Airport manager search continues; public works director says interim during outstanding job

The city’ of Monroe’s public works director hopes to shift the sitting interim airport manager into a permanent role if his “outstanding” performance continues to stay steady through this transitional period for the airport.

To find a full-time airport manager, Public Works Director Tom Janway said he’s been talking with consulting companies that have helped place executive managers or people in aviation-type jobs.

For instance, Kutchins and Groh out of Ft. Worth, Texas has helped the airport with its financial plans, airline lease negotiations, passenger facilities charges and grant applications. The company has an office in New Orleans, too, so Janway said he considered it local.

Janway has also been in contact with Chicago-based Pace Group, which has placed airport managers, he said. According to the company’s website, these consultants specialize in executive searches for economic development, chambers of commerce, health care executives, and other senior-level positions.

Additionally, there have also been some discussions with ADK Executive Search out of Florida. This company specializes in airport management, he said.

But so far, Janway said he’s been pleased with interim airport manager Ron Phillips’ work so Phillips is on the top of Janway’s list to fill the permanent position.

“What we’re doing right now, we’re trying to tie up all the loose ends,” Janway said.

The new airport terminal opened in October, but phase II, which is the expansion of the parking lot and tearing down the old building to replace it with baggage claim and car rental services, is still underway. That’s expected to be completed by Aug. 13. In the meantime, some kinks for phase I of the project are still being ironed out.

“The interim director is doing an absolutely fantastic job,” Janway said last week. “We’ve moved forward with new leases for the airlines ... I met with him (Phillips) for an hour today and we went over setting up billing for rental car agencies, finalizing our contract with Coca-Cola ...”

The airport is also gearing up for a Federal Aviation Administration regulation inspection that will take place within the next six to eight weeks. The FAA will evaluate the airport’s training records, basic emergency medical training curriculum, tenants’ fueling fire safety inspection records, emergency plan and records of safety self-inspections.

In addition, Phillips has been working on a new general services contract for engineering at the airport and with the fire chief to establish a new fire station on the airport property, Janway said. There’s also a new airport shuttle he’s put in place to carry passengers from the terminal to parking, but Janway said Phillips is going to improve that even more by procuring a larger van which will have more features.

Moreover, Phillips has set up a customer service center staffed with two temporary employees.

When asked why a customer service center would be necessary for an airport the size of Monroe’s, Janway said the representatives are available to help passengers with the inconveniences caused by current construction. For instance, passengers have complained that the airport’s baggage claim and parking situation is confusing at times.

The temporary employees get paid about $8 an hour, Janway said

“At some point, when the project finishes and when the airport is more user-friendly, we may re-evaluate that,” he said.

When asked whether Phillips might be able to stay on as the full-time airport manager, Janway said, “Absolutely.”

Janway said he’s known Phillips more than 20 years and that Phillips has served as an executive in the private industry and worked for the Louisiana Workforce Development Commission. He’ll also review Phillips’ performance as he continues to work through issues while the airport is cleaning up work in phase I and implementing phase II.

“I’m going to evaluate him based on the work he’s doing now and to date it’s been outstanding,” Janway said. “I’m going to be giving him the opportunity to complete most of these tasks. If he can handle the transition, he can handle the day-to-day activities.”

Eventually, Janway said he and Mayor Jamie Mayo will have to decide to “open up” the job, even if they choose to hire Phillips. In such a case, the city can limit the application process to city employees only, and Phillips can apply, Janway said.

Then, he would probably be the most qualified, Janway said.

Initially, city officials said they would conduct a national search to find a new airport director.

Cleve Norrell, who had managed the airport for more than 20 years, was fired on Nov. 22.

Now however, Janway said Phillips has shown interest in staying in the role and based on his performance, Janway’s “very satisfied.”

On Friday, Phillips said working in this capacity has been exciting.

“From a career standpoint I would consider it, but I haven’t made a definite decision yet,” he said.

In November, city spokesman Rod Washington said the city’s goal is to have a new director in place by May 2012.

Last week, Janway said he isn’t restricted by any deadlines to hire a full-time airport manager, so he’s not going to be hasty.

Source:  http://www.thenewsstar.com

New Orleans student takes off on quest for pilot's license

Photo by Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune

Andrew Glapion Jr. checks out the plane before taking to the air during a training class at the Lakefront Airport in New Orleans. Glapion, a St. Augustine High School senior, is training at the Flight Academy of New Orleans to get his pilot's license on his 17th birthday. 

 Photo by Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune

Glapion goes through his pre-flight checklist.

The Cessna 172 rolled onto the tarmac at New Orleans Lakefront Airport as Andrew Glapion Jr., 16, finished practicing his takeoff and landing in preparation for his private pilot license. "When I'm in the plane and in the air, nothing can touch me. Everything is just perfect," said Glapion, a junior at St. Augustine High School.

Having already completed 32 flights, two of which were solo, Glapion is out at Lakefront Airport at least once a week clocking the mandatory 36 hours of flight time while counting down to April 30, his 17th birthday -- two requirements to obtain his private license.

Krystal Hukmani, managing director of the Flight Academy of New Orleans, said that in 2009, Glapion became the youngest student to enroll at the Flight Academy. The flight simulator on his home computer wasn't enough for him anymore; he needed the real deal.

"My first flight was May 7, 2009, right after my 15th birthday," Glapion said. "I begged (my parents) to send me on a flight, and they purchased a demo flight for me, and from there I have been flying."

Getting a private pilot's license normally takes three to six months, but because of age restrictions, Glapion has had to complete it over a two-year period.

His flight instructor, Matt Gradidge, knows how beneficial this will be later on.

"Andrew getting his private license now will actually put him ahead of the game when he gets to college. It will be a few less classes he will have to take," Gradidge said.

There is no doubt in Glapion's mind that this is what he wants to do with his life. With the aim of becoming an airline pilot, he has his sights firmly set on studying aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.

