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After several e-mails from readers inquiring about Part 139 airports, I figured it was time to give Airport Chronicles some much needed attention with a new blog.
Under 14 CFR Part 139, the FAA is required to issue airport operating certificates to airports that:
- Serve scheduled and unscheduled air carrier aircraft with more than 30 seats;
- Serve scheduled air carrier operations in aircraft with more than 9 seats but less than 31 seats; and
- The FAA Administrator requires to have a certificate.
The list above is what will require an airport to become Part 139 certified, but any airport that requests certification can obtain an operating certificate if they choose to, however they will subject to the same requirements and annual inspections by the FAA.
San Diego International is the newest airport to pilot the all electronic boarding pass system. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Continental Airlines now offer this service at 18 airports and is expanding quickly. When you purchase your ticket, you receive an e-mail containing a two dimensional bar code, which TSA will scan at the checkpoint prior to screening. This not only saves paper, but expedites long lines, and improves customer service.
If you have ever glanced out the window during a landing, you may have noticed that the runway bears long black streaks of rubber, predominately around the aiming point markers. The reason for this is because when a plane touches down the tires are not spinning and the time it takes for the tires to get up to speed is known as the “spin up time.” During this time the tires are dragging along the runway and being put under pressure by the weight of the aircraft. The friction built up causes the rubber to polymerize and harden to the runway surface. This hardened rubber decreases friction which increases the chance for aircraft to hydroplane, which is a large safety concern. The airport has a choice of methods to remove the build up of rubber.
Congressional representative Charlie Dent (R-PA) has introduced a bill on June 26th, the General Aviation Security Enhancement Act of 2009 that would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to work with the general aviation community to modify their absurd Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP). In October of last year, the TSA had GA operators in a frenzy over their proposed regulations requiring aircraft weighing over 12,500 pounds to be treated as if they were commercial airliners. The regulations would include a criminal history background check for required crew, matching passengers to TSA no-fly and watch lists, screening passengers and baggage for weapons or banned items, and paying for biennial audits.