Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19471103: A commission of the International Civil Aviation Organization met in Geneva to consider proposals for a multilateral civil aviation agreement to replace the existing system of bilateral agreements by which traffic rights for scheduled commercial air services were established. Differing views concerning the so-called Fifth Freedom–the privilege of picking up or discharging in a second nation cargo destined to or coming from the territory of a third nation—prevented the commission from concluding any agreement. It recommended, however, that the subject be studied further.
19481103: CAA announced that Wallace Clark and Company, a management consultant firm, would conduct an impartial survey of the agency’s management practices. Submitted in March 1949, the study concluded that the Administrator was involved in too much routine contact with subordinates. Results of the study included a reduction in the number of officials reporting directly to the Administrator. (See June 2, 1949.)
19601103: FAA certificated the Beech 95-55 Baron, a four- to five-place aircraft powered by two Continental 260 h.p. fuel-injection engines. The plane had first flown on February 29, 1960.
19671103: Pan American World Airways became the first airline to receive FAA approval for full Category II operations, permitting the airline to land in weather offering only a 100-foot decision height and a 1,200-foot runway visibility range. At this date, however, such operations could be conducted only at Dulles International Airport. In the ensuing seven months, seven additional airports qualified for Category II operations. (See August 7, 1967, and January 21, 1972.)
19801103: FAA published a special rule allocating reservations, or “slots,” for takeoffs and landings under instrument flight rules at Washington National Airport. The rule applied to air carriers, except air taxis, and was effective December 1, 1980, to April 26, 1981. The slots had previously been assigned by an air carrier scheduling committee, the system used at the other high density airports subject to flight restrictions in force since June 1, 1969 (see that date). Since the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, however, the number of carriers seeking slots at National had increased and the committee found it more difficult to reach agreement. On October 14, 1980, the body advised FAA it was deadlocked, necessitating government intervention. (See March 23, 1978, and December 6, 1981.)
19881103: The Aviation Safety Research Act broadened FAA’s role in aircraft-related research, which had previously focused on testing and developing existing devices and materials. The act authorized the agency to develop new technologies and conduct data analyses in such fields as the effects of wear and fatigue on aircraft structures, aircraft maintenance, materials resistent to smoke and fire, low flammability fuels, and methods of containing in-flight and post-crash fires. (See November 5, 1990 and May 6, 1996.)
20081103: Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell announced FAA had signed a $9 million agreement with two companies to accelerate the testing and installation of NextGen technology. Teams led by Honeywell and Aviation Communications & Surveillance Systems (ACSS) would help FAA test and develop technology that would be used on an airport’s airfield to detect and alert pilots of potential safety issues. Two Honeywell test planes and pilots from JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines would provide operational input from concept development through flight evaluation and demonstration. Honeywell would conduct work at Seattle Tacoma International and Snohomish County Paine Field airports. Under the agreement, Honeywell would receive approximately $3 million. ACSS, which planned to work with US Airways to develop standards, flight demonstrations, and prototypes, would receive approximately $6 million. Twenty Airbus A330 aircraft would be equipped with cockpit displays, transponders, antennas, wiring kits, and Class 2 electronic flight bags. Demonstrations would be conducted at Philadelphia International Airport. (See March 10, 2008; December 8, 2008.)
20101103: The first meeting of the FAA’s National Labor-Management Forum took place in Baltimore, MD. The meeting provided an opportunity for approximately 30 representatives from FAA’s labor unions and management to discuss how a National Labor-Management Forum could work to improve the agency. President Obama signed an executive order in December 2008 establishing Labor-Management Forums as a tool to improve labor relations within the federal government. The FAA labor-management participants first came together in June 2010 and jointly decided to create a national forum. Participants at the Baltimore forum agreed to a charter that outlined its responsibilities, procedures, and guiding principles. Participants also set up work groups to take on issues involving metrics, pre-decisional involvement, joint collaboration, training, and communication. In addition, they agreed to meet quarterly and to
* Handle high level agency-wide issues
* Set a tone for the agency that would help facilitate a broad culture change and encourage collaboration efforts
* Enable and support continuing collaborative efforts and those that have yet to get underway
* Commit to provide tools for collaboration and dispute resolution
* Reflect positive interaction
20141103: FAA issued a final rule broadening the coverage of its icing certification standards. The updated standards required U.S. manufacturers to show transport airplanes could operate safely in freezing drizzle or freezing rain conditions that constitute the icing environment known as supercooled large drops. The standard also included ice crystal weather conditions. (See June 29, 2013.)
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This Day in FAA History: November 3rd
