Reported: Apr. 23, 2014 4:17 PM EDT
Updated: Apr. 23, 2014 6:31 PM EDT
MARMET, W.Va. (Dan Matics, Jeff Morris) -- A search for a plane that some witnesses believed had crashed in the Marmet area has been called off.
Deputies said a plane disappeared off the radar Wednesday at Yeager Airport in Charleston. About the same time, witnesses reported seeing a small plane with a white cab and blue tail flying low in the Marmet area, and they believed it crashed near Turnpike Ford in the 7800 block of MacCorkle Avenue.
Rescuers later learned that the plane that disappeared off the radar at Yeager later landed safely at the airport.
West Virginia State Police had planned to take a helicopter up in the air to search for the plane, but all search efforts have now been called off.
MARMET, W.Va. (Mamie Buoy, Elizabeth Noreika, Jeff Morris) -- Kanawha County deputies said Wednesday they believe a plane that reportedly crashed is OK, but the search will continue as a precaution.
Deputies said a plane disappeared off the radar at Yeager Airport in Charleston. About the same time, witnesses reported seeing a small plane with a white cab and blue tail flying low in the Marmet area, and they believed it crashed near Turnpike Ford in the 7800 block of MacCorkle Avenue.
Rescuers later learned that the plane that disappeared off the radar at Yeager later landed safely at the airport.
West Virginia State Police still plan to take up a helicopter to conduct a search as a precaution.
MARMET, W.Va. (Mamie Buoy, Elizabeth Norekia, Jeff Morris) -- Metro 911 said witnesses reported Wednesday afternoon seeing a small plane with a white cab and a blue tail flying low and believed it crashed in the Marmet area.
Emergency responders were heading to the 7800 block of MacCorkle Avenue near Turnpike Ford to search for the possible crash.
The Marmet Fire Department reported in a Twitter post it is heading to the Rush Creek area.
West Virginia State Police plan to get a helicopter up in the air to assist in the search.
MARMET, W.Va. (Jeff Morris, Elizabeth Noreika) -- The Marmet Fire Department reports it is responding to a possible plane crash.
The fire department said in a Twitter post that it is heading toward an area in Rush Creek.
Metro 911 said a witness reported seeing a plane go down near Turnpike Ford in the 7800 block of MacCorkle Avenue.
MARMET, W.Va. (Jeff Morris) -- Metro 911 said a search is under way after a witness reported seeing a plane go down in the 7800 block of MacCorkle Avenue.
The area is near Turnpike Ford in Marmet.
Eyewitness News has a crew headed to the scene. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
Story and video: http://www.wchstv.com
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Cessna 172M Skyhawk, HR-AVH, Alas Flight School: Accident occurred April 23, 2014 in Gracias, Honduras
TEGUCIGALPA – Four people were killed Wednesday when their small aircraft crashed and burst into flames near the western city of Gracias, Honduran authorities said.
The accident occurred the same day that President Juan Orlando Hernandez traveled to Gracias – his home town – to inaugurate a new airport.
“Deeply moved for the victims of the air accident, may the presence of God be a balm for their families in these difficult moments,” the president said on Twitter after learning of the crash.
Killed were student pilot Hamilton San Martin and all three passengers: Doris Guillen; Lilian Isabel Mondragon; and the second woman’s son, Franco Jose Diaz, fire rescue officials said.
Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the accident, Honduras’ civil aviation director, Col. Jose Navarro, told reporters.
“The plane was not flying overloaded and we don’t know what happened,” he said.
Story: http://www.laht.com
El accidente ocurrió en una montaña en la comunidad de Villa Verde, en el departamento de Lempira, en el occidente de Honduras.
Cuatro personas murieron este miércoles luego que una avioneta se estrellara en la comunidad de Villa Verde en Celaque, departamento de Lempira, ubicado en el occidente de Honduras.
El presidente de Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, lamentó lo ocurrido, informaron fuentes militares y de socorro. El accidente ocurrió en el caserío de Villa Verde, a tres kilómetros de la ciudad de Gracias, donde Hernández había inaugurado un pequeño aeropuerto para agilizar el transporte de turistas.
Juan Orlando Hernández lamentó el fallecimiento de las cuatro personas, todas hondureñas, y aseguró que el Gobierno afrontará "con responsabilidad" está difícil situación. "Profundamente conmovido con las víctimas del accidente aéreo, la presencia de Dios sea bálsamo en estos momentos difíciles a sus familias", expresó el mandatario en su cuenta oficial de Twitter.
Las víctimas mortales fueron identificadas como Hamilton San Martín (29), un estudiante de aviación que pilotaba la aeronave; la doctora Doris Guillén y Lilian Isabel Mondragón y su hijo Francisco José Díaz, afirmó el Cuerpo de Bomberos.
Según la información preliminar, la aeronave cayó por causas que aún se desconocen y se incendió a continuación, carbonizando a los cuatro tripulantes.
El director de Aeronáutica Civil, coronel José Navarro, dijo a periodistas que había pocas nubes en el área a la hora del incidente y señaló que hasta el momento se desconocen las causas del accidente.
"La avioneta no iba sobrecargada y no sabemos qué fue lo que pasó", subrayó Navarro, sin dar más detalles.
Los medios locales informaron, citando el testimonio de lugareños, que la pequeña aeronave era propiedad de la Escuela Nacional de Aviación y que tres de los fallecidos subieron al avión para hacer un recorrido por la colonial ciudad de Gracias.
Walter Polanco, esposo de la doctora Guillén, afirmó a periodistas que su mujer "subió a la aeronave para dar un paseo".
"El dolor está sobre mí, es desconcertante. Dicen que nadie sobrevivió", apuntó.
Equipos especializados de la Dirección de Aeronáutica Civil, Fuerza Aérea Hondureña y el Comité Permanente de Contingencias se encuentran en el lugar del accidente para las investigaciones correspondientes.
Paseaban por la zona
La avioneta que se estrelló estuvo dando paseos a las personas que querían conocer la zona. El valor por pasajero era de 500 lempiras.
Se había planeado que el vuelo en el que perecieron las cuatro personas, segundo del día en esa zona, durara 10 minutos.
Lilian Isabel Mondragón y su hijo Francisco José Díaz Mondragón son parte de la reconocida familia Mondragón que es querida y conocida en Gracias, Lempira.
Story, photo and video: http://www.laprensa.hn
The accident occurred the same day that President Juan Orlando Hernandez traveled to Gracias – his home town – to inaugurate a new airport.
“Deeply moved for the victims of the air accident, may the presence of God be a balm for their families in these difficult moments,” the president said on Twitter after learning of the crash.
Killed were student pilot Hamilton San Martin and all three passengers: Doris Guillen; Lilian Isabel Mondragon; and the second woman’s son, Franco Jose Diaz, fire rescue officials said.
Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the accident, Honduras’ civil aviation director, Col. Jose Navarro, told reporters.
