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'We did not meet their expectations': Delta exit a surprise, Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport (KGRK) aviation director says
Delta Air Lines will cease operations effective Jan. 15 at the Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport, bringing an end to nearly 12 years of service and leaving the area without direct access to an East Coast hub — unless travelers want to drive to Austin, Waco, Dallas or other airports farther away.
The company headquartered in Atlanta last week cited a sustained decline in air ridership as its reason for abandoning an interest in Killeen that it has continuously held since 2006.
The severing of Delta's service is amid a backdrop of record profits in the airline industry, but those come as a result of increasingly cutthroat business tactics to remain competitive, according to the latest Federal Aviation Administration forecast highlights.
"The great recession of 2007-09 marked a fundamental change in the operations and finances of U.S. Airlines. Since the recession, U.S. airlines have fine-tuned their business models to minimize losses by lowering operating costs, eliminating unprofitable routes, and grounding older, less fuel-efficient aircraft," the report said. "The U.S. airline industry has become more nimble."
Delta declined to comment directly about the numbers behind its decision, but data furnished by the city of Killeen could be the best underlying indicator of what happened.
WHEELS UP
The Herald reported in February that last year's inbound and outbound passenger activity was the weakest in more than a decade. Although the airport's executive director has been consistent in conveying what plans are underway to correct problems, data depict a dire condition.
"This took us by surprise," Matthew Van Valkenburgh, Killeen's executive director of aviation, said in an email.
Even with November and December numbers left to report, 2017 is projected to extend a year-over-year slide in total passenger activity to four consecutive years. If the numbers hold, it would be the most anemic performance in more than 12 years.
It's something airlines such as Delta are always watching, Van Valkenburgh said in August, and "if you don't use it, you can very well lose it."
The announcement made Monday by Delta, one of three airlines that serve the airport, will leave ticket holders scrambling to find alternative travel plans. American Airlines and United also use the Killeen airport.
The announcement comes just before December, when airline travel is typically at its highest. Although Delta will continue to provide flights for travelers into January, it is short notice for those who made plans long in advance.
George Hobica, founder and editor-in-chief of Airfarewatchdog.com, said airlines can stop service from an airport without notice or explanation, which puts passengers holding tickets on that airline in a precarious position.
"They will get a refund on future flights, but may end up having to buy a much more expensive ticket on the remaining airlines," he said in an email. "The only good news is that when a major airline abandons an airport it's an incentive for a smaller airline like Spirit, Allegiant or Frontier to step in."
WHAT'S THE DAMAGE?
For now, the financial effect of Delta's departure on the airport is somewhat unclear, but it's not looking good.
"Basic airline economics are simple," Van Valkenburgh said. "Fill their seats and they make money. … Bottom line, unfortunately, is we did not meet their expectations."
The estimated decrease in fiscal year 2018 revenue is $75,000-$105,000, but the exact number will vary depending on how long the airline is required to pay its contractual fees, he said. Until the end of the fiscal year, it is unknown what the impact will be on the Airport Fund.
Killeen City Manager Ron Olson, during an Aug. 1 budget presentation, told the council about the airport's declining financial health, saying it was in the process of "bleeding itself dry."
The city's adopted 2018 budget shows a projected drop in total expenses of 29 percent, from $3.76 million to $2.66 million, but also a decrease in total revenue of 19 percent, from $3.17 million to $2.56 million.
The airport makes most of its money from rental cars (31 percent) and airport parking (23 percent), but air carrier operations and fees paid to load fuel into aircraft each make up 12 percent of the revenue pie. Landings fees are a separate 6 percent of the budget.
As of Thursday afternoon, city airport officials still had not been officially notified of Delta's plans. The Herald confirmed the airline's decision to leave directly with Delta.
The approximate income from American Airlines last year was $372,340; United brought in $128,274, and both remain committed to the market and community, Van Valkenburgh said, adding that he spoke to representatives of both airlines subsequent to the news from Delta.
The Waco airport, which has had just American Airlines since 2012, is on the hunt to regain United service, but the search certainly isn't limited to that, according to Joel Martinez, Waco's director of aviation.
"Both legacy and low cost carriers" are currently being sent information about the market with the hope of spurring interest, he said in an email.
That would mean steeper competition for Killeen, if successful.
When Van Valkenburgh was asked whether he sees a decline in the Killeen-area market, he acknowledged the drop in ridership and was aware of Austin's draw to the south.
While domestic flights are "certainly healthy" within the United States, municipal airports have seen their share of struggles, Hobica said.
In 2007, the Salem, Oregon, airport had just one airline offering commercial flights. One year later, Delta pulled out, leaving travelers with no direct flights into the state's capital. In 2011, Seaport Airlines tried to establish itself in Salem, but left just months later, according to the Salem Statesman Journal.
Similarly, United Airlines pulled out of Atlantic City, New Jersey, after just a few months. The airline had direct flights to Chicago and Houston, offering one flight to each city per day. Seven months later, it pulled out, leaving just Spirit Airlines.
Spirit bills itself as an "ultra-low cost carrier," and contributed to the low airfare in America, Hobica said. More and more people, especially millennials, are willing to get in their cars and drive to cheaper flights. In Canada, many residents will drive from Toronto to Buffalo or from Vancouver to Seattle seeking cheaper flights.
With Austin and Waco just an hour away, and two Dallas airports about 2 ½ hours away, there are options for travelers.
PILOT PERSPECTIVE
Paul Ryder is the national resources coordinator for the Air Line Pilots Association and has been a commercial pilot for 13 years. He said pilots are often excited to fly to underserved markets and rural areas. While at one time, there might have been a shortage of pilots willing to fly to these smaller airports because of lower wages and less-than-ideal working conditions, that's changed, as carriers saw the market negatively affected and made deliberate changes. Now, there's a "healthy, sufficient number" of pilots.
Ultimately, however, business decisions made by individual airlines are about bringing the money, Ryder said.
"It's always the goal to serve those communities. You want to help throughout the nation and throughout the world," he said. "But you (have) to make business decisions. If the route doesn't have sufficient traffic, we have seen airlines come in and out of service."
Throughout the airport's decline in ridership, officials have maintained that flying from Killeen is about the same cost or cheaper than competitors, but year after year, government data show the math doesn't add up.
The latest available data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics show a continuing trend spanning more than a decade documenting higher than average airfare in Killeen.
Travelers in 2016 paid an average fare of $482 to fly from Killeen round-trip, which is about $200 more than Love Field in Dallas ($278) and $100 more than Austin ($372). Southwest Airlines is headquartered at Love Field (airport code DAL) and also flies from Austin (AUS); American's base is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Going back as far as 2006, the trend is typically the same — local prices exceeded competitors.
Van Valkenburgh said in August the airport is working on airfares with airlines to get closer to prices Austin and Dallas offer. Other core areas of improvement include: aircraft size to accommodate bags and people (airlines are downsizing fleets); working with airline schedulers to offer more flights in the Killeen market (filling current flights will help drive this); air service development to sustain and add flights; and upgrading airport equipment.
From January through September 2016, 503,981 passengers boarded planes at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, according to Austin airport figures for one-way travel. During that same stretch of time in 2017, there were 546,957 passengers boarding. Part of that could be attributed to population growth, as Austin has had an increase of about 20,000 residents per year since 2005.
Delta also added three nonstop routes from Austin in 2017: to Seattle, Boston and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. The Austin airport added 17 nonstop routes in 2017, and will add another 13 in 2018, according to airport spokesman Derick Hackett.
The Killeen City Council is moving forward with several capital improvement projects at the airport using passenger facility charges ($1.3 million) and customer facility charges ($1.6 million). Projects using passenger facility charges include upgrades to the flight information and common use system ($750,000) and rehabilitating Terminal Access Road ($291,000). Projects using customer facility charges include covered parking for the rental car parking lot ($1 million) and car wash facility improvements ($600,000).
There is no negative impact to the Aviation Fund balance because the projects are fully funded with grants or facility charges, Van Valkenburgh has said.
He remained hopeful about airline service.
"Sustaining air service has always been our primary goal with increasing service next," Van Valkenburgh said. "We continue to meet and talk to our airlines about our existing service and the possible routes the airlines could potentially add to Killeen."
Read more here ➤ http://kdhnews.com
Posted by Kathryn on Saturday, December 02, 2017 0 comments
Cessna 177RG Cardinal, N2075Q: Incident occurred December 02, 2017 in Valley City, Barnes County, North Dakota
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; North Dakota
Aircraft engine failure. Landed on interstate.
http://registry.faa.gov/N2075Q
Date: 02-DEC-17
Time: 23:29:00Z
Regis#: N2075Q
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 177RG
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: NONE
Activity: UNKNOWN
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
City: NEAR VALLEY CITY
A small Cessna plane was headed from Fargo to Bismarck when the pilot realized he was going to have to land without his engine.
According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol the emergency landing happened just west of Valley City.
The pilot, Jerry Schauer of Bismarck, was able to safely glide the plane down on I94 in the westbound lanes around mile marker 280.
