Based in Washington, D.C., Bill covers business aviation and advanced air mobility for Aviation Week Network. A former newspaper reporter, he has also covered the airline industry, military aviation, commercial space and unmanned aircraft systems. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2017, he worked for Aviation International News and Avionics and Rotor & Wing magazines.
Bill was the recipient of the National Business Aviation Association's Gold Wing Award in 2017 and 2022 for his reporting on drones and advanced air mobility, respectively, and in 1997 received the British Royal Aeronautical Society Aerospace Journalist of the Year award in the business aviation category. He is the author of the book, Enter The Drones, The FAA and UAVs in America, published in 2016.
Contractor CTSi completed flight testing in July of an integrated comm and navigation system that will allow UAS to fly in contested and GPS-denied areas.
Iridium Communications on July 23 announced Rockwell Collins as the latest service provider for its Certus broadband satcom offering, which it expects will enter service for aviation users in mid-2019.
FAA in a policy statement said it has exclusive authority over aircraft operations—including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)—within navigable airspace, although it allows that state and local governments can regulate landing sites. The statement settles a debate that arose last year within its Drone Advisory Committee (DAC).