Pilot of fatal hang glider flight is accused of swallowing evidence

Lenami Godinez hang-glider who suffered a fatal fall near Agassiz, British Columbia

Photograph by: Screengrab , Linkedin.com

Shocking Hang Gliding Death Moments After Takeoff by tvnportal

 

The hang gliding pilot charged with obstructing justice after the weekend death of his client is accused of swallowing evidence. 

Court documents filed by Crown Counsel in Chilliwack suggest William Orders tried to hide video from the tragic fall, by swallowing a memory card, recording the fatal flight. The 50 year old is slated to apply for bail Wednesday afternoon in Chilliwack provincial court. On Saturday, 27 year old Lenami Godinez fell about 300 metres to her death seconds after taking off from a Fraser Valley mountainside in a tandem glide piloted by Orders.
 
The pilot involved in Saturday's fatal hang-gliding accident in the Fraser Valley has been charged with obstructing justice.

William (Jon) Orders, 50, of Burnaby, was arrested shortly after the incident, in which 27-year-old Lenami Godinez became detached from the glider and fell 300 metres to her death.

RCMP Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth said the charge against Orders is in connection with "an allegation that he withheld potential key evidence which could help determine whether he played a role in any wrongdoing."

She wouldn't give further details. Orders has been remanded in custody until Wednesday when he will appear in Chilliwack Provincial Court.

Orders, who runs Vancouver Hang Gliding and has 16 years experience, was piloting a tandem glider on Mount Woodside near Agassiz when Godinez started to fall shortly after launch. While Orders struggled to hold on to the young woman, she clutched desperately at the pilot, even grabbing his feet, before she fell.

Her body was found seven hours later in a clearcut, about 20 metres from one of Orders' shoes, after an extensive search .

The Agassiz RCMP and the B.C. Coroner's Service are investigating.

Upper Fraser Valley RCMP Sgt. Mark Pelz said police aren't investigating criminal charges at this time but that they could be forthcoming, along with potential implications for a civil suit.

"This is an absolutely tragic accident, there are really no other words to describe it," Hollingsworth said.

"What exactly happened as far as why she fell is still under investigation and we are hoping the investigation will answer that question as well as other questions we all may have."

The accident was a tragic end to what was an anniversary present to Godinez from her boyfriend, who was filming her as she started her inaugural flight.

Michelle Nilson, a Simon Fraser University professor who had worked and socialized with Godinez, said days before the flight the young woman had posted on her Facebook site: "We're going hang-gliding."

"For it to end like this ...," Nil-son said in an interview. "No matter who would have been in this accident, it would have been tragic. But it's especially tragic because of who Lenami was. She was such a diplomatic, sweet and amazing person to work with.

"With her there were so many ways in which that came through."

Nilson said she didn't know Godinez well, but noted the young woman's quick smile, comforting nature and generous spirit drew people to her.

When Godinez, who had worked as an assistant at SFU, left to take a job as a communications specialist at the 2010 Olympics, her co-workers threw her a party - something that is rarely done.

"She was one of the few people we celebrated," Nilson said. "It was really such an honour to work with her.

"She made people feel comfortable in a way that was quite rare."

A Facebook memorial site set up in Godinez's memory reflects similar sentiments.

Godinez, who was originally from Mexico but had lived the past nine years in Vancouver, was described by friends and co-workers as a warm, thoughtful and adventurous young woman, who loved the outdoors and the environment.

Godinez's last job was as section head of administrative services for the South Coast Region at B.C.'s Ministry of Environment.

"Lenami - although the time that we knew each other was relatively short, I feel blessed to have known your kind heart, pure soul and deep passion for environmental change," wrote Alina Cheng. "May your spirit soar and serve as a guiding light for others to follow."

Source: http://www.vancouversun.com

Piper's first-quarter revenue, sales continue upward trend

By Ed Bierschenk
Posted May 1, 2012 at 4 a.m.

VERO BEACH — Piper Aircraft Inc. saw first-quarter revenue and sales numbers take off, with deliveries increasing more than 40 percent from the same period last year.

"Piper's performance in the first quarter of 2012 gives us a good start on the year. It also gives us an upward trend in first-quarter results for the past three years," said Piper President and Chief Executive Officer Simon Caldecott in a release announcing the results.

The aircraft manufacturer delivered 37 airplanes in the first quarter of this year compared with 26 during the first quarter of 2011. New aircraft sales revenue grew more than 20 percent to $31.578 million compared with just under $26.160 million during the same period last year.

International deliveries continued to outpace domestic sales during the first quarter, which Caldecott said "reinforces the success of our strong globalization strategy.

"Thus far this year in Europe, for example, our delivery and order-taking performance for M-class business airplanes and also our smaller aircraft is far outstripping our sales projections for that part of the world and we are pleased with that," he said. The M-class planes include the higher-priced Mirage, Matrix and Meridian.

During the last quarter, Piper delivered 21 airplanes internationally and 16 in the U.S.

On Monday, Indian River County Commissioner Peter O'Bryan noted the significance of those international sales in bringing outside money into the U.S. and Indian River County economy.

In the first quarter of 2011, Piper sold a few less planes than the year before but its revenue still increased by more than 40 percent from the prior year because of increased sales of its higher-priced models. Those first-quarter numbers were a bit reflective of how Piper did for the year as a whole. While overall deliveries were down from 160 to 136 last year, the company saw revenues increase by more than 9 percent from $120.2 million to $131.2 million. International sales accounted for more than 50 percent of the airplanes sold last year.

The number of aircraft delivered last year was more than 50 percent above 2009 numbers when the company was feeling the brunt of the economic downturn.

The company experienced a dramatic drop in employment following the 2008 downturn, with the number of workers falling below 600 in the summer of 2009. Staffing later grew back to about 850 workers before Piper announced last year it was suspending its light business jet program and laying off more than 100 employees and releasing 55 contract workers.

That reduction in jobs meant the company was not able to reach certain employment benchmarks contained in a financial incentive package signed with the state and county, although it did meet other performance benchmarks. As a result, Piper might have to pay back part of the $10.7 million it received earlier pending the outcome of ongoing renegotiations with the state.

Last week, in response to an inquiry about how long the renegotiations were taking, Department of Economic Opportunity spokesman James Miller said that "each renegotiation is unique, and some take longer to get completed than others due to different factors. As with any contract negotiation, our goal is to ensure Florida receives the biggest positive economic impact possible."

Source:  http://www.tcpalm.com

Piper PA-31 Navajo LV-CNG low altitude pass at the airport of Rosario

Piper PA-31 Navajo LV-CNG pasada a baja altura en el aeropuerto de Rosario 

 

Video below taken on 04/22/2012 seconds after the previous one in which we see this plane in a low-altitude pass down the runway. 

 

Video tomado el 22-04-2012 segundos después del anterior en donde se ve a este avión en una pasada a baja altura por la pista.

