News

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    Dive and Recovery and CVR Recovery Flight AF 447

    In the continuing quest recovering the bits and pieces of the Air France Flight 447 Airbus, and the Flight Data Recorder was recovered, the French navy sent a patrol to carry the black boxes to Cayenne, French Guyana, and then flown to Le Bourget to the BEA. The BEA Investigator-in-charge, a CENIPA Investigator, and French Judicial Peace officer will be present in the ten day exchange process.

    BEA briefings indicate that on Monday the Cockpit Voice Recorder was identified. On Tuesday, it was recovered by the Remora 6000 ROV at 2:40, Tuesday May 3, 2001, and raised on board the Ile de Sein.

    Bea Photos Documenting the Recovery

    From the May 3 Briefing

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    Travel Warning Issued by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Bureau of Consular Affairs

    The U.S. Department of State alerts U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad to the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan. Given the uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, U.S. citizens in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence are strongly urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations. U.S. citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times. This Travel Alert expires August 1, 2011.

    U.S. Embassy operations in affected areas will continue to the extent possible under the constraints of any evolving security situation. U.S. government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. Embassies and Consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

    Media coverage of local events may cause family and friends to become concerned for their loved ones traveling and residing abroad. We urge U.S. citizens to keep in regular contact with family and friends. U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), to receive the latest travel updates and information and to obtain updated information on travel and security issues. U.S. citizens without Internet access may register directly with the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.

    Travel information is also available at travel.state.gov. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

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    Alert! Alert! FIRST LADY in no DANGER whatsoever.

    Wake up ATC. Turn off the TV. The eyes of the media are on you again.

    It is the air traffic control’s responsibility to watch the distance between planes. That includes the one Michelle Obama was on. Not that she was in any danger.

    Please note that the reportage below is somewhat exaggerated but these planes should be 5 miles apart. Let’s do avoid the wake turbulence, shall we?

    Now, if you’re really interested, you can leave our site and go check out the CBS Recording of Michelle Obama’s plane being diverted which CBS so uncharitably does not allow to be embedded. If you listen to this recording, and you should even though you will have to sit through whatever advertising they put at the start of it, do take note of the calm, matter of fact manner of both the pilot and the air traffic controller. This was a routine situation go-round.

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    Diligent Kudos to AeroMexico for Averting a Disaster

    What: Aeromexico Boeing 737-700 scheduled from Costa Rica to Mexico City
    Where: Costa Rica
    When: Mar 12, 2011
    Who: 2 (drunk) Mexican pilots, 101 passengers
    Why: Saturday on arrival at the airport in Costa Rica for their shift, these two AeroMexico pilots complained of nausea. They probably had big heads too, since they had attended some kind of drunken revelry 7 hours before in San Jose, which is not long enough for the alcohol to be metabolized out of their systems. They were apparently intending to fly their shifts, but some eagle-eyed AeroMexico personnel correctly evaluated their condition. One of them refused the alcohol test, but not the other. Neither was allowed to fly, and both were suspended. The flight was delayed until replacement pilots (sober ones) were found to take the cockpit. Passengers were compensated for the delay.

    In George’s Point of View

    Is March the month for drinking? A case was just brought to our attention yesterday, and though it is not aviation, it is frighteningly similar, though I could argue they were completely different. But then, I could argue anything even if I’m not a lawyer.

    The case I’m talking about is that of the BOLT Driver Arrested for DUI. Bolt is not an airline, but a bus division. So what is the similarity? There it was bussing (trucking) down the road when it was pulled over and the driver cited for tailgating, and driving in the wrong lane before he got his driving under the influence AND his license taken away. He was caught, sadly, not before his shift, and not by crew, but by passengers who clearly feared for their lives and called 911 from inside the bus, as the driver was either weaving, or napping or drinking, or all of the above. Someone had seen his pocket flask.

    Okay, the obvious similarities are drunks at the wheel of communal transit. Both were caught before serious damage occurred. The difference—and this is crucial—are that the BOLT bus driver was allowed to take his shift, regardless of his condition. He put everyone aboard that bus at serious risk.

    So kudos to AeroMexico. Even though all you’re going to hear about it is grousing from individuals complaining of the delay, your diligence probably saved the lives of 110 passengers.

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    4000 Pilots Under the Eye After Fake Pilots Fly for Air India


    Four pilot impersonators, including Air India Captain JK Verma and Indigo’s Parminder Kaur discussed in the video below, were caught flying without proper licenses which has led to a countrywide pilot probe, seeking more fake pilots and shady flight schools. It has been discovered that bogus certificates were used to endow pilots with licenses. Sham pilots were found to be flying for Air India. Pilot Arjun Giare was caught cheating on in US pilots and his US license cancelled, but is currently flying for Air India. Discrepancies were found in certificates from a school in Delhi, the Chinmaya Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School in Vasant Vihar. Some flying schools appear to be sanctioning fake pilots; it is not known if this school is one of them.

