Aviation Conspiracy: FAA Uses Video To Push Airspace Redesign Scheme!!!

Aviation Conspiracy Newsletter
#457........................................................................December
2, 2007 Past newsletters can be accessed at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/ACNewsmenu.htm The PASSUR airport flight
tracking system at many major U.S. airports http://www.passur.com/sites.htm
(you must have Java installed to view it). If you want to get the newsletter
sent to you every week, sign up to AviationWatch. Bill Mulcahy
rockaway@prodigy.net

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Quote of the Week: "By 2011, the day-night average sound level of the
planes in the FAA system would, according to computations by the
Southwestern Regional Planning Agency, move from 5.1 to 7.5 decibels in the
New Milford area if the redesign holds, with an increase of three decibels
representing a doubling of noise" Ridgefield, Connecticut, First Selectman
Rudy Marconi

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FAA Uses Video To Push Airspace Redesign Scheme!!!

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As Bill Sees It (Editorial): Did Legal Suits Force FAA To Try New Ways Of
Presenting Airspace Redesign Scheme? I was surprised to see that after the
FAA has spent years looking for ways to hide impacts of their airspace
redesign plan that they now making it "look" like they are trying to educate
the public about it. They are using video and slideshows that they "reported
to congress" on. This is the first time I've seen some of them although on
the FAA site they claim they were released months ago. Maybe they released
them to congress but didn't bother to put them on their web site until now.
I noticed that the just released Airspace Redesign "Project and
Implementation Update" is in Microsoft Powerpoint format which few citizens
have. That just shows that even with increasing lawsuits and the General
Accountability Office (GAO) breathing down their necks they STILL are hiding
information (take a look at the sloppy "noise map" above right that could
have been drawn by a 5 year-old) on the airspace redesign project from the
public by various means.

FAA"Citizens" Advisory Committee Being Formed For New York's Stewart
Airport: I see some people are "delighted" that there will be a Citizens
Advisory Committee has been formed by the politicians to address community
concerns about the environmental impacts of the planned expansion of Stewart
Airport by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. I'm sure this
committee will be similar to the old Stewart Airport Commission which
consisted of local businessmen and political hacks. This time they are
adding a few carefully chosen "environmentalists" on the committee to show
that they care about the health impacts. The only one who I think will be in
the least bit objective and concerned about the health and environmental
impacts of the massive airport expansion is Maureen Radl, founder of the
Ulsterites Fight Overflight Noise (UFO). Her lone voice of moderation will
be drowned out by pro-expansion people on the committee. I hope at least
they allow their meetings to open to the public and be recorded on
videotape.

Expanding Heathrow Airport Still A Hot Topic In England!!! I don't know how
the British government is going to square their efforts to reduce toxic
aviation global warming gases with their plans to build a third runway at
Heathrow Airport. Aparently they are trying to do just that as revealed in a
story this week that printed opposing viewpoints about it. Using everyone of
the FAA's tried and true excuses for dumping more air and noise pollution on
innocent victims, the British government (at least part of it) is pushing
ahead against tremendous opposition. This is why Heathrow third runway
opponents must go after the politicians where they can be hurt most, at the
ballot box. They should be creative. How about barrage balloons?

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Will Airport "Citizens" Panel Be Composed Of Just More Pro-Expansion
Political Hacks? Stewart Airport - The new Citizens' Advisory Panel being
formed in the Mid-Hudson Valley by the Port Authority to gain input from
local people about their future plans for Stewart Airport, is about to be
launched. Airport Manager Diannae Ehler said its membership is being
finalized and the first meeting will be held shortly. Appointed members will
be notified shortly with the first meeting held before the holidays, she
said. Maureen Radl (pictured on the left), co-chairwoman of an umbrella
group of concerned Hudson Valley residents, and a founder of Ulsterites
Fight Overflight Noise, noted her involvement. "It was out proposal and our
request to have a citizens' advisory panel formed, so we are delighted that
the first meeting will be occurring soon." While the Port Authority has not
publically announced members, it is believed membership will include
representatives from Radl's group, the Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition,
Scenic Hudson and the Stewart Airport Commission.

