PUBLICATIONS
Vol.50 | No.2
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FEBRUARY 2021 | a i n o n l i n e .c o m
FAA final rule clears path for civil supersonic flight testing
Flight testing of Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator will begin this year in the supersonic corridor stretching across the Mojave Desert in California. New rules issued by the FAA will enable these flight tests at speeds above Mach 1.
by Kerry Lynch The FAA took another step toward facilitating the development of civil supersonic aircraft with the release of a final rule on January 6 that clarifies procedures for obtaining special flight authorizations for flight testing beyond Mach 1. Adopted largely as proposed in June 2019, the final rule outlines the information needed for applications of special flight authorization and designates the FAA program office that will process those applications. It also creates a more “user-friendly” format, the agency said. The rule further recognizes that supersonic flight testing could be used to gather noise data. However, the rule does not lift the ban
on supersonic flight over land. Nor does it represent a policy change; instead, the rule streamlines and simplifies access to the various information necessary for special flight authorizations. The FAA did revise language in the final rule involving the environmental review process. It had originally proposed language to clarify information necessary for the FAA to make a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) determination. However, after receiving comments, the agency found the language actually generated confusion. “The proposed language providing more detail about what an applicant could continues on page 18
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