Reader Mail

Meigs North It has been a long time since Mayor Daley bulldozed the island airport’s runway (NewsWire, May 10). The reason for it was to turn it to a park for the Chicagoans, he said.Well, just what does that park looks like nowadays? I am a Canadian but nevertheless am interested just how this Barbarian […]

ATC Retirements How is it that President Reagan could fire 12,000 air traffic controllers, and replace them overnight (NewsWire, June 16) … and today we can not find 7,000 ATC replacements over the course of many years?John Van Baren AVweb Replies Well, effects of the PATCO strike are still being felt. Initially, supervisors and military […]

Panic in DC I just loved the recent incident with the Governor of Kentucky and the DC ADIZ (NewsWire, June 14). We need a few more like this so senior government officials will see the folly of this ADIZ nonsense.I understand that the pilots of that plane had notified ATC of the transponder malfunction, flew […]

Drug Smugglers Larry Hawes seems to have forgotten the April 2001 downing by the Peruvian Air Force of a plane carrying American missionaries (AVmail, Jun. 7). The Peruvian Air Force was running a drug interdiction/interception program, and believed that the aircraft was running drugs. A mother and her infant daughter, both U.S. citizens, were killed.Advocates […]

GA Fair Share One of the problems with the debate over GA “not paying its fair share” of FAA expenses (NewsWire, May 31) is that GA doesn’t need all of the FAA “assistance.” The entire U.S. airway system was developed at the request (demand?) of the airlines. So let them pay for it. GA could […]

FSS Privatization I would appreciate you giving me the opportunity to respond to this letter (AVmail, May 17).Mr. Jim Bemiss:I am a dedicated and hard-working Air Traffic Controller at the Terre Haute, Ind., AFSS. I must say I was offended at your letter this month on FSS privatization. Yes, we are in danger of losing […]

Contract Towers Copy of a letter sent to Sen. Ted Stevens, Chairman, Senate Appropriations CommitteeDear Chairman Stevens:As Congress begins work on the Department of Transportation fiscal year 2005 appropriations bill that includes FAA Federal Contract Tower Program, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization urges you to also initiate a total investigation of the FAA as […]

Firefighting Season (and Controversies) Begin Every summer the fire season kicks into gear with all the fury of World War III. The scenario repeats itself every single year. The same questions are asked, the same data used, the same (or increasing) cost to the taxpayer in fire-related losses (not to mention the lives lost). There […]

Northwest Airlines and Metropolitan Airports Commission A lot of folks, both in the aviation business and others, have had to face the reality of increased costs and hardships in the post-9/11 era (NewsWire, May 3). Is it too hard to understand that the private aircraft owner is going to have to share some of these […]

Sport Pilot Not Ready Yet The EAA does not understand that OMB represents the public (NewsWire, Apr. 19).Way back when I was in an Air Force Reserve meeting at Warner Robins, Ga., the Chief Engineer of the Chandler Evans Company emphasized, “Never hatch a half-baked scheme!”There has been no evidence that NPRM FAA-2001-11133 has approached […]