Kulula’s Livery is Green! Flying 101 Paint Job!!!

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I love it when an airline gets creative with their product or brand name! Air New Zealand does nude safety demos, Virgin all but has "Austin Powers" (Mike Myers) in their promos and aboard their flights.

Well here comes Kulula Airlines from South Africa! It has taken the basic questions that passengers always seem to ask or want to know and painted the answers on the outside of the aircraft! Genius idea and Bravo for Kulula Airlines which seems to be like the "Southwest Airlines" of South Africa!

If your going to copy a model why not copy one of the best airlines to make it through the most difficult times! If you look at their website it's no wonder they painted the plane the way they did! Kulula Airlines Website It's loaded with funny pictures, advertisements and ways to make navigating around their website a little easier and much more inviting!

Somebody down their is thinking ahead and taking chances with a more humorous side. Whatever works I say! If Southwest can have an aircraft marshaller on a unicycle to park one of their jets, why can't Kulula paint the FAQ's on the outside of the plane! Nobody said you couldn't do it, right? lol

My kind of airline and I hope this dispells some of the many questions that our flying passengers may have!

Remember to "Be Proactive Not reactive" and enjoy your flights!

BlkAv8tor2003

http://www.onelargeprawn.co.za/2010/02/01/flying-101-kululas-livery-is-factual-quite-funny/
By Prawn1

Local airline Kulula has always stood out from the crowd from their odd choice of colour, to their jetsetter ads, and the comical safety demos on the flights. This sense of humour has found its way onto livery that has been applied to their fleet of Boeing 737s

The airplanes are covered with “Flying 101″ livery that shows interesting details about the plane, such as the captain’s window which is marked as the big cheese, the fuel tanks (the go-go juice), to the loo (or mile-high club initiation chamber), and the black box (which is actually orange)

Have a look at some images after the jump.
Click the images to see them bigger – they may take some time to load.

Oman Air Allows In-Flight Cell Phones and Texting

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So here it comes! The ways of WiFi and inflight cell phone usage. Is this a good thing or not? Some parts are good especially in the light of the recent inflight issues, fights and terrorist type attacks onboard the airlines these days! The bad, will be the loud talker on a cell phone or if someone has to listen to a guy argue with his woman and not be mindful of the area he is in and what he says! This will be one of the biggest problems the airlines will have in the future.

American carriers are not there yet but I know it's coming in the near future and it won't be as good as the non-U.S. carriers. Americans will more than likely abuse this service before is implemented on all carriers. Flight attendants can barely get passengers to listen to them now about not using electronic devices and when, not to mention overnight flight and the disturbance of sleeping passengers. Now we eventually will give the passengers access to cell phones and texting during flight.

This would be a good opportunity to start training the passengers on how to travel and get the most beneficial use of their portable electronic devices before, during and after the flight! I don't totally agree with it because I know how passengers will be especially when the passenger on the phone is keeping sleeping passengers awake during the flight. Omar Air is one of the few non-U.S. carriers that has it's airplanes fitted with the equipment to handle phone calls and texting so we will see what problems may arise because of it! Hopefully it will give the U.S. carriers some data to make better decision on how to implement this new service!!!

Below you will find the Oman Air press release to get the whole story!

Enjoy your flight and remember To Be Proactive And Not Reactive!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

Oman Air first impressed us with their unnecessarily nice bathrooms, but now they are moving forward to ruin the entire flight experience—maybe. They are launching full mobile capabilities for first class, business, and economy customers. That means cell phones for all up in the skies. You’ll be welcome to text, tweet, and call all of your friends from your seat. Things should be up and running by the middle of February, which is just in time to apologize to your sweetie for not being home on Valentine’s Day.

In-flight WiFi is also coming to the airline’s entire fleet of Airbus A330s, but cell phones ringing throughout the cabin has us worried. We’ve heard some awful ring tones and text message alerts, and are really hoping that passengers leave things on silent. The airline does promise that the crews will control the services, and that the mobile magic can be limited during quiet times like overnight flights.

Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, becomes the first airline in the world to offer the full connectivity suite (Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir) on its commercial widebody aircraft when it starts to unroll full mobile phone and Wi-Fi connectivity across its brand new Airbus A330 fleet by the middle of February.

The move will give passengers in First, Business and Economy classes the opportunity to make and receive mobile phone calls, SMS, use email and the Internet and keep up to date with social networking media, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Launching the new service, Oman Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Hill, says:
“We are delighted to be leading the field by bringing the digital age to in-flight passenger communications. From mid-February we will be unrolling full connectivity across our Airbus A330 fleet, completing the task in the summer. This great new service will enrich the passenger experience and complement the stunning new interiors we are offering in all three classes of travel.

“For many travelers, the ability to communicate via phone, SMS, email or Internet is a vital part of everyday life and staying in contact with friends, family or colleagues will constitute huge benefits for Oman Air’s customers. People are increasingly expecting Internet and mobile connectivity “anywhere, anytime” and what better place is there than on an Oman Air A330, when you have a few quiet hours to catch up on your email, browse the Internet or return that quick phone call.”

Availability of the service will be controlled by the crew to ensure a minimum of disturbance to passengers during, for example, the quietest periods of overnight flights.

Oman Air’s A330 fleet has been fitted with the Airbus ALNA V2 system, using Honeywell’s SwiftBroadband (SBB) solution. This supports both mobile phone and Internet in-flight communication, ensuring that whatever devices passengers choose to use, they will receive a swift and effective service.

http://www.omanair.com/wy/aboutus/aboutus_media_center/about_media_presrelses/releases_334.htm

John Travolta Brings Jetload Of Supplies To Haiti

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This is what you call "PIMP" status in a good way! John Travolta uses his "V-Jet" to help efforts in Haiti! This is one of the reasons why I like him!!!

BlkAv8tor2003






FILE - In this July 12, 2002 file photo, actor John Travolta stands next to one of the engines of his personal jet after he arrived in Sydney, Australia on the Spirit of Friendship world tour for Qantas airline. The 55-year-old actor and avid pilot plans to fly one of his private jets from Florida to Haiti bringing relief supplies on Monday night Jan. 25, 2010, according to Travolta's spokesman, Paul Bloch. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - John Travolta has flown a jetliner carrying relief supplies into the Haitian capital, along with doctors and ministers from the Church of Scientology.

The 55-year-old actor piloted his own Boeing 707 from Florida with six tons of ready-to-eat military rations and medical supplies for survivors of Haiti's devastating Jan. 12 earthquake late Monday.
His wife, Kelly Preston, was also aboard.
"We have the ability to actually help make a difference in the situation in Haiti and I just can't see not using this plane to help," Travolta said.


















