NBAA, AOPA Formally File Court Brief To Preserve BARR

The NBAA and AOPA filed their opening brief in court on Monday to challenge the government's decision to severely limit the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program. In their briefing, filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the associations argue that the FAA's revisions to the BARR program are unlawful and should be invalidated.

"The FAA has failed to explain why it reversed its long-standing policy recognizing that very real concerns about safety, security and competitiveness justify giving aircraft owners and operators a way to 'opt-out' of having their flights tracked by anyone, anywhere in the world with an Internet connection," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "This reality has been pointed out in the overwhelming opposition to the government's plans for the BARR. The government ignored these concerns, but we believe the court will not be so dismissive."

AOPA President and CEO Craig Fuller added: "We want the court to understand that this issue should alarm anyone who supports basic privacy protections, whether or not they ever get on an airplane. After all, just because the government collects information doesn't mean it should be broadcast over the Internet for viewing by electronic stalkers, the paparazzi, or a businessperson's competitors. We are confident the court will find the FAA's unprecedented new policy defies both law and common sense."

The decade-old, Congressionally enabled BARR program provides operators of private aircraft the ability to opt out of having their aviation movements tracked. However, earlier this year, government officials announced plans to severely limit the program only to aircraft owners and operators who can verify a "valid security concern."

In June, NBAA and AOPA announced that they would challenge the government's plan in court, and the Experimental Aircraft Association filed a friend of the court brief supporting the suit.

The government's plan to curtail the BARR program went into effect on August 2.

The FAA has until September 28, 2011 to file a brief in response to the legal filing from NBAA and AOPA. The two associations will then have an opportunity to file a final brief on October 12, 2011. The Court of Appeals will hear arguments shortly thereafter.

Jumbo jet 747 safely lands at LAX after a possible landing gear problem

LOS ANGELES, California -- A Philippine Airlines Boeing 747 has landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after pilot reported a possible blown tire.

Flight PR102 touched down smoothly around 9 p.m. Friday. The pilot initially descended to a low altitude so a police helicopter could inspect the tire's condition, then pulled up again and circled before landing.

The aircraft was carrying 420 people on board. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus said that the pilot reported a possible blown tire upon it's takeoff from Manila.

The aircraft idled on the runway as fire trucks and other ground crews surrounded it.

Philippine Airlines confirmed that flight PR102 landed safely by stating "ADVISORY: Flight PR102 landed safely at Los Angeles. 

Philippine Airlines ready to help Filipinos in Syria

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Airlines (PAL), the country’s national flag carrier, offered it’s help in the repatriation of the Filipinos in the political-tensioned country, Syria.
“As the country’s national flag carrier, PAL has a sworn duty to assist in times of crises for the sake of our suffering ‘kababayans’”, Bautista said.

PAL had helped in assissting the Philippine Government in evacuating Filipinos and in delivering relief goods within it’s 70 years of operation.

It is remarkable that PAL helped evacuating stranded Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Libya last March and they are about to repeat the history.

CAAP’s safety aviation awareness

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has discussed safety awareness especially on general aviation.

The seminar held in Cebu was organized by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and sponsored by AviaTours Flying School in Cebu, also tackled issues such as measures to recover Category 1 rating.

It discusses measures to abate aircraft accidents, to gain back the category 1 rating, the rules and the systems that commercial carriers and smaller aircraft operators must have to follow, the issues on accident review and an insights on airmanship and wet runway landings and emergencies.

CAAP Director General Ramon S. Gutierrez said while pointing out safety concerns in the seminar, the country’s aviation industry continues to accord the highest priority on maintaining safety in its undertaking to sustain its good safety record.

“Not just because it is a requirement or international practice, but our objective is to protect the lives of the flying public,” Gutierrez said.

The CAAP is doing “its utmost to make safety considerations prevail, and it cannot afford to be complacent, as zero major accidents do not imply that all of the underlying safety deficiencies have been resolved.”

”There is urgency in our current position to demonstrate that we have strong oversight of the air carriers and smaller aircraft operators active in the Philippines and that our regulations and practices are aligned with international civil aviation standards,” Gutierrez added.

The said seminar was joined by aviation specialists such as Capt. Meynard M. Halili, Airworks Aviation Company owner and CEO; Capt. John Andrews, vice chairman, ICAO/FAA/EU/EASA Compliance Committee, of CAAP; Capt. Amado Soliman, chairman and president, Air Safety Foundation; Dr. Abner B. Bondoc, chief financial officer and deputy director general of CAAP; and Ruben Marasigan, CAAP Consultant for Research and Development.

Since after the downgrading of the Philippines’ from Category rating 1 to Category rating 2 by the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), CAAP is working out to regain back the category rating 1. Failure to comply with the international standards set by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) caused the country’s degrading of aviation safety status.