The FlightTimes Our Sponsors     The nearest thing to flying without leaving the ground GHOSTS 2004 Calendar ...got to have it The real true and only ALLARD. Power on Tap! Be sure to order the definitive book on Turbo Power. C-119 Compliments of www.ac-119gunships.com   Read the Review "Shadows of Saigon" A-36A Invader - Compliments of GHOSTS Behind the scenes News... Sun Mar 28 2004 Warbird Alley: Privately-owned, vintage, ex-military aircraft ...News Flash: Threat to Warbird Rides: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering revising regulations which govern the operation of vintage, antique and warbird aircraft used to give rides. The proposals would effectively eliminate the ability to give rides in the USA. Several large aviation organizations are battling the proposal, and your help is needed. You can learn more about the FAA's proposal, and find out how to comment, by going to the National Air Tours site. Rolls-Royce Sonsors National Aviation Heritage Invitational Chantilly, VA, USA -- Rolls-Royce announced today that the National Aviation Heritage Invitational - Eastern Regional competition will be held at the Dayton Air Races and Air Show, Dayton, OH on July 15 - 18, 2004, and the Western Regional will take place on September 16 - 19, 2004, in conjunction with the Reno Air Races, Reno, NV. Aircraft operators, restorers and owners of fully restored vintage aircraft in original flying condition can enter either Invitational in one of three entry categories: Antique (early aircraft to 1935); Classic (post 1935); and Military (all warbirds).  Each aircraft must be 45 years old, or older, to compete in the Invitational.  Entrants will compete to win first place in-category, the "People's Choice Award" by majority popular vote and the prestigious first-in-competition trophy, the Rolls-Royce Aviation Heritage Trophy. The owner of the winning aircraft is presented with a keeper trophy and is recognized on the Rolls-Royce Aviation Heritage Trophy with a detailed plaque.  When not on display at the Invitational, the trophy is on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. A National Aviation Hall of Fame enshrine will present all trophies during an award ceremony held on the last day of each competition.  Former master of ceremonies included highly prominent figures in aviation such as: Neil Armstrong; Jim Lovell; Paul Tibbets; Frank Borman; Bob Hoover and Gene Cernan. Entry applications, details on eligibility and judging criteria are available at www.heritagetrophy.org http://www.heritagetrophy.org . Eastern Regional applications must be submitted no later than June 30, 2004. The application deadline for the Western Regional is August 23, 2004.  No more than 50 aircraft are selected for each Invitational. To be considered, the aircraft must be of a type flying at least 45 years prior to the year of entry and may not be a participant in air races. For further information contact: Invitational Coordinator Tel: 1-800-274-JETS or (703) 834-1700... Special Feature: "Red Jet Over Lincoln Land" -- Associate Editor Job Conger describes an air-to-air photo mission with an F-86 and a Folland Gnat .... Mn/DOT - Office of Aeronautics - Events and Promotions ....."Wings" Safety Seminar Saint Cloud State University. (March 30, 2004) "Wings" Safety Seminar Forest Lake H.S. April 17, 9:00 - Noon. More to follow Flying Cloud 25th Annual Aviation Safety Seminar May 6, 2004, 7:00 PM "Wings" Safety Seminar Madden's Resort, Brainerd (June 19, 2004 3:30-6:00 PM) 73rd National NASAO Convention & Trade Show , St. Paul, MN September 19-21, 2004 ... Just received Philip Makanna's new Screensaver - folks this is a must have! I wish I could take picture of planes like he does. He has gone to great expense to fly alongside the oldtimers and the planes just leap out off the screen at you.....  do me a favour and go to his website and order a copy, it's worth every penny ... Thanks - James AOPA Online - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association home page ...  Automatic Annual Renewal... Postcards Online... Members: New " Postcards Online " features on Catalina Island, California ; Austin-Fredericksburg-Lockhart, Texas ; and Tangier Island, Virginia , are now available.... 21 days and counting: AOPA Day at Sun 'n Fun is coming!... Look for AOPA's big yellow tent, seen here at Oshkosh, at this year's Sun 'n Fun. Mar. 26 — Springtime! The famous cherry blossoms in the nation's capital are about to burst forth. So are the aircraft that have sat dormant in their hangars all winter long. And down in Lakeland, Florida, they're getting ready for the first-ever AOPA Day at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In. From the moment AOPA members approach the entrance gate on Friday, April 16, and get $5 off admission, they'll know they're in for a special day. "This is the first time in Sun 'n Fun's history that a day has been set aside to honor a single organization," said AOPA President Phil Boyer, "and we sincerely appreciate this wonderful tribute to our more than 400,000 members." Congress, AOPA keep pressure on FAA over charity/sightseeing rule Mar. 26 — The FAA continues to draw fire from Capitol Hill, from AOPA, and from pilots over its proposed charity/sightseeing rule, which would drive hundreds of Part 91 sightseeing operators out of business and make thousands of pilots ineligible to help charities raise funds by offering flights for donations. "This rule hurts pilots, cripples charity fundraising efforts, and exterminates hundreds of small businesses," said AOPA Senior Vice President of Government and Technical Affairs Andy Cebula. "It's taking a concerted effort by Congress, by AOPA and other aviation groups, and by pilots to make the FAA understand that this is a bad and unnecessary rule." Sport Pilot rule makes U-turn in rulemaking process, now back at FAA Mar. 25 — The FAA has temporarily withdrawn the proposed Sport Pilot rule from consideration by the federal Office of Management and Budget. Just before a 90-day review period expired, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey ordered the proposal withdrawn so that the agency could answer questions about the economic cost/benefits of the pending rule raised during the OMB review. The White House, through OMB, evaluates all proposed and pending final rules, examining the cost and benefits of regulatory agency actions. Their review is essentially the final step in the Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft approval process. AOPA has been advocating on behalf of the Sport Pilot rule in large part because of the proposal's recognition that a driver's license is adequate evidence of medical fitness to fly. In accordance with FAR 61.53 , pilots must continually self-certify their medical fitness and must ground themselves if they know or have reason to know of any medical condition that would make them unable to meet the medical requirements. [See also AOPA's regulatory brief on Sport Pilot.]... AOPA Regional Affairs Click on map for more regional news. AOPA — State by State NEW YORK: AOPA fights for GA tax break in New York [ ] FLORIDA: AOPA urges caution as Fla. airport authority considers moving airport [ ] MARYLAND: AOPA helps derail two anti-pilot measures in Maryland [ ] KENTUCKY: AOPA, FAA warn Kentucky funds transfer may violate state, federal laws [ ] NTSB: 2003 general aviation accident rate essentially unchanged Mar. 23 — Preliminary numbers from the National Transportation Safety Board indicate that aviation education efforts continue to pay off, with the 2003 general aviation (GA) accident rate hovering near an all-time low, says the AOPA Air Safety Foundation. The NTSB-reported 2003 accident rate for general aviation (which includes all flying except scheduled air carrier and military flights) was 6.71 accidents per 100,000 flight hours, up from 6.69 accidents per 100,000 flight hours in 2002. The rate of fatal accidents also rose slightly, from 1.33 to 1.36 per 100,000 flight hours. Air Force Link ... ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Senior Airman William Fay inspects the warning light inside the wheel well of a B-52 Stratofortress bomber during night flying here. He is a 5th Bomb Wing crew chief deployed from Minot Air Force Base, N.D.... Vice president visits base in Ohio WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) Vice President Dick Cheney expressed his appreciation for the Airmen and community here during a visit March 26. Joint Strike Fighter under attack on Capitol Hill A senior Air Force official told lawmakers March 25 that the service would not be interested in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter if a technical glitch could not be overcome or if program funds were cut off. ‘Dirt Boyz’ digging in MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) Airmen of the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron woke up to a South Dakota blizzard which closed sections of Interstate 90 and the Rapid City airport. Within a week, some of the same Airmen began waking up in the snow-covered foothills of the Ala Too Mountains in Kyrgyzstan as part of the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. Translator’s pretrial hearing continues TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) Senior Airman Ahmad I. Al Halabi is escorted from the court room building here March 24 after a pretrial hearing. Group reflects on OIF mission one year later March 27 holds special meaning for people of the 86th Contingency Response Group; it marks an accomplishment they made during Operation Iraqi Freedom. April issue of Citizen Airman available online ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) For the past 33-plus years, Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III has been contributing to the Air Force mission as a reservist, with the last five-plus years as the commander of Air Force Reserve Command and chief of Air Force Reserve. Dynamic mission planning allows rapid response HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFPN) Technology is helping put today's warfighters at the right fight at the right time with the flexibility to change target identification or redirect aircraft in flight.... Show for Friday, March 29, 2004... Welcome to AIN Online: March 2004 ...Be Careful Testing those 406 MHz ELTs Adam Aircraft Names Walker ‘Group’ President Engine Makers Peer Into Crystal Ball NTSB Reports Increase in Aviation Accidents U.S. and Japan Partners Set Up Charter Base in Tokyo (Mexico and Belize) Monday May10 to Saturday May 15, 2004 (6 days,1320 nm) From Key West and Brownsville Texas       CHICHEN ITZA, MERIDA, SAN PEDRO (Belize).  This is a unique Journey visiting the Yucatan Coast of Mexico and the Barriers Islands of the coast of Belize, the Jungle and the Mayan Ruin sites. You might be surprised to learn that the leg from Key West to Cancun is only 350 NM and that during most of the flight (200 nm) we will be flying along the coast of Cuba in communication with Cuban Air Control. This Journey is fully escorted. Air Journey prepares all paperwork, navigational log (tailored for each type of aircraft), charts, airport directories and approach plate. Air Journey also prepares your flight plan and will file it for you if you desire. In addition Air Journey will handle the paper work on the ground. We only fly in VFR weather Here is a brief description of the Journey: Monday, Day 1: Key West to Chichen Itza    445 nm We will meet at the Key West International airport at 10:00AM for a briefing. We will fly to Cancun (350 nm) for fueling, customs and immigration. We will then proceed to Chichen Itza . We will stay at the Hacienda Chichen in the heart of Chichen Itza. That evening we will have a Welcome Cocktail where we will get better acquainted with our fellow pilots.   