There was no injuries and no damage.
The FAA is looking into the incident.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.valleynewslive.com
American Autogyro SparrowHawk, N481ZK: Fatal accident occurred December 02, 2017 in DeSoto County, Mississippi
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Jackson, Mississippi
Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
http://registry.faa.gov/N481ZK
Location: Hernando, MS
Accident Number: ERA18LA039
Date & Time: 12/02/2017, 1700 CST
Registration: N7481ZK
Aircraft: Kevin Leue Sparrow Hawk
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On December 2, 2017, about 1700 central standard time, an experimental amateur-built Sparrow Hawk gyroplane, N481ZK, impacted terrain near Eagles Ridge Airport (MS9), Hernando, Mississippi. The sport pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The gyroplane was destroyed by a postcrash fire, and was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the flight.
There were no known witnesses to the departure or accident. According to an individual who was hunting, about 1700, he heard a loud sound similar to a gunshot, but dismissed it as another hunter. He left the area about dusk, and while walking, spotted a grass fire. He walked to a nearby home to tell the homeowner to call 911 to report the fire. First responders who arrived to extinguish the fire subsequently observed the wreckage.
The wreckage was recovered from the accident site and retained for further examination.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Manufacturer: Kevin Leue
Model/Series: Sparrow Hawk
Aircraft Category: Gyroplane
Amateur Built: Yes
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation: OLV, 402 ft msl
Observation Time: 1650 CST
Distance from Accident Site: 13 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C / 2°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 25000 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.11 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Hernando, MS (MS9)
Destination: Hernando, MS (MS9)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: Unknown
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
Richard House, left, and Wayne House were killed in a crash in Hernando, Mississippi
(Courtesy of the House family).
Richard House
Richard House, 43, passed away Saturday, December 2, 2017 as the result of an aircraft accident which also claimed the life of his father, Wayne House. Richard was a member of Christ Presbyterian Church, a pilot for Delta Airlines and a former pilot for Pinnacle Airlines. A graduate of Delta State University, he was a former member of the Army Reserve and enjoyed motorcycles. The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Wednesday at Christ Presbyterian Church in Olive Branch. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Christ Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends following the service. Survivors include his wife, Patti House; daughters, Mikayla House and Carmen House, all of Southaven, parents, Ray and Kathy Swilley of Hattiesburg; sister, Robyn Whitehead (Todd) of Nacogdoches, TX.
Wayne House
Wayne House, 70, passed away Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 as the result of an aircraft accident which also claimed the life of his son, Richard House. He was a retired band director from Southaven High School and currently worked for Amro Music. He was a graduate of Ole Miss and enjoyed motorcycles and flying. The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Wednesday at Christ Presbyterian Church in Olive Branch. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Christ Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends following the service. Hernando Funeral Home has charge. Survivors include his daughter Robyn Whitehead (Todd) of Nacogdoches, Texas; daughter-in-law Patti House of Southaven; brother, Henry House of Clifton, Tenn.; grandchildren, Mikayla House, Carmen House, Emma Whitehead. He was preceded in death by his parents Henderson and Frances House and a sister Ellen Henderson.
The two men who died in a weekend gyrocopter crash in DeSoto County were flying a small, hobbyist aircraft designed to make flight affordable for experienced enthusiasts, authorities said Monday.
Wayne House, 70, and his son, Richard House, 43, both of DeSoto County and originally from Hattiesburg, died when their aircraft crashed Saturday afternoon in the 4000 block of Malone Road in southeastern DeSoto County. They appeared to be bringing the craft in for landing, according to Deputy Alex Coker of the DeSoto County Sheriff's Department.
The victims were the only occupants of the two-seat craft, DeSoto County Coroner Jeffrey Pounders said. He said autopsies are being performed on the badly burned victims, who crashed in a wooded area. Initial reports were that there was a grass fire.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. Coker said Monday there was no additional information pending the FAA findings.
It's unclear which man was piloting the gyrocopter, but Richard House was a commercial pilot. Pounders said House was a pilot for Delta Air Lines. House's Facebook page indicates he has been a Delta pilot since 2014.
Coker said he wasn't sure if the pair were just flying around the county or were headed to a particular destination.
A gyrocopter is a type of small aircraft also known as an autogyro, gyroplane or rotaplane. It uses an unpowered rotor for lift along with an engine-powered propeller for thrust.
"They're usually a one- or two-seater," said Coker, an avid sky diver and co-host of the "Remote Survival" television show on the National Geographic Channel. "They're not commercial grade, by any means. It's more a hobbyist-type of smaller aircraft, something every person can own."
The Popular Rotorcraft Association says gyroplanes will not stall like airplanes, making them safer to fly at low speeds.
"Aerodynamically stable gyoplanes are much safer in turbulent winds," the association says on its website. "Landings are typically made at very low air speeds and can be made safetly in very short distances."
The association acknowledges that gyroplanes historically have a bad safety record because of pilots who taught themselves to fly in less stable designs.
"Today, pilots who fly more stable designs and earn they gyroplane pilot ratings with professional gyroplane flight instructors fly much safer," it added.
Original article ➤ http://www.commercialappeal.com
Two persons have died in the crash of an experimental gyrocopter in rural DeSoto County on Saturday evening, according to DeSoto County Coroner Jeff Pounders.
Pounders said Sunday that two individuals, one in his 40s and the other in his 70s, died when the light, experimental gyrocopter they were riding in crashed and burst into flames during impact.
The bodies of the two men were burned beyond recognition. Firefighters were alerted to what was first reported as a grass fire, believed to have been caused by the crash.
"We know who they are, we just can't make a positive identification," Pounders said. "They were flying one of those experimental gyrocopters — we don't know exactly what happened. The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) are both investigating the crash."
Pounders said according to the DeSoto County Sheriff's Department, the crash occurred around 5:30 p.m.
Emergency officials arrived on scene about 6:20 p.m. Pounders was called about 7:30 p.m.
The crash site is located near Cleveland and Malone Roads in a heavily wooded area.
The area has been cordoned off, due to the ongoing investigation.
Pounders said the bodies were burned so badly that a positive ID may be difficult and DNA as well as dental records may be instrumental in that identification.
Due to lack of positive identification, Pounders said he was not releasing the names of the two men, although family has been made aware of their demise.
As of Sunday afternoon, Pounders had still not talked with family members.
Although the DeSoto Times-Tribune has firsthand knowledge of the identities of the deceased, there is no official release of their names.
Out of respect for the families, the newspaper is not releasing the identities of the deceased at this time.
Pounders said he expects the names of the deceased will be released soon.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.desototimes.com
Two men are dead after a gyrocopter crashed in DeSoto County Saturday.
Wayne House, 70, and his son Richard House, 43, were both killed when the aircraft crashed coming in for a landing, according to DeSoto County Sheriff's Department spokesman Alex Coker.
DeSoto County emergency responders were called to a grass fire around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Love Volunteer Fire Chief Shawn Witt said his department responded to the area and had to hike to where the fire had spread.
"While checking the perimeter I saw a large fire and thought it was just some brush, but once I got closer I saw the propeller and one of victims," Witt said. "I immediately called (Federal Aviation Administration) and (National Transportation Safety Board) and checked for missing aircraft as this property was about 500 yards from Eagle Ridge airport/landing."
Around 6:20 p.m., the crashed experimental gyrocopter was found in the woods near the 4000 block of Malone Road, near Holly Springs Road and Cleveland Road. Responders said the aircraft was a two-seater. So far the cause of the crash has not been determined. Coker confirmed the FAA is involved in the investigation.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.clarionledger.com
Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport (KRKS) in running for airtankers
ROCK SPRINGS — The Rock Springs/Sweetwater County Airport could potentially house seven HC-130H aircraft to be used as airtankers to battle fires.
The airport submitted a letter to the U.S. Forest Service about two weeks ago, Airport Manager Devon Brubaker said.
"It's very, very preliminary at this point," he said.
If the airport is chosen, it could "result in quite a few jobs" and a lot of growth opportunities for the airport. Plus, it would help support firefighting capabilities in the area, Brubaker said.
The winning location could see an estimated 100 contracted positions open up. Three U.S. Forest Service and five U.S. Coast guard personnel would also be stationed at the base.
Airports in 11 states will be considered — Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon, Washington or Wyoming — "due to proximity of the majority of firefighting activity and representative training terrain," she said.
The next steps for procuring the airtankers will begin in February 2018. It will include conducting a market survey of qualified locations. The site selection will be announced in October 2018.
Original article ➤ http://billingsgazette.com
Boutique Air moves toward twin-turboprop aircraft in Cortez, Colorado: Airline reduces number of single-engine turboprop flights
One year after introducing a line of single-engine aircraft to the Cortez Municipal Airport, Boutique Air has increased its use of twin-engine airplanes.