During his lesson with Gradidge, Glapion made it all look easy. Typically he flies a Cessna 152, but on this particular day, he flew the Cessna 172, a four-seater aircraft, with two extra passengers -- a first for him.

This didn't faze him, though. After Gradidge demonstrated what he expected, Glapion was in total control, performing the smoothest of landings.

"Landing is the best part. I got to land at Armstrong airport once, just for experience," Glapion said.

A typical lesson starts with a debriefing, when Gradidge tells Glapion what is expected for that lesson. Glapion does a preflight check, walking around the aircraft anf ensuring the instruments and the plane are in good working order.

Glapion and his instructor practice take-offs and landings, aerial maneuvers and emergency procedures.

After an hour or so at 2,500 feet above Lake Pontchartrain or over the marshes, the pair land, and Gradidge goes over any areas that need addressing.

"You have to be 16 to solo the aircraft, so we were getting him prepared for that. Now what we are doing is getting him ready to where he can get his license," Gradidge said.

It won't stop there. Once Glapion has his private license, the next step will be to get his instrument rating. Then once again he will have to wait until his 18th birthday to get a commercial license.

When Glapion first approached his father, Andrew Glapion Sr., about flying lessons, the senior Glapion was unenthusiastic, worried about his son's safety. But Andrew proved to be very persuasive.

"I told (Andrew) it was dangerous, but he said he had a better chance at dying in a car crash," Glapion said. "He is so confident and competent, and with a passion like that all you can do is support it."

Glapion works summer jobs to help pay for his lessons, and he takes time out from flying to play baritone sax in the St. Augustine Marching 100.

"This has actually taught me a lot about using my time management," Glapion said. "I don't know how I get it all done, but I do."

Source:  http://www.nola.com

Rep. Greg Walden Honors Retiring Redmond Airport Manager. Presents Carrie Novick With Framed Congressional Record Remarks. Roberts Field Airport (KRDM), Redmond, Oregon.

BEND, Ore. -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., on Friday presented long-time, retiring Redmond Airport Manager Carrie Novick with a framed, ceremonial copy of a Congressional Record statement he submitted on the House floor Wednesday that recognizes and honors her service to Central Oregon.

The full copy of the Congressional Record statement is below:

HON. GREG WALDEN

OF OREGON

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

________

Tribute to Ms. Carrie Novick

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I take this opportunity to honor Ms. Carrie Novick on the occasion of her retirement. Since 1990, Carrie has served as the airport manager for Roberts Field, Redmond Municipal Airport in Redmond, Oregon. She will leave her position next Tuesday after nearly 22 years of exemplary public service to the citizens of Redmond and central Oregon.

During her tenure as airport manager, Carrie has transformed a sleepy municipal airfield into a first class regional transportation hub. Nearly two years ago, Carrie completed an airport terminal expansion project that more than doubled the size of the existing airport to 136,000 square feet, tripled its operations capacity to 45 flights per day, and allowed for more than 200,000 passengers per year to pass through its gates. For nearly ten years, Carrie worked passionately to make this fantastic project a reality.

Carrie’s tenacity and good stewardship of public resources modernized the facility, increased flight availability, and improved passenger safety and services. Carrie fulfilled her vision to transform the Redmond Airport into a regional economic engine powering tourism, trade, and industry, all while improving the quality of life for area residents.

Carrie has always been eager to share her vision and passion for her work. She always made an effort to meet me whenever I was flying to or departing from the airport to brief me on the latest airport developments, offer her counsel on aviation policy, or just share a cup of coffee with me at the gate. I will miss her candor, quick wit, and indomitable spirit. I’m proud to call her my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Ms. Carrie Novick for her outstanding contributions to the city of Redmond and the communities of central Oregon, and to wish her well upon her retirement. Carrie has given her time and efforts selflessly to the region and her service is worthy of the highest praise. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Piper Cherokee PA-28 180: 56-year-old Maryland man killed in plane crash near York Airport (KTHV), Pennsylvania.

A Maryland man was killed when his plane crashed while landing at the York Airport. (John A. Pavoncello)

Northern York County Regional Police and Pennsylvania State Police are at scene of the plane crash investigating.

(York Daily Record/ Sunday News -- Paul Kuehnel )

Sadly, this wasn't the first time a "loud thump" outside has startled Marlyn Stambaugh.

A neighbor of the York Airport for 60 years, the 87-year-old Jackson Township man has witnessed more than his fair share of plane crashes. On Sunday, Stambaugh pointed out the window of his home toward another heap of twisted metal.

"I'm kind of used to it," he said softly, recalling earlier tragedies near his home.

About 12:45 p.m. Sunday, a small plane crash-landed in the corn field next to Stambaugh's house - just 5,000 or so feet short of the runway on the other side of Route 30.

The pilot, Douglas Helms, 56, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to York County Deputy Coroner Onalee Gilbert. She said Helms flew out of an airport in Frederick, Md. about 11 a.m.

An autopsy is planned for Tuesday, Gilbert reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board reported on its website that the agency is investigating the crash. The agency reported the plane was a Piper PA-28 180.

Helms was a member of the Condor Flying Club out of Frederick, said Mike Pressimone, one of the club's instructors.

"He was a very conscientious individual," Pressimone said. "It's one of those things where you just kind of want to know what happened."

Pressimone said news of the crash came as a shock to the club, whose members collectively agreed to keep public comments to a minimum.

"We kind of all want to get together and talk. We want to understand what happened," he said.

Meanwhile, the mood was somber Sunday at York Airport, where manager Richard Fuess leaned over a fence to watch airplane after airplane make soft landings on the runway. As many as 100 planes land at the airport in Thomasville on an average day, he said.

"It's windy, but it's not too windy," he said, momentarily trailing off in thought. "This is absolutely horrible."

Fuess said he doesn't think he knows the pilot, but it's a tough day nonetheless.

"It's just sad because he was on his way here," he said.

