Clark airport asks County Council to create authority

Clark County Airport officials asked the County Council Monday to let them form an independent authority that could raise its own taxes, issue bonds and even hire the Louisville International Airport Authority to help with management expertise.

“Make us an airport authority,” Jack Vissing, the airport board’s lawyer, told the council, “and let us get away from you” to raise money for the airport.

That would allow the airport, during the county’s current budget crisis, to grow and become self-supporting, Vissing said.

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Video: Armed Pilots Prepare for Another Attack - New Secret Training Center Opens in Dallas

 

DALLAS - In a giant warehouse in Dallas, airline pilots are preparing for another war in the skies. They have come here to train and get re-certified to carry a gun in the cockpit.

"We believe the threat is very much alive," said Richard Burt, special agent in charge of the Transportation Security Administration's flight programs division.

Terrorists targeted U.S. planes once and eight years after 9-11, these pilots are convinced they'll do it again.

"Boom!" A cockpit door explodes open and a beautiful woman with long hair starts shooting at the co-pilot and the pilot in training must react in a split second to save the plane.

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Aircraft makes emergency landing Saturday at Essex County Airport

FAIRFIELD TWP. – A TBM-700 single engine turboprop aircraft with a landing gear malfunction made an emergency landing at the Essex County Airport at about 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. No injuries were reported, said Deputy Chief Steve Gutkin.

Emergency services were called to the airport to standby after the aircraft made several unsuccessful attempts to extend the landing gear. The pilot flew past the air traffic control tower so that the controllers could see if the nose gear was down, police said. The aircraft made an emergency landing on Runway 22 without the nose gear extended and came to a stop safely on the runway, Gutkin said.

There was minimal damage to the plane and no injuries to the four passengers on board. The aircraft was returning home from Nantucket Island Gutkin said.

Source

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Man critical from aircraft crash into power lines

MAGNOLIA – A 47-year-old Tomball man remained in critical condition Monday as a result of his aircraft crashing into power lines near Magnolia Sunday evening.

Mark Raymond Gibson is recovering from a head injury and multiple fractures at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston’s Texas Medical Center, a Texas Department of Public Safety dispatcher said. His leg and ribs also are broken, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said.

As Gibson flew his experimental aircraft, a Manta 503, south at a low altitude Sunday, he struck power lines off FM 1488, six miles east of the Magnolia city limits, the dispatcher said. The crash occurred at 5:25 p.m. and caused power outages for nearby businesses. The Magnolia Fire Department and DPS responded to the scene, and an ambulance took Gibson to the Houston hospital.

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Agents search Venezuelan plane for heroin in Punta Cana Airport

SANTO DOMINGO. - The authorities continue searching an airplane in the Punta Cana International Airport (east), which came from Venezuela with three suitcases full of a dust which is presumably heroin. The plane arrived in Altagracia Province at 8:55 p.m. last night, piloted by Kenneth Méndez and Gustavo Martinez, both Venezuelans. The Venezuelan airplane registry YV2058 came from Valencia, and National Drugs Control Agency (DNCD) officials are heading to Punta Cana go to begin the investigation. More information as it becomes available.

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SA Airlink relieved about no grounding

SA Airlink says it is relieved it was not grounded by the transport ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) following recent accidents. "Airlink welcomes the vote of confidence by the Minister of Transport and SA Civil Aviation Authority (SA CAA) expressed in their confirmation of Airlink's status as a safe airline," said chief executive officer Rodger Foster. The ministry's announcement followed the CAA's audit of its processes which raised concerns relating to administrative procedures and management structures at Airlink's technical facility.

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Bieter wants FAA to determine whether moving air traffic control to Utah will hurt Boise's air quality

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter has renewed his call for the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct an environmental impact study before relocating TRACON air traffic controller facilities from Boise to Salt Lake City. Bieter says there is evidence that relocating TRACON could have a negative environmental impact on Boise’s air quality. In his Dec. 15 letter to the FAA, Bieter writes, “At the public meeting held in Boise on July 5, 2006, for example, testimony from experienced pilots made it clear that increased flight times and consumption of fuel, with resulting increased air pollutant emissions and other impacts, can be expected from the reduced flexibility and level of service associated with the transfer of the radar services to a city that is 300 miles distant from the Boise Airport.”

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FAA tells airport head not to restrict air park

Midland Airport Planning & Development Board members on Tuesday expressed alarm with a Federal Aviation Administration ruling against airplane weight restrictions imposed by Airport Director Marv Esterly at Midland Air Park. “It’s crazy, but this is the letter we have been waiting for,” said Esterly, who had told Basin Aviation Operations Vice President Lori Winter last June to stop letting heavy corporate jets land at the air park east of Garfield Street and south of Loop 250. However, Esterly added that the air park and its 3,800 and 5,000 foot runways are safe.

Read more: http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2009/12/15/news/top_stories/doc4b2857d313fa5077525194.txt#ixzz0Zp3xfFSQ

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Ethiopian Airlines jet cancels takeoff in Kenya

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300, flight ET-800 from Nairobi, Kenya to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, canceled takeoff from Nairobi's runway due to a technical problem and returned to the gate, where the passengers disembarked. A passenger with aviation background reported that the airplane rejected takeoff at an estimated 60-80 knots. The flight was subsequently announced canceled, but 4 hours later the airplane was declared repaired, passengers re-embarked and reached Addis Ababa.

