tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44392553047880977582024-03-13T14:57:36.689-07:00Airline Travel...What You Really Need To Know!!!Things you should know when you travel as a passenger as told from a career airline professional! Plus a little more from the airline industry from other blogs and news agencies.BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.comBlogger218125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-15223770250278270322014-05-19T15:14:00.001-07:002014-05-19T15:39:18.292-07:00Malaysia Flight 370 Theory <p>MH370 Theory</p>
<p>It's time to give my opinion regarding Malaysia flight 370.</p>
<p>This American Airlines B727-223 was stolen from Angola in 2003 and was never found. <a href="http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/the-727-that-vanished-2371187/">Link</a></p>
<p>I think we may have a repeat performance of sorts with MH370. The difference is this was a live flight that may have been stolen and I think whomever did this was showing it could be done with disastrous intentions later on.</p>
<p>Keep passengers alive, secluded, aircraft kept hidden after landing on a make shift runway, painted with a different livery and serial number.</p>
<p>Eventually fly it out and land it at any airport in the region to show it can be done with the ability to keep the world in the dark.</p>
<p>Was the cockpit crew in on it? Maybe one of them but doubtful that both of them were doing it together.</p>
<p>If someone spent years building a runway in the middle of nowhere that could handle a B777 for landing and takeoff this theory is very possible!</p>
<p>Somebody who trained to fly the airplane could have done this solo, difficult yes but possible.</p>
<p>Satellites need to look at land masses in the range of the aircraft, they just might find something!</p>
<p>My two cents on this theory with many more infinite insider details that the news agencies and airlines care not to discuss. </p>
<p>If any parts of my theory is correct this could scare the airline traveling public, airlines and governments of many nations plus Boeing and Airbus. I hope I'm wrong but who really knows! </p>
<p>Questions? Hit me up and let's talk theories!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-urF2zuwWt4Y/U3qIC89CC4I/AAAAAAAAFcM/UjIOpn92tAk/s1600/Stolen_727-flash.jpg__420x240_q85_crop_upscale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-urF2zuwWt4Y/U3qIC89CC4I/AAAAAAAAFcM/UjIOpn92tAk/s640/Stolen_727-flash.jpg__420x240_q85_crop_upscale.jpg"> </a> </div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-73184418615424677572012-10-03T21:19:00.004-07:002012-10-03T21:19:58.241-07:00Seats Coming Off Tracks On Two American Airlines Boeing 757's<h1 style="text-align: center;">
Passenger seats come loose on an American Airlines flight</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KiOsp_k3VX8/UGz-_9wsqRI/AAAAAAAAEV4/WoDF0eOF4Jo/s1600/seats2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KiOsp_k3VX8/UGz-_9wsqRI/AAAAAAAAEV4/WoDF0eOF4Jo/s320/seats2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(AP Photo/WBZ-TV/WFXT-TV)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is with full seat sections coming off track after an aircraft has come out of maintenance?</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well <a href="http://www.aa.com/">American Airlines</a> has been having it's fair share of issues as of late. Two separate incidents of full seat sections becoming dislodged or flat out coming out of the seat tracks while the aircraft is performing a live revenue flight is not a good thing. American Airlines said that improperly installed clamps caused seats
to become loose on two planes during flights. Later inspections <span style="font-size: small;">of Boeing B-757's </span>by American discovered that other planes had similar issues that needed to be fixed.
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-imNd2ozs9Ns/UG0OAxX0edI/AAAAAAAAEWI/K48hrcRalYY/s1600/aa+b757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-imNd2ozs9Ns/UG0OAxX0edI/AAAAAAAAEWI/K48hrcRalYY/s1600/aa+b757.jpg" /></a></div>
<i>"American Airlines said that improperly installed clamps caused seats to
pop loose on two planes during flights and an inspection turned up four
others with the same problem. The airline said Tuesday that it inspected and fixed the seats on 36 of
its Boeing 757 jets and planned to check 11 other planes."</i><br />
(<a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/business/20121002_ap_americansaysinstallationjobcausedseatsnafu.html?c=r#ixzz28IVQwnZg%20Watch%20sports%20videos%20you%20won%27t%20find%20anywhere%20else"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Read Full Story Here</span></a>)<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">American has been going through labor issues with the possibility of merger talks with <a href="http://www.usairways.com/">US Airways</a> looming in their rear view mirror.</span></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pilots have been accused of writing up more maintenance issues than normal as a form of work slow down which is not unheard of in the airline world. Everything from flying faster and burning up more fuel to knit picking mechanical problems in a station where contract maintenance is the only available support at an inflated cost. <a href="http://www.timco.aero/">Timco Aviation Services</a><u> and American crews might have installed the seats incorrectly</u> as stated by David L. Campbell, the airline's vice president of safety. Only further investigations of their past work on the aircraft will reveal if this is a isolated incident from a particular maintenance station or is this something more sinister. (Like a work slowdown to get managements attention.)</span></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So is contract maintenance a good or bad thing here in this case? It's a part of the industry that airlines just can't get around do to cost and practicality so it's some what of a necessary evil depending on who you talk to. During my flying days I have seen and used contract maintenance in out-stations and it was not a choice in the matter depending on the severity of the problem. Some days the problem was fixed and we blasted off but other times we cancelled and mechanics from our airline were flown to us and the problem was fixed by company mechanics. However when you have flights outside the U.S. you sometimes have to trust what and who you get if you want to get the passengers on their way.</span></span></span></h1>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Labor issues can be a very volatile aspect in a negotiation when the work groups have this ability to affect the operation so directly. It happens and it will continue forever but hopefully not at the cost of passenger safety. This incident definitely scared some people and it does make them (the passengers) aware of any internal issues at any given airline. No airline is exempt from this, it's just a part of doing business. Hopefully this is the last of such incident but I doubt it!</span></span></span></h1>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Passengers should watch the news to see what's going on with the airline they are planning to fly to see if there is anything they should be concerned with especially when it comes to labor or union issues. Not just the pilots can slow things down but flight attendants or ground agents can cause delays and or cancellations too! So don't think for one minute that the agents loading the bags or the crew members serving the drinks can't cause a stir. Pilots are just usually the ones who can have the fastest affect on flight operations that make management stand up and take notice. Now I'm not saying it's right but it can be effective in a stalled labor negotiation.</span></span></span></h1>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I hope in the near future this is a thing of the past and not the precursor to what is yet to come. Good luck American Airlines!</span></span></span></h1>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">"Be Proactive Not Reactive And Enjoy Your Flight!!!"</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">BlkAv8tor2003</span></i></b></div>
BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0Tempe, AZ, USA33.4255104 -111.940005433.3194924 -112.0979339 33.5315284 -111.7820769tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-84069644194884406302012-09-08T10:53:00.000-07:002012-09-08T11:00:24.317-07:00First African American Woman To Fly For The U.S. Coast Guard.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TLZFeFudpjI/AAAAAAAABBk/af2zlzXSFac/s1600/La'Shanda+Holmes+Pinning-on-her-wings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TLZFeFudpjI/AAAAAAAABBk/af2zlzXSFac/s320/La'Shanda+Holmes+Pinning-on-her-wings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lt. J.G. La'Shanda Holmes Getting Pinned</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>She is the first African American woman to ever fly helicopters for the U.S. Coast Guard.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lt. J.G. La'Shanda Holmes is the pride of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Holmes is a success story from the foster care system; she grew up in with more than a dozen siblings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I didn't grow up with a silver spoon and it wasn't perfect for me," says the young pioneer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 25-year-old pilot works on search and rescue missions in southern California, and inspires others through her work. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wG58tOQUn98/UEuEs1LJUpI/AAAAAAAAEVM/6MbGjC4zmA8/s1600/LTjg-Holmes-with-Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wG58tOQUn98/UEuEs1LJUpI/AAAAAAAAEVM/6MbGjC4zmA8/s320/LTjg-Holmes-with-Family.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Holmes family.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I am the most junior pilot here, I have a lot to learn," says Holmes, indicating that she has new barriers to break and challenges to overcome. Los Angeles is Holmes' first duty station and was in fact, her first choice. Her pioneer status was highlighted in JET magazine. Out of 1,200 pilots in the Coast Guard, only 85 are female. Colleagues believe that Holmes will serve as an inspiration for other young women.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-og82-uQMQog/UEuFaPUYVqI/AAAAAAAAEVU/xz0BqhQ1Nw4/s1600/LTjg-Holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-og82-uQMQog/UEuFaPUYVqI/AAAAAAAAEVU/xz0BqhQ1Nw4/s320/LTjg-Holmes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Photo courtesy of Holmes family.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I know I’m the first, but nothing has sunk in yet. People may have expectations, but for me, mainly, it is about taking on responsibility and knowing I have something to prove [as a pilot]. I just want to keep flying well and working hard to make my community, family and sisters proud of me.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"If you don't put a limit in what you want out of life, and you just keep dreaming and going for things anything is possible."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(U.S. Navy photo by Ens. Ryan Trespalacios)</span></div>
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<a href="http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/04/guardian-of-the-week-ltjg-lashanda-holmes/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read the full story here</span></a> BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com1S Apartment, Tempe, AZ 85282, USA33.390316191943562 -111.9404697418212933.383687191943565 -111.95034024182129 33.396945191943558 -111.93059924182128tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-41610442581169515592011-11-06T16:49:00.000-07:002011-11-06T16:49:02.634-07:00LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 767-300 Makes Gear Up Landing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sV4hSo_Mi6Y/TrcRkaw7RhI/AAAAAAAABRc/0JSGMM4x3l4/s1600/lot-polish-767-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sV4hSo_Mi6Y/TrcRkaw7RhI/AAAAAAAABRc/0JSGMM4x3l4/s320/lot-polish-767-300.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOT B767-300 Not the Accident Aircraft</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Hello All BlkAv8tor Checkin In!!!</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Nov. 1, 2011 a LOT B767 (Flt LO-16) had to make an emergency gear up landing in Warsaw Poland (WAW) after flying from Newark, NJ. (KEWR) The landing was flawless and textbook if one could ever be.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The captain had plenty of time to prepare for the landing after noticing the problem with the center hydraulic system after leaving Newark. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many people have wondered why the captain chose to fly all the way to Warsaw with a known problem instead of turning around and returning to Newark. Well there are many more factors that come into play when planning for an air return to the departure airport and this captain I'm sure with some consultation with his company and FAA officials here in the U.S. they all detrmined coming back to Newark would not be a wise move and here is why.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Airport layout must have come into play as well as how busy the airport of choice is normally. Newark, like JFK is very busy day and night and an emergency with a possibility of a gear up landing would cripple the Northeast airport and connecting flight as well. Newark is a major connecting and originating city for the major U.S. airlines and if it goes down or has a runway closed due to a disabled aircraft, that would shock the system here in the U.S. Going on to Warsaw was a good move in the sense that the traffic there is not as heavy but busy none the less. