Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Search for memorial to Perthshire plane crash pilot

An appeal has been made for information about a memorial to the victim of a Perthshire plane crash.

In December 2000 a pilot died after his light aircraft crashed on a hillside, narrowly missing two remote homes.

The six-seater Piper Aerostar was on its way from Newcastle to Iceland when it crashed two miles from the village of Fortingall, in a wooded area on Croftgarrow Farm.

Debris from the crash was strewn far and wide and rescue services worked through the night to gather the wreckage.

A tree was subsequently planted as a memorial to the pilot.

Now some local people have expressed concern that the memorial tree might be inadvertently removed after tree felling was carried out at South Chesthill as part of a forest plan.

To avoid this happening, various people, including the council’s environment service and Councillor Mike Williamson, have been attempting to pinpoint the location of the memorial tree.

Anyone who knows the location of the tree is asked to email Sue Gardener of the community council on sg1ardener@talktalk.net.


Source:   http://www.thecourier.co.uk

Sotheby’s offers private jet, helicopter service to woo luxury homebuyers to Calgary

CALGARY — A Calgary real estate company is taking to the air to sell luxury homes in the local market.

Sotheby’s International Realty Canada in Calgary will be offering clients new service arrangements with private aviation companies Albatros Aircraft Corporation and Million Air, based out of the Calgary International Airport.

Mark Evernden, senior vice-president of sales for Sothebys, said the real estate company will now have the ability to offer private jet and helicopter services to targeted clientele. Prospective clients can be flown to Calgary by private jet from practically anywhere in the world and when they are here they can then board a helicopter to view luxury properties on the market. Costs for the service vary depending on the clients’ needs.

“When you’re dealing with a lot of these entrepreneurs and business people, executives, time is money to them,” said Evernden. “When they land here, the plane operated from Albatros Aircraft Corporation pulls into the Million Air operation. From there we would then put them on a private helicopter and go look at properties.

“Just to give you an example, I have a $10-million property and a $38-million property out in the Priddis area. We’re four and a half minutes from tarmac to property. That’s how fast we can get them to a property.”

Sotheby’s also announced on Tuesday the expansion of its current operations and services as it forecasts continued strength in the city’s conventional and luxury real estate market segments.

Plans include the doubling of the company’s office space at a new location at 815 – 17th Avenue S.W. this summer.

The luxury home market in Calgary is on pace this year to break the all-time record for sales of properties of more than $1 million — a record that was set last year. In May, there were 94 luxury home sales in the MLS market, setting a new high for transactions in any month.

“Calgary has undergone a massive transformation in recent years. Top-tier real estate in the city and surrounding areas is in high demand not just from local home-buyers, but from those traveling and moving here from other parts of the country and around the world,” said Ross McCredie, president and chief executive of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada. “Our growth here reflects confidence in Calgary’s appeal locally and internationally.”

Mary-Ann Mears, managing broker for Sotheby’s in Calgary, said home sellers now need marketing solutions that showcase their properties beyond Calgary.

“Expanding our operations helps us offer our local and global marketing platform to meet that demand — not only from luxury clientele, but clients with homes at every price point,” she said.

Sotheby’s started in the spring of 2011 with just over a dozen associates and now has 50.


Source:   http://business.financialpost.com

Federal Bureau of Investigation campaign offers $10,000 reward for information leading to offender arrest

AMARILLO, TEXAS --

The FBI today announced a national campaign to deter people from pointing lasers at aircraft, a federal violation which presents danger to pilots, passengers and those on the ground. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of any individual who aims a laser at aircraft. The reward is available for 90 days in all 56 FBI field offices.

“The expansion of this campaign will promote greater awareness and understanding of the threat that lasing poses to pilots and the public,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge, Diego Rodriguez.

Since the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began tracking laser strikes in 2005, data shows a more than 1,100 percent increase in the deliberate targeting of aircraft by people with handheld lasers.

