While Air India is offering discounts as much as 20 percent on trunk routes, private players have knocked the government’s doors crying foul over the aggressive pricing, which is cutting into their yields and have urged for intervention, sources said.
In a meeting with the civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi, the domestic airlines’ body Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), raised serious concerns over Air India’s pricing, which it said was suicidal and may even lead to worsening of some airlines’ financial condition.
“They (FIA) demanded that government ask Air India to increase its fares,” said a ministry official, present at the meeting held last week.
FIA also cited a rule contained in the Aircraft Act which prohibited airlines from selling tickets at below cost. Besides Jet Airways’ Naresh Goyal, CEOs of all airlines — IndiGo’s Aditya Ghosh, Kingfisher Airlines’ Sanjay Aggarwal and Spice Jet’s Neil Mills — attended the meeting.
“Air India, a full-service carrier, is under-pricing to regain market share and is sacrificing its yields (revenue per passenger-mile). When the industry tries to match Air India’s lower fares, it drops them further,” said a senior executive of Jet Airways.
“We have been selling tickets at 25 percent below our cost,” said an FIA official.
For instance, a full-fare Delhi-Mumbai return ticket costing upwards of Rs 10,000 last year, is selling for Rs 7,000 currently (booked a week in advance), in the midst of the holiday season.
“If this continues, airlines may start defaulting on their aircraft lease rentals. One or two airlines may even be forced to shut down,” said the industry source, citing the case of Kingfisher which recently announced the closing of its low-cost arm.
The source said, “While Air India will be bailed out by the government, the same does not hold good for private carriers.”
Ravi has asked FIA to submit a detailed proposal outlining their demands to be evaluated by the ministry.
MONTREAL - Bombardier Inc. has lost another sales campaign to European rival ATR, a campaign for seven Q400 turboprops that at least one analyst thought the Montreal firm would win.
Benoit Poirier of Montreal brokerage Desjardins Securities called the decision by Air New Zealand to buy seven ATR-600s “disappointing news ... given the airline owns 23 (Bombardier) Q300 turboprops. We had believed that Bombardier was favoured to win this order.”
The order pushes ATR’s year-to-date turboprop sales to about 150 aircraft, said Poirier, compared with two for Bombardsier’s Q400 70-seat turboprops. Bombardier has already cut production rates at its Downsview turboprop plant as a result of slow sales, as well as at its Mirabel regional-jet plant, when orders that had been anticipated did not materialize this year.
Bombardier Aerospace spokesperson John Arnone could not confirm that Bombardier was in the running for the Air New Zealand order. The carrier could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.
Arnone also would not comment on whether two crash-landings in quick succession last year by the same Bombardier turboprop type on the same Air New Zealand division – Air Nelson – at the same airport had any effect on the carrier’s decision.
One source said the ATR-600s are destined for the Mount Cook Airline, an Air New Zealand subsidiary that already operates aircraft from the European manufacturer.
Commonality of aircraft type is a major issue for airlines, saving on training, operations and maintenance and replacement parts.
Poirier said in a note to clients that “it appears (Air New Zealand) opted for the lower operating costs of ATR’s aircraft over the faster speed of Bombardier’s Q400.”
Asked why Bombardier was not selling more turboprops in an interview with The Gazette last week at the National Business Aviation Association convention in Las Vegas, Bombardier Aerospace president Guy Hachey replied that it was because its strong markets were Europe and North America.
“And those markets are very, very soft right now,” Hachey said.
He admitted Bombardier has been slow in penetrating emerging markets, but said the company is “repairing” its misstep and that things were changing.
Arnone said that “we fully expect that markets (outside Europe and North America) will bounce back – it’s just a question of time.”
Poirier said that Indonesian carrier Garuda will decide by the end of November whether to buy 18 regional jets from Bombardier or Brazilian competitor Embraer.
He gave Bombardier the edge, but others “believe that ATR’s aircraft is favoured due to its lower operating costs.”
A Virgin Australia pilot's been seriously injured after getting caught in the engine thrust of a Qantas 747. The incident occurred at Brisbane airport. The pilot was blown from the top of stairs as the Jumbo taxied too close to his 737. He'd been conducting pre-flight checks before planning to take off for Bali. The first officer suffered a fractured arm and leg. Virgin says the stairs were blown over several times and the injuries could have been a lot worse. Qantas maintains the plane was "operating normally" under instructions from air traffic control. An Air Transport Safety Bureau inquiry has been launched.
HYAKURI, Air Base Ibaraki Pref. — Warplanes bearing the bright red Rising Sun logo roared overhead Sunday as the Air Self-Defense Force held its triennial display to showcase one of the best air forces in Asia. The only problem — most of its fighters were grounded.
Underscoring Japan's uphill battle in an increasingly heated race to control the skies over Asia, the air review at Hyakuri Air Base came just a week after the ASDF's entire F-15 fleet was ordered into its hangars for safety checks following a midair accident, the second such order in three months.
But in an effort to counterbalance big strides by China and Russia toward deploying new stealthy aircraft, the ASDF is about to get an overhaul costing hundreds of billions of yen.
