Flying has always been a part of James Peeler’s life.
The owner of Northbrook International Ultraport, located at 2491 N.C. 274 in Cherryville, Peeler spends much of his time in the air.
“You don’t think of any of your ground-bound problems,” he said.
Peeler is a certified private pilot, ground instructor and flight instructor.
The Gaston County native grew up a block away from the old Gastonia airport (on Linwood Road). He had his first airplane ride at 4 years old.
When he was little, he would often pretend to be Superman, but he soon realized not everyone was granted the power to soar through the sky without additional, and necessary, equipment. While he said most young boys dream of flying, Peeler didn’t stop there. He made it his reality, despite a fear of heights.
Flying allows one to be in control and is a different feeling than being at the top of a tall building or climbing a ladder, he said.
He served in the Army Security Agency (ASA) in the Vietnam War, during which he was shot out of a helicopter over Laos.
On board were six men. Only two, including Peeler, made it out alive after surviving three days in the jungle.
That memory still lingers, and, since then, Peeler has avoided helicopters.
“I prefer airplanes,” he said.
Not all experiences during the war were negative, however. It’s also how he met his wife, a native of South Korea.
Once he returned home, around 1972, he soon resumed his passion for flying.
At first, he dabbled in hang-gliding.
“I ate half the beach,” he joked.
This led him to decide that he needed an engine.
He received ultralight-franchise training in Texas and then came back home to Gastonia. After working in the area, including owning a flying facility in Dallas for a while, Peeler eventually came upon his current property, 30 acres in total.
It was up for auction by the widow of Austin Beam and included two tracts of land, mostly consisting of cornfields. He purchased it in 1988 and soon registered it with the Federal Aviation Administration. Northbrook International Ultraport became a designated flight park in 1992.
The “jungle,” as Peeler described it, needed extensive work, including leveling, to allow for his runway. At 1,200 feet long, he typically needs only half of it to safely land his ultralight and light-sport planes. General-aviation aircraft would need all of it, he added.
A shorter, 800-foot-long runway is also on the premises.
He additionally offers hangars for rent and is an authorized dealer of ultralight aircraft, providing on-site assembly and assistance.
Peeler currently owns four planes, which he will buy and sell around.
Over the years, he’s trained roughly 3,100 people. He prides himself on the fact that not one of his students has ever sustained an injury during his instruction.
Light planes, he said, are the safest (and least-expensive) form of aviation. Driving to and from the airport is the most dangerous part, he said.
He doesn’t allow anyone without proper training to fly in or out of his ultraport. He also doesn’t allow untrained pilots to purchase any aircraft.
“If they don’t fly, they can’t buy,” he said.
His clientele has ranged from teens to a 92-year-old — who wanted to scratch “learning to fly” off his bucket list — and has included males, females, residents of Texas, Florida, New York and more. Most come from a 250-mile radius, however.
“It’s easy to fly — if it was hard, men couldn’t do it,” he joked.
The length of training varies depending on the certification level desired, whether it’s for a sport-pilot or an ultralight license. He usually has anywhere from about half a dozen students to nine on a regular basis. Once they graduate, a new wave can begin.
“I just try to impart what little bit I know,” he said modestly.
Flying, however, can’t happen every day. He flies during daylight hours and safe weather conditions only. He also limits flight lessons to no more than two hours, to prevent “sensory overload.”
Things have slowed down a bit from previous years, with prices of planes having gone up and people’s disposable income taking a hit during the economic downturn.
Nonetheless, he isn’t in it for the money. Many of his students have become his lifelong friends, often helping out with maintenance work and participating, along with Peeler, in various “fly-ins” at other airports and nearby airstrips —anywhere you can fly a Cessna — in the region and throughout the country, at times.
The largest is in Oshkosh, Wis., which he attended in July. At roughly 1,100 miles away, this requires frequent stops for fuel, taking about a day and a half in total.
Ultralight flying, he noted, is not about how fast you get somewhere but, instead, about enjoying the trip.
“I learn something new every day,” he noted.
Seeing the look on a student’s face the first time he or she flies solo is part of why he does what he does.
“To me, that’s what it’s all about,” Peeler said.
If his students have learned something and had fun, then he feels he has done his job.
