Sunday, June 15, 2014

Cameron Balloons US Z-225, N65625, operated by U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team: Fatal accident occurred June 15, 2014 in Spring City, Pennsylvania

NTSB Identification: ERA14LA290
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, June 15, 2014 in Spring City, PA
Aircraft: CAMERON BALLOONS US Z-225, registration: N65625
Injuries: 1 Fatal,10 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 15, 2014, about 0715 eastern daylight time, a Cameron Balloons US Z-225 balloon, N65625, had the commercial-rated pilot receive fatal injuries when he fell from the basket during landing in a field near Spring City, Pennsylvania. The 10 passengers were not injured. There was no damage to the basket or envelope. The balloon was registered to Morning Star Visions, and operated by The United States Hot Air Balloon Team under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 revenue sightseeing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated about 0620 from Pottstown Municipal Airport, Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector-in-charge (FAA-IIC), the pilot was attempting to land in an open field of newly planted corn at the time of the accident.

One passenger reported they were given landing instructions by the pilot which included to crouch down and hold onto a rope. The passenger indicated the pilot informed them he was attempting to contact the top of trees to slow the balloon, but in fact the balloon cleared the trees. The basket rocked back and forth on the ground several times, and the passenger noted the pilot reached for a rope but somehow lost his balance and fell out of the basket. When the basket came to rest, another passenger pulled a rope, and she yelled for all to get out of the basket. She and her daughter went to the pilot, and then ran to a nearby residence to summon help.



 N65625 CAMERON Z-225 HOT AIR BALLOON, ON LANDING IN A FIELD, 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS EJECTED OUT OF THE BASKET AND WAS FATALLY INJURED, CHESTER COUNTY, NEAR SPRING CITY, PA 

Flight Standards District Office:  FAA Philadelphia FSDO-17: 

MORNING STAR VISIONS: http://registry.faa.gov/N65625


Described by family members as adventurous, Jeff Hooten piloted balloons at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and founded an entertainment company. He graduated from Hope Christian School in 1985. 
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An Albuquerque man known for being a daredevil died of an apparent heart attack or some other type of a medical emergency while landing a hot-air balloon in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

Jeff Hooten, 47, managed to safely land the balloon despite his condition, and none of his 10 passengers was injured, said his father, Bill Hooten. The younger Hooten was working for U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team.

An autopsy was performed Monday.

Hooten, who grew up in Albuquerque and graduated from Hope Christian school in 1985, had piloted balloons at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and founded Jeff Hooten Entertainment. The company included a disc jockey and children’s entertainment business.

Hooten’s family members said he was adventurous, with a long history of skydiving, piloting and sailing.

“To know he died of natural causes after all that. Honestly, that’s the most shocking part (about his death),” said his sister, Kay Ostrom.

Hooten several years ago gave control of the entertainment company to his father, Bill Hooten, and lived in Albuquerque for only a few months a year. He spent most of his time traveling North America to work as a balloon pilot.

“He had nine lives,” his father said.

Jeff Hooten’s sense of adventure had landed him in trouble. He captained a sailboat into a squall near Catalina Island, Calif., and spent a night stranded at sea, his first parachute didn’t open one time while skydiving, he crashed a self-built ultralight plane, he got the bends scuba-diving in the Cayman Islands and he broke bones several times while skydiving or riding horses.

An attempt to sky dive into University Stadium before a Lobos football game ended when he got stuck in a nearby tree due to unanticipated winds.

Phyllis Hooten, his mother, said she was amazed to look at her son’s Facebook page the night of his death, and see the outpouring of people who wrote notes about their adventures with him.

“They weren’t grieving,” she said. “They were writing about their experiences with him from all four corners of the world.”

Hooten had three children: 18-year-old daughter MacKenzie, 20-year-old son Jefferson, and 26-year-old stepdaughter Taryn.


http://www.abqjournal.com







KIMBERTON, Pa. (AP) — The pilot of a hot air balloon fell from the basket while trying to land in a field near Philadelphia and could not be revived after becoming trapped under it, authorities said Monday. 

Jeff Hooten, 47, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died Sunday after the accident in East Pikeland Township, police said. None of the 10 passengers was injured.

Hooten was reaching to grab a rope to deflate the balloon when he fell, according to police Chief James Franciscus. The pilot was dragged after becoming stuck between the basket and the ground, Franciscus said.

People were performing CPR when officers arrived, but Hooten died later at a hospital, according to police.

A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary information indicated that Hooten fell out when the balloon bounced after a hard landing.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The NTSB did not have any other details by early Monday afternoon.

The balloon was operated by the U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team of Warwick. Spokesman Stan Hess said he did not want to comment until an autopsy was complete.

The Chester County coroner's office had not released a cause of death by Monday afternoon.


Previous Accident:
NTSB Identification: ERA13LA212
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, April 21, 2013 in Chester Springs, PA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/11/2013
Aircraft: CAMERON BALLOONS US Z-225, registration: N65625
Injuries: 3 Serious,7 Minor,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.

During an approximate 1-hour balloon flight, the wind increased as the pilot was preparing to land. The pilot preferred to land on asphalt, but missed several landing spots due to the wind and elected to land on the mowed lawn of a residence. Just prior to landing, the pilot instructed the passengers how to brace themselves and added that the landing was going to be rough due to the wind. The balloon subsequently contacted trees just prior to touchdown. As the balloon touched down on the lawn, the gondola tipped on its side and passengers were jostled about and out of the gondola. During which, one of the passengers or the pilot likely inadvertently contacted the burner switch, which caused a propane flash and burned three of the ten passengers.

When asked about why the pilot flames on the burners were still on during the landing, the pilot replied that the pilot flame is usually extinguished on smaller balloons prior to landing. Larger balloons, such as the accident balloon, have three burners and it takes some time to extinguish the pilot flames as it is not just a matter of moving a switch. Review of a flight manual for the accident balloon make and model revealed that the normal procedures for approaching to land, instructed the pilot to shut off the pilot light connection just before touchdown in high winds. Review of the flight manual emergency procedures for preparation for a hard landing, instructed the pilot to extinguish the pilot flames by closing the pilot light valves at the burners or by disconnecting the vapor hose quick disconnects at the tanks.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to extinguish the burner pilot lights prior to a hard landing in windy conditions.

On April 21, 2013, about 0735 eastern daylight time, a Cameron Balloons US Z-225, N65625, operated by U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team, sustained minor damage during a collision with trees and hard landing near a residence in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot and six passengers incurred minor injuries, while three passengers were seriously injured and one passenger was not injured. The local sightseeing flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Pottstown Municipal Airport (N47), Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 0635.

The pilot reported that he obtained a weather briefing prior to the accident flight, which departed about 30 minutes behind schedule. The departure and flight were uneventful; however, as he was preparing to land, the wind increased. The pilot attempted to land on a mowed lawn, but the balloon contacted trees just prior to the lawn. As the balloon touched down on the lawn, the gondola tipped on its side and a propane flash occurred.

Several of the passengers reported that the flight departed about 30 to 60 minutes late due to a dead battery in one of the supporting ground vehicles. One passenger added that the pilot was in a hurry to takeoff as he was concerned about the increase in wind speed as the morning progressed. Two of the passengers stated that the pilot mentioned it was weird that they were the only balloon flying that morning. After flying for approximately 1 hour, the pilot wanted to land on asphalt; however, he had missed several landing spots and elected to land on grass. Just prior to landing, the pilot instructed the passengers how to brace themselves and added that the landing was going to be rough due to the wind.

Passengers further stated that during the touchdown and tipping, the occupants were jostled about and out of the gondola. One passenger added that during which, something or someone fell on the burner switch, which caused a propane flash and burned three of the passengers. The other passenger injuries were described as scrapes, bruising, or muscle soreness as a result of the impact with trees and subsequent hard landing.