Travolta compared the mission to aid efforts following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. "We were there right away, with this airplane, because you know we have the ability and the means to do this so I think you have responsibility on some level to do that."

John Travolta's Boeing 707 (B707-138) N707JT

Aid groups have been desperate to fly their own planes into the over-stressed airport. U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said Tuesday that at least 800 planes with relief items are on a waiting list for the airport, which can handle only about 130 flights a day due to a lack of space to park planes as they unload.

The aid group Doctors Without Borders has complained that the flight scheduling priorities of U.S. military controllers running the airport delayed the arrival of field hospitals, resulting in some deaths.
More than 150,000 people have already been buried since the magnitude-7 quake, which destroyed entire Port-au-Prince neighborhoods and landmarks and crumbled nearby towns.
Hundreds of thousands of people are living in the streets, with scores of injured wanting for proper medical care.

Travolta and Preston returned to Florida as soon as their supplies and passengers were unloaded.

Travolta's house is the ultimate boys' fantasy home made real. Aside from the parking lots for the brace of jets, Boeing 707-138 (N707JT)and a Gulfstream G-II (N492JT) there is a garden in the guise of a heliport, further parking for at least 6 cars, a swimming pool with hot tub,a 1.4-mile runway, a gym and stables for the 75 horses down the road.

Jewish Prayer Sparks Mid-Flight Bomb Alert

A US Airways passenger plane had to be diverted after a young Jewish man's prayer items sparked a bomb scare.


Passengers on the US Airways plane raised the alarm
The Kentucky-bound flight was forced into a premature landing after cabin crew became alarmed when the 17-year-old began using Tefillin, a small set of black boxes containing religious passages.

When used in prayer, one box is placed on the head and one box is attached to the arm with leather strapping.
Fellow passengers raised the alarm before cabin crew decided to make the emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport.
Once landed, the teenager, who was travelling with his 16-year-old sister, was removed from the plane by security personnel and after satisfying security measures the flight was allowed to continue its journey.

Frances Winchell, the teenager's grandmother who was waiting for him at Louisville International Airport, said: "He hadn't had the opportunity to pray, so that is why he did it on the plane.
"But in any event, all is well that ends well and maybe some good will come to the world because of it."
Concerns about passengers carrying bombs have been heightened since a man was accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound flight using explosives concealed in his underwear on Christmas Day.



Dad Speaks Out On Airplane Prayer Scare Suggests Religious Sensitivity Training

We're learning more about just what happened when a flight made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday morning.

And we got our first glimpse of the innocent teenager who put authorities on high alert.
The flight was diverted to Philadelphia International Airport and landed around 8:50 a.m. due to a suspected explosive onboard.
It turned out it was actually a prayer box. Rabbi Ira Stone from Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel explained to
MyFoxPhilly what a Tefillin is and how it may have caused confusion on the plane.

Tefillin Explained


"They're called Tefillin, the Hebrew plural for the word filla, which means prayer," Stone said. "They contain within them some parchments that contain words from the Holy Scriptures."
If one travels on El Al airlines, for example, one would see a dozen people standing up in the morning.”
Passengers who were detained at the airport Thursday morning had all reached their destinations by Thursday night, but a lot of them were wondering how this could have happened in the first place.

The boy and his sister finally arrived in Kentucky on Thursday night. He and his sister left New York on a commuter flight Thursday morning.
The pilot diverted the flight after a flight attendant on the plane said she saw him using a prayer box and thought it was an explosive.
The airplane taxied to a remote location. Police and bomb technicians boarded the plane, and officers quickly figured out the object was not an explosive.

"When you get information that there's someone on the plane who's wearing a device, and they describe it as wires being connected to two different parts of the device, immediately you look at – you think of the worst-case scenario," police Chief Inspector Joseph Sullivan said.
It turned out the teenager was attempting to pray with a prayer box known as a Tefillin.
His cousin showed news cameras Thursday night just how it attaches to your head and arm to pray.

"There's one for your arm and one for your head. This is the one for your head. So, you put it on like this, and the strap's going to pull across your body," said Zev Winchell, the teen's cousin.
Passengers on the flight were delayed and then questioned by the FBI on the ground in Philly.
In Louisville, some said Thursday night they felt airlines need to be better trained to recognize the difference between a religious object and a bomb.

"I think the airlines need to have some kind of sensitivity training toward religious beliefs so that someone's not confused about praying while they're flying. And maybe that will prevent that in the future," said passenger Joseph Satterly.

And the Philadelphia police chief inspector said he is very pleased with how his officers responded to what could have been a potential emergency
"We're in very precarious times, and it requires a different kind of playbook," Sullivan said.
On Thursday night, the father of the teen at the center of the incident spoke out about what his son says happened.

Glen Leibowitz said his son told him, "The man, you know, with a gun had taken them both off of the plane. They put them in handcuffs and then loaded them into a van. And they then quickly realized it was a horrible overreaction on the part of the stewardess."
The boy and his sister were in Louisville with their grandmother Thursday night.

Dad Speaks Out On Airplane Prayer Scare
"I think the airlines need to have some kind of sensitivity training toward religious beliefs so that someone's not confused about praying while they're flying. And maybe that will prevent that in the future," said passenger Joseph Satterly."

The airlines do have and train their crew members to recognize and respect different cultures and customs!" The passengers must realize not every religious nuance is going to be recognized by the flight attendants or the pilots.


It is the passengers responsibility to advise the flight crew or agents when they fly that they have a “special need concern or religious action” that they adhere to before or during flight (Primarily in the U.S.). This way the crew can accommodate the passenger’s wishes or assist in giving them the privacy they need to observe a religious practice.

As a former flight attendant and now a pilot I can say with absolute experience, passengers already think that the airplane is a restaurant, living room and their own private bathroom! FYI!


The airplane is a public community and nothing is completely yours! When passengers start planning ahead and being proactive and recognizing that there are things in the world that be looked at differently than what once was, then and only then will airline travel be a better experience!

Don't worry though I won't be holding my breath for the American airline traveler!!! I have a better chance at meeting the Pope!!!

Remember To Be Proactive And Not Reactive and enjoy your flight!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

Student Pranked By Philadelphia TSA Worker

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So when you fly you thought you could not be mistaken for a drug dealer or a terrorist? Think again! The normal practices of hiding something in or around a passengers luggage by a TSA security is very real and happens all the time. You just may have never been selected so this is why your probably not familiar with it!

The TSA will place fake bomb parts, fake hand guns, drugs or knives to see if the security agent catches it. This is strictly a test for the agents and you have no control over when it happens or by doing anything different you can lessen your chance of being selected.