Source

Aveo signs lease for hangar 2

THE lease for hangar two at the Tumut Airport has been signed and the skies could be dotted with state-of-the-art aircraft early in the new year. Economic development officer for Tumut Shire Council Glen Waterhouse said the lease of hangar two at the airport has been taken up by Aveo Aircraft International Pty Ltd, the aircraft assembly company that hopes to produce up to 36 light planes next year. "Timetable-wise, they commenced (occupancy of) the lease from Tumut Shire Council earlier this month," Mr Waterhouse said. "From that starts the path of certifying and moving towards the full assembly ... of aircraft." Technical director of Aveo Aircraft International Pty Ltd's Asia branch Michael Roche said the company is not quite ready to go at this point, but in the near future there will be change in the air. "We are about to take delivery of our first test aircraft which will be assembled and start test flying in the first quarter of 2010," Mr Roche said.

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CAP: Member celebrates 50 years as grandson joins patrol

Dennis Sutton of Montebello, center, was honored for 50 years in the Civil Air Patrol at Waynesboro Eagles Nest Airport on Monday the same day his 12-year-old grandson Chancellor Rankin, of Lofton, signed up with the CAP. (Pat Jarrett/The News Leader)

WAYNESBORO — Dennis Sutton was 16 when he joined the Augusta Squadron Civil Air Patrol. It was 1956, and he was a cadet. He was made a senior member 50 years ago, and through those years he's helped search for 20 downed airplanes, trained on numerous Air Force bases and made plenty of friends.

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Video: Branson West celebrates opening of town's new airport

BRANSON WEST, Mo. -- When Santa Claus wants to land in Missouri, he has his pick of 500 airports. Now, it’s 501. Branson West opened an early Christmas present for itself with high hopes on Tuesday.

More than a decade ago, Branson West voters said they didn't want an airport, so a company that was reportedly looking at the area went to the Carolinas instead. Little airports are mainly built where there is very little industry to bring it.

“What would that mean if we had 250 to 300 jobs year round?” asked Branson West Mayor John Rhodes.

In winter around Table Rock Lake, the job scene can be as bare as this new runway. Branson West is betting on guys who like to fly, like Don Rogers of Hutchinson, Kan.

“We have a home on the lake not far away,” said Rogers.

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AWOS installation boosts Texas airport revenues

http://www.vaisala.com/files/TP_McCampbell_Airport_success_story.pdf

“It’s not just the airport that
is growing, but the local
economy as well. All of the
corporate flyers who land
here use the local hotels,
rent cars, buy fuel, go to
restaurants. Being able to
get travellers on the ground
at the airport lets the money
trickle down, so everyone
benefits.”

http://www.vaisala.com/files/TP_McCampbell_Airport_success_story.pdf.

Nigeria: Nama Denies Air Mishap in Lagos

Lagos — Following media report concerning a near mid air collusion in the nation's airspace in Lagos on Sunday, allegedly due to radar failure, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) yesterday denied that its communication and radar systems at the Murtala Muhammed Airport collapsed and said that there was no averted air disaster.

Conducting aviation journalists round the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) Site of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos, the agency's Director of Operations, Engr. Bisi Adedara, confirmed the radar encountered a temporal hitch due to power outage on Sunday but that it does not affect its functionality as the two new 250 KVA generators were on standby to provide alternative power supply for the gadgets.

Engr. Adedara explained that it was obvious that the story was not true as it was reported only in one paper (not Daily Trust) and that the agency was not contacted for explanation, which made the report invalid.

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There's no space to land planes in Bangalore

Bangalore: The Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) is experiencing a surge in air traffic and could soon feel the need for a larger airspace. With three major aerodromes active in Bangalore, airspace availability and its management over the city could become a bone of contention once again between BIA and the ministry of defence (MoD). The city's airspace, apart from BIA, is shared by Air Force Station Yelahanka (AFSY) and HAL airport.

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What’s happening at the Hamilton Municipal Airport

Site preparation for the construction of a partial parallel taxiway recently began at the Hamilton Municipal Airport. This parallel taxiway will provide aircraft with direct access from the hangars and aircraft parking aprons to the runway. This project was recommended in the 2003 Master Plan Update to improve airport movements and to increase overall safety at the airport. The addition of this taxiway will reduce the need for aircraft to taxi on the runway prior to taking off or after landing. In most instances, aircraft will be able to enter the runway immediately prior to takeoff, and to exit immediately after landing.

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Video: Gun Hidden in Teddy Bear at DFW Airport

Security screeners at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport late last month discovered a 9mm handgun hidden inside a hollowed-out teddy bear and stuffed into a passenger's suitcase. The gun was in a passenger's checked suitcase, so it was headed for the cargo hold and not the cabin of the plane. But the passenger was pulled off his international flight and arrested on an export violation of failing to declare the gun when he checked-in.

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Pilots N Paws and Wall Street Journal Magazine

A big thank you to Nancy Keates, writer for the Wall Street Journal, for caring about Pilots N Paws and sharing it with the WSJ readers!

http://magazine.wsj.com/hunter/donate/hair-miles/

Pilots like to go out and fly just like people want to go out and ski,” says Jon Wehrenberg, who co-founded South Carolina–based charity Pilots N Paws with his friend Debi Boies. Hard economic times give them a better reason to stretch their wings: transporting cats and dogs about to be euthanized at overcrowded shelters to safe havens in other states.

Alva, OK pilot dies in crash

Darin Dean Moser, 44, Alva, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash of his Cessna 310 twin aircraft shortly after midnight December 13, 2009.

Moser, owner of a local towing and heavy equipment construction company, flight instructor, well known pilot and volunteer firefighter, was attempting to land at the Alva Regional Airport in heavy fog after returning from a trip to Oklahoma City.

His Cessna 310 twin-engine aircraft crashed about ¾ mile south and ¼ mile west of the Alva Regional Airport in a wheat field.