For Sunday's review, the F-15s — the workhorse of the ASDF — were relegated to ground displays, either parked on the runway or allowed to taxi but not take off. The previous weekend, an empty fuel tank burst and detached from a F-15 on a training flight, causing the grounding order. In July, an F-15 flying out of Okinawa crashed into the ocean. The pilot is listed as missing and presumed dead.
The accidents reinforced what military planners already knew: the aging air fleet has seen better days. But after years of delays and budget battles, the government is expected to announce by the end of December a new fighter deal that will likely shape Asian air security for decades to come.
"The JASDF is on the edge of becoming a major tool of power projection," said Michael Auslin, a Japan security expert with the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank. "With its fighter selection process, it will signal whether it intends to be qualitatively competitive with leading air forces around the region over the next generation."
The ASDF — with 362 fighter jets, mostly F-15s, F-4s and F-2s — is already one of the top air powers in the region.
But planners have long been concerned by the increasing age and expense of maintaining the fleet — along with this country's ability to match the improving air capabilities of neighboring Russia and China. Japan has been using the F-15 as its centerpiece fighter since the early 1980s, though they have been updated over the years. The ASDF flies about 200 of the planes.
The government's first choice was America's stealthy F-22 Raptor, which can cruise at supersonic speeds and is hailed by many aviation experts as the most advanced fighter in the skies. Japan is the only country where the F-22 is regularly deployed overseas, having done several rotations to the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.
Acquiring the F-22 would have been a quantum leap for Japan.
Because of its sensitive technology, the U.S. Congress has opposed selling the F-22 abroad. Budget restraints in the United States have further forced Washington to drastically reduce its own orders for the pricey plane, whose future is now cloudy.
With the F-22 out of the picture, Japan has set its sights on three jets as its next mainstay fighter — the Lockheed F-35, Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon. The hotly contested deal for more than 40 "F-X," or next generation, planes is worth upward of $8 billion, or ¥610 billion. The first planes are expected to begin arriving in 2016.
Japan is likely to go with one of the American options. After all, Washington is Tokyo's main ally and the ASDF must work closely with the U.S. military. Using the same or similar equipment makes that easier.
Japan's main concerns are China and Russia along with the threat of North Korean ballistic missiles.
China, whose military has been growing more capable and assertive, recently rolled out its next-generation stealth fighter, the much-touted Chengdu J-20. Though that fighter may be years away from actual operations, it is seen as a rival to the F-22 and far superior to what Japan now has.
Russia, which is also making advances in its stealth capabilities, sent two strategic bombers on a mission to circumnavigate the Japanese islands last month — a move seen as a test of the new administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, which had just been launched six days before.
"With the provocative actions of North Korea, and the rapid growth of China's military, along with its increased activity in nearby waters, the security situation around our country is becoming murkier," Noda said in a speech at the air review. "We must ask you to tighten the strings on your samurai helmets."
The growing military activity around Japan has been reflected in a sharp increase in emergency scrambles by ASDF fighters to respond to airspace violations. Scramble orders were issued 386 times last year — up nearly 25 percent, according to the Defense Ministry. Virtually all were Chinese or Russian incursions.
Such challenges have given the overhaul plan a boost, despite Japan's steadily declining defense budget over the past decade — a sharp contrast to China's double-digit growth.
They have also pushed Tokyo closer to Washington.
Last year, Japan agreed to allow tankers acquired in 2008 to conduct midair refueling of U.S. warplanes.
The pact only provides for refueling during exercises, but experts say it a step toward bolstering the capability of both countries to jointly respond to regional threats.
The battle lines are drawn between hunters in helicopters and shooters on the ground.
The Ruahine Action Group is organising a public meeting to seek support and input to set up an alternative wild red deer management plan for the Ruahine State Forest.
Steve Bielski, from Rangiwahia, said recreational shooters were worried that the Department of Conservation would allow helicopter hunting in the region all year round.
At present, they are limited to certain times of the year and sections of the Ruahine Range.
"It's no use just saying we don't want helicopter hunting; we have to be able to run it ourselves, and maybe forming a trust to manage the red deer is appropriate."
However, the action group wanted helicopter shooting stopped altogether. Deerstalkers say they will use their political might against any political party that supports helicopter hunting.
Snow Hewetson, from the executive of the Deer Stalkers Association, said shooting from a helicopter was not hunting.
"Rather than being about the journey deerstalkers go on, which may result in a nice sunrise, it may be an encounter with an animal you decide to leave unharmed... it may be in taking a trophy... it may be some meat from a young animal, or maybe a photo you will prize for the image captured, rather – an image which will long remind you of glory days spent in alpine splendour."
He said heli-hunting was always about the kill at the end.
"It is not fair chase. The helicopter is used to find, chase and slay an animal to collect a fee."
DOC describes heli-hunting as flying recreational hunters and their guides into high country areas by helicopter in search of trophy animals. The animals most frequently hunted are introduced tahr and chamois.
DOC said commercial heli-hunting on land other than public conservation land was already an established industry, with clients paying a trophy fee of around $5000 per animal.
Mr Hewetsen said he was concerned that DOC would allow a concession that enabled heli-hunting over national parks and wilderness areas, granting access rights no other group or individual had.
"There remains huge opposition to this from the public, who regard heli-hunting as unethical, unsafe, unsporting, and disrespectful of our national parks and our egalitarian principles and, quite simply, don't want any part of it.
