Bell 206B, N555NB: Helicopter makes hard landing in Las Colinas, Texas

Credit: Michael Richard / WFAA

A helicopter made a hard landing in Las Colinas Sunday afternoon.

Credit: Michael Richard / WFAA

A helicopter made a hard landing in Las Colinas Sunday afternoon.

IRVING — A helicopter made a hard landing Sunday afternoon at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving.

Investigators were trying to determine whether high wind was a factor in the mishap.

The tail boom of the 1977 Bell 206B JetRanger helicopter appeared to be bent at an unusual angle, and the impromptu landing spot on a fairway near the 4400 block of North O'Connor Road was surrounded by yellow police tape.

No one was hurt.

The aircraft is registered to Lana Air LLC of Mead, Oklahoma.

http://registry.faa.gov/N555NB

http://www.wfaa.com

Prince George, British Columbia: Fourth Person Extracted From Plane Wreckage

RCMP are advising that the fourth and remaining person has been extricated from the wreckage of a small plane crash west of Williams Lake.

'E' Division Media Relations Officer, Constable Annie Linteau, says the individual has been transported to hospital with undetermined injuries.

The three other passengers on-board the private plane remain in hospital with minor injuries.

The aircraft left the Springhouse airstrip near Williams Lake shortly before 8:30am this morning to conduct animal surveys in the Big Creek Park area. A search began after the aircraft's beacon was reported to be relaying an intermittent signal, indicating a hard landing or crash. Williams Lake Fire Centre and National Defence dispatched resources to the area. The plane was located at approximately 1:40pm, approximately 45-kilometres south of Hanceville.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating. No further details are available at this time.

http://www.opinion250.com

Aerostar Yak 52TW crash not airshow related. (New Zealand)

The Yak 52 aircraft that crashed in Fielding today killing two people is not related to the Tauranga City Airshow this weekend.

The Yak, a fully aerobatic Soviet era trainer crashed at Timona Park, off East Street in residential Fielding, at about 10.45am.

The plane had taken off from the nearby Taonui Aerodrome.

A witness, who lives next to the park, says she saw smoke coming out of the back of the aircraft moments before it crashed.

The aircraft is a privately operated aircraft based in Fielding and Tauranga City Airshow co-director Andrew Gormlie says it was not expected to be participating at the event.

There are eight or nine Yak aircraft expected to put on a flying display at the airshow, with a number of them flying up from New Plymouth.

http://www.sunlive.co.nz

 

Turbulence injures crew on flight to Miami from Brazil

Six crew members were injured Sunday on an American Airlines flight from Brazil to Miami, an airport spokeswoman said.

The carrier’s Flight 980 apparently encountered turbulence on its way to Miami International Airport from the Recife Airport in Brazil, airport spokeswoman Maria Levrant said.

The flight landed at MIA shortly after 6:30 p.m. It had had 136 passengers and nine crew members on board, an airline spokeswoman said.

Six crew members were injured due to the turbulence, Levrant said. Of the six, one was treated on the scene, she said, and five were taken to hospitals.

Of the five, one was transported to Metropolitan Hospital of Miami, she said, and the other four were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

http://www.miamiherald.com

Disaster looms in Tanzania skies over unqualified pilots, says report

Grave disaster looms in Tanzania’s skies, in the wake of revelations that the local airline industry is progressively employing unqualified pilots.

The air accident investigation unit of the Ministry of Transport attributes three of 12 aircraft accidents that occurred last year to the ineptitude of inexperienced pilots.

The pilots, according to the ministry’s annual report, were allowed to venture into the skies despite several shortcomings, including blatant disregard for safety and operational guidelines. The report, signed by the deputy chief inspector of air accidents, Mr J. Nyamwihura, said while last year was the safest in the aviation sector in the last five years, the rate of accidents involving unqualified personnel was alarming.

“Acts of unqualified pilots taking command of aircraft, some of this commercial, appears to be on the rise,” the report released over a week ago, reads in part.

The report says the main reason for the “unqualified pilot accidents” is the growing shortage of pilots in the aviation industry. “This shortage is worldwide but appears to be particularly acute in the country because the government has not trained pilots for two decades,” the reports says.

However, when reached for comment, top officials at the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), the national industry overseer organ, played down the findings.

They were jittery over accusations of insufficient oversight inspection directed at the authority by the ministry, terming them as “misdirected and dangerous”.

TCAA director-general Fadhili Manongi told The Citizen, a sister paper of Daily Monitor, in an interview that the report unfairly piles individual pilot error and operator misdemeanor to the authority.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that only qualified and licensed pilots take command of aircrafts and I can assure you that not a single unqualified pilot has been licensed. But that does not mean we have the capacity to man every operator’s office and each plane taking off to monitor their conduct”.

Mr Manongi said TCAA does not only counter-check with licensing authorities of foreign pilots serving in the country but also deploys inspectors to respective countries to personally examine records and aircraft maintenance facilities without failure.

“Laxity among operators and air crew is partly attributable to the inadequate level of safety oversight inspections. It is recommended that oversight inspections be increased particularly at airports, notably Julius Nyerere International Airport,” the report reads.

However, Mr Manongi said it is not only untrue but also impossible for a pilot to take off without filing a flight plan and gathering weather information. As for the flying hours, he said a pilot is required to complete at least 40 hours of flying in order to pass airmanship before he/she is awarded a Private Pilot License (PPL).

Mr Manongi allayed safety fears by declaring his authority one of the safest and most respected in Africa, arguing that the bureau’s competence has been tested and passed by notable international bodies whose credibility is beyond reproach.

“Interestingly, the very same last year whose events this particular report is based on is when we were certified by the International Standardization Organisation (ISO) number 9001:2008, after a long and thorough scrutiny of our operations,” he said.