“The plane was not flying overloaded and we don’t know what happened,” he said.
Story: http://www.laht.com
El accidente ocurrió en una montaña en la comunidad de Villa Verde, en el departamento de Lempira, en el occidente de Honduras.
Cuatro personas murieron este miércoles luego que una avioneta se estrellara en la comunidad de Villa Verde en Celaque, departamento de Lempira, ubicado en el occidente de Honduras.
El presidente de Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, lamentó lo ocurrido, informaron fuentes militares y de socorro. El accidente ocurrió en el caserío de Villa Verde, a tres kilómetros de la ciudad de Gracias, donde Hernández había inaugurado un pequeño aeropuerto para agilizar el transporte de turistas.
Juan Orlando Hernández lamentó el fallecimiento de las cuatro personas, todas hondureñas, y aseguró que el Gobierno afrontará "con responsabilidad" está difícil situación. "Profundamente conmovido con las víctimas del accidente aéreo, la presencia de Dios sea bálsamo en estos momentos difíciles a sus familias", expresó el mandatario en su cuenta oficial de Twitter.
Las víctimas mortales fueron identificadas como Hamilton San Martín (29), un estudiante de aviación que pilotaba la aeronave; la doctora Doris Guillén y Lilian Isabel Mondragón y su hijo Francisco José Díaz, afirmó el Cuerpo de Bomberos.
Según la información preliminar, la aeronave cayó por causas que aún se desconocen y se incendió a continuación, carbonizando a los cuatro tripulantes.
El director de Aeronáutica Civil, coronel José Navarro, dijo a periodistas que había pocas nubes en el área a la hora del incidente y señaló que hasta el momento se desconocen las causas del accidente.
"La avioneta no iba sobrecargada y no sabemos qué fue lo que pasó", subrayó Navarro, sin dar más detalles.
Los medios locales informaron, citando el testimonio de lugareños, que la pequeña aeronave era propiedad de la Escuela Nacional de Aviación y que tres de los fallecidos subieron al avión para hacer un recorrido por la colonial ciudad de Gracias.
Walter Polanco, esposo de la doctora Guillén, afirmó a periodistas que su mujer "subió a la aeronave para dar un paseo".
"El dolor está sobre mí, es desconcertante. Dicen que nadie sobrevivió", apuntó.
Equipos especializados de la Dirección de Aeronáutica Civil, Fuerza Aérea Hondureña y el Comité Permanente de Contingencias se encuentran en el lugar del accidente para las investigaciones correspondientes.
Paseaban por la zona
La avioneta que se estrelló estuvo dando paseos a las personas que querían conocer la zona. El valor por pasajero era de 500 lempiras.
Se había planeado que el vuelo en el que perecieron las cuatro personas, segundo del día en esa zona, durara 10 minutos.
Lilian Isabel Mondragón y su hijo Francisco José Díaz Mondragón son parte de la reconocida familia Mondragón que es querida y conocida en Gracias, Lempira.
Story, photo and video: http://www.laprensa.hn
Braden Airpark (N43) to remain open for six months, if not longer
A local airport facing closure has gotten a reprieve – for now.
At Tuesday's board meeting, the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority agreed to a six-month extension of the April 22 deadline for deciding Braden Airpark's future.
The airport, in Forks Township, is used by general aviation pilots and has been facing growing financial uncertainty. This year, the airport's estimated operational loss is $75,000, said Charles Everett, executive director of Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.
The board agreed to set up an ad hoc committee to look at all possible options, Everett said.
"Braden Airpark has to break even," Everett said. Alternatives include selling the land and keeping it as an airport or distributing the expense of operating Braden over three airports, which would include Queen City Airport in Allentown and Lehigh Valley International Airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
"It's under consideration, and we'll look at it some more," Everett said. "We evaluated it and we made some recommendations. We will work diligently so we can make a decision in six months."
Source: http://www.lvb.com
At Tuesday's board meeting, the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority agreed to a six-month extension of the April 22 deadline for deciding Braden Airpark's future.
The airport, in Forks Township, is used by general aviation pilots and has been facing growing financial uncertainty. This year, the airport's estimated operational loss is $75,000, said Charles Everett, executive director of Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.
The board agreed to set up an ad hoc committee to look at all possible options, Everett said.
"Braden Airpark has to break even," Everett said. Alternatives include selling the land and keeping it as an airport or distributing the expense of operating Braden over three airports, which would include Queen City Airport in Allentown and Lehigh Valley International Airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
"It's under consideration, and we'll look at it some more," Everett said. "We evaluated it and we made some recommendations. We will work diligently so we can make a decision in six months."
Source: http://www.lvb.com
Feds’ Searches Of Private Planes Don’t Fly With Pilots, Lawmakers
Amid an uptick in searches of private aircraft, lawmakers and an association of aircraft owners and pilots see an overreach on the part of Customs and Border Protection.
By Matthew Heller | April 23, 2014
LOS ANGELES — When real estate investment banker Gabriel Silverstein landed his Cirrus SR22 single-engine general aviation aircraft for a fuel stop at the Iowa City Municipal Airport last May, he was greeted with a scene like something out of “Miami Vice.”
More than half a dozen local law enforcement officers and federal agents in tan jumpsuits told him he had no choice but to submit to a search of his plane, according to an account he gave to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The handler of a drug-sniffing dog, he recalled, “informed me that the dog was inspecting the plane and … that I had to open the cargo door.”
For about two hours, Silverstein, who was heading back to New Jersey after a cross-country trip to California, stood by as the plane was searched, the contents of his luggage spread on the runway. The only thing the K9 paid any attention to was a box containing oil and de-icing fluid.
“I was very angry,” Silverstein told MintPress News in an interview. “I really felt violated as an American citizen on American soil who is suddenly put under a police state, 1940s thing.”
He later identified the federal agents’ uniform insignia from a photo on the Department of Homeland Security’s website that shows a staffer of Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations Center. And he and the AOPA now believe he is one of at least 50 private pilots to have been wrongfully targeted in the past year or so for a “zero suspicion” search as part of America’s ever-expanding domestic surveillance network.
From an air reserve base in Riverside, Calif., the center operates the Air and Marine Operations Surveillance System, which uses extensive radar networks to electronically monitor thousands of private domestic aircraft flights in real time.
Customs and Border Protection says the program helps in the war on drugs and in the post-9/11 efforts to protect national security. According to the Los Angeles Times, it has investigated 1,375 flights during the three years and five months ending in February, of which authorities intercepted 212 at airports and made 39 drug-related arrests.
In an August letter to the AOPA, the acting commissioner of the customs agency said agents are exercising their authority to inspect a pilot’s operating certificate and, in the course of conducting such an inspection, “facts may arise meriting further investigation or search to the extent authorized under the Constitution and federal law.”
But the association, which represents nearly 400,000 pilots nationwide, and some lawmakers say Customs and Border Protection is “piggybacking” on the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration and has failed to provide a convincing rationale for subjecting general aviation pilots like Silverstein to what can be harrowing searches.
