The history she made as a teenager influenced the moral arc of our nation. The history she continued to make as the first leader of the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation will help extend humanity’s reach throughout the solar system.

How Emily Howell Warner became the first woman commercial airline captain

After they first created a public sensation, with aerobatic barnstorming performers, air shows today continue to showcase aviation’s great leaps forward. Throughout the nation air show attractions run the gamut from modern military aircraft to old warbirds and bi-planes, radio-controlled aircraft, helicopters and drones with activities such as wing-walking and sky diving adding to the excitement.

The FAA’s work to support this booming industry and ensure safety of the public – on land, in the air and on the water – is a major undertaking. A key to success is the behind-the-scenes work FAA space transportation safety inspectors perform before flight controllers can say, “We are go for launch.” Here's a look at the top five pre-launch tasks they conduct to keep you safe before every FAA-licensed commercial space launch.

At age 20, while serving as a Red Cross nurse’s aide in Toronto in 1917, Amelia Mary Earhart’s interest in flight was spurred by stories she heard from World War I pilots. Three years later in Los Angeles she paid $10 (equivalent to $160 today) to take a brief flight in an airplane piloted by air racer Frank Hawks.

The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team is a government-industry partnership focused on reducing helicopter accidents in the United States. The team is undertaking a variety of efforts to help achieve that goal. Let's take a look at the USHST and its role in the helicopter community.

FAA Oversight in the Demanding World of Medical Helicopter Operations

Drones and helicopters regularly operate in the same environments. They perform many of the same operations, often at the same time. It can be difficult for both types of pilots to know when the other is operating nearby. Even when helicopter pilots are aware of nearby drone operations and remain vigilant, it is still very hard for them to spot a drone with enough time to avoid a collision. It is every drone pilot’s responsibility to see and avoid helicopters and all other aircraft, as well as remain well clear of and not interfere with other aircraft operations.

The FAA and U.S. Helicopter Safety Team provide valuable resources in a variety of media formats to help helicopter pilots fly more safely.

From airports to the tops of hospitals, from Alaska to Hawaii and beyond, weather camera footage helps pilots fly more safely.