The dramatic increase in reported laser attacks in recent years prompted the FBI to create a pilot program aimed at raising awareness and offering a monetary reward in 12 field offices. Since the launch of the pilot program on February 11, 2014, the major metropolitan areas of those 12 field offices have seen a 19-percent decrease in the number of reported incidents.

In the Dallas Division territory, there were 90 laser strikes reported in 2013. Laser strike reporting for 2013 in other Texas Divisions was: El Paso – 25; Houston – 155; and San Antonio – 149.  FBI analysis shows laser strikes happen most frequently between midnight and 7 a.m., with the greatest strikes occurring between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. In many cases, laser strikes are being committed by teens and adults between the ages of 35-45. Most do not comprehend the serious consequences of lasing and, in some cases, are unaware it is against the law.

In February 2012, President Barrack Obama signed the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 and added a new provision that makes it a federal crime to aim a laser pointer at an aircraft. On the state level, violators may also be charged with illuminating aircraft with laser point.

Under federal law, knowingly aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a felony offense, carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Under Texas state law, illuminating aircraft with laser point is a Class A misdemeanor, carrying a maximum sentence of one year in jail and/or up to a $4,000 fine.

The FBI is partnering with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Air Line Pilots Association International, law enforcement at all levels nationally and internationally, school resource officers and other stakeholders in its efforts to continue to educate the public about the dangers associated with laser strikes to aircraft.  Campaign outreach efforts include digital billboards, radio public service announcements, video, social media, a presence on www.fbi.gov and partner websites and more.

Thousands of laser attacks go unreported every year. If you have information about a lasing incident, or see someone pointing a laser at an aircraft, call your local FBI field office or dial 911.


Source: http://www.connectamarillo.com

de Havilland Canada DHC-6-200 Otter, N223AL: Accident occurred June 01, 2014 in Middletown, Ohio

NTSB Identification: CEN14LA272 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, June 01, 2014 in Middletown, OH
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/27/2014
Aircraft: DEHAVILLAND DHC 6 200, registration: N223AL
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The skydiving airplane was on a ramp with its engines operating while the pilot waited for passengers to board. The pilot asked an employee of the skydiving operator if he could order something to eat for lunch. The employee responded that she had time to come see the pilot at the airplane because she was expecting a small delay before the next flight. The pilot thought the delay was not long enough to justify shutting down the engines. The pilot observed the employee exit the manifest office and run toward the airplane. The skydiving operator typically flew single-engine airplanes with the propeller located in front of the cockpit; however, the accident airplane was a twin-engine airplane with its propellers located under each wing. The operator’s employee subsequently walked into the operating propeller under the airplane’s left wing, sustaining fatal injuries.


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

The skydiving operator employee’s failure to see and avoid the rotating propeller blades when she walked toward the cockpit while the airplane’s engines were running.

On June 1, 2014, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a propeller from a DeHavilland DHC-6-200 airplane, N223AL, struck an employee from the skydiving operator as she walked toward the cockpit while the airplane was standing with the engines operating on a ramp at the Middletown Regional Airport/Hook Field (MWO), near Middletown, Ohio. The employee received fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by Win Win Aviation Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a skydiving flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the flight was not operating on a flight plan. The local skydiving flight was standing on the MWO ramp while waiting for passengers to board when the accident occurred.

The local MWO skydiving operator, Start Skydiving LLC, contracted with the airplane operator, Win Win Aviation Inc., to supply the airplane and pilot to support skydiving operations at MWO. The skydiving operator operated single-engine airplanes with the propeller located in front of the cockpit; however, the contracted airplane was a twin-engine airplane with its propellers located under each wing.

According to the pilot's report, he asked a skydiving operator's employee if he could order something to eat for lunch as they had talked about earlier in the day. The employee responded that she had time to come see the pilot at the airplane because she was expecting a small delay before the next flight. The pilot thought the delay was not long enough to justify shutting down the engines.