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"The tragic airplane crash in Alva, OK" by Lynn L. Martin

"Since I have been a light-plane pilot for over 40 years, and because I write about aviation occasionally in this column, for the last couple of days nearly every place I go people ask, “What do you think happened in the crash that took the life of Darin Moser?” 
Read “Get-Home-Itis”  > > > > > > > > >

Australia to Ease Qantas Ownership Rules

The Australian government will relax some ownership restrictions on Qantas Airways Ltd., but will maintain its 49% foreign ownership cap, in a move that broadens Qantas' options for future mergers with foreign carriers while ruling out any full foreign takeover offer. The government is also considering "more flexible arrangements" for the ownership of Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd.'s V Australia international arm as part of talks with the European Union over a so-called "Open Skies" agreement.

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Related Article > > > > > > > > >

New Gulfstream G250 takes flight in Israel - Large-cabin, midrange business jet performs flawlessly during 3-hour mission

Just a few weeks after its new G650 flagship took to the skies over Savannah for the first time, Gulfstream's other new business jet - the super midsize G250 - completed its maiden flight in Israel on Friday. Savannah-based Gulfstream designed and built the large-cabin, midrange business jet in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries in Tel Aviv.Flown by IAI chief test pilot Ronen Shapira, the G250 took off from Ben Gurion International Airport at 8:16 a.m. local time Friday. During the flight, which lasted 3 hours and 21 minutes, pilots tested the plane's flight-handling qualities and characteristics and performed initial checks of several aircraft systems.

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Deer stuck in mud in Novato coaxed to safety by helicopter

 Marin Humane Society spokeswoman Carrie Harrington said a crew working on the Hamilton wetlands project called in a report of a deer stuck in the bay mud at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Humane Society officer James Reis and Novato Fire personnel tried to reach the deer about 100 feet from dry land, but couldn't.A young deer living along the San Pablo Bay waterfront owes its life to a helicopter pilot.

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Action on copter postponed - Plan to salvage police helicopter program won't go before council until January

Topeka City Councilman Larry Wolgast has decided to wait until next month to ask fellow council members to keep the Topeka police helicopter unit operating. Wolgast pulled his proposed resolution regarding the program from the agenda for Tuesday evening's council meeting, which will be the council's last this year.

Wolgast said he'd removed the measure because:

— He'd received numerous requests for information from fellow council members and didn't think he'd be able to get all the answers back to them by Tuesday evening.

— The helicopter issue hadn't been scheduled to be discussed until almost the end of Tuesday evening's agenda after the council took up more than 25 other proposals, many of them regarding capital improvements.

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Video: Police helicopter's future uncertain

To watch video, click here

Topeka's Police helicopter will be officially grounded come January first. It was taken off of the city council agenda this afternoon after councilman Larry Wolgast decided not to bring the measure before the council.

Earlier this afternoon in Deputy Chief Gary Herman's office, he received an email delivering the news that the resolution to keep the police helicopter in the air was taken off the council agenda. Last week, Wolgast talked about funding the helicopter in 2010 with $150,000 of seized drug money.

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Looking ahead

 Coming Wednesday:

The National Transportation Safety Board will release cockpit-voice recordings of the Northwest Airlines flight that overshot Minneapolis in October.

Plane crashes at Payson Airport

The pilot of a single engine Cessna made a crash landing Friday morning at the Payson Airport. The pilot and his two passengers, all from out of town, escaped injury, however, the plane wasn’t so lucky.

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Single engine plane's wheel collapses at MacArthur

A small, single-engine plane was preparing for takeoff at Long Island MacArthur Airport Tuesday afternoon when its right wheel collapsed, airport spokeswoman Catherine Green said. Three people aboard the Piper Cub plane - the pilot and two students - were uninjured, Green said. The incident occurred at 3:45 p.m. on a general aviation runway. It did not affect commercial flights.

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2 in copter land safely in Chandler after engine problem

An instructor and student in a helicopter made a precautionary landing near Chandler Municipal Airport on Tuesday morning after experiencing problems with the alternator. They began their training flight from Stellar Airpark in Chandler and began to experience the engine problem on their way back to the airpark. They were about a mile west of Chandler Municipal Airport at about 9:25 a.m. when their alternator began to fail, said Jim Phipps, a Chandler spokesperson.

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Greenwood airport hires new operator

The company managing the Eagle Creek Airpark since 1986 will take over operations at the Greenwood Municipal Airport beginning Jan. 1, doubling the current work force in about the first month. Greenwood is considering moving its airport to lengthen the runway and expand space for planes, and the new operators say they would welcome that decision as a chance to expand their business and attract more corporate customers.

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Thunder in the Valley wins national marketing awards; announces 2010 dates

The 2009 Thunder in the Valley Air Show received first place awards for newspaper and radio advertising campaigns and second place in air show poster design by the 42nd annual International Council of Air Shows Convention. The convention was Dec. 6-9 in Las Vegas. The 2010 Thunder in the Valley Air Show will be March 20-21 at the Columbus Airport. Gates open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. both days.

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Cirrus asks for tax break from county

Cirrus and the county struck a deal in 2007 that would give the company an annual tax abatement if it kept employment above 930 people, but the company has not been able to meet that level. Cash-strapped Cirrus Aircraft would get an early Christmas gift from St. Louis County under a plan that received preliminary approval today from the county board. Commissioners meeting as the Committee of the Whole approved a request from Cirrus to forgive a $27,770 property tax payback the company otherwise would be required to make. The full county board could give final approval to the measure next week.

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Aviation white paper released

The Federal Government has released its aviation white paper which sets out tighter planning controls for airports and changes to security requirements for passengers. The white paper sets out the Government's blueprint for the aviation industry through until 2030. Capital city airports will be required to have planning coordination forums to guide developments through state and federal regulations. More details will have to be given about proposed changes and community consultation groups will be formed to give local residents a greater say.