The camaraderie with fellow pilots has enabled him to form a strong network within the ultralight community, and he spends many a weekend on trips to various functions, events and excursions to the beach. He also does “candy drops” for kids’ birthday parties.
“I think pilots are some of the best people in the world,” he said.
Beside allowing him to get from one place to another “a little faster,” flying also serves as a stress reliever.
“It gives you a deep appreciation of God’s green earth,” Peeler noted.
And he still gets a thrill every time he goes up, he added.
These days, he is staying busy enough to help support his “flying habit” and to pay his taxes, he said. He retired about four years ago from his day job as an environment consultant.
He shares a love of flying with his mother, often taking her for a spin since, at over 80, she no longer goes alone.
“She likes going up with me,” he said.
Once outside his backdoor, he gets an aerial view of various local landmarks and hidden treasures, including woods, trails, a creek and, a little farther away, Hart Square.
Moving forward, he is considering selling some of the property, piecing off a bit here and there.
With good health and good senses intact, he remains excited for the future. The fact that he’s still here indicates that he’s done something right all these years, he quipped.
“I’ve got a lot to look forward to,” he noted.
Continuing his passion for flying will be a part of that.
“Everyone is just as happy as they make up their mind to be,” Peeler said.
For more information on Northbrook International Ultraport, visit: www.nbiultraport.com.
Story and Photo: http://www.lincolntimesnews.com
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Plane club president defends ultralight track record - Australia
Despite a number of deaths in the Riverina, the safety of amateur-built sport and ultralight aircraft has been defended by one of the region’s flying clubs.
It comes after former Tumut deputy mayor Ben Dumbrell was killed when his light aircraft crashed on a private property near Adelong earlier this month.
An experienced pilot and passionate aviator, Mr Dumbrell was also a flying instructor with the Holbrook Ultralight Club (HUC), where he helped establish a pilot training school.
HUC president Bryan Gabriel said Mr Dumbrell was flying a Rand Robinson KR-2 light aircraft, not an ultralight at the time of his death.
Mr Gabriel told The Daily Advertiser yesterday he couldn’t comment on specific safety aspects of the amateur-built aircraft, citing it was constructed under the Sporting Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA) banner.
“I don’t know any history of that aircraft at all ... I think Ben was only the second owner of it,” Mr Gabriel said.
“KR-2s are amateur-built aircraft, but you do not have to belong to the SAAA in order to build, own or operate the aircraft,” SAAA national president, Martin Ongley, said in a statement.
“Mr Dumbrell was not a current member of the SAAA.”
Although he admitted there had been “a few” ultralight deaths in the club’s 28-year history, Mr Gabriel said the industry had suffered for decades as a result of media reports incorrectly stating some aircraft as ultralights.
He labelled people’s views on light aircraft accidents a “rather silly comparison” and said there were plenty of more dangerous activities including riding a quad bike or even using roller skates.
“I guess it’s because (the aircraft) are so unusual ... not a day goes by where you don’t see an accident involving a sedan,” Mr Gabriel said.
“We’ve had more accidents on Wagga Road involving people coming out to the airfield than in the aircraft.”
Former Tumut mayor John Larter told the Advertiser just after Mr Dumbrell’s death there would be some who were critical of light aircraft.
“I’m sure if he was going to go, that would have been how he’d want to go, he loved flying,” Mr Larter said.
“It’s just an unfortunate accident ... the last thing he would want is anything negative (to be said) of the aviation industry.”
In June last year, a 58-year-old man died after his ultralight crashed near Temora, while a couple were killed when their microlight plane caught fire and crashed after it clipped a windmill at a property on Stockinbingal Road near Cootamundra.
In October 2009, another crash near Hay claimed the life of a man in his 50s, while a number of people have escaped with only injuries after other crashes.
Most recently, two men were lucky to survive when a gust of wind unsettled a trike aircraft as it attempted to land at Wagga Airport in May.
Mr Dumbrell, acknowledged in his death notice as a “champion bloke”, will be farewelled at a memorial service in Tumut’s Stockwell Gardens today at 1.30pm, following his private cremation.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Tumut Hospital Auxiliary can be left at the service.