“Our members are very concerned about an agency that is overstepping their bounds in an obvious abuse of power,” the association’s spokesperson Katie Pribyl told MintPress.
Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri has called for the DHS’s internal watchdog to investigate the program, noting that “[t]o my knowledge, none of these searches have produced evidence of criminal activity by these pilots.”
“Are the reasons for singling out certain flights for further inspection consistent with the principles of reasonable suspicion, probably [sic] cause and other provisions of the Fourth Amendment?” he asked the DHS in September.
“We’re going to search your plane”
At the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada, where Customs and Border Protection conducts most of its operations, a warrant is not required for a search. But through the Air and Marine Operations Surveillance System, the agency has apparently been performing warrantless searches on private planes deep in the country’s interior.
The interception process starts with Air and Marine Operations Center staffers at the March Air Reserve Base who, using data from 700 radar installations in the U.S. and neighboring countries, can track up to 50,000 aircraft and ships at any time. When the center detects what is believed to be a suspicious flight, agents are directed to meet the plane on the runway at its next stop.
According to the AOPA, such searches have been going on since 9/11 but there has been a significant spike over the past year or so. Pilots have reported being tailed by military helicopters and surrounded by armed agents upon landing, being confronted at gunpoint by authorities wearing SWAT gear, and having their planes taken apart by officers who were not trained mechanics.
“AOPA doesn’t object to law enforcement officers stopping and searching general aviation aircraft when they have a legitimate reason to do so — in other words, probable cause or reasonable suspicion of illegal activity,” Pribyl said. “But it’s our position that federal law enforcement officers have absolutely no authority to stop [general aviation] aircraft without meeting that legal standard.”
Silverstein uses his plane in part to inspect real estate in remote areas of the country that are not serviced by commercial flights. “There’s nothing in my life that could possibly be cause for [Customs and Border Protection] to do anything,” he said.
On May 1, 2013, he and his partner were subjected to a “ramp check” of their aviation paperwork during a fuel stop in Hobart, Okla. Two agents in tan jumpsuits conducted the inspection, which he thought was “weird” because ramp checks are usually done by FAA personnel.
Four days later, Silverstein was in the service center of the airport in Iowa City filing his next flight plan when local police and Customs and Border Protection agents “descended upon us.” Outside on the runway, the drug-detecting dog was already being walked around his aircraft.
“We’re going to search your plane,” he recalled one of the agents telling him. “We’re doing this whether you want us to or not. You can either stand back quietly or sit in the back of a police car handcuffed.”
During the search, Silverstein said, the officers “ripped the plane apart, they were taking panels off the plane” and removed “every single thing from every single bag.” After the lengthy delay, he resumed his journey to New Jersey but “every time something rattled, I was questioning, ‘Did I really put all the panels back?’”
The search turned up nothing illegal. “I gave four-and-a-half hours advance warning” of the stop at Iowa City, Silverstein recalled. “If I was trying to hide something, I must be the dumbest person in the world trying to do it.”
“Cure looking for a disease”
AOPA had been concerned about some previous Customs and Border Protection searches of private planes, but it was the search of Silverstein’s plane — for which, he says, there was no “legitimate reason” — that apparently got the association’s attention.
“[W]e would like a full explanation regarding the legal basis for [Customs and Border Protection] to stop and detain aircraft and conduct searches well within the borders of the United States on activities with no apparent connection whatsoever [to] a border crossing,” the association’s General Counsel Ken Mead wrote to acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Thomas Winkowski last June.
In his response two months later, Winkowski said Customs and Border Protection agents had authority under federal aviation regulations and the federal aircraft registration statute to “inspect a pilot’s operating certificate and related aircraft documents.” If further investigation is deemed necessary, he wrote, agents can conduct a “mobile conveyance search based on probable cause that contraband or evidence is on board the aircraft.”
AOPA was far from satisfied with that explanation. “I thought it was a ‘kiss off’ letter,” Mead said in a broadcast of the association’s online news show. “When a law enforcement official stops you, [they are] supposed to have reasonable suspicion or probable cause. They don’t even address that. It’s like you can make these indiscriminate stops without cause.”
In September, Rep. Graves, a pilot and co-chair of the House General Aviation Caucus, asked Customs and Border Protection’s inspector general for a full investigation. But both he and Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas have complained of being stonewalled.
Roberts, another champion of general aviation, told AOPA’s news show he had received a spreadsheet from the agency detailing the number of searches and where they occurred. But, he said, “I still want to know why the pilots were stopped in the first place.”
Noting that Congress controls the agency’s budget, he threatened to use “all the available tools at my disposal if we do not see a serious change in the way [Customs and Border Protection] treats our nation’s general aviation pilots.”
Pribyl told MintPress that the association’s officials are scheduled to meet with the agency “but it is possible that the whole thing may have gone too far to be resolved with simple discussions and legislative solutions may be needed. As a result, AOPA is also working with several committees in the House to stop these abuses.”
Some pilots have called on the association to file a class-action lawsuit seeking a court injunction, but Pribyl said only that it “would consider taking legal action if we felt it was required.”
As for Silverstein, he believes Customs and Border Protection’s aircraft interdiction program is “a cure looking for a disease. They’re trying to justify why they’re getting millions of dollars [in funding] … when there’s nothing to suggest they’re solving an actual problem.”
“I want it to stop,” he added, “not just because I don’t want [to] go through this again myself but because it’s not helping anybody … It doesn’t do anything for the safety and security of this nation.”
Story and comments/reaction: http://www.mintpressnews.com
By Matthew Heller | April 23, 2014
LOS ANGELES — When real estate investment banker Gabriel Silverstein landed his Cirrus SR22 single-engine general aviation aircraft for a fuel stop at the Iowa City Municipal Airport last May, he was greeted with a scene like something out of “Miami Vice.”
More than half a dozen local law enforcement officers and federal agents in tan jumpsuits told him he had no choice but to submit to a search of his plane, according to an account he gave to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The handler of a drug-sniffing dog, he recalled, “informed me that the dog was inspecting the plane and … that I had to open the cargo door.”
For about two hours, Silverstein, who was heading back to New Jersey after a cross-country trip to California, stood by as the plane was searched, the contents of his luggage spread on the runway. The only thing the K9 paid any attention to was a box containing oil and de-icing fluid.
“I was very angry,” Silverstein told MintPress News in an interview. “I really felt violated as an American citizen on American soil who is suddenly put under a police state, 1940s thing.”
He later identified the federal agents’ uniform insignia from a photo on the Department of Homeland Security’s website that shows a staffer of Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations Center. And he and the AOPA now believe he is one of at least 50 private pilots to have been wrongfully targeted in the past year or so for a “zero suspicion” search as part of America’s ever-expanding domestic surveillance network.
From an air reserve base in Riverside, Calif., the center operates the Air and Marine Operations Surveillance System, which uses extensive radar networks to electronically monitor thousands of private domestic aircraft flights in real time.