To make a bad situation worse, memories are still fresh of another fatal crash near the airport just a few weeks ago.

Pilot Brian Robertson, 38, of Huntington Beach, Calif., was flying into York to spend the holidays with family when his plane crashed Dec. 22.

That crash is still under investigation but the NTSB's preliminary report details new information, including the fact that the overall damage to the twin engine Cessna 441 was consistent with its having been in a right-turning flat spin when it hit the ground.
 ================
Update, 4:18 p.m.
York County Coroner Barry Bloss said the pilot who died in the crash is a 56-year-old man from Maryland. His name will be released after his next-of-kin is notified.  An autopsy on the pilot's body will be conducted Monday at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Bloss said.

A man is dead following an airplane crash in a field near York Airport in Jackson Township on Sunday.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the crash at 12:43 p.m., according to York County 911.

York County Coroner Barry Bloss confirmed a Maryland man was killed in the crash. The man was the only person killed.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, Bloss said.

As of 2 p.m., responders were holding a blue tarp in front of the plane, probably to shield the public's view as they remove the crash victim.

The field is located just across Route 30 from the airport.

Media at the scene are waiting for official word about what happened and how many people were on the plane.

Marlyn Stambaugh, 87, said he has lived across the street from the airport for 60 years. His home sits next to the corn field, just a few hundred feet from the crash site.

"I'm kind of used to it," he said, recalling earlier tragedies near his home.

On Sunday, shortly before 1 p.m., Stambaugh said he heard a "loud thump." He looked outside, but didn't see anything.

A tree limb must have snapped, he thought.

Then the sirens and lights and people started to arrive.

Stambaugh looked out his window again. This time he spotted a crumpled airplane in the field.

"It's bad when they hit," he said.

Richard Fuess, the airport's manager, said he has "no idea" why the unidentified pilot crashed into a cornfield just about 5,000 feet from the runway.

"It's windy," he said, "but it's not too windy. This is absolutely horrible."

Fuess said as many as 100 planes land at the airport in Thomasville on an average day. As he spoke, two small planes made soft landings.

Fuess said he doesn't think he knows the pilot, but it's a tough day nonetheless.

"It's just sad because he was on his way here," he said.

Traffic is moving slowly, but steadily along Route 30, near the crash site.

A littler over a month ago, pilot Brian Robertson, 38, of Huntington Beach, Calif., was killed in a plane crash near the airport.

Robertson was flying into York to spend the holidays with family when his plane crashed Dec. 22.

That crash is still under investigation but the NTSB's preliminary report details new information, including the fact that the overall damage to the Cessna 441 was consistent with it having been in a right-turning flat spin when it hit the ground.

Source:   http://www.yorkdispatch.com

Update, 2:55 p.m.

The media has been moved to the parking lot at York Airport where a statement will be made. No time has been set for that statement.

Update, 2:25 p.m.

Emergency crews reported that one person is dead. Northern York County Regional Police, Pennsylvania State Police and the coroner are on the scene.

The plane landed on a cornfield with its fuselage twisted. Foam was sprayed on the field, and investigators are combing the fields, apparently looking for pieces of debris.

Ralph Bentzel, who lives nearby, described the crash as a "pile of metal." He said he remembered a crash in the same cornfield several years ago, but it was further back from Route 30.

Traffic is still moving through the area, but be careful because many drivers are slowing down to look at the crash.

This is the second fatal plane crash the area has seen in a little over a month.

On Dec. 22, Brian Robertson, of Huntington Beach, Calif., was killed when his plane crashed about 2 miles from the York Airport in Thomasville.

Click here to read more about that crash. 

The NTSB has not ruled on a cause of that crash as of yet. Find out more about that here.

Coliseum CEO’s landing gear was retracted, crash probe finds. Cessna 340A, N340HF. Ocala International Airport, Florida.

A Saturday investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board of the plane crash that killed Coliseum Health System Chief Executive Officer P. Allen Golson found the plane’s gear handle in the up, or retracted, position.

Pilots usually place the gear down for landing, according to Ralph Hicks, senior air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, though he said investigators will need to have a closer look at the plane to make any determinations.

Golson, 55, died Friday after his Cessna 340 twin-engine plane crashed in a field about half a mile south of the Ocala International Airport in Florida and caught on fire at about 12:30 p.m. Golson was the pilot, and his wife, Carol, 52, was the only other passenger on the six-seat plane. The investigation also found that at the time of the crash Carol Golson was sitting in one of the plane’s aft cabin seats, and not in the cockpit with her husband.

The accident happened about an hour and 10 minutes after leaving Macon.

Earlier this month, Golson announced he would be stepping down from his Macon job after seven years to become CEO of Ocala Health System.

Carol Golson is in stable condition at the Ocala Regional Medical Center after sustaining minor injuries in the crash, according to Merita Burney, the Coliseum’s chief nursing officer. Carol was expected to be moved to another room Saturday afternoon after spending time in the intensive care unit for observation, Burney said.

The aircraft wreckage has been removed from the crash site, and Hicks expects investigators to be on the scene in Ocala until Monday or Tuesday. The entire investigation could take six to nine months, though. A preliminary report will also be released in a week, he said.

Investigators also discovered that only two of the aircraft’s six fuel tanks had fuel in them at the time of the incident. The other four tanks in the plane were ruptured in the post-crash fire, said Hicks. The NTSB is investigating the crash with the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration.

“This is strictly a fact-finding phase,” Hicks said. “We’re documenting the facts right now.”

Golson was cleared for a visual approach by a flight tower in Ocala, but contact with Golson’s plane ended there. Golson did not make any emergency or distress calls before the crash, Hicks said.

According to paperwork filed with the FAA, Golson recorded over 1,000 hours of flight time over the summer.

Burney, who lives in the same River Forest subdivision as the Golsons in Monroe County, said neighbors have expressed “shock, disbelief and sadness.”

