One Moment On Flight

Nebraskan Left Timecapsule of War--A Spitfire

2011-11-28T12:52:00.001-05:00

http://www.omaha.com

By David Hendee
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

On Nov. 30 1941, as his Royal Air Force Spitfire lost altitude, Roland "Bud'' Wolfe took off his leather helmet and wrapped it around the gun sight before bailing out. The plane crashed into an Irish peat bog. Wolfe lived to rejoin the war.

Published Monday November 28, 2011

« Metro/Region

A footnote in an aerial combat career that spanned three wars resurfaces this week from an Irish peat bog.
The two daughters of a Nebraskan who flew combat missions for Britain's Royal Air Force before the United States entered World War II plan to visit the site Wednesday where their father's Spitfire aircraft crashed precisely 70 years earlier.

High above the churchgoers who witnessed or heard the fighter's final moments, 23-year-old Pilot Officer Roland "Bud'' Wolfe was floating safely under a parachute to the hilly moorland.

It was Nov. 30, 1941. Seven days later, Japan attacked the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor and America was at war.

"We'll be connecting with our father in a very different way," said Barb Kucharczyk of Semora, N.C. "We really don't know what to expect, other than a deep emotional tug."

Kucharczyk and sister Betty Wolfe of Durham, N.C., are leading a group of 12 other family members and friends to see for the first time the place in Ireland where Bud Wolfe's plane crashed and to meet the people who have adopted the American's story as a symbol of courage and hope in a dangerous time.
Public interest in Wolfe's story spread across Britain when aviation archeologists recovered the crumpled wreckage — the best-preserved Spitfire excavated in Europe — last summer. Interest intensified earlier this month when the test-firing of one the aircraft's restored Browning .303-caliber machine guns — the sound of the Battle of Britain — was aired on a BBC webcast.
The clay muck of the bog preserved the aircraft pieces for seven decades. Searchers not only recovered the Rolls-Royce V-12 piston engine, propeller, six machine guns, large pieces of the fuselage and a fully inflated tail wheel, but also Wolfe's leather flight helmet and many other items.
The story of the excavation and of Wolfe's military career was first told in The World-Herald last summer.
Jonny McNee, an aviation historian in Northern Ireland who organized the search for and recovery of Wolfe's aircraft, said the project generated a reawakening in the British Isles of the need to hear the firsthand stories of the WWII generation.
"When they pulled the pieces out of the bog and discovered the leather helmet and oxygen mask still wrapped around the gun sight, it was a moment frozen in time," McNee said.

Wolfe volunteered for the RAF to defend Britain from Nazi Germany's air assaults. He learned to fly at Lincoln's Lindbergh Field in the late 1930s. His parents lived in Fremont, Lincoln and Ceresco during his youth. He was a graduate of College View High School in Lincoln and briefly attended the University of Nebraska.
Wolfe's Spitfire went down when he was returning from a routine Sunday patrol protecting maritime convoys off the coast of County Donegal at Ireland's northwestern tip. His engine overheated and the fighter lost altitude. He was about 13 miles from his RAF base at Eglinton, now the airport at Derry, in Northern Ireland.

Wolfe's final radio message: "I'm going over the side."
He slid back the cockpit canopy, wrapped his helmet, oxygen mask and throat microphone around the gun sight, unbuckled his seat straps and launched himself into the air over the cold and foggy Inishowen peninsula.
His aircraft buried itself in the soft bog at more than 300 mph.
A member of neutral Ireland's local defense force apprehended Wolfe near Moneydarragh, and Ireland added him to a growing population of detained Allied troops, German U-boat crewmen and Luftwaffe airmen who ended up on Irish soil.
Wolfe was held at a detention camp outside Dublin before escaping and rejoining the war in Europe with a U.S. Army 8th Air Force fighter squadron in 1943.
After returning from the war, Wolfe served at Kearney (Neb.) Air Force Base in 1947 and 1948. He flew F-86 Sabres in the Korean War and F-105 Thunderchiefs in the Vietnam War during a 28-year Air Force career. He retired as a lieutenant colonel and died in Florida in 1994 at age 76.

Kucharczyk said she expects powerful emotions to surface when she sees the Irish landscape her father knew, the wreckage of the plane he flew and the helmet, throat microphone and oxygen mask he abandoned.
The visiting Americans plan to arrive Tuesday in Derry. McNee has made special arrangements with the National Museum of Ireland to allow the group to see and touch Wolfe's flight helmet during a private showing. (The relic is undergoing intensive conservation treatment and still is too delicate to be on public display. Wolfe's faint initials, "RLW," are visible on an ear flap.)
The next day is the anniversary of the crash. The group plans to be at the crash site for a 12:30 p.m. ceremony. Later, the visitors travel to the Derry airport to unveil a plaque commemorating Wolfe's 133rd Eagle Squadron, view the recovered tail wheel, see the abandoned runway where Wolfe flew from and snack on biscuits and tea.

The remains of the aircraft eventually will be preserved for display at the Tower Museum in Derry.

An exhibition featuring the remains of the Spitfire opens Thursday at the Workhouse Museum in Derry. A film crew chronicled the Spitfire excavation for "Dig WW2," a coming British Broadcasting Corp. series on military archaeology from the war. McNee hopes to show a few snippets of footage of the documentary at the museum.

Kucharczyk said her father would not approve of the hoopla surrounding the anniversary of his crash. Wolfe talked little of his Air Force career and less about his wartime experiences.

"Though I'm sure he would have liked to see the wreckage and talk with McNee, the excavators and the explosives folk who got one of the airplane guns to fire," she said.

The family is humbled by the interest of the Irish and Britons in her father.
"We find ourselves drawn into the lives of these Irishmen and women, via a part of our father we are largely unfamiliar with," Kucharczyk said. "As Betty said, it's almost a homecoming."

Tennessee National Guard Helicopter Crashes, Two Pilots Killed Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/10/tennessee-national-guard-helicopter-crashes-two-pilots-killed/#ixzz1RiGnFHpX

2011-07-10T10:37:00.006-04:00

Another sad ending for great pilots. Serving our country, they died in a domestic accident. But, as for cause of the accident, can we make an educated guess as to the reason the power lines in the area were knocked down? Damned shame

lakotahope

Published July 10, 2011

| NewsCore

Caryville, Tenn – Two pilots were killed Saturday when a Tennessee National Guard helicopter crashed near Caryville in Campbell County, Tenn.

The pair were conducting a routine training flight when their OH-58D Kiowa Warrior aircraft crashed at about 5:30pm local time, according to Maj. Randy Harris, director of Joint Public Affairs for the Tennessee Military Department. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

The names of the pilots were withheld pending notification of their next-of-kin.

The Tennessean reported the helicopter had crashed in the woods near the Royal Blue Recreation area, about 30 miles (48km) north of Knoxville, and there was currently no access to the site.

The crash downed several power lines, leaving more than 5,000 households without electricity for a couple of hours.

Helicopter Pilot Dies Trying to Free Bull From Entanglement

2011-07-08T07:32:00.000-04:00

2010 wreck linked to effort to free animal from sheeting.

By CASEY GROVE
casey.grove@adn.com

Published: June 29th, 2011 09:50 AM
Last Modified: June 29th, 2011 09:51 AM

A helicopter pilot who died in a 2010 crash at an Aleutian island cattle ranch had been using his aircraft in an attempt to free a bull ensnared in plastic wrapping material, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

At one point the pilot tried to knock the bull down with the helicopter, a witness told investigators. The chopper crashed when a landing gear skid hooked the plastic-wrapped animal and briefly lifted it from the ground, according to the report.

Unalaska resident Lonnie Kennedy, 48, was killed in the June 19, 2010, accident. A recent accident analysis posted on the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association website highlighted the crash.

The problems began as Kennedy and two ranch hands at the Bering Pacific Ltd. cattle ranch on Umnak Island attempted to remove plastic sheeting from the uncooperative bull, NTSB investigator Larry Lewis wrote in his March 2011 report.

The ranch hands -- who had been riding in the Robinson R44 helicopter with Kennedy -- hopped out to count cattle, according to Lewis's report.

The bull was tangled in plastic sheeting, and Kennedy, piloting the chopper, tried to herd the animal toward

"This is open range," said Lewis, who worked on cattle ranches in his teens. "Cows are tenacious things, and when they start to run, you're not going to stop them, even with a horse. If you don't have some way to stop them, they'll just run for days."

After the first attempts to herd the bull didn't work, Kennedy landed on a trailing piece of plastic so the ranch hands could try to tackle the bull, the report says. Then Kennedy appeared to try to knock the bull down with the helicopter, the witness told Lewis.

"Herding animals with helicopters is a fairly common practice," Lewis said. "Now, as far as making physical contact with the animals, that's a different story."

The witness told Lewis that the pilot then hooked the chopper's right skid under the plastic and tried to lift up the bull. The plastic broke, the report says. The helicopter skid hooked the plastic a second time, the report says, and this time the helicopter lifted the bull off the ground.

Lewis said it's unclear how high the helicopter lifted the animal. He suspects it was a matter of feet. The added weight caused the chopper to pitch forward and to the right, according to the report.

The helicopter slammed into the ground, deforming the fuselage and causing Kennedy's fatal head injuries, the investigator said. The bull also died in the crash, but it's unclear exactly how, Lewis said.

Workers at the cattle ranch notified authorities and a Coast Guard helicopter crew arrived to find Kennedy dead, according to Alaska State Troopers, who later recovered the body.

An autopsy of the body in Anchorage showed no evidence of alcohol or drugs in Kennedy's system, according to Lewis's report.

There were no formal recommendations from the NTSB following the crash, Lewis said.

"This was not something that should have been done," he said. "It's not like a procedure you can change when it's something that you don't routinely do."

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association analysis put it more bluntly:

"Even in Alaska, there are some jobs for which aircraft just aren't well suited," wrote the AOPA's David Jack Kenny. "Lifting unrestrained livestock would seem to be one of them, especially animals that weigh more than the machine can lift."

The helicopter was registered to Calgary-based Bering Pacific Ltd. Officials for the company did not respond to interview requests Tuesday afternoon.

Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589

Airplane crashes into trees in Dubois

2011-07-06T20:18:00.000-04:00

Terron Allen, the private citizen who had the capability to climb the 50 feet into a tree to rescue a pilot is with a doubt, a hero of the day. Can't beat courage and determination in these situations.

lakotahope

Posted by

Chuck Eckles

in Top Stories

Wednesday, July 6. 2011

Updated: 9 hours ago

Comments (3)

Dodge County emergency personnel responded to a plane crash on Monday, July 4 off of the Dubois Church Road in northern Dodge County shortly after 8:00 a.m. Dodge County sheriff’s deputies, Gresston and Roddy firefighters and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel arrived to find the pilot of a small airplane trapped inside the wreckage atop a pine tree about 50 feet off the ground in a pine thicket with heavy undergrowth.
Emergency personnel were unsuccessful in reaching the pilot with ladders or bucket trucks due to the location of the crash and the height at which the plane was lodge in the treetop.
A private citizen, Teron Allen, who owns Allen Tree Service, responded to the scene. Allen used his equipment and climbed the tree to rescue the pilot. Allen secured the pilot in a harness and lowered the pilot to awaiting paramedics through ropes and repelling equipment. Allen risked his own life to help the injured pilot.

The pilot and owner of the ultra light airplane is James R. Spletstoser, age 84. Spletstoser was taken by helicopter directly from the scene and airlifted to a trauma center for evaluation of his injuries.
Spletstoser occasionally flies the ultra light plane from his private air strip on his property on Dubois Church Road as a hobby. Spletstoser was taking off from the air strip when he crashed into the treetops. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the crash. The plane crash was witnessed by a family member, who called 911.

Report: Islander ditching following engine failure caused by overloading

2011-05-20T11:47:00.000-04:00

Who continues their flight with an engine failure? Was he close to his destination?

At least the passengers survived this accident

___________________________________________________

Report: Islander ditching following engine failure caused by overloading

The Dutch Safety Board published the results of their investigation into an accident involving a BN-2 Islander aircraft of Divi Divi Air in October 2009.

The airplane suffered a right hand engine failure shortly after takeoff from Curacao on an inter-island flight to Bonaire. The pilot elected to continue to Bonaire on the remaining engine. Altitide could not be maintain and the airplane ditched off Bonaire. The pilot was killed in this accident. The nine passengers escaped the airplane relatively unharmed and were picked up by boats nearby the crash site.

The investigation showed that the airplane was unable to maintain horizontal flight after one of the engines had failed, due to overloading. The airplane was overloaded by 9%. With the continuation of the flight under these circumstances the pilot took a completely unacceptable risk. Furthermore the Board has established that Divi Divi Air used standard passengers weight that were too low. A random audit revealed that the maximum takeoff ‐ and landing weights, were systematically exceeded.

The investigation also revealed that the Divi Divi Air management insufficiently supervised the safety of the flight operations of their airplanes. Also safety oversight conducted by the Netherlands Antilles Directorate of Aviation was limited. In this light, the Safety Board referred to the ICAO audit that was conducted in 2008. This audit revealed many deviations of the ICAO standards and regulations. The Board is concerned about safety oversight on civil aviation at Curacao.

The results of the investigation have resulted in recommendation of the Board to Divi Divi Air and the Minister of Traffic, Transportation and Spatial Planning of Curacao and the Governor of Bonaire.

More information:

Airplane's GPS Signals to become Unreliable in Las Vegas

2011-05-19T16:52:00.000-04:00

FAA warns pilots in Las Vegas vicinity on GPS

By JOAN LOWY, AP
Wed May 18, 6:24 PM EDT

WASHINGTON — Pilots flying at night near Las Vegas over the next week may have to navigate the old-fashioned way — without GPS.

The Federal Aviation Administration is warning that navigation systems based on GPS technology may be "unreliable or unavailable" in about a 350 mile-radius that includes Las Vegas. LightSquared — a Reston, Va., company that plans to deploy an ultra-fast nationwide wireless broadband network of 40,000 transmitters and cell towers — is field testing its equipment in Nevada southeast of Las Vegas.

The tests are part of a deal LightSquared worked out with the Federal Communications Commission. The company has rights to frequencies located very close in the electromagnetic spectrum to those used for GPS. But the company's signals will be stronger than GPS signals, raising concern that they'll jam GPS in the vicinity of LightSquared transmitters.

Pilots said they see some irony in FAA's warning given the effort expended by regulators and the airline industry to keep passengers from jamming cockpit equipment.

"Flight attendants tell you to turn off your cellphones and your Kindles and whatever else because it may interfere the plane's electronics ... and yet I got this notice from FAA that somebody is going to do exactly the same thing, which is interfere with the navigation of the airplane," said John Gadzinski, an airline captain and aviation safety consultant.

All airliners and many other kinds of planes have backup systems that don't involve GPS. Also, many planes continue to use radio signals from FAA ground stations to navigate rather than GPS. That's been the primary means of aircraft navigation for the last half century. GPS is eventually expected to almost entirely replace radio signals.

Gadzinski also questioned the choice of the Las Vegas for testing.

"It's a hugely popular airport with a lot of traffic and a lot of terrain and a lot of reliance on GPS," he said.

Jeffrey Carlyle, LightSquared's executive vice president, said the Las Vegas area was chosen because it has several types of terrain that the company was looking for, including flat land with little or no "ground clutter," suburban areas with low-rise buildings and urban areas with taller buildings.

"You want to get a sense of how the signal acts in those different environments," Carlyle said. Las Vegas has little air traffic between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. when the testing will take place, he said.

Dick Knapinski, a spokesman for the Experimental Aircraft Association, which represents 175,000 recreational pilots, said most pilots will see the FAA notice and plan to use something other than GPS to navigate.

"It's like if you are in your car or truck and you've been relying on GPS to get someplace, but you might want to make sure you still have a map in your car and get it out," Knapinski said.

Airframe Parachute System Saves Pilot in Cirrus

2011-02-02T23:41:00.004-05:00

All too often, I read articles on Cirrus aircraft with their electronics and advanced designs and I wished I could fly one. Even dared to dream about owning a Cirrus. A really fine aircraft and higher performance than my abilities would safely enjoy. I'd get the hang of it after a proper amount of instruction.

Then I remembered the articles detailing the destruction of a Cirrus aircraft and it's crew. Why are the crew dying in a plane that has an emergency parachute. The stories I remember now, do not have any instances of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS™) being deployed. Is it because no pilot wants to fire the chute and face scrutiny afterwards? Does it cause alot of damage to the aircraft after it has been fired? I think one needs a minimum of 1,000 feet agl before one can be counted on to slow the aircraft for a vertical landing, safely.

Here is an article of a succesful chute deployment and survival of the pilot flying the Cirrus. Yup, happy ending, except for the part about the aircraft may be beyond salvage--but the pilot was the one that said it.....lakotahope

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TheDenverChannel.com Channel 7 News

Written By Megan Jurgemeyer, Content Producer

POSTED: 7:38 am MST January 30, 2011

UPDATED: 4:52 pm MST January 30, 2011

KIOWA, Colo. -- A small plane pilot walked away unhurt from a crash near Kiowa early Sunday after he deployed the aircraft's parachute system, authorities said.

The pilot took off from Centennial Airport, but had to deploy the Cirrus aircraft’s parachute system when he ran into trouble, said Cory Stark, director of Elbert County Emergency Management.Floating under the parachute, the plane landed on its wheels in a creek bed shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday, said Elbert County Emergency Management officials.

Residents on County Road 53 heard the crash and dialed 911 and a air traffic controller at Centennial Airport also reported the incident.Then pilot called 911 on his cell phone and was able to help guide emergency crews to his location using his global positioning system, Stark said.

Kiowa and Rattlesnake fire crews sounded fire truck sirens to help the pilot, who was talking to dispatchers, direct them to to him.Crews found the pilot at about 6:45 Sunday morning. He was uninjured, but he told officials he thought the plane was a total loss.

The pilot refused medical attention and was given a ride home by Elbert County sheriff’s deputies.According to the Cirrus website, all of the manufacturer’s aircraft are outfitted with CAPS, or the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, which helps to lower the aircraft to the ground after it is deployed.

Solar Sail Finally Deploys and Works

2011-01-29T22:20:00.004-05:00

If this contraption can work to expectations, this may well be an alternative to letting spent rocket boosters, tired satellites--space junk stay in space. We can deploy this with every launch and have expectations of bringing down low earth orbit experiments.

Great! I hope something works and I hope scientists can continue to come up with ways to deorbit satellites, boosters, junk and anything else we shoot upstairs. For those satellites, thousands of miles in orbit, what do we do, what is the cost to put a ion rocket on one? As I understand these ion rockets, they have a low thrust and yet, can work over long periods of continuous firing. Would this work? Do they cost too much and is the technology even remotely approaching a useful existence? Continuous thrust over months would certainly allow orbits to decay......Just dreaming.....lakotahope

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by Dr. Tony Phillips
Science@NASA Huntsville AL (SPX) Jan 25, 2011 In an unexpected reversal of fortune, NASA's NanoSail-D spacecraft has unfurled a gleaming sheet of space-age fabric 650 km above Earth, becoming the first-ever solar sail to circle our planet. "We're solar sailing!" says NanoSail-D principal investigator Dean Alhorn of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. "This is a momentous achievement."
NanoSail-D spent the previous month and a half stuck inside its mothership, the Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology SATellite (FASTSAT).