He however acknowledged inadequate personnel as one of the challenges facing the authority. Of the seven minimum flight operation inspectors required, the authority has only 4 (57 per cent) and only seven airworthiness inspectors are available out of the required 10, which is equivalent to 70 per cent.

“That is why this year we are sending 10 pilots and 10 engineers for training abroad in a bid to curb the shortage of manpower,” he said.

On his part, the TCAA director of safety and regulations, Mr John Njawa, said Tanzania is much safer compared to other countries because its standards are set higher than most countries in Africa and the rest of the world.

 “We document even the minutest events and classify them as accidents because security is our absolute priority. In other countries, such small, non-fatal issues are regarded as mere incidents but not accidents. So, if we lower ourselves to other countries’ standards, then our ratings will be very impressive,” he said.

Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug

Charlotte County Sheriff's Office helicopter pilot sees low flying aircraft in Port Charlotte; arrest made.

Charlotte County Sheriff's deputies arrested a Port Charlotte man for flying his aircraft very low over Port Charlotte last night. Around 9 p.m., the CCSO pilot and a pilot volunteer were flying an aerial patrol and observed a small red and white airplane flying about 500 to 600 feet off the ground in the general area around Promenades Mall and the two hospitals.

The helicopter pilot followed the aircraft back to Punta Gorda Airport. The pilot, Jayde Keith Machado, 20, 1160 Aletha Avenue, landed, and the CCSO helicopter hovered over his small plane to get the tail number. The helicopter then landed at the hangar and Machado approached the CCSO pilots. He complained about “blowing grass and crap into my plane.” A road patrol deputy was called and talked with Machado who declined to make any statements. He was arrested and charged with Operating an Aircraft in Careless or Reckless Manner, and transported to the Charlotte County Jail. Machado was released from jail on a $2,500 bond.

Photo of pilot:  http://www.facebook.com/notes/charlotte-county-sheriffs-office/ccso-helicopter-pilot-sees-low-flying-aircraft-in-port-charlotte-arrest-made/285419571515288

4 survive Btitish Columbia plane crash: Crews still working to extract 1

Earlier today, members of the Williams Lake RCMP were advised that a private aircraft was overdue from the Springhouse Airstrip near Williams Lake, BC. The aircraft departed the Springhouse Airstrip shortly before 830am this morning and was due to return to the airstrip in the early afternoon for refuelling. The aircraft was apparently conducting animal surveys in the area of Big Creek Park when the aircraft’s beacon was reported to be relaying an intermittent signal indicating a hard landing or a crash.

The Williams Lake Fire Center and National Defence dispatched resources to the area in an attempt to locate the aircraft.

At 140pm, an update was received from National Defence rescue personnel that the aircraft had been located in Big Creek Provincial Park, approximately 45 km south of Hanceville off Hwy 20. All four occupants of the aircraft have survived the crash. Three of the occupants have been extracted from the aircraft and are currently being transported to hospital with undetermined injuries. Efforts are currently being made to extract a fourth occupant from the aircraft. These efforts are ongoing.

The Transportation Safety Board has been advised of the incident and will be conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

=============

Mounties say all four people on board a private plane that crashed west of Williams Lake, B.C., Sunday have survived.

The plane was reported overdue Sunday afternoon after leaving the Springhouse airstrip at about 8:30 a.m. PT.

Police say it's believed the four people on board were conducting animal surverys in the area of Big Creek Park when the aircraft's beacon relayed an intermittent signal indicating a hard landing or a crash.

At 1:40 p.m. PT, the plane was located in Big Creek Provincial Park, about 45 kilometres south of Hanceville, B.C., off Highway 20.

All four people on board survived the crash. Three people have been extracted and are being taken to hospital with undetermined injuries. Crews are still working to extract the fourth person.

The Transportation Safety Board has been advised of the incident and conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

Sources:
http://www.cbc.ca
http://www.opinion250.com

Cessna 172RG, N473KP: Airport cleans up after crash. Davenport Municipal (KDVN), Iowa.

 

A rented Cessna 172RG crashed into the Carver Aero fixed-base operator building at the Davenport Municipal Airport late Saturday.

Update 8:01 p.m. Sunday: Davenport Municipal Airport personnel temporarily boarded up a window and repaired a column after a single-engine Cessna crashed into the west side of a terminal building late Saturday, according to the Davenport Police Department.

The terminal was not open for business at the time.

The incident was reported at 10:22 p.m., and no one was injured. There was considerable damage to both the structure and glass front of the Carver Aero FBO terminal building and the aircraft, according to the news release from police Capt. David Struckman.

Carver-Aero opened the $3 million, 7,460-square-foot terminal in 2010 that also includes a 20,000-square-foot hangar.

Photographs sent to the Quad-City Times and others from Sandra Barrett, Carver Aero’s operations manager, shows the plane knocked out a large window and damaged a column.

Kevin M. Kadlec, 39, of Eagle River, Wis., rented the plane from Duffy’s Aircraft Sales and Leasing Inc., based in Neillsville, Wis., according to the media release.

Kadlec said he was attempting to “hand-prop” the plane to get the engine started when it jumped away from him and traveled about 200 feet before it hit the building, according to the release.

To “hand prop” an airplane, one starts the engine by turning the propeller by hand.

According to the news release, there are numerous inconsistencies between the evidence at the scene and what Kadlec said happened.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have been notified and will be investigating the incident.

Carver Aero operates a charter business, flight ground school and maintenance services from the airport. The company not only has its own planes to maintain but it provides services to about 200 planes a year from the Davenport site.

---

Small plane hits terminal building in Davenport

Original story, posted 1:58 p.m. Sunday: A single-engine Cessna collided with the west side of a terminal building late Saturday at the Davenport Municipal Airport, according to Davenport Police.

