Piper said the M700’s maximum cruise speed of 301 ktas marks it as the fastest single-engine aircraft in the company’s history of more than 87 years. The cabin-class airplane, revealed last month, is powered by a 700 hp Pratt & Whitney PT6A-52 engine and has a range of 1,424 nm. The aircraft also is equipped with the latest version of the Garmin G3000 avionics suite that includes the Emergency Autoland feature as part of Piper’s HALO safety system.

• READ MORE: Piper Lifts the Veil on the M700 Fury, Its Fastest Single Yet

“We are thrilled to announce the U.S. certification of the Piper M700 Fury by the FAA just a month after its announcement,” said John Calcagno, president and CEO of Piper Aircraft. “And there’s more to come. The Fury is just the first step in a new generation of our M-Class product line, so watch this space, as Piper’s M-Class will be expanding both above and below what we currently offer today.”

Performance is a key selling point for the M700. Piper said the new airplane can take off and clear a 50-foot obstacle in 1,994 feet, which is a 24 percent improvement over the M600SLS that it replaces. The company also said the M700’s climb rate of 2,048 fpm is 32 percent faster than that of the M600. 

Piper said it expects to complete international validations of the M700 for Canada, Europe, the UK, and Brazil during the second half of this year. The company said it plans to begin delivering the aircraft to customers in those markets before year’s end.

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The new rule requires manufacturers to incorporate improved fuel-efficient technologies into airplanes manufactured after January 1, 2028. It also applies to subsonic jet airplanes and large turboprop and piston-engine airplanes that have not yet been certified, the FAA said.

• READ MORE: FAA Proposed Rule Targets Turbine, Turboprop, and Piston Aircraft Fuel Efficiency

“We are taking a large step forward to ensure the manufacture of more fuel-efficient airplanes, reduce carbon pollution, and reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker.

Among the aircraft that will be required to meet the new standards are the Boeing 777X and newly built versions of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner; the Airbus A330neo; business jets including the Cessna Citation; and turboprop transports such as the ATR 72 and Viking Air Limited Q400. The regulation does not affect airplanes currently in service. 

• READ MORE: ‘We Need to Fly Aircraft—We Don’t Fly PowerPoints’

Civil aircraft such as those listed contribute 9 percent of domestic transportation emissions and 2 percent of total U.S. carbon pollution, according to the FAA. 

The final rule, which can be found in the Federal Register, is part of the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the American aviation sector by 2050.

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The agency said it is raising public awareness of how dangerous laser strikes are and that pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal offense. The FAA is working with law enforcement across the country to address the problem. Its efforts include pursuing civil and criminal penalties against people who purposely aim a laser at an aircraft.

• READ MORE: FAA Wants Laser Makers’ Help in Combating Aircraft Laser Strikes

“The FAA is committed to maintaining the safest air transportation system in the world,” said FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker. “Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and on the ground at risk.” 

The FAA can impose civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser violations. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies can also impose criminal penalties for laser violations.

• READ MORE: Air Force Pilots Report Surge in Laser Strikes

Many types of lasers are powerful enough to incapacitate pilots and cause eye injuries, putting aircrews and potentially hundreds of passengers in danger. The agency said pilots have reported 313 such injuries since it began collecting laser-strike data in 2010.

“Like many crimes, there’s a need for education, outreach, and cooperation from the public to address this safety risk,” Whitaker said. “We encourage you to report laser strikes to the FAA via our website or to your local law enforcement agency.”

The FAA developed a visualization tool that shows laser-strike data from 2010 to 2023 and related trends based on geographic area, per capita data, time of day and year.

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Under the companies’ agreement, the flight deck will be tailored to support the Overture’s mission requirements, including “exceptional situational awareness and enhanced safety,” Boom said. The Honeywell avionics interface gives pilots continuity from simulator-based flight training through to actual flights.

• READ MORE: Boom Supersonic Announces Milestones Including Taxi-Testing Its XB-1 Demonstrator Aircraft

The Anthem is Honeywell’s first cloud-connected flight deck and is designed to be adaptable to many aircraft types from general aviation to commercial aircraft. Honeywell first flight-tested the Anthem in a Pilatus PC-12 in May, marking an important step on the system’s path toward FAA certification.

“Honeywell has an extensive history of aerospace innovation and shares our vision of a faster future through sustainable supersonic flight,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “We’re proud to work with Honeywell to realize one of the most advanced flight decks in the sky, with state-of-the-art technologies that reduce pilot workload and increase safety.”