“It’s a great loss for all of us, the family at the Coliseum and the neighbors at River Forest,” Burney said Saturday. “He will be greatly missed.”

Source:  http://www.macon.com

New Jersey Mooney Pilots KVAY Sunday Lunch Fly In. (South Jersey Regional Airport)

Earlier today we dropped by KVAY, our home airport, to introduce ourselves to members of the New Jersey Mooney Pilots who flew in for a luncheon get together.  It seemed a great excuse to get out of the house.  We spent about an hour discussing Mooneys, our planes, and aviation stuff in general.  The planes looked great, as the following pictures show. As with pilots in general, a very congenial and fun group.

Cambridge, Ohio: Chance encounter goes well

By Carl La Rue

Every once in a while, we encounter a situation where something we did previously comes home to roost. It usually has the potential to be embarrassing. Such was the case when I visited the Cambridge airport last Monday.

Sitting on the ramp with an open door was a beautiful Citation Jet 500. As I arrived the passengers were just leaving the terminal, obviously on the verge of departing. None of them were familiar to me but I tagged along, hoping for a few words with the pilot as we are generally kindred spirits.

Imagine my surprise as one of them eyeballed me and asked "are you the writer?" Cover blown, I admitted that I was Carl La Rue, and he identified himself as Craig McGonigle, whom I had talked to on the phone but hadn't met.

That brought another person up to me who offered to shake hands. "I'm Shawn Mack, the pilot, and we just spoke a couple of days ago"

(I had called him, among others, in the process of doing a "hangar needs" survey.)

Names and aircraft identification tumbled rapidly into -- gasp -- recognition! This was the airplane that I had colorfully written about where the owner had fallen ignominiously on his posterior, slipping on the mess created when the pilot had been forced to deice the airplane before takeoff with antifreeze and a hose.

Shawn anticipated my question just as I began to ask: "This is David Dachner, the president of Amarado Oil Company." Just that suddenly I was face to face, and shaking hands with, the gentleman whose unfortunate fall I had described unflatteringly, albeit in critique of our airport's shortcomings.

I stammered an apology for his unfortunate encounter with our pavement and he couldn't have been more gracious about it. In answer to my question about future visits to KCDI, he replied that there would be "many more in the future." I allowed that there might be a heated hangar for them to use in the future and he simply said "good" while the pilot nodded his head vigorously.

Before entering the plane, Mr. Dachner asked for a copy of the article that I had previously written (oh, oh!) and handed me his card. "One side is my profession," he said, "and the other side is my passion." Of course, I turned to the passion side immediately: www.abundantlifefoundaton.net. Anyone who enjoyed my unceremonious description of his pratfall owes it to him now to access his website.

The pilot had our ramp rat, Dave Mourer, do something that I had never seen before. Standing behind the Number 1 engine for a couple of minutes before engine start, Dave held a floor mat up against the tailpipe, blocking the tail wind from blowing into the engine. When the pilot gave him the word, he removed it and the pilot immediately began the starting sequence on that engine.

Why? It seems like a tail wind acting on the turbine vanes gets the engine turning in the wrong direction and that's not a good time to engage the starter. I'll ask Shawn about that later, when we fly together in my Lancair. I offered the ride by saying "at least we can go upside down in my plane."

"That would be nice," he said, "I'm not a stranger to upside down. I used to fly F-15s and F-16s."

Gulp.

Guess I'm in for another adventure.

carl.larue@live.com

Source:  http://www.daily-jeff.com/opinion/2012/01/29/airport-corner

Eye in the sky guards pylons

Hovering just metres above the ground, on the look-out for dangerous hotspots and potential power cuts, a fleet of helicopters armed with hi-tech equipment patrol the Midlands.

The region’s electricity provider Western Power Distribution has a squad of seven choppers – including two new, £3.5 million models – which monitor the network.

Gone are the laborious days of a man in a cherry-picker lift climbing up to inspect the pylons himself – instead, powerful cameras and thermal imaging equipment take around 20,000 pictures a day which are then examined by engineers.

The choppers can cover up to 130km of cable a day, and generally inspect around 100,000km of cable every year.

Spokeswoman Stella Hayward said today the on-board cameras were used for preventative measures, as well as spotting faults.

“The cameras take very detailed pictures, while the thermal image cameras show any hotspots, where heat is escaping,” she said.

“This can mean there is a weakness there and we can make sure any necessary works are carried out to fix it before a power cut happens.” Other electricity firms have been so impressed by the operation they have now joined a consortium, borrowing the helicopters whenever they have faults on their own network.

The new helicopters have been invested in to expand the fleet, which gets calls from all over the country as part of the consortium. They also make around 60 per cent less noise – which, when they are flying over farmland, is useful as it means cattle and horses are less likely to be spooked, leading to fewer complaints from angry farmers.

The helicopter unit consists of five pilots and five observers, who record the results of each trip using touch screen laptops kitted out with a programme which can identify every single pylon, pole and substation in the country.

This means any fault or potential threat identified, such as trees growing through the power lines – which can cause severe damage in a storm – can be transmitted almost immediately to engineers.

Pilot Robin Tutcher said the choppers get as low as 40ft from the ground to inspect cables as closely as possible.

“Helicopters are expensive – we know that,” he said. “But depending on fault severity, time of day, weather and availability we can get anywhere in the Midlands within two and a half hours.”

http://www.expressandstar.com

Video: Pilot killed in plane crash at Pallamanna Airfield, Murray Bridge - South Australia.

A pilot has been killed when his plane crashed into a farm paddock in rural South Australia.

Video: U.S. Coast Guard rescues four in Portage Bay

A Coast Guard helicopter aircrew from Kodiak hoists four crew-members from the ice. Harsh weather grounded the fishing vessel Kimberly in Portage Bay. Video provided by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Air Station Kodiak rescues 4 from Kimberly from anchoragedailynews on Vimeo.