Only one spacecraft has done anything like this before: Japan's IKAROS probe deployed a solar sail in interplanetary space and used it to fly by Venus in 2010. IKAROS is using the pressure of sunlight as its primary means of propulsion-a landmark achievement, which has encouraged JAXA to plan a follow-up solar sail mission to Jupiter later this decade.

FASTSAT was launched in November 2010 with NanoSail-D and five other experiments onboard. High above Earth, a spring was supposed to push the breadbox-sized probe into an orbit of its own with room to unfurl a sail. But when the big moment arrived, NanoSail-D got stuck.
"We couldn't get out of FASTSAT," says Alhorn. "It was heart-wrenching-yet another failure in the long and troubled history of solar sails."

Team members began to give up hope as weeks went by and NanoSail-D remained stubbornly and inexplicably onboard. The mission seemed to be over before it even began.

And then came Jan. 17th. For reasons engineers still don't fully understand, NanoSail-D spontaneously ejected itself. When Alhorn walked into the control room and saw the telemetry on the screen, he says "I couldn't believe my eyes. Our spacecraft was flying free!"

The team quickly enlisted amateur radio enthusiasts Alan Sieg and Stan Sims at the Marshal Space Flight Center to try to pick up NanoSail-D's radio beacon.
"The timing could not have been better," says Sieg. "NanoSail-D was going to track right over Huntsville, and the chance to be the first ones to hear and decode the signal was irresistible."
Right before 5pm CST, they heard a faint signal. As the spacecraft soared overhead, the signal grew stronger and the operators were able to decode the first packet. NanoSail-D was alive and well.
"You could have scraped Dean off the ceiling. He was bouncing around like a new father," says Sieg.
The biggest moment, however, was still to come. NanoSail-D had to actually unfurl its sail. This happened on Jan. 20th at 9 pm CST.

Activated by an onboard timer, a wire burner cut the 50lb fishing line holding the spacecraft's panels closed; a second wire burner released the booms. Within seconds they unrolled, spreading a thin polymer sheet of reflective material into a 10 meter-square sail.

Only one spacecraft has done anything like this before: Japan's IKAROS probe deployed a solar sail in interplanetary space and used it to fly by Venus in 2010. IKAROS is using the pressure of sunlight as its primary means of propulsion-a landmark achievement, which has encouraged JAXA to plan a follow-up solar sail mission to Jupiter later this decade.
NanoSail-D will remain closer to home. "Our mission is to circle Earth and investigate the possibility of using solar sails as a tool to de-orbit old satellites and space junk," explains Alhorn. "As the sail orbits our planet, it skims the top of our atmosphere and experiences aerodynamic drag. Eventually, this brings it down."

Indeed, mission planners expect NanoSail-D to return to Earth, meteor-style, in 70 to 120 days.
If this works (and there is little doubt that it will), NanoSail-D could pave the way for a future clean-up of low-Earth orbit. Drag sails might become standard issue on future satellites.

When a satellite's mission ends, it would deploy the sail and return to Earth via aerodynamic drag, harmlessly disintegrating in the atmosphere before it reaches the ground. Experts agree that something like this is required to prevent an exponential buildup of space junk around Earth.
Alhorn and colleagues will be monitoring NanoSail-D in the months ahead to see how its orbit decays. They'd also like to measure the pressure of sunlight on the sail, although atmospheric drag could overwhelm that effect.

No matter what happens next, NanoSail-D has already made history: It has demonstrated an elegant and inexpensive method for deploying sails and become the first sail to orbit Earth. Eventually, the team will diagnose the sail's reluctance to leave FASTSAT-"and then we'll be batting a thousand," says Alhorn.
A follow-up story on Science@NASA will explain how sky watchers can track and photograph NanoSail-D before it returns to Earth. Stay tuned for "Solar Sail Flares."

Runway Directions Have Changed in One Florida Airport. All By Themselves

2011-01-07T10:05:00.001-05:00

Many of us older pilots remember the magnetic deviations that had to be taken into account when planing cross country flights. On our trust E6B computers, we'd calculate wind drift, mag. dev. and density altitude just to take into accounts variations that occur while we are in the air. Humidity, high and low pressure systems change our actual altitude enough, that we have to periodically get barometric pressure readings from the nearest FSS or ATC.

I don't recall any time where I have seen where the Magnetic fields had shifted enough to warrant a repainting of the numbers on runways. The amount of variation in True North and Magnetic North varies considerably across the United States. Interesting article by Jeremy A Kaplan and Jana Winter from FoxNews. .... lakotahope

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Magnetic North Pole Shifts, Forces Runway Closures at Florida Airport

By Jeremy A. Kaplan

Published January 06, 2011

| FoxNews.com

The planet's northern magnetic pole is drifting slowly but steadily towards Russia -- and it's throwing off planes in Florida.

Tampa International Airport was forced to readjust its runways Thursday to account for the movement of the Earth's magnetic fields, information that pilots rely upon to navigate planes. Thanks to the fluctuations in the force, the airport has closed its primary runway until Jan. 13 to change taxiway signs to account for the shift, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The poles are generated by movements within the Earth's inner and outer cores, though the exact process isn't exactly understood. They're also constantly in flux, moving a few degrees every year, but the changes are almost never of such a magnitude that runways require adjusting, said Paul Takemoto, a spokesman for the FAA.

The magnetic fields vary from place to place. Adjustments are needed now at airports in Tampa, but they aren't immediately required at all airports across the country.

So just how often is something like this necessary? "It happens so infrequently that they wouldn't venture a guess," Takemoto told FoxNews.com. "In fact, you're the first journalist to ever ask me about it."

Takemoto was quick to point out that the change, which also was required at Tampa's smaller Peter O. Knight airport, will have no effect on passenger safety.

"You want to be absolutely precise in your compass heading," he pointed out. "To make sure the precision is there that we need, you have to make these changes."

Kathleen Bergen, another spokeswoman for the FAA, explained that runway designations and charting rely upon geomagnetic information. "Aviation is charted using latitude and longitude and the magnetic poles," she told FoxNews.com.

The busiest runway at Tampa International will be re-designated 19R/1L on aviation charts. It had been 18R/36L, indicating its alignment along the 180-degree approach from the north and the 360-degree approach from the south, explained an article in the Tampa Tribune detailing the changes. Later this month, the airport's east parallel runway and the seldom used east-west runway will be closed to change signs reflecting their new designations as well.

"The Earth's poles are changing constantly, and when they change more than three degrees, that can affect runway numbering," Bergen said.

While rejiggering the runways is a very extreme event, the fields are constantly in flux and constantly being remapped, explained Lorne McKee, a scientist with the geomagnetism division of Natural Resources Canada.

"Since the fields change relatively slowly, they're marked out at 10 degree increments," he explained. The field has swung from approximately 10 degrees east in the late 16th century to 25 degrees west in the early 19th century -- before returning to a current value of about 3 degrees west.

It wasn't immediately clear when or even if changes would be required at other airports. And even the rate of change is inconsistent, McKee said, noting that it's changing much more quickly at the poles themselves.

Beyond just sliding around the planet, the magnetic north and south poles have been known to completely flip as well; these reversals, recorded in the magnetism of ancient rocks, are unpredictable. The last one was 780,000 years ago. Are we overdue for another? No one knows.

FoxNews.com's Jana Winter contributed to this report.

China Unveils New 5th Gen Fighter

2011-01-04T22:26:00.001-05:00

Looking at some of the pictures and video stills of this Chinese product, I'd say it is one big ass fighter plane. Looks bigger than the F22 of the USA, but maybe it is an illusion. Maybe, it is just a mockup with a Volkswagen motor driving the wheels so it can perform it's high speed ground tests?

So, the United States dismantled it's production capabilities of it's 5th gen figher, (F22), due to various reasons. $200 Million is alot of reasons, but what is the reality of China and Russia putting their 5th Gen fighters up in the air and they tackle our F22's and F35's. I'm going out on a limb a little and guessing that Defense Secretary Gates canceled further production of the F22 so we can develop and sell the F35 with a few of our allies. We'll make an attempt to sell the F35, without all of the software updates, and we will never sell the F22 to anyone. Although, Japan wants them and I am sure Israel could use them to hit Iran in the near future.

Chengdu J-20 fighter--A BIG, BIG FIGHTER. WHY?? .... lakotahope

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.

China reveals new stealth jet

The photos show the J-20 with a canard-delta twin-engine configuration, diverter-less supersonic intakes and a shaped nose that is consistent with the use of active electronically scanned array radar, the Defense News Web site reported.

by Staff Writers Beijing (UPI) Jan 4, 2011 China has revealed pictures of its first stealth fighter jet on a Chinese non-governmental Web site of a prototype of the Chengdu J-20 fighter being built for the Chinese air force. Chinese aviation experts say they have been snapping pictures of the aircraft since it took to taxi tests ahead of its first flight test in the coming weeks.
But is the sighting for real? Some experts claim the photos are fake or simply Photoshopped fighters created on computer screens.
Questions also arise over the unusually large Chinese red star painted on the tail.
"The red star insignias are normally smaller with parallel adjacent red bands," Defense News reported.
Other experts, though, say they believe the jet is genuine and long overdue.
"China has the money, they have the industrial expertise, they have the scientific base, the drive and motivation and of course the benefit of American research over 30 years acquired by legal or illegal means," one anonymous observer was quoted by a Time magazine blog site. "These enablers give China wide latitude in matching or exceeding American designs that are now 20 years old."
The photos show the J-20 with a canard-delta twin-engine configuration, diverter-less supersonic intakes and a shaped nose that is consistent with the use of active electronically scanned array radar, the Defense News Web site reported.
The design is viewed as similar to the Martin F-22 Raptor and the Sukhoi T-50 fighters and some observers maintain that the twin-engine configuration could signal use of the Russian-built Saturn 117S (AL-41F1A) engine.
Even so, the release of the J-20 photos follows comments made last week by U.S. Pacific Commander Adm. Robert Willard that China had reached the "initial operational capability" of its first anti-ship ballistic missile, the Dong Feng 21D.
The new weapon, the "D" version of China's DF-21 medium-range missile, entails firing the mobile missile into space, returning it into the atmosphere and then maneuvering it to its target. The deployment of the DF-21D is viewed as a potent threat because it will force U.S. aircraft carriers to operate further from potential hot spots in the Pacific.
Under U.S. military strategy, the Pentagon is obliged to send several strike groups to waters near Taiwan in the case China follows through on threats to retake the island.
The lone U.S. aircraft carrier strike group based permanently in the region is USS George Washington. Its home port is in Japan. A second carrier is planned for Hawaii or Guam.

10 Top Choices for Aerial Approachs by British Daily Mail

2010-11-22T23:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, I just thought I'd throw these out here so I can look at the sites when I so desire.....call me selfish..But, I like them ..... .lakotahope

Window seat please! Las Vegas airport among the world's top 10 most stunning aerial approaches

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:20 PM on 22nd November 2010

Las Vegas' McCarran airport is among the world's top 10 most stunning aerial approaches in a list published today.
'The aerial approach to Las Vegas is a truly spectacular one, offering the contrast of desert with a sudden metropolis, unrivalled for sheer size and glamour – even in daylight (though it’s even more dramatic at night),' travel website PrivateFly.com, which drew up the list, stated.
'If you are in a private jet you’ll have a panoramic view of Las Vegas and, on the left-hand side of the plane, the world-famous Strip stretches from the Stratosphere at one end to Mandalay Bay at the other.

What happens in Vegas... Las Vegas' McCarran Airport was in ninth place, making the list for its striking contrast of desert and metropolis, as well as the sheer scope and glamour of its setting

Princess Juliana Airport in St Maarten, Caribbean makes second place on the list due to its close proximity to the beach, with aircraft skimming over the heads of holidaymakers

Third is St Bart's Airport in the Caribbean, which is described as having a "thrilling" approach with angles, hills, unusual wind conditions and a short runway

IF YOU LOOK OUT OF YOUR WINDOW NOW .... THE TOP TEN

1. Sion, Switzerland
2. Princess Juliana Airport, St Maarten, Caribbean
3. St Barts, Caribbean
4. Gibraltar
5. St Gallen-Altenrhein, Switzerland

6. Funchal, Madeira

7. London City

8. Lukla, Nepal

9. McCarran Airport, Las Vegas, USA

10. Barra, Outer Hebrides, UK

'Red Rock canyon is another highlight, just to the West on the approach.'
Two British airports also made the list.
London City Airport provides 'a highly scenic approach over world-famous London landmarks', according to PrivateFly.com.
The other UK entry in the top 10 was Barra airport in Outer Hebrides where planes land on the beach and flight times vary according to the tide.
London City was described as providing 'amazing views' of the 02 arena in Greenwich, with the runway described by pilots as 'an aircraft carrier' for being relatively short and surrounded by water.
Although some passengers have described the approach as 'stomach-churning', pilots have said that it gives them a 'fairground-ride like buzz'.
And the route over such other landmarks as Big Ben and Canary Wharf tower has earned the airport its place on the list.
At Barra, meanwhile, 'visitors and cockle-pickers share the use of the beach', with planes landing on the shore and flight times varying according to the tide.

At number four, Gibraltar Airport, whose runway is intersected by a main road which is closed every time a plane takes off or lands

Sixth on the list is Funchal Airport in Madeira, which has a runway bordered by water on one side and hills on the other

Number seven on the list is London City Airport, whose steep approach is described by pilots as offering "a fairground-like buzz"

At number eight is Nepal's Lukla Airport, which has a ten-minute approach down a steep valley, followed by a sharp turn and uphill landing

The airport's three runways, which are on Traigh Mhor beach, are marked out with wooden poles in the sand.
'If you arrive in late afternoon on a gloomy day, cars may have their lights on to provide pilots with added visibility, since the airport has no artificial lighting,' said Privatefly.com chief Adam Twidell.
Gibraltar Airport, which is fourth on the list, rivals Barra when it comes to the quirkiness of its runway.
The approach is bisected by a main road which has to be closed to traffic every time a plane takes off or lands.

In tenth place was the unusual Barra Airport in the Outer Hebrides, where planes land on the beach and drivers may switch on their lights to provide extra visibility

The list was topped by Switzerland's Sion Airport, in the heart of the Alps, which offers a spectacular approach over the Rhone Valley.
A second Swiss airport, St Altenrhein, was in fifth place.
Twidell, who is an experienced pilot, said most of the airports chosen were ones which could be accessed only by smaller planes.
'In fact, a private jet or propeller aircraft charter brings back the glamour of flying - a reminder that a journey by air can be a life-enhancing experience in itself,' he explained.

Top of the list was Sion Airport in the heart of the Swiss Alps, which provides passengers with a stunning approach through the Rhone Valley

Swiss St Gallen-Altenrhein finished in fifth place, and was praised for its idyllic setting between Lake Constance and the foothills of the Appenzell region

Instructor and Two Students Die in Night Flight Training

2010-11-19T23:44:00.002-05:00

Crash in early evening flight. The official spokesman on site mentioned that it was unbelievable how much carnage this accident produced. It has been estimated the aircraft impacted at a 45 degree angle. Flying low, at night and looking for a place to land-engine problems? Or, maybe vertigo set in and they lost their ground references--assuming there were sufficient references available.

Damned shame and tragedy anyway you look at it!

I remember years ago, I was on my second night training flight with my instructor and I was hands on with this takeoff. The time was August and we had 5 miles visibility during the day and the conditions were typical in Virginia during August. Hot and muggy.

Well, right after rotation, above the treetops at around 800 agl, I noticed lights in the top of my windscreen and mentioned this to my instructor. I told her that an aircraft was paralleling us in the opposite direction. As soon, this announcement left my lips is when I looked at my artificial horizon and noticed it wasn't showing climb or wings level. The lights were actually ground lights from a nearby house. We were in a left bank, nose down. This was an eye opener and just the beginning of 1 1/2 hours of night instruction.

No night flight is a routine flight in my book. My instructor in those days didn't really trust our aircraft enough as to not be able to glide to a runway if the engine gave out. There really were no references on the horizon like in day flight. I'll never forget these flights. Now, my instructor was extraordinarily beautiful, from Sweden and she was here gaining time to graduate to the airlines.

She was very professional and I was quite happy to fly with her as she didn't take up near the amount of space a male instructor would and I much appreciated her help when I felt somewhat lost on those night flights.

The ending of my last training flight for my required minimum night hours, I parked the aircraft and crawled out to tie it down. Remember, August in Virginia is like being in the deep dark tropical jungle of one's nightmares. Hot, Muggy and Miserable. As I was walking around and came up to her, I told her that she was the first woman to ever make me sweat so much without having kissed me first. She just gave me me my logbook and a funny grin, figuring that maybe all American men were a little crazy. ... lakotahope

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By Bernie O'Neill
Nov 19, 2010 - 2:16 PM
2

Plane crash victims identified

The investigation continues. Wreckage of an aircraft can be seen in a farmer’s field northeast of the village of Whitevale west of Concession 24, south of Hwy. 407. The plane crashed Thursday night killed a Seneca College flight instructor and two students. Staff Photo/Sjoerd Witteveen

Plans are underway for a private memorial for the two Seneca students and their flight instructor who died in a crash just east of Markham last night.

Flight instructor, 26-year-old Azizullah Yoosufani and two third-year students, 20-year-old Cynthia Hoi-Mei Tsang and 20-year old Lloyd Myles Cripps were returning to Buttonville airport from a routine flight training exercise when, around 7 p.m., Pearson International Airport notified Durham Regional Police they lost the plane on radar.
Meanwhile, the school is in mourning.
“It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of two students and a flight instructor during a routine night flying exercise last night,” David Agnew, president of Seneca College, posted this morning on the college’s home page. “Our deepest condolences go to the families, and we extend our sympathies to the students, faculty and staff of the aviation school who have lost friends and colleagues. Out of respect, our flags will fly at half-mast and we will cancel Seneca Week activities scheduled for next week.”

Meanwhile, a representative from the airplane’s manufacturer was flying to Toronto today to inspect the wreckage of a plane crash that took the life of the young Seneca College flight school instructor and two students.

Inspector Peter Machete of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said a Beechcraft aircraft representative expected to arrive from Wichita, Kansas, will help as they try to figure out why the training flight went down in a farm field just south of Hwy. 407, killing all on board.
Mr. Machete said observations from the scene suggest the plane hit the ground at about a 45-degree angle. “It was quite an impact,” he said of the crash, which left debris from the small plane strewn across a wide area.

Mr. Machete said he could not speculate on if unsettled weather played a factor in the crash or if the pilot was attempting to make an emergency landing on the nearby highway, something another pilot had done successfully earlier this year.

Durham police received a call from Pearson airport around 7 p.m. about a flight controllers had lost radio contact with, Inspector Jamie Grant told reporters gathered near the rural crash site.
A police helicopter searched the area and located the downed plane scattered in several pieces in a farmer’s field north of Sideline 24 and Concession 5, near Hwy. 407, in Whitevale, he said.
“It’s devastating,” Insp. Grant said, describing the crash scene. “It’s just unbelievable how much carnage there is there. It’s a sad sight.”

The three victims were believed killed instantly.
“We don’t know the cause of the crash at this point,” Insp. Grant said.
Transport Canada was on scene conducting an investigation, assisted by Durham police.
“It’s really sad to see that ... three young people have lost their lives in this tragic accident,” Insp. Grant said.
About 10 flight school students from Seneca College were at the scene late Thursday night.
One of the young men, who would not give his name, said Mr. Yoosufani was very competent.
“He was a confident instructor, a very great guy,” the student said.
The plane had been returning to Buttonville Airport when it lost contact with air traffic control.
“They had been cleared to return and land at Buttonville,” Insp. Grant said.
Pieces of the single-engine plane, which Insp. Grant said he believed was a Beechcraft, were scattered widely over a massive plowed field, he said.

