WebProNews

Tag: pilot

  • Justin Bieber Lucks Out With FAA

    Justin Bieber Lucks Out With FAA

    Justin Bieber has been dealt a ‘get out of jail free’ pass–at least by the FAA. The Federal Aviation Administration has closed its investigation into what happened on the private jet the As Long As You Love me singer and his entourage were traveling on and were briefly detained on back in January. Bieber and his friends flew into Teterboro Airport in New Jersey for Super Bowl festivities and reportedly both mistreated the flight crew and smoked so much marijuana that the pilots had to wear their oxygen masks during the flight.

    “The FAA closed its investigation into allegations that passengers interfered with the flight crew on a Gulfstream G-IV aircraft that landed at Teterboro Airport on Friday, Jan. 31, 2014,” a statement released on Thursday reads. “The FAA found no evidence that the passengers violated Federal Aviation Regulations.”

    In April Justin Bieber was detained at Los Angeles International Airport, having arrived there from Tokyo. He was detained for about four hours during that incident and it was reported that he will likely be treated this way every time he enters the country because of prior incidents with the law–not only in the U.S. but in other countries as well.

    Problems for Selena Gomez’s on-again, off-again boyfriend definitely aren’t limited to FAA issues either. However a recent report stating that the Home Owners Association where he lives was looking to hire extra security to keep Justin Bieber in line apparently isn’t true.

    “No emergency HOA meeting has taken place but the association is looking into added security on an as needed basis to ensure the privacy of the residents is protected,” a source said, also noting that management and the HOA are working together to make sure all residents are up to date on all regulations. “This is to protect the privacy of all residents, including Justin Bieber.”

    Might this ‘get out of jail free’ card encourage Justin Bieber to settle down a bit and refrain from his ‘thug-like’ ways? The singer is said to be in Miami for the 4th of July weekend. That’s where his arrest for drag racing took place at the beginning of the year. Hopefully Selena Gomez is there with him. She seems to have what it takes to keep the Biebs in line.

    Justin is apparently trying his hand at peacemaking, however. A recent problem that took place upon his arrival in Miami was averted by the pop singer.

    Maybe Justin Bieber has it in his heart to quell his seemingly wicked ways?

    Image via Instagram

  • Ethiopian Airlines: Unarmed Hijacker; Unharmed Passengers

    “Wait… we were hijacked?”

    The 202 travelers of Flight 702 likely asked themselves this once they were safe and sound on Swiss ground. Even the pilot of the Ethiopian airliner didn’t realize the plane he was flying from Addis Ababa to Rome had been hijacked until he emerged from the lavatory. During his bathroom break, his co-pilot barricaded himself in the cockpit and began jetting toward Geneva – with the aim of obtaining political asylum.

    Hovering over Geneva’s airspace, the co-pilot reportedly requested, “And you have to give us lastly permission on board for asylum.”

    The tower replied, “Yes I know,” and added, “Sorry, but we are still waiting for the response. We are trying our best to get you the response, sir.”

    Then, in a turn of events described only as the plane being “forced to proceed” to the airport, he abandoned his plan, landed at the Geneva International Airport and told the control tower, “I will be coming out via the window.”

    As promised, the skyjacker deplaned by way of a rope and gave himself up.

    “His act has been motivated by the fact that he feels threatened in his county and wants to make an asylum claim in Switzerland,” said Swiss police spokesman Philippe Grangean.

    It’s easy to chock up an event like this as evil villainy from the safety of a free country. And that’s totally understandable, given the limited facts often reported with missing context. However, it’s worth considering what desperate measures we’d all take to escape a country that denied us basic human rights.

    Several similar incidents transpired in the 90’s, also motivated by hijackers trying to flee Ethiopia. According to a 2013 report by Human Rights Watch, conditions there have only declined. The findings indicated that, “Ethiopian authorities continued to severely restrict basic rights of freedom of expression, association, and assembly in 2012.”

    Former Reuters social media editor Matthew Keys, uploaded audio of the story and said, “From the audio that I heard… it appeared that he was pretty calm throughout the entire flight.”

    Keys went on to add, “He spoke in very clear and very calm English. And the air traffic reporter really did a great job, from the recordings, keeping the situation under control.”

    All passengers are unharmed.

    Image via Youtube

  • Navy Jet Crash: Rescued Pilot Recovering In Critical Care

    A Navy pilot who crashed into the Atlantic Ocean this afternoon has survived and is now recovering in hospital.

    The F-18 fighter pilot’s aircraft went down off the coast of Virginia earlier today during a training run. After ejecting from his aircraft, the pilot was first collected by a passing “good Samaritan”, the Navy says. The fisherman traveling in his vessel nearby showed up within about ten minutes after a second pilot who was also involved in the mission pinpointed his position.

    The unidentified pilot was then recovered by a Navy Hawk helicopter and subsequently taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital where he is currently listed as being in critical condition.