Jailed Janardhan Reddy can't fly anymore, helicopter seized

Bellary, Jan 29: In an another setback for the Reddy brothers, the investigation agency, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seized their helicopters. The CBI on Sunday, Jan 29 raided the Reddys' residences in Bellary, Karnataka and seized the helicopters.

According to sources, the CBI had suspected that they might get more unauthorized money and jewellery from houses of the mining baron. However, the CBI stated that they will submit all details of the things which they have seized from Janardhana Reddy's house.

Here it can be mentioned that following an early raid by the CBI, the former Karnataka minister (Gali) along with his brother-in-law were arrested over alleged illegal mining scam in Karnataka and currently have been lodged in a jail in Andhra Pradesh.

Source:  http://news.oneindia.in

Video: Brand New Cessna Grand Caravan Landing El Paso, Texas

Video by mmurphy147 on Jan 28, 2012

Brand New Cessna Grand Caravan Landing El Paso, TX, Runway 22. G1000 with Synthetic Vision

Gander Airport Hopes For New Hangar. (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada)

The town of Gander and the airport authority hope that a new hangar or aeroplex facility will get the green light from the federal and provincial governments. Gander Mayor Claude Elliott says they believe the hangar would be a big asset in attracting new business to the airport. He says every major airport has a hangar. They hope to have something concrete in the next couple of months.

The airport authority and the town have each committed a half-million dollars toward the project.

Source:  http://www.vocm.com

Airline may offer flight between Helena and Billings

Billings Gazette

Philip LeFevre talks about the Gulfstream’s essential Air Service routes in Montana at Billings Logan International Airport in April. Gulfstream changed its name to Silver Airways in December. The 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D plane pictured is likely the same model of plane that would be used on a possible route linking Helena and Missoula with Billings.

A Florida-based airline is close to making a decision on whether to offer a flight between Helena and Billings, directly linking the state’s Capital City with the its largest city, officials say.

The decision on the new flight could come in the next week or so, said Mickey Bowman, a vice president and spokesman for Silver Airways Corp.

“We are still sort of doing our due diligence on it,” Bowman said late last week. “We hope to have a decision by the end of the month or shortly thereafter.”

Ron Mercer, the Helena Airport director, said his staff has made a firm proposal to Silver Airways and expects the matter to be presented to the airline’s top management and board of directors soon.

“They are moving forward and we are encouraged,” Mercer said.

Talks between Helena airport officials with Gulfstream International began last fall after local leaders informally surveyed local residents about potential interest in a flight to Billings. The response to the query was strong, with many business and government officials expressing clear interest in the possibility of a one-day, round-trip service to Billings.

Last month, the air carrier has changed its name from Gulfstream International Airlines to Silver Airways. Silver is the airline that provides federally subsidized flights to a number of eastern Montana communities through the Essential Air Service program.

Based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the airline’s core business centers around 100 daily flights linking 29 cities in Florida, the Bahamas, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It began flights in eastern Montana last year, taking the Essential Air Service reins from Wyoming-based Great Lake Airlines.

Bowman said the eastern Montana flights and passenger comments highlighted interest in a flight linking Billings, Silver’s Montana hub, with Helena. The flight would have no federal subsidy.

“We have to proceed carefully,” Bowman said. “This is what we term at-risk flying, since there is no subsidy involved. We have to be able to pay the bills.”

At the same time it’s been talking with Helena officials, the airline has also talking about a potential flight to Missoula and Williston, N.D., a city at the epicenter of the Bakken oil boom.

“All of those things are sort of in the pot right now,” said Mercer.

But Bowman offered few hints about whether the airline would consider adding more than one flight or pick one city over another. Mercer and Cris Jensen, the director of the Missoula airport, have been working together to some degree to win a flight that would link Missoula and Billings, with a stop in Helena.

“It’s our understanding that it would be similar to what Big Sky (Airlines) did back before they ended service in 2008,” said Jensen. “But we will be happy with whatever they give us.”

Jensen said the oil boom, while hundreds of miles away from western Montana, is at the root of the interest for a flight from Missoula to Billings. The boom is also driving interest in Billings for a Williston flight. Silver currently offers a flight to Sidney, another Bakken hotspot.

“We know there are a lot of contractors and business people from our area are driving over there now,” Jensen said. “Without the direct air service, it’s pretty time consuming and expensive to fly through Seattle or Salt Lake City.”

Bowman said his airline and has been doing market research on each of the potential destinations. In some cases, airport officials have offered incentives to land Silver. (At one point, Silver was looking at a flight from Butte to Billings, but recently failed to land the EAS money.)

Mercer said he believes the Missoula airport has offered to waive or reduce the landing fees it charges, a common approach by airports looking to woo new carriers. Mercer said Helena already has low landing fees, and he fears backlash from existing carriers if the airport lowered the fees to snag Silver.

“We said we would provide them with some marketing money,” Mercer said. “But we haven’t made any commitments. We need more information on how they would intend to operate here.”

While Silver officials have little doubt about the interest in a Helena and Missoula link, number crunching will play a key role in any decision.

“It’s absolutely imperative that we consider all the costs,” Bowman said.

Flying across Montana has been a financial challenge for others carriers. Big Sky Airlines went through at least one bankruptcy reorganization and several ownership and management shake-ups in its turbulent 20-year history.

Silver itself was formed in 2011 after investors bought some of the assets of Gulfstream, which had filed for bankruptcy in November 2010. Silver is owned by Victory Park Capital, a Chicago-based investment concern. Victory Park owns a number of companies, including an aviation-services provider. But its money- making ventures stretch to Giordano’s pizza restaurants and the Fuller Brush Co.

Mercer and Jensen agree that that flight path combining and Helena and Missoula offers the best chance to fill the 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D planes that Silver uses on its current Montana routes. Full seats are a big step towards a profitable airline operation.

“I think it would be best if they did both cities,” said Mercer.

