Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to your FAA questions.
The FAA recognizes that the current process needs to be streamlined to allow for more rapid access to the NAS.
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A Categorical Exclusion (CATEX) level of NEPA review is applicable for an established list of actions that do not, individually or cumulatively, have a significant impact on the environment. Additionally, the CATEX analyzes for the potential for extraordinary circumstances that could require more detailed NEPA review.
To find out more about FAA NEPA procedures, visit the Airport Environmental Review Process page.
Community Engagement is the FAA's initiative to inform and involve the public, engage with communities, and meaningfully consider community concerns and views as the FAA makes aviation decisions. To learn more, please visit the Community Engagement page..
The Day Night Average Sound Level (DNL or Ldn) noise metric is used to reflect a person's cumulative exposure to sound over a 24-hour period. DNL takes into account both the amount of noise from each aircraft operation as well as the total number of operations flying throughout the day and applies an additional 10dB weighting for nighttime flights between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
DNL is the FAA's required noise metric for the assessment of aircraft noise and was adopted through 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 150 as required to meet the provisions of the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1979. It should be made clear that DNL is an agency metric, not just used for specific lines of business.
Part 150 applies broadly across the agency for this purpose not just for the airport specific provisions. Visit the Fundamentals of Noise and Sound page to learn more.
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NEPA stands for the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 that requires analysis of potential impacts to the environment and when there are, considering alternatives and mitigation before approving federal actions. It was enacted in response to federal decision-making that did not adequately consider environmental impacts. Visit the Airport (NEPA) Environmental Review Process page to learn more.:.
Noise is sound that is unwanted and, when measured for its effect on people, considers the response of the human ear. The human ear hears sound pressures over a wide range but also perceives how loud a sound is differently depending on the pitch or frequency of the sound.
The loudness of a noise is most often described in decibels, which are measured on a logarithmic scale, corresponding to the way our ears interpret sound pressures. When considering the noise exposure levels for people, the A-weighted frequency scale is most often used, which most closely approximates how the human ear responds to different sound frequencies. Different noise metrics such as the Day-Night Level (DNL) or Sound Exposure Level (SEL) can then be created to take into account different ways of looking at noise.
A virtual inspection is not much different than an onsite inspection (see our related Frequently Asked Question), except that it is conducted using phone or video conferencing (e.g., Zoom or Microsoft Teams) and you would provide your records to the inspection lead prior to the scheduled date and time. This method of inspecting is typically used for small employers that employ approximately 10 or fewer safety-sensitive employees. Like an onsite inspection, you will be notified of your scheduled inspection and provided a list of documents to make available for review. Prior to your virtual inspection, it is important for the Designated Employer Representative (DER) to provide the records via a secure email to the FAA’s Drug and Alcohol Compliance and Enforcement Inspector or through FAA’s secure Huddle web portal. To access the secure web portal, we will send you an invitation via email to join your Huddle Workspace at aam.huddle.com. Please refer to our Huddle user guide for assistance.
Please keep in mind that whether we conduct an onsite or virtual inspection, an employer is obligated under 49 CFR § 40.331 to release all written, printed, and computer-based records and reports, files, materials, data, documents/documentation, agreements, contracts, policies, and statements related to your drug and alcohol program. Cooperation with providing records before and during an inspection is paramount to the process and our ability to verify your compliance with 49 CFR part 40 and 14 CFR part 120.
Unlike an onsite inspection, a virtual inspection may take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days to complete depending on our review of the records and your cooperation.
If you have any further questions about our inspection process, please contact your FAA Inspector or write to the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
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Applicable Regulations:
The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA’s) drug and alcohol testing regulation (14 CFR part 120) describes when an employer is required to conduct and when an employee must submit to post-accident drug and alcohol testing. Under 14 CFR §§ 120.109(c) and 120.217(b), each employer must test each surviving safety-sensitive employee for the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP), and amphetamines, or a metabolite of those drugs in the employee's system, and for alcohol, if that employee's performance either contributed to the accident or cannot be completely discounted as a contributing factor to the accident.
Testing must occur as soon as practicable following an accident, but there are time limits on when testing must be completed. For post-accident drug testing, an employee must be tested as soon as possible but not later than 32 hours after the accident. For post-accident alcohol testing, the employee must be tested as soon as possible but the time of testing cannot exceed 8 hours from the time of the accident. If a test is not administered within 2 hours following the accident, the employer must prepare and maintain on file a record stating the reasons why the test was not promptly administered. If a test is not administered within 8 hours following the accident, the employer must cease attempts to administer an alcohol test and prepare and maintain the same record.
The decision not to administer a test must be based on the employer’s determination, using the best information available at the time of the determination, that the employee's performance could not have contributed to the accident. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) define an accident under 14 CFR § 120.7(a) and 49 CFR § 830.2 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, AND in which any person suffers death or serious injury or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage.