Local fire services, the police forensic identification unit and the coroner were on scene. Police used all-terrain vehicles to navigate over the soft ground.
There are five Beech F33A models registered to Seneca College in North York. All of the one-engine models are based out of Buttonville airport.

Seneca College has the only aviation technology-based degree in Canada, according to the website of the college, which has a flight program that grants a bachelor of applied technology.

F22 Missing On Training Flight In Alaska

2010-11-17T11:40:00.000-05:00

This is the first time I've heard of an F22 fighter going missing anywhere. Sadly, this happened in Alaska which consistently swallows aircraft and never reveals their location again. I don't know what kind of beacons or electronics the military employs to announce a crashed plane's whereabouts, but I hope the pilot is found sooner than immediately. ....lakotahope

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NBC News and news services

updated 1 hour 44 minutes ago

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Search and rescue teams are looking for a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor and its pilot that went missing during a flight over Alaska late Tuesday, military officials told NBC News.

The officials said the advanced stealth fighter jet was about 90 miles northeast of Elmendorf Air Force Base when it "dropped off the radar."
There was no mayday or any other communication from the pilot that would have indicated the plane was in trouble, the officials told NBC News. There have been no distress calls from the pilot since the plane went missing.

U.S. military helicopters and at least one C-130 have so far failed to turn up any sign of the missing fighter jet, according to NBC News.
Base spokeswoman Corinna Jones told The Associated Press Tuesday night that the pilot was the only person in the craft, which was on a training mission. Air traffic control lost contact with the jet at 7:40 p.m. Alaska time, she added.
Jones declined to identify the pilot, but noted the aircraft is assigned to Elmendorf's 3rd Wing.

Weather conditions in nearby Anchorage at the time the jet lost contact were fair, The Weather Channel reported.

Unexplained Missile Launch Off Los Angeles--But, There Is Better Information

2010-11-11T09:15:00.039-05:00

As I find more diverse sources to add to my information on this possible missile launch off of California last week, I am leaning in the direction of the naysayers and say, that this is probably a commercial jet. Some blog sites even list the possible Commercial Carrier and Plane ID number. Given the military has capabilities that Martians don't know of, why couldn't they come up with this type of data from ATC within the first 48 hours. After one day and a half, all they could say was it wasn't a threat to the United States, but we still aren't sure what it is....The military did go so far as to say, this contrail didn't belong to them. Okay.

Now we have here a plethora of data from a guy that has his website geared primarily towards deciphering contrails. So, in the middle of this episode, he has a diagram detailing the effects of an optical illusion, as what this episode is being labeled by the specialists that know rockets and airplanes.

I will modify his diagram with one launch trajectory in red that would also show this as a rocket launch and not an optical illusion (just for kicks--playing the devil's advocate here). Most of the experts say this object was much too slow for a missile, but with this trajectory I laid out, it would give the reason of being slow to an observer, yet still be a missile

...lakotahope

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FROM CONTRAIL SCIENCE

[This post was originally from Jan 19th, 2010. I've updated it with information about the "Mystery Missile" contrail of Nov 8, 2010, at the bottom of this post. Clearly it's the same thing]
An interesting contrail cropped up off the coast of San Clemente, Orange County, California on December 31st 2009. The curious shape led some people to think it’s a missile launch, which it does kind of look like (all taken from San Clemente)

"Missile-like" contrail. Note this is the Dec 31st contrail, not the Nov 8th CBS one. That's at the bottom of the post.

This kind of contrail confusion is nothing new. This article appeared in The San Mateo Times, Jan 12, 1950:

Here’s some more shots of the same contrail. Click these for larger images:

The idea that it’s a missile launch comes from three misconceptions. Firstly that the trail is vertical – it’s not, it’s a horizontal trail, at around 32,000 feet (about six miles). It’s the same as this:

This contrail is no more vertical than the road is, and nor are the power lines at 45 degrees. Everything is horizontal – it’s the just the angle you are viewing it from. All of these show horizontal contrails.
Secondly there’s the misconception of direction, that it’s flying away from the viewer, when it’s actually flying towards the viewer. This is because the “base” of the contrail seems wider than the tip. Perspective tells the brain that this mean the base is closer. But actually you can see the base has been greatly spread by the wind. Since it’s so far away the effects of perspective are greatly diminished, meaning the actual width of the contrail is what is creating the illusion. Imagine if a plane with a 100 mile long spreading contrail were coming towards you; what would it look like? It would look exactly like this.
Thirdly there’s the idea that it goes all the way down to the ground. Now that might be true if the Earth was flat, but the Earth is round, and things go beneath the horizon eventually, no matter how high they are. A plane 200 miles away but five miles up is always below the horizon. If the horizon is raised (as it is here, with Catalina Island), then the distance is less. Here’s some math:

--------------------------------


Given the same parameters as in the previous diagram, the observer would still see this object going slowly, yet moving away at a speed consistent with a missile/ rocket The plume near the horizon is closer to the observer and according to the average logical layman, is supposed to be larger. Object closer to observer, bottom of contrail, is bigger. While the object further away, top of contrail with moving object, IS further away and therefore, smaller! ....lakotahope

This was definitely a failed rocket launch from the Russians. When they fail, they are spectacular. My point is look at the contrail as it is showing the corkscrew effect of rotation. Burn through of the rocket housing? I dunno, but one specialist said this is typically what it would look like. In the newest video, there is a partial corkscrew trail.

For you Mathematically Inclined Folks, Contrail Science will provide the Following:
This diagram is not to scale, but the math is the same regardless. The solid curved line is the surface of the earth. The dot at the top is San Clemente. The little triangle is Catalina. “d” is the distance to Catalina (d=35 miles). “c” the amount of Catalina that is visible above the horizon (c=0.05 miles, really a bit more, but let’s be conservative). “a” is the altitude of the plane, (a = 6 miles). “r” is the radius of the earth (r=3963 miles).
The green wavy line is the contrail. Notice it’s at a fixed height above the surface of the earth, and is going directly towards the OC.
The point labeled (0,0) is the center of the earth. (0,0) means X=0, Y=0, where X is horizontal and Y is vertical. What we want to know is how far away the plane is, the value x. We do this with cartesian geometry, noting that the lowest visible point of the trail is at the intersection of the dotted line, which is a circle of radius (r+a), hence the equation x^2 + y^2 = (r+a)^2 and the line labeled “sight line”, which is has the equation y=r+x*c/d. Combining these equations to solve for x yields a quadratic equation, which we can solve with Wolfram Alpha:
intersection of (y=r+x*c/d) and (x^2+y^2 = (r+a)^2)
and with the real numbers:
intersection of (y=r+x*c/d) and (x^2+y^2 = (r+a)^2) where a=6 and d=35 and c=0.05 and r=3963
Which gives x = 212, meaning that the bottom of the contrail is around 200 miles away. So if the front of the contrail (the actual aircraft) is somewhere above and behind catalina, then that means the contrail is over 100 miles long. At 500 mph, that means it could have formed in 12-15 minutes, which seems consistent with the descriptions in the discussion above. (feel free to play around with the numbers there to see the affect of various assumptions)
Looking at the satellite image for noon on that day (12/31/2009) and the next day (1/1/2010), we see contrails in approximately the same position, and around 100 miles long, showing it’s quite possible, given the right weather.

Really what makes this odd looking is the position of the people taking the photo. Obviously the same contrail would be visible all the way up the coast, however the only people who though it was really odd were those who were lined up with it, in OC. People in LA would see a dramatic looking contrail, but more obviously just a contrail, so less worthy of writing to the newspaper about. I actually saw it myself, but was in a car, and could only get a poor cell-phone snapshot:

And here’s some excellent points from a real rocket scientist, posting as “Michael”:

I’d like to add to all the evidence above that it was just a jet, because the plume is nothing like a rocket plume to the trained eye. I was a rocket safety inspector for 3 years, have seen countless launches and failures, and have a master’s degree in Astronautical Engineering. Here’s why it’s not a rocket:
It’s too slow (<— biggest reason).
There's no engine flare.
There's no expansion of the plume (as the chamber pressure exceeds the atmospheric pressure more and more during flight).
There's no staging event.
There's no sunset striations across the plume (which would look like this: http://tinyurl.com/2vklwu5).
In the wide shot there's two contrails (off each wing!) instead of one.
The plume at the plane is twirling in different directions (very un-rocket-like).
The plume at the plane is twirling too much — that only happens in the case of a motor burn-through, which is a failure mode, meaning it would be seconds from exploding if it were a rocket.
The wind-blown plume is all wrong, vertical plumes go through several different wind shear layers, which makes it look very different than what the video shows.

There is much more from this WEBSITE.
http://contrailscience.com/
For a complete and very informative presentation on this contrail episode and other contrail phenomenon, go to this site. You will not be disappointed. lakotahope

Northern and Southern Lights Filmed on Saturn by Hubble

2010-02-14T12:30:00.001-05:00

Saturn is a strange planet anyway....There exists a very strange octagonal feature on one of the poles. 2001 A space oddity absolutely

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk

A spectacular light show on Saturn has been captured in unique new photos of the ringed planet.

The aurora images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) were made possible by a rare chance to see the planet with its rings edge-on and both poles in view.

It takes Saturn almost 30 years to orbit the Sun, and during that time such a picture opportunity occurs only twice.

The images show glowing aurorae flickering at each pole - Saturn's equivalent of the Northern and Southern Lights on Earth.

Hubble will never capture such images again because the telescope is due to be decommissioned before the same view of Saturn is repeated.

Loran C Has Been Posted to the Graveyard

2010-01-19T08:39:00.004-05:00

I have to admit that ever since the introduction to the general public of GPS, I haven't given Loran C much thought. GPS was a magical addition to flying operations. No one had to read maps any longer and we could even use it to drive to Grandma's house in Key West from Juneau.

But, Loran C was at one time the electronic means to locate oneself on a map, especially along water ways. Boats with extra equipment always had this device and alot of airplanes could utilize it.

Now that I think about it though, I remember only one trainer having it installed out of 5 or so Cessna 152s in stock, that I used while training for PIC. Of course, I started out in a 150 Aerobat with the basic comm set and I was just happy learning to land my first few lessons. One day, I got my hands on a newer 152 that was real easy on the eyes. I think all planes are easy on the eyes--especially when in the air. I wanted to learn how to use this Loran C, but my instructor said it wasn't necessary--I suspected his knowledge of it was limited at best.

This was at a time I when I was soloing and asked my instructor if we could do spins, NO, and eventually,I asked all of the available instructors if they would teach me spins, NO! Blank looks, stares met me at every request. They had done their spin training to get their certifications, but I wasn't required to have it to get my private pilot certification. Also, their excuses included the notion that it would tumble the gauges and do irreparable harm. Always thought we could cage a gyro, but no forward progress here at this time.

Having accepted all the no's available, I forgot about the Loran C and spin training.

Ok, now the Loran C is being disabled as costly and unnecessary to the U.S.A for redundancy and safety. I wonder what we have as a backup to GPS? The constellation of satellites are getting older and eventually, the replacements in space will need to be replaced, but as I understand it--newer generation GPS satellites aren't a top priority now. Another question, begs, who has Loran C still installed in their cockpits? If GPS failed, how long before it went back online?

China and Russia are putting up their own GPS type systems for their strategic value, but all of the systems are incompatible at this time. China's systems are 3 to 5 times more expensive than ours and not yet as accurate. It'll be like our space program. We can hitch a ride aboard Russian spacecraft, because we will not have an active space program to lift human cargo beyond 2010 and we can use the other global powers' GPS type systems when we don't fund the USA version any longer. ...... lakotahope
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Coast Guard sounds death knell for loran-C

By Sarah Brown

The U.S. Coast Guard gave notice Jan. 7 that it will start decommissioning the long range navigation (loran-C) system beginning Feb. 8.

All loran stations will cease transmission by Oct. 1, according to the notice. While loran-C is not now widely used for navigation, government and independent agencies have recommended using an enhanced version of it, eLoran, as a national backup system for GPS. The termination of loran will leave the country without a single national backup system in the event of a GPS outage.

“Recent reports have shown that the constellation of satellites is vulnerable to outages and service disruptions,” said Craig Spence, AOPA vice president of operations and international affairs. “AOPA has long cautioned against decommissioning loran before a separate navigation system is established as a backup.”

The vulnerability of satellite coverage was made clear in 2007, when a scheduled Navy training exercise in the Port of San Diego unintentionally jammed GPS signals, shutting down satellite-based navigation, tracking, and cell phone services. Outages could become more frequent as older satellites reach the end of their operational life: A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in 2009 concluded that many of the older satellites in use could stop working faster than they can be replenished, possibly resulting in reductions in service as early as this year.

In the event of a loss of GPS-based services, the Coast Guard says that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has determined that sufficient alternative navigation aids currently exist and that loran is not needed. However, a 2006 Independent Assessment Team (IAT) report commissioned by the DOT and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) found that “eLoran is the only cost-effective backup for national needs … . It is a seamless backup, and its use will deter threats to U.S. national and economic security by disrupting (jamming) GPS reception.” IAT reiterated its support of eLoran in 2009.

The DOT and DHS jointly recommended in 2007 that eLoran be the national backup for GPS, and DHS formally announced in February 2008 its intention to implement eLoran as a national positioning, navigation, and timing system to complement GPS in the event of an outage or disruption in service.

Loran-C has been periodically slashed from budgets over the past several years, but it has always been restored pending a decision on what system will be in place if satellite services are disrupted. Decommissioning loran-C would eliminate the infrastructure upon which a potential eLoran system would rely.

The 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, signed into law in October 2009, allows for the termination of the system subject to the Coast Guard certifying that termination of the signal will not adversely impact the safety of maritime navigation and DHS certifying that the infrastructure is not needed as a backup to GPS or to meet any other federal navigation requirement. The Coast Guard determined that those certifications were made.

According to the Office of Management and Budget, shutting down loran-C will save $36 million in fiscal 2010 and $190 million over five years.

Light Sport Aircraft Delivery Made to Cessna

2009-12-22T15:08:00.002-05:00

I've been waiting to see this aircraft come into fruition and I hope it will succeed in the American marketplace. With the new tail feathers added as a result of abhorrent behavior during power-on stall trials, this aircraft is ready for flight training and the Light Sport Aviation pilot. Two aircraft were lost in flight tests--one being dragged across the ground by its BRS chute after having failed to recover from spin tests.

At a starting base price of $111,000, this is an aircraft that looks like it may be in the pocket book range of more private pilots and aviation clubs. .. lakotahope

Skycatcher Joins Light Sport Aircraft Fray
Dec 21, 2009
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Kerry Lynch

Cessna Aircraft Friday took a step forward in its plans to become a major player in the light-sport aircraft market with the delivery of the first Model 162 Skycatcher Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). The aircraft was handed over to Rose Pelton, wife of Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton, during a ceremony at Yingling Aircraft in Wichita, Kan.

Yingling is one of three facilities in the U.S. that will reassemble Skycatchers produced by Shenyang Aircraft Company (SAC) in Shenyang, China. SAC builds the Skycatchers, integrates the engines and avionics, and then ships the aircraft to the U.S. for reassembly.

Delivery followed Cessna's determination last summer that the aircraft has demonstrated compliance with ASTM standards.

As an LSA, the aircraft is not required to receive FAA certification, but must meet the standards established by the international standards-setting organization ASTM International. The determination cleared the path for delivery, as well as signified that the program overcame development setbacks that occurred when the aircraft crashed twice during spin testing (BA, March 30/12).

Cessna announced plans to enter the LSA market with the Model 162 Skycatcher two-place, single-engine piston, high-wing aircraft during the AirVenture Oshkosh in 2007. The company has since accumulated more than 1,000 orders for the aircraft, which was priced at $111,500.

The aircraft was designed to fit within the LSA category, which calls for aircraft to have a maximum gross weigh of 1,320 pounds or less and a top speed of no more than 120 knots. Powered by the Continental O-200D 100-horsepower, air-cooled engine and a fixed-pitch propeller, the aircraft will cruise at speeds of up to 118 knots and have a 470-nautical-mile range.

The Skycatcher is equipped with Garmin G300 avionics, which include either a single, split-screen primary flight display with a multifunction display, or two full-screen displays. Cessna said the aircraft will be capable of Visual Flight Rules/Day/Night operations.

The Wichita airframer also has worked with King Schools to develop a Web-based training system for sport and private pilots. The training will be offered through the Cessna Pilot Center network. The first four centers gained approval to use the programs (see item on Page 285).

Photo credit: Cessna

The Last Official Ice Airport in the Continental United States

2009-12-15T16:32:00.006-05:00

In the small amount of time that I have flown as PIC, it never occurred to me to want to land on an ice covered lake. Granted, I've dreamed of having a Lake Amphibian or a Sea Otter and the thoughts of gliding over tall evergreens surrounding the perfect lake in a "very hospitable" valley. Landing gently on the mirror like surface and taxiing to the perfect camp site. Yes, dumping all of my camping gear out of my aircraft and setting camp, then throw out my first cast. I really can picture this moment now at this keyboard.

But, I want to lead up to the following article about an Ice Airport that is only open a couple of months a year--weather permitting. Ice on highways is dangerous and I've usually been cautious when driving in wintery conditions. Oh, there were a couple of times in my youth where we'd find the largest snow covered parking lot and see what the dynamics of sliding cars entailed. (I did learn how to get into, get out of and especially recognize inherent out of control phenomenon, which I am sure aided me in driving safely on the previously mentioned wintery roads). Ice on landing strips seems bad and wanting to land on an ice covered lake seems worse. Just because I haven't spoken with any pilots who have enjoyed this part of flying, nor do we have any lakes in my area that will freeze solidly and thickly enough to hold my weight and my aircraft's weight. But, the following video is great and read the article--just click on the title of this particular blog....Sigh! ... lakotahope
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Buffalo Crash Blamed on Cockpit Crew

2009-12-15T00:43:00.000-05:00

After all was said and done, I reckon this wasn't hard to figure out. The plane virtually pancaked and the pilot never pushed forward on the control wheel to stop the stall. The instruments were there to tell him that a stall was in progress, but he refused to inhibit the stall and continued to hold the control column back.

Maybe, this was due to the fact he wasn't much above 1,000 ft. agl. Also, due to the co-pilot not being 100% at the time and they weren't abiding by one of the rules in the cockpit--no talking about anything other than what is necessary to fly the aircraft safely under 10,000 feet.

There was more than one factor involved in this crash and the pilot and co-pilot were victims to these circumstances as were the passengers and the victim on the ground..... lakotahope

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Russia To Launch MIM1 Module To ISS Next Year

2009-12-08T22:43:00.003-05:00

It looks as if Russia is still gaining momentum in its space affairs. It does feel good to read decent news about Russia and its desire to continue building and providing for the ISS in light of the fact that the U.S. has effectively quit our space adventures for the next 6 or 9 years after 2010. This is when the Space Shuttle fleet will be stood down and each orbiter will be put on display around the country for a paltry 40 million dollars each. Well, somewhere around that number.

