Comments for Evan Sparks's Aviation Policy Blog

Comment on America vs. Europe: who overrates whom? by Sean

Sean — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:39:59 +0000

I agree with Tyler’s point: “the buildings from previous eras are so striking and attractive.”

I disagree about American suburbs necessarily being nicer overall than European suburbs. I have friends and family living in Ireland, Germany, France, and Norway. I’ve visited them all. Their suburbs are just as nice as the American suburbs I grew up in. Not as much floor space in the houses on average, and the closets aren’t as full of clothes, and there are other differences, but as overall quality of life goes–I’d say we’re roughly the same in the end.

Comment on America vs. Europe: who overrates whom? by The Philippine Island

The Philippine Island — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:39:41 +0000

both continents have outstanding tourist spots and attractions. These continents are consists of first-world countries that makes me undecided which of the two overrates each other.

Comment on Swine flu: the dark side of international air travel by The Philippine Island

The Philippine Island — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:24:44 +0000

yes, this is true. Swine flu is a hindrance to my plan to go to abroad especially in the US.

Comment on The solution to NYC’s airport woes? by Davis

Davis — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:40:41 +0000

maybe they could land seaplanes in the reservoir

Comment on And… I’m back by Benet Wilson

Benet Wilson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:06:38 +0000

Evan:

Welcome back! You have been missed. I look forward to reading your posts again!!

Comment on Swine flu: the dark side of international air travel by Lisa85856

Lisa85856 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:55:38 +0000

Interesting stuff. Did you hear that there’s a new strain which is resistant to the anti-flu drugs? Tamiflu etc? Found a really good website for tracking it’s progress, seems to be updated every hour or so… http://www.swinefludeaths.co.uk.

Comment on Liveblogging Randy Babbitt’s confirmation hearing by W.J.Kay

W.J.Kay — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:35:46 +0000

I think it doubly interesting that there there has been little or no mention of Babbitt’s relationship to Eastern Air Lines.
You want Irony ?
Babbitt sat quietly by and allowed the piece by piece destruction of one of the premier air carriers in the country.
This on HIS watch at ALPA — he did nothing .
Irony ?
Ask Babbitt what HIS retirement looks like – and then find any retired Eastern Air Lines pilot – and compare the
numbers.
Babbitt was and remains a politician .. and a disgrace among the pilots of Eastern.
That he should be even CONSIDERED for this position within government says much for the current administration and covers all the bases where Babbitt is concerned .
He is a disgrace and despicable .

Comment on Liveblogging Randy Babbitt’s confirmation hearing by Richard Bucklew

Richard Bucklew — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:17:23 +0000

And by the way – the US military is the biggest pilot mill on the planet. Turning out inexperienced low time pilots who’s background is considered secret so you cannot discover if they have had problems in performance or training and pumping them up with overextended egos and so little real life experience that they do not even know how to operate a weather radar properly.

Comment on Liveblogging Randy Babbitt’s confirmation hearing by Richard Bucklew

Richard Bucklew — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:14:05 +0000

There is only one level of safety as Babbit so correctly states. If you want to pay regional airline pilots the same wages as major airline pilots might also get one level of experience. That will be impossible in the United States or almost anywhere else in the world. Everyone in every industry has to start somewhere with inexperience and then build that experience over time.

Comment on Headless horsemen by patriciaj

patriciaj — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:52:59 +0000

I had heard about this, but I didn’t realize what a great big issue it really is. What is my elderly mother to do if she can’t rely on her GPS system to find her way from one state to the next?

Comment on Liveblogging Randy Babbitt’s confirmation hearing by Ferinannnd

Ferinannnd — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:07:51 +0000

Мне кажется или автор что-то недоговаривает

Comment on Liveblogging Randy Babbitt’s confirmation hearing by Steve Pilot

Steve Pilot — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:13:13 +0000

Nice work Dorgan. Always looking out for the University of North Dakota’s exceptional flight training program!

Comment on Liveblogging Randy Babbitt’s confirmation hearing by Rob Mark

Rob Mark — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:45:25 +0000

Isn’t that interesting that Randy Babbitt calls ALPA’s One Level of Safety his crowning achievement?

It’s precisely the lack of that one level of Part 121 safety that caused so much of a stir in last week’s NTSB hearings on Buffalo.

I believe they might call that irony?

