AVmail: February 3, 2003

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New Rule Gives TSA Power Over Pilots

Regarding Newswire from January 27, 2003:What a joke the new rule is that allows the TSA to pull your pilot’s license if you are a suspected terrorist. I feel much better now, as that means a terrorist is going to say, “Oh no, now I can’t fly into a building because I lost my pilots license.” I’m sure that’s what a law abiding terrorist would do, don’t you think? Feel free to forward this to the rocket scientists at the TSA. Jack Silva


New Rule Gives TSA Power Over Pilots

The actions of the TSA seem to fall in line with McCarthyism. Apparently, you are quite guilty without ever having a fair and impartial hearing. Your livelihood can be jeopardized, your family’s security is put at risk, and what is your recourse? Isn’t this kind of action condoning national racism much like WWII and our mistreatment of Japanese Americans?When and where does it stop? John Papp


ATC Stamp

This nation’s 15,000 air traffic controllers have made it possible for the U.S. to lay claim to the safest skies in the world. The hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children who fly in our crowded skies depend on the skillful work of the air traffic controller to guide them safely to their destinations. Controllers from airport towers from coast to coast, and 22 enroute control centers nationwide, are faced with the unnerving reality that hundreds of lives are at stake with each decision they make. For a controller there is no room for error. Few professions are so vitally important to the safety and financial success of this countrys citizens.Controllers understand they must do their extraordinary jobs with little recognition or fanfare. However, we believe the U.S. Postal Service can perform a great public service by drawing attention to these unsung professionals. While many passengers have the opportunity to see and thank the pilot as they get off a plane, few ever see – or even know about – an air traffic controller. Yet the job they do is every bit as important to the safety and well being of the flying public.In the U. S. Postal Services long standing tradition of recognizing and honoring selected professions, we propose a stamp be produced honoring the air traffic controller.The support of AVweb members to our profession is of utmost importance in increasing our standing with the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee. If just a small percentage of wrote a personal letter to the committee on the importance of air traffic control to the country or to your organization, it would greatly increase our chances of being selected out of the thousands of requests the committee receives. Additional information is available at www.atcstamp.com.Send your letters to:

Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
USPS Stamp Development
475 L’Enfant Plaza Room 5670
Washington D.C. 20260-2437

Sincerely,

George M.Gmitro
Petition Chairman
Air Traffic Controller Committee Stamp

Flight 800 Conspiracy Theory Finds Voice

Russ Niles’ comments about Cashill and Sanders’ book “First Strike” were meant to poke fun at a “new” conspiracy thory. Of course “First Strike” is another in a series of books and videos the authors have done on the subject. I’d suggest anyone who has not taken the time to read them or watch them has not really looked at the TWA 800 case, just bought the NTSB report hook, line and sinker.Niles says: “The news release hyping the book does not, however, address the question of why the alleged terrorists didn’t simply announce their infamy themselves.”Of course that subject has been covered and is covered again in the latest book. US Attorney General (at the time) Janet Reno publicly announced shortly after the “accident” that a known terrorist group had taken credit for the downing. Of course this faded away once the decision was made that this was to be declared a mechanical failure. (Check this out, it is a matter of very public record.)Agree or disagree with their conclusions, Cashill and Sanders’ work has been exhaustive. They don’t make unsubtantiated conclusions. Compare their work with the eyewitnesses in contrast to the FBI’s so-called interviews. It’s also a matter of public record.Dave Akeman

AVweb responds …

Our report wasn’t intended to be an exhaustive analysis of the authors’ findings or an assessment of the federal authorities’ handling of the case. Its purpose was to alert readers to the book’s imminent release. The lone question we raised seemed like an obvious one to have been addressed in the “startling new evidence” purported to be included in the book, but your letter raises an even more compelling one. What force on earth could muzzle Janet Reno?

Thanks for writing and for using AVweb.

Russ Niles
Newswriter

Military Service Retirement

We the veterans of the National Guard and Reserves need your help to win support and passage of House Resolution 331.Today, a sevice member in the Reserves, with 19 years of both active duty and reserve service, must wait until age 60 to see one nickel of my retirement check.In my case it will be 17 years later if I am allowed to retire this year. DOD considers the Guard and Reserve as part of the total force structure of the U.S. and has deployed us to Desert Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo, Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle One and Two.Please help, put the word out. Many of us have sacrificed for our country and really need our retirement money. We have served without resrvation, now it’s time for the U.S. government to serve us.Thank You

Maj. Earl Brunner
U.S. Army Reserve

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