    The falsified documents have forced the India’s aviation authorities to examine 4000 pilot licenses for irregularities. Although the director general of civil aviation, Baharat Bhushan said that fake licenses are few, how can he know this is true before the investigation? There is a documented history of corruption, including 57 pilots who were being prosecuted for drunkenness on duty.

    With no disrespect for the decedents who are not here to defend themselves, for the sake of those passengers who lost their lives, this is just a question that requires examination:

    What about the licenses of Captain Zlatko Glušica, and first officer H.S. Ahluwalia—the pilots in the Air India Express Flight 812 crash in May of 2010—were they legitimate? Plato said, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” We can not be children and avoid the truth. We can not be afraid of knowing. For the sake of those who are now lost, and in the interest of justice, we need to shine the light of truth into that May 2010 cockpit, and in fact all cockpits where a pretender may be placing lives at risk..

  • Legendary Physicist and Aerospace Pioneer Simon Ramo Receives Goddard Memorial Trophy, National Space Club’s Highest Honor

    REDONDO BEACH, Calif., March 3, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Simon Ramo, an engineering pioneer who enabled the United States to become a world leader in space technology and its applications, has been chosen to receive the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy, the National Space Club’s preeminent award. Ramo co-founded TRW, one of the country’s premier defense electronics corporations which was acquired by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) in 2002 and is now part of Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector.

    The Goddard Memorial Trophy recognizes significant contribution to United States leadership in the field of rocketry and astronautics. According to the National Space Club, Ramo was chosen for his “lifetime of engineering and scientific leadership and achievement that has made an unparalleled impact on our nation’s space programs. Among his many accomplishments are many critical early space programs including intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Thor, Atlas and Titan rockets, Project Mercury, Pioneer 1, VIKING 1 and 2, and the Lunar Excursion Model Descent Engine.”

    Born in Utah in 1913, Simon Ramo earned a doctorate degree, magna cum laude, from the California Institute of Technology at 23 years of age. He started his career in General Electric’s Research Laboratories where he was the first in the U.S. to produce electromagnetic pulses at microwave frequencies at the kilowatt level, which are basic to radar. When World War II ended, Ramo accepted an offer from Howard Hughes to create a new entity for military electronics and guided missiles. All U.S. military combat aircraft depended on fire control, radar and guided missiles built by Hughes Aircraft where Ramo was responsible for research and development, engineering and manufacturing.

    In 1953, Ramo left Hughes to co-found the Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation and was asked to provide the technical staff for President Eisenhower’s unprecedented crash effort to develop a U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). With Ramo leading the project, the U.S. successfully attained an operational ICBM capability ahead of the Soviet Union.

    Ramo’s books on science, engineering and management are used in universities throughout the world and have been translated into eight languages. His book on electromagnetic fields and waves has been the leading text for physicists and electrical engineers for over 50 years.

    A year before the USSR’s “Sputnik” launch, Ramo created Space Technology Laboratories (STL) as a subsidiary of Ramo-Wooldridge Corp. STL was the first U.S.company to receive a contract from NASA for a spacecraft, the Pioneer series. Pioneer 1 was the first spacecraft to reach the outer planets and the first to go beyond the solar system into deep space.

    Ramo was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Jimmy Carter and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian award, from President Ronald Reagan. The recipient of numerous other awards and honorary university doctorates, he was the youngest founding member of the National Academy of Engineering, and is now its only living founder.

    The awards will be presented at the 54th Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner in the Washington Hilton Hotel on April 1, 2011. Gary Ervin, Northrop Grumman corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, will accept the award on Ramo’s behalf.

  • Aviation Downturn is Trending Now

    DAE Capital, the Leasing Branch of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, founded by the Dubai government in 2006, cancelled 18 A320 and 12 A350-900.

    Dubai Aerospace also cancelled 32 Boeing’s 737s.

    Afriqiyah Airways cancelled 3 A320.

    In January and February 2011, Airbus received 43 cancellations.

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    Twitter News: Mesa Survives

    It’s being circulated on Twitter that Mesa Air is out of Chapter 11, and is now in a good position. Apparently they downsized, eliminated 200 inessential planes, and cut out unnecessary leases.

    This is what Mesa is now: 76 aircraft with approximately 450 daily system departures to 94 cities, 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Mexico; and still maintains contractual agreements with US Airways and United Airlines.