When Boutique first started flying out of the Cortez airport in October 2016, it had two twin-engine King Air 350 planes in its fleet, but did not use them in Cortez, instead relying on the single-engine turboprop Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. The company started using the twin-engine craft for some Cortez flights toward the end of the year, according to airport manager Russ Machen, and by October of 2017, about 80 percent of all Cortez flights were performed by King Airs. The company also recently added two new King Airs to its fleet.
When the Cortez City Council first considered Boutique's bid for air service in 2016, some Cortez residents said they were concerned the company's single-engine aircraft might not be safe. Machen said the model has an excellent safety record, which includes use by air ambulance companies, but he has expressed a different concern about the Pilatus planes to Boutique. They don't always have enough space for passengers' baggage, he said.
"You've got a lot of hunters coming in with guns, and when they go back out, they're going to have a cooler full of meat," he said. "You load, during ski season, five, six, seven people and their ski equipment and whatnot, you could also have a problem there."
Right now, the airline's policy is to put bags that don't fit on an airplane on a later flight to the same destination. But the King Air planes have more room, not only for baggage but also for passengers.
While Pilatus airplanes have the capacity to seat nine people, most of the ones in Boutique's fleet have replaced the ninth seat with a restroom. The King Airs have enough room for both a ninth seat and a restroom.
In late fall of 2016 and early spring of 2017, Machen said, about 25 percent of flights from the Cortez airport were on King Airs. Starting in April, that number had grown to almost 70 percent. From July through September, 80 percent of the flights were on King Airs, although they decreased slightly in October.
"We've had a shift toward the King Air as our bulk supplier," Machen said.
Although he said this is primarily a good thing for the airport, it did cause trouble in recent weeks, when some of the King Air planes experienced mechanical problems that resulted in long delays. Because the fleet contains only four King Airs, Machen said it's harder to find replacements when one is in the shop.
The number of flights from Cortez has gone down since Boutique raised its ticket prices in August, reaching a low of less than 600 in October. But Machen said the number of tickets sold at the airport over the entire year is still nearly double what it was this time last year. He expects ticket sales to go up again for the holidays, especially since Boutique's prices have gone down again recently.
In his presentation to council during the Nov. 14 budget hearings, Machen said the airport has received record high numbers in revenue this year, although it has also experienced higher maintenance expenses. Still, he expects the 2018 budget to be mostly a "carbon copy" of this year's.
Story and photos ➤ https://durangoherald.co
Skydiving Santa's Medical Bills
Unfortunately ... G's skydiving mission to assist Santa in delivering Kristoff (a young girl's elf on the shelf) and a bag of Spalding volleyballs to the Tampa Bay Beach Bums volleyball tourney supporting the "Operation Santa" toy drive in Gulfport yesterday was interrupted by a tree and light pole.
After giving us a HUGE scare as he hit the tree and pole ... with concerns that far more damage could have been done ... we have good news that G is now out of surgery, in good spirits and recovering in the hospital with release expected Tuesday.
It appears that only his leg was broken (both Tibia & Fibula ... one of the worst breaks ever seen by medical personnel onsite) but over time, he expects to make full recovery.
Please help the Tampa Bay Beach Bums in raising funds to cover his out-of-pocket medical expenses (currently anticipated at $12,500).
G is a great guy and beloved Beach Bum Original.
Please help him out however you can this holiday season! Thank you so much!!
This campaign is trending ➤ https://www.gofundme.com
A male skydiver was injured this morning attempting to land on Gulfport Beach in the 5000 block of Beach Boulevard S during a "Winter Wonderland" event.
The incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 2, 2017.
The man, dressed in a Santa outfit, was attempting to land at the Tampa Bay Beach Bums Volleyball Tournament.
Many spectators witnessed the incident at the event. Witnesses reported that while attempting to land on the beach, the skydiver struck a pine tree and light pole on his approach to the beach. Two other skydivers landed safely.
The man in this 30's was assisted by bystanders then treated by paramedics and transported by ambulance to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg with non-life-threatening injuries.
The man did experience a significant leg injury.
Additional information if/when available.
Story, comments and photos ➤ http://iontb.com
South Alabama Regional Airport (79J) runway repair completed quickly
The runway at South Alabama Regional Airport re-opened Thursday, significantly ahead of schedule.
Runway 29 was closed to allow for an airport improvement project to repair a bump.
The project consisted of milling the existing surface on each side of the bump.
The issue with the runway was that there was a bump where the old runway and the runway extension connected, which provided for a rough transition.
The bump was some 2.16 inches higher than it should be.
The cost of the project is around $135,000 with 90 percent being paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration, 5 percent by the Alabama Department of Transportation and 5 percent from local matching funds.
Local contractor Don Bullard, along with subcontractor Wiregrass Construction, completed the project in just a few days. It was expected to take 30 days to complete.
Michelle Conway of Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood said they milled on Monday and Tuesday and paved on Wednesday.
"Four pilots flew," she said.
Among the pilots were John Roberts and South Alabama Regional Airport Authority Board member Donald Barton.
"There was not much to feel," Roberts said.
"It didn't throw you in the air," Barton said.
Conway said everything went well and that they would do a final inspection and put up permanent markings in two-and-a-half weeks.
"FAA and ALDOT will do their inspection," she said.
Original article ➤ http://www.andalusiastarnews.com
North End area of Boston, Massachusetts: Christmas Parade Canceled as Organizer Abruptly Retires
Santa will not arrive by helicopter this year due to the cancellation of the North End Christmas Parade. The photo above is from the kickoff of the 2016 parade.
The North End Christmas Parade will take a year off in 2017 as a leader of the organizing group, North End Athletic Association (NEAA), was named in reports for the misuse of state resources. Longtime NEAA volunteer Robert "Teddy" Tomasone, is retiring as clerk magistrate from Somerville District Court amid the accusations, according to a court spokesperson.
NEAA officials said there was not enough time for someone else to take over this year's North End Christmas Parade, but they are hopeful that the 46-year-old tradition will return next year.
The NEAA was one of two organizations named in reports that Tomasone allegedly worked on with his secretary during court time, resulting in a suspension and investigation. The other group named was the Committee for Better Government.
Tomasone's charity work in the North End is well-known and he has received several awards for his years of community service. The NEAA organizes little league baseball and soccer programs for hundreds of local youths.
Santa arriving by helicopter is the highlight of the North End Christmas Parade, drawing thousands to the event that usually takes place in early December as part of local holiday festivities.
Story, comments and photo ➤ https://northendwaterfront.com
Mooney M20J, N201P : Incident occurred December 02, 2017 near Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport (KSGH), Clark County, Ohio
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Springfield, Ohio
Aircraft landed in a field.
http://registry.faa.gov/N201P
Regis#: N201P
Aircraft Make: MOONEY
Aircraft Model: M20J
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
City: SPRINGFIELD
SPRINGFIELD — A small plane landed in a field this evening not far from a local airport.
The plane touched down around 5 p.m. in the area of Blee and West Jackson roads, near Ohio 72, according to a witness.
There were no reports of injuries, and it's not clear why the pilot was not able to reach the nearby Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport at 1251 W. Blee Road four miles south of the city of Springfield.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.whio.com
The heart of an airline: Inside Allegiant's new control center
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — At the Allegiant ticket counter, the afternoon rush is about to begin. The folks checking in have no idea that much of the work that gets them to their destination happens miles away in Summerlin.
"Currently, we have 61 airplanes airborne. We use around 70 today. 292 flights, that equals roughly 36,000 passengers," says Mike Wuerger, Allegiant's Vice President of the Operations Control Center, as we look at a huge computer map showing every plane the airline has in the sky.
Wuerger runs what's known as the "OCC." We're standing on what's called the "bridge," where the heads of the airline's various control room sections are seated, looking out over banks of computers monitored by dozens of Allegiant employees.
This room is located at Allegiant's Summerlin headquarters. It is highly secure and highly important for an airline that runs at least 300 flights a day.
"This is the heart of the airline. Everything starts and ends here," says Angel Morales.
Morales runs dispatch, in charge of the flight plans for every Allegiant aircraft.
"Our job is how will the plane get from point A to point B," he tells me as we stand by his bank of monitors.
Running an airline is a logistical symphony, coordinating 2,000 pilots and flight attendants, and also maintaining its more than 90 aircraft.
The airline says maintenance, which had triggered an FAA review last year, is a big priority, coming after a handful of mechanical issues over the past couple years that put the airline on the defensive. In 2016, the FAA said it found some minor issues, but no systemic concerns. Allegiant has said it is a safe airline to fly and getting safer.
"I think we're improving every day," Wuerger says.
One way its improving is by ditching its aging fleet for newer planes.
By the end of next year, every aircraft will be a new Airbus that will virtually talk to mechanics.
"It downloads 2,700 different items and with the help of Airbus, it can tell us that down the road the next couple days, weeks, or months, that part needs to be replaced," Wuerger says.
It is technology which makes the airline run smoothly like it was on the Thursday I was visiting. America, it turns out, was having pretty cooperative weather.
"Really good day so far. Running about 90 percent on time, pretty strong day coast to coast for us," said Rick Barth, an operations control center manager.
