Latest News

Congressional Observer: January 2006
September 28, 2006, 4:25 AM
January 2006

•Congress took a legislative break from November 18 to December 12 but, before leaving, both houses passed H.R.3058, the FY2006 Transportation, Treasury and Housing appropriations bill that provides funding for those agencies through September.

Flight Options Raises the Stakes for Fractionals
September 28, 2006, 4:22 AM
October 2006

Cleveland-based fractional provider Flight Options last month launched Fractional First, which it describes as a “purchase and use program designed to deliver up to a 15-percent increase in value through access to more hours or savings on long-haul trips.” All new Flight Options contracts will i

FSF Merges with Safety Alliance
September 28, 2006, 4:22 AM
January 2006

The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) and the Aviation Safety Alliance (ASA) have merged, effective December 31, to become “the world’s leading resource on flight safety.” The new organization will operate under the FSF name and will focus on providing expert knowledge to industry and media on glob

NGATS Institute Fills Executive Post
September 28, 2006, 4:19 AM
January 2006

The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS) Institute has named Stephen Fisher its executive director. A former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, he will oversee daily operations at the institute.

Economies of scale drive Xojet business model
September 28, 2006, 4:19 AM
October 2006

It’s one thing to find a new way of doing business. It’s quite another to make it work. Paul Touw, founder and CEO of Xojet (pronounced exojet) in San Carlos, Calif., believes he has done both.

Senate Bill Contains Incentive for R&D
September 28, 2006, 4:18 AM
January 2006

Before leaving for the Thanksgiving break, the Senate passed a bill with tax credits to encourage innovation in aerospace and defense research and development. Earlier, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a similar tax measure; at press time it was awaiting a floor vote.

U.S. and Europe plan ‘seamless’ ATC
September 27, 2006, 12:50 PM
October 2006

At the Farnborough Air Show this summer, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and European Commission (EC) vice president Jacques Barrot signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation toward developing compatible, “seamless” air traffic management systems.

Category III landings come to bizav
September 27, 2006, 12:47 PM
October 2006

Landings to below Cat I and II ILS minimums have been possible for more than three decades, but the price of admission until recently has been autoland certification of the aircraft and crew.

2006 AIN Product Support Survey: Part Three - Avionics
September 27, 2006, 12:37 PM
October 2006

AIN asked pilots, mechanics and department managers to rank avionics suppliers in seven key categories: parts availability; parts cost; AOG (aircraft-on-ground) response; warranty fulfillment; technical manuals; technical reps; and overall product reliability.

Industry voices concerns about the future of ADS-B
September 27, 2006, 12:32 PM
October 2006

The FAA announced in August that it expects to award its ADS-B ground station contract (estimated to be for up to 500 ground stations) next July. The agency will use a “performance-based” contracting approach for the project, which will reportedly cost around $2 billion over its lifetime.

Pages