Source: http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au
Rand Robinson KR-2, VH-CTE, Accident occurred October 05, 2013 in Adelong, NSW - Australia
It comes after former Tumut deputy mayor Ben Dumbrell was killed when his light aircraft crashed on a private property near Adelong earlier this month.
An experienced pilot and passionate aviator, Mr Dumbrell was also a flying instructor with the Holbrook Ultralight Club (HUC), where he helped establish a pilot training school.
HUC president Bryan Gabriel said Mr Dumbrell was flying a Rand Robinson KR-2 light aircraft, not an ultralight at the time of his death.
Mr Gabriel told The Daily Advertiser yesterday he couldn’t comment on specific safety aspects of the amateur-built aircraft, citing it was constructed under the Sporting Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA) banner.
“I don’t know any history of that aircraft at all ... I think Ben was only the second owner of it,” Mr Gabriel said.
“KR-2s are amateur-built aircraft, but you do not have to belong to the SAAA in order to build, own or operate the aircraft,” SAAA national president, Martin Ongley, said in a statement.
“Mr Dumbrell was not a current member of the SAAA.”
Although he admitted there had been “a few” ultralight deaths in the club’s 28-year history, Mr Gabriel said the industry had suffered for decades as a result of media reports incorrectly stating some aircraft as ultralights.
He labelled people’s views on light aircraft accidents a “rather silly comparison” and said there were plenty of more dangerous activities including riding a quad bike or even using roller skates.
“I guess it’s because (the aircraft) are so unusual ... not a day goes by where you don’t see an accident involving a sedan,” Mr Gabriel said.
“We’ve had more accidents on Wagga Road involving people coming out to the airfield than in the aircraft.”
Former Tumut mayor John Larter told the Advertiser just after Mr Dumbrell’s death there would be some who were critical of light aircraft.
“I’m sure if he was going to go, that would have been how he’d want to go, he loved flying,” Mr Larter said.
“It’s just an unfortunate accident ... the last thing he would want is anything negative (to be said) of the aviation industry.”
In June last year, a 58-year-old man died after his ultralight crashed near Temora, while a couple were killed when their microlight plane caught fire and crashed after it clipped a windmill at a property on Stockinbingal Road near Cootamundra.
In October 2009, another crash near Hay claimed the life of a man in his 50s, while a number of people have escaped with only injuries after other crashes.
Most recently, two men were lucky to survive when a gust of wind unsettled a trike aircraft as it attempted to land at Wagga Airport in May.
Mr Dumbrell, acknowledged in his death notice as a “champion bloke”, will be farewelled at a memorial service in Tumut’s Stockwell Gardens today at 1.30pm, following his private cremation.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Tumut Hospital Auxiliary can be left at the service.
Source: http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au
Rand Robinson KR-2, VH-CTE, Accident occurred October 05, 2013 in Adelong, NSW - Australia
Anderson Regional Airport (KAND), South Carolina: Secret Service seizes Beechcraft Super King Air 200
ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) — Secret Service
agents have seized an airplane thought to be linked to two Anderson
County men accused in a gambling and money laundering operation.
The Anderson Independent-Mail reported (http://bit.ly/19P47UJ) the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 valued at $1 million had been stored at the Anderson Regional Airport for about a year.
Investigators think it is linked to J. Michael Caldwell and Bobby Mosley Sr.
Interim airport manager Steve Smith said agents were there late last week to take the eight-passenger plane that had leather seats and mahogany trim.
Smith said the staff at the airport considered Caldwell and Mosley to own the plane.
An indictment unsealed last week accuses Caldwell and Mosley of overseeing an operation that has accounted for $386 million in illegal gambling and money-laundering proceeds since 2005.
___
Information from: Anderson Independent-Mail, http://www.andersonsc.com
The Anderson Independent-Mail reported (http://bit.ly/19P47UJ) the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 valued at $1 million had been stored at the Anderson Regional Airport for about a year.
Investigators think it is linked to J. Michael Caldwell and Bobby Mosley Sr.
Interim airport manager Steve Smith said agents were there late last week to take the eight-passenger plane that had leather seats and mahogany trim.
Smith said the staff at the airport considered Caldwell and Mosley to own the plane.
An indictment unsealed last week accuses Caldwell and Mosley of overseeing an operation that has accounted for $386 million in illegal gambling and money-laundering proceeds since 2005.