The incident was reported at 10:22 p.m., and no one was injured. There was considerable damage to both the structure and glass front of the Carver Aero FBO terminal building and the aircraft, according to the media release from Capt. David Struckman.

The terminal was not open for business at the time.

Kevin M. Kadlec, 39, of Eagle River, Wis., rented the plane from Duffy’s Aircraft Sales and Leasing Inc., based in Neillsville, Wis., according to the media release.

Kadlec said he was attempting to “hand-prop” the plane to get the engine started when it jumped away from him and traveled about 200 feet before it hit the building, according to the release.
To “hand prop” an airplane, one starts the engine by turning the propeller by hand.

According to the release, there are numerous inconsistencies between the evidence at the scene and what Kadlec said happened.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have been notified and will be investigating the incident.

http://www.qctimes.com

http://www.wqad.com

http://registry.faa.gov/N473KP

Bombardier DHC 8-315: Japan Coast Guard plane survives albatross strike

Unwelcome passenger: A dead albatross is lodged in the nose of a Japan Coast Guard patrol plane Wednesday night at Ishigaki airport in Okinawa Prefecture.

JAPAN COAST GUARD / KYODO

 Bird strikes are a chronic problem for pilots, but an incident Wednesday over the East China Sea involving a Japan Coast Guard patrol plane was particularly serious.

After hitting an albatross at around 5:10 p.m. at an altitude of 300 meters, the Bombardier DHC8-315 sustained a big hole in its nose, and the dead bird was stuck in it, coast guard officials said.

The hole was reportedly as wide as 1 meter.

But the patrol plane flew on and landed at its intended destination of Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, a little after 6 p.m. after leaving Naha at 2:50 p.m., the officials said.

None of the nine crew members on the plane was hurt.

The transport ministry dispatched investigators to Ishigaki on Thursday to look into the matter.

Bird strikes pose a serious threat to passenger planes and the transport ministry plans to set up radar equipment at Tokyo's Haneda airport in April to track flocks of birds to help guide aircraft out of their way.

It will be the first such project in Japan. Bird strikes are on the rise at the nation's busiest airport despite daily efforts by ground staff to disperse birds when they are spotted near flight paths.

Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp

Aerostar Yak 52TW: Two dead in plane crash. Timona Park, Feilding - New Zealand

Two people are dead after a small plane crashed near Feilding this morning, police have confirmed.

Next of kin started arriving at the scene shortly before 1pm. Police would not be releasing the names of the deceased at this stage but said they were two ''relatively well-known Manawatu men".

Inspector Mark Harrison said the plane crashed at Timona Park, off East St in residential Feilding, around 10.45am. The plane had taken off from the nearby Taonui Aerodrome.

Harrison said he was at home, about 1km away, when he heard the plane crash.

Police were called to Timona Park after a number of witnesses reported seeing the plane go down.

Sandra Elliott, whose house is next to Timona Park, said the plane flew right over their washing line.

She could see smoke coming out of the back of it. They heard the bang when it crashed moments later. They were thankful the pilot had managed to steer the plane away from the neighbouring houses.

Her sons then went to see what had happened.

The area had been cordoned off so that a thorough scene examination could be conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority and police.

The CAA confirmed the plane was a Yak, which could carry up to two people.

CAA safety investigators Al Moselen and Steve Walker were travelling to the scene from Auckland and were expected to arrive later this afternoon.
----------------------

At least one person is dead after a plane crash in a park near Feilding town centre this morning.

Emergency services were called after witnesses reported a small plane going down in Timona Park to the east of the town centre at 10:46am.

Police said they found no sign of survivors in the extensively damaged wreckage of a small plane.

Inspector Paul Jeremy said there was at least one person dead in the crash - though police were still investigating whether a second person had died.

A Fire Service spokesman said the crashed plane was a single-seater "aerobatic" model.

He said officers would remain at the scene to help extricate the body from the wreckage.

Emergency services were called after a number of witnesses reported seeing the small plane crash.

Police at the scene had confirmed a small plane has been extensively damaged but said it was not yet known how many people were on board.

The area had been cordoned off so the Civil Aviation Authority and police could investigate.

Police said the aircraft was an Aerostar Yak 52TW.

Per Madie, who lives on a road bordering the park, said he heard a loud explosion.

"I heard it, and I thought it was a gas container that had blown up. It was just one sound.''

After a phone call from his neighbour, he headed out to the park to see the wreck of the aircraft partially buried in the ground.

"It's just a heap of wrangled metal. Most of it is underground. If one can imagine it's coming full force into the ground, then the front of it is buried.''

The wreck crashed dead centre in the middle of Timona Park, he said.

Mr Madie said an explosive fire had burnt out the entire plane, leaving it a blackened shell. Any marking or details on the plane were burnt off in the blaze, he said.

"It's all burnt. It blew up on impact. It's just black, mangled metal. There's nothing left whatsoever, you wouldn't think it was an aircraft.

"It looks as if it was one big explosion when it hit the ground, and that's the end of it.''

Feilding was also the site of a fatal collision between two Cessnas flown by students on July 26, 2010.

Flying student Patricia Smallman, 64, and flight instructor Jess Neeson, 27, were killed in the accident while a 21-year-old international student at the controls of a second plane managed to land safely at Feilding Aerodrome despite a dead engine and a missing wheel.

Photo of crash site wreckage

http://www.nzherald.co.nz

Indiana: Versailles Couple Die In Plane Crash

Two killed in small plane crash ID'd: wane.com

Photo Credit:  Wish-TV 8

Photo Credit:  Wish-TV 8

Photo Credit:  Wish-TV 8

(Jennings County, Ind.) - Saturday evening at approximately 8:41 p.m. Jennings County Dispatch received a 911 call of a plane crash south of County Road 600 South in near Dupont.