This particular case sounds like a TSA agent was just trying to be funny at the expense of someone else and it ended up with the security agent being disciplined and then eventually leaving the TSA. Fired or resignation is not known. Usually when something like this happens if the agent finds the item, the passengers is flagged, hand searched and let go with minimal interactions or questions. This one freaked the passenger out and I don't think the agent expected that big a reaction. The agent let the passenger stutter through questions as a part of the humorous side of prank although things went wrong!

This was a prank gone wrong and the agent lost their employment because of it! I hope this is a wake up call for everyone while traveling and not to take things for face value. Just plan for anything and you will be better off in the long run!

Be Proactive and Not Reactive and enjoy your flight!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

Man planted bag of white powder in bag, no longer works for agency

AP updated 10:59 a.m. MT, Mon., Jan. 25, 2010
PHILADELPHIA - A college student returning to school after the winter break fell victim to a prank at Philadelphia's airport by a Transportation Security Administration worker who pretended to plant a plastic bag of white powder in her carryon luggage. The worker is no longer employed by the TSA after the incident this month, a spokeswoman said.

Rebecca Solomon, 22, a University of Michigan student, wrote in a column for her campus newspaper that she was having her bags screened on Jan. 5 before her flight to Detroit when the employee stopped her, reached into her laptop computer bag and pulled out the plastic bag, demanding to know where she had gotten the powder.

In the Jan. 10 column for The Michigan Daily, she recounted how she struggled to come up with an explanation, wondering if it was bomb-detonating material slipped in by a terrorist or drugs put there by a smuggler.

"He let me stutter through an explanation for the longest minute of my life," Solomon wrote. "Tears streamed down my face as I pleaded with him to understand that I'd never seen this baggie before."

A short time later, she said, the worker smiled and said it was his.
The worker "waved the baggie at me and told me he was kidding, that I should've seen the look on my face," she said.

Solomon said she asked to speak to a supervisor and filled out a complaint, and during that process was told that the man was training TSA workers to detect contraband. Two days later, she said, she was told he had been disciplined.
"I had been terrified and disrespected by an airport employee," she said. "He'd joked about the least funny thing in air travel."


There was no answer Saturday at a telephone listing for Solomon at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. An e-mail message seeking comment from her was sent Saturday by The Associated Press, and a telephone message was left at her parents' home in suburban Philadelphia.

TSA spokeswoman Suzanne Trevino said late Saturday that the employee was no longer with the agency but did not say whether he had been fired or quit, referring only to "disciplinary action" taken by the TSA.

She also declined to identify the worker or his job title, citing privacy laws. She said she did not know whether his actions would be subject to criminal charges.
"The behavior exhibited by this TSA employee was highly inappropriate and unprofessional," Trevino said in a statement.

Is this where security at the airport is going??? lol It may look funny but you never know, especially with the implimentation of the full body scanners at security checkpoints!

US Airways Saves Flight From Dangerous Xbox 360 Threat

Adam was flying out of Boston on US Airways, and he checked his Xbox 360 with his luggage. When he got home, he found a Ziploc bag full of little metal components on top of a newly broken Xbox 360.

He is understandably pissed off, and US Airways has essentially told him to piss off because it was done for security reasons. Of course! We all know that if an Xbox 360 is checked, it could be used by the pilots, which would be distracting and dangerous. Only by rendering it inoperable was US Airways able to keep our skies safe. Thanks, you wonderful, sensible airline!

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/01/us-airways-saves-flight-from-dangerous-xbox-360-threat/

Gizmodo Australia - Adam Frucci

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This is a new one for the books! Airline destroys passengers XBox 360 and tells him too bad? I found this as I was looking around on the net and I stumbled onto this story. I live in Phoenix where US Airways is based and it hasn't popped up in the news on local TV or radio. None of the major news sites have said anything yet but it may be on by morning. Several sites were saying the pic is used for illustration purposes and it's not the actual gaming console.

I don't know what to believe on this one but I'll keep an ear out to see if it has any validity in it! If the airline diddo something like this, it's really wrong and they should be held responsible! Not all of the blame goes to the airline though. The passenger should have not checked it in the first place...DUH!!! Why would you check something like that? They are not cheap and if the passenger loves it so much he should have had it in his carry-on baggage with him in the cabin.

Obviously he is not a seasoned traveler at all! Checking electronic devices in your checked luggage is insane to say the least and if he had to check it at the last minute he should have taken it out of the bag. Most agent will let you do that at least so he still should have not had it in his checked luggage! He kinda deserved what he got in a sense! This should show everyone when you fly that you can't trust what you don't see!

if nothing else he should have sent it via FedEx or UPS to his destination to save the heart ache of the whole situation. this is what all passengers who fly (not for business travelers) and know where they are going and are going to be there longer than a day or two so that you can send your baggage ahead, track it and know when it has arrived...even before the traveler has left the departure city.

Adam Frucci is the passenger this supposedly happened to and I feel sorry for him in this situation but part of this is his fault for being the stupid passenger and he got treated pretty bad from what the story said so my suggestion to Adam is to stay after the airline, I hope he got names of the agents he dealt with and flight numbers, times and dates because any loop holes in his documentation and the airline may send him walking. This way he can account for everything he went through and with whom he talked to.

The agents that that he dealt with in baggage claim should be reprimanded or more because they should have investigated this further, involved supervisors from both the departure city and his final destination plus any intermediate stops the flight may have made whether there was an aircraft swap or not bags can be removed and placed in other aircraft cargo bins for weight and balance purposes so the bag could have been tampered with in the process.

This will be an interesting story...I wonder will it be like the United Airlines smashed guitars incident?

We shall see!!!

EMAS Stops PSA Airlines CRJ2 at Charleston (KCRW)

A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of US Airways, registration N246PS performing flight JIA-2495/US-2495 from Charleston,WV to Charlotte,NC (USA) with 30 passengers and 3 crew, overran runway 23 after rejecting takeoff at high speed at 16:13L (21:13Z) and got to a stop in the EMAS (Engineered Material Arrestor System) past the end of runway 23. No injuries occured, the airplane received substantial damage and probably needs its landing gear replaced.The airport had to be closed for about 5.5 hours until the airplane was removed from the arrestor bed.

The airport reported, that the airplane aborted the takeoff and came to a stop about 130 feet (40 meters) down the EMAS. The EMAS, which was installed in 2007, worked perfectly.

A standard EMAS installation extends 600 feet from the end of the runway. An EMAS arrestor bed can still be installed to help slow or stop an aircraft that overruns the runway, even if less than 600 feet of land is available.