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Hawker Beechcraft loses jet order, says no ‘negative impact’ expected

Hawker Beechcraft, which has suffered three layoffs or furloughs at its Little Rock operations this year, received another blow that’s been recently disclosed, but the company does not expect a “material negative impact.” The Wichita, Kansas-based jet outfitter is losing 90% of its business from one vendor, NetJets, a company that allows for partial ownership of luxury jets similar to how timeshare condominiums work.

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Design for Hernando County Airport control tower clears vote

BROOKSVILLE — The Hernando County Airport moved a step closer to getting a control tower on Tuesday, despite one local pilot's insistence that the facility isn't busy enough to warrant one. Commissioners voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with the state Department of Transportation for the siting and design of the planned tower, which officials have been talking about for several years. The agreement calls for the state to pay 80 percent of the $750,000 expense, with the county responsible for the rest.

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Presidential jet seen flying over Lynchburg

If you were watching the sky over Lynchburg this afternoon, you may have noticed a Presidential plane flying over. The Boeing 757 does carry the President on occasion, but it's only called "Air Force One" when the Commander in Chief is actually on board. Today it made a practice flight over Lynchburg for an operation known as "touch and go." Officials say the plane makes test runs like this on a regular basis and it has been spotted in Lynchburg before.

Source

Video: Edelsten still smiling after wrecking chopper

Geoffrey Edelsten and Brynne Gordon before their wedding last month. 

Photo: Gary Medlicott

 

To Watch Video, Click Here

EOFFREY Edelsten was believed to be on board a helicopter that crash-landed at Moorabbin Airport today.

Two people were in the Robinson 22 helicopter, which was on a training drill when it crashed on the centre runway at 10.17am.

>> PICTURES: Scene of the helicopter crash at Moorabbin Airport


Airport general manager Phil McConnell said neither of the people on board had suffered serious injuries.

About four fire trucks and two ambulances attended the scene.

Mr Edelsten, 66, is understood to have climbed out of the chopper wreckage and suffered only a cut hand.

Andrew Majdlik, leasing agent of Dr Edelsten’s new Caroline Springs medical centre development and friend, said he had been speaking to the newly wed Dr Edelstan last night about his flying.

“He’s always had an interest in flying and I know he has been keen on gaining his pilot’s licence,” Mr Majadlik told Leader.

“I was speaking to him at 7pm last night talking business and also about his flight today.”

Mr Majdlik was unaware of today’s incident until contacted by Leader.

“I was actually about to give him a buzz just as you rang. It’s the first I’ve heard about it,” he said.

He said Dr Edelsten had been looking forward to today’s flight, as he had done a lot of flying in the past.

The crumpled helicopter is on the runway in the south-east corner of the airport.

Mr McConnell said the chopper was usually based at Essendon Airport, but was at Moorabbin for training purposes.

Dr Edelsten, former owner of the Sydney Swans, last month married American Brynne Gordon, 26, in a reputed $2 million ceremony.
When flamboyant entrepreneur Dr Geoffrey Edelsten's helicopter crashed on his first solo flight, he looked up and thought one thing. "This certainly can't be heaven," a relieved Dr Edelsten, 66, told AAP after the crash at Melbourne's Moorabbin Airport about 10.15am (AEDT) on Tuesday. Dr Edelsten was nursing his wounds, a cut hand and sore knee, insisting that he was fine but very lucky, after the crash. An experienced fixed-wing pilot, Dr Edelsten has spent 80 hours training for his helicopter licence but his first solo flight lasted less than a minute.

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Video: Blackhawk Helicopter Joins Search for Missing Climbers on Mount Hood

The Oregon National Guard launched a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter Monday to assist in the search for two missing climbers on Mount Hood. Katie Nolan and Anthony Vietti were climbing with a partner, Luke Gullber Friday, when they failed to return from their climb at a scheduled time. The Oregon Guard is one of several groups participating in the search and rescue efforts, their aircraft are working hard when flying at this altitude, but they're a big help in searching dangerous terrain on days when avalanches threaten rescuers on the ground.

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Laser pointed at plane

A powerful laser "painted" a small plane flying over Hamilton last night, a dangerous practice which could have temporarily blinded the pilot, police warn. The pilot reported a green laser light painting her aircraft northeast of Hamilton's CBD and raised the alarm via radio, said Waikato police spokesman Andrew McAlley. The pilot circled the area, determining the light was coming from somewhere near Fairfield College, before landing at Hamilton Airport about 11.15pm.

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Related article > > > > > 

MoD gets £1bn for equipment but will lose aircraft and thousands of jobs

The government today bowed to pressure from defence chiefs by providing a £1bn-plus boost for frontline equipment, paid for mainly by cuts in the number of aircraft and the loss of an RAF bomber base and thousands of jobs. In the first steps in what is expected to be a more radical shakeup in military expenditure, Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, announced the purchase of 22 new US Chinook helicopters – though they will not be deployed until 2013 at the earliest – and a US C17 transport aircraft. The Ministry of Defence also ordered equipment vital in countering the insurgency in Afghanistan, including doubling its Reaper unmanned drones, improvements to what it called the "dismounted close combat" package (better body armour and night vision goggles), and better communications systems for special forces.

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Investigation into Truckee airplane crash could take months

TRUCKEE, Calif. — The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the investigation into Sunday's small airplane crash that left the craft's pilot and passenger unharmed. The single-engine turbo prop TBM 850 was on approach to land at about 5 p.m. Sunday at Truckee Tahoe Airport when the pilot encountered problems handling the aircraft, and went down in the Joerger Ranch property south of the Highway 267 overpass in several feet of snow, according to the Truckee Police Department. The pilot and passenger, Charles Simmons, of Los Altos Hills , Calif., and David Burow, of Woodside, Calif., walked away from the crash without injury. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Josh Cawthra said the group has spoken to the pilot and continues to investigate the cause.