Customs and Border Protection says the program helps in the war on drugs and in the post-9/11 efforts to protect national security. According to the Los Angeles Times, it has investigated 1,375 flights during the three years and five months ending in February, of which authorities intercepted 212 at airports and made 39 drug-related arrests.
In an August letter to the AOPA, the acting commissioner of the customs agency said agents are exercising their authority to inspect a pilot’s operating certificate and, in the course of conducting such an inspection, “facts may arise meriting further investigation or search to the extent authorized under the Constitution and federal law.”
But the association, which represents nearly 400,000 pilots nationwide, and some lawmakers say Customs and Border Protection is “piggybacking” on the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration and has failed to provide a convincing rationale for subjecting general aviation pilots like Silverstein to what can be harrowing searches.
“Our members are very concerned about an agency that is overstepping their bounds in an obvious abuse of power,” the association’s spokesperson Katie Pribyl told MintPress.
Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri has called for the DHS’s internal watchdog to investigate the program, noting that “[t]o my knowledge, none of these searches have produced evidence of criminal activity by these pilots.”
“Are the reasons for singling out certain flights for further inspection consistent with the principles of reasonable suspicion, probably [sic] cause and other provisions of the Fourth Amendment?” he asked the DHS in September.
“We’re going to search your plane”
At the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada, where Customs and Border Protection conducts most of its operations, a warrant is not required for a search. But through the Air and Marine Operations Surveillance System, the agency has apparently been performing warrantless searches on private planes deep in the country’s interior.
The interception process starts with Air and Marine Operations Center staffers at the March Air Reserve Base who, using data from 700 radar installations in the U.S. and neighboring countries, can track up to 50,000 aircraft and ships at any time. When the center detects what is believed to be a suspicious flight, agents are directed to meet the plane on the runway at its next stop.
According to the AOPA, such searches have been going on since 9/11 but there has been a significant spike over the past year or so. Pilots have reported being tailed by military helicopters and surrounded by armed agents upon landing, being confronted at gunpoint by authorities wearing SWAT gear, and having their planes taken apart by officers who were not trained mechanics.
“AOPA doesn’t object to law enforcement officers stopping and searching general aviation aircraft when they have a legitimate reason to do so — in other words, probable cause or reasonable suspicion of illegal activity,” Pribyl said. “But it’s our position that federal law enforcement officers have absolutely no authority to stop [general aviation] aircraft without meeting that legal standard.”
Silverstein uses his plane in part to inspect real estate in remote areas of the country that are not serviced by commercial flights. “There’s nothing in my life that could possibly be cause for [Customs and Border Protection] to do anything,” he said.
On May 1, 2013, he and his partner were subjected to a “ramp check” of their aviation paperwork during a fuel stop in Hobart, Okla. Two agents in tan jumpsuits conducted the inspection, which he thought was “weird” because ramp checks are usually done by FAA personnel.
Four days later, Silverstein was in the service center of the airport in Iowa City filing his next flight plan when local police and Customs and Border Protection agents “descended upon us.” Outside on the runway, the drug-detecting dog was already being walked around his aircraft.
“We’re going to search your plane,” he recalled one of the agents telling him. “We’re doing this whether you want us to or not. You can either stand back quietly or sit in the back of a police car handcuffed.”
During the search, Silverstein said, the officers “ripped the plane apart, they were taking panels off the plane” and removed “every single thing from every single bag.” After the lengthy delay, he resumed his journey to New Jersey but “every time something rattled, I was questioning, ‘Did I really put all the panels back?’”
The search turned up nothing illegal. “I gave four-and-a-half hours advance warning” of the stop at Iowa City, Silverstein recalled. “If I was trying to hide something, I must be the dumbest person in the world trying to do it.”
“Cure looking for a disease”
AOPA had been concerned about some previous Customs and Border Protection searches of private planes, but it was the search of Silverstein’s plane — for which, he says, there was no “legitimate reason” — that apparently got the association’s attention.
“[W]e would like a full explanation regarding the legal basis for [Customs and Border Protection] to stop and detain aircraft and conduct searches well within the borders of the United States on activities with no apparent connection whatsoever [to] a border crossing,” the association’s General Counsel Ken Mead wrote to acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Thomas Winkowski last June.
In his response two months later, Winkowski said Customs and Border Protection agents had authority under federal aviation regulations and the federal aircraft registration statute to “inspect a pilot’s operating certificate and related aircraft documents.” If further investigation is deemed necessary, he wrote, agents can conduct a “mobile conveyance search based on probable cause that contraband or evidence is on board the aircraft.”
AOPA was far from satisfied with that explanation. “I thought it was a ‘kiss off’ letter,” Mead said in a broadcast of the association’s online news show. “When a law enforcement official stops you, [they are] supposed to have reasonable suspicion or probable cause. They don’t even address that. It’s like you can make these indiscriminate stops without cause.”
In September, Rep. Graves, a pilot and co-chair of the House General Aviation Caucus, asked Customs and Border Protection’s inspector general for a full investigation. But both he and Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas have complained of being stonewalled.
Roberts, another champion of general aviation, told AOPA’s news show he had received a spreadsheet from the agency detailing the number of searches and where they occurred. But, he said, “I still want to know why the pilots were stopped in the first place.”
Noting that Congress controls the agency’s budget, he threatened to use “all the available tools at my disposal if we do not see a serious change in the way [Customs and Border Protection] treats our nation’s general aviation pilots.”
Pribyl told MintPress that the association’s officials are scheduled to meet with the agency “but it is possible that the whole thing may have gone too far to be resolved with simple discussions and legislative solutions may be needed. As a result, AOPA is also working with several committees in the House to stop these abuses.”
Some pilots have called on the association to file a class-action lawsuit seeking a court injunction, but Pribyl said only that it “would consider taking legal action if we felt it was required.”
As for Silverstein, he believes Customs and Border Protection’s aircraft interdiction program is “a cure looking for a disease. They’re trying to justify why they’re getting millions of dollars [in funding] … when there’s nothing to suggest they’re solving an actual problem.”
“I want it to stop,” he added, “not just because I don’t want [to] go through this again myself but because it’s not helping anybody … It doesn’t do anything for the safety and security of this nation.”
Story and comments/reaction: http://www.mintpressnews.com
Cape May County Airport (KWWD), New Jersey: Lower Township Eyes Police Department Relocation
VILLAS – Twenty years ago, the governing body decided to move Lower Township Police Department from the Bayshore Road municipal complex to Cape May County Airport, three miles away. According to Mayor Michael Beck, that “cost saving decision” in 1995, although well intentioned, has actually cost the township plenty since then.
Beck said the airport location costs about $178,000 in upkeep, not including a roof replacement cost of $2 million (or more) in the very near future. He indicated that if this upkeep/utility money over 20 years had been devoted to a new building, the project could have been completely funded and there would not be any discussion this project.