"It is clear now that only a change of law will satisfy the public concerns around heli-hunting," Mr Hewetson said.
DOC said heli-hunting operators shared the same interest as recreational hunters in retaining a viable number of trophy animals, and heli-hunting people wanted to ensure they remained.
It said heli-hunters reported that their selective shooting and culling was more effective than that of recreational hunters and DOC to maintain trophy animals.
Current legislation and plans permit heli-hunting and recreational hunters to be involved in wild animal control.
"There is no legal basis to impose restrictions on the issues of `fair chase', herding and hazing and shooting from the helicopter," DOC said.
"There was a desire in the meeting for the law to be reviewed, where relevant."
The Ruahine Action Group's public meeting to set up an alternative wild red deer management plan is on October 29 at the Central Normal School hall, 201 Featherston St, Palmerston North, at 1pm.
Germany plans to slash the number of military aircraft it will buy from EADS, the European aerospace company, as it shrinks its armed forces by a fifth as part of an austerity drive.
In a confidential document, seen by the Financial Times, the defence minister Thomas de Maiziere says he wants to cut Germany’s orders for the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet, the A400M transporter, and the Tiger attack and NH-90 transport helicopters.
The move looks set to trigger tense negotiations with EADS and its partners such as Italian-British AgustaWestland and the UK’s BAE Systems, which holds a 33 per cent stake in the Eurofighter.
It also looks set to lead to tough discussions with a raft of mostly European governments, who helped develop the aircraft and secured so-called “work-share” for domestic industry in proportion to the size of their final order.
Without the willingness of industry and governments – including France, the UK, Italy and Spain – to amend contracts long signed and sealed, Germany would be on the hook for penalty payments running into billions of euros.
According to the document, which was prepared for the German government’s budget committee, Berlin now wants to buy 140 instead of 177 Eurofighters, 40 instead of 53 A400Ms, 80 instead of 122 NH-90s, and only 40 Tigers, half the original order.
The cuts to military procurement – and a reduction in the size of the army to 170,000 troops – come after Germany ended national service for school leavers, and started refocusing an all-professional army for more foreign operations like Afghanistan.
Mr de Maiziere wrote in a memo to lawmakers that the reform was meant to make the Bundeswehr “more efficient and effective”, although the government is also counting on savings of more than €8bn ($11bn) by 2015 to help shore up its budget.
EADS and the government declined to comment before Mr de Maiziere officially unveils his plans later this month. But both sides are bracing for arduous talks that have become a staple of European defence co-operation.
The UK started reducing orders of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets three years ago, clinching a deal in spring 2009 which allowed it to sell on part of its Typhoon contingent to Saudi Arabia.
A similar plan is being considered for the aircraft Germany has contracted to buy but now considers surplus, although finding buyers is far from certain, according to industry experts.
India is considering the purchase of more than 100 fighter jets. However, it is interested in jets with air-to-ground attack capabilities and not the early air-to-air Eurofighters Germany is expected to want to ditch.
The aircrew of an Illinois Air National Guard C-130 transport had to declare an in-flight emergency while en-route to Spokane Wednesday afternoon.
The C-130 Hercules was heading to Spokane to deliver communications equipment when its aircrew saw a warning light that forced them to shut down one of the aircraft's four turboprop engines.
The aircraft, assigned to the 182nd Airlift Wing, touched down safely and without incident at Spokane International Airport a short time later.
Authorities in Southern California are searching for a 14-year-old autistic boy who wandered out of Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif.
The boy, Cameron James Smith, qualified to be flying as an unaccompanied minor on his SkyWest commuter flight to Salt Lake City, Utah.
However, an aviation source told ABC News, Cameron’s parents did not pay a $100 unaccompanied minor fee, according to airline records. In addition, the source said, the airline was initially told Cameron was older than 14, which would have allowed him to travel alone, and the parents initially did not reveal Cameron was autistic.
Cameron’s parents brought him to the airport and made sure he boarded the plane, according to local news reports. The jet pulled from the gate, but then had to return because of a mechanical problem. All of the passengers, including Cameron, got off the plane.
He was seen on airport surveillance video after deplaning. The boy wandered out of the airport and boarded an airport parking lot shuttle in front of the terminal. He got off that shuttle at a nearby intersection.
Police have been searching for Cameron since noon West Coast time.
The Skywest flight was a connecting flight for Delta Airlines. Under Delta policy, 14-year-olds traveling alone are considered unaccompanied minors. Parents must pay $100 per flight when the children are traveling alone. That is supposed to ensure that airline personnel are escorting them wherever they go.
A SkyWest official released a written statement that did not address the issue of whether or not the boy was classified as an unaccompanied minor, saying only that officials were trying to find him.
“Our focus at this time is to support efforts to locate the missing passenger,” said Marissa Snow, SkyWest’s manager of corporate communications. “We have reached out to the family and are working with Delta and supporting local law enforcement’s efforts to help locate the missing passenger.”
As a Boeing-built AV-8B Harrier muscles its way onto runway 5-left at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., the roar of its engine tells onlookers it’s about to take off. It’s hard to miss.
Introduced in 1985, the Vertical/Short Take Off and Landing (V/STOL) provides close-air support and reconnaissance for U.S. Marines. Currently flying missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, its power, weapons and unique capabilities are saving lives among coalition forces.
