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AOPA is in favor of the change, expecting that Lockheed’s version of flight service will be better for pilots than what we’ve been getting from the FAA. During the transition period, Lockheed and the FAA will operate a 24-hour operations center that will act as a point of contact to ensure continuity of services, AOPA […]

Handover Set For Tomorrow Lockheed Martin officially takes over operation of the nation’s flight service stations as of tomorrow … presuming that last-ditch efforts by a workers’ union prove futile. The National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS), which represents the FSS staffers, last week sent out a letter to all members of Congress seeking […]

Of course, no one is more interested in what a “Cirrus Killer” might be than those in Duluth. Cirrus VP of Marketing John Bingham said it’s impossible to comment on what is now a phantom airplane but he’s hoping Cessna goes ahead with the project. “I think it will be good for aviation and good […]

Just what this new aircraft will be is, of course, the subject of much speculation. And here, Cessna’s reputation of being able to keep secrets seems to be unchallenged. While some we talked to insist the “new” aircraft will simply be a modernized version of the same basic aluminum airplane, others are adamant that the […]

“Cirrus Killer” To Be Set Loose? Its not-so-subtle nickname is the “Cirrus Killer” and, judging by the smoke signals coming from Cessna in the past couple of weeks, we may soon know something concrete about a new piston single the folks in Wichita hope will address a situation many would have regarded as unthinkable only […]

Carr said the Fly Us Safe campaign (cost unknown) is aimed at educating the public on three main issues that threaten the safety of air travel. He said the ads will address what the union claims is a critical staffing shortage, poor progress on needed technological improvements and withering staff morale. He said that despite […]

FAA chief spokesman Greg Martin said the agency’s position on privatization is clear. “If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a hundred times, we have no plans to privatize air traffic control,” Martin said. (A different issue than user fees.) He said Blakey has two clear goals for her tenure. She wants to reduce […]

FAA Funding Woes A Prelude The federal government is softening up the aviation community and public for a Canadian-style privatization of air traffic control, the president of the controllers union alleged Wednesday. John Carr, President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), said the recent FAA public relations campaign alleging diminishing resources (particularly from […]

Delta Air Lines said last week it will eliminate up to 9,000 jobs — about 17 percent of its work force — by the end of 2007, as it struggles to restructure under Chapter 11. The staff cuts and other belt-tightening measures will save $970 million annually, the company said, which is about one-third of […]

NATCA vs. FAA The contract negotiations between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) and the FAA that started in July promise to be difficult and contentious — the two sides were far apart going in, and dueling press releases already have been fierce and frequent. Now they are at odds over the schedule for […]