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Key to Eliminating U.S. Flight Delays? Redesign the Sky Over New York City
An interesting article in Wired about ways to relieve congestion and avoid flight delays. It has some neat graphics and an animation that shows flight patterns by aircraft type. I thought it was a great article. (www.wired.com)
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FAA tracking planes that flew over house hit by ice
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into a large piece of ice that fell from the sky and damaged the roof of a North Side house Wednesday night. The home is about 10 miles from Runway 28 at O'Hare International Airport, and lies under one of the airport's flight paths.
The FAA intends to look into whether any planes approaching O'Hare at the time . . . (www.chicagobreakingnews.com)
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Missing Amazon plane made river landing, 9 survive
A plane that went missing over the Amazon made an emergency river landing in a remote part of the rain forest and nine of the 11 people aboard survived, Brazil's air force said Friday. (www.google.com)
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3 airlines fined $175,000 for stranding passengers
Federal fines totaling $175,000 were levied Tuesday morning against the three airlines involved in the stranding of dozens of passengers overnight on a regional airliner on a tarmac in Rochester, Minn., this past summer. (www.startribune.com)
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Fleet Week is back in San Francisco
Every October, nearly one million people flock to San Francisco’s waterfront or rooftops to watch the spectacular antics of the Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight demonstration team and the highlight of Fleet Week. (www.sfexaminer.com)
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“Do I have the right to refuse this search?”
An excellent article about the TSA written by someone who retired recently as the Assistant Chief of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Police and spent 24 years as a police officer. (www.hlswatch.com)
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Navy F18 gets permission to buzz the tower
This is the moment a a US Navy pilot gave a shocked resident a very close look at his F18. The fighter/bomber streaked past an apartment block on the banks of the Detroit River at the weekend. It was part of a tactical demonstration fly-past to open a speedboat race in the North American city. Officials waived rules to allow the Navy flyers to swoop under 100ft along the waterway . . . (www.dailymail.co.uk)
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757 reports near miss with lawnmower
A plane carrying almost 200 passengers had a close shave with a tractor lawnmower as it landed on a foggy night, it was disclosed today. The driver of the sit-on mower did not even notice the Boeing 757 until its wing passed over his head as he cut grass near runways at Dublin Airport. (www.independent.co.uk)
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Pilot recalls perilous plunge from sky
The engine rumbled ominously and the plane unexpectedly started to shake. As Alan Crawford flew through low-hanging clouds on his way from Fort Worth to his hometown of Buchanan Dam on Saturday, he knew he was going to crash. (www.statesman.com)
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Confusion in cockpit before fatal Sask. crash, report says
A small commercial aircraft crashed and burned in northern Saskatchewan in 2007, leaving one dead, partly because the pilot and co-pilot couldn't work effectively as a team, a report says. (www.cbc.ca)
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Lightning strike cuts winglet
A BMI British Midland Airbus A330-200, registration G-WWBD performing flight BD-762 (dep. Jun 19th) from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Tel Aviv (Israel), was struck by a lightning while on approach to Tel Aviv. The crew continued for a safe landing, however without the right winglet that was still attached during departure from London. (avherald.com)
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Report: FAA expands American Airlines repair probe
The Federal Aviation Administration may be expanding its investigation into suspected structural problems found in a small portion of American Airlines jets, according to the Wall Street Journal. (www.google.com)
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Another "Ask The Pilot" article titled "Watch the pilot!"
View the landing of a Boeing 767, from the cockpit. Behold the glory of approach lights at dawn. Plus: A tutorial
(some neat videos linked) (www.salon.com)
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Boeing 787 may not fly this year
The structural flaw that delayed the first flight of the 787 Dreamliner is more complex than originally described by the company, and the plane's inaugural takeoff is likely at least four to six months away, say two engineers with knowledge of Boeing's problem (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
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Two Qantas pilots suspended for failing to deploy landing gear
Qantas, Australia's national carrier, has suspended two pilots for failing to deploy the landing gear when an aircraft was coming in to land in Sydney. The airplane's warning system alerted the crew to the dangerous oversight when the aircraft was just 700 feet above the ground. Luckily, the plane was able to climb back to altitude and landed without incidents minutes later. No on . . . (www.telegraph.co.uk)
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U.S. to study airline competitiveness
The U.S. government will set a "road map" for the money-losing aviation industry, examining competitiveness and the economic struggles of airlines, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.