Russia is also putting up 2 more energy modules by 2014, which is boosting the energy supplies of the Russian segment. Can this strictly be only for the Russian segment. Do the other segments have ample power supply? I guess one can never have too much power for whatever demands that may arise when the U.S. cannot get itself back into space without asking or buying a way aboard one of Russia's spaceships..... lakotahope
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by Staff Writers
Moscow, China (XNA) Dec 09, 2009

Currently there are 10 modules on the ISS, with the Russian segment consisting of Zvezda service module, Zarya functional cargo module, Pirs docking station and Poisk scientific module.

Russia is scheduled to launch a MIM1 experiment module to the International Space Station (ISS) next year, said the head of Russia's aerospace conglomerate on Monday.

The 7.9-ton module, temporarily named "Twilight" (Sumerki), had been assembled and is awaiting shipment to the United States in mid-December, said Vitaly Lopota, president of Russia's Energia Aerospace Corporation, in Korolev in the Moscow region.

It will be sent to the ISS by a U.S. space shuttle in May 2010,together with a storage of some 1.4 tons of U.S. cargoes, Lopota added.

It is reported that "Twilight" will be deployed to conduct a series of scientific experiments, especially studies on biotechnology and hylology.

Currently there are 10 modules on the ISS, with the Russian segment consisting of Zvezda service module, Zarya functional cargo module, Pirs docking station and Poisk scientific module.

The Poisk, which will be formally deployed this month, is the first of three components Russia is planning to add to the space station in the next three years.

In keeping with its plans, Russia is scheduled to launch a node module to the ISS in 2012 and another two energy modules in 2014, which will boost the energy supplies of the Russian section of the ISS.

TSA Locks Out Local Pilots

2009-12-08T14:49:00.005-05:00

So, as this security conscious government goes into overdrive to limit what was once a casual visit to the airport to go flying, I continue to imagine how far can this agency that didn't exist 10 years ago, go into undermining Americans right to exist.

If you put it to the TSA, I would be pretty sure that if they could do so at this moment, they would ban all casual, general aviation flying in the United States and think they were doing all of us a favor. Sure, keep the terrorists out, but we have to take some risks, otherwise, by what definition, do we consider ourselves a FREEDOM LOVING SOCIETY. .. lakotahope
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TSA Locks Out Punta Gorda Pilots

As the Transportation Security Administration continues to eye GA as a security threat, it locked out a group of owners from a through-the-fence arrangement at Florida's Punta Gorda Airport, south of Sarasota. Pilot Larry Hofmeister told us Friday that a group of owners with hangars on private property adjacent to the airport had a good working arrangement that allowed them to taxi from their hangars to a gate into the airport, which they could open by remote control. This week, the TSA halted that arrangement, claiming that it represents a security threat.

Now, to access the airport, the owners have to notify the FBO, which will send a lineman to open the gate on a time-permitting basis. Hofmeister told us the hangars have their own fenced-in area which itself requires a security card to access, so access to the runway is controlled by not one, but two gates. The TSA apparently took the action because it was unhappy with a pilot who taxied away from the access gate before it was closed. TSA didn't immediately return our call seeking additional information.

Israel Demands to Install Its Own Avionics and Weapons System Into F-35

2009-11-30T21:35:00.004-05:00

First Great Britain demands to be allowed access to all access codes being developed for the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35. This Multi-National, multi-role aircraft is the product of several nations combining their efforts to develop this sophisticated fighter jet. Now, Israel is demanding to install its own Avionics and Weapons systems into the F-35, but isn't able to integrate their equipment without total access to the program codes, which are 'ultra-secret' at this time. I wonder what systems the Israelis wish to plant into this fighter as they wish to acquire more than 60 of these aircraft.

Apparently, the secret code is integral in the aircraft's ability to be stealthy and highly efficient in today's current combat area. .... lakotahope
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Israel sticks to its guns on F-35

Other partner countries in the JSF program, such as Britain, have requested the software codes for operational sovereignty and have also been turned down.

by Staff Writers
Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Nov 30, 2009
Israel is sticking to its guns on a demand the United States allow it to integrate its own electronic warfare suite in Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, even though the Americans have given the green light to install other Israeli systems in the jet.

Israel wants to buy an initial batch of 25 F-35s, enough for one squadron, in fiscal 2012 and would like to acquire another 50.

The U.S. Department of Defense and Maryland-based Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor in the program, want to finalize a contract with Israel as soon as possible.

The main holdup has been the Israelis' insistence on installing their own systems -- including communications and radar -- as well as weapons aboard the F-35, as they were allowed to do with the Boeing F-15 and Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft they have bought from the United States over the last two decades.

The Americans have been reluctant to allow that because it would compromise ultra-sensitive software codes. But a senior Pentagon official disclosed last Wednesday that the Israelis could install most of the systems they want provided they finalize a deal in the next few months.

But the official, Jon Schreiber, who heads the F-35 international program, insisted that the Israelis' electronic warfare suite, the core of their demand, could not be included -- not now, at any rate.

"Some time in the future, if policy changes, or things change, that could change as well," he said.

Other partner countries in the JSF program, such as Britain, have requested the software codes for operational sovereignty and have also been turned down.

In 2006 the United Kingdom threatened to scrap plans to buy 138 of the radar-evading aircraft if it was not able to maintain and upgrade its fleet without U.S. involvement.

That dispute was settled later that year, with the United Kingdom given operational sovereignty. Britain committed $2.7 billion to develop the F-35. That was more than any other of the United States' partners in the project, which include Turkey, Canada, the Netherlands and Norway.

Another partner, Australia, last week approved the acquisition of 14 F-25s at an estimated cost of $2.96 billion. The first squadron should be operational by 2018, with two more squadrons -- 72 aircraft all told -- ready by 2021.

Lockheed Martin expects to sell up to 4,500 F-35s worldwide, with the United States spending around $410 billion over the next quarter-century to buy 2,443 F-35 variants, its costliest arms acquisitions ever.

The Jerusalem Post has reported that the Israelis will continue to demand their electronic warfare system must be integrated into the stealth aircraft, a fifth-generation fighter.

The F-35 would be the ideal platform for a pre-emptive strike Israel has threatened to launch against Iran's nuclear program if Tehran does not abandon its alleged drive to acquire nuclear weapons.

But the way things are going on the F-35 purchase, the Israelis are not likely to have any of the strike jets operational until 2015 at the earliest.

These would be worth their weight in gold if Iran ever got its hands on the S-300PMU air-defense system that Russia has contracted to supply.

This state-of-the-art system, capable of intercepting six missiles or aircraft at a range of 120 miles up to altitudes of 90,000 feet, would be a formidable defense against Israel's high-tech air force.

Right now, the Iranians have nothing remotely as effective as the S-300. Moscow has failed to deliver any of the missiles to Iran, largely because of U.S. and Israeli objections.

In January, the Pentagon is expected to submit to Israel an offer and a price per aircraft -- likely to be around $130 million.

Israel, which has indicated that it's prepared to pay $100 million per plane, must respond by no later than March and conclude a deal by June or July, with 2015 the earliest delivery date.

The World's Largest Amphibious Aircraft - China

2009-10-27T08:38:00.003-04:00

The new Chinese amphibious aircraft is almost the size of an Airbus A320. One of the possible uses suggested for this plane would be for aerial fire fighting. Now, if the plane was to skim the surface of a lake or river to take aboard water, how large would the lake, etc., have to be? Pretty large aircraft for water use. China is building anything that it can imagine. lakotahope
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China sets year for amphibious flight

No design details about the Dragon 600 were given out in the Chinese media this week. However, a report in the China Economic Review in August said the Dragon 600 "is a larger version of the SH-5, a seaplane that had a production run of four."

by Staff Writers
Beijing (UPI) Oct 22, 2009
The first flight of possibly the world's largest amphibious plane is set for 2013 with mass production to begin in 2015, according to Chinese media.

The Chinese government announced in June that it would develop and produce the Dragon 600, similar in size to an Airbus A320 passenger plane. Aviation Industry Corp. of China was given the task of putting the project together, but no date for a maiden flight was set.

The plane could be used for tasks such as emergency rescue, fighting forest fires and sea patrols, Hu Haiyin, deputy general manager AVIC, said in a report this week by the national Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Hu said that market research indicated a domestic market for 60 craft in the next 15 years. But the Xinhua report gave no indication of how large an international market could be, if one exists at all.

AVIC plans to have around 1,500 employees working on the project, mainly based at their facilities southwest of the Zhuhai airport in the southern Guangdong region. The first construction phase is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Since the government announced the project, analysts have suspected that the size of the plane could also make it suitable for long military surveillance missions. It could be especially suitable to missions in the South China Sea, an analyst said on Radio Australia in June after the first announcement.

A report on the China Daily news Web site this week said Chen Zhengguo, the project's chief engineer, believed the Dragon 600 could carry out long-range air-sea rescues and be deployed on anti-submarine missions.

The news puts AVIC further into the manufacturing spotlight. AVIC, a consortium of aircraft manufacturers, signed a deal in January with European aircraft maker Airbus. Their joint venture business will build a factory in Harbin, northeast China to jointly produce composite material parts and components for the new wide-body A350 aircraft by the end of next year.

In March China's CITIC Bank granted a $2.2 billion credit line to AVIC, Xinhua reported. "Aviation is a strategic industry for our country's development, and the restructuring of AVIC has given CITIC Bank a vast opportunity for business cooperation," an unnamed bank official was quoted as saying.

AVIC was created last year out of a merger of two state aircraft makers with sights set on big projects, including a locally developed regional jet, to reduce China's reliance on Boeing and Airbus. Combined 2008 sales for the two companies that merged were $24.3 billion, compared with $60.1 billion for Boeing, the report said.

But the now aging ShuiHong-5 was not a resounding success, analysts have argued. Up to six of the SH-5 aircraft were made in 1984 and 1985, all by the Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. The maiden flight was eight years before manufacturing began. Design work started in the early 1970s but work was delayed due to the upheaval of China's debilitating Cultural Revolution.

The planes, all operated by the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force, are essentially flying boats with only limited beaching capability. With their high wings they have been compared to the PBY Catalina, HU-16 Albatross and the Bombardier 415.

It was to replace China's aging Soviet Beriev Be-6 planes, known to NATO as Madge. Despite the SH-5 mimicking Western-made planes in design and being striking in appearance, it was largely a technical flop, according to a report on SinoDefence.com.

The all-metal SH-5 has an unpressurised cabin and with its four DongAn (DEMC) Wojiang-5A1 turboprop engines, each rated at 3,150ehp, is underpowered. As a result it flies at lower altitude and slower than designed for.

However, the aircraft can carry two Type 23-1 23mm cannons in a dorsal turret. The weapon bay carries mines, depth charges or bombs. Underwing hardpoints are used for two YJ-1 (C-101) anti-ship missiles on the inner units and up to six lightweight homing torpedoes, depth charges or other disposable weapons on the outer units.

Family Survives 12 Hours at Sea after Ditching Aircraft

2009-10-12T10:11:00.007-04:00

A happy ending to a flight over the Florida Keys is always a pleasure to hear or read. I just want to compliment everyone for keeping their heads about them and for at least having the life preservers available and everyone informed of their duties. In this case a life raft probably wasn't warranted, maybe not even feasible to have on board. I wonder if the pilot had a waterproof bag with a backup radio and maybe flares on board? If so, maybe it wasn't easily found or lost in the escape. I dunno. A little kid like this always comes in handy with 20/20 hindsight available and in ditches in water landings... lakotahope

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ABC
By SUZAN CLARKE and RICH MCHUGH
Oct. 12, 2009

Three people survived a small plane crash off the Florida Keys by clinging to a lobster-trap buoy until the Coast Guard rescued them the next morning.

Peeter Jakobson, 61, was flying the single-engine aircraft toward his home in Marathon Key Friday night. His wife was having a birthday party that weekend.

Jakobson was performing his pre-landing check about 15 minutes away from Marathon when he heard a subtle bang at around 9:30 p.m. Then, the engine stalled and the plane started to go down.

Jakobson, a doctor, called out a Mayday to air traffic controllers in Miami and relayed the plane's position.

"We didn't know what was going to happen," said Whitney Page, Jakobson's stepdaughter, 26, who was on the craft with her husband, Ben Page, 31.

With five minutes to impact, the three prepared for the inevitable. Whitney Page got out life jackets -– two of them –- and her husband was shown the handle to the plane's door and told what to do when craft hit the water.

The three were out of the plane and onto the wing of the aircraft within seconds after the impact.

"It was black; total darkness," Whitney Page said on "Good Morning America" today, saying that they were shocked to find themselves out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

The family tied the life jackets together, and floated in the warm ocean until they came to a buoy.

They clung to it for 12 hours while hoping to be rescued, and could see and hear rescue boats and airplanes in the distance.

Even so, they knew rescuers were searching a large area, about 2,300 square miles.

"They say needle in the haystack, and that's what we were," said Ben Page of Tampa, Fla.

Page, who had been bleeding from the head, also was worried about another danger.

"I was thinking of open wounds in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. And sharks. It was on all of our minds," he said. "We just tried to stay calm. Lots of prayer. The Lord's Prayer was said many times."

Rescue Crews Arrive

They spent 12 hours in the ocean, and were stung by countless jellyfish.

Around 10 a.m. Saturday, the three were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Whitney Page laughed and cried.

Her husband called their survival nothing short of a miracle.

Tuskee Airman Sues Vacaville Airport

2009-10-09T10:12:00.004-04:00

I am thinking about the following article and trying to decide where my thoughts side. Either with the airport operator who considers a flight instructor giving free lessons to students a running business, or the flight instructor, operating under former Tuskeegee Airman Retired Lt. Col James Warren. The point between the two would be the payment of $500 a month for running the business and the way in which it was handled by the airport management.

Apparently, twice Warren and his flight instructor were told to cease and desist flight operations because of his "personal flight training program" that gives free lessons to aspiring students.
Mr. Warren is calling this a case of discrimination because he believes no one has had to be sanctioned in this fashion... lakotahope
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KTXL-TV
VACAVILLE - James Warren, a retired lieutenant colonel with the US Army Air Corps, faced racism as a Tuskegee airman. Now, more than 60 years later, the 86-year-old pilot claims the Nut Tree Airport is discriminating against him because he's black.

According to a lawsuit filed against Solano County and two airport managers, Warren and a flight instructor were in his plane last September when a manager confronted and threatened him if he didn't end a flight lesson immediately.

"No one has ever had to face that type of sanction," Warren told FOX40's Rowena Shaddox. "They called the [Solano County] Sheriff on my instructor."

A few days after the confrontation, Warren said another manager from the Nut Tree Airport sent him a letter ordering him to end all flights having to do with his own scholarship program, in which he flies aspiring pilots on his plane free of charge.

"They said I was running a flight of business, so I had to cease and desist," Warren said. "They said I'd have to pay $500 a month."

Solano County public communications officer Steve Pierce said he had no knowledge of Warren escalating his claim of racial confrontation to airport or county officials before the lawsuit was filed, but did say Warren's relationship with the airport was that of a business.

"It's a small airport," Pierce told FOX40 News by phone Tuesday morning. "For most people, there's not a distinction between a 'personal' and 'business' relationship."

According to Pierce, even if Warren wasn't seeking compensation for his lessons, Warren acting as a flight instructor engaged him in a business relationship with the airport, and that meant he was subject to the same fees that every other flight instructor would have to pay.

"There are certain guidelines that are consistent with FAA rules that we follow," Pierce said, including compensation for business use of an airport that is federally-funded.

Pierce, speaking on behalf of Solano County, could not comment on the pending litigation, adding that the County had yet to be served with a copy of the lawsuit.

Libyan Air Force MiG-23 fighter crashes at air show in Tripoli

2009-10-07T16:05:00.003-04:00

Ironically, another Russian aircraft has crashed in Africa. The nations of Africa, must have something to do with this high rate of crashes that all belong to Russia. Poor maintenance and poor conditions, along with lower training disciplines probably hamper the airworthiness of any aircraft. But, it seems that 95% of aircraft crashes I read about occur to Russian built planes. I hate to see any aircraft crash and especially, anyone get hurt or killed because of a crash.

This craft went down as part of a demonstration for Libya's military. Libya is seen as revamping their military and Russia is doing its best to stay economically sound by selling all of its weapon systems. Systems from advanced long range missiles, both anti air and land attack varieties, to Iran and more fighters to India. We all sell military technology to whoever has the money and is dependent on the seller nations' politics.... C'est la guerre... lakotahope

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TRIPOLI, October 7 (RIA Novosti) - A Libyan Air Force MiG-23 Flogger fighter crashed on Wednesday during a demonstration flight at the Third Libyan Aviation Exhibition.

The aircraft crashed about 2 kilometers from observation platforms at the Libyan Aviation Conference & Exhibition, which runs October 4-8.

According to preliminary reports, the pilot died.

Production of the "third-generation" MiG-23 started in 1970 and ended in 1985 with over 5,000 aircraft built.

Its various modifications are currently operated by several former Soviet republics and traditional recipients of Soviet arms including Armenia, Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Cuba, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkmenistan, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. ... RIA Novosti

3 Killed in Medical Helicopter Crash in South Carolina

2009-09-26T14:32:00.002-04:00

Three more rescuers lose their lives in their work environment. No details are available to me at this time about the weather. Looking at conditions now and in a timetable fashion, inclimate weather may have been in the area. Four miles and the airport is in site--more than a fair share of pilots have seen the lights on approach and not reached the airport runways safely. Damn shame.... lakothope

GEORGETOWN, S.C. — A medical transport helicopter crashed in coastal South Carolina, killing all three people on board, authorities said Saturday.

The company that owned the helicopter, Addison, Texas-based OmniFlight, said a pilot, flight nurse and paramedic were on board when it crashed Friday night.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators were en route to the scene Saturday. Agency spokesman Peter Knudson says no patients were on board the helicopter, which had dropped off a patient at about 9:35 p.m. Friday in Charleston, about 60 miles southwest of Georgetown County.

In a statement, the company confirmed that the American Eurocopter AS350B2 took off from Charleston around 11 p.m. Friday and was headed to Conway, a city about 50 miles north of Georgetown.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen says the pilot last radioed air traffic control at 11:05 p.m., saying the crew was about four miles from an airport near Charleston and had it in sight.

The helicopter crashed shortly thereafter, at about 11:30 p.m., Knudson said.

"Omniflight is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of its crew members and wishes to express its deepest regrets and sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives," the company said.

Charter Crashes Expose Oversight Failures

2009-09-16T17:30:00.003-04:00

The following article on the failure of the FAA to monitor charter jet services is another problem that has plagued the administration of aircraft services for hire in the U.S. On another post, I referred to an article on the safety of air ambulances and the problems of the NTSB, trying to get its ideas across to the FAA for implementation. Apparently, there is something driving the FAA to ignore safety recommendations from valid, organizations. When I started flying in the 1980's, I had read articles about how the NTSB was "kicked to the curb" by FAA leaders and that actually, the NTSB is only supposed to make recommendations on safety. Good idea if they were listened to by the FAA ... lakotahope
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By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

Aviation regulators have missed blatant pilot training violations, failed to identify illegal charter flights and allowed planes to fly that should have been grounded, according to government accident records reviewed by USA TODAY.

At least six recent fatal crashes of charter jets and small airliners have exposed failures in the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of for-hire air carriers, according to accident files and investigators. In nearly every case, the failures were discovered by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and not the FAA.

Charter operators fly planes on a for-hire basis and are considered the air taxis of the aviation system, scheduling flights at the whim of customers. The flights accounted for 249 deaths between 2003 and 2008. Large commercial airline accidents killed 107 people during the same period.

