2022 was an important and busy year in aviation! From 5G being rolled out to concerns about lead air pollution from fuel, here’s a rundown of some of the biggest news briefs in aviation during 2022.
At the beginning of 2022, 5G was all the buzz from mobile companies and users alike, hoping for fast cell phone internet, but it was a concern for those in the aviation industry, worrying if the 5G would interfere with certain airplane systems. The FAA worked with AT&T and Verizon to research whether 5G towers would interfere with these delicate systems. The FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive that prohibited Boeing 747-8 747-8F and 777 airplanes from landing at certain airports where 5G interferences might occur, and two days later, they released another Airworthiness Directive that revised the landing requirements for the Boeing 737 Max airports for the same reason. Read more about 5G Networks and Aviation Safety here.
After President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed into effect in late 2021, the FAA was allocated $5 billion to invest in America’s air traffic control system, which is absolutely vital in keeping our airspace safe and helping it run efficiently. With the money received, the FAA started replacing towers, improving approach and departure facilities, reinforcing weather, tracking, navigation systems, and more. They’ve also hired more workers to modernize more facilities, which opened up job opportunities. To read more about what the $5 billion has been invested in and the plans for the rest of the money, click here.
In June of 2022, an exercise called “Thunder Run” was staged. The West Coast General Aviation Response Plan (WCGARP) demonstrated how general aviation could help during a major earthquake in the Pacific Northwest. The Thunder Roll drill put to test all the previous drills in a replicated consequence of a devastating earthquake, and fifty-seven general aviation pilots from Canada, Washington, and Oregon were part of this drill. The Emergency Volunteer Air Corps encourage general aviation pilots to be part of disaster relief efforts, and this drill proved how that could be possible. You can find out more about Thunder Roll here.
Another milestone moment happened in aviation this year. Unleaded fuel developed by General Aviation Modifications, Inc., or GAMI, was approved as part of a Supplemental Type Certificate that allows this fuel to be used by the general aviation fleet. The G100UL fuel was initially approved in July 2021 for a limited number of engines, but after more than twelve months of testing, the FAA deemed it safe for general aviation. Read more about GAMI’s fuel here.
After their fuel was approved to be used by the general aviation fleet, GAMI collaborated with Avfuel Corporation, a global supplier of fuel, to get their G100UL fuel to FBOs. Avfuel will work with GAMI to get the fuel from the lab to airport fuel tanks. To find out more about GAMI’s new fuel, Avfuel, and how G100UL fuel was distributed click here.
In October, the EPA proposed that lead emissions from aircraft using 100LL fuel contributed to lead air pollution that could quite possibly endanger the public. This came not long after GAMI’s G100UL was approved and distributed to the general aviation fleet. In 2023, the EPA plans to release any final findings on the endangerment of the public from lead air pollution. Find out more about the EPA’s “proposed determination” here.
Keep following our blog in 2023 and beyond for regular news updates and more aviation stories at www.rebelservices.net/latestnews!