The Tecnam Story

 

Video describing the history of a leading Italian manufacturer of light sport aircraft aircraft.  
 ~
Video che descrive la storia di una azienda italiana leader nella produzione di velivoli light sport aircraft. 

Sikorsky's helicopter chartering business lands at Teterboro Airport (KTEB), New Jersey

With business travel increasing, Sikorsky Aircraft's executive helicopter charter service subsidiary now offers service between New Jersey's Teterboro Airport and Manhattan, N.Y.

Associated Aircraft Group announced Monday it has an aircraft at Teterboro to take executives into New York in less than 10 minutes.

Carolyn Marino, director of AAG's sales and marketing, said the company has reached agreements with the airport that, along with the designated aircraft, will allow faster response times to meet clients' needs.

"We're seeing a slow increase," she said of business travel. "Our fractional ownership program is continuing to expand."

AAG, acquired by Sikorsky more than a decade ago, manages a fleet of S-76 executive helicopters. Some are owned by one customer for whom AAG manages and maintains the aircraft. It also offers fractional ownership in the helicopters and manages those, too.

It appears to be a good time to expand service, according to one veteran Fairfield County travel agent.

"Business travel has been picking up for us with increased air bookings," said Nancy Yale, owner and president of Fairfield-based Cruise Resorts and World Travel Inc. "Our clients don't use as much of the Internet conferencing they had been doing over the past few years. The value of personal meetings has certainly led to increased business travel."

She said the demand for business travel is heating up enough to prompt midsized companies to begin booking with travel agents again.

But, so far, helicopter service remains a fairly exclusive service and has not reached into the larger business community, she said.

AAG operates out of the Dutchess County Airport in New York state, and offers service between Boston and Washington, D.C.

Source:  http://www.ctpost.com

Ontario, Canada: No Seneca College Bachelor of Aviation Technology program at Brantford airport

By Hugo Rodrigues, Brantford Expositor 

Brantford airport will not be home to part of Seneca College's Bachelor of Aviation Technology program, following the pending closure of the Buttonville Airport.

Two weeks ago, Seneca announced Peterborough municipal airport as its preferred location; on Monday, the college confirmed Brantford had been in the running as well. The possibility first came to light at an April 10 meeting of city council's operation and administration committee when it was mentioned by airport advisory board chair Phil Race.

Race had mentioned the potential for the relocation of the program to Brantford as part of the board's annual report to council.

“Brantford was one of the places on the list — but after a thorough analysis… only Peterborough was chosen as a preferred site,” Seneca College media relations and public affairs specialist Emily Milic said. “We remain in discussions with the airport in Peterborough and nothing has been finalized.”

Mayor Chris Friel said he had heard mention of the attempt to land the Seneca program through the Grand Valley Educational Society, but was a little surprised to hear it from Race on April 10.

“Council was never really fully involved or made aware of that,” Friel said. “I'm very supportive of the airport as it's an essential part of our transportation infrastructure.

“I would have been more than willing to be involved in marketing and selling it during any site visits.”

College president David Agnew was quoted in the April 13 Seneca release stating the $28-million capital-improvement program at the Peterborough site as reasons for why the college had selected it as a preferred site. Agnew told a QMI Agency journalist in Peterborough that Seneca is hoping to partner with the city's Sir Sanford Fleming College when the program shifts.

“With the recent capital investments and an environment that best meets our operational needs, we are excited about the opportunity to offer both flight training and academic classes onsite,” school of aviation and flight technology chair Lynne McMullen said in the release.

Friel said he's aware the Peterborough airport is much further along in its capital renewal and investment plan than the Brantford airport.

“We're not at the same point, where our airport is in the same position,” he said.

Seneca's program sees students work out of flight simulators and airplanes after the complete their second year. These pieces of equipment will move to the Peterborough site some time for the fall of 2013 and the college would setup associated classroom space.

The Buttonville Airport is located in the Town of Markham north of Toronto.

Source:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca

SkyWest Airlines Receives Top Reliability Honors - Named Most Reliable CRJ200 Operator in North America

press release
April 30, 2012, 6:57 p.m. EDT

ST. GEORGE, Utah, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- SkyWest Airlines, a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc., is the proud recipient of Bombardier's 2011 Annual Airline Reliability Performance Award. Topping the CRJ100/200 product category for the North America region, SkyWest took the prestigious title for the second year running and for the fourth time in the last five years. SkyWest earned the title in the same product and region category in 2007, 2008 and 2010. The airline also received top honors for overall dispatch reliability.

"This award recognizes the caliber of SkyWest's professionals throughout our operation," said President and COO Russell "Chip" Childs. "I am extremely proud of our unparalleled team of more than 11,000 who work together to safely complete more than 1,700 flights every day."

Todd Young, vice president of customer services and support for Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, added "Congratulations to your management team and to all the employees that contribute tirelessly to SkyWest's operational excellence."

Bombardier's reliability award recognizes operators of Q-Series turboprops and CRJ regional jets that logged dispatch reliability rates of 99% or better throughout the year.

SkyWest Airlines celebrates forty years of flight in 2012. As a leading air service provider offering global access to millions of people each month, SkyWest partners with the world's largest network carriers including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways and Alaska Airlines. With a fleet of 316 aircraft, SkyWest's more than 11,000 aviation professionals operate more than 1,700 flights each day to 158 destinations throughout North America. SkyWest has also been awarded the FAA's AMT Gold Award for maintenance training four times, most recently in 2011. SkyWest also received the AMT Diamond award in 2006. The airline is headquartered in St. George, Utah.

SOURCE SkyWest Airlines

Happy Birthday Tony aka Captain Awesome! (AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes)

Namibia: Namibian Defence Force's Air Wing Acquires Three More Military Helicopters

Windhoek — The Namibian Defence Force's (NDF) Air Wing has acquired three more military helicopters for an unspecified amount of money.

The three helicopters - one Cheetah and two Chetaks - were manufactured and supplied by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), an Indian-based company that specialises in the manufacturing of military helicopters.

The helicopters were officially handed over to senior officers of the Namibian Air Force during a ceremony held at the Eros Airport in the capital on Friday morning.

The three helicopters will mainly be used by the Air Force in their responsibility of defending the territorial integrity of Namibia and during emergencies.

Speaking at the event, Defence Minister Charles Namoloh said the NDF's Air Wing is now able to respond effectively to the needs of national defence responsibilities and emergency relief duties.

"You should strive to maintain these military assets in good shape, and make sure that those who will operate them should have the necessary competencies to do so.

You must, therefore, always keep in mind this responsibility as you lead the NDF's Air Force to greater heights. Furthermore, keep in mind that these assets cost the Namibian Government a fortune, and we are not expecting sub-standard service delivery," Namoloh appealed to Air Force officers.

The Defence Minister applauded a training team from the Indian Air Force for providing the needed technical and professional support to the Namibian Air Force manpower.