It's not always like that. In September, a hurricane hit Florida, Allegiant's other hub.
Blake Kline was on duty.
"We had 42 planes we had to move out. And so we had to get the planes out of Florida, get the passengers out of harm's way," says Kline, the OCC's Senior Manager.
Which here, is just another day.
Story, video and photo gallery ➤ http://news3lv.com
Ultralight aircraft: Fatal accident occurred December 02, 2017 near Rosecrans Memorial Airport (KSTJ), St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri
DE KALB, Mo. — The Missouri State Highway Patrol on Saturday confirmed that a St. Joseph man was killed after an ultra-light aircraft crashed at mid-afternoon in a Buchanan County cornfield.
The patrol later identified the victim as 65-year-old Randal K. Reynolds. The agency's report said Reynolds was the lone occupant of the aircraft. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Richard Shelton of the Buchanan County Medical Examiner's Office, with the body taken to Meierhoffer Funeral Home.
Multiple agencies arrived on the scene of the crash in southern Buchanan County, in a cornfield just off Missouri Route JJ, about four miles south of St. Joseph and roughly five miles north of De Kalb.
The patrol, Buchanan County Sheriff's Office and the Buchanan County firefighters provided the first units to work the scene.
The single-engine ultra-light aircraft was completely destroyed, with firefighters extinguishing remaining flames from the crash soon after their arrival. A heavy smell of smoke and burned fuel hung in the air soon after the incident.
The patrol's Troop H headquarters in St. Joseph said the Buchanan County Communications Center received a report at about 2:59 p.m. of a small aircraft that had crashed in the farm field, just west of Route JJ.
The patrol and the sheriff's office continue to investigate the circumstance of the crash. The patrol added the Federal Aviation Administration was not summoned for the probe, since the craft contained no formal registration number.
"It's my understanding, I'm not perfectly clear on this, but it's my understanding that the nature of the aircraft, it's configuration, since it was a homemade ultralight aircraft it did not have a tail number, or anything like so they would not be responding to the scene," Sgt. Jacob Angle, Missouri State Highway Patrol, said.
Original article ➤ http://www.newspressnow.com
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A 65-year-old man died on Saturday after the ultralight plane he was piloting crashed near St. Joseph.
Around 3 p.m. Saturday, members of the Mo. State Highway Patrol, Buchanan County Sheriff's Department, and emergency rescue personnel responded to the crash site in a field just west of Route JJ, approximately 4 miles south of St. Joseph.
Randal K. Reynolds, 65, of St. Joseph, the pilot and lone occupant of a single engine ultralight aircraft, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://fox4kc.com
BUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. -- A 65-year-old man was killed Saturday after a single-engine ultralight aircraft crashed in a field in Buchanan County.
Randal K. Reynolds, of St. Joseph, was the only occupant of the aircraft.
The crash happened around 3 p.m. Saturday about four miles south of St. Joseph, west of Route JJ.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, Buchanan County Sheriff's Department and emergency rescue personnel responded to the crash, according to a news release from the MSHP.
Reynolds was pronounced dead at the scene.
The MSHP and the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department will continue investigating.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.ozarksfirst.com
ST. JOSEPH, MO (KCTV) - A small plane crashed and killed one person near St. Joseph today.
According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash happened just before 3 p.m. near JJ Highway, 4 or 5 miles south of St. Joseph.
They described the plane as being a "homemade ultralight" type of aircraft.
The plane crashed in a field just west of the road.
The only person inside, 65-year-old Randal K. Reynolds from St. Joseph, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office are investigating.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.kctv5.com
BUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. -- One person is dead after a small aircraft crashed in a cornfield Saturday afternoon.
According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, emergency crews were called to the field about five miles south of St. Joseph on State Highway JJ on a reported crash.
The Highway Patrol says a small homemade aircraft was destroyed in the crash and one person had died. No other injuries were reported.
The identity of the victim has not yet been released pending family notification.
Law enforcement is still processing the scene as the investigation continues.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.kshb.com
(BUCHANAN COUNTY) One person was killed in an ultralight aircraft crash in Buchanan County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The crash happened in a field near State Highway JJ.
Emergency crews were called out to the scene around 3:00 p.m. Saturday.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.kq2.com
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (KFLG) to add Los Angeles flight
Pulliam Airport Director Barney Helmick stands on the apron at the airport.
The Flagstaff Pulliam Airport will begin offering a nonstop flight to and from Los Angeles International Airport on May 5, 2018.
The route will only fly Saturdays and will be a seasonal addition for American Airlines to determine if the Flagstaff market can support the additional flight, city spokeswoman Jessica Drum said in a press release.
The flight will utilize American Airlines' 70-seat plane, which includes a first-class section.
The flight will depart from LAX on Saturday at 2 p.m. and arrive in Flagstaff at 3:30 p.m. It will then depart Flagstaff at 4 p.m. and arrive in Los Angeles at 5:43 p.m., Drum said.
Airport Director Barney Helmick said he and the city have been working to add a flight to L.A. for the past seven years. Horizon Air previously offered a flight to Los Angeles from Flagstaff, but it had a stop in Prescott, which made the flight less popular for travelers and more costly for the airline, Helmick said.
"L.A. is a great connection for some of our international visitors," Helmick said. "This gives them another option instead of having to connect through Phoenix or take a bus. It's time and money for tourists and our industry people."
The airport has nearly doubled in users in the last 10 years, Helmick said. In 2007, about 38,000 passengers departed from the airport. This year, Helmick estimates more than 70,000 people will depart from Flagstaff.
So far, American Airlines has scheduled the test service to run from May through September 2018, Helmick said. The airline needs to fill 75 percent of the seats to consider making the flight a permanent addition, he said.
"It is critical for us to prove that we are a market that deserves more," Helmick said.
Economic Vitality Director Heidi Hansen said the city has been working to market the airport locally by encouraging people to "fly Flagstaff first."
"It started to instill confidence in the community that the service in Flagstaff is reliable and time-saving," she said.
Since the marketing campaign began, Hansen said the airport has seen a 6 percent increase in enplanements.
Growth in the city, university and the business community make Flagstaff a prime city for more flights, Hansen said. California is Flagstaff's second-biggest target audience for tourism, following cities within Arizona.
Hansen said the Los Angeles flight is just the beginning of some service expansions at the airport, which have included discussions with various airlines about adding service to other major cities in nearby states.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://azdailysun.com
White Plains flights planned via Cape Air: Town renews contract as airline vows to improve
SARANAC LAKE — Beginning March 1, 2018, passengers boarding planes at the Adirondack Regional Airport will be able to disembark in White Plains. Their tickets will include shuttle service to Midtown Manhattan.
A one-way ticket to White Plains will cost around $95, and the flight will take 1 hour, 29 minutes, according to a Cape Air spokesperson.
Although final approval from the federal Department of Transportation is needed for the White Plains flights, the new contract was approved Thursday night by the Harrietstown town board. Airport Manager Corey Hurwitch said the DOT "wants people to be happy" and he predicted the DOT would allow the change.
However, community support is important, so town Supervisor Mike Kilroy will draft a letter to the DOT in favor of the White Plains flights and renewal of Cape Air's contract.
Contract renewal
– The town owns the Lake Clear airport and is responsible for approving service contracts with the airlines. For 10 years, the airline has been Cape Air; the town has approved a two-year contract and two four-year contracts.
Another carrier, Boutique Air, had submitted a bid for the contract. At Thursday night's town board meeting, Cape Air personnel showed up to discuss their service. Two steady customers of Cape Air gave positive testimonials during the public comments section of the meeting.
In previous board meetings, council members and Hurwitch said there has been a decline in service at Cape Air.
Dan Wolf, Cape Air's founder and CEO, made it clear that the company knows there have been problems and is committed to setting them right.
"Mea culpa," said Wolf. "We can do it again, and do it right this time."
Wolf said major construction at Logan Airport in Boston, Cape Air's connecting hub, has affected every airline there this year, but affects small companies such as Cape Air differently. When a flight is canceled, said Wolf, it leads to "rolling delays," which means the flights are pushed back. Big airlines like United can keep delaying flights late into the evening, whereas Cape Air stops flying at 8 p.m.
"With the pilot shortage we don't have enough pilots," said Wolf. "The rolling delays really hampered our summer."
Wolf said the Cape Air website had a banner to warn customers about the risk of cancellations, but town Councilman Ron Keough said that wasn't enough. Keough said his constituents have complained.
"Are you shipping animals? Or people?" he asked. "People are unreliable. They don't check the website. They don't check their phones."
Wolf apologized again and said the airline is committed to improving service.
"You could have communicated better," said Keough. "We're only just finding out about this Logan construction now."
Another issue brought up at previous town board meetings was that the Cape Air planes are getting old. Boutique, in its bid, noted that its fleet is new.