Beck added that the current location of the police headquarters also removed police from the community they serve, and discourages citizen interaction and easy access to officers. There is no public transportation to the station, which means those lacking a car, can’t get there. Beck sees the isolated nature of the police at the airport as reducing police visibility in the community. The “perception of safety” created by having police stationed in neighborhoods they patrol is very important to residents, he said.
Township Administrator Michael J. Voll and Police Chief William Mastriana presented the case for a new building. Voll reported that the current building is a “sick building” with mold and other issues brewing. At over 55,000 square feet, it is entirely too big and expensive to heat and cool. He cited the $95,000 yearly utility bill, and the $85,000 annual maintenance costs as excessive.
The new building is estimated to cost about $3.5 million. He stressed that figure is an estimate until the township can hire an architect and begin the bidding process. Voll stressed that no new taxes will be required to pay for the project.
Mastriana agreed with Voll. He described a building that is so large and full of small offices and long corridors that he has trouble managing and coordinating his divisions properly.
Mastriana noted that he supported the move to a new complex on Bayshore Avenue because public access would be enhanced, calls for service analysis indicates that police demand is higher in the Villas/North Cape May areas. He added that the new building would better support new police technologies as well.
Daniel A. Shousky, a principal at Oak Design Partners PA, architects and land planners, presented a set of plans for the complex that would include both police and municipal courts. The building would be designed specifically for those uses at 17,000 square feet. This is in contrast to the 55,000-square-feet building at the airport. He noted that construction costs are estimated to be about $200 per square feet.
Michael Garcia, a partner with Ford-Scott Associates, the township’s auditor, spoke about funding the project through bonds. He reported that his analysis indicates that the township is in a good position to issue bonds in 2015 because some older bond debt service will be satisfied over the next two years.
The satisfaction of those bonds will free up bond money that could be applied to this project. He added that interest rates are currently low and now is the time to move if council approves the plan.
All council members seemed to approve the project in principle. They supported doing “what is best for the police department.” Two council members did have funding concerns.
Councilman Thomas Conrad (R-1) questioned the total costs of the project. Voll advised him of the estimate of $3.5 million, but Conrad was not satisfied with the accuracy of that estimate. Conrad also questioned the cost of moving cells to the new building. Councilman Erik Simonsen (R-3) was concerned that there were no set figures on moving the dispatch function to the new building.
After some comments from Deputy Mayor Norris Clark, and Beck concerning a possible vote to issue bonds to fund the project, it was decided that the best way to move forward is to first hire an architect who will provide more precise funding information to council. At that point council can prepare a bond issue if council approves the cost estimates. All council members voted to hire the architect to seek clearer cost estimates as the best way to move the process forward for now.
Source: http://www.capemaycountyherald.com
Beck said the airport location costs about $178,000 in upkeep, not including a roof replacement cost of $2 million (or more) in the very near future. He indicated that if this upkeep/utility money over 20 years had been devoted to a new building, the project could have been completely funded and there would not be any discussion this project.
Beck added that the current location of the police headquarters also removed police from the community they serve, and discourages citizen interaction and easy access to officers. There is no public transportation to the station, which means those lacking a car, can’t get there. Beck sees the isolated nature of the police at the airport as reducing police visibility in the community. The “perception of safety” created by having police stationed in neighborhoods they patrol is very important to residents, he said.
Township Administrator Michael J. Voll and Police Chief William Mastriana presented the case for a new building. Voll reported that the current building is a “sick building” with mold and other issues brewing. At over 55,000 square feet, it is entirely too big and expensive to heat and cool. He cited the $95,000 yearly utility bill, and the $85,000 annual maintenance costs as excessive.
The new building is estimated to cost about $3.5 million. He stressed that figure is an estimate until the township can hire an architect and begin the bidding process. Voll stressed that no new taxes will be required to pay for the project.
Mastriana agreed with Voll. He described a building that is so large and full of small offices and long corridors that he has trouble managing and coordinating his divisions properly.
Mastriana noted that he supported the move to a new complex on Bayshore Avenue because public access would be enhanced, calls for service analysis indicates that police demand is higher in the Villas/North Cape May areas. He added that the new building would better support new police technologies as well.
Daniel A. Shousky, a principal at Oak Design Partners PA, architects and land planners, presented a set of plans for the complex that would include both police and municipal courts. The building would be designed specifically for those uses at 17,000 square feet. This is in contrast to the 55,000-square-feet building at the airport. He noted that construction costs are estimated to be about $200 per square feet.
Michael Garcia, a partner with Ford-Scott Associates, the township’s auditor, spoke about funding the project through bonds. He reported that his analysis indicates that the township is in a good position to issue bonds in 2015 because some older bond debt service will be satisfied over the next two years.
The satisfaction of those bonds will free up bond money that could be applied to this project. He added that interest rates are currently low and now is the time to move if council approves the plan.
All council members seemed to approve the project in principle. They supported doing “what is best for the police department.” Two council members did have funding concerns.
Councilman Thomas Conrad (R-1) questioned the total costs of the project. Voll advised him of the estimate of $3.5 million, but Conrad was not satisfied with the accuracy of that estimate. Conrad also questioned the cost of moving cells to the new building. Councilman Erik Simonsen (R-3) was concerned that there were no set figures on moving the dispatch function to the new building.
After some comments from Deputy Mayor Norris Clark, and Beck concerning a possible vote to issue bonds to fund the project, it was decided that the best way to move forward is to first hire an architect who will provide more precise funding information to council. At that point council can prepare a bond issue if council approves the cost estimates. All council members voted to hire the architect to seek clearer cost estimates as the best way to move the process forward for now.
Source: http://www.capemaycountyherald.com
Islip hires two airline consultants to help grow business at Long Island MacArthur Airport (KISP), New York
The Town of Islip is giving the cash-strapped Long Island MacArthur Airport a fiscal boost with more than $100,000 worth of airline consultant help.
Islip Town Board members on Tuesday unanimously approved a one-year, $75,000 contract for New York City-based Simat, Helliesen & Eichner, Inc., to provide consulting services. A $40,000 contract, which ends at the end of this year, was awarded to Indianapolis-based Vasey Aviation Group, LLC to help with capital planning and operations strategy. Both groups previously had contracts with the town for consultant services at the airport.
The town-owned airport has been struggling financially for years and most recently announced that Allegiant Air, which started service there just four months ago, is suspending flights to Florida from May to December.
The Ronkonkoma airport suffered nearly a $4.2 million shortfall from 2010 to 2012 and is projected to have lost an additional $1.4 million last year. About 46 percent of its daily flights vanished between 2007 and 2012. It now has about 8,000 departing flights a year.
The number of people flying out of the airport has also dropped dramatically, with just under 679,000 passengers in 2012 compared with 1.2 million in 2007. The town has its own financial issues as it continues to wrestle with a $11.3 million deficit.
