[simpits-chat] Fwd: Fw: Flight Safety Information (31JAN03-043) (fwd)

[Gene Buckle]

>Flight Safety Information (31JAN03-043)
>________________________________
>
>*Man Allegedly Carrying Gun At Airport Charged
>*U.S. judge sentences shoe-bomber to life in prison
>*Crash of Kit-built Twinjet Kills Chief Pilot
>*'Multiple' deaths in U.S. copter crash in Afghanistan
>*CAPA Cites `Serious Concern' over TSA Rule
>*Brazil Varig says leasing firm seizes jet in Paris
>*Iberia opts for Airbus to replace Boeing 747s
>*Smaller U.S. airlines poised for success in 2003
>*Make Money in Aviation: Bill UAL $100,000 a Day
>*Today in History
>********************************************
>
>Man Allegedly Carrying Gun At Airport Charged
>
>The man accused of bringing a gun and a bag of bullets to Cleveland
Hopkins
>International Airport has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
>
>Robert Igoe, 35, faces the felony charge after he was arrested yesterday
at
>the airport after a security officer, who also works as a taxi cab
driver,
>recognized Igoe from a trip to a gun shop.
>
>WEWS discovered more information about Igoe. He appeared in court in
2000
>fighting the city over an abandoned bakery that the homeless called
>Camelot..
>
>
>He explained to the court that the homeless wanted to plant a garden
that
>could eventually feed the homeless.
>************
>
>U.S. judge sentences shoe-bomber to life in prison
>
>BOSTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Thursday sentenced
>Richard Reid, a British-born disciple of Osama bin Laden, to life in
prison
>for trying to bring down a trans-Atlantic flight with explosives stuffed
in
>his shoes.
>
>Reid pleaded guilty to trying to blow up American Airlines Flight 63 on
Dec.
>22, 2001, as it flew to Miami from Paris.
>
>Passengers and flight attendants overpowered the British citizen as he
tried
>to ignite explosives in his athletic shoes. He was tied up with belts
and
>headphone cords, and the plane landed in Boston under escort from
fighter
>jets.
>
>Young also rejected a last-ditch attempt by Reid's lawyers to delay his
>sentencing on the grounds that they needed access to classified
government
>information that could potentially prove his innocence.
>
>The Briton will most likely serve out his sentence at the Federal
Correction
>Center in Florence, Colorado, prosecutors have said.
>******************
>
>Crash of Kit-built Twinjet Kills Chief Pilot
>
>A Maverick Leader kit twinjet, registered as N750TJ, crashed in
Melbourne,
>Fla., last Friday, killing the kit manufacturer's chief pilot, Jack
Reed.
>The all-composite, five-seat experimental jet, powered by a pair of
>750-pound-thrust GE T58 engines, crashed a quarter mile northwest of the
>arrival end of Melbourne International's Runway 9L following multiple
>go-arounds. Just after the 4:50 p.m. takeoff, Reed radioed that he had a
>problem with the landing gear and flew by the tower several times.
According
>to the NTSB's preliminary report, he was going to attempt a belly
landing on
>the grass between a runway and taxiway, but apparently lost control and
>crashed into trees. One of two Maverick kit jets reported to be flying,
>N750TJ was registered to the kit manufacturer, Maverick Jets, based in
>Melbourne. Maverick Jets owner Jim McCotter has said he is developing a
>six-seat production derivative of the Leader powered by engines in the
>1,000- to 1,300-pound-thrust range.
>***********
>
>'Multiple' deaths in U.S. copter crash in Afghanistan
>
>BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (CNN) -- U.S. military personnel were
killed
>when an Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a routine training
mission
>in Afghanistan on Thursday.
>
>A spokesman for the U.S. Central Command said the crash had resulted in
>"multiple fatalities."
>
>There was no indication of hostile fire, the command center said, and
the
>crash was not caused by hostile activity related to recent U.S. military
>battles with Afghan fighters.
>
>The Black Hawk helicopter crashed about 10 kilometers (six miles) east
of
>the Bagram Air Base while on a training mission in an area known as the
East
>Training Range.
>
>It was not immediately known how many were on the helicopter.
>************
>
>Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations Cites `Serious Concern' over
TSA
>Rule
>
>Also Cites Plans to Continue Focus on Protecting Workers' Basic Rights
under
>Railway Labor Act CAPA Also Announces Election of New Officers
>
>WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 30, 2003-- The Coalition of Airline
Pilots
>Associations (CAPA) announced today that it is considering filing a
Petition
>for Review with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of
>Columbia regarding the new Final Rule that grants the Transportation
>Security Administration the authority to determine whether an
individual's
>airman certificate should be revoked based on the TSA's assessment of
that
>individual as a "security threat."
