Idaho Congressional Delegation Takes Fight To Cabinet Level

While many GA supporters fight for their local urban airport, others are trying to keep those isolated, yet important, backcountry airstrips open. AOPA and members of Congress from the western United States are working closely together to make sure millions of acres of wilderness remain accessible by air. The entire Idaho congressional delegation has called on Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to guarantee public access to four backcountry airstrips in the Frank Church-River of No Return Federal Wilderness Area. The department's U.S. Forest Service has issued a decision closing the Dewey Moore, Mile-Hi, Simonds, and Vines airstrips to all but emergency operations. AOPA has appealed that decision.

Pilot Seeks Return Of Plane While He Awaits Trial

The pilot who was forced to land in Limerick (PA) Jan. 15 after nearly colliding with a police helicopter wants prosecutors to return his plane while he awaits trial on charges of risking a catastrophe and reckless endangerment. John V. Salamone, through his lawyer, filed court papers Wednesday seeking the return of his Piper Cherokee. "The district attorney has taken some steps to impound his airplane, and there's no authority to do that, and he would like to be able to sell his airplane. He doesn't have any intention of flying it, but he'd like to be able to sell it," defense lawyer Joseph P. Green Jr. said. A judge is expected to rule on the matter by March 22 after prosecutors respond to the request.

New Addition Joins Spruce Goose

The Beech Starship has joined the world’s most famous flying boat and the world's fastest aircraft at McMinnville (OR). The three aircraft are among those housed in the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, thanks to a recent donation from Raytheon Aircraft Company. The Starship joins Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose, an SR-71 Blackbird and more than 50 historic airplanes and helicopters at the 2 1/2 year-old museum.  The all-composite Starship – the first composite aircraft certified by the FAA -- paved the way for Raytheon Aircraft’s new business jets, the Beechcraft Premier I and Hawker Horizon.

NATA Group Conducts First 'Capitol Hill Morning'

The NATA Airline Services Council (ASC) met last week in Washington, D.C. to conduct one of its regular meetings as well as carry out its first annual "Capitol Hill Morning." More than 15 company executives attended the meeting that included appearances by Stewart Verdery Jr., Assistant Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Policy and Planning at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Congressman John Duncan, Jr., senior member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. ASC members also visited with two-dozen key members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. 

NBAA GA Desk Subscriber Sets Milestone

Bombardier Flexjet, a subscriber to the NBAA's General Aviation Desk at the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center since August 2001, marked a new milestone for business aviation operators in becoming the first non-scheduled operator to successfully transmit flight intent data to the FAA's host ATC system. Scheduled airlines have had the capability since 1996 to electronically communicate flight intent messages to FAA ATC, including daily flight schedules, changes, updates, cancellations and other pertinent company information that may affect their operations in the National Airspace System. Until now, non-scheduled operators have not had the ability to participate in this electronic data sharing.

But Don't Feed The Animals

The Air Zoo in Kalamazoo (MI) will pay tribute to the history of flight with the opening of an interactive aviation museum this May. The new Air Zoo will feature more than 80 vintage aircraft, character actors in the roles of famous aviators, amusement rides, Smithsonian exhibitions and 4-D theaters, which combine 3-D filmmaking with other special effects. The new 120,000-square-foot facility, which nearly doubles the space of the current campus, will allow the Air Zoo to educate visitors about aviation through hands-on, multi-sensory experiences.

TSA Recruiting Full-Time, Part-Time Airport Screeners  

Looking for a job? Aspiring screeners take note: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is accepting job applications for full-time and part-time and full-time security screener jobs with federal benefits in several airports across the country, including TSA continues recruiting full-time screeners at these airports: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix (AZ); Logan International Airport, Boston (Mass); Washington-Dulles International Airport, Herndon (VA) Denver International Airport, Denver (CO) and several locations throughout Florida.

Klyde Keeps Up The Pressure On The Man That Aviation (Justifiably) Despises

Fingers Pointed In Both Directions

On Thursday, ANN reported that the Allied Pilots Association published the results of their investigation into the accident of American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed after departing New York's John F. Kennedy International airport on Nov. 12, 2001. Now, the carrier and Airbus are pointing the accusatory finger at each other. Each group blamed the other on Wednesday for the second-worst air disaster in U.S. history - a crash that killed 265 people in New York. American blamed the A300-600 crash on the plane's flight control system, while Airbus said the pilot was improperly trained.

Were They Ever On Schedule?

