Another passenger was part of a small group of fliers who try to fly on the first flights of major new planes.

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My small group of journalists were flown from Brussels to Poland and then around the country on one of the smaller planes in the Polish government VIP fleet, a Soviet-built Yak 40.

ECONOMIST: European politics

But Hammond is hopeful that other discoveries on how planes react to extreme weather will arise during the process of the group's studies.

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According to the Air Transport Association (ATA), the industry group that represents commercial airlines, corporate jets and other small planes use about a third of the nation's creaky air traffic control system but pay for only about 6% of it.

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Planes participating in the service, including those flown by members of Brothers to the Rescue, the group that sponsored last Saturday's ill-fated mission, will drop flowers on the water.

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