A Boeing-built AV-8B Harrier taxis into position at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.
Keeping AV-8Bs mission-ready is a task that falls to Marine aviation maintenance teams, as well as Boeing field service representatives (FSRs) who work shoulder to shoulder with their Marine counterparts.
Boeing AV-8B Powerline and Fuel System FSR Joseph Warrow is considered an expert in his field and understands the complexities of the aircraft.
“If you can work on a Harrier at least from a powerplant perspective, you can pretty much work on any aircraft – military or civilian,” Worrow said.
The aircraft maintenance specialist deployed to Iraq with Boeing to support AV-8Bs.
“Working with some of these young Marines is inspiring,” Worrow said. “We are able to teach them from the ground up lessons we’ve learned about the Harrier. It really gives you a sense of accomplishment and pride.”
Below is a presentation from the NBAA Internet site on the FAA’s Stage 2A Airspace Redesign changes scheduled to be implemented on October 20, 2011.The full document is available at the Internet Link below.
Nassau County will be negatively impacted from the new JFK departure routes.New Jersey will be negatively impacted from the LGA/JFK White/Wavey shuffle.
There will be numerous changes to airspace procedures on Thursday, October 20, 2011, associated with the New York, New Jersey 2A Airspace Redesign. The significant changes will be an additional west gate departure fix and a new RNAV STAR into Washington/Dulles from the North. The following information provides specifics for the 2A Airspace Redesign changes expected on October 20.
Addition of NY Metro Westgate departure fix north of ELIOT (named NEWEL) to facilitate better access to J80, Q42, J60, and J64. The ELIOT departure fix will be replaced by ZIMMZ and will be used for J80, Q480 and Q42. NEWEL will be used for J60 and J64. This mitigates a choke point over ELIOT and enables more efficient access to westbound routes.
New routing for Dulles/IAD arrivals from the North via the HYPER RNAV STAR which will segregate IAD traffic from NY Metro area westbound departures. Currently, IAD arrivals must descend through the NY departure stream. The new separated routes will enable better climbs and fewer vectors for NY Metro area departures and more optimal descents for IAD arrivals.
Establish three new Q routes and realign Q42 to reduce converging en route flows that resulted from dependency on ground based NAVAIDs. New Q route segments permit alignment with new NY departure fixes.
In order to mitigate JFK ground issues the WHITE/WAVEY shuffle will occur during peak JFK departure periods (morning and afternoon/early evening hours). The WHITE/WAVEY shuffle will move aircraft off of JFK/FRG filed over WAVEY over to WHITE and aircraft off of LGA and HPN filed over WHITE to WAVEY.
Departing JFK and FRG Aircraft filed on J60/J64 via NEWEL will proceed to NEWEL via the DEEZ1 SID. All other flights out of JFK/FRG filed westbound will continue to use the RBV departure fix.
PETALING JAYA: Firefly will continue to use its turboprop aircraft to operate short-haul services from Subang and Penang, while its jets will be taken over by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and redeployed into MAS’ operations by Dec 4 for its short-haul premium full-service offering.
Firefly began offering jet services for connectivity to Sabah and Sarawak from the peninsula in November last year but the plan had been shelved after MAS entered into a share swap with rival AirAsia in August this year.
“The takeover of jet services is an important part of MAS group’s business realignment exercise and is prompted by the need to address network and fleet restructuring plans for short-haul jet services,” MAS Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement.
The takeover also address the issue of continuing heavy losses incurred by the Firefly jet operations.
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company's Matt Olsen reveals his favorite places in Santa Monica. Credit Thomson Communications, LLC
For "My Santa Monica," an ongoing and open-ended series, we ask prominent figures in the community what they most enjoy about the city. In this edition, we touch base with Matt Olsen, who recently joined Boston Private Bank & Trust Company in their Santa Monica office (located at 520 Broadway Ave.).
Olsen has lived in Southern California since 1990, when he transferred here with Pan American World Airways. While he's pretty much a local, he says he's enjoying working this close to the beach for the first time in his banking career.
Here is where you can find Olsen when he is not working on loan and deposit opportunities for Boston Private Bank:
1. Rollerblading at the pier: "There is no better pavement anywhere from Temescal Canyon to Palos Verdes. I enjoy speed, so for me the smoothest sidewalk equals the fastest pace. Also, the bike-path curves around the pier make for some great crossovers at speed. After work, I hitch on my five-wheel skates and try to keep up with the bikes.”
2. Santa Monica Place: "I have to hand it to the Macerich Company. They really did an amazing job on renovating the mall and turning it into a great place to visit. It has a lot of options for entertaining clients, and it is open and fun to take my wife and daughter to on evenings and weekends.”
3. Chinois on Main: "It might be considered a little old-school these days, but it was the second restaurant for Wolfgang Puck, and it still has the creative flair and definitive fusion cooking he pioneered.”
4. Santa Monica Airport: “As a pilot, I love being this close to the field and being able to fly somewhere for lunch. Several airports in Southern California have great restaurants, and I can get there in about the same amount of time it takes me to go from my office to downtown L.A. in my car. Plus the traffic I have to deal with is way easier than navigating the freeways!”
Tim Wagner, manager of Greenwood Lake Airport, prepares for the Greenwood Lake Air Show and WWII Showcase in August. The show was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene.
