Drunk passenger taped to seat during JFK-bound flight after ranting plane was 'going to crash'

Passenger Andy Ellwood said this man was taped to his seat after ranting that the Iceland-to-JFK flight was "going to crash."

A boozed-up traveler on a Kennedy Airport-bound flight was turned into a tape mummy yesterday by fellow passengers who gagged him and bound him to his seat when they got fed up with his drunken shenanigans.
The passenger, who was on a trip from Iceland, “drank all of his duty-free liquor on the flight,” tried to “choke the woman next to him” and was “screaming the plane was going to crash,” according to passenger Andy Ellwood, who snapped the man’s photo and posted it to his blog.

The meltdown — in which the man also spat on several passengers — began when there were about two hours left on the flight, according to Icelandic news outlet Mbl.is.
He was arrested at JFK after spending the flight’s last two hours with his mouth covered, hands tied behind his back and torso bound to his chair with tape. The man’s name has not been released.
Bizarrely, federal prosecutors declined to prosecute the menace because passengers wouldn’t come forward to detail the man’s threatening behavior to authorities, a source told The Post.
Meanwhile, an American Eagle pilot who smelled like booze while preparing to take off en route to La Guardia was arrested early today at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after failing a Breathalyzer test, local authorities said.
“Somebody detected the smell of what they believed to be alcohol on the pilot’s breath and notified authorities,” airport spokesman Patrick Hogan said.
The pilot, Kolbjorn Jarle Kristiansen, of Raleigh, NC, was arrested on suspicion of flying under the influence and taken to a local hospital for a blood-alcohol content test — which he also failed.
“These incidents are very rare,” Hogan said. “But every few years, we’ll have a case. We have nearly half a million flights come in and out and we have one case every three or four years.”
American Eagle has suspended Kristiansen, 48, pending the outcome of the investigation. In a statement, officials said the company is “cooperating with authorities and conducting a full internal investigation.”
The blood-alcohol content limit for flying is .04 in Minnesota — much stricter than New York’s .08 limit for driving.

Credit : NYPost

Amelia Earhart Plane And Flight 19 Wreckage Could Be Found By New NOAA Technology

They are among aviation's greatest mysteries, vanishing decades ago without a trace.
But experts say technology now exists to find both Flight 19, the Navy squadron that took off from Fort Lauderdale in 1945, and Amelia Earhart, the legendary aviatrix who in 1937 in Miami began her attempt to fly around the world.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration currently operates a ship that systematically explores the seven seas, and already has discovered a number of sunken vessels and planes. Its multi-beam sonar paints a three-dimensional image of the ocean floor, allowing it to spot everything from wrecks to natural gas leaks.
Some private companies also offer vessels equipped with sophisticated sonar, among them OceanGate, based in Seattle, Wash. Using a small submarine, it recently discovered a World War II era Navy Hellcat fighter plane in 240 feet of water off Miami Beach.
If someone were willing to pay "possibly hundreds of millions," the submarine stands a good chance of finding Flight 19 or Earhart, said Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, which rents out subs for exploration, research and commercial ventures.
"The technology to find those planes exists," he said. "It's really a question of, is it worth the investment?"
Some private expeditions have successfully found high-profile wrecks. In 1985, explorer Robert Ballard spotted the Titanic 2 1/2 miles below the surface of the North Atlantic, using underwater robots.
To find Flight 19 or Earhart's plane, NOAA scientists would need a good idea of where the wreckage sits. A search grid would be set up and sensor equipment would then try to discern shapes on the ocean floor.
Several factors could make the quest difficult, including the planes' depth, whether they broke up when they hit bottom and whether they are covered with marine vegetation. Still, if NOAA's 224-foot Okeanas Explorer were assigned to find those wrecks, it might succeed.
"If you pick a good survey area, sonar makes the likelihood of discovery a little better," said Frank Cantelas, head marine archaeologist for the NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.
On the other hand, the ship's main missions are to map the seafloor and examine the oceans for scientific purposes. It wouldn't specifically hunt for Flight 19 or Amelia Earhart, particularly since NOAA operates on a tight budget, Cantelas said.
"It's really a matter of prioritizing the things we do," he said. "It's not that they have been deemed insignificant; it just that they really haven't been discussed."
OceanGate's submarine also is primarily concerned with scientific research. For instance, it found the Hellcat while inspecting 15 artificial coral reef sites for Miami-Dade County.
"Flight 19 and Amelia Earhart are of great public interest, but it's hard to get an economic justification," Rush said. "It's sort of like searching for the holy grail."
What has made finding Earhart's plane so difficult is that it could be in a vast area of the Pacific and in 15,000 to 20,000 feet of water. That didn't stop Richard Gillespie, executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. Last July, he used sonar to hunt for Earhart's plane near Nikumaroro, a small South Pacific island, where he thinks she temporarily survived. However, no plane wreckage was found.
Finding Flight 19, also known as the Lost Patrol, might be more realistic, as the five planes are thought to be within a few hundred miles of Daytona Beach.
Indeed, Jon Myhre is confident the five planes went down in the same vicinity that debris from Space Shuttle Challenger was found after it exploded in 1986. However, as yet, none of the planes have been spotted.
"I used aircraft performance information, weather, winds and radio transmissions to come up with a point in the ocean," said Myhre, of Sebastian, who wrote a book about the squadron, "Discovery of Flight 19." "All of it points to the same location."
Flight 19 took off from what was then the Fort Lauderdale Naval Air Station -- today Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport -- on a routine navigational and bombing exercise. But the flight leader got lost and the planes are believed to have run out of fuel and crashed into the ocean.
Myhre "absolutely" believes the technology exists to find those single-engine bombers, as well as Earhart's plane. He only hopes that interest won't wane as time passes.
"I applaud anybody who tries to find them," he said.