The handing over of the three helicopters on Friday follows the delivery of an unspecified number of helicopters to the NDF at the Grootfontein Army Base in the Otjozondjupa Region last week.

Source:  http://allafrica.com

Sabah, Sarawak to get major share in airline

New Straits Times
Monday, Apr 30, 2012

KUCHING - Sabah and Sarawak would have a 60 to 70 per cent share in the restructured regional airline MASwings, Sarawak Tourism and Heritage Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said yesterday.

"I cannot reveal too much as MAS (Malaysia Airlines) is a public-listed company.

"But it will give Sabah and Sarawak a substantial share in the airline."

He said this at his home in Petra Jaya to provide details on the restructuring exercise which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak disclosed when opening the Jelajah Janji Ditepati carnival on Saturday.

MASwings, set up to operate the rural air services in the two states, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MAS.

Abang Johari, who started the push for the two states to have a controlling stake in the airline last year, described the talks as being quite advanced and added that the deal could be wrapped up before the year-end.

He said the rationale for having control of MASwings was to give Sabah and Sarawak the right to exploit opportunities in the Asian travel and tourism business.

"We not only need direct connectivity. We have to compete with other airlines. This region will be lucrative. It is important we have a say."

Although the future of the airline is still being thrashed out, its operations would no longer be confined to servicing rural communities in Sabah and Sarawak and flying to some destinations on Borneo island.

MASwings now flies to Brunei from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. It also flies to Tarakan, Pontianak and Balikpapan in Kalimantan.

Abang Johari said the restructured MASwings would fly primarily to east Asian destinations in South Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong. It would also fly to India.

"The network we're planning will have a huge impact on the development of the tourism economy in the two states."

The airline will no longer have a turbo-prop fleet. Abang Johari said MASwings would purchase Boeing 737-sized aircraft to service the proposed east Asian routes.

Some of its Twin Otters, he said, would be retrofitted with floats to land on the Bakun and Batang Ai dam reservoirs and the Batang Lupar in Sri Aman.

Bakun and Batang Ai are being developed as major eco-tourism areas while the Benak tidal bore festival on the Batang Lupar in Sri Aman has become a major tourist draw.

Source:  http://www.asiaone.com

Cirrus SR22, N110EB: Accident occurred April 21, 2012 in Newcomerstown, Ohio

NTSB Identification: CEN12FA251 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 21, 2012 in Newcomerstown, OH
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22, registration: N110EB
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On April 21, 2012, approximately 1220 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp SR22, N110EB, registered to Photopheresis INC., of Morristown, New Jersey, was substantially damaged when it impacted heavily wooded terrain in the vicinity of Newcomerstown, Ohio. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the vicinity and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross country flight. The flight originated at 1013 from the Somerset Airport (SMQ), and its intended destination was Ohio State University Airport (OSU), Columbus, Ohio.

According to preliminary radar data and recorded radio communications, approximately 5 minutes prior to the accident, the airplane was in cruise flight at 8,000 feet msl at 156 knots ground speed, when Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) updated the altimeter setting via radio. The pilot acknowledged the call and sounded normal. No other transmissions were from received from the pilot.

Preliminary radar data showed the airplane begin a descending right turn with airspeed increasing slightly through the turn and then suddenly decreasing to 61 knots as the radius of the turn decreased. The airplane had turned approximately 270 degrees of heading and descended to an altitude of 4,900 feet msl before radar contact was lost.

The airplane's main wreckage (cabin and engine) was located on a heavily wooded hillside at 40°14'58.32" North latitude, 81°32'44.95" West longitude at an approximate elevation of 1,060 feet msl. The direction of energy was about 093 degrees magnetic. The hillside had a 10-degree upslope. The initial point of impact consisted of two trees 31 feet apart from one another. One tree had missing bark and tree scars on one of its large branches approximately 44 feet above the ground. The second tree’s trunk was broke off approximately 34 feet above the ground. Three more tree trunks in the direction of energy ranging in size from 4-8 inches were freshly broken off. The remainder of the airplane was severely fragmented and dispersed over a debris field that measured roughly 370 feet long by about 250 feet wide at its widest point. Evidence of spot fires were present throughout the debris field. Brown wilted vegetation was present that was consistent with fuel damage. Evidence at the site was consistent with the airplane impacting the trees approximately 25-30 degrees nose down and about level wings.

The airplane's Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) system was examined at the accident site and evidence showed that it had not deployed prior to impact.

The airplane's Remote Data Module (RDM) was located in the debris field and taken into custody by the NSTB IIC for examination at the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory, Washington DC.

There were no eye-witnesses to the accident, however, a boy who was a passenger of a car reported that he thought that he saw the airplane coming out of the clouds in a descent before it disappeared out of sight behind a tree line. He stated that he then saw black smoke.

The closest weather reporting location to the accident site was from Zanesville Municipal Airport (KZZV), Zanesville, Ohio, located approximately 24 miles southwest of the accident site at an elevation of 900 feet. The airport had an un-augmented ASOS and reported the following conditions at the approximate time of the accident: Zanesville (KZZV) special weather observation at 1222 EDT (1622Z), automated, wind from 340º at 5 knots, visibility 7 miles in light rain, ceiling broken at 800 feet agl, overcast at 1,200 feet, temperature 6º C, dew point 4º C, altimeter 29.89 inches of Hg. Remarks - automated observation system, ceiling 600 variable 1,000 feet, hourly precipitation 0.01 inch.

After the on-scene phase of the investigation, the airplane wreckage was recovered to Atlanta Air Salvage, Atlanta, Georgia.

  

Dr. Emil Bisaccia of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, co-founder of Affiliated Dermatology, with offices in Liberty Corner, Morristown, New Jersey and Ohio. 

Credit Courtesy of Affiliated Dermatology

 

Dr. Emil Bisaccia was remembered Monday morning at his funeral at St. James Church as a true "renaissance man" whose personal and professional impact on family, friends, patients, fellow medical professionals and his students was both profound and far-reaching.

The Basking Ridge physician was 59 when he was killed last Saturday flying solo in a single-engine plane en route to Ohio, where one of his offices of Affiliated Dermatology Cosmetic Surgery Center is located. Other offices are in the Liberty Corner section of Bernards Township, Morristown, Roxbury and Somerville.

Those who eulogized Bisaccia listed his many accomplishments and affiliations. But although he was a pre-eminent cosmetic surgeon and co-founder of Affiliated Dermatology—and a professor at Columbia University in New York and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey—he was remembered first and foremost as a loyal and generous soul who loved his family and friends.

"We are his legacy," said his son Devon Bisaccia, 20, who said had many conversations with his father, one of the most recent being a talk about death about a month ago.

"He shared his opinion—that opinion is that it's important to live each day so that when the day ends you would have no worries or regret as to how you lived it," said his son, who now is a student at The Ohio State University, his father's alma mater.

