[simpits-chat] Fwd: Fw: Flight Safety Information (16JAN03-025) (fwd)

[Gene Buckle]

>Flight Safety Information (16JAN03-025)
>_______________________________________
>
>*European pilots to stage protest over flying hours next Tuesday
>*Human Error Cited in German Copter Crash
>*Pentagon urgently seeks missile protection
>for military transports
>*Lufthansa Strike Disrupts German Flights
>*Sweden's Goodjet Files for Bankruptcy
>*Private Business Jets Appoints Greg P. Goodwin
> VP of Charter Operations
>*Brazil Embraer misses '02 delivery target by 1 jet
>*Columbia Takes Off Under Tight Security
>*DFW ISASI CHAPTER / O.A.A. BALL (March 1, 2003)
>(JOHN NANCE TO SPEAK AT 13th ANNUAL OSTRICH WATCHERS BALL)
>***************************************
>
>European pilots to stage protest over flying hours next Tuesday
>
>
>BRUSSELS, Belgium - European pilots, warning of a risk to safety in the
>airways, plan to protest next week against proposals setting maximum
flying
>hours to 14 across the European Union (news - web sites), union
officials
>said Thursday
>
>The 31,000-member European Cockpit Association will issue leaflets with
>their grievances to passengers on Tuesday, Jan. 21 — and strike for
four
>hours in Italy which is attempting to implement the EU bill being
debated by
>the European Parliament and the 15 EU governments.
>
>No other EU countries were targeted.
>
>"The proposed rules would seriously increase pilot fatigue," ECA
spokesman
>Giancarlo Crivellaro said.
>
>
>ECA wants pilot's daily duty hours capped at 12, less if night flights
are
>involved and also want any EU-wide legislation on flying hours "based on
>scientific and medical evidence."
>
>
>National laws on flying hours now vary widely.
>
>
>Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands set a daily 14-hour maximum.
>Britain and Scandinavian countries have a 12-hour daily limit and
compensate
>longer flights with extra rest.
>
>
>Though Germany has a 14-hour limit, pilots there actually fly less
because
>of labor agreements with airlines.
>
>
>"New budget airlines are not bound by such agreements, making the new
law
>more important, Mr. Crivallero said.
>
>
>The proposed EU-wide law set a daily maximum of 14 duty hours and 10
hours
>of rest which ECA finds dangerous.
>
>
>"What we cannot have is a pilot starting at 6 a.m. for a 14-hour shift
after
>only 10 hours of rest," said Crivellaro.
>****************
>
>
>Human Error Cited in German Copter Crash
>
>BERLIN (AP) - A German military helicopter which crashed in Afghanistan
last
>month, killing all seven soldiers on board, probably went down because
it
>had
>been incorrectly reassembled after it was shipped from Germany, Defense
>Minister Peter Struck said Wednesday.
>
>Like other helicopters used by German peacekeepers in Afghanistan, the
>Sikorsky CH-53 which crashed near Kabul Dec. 21 as it returned from a
>routine
>patrol had been partly dismantled before it was sent to Afghanistan.
>
>``The cause is neither an enemy attack nor a mistake by the crew,''
Struck
>said on ZDF television, citing first results of an investigation by his
>ministry. ``It lies in human error, apparently with the soldiers who
>reassembled the helicopter.''
>
>Parts of the drive system in the helicopter were ``incorrectly screwed
>together,'' the ministry said, promising generous financial support for
the
>victim's families.
>
>The crash was the worst for German troops since Berlin began taking part
in
>international peacekeeping missions. The seven German soldiers killed
were
>among the 4,800 peacekeepers who have been in Afghanistan for a year to
try
>to establish security.
>
>German lawmakers voted in November to double the number of German
>peacekeepers in Afghanistan to 2,500.
>*****************
>
>Pentagon urgently seeks missile protection for military transports
>
>(WORLD TRIBUNE.COM)
>
>The United States wants to quickly install advanced missile warning and
>defense systems on military transports flying in dangerous spots
throughout
>the Middle East and Africa.
>
>In May, suspected Al Qaida insurgents fired a Soviet-origin SA-7
>surface-to-air missile toward an unidentified U.S. military jet in Saudi
>Arabia. The missile missed the U.S. plane, which was taking off from the
>Prince Sultan Air Base, Middle East Newsline reported.
>
>Officials said the Bush administration has ordered accelerated
procurement
>of
>missile warning and defense systems for military transports. They said
the
>systems are meant to defend against Soviet-origin infrared missiles used
by
>Al Qaida and other insurgency groups.
