briefs

While it might be considered unlikely that gliders will be used to rain terror from the skies, the Soaring Society of America is trying to minimize even the remote chance that the perception exists. And along they way, the group has prepared a thoughtful and comprehensive guide to everyday security that could apply to almost […]

GA may not be a threat to nuclear power plants but its supporters can certainly get the attention of TIME Magazine. TIME decided last week to pull a self-promotion ad that some of us who fly took exception to — and let the magazine editors know about. The ad depicted two light aircraft tied down, […]

Airbus may sell more airliners than Boeing in the next year but that doesn’t necessarily have Boeing execs jumping off ledges. What they might lose in civilian business should be more than made up in defense contracts born of the war on terrorism and the future effects of that war on its European archrival. In […]

The company that almost brought you an Aviation World’s Fair in Newport News, Va., this year is hoping to salvage some of the effort in France in June. Tom Kallman, president of Aviation World’s Fair Inc., in an open letter posted on the World’s Fair Web site, said he’s hoping to stage some special events […]

It keeps the rain off your airplane, there’s an old sofa next to the workbench and the secondhand fridge keeps the soda cold, so your hangar is a pretty cool place to hang out in, right? Now, imagine you’re a billionaire with a few stray millions — say, $20 million or so — to spend […]

Beleaguered United Air Lines wants its machinists to accept a temporary pay reduction of 13 percent, but the union said last Friday it will fight the cut in court. The airline also told employees on Monday that it expects to announce “significant layoffs” within the next few weeks. United’s other unions, representing pilots, flight attendants, […]

When bulletproof cockpit doors are installed on U.S. airliners — the rules say the doors must be in by April — they may be constructed from composite materials. The FAA has certified Dyneema polyethylene fiber for use in the doors, which the manufacturer says is 15 times stronger than steel. The cockpit doors are slated […]

Looks like Hooters Air has found the support it needs. A few months after his bid for bankrupt Vanguard Airlines came undone, Hooters of America Inc. chairman Robert H. Brooks announced last week he’s buying Pace Airlines, a charter outfit now owned by Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation. Pace, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., has 17 aircraft and […]