"We've got serious violations of the public trust," said former NTSB board member Kitty Higgins.

Recent NTSB investigations into crashes that killed 13 people found numerous problems with enforcement. In each case, the fatal accidents happened on planes with nine or fewer seats:

• After the crash of a jet near Milwaukee on June 4, 2007, that was carrying a lung transplant team from the University of Michigan, NTSB investigators discovered that the charter company's chief pilot, the captain of the fatal flight, was a convicted drug runner. Company training records for pilots were also falsified.

• The crash March 4, 2008, of a jet in Oklahoma City revealed that a helicopter company helped arrange a jet flight for businessmen in spite of the fact that it was authorized to fly only helicopters.

• The investigation into a Dec. 23, 2003, crash of a chartered jet in Helendale, Calif., revealed that the plane should have been grounded. One FAA inspector had ordered that the plane not fly because the owner could not document maintenance, but another inspector gave the OK.

The issue has come up repeatedly in other accidents. The NTSB found that "inadequate oversight" by the FAA had contributed to the cause of a 2003 accident in Teterboro, N.J., in which a chartered jet skidded off the runway.

The FAA's Flight Standards Service director, John Allen, did not address the specific accidents but called the agency's inspections "thorough." He said it can be difficult to prove wrongdoing unless inspectors witness illegal acts. The agency is revamping oversight of smaller carriers, he said.

The FAA cannot discuss personnel matters but would take action if it found problems, spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere said.

In some cases, inspectors blamed heavy workloads. The inspector in the Milwaukee crash case told the NTSB that he oversaw 19 companies and described his workload as "busy."

Air Traffic Control to be Enhanced by Satellites

2009-09-14T16:03:00.002-04:00

We are dawning on a new age--Satellites to monitor and direct air traffic. This will occur over the Gulf of Mexico at this stage of enhancement. GPS will certainly be valuable in this arena, however, I recently read that the U.S. geosynchronous GPS system is on its way to failure. Many satellites are at the end of their life cycle with replacements hard to come by. Certainly, the U.S. Government doesn't plan on allowing this system to degrade so far as to be worthless to our Military! At the same time, the civilian sector is depending on the GPS system more than ever before. In cars, planes, cell phones--it is impregnated in our society at our basic level... GPS

The planes I flew, never had GPS installed, only the Loran C system that was designed with fixed ground based antennas in a grid that covered most of the coastline of the U.S. Of course, I also had my map, E6-B, protractor, ADF, etc., handy!!! Times have Changed! ...... lakotahope

Aircraft in Gulf to be tracked using satellites

By JOAN LOWY
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Government officials say air traffic controllers in December will begin using satellite-based technology to track aircraft in a 240,000-square mile area of the Gulf of Mexico.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Randy Babbitt, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, said Monday the move is a significant step toward replacing an air traffic control system based on World War II era radar technology with a GPS-based system.

Babbitt called the new system one of the biggest steps forward in technology in a generation.

The new system will allow airliners to fly more direct routes rather than from radar beacon to radar beacon as they do now. That could save billions of dollars every year in time and fuel, as well as cut pollution.

Air Ambulances and NTSB/ FAA

2009-09-09T15:02:00.005-04:00

Air Ambulances are integral in saving lives. They respond more quickly than land based vehicles--given the weather is adequate to fly. On optimum days, the air ambulance can fly over congested roads, flooded fields, rivers and any other object that is less than 12,000 feet tall. Mostly. However, are all flights justified? Most people will say that not all evacuations are necessary by air. Medicare and insurance pays a huge chuck of any flight. A valid point in the following article, by Nashville's Channel 5, mentions that the Medivac air carriers qualify to receive medicare payments, by following certain safety guidelines. Certainly, safety recommendations made by the NTSB should be studied and followed by the air carriers, eventhough the FAA will probably not go along with the NTSB. Many, many times have I seen NTSB recommendations dumped by the side of the road by the FAA.

The FAA is more in league with business parameters than they are with the safety of these businesses. There is a fault in the way the FAA can eliminate safety mechanisms in order to achieve a more business friendly environment. ...... lakotahope
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Just how safe are air ambulances? A federal panel has just released a highly-touted list of ways it says will make the skies safer for helicopters that carry people to the hospital.

Will the proposed changes really make a difference? They may. As consumer investigator Jennifer Kraus found, it will likely take a while.

When seconds count, a medical helicopter can be the quickest way to get to the hospital.

Last year was the deadliest year on record for medical helicopters - 29 people died in eight separate accidents across the country. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators studied what went wrong in these deadly crashes and came up with a list of safety recommendations.

The NTSB uses medical helicopter services to conduct more pilot training, institute safety management programs, use flight data recorders, night vision goggles and autopilot systems in their choppers.

Dr. John Morris heads up Vanderbilt's LifeFlight program which has not had a crash since it started 25 years ago.

"The question is, 'How can we save more lives?'" said Morris. "Clearly it gets the entire industry focused on what can we do better and how can we make our industry safer."

His concern though is that the NTSB's recommendations are simply recommendations. To make them requirements for all air ambulances, they have to be adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA which oversees all things relating to aviation is notoriously slow. In fact, industry insiders said it will likely be at least another year before the FAA takes action.

There are no guarantees the FAA will even do anything with the recommendations. Three years ago, the NTSB came up with its first set of recommendations and the FAA still has not adopted them.

Air Evac is another air ambulance service that operates in Middle Tennessee.

The NTSB's latest recommendations came almost one year to the day after an Air Evac chopper crashed in Indiana, killing all three crew members.

Air Evac's president, Seth Myers, said in the last year, his company has taken steps on its own to make its operation safer, and that it's already taking steps to implement some of the NTSB's ideas.

"The NTSB is there to create awareness and, I believe, they've done that. That is their charge, is to make both Congress and the industry and the FAA aware. I believe they've done their part in doing that," said Myers.

Others said while awareness is good, action is better and requiring everyone to follow the same rules will help save more lives.

"I think these recommendations are a great first step. If we could get these recommendations into rule, we would have a much safer transportation environment nationwide," said Morris.

The NTSB also recommended that Medicare only pay for flights run by air ambulance programs that meet certain safety standards established by Medicare.....newschannel5.com

5th Generation Russian Jets Have Engine Problems

2009-08-24T20:39:00.002-04:00

As we limited our production of F22's to what we have now, the Russians are continuing their quest to build their version of a Gen 5 fighter. Luckily, teething problems in their engines have slowed their advance somewhat. Good, we need any break we can take... lakotahope

ZHUKOVSKY, August 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Air Force chief acknowledged on Thursday faults in engines for a fifth-generation fighter jet currently being developed.

The Advanced Front-Line Aviation Complex (PAK FA) plane is set to replace the Air Force's fourth-generation fighters, namely, the Su-27 Flanker and the MiG-29 Fulcrum.

Speaking at the MAKS air show outside Moscow, Alexander Zelin said: "For the time being the aircraft will use Saturn engines. There are problems, I admit, but research is continuing."

Remains found of first American shot down in Gulf War

2009-08-02T08:31:00.001-04:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The remains of the first American shot down in the 1991 Persian Gulf War have been uncovered, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Sunday.

Navy Capt. Michael Speicher's remains have been identified, the U.S. military announced Sunday.

U.S. Navy Capt. Michael "Scott" Speicher was shot down in an F/A-18 Hornet on January 17, 1991, the first night of the war.

The announcement early Sunday of the discovery of Speicher's remains ends more than 18 years of speculation about whether Speicher may have survived the crash and been held captive, or died in captivity in the ensuing years.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Capt. Speicher's family for the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a statement. "I am also extremely grateful to all those who have worked so tirelessly over the last 18 years to bring Capt. Speicher home."

An Iraqi civilian told U.S. forces in Iraq in early July about the location of the crash that killed Speicher, according to the statement. U.S. Marines in Anbar province went to the site and spoke to another Iraqi who told them he witnessed Bedouins burying Speicher's remains in the desert after the crash, the statement said.

A search of the area uncovered the remains, which were flown to Dover Air Base last week and positively identified as Speicher's by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the statement said.

Recovered remains included bones and skeletal fragments, and positive identification was made by comparing Speicher's dental records with a jawbone recovered at the site, the statement said.

Speicher was a lieutenant commander when shot down, but because his status remained uncertain, he received promotions during the past 18 years, reaching the rank of captain.

He was originally listed as "Killed-In-Action/Body-Not-Recovered" in May 1991. That status changed in 2001 to "Missing in Action," and then to "Missing/Captured" in 2002 based on sighting reports inIraq. Those sightings have since been discredited.

His status was changed back to MIA earlier this year.

More Pitot Tube Incidents

2009-07-29T06:13:00.003-04:00

Seems that the incidence of aircrews in Airbus planes are still running into problems with airspeed indicators. Digital fly-by-wire aircraft have been used for decades--how long have these pitot tubes been used in Airbus and are they used in other "non fly-by-wire" airplanes? .... lakotahope

Flight 'incident' puts speed sensors in spotlight

(AP) – 12 hours ago

PARIS — The pilot of an Air France plane flying from Rome to Paris this month spent a minute without information on the speed of the aircraft, which was equipped with new generation speed sensors installed after the June crash of another flight, the newspaper Le Figaro reported in an article for its Thursday edition.

The report said the lives of passengers on the July 13 flight were not in danger.

Deficient speed sensors, or Pitot tubes, were "a factor, but not the only one" in the June 1 of Air France Flight 447's crash into the Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, chief crash investigator Alain Bouillard has said. That crash killed 228 people.

Air France had ordered the replacement of Pitot tubes on their Airbus aircraft and a new generation of sensors, located on the aircraft's exterior, are now being used. Both the old and new sensors are made by France's Thales Group.

Le Figaro cited an internal crew report on the Rome-Paris flight as saying there was a "brutal loss of speed indications," followed by the disappearance of information measuring wind force and other factors.

Telephone calls to Air France officials were not immediately answered. The airlines' offices were closed for the evening.

A spokesman for the main Air France pilots union confirmed the incident to The Associated Press, but said he did not have more information.

"We are aware of the incident. We are awaiting details," said Erick Derivry. If the problem is indeed with the Pitot tubes, the SNPL union will ask Air France "that planes be equipped with Goodrich sensors," he said.

The North Carolina-based Goodrich Corp. also makes Pitot tubes.

Le Figaro quoted an unnamed Air France official saying that "all necessary measures will be taken."

Senate Kills Additional Funding for F22 Program

2009-07-22T13:26:00.004-04:00

The additional 1.7 Billion dollars for 7 more F22s is now being redirected to God knows where.
President Obama and Defense Secretary Gates believe this advanced weapons platform is outdated and not in touch with the needs of today's military. Of course, the military needs better ground systems along with more armor, better personal armor, etc., etc. But, the F22 program is the most advanced aviation weapons platform we have fielded and the issue I take is that THIS PROGRAM IS NOT OUTDATED!

Initially, this program was begun under the auspices of fighting the Soviet Union during a Cold War conflict. For years we developed and then finally, produced this aircraft. True, we are the only country with an aircraft this capable, but Russia is currently working on an aircraft that puts it in the F22's envelope. The tactical necessity is there to use these aircraft.

The F35 program is the "darling" of the Defense Secretary's eye at this time. Several of our allies are being wooed to seek the purchase of the F35 and participate in its construction. The U.S. sees opportunity in melding one aircraft into all of our military parts--one specific aircraft that serves different roles for the marines, air force and navy. In the past, it has generally been accepted as fact that any device that serves many roles doesn't excel at any particular role. ... lakotahope

In 2009, the Pentagon spent 2.9 billion dollars on the planes, which cost some 200 million dollars each. Critics say the fighter, first made during the Cold War, has not been adapted to current conflicts.

by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) July 21, 2009
The US Senate voted decisively Tuesday to stop producing new F-22 stealth fighters, siding firmly with President Barack Obama in a high-stakes fight over the future of US air power.

Lawmakers debating a 680-billion-dollar defense spending bill voted 58-40 to cut 1.75 billion dollars set aside to build seven more Raptors, drawing immediate praise from the White House.

"At a time when we're fighting two wars and facing a serious deficit, this would have been an inexcusable waste of money," said Obama, whose aides have underlined that the Raptor has not seen action in Afghanistan or Iraq.

"I reject the notion that we have to waste billions of taxpayer dollars on outdated and unnecessary defense projects to keep this nation secure," said the president, who had threatened to veto the bill if the monies were included.

The Senate vote came after the House of Representatives included the monies in its version of the legislation, meaning lawmakers could revive the program when they reconcile the rival versions in order to send the bill to Obama.

Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel lobbied senators to scrap the funding, trying to quiet concerns of lost jobs if the Lockheed Martin/Boeing-built program is frozen and underlining that the money could be better used elsewhere, according to Democratic aides.

Gates had fought to cap production at 187 F-22s, meaning only four more would be built. But many Republicans balked at the administration's plans.

The Air Force has also long disagreed with halting production, and just last year called for a fleet of 381 fighters.

Last year Gates sacked the service's two top leaders officially over two major nuclear-related blunders, but his decision was also largely seen as having stemmed from their position on the F-22 program.

In a statement released through a Pentagon spokesman, Gates welcomed the Tuesday vote as "an important step" towards reining in defense spending.

"Secretary Gates appreciates the careful consideration senators have given to this matter of national security and he applauds their bipartisan support," said spokesman Geoff Morrell.

"He understands that for many members this was a very difficult vote, but he believes that the Pentagon cannot continue with business as usual."

Supporters say that there is a need to ensure US air superiority as China and Russia invest in fighter jets.

Some key US allies, including Japan, have long sought to acquire the F-22, which is currently subject to an export ban. ... spacewar.com

Russian Ambitions May Be Overlapping the U.S.A.

2009-07-12T19:43:00.002-04:00

We've seen Russia staying in the Arms race with other countries and especially the U.S.A.
And there have been a few instances of saber rattling with regards to our missile shield, being installed in Poland and Czechoslovakia (maybe). They've managed to put to see a naval force that has gone into the Mediterranean. Now, that the U.S. has been fortunate to keep their "Only U.S. airbase Open" in Kyrgyzstan, the Russian military has managed to get an additional airbase in place in this region also. Only country in the world where the U.S.A. and Russia have each an airfield in place. Truly strange as this is Russia's second airbase..... lakotahope

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

by Staff Writers

Russia already maintains the Kant airbase outside Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan is the only country in the world to house both Russian and US bases.

Bishkek (AFP) July 9, 2009
Russia has asked Kyrgyzstan to allow the opening of a second Russian airbase in the country, a Kyrgyz official said Thursday, days after Bishkek agreed to keep a key US base in operation.

The request was made on a secret high-level visit to Bishkek by Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, said the source in the Kyrgyz government, who asked not to be named.

"During a meeting with the Kyrgyz leadership the Russians proposed opening a second military base in Osh," a major city in the south of Kyrgyzstan, the source said.

Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Tuesday had signed into law a new accord extending the United States' use of the Manas airbase outside the capital Bishkek, which is key to its operations in Afghanistan.

Earlier this year Bishkek had ordered the base closed at the same time as it was offered a major financial aid package by Moscow. But it then changed its mind, allowing the base to carry on as a "transit centre".

"The Kremlin wants to increase military cooperation after the decision to keep the American airbase," the source said.

Russia already maintains the Kant airbase outside Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan is the only country in the world to house both Russian and US bases.

President Dmitry Medvedev's spokeswoman Natalya Timakova confirmed at the G8 summit in Italy that Sechin and Serdyukov were visiting Kyrgyzstan "on the instructions of the president". She did not give further details.

The loss of the US Manas base would have been a blow to international military efforts in Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban as the facility serves as a major transit point for supplies.

FRENCH INVESTIGATOR SAYS AIRFRANCE FLIGHT 447 HIT WATER INTACT

2009-07-02T10:16:00.003-04:00

This is contrary to previous reports by the experts. After studying the remains of the aircraft and passengers, investigators had said the types of injuries to the people found, had been consistent with in-flight breakup of the aircraft. Usually, the large pieces that were found indicate a breakup before impact with the ocean. However, the reasons for an Airbus 330 hitting the water vertically, sort of like a belly flop, raises a few more questions. For one, did the pilots not have any control after the power outages (PM1 failed). They may not have been able to reorient themselves if they didn't have the Artificial horizon functioning and other extremely important devices that would help the crew determine which way is up. ...lakotahope

By AP

Published: July 2, 2009

LE BOURGET, France — A French investigator says Air France Flight 447 did not break up in flight but plunged vertically into the Atlantic Ocean.

Alain Bouillard, leading the investigation into the June 1 crash for the French accident investigation agency BEA, also says life vests found among the wreckage of the plane were not inflated.

All 228 people aboard the plane were killed when it plunged into the ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Bouillard said at a news conference outside Paris on Thursday that the search for the plane’s black boxes has been extended by 10 days and will continue through July 10.

Girl, 14 Survives Latest Aircraft at Sea Crash

2009-07-01T10:30:00.004-04:00

This particular aircraft, banned from flying in France' airspace, was bound to have a problem, due to the company that owned it, not properly maintaining this plane. Allegedly, people often had to stand during the whole flight, which usually is a connector flight to the Comoros islands and literally was missing basic safety gear--seat belts.

The former french colony uses Airbus and is now complaining that the company didn't inform them of the problems encountered by this aircraft. By this statement, I gather that the Comoros government wasn't informed of this particular airplane being banned from French airspace. Although, this plane picked up the passengers from a plane that was validated to fly from France and were deliberately transferred. Someone knew why this plane could not make the entire flight!! Idi Nadhoim, the Vice-President of Comoros stated that maintenance was the responsibility of Airbus.

The islanders often complained of safety problems and of people having to stand while in flight. Just like overcrowded buses in many parts of the world. However, the problems facing passengers of air travel, are far more deadly and should have been addressed by the governing body. Not the makers of the plane.

It seems that there is going to be alot of finger pointing as to who was responsible for a tragedy that hasn't been shown to be the fault of anyone yet! Weather at the time was horrible, but from most reports, not impossible to handle for skilled aircrew. I am sure they wouldn't have tried to land in weather that would jeopardize their own lives.... lakotahope

updated 1 hour, 26 minutes ago

MORONI, Comoros - A bruised teenage girl clung to the wreckage of a Yemeni plane for more than 13 hours before rescuers found her floating in the Indian Ocean, a French official said Wednesday.

There was no word on any other survivors, but French officials said one of the plane's black boxes had been found.

The Yemenia Airbus 310 jet carrying 153 people to island nation of Comoros crashed into the sea early Tuesday as it attempted to land in the dark amid howling winds.

Story continues below ↓

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An Associated Press reporter saw 14-year-old Bahia Bakari in a Comoros hospital Wednesday as she was visited by government officials. She was conscious with bruises on her face and a gauze bandage on her elbow.

"It is a true miracle. She is a courageous young girl," Alain Joyandet, France's minister for international cooperation, said at the hospital. "She held onto a piece of the plane from 1:30 a.m to 3:00 p.m. She has lost her mother. Her father arrives tomorrow."

'Fragile'
The girl's father told French radio that his daughter was "fragile" and could "barely swim" but managed to hang on.

Kassim Bakari said he spoke with his oldest daughter by phone after Tuesday's crash. Bahia had left Paris on Monday night with her mother to see family in the Comoros.

He said she was ejected and found herself beside the plane.

