The House fails to pass the ROTOR Act, and the competing ALERT Act is introduced. The military is shooting down drones with a laser, combat action in the Middle East is disrupting commercial flights, former President Biden flies commercial, Breeze Airways continues to expand, and United adds a new passenger requirement to its Contract of Carriage. Plus, more feedback on the Lockheed Constellation, and the passion for flying.
Aviation News
U.S. House rejects aviation safety bill after Pentagon abruptly withdraws support
When we talked about the ROTOR Act last week, we explained that the Senate unanimously passed the bill requiring ADS-B In and that a House vote was scheduled. Before the House vote, the Pentagon withdrew its support, saying that the bill could create “unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks.” The bill failed to meet the required two-thirds majority: 264 in favor and 133 opposed, with more than 130 Republicans voting against it.
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said, “This bill will undermine our national security. Requiring our fighters and bombers and highly classified assets to regularly broadcast their location puts our men and women in uniform at risk.”
Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., the chairman of the House Transportation &amp; Infrastructure Committee, called the ROTOR Act an “unworkable government mandate” that would be “burdensome” to some pilots.
ALERT Act Aviation Safety Bill Introduced in U.S. House

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Graves and Rogers put their support behind their own bipartisan bill, known as the ALERT Act, or Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act. It is broader, more process‑driven, and relies more on future FAA rulemaking.
The ROTOR Act uses mandates and concentrates on collision‑avoidance and traffic‑awareness, especially mandatory ADS‑B In equipage for aircraft operating near airports, plus related airspace reviews and military‑civil coordination.​
The ALERT Act uses rulemaking to implement essentially all ~50 NTSB recommendations from the DCA midair, including tech, ATC staffing/training, helicopter routes, DCA‑specific procedures, and FAA safety culture reforms.
Military Laser Downs CBP Drone, Tiny TFR Established
When Federal Agencies Start Shooting at Each Other’s Drones, We Have a Real Airspace Problem
The Defence Department has a laser weapon that can shoot down drones. Recently, a TFR closed the airspace in El Paso due to a drone downing. Now, Congress has been briefed that along the Mexican border at Fort Hancock, Texas, a Defense Department laser weapon shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone. In response, the FAA issued a TFR for that area.
In a statement, three lawmakers said, “Our heads are exploding over the news that DoD reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high-risk counter-unmanned aircraft system.”
Also, “We said MONTHS ago that the White House’s decision to

884 ROTOR Act and ALERT Act

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