• 12/05/07 Lincoln Journal: The CEO of Linear Air, a Concord-based air-taxi service, is counting on Very Light Jets to be the next big thing. Related story: SoftRight hires lead engineer

• 11/10/05 Concord Journal, Lexington Minuteman: Letters to the editor explain why the Crosspoint project at Hanscom Field is so dangerous and to urge citizens to actively oppose it before it's too late. 

• 10/31/05 HATS, Globe: In an Oct. 31 "fail safe" petition to Secretary of Environmental Affairs Stephen Pritchard, legal counsel to the HATS towns said Bedford's backup water supply could be threatened and Concord could be endangered by a fuel storage tank if Crosspoint Aviation Services LLC is permitted to build a 91,000 square foot facility at the airfield.

• 10/20/05 Globe, Bedford Minuteman: HATS selectmen will challenge state environmental officials' denial of an environmental review of the Crosspoint project, maintaining that a fuel-storage tank at the proposed complex would represent a potential fire hazard and a threat to Bedford's water supply. 

• 10/6/05 Bedford Minuteman, Concord Journal, Concord Journal, Concord Journal, Concord Journal: The HATS Environmental Subcommittee, local Selectmen and citizens decry the MEPA Crosspoint decision as wrong, citing a lack of a public comment period, and a decision based on contradictions in key facts and undisclosed communications between state and federal agencies. Concord Selectman Shapiro summarized the disconnect by saying "There are 13,000 square feet of passenger amenities. There are 100 parking spots. I don't see how this isn't a terminal."

• 9/28/05 Mass EOEA: The Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (MEPA) finds that "the proposed Crosspoint development... is unlikely to have significant environmental consequences" and does not require any special environmental review. 

• 8/18/05 Lexington Minuteman, Concord Journal, Lincoln Journal, Lincoln Journal: HFAC, HATS,  a State Representative and various citizens join the call to require an environmental review of the Crosspoint development, although some pilots are in favor of the project.

• 8/1/05 ShhAir, ShhAir, Globe, HATS, Concord Journal, Lincoln Journal, Concord Journal, Concord Journal: ShhAir has filed a petition seeking full state environmental review of the Crosspoint proposal for a new Fixed Base Operator (FBO) to service corporate jets at Hanscom Field. The HATS Environmental Subcommittee also plans to notify various parties -- including Massport, Crosspoint, the state environmental agency, and legislators -- that because the project involves building a new terminal, environmental review is required. 

• 7/14/05 Lincoln Journal, Bedford Minuteman, Bedford Minuteman, Concord Journal: ShhAir and Save Our Heritage strongly oppose the Crosspoint plans on the grounds that it would expand the capacity of the airfield for jets by 50% and could lead to one jet flight every three minutes from the airfield. Jet traffic has already tripled in the last ten years and currently causes 80% of the noise generated by Hanscom flights.

• 5/31/05 Massport, Globe, Globe: Banking on increased corporate aviation activity at Hanscom's civilian airfield, Massport selects a fledgling Woburn company, Crosspoint Aviation Services LLC, for plans to open a 91,000-square-foot facility at the airfield in spring 2007.

• 7/29/04 Concord Journal: Area resident opines that "Linear is simply providing one more high-end service for the small population who can afford it, at the cost of increased degradation of places like Minute Man Park and Walden Pond that belong to all Americans."

• 7/19/04 Boston Business Journal, Concord Journal, Globe, Lincoln Journal, Globe: Linear Air, a Lexington-based company, has launched a luxury air charter service from Hanscom Field targeting business travelers, and they intend to add jet service in 2005.

• 7/7/04 Bedford Minuteman, Globe: Protesters picket outside Liberty Mutual offices to protest the company's decision to build a new corporate hangar for jet planes at Hanscom Civilian Airfield.

• 6/23/04 Lincoln Journal, Bedford Minuteman, Lexington Minuteman: Liberty Mutual shows a lack of respect for area residents by not attending a meeting where plans for their new hangar were to be discussed.

• 1/28/04 Bedford Minuteman: Liberty Mutual plans to redevelop a larger hangar at Hanscom to house its corporate jet fleet.

• 11/16/03 Globe, Concord Journal: Liberty Mutual Group's proposal to build a 36,000 sqft hangar at Bedford's Hanscom Field for its fleet of four Falcon jets is revving up concerns among opponents of corporate jet activity at the airfield.

• 10/29/03 Bedford Minuteman, Globe, Globe: By a slim margin Bedford decides not to join the FedEx boycott.

• 10/23/03 Lexington Minuteman: Whether Massport is deliberately steering "charter" flights from Logan to Hanscom was a touchy topic on Tuesday at the monthly HFAC meeting.

• 10/22/03 Lowell Sun, Globe, Lexington Minuteman: As Lexington and Lincoln continued their boycott of Federal Express, the company reported last week it was no closer to a decision on serving Massport's Civilian Airport at Hanscom than it was two months ago.