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LM2EryeQp8A/TrcbmJscREI/AAAAAAAABRs/xlIpEJqPSds/s1600/lot-polish-767-300+belly+landing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LM2EryeQp8A/TrcbmJscREI/AAAAAAAABRs/xlIpEJqPSds/s320/lot-polish-767-300+belly+landing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOT B767-300 Belly Landing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Emergency services wise both airports could handle the emergency if it went wrong and there were injuries but Warsaw could deal with a runway out of service for at the most one day better than Newark. That being said Warsaw was the best option and it gave the airport and emergency services time to prepare. With excellent airmanship this accident is compared to the US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson for a flawless "planned" ditching which was the first of it's kind in U.S. history. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dx7No8hNCiQ/TrcaxzUVXsI/AAAAAAAABRk/UeOG9vXLSnA/s1600/LOT+Capt+767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dx7No8hNCiQ/TrcaxzUVXsI/AAAAAAAABRk/UeOG9vXLSnA/s320/LOT+Capt+767.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="sitetext">Captain Tadeusz Wrona</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="sitetext">Captain Tadeusz Wrona and First Officer Jerzy Szwarc, an experienced crew with the captain having more than 20 years of experience on the Boeings are in an elite fraternity that all us pilots hope to never join but if we do then we all hope for the same outcome! As updates become available I will post them here. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="sitetext">Bravo gentlemen for a job well done!!!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="sitetext"><b>As always Be Proactive Not Reactive and Enjoy Your Flight!!!</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="sitetext"><b>Blkav8tor2003 </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="sitetext"><b> </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="sitetext"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="sitetext">Below is an excerpt from <a href="http://avherald.com/h?article=4456bd6b&opt=0">avherald</a> with some video from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBgxakhZ8m4&feature=player_embedded">youtube</a> of the landing. the full technical report can be read there as well.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lot.com/">LOT Polish Airlines</a> Boeing 767-300, performing flight LO-16 from Newark,NJ (USA) (KEWR) to Warsaw (Poland) (WAW) with 220 passengers and 11 crew, was on approach to Warsaw's runway 33 when the crew aborted the approach at 3000 feet reporting an unsafe gear indication for all three gear struts at about 13:10L (12:10Z) and entered a holding to troubleshoot the problem for about 80 minutes.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The airline reported the aircraft was piloted by Captain Tadeusz Wrona and First Officer Jerzy Szwarc, an experienced crew with the captain having more than 20 years of experience on the Boeings. About 30 minutes after departure from Newark the crew reported the failure of the center hydraulic system. It is unclear why the gear could not be lowered, this is being investigated.</div><br />
<object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IBgxakhZ8m4&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IBgxakhZ8m4&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></embed></object>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com1Tempe, AZ, USA33.4255104 -111.9400054000000233.353448900000004 -111.99088040000002 33.4975719 -111.88913040000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-85418107783877053112011-11-05T22:04:00.001-07:002011-11-05T22:11:11.058-07:00BlkAv8tor Returns to The Blogging World After A Lengthy Hiatus<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Hello All Blkav8tor Checking In!!! </b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hello all, I am back from a bloggers break since work and family come first! So I think I have a little bit of time here and there to share some of the news events and my knowledge as things take place with the world.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I figured I would jump in feet first with a few things that happened recently in the aviation world close to home and also a far.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0tCP-tAbrYU/TrYUTv1_2QI/AAAAAAAABRI/vRSn5qaZbHE/s1600/US+Airways+B757-2S7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0tCP-tAbrYU/TrYUTv1_2QI/AAAAAAAABRI/vRSn5qaZbHE/s320/US+Airways+B757-2S7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My first story happened in my neck of the woods right here in Phoenix with the death of a US Airways flight attendant. For those of you that may not know what happened click <a href="http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2011/10/us-airways-flight-attendant-mexico-city-hilton-hotel/559931/1"><u>here</u></a> and I also want to pay my condolences to a fellow flight attendant that I never new or flew with. His friends and family here in Phoenix and throughout the world have commented on a monumental loss to the airline world and aviation community!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">His name was Nick Aaronson, I feel a loss for a fellow flier and I would have been honored to have made his acquaintance! Nick enjoy you final flight, you touched so many and you will be missed by all!!!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtKDLvB1JsI/TrYO3SkwRnI/AAAAAAAABRA/iTADG8mx0Y0/s1600/nick-aaronson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtKDLvB1JsI/TrYO3SkwRnI/AAAAAAAABRA/iTADG8mx0Y0/s320/nick-aaronson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick Aaronson</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Here is a brief video of the send off from his fellow employees at US Airways from </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport!</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x-CLkjD2la8" width="420"></iframe></div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com1Tempe, AZ, USA33.4255104 -111.9400054000000233.353448900000004 -111.99088040000002 33.4975719 -111.88913040000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-15089959560273309642010-07-27T09:23:00.003-07:002010-07-27T10:50:41.851-07:00United Agents Forget About Unaccompanied Minor In Chicago<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TE8b4OUSg-I/AAAAAAAABAo/TOVWSEkiMvc/s1600/usa-chicago-airplane-rainbow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498644322772485090" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TE8b4OUSg-I/AAAAAAAABAo/TOVWSEkiMvc/s400/usa-chicago-airplane-rainbow.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!</em></strong></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em></em></strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>Here goes another blunder by the airline and it's irresponsible employees that just sends chills down the spine of anyone who is a parent that may fly by themselves! </em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>Kids fly all over the airlines and you would think that the airline employees would pay a little more attention to them because they are children, well that doesn't always seem to be the case and it's starting to happen more often than not. Airlines are losing kids left and right, sending them to the wrong destination or just leaving them behind. I bet they don't have a problem letting you know that you owe extra money for baggage, sodas or food when your on the plane.</em></strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>Here is the latest incident to add in the "UM Woes" from United Airlines in Chicago (United's Corporate HQ). Agents failed to get a UM to his flight and fed him the wrong food and I'm sure the best thing that United will do is say "were sorry" and here is a future travel certificate for next time in the future!!! So read along and I have inserted my comments in Italics and hopefully United will evaluate their procedure when handling UM's and make some changes pretty quick!!!</em></strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong>Original Story Below</strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">A nine-year-old boy was forgotten in a Chicago airport waiting room Saturday for nearly eight hours after an airline representative failed to put him on a connecting flight, the </span><a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/spends+airport+limbo/3322416/story.html" target=""><span style="font-family:arial;">Ottawa Citizen reported</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">.<br />Julien Reid was headed home to Ottawa on a United flight after visiting his dad in San Francisco, a trip he makes about six times a year. </span></div><br /><div><strong><em><span style="font-family:Arial;">The agent slipped up on this one for sure! How do you forget a child in the process of working flights especially when they are usually logged into a waiting room for unaccompanied minors and flight info is tracked so that they can be taken to their flight for pre-boarding.</span></em></strong></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">He left San Francisco at 6 a.m. and arrived at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport at 11 a.m. He was supposed to catch a connecting flight from Chicago to Ottawa at 1:50 p.m., which would have put him in Ottawa at about 4:45 p.m.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>The agents working the minors flight to Ottawa didn't check their Special Services list to see if they had any special customers to be on the lookout for ie UM's, wheelchairs, blind passengers etc. The agents working the flight failed to stay ahead of their flight and all important items which is unacceptable. The agent working where the minor was being held between flights also failed to call or message the departure flight agents to advise them to be on the lookout for a UM before they started their boarding process. The ball was dropped here in several areas which are designed to prevent such a thing from happening.</em></strong></span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">His mother, Genevieve Harte, checked online and saw that Julien's flight was delayed until 5:35 p.m. When she arrived at the airport to pick him up, she noticed other passengers had disembarked but that her son was nowhere to be found. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Then she got a call from Julien, using his own pre-paid cell phone. He said he was still at the Chicago airport in a "tiny, little room cramped with kids," where they played the same video on a loop all day, the Ottawa Citizen reported. The only food he'd been given was McDonald's, but Julian is a vegetarian. He said the other children were yelled at to "stop being kids." </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>He was in the UM room which most if not all airlines have at least in their Hub cities. The little boy was able to call his mom and let her know that he was still in Chicago from his personal cell phone. Why didn't the agents keep up with this minor? He was in a room playing video games and he was obviously being watched...sort of anyway and he was fed. </em></strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>Now why was a child that is vegetarian fed McDonald's and I'm sure if he is 9 and smart enough to call his mom and tell her he was still in Chicago he probably told someone that he didn't eat meat. If he was Muslim, Jewish or just didn't eat pork would they have listened to him or would they have dismissed his dietary request? This is a little slip up on the parents part because they depended on the airline to feed their child while he was enroute. </em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>He has special dietary restrictions so the parent should have made sure he had carried his own food so that this would not be a problem. That being said I would be highly upset that someone gave my child food that he could not eat! How much does the airline employees really care about your child when they are in the airlines care???</em></strong></span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Harte, 36, asked Julien to put her on the phone with the United attendant who was watching the children. That's when the attendant let it slip that no one had come to fetch Julien to put him on his connecting flight, she told the Ottawa Citizen. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>Fetch Julian??? Is he a dog??? No, the agent should have called the departure flight agents and told them she had a UM for their flight like I said above. She should have called for a supervisor if there was not someone who could take him to his connecting flight ie "UM Runner", extra agent or something. Checking for Special service request before a flight boards is required for an agent to do every flight. It's like going to the bathroom, it must be done or the consequences can be bad on so many levels!</em></strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>This is why I always say that airline employees need to care more about what they do and take a personal stake in what they do when at work otherwise find another job where you don't have to care about anything and you can still get the job done! </em></strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>We have already seen where an airline has put Um's on the wrong flights to the wrong destinations and to be as irresponsible as to forget the child all together is flat out wrong! if the airlines don't have people in position that care about what they do especially when it comes to someone else's child then they need to get rid of them and find somebody that really does care.</em></strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>I'm a parent and a 23 year airline profession working on the ground and in the air and this is something I would not allow if this is what I need to expect out of airline employees. They need to be doing it better because they are dealing directly with someones child and I only hope that Julian's parents blast United for this mistake and make it a big deal and not let United just give them a free ticket for the trouble!!!