"His ability to love was unrivaled," said his older son, Adam Bisaccia, 26. But he said his father also played the role of teacher in his life, someone to whom he could turn to for guidance.

Speakers said Bisaccia also was a writer, who sought peace of mind by setting aside time each day to fill a journal with his philisophical insights. "He structured his day to include an hour of thinking time," said his colleague and co-founder of Affiliated Dermatology, Dr. Dwight Scarborough.

And although the crash that killed him was "devastating," Adam Bisaccia said that somehow hundreds of pages of the writing his father kept close to him survived intact, and even in order.

He said that the first morning after his father's passing he had turned to the many handwritten journals at the Bisaccia home in Basking Ridge to seek guidance.

That home was the scene of many Christmas parties and other occasions with his brother and his wife, Teresa, that showed Bisaccia's fun side, according to his brother, Ron Bisaccia.

"I have never been on this planet without my brother," Ron Bisaccia said. "My brother was a force of nature, a force for good."

He recalled that his brother had been "a conquerer of problems," who had been somewhat like a superhero. "But Superman is not supposed to die."

Ron Bisaccia said his brother had been a hero to many people. "Many of us even called him by his nickname, 'Doc,'" he said of family members.

He said his brother often had written of the importance of making the most of time, and the people in life during that time.

"We find ourselves now in the biggest time of need without the one we rely on the most," Ron Bisaccia said.

Devon Bisaccia recalled a letter his father had written him for his younger son's high school graduation in which the physician had written, "I will be there behind you...in the darkness as well as the brightest of times."

His longtime colleague, Scarborough also spoke of how the two forged a professional and personal bond while in Ohio, and how they had joined together in setting up a practice.

"Emil's career had such incredible breadth," his colleague said, noting his work in treating skin cancer as well as cosmetic procedures.

During his "brief but full life," Bisaccia had many career achievements, but, "He lived for his family." Scarborough said.

He noted that Bisaccia had a quest to become a true "renaissance man."

Following the service, Dr. Ingrid Warmuth, who said she had been a student of Bisaccia's at Columbia University, said of her former professor, "He was my mentor."

Dr. Bisaccia also loved to fly, and his bi-weekly trips from Somerset Airport in Bedminster to Ohio to participate in surgery at that Affiliated Dermatology center later became visits to both of his sons after they had chosen to enroll at The Ohio State University, said Rev. Glenn Commandini, who led Monday's service.

Bisaccia also is survived by his father, Emil. Further obituary information was released last week by Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home in Basking Ridge, which handled arrangements. Interment was to be at Somerset Hills Memorial Park Mausoleum in Basking Ridge.

The Dr. Emil Bisaccia Honor Fund has been established at Columbia University in his recognition, according to the obituary on the Gallaway and Crane website. In lieu of flowers, the family requests all donations can be sent to the Columbia University Department of Dermatology, c/o Marilyn Mullins, 100 Haven Ave., Suite 29D, New York, NY 10032 or the Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, Kansas 66675.

 

The funeral entourage for Dr. Emil Bisaccia of Basking Ridge, co-founder of Affiliated Dermatology, arrives Monday morning at St. James Church in Basking Ridge. The funeral was attended by hundreds of family members, friends and colleagues. Credit Linda Sadlouskos

The family, friends and colleagues of Dr. Emil Bisaccia, the Basking Ridge dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon who died in a single-engine plane crash a week ago, are expected today at a funeral service scheduled for 11 a.m. at St. James R.C. Church in Basking Ridge.

Today's service at St. James will be followed by interment at Somerset Hills Memorial Park Mausoleum in Basking Ridge, according to Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, which is handling funeral arrangements.

Bisaccia was a co-founder of Affiliated Dermatology Cosmetic Surgery Center, with offices in Liberty Corner, Morristown and other locations in Morris and Somerset counties. Among his other affiliations, he was a Professor of Clinical Dermatology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, and Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Gallaway and Crane posted an expanded obituary about Bisaccia following the initial information published last week. The website also includes many "candles" with messages of support from those who had known him on both a personal and professional basis.

"Emil was an extaordinary man who would drop everything to help a neighbor or friend. He will be dearly missed. Our prayers go out to the Bisaccia family for whom Emil's love was immeasurable," wrote the Riggio family.

Dr. Frank W. Yoder recalled, "I had the honor of teaching Emilio in 1978 at The Ohio State University Division of Dermatology. He was such an outstanding resident physician that I strongly recommended that he finish up at Columbia in N.Y.C. He will be missed by many including myself, his peers and his patients. He was a pillar in the dermatology community. My sincere condolences to his family."

Previously, Affiliated Dermatology had issued a statement in response to Bisaccia's loss.

The following is the more extensive version of the obituary published by Gallaway and Crane:

Emilio Bisaccia, MD, November 1952 — April 2012. Resident of Basking Ridge, N.J. Emilio passed away unexpectedly on Saturday April 21. Raised in Nutley, N.J. he went on to attend The Ohio State University graduating with a B.A. cum laude in June 1974. Emilio received a medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio in June 1979, and held medical licenses in N.J., N.Y. and Ohio.

Emilio was a fellow in many professional organizations and societies, including the American Academy of Dermatology, the Academy of Facial, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American College of Physicians. Among his many academic appointments, Emilio was Attending Physician and Medical Director of the Photopheresis Unit, and Section of Dermatology Chief at Morristown Memorial Hospital. In addition, he was Attending Physician at N.Y. Presbyterian Hospital and Professor of Clinical Dermatology at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons. Emilio was well-published, authoring over 200 medical and surgical scientific articles, books and chapters.

Emilio was a co-founder of Affiliated Dermatology, a highly-respected practice with offices located throughout N.J. and Ohio.

Emilio was one of three children born to Emil and the late Lydia Bisaccia, was the beloved husband of Teresa Bisaccia and father to sons Adam and Devon. Emilio will forever be remembered by his devoted brother Ron and sister Carol Fossella. Over the course of his life, Emilio developed and treasured relationships with a group of friends whom he considered family.

Emilio drew no greater joy in this world than to gather with his friends and family as often as he could for meals and laughter. His generosity and commitment to helping those he cared about knew no bounds. He will be deeply missed by his friends, family and the countless others whom he touched.

A Liturgy of Christian burial will be held on Monday April 30, 2012 at 11 a.m. at the St. James Church, 184 South Finley Ave, Basking Ridge. Relatives and friends are invited to visit the Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, 101 South Finley Ave, Basking Ridge, NJ on Sunday April 29, from 12-2 and 4-6 p.m. For more information, please contact the Funeral Home at 908-766-0250 or to light an online condolence please visit our website www.gcfuneralhome.com.

The Dr. Emil Bisaccia Honor Fund has been established at Columbia University in his recognition. In lieu of flowers, the family requests all donations can be sent to the Columbia University Department of Dermatology, c/o Marilyn Mullins, 100 Haven Ave., Suite 29D, New York, NY 10032 or the Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, Kansas 66675.