"All this stuff comes down to having people with corporate knowledge, that we don't need full time [town employees] doing stuff, because we are still struggling to make ends meet," said Islip Town Councilman John C. Cochrane Jr.
The Simat group will gather data on the airport that the commissioner, Robert Schaefer, can use at an upcoming airport convention in Canada in June to woo new carriers. In the past, the town has used consultants to appear at these forums on its behalf.
"The days of luxury, of having Wall Street advertisers and mainline airport consultants, we can't afford that luxury at this time," Cochrane said.
Along with reconstructing its advertising campaigns, renting out space and holding special events, the airport has been forced to downsize staff levels and cut overtime for its workers in recent years.
The town is awaiting federal approval for two direct daily flights from MacArthur to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Southwest Airlines, PenAir and US Airways Express also currently operate out of the airport.
Source: http://www.newsday.com
Islip Town Board members on Tuesday unanimously approved a one-year, $75,000 contract for New York City-based Simat, Helliesen & Eichner, Inc., to provide consulting services. A $40,000 contract, which ends at the end of this year, was awarded to Indianapolis-based Vasey Aviation Group, LLC to help with capital planning and operations strategy. Both groups previously had contracts with the town for consultant services at the airport.
The town-owned airport has been struggling financially for years and most recently announced that Allegiant Air, which started service there just four months ago, is suspending flights to Florida from May to December.
The Ronkonkoma airport suffered nearly a $4.2 million shortfall from 2010 to 2012 and is projected to have lost an additional $1.4 million last year. About 46 percent of its daily flights vanished between 2007 and 2012. It now has about 8,000 departing flights a year.
The number of people flying out of the airport has also dropped dramatically, with just under 679,000 passengers in 2012 compared with 1.2 million in 2007. The town has its own financial issues as it continues to wrestle with a $11.3 million deficit.
"All this stuff comes down to having people with corporate knowledge, that we don't need full time [town employees] doing stuff, because we are still struggling to make ends meet," said Islip Town Councilman John C. Cochrane Jr.
The Simat group will gather data on the airport that the commissioner, Robert Schaefer, can use at an upcoming airport convention in Canada in June to woo new carriers. In the past, the town has used consultants to appear at these forums on its behalf.
"The days of luxury, of having Wall Street advertisers and mainline airport consultants, we can't afford that luxury at this time," Cochrane said.
Along with reconstructing its advertising campaigns, renting out space and holding special events, the airport has been forced to downsize staff levels and cut overtime for its workers in recent years.
The town is awaiting federal approval for two direct daily flights from MacArthur to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Southwest Airlines, PenAir and US Airways Express also currently operate out of the airport.
Source: http://www.newsday.com
‘Proper’ sentence sought for crop duster shooter
A Filer man convicted of shooting at a crop duster last year will be sentenced May 5 and Idaho farm groups are asking the judge to dole out a "proper" sentence. They want to send a message that it is not a minor thing to shoot at aerial applicators.
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Farm groups are sending letters to an Idaho judge asking him to dole out a “proper” sentence to a Filer man convicted of shooting at a crop duster last August.
“He shot at another individual. The short-sightedness and ignorance of that action is frightening,” said George Parker, an aerial applicator from Gooding who is leading the effort.
Christopher V. Lewis, 42, was found guilty March 6 of firing four shotgun rounds in the direction of a crop duster that was spraying a potato field nearby.
According to a Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office police report by the arresting officer, Lewis said he was angered at how low the crop duster was flying to the ground, so he went outside with his shotgun “and I did something bad.”
Lewis told the officer he fired four rounds from a semi-automatic Remington shotgun into the air.
Lewis, who faces as much as 20 years in prison, directed the Capital Press to his attorney, Lynn Dunlap, who said it would be inappropriate to comment while the matter is still pending before the court.
Lewis will be sentenced by Fifth District Judge Randy Stoker on May 5 and Parker wants to make sure he gets more than just probation or a slap on the wrist.
“He was just pissed because the aircraft was making noise and flying close to his house,” Parker said. “He drew a gun up and unloaded four shells of a 10-gauge shotgun in the direction of another human being. It’s important that this guy have something real actually happen to him.”
At Parker’s encouragement, Food Producers of Idaho members voted unanimously to send a letter to Stoker.
FPI Executive Director Rick Waitley said the group also sent letters on behalf of several of the group’s members.
The FPI letter, which asks for “the proper penalties” for Lewis, says farmers and ranchers often rely on aircraft that fly at low altitudes for various purposes, including aerial application of crop protection chemicals and fertilizers and field scouting.
“Granted, low-flying aircraft may create noise or a smell while applying certain chemicals,” the letter states. “However, that does not and should not give someone the right to shoot at an aircraft because of personal annoyance.
“The owners and pilots of these aircraft need to have assurance that they are safe and protected while providing this valuable service.”
Parker, past president of the Idaho Agricultural Aviation Association and a current member of the National Agricultural Aviation Association, said obtaining an appropriate sentence for Lewis would send a strong message that it is not all right to shoot at aerial applicators.
“If someone had stood at the end of the runway at the Boise airport and shot at planes taking off, you can bet your ass that person would be in jail,” he said. “We are still human beings and we have families, wives and children and we don’t deserve to die just because we’re going to work.”
Source: http://www.capitalpress.com
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Farm groups are sending letters to an Idaho judge asking him to dole out a “proper” sentence to a Filer man convicted of shooting at a crop duster last August.
“He shot at another individual. The short-sightedness and ignorance of that action is frightening,” said George Parker, an aerial applicator from Gooding who is leading the effort.
Christopher V. Lewis, 42, was found guilty March 6 of firing four shotgun rounds in the direction of a crop duster that was spraying a potato field nearby.
According to a Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office police report by the arresting officer, Lewis said he was angered at how low the crop duster was flying to the ground, so he went outside with his shotgun “and I did something bad.”
Lewis told the officer he fired four rounds from a semi-automatic Remington shotgun into the air.
Lewis, who faces as much as 20 years in prison, directed the Capital Press to his attorney, Lynn Dunlap, who said it would be inappropriate to comment while the matter is still pending before the court.
Lewis will be sentenced by Fifth District Judge Randy Stoker on May 5 and Parker wants to make sure he gets more than just probation or a slap on the wrist.
“He was just pissed because the aircraft was making noise and flying close to his house,” Parker said. “He drew a gun up and unloaded four shells of a 10-gauge shotgun in the direction of another human being. It’s important that this guy have something real actually happen to him.”
At Parker’s encouragement, Food Producers of Idaho members voted unanimously to send a letter to Stoker.
FPI Executive Director Rick Waitley said the group also sent letters on behalf of several of the group’s members.
The FPI letter, which asks for “the proper penalties” for Lewis, says farmers and ranchers often rely on aircraft that fly at low altitudes for various purposes, including aerial application of crop protection chemicals and fertilizers and field scouting.