Officers responded to the scene and located a single engine Cessna out in a field several hundred yards from the roadway. Officers reported two fatalities; one male and one female.

Indiana State Police identified those victims as Versailles residents Gregory L. Wehr and his wife Candace S. Wehr, both 55-years-old.

They were enroute back to Madison Municipal Airport from Chicago when their 1968 single engine Cessna went down in the field.

Federal Aviation Administration officials arrived on scene just after midnight Sunday to begin their investigation. It could be several weeks before the cause of the crash is determined.

Candace Wehr was a former South Ripley Community Schools teacher.

JENNINGS CO., Ind. - Two people are dead after a plane crashed Saturday night in Jennings County.

According to a release, the plane crashed at 8:41 p.m. south of County Road 600 South in Jennings County.

Officers responded to the scene and located a small, what is believed to be a single engine Cessna out in a field several hundred yards from the roadway, police reports stated.

Police say one man and one female have died.

At this time, police say they do not have any more information to report.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials have been notified and are expected to arrive on scene by midnight tonight or shortly thereafter, according to a release.

Texas family survives Honduras plane crash into ocean

A group of strangers rescued a North Texas family after the plane they were in crashed into the ocean.

A tropical adventure turned into a terrifying fight for survival for a vacationing Richardson family when their plane crashed into the ocean.

A group of strangers risked their lives to save the Atkinses on Jan. 11 along the coast of Roatan, a small island in the Caribbean off Honduras.

"We crashed," said Andy Atkins, an attorney in Dallas. "We lost an engine, is what I was told, and we crashed into the ocean and flipped over and were stuck underwater."

Atkins; his wife, Jenny; and their 4-year-old son, Logan; were on a sightseeing ride. Atkins said he had flown in the small seaplane once before to enjoy the sights along the coast of Roatan.

"It was just an awesome fun ride, that's all I can tell you," he said. "Great views and great pictures and a slow-flying plane that felt very stable."

The plane's pilot helped Atkins get to the surface, but there was no sign of his wife and son.

"I dove back under looking for them, came back, got air, went immediately back down, and I just came up and I had Logan in my arms and, by the time i got to the surface, Jenny was also at the surface with the pilot holding her," Atkins said.

Several people on a nearby boat quickly dove in to save them.

"We were all still in shock at that point," Atkins said. "We knew that we had survived the initial crash, but we didn't know where it was going to go from there."

Remarkably, a U.S. Navy doctor and another physician were among the divers on much a larger boat. They immediately started treating Atkins' wife and son.

"They screamed that there's two doctors on board," he said. 'They got both of them on the back of that boat to give them oxygen and treated them with all their skill."

The entire family spent days in a hospital before returning home late Thursday night.

"It reaffirms your faith in people and humanity that so many people stepped in to help that didn't have to," Atkins said. "We appreciate that we feel like we've been given a second chance, and we want to try and help other people when we see other people that need help."

The Atkinses are already planning another family trip to Roatan in June.

"It only strengthens our feelings about Roatan," Atkins said. "It was a terrible accident and, obviously, we're not going to be going up in any planes like that again."

Source: http://www.nbcdfw.com

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Suspected hoax prompts Coast Guard search - Avon Lake, Ohio

LORAIN — The Coast Guard is investigating a suspected hoax that launched a two-hour search and rescue operation near the shores of Avon Lake.

The Coast Guard received approximately 11 Mayday calls on a radio distress channel about 3 a.m. yesterday.

Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, New York, issued an urgent marine information broadcast asking area boaters to respond if anyone saw anything.

The man believed to be sending the distress calls was then heard blowing in to the radio, repeating the broadcast information broadcast and “not sounding like a person who was in actual distress,” according to Coast Guard Petty Officer George Degener.

Despite this, the Coast Guard dispatched a 25-foot rescue boat from Cleveland and a Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Detroit. The search location was narrowed to a half mile off Avon Lake by obtaining a line of bearing from the distress calls’ signal hitting radio towers.

“They weren’t able to find anybody out there,” Degener said. “They didn’t see any signs of a boater in distress.”

The helicopter was called off mid flight when it decided the call was bogus. The Coast Guard canceled the search around 5:30 a.m., he said. The suspicious responses from the radio operator and the lack of correlating reports of missing or overdue people prompted the cancellation.

“Having these assets out on the water and searching takes away from someone who may actually be in trouble. It could cause someone to lose their life because we aren’t able to respond to the person really in need,” Degener said. “Not only does it take away from the possibility of rescuing someone, it puts our crews at risk as well.”

Degener confirmed it is possible that the radio operator was on land using a handheld device.

All distress signals are recorded, so his voice could be recognized if another call is issued and criminal charges could be pursued if he is caught, he said.

Individuals who issue false alarms face jail time and hefty fines, Degener said. He said a similar situation in Detroit recently got an individual sentenced to 18 months in jail and a $14,000 fine.

“If you are found guilty, you are responsible for the cost of the rescue,” he said.

Source:   http://morningjournal.com

CANADA: Airport tunnel tab flies past $500M (with video)

By Rick Bell ,QMI Agency

Watch Video:  http://www.calgarysun.com

Now we have a number.

It’s over half a billion bucks for the airport tunnel and all the other work needed on Airport Tr. since the tunnel has been green-lighted by city council.

The number is, so say the city brass, “preliminary in nature.” There will be updates soon and often and in time the dollars will no doubt inflate.

For now, it’s about $528 million.

And the city can’t cover $200 million-plus of the tab unless the feds or province throw into the beggar bowl or council sometime in the future heads to the bank and borrows.

The $3.3 billion in dough the province turned over to Calgary for building projects until 2018 is all gone.

That cupboard is bare.

To take a trip down memory lane, almost a year ago, council thumbs-upped the airport tunnel and pledged $294.8 million for the east-west tunnel on Airport Tr. running from Barlow Tr. to 36 St. N.E. under a new airport runway along with roadway improvements.