"There are some serious issues facing the industry," LaHood told reporters after a four-hour meeting with industry officials on Thrusday. "A lot of businesses have c . . . (news.cincinnati.com)
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They weigh, you pay: Putting airport baggage scales to the test
If you are one of the nearly 300,000 passengers expected to travel through Sea-Tac Airport this Thanksgiving holiday season, and you plan to check bags, be prepared to open up your wallet, especially if your bags are overweight (www.komonews.com)
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Hold the mayo? Not when it comes to astute pilots
Running a marathon, grab a carbohydrate bar. Lifting weights, gulp a protein shake. But climbing into a fighter jet? Butter-soaked lobster might help. (www.google.com)
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Pilot Whose Gun Went Off Back on Job
Capt. James Langenhahn was stowing his .40 caliber pistol when it discharged as his plane was landing in Charlotte on March 22, 2008, after arriving from Denver. The bullet went through the cockpit wall and fuselage. Nobody was injured. Langenhahn was fired soon afterwards, but a federal arbitrator has ordered that he be reinstated after the US Airline Pilots Association filed a gri . . . (www.thestreet.com)
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Recording: Controller bantered as disaster loomed
A control tower recording captured an air traffic controller bantering about a dead cat with a giggling female friend as a small plane flew toward a collision with a helicopter.
FAA’s audio: tinyurl.com/crash-audio-mp3 (blog.taragana.com)
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Captain Steve Answers More of Your Airline Questions
A pilot for a major U.S. airline answers reader's questions. Part 2. (freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com)
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"We will be arriving shortly at Naha Airport. To your right is the beautiful Okinawan coast. On the left, you can see what's left of our competitor's aircraft."
B-18616 (cn 30175/1182) China Airlines Flight 120, had an engine explode shortly after landing at Naha Airport, resulting in a fire that gutted the aircraft. (thanks Fark for the Title!) (www.airliners.net)
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Driver Passes Out, Destroys 2 Planes At Gillespie Field
On this Thanksgiving Day, a motorist in El Cajon can be thankful he survived a freak accident that left his vehicle beneath a plane at Gillespie Field. Just after 4:00 p.m. yesterday, the 57 year-old driver traveling northbound on Johnson Avenue, just north of Bradley Avenue, apparently passed out behind the wheel. (eastcountymagazine.org)
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Bombardier rival Gulfstream makes first flight of G650
Bombardier Inc. and the rest of the business jet world were watching carefully on Wednesday as Gulfstream's sleek new long-range G650 landed in Savannah after its first flight that lasted 12 minutes. The two test pilots reported a slight vibration in the landing gear door. (www.montrealgazette.com)
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Supersonic Business Jet For Those With A Need For Speed
One of the more interesting airplane companies making news this week at the National Business Aircraft Association’s annual meeting isn’t actually making airplanes yet. Aerion Corporation is an ambitious group of people who want to produce a supersonic business jet. (www.wired.com)
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Zimbabwe plane hits wild pigs during takeoff
All 34 people aboard uninjured, but airliner sustains major damage.
Zimbabwe's transport ministry says one of the national airline's planes collided with five wild pigs on the runway in the capital during takeoff. (www.msnbc.msn.com)
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Charges to Be Filed in Colorado Balloon Incident
The announcement, by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, indicated that the authorities had gleaned new information from the family of Richard and Mayumi Heene after interviewing them for hours earlier in the day. (www.nytimes.com)
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Flight attendant sues over sex allegations on Oprah's private jet
A former flight attendant on Oprah Winfrey's private jet filed a lawsuit Friday claiming she was wrongfully fired because of false allegations that she had sex with the plane's married pilot as the talk-show host snoozed. (Hey it's got sex and it's got Oprah, just watch the popularity of the link soar!) (www.suntimes.com)
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Plane lands near Show Low after bird strike
A twin-engine cargo plane landed safely near Show Low after striking one or more birds on Wednesday, federal officials said, the second bird strike to force a passenger plane to land this week. The impact shattered the plane's wind screen, causing minor facial injuries and a bruised shoulder to the pilot and splattering bird blood across the inside of the aircraft, said Ian Gregor, . . . (www.azcentral.com)
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Plane Answers: What preparation does a pilot do prior to a flight?