• READ MORE: Honeywell Acquires HUD Assets from Saab for Use in Anthem, Primus Flight Decks

Honeywell traces its history in aviation to the earliest autopilot systems. The company has been a pioneer in developing numerous cockpit systems, including synthetic vision and heads-up displays. Boom said Honeywell is among several tier one suppliers it has tapped to support its Overture program.

“For decades, Honeywell has supported aircraft programs that build the future for aviation,” said Vipul Gupta, president of electronic solutions at Honeywell Aerospace. “We are looking forward to partnering with Boom to usher in a new generation of supersonic travel.”

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Members of the Helicopter Association International (HAI), a trade group representing the global helicopter industry, gave testimony before Congress, asking lawmakers to encourage the FAA and National Park Service to reconsider rules that limit or forbid air tour operations over certain national parks.

“The rushed and misguided process limits and, in some cases, eliminates tours of our national parks by air without consideration of the operational, environmental, and access issues for the public and air tour operators,” said Mark A. Schlaefli, president of Rushmore Helicopters, Black Hills Aerial Adventures, and Badger Helicopters, and vice chair of the HAI board of directors.

• READ MORE: Helicopter Tour Operators Fight Proposed National Park Restrictions

Discussion of air tour management plans (ATMPs) has been going on for some time, with air tour operators concerned that new rules will restrict airspace over parks to the point where their businesses will suffer.

In June, the HAI asked its members and supporters to comment on the proposed ATMPs four parks in two states: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and Haleakalā National Park in Hawaii, and Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. Now the group is asking Congress to take action to reduce planned restrictions.

The NPS and FAA completed ATMPs for Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial that require air tour operators “to conduct all air tours beyond one-half mile from the park boundary or fly at 5,000 agl or higher when over the park. The agencies said the rules “are designed to protect the park’s natural and cultural resources, Tribal sacred sites and ceremonial areas, and visitor experience, within the ATMP boundary.”

• READ MORE: Aviation Associations Fight NY Legislation To Restrict Helicopter Flights

Tour operators seek more discussion, noting that plans for Badlands and Rushmore were made hastily and could make their operations uneconomical.

“Congress and stakeholders, working together, created the road map for the development of air tour management plans (ATMPs), which is now being ignored in the rush to complete all the plans within two years,” said Jake Tomlin, president of Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters and Grand Canyon Scenic

Airlines, who also testified during the Congressional hearing. “Not involving crucial stakeholders like air tour operators in this procedure led to plans for the initial parks that raise significant safety issues,” Tomlin added.

Among the safety issues tour operators have attributed to the ATMPs are tour routes that conflict with nearby airports and military installations, aircraft being permitted to fly within 500 feet of one another, no consideration for weather, and no coordinated radio communications in the areas.

So far, Congress appears sympathetic to the air tour operators. In a memo, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations discussed downsides to the latest ATMPs including potential adverse economic effects.

“ATMPs across the nation have either completely eliminated air tours over certain National Park units, or effectively eliminated them by drastically limiting the number of flights allocated, making air tour operations in these regions uneconomical. Such actions are short sighted, as they do not account for the numerous services that air tour companies, their pilots, and their vehicles provide for the surrounding communities. They also do not account for the economic impacts of ATMPs, resulting limitations on access to the National Park System, and their minimal impact to the environment,” the memo stated.

In its conclusion, the subcommittee said, “Further action is needed by Congress to correct the ATMP process.”

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The landmark flight from London’s Heathrow Airport (EGLL) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) in a Boeing 787 equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines is set for November 28.

• READ MORE: Could SAF Be a Cost-Effective Solution to Rising Aviation Fuel Prices?

Last summer, the airline announced the successful completion of ground tests of the engine running on SAF. The company also named fuel suppliers Air BP and Virent and revealed details about the fuel it plans to use. SAF for the transatlantic flight will be produced through the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) method and will include synthetic aromatic kerosene (SAK) blended in an 88-to-12 percent ratio.

“The Civil Aviation Authority’s permit to fly Flight100 marks a key milestone and a huge achievement for all the teams working towards this historic flight,” said Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic. “Getting to this point has been more than a year in the making and taken radical collaboration across our consortium partners and government. We’re committed to using 10 percent SAF by 2030, but to get there we need the government to support the creation of a U.K. SAF industry. We know that if we can make it, we can fly it.”

• READ MORE: Boeing, NASA, United Partner on In-Flight SAF Study

Virgin Atlantic received U.K. government funding last year in connection with an industry-wide Department for Transport challenge to make a transatlantic flight powered by 100 percent SAF. The latest permit is a critical step toward the international approvals needed for the planned flight.

