http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080506_mo_dfwchecks...

Ain't Diversity great????

http://themainbang.typepad.com/blog/2008/05/team-pinata.html

Are they going to through the book at this jerk, or what?

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1111-full.html#197777
Laser Prankster Nabbed By Victim, A Pilot

Hit twice on the same night by a laser beam, Mark Westwood, a
helicopter pilot for the British police, found justice ... and the
man responsible. Westwood was momentarily blinded by the beam, but
kept control of his helicopter and turned his thermal imaging
camera on the culprit.

http://www.stockportexpress.co.uk/news/s/1047542_helicopter_pilot_blinded_by_las...
Helicopter pilot 'blindedÂ’ by laser beam prankster
by Jennifer Williams
30/ 4/2008

A HEATON Norris man endangered the lives of a police helicopter
pilot, his fellow officers and people on the ground by temporarily
blinding him with a laser beam.

Dean Bottomley, 20, of Larwood Avenue, was playing around with a
high-powered green laser at home when he pointed it directly at a
police chopper flying overhead.

...Over SoCal. And if that's not enough they are going to be in the clouds.

http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/Releases/?releaseID=907

Below is an excerpt of this morning's Los Angeles Times article that
details a federal court judge's ruling that contradicts the NTSB
finding in this case; use the LA Times link to read the complete
article. Below that are the NTSB documents. And below that is the
airport diagram.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-torrance7-2008may07,0,3483774.story
Tower controllers to blame for fatal helicopter crash in Torrance,
judge rules

Ruling contradicts an FAA finding that the surviving pilot caused
the collision that killed two in a second chopper.

By Joe Mozingo, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 7, 2008

Air traffic controllers at Torrance Municipal Airport made a
critical mistake that caused two helicopters to collide in front
of the control tower in 2003, killing two men in one chopper and
seriously injuring the pilot of the other, a federal judge has
ruled.

The A/C in question is a 1974 Bellanca 7ECA, re-engined with an O-320
so it's effectively a 7GCAA. It belongs to the Offutt AFB Aero Club
and has seen very little use, often sitting for weeks at a time until
a week ago when I began taking dual in it 2-3 times a week to get my
tailwheel endorsement. The fuel system is not for inverted flight, so
no header tank -- two 18-gallon wing tanks with check valves to a
single vent on the left, crossflow pipes to the aft fuel manifold
under the baggage compartment and crossflow pipes to the forward fuel
manifold on the firewall. Caps are non-vented and the gaskets are
like new.

This A/C is drawing 3-4 times as much fuel from the left tank as from
the right and it's not crossflowing on the ground, even overnight.
We've made right patterns as well as lefts -- makes no difference. We
haven't done any extended S&L flight, just 11 NM to Plattsmouth, NE
for pattern work. The club's A&P has blown out the feed and vent
lines and got a good blast into the right tank from both. We're
getting a free flow of clean gas out of all four drains.

So what's our next move? Anybody had this problem?

From AvWeb

DAYJET ANNOUNCES LAYOFFS
Start-up air taxi operator Dayjet has announced it will "scale back" its
immediate growth plans and lay off employees in all areas of its
operations. In an email release today...

Just two months and two weeks until OSH, ladies and gents! We're already
gearing up for two events this year designed by and for pilots:

1. 6th Annual Iowa City Fly-In Pool Party
http://www.alexisparkinn.com/iowa_city_pool_party.htm

Hard to believe it's been six years since you guys and gals helped us decide
to build the only aviation themed hotel in the Midwest -- and it's "pay-back
time"! For the sixth year in a row we'll be throwing the only fly-in pool
party in the world, in thanks to all pilots who have helped us make our
aviation dream a success.

Always held on the Saturday before OSH, we'll have food, refreshments,
music, swimming, and hangar flying -- all FREE. We'll have the Penguin
flight simulator set up so that you can practice the FISK approach into OSH
(it's especially challenging after a few beers), and a good time is
guaranteed for all.

We're close enough to walk from the airport -- but why bother? We'll come
fetch you in our courtesy van, and zip you right to the front door of the
inn. Spend a few hours, or spend the night. If we run out of room (which
we do most years), you're welcome to pitch your tent on the property --
free!

Anyone had any dealing with www.traverseair.com in Traverse City MI...

Looking in to their Seaplane add on.

Anyone recomend a place to get a Multi Engine Seaplane rating that
reasonable in price...