“Granted, low-flying aircraft may create noise or a smell while applying certain chemicals,” the letter states. “However, that does not and should not give someone the right to shoot at an aircraft because of personal annoyance.
“The owners and pilots of these aircraft need to have assurance that they are safe and protected while providing this valuable service.”
Parker, past president of the Idaho Agricultural Aviation Association and a current member of the National Agricultural Aviation Association, said obtaining an appropriate sentence for Lewis would send a strong message that it is not all right to shoot at aerial applicators.
“If someone had stood at the end of the runway at the Boise airport and shot at planes taking off, you can bet your ass that person would be in jail,” he said. “We are still human beings and we have families, wives and children and we don’t deserve to die just because we’re going to work.”
Source: http://www.capitalpress.com
WARN notices help community deal with Textron layoffs
WICHITA, Kan. - Many people carried all of their belongings out with them from Textron Wednesday. While employees were issued a WARN notice, the day they were notified was also their last.
Kansas is a right to work state, which means companies can terminate employees without a reason. Federal law requires companies to give out warn notices in mass layoffs to help mitigate some of the impact on the local economy.
WARN stands for worker adjustment and retraining notification. While some people think it serves to warn the employee of termination, Wichita State's Director of Economic Development and Business Research Jeremy Hill says that is not really the case.
Hill says the bigger purpose of the notice is to give the community time to react so local organizations can step in and help workers transition to something else. "This just gives a way, a mechanism, for our workforce alliance center in town to go out and give special training to some of the employees," said Hill.
"Retrain them and get them into another job quickly. Or also give them information about unemployment benefits packages so they can do that."
Under the WARN Act, companies are required to give workers 60 days notice. Although those workers won't return to work, they were given 60 days pay. The law only pertains to companies with 100 or more employees.
Source: http://www.kwch.com
New service to Atlantic City begins
PLATTSBURGH — A new flight service to Atlantic City began Wednesday from Plattsburgh International Airport, and county officials are confident it will fill a need.
"Anything we can get in here will help because people want to go places, and the more opportunities we can provide, the better it will be for the airport," Clinton County Legislature Chairman Sam Dyer (R-Area 3, Beekmantown) said at a news conference.
FIRST TRIP FULL
Dyer and others were on hand to see off the first flight to Atlantic City chartered by Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City.
The 90-passenger jet was full as it took off at about 10:30 a.m.
Caesars Entertainment is offering a non-stop-flight package that includes round-trip airfare, a three-night stay at Harrah's Resort, two passes to the Waterfront Buffet and airport transfers starting at $299 per person.
"It's pretty much all inclusive wrapped up with a nice ribbon on it," said Kristy Kennedy, vice president of marketing at the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce.
CANADIAN INTEREST
The chamber has been working to attract more specialty flights to the airport since Allegiant Air announced earlier this year that it would stop direct flights to Las Vegas from Plattsburgh at the end of March.
Kennedy said the chamber has received many inquires about the Atlantic City flight since it was announced this month.
"The response has been overwhelming," she said.
"There was a lot of interest from the Montreal market, and we are very excited to have this service starting."
SUMMER FLIGHTS
Caesars Entertainment will offer the Atlantic City package once a month for May, June, July and August.
The next trip is planned for May 10 to 12, and the one after is slated for June 9 to 12. Details for the July and August trips are still in the works.
"Hopefully, this will become a regular flight," Kennedy said.
"We think the demand is there."
'IT'S PERFECT'
Although Caesars officials were not on hand at the airport Wednesday, they issued a statement touting the service.
"In this extremely competitive marketplace, it is essential that we as an entertainment and hospitality company align ourselves with outstanding partners such as Plattsburgh International Airport," Scott Barber, regional president of Caesars Entertainment's Mid-South Division, said.
"It is our end-all-be-all goal to elevate the guest experience in our customer-first industry, so it is with that ideal in mind that we set forth and offer the general public flights to and from a coastal destination as magnificent as Atlantic City."
Plattsburgh resident Bob Blanchard, a frequent visitor to Atlantic City, showed up at the airport to learn more about the flight.
"This is great not only for people from Montreal but for local people too," Blanchard, 61, said.
"I think it's perfect."
OPPORTUNITIES
Airport Manager Chris Kreig said when the Las Vegas route ended, he sensed there would be interest in an Atlantic City flight.
"I asked people if they would be interested in it, and we got a lot of positive feedback," he said.
Atlantic City will be a popular flight, Kreig said, because the destination offers a lot for passengers.
"They don't just have to go to a casino; they can go to shows, eat at nice restaurants, travel to Philadelphia if they want, and there is a lot of entertainment there.
"This is what we wanted to do — provide more opportunities for the community and the region."
Source: http://www.pressrepublican.com
"Anything we can get in here will help because people want to go places, and the more opportunities we can provide, the better it will be for the airport," Clinton County Legislature Chairman Sam Dyer (R-Area 3, Beekmantown) said at a news conference.
FIRST TRIP FULL
Dyer and others were on hand to see off the first flight to Atlantic City chartered by Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City.
The 90-passenger jet was full as it took off at about 10:30 a.m.
Caesars Entertainment is offering a non-stop-flight package that includes round-trip airfare, a three-night stay at Harrah's Resort, two passes to the Waterfront Buffet and airport transfers starting at $299 per person.
"It's pretty much all inclusive wrapped up with a nice ribbon on it," said Kristy Kennedy, vice president of marketing at the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce.
CANADIAN INTEREST
The chamber has been working to attract more specialty flights to the airport since Allegiant Air announced earlier this year that it would stop direct flights to Las Vegas from Plattsburgh at the end of March.
Kennedy said the chamber has received many inquires about the Atlantic City flight since it was announced this month.
"The response has been overwhelming," she said.
"There was a lot of interest from the Montreal market, and we are very excited to have this service starting."
SUMMER FLIGHTS
Caesars Entertainment will offer the Atlantic City package once a month for May, June, July and August.
The next trip is planned for May 10 to 12, and the one after is slated for June 9 to 12. Details for the July and August trips are still in the works.
"Hopefully, this will become a regular flight," Kennedy said.
"We think the demand is there."
'IT'S PERFECT'
Although Caesars officials were not on hand at the airport Wednesday, they issued a statement touting the service.
"In this extremely competitive marketplace, it is essential that we as an entertainment and hospitality company align ourselves with outstanding partners such as Plattsburgh International Airport," Scott Barber, regional president of Caesars Entertainment's Mid-South Division, said.
"It is our end-all-be-all goal to elevate the guest experience in our customer-first industry, so it is with that ideal in mind that we set forth and offer the general public flights to and from a coastal destination as magnificent as Atlantic City."
Plattsburgh resident Bob Blanchard, a frequent visitor to Atlantic City, showed up at the airport to learn more about the flight.
"This is great not only for people from Montreal but for local people too," Blanchard, 61, said.
"I think it's perfect."
OPPORTUNITIES
Airport Manager Chris Kreig said when the Las Vegas route ended, he sensed there would be interest in an Atlantic City flight.
