Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19291202: Fifteen air carriers pooled $100,000.00 to set up the not-for-profit organization, Aeronautical Radio, Inc. (ARINC), to serve as the single coordinator of aeronautical communications for the air transport industry, using a common network of ground stations.
19391202: New York Municipal Airport – La Guardia Field opened for commercial traffic on the improved site of the former Glenn H. Curtiss Airport at North Beach, Long Island, N.Y. The facility was renamed La Guardia Airport in 1947.
19711202: FAA established a program to expedite departures of general aviation aircraft at certain airports when local weather conditions precluded VFR operations. Known as “card-a-clearance,” this program used preprinted cards containing three standard departure clearances. By referring to these cards, pilots avoided long and repetitious clearances on congested frequencies and also reduced the possibility of misunderstanding of air traffic control instructions. The program was of special value at airports with a heavy volume of general aviation traffic and recurrent smog or fog problems. Prior to implementation of this program, FAA conducted a successful year-long test of the procedures at three general aviation airports in the Los Angeles Basin.
20141202: Boeing announced it had completed the world’s first flight using green diesel, a sustainable biofuel widely available and used in ground transportation. The company powered its ecoDemonstrator 787 flight test airplane with a blend of 15 percent green diesel and 85 percent petroleum jet fuel in the left engine. (See February 13, 2013; October 23, 2015.)
20161202: The Department of Transportation gave final approval to allow Norwegian Air International (NAI) to fly to the U.S. NAI, a subsidiary of European low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle, had applied in December 2013 to serve the U.S. Many U.S. domestic airlines, their unions, and some lawmakers opposed approval arguing that NAI was trying to skirt labor and safety laws, by being headquartered in Ireland, and potentially hiring Asian crews for below-market wages. (See April 18, 2016; May 11, 2018.)
20191202: FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson approved a reorganization of the agency’s commercial space organization. The organization created two new directorates within the office. An operational directorate became responsible for licensing, permitting, safety, and compliance. The other handled issues such as policy, research and development, stakeholder outreach, support services, and the new Office of Spaceports.
20201202: The Department of Transportation issued a final rule revising its Air Carrier Access Act regulation on the transportation of service animals by air. (See August 8, 2019.) The Traveling by Air with Service Animals final rule
* Defined a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability
* No longer considered an emotional support animal to be a service animal
* Required airlines to treat psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals
* Allowed airlines to require forms developed by DOT attesting to a service animal’s health, behavior, and training, and if taking a long flight attesting that the service animal can either not relieve itself, or can relieve itself in a sanitary manner
* Allowed airlines to require individuals traveling with a service animal to provide the DOT service animal form(s) up to 48 hours in advance of the date of travel if the passenger’s reservation was made prior to that time
* Prohibited airlines from requiring passengers with a disability who are traveling with a service animal to physically check-in at the airport instead of using the online check-in process
* Allowed airlines to require a person with a disability seeking to travel with a service animal to provide the DOT service animal form(s) at the passenger’s departure gate on the date of travel
* Allowed airlines to limit the number of service animals traveling with a single passenger with a disability to two service animals;
* Allowed airlines to require a service animal to fit within its handler’s foot space on the aircraft
* Allowed airlines to require that service animals be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times in the airport and on the aircraft
* Continued to allow airlines to refuse transportation to service animals that exhibit aggressive behavior and that pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others
* Continued to prohibit airlines from refusing to transport a service animal solely based on breed
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This Day in FAA History: December 2nd