    Of course you can read about it on their website: http://www.mesa-air.com/

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    Adoption of Security Roadmap Key Step In Countering Terrorism

    MONTRÉAL, 15 February 2011 – The adoption of a roadmap by 14 ICAO Member States to further protect global air transport from terrorist and other security threats was praised today by the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Raymond Benjamin, at the conclusion of a two-day regional aviation security conference in New Delhi.

    Among the measures included in the roadmap are actions that States will take to strengthen security screening procedures by ensuring that professionals are appropriately trained and equipped. Air cargo security will be enhanced through working with Customs authorities on common goals. Capacity-building assistance to States in need in cooperation with ICAO, other States and the aviation industry is emphasized in the roadmap.

    The conference was the first in a series on implementing the ICAO Declaration on Aviation Security, unanimously adopted by the Organization’s Assembly last October to deal with known, new and emerging threats to civil aviation.

    “The challenge, OUR challenge, is to turn commitment into action. Terrorism is a global problem that requires global solutions,” Mr. Benjamin emphasized when urging participants to develop the roadmap during the opening of the conference.

    “This roadmap is a key step in addressing the security challenge and can serve as a model for other regional aviation security conferences, culminating in a global security conference planned for next year at ICAO Headquarters in Montréal,” Mr. Benjamin indicated.

    In support of the roadmap’s initiatives, Mr. Benjamin pointed to ICAO’s ongoing collaboration with the air transport industry on a security checkpoint of the future concept to improve the effectiveness of passenger and carry-on baggage screening at airports. ICAO is also working with the World Customs Organization to establish best practices for air cargo security.

    The Government of India, through the Minister of Civil Aviation, is to play a leading role in the implementation of the roadmap in the region through technical cooperation and other initiatives.
    Attachments
    EN.pdf

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    Air Transport Association to Congress: Leverage NextGen to Help Grow the U.S. Economy Through New Jobs and Increased Exports

    The United States Needs a Cohesive National Airline Strategy That Includes Accelerated Deployment of NextGen

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2011 — The chief executive of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, testified today before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), calling for investment in the nation’s air traffic control system to create jobs, grow the economy and enable global competitiveness.

    Commercial aviation drives $1.2 trillion in economic activity annually, supports nearly 11 million jobs and is responsible for more than 5 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product.

    “No other industry has such a powerful economic multiplier effect as commercial aviation,” said ATA President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. “Aviation provides the key connections that make the economy grow. If we want to double our nation’s exports over the next five years, there is no way to do it without commercial aviation.”

    ATA called on Congress to view FAA reauthorization as a jobs bill, as an investment in NextGen air traffic management that will lead to the creation of 150,000 jobs immediately, and more over time. Other countries, including China, are investing heavily in their aviation infrastructure, to help transform their economies. China recently announced the equivalent of a $228 billion investment in aviation.

    “[NextGen] is about the underlying strength of the U.S. economy and the ability of American industries to compete – and win – on the global stage,” Calio said. “The antiquated, ground-based air traffic control system in place today is a major drag on productivity and job creation. By accelerating NextGen, more than 150,000 jobs can be created, fuel consumption can be cut by as much as 12 percent and delays, which cost the United States $31 billion in 2007 alone, can be reduced.”

    ATA urged that Congress and the administration craft a cohesive national airline strategy that would include accelerated deployment of NextGen and a rationalizing of the industry’s tax burden, which has soared from $3.7 billion in 1990 to more than $16 billion in 2010.

    “Commercial aviation has the distinction of being among the highest taxed industries in the country, along with alcohol and tobacco – ironically products that are taxed to discourage use – when in fact, we should be doing all that we can to encourage air travel to the benefit of the economy and to job growth,” Calio said.

    ABOUT ATA
    Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For more information about the airline industry, visit www.airlines.org and follow us on Twitter @airlinesassn.

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    Hawaiian Airlines Appoints Susan Donofrio as Senior Director of Investor Relations

    HONOLULU, Feb. 7, 2011 — Hawaiian Airlines (Nasdaq: HA) today announced the appointment of Susan Donofrio as the company’s Senior Director of Investor Relations, effective immediately. Ms. Donofrio will be responsible for interacting with Hawaiian Airlines’ global investor. She will report to Peter Ingram, Chief Financial Officer, and will be located in New Jersey.