>
>CAPA made the announcement at the close of its scheduled quarterly
meeting
>in Washington. The TSA Final Rule in question is entitled "Threat
>Assessments Regarding Citizens of the United States and Alien Holders
Who
>Hold or Apply for FAA Certificates." It was entered into the Federal
>Register on Jan. 24, 2003. The rule, which became effective on the date
of
>its release with no advance notice, "Establishes the procedure by which
TSA
>will notify the subject individual and the FAA of TSA's assessment that
an
>individual who is a citizen of the U.S. and holds or is applying for an
FAA
>airman certificate, rating or authorization poses a security threat."
>
>"We have serious concerns about the problems of due process this rule
poses,
>as well as the vague standards of evidence it contains," said Captain
Jon
>Safley, CAPA President. "As soon as our legal counsel has concluded a
>thorough review of the rule's language, we will decide which course of
>action best protects our members' interests."
>
>Safley also noted that CAPA representatives spent a portion of the past
few
>days meeting with key lawmakers and their staffs to discuss the ongoing
>effort by airline management to modify the Railway Labor Act to
institute
>forced binding arbitration at the close of negotiations. In these
>discussions with elected officials, CAPA has emphasized the
effectiveness of
>the Railway Labor Act as a dispute resolution tool, noting that the
>overwhelming majority of airline contracts are settled with no
disruption in
>service -- just as the original framers of the Railway Labor Act
intended.
>
>"We plan to continue our efforts to educate members of Congress
regarding
>the Railway Labor Act's effectiveness as it currently stands," said
Safley.
>"This is an issue that affects all of transportation labor, and
potentially
>everyone in organized labor nationwide."
>
>Safley noted that CAPA was joined in its meetings on Capitol Hill this
week
>by representatives of the AMR Labor Coalition, which is comprised of the
>five unions representing American Airlines and American Eagle employees.
>
>Also during its quarterly meeting this week, CAPA elected new officers
to
>two-year terms, effective immediately. They are:
>
>Captain Jon Safley, a Fokker 100 pilot for American Airlines, was
elected
>President. He replaces Captain Bob Miller of the Independent Pilots
>Association.Captain Paul Onorato, a Boeing 737 pilot for Southwest
Airlines,
>was elected Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer. He replaces First
>Officer Michael Mellerski of the Allied Pilots Association.
>CAPA is comprised of the Allied Pilots Association representing the
pilots
>of American Airlines; the Independent Pilots Association representing
the
>pilots of United Parcel Service; the National Pilots Association
>representing the pilots of AirTran Airways; the Southwest Airlines
Pilots
>Association representing the pilots of Southwest Airlines; and Teamsters
>Local 1224 representing the pilots of Airborne Express. In all, CAPA
member
>unions represent some 26,000 of the nation's professional pilots.
>***********
>
>Brazil Varig says leasing firm seizes jet in Paris
>
>SAO PAULO, Brazil, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's beleaguered flagship
airline
>Varig (Sao Paolo:VAGV4.SA - News) on Thursday said International Leasing
>Finance Corporation (ILFC), owned by U.S. insurer AIG had seized a
Boeing
>777 in Paris that the carrier was leasing.
>
>It is the first plane operated by Latin America's largest airline to be
>seized by a leasing company and comes as the lossmaking 75-year-old
carrier
>struggles to pay off its big debts amid a slump in the global aviation
>industry.
>
>"The only thing that I can confirm is that there was a seizure of a
plane,"
>said Sylvia Leccia, from Varig's press and marketing department in
Paris.
>
>"As you know Varig is a serious company that has been around for 75
years,"
>she said. "It's clear we are in the storm like all airlines, but that we
>have always honored our debts."
>
>She said Varig's head office, whose press department also confirmed the
>seizure, was currently negotiating with representatives of the ILFC over
the
>plane in Charles de Gaulle airport.
>
>A Varig spokesperson in Brazil said passengers' travel plans would not
be
>affected by the seizure and they would continue on their journeys on
another
>aircraft.
>
>The jet, a 220-passenger Boeing 777, flies the Porto Alegre, Sao Paulo,
>Paris, Amsterdam route, and had been leased since 2001, Varig said.
>
>Varig has suffered along with other Brazilian airlines in the last year
as
>the Sept. 11 attacks and an economic slump hit demand for flights, while
a
>slump in Brazil's currency magnified its dollar-denominated fuel and jet
>leasing costs.
>************
>
>EU Transport Chief Warns States Against New US Air Deals
>
>BRUSSELS -(Dow Jones)- The European Union Commission has warned member
>governments against striking new bilateral aviation deals with the U.S.
or
>face possible fines.Francois Lamoureux, head of the transport
directorate in
>the Commission, sent a letter Wednesday to E.U. governments, ordering
them
>not to modify their air agreements.