(EMAS) is a bed of lightweight, crushable concrete built at the end of a runway. The purpose of an EMAS is to stop an aircraft overrun with no human injury and minimal aircraft damage (usually none). The aircraft is slowed by the loss of energy required to crush the concrete blocks. An EMAS is similar in concept to the runaway truck ramp made of gravel. It is intended to stop aircraft that have overshot a runway when there is an insufficient free space for a standard runway safety area (RSA).

Currently, EMAS is installed at 42 runway ends at 28 airports in the United States, with plans to install 6 EMAS systems at 6 additional U.S. airports.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineered_materials_arrestor_system

EMAS Arrestments

To date, there have been four incidents where the technology has worked successfully to arrest aircraft which overrun the runway and in several cases has prevented injury to passengers and damage to the aircraft.

Metars:

KCRW 192154Z 00000KT 10SM BKN050 BKN080 12/05 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP129 T01170050

KCRW 192150Z 00000KT 10SM BKN050 BKN080 12/05 A2991 RMK AO2

KCRW 192054Z 00000KT 10SM BKN046 BKN055 13/05 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP128 T01280050 56015

KCRW 191954Z 00000KT 10SM SCT036 SCT050 BKN075 12/05 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP131 T01220050

KCRW 191854Z 20005KT 10SM SCT030 BKN060 11/05 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP134 T01060050

KCRW 191847Z 23006KT 10SM SCT030 BKN060 11/05 A2992 RMK AO2

KCRW 191754Z 29003KT 10SM OVC026 09/04 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP144 T00940044 10100 20017 58011

KCRW 191654Z 00000KT 10SM OVC019 08/04 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP155 T00830039

KCRW 191554Z 00000KT 7SM BKN022 BKN032 06/03 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP157 T00610033

By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Jan 19th 2010 23:39Z, last updated Wednesday, Jan 20th 2010 08:49Z

The Aviation Herald

Haitian Evacuee The Culprit in JFK Security Breach

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So another person sets off alarms by going through security doors...Yes "doors!" This man went through two doors and eventually made it all the way home! How does this happen, especially going into secure areas and making it out of the terminal onto some type of transportation and all the way home? Police found him there and now he is up on charges. Read the full story at The Gothamist.

My question is how did he get down onto the ground level from the terminal level and was never challenged by anyone before exiting to the street level? Then he obviously had to open another door or two to get outside the airport operations area (AOA) and set of additional alarms alerting security officials to his latest position. After working in the would of the airlines I can say for a fact that it is drilled into your head when you first get your airport I.D. that if you can't see someones airport I.D. then you challenge them to prove they are allowed to be there...in uniform or not!

How this happens at the one of the busiest airports in the world is beyond me. Mr. Jules Bouloute will be in some kind of trouble for sure but I hope several security employees and airline personal are in trouble for allowing something like this to happen. Security is already heightened and this is not the time to be complacent and assume anything. I will be interested to see what comes of this crazy event at JFK!

Enjoy your travels and remember "Be Proactive Not Reactive!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

A Haitian evacuee has been arrested for shirking security protocol at JFK, causing hours-long delay in terminal 8. Yesterday afternoon 57-year-old Jules Bouloute walked through a door that led to a restricted area, setting off an alarm. The terminal was evacuated and passengers waited for hours to be re-screened. Bouloute, who narrowly escaped Haiti after Tuesday’s earthquake, is now facing threats of a legal nature.

To get out of Haiti, Bouloute fled to the Dominican Republic and then flew to Orlando on Friday. He spent the night there, then proceeded to his home in Brooklyn, via JFK, reported the NY Post. He arrived safely at the terminal, but instead of leaving he made a detour through a door that was clearly marked “For Authorized Personnel Only.” Surveillance footage captured Bouloute passing through a first door, near Gate 5, at 3:06 p.m., a source told the NY Daily News. A minute later he strolled through a second door, setting off an alarm, and walked out at ground level.

See Full Story at The Gothamist

Former Airline Employee Wore Uniform to Rob Bank

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I know we are in a recession and time are hard to say the least but this tops it all I think! A former Southwest Airlines ramp employee in his old ramp agent uniform went into a bank in the Chicago and robbed it in uniform! How crazy is that???

Police caught him pretty quick after some top notch investigating...Going to Chicago Midway Airport (KMDW) and talking with a few employees and before long the police had his name, addy and who knows what else!

I would be curious to see if this is disgruntled employee trying to get back at Southwest Airlines instead of "Going Postal" and shooting innocent people. I guess he figured bad press all ways works, especially with the airlines current performance and employee morale!

I guess when you snap, you'll do anything! This definitely is an interesting story. Here is the full story and you will see what I mean!!!

Have a good flight and always remember to "Be Proactive and Not Reactive!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

Why is it that we never hear stories of smart bank robbers? For some reason, when someone decides to rob a bank, it is usually someone as dumb as a bag of rocks. Take for example 24 year old Deoquisto Dennis.
According to the FBI, this Chicago resident walked into a TCF bank branch on South Cicero Avenue in Burbank, handed the teller a note demanding cash, and threatened to harm if his demands were not met.

Now, most bank robbers use face masks, and dark clothes — they understand that leaving any clues about their identity may screw up their plans of instant wealth. Sadly, Mr. Dennis could not find a suitable bank robbers outfit, so he allegedly put on the uniform he used to wear when he worked for Southwest Airlines.
Imagine a bank robber walking in with a Southwest Airlines sweatshirt and a fluorescent ramp workers vest — can you think of a more useless outfit? Of course, with the whole thing caught on tape, all the cops had to do was take the footage to Midway airport, interview a couple of employees and within hours they had a name.

Dennis has now been charged, and was released under bond with a home confinement, awaiting his next court date. In addition to his TCF Bank heist, he is also a suspect in four other Chicago area bank robberies around the same time.
He had been charged in a federal criminal complaint filed last week with one count of bank robbery.
According to the complaint, Dennis entered the TCF Bank branch at 7910 S. Cicero Ave. in Burbank about 2 p.m. on Dec. 22, approached a teller and handed her a note demanding cash. The note also threatened harm if his demands were not met. After taking just over $700, the robber fled on foot.

At the time of the robbery, Dennis was wearing a blue Southwest Airlines sweatshirt and safety vest, commonly worn by airport ramp workers, the release said.
Because of the airline vest worn at the time of the robbery, Southwest personnel were contacted and shown photos of the robber captured by bank surveillance. Several employees allegedly identified Dennis, a former employee. According to employees, Dennis was employed as a ramp agent and would have worn a blue jumpsuit with a reflective vest, according to the release.
The employees also said Southwest does not require the return of uniforms when employees leave their jobs.