</em></strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>Remember To Be Proactive Not Reactive and Enjoy Your Flight!!!</em></strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Arial;">BlkAv8tor2003</span></em></strong></div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-58537762386307444172010-07-26T19:59:00.003-07:002010-07-26T20:55:37.985-07:00United Flight Kicks Off Passengers Who Paid Least for Tickets<p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><em><strong>Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!</strong></em><em><strong><br /></strong></em></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><em><strong>So now you can get bumped for being cheap with your money??? What is up with that??? A weight restricted flight causes a denied boarding situation and a situation that could scare many passengers into not flying or at least being extremely selective when and who they fly. </strong></em><strong><br /></strong></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><em><strong>Here is what happened in the words of one of the passengers and i added a few comments and they are in Italics.</strong><br /></em></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">What happens when a small </span></span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><u><a href="http://www.jaunted.com/tag/united"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><b>United Airlines</b></span></span></a></u></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"> flight from Burlington to Washington DC oversells its cargo capacity and ends up with a weight problem? Well, when this exact thing happened today for </span></span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><u><a href="http://www.twitter.com/brucepoontip"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><b>@brucepoontip</b></span></span></a></u></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">'s flight, </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><b>the gate agents announce that the passengers who paid the least for the flight will be removed</b></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">. </span></span> </p> <p lang="en" style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">How unfair! But even more—how embarrassing, to be punished for scoring a deal perhaps months in advance when someone who paid top dollar the day before gets to remain on the plane. Then you're stuck back in the terminal, without a guaranteed flight for another two days and no hotel allowance from the airline. </span> </p><p lang="en" style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>So if you shop the airlines for a low priced fair you give yourself the open chance to be bumped from a flight because you were penny pinching! Is this the next wave of new things on the horizon coming from the airlines? I hope not but anything is possible these days!</strong></em></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">This is why Twitter sometimes becomes a priceless tool for customer service. Bruce, Founder of </span></span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><u><a href="http://www.gapadventures.com/"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">Gap Adventures</span></span></a></u></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">, began tweeting the drama: </span></span> </p> <p lang="en" style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">United Airlines Service. Just announced they have a weight problem and have to remove 20 ppl in order of how much you paid for your ticket!</span></p> <p lang="en" style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">...and continued to relate the ridiculous actions of the United crew: </span> </p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><b>So uncomfortable with United Airlines removing families and older couples who bought cheap tickets.</b></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"> Sad frankly.</span></span></p> <p lang="en" style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">I've now missed my connection in Washington but they said they can only guarantee me a flight out in two days! I can't stay here two days!</span></p> <p lang="en" style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">[Gate agent] said if we don't get two more [volunteers to get off the flight]... I am going to get a list of the last people that checked in! All passengers sitting nervously!</span></p> <p lang="en" style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">We managed to reach Bruce via Twitter during the drama to ask about the mood of the kicked-off passengers, and he responded: </span> </p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">It's funny, there is no anger really. </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><b>People are embarrassed</b></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">. [The gate agent] has announced that you will be thrown off based on how much u paid. <strong><em>"Thrown off the flight!" What kind of customer service is that considering that is not how you handle a denied boarding situation!</em></strong></span></span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">To see the entire series of tweets about this drama, check out </span></span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><u><a href="http://www.twitter.com/brucepoontip"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">@brucepoontip</span></span></a></u></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">. We can happily report that </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><b>United is now reviewing the mess</b></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">, as their </span></span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><u><a href="http://www.twitter.com/unitedairlines"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">@UnitedAirlines</span></span></a></u></span><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"> customer service finally noticed and responded to the situation. It will be very interesting to see if anything comes of this. Nightly news? </span></span> </p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><strong><em>This is a black eye for United even though this was an express carrier and not main line United. It sounds like inexperience played a major roll in this even and lack of tact if nothing else. This is definitely not the norm and even though I haven't seen any follow up info I hope at least that the denied passengers were compensated. When I talked to Bruce just after it had happened via Twitter he said that they were not compensated at all but just put onto a later flight. Hopefully united makes a mends with the little incident!!!</em></strong><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in" align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><strong><em>Remember to Be Proactive Not Reactive and enjoy your Flight!!!<br /></em></strong></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in" align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><strong><em>BlkAv8tor2003<br /></em></strong></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en">Original Link:<br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="color:#0000ff;"><u><a href="http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/7/13/12710/3098/travel/United+Flight+Kicks+Off+Passengers+Who+Paid+Least+for+Tickets"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span lang="en"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/7/13/12710/3098/travel/United+Flight+Kicks+Off+Passengers+Who+Paid+Least+for+Tickets</span></span></span></a></u></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><br /></p>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-14253772103491886632010-07-25T00:42:00.008-07:002010-07-26T19:44:25.504-07:00Southwest: A Mechanical Is An Act of God and It Always Has Been<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TE5AVXkHIeI/AAAAAAAABAY/uysnS1dCgaA/s1600/1530462.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TE5AVXkHIeI/AAAAAAAABAY/uysnS1dCgaA/s400/1530462.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498402930912862690" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">"If there's a God who controls floods and earthquakes, does the deity also have a hand in an airline's mechanical problems?"</span><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>If that is not the statement of the decade and maybe the history of the airlines as we know it!</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Southwest comes out and says "mechanicals are an act of God" and with that statement they are re-writing the history of airline delays as we all know it. Passengers usually don't have a clue about their flying rights and they usually never read the back of their boarding envelope to find out what the "contract of carriage" to find out either.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Southwest has always been know for their leaps and bounds in the airline world by not totally following the "norm" and kind of trend setting or creating their own flavor within the airline world. Well this is a pretty extreme step as far as being different is concerned but I'm not sure if making such a bold statement as this is a power move. Now it will create publicity and a buzz amongst the passengers that fly Southwest Airlines with a cult like following but when it comes to Southwest i think they can experiment with just about anything and it would become a hit.</em></span></p><p>On page 11 of 32 pages of fine print called a "contract of carriage," which many passengers don't read, but which spells out their recourse in mishaps such as flight interruptions or baggage loss.<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span>Mechanical difficulties - what type is not defined - now appears on a list of events such as wars, riots, storms, earthquakes and other acts of God that are "outside of (Southwest's) control." Now that being said Southwest has now changed the bar possibly and it may grab new passengers to fly their flights but it's still too early to tell. <img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TE5CgPQsO5I/AAAAAAAABAg/agiathS8Kck/s400/airport-lines-of-peopletif.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498405316685740946" /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><br /></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Robert Mann, an airline industry analyst based in Port Washington, N.Y., called it "surprising" that Southwest, which has a reputation for stellar customer service, would make a change that puts passengers at a legal disadvantage if an aircraft breakdown delays their travel. This makes Southwest have the upper hand in many different situations and they can hide behind mechanical problems because they didn't list the problems protected under their newest policy announcement. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>"I can see (carriers) saying, 'It wasn't our fault the airplane broke down,' and I also can see customers saying, 'I bought a ticket from you and I have reasonable expectation that the airplane is going to work,' " Mann said." The passengers are going to jump at this everytime there is a delay to get the real story on the delay.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Well everyone knows that the airlines play "Monkey See, Monkey Do" and now we all need to watch and see who will be the next airline to follow suit. I think they will wait a bit to see if Southwest catches any backlash from the rule but if they don't you could expect some of the airline to get on board and adopt some type of equal ruling or facsimile.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Now let's just wait and see what happens next!</em></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>Remember Be Proactive Not Reactive and Enjoy Your Flight!!!</em></strong></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>BlkAv8tor2003</em></strong></span><br /></p>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-45545172841306143082010-07-20T15:25:00.006-07:002010-07-20T16:31:03.798-07:00Japan Airlines Tries To Keep Uniforms Out Of Japanese Sex Clubs<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TEYjH-d2VyI/AAAAAAAAA_o/NWidLBV9mes/s1600/jal-flight-attendant3.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496119015186519842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 301px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TEYjH-d2VyI/AAAAAAAAA_o/NWidLBV9mes/s400/jal-flight-attendant3.jpg" border="0" /></em></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><em> </em></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong>Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 checking In!!!</strong></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>In January, Japan Airlines went through a humiliating bankruptcy , with layoffs, pissed off customers and the poor view in the eyes of the Japanese public. Now they have a bigger problem to deal with and that is because of layoffs that include flight attendants there is a big surge for their flight attendants uniforms as a costume to be bought, sold and worn in Japanese sex clubs.<br /></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>A new market has risen in fetish clubs and sex clubs not to mention just having a uniform fall into the wrong hands for potentially dangerous activities and a strong security problem around the world. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>JAL fears the security issues that may rise if the uniforms hit the open market and someone may be able to pass into secure areas while wearing a uniform. They also don't want someone to further tarnish the image of the airline in some bad fashion. </em></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Scott Mayerowitz of </em></span><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/japan-airline-stewardess-uniforms-sold-sex-fetish-clubs/story?id=10002036" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>ABC News</em></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><em> reports that</em></span> <span style="font-family:arial;">"in Japan plenty of people are willing to pay top dollar for an experience with a club entertainer clad in an authentic Japan Airlines flight attendant uniform." He adds "people have been known to pay thousands of dollars for the outfits of JAL and rival airline All Nippon Airways, or ANA."</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496125437704933106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 310px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 230px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TEYo90NkDvI/AAAAAAAAA_w/ItvYD-lD2i4/s400/JAL+FA+UNIFORMS.bmp" border="0" /><br /><br /><em><span style="font-family:arial;">JAL has warned its staff not to sell their uniforms, and that laid-off air crew could try to auction their old uniforms on the Internet for profit. On the Internet such as Yahoo Japan, uniforms for sale could fetch as much as $3000.00 USD for a complete set. </span></em><br /><em><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:arial;">JAL is planning on sewing tracking computer chips or RFID's into its uniforms so that they can be tracked but I'm not sure how this will work since flight attendants have already been layed off. All Nippon Airways (ANA) is also caught in the same type of problems minus the lay-offs and financial troubles that JAL has undergone and they currently track their uniforms before and after a member of their crew departs the companies employment.</span></em><br /><em><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:arial;">JAL says they have ways of making sure it's impossible for a former crew member to hold onto their uniform after departing the company even though a few years ago a business class uniform hit the Black Market and was reportedly sold and the airline went out and bought the uniform back for a reportedly $2000 dollars to ensure they go it back.</span></em><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TEYtPsKBg9I/AAAAAAAAA_4/rXXq1EtRVNI/s1600/JAL+FA+UNIFORMS2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496130142826759122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 276px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TEYtPsKBg9I/AAAAAAAAA_4/rXXq1EtRVNI/s400/JAL+FA+UNIFORMS2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Japanese flight attendants have always been viewed by the traveling world as very"uniform" and classy yet sexy and I could see how the look of the uniform could create a frenzy in the adult sex world. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>As a former flight attendant and having flown many times out of Tokyo (NRT) and the South Pacific I can say there is a certain flair that the flight crews have for JAL, ANA and the other Asian carriers have that is noticeable from how their flight crews all look somewhat alike to how they really care for their appearance individually and as a crew when the move through the airport. I hope this doesn't hurt the JAL brand name and hopefully it is only a passing fad that won't produce any serious consequences. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Even though these flight attendants are seen as excellent in the service world, they are very well equipped to handle an emergency situation just like other flight attendants around the world and hopefully JAL will recover and be able to bring back all of their layed-off flight attendants to continue the western experience that so many are use to and accustomed to enjoying when they fly to the Pacific Rim!</em></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Remember to Be Proactive and Not Reactive And Enjoy Your Flight!!!</em></span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><em></em></span></strong> </div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Blkav8tor2003</em></span></strong></div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-66820737960699652522010-07-13T08:58:00.003-07:002010-07-13T09:21:08.849-07:00Japan Express Crowns First Female Captain<span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!</strong></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong></strong></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>Here is a new bit of aviation history! Japan, which is very much a male dominated society has just made their first female pilot a captain of a Boeing 737 at Japan Express (JEX). This is ground breaking that she has qualified for the position and achieved the left seat. Being a pilot I know that is the dream of all aviators and to do it in their society is monumental. </strong></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong></strong></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>They would not give her this position I think just because they didn't have one, Japan is world class when it comes to pilot training and procedures and being in a position of authority. Capt. Ari Fuji, 42, will make her first flight next week and she said she was nervous but excited and wanted to do a good job and command a safe flight. I think any pilot is a little nervous when the get the command position and that starts when you first solo an airplane or when you take a family member or friend flying once you have received your private pilots license. It never seems to go away and it happens at all experience levels. </strong></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong></strong></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>Good luck Ari, from one pilot to another and remember to "Keep the Blue Side Up!"</strong></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong></strong></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em><strong>BlkAv8tor2003</strong></em></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Remember to be Proactive and Not Reactive and enjoy your flight!!!</em></span></strong></div><br />Below is the original story with a few pics I found and a translation in Japanese from the website and I left it intact with no editing so that it is translated correctly. I don't speak that much Japanese...lol and it's in Japanese script!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TDyNc4R4jFI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/EhlaySvgTTg/s1600/Japan-Ari-Fuji-becomes-first-female-airline-captain2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493421172768410706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TDyNc4R4jFI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/EhlaySvgTTg/s400/Japan-Ari-Fuji-becomes-first-female-airline-captain2.jpg" border="0" /></a>(Kyodo News International) -- A co-pilot of Japan Express Co. became Japan's first female airliner captain Friday after passing the government's qualification screening.<br />Ari Fuji, 42, is scheduled to make her maiden flight as a captain next Monday, from Osaka to Sendai, according to the airline, which is wholly owned by Japan Airlines (OOTC:JALFQ) International Co.<br /><br />She was given a letter of appointment at the company's Osaka head office.<br />Fuji joined JAL Express in 1999 with pilot's licenses both for private and commercial aircraft and started flying as a co-pilot the following year, the company said.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TDyNdGfqRGI/AAAAAAAAA_g/AhxxcTVyFP0/s1600/Japan-Ari-Fuji-becomes-first-female-airline-captain+JEX+B737-4K5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493421176584291426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 231px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TDyNdGfqRGI/AAAAAAAAA_g/AhxxcTVyFP0/s400/Japan-Ari-Fuji-becomes-first-female-airline-captain+JEX+B737-4K5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />She passed the screening by the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry earlier the month after promotion training with a license of airline transport pilot, which she obtained in February 2008, it said.<br />It usually takes 10 years or so for co-pilots to be promoted to captain.<br /><br />Japan has had female passenger plane pilots since around a decade ago but had no female captain so far.<br />According to the ministry, there were 6,137 pilots working for major domestic airlines as of January, including 289 at JAL Express. Of the total, only three were female -- Fuji and two others.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TDyNcYczTvI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/CxxKOa6ZKzY/s1600/Japan-Ari-Fuji-becomes-first-female-airline-captain.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493421164224270066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TDyNcYczTvI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/CxxKOa6ZKzY/s400/Japan-Ari-Fuji-becomes-first-female-airline-captain.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /> Ari Fuji, the first female flight captain in a major airline group in Japan, holds up her appointment notice, in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, on July 9, 2010. (Mainichi)<br /><br /><a href="http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100709p2a00m0na042000c.html"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100709p2a00m0na042000c.html</span></a><br /><br /><strong>ジャルエクスプレス:国内大手初の女性機長</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>日本航空(JAL)のグループ会社、ジャルエクスプレス(JEX、東京都品川区)の藤明里(ふじあり)さん(42)が国の機長審査に合格し、国内の大手航空会社で初めて女性機長が誕生した。<br /> 9日に大阪府池田市の大阪本社で行われた辞令交付式で藤さんは「この道を目指してから、何万回とくじけそうなことがあったが、負けずにやっていれば実現できる。皆さんの支えをいただき、安全運航を求めていきたい」と決意表明。12日の大阪(伊丹)発仙台行きが機長としての初フライトとなる。<br /> 藤さんは大学卒業後、パイロットを目指して渡米。養成学校で操縦士免許を取得して帰国し、大手航空会社として初めてパイロットの公募を始めたJEXに99年に入社した。<br /> 国内航空会社には約4000人の機長がいるが、全員が男性。12日は副操縦士も女性が務める予定で、藤さんは「女性が働きやすい職場になるように頑張りたい」と話した。<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TDyNcYczTvI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/CxxKOa6ZKzY/s1600/Japan-Ari-Fuji-becomes-first-female-airline-captain.jpg"></a><br /><strong><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em></strong>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-20625363446737136212010-06-26T19:56:00.011-07:002010-06-26T22:42:23.558-07:00Arrest Threatened If Pilot Of International Flight Lets Passengers Off Aircraft<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TCbcBnVW00I/AAAAAAAAA_I/lrtvNXu48Bw/s1600/virgin+jet+connecticut.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TCbcBnVW00I/AAAAAAAAA_I/lrtvNXu48Bw/s400/virgin+jet+connecticut.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487315116294067010" /></a><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">HARTFORD, Conn. — The pilot on a Virgin Atlantic flight that spent several hours on the tarmac after being diverted to Connecticut had asked for permission to unload the stranded passengers, but a customs official threatened to have them arrested if they did, the airline said Thursday.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><i><b>FYI! International flights are not included in the latest "3 hr delay" program that passed earlier this year. Also anytime an international flight that has not pre-cleared customs cannot let any passengers or crew members off of the aircraft for any reason with clearing customs and immigration. In the event of an emergency then Customs will clear passengers after they have been sequestered and cleared in a controlled area.</b></i></span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">Customs officials denied the airline's allegation.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">The trans-Atlantic flight's captain was told by a customs official at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks that passengers couldn't get off the plane until more immigration officials arrived, Greg Dawson, an airline spokesman in London, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. It took more than two hours for the officials to arrive, he said.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">The London-to-Newark, N.J., was diverted because of storms. Passengers sat on the tarmac in Connecticut for four hours late Tuesday and early Wednesday in rising heat and darkness. Travelers said they were offered water but no food; some fainted.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">A federal rule limiting tarmac time to three hours does not apply to international flights.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not receive a call from the pilot, and no one from the agency refused a request to allow passengers off the plane, said Theodore Woo, an agency spokesman in Boston.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">Customs officers headed for the airport "as soon as we got the call at 11 p.m.," Woo said. At that point, customs had enough officers to "escort passengers to a safe area," he said.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">Airport officials have said there was only one customs official at the airport Tuesday night when the flight arrived in Connecticut.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">The airport called for customs inspectors around 11 p.m. when it learned the Virgin flight was canceled, said John Wallace, a Bradley spokesman. Passengers were allowed off the plane about an hour and 15 minutes later, when customs officials arrived, he said.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">Bradley's only regular international passenger flights are to Canada and it does not house many customs agents, Wallace said.</span></p><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sq2oOktjmLc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sq2oOktjmLc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-12176870739286833302010-06-26T19:04:00.005-07:002010-06-26T19:43:14.326-07:00AA flight attendant helps deliver baby in 737<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TCa4vnhOenI/AAAAAAAAA_A/6FwT2u3zvjk/s1600/Patricia%2BSund%2BAA%2Bflight%2Battendant%2BJun10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 352px; height: 264px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TCa4vnhOenI/AAAAAAAAA_A/6FwT2u3zvjk/s400/Patricia%2BSund%2BAA%2Bflight%2Battendant%2BJun10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487276324199234162" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">American Airlines flight attendant Patricia Sund holding the newborn boy she helped deliver minutes earlier in the back row of a 737 as it flew from Haiti to Florida.