Two of the passengers that received burns were a husband and wife, with the husband's burns more severe and to the face and head. The husband stated that during the hard landing, before the burner flash, he was yelling for someone to turn the pilot flames off. The husband and wife also reported that after the accident, the pilot asked them if they wanted him to drive them to the hospital or call 911. They both replied that they would like to be driven to the hospital. The husband later stated that he was in shock at the time and in retrospect, an ambulance would have been a better option for faster medical treatment. Several other passengers stated that once everyone was in a van, there was an approximate 5 to 10-minute delay in departing for the hospital while the pilot conferred with ground crew. One passenger stated that during that time, the pilot was pushing dirt with his feet into ground scars created by the hard landing.

During a telephone interview, when asked about the wind conditions, the pilot stated that the wind was 4 to 5 knots when he launched on the accident flight and he normally would not launch if the wind was 10 to 12 knots or greater. When asked about why the pilot flames on the burners were still on during the landing, the pilot replied that the pilot flame is usually extinguished on smaller balloons prior to landing. Larger balloons, such as the accident balloon, have three burners and it takes some time to extinguish the pilot flames as it is not just a matter of moving a switch.

Review of a flight manual for the accident balloon make and model revealed:

"…Maximum Demonstrated Surface Wind:

The maximum surface wind speed during launch and landing during FAA type certification flight tests were:

For Launch 10 mph

For Landing 15 mph

These wind speeds are not an operating limitation..."

Review of the flight manual normal procedures revealed:

"…Approach to Land…

Pilot light connection…shut off or popped quick release connection just before touchdown in high winds..."

Review of the flight manual emergency procedures revealed:

"…Preparation For a Hard Landing…

Extinguish the pilot flames(s) by closing the pilot light valves(s) at the burner or by disconnecting the vapor hose quick disconnect(s) at the tanks(s)…"

Heritage Field (PTW), Pottstown, Pennsylvania was located about 5 miles east of the departure point and 10 miles north of the accident site. The recorded wind at PTW, at 0554, was from 340 degrees at 7 knots. The recorded wind at 0654 was from 350 degrees at 3 knots. The recorded wind at 0754 was from 350 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 14 knots, varying from 280 degrees to 020 degrees.

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EAST PIKELAND — A hot air balloon pilot died in the course of making a landing in a township field Sunday morning.

Around 7:45 a.m., the balloon came for a landing in a field near the intersection of Hunsberger Road and South Wall Street just over the Spring City border in East Pikeland.

Scott Haslip lives in the area and said he was on his front porch when he saw the red balloon coming down for a landing. The balloon was operated by the U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team, a company out of Warwick, Chester County.

Multiple sources indicated there were approximately a dozen people in the balloon’s basket.

“It looked pretty routine and successful and I was happy for them,” Haslip said. “Then two women started running from the field toward my house. They tried calling 911 but didn’t know where they were. They said all they knew was they were in some field in Chester County.”

Haslip said the occupants of the basket were a family from New York.

After emergency personnel worked on the pilot at the scene, the pilot was taken to Phoenixville Hospital. It’s unclear exactly where was pronounced dead.

Spring City and East Pikeland Police responded to the scene.

Although Haslip said he was told the landing was made due to a medical emergency the pilot was experiencing, East Pikeland Police Chief James Franciscus said his officers heard the incident resulted from a routine procedure gone wrong.

“When the balloon lands, apparently there’s a rope you have to pull,” Franciscus said. “When (the pilot) reached out to grab this rope, apparently he fell out of the basket. Then he got between the basket and the ground and it dragged him across the ground.”

Stan Hess, of U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team, said what exactly happened to the pilot could not be determined until an autopsy was conducted Monday.

He said all of the passengers in the basket were safe and uninjured.

State police were also at the scene investigating.

Hess said the Federal Aviation Administration already investigated the incident and found no problems with the balloon or the company’s operation.

The name of the pilot was not released Sunday. 


Source:  http://www.pottsmerc.com

Young passengers get front row seat at aviation event: Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (KEAU) Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Eau Claire (WQOW) - Cloudy skies didn't stop people from getting a plane ride and a brief history lesson today, all for free. Several pilots and passengers shared their thoughts on the art of aviation. She has that story from the Chippewa Valley Airport.

Mike Pope, from Chippewa Falls who has been flying for 20 years, said, "You can see it's pretty nice up there. On a nice day like this, you can see 75-miles away. I think for most pilots, it's just therapy to get up there and fly for a while."

High beyond the stratosphere zip mechanical birds. Pope said, "We're at 2-thousand feet above the ground, and we're going at about 105-miles an hour."

The Experimental Aircraft Association put on its Annual Aviation Day and Young Eagles Rally Saturday to let young passengers get a peek out their window and to learn about aviation’s role in U.S. history.

Matt Hering, from Lake Hallie, said, "I felt excited because I never got to go into an airplane before."

Emily Bleick, patron, from Eau Claire, said, "I'm pretty nervous about it but I think it'll be really fun."

Doug Ward, a World War II veteran and pilot, said, "I was a belly gunner on the B-17. This is the ball turret that I rode in. And this was the way you were curled up with your two guns by each leg You'd be in that 7-8-9 hours, curled up in a ball like that."

Pope said, "The Royal Canadian Air Force used them as trainers in the 50's, 60's, 70's to train guys to fly a fighter plane...I've always been airplane crazy. So this is a dream come true for me. And I've always been a history buff, a World War II buff, and so this airplane kind of fits that bill."

Ward said, "These veterans my age, are dying everyday, by the numbers. And our stories are going untold. And these stories have to be preserved, because we were the greatest generation, as they call us."

Jon Pierce-ruhland, from Eau Claire who has been flying for four years, said, "You're literally not a mile within anybody if you're 5-thousand feet up. So it's just a great way to reset your mind, appreciate nature and travel too."

Jeff Skiles, a pilot for 38 years, said, "You know the wonderful thing about flying is that you can get up in the air, you can experience life from a different perspective."

Jeff Skiles was co-pilot on the flight that made an emergency landing 5 years ago in New York and became known as the miracle on the Hudson.

Story, photo and video:   http://www.wqow.com



 WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

U.S. orders mandatory inspections for F-35s after engine issue

(Reuters) - The U.S. military has ordered mandatory inspections of all Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets before further flights after a Marine Corps F-35B model suffered an in-flight emergency last week, a Pentagon spokesman said on Sunday.

Joe DellaVedova, spokesman for the F-35 program office, said the inspections had been ordered on Friday but that a large number of planes had already been inspected and cleared to resume flights on Monday.

He said the inspections, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, were focused on the oil flow management valve fitting on all F135 engines, which are built by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. The valve provides oil flow to the engine bearing compartments.

News of the mandatory safety inspections came just days after Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's chief arms buyer, said the F-35 program was making progress but more work was needed on developing the jet's software and improving its reliability.

The inspections were ordered after an F-35B model suffered an in-flight emergency on June 10 caused by oil loss in the jet's engine at a Marine Corps base in Yuma, Arizona, where issues have now been found with a total of three valves, DellaVedova said.

He said the pilot returned to base safely and there were no injuries.

No issues have been discovered at the other bases where F-35s are flown in California, Florida, Arizona and Maryland, he said.

Pratt & Whitney spokesman Matthew Bates said the company was working closely with the Pentagon's F-35 program office to determine the cause of the issue. He said it took about 90 minutes to inspect each aircraft, and nearly all planes had been inspected and cleared for further flights.

DellaVedova said the source of that F135 engine oil leak appeared to be a supply line to engine bearings and a fitting that separated from the body of the valve in question.

