Saturday, September 29, 2012

Airport hears plans for aviation museum: ‘We have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stuff,’ says presenter

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News 

 WILEY FORD, W.Va. — Retired Northwest Airlines captain Steve Van Kirk and his brother Malcolm Van Kirk provided the Potomac Highlands Airport Authority with a presentation on a proposed aviation heritage museum during its monthly meeting Thursday.

“We would like you to think about it a little bit and see if this is something you would even entertain,” said Steve Van Kirk, who indicated that, in the meantime, he would start paperwork for obtaining a nonprofit status. “If it is, then maybe we can get back for a meeting soon to talk about specifics of what kind of rents we would need to pay and how we could structure a way to get this thing started.”

Steve Van Kirk said he would like to have the museum ready to go by April 1 and would have a formal presentation at a later date.

“One of the things that we are bringing to the table is all our stuff,” said Malcolm Van Kirk. “We have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stuff that we would like to have on display that people can see.”

Malcolm Van Kirk said that the pair would be interested in a possible 10-year lease with a 10-year option.

The proposed museum would be housed at the former Kelly-Springfield hangar, according to Steve Van Kirk.

Funding for the museum would come from the Van Kirks, the authority, contributions, admission fees, retail sales, corporate donors and other benefactors.

“This is a big project. I think the valley could really use it. I think it would be a real asset to the airport,” said Steve Van Kirk. “I don’t know who else might come in and want that space but we have this vision. We have this dream. I would say for the other museums that we have already been to, we have everything they have and more.”

Steve Van Kirk indicated that they had been looking for space in Maryland for some time and that they had visited the airport last weekend.

“It really looks like good space,” said Steve Van Kirk. “Our goal has been for a long time to be able to bring together our collection of airplanes, memorabilia and library materials. We have an extensive aviation art collection. We have been collecting for a long time.”

Authority Chairman Max White indicated that the Van Kirks were also interested in the office space in addition to the hangar.

Steve Van Kirk said that they did indeed want the entire office and the hangar.

“We have a lot of work to do internally in the building to get this thing set up, everything moved and ready to open up as a thriving nonprofit business,” said Steve Van Kirk.

Steve Van Kirk indicated that they also want to get the community involved.

“We believe ... that once the word is out in the aviation community and the local community, people will come out and want to be part of this. It’s going to be something where there is a place for anyone to come out and be a participant in the process.”

The proposed museum would have a media and conference center and a regional aviation hall of fame to honor local people who contributed to surrounding areas, according to Steve Van Kirk. It would also include a veterans honor roll, a retail pilot shop and a gift shop.

“This would be a working, flying active museum,” said Steve Van Kirk. “Projects would be ongoing and airplanes would be flying that are not just going to be sitting in the hangar.”

Steve Van Kirk said there could be fly-ins to the museum and that the space would be a great venue for community events. The Van Kirks said they would also like to initiate an aviation scholarship program sponsored through donations.

“We have in our collection right now about eight airplanes to start this thing off with,” said Steve Van Kirk, who said the largest one was a 1942 DC3.

Steve Van Kirk indicated the museum could be expanded to include a vintage aircraft flight school or regular flight school.

“We have been in the flight training business for over 20 years in Hagerstown and Frederick,” said Steve Van Kirk.

The proposed museum would be open every day of the year with the exception of major holidays, according to Steve Van Kirk.


Source:  http://times-news.com

Marshall and Calloway counties, Kentucky: Plane crash search called off

Rescue personnel from Marshall and Calloway counties are standing down in their response to a report of a possible plane crash in either northeastern Calloway County or southern Marshall County tonight.

As of 9:30 p.m., Calloway County Director of Emergency Management Bill Call said all units involved with the search were returning to regular duties and no longer were involved in a search. Call said it is believed that a trash fire was burning in the Hardin area and heat from that fire ignited a nearby gasoline container, triggering a rather large explosion. Call said the explosion created a very large glow of fire that could be easily seen in the surrounding area and, combined with fog that has formed in bottom land in southern Marshall County, was enhanced in a way that seemed as if something very large, possibly a plane or some other type of aircraft, was burning.

Investigation resulted in fire units from Hardin-South Marshall responding to the scene and extinguishing the fire. It is not known if the explosion resulted in injuries. Earlier, Call said checks with area airports and air services had resulted in no reports of missing flights. Rescue units searched an area from near Dexter to Aurora, turning up no evidence of an aircraft crash.

Once again, the search for a downed aircraft in northeastern Calloway County and southern Marshall County has been terminated after the origin of the call was the explosion of a gas container lying too close to a trash fire in Hardin. No aircraft crashed. All units have returned to regular duties.
 

http://murrayledger.com

Windsor International Airport: First public open house a success!

George Mock, 87, watches as a Tiger Moth lands at Windsor International Airport, Saturday, September 29, 2012. The airport was holding an open house for the public. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Blue skies and mild fall temperatures made for the perfect day for the Windsor International Airport to host its first public open house Saturday. 

 Hundreds of people attended and airport CEO Federica Nazzani said she hopes to see it become an annual event.

“There’s so much interest in the airport and there’s so much that we have to offer. It’s not just the business of the airport, but it’s also the flight training, it’s the museum, it’s aircraft restoration and it’s what we do for veterans,” said Nazzani. “So this gives us an opportunity to showcase what we have.”

Nazzani said the idea to hold an open house came after the area’s annual air show was cancelled this year. She said although the event featured an air show component, the new hangar was also a highlight. She said she hopes the event will encourage young people in the community to consider a career in aviation.

Along with tours of different aircraft on display and of the new hangar, plane rides were also available to the public but quickly sold out, said Ron Holden, one of the event’s organizers. He said it was heartening to see such an interest from the community.

“We’re really pleased to show off our airport,” said Holden. “And it’s a free thing. There aren’t too many free things these days.”

Holden was in the Royal Canadian Air Force for 30 years and has flown every kind of aircraft in the Canadian military.

Read more and photos:   http://blogs.windsorstar.com

30 Photos by Bob Mack: Pilots N Paws "Dog is My Copilot Rescue Flyway 2012"

More than 300 dogs are being airlifted from Charlotte NC to various cities, including Jacksonville, where they'll be placed in no-kill shelters as a part of the Pilots N Paws "Dog is My Copilot Rescue Flyway 2012".

Ten aircraft with 40 dogs, give or take an extra stowaway, arrived at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport in Jacksonville, Fl on Saturday September 29, 2012.