    “We are delighted to have Susan join our team. Her wealth of experience as a financial analyst and her deep knowledge of the airline industry will be invaluable as we look to enhance our communication and engagement with investors and analysts. Susan’s addition to our team underscores Hawaiian’s commitment to open communication with investors during this time of our Company’s rapid, focused growth,” said Peter Ingram
    .
    Prior to joining Hawaiian Airlines, Ms. Donofrio was a Director level Analyst at Cathay Financial where she was responsible for the Aviation, Aerospace and Trucking industries. She also has held similar roles at Fulcrum Global Partners (Soliel Securities), as well as Deutsche Bank. Ms. Donofrio was recognized by the Wall Street Journal as a top airline analyst for stock picking for 2005-2007. She was also ranked #1 in stock picking according to Forbes in 2007.

    Donofrio received her MBA in Finance at The Lubin School of Business, Pace University. She received her BA from Rutgers University.

  • Sensis to Design NextGen Airspace Procedures for High Density Airport Terminal Areas

    NASA Project Sets Framework for Improved Capacity and Efficiency
    EAST SYRACUSE, N.Y., Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Sensis Corporation was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) Super Density Operations Airspace Design (SDOAD) project. Sensis will develop airspace definitions, including procedures and routes, which will enable NASA to more effectively and accurately research NextGen concepts to increase capacity at high volume, complex airports and surrounding airspaces.

    As part of its NextGen initiative, NASA is examining a number of new operational concepts aimed at addressing current and future capacity challenges at major U.S. airports. In order to best test and evaluate these concepts, airspace definitions, including operational procedures and routes, must be developed. Sensis will be modeling the arrival and departure traffic routes for six major Southern California metroplex airports including Los Angeles International, Burbank, Ontario, Long Beach, Santa Ana, and San Diego. The project will entail characterization of traffic flow route and altitude ranges; analysis, modeling and design of continuous descent and standard arrival procedures as well as future departure procedures; and trajectory based evaluation of the modeled procedures. NASA will use the definitions to accurately test new concepts, including automated arrival concepts.

    “Current U.S. airport capacity is far less than the forecasted demand. One of the goals of NextGen is to develop new procedures that will unlock capacity by increasing operational efficiencies,” said Ken Kaminski, vice president and general manager, Sensis Air Traffic Systems. “This project looks at a complex high traffic metroplex to identify the individual operational characteristics that need to be taken into account to accurately test NextGen capacity improvement concepts before the concepts are further matured.”

    Sensis is a leader in modeling, simulation and analysis of the potential impact of future airspace and airport improvements. Through its fast-time and real-time capabilities, Sensis can generate current and future air traffic demand scenarios, provide system-wide or regional simulations to evaluate current and future air traffic management concepts, and analyze and visualize simulation results.

    ABOUT SENSIS CORPORATION
    Sensis Corporation provides sensors, information technology, and simulation and modeling to the world’s air navigation service providers, civil aviation authorities, airports, airlines and militaries. Sensis Corporation solutions are deployed around the world. For more information, visit www.sensis.com.

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    Spanair Bailout

    Spanair is the recipient of $27.5 million Catalonian government bailout, supplemented by more capital by investors, possibly in violation of European Union state aid regulations. Competing carriers are up in arms over public funds being used to prop up an airline which is being described as being on the brink of collapse. Spanair’s spokespeople deny that Spanair is on the brink of collapse, claiming high numbers of passenger growth. In January, la Generalitat (Catalan’s regional government) called the loan as “an emergency credit.”

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    The Hidden Face of 35 Unrevealed Improvements

    35 (unrevealed) proposals suggested by the eight member panel of aviation experts will be implemented rapidly, in the wake of the crash of Air France 447.

    Findings on that crash hinge on the lost black box and wreckage; a fourth search effort is beginning this year, funded by Air France and Airbus, and if anything is found, the recovery will be government funded.

    The failure is blamed on faulty readings from the plane’s pitot tubes (speed sensors) after they iced over and fly by wire systems consequently failed.

    Air France’s deficient safety culture is detailed in the book La face cachée d’Air France

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    Yemenia Airways Suspends Flights from Egypt

    With all the protests going on in Egypt, Yemeni Airways suspended flights from Cairo. Hundreds of Yemeni citizens were left stranded at Cairo International Airport—with a curfew imposed on the city.

    As protests continue, stranded passengers look to government embassies and outside sources to bring pressure on Yemenia Airways to resume flights, at least until those stuck in Cairo have made their way out of harm’s way.

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    Massachusetts Man Indicted for Illegally Transporting Ammunition Primers on Passenger Aircraft

    On January 20, 2011, Orville A. Braham, was indicted in U.S. District Court, Miami, Florida, with four counts of illegally transporting ammunition primers in his luggage on a passenger aircraft.