Source:  http://www.reuters.com

Air cargo carriers battle competition from seas, passenger planes

DOHA (Reuters): As more cargo shifts to passenger planes and back onto the seas, airlines are having to rethink their cargo operations or risk the freighter plane becoming a thing of the past.

While some carriers have already reduced the number of freighter planes they operate, more drastic changes to shorten transport times and regain ground lost to the shipping industry are needed, delegates at an annual airline meeting in Doha said.

Air freight built a reputation for getting bulky, expensive goods from A to B as quickly as possible. Even today, the $ 6.8 trillion worth of goods transported by air cargo every year represents 35% of international trade by value but only 0.5% of total volumes.
But as paperwork has increased, the average time it takes to shift a product from the manufacturer to the final importer stands at 6.5 days, compared with Lufthansa Cargo’s boast in the 1960s that the process took only three days.

High value goods such as electronics have also become smaller, meaning they take up less space and do not need dedicated freighters for transportation.

These trends are pushing companies such as AstraZeneca, Ericsson and Sony to transport more of their pharmaceuticals and electronics via sea at lower cost. In addition, growing demand for plane travel means more and more freight is being transported in the holds, or bellies, of passenger planes.

The International Air Transport Association, meeting this week in Doha, predicts cargo volumes will total about 52 million tonnes this year, effectively unchanged since 2010.

“The industry needs a structural redesign,” Glyn Hughes, director of cargo industry management at IATA, said on Tuesday.

Paperwork

Airlines have so far reacted to the tough cargo market by cutting capacity and taking freighters out of service.

“Most are losing money and they respond by cutting capacity to try to break even to survive this slump,” said Andrew Herdman, director-general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

Lufthansa Cargo has postponed a decision on whether to take more Boeing 777 freighters. Other carriers such as Air France-KLM, Singapore, Japan Airlines have all reduced the number of freighter planes they operate.

Air France-KLM, whose passenger aircraft currently account for 72% of total freight capacity compared with 54% in 2007-08, plans to make a decision in a couple of weeks on whether to reduce its fleet of freighter-only aircraft further, Chief Executive Alexandre de Juniac said at the meeting. The carrier has already cut its freight-only capacity by 11.5% to 14 aircraft in 2013.

But to better compete in the long term, airlines need to cut shipping times and position themselves as premium operators specialising in high value or perishable goods, such as flowers, or bulky oversized goods, delegates said.

“Something has to change to deal with the overcapacity,” Jonathan Kletzel, Transportation and Logistics Leader at PwC, told Reuters.

He said the freighter-only carriers should make the most of the fact they can also offer routes outside the designated passenger networks and should look at improving links with other forms of transport.

IATA wants its members to shave 48 hours off shipping times – pointing out that of the 6.5 days on average it takes to get air freight from door to door, only a few hours is actually spent in the air.

It is therefore encouraging airlines to simplify procedures with freight forwarders and ground handlers, and to cut down the amount of paperwork it creates by moving to digital documents.

The association said that just 14.3% of contracts, known as airway bills, were in electronic form in 2013, short of its target of 22% for 2014.

“As an industry we’ve been pretty much dong the same things for 50 years, and I think anything like this is a sizeable change,” Hughes said when asked to explain why the industry had been so slow to move to electronic documents.


Source:  http://www.ft.lk

Seaplane services likely to take off by Onam

Kerala Tourism is gearing up to start seaplane service with amphibian aircraft at least by September before the peak tourist season.

A roadmap had been chalked out to ensure that the service, included in Mission 676, took off by Onam, sources said.

The inaugural flight of the Cessna 206 H amphibian aircraft from Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam was forced to return without landing on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on June 2, 2013, following opposition from the fisherfolk.

Expert panel

An expert committee, headed by Tourism Secretary Suman Billa, was set up to look into ‘any probable impact’ of seaplane operations on inland fisheries. The committee will soon submit its report.

The committee, in its interim report, had observed that apprehensions about water-dromes at Ashtamudi, Punnamada, Munnar, Bolgatty, and Bekal reducing the fishing area were ‘prima facie unfounded.’

Interim report

“We have made public the interim report and there is no comment or objection on or against our observations. Judging by this, we will finalize the report soon,” Mr. Billa told The Hindu here on Sunday.

Measures for stock enhancement to increase yield in water-dromes located in an active fishing area, steps to involve fisherfolk in Responsible Tourism initiatives, and open water cage farming were the measures mooted. This would be taken up as part of the corporate social responsibility, source said.

Fisheries Minister K. Babu and Tourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar will convene a meeting of the agitating fishermen to sort out the issues. Mr. Billa said the biggest challenge before us was to win over the confidence of the seaplane operators to kick off the services.

“We are banking on the four shortlisted operators who have placed orders for new aircraft abroad to launch the services,” he said.

The water-drome set up in Ashtamudi would be retained.

Instead of Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha, the water-drome would be shifted to Vattakayal which has less fishing activity as suggested by the committee.

A new water-drome would have to be set up and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would have to inspect it and give certification for launching the service, he said.


Source:  http://www.thehindu.com

My Father's Day Wisdom: Kids, Don't Fly On Private Planes - Ted Reed

By Ted Reed
I've been covering the airline industry since 1989.


On this Father’s Day, I will say something I know my three kids will always remember, because their dad says it all the time: Never fly in a private plane.

I mention this today because on Friday I read about Richard Rockefeller, a respected doctor who died at the controls of his private plane minutes after takeoff in bad weather at Westchester County Airport. “Though several other flights were canceled due to the rain, fog and poor visibility, veteran pilot Rockefeller opted to take off,” according to The New York Daily News.

I think of so many other tragic private airplane crashes, particularly the 1999 crash involving John Kennedy, who was piloting a small plane with his wife and sister-in-law as passengers – and I think of the misjudgments that led to their deaths, and I wonder why anyone would ever take such a risk.

But I know why. U.S. commercial aviation is so remarkably safe that we have come to assume that all flying is safe, no matter who is the operator.  In fact flying is not safe. U.S. commercial aviation only makes it seem that way, due to the extreme efforts taken by those involved – primarily the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, the airlines and the airline industry’s labor unions.

It is a complicated, interlocking safety system. Briefly, despite vast financial upheaval during this century, the airlines remain deeply committed to safety. The NTSB has managed to devise a system, based largely on transparency and open debate, that makes every accident a laboratory experiment intended to prevent any similar future accident.

The FAA utilizes a rickety, annoying system to enforce compliance: somehow it works. The labor unions not only devote resources to safety, but also create an environment where people are encouraged to speak up.

Speaking up is in fact a big key to the system. Apparently, some pilots did not speak up in advance of the 2013 runway crash of Asiana Flight 214 at San Francisco. Also, in the 1999 Little Rock crash of American Flight 1420, the young first officer did not contradict the veteran chief pilot who insisted on landing in a thunderstorm.

I remember a conversation with a US Airways pilot shortly after the Little Rock crash occurred. He was the son of an Eastern pilot and a spokesman for the US Airways chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association and,  like many veteran pilots at US Airways, was still a first officer.

“What would you have done?” I asked. His response, as I recall, was “No way I would have landed – when I need to speak up, I speak up.” He told me of times, during his 20-year career, when he raised objections to a captain’s intent. ALPA, his experience, his loyalty to his job – and to his dad – provided him with the confidence and inner strength that required.

Since 1996, covering US Airways has been my primary job, except for the year I spent there as staff writer.

During those 18 years, US Airways has had a strong safety culture which, from what I know, is replicated at the other major airlines. No question, part of the reason is that US Air suffered five fatal crashes from 1989 through 1994. All of the parties, including management, pilots and the International Association of Machinists, rededicated themselves to making sure there were no repeats. There have not been.

