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Saturday, April 27, 2013

The Two-Way

FAA Ends Furlough Program, Returns To Normal Staffing Sunday

April 27, 2013 The Federal Aviation Administration has ended its furlough program, which was blamed for creating or worsening travel delays this week. The move comes after Congress voted at the end of this week to let the FAA move money around in its budget.

Summary

Friday, April 26, 2013

The Two-Way

House OKs Bill To End Air Traffic Controllers' Furloughs

April 26, 2013 The Senate passed the legislation on Thursday. President Obama will sign it, the White House says. This means the FAA will be able to shift funds so that the number of air traffic controllers on duty no longer needs to be reduced in order to satisfy sequestration.

Summary

Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Two-Way

Senate Votes To End Furloughs For Air Traffic Controllers

April 25, 2013 The furloughs have been blamed for widespread delays at the nation's airports. The vote late Thursday was unanimous. The House could vote on the measure Friday.

Summary

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

It's All Politics

Budget Cuts Delay Flights But Not Fingerpointing

Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, and fellow GOP senators accused the Obama administration of creating a "manufactured crisis" by furloughing FAA air traffic controllers and causing delayed flights.

April 23, 2013 Blame shifting was in high gear Tuesday on Capitol Hill and at the White House as the first air traffic delays tied to the furloughs of Federal Aviation Administration controllers began to get attention.

Summary

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

The Two-Way

Pilot Reports Seeing Drone In Sky Near JFK

A jet taking off from JFK Airport in New York City last month. On Monday, a pilot reported seeing a drone in the air near the airport.

March 5, 2013 The aircraft was reportedly about 1,500 feet above ground and 5 miles west of the airport. It isn't known who was controlling it. The FAA and other agencies are investigating.

Summary

Friday, March 01, 2013

The Two-Way

'Harlem Shake' On A Plane Has FAA Investigating; See The Video

Doing the Harlem Shake aboard a Frontier Airlines flight has the FAA asking questions.

March 1, 2013 Colorado College's ultimate frisbee team convinced the crew on a Frontier Airlines flight to let them make a video. But seeing the students and other passengers dancing in the aisles has the FAA asking questions about whether safety procedures were followed.

Summary

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

All Tech Considered

Seeking A 'Field Of Dreams' For A Rising Drone Industry

Joe Kummer, president of Propulsive Wing in Elbridge, N.Y., is rooting for having a drone test site in upstate New York. He says it could save him trips to the West Coast to try out new drone prototypes.

February 26, 2013 WRVODrone developers in upstate New York and other regions are striving to be named official testing sites for drones as the FAA creates regulations for their use. They hope to emerge as the Silicon Valleys of unmanned aerial systems, attracting billions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

All Tech Considered

National Security Experts Go Rogue For 'Drone Smackdown'

Alice Beauheim, her father and Bill Love fly their homemade machines at the Drone Smackdown in Manassas, Va., on Sunday. Objections by the Federal Aviation Administration forced organizers to hold the tongue-in-cheek contest outside of Washington, D.C.

September 25, 2012 Law and national security experts got together last weekend for a dogfight they call the Drone Smackdown. The contest, though tongue in cheek, still raised lots of questions about the proliferation of drones, the rules of combat and federal efforts to regulate them.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Monday, December 05, 2011

The Two-Way

FAA Administrator Charged With DWI

December 5, 2011 Jerome "Randy" Babbitt was charged Saturday night in Fairfax, Va. He's been placed on leave, according to Washington-area media reports.

Summary

Thursday, August 04, 2011

It's All Politics

Congress Declares FAA Truce; Partial Shutdown To End For Now

Construction at August 4, 2011 at Washington Dulles International Airport outside the U.S. capital.

August 4, 2011 Whatever the cause it, the news that the FAA's partial shutdown would end at least temporarily meant laid off workers, 4,000 at the FAA and 70,000 at contractors could go back to work for now.

Summary

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

The Two-Way

As FAA Shutdown Continues, Workers Miss Pay, Medical Coverage

The FAA's partial shutdown doesn't affect air traffic controllers (above). But the impasse has left some 47,000 workers without a paycheck.

August 3, 2011 The shutdown doesn't include air traffic controllers. But it has left 4,000 FAA employees, and an additional 70,000 contractors, either furloughed or fired outright.

Summary

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

The Two-Way

Reid Blames House, Delta For FAA Shutdown

Construction equipment sits idle in front of the half-completed new control tower at Oakland International Airport. Thousands of construction workers on aviation projects have stopped work, as a standoff over funding of the FAA continues.

August 2, 2011 The Federal Aviation Administration has been in a partial shutdown since July 22. And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the shutdown will continue, with some 4,000 federal workers on furlough. "It'll be closed until... maybe not September, maybe more than that," he says.

Summary

Friday, July 01, 2011

The Two-Way

Door Opened For Air Traffic Controllers To Rest During Breaks

The air traffic control tower at  Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

July 1, 2011 High-profile cases of controllers nodding off during late-night shifts sparked a review of FAA policies.

Summary

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Two-Way

Should Air Traffic Controllers Be Allowed To Sleep During Their Breaks?

The air traffic control tower at  Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

April 19, 2011 The governments of some countries, including Japan and Germany, allow controllers to nap during their breaks. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that's not going to happen on his watch.

Summary

ListenPlaylist

Monday, March 07, 2011

The Two-Way

iPad Charts The Course For Less Clutter In The Cockpit

A new home for the iPad?

March 7, 2011 Apple's iPad tablet computer looks to be destined for the cockpits of commercial airliners after a test run at Executive Jet Management, a charter company, earned FAA approval.

Summary

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