Flight Safety Information January 30, 2014 - No. 022 In This Issue Official report: SFO crash victim dead before firefighters ran over her Japan Aerobatic Pilots Unharmed After Jets Collide Midair Fort Carson crash injures 2 on training mission Save the Date: 6th Annual Aviation Human Factors and SMS Seminar - Dallas, TX Goodyear training center for pilots planned JetBlue costs rise on pilot pay rate bump DGCA penalises 3 private airlines for not using trained pilots in fog PRISM SMS Global Airline Pilot Training Company CTC Aviation to Open New Crew Training Centre in Phoenix American Airlines to offer veteran flight attendants $40,000 to deplane 7,100 flights axed since Monday; airlines eye recovery Washington And Colorado Airports Have Few Ways To Stop Carry-On Weed WWI pilots, crews built a new kind of warfare Official report: SFO crash victim dead before firefighters ran over her (CNN) -- Contradicting claims by a coroner and her family, a new report by San Francisco authorities concludes 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan was already dead when two fire trucks ran over her on the Northern California airport's tarmac. The official accident investigation prepared by San Francisco International Airport and city fire department officials -- submitted earlier this month but not revealed publicly until Wednesday, states that "ample evidence refutes" the contention that Ye was killed by the vehicles. At least three firefighters determined that the Chinese teenager -- who, it was determined, wasn't wearing a seatbelt when she was ejected from Asiana Flight 214 as it crashed July 6 -- was dead before she was struck, the report found. "As trained mass casualty responders, the firefighters moved onto other immediate tasks" after quickly determining Ye had died, the report said. "Tragically and regretfully, two ... vehicles later rolled over the deceased during active firefighting operations." How firetrucks hit Asiana victim Video shows girl's body on runway What went wrong after Asiana crash? One person who doesn't buy this argument is San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault, who performed the autopsy on Ye's body. He determined she died of blunt trauma injuries. Foucrault said he was giving "an unbiased review" and "doesn't have a dog in this," but said of the investigation's finding: "It is not factually accurate." The coroner added: "(Her injuries were) consistent with being run over by a motor vehicle and there is overwhelming physical and scientific evidence to support she was run over." Fourcrault isn't alone. Earlier this month, a lawyer for Ye's family said video shows several firefighters saw her lying on the tarmac, but none "did the basic step of checking if she was alive." "It's unthinkable," the attorney, Justin Green, told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360." "It's unimaginable, because the first thing -- the first priority of the firefighters or any rescue personnel -- is saving lives, and the first step in triage is to take the pulse, check the respiration. That was never done." Video: Firefighter saw girl before she was run over The 16-year-old was on her way to an American summer camp from her home in China when the crash happened. She and the two other victims -- one of whom died six days later -- were sitting in the back of the plane when they were ejected as the Boeing 777 crashed. The investigation determined that one first responder first thought Ye was a doll after noticing her in front of the plane's left wing amid a debris cloud. Several firefighters determined "very early in the response" that she was dead but did not move her body, in part so they could devote their time to helping others and also so as not to move it before other officials could inspect it, the report said. They were all part of an intense, sizable firefighting and rescue effort. Most of the more than 300 people on board began leaving the plane on their own accord within 90 seconds of impact, though five people -- including the three who died -- were ejected and five others were taken off by firefighters. All the while, crews were battling flames inside and outside the aircraft. "Unique among recent airplane accidents in the United States, the incident resulted in more than 300 persons receiving triage in the midst of heavy rescue and firefighting activity with the potential for an imminent explosion." The new report lamented the lack of a firm protocol for first responders on what they should do when there's a fatality at the same time as an active firefighting operation involving fast-moving crews, but did not say firefighters erred or caused Ye's death. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe announced last October that a firefighter who accidentally ran over her body would not face charges. The San Francisco investigation report appears unlikely to please those who believe the Chinese teen was alive until vehicles hit her. Talking about the dispute over how Ye died, Foucrault -- the San Mateo County coroner -- said, "It's unfortunate that it's come to this." http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/29/us/sfo-crash-deaths/ Back to Top Japan Aerobatic Pilots Unharmed After Jets Collide Midair TOKYO - Three pilots escaped unharmed Wednesday after their jet planes collided in midair off the Japanese coast, a military spokesman said. Two T-4 trainers belonging to the Blue Impulse aerobatic display team of the Japanese air force made contact as they practiced flying in formation, with one plane damaging part of its nose and the other losing a bit of a stabilizer. The jets landed safely at Matsushima Air Base in northern Japan after the incident over the Pacific Ocean some 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of the base, the spokesman said. It was the first midair collision involving the T-4, the said, adding the air force was looking into its cause. http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140129/DEFREG03/301290042/Japan-Aerobatic-Pilots-Unharmed- After-Jets-Collide-Midair Back to Top Fort Carson crash injures 2 on training mission Military officials say a small plane crashed at Fort Carson's Butts Army Airfield, injuring the two crewmembers aboard. Fort Carson spokeswoman Dani Johnson says the crewmembers were hospitalized Wednesday afternoon. She says the plane _ a DA20 _ had been contracted by the U.S. Air Force for a training mission out of Pueblo. The Colorado Springs Gazette reports ( http://bit.ly/1e96OEL) the crewmembers, who are listed in good condition at a nearby hospital, were participating in the Air Force's initial flight screening program when their plane crashed. The training program is the first step in a long process of earning an Air Force pilot's wings. The newspaper reports Doss Aviation of Colorado Springs runs the program under a 10-year, $200 million contract. The National Transportation Safety Board will help investigate the crash. http://www.postbulletin.com/news/nation/fort-carson-crash-injures-on-training-mission/article_1bef5d98- 74bd-5530-b061-f3685fe994ea.html Back to Top Back to Top Goodyear training center for pilots planned Citing a growing demand for airline pilots over the next decade, a U.K.-based flight school will invest $7 million to equip and open a training center at Phoenix Goodyear Airport. The operation will eventually employ up to 60 or 70 people and, within three years, could train 200 pilots a year, said Anthony Petteford, an executive vice president at CTC Aviation Group Ltd. Future airline-pilot trainees at CTC Aviation's Crew Training Centre in Goodyear will work alongside students at the Airline Training Center Arizona, a Lufthansa German Airlines flight-training company already operating at the southwest Valley airport. "The primary reason for us coming to Arizona is to take advantage of the wonderful area, and the good weather, plentiful supply of airspace and the availability of staff and people that can work for us there, and (because of) some lower costs," said Petteford, a group director/executive vice president of strategic projects and marketing. CTC Aviation trains about 2,000 pilots per year and works with more than 50 global airlines, including British Airways, easyJet and Qatar Airways. "The costs in the United States are lower than we've experienced in our home market," Petteford said. Phoenix Goodyear Airport is a general-aviation reliever airport for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and an aviation flight-training center. The new operation will start small, with five or six finance and administrative employees. Later, it will employ instructors and others, Petteford said. The school will begin with six student pilots and in the first year probably will train about 60 to 70 pilots. In three years, the training center should be training about 200 annually, Petteford said. The crew-training facility will train a growing number of pilots for airlines in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, while also aiming for high-growth markets in South America, the company says. The first trainees are scheduled to begin training in April. $7 million investment Petteford said students will live at the airport, where 102 bedrooms await them. "There are two halls of residence, because this is a former U.S. Navy training center, so those buildings were originally bedrooms, and they've been completely renovated," he said. "Right next door to the halls of residence we have a couple of swimming pools, a volleyball court and we have a gymnasium, a restaurant and all the things that young people need when they're away from home." The initial $7 million investment will help pay for the latest-generation aircraft and the simulators that accompany the aircraft, Petteford said. Airline