Source:  http://baskingridge.patch.com

Flexjet Gets Personal With New Brand Campaign

press release

April 30, 2012, 7:02 a.m. EDT 
~

Personalized service, unrivaled flexibility and aviation heritage fuel company's new ad campaign and website redesign  

DALLAS, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- ( www.flexjet.com ) - Flexjet, a leader in business aviation solutions, is launching a new brand campaign on May 1, designed to appeal to the world's most successful people. The new ads and website redesign spotlight the company's world-class personalized service and unrivaled scheduling flexibility, while leveraging its unique passion and expertise that come with Bombardier's 100-plus years of aviation heritage. 

"We know there are three ways to fly. There's commercial, there's private and then there's Flexjet," said Fred Reid, President, Flexjet. "Once customers experience firsthand our relentless dedication to exceptional customer service -- paired with customized private aviation solutions that only we can offer -- they realize bigger isn't better; better is better." 

Visually, the new brand campaign features people in every ad, a departure from traditional campaigns that rely solely on aircraft images. The copy highlights Flexjet's industry-leading service and scheduling flexibility -- reinforcing the company's commitment to focus on the needs of its customers so they have more freedom to focus on the things most important in their lives. 

The ads also highlight Flexjet's innovative Customer Account Management program. Flexjet invested significantly to consolidate its client-facing departments, including billing and scheduling, in order to provide customers with a single, dedicated point person to streamline requests. Customer Account Managers ensure every client experience is personalized to their needs and sets the service standards by which other private aviation companies will be measured. 

Finally, the campaign underscores the unparalleled expertise and passion for performance Flexjet offers. By virtue of its Bombardier lineage, Flexjet's aviation experience reaches back to Short Brothers PLC, the first company to produce aircraft for the Wright brothers in 1909. 

Flexjet recently recorded one of its best years ever for "flawless" customer service and earned the prestigious FAA Diamond Award -- the highest honor for maintenance training -- for the 13th straight year.

The campaign was developed in conjunction with The Richards Group and new ads are slated to run in print and online media, including Elite Traveler, Bloomberg Markets, Forbes, Robb Report and The Wall Street Journal, beginning May 1. 

For more information about Flexjet, please call 1-800-FLEXJET or visit www.flexjet.com . 

About Flexjet 

Richardson, TX-based Flexjet -- a division of Bombardier, the world's largest business aviation manufacturer -- first entered the fractional jet ownership market in 1995. Flexjet now offers whole aircraft ownership and management, fractional jet ownership, jet cards and charter brokerage services. Flexjet's fractional aircraft program is the first in the world to be recognized as achieving the Air Charter Safety Foundation's Industry Audit Standard, and Flexjet is the first and only company to be honored with its 13th FAA Diamond Award for Excellence. Flexjet's fractional program fields an exclusive family of Bombardier business aircraft -- the youngest in the fractional jet industry with an average age of approximately five years -- including the Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60 XR, Challenger 300 and Challenger 605 business jets. 

For more details on innovative programs and flexible offerings, visit: www.flexjet.com . 

Flexjet has an approved fractional ownership program pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 91, Subpart K, and manages flights for individual aircraft owners under Part 91 whole aircraft management program. All other flights (e.g. Flexjet 25 jet card program, charter brokerage program, etc.) are provided by certificated air carriers in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, as Flexjet is not an air carrier. 

The Flexjet 25 Jet Card program is operated under Part 135 by Jet Solutions, LLC, a U.S. air carrier. Flexjet acts as an agent for Jet Solutions, LLC, in connection with the Flexjet 25 Jet Card program. Flexjet acts as an agent for the customer with on-demand charter broker services when arranging transportation operated under Part 135 by U.S. air carriers. 

About Bombardier 

A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, were $18.3 billion, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier. 

Bombardier, Challenger 300, Challenger 605, Flexjet, Flexjet 25, Learjet 40, Learjet 45, Learjet 60 and XR are either registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. 

SOURCE Flexjet

Oklahoma: Emergency management handles mock plane crash at Northwest Technology Center

 

Firefighters approach a plane crashed into the side of the Northwest Technology Center in Alva as part of the Woods County emergency disaster exercise. 

Photo by Julie Whiteman 

All hands were on deck Friday morning as Woods County emergency crews worked through a mock emergency at the Northwest Technology Center in Alva. The Emergency Disaster exercise included a wrecked plane and plenty of casualties.

Parents of the students at the tech center added to the mix as they frantically went looking for their children.

The purpose of the drill was to test not only the abilities of emergency crews, but also their ability to work together.

Fire departments, EMS, Air Evac, sheriff's office, police departments and ER staff at Share Medical Center all took part in the exercise.

Johnny Vaughn, regional response System Coordinator with the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, observed the emergency teams for evaluation.

“The purpose of a drill like this is to test the ability of all agencies and to determine the strength of their ability to work together. A multi-jurisdiction exercise can be instrumental in preparing them to work as one team. All those entities have to work together and make their communications with each other to plan for the day that they may actually need to manage a disaster,” Vaughn said.

“They all did very well. I was very impressed as was everyone who was there for the evaluation process. The scenario they chose was extreme and certainly tested the abilities of all departments.”

Read more:   http://news.mywebpal.com

New Jersey: Terrorist attack is scenario for drill involving emergency responders in three counties

 

A prop plane was ground zero for a drill on response to a terrorist attack just outside Atco Raceway in Waterford Township Sunday, April 29, 2012. Emergency responders from three counties participated in the drill.

Photo by Joe Green/Gloucester County Times

WATERFORD TWP. — Spectators spring from their seats and cheer as the engines roar, side-by-side toward the finish line.

It’s another sun-drenched weekend at Atco Raceway, and the race comes down to a bumper’s edge. But suddenly, a deafening roar overwhelms all other noise.

A passenger plane snaps trees then slams to the turf, seeming to shake the earth.

Soon, police, firefighters, EMS and later federal agents will descend on this edge of Wharton State Forest, picking through the rubble and the pines for battered survivors, and for clues.

Such was the scenario for a practice drill held here Sunday, involving 24 emergency agencies from Camden, Burlington and Atlantic counties.

The drill - funded by at least part of a $102,000 Homeland Security grant - was a run-through for the emergency workers who would respond to a terrorist attack on a plane whose carnage ends up here. 

Organizers stressed the importance of a well-coordinated effort crossing jurisdictions and including agencies from the local to the federal level.

“With a large plan crash, you could have miles and miles of debris,” Camden County Emergency Management Coordinator Samuel Spino said.

“That’s why you need a coordinated effort.”

That would include teams securing the plane’s main body, searching it for survivors, removing the dead. It would mean sending teams out to nearby fields and into the forest to look for others, and for pieces of debris to be combed over by investigators.