Among Virgin’s next steps are submitting applications to the FAA, the Irish Aviation Authority, and Transport Canada to allow the SAF-powered flight to travel through American, Irish, and Canadian airspace.

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The meetings, which the FAA hosts annually at towered airports, serve as forums for identifying risks on and around runways that are specific to each airport. The sessions help stakeholders develop runway safety action plans and form agreements to pursue actions aimed at improving safety.

• READ MORE: FAA Plans to Hold Runway Safety Meetings at Airports Across the U.S.

During a Runway Safety Action Team meeting, airport stakeholders, including members of the FAA’s air traffic organization, airline officials, pilots, airport vehicle drivers, and others, identify risks and develop plans to eliminate or mitigate them. Major meetings upcoming include Boston Logan International Airport (KBOS), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW), and Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR).

The FAA issued a safety call to action in February following several runway incidents considered “close calls” and held a safety summit in March. As a result of that event, the aviation community and FAA agreed to pursue a goal of zero serious close calls. The agency said this approach is similar to that used by U.S. airlines to drastically reduce the risk of fatalities on their aircraft.

• READ MORE: FAA Launching Mandatory ATC Safety Meetings

Other airports hosting action team meetings this month and next include Allegheny County Airport (KAGC), Bellingham International Airport (KBLI), Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (KJQF), Des Moines International Airport (KDSM), El Paso Regional Airport (KELP), Flying Cloud Airport (KFCM), New York Stewart International Airport (KSWF), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), San Marcos Regional Airport (KHYI), St. Louis Regional Airport (KALN), Waterloo Regional Airport (KALO), Waukegan National Airport (KUGN), and Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport (KYNG).

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The companies said the FAA has qualified the simulator, and initial training for customers is available this month. Recurrent training is scheduled to begin in October.

Embraer and FlightSafety also said another Praetor simulator, the fourth to be fielded, will be based in Europe at a location to be announced later. The companies plan to begin operating that simulator by the end of 2024.

“Offering additional training capacity is important for supporting our customers,” said Carlos Naufel, president and CEO of Embraer services and support. “These two new full-flight simulators bring us even closer to Praetor family pilots and operators in the United States and Europe and will provide us with the opportunity to share our latest technological updates and best-in-class support.,” said Carlos Naufel, president and CEO of Embraer services and support.

Said Nate Speiser, executive vice president of FlightSafety sales and marketing: “FlightSafety is committed to addressing the increasing demand for Embraer Praetor training. ,” said Nate Speiser, executive vice president of FlightSafety sales and marketing. “As Embraer’s training partner, we are proud to announce consecutive simulator deployments in two regions to support the worldwide training demand for this quickly growing fleet.”

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Known as Runway Safety Action Team (RSAT) meetings, the events are designed to bring together representatives from the FAA’s air traffic organization, Part 121 and 135 operators, pilots, airport vehicle drivers, and others at each airport to identify safety risks and develop mitigation strategies. The meetings are to take place through the end of September.

• READ MORE: FAA Investing $100M in Bid to Curb Runway Incursions

The meetings, to be conducted annually at airports with control towers, serve as forums for addressing airport-specific safety issues in the surface environment. Participants at each airport are expected to produce a Runway Safety Action Plan under which they agree to make specific efforts to improve surface safety, the FAA said.

“Sharing information is critical to improving safety,” said Tim Arel, chief operating officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. “These meetings, along with other efforts, will help us achieve our goal of zero close calls.”

• READ MORE: FAA Issues New Airport Safety Rule

Major airports with runway safety meetings coming up soon include Ronald Reagan Washington National (KDCA), La Guardia (KLGA) in New York, Dallas-Fort Worth International (KDFW), Cleveland Hopkins International (KCLE), Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (KBWI), Reno-Tahoe International (KRNO) in Nevada, and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International (KBHM) in Alabama.

The planned meetings are the latest of several FAA actions this year aimed at improving safety on and around runways, including the mitigation of potential runway incursions. In February the agency issued a Safety Call to Action after a number of reported airport incidents, and it held a Safety Summit in March. The FAA said the summit “resulted in a commitment from the FAA and aviation community to pursue a goal of zero serious close calls.”

The FAA also published a runway safety fact sheet as part of its overall runway safety program.

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Dickson, who has held the position as FAA chief since his confirmation in August 2019, cited distance from his family as a basis for the decision. 

“Over the past several years, my family has been a source of tremendous encouragement, strength and support,” he said in a message to FAA employees. “Nevertheless, after sometimes long and unavoidable periods of separation from my loved ones during the pandemic, it is time to devote my full time and attention to them. As I wrote in my letter to President Biden, it is time to go home.” 