But turning Airport Tr. into an east-west expressway costs.

Interchanges at Barlow Tr. and 19 St. N.E. and ramps to and from the airport terminal are pegged at $77 million for the city’s share.

Future interchanges on Airport Tr. at 36 St. N.E. and Metis Tr. and 60 St. N.E. add up to $132 million excluding the land cost.

Future roads east of the tunnel and buying land for interchanges ring in at about $24 million.

There is also a $42 million roadway being built on 96 Ave. N.E., what Airport Tr. is called west of Deerfoot, going from Harvest Hills Link N.E. to Deerfoot Tr. and a $3-million two-lane stretch of Airport Tr. already open between 60 St. N.E. and Stoney Tr.

The last council covered the budgeting for them.

In the report, the city higher-ups say this airport tunnel and Airport Tr. scheme will reduce travel time for airport terminal workers.

They say the tunnel will “significantly reduce vehicle travel times in the vicinity of the airport” and “congestion along Country Hills Blvd. N.E. is anticipated to be reduced.”

In a report the city paper shufflers cooked up earlier this year, they said if the city didn’t go for the tunnel and motorists went around the airport runway — by travelling northbound on 36 St. N.E. and using Country Hills Blvd. and Barlow Tr. — the travel time is roughly five to eight minutes extra.

Of course, under former mayor Dave Bronconnier the city didn’t go for the Airport Tr. tunnel and extension because of cost since the half-billion figure was being discussed.

The deep thinkers at the city transportation department told the airport people “an eastward extension of Airport Tr. was not an essential component of an effective long-term city road network” though they now say it “will advance the city-wide road network.”

With a new mayor dedicated to the tunnel and some new aldermen on board it all changed.

A much lower number, the cost of the tunnel alone, was the dollar figure most in the public eye.

And council made a decision when a whole lot of Calgarians had no idea where the tunnel was even going.

A lot of taxpayers also believed it was all about getting to the airport faster for all Calgarians rather than about an east-west expressway in the northeast.

Ald. Gord Lowe, Bronco’s budget boss and still a guy asking plenty of questions, pushed this past November to get the best numbers the city bosses could nail down.

He simply wanted to know the cost when everything is built.

“We’re now in the ballpark and it’s a hell of a big wakeup,” speaking of the $528 million he agrees is the number as we both navigate through a confusing city document.

You can tell the longtime alderman feels some vindication.

“This report validates the numbers we had when we decided we weren’t going to do it. We looked at the price tag and the benefits and they didn’t match.”

Defenders of the tunnel say the $132 million in interchanges east of the tunnel are in the future and another council’s headache.

Lowe says the taxpayer remains the same and Job One is simple.

Council has to come up with a plan to find dough beyond the usual wishful thinking and predictions of pots of gold.

“The implication for the Calgary taxpayer is immense,” he says. 

Watch Video:  http://www.calgarysun.com

Cayman Islands: Owen Roberts International Airport runway extension going inland. Cayman Airways routes to Dallas, Panama.

The long awaited extension of the Owen Roberts International Airport is planned to commence this year.

Speaking at the Fidelity Cayman Business Outlook conference at the Westin Casuarina Resort on Thursday, Premier McKeeva Bush said the plan would be to extend the runway inland instead of into the North Sound. Previous plans had called for an extension both ways, but he said the cost of extending the runway inland would be “$8 to $11 or $12 million, maybe a little more” while extending it into the North Sound would cost $35 million.

“What say ye?” he asked the estimated 350 people in attendance, adding the decision to go the least expensive route made sense.

Mr. Bush said extending the runway inland would necessitate “moving the road”, apparently in reference to the portion of Crewe Road in between the Dorcy Drive/Shedden Road roundabout and the Smith Road junction.

“Thank God there’s no ocean to see there,” he said, taking a jab at those who have protested the proposed closure of 2,500 feet of West Bay Road because it will take away their view of the ocean. “I suspect there will be a petition.”

The extension of the runway at Owen Roberts Airport has long been cited as a need in order to facilitate larger, long-haul jets, which are seen as necessary to attract more tourism from Europe and the US west coast. Cayman Enterprise City, the special economic zone that is expected to break ground in the first quarter of this year, has also cited the runway extension as important to the scope of its success.

Mr. Bush said he hoped all the “due diligence” required on the project before it could start would be completed by August of this year.

New Cayman Airways routes

Mr. Bush said government-owned Cayman Airways, which has long been a drain on the public purse, was doing much better, something evidenced by the fact that it was hardly discussed in the political area anymore.

“It’s no longer the political football it was,” he said.

He announced two new seasonal routes are planned to commence this year.

“Cayman Airways will start a Panama route in April, something like two times weekly,” he said, adding the scheduling would run through August. “It will be seasonal for now.”

He also said regular service to Dallas would start, possibly as soon as May.

“That, too, will be seasonal,” Mr. Bush said. 

Source:  http://www.compasscayman.com

Airports of Thailand exempts charges to help flood-affected airlines

BANGKOK, Jan 20 - The Airports of Thailand (AoT) on Friday announced that it would exempt landing and parking charges for aircraft to help airlines affected by the flood crisis at Don Mueang airport last year.

AoT closed Don Mueang airport temporarily on Oct 25, as flood waters flowed onto the runways. After being flooded for almost two months, AoT is repairing airport infrastructure and the facility is scheduled to reopen on April 1.

The agency, which manages, operates and develops airports in Thailand, said the charges would be retroactive from Oct 25 until March 2012 before Don Mueang resumes normal operations.

The exemption would cost AoT some Bt110 million in revenue, it said.

The move is part of the rehabilitation measures to help the airlines which were severely hit by one of the worst flood crises in Thailand's history, said AoT.

