It looks like you need to get up early if you want to see an A380 fly. Here is the tentative schedule for the US tour next week. All times are local
Oct 2- Dep TLS 0600 arrive BDL 0810
Oct 3- Dep BDL 0600 arrive CVG 0830
Oct 4- Dep CVG 1000 arrive SFO 1200
Oct 5- Dep SFO 1300 arrive TLS 0900+1
The House just finished discussing HR2881 on the floor right now. There aren’t many members on the floor, so it doesn’t look like it’s coming up for a vote.
I only happened to turn it on at about 12:15 pm, but from what I’ve heard so far, most of the talk isn’t covering fees/taxes, but the congestion actions. Also they talk about the revised flight patterns in the Northeast, and passenger/flight attendant rights for those planes sitting on the ramps for extended periods of time.
I don’t think I’ve heard anyone say anything against the bill. Oberstar says there are two items of disagreement. One was controller staffing, and then he ran out of time before saying what the other was.
Now they’re talking about amendments.
The first amendment is regarding the passenger bill of rights.
Continuing Tom Petri (R-WI) and John Mica (R-FL) have come out against the “Managers” amendment. Undesirable items would require airlines to notify passengers if the plane they are flying on has been sprayed with insecticide within the last 60 days, and included $1.9 bln for labor items, fees imposed on FedEx, and mandate fire fighting requirements at medium and small airports.
The amendment passed.
Next amendment $1.5 million to purchase an airport in northeast OH to increase capacity. The amendment passed.
Next amendment Require drug and alcohol testing for foreign repair station employees that work on aircraft. The discussion had conflicting information on whether this applied to reparimen working on US registered aircraft, or if it applied to all aircraft that will fly in the US. The amendment passed.
1:08 PM The next amendment comes from Rep Shays (R-CT). He has an amendment that will require a report on congestion on Now FAA considers safety and efficiency, but not noise. The amendment was adopted.
1:10 PM Amendment requires FAA consolidation to consider FAA regional offices. The amendment was adopted.
1:12 PM Amendment From Udall (D-MN) Rules require annual training for gate agents and flight attendants on dealing with drunk and disruptive passengers. Rep Tom Petri (R-WI)is against the amendment since it is redundant the FAA already has a NPRM to expand the training. The amendment passed.
1:21 PM Kline (D-FL) Require the DOT to handle customer complaints. Oppositions says the limited resources of the Aviation Enforcement Office would have to use most of its resources for this one issue. The amendment was adopted.
1:31 PM Neugebauer (R-TX) Creates a study on the affects of wind turbines near airport, such as safety and radar. The amendment was passed. A 15 minute recorded vote was requested.
Information obtained during the vote-This is a four year $58 bln appropriation process. One year longer than previous bills. Almost 1/2 for FAA operations. Rest for equipment and airport improvements. This extends the current ticket taxes, and increases GA fuel taxes. The White House says it hates the bill. They still want user fees. No one in Congress wants them. White House also doesn’t like labor rules. FAA would have to go back and negotiate the labor rules it imposed last year.
1:57 PM Amendment was passed 418 to 1
2:24 PM The entire FAA reauthorization bill HR2881 as adopted, was passed by voice vote. A recorded vote was requested. The bill passed 267-151 which is a veto-proof majority.
The senate version of the bill is now in the Finance Committee.
Word is out that there is an “Easter Egg” function within the current version of Google Earth that will put you in the pilot’s seat. You need the current version from Link . Then from the main screen in Windows press <CTRL><ALT><A> or <Command><Option><A> on an Apple computer. Here is a list of the keyboard commands Userguide . It will work with a joystick, and even has some force-feedback functions.