In 2003, a regional carrier flying as US Airways Express crashed in Charlotte. I was on a Charlotte Observer team that investigated. Ames Alexander, an extremely talented investigative reporter, found out something very interesting: the FAA had never visited the maintenance base responsible for the aircraft, except for one time before the base was actually performing maintenance. We also found out how often the FAA visited the US Airways Pittsburgh maintenance base: every day.

So one maintenance base was never visited and one was visited every day. Also, at some airlines, the cockpit culture does not encourage the junior guy to speak up, whereas at US Airways the junior guy would not for one second have hesitated to speak up.  These are just two small examples of the hundreds of factors that contribute to commercial aviation safety.

My continuing exposure to the US Airways safety culture has made had me the type of driver that some people cannot stand. I accept that I lack the mental capacity to simultaneously drive and talk on a cell phone or, worse yet, to look at texts on a cell phone. Sometimes I make this view known to others. Call me an annoying dad.

Elevated safety awareness is not something I see woven into the fabric of general aviation. I know I will now receive e-mails stating the contrary. But on Father’s Day, when a lot of kids are recalling the many wise things their dads have taught them,  I wanted to restate something that I have tried to teach to mine.


Source:  http://www.forbes.com

Cessna 172C Skyhawk, C-GEJS: Accident occurred June 15, 2014 near Torquay, Saskatchewan - Canada

Phil Wimmer of the Oungre, Sask., area and his son Brad, of the Tribune, Sask., area. The father and son were flying to a Father’s Day breakfast on Sunday, June 15, when their Cessna 172 piloted by Brad crashed near Torquay, Sask., killing both. Photo courtesy Wimmer family. 



A father and son were flying to a Father's Day breakfast when their plane crashed Sunday, killing both men. 



Brad Wimmer, 29, and his dad Phil Wimmer, 59, were heading to the annual Father's Day fly-in breakfast in Lampman for the first time together when weather conditions apparently forced Brad to turn the small airplane around.

"They just decided the weather was bad, and we don't know after that," said Charlene Wimmer, Phil's wife and Brad's mother.

She said Brad had been flying for the past five years.

Brad, of the Tribune area, and Phil, of the Oungre area, were both farmers and ranchers. The family gathered to grieve on Sunday and Monday, but a day after losing her husband and a son, Charlene was already aware of the tasks left unfinished.

"The kids are here. We've got bulls to go out today, Brad's got a pasture of cows to get moved and we still have to do farm work," she said.

The Wimmers didn't have a family farm, but Phil, Brad and Brad's brother regularly pooled their efforts and resources.

"The boys were running the outfit and telling dad what to do," Charlene said. "Brad bought his own farm, but they farmed together. Brad had land, we had land and another son had land, and they farmed it all together."

Brad and his wife Jennelle were due to mark their seventh wedding anniversary next week. Brad and Jennelle's sons are one and three years old.

"He was the best father," Charlene said.

She said Brad was loved by everyone who knew him.

"Brad was here (to have) a good time on Earth, and he did," Charlene said.

Phil was an active father of four and grandfather of six, who "would do anything for anybody," she said.

"He loved his Hereford cows and to farm with his two boys. He loved to play cards, curling and volleyball."

On Sunday, the Wimmers took off in a Cessna 172 airplane from a private airstrip near Torquay as they attempted to travel together with another plane, before hitting the ground at 10:12 a.m. The occupants of the other plane located the crash site and notified the authorities.

Torquay is located near the Canada-U.S. border, approximately 200 kilometres southeast of Regina and less than 100 kilometres southwest of Lampman. The investigation is ongoing, led by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada with assistance from Estevan RCMP.


 http://www.thestarphoenix.com


A father and son were en route to a Father's Day breakfast when their plane crashed Sunday, killing both men.

Brad Wimmer, 29, and his dad Phil Wimmer, 59, were heading to the annual Father's Day fly-in breakfast in Lampman for the first time together when weather conditions apparently forced Brad to turn the small airplane around.

"They just decided the weather was bad, and we don't know after that," said Charlene Wimmer, Phil's wife and Brad's mother.

She said Brad had been flying for the past five years.

Brad, of the Tribune area, and Phil, of the Oungre area, were both farmers and ranchers.

The family gathered to grieve on Sunday and Monday, but a day after losing her husband and a son, Charlene was already aware of the tasks unfinished.

"The kids are here. We've got bulls to go out today, Brad's got a pasture of cows to get moved and we still have to do farm work," Charlene said.

The Wimmers didn't have a family farm, but Phil, Brad and Brad's brother regularly pooled their efforts and resources.

"The boys were running the outfit and telling dad what to do," Charlene said. "Brad bought his own farm, but they farmed together. Brad had land, we had land and another son had land and they farmed it all together."

Brad and his wife Jennelle were due to mark their seventh wedding anniversary next week. Brad and Jennelle's sons are one and three years old.

"He was the best father," Charlene said.

She said Brad was loved by everyone who knew him. "Brad was here (to have) a good time on Earth, and he did," Charlene said.

Phil was the active father of four and grandfather of six, who "would do anything for anybody.

"He loved his Hereford cows and to farm with his two boys. He loved to play cards, curling and volleyball," Charlene said. On Sunday, the Wimmers took off in a Cessna 172 airplane from a private airstrip near Torquay as they attempted to travel together with another plane, before hitting the ground at 10:12 a.m. The occupants of the other plane located the crash site and notified the authorities.

Torquay is located near the Canada-U.S. border, approximately 200 kilometres southeast of Regina and less than 100 kilometres southwest of Lampman.

The investigation is ongoing, led by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada with assistance from Estevan RCMP.

Peter Hildebrand from the Transportation Safety Board said investigators will look into weather conditions and possible mechanical issues after the plane is retrieved from the wet ditch where it settled. The engine and propeller of the plane weren't visible on Monday afternoon.

John Erickson, a retired flight instructor with more than 20 years of experience, said there was fog in and around the Estevan area on Sunday morning that could've been problematic for pilots.

"Weather is very likely a factor in it. That's the only way they'd be that low in that part of the country, to keep visibility," Erickson said.


Source:   http://www.leaderpost.com

Grumman American AA-5B Tiger, N28718: Fatal accident occurred June 15, 2014 in Florence, Oregon

NTSB Identification: WPR14FA244
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, June 15, 2014 in Florence, OR
Aircraft: GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA 5B, registration: N28718
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

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

On June 15, 2014, about 0945 Pacific daylight time, a Grumman American AA-5B, N28718, impacted the pacific ocean about 3 miles northwest of Florence Municipal Airport (6S2), Florence, Oregon. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage throughout. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from 6S2 at about 0845.

Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane descend from the low clouds. After exiting the clouds, they heard an increase in engine power and the airplane started to level off. The airplane appeared to stall and start to spin before it impacted the water below.

The airplane components are being recovered from the water and moved to a secure location for further examination.


FAA Portland FSDO-09

AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE WATER SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, THE 2 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, NEAR FLORENCE, OR 

http://registry.faa.gov/N28718


Benjamin James Dressler 
~


TUKWILA -- James Dressler remembers dropping his 15-year-old son off at school last Thursday vividly. It was the last time he saw Benjamin alive.

"Every time I left him, I told him, 'I love you son, I love you,'" recalled Dressler.

Benjamin Dressler and his 69-year-old grandfather Richard Munger died Sunday in a plane crash off the Oregon coast.  Both shared a love of flying.

Thursday, James Dressler remembered his son as an independent thinker keen on learning about math and science.  Benjamin loved outer space, Dressler said, and was very interested in physics.

Benjamin pursued those interests at Aviation High in Tukwila, where he was just about to finish the school year.

Thursday night, a large vigil was held on campus in Benjamin Dressler's honor.

James Dressler was there as well, amazed at the outpouring of support, and wishing his son had been able to fulfill his potential.