Next we will experience the Sound and Light of Chichen Itza.  Dinner at the hotel Tuesday, Day 2:  Chichen Itza    to Merida    70 nm  After breakfast we will depart for a guided tour of the site of Chichen Itza. We will visit the unique Mayan site of the Yucatan Peninsula. This afternoon fly over the Yucatan Peninsula to Merida. Upon arrival we will proceed to the Hacienda Temozon and spend the afternoon at leisure.  Dinner will be served at the hotel.  Wednesday, Day 3:  Merida          Ground Tour Today we will be exploring the other less known site of the Yucatan Peninsula: Kanab, Uxmal and drive through unique Mexican sites. We will encounter Mayan Ruins where you will really experience the cultures magnificent detail and mystery.  After a full day we will return to the hotel for dinner.  Lunch and dinner included. Thursday, Day 4: Merida to San Pedro     218 nm This morning we will head to Merida International Airport for our flight to Belize City to clear customs, refuel and immigration before continuing to San Pedro one of the out island of Belize, Ambergris Caye. Upon arrival we will transfer to the Ramon's Village Resort, our home for the next two nights. No meals included Friday, Day 5: Ambergris Caye A full day of fun.  Today we will take a charter Boat where will have the opportunity to enjoy the crystal blue waters.  We will be surrounded by the second larges barrier reef in the world with unspoiled tropical atolls at which time we will take time to indulge in a with BBQ lunch on a deserted island.  That evening we will gather for a Farewell Dinner  where we will exchange stories..  Lunch and dinner included Saturday Day 6: Belize to Key West                            575 nm  Rise and Shine its time to head to the airport for our flight to Belize City to clear custom before continuing to Cancun for refueling and then back to our humble land that we call home. Our last leg will take us from Cancun to Key West before going home. For more details visit our website at: www.airjourney.com or call us at: 888 554-3774 or 561 841-1551   The cost for this 6 day journey is: $1395.00 per person (double occupancy) and $350.00 plane registration fee for a Key West Departure. Brownsville Departures are also offered with 1 night in Veracruz for an additional cost of $135.00 per person. WE CAN CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN JOURNEY OR YOUR OWN GROUP ON ANY DATES OR ANY DESTINATIONS. OUR CONCIERGE JOURNEY SPECIALIST IS SOPHIE AT Sophie@AirJourney.com Air Journey, The Private Plane Journey Specialist 4411 Beacon Circle Suite 2B West Palm Beach FL  33407 Phone: 561 841-1551 Fax: 954 252-3935 Email: Journey@airjourney.com WSDOT Aviation Home Page ...Missing Aircraft Located at the Bottom of Case Inlet... WINGS - FAA Pilot Proficiency Program, April 24-25... Back By Popular Demand! IA Re-Certification Clinic in Spokane Table of Contents ...EAA Members - Don’t miss the premiere issue (April 2004) of EAA Sport Pilot & Light-Sport Aircraft magazine. Add it to your membership today ! ... Not a member yet? JOIN NOW !... EAA AirVenture Museum Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Steve Wittman's Birth April 3-5... FAA Temporarily Retracts Sport Pilot Proposal... Action Allows FAA to Answer OMB Questions... EAA Sport Pilot & Light-Sport Aircraft is In The Mail!... add an EAA Sport Pilot & Light-Sport Aircraft subscription... EAA Wright Flyer Retired to Ford Museum... 'Angel 100' Reaches Goal, Touches 102 Airports... EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Air Show Performers Announced... FAA Administrator to Again Present 2004 National GA Awards at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh... EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan Forums at Sun 'n Fun... Two Washington State TFRs Reduced... EAA Meets With Small Airplane Directorate on T-34 AD... 2001-13-18 R1... on Tuesday, March 9... EAA Files Official Comments to FAA Opposing New Rules for Air Tour Operators... official comments... New FAA Small Airplane Directorate Manager Visits EAA... EAAer Sets Unofficial Autogyro Distance World Record... Record Claims... Pilot and Actor Harrison Ford Accepts Chairmanship of EAA's Young Eagles Program IATA - International Air Transport Association ...IATA Welcomes Canadian Security Charge Reduction- Further Cost Reduction Efforts Essential... IATA's 60th Annual General Meeting 2004 PAMA ...Two-Year IA Renewal Cycle? In the November issue of PAMA JetBlast! , we solicited member input on whether PAMA should request the FAA to extend the renewal period of the Inspection Authorization from one year to two years.  The response has been good so far.  To read the original text from JetBlast! and the responses, .  Additional input should be directed to PAMA President Brian Finnegan at bfinnegan@pama.org http://www.bell47helicopterassociation.org/ ...SPECIAL NEW RULE: YOUR NAME WILL BE DELETED FROM THE ROSTER IF YOU ARE TWO YEARS DELINQUENT AND YOUR # WILL BE GIVEN TO THE NEXT NEW MEMBER.  ONLY NEW MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE A FREE PATCH. ... B47HA ENCOURAGES PATRONAGE OF THESE BUSINESS SPONSORS (IN GOOD 2004 STANDING) #297 NORTH FORK HELICOPTERS-NY #299 EAST COAST HELICOPTERS-PA... #304 INDUSTRIAL HELICOPTERS-LA #414 UNIFLIGHT, GREG ASLINGER-TX #416 RF HELICOPTERS INC.-IL #423 DREW WIGLEY-TX #432 B&M AIRCRAFT SERVICE-MS OPERATION LAS VEGAS: IS A SUCCESS! Special Thanks to The New Whirlybirds & Steve Jones for use of his large N975B Model that pulled crowds in. LAS VEGAS PICS ON WAY NEW 47 SITE BY LANCE MORGAN: http://www.35ththunderbirdregistry.org/_Bell47/Bell47Main.htm B47HA INVITED TO VERTICAL CHALLENGE JUNE 12TH. MICHIGAN SUMMER FLY IN PLANNED TO HONOR N2838B  FLYER Air Portal - FLYER Diary ...'Free ''... 1-2: Lancashire Aero Club Fly-in , Barton. Free landing and camping allowed. Band and karaoke in the evening, plus free food. To celebrate 100 years of Rolls Royce. Barton Aerodrome 0161 7877326 16: Isle of Wight Flying Club Inaugural Fly-in , Sandown Airport, Isle of Wight. To welcome the new owner and tempt you to visit the island. Cafe facilities, 100LL available PPR 01983 405125 28-31: Annual European AYA members (Grumman Owners & Pilots) Fly-in , Grenaa (EKGR), Denmark. The annual bash of the AYA members - the worldwide association of Grumman light aircraft owners and pilots. Other Grumman enthusiasts welcome - but you will have to book in Ni Thomas +44 (0)1590 642833 29: Charity Air Day , Little Gransden Airfield. Flying display; large static display of vintage vehicles; craft fair 01480 392728 PilotWeb ...Cessna's big party 19 MARCH 2004: Cessna is inviting its one-million plus customers to a four-day event in May at the Wichita, Kansas factory - the first ever 'Great Cessna Homecoming'.... Tow to 25,280 feet! 18 MARCH 2004: Microlight pilot Richard Meredith-Hardy has reached an altitude of 25,280 feet while towing a hang-glider during preparations for his planned flight over Mount Everest.... Microlight pilot wins top RAF award 17 MARCH 2004: A Gloucester RAF officer who last year became the World Microlight Champion has won the 2003 Combined Services Sportsman of the Year award. ... Tributes flow for Glen Stewart 17 MARCH 2004: Tributes are flowing for flying instructor Glen Stewart who has been killed in a training accident.... 27/3... BAeA Dan Smith Memorial Trophy... Dunstable, Beds ... 29/3... Parachute Competition... Langar, Notts. ... 30/3... Aerospace Testing Expo... International Exhibition & Conference Centre, Hamburg, Germany , Germany ... 30/3... Parachuting: BCPA Foreign Progression Trip 2004... Perris Valley or Elsinore, California, USA , USA ... 31/3... CAA Safety Evening... TG Clubhouse, Manston ... Updated: 28/03/2004 15:49:08... Pilot events 2004 Pilot is proud to be involved with these great events in 2004.... Win tickets for FLY! The London Air Show Pilot has four pairs of tickets for the Preview Day (Friday, 16 April) and five pairs of tickets for either of the weekend days to give away. ... LIVERPOOL (John Lennon Airport) National Weather Association Applications due 15 April on two and 15 May on one NWA Annual Awards Program & Education Fund Grants for Teachers AVIATION METEOROLOGY HOT TOPICS LEARN MORE ABOUT TORNADOES ARE YOU READY? Have you prepared for severe-weather and other hazards? AMS TO HOST LIVE WEBCAST on the NWS PROPOSED NEW POLICY on PARTNERSHIPS 1-4 PM Eastern Time, 14 April 2004 http://aviation.org ...Aviation Safety Connection Go to: http://aviation.org Cockpit Concepts: March 25, 2004 Stress Management. This topic is a subject of discussion in the Pilot Lounge. The issue was raised by Ian Cope in the context LOFT training, and he asked for "feedback on training techniques for stress management during non-normal ops." Research and literature on stress are plentiful, but these efforts have apparently produced very little practical advice for pilots. Aviation.Org subscribers have varied flight experiences and have undoubtedly faced stressful situations in flight and in training. It would be interesting to hear how you have dealt with the resulting stress and any techniques or thought processes you have found to be helpful. Please go to the Pilot Lounge to read the current threads and to make your contribution to this topic. Site Update: March 25, 2004 Cockpit Concepts is e-mailed three times a month. This issue is posted to Hangar 13's Library, and prior issues can be found in Archives. News on AVIA.RU ...***Russian Defense Ministry Refutes Georgian Report On Violation Of Its Airspace [26 Mar 2004] The Russian helicopter did not violate Georgian airspace, reported the press service of the Russian defense ministry. ***Krasnoyarsk Airlines and Ilyushin Finance Company sign deal [10 Mar 2004] Krasnoyarsk Airlines (KrasAir) and Ilyushin Finance Company (IFC) have signed an agreement on leasing two Il-96-300 passenger jets. Flightsim Zone- FS2004 & FS2002 Downloads, Aircraft Panels etc. ...The Last Nor'Easter of The Season Posted Thursday, March 25, 2004 by This sunday, March 28th, the VATSIM NY ARTCC will be hosting "The Last Nor'Easter of the Season". This flyin will test your piloting skills as NY comes together to pile aircraft into the most complex airspace in the world! Be ready for traffic jams, high paced transmissions, and lots of fun! Come and bring the storm to NY's Newark, La Guardia, and Kennedy airports. More information and pilot sign up can be found at the VATSIM New York ARTCC website. http://www.nyartcc.org/ Updates on the PMDG 737-800/900 Posted Thursday, March 25, 2004 by Robert S. Randazzo of the PMDG team has kindly provided some details about their upcoming B737-800/900 for MSFS in their forum. The long feature list of this aircraft makes for interesting reading, and clearly demonstrates just how much work is being put into this product! He also provides details about upgrade paths for existing PMDG 737 users, so find out more by having a look at their forum http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=136&topic_id=42091&mesg_id=42091&page= US To Use "Express Lanes" To Cut Air Delays Posted Thursday, March 25, 2004 by Air traffic managers now have authority to hold flights at secondary airports in certain circumstances to clear up congestion at bigger ones in a novel bid to shorten air travel delays, officials