The sentence from a Westchester County, N.Y. judge is “time served” (about nine months) for the drunk young man who took a Cessna 172 for a joyride last June from Danbury Airport, in Connecticut, landing at Westchester County Airport at 4:30 a.m. Philippe Patricio, 21, still faces airport security charges in Danbury.
General Aviation
News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.
September 20, 2006 - 7:45am
General aviation manufacturers last year posted an all-time record for billings and
a four-year high in new turbine airplane deliveries. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), billings of $15.1 billion on the shipment of 3,580 piston and turbine airplanes last year were a 27.2-percent increase from the $11.9 billion and 2,963 airplanes in 2004.
September 20, 2006 - 5:00am
DuPage has 10.8 million sq ft of pavement, including runways, taxiways, ramp area, roads and parking lots. When it snows, field crews clear an area equivalent to 102 miles of two-lane road. According to Michael Masciola, director of business development and marketing for the DuPage Airport Authority, the airport has won numerous awards for its snow removal prowess.
September 20, 2006 - 4:55am
“Without a doubt, DuPage Airport [DPA] is the premier corporate aviation airport in the Midwest–both land and air side,” David Bird, executive director of the DuPage Airport Authority (DAA) in West Chicago, told AIN. “It’s not idle boasting; we can facilitate air traffic and still be a good neighbor in the community. Those are two key ingredients in the success of any airport.”
September 19, 2006 - 8:46am
One of few companies that make aircraft intrusion-monitoring equipment, Securaplane claims to be the security system recommended most by OEMs and FBOs worldwide. The company has installed systems in 600 aircraft, ranging from small turboprops to large business jets.
September 19, 2006 - 8:35am
For GA airports that are searching for ways to train employees, tenants and users about TSA security guidelines, an Edmonton, Canada company has released a new, online self-study course, “Security Guidelines for General Aviation Airports.”
September 19, 2006 - 8:33am
Some states have taken a hard line on GA airport security. For example, Alabama has made the TSA voluntary guidelines a state regulation because of an incident in which a drunken teenager stole an airplane, according to NASAO president Henry Ogrodzinski. Public airports that refuse to comply lose their state funding.
September 19, 2006 - 8:29am
One of the flaws of the Airport Watch program, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), is that it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between suspicious behavior and normal behavior. Observers’ trying to account for terrorists’ attempt to blend in could result in high false-alarm rates and racial and ethnic profiling, the CRS cautioned.
September 19, 2006 - 8:27am
Even though a general aviation airplane has never been used for a known act of terrorism, securing general aviation airports against any such act continues to be a high priority throughout the nation.
While federal government agencies have decided that terrorists using a general aviation aircraft as a weapon of mass destruction is highly unlikely, the perception of a threat is forcing airports to take protective measures.
September 19, 2006 - 8:16am
Pratt & Whitney took the aviation world by surprise when it announced in February the launch of a new division to manufacture PMA replacement parts for CFM56-3 engines. The CFM56, one of the most popular turbofans, is made by CFM International, a joint venture between France’s Snecma and General Electric.