Welcome to Gadling's feature, Plane Answers, where our resident airline pilot, Kent Wien, answers your questions about everything from takeoff to touchdown and beyond. (www.gadling.com)
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ACLU Drops Suit After TSA Changes Preflight Security Screening Policies
The American Civil Liberties Union has dropped a lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration after the TSA revised its policies pertaining to the conduct of its agents concerning pre-flight security screenings.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit against the TSA in June on behalf of Steven Bierfeldt, the Director of Development for the Campaign for Liberty, a politi . . . (www.forextv.com)
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Plane Crashes into House
A small plane has crashed into a house in Lawrenceville sparking a huge fire. The crash scene is in the 2300 block of Walker Road, just off Camp Perrin road and about one mile east of Collins Hill High School. (wsbradio.com)
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Hero pilot jokes about marital boost in NBC show
Pilot Chesley Sullenberger jokes that his heroic handling of a disabled jetliner brought him "rock star sex" in an interview for "NBC's People of the Year" TV special. (www.google.com)
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First passenger plane to use biofuel lifts off
During the 1.5 hour flight above the Netherlands, one engines of the Boeing 747 ran on a mixture of 50 percent sustainable biofuel and 50 percent on traditional kerosene. The other three engines ran on 100 percent normal kerosene. (www.reuters.com)
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Little X-Plane Pushes the Bottom Edge of the Envelope
Flight test programs at Edwards Air Force Base and NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center usually are off-limits to outsiders, but we got a peek at one of its coolest programs, the X-48B, when the Air Force recently threw open the gates for an open house. (www.wired.com)
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Ohio-bound AirTran flight aborts takeoff at LaGuardia airport
Officials say a passenger jet aborted its takeoff at LaGuardia Airport tonight after its crew got an indication of an engine fire. All passengers were reported safe (www.nj.com)
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Shaw Pilot and F-16 Missing After Mid-Air Collision
Two F-16 fighter jets from Shaw Air Force Base collided in mid-air Thursday night. One of the pilots is safe, the other is missing. (www.wltx.com)
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Nebraska Bound Flight Makes Emergency Landing At Easterwood Airport
A Continental Express Jet bound for Omaha, Nebraska landed safely at Easterwood Airport in College Station shortly after 2 p.m., after being forced to make an emergency landing when pilots reported smoke in the cockpit.
(with video) (www.kbtx.com)
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Ten tips to ease the hassles of holiday flying
Millions of Americans will take to the skies this week for the busy Thanksgiving travel week. While there are certain challenges that can't be avoided, there are several steps you can take to help smooth your travels. Here are my top suggestions to help make your trip a little more bearable this year. (www.usatoday.com)
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Watch If You Can: Videos From 'World's Scariest Runways'
Sure, you're an experienced traveler. You think you've seen it all. But have you landed on any of Travel + Leisure magazine's "world's scariest runways"?
Probably many have gone in and out of Washington's Reagan National Airport and New York City's JFK, which are on T+L's list. But maybe not Paro Airport in Bhutan or Toncont??n Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, which . . . (www.npr.org)
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Search under way for missing Snohomish small plane
Eight search planes are flying over Snohomish County for a second day in a row looking for a small aircraft missing since Saturday. (www.tdn.com)
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Seagulls shut down engine on Delta flight leaving Rochester airport
The director of the Greater Rochester International Airport confirmed to News 10NBC that it was a flock of seagulls that shut down one engine of a Delta flight on takeoff Sunday afternoon.
(Unconfirmed reports say that it was just the lead singer's hairstyle) (www.whec.com)
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Rocketeers Try Again For $1 Million
Masten Space Systems is trying again today to win a million-dollar rocket prize from NASA. Watch the attempt on live video. Today's attempt comes after a fiery landing spoiled an earlier flight by the Masten team's Xoie rocket prototype at California's Mojave Air and Space Port. This week's "try, try again" effort is aimed at winning the $1 million top prize in the Northr . . . (cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com)
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Booster rocket damaged in test flight
NASA says the booster rocket used in a test flight was badly dented when it fell into the Atlantic. (www.hugeurl.com)
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Boy Floats Away In Balloon
A 6-year-old boy is floating over northeastern Colorado in a homebuilt balloon and authorities are racing to try and rescue him. The balloon, in the shape of a flying saucer is covered in foil and filled with helium. It has a compartment for a passenger underneath. (www.thedenverchannel.com)
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Aerotropolis moves from concept to cash with infusion from city government
Aerotropolis proponents this week received a newfound and much needed boost when the Memphis City Council approved $1.6 million to fund the beautification of Plough Boulevard, the road that leads to the airport from Interstate 240. (www.memphisdailynews.com)
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Several gliders make unplanned landings in Franklin County area
Thirteen non-motorized aircraft participating in a week-long glider competition sponsored by the Fairfield Glider Club set their flying machines down safely in several locations in the greater Franklin County area Tuesday afternoon after losing altitude. (www.publicopiniononline.com)
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Drifting snow snarls traffic, delays, cancels DIA flights
Blizzard conditions at Denver International Airport are making it tough for crews to keep runways clear, causing big delays and hundreds of canceled flights and creating treacherous driving conditions on Peña Boulevard. (www.denverpost.com)
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Tarmac delays ground the fight for passenger rights
In the past few months, a series of headline-grabbing tarmac delays has helped a couple of influential lobbyists convince the media and a few elected officials that tarmac delays are the No. 1 passenger rights problem in America. Worse, they've convinced many travelers that tarmac delays are the only important passenger rights issue. I think it goes without saying that other, far m . . . (www.washingtonpost.com)
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Leapin’ Lizards! Reptile Smuggler Arrested at LAX
Federal officials have arrested a man who tried to pass through customs at Los Angeles International Airport armed to the teeth—with 15 live lizards. (www.petergreenberg.com)
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