Though not charged with additional crimes, Dennis is suspected of the robbery of the TCF branch at 8801 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Oak Lawn on Dec. 17, and the attempted robbery of a Chase Bank branch at 4730 W. 79th St. in Chicago on Dec. 16., the release said.
He appeared late Tuesday before Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown, who allowed Dennis' release on a secured bond but placed him under home confinement. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Somali arrested in Nov with powder chemicals, syringe

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Ok, explain this one to me because I'm lost. We have had a couple of recent incidents where terrorist attempts were made on U.S. airliners and were unsuccessful. Now today they news agencies are reporting that there was another incident on Nov 13, 2009 and the report is hitting the wires as of today! WTH is that all about??? Tell us what we need to know and when we need to know it??? The incident in Detroit we were made aware of it within hours of it happening. So why are the international news agencies from other countries just now releasing this information.

Are the incidents tied together some how? Are these just test runs to see how the U.S. reacts and what happens and then the suspect is eventually released so that they may report back to the original organizers what they went through???

We need to be more proactive and not so reactive when it comes to national security!!!

Read the story below as reported.

As always, Have a great holiday travel season, be prepared and always remember to be ahead of the game and the other players.

So be Proactive And Not Reactive and enjoy your flight!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

By Associated Press
Wednesday, December 30, 2009

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Officials say a Somali national tried to board a commercial airliner in Mogadishu last month with powdered chemicals, liquid and a syringe that together could have caused an explosion. The hallmarks bear chilling similarities to the terrorist plot to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner.

Police spokesman Abdulahi Hassan Barise says the suspect was arrested before the Nov. 13 Daallo Airlines flight departed. The Somali man -- whose name has not yet been released -- was arrested by African Union peacekeeping troops.

It was scheduled to travel from Mogadishu to the northern Somali city of Hargeisa, then to Djibouti and Dubai.

Two international officials in Nairobi said Wednesday the incident is similar to the Detroit attack in that the Somali man had a syringe, a bag of powdered chemicals and liquid. U.S. officials are aware of the incident and hastening to investigate any possible links with the Detroit attack.

http://www.startribune.com/world/80334377.html?elr=KArks:DCiUBcy7hUiacyKU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs

Most carry-on bags banned on flights to U.S.

U.S.-bound air travellers were forced to stow all but the bare essentials in their checked luggage Monday as Transport Canada issued a new ban on almost all carryon luggage.

The prohibition is intended to get planes running on schedule after time-consuming new security measures introduced on Saturday caused lineups, delays and cancellations across North America, spokesman Patrick Charette said.
RCMP officers also were called in to help implement the new measures, which include hand-searches of all carry-on luggage and physical pat-downs before boarding.

"We are asking travellers to please limit the items you are bringing on," Charette said. "We are doing what we can to facilitate the normal flow of passengers."
The complete ban on carry-on luggage is expected to be in effect until 7 p.m. tonight. Both Air Canada and WestJet are temporarily waiving fees for extra bags.

Transport Canada issued a list of 13 items that are exempt from the new policy.

Passengers can still carry-on small purses, coats, laptops, cameras, musical instruments and baby-care supplies. Medication, crutches, canes, walkers, medical devices, special needs items and containers carrying life sustaining items are also exempt.
"Technically, if it is not on the list, it is not allowed," Charette said.
However, he said security personnel can exercise discretion at the gate.

Edmonton International Airport spokeswoman Donna Call said the new rules mean all backpacks and rolling suitcases must be checked. Books, magazines and even children's toys must also be checked, she said. Finally, even exempt items will be limited, which means that a single passenger cannot carry-on a purse, a coat, a laptop and a diaper bag. Rolling carry-ons or bags larger than small purses or laptop sleeves will not be allowed. However, small electronic devices such as iPods and portable DVD players will be allowed on board, Call said, and passengers are free to purchase books, magazines, snacks and water once they are through security.

"The incident on Dec. 25 has risen the security alert to an extreme level and that has led to this direction," she said.
Around noon on Christmas Day, 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly tried to blow up a Detroit-bound plane as it descended into Detroit Metro Airport with 278 passengers aboard.

The man was tackled by passengers, foiling what officials called an attempted terror attack.
Hours later, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority rolled out strict new security measures, including individual pat-downs before boarding.

First class pain: Unruly Ivana Trump booted off a flight at Palm Beach International

BY JOSE LAMBIET
The Palm Beach Post
Ivana TrumpPalm Beach jet-setter Ivana Trump, whom you’d think would fly private, was booted off a commercial flight departing Palm Beach International Airport this afternoon.

Trump, 60, a former wife of TV star and developer Donald Trump, was not charged with a crime but was escorted off the first-class cabin of Delta flight 2377 to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport and to her waiting chauffeur.

The way a spokeswoman with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office puts it, the departing jet’s pilot called deputies about 2:30 p.m. because of a foul-mouthed and unruly passenger in seat 1C, in first class.
When the lawmen arrived, they discovered the abusive passenger was the well-known socialite. They described her as “belligerent” and “aggravating.”

According to PBSO, Trump first was unhappy about her seat. Flight attendants offered her another, and headphones, to calm her down. But then Trump became more frustrated when children started running up and down the aisle while screaming.

You won’t believe the language Trump used. Look below or click
As the plane started to taxi out, an agitated Trump started calling the kids “little fu…..” and telling passengers around her “f*@& you!”
“She was so belligerent toward other passengers and crew that the plane returned to the terminal,” said Teri Barbera, the PBSO spokeswoman.

Trump first refused the deputies’ orders to exit the aircraft. She finally relented after Delta staff offered her to fly at a later date.
“From initial contact until Ms. Trump left the property, she was saying “f&%$ you” to all the deputies,” Barbera’s statement read.

FBI was contacted but didn’t pursue the matter. The ordeal caused a two-hour delay for Trump’s fellow passengers.
The incident comes as airports throughout the world are tightening security measures after an alleged terrorist tried to set off a bomb on a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day near Detroit.

Trump, meanwhile, hasn’t had the greatest time lately. Her 20-month marriage to the much younger Rossano Rubicondi, 37, is running out of steam. Rubicondi, Trump’s fourth husband, has been spreading his love all over Europe while Trump spent the holiday alone in her Palm Beach mansion. She filed for the divorce earlier this month.

Trump couldn’t be contacted and her publicist, Catherine Saxton, didn’t return calls.