"She couldn't feel anything, and found herself in the water. She heard people speaking around her but she couldn't see anyone in the darkness," Bakari said on France's RTL radio. "She's a very timid girl, I never thought she would escape like that."

A nurse at El Mararouf hospital in the Comoros capital of Moroni said the girl was "doing well".

Sgt. Said Abdilai told Europe 1 radio that Bahia was too weak to grasp the life ring rescuers threw to her, so he jumped into the sea to get her. He said rescuers gave the trembling girl warm water with sugar.

Equipment faults
The crash a few miles off this island nation came two years after aviation officials reported equipment faults with the plane, an aging Airbus 310 flying the last leg of a Yemenia airlines flight from Paris and Marseille to the Comoros, with a stop in Yemen to change planes.

Most of the passengers were from the Comoros, a former French colony. Sixty-six on board were French nationals.

Turbulence was believed to be a factor in the crash, Yemen's embassy in Washington said.

Gen. Bruno de Bourdoncle de Saint-Salvy, the senior commander for French forces in the southern Indian Ocean, said the Airbus 310 crashed in deep waters about nine miles north of the Comoran coast and 21 miles from the Moroni airport.

A French military cargo plane flew Wednesday over a zone 50 miles north of Grand Comoros Island, while two inflatable dinghies sent by French forces on La Reunion island combed waters closer to the coast.

"The search is continuing," Joyandet said. "No other survivors have been found for the moment."

Col. Dominique Fontaine, who is managing the rescue operations, said Wednesday that no other debris has been found so far.

A French tug arrived from the French island of Mayotte to recover survivors, corpses and debris, while a French frigate diverted from anti-piracy operations, the Nivose, and another French military ship headed to the scene.

Lack of seat belts?
Both France and Airbus sent experts to the Comoros to aid in the investigation.

The tragedy — and dwindling hopes that anyone else made it out alive — prompted an outcry in Comoros, where residents have long complained of a lack of seat belts on Yemenia flights and planes so overcrowded that passengers had to stand in the aisles.

The Comoros, home to some 700,000 people, is an archipelago of three main islands situated 1,800 miles south of Yemen, between Africa's southeastern coast and the island of Madagascar.

French aviation inspectors found a "number of faults" in the plane's equipment during a 2007 inspection, French Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau said.

European Union Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani said the airline had previously met EU safety checks but would now face a full investigation amid questions why passengers were put on another jet in the Yemeni capital of San'a.

The vice president of Comoros criticized French officials for not telling his nation about any suspected problems.

"We wish the French could have informed us of any irregularity or any problems with that plane," Idi Nadhoim said Wednesday on France-24 television.

"Most if not all of the planes of Yemenia are Airbus," he said. "They are supposed to be serviced by Airbus."

"We trust the civil aviation authorities of the countries we are working with," he added, suggesting that French authorities discriminated against "those French who are left by themselves to fly this type of plane" — French citizens from former French colonies.

Airbus said the plane that crashed went into service 19 years ago, in 1990, and had accumulated 51,900 flight hours. It has been operated by Yemenia since 1999.

Yemeni A310 Crashes Off of Comorros Islands

2009-06-30T10:52:00.003-04:00

This particular aircraft A310, was banned from French airspace. In fact, the passengers disembarked from an aircraft after departing France that was "allowed" to use French airspace. They then boarded this doomed flight. Winds are now being reported as gusting to 90 mph, earlier I had read they were in the realm of 39 mph....I'll stick with the 39 or so numbers...Still bad business to try and land in--not impossible, but certainly very tricky and dependent upon the skills of the crew and the absolute direction of these winds.

Reportedly, one 5 year old child survivor has been rescued and less than a handful of bodies located from a passing helicopter. ...lakotahope

JOHANNESBURG/SANAA - A five year-old child was being brought ashore Tuesday, after surviving a Yemen Airways plane crash near the Comoros Islands, officials said.

Abdillah Mougni, secretary-general of Comoros republic’s transport ministry, said the child, whose gender he did not know, was being brought to shore by boat.

Mougni also said only one body had been recovered from the water so far, although three bodies had been seen floating in the water from helicopters.

The Comoros islands are located between Madagascar and Mozambique, off south-eastern Africa.

The Airbus A310, which was carrying 153 people including 11 crew members, crashed between 15 and 20 km off the north of Grande Comore island early Tuesday morning. It had been scheduled to land at Moroni airport.

The flight had originated in Paris, with stops in Marseille, the Yemeni capital Sanaa and Djibouti.

Sixty-six of the passengers were French. The rest were believed to be mostly Comorans.

Comoran rescue vessels reached the site of the crash around noon and divers were preparing to search the water for the plane after pieces of wreckage were seen floating in the water, Mougni said.

Two French navy vessels and military transport planes are also on their way to the area.

One witness said she saw flames coming from the aircraft before it crashed, according to Comoran government spokesman Abdourahim Said Bacar.

The witness was a villager in a seaside village that the plane overflew after it failed in its first attempt to land because of gusting winds.

The crash is the second tragedy involving an Airbus plane in less than a month. On June 1, an Air France Airbus A330 travelling from Brazil to France plunged into the Atlantic with 228 people aboard. No survivors were found.

Between Paris and Yemen, the passengers travelled in an Airbus A330. In Yemen, they changed planes to the Airbus A310-300.

Fishermen saw the plane go down off the coast shortly after flight controllers lost contact with it around 1:51 a.m. (2351 GMT Monday), shortly before it was scheduled to land.

Airbus officials in France reported that the plane was 19 years old and in service to Yemenia since 1999. It had logged almost 52,000 flight hours and about 17,300 flights.

French Junior Minister for Transport Dominique Bussereau told i-tele TV news that French civil aviation authorities had kept Yemenia Airways under close surveillance and had detected “very many defects” on the aircraft.

The plane “disappeared from French skies after these defects were found,” Bussereau said.

The passengers were believed to be mostly Comorans living in France who were returning home for holidays or for weddings, known in Comoros as the “Jeviens” (I come).

Bordron said that on the provisional passenger list most of the names were “Comoran-sounding”.

France has sent two navy vessels, transport military planes and medical and other personnel, including divers, to assist the rescue from the neighbouring French department of Reunion and Mayotte, a Comoran island that is still part of France.

Meanwhile, investigation teams from Yemen Airways and the Yemen aviation authority plan to fly to Moroni today.

Joint Strike Fighter For Sale

2009-06-22T11:19:00.011-04:00

Is Gates and the Obama White House just pushing this plane just to be able to sell it and make money for the economy? Are they doing this at the expense and limited production of the world's greatest fighter aircraft today, Generation 5, F22 Raptor.

The pentagon is advertising the F35 to fill three major roles for the Air Force, strike, bombing and all weather. The Marines want S/VTOL abilities that will replace their Harriers. And the Navy wants an aircraft that can withstand the punishing atmosphere of carrier life.

We are jointly producing this aircraft with other countries and maybe we are pushing this aircraft just to keep these countries on the team. We wouldn't want them to get cold feet and bail on the largest aircraft Deal in History--$200 Billion plus.

According to the Pentagon, this plane does everything except orbit the earth. The U.S. is using this aircraft as a platform to sell to everyone who wants it...It will displace the F22 Raptor,(expensive), but I wonder will it truly be ALL things for ALL Missions??? Nothing has worked this way before.... LAKOTAHOPE
DOES HAVE GREAT TOYS, 1 ITEM WORTH MENTIONING:
A distributed-aperture-infrared sensor system will provide full spherical infrared coverage around the aircraft. In addition to providing warnings of missile launches, information from the system can be displayed on the pilot’s helmet visor, permitting the pilot to see “through” the airplane’s structure in all directions, and eliminating the need for night-vision goggles. This system will dramatically increase the ability of the F-35 to conduct any type of mission at night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JSF F 35 --globalsecurity.org
"For much of the free world’s military forces, the F-35 represents the future- a new family of affordable, stealthy combat aircraft designed to meet the twenty-first-century requirements of the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The program is truly international in its scope and participation: Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Australia, and Norway recently joined the F-35’s system development and demonstration (SDD) phase. All SDD partners will be active in the F-35’s development process and stand to gain economically from the program.The program’s objective is to develop and deploy a technically superior and affordable fleet of aircraft that support the warfighter in performing a wide range of missions in a variety of theaters. The single-seat, single-engine aircraft is being designed to be self-sufficient or part of a multisystem and multiservice operation, and to rapidly transition between air-to-surface and air-to-air missions while still airborne. To achieve its mission, the JSF will incorporate low observable technologies, defensive avionics, advanced onboard and offboard sensor fusion, and internal and external weapons. Plans call for the F-35 to be the world's premier strike aircraft through 2040. It will provide air- to-air capability second only to the F-22 air superiority fighter. The plane will allow the Air Force forces to field an almost all-stealth fighter force by 2025. The Navy and Marine variants will be the first deployment of an "all-aspect" stealth airplane." ....globalsecurity.org

Increased Ramp Threats From TSA

2009-06-21T15:48:00.002-04:00

These types of intrusions are just stepping stones to more thorough scrutiny by the U.S. Government into the private lives of its citizens. The government cannot stop with this approach to customs interdiction. It will develop and implement more stringent rules regarding private pilots flying personal aircraft in the continental U.S.A. Everything passed down from lawmakers is indeed a stepping stone towards whatever lofty goal is envisioned by policy makers. Are we safer? Is America safer? It seems these new rules and regulations affect only law abiding U.S. pilots and citizens. No one illegal is going to land and risk interdiction by armed TSA agents or land at an airport that requires special background checks along with the requisite badge of approval. So Who Is This Really For Again??? ...... lakotahope

Customs steps up aircraft screening near U.S.-Mexico border

By AOPA ePublishing Staff

In the wake of a Long Beach, Calif., incident in which a pilot and his passengers were ramp checked at gunpoint by local law enforcement officers and Customs and Border Protection officials, AOPA has reached out to customs to prevent a repeat.

“Having weapons drawn at the ready without just cause is extreme,” said AOPA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Craig Spence. “Customs has indicated that this type of ramp check is atypical and that pilots do not need to worry about similar forceful inspections.”

Pilots could, however, notice an increase in routine ramp checks at airports along the southwestern U.S. border. The Obama administration released a new National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy June 15 to reduce drug trafficking and the flow of cash and weapons across the border. The initiative applies to air, maritime, and ground transportation.

AOPA also is working with customs to ensure that general aviation passenger manifests collected through its Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS) are not used beyond the intended scope of terrorist watch list matching.

“AOPA will continue to work with the Department of Homeland Security and customs to find practical and workable alternatives to enhance security that do not unduly restrict GA operations,” Spence said. “In the meantime, we encourage pilots to continue with their planned international flights.”

Aviation Humor from "Funny2.com"

2009-06-21T09:49:00.002-04:00

Found this site and it has enough funny stuff to keep one busy for a long while....Early Sunday is a time to relax..More serious stuff later...........lakotahope
In Flight Humor
Here are some real examples of humor on airplanes that have been heard or reported

While showing the use of the oxygen mask: "If you are seated next to a child or someone acting like one, please assist them in putting on the breathing apparatus. (thanks to Addison St. Onge-May)

A Southwest flight attendant said this as the door was opened: "OK, now I'm going to tell you exactly what my Mama told me on my 18th birthday. GET OUTTA HERE." (thanks to Fred)

"Hello Everyone, we have a first time flyer on board today - and it is also their 50th birthday!" After everybody cheers, the flight attendant continues, "Will everyone please wish the captain a Happy Birthday!?"

The pilot dropped out of the fog at Spokane Washington and discovered he was half way down the runway and slammed the plane down onto the ground. The flight attendant announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, we just dropped into Spokane."

"Welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada. We'd like to thank you for flying Southwest Airlines, and on behalf of the flight deck we'd also like to extend a very special and very happy 101st Birthday to a gentleman seated near the front of the aircraft." *scattered applause* "So, if you happen to see the Captain on the way out, mind his walker, shake his hand, and wish him well with another 100 years working here at Southwest Airlines."

"If you smoke, please wait until you arrive at a designated smoking area to light up, which (in California) would be outside."

"Please use caution when opening the overhead compartments as shift happens!"

After taking off, the pilot got on the speaker and said, "Bear with me folks, this is my first time."

From a Southwest Airlines employee: "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."

Jets Plagued By Ice Over Problems

2009-06-19T22:38:00.001-04:00

From correspondents in Paris | June 20, 2009

Article from: Agence France-Presse

AIR France Airbus jets experienced at least nine incidents in which airspeed probes iced over in the past year, says an internal company report.

A probe into the June 1 crash of AF 447, in which an A330 jet flying from Rio to Paris plunged into the Atlantic with the loss of all 228 people on board, has focused on contradictory readings from its "pitot" speed probes.

French aviation investigators, as well as the companies Airbus and Air France, have each said there is no firm evidence so far linking speed monitors and the crash.

Nevertheless, Air France has upgraded all sensors on its long-haul fleet as a precaution after protests from pilots.

In an internal note sent to Air France pilots on Thursday, the company said it informed the planemaker Airbus and Thales, which makes the pitot probes, of eight incidents on A340 jets and one on an A330 over a year-long period.

An earlier report seen by AFP recorded five airspeed probe incidents last year, two of which caused triggered alerts.

The latest report, obtained by AFP on Friday, says the first incident occurred in May 2008, involving temporary loss of speed data, followed by a second in July 2008 and three others in August 2008.
There then followed two operational incidents in September and October 2008, all on A340s.

Airbus and Thales were given a full briefing on the incidents, and asked to resolve the problem, according to the Airbus note.

"Numerous exchanges took place with the technical teams at Airbus," it said.

"No incident of this kind had been signalled previously."

Airbus replied to Air France, saying: "The supposed origin of the incidents was icing over, due to the formation of crystals inside the airspeed probes", according to the report.

"Faced with our insistence on finding a solution, Thales and Airbus (will) carry out studies" on a new generation of probes, the Air France report says.

It said two further operating incidents were recorded at the end of 2008, one on an Airbus A340 and one on an A330.

"Airbus is contacted again several times" and "replies by confirming that it presumes the probes had iced over", Air France said.

According to the report, Airbus wrote to Air France on April 15, 2009, to inform it that tests carried out by Thales on new-generation probes showed a "much better response than the older model" to icy conditions.

In response, Air France asked Thales to accelerate the delivery of speed probes that were to be supplied from May 26, 2009, at a rate of a dozen a week.

French investigators probing the June 1 Air France crash have said the airspeed sensors, or pitot probes, had been feeding inconsistent readings to the cockpit.

Conflicting airspeed data can cause the autopilot to shut down and in extreme cases the plane to

Investigators Say All Of Plane Will Not Be Recovered

2009-06-17T09:30:00.005-04:00

With no direct knowledge of the cause of the Air France Flight 447 in the Atlantic, most speculation revolves around the intense storm system it was entering and the speed sensors on the aircraft. Known as pitot tubes, there are multiple pitot tube sensors located at different places on the front of the aircraft. Redundancy is the name of the game on jets and especially these electric jets. If a system fails, then the backups will pick up the work load. In cases of a failure, the primary master control system will weigh the difference between the suspected failure and its sister systems. After the comparison, it will disregard the errant system failure.

Always a perfect world, but never a perfect solution. With electrical failures occurring and other system meltdowns bringing a domino effect of problems to the pilots, they needed to be at the top of the pyramid when it comes to pilot skill. These guys had tons of experience and the crew was staffed with an extra pilot. Extra pilots are always on these long haul flights to spell the cockpit crew during breaks. At fours hours into the flight, AF 447 sent out emergency signals via computer to its maintenance facility on the ground. This was the last communications from this aircraft. No communication from the pilots.

Airbus is fly by wire and now some Boeing models are out with fly by wire. I haven't heard of any one pilot group dismissing the excellence of either type of aircraft. Sure, with fly by wire, a computer will have the final say of whether any pilot input will be performed--this is to prevent the aircraft from being subjected to forces by a pilot that would hurt the plane. Traditional systems, Boeing, the pilot may put the aircraft into any flight position he desires. His is the final word!

By the time AF 447 ran into critical problems and disappeared, the autopilot system had already disengaged. This could have been opted by the flight management system or by the pilots themselves. Until the black boxes are found, just about everything about this crash will be speculation. Except for the wreckage! The damage to the found pieces and to the recovered remains of the passengers will serve as a tool to help determine the cause of the loss of AF 447 and its 228 souls on board... lakotahope

France Will Continue to Search for Black Boxes

2009-06-16T23:31:00.001-04:00

June 9: Brazil's Navy sailors recover debris of the missing Air France Flight 447 from the Atlantic Ocean.

LE BOURGET, France — France's defense minister says the search for the remains of Air France Flight 447 will go on as long as there is hope of finding the plane's black boxes.

Herve Morin says he met with his Brazilian counterpart at the Paris Air Show and promised that "France is determined to continue the search."

He gave no more details about the search for the plane, which crashed into the sea on May 31 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris with 228 people aboard.

Morin said Tuesday it was important that both countries agree on the need to keep up the arduous search for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders in the deep waters of the mid-Atlantic.....cnn.com

Customs and Border Protection Justifies Ramp Check

2009-06-11T23:03:00.002-04:00

I see images of more heavy handed inspections of aircraft and all persons entering and leaving certain areas of the U.S.A. Over the years we as a nation have been envied for our freedom of movement, but now things are changing. All in the name of national security. Seems to me that only American citizens are really being affected by these tactics. How much liberty and rights that we have always enjoyed as a nation, are we going to surrender to government laws, rules and regulations. ...lakotahope

A spokeswoman for the Washington headquarters of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says the drawing of weapons in the ramp inspection of an aircraft in Long Beach, Calif., last month was justified but not "normal." Kelly Ivahnenko also told AVweb that general aviation pilots can expect more ramp checks by CBP agents thanks to the newly-instituted Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS). She stressed it's unlikely many of the checks will have the level of intensity employed May 22 with Long Beach, Calif., pilot David Perry and his three passengers. Ivahnenko said in an interview on Tuesday that there was a "heightened alert" involved in the Long Beach operation but she also said she could not discuss the circumstances that led to a more aggressive posture than normal by the CBP and local police. She also said that while eAPIS had nothing to do with the Long Beach inspection, information provided through eAPIS could result in more frequent GA inspections. The system, which involves the online filing of flight and passenger information for transborder flights, became mandatory on May 18. In an interview and podcast with AVweb, Perry said he and his passengers were put in unnecessary peril by gun-wielding enforcement officials. Ivahnenko stressed Perry's experience is not what most pilots should expect if they're checked by the CBP. "This I would not classify as common or routine," she said. She said the Long Beach action was justified, even though the search turned up nothing illegal. "While the involvement of more than one law enforcement agency and the heightened alert of the situation were slightly unusual, it is within (CBP's) authority to inspect inbound and outbound travelers, vehicles, planes, cargo, etc.," she told AVweb. She also said that only the Long Beach police officers assisting the operation actually drew weapons and CBP agents kept theirs holstered, something Perry vehemently disputes. "Every one of them had their weapons out," Perry said.