As for the office and real property rental, service and other charges including retail shops inside and outside the terminals as well as the charges for some airlines that swiftly relocated to temporary facilities at Suvarnabhumi airport, AoT would charge them at the same rate as Don Mueang airport.

AoT estimated that Bt440 million would be spent for repair and maintenance works at Don Mueang, with Bt305 million being used to improve the eastern runway, driveway and parking area scheduled for completion in February. Maintenance work for the western runway, driveway and parking area would cost Bt135 million for commercial service expected to be ready in March.

Currently, AOT has six international airports under its responsibility -- Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Chiang Rai and Suvarnabhumi -- all of which accommodate both domestic and international flights. 

Source:   http://www.mcot.net

Seaplane training: Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer from Sheble Aviation. Sun Valley Airport (A20) and Colorado River in Arizona.

By transsib on Jan 9, 2012

"Me, training for the seaplane rating at the Sun Valley Airport (A20) and on the Colorado River in Arizona. The plane is a Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer from Sheble Aviation."

Hop-on, hop-off a seaplane!

Air-taxis are hugely popular in Maldives.

…in Maldives, with its exquisite islands crowding a beautiful sea.  The ‘oohs' and ‘aahs' begin the the second the aircraft breaks through the cloud cover for the descent to Male airport. As far as the eye can see, in all directions there is nothing but water — dark blue in some places, light blue elsewhere and a lovely turquoise in other places. Dotting this beautiful sea are hordes of islands — 1,200 in all. Only 90 are inhabited, including Hulhule, a short boat-ride from the capital Male and our destination.

The adventure for someone from north India, who spends most of his life far removed from the sea, starts the moment the plane lands in Male and you are transferred to a seaplane to reach your hotel. And instead of blaring horns and revving engines, all one hears in Maldives is the slow drone of seaplanes taking off or landing. And rather than cars and buses, what you see on the Male waterfront are fire and rescue ships rubbing shoulders with the various boats that transfer people from one island to another.

It is no surprise then that before long you hear yourself talking about taking a boat to go shopping!

And why not? Considering that 90 per cent of Maldives is nothing but water, the main attraction of this island-state is precisely that, and all activities related to it.

You could start off with a seaplane ride that provides breathtaking views of the islands among the many different shades of blue water. In fact, so popular is the seaplane ride that Maldivian air-taxi organises up to 500 flights a week during peak season.

Read more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

MARYLAND: Up in the air, Harford CAP trains young pilots

Cadet Tech Sgt. Michael Baselice on a recent orientation flight with the Harford Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. Michael, 14, is a fourth generation Civil Air Patrol member and attends Patterson Mill High School in Bel Air. (Photo courtesy of the Civil Air Patrol, Homestead Publishing)

The day many Americans were celebrating the freedoms that Martin Luther King's life stood for, some Harford County residents were experiencing another freedom – the freedom of flight.

The Harford County Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol,U.S. Air ForceAuxiliary, took part in orientation flights with their cadets on Monday, Jan. 16. The orientation flights introduce cadets to aviation and flight instruction.

For many of the cadets, this is their first experience in flying, much less at the control of a plane.

"Our orientation flights not only allow our cadets to learn about flight, but to also experience it as a pilot," 2nd Lt. Tracy Urena, public affairs officer for the organization, said. "They always come off their first flight with the biggest smile on their face which is really rewarding."

Cadets, ages 12-18, fly airplanes and gliders in the Civil Air Patrol. These orientation flights are the first step in the cadets learning how to fly and becoming FAA certified pilots.

"This was my 6th flight. It is such an amazing experience to be able to go up in the air at 14 and already know what needs to be done to fly the plane," Cadet Tech Sgt. Michael Baselice said after landing Monday. Michael is 14 and is a fourth generation Civil Air Patrol member. He goes to Patterson Mill High School in Bel Air.

The objective of the aerospace education mission of CAP is to promote an understanding and appreciation of the impact of aviation and aerospace in participants' everyday lives.

Nationwide, CAP is a major operator of single-engine general aviation aircraft, used in the execution of its various missions, including orientation flights for cadets and the provision of significant emergency services capabilities. The civilian pilots who volunteer to fly various missions for CAP come from various backgrounds, such as airlines pilots or retired military pilots.

The Harford County Squadron meets 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays at the Harford Airport on Aldino Road in Churchville.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of theU.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 61,000 members nationwide. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 113 lives in fiscal year 2010. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies.

The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the more than 26,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for 69 years. It is the largest sponsor annually of Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices ofU.S. militaryveterans.

For more information on Civil Air Patrol, visit http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com or http://www.capvolunteernow.com.

More than 1,500 members of CAP serve in Maryland. Last fiscal year wing members flew 42 search and rescue missions and were credited with 31 finds. For more information, visit http://www.mdcap.org.

Source:  http://articles.baltimoresun.com

Cairo airport officials seize 420 pounds of frozen cow brains smuggled by Sudanese travelers

Associated Press

CAIRO — Officials at Cairo’s international airport confiscated 420 pounds (190 kilograms) of frozen cow brains on Friday, January 13 from three Sudanese travelers who planned to sell them to Egyptian restaurants, authorities said.

An airport official said it was the fourth time this week that customs officers there had foiled an attempt to smuggle cow brains into the country, reflecting the growth of a moneymaking scheme made possible by some realities of international supply and demand: Cow brains are cheap in Sudan, and Egyptians like to eat them.

A pound of raw cow brains bought in Sudan for less than a dollar can be resold in Egypt for six times as much, airport officials said. That means Friday’s haul could have earned the men more than $1,500.

Restaurants specializing in liver and brains are popular in Egypt. Both items are deep fried and often eaten in pita bread with spicy red sauce.