"What I think is most painful for me is realizing what didn't happen in Benjamin's life," said Dressler tearfully, "He didn't get to finish what he started."


Story and video:  http://www.king5.com

Benjamin James Dressler 
April 29, 1999 - June 15, 2014 
Seattle, Washington 

Benjamin died tragically in a small plane accident on Sunday, June 15, 2014, in Florence, Oregon. Born on April 29, 1999, Benjamin attended St. Bernadette Catholic School, Hazel Valley Elementary, Cedarhurst Elementary, Sylvester Middle School, and Raisbeck Aviation  High School.

He touched many lives through his sense of humor, uplifting spirit, and love of life.

At his young age, he was an accomplished scholar who loved to learn. His favorite subjects were math, drama, science, and speech and debate. He enjoyed participating in physical activities such as karate and basketball. He was an avid fan of video games, movies, and chess.

He was an inspiration to his friends, fellow students, teachers, and family because of his leadership and talent in nearly everything he attempted. His spirit will live on in all of us, and he will be missed dearly.

Benjamin is survived by his mother, Lisa Dressler, father, James Dressler, sister, Hope Dressler, and grandparents, LaVonne Douville, Chet Hedden, and Jill Hardin.

Funeral Service
Friday, June 27
5:00 PM to 6:00 PM 
Saint Bernadette Church
861 SW 126th St Seattle, WA 98146

Life Celebration
Friday, June 27
6:30 PM to 11:30 PM
The Hall at Fauntleroy
9131 California Ave SW Seattle, WA 98136

Vigil
Thursday, June 19
8:30 PM to 9:30 PM 
Raisbeck Aviation High School
9229 E. Marginal Way S. Tukwila, WA 98108

Read more and photo:   http://www.tributes.com/obituary



FLORENCE, Ore. - A sightseeing flight turned tragic on Father's Day when a small plane crashed into the ocean. 

Pilot Richard Munger, 69, of Florence died.

His 15-year-old grandson Benjamin Dressler remains missing.

"I know in my own heart that Rick did everything he possibly could to save himself and his grandson and the airplane, too," said Steve Saubert, a volunteer at the Florence Municipal Airport.

Saubert were on their way back from a Sunday morning flight.

"Great person," Saubert said of Munger. "You know he's a pharmacist, and worked hard, helped a lot of people, and we're going to miss him."

Saubert said Munger was an experienced pilot, often traveling cross-country in his small, single engine airplane.

Witnesses on the beach near the North Jetty in Florence told first responders they heard the engine pop before the plane crashed into the water.

U.S. Coast Guard Senior Chief Jim Greenlief said lifeboats were on scene with 15 minutes.

"The helicopter arrived shortly thereafter and started the search in the same way, and they were the ones that spotted the first victim," he said.

Greenlief said Munger was pronounced dead at the scene.

As of late Sunday, the search efforts had been exhausted and the Coast Guard suspended the search.

"It's really heartbreaking here for us at the station," Greenlief said. "But we did what we were trained to do, and we would do it again if the call was there."

All that remains on the beach from Sunday's response are tracks in the sand. The FAA and NTSB are now in charge of the investigation.


Source:  http://www.kval.com


FLORENCE, Ore. - The person missing after a small plane crash off the Oregon coast has been identified as 15-year-old Benjamin Dressler of Washington state.  

 Local authorities say Dressler and his grandfather, Richard Munger, 69, of Florence, were together in the plane at about 9:50 a.m. Sunday when it crashed off the Oregon coast near Florence.

Munger was recovered by the Coast Guard and pronounced dead at the scene, but Dressler has not been found. His hometown was not immediately available.

Sgt. Carrie Carver of the Lane County (Ore.) Sheriff’s Office says the plane landed in the water near the North Jetty, about 500 yards offshore. The grandfather and grandson departed in the single-engine aircraft from Florence just before the accident.

A helicopter and a lifeboat are searching the waters near the crash site for Dressler while a U.S. Coast Guard dive team is preparing to dive down to the wreck.

Low wind and calm seas have helped the search crews work at the ocean crash site.

Debris from the plane is washing up as far as a mile north of the jetty.

The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.


Source:  http://www.komonews.com
 
FLORENCE — Lane County sheriff’s officials today identified a Florence man and his grandson as being the occupants of a single-engine airplane that crashed Sunday into the Pacific Ocean near Florence.

Richard Munger, 69, was pronounced dead after a U.S. Coast Guard crew recovered his body after the crash, sheriff’s officials said.

A search is continuing for Munger’s grandson, 15-year-old Washington state resident Benjamin Dressler, officials said.

Munger and Dressler were the only two people aboard the small plane, which crashed about 500 yards offshore, near the North Jetty in Florence.

An investigation into the crash will be conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.


Source:  http://registerguard.com

FLORENCE, Ore. -- Crews are searching for a person off the coast of Florence after a plane crashed Sunday morning near the north jetty, Lane County Sheriff's Office said.

U.S. Coast Guard teams said they rescued one of the two people believed to be on board when the plane crashed about 300-500 yards off the north jetty in Florence.

That person recovered from the wreck was later pronounced dead, Siuslaw Fire and Rescue official Sean Barrett said.

Officials with the Lane County Sheriff's Office reported that the aircraft

from Florence crashed at 9:45 a.m. Sunday.

A helicopter and a lifeboat are searching the waters near the crash site for the plane's second passenger while a U.S. Coast Guard dive team is preparing to dive down to the wreck.

"Victims: that's what the helicopter is mainly doing right now," said Barrett. "Obviously the debris comes in as it comes in. But that's our main thing, we've got to determine where that person is."

Low wind and calm seas have helped the search crews work at the ocean crash site.

Debris from the plane is washing up as far as a mile north of the jetty.

Law enforcement closed the north jetty area to the public while police, deputies, and Search and Rescue crews handle the crash.

Officials ask beach-goers to stay away from any plane debris they may come across while walking along the shore.

Story, photo gallery, video and comments/reaction:  http://www.kval.com


Pilot remembered:    "I know in my own heart that Rick did everything he possibly could to save himself and his grandson and the airplane, too," said Steve Saubert, a volunteer at the Florence Municipal Airport.


U.S. Coast Guard Senior Chief Jim Greenlief said lifeboats were on scene with 15 minutes. "The helicopter arrived shortly thereafter and started the search in the same way, and they were the ones that spotted the first victim," he said.

Iraq crisis could spell fresh trouble for airlines: Oil prices have risen to nine-month high; fuel accounts for nearly 35-40% of the operational cost of an airline

The ongoing crisis in Iraq and the resultant spike in crude prices could spell fresh trouble for loss-making domestic airlines. Fuel accounts for as much as 35-40 per cent of the operational cost of an airline. Moreover, dollarised costs (including fuel, which is paid for in dollars at the time of import) are 60-70 percent of the total cost.

On Friday, when rebel forces advanced towards Baghdad, Brent crude shot up to a nine-month high trading over $114 a barrel on supply concerns. Moreover, the rupee fell 52 paise to a dollar closing at 59.77, its lowest level in a month.

Over the past few months, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices in India have softened and the rupee gained against the dollar. Currently, ATF is being sold at Rs 69,747 a kilolitre in Delhi for domestic operations, almost a 10 per cent lower than the price last October. The rupee strengthened in the past couple of months and the average rate of dollar, too, has come down from over Rs 62 in the second quarter to around Rs 60 in the fourth quarter of the last financial year.

“The cost situation has substantially eased now in comparison to the last year. Friday's spike in crude price is a reaction to the reported reduction in supplies due to the Iraq situation. We may be in for another shock if the crisis develops into a full blown civil war - quite a possibility given the volatility in that part of the world,” said a senior executive from a private airline.
 