Training Center Arizona will supply maintenance and instructor-training support to CTC Aviation as part of the training alliance. U.S. market Between now and 2020, the aviation industry must find more than 235,000 new pilots to meet a growing demand for air travel, CTC Aviation officials say. CTC Aviation will launch the center with European students, but eventually it wants to attract clients from the U.S., Petteford said. The company plans to take Federal Aviation Administration professional-pilot courses to market in its second year in Goodyear. Rob Clarke, Group CEO of CTC Aviation, said the company is expanding to meet "unprecedented" demand for well-trained, high-quality pilot graduates. "As more airlines are asking us to develop tailored cadet programs utilizing our existing 'CTC Wings' program as a blueprint, we have identified the opportunity for us to broaden our worldwide presence and deliver our innovative training skills to new clients," Clarke said. Airline-pilot training has evolved significantly, and the full-time course training offered by CTC Aviation has produced skilled airline pilots who fly in European and Asian airspace, Petteford said. "We very much like ... to work in North America and see whether we can influence the way in which some of the airlines think about the recruitment of their pilots." The U.S. economic recovery will fuel renewed demand for air travel, CTC Aviation officials say. Plus, retiring pilots and new FAA legislation for specialized airline-pilot training will increase demand for the company's programs. New FAA rules require that all pilots flying certain air carriers in the United States must receive additional training to improve their skills in both high-altitude and low-speed flight, as well as undergo specialist training in crew communication and management. The new training school could have a significant economic impact on the area, company officials say. Petteford said that three years ago, he was part of a study that estimated the Goodyear pilot-training operation would have a $30 million annual impact, and he believes that number has grown since the study, he said. Including Lufthansa's training facilities, the economic impact could be more than $60 million after the operation reaches its full growth potential in three years, Petteford said. For the fiscal year ending June 30, CTC Aviation announced sales of almost $68 million, a 46 percent increase over the same period in 2012. Between 2010 and 2012, its international revenue grew from more than $1 million to more than $6.6 million. CTC Aviation has significant flight-training operations in the U.K. and New Zealand. Crew Training Centres in the U.S., U.K. and New Zealand house Airbus, Boeing and Diamond flight simulators and high-tech, computer-based training facilities. The centers also have a fleet of the latest modern technology training aircraft, according to CTC Aviation. The new Goodyear training center fills a vacancy at the Phoenix Goodyear Airport left by departing Oxford Aviation Academy, which consolidated operations with its Mesa operations at Falcon Field Airport. Oxford Aviation Academy trained about 100 students in Goodyear and employed 30 people, according to the company. Christian Green, Goodyear Economic Development Division project manager, said there is a lot of activity happening, and there will be big announcements concerning Phoenix Goodyear Airport. He said CTC Aviation's move to the airport was part of a strategic alliance between the Phoenix Aviation Department and Goodyear to create an aviation, defense and technology center at or near the airport. http://www.azcentral.com/community/swvalley/articles/20140128goodyear-training-center-pilots- planned.html Back to Top JetBlue costs rise on pilot pay rate bump (Bloomberg) -- JetBlue Airways Corp. said more than half of a projected increase in operating costs in 2014 will come from an agreement to raise pilot pay over three years. The airline struck an accord with pilots to increase base rates by 20%, or $145 million, by 2017, it said Wednesday. The pay raise will account for about 60% of the company's growth in expenses, even before accounting for hiring about 125 new pilots as the New York-based airline complies with changes in federal rules governing work and rest hours. JetBlue employees aren't represented by unions and work under five-year employment agreements that renew for an additional five years. The higher pilot wages will make up most of JetBlue's projected 3% to 5% growth in costs for each seat flown a mile, Chief Financial Officer Mark Powers said. So-called unit cost is a measure of efficiency. "We're committed to remaining peer competitive with respect to pilot compensation," he said on a conference call. The base rate increase will add $30 million to JetBlue's costs this year, $50 million in 2015 and $65 million in 2016. The airline has about 