Federal Aviation Administration

Pittsburgh Trade School Poised To Train More Aviation Maintenance Workers

By • Nov 8, 2018
Federal Aviation Administration

Tucked away in sweeping legislation approved by Congress in October to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration was a $5 million grant program expected to address a looming problem facing airlines.

Studies, like one this year from Boeing, say the demand for aviation maintenance workers will outstrip supply within the next decade. 

FAA Awards $12.3M To Pittsburgh International Airport

By • Aug 15, 2017
Sarah Kovash / 90.5 WESA

The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded a $12.3 million grant to renovate part of Pittsburgh International Airport.

The grant will go toward a deicing pad that has been in operation since 1993. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the renovation will include new pavement and piping.

Deicing is done during winter months to remove ice and snow from planes before takeoff.

What Would Privatizing Air Traffic Control Mean For Southwestern PA?

By • Jun 12, 2017
James Willamor / Flickr

Last week, President Donald Trump proposed privatizing air traffic control, separating it from the Federal Aviation Administration and putting it under the control of a notprofit corporation. The administration argued doing so would cut costs and help modernize the system.

Looking For A Career In Aviation? The Air Show Might Be A Good Place To Start

By • May 12, 2017
911th Airlift Wing / Facebook

The sky over Coraopolis will be filled with stunt-performing airplanes this weekend when the 911th Airlift Wing’s "Wings Over Pittsburgh" event returns after a six-year hiatus. But with increasing demand for pilots and aviation technicians, the showcase is about more than demonstrating the region’s flight talent.

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A Drone...Is Pittsburgh Ready?

By Essential Pittsburgh • Jul 8, 2014
unten44 / flickr

On June 26, cameras at PNC Park caught a mysterious flying object hovering over the field during a Pirates game. The object hung in the night sky with a blinking light and several propellers whirling.

It didn’t take long for the commentators to surmise that this UFO was actually a remote controlled drone, whose owner was soon spotted walking on the North Shore.

Police almost immediately forced the man to ground his flying camera, and the FAA launched an investigation the week after.

Drones are becoming a bigger part of the everyday lives of American citizens, especially in a city famous for its robotic creations. Joining us to look at the role drones will play in our future is Illah Nourbaksh, professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University and author of the recently released book Robot Futures. He explained what made the drone over PNC Park different from the remote controlled toy helicopters we've seen marketed for years.

FBI Launches Campaign to Prevent Lasers from Disrupting Flights

By • Jun 9, 2014

Toy lasers might seem harmless enough, but that cheap gadget could momentarily blind a pilot of a plane with hundreds of passengers – even if it’s thousands of feet overhead.

That’s according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is launching a campaign to prevent such disasters from happening.

Pointing a laser into an airplane is a federal offense with a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

FAA OK's Pittsburgh Airport Gas Drilling

By • Mar 27, 2014

The Federal Aviation Administration has ruled that Consol Energy's plans to drill for natural gas at the Pittsburgh International Airport won't have a significant environmental impact.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Thursday that the Allegheny County Airport Authority confirmed that the FAA report was issued this week.

Consol, a Cecil-based company, plans to drill for natural gas on about 9,000 acres of county-owned land, and says the wells will be a safe distance away from runways and other airport operations.