As part of its Metro Airspace Redesign departure "dispersal heading" scheme,
the FAA plans to implement new departure routes for Kennedy Airport as early
as December 17, 2007. (See slide below from FAA presentation or full
Congressional staff presentation attached to this email.) The New Jersey
Coalition Against Aircraft Noise (NJCAAN) has analyzed the noise impacts
surrounding Kennedy Airport and aircraft noise increases for 61,153
residents in Nassau according to the FAA's aircraft noise impact data (see
summary table below). However, the noise level increases are below the FAA's
threshold for registering an adverse noise impact, which NJCAAN believes
understates the noise damage of the new procedures.

Massachusett's Logan Airport: Congressman Angry That The FAA Ignores
Community Complaints!!! Three times as many planes are flying over
Somerville in 2007 compared to last year and Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) officials are ignoring noise complaints from city residents and their
congressman. U.S. Rep. Michael E. Capuano, D-Somerville, said when he tried
to meet with FAA officials about the complaints he received from
constituents they "stiff-armed" him and refused to acknowledge his concerns.
"I'm less than happy with the FAA. Under the Bush administration [the FAA]
is being run by people who think they are above reproach. They know I'm no
friend of the Bush administration so they think they can stiff arm me and
everyone in Somerville," he said. "It is one thing not to get what you want,
that I can understand, but it is another thing to be disrespected and
ignored." The FAA declined a request this month from the Board of Aldermen
to appear before the board and address concerns about the skyrocketing use
of runway 33L at Logan Airport and the resulting increase in planes flying
over Somerville. According to Wig Zamore, who represents Somerville on the
Logan Airport Citizens Advisory Committee, the number of planes flying over
the city has tripled this year. Massachusetts Port Authority officials have
said the increase is due to unusually strong Northwestern winds but
Alderman-at-Large William A. White said that is not the only reason. "The
FAA made their own decision to use runway 33L more often," he said.
http://somervillenews.typepad.com/the_somerville_news/2007/11/capuanofeds-ign.html
Editor's Note: Good old FAA. They don't have to respond to a mere
congressman. And as always, they are ready with technical excuses that
nobody but they will will understand.

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Important Aviation News
Stories This Week

New Milford Adds Voice to a Fight Against FAA Plan By: Nancy Barnes
11/29/2007
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19068477&BRD=2303&PAG=461&dept_id=478976&rfi=6

NEW MILFORD, Connecticut -The Town Council decided Monday to join the fight
against a scheme approved by the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) that would
increase air traffic over western Connecticut by as many as 150 flights each
day.

