Reader Mail

N.Y. TRACON and the FAA Report I am really surprised at the report released about the abuse in the N.Y. TRACON (NewsWire, Jun. 6). I just have one think to say: They have to stop blaming the controller and look at management. Management approves all the overtime, not NATCA. So if they’re approving it, must […]

N.Y. TRACON The report released by the FAA has me very worried (NewsWire, Jun. 6). Here you have an agency attacking the fundamental workers of its existence. What would cause them to do this? Definitely another agenda such as setting the ground for privatization; setting up a scapegoat when something tragic does happen; or putting […]

N.Y. TRACON The report released by the FAA has me very worried (NewsWire, Jun. 6). Here you have an agency attacking the fundamental workers of its existence. What would cause them to do this? Definitely another agenda such as setting the ground for privatization; setting up a scapegoat when something tragic does happen; or putting […]

Glass Cockpits Go Ab Initio In last week’s AVweb (NewsWire, May 23) you quoted MTSU’s Paul Craig as saying, “The new [glass-cockpit] technology solves the two problems that make IFR different from VFR: 1) We can see through clouds, and 2) we can see where we are. With these two problems solved, what is the […]

Chicago Tribulations It’s too funny that Mayor Daley would lament how his city doesn’t have any jets (NewsWire, May 16). He’s the one who literally kicked both the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard out of his city in the middle 1990s.I guess he doesn’t consider the F-16s in Madison, Wisc., close enough to […]

D.C. Intrusion AVweb Wrote (NewsWire, May 12): “Errant Pilots Cause Washington Scare” While I enjoy the AVweb magazine, I think the proper headline should be, “35,000 People Terrorized By The Federal Government.”On Wednesday, 35,000 people were needlessly told that their lives were in danger and to run wildly into the streets because an incompetent government […]

User Fees This week’s Question is missing one important option (QOTW, May 4). I would support user fees in the form of license and registration fees if they provide me with some level of control of the FAA.Proposal: Replace the FAA with a non-profit corporation with a volunteer board of directors that is elected by […]

Firefighting Tankers I recently was at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center inTucson. There is a whole line of C-141 and C-5 aircraft that are being decommissioned.It would seem much more logical to convert a C-5 to a tanker rather than a 747 since the C-5 was originally designed as a cargo aircraft (AVmail, Apr. […]

Flight Service Privatization This letter responds to Fred Twigge’s letter about ATC privatization (AVmail, Apr. 18). As a flight service specialist, I would like to know what bonus package us AFSS personnel are getting! If we are not at a facility that’s staying open, come six months after L-M’s takeover, we’ll be shown the door. […]

Nothing New Under the Parachute I must smile as I hear folks call these Ballistic Recovery Systems “something new” and “in genius.” Back in the 50s there was a TV show titled “You Asked For it” sponsored by Skippy Peanut Butter. The premise was that viewers would send in requests to see, on the show, […]