FAA Notice N_8900.580 TSpec B005, Special Rule Curricula, and Continuation TSpecs B105 and B106

This notice introduces and provides guidance on the issuance of
training specification (TSpec) B005 and continuation TSpecs B105 and B106. These TSpecs
authorize a Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 142 certified training
center to deliver curricula, curriculum segments, and portions of curriculum segments developed
to meet specific training, testing, and checking requirements applicable to 14 CFR part 135
certificate holders. These curricula meet the requirement of part 135, § 135.341(d) as published
curricula.

FAA Notice N_8900.581 OpSpec A131, Contract Training—Standardized Curricula

This notice introduces and provides guidance on the issuance of
operations specification (OpSpec) A131. This OpSpec is used to authorize a Title 14 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 135 certificate holder to use standardized curricula under
contract or agreement with 14 CFR part 142 training centers authorized to offer these curricula to
part 135 certificate holders in the part 142 training center’s training specifications (TSpecs). The
training curricula are developed to meet the specific training, testing, or checking requirements
of part 135. Once issued to the certificate holder, the OpSpec identifies the training curricula,
curriculum segments, and portions of curriculum segments that the certificate holder has vetted
and is authorized to use. The training curricula authorized in OpSpec A131 become part of the
certificate holder’s approved training program.

FAA Order VS_8000.375 Aviation Safety Voluntary Safety Reporting Program

Aviation Safety (AVS) sets, oversees, and enforces safety standards for all parts of the aviation
industry, impacting every facet of domestic and international civil aviation safety. AVS is
responsible for the certification, production approval, and continued airworthiness of aircraft as
well as the certification of pilots, mechanics, and others in safety-related positions. In AVS,
everyone has the same goal in mind – safety. Voluntary Safety Reporting Programs (VSRPs) are
a key component of the Safety Management System (SMS) that AVS embraces for its own
organization as well as the industry we oversee.
In an effective, voluntary safety-reporting environment, everyone in AVS shares an open,
trusting culture characterized by a commitment to compliance, self-correction, and voluntary
disclosure. In this environment, we operate with a safety-first mindset that enables greater
autonomy across AVS. This culture increases awareness of aviation-safety-related issues and
concerns, voluntary adoption of best practices, and mutual trust in the safe handling and
appropriate use of raw data and information. The integration of data across the enterprise
enhances safety and enables improved insight and well-designed tools and processes to facilitate
data analysis and sharing of findings. Mitigation initiatives that come out of the AVS VSRP are
developed using risk-based, data-driven decisions and coordinated to ensure alignment and
integration with other activities across the FAA.
In a truly healthy safety culture, multiple reporting mechanisms work in parallel to address safety
concerns. As such, the AVS VSRP works in parallel with existing FAA and AVS reporting tools,
such as the FAA Hotline, AVS Safety Recommendations Program, Quality Management System,
etc.
As AVS employees participate in our VSRP, they should know that they help improve our
awareness and understanding of aviation safety issues.

FAA Notice N8900.579 LOA D098, Short-Term Operations in Airspace Requiring Specific Approval

This notice announces a mandatory revision to Letter of
Authorization (LOA) D098 for Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 91
operators. This revision changes the title of LOA D098 and updates the language to standardize
its use and conform it to the requirements associated for long-term authorization. This notice also
announces the provision of aviation safety inspector (ASI) guidance on the issuance of
LOA D098.

Opinion No 01/2021 Occurrence-reporting requirements and requirements for meteorological services

The objectives of this Opinion are to:

  • align Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373 laying down common requirements for providers of air traffic management/air navigation services and other air traffic management network functions and their oversight with Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation. The aim of the proposed amendments is to mitigate the risks of overlaps and ambiguities that exist in the current regulatory framework due to the coexistence of reporting requirements in the delegated and implementing acts adopted on the basis of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 (the Basic Regulation) and in Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 and its delegated and implementing acts. The proposed amendments will increase legal certainty and support the implementation of effective occurrence-reporting systems as part of safety management;
  • transpose within the European Union (EU) regulatory framework the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) as regards meteorological services, especially the provision of SIGMET/AIRMET by meteorological watch offices (MWOs), the coordination between themselves, and the facilitation of area forecasts for low-level flights. The proposed amendments will assist Member States (MSs) in fulfilling their obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation (also known as the ‘Chicago Convention’) by providing a basis for a common interpretation and uniform implementation of the respective Chicago Convention’s provisions; and
  • to correct the instructions for the completion of the SNOWTAM format in order to facilitate the correct and proper implementation of the ICAO Global Reporting Format (GRF) at EU level.

In order to achieve these objectives, this Opinion proposes amendments to Annex I (Part-DEFINITIONS), Annex II (Part-ATM/ANS.AR), Annex III (Part-ATM/ANS.OR), Annex V (Part-MET) and Annex VI (Part-AIS) to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373 as regards occurrence reporting, follow-up and analysis requirements, specific requirements for providers of meteorological services (Part-MET), as well as to the instructions for the completion of the SNOWTAM format.