NEW YORK (AP) - The new airline OpenSkies will begin service to European Union in Brussels or Paris to New York City using a single Boeing 757 in June. A second aircraft will start flying to the other European city later this year.

OpenSkies is a subsidiary airline of British Airways scheduled to begin operation in June 2008. The airline will initially fly between the European cities of Brussels and Paris to New York in the United States, subject to regulator approval.

British Airways also confirmed that they are looking at operating services from other European cities such as Milan, Frankfurt, Madrid, Zurich, Geneva and Amsterdam. Additional destinations could include Boston, Washington and Philadelphia.

The route that OpenSkies intended to fly is only possible because of the recent open skies agreement between the European Union and the United States governments. That deal allows airlines to fly from anywhere in the European Union to the United States and vice versa.

The availability of landing slots limits the impact of the agreement at certain airports such as London Heathrow Airport. The carrier hopes to operate out of New York’s John F. Kennedy International airport, but may be forced to shift its operations across the Hudson River to Newark Liberty International.

The VH-71 Kestrel helicopter, a variant of the AgustaWestland EH101, is currently being developed to replace the United States Marine Corps’ Marine One Presidential transport fleet. The first two US Navy-owned test helicopters, TV-2 and TV-5, arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland at the end of last year. They have now entered the flight test phase with the USMC and USN.

TV-2 and TV-5 are the first of four test aircraft built for the initial phase of the VH-71 program known as Increment One. The government and industry integrated test team will utilize them for structural and propulsion testing and pilot training.

Two more helicopters, TV-3 and TV-4, will undergo additional assembly and missionization at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration before being transferred to NAS Patuxent River this year. They will be used to test the avionics and mission systems. TV-1 has been in flight test since shortly after the contract award and has logged 555 flight hours at present.

All Increment One aircraft will be delivered to NAS Patuxent River over the next 11 months, including the initial fleet of five presidential helicopters.

Cessna 180 family was popularly known for its bushflying (a term for air operations carried out in remote regions of the world) and its reliable surveillance capability.  Way back February 19, 2003 in Bloomington, Indiana, a white, single-engine Cessna 182 was spotted by foreign students of Indiana University, making passes overhead about noon, in the late evening and after midnight.

Earlier in the week, FBI had denied any link to the plane when aviation officials disclosed that the aircraft was conducting surveillance, since the aircraft’s frequent and unexplained flights had raised fears among some residents. 

“The FBI issued the denial because a reporter asked if the airplane is doing electronic surveillance, which it is not”, stated Agent Thomas V. Fuentes.

Fuentes and Agent James H. Davis said,

“The FBI is not aware of any threat to Bloomington or the state, but is watching many foreign nationals.”

Several students at Indiana University were also questioned by FBI agents, university and agency officials confirmed.  However, Agency spokesman Doug Garrison, would not say if those interviews were related to national security or the airplane’s flights.  Fuentes said the aircraft was conducting surveillance flights over several communities near Indianapolis, the state capital.  The FBI acknowledged that the plane was used to monitor people who might have terrorist connections. 

The FBI agents were just doing their job; to protect the welfare of their citizens and ensure safety.  The FBI agents were just being cautious.  Obviously, the citizens were just apprehensive that the surveillance might have some connection with terrorist activities going on in the area.  The mysterious flight, hence, was just a false alarm.  

No matter how the navigation and weather forecasts are accurate and precise, no matter how high and advanced the technology of a plane is - jetliners can never be as safe as commercial airplanes.

 
Few days ago, an Air Canada flight had left 10 people injured when turbulence hit the plane on a cross-country flight. An emergency landing was made in Calgary on Thursday after the plane violently plunged and rolled tossing passengers around the cabin. Air Canada did not confirm the cause of the problem on the jet but the pilots were already operating it manually to control and handle the plane properly. Ten people were taken to the hospital though six people were already in a stable condition while other four suffered minor injuries.

NavCanada declined to comment on weather conditions along the route although the agency’s web site indicated there were no aviation weather bulletins in effect at the time. The rough flight was the second in Air Canada in recent months. In September, nine people were hurt and three were sent to the hospital after the flight hit turbulence with little warning.

Taking flights aboard a jetliner may be cost effective, economic, more accessible and faster than taking flights on commercial planes but the trauma and injuries can never match it up. I am making it to a point that never again that I would allow myself to get on a jet plane. After taking a domestic jet flight on a summer’s day (when it is unlikely to have rain and wind clouds), an unacceptable turbulence hit and glued me to my seat as my heart pounds throughout the rough flight. I was already anticipating engine problems but good thing nothing like that came up, it was just the turbulence.

Rough flights may still be tolerable to adults but a lot traumatic and inconvenient to children, seniors and to those weak at heart. The light structures of these jets are not as safe as the heavy-duty structures of commercial planes and if so, the airline should be responsible of the damage done and going to happen in the future. Though there are already precautionary measures done before the flight, such as tightening of security and the correct way of packing our baggage and so on, we are still responsible of our own safety. 

Below are some helpful tips to follow before a flight. (Enough to attract the positive.) 

1. Check weather reports. If in doubt, move the flight to another schedule.
2. Arrive at the airport few hours before the scheduled flight.
3. Remember to remove sharp objects from hand luggage such as scissors, knives, nail clipper, etc.
4. Pack a light baggage as much as possible.
5. Remove from baggage tags from previous flights.
6. Turn-off cell phones and computer devices before take-off.
7. Pay attention to flight attendants and pilot.
8. Never hesitate to ask assistance from attendants.
9. Relax and say a prayer.
10. Enjoy the flight!