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Headland Airport takes aircraft maintenance program under its wing

A new classroom program at the Headland Airport will help Henry County students get a head start on becoming part of one of Alabama’s biggest industries. The Ozark Aviation Campus of Enterprise Ozark Community College recently sponsored a program that allows high school students at Headland High School and Abbeville High School to take college-level aircraft maintenance courses. The college is moving the classroom for these courses to the airport so the students can get more hands-on experience in aircraft maintenance.

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Lockheed Martin to lay off workers who likely are headed to DFAS

About 600 employees of aerospace giant Lockheed Martin presumably will be working soon for the U.S. government. Lockheed Martin notified the state of Ohio on Dec. 2 that it will be laying off more than 400 call center representatives and accounting clerks, along with more than 200 temporary employees, who have helped the company to process pay for military retirees under a government contract. The federal Defense Finance and Accounting Service announced last April that it would not renew its contract with Lockheed Martin and instead would take the work in-house, with the employees becoming government workers, but remaining in Cleveland.

Read more > > > > > > > > >

Helicopter set to fly - Council expected to approve purchase today

City council is poised to approve the purchase of a police helicopter today and then wait until the new year for a report about the costs and benefits. Winnipeg's 2010 capital budget, a $431-million plan for infrastructure upgrades and equipment purchases next year, calls for the Winnipeg Police Service to spend almost $3.5 million on a helicopter, as long as the province agrees to provide new cash to cover the $1.3-million annual operating cost.

Read more > > > > > > > > >

British Airways: A 'Fight to the Death'

A Christmastime strike by 14,000 cabin crew promises to disrupt the plans of 1 million travelers—and could be devastating for Britain's flag carrier.  Senior British Airways managers last night warned they were in a "fight to the death" with unions over plans for an unprecedented 12-day strike by cabin crew which threatens to wreck the Christmas travel plans of over 1 million passengers. Virgin Atlantic, easyJet and Ryanair are set to make a fortune at the expense of BA after unions chose the nuclear option announcing a walkout from 22 December to 2 January following a 9-1 vote in favour of industrial action.

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Uneventful Tuesday at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: It was terrifying Tuesday again at the Mumbai airport but flight operations, for a change, went on without any major glitches. Although visibility did play truant, for a while, leading to five flights being diverted, more or less it was an uneventful day at the airport. The short runway that was in operation, on Tuesday, was used by 42 flights - 24 arrivals and 18 departures - between 1.20pm and 5pm. Last week, the runway 27A was used by only 19 flights.

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Subcontractors say airport should pay for work on runway

Trucking subcontractors who worked on an unfinished runway extension at Smith Reynolds Airport this afternoon told the Airport Commission of Forsyth County that they are owed thousands of dollars and the commission should pay them. The subcontractors hauled dirt for Mainline Contracting, a Durham company hired to do the runway construction. Mainline has filed for bankruptcy. Even before the filing, some subcontractors said that the company had not fully paid them.

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Thai Police to file more charges against the five-man aircrew of the aircraft

Thai police on Tuesday inspected arms impounded from a Kazakhstan-registered aircraft at Don Mueang airport and expect to file more charges on possession of illegal explosive devices against the five-man crew. Over 100 police on Tuesday went to Takhli airbase at Nakhon Sawan, 230 kilometres north of Bangkok, to inspect 145 crates of arms, weigh nearly 40 tonnes worth about US$18 million seized at Don Mueang on Saturday. The biggest weapons seized on a Soviet made cargo plane detained at Don Mueang airport on Saturday are new, ready-to-use weapons include explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, components for surface-to-air missiles, two mobile units - and two dozen 240mm unguided rockets and other armaments and that all are military weapons, not used before.

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Port Mansfield plane crash update

Investigators with the National Safety Transportation Board are expected to release preliminary findings about a fatal plane crash in Port Mansfield as soon as Friday. Pilot Harvey Kinikin and his brother-in-law Robert James Robinett were both killed in the crash last week. Lead NTSB investigator Leah Yeager told Action 4 News that the on-scene investigation has been completed. Yeager and others returned to their regional office in Fort Worth on Tuesday morning.

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Employment: Loadmaster Instructor - Trenton, NJ , United States

http://www.findapilot.com/Job-Pilot-2728-Loadmaster-Instructor-.html

Loadmaster Instructor

Location: Trenton, NJ , United States

Primary Aircraft: Other/Not Listed

Job Description:

Instructors shall be competent subject matter experts who are also trained in the methodology of instruction. They shall be proficient in evaluating, diagnosing, and critiquing student performance; id...

Login as a pilot to see the full job description

Minimum Requirements:

Desired Minimum Instructor Loadmaster/Flight Engineer Requirements: • Fixed Wing Multi-engine qualif...

http://www.findapilot.com/Job-Pilot-2728-Loadmaster-Instructor-.html

No truth to rumors Skydive Tecumseh being shut down by FAA, owner says

TECUMSEH, Mich. — Responding to rumors that the Federal Aviation Administration was shutting down Skydive Tecumseh, Franz Gerschwiler, owner of the company, said the issue is nothing more than an administrative process change. Besides, it may not happen anyway, he said. “It could be two or three years before it even gets to the Senate,” he said. “It’s not really a big deal. I’m not stressing about it.” The change is a request by the FAA to expand its air space control. The change would bring the Meyers-Diver's Airport in Tecumseh within the tracking of the controllers at Detroit Metro Airport. “We would have to communicate with the FAA of our use of the air space so they would keep other traffic out,” Gerschwiler said.

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Flying home for Christmas?

TWENTY YEARS ago it billed itself as the "World’s Favourite Airline". Now British Airways (BA) is acquiring a reputation as a debt-ridden Grinch set to steal Christmas, after its cabin crews voted overwhelmingly in favour of a 12-day strike starting on Tuesday.