See photo gallery:    http://photos.jacksonville.com

Pilot killed in plane crash in Turkish capital

ANKARA, September 29 (Xinhua) -- A small civilian plane on Saturday crashed in Turkey's capital of Ankara after hitting power lines, killing the pilot and injuring the co-pilot, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

The Cessna 170 plane crashed into the garden of a house in the Esenboga suburb near Ankara's international airport with no report of casualties on the ground.

The co-pilot, with serious injuries, was rushed to a nearby hospital.

The plane was registered to an Istanbul-based aviation club. 


http://www.shanghaidaily.com

Bird hits plane, delays flight from Juneau, Alaska

JUNEAU, Alaska — 

An Alaska Airlines flight from Juneau to Anchorage was delayed by about four hours on Saturday morning because a bird hit the Boeing 737 as it was landing in Juneau Friday night.

Alaska Airlines spokesman Paul McElroy says no one on the plane was injured and it was able to land normally. But maintenance people needed time to finish repairing the plane before it took off again. He says a maintenance crew worked overnight.

Flight 73 was supposed to leave Juneau at 7:25 a.m. on Saturday with 67 passengers aboard. McElroy says the airline was able to contact nearly every passenger about the four-hour delay.

http://seattletimes.com

Cessna 150M, N66246: Fatal accident occurred September 29, 2012 in Fredericksburg, Virginia

NTSB Identification: ERA12FA583
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, September 29, 2012 in Fredericksburg, VA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/30/2013
Aircraft: CESSNA 150M, registration: N66246
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

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.

During takeoff in good visibility and calm wind, about 100 feet above ground level, the airplane made a 90-degree left bank and descended in a spiral until impact. The wreckage was located in a residential area, about 1,000 feet from the departure end of the runway. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicological testing of specimens from the pilot revealed results consistent with prior consumption of alcohol at levels that could degrade decision-making and psychomotor performance. Additionally, testing revealed the presence of an antidepressant. Alcohol can aggravate drowsiness caused by the medication; however, the investigation could not determine the degree of interaction between the medication and alcohol.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to alcohol.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 29, 2012, about 1715 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N66246, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain, following an in-flight loss of control during initial climb from Shannon Airport (EZF), Fredericksburg, Virginia. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned local flight. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

The owner of the airplane reported that he was a longtime friend of the accident pilot. The airplane was based at EZF and not flown often. The accident pilot was allowed to borrow the airplane whenever he wanted; however, he only flew it for 2 hours during April 2012, and the accident flight. No other flight hours were accrued during 2012 and the last annual inspection was completed in November 2011. Although the accident pilot was also a certificated mechanic, no maintenance work was performed on the airplane prior to the flight or in 2012.

The pilot fueled the airplane with 15 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline before the accident flight. According to a witness, who was a flight instructor, he and a student pilot were practicing landings in another airplane at EZF. The flight instructor heard the accident pilot report his intentions on the common traffic advisory frequency, which were to back-taxi on runway 6. Subsequently, during an approach, the flight instructor observed the accident airplane on departure from runway 6, about 100 feet above the trees. The accident airplane made a 90-degree left bank, and began to turn left until the nose descended and the airplane disappeared behind terrain. Other witnesses, who were on the ground near the accident site, reported seeing the airplane spinning as it descended.

PILOT INFORMATION

The pilot, age 48, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land and instrument airplane. He also held an airframe and powerplant certificate. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued on March 31, 2011. At that time, he reported a total flight experience of 1,050 hours. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed that the last entry was dated September 3, 2011, when he received his biannual flight review. Other than the 2 hours flown in the accident airplane during April 2012, the investigation could not determine if the pilot had any additional recent flight experience.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The two-seat, high-wing, fixed tricycle-gear airplane, serial number 15075950, was manufactured in 1974. It was powered by a Continental Motors O-200, 100-horsepower engine, equipped with a McCauley fixed-pitch propeller. Review of the airplane's logbooks revealed that its most recent annual inspection was completed on November 23, 2011. At that time, the airplane had accumulated 5,417 total hours of operation. The engine had accumulated approximately 3,568 total hours of operation since new, and 1,680 hours since major overhaul. The airplane had flown about 3 hours since the most recent annual inspection.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The recorded weather at EZF, at 1715, was: wind calm; visibility 10 miles; clear sky; temperature 21 degrees C; dew point 7 degrees C; and altimeter 29.92 inches Hg.

WRECKAGE INFORMATION

The wreckage was located at the end of a cul-de-sac, about 1,000 feet and 040 degrees from the departure end of runway 6 at EZF. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene. The wreckage was intact, oriented on a heading of 060 degrees, resting vertically on the engine and leading edges of the wings. No debris path was observed and the only severed tree branches were directly above the wreckage.

The right wing exhibited impact damage along the leading edge. The right wing flap remained attached and was in the retracted position. The right aileron remained attached and was in a neutral position. The right wing fuel tank was compromised, but still contained some fuel. The left wing also exhibited impact damage along the leading edge. The left wing flap remained attached and was extended; however, the left wing flap cable had separated consistent with impact forces. The left aileron remained attached and was in an upward position. The left wing fuel tank had been compromised during impact and did not contain any fuel.

The aft section of fuselage and the empennage were buckled and canted to the left. Elevator, rudder, and elevator trim continuity were confirmed from their respective flight control surfaces to the mid cabin area, where the cables were crushed under the seats. Continuity was confirmed from the left aileron to the control yoke and the right aileron to the right wing root. The right aileron and right flap cables had been cut by rescue personnel. Additionally, the right aileron push-pull rod had separated at the aileron, consistent with impact forces. Measurement of the elevator trim jackscrew corresponded to an approximate neutral setting. Measurement of the flap actuator jackscrew corresponded to the flaps retracted position.

The cockpit area was crushed and part of the instrument panel was destroyed. The seatbelts and shoulder harnesses remained intact. The right seatbelt was cut by rescue personnel and the left seatbelt was unlatched by rescue personnel. The throttle lever was in the full forward position. The mixture control was about .5 inch from the full rich position. The carburetor heat was off. The tachometer needle was indicating 1,750 rpm. The magneto switch was selected to both.