Source:  http://helenair.com

Spain takes legal action against Spanair

Spain's government has launched legal action against the now-defunct airline Spanair.

An estimated 22,000 passengers who had booked seats on more than 220 cancelled flights have been left looking for alternative arrangements and instructions on how to seek reimbursements.

Spanair, owned by a consortium based in the northeastern region of Catalonia, shut down its operations late Friday because of a lack of funding.

The legal proceedings begun by Spain's government could lead to Spanair being fined 9 million euros ($A11.14 million) for two 'serious infringements' of aviation security legislation, Development Minister Ana Pastor said. The alleged infractions related to obligations linked to continued service and passenger protection.

Chairman Ferran Soriano said the airline had failed to attract inward investment and consequently the regional government of northeastern Catalonia took the decision to stop providing funds. Spanair, whose hub was Barcelona airport, employed around 2,000 people and used the services of about 1,200 ground staff.

Spanair's financial woes were exacerbated by a 2008 crash that killed 154 people. Eighteen people survived what was Spain's worst aviation disaster in 25 years. The airline, which also ran a commuter service between Madrid and Barcelona, was in trouble financially before Spanair Flight JK5022 - an MD-82 jet - crashed on takeoff on August 20, 2008 as it tried to leave Madrid bound for the Canary Islands.

In 2010 Spanair, which was Spain's No. 4 airline, reported an operating loss of 115 million euros and had survived thanks to finance provided by the Catalan government and some private investors.

The Catalan government cited the 'current economic climate' and 'European legislation concerning competition' as the major factors influencing its decision.

In Brussels, the European Low Fares Airline Association said those of its members flying overlapping routes with Spanair would offer specially discounted fares to enable stranded passengers to return home. Offers are subject to seat availability, said the organisation of budget airlines - which includes Ryanair and EasyJet.

The association's secretary-general, John Hanlon, said in a statement the aim was to assist Spanair passengers who were experiencing difficulties with travel plans. National carrier Iberia Spanish Airlines SA said it had also offered to help.

Source:  http://bigpondnews.com

Queensland, Australia: Flight diverts to Mount Isa after smoke fears

A Boeing 747 with 170 passengers aboard has been grounded on its way to Darwin after pilots reported a smell of smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Mt Isa.

The plane landed at the Mt Isa airport to meet two fire trucks just after 8pm, according to Queensland Fire and Rescue Service officers.

"We investigated the aircraft, and we found no readings of smoke," an officer said.

Passengers also had to be helped down from the plane by a wheelchair lift, in lieu of the right-sized staircase for the 747, which doesn't normally land at Mt Isa airport, according to QFRS.

Hardwick Field has served community for more than century. Hardwick Field Airport (KHDI), Cleveland, Tennessee.

— Second in a series —

Air service to and from Cleveland will change drastically this fall with the start of operation at the city’s new aviation facility in the Tasso community.

The Cleveland Regional Jetport has long been a goal of the city and the local business and industrial community, because of the limitations at Hardwick Field on North Lee Highway.

The old airfield has served the community faithfully for more than half a century.

The 3,300-foot runway at Hardwick Field has long been a hindrance to larger airplanes used by local industries and businesses. The 5,500-foot runway at the new Jetport will serve the community’s air traffic well into the future.

The opening of the new air-service center this fall will signal the end to an era of more than 60 years of aviation endeavors at the city’s Hardwick Field on North Lee Highway. It will also mark more than 100 years since powered flight was first introduced to the community by daredevil biplane pilot Charles K. Hamilton in 1911.

The eventual future of the city’s Hardwick Field property has yet to be determined.

Hardwick Field was constructed in the early 1950s when World War II veteran George Castings Jr. built a dirt landing field to be used as a training facility for flight students. Castings had flown P-47 fighter planes in World War II.

In the late 1950s, Castings sold the training center and property to the city of Cleveland for $10,000. The facility, at that time, consisted of a 2,000-foot runway, a 1,000-gallon fuel tank and a six-plane concrete hangar.

In 1959, the city extended the airstrip to 3,300 feet and paved it with asphalt. This facility met the community’s needs until late in the 20th century when it was determined the runway was too short for many of the more-modern aircraft.

During its early years, the facility was called simply the Cleveland Airport.

In the late 1960s, late Cleveland businessman and City Commissioner Bobby Taylor, also a World War II veteran, recommended the airfield be named in honor of longtime entrepreneur and president of Cleveland Woolen Mills C.L. Hardwick. Hardwick was also a former police commissioner for the city.

Hardwick was an early Bradley County resident, having been born in 1827 at the Cherokee Agency (now Charleston). His grandfather had been an agent for the Cherokee Nation.

Cleveland’s Woolen Mill employed about 60 workers and was one of the area’s largest workplaces. Hardwick also owned a farm, a store and banks in Dalton, Ga., and Cedartown, Ga. He was also a big supporter of Centenary Female College in Cleveland.

The local airfield has carried Hardwick’s name for about 50 years.

The airport, still located on North Lee Highway, services single- and double-engine aircraft. The field has a pilot’s lounge, outdoor tie-down space, aircraft maintenance facilities and 20 hangars that are leased to private individuals. Most of these individuals will be transferring their leases to the new Jetport.

The city has leased the airport facility to several individuals and organizations over the years, leading up to current management by A. Taylor Newman and his Crystal Air company.

Other managers over the past 50 years include Cleveland Flying Service (1957), LeRoy Fields (1959), Dr. M.M. Ellis (1961), Carl Rymer (1963), Sky Services Incorporated (1971), So Col Aviation (1972) and J.C. Garrison from late 1972 until Crystal Air took over.

There have been a number of improvement projects at the airport in recent years. In 2005, the Tennessee Aeronautics Division approved a major resurfacing of the runway. Despite Cleveland Airport Authority’s pursuit of a new airport, the paving project was approved for safety reasons. The state approved a $450,000 grant with a $50,000 local match, and the project was completed in 2006.