said on Wednesday. The option worked out with airlines will give takeoff priority to flights delayed at least 90 minutes at major airports. They will then be routed through high-altitude "express lanes" to hasten their trip. The plan is meant to spread out waits and minimize the impact of delays nationally. There are 35,000 commercial passenger and cargo flights in the United States each day. "It's not just a question of redistributing the pain, it's lessening the pain for everyone so that people can get to where they are going," Marion Blakey, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, told reporters. Previously, delayed flights at congested airports waited to be scheduled into the normal flow of traffic. Reducing delays, even by minutes, saves airlines money on fuel. Late flights can mean higher costs for aircraft crews and maintenance, and inefficient use of aircraft. The new approach to briefly hold flights is directly aimed at operations of the biggest carriers, which dominate virtually all major airports and continue to struggle financially. But Bill Wangerien, vice president of operations planning at Delta Air Lines, said the plan was a breakthrough of industry and government cooperation that will benefit the entire industry. While far fewer passengers are flying than were before the 2001 hijack attacks and the industry continues to struggle, airlines are running nearly as many flights on smaller aircraft as they were 2-1/2 years ago on bigger planes. Lufthansa To Expand Polish Route Network Posted Thursday, March 25, 2004 by German airline Lufthansa said Wednesday it will launch flights from Munich to two new Polish cities next week and add another in May, in response to the growing importance of Polish regional centers. Two flights daily to the southern city of Krakow and one to the western city of Poznan will start on March 28, with a daily Munich-Gdansk service being added on May 3 -- two days after Poland joins the European Union. "We value Poland, as it will be one of the most fought-over markets in the future," said Ulrich Wachter, Lufthansa vice president for European sales and services. The airline said it expected double-digit traffic growth on its flights to Poland this year, with most of the increase in coming years seen on routes to destinations other than Warsaw. "We will see a decentralization, with increased competition on routes to other cities (than Warsaw)," said Wachter. Poland's air travel market will be deregulated when the country joins the EU. The country's first low-cost airline, Air Polonia, has already started flights from several regional airports in Poland to destinations in Western Europe. www.iwm.org.uk      ESCAPERS TO BE REUNITED AT DUXFORD FOR 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT ESCAPE "Digging was the worst.  You had a fat lamp by your head, you sniffed the fumes all day and when you came back up again you did nothing but spit black".                - Paul Brickhill, tunneller. Their daring escape was immortalised in the classic 1963 film The Great Escape which starred a bevy of Hollywood stars such as Steve McQueen and James Coburn as well as the cream of English actors including Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasence and Gordon Jackson. The actual escape took place on the night of the 24/25 March 1944 when 76 Allied airmen Prisoners of War escaped from the infamous Stalag Luft 3 prison camp in Sagan, Germany.  Only 3 managed to reach England and, of the remaining 73 who were recaptured, 50 were shot.  The escape itself was nothing short of miraculous and remains the highest number of RAF prisoners ever to escape en masse.   An Escape Committee, code-named X, was formed at Stalag Luft 3 in the spring of 1943 and under the leadership of "Big X", the charismatic Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, an ambitious plan to get 200 prisoners out of the camp was born.  Bushell knew that the odds of so many reaching England were remote but his idea was to cause the German administration a real problem, forcing them to divert valuable men and resources to round up the escapers.  Three tunnels, code-named Tom, Dick and Harry, were started in April 1943.  The tunnels were an astonishing feat of engineering, dug to a depth of 30 ft and shored up with wooden boards.  The sheer ingenuity of the prisoners as they made, stole or adapted what they had to make tools, light the tunnels, shore them up, forge documents, make civilian clothing and even their own "escape food" was staggering.  Heart-breakingly, one of the tunnels, Tom, was only 10 ft from completion when it was discovered.  The prisoners switched all their efforts to Harry, using the partially excavated Dick as a deposit for the sand from Harry which, at over 300 ft long, was finally completed in March 1944, having taken some twelve long months to finish. The night of the escape was bitterly cold - the ground was covered in snow and conditions were far from ideal, but the prisoners feared the discovery of Harry and opted to go ahead.  76 men made it out of the tunnel before, inevitably, the escape was discovered.  One by one, the escapers were rounded up, frost-bitten and exhausted, the majority of them being caught within 50 miles of Sagan.  Amongst the 50 who were shot was Roger "Big X" Bushell, who had been the main driving force behind the escape.   The survivors are gathering at Duxford to reminisce and also to launch a new book Lie in the Dark and Listen which has been written by one of their number, Ken "Shag" Rees who was part of the inspiration for Steve McQueen's character Hilts "The Cooler King" in the film.  At seventeen he craved danger and excitement, fast planes and cars, rugby, speed and women.  By the age of twenty-one Ken had already trained to be a Pilot Officer, flown fifty-six hair-raising bomber missions by night over Germany, taken part in the siege of Malta, got married, been shot down into a remote Norwegian lake, been captured, questioned by the Gestapo, then sent to Stalag Luft 3, where he participated in and survived the Great Escape. Fellow survivors will include tunnellers, penguins who were responsible for dispersing soil and some who actually escaped.  Ken himself was caught in the tunnel. Members of the public will be able to meet these men who made history as well as be among the first to have the opportunity to purchase a signed copy of Lie in the Dark and Listen. Tracey Woods Marketing and Public Relations Manager at Duxford says "These men were all incredibly brave and their sheer brio and ingenuity is staggering.  It is a tremendous honour to have them here at Duxford and to be providing the launch venue for this remarkable book.  This really does represent a once in a lifetime opportunity to talk to the real people behind one of our wartime stories of heroism and courage." For further information/images contact Tracey Woods, Marketing and Public Relations Manager at Duxford on 01223 499320 or Samantha Kemp, Public Relations Assistant on 01223 499375. Sam Kemp (Miss) Public Relations Assistant Imperial War Museum Duxford Cambridge CB2 4QR Direct line:  01223 499375 Fax: 01223 834037 Fsfreeware - Flight Simulation Files - Distribution System ......-  FSplanet Release - Catalonia Photomesh - It's here! One of the most desired Spanish regions by simmers. More than 32,000 Km2 in full fotorealistic detail (1 meter/pixel original resolution) covering the entire region of Catalonia. Our great LOD 10 Mesh is included. Available in CD-ROM and DVD Versions - More information at: http://www.fsplanet.com/mainstore9.htm... FSfreeware -  New Forum - Dear FSfreeware supporters - Today we have take the opportunity to install a new Users forum for FSfreeware supporters. The new forums is also translated in 47 Languages - including Mongolian and Chinese - to make the system as users friendly as possible - If you have any questions or like to contact FSfreeware you can now easly and quickly using the new Forum System - where registration is quickly done. If you were registered on the older forum - you must re-register again into the new system in order to use it. FSfreeware Team.... Mapserver Sheduled Maintenance - Dear Mapserver Members - we have started some scheduled maintenance to the Mapserver - We are currently working to update the main software platform wich run the server - - addition of extra ram memory - and other minors settings changes - as soon we have completed the Maintenance we'll put the server back online. We apologise for the delay this might cause you. FSfreeware. ... FSfreeware - Lwm - Vtp Scenery Releses - Dear Fsfreeware Friends and Supporters - We had recived quite alot positive comments regarding Lwm Vtp scenery - we had offered to Mapserver Members and Beta Testers - we therefore have decided to Release Following scenery designed in Lwm Vtp style:  Boston (release date 31 march) - - Hawaii (free to all Hawaii Photomesh registered customers - April) -   - As soon we will reach this stage we'll let you know of further releases designed in Lwm Vtp scenery. Usa 38.2 West Coast is expected to be completed by the 31 of march - will also includes Hawaii 38.2 m terrain.... FSfreeware - Boston Mapserver Members Preview - Available - Version 1 Release Date 31 March 04 - Mapserver Members are now able to Preview and Fly the new FSfreeware Age - Lwm Vtp Scenery  - Bearing in Mind this is a Beta Version and not yet the final product - - This scenery is FS9 Friendly - and fully compatible with all existing 3d Objects  on the area. Scenery includes: Custom made Roads - custom hand made Rivers - Lakes - Coastlines - Land Class - Full seasonal changes - Full Night Lights - Full autogen - Fully compatible also with George Grinshaw Boston Logan Freeware scenery - it will be the perfect match to complete the Boston Area. This Boston scenery will also includes an highly detailed FSfreeware Terrain mesh for the Boston area at 19.2 m. New Screenshots coming soon.... - FSfreeware Usa 38.2 m terrain - In light of recent and past events - we decided to Release our USGS 38.2 m terrain for the Whole of the USA - as Freeware scenery. The terrain is designed with the Latest and Most updated Usgs elevation models from Ned 30 m - therefore quality is assured. Files will be uploaded at regular intervals as we goes along with the design - You will be able to be directed to all the set of Usa 38.2 m terrain files sets - by a a simple click to facilitate your access to all the sets available - Ofcourse the files will be also downlodable from the Mapserver where uploads are already started - and Mapserver Members will be also able -  as soon we have completed the Usa 38.2 m base terrain - to download Further areas enhanced at 19.2 m. We are currently working on the West Coast - and will start very shortly to offer you the first sets of files - - We'll also make sure that as many simmers as possible will take advantage of this Free for all Usa 38.2 m Terrain. Alaska wich was designed by the FSfreeware Team - again using the latest USGS 60 m elevations models - and resample at 38.2 with the SDK - will be also included as Freeware - - Alaska and the Usa 38.2 m - are designed to match our CDED Canada at 76.2 m - which also includes British Columbia at 38.2 m - - - Usa 38.2 m will also match with our 76.2 m SRTM terrains to give a complete and continue coverage for the American Continent. Distribution of Alaska and part of the West coast are coming shortly at FSfreeware - keep tuned!! You will be able to download the whole sets - from our FSfreeware scenery dedicated server - functioning at high transfers speeds. X-Plane .... And what do their pilots use to train? Yup, the visuals are X-Plane! Go to Microsoft for games. Come here for the real thing. X-Plane.org ...NEW Thailand Airways (Thai) Aircraft Skin For Boeing 747-429Pw. Capital Airlines Viscount Panel Update Eagle Eye UAV Capital Airlines Viscount C-5B Galaxy PRO Update XP3d A380 panel (day & night views) World Flight 2004 Air-Scene UK ....Jetstream retires from the RAF... Retirement special: ... Exit the Jetstream... The world in black & white - Swiss Mirages retire... Airshows 2003 DVD competition... (21 March)... RIAT - Make or break? Tim Prince talks to Air-Scene UK... (14 March)... Chateaudun & Bierset Heli-days... (7 March)... Issue 290 due 4 April Airshow Action Photo Gallery by Peter Steehouwer ...COMING SOON: VOTE : for the Airshow Action Picture of the Year 2003 Boscombe Down 1992 Welcome at Fabke's AIRSHOW page ...New photos from Brussels airport have been added...... *First aircraft for TUI Belgian Airlines will be an ex Futura B737 (EC-IPF) and will have a Belgian registration OO-TUI , the second one will be OO-VAS (ex Sobelair 737-800) and is already painted in the Blue TUI c/s...... *Second TLP for 2004 has started with many interesting aircraft : Turkish and Greek F16's , F15's , Mirage 2000-5's ,...... *Spottersday at Kleine Brogel on the 20th July 2004....   