One propeller blade exhibited chordwise scratching and gouging on the cambered side. The other propeller blade was bent aft at the outboard end and buffed at the tip. The propeller flange had sheared from crankshaft, consistent with impact forces. The propeller hub remained attached to the propeller flange and the spinner was crushed inward. The No. 4 cylinder was impact damaged and the front of the engine crankcase was shattered, which allowed for visual inspection of the front side of crankshaft, camshaft, and lifters. Due to impact damage, the crankshaft could not be rotated by hand; however, borescope examination of all four cylinders did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The rocker arms and valve springs were manually actuated with a crowbar and no anomalies were noted. The electrodes of all eight sparkplugs remained intact and were unremarkable, with the exception that the bottom sparkplugs were oil soaked and the No 4. top sparkplug appeared to have been running richer than the others. The oil filter was opened and no metallic contamination was observed. The carburetor was disassembled for inspection. The floats, accelerator pump and needle were intact and no fuel was present. The starter and vacuum pump were dislodged from the rear accessory section of the engine. The mixture and throttle linkage remained attached and the air filter was absent of debris. The magnetos were also dislodged, but the ignition leads remained intact. Spark was produced at all leads when the magnetos were subsequently rotated on a test bench.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the State of Virginia, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Richmond, Virginia, on October 1, 2012. Toxicological testing, ordered by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, revealed "…Pleural Cavity Blood: -Ethanol 0.08% by weight by volume…"

Toxicological testing was also performed on the pilot by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Review of the toxicological report revealed:

"…117 (mg/dL, mg/hg) Ethanol detected in Urine
70 (mg/dL, mg/hg) Ethanol detected in Brain
67 (mg/dL, mg/hg) Ethanol detected in Muscle
Citalopram detected in Liver
Citalopram detected in Urine
N-Desmethylcitalopram detected in Liver
N-Desmethylcitalopram detected in Urine…"

Additionally, putrefaction was noted as no.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

A handheld global positioning system (GPS) receiver was recovered in the wreckage and retained for further examination by the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, Washington, DC. Data was successfully downloaded; however, there was no data for the accident flight.


Accident occurred Saturday, September 29, 2012 in Fredericksburg, VA

Aircraft: CESSNA 150M, registration: N66246
Injuries: 2 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 September 29, 2012, about 1715 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N66246, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain, following an in-flight loss of control during initial climb from Shannon Airport (EZF), Fredericksburg, Virginia. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned local flight. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

The owner of the airplane reported that he was a longtime friend of the accident pilot. The airplane was based at EZF and not flown often. The accident pilot was allowed to borrow the airplane whenever he wanted; however, he only flew it for 2 hours during April 2012, and the accident flight. No other flight hours were accrued during 2012 and the last annual inspection was completed in November 2011. Although the accident pilot was also a certificated mechanic, no maintenance work was performed on the airplane prior to the flight or in 2012.

According to a witness, who was a flight instructor, he and a student pilot were practicing landings in another airplane at EZF. The flight instructor heard the accident pilot report his intentions on the common traffic advisory frequency, which were to back-taxi on runway 6. Subsequently, during an approach, the flight instructor observed the accident airplane on departure from runway 6, about 100 feet above the trees. The accident airplane made a 90-degree left bank, and began to turn left until the nose descended and the airplane disappeared behind terrain. Other witnesses, who were on the ground near the accident site, reported seeing the airplane spinning as it descended.

The wreckage was located at the end of a cul-de-sac, about 1,000 feet and 040 degrees from the departure end of runway 6 at EZF. The wreckage was oriented on a heading of 060 degrees, resting vertically on the engine and leading edges of the wings. A handheld global positioning system receiver was recovered from the wreckage and forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, Washington, DC, for data download.

 
Kyle Morton

 
John B. Morton Jr.



FREDERICKSBURG, Va. –

Thirteen-year-old Kyle John Morton and his father John B. Morton, Jr. were laid to rest Friday, following a funeral that drew hundreds of people including many of Kyle’s middle school classmates.

The funeral service was held at the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center at 10 a.m. There, two closed caskets draped in flowers sat side by side at the front of the room.

John Morton and his son Kyle, who lived in Stafford’s White Oak area with their family, enjoyed spending time together and were doing just that Saturday when the elder Morton borrowed a Cessna 150M from a fellow pilot and took off with his son at Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania.

They were both killed when the plane crashed at River Heights mobile home park near the airport. Witnesses said the plane went straight up and quickly came down, crashing.

During the funeral service, Kyle Morton was described as “a great kid with a big heart” who sought to serve the Lord.

Although no one was prepared for this day, John and Kyle Morton were because they were both very much in touch with God, according to their family.

John Morton’s interests included aviation, traveling and mechanics.

He worked for the FBI at Quantico as a computer-electronics technician, held a master’s degree in computer information systems and previously worked for 14 years for United Airlines at Reagan National Airport.

Kyle Morton was an eighth-grader at Dixon-Smith Middle School in Stafford. He loved sports, air-soft, fishing and sports cars. In his obituary, he was remembered for his optimistic and positive attitude.

The crash is being investigated by the Virginia State Police, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Survivors include wife and mother Kristy Morton; daughter and sister Adriane Morton, a junior at Stafford High School; John Morton’s mother Catherine Morton of Columbia, S.C.; his sister Linda Morton of Tennessee; in-laws Marge and Oliver Parson of Fredericksburg; sister-in-law Mindy Ball of Fredericksburg; brother-in-law Greg Parson of Utah; six nieces; and one nephew — Kyle’s cousins.

The Stafford man piloting the plane that crashed over the weekend at Shannon Airport is listed by the Federal Aviation Administration as a commercial pilot and airplane mechanic.

Other details about John Morton Jr. weren’t available Monday, but students at two Stafford schools were dealing with the death of his son, Kyle, who was an eighth-grader at Dixon-Smith Middle School.

Two Facebook pages also have been created to honor Kyle and his father.

On one, Adriane Morton posted a thank you and added: “I will miss my dad and brother so much.”

The 13-year-old boy and his father died Saturday when the single-engine Cessna 150M plane they were in plummeted and crashed in the River Heights mobile home park near the airport.

On Monday, the school system sent crisis prevention teams to Dixon-Smith and Stafford High School, which Kyle’s sister attends, according to Valerie Cottongim, school system spokeswoman.

The team, composed of guidance counselors, psychologists and other school system employees trained in crises, set up a safe room at the schools so students and staff could talk about any issues they were having.

Homeroom teachers told students at the schools about the deaths and Dixon-Smith sent a letter home to parents, Cottongim said.