___
Information from: Anderson Independent-Mail, http://www.andersonsc.com
Outagamie County Regional (KATW), Appleton, Wisconsin: Airport celebrates new general aviation terminal
GREENVILLE — The general aviation terminal at Outagamie County Regional Airport often serves as the gateway to the Fox Valley for corporate executives who travel to the area for business.
Outagamie County officials and other dignitaries on Tuesday celebrated the grand-opening of a new $3.6 million facility, which replaces the Platinum Flight Center terminal built in 1963.
“We’re very excited for the opportunities that this building will provide us by the way of sustainability initiatives to really push us into the future, marketing opportunities as well as the first impression for many as they step into the Fox Valley area,” said Outagamie County airport director Abe Weber.
The 8,000-square-foot terminal, along with a 12,000-square-foot hangar, fulfills the airport’s master plan to relocate the private terminal, charter activities and flight training to the south side of the grounds — away from the main terminal.
Previously, the general aviation terminal was located near the control tower, separate from the general aviation hangars.
“It’s really making a synergy for all the general aviation at Outagamie County,” said Pat Heil, a general manager at Platinum Flight Center, which operates the general aviation facility. “One of the neatest improvements is that once we moved to the south side of the airport ... there’s a lot more interaction between us and the tenants that are renting hangar space there. It just makes it that much easier for us to continue to grow those synergies and make a vibrant general aviation airport active again.”
The new general aviation terminal includes a new conference room overlooking the runway that is available for rent for business meetings or training seminars.
Platinum Flight Center also is partnering with the Meat Block in Greenville for catering services and to operate a deli area inside the general aviation terminal. The goal is to eventually offer a full-service restaurant after Fox Valley Technical College opens its new public safety training center next year on the airport’s south side, Heil said.
John Bergstrom, chairman and CEO of Bergstrom Automotive in Neenah, said the new facility is a key piece to a great airport.
“Representing the business community, I can’t thank you enough for what this building does and the signal that it sends for everybody in corporate transportation and private aviation,” he said. “This is a spectacular step forward.”
Shannon Full, president and CEO of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called the new general aviation terminal a significant addition to the airport that will continue to drive revenue and impact the entire Fox Valley.
“As we continue to strive to assist our existing companies with expansion opportunities as well as recruiting new companies to the area, we know that transportation — specifically air transportation — is one of the top factors in their decision-making process,” Full said. We need to make this region accessible to the world, allowing us to compete in that very fierce global marketplace.”
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson lauded the facility’s energy efficiency and sustainability, noting it was designed to “net zero” standards — which means it produces as much energy as it consumes. The building features geothermal heating, rooftop solar and natural lighting.
“This airport is the gate to the Fox Cities, to Outagamie County and to northeast Wisconsin,” Nelson said. “In addition to its being a portal of commerce and tourism, it’s the front door to our home. As such, it creates an impression of the kind of people that live here — forward-thinking but given to the benefits of conservation, stylish but tasteful and practical. ...
“This building and the campus in which it stands serve as a reminder that Outagamie County is home to great people and is a great place to live today and tomorrow.”
Story, Video and Photo: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com
Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (KZPH), Florida: Runway rehab contractor selected
ZEPHYRHILLS — The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously accepted the low bid of a Tallahassee construction company Monday for a runway rehabilitation project at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.
C.W. Roberts Contracting was selected from five bidders with a low bid of $4.7 million.
The company will rehab the airport’s runway 4-22, which is in disrepair, and install lighting on taxiway A. Mike Handrahan, airport manager, said it is the largest project to improve the airport since it was built in the 1940s.
“It will include a complete rebuild [of the runway] from the base,” Handrahan said. He said the project also will include more than 80 lighting fixtures on taxiway A and construction of a new aircraft run-up pad for runway 18.
About $5 million in funds from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Florida Department of Transportation and the city will be used for the project. Preparatory expenses for the project make up the difference between the bid and the available funding.
The airport’s 4-22 runway is 5,001 feet long and 100 feet wide. Initial funding would only pay for a 75-foot width for the runway project, but Handrahan said that would be detrimental to airport business and growth. Corporate jets often will not land on 75-foot wide runways, he said.