</span></div></span><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">by JASON WHITELY</span></b></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Original Story: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); "><a href="http://www.wfaa.com/news/AA-flight-attendant-helps-deliver-baby-in-737-96702679.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.wfaa.com/news/AA-flight-attendant-helps-deliver-baby-in-737-96702679.html</span></span></a></span></b></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">FORT LAUDERDALE - "My new slogan is going to be, "Coffee? Tea? Deliver your baby?," quipped Patricia Sund, an American Airlines flight attendant.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><i><b>Patricia Sund helped two doctors deliver a baby boy in the last row of seats, on Friday, June 11, as they flew from Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.</b></i></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><i><b>A Boeing 737 is the stage for this performance yet being very much lacking for space to deliver a baby but anything is possible when the flight attendants are put to the test of their training and cool heads during a situation.</b></i></span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">"It took quite a bit of improvisation to figure out a way to position the mother, the medical kit, two doctors, the equipment needed and a way to pass what was needed in-between and over the seats to the attending physicians in order to make this delivery a successful one," Sund said.</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><i><b>Flight 2288 was about 35 minutes from landing in (KFLL) Fort Lauderdale when an extra passenger was announced on the flight and added to the passenger manifest according to American Airlines.</b></i></span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">"Watching that baby being born and having him placed in my arms 30 seconds after he was born was an incredibly raw and emotional moment for me," Sund reflected. "It will remain one of the highlights of my Flight Service career. It also most likely makes this crew the newest members of a very small club of flight attendants who have assisted with the birth of a child inflight."</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">American Airlines said the baby boy was born healthy.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0.19in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><i><b>This is a fine example of what flight attendants are trained to do and what so many passengers take for granted. So the next time a passenger thinks that flight attendants are "glorified sky waitresses" hopefully they will remember hearing about this beautiful incident over the skies of the Atlantic and know that the flight attendants are there for more important things than passing out peanuts and opening cans of Coke!<br /></b></i></span></p>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-46633633076192932722010-05-08T14:50:00.010-07:002010-05-08T15:19:27.920-07:00Delta Airlines Loses Dog In Mexico City And Tries To Compensate Passenger $200.00!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S-XiAHqBlSI/AAAAAAAAA9s/C9LYTdkhfEI/s1600/paco-gonedoggygone.jpg"><br /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S-XdIk7jhPI/AAAAAAAAA9c/BTdxUS_G2s4/s1600/paco-doggone.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S-XdIk7jhPI/AAAAAAAAA9c/BTdxUS_G2s4/s400/paco-doggone.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469020461933495538" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Hi, my name is Josiah and I recently traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with Delta Airlines, and I am so appalled by them I can't stand it. I booked my flights online, and that part went smoothly, but that's the only good part of my traveling with them. I flew out of Detroit Metro in the early morning of April 24th 2010, and flew to Atlanta to catch a transfer which would take me to Puerto Vallarta. After arriving about an hour late and having to run to catch my plane, they said that they weren't boarding any more passengers, but were taking an extra fifteen minutes to load all the baggage on the plane. When we arrived in Puerto Vallarta I was informed that, along with most people who were on the original flight from Detroit, my baggage never left the Atlanta airport, and I had to wait until the next day to receive all of my clothes and necessities for traveling.</span></span></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Now, while I know that this isn't too out of the ordinary, and that airlines have baggage delayed quite commonly, the next issue is one that is completely unacceptable and should never happen regardless of circumstances. When in Mexico, my girlfriend and I rescued a stray dog which our hosts said had been seen all over the town. We took him to the vet's, got him all of his shots, an eye infection treated, two baths to clean him from hundreds of dog ticks that were covering his whole body, and gave him the name Paco. After this treatment at the vet clinic, we had to spend multiple additional hours picking more ticks from his body. We soon discovered that this dog was a very lucky find, and that it would be loyal and friendly to my girlfriend and I. It would walk by my side along the beach and along the sidewalks, went to the washroom outside, didn't bark at cars or other dogs, and would sleep on the bed next to us curled up in a ball quite contently. My girlfriend and I were both very excited to take him back home to Canada with us, and we quite readily paid for an airline approved pet carrier and the costs associated with checking a pet on an airplane to travel as baggage, as he was too big to be taken as carry-on.</span></span></p> <p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: medium; line-height: 0.2in; widows: 2; orphans: 2"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Everything went smoothly traveling with AeroMéxico from Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City, where we had a five hour layover. We took the dog out so he could go to the bathroom and stretch his legs in-between our flights, and two hours before we departed from Mexico City to Detroit Metro we checked him with Delta for the flight. It took us a whole hour to check the dog because Delta said that the pet carrier we purchased was not big enough, despite the vet who treated the dog saying it was large enough, and it meeting all the criteria such as the dog being able to turn around and stand up. We spent the hour trying to convince the Delta employee that the carrier was large enough, and after seeing two separate supervisors, we had to sign a waiver saying that if my dog Paco received any injuries as a result of the size of the carrier, that Delta Airlines was not responsible.</span></span></span></span></span></p></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S-XiAHqBlSI/AAAAAAAAA9s/C9LYTdkhfEI/s400/paco-gonedoggygone.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469025814194525474" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">After the fiasco of the size of the carrier being an issue, they assured us that Paco would be alright and transported safely to Detroit. However, when we arrived in Detroit and waited for twenty minutes at the pet claim, we began to suspect that something was wrong. We spent two hours in the Detroit Metro Airport trying to sort out what had happened to our dog, and we were told that it was never loaded on the plane in the first place, and that it was forgotten in Mexico City but would be cared for by Delta employees and walked, fed, watered, and would be sent on the next flight to Detroit, and then get delivered to my house in Ontario, Canada.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> When I called Delta the following day to ask if Paco had been flown to Detroit yet, no one seemed to have any answers or have any idea about the location of my dog. I was shocked. I had been told explicitly that my dog was being cared for in Mexico City by Delta until he could be flown and delivered to me, and now they were telling me that they didn't know where my dog was. I had my host in Mexico call the Mexico City Airport to get some answers, and she spent hours being transferred from person to person, each one having no idea what happened to my dog, she was finally told that my dog had somehow escaped from the carrier and disappeared. I do not believe for a second that Paco escaped from his carrier. It was a very secure hard plastic pet carrier with two locks and a metal wire door, and there is no way a small dog (he looked like a mix of a wiener dog and a Jack Russell) could scratch or break his way out of it.</span></span></span></span></span><p></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.13in; border: none; padding: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: medium; line-height: 0.2in; widows: 2; orphans: 2"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">If indeed he did somehow manage to escape from the carrier, why would I not have been informed of this in the first place? I was told that he was accounted for and being cared for in Mexico City, then that no one had any idea where he was, and then that he had escaped from the carrier.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0.13in; border: none; padding: 0in; font-style: normal; font-weight: medium; line-height: 0.2in; widows: 2; orphans: 2"> <span style="color:#000000;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">There is no excuse for this kind of situation to take place, and I expect that when you pay to have a live animal flown with you to take him home, that Delta Airlines would take every precaution and action needed to make sure that is what happens. My dog is likely either still in his carrier in a corner, having not eaten or drank for over 48 hours, or he is lost in the Mexico City Airport terrified and starving. The only thing Delta has tried to do to rectify this situation is offering their apology and refunding the cost for transporting a pet ($200.00USD) in a credit to be used with Delta Airlines. I think that this is completely absurd as there is no chance of me flying with Delta Airlines again.</span></span></span></span></span></p></span></div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-48577686971368064832010-04-13T20:21:00.008-07:002010-08-08T01:19:07.027-07:00United Flight Attendant Refuses To Help Disabled Woman With Bags<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium;"><b>Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TF5oPlVNQUI/AAAAAAAABAw/ZTTV6PP54x0/s1600/united+airlines+B757+cabin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/TF5oPlVNQUI/AAAAAAAABAw/ZTTV6PP54x0/s320/united+airlines+B757+cabin.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As if things in the airline industry seem to sound more strange everyday, here comes another incident where a passenger needed assistance and a flight attendant refused to assist the passenger. It sounds like a situation of a crew member giving a passenger a hard time and being very direct in her reasoning about it but if you read the whole story then the tables seem to turn the other way. I posted a link to the full story after the excerpt from the passengers blog. You really should read the passengers full story to get an idea of what happened.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As a former flight attendant and customer service manager, it's sad to hear such a response was given from a crew member! The airline should have had a better response to the situation than that...at least sound caring or concerned! I read the passengers story and it sounded like it was full of tiring situations! </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The rest of my comments are after the passenger excerpt.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(Excerpt) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial", serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I boarded the plane and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Georgia", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial", serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">made my way back to my aisle seat where I set down my special seat cushion and lumbar brace before looking around for a flight attendant to help me put my luggage in the overhead compartment. The attendant standing in the front section of economy was a blonde woman probably in her late 40s-50s and I called her over to explain that I needed her assistance because I wasn't capable of lifting my luggage due to my disability. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To my surprise, the attendant rejected my request while excusing it by saying: "If I helped everyone do that all day then MY back would be killing me by the end of the day!" I asked her how I was supposed to get my luggage stowed and her answer was: "You'll just have to wait for someone from your row to come back here and ask them to give you a hand." When I asked what would happen if no one would, her response to me was: "Well, normally a passenger is around to overhear something like this and they'll offer to help with it on their own. You'll just have to ask someone when they get back here." Then she turned back around and went up to the front seats where she waited to "assist" other passengers.<br />
<br />
