We recall the supportiveness of U.S. Rep. Chris Shays and his dynmaic staffer Chris catropa. When U.S. Rep. Jim Himes took office, he and staffer Amy Lappos lost little time in also coming to our side, holding several meetings on the topic and reportedly contacting several FAA-related entities. Most recently, he met with us last June, at 2 locations, in order to observe planes with us. However, the meeting I attended happened on a day that had rainy weather. Usually in such weather, planes go elsewhere or just sit on runways… Moreover, IIRC, The Iceland Volcano was having a flare-up around that time. Even so, we did spot a few low-flying planes.
Speaking of volcanos, we've had some unplanned but welcome “relief” from plane-noise, due to the Iceland Volcano. The economic slowdown in the Gulf of Mexico region may have contributed too. But 2-3 weeks ago, the noise returned, at higher levels than ever before! The planes seem to be flying a bit lower over Greenwich and Stamford than they flew before the Volcano & Gulf ordeals.
Most recently, I’ve contacted a Republican candidate for the U.S House of Representatives -- Dan Debicella, to ask what his stance on the FAA redesign is. He wrote to me that
"Hi Gila,
.... I actually sat down with a supporter yesterday who is advising me on FAA and aviation issues.
Living in Greenwich, the flight patterns are obviously an issue for you and if elected I will certainly do whatever I can to influence the FAA and their determinations regarding air traffic.
.....
I am committed to helping you and your neighbors on this."
.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
An interestingly similar case
Looks as though the noise-blight reaches as far as Oregon! And I thought Portland, Oregon, was such a "green" place...
http:///http:// www.oregonaviationwatch.org
Related topics: christopher corich, hillsboro airport, land use board of appeals, miki barnes, oregon aviation revealed, port of portland, runway extension. (Link updated in 2013)
http:///http:// www.oregonaviationwatch.org
Related topics: christopher corich, hillsboro airport, land use board of appeals, miki barnes, oregon aviation revealed, port of portland, runway extension. (Link updated in 2013)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Flight Delays: Fresh (Red) Herring!
Recall my post from July 2009: "Flight Delays, a Big Red Herring?" I wrote that "...We allow for the possibility of [ground-traffic]delays when we set out for a meeting or an appointment. We know it's ridiculous to fix a precise to-the-minute time-estimate to a car trip: If we want to be sure to arrive on time, we have to leave early... We think nothing of ground-traffic delays. The time may have come to accept air-traffic delays, especially in light of the increased and increasing traffic-volume." That was following discussions from 2007 and some in 2008, whereby "flight delays" were citerd in several newspaper items as the FAA's justification for the Airspace Redesign.
This blog has debunked that whole myth: Over time, we've collected numerous instances of flight delays, the overwhelming majority of which are caused by weather. Can the FAA redesign the weather?
Here is a recent "sample:"
1. June 17, 2010, (Thurs.) 4:10 pm: Newark has (1 hour?) delays on arrivals, "they say wind is the problem."
2. June 23 (Wed.) 9 am and 12 pm news: A Virgin Airlines flight London to Newark was diverted to Bradley Airport "because of bad weather." Passengers were stranded from 8:20 pm till 1 am. They "yelled and screamed" but to no avail. A few passengers fainted.
There are rules regarding passengers "stranded on the tarmac," (I believe they limit the time passengers can be held on a plane) but they do not apply to international flights!
3. June 24, 2010, 9:38 pm WCBS880: "We still have airport delays, call your carrier." This was the day of the tornado in Bridgeport, CT.
4. June 25, 12 pm: A flight "taxiing" for takeoff from Atlanta was "turned around" because... a TURTLE was discovered on-board! The only pets allowed on planes are cats and dogs, in appropriate boxes. There are several versions as to what the fate of the turtle, named after a character in the film "Avatar," was. One is that passengers and cabin-attendants said to pout the turtle under a passenger-seat, but the crew refused. Another story is that the plane's crew told the turtles' owner/s to put the turtle in a trash-bin in the terminal, abut the airline claimed that "kids," (turtle's owners?) "chose to do that." The kids' family reported the incident to PETA.
5. July 13, (Tues.), a storm was approaching. 11 am: "all three airports are reporting delays because of the weather."
4 pm: 4 hours and 15 minutes delays.
5:30 pm: "Delays at the airports so keep calling [your carrier]"
6. July 19 (Monday): Sky darkened abruptly around 9 am, heavy rain with some wind tapered off to light rain and no wind.
10:00 am: Newark and LaGuardia "both reporting delays" because of the weather, "... I guess you can throw in JFK, too."