>
>The Defense Department has awarded a $7.2 million contract to Northrop
>Grumman Systems to ensure accelerated deployment of a countermeasure
systems
>for the C-17 air transport. The contract calls for a project to develop
an
>interim infrared countermeasure system for U.S. Special Operations
transport
>aircraft until more advanced equipment is ready.
>Officials said the project was prompted by new requirements by the Air
>Mobility Command for Infrared Countermeasures capability. The command
called
>for the design, development, testing and delivery of infrared
countermeasure
>capability for the C-17 as rapidly as possible.
>
>The Northrop Grumman system is said to use an infrared beam to
automatically
>divert a heat-seeking missile. A Pentagon statement said the interim
project
>calls for a single transmitter configuration of an infrared
countermeasure
>system for up to 12 C-17s. The systems would consist of two video
>processors,
>laser transmitters, six ultraviolet missile warning subsystems sensors.
>
>Officials said the project also calls for the training of aircrews and
>maintainers in the interim countermeasure system. They said the contract
is
>expected to be completed by March 2004.
>***************
>
>
>Lufthansa Strike Disrupts German Flights
>
>
>BERLIN (AP) - Lufthansa's ground and cabin staff walked off their jobs
>Thursday to press for higher pay, forcing the German airline to cancel
about
>40 morning flights and leaving several thousand passengers to seek other
>transportation.
>
>The early-shift strike hit seven German airports including Frankfurt,
>continental Europe's busiest, and affected more than 3,000 travelers,
most
>of
>them booked on domestic flights, Lufthansa said. Europe's No. 2 airline
said
>no intercontinental flights were disrupted by the strike, which began
before
>dawn and ended around 9 a.m.
>
>After the employees returned to work, Lufthansa said pay talks with the
>ver.di services union would resume at the end of the month, though it
called
>the union's demands ``absolutely unrealistic.''
>
>Airline workers - technicians, check-out staff and others - staged
rallies
>at
>several airports during the one-day stoppage, blowing whistles and
hoisting
>banners in the union's red-and-white colors.
>
>But the union said it kept disruptions for travelers limited for now.
>Lufthansa said it rebooked stranded passengers without charge on other
>flights or on trains.
>
>Besides Frankfurt, the stoppages also caused cancellations and delays in
>Munich, Berlin, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne and Stuttgart.
>
>Ver.di is demanding an average 9 percent raise for Lufthansa's 52,000
ground
>and cabin staff as well as a new profit-related pay scheme, arguing
workers
>should be better rewarded for the company's success.
>
>Lufthansa has offered a package including a 2.4 percent raise starting
this
>month, with another 1.5 percent increase before the end of the year. The
>company called the union demands impossible to meet, citing fears of a
war
>in
>Iraq, the weak German economy and the airline industry's continuing
recovery
>from its post-Sept. 11 slump.
>
>Lufthansa lost $620 million in 2001, battered by a pilots' strike and
the
>drop in trans-Atlantic air traffic after the attacks on the United
States.
>It
>forecasts net profit of at least $635 million for 2002 after passenger
and
>cargo traffic recovered.
>
>Lufthansa pilots won a contract in 2000 that gave them a nearly 30
percent
>raise in the first year of a three-year deal. That followed two costly
>strikes by the pilots, whose union argued that pilots in other countries
>were
>better-paid.
>*****************
>
>Sweden's Goodjet Files for Bankruptcy
>
>STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Goodjet, a discount airline that offered
>inexpensive
>flights to several European destinations, filed for bankruptcy Thursday,
>nearly six weeks after it stopped flying.
>
>The Goteborg-based airline, which garnered a reputation for cheap fares
to
>places in France, Norway and Spain, said money promised to it by the new
>owner never came.
>
>``There are no alternatives left,'' Goodjet chairman Cafer Ok said
Thursday.
>The company's Web site, which normally featured its routes, fares and
online
>booking, was empty, save for the company logo.
>
>Luxembourg-based Standard Finance International agreed in November to
become
>the airline's principle owner, and to provide the money needed to keep
>operating.
>
>Goodjet had hoped to resume flying this month after its owner, Dutch MCI
>Group, along with its parent company SFI agreed to find a new operator
for
>the airline in December.
>
>``SFI's incomprehensible delaying tactics have caused us enormous
damage,''
>Ok said. ``Goodjet's employees, suppliers and passengers, as well as the
>company's owners have been affected in a way that we can't accept.''
>
>Goodjet, which was founded in 2001, suffered a setback in November when
a
>dispute arose with Transair Sweden AB over its use of money paid by
Goodjet.