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Video: Boeing 787 First Flight

Britain axes jobs, air base to fund Afghan choppers

The British Government is to cut jobs and close an air base to raise the money needed to buy more helicopters for the operation in Afghanistan. Twenty-two Chinook helicopters are on order to boost mobility, speed and safety.

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U.K. to buy 22 helicopters for Afghan mission

U.S. soldiers disembark from a CH-47 Chinook military helicopter in southern Afghanistan in February. The British government has announced plans to purchase 22 Chinooks from Boeing Co. (Musadeq Sadeq/Associated Press)

Britain's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that it will buy 22 new Chinook helicopters to help troops in Afghanistan, but that it will need to close a domestic military base to help fund the expenditure. Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said the additional helicopters were "indispensable" to ground operations in Afghanistan. "I am therefore delighted to announce plans to deliver more of these robust, effective and proven battle-winning helicopters," he said Tuesday.

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NTSB investigating incident at Charlotte airport

Federal aviation officials are investigating why an American Airlines flight landing in heavy fog Sunday night in Charlotte veered partially off the runway and then scraped a wingtip as the crew tried to correct the problem.

None of the crew or the 110 passengers aboard American Flight 1402, headed from Dallas, was injured in the rough landing at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport.

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Employment: G1000 & BE76 Flight Instructor - Camarillo, CA , United States

http://www.findapilot.com/Job-Pilot-2731-G1000-&-BE76-Flight-Instructor.html
G1000 & BE76 Flight Instructor
Location: Camarillo, CA , United States
Job Description:
We are looking to hire one experienced CFII/MEI for a full time position starting after the beginning of 2010. MEI & CFII ratings required, G1000 & BE76 time desired.
Minimum Requirements:

We are looking to hire one experienced CFII/MEI for a full time position starting after the beginnin...

http://www.findapilot.com/Job-Pilot-2731-G1000-&-BE76-Flight-Instructor.html

Airport security to be relaxed

Metal cutlery, nail clippers and knitting needles will be allowed back on domestic flights within Australia, in the biggest loosening of security since the September 11 terrorist attacks. The overhaul allows passengers to be able to bring on board "low-risk" items, in an attempt to reduce airport delays for airplane travel within Australia and allow security staff to focus on genuine risks, the Courier Mail newspaper reports.

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White paper to map aviation industry's future

The Federal Government will today set out its plans for the next decade in Australia's $6.4 billion aviation industry. The aviation white paper will cover issues surrounding safety, security, airport planning and workforce shortages. It will identify the need for a second airport in Sydney, but is not expected to nominate a site.

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Employment: GE Aviation adding employees in north Mississippi

BATESVILLE, Miss. -- GE Aviation is expanding its operation in the northern Mississippi city of Batesville. Gov. Haley Barbour said Monday that the company will add 350 jobs over the next several years. The plant already has more than 100 workers. The plant makes composite components for the GEnx jet engine, which will power Boeing's new 787 and 747-8 aircraft.

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Employment: Instructor Pilot - Trenton, NJ , United States

http://www.findapilot.com/Job-Pilot-2734-Instructor-Pilot.html

Instructor Pilot

Location: Trenton, NJ , United States

Job Description:

This Pilot Instructor is responsible for the accomplishment of ground-based, and/or aircrew training devices (ATD) training of pilots. As a qualified pilot, the incumbent conducts simulator and other ...

http://www.findapilot.com/Job-Pilot-2734-Instructor-Pilot.html

No injuries when plane flips after landing at San Jose's Reid-Hillview Airport

A small plane overturned after landing at Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose this afternoon, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said. Preliminary reports indicate the single-engine, four-seat Piper Pa-22 aircraft landed on the runway at about 4:10 p.m., experienced some engine trouble and flipped, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.

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Broken antenna scrambles air traffic over weekend

Low clouds and a busted antenna at the Santa Barbara Airport grounded planes and forced incoming flights to be diverted for several hours on Saturday, airport officials said. The antenna, an instrument landing system, guides planes safely to the runway during bad weather and periods of low visibility. Saturday’s storm, which brought heavy rains and low clouds to the area, essentially shut the airport to all air traffic for about three hours in the early afternoon, officials said.

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Air Force pilot killed by speeding car

STEVE SKIPTON/For the Courier-Post

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Air Force Lt. Col. Mark C. Jennings survived the Iraq War, where he piloted F-16 fighter jets through dangerous skies. But the 44-year-old died as he trimmed a tree outside his Erlton home Monday morning, struck by a fast-moving car that veered off Route 70. "When I heard he died, I figured it was in a jet crash," said Shawn Bernardini of Ocean City, who was an instructor with Jennings at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

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Mountain LifeFlight resumes fixed-wing operation

Mountain LifeFlight has resumed operation for hospital-to-hospital transfers with their fixed wing aircraft. The fixed-wing airplane is used for transfers between facilities via nearby airports. Mountain Lifeflight has offered fixed-wing airplane service to Lassen County since 1993.

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Cargo plane loaded with arms from North Korea linked to 2 alleged global weapons traffickers

BANGKOK — A weapons-laden cargo plane impounded in Bangkok has links to at least two men accused of global arms trafficking, including one fighting extradition to the U.S. from Thailand, an analyst said Tuesday.The five-man crew of the aircraft that arrived from North Korea — four from Kazakhstan and one from Belarus — have been charged with illegal arms possession and face up to 10 years in prison.

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Alternative Aviation Fuels — Not Just an FAA Priority

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) welcomes the announcement by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack of more than $600 million in awards to advanced biofuel projects. At least four grant recipients are working on technologies to produce fuels including renewable jet fuels. A number of the awardees also have a long standing relationship with the FAA co-sponsored Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) which coordinates public and private sector efforts to develop sustainable alternative jet fuels to help the aviation sector address energy and climate change challenges. .

