briefs

An Alaska air charter company with mysterious ties to at least two intelligence organizations is getting back six of eight L-39 Albatross jets seized by the federal government earlier this year. The planes were taken after Security Aviation and one of its principals, Rob “Commander” Kane, were charged with illegal possession of rocket launchers. The […]

An Illinois flight instructor who his lawyer says mistakenly signed off a student’s logbook has lost his commercial and instructor’s ticket for six months, even though all the training was properly provided. Mark Clements, owner of Northwest Aviation, supervised the computer simulation part of a student’s training while another instructor actually went flying with him. […]

The FAA is clearing away at least some red tape so as not to impede the certification schedule of Cessna’s new Mustang mini jet. The current regulations don’t address some of the unique design and performance parameters raised by the Mustang and the normal process for adding the rules necessary to accommodate the plane’s certification […]

A massive effort to replace communications and data lines that stitch together the air traffic control system is (surprise, surprise) behind schedule and not achieving its financial goals, according to the New York Times. The Times story also says the program has caused three failures that resulted in flight delays. However, Harris Corp., which won […]

The FAA says it’s willing to go back to the bargaining table with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association as long as there’s some movement on the fundamental issue of pay for new hires. The FAA wants to impose a two-tier pay system that would start the 12,000 or so new controllers to be hired […]

Delta Air Lines and the union representing its 6,000 pilots have reached a tentative deal on long-term wage and benefit cuts but no details are being released. The deal averts a potential strike the union threatened for next week. The union leadership took the weekend to go over the deal and will inform its members […]

COLUMNS The Savvy Aviator #30: The Mechanic’s SignatureIt’s illegal to fly after maintenance until a mechanic signs a maintenance-record entry approving the aircraft for return to service. So what do you do if the mechanic says, “I can’t sign it off”?

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