>
>Goodjet didn't own any of its planes. Instead, its routes were flown by
>Transair Sweden AB between Sweden and Norway to France, including Paris
and
>Nice, as well as Alicante, Spain.
>
>The company also operated three domestic flights between Stockholm,
Goteborg
>and Malmoe.
>
>Ok said he ``devastated'' about having to file for bankruptcy
protection,
>said he will try and find new investors to get the airline flying again.
>
>``I will continue to look for interested financiers who are ready to bet
on
>the enormous knowledge that has been built up in Goodjet during the
>company's
>roughly one-year history.''
>
>On the Net:
>
>http://www.goodjet.com
>*****************
>
>Private Business Jets Appoints Greg P. Goodwin VP of Charter Operations
>
>
>Former Sentient/eBizJets Director Joins Rapidly Growing
>
>Management Team
>
>BOSTON, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Private Business Jets, a leading
provider of
>private aircraft travel services, announced today the appointment of
Greg P.
>Goodwin as Vice President of Charter Operations. Mr. Goodwin will direct
all
>Charter travel functions and related staff for Private Business Jets
>(www.flyprivate.com) and will be based in the company's current Norwell,
>Massachusetts headquarters.
>
>Mr. Goodwin, previously Director of Charter Operations with Sentient Jet
>(formerly eBizJets) where in 1999 he became the company's third
employee,
>was
>hand-picked by the company's two founders. During his tenure, Mr.
Goodwin
>was
>responsible for over 25 million dollars in "on-demand" charter business
>while
>creating that division of the company. He dealt directly with celebrity
>clients such as NBA MVP Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers,
>four-time
>World Series Champ and NY Yankee Derek Jeter, singer and actress
Jennifer
>Lopez, and actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in addition to over 250
other
>celebrity and athlete clients.
>
>"We are confident that Greg's proven industry leadership will take this
>company to new heights," says Don Smith Vice President of Corporate
Sales
>for
>Private Business Jets. "I am excited about the meteoric growth
opportunities
>in this industry over the next five years. Global uncertainty and
diminished
>service levels amongst commercial air carriers has created tremendous
>opportunities within business aviation over the last few years." As Mr.
>Goodwin says, "Flying privately is not an acquired taste, customers take
to
>it immediately."
>
>With a nationwide network of more than 1,500 audited part 135 business
jets
>ranging from the six-million-dollar Beech Jet 400A to the forty-million-
>dollar Gulfstream V, Private Business Jets provides premium executive
>aircraft charter with a nationwide leading guaranteed response time of
less
>than 4 hours.
>
>SOURCE Private Business Jets
>*****************
>
>
>Brazil Embraer misses '02 delivery target by 1 jet
>
>SAO PAULO, Brazil, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer
said
>on Thursday it delivered 41 planes in the fourth quarter of 2002,
leaving it
>just one plane short of its full-year target of
>132 jets.
>
>Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA, the world's fourth-largest
civilian
>aircraft company, said it barely missed the year-end target after
delaying
>the delivery of three corporate planes but delivering two commercial
jets
>early.
>
>It reaffirmed its target of 148 deliveries in 2003, saying the first of
its
>new line of expanded, 70 to 110-seat passenger jets, the EMBRAER 170,
would
>start to reach clients by the second half of this year.
>
>Embraer also reiterated its 2004 target of 155 jets when it plans to
start
>deliveries of the EMBRAER 175 model.
>
>"Therefore in both years, Embraer expects a product mix improvement,"
the
>company said in a statement.
>
>Analysts said that would translate into higher revenues and improved
margins
>since the new longer-range planes cost more than the smaller ERJ family
of
>planes.
>
>As part of a recent marketing push, Embraer has allowed Brazilian
President
>Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to use the 170 on his recent trips abroad.
>
>The company's shares were higher both in Sao Paulo and New York,
>outperforming the market with a 1.9 percent rise in Brazil and 2.3
percent
>jump on Wall Street.
>
>"The bad thing was that it was one less plane than expected, but the
>positive aspect is that the fourth-quarter results are going to be way
>better than the third quarter, when the company only had 30 deliveries,"
>said Luiz Francisco Caetano, an analyst Brascan brokerage in Sao Paulo.
>
>"The (2002) results will also be better than the prior year, which isn't
bad
>given the poor state of the airline industry," he said.
>
>Like the rest of the sector and its main competitor, Canada's Bombardier
>Inc. , Embraer saw demand for its jets plummet after the Sept. 11
attacks on
>the United States.
>
>But a pickup in demand for regional-sized jets, Embraer's specialty, has
>helped it get its wings back.
