March 18, 2010

Senate Continues FAA Budget Tussle for Fifth Day

By Paul Lowe

Slowed by a plethora of amendments, including many that have little or nothing to do with aviation, the Senate is continuing to plod through a fifth day of debate on an FAA reauthorization package that would accelerate modernization of the ATC system; address critical safety concerns raised by the crash of Colg more

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FSF Calls for Multinational Safety Probes

By Paul Lowe

Citing ongoing criminal prosecution of Continental Airlines for the 2000 Concorde crash in Paris, the U.S.-based Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) is asking governments worldwide to form multinational, independent air accident investigation boards. The foundation has called upon an upcoming International Civil Aviation Organization “high level safety conference”–March 29 to April 1 in Montreal� more

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Dassault Reports Record Deliveries, Plummeting Sales

By Thierry Dubois

Dassault Aviation yesterday reported contrasting results for last year, with a negative net order tally of -163 Falcon business jets, but a record 77 Falcon deliveries. During a press conference held at the company’s headquarters near Paris yesterday morning, Dassault chairman and CEO Charles Edelstenne said the negative order number includes 65 cancellations from fractional provider NetJets. Th more

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Norwood Airport Closed Due To Flooding

By Chad Trautvetter

Norwood (Mass.) Memorial Airport is closed to all fixed-wing traffic until further notice due to runway and taxiway flooding. Heavy rain this past weekend caused the Neponset River to send floodwater onto the adjacent airport property, flooding both runways–10/28 and 17/35–and several taxiways. Norwood, a GA airfield that typically sees about 275 operations a day, has been closed since Monday more

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House Hearing Probes On-demand Charter Oversight

By Chad Trautvetter

During a House aviation subcommittee hearing yesterday on oversight of on-demand (Part 135) aircraft operators, DOT Inspector General Calvin Scovel III testified that this operating environment carries a “number of safety risks, such as short, frequent flights with more takeoffs and landings–the most dangerous part of flight.” NTSB statistics show that these higher risks have translated into more

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