Accident: American B738 at Kingston on Dec 22nd 2009, overran runway on landing

The tail separated (Photo: AP/Lloyd Robinson)

By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Dec 23rd 2009 08:21Z, last updated Wednesday, Dec 23rd 2009 14:41Z
http://avherald.com/h?article=424a11b1&opt=0

An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N977AN performing flight AA-331 from Miami,FL (USA) to Kingston (Jamaica) KMIA MKJP with 148 passengers and 6 crew, overran Kingston's runway 12 while landing in heavy rain and poor visibility at 10:22pm local time (03:22Z Dec 23rd). The passengers were evacuated. 44 passengers were taken to local hospitals, 4 of them received serious injuries. The airplane received substantial damage.

American Airlines confirmed the overrun and reported, that no critical injuries occured. The airplane received substantial damages, the fuselage cracked, the right hand engine was torn off and the main gear collapsed.

"The care of our passengers and crew members is our highest priority, and we will offer all the assistance necessary," said Gerard Arpey, the airline's chairman and chief executive officer. Passengers reported, that the flight had been turbulent forcing the beverage service to be cancelled. The cockpit crew warned of more turbulence just prior to landing.

After touch down the airplane appeared to bounce and started to skid after the second touch down. Baggage fell down from the overhead lockers. After the airplane came to a stand still, cabin crew opened the emergency exits. The airplane came to a stand still about 3 meters short of the Caribbean Sea.

American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N977AN (Actual Aircraft) www.jetphotos.net

Airport officials reported, that the airplane overran the runway, broke through the perimeter fence, travelled across a road and came to a stop at the beach. 44 passengers were taken to local hospitals, 4 of them received serious injuries. Newest reports indicate, that both engines were torn off the airframe.

The flight originated from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA)in the Washington, D.C., area before landing in Miami (KMIA) and then heading to Jamaica, the airline said.
A Radio Jamaica reporter, Kirk Abraham, said it had been raining in the area when the plane failed to stop and ran into the fence past the end of the runway.

American Airlines Information

Anyone who believes they have family members or friends aboard Flight 331 may contact American Airlines at the following toll-free numbers: (800) 245-0999 for calls originating in the United States; (800) 872-2881 for calls originating in Jamaica. Family members from other locations outside the U.S. may contact American through the AT&T Direct Access system. Callers should dial the local AT&T Access telephone number, which can be found at www.usa.att.com/traveler, for the country from which they are calling.

Once in the AT&T system, callers can then dial American toll-free at (800) 245-0999. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin islands can call the (800) 245-0999 number directly. Non-family members are asked not to call those numbers so the lines can be kept available for those who truly need them.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL331/history/20091223/0039Z/KMIA/MKJP

Weather as reported from airport control tower before time of accident.

Metars:

MKJP 230430Z 34011KT 44000 RA BKN014 FEW016CB BKN100 21/13 Q1013 RESHRA

MKJP 230400Z 32014KT 11500 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT028 BKN090 21/18 Q1013 RERA

MKJP 230325Z 32011KT 22000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/19 Q1014 RETSRA

MKJP 230300Z 32008KT 3000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/20 Q1014 RETSRA

MKJP 230228Z 31009KT 5000 TSRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 22/19 Q1013

MKJP 230200Z 30012KT 5000 SHRA BKN014 SCT030 BKN100 22/20 Q1013 RERA

MKJP 230100Z 040033KT 5000 SHRA BKN016 SCT030 BKN100 23/20 Q1013 RERA

Alaska Airlines introduces ''Spirit Of Disneyland II'' to Portland

Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737-900

PORTLAND, Ore. — Mickey Mouse's faithful friend Pluto is joining the cast of Disney characters now soaring on a specially-themed Alaska Airlines jet.

Alaska Airlines this morning introduced its "Spirit of Disneyland II" aircraft at Portland International Airport. The plane is adorned with the faces of Disney's most recognized characters – Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and, for the first time, Pluto. The new design replaces a previous Disney-themed aircraft retired two weeks ago. Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737-900 aircraft made its inaugural flight from Portland to Los Angeles International Airport carrying three Make-A-Wish® children on their way to the Disneyland Resort to have their wishes granted.

"We're honored to have our Disney and Make-A-Wish partners join us to debut Alaska's fourth Disney-themed aircraft," said Alaska Airlines' President Brad Tilden. "For the next seven years these five characters will serve as an iconic vehicle to bring customers across our network to the ‘Happiest Place on Earth' and other Alaska Airlines destinations."

The "Spirit of Disneyland II" aircraft was welcomed at the gate by the three children and their families, as well as Mickey Mouse, Pluto and leaders from Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oregon, Disneyland Resorts and Alaska Airlines, as travelers looked on from the terminal.

"When a child with a life-threatening medical condition wishes to meet a Disney character or visit a Disney park, we know that Alaska Airlines and Disneyland Resort are there to make it a dream-come-true," said Andrew Asato, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon executive director. "With donated tickets and passes, as well as extra-special treatment for wish families, these partners have each provided an unduplicated resource to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for more than 20 years."

The special children on board, who live in Oregon and Washington and range in age from 3 to 5 years, will spend the next five days at the Disneyland Resort along with their families. During their visit, they will be treated to special activities, a meal with characters and a four-night stay at the Paradise Pier Hotel at the Disneyland Resort.

"Thanks to the larger size of this aircraft, we are thrilled to have Mickey's faithful companion Pluto join the cast of Disney characters on this special plane," said Lisa Becket, Disneyland Resort vice president of regional marketing strategies. "We're grateful to Alaska Airlines for giving our Disney characters a ‘one-of-a-kind' opportunity to spread their magic across the sky."

Source: Alaska Air
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 0136h UTC Dec 19, 2009

Gov't imposes 3-hour limit on tarmac strandings

Crews work to clear snow from the tarmac at Logan International Airport, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in Boston.
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091221/ap_on_bi_ge/us_tarmac_strandings

WASHINGTON – The Transportation Department, responding to tarmac horror stories, orders airlines on Monday to let passengers stuck in stranded airplanes to deplane after three hours.
With its new regulations, the Obama administration is sending an unequivocal message to airlines that it won't tolerate the delays experienced by some passengers, such as an overnight ordeal in Rochester, Minn., last summer.

Under the new regulations, airlines operating domestic flights will be able only to keep passengers on board for three hours before they must be allowed to disembark a delayed flight. The regulation provides exceptions only for safety or security or if air traffic control advises the pilot in command that returning to the terminal would disrupt airport operations.
U.S. carriers operating international flights departing from or arriving in the United States must specify, in advance, their own time limits for deplaning passengers.

Airlines will be required to provide food and water for passengers within two hours of a plane being delayed on a tarmac, and to maintain operable lavatories. They must also provide passengers with medical attention when necessary.
From January to June this year, 613 planes were delayed on tarmacs for more than three hours, their passengers kept on board.