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Study: Airport Noise Increases Risk of Strokes

Living under a flight path can seriously damage your health. German researchers have discovered that people exposed to jet noise have a substantially increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease. The findings are bound to provide further ammunition to anti-airport campaigners and make uncomfortable reading for world leaders at this week's climate summit in Copenhagen.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1929071_1929070_1947782,00.html#ixzz0Zms9DfVc

Plane scrapes wing, veers off course at airport

Federal air-safety investigators are trying to determine what caused an American Airlines jet to scrape its wingtip and veer off a runway while landing this weekend at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. According to an article published in the Wall Street Journal, the incident happened Sunday around 10:45 p.m. due to poor visibility caused by drizzle and fog. There were 110 passengers and crew aboard Flight 1402. Officials are trying to determine why it took the airline four hours to notify federal officials about the mishap.

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Small airplane flips while landing at Reid-Hillview

SAN JOSE -- A small plane has overturned after landing at San Jose's Reid-Hillview Airport yesterday afternoon.  A spokesman from the FAA says the single-engine, four seat plane landed on the runway, experienced some engine trouble and then flipped over.

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Police: Man broke into airplane, stole equipment

Almeb Gebbeyohannies was arrested on charges of burglarizing an airplane at the Orlando Executive Airport. (Orange County Jail, Orange County Jail / December 15, 2009)

Orlando police arrested a man they say broke into an unlocked airplane at the Orlando Executive Airport and stole $2,400 worth of aviation equipment. Almeb Gebbeyohannies, 22, was arrested around noon yesterday and charged with burglary, resisting arrest and trespassing. An airport employee called police after seeing someone exit the passenger side of a 1964 Cessna airplane with several bags. The suspect ran around the airplane and jumped over a fence near the airport's lobby, reports show.
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Air France A380 New York-Paris Flight Canceled

An Air France A380 bound for Paris didn’t take off from New York last night because of a fuel-tank issue, the second hitch on the route since the airline began flying the world’s largest passenger jet less than a month ago.

The double-decker Airbus jumbo jet’s 511 passengers were put up in New York-area hotels after the airline discovered that fuel was not transferring properly between tanks, said Marina Tymen, an Air France spokeswoman. The airline will put the passengers on flights to Paris today, she said. The flight, AF007, was due to leave John F. Kennedy airport at 7:10 p.m.

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In Compton, a runway from the past with an eye on the future

Airport built in 1924 includes a museum that teaches children as young as 8 about flying.

 Kirk Dombrose helps pull a freshly painted plane into a hangar. More than 200 aircraft are kept at the airport at Alondra Boulevard and Wilmington Avenue. (Bret Hartman/ForThe Times)

Walking into the 85-year-old Compton Airport is like coming upon a secret. There is no massive landmark like the Theme Building at LAX, or lighted letters pointing out the entrance. There aren't even signs on the freeway directing people to the oldest airport in the Los Angeles Basin. "It's a hidden gem. It's also a very important asset to the city," said Dennis Lord, a Los Angeles County aviation commissioner. "Most cities don't have airports. Compton does."

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Pennsylvania To Invest $10 Million For Airport Improvements

Nine airports can make upgrades and safety enhancements with the aid of a $10 million state investment from PennDOT’s Aviation Capital Budget/Transportation Assistance Program, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced today.

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Report cited in helicopter crash at A&M

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Investigators say the crew of an Army Blackhawk helicopter that crashed at Texas A&M did not follow correct emergency procedures. Two crewmembers died and three were injured in the Jan. 12, 2009, crash during a training exercise.
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Video: More Planes Added To Civilian Air Park

FORT WAYNE, Ind- The 122nd fighter wing moved two steps closer to opening a civilian air Park Tuesday.

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Two aircraft once flown by the air guard made their way down Ferguson Road to a future site for the park. The F-84 flown by the unit from 1958 to 1971, and an F-16 flown from 1992 to the present joined the F-100 and the F-4 already mounted in front of the base.

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400 pages of factual material being released on NWA jet that overshot MSP

About 400 pages of investigative material are being made public this week regarding the Northwest Airlines flight that flew past its Twin Cities destination in October and was out of communication for 77 minutes. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will open the public docket Wednesday on Flight 188, which originated in San Diego. It flew past Minneapolis-St. Paul by more than 100 miles on Oct. 21 before it reestablished radio contact over western Wisconsin with air-traffic controllers.

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NTSB To Release Material From Jet Overflight

Government investigators are preparing to release cockpit voice data and other details from their probe of a Northwest Airlines flight that flew past its destination. The 400 pages from the National Transportation Safety Board investigation into Northwest Flight 188 will be made available Wednesday morning.

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Colgan: Pilot errors led to plane crash

The regional airline involved in a February crash near Buffalo, N.Y., that killed 49 people, says multiple pilot errors were to blame for the accident. Colgan Air -- under fire from critics for its training policies -- says in a 67-page report submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board Monday the captain and first officer of Flight 3407 committed a laundry list of mistakes that ultimately led to the crash, CNN reported.

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Hartzell Propeller hails contract with Hawker Beechcraft

Hartzell Propeller Inc. has signed an agreement with Hawker Beechcraft Corp. for the exclusive supply of constant-speed propellers to all of its new piston and turboprop commercial aircraft, Hartzell said Monday, Dec. 14.

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Once mighty Iraq Air Force rebuilds – but pilots keep low profile

Help from above: Iraqi soldiers are dropped into a simulated battlefield by an Iraqi Air Force helicopter in Baghdad. SGt. Travis Zielinski/U.S. Army/Reuters

The Iraq Air Force is slowly reclaiming control of the country's airspace – the last bit of Iraqi national sovereignty to be returned as the Americans pull out.