Airport officials discovered the brains Friday while inspecting large freezer boxes brought in by three travelers on a flight from Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. After inspecting the boxes, the officials confiscated the brains since they couldn’t ensure they had been preserved in a sanitary manner.

The brains would be burned, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity under airport rules.

Nhulunbuy Airport , Australia: Man arrested after $60,000 kava bust.

Police seize 61kg of kava. 

Picture: NT POLICE

Northern Territory Police say they seized more than $60,000 dollars worth of kava in Arnhem Land last night.

They arrested a 46-year-old Tongan man at Nhulunbuy after he had arrived there on a flight from Cairns.

Police say they found 61 kilograms of the controlled substance kava.

Watch commander Paul Faustmann says the kava looked like it was going to be sold.

"The kava consisted of 1,080 deal bags and I do believe it has a street value of approximately $62,000," he said.

The man is expected to be charged today.

Source:   http://www.abc.net.au

MARYLAND: Carroll County's Board of Commissioners will make a decision on the airport expansion on January 26th. Carroll County Regional/Jack B Poage Field (KDMW), Westminster.

Credit Kym Byrnes

 Credit Kym Byrnes

The Board of County Commissioners met in front of a packed room Thursday afternoon for a highly anticipated Carroll County Regional Airport discussion.

The previous board of commissioners made a master plan that included the expansion of the airport. The estimated $74 million expansion includes the purchase of 13 acres of land and an increase in the size of the runway.

Simply put, the decision is whether to expand the airport so that it can accommodate increased traffic of larger planes (C3 planes) such as corporate jets, or to remain a C2 airport that can continue to accommodate smaller planes such as single engine planes. At the very least, the current runway will require upgrades in 2017 to the tune of $5 million ($125,000 of which Carroll County will have to pay).

According to a previous article posted on Patch, if Carroll County decides to move forward with the planned expansion, the county would ultimately pay for 2.5 percent of the $74 million. Ninety-five percent would be funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the other 2.5 percent would be paid for by the state.

Community members weighed in at the beginning of the meeting. Several residents support the opinion of Silver Run resident James Graham who believe that the airport will not benefit most of the county residents.
 
"The airport expansion is using tax payer money to benefit a relatively few number of people, that aren't the tax payers," Graham said. "The idea of trying to get business to come by putting money into infrastructure has not panned out across the country, and the costs that are incurred are seldom recouped."

But there were also proponents of the plan in attendance. Barbara Biller is the president of Intellitech and the chair of Carroll County Economic Development Commission, which serves as the advisory board to the commissioners.

Biller said that the Economic Development Commission, which has wide representation in the county, unanimously voted in favor of the airport expansion.

"We have studied the airport expansion effort two times in the last three years and we have unanimously felt that the commissioners should move forward with the expansion project," Biller said.  "This project offers short term construction jobs and long term higher paying jobs."

Surdex Corporation, which provides geothermal data services, announced a proposal at a June meeting to build a 30,000 square foot facility at the airport should the expansion move forward. The facility would be used to consolidate the business' four locations.

Biller added that part of the reason Knorr Brake Company decided to expand their headquarters in Carroll County was due to the possibility of an airport expansion.

As they have done in the past two public meetings, the commissioners explored several airport options, one of which is just an update of the current runway as FAA standards dictate that the current runway would have to be resurfaced around 2017.

Deputy Director of Public Works, Jeff Topper, said that if Carroll County resurfaced the current runway, it would cost about $5 million, approximately $125,000 of which the County would have to pay. The FAA would cover the remaining cost.

The commissioners have also explored costs and benefits associated with moving forward with the planned expansion project. According to Commissioner Roush, the FAA is offering funds through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). He said that the FAA is interested in supporting this expansion project because regional airports can help relieve some of the general aviation congestion from bigger airports (such as BWI). He also said that the FAA funds these projects for safety and access reasons.

But there are time constraints that the commissioners must consider as they make their decision. According to Roush, the environmental impact study that was done to determine if the expansion was feasible does not expire, but the findings of the study expire April 8.

The study took more than a year to complete and cost more than half a million dollars. Additionally, the environmental impact study that was done was only relevant for expansion to a C3 airport, if the commissioners decide to do a lesser project, another economic impact study will be required.

Roush said that the FAA will not fund any airport projects that are not specified in the master plan. Since the airport expansion is currently in Carroll County's master plan, if the county decided to do a project other than the expansion (such as just the airport runway resurfacing project), then it would require a whole new master plan in order to receive federal funds.

The commissioners are scheduled to vote on the airport decision next Thursday, Jan. 26.

Watch the airport discussion meeting on the Carroll County government website.

Source:  http://eldersburg.patch.com

Employment Opportunity: Ad Hoc Heli Pilot. Location: Belfast.

Ad Hoc Heli Pilot

Job Reference NI 0000582

Salary: 375 to 375 / day

Job Category: PUBLIC SECTOR

Location: BELFAST

Consultant: Judith Ragg

Branch: Belfast

Expires On: February 16, 2012

Description

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Line Pilot Duties: Line flying in government roles as and when they occur Pre-flight and turn around inspections, daily inspections of the aircraft and equipment, refuelling and ground handling to ensure that the aircraft is at maximum readiness for operational deployment Self-briefing regarding Notams, Meteorology, required security states and out of bounds locations for the area / route of operation Pre-flight briefings of crew and passengers Normal captaincy requirements as per the single pilot role

Liaison: Liaison with other line pilots and Chief Pilot in the briefing of non pilot staff in the ASU Liaison with Government Observers during flights to ensure safe flights and that they can complete their jobs/tasks successfully Liaison with Air Traffic Control

Other: Administrative functions as detailed by the Chief Pilot such as recording Flight Time Limitations and producing reports Such other duties as may reasonably be required by the Chief Pilot

The minimum requirements are: 1500hours total time, including 1000hours PIC helicopters, of which 500 hours must be PIC overland in VMC low level operations Minimum 500 hours twin turbine or 1000hours single turbine helicopter 100hours night flying, including 50hours PIC JAR CPL(H) including EC135, BK117C1 or C2 type rating Current class 1 medical. Current Government OPC and previous Line Check. Minimum 25hours PIC in Single Pilot helicopters of similar weight in last 12 months.