• 9/24/03 Bedford Minuteman: A Bedford special Town Meeting in October will decide whether the town will boycott FedEx.

• 9/4/03 Concord Journal, Bedford Minuteman: Calls for Concord and Bedford to join Lexington's boycott of FedEx, and for residents to write to LL Bean encouraging them to join the boycott.

• 8/27/03 Globe: The Globe agrees with Representative Edward Markey that the current lack of cargo screening is a huge gap in airline safety.

• 8/22/03 FedEx, Bedford Minuteman, Globe, Concord Journal, Bedford Minuteman, Lexington Minuteman: FedEx postpones indefinitely a scheduled September presentation regarding its Hanscom plans, but leaves the door open to revisit the plans. Citizen groups and residents vow to continue their fight.

• 8/15/03 Carlisle Mosquito, Lokvani.com, Carlisle Mosquito: Coverage of the FedEx issue spreads.

• 8/7/03 Concord Journal, Lexington Minuteman, Lexington Minuteman, Lexington Minuteman: More community concerns about FedEx plans, including worries that Fedex will cause a bigger than advertised impact on Battle Road traffic and will disturb residents' sleep.

• 8/7/03 Lexington Minuteman: The Town of Lexington is boycotting FedEx until FedEx drops their plans to add service at Hanscom Field. This move was quickly praised by residents and the town newspaper.

• 7/30/03 Bedford Minuteman, Lexington Minuteman: More community opposition to FedEx plans for Hanscom, including a suggestion to ship online internet purchases via alternate carriers.

• 7/23/03 Bedford Minuteman, Bedford Minuteman: After residents passionately objected to Bedford's bylaw prohibiting "No FedEx at Hanscom" and other "political" signs in residential areas, the bylaw has been deemed unconstitutional by the selectmen.

• 7/17/03 Concord Journal, Concord Journal, Lexington Minuteman: More community reaction against FedEx plans for Hanscom, including a boycott by a New Jersey company.

• 7/16/03 Bedford Minuteman, Bedford Minuteman: Bedford Selectman Sheldon Moll points out that unscreened packages traveling thru Hanscom via FedEx would increase the security risks. Massport says this is "outrageous" without ever mentioning the concerns regarding FedEx. 

• 7/9/03 Lincoln Journal, Lexington Minuteman, Concord Journal, Bedford Minuteman: Concerns about FedEx plans grow as residents realize the impact big cargo jets and 18 wheel truck trips from Hanscom will have. Some residents and local businesses say "Boycott FedEx!". Citizens who want to protest FedEx plans can fax letters to FedEx and Massachusetts officials right from ShhAir's website. 

• 6/22/03 Globe, Herald, Herald, Bedford Minuteman, Lexington Minuteman, Concord Journal, Globe: Plans by FedEx to have 10 cargo flights a week in and out of Hanscom Field, which could be approved as early as this fall, will be on the docket of the July 15 meeting of HFAC. Local residents know this would just be the beginning and again vow to fight.

• 6/17/03 Massport, Globe, Lincoln Journal, Bedford Minuteman, Lincoln Journal: FedEx officials met with Massport CEO Craig Coy to discuss the shipping firm's possible move of some operations to Hanscom. Massport boasts what a good idea this is, while residents vow to fight it.

• 4/24/03 Globe: Federal Express Corp. recently asked Massport for an update on landing fees and other charges at Hanscom Field, prompting fears that the giant air cargo company will one day send its planes lumbering through suburban skies during predawn hours. Local residents say "No FedEx at Hanscom!".

• 10/3/02 Bedford Minuteman: Two "fractional jet ownership" companies, NetJets and Flight Options, and EMC Corp generate a significant fraction of the sleep depriving nighttime operations at Hanscom.

• 9/12/02 NY Times, Globe: Chronicle of the excess and frivolous use of corporate jets.

• 8/29/02 Globe: Local officials and activists assert that business jet flights at Hanscom have tripled since 1996 and now pose a bigger threat, in terms of noise and negative effects on the area's environment, than commercial operations.

• 10/5/01 WSJ: Charter jet rentals at more than 200 U.S. charter companies have shot up 40% in the last three weeks due to travelers seeking to avoid long lines and beefed up security measures at major airports. Charter flights typically lack any meaningful security.

• 9/18/01 Globe, NY Times: "The focus on making airliners more secure after last week's terrorist hijackings ignores the fleet of fast and increasingly large corporate jets that fly in and out of major cities each day, none of them subject to the new rules, or even to the less stringent ones formerly in force."

• 8/7/01 Washington Post: The FAA will adopt new rules for Fractional Ownership Jets similar to those for commercial aviation, to close regulatory loopholes for this fast growing aviation segment.

• 7/5/01, 7/12/01 Concord Journal: Two owners of Hanscom Field service companies (FBOs) refute citizens desire to picket their corporate jet activities. Three citizens respond that rapid growth of all commercial activity (regular passenger service and corporate jet service) have led to the current crisis, and that citizens have the right to protest and ask for growth to be kept within environmentally responsible bounds.

 

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