FAAST Blast — Week of December 11 – December 17, 2023
Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News Update
FAA Launches 2023 Holiday ‘12 Days of Drones’ Safety Campaign
If you are considering a drone as a holiday gift, the FAA wants you and your loved ones to understand how to fly it safely.
The FAA launched its 12 Days of Drones campaign on Dec. 7 to educate people about the rules, regulations, and best practices of operating a drone. Each day, the agency shares important drone-safety information and resources that will help future pilots stay up to date with the latest rules. All of the campaign’s safety messages are posted on the FAA DroneZone on X (Twitter) at https://twitter.com/FAAdronezone and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FAADroneZone.
The campaign is running each weekday through Dec. 22 with each day dedicated to a specific drone safety topic. A few upcoming topics include flying at night, flying over people, and drone careers.
The FAA also released a new video reminding everyone of the rules and regulations that drone pilots must follow at https://bit.ly/HolidayDrones.
Additional information about safely flying a drone is available at https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/register_drone .
New Video: Caution! Helicopter Wake Turbulence
Most aviators and air traffic control personnel are aware of the dangers of the wingtip vortices generated by large, fixed-wing aircraft, and we often hear on the radio: “caution wake turbulence.” But did you know that helicopters can generate turbulence equally as hazardous? You should avoid operating aircraft within three rotor diameters of any helicopter in a slow hover taxi or stationary hover and use caution when operating behind or crossing the path of a landing/departing helicopter.
Watch the video for more tips on avoiding helicopter wake turbulence at https://bit.ly/46WszDW.
A Quick Guide to Inflight Ice Protection
Airplanes and ice were not a good match from the start. But limiting our annual aviating by somewhere between three and six months — and more in some parts of the country — was never a good solution either. So, ice protection, as it became known, was a requirement for many year-round operations. Take a look at the history of some ice protection systems, where we are now with this technology, and what options might be right for you in the article “FIKI WIKI” at www.medium.com/faa/fiki-wiki-ff72064c64cc in the Nov/Dec 2023 issue of FAA Safety Briefing. See the entire winter-themed issue at www.faa.gov/safety_briefing.
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors: www.faa.gov/safety_briefing
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