I was completely flabbergasted, but with no other option, I sat down to wait and pulled my carry-on suitcase as close as I could to try to get it out of the way of the aisle. As I'm sure you're aware, however, your aisles are considerably narrow and even my best efforts left half of even my small carry-on suitcase in the aisle. What's more, rather than help me, most of the passengers simply knocked into my suitcase and shoved past me on the way to their own seats. Every time they hit the suitcase, it in turn hit me and jarred my back more and more with each strike. </span></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The plane wasn't even half boarded and it already felt like the pain medication I'd taken less than a half hour prior to entering the airport had worn off as though I hadn't taken it at all. Finally, it was too much and I dropped my suitcase down into the aisle to stop the flow and ask one of the men passing me for help before he went looking for his seat. As he was lifting it, he asked me if I was all right and I told him about my injury. He apologized profusely for my condition and tried to make me feel better by assuring me I would be okay eventually. I doubt either of us believed it, but at that point, it was nice to hear that, even from a total stranger.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://evilpuppy.livejournal.com/365126.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Full Story Here</span></a></span></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: "arial", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">("Evilpuppy", is the passenger's blog name) "Evilpuppy" was not exactly the perfect passenger.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is the problem that passengers run into when they "assume" what the flight attendants, pilots, customer service agents or the airline can and cannot do for you. Flight attendants are truly not there to put your baggage in an overhead bin. It is up to you the passenger to load and unload your baggage in and out of the overhead bins. If you can't lift your own luggage above your head then what makes you think the airline provides someone to do that for you? This is what I mean when I say most passengers don't really know what the job or the duties of the flight attendant are.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"Evilpuppy" has a known disability or injury and you’re carrying on a roll-a-board suitcase? You knew before you left that you would not be able to lift your bag and you assumed it was the flight attendant job to put it in the overhead bin for you. Then when she refused you acted shocked! Now how she refused is wrong in all respects and is not excusable but you should have thought about your disability when packing your luggage. If your back disables you from lifting your own suitcase into the bins, then you should have checked your suitcase and not rolled it aboard and carry on a much smaller bag with your necessary essentials.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">United's overall response was just crazy and unfortunately I do believe that a flight attendant and an agent would possibly respond to a passenger the way they responded to you! Your case is not singular and not the last one people will read about. I know as a flight attendant you have to be very careful when dealing with passengers regarding visual and non-visual disabilities. Passengers also must be proactive with their disabilities and give the people around them ample warning without assumptions that help will always be provided or assumed. Just because a passenger is in a wheelchair doesn't mean they want or need help to move about but the person able to offer assistance may not know that.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So I suggest that "Evilpuppy" you may need to be more proactive with your disability seeing how it's not visual. It will require you to change your thought process about the way you travel so that people that are available to help you know that you’re not exploiting their services with your disability and you actually need help. Again the experience you had was all the way wrong and it should have been handled much better.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The flight attendant was wrong to a point in her actions and what she said but you did get on the plane assuming that the flight attendant would do the lifting for you. So in the future you may want to find another way to get your baggage to your destination i.e.. Checking your baggage, ship your baggage ahead via UPS or FedEx and only carry-on your absolute necessities that you can manage without difficulty.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I'm not trying to bash you (the victim) but this situation can be avoided well before passengers get on the plane. Hopefully in your future travel plans you’re more proactive and the crew on your flights will be much more accommodating to you and your disability.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The airlines as a whole are having a tough time surviving in today's economy and finding good people to run the airline is easily found and also easily forgotten. The airlines need to go back to what use to work and passengers need to understand that flying on the airlines is a privilege and not a right even though they may have payed for a service. Things like this don't happen everyday and hopefully they will be few and far between but they will happen again and I hope whomever reads this will think ahead to lessen the chances of this happening to them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As I always say: Be Proactive Not Reactive and Enjoy Your Flight!!!</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">BlkAv8tor2003</span></b></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial", serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 16px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div></span></span></i></span></span></div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-50142677138831248362010-04-06T09:29:00.004-07:002010-04-06T10:06:20.653-07:00Carry-On and Checked Baggage Spirit Air Will Cost You!!!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7tixVwBPcI/AAAAAAAAA9M/shOqOA80l4g/s1600/SpiritSanJuan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457063973281152450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 238px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7tixVwBPcI/AAAAAAAAA9M/shOqOA80l4g/s400/SpiritSanJuan.jpg" border="0" /></a><em><strong> <span style="font-family:arial;">Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!</span></strong></em><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Well the time has come and I have said it since well before the baggage fees went up, that the airlines would ultimately start charging passengers a fee to carry-on baggage! No matter how juicy the details or how many perks you may get by joining different flier clubs with any particular airline, you may end up paying to fly with more than a coat, purse or briefcase.</span></strong></em><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Does anyone fly like that these days anymore??? The days of hats, coats and purses are going by the wayside. 1960's style of flying is coming back trust me! Remember the saying "History Repeats Itself!" Well history is starting to repeat itself and it's going to cost you! So be prepared as gasoline prices go up this summer, delays will never go away and tensions of people frustrated when they fly are higher than ever! </span></strong></em><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Here is </strong></span></em><a href="http://www.spiritair.com/"><em><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Spirit Air</strong></span></em></a><em><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong> based out of Miramar, Florida with 40 destinations has started charging for carry-on baggage. They are the first U.S. carrier to institute this policy and it starts in August. The fees are listed in the article below. It can cost you as much as $45 at the airport to carry on a bag. </strong></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>(Carry-on Baggage: anything that you would have to put into an overhead bin) </strong></span></em><br /><strong><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em></strong><br /><em><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Spirit Air is expecting this to make deplaning the aircraft a faster process and boarding to be a breeze too! I</strong></span></em><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">f you don't know already, it's time to start checking your bag to your destination with FedEx or UPS if your traveling for pleasure. If your traveling for business you may need to carry-on your bags because destinations can change with short notice and getting a bag changed between flights can create potential baggage mishandlings.</span></strong></em><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">So the time to be more prepared is really here. Be ahead of the ballgame and know what fees may pop up on you when you get to the airport!</span></strong></em><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em><br /><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">I'll keep up on this and post any changes or differences that you need to know!!!</span></strong></em><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;">"Be Proactive Not Reactive And Enjoy Your Flight!!!"</span></em></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></em></strong> </div><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-family:arial;">BlkAv8tor2003</span></em></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><em><br /> </div></em></strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Fees for checked and carry-on baggage: Effective for flights booked today and on for flights after August 1, passengers on Spirit Airlines must also pay to bring on a carry-on above a personal item. This is a completely new fee for them, since carry-ons used to be free. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">To take on any bag aside from a personal items like purse or briefcase, you'll be paying $20 online if you're a Spirit club member, $30 online for non-members and $45 at the airport. You will get "priority boarding," however. Along with this new fee, the checked rates have gone up to $15 online for members on domestic/$20 international, $25 online for non-members on domestic/$30 international and $45 for anyone checking their bag at the airport. And that's just the first bag! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Spirit Airlines, this is getting prohibitively complicated! Now for the sale information...<br />Airfares from 1 penny: Perhaps we should be happy that Spirit isn't having another of their bawdily-named airfare sales, but there is just so much fine print to this one that we're tempted to dismiss it straightaway.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It's for their $9 Fare Club members only, and to join that club you have to lay down $40 annually; never mind that whenever we search for Spirit flights, we never see $9 fares listed for the $9 Club.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">So if you're a member of the club, there are currently a million seats on Spirit flights available from only a penny. But that penny can quickly become $72 no matter how hard you try. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For example, a one-way, one person "Penny" fare:<br />"Penny Plus" sale from Detroit—Las Vegas</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Ticket: 1 cent</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Carry-on baggage paid at airport: $45</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Fuel: $54.22</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Taxes & Fees: $18.70</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Total: $117.93 </span>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-51332574791101536322010-04-05T18:42:00.011-07:002010-04-05T19:39:34.097-07:00Vince Neil? Airline CEO...Yes It's True!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7qYB9p7b2I/AAAAAAAAA88/QCXsUYyB85A/s1600/vinceneilaviation2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7qYB9p7b2I/AAAAAAAAA88/QCXsUYyB85A/s400/vinceneilaviation2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456841058010492770" /></a>Motley Crue rocker and hometown hero Vince Neil rolled out his new airline fleet this morning, and with its rock and roll-themed furnishings and painted flames fuselage, he’s all set to ensure that there are music flights in the friendly skies from now on. Vince showed off his first three jets: a Hawker 700, a Lear 35 and a Gulfstream.<div><br /><div>Vince said “They are all now finished, all tricked out. We will base Vince Neil Aviation at McCarran Airport’s Signature Terminal. The Hawker will hold eight passengers and fly nonstop Las Vegas to New York. The Lear holds seven but will make one fuel stop en route to New York.</div><div><br /></div><div>All three are perfect for short, fast hops from Las Vegas to Phoenix, Aspen, California cities, Mexico and Canada. In fact, I took the Gulfstream down to South America for our last tour, and we stopped in Aruba for a few days’ vacation on the way home to Vegas.”</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7qXdAh1-XI/AAAAAAAAA80/ybWOUWprBIM/s1600/vinceneilaviation.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7qXdAh1-XI/AAAAAAAAA80/ybWOUWprBIM/s400/vinceneilaviation.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456840423126727026" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div>Vince provides the pilots and flight attendants for the private charter trips, and although his wife Lia and best girlfriend Marley Taylor of Zowie Bowie fame appear in the brochures, they won’t be onboard as flight attendants!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Vegas DeLuxe will have the full behind-the-scenes photo shoot with Vince and his planes, cars and bikes next week during production of the new promo video and sales brochures for <a href="http://www.VinceNeilAviation.com/">VinceNeilAviation.com</a>, which will be fully operating in the next 10 days. </div><div><br /></div><div>His new single from the upcoming album Tequilas & Tattoos hits radio stations April 6, but you can get a sample of the song and the video at VinceNeil.net. </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7qbL1gxIII/AAAAAAAAA9E/HlSHlf80p-w/s1600/Vince+Neil+Airline+CEO2.