2,500 pilots. Pilot duty and rest rules from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration that took effect Jan. 4 were a "complicating factor," and not a cause, of JetBlue's decision to suspend flights at four northeastern U.S. airports during a winter storm earlier this month, the carrier said at that time. The rule change, in some cases, reduced hours pilots could work per day in an attempt to limit fatigue, trimming maximum hours from as much as 16 to between 9 and 14. Pilots flying late at night, crossing multiple time zones or making numerous takeoffs and landings were restricted the most. Fourth-quarter net income climbed to $47 million, or 14 cents a share, from $1 million, or break-even, a year earlier, the company said in a statement Wednesday. That compared with an average analyst estimate of 13 cents according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sales rose 14% to $1.37 billion, also exceeding forecasts averaging $1.35 billion. The early January storm reduced revenue by $45 million and operating income by $30 million, the airline said. http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20140129/TRANSPORTATION/140129848/jetblue-costs-rise-on- pilot-pay-rate-bump Back to Top DGCA penalises 3 private airlines for not using trained pilots in fog New Delhi: Three private airlines Indigo, GoAir and Jet Airways have been penalised by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for not using pilots trained to land in foggy conditions especially in Delhi. The DGCA has also withdrawn six landing slots allotted to the three airlines. Ahead of the winter session, the DGCA had made it clear that it's mandatory to ensure that pilots who are trained to land in foggy conditions will be landing in Delhi. There were 52 diversions from the Delhi airport as the planes could not land in dense fog. It is the highest in the past five years following which the DGCA decided to crack the whip. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dgca-penalises-3-private-airlines-for-not-using-trained-pilots-in-fog/448886- 7.html Back to Top Back to Top Airports in Malaysia, India embrace solar SunEdison has erected a 19 MW array at Kuala Lumpur International while Canadian Solar is supplying 2.1 MW of modules for Delhi International. Airports in Malaysia and India have installed large-scale solar arrays in an effort to cut energy costs, promote clean energy and reduce their carbon footprints. SunEdison has completed a 19 MW installation - the largest in Malaysia as of interconnection - Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad, managing director of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, which operates and manages Malaysia's 39 airports, said, "Malaysia has an ideal climate for solar power and therefore we are taking steps to generate clean energy which will be beneficial to everyone in Malaysia. We are working with SunEdison to ensure our efforts produce the results we expect." The solar power installation is also expected to save the airport some MYR 2.1 million (US$627,000) annually based on current energy costs. For SunEdison, the project was a chance to expand operations in Southeast Asia. "This project reflects SunEdison's ability to drive growth through unique development opportunities," said Pashupathy Gopalan, SunEdison president for Asia, the Middle East, South Africa and Australia. "In working with Malaysia Airports we were able to help them make money from an under-utilized asset they already had - these spaces can now be harnessed to generate clean energy." The SunEdison Renewable Operation Center will provide 24/7 solar system management and monitoring services for the installation. "Projects like this reflect our focus on growing the industry and SunEdison, and with the excellent feed-in tariff program in Malaysia we look forward to helping additional airports in Malaysia - and around the world - use solar to save money," Gopalan added. SunEdison said it faced a significant challenge - generating the maximum return on investment for Malaysia Airports while working with the limited space available in the airport. The solution, the company added, was to install ground-mounted, parking canopy and roof-top systems on airport land that was not suitable for other revenue-generating activity. "Parking canopies combine the benefits of covered parking with the economic benefit of generating electricity at an economical and predictable price. Utilizing airport roof-top space and the land surrounding the airport allows electricity to be generated at the point of consumption, removing the need for costly transmission lines," it added. "Rooftops, parking lots and 'buffer' areas at airports are traditionally not multi-purpose facilities, but we've turned them into a clean energy generation facility," said Tan Sri Bashir. "This initiative also demonstrates our support towards the