WEST MILFORD — Hurricane or no hurricane, the airshow must go on.
Greenwood Lake Airport Manager Tim Wagner took a $100,000 bath when Hurricane Irene’s deluges wiped out the last two days of his weekend airshow extravaganza in August. But it wasn’t nearly enough to stop the determined Wagner from rescheduling the acclaimed air show at one of North Jersey’s most important and historic small airports.
“If it was easy, then everyone would do it,” said Wagner, who has managed to squeeze roughly a year’s worth of planning and preparation into less than two months.
Wagner’s decision to cancel both Saturday and Sunday’s shows back in August, came on the Friday night when most of North Jersey was still unsure whether Irene would live up to doomsday forecasts. And when Governor Christie declared a state of emergency, a heavy-hearted Wagner decided to cancel the show.
He also decided to hanger the planes to protect them from the storm, and now credits that decision for saving him with having to deal with the wreckage of flipped and flooded planes along the tarmac.
Aside from a power failure that left many of the performers stranded in West Milford for a few days, Hurricane Irene did little to no damage at Greenwood Lake Airport itself. And with no major repairs necessary, all of Wagner’s attention in the days after the storm were set on getting the clearance to bring his show back to life.
By Sept. 1, Wagner had resubmitted all the paperwork required for the Federal Aviation Administration, state Department of Transportation, Township of West Milford and Ringwood State Park, and set up the necessary insurance for the show.
Getting the ball rolling again, Wagner arranged for air boss Kevin Sullivan to come back up to West Milford to ensure that each safety aspects of the show could be reapproved by FAA officials who, even in the case of a rescheduled show, must inspect each performer’s pilot certificates, medical certificates and certificates of aerobatic competency.
And for those wondering if the talent will be up to par with the one lined up for Wagner’s August show, every single one of the performers scheduled to fly in August is coming back this weekend for a barrel-rolling, side-winding extravaganza.
“I can’t recall if I have ever seen anyone bring a show back the way Tim has,” said John Cudahry, president of the International Council of Air Shows. “Weather is a common problem in our business, and for him to be able to get the best of it is really something extraordinary.”
Wagner credits his ability to bounce back to much of the planning and preparation that went into the August’s show and the willingness of vendors and performers to come back and honor their previous contracts.
Edward “Fast Eddy” Leuter, who will be back as the announcer for this weekend’s show, added that “The air show business is a small industry — for the most part, we all understand that this is a weather-dependent event and that sometimes things are just out of the promoter’s control.”
This is not the first time a hurricane has barged into an air show schedule for Leuter — in fact, it was the fourth since 1985.
“Is just part of the business,” said Leuter.
AIR SHOW SAFETY
Safety is always a priority in the high-speed world of aerobatics where units for emergency medical staff, fire and police units need to be on hand at all times.
While speed and nostalgia of air shows may bring to mind the horrific images like those of the plane that crashed into a crowd of spectators on at an air race in Reno Nevada on Sept. 16, there is a considerable difference between air races and air shows.
Air races are dynamic competitive races while air shows are highly practiced routines performed exactly the same way each time.
If you go
THE GREENWOOD LAKE AIR SHOW AND CAR SHOW:
WHERE: Greenwood Lake Airport, 126 Airport Road, West Milford.
Starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, the airport plays host to a weekend of award-winning aerial performances; musical tributes to Frank Sinatra; a huge car show right on the tarmac; live music from Kick Start Charlie on Saturday and Rob Trout and The Flounders on Sunday; and a live homage to the best-known comedy routines of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, featuring comic performers Bill Riley and Joe Ziegler.
AIR SHOW: In addition to the aerial gymnastics by Team RV and aerobatic champions Kendal Simpson, Jane and Kirk Wicker, and Kevin Russo, attractions include a Lockheed Constellation (designed by Howard Hughes) and a World War II Marine Corsair fighter (the same plane used by Pappy Boyington's Black Sheep Squadron).
CAR SHOW: Those interested in entering the car show can register in advance online at greenwoodlakeairshow.com for $15 or at the gate the day of the show for $25; Two day passes also are available. Car Registration Price Includes Registration and Air Show and Car Show Admission for the driver only. Show Cars are asked to arrive around 9 a.m. Categories Include: Muscle Car, Custom/Hotrod, Exotic/Sport, Antique/Classic, and Military/Truck
PARKING: Free General Parking in lot adjacent to airport (Old Jungle Habitat). Shuttle buses are available or visitors may choose to take the short walk down to the Main Gate. Buses are handicap-accessible with a lift gate. $10 VIP Parking also available.
ADMISSION: Adults are $20, Seniors are $15, and Children ages 5-12 are $10 Under 5 free.
PHILADELPHIA -- Three US Airways employees at Philadelphia International Airport have been fired, and a number of others disciplined, for selling their employer-issued "buddy" passes for a profit on flights between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv, Israel.
The FBI and the U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia are investigating, said US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher.
The three employees fired were a US Airways manager, a fleet service agent, and a customer service agent, Lehmacher said.
"Several employees were involved in a fraudulent ticket scheme that involved using employee travel benefits to and from Tel Aviv," he said. "It happened about four to six weeks ago."