    Naval Spokesman ,Cmdr. Mike Kafka, indicated that the crash occurred around 2:35 p.m., roughly 50 miles off Virginia Beach. Although Kafka has reported that the pilot was both conscious and in critical condition, he did not offer any additional details regarding the crash or the status of the pilot.

    This incident arises just a week after a separate and fatal Navy crash.

    On January 8, a Navy MH-53E helicopter that was also on a training run crashed about 18 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Five crew members were aboard the aircraft as it was performing a routine mine countermeasure training run. While two of those aboard survived the ocean wreck, the event tragically claimed three lives.

    The memorial service for the three crew members of last week’s crash has been scheduled for Friday at Naval Station Norfolk.

    Image via Youtube

  • Chesley Sullenberger’s Heroics Helped Bring New Lives Into The World

    Capt. Chesley Sullenberger is celebrating the 5th anniversary of the ‘Hudson Miracle” on Wednesday. In 2009 he saved 155 people by bringing US Airways Flight 1549 to an astounding landing on the Hudson River. The crash was caused after a flock of geese crammed the engines of the plane.

    As a matter of fact, Capt. Chesley not only saved lives, but also created an opportunity for new lives to be born. He celebrates the 5th anniversary along with 10 babies born after the incident to passengers of the fateful flight.

    The retired pilot, who has formed strong bonds with the survivors of the crash, got the opportunity to meet five of those kids Tuesday in a gratifying reunion on Katie Couric’s show, “Katie”.

    “These are special, special kids…kids that maybe wouldn’t have been born otherwise. It makes it all very real,” Sullenberger said.

    Also noteworthy is that Sullenberg’s heroics not only saved lives but mended broken relationships as well. Karin Rooney who was on the plane with her boyfriend said the two were having problems but the shaking experience brought them closer together. The two married the following year and they now have an 8-month old baby who also appeared on the show.

    Sullenberger is now a best-selling author and has received praise from presidents Barack Obama and George Bush. The 62-year-old Hudson hero became an advocate for air safety and joined the Journal of Patient Safety to help in bringing attention to the estimated 200,000 deaths caused each year as a result of medical errors.

    The “Hudson Hero” confessed that he went through “the most harrowing three minutes” of his life which made him suffer horrific thoughts and insomnia. He retired in 2010.

    http://youtu.be/ixUbdeXCp0M

    Image via YouTube

  • Sarah Silverman Comments on ‘Susan 313’

    Actress and comedian Sarah Silverman recently opened up to Variety about her cancelled 2012 NBC pilot, entitled ‘Susan 313.’ Over a year after NBC passed on the Fox TV production, Silverman was granted permission to post a cut of the comedy online.

    “There were cringy places for me,” Silverman says of ‘Susan 313.’ “I know, with some perspective of time, exactly what I would change. But the truth is, the cut I liked the most was a 29-minute cut. You have to cut eight minutes out and maintain the storyline. It’s frustrating, but it’s no one’s fault. We should have written a tighter script.”

    ‘Susan 313’ was to be vaguely based on Silverman’s life as a woman who had just gotten out of a decade-long live-in relationship. Silverman made headlines after breaking up with late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel.

    Silverman went on to say, “I don’t feel like any frustration about it,” adding, “I don’t think I want to do 22 of anything a year. Network TV is just not the place for me. But it was good. I worked with all my friends, and it was neat to do something different.”

    A whittled-down rendition of the ‘Susan 313’ pilot can be viewed in its entirety below:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euSL8cCy4-w

    Silverman commented that ‘Susan 313′ contained content more suited for a cable show, though there is still a level of excitement and validation to be had while being courted by one of the major networks. “The networks want you, and you forget about ‘I want to take this to cable.’ You’re just so excited by love and acceptance,” Silverman said. The actress recalls telling NBC producer Bob Greenblatt, “I’m not trepidatious because I want to say “pussy” on NBC, I just want to be able to be far out and not worry that people won’t like it in Poughkeepsie.”

    Yet, NBC producers passed on the slightly racy (by network standards) project – “But from that point to the point we had shot and were editing, he had gotten such a severe pounding, and there was just no way,” Silverman said.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Comedy Pilot Picked Up by CBS

    Famed Hollywood heart-throbs Ben Affleck and Matt Damon aren’t just acting in front of the cameras these days. They’ve taken on the role of screenwriters behind the scenes as well. After the Oscar-winning success of their first collaborative effort, “Good Will Hunting,” one can only expect impeccable quality from this dynamic duo.

    Not only do they have an admirable ‘bromance’ that dates back more than 15 years, they also have unprecedented on-screen chemistry.

    Now, they’re moving their creative ingenuity from the big screen to sitcom TV. Entertainment Weekly confirms that the two have struck a deal with CBS to produce a comedic sitcom entitled, “More Time with Family.

    After a crucial bidding war, CBS landed the deal. However, 20th Century Fox also placed a put pilot deal on the table. The put pilot deal basically covers the show, stating that if CBS doesn’t approve the show for a full series, the network will be forced to pay penalties.

