Aviation Conspiracy Newsletter #450.............................................................................October 14,  2007 Past newsletters can be accessed at: http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/ACNewsmenu.htm  The PASSUR airport flight tracking system at many major U.S. airports  http://www.passur.com/sites.htm (you must have Java installed to view it). If you want to get the newsletter sent to you every week, sign up to AviationWatch. Bill Mulcahy rockaway@prodigy.net

Quote of the Week:  "We either hang together or hang separately," comment from a news story this week from a Greenwich, Connecticut politician on the need for many communities to ban together to fight the FAA's Airspace Redesign Plan for the Northeast

Airspace Redesign Opposition Gets A Name!!!

As Bill Sees It (Editorial):  Connecticut Leads Opposition To Airspace Redesign Scheme!!! I liked it this week when a Connecticut politician used the Benjamin Franklin quote ""We either hang together or hang separately." It couldn't be more aptly used. United action by FAA victims is the ONLY way to stop the massive FAA expansion of aviation pollution on the Northeast!!! Now what is needed is for this coalition to expand to include not only Connecticut, but New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware victims. It is a good sign that Connecticut and New York communities recently formed The Alliance for Sensible Airspace Planning [AFSAP] to fight the FAA's Airspace Redesign scheme.  The FAA is used to dealing with local community coalitions, but I don't think they ever have had to deal with a muli-state coalition opposing their effort to increase noise and air pollution on Americans. That prospect alone must have the evil FAA management scrambling for ways to deal with it. IF the current members can set up the coalition to include many states, with the goal of limiting aviation expansion and not just diverting growth, it may have a chance of stopping the FAA threat to their sleep, health and quality of life. British Communities Demand Independent Study Of Airport Impacts!!! You just have to look on the Internet for stories about how other countries are dealing with the health impacts of the expanding aviation industry to see how uncaring the U.S. government is about the welfare of American citizens. While the American government spends its time and money looking for ways to get around environmental laws to dump more aviation noise and air pollution on Americans, other governments actually seem to care about their citizen's welfare. I believe that is because other governments are not (yet) totally controlled by corporate and union interests like the American government is. More and more I am convinced that we are being sold out by both major parties. More and more people are leaving both of these corrupt parties. Unfortunately that hasn't translated into a new party being formed or independents being elected.

Connecticut: The Alliance For Sensible Airspace Planning Is Formed!!! WILTON — A 10-town coalition planning to sue the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] has a name and a lawyer. Now the towns, including Wilton, have to figure out a way to pay for what could be a $1 million fight against the powerful agency. The Alliance for Sensible Airspace Planning [AFSAP] chose Chicago-based Steve Pflaum, of the law firm of McDermott, Will and Emery LLP, to represent them in the lawsuit, said New Canaan First Selectman Judy Neville Tuesday, Oct. 9. The coalition is angered by the FAA's plan to reroute more aircraft over Fairfield County. Pflaum's firm was one of four which made a pitch to represent the coalition at its Thursday, Oct. 4, meeting. "It was a unanimous decision to select him," said Neville. "They're one of the top three aviation law firms in the country. "Pflaum is a senior partner in the firm and he has been involved with a number of aviation-related lawsuits such as airport expansion and airport noise, she said. Other than to say "we're moving forward," Wilton First Selectmen William Brennan (picture on the right) said he was going to wait until after the coalition's Thursday, Oct. 11, meeting in New Canaan before making additional comments. The FAA announced Sept. 5 it was adopting a plan for New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia metropolitan area airspace. The New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia Metropolitan Area Airspace Redesign will be introduced gradually through 2011. Editor's Note: That will give the people of Connecticut and elsewhere something to look forward to. http://www.wiltonvillager.com/wilton_templates/wilton_story/290034138080819.php New Jersey Town May Join Lawsuit Against FAA  http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/ridgefield/23701.shtml  Editor's Note: I didn't see in the story (below) that they were thinking of joining the Alliance for Sensible Airspace Planning [AFSAP] to fight the plan. If they don't I think it will be a mistake.

