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While issues like modernization, contracting out and working conditions have been discussed, these negotiations were (like most negotiations) about money, pure and simple, according to Blakey. “The differences between us are not minor,” Blakey said. She said the agency is determined to bring controller salaries in line with other civil servants both for practical and […]

It’s kind of hard to believe that these folks attended the same meeting on Friday. In a teleconference with reporters, FAA chief negotiator Joe Miniachi said his understanding was that both sides would work on the few outstanding articles over the weekend and meet Tuesday to exchange final offers. “We are now scheduled to talk […]

Nobody said it was going to be easy but a negotiated settlement between the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association seems remote at best. Not only are the two sides far apart on the overriding issue of controller pay, they can’t even agree on whether or not they’re still talking. About all they […]

Organizers expect record attendance, both on the grounds and in the hundreds of commercial exhibits and booths that will sell everything from multimillion-dollar aircraft to nuts, bolts and rivets. For industry-leading Cirrus Design, Marketing Manager John Bingham says the show is a chance to “escape the tundra of Duluth” while launching the 2006 marketing plan. […]

As momentum picks up for the new Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft category, so do the number of conforming models that are available. Four new fixed-wing models will be introduced at Sun ‘n Fun, bringing the total number of approved S-LSA (factory-built) aircraft available to 30. There are three new weight-shift aircraft being unveiled and the […]

AVweb‘s special coverage of the Sun ‘n Fun air show at Lakeland, Florida, begins today. Watch for special issues of AVwebFlash Wednesday and Friday this week. In the mix of pre-Sun ‘n Fun press releases that jams our inbox at this time of year, we haven’t yet been able to detect any “brand new” airplane […]

China’s fledgling GA industry got off the ground in 2004 with the first flight of the Sky Car, a six-place low-wing with a price tag of about $450,000. The plane still hasn’t been certified and project-managing Nanjing Light Aircraft says that without the paperwork it’s been unable to generate any sales. “Over a dozen customers […]

China is also predicting a boom in light jets although it seems to want that market to itself. China’s First Aircraft Design Institute is examining the feasibility of an indigenously designed and built aircraft but it has to decide whether turboprops or jets will be in greater demand. There’s not much current market data available. […]

With Diamond already establishing partnerships in China, a published report says Cirrus and Cessna have both been approached by the Chinese government to jointly produce existing models or to develop new aircraft for the Chinese market. According to Flight International, Xian General Aircraft Research Institute (XGARI) is in active discussions with Cirrus and Cessna to […]

The most recent attack was on a DHL cargo plane in 2003. The missile hit the A310’s left wing as it took off from Baghdad. The explosion and fire destroyed the aircraft’s hydraulic system, eliminating any cockpit-initiated use of the control surfaces. The crew, using differential thrust only, managed to haul the airliner into a […]