    In December 2010, Mr. Braham boarded an American Airlines with two pieces of luggage that contained hundreds of concealed .45 caliber ammunition. One of the pieces of luggage exploded and injured a baggage handler who was unloading the luggage at Miami International Airport. Further examination of Mr. Braham’s suitcases revealed that the suitcases contained hundreds of .45 caliber ammunition primers, an explosive and a hazardous material, which detonated upon impact and triggered the explosion. Mr. Braham’s also concealed components of a disassembled ammunition reloading press, used to assemble component parts, including ammunition primers, and to create ammunition.

    The investigation is being conducted jointly with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Alcohol Tobacco and Firearm, with assistance provided by the Federal Aviation Administration.

    Note: Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints are only accusations by the government, all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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    NASA’s Hubble Finds Most Distant Galaxy Candidate Ever Seen in Universe

    Astronomers have pushed NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to its limits by finding what they believe is the most distant object ever seen in the universe. Its light traveled 13.2 billion years to reach Hubble, roughly 150 million years longer than the previous record holder. The age of the universe is 13.7 billion years.

    The dim object, called UDFj-39546284, is a compact galaxy of blue stars that existed 480 million years after the Big Bang, only four percent of the universe’s current age. It is tiny. Over one hundred such mini-galaxies would be needed to make up our Milky Way.

    Astronomers were surprised to find evidence that the rate at which the universe was forming stars grew precipitously in about a 200-million-year time span.

    “We’re seeing huge changes in the rate of star birth that tell us that if we go a little further back in time we’re going to see even more dramatic changes,” says Garth Illingworth of the University of California at Santa Cruz. The rate of star birth increased by about a factor of ten going from 480 million years to 650 million years after the Big Bang.

    “These observations provide us with our best insights yet into the earlier primeval objects that have yet to be found,” adds Rychard Bouwens of the Leiden University in the Netherlands.

    Astronomers don’t know exactly when the first stars appeared in the universe, but every step farther from Earth takes them deeper into the early universe’s “formative years” when stars and galaxies were just beginning to emerge in the aftermath of the Big Bang. “We’re moving into a regime where there are big changes afoot. Another couple of hundred million years toward the Big Bang, that will be the time where the first galaxies really are starting to get built up,” says Illingworth.

    Bouwens and Illingworth are reporting the discovery in the January 27 issue of the British science journal Nature.

    The even more distant proto-galaxies that Illingworth expects are out there will require the infrared vision of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which is the successor to Hubble. Planned for launch later this decade, Webb will provide confirming spectroscopic measurements of the object’s tremendous distance being reported today.

    After over a year of detailed analysis, the object was positively identified in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field – Infrared (HUDF-IR) data taken in the late summer of both 2009 and 2010. This observation was made with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) starting just a few months after it was installed into the Hubble Space Telescope in May of 2009, during the last NASA space shuttle servicing mission to Hubble.

    The object appears as a faint dot of starlight in the Hubble exposures. It is too young and too small to have the familiar spiral shape that is characteristic of galaxies in the local universe. Though its individual stars can’t be resolved by Hubble, the evidence suggests that this is a compact galaxy of hot stars that first started to form over 100-200 million years earlier, from gas trapped in a pocket of dark matter.

    The proto-galaxy is only visible at the farthest infrared wavelengths observable by Hubble. This means that the expansion of the universe has stretched and thereby reddened its light more than that of any other galaxy previously identified in the HUDF-IR, to the very limit of what Hubble can detect. Webb will go deeper into infrared wavelengths and will be at least an order of magnitude more sensitive than Hubble, allowing it to more efficiently hunt for primeval galaxies at even greater distances, at earlier times, closer to the Big Bang.

    Astronomers plumb the depths of the universe, and probe its history, by measuring how much the light from an object has been stretched by the expansion of space. This is called the redshift value or “z.” In general, the greater the observed “z” value for a galaxy, the more distant it is in time and space as observed from our own Milky Way. Before Hubble was launched, astronomers could only see galaxies out to a z of approximately 1, corresponding to halfway across the universe.

    The original Hubble Deep Field taken in 1995 leapfrogged to z=4, or roughly 90 percent of the way back to the beginning of time. The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) produced the Hubble Ultra Deep Field of 2004, pushing back the limit to z~6. ACS was installed on Hubble during Servicing Mission 3B in 2002. Hubble’s first infrared camera, the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, reached out to z=7. The WFC3 first took us back to z~8, and has now plausibly penetrated for the first time to z=10. The Webb Space Telescope is expected to leapfrog to z of approximately 15, 275 million years after the Big Bang, and possibly beyond. The very first stars may have formed between z of 30 and 15.