Wolf said Cape Air uses only twin-engine planes: "I am a believer that the type of flying we're doing here should be done with two engines. We have lost bids to companies with single-engine planes — just recently, in Massena — but it's not as safe. Single-engine flight doesn't require as stringent pilot certifications."
Cape Air has new twin-engine planes on order. The new planes will begin coming out of production in 2019, said Wolf.
"I can't wait to stop operating a 35-year-old airplane," said Wolf, who has renewed his pilot's license for a 40th year of flying. "But, the right plane hasn't been there."
In response to a question from the board, Wolf said it will take about eight years to turn over the fleet.
Cape Air asked for a four-year contract renewal rather than a two-year because the capital investment in the new planes has better security with the four-year contract.
White Plains, once a day
Several town board members said people have been requesting a flight to White Plains. The airport service there will include a shuttle service to Midtown Manhattan, with an approximate time of 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on traffic.
Kilroy asked whether flying into LaGuardia or John F. Kennedy, the two New York City airports, was an option.
"We're getting people to Midtown significantly faster than they are," said Andrew Bonney, Cape Air's senior vice president of planning.
Cape Air personnel cautioned that one flight a day may not get the results customers want. The flight will go out at mid-day, leaving the morning and evening flights to Boston intact.
"Having one flight a day to a destination is really hard," said Bonney. If connecting flights don't sync with the flight time that can mean a day's layover.
Adirondack Regional, located in Lake Clear, is subsidized by the federal Essential Air Service program, which supports air service to remote population centers. When EAS began in 1978, Adirondack Regional Airport was allocated three flights a day. That number is "set in stone," said Bonney.
Cape Air could fly more flights a day if they wanted to pay for the extra flights themselves. Although they've done this in the past, the pilot shortage would make it more difficult now.
Hurwitch said he can ask the Department of Transportation for more flights, but "I know what they'll say: You're lucky to get the three subsidized."
Bonney said 117 cities have EAS and "every single one" would like to add more flights.
Keough asked about the lobbying the federal government to increase the number of flights EAS would support.
"That's in the political realm," Bonney said.
The Trump administration's 2018 budget proposal would eliminate EAS altogether. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has made a point of trying to save EAS and visited Adirondack Regional Airport in August to show support.
Story and comments ➤ http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com
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Nigeria managed a draw, 1-1 against South Africa in the AFCON qualifiers on Saturday but there were seven things that popped up, some were there to see long before the game, others we saw as the game wore on.
Games between Nigeria and South Africa have always been heated, right from 1992 when the Eagles won 4-0 in Lagos and this one was no different. What are these 7 things?
Of the thirteen times Nigeria had previously met South Africa at senior international level, Nigeria won 7, drew 4 and lost 2.
However, it was not every time Nigeria beat South Africa that the Eagles actually outplayed the Bafana.
In fact, asides the 4-0 win in Lagos in 1992, the 2-0 win at the AFCON semifinal in 2000 and the 4-0 win at the AFCON in 2004, every time both countries met, it seemed the Eagles were outplayed by the Bafana.
Nigeria, however would find a way to survive and most times win, through pace, strength and determination, rather than a peculiar style, tactics or technical superiority.
It was not different at the FNB Stadium on Saturday as the South Africans had most of the play, but as usual were not brave enough to go for the jugular of the Nigerians.
Like Stuart Baxter said, his players were not brave enough to go for a win.
Though their defence seemed shaky every time Nigeria had the ball, the South African midfield and attack seemed every comfortable and there were jitters for one hundred million Nigerians anytime Percy Tau had the ball.
The "10" is arguably the most popular number in a football team and this is largely due to the legends who have worn it.
It was made most popular by Brazilian Pele and has also been worn by the likes of Zico, Diego Maradona, Ruud Gullit, Ronaldinho etc.
The "10" is beyond a number but a role on the pitch, which is the Playmaker role, attacking midfielder, Trequartista, Enganche, etc, but for Africans and South Americans, there is a particular style of play attached to playing this role that bears a heavy burden on whoever is in it.
To a number 10, you must have the ability to control the attacking play of your team through deft passing moves, clear vision, incredible technique and ball control as well as creativity, basically, the skill to show boat almost every time the ball is at your feet.
In Nigeria, from Haruna Ilerika to Henry Nwosu, Sam Okwaraji, Etim Esin to Austin Okocha, there are levels of ball tricks and showboating expected from you when you have the ball at your feet and that may have been the bane of Alex Iwobi against South Africa on Saturday. He was trying too hard.
He had a good first half but his second half was almost disastrous as he lost the ball at his feet, gave away passes to the opponents, and put the Super Eagles in trouble a couple of times.
One game does make a bad player, but Iwobi must know that he can only be Alex Iwobi and not his uncle, Jay Jay Okocha or any other person. Sometimes it seems like he gets carried away in a game. He could have cost Nigeria the game on Saturday. At some point in the game, fatigue and weather affected not just him but most of the team so he should have kept it simple by distributing the balls as soon as it got to him.
In 1993, the confidence of the Super Eagles was sky high. The team was so sure that they could beat anyone on the continent, and did that more often than not.
When Nigeria had a date with South Africa in the 2nd leg of the 1994 World Cup qualifiers, the game was to be played at the First National Bank, FNB Stadium in Johannesburg and there was a reason for this.
Clemens Westerhof put out a four man attack of Victor Ikpeba, Samson Siasia, Rashidi Yekini and Daniel Amokachi (I wondered then what he was thinking then and even now) hoping to overwhelm the hosts, but after the goalless first half, the altitude began to take its toll on the players as the 2nd half was a complete drag for the Eagles while the South Africans failed to strike the killer punch. Goalless it ended, but the Eagles were the luckier of the two sides.
For most of the second period Nigeria just held on as the front men obviously no longer had the lungs to fall back and defend. Friday Ekpo and Emeka Ezeugo worked extra hard on the day to keep the Eagles alive.
Enter 2018, the game was taken to the FNB again, and after a first half that ended 1-1, the altitude took its toll on the Eagles as they barely made it to the end of the game. Alex Iwobi gave out balls carelessly, the Eagles defence was caught flatfooted more than once, Kelechi Iheanacho, Oghenekaro Etebo and their mates became anonymous. It was not exactly the fault of the players.
John Ogu, told NigerianFootballer.com that the weather affected the team as they were not used to it.
"We were all affected by the weather and for me, I felt my throat was dry. My team mates had similar complaints while the game was on.
"This is not an excuse for not winning the game but all these little things count. The weather took its toll on us," Ogu said.
John Ogu did not have to say this. We all knew while watching the game. There was a reason the game was taken to the First National Bank Stadium in Johannesburg and it worked for the home team.
The altitude was not the only similarity between the 0-0 in 1993 and the 1-1 in 2018.
In 1993, Rashidi Yekini latched on a back pass by a South African defender, rounded the goalkeeper and scored, but surprisingly the flag went up for off side, how?
In 2018, twice Nigeria scored, and twice the flag went up for offside, goals that were clearly onside, how?
In 1993, the referees ensured South Africa did not lose, either by design or error and the same thing happened in 2018, twice.
Before Saturday's game there had been 4 previous draws between Nigeria and South Africa, but the optimism from fans of the Super Eagles and football writers too was sky high.
Nine out of ten people from the Nigerian side of the divide would have clearly given the Super Eagles a win without batting an eyelid.
We should have seen the possibility of a draw? Before the game Nigeria had beaten Seychelles, away, done the same to Libya, home and away and beaten Liberia in Monrovia. The Eagles were back, surely?
But no, Percy Tau, the referees and the altitude happened. A draw turned out a good result for Nigeria as it ensured qualification for the AFCON, the Eagles first since 2013.
When the Super Eagles lost to South Africa in Uyo in 2017 and the turmoil Nigerian football was in at the time, it would have been difficult to believe that Nigeria would qualify for the AFCON, much less with a full game to play.
With the structure changing from a 16 to 24 team format, qualification was made easier, but only a few diehards would have thought, three months ago that Nigeria would qualify for the 2019 AFCON with a game to go.
Wins over Seychelles, Libya (home and away) and of course, a result in Johannesburg ensured this.
The Super Eagles were certainly not in their best on Saturday, but they did the business and will be playing in the AFCON for the first time since 2013. Who would have thunk it?
The game was moved to a 90000 capacity stadium for basically two reasons- the altitude and the fans who would have been expected to intimidate the Eagles with their presence.
However, while the altitude did its bit, the fans stayed away as the home FA failed to sell even a quarter of the tickets for the game, much unlike in 1993 when it was a full house.
Games between Nigeria and South Africa, no matter the venue should not lack fans in the stadium. This surely shows how the Bafana Bafana fans rate their home team. The Soweto derby would surely fill up the same stadium.


Hours after Google announced a new gaming platform shares in Japanese console makers Nintendo and Sony tanked.
The new as yet unproven platform that is not coming to Australia in the short term is being tipped as a 'game changer' by some analysts.
What Google is hoping for is that they can push into the $135bn gaming industry with a cloud-based offering generating revenue from low cost subscriptions and advertising in front of gamers.