The pilot observed the employee running with a piece of paper once she exited the manifest office, which was about 100 feet in front of the airplane. He reached between two seats to get a pen ready while the employee had to go around a fence to the loading area before entering the airplane parking area. The skydiving operator's employee subsequently walked into the operating propeller under the airplane's left wing.


NTSB Identification: CEN14LA272 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, June 01, 2014 in Middletown, OH
Aircraft: DEHAVILLAND DHC 6 200, registration: N223AL
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On June 1, 2014, about 1400 eastern daylight time, an employee from the fixed base operator responding to a DeHavilland DHC-6-200 airplane, N223AL, received fatal injuries when she was struck by an operating propeller blade as she walked toward the cockpit while the airplane was standing on a ramp at the Middletown Regional Airport/Hook Field (MWO), near Middletown, Ohio. The airplane sustained minor propeller damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by Win Win Aviation Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a skydiving flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the flight was not operating on a flight plan. The local skydiving flight was standing on the MWO ramp while waiting for passengers to board when the accident occurred.

At 1355, the recorded weather at MWO was: Wind 240 degrees at 3 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 28 degrees C; dew point 11 degrees C; altimeter 30.14 inches of mercury.

 
Sarah Rhoads died after getting hit in the head by a propeller. 
Photo/Start Skydiving 


Co-workers mourn woman struck by plane propeller

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (WDTN) – Sarah Rhoads died from her injuries Tuesday Morning, two days after she was hit by a spinning plane propeller.

She was transported to the hospital with severe head injuries on Sunday afternoon from a Middletown skydiving zone.

Rhodes, 24, was employed by Start Skydiving as the Manifest Reservations Manager or Business Manager. That job involved lining up airplanes with jumpers and keeping track of how much weight is going up in the air.

2 NEWS spoke with Start Skydiving owner John Hart about the accident. He believes Rhoads was getting a food order from the pilot, which is something she usually did, but typically the planes she goes up to have the propeller on the front.  This one had them on the wings.

“We can only assume she is so used to walking out and talking to the pilot with no props there, that she accidentally made a mistake,” said Hart

Hart said Rhoads was like family and their entire team is upset over the accident.

Rhoads had been working at Start Skydiving for three years.

 



Sarah Rhoads, an office manager at Start Skydiving in Middletown for three years, died Monday night, one day after she was critically injured when she accidentally walked into an operating propeller on an airplane. 

Start Skydiving will be “a lot less bright” after an employee died Monday night, one day after she was critically injured when she accidentally walked into an operating propeller on an airplane.

Sarah Rhoads, 24, of Miamisburg and office manager for three years at Start Skydiving, passed away from the injuries Monday night at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. She was surrounded by family and the friends she had made at the business, said John Hart, owner of the skydiving company, based at Middletown Regional Airport.

“It doesn’t get any worse than this,” Hart said. “She was like a daughter. I loved that girl.”

To memorialize Rhoads, a Labor Day event at the airport, called the “Work Stinks Boogie” will be renamed the “Sarah Boogie” this year, Hart said. He said the weekend features more than 500 skydivers and a free fireworks show.

“We will never forget Sarah,” Hart said. “We want to celebrate her life. It was one of her favorite times.”

Kyle Whittier, a skydiving instructor, described Rhoads as “a nerdy skinny girl who tried to fit in and who fit in pretty well.” They both lived in Miamisburg and over the past 2½ years became good friends, he said.

On Sunday afternoon, Rhoads, as she frequently did, walked out of the hangar to the plane on the tarmac to ask the pilot if he wanted any food. But for some reason, she walked into one of the propellers on the Nouvel Air airplane that was idle on the tarmac. She was transported to Miami Valley Hospital by Careflight and she was listed in critical condition Sunday and Monday. Ten minutes after the accident, Hart and other skydivers landed at the airport after performing in Jacksonville, Fla. He said the incident was “absolutely horrible” and the “worst nightmare of my life.”