Members of community emergency response teams (CERTs) - volunteer groups that provide certain services generally when professional responders are not yet available or to help them - took part in the drill along with police, firefighters, EMS and others.

Spino said the drill was a long time coming. It took about two years of planning, he said. 

Part of the difficulty lay in getting 24 groups - with schedules and commitments of their own - together for a large-scale training drill, Spino said.

“But in a real-life situation like this, they’re all coming,” he added.

A prop passenger plane placed near the Raceway gates served as ground zero. The craft lay, snapped open just behind the cockpit.

The tail was missing, and an engine lay to the side, along with a wheel and landing gear nearby.

The drill’s scene altogether was bound by the Mullica River and Jackson Road, Spino said, and was broken into three general divisions. 

Practice like Sunday’s is especially important in an area surrounded by airports, including Philadelphia and Atlantic City International, as well as Cross Keys Airport, said Camden County Director of Communications and Community Affairs Dan Keashen.

“This area sits between several large airports,” Keashen said. “God forbid one of those planes is highjacked by terrorists.”

But in such an event, he and Spino say, responders from throughout the area will be ready.

Source:  http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county

Government yet to suspend Civil Aviation Authority chief despite court orders

Akhtar Amin
Monday, April 30, 2012
 
PESHAWAR: Even after five days the federal government has not implemented the Peshawar High Court (PHC) order to suspend the Civil Aviation Authority director general.

Taking serious notice of the Bhoja Air crash and non-implementation of the high court orders passed two months ago, a division bench headed by PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan on April 25 ordered immediate suspension of CAA head Nadeem Yousafzai till the completion of reinvestigation of the Airblue and Bhoja airplanes’ crash through an independent inquiry by international experts.

The sources told The News that suspension of the CAA chief would take time as the competent authority for his suspension was the prime minister and he was under immense pressure after his conviction by the Supreme Court in the contempt of court case.

Sources in the Civil Aviation Headquarters told The News that the CAA director general was going to challenge the verdict next week in the Supreme Court. During course of hearing, the CAA’s senior legal advisor Obaidur Rehman Abbasi had informed the bench that the new director general had taken over about 20 days ago and he was fully implementing the court order.

The bench stated in the order that the Ministry of Defence and CAA had ignored the court’s order issued on February 21 in which the ministry was directed to form a separate board of inquiry, including foreign experts, to inspect all aircraft of the PIA and private airlines, examine the CAA performance and check the capability of flying pilots and other crewmembers within 90 days.

The chief justice had observed that had the court’s order been implemented the Bhoja Air crash could have been averted and precious lives saved.

Umar Farooq Adam, counsel for former MNA Marvi Memon and legal heirs of Airblue crash victims, said on Sunday the federal government was bound to implement the high court decision without any delay if the Supreme Court did not suspend it. He said five days had passed and the federal government had yet to implement the decision.

Human Rights Commission, South Asia representative for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, Abdul Samad Khan Marwat also said the federal government should immediately suspend the CAA chief.

http://www.thenews.com.pk

Runway and Taxiway Construction Safety - FAA Airport Construction Advisory Council

Presented to:  ACI-NA 2012 Conference
By:  Jim Krieger and David Siewert
Date:  April 19, 2012

http://www.aci-na.org/sites/default/files/siewert-krieger_rwy-const_brfg-to-acina.pdf

Volunteer pilots - Houston, Texas

Private pilots can log some flying time while helping people in need. 

A regional pilots' network is recruiting additional volunteer pilots to use their own planes to fly ambulatory medical outpatients from outlying areas to any of a number of Houston area airports (large and small) where other volunteers will take them to their medical appointments or temporary lodgings. 

Expenses incurred by pilots are tax deductible. 

For more information, contact Volunteer Houston from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays at 713-965-0031 or visit www.volunteerhouston.org.

http://www.chron.com

Russian airline to create 100 jobs at Shannon airport facility

 

Alex Krinichanskiy, managing director, Transaero Airlines, Joseph Millar, executive chairman Transaero Engineering Ireland, and William McGonagle, chief executive Transaero Engineering Ireland at their Shannon airport facility yesterday.

Photograph: Kieran Clancy

CIARÁN HANCOCK

 ~

RUSSIA’S SECOND biggest airline Transaero expects to create about 100 new jobs at its newly acquired aircraft maintenance business in Shannon in the next 12 months.

It has also held talks with Shannon airport about possibly routing flights from Russia to the US through the Co Clare facility, where its passengers could clear customs and border protection.

Commenting on the potential for additional jobs in an interview with The Irish Times on Friday in Shannon, Alex Krinichanskiy, Transaero’s chief executive said: “I would think about another 100 over the next year. That’s the close horizon and then who knows how many more.”

The Shannon business, now called Transaero Engineering, has already hired 16 apprentices, almost double the level of 2011.

Transaero recently acquired Air Atlanta Aero Engineering, which has 241 staff and was set up in 1962.

Mr Krinichanskiy said the potential existed for a “multi-million-dollar” investment in the facility, which is located beside the airport in the Shannon free zone. He said it has held preliminary talks with state agencies Shannon Development and the IDA about investing in its facility here.

“We are spending close to $70 million a year globally on heavy maintenance,” he explained. “We are going to be spending a big chunk of that here [now]. The question is do you want the rest?

“If you want us to spend that money here, let’s figure out how to do it together.”

Mr Krinichanskiy said Transaero’s first priority was to return the Irish business to the black. It made a loss of about €700,000 last year while its turnover fell by 14 per cent to €19 million.

“For the first year we will return them to profitability . . . and integrate into the Transaero structure.”

He said he expected the Irish business to achieve turnover of “in excess of €22 million” this year.

Transaero plans to use the Shannon business to conduct a lot of the heavy maintenance work on its 82 aircraft.

The Irish company recently began the process of certification for Boeing 747s and 777s. It currently works on 737s and 767s.

“We don’t have a heavy maintenance facility in Moscow and don’t have plans to develop that. We always wanted to control more of our own destiny on the maintenance side and were on the look out for a good facility to partner with.”

Transaero is due to take delivery of four 787 Dreamliner from Boeing in 2014 and Mr Krinichanskiy indicated that the Shannon plant might be upgraded to handle maintenance work on this new aircraft model.

“That’s what we are looking at. Probably 787 makes much more sense because in this part of the world, there is just one company that is getting there to service 787s. That is one of the plans we have in mind when talking to Boeing. It would open up endless opportunities for our affiliate here.”

Mr Krinichanskiy said there was “no business case” currently to operate direct flights to Ireland from Russia but indicated that it might use Shannon as a stopover on services to the US.

“Shannon is unique in terms of offering a full pre-clearance for the United Sates,” he said. “Transaero operates to New York,Miami and Los Angeles. We are looking for secondary destinations in Boston and Chicago and other areas. There may be an economic and commercial case behind that.”

The airline held talks with Shannon airport in December.

