Wrong switch, gets Delta fighter jet escort

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Don’t slip!

A Delta Airlines pilot accidentally activated a hijacking alert on a flight from New York to Tel Aviv. As a result, Israeli fighter jets were scrambled to escort the plane “safely” to Ben Gurion Airport.

The fighter jets lingered briefly over the airliner and its 100 passengers … ultimately for no reason. Then, they escorted the plane – and probably a confused flight crew – into Tel Aviv. A technical malfunction, apparently, kept the pilot from communicating with the airport’s tower.

Nobody was hurt in this bizarre event, according to Israeli transportation ministry official Dani Shenar, and an investigation will be launched.

Dangerous items the TSA does not like – water, knives and shock absorbers!

by Scott Carmichael on

Yesterday, I posted an article linking to the most up to date ways to be prepared for the security checkpoint at your airport.

One item missing from the lineup of things not to bring, was shock absorbers.

At least, that would appear to be the case after reading this story from a traveler who passed through LAX International airport.

After several delays, and a night at the airport, this passenger arrived home with his luggage, only to discover that 4 shock absorbers for his ’69 Mustang had been removed from his luggage, replaced by a note from the TSA telling him they had inspected his bag.

When he contacted the baggage agent for his airline, he was told that the TSA had confiscated them, but no reason was given for this.

Shock absorbers are not listed on the TSA site as prohibited, and I could not find any category of item that would give them a reason to simply take them. That said – the airlines do have a listing for pressurized items, and I could certainly understand if they consider shocks to fall into that category.

It isn’t clear whether he’ll ever get them back. Lesson for the next time – have them shipped instead.

Jackson Hole Airport to undergo runway work

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Jackson Hole Airport is likely to close for around four days next month because of runway work. The closure is scheduled to begin at 5 PM on May 25, 2009 (Memorial Day), with the four-day estimate coming from the contractors hired by the airport. If the hired help can get the work done according to schedule – and when was the last time that happened? – the airport could reopen as early as May 30, though a range of up to June 2 is proffered.

The good news? The Federal Aviation Administration is going to kick in $5 million for the effort.

Of course, there’s always a critic. Major General Ed Wright, top dog in the Wyoming National Guard, gripes that he and 53 other National Guard generals, and their staffs, where planning to meet in town for a conference for the first five days of June.

He’s quoted in USA Today as saying, “I was more than surprised this week to hear thirdhand that the airport is proposing to close at exactly the time the majority of our attendees are scheduled to arrive.”

Apparently, Wright did not punctuate his concerns with, “Don’t you know who I am?” perhaps because it’s implied.

The general’s true colors are evident in his two statements: (a) generals have tight schedules (even part-time generals, apparently) and (b) “I certainly don’t believe they would purposely single out a military event at a time when our nation is at war and Wyoming is deploying the greatest number of guardsmen in our state’s history.”

Okay, so which is it? Generals are too busy to be interrupted – regardless of what the rest of the world needs? Or, is it that the airport is putting maintenance, safety and reduced scheduling impact ahead of the needs of a nation at war … a war that clearly will be won or lost by the ability of 54 generals to meet in a resort town?

Sorry, Wright. This all seems just a tad disingenuous.

In addition to the esteemed and upset part-time military official, approximately 450 passengers were scheduled to fly into Jackson Hole Airport during the closure. How much of that consists of the generals and their staffs? That information was not revealed.

Passengers inconvenienced by the closure will not be charged fees to change their flights to Salt Lake City or Idaho Falls during the closure.

The TSA wants you to stop wasting their time – what to know before you go

by Scott Carmichael on

Now Winter is finally over, and Spring is (slowly) making its way to us, this can only mean one thing – in about 2 months, the airport will once again turn into a madhouse of once-a-year fliers, and families with 20 suitcases trying to make their way to the Disney express.

With inexperienced passengers, comes a lot of people who will be treated to their first encounter with whatever the TSA has changed in their rules in the past year.

Even after all these years, there are still passengers who show up at the checkpoint with full sized bottles of toiletries, knives and other items they will have to throw away.

So, one of the writers on the TSA’s own blog, “evolution of security” has compiled a list of all the things you need to know before you leave for the airport.

The site even includes video clips for those of us that don’t like lots of words.

I used to think these overviews were stupid, but after seeing how many people don’t have a clue how the checkpoint works, it really does make sense to be prepared.

If you are heading for the airport for the first time in years, please take a moment to go over the information, you’ll help the TSA, and you’ll help those of us that are just trying to get to the other side of the checkpoint as quickly as possible.

Woody Harrelson chases zombies through La Guardia – breaks zombie camera

by Scott Carmichael on

Woody Harrelson flew into New York La Guardia airport, and was “greeted” by a photographer from AOL sister site TMZ.com.

Now, normally when celebs meet face to face with the paparazzi, they put on a smile, let them take a couple of photos, and get into their car.

There are of course celebrities that don’t like being photographed, so they take it out on the poor cameraman. In Woody Harrelson’s case, he didn’t see a cameraman, he saw a Zombie.

And apparently, the normal thing to do when you see a zombie is punch it in the face and smash its camera.

Of course, at that point the photographer/zombie didn’t give up like most people would, so he chased Harrelson outside the terminal building, to the parking lot.

You can’t make this stuff up – Harrelson really claimed he mistook the guy for a frikkin zombie.

According to Woody Harrelson, he is currently shooting a movie called Zombieland, and he was “still very much in character”.

I swear, if that excuse gets him out of trouble, I’m going to start using next time I get harassed by airport security.

A video of the “kerfuffle” can be found on TMZ.com, to make matters worse for Harrelson, this is not the first time the actor has been involved in an assault of a photographer, another TMZ.com photographer has a $2.5 Million lawsuit pending for an alleged attack in 2006.