Credit : Huffington Post

Jetblue Provides Free Travel For a Sandy Hook Victim's Relative

One of the classiest things seen from a business in response to the Sandy Hook shootings. JetBlue, a company founded with strong Mormon beliefs, personally helping family of slain child.

FCC Tells FAA To Allow More Electronic Devices On Planes

Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the FCC, is pushing for the rules regarding the use of electronic devices to be relaxed in-flight. In a letter to Michael Huerta, acting administrator of the FAA, he has asked the aviation body to "enable greater use of tablets, e-readers and other portable devices." Electric shavers, hearing aids, portable voice recorders, and pacemakers are, of course, permitted.
This comes a few months after the aviation body announced it would undertake a study on the subject, although it concluded that "voice communications" during the duration of a flight were still verboten. The FAA is still strict about allowing passengers to use their devices during take-off and landing, despite the fact that there is still no evidence that the electronics on personal gadgets are as much a danger to avionic systems as, say, a flock of geese.

Credit : Fast Company

Aviation : Boeing hitches Android to its 787 Dreamliner ride, powers in-flight options with Google juice

Looks like Boeing's decided to get in bed with Android a mile-high in the sky. The aerospace company has exclusively selected Google's mobile OS as the might behind its new class of 787 Dreamliners' in-flight entertainment. Currently in production jets, of which there are over 800 plus orders, will get outfitted with either a Panasonic or Thales model of the 7- to 17-inch screens. And in a strange twist of luxury privileges, first and business class passengers won't get to enjoy the touchscreen tech, as their monitors will be too large and too far out of reach. Instead, an alternate gesture-based control method is being explored by the company for elite travelers, although nothing's been solidified. Don't expect the planes to launch with the typical Android market experience, either -- apparently, "airline-specific apps" are on the way for the nascent fleets' launch. Now, if only they could replace those flight attendants with little green robots.

Aviation Tech : Gogo to bring enhanced WiFi to Virgin America, expands video streaming on American Airlines

 

Virgin America's in-flight perks are getting even perkier. This week, the domestic carrier announced that it's bringing Gogo's ATG-4 service aboard its fleet of aircraft, in a move that promises to enhance in-flight WiFi capacity by a factor of four. The upgrade is slated to roll out during the first half of 2012, when the company will begin outfitting its planes with Gogo's directional antenna, dual-modem and EV-DO Rev. B technologies. But VA isn't the only airline getting in on the Gogo game, as the in-flight entertainment company announced this week that it's expanding its new video streaming service to American Airlines, as well. American, as you may recall, became the first airline to test the Gogo Vision service back in August, aboard its fleet of 15 Boeing 767-200 planes. Now, the streaming product is slated to expand to a full 400 of AA's aircraft, bringing about 200 movies and TV shows to entertainment-starved passengers. Movies will be available for 24 hour rentals, with TV purchases good for a full 72 hours. Unexpired rentals, meanwhile, will still be available once you land and can be accessed with the same browser and device you used aboard the flight. No word on final pricing, though Gogo is extending its introductory offer ($1 per TV show and $4 per movie) through October 15th. 

