Aviation Research

FAA

Solco Retires as FAA Southwest Regional Administrator

Kelvin Solco, FAA’s Regional Administrator for the Southwest Region, retired on August 3 after serving with the FAA for 36 years. Solco was appointed Regional Administrator in 2014. FAA’s Southwest Region includes over 4,600 employees in the states of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico.

Serving as the FAA’s senior executive and principal representative of the administrator for this region, Solco worked closely with representatives of the aviation industry, various federal, state and local government agencies, and civic and private interest groups. He directed delivery of corporate services through the region including command and communication operations, building and facility services, executive services, and cross organizational project integration.

Brad Brandt, Aviation Division Director for the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development and Chair of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), thanked Solco for his years of service with the FAA and his dedication to the safety of the citizens in the five states in the region. “It has been a pleasure to work alongside Kelvin and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Solco worked in several FAA offices as a resident engineer, design engineer, program manager, and a Regional Associate Program Manager for Navigation and Landing Facilities. He served as the assistant Airports Division Manager in the Southern Regional Office in Atlanta, Georgia from June 2002 to April 2005, before becoming the Southwest Region Division Manager in Fort Worth, Texas in 2005.

Solco holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Prairie View A&M University, and an MBA from LeTourneau University. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas; a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program at Harvard University and has written a technical paper for the Arizona State University (ASU) Approach Lighting Symposium in 1998. Solco has also represented the FAA in technical exchange meetings in London, England and Brussels, Belgium.

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FAA Small Unmanned Aircraft Registration Began Dec. 21

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) registry went live during the day on Dec. 21, 2015. Please check the agency’s home page at www.faa.gov for updates.

In preparation for registering online, each owner must provide his or her name, home address and e-mail address.

Upon completion of registration, the web application will generate a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership that will include a unique identification number for the UAS owner, which must be marked on the aircraft.

Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS. The registration is valid for three years.

Registration is free for the first 30 days, then $5 after that. By statute, all aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approximately 25 kilograms), including payloads such as onboard cameras, must be registered.

Under this rule, owners who previously operated an unmanned aircraft exclusively as a model aircraft prior to Dec. 21, 2015, must register no later than Feb. 19, 2016. Owners of any other UAS purchased for use as a model aircraft after Dec. 21, 2015 must register before the first flight outdoors. Owners may use either the paper-based process or the new streamlined, web-based system. Owners using the new streamlined web based system must be at least 13 years old to register.

The FAA has partnered with several industry associations to educate the public about using unmanned aircraft safely and responsibly.

Remember these rules when you fly:

  • Fly below 400 feet altitude.
  • Keep your unmanned aircraft in sight at all times.
  • Never fly near manned aircraft, especially near airports.
  • Never fly over groups of people, stadiums or sporting events.
  • Never fly near emergency response efforts.

Working together, we can keep the skies safe for everyone.

Addison Airport Honored for Construction Safety

by Robert Mark,
CommAvia

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) named Addison Airport the winner of the agency’s Excellence in Construction Safety award for its recent renovation of runway 15/33. The project team was honored at Thursday’s FAA Southwest Regions’ 2011 Fall Conference luncheon for exceeding the agency’s already stringent construction safety standards.

Airport work included upgrading and improving approach and airport lighting, drainage and grading. The efforts translated into 1263 truckloads of asphalt, 181 miles of new paint, 22 miles of electrical cable and enough grass to cover 35 professional football fields. The runway – part of which was reconstructed down to its base – also received a new layer of asphalt.

Unlike some other towns, Addison understands the airport’s value, as well as the day-to-day issues faced at the facility. “Addison is constantly vigilant when it comes to safety—safety for our pilots, for our tenants, and for the general public,” said Mayor Todd Meier. “The Town is committed to investing in the airport for the benefit of our tenants, the traveling public and especially our owners, the citizens of Addison. This award recognizes the hard work of the airport and town staff, as well as the contractors, all of whom went above and beyond to complete this important project safely, on-time and under budget.”

Considering the complexity of the work, the project was completed without a single runway incursion or surface incident. “This work was especially challenging because Addison is one of the region’s busiest general aviation airports,” said Joel Jenkinson, airport director. “We remained operational during most of the construction process, despite the tight schedule and a commitment to interfere with air traffic as little as possible.”

Because safety was the airport’s highest priority Jenkinson explained, “Contractor supervisors had to pass the airport’s Movement Area driver training program and an Airport Access course to make sure they understood how to operate safely in an active aviation environment.”

In addition to members of the Addison Airport staff, representatives of Garver Engineers and EAS Contracting also received the award. The project was 90-percent funded by the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program through a block grant to the TX-DOT Aviation Division. The airport provided 10-percent of the funds to the $11.6 million budget.

About Addison Airport

Addison Airport features an FAA control tower, 24-hour U.S. Customs service, a 7,200-foot runway and some of the nation’s leading 24-hour FBOs. Home to over 700 aircraft ranging from privately-owned Boeing 737’s to Piper Cubs, the airport’s proximity to the Dallas North Tollway provides easy access to business centers throughout North Texas.

To follow events at Addison Airport, subscribe via RSS to the airport blog at www.addisonairport.net or on Twitter @addisonairport.