In 2006, the state approved a $24,075 grant (with a 10 percent city match) for installation of security cameras. The state also approved a contract of $9,900 for replacement of the airport’s rotating beacon and windsock.

Cleveland’s Municipal Airport Authority has been responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of Hardwick Field, using the assistance of the city’s Public Works Department’s Landscaping Division for mowing, brush clearing and herbicide treatment. Public Works has also maintained security fencing and electric gates.

The Airport Authority was formed in 2004 to maintain and fulfill the aviation needs of the community. This has included managing and upgrading Hardwick Field, as well as striving for a new Cleveland airport for the future.

The new airport has been a seven-year process, with environmental assessment and all other steps finalized for the construction and opening of the new Cleveland Regional Jetport this fall.

Read more: Cleveland Daily Banner - Hardwick Field has served community for more than century

Aviation first introduced in Cleveland in 1911. Hardwick Field Airport (KHDI), Cleveland, Tennessee.

Although Cleveland’s Hardwick Field was constructed in the late 1940s and used as a training site through the early 1950s, aviation was first introduced to the community more than 30 years earlier.

A Curtiss biplane, a Wright Brothers-like aircraft, was the first airplane to ever visit in Cleveland and Bradley County.

Aviator Charles K. Hamilton, and a team of mechanics, brought the flying machine to Cleveland on Thursday, Oct. 5, 1911.

The historic visit was realized through the efforts of the Cleveland Commercial Club, an early organization like today’s Chamber of Commerce. It was said the cost of the appearance was “hundreds of dollars.”

Cleveland’s Journal and Banner newspaper had exclusive coverage of the aerial celebration.

Hamilton became well known at an early age as an aerial daredevil. The son of a Connecticut merchant, he became interested in hot-air ballooning as a teenager. He then did parachute jumping with a circus and at fairs and then piloted dirigibles.

With the success of Wilbur and Orville Wright in Dayton, Ohio, powered flight became a reality in 1908 and it was a natural step for Hamilton to jump into airplanes.

Hamilton learned to fly biplanes under Glenn H. Curtiss and within six months was performing in daring exhibitions across the United States.

Perhaps the best known American pilot in those early years, Hamilton’s 1911 exhibition in Cleveland came within the first two years of his flying career.

Hamilton displayed the dangers of flying in those early years, crashing his “Hamiltonian” biplane numerous times. His team of mechanics not only got the biplane ready to fly, they also had to put it back together several times.

The plane was powered by an eight-cylinder, 110-hp motorcar (Christie) engine that Hamilton said was “too hot to handle.”

Although Hamilton had three successful flights in Cleveland, his career came to an abrupt end three years later, but not from a crash.

His life was cut short at the age of 28 when his lung hemorrhaged after a battle with tuberculosis. It is reported that a group of his aviator friends flew over his grave site and dropped flowers in tribute, just three years after he introduced the citizens of Cleveland to powered flight.

The Journal and Banner reported more than 6,000 residents from the area turned out for Hamilton’s 1911 demonstration here.

Each of Hamilton’s three flights around the area lasted about 12 minutes.

The infatuation with powered flight continued in Cleveland after Hamilton’s visit.

After the appearance of the biplane, it is reported t hat several U.S. government mail planes made stops in subsequent years.

In 1920, 40 acres of the Frank Johnston farm served as a local flying field for the community. The facility was described as was one of the largest and best-suited flying fields in the South.

In recognition that the air age had arrived in Cleveland, the name of the town was painted in 6-foot letters on the roof of the G.T. Hall Building at the corner of Inman and Church streets.

City officials said the sign was “so aerial flyers would know what burg they were approaching.”

It was noted Cleveland was one of the first communities in the South on air maps for a new era.

Then, in 1945, the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce Airport Committee cleared the way for construction of “The Cleveland Memorial Airport.”

Committee members included Claude de Barios, W.W. Jacobs, S.B. Rymer Jr. and Harry L. Dethero. The site for the proposed airport was three miles east of Cleveland on land formerly owned by John Kirkpatrick.

The Tennessee Bureau of Aeronautics then approved the specifics for the Castings Airport (now Hardwick Field), which was constructed by World War II veteran George Castings Jr. Castings flew P-47s in the war.

The city committee had agreed to the construction process with the proviso state aid would be available. Tennessee Gov. Gordon Browning came to Cleveland and met with the committee on the proposed airport.

During this meeting, it was proposed Tennessee Air National Guard planes would be stationed here.

Following Castings’ construction of the airfield for training purposes and utilization through the early years of the 1950s, the city of Cleveland purchased the facility and its 2,000-foot runway in the late 1950s. The runway was later paved and extended to 3,300 feet.

This was the birth of Hardwick Field, an era which will end with the opening of the new Cleveland Regional Jetport.

Read more: Cleveland Daily Banner - Aviation first introduced in Cleveland in 1911

Governor Walker approves $65,000 project at Watertown Municipal Airport (KRYV), Wisconsin.

January 24, 2012

Governor Scott Walker today announced a $65,000 project for an upgrade to the current Automated Weather Observing Station (AWOS) at the Watertown Municipal Airport.

Craig Butler, airport project manager with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, said the updated AWOS unit will enhance safety for inbound and departing aircraft by providing continuous weather reports.

The Watertown Municipal Airport AWOS is one of Wisconsin’s 40 AWOS units used by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Weather Service to analyze and forecast weather conditions.

The upgrade is scheduled to be completed this winter.

Funding breakdown

• State = $52,000
• Watertown Municipal Airport = $13,000

The Watertown Municipal Airport has two runways, a 4,429 foot paved surface runway with full taxiway and a 2,800 foot paved surface runway with a partial parallel taxiway.

For more information, contact:

Airport Project Manager Craig Butler, WisDOT

(608) 266-2729, craig.butler@dot.wi.gov

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov

Dubois Municipal Airport (U25) received fuel tanks courtesy of Wyoming Business Council grant; economic and safety benefits result.