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7qbL1gxIII/AAAAAAAAA9E/HlSHlf80p-w/s400/Vince+Neil+Airline+CEO2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456844526158160002" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 324px; " /></a><div>Hackers broke into his Web site and stole the early unfinished song and video, so he’ll post the official completed versions next week.</div></div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-253817257643830332010-04-03T17:35:00.005-07:002010-04-03T18:20:05.655-07:00Distracted Flight Crew Belly Lands CRJ200<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7fgTg230TI/AAAAAAAAA8E/UyiXeml30hQ/s1600/Air+Nostrum+CRJ+Belly+Landing.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S7fgTg230TI/AAAAAAAAA8E/UyiXeml30hQ/s400/Air+Nostrum+CRJ+Belly+Landing.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456076099424866610" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b>Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!</b></i></span></div><div><i><b><br /></b></i><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b>As a pilot you get very busy right before landing, usually the last 20 minutes before landing and many things are going on before you even touchdown at your destination. So missing critical parts of the checklist can happen along with different warning sounds, warning light to warn the flight crew that something isn't correct for the flight at that time.</b></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b>Well here is a prime example of where the crew gets fixated on one problem and doesn't stick to the number 1 rule in flying...."Fly The Plane!" So hopefully other pilots will always remember to always fly the plane because there are two pilots up front in a commercial airline operation and one pilot can fly the plane and the other one can work the problem. CRM (Crew resource management) was developed to help among other things to delegate tasks, fly the plane and be able to discussion some solutions to a particular problem.</b></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b>Read this article and understand where the pilots failed at doing what they have worked so hard to get the privilege to do. Flying planes as a pilot is the biggest rush you can get that is legal and it only gets more fun the more experienced you become. If you have questions about it, hit me up and I would love to discuss it with you!!!</b></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b>Remember to Be Proactive Not Reactive and Enjoy your Flight!!!</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i><b>BlkCigarCzar</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Spanish investigators believe that the</span></span></span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> crew involved in a gear-up landing at Barcelona forgot to lower the undercarriage after becoming distracted by a problem with the jet's flaps.</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">As the </span></span></span></span><span style="color:#30256d;"><span style="text-decoration: none"><a href="http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/air%20nostrum.html"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Air Nostrum</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span lang="en-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> aircraft approached runway 25R, following a flight from Valladolid, the flaps failed to deploy to the 8° setting selected.</span></span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This failure was traced to actuator icing - a known problem on the type in cold weather - and on both previous sectors, with different crews, the jet had experienced flap problems.</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The crew opted to conduct a flapless approach, requiring higher landing speeds, in crosswind conditions; a preceding aircraft had warned of the possibility of windshear.</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Radio traffic was heavy and the crew was "focused" on the demanding approach, says Spanish investigation authority CIAIAC. It states that, crucially, there was "no indication" that the 'before landing' checklists were completed.</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">In the moments before touchdown several alarms in the cockpit sounded as a result of the aircraft's configuration, alerting the crew to minimums, terrain, and sink rate.</span></span></span></p><p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">CIAIAC adds that these alarms included a 'too low, gear' warning which sounded 15 times. But it states that the crew "probably confused" this alert with the 'too low, flap' warning - even though this had been inhibited.</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">"It is obvious that, either from excessive concentration or from believing they were not relevant, the crew did not manage to identify the aircraft configuration properly," says the final report into the 24 January 2007 incident.</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">With its gear still retracted, the jet landed on its lower fuselage at 168kt. This high initial speed, and subsequent ground effect, resulted in the aircraft's skidding for 1,900m before coming to rest just 250m from the runway's far end.</span></span></span></p> <p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span style="color:#000000;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">None of the 44 passengers and crew received serious injuries during the incident.</span></span></span></p><p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 0.13in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', sans-serif;"><b><i>Original story posted at link below</i></b></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="color:#30256d;"><span style="text-decoration: none"><a href="http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/01/340195/stuck-flaps-distracted-crj-crew-before-gear-up-landing.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/01/340195/stuck-flaps-distracted-crj-crew-before-gear-up-landing.html</span></a></span></span></p> </span><p></p> </div></div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-80709023980572501192010-03-25T09:03:00.007-07:002010-03-25T09:15:18.189-07:00First Female Pilot Selected For Red Arrows Display Team. Motto *ECLAT*<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S6uLeZQjcZI/AAAAAAAAA7M/A4dcuJvNVrk/s1600/5801_4ch_plane_model_Red_Arrows_the_first_electric_powered_Red_Arrows_in_China_two_pattern_available.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452605128154771858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S6uLeZQjcZI/AAAAAAAAA7M/A4dcuJvNVrk/s400/5801_4ch_plane_model_Red_Arrows_the_first_electric_powered_Red_Arrows_in_China_two_pattern_available.jpg" border="0" /></a>Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore, 32 yrs.,has joined the team, based at Raf Scampton- Lincs. home of the famous 617 squadron-The Dam Busters.<br /><br />Flt Lt Moore is a local Lincolnshire girl, from Stamford, last station was Raf Marham in Norfolk, near Kings Lynn., joining the Royal Air Force in 1998. Raf Scampton is situated just north of Lincoln on the A15.<br /><br />It is believed she will take up position RED THREE.<br /><br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o2kf2JjSEn4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o2kf2JjSEn4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Her father Robbie is a retired Tornado navigator,she has been married for 4 years to husband Nicky who works as a flying instructor at Raf Valley,anglesey, Wales. <strong>Squadron motto is Eclat-meaning Excellence.</strong> Red Arrows was formed up in late 1964. The name is an amalgation of 2 aerobatic teams-the Black Arrows and the Red Pelicans. The RAFAT has 13 aircraft., 9 pilots, and a Support team of 91 called The Blues (they wear blue flying suits).<br /><br />see Raf Scampton home page = <a href="http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafscampton/">http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafscampton/</a><br /><br />see Red Arrows web page = <a href="http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/">http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/</a>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-76048275647840012082010-03-16T20:17:00.008-07:002010-03-18T20:53:41.911-07:0020 Hours To JFK From LA The Trip From Hell On Virgin America Airlines<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S6L0YxJ81TI/AAAAAAAAA7E/vEJ0iK6apCc/s1600-h/virgin_america_can_fly.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 385px; height: 289px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S6L0YxJ81TI/AAAAAAAAA7E/vEJ0iK6apCc/s400/virgin_america_can_fly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450187205420832050" border="0" /></a><meta name="CHANGED" content="20100316;16340000"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in </style><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.2 (Win32)"><meta name="AUTHOR" content="Virgil Lovett"><meta name="CREATED" content="20100318;20423287"><meta name="CHANGED" content="16010101;0"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in }</style><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="en"><b>Stuck for hours</b></span></span></span></span><span style="color:#000000;"> </span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>on a plane!</b></span></span>
<br />
<br />The Los Angeles to JFK flight was diverted in high winds due to Saturday's nor'easter, which led to the airport slowdown of JFK in New York, forcing the plane to divert 90 miles north at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, where it landed at 5:15 p.m. and that's where passengers sat stranded for four-and-a-half hours.
<br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Virgin American flight 404 left from LAX heading to JFK at 7am Saturday morning, but for passengers on-board the total time, would not be 5 1/2 hours to their destination, it would take 16 hours and change and more delays.
<br />you would think considering the past delays, Virgin America would have had an alternate plan. questions will be raised regarding why the Virgin America flight even departed in the first place considering that Departure Management procedures where active early in the morning from JFK and many of the major airports in the Northeast corridor.</p><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.2 (Win32)"><meta name="AUTHOR" content="Virgil Lovett"><meta name="CREATED" content="20100318;20423287"><meta name="CHANGED" content="16010101;0"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"Because of 60-mph winds [in New York], the plane was forced to circle JFK until it was finally diverted to Stewart Airport in Newburgh — 90 miles north — for a 5:15 p.m. landing.There, the plane remained on the tarmac until close to midnight, passengers say. The airline said the wait was more like 4½ hours" as stated by a FAA spokes person.
<br />
<br />"The problem started when the Stewart International Supervisor came on board and told the captain and the flight attendants that no one's getting off this plane," Martin said.
<br />David Martin films a 16-hour Virgin America flight from LAX to JFK.
<br />
<br />David Martin is back at the Tribeca's headquarters of his video social networking company, <a href="http://www.kontain.com/">Kontain.com</a>. (He supplied the video.) In fact, it was on his website where he posted the video of his horrible weekend experience aboard Virgin America flight 404.
<br />
<br />Passengers became restless and hungry after they were forced to each just four Pringles each with half a cup of water, while one passenger suffering from a panic attack had to be escorted from the plane.</p><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.2 (Win32)"><meta name="AUTHOR" content="Virgil Lovett"><meta name="CREATED" content="20100318;20423287"><meta name="CHANGED" content="16010101;0"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">JetBlue, has facilities at Steward Airport heard about the problem flight and said they would take passengers for free on a 2 hour bus ride to JFK airport that would have them there about 3am.
<br />
<br />Some passengers did eventually exit the plane. In a statement, the Port Authority said, "Port Authority Operations at Stewart Airport finally offered assistance directly to the pilot and crew and made all resources available to aid the delayed passengers."
<br />
<br />Furthermore, we were told the pilot refused the staff's plea to leave the tarmac and pull up to a gate so passengers could come inside the terminal which makes no sense considering it sounds like the airport management gave in to let the passengers off the plane. I'll be interested to hear what the story behind this was considering the stories are flying from everywhere!
<br />
<br />Virgin America, meantime, issued its own statement and accepted blame for what happened:
<br /></p><meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.2 (Win32)"><meta name="AUTHOR" content="Virgil Lovett"><meta name="CREATED" content="20100318;20423287"><meta name="CHANGED" content="16010101;0"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>"We wish to further apologize for our handling of the delay. We pride ourselves on putting the well-being of our travelers first and making sure that, in stressful situations, we put our guests at ease. We clearly failed this on your flight."</i>
<br />
<br />The US Department of Transportation now wants more information from Virgin America as to why passengers were left stranded on the tarmac for so long.
<br />
<br />That's because a new rule, which takes effect at the end of April, orders U.S. airlines to allow passengers off the plane after a wait of three hours.
