportunity to apply for a $500 rebate to help offset the cost to equip eligible aircraft. ADS-B Out, which FAA required by January 1, 2020, transmitted information about a plane’s altitude, speed, and location to air traffic control and other nearby aircraft. ADS-B allowed aircraft to receive traffic and weather information from ground stations and to see nearby aircraft that were broadcasting their positions through ADS-B Out. Owners could choose to install only ADS-B Out equipment to meet the 2020 requirement, or they could purchase an integrated system that also included ADS-B In. (See April 14, 2014; June 26, 2018.)