>
>
>"Member states should not engage in negotiations with the U.S. on a
>unilateral basis on these matters," the letter says, "even if it is in
an
>attempt to remove conflicts with the provisions of community
legislation."
>
>In November, the E.U.'s highest court ruled that several of their
provisions
>violated European law. The Commission proceeded to brand the air
agreements
>" null and void" and asked for powers to negotiate a single Europe-wide
>trans- Atlantic accord.
>
>Now Lamoureux has gone further, warning the E.U. will prosecute any
>government that alters aviation accords without the Commission's
>involvement.
>
>His warning comes after the U.S. administration offered last week to
rejig
>the accords. Washington proposed allowing European airlines to operate
>services to the U.S. from more than one European country. At the moment,
>Germany's national carrier Lufthansa , for example, can only fly to the
U.S.
>from Berlin and Frankfurt. The proposed alterations would also make it
>easier for European airlines to merge by allowing them to retain traffic
>rights to the U.S.
>
>In his letter, Lamoureux said the U.S. offer was "minimalist".
>
>The U.S. has said it is willing to negotiate with the Commission. Until
the
>15 members states decide themselves how they want to proceed, however,
>Washington must continue to deal separately with each E.U. government.
>************
>
>Iberia opts for Airbus to replace Boeing 747s
>
>MADRID, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Spanish airline Iberia said on Thursday it
had
>decided to order nine long range Airbus A340-600 planes, with options
for
>another three, to replace aging Boeing 747s in its fleet.
>
>Iberia said in a statement three Airbuses would be delivered in 2004,
five
>in 2005 and one in 2006 and the deal came with a guarantee from Airbus
for
>the residual value of the planes.
>
>The firm, one of the few European airlines to have shown profit growth
in
>2002, said the deal would considerably increase profitability on
long-haul
>services, increasing income per passenger kilometre and reducing fuel,
>maintenance and crew costs as well as the cost of capital.
>
>European manufacturer Airbus and its U.S. rival Boeing Co had been
locked in
>a fierce contest for the order as airlines worldwide scale back their
fleet
>expansion plans and aircraft orders dry up.
>
>Airbus looks likely to overtake Boeing as number one in the aircraft
>industry in 2003.
>
>Boeing expects to deliver 280 aircraft from Seattle this year, down 27
>percent from 2002 and lagging far behind Airbus which plans to ship 300
jets
>over the same period. But Airbus also concedes an Iraq war could cut
that
>number.
>
>In mid-afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange Boeing shares
were
>up 1.0 percent at $30.89 in a falling market.
>
>Airbus is 80-percent owned by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space
Co
>NV, with the remaining 20 percent owned by BAE Systems Plc.
>
>EADS closed up 4 percent on Thursday in Paris trade.
>
>Iberia is due to publish full-year results on Friday.
>*****************
>
>Smaller U.S. airlines poised for success in 2003
>
>CHICAGO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Smaller U.S. airlines fared better
financially
>than larger rivals in 2002 and are poised for strong performance this
year,
>thanks to their low costs, low fares and niche business models.
>
>While the near-term outlook for the U.S. airline industry is murky due
to
>weak demand for air travel, high jet fuel prices and a potential war
with
>Iraq, low-cost carriers such as Southwest Airlines Inc., JetBlue Airways
>Corp. and AirTran Holdings Inc. have all reported profits.
>
>The low-cost carriers have an enviable position that larger competitors
--
>which are bleeding losses and struggling to stay out of bankruptcy court
--
>are seeking to emulate.
>
>Delta Air Lines Inc., the No. 3 U.S. airline, said on Wednesday it will
>launch a new low-fare airline with some of the key features and routes
that
>have helped JetBlue outperform other carriers. Delta hopes the low-fare
>unit, named Song, will help it capture passengers who have ditched it
for
>its less expensive rivals.
>
>Bankrupt UAL Corp.'s United Airlines is also seeking to reclaim some of
the
>low-fare business that has chipped away at its market share. The No. 2
U.S.
>airline, under pressure to give details on how it will emerge from
>bankruptcy as a strong competitor, has said a low-cost carrier is a
critical
>element to its future.
>
>United executives are expected to discuss details on the unnamed
low-cost
>unit -- part of its overall restructuring plan -- at a Thursday board
>meeting. It was not clear when those details would be released publicly
and
>already two union work groups, the pilots and flight attendants, are
>critical.