    The hypothesized hierarchical growth of galaxies — from stellar clumps to majestic spirals and ellipticals — didn’t become evident until the Hubble Space Telescope deep-field exposures. The first 500 million years of the universe’s existence, from z of 1000 to 10, is now the missing chapter in the hierarchical growth of galaxies. It’s not clear how the universe assembled structure out of a darkening, cooling fireball of the Big Bang. As with a developing embryo, astronomers know there must have been an early period of rapid changes that would set the initial conditions to make the universe of galaxies what it is today.

  • Washington, DC, Area Operating Status

    Applies to: Thursday, January 27, 2011

    Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are OPEN under 2 hours DELAYED ARRIVAL and employees have the OPTION FOR UNSCHEDULED LEAVE OR UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than 2 hours later than they would normally arrive.

    Non-emergency employees are expected to report to their office for work no later than the designated number of hours provided past their normal arrival time. Employees should plan their commutes so that they arrive for work no more than xx hours later than they would normally arrive. For example, if OPM announces a 2-hour delayed arrival policy, employees who normally arrive at 8:00 a.m. must arrive for work no later than 10:00 a.m. Such employees will be granted excused absence (administrative leave) for up to the designated number of hours past their normal arrival time.

    An employee who arrives later than the designated number of hours should be charged annual leave for the excess time. For example, if OPM announces a 2-hour delayed arrival policy, and an employee arrives for work 3 hours later than his/her normal arrival time, the employee should be charged annual leave for 1 hour. However, in the case of unusual circumstances or hardship, an agency may determine to grant excused absence for the excess time.

    Note: For employees working under flexible work schedules, agencies should consult OPM’s Handbook on Alternative Work Schedules (see information on “Excused Absence” in the “Flexible Work Schedules” section) to determine the “normal arrival and departure times” of employees on flexible schedules. The handbook is available on OPM’s website at http://www.opm.gov/oca/aws/index.htm. Employees under flexible work schedules may also request a change in their work schedules.

    Non-emergency employees must notify their supervisor of their intent to use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. They may-

    Use annual leave, earned compensatory time off, earned credit hours, or leave without pay; or
    As permitted by their agency’s policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreements, telework from home on a non-telework day, if the employee has a telework agreement in place that is approved for unscheduled telework.
    Non-emergency employees may request sick leave if they meet the qualifying conditions under law, OPM regulations, and follow their agency’s policies and procedures.

    Employees scheduled to telework on the day of the announcement are expected to begin telework on time or request unscheduled leave.

    Emergency employees are expected to report to their worksite on time unless otherwise directed by their agencies.

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    President Lands Helicopter

    What: Robinson R44
    Where: near Cobquecura
    When: Jan 23, 2010
    Who: Sebastian Pinera President of Chile
    Why: A recently released report by Radio Bio Bio said that Sebastian Pinera was flying a helicopter to his house, and a fuel supply problem forced him to land on the highway, that he was picked up by a police helicopter and flown to his house.

    The President denies that report, and says instead that he stopped for fuel at a town near Cobquecura. The stop was not an emergency landing at all, that he was having lunch with a friend then heading to his Caburga home.

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    Portland City Council to Vote on USS John F. Kennedy Aircraft Carrier Project

    PORTLAND, Maine, Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — On Wednesday, January 19, the USS JFK Museum will present a detailed business plan to the Portland City Council (7:00pm) in hopes to gain their support in the effort to bring the decommissioned aircraft carrier to Casco Bay. The Navy requires organizations seeking to acquire the ship in their donation program to have the support of its host city as part of the “Phase II” submission. The Portland City Council must vote in favor of the project or Portland will be disqualified for consideration, leaving Newport, RI as another potential host city and the possibility of the ship being scrapped as the only other alternatives. Being the last non-nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the fleet, the USS JFK is also in all probability, the last U.S. Navy aircraft carrier to ever go on public display as a museum.

    Woods, who leads the USS JFK Museum organization as CEO/Executive Director, will be presenting a detailed budget and business plan outlining the benefits and economic opportunity the project holds along with the commitment that the acquisition process and future operation of the USS JFK Museum will come at no expense to the city or its taxpayers. In fact, the plan being presented will include significant direct revenue projections to the City of Portland along with the expected annual positive economic impact to Portland and the region in the tens-of-million-of-dollars.

