Aero-Linx!

Scouring the information super airways can sometimes be a tough, if educational, task for the Aero-News staff... but it also allows us to check out some truly neat and exciting sites, so it's not that bad a gig. On any given day, we may check dozens (and often hundreds) of different sources for story ideas, and facts confirmation. And, as is the nature of our business, much of this is done on the Internet.

The ANN gang decided we probably shouldn't keep some of the neat sites, info resources, and organizations we've discovered to ourselves... so we decided to bring you Aero-Linx. These are the sites that WE check out -- when we need added perspective, a new spin on a day's topic... or just want to escape into cyber-aero-space for awhile.

Look for some of our favorite sites, coming each day to ANN via Aero-Linx. Suggestions for future Aero-Linx segments are always welcome, as well.

Aero Linx: Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS)

Since 1977, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) has represented more than 11,000 employees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DoD) who install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries, develop flight procedures, and perform quality analyses of complex aviation systems used in air traffic control and national defense in the United States and abroad.

PASS members serve as liaisons or subject matter experts on a variety of FAA projects, allowing frontline workers to improve the aviation system. Nearly 700 million air travelers fly throughout the U.S. each year and PASS-represented employees take their work seriously as lives are literally at stake if they don't. And PASS members are honored to have opportunities to have a direct impact on aviation. As the demand for air travel increases, so does the need to maintain the highest level of safety, integrity and reliability of the National Airspace System (NAS). From inspectors who ensure industry compliance with FAA safety standards to systems specialists who protect the safety and efficiency of critical aviation systems, PASS members are focused on safety, every step of the way.

FMI: www.passnational.org