Protecting Airports, Fighting User Fees And TFRs,
Reducing Flying Costs
AOPA's top priority for 2004 is to protect the scores of
general aviation airports under threat across the country. At the
same time, the association will fight any effort to impose user
fees on GA pilots for using the national airspace, and will work to
have the "permanent" security-related temporary flight restrictions
lifted. AOPA will also seek answers to constantly rising aircraft
insurance costs, and will look for more innovative ways to keep the
cost of flying down.
"Year in and year out, our members tell us they're concerned about
the number of airports under threat," said AOPA President Phil
Boyer. "It's their number one worry.
"But we can't become fixated. We'll keep our
"Sleepy Hollow," a shallow depression in the Mars ground near
NASA's Spirit rover, may become an early destination when the rover
drives off its lander platform in a week or so. That possible
crater and other features delighted engineers and scientists
examining pictures from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's first
look around.
"Reality has surpassed fantasy. We're like kids in a candy store,"
said Art Thompson, rover tactical activity lead at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "We can hardly wait until
we get off the lander and start doing fun stuff on the
surface."
A clean bill of health from a checkout of all three science
instruments on Spirit's robotic arm fortified scientists'
anticipation of beginning to use those tools after the rover gets
its six w
Even though the NTSB caught all measures of criticism from the
Egyptians the last time they helped them out, NTSB is assisting the
Egyptian government in their investigation of the crash of a Flash
Airlines Boeing 737-300. The aircraft was enroute from Sharm
El-Sheikh, Egypt to Cairo when it crashed into the Red Sea killing
all 148 passengers and crew.
The State Department has reported that there were 4 American
citizens on board.
NTSB Chairman Ellen G. Engleman has designated senior Safety Board
investigator Frank Hilldrup as the United States' Accredited
Representative to the investigation. He will lead a team of
advisors from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing
Commercial Aircraft.
This is the second time in two weeks the Safety Board has sent
investigato
AirTran Airways has told us that the final flight of the
airline's last DC-9 aircraft, Ship number 949 made her final
descent Monday, January 5, 2004, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport.
The 32-year old DC-9, registration number N849AT, rolled off the
Douglas assembly line in Long Beach, Calif., on December 1, 1971,
and AirTran Airways acquired the aircraft on October 30, 1996. The
aircraft logged 69,788 flights and 77,900 flight hours total upon
retirement.
The crew on the flights were Captain Michael D. "Mad Dog" Watson,
Captain Rich Umbel, Lead Flight Attendant Lisa Misconis, and Flight
Attendants Karen Gold and Ludmila Dahknovskaia.
AirTran Airways has operated DC-9 aircraft since the airline's
first day of service, October 26, 1993, and, at one po
Welcome To The US Police State?
The Department of Homeland Security has launched US-VISIT,
a controversial new program to "enhance the nation's security while
facilitating legitimate travel and trade through our borders. New
entry procedures took effect today for most foreign visitors with
non-immigrant visas at 115 airports and cruise ship terminals at 14
seaports. The system utilizes biometrics, which are physical
characteristics unique to each individual, to verify identity.
Biometric technologies are the basis of an extensive array of
highly secure identification and personal verification
solutions."
"Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in our government's
commitment to securing our nation while upholding America's ideals
about freedom of travel a
Passage of the first century of flight met with a variety of
celebrations around the United States. While thousands shivered in
the cold, rain, and calm winds at Kitty Hawk, hundreds gathered at
Flabob Airport early in the morning to mark the official time that
the first powered aircraft rose into the sky. Cheers went up in the
Airport Cafe at 7:35 local time from a standing-room-only
crowd.
Riverside had what Kitty Hawk needed on December 17th for the
re-enactment flight: high winds. The strong Santa Anna breeze
forced cancellation of a mass hot air balloon launch, but did
little to prevent a steady stream of aircraft arrivals.
Nothing starts with quite so much hope as an emergency aircraft
search... though far too few of them result in happy endings. A
Cessna 182 (file photo, right), missing for three days, was found
after an extensive search of a remote area of NE Montana.
Found 25 miles SW of Glasgow, the search had been hampered by bad
weather until the aircraft was spotted by an eagle-eyed
pilot.
Found on board were Pilot Bill Newman, 45, his sons Lance, 14, and
Ray, 24, and Ray's fiancee, Jessica Grode, 21, of Ipswich,
SD.
Newman had flown to Mobridge, SD, to pick up Grode and was
returning to Cut Bank, MT, when he told ATC he was approaching bad
weather conditions. Newman had originally learned to fly in high
school, and after having gotten out of flying for over 20 years,
had ju
And Yet The Moon Still Maintains Its Allure...
SpaceDev has completed the first phase of a privately
funded study to design a low cost robotic return to the Moon. The
study was performed for Lunar Enterprise of California (LEC, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Space Age Publishing Company), and
follows an earlier SpaceDev Lunar orbiter mission and spacecraft
design project funded by Boeing.
The current study analyzes mission and spacecraft options for a
Lunar Dish Observatory to be placed near the south pole of the
Moon.
"With Europe on the way to the Moon, Japan lunar missions set for
2004 and 2005, and India as well as China preparing to send a
series of robotic missions to the Moon culminating in a manned
lander mission, and with renewed interest by our
An aerosol spray formula that reportedly facilitates propeller
ice shedding, and enhances safety, has been developed by Bill
Larson, Chief Designer at Oregon Aircraft Design & Dave Aldred,
a multi engine CFI with over 18,000 hours flight time in all
weather conditions. Both gentlemen are also A&P's.