government's initiative in introducing renewable energy and also to further reduce carbon footprint." In India, Delhi International Airport selected Canadian Solar as the sole PV module supplier for a 2.1 MW solar power plant. Canadian Solar Chairman and CEO Shawn Qu described the installation at Delhi International as a "landmark solar power project" that "is so far the largest airport solar project in India." The Delhi project is another example of the company's success in expanding its operations in "rapidly growing emerging markets, as we successfully execute on our market diversification strategy," Qu added. Canadian Solar said Delhi International selected its PV modules due to their level of quality, "the excellent in-field performance track record in India and the company's prior experience supplying modules to airport site solar power plants." Canadian Solar supplied its 60 cell high efficiency CS6P245P modules with power output of 245Wp for this project. Construction of the Delhi International project took place between October and December. http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/airports-in-malaysia--india-embrace- solar_100014073/#axzz2rtHirfDd Back to Top American Airlines to offer veteran flight attendants $40,000 to deplane Veteran flight attendants at American Airlines Inc. are getting another shot at leaving the company early and pocketing a $40,000 check. Up to 1,500 flight attendants will be allowed to depart through the voluntary early-out program. If 500 or fewer sign up, they'll leave in May. If more decide to take American up on the latest offer, the airline will spread the departures out through September, the company said Wednesday. The impending departures are the second major early-out program at the Fort Worth-based carrier since late 2012. And if the previous program is an indication, the latest program will be popular. More than 2,200 American flight attendants volunteered to leave the airline, with the carrier staggering their departures from late 2012 through September 2013. To be eligible to participate in the program, a flight attendant has to be an active employee with at least 15 years' AA tenure. Flight attendants can begin applying Monday, with applications closing Feb. 28. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents American's flight attendants, negotiated the early-out option in a conditional letter of agreement late last year. American has about 16,000 flight attendants. Depending on the response to this latest offer by the Feb. 28 deadline, the carrier is expected to ramp up recruiting for new and replacement flight attendants. American is part of the American Airlines Group Inc., the new name for AMR Corp. after its Dec. 9 merger with US Airways Group Inc. US Airways has its own early-out program for its 8,000-plus flight attendants. That program opened Jan. 6 and closes Wednesday. Like the American program, it offers a $40,000 lump-sum severance payment to flight attendants who have worked at least 15 years with the airline. It did not limit the number of participants but said it would spread the departures out over as much as 12 months depending on the response. http://www.dallasnews.com/business/airline-industry/20140129-american-airlines-to-offer-veteran-flight- attendants-40000-to-deplane.ece Back to Top 7,100 flights axed since Monday; airlines eye recovery Air travelers faced a third consecutive day of disruptions on Wednesday, with carriers waiving rebooking fees for fliers scrambling to make alternative plans. More than 2,325 flights had been canceled nationwide as of 9:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.com. That follows about 3,260 flight cancellations b on Tuesday and another 1,030 on Monday. And, with more than 520 flights already grounded for Thursday, that put the week's cumulative cancellation tally at about 7,100 flights since Monday, according to FligthAware's count. The hardest hit airport on Wednesday was Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International, the world's busiest airport and the top hub for Delta Air Lines. About 40% of the airport's flight schedule today - more than 530 departures and more than 547 arrivals -- had been canceled there as of 9:45 p.m. ET. That's partly fallout from Atlanta's problems on Tuesday, when more than 930 combined arrivals and departures were canceled. Many of Wednesday morning's cancellations resulted from planes or crew being out of position from Tuesday's disruption. But it also came as the Atlanta metro area struggled to get going Wednesday after 2 to 3 inches of snow fell there on Tuesday. Many highways remained coated with ice as of mid-day and mass transit systems were running at reduced capacity. That was complicating efforts of airport workers attempting to get to the airport. Delta and other airlines hoped to begin a recovery in Atlanta later today, working to get planes