Airlines will also be prohibited from scheduling chronically delayed flights. Carriers who fail to comply could face government enforcement action for using unfair or deceptive trade practices.
The new regulations, which were published Monday in the Federal Register, go into effect in 120 days.

"Airline passengers have rights, and these new rules will require airlines to live up to their obligation to treat their customers fairly," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.
Airlines have strongly opposed a hard time limit on tarmac strandings. They say forcing planes to return to gates so that passengers can get off could cause more problems than it cures. They predict more flights will be canceled, further delaying passengers from reaching their destinations.

Last month, the department fined Continental Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines and Mesaba Airlines $175,000 for their roles in a nearly six-hour tarmac delay in Rochester, Minn. On Aug. 8, Continental Express Flight 2816 en route to Minneapolis was diverted to Rochester due to thunderstorms. Forty-seven passengers were kept overnight in a cramped plane amid crying babies and a smelly toilet because Mesaba employees refused to open a gate so that they could enter the closed airport terminal.

The case marked the first time the department had fined an airline for actions involving a tarmac delay. Transportation officials made clear the case was a warning to the industry.
Consumer advocates have been pressing the department and Congress for at least a decade to do something extended tarmac delays. However, past efforts to address the problem have fizzled in the face of industry opposition and promises to reform.

Boeing Dreamliner Ready For Maiden Flight

Boeing CEO Jim Albaugh on the 787: " It's going to change the way people travel." It's set to take its first test flight Tuesday.

Everett, Washington (CNN) -- There are flight delays and then there's Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
Fighting its way through more than two years of delays, Boeing's latest aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner, is scheduled to take its maiden flight Tuesday.
"We think it's a game changer because it provides so much value to the customer," Jim Albaugh, Boeing executive vice president and CEO, said in a CNN interview. "We think this is going to be a very efficient airplane. It's going to change the way people travel."
Despite the delays, Boeing's first new commercial airliner in over a decade will still be relevant, Albaugh said Monday.

"It's more environmentally friendly, it's more efficient, uses less fuel, it's going to cost the operator less to fly, it's going to allow the passengers to pay less and feel better when they land."
Boeing's claims of the Dreamliner's much-touted efficiency are tied to its design. It's the first major airliner to be made of mostly composite materials. Boeing has staked its reputation on claims that the aircraft's relatively lighter, faster body will save airlines up to 20 percent in fuel costs.

The company also says the new material will hold up better to the wear and tear of flight than traditional aluminum. Boeing says it has orders for more than 850 of the planes, which officially sell for around $150 million each.
Depending on the configuration, the Dreamliner can seat between 200 to 300 passengers and can travel more than 2,500 nautical miles. The target market is carriers traveling point-to-point international routes.

Boeing 787 Takes Flight For The First Time!!!

But despite the promise of a new more efficient airplane, production delays and technical problems have stolen some of the Dreamliner's luster.
Many of the delays and snags in the supply line with the first Dreamliners have been blamed on the army of partners Boeing brought in to help with the construction.
"They did too much outsourcing, too soon, with too little oversight," said Scott Hamilton of the aviation consulting firm Leeham Co. "The customers have been mightily (upset) over the creeping delays."

Albaugh conceded that "in hindsight" the large amount of outsourcing done with the 787 was not the best strategy. "There a few things we might have kept inside, yes."
Even though 787s won't start flying passenger routes until at least 2011, Boeing executives said they hope a successful first flight will at least begin to quell doubts over the future of airplane production at the company.

The test flight "is going to validate the airplane to an extent," Albaugh said. "We've got 10 months of flight tests in front of us. ... There's a lot of work to do."
For Tuesday's scheduled test flight, the Dreamliner will take off from the hangar where it was assembled in Everett, Washington, and undergo a battery of tests during a five-hour flight before landing some 40 miles away at Boeing Field just south of downtown Seattle.
"We are going to shake this airplane out to demonstrate that it can do everything we've advertised it to do," Albaugh said.

Boeing premiered the first 787 at a rollout ceremony on July 8, 2007, which matches the aircraft's designation in the US-style month-day-year format (7/8/07). However, the aircraft's major systems had not been installed at that time, and many parts were attached with temporary non-aerospace fasteners requiring their later replacement with flight fasteners. Boeing had originally planned for a first flight by the end of September 2007, but on September 5 announced a three-month delay, blaming a shortage of fasteners as well as incomplete software.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner First Flight

Another flight disrupted by a group of Muslims

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17836

(Editor’s Note: Doug Hagmann’s popular site, the Northeast Intelligence Network is currently under transition to another server and will be back online later today.)

It happened again on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, less than a month after the incident aboard AirTran Flight 297. 

United Airlines Flight 227, scheduled to depart Denver International Airport at 1:50 pm Wednesday for Los Angeles was disrupted when several passengers who were described as Middle Eastern in appearance, confirmed by this investigator to be a group of Muslims traveling together, were removed from that aircraft due to suspicious behavior that originated in the terminal and continued to the airplane. Their behavior was consistent in some respects to the behavior of the Muslim passengers aboard AirTran Flight 297 on November 17, 2009 that caused a flurry of controversy over its legitimacy, and the now infamous case of the “Flying Imams” of 2006.

According to information obtained by this investigator, seven men of Middle Eastern appearance, boarded flight 227. Two took their seats in coach, while five took their seats in the first class section of the plane.  At a critical pre-flight point, the individuals appeared to act in concert with one another, changing seats and moving stowed luggage to very specific areas of the aircraft, often having to move the stowed bags of other passengers to do so.  They disobeyed or otherwise ignored the admonitions of the flight attendants to remain seated.

Their behavior was so overt and so apparently choreographed, according to our sources, that the flight crew demanded the passengers be removed from the aircraft. One report found on 9News in Denver quoted John Sloan, a passenger aboard that flight:

“I have never seen flight attendants so scared in my life. Everything turned out OK, but it was not a very good feeling..”

Following the removal of the passengers, officials brought a bomb-sniffing dog aboard the aircraft, focusing of the first class section of the plane. Subsequent to the search that found nothing, the offending passengers were removed from the flight and rebooked on another aircraft to their destination. According to federal officials, no criminal investigation is being launched into this incident, which was described as a “customer service” matter.

Early this morning, this investigator spoke to a law enforcement source in Denver who is intimately familiar with the incident. Many details have not been publicly reported about this incident, although it is clear that there is an agenda at play. Based on information obtained from this source and others relating to the previous flights disrupted by the deliberate behavior of Muslim passengers, it is clear that the airline industry, as well as the sensibilities of normal Americans, is under attack through Islamic ideological jihad. Additional information will be provided once our investigation is complete. 

