The graphic (website) version of this newsletter can be accessed at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/newsletter392.htm
Quote of the Week: "Lawrence...has made inroads in getting planes rerouted
at night over water or less populated areas" Lawrence, Long Island's
Mayor
Jack Levenbrown bragging in a 8/27 N.Y. Times article (see below) about
how
Lawrence gets night flights politically rerouted over less politically
connected, poor and minority communities
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Aviation Conspiracy Newsletter
#392...............................................................................September
3, 2006 Past newsletters can be accessed at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/ACNewsmenu.htm
The PASSUR air****t
flight
tracking system at many major U.S. air****ts
http://www.passur.com/sites.htm
(you must have Java installed to view it). If you want to get the
newsletter
sent to you every week, sign up to AviationWatch. Bill Mulcahy
rockaway@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
's Politically Influenced Aircraft Routing Revealed!!!
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As Bill Sees It: (Editorial) FAA's Airspace Redesign Plan, TVASNAC And
Political Influence: We all know that the FAA uses political influence
rather than science when it come to routing planes over residential areas.
Once in a while the truth seeps out of the corruption. In the 8/27 (on
left)
Long Island section of the NY Times, Lawrence, Long Island's Mayor
Levenbrown bragged about his town getting planes rerouted to the "over
water
route." The "over water route" is the FAA/Lawrence's code phrase for
sending
planes over the more heavily populated, mostly minority community of
Rockaway!!! They use clever ruses as a way to hide the fact that they
refuse
to use ANY scientific method to *****s noise impacts for JFK Air****t. They
spent millions on the phony Airspace Redesign Plan for New York
metropolitan
air****ts which had no real scientific analysis of increased noise JFK
impacts. Mentioned in the Times article was their very secret "lobbying"
organization, the Town-Village Aircraft Safety and Noise Abatement
Committee
(TAVASNAC) which the FAA listed in their Aircraft Redesign Plan as one of
the "Agencies Consulted" (see table ES.5). TAVASNAC is not a government
agency but a powerful, community coalition, paid lobbying group!!! I'm
guessing that Mayor Levenbrown wanted to associate himself with getting
the
JFK planes diverted away from the community of Lawrence and over other
communities in the FAA airspace design plan that he couldn't help crowing
about it to his constituents. According to the Times article, Rockaway is
not the only communnity getting shafted by the politically routed planes.
Apparently the community of Floral Park (read mayor's message below),
which
is a member of TVASNAC, is also getting dumped on by more powerful
communities that run that organization.
Senator Schumer Sticks Nose Into LaGuardia Debate!!! It was interesting
to
see a story (see below) this week where Sen. "Chuck" Schumer was fighting
to
"preserve" smaller commuter flights at New York City's LaGuardia Air****t
while the FAA is trying to "maximize" the use of air****t by pu****ng for
larger planes with more people. Schumer has been deeply involved with N.Y.
City aviation issues for a long time. I remember when he was a congressman
representing my community of Rockaway, he sup****ted the designation of
Rockaway as the JFK Air****t's "preferred" night flight route. This
effectively eliminated the nearby community of Lawrence, Long Island, (not
Schumer's district) night over-flights, while concentrating the night
flights over Rockaway. The result of this was to make living in Rockaway
impossible for many people as JFK Air****t's over-flights STARTED at
midnight
over this community!!! After he unfortunately became a New York senator (
no
doubt with plenty of contributions from people in noise-protected
communities), he immediately started pu****ng for increased "regional"
flights at New York City's air****ts. He was the moving force behind the
removal of LaGuardia's hourly "flight caps" which drastically increased
the
number of flights at that air****t. This drastically increased the number
of
delays and reduced safety, so much so that the FAA had to put the flight
caps back on!!! The caps were reinstalled and now the FAA wants to
increase
the size of planes using LaGuardia, which has short runways and is located
in the heart of New York City. Schumer used to make a big show how he
cared
about the noise impacts of JFK air****t; but those who know him know that
this is just part of his act. Many believe he is the prime source of
pressure on the FAA to divert flights away from communities like Lawrence,
using politics rather than scientific basis for routing decisions.