The testing was done on a twin Piper Comanche, the product was
applied to the right side only. When any icing conditions were
encountered, the ice was immediately heard striking the right side
of the fuselage. Sooner or later, most pilots will get into icing
conditions and an ice-free propeller may be the ticket to safety.
After much research and development, Larson and Aldred claim to
have perfected a propeller ice grip inhibitor.
Behind every Shuttle crew, there is a team of five to eight
astronauts who serve as the crew's point of contact between
NASA-Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas and NASA-Kennedy
Space Center (KSC) on the Florida coast. These astronauts are the
eyes and ears to the Shuttle vehicle.
They are the Astronaut Support Personnel (ASP). But because of
their frequent trips to NASA-KSC, they're better known as the Cape
Crusaders.
NBAA tells us that the FAA and the state of Connecticut
are willing to pay 97 percent of the
$4,500,000 price tag to have trees removed from Danbury
Municipal Airport (DXR), but Danbury, CT politicians are unwilling
to pay the remaining $110,000.
Without the tree removal, the FAA warned the city that it would
have to displace the thresholds of two airport runways. The longest
runway is just over 4,400 ft., and any displacing of the thresholds
could jeopardize the use of the airport by certain aircraft.
Eagle Creek Aviation has delivered a "Radome-To-Tailcone"
refurbished Twin Commander 1000 featuring a complete Meggitt Magic
Panel to a California based investment group.
The Meggitt Magic Avionics Suite features a two screen Electronic
Flight Instrument System, a two screen Engine Instrument Display
System and the newly STC'd Meggitt Magic 2100 Digital Flight
Control System. Eagle Creek also installed dual Garmin GPS systems,
TAWS and a Traffic Avoidance System. To complete the avionics
suite, dual Garmin transponders, a KDR-510 Data Link Receiver and
new laser cut and etched instrument panels and refurbished EL
panels were added.
The Commander 1000 was delivered only one day after Meggitt
received the STC for the 2100 Autopilot on Thursday, December 18,
2003!
While the B-2 bomber has already seen many milestones in its
first 10 years, the 394th Combat Training Squadron (CTS) is
currently training the program's first Navy pilot, who will fly his
first B-2 sortie at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, (WA) this
month.
Lt. Michael Orr, a native of California, has been flying the EA-6B
Prowler for the Navy since 1998 and began his B-2 training with the
394th CTS in April. The Prowler is the only platform that denies,
disrupts and degrades the enemy's radar, so the crews are charged
with supporting inter-service assets.
Since the Prowler helps the B-2 elude radar through electronic
attack, the 509th Operations Support Squadron (OSS) began bringing
Prowler students from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., to
Whiteman Air Force Base,
Anxiously searching for the correct circuit breaker to pull when
the trim runs away wastes valuable time.
Sporty’s has an easy solution. Brightly colored Circuit
Breaker Caps can be snapped onto the top of most pull-type
breakers.
Available in red, yellow and green, these Circuit Breaker Caps can
be color coded for the autopilot, electric trim, landing gear and
other important circuit breakers for quick identification.
ExpressJet Airlines has selected Hamilton Sundstrand to provide
repair and inventory support for the air management system on its
fleet of Embraer 135/145 regional jet aircraft. This is a 12-year
agreement in which Hamilton Sundstrand will provide support for the
current ExpressJet fleet of 223 aircraft, and up to 274 aircraft by
mid-2006.
According to Dave Stone, Hamilton Sundstrand customer support
manager for regional airlines, the company is delighted to have
this contract with ExpressJet. "ExpressJet is an exceptional
partner for a long-term, comprehensive package for our air
management system support."
Bird v Aircraft accidents often turn out pretty ugly... but this
one (for a change) turned out a lot better, with only the
unfortunate seagull KIA. Keep your eyes, out, folks!
** Report created 1/5/2004 Record 4 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 244RP Make/Model: OH58 Description: BELL OH-58A
Date: 01/02/2004 Time: 2000
Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Minor
LOCATION
City: FRUIT COVE State: FL Country: US
DESCRIPTION
ST JOHNS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE, N244RP, BELL OH58 HELICOPTER, A
PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT, WHILE ON A LEFT TURN AT 600FT MSL, A SEAGULL
FLEW INTO THE CANOPY, AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY ON A BASEBALL FIELD,
FRUIT GOVE, FL
"We were a long ways away from Kitty Hawk, but every
pilot who showed up felt a kinship with history and an appreciation
for the freedom to fly in this country. It was one of those days
where everyone wore a smile and all the smiles represented profound
emotions."
Source: Kathy Rohm, community relations
director for the Wathen Foundation, which owns Flabob Airport,
discussing their West Coast celebration of the 100th
Anniversary of Manned Powered Flight.
ExpressJet Holdings reports Richard F. Wallman has been elected
to fill a vacancy on its board of directors.
Wallman retired in July 2003, having served as Senior Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer of Honeywell International
Inc., and its predecessor, Allied Signal Inc., since March 1995.
Prior to joining Honeywell, Wallman held positions with IBM,
Chrysler and Ford. Wallman is 52 years old and is also a
director of Ariba, Inc., Avaya Inc., Hayes Lemmerz International,
Inc. and Lear Corporation.
For Sale: South Lakeland (X49) Airport Lot
90' X 245' lot available adjacent to runway at X49 South
Lakeland Airpark. Located in Mulberry, FL just south of Lakeland,
FL home of Sun-n-Fun. Paved road access to lot, direct access to
runway from lot.
New, will sell for $60,000.00 (or
best offer)
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