"Secret" Federal Task Force Looking For N.Y. City Gridlock Solutions!!! A federal task force made up of airline executives, government officials and aviation groups has been discussing how to decongest the New York airspace, which is the US's worst air-travel bottleneck. More planes jockey for space in the sky than the area's beleaguered air traffic control system can handle. The question is, does one reduce the number of flights, or are there ways to safely get more planes into and out of the area's three major airports, on time? The panel has been discussing both approaches during a series of high-level meetings over the past three weeks. US transportation secretary Mary Peters convened the group in late September and asked it to find suitable solutions for chronic delays at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and its sister airports, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty. President Bush has asked the task force to report back by December. But she also gave it a clear warning. If it failed, airlines had better be prepared to face a federal order reducing the number of allowed flights. Not surprisingly, the meetings, led by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), have been closed to the public. http://www.domain-b.com/aero/October/2007/20071012_government.htm Editor's Note: "Reduce the number of flights," no worry about that!!! Of course it was closed to the public, why involve their victims in decisions that affect their quality of life? Just another example of the arrogance of "our" corporate controlled government and the aviation industry that buys them.


California: Increased Air Cargo Night Flights Are Too Much For Residents Near Mather Airport!!!  in Folsom, El Dorado Hills and other communities surrounding Mather Airport complain that cargo jets already jar them out of their sleep and rattle them again in the afternoon and evening. Alarmed by the potential for an increase in cargo flights, some are preparing critical comments on environmental impacts associated with Mather's master plan, which envisions the airport growing into a major cargo hub. Sacramento County environmental officials will be gathering those comments during meetings Tuesday in Rancho Cordova and Thursday in Folsom. "Our morning started today at 4:13," said Folsom resident Charles Coalson, who has taken an activist role on the noise issue for years. That is typical, Coalson said. On some days, several flights go over his house between 3 and 6 a.m., with additional flights between 4 and 9 p.m. "It disrupts our lives," he said. Neighborhoods in Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Orangevale and Fair Oaks are on the approach to Mather's main runway. Residents in all those communities see cargo jets clearing the foothills from the east or circling in from another direction to get on the approach line. http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/428427.html Editor's Note: What does the air cargo industry and government care about people's sleep and health, there's money to be made.

England: Heathrow Airport Communities Want Airport  Polluter To Pay For Noise Impact Study: The borough's leaders have called on the owner of Heathrow Airport to pay for an investigation into claims that aircraft noise is negatively affecting children's health and education. Research carried out by scientists in 2001-2002 showed that constant noise from jet engines hinders children's reading and memory development. About 1,000 Hounslow children, then aged nine to 10, were included in the study. The council now needs £125,000 to conduct a follow-up study on the same pupils, currently aged 15-16, to see if they have suffered long-term harm to their education and general well-being. It wants Heathrow's owner, BAA, to pay for the follow-up study from its Heathrow Noise Fines Fund, which collects fine money from airliners whose planes breach airport noise limits. The council's executive member for aviation, Councillor Barbara Reid, said: "There is strong scientific evidence that aircraft noise can affect the education and wellbeing of children living close to airports. "I hope that BAA will show us that it cares enough about our children to want to uncover the scale of this problem. "It seems only right that money collected from the worst noise polluters at Heathrow should be used to look into this issue." BAA runs a £25 million programme to help insulate schools and other public buildings in the communities which are situated in noisy spots underneath Heathrow's flight path. The company would not confirm this week whether it would pay for the research. http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/display.var.1740055.0.0.php 

New Windsor, New York:  Airport Expansion Billed As "Quality Of Life" Improvement!!! NEWBURGH - On the same day he is scheduled to take the reins as the new head of Stewart Airport, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Anthony Shorris will address several hundred of the Hudson Valley’s business, government and nonprofit leaders at Pattern for Progress’ annual awards reception. “There is great anticipation among Pattern’s members at the prospects for Stewart Airport to become a catalyst for the Hudson Valley economy,” said Jonathan Drapkin, President and CEO of Pattern for Progress. “This will be a great opportunity to hear Mr. Shorris share his vision for our regional airport.” The reception will also feature the presentation of Pattern’s annual awards to seven organizations and one individual for their work to improve the quality of life in the Hudson Valley. 