The city appealed to the FDOT to provide funding to rehab the runway at 100 feet wide and it was approved. Airport staff also found extra money by deferring other airport projects.
The exact start date for the project has not been set. The contractor is expected to begin soon and the project is expected to take about nine months to complete.
In other action, the council also unanimously approved Chancey Road Christian Church and The Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills as partners in applying for a state grant on homeless prevention.
City Manager Jim Drumm told the council that the funds being sought are leftover funds from a state Emergency Solutions grant. In March, Drumm had received complaints from council members and the public because he did not take advantage of the grant.
Drumm said he didn’t have enough time to complete the application.
“We learned about it very late and we were given a very short window to prepare,” he said in March. “We had less than 10 days to get it processed, and we were concerned that it wasn’t enough time to put together a quality proposal.”
Drumm said the city was informed of the availability of the leftover funds last week and that staff “quickly scrambled” to review the grant requirements and advertise the need for a nonprofit partner to administer the grant funds.
To ensure success, the city approached several organizations that were determined to have the know-how to carry out the administrative duties. Chancey Road Christian Church and The Samaritan Project applied jointly and were the only applications received.
Samaritan Project and the Chancey Road Christian Church joined together for the grant because a paperwork error by the state has delayed The Samaritan Project’s nonprofit status approval.
The purpose of the grant is to assist individuals and families in finding permanent housing. The grant pays for both housing relocation, including rental application fees, security deposits, utility deposits or payments, last month’s rent, and housing search costs.
Source: http://tbo.com
C.W. Roberts Contracting was selected from five bidders with a low bid of $4.7 million.
The company will rehab the airport’s runway 4-22, which is in disrepair, and install lighting on taxiway A. Mike Handrahan, airport manager, said it is the largest project to improve the airport since it was built in the 1940s.
“It will include a complete rebuild [of the runway] from the base,” Handrahan said. He said the project also will include more than 80 lighting fixtures on taxiway A and construction of a new aircraft run-up pad for runway 18.
About $5 million in funds from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Florida Department of Transportation and the city will be used for the project. Preparatory expenses for the project make up the difference between the bid and the available funding.
The airport’s 4-22 runway is 5,001 feet long and 100 feet wide. Initial funding would only pay for a 75-foot width for the runway project, but Handrahan said that would be detrimental to airport business and growth. Corporate jets often will not land on 75-foot wide runways, he said.
The city appealed to the FDOT to provide funding to rehab the runway at 100 feet wide and it was approved. Airport staff also found extra money by deferring other airport projects.
The exact start date for the project has not been set. The contractor is expected to begin soon and the project is expected to take about nine months to complete.
In other action, the council also unanimously approved Chancey Road Christian Church and The Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills as partners in applying for a state grant on homeless prevention.
City Manager Jim Drumm told the council that the funds being sought are leftover funds from a state Emergency Solutions grant. In March, Drumm had received complaints from council members and the public because he did not take advantage of the grant.
Drumm said he didn’t have enough time to complete the application.
“We learned about it very late and we were given a very short window to prepare,” he said in March. “We had less than 10 days to get it processed, and we were concerned that it wasn’t enough time to put together a quality proposal.”
Drumm said the city was informed of the availability of the leftover funds last week and that staff “quickly scrambled” to review the grant requirements and advertise the need for a nonprofit partner to administer the grant funds.
To ensure success, the city approached several organizations that were determined to have the know-how to carry out the administrative duties. Chancey Road Christian Church and The Samaritan Project applied jointly and were the only applications received.
Samaritan Project and the Chancey Road Christian Church joined together for the grant because a paperwork error by the state has delayed The Samaritan Project’s nonprofit status approval.
The purpose of the grant is to assist individuals and families in finding permanent housing. The grant pays for both housing relocation, including rental application fees, security deposits, utility deposits or payments, last month’s rent, and housing search costs.
Source: http://tbo.com
Huntingburg Airport (KHNB), Indiana: Fuel sales profitable and Frosty Jones Flying Club idea forms
One year ago the Dubois County Airport Authority board was preparing to take over the fixed-base operator (FBO) services at the airport after Dubois County Flight Services announced they would no longer be offering those services as of March 2013.