“Oil prices have risen to a nine-month high and the potential for higher prices remains a concern given the sensitive situation in Iraq. This could pose a challenge to the economy and certainly the aviation sector especially in the second quarter, which is a weak season. We expect air fares to remain modest till we see further hike in fuel prices. Higher fares due to fuel prices will hurt demand, which remains modest,” said Kapil Kaul of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.

Domestic airlines including Air India, Jet Airways and SpiceJet reported a loss of over Rs 10,000 crore in FY14. According to an HSBC Global Research report, unit costs for Indian carriers rose sharply over the past five years and the two main factors that led to the rise include ATF (75 per cent up in 2013 over 2009) and depreciation of the rupee (21 per cent up in 2013 over 2009).

In its pre-Budget recommendations to the finance ministry, the civil aviation ministry has recommended that ATF be notified as a declared good, which will result in a flat four per cent sales tax.

An another suggestion pertains to opening access for transport of ATF and transparency in aviation fuel pricing.

“Jet fuel taxes make domestic and international ATF prices in India 13-41 percent higher than Singapore. Lowering taxes can help reduce costs that can be used in the form of lower ticket prices to boost demand. India's aviation industry has been struggling from problems that are fundamental in nature, not just cyclical. Not only is there an over-supply, it also suffers from high costs relative to pricing,” said the report.

In its pre-Budget recommendations to the finance ministry, the civil aviation ministry has recommended that ATF be notified as a ‘declared good’, which will result in a flat four percent sales tax. An another suggestion pertains to opening access for transport of ATF and transparency in aviation fuel pricing.

“We want oil companies to allow airlines to use their infrastructure for transport of ATF. We hope some thing positive is in store for airlines and trends improve soon,” another senior executive remarked.

Source:   http://www.business-standard.com

No work, full pay at aviation firms in AP and Telangana

Hyderabad: Despite having no helicopters and aircraft and no work to do the employees of AP Aviation Corporation and AP Aviation Academy, including maintenance engineers, are paid salaries.

After the Bell 430 chopper crashed killing former CM Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2009 and the Augusta Westland 139 helicopter and the entire aircraft fleet of AP Aviation Academy were burnt in a fire both the organisations have nothing left that can fly. Both organisations are placed in the 10th schedule of the AP Reorganization Act and have to cater to the needs of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

AP and Telangana do not have choppers to fly the new Chief Ministers N. Chandrababu Naidu and K. Chandrasekhara Rao. The proposals to buy new choppers for APACL are pending since long, and after the two new governments were formed discussions were held, but nothing has moved forward.

An official of AP Aviation Corporation said, “a chopper costs Rs 75 crore. We haven't received any proposal for buying new choppers. The company exists only on paper as we do not have any choppers. There is no work at all. Around five personnel are working on deputation from the industries department. Around 10 are working on contract. They are all paid salaries. The salaries are not huge. Both the CMs are using private choppers and aircraft. The corporation is not involved.”

In the mishap at the Begumpet airport hanger on December 18, 2012 an Augusta Westland chopper of APACL and six aircraft of the AP Aviation Academy were gutted.

Experts say the corporation has to be wound up or otherwise the state government would have to share the insurance amount of Rs 63 crore and buy new choppers.

The AP Aviation Academy suffered a loss of Rs 30 crore and lost two Cessna 152 aircraft, two Cessna 172 aircraft, one Learjet and one Pushpak aircraft in the fire at the Begumpet hangar. Pilot training at the Academy has stopped as it doesn't have are any aircraft. The office of APACL has been reduced to just 800 square feet at the Begumpet freight station.

Source:  http://www.deccanchronicle.com

Newcastle air passenger Tony Ormston claims Thomas Cook Airlines kept details of a recalled flight secret: Fire engines met Newcastle plane after it was diverted to Manchester

An airline passenger has accused flight operators of keeping secret the reason why a flight was recalled when it was almost at its destination.

Tony Ormston was on the holiday flight from Newcastle to Tenerife when it turned back after two and a half hours with unspecified technical problems.

Fire engines met the plane when it was diverted to Manchester but Tony said he struggled to find out what happened and why it was decided to recall the plane back to the UK.

Thomas Cook has refused to pay compensation despite Tony and his family eventually arriving a day late for their holiday.

Tony, of Newcastle, said: “Thomas Cook are refusing to pay me compensation quoting extraordinary circumstances.

“I have been in touch with them on numerous occasions but they will not divulge the nature of the circumstances nor pay me suitable compensation.

“Approximately two and a half hours into the flight we were informed that we had to return to Manchester due to a technical problem with the right engine.

“I believe that rather than land at a nearby airport somewhere in mainland Spain and pick up an onward flight it was more cost effective for Thomas Cook to return to Manchester because the company have a maintenance facility hub there and expert technicians on hand.

“This option to return to Manchester was chosen by Thomas Cook in favor of other options that may have allowed us to get to our original destination that night.

“The plane touched down in Manchester with a full set of emergency vehicles in attendance which continued to follow the plane to the gate.

“As a nervous flyer, who is prescribed strong medication by my doctor, this was not a pleasant experience and added to my worry that we would be loaded back on to the original faulty airplane.”

Tony said he had been in touch with the Civil Aviation Authority and Thomas Cook trying to find answers.

After putting pressure on the airline he has now learned there was high engine vibration on the No 2 engine and an examination revealed excessive movement of two fan blades.

The airline has apologized for the delay in providing the information but will still not pay up.

A spokeswoman said: “Thomas Cook Airlines would like to apologize to passengers for the delay they experienced when traveling from Newcastle to Tenerife with us on flight TCX6024 on 23rd August 2013.

“The aircraft had no prior history of the defect that arose, and as such was totally unforeseeable - such cases are genuinely extraordinary and we believe that the regulatory authorities as well as the courts are likely to share this view.

“We appreciate how frustrating flight delays can be, so we’d like to sincerely apologize to Mr Ormston and his family for the delay in getting them to Tenerife.

“It is important to note that technical problems such as this are neither foreseeable nor predictable

“All of our aircraft are subjected to inspection and maintenance on every arrival and departure to ensure that they are in excellent operating condition. In addition to this, our aircraft regularly enter periods of intense inspection and planned maintenance.”

Thomas Cook said the CAA agreed with their assessment that what happened was an unforeseen circumstance that could not have been avoided. A typical flight between Newcastle and Tenerife takes four hours and 40 minutes.


Source:  http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk

Unmanned aerial vehicle tested in conjunction with U.S. Navy Sea Hawk helicopter for the first time

Northrop Grumman Corporation and the U.S. Navy report that they have successfully flown the unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout simultaneously with the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter for the first time.

More from the Northrop Grumman news release:

The capability demonstrates how a mix of aircraft can increase a ship commander’s intelligence-gathering capabilities aboard the Littoral Combat Ship.

The flight tests took place May 12, aboard the USS Freedom (LCS 1) off the coast of San Diego. Fire Scout complements the Sea Hawk because it can fly longer to maintain constant surveillance on a target or area of interest.

“Utilizing the Fire Scout in operational maritime scenarios with manned aircraft will prove to be a unique asset to our fleet,” said Capt. Patrick Smith, Fire Scout program manager. “The sensors of the Fire Scout are providing complimentary situational awareness and precision targeting support for the MH-60R Sea Hawk and Littoral Combat Ships.”

The MQ-8B Fire Scout is designed to take off autonomously and land from any aviation-capable warship. It has the endurance to fly for five hours and has logged more than 12,500 flight hours from land and sea.

“Fire Scout is giving our warfighters enhanced persistent situational awareness,” said George Vardoulakis, vice president, medium range tactical systems, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “Fire Scout systems are providing critical information to the pilots of the MH-60R Sea Hawk and the sailors of the Littoral Combat Ship to ensure that they are protected from maritime threats.”