>
>"Given the current situation, the perspective is good, showing that
>mid-sized jets are replacing larger ones," said Carlos Albano, an
analyst at
>Unibanco in Sao Paulo.
>
>The sharp depreciation of Brazil's currency, the real , has also
>helped reduce costs and boost local profits since most of Embraer's
revenue
>is in dollars. Margins have improved since the start of the year.
>
>Albano cautioned that a war in Iraq could have a negative impact on the
>travel industry if it causes oil prices to rise or sparks more terror
>attacks.
>
>Embraer said its total backlog of firm orders was $9 billion at the end
of
>last year, not including a $200 million order by Poland's PLL LOT SA and
a
>$500 million deal with India's Jet Airways.
>*****************
>
>Columbia Takes Off Under Tight Security
>
>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Space shuttle Columbia rocketed into orbit
with
>Israel's first astronaut Thursday on a scientific research flight
surrounded
>by unprecedented security - and with religious and political overtones.
>
>Columbia shot off its oceanside launch pad and into a clear sky at 10:39
>a.m. On board were seven astronauts, including Ilan Ramon, a colonel in
>Israel's air force and a former fighter pilot.
>
>Ramon's wife and their four children were among the approximately 300
>Israelis who traveled to Cape Canaveral to cheer him on.
>
>``This is such an exciting time for us ... he makes us so proud,''
Israel's
>ambassador to the United States, Danny Ayalon, said at a reception
Wednesday
>at a heavily guarded hotel. He had this message for Ramon and his six
U.S.
>shuttle crewmates: ``God bless you and may you go in peace. Shalom.''
>
>Ayalon - tailed by seven sheriff's department cars - met with reporters
>following liftoff and marveled at the sight of the white exhaust plume
>against the blue sky. ``These are our national colors,'' he said. ``It
was
>very, very moving.''
>
>Security was at an all-time high for the launch, which had been in the
>planning for years, and fighter jets thundered nearby just before
liftoff.
>
>Air Force officials said there were no security breaches.
>
>Earlier in the morning, Ramon and his six U.S. crewmates rode to the pad
>under heavy police escort. A space center worker waved an Israeli flag
as
>the ``astrovan'' passed in front of the launch control center.
>
>Despite the presence of a large SWAT team, the entire shuttle crew
looked
>relaxed. Ramon waved and gave a thumbs-up.
>
>Once Columbia was safely settled in orbit, Mission Control radioed up
``a
>big welcome to Ilan as you join the international community of human
>spaceflight.''
>
>Ramon's wife, Rona, admitted to some nervousness and said she can't wait
for
>the 16-day mission to end.
>
>``I don't want to talk about fear. We're not talking about fear. I'm
sure
>NASA is doing everything that is possible not to take any risk and any
>chances,'' she said, adding, ``The most calm and relaxed person is
Ilan.''
>
>As has been the custom for shuttle launches since the Sept. 11, 2001,
>terrorist attacks, the Air Force patrolled the site for any stray planes
or
>other intruders. The no-fly zone extended the usual 35 miles, but took
>effect three hours earlier to accommodate the loading of explosive
hydrogen
>fuel into Columbia. Offshore, boats were ordered to stay away.
>
>``Our antennas are up more than usual,'' said David Saleeba, NASA's top
>security official. He said the agency was aware of the threat potential
>posed by Ramon's presence and had been in close contact for months with
the
>Homeland Security Department.
>
>Ramon, 48, the son of a Holocaust survivor, was among the Israeli pilots
who
>bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981, according to a senior Israeli
>government official speaking Thursday on condition of anonymity. The
Israel
>Space Agency wanted a military pilot for its first astronaut and, with
the
>Israeli air force's help, picked him for the job in 1997.
>
>Columbia's flight initially was targeted for mid-2001 but was repeatedly
>delayed, most recently by the grounding of the entire space shuttle
fleet
>last summer.
>
>``If there was ever a time to use the phrase 'all good things come to
people
>who wait,' this is the one time,'' launch director Mike Leinbach told
the
>astronauts just before liftoff. ``Good luck and Godspeed.''
>
>Replied shuttle commander Rick Husband: ``The Lord has blessed us with a
>beautiful day here, and we're going to have a great mission.''
>
>It is the first time in three years that NASA launched a shuttle that
was
>not going to the international space station or working on the Hubble
Space
>Telescope.
>
>One of the primary experiments is sponsored by the Israel Space Agency.
>Onboard cameras will measure desert dust in the atmosphere to gauge the
>effect on climate change.