 

 

 

                @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@     

                                                    Important Aviation News Stories This Week

Oct 11, 2007
New Jersey Town may join lawsuit against FAA
by Chipp Reid, Press Staff   http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/ridgefield/23701.shtml

Ridgefield appears set to join a growing list of Fairfield County towns planning to sue the Federal Aviation Administration to stop a proposed redesign of the airspace over the Northeast.

The Board of Selectmen gave First Selectman Rudy Marconi permission to attend meetings with representatives from New Canaan, Wilton, Greenwich, and Darien and other towns planning to pursue legal action to prevent the FAA from routing aircraft over those towns. Mr. Marconi said he expects the cost of joining any lawsuit to run up to $70,000 over two years. He said the suit would probably cost the town $30,000 from the onset, with additional costs as it progressed through the courts. Each town joining the suit is likely to pay the same amount.

“We need to let people know there is a serious issue in the skies over south Ridgefield, Redding and Wilton,” Mr. Marconi said. “The last thing we want is to get calls about airplane noise and have to say, ‘Oh, we had our chance but thought $30,000 was too much to weigh in.’”

The Board of Selectmen did not vote on the funds.

In addition to the towns’ battle, U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays continues to look for ways to halt the airspace redesign. The 4th District Republican joined forces with a pair of New Jersey Republicans in asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether the Integrated Airspace Alternative is actually the best way to improve safety and efficiency at the four major airports in the region.

Mr. Marconi was at a meeting Oct. 4 in New Canaan at which the towns, which formed a group called the Alliance for Airspace Planning, interviewed various law firms specializing in dealing with the FAA. In a strange twist, one of those firms recused itself from the search process because the FAA hired it to fight potential lawsuits.

“Now is the time to get involved,” Mr. Marconi said. “We’re working on a regional effort to help defray the costs.”

The FAA plan includes Philadelphia International Airport, Newark and Teterboro airports in New Jersey, and LaGuardia, Kennedy and Westchester County airports in New York. The hallmark of the plan is the re-routing and re-timing of flights.

According to the FAA, the plan “would combine high-altitude and low-altitude airspace to create more efficient arrival and departure routes.”

Mr. Marconi said the change in altitude is one aspect that concerns him most.

“My question continues to be, ‘What happens to the private planes operating out of Danbury?’” he said. “When the FAA lowers the ceiling on commercial air traffic, that is going to force smaller planes to fly even lower, and yet they won’t even address the issue.”

In addition to the flight paths, the Integrated Airspace Alternative allows for a doubling of air traffic by 2011 as well as a reduction in the distance between aircraft from five nautical miles to three. The FAA admits this would create more aircraft over town for longer intervals, although it also says it is the best way to accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic.

The new air traffic pattern would also allow commercial jets to come in lower on approach than the FAA currently permits. The current ceiling is 10,000 feet to 15,000 feet. The Integrated Airspace Alternative lowers that to 6,000 feet to 8,000 feet.
The FAA says the lower ceilings allow for quicker approaches and landings, allowing airports to handle more aircraft.
Congressional fight
Mr. Shays called for the GAO investigation along with Scott Garrett (R-N.J., and Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.). They want the GAO to compare the FAA plan to using market-based strategies to reduce air congestion. The three GOP lawmakers offered two alternatives to the FAA plan for the GAO to consider. The first is what the congressmen called “de-peaking strategies.”

”These strategies alleviate congestion and delays at airports during peak travels times, and can require varying degrees of government involvement,” they said in a joint statement.

According to this alternative, “Airlines may negotiate schedules, so long as government officials are present to comply with antitrust laws.” A government agency — they did not specify which one — could also “offer de-peaking incentives such as peak hour pricing to reduce scheduling demand, which is known as congestion pricing.”

A second alternative is “slots and quotas.” Under this plan, the FAA or airports could assign slots to airlines and place quotas or limits on how many could operate out of any particular airport.

The only airport in the country that currently uses slots is Washington Reagan National Airport, the congressmen said.
The three Republicans offered the amendment to House Resolution 2881, the FAA Reauthorization Act.