The MQ-8B Fire Scout is on its eighth at-sea deployment supporting a variety of surveillance and security missions onboard Navy frigates. The system also completed a two-year mission providing ground commanders intelligence-gathering capabilities in Afghanistan.

Source:  http://ottawacitizen.com

MARYLAND: Ocean City air show hits high notes

OCEAN CITY — — The 7th annual OC Air Show finished its first day to the applause and cheering of the thousands who showed up to watch the aerial acrobatics up close. They were not disappointed.

The air show is a weekend long celebration of aeronautic precision and death-defying flight maneuvers that are proof of the expertise and dedication of the pilots involved. From a head-to-head stunt performance by Gary Ward and Greg Connell to the air ballet that is the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, there was more than enough excitement to go around.

The sound of an air show is something that can only be experienced. If you throw a truckload of cymbals down a tin hallway you wouldn't come close to the torso-shaking clamor of the plane engines.

The noise didn't bother John Heinrichs, 64, of Relay, who was attending his fifth air show.

"I love this, it makes me feel young," he said. "It makes me feel like I'm 12 again. You come out and watch the planes and it's a lot of fun."

If the crowds were any indication, many people share his sentiment. From the water's edge to the trinket shops on the boardwalk, throngs of people populated the area around 17th Street to catch the play-by-play coming out of the loud speakers set up to inform spectators about the planes, pilots and tricks being performed.

The "Candy Cane" was a trick performed by Ward and Connell that consisted of one plane flying straight while the other corkscrewed around him. The smoke trails coming out the back of the planes gives the candy-cane striping effect.

The Thunderbirds gave a Top Gun-like show that involved a lot of up-close flying near each other while one or more of the six planes was inverted. Appreciative oohs and ahhs came from the crowd every time one F-16 would pass another while each flew in opposite directions at speeds closing in on supersonic.

Much of the crowd is expected to return for the air show's second performance Sunday afternoon. Scheduled performers include U.S. Navy Seals Leap Frogs, Geico Skytypers and the Thunderbirds, among many others.

One-day tickets for the drop zone are $25. For more information, go to ocairshow.com.

Source:  http://articles.baltimoresun.com

Waukesha County, Wisconsin: Ultralight Plane lands at High School Graduation

Talk about making your mark as a new graduate.

The father of graduating senior at Hamilton High School in Sussex made sure his son arrived to his commencement ceremony in a most unforgettable fashion. With his son on-board dressed in his fire-engine red cap and gown ensemble, he landed his ultralight plane right on the high school's front lawn Saturday afternoon. A crowd of hundreds watched stunned.

"I think it's pretty crazy, " said Alan Larson, a parent who attended the ceremony to watch his daughter graduate. Larson said the plane circled and then landed on the lawn near the parking lot where people were streaming in the building.

"I think it was over the top. Especially with an ultralight, with a wind gust it could have been a problem," said Larson. Although I must commend him, he was a very good pilot and it wasn't that close a call because he only had a 30-40 foot margin of error.

"It's not everyday you go to a graduation and you see an ultralight land in front of a school."

The pilot told WTMJ-TV he was issued a citation from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department. He did not want to elaborate any more about the incident. The Sheriff's Department and the Waukesha County School District did not confirm any details about what happened.

The FAA has restrictions about landing ultralight planes in areas where large groups are gathered. Ultralight pilots, however, are not required to have a license.

The ultralight plane remained on the front lawn as the commencement ceremony took place. Father and son left school grounds the same way they came in: flying off into the sky on the colorful ultralight plane. ​

 
Story and video:   http://www.620wtmj.com

Unmanned aircraft to survey wildlife habitat

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Researchers in eastern Idaho plan to use unmanned robotic aircraft starting Sunday to get high-resolution digital images of sagebrush habitats.

"When we take ground measurements it's over a small area," said Janet Rachlow, an ecology professor at the University of Idaho. "But we are interested in scaling up what we learn about individual plants and animals to a large scale that is useful for land management and management of wildlife populations overall."

The aerial photos will also be used in a large study on pygmy rabbits, as well as to learn how animals react to temperature and predators.

Also participating in the project are Boise State University, Washington State University and the University of Florida.

The research team plans to be in Lemhi County for about two weeks with the unmanned flights going through June 23.

"The end goal is to understand what makes a good habitat for these animals," Rachlow said. "We have to have a better understanding of what is a good habitat if we are to help restore it after a wildfire or incursions of foreign plants."

The University of Idaho's participation is part of an effort to create a Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Systems at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies in Idaho Falls. The unmanned aerial systems center, should it be created, will work toward finding ways to bring unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace.

A company called Advanced Aviation Solutions, a consulting company, is working with Idaho researchers to establish the center.

"We want to represent all the (unmanned air) research that is done for Idaho — water, agriculture, wildlife, ranching, reservoirs and more," company CEO Steve Edgar said in a news release.


Source:  http://www.heraldextra.com

Captain Doron: Piper Seneca - Montauk Airport (KMTP), New York

 
 Piper Seneca landing in KMTP 
  Published on June 15, 2014

Vintage planes take flight: Shelbyville Municipal Airport (KSYI), Tennessee

The Shelbyville Municipal Airport hosted three vintage military aircraft and their crews on Friday.

Two Vietnam-era planes and a Korean War cargo craft visited the airport en route to this weekend's The Great Tennessee Air Show at the Smyrna airport.

The crews waited in Shelbyville while the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron practiced in the Smyrna airspace Friday afternoon, said Pete O'Hare, a retired U.S. Marine Corps aviator who volunteers with an aviation museum.

Air show

That museum, the Hixson Museum of Flight in Chattanooga, is participating in the Smyrna air show which started Saturday and continues today. Museum volunteers are flying two T-28s and a C-45H in the air show.

The U.S. used the T-28s, which are turboprop craft, as trainers starting in the 1950s but also as counterinsurgency aircraft in the Vietnam War. One of the museum's T-28s was sold to Honduras for $1 and used in the 100 Hours War in 1969, where it shot down a Salvadoran P-51, O'Hare said.

The other T-28 still has patched bullet holes, he said.

The C-45 was used to fly cargo and military VIPs between Osan Air Base and Pohang during the Korean War, O'Hare said.

Restoration

The Hixson museum, which is only about 4 years old, painstakingly refurbished the three aircraft after finding them in a junkyard, he said.

"They were rotting, falling down pieces of crap," said O'Hare, who previously served as air show director for the Blue Angels while stationed in Hawaii. He retired in March 2013 after being based at Naval Air Station Atlanta.

The Marine Corps donated materials, including decals, for the restoration, said Capt. Andreas Montgomery, another museum volunteer. Montgomery owns an Athens, Tennessee, business that restores and test flies restored aircraft.

Volunteers

The museum's Smyrna crew included several more volunteers, including "Gunnie" Ronnie Cox, a retired military mechanic who served in Vietnam. He said he served for 24 years in the Marines, Army and National Guards, but was discharged after suffering the effects of Agent Orange from the war.

The Hixson museum does more than restore and fly vintage aircraft, O'Hare said. The museum has raised $20,000 for Children's Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga.

Story and photos:   http://www.t-g.com

Authority puts brakes on airport autocross racing; Panel cites concerns over liability, closing of facility during event: Greater Cumberland Regional Airport (KCBE), Maryland

CUMBERLAND — Despite the rich history of auto racing at the Greater Cumberland Regional Airport, the Potomac Highlands Airport Authority voted Thursday to deny the members of National Road Autosport LLC to hold their annual autocross event on the airport’s operational grounds.

The vote on the auto racing event was held during a special meeting of the authority at the airport. The National Road Autosport has been holding races at the airport for the last 11 years until recent concerns over liability and the closing of the airport during the event arose.