>
>An odd assortment of animals also is aboard Columbia, mostly from
student
>experimenters. The menagerie includes spiders, ants, silkworms,
mealworms,
>carpenter bees, fish embryos and rats. Altogether, more than 80
experiments
>from around the world are planned.
>
>Columbia is due back at Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 1.
>
>On the Net:
>
>NASA: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov
>
>Israel Space Agency: http://beta.most.gov.il
>*****************
>
>DFW ISASI CHAPTER / O.A.A. BALL (March 1, 2003)
>
>JOHN NANCE TO SPEAK AT 13th ANNUAL OSTRICH WATCHERS BALL
>
>To be Held Saturday March 1, 2003 At Business Jet Center, Love Field
>Music and Refreshments at 6:00PM. Dinner at 7:07PM. John Nance talks at
>7:57PM. Awards at 9 PM
>
>We are pleased to announce that the best selling Aviation Author, John
>Nance, will speak to the Ostrich Watchers present to celebrate awarding
the
>13TH Head in the Sand Award. One of the absurd statements, contained in
the
>sightings listed inside, will be dishonored with one of aviation's most
>ignominious awards. The winner will be determined by an anonymous vote
of
>the entire OAA membership.
>
>In addition to his award winning aviation novels, John is renowned as
the
>aviation analyst for ABC Network television. John is also a world-class
>speaker on aviation topics, a practicing attorney and an airline pilot.
>John will be pleased to autograph your copy of one of his bestsellers,
after
>the ball is over.
>
>John will regale us with his observations of the many examples of
>"Head-in-the-Sand" behavior he has encountered during his career as a
>military pilot and as an airline pilot for both Braniff and Alaska. We
are
>skeptically pointing out that John has never reported any instance of a
>head-in-the-sand in the legal profession.
>
>Among John's best sellers are several fast-paced aviation thrillers,
such as
>"Turbulence", "Pandora's Clock", "Head Winds", "Blackout", "Medusa's
Child",
>"Phoenix Rising", "Scorpion Strike" and "Final Approach."
>John is the author of one of aviations most respected and impactful
books on
>aviation safety, "Blind Trust." John also authored the story of Braniff,
>titled "Splash of Colors," plus two other nonfiction books, "What Goes
Up"
>and "On Shaky Ground."
>
>John is highly in demand as a speaker and his schedule kept him occupied
on
>our usual Friday evening, the 28th of February. John's respect for the
OAA
>and his support for our purposes has led him to arrange his schedule and
>provide his talents pro bono.
>
>For those of you who normally attend at the conclusion of the SMU Air
Law
>Symposium, you will want to rebook your airline reservations now for a
stay
>over Saturday night. You will receive a discount much larger than the
cost
>of an extra evening in your hotel.
>
>We have arranged a special OAA weekend price of $89 at the Embassy
Suites
>Love Field, 3880 W. Northwest Highway, just east of Lemmon Ave. Phone
>214-357-4500.
>
>The Business Jet Center at 8611 Lemmon Ave. is one of Love Fields most,
>modern state-of-the-art aviation facilities with luxury accommodations
for
>those of you flying in for the OAA events. BJC has valet parking and you
>can pull your car under the drive through to avoid the generous rain
showers
>that often accompany the bestowing of the Head-in-the-Sand award. BJC
also
>has a taxi through portico that will accommodate almost all airplanes up
to
>regional jets. A BJC motto is no rain and no pain from auto to plane.
>
>ISASI (DFW) RETURNS AS CO-SPONSORS
>
>The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (DFW Chapter) is
>welcomed back as a co-sponsor of the 13th Annual Ostrich Watchers Ball.
>ISASI members will register for their dinners at the OAA member rate of
$50
>each. The ISASI (DFW) co-sponsored the 8th Annual Ostrich Watchers Ball
in
>1998. That year the bogus British Test Pilot, Sir Geoffrey Hunter (aka
>Cactus Prior), pulled every ones leg. It has taken five years to forgive
>and forget the embarrassment and insults that were bestowed on all of us
>that evening.
>
>OAA BALL ATTENDANCE LIMITED TO 100
>
>Mark you calendars now. Get your tickets early. We remind everyone that
the
>BJC banquet room will accommodate the first 100 guests that put their
money
>down for the $50 per person gourmet banquet. Almost Anything, managed by
>Robin Sesco, will again arrange the food and festivities for the Annual
>Ostrich Watcher's Ball. The Jim Degnan Trio will be back to bring their
>classic, cool, smooth jazz style to lend artistic class and panache to
the
>Ostrich Watcher's revelry.
>
>(http://fsinfo.org/DFWISASI.html)
>