Middletown Fire Capt. Jeff Spaulding said it was his understanding that prior to the accident, the pilot issued warnings to the victim to keep away from the plane.

“She just made an error,” Hart said. “Usually the propellers are going so fast, you can’t see them. She probably walked around the nose and didn’t see it.”

Hart said Rhoads frequently yelled at people if they crossed the yellow safety lines. Hart said he still has more questions than answers.

The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into the incident, as is protocol in accidents involving airplanes. The FAA will look at areas under its regulatory responsibility, including rules of flight, certification of the pilot and aircraft and training, according to FAA Spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory.

Hart said Start Skydiving is scheduled to reopen Wednesday, June 4, weather permitting.

“She would want that,” Hart said of Rhoads.

New aviation business opens at Wilmington International Airport (KILM), North Carolina

WILMINGTON | A new general aviation business opened at Wilmington International Airport Sunday.

AviatMall offers fuel contracts, aircraft maintenance and hangar space, among other services, was awarded a five year lease earlier this year by the New Hanover County Airport Authority.

The company, a Virginia-based Brixtel Group portfolio company, is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

"We have been looking forward to being a part of the Wilmington International Airport (ILM) and New Hanover County community," said Andy Mansoor, CEO of AviatMall, in a news release. "ILM is a key market for our customers, and a great addition for our pilot store."

Mansoor said company officials will upgrade the facility with capital improvement projects and is looking to hire several local employees.

For more information about the company, visit www.AviatMall.com.


Source:  http://www.starnewsonline.com

TODAY: Full-scale emergency drill to be conducted at John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK), New York

TRAVEL ADVISORY - PORT AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT EMERGENCY RESPONSE EXERCISE AT JFK AIRPORT ON TUESDAY, JUNE 3  

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

QUEENS (WABC) --

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is offering advance warning of a full-scale emergency drill that will be held at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Tuesday.

It is expected to start around 10:30 a.m. and will last through about 1:30 p.m.

The exercise will not delay flights, but there will be simulated smoke and numerous emergency vehicles around the airport.

It will test the airport's emergency plan for mutual aid response, enabling airport personnel and local emergency organizations to train together and validate response procedures.

The exercise will include members of the Port Authority Police Department along with federal, state, local and airline partners.


Source: http://7online.com

Bombardier Learjet and Beechcraft/Textron: Job search assistance available for recently laid off aviation workers

WICHITA, Kan. -- The Workforce Centers of South Central Kansas are hosting a series of meetings to let hundreds of recently laid off aviation workers know about job search resources available to them. 

 As many as 1500 workers who were laid off by Beechcraft/Textron or Learjet in the last year may be eligible for the assistance in finding a new job.

"We are hoping to get this information out to these workers because not all of them may be aware they are eligible," said Justin Powell, Regional Operations Manager with the Kansas Department of Commerce.

The meetings are being held Monday through Wednesday this week at the National Aviation Training Center at 4004 N. Webb Rd.

At a meeting Monday afternoon, Wichita's Amy Kruse was sitting in the front row. Kruse, who worked in accounts payable, was laid off by Textron April 23rd.

"It doesn't always hit right away. It takes a little bit of time and then it sinks in: I'm starting over," Kruse said.

But as she starts over, things are looking up. She got engaged at Botanica over the weekend. On Monday, she was at one of the Workforce Center meetings and feeling encouraged by the resources available.

"(I'm here) to see if I can get some assistance in taking some classes since I've been in accounting for a while now. I'd like to get my skill set up so I can be more competitive," Kruse said. "Any resources that I can utilize will help me financially, which helps me emotionally as well as keeps the bills paid while I'm looking for a job."

During the presentation, she learned about the many tools available.

"They are eligible for case management services, training services, classroom training, on-the-job training, a registered apprenticeship, and wage subsidies," Powell said.

For those eligible, these services are free through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. That's thanks to three petitions that were filed with the U.S. Department of Labor last December.