Story and photos by June Bonasera, County 10 News

The Dubois Municipal Airport received delivery of two aviation fuel tanks this week that will allow planes to re-fuel with Jet A fuel and 100 octane low-lead aviation gasoline. The new fuel tanks are thanks to a $249,000 Business Ready Grant as a Community Readiness Project through the Wyoming Business Council. The purpose of the grant is to help communities short of infrastructure to prepare for future business development. An additional $15,000 was provided by the Town of Dubois as matching funds for the grant.

WBC West Central Region director Roger Bower was enthusiastic in his support of the project stating. “This is an enormous improvement and opportunity for the tourism side of Dubois ‘economy,” he said. “By no longer having to fly into Jackson, rent a car and drive into Dubois if you own or utilize a plane, this has the potential to change the dynamics of the town.”

Dubois Municipal Airport Manager Tim Schell was equally enthusiastic about the airport improvement from both a safety and convenience point of view. “As a pilot, safety is always the number one concern, first and foremost. Dubois sits at the bottom of one the most difficult passes to navigate and the ability to stop in Dubois if weather conditions demand it, and be able to get out again with a full fuel tank is a critical safety improvement,” Schell said. He also said the new fuel tanks will be a great convenience. “As a destination airport, being able to re-fuel makes it easier for folks who have second homes here as well as provide the opportunity for people to attend meetings and conferences and vacation in Dubois.”

Installation, inspection and DEQ approval is scheduled to be completed on February 17th and the tanks will be operational shortly thereafter.

“Installation of the fuel tanks is an essential first step in the entire airport improvement plan underway,” Schell said. “A 30 percent preliminary design for the new Dubois airport configuration has been completed, with approval by FAA, engineers and town officials pending.” Schell estimated 2 to 3 additional months to complete the design after approval.

The Dubois airport is the highest elevation airport in the state, at 7,272 feet. The runway at the 211 acre airport site is just three miles from town and measures 6,100 feet long. A total of 12 aircraft are based at the airport, including one helicopter and one ultra-light.

Source:  http://county10.com

National Flight Academy at Pensacola NAS ready for takeoff: First classes to begin May 11, but big changes are still in the works

A hurricane is in the Gulf, a sailboat has capsized and those aboard must be saved.

That's the scenario that will be before students when the National Flight Academy begins classes in May.

The youngsters will attend 51, 2-day camps at the academy, which has been designed to re-create the look, feel and smell of an aircraft carrier to be called "Ambition."

"People from all over will send their kids right here to Pensacola, where we will teach them in an immersive aviation learning experience," said retired Vice Adm. Gerry Hoewing, who is president and CEO of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and heads the Flight Academy.

To set the scene, boxes equipped with large subwoofers throughout Ambition will rumble the low bass that mimics the sounds of a carrier. The sound of jets taking off from the ship also is heard regularly.

Students in seventh through 12th grades, assigned to a "squadron," will start in the Joint Intelligence Center, where they'll view mapping and other visuals of their mission on what looks like an oversized version of an iPad. They'll work out mathematical equations that will tell them the exact coordinates to fly to the sailboat.

Then, they'll move to the Ready Room on the second floor of the academy for a briefing on their assignment. By then, the ship will be picking up speed for its mission, so the low bass sounds will be growing louder.

Finally, half the students will go to the Joint Operations Center, where they'll sit at control panels and help determine the logistics, weather and other factors. They'll be guiding the remaining students through their missions at $25,000 flight simulators. Later, they'll switch places.

If all goes well, the sailors will be rescued.

And the key goal of the program also will be realized: The students will have so much fun that they won't even realize they are using STEM skills — science, technology, engineering and math — to bring about the mission accomplished.

"These are not military missions the students will be flying," Hoewing said. "We are not teaching them how to drop bombs or shoot missiles on combat missions.

"Our mission is to inspire the next generation of students in STEM education all over the country, and the Ambition here in Pensacola will be the granddaddy of them all."

On schedule

The Flight Academy, nearly 25 years in planning and more than two years in construction, expects to take off on a test flight March 3, to be followed by the first real classes, beginning May 11.

The 102,000-square-foot academy is complete, except for the kitchen, with a look familiar to Navy veterans who have served aboard carriers.

The wood paneling on the walls of the faux carrier is made to look like steel walls held together by large bolts. The state rooms where students stay look identical to the bunks of junior officers on a real ship. The berthing lounges and activity rooms provide a lighter atmosphere with a game room, TVs and couches.

The Ambition's furniture is expected to be in place by mid-February.

"All critical path timelines are on schedule," Hoewing said.

The foundation raised $18.5 million for the construction of the academy and $15 million to outfit it. It raised an additional $7 million to build and outfit Hanger Bay One, a 55,000-square-foot addition to the Naval Aviation Museum.

Most of the contributions to the academy were private donations, many in the form of pledges spread out over time.

The several government entities that contributed included Escambia County, which pledged $1 million over 10 years, the City of Pensacola, which gave $100,000, and Florida's Great Northwest, which donated $64,000.
.

The tourism angle

In addition to the educational benefits, the academy is expected to provide a significant educational and tourism boost.

"You're going to have a whole segment of the population that maybe has never been exposed to the Northwest Florida destination, and they will come here thanks to the fact that they have family or friends going through the program at the academy," said Jim Hizer, president and CEO of the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.

"It's going to result in thousands and thousands of additional room nights in Northwest Florida. So it's a wonderful thing, not only for the direct economic impact, but for our community as a whole."

Valeria Lento, spokeswoman for Visit Pensacola, said she already has "media missions" scheduled in Chicago, New York, Atlanta and Birmingham to meet with journalists and tell the academy's story.

"It is something we push already as a new attraction," she said. "To now have something this high tech and unique, a state-of-the-art facility in our backyard will just give us that much more to share with the rest of the world."

Source:  http://www.pnj.com