    “Early feedback concerning the USS JFK Museum only focused on the size of the ship while ignoring the enormity of the opportunity. I believe that the USS JFK Museum has the potential to serve as the greatest single catalyst for local & regional growth ever experienced here in Maine,” said Woods. “Our presentation to the Portland City Council on Wednesday evening will demonstrate a forward looking vision along with the practical details needed to evaluate a project of this magnitude. All I’m asking from the Mayor, the City Councilors and the public is to keep an open mind in regard to this proposal as we hope to enter the Navy’s Phase III period for securing the ship (next 7-months) – at which point, there will be ample time to sink this process if that becomes the collective will. But, to do so now preemptively serves no purpose,” concluded Woods.

    Naval aviator (and famous attorney), F. Lee Bailey, is expected to attend to the Portland City Council meeting to speak in favor of the project as a current Maine (and longtime – coming to Maine first in 1933) resident and former member of the military as a jet fighter pilot. F. Lee Bailey has also experienced a carrier landing/launch on the USS JFK a few years ago during an official visit to the ship at the invitation of the US Navy.

    (In addition to serving as the CEO/Executive Director of the USS JFK Museum organization (501 (c)(3): 30-0593890,) Stephen M. Woods is also the Founder/CEO of emg3/TideSmart Global (an international experiential marketing firm based in the Portland area), an elected Town Councilor from Yarmouth, and a Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine.)

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    Elbit Systems’ Brazilian Subsidiary, Aeroeletronica, Awarded a Contract to Supply Hermes(R) 450 Unmanned Aircraft Systems to the Brazilian Air Force

    – Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems”) announced today that its Brazilian subsidiary, Aeroeletronica Ltda. (“AEL”), was awarded a contract to supply Hermes(R) 450 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to the Brazilian Air Force. The contract is not in an amount that is material to Elbit Systems.

    This project is a part of the Brazilian Air Forces’ objective to establish independent UAS capabilities, allowing for self-reliant operation and development of UAS in Brazil. Located in Porto Alegre in southern Brazil, AEL performs a variety of projects for the Brazilian Air Force, as well as other branches of the Brazilian Armed Forces.

    Hermes(R) 450 is an experienced and mature UAS that has, to date, accumulated over 200,000 operational flight hours in various arenas worldwide. Its capabilities are suitable both for homeland security and anti-terror missions, and it can be equipped with a variety of advanced sensors, according to customers’ requirements. As part of the development of the Brazilian Air Forces’ future UAS, AEL will utilize technological capabilities of its parent company, Elbit Systems, and will also work with local Brazilian industries.

    Joseph Ackerman, President and CEO of Elbit Systems, commented: “We are extremely proud of the Brazilian Air Force’s selection of Elbit Systems UAS, a decision that marks yet another significant milestone in AEL’s long-time collaboration with the Air Force. The Brazilian Air Force is considered a global leader, and the selection attests to the quality and maturity of our UAS, currently operational with more than 20 customers worldwide.” Ackerman added: “We hope this new project will further strengthen the cooperation between AEL and the Brazilian Air Force, as well as other Brazilian customers, and will be an incentive for future collaborations.”
    About Aeroeletronica – Elbit Systems’ subsidiary in Porto Alegre
    Located in Porto Alegre (the largest state in South Brazil), Aeroeletronica’s workforce currently includes more than 180 employees – with plans for expanding the workforce in the near future. Based on technological investments, know-how transfer and extensive training of its employees at Elbit Systems’ headquarters, Aeroeletronica is a center of excellence for development, production and logistic support of advanced systems serving Brazilian as well as other South American customers.

    About Elbit Systems
    Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international defense electronics company engaged in a wide range of programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (“C4ISR”), unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS”), advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, airborne warning systems, ELINT systems, data links and military communications systems and radios. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing military platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial aviation applications and providing a range of support services.

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    Dreamliner Back off the Drawing Board; Back in the Air

    (FAA)-certification test flights recommenced Monday when Dreamliner No. 4 took off Monday from Yuma, Arizona. After updating power system software and vigorous testing, flight readiness had been confirmed for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Plagued with problems based on it’s composition frame and other issues, Dreamliner’s delivery date has been pushed back and back and back. Monday’s fuel jettison test, which incorporated a test on the electronic equipment bay, was successful.

    Earlier in testing a Rolls-Royce engine blew up, and later, Boeing attributed the test fiasco in Laredo to debris in the electrical panel, hence the inclusion in Monday’s test flight. Hardware changes were proposed after that test.

    Boeing says they need the FAA to agree to the fixes and to restart certification test flights.

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    Wyle Veteran Named New President of the Company’s Lexington Park, Md.-Based Aerospace Group

    EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 7, 2011 — A longtime Wyle veteran has been named president of the company’s Lexington Park, Maryland-based Aerospace Group. Peter Green replaces Brent Bennitt, who has been promoted to the position of executive vice president in the company’s corporate offices.

