ROTOR Act
Summary
The Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act aims to enhance aviation safety by requiring both military and civilian aircraft to use advanced tracking technology. Specifically, the bill would mandate the use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment, which allows aircraft to transmit and receive precise location data. This proposal follows a tragic midair collision and seeks to close a loophole that currently allows military helicopters to fly in certain civilian airspaces without broadcasting their position to other pilots or air traffic controllers.
Beyond equipment mandates, the bill proposes several oversight reforms to improve coordination between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense. It would establish a dedicated FAA office to manage shared airspace and require the Army to audit its safety coordination practices. If enacted, the bill would also require comprehensive safety reviews of flight routes around major airports to identify and mitigate risks of future collisions between commercial jets and smaller aircraft or helicopters.