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Pilots-n-Paws helping Tessa a Cane Corso

A Pilots-n-Paws pilot Don Travis met with Paula and Tessa and flew her from Mooresville to Athens, Ga where James Kleen, of Savannah, GA, decided to help out with the second leg of the trip. James then flew her to Chuck Wallace, of Dallas, TX, for the third leg. James picked her up on Sunday the 6th to fly her out. Once they met Chuck in Meridian, MS she had some potty time and a little exercise before getting ready to fly out once more.

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When you Visit the Pacific Aviation Museum in Oahu, Hawaii, You are Transported to December 1941 History it Depicts

It’s early Sunday morning. The red-and-white control tower stands over the Ford Island Airfield in the middle of Pearl Harbor. You feel the percussion of Japanese attackers’ bombs as they fall on Ford Island and the ships anchored nearby. Sailors, soldiers, and airmen dodge the bullets as they rip through the glass windows of burning aircraft hangars. You are there where bravery overcame fear and boys became men. World War II had begun for the United States.

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Safety Officials Probe American Airlines Jet's Botched Landing

An American Airlines jet scraped a wingtip and partially veered off the runway while landing in poor visibility Sunday night at Charlotte, N.C., and federal air-safety regulators are looking into why it took the carrier four hours to notify them about the event.

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NTSB investigating close call at Charlotte Airport

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – There was a close call Sunday night at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport after an American Airlines flight scraped a wingtip and partially veered off the runway. Flight 1402 arrived in Charlotte from Dallas around 11:30 p.m. and there was poor visibility that night.

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Children greet Santa at Twin Falls airport

Santa Claus arrives by helicopter at the Twin Falls airport Saturday. He and Kileigh Sigglin, 6, leave the helicopter to greet children from the Wishing Star Foundation who’d come to the Santa Fly-in event at the airport.(DREWGODLESKI/For the Times-News)

The reindeer took a Saturday off and the sleigh got a polishing as Santa and two elves arrived in Twin Falls Saturday by helicopter. It’s not the first time that pilot Tim Allen of Reeder Flying Service flew the portly toy mogul into Magic Valley Regional Airport with children waiting to tell him what they wanted. The second consecutive Santa fly-in is actually at least the fifth time it was done at the local airport, said Donna Newbry, the airport’s administrative assistant.

Read more at MagicValley

Santa Fly-In

Amid low ceilings and dense fog, Santa Claus arrives safely at the Orangeburg Municipal Airport on Sunday afternoon aboard a Cessna Citation jet. Pilots participating in the annual fly-in amended their original local flight plans to a taxiing-only event. (T&D CORRESPONDENT/DONNA L. HOLMAN)

Holiday excitement was in the air at the Orangeburg Municipal Airport Sunday afternoon as 125 children and their loved ones gathered to welcome Santa Claus to the Garden City. The Santa Fly-In, sponsored yearly by the local Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 1367, allowed parents to bring wrapped gifts to the airport beforehand to be included in Santa’s big red bag for personal distribution to each child at the culminating event. “I just checked the radar and saw two airplanes entering the airspace from the north,” said Ron Kohler, manager of the airport, setting the stage for the third annual volunteer event.

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Santa's coming to Princeton Airport

This year will mark the 34th year the operators of Princeton Airport have hosted a Santa Fly-In on Christmas Eve day. The Nierenberg family started the event at a neighboring airport and brought the tradition to the Princeton Airport in 1985. Airport Manager Kenneth Nierenberg has confirmed Santa’s arrival time to be 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 24.

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Ironton firm cuts ribbon on new facility - Partnership in Kentucky will create jobs, officials say

WORTHINGTON, Ky. — Executives from the Ironton-based Modular Security Systems, Inc., and the Kentucky-based Price Solutions cut the ribbon on their new 40,000-square-feet facility in the former Marathon, Inc., airplane hangar at the Ashland Regional Airport in Worthington, Ky.

Read the whole thing at Iron Tribune

Skydivers leap for a cause

KOCHI: Many a heart must have craved to be with President Prathibha Patil in the cockpit of supersonic Sukhoi 30 MKI and feel the adrenaline rush. Do not lose hope! For those who want to fly and that too outside the cockpit, a team of woman skydivers is set to help you. It’s something every child wishes for and a few try to fulfil. 

Read the whole thing at Express Buzz

Video: CAP - Holiday wreaths placed in memory of those who've served

Holidays are a time for family, which is what brought Mary Borgschatz to Soldiers Field Memorial on Saturday.

	Wreaths for veterans Wreaths will be on display through January.

There among the pavers are three engraved with names from her family: her father, Robert Konicek: her husband, Bruce Borgschatz, and her daughter, Erin Borgschatz.

Then there are all the other families of U.S. military personnel, both living and deceased, whom she took time to remember during a wreath-placing ceremony organized by the Civil Air Patrol.

Read the whole article at Post Bulletin

FAA Says Wasteful Spending ‘All Good’

"It’s not uncommon to hear the claim made that the “stimulus” would have had a greater economic impact had the money been focused on infrastructure. But proponents of public “investment” in infrastructure seem to forget that the government allocates capital on the basis of politics rather than economics. Government is naturally inefficient because it is immune to the market signals that guide private actors who stand to lose their own money should an investment not pan out."

Read the whole thing at Cato-At-Liberty

IATA wants AERA to rationalize airport user charges

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has put India on the 'Wall of Shame' for hiking airport user charges by over 200 per cent, but hopes that the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) would play a role to rationalise these charges paid by airlines and passengers.

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County to loan funds to overlay taxiway

Boone County’s quorum court has stepped up to the plate to help the county airport solve a cash-flow problem so that it can take advantage of a large Federal Aviation Administration grant, augmented by a smaller state grant, to resurface the airport’s taxiway, a $1.3 million project.

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