Comment on Breaking: Randy Babbitt picked for FAA by Steven Ravine

Steven Ravine — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:44:20 +0000

What a great idea! Let’s get more union-junkies in key positions in the federal government. Can’t wait for the next controller’s strike with Babbitt leading the charge and claiming the FAA is unfair.

Comment on US Airways on perimeter restrictions at DCA, LGA by Evan Sparks

Evan Sparks — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:55:24 +0000

ATA usually speaks on issues on which airlines enjoy consensus. This is a pretty US Airways-specific issue.

Comment on Swine flu: the dark side of international air travel by The Dave

The Dave — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:01:34 +0000

I have to agree. However, when health is the order of the the day, the first thing that should be done is to ground all planes asap from where the virus came from (in this case Mexico). It’s obvious that the flu is hitting them hard yet, at least in Canada, we let our citizens go back and forth from Mexico even now. Quarantine should of been in effect since the first day the authorities realized it wasn’t a minor problem.

Comment on Breaking: Randy Babbitt picked for FAA by Jerry Norcia

Jerry Norcia — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:32:23 +0000

There are thousands of us living on “Airparks” who are in danger of losing our property value as some FAA officials are insisting that (through the fence) TTF be discontinued when a home is sold on federally funded airports. They are calling these homes, “An incompatible land use” next to an airport. There are 200 homes on the Independent airport in Oregon that was built 34 years ago with the blessing of the FAA. Now, it’s incompatible. This will be a loss of millions of dollars in property values. We can only hope Randy Babbitt will bring some common sense to the FAA. Sadly, one of the biggest opponents to TTF is none other that an ex AOPA executive now FAA employee Mr. Miguel Vasconcelos. He is supported by Ms. Carol Suomi and Joelle Briggs of the Northwest Mountain Region of the FAA. Forcing these people to discontinue TTF when the homes are sold and then resold to non pilots will be the incompatible land use. Please look into this problem.

Comment on International airline alliances in the spotlight by Occam's Razor

Occam's Razor — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:39:50 +0000

http://transportation.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/should-airline-oversight-be-ti.php?rss=1

Crandall has some good insights as usual.

Perhaps, my biggest take-away from Crandall’s position on ATI, Alliances and Foreign Ownership is that Foreign corporations have no interest in competing in our markets or in the proper development of our nation’s aviation infrastructure.

Crandall says that foreign operators are only interested in our largest populaton centers for the purposes of feeding THEIR international route networks.

Moving towards a situation where America’s aviation infrastructure becomes reliant on the profit/loss decisions of foreign operators is ludicrious if we are looking to use aviation as a lubricant of commerce and development.

Today’s executives don’t care about the future needs of America. They are in it for a short term payoff.

This is where it’s absolutely crucial for Public Policy Makers to step up to plate and offer forward looking vision.

I’d like to leave the public policy makers who read this with Crandall’s closing comment to YOU, during his June 10th Wings Club Speech.

THE UNITED STATES USED TO BE GOOD AT SOLVING PROBLEMS. THESE DAYS, WE DON’T SEEM UP TO THE JOB. I FIND THAT DISCOURAGING, AS I KNOW MANY OF YOU MUST. I DO HOPE, HOWEVER, THAT WHETHER YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE THOUGHTS I HAVE PRESENTED TODAY, YOU WILL BECOME AN ADVOCATE OF SUBSTANTIVE DEBATE ABOUT FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR OUR COMMERCIAL AIRLINE INDUSTRY.

These problems are not something you can leave to the “free market” which destroyed the financial industry. Doing your job requires you to offer precisely the kind of leadership that Oberstar is providing.

That Crandall agrees with Oberstar should give many of you great confidence in supporting his position.

Occam’s Razor

Comment on Babbitt: White House makes it official by Ben

Ben — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:05:52 +0000

I hope he does something to address the FAA’s network security issues:

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/40351?netht=rn_033109&nladname=033109dailynewsamal

Comment on Babbitt: White House makes it official by Rob Mark

Rob Mark — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:20:02 +0000

Stand aside Evan. The rush of associations rushing to send out letters telling Mr. Babbitt that he’s the best thing since sliced bread have already begun hitting the streets.

I think I’ll give him a couple of weeks to settle in first. I honestly think the agency has become too large for one person to lead though.

The leadership structure for the ATO sounded like a good idea a few years ago, but it seems to have had little useful effect … did it?

Come to think of it, I hear almost nothing about ATO anyway.