Source: Dornier Seawings Source: Dornier Seawings Close

The roll out event included a demonstration flight of the original Dornier Seastar prototype. Chinese shareholders from Wuxi pledged continued support to the program and Seastar ´s development.

The Seastar is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135A turboprop engines, providing a total of 1,300 horsepower (flat-rated). Its in-line push-pull engine configuration eliminates asymmetric thrust in the event of an engine failure. The 12-passenger aircraft is equipped with Honeywell Primus Epic avionics. Range is 900 nm.

Dornier Seawings GmbH´s CEO, Amy Pan highlighted the new Seastar's technical improvements which include "a newly developed full digital cockpit, new corrosion resistant landing gear with the addition of nose wheel steering, a new cabin layout equipped with an air conditioning system and finally new high efficient propellers."

Pan is confident that, "as the market in China opens up and develops further, the Seastar will be able to seize opportunities there and play a significant role in the general aviation industry on a global scale."

These words confirm the larger efforts taken by the partners of Wuxi Government, Dornier Seawings China and Dornier Seawings GmbH, which see the Seastar as a cornerstone of development.

The company's team in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany is working towards their next milestone deliverable, the first flight, which is scheduled for the first half of 2019. This will be followed by the Type Certificate in 2020.

Opposition to H.R. 2997 grows Source: NBAA Opposition to H.R. 2997 grows Source: NBAA Close

The six acclaimed aviators - former team commanders with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels aerial demonstration teams - are featured in a recent video forcefully expressing opposition to ATC privatization, and encouraging American citizens to speak out against this controversial legislation.

The video was released by the International Council of Airshows (ICAS), one of more than 150 aviation groups standing unified against H.R. 2997. It features commentary about the controversial legislation from former Blue Angels commanders Greg McWherter, Steve Foley and George Dom, along with Thunderbirds team leaders Brian Bishop, Richard McSpadden and Ron Mum, urging citizens to contact their elected representatives in Congress and urge them to vote against H.R. 2997.

"We know firsthand that the air traffic control system in our country is the safest, the largest, the most diverse and most efficient in the world," Foley noted in the video. "This legislation will not reduce the vast majority of delays caused by bad weather and the airlines themselves," Dom added, with McWherter stating that the bill would, "add billions to our nation's budget deficit, negatively impact our national security and needlessly complicate border protection."

The demonstration team members are the latest legendary aviation and aerospace figures to speak out against ATC privatization. Earlier this month, ICAS posted on its website a separate video featuring former astronauts Thomas Stafford, Jim Lovell, Robert "Hoot" Gibson and Ken Cockrell explaining the risks inherent in handing ATC management over to a private board, dominated by the big airlines and their allies, and unaccountable to Congress.

"We know better than most that our national airspace is precious and that our freedom to use it now hangs by a thin thread," explained Stafford, a four-time spacefarer in NASA's Gemini and Apollo programs. Gibson, a five-time Space Shuttle astronaut, cautioned that "legislation...to privatize the U.S. air traffic control system would damage this country."

These voices join Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot who made a heroic emergency landing of a US Airways airliner in the Hudson River in 2009. In a TV ad, he asked, "Why in the world would we give the keys to the kingdom to the largest airlines? Because they definitely have their own agenda - to lower their costs."

"These American heroes have put country and others ahead of themselves, and they are the best of the best in the flying world," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "They are among the most knowledgeable Americans about aviation, and we thank them for lending their expertise to this important debate, and for stating their strong opposition to this legislation to privatize ATC."

Other groups that have raised concerns about ATC privatization include more than 100 U.S. mayors, more than 100 business leaders, consumer groups, think tanks on the political left and right, consumer groups, congressional watchdog organizations and members of Congress from both political parties.

U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) Source: US DOT U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) Source: US DOT Close

The reporting carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 76.9 percent in July 2017, up from both the 75.2 percent on-time rate in July 2016 and the 76.2 percent mark in June 2017.

In July 2017, airlines reported 16 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to six such tarmac delays reported in June 2017. In July, airlines also reported six tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights, compared to two such tarmac delays reported in June 2017. All reported extended tarmac delays are investigated by the Department.

The consumer report also includes data on chronically delayed flights and the causes of flight delays filed with the Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by the reporting carriers. In addition, the consumer report contains a record of aviation service complaints filed with DoT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division by consumers regarding a range of issues including flight problems, baggage, reservation and ticketing, refunds, customer service, disability access, and discrimination. The report also includes statistics on mishandled baggage reports filed by consumers with the reporting carriers, data on oversales, and information about the total number of animals that died, were injured, or were lost during air transport in July 2017, as filed by the air carriers with the Aviation Consumer Protection Division.

The Department has launched an airline passenger microsite to make it easy for travelers to understand their rights. The site can be viewed here: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/flights-and-rights.

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