Recently,
Lawrence was again protected from overflights in the FAA's phony FAA's
Airspace Redesign Plan which proposed NO changes in JFK Air****t routes to
adjust to projected increased numbers of flights. The FAA has proposed to
just INCREASE the number of projected overflights over already unfairly
dumped-on communities!!!
The Mysterious, Paid, "Lobbyist And Activist" Group - TVASNAC- Gets News
Coverage: After seeing the N.Y. Times article I became more interested
than
ever in this mysterious group that apparently has lots of money and
political connections, but no web site. What communities are its members?
Do
they give political contributions and who gets them? How did this lobbyist
group get listed (see above) as a "agency consulted" in the FAA's Airspace
Redesign Plan which continued their protection from nighttime over
flights?
I did a Google search on the web for TAVASNAC and the Town-Village
Aircraft
Safety and Noise Abatement Committee. Here are some of the very few sites
that mentioned them.
http://www.fpvillage.org/v2000/noise_abatement_contact_list.htm
http://www.antonnews.com/floralparkdispatch/2006/08/11/opinion/mayor.html
http://www.antonnews.com/floralparkdispatch/2006/08/18/news/noise.html
Comair Crash: Cockpit Tapes Still Not Released!!! As usual, when there is
an
air crash, the lid immediately goes on everything. The crash site and the
families of the victims are carefully kept away from the press. The NTSB
said they were going to release the cockpit tape "transcript," but they
haven't. Everything is done to keep the public from knowing what happened
until hopefully the press goes away. In the case of the Comair crash, this
seems to have happened very quickly.
New York: Floral Park Mayor Complains to TAVASNAC Lobbying Group About
"Dispro****tionate" JFK Air****t Aircraft Noise -!!! Message from the mayor:
As a result of persistent and ongoing negotiations, I am pleased to
announce
that TVASNAC (Town Village Aircraft Safety and Noise Abatement Committee)
has agreed to meet at Floral Park Village Hall on Monday, August 28 at
7:30
p.m. at One Floral Boulevard. As mentioned previously in this space, we
have
been working diligently with TVASNAC to get the JFK control tower to
prioritize a rotation system that will spread out jet flights in a more
equitable fa****on. We have also been encouraging greater use of a visual
landing approach when weather and safety conditions permit which would
allow
for varying flight paths into JFK. Presently, Floral Park appears to
experience a dispro****tionate and preponderant number of flights as
compared
to other surrounding communities. That this meeting is even being held in
our village is a victory of sorts since I know of no other time when
TVASNAC
has ever scheduled a meeting outside of their usual meeting locale in the
Village of Lawrence. What this means is that the voice of Floral Park has
been heard. It has not yet been obeyed - but it has been heard. You
don't
lightly move the location of a comfortable, customary meeting place that
has, in fact, been inflexibly fixed for years without knowing you are
dealing with serious people with serious issues. I think this is a
magnificent op****tunity for our residents to learn what TVASNAC, the
Aviation Development Council and the JFK control tower are doing to give
us
some relief from the nuisance of jet noise. Editor's Note: I think the
residents of Floral Park KNOW what TVASNAC and the FAA are doing to them.