    Green has spent the last 25 years with Wyle and its heritage companies as a systems engineer, program manager, chief pilot, and, for the last six years, as the Aerospace Group’s vice president for business development and strategic planning. Most notably, he played a key role in expanding Wyle’s presence in the DoD services market.

    He is a 1977 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, and served as a P-3 pilot and test pilot. He left active duty and joined the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1985, retiring in 2001. Green completed his graduate studies at the University of Southern California and the executive management program of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

    Wyle’s Aerospace Group provides a wide range of capabilities and services to the Department of Defense, including program office support; systems engineering; systems integration and analysis; cost analysis; life cycle management; sustainment engineering; pilot and aircrew services; test and evaluation support; and information operations.

    “Under Brent Bennitt’s leadership, the Wyle Aerospace Group has doubled in revenue over the last five years,” said George Melton, Wyle CEO and president. “Based on that outstanding record, Brent will focus on a broad portfolio of initiatives to accelerate Wyle’s growth and customer outreach. He will oversee Wyle’s multi-business unit pursuits and lead Wyle’s company-wide efforts in exploiting indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contact vehicles.”

    Bennitt joined Wyle in January 2005 and served as group president of the Aerospace Group which was formed as a result of the acquisition of General Dynamic’s Aeronautics business, formerly a sector within the Veridian Corporation. He joined Veridian as vice president of the Lexington Park, Maryland-based Naval Aviation Programs Group in 1998, and was named president of Veridian Engineering’s newly formed Aeronautics Sector in 2000.

    “My tenure as a group president, through our Veridian, General Dynamics and Wyle phases, has been a tremendously fulfilling experience for me,” said Bennitt. “It has been my honor to watch the Aerospace Group build itself into an organization with a culture, commitment, capability and business ethic that we can all be proud of.”

    Prior to joining Veridian, Bennitt served as a U.S. Navy vice admiral and had served as the commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet from January 1996 until his retirement in 1998. He commanded the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz from 1987 to 1989. Bennitt graduated from the Naval Academy in 1964 and has flown more than 4,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft types and models.

    Wyle, a privately held company, is a leading provider of high tech aerospace engineering and information technology services to the federal government on long-term support contracts. The company also provides test and evaluation of aircraft, weapon systems, networks, and other government assets; and other engineering services to the aerospace, defense, and nuclear power industries.

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    Airport Research Program Addresses Industry Problems

    The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) is an industry-driven, applied research program that develops practical solutions to problems faced by airport operators. Funding more than 20 research projects a year, ACRP focuses on research needs that other Federal research programs do not address.
    ACRP is managed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies and sponsored by the FAA. We encourage you to read the research, visit the ACRP website, and find out how you can participate in ACRP

    ACRP FY 2011 Synthesis Projects: Letters of Interest Solicitation
    Published: January 5, 2011 5:23 AM
    TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) is soliciting letters of interest from contractors interested in proposing on upcoming projects. To propose, please send a single pdf file containing a one to two-page letter of interest, a resume providing your qualifications, and a statement that you can comply with the terms of TRB’s contract. Links to additional information on the synthesis process, how to submit a letter of interest through the letters of interest web portal, and a listing of the FY 2011 projects are available on the ACRP Synthesis program website. The deadline for submitting letters of interest and supporting information is March 21, 2011.

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    FAA Safety Briefing Celebrates 50 Years

    The new issue of FAA Safety Briefing celebrates the publication’s 50th anniversary by looking back on the state of general aviation (GA) safety and highlighting a half century of safety focus and progress.

    The magazine, then called FAA Aviation News, was first published in January 1961, just three years after the creation of the FAA. Its purpose was “to acquaint readers with the policies and programs” of the FAA. While the look of the magazine has changed, the inaugural issue’s core message of safety awareness and education has remained constant.

    Building on the tremendous safety strides the FAA and GA community have made to reduce fatal accidents (see the article “The Evolving Art of Aviation Safety”), this issue of FAA Safety Briefing outlines the agency’s plan to further reduce the fatal accident rate by reaching out to and working with the GA community.

    This issue also helps airmen recognize that managing risk is the foundation for safe flying from both a theoretical and practical sense. In “Building Blocks and Safety Circles,” editor Susan Parson helps readers get their head around safety rules, safety realities, and the concept of safety risk management to build a barrier to accidents. The issue looks at “Safety from the Ground Up,” providing pointers for ramp safety. And there is a guide to the “Small Cost, Big Benefits” of aircraft safety enhancements that can mean the difference between life and death in the event of an accident.

    Read the 50th anniversary issue of FAA Safety Briefing at http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/.