Desirable Criteria . Experience of using Microsoft Office / Word/ Excel/ Outlook for the purpose of producing reports, recording Flight Time Limitations (FTLs) and email.

The above reflects the main elements associated with this position it is not intended to be exclusive or exhaustive.

Please note to apply you need to have lived and worked in UK/RO for the last 3 consecutive years.

Source:  http://www.graftonrecruitment.com

Airplane seizure at Brawley Municipal Airport (KBWC) connected to smuggling operation, feds say. Brawley, California.

BRAWLEY — Two men could face charges after U.S. Border Patrol agents learned an airplane at the municipal airport here was allegedly used to smuggle undocumented immigrants, officials said.

The arrest of the suspects that federal authorities would not identify marks the third time an airplane was seized in connection with such smuggling since 2010, a press statement reported.

Federal authorities didn’t make the news about last week’s arrest public as the information was in the process of awaiting approval, said Border Patrol Agent Jonathan Creiglow on Thursday.

Few details about the Jan. 10 arrest were available but Creiglow said it wasn’t known how long the smuggling operation has been going on.

The statement reported that Border Patrol agents were conducting “a surveillance” in Brawley and caught two suspected undocumented immigrants being dropped off at an undisclosed location.

The agents pulled over the vehicle and a subsequent interview of the driver and the passenger, who are from the U.S., was conducted.

It was learned that one of the men was a pilot who had an airplane at the Brawley airport. It was also determined that the two suspects were planning to use the aircraft “to further their smuggling operation,” the statement read.

Creiglow said he did not know whether the two undocumented immigrants that had been dropped off that day were actually flown in.

But Creiglow said the aircraft is a Piper II, which is a single-engine aircraft.

Brawley Public Works Director Yasmin Arellano said she never heard of any past connection between the smuggling of undocumented immigrants and the local airport.

But Creiglow said there had been an aircraft seizure at the Brawley Airport in August 2010 and another in 2011 but it was not clear whether that one involved the Brawley airport.

Neither name of the two suspects Border Patrol agents arrested was made available but Creiglow said the U.S. Attorney’s Office is still investigating the matter.

Source:   http://www.ivpressonline.com

Naples, Florida: See, hear

Arthur Tunnell, Naples

See, hear

It's noon on another beautiful day here in paradise.

I'm sitting out in the lanai reading the Daily News.

I'm thinking, "Ya know, it just doesn't get any better than this."

That's when this small plane decided to circle around a few times (showing friends from out of town, no doubt).

He doesn't do it more than once a week, but I've been meaning to complain for three winters now. I'll bet if you ask the other pilots around here they'll know exactly who I mean — this plane is loud!

Could we start a letter-writing campaign to buy him a new muffler?

And thank you for tearing down the old Daily News plant on Central Avenue. Anywhere else in the country we'd be looking at it for the next 10 years.

Source:  http://www.naplesnews.com

Report of plane crash false alarm

HAMPSHIRE – A false alarm that a plane had crashed near Interstate 90 and Route 20 had police officers in two counties temporarily scrambling and a search helicopter in the air early Thursday evening.

Someone called 911 stating that they thought they saw a small plane crash on the horizon west of Hampshire, Kane County Sheriff’s Lt. Pat Gengler said. At about that same time, a small plane had made a normal landing at the private Casa De Aero Park Airport northwest of town, Gengler said.

Both Kane County and the McHenry County sheriff’s offices began investigating the area near I-90 and Route 20, given that the area is close to the border of both counties, and both had set up command posts, according to scanner traffic.

McHenry County at about 6:30 p.m. let search units, which had found nothing, know that there was no plane down and everyone could stop looking.

Source:  http://www.nwherald.com

Boeing 757-200 Pilot Dies of Heart Failure in Mid-Flight

The co-pilot of a Russian UTair airliner has died in mid-air after feeling unwell while piloting a Boeing en route from Bangkok to Moscow. The plane with 239 passengers on board – all Russian citizens – was able to land safely in Siberia.

­“The co-pilot [Sergey Golev, aged 44] died at 12:25 am, Novosibirsk Time (5:25 pm GMT), three hours after takeoff,” said senior investigator Anastasia Utochkina, as quoted by Life News. “The captain made a decision to descend, while the crew called over the tannoy for a female physician who happened to be among the passengers. However, her attempts to reanimate the man, who was lying on the cockpit floor, failed.”

The captain reportedly attempted to land the plane in China, while reanimation efforts were underway. However, his colleague died during the descent, apparently from acute heart failure. At this point, a decision was taken to land in Russia instead, and the Boeing 757-200 touched down safely at Novosibirsk airport.

The Investigation Department of Russia’s transport authority has launched an inquiry into the case in an effort to uncover the cause of the incident.

Meanwhile, airport officials insist that the co-pilot was merely traveling as a passenger and in no way and at no point was in control of the aircraft.

“The deceased pilot was traveling as an ordinary passenger,” a press officer of Novosibirsk airport Tolmachevo, Irina Levit, told Life News. “The aircraft belongs to UTair airline, where Sergey Golev was employed. There was no threat to passengers.”

However, according to the investigation committee who requested the details of the crew and the results of their pre-flight medicals from Bangkok airport, no such evaluation was performed in Thailand. The last time the crew had had a medical check-up was back at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport a few days previously.

Source:  http://rt.com