Brussels 14/03/04... Brussels , Rotterdam , Birmingham , Liège , Maastricht , Ostend , Malpensa Last updated 19/03/04... Last update of this site 19-03-04. Aviation Safety the monthly journal of risk management and accident prevention. ...FAA NOTAM's page | FAA AD's page | NOAA Aviation Weather page | NASA ASAR page... Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no cost twice monthly Business AVflash? Click Here .... April 2004 Airspace Paranoia Are the Feds really trying to lure us into busts or does it just look that way? Solution: Plan obsessively and question ATC instructions that don’t sound right Slipping Down Put a solid understanding of forward slips in your toolbox, sure, but remember they’re more useful as a tweezer than a pipe wrench Flying the Mids Flight-level fear? For aircraft capable of getting there, the teens offer the best compromise between higher performance and high-altitude risks Strapping In Seatbelts are in many ways more important in airplanes than cars. To stay off the panel, replace your webbing and use belts and shoulder straps right New Bag of Tricks More on Garmin 430 shortcuts, including intercepting radials, departure procedures, avoiding airspace, and marking extended runway centerlines Big Sky Fails Skirting under the shelf of Denver’s Class B and talking to ATC, a northbound Skyhawk climbs into the path of a southbound Cheyenne Plane Crash Info.com ...March 24, 2004        00:00... Off Galveston, Texas... Era Aviation Inc. ... Sikorsky S-76A... N579EH     cn: 760274... Galveston, Texas - Oil drilling ship... 10 10 ... The helicopter disappeared about 90 miles south of Galveston while on a flight from Galveston to the oil drilling ship Discovery Spirit. There was 8 passengers and a crew of 2 aboard.... March 10, 2004      20:42... San Diego, California... Military - U.S. Marine Corps... Cessna UC-35D Citation... ?      ... Training... 4 4 ... The plane, being flown for instrument training, crashed about a half a mile short of the runway while attempting to land at Miramar Air Station.... March 25, 2004 news_updates ......But For The Grace . . . ... Sometimes you see the wreckage and wonder how anyone got out alive. If this Beech Baron had been flying a few inches to the right, we likely wouldn't be wondering how Robert Hollis Gates, of Tehachapi, Calif., managed to land the plane safely after a midair with a Cessna 180 last Jan. 16. The Baron lost a section of fuselage, but Gates walked away with cuts and bruises. The 180 broke up in flight and the pilot, 40-year-old David Lazerson, a civilian test pilot instructor at Edwards Air Force Base and deputy director of the Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Test Force, was killed. According to the NTSB report, Gates said he was in cruise climb between 5,500 and 6,500 feet near Tehachapi when he saw the right gear leg of the Cessna coming at him from one o' clock. He ducked, then saw a dirt strip and managed to set the Baron down.... US Air Traffic Projected to Grow in 2004... Mach 7, 5000 MPH is NASA Goal... China Expected to Buy 1500 Airplanes in Next 20 Years... US Airways CEO Asks Employees to Cut Costs... Thur... sday ... Helicopter With 10 Aboard Missing in Gulf of Mexico... Six Killed in Kentucky Crash... Low-Cost Carriers Threaten the Big Airlines... Some Analysts Say Airlines are Rebounding... Traffic at Secondary Airports May be Held... Wedn... esday ... JFK Will be Ready for Airbus A380... United, US Airways & America West "Cooperating Fully" With US Treasury... British Balloonist Get up to 12,600 Meters in an OPEN Wicker Basket... Civil Aviation Deaths up in 2003... NTSB Press Release... Boeing Completes Fuel Tank Inerting Tests... World Airports Looking for Business Increases... Lufthansa to Offer Direct Internet Connection... Afghanistan Aviation Minister Killed... Is the Aerospace Industry Ready for Mars?... AircraftDealer.com - Used Aircraft and New Aircraft for Sale by Brokers and Dealers .......1969 PIPER CHEROKEE 6/300 for sale 1969 PIPER CHEROKEE 6/300... 1983 Beech King Air C-90-1 for sale 1983 Beech King Air C-90-1... 1977 Beechcraft A36 for sale 1977 Beechcraft A36... 1972 Cessna 182 for sale 1972 Cessna 182... 1978 Cessna Skylane RG II for sale 1978 Cessna Skylane RG II... 1966 Beech A23 Musketeer for sale 1966 Beech A23 Musketeer... 1987 Beech King Air 200 for sale 1987 Beech King Air 200... 1993 Beech Bonanza A36 for sale 1993 Beech Bonanza A36... 1982 Cessna TU206G Amphibian for sale 1982 Cessna TU206G Amphibian... Van Bortel Aircraft, Inc. Embraer ...EMBRAER 170 TO FLY FOR REPUBLIC AIRWAYS HOLDINGS Airline will be the second U.S. carrier to operate Embraer’s newest airliner EMBRAER ANNOUNCES FOURTH QUARTER 2003 AND FULL YEAR RESULTS IN US GAAP LOT POLISH AIRLINES INTRODUCES IN EUROPE ITS FIRST EMBRAER 170 JET The aircraft will enter into revenue service in the next few days ... ... LOCKHEED MARTIN'S F-16 PAVES WAY FOR FUTURE FIGHTERS WITH WORLDWIDE ELECTRONIC TECHNICAL MANUALS * * *  Support Cost Savings Could Exceed Hundreds of Millions of Dollars FORT WORTH, Texas (March 10, 2004) - Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has made great strides in preparing to introduce a system of paperless technical manuals for the worldwide F-16 fleet.  These computer-accessible electronic guides will eventually replace the mounds of paper documents that currently accompany each delivered Fighting Falcon. The F-16 International Technical Order Digitization (ITOD) program is paving the way for electronic manual support of next-generation fighters such as the F/A-22 and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.  In addition, it could save hundreds of millions of dollars over the decades-long service life that remains for some 3,000 F-16s in 24 countries.  One aspect of the initiative is validating the feasibility of creating multiple international versions of F-16 Electronic Training Manuals (ETM) from a single database.  Seventeen countries that operate the F-16 are participating in the development and test stage of the document authoring program, which began in 2001 and will conclude in September 2004, when implementation of the F-16 ETMs begins. Last summer, the U.S. Air Force and four other countries participated in hands-on demonstrations of the F-16 ETMs and reviewed the process used to create common and country-unique databases for F-16 manuals. F-16 ITOD responds to the Department of Defense's Electronic Commerce Initiative and U.S. Air Force's Lightning Bolt initiative for reduction of total military aircraft ownership costs. More than 1.4 million pages of F-16 technical manuals exist worldwide at maintenance facilities.  Each country that operates the Fighting Falcon has a unique set of manuals comprising about 250 volumes and 50,000 pages, making updates intensive, slow and costly. About 60 percent of the information in F-16 technical manuals is common across the 24 using countries.  Electronic formatting in a single, composite database will leverage this commonality and result in an estimated cost savings of 24 percent in the technical update of the data.  When you consider the savings on printing, distribution and technical library updates for hundreds of manuals at bases located around the world, the savings for the U.S. Air Force alone could be about $500 million over the remaining life of the F-16. "The F-16 is still in production and will still be in service more than 25 years from now," said Brian Landrum, USAF ITOD program manager. "The conversion to ETMs will certainly pay for itself many times over.  In addition, we are paving the way for the next-generation, multi-variant, multi-service, multinational fighter, the F-35." In a related effort, the U.S. Air Force is establishing an infrastructure to distribute electronic Technical Orders worldwide and hopes to have portable displays fielded in 2006. As prime contractor for the F-16 ITOD program, Lockheed Martin has made a substantial investment in developing a world-class publishing and conversion tool suite known as VISTA (Virtually Integrated System for Technical Authoring).  VISTA is based on efforts originally pioneered with the F-117 stealth fighter for its Interactive Electronic Technical Order system.  VISTA converts legacy databases and provides a standard electronic format.  It is currently being used at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company facilities in Fort Worth, Tex., and Palmdale, Calif., and plans are in place to expand it to other aircraft programs at Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Ga., site. "ETMs are the maintainers' contribution in the era of digital battle space," said William B. Anderson, vice president of Customer Support at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. "The F/A-22, the United Arab Emirates Block 60 F-16 program and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will use electronic technical manuals from the beginning. We look forward to implementing them across all of our fielded aircraft programs as soon as possible." BACKGROUND INFORMATION Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin, is a leader in the design, research and development, systems integration, production and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F/A-22, F-35 JSF, F-117, C-5, C-130, C-130J, P-3, S-3 and U-2. The company produces major components for the F-2 fighter, and is a co-developer of the C-27J tactical transport and T-50 advanced jet trainer. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin Corp. employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2003 sales of $31.8 billion. #   #   # Media Contacts:  Liz Brannan, 817-935-4833 or 817-762-1441 e-mail: liz.brannan@lmco.com Joe Stout, 817-763-4086, joe.w.stout@lmco.com Sam Grizzle, 770-494-3211, sam.c.grizzle@lmco.com For additional information, visit our Web sites: http://www.lockheedmartin.com http://www.lmaeronautics.com F-16 is a registered trademark of Lockheed Martin Corp. clipse Aviation | Articles 2004 ...Weekly of Business Aviation Eclipse Offering Inside Look at Certification Process Eclipse Unveils Cost- and Labor-Saving Technology Albuquerque Journal Eclipse Jet Leaves a Web Trail Eclipse Challenges Industry To Adopt 'Transparency' Eclipse Launches Progress Web Feature Eclipse Aviation Opens New Friction Stir Weld Center Another ANN First: We 'Fly' The Eclipse! Eclipse to Dedicate Friction Stir Welding Facility Helping Bring Corporate Jets to the Masses New York Times New, Smaller Planes Crowding Skies Once Left to Big Jets Albuquerque Journal Eclipse to Start Work on Jets Manufacturing Engineering A New Look at Aircraft Assembly... What's New... Vern Raburn commits to Transparency in Eclipse 500 program Vern Raburn featured in USA Today!... Bell Helicopter Index    BellNetX logo, click to see the world's first on-line helicopter exchange.... Sell your helicopter or buy a pre-owned aircraft on Bellnet eXchange (www.bellnetx.com). Over 1000 helicopters available now.... 50% bonus tax depreciation now available!... Latest News. Click to go to current press releases.... Bell Helicopter takes orders for more than 45 aircraft. Over ten new 427IFR light twins ordered and the First Bell 210 Sales. ASESA purchases ten new Bell 412EPs . Bell sells 600th 407 helicopter. ... Airbus - About - index ...AIRBUS COMMERCIAL OUTLOOK PROVIDED FOR WALL STREET ANALYSTS IN NEW YORK A top-level executive team led by President & CEO Noël Forgeard visited the financial centre of the U.S. to provide Airbus’ annual commercial outlook. Speaking to financial analysts in New York, Forgeard gave an overview of the current market situation, presented Airbus’ outlook for the near term and discussed key programmes such as the A380. A focus on Airbus’ commercial performance in the North American market also was provided. Cessna In the News ...   03.25.04... CESSNA DELIVERS 5000TH SINGLE ENGINE PISTON AIRPLANE... 03.23.04... CITATION XLS RECEIVES FAA APPROVAL... 03.16.04... THE GREAT CESSNA HOMECOMING... 03.11.04... CESSNA TO HOST DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL CITATION CUSTOMER CONFERENCE AND ROUNDTABLE... Delivery of 5000th New Single Engine Airplane Sikorsky - Home ...    Sikorsky S-92 Racks Up Double-Digit Orders Sikorsky S-76C+ Brasilian Deliveries Continue Helicopter Support, Inc. Operating in New Headquarters... Coast Guard JAYHAWK Saves Lucky Seven as Ship Ships Under HH-60L Medevac Gives Lost Snowboarder New Lease on Life Two Saved in S-76 Baltic Rescue JAYHAWK Crew Saves 3 from Frigid Atlantic Fate Air Canada - Welcome! ...Exclusive savings to Maui... $353... Follow the sun... Win a trip for two to Ireland!... Air Canada continues successful expansion to Latin America... Toronto Airport Changes on April 6... New Check-in cut off times... Increased non-stop service between Montreal and Europe airmalta - News ...    - Air Malta Adverts On London Buses Air Malta has made its first ever advertising posters on buses in the UK. 200 buses in central London and central Manchester feature an advertisement to draw attention to the high frequency of flights with Air Malta... All Nippon Airways (ANA) - Welcome to fly-ana.com ...Visiting Japan? Take advantage of discounted flight coupons throughout Japan. A great travel value! ALPA Portal ...ALPA Praises DOT Plan to Reduce Air Traffic Congestion March 24 -- The head of the union that represents most of the nation’s airline pilots commends Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta for his announcement to take new steps to reduce air traffic congestion.   ... Hawaiian Airline Pilots Union Wins Additional Pension Contributions March 17 -- Captain Jim Giddings, Chairman of the Hawaiian Airlines unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, announced today the union has joined with the Company to request a 90-day adjournment of a hearing on the Company’s motion for emergency relief from its ALPA labor agreement.   ... US Airways Unit of Air Line Pilots Association Reelects Officers March 17 -- The leadership of the US Airways unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) today reelected its officers to two-year terms beginning March 22, 2004.   ALPA Portal 3-17-04 - 04.HAL3 - Hawaiian Airline Pilots Union Wins Additional Pension Contributions... 3-17-04 - 04.AAA - US Airways Unit of Air Line Pilots Association Reelects Officers... 3-8-04 - 04.ATA - ALPA’s ATA Unit Names Negotiators... 3-15-04 - 04.ALA - Alaska Airlines Pilots Terminate Mid-Term Contract Discussions; Immediately Begin Regularly Scheduled Negotiations... 3-14-04 - 04.NWA - NWA Pilots’ Elected Reps Recommend Investment Strategy... 3-12-04 - 04.007 - ALPA’s ASA Pilots to File for Mediation Following 18 Months of Negotiations... 3-10-04 - 04.CAL2 - Continental Express Pilots Ramp Up Negotiations AirNav Systems - Media ...Mar 2004... AirNav ACARS Decoder 2.1 released with all previous version reported problems corrected and more features added.... Feb 2004... AirNav Systems has estabilished a marketing partnership with Javoradio. Javoradio.com provides access to a truly global network of remotely controlled shortwave and VHF/UHF receivers for radio enthusiasts across the world all from the comfort of your own home via the Internet.... Jan 2004... introduced new professional solutions. AirNav Live Flight Data is our answer for aviation professionals that need realtime flight information in a non-graphical database format.... March 2004 has estabilished a marketing partnership with Javoradio.com which provides access to a truly global network of remotely controlled shortwave and VHF/UHF receivers for radio enthusiasts across the world all from the comfort of your own home via the Internet. Visit Javoradio.com site... News Headlines ...Attention  a ll aircraft owners / AMO's Introduction of expiry dates to Certificate of Airworthiness U.S. Centennial of Flight Home Page ...Former Air Force Rescue Pilot Presents "Cheating Death" At The U.S. Air Force Museum... Gliding Magazine | News ... Pete Williams started us off on this series where we have asked Tom Bradbury, the world famous Met man, to interprete the conditions responsible for causing various cloud effects - see This is another of Pete’s photographs - storm clouds in the aftermath of thunderstorms just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Minden, Nevada, USA. Sadly this is the last time Tom will be writing for us. He has retired and will be a great loss. We are looking for another Met expert who would be willing to contribute articles and tell us the story behind readers’ photos. Do contact us if you are willing to step in. Navy League ...          ‘The Power of Teamwork’ — Not Just a Catch-Phrase Now more than ever, teamwork is a powerful element of our efforts to make the best use of defense resources and keep our nation secure. Teamwork is a force multiplier that is central to virtually every activity of the sea services, from hardware acquisition to tactical operations. The Marine Corps and Navy have integrated their tactical air squadrons to improve effectiveness, remove 497 airplanes from the inventory and save $1 billion during their “Future Years Defense Plan.” Over three decades, the savings will mount to $30 billion as the services avoid the purchase of unneeded aircraft. The Coast Guard has teamed up with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to run the Integrated Deepwater System that includes the purchase of new fleets of cutters, patrol aircraft, unmanned surveillance planes, and intelligence and communications systems. These achievements illustrate the rationale for the theme of this year’s Sea-Air-Space (SAS) Exposition: “The Power of Teamwork.” This year, as always, the focus of the SAS is the modernization of our sea services. The primary purpose of our exposition is not to praise technology for its own sake, but to underscore the importance of making the right choices about our future. The SAS exposition remains the single best opportunity for meaningful dialogue with all the parties that have a stake in ensuring that our maritime forces remain equal to the demands of the global war on terrorism and our overall national security requirements. Scheduled April 6-8 in Washington, D.C., the Navy League’s SAS is much more than another exposition. It is a gathering of all who believe in “The Power of Teamwork” to sustain and foster the maritime forces of our nation. RAM Mount Press Release ... I'm seriously considering taking Coverunner Radio to the Professional level including advertisers to support the costs of streaming and payment of royalties to ASCAP/BMI/SESAC.   Prime 24 hour Sponsor: . Starting with a 30 cent per 30 second spot, (4 spots an hour for 24 hours a day) on a 12 month contract yields $28.80 day/$864. month- with sponsor's banner on the player - Free production of two spots per 6 months with limited professional voice talent. The player will be imbedded in the Coverunner.com home page and yet still be accessable to people surfing around for a station in Live365. I'd be happy  with two of these accounts.   Primetime Ads 5am - 5pm PST plans (Associate Sponsor 6 mo. contract and Business I, II & III  3 months.) on the opposite end of the spectrum, I'll up the spot rate to a dollar a spot 12 times a day in U.S. prime time for a 30 day minimum. There are other offers in between with lower per spot rates but with 3 and 6 month commitments, that also allow a choice of 4 spots per hour in the 12 hour day or 2 spots an hour for 24 hours.   Primetime 1.00 x12 spots per day. One month minuimum 0.75 x 24 spots per day.Three month minimum. 0.625 x 36 spots per day. Three month minimum. 0.50 x 48 spots per day/4 per hour in 12 hours or 2 per hour in 24 hours with a 6mo. contract. One free ad produced. 0.30x 96 spots a day/ 4 times an hour for 24 hours with a year contract. Two free ads produced.   Non-US primetime 5 pm - 5am PST which is European Daytime can run an ad for .50 spot/12 times a day with a 30 day minimum= $6.00 day/$180.00 month. These could work very well for American artists selling CDs to Europe and other  countries in the opposite time zones. Great deal for European advertisers. However, most of our listenership is U.S. in the daylight hours based on my Coverunner.com bandwidth use monitoring and available listening data from Live365.com.   Braden: For forwarding to potential advertizers/bands: I'll graph and publish the schedule of rates on Coverunner.com soon. I may need your production services if I leave the country for sailing Central America.   You can produce an ad for your band or a couple of your friends' bands or your production co. anything music or ocean oriented (surfboard/dive shop, beach resorts, yachts for charter) and I'll run it for free until I can get paying customers. I'll use your ads as decoys for all target advertisers who may want to advertise on Coverunner and as a test for responses from listeners.   Deliver a hard 30 seconds: wav. files on CD.   Folks cc'd on this email of Feb. 8, 2004 (Cooper-Ross; Dave Comden; James Beam van Etten; Ferrera, Steve; Tom  Cahalane; Tony Irvine; TropicalDreams.net ) may also submit an ad with prior request for submission. I'll run it at my own discretion, with no obligation to you to run it and at no obligation for you to purchase ad space or any services, with the understanding that myself, Noel Diotte will be held blameless for any resulting injury to your business or person.    For those with no good recording gear or experience, I'd be glad to read & record the ad myself if you'll provide the copy. I'll run some music under it. Test your copy against the clock and leave room for a music fade up, pacing- especially music ads where we want to hear short bites of a couple of the songs. I can speed up my voice and become a nerdy sounding guy to fit it in the 30 seconds as well. But, we'll avoid that. I'll cut this offer off as soon as I have enough recordings to start.   