"I've never been so let down in my life." Those words from a bemused John Trissel, manager of the Eagles Nest flying community outside of Waynesboro (VA) -- the man who was quoted in the much-ballyhooed CBS story slamming GA security last week. Trissel estimates he's received some 200 flaming emails from pilots and aviation enthusiasts, slamming him for his interview. They say things like, "With promoters like John Trissel in the industry, we won't have general aviation in a few years." Or, "It was an incredibly stupid move. You might want to practice for your next career." The truth is, John Trissel is as upset as everyone else about the way the CBS story treated general aviation. Only he's more upset than most. He says CBS took his interview out of context.

Authorities in Shannon, Ireland, report no evidence to validate a note apparently found in the lavatory or a Delta 767 bound from Frankfurt, Germany, to Atlanta. The flight was diverted to Shannon and all 144 people on board (134 passengers and 10 crew members) were deplaned, questioned and searched after the note was found suggesting there was a bomb hidden on board. "The search is ongoing," a police spokesman in Dublin said in an interview with Reuters. "So far nothing suspicious has been found, although the search is likely to continue for some time."

Klyde Is Ready To Go To Mars

US and Canadian search teams converged on Lake Erie Sunday after a Cessna 208 (file photo of type, below) crashed through the ice, apparently killing all 10 people on board. "Unfortunately, this has changed from a rescue mission to a recovery mission," said Constable Brian Knowles of the Ontario Provincial Police in Kingsville Sunday. Eight men returning home from a hunting trip, the pilot and his female friend late Saturday afternoon when the Caravan went down into the lake. Snow was falling at the time. The wreckage was spotted nose-down in the water and ice about a mile west of Pelee Island. That's some 20 miles north of Sandusky (OH).

The NTSB is investigating Saturday's crash of a Cessna 182A (file photo of type, right) near Hays (NC). Of the four people on board, the 70-year old pilot was killed. The other three were injured.

From everything ANN has been told by those involved, CBS News did a real hatchet job on general aviation by taking at least one of the principle interviewees out of context and making a story out of half-truths and misconceptions. So what else is new, right? That's not exactly the point, however, and it behooves those of us who are in aviation to not only point out the mistakes, but to understand what happened and to do a better job of seeing that it doesn't happen again.

One person is dead after a Cessna 150 collided with a Piper Comanche at Clearwater AirPark (FL) Saturday. The wreckage of the Cessna impacted the Earth just 20 feet or so from a crowd of children and adults. No one on the ground was injured. The Comanche, registered to 77-year old John W. Collins of Lakeland, flew to Winter Haven (FL). No one on board that aircraft was injured.

Going to Europe anytime soon? If so, leave your fishing pole at home. That goes for your pool cue, ice skates, ski poles and skateboards. At least, if you're planning to take those items with you into the cabin. The EU has come up with a uniform set of regulations on what you can and can't take with you when flying to or in Europe. "Ensuring that air passengers are safe is a top priority for the EU," said the European commission's UK honcho, Jim Dougal. "This is why we need to ban items that could be used as weapons by terrorists."

Caught in an apparent -- how should we put this... misstatement -- Northwest Airlines now admits that it provided passenger data to NASA in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. "We do not provide that type of information to anyone," Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch told the New York Times on September 23. But records obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center under the Freedom of Information Act indicate otherwise.

We've all heard of air rage. In these days of heightened security, long lines and short tempers, it's no longer uncommon to read about passengers who fly off the handle. But crew members? John McLeod was flying from Charlotte (NC) to Tampa Bay (FL) last month when the flight attendant announced it was time to "stow your tray-tables and raise your seats to their upright and locked positions." When he didn't immediately comply, he got a few sharp pokes in the shoulder from a flight attendant.

At first, it was one of those classic deals that seems too good to pass up: Buy the maintenance contract and the product is free. Sounds like something you'd hear from the cell phone company, right? Well, in this case, the give-away was a bit bigger: The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. The offer apparently wasn't what the Indian government was looking for when it first came from Moscow three years ago. The Russians wanted guarantees that India would spend millions to recondition the carrier. Still, it was a starting point. Meeting in New Delhi Saturday, India's Cabinet Committee of Security, chaired by Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, authorized the country's defense minister to finalize the deal.