Mayor Pat Murphy had invited Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi to
address the council concerning the FAA plan, which is designed to combat
increased air traffic in the mid-Atlantic area. The council voted after his
presentation.
On Nov. 1, a suit filed by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on behalf of
the state Department of Environmental Protection asking the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the 2nd District in New York to rescind the new flight paths
officially brought the state into the fray.
The FAA had released its voluminous plan, which is the result of nine years
of research, in September.
"We're not being supplied with truthful information," Mr. Marconi claimed.
"All they've done is look at their own planes," he observed of the FAA's
study. "They haven't looked at general aviation."
"If traffic comes in over the area, it will push down general aviation," he
said, describing the impact on the smaller, privately owned planes as
"similar to taking I-95 and putting it over our heads."
By 2011, the day-night average sound level of the planes in the FAA system
would, according to computations by the Southwestern Regional Planning
Agency, move from 5.1 to 7.5 decibels in the New Milford area if the
redesign holds, with an increase of three decibels representing a doubling
of noise.
Mr. Marconi said there was no real benefit from the FAA plan to those who
would be impacted by the redesign. "It's a greening of the bottom line," he
said, noting that the new paths with a gentler slide slope would reduce the
use of fuel on the part of the largely commercial planes.
With the addition of New Milford, the alliance which the council approved
joining currently functions independently of the action brought by the
state. The Town Council will seek the appropriation of $85,000 from the
Board of Finance to fund the town's participation.
Currently, the alliance consists largely of towns in Connecticut-New
Canaan, Wilton, Danbury, Darien, Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, Redding,
Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, Bridgewater and New Milford-and also Pound
Ridge in New York.
The Alliance for Sensitive Airspace Planning, as the group of
municipalities is known, has a budget of $1 million. Of that, the group is
presently allocating at least $500,000 for legal fees, with $180,000
dedicated to lobbying and $200,000 for the grass-roots effort. The alliance
filed its own petition against the FAA scheme in the 2nd circuit court in
New York on Nov. 2.
The municipalities that have joined pay $30,000 as an entrance fee, with
the rest of the cost of their participation in the fight determined on a per
capita basis, Mr. Marconi said. He said as additional towns join-he noted he
is scheduled to speak before the selectmen in Brookfield and Bethel-those
costs may come down. He also said that aggressive efforts on the part of the
state may reduce costs. Municipalities could withdraw from the alliance at
any time, he said.
Mr. Marconi observed that the FAA has already hired legal counsel. "Never
before has the FAA sought outside council," he said. Of the state's action
in early November, he remarked, "Better late than never." He noted that the
states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have already sought legal
redress from the FAA's airspace redesign, making Connecticut more vulnerable
to increased flights in its airspace should it not act on its own behalf.
In his action, Mr. Blumenthal faulted the FAA for failing to consider
environmental and quality of life issues. He also noted that the FAA had not
factored the impact of noise on residents and states into its decision.
"The FAA needs to cool its jets and change course," Mr. Blumenthal has
said.
Indeed, the report the FAA released said, "Noise reduction is not a Purpose
and Need for Airspace Redesign.
In the case of the national airspace redesign (NAR), reduction of noise is
not appropriately identified as a Purpose," although the report said the FAA
had committed to using techniques where feasible and appropriate to reduce
airport noise and other potential environmental impacts.
The Record of Decision released by the FAA on Sept. 5 noted that the FAA
had looked at the increase in traffic levels, safety, delays and changes in
the types of aircraft in navigable airspace in an airspace structure that
had been designed in the 1960's. The last large-scale airspace changes were
made in 1988, according to the report.
The New Milford council vote to approve the appropriation of the funds,
most likely from the undesignated fund balance, was unanimous, with
Councilman Mary Jane Lundgren also expressing her concern about the
environmental pollution that would result from a lower-level use of fuel.

Turbulent times ahead as Heathrow expansion plan outlined By Chris Caulfield
http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/stainesnews/display.var.1869188.0.turbulent_times_ahead_as_heathrow_expansion_plan_outlined.php

Spelthorne's MP warned that house prices could come crashing down unless
Heathrow expands.

David Wilshire's comments came after Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly
announced the start of a consultation and released a study saying a third
runway and sixth terminal could be built without breaching noise and
pollution limits.

Conservative MP David Wilshire said: "Heathrow desperately needs more runway
capacity to avoid losing routes, airlines and jobs.

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"The problems of over-crowding and delay are doing serious damage.

"House values are also threatened as a prosperous Heathrow pushes prices up
rather than down."

The three-month long consultation, which will bring together the biggest
coalition against airport expansion in UK history, will seek public support
for what is known as "mixed mode" - a landing schedule which would see the
airport's two existing runways run at full capacity, something which Mr
Wilshire opposes.

Currently planes switch runways at 3pm every day to give residents under the
flight path half a day's rest from the noise.

The number of flights could jump by 80,000 per year if this practice ended.

A third runway would boost the capacity to 800,000 flights per year,
compared with 473,000 last year.

Anti-expansion campaigners said it would lead to a breach in EU air
pollution limits.

John Stewart, chairman of action group Hacan ClearSkies, said: "Never has
any Government faced such opposition to expand an airport.

"Heathrow has become the symbol in the fight against climate change."

Surrey's Chamber of Commerce said the economic case for expansion was clear
and the Government must deliver the expansion.

Len Goss, president of Surrey Chambers of Commerce, said: "The British
economy is being held back by transport infrastructure that is not fit for
purpose. Expansion is necessary to keep the country competitive.

"Continental airports have far bigger capacities and the UK is in danger of
losing out on being a major hub for international flights."

date: Tue, 4 Dec 2007 16:16:00 -0500 author: Bill Mulcahy