Transaero recorded profits of $150 million on turnover of $3 billion last year.

Mr Krinichanskiy said he expected revenues to rise to $3.6 billion this year. The airline employs 9,500, primarily at bases in Moscow and St Petersburg.

http://www.irishtimes.com

Civil Aviation Authority report confirms suspicions

Last updated 10:35 30/04/2012 

A Civil Aviation Authority investigation into the death of glider pilot Mike Dekker has confirmed many pilots' suspicions in relation to the accident, says Marlborough Gliding Club president Carl Jackson.

Many pilots thought that turbulence was a likely cause of the accident, and their suspicions had been supported by the findings of the CAA report released on Thursday, Mr Jackson said.

Mr Dekker, 55, died after his Mini-Nimbus HS7 glider crashed on Orchard Spur near the Taylor Pass while he was attempting a 1000-kilometre non-stop flight in 2009.

The CAA investigation could not reach a conclusive reason for the crash, but said significant turbulence and down draughts were most probably responsible.

Mr Jackson said that despite the findings of the investigation, there was still an element of mystery surrounding the crash. The weather on the day had appeared to be favourable for gliding but proved to be unpredictable.

"Gliding is essentially understanding weather, of which Mike had nearly 2000 hours of practice and many more planning and observing," said Mr Jackson. "Nature always has the potential to be unpredictable, which seems to be true in this case."

As a result of Mr Dekker's accident, most of Marlborough Gliding Club's cross-country pilots now carry GPS trackers on board their aircraft, said Mr Jackson.

The GPS trackers provide position reports on a website which allows a pilot's progress to be tracked. 

Source:  http://www.stuff.co.nz

Cape May County (KWWD), Wildwood, New Jersey: Airport Management Contract Proposed

Sun, 04/29/2012 - 6:26 pm

By Al Campbell

ERMA -- One thing Freeholder Will Morey vowed to do when seeking the seat he had held since January was to boost the local economy.

On Tue., April 24, Morey offered a resolution to grant an open-end consultant agreement with Steven Baldwin Associates of Albany, NY to aid the county with "airport management consultant services" that are not to exceed $15,000 for six months.

Long a sore point because of its potential, yet with a history of many failed business ventures, the airport seems to offer economic promise. Just how to bring that promise to fruition has been elusive. Large firms, such as Timme Fabrics and Everlon held hope that manufacturing there could be revived. Both failed after brief lives.

Some firms had a decent record there, but went out of business for other reasons.

At the present, there is no fixed base operator to fuel general aviation planes that land at the former US Naval air station. Proposals for that service were to be received by Delaware River and Bay Authority, which operates the airport, on March 7. No decision has been made regarding that important facet of airport operation, especially with the summer increase in flights to the county in private planes.

The freeholders' resolution admits the airport is "an integral part of the county's economy."

Baldwin Associates "specializes in assisting clients in the areas of airport management, organizational, and governance review, performance benchmarking, strategic planning, economic development, tenant lease negotiation, owner's representative services and other services and programs unique to developing airports in an efficient and effective manner."

Baldwin's six-month contract began April 25.

Source:  http://www.capemaycountyherald.com

Jet Engine Basic Performance Parameters

 

Jet Aircraft Propulsion by Prof. Bhaskar Roy and Prof. A. M. Pradeep, Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Bombay. For more details on NPTEL visit http://nptel.iitm.ac.in

Lauderdale Air Show canceled today because of rain

By Mike Clary Sun Sentinel

 12:26 p.m. EDT, April 29, 2012

FORT LAUDERDALE—

The second day of the Lauderdale Air Show was canceled Sunday morning, falling victim to a steady, relentless rain, gusty winds and a forecast that offered nary a ray of sunshine or hope.

“With an event this size, public safety is the No. 1 priority,” said Chuck Malkus, a spokesman for show organizer B. Lilly Productions.  “But we were looking at not only a rain event, but a severe storm.”

According to the National Weather Service, deep tropical moisture was expected to continue to march off the ocean and over the peninsula through Sunday and Monday. Rainfall totals of from 3 to 5 inches were expected, with up to 8 inches possible in some areas.

The hardest-hit areas are expected to be the eastern portions of Broward and Miami-Dade counties. A flood watch for those areas was also in effect.

The cancellation marks a disappointing end to the spectacular air show that had returned to Fort Lauderdale beach this year after a hiatus of five years when sponsorships were lost.

Tickets to Sunday's show will be honored at the 2013 event, show organizer Dev Motwani.

Malkus said the biggest loser due to the cancellation may be street vendors.

Road closures previously announced in connection with the Air Show remain in effect Sunday, according to Fort Lauderdale police Det. DeAnna Garcia, so that vendors can remove their equipment.

That means sections of A1A are closed from Vista Mar north, and Sunrise Boulevard will be closed west of the Intracoastal Waterway to general traffic.  For those heading to the beach even though there is no Air Show, the best approach is via Oakland Park Boulevard, Las Olas Boulevard and the Southeast 17thStreet Causeway.

On Saturday, despite intermittent showers and a 60 percent chance of rain, an estimated 450,000 spectators gathered on Broward beach to watch theU.S. Air ForceThunderbirds, vintage fighter planes and acrobatics.

The show was paused several times because of passing showers, but the program was completed, said Malkus.

Sunday’s fare was to be more of the same. “You never like to have a disappointing day in the Sunshine State,” said Malkus.  “The kids, the smiles, the wow factor of the event were all in evidence.”

Over 13 years of the Air & Sea Show through 2007, Malkus said organizers previously had lost only a half day due to weather.  “We’re looking forward to sunshine for the next 12 years,” he said.

B. Lilly Productions has a three-year contract with the city of Fort Lauderdale and will produce shows in 2013 and 2014, said Malkus. Dates are not set.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com

Van's RV-8: The airplane is naked no more!

 

 Douglas TBD Devastator paint scheme 

by Glen

For the past *almost* four weeks, the RV-8 has been at Chorman Airport (Greenwood Delaware) with Russell Aircraft Refinishing with Jim Russell. Yesterday, the finished airplane was rolled out into the sunlight *and the sun blushed*. OK, that’s a bit too dramatic but the paint scheme definitely held its own against the backdrop of puffy clouds and the on-field monster Ag planes. To say I am pleased, is conservative use of the English language.

So, the question I got most – from the first day I brought the airplane home – what color will you paint it? The answer is now silver, bright yellow, pale yellow, black, blue, white, and red. Seven colors in all!

Read more and photos:

http://thesalmonfarm.org/blog/airplanes

http://thesalmonfarm.org/blog/p/3222

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Aviation show to draw investors

By ARAB NEWS
Published: Apr 30, 2012

Jeddah: The first specialized conference and exhibition on aviation services and logistic support at airports will be held at the Jeddah Conferences and Events Center on May 1.

The two-day event is organized under the aegis of President of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) Prince Fahd bin Abdullah.