Maybe Floral Park should consider starting their own lobbying group
consisting of communities that get Lawrence's planes.
http://www.fpvillage.org/site_main_page.asp
Kentucky Crash: Air Traffic Controller Was Tired!!! WA****NGTON -- Air
traffic controllers said Friday they will be forced to work even when
they're tired after the Federal Aviation Administration imposes a new
contract this weekend. Controller fatigue may be an issue in the
investigation of the recent airplane crash in Kentucky that killed 49. The
solo controller in the tower at Lexington Blue Grass Air****t had his back
turned on the airfield when the pilots took off on the wrong runway early
Sunday. He told investigators he'd had only two hours of sleep and worked
17
hours in the previous 24. Air traffic controllers say fatigue is a symptom
of a nationwide staffing shortage.FAA Administrator Marion Blakey has said
controllers make much more money than other public servants, control
scheduling and hold back modernization. Editor's Note: Air traffic
controllers and their union don't worry about the communities they send
planes over all night long causing massive sleep loss or the politicized
routing of planes away from "protected" communities . However, I agree
that
there should be an investigation of this dangerous situation.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/nation/15425908.htm
Arabic T-****rt Sparks Air****t Row: An architect of Iraqi descent has said
he
was forced to remove a T-****rt that bore the words "We will not be silent"
before boarding a flight at New York. Raed Jarrar said security officials
warned him his clothing was offensive after he checked in for a JetBlue
flight to California on 12 August. Mr Jarrar said he was shocked such an
action could be taken in the US. US trans****t officials are conducting an
inquiry after a complaint from the US Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
JetBlue said it was also investigating the incident but a spokeswoman
said:
"We're not clear exactly what happened.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5297822.stm
Record Numbers Of Passengers At New York Metro Air****ts This Year!!!
NEWARK,
N.J. - More than 50 million passengers flew in and out of the New York
metropolitan area's three air****ts in the first half of 2006, which was a
new record, according to the agency that manages the facilities. John F.
Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia air****ts
served more than 50.6 million passengers through the first six months of
2006, the ****t Authority of New York and New Jersey said Thursday. From
January through June, nearly 17.7 million passengers traveled through
Newark, a 12.3 percent increase over the same period in 2005. For the
first
half of the year, Kennedy Air****t handled more than 20 million passengers
_
a 1.4 percent increase over the prior year _ and LaGuardia served nearly
13
million, which was a decrease of 0.3 percent.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4155201.html
Jetliner pilot locked out of cockpit after toilet break: OTTAWA, Ontario
(Reuters) -- The pilot of a Canadian airliner who went to the washroom
during a flight found himself locked out of the cockpit, forcing the crew
to
remove the door from its hinges to let him back in, the airline said on
Wednesday. The incident occurred aboard a flight from Ottawa to Winnipeg
on
Saturday. The regional jet, capable of carrying 50 people, was operated by
Air Canada's Jazz subsidiary. Jazz spokeswoman Manon Stewart said that
with
30 minutes of the flight to go, the pilot went to the washroom, leaving
the
first officer in charge. But when he tried to get back into the cockpit,
the
door would not open. "The door malfunctioned ... this is a very rare
occurrence," Stewart said, adding that the crew's decision to remove the
door had been in line with company policy. A re****t in the Ottawa Citizen
newspaper said that for about 10 minutes "passengers described seeing the
pilot bang on the door and communicating with the cockpit through an
internal telephone, but being unable to open the door. "Stewart said the
paper's re****t was "a bit dramatic" and stressed that at no time had the
plane or passengers been in danger. She did not say how many people had
been
on board.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/08/30/pilot.lockout.reut/index.html?section=cnn_topstories
@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Aviation News Stories This Week
Sources: FAA, ****t Authority, U.S. Department of Trans****tation
Big Jets Coming To LaGuardia!!! August 26, 2006 -- More big jets could be
headed for LaGuardia in the next few years under a proposed federal rule
that would boost the number of people using the air****t without adding
more
flights.
"We are trying to get as much use out of that air****t as we can," said
Nancy
LoBue, a Federal Aviation Administration administrator.
The rule would make way for La Guardia to handle another 4 million
passengers yearly without increasing the number of delays, the FAA says.
La Guardia handles about 1,250 takeoffs and landings a day - including
many
for aircraft with about 50 seats, such as Bombardier and Embraer models.