Nintendo and Sony shares were down nearly 4 per cent in early trading.
Called Stadia the new service will stream games directly from Google's servers to computers, televisions and mobile devices, bypassing the need for dedicated console hardware.
The latest moves leave shares in Nintendo down 39% and Sony down 30% per respectively from their 2018 peak.
Share price falls in recent months have sparked debate over the future of console gaming.
Wired said of the move, For the games industry, Google Stadia is both an exciting opportunity and a looming crisis. It's exciting because in the blink of an eye Google will remove almost all barriers to entry in gaming and allow anyone to play any game on any device.
That's huge. But it's a looming crisis because this is Google. And Google runs YouTube. It's an almighty crisitunity.
Right now, Google Stadia isn't really anything other than a bold, technically impressive demo. And boy is it impressive. But caveats abound. In the stop-start history of games streaming – and let's face it, it's mostly been stop – we've been here before. But Stadia is tantalisingly different: it's an ambitious bid to create a single platform for gaming and fundamentally change the entire industry. And Google definitely has the skills to pull it off.
The Verge said, 'The future of gaming is not a box," according to Google. "It's a place." Just like how humans have built stadiums for sports over hundreds of years, Google believes it's building a virtual stadium, aptly dubbed Stadia, for the future of games to be played anywhere.
You won't need an expensive gaming PC or a dedicated game console. Instead, you'll just need access to Google's Chrome browser to instantly play games on a phone, tablet, PC, or TV. It's a bold vision for where gaming is heading, and Google hopes its Stadia cloud streaming service will make it a reality.


Samuel Jones taught in this Farm house. The right-hand third is an extension to the building that would have been there in his time.
Samuel Jones was neither ordained nor instituted by a bishop but admitted to the living of Llangynwyd on the authority of Oliver Cromwell who was trying to increase the quality of vicars. Anglicans would have held that he was an 'intruded' minister and that his appointment was unlawful. This scholarly man, having been converted to puritanism while at Oxford, abandoned a promising academic career to become a minister of the gospel at Llangynwyd. His congregation were not very supportive, but he was supported by a small but ardent group of Puritans. With the return of Charles II in 1660 Jones remained in his living for two years, but gave it up when he refused to sign the Act of Uniformity which tried to re-establish Anglo-Catholicism. He joined 2,000 other good men out of a job. He settled at Brynllywarch and remained there for the rest of his life.
For 35 years Jones carried on his work in the Puritan cause. He ministered to small congregations of committed dissenters in the area (although this would have been dangerous up to the Toleration Act of 1689). He is best remembered for his teaching work in this house. Here the former Oxford scholar tutored sons of the gentry and young men preparing for the dissenting ministry. His fine qualities as an educator were recognised by the award of grants from the Presbyterian and Congregationalist funds; several students became noteworthy ministers.
After his death in 1697, the work of the Brynllywarch Academy, as it became known, was transferred to different places in turn, and the name of Samuel Jones went into eclipse.


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Posts Tagged 'film'
How does film support aid and development work?
Posted in communication for development, ICTs, mobile and technology, technology, technology salon, TSNYC, wait... what?, youth media, tagged development, film, ICT4D, ICTs, impact, media, participatory, Technology Salon, TSNYC, video, youth media on December 5, 2017| 1 Comment »
On November 14 Technology Salon NYC met to discuss issues related to the role of film and video in development and humanitarian work. Our lead discussants were Ambika Samarthya from Praekelt.org; Lina Srivastava of CIEL, and Rebekah Stutzman, from Digital Green's DC office.
Lina proposed that there are three main reasons for using video, film, and/or immersive media (such as virtual reality or augmented reality) in humanitarian and development work:
Raising awareness about an issue or a brand and serving as an entry point or a way to frame further actions.
Community-led discussion/participatory media, where people take agency and ownership and express themselves through media.
Catalyzing movements themselves, where film, video, and other visual arts are used to feed social movements.
Each of the above is aimed at a different audience. "Raising awareness" often only scratches the surface of an issue and can have limited impact if done on its own without additional actions. Community-led efforts tend to go deeper and focus on the learning and impact of the process (rather than the quality of the end product) but they usually reach fewer people (thus have a higher cost per person and less scale). When using video for catalyzing moments, the goal is normally bringing people into a longer-term advocacy effort.
In all three instances, there are issues with who controls access to tools/channels, platforms, and distribution channels. Though social media has changed this to an extent, there are still gatekeepers that impact who gets to be involved and whose voice/whose story is highlighted, funders who determine which work happens, and algorithms that dictate who will see the end products.
Participants suggested additional ways that video and film are used, including:
Social-emotional learning, where video is shown and then discussed to expand on new ideas and habits or to encourage behavior change.
Personal transformation through engaging with video.
Becky shared Digital Green's approach, which is participatory and where community members to use video to help themselves and those around them. The organization supports community members to film videos about their agricultural practices, and these are then taken to nearby communities to share and discuss. (More on Digital Green here). Video doesn't solve anyone's development problem all by itself, Becky emphasized. If an agricultural extensionist is no good, having a video as part of their training materials won't solve that. "If they have a top-down attitude, don't engage, don't answer questions, etc., or if people are not open to changing practices, video or no video, it won't work."
How can we improve impact measurement?
Questions arose from Salon participants around how to measure impact of film in a project or wider effort. Overall, impact measurement in the world of film for development is weak, noted one discussant, because change takes a long time and it is hard to track. We are often encouraged to focus on the wrong things like "vanity measurements" such as "likes" and "clicks," but these don't speak to longer-term and deeper impact of a film and they are often inappropriate in terms of who the audience is for the actual films (E.g., are we interested in impact on the local audience who is being impacted by the problem or the external audience who is being encouraged to care about it?)
Digital Green measures behavior change based on uptake of new agriculture practices. "After the agriculture extension worker shows a video to a group, they collect data on everyone that's there. They record the questions that people ask, the feedback about why they can't implement a particular practice, and in that way they know who is interested in trying a new practice." The organization sets indicators for implementing the practice. "The extension worker returns to the community to see if the family has implemented a, b, c and if not, we try to find out why. So we have iterative improvement based on feedback from the video." The organization does post their videos on YouTube but doesn't know if the content there is having an impact. "We don't even try to follow it up as we feel online video is much less relevant to our audience." An organization that is working with social-emotional learning suggested that RCTs could be done to measure which videos are more effective. Others who work on a more individual or artistic level said that the immediate feedback and reactions from viewers were a way to gauge impact.
Donors often have different understandings of useful metrics. "What is a valuable metric? How can we gather it? How much do you want us to spend gathering it?" commented one person. Larger, longer-term partners who are not one-off donors will have a better sense of how to measure impact in reasonable ways. One person who formerly worked at a large public television station noted that it was common to have long conversation about measurement, goals, and aligning to the mission. "But we didn't go by numbers, we focused on qualitative measurement." She highlighted the importance of having these conversations with donors and asking them "why are you partnering with us?" Being able to say no to donors is important, she said. "If you are not sharing goals and objectives you shouldn't be working together. Is gathering these stories a benefit to the community ? If you can't communicate your actual intent, it's very complicated."
The goal of participatory video is less about engaging external (international) audiences or branding and advocacy. Rather it focuses on building skills and capacities through the process of video making. Here, the impact measurement is more related to individual, and often self-reported, skills such as confidence, finding your voice, public speaking, teamwork, leadership skills, critical thinking and media literacy. The quality of video production in these cases may be low, and videos unsuitable for widespread circulation, however the process and product can be catalysts for local-level change and locally-led advocacy on themes and topics that are important to the video-makers.
Participatory video suffers from low funding levels because it doesn't reach the kind of scale that is desired by funders, though it can often contribute to deep, personal and community-level change. Some felt that even if community-created videos were of high production quality and translated to many languages, large-scale distribution is not always feasible because they are developed in and speak to/for hyper-local contexts, thus their relevance can be limited to smaller geographic areas. Expectation management with donors can go a long way towards shifting perspectives and understanding of what constitutes "impact."
Should we re-think compensation?
Ambika noted that there are often challenges related to incentives and compensation when filming with communities for organizational purposes (such as branding or fundraising). Organizations are usually willing to pay people for their time in places such New York City and less inclined to do so when working with a rural community that is perceived to benefit from an organization's services and projects. Perceptions by community members that a filmmaker is financially benefiting from video work can be hard to overcome, and this means that conflict may arise during non-profit filmmaking aimed at fundraising or building a brand. Even when individuals and communities are aware that they will not be compensated directly, there is still often some type of financial expectation, noted one Salon participant, such as the purchase of local goods and products.
Working closely with gatekeepers and community leaders can help to ease these tensions. When filmmaking takes several hours or days, however, participants may be visibly stressed or concerned about household or economic chores that are falling to the side during filming, and this can be challenging to navigate, noted one media professional. Filming in virtual reality can exacerbate this problem, since VR filming is normally over-programmed and repetitive in an effort to appear realistic.
