Inside Report (3)
Business executives and other travelers who fled to private planes because of the controllers' strike may be getting their wings clipped. The Federal Aviation Administration limited the number of general aviation flights Oct. 19, forcing private pilots to reserve slots ahead of time to fly into controlled air space. Some observers feel the FAA system could severely disrupt the travel plans of private pilots and their passengers.
The situation is especially irksome in areas not well served by commercial airlines. With Air New England going out of business Oct. 31, observers foresee a heavier reliance on general aviation in that region. But in Maine, for example , the new FAA limits mean only four general aviation flights every hour in the entire state.
