Myopic Media Reaction Didn't Help Matters

The National Business Aviation Association's President and CEO Ed Bolen issued the following statement concerning news coverage of a government aviation security report compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security and made public, Monday.

Tiffany Network Again Reports General Aviation Is National Security Threat

From the CBS Evening News broadcast Monday, March 14th, 2005... Bob Schieffer, Anchor: Well, we've learned to take off our shoes, remove the metal objects from our pockets and endure the endless lines at the metal detectors. But for all the time and inconvenience, for all the money spent to make us safer, the government says there are still gaping holes in air travel security. Aviation is still a prime target for a terror attack. Here's CBS News Correspondent Bob Orr in Washington.

More Balanced -- But Still Alarming

Brian Williams, Anchor: Good Evening. Last week, it was a group of pilots. Tonight, it's a newly-disclosed report from the feds. They both say the same things. This long after 9/11, that awful day when terrorists used aircraft as weapons, America still has gaping holes in aviation safety -- even after billions of dollars have been spent. This new report finds weaknesses in commercial and private aviation that a terrorist could exploit. We begin here tonight with NBC's Tom Costello.

But Then Again, Some Messengers Should Be Heartily Wounded

By ANN Senior Editor Pete Combs They did it again. Even after Congress heard expert testimony and government officials outright admitted that general aviation poses little, if any, threat to national security, CBS News went over the top Monday night in describing that very threat -- closely followed by NBC. It was the second time in just over a year CBS made the same grievous mistake. In fact, Correspondent Bob Orr even compounded it by referring back to the original, offending, story.

In The Wake Of AAL 587, One Expert Calls Dependence On Them "Naive"

As ANN reported earlier on Tuesday, Airbus will recommend owners of its A300-600s and A310s inspect the rudder assemblies of their aircraft in the wake of an incident more than a week ago, where an Air Transat A310 lost its rudder in flight. Now comes word that some American Airlines pilots have demanded to be transferred off Airbus duty. And there are nagging questions about those visual inspections: Are they enough to ensure the aircraft's safety?

Action Comes After Air Transat Rudder Separation

Acting out of "an abundance of caution," Airbus says it will recommend visual and aural inspections of rudders aboard its A300-600 and A310 aircraft. This, after the bizarre separation of an entire rudder from the tail of an Air Transat flight at altitude on its way from Cuba to Canada.

ATC Gear In Fort Wayne's New Tower Was Built In70s

We can't speak to something borrowed, something blue, but there's a lot of old inside the new control tower at Fort Wayne International Airport in Indiana. The $12 million tower is chock-full of equipment on the trailing edge of technology.

Protest Planned For Tuesday Evening Park Meeting

Saying that the planning process for what was once Meigs Field is only a ruse to reach a pre-determined conclusion, the Friends Of Meigs takes to the streets Tuesday night, in a protest aimed at dramatizing "the unfairness of the process," according to a FOM email to ANN.

Wing-Warping Works!

A flight research project that put a 21st century twist on a century-old technology -- a high-tech derivative of the Wright brothers' wing-warping method of controlling an aircraft's turning ability -- can be summed up in two words: "It works!"

Harry Stonecipher, the Boeing president and CEO ousted earlier this month in an embarrassing sex scandal involving another Boeing executive, is undeterred in his criticism of the airline industry -- and his suggestions about what that industry needs to fix itself.

480 Series Helo Mod Already FAA Approved

Enstrom Helicopter Corp. has upgraded the air conditioning unit in its 480 model series of helicopters. FAA certification for the unit was granted late last year.

She'll Speak Next Weekend  

Julie Clark, who over the past 25 years has become known one of the world’s most dazzling air show performers, will host a special presentation at the EAA AirVenture Museum at 1300 local, Saturday, March 19. The program celebrating National Women’s History Month is included with museum admission and is free of charge for EAA members.

Mechanics Perform Last 280-Day Inspections On Show Bird

Fighter Squadron (VF) 32 aviation structural mechanics performed their last 280-day inspection on their freshly painted F-14 Tomcat "show bird" by replacing and testing their ejection seats Feb. 27-28.

Senate Bill Nine Would Have Required GA PAX Screening

The Ohio Senate has passed a homeland security bill that is much friendlier to general aviation than it had first appeared.

Confirmed By Senate Last Week

The United States Senate on Thursday approved by voice vote the nomination of Michael Jackson as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Scholarship Winners Panel

By ANN Correspondent Rose Dorcey With 16 scholarship wins to her credit, multi-engine pilot and A&P mechanic Nicole Cagnolatti is well qualified to share her views on the difference between a pass/fail mark on a scholarship application. Cagnolatti and several former scholarship winners shared valuable advice with those looking to advance in aviation at the 16th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference in Dallas.

"Unfortunately, the New York Times report does not include the many security procedures recommended and added by the general aviation community since 9/11, which included programs for airports, flight schools and individual aircraft. The story seems to overstate the actual threat of general aviation, which has on many occasions been determined not to be a significant security risk by the same federal agencies quoted in the report." Source: Doug Macnair, EAA vice president of government relations, reacting to a story in the New York Times describing a 24-page report on aviation security. Sources tell ANN the report, concocted by the FBI and DHS, spends all of one paragraph out of 24 pages addressing the possible threats posed to national security by terrorists who

AD NUMBER: 2005-05-11 MANUFACTURER: AvCraft Aerospace GmbH SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2005-05-11 SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Dornier Model 328-300 series airplanes.

AD NUMBER: 2005-06-01 MANUFACTURER: Eurocopter France SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2005-06-01 SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model EC 155B and EC 155B1 helicopters that requires inspecting the chamfer of the stop on the cabin sliding doors (doors) and installing an airworthy stop if the chamfer exceeds a certain length; and prior to each flight, visually checking the door to determine if it is correctly locked in the open position before flying with the doors open, and checking the locking indicator light and the position of the door handles before flying with the doors closed.