One person suggested a change in how we approach incentives. "We spent about two years in a community filming a documentary about migration. This was part of a longer research project. We were not able to compensate the community, but we were able to invest directly in some of the local businesses and to raise funds for some community projects." It's difficult to understand why we would not compensate people for their time and their stories, she said. "This is basically their intellectual property, and we're stealing it. We need a sector rethink." Another person agreed, "in the US everyone gets paid and we have rules and standards for how that happens. We should be developing these for our work elsewhere."
Participatory video tends to have less of a challenge with compensation. "People see the videos, the videos are for their neighbors. They are sharing good agricultural or nutrition approaches with people that they already know. They sometimes love being in the videos and that is partly its own reward. Helping people around them is also an incentive," said one person.
There were several other rabbit holes to explore in relation to film and development, so look for more Salons in 2018!
To close out the year right, join us for ICT4Drinks on December 14th at Flatiron Hall from 7-9pm. If you're signed up for Technology Salon emails, you'll find the invitation in your inbox!
Salons run under Chatham House Rule so no attribution has been made in this post. If you'd like to attend a future Salon discussion, join the list at Technology Salon.
Girls talk about making media
Posted in Cameroon, Ghana, ICT4D, Liberia, participation, Sierra Leone, youth media, tagged Africa Interactive, documentation, film, gender, girls making media, videos, youth media on August 29, 2011| 1 Comment »
This is a guest post by Bertil van Vugt, who works as the content director at Africa Interactive. Bertil and I met for the first time about a year ago at a tweet up in Amsterdam, though I had known about Africa Interactive's fantastic work with African media professionals for much longer. I was thrilled to hear from Bertil last week that they've been working with Plan in West Africa, and have made 4 videos about the Girls Making Media project that I had written about earlier this month.
Girls Making Media in Ghana
Men dominate the African media sector. Looking at our own database of over 2000 media-professionals in 50 African countries we see predominantly males. Fortunately we are also working with many talented women throughout the continent. When we were asked to produce videos and case studies about Plan's Girls Making Media Project we got really exited about the initiative that is preparing young girls for a career in the media sector.
I work for Africa Interactive, a social venture delivering media and communication services with offices in Amsterdam, Nairobi and Accra. As I mentioned earlier we are working with local reporters, camera-crews and photographers throughout Africa to document activities of NGOs, multinationals and governments. While these organizations previously worked with Western crews who travelled to Africa, we work with African media-professionals and guarantee the quality of the productions.
Local film-crews
There are many advantages of working with local crews. They know their way around; they speak the languages and understand the culture since it is theirs. These people can be fixer, translator and journalist at the same time. And not unimportant: the costs are lower compared to flying people in. For this Plan assignment we worked with experienced crews (male AND female) in Lomé (Togo), Bomi (Liberia), Makeni (Sierra Leone) and Sogakope (Ghana). Our, by the way female, employees in Accra and Nairobi did the video editing and we finalized the videos in our Amsterdam office.
GMM
The Girls Making Media project's goal is to contribute to the elimination of gender discrimination and benefits at least 140 adolescent girls and 30 adult journalists in the most marginalized areas in each country. With this project, girls and adult journalists are trained on various topics aiming at increasing their capacity to produce quality information concerning girls' rights. It is also empowering girls to advocate on issues concerning their well-being.
In the four videos we focus on the three-year program (which started one year ago) and show the development, achievements and challenges so far. We hear about the effect the project has on the girls and their communities. Also, the girls explain how they see themselves after learning media skills and talking about gender related issues on the radio and TV.
Girls interact with journalists
Together with the Plan West Africa office in Ouagadougou we developed the idea that the video-shoot should also be an opportunity for the girls to interact with our crews and learn from them. During the filming days there was room for questions and sharing of experiences. We received positive feedback from the crews and the Plan offices about the cooperation with the girls. I would like to use this space to thank the camera-crews who did a great job to create the videos: Comfort + Yudawhere (Liberia), Wotay + Idriss (Sierra Leone), Paul + Gary (Ghana) and Rodrique + Anselme (Togo).
Let me conclude by saying that I hope to welcome the girls to our network after they have finalized the GMM project!
If you are looking for any content on your activities in Africa, just contact me via e-mail: bertil [at] africanews.com or Twitter: @brutuz.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Wisconsin's Republican-controlled legislature took a highly unusual step in the lame-duck session Wednesday morning and approved a raft of measures that will strip powers from incoming Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul.
Why it matters: Limiting Evers' authority will make it increasingly difficult for him to implement campaign promises, and it will extend years of fierce ideological skirmishes in the battleground state Republicans have fully controlled for years.
Timing: The last-ditch effort, which outraged Democrats call a blatant "power grab," comes less than a month after Evers and Kaul defeated the state's Republican incumbents.
The backdrop: The move mirrors a similar one made by North Carolina Republicans two years ago, during which they successfully stripped powers of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
Michigan's Republican-controlled legislature is also currently considering measures to weaken the powers of incoming Democratic of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
What they're saying: Wisconsin Republicans are defending their efforts as necessary to balance the power of the legislature and the executive branch. Gov. Scott Walker, who now gets a final chance to reshape state government before leaving office in January, signaled to reporters this week that he supports the proposals.
Meanwhile, Evers and other Democrats have threatened to take legal action, arguing that Republicans are trying to invalidate election results: "We're not going back in time to re-vote this election. I won and I'm more than willing to work with the legislature going forward," Evers said this week.
Make it difficult for Evers and Kaul to withdraw the state from a Republican lawsuit challenging Obamacare and to exercise oversight or have the power to roll back conservative policies.
Allow lawmakers to hire private attorneys to replace Kaul on certain lawsuits, enabling Republicans to better defend conservative laws if challenged in court.
Slash early voting to a two-week window before elections, a move that will deprive counties that currently decide when to start. Democratic strongholds like Madison and Milwaukee began early voting six weeks before last month's midterm contests.
This proposal is almost certain to trigger a court challenge because a federal judge struck down a similar proposal as unconstitutional in 2016.
Require Evers to get permission from lawmakers to ban guns in the state capital.
One of the most controversial proposals — a plan to move the date of the 2020 presidential primary from April to March — is dead after a committee vote Monday.
Why it matters: Local reports said it's an attempt by Republicans to safeguard conservative state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, who will be on the April ballot, out of fear that a Democratic wave could cost Kelly his job.


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HomeOther NewsLIBERIA: 'Gov't Does Not Intend To Shut Down Any Critical Media Entity' Min. Nagbe
LIBERIA: 'Gov't Does Not Intend To Shut Down Any Critical Media Entity' Min. Nagbe
February 19, 2019 Cholo Brooks Other News 0
Liberia's Information Minister, Lenn Eugene Nagbe
The Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), Lenn Eugene Nagbe, has refuted allegations emanating from the public that the Government of Liberia is doing everything possible to silence critical voices in the media.
The comments from the Information Minister follow recent allegations of vandalism at Roots FM, a local media entity owned by a talk show host.
Some members of the opposition community have also since accused the government of being the mastermind behind the alleged sabotage at the local FM radio, an allegation the government has since refuted on grounds that it has always created an ambiance that promotes freedom of speech and of the press.
The recent ratification of the K. Abdullai Kamara Act of Press Freedom which decriminalizes media and speech offenses has since served as a point of reference upon which the Government of Liberia has built a defense against those who assume that it is muzzling free speech or the press.
With ongoing police investigation in what seems to be a professed pillage at Roots FM, Nagbe, who spoke on a local radio talk show in Monrovia on Monday, reaffirmed that the government of Liberia is committed to freedom of speech and freedom of expression, noting that this government has no intention of shutting down any critical voice in the media landscape.
Nagbe rebutted claims by the management of Roots FM that their facility was shut down by the Government of Liberia, clarifying that the premises of the station were only barricaded by the police in order to validate the initial inventory that was taken by the police.
Nagbe questioned as to why the government is not seen closing other radio stations that are critical of the administration.
He revealed that Lonestar Cell MTN, which is the legitimate owner of the facility in which Roots FM is operating, consented to cooperate with the police in the investigation and, as such, should accept every legal method used by the police to foster the probe.
Speaking further on media tolerance by the Weah-led government, Nagbe indicated that 99.9 percent of the radio stations in Liberia are critical of government, and bulk of those stations are owned by members of the opposition and other private individuals.
"If it is true that their (Roots FM) transmitter was stolen, it is the responsibility of the government to launch an investigation and find it. It is the police that determine at which point a crime scene must be secured once an investigation is ongoing in a matter," Nagbe noted.
He called on the management of Roots FM and the general public to remain calm as the investigation into the alleged robbery at the station is being solved.
He also assured that the Government of Liberia will get to the bottom of the investigation, adding that, "This allegation has damaged the name of the country so much. To present this country that has so much freedom of speech and expression as one that is totalitarian is unfair and this is why we insist that nothing will be spared to get to the bottom of this situation."