For an employer that operates an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) under 14 CFR part 135, refer to the NTSB’s definition of an accident as “an occurrence associated with the operation of any public or civil unmanned aircraft system that takes place between the time that the system is activated with the purpose of flight and the time that the system is deactivated at the conclusion of its mission, in which: (1) any person suffers death or serious injury; or (2) the aircraft has a maximum gross takeoff weight of 300 pounds or greater and sustains substantial damage.”
The NTSB defines "serious injury" and "substantial damage" under § 830.2 as follows:
“Serious injury means any injury which: (1) Requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date of the injury was received; (2) results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); (3) causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; (4) involves any internal organ; or (5) involves second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface.”
“Substantial damage means damage or failure which adversely affects the structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics of the aircraft, and which would normally require major repair or replacement of the affected component. Engine failure or damage limited to an engine if only one engine fails or is damaged, bent fairings or cowling, dented skin, small punctured holes in the skin or fabric, ground damage to rotor or propeller blades, and damage to landing gear, wheels, tires, flaps, engine accessories, brakes, or wingtips are not considered “substantial damage” for the purpose of this part.”
Monetary damage is not a factor in determining what constitutes an "accident."
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or drugabatement@faa.gov.
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Applicable Regulations:
Recreational or hobby UAS or drone use is flying for enjoyment and not for work, business purposes, or for compensation or hire. In the FAA's Interpretation of the Special Rule for Model Aircraft, the FAA relied on the ordinary, dictionary definition of these terms.
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A Community Engagement Officer (CEO) holds a position on the Regional Administrative Team and acts as the primary point of contact between local communities and the FAA. A CEO fulfills the designation of Regional Ombudsman for his or her area. The “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018” requires each Regional Administrator to designate an individual to be the Regional Ombudsman.
The difference between the two titles is that one is a position (CEO) and the other is a designation (Regional Ombudsman). The FAA could have designated another member of the Regional Administrator's team, but the agency determined that the CEO was the most appropriate individual, as the CEO has the closest connection to the discussions and meetings that involve the airports and the communities. As a member of a national and matrix team, the CEO has the unique ability to have vision into regional issues and concerns as well as national trends and projects. The CEO has the appropriate line of sight and access to the Regional Administrator to ensure awareness, coordination, and communication.
A CEO is a position within the Regional Administrator's Team who fulfills the role as the dedicated Regional Ombudsman for their region. FAA Reauthorization of 2018, requires the Regional Administrator for each region to designate an individual to be the Regional Ombudsman for the region.
The difference between the two titles is that one is a position (CEO) and the other is a designated role (Regional Ombudsman).
The FAA could have designated another member of the Regional Administrator's team however, it was determined that the most appropriate individual was the CEO, as they have the closest connection to the discussions and meetings that involve the airports and the communities. As a member of a national and matrix team, the CEO has the unique ability to have vision into regional issues and concerns as well as national trends and projects. They have the appropriate line of sight and access to the RA to ensure awareness, coordination and communication.
Response by the Federal Air Surgeon
Provided you meet the requirements and you are qualified to exercise sport pilot privileges using a current and valid U.S. driver's license, you may do so on September 1, 2004, the effective date of the rule.
The FAA follows the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in making changes to the airspace. The FAA has established programs for air quality, airport noise, wildlife hazard mitigation, environmental reviews, and compatible land use. Learn more by visiting the Airport Environmental Programs page.
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The FAA has developed the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) Program to identify technologies that will reduce noise, emissions, and fuel burn.
To learn more, visit the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) Program page.
The FAA actively supports a number of initiatives that have helped reduce the number of people exposed to significant aviation noise. One of these initiatives includes the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) program. This program identifies technologies that reduce noise, fuel burn, and emissions. The FAA also works with communities to eliminate or mitigate incompatible land use near airports and provides federal funds to mitigate the adverse impacts of aircraft noise in homes and schools near airports.
To find out more about how the FAA and Industry are working on these issues, visit:
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/apl/research/aircraft_technology/cleen/.
In our efforts to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS), the FAA identified several large urban centers with multiple airports and busy airspace and applied Performance Based Navigation (PBN) infrastructure to make that airspace safer, more efficient, and help with the flow of traffic across the NAS.
This program focused on specific geographic areas and the airspace, airports, and operations within those areas. The primary goal was to use PBN to update airspace and procedures to improve safety and operational efficiency. By improving air traffic flow at Metroplex sites, the FAA improved the flow of the entire National Airspace System.
The FAA identified 11 sites for the Metroplex program. The final site, located in the South Central Florida region, was completed in June 2022. The Metroplex program ended in September 2022. To learn more about Metroplexes, please visit the Metroplex page.
Please see the state and local fact sheet available on FAA's Policy Document Library.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
In the U.S., there are no FAA age limits for pilots except for commercial airline pilots employed by airlines certificated under 14 CFR Part 121. These airlines cannot employ pilots after they reach the age of 65.
However, these pilots may stay on with a Part 121 carrier in some other role, such as flight engineer. They can also fly for a company that is not a Part 121 carrier.
Congress set no minimum age. All persons operating a drone under the exception for limited recreational operations are required to take and successfully pass TRUST.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.