With the uncertainty of what financial resources would be required to take on the monumental task, the airport authority added money into their budget to cover the expenses.
Now, after working as the FBO for about six months, another scenario has emerged: the board is making money: on both fuel and storage rental fees.
And, the demand is growing.
Airport Manager Travis McQueen told the board at their meeting Monday night that their hangars are full and they are getting requests for additional storage.
“I took a phone call today (on hangar 3), a gentleman was asking what it would take to rent the whole thing,” McQueen said. “All of a sudden we’re at capacity and we’ve got to add additional capacity.”
McQueen said he welcomes the challenges created by the development. “That brings more aircraft to the airport,” he explained. “What does that do for business? What does that do for economic development? I think it adds value to both of those points.”
Meanwhile, the sale of aircraft fuel is also going well. The airport has sold over 55,600 gallons of Jet A (fuel) alone. McQueen says this ”hugely” surpasses their expectations.
Based on the fuels sales, the Airport Board decided to examine a tiered structure for fuel prices that will give existing customers reasons to keep buying and help attract new aircraft and customers to the airport.
The board also heard of an idea to form a flying club at the airport. McQueen stated other local airports have formed flying clubs to increase upfront capitol for expenses.
Members pay a membership fee and receive various benefits for their membership like reduced rates for airplane rental from the airport.
The club’s name, the Frosty Jones Flying Club, pays homage to the founder of the Huntingburg Airport Forrest May “Frosty” Jones. Jones brought several business owners together to invest in the airport and using the funds raised purchased the land where the airport is located. When the airport opened in 1937, it was little more than a dirt track but, through the years, it has become an economic linchpin for the continued success of the county.
The board also heard:
-The precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights were back online.
-Heard that Dubois County Airport Authority President Mike Cummings and McQueen met with the Henderson, KY, Airport manager to discuss options to expand aircraft storage at Huntingburg Airport.
-The authority is still waiting on the property value assessments to be completed on the acreage the authority plans on acquiring easements to remove trees creating an obstruction for night landings.
The authority learned in June that the runway was no longer approved for instrument approaches from the west at night due to trees and three towers considered to be obstructions.
Source: http://www.duboiscounty
Air Canada: Airline's email about lost dog stirs outrage
MONTREAL – Air Canada is in the doghouse over a spokesman's remarks following the disappearance of a dog who escaped airline staff at a California airport.
The company says handlers at San Francisco International Airport took the dog out of his crate on Monday after his flight was delayed and the pet either slipped out of his collar or broke it.
Air Canada says the dog – an Italian greyhound named Larry – bolted, and was last spotted about five miles from the airport.
The local CBS TV station took interest in Larry's disappearance and says it asked the airline about its procedures after obtaining a statement about the incident.
Instead, the station says it accidentally received an email from spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick urging his colleagues to ignore the inquiry -- and what sounded like a jab at the U.S. government shutdown.
"I think I would just ignore, it is local news doing a story on a lost dog. Their entire government is shut down and about to default and this is how the U.S. media spends its time," the station said the email read.
Word quickly spread online, with many voicing their outrage over the company's response.
"If you ever fly with your pet, you might not want to choose Air Canada," one wrote on Twitter.
The airline addressed the controversy in a statement Friday.
"Air Canada acknowledges inappropriate comments were made in response to a reporter's follow-up questions for additional details regarding Larry," it said.
"However, Air Canada has been providing the best available information to media on this matter. These comments do not reflect Air Canada's standards or professionalism, and do not refer to the search for Larry byAir Canada employees which is ongoing."
Larry's temporary owner said she was furious when she heard about the message.
"I was angry... (but) I was not surprised that someone could be that stupid. It was an incredibly stupid, very cold, callous email," Jutta Kulic said from Sacramento, California, where she is travelling for a dog show.
Kulic, who lives in Ohio, said she was taking care of Larry after his owner, a friend of hers, died of cancer. The friend wanted her dogs placed in "loving homes," she said. Larry was on his way to Canada, when he vanished, she said.
He was placed in a crate secured with several zip ties and Kulic said she gave staff specific instructions not to take him out.
Air Canada said staff continues to search for Larry and have put up posters near the airport.