"It involved employee travel benefits that they were selling to people," said Lehmacher. "I don't know if it was their own benefits, or someone was going into our system, and manipulating the system, and adding more buddy passes."
"There is at least one, or more, outside individuals involved, so we have turned it over to law enforcement for investigation."
Lehmacher said, "We know that there were outside people involved. We don't know how many, or who they were. To the best of our knowledge, no travel agency was involved."
A US Airways employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized, said the manager had information and passwords to a group of employees and could access their airline-issued discount flight passes.
Seats were blocked out on the Tel Aviv-Philadelphia route, and released just hours before a flight, so that passengers with the "buddy" passes could fly, the worker said.
The ring allegedly made a profit on each pass. The actual cost to a US Airways employee or a guest using the pass to Tel Aviv is about $477.45 round-trip, Lehmacher confirmed. The tickets typically range in price from about $1,000 to as much as $3,000 for some "Envoy" class seats.
Lehmacher declined to release names of the terminated employees, or to specify how many others were disciplined.
US Airways corporate security department in Phoenix and Philadelphia are involved.
The scheme was uncovered when a flight was canceled and passengers were rolled over to another flight, and the number of blocked-out seats released at the last minute became suspicious, a worker said.
US Airways employees receive eight round-trip "guest" passes a year for reduced fares that can be given to friends and family, but not sold for a profit. The tickets require passengers to fly standby, or when seats are available.
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Jason Premo is proud of his new equipment, fine cutting tools that turn raw steel into parts for jet engines and guided rockets. Premo is CEO and co-owner of ADEX Machining in Greenville and he's ready to hire new employees.
"We're looking at even more growth in the next few years, particularly with companies like Boeing and Gulfstream that are communicating to us that they're ramping up," Premo said.
"We need more (employees). We're having to go all over the country to find people with the most advanced skills," he said.
Among the employees here is Aaron Gajda, a former restaurant worker now running a computerized cutting tool.
"I decided I needed to go back to school to make more money and, you know, my father was a machinist," he said.
Premo pointed to 4 other men on the floor who were recently unemployed. All of them now command salaries of about $50 to $60 thousand dollars with full family medical benefits.
"High tech, high skilled, and typically higher payed as well, It's definitely more technical job," said Premo.
ADEX will welcome executives from Boeing this week as they begin a new partnership as a parts supplier. The parts made here will soon fly at 30 thousand feet.
This company, like several others in the Upstate defines a new kind of manufacturing. The jobs pay more than what similar positions may have paid in the past but they also require more training and skill. Employees at ADEX may be responsible for several machines and will often be self-guided in their work. There are fewer people on the floor but each person does more.
Like Gajda, many of the employees go through training programs like the one at Greenville Tech. In fact, the school often works directly with employers like ADEX to train people for specific jobs.
Premo said those skills are critical to his operation.
"Working for a company like Boeing, it's the pinnacle of an aviation career. It's mission-critical parts.
Everything matters and there's no room for error. You can't pull a plane off to the side of the road," he said.
Because of that new relationship with Boeing, ADEX is about add more new employees. They're advertising now. Premo says to learn more about that opportunity applicants should check the company website. The address is : http://adexmt.com/
ST. LOUIS • Game 1 of the World Series isn't the only event making a buzz in downtown St. Louis today.
Cole Street downtown was transformed into a launch pad for a couple hours Wednesday as nine medical helicopters departed a three-day convention held at the America's Center.
Police closed Cole between 11th and 9th streets to allow the helicopters space to take off and depart the Air Medical Transport Conference.
The helicopters arrived last weekend from U.S. and Canadian cities. One came from Puerto Rico, said Brian Hall, chief marketing officer for the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Workers had to drain most of the gasoline from helicopters' fuel tanks Saturday to comply with fire codes before bringing them into the convention hall.
The helicopters were displayed inside the convention center for roughly 2,000 visitors and towed back out to Cole Street today for refueling before leaving St. Louis.
Police were directing several puzzled drivers as the helicopters lifted into the air.
Longtime Burbank resident and former Director of Burbank's Redevelopment Agency Susan Georgino was elected with the full of support of the city council support to replace Charles Lombardo to the Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena Airport Authority.
Lombardo passed away in August after a three-year battle with prostate cancer. The Council turned down the other applicants Anja Reinke former Mayor Greg Jackson, a former planning board member, and Jane Smalln, a former airline employee.
The NAACP and the ACLU have filed a lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia after Philly International Airport officials rejected an advertisement that compares how many Americans are in prison to the incarceration rates for the rest of the world.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People claims the airport’s refusal to run the ad violates freedom of speech.
The ad (pictured above) reads: “Welcome to America, home to 5 percent of the world's people and 25 percent of the world's prisoners. Let's build a better America together.”
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, city officials claim that the ad was rejected because the city does not accept “issue” or “advocacy” advertisements at the airport.
But the lawsuit states that the city’s defense is incorrect. The ACLU says that airport officials do in fact accept ads from other advocacy groups promoting social and political issues, including the World Wildlife Federation.
The defendants are the city, which oversees the airport, and Clear Channel, which handles airport advertising.
Jennifer Burns at the city solicitor's office declined comment to the Associated Press on pending litigation.
MINISTERS are being urged to match a cut on flight taxes from Northern Ireland airports with a similar reduction on services from the North East.