Another part of the crisis response allows students to write notes to the family.

The plane crashed shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday while John Morton was conducting take-offs and landings, according to the Virginia State Police, who also reported that Morton had been working on the plane.

Robert Stanley, the airport’s operations manager, gave a different version, telling the FLS that the crash happened on the first takeoff.

Witnesses in River Heights told The Free Lance-Star that they saw the plane climb sharply before it went into a nosedive that sent the plane crashing into the ground near a house and van at the end of Carrie Court.

The state police, Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. There were no new details available Monday, but the NTSB will release its preliminary report within 10 days.

Morton did not own the plane, but Stanley told the FLS that Morton had a deal with the owner to use the plane. Donald Hockaday, of Woodford, is listed as the plane’s owner. He did not respond to phone messages.

On Monday, Stanley said John Morton didn’t fly out of the airport much and that he didn’t know the man or his son. But he noted that he has heard good things from others at the airport about Kyle Morton.

“Everything I’ve heard is he was a nice young man with manners,” he said.




Stafford County residents John Morton, Jr., 48, and his son Kyle Morton, 13, died in a Saturday plane crash near Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania County.

They were the only passengers of the single-engine Cessna 150M plane that nose-dived into the trees at the end of Carrie Court in the River Heights mobile home park. No homes were damaged and no one on the ground was hurt.

The plane crashed at about 5:10 p.m. Saturday, shortly after takeoff from Shannon. Eyewitnesses in River Heights reported seeing the plane climb sharply before tipping over and crashing nose-first into the ground, narrowly avoiding a house and a van parked at the end of Carrie Court.

On Sunday, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident along with State Police, and the cause of the crash has not been determined.

“Weather had nothing to do with it. Fuel had nothing to do with it,” said Shannon Airport Operations Manager Robert Stanley. “But something happened.”

Stanley, who sells fuel at the airport, said that while Morton did not own the plane, he had a deal with the owner to use it on occasion.

“He was an experienced pilot,” Stanley said.

The weather at the time of the crash was perfect for flying—70 degrees, calm winds, 10 miles visibility and a ceiling of 12,000 feet.

River Heights resident Kimberly Chew was driving on Tidewater Trail when she saw Morton’s plane taking off.

“It was going up pretty steep, steeper than normal, anyway,” she said. “Then it looked like he was turning to come back to the airport. I think he just turned too sharp and lost control of it.”

State Police reported that John Morton had been working on the plane prior to the crash. The police also said Morton had been practicing take-offs and landings. Stanley disputed that notion, saying the crash came on Morton’s first take-off of the day. Stanley said onlookers and River Heights residents may have been confused by other planes—there are several Cessnas at Shannon that look nearly identical to the one Morton was flying.

While the runway at Shannon remains open, fuel sales at the airport have been suspended pending the investigation. Stanley said it is standard procedure for the FAA to shut down sales after an accident until tests can rule out fuel as a factor in the crash.

Investigators had not cleared the crash debris as of noon Sunday, but they did plan to take away the mangled wreckage by the end of the day. The crash victim’s bodies were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for examination and autopsy early Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, the plane sits at the end of Carrie Court, a reminder to residents of both the tragedy of the crash and the good fortune that homes and people on the ground were spared.

According to Free Lance-Star archives, Saturday’s fatal crash was the first at Shannon Airport since 2006, when Mitchell Strother crashed his single-seat plane into an adjacent field. Although there have been several other crashes at the airport since 1990, you have to go back to a skydiving accident in 1980 for another recorded fatality.



 



UPDATE: John B. Morton Jr., 48, of Stafford, had been working on the Cessna 150M single-engine plane  and conducting take-offs and landings from Shannon Airport. During one of these exercises,

the plane suddenly fell from the sky and crashed landed, striking a tree off of Carrie Court.


There was no fire or hazmat situation associated with the crash. No structures or residences on the ground were struck; nor was anyone on the ground injured.

Morton and his son, Kyle J. Morton, 13, of Stafford, both died at the scene. Their remains have been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for examination and autopsy.

 The NTSB and FAA both arrived on the scene Saturday night to conduct their owninvestigations into the incident. The state police investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing at this time.

State police has secured the scene overnight, as investigators will return in the morning to further their investigations.”

BY JONAS BEALS

A plane crash in Spotsylvania County near Shannon Airport claimed the lives of two people Saturday evening.

As of press time Saturday night, Virginia State Police had not identified the pilot or passenger, although authorities think they lived in the Fredericksburg area.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a plane—a single-engine Cessna 150M—climb sharply on takeoff from Shannon, only to pitch forward and nose dive into the trees at the end of Carrie Court in the River Heights mobile home park. No one on the ground was injured, and no homes were damaged in the crash.

But it was a close call. The blue-and-white plane was a crumpled mass at the end of the street, mere feet from a trailer home and only inches from a blue van parked in the trees at the edge of the blacktop.

There are several houses within about 100 feet of the crash site. One of them belongs to Kevin Morgan, who was pulling up to his home shortly after 5 p.m., when he heard a loud noise.

“As I was putting the car in park, the plane came down,” he said. “I saw the plane hit the ground.”

Morgan said that he immediately ran to the wreckage and moved branches to get to the victims. He reached into the plane and touched one of the victims, only to find there was no pulse.
He noticed fuel pouring from the twisted plane and backed away. “It was clear and evident there were no survivors,” he said.

About 10 minutes later, fire department vehicles arrived. About 30 minutes after that, the scene at Carrie Court did not seem, at first, to be unusual for a clear, cool Saturday evening. There were kids on bicycles, scooters and skateboards.

But there was also police tape, holding back the curious and concerned, some of them unable to get into their own houses. Beyond the police tape were flashing lights, state police cars, Spotsylvania fire trucks, ambulances, rescue workers, firefighters and police officers.  Floodlights made up for the setting sun. And there were two stretchers, empty.

Then there was the plane, recognizable only by the rumpled tail that slouched over a pile of white metal.

“I saw it take off,” said Jason Ison, who was at the Wawa across Tidewater Trail from the neighborhood where the plane crashed. “It looked like it was going up at a little too much of a steep angle.”

“We heard the engine, then nothing,” said Patricia Roberts, who lives in River Heights. “Then we heard a big explosion.”

But there was no explosion of the Hollywood variety—no fire at all, although some residents of Carrie Court said they could smell the fuel from the wreck.