Perry also said that while most of those who surrounded his airplane carried pistols, he saw at least one assault rifle carried by a CBP agent. Ivahnenko said the CBP agents involved are not equipped with assault rifles and the tactical team that does carry them was not in Long Beach that day. Perry adamantly disagrees with Ivahnenko regarding the presence of assault rifles. While Ivahnenko maintains CBP agents did not draw weapons, she said it was their idea that the Long Beach police officers have their guns out. "We are taking responsibility as the lead agency who requested assistance from Long Beach," she said. "That was simply part of the security protocol for that part of the inspection." Perry said he and his passengers were ordered at gunpoint to first put their hands on their heads and then get out of the airplane one by one. They were individually questioned and they and the contents of the plane were searched. Perry said he's considering filing a civil rights action against the CBP and has been told by an attorney that the search may have violated the 4th Amendment of the Constitution that limits search and seizure powers of the government. Ivahnenko said the controversy stirred by the Long Beach inspection may prompt an outreach campaign by the CBP to address concerns being expressed by the general aviation community about the new border-crossing rules.....avweb

Two Passengers on Doomed Flight Linked to Terrorism

2009-06-10T09:53:00.006-04:00

Now we are teetering toward the theory that the destruction of Flight 447 as being a possible victim to Muslim terrorists. Some may remember I posted a news message about a bomb threat to an Air France airliner just a few days before this crash. Although, Brazilian authorities searched the "bomb threat plane" meticulously, it left and landed in Paris without incident. This plane flew the same flight plan as AF 447. Now we may have a possible coincidence according to the French that the names listed on the doomed flight were indeed a match to a list of Islamic terrorists. But, coincidences are easy to accept in hard to believe circumstances. We do have the bomb threats on a previous flight and we have two names of passengers that are considered "a threat" to the French Republic.
I wonder if these two names were on the passenger manifest that was held up for the bomb threat flight?. ..... lakotahope

Soon after news of the fatal crash broke, agents working for the DGSE (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure), were dispatched to Brazil.

A source working for the French security services told Paris weekly L’Express that the link was "highly significant."

France has received numerous threats from Islamic terrorist groups in recent months, especially since French troops were sent to fight in Afghanistan....foxnews

11:46am UK, Wednesday June 10, 2009

Meanwhile, a French nuclear submarine has arrived to sweep the ocean, seeking the signals transmitted by the voice and data recorders from flight AF 447.

"The Emeraude will begin its patrol this morning, in a first search zone measuring 20 nautical miles by 20, that is to say 36 kilometres by 36, which it should cover in a day," said military spokesman Captain Christophe Prazuck.

Brazil's Air Force unloads the body of one of the victims recovered from the sea

"It will change zone each day and no time limit has been set."

The Emeraude is to be joined in the area by the Mistral, a naval command and control vessel equipped with helicopters.

French officials acknowledge the search will not be easy - the black boxes are thought to be in waters up to 3.7 miles deep.

If the Emeraude does locate the signal, the French scientific research vessel Pourquoi Pas will launch a mini-submarine to retrieve the recorders.

A total of 41 bodies have now been hauled up from what one Brazilian navy crewmember said was a "sea of debris" some 700 miles off Brazil's northeast coast.... skynews

Foreign Geese Brought Down Jet in Hudson

2009-06-08T23:01:00.010-04:00

We have identified the culprits and now we need to do some more data crunching to figure out how to use this information. Canadian geese brought down an American commercial airliner on January 15, 2009. A flagrant disregard for in flight navigation and ATC instructions for safety in the Terminal area. The geese,two female and one male,were cruising at approximately 2,900 feet when their flight was disrupted by the two engines of the Airbus 320. According to Smithsonian institution scientists, these geese were the vagabond, transient type of goose. Not the local population that inhabit the flight path around the Hudson River. I am so happy this incursion did not involve the local goose.....lakotahope
____________

On Monday, the eve of a three-day National Transportation Safety Board hearing into the crash, the Smithsonian announced that sophisticated scientific techniques allowed them to conclude that the Flight 1549 birds were Canada geese from Labrador, Canada, and were significantly different from geese in New York City. Museum scientists said molecular study of feathers found in the engines leads them to believe the birds had probably nested in Labrador in the summer of 2008 and migrated to the New York region for the winter. On the day of the crash, Smithsonian wildlife biologist Peter Marra said, the ground was covered with snow, and the flock was probably on a short flight south looking for clear ground or water on which to forage for food.

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are "essentially flying cows," Marra said, given their unrelenting quest for food.

The migratory birds are among the largest species of bird in North America, with an estimated weight of about 8 pounds each. The determination that the birds were the 8-pound variety and not the 4-pound Brant geese is likely to comfort jet engine designers, since the engines are designed to survive strikes from 4-pound birds.....cnn.com

2009-06-07T14:37:00.002-04:00

RECIFE, Brazil (CNN) -- Three more bodies were found Sunday from the crash of an Air France plane off the coast of Brazil nearly a week ago, Brazilian officials said.
A boat from the Brazilian navy picks up debris in the Atlantic on Sunday.

More bodies could be seen and could be recovered within hours, they added.

The bodies of two males were found Saturday. But Brazilian air force and navy officials said it was not possible to identify the sex of the latest three bodies. Asked their condition, the officials declined to describe them, citing good taste and the victims' families.

The bodies, along with hundreds of other items, were found floating in water that was between 6,000 and 8,000 meters (4 to 5 miles) deep.

All the bodies and items recovered are confirmed as being from Air France Flight 447, which vanished over the Atlantic early Monday en route to Paris, France, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The area where the bodies and crash debris are being found is about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) from the Brazilian coast.

More Bodies Found

2009-06-07T11:32:00.011-04:00

RECIFE, Brazil — Brazil's Navy said Sunday it recovered three more bodies from the ocean where an Air France jet is believed to have crashed in violent weather, bringing the total number of Flight 447 victims plucked from the water to five.

Authorities also say they have spotted an undetermined number of additional bodies from the air and are sending ships to recover them.Navy Capt. Giucemar Tabosa Cardoso made the announcement Sunday from the military search command post in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife....foxnews 1100 0607 2009

Click here for photos.

Plane's Wing Found

2009-06-07T08:26:00.003-04:00

More Debris is Located

Article from: Agence France-Presse

BRAZILIAN search aircraft have spotted seats and part of a plane wing in the Atlantic where an Air France jet went down nearly a week ago, officials said after two bodies and other items were recovered from the area.

"As well as the bodies there are various remains of the aircraft," air force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Henry Munhoz said. "Plane seats, part of the wing (and) various other items (were) localised," Mr Munhoz said. The two male bodies recovered by the Brazilian navy in the zone earlier today were being taken by ship to Brazil's Fernando de Noronha archipelago, where they would be catalogued and flown to Recife, he said. "Recife will be the final destination for the bodies as well as the debris from the aircraft," Mr Munhoz said. He said that "details of the (personal) items collected will be divulged to the relatives and only to the relatives." The spokesman added that "the state of the bodies will not be divulged."

EAA Oshkosh--Largest General Aviation Event in the World

2009-06-07T06:26:00.009-04:00

With over a half a million aviation enthusiasts attending last year, this year's event will be just as large with many new exhibition aircraft showing up for the first time. And to kick off this year's aircraft bonanza...........lakotahope

BIG NEWS--AIRBUS 380 IS COMING
TO OSHKOSH 2009

Take an Airbus A380 cockpit tour!

How BIG is it?

Length - 239’ 3”
Span - 261’ 8”
Height - 79’ 7”
Empty Weight - 556,000 lbs
Max Take Off Weight - 1,300,000 lbs
Range - 8,200 NM
Fuel Capacity - 81,980 gallons
Seating - 525 typical – mixed seating

It's official - the Airbus A380 will visit EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009, providing the first opportunity in North America for the global aviation community and the public to admire the world's largest passenger airliner on static display and in flight.

The Experimental Aircraft Association holds its annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh air show in an effort to engage people in aviation and help raise awareness. The Wisconsin show, to be held July 27 to Aug. 2, drew about 540,000 last year and is considered the world's largest general aviation event. The Wichita Eagle (Kan.) (6/5)

For general aviation, Paris not the only show in town: General aviation companies will be scarcer than usual at the venerable Paris Air Show, but AviationWeek blogger Fred George says that's not simply a result of the economic climate. The Paris event, now in its 100th year, appeals to the entire aviation spectrum, resulting in huge traffic jams and throngs of gawkers. Besides the inconvenience for visitors, there is also the issue of cost to exhibitors, which can run upwards of a $1 million for companies coming from outside Europe. AviationWeek.com/Business Aviation Now (6/4)

Bodies of Two Men Found Floating in Ocean

2009-06-06T23:01:00.002-04:00

First debris was found and identified as belonging to the missing Airbus. Now the debris found earlier along with the accompanying oil slick belong to the category of "Sea Trash". Brazil jumped the gun and France did warn about this type of response. Now solid proof exists of the missing Airbus 330 and by studying currents, time allowances and other factors, the experts may actually get close to the vicinity of the crash. Presuming they get in a reasonable area to search, the deployment of the nuclear subs and their 'superb electronics', perhaps the black boxes may be found and hopefully removed before their 30 day battery life expires......lakotahope

The Brazilian Air Force has found the bodies of two men floating in the ocean near where investigators believe doomed Air France Flight 447 crashed.

The first bodies from the crash were found early on Saturday morning, spokesman Jorge Amaral told reporters in the north-eastern Brazilian city of Recife.

'This morning at 8:14 a.m., we confirmed the retrieval from the water of pieces and bodies that belonged to the Air France flight,' Amaral said.
--------------

Among the debris retrieved on Saturday was a seat with a serial number that matched the missing flight, a rucksack, and a case with an Air France ticket inside, rescue officials said.

Air France has confirmed that the ticket corresponded to a passenger on board Flight 447.

Brazil's air force has been scouring a swathe of the Atlantic about 680 miles (1,100 km) northeast of Brazil's coast since Monday's crash.

Several Brazilian navy ships have also arrived in the area, but fears have grown that many bodies sank or were devoured by sharks.
-------------
The French accident investigation agency, BEA, found the doomed plane received inconsistent airspeed readings by different instruments as it struggled in a massive thunderstorm on its flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris in the early hours of Monday morning.Arslanian cautioned that it is too early to draw conclusions about the role of Pitot tubes in the crash, saying that 'it does not mean that without replacing the Pitots that the A330 was dangerous.'It also emerged today that the jet had issued 24 system failure messages before it crashed.Fourteen of those messages were sent within the space of one minute, from 3.10am BST to 3.11am BST, a briefing in Paris was told today.
By Peter Allen and Mail Foreign Service

Air France Passenger's Body Found

2009-06-06T18:04:00.001-04:00

Finally something solid to build an investigation on. Someone that will get a member of their family back.

clipped from www.cnn.com

Air France passenger's body found

PARIS, France (CNN) -- The bodies of two men, one of whom was confirmed to be a passenger from the Air France plane that is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, were found early Saturday, a Brazilian air force spokesman said.

Also found were a backpack and a leather briefcase containing an airplane ticket with a reservation code, which Air France verified belonged to a passenger on the jet, Jorge Amaral said.

The Brazilian navy and air force said the backpack contained a laptop, and an oxygen mask also was discovered, the Brazilian navy and air force said.

Air force officials announced the news in Recife, Brazil. The items were discovered 420 miles north of the Fernando de Noronha islands, 220 miles (355 kilometers) off the northeast coast of Brazil.

It is not clear where the plane crashed, since ocean currents likely caused the bodies and debris to drift in the six days since the crash.

Mystery Crashes

2009-06-05T23:21:00.001-04:00

Article states the Pennsylvania crash had no answers. Not true, the uncommanded rudder movement was caused by a servo flipping opposite of pilot inputs and suffered this when it was exposed to extreme cold followed by hot hydraulic fluid. The answer is considerably more complicated....Lakotahope

clipped from www.cnn.com

In 1994, U.S. Air Flight 427 crashed in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, after taking off in Chicago, Illinois, en route to West Palm Beach, Florida. While federal officials identified a problem with the rudder but could not explain why the plane suddenly flipped and crashed, not a single clue has revealed why the mechanism failed. All 132 people aboard died.

More recently, South African Airways Flight 295, a Boeing 747 en route to Johannesburg from Taiwan in 1987, crashed into the Indian Ocean shortly after the pilot reported smoke in the cabin. While debris that washed up on the shores of Madagascar was tested, the cause of the crash has never been positively established.

A number of unsolved plane crashes have remained in the public psyche for years:

Unique Vessel Joins Search for Missing Airliner

2009-06-05T15:43:00.002-04:00

Submarines do have very sensitive acoustic abilities. Apparently, they can detect and catalogue a ship's screws from as far away as the United States is to Europe.....lakotahope

A French nuclear submarine is being sent to help find an Air France jet which disappeared over the Atlantic.

French defence minister Herve Morin said the hunter-killer submarine had surveillance equipment that could help find the plane's flight data recorders.

A spokesman for Airbus said that a notice had been sent reminding Airbus air crews worldwide what to do when speed indicators give conflicting read-outs.

Spokesman Justin Dubon said that the inconsistent readings meant that "the air speed of the aircraft was unclear".

As the search continued on Friday, it was revealed that a wooden pallet and a fuel slick in the vicinity of the plane's last known position were not from the jet.

The slick was most likely from a passing ship, he said.

"Following the disappearance of the Air France Airbus A330 between Rio de Janeiro and Paris, the Paris prosecutor's office has opened a judicial inquiry against unnamed persons on charges of manslaughter," a statement said.

Debris Found in Atlantic--Only Sea Trash

2009-06-05T06:46:00.002-04:00

By Peter Allen and Mail Foreign Service

The investigation into downed Air France flight 447 was thrown into chaos today when red-faced investigators admitted that debris found floating in the ocean was not from the doomed jet.

Military investigators had said that they had 'without a doubt' found vital parts of the Airbus A330 in deep ocean 600 miles off the coast of Brazil.

Among the debris was a wooden pallet that they believed had been used to load luggage on to the plane, which disappeared over the Atlantic early Monday morning with 228 people on board.

But today investigators said the wooden pallet and two buoys recovered was not from Flight 447, but just floating waste believed to be from a ship.

Earlier, investigators had also claimed to have spotted a plane seat and a seven-metre piece of fuselage floating in the ocean from search planes thousands of feet up.

They have not yet confirmed if those pieces of debris were from Flight 447 or not.

However with investigators admitting the fuel found floating in the water was not from the plane, speculation that the plane had fallen victim to a terrorist attack was growing again. French investigators said no cause, including a terrorist bomb, had yet been ruled out

French authorities have been saying for several days that we have to be extremely prudent,' Bussereau told France's RTL radio. 'Our planes and naval ships have seen nothing.'He said it is 'bad news' that the Brazilian teams were mistaken. 'We would have preferred that it (the debris) had come from the plane and that we had some information,' he said.

Flying Too Slowly

2009-06-04T23:53:00.001-04:00

When I first heard about airspeeds, I believed the investigators and Airbus personnel were discussing too high an airspeed for penetrating bad weather. Above the Design Maneuvering Speed, but stalling? I heard about a phenomenon called a 'high speed' stall. This involved Learjets or some similar corporate jet at high altitudes. Anyone know about this?

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk

Parts of Air France jet found as investigators suggest it was flying too slowly and stalled

Airbus is now to issue new advice to all airlines using A330s about optimal speeds during stormy weather after investigators suggested the plane may have stalled mid-air.

A high-altitude stall at 35,000ft would explain why the aircraft apparently broke up during appalling weather conditions.

Airbus declined to comment but retired pilot Jean Serrat said: ‘If
accident investigators are making a recommendation so early, it is
because they know very well what happened.

The first thing you do when
you fly into turbulence is to reduce speed to counter its effects. If
you reduce speed too much you stall.’

At 11pm on Sunday, the Airbus 330 was flying through black thunderstorms towering up 50,000 feet above sea-level, as updraft winds battered it at up to 100mph.

14 minutes later, with its systems failing, the plane was breaking apart and dove into the Atlantic ocean with 228 people onboard.

Gun Rights Are Not For All Colleges

2009-06-04T17:05:00.006-04:00

Colleges in general are FAR leaning leftist organizations. Fine if you just want to hug bunnies and trees, but if you want to discuss our "God given rights" as appointed us by the Bill of Rights don't go to college without checking first!.... lakotahope
=====
"The fact is, the topic is so explosive," said Robert Shibley, spokesman for the Foundation for
Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which tracks discriminatory practices against students involved in conservative issues on campus. They've been dealing with "more and more" complaints about efforts to "squelch gun speech," he said. The latest flareup involves Christine Brashier, who says officials at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) violated her First Amendment right to free speech when they stopped her from posting and distributing fliers advocating for concealed carry on campus, and for a new chapter of Students for
Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC) at the college. The group has about a dozen chapters on other Pennsylvania campuses, Shibley said. "I genuinely wanted to start discussion on the
topic," Brasier told FOXNews.com this week. " I am not such an avid gun owner as much of the news has made me out to be — I simply believe in liberty and that college is the place for a debate about important issues such as this one." Brashier, 24, who is a freshman at the school, said she worked for the last three years in a law office, and before that, as an assistant manager at a convenience store, which was robbed at gunpoint twice while she worked there.
She is licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Pennsylvania, but school policy prevents her from
carrying it on campus. Most states allow schools to set their own policy on concealed carry laws.
Brashier maintains she was hauled into a meeting with the dean, who told her "that the club would never be approved, that the school did not wish to discuss the topic, and to cease speaking about it as well as destroy the literature."
======
But gun rights advocates are wary. Since the Virginia Tech murders in 2007, in which 32 people
were gunned down by a student with a history of mental illness, a line has been drawn between those who feel that licensed gun owners should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus, and those who believe prevention and tougher gun laws are the best response to a campus gunman.

In March, Central Connecticut State University student John Wahlberg and two classmates gave a presentation for their communications class on whether the death toll at Virginia Tech might have been smaller if faculty and students had been allowed to carry guns. That night, Wahlberg says, he was called into the campus police department, which already had a list of his registered guns, which were locked away off-campus.

Wahlberg's professor had reported him to security out of "safety" concerns, according to The Recorder, the campus newspaper.

The incident has seemingly given the issue a boost, as CCSU students advocating concealed carry were protesting on campus in April, carrying around empty holsters to make their point.

But just a year earlier, students planning a similar protest at Tarrant County College in Texas were told to leave their empty holsters at home and were restricted to demonstrating in a "free speech zone" on campus. .....foxnews
=========

In Flight Explosion Ruled Out--White Light Seen By Other Pilots

2009-06-04T14:24:00.002-04:00

Reports indicate the plane entered the water relatively intact. It's possible, an airliner's fuel tank exploded off of Long Island over the Atlantic ocean several years ago. The forward section separated from the rest of the plane. The plane, absent cockpit and the accompanying forward section, continued to fly. It even gained altitude mainly due to the resultant loss of weight. This plane was intact for much of the climb and dive sequence. Fireballs were reported in this case. This aircrafts Center Wing Fuel tank ignited due to a suspected short in the wiring that runs into the tank. The aircraft is known as TWA Flight 800 (link to Flight 800 story-- http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2000/aar0003.htm )....lakotahope

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- The Brazilian navy began retrieving debris Thursday from an Air France passenger jet which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 228 people onboard as investigators continued to hunt for clues into the cause of the accident.

A Spanish pilot said he saw an "intense flash" in the area where Flight 447 came down off the coast of Brazil, while a Brazilian minister appeared to rule out a mid-air explosion.

If true, that would rule out an in-flight explosion as the cause of the crash of Air France Flight 447, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim told reporters.

"Suddenly, we saw in the distance a strong and intense flash of white light, which followed a descending and vertical trajectory and which broke up in six seconds," the captain wrote.