A 10% percent  per month (as client continues to pay) finders fee is offered here for any qualified, paying advertisers you bring to Coverunner Radio for the first three contractual periods they fullfill. Could be up to $86.40 a mo. for three years or as little as $18.00 a month for one month. I'll be contracting with them to incrementally raise rates 25% as listenership increases by each 2,000 total listener hours per month. Before I have some advertisers lined up, I'll go on the air as a professional station. I'd rather at least have enough adverising revenue to cover the costs of streaming before I do go pro. Chicken or the egg?   I'll follow up with a formatted schedule of rates. If not interested, got your own eggs to hatch, just reply no interest. All help is appreciated.   Noel Diotte coverunner@earthlink.net CoveRunner Radio - Ocean/Island Music www.coverunner.com FLY SOUTH AVIATION NEWS AFRICA ...Gr4- faaircraft-aviation engines - century... "Letters from Kenya"... Degrees of Paranoia?... ABB Suspends Sale of Airport Stake... After 10 years, a haunting mystery ... Airline bookings flying on Internet ... Conference on African Aviation Future in Nairobi... Dasab Airlines Begins Full Operations... DCA-Emirates to co-host 'Airport Cities' meet... Dzokera, Zim officials tell foreigners ... Eagle Air Changes Website... Egyptair faces stiff competition, suspends flights to Tanzania... Gulf Air pulls out of East Africa ... High flyers kick up dust... Improve Airports Facilities - Airline Boss Advises FG ... enya Worries That Renewal of US Travel Warnings Will Further Harm Economy... otoka Passenger throughput on the rise... NCAA Explains Suspension of Slok Airline's License... No Conflict Between NCAA, Yuguda... North West signs trade deal with Canadian province - aviation to benefit... Panel points to fruitless anti-terror efforts ... Problems weigh down Air Zim's wings ... Ritetime Sues World Airways for Breach of Contract... Sports Ministry Owes K1 Billion for air tickets... Trial Told Of Smoking Objects Near Israeli Airliner... US aircraft, satellites track Algerian insurgents... Where the helicopter is king ... Why We'll Support Eagle Air - Lufthansa... 9/11 Panel finds miscues, no smoking gun ... Added protection proposed for UK air passengers... Air Force upbeat about Raptor... Airline flight struck by lightning... Australian security fears in airport tussle... Balloonist on a high after 'record' flight ... Boeing's unmanned combat aircraft releases weapon in test... Canada airport bomb checks affects all bags, cargo ... Cessna delivers 5,000th single-engine piston airplane... Chinese boy sues airline for overcharging ... F-16 pilot fights to clear his name in friendly fire case... False alarm forces Air France flight to land ... Grand Prix stops UK pilot landing in Bahrain ... HAL to supply 25 pilotless combat aircraft to Indian AF... JAL pilot faces jail over 1997 fatal f light maneuver... Melbourne Airport evacuated as coffin raises alarm... NATO Air Force begins patrolling borders of Baltic States... No Space Shuttle flight until 2005... Norway allows two Iranian hijackers to stay... NTSB reports increase in aviation accidents in 2003... OSHA offers guidance on protecting workers against Avian Flu ... Pacific nations face flight bans over security flaws... Plans to raise WW II Halifax bomber... Romania allows Bulgaria to shoot threatening aircraft... Sikorsky delivers first S-92... Top Gun for a day... USA 3000 Airlines policy leaves sportsman shooting blanks ... Venezuelan national soccer team gets its very own airplane... Virgin halts plan for sexy urinals... Weapons common at Tucson International Airport What's New -- Products and Services -- Mar. 2004 Each month, AVweb will bring you a quick survey of the latest products and services for pilots, mechanics and aircraft owners. This month we have a GPS manual, a vortelator kit for propellers, a ground-adjustable propeller and more. In some cases, AVweb has actually examined the product; in other cases, we are just letting you know it exists. Pilot-Friendly GPS Manuals ZD Publishing recently added a pilot-friendly manual for the Garmin GPSmap 196 to their library. Other manuals include the GPSMAP 295, GNS 430, GNS 530, Bendix King KLN 90B, KLN 900, and KLN 89B/ KLN 94. These 45-50 page manuals take you step-by-step through all the tasks. According to a reader who has used one, these are much easier to understand and follow than the manufacturers manuals. Manuals for panel mount units are $39.95 and for handhelds are $34.95. Harmon Rocket II  Parts ...                 $149,000.00 Harmon Rocket FOR SALE    Contact Wayne Frazior at  wjfrazior@hotmail.com Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum Newsletter Archieves March 2004 Newsletter is now posted. Last Update March 15th, 2004 BAESYSTEMS.com ...... BAE SYSTEMS Appoints New Chairman Flying Tigers Film This website relates to the development of one or more books or films dealing with the historical origins, exploits and adventures of the American Volunteer Group, more commonly known as The Flying Tigers. The achievements of the Flying Tigers are legendary. Their conduct in the face of Japanese numerical superiority exemplifies the essence of the American fighting sprit and ingenuity. Persons with serious interest should contact Mr. Alan Armstrong .... Airline Accident and Airline Safety and Security Information for Passengers and Aviation Professionals ...Most Recent Fatal Events... Dr. Todd Curtis to Speak at NASA-Ellington Field... Goleta Air and Space Museum, Home Page Coming soon: X-43A Hyper-X launch Saturday, March 27 X-43A Hyper-X mission II The second X-43A Hyper-X mission is scheduled for launch from NASA's NB-52B mothership on Saturday, March 27. It will be dropped from the NB-52B about fifty miles from the coast of Southern California at an altitude of 40,000 feet. The objective of the mission is to demonstrate air-breathing powered flight at mach-7. AeroKnow ...FOR LEASE: 2 bedroom upstairs duplex above the AeroKnow collection. Just received the thrilling news from the current residents that they are leaving at the end of April. This is a sunny, spacious place with a front porch that overlooks the yard, central air and three skylights. Rent: $650 per month, one year lease. If you are interested in seeing this place, call me: 217-544-6122.... http://www.wellsscholarship.com... "My quest is for some kind of timeline for... (Martin B-26) “Flak Bait”s period in theater.  Arrival in England, first mission, nose art applied... on what date between which two missions, etc.?  Is there any combat or flight log in existence?... I’m interested in building her, but early in her career, with far fewer mission markings." - Alan R. Millen AMillen@seic.com... March 21 -- List of references to Nieuport 17 March 21 -- List of references to all other Neuport ac  March 18 -- List of references to Siemens-Schuckert aircraft March 16 -- New additions to Wants & Disposals March 13 -- Pictures and news from a recent visit to Air Combat Museum March 11 -- INDEX to aviation articles in Fine Scale Modeler ... March 21 - 1917 -- The first British night bombing squadron was formed.         Soon thereafter, No. 100 Squadron, equipped (if you want risk hyperbole         in saying so) with F.E. 2bs and B.E.2cs began delivering the goods. March 22 - 1946 -- The first American rocket to escape earth atmosphere, a         Ford-Douglas built/JPL Ordinance-designed WAC reached an altitude of         50 miles above Earth, a feat not to be equalled until Dr. Timothy Leary claimed         to have taken a similar voyage when he consumed a cube of tainted LSD. (RIMshot!) March 23 - 1948 -- Russel Thaw completed the first flight of the Douglas XF3D-1         Skyknight. Four years later to the day, On March 23, 1952, the last F3D-2 came         off the Douglas assembly line, ending a production run of 237 Skyknights. March 24 - 1939 -- The first production model  of the sleek twin-engine, twin-tailed, and         tail dragging (on le turf) Loire et Oliver LeO 451, the best bomber  built by the French,          flew for the first time. March 25 - 1968 -- The General Dynamics F-111 made its combat debut when when         strikes were flown against military targets in North Vietnam. March 26 -  1992 -- Eric Sjoberg flew the prototype Saab 2000 regional airliner to an         altitude of 15,000 feet and speed of 160 knots during its first flight. March 27 -1968 --  During a training flight, in a MiG 21 if memory serves (If I'm wrong          about the type, please e me and set the record right.) the first human being to         orbit Earth died. His name was Yuri Gagarin. March 28 - 1910 -- The first take-off, ever, in a powered seaplane was made by              Frenchman Hanri Fabra at the controls of his "Hydravion" from         La Mede Harbor, Martigues, France. ESA Portal ...The Automated Transfer Vehicle... Successful testing of Jules Verne videometer 26 March 2004    For the first time, the 'videometer' (VDM), a new technology device to ensure very precise automatic rendezvous operations between the 20.7 tonne Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle and the ISS, has been successfully tested this month.... New Member States at ESA 25 March 2004    ESA PR 17-2004. In the course of its meeting in Kiruna (Sweden) on 24 and 25 March, the ESA Council approved the accession of Greece and Luxembourg to the ESA Convention.... Mir space station... Europe and Russia: a 15-year partnership in human spaceflight 23 March 2004    ESA PR 16-2004. Fifteen years of fruitful cooperation in human spaceflight activities between Russia and the European Space Agency have set the stage for even closer cooperation.... Press Release ......Black Heritage Event to Commemorate Haiti’s Bicentennial... MIA ROLLS OUT CUSTOMER SERVICE RECOGNITION PROGRAM... 03/15/2004... Rating Agencies Recognize MIA’s Cost Control Efforts PATCO News Page ...  Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization  TM... I ts the end of another week, and I am sorry to say Brother Mike is failing. The doctor's have stopped the radiation treatments as Mike is suffering from nausea caused by the radiation and pain from the cancer which has spread extensively. Mike has lost over 30+ pounds and has been hospitalized 36 days. The attending physician's wanted to insert a feeding tube to build-up his strength, however, Mike has elected to reject this procedure due to medical implications if he eventually went into a coma. I visited Mike yesterday, and I will see him again this afternoon. As you can determine from my above comments, the prognisis is not good! Joanie Rock expresses her appreciation for all the prayers, cards, and communications sent to Mike.   Please continue the cards as Mike is very appreciative as he  reads the communications from Brothers all over the USA! Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization  TM THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AIRSHOW PAGE Schedule updated Mar 21 2003 - reload for current issue 04/25 Pacific Cst Dream Machines Half Moon Bay CA PF 04/26 Camarillo Connie departs Camarillo CA EM (BL) aircraft leased for 4 years by Super Constellation Flyers Association, departing for Switzerland 04/26-30 EAA B-17 visit San Bernardino CA EAB 04/30-02 Wings over Gillespie AS El Cajon CA EM jostrich at qualcomm dot com 05/17-20 EAA B-17 visit Fresno CA EAB 05/21-23 Gathering of Luscombes Columbia CA FIC 05/22 PSAM Special Event Palm Springs CA PAM Pancho Barnes; flight demo Stearman 05/28-30 Watsonville Fly-In & AS Watsonville CA ICA/FIC 05/29-30 Moffett Field Airshow Mountain View CA TB/USN TB 05/29-30 World's Smallest Air Show Llano CA FIC Ultralights 05/31 PSAM Special Event Palm Springs CA PAM Memorial Day Flower Drop - flight demo B-25 05/31 CAF Special Event Camarillo CA VC_Star 12/31/2003 06/04-05 West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced CA FIC 06/05 Planes of Fame Spec Event Chino CA POF Air Power over Normandy 06/05 Hemet-Ryan Airshow Hemet CA ICA [06/12-13 * NAS Fallon Airshow] 30 mi E Reno NV TB/USN CANCELLED 03/17; will support RAR: http://www.fallon.navy.mil/2004_airshow.htm 09/16-19 Nat'l Champ'ship Air Races Reno NV Announced at 2003 show BA RAF Bentwaters RAF Woodbridge Twin Bases ...  - Updated two Reunion plans with more details. AVweb: March 25, 2004 Bird Strikes A Growing Concern... Welcome to migration season. The birds are out there -- even (and in some cases, especially) after dark. The conflict between aircraft and birds is a real and growing problem -- about 60,000 bird strikes to U.S. aircraft were reported to the FAA from 1990 to 2003, and perhaps four times that many went unreported. A 12-pound Canada goose struck by a 150-mph aircraft, says the Bird Strike Committee USA , generates the force of a 1,000-pound weight dropped from a height of 10 feet. Damage to aircraft is estimated at $400 million per year, and up to 400 (human) deaths have been blamed on collisions with birds. During the spring and fall migration, activity levels are high. Now new radar systems, being tested in Alaska, Scotland and elsewhere, might help to mitigate the hazard. ...New Warning Systems Under Development... Warning systems that try to locate and track birds in flight and communicate real-time information to pilots are still experimental. The Avian Research Laboratory , in Panama City, Fla., is working on an automated ground-based radar system to detect birds at a Scotland military base. Jerry Grimm, director of the laboratory, told the system is capable of detecting a bird as small as a sparrow up to two nautical miles away. But the equipment is subject to all of radar's limitations and glitches, such as clutter, slow update rates and poor resolution of small targets. Still, "it's giving a very good indication of where the birds are," Grimm said. ...As FAA Maps Hazard Zones, And Other Critters Intrude The FAA is working to develop a wildlife-hazards advisory system that would integrate radar data with the Bird Avoidance Model, or (it's not April 1, yet) BAM, that has been used with some success by the U.S. military. (There also exists a military Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard ... [BASH] team.) The BAM approach is not a real-time detection system, but depends on collecting and analyzing data to document and predict the presence of birds and map known bird strikes so hazardous areas can be delineated and aircraft can choose flight paths that avoid them. The FAA's BAM maps are available online , and classify the risks at low, moderate or severe. But birds are not the only wildlife that conflict with aircraft -- many airports are having problems with deer on the runway. NTSB Reports Slight Increase In GA Accidents In 2003... The number of fatalities in general aviation accidents rose slightly last year -- from 581 in 2002 to 626 in 2003, the NTSB reported Monday . However, the overall accident rate increased only slightly, from 6.69 per 100,000 hours of flight time to 6.71. That overall rate has generally been decreasing since 1984, when it was 10.84 per 100,000 hours. After a steady decline to a low of 6.5 in 1999, the rate has gone up and down slightly in the last few years. The fatal-accident rate has remained fairly steady since 1984, fluctuating between 1.16 and 1.84 per 100,000 hours. In 2003, 695 fatalities were reported for all of civil aviation, so GA accidents accounted for 90 percent. ...But Numbers Are Only Half The Story The NTSB numbers need to be interpreted with a grain of salt, says Bruce Landsberg, executive director of AOPA's Air Safety Foundation . "Although the NTSB reports rates to two decimal places, that implies a far greater level of accuracy than the system can possibly measure. The slight change [in the overall GA accident rate] may be due more to the FAA's downward revision in the estimated number of flight hours last year than to any real decrease in safety." To put the increase into perspective, AOPA says, there were six more fatal GA accidents in 2003 than in 2002. "The fact remains that the GA accident rate is 60 percent lower than it was in 1970," said Landsberg. Airline CEO Suggests GA User Fees While analysts predict high jet-fuel prices and weak domestic revenue will further cripple the struggling airline industry this year, at least one airline may be taking aim at general aviation to share its costs. "As the system works today, you, the commercial airline passenger, are subsidizing private aircraft ownership. This is not right." So claimed Richard Anderson, CEO of Northwest Airlines, in an editorial titled " VATSIM.net - NOTAMS ...Explore Central America Posted Sunday, March 14, 2004 19:13 EST Come and try challenging approaches and departures, feel the adrenaline while you land at Toncontin International Airport at Tegucigalpa, Honduras (MHTG). Experience the feeling of flying between mountains at La Aurora International, Guatemala City (MGGT). Come and try the gusty cross winds at Juan Santamaria International, San Jose, Costa Rica (MROC). Come join us March 20, 2004 20:00 – 00:00 ZULU TIME For more information visit http://www.vatca.n3.net Virtual Tower Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2004 21:50 EST Looking for a little scenery while controlling in the tower? Stop by and see what Wills Damasio and company have put together for the tower controller. AIR HIGHWAYS,MAGAZINE OF OPEN SKIES, TRADE AND TOURISM ...Langley AFB Air Show set for May... Cameroon: Africa in One Country... Festival of Guinea... i... Tahiti Tourisme North America Online Destination Specialist Program... 20th Anniversary National Space Symposium , Colorado Springs, Colo. ... Great Railway Journeys of the World... Rovos Rail, Pride of Africa... Wild Water Adventures... on Canada's Wilderness Lakes and Raging Rivers ... Africa Scene Website... Air Highways Magazine's... Air-Marine Tourism Conference... Field Trip Earth. An Update by Mark McCalliste The SKYRAGE Foundation -The RagePage - Comprehensive Air Rage News and Information ...Conflict Solutions Asia Leaders in Tactical Communications and Defensive Tactics EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2004 ...3 Months 4 Weeks 1 Day to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2004!... FAA Administrator to Again Present 2004 National GA Awards at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh... March 18, 2004 - For the second consecutive year, the annual General Aviation National Awards will be formally presented during a special evening program at Theater in the Woods during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2004. The recipients of the 41st annual awards will receive their honors from FAA Administrator Marion Blakey. They include: Douglas "Doug" Stewart, North Egremont, Massachusetts, Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) of the Year; Gary Stephen Goodpaster, Cincinnati, Ohio, Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year; Keith Bryan Lewis, Spartanburg, South Carolina, Avionics Technician of the Year; and Walter Schuyler "Walt" Schamel, Winter Haven, Florida, Aviation Safety Counselor of the Year ... AIRLINERS.NET - Fly The Net! Anyone Can Surf. BA Terminal Changes At LHR - Insane?... SV Launches RUH-ALY Flights And Upgrades JED... EK A380 Order...What's The Big Deal About?... Will AirTran's 737s Have A New Look?... Alitalia Inaugurates Nonstop Flight To Wash Dulles... Florida Intrastate Carrier... Private 777 For T.Blair!... SAA A319?... Another KLM Feeder?... Bin Laden's British payback target: Heathrow Airport http://www.airdisplaysint.co.uk/ ...AIR DISPLAYS INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS... BIGGIN HILL BATTLE OF BRITAIN  AIR SHOW WEEKEND 2004... Belgian F16 confirmed We continue our association with the Belgian Air Force this year as we welcome back the F16    Constellation S uch a disappointment last year that the "Connie" was unservicable but the hard work of volunteers at Lelystad airport in Holland. Not only will we see her fly at Biggin Hill we will be able to view her inside as well on the static park. Price Reduction For the first time in our history due to the support of our sponsors we have been able to reduce the gate price for this years show. But have no fears the quality has not. Fun Fair A poll by our sponsor the News Shopper asked their readers what they would like to see in the show ground this year. So by popular demand the Fun Fair returns. Air BP Air BP has once again generously agreed to be one of our sponsor's. ... 18th & 19th SEPTEMBER GATES & GROUND ATTRACTIONS 8am - 6pm FLYING DISPLAY 11.30am - 5.30am APPROX. The Biggin Hill Air Fair is the biggest and best known privately run air display in Europe. With 40 successful years Biggin Hill is never anything other than one of the most interestingly varied events on the calendar. A family run show for the family, the overall aim is entertainment, both on the ground and in the air, so there is plenty for children and non-enthusiasts to do as well. Choose from children's amusements; WWI and WWII re-enactment's; fun fair; over 300 stands; motoring village; craft tents and shopping malls; a collectors' centre; beer tents; static aircraft displays;1940's village; meet the pilots centre; helicopter pleasure flights. If you would like to speak with us for any reason then please do not hesitate to contact us using the details below or e-mail us through the contacts page: AIR DISPLAYS INTERNATIONAL LTD BIGGIN HILL AIRPORT KENT TN16 3BN TELEPHONE 01959 572277    FAX 01959 575969 E-Mail:  sales@airdisplaysint.co.uk OUR SPONSORS All of those involved with the Biggin Hill International Air Fair 2003 would like to thank the following organisations for there continued and valuable support. Without their help we would not be able to make the show the success that it is and always has been. News Shopper is proud to be involved with the Biggin Hill International Air Fair and hopes it's sponsorship will help preserve the world famous event for future generations. For information on this year's show and all the best local news, click here www.newsshopper.co.uk/bigginhill Air BP has once again generously agreed to be one of our sponsor's.  www.airbp.com The Boeing 737 Technical Site ...21 Mar 2004 - 737-800 ERX unveiled. 