Roberts said she recognized the plane from years of living under the airport’s flight path. “His engine is always loud,” she said.

Renee Johnson was in her kitchen when it happened. “It hit the trees. It happened so fast,” she said.
Her husband, Douglas, ran out the door and was soon climbing over the wreckage to look for signs of life. He didn’t find any.

Robert Stanley, operations manager at Shannon Airport, confirmed that the plane was housed there. He said that the owner of the Cessna, a Woodford resident, was not in the plane when it crashed.

Newark Liberty International (KEWR), New Jersey: TSA reviewing New Orleans Hornets' executive traveling with firearm

An executive with the New Orleans Hornets was detained by TSA agents at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey Friday, after they discovered a loaded handgun in his bag, according to a report in the New York Post.

The newspaper said that Hornets vice president Joshua Richardson was charged with one count of criminal possession of a weapon.

Read the full New York Post story.

The article, quoting Port Authority Police, said that Richardson was flying home to New Orleans from Newark when the .38-caliber handgun was discovered  in his luggage.

The Post said that Richardson "had allegedly taken the weapon on his trip to the New York area by accident after he grabbed his wife’s bag containing the weapon, instead of his own."

The Post quotes an airport official as saying the gun was legally registered to his wife.

"The 36-year-old exec was detained at Newark’s Terminal A as he tried to check in for his flight," according to the newspaper.

The Post said calls to his cell phone were not answered, and the team did not respond to an e-mail.  Eyewitness News is also working to contact a team spokesman.

According to the Post, TSA headquarters said in a statement  that the agency “takes matters such as this very seriously and will conduct a full investigation.

Bandung Air Show: FFA AS/SA 202/18A3 Bravo, PK-AFL, Indonesian Aerosport Federation, Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung, Indonesia








A training aircraft crashed on Saturday while doing an aerobatic maneuver during the Bandung Air Show 2012 at Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, killing the pilot and co-pilot.
 
The plane crashed at about 11:30 a.m. and exploded, with thick black smoke seen billowing from the crash location.

The plane, a Bravo 202 aircraft, with two side-by-side seats in the cockpit, was reportedly flying low before the crash.

It reportedly performed maneuvers five times before crashing into an Indonesian Air Force logistics warehouse near Husein Sastranegara Airport, which was closed for an hour for evacuation purposes.

The pilot and the co-pilot were both killed in the crash, and their remains have been taken to Bandung's Hasan Sadikin Hospital.

The pilot was Air Vice Marshall (ret.) Nurman Lubis, an opthalmologist and the owner of eye hospital Bandung Eye Center, according to one of his relatives, as quoted by bisnis.com. He was survived by his wife and three children.

The co-pilot was identified as Col. (ret.) Tonny Haryono.

The commander of the Air Force base at Husein, Col. Umar Sugeng, said both men were members of the Indonesian Aero Sport Federation (FASI) and had regularly flown the ill-fated aircraft on weekend.

“A rescue team arrived at the location two minutes after the crash... But the crew members were already dead,” Umar said, as quoted by Antara news agency.

“A team from the Indonesian Air Force and FASI will investigate the cause of the plane crash. We offer our condolences for this incident,” he added.

The plane, whose wreck has been removed to the nearby manufacturing site of state aircraft maker Dirgantara Indonesia, is reportedly owned by FASI. The Bravo 202, according to Umar, originally belonged to the Air Force before it was donated to FASI.

The Bandung Air Show 2012 opened on Thursday and is supposed to take place until Sunday to commemorate Bandung’s 202nd anniversary.

Umar said the remaining aerobatics sessions of the air show would be canceled following the incident.

“But the static exhibition is still running,” Umar said, as quoted by Antara news agency.

This is not the first plane crash in Bandung Air Show. The first one, involving a Cessna, crashed in the 2010 event. The pilot, Alexander Supeli, survived, but was critically injured.

Duluth International Airport (KDLH), Minnesota: Safe Landing for FedEx Cargo Plane with Missing Front Tire - Aerospatiale ATR-42-320 (N905FX)

 
Credit: FlightAware 
Plane's flight path as it burned fuel ahead of its landing in Duluth


Safe Landing for FedEx Cargo Plane with Missing Front Tire 

 Duluth, MN (Northland's NewsCenter) - A cargo plane inbound from Minneapolis made a safe landing at the Duluth International Airport Saturday morning after circling over Lake Superior for nearly an hour.

A tip into the Northland's NewsCenter stated the plane's crew had to burn fuel due to the loss of the plane's front tire, ahead of an emergency landing. A spokesperson with the FAA says the plane lost one of two front tires sometime during the flight.

According to FlightAware, the FedEx Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 plane left the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport at 7:04 a.m. with a scheduled landing of 8:06 a.m.

The plane finally landed safely at 9:09 a.m on its remaining front tire.

The FAA is investigating.


 http://flightaware.com/live/flight/MTN8553

http://www.flightstats.com

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com

Sarpy County, Nebraska: Powered parachute crash

A man and woman soaring through the air fell rapidly to the ground Friday night when the powered-parachute to which they were attached lost power, Sarpy County authorities said.
http://www.wopular.com

 The National Transportation Safety Board was on the scene of an ultralight plane crash in southern Sarpy County Friday night that seriously injured the pilot. A passenger suffered minor injuries.  
 
Ultralight planes are small, one or two-person, personal aircraft. The kind that crashed is technically called a powered parachute.

Sarpy County Sheriff's Department deputies said the pilot had to bank hard to avoid an irrigation structure, then possibly over-steered, lost control and crashed. The pilot was taken to the trauma center in serious condition. The passenger was treated and released at the scene.


No names have been released.


http://www.wowt.com

SARPY COUNTY - Dispatchers confirm an ultralight aircraft crashed Friday night.  It happened just before 6pm at 124th and Buffalo.

Dispatchers say one person was taken to the hospital for his injuries; a second person was treated on the scene but wasn't transported.

Police haven't released the name of the pilot or passenger.

VIDEO: See the Pitcairn Mailwing Arrive

http://horsham.patch.com/articles/video
 
Mike Posey of the Posey Brothers Inc., a rare aircraft restoration company based in Robbinsville, New Jersey, tells what it was like restoring one of two remaining PA-8 Mailwings. The circa 1931 aircraft is housed at the Wings of Freedom Museum. 