4:30 pm: "Up to 1-hour delays at the airports."
5:30 pm WOR710: Up to 1-hour delays at the airports.
7. July 23 (Friday). Weather -- Storm and tornado warning. overcast, which a friend told me was said to reach altitude of 44,500 feet.
"Accu-Weather" TV channel 7: "You want to check ahead at the airports..."
8. July 25, rain and overcast, power-outages in some regions, tornado suspected to have occurred in the Bronx.
9:08 pm WCBS880: "We are seeing delays at the area airports..."
The Greenwich area had milder weather than described, so planes were passing overhead every 3-4 minutes.
9. July 28 (Wed.): Weather was fine, but the U.S. President was visiting the tri-state area, many "frozen zones" reported due to security measures.
5:00 (and 5:30?) news: Newark has delays up to 1:10 hours.
10. July 29 8:50 am: "Airports [have] up to 1-hour delays, that's weather-related."
So... this "sample" picked up a delay roughly evenry 6 days. Note that unlike the delays in some of the "horror stories" used by some to justify the aAirspace re-design, weather delays can persis for well over 24 hours.
Of 10 "data-points," weather: score=8, turtle=Score 1, President? score 1.
This blog has debunked that whole myth: Over time, we've collected numerous instances of flight delays, the overwhelming majority of which are caused by weather. Can the FAA redesign the weather?
Here is a recent "sample:"
1. June 17, 2010, (Thurs.) 4:10 pm: Newark has (1 hour?) delays on arrivals, "they say wind is the problem."
2. June 23 (Wed.) 9 am and 12 pm news: A Virgin Airlines flight London to Newark was diverted to Bradley Airport "because of bad weather." Passengers were stranded from 8:20 pm till 1 am. They "yelled and screamed" but to no avail. A few passengers fainted.
There are rules regarding passengers "stranded on the tarmac," (I believe they limit the time passengers can be held on a plane) but they do not apply to international flights!
3. June 24, 2010, 9:38 pm WCBS880: "We still have airport delays, call your carrier." This was the day of the tornado in Bridgeport, CT.
4. June 25, 12 pm: A flight "taxiing" for takeoff from Atlanta was "turned around" because... a TURTLE was discovered on-board! The only pets allowed on planes are cats and dogs, in appropriate boxes. There are several versions as to what the fate of the turtle, named after a character in the film "Avatar," was. One is that passengers and cabin-attendants said to pout the turtle under a passenger-seat, but the crew refused. Another story is that the plane's crew told the turtles' owner/s to put the turtle in a trash-bin in the terminal, abut the airline claimed that "kids," (turtle's owners?) "chose to do that." The kids' family reported the incident to PETA.
5. July 13, (Tues.), a storm was approaching. 11 am: "all three airports are reporting delays because of the weather."
4 pm: 4 hours and 15 minutes delays.
5:30 pm: "Delays at the airports so keep calling [your carrier]"
6. July 19 (Monday): Sky darkened abruptly around 9 am, heavy rain with some wind tapered off to light rain and no wind.
10:00 am: Newark and LaGuardia "both reporting delays" because of the weather, "... I guess you can throw in JFK, too."
4:30 pm: "Up to 1-hour delays at the airports."
5:30 pm WOR710: Up to 1-hour delays at the airports.
7. July 23 (Friday). Weather -- Storm and tornado warning. overcast, which a friend told me was said to reach altitude of 44,500 feet.
"Accu-Weather" TV channel 7: "You want to check ahead at the airports..."
8. July 25, rain and overcast, power-outages in some regions, tornado suspected to have occurred in the Bronx.
9:08 pm WCBS880: "We are seeing delays at the area airports..."
The Greenwich area had milder weather than described, so planes were passing overhead every 3-4 minutes.
9. July 28 (Wed.): Weather was fine, but the U.S. President was visiting the tri-state area, many "frozen zones" reported due to security measures.
5:00 (and 5:30?) news: Newark has delays up to 1:10 hours.
10. July 29 8:50 am: "Airports [have] up to 1-hour delays, that's weather-related."
So... this "sample" picked up a delay roughly evenry 6 days. Note that unlike the delays in some of the "horror stories" used by some to justify the aAirspace re-design, weather delays can persis for well over 24 hours.
Of 10 "data-points," weather: score=8, turtle=Score 1, President? score 1.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)