 

Press Release

Virgin America Becomes First Airline to Launch Gogo's ATG-4 Technology
New Even Higher Speed WiFi Connection to Launch on First Virgin America Aircraft in Early 2012

Itasca, IL. and San Francisco, CA – Sept. 14, 2011 – Gogo, the world's leading provider of in-flight connectivity and an innovator in in-flight entertainment, and Virgin America, the airline that is reinventing domestic travel, today announced at the 2011 Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Expo in Seattle that Virgin America will be the first airline to offer Gogo's next generation ATG-4 service. Gogo's ATG-4 service will significantly enhance the ATG network and improve aircraft WiFi capacity to the plane by approximately four times the current performance through the addition of directional antenna, dual-modem and EV-DO Rev. B technologies. Virgin America was the first carrier to offer fleetwide WiFi as of May 2009 via Aircell's Gogo service. Known for its innovative amenities including power outlets at every seat, the airline regularly sees up to one-third of guests on its flights logged on to the popular Gogo service.

"As the only airline based in Silicon Valley our tech-forward guests have come to expect a fully connected in-flight experience on Virgin America," said President and CEO of Virgin America David Cush. "With Gogo's new ATG-4 technology, we're excited to see our long-time partner come to the table with a new offering that will further improve the speed and performance of in-flight WiFi for our guests."

Gogo's ATG-4 service on Virgin America is scheduled for delivery on aircraft beginning in the first half of 2012. The new platform is backwards compatible and allows for upgrades to existing ATG systems through low cost retrofits.

"Gogo is committed to meeting the ever evolving connectivity needs of our airline partners," said Michael Small, Gogo's President and CEO. "ATG-4's increased capacity is a perfect solution to meet Virgin America's connectivity needs. We will continue to develop and offer a suite of technology solutions for our airline partners, recognizing that this isn't a one-size fits all market. Our experience has taught us the important lesson that multiple technologies will need to be deployed over time, and our solutions are built to accommodate changes in technology to meet the needs of every aircraft and mission – whether that's through ATG, ATG-4 or satellite technologies."

With topnotch service, beautiful design and a host of high-tech amenities, Virgin America has swept the industry best-in-class awards for the quality of its service since its 2007 launch, including "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and "Best Domestic Airline" in Condé Nast Traveler's 2008, 2009 and 2010 Readers' Choice Awards.

In this year's APEX awards, Virgin America captured top honors for "Best Ground Experience," "Best In-flight Entertainment in the Americas," "Best In-Flight Video" and "Best Overall Passenger Experience." At APEX earlier this week, Virgin America also announced the new technology partner for the next iteration of the airline's Red™ in-flight entertainment system – slated for launch in late 2012.

 

Press Release

Gogo Vision to Go Live on Approximately 400 American Airlines Aircraft in 2012

ITASCA, Ill., Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Gogo, the world's leading provider of in-flight connectivity and an innovator in in-flight entertainment, today announced that American Airlines, will expand Gogo's new streaming video product – Gogo Vision™ – onboard approximately 400 American Airlines aircraft.

The expansion of Gogo's new streaming video product on all of American's Gogo-equipped aircraft will be completed by the end of 2012. American, which became the first to launch Gogo's video product in August, currently has the service up and running on their fleet of 15 Boeing 767-200 aircraft.

In addition to the video expansion, Gogo has extended an introductory pricing offer of $.99 per TV show and $3.99 per movie through Oct. 15, 2011. With the purchase of a video, travelers will also receive a free Gogo Wi-Fi session for use on a later flight. Customers do not have to purchase in-flight Wi-Fi to purchase a movie or TV show.

"We definitely feel that our video product is a game-changer for the industry and American continues to be at the cutting edge with this technology," said Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo's chief marketing officer. "Gogo Vision offers airlines a low-cost, light-weight, easy-to-install solution that's very different from traditional IFE."

Gogo Vision features a growing list of nearly 200 movies and TV shows from major Hollywood studios to offer customers a range of entertainment choices. Customers can sort titles by movie or TV, genre, length of feature, and other categories. Trailers are available for complimentary viewing prior to renting content. Movies and TV shows will remain accessible for viewing after the customer has landed – movies for 24 hours and TV shows for 72 hours. Unexpired rentals will be available for playback on the ground by using the same device and browser used onboard.

"Initial customer feedback shows our Entertainment On Demand product is a hit with our customers and we feel that it's a great example of how we continue to deliver products that our customers truly value," said Rob Friedman, American's Vice President – Marketing. "In addition to our expansion news today, we are thanking our customers for their loyalty by extending the free internet and introductory pricing offers until October 15."