Southwest CEO: Free Bags = $800 Million

DALLAS (TheStreet) -- Southwest(LUV Quote) says its strategy of eschewing fees for baggage handling and other amenities has boosted revenue by nearly $800 million annually, CEO Gary Kelly said.

Southwest has seen a market share shift of roughly one percentage point in response to its "immensely successful 'bags fly free' advertising campaign, in a time when we are actually reducing our capacity and the domestic market is actually shrinking," Kelly said at an investment conference. With the domestic air travel market worth about $80 billion to $90 billion annually, "a market share shift like that has a very significant positive effect for Southwest," Kelly said. 

Southwest spokeswoman Linda Rutherford noted the carrier's market share gains result not only from the bags fly free campaign, but also from being a low-fare carrier in a recession and from competitors' capacity reductions. Not charging for bags reinforces Southwest's image as a low-fare leader, Kelly has said. 

Other airlines have said that as they implement charges for baggage handling and other services, they have been unable to discern any resultant shift to Southwest. Last month, US Airways(LCC Quote) CEO Doug Parker told reporters in Charlotte that passengers may be avoiding multiple carriers at imperceptible rates, which in combination create a perceptible gain for Southwest. 
Kelly said Southwest expects to be profitable in the fourth quarter.

He said the carrier is benefitting from growth in select markets, including Denver and Saint Louis. However, he said he has seen no improvement in business travel. "I don't think it has gotten worse over the last several months, (but) I am comfortable in telling you it still lags," he said. "I am not expecting a rebound in business travel in 2010." 

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Asking For Orange Juice On American Airlines May Violate Federal Law

Something went very wrong on American Airlines flight 614 from Sacramento to Dallas this Sunday, December 6th. An American Airlines stewardess having an extremely bad day flipped the frak out on a first class passenger for asking for a glass of OJ and gave him a written warning from the captain for, "threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a crewmember." Here's an eyewitness account:

David Koss wrote us, "About 45 minutes into the flight I was awakened by a flight attendant named Helen, screaming at the man sitting in front of my wife. It was so loud, I could hear it over my headphones and the music playing. She was going off about how she didn't care if he was Platinum or Executive Platinum. I found this to be very odd. When she was done screaming, she came over to where my wife was sitting to ask what she wanted to eat. Then she said, "Sorry about that, he was just bitching." First of all, such language shouldn't be used by a flight attendant. Second of all, what business is it of hers to discuss the situation with other passengers?

Since I take the word of the other 5 friends I work with (including my wife) as truth, I will describe the events that led to the outburst. Helen was already having a very bad day. She acted upset to be working this job, which in this economy she should be grateful for, and was irritated at everyone. All my friends could tell that she was pissed. She was pissed that she was there, that people were blocking aisles while she was serving meals, and that they were getting up to use the restroom. She violently slid my friend's breakfast onto his tray, nearly spilling everything and then headed to the man in front of my wife. He had trouble getting his tray out, and she stood there rolling her eyes at him. When he finally got it out, she dropped the breakfast hard onto the tray.

He asked if he could have some orange juice. This is when it hit the fan. "This must be your first time in first class," she said. He asked what she meant by that. He told her he was actually on the flight that made him Executive Platinum for the 10th year in a row. She said, "You obviously don't know how this works." He told her in a calm voice that she was being very condescending. That's when she blew up on him and woke me up. He started looking the other way and asked her to stop yelling at him. The entire first class section was watching her go nuts.

She went to the front of the plane and disappeared for a while after making the previously mentioned comment to my wife. The man was shocked. He started looking around and asked the rest of us if we just saw what happened. We started talking to him about it, and didn't know why she was acting this way. At one point Helen went into the cockpit to talk to the captain. We all took turns talking to each other, and everyone saw the same thing. Our friend Barth was sitting on the opposite side of the isle, diagonally to the man who asked for orange juice. About an hour after the incident they began having a lengthy discussion.

We all thought there may be police waiting at the gate when we arrived and wanted to let him know we had his back. The flight attendant came out from hiding, walked straight up to Barth, kneeled down and said, "Do you have something you need to say to me?" Barth said, "The two of us are having a private conversation." She got up and walked back to the front. We knew something was terribly wrong with this woman. Now she was confronting other passengers now as well.

He stated that it would be best not to continue this conversation until we were on the ground. The other two flight attendants were as nice as could be. Nicer than usual actually. We were all too wound up to go back to sleep. My wife and I had about three hours of sleep the night before and had a long day ahead, but sleep was out of the question. We were actually nervous to be in the presence of such an unstable individual.

Helen came up to the OJ man, and asked him to come to the front with him. He started to get up, but I yelled at him, along with my other friends not to go up there. If he had a private conversation with her, there would be no witnesses, and she could tell authorities that he said anything she wanted. He stayed put in his seat. She came back to his seat with a written warning she said was from the captain. It stated that he may be in violation of Federal Law for "Threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a crewmember (section 91.11)." She said, "I didn't want to have to do this in front of every one, but here you go." According to the document, he could be put in prison for asking for his orange juice.

The tension in the cabin was mounting. We knew at this point someone would be waiting for us when we arrived. We were ready to give a statement. She called the older man that was in front of OJ man into the front of the plane for a private statement. That man would not have heard a word she said from behind his seat. It was way too noisy. He looked to be in his 70's as well. She came back and asked if anyone else wanted to be a witness. We all said no. We didn't want to say a word to her. She told us that she had witnesses as well. At the end of the flight, she asked us if we wanted anything else. There was no way I was going to eat anything that this woman was serving.

Helen had made our flight miserable. Upon arriving, we were greeted by a representative of the airline. She had been called ahead by the captain to meet us on the jet bridge. She had no idea so many people would be there to report what happened. We went to the gate and all gave a statement about what happened. She had someone else that had more relevance to the situation come down and talk to the man. This man stated that the Feds would probably have to investigate due to this warning being issued. The slips aren't to be given out unless it's a very big deal. We all wished him well and exchanged information. He had another flight to catch, and we were all glad to be on the ground safe.

Our group has about 130 people that fly 30 weeks a year. At an average of $300 per flight, that's over 1 million dollars a year spent. And I've been on the road with these people for nearly 10 years. So this is what we get for over $10 million in sales. If Helen doesn't like people, she should find a job like flipping burgers. That way, she won't have to talk to the customers. This woman's behavior is completely unacceptable and is a perfect example of what I've been seeing in AA flight attendants for years now. They don't want to be there, make up their own rules that don't reflect the company, and have huge disdain for the people paying their salary... the customers.

-Dave Koss"

The real terrorists can be found flying first class, drinking orange juice.

Reached for comment, American Airlines said they will look into the matter.