text:
Tmarus yiminhensis est une espèce d'araignées aranéomorphes de la famille des Thomisidae.

Distribution
Cette espèce est endémique de Mongolie-Intérieure en Chine.

Étymologie
Son nom d'espèce, composé de yiminh et du suffixe latin , « qui vit dans, qui habite », lui a été donné en référence au lieu de sa découverte, Yiminh.

Publication originale
 Zhu & Wen, 1981 : Chinese spiders of genus Tmarus (Araneae: Thomisidae). Journal of Bethune Medical University, , .

Liens externes

Notes et références

Thomisidae
Espèce d'araignées (nom scientifique)
Faune endémique de Mongolie-Intérieure

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The 19th C was an age of invention and discovery and what many people don't know is that the first ever movies were being shown by the end of the 19th Century in the 1890s. It was however a series of smaller inventions at this time which led to one of the greatest. In particular it was the discovery of what was termed 'the persistence of vision' in the early 19th century which led to the creation of many new toys that many Victorians would play with within their own homes.
This display explains how these inventions led to the creation of the first movies by the end of the century. There are many optical toys for the public to play with. There is also opportunity at various points throughout the day to make their own optical toy such as a thaumotrope (spinning disc). Run to passing trade throughout the day and with timed toy making sessions.
Thaumotropes (spinning discs)
At about the same time that the first photo was taken a man called Dr John Paris was inventing the Thaumotrope. This consisted of a disc of cardboard with two different images of each side. Strings were attached to each side of the disc and when the strings were twisted at speed, the two images were united as one. A famous example of this is the bird in a cage. On one side of the disc is an empty cage, on the other a bird, when the disc is spun, the bird appears to the eye to be within the cage. The discovery that the eye could be tricked like this was called 'The Persistence of Vision'. They believed, that our eyes need time to process each image that we see and for each image to fade and the new one to appear. 19th century theories on this have been disproved but it was key to their beliefs and interests at this time.
Phenakistoscope
Invented in 1832, the Phenakistoscope is a flat spinning disc with slots arranged around the edge. On one side of the disc are a series of images, as you'd find in a flick book. On the other is a handle. The user looks through the slots on the back of the disc at a reflection of the images. Rather like a flick book, when it is spun, the images appear to be moving.
This consisted of an open topped drum with slits all the way round the edge. The drum could spin on its base. Inside the drum a strip of slightly different images were placed. When the drum was spun and the images viewed through the slots the images appeared to be moving.
The Zoetrope was designed in 1834 by W. Horner of Bristol. However it was not until 1860 that the device became really popular. It was origially called the Daedelum. Acrobats somersaulting and people dancing were popular Victorian subjects.
3D films are familiar in the modern world but they have their routes in Victorian times.
Stereoscopes were a popular way to view images in 3D in the 19th C. Each eye would be looking at a different image. Both images were very similar but ever so slightly different and had been taken an eyes distance apart. This tricked the brain into seeing a 3D image.
The first stereoscope was invented in 1838 by Sir Charles Wheatsone. Various other stereoscopes were invented after this such as the Brewster stereoscope in 1849. In 1861 a new type of scope was invented by Oliver Wendell Holmes, now known as the Holmes stereoscope (pictured here).
Stereoscopes were important in driving forward the demand for cheap photographs as the craze for 3D images swept Europe. Stereoscopes were popular for home entertainment right up until the 1930s and are still produced today.
Praxinoscope
The Praxinoscope was an improvement on the zoetrope and was invented in 1876 by Charles-Émile Raynaud. Instead of looking directly at the cartoon strip through slots in the side of the drum, the viewer looks directly at the mirrors in the middle of the drum, which reflect the moving images. The break between the mirrors mean it works in the same way as the zoetrope but it gives a much clearer image. You can see this in the video below.
The Toupie-Fantoches
This was another invention of Charles- Émile Raynaud in 1881. Like the Praxinoscope it used mirrors but only 4 arranged as a pyramid. A disc with a set of images was placed on top with the images reflecting in the mirrors. The Toupie was then spun and the viewer watched the reflected images in the mirrors.
Magic Lanterns like the one you can see here gave people the first moving images and were the inspiration for the first movie projectors used in cinemas.
The inventor of the magic lantern has been much debated but most people believe it to be a Dutch man called Christiaan Huygens in about 1659. Father Athanasius Kircher is often credited with its invention but although he was writing about some of the principles of projecting light through a convex lens, he is not considered by most to be its inventor.
Magic lantern shows were very popular in the 18th & 19th centuries. Including 'Phantasmagoria' shows which projected ghostly images onto smoke, the smoke made the images appear to shiver and move. The first phantasmagoria was shown in a haunted Parisian chapel in 1798 and was very scary for those watching.
Lantern slides were made which appeared to show moving images. This was done by using special slides with moving parts. You can see this in the image beside this text. This slide transforms from a cook carrying a pigs head on plate, as the glass slipper slide is pulled, the image changes to show a pig carrying the cooks head! The first lantern images were hand painted but as the 19th century progressed many lantern images changed from drawings to photographs.
Magic lantern shows were very popular in the 19th century and lanterns were also made for home entertainment and as toys for children. They were the cinema and TV of their day. Lanterns started to fade in popularity with the rise of the movie in the early 20th century.
Photography was invented in the early 19th century but there were several stages in the process before we could have movies by the end of the century.
The Daguerrotype
The first ever photograph was taken in 1827 by a Frenchman called Nicephore Nieppe of the view from his room. Nieppe had discovered a way to record an image permanently. Nieppe started working closely with another Frenchman called Louis Daguerre. Daguerre went on to create the first commercially available photographs which were called Daguerreotypes. Without this important invention, the movies would not have been possible. Most of the early photos were portraits of people and visitors can view some of these original images in our show.
Negatives are invented – A way to produce more than 1 copy
It was an English man, William Henry Fox Talbot of Lacock in Wilshire, who invented the first negative using tracing paper. This type of negative had faults and gave blotchy photos. This process was called a calotype.
It was another Englishman, Frederick Scott Archer who invented the glass negative in 1848. His process was called the collodion wet plate process. It gave better images and allowed multiple copies to be produced. It only took a few seconds of exposure to take the photo, instead of minutes. It took between 2-20 seconds to take a photo.
A negative is formed when the plate is exposed to the light, due to the light sensitive chemicals painted on it. These darken when exposed to light. The negatives are then applied to special light sensitive photographic paper and placed in sunlight. This would give a positive image on the paper. This is called contact printing.
The trouble with Archers negatives was that the film plate had to be painted with chemicals just before the photo was taken and the photographer had to have his head under a dark cloth connected to the camera whilst he did this. This meant he breathed in all sorts of chemical fumes. The negative was then developed if out in the field, in a tented dark room nearby. This was called the collodion or wet plate process.
In 1871, an Englishman called Dr Richard Leach Maddox invented the dry plate negative (see negative of lady holding baby). This meant that the curtain on the camera was no longer needed and a photo could be taken in 1/50th of a second! Later on the process was made even quicker and a photo could be taken in 1/500th of a second.
This was a great advance but you still couldn't shoot a movie on a still camera. A step towards this was taken in 1882 by a French doctor called Etienne Marey (ma-RAY). Marey who made a photo-gun which used a round dry plate to shoot 12 photos in a row. This gun is the reason we still talk about 'shooting' a movie.
Celluloid film
What was needed was a different way to capture the images. Luckily at about the same time Marey was using his photo gun, an American called George Eastman was inventing the first roll film. He coated strips of paper with a gelatine & chemical mix and rolled the film up for use. Eastman went on to found Kodak. It meant that cameras could be light and portable and the roll films were very successful.
This still wasn't suitable for shooting a movie. What was needed was celluloid film. Celluloid is a type of plastic. It was much stronger than paper. Several inventors came up with the idea for celluloid at the same time.
Cameras were made that could unwind the film and had a blinking shutter. Then the first movies were ready to be made! Thomas Edison, the great inventor, famous for inventing the light bulb had a working movie camera ready by 1894. Edison's camera could take 48 pictures a second. However, to begin with Edison thought that there was no future in movies!
The first movie projector Once the film had been shot, a way to show it to people was still needed. The credit for creating the first working projector goes to the Lumière (loom-YAIR) brothers from France. Their projector had a light in it and lenses and it could unwind celluloid film to play it.
The Lumières then made their first movie called 'Baby's Breakfast'. It showed Auguste Lumière and his wife feeding their baby daughter! Not the most exciting topic for the first movie but it was revolutionary at the time. You can see this movie below.
The Lumières opened the worlds first ever movie house on 28 December 1895. In 1896 Thomas Edison built his own projector and opened the first movie theatre in America. In the stretch of time since the Lumières first movie, a lot has changed and celluloid is now being rapidly replaced by digital movies. The Lumieries however had paved the way for others and as we moved into the early twentieth century, films were already getting more inventive and fantastical, like Georges Méliès wonderful, 'A Trip to the Moon' from 1902 seen below:


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