Those who attend the meetings can be paired with a case manager to help them get started.

"By meeting with a case manager after the meeting, they are able to get more information specific to their situation," Powell said.

It's an opportunity that Amy Kruse and others there Monday said they couldn't wait to take advantage of.

"I'm ready, very much ready to get back into it and feel like things are moving along again and that I have that structure again," Kruse said.

The information meetings for laid-off Textron aviation workers are:

- Tuesday, June 3 at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The informational meetings for laid-off Learjet workers are:


- Tuesday, June 3 at 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 4 at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Attending a meeting is not required to qualify for the resources available. If you are unable to attend a meeting, you are encouraged to visit your local Workforce Center to get started.

To be eligible for the job search resources, a worker must have been laid off on or after the following dates:

- Beechcraft/Textron - Feb. 15, 2013
- Learjet - Feb. 6, 2013
- Cessna - Jan. 8, 2013

Story. photo and video:  http://www.kake.com

Nashville International Airport (KBNA), Tennessee: Black Woman’s Hatred of Whites Creates Emergency Situation on United Flight 4205

Nashville, Tennessee:

Following takeoff from Nashville Sunday afternoon, a United Airlines passenger warned a fellow flyer that, “I kill white people like you” when she was asked to turn off her cell phone, investigators allege.

The disruption on Flight 4205, which was bound for Houston, resulted in the Embraer 135’s return to Nashville’s airport, where Lashonda Lee Williams was arrested for assault.

The 43-year-old Williams, seen at right, was asked by another female passenger to “turn off her cell phone due to the aircraft being in flight,” according to a court affidavit. In reply, Williams allegedly said, “I kill white people like you.”

Investigators noted that Williams told the other passenger, K. Colleen Coult, 50, that she would follow her upon reaching Houston “and find out where she lived.” The comments “created fear in Coult for her safety,” the affidavit notes.

A United flight attendant told cops that Williams’s statements “were causing anxiety and fear throughout the cabin.”

After being booked into the Davidson County jail, Williams, a Houston resident, was released on $3000 bond. She is scheduled for a June 25 County Court appearance.


Source:  http://www.thesmokinggun.com

Lashonda Lee Williams - her death threat toward a white female passenger on an airplane resulted in the plane returning to the airport where Ms. Williams was arrested

Feds file sexual harassment lawsuit against Hawaii: Honolulu International Airport (PHNL)

HONOLULU - The federal government is suing Hawaii and its Department of Transportation's Airports Division, alleging the sexual harassment of a former airport K-9 handler.

The lawsuit filed last month says that the woman was sexually harassed by a co-worker at Honolulu International Airport. The lawsuit alleges she was "grabbed and hugged" and that the male co-worker called her "sexy" and his "brown baby," along with other "unwelcome comments and sexual innuendos."

According to the lawsuit, the co-worker stayed past his shift to see her, followed her and tried to start conversations with her.

The lawsuit claims that the woman faced retaliation after filing complaints and her employers did nothing to stop the harassment.

"Instead, the defendants implemented an employment schedule that brought (the woman) and her harasser into close contact," the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. "When (she) objected to the continued harassment and retaliation by other HDOT-Airports employees, including managers, her employment was terminated."

Caroline Sluyter, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, said that the Airports Division won't comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit says that the harassment started in 2009 when the woman and the co-worker worked for a private contractor, and it continued when they later became state employees.

The woman obtained a temporary restraining order in state court against the co-worker in 2010, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and other remedies, including policies preventing sexual harassment and retaliation.

The woman originally filed her sexual harassment and retaliation charges with the Honolulu office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which investigated and determined there was reasonable cause, and referred the case to the Department of Justice.

"This lawsuit should send a clear message that the department will take necessary action to eliminate and remedy the effects of unlawful sexual harassment in our public sector workplaces," said Jocelyn Samuels, acting assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division.

Source:   http://www.mauinews.com