12 Mar 2004 - Photo of surge tank venting added - Ill-fated Egyptian carrier Flash Airlines has reportedly ceased trading. This page created 15 Oct 1999, last updated 21 Mar 2004 Boeing 737 News Reports ......20 March 2004 - Boeing Unveils Project Wedgetail SEATTLE - More than a thousand Boeing workers and their families crowded into a hangar at Boeing Field Saturday to see their company's newest high flying defense system. The first two planes from Project Wedgetail go to Australia. The Aussie government has been working closely with Boeing for several years to develop the Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C). The next generation Boeing 737-700's carry state of the art electronically scanning radar. The Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) is a steerable beam, L-band electronically scanned array able to track airborne and surface targets at the same time. Boeing's other early warning radar planes, like the AWACS technology on the Boeing 767 platform, use a mechanically scanning radar disc. Boeing expects the 737 AEW&C to give a number of countries a low cost, high-tech solution to early warning radar needs for national defense. "Australia is the size of continental United States," said Wedgetail Team Leader John Grubb from Australia. "This is a capability we need to enhance our air defense network. It will improve our command and control, our air capability, our combat capability and our strike capability." Australia may buy as many as six of the planes. Boeing also has a contract with the government of Turkey and is in discussions with South Korea and Italy. The plane unveiled Saturday will now go through a 6-month air worthiness program before it and a second plane can be delivered to Australia. http://www.komotv.com/stories/30403.htm The International Cessna 195 Club ...Mar 21  ... Adrian Starling Painting of Bob Reiss' N60W in ... Updated Services in Services... Mar 16  ... The Two Cessna 195's in France in Gallery 5... Mar 09  ... Damon Duree's and Barry Weber's 195's in ... Jim Stalling's traveling "Survival Kit" in ... Services... Dave Ramsey's 1948 Cessna 195 and Chrysler... Advertisements, Brochures and Articles A broad collection of information regarding Cessna 195's and other classic Cessnas dating from 1946 to the present. ... Maintenance, Training, Memorabilia...... Services Maintenance, Training, Memorabilia and Much More Information and links to maintenance, repair and restoration facilities, parts, training videos, aircraft models, apparel, custom aircraft paintings... ... 593 members News on Mountain Flying 1 ...Idaho Primitive Area: New photos of landing at Cabin Creek, Idaho airstrip " Cabin Creek "... Idaho Primitive Area: New photos of landing at Soldier Bar, Idaho airstrip " Soldier Bar "... Idaho Primitive Area: New photos of landing at Wilson Bar, Idaho airstrip " Wilson Bar "... Colin Graham reviews western airstrips in his " " column....    New airstrip additions: Haas International , Lost River , Orchard Ranch , Otter Creek Ranch , Pasayten , Root Ranch... Technique: Should flaps be used for take off in a single-engine airplane? Check out " Maximum-Lift Flap Settings ."... Technique: How does the technique differ for flying up a narrow canyon? See " Flying Canyons ."... Book: " Taildragger Tactics " book has gone to press in March 2004.... Book: " "... Book:... Sparky at Soldier Bar, Idaho... Sparky Imeson and Mountain Flying has moved back home to Jackson, Wyoming.... Wings around the World ... POLLY IS IN Mumbai (Bombay) arriving at 10.15 UK time yesterday morning (Saturday). She had a good flight of just over 4 hours from Delhi. More details when received. WEATHER PAGE: There is now a new weather forecast courtesy of Jeppesen for the next few days covering India and the Middle East. DIARIES: Diaries have now starting coming in from Polly, and we will catch up with these as soon as possible. MORE NEWS: Flying Scholarships for the Disabled has a brand new website which went live earlier this month. It gives lots of information for prospective scholarship applicants and sponsors alike. So before you log off, why not take a look at www.toreachforthesky.org . Polly arriving in Kuala Lumpur Polly's current location: Mumbai (Bombay), India Total hours flown to Mumbai : 453hrs 47mins Completed miles: 54,384 nautical miles to Mumbai Polly's next leg: Mumbai,India - Muscat, Oman ** Please note Polly will be routing through Luxor and not Alexandria, Egypt as there is no avgas available there** 24 March Calcutta – Delhi, India 25 March Delhi - Jodhpur, India 27 March Jodhpur – Mumbai (Bombay), India 29 March Mumbai – Muscat, Oman 6 April Amman – Luxor, Egypt 7 April Luxor – Souda, Crete 16 April Rome – Basle, Switzerland 20 April Basle – Hanover, Germany 22 April Hanover – to be advised ' AND FIND OUT HOW YOU TOO CAN JOIN THIS UNIQUE FLIGHT. ANY NAMES RECEIVED NOW WILL BE ADDED ONCE POLLY AS RETURNED TO THE UK. News ... The TED Conference that I spoke at was a unique experience. This conference was made up of approximately 700 CEO’s, investors, artists and experts who paid $4,000 each to attend. Next year’s conference is already sold out. The Skycar was covered on the local CBS TV station and articles appeared on it in the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times. A further article is underway for USA Today. The Idea City Conference to be held in Toronto Canada on June 16th through the 18th is similar to TED with speakers from all over the world. The Moller International stockholders are preparing a class action suit against Richmark Capital Corporation. Scott Cinnamond has asked MI stockholders who feel they have information on unethical actions by Richmark to contact him. You can contact Scott by email at scinnamond@prodigy.net or by phone at (571) 216-1182. We now have most of the components in house for all eight Skycar engines. All that remains is finishing the rotor housing wear surface (plasma spray and grind). We believe it will require another 60 days to finish and install the engines. Skycar Development Opportunity The Skycar has the unique ability to approach a building from the air without either the problem of rotor engagement (helicopters) or being sucked on to the wall like a limpid mine (ducted fan aircraft with horizontally mounted fans). If the Skycar approaches the building nose first with an appropriate docking mechanism it can extract or insert individuals through the nose section. A video showing the potential capability was shown at TED 2004 to considerable applause. Check with Jennifer on the availability of a copy of this video. The Company is proposing to demonstrate this capability to a number of organizations including the FDNY and Homeland Security. With the larger production engines in place the increased payload capability will make this possible. Engine Production at Freedom Motors (FM) FM has committed to have RotaMax build 70 additional 650 series engines (both single and two-rotor models). There are a large number of potential users who need example (beta) engines. Over the last six months FM has received interest in purchasing 1.8 million engines (three separate users) from India. FM has begun discussions with it largest outside stockholder who has exclusive rights to manufacture and market the Rotapower engine in India and the Middle East. FM licensed Rotapower engine production from Moller International who will share in any revenues generated by engine license and sub-license agreements. Women in Aviation, International ...Women in Aviation, International Awards More Than $450,000 In Scholarships Women in Aviation, International Endowment Fund Tops $300,000 with Donation from UPS WAI Corporate Member TAB Express Announces Full Training Rebate Women in Aviation, International and U.S. Air Force Sign Memorandum of Understanding at 15th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference Aviation Career Counseling main frame ...For pilots who want to continue their professional flying career and need current, personalized data to maximize their job search. Designed for current or soon-to-be retired pilots who want to know what flying opportunities are available, who's hiring, and how to market their skills. Topics include networking, resume, application and interviewing techniques. espnew ...• Royal Aero Club 75 years... Tom Allibone joins ESP as Marketing and Sales Tom has been involved in ESP for a few years now, and has recently decided to come on board full time. Tom's great marketing ability, coupled with his superb copy writing skills and knowledge of the Australian Aviation Industry, makes him a natural for ESP. Tom is a qualified pilot and has for the last 7 years been marketing director of one of Queensland's largest flying training schools. Seventy Five years of the Royal Aero Club of WA Buhlmann, and photographed a Focke-Wulf Steiglitz, flown View the images from this sortie Skyworks practice sortie 1 & 2 show. A diver at Roebuck Bay, Broome, holding an ... Tom on the job Werner Buhlmann inverted Events ...                                                                 Ferry flight. Arrival date provisional. Route: Nanaimo - Port Angles, Washington State - Santa Rosa - Phoenix/Mesa - Midland - Mineral Wells - Montgomery - Greensboro - Atlantic City - Bangor - St John's - Shannon - Duxford (or St John's - Azores/Reykjavik - Duxford) Aviation Conspiracy Newsletter British Noise Activists Fight Night Flights!!! As Bill Sees It: (Editorial): British Activists Still Leading Effort To Stop Night Flights And Reduce Airport Noise UN Continues To Ignore Aviation Health Impacts!!! : : Smaller Regional Jets Increasing Airport Flight Operations! Smaller "Regional" Jets Jamming Airports!!! : Smaller Regional Jets Increasing Airport Flight Operations! FAA (Un)Safety Policies Questioned...Again    The FAA/Airport  Sham Noise Monitoring schedule ...April 30-May 2 Hawg Smoke, Alexandria, LA May 15 Ft. Worth NAS, TX May 22 Charleston AFB, SC June 26-27 Evansville, IN Cold Lake CAFB, Alberta, Canada October 23 Shaw AFB, SC Last Updated: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 Royal Institute of Navigation : HOME ...Unmanned aircraft flies at Mach 7... Transport in London - some facts... Tanker ablaze after collision... Everton... Warship to be sunk in Cornish bay... BA 777 makes emergency landing... New weather radars... ICAO safety figures for 2003... Drop in UK low-cost flights... LORAN newsletter published... Our Position... International sea passenger journeys down... Eurocontrol updates on Mode S... Free Explorer map to every 11-year-old... Ordnance Survey... Truckers go East... It's a high for Hempleman-Adams... EGNOS milestone... Two Eurostar trains in near miss... CAA issues Lasors 2004... Hempleman-Adams goes for altitude record... 'High up' signs on mountains . .... Trawler skipper causes mayhem at Hartlepool... Today is World Meteorological Day... World Meteorological Organisation... UK General aviation GPS research project... Wrong fuel brought down aircraft... Successful GPS launch... GPS 2R-11... UK coastal weather survey results... Use of Weather Information in UK Coastal Waters... Canoeists rescued off Whitby... Fatal air accident - were alcohol, cannabis & fatigue causes?... Dredger captain was 2.5-times over driving limit... Donald Redford... European Radionavigation Plan... Helios Technology... European ... * * One Of The Greatest Small Plane Pilots Ever * * * * One Of The Greatest Small Plane Pilots Ever * *... We are planning future events to increase awareness of Max's Life and contributions: Below items are not officallly scheduled and are subjct to change.... • Air plane history programs for all ages • Participate in all local events - Steam Boat Days, Grand Excursion, Shakesphere Fesitival. • Fly-in breakfast days for pilots that have not landed at the Max Conrad Airport • Model plane contests for all ages.... If you would like to volunteer time or resources to help these events come true, please send me an email. Bill Kuhl -- info@maxconrad.com   The FlightTimes 166 Blythe Road West Kensington London   W14 0HD Phone: +44 207 603 5340 Subscriptions: FlightTimes@tiscali.co.uk Email: James@london-morning-paper.co.uk URL: http://www.London-Morning-Paper.co.uk