If you’re like us, we love to look and plan ahead. So, it’s important to have a sense of where the FAA is headed when making decisions about how to upgrade your aircraft. From what we know, the FAA has a number of really exciting things in the queue that will make flying safe enjoyable and more environmentally friendly. Some of their main areas of focus are:

• Knowing exactly where an aircraft will be in the future (not just the present)
• Tracking spacecraft headed to and from orbit
• Accommodating more unmanned aircraft systems throughout U.S. airspace
• Creating 4-D turbulence forecasts for pilots
• Turning plants and food industry waste into jet fuel
• Eliminating the only remaining leaded fuel used in the United States

The FAA also is collaborating with none other than NASA and some other industry partners to develop advanced automation concepts and tools that will give air traffic controllers, pilots, and other airspace users more-accurate, near-real-time information about weather, routing, and traffic in the National Airspace System.

These concepts are all being explored as we speak. With their potential impact on the avionics industry, you can be sure we’ll keep you informed of all the latest news, developments and deadlines.