The exhibition, titled “Airports, aviation and logistic services,” will provide a strategic platform and new horizons for anyone who intends to invest in aviation, airports, and logistic services at airports. The specialized conference is being organized in the Kingdom for the first time.

Decision makers in the government and private sectors and prominent officials of the sector including official spokesmen will participate in the event.

Detailed analyses on the air transport industry and the technical aspects of projects and products and smart solutions, partnership options will be discussed in the conference. Foreign delegations will also participate in the event.

The exhibition is receiving considerable attention from businessmen and experts in the sector, as 95 percent of the exhibition ground has already been reserved by interested exhibitors.

About 100 local and international companies will display their products and services in the aviation field. The expo is organized at a time when the Kingdom has adopted an ambitious plan to develop infrastructure projects for communications.

Huge investments are expected to be made in this vital sector in the country, especially in airports, seaports and railways, roads and logistic projects over the coming 10 years.

 

http://arabnews.com

British pilot imprisoned after discovering suspected Lord's Resistance Army massacre

 

David Simpson poses with his light aircraft and a colleague. Mr Simpson has been held without charge for more than a month on suspicion of murder

By Mike Pflanz, and Zoe Flood in Nairobi 

8:00PM BST 29 Apr 2012
~
Investigators in the capital, Bangui, arrested David Simpson, 24, after six hours of interrogation during which they said they held him responsible for the deaths of 18 villagers in the remote south-east of the country.

"It's absolutely ridiculous, there is not a shred of evidence beyond hearsay, but still they've held me illegally, without charge, for more than a month," Mr Simpson told The Daily Telegraph on a mobile phone smuggled into his prison cell.

Mr Simpson, from Pickering, North Yorks, whose company offers wealthy clients the opportunity to shoot lion, Lord Derby's Eland and buffalo, among other species, was helping to clear a road through dense bush in the south of his firm's vast hunting concession on March 23 when his colleagues reported dead bodies found near a local gold mine.

He went to investigate, and says he found the bodies, all male, arranged as if they had been systematically killed. All of the dead men worked at the hand-panning mine, locals said.

"Six of them were all face down in a circle, their heads in the middle, four others were nearby and in total there were 18 dead guys there," he said.

"Some had been beaten to death with sticks, others had had boiling water poured on them first, then killed. It looked exactly like reports I've seen of other Lord's Resistance Army attacks. It was pretty awful."

The rebel army, headed by Joseph Kony, continues to terrorise civilian populations in the remote jungles of southern CAR, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

Kony was the subject of an internet video that went viral last month, viewed more than 90 million times.

"We called the military, they came the next day and basically freaked out," Mr Simpson said.

"They took a few photographs on their mobile phones and that was the sum total of their investigation. They left immediately."

Days later, Mr Simpson's aircraft was fired at as he took off from the nearest town, Bakouma. He says locals angered that they were not given jobs at his company, owned by a CAR-born Swedish hunter, were to blame.

"It's pretty clear that the killings had nothing to do with us, but it helped some of the guys in town follow their own agendas to blame us," he said.

Both Mr Simpson and his boss, Erik Mararv, went voluntarily to the capital to answer questions, and both were immediately arrested. Neither has been charged but both are still imprisoned, more than a month later.

Emelie Mararv, Mr Mararv's wife, confirmed that there had been no information about why the two men had been jailed, and no sense of when they would be released.

Firmin Findiro, the CAR Justic Minister, told The Daily Telegraph: “The government is not accusing the men of anything - the case will be brought before a magistrate next week who will see whether they actually had any role in the incident.”

“The men have legal representation and I have received both the British and Swedish consuls regarding the matter.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said they were providing consular assistance.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Celebrating in the sky: Birthday Flight

By Paula Stuart 

News Chief Correspondent
Published: Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 7:43 a.m.

WINTER HAVEN -- There are probably no more than 10 people in the United States who still fly an airplane at the age of 90, according to Jon Brown, owner of Brown's Seaplane Base in Winter Haven. One of those rare individuals was recently spotted in the air on his 90th birthday. Jim Torphy flew his 1946 Piper Cub airplane solo on April 17, and called it his "birthday flight."

"My son, who is a corporate pilot for 34 years, encouraged me to do it. It didn't feel any different, though. I didn't feel any sense of gratification or accomplishment. It's just like tying your shoes; just routine," he said.

Brown said, although Torphy is still active and flies regularly, this was still a surprise to him.

"It was 7 a.m. I was getting planes ready. This plane flew over me and I said, 'I bet that's Jim,' so I turned my lights on and honked the horn and he followed me back to the hangar," Brown said.

Torphy retired at age 62 from Bloomington, Ind., where he was the airport operator for many years. A friend took him to Brown's Seaplane Base, and Torphy started working there as a flight instructor. Later, he and his wife, Gabby, of 63 years relocated to Winter Haven.

"Jim came down here in 1973, when my father owned the base. He got his seaplane rating. He was a land plane pilot first," Brown said.

Torphy got the "flying bug" at an early age.

"I can remember when I was 12 years old some barnstormers came through our town and took me for a ride. I got the bug. I really wanted to fly. I am real fortunate. Anybody who had a plane back then made their money hauling booze in the prohibition days," Torphy said.

As a young man, Torphy worked on B17s and was also a flight engineer. He attended both B29 gunnery school and B29 electrical school in the 1940s. He then trained ROTC classes at the Torp Aero Service Flight School in Bloomington for Indiana University, beginning in 1963.

"We were training them for private pilot course. After college graduation, they were going to active duty military. I was contracted by Indiana University until the end of the Vietnam War," Torphy said. "Flight training was not offered at all the colleges. We trained mostly Army and Air Force, and had one Marine."

Brown said hundreds of Torphy's students became pilots for the Army, Air Force and Marines, including United States astronaut Kenneth Bowersox.

More than 130 people celebrated Torphy's 90th birthday party, recently held at Brown's Seaplan Base. Torphy even got a letter from coach Bobby Knight of Indiana University. Torphy flew him Knight across the country when he was in Bloomington.

"The party was a big surprise to me. A lot of people came. The furthest one was from Dallas," he said. "They put a plaque on the back porch (of Brown's Seaplane Base.) It is officially the 'Jim Torphy Room.'"

Brian Meadley attended the birthday bash. He flew in England in the Royal Air Force for 20 years. Meadley, 81, is a part-time flight instructor at Brown's Seaplane Base.

"We have a holiday home in Winter Haven. When I'm here, I'm practically full-time," Meadley said. "I think he's a terrific chap. I've known him for 25 years, and flown with him several times. He doesn't miss a thing in the air. He is still a very accomplished pilot and also a very nice man. It was a jolly-good party in the hangar at the seaplane base."

Brown said Torphy is rare, as many pilots eventually lose their certification due to medical or physical circumstances.

Torphy said, "I'm just going to keep flying."

http://www.newschief.com