The FAA and NATCA have signed a two-year contract extension that  expands pay-for-performance to air traffic controllers and provides potential savings of several million dollars. The extension modifies or eliminates a number of costly pay rules and other agreements that had been in place over the past five years. Under the extension, a portion of the controllers’ annual salary  increases will be based on meeting agency performance targets. Depending on actual hiring needs, the extension could allow the agency to avoid costs of as much as $40 million over the next four years. “This extension helps the agency and the union concentrate on what we  do best: moving airplanes safely,” said FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey. “The FAA is beco

After two, short, test hops and some final adjustments, the CarterCopter (CC) has taken to the air once again. A preliminary flight-test was conducted on Saturday, December 6th at 4:32 PM. It is the first time that the CC prototype has been in the air since it was damaged in a wheels-up landing last spring. Carter has scheduled a series of short test patterns for the CarterCopter before more strenuous flight-testing begins. In addition to major repairs, Carter modified and improved several operating systems including the addition of a new turbo-charged engine.

TFR Issued For "Blasting Activity" NOTAM: 3/1644 Issued: 12/09/2003 19:53 Effective: 12/10/2003 15:30 - 12/10/2003 16:45 State: MN Facility: ZMP - MINNEAPOLIS (ARTCC),MN. Type: HAZARDS Description: ELY, MN.

The pilot of a stricken C172 went down shortly after takeoff this weekend, impacting in a lake after a takeoff from a strip in the Alaskan boonies failed. When he failed to get airborne, Strahan's Cessna skidded off the strip and into Eklutna Lake, about 40 miles northeast of Anchorage. Strahan was on a sightseeing flight among the Chugach Mountains last Friday, enjoying the first decent weather in several days. After going down, pilot Wade Strahan, 56, found his way to an unheated trapper's cabin and was forced to endure over 24 hours of below-freezing Alaska winter that included an eight mile hike before his rescue. Maj. Mike Haller of the Alaska National Guard explained that a skier found Strahan, who alerted rescue crews via text messaging/cellphone. Despite temps that flirted

OMF Aircraft Inc. (the North American Company) Restructuring The last few years have been tough on general aviation... even for some of the best and brightest in the biz. Following up on last week's announcement of financial difficulties with the highly regarded OMF Symphony program, we now learn that the German parent company has filed for bankruptcy protection. OMF GmbH, of Trollenhagen Germany, the parent company of OMF Aircraft, declared bankruptcy in Germany Tuesday, December 9. OMF GmbH, which was established in 1998 and employed 60 people, produced the two-place single-engine Symphony 160 aircraft and was d