Dickson said he was not pressured by the Biden Administration to resign, Reuters reported Thursday. “They asked me to stay,” he said of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the White House.

A former airline pilot, Dickson worked for Delta Air Lines for nearly 30 years and retired from the company as head of flight operations prior to joining the FAA.

Dickson’s resignation will be effective as of March 31, he said.

His confirmation in 2019 by the U.S. Senate as the next FAA administrator was a contentious process that included charges that the airline retaliated against a safety whistleblower while he was a top executive at Delta.

• READ MORE: Senate Confirms Steve Dickson To Head the FAA

Dickson’s tenure with the agency began months after two major accidents involving Boeing 737 Max aircraft claimed 346 lives, prompting demands for an overhaul of the FAA’s relationship with Boeing in the certification and oversight process.

“When I came on board as FAA administrator almost two and half years ago now, the first thing I did was reset the relationship with Boeing,” Dickson told U.S. House lawmakers in October. “I have made it clear to them continually that we will continue to exercise a high level of scrutiny.”

Industry Reaction

As news of the resignation reverberated throughout the aviation industry Thursday, stakeholders and insiders described Dickson as a steadying, positive influence on the agency during a tumultuous period.

• “Administrator Dickson had to deal with a remarkable number of crises, including the 737Max, 787, COVID, disruptive passengers, and 5G,” said aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia, Managing Director of AeroDynamic Advisory. “He kept things steady through all of this, and helped restore the FAA’s relations with international regulators. It’s been a difficult period, but he’s leaving the agency in better shape.”

• “He has been a strong and effective leader, navigating the agency through numerous challenges with skill, courage and wisdom,” General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) president and CEO Pete Bunce said in a statement. “His work and commitment to improve the safety, health, and strength of the U.S. and global aviation system has advanced the agency’s resiliency and credibility and built a stronger future framework for safety, innovation, sustainability, and growth.”  

• Dickson “has been fully committed to the FAA’s mission,” Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) president and CEO Mark Baker said in a statement.  “We are proud at AOPA to have worked with Administrator Dickson on several important initiatives, which have kept the skies safe for our 300,000 members.”

• “Administrator Dickson was instrumental to the survival of U.S. airlines during the most challenging time in our industry’s history—the global pandemic—which decimated commercial aviation,” said Airlines for America president and CEO Nicholas Calio. “We are now moving toward recovery in no small part because he fostered a communicative working relationship with aviation stakeholders to directly address the unique challenges posed by the pandemic, prioritized our joint commitment to data-driven solutions, and worked collaboratively to protect the health and safety of airline crews and passengers.”

• “Both the industry and the agency benefitted from his steady leadership during some of the most difficult situations facing aviation—overseeing certification reform following the 737 Max crashes and the process to safely integrate 5G into the NAS—throughout the most challenging pandemic times,” National Air Transportation Association (NATA) president and CEO Timothy Obitts said in a statement. “Administrator Dickson’s commitment to continuous safety improvement, dedication to industry collaboration, and ability to instill confidence among consumers and the community will serve the agency well for years to come. Administrator Dickson advanced the cause of safety, was a friend to the industry, and understood the value of business aviation. He will be missed.”
  
• “His leadership on critical issues including safety, innovation, workforce and sustainability will leave an enduring legacy,” National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen said. “Dickson was instrumental in the development of SFAR [Special Federal Aviation Regulation] 118 and other initiatives to support the nation’s aviation industry during a critical period in the COVID-19 pandemic. His tenure at the FAA began in the wake of two fatal accidents involving the newly certified Boeing 737 MAX. As part of the agency’s approval for the airplane to return to service, Dickson personally flew the MAX to demonstrate its safety. His tenure has been defined by a drive to continually enhance the FAA’s safety culture.”

His efforts to improve aviation safety were also cited by the top U.S. transportation official.

“Steve has been the FAA’s steady and skilled captain, and his tenure has been marked by steadfast commitment to the FAA’s safety mission and the 45,000 employees who work tirelessly every day to fulfill it,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. 

In a statement, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, thanked Dickson for his service, noting the two did not “see eye to eye.”

“President Biden must now nominate a new leader committed to the highest standards of aviation safety, which means someone who will aggressively implement our landmark certification reform legislation, hold Boeing accountable for the tragic consequences of their decision to put profits over people when rolling out the 737 Max, and ensure the safe coexistence of 5G wireless service and aviation,” DeFazio said.

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