and crews back into their regular schedules. Still, especially with Wednesday's lingering problems, it could take airlines 24 to 72 hours, perhaps longer, to accommodate all of the fliers whose plans have been disrupted by this week's wintry weather. That also was true nationwide, where delays and cancellations snarled thousands of flights at other key airports as well. Chicago O'Hare and Houston Bush Intercontinental each had about 18% of their Wednesday flights grounded as of 9:45 p.m. ET, according to FlightAware. At Charlotte, the figure was about 13% All three airports are among the nation's biggest airline hubs. Some smaller airports in the south, had 50% or more of their departures grounded in the fallout of the wintry weather. Among those: Norfolk, Va.; Charleston, S.C., Birmingham; Pensacola, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; Lafayette, La.; Mobile, Ala.; and the Northwest Florida Regional Airport near Fort Walton Beach. Many of the USA's busiest airports also were hit hard by delays and cancellations on Monday and Tuesday, including Houston Bush Intercontinental, Chicago O'Hare, Chicago Midway, Cleveland and others. Dozens of other, smaller airports from Nebraska to Texas to Florida and the Carolinas had substantial portions of their schedules scrubbed as a result of the storm. http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/01/28/tuesday-2500-flights-axed-as-winter-chaos- spreads/4955931/ Back to Top Washington And Colorado Airports Have Few Ways To Stop Carry-On Weed DENVER (AP) - Among the many oddities that have arisen from marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado is this: It can be easier to get through airport security with a bag of weed than a bottle of water. At Washington's airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International, there's nothing police can do to prevent travelers from flying with pot in their carry-on or checked luggage, provided it doesn't exceed the state legal limit of one ounce. Instead, airport officials say, officers simply recommend that travelers leave it in their cars, toss it or have a friend pick it up. But in Colorado, where the legal pot law gives property owners more authority to restrict the drug, some airports have banned marijuana possession and enacted penalties, including fines as high as $2,500 and a jail stint at the airport in Colorado Springs. "Carrying marijuana in a civilian aircraft is illegal under federal regulations. That's why we implemented the rule, to prevent marijuana from reaching a civilian aircraft," said airport spokeswoman Kim Melchor, adding that the airport has yet to levy a fine and that a drop-box where travelers can toss excess weed hasn't been used. The situation underscores the difficulty officials in both states have as they try to prevent pot from leaving their borders - one of several conditions the Department of Justice imposed when it allowed the legal pot experiments to proceed. An attorney with Smart Colorado, which opposed legalization, worried about tourists transporting tiny, concentrated products, such as hardened hash oil that has enough THC, pot's primary psychoactive chemical, for hundreds of uses. "For the size of a traveler's shampoo bottle, you can serve an entire urban high school and get them stoned," Rachel O'Bryan said. Voters in the two states approved legalizing marijuana for adults over 21 in 2012, but the laws don't allow people to take pot out of state. Federal law prohibits marijuana possession, on a plane or anywhere else. Anyone who touched down in the other 48 states where marijuana is illegal would also be violating state law. While the Justice Department said it wanted the states to keep the legal weed in state, there's been little to keep people from trying to bring back souvenirs from the legal-pot states. The Transportation Security Administration makes travelers empty their water bottles, but when agents encounter personal amounts of marijuana at security checkpoints, they typically don't call the DEA or FBI. Federal prosecutors don't waste their time on such small potatoes. An agency spokesman said TSA's focus is on terrorism and threats to the aircraft and passengers. TSA agents normally hand over pot cases to local law enforcement officers, who have little recourse in Colorado and Washington. At Sea-Tac, they rely on a "totality of the circumstances" test to decide whether to make an arrest or investigate further, Port of Seattle spokesman Perry Cooper said: Is the passenger combative or assaultive, or carrying vast amounts of cash? Detention might be warranted for some of those things, but not for the pot itself, he noted. Airports say there have been few incidents where passengers have been stopped carrying marijuana. The Port of Denver banned pot at Denver International, with fines of up to $999. No one's been fined yet. At the urging of Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo, Aspen's airport is installing an "amnesty box" where travelers can drop any leftover weed before taking to the skies. In the few cases where travelers have been caught trying to take pot on a plane, they have received polite reprimands and no legal consequences. "How do we invite people here, tell them they can use a product and then prosecute them when they try to leave the state?" he asked. His office has confiscated marijuana edibles from several travelers at the Aspen airport - after obtaining voluntary releases of the property - but has not taken legal action against them. Travelers were caught taking as much as five pounds of pot-infused candies and oils, he said. But the Colorado initiative allows people to carry up to one ounce of THC. DiSalvo said there probably was not that amount of THC in even the largest load. Jeffrey Gard, a Boulder attorney who represents marijuana users and sellers, said there's no reason for Colorado airports to worry about people boarding a plane with pot. "By law, it's no different than bringing a flask or a pack of cigarettes," he said. "As tourists come here and do dumb things you're going to see more of these things happen." Still, Gard advises clients not to board planes with pot. The risk, he and other marijuana advocates say, is too great. Sean McAllister, a lawyer who is on the board of the Colorado chapter of NORML, a pot legalization group, said that medical marijuana patients used to be allowed to fly with their medication to other states with similar laws. But Denver's airport ban on pot, which went into effect on Jan. 1, now means those patients may get their legal medication trashed, he said. "The law's getting looser in Colorado, and they're getting stricter," McAllister complained. Airports elsewhere say they aren't bracing for an influx of travelers carrying marijuana from Colorado and Washington. "Law enforcement officers in Texas enforce the laws of Texas, and it's incumbent on people from Colorado to know the laws in places where they're going," said David Magana, a spokesman for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2014/01/30/washington-and-colorado-airports-have-few-ways-to-stop-carry- on-weed/ Back to Top WWI pilots, crews built a new kind of warfare World War I saw the advent of aerial warfare, and the Allied and Central Powers pilots were courageous pioneers in aviation. Wilbur and Orville Wright had just begun to develop airplanes in 1903. Airplane design had advanced some, but airplanes were still rudimentary affairs when WWI broke out in 1914. Indeed, the airplane was viewed as a dangerous novelty that was useless as a combat weapon by military leaders from both the Allied and Central Powers. At the beginning of the war, airplanes were used for reconnaissance purposes by both sides, with Allied and Central Powers pilots waving at each other as they flew reconnaissance missions. As WWI progressed, pilots flying reconnaissance missions began firing at each other. Pilots began to develop evasive maneuvers to avoid being hit by gunfire, and aerial combat was born. Both the Allies and Central Powers developed dedicated fighter planes that became dramatically more advanced by the end of WWI in 1918. WWI pilots and air crews on both sides of the conflict were courageous, for in addition to battling enemy aircraft, they had to battle the dangers of flying WWI aircraft. Early WWI aircraft were literally wooden frames covered with canvas, and when aircraft were hit by gunfire, they often burst into flames. This was dangerous enough for pilots and air crews, but an added difficulty was that pilots and air crews were often not issued parachutes. They faced certain death either by burning to death or bailing out from the plane and falling to their deaths from their planes. Some pilots and air crews carried pistols to kill themselves if their planes were hit or were going to crash. Aircraft design advanced greatly during WWI, but the deaths of thousands of pilots and aircraft crews on both sides of the war propelled the development of new and better aircraft. Bomber pilots and crews also had a dangerous job during WWI. Bombs were literally dropped by pilots and air crews out of the cockpit over the side of the aircraft in the general direction of their target. If the bombs hit in the general area the pilot or aircraft crew threw the explosive, the bombing run was viewed as a success. WWI was the advent of the widespread use of aircraft in warfare, and aircraft technology made great advances during WWI, but it was at the price of the lives of thousands of brave pilots and air crews. Allied pilots and crews willingly risked, and many lost, their lives during aerial combat during WWI and built the foundations of our modern air forces. http://www.graphic-online.com/graphic-online/article_9e432162-a9d5-5244-bd68-792d585668ae.html Curt Lewis