>
>MORE GROWTH AHEAD
>
>Discount carrier JetBlue Airways on Thursday reported an increase in its
>quarterly net profit and said it expected to grow another 50 percent
this
>year in available seats.
>
>New York-based JetBlue beat Wall Street estimates with a fourth-quarter
>profit of $15.2 million, or 22 cents a share, compared with a profit of
>$11.1 million, or 20 cents a share, a year earlier. JetBlue said its
revenue
>skyrocketed 96 percent while its rivals battle a weak revenue
environment.
>
>JetBlue is able to keep costs in check primarily because it uses only
one
>Airbus jet model and its labor costs are low.
>
>"In a weak commercial aviation environment, these numbers are
>extraordinary," Ray Neidl, airline analyst at Blaylock & Partners said
of
>JetBlue's results.
>
>However, another analyst, Susan Donofrio of Deutsche Bank, reiterated a
hold
>on JetBlue saying its competitive gains were already largely priced into
the
>stock.
>
>Orlando-based discount carrier AirTran, which also reported a quarterly
and
>full-year profit this week, said it has seen bookings reach their best
>levels since before the Sept. 11 attacks and predicted a 2003 profit.
>
>Southwest, the leader among low-cost carriers and the No. 7 U.S.
airline,
>reported a quarterly and full-year profit last week. It has some of the
>lowest costs and highest worker productivity in the industry and is
>expecting capacity to grow about 4 to 5 percent next year.
>
>TOUGH OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
>
>Although Alaska Air Group Inc on Thursday reported a wider
fourth-quarter
>loss, revenue rose as the small Seattle-based carrier expanded service
to a
>handful of new U.S. cities.
>
>The parent of No. 9 U.S. carrier Alaska Airlines and regional carrier
>Horizon Air said it lost $43.1 million in the quarter, or $1.62 per
share,
>vs. a restated loss of $37.4 million, or $1.41 per share, in the fourth
>quarter of 2001.
>
>But Alaska Air said it planned to add planes and increase capacity this
year
>while its larger opponents are parking planes and cutting back on
routes.
>
>Chief Executive John Kelly said he planned to rethink some of the
carrier's
>processes in order to achieve aggressive cost cuts over the new few
years.
>
>"They continue to have a strong financial position to help see them
through
>what could be a tough operating environment going forward," Peter
Jacobs,
>airline and aerospace analyst at Seattle-based brokerage house Ragen
>Mackenzie, said of Alaska's results. "They could be somewhere in the
>break-even area for 2003. All things considered, that's much better than
>some of their peers."
>******************
>
>Make Money in Aviation: Bill UAL $100,000 a Day
>
>(www.aero-news.net) - Paul Merrion, in Crain's Chicago Business, says
that,
>"Chicago's Kirkland & Ellis, the lead law firm handling the bankruptcy
of
>United Airlines parent UAL Corp., billed almost $2.3 million in legal
fees
>and expenses — or about $100,000 a day — during December, according
to a
>U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing." About 1/5 of that, Merrion says, is
billed in
>relation to the airline's numerous petitions to get the Court to break
union
>contracts.
>
>In the meantime, the airline is working on its unions to reduce costs.
It
>announced over 700 flight attendant layoffs, in the past week; and its
>pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, ground and ticket agents -- everyone --
is
>feeling the pinch. Even management has been taking home less.
>
>Lawyers, though, get paid, regardless (perhaps a perq of being the
majority
>of most legislatures, where bankruptcy payouts are set; and they're
nearly
>the entire "judge class," too, just in case a nickel somehow rolls
through
>the cracks).
>
>It's tough being a lawyer and not being appreciated, though. Crain's
noted
>that, "...legal fees alone actually totaled more than $2,400,000, but
[the
>firm] had voluntarily discounted its fees by $19,136..."
>
>The most-expensive lawyer on the case billed $680 an hour, said the
paper.
>Plus expenses, of course. You'll love this -- law firms don't believe in
>overhead: Crain's saw that "...it took 85 hours to prepare the billing
>report at a cost of $25,000 in fees and expenses."
>
>The world's #2 airline isn't just sitting around, though, It's expected
to
>announce a major restructuring, some time today.
>
>www.ual.com
>*****************
>Today in History:
>
>Date of Accident: 31 January 1957
>Airline: Douglas Corporation
>Aircraft: Douglas DC-7B
>Location: Sunland, California, USA
>Registration: N8210H
>Fatalities: 3:4 + 3
>MSN: 45192
>Accident Description: The aircraft collided with a USAF F-89 and crashed
>into a school playground. Both crew on the DC-7B, along with one
crewmember
>on the F-89 were killed, along with three on the ground. The other F-89
>crewmember safely ejected. This was the first test-flight of the DC-7B.
>