In this interview, FAA aerospace engineer Kathleen Arrigotti tells us how Star Trek inspired her career in engineering, and how there are many paths to achieve a dream job in aerospace.
What initially interested you in the aerospace field?
Honestly, Star Trek. Both my dad and grandpa spent their careers in engineering, and I was told often as a kid that I was clearly turning out to be one, too. Where’s the coolest place to be an engineer? On the Enterprise, obviously. I wanted to be an engineer working for Captain Picard (Captain Kirk wasn’t quite as inspiring) and traveling the universe.
What are some fun things you’ve gotten to work on because of being an engineer at the FAA?
I’ve definitely enjoyed the variety of work I’ve gotten to do. I was part of the team that certified the first military surplus Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters for private use. I received an FAA national award…
In this interview, FAA aerospace engineer Andrew Sit recounts how he got involved in the aviation field and how the FAA keeps up with new technology.
What initially interested you in the aerospace field? What was your first aerospace engineering experience?
I grew up flying a lot to family vacations, and I always loved staring out the window seat watching the world pass by. But, I think I was always more intrigued by the wing flexing through turbulence and the precise flight control movements that made us turn so smoothly.
I would say my first aerospace engineering experience was designing a long-range blended wing body aircraft in my senior design course at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. My team and I went through the entire design process from an initial drawing concept to calculating flight characteristics and sizing the wing structure to support…
What’s on the horizon for commercial space transportation
Space — it’s big, it’s dark, and there’s so much that we don’t know about it yet. Every day, scientists are working to help us discover and uncover the wonders of space. Since 1969, when we watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, a trip into space has been a dream for many.
Now, with the recent progress in commercial space transportation, that dream may come true — sooner than you’d think. The FAA works with businesses and government to make commercial space flight a reality. That’s right. …
The safety inspector in the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Division answers questions about this fascinating new career and how he got involved in aerospace engineering.
For the in-depth interview with Aerospace Engineer Collin Anderson, check out The Air Up There podcast episode, “Ticket to Space,” airing this Friday.
What do you do for the FAA as an aerospace engineer and safety inspector?
As a Commercial Space Transportation (AST) safety inspector, my job is to ensure public health and safety through the review and monitoring of FAA-licensed and permitted commercial space transportation activities. These activities include launch and reentry of expendable/reusable vehicles and operation of launch/reentry site operators.
Some of the most legendary names in aviation are also civil rights pioneers, daring to soar above prejudice on the ground by breaking barriers in the sky.
You likely know the Tuskegee Airmen as the first African American pilots in the U.S. military. The legendary group has been portrayed in numerous films, plays, art, action figures and books, but much of their experience hasn’t permeated into popular culture.
Here are eight things you may not know about the Tuskegee Airmen, particularly about the individual members and their contributions to aviation and American society.
1. The Tuskegee Airmen were part of “the Tuskegee experience.”
The “Tuskegee experience” refers to the program that taught African Americans to fly and maintain sophisticated combat aircraft. …
FAA air traffic facilities are working with airlines to ensure priority airspace access for flights carrying COVID-19 vaccines.
By Daniel Glover, FAA Office of Communications
The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorizations for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in mid-December 2020, and the FAA was ready to help the airlines start distributing the vaccines as soon as they were authorized.
Most of the operations are FedEx and UPS cargo flights, but other airlines do carry vaccines and can give the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO) advance notice when they are scheduled. …
Delivery by drone demonstrates just how far airmail has come in a century.
Airmail delivery is almost as old as aviation itself. The first formal U.S. airmail flight in the United States occurred in 1918. Imagine if those pioneers of yesteryear could have peered into the window of today where mail is being delivered by drones!
While most of us may not be able to get our groceries delivered to our doorstep by way of unmanned aircraft, some companies in the United States are using drones to deliver prescriptions, library books, and to transport medical lab samples from point A to point B! Two U.S. businesses that are using drones to deliver packages…
The FAA’s Functional Genomics team is conducting cutting-edge research to better understand the relationship between fatigue and aviation safety, helping shape a safer future in the skies.
By Callie Dosberg, FAA Office of Communications
Ahhhh, sleep. It’s a universal human need, and if you’ve ever felt run down you might say you can’t put a price tag on a good night’s rest.
Researchers from the FAA’s Functional Genomics team, part of Aviation Safety at the Civil Aviation Medical Institute (CAMI), are studying the impact of fatigue on aviation safety to better understand impacts and risks. This research supports the agency’s safety mission by revolutionizing what we know and understand about fatigue, and could change how it is detected and managed.
“The priority at the end of the…
Aviation plays a critical role in the vaccine distribution effort.
The COVID-19 vaccine distribution effort is a massive logistical operation perhaps unlike anything the nation has seen in modern history. It’s all hands on deck, and the FAA continues to play an essential role.
In this bonus episode, you’ll hear directly from the experts that manage the FAA’s role to facilitate the vaccine transportation operation.
Listen on FAA.gov/podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
The FAA’s agile response includes helping airlines understand how to safely carry larger-than-typical amounts of dry ice — a hazardous material — when needed to ensure vaccine doses stay at appropriate temperatures, prioritizing flights carrying the vaccine, and working…
Nearly a century after her tragic death, aviation professionals and aficionados continue to be inspired by Bessie Coleman’s daring and determination.
By LaTasha Tucker.
Though it’s been almost 95 years since her tragic death, aviation professionals and aficionados continue to be inspired by Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman’s daring and determination. In 1921, she became the first woman of African American and Native American descent to earn an aviation pilot’s license, as well as the first person of African American and Native American descent to earn an international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Here are five lessons we can learn from her legacy.
1. Bloom where you’re planted — even when the soil appears unpromising.
Born January 26, 1892, Bessie was the 10th of 13 children, born to parents who were sharecroppers in…
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