    So far, the CBS network has ordered a pilot commitment for the sitcom, which will star comedian Tom Papa. In addition to screenwriting, Affleck and Damon will also serve as the executive producers for the project.

    The half-hour sitcom will be produced through Pearl Street Films in conjunction with the network. Based on Matt Damon’s personal experiences with a glint of Papa’s stand-up humor, the dynamics they bring to the table will be the sitcom’s foundation. Papa portrays a man who undergoes new life experiences with career changes, leaving behind his life of continuous travel on the road to spend more quality time with his family.
    Image via Wikipedia | Ben Affleck

  • William Bart Colantuono, Ax Men Pilot, Dies in Crash

    William Bart Colantuono, Ax Men Pilot, Dies in Crash

    At 3:42 PM on September 17, residents of Detroit, Oregon reported a helicopter crash near a logging site. “It had just returned after the pilot had taken a 45 minute break. The helicopter had picked up a load when witnesses reported hearing a loud snapping sound, which was followed by logs hitting the ground,” reported Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller.

    Witnesses then say that a rotor was seen flying from the helicopter, shortly before the helicopter flipped upside down and crashed into the ground.

    The pilot of said helicopter was William Bart Colantuono, a pilot for the popular TV series “Ax Men” on the History Channel during its 2nd and 3rd seasons. Colantuono was a pilot for R&R Conner Aviation,a family-owned and operated utility aviation service based out of Montana. According to their company website, Colantuono was “a veteran of the US Navy where he got his helicopter training,” and since his time in the Navy, had “accumulated 25 years of utility helicopter experience.”

    Witnesses to the accident say that the helicopter manually dropped the logs before its crash, hinting that the pilot knew something was wrong before the crash occurred.

    The History Channel described Colantuono as “a smart pilot who isn’t afraid to take risks. He’s been flying for long time and views helicopter logging as a competitive sport. He competes against himself, against the machine and against the weather. At the end of each day, the amount of logs left up on the landing tells him if he’s won or lost. Bart has a lot riding on is shoulders, and he believes he’s ready for the challenge.”

    Colantuono was 54 years old, had 4 children, and was engaged to be married. He was also the author of the book Helilogging in a Sucker Hole , a fictional suspense-thriller novel about a heli-logger in Montana.

    Image via YouTube

  • Syrian Jet Fighter Flies Across Border, Defects to Jordan

    Jordan has granted political asylum to a Syrian fighter pilot who defected by flying his jet across the border today, the Washington Post reports. The fighter pilot was on a training mission when he flew his MIG-21 warplane into Jordan seeking asylum.

    Tens of thousands of soldiers have defected from the Syrian army but this is the first defection of an air force pilot during the current 15 month long uprising against President Bashar Assad. The air force is considered to be incredibly loyal to Assad’s regime and this defection suggests even Assad’s most trustworthy allies have become dubious.

    The defection came just hours after U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford posted an open plea urging the Syrian military to abandon their posts and join the opposition. He warned that those that do not could be prosecuted for war crimes if Assad’s government fails.

    “Members of the Syrian military should reconsider their support for a regime that is losing the battle,” Ford wrote on the Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. “The officers and soldiers of the Syrian military have a choice to make. Do they want to expose themselves to criminal prosecution by supporting the barbaric actions of the Assad regime against the Syrian people? Or do they want to help secure the role of the professional military in a democratic Syria by supporting the Syrian people?”

    He goes on to site precedent, comparing this regime to the Balkans and the International Criminal Tribunal that was formed to hunt down war criminals.

    “There are parallels to the Syria case in the Balkans. In 1993, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICYT) was created to bring to justice those accused of atrocities in the Balkans conflicts. The ICTY indicted 161 people – military and civilian – from foot soldiers to municipal employees to military officers at all levels to heads of state for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity against non-combatants and combatants. The charges against them ranged from directly targeting civilians, mistreating individuals (detained combatants and civilians) in custody, terrorizing the civilian population, using disproportionate force against military objectives, and forcing the deportation or displacement of the civilian population.”

    Ahmed Kassem, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army, said they encouraged the pilot to defect and followed his activity until the jet landed safely in Jordan.

    In a statement, the Syrian Defense Ministry said: “At 10:34 a.m. Syria time we lost contact with a MiG-21. The pilot onboard was Colonel Hassan Mare’ei Hammadeh was on a routine sortie [in] southern Syria. Pilot Hamadee is considered a deserter who betrayed his country and his military honor. We will follow the usual procedures adopted in such cases. We will request from Jordanian authorities to return the aircraft.”

    Jordan, who is not involved in the Syrian conflict and wishes to keep it that way, was at first hesitant to accept the refugee. Jordan officials have said that they ultimately decided to accept him because his safety was not guaranteed if he were returned home, possibly facing torture or execution for his desertion.

    According to CBS News, Jordan has taken in over 125,000 refugees since the crisis and Syria is actively seeking their return. The two are frequent and long-term trade partners, with trade estimated at $470 million last year.