The Treasury yesterday confirmed that the rate of air passenger duty (APD) for direct long-haul passengers leaving airports in Northern Ireland would be cut within weeks.
The Government is also looking at handing powers over APD to the Northern Ireland Assembly, new Treasury Minister Chloe Smith said in a written statement to Parliament.
The news comes as the Scottish National Party (SNP) is pushing UK ministers to devolve APD powers to the Scottish Government, sparking fears that the tax could be varied to the detriment of the North East.
Jarrow MP Stephen Hepburn, a member of the Northern Ireland select committee, welcomed the reduction in APD for flights from Northern Ireland but urged ministers to help the North East.
He said: “We are keen to see it work so that we can use it as an example of how we can maintain and boost airports like Newcastle. Airports like Newcastle are struggling with APD as it is at the moment.
“If we know it works for Northern Ireland, we know it will work for the North East. It is a great opportunity for us in the North East to see it in action.”
His comments come as The Journal’s A Tax Too Far campaign has warned that APD has a disproportionate and unfair impact on regional airports, despite their key role in ensuring good transport links and economic growth.
From November 1, APD for direct long-haul passengers departing from Northern Ireland airports will be cut to the short-haul rate – which is currently £12 in economy, and £24 in business and first class.
The move comes after Continental airlines threatened to withdraw its Belfast to New York route because it was uneconomical despite it being the last such remaining transatlantic link.
Many found it cheaper to cross the border to Dublin, which has a much more favourable tax regime.
Treasury Minister Chloe Smith said: “This measure is a response to the unique challenge facing Northern Ireland and is designed to ensure local airports remain competitive, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to stimulating and rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy.”
In a further development, SNP MP Angus MacNeil has tabled a Commons motion urging the UK Government to honour a commitment to devolve responsibility for APD to the Scottish Government as soon as possible.
Such a move is currently under review, although The Journal has been told the ultimate intention is to hand over responsibility for APD.
SEATTLE – The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a civil penalty of $160,000 against SkyWest Airlines, for allegedly operating four regional jet aircraft on four revenue passenger flights when they were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.
The FAA alleges SkyWest failed to follow its procedures for documenting cargo and baggage, and as a result operated those flights with incorrect weight, balance, cargo and baggage load data.
The four flights operated March 3, from San Diego; Phoenix; Omaha; and Missoula, Mont., to Salt Lake City. The FAA alleges the airline operated the flights without a load manifest that accurately reflected the weight of the cargo and baggage, when the total weight of the aircraft was not computed under approved procedures, and when the aircraft were not loaded according to an approved load schedule.
SkyWest has paid civil penalties in eight previous cases involving improper weight, balance and loading calculations and documentation.
SkyWest has 30 days from receipt of the civil penalty letter to respond to the Agency.
NEW DELHI: "You may have to steal, beg or borrow but you have to do it," IAF chief N A K Browne has stated to drive home the urgency for developing a military aircraft engine to strengthen defence capabilities.
The DRDO has been entrusted with the task of developing a fighter aircraft engine under the Kaveri programme but not much success has been achieved in this direction for the last over 25 years.
"This (military aircraft engine) is an area where we need to focus... you may have to steal, beg or borrow but you have to do it. This is one of the core technologies required by the nation," Air Chief Marshal Browne emphasised.
He was addressing an aerospace seminar at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) while talking about the set of core technologies required by the IAF.
The engine was recently put for trials on a Russian Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft and it will be put through further trials before it is ready for being equipped on any military aircraft.
The Kaveri was to be deployed on the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) but the project has not been successful.
Browne said another key technology required by the IAF was the latest and most advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array ( AESA) radar.
He said the latest radar should be developed indigenously as it gives a wider coverage range to the aircraft and can be used for intelligence gathering and provide information to local commanders at a faster pace.
Browne said IAF's traditional responsibilities have grown from just guarding the skies over the mainland to protecting countries areas of interest across the globe.
NEW DELHI: "Beg, borrow or steal", was the advice the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Norman Anil Kumar Browne, had for defence scientists Wednesday for developing critical technologies for the armed forces.
Browne, who was delivering a lecture at an aerospace seminar organised by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here, was attempting to impress upon the defence scientists the need to develop an engine for indigenous fighter aircraft that has not happened for almost three decades.
"You may have to beg, borrow or steal. But you have to do it," Browne said to stress that there was an urgency in locally developing the indigenous aeroengine if India has to strengthen it defence capabilities.
India had tasked its Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) 22 years ago to develop an indigenous engine and till date has sanctioned a budget of Rs.2,893 crore (over $500 million) for its development.
Yet, the Kaveri engine programme, envisaged as the aeroengine for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is still to fructify and the LCA is fitted with the American GE engine.
"This (aeroengine) is an area where we need to focus. This is one of the core technologies required by the nation," he emphasised.
The Kaveri engine was a couple of months ago tried out on a Russian Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft test bed. It will go through further trials before being integrated on any military aircraft.
Another key technology that Browne highlighted as an critical need for the IAF was the latest Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which he wanted Indian defence scientists to develop indigenously.
India's planned acquisition of 126 combat jets for which the tender is likely to be finalised this fiscal will come with AESA radars of European origin.
Browne said development of the AESA radar indigenously would give better intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for the IAF's planes and the commanders alike.