Cars nearly drove off the road at the sight. A black-and-yellow streak heading from Robbinsville, New Jersey to its final destination: Horsham. 

A crew from Posey Brothers Inc., shared with glee the reaction of motorists at seeing the body of a circa 1931 PA-8 Mailwing fastened to the back of a flatbed truck as it was hauled to the Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Museum on Aug. 20. 

Aviation enthusiasts had hoped the rare aircraft - one of two left in the world - could be flown in to land on the runway at the shuttered Willow Grove air base, adjacent to the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association's museum, but the federal government quashed that hope before it ever took off.

So, brothers Mike and Larry Posey, along with crew from their restoration and repair company, based out of hangars at Robbinsville Airport, took the former mail-carrying plane apart, drove it to Horsham in two trips Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 and spent roughly six hours over the two-day span reassembling it.

James Cole, one of the assemblers on hand during the second day of work, is the grandson of the late Harold F. Pitcairn, the Bryn Athyn aviator who created the Mailwing just yards from where it is currently housed on Easton Road. 

"I guess I would like to still fly it occasionally," Cole said of the lone regret in seeing the plane transfer from his family to the museum, where it will be on display.

A pilot who flies "for fun," Cole said he's learned about his grandfather's early developments in rotary wing flight, but it was not something he was exposed to growing up.

"It wasn't something that was driven home to us," Cole said. 

The Poseys, on the other hand, have worked in plane restoration for more than three decades. Most notably, Mike Posey went to work in 1986 for Stephen Pitcairn, the benefactor who willed the plane to the museum. Under the late Pitcairn's wing, Mike Posey headed up restoration efforts of four Pitcairn Mailwings, as well as a Pitcairn-Cierva PCA-1 Autogiro for the Smithsonian. 

If you go

The Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association will unveil its PA-8 Mailwing today at 1 p.m. Click here for more information on Patch's events calendar. 

http://horsham.patch.com/articles/video

Turkish pilots killed by Assad, not crash: leaked documents

 Al Arabiya’s exclusive series on the newly-leaked Syrian security documents continues tomorrow.

As political tensions mount between neighboring Syria and Turkey, newly-leaked Syrian intelligence documents obtained by Al Arabiya disclose shocking claims shedding light on the dreadful fate of two Turkish Air Force pilots.

Contrary to what was publically claimed, the documents reveal that the pilots survived the crash, but were later executed by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad!

This disclosure is the first in a series of revelations based on a number of newly-leaked and highly classified Syrian security documents which will be aired in a special program produced by Al Arabiya over the next two weeks; the channel’s English portal – http://english.alarabiya.net – will be carrying a subtitled version of the program on daily basis as well as publishing downloadable copies of the leaked documents.

The documents were obtained with the assistance of members of the Syrian opposition who refused to elaborate on how they laid hand on the documents.

Al Arabiya said that it has verified and authenticated hundreds of these documents and that it is has decided to disclose the ones with substantial news value and political relevance.

The downed jet


On June 22, a Turkish military jet was shot down by a Syrian missile in international airspace, Ankara’s official report said; a claim Damascus has refuted.

Assad’s regime said the country’s defense forces shot down the two-seater F-4 Phantom as it was in the Syrian airspace.

In an interview with Turkish paper Cumhuriyet published in July, Assad said he wished his forces did not shoot down the jet, claiming that Damascus did not know the identity of the plane at the time.  

The incident set off tensions between the former allies, but Ankara, which had vowed a harsh response to any border violations by Syria, limited its reaction to sending military reinforcements to the common frontiers.

The two pilots on board of the jet were killed.

But both official reports by Syria and Turkey have restrained their explanation on the causes of the deaths of Air Force Captain Gokhan Ertan and Air Force Lieutenant Hasan Huseyin Aksoy.

Turkey’s armed forces said it had found the bodies of both pilots on the Mediterranean seabed.

“The bodies (of the two pilots) have been recovered [from] the seabed and work is underway to bring them to the surface,” the army command said in a statement released early in July.

The military did not specify where the bodies were found, but there has been no report that the pilots ejected from the plane.

However, after investigating the leaked documents it obtained, Al Arabiya can now reveal for the first time an alternative narrative of what might have happened to the two Turkish pilots.

One highly confidential document was sent directly from the presidential office of President Assad to brigadier Hassan Abdel Rahman (who Al Arabiya’s sources identify as the chief of the Syrian Special Operations Unit) states the following:

“Two Turkish pilots were captured by the Syrian Air Force Intelligence after their jet was shot down in coordination with the Russian naval base in (the Syrian city of) Tartus.”

The file therefore reveals two critical reports. First, the pilots were still alive after the plane had crashed. And second, that Russia held its share of involvement in this secretive mission.

The same document orders the concerned parties to treat both Turkish pilots according to the protocol of war prisoners, as instructed by the president.

It also requests that both men be investigated about Turkey’s role in supporting the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the country’s main armed opposition group.

The report also suggests the possibility of transferring the pilots into the neighboring Lebanese territory, leaving them in the custody of Assad’s ally, Hezbollah.

However, if the Turkish air commanders were not killed upon the crash of their F-4 Phantom, further leaked documents confirm that their death was inevitable.

Russian “Guidance”


A subsequently leaked file, also sent from the presidential palace and addressed to all heads of units of the Syrian foreign intelligence, reads: “Based on information and guidance from the Russian leadership comes a need to eliminate the two Turkish pilots detained by the Special Operations Unit in a natural way and their bodies need to be returned to the crash site in international waters.”

The document also suggests the Syrian government sends a “menacing” message to the Turkish government, insinuating Syria’s capability of mobilizing Kurdistan’s Workers Party (PKK) on the Turkish borders, notifying Ankara from the danger it might face in case of any hostile move.

The report insists that the Syrian leadership should hasten and make a formal apology to the Turkish government for bringing down the plane, which would embarrass the Turks and win the support of international public opinion. As such, the Syrian Regime did apologize.

Al Arabiya’s exclusive series on the newly-leaked Syrian security documents continues tomorrow.

Flight Lands Safely After Tire Emergency: Qatar Airlines Airbus A330-300, A7-AEE, Flight QR-592 - Lagos, Nigeria

LAGOS: A Qatar airways flight from Doha safely made an emergency landing in the Nigerian economic capital Lagos on Saturday after encountering a problem with its tires, the civil aviation body said.

"The plane has landed safely," said Harold Demuren, the head of Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority. "We lost one of the tires... We are now towing the aircraft," at Murtala Mohammed International airport, he added.