Eleven aircraft and five ships are engaged in the search, including airplanes from France and the U.S. Watch as experts question whether recovery is possible »

Air France had received a bomb threat May 27, days before flight 447 departed. The plane with the bomb threat, departed and landed safely in Paris.

Bomb Theory Remains Alive

2009-06-03T21:56:00.001-04:00

As always, the bomb theory is always on the back of everyone's minds, whether we admit to it or not.

Satellite data has already shown that storms were sending 100mph winds straight into the Airbus's path at that time.

Ten minutes later, the plane sent a burst of automatic messages, indicating the autopilot had disengaged, the flight-control computer system had been switched to alternative-power and controls needed to keep the plane stable had been damaged.

Three minutes later, automatic messages warned that two other fundamental systems that monitor air speed, altitude and direction had failed. Then came a cascade of electrical failures in systems that control the main flight computer and wing spoilers.

The last message came at 11.14pm, indicating loss of air pressure and electrical failure. The newspaper said this could mean sudden depressurization, or that the plane was already falling into the ocean.

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk

Officials investigate Argentina bomb threat as pilot claims Air France Flight 447 was blown out of the sky by terrorists

Air France received a bomb threat four days before Flight 447 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, it emerged yesterday.

One theory is that the jet was downed by a mid-air collision,
possibly involving a military spy jet or an aircraft piloted by
drug-runners.

But an unidentified senior long-haul Air France pilot told a
French newspaper: 'I have flown these jets for Air France for more than
ten years and the chances of an electrical fault seem unfeasible to me.

Aviation experts said the vast area over which debris has been found
suggested there was an in-flight explosion, but that did not mean a
bomb had to be the cause.

Details of the messages sent by the plane just before it disappeared were published in a Brazilian newspaper yesterday.

Large Chunks of Air France Jet Found in Atlantic Ocean

2009-06-03T17:12:00.003-04:00

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

EVERYTHING HAPPENS DURING THE PENETRATION OF THE "CB"...

Flight 447 disappeared minutes after flying into an extremely dangerous band of storms Sunday night, but what exactly caused its electrical systems and cabin pressure to fail remains a mystery. The "black box" cockpit recorders could be miles below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

The burst of automatic messages sent from the jetliner before it disappeared with 228 people on board suggests it probably broke apart in the skies and fell to the ocean in pieces, said an official, who isn't authorized to discuss details of the probe publicly.

The pilot sent a manual signal at 11 p.m. local time saying he was flying through an area of "CBs" — black, electrically charged cumulonimbus clouds that come with violent winds and lightning.

Satellite data has shown that towering thunderheads were sending 100 mph updraft winds into the jet's flight path just then.

Ten minutes later, a cascade of problems began: Automatic messages indicate the autopilot had disengaged, a key computer system had switched to alternative power, and controls needed to keep the plane stable had been damaged. An alarm sounded indicating the deterioration of flight systems.

Three minutes after that, more automatic messages reported the failure of systems to monitor air speed, altitude and direction. Control of the main flight computer and wing spoilers failed as well.

The last automatic message, at 11:14 p.m., indicated loss of cabin pressure and complete electrical failure — catastrophic events in a plane that was likely already plunging toward the ocean.

"This clearly looks like the story of the airplane coming apart," the airline industry official told the AP. "We just don't know why it did, but that is what the investigation will show."

GM Cannot Justify Corporate Jets Now

2009-06-03T14:44:00.001-04:00

Well, the article explains it....I feel sorry for all of the lessors that will lose money on this bankruptcy....People see GM and Chrysler shedding 100's of billions of dollars in debt. But someone and not just banks, will lose alot of money to keep these two giants of failure afloat long enough to suck the U.S. citizen of tax dollars.

clipped from www.avweb.com

GM Asks Court To Dump Jet Leases

One of the first things General Motors did under bankruptcy protection is ask the court to allow it to shed seven business aircraft
leases and the lease on the hangar that holds them at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. "The leases are not necessary or valuable to the debtors' business activities or the sale process," GM
is quoted by Bloomberg as saying in filings to the court. Shortly after the widely publicized
criticism of GM CEO Rick Wagoner and other car company CEOs for using business jets to travel to Washington, D.C., GM tried to dump the aircraft leases but were legally required to maintain some.

The bankruptcy changes all that and it will be the judge's call on whether the leases can be cancelled. The publicity surrounding the Washington trip became a lightning rod for criticism of
business aircraft use in general and caused many companies not directly related to the issue to cut or curtail the use of their planes.

Large Piece of Wreckage Found

2009-06-03T14:16:00.003-04:00

This aircraft could have suffered a major decompression before plunging to the sea. With this large, 23 foot, section having been found and two distinct debris fields, I wonder how this aircraft could have left such a trail. It's possible the aircraft could have separated at flight level 330 and one section of the aircraft managed to travel much further than the other.

The alarmist view would be that this plane suffered an explosion from a bomb. After another Air France plane was grounded for over an hour for a bomb hoax just days before this flight, I wouldn't doubt it at all. Also, if a lightning bolt had hurt this jet and knocked out electrical power, how could the aircraft communicate with headquarters about the system failures that were occurring. After all, the systems need electricity to operate and transmit via satellite link or radio.

But, airframe failure would not be ruled out due to the violent thunderstorms the Airbus was traveling through when the signals were received.

Does anyone have a clue of their own???

Air France Bomb Threat Before Flight 447 Crash

2009-06-03T08:03:00.002-04:00

Just days before the mysterious crash of Air France Flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean, Brazilian authorities reportedly delayed a similar Air France flight from Buenos Aires to Paris after the airline received a bomb threat over the phone.

Police and officials at Buenos Aires' Ezeiza Airport spent 90 minutes inspecting the threatened plane for explosives on the evening of May 27, but found nothing, according to a Brazilian news report.

The head of France's accident investigation agency also said he is "not optimistic" that rescuers will recover the plane's black boxes, which are probably miles underwater.

Air France Flight 447 vanished Sunday night about four hours into its flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The reason for the crash remained unclear, with fierce thunderstorms, lightning or a catastrophic combination of causes as possible theories."The nature of the debris, the concentration of the debris ... all combines to prove that the debris from Air France 447 has been found," French military spokesman Christophe Prazuck said Wednesday.Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim told reporters in Rio that no bodies had been found and there was no signs of life.
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Let's see some current facts: 1) the plane contacted headquarters about faults in its systems; autopilot shutoff, depressurization. 2) No one from the cockpit made any contact with ground control. 3) there are 2 separate debris fields. 4) Flying through an area of intense thunderstorm activity raises several scenarios regarding the plane being disabled. ................
So far, it doesn't seem as if the plane came completely apart at its cruising altitude of 33,000 feet. I don't believe there would only be 2 distinct debris fields. And, remembering KAL007, it was able to continue flying at a much reduced capacity until it impacted the ocean. Of course, after the Soviets shot it down, they did a very thorough job of collecting the pieces, bodies and everything else of importance to hide their complicity.

Officials Declare Debris Belongs to Missing Aircraft

2009-06-02T16:52:00.005-04:00

1655 hrs 0602 2009
A debris field in the Atlantic Ocean is wreckage from Air France Flight 447, Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said Tuesday.

Tuesday, debris has turned up along the flight path--oil barrel, airplane seat, life vest, and signs of oil and kerosene. Ships sailing towards the area of debris have yet to arrive-probably by Wednesday.

Brazilian military pilots hunting earlier Tuesday for a missing Air France jet had spotted an airplane seat, an orange buoy and signs of fuel in a part of the Atlantic Ocean with depths of up to three miles. Brazil's Navy said three commercial ships in the area were joining the search and France said it would send a ship capable of deep-water exploration. A U.S. spy plane was also diverted from drug interdiction efforts to help with the effort. (See pictures of the Hudson plane crash.)

It was not until a French commercial vessel arrived on the scene that the debris' origin was confirmed. The planes searched 10,000 square kilometers (3,861 square miles) of ocean throughout the day and will continue to search for more debris overnight, the Brazilian Air Force Said.

The pilots spotted two areas of floating debris — but no signs of life — about 35 miles (60 kilometers) apart, about 410 miles (650 kilometers) beyond the Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, near Flight 447's path from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, said Air Force spokesman Jorge Amaral.

"The locations where the objects were found are towards the right of the point where the last signal of the plane was emitted," Amaral said. "That suggests that it might have tried to make a turn, maybe to return to Fernando de Noronha, but that is just a hypothesis."

If no survivors are found, it would be the world's worst civil aviation disaster since the November 2001 crash of an American Airlines jetliner in the New York City borough of Queens that killed 265 people.
cbs,time,msnbc

Airbus Still Missing

2009-06-01T15:00:00.005-04:00

PARIS, France (CNN) -- The chances of finding any survivors from an Air France passenger jet that disappeared over the Atlantic were "very low," French President Nicolas Sarkozy admitted Monday.

Air France said 80 Brazilians and 73 French citizens were on the missing flight, CNN affiliate TV Globo reported.

The plane had reported a problem with the electrical system, "but the specialists refuse for the moment to express themselves about any possibility," Sarkozy said.

The jet had also sent out a warning it had lost pressure, the Brazilian Air Force said. Watch aviation expert describe possible scenarios »

Its crew was composed of three pilots and nine cabin crew members, including a captain who has logged 11,000 hours in flight. Some 1,700 of those hours were on the A330 and A340. Of the two co-pilots, one has 3,000 hours of flying experience and the other 6,600 hours. The aircraft has flown 18,870 hours.

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One of the statements made about a loss of pressure, reminds me of a Turkish flight that lost a cargo door. This resulted in a catastrophic cabin pressure loss that collapsed part of the cabin floor, pulling out several passengers still attached to their seats. Worse, it also severed hydraulic systems that controlled the aircraft wing surfaces. This Turkish airliner plowed into the ground at over 500 mph just outside of Paris.
Loss of cabin pressure--bomb??? Too soon to speculate....lakotahope

Electric Jet Missing

2009-06-01T12:00:00.005-04:00

Officials said the Airbus A330-200 sent automated messages of electrical failure and pressure loss as it hit turbulence, vanishing from the radar early in its flight from Rio de Janeiro to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. The loss of a relatively new model of one of the aviation sector's most reliable and state-of-the-art aircraft has stunned analysts who say it would take extremely violent weather to bring down such a large jet.

Time line

2230 GMT Sunday Flight AF447 takes off from Rio's Airport do Galeao
0133 GMT Monday Plane makes last contact with Brazilian air traffic control
0148 GMT Plane disappears from radar
0220 GMT Plane fails to make scheduled radio contact
0530 GMT Brazilian Air Force launches search
0910 GMT Plane fails to make scheduled landing in Paris
Source: Brazilian Air Force

Jean-Christophe Rufin, France's ambassador in the west African country of Senegal, told French iTele that aircraft had also taken off from there to search for the missing Airbus.

Brazil's air force said that when the plane left its radar area at 0148 GMT it had been flying normally at an altitude of 35,000 feet and at 453 km per hour. It failed to make contact at the next attempt half an hour later at 0220.

An air traffic controller at ASECNA in Dakar, which covers Francophone Africa, said they did not take control of AF 447.

The plane was an Airbus 330-200 powered with General Electric engines. If the plane is confirmed to have crashed, it would be the first time an A330 has been lost during an operational airline flight.

Air France lost an operational jet in 2000, Concorde, which ultimately ended in Concorde's demise.

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This aircraft is a very safe aircraft having only one previous fatal accident in 1994. Weather conditions have emerged as a leading suspect in the assumed loss of an Air France Airbus A330-200 that disappeared off the coast of Brazil last night.

CNN, Reuters,FlightGlobal

Make My Day Law - Stand Your Ground Law

2009-05-31T22:20:00.000-04:00

Folk Hero or Killer: Druggist Who Killed Robber

by ABCNews.com

"There is no gray area," Shannon said. One caller "said he should have put all the shots in the head."

The video shows two men bursting in, one of them pointing a gun at Ersland and two women working with the druggist behind the counter. Ersland fires a pistol, driving the gunman from the store and hitting Parker in the head as he puts on a ski mask.

But many of those who have seen the video of the May 19 robbery attempt at Reliable Discount Pharmacy have concluded the teenager in the ski mask got what he deserved.

Under Oklahoma's "Make My Day Law" — passed in the late 1980s and named for one of Clint Eastwood's most famous movie lines — people can use deadly force when they feel threatened by an intruder inside their homes. In 2006, Oklahoma's "Stand Your Ground Law" extended that to anywhere a citizen has the right to be, such as a car or office.

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Robber was already shot in the head; seems the pharmacist merely finished the job....How many times do we see police gunshot suspects being hit or having more than a dozen bullets fired at them? I suspect a jury trial won't win this prosecutor any points. However, at least the accomplices have been charged and will probably be convicted of more serious charges.

De Nuclearizing North Korea

2009-05-30T10:51:00.000-04:00

(CNN) -- The United States will not accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Saturday at an international conference.

"We will not stand idly by as North Korea builds the capability to wreak destruction on any target in the region -- or on us," said Gates, speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore.

The United States would hold North Korea "fully accountable for the consequences" if the secretive state were to provide nuclear weapons or material to other nations or groups, Gates warned.

"Dependent on the charity of the international community to alleviate the hunger and suffering of its people, North Korea's leadership has chosen to focus the North's limited energy and resources on a reckless and ultimately self-destructive quest for nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles," Gates said. Learn more about the situation »

Tourists Die--Pufferfish Poisoning?? Similarities Involved

2009-05-29T21:35:00.000-04:00

Pufferfish Poisoning in Thailand

A recent news report commented upon the fact that vendors in Thailand have been selling puffer fish meat and calling it salmon. According to a reporting physician in Thailand, this disguised (dyed in some cases) puffer fish meat has caused at least 15 deaths over the past year.

The toxin is found in the entire fish (including the flesh, or "meat"), with greatest concentration in the liver, intestines, reproductive organs, and skin. After the victim has eaten the fish, symptoms can occur as quickly as 10 minutes later or be delayed by a few hours. These include numbness and tingling around the mouth, lightheadedness, drooling, sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, weakness, difficulty walking, paralysis, difficulty breathing, and collapse. As noted above, this ingestion can be fatal. Tetrodotoxin is also found in other animals; for instance, it is the toxin responsible for the potentially lethal bite of the Indo-Pacific blue-ringed octopus.

GOING TOO FAR

2009-05-29T13:25:00.000-04:00

Texas Woman Told to Remove 'Offensive' American Flag From Office

So when McLucas arrived at work at a Texas hospital last Friday, she was stunned to be told that the Stars and Stripes she had hung in her office in advance of Memorial Day were offensive, and that the flag had been removed.

McLucas, a supervisor at Kindred Hospital in Mansfield, Texas, had displayed the 3-by-5-foot flag in the office she shares with the hospital’s three other supervisors. McLucas said one of her colleagues, a woman who immigrated to the United States from Africa 14 years ago, complained about the flag to upper management, and the hospital decided to take down the flag.

"I was told that as long as my flag offended one person, it would be taken down," McLucas said.

"I went to the office to retrieve it and found the flag wrapped around the pole, sitting in the corner on the ground. I was speechless."

One Moment On Flight

Nebraskan Left Timecapsule of War--A Spitfire

Tennessee National Guard Helicopter Crashes, Two Pilots Killed Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/10/tennessee-national-guard-helicopter-crashes-two-pilots-killed/#ixzz1RiGnFHpX

Helicopter Pilot Dies Trying to Free Bull From Entanglement

Airplane crashes into trees in Dubois

Report: Islander ditching following engine failure caused by overloading

Report: Islander ditching following engine failure caused by overloading

Airplane's GPS Signals to become Unreliable in Las Vegas

FAA warns pilots in Las Vegas vicinity on GPS

By JOAN LOWY, AP Wed May 18, 6:24 PM EDT

Airframe Parachute System Saves Pilot in Cirrus

Solar Sail Finally Deploys and Works

Runway Directions Have Changed in One Florida Airport. All By Themselves

Magnetic North Pole Shifts, Forces Runway Closures at Florida Airport

China Unveils New 5th Gen Fighter

10 Top Choices for Aerial Approachs by British Daily Mail

Window seat please! Las Vegas airport among the world's top 10 most stunning aerial approaches

IF YOU LOOK OUT OF YOUR WINDOW NOW .... THE TOP TEN

Instructor and Two Students Die in Night Flight Training

Plane crash victims identified

F22 Missing On Training Flight In Alaska

Unexplained Missile Launch Off Los Angeles--But, There Is Better Information

Northern and Southern Lights Filmed on Saturn by Hubble

Loran C Has Been Posted to the Graveyard

Coast Guard sounds death knell for loran-C

Light Sport Aircraft Delivery Made to Cessna

The Last Official Ice Airport in the Continental United States

Buffalo Crash Blamed on Cockpit Crew

Russia To Launch MIM1 Module To ISS Next Year

TSA Locks Out Local Pilots

TSA Locks Out Punta Gorda Pilots

Israel Demands to Install Its Own Avionics and Weapons System Into F-35

The World's Largest Amphibious Aircraft - China

Family Survives 12 Hours at Sea after Ditching Aircraft

Rescue Crews Arrive

Tuskee Airman Sues Vacaville Airport

Libyan Air Force MiG-23 fighter crashes at air show in Tripoli

World

Libyan Air Force MiG-23 fighter crashes at air show in Tripoli

3 Killed in Medical Helicopter Crash in South Carolina

Charter Crashes Expose Oversight Failures

Air Traffic Control to be Enhanced by Satellites

Aircraft in Gulf to be tracked using satellites

Air Ambulances and NTSB/ FAA

5th Generation Russian Jets Have Engine Problems

Remains found of first American shot down in Gulf War

More Pitot Tube Incidents

Senate Kills Additional Funding for F22 Program

Russian Ambitions May Be Overlapping the U.S.A.

FRENCH INVESTIGATOR SAYS AIRFRANCE FLIGHT 447 HIT WATER INTACT

Girl, 14 Survives Latest Aircraft at Sea Crash

Yemeni A310 Crashes Off of Comorros Islands

Joint Strike Fighter For Sale

Increased Ramp Threats From TSA

Customs steps up aircraft screening near U.S.-Mexico border

Aviation Humor from "Funny2.com"

Jets Plagued By Ice Over Problems

More Answers, Less Supposition

Investigators Say All Of Plane Will Not Be Recovered

France Will Continue to Search for Black Boxes

Customs and Border Protection Justifies Ramp Check

Two Passengers on Doomed Flight Linked to Terrorism

Foreign Geese Brought Down Jet in Hudson

More Bodies Found

Plane's Wing Found

EAA Oshkosh--Largest General Aviation Event in the World

Bodies of Two Men Found Floating in Ocean

Air France Passenger's Body Found

Air France passenger's body found

Mystery Crashes

Unique Vessel Joins Search for Missing Airliner

Debris Found in Atlantic--Only Sea Trash

Flying Too Slowly

Parts of Air France jet found as investigators suggest it was flying too slowly and stalled

Gun Rights Are Not For All Colleges

In Flight Explosion Ruled Out--White Light Seen By Other Pilots

Bomb Theory Remains Alive

Officials investigate Argentina bomb threat as pilot claims Air France Flight 447 was blown out of the sky by terrorists

Large Chunks of Air France Jet Found in Atlantic Ocean

GM Cannot Justify Corporate Jets Now

By JOAN LOWY, AP
Wed May 18, 6:24 PM EDT