These capabilities and technologies were needed, he said, as IAF's area of responsibility was now not confined within the land boundaries of India, but expanded way beyond the Indian Ocean region.
Report details how Reagan National Airport controller remembers struggling to stay awake
Unnamed controller was working a week of nights at Washington, D.C. airport alone
An air traffic controller who fell asleep while working alone on an 'insane' night shift knew he was struggling to stay awake shortly before dropping off, according to a report.
The unnamed tower controller admitted he was 'dragging... slipping, struggling' as he became increasingly tired while three planes approached Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. in March.
As a result, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report published today, two planes landed in error after a regional controller mistakenly gave the pilots the impression they could land using rules for airports with manned towers.
Both planes, which were carrying a total of 165 passengers, landed safely.
The controller, began working for the Federal Aviation Administration in 1990 before becoming a supervisor in 2005, was temporarily suspended. He had been the only person working in the Reagan tower at the time.
The report said: 'When his awareness returned, he thought he had only been out for a couple of minutes.
'He heard one pilot calling in a "forceful voice", and shortly afterwards the pilot of the other flight was asking for the tower's phone number. That was when he realised he had missed quite a bit.
'The supervisor said that he knew he wasn't coherent, and now believes that he had been asleep.'
At the time of the near-miss, air traffic controllers at Reagan were required to work a week of shifts starting at midnight each month, a schedule the controller described as 'insane'.
The report details how the controller recalled waking up as if coming 'out of the haze' and found it difficult to talk for three or four minutes.
The following day, concerned that he may have suffered a stroke, he visited his doctor. Although the doctor failed to diagnose a stroke, he said it was likely the controller's shift pattern was to blame for his falling asleep.
The report also revealed that the controller had recently returned to the U.S. after travelling abroad and was suffering from jet-lag.
Since the March incident, and a handful of other near-misses involving tired controllers, the FAA has made it law for a minimum of two controllers to be working n a tower at any one time.
A recording of the radio chatter of one of pilots that had to land 'blind' was revealed in April.
The pilot of an American Airlines jet is heard as he is told the ground control tower is unmanned - probably because the controller 'got locked out'.
The one-minute conversation between an American Airlines jet and a regional FAA facility 40 miles away in Virginia, shows the horrifying line-by-line reality of the dangerous situation.
The regional controller in Virginia starts by outlining the problem to the pilot of the incoming AA jet.'
He said: 'The tower is apparently not manned, we've made a few phone calls.
'I'm going to take a guess and say that the controller got locked out, I've heard of this happening before.'
The AA pilot then responds: 'First time I've heard of it.'
Virginia tower: 'Yeah fortunately its not very often , it happened about a year ago.' AA Pilot: 'Interesting.'
Virginia tower: 'It is.'
Virginia Tower: 'American 1012, tower is back in business.'
AA Pilot: 'That was a close call.'
The incident raised serious questions about controller fatigue, a long-standing safety concern.
John Goglia, a former NTSB board member, said at the time: 'You have to watch your schedules to make sure (controllers) have adequate rest.
'It's worse when nothing is going on. When it's busy, you have to stay engaged.
'When it's quiet, all they have to be is a little bit tired and they'll fall asleep.
Oxygen masks dropped, due to a loss of pressure, on a Frontier Airlines flight from Denver to Las Vegas last Friday. One of the passengers caught it on video.
A Frontier Airlines flight had a computer malfunction after leaving Denver for Las Vegas late last week.
At 36,000 feet, while approaching Aspen, Colo., the Airbus lost pressure, oxygen masks dropped, and the plane descended before being diverted back to Denver, to which it returned safely.
The airline says the passengers and crew were never in danger.
Passenger Andrew Vos, of Fort Atkinson, Wis., took video as it all unfolded.
One woman is heard crying loudly.
"People crying, people really hyperventilating and, after we got out of the mountains, they announced there was a cabin pressure failure," Vos said, adding, "Someone shouted, 'We're going down,"' and people became quite upset.
Aviation safety consultant Steve Cowell says that, while it was a disturbing event for the passengers, it was handled by the book.
"The pilots were up front with their masks on and they are initiating procedures they are trained for and practice every six months," Cowell said.
"While this was a frightening event for many passengers on the flight, there was no rapid decompression in the cabin or structural damage to the aircraft," a Frontier spokesperson told CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver.
The plane was met by emergency equipment in Denver.
In late September, I wrote about an uproar in the general aviation community regarding a proposed tax on flights in controlled airspace. Read the Daily Press story here.
Now, "The Hill," is reporting in its online transportation blog that the frequently fractured aviation community has united in its opposition to the plan. Read The Hill's story here.
At the root of the issue is a passage in President Barack Obama's 80-page economic growth and deficit reduction plan that proposes a $100 per flight fee, payable to the FAA, by aviation operators who fly in controlled airspace. There are numerous exemptions including military and government aircraft and air ambulances.
Language in Obama's recommendation differentiates between taxes currently paid by commercial airlines and those paid by general aviation pilots and states the new fee would "reduce the deficit and more equitably share the cost of air traffic services across the aviation user community."
The proposal, if approved, is projected to raise about $11 billion over 10 years and would finance roughly three-fourths of airport investments and air traffic control costs, according to the administration's plan.