Under the proposed FAA rule, the average size of the jets using the
air****t
would rise to around 120 seats - about the size of a Boeing 737 or an
Airbus
A319.
Plenty of Boeing 737-size jets use La Guardia now - the biggest jet the
air****t handles regularly is a Boeing 767-300 - and ****t Authority
officials
say the slightly bigger Boeing 767-400s are the largest allowed.
Although aircraft makers over the years have quieted engines on the bigger
jets, local officials still fear that the proposed changes will mean more
noise in their neighborhoods.
"If larger planes would mean fewer flights, I am open to this proposed
rule
change," said Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens).
"But if larger planes flying in and out of La Guardia would lead to an
increase in noise pollution or poorer air-quality conditions for the
neighborhoods around the air****t, I have concerns."
While ****t Authority officials haven't yet scrutinized the proposed rule,
posted on the FAA's Web site yesterday, the agency generally backs the
idea.
"Our goal has always been to see that air****t serve more passengers on the
same number or fewer operations," said ****t Authority spokesman Pasquale
DiFulco.
The FAA hopes to structure the new rule so that airlines won't be
discouraged from serving smaller cities upstate.
But some airlines wants to use the proposal as a way to open talks about
lengthening flights out of La Guardia.
Under ****t Authority rules, La Guardia's nonstop destinations on weekdays
can be no more than 1,500 miles away - with the sole exception being
Denver.
U.S. Airways, which says it offers about 200 departures daily at La
Guardia,
says it might use the FAA proposal to argue for a lifting of the
1,500-mile
rule so it can serve its hubs in Las Vegas and Phoenix.
The current federal "slot" rules capping the number of flights at La
Guardia
expire in January. FAA officials hope the replacement rules will be in
effect in mid-2007.
bill.sanderson@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
urges FAA against rule change that would affect commuter flights
http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2006/08/28/daily17.htm
Albany International Air****t officials are applauding efforts by Sen.
Charles Schumer to preserve guaranteed commuter flights from Albany to New
York City's LaGuardia Air****t.
A Federal Aviation Administration regulation that guarantees slots for
small
commuter planes flying from upstate New York air****ts at LaGuardia is due
to
expire in January. On Aug. 25, the FAA said that it was considering a
regulation requiring larger aircraft at LaGuardia in order to reduce
congestion at the air****t, while increasing the number of passengers being
carried.
Schumer had advocated for the existing rule and is urging the FAA to
preserve air service between Albany and other upstate New York air****ts
and
New York City.
Although fewer people are using the Albany to LaGuardia service -- the
numbers have gone from 8,660 travelers in 2003 to 7,440 in 2004, to 6,850
in
2005 -- it is still an im****tant route for Albany travelers, said air****t
CEO John O'Donnell.
"It is essential to the upstate economy that cities, including the capital
city of Albany, maintain their direct air links to the center of world
commerce," O'Donnell said. "We will work with and sup****t Senator
Schumer's
efforts to retain and improve the existing air service that our business
and
leisure travelers have come to depend upon."
The existing rule limits flights into and out of LaGuardia and provides
for
a dedicated number of landing and takeoff slots for flights heading to
places that are not major hubs: Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Binghamton,
Elmira, Utica, and Albany.
The new rule would eliminate the distinction between general airline slots
and commuter slots.
Schumer and O'Donnell are concerned that airlines would opt to dump the
commuter flights, which carry 36 to 40 passengers.
"The FAA rule change needs to not only keep upstate flights going, but
provide ways for them to continue growing in the future," Schumer said in
a
written statement. "One of the first things businesses look at when they
consider moving to a new location is whether there are good air service
options in the area. We need to be sure that air service upstate from
LaGuardia is protected."
Options the FAA is considering to ensure service to upstate air****ts
include:
* Exempting flights to non-hub air****ts from the slot rules;
* Exempting flights to air****ts within 300 miles of LaGuardia;
* Exempting all non-hub and small hub air****t flights from the rules.
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