<br />
<br />Along with the apology, Virgin America offered its passengers a full refund.</p><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/4ae8d36a3102598f/4ba05ba9ffd80d22/4ae8d36a3102598f/19739a35/-cpid/ac5362867509a143" id="W4ae8d36a3102598f4ba05ba9ffd80d22" height="270" width="332"><param name="movie" value="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/4ae8d36a3102598f/4ba05ba9ffd80d22/4ae8d36a3102598f/19739a35/-cpid/ac5362867509a143"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></object>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-7694550097754493262010-03-16T12:54:00.003-07:002010-03-16T12:59:22.351-07:00Plane Makes Emergency Landing And Kills Jogger By Accident<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S5_ido17pfI/AAAAAAAAA60/nm86RNFmflw/s1600-h/Lancair+IV-P+on+beach.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449323072949298674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 399px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S5_ido17pfI/AAAAAAAAA60/nm86RNFmflw/s400/Lancair+IV-P+on+beach.jpg" border="0" /></a>HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – A 38-year-old father of two was jogging and listening to his iPod when he was hit from behind and killed by a small plane making an emergency landing on the beach, officials said Tuesday. <div><br />Robert Gary Jones of Woodstock, Ga., died instantly Monday evening when he was hit by the single-engine plane, which had lost its propeller, said Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen. The pilot's vision was blocked by oil on the windshield.</div><div><br />Jones apparently did not see or hear the plane, which was "basically gliding," the coroner said.<br />FAA records show the Experimental Lancair IV-P plane was registered to Edward I. Smith of Chesapeake, Va.</div><div><br />Smith was on the beach with his plane Tuesday and confirmed he was the pilot. He said he didn't want to talk about the crash and offered few details.<br />"I've got a lot of issues going on right now. I've got a plane that's all torn up. And I've got a young man that I killed," he said.</div><div><br />Authorities said there was also a passenger on board but did not identify him or her.<br />The plane started leaking oil at about 13,000 feet and tried originally to make it to Hilton Head Airport, said fire and rescue spokeswoman Joheida Fister.</div><div><br />The oil on the windshield blocked Smith's vision and he told authorities the propeller came off. When he tried to land on the beach near the Hilton Head Marriott Resort and Spa, the plane hit Jones and came to rest a little farther down the beach, Fister said.</div><div><br />The plane was still on the beach Tuesday afternoon. Waves lapped against it and the tail was attached to an anchor with a rope so the tide wouldn't pull it out to sea. The waves had washed away any sign of it skidding across the sand.</div><div><br />Yellow crime scene tape stretched from the water to the dunes to keep people away. Tourists walked up to the tape, gawking and snapping pictures. Other than the missing propeller, the plane appeared undamaged.</div><div><br />The plane left Orlando, Fla., at 4:45 p.m. and was headed for Virginia, Fister said. The four-seater plane has a turbine engine, can be built from a kit and can fly up to 370 mph, according to the Lancair Web site. The IV-P model has a pressurized cabin.</div><div><br />The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating, Fister said.<br />An FAA spokeswoman referred inquiries to the NTSB.</div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-38305318076733967802010-03-16T10:13:00.004-07:002010-03-16T11:32:02.529-07:009 Passengers Fall Sick Due To Foul Odor On US Airways Flight To Jamaica<div align="left"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S5-8c7ZjYaI/AAAAAAAAA6s/KQLEJnqdBPA/s1600-h/US_airways_boeing_767+KCLT.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449281279308816802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S5-8c7ZjYaI/AAAAAAAAA6s/KQLEJnqdBPA/s400/US_airways_boeing_767+KCLT.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> <strong>Flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Jamaica forced to return to gate<br /></strong> <br />9 people on board a US Airways flight from Charlotte, North Carolina (KCLT) to Montego Bay Jamaica were taken to the hospital Tuesday after they became sick due to a "foul odor" on the plane, officials said.<br />The passengers were complaining of symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic fumes, the NBC-affiliated WCNC news channel reported, citing medics. One of the patients was a US Airways employee. </span></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Flight 985 was scheduled to depart Charlotte Douglas Airport (KCLT) at 9:35 a.m. and was due to go to Montego Bay (MBJ/MKJS) on the Caribbean island.<br />The Federal Aviation Administration said that there were reports of a bad smell shortly after the Boeing 767 left the gate.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The plane pushed back from the gate and taxied out on to the ramp when several passengers on board complained of a foul-smelling odor. The flight attendants notified the pilots of the problem and the aircraft returned to the gate and those persons were checked out by medics. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The plane did not get airborne so declaring an in-flight emergency never happened. The pilots checked-in with ground control to taxi and then advised them of the problem and emergency services on the field were notified. Mecklenburg County ambulance spokesman Jeff Keith said nine people were taken to Carolinas Medical Center, but added their conditions did not appear to be life-threatening.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is not the first time this has happened with US Airways. In January, 15 people were treated after complaining of sickness associated with a foul odor on a US Airways Boeing 767 flight, WCNC reported. It's possible that this was the same exact airplane. I haven't been able to confirm this as of yet but reports indicate that maintenance logs obtained by local WCNC showed that plane experienced a similar problem on Dec. 28 and Dec. 30 on flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">US Airways' Service Difficulty Report filed with the Federal Aviation Administration says "a very strong odor smelling like wet socks and/or dirty feet circulated through the passenger cabin and flight deck" during Flight 1568 on December 28 from Charlotte to San Juan, Puerto Rico and another flight on Dec 30 On Jan. 5, when it was cleared for flight everything seemed to operationg normally then it happened again.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">After the January 16th incident, US Airways took its 767 out of service for maintenance work. When it returned to the air on January 21, US Airways reported to the FAA "a scorched odor...like a gym or locker room" filled the aircraft. Maintenance found no problems with the plane and it was cleared for flight.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On Jan. 16, Flight 1041 from St. Thomas was the next incident flight. The crew of Flight 1041 fell victim to a "fume event," the third time in three weeks that the aircraft, a Boeing 767-2B7, tail number 251, suffered contamination of its cabin air. The flight was going from from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands (STT/TIST) where it was met by ambulances when it landed in Charlotte (KCLT) and passengers and crew members complained of headaches and nausea they attributed to a suspicious smell. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Crew members reported trouble breathing, itchy eyes and stomach cramps. Two days later on the same route a "foul odor" entered the cabin. "Passengers and flight attendants were feeling faint and nauseous," according to the Service Difficulty Report.<br />US Airways tells CNN hydraulic fluid was released into the ventilation system on the two December flights. That fluid – Skydrol – is a known irritant to the respiratory tract.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Eight passengers were treated on the scene. Seven crew members were taken to the hospital, where they were treated and released. One flight attendant has since returned to the air, while the other crew members remain out on disability.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-19766286431560377412010-03-04T20:24:00.005-07:002010-03-04T20:37:11.339-07:00Flight Attendant Falls From Plane<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S5B6Q3l7nxI/AAAAAAAAA6k/PRYsTnwY0mY/s1600-h/Quantas+B767-300.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S5B6Q3l7nxI/AAAAAAAAA6k/PRYsTnwY0mY/s400/Quantas+B767-300.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444986379710471954" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">A Qantas flight attendant has fallen from a plane and hit the tarmac while shutting the doors before take-off at an airport near Uluru.<br /><br />The flight attendant was trying to close the doors of the plane when she stumbled and fell at Yulara airport, Northern Territory Police Superintendent Bob Harrison told ABC Radio.<br /><br />"All the passengers were seated in the plane," he said.<br /><br />"The attendant was shutting the aircraft doors ready for take-off when the ground staff pulled the ramp out - the stairway ramp - and unfortunately the attendant lost her footing, falling head first from the aircraft around about three metres to the ground below."<br /></span><p><span style="font-family:arial;">The flight attendant was taken to the local medical centre and then flown to Alice Springs with minor injuries.</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">SOP at Quantas says that the flight attendants do not actually close the door and early reports say the flight attendant was closing the door in some fashion and may have not been following company policy.<br /></span></p>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-14967154354857792182010-02-25T08:17:00.003-07:002010-02-25T09:14:50.350-07:00Girl Shoots Video of Herself While Stuck in PIT Overnight!<span style="font-family:arial;">Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 checking In!!!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">See this is what I'm talking about! If your going to be stuck in an airport all night long then why not make it fun? This young lady in the video gets stuck in Pittsburghs International airport for the night. Must have been due to the previous weeks Eastcoast winter storms and she made the absolute best of it. She had the airport as props and also as a co-star.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">All I can say is Bravo!!! Sometimes you can't change what has happened but you can make the best of it!</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Remember to always Be Proactive Not Reactive and enjoy your flight!!!</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong> </div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">BlkAv8tor2003<br /></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Making the best of being stuck in an airport overnight due to weather!<br /></strong></span><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xv1va9Jdt7g&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xv1va9Jdt7g&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-22863309741771141062010-02-17T11:57:00.004-07:002010-02-17T12:11:53.282-07:00Pregnant Woman, Husband Kicked Off Spirit Airlines Flight For Asking For Water<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S3w8Y8E4RDI/AAAAAAAAA6c/oXI0-_ln6kk/s1600-h/spirit-airlines.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439288849097835570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S3w8Y8E4RDI/AAAAAAAAA6c/oXI0-_ln6kk/s400/spirit-airlines.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Not just movie directors are getting</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/14/director-kevin-smith-too_n_461803.html" target="_hplink"><span style="font-family:arial;"> kicked off planes</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> for bizarre reasons.<br />A New York doctor claims that he was booted from a </span><a href="http://www.spiritair.com/" target="_hplink"><span style="font-family:arial;">Spirit Airlines</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> flight for asking for water for his pregnant wife on Sunday.</span> <div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Mitchell Roslin, the Chief of Obesity Surgery at Manhattan's Lenox Hill Hospital, says that after being grounded at LaGuardia Airport for two hours in a hot plane his attempts to get water for his 7-month pregnant wife were repeatedly refused.</span></div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Roslin informed the </span><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/flier_was_water_deboarded_CNZRo2wnWuKG6FIr0IgckJ#ixzz0fczbMLrG" target="_hplink"><span style="font-family:arial;">New York Post</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> that flight attendants told him that it was "against corporate policy" to give him water before the plane was in the air.<br />The doctor was asked to leave the plane after continuing to plead for water, and ultimately did so with his wife and family in tow.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>Hello All, BlkAv8tor2003 Is Checking In!!!</em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>WTH is going on when you can get kicked off for requesting a glass of water? Sounds like Spirit Airlines is stirring the pot with it's own publicity! Things are getting more sensitive and every little thing is setting people off everytime!</em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>I only imagine what is next!!!</em></strong></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>See Ya later!!!</em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>Remember to Be Proactive And Not Reactive and enjoy your flight!</em></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>BlkAv8tor2003</em></strong></span></div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439255304788097758.post-88353487075320807952010-02-17T11:44:00.002-07:002010-02-17T11:49:11.197-07:00Delta passengers receive luggage soaked in jet fuel<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S3w5UYmWjQI/AAAAAAAAA6U/Ol7y1VSHIdg/s1600-h/delta-airlines1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439285472320195842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FWlOxrKAkZE/S3w5UYmWjQI/AAAAAAAAA6U/Ol7y1VSHIdg/s400/delta-airlines1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>On Sunday, a group of friends were returning home from a vacation in Puerto Rico. Shortly after landing at Denver International Airport, they retrieved their bags to find out they had been drenched in jet fuel.<br />Delta Airlines Representatives had them fill out a complaint and sent them home with their bags smelling of fumes. They told them to wash everything they could and for everything else submit a reimbursement form within 24 hours. </div><div><br />"I'm not sure what to do with baggage that smells like jet fuel because to me that seems like a hazard and I should just dump it in my trash can. I don't really know how to handle it," Kathy Shoemaker, a Delta passenger, said.<br />9NEWS Aviation Expert, Greg Feith, says the contaminated luggage could be a serious fire hazard on the airplane, at the airport, and at the passengers' home.<br />A Delta representative told the passengers the soaking probably happened on the ground in Puerto Rico, meaning the bags flew with them all the way to Denver. That didn't sit well with Kathy. </div><div><br />"I don't think anyone wants luggage that's been soaked in fuel in the luggage compartment of their flight. I don't ever want to think that would ever happen again cause it seems to me there was enough luggage that was soaked that any kind of spark would have blown up our plane. "<br />Feith says the possibility of fuel leaking from an aircraft fuel tank into the cargo pit during flight is virtually impossible. But he says the airline should always try to find the source of any fuel contamination. </div><div><br />9NEWS tried to contact Delta representatives for comment but our messages weren't returned. </div>BlkAv8tor2003http://www.blogger.com/profile/17112757374517601018noreply@blogger.com1