"I asked people if they would be interested in it, and we got a lot of positive feedback," he said.
Atlantic City will be a popular flight, Kreig said, because the destination offers a lot for passengers.
"They don't just have to go to a casino; they can go to shows, eat at nice restaurants, travel to Philadelphia if they want, and there is a lot of entertainment there.
"This is what we wanted to do — provide more opportunities for the community and the region."
Source: http://www.pressrepublican.com
19th annual New Jersey Aviation Conference set for May 2-3
Small Airport to Host Daylong, Value-Added Event as Part of the Two-Day Conference
The Mid-Atlantic Aviation Coalition (MAAC) recently announced the dates for its 19th Annual New Jersey Aviation Conference. Featuring a new and expanded format, the conference combines a traditional symposium on the first day with a unique ground school session on the second day.
According to Conference Planning Committee member Linda Castner, “expanding the conference to two days encourages greater participation by tying small businesses with an airport-based event on the second day.” If successful, the new format could lead to coordinated activities at small airports across the State as part of future aviation conferences. Castner added, “Such on-airport activities will be designed to showcase the benefits of New Jersey airports to their local communities.”
New Jersey boasts some of the most economically beneficial airports in the country. Our state currently has more than 40 public use airports, most of which are privately owned. In terms of economic impact, New Jersey ranks tenth in the U.S., contributing $4.4 billion annually to our state’s economy. Nearly 70 percent of general aviation flying is conducted for business purposes. These facts alone should be of particular interest to Chambers of Commerce.
In addition to contributing to the success of New Jersey’s tourism industry, general aviation offers numerous educational opportunities both in classrooms and on airports across the state. The symposium’s Education panel will demonstrate how small airports can be used as living laboratories to demonstrate the practical applications of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) concepts.
The symposium part of the conference will be held on Friday, May 2, at Princeton University's Carl A. Fields Center for Equality + Cultural Understanding. Themed “Seize the Day – Build for Tomorrow,” the symposium will be moderated by Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce President, Chris Phelan. The day will feature a question and answer session with NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner Jim Simpson and four panels of experts discussing Education, Policy, Technology, and Safety issues. Marie Barry, Director of the NJ Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education, will offer insights as part of the Education panel.
The airport-based part of the conference will be held on Saturday, May 3, at Alexandria Field Airport in Pittstown. Titled, “The Art and Science of Flying Ground School,” highly experienced aviation educators will weave history, biology, and technology into a high-level exploration of the wonder of flight in general, and of airplane and human performance in particular. Pilots and non-pilots alike are welcomed to register.
An exemplar of New Jersey’s privately-owned, public-use airports, Alexandria Field has been the site of successful tourism events such as the Magic of Alexandria Balloon Festival, and is currently home to Skydive Jersey. Alexandria Field became the nexus of activity for a $100,000 Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program grant that lead to the creation of the Central Jersey Aviation Education Collaborative, a partnership between local businesses, education, and a small airport to offer outreach programs to teachers and students, especially those interested in STEM disciplines.
More recently, Alexandria Field hosted the Rutgers Women Take Flight workshop, a funded research project to evaluate The Flying Effect as a source of empowerment for professional women.
Conference attendees can register for one or both days as follows: $50 for either day, or $85 for both days. Registration includes continental breakfast, lunch, and a post-symposium reception on day one; lunch on day two; and a chance to win various door prizes.
Conference details and registration forms are available at these websites: NJAviation.com, ArtandScienceofFlying.com, AlexandriaField.com.
Established in 1988, MAAC members include flying clubs, pilots, aircraft owners, airport managers, flight instructors, fixed base operators, and other aviation businesses and stakeholders. MAAC is the public policy group representing the interests of its members before state and local governments in New Jersey.
Source: http://www.nj.com
The Mid-Atlantic Aviation Coalition (MAAC) recently announced the dates for its 19th Annual New Jersey Aviation Conference. Featuring a new and expanded format, the conference combines a traditional symposium on the first day with a unique ground school session on the second day.
According to Conference Planning Committee member Linda Castner, “expanding the conference to two days encourages greater participation by tying small businesses with an airport-based event on the second day.” If successful, the new format could lead to coordinated activities at small airports across the State as part of future aviation conferences. Castner added, “Such on-airport activities will be designed to showcase the benefits of New Jersey airports to their local communities.”
New Jersey boasts some of the most economically beneficial airports in the country. Our state currently has more than 40 public use airports, most of which are privately owned. In terms of economic impact, New Jersey ranks tenth in the U.S., contributing $4.4 billion annually to our state’s economy. Nearly 70 percent of general aviation flying is conducted for business purposes. These facts alone should be of particular interest to Chambers of Commerce.
In addition to contributing to the success of New Jersey’s tourism industry, general aviation offers numerous educational opportunities both in classrooms and on airports across the state. The symposium’s Education panel will demonstrate how small airports can be used as living laboratories to demonstrate the practical applications of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) concepts.
The symposium part of the conference will be held on Friday, May 2, at Princeton University's Carl A. Fields Center for Equality + Cultural Understanding. Themed “Seize the Day – Build for Tomorrow,” the symposium will be moderated by Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce President, Chris Phelan. The day will feature a question and answer session with NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner Jim Simpson and four panels of experts discussing Education, Policy, Technology, and Safety issues. Marie Barry, Director of the NJ Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education, will offer insights as part of the Education panel.
The airport-based part of the conference will be held on Saturday, May 3, at Alexandria Field Airport in Pittstown. Titled, “The Art and Science of Flying Ground School,” highly experienced aviation educators will weave history, biology, and technology into a high-level exploration of the wonder of flight in general, and of airplane and human performance in particular. Pilots and non-pilots alike are welcomed to register.
An exemplar of New Jersey’s privately-owned, public-use airports, Alexandria Field has been the site of successful tourism events such as the Magic of Alexandria Balloon Festival, and is currently home to Skydive Jersey. Alexandria Field became the nexus of activity for a $100,000 Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program grant that lead to the creation of the Central Jersey Aviation Education Collaborative, a partnership between local businesses, education, and a small airport to offer outreach programs to teachers and students, especially those interested in STEM disciplines.
More recently, Alexandria Field hosted the Rutgers Women Take Flight workshop, a funded research project to evaluate The Flying Effect as a source of empowerment for professional women.
Conference attendees can register for one or both days as follows: $50 for either day, or $85 for both days. Registration includes continental breakfast, lunch, and a post-symposium reception on day one; lunch on day two; and a chance to win various door prizes.
Conference details and registration forms are available at these websites: NJAviation.com, ArtandScienceofFlying.com, AlexandriaField.com.
Established in 1988, MAAC members include flying clubs, pilots, aircraft owners, airport managers, flight instructors, fixed base operators, and other aviation businesses and stakeholders. MAAC is the public policy group representing the interests of its members before state and local governments in New Jersey.
Source: http://www.nj.com
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