Kulic, meanwhile, said she's received reports of sightings and has reason to believe Larry was struck by a vehicle on a highway on-ramp sometime this week.
But no remains have been found and she said she's not sure whether he survived.
Source: http://www.wtsp.com
The company says handlers at San Francisco International Airport took the dog out of his crate on Monday after his flight was delayed and the pet either slipped out of his collar or broke it.
Air Canada says the dog – an Italian greyhound named Larry – bolted, and was last spotted about five miles from the airport.
The local CBS TV station took interest in Larry's disappearance and says it asked the airline about its procedures after obtaining a statement about the incident.
Instead, the station says it accidentally received an email from spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick urging his colleagues to ignore the inquiry -- and what sounded like a jab at the U.S. government shutdown.
"I think I would just ignore, it is local news doing a story on a lost dog. Their entire government is shut down and about to default and this is how the U.S. media spends its time," the station said the email read.
Word quickly spread online, with many voicing their outrage over the company's response.
"If you ever fly with your pet, you might not want to choose Air Canada," one wrote on Twitter.
The airline addressed the controversy in a statement Friday.
"Air Canada acknowledges inappropriate comments were made in response to a reporter's follow-up questions for additional details regarding Larry," it said.
"However, Air Canada has been providing the best available information to media on this matter. These comments do not reflect Air Canada's standards or professionalism, and do not refer to the search for Larry byAir Canada employees which is ongoing."
Larry's temporary owner said she was furious when she heard about the message.
"I was angry... (but) I was not surprised that someone could be that stupid. It was an incredibly stupid, very cold, callous email," Jutta Kulic said from Sacramento, California, where she is travelling for a dog show.
Kulic, who lives in Ohio, said she was taking care of Larry after his owner, a friend of hers, died of cancer. The friend wanted her dogs placed in "loving homes," she said. Larry was on his way to Canada, when he vanished, she said.
He was placed in a crate secured with several zip ties and Kulic said she gave staff specific instructions not to take him out.
Air Canada said staff continues to search for Larry and have put up posters near the airport.
Kulic, meanwhile, said she's received reports of sightings and has reason to believe Larry was struck by a vehicle on a highway on-ramp sometime this week.
But no remains have been found and she said she's not sure whether he survived.
Source: http://www.wtsp.com
Ranchers offered plane rides to find livestock, disposal begins Wednesday
Butte County Emergency Management Director Martha Wierzbicki, left, and Marc and Sheri Crandall made arrangements Monday for Crandall's offer to take ranchers up in his Sturgis-based airplane to look for livestock. Monday the Spearfish and rural Vale resident said the low fog would have made flights impossible.
There's a lot going on for Butte County ranchers identifying lost or dead livestock, according to Martha Wierzbicki, Butte County Emergency Management director.
She announced Tuesday morning that beginning Oct. 16, the South Dakota State University Extension Office will help record, photograph and GPS dead livestock on county road rights of way, including recording brands and ear tags.
Starting Wednesday, she said, the county highway department will begin removing dead livestock from county rights of ways to be buried on county property.
Wierzbicki said her office will contract producers with copies of the documentation.
Help also is available for ranchers to find livestock.
Marc Crandall said he's a private pilot with a ranch background who will offer area ranchers a plane ride to help them find their livestock faster and easier than on horseback or four-wheeler.
Crandall and his wife Sheri met with Wierzbicki Monday in Spearfish to make arrangements and let the public know they're willing to do what they can to help ranchers hit by torrents of cold rain and an avalanche of early October snow.
Crandall is a custom sprayer with a Wyoming ranch background. He currently lives in Spearfish and has a place near Vale in Butte County. He's a Newell Fire Department volunteer.
And he has a Piper Pacer airplane based at the Sturgis airport.
"I'm not commercial, I'm just a private pilot," Crandall said. "It's a four-place airplane, but I'd be more comfortable with just myself and a passenger - I think we'd be more safe."
He figures the plane would have an endurance of about three and a half hours in the air per flight, depending on weather and dips up and down to potentially identify livestock.
He said the plane usually has decent cell phone service. "I'd rather locate them (missing livestock) and call."
He has a GPS on the plane to help document where livestock are found.
Crandall said he knows many of the lost cattle and sheep, even horses, may be dead from the fall storm, but ranchers need to know where they are. Nothing could help look through draws and gullies faster and safer than an airplane.