He told AFP that no passengers were injured during the emergency landing and that one of the plane's tires had to be replaced.

Qatar Airways flight QR592, which Demuren said was an Airbus A330, was traveling the regular Doha-Lagos route and had reported the problem to Nigerian airport authorities, Demuren said.

The airline's online tracker said the flight arrived in Lagos at 2:29 pm (1329 GMT), but the plane touched down at least 30 minutes before that.

The website makes no mention of any incidents during the journey, saying only that flight QR592 had "arrived."

An McDonnell Douglas-83 operated by Dana Air plunged into a neighborhood near Lagos airport in June after reportedly suffering double engine failure.

The crash killed all 153 passenger and crew as well as at least six people on the ground.


 http://www.brecorder.com

Supermarine Aircraft Spitfire Mk 26 Replica, ZK-SPT, Harding Enterprises Alpha Ltd.: Accident occurred September 29, 2012 at Wanganui Airport - New Zealand

 
Rick Harding had emergency services waiting as he landed his replica Spitfire on its belly 



 
There was minor damage to the plane


Rick Harding had emergency services waiting as he landed his replica Spitfire on its belly. The landing went so well, they were just spectators.

Mr Harding was forced to land the plane on its belly after a wheel jammed. He was more worried about the Spitfire than himself.

“I didn't think,” he says. “I was a bit naive but didn't think I was in too much trouble.”

His wife Heather wasn't so relaxed. He had called her on their two-way radio to organise help. She says it was “very frightening”.

But Mr Harding has been a pilot for decades so knew to keep calm. He's happy if people still use his nickname Ditch, although he can't remember how he earned it.

“If I knew I probably wouldn't tell you. But nothing to do with my flying ability I hope.”

His Spitfire is a slightly smaller replica of the original plane and he only began flying it earlier this year.

“It does the job well. Things mechanical sometimes give trouble.”

So the crash landing hasn't put Mr Harding off his Spitfire or flying in general. And his wife won't be grounding him.

“He's a good pilot,” she says. “I don't mind at all. He couldn't be better.”

Mr Harding says it'll be at least a month before the Spitfire's repaired and ready to fly again.

3 News


"Bugger" was a veteran pilot's response to completing a perfect belly-landing in his replica Spitfire after a glitch with the landing gear. 



Pilot Richmond Harding, 74, had just taken off in his replica Supermarine Mk26B Spitfire from Whanganui Airport on Saturday when he noticed one of the wheels had failed to retract fully into the wheel well.

After 30 minutes in the air attempting to fix the problem, he safely belly-landed on grass at the airport.

Mr Harding, who has been flying for more than 50 years, walked away without a scratch, but his plane had some minor damage.

He said he was a bit embarrassed that his landing had garnered so much attention.

"If a real one [Spitfire] crashed I could understand the attention, but it's just a little replica one and it was pretty simple.

"The chances of you doing too much grief to yourself are pretty remote really.

"Underneath it there's nothing to snag and dig in. It's pretty smooth. I didn't land with too much flap so they wouldn't hit the ground.

"I just touched down on the radiators and skidded a few metres. It wasn't even too much of a jolt. I just got out and said, 'Bugger'."

When he first noticed the problem with the wheels he tried to fix it from the air. "I recycled it [the landing gear] to put it down again, but it wouldn't come down. It had jammed in that position," he said.

"I tried to pull some positive Gs on the aeroplane, turning it and flipping it, but that didn't release it. It had even jammed so much it wouldn't freefall. So I decided that I was probably going to have to do a wheels-up landing."

He radioed his wife Heather and told her to contact the airport manager and the fire brigade.

Seven fire engines, an ambulance and police were at the airport in case the landing did not go smoothly.

Mr Harding said the landing was simple and he was not afraid or panicking. "I've had incidents in aeroplanes before. There's pretty much nothing you can do, but bring it in and land it." 


http://www.stuff.co.nz



When pilot Richmond Harding got in trouble last night in his replica Spitfire, the first thing he did was call his wife Heather on the radio.

And what did Heather do? "What do you think I did? I panicked. I'm too old for all this jazz," she said.

When Harding's landing gear failed, Richmond knew he'd have a bumpy landing. But Heather notified emergency services by radio and kept talking to her husband.

Richmond said the landing gear failed to retract properly after he took off from Wanganui on his way home after catching another flight to Ardmore for the day.

"It's something that you prefer doesn't happen."

He circled the airfield while emergency services prepared "in case things turned to custard" then retracted the wheels and bellied the plane on to grass.

"I busted the prop but kept the revs down to reduce the stress on the engine so she's still pretty clean really."

The veteran topdressing pilot, said he'll keep the plane and continue flying. "She's a lovely wee thing really."

Asked if he was in trouble at home, Richmond just chuckled.

Heather said Richmond first flew 59 years ago. He's a veteran top-dressing planes and helicopter pilot, so Heather wasn't surprised he climbed out in one piece.

"He's a very good pilot so he should know how to land safely."

Heather had no desire to fly.

"I love him. We'll be married 52 years on October 10. So we're old buggers."

Her own favourite plane was the turbo-prop top-dressing plane, the SuperAir Cresco.
She wasn't such a fan of the Spitfire. 

"I don't know much about it, but I know it's a little bitch of a thing," Heather said.

 http://www.nzherald.co.nz

A replica WWII-era Spitfire plane has made an emergency landing at Whanganui Airport after its wheels malfunctioned. 

The pilot, the sole occupant of the plane, was unhurt in the incident which happened about 6:15pm today.

Airport manager Allan MacGibbon said the pilot h
ad been forced to make a "belly landing" on grass after the plane's wheels failed.

The plane had circled above the airport for about 30 minutes before it landed.

There was minor damage to the plane.  NZN


Spitfire lands safely after landing gear fails 


 A replica Spitfire made an emergency landing at Whanganui Airport on Saturday after its landing equipment failed.

The wheels on the aircraft did not come down and it had to make a belly landing on a grass landing strip.

Airport manager Allan MacGibbon says the pilot was not injured.

He says emergency crews were standing by, but the pilot is very experienced, having had more than 40,000 flying hours, and was able to land safely.

Mr MacGibbon says it is unlikely the emergency landing will deter the pilot from taking to the air again.   http://www.radionz.co.nz


Spitfire crash lands safely at Whanganui 

A replica spitfire crash landed at Whanganui Airport this evening after only one of its wheels deployed when the pilot came in to land.

