Quote of the Week

Aviation Conspiracy Newsletter #462........................................................................January 6, 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: "One of our goals in forming this alliance was to provide an education tool for our many concerned constituents so that they may inform themselves on this current threat to their communities and become involved in meaningful ways," from a story this week on the formation of a new organization to fight the airspace redesign plan

As Bill Sees It (Editorial): FAA Experts At Using The "Boiled Frog" Expansion Method!!! The Airspace Redesign Plan for the northeast region has gone into effect and (of course) there is no outcry about the sudden increase in noisy planes over their heads by the impacted communities. That is because the FAA has probably not moved the routing of one plane...yet. Their whole purpose was to get the routes changed. Now that they've done it they have all the time in the world to actually move the planes over the heads of new victims. The FAA knows their new victims would be waiting for the planes to start flying over their communities to start a new round of angry opposition to the planes. These creeps have a method of dealing with this community response, it is called the "boiled frog" expansion method. It works like this: "if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out right away to escape the danger. But, if you put a frog in a kettle that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant, and then you gradually heat the kettle until it starts boiling, the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late. The frog's (and people's) survival instincts are geared towards detecting sudden changes." So the people who are wondering what all the fuss was about because there are no planes going over their heads will eventually wake up (pardon the pun) to the fact that silent nights (and days) in their lives are a thing of the past. This may take a few years, but the FAA, like the devil, is patient. But Is Airspace Redesign Opposition Uniting ALL Impacted Communities? While I'm glad to see that a formal coalition has formed to fight the FAA's Airspace Redesign scheme I don't know why it isn't including more communities and more states. Right now the Alliance for Sensible Airspace Planning (AfSAP) represents chief elected officials and residents of 14 cities and towns (mostly Connecticut): Bridgewater, Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, New Milford, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, Wilton Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford and Pound Ridge, N.Y. Why aren't they joining other states and communities in fighting the FAA scheme? Playing the FAA's game of playing one community against another, except this time it is one region against another, is not a smart, winning strategy.

Letter To The Editor On FAA's Airspace Redesign Scheme!!!! Re: "Battle over flight paths in region heats up" (C-P, Dec. 21). It is amazing to me that the Federal Aviation Administration is moving forward with its airspace redesign plan in the face of insufficient planning and incomplete consideration of the issues. They have failed to consider noise and air pollution over highly populated areas and even the voices of the air traffic controllers. Politicians of both parties are lined up against this plan in state after state. It's astonishing a government agency, theoretically representing the work we citizens need done, would move forward so imperturbably in the face of so much active negative feedback. Who authorized the FAA to act against the public interest with such conviction and force? JEANETTE MACNEILLE Millbourne, Pa. http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/OPINION/712310307/1047

Airline To Test Anti-missile System: Up to three American Airlines jets carrying passengers will be fitted with anti-missile technology this spring in the latest phase of testing technology to protect commercial planes from attack. An American Airlines spokesman said the test will determine how well the anti-missile system holds up under the rigors of flight. The first Boeing 767-200 will be equipped in April or later, said the airline spokesman, Tim Wagner. American operates the Boeing model between New York and San Francisco and Los Angeles. American said it is "not in favour" of putting anti-missile systems on commercial planes but agreed to take part in the tests to understand technologies that might be available in the future. The technology is intended to stop a missile attack by detecting heat given off from the rocket, then firing a laser beam that jams the missile's guidance system. The device on the belly of the Boeing 767-200 aircraft will be operational but will not be tested on regular flights, Wagner said. The use of a signal to mimic a missile attack has already been tested in the air, Wagner said. http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gmpge47-V6o_6hPh5fEYi8Qzpb0w

Article Last Updated: 01/03/2008 06:18:04 PM EST

http://www.newcanaannews-review.com/ci_7873789

The Alliance for Sensible Airspace Planning (AfSAP) has announced the launch of a campaign Web site, www.sensibleairspace.org . The site will serve as a central location for the AfSAP campaign to educate affected constituents about the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) flight path redesign plan. The FAA plan threatens to cause safety and environmental concerns to numerous densely populated regions of Connecticut and New York, according to AfSAP.

"One of our goals in forming this alliance was to provide an education tool for our many concerned constituents so that they may inform themselves on this current threat to their communities and become involved in meaningful ways," said Rudy Marconi, AfSAP chairman and first selectman of Ridgefield. "Sensibleairspace.org is a Web site where constituents can receive updates on the campaign's current events, as well as contact their congressional leaders on behalf of their communities that will be negatively affected by the FAA redesign plan."

"I am very pleased with the content and quality of the information available on the website," said former New Canaan First Selectman Judy Neville, AfSAP chief operating officer. "Residents should take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the facts and our progress on this very critical issue, and what they can do to make a difference."

AfSAP represents the chief elected officials and residents of 14 cities and towns: Bridgewater, Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, New Milford, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, Wilton Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford and Pound Ridge, N.Y., all of whom have come together to oppose the FAA's airspace redesign proposal. The alliance opposes the redesign plan because these communities will be adversely affected by the FAA's proposal to re-route numerous flights over their communities, as well as create a new holding pattern at very low altitudes. The FAA's plan will have unacceptable health, safety, environmental, noise, and quality-of-life impacts on the region represented by the alliance, AfSAP said.

Both AfSAP and the state of Connecticut have filed suits against the FAA, intended to halt the new FAA flight path plan.

The Boiled Frog Method Of Aviation Expansion