Sheri said the two don't currently have livestock, but they know what ranchers are going through.
Wierzbicki said she takes ranchers' losses not only seriously, but personally. "My family lost 80 percent of its herd. Some were found with cow and her calf standing on bare ground, both dead."
Marc added, "How do you buy those genetics back?"
Sheri said it's a matter of ranchers having to start over.
Even when losing a family member, she said, daily life continues. Loss of a ranch family's cattle or sheep means losing a lifestyle.
Wierzbicki added that this is the time of year ranchers are usually selling calves and lambs to pay their taxes and bank loans.
The storm hit before many could pull their livestock off summer pasture to take to market.
She added, "Now they're snowblind and stressed."
Many cattle strayed for miles: "We'll sort it out later. They're stressed enough."
Sheri said, "We wanted to do something, and not everybody has access to an airplane."
Marc said, "I'm a private pilot; I can't charge anybody, but we live here, we're part of the community."
Sheri added, "We do ask that people use it from need to survey damage."
She added that townspeople often don't realize what the storm losses mean to them.
"I don't think they understand it's the only thing that sustains this part of the country," she said.
"The story is the dead animals."
Story and Photo: http://rapidcityjournal.com
There's a lot going on for Butte County ranchers identifying lost or dead livestock, according to Martha Wierzbicki, Butte County Emergency Management director.
She announced Tuesday morning that beginning Oct. 16, the South Dakota State University Extension Office will help record, photograph and GPS dead livestock on county road rights of way, including recording brands and ear tags.
Starting Wednesday, she said, the county highway department will begin removing dead livestock from county rights of ways to be buried on county property.
Wierzbicki said her office will contract producers with copies of the documentation.
Help also is available for ranchers to find livestock.
Marc Crandall said he's a private pilot with a ranch background who will offer area ranchers a plane ride to help them find their livestock faster and easier than on horseback or four-wheeler.
Crandall and his wife Sheri met with Wierzbicki Monday in Spearfish to make arrangements and let the public know they're willing to do what they can to help ranchers hit by torrents of cold rain and an avalanche of early October snow.
Crandall is a custom sprayer with a Wyoming ranch background. He currently lives in Spearfish and has a place near Vale in Butte County. He's a Newell Fire Department volunteer.
And he has a Piper Pacer airplane based at the Sturgis airport.
"I'm not commercial, I'm just a private pilot," Crandall said. "It's a four-place airplane, but I'd be more comfortable with just myself and a passenger - I think we'd be more safe."
He figures the plane would have an endurance of about three and a half hours in the air per flight, depending on weather and dips up and down to potentially identify livestock.
He said the plane usually has decent cell phone service. "I'd rather locate them (missing livestock) and call."
He has a GPS on the plane to help document where livestock are found.
Crandall said he knows many of the lost cattle and sheep, even horses, may be dead from the fall storm, but ranchers need to know where they are. Nothing could help look through draws and gullies faster and safer than an airplane.
Sheri said the two don't currently have livestock, but they know what ranchers are going through.
Wierzbicki said she takes ranchers' losses not only seriously, but personally. "My family lost 80 percent of its herd. Some were found with cow and her calf standing on bare ground, both dead."
Marc added, "How do you buy those genetics back?"
Sheri said it's a matter of ranchers having to start over.
Even when losing a family member, she said, daily life continues. Loss of a ranch family's cattle or sheep means losing a lifestyle.
Wierzbicki added that this is the time of year ranchers are usually selling calves and lambs to pay their taxes and bank loans.
The storm hit before many could pull their livestock off summer pasture to take to market.
She added, "Now they're snowblind and stressed."
Many cattle strayed for miles: "We'll sort it out later. They're stressed enough."
Sheri said, "We wanted to do something, and not everybody has access to an airplane."
Marc said, "I'm a private pilot; I can't charge anybody, but we live here, we're part of the community."
Sheri added, "We do ask that people use it from need to survey damage."
She added that townspeople often don't realize what the storm losses mean to them.
"I don't think they understand it's the only thing that sustains this part of the country," she said.
"The story is the dead animals."
Story and Photo: http://rapidcityjournal.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)