The pilot safely landed the one-seater plane on its belly and was uninjured.

The fire service was called to the airport just before 6pm.

Whanganui Fire station officer Jes Sorensen said seven appliances attended as the incident was a full airport emergency until the plane was safely on the ground.

"We were told there was a spitfire circling the airport. Only one wheel had come down so the pilot decided he wanted to try and land on the grass.

"We had everything set up in case of an emergency with extra fire engines, a rescue unit and a command unit."

After circling the airport for 30 minutes to allow other planes to land, the pilot retracted the wheel and did a belly landing on the grass.

The plane skidded for about 160 metres before coming to a stop.

Sorensen said the male pilot was shaken, but otherwise uninjured.

"Our job was very easy. He did a perfect landing, bent his [propeller] and probably did some damage to the under side, but there was no fuel spill or danger from a fire. He was only shaken up and wasn't taken to hospital."  http://www.stuff.co.nz

California Pacific Airlines puts the 760 in aircraft registration

CARLSBAD —- California Pacific Airlines has put a touch of North County in its Federal Aviation Administration registration for its first aircraft.

The aircraft has been issued the FAA registration number of N760CP. California Pacific says it requested that particular designation, because the home base for the airline, in Carlsbad, lies in the 760 area code.

The company says it has requested the registration number of N619CP for its second aircraft, incorporating another San Diego County area code.

http://www.nctimes.com

California Pacific Airlines Taking Resumes for Upcoming Hiring

CP Air, Carlsbad’s newest airline scheduled to have non-stop services to destinations in California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico, is currently accepting applications for flight attendants. The airline had projected October 15 as the day it would start those non-stop services, but the new target is the first quarter of 2013 pending regulatory approval, said Randy Brown with CP Air.

According to the company’s website, “Preferably, our applicants should have E-JET experience and/or time serving as a check flight attendant/instructor with a Part 121 operator.”

Below are most requirments posted on the CP Air employment page:

Flight Attendant
  • Two years experience as a flight attendant for a Part 121 air carrier
  • High School diploma or GED
  • At least 21 years of age
  • Legally eligible to work in the U.S. (possess proper working documents)
  • Current passport or other travel documents enabling the bearer to freely exit and reenter the U.S. (multiple reentry status)
  • Minimum height of 4’11″
  • Vision correctable to 20/40
  • Ability to read, write and fluently speak and understand the English language
  • Dexterity in arms, hands, and fingers and be able to stand, sit, walk, bend, crouch, kneel, twist, and turn
  • Able to lift, push, and pull up to 75 pounds
Preferred Requirements:
  • Part 121 Check Flight Attendant experience
  • Flight Attendant Ground Instructor or experience in a teaching/training environment where the material is designed for adult (over 18 years old) participants
  • EMB 170/175/190/195 experience
Other:
  • Capable of working in a team-oriented setting
  • Excellent communications skills
  • Spanish-speaking ability a plus
  • Weight proportion to height
  • No visible tattoos, body art, tongue piercings or unusual piercings
  • DOT-required pre-employment drug test administered by California Pacific Airlines
  • TSA-required fingerprint-based Criminal History Records Check and a California Pacific Airlines background check.
To apply for the position, please send your cover letter and resumé here.

CP Air is also accepting applications for other job openings including pilots, according to flycpair.com.

http://carlsbad.patch.com

Wings Over North Georgia Air Show in flight again today


 Wings Over North Georgia Air Show in flight again today 
~
 

Thousands of pairs of eyes will squint into the sunlight as they watch the daring Canadian Forces Snowbirds perform fascinating feats across the sky as the 2012 Wings Over North Georgia Air Show continues today through Sunday.

The Richard B. Russell Regional Airport gates open to the public at 9 a.m. Air show officials are requesting that people park at State Mutual Stadium and take the shuttles provided to the show, which will run continuously throughout the day. Gates to the stadium open at 8:30 a.m. today and Sunday.
Handicap parking is available at the airport for those with handicap hanging tags or license plates. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to avoid heavy traffic.

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds headline the blockbuster lineup that also includes the Black Diamond Jet Demonstration Team, the U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet Demonstration Team, Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Car, John Klatt, Mike Goulian and his Extra 330 sponsored by Goodyear Aviation, and much more.

In order ensure a most enjoyable air show experience, officials encourage everyone to limit their personal carry-in items to only the essentials. The Air Concessions feature a variety of food and beverages for patrons’ enjoyment while on the grounds.

Chairs, blankets and umbrellas are permitted within the general admission seating area, but umbrellas must be a reasonable size and can’t inhibit the view of other attendees.

Temperatures are expected to be warm throughout the entire weekend and guests are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated and to remember sunscreen. Children and the elderly are particularly susceptible to the sun and should drink plenty of fluids and reapply sunscreen periodically.

The following items are not permitted on the show grounds:
  • All coolers (unless medically required)
  • All food and beverages, open or closed (except baby formula)
  • Backpacks
  • Camelbacks
  • Narcotics and drug paraphernalia
  • Camera bags larger than one cubic foot
  • Roller blades, skates and skateboards
  • Weapons (including, but not limited to knives, firearms, explosives, bio/radiological substances)
  • Bikes
  • No pets allowed through the gate unless they are service animals. No exceptions.

    General admission and premier seating options are now available for the 2012 Wings Over North Georgia air show at www.WingsOverNorthGeorgia.com.
Today's Schedule

8:30 a.m. — Parking and shuttle service starts. General Admission & Handicap Parking: $10 (*State Mutual Stadium)

9 a.m. — Airport gates open

10:45 to 11:15 a.m. — Opening ceremonies

11:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Air show

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Auto show and barbecue classic

11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — Barbecue classic people’s choice tasting center

6:30 p.m. — Airport gates close

7 p.m. — Shuttle service ends

SUNDAY

8:30 a.m. — Parking & shuttle service starts

9 a.m. — Airport gates open

10:45 to 11:15 a.m. — Air show opening ceremonies

11:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Air show

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. —  Auto show

5:30 p.m. — Airport gates close

6 p.m. —  Shuttle service ends

*Reserved Permit Parking Only (*Russell Regional Airport)

*Limited Handicap Permit Parking: $10 (*Russell Regional Airport)

*Limited Overflow Parking: $15 (*Russell Regional Airport)