NASA's Spirit rover reached out with its versatile robotic arm early Friday and examined a patch of fine- grained martian soil with a microscope at the end of the arm. "We made our first use of the arm and took the first microscopic image of the surface of another planet," said Dr. Mark Adler, Spirit mission manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The rover's microscopic imager, one of four tools on a turret at the end of the arm, serves as the functional equivalent of a field geologist's hand lens for examining structural details of rocks and soils. "I'm elated and relieved at how well things are going. We got some great images in our first day of using the microscopic imager on Mars," said Dr. Ken Herkenhoff of the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology

(Readers Fred W. Scott, Jr. and Jeff Bertsch rework the CBS story with a few tongue-in-cheek twists. What's scary is: It makes more sense than suggesting that general aviation is a threat to national security. Think about it... ed.) They are everywhere in our fast paced, consumer economy, but are they safe?... large Sport Utility Vehicles driven by small innocent-looking women. "Every major school building has a paved street right next to it," says Lisa Tutor, a New Jersey school teacher, whose responsibilities include welcoming students being driven to school by their parents. "These streets lead to private garages where all sorts of evil could be perpetrated behind closed doors"

Welcome (NOT) To Our Nation's Capitol NOTAM: 4/0413 Issued: 01/16/2004 15:24 Effective: 01/21/2004 01:00 - 01/21/2004 04:30 State: WA Facility: ZDC - WASHINGTON (ARTCC),DC. Type: VIP Description: FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 20, 2004 LOCAL

As anyone in the Northeast can tell you, you'll find all sorts of stuff along I-95 -- the major north-south interstate in the area. But if you happen to find a box full of Pratt & Whitney parts, David Cleveland would sure like to hear from you. Two boxes containing engine parts destined for Korean Airlines apparently "fell off" a Condor Air Transport truck driving along the interstate near Greenwich (CT) Thursday. Cleveland, the company's president, even rented an aircraft Saturday to fly along I-95 looking for the lost goods.

Here's a transcript of the CBS report sent to us from a source inside the network: 2ORR/FLYNN/LANDERS GENERAL AVIATION SECURITY EVE NEWS 1/14/04) > >(NAT SOT T2/2225) "There were 22 lots for sale" > >(NARR:) THEY ARE A SOARING REAL ESTATE TREND... > > (NAT SOT T2/2233) "We have just 3 left..." > >(NAT SOT T1/2335 Rick taxies) > >(NARR:) AIR PARKS. "FLY-IN" COMMUNITIES CALLED AIR PARKS. > >(SOT/ T2/4245 LESLEY HOCK-Eagle's Nest Air Park Realtor) > >(V/O taxi) "Every house has a paved taxiway to the runway...." > >(NARR:) AMENITIES INCLUDE YOUR VERY OWN COMMUNITY AIR STRIP... > > > >(V/O T1/2620 plane heads toward hanger) > >(NARR :) YOUR OWN PERSONAL HANGER > &

The United Airlines Master Executive Council of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, says it's filed a grievance against the carrier, asking for an expedited hearing to stop airline management from unlawfully seeking to impose devastating cuts to retiree medical benefits by unilaterally changing the agreement reached between the parties in the spring of 2003. The union says United signed a letter of agreement in May 2003 to ensure that flight attendants retiring before July 1, 2003 would have access to health care benefits that were less costly and more comprehensive than those that would be in place for those who retire after that date.

For Sale: Cessna 182 Fixed Gear 1/7th share, C182, IFR 1959 1200SMOH 1120SPOH 5300TTSN KX155 nav/com g/s KX170nav/com KR85ADF Garmin 195 GPS, 4 pl icom. Responsible owners, computer based scheduling, hangared. $123/mo incl 1hr wet, then $66 wet. $13000 in OH fund. Bremerton, Wa (PWT)  Exterior Quality: 7, Interior Quality: 7 Used, will sell for $6,000.00

"They (CBS) knew exactly what they wanted to do to legitimize their scam. They would say things like, 'Do you do it this way?' and I'd say no, but here's how we handle it. They only air the part that said what they wanted it to say." Source: John Tissel, manager of Eagle's Nest Flying Community near Waynesboro (VA), on the now-infamous CBS "Eye On America" story that aired last week. Trissel says he was ambushed by reporter Bob Orr, taken out of context and has since received about 200 flaming emails from aviation supporters who blame him for the comments that aired.

TFR Issued For Area Near Prison Riot NOTAM: 4/0446 Issued: 01/18/2004 16:46 Effective: Immediately - Until Further Notice State: AZ Facility: ZAB - ALBUQUERQUE (ARTCC),NM. Type: HAZARDS Description: LEWIS STATE PRISON, AZ.