While there will always be technological developments in the aviation industry, it is for the most part, a mature industry. On the other hand, the drone industry, measured against fixed wing and rotorcraft, is probably in the range of 20 percent mature. While drones have, in the defense world, been in use for decades, it’s only been in the last few years that drone technology has entered the commercial world. Continue Reading UAS: Even If You Can Find Them, You Can’t Identify or Stop Them!

In Managing the Risks of Organizational Accidents (1997), Dr. James Reason defined “just culture” as:

An atmosphere of trust in which people are encouraged, even rewarded, for providing essential safety-related information–but in which they are also clear about where the line must be drawn between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

While line drawing often involves sensitive tradeoffs and judgments, recent judicial decisions by the courts in Switzerland involving air traffic controllers provoke vigorous head-scratching, not to mention strong condemnation from the international air traffic control community. Continue Reading Criminalization of Aviation: ‘You Have the Right to Remain Silent’

An essential aspect of the aviation industry is doing business with the United States Government.

Whether you’re an airline, a charter or cargo operator, an MRO, a ground handler or a manufacturer, the considerations associated with having the federal government as a client is a world apart from operating in the commercial space.

During this webinar, aviation and government contract attorneys  will discuss not only the basics, but recent developments in dealing with the United States Government as your customer.

Continue Reading Webinar: Government Contracts, False Claims, and the Aviation Industry

In just a few short years, the operation of unmanned aircraft has gone from a rarity to big business. According to the FAA’s newly released Aerospace Forecast, the total number of commercial UAS in the United States is expected to triple by 2023. Much of this growth is expected to come from a dramatic increase in the number of businesses offering “drones as a service.” Continue Reading Webinar: The Business of Drones … Operating in a Commercial World

On March 6, Representative Garret Graves of Louisiana introduced H.R. 1562, the Commercial Space Transportation Safety Act of 2019.  The bill’s text, which became available only recently, indicates that its main purpose is “to provide certain authority to the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate commercial space transportation accidents.”  Continue Reading NTSB and Commercial Space: The Final Frontier