Wow, here's a news flash: Airlines aren't keeping to their flight schedules. On-time performance by major U.S. airlines continues to slide with delays creeping back at several big airports despite fewer passengers, industry and government figures showed on Tuesday. Although the number of airline passengers remains far below the record years of 1999 and 2000, flight operations and delays have been going up steadily and putting new pressure on some of the nation's busiest airports. According to the first performance data for the year, the 19 carriers reporting to the government recorded an overall on-time rating of 75 percent in January. This compares with 76 percent for 18 carriers in December and 83 percent for 17 airlines in January 2003, the

Attendance Soars At National Air and Space Museum's New Facility

The Smithsonian has reached yet another milestone. The National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center has welcomed more than a half million visitors since the Smithsonian facility in Chantilly (VA) opened to the public Dec. 15. The attendance milestone was reached on the last day of February, putting the total number of visitors for the 11 weeks of operation at 510, 658. The Udvar-Hazy Center was an immediate hit with the public, attracting just under 220,000 visitors in its first two weeks of operation alone.                               &n

Plane Goes Down In Everglades Swamp

A Pitts S-2 (file photo, right) crashed into the Everglades swamp Wednesday, but the pilot and his passenger were able to escape and swim to safety, Palm Beach County (FL) deputies said. The cause of the 3:20 p.m. crash in the federal wildlife area west of Palm Beach County's populated area was not immediately known. Flying the 1991 Pitts was Dave Swartz, 56, of Plantation (FL). His passenger was Eric Simons, 31, of Delray Beach (FL). Initial reports indicate the aircraft departed the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and flew over a portion of the Northeastern Everglades to practice aerobatic maneuvers. Sometime later, the pilot reported the need to make an emergency landing in a dike near a local highway. The plane went into the water

Bowling Ball Dropped From Airplane Simulates Meteor Impact  

On Feb. 13, a single-engine Cessna flew low over the Utah desert toward the Bonneville Seabase at 80 knots. Pilot Patrick Wiggins checked his altimeter. As planned, he was just 820 feet (250 meters) above the surface. The mission's bombardier, Ann House, readied a 14-pound (6.5-kilogram) bowling ball in her lap and opened the right-side window. This was a test to see if she could safely manage getting the ball out the window. Wiggins is a volunteer "solar system ambassador" for NASA, working to spread good words about astronomy and the space program. But his colleagues -- other amateur astronomers and meteorite hunters with the Salt Lake Astronomical Society -- say he's involved in the current project more

Crew to Study Extreme Climates

An international team of scientists from NASA and other research institutions has embarked on a three-week expedition of discovery that will take them from the lush, dense rain forests of Central America to the frigid isolation of Antarctica. The team's savvy tour guide is an all-weather imaging tool, the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR), developed and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena (CA). Carried aboard a NASA DC-8 Airborne Science laboratory, AirSAR can penetrate clouds and also collect data at night. Its high resolution sensors operate at multiple wavelengths and polarizations.

New Program Tailored Airline Operations

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will introduce for its Fall 2004 semester a new bachelor of science degree program in Aeronautical Science that is specially designed to train pilots the way airlines do. The program will be offered at its campuses in Daytona Beach (FL) and Prescott (AZ). Embry-Riddle's new curriculum takes advantage of an array of sophisticated flight-training devices that simulate the jet aircraft used by regional airlines, as well as the smaller planes used in introductory flight training. The devices allow students to become better pilots faster and at a lower cost than before. The Embry-Riddle curriculum employs flight-training devices for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, the Piper PA44 Seminole, and the Canadair Regional

Naval Aviation Unit Help Kids In Need

While designed to kill the enemy, it's nice to see military aviation in the caregiving business, as it makes dreams come true for underprivileged youth. One Naval group is making a world of difference for kids in need. Sea Control Squadron (VS) 32 "Maulers" returned home from their six-month deployment aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) to the cheers of countless friends and family Feb. 25, but to Christina Brown, the homecoming had added meaning. During their deployment, the Maulers raised money for Dreams Come True, a Jacksonville-based non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses. The money they raised will be used to send a tennager, named Brown, and her family on a Disney

For Sale: Midget Mustang Midget Mustang, about 800 TT, with zero since top. This was originally built by Mr. Bushby in 1954, and rebuilt by Dennis Rhein in mid-1980's. It needs a good home as I don't have the time to fly it anymore. Exterior Quality: 7, Interior Quality: 6 Used, will sell for $18,950.00 (or best offer)

Aero-News: Quote of the Day

"Whether it's a downtown airport in a big city, like Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg, (FL), or small airstrips in the wilds of the American West, AOPA believes all of America's landing facilities need to be preserved." Source: AOPA President Phil Boyer commenting on the organization's cooperative effort to keep backcountry airports open. Working with AOPA leaders, the entire Idaho congressional delegation has called on Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to guarantee public access to four backcountry airstrips in the Frank Church-River of No Return Federal Wilderness Area.

Named GM At Signature Flight Support Palm Springs

Jeffrey Magnus has been named general manager at Signature Flight Support's Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) facility. In addition to operating as an independent aircraft sales and distribution director, Magnus was previously the largest shareholder and president of Magnus Aviation, a Wisconsin-based concern that owned and operated two full-service fixed base operations. The shareholders of Magnus Aviation Inc. sold the company in 2002. 

AD NUMBER: 2004-03-33

MANUFACTURER: Airbus SUBJECT: Pitot Probes SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Airbus Model A300 B2 and B4 series airplanes; Model A300 B4-600, A300 B4-600R, and A300 F4-600R series airplanes (collectively called A300-600); Model A310 series airplanes; Model A319, A320, andA321 series airplanes; Model A330-301, -321, -322, -341, and -342 airplanes; and Model A340 series airplanes. This AD requires, among other actions, replacement of certain pitot probes with certain new pitot probes.