“I want to put on a good professional event and be a good steward of the airport,” said Mark Boggs, vice president of the autosport group.

Following a presentation on the race by Boggs, and impassioned debate, a vote to submit a Federal Aviation Administration request to have the race on the taxiway portion of the airport did not have enough votes to pass. A second motion was made by Creade Brodie, the airport authority board chair, to allow the racing association to use property outside the operational grounds.

“We let them run anywhere they want outside the fence, I will even further the motion that if they can make this work and they need additional blacktop the airport is willing to throw in $5,000 towards the existing blacktop with a percentage of them getting to race free. That is the fairest we can be. That way that cuts the FAA completely out and we ain’t got to shut down no taxiways. We can accommodate them and help them to grow,” said Brodie.

That motion passed unanimously.

The autocross representatives were clearly disappointed with the ruling.

The type of race put on by the National Road Autosport is a two- or three-day event that features a variety of race car classifications making solo timed runs on an obstacle course of highway cones. The cars compete individually to set the best time.

Recently the airport authority became concerned about having the race at the airport based on the possibility of sustaining damages to the hangars. However, Boggs said the autosport group would have $1 million in liability insurance for the event.

“That is something else we may have issue with. It don’t near cover a commercial hangar and its contents. If something would happen to that commercial hangar, and something would burn, that would be the end of this airport, period,” said Brodie.

Brodie said the hangar by the taxiway contains six planes between $3.5 million to $5 million a piece plus the value of the building.

However, not all of the PHAA members were happy with the decision.

Nicole Wagoner expressed her disappointment with the vote following the meeting.

“I’m disappointed the PHAA board could not agree to the NRA’s request to submit the proposal,” said Wagoner.

“I made the motion on behalf of the PHAA to submit the NRA proposal form 7460, with amendments that the airport manager, Mr. Ryan Shaffer, felt was necessary to show a clear picture of the event. He expressed interest in having a more detailed submission. The form is necessary to get permission to hold the event and to clarify if holding the event would not adversely affect our funding,” she said.

Some members have been under the impression that holding the autocross could jeopardize future funding for the airport, particularly to expand the runway.

“I hope the autocross can remain at the airport due to the uniqueness of the location and the history of the venue. It’s important to have a location they can utilize for two to three days to draw the participants from hundreds of miles away,” said Wagoner.

Wagoner said the economic impact of having the autocross at the airport over the last 11 years was $60,000 in revenue for mainly nonprofit vendors, the funding of an air cadet scholarship program at $15,000 and a total economic benefit of $3 million to the local hotel, restaurant and entertainment businesses.

Racing has long been a part of the history of the airport.


From 1953 to 1971, events sponsored by the Sports Car Club of America featured auto racing that drew crowds in excess of 40,000 people regularly to Cumberland. Racing greats Roger Penske, Carroll Shelby, Augie Pabst and Skip Barber as well as star hosts like Steve Allen came to Cumberland to be a part of the races.

Source:  http://www.times-news.com
 
 

Mickleton East Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey: Woman takes off for Air Race Classic

Imagine being 10,000 feet in the air in a small, twin-engine aircraft with nothing but approximately 2,400 miles between you and the finish line.

Mickleton's Emily Lewis, 20, will be living that scenario when she climbs in and fires up the 1961 Beechcraft Travel Air at 8 a.m. on Monday and kicks off her journey in the Air Race Classic.

The Air Race Classic, an annual transcontinental air race for female pilots — which begins in Concord, California, and ends in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania — was founded in 1977 and was inspired by similar competitions that began as popular exhibitions in the late 1920s, and were later revived after World War II.

This is Emily's first Air Race Classic, but flying has been in her heart since she was just a little girl.

"I first got interested in aviation when I was really little," Emily said. "As I got older, my brothers were learning how to fly."

Seeing her older brothers learning to fly set off her competitive instincts and she decided she wanted to fly, too.

"I said, 'If they're doing it, let me try,'" Emily said.

The family's urge to fly didn't just start with Emily and her siblings. Her father, aunt, uncle and grandfather are all pilots; her grandfather being the founder of Cross Keys Airport in Williamstown.

Finally, when she was 14, her father, John Lewis, let her start taking flying lessons.

"Then when I was 16 I could fly myself — kind of like having a permit to drive — with supervision I could take off and land myself," Emily said. "Then when I was 17, I got my pilot's license. That's the youngest age you can get your license."

Since then, Emily has been adding ratings such as instrument reading which makes her an all-weather pilot, and, most recently, a multiple engine rating.

Terri Lewis, Emily's mother, said watching her daughter take off in a small airplane is "actually not terrifying at all."

"My husband's a pilot, his father's a pilot, all my kids fly, so they all have good training," Terri said.

While she's always been aware of her daughter's love of flying, Terri was a bit surprised that Emily wanted to participate in the Air Race Classic.

"We went to a women's air group meeting and someone had on a shirt that said 'Air Race Classic,'" Terri recalled. "On the way home, (Emily) was really quiet. I should have known something then. A couple weeks later, she said she wanted to do it and had already sent out emails. So that was it."

Emily had definitely made up her mind to fly in the cross-country flight.

"I'm not so much nervous as I am excited," she said. "This is, by far, the longest (distance) I've flown. I'm just looking forward to seeing the sights below us from such a personal view."

She described flying in a small aircraft, such as the one she and her co-pilot will be traveling in from June 16 to 19, as "euphoric."

"It's one of the greatest feelings," she said. "Once you're in the air, you don't want to come back down. You feel like you're on top of the world, literally."

Currently a geography major at Salisbury University, Emily also has an interest in weather and hopes to someday combine it with her love of flying.

"Weather and aviation go hand-in-hand, and I hope to make a career out of the two," she said.

In the meantime, she hopes to finish the race successfully and then, this summer, will be a counselor at the Future Aviators Summer Camp in Pennsylvania.

"They will do a model rocket launch, go on a flight and learn the basics of flight," she said. "Then they will visit the Air and Space Museum. It's going to be a really good time."

The Air Race Classic is divided into nine legs with nine check points across the country.

To follow Emily's progress, visit www.weathiation.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook by searching for "Team Friendly Fliers in the Air Race Classic" community.


Story and photos:  http://www.nj.com

Blue Angels Draw Crowds To "The Great Tennessee Airshow"

The Aerospace Department at Middle Tennessee State University was out in full force Saturday at the Great Tennessee Air Show.

 MTSU was the presenting sponsor for the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels precision flight team. And about 25 faculty and students worked a display tent about the Aerospace Department that featured two training aircraft.

"It's important not only to expose our Aerospace Department, but our school," said Tyler Babb, an assistant professor of aerospace and organizer of the Air Show effort for MTSU.

"There are a lot of people in the community who know about us, who know that we're there, who know we're a big school," he said. "But to actually show up (at the Air Show) and hand them information about our school is a very direct link."

President Sidney A. McPhee and Bud Fischer, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, toured the Air Show on Saturday and spent time with students and faculty at the MTSU Aerospace tent.

"It's very appropriate for MTSU, one of the premier aerospace universities in the country, to have a very visible and prominent role at one of the nation's top air shows," McPhee said.

The President also was pleased to see two of the Aerospace Department's Diamond DA40 aircraft at the show. Show goers were allowed to climb behind the controls of the aircraft.

CLICK HERE to see an MTSU video of the Great Tennessee Airshow.

"We have made considerable investments in our Aerospace Department," McPhee said. "I'm pleased our partnership with the Great Tennessee Air Show allows us to showcase our program."

McPhee and other MTSU representatives toured the flight line following the Blue Angels' show and met with the Navy and Marine pilots and crew members.

The air show continues Sunday. For more information, go to greattennesseeairshow.com. 

Source:  http://wgnsradio.com