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By Staff Writer | December 1, 2006
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In the end, it may have been a matter of who could field the aircraft fastest.
In a move that generally shocked the rotorcraft world, at least in North America, U.S. Air Force officials on Nov. 9 chose Boeing's CH-47 as the basis for their next-generation combat search-and-rescue helicopter.
The service awarded Boeing a $712-million Combat Search-and-Rescue-X (CSAR-X) contract covering the system development and demonstration of the new aircraft.
The contract calls for Boeing to build four test aircraft and the first batches of operational HH-47 variants of the Chinook, as well as related training and support systems, to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of about 100 Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk CSAR helicopters.
The program calls for production of 141 CSAR-X through 2019. Program officials are seeking an initial operational capability by the first quarter of Fiscal 2012. That is defined as five aircraft delivered to USAF's formal training site and five to the first operational site, each set with the related training and support systems.
A major departure for an institution that generally leans toward the latest and greatest capabilities, the Air Force in picking a winner of its $10-billion-minimum CSAR-X competition passed over the EH101 variant proposed by Team US101 partners Lockheed Martin, AgustaWestland, and Bell Helicopter and the Sikorsky teams S-92 version.
Both losing aircraft are more advanced but less mature than the HH-47 Boeing proposed. Much less mature. While the EH101 is a 1980s design and the S-92 has only been flying a couple of years (and not yet in combat), the basic Chinook has been flying since the early 1960s. The contract is a big step toward Boeing's half-joking aim of building the first helicopter to be in service for a century.
The Chinook's maturity is not just a function of age. Boeing already is delivering new-build CH-47Fs to the U.S. Army; the first flew Oct. 23 (shown right). In addition, the MH-47G variant of the Chinook already is flying with Army special forces equipped with terrain-following/terrain-avoidance radar, a capability not called for by the Air Force until the second CSAR-X block configuration. The MH-47G also is equipped with a refueling boom, which the CSAR-X aircraft will need.
"We are not trying to go put the most elegant grand solution" together, Sue C. Payton, the assistant Air Force secretary for acquisition, said after the award. "We are going out with what we can do that will vastly improve what we have today in HH-60 helicopters."
It remains to be seen what the CSAR community thinks of the old bird.
U.S. Deny Protests of Army LUH Award
The U.S. General Accountability Office has denied all protests by MD Helicopters and AgustaWestland of the U.S. Army's June 30 award for an EADS North America-led team to build 322 Light Utility Helicopters based on the EC145.
The move allows the Army and the contractor team to resume work on the contract, which originally called for delivery of one each UH-72A in November and this month.
The Army did just that, issuing on Oct. 31 to EADS North American a $170.5-million modification to the original firm, fixed-price, and cost-reimbursable contract for medevac B Kits, Hoist B kits, student pilot and maintainer training, and a procedural training device for the LUH. On Nov. 9, it placed a $170-million order with the company for 34 more UH-72As, bringing the total purchased by the Army to 42. EADS is slated to deliver the first on Dec. 11.
Lawyers for the protesters are reviewing the GAO decision, which was issued Oct. 23 under a protective order that prevents it from being made public until competitive- or security-sensitive information is redacted.
That redaction process, which normally takes a week, could take several in this case since it is "a very large decision," said Sharon Larkin, the senior attorney in the GAO general counsel's Procurement Law Div., who handled the five protests lodged by MD and AgustaWestland. The companies can ask GAO to reconsider its ruling or pursue the matter in federal court.
For its part, MD Helicopters appears ready to move beyond the LUH competition and focus on rebuilding its civil and commercial helicopter business.
The company is focusing on speeding the supply of spare parts to commercial customers, bolstering its training programs, and cranking up fuselage production in Mexico.
NTSB Looks at Weather, Crew in PHI S-76 Crash
One of two occupants inside a PHI helicopter that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 22 appeared to be "fumbling with switches" during the crash, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation and Safety Board.
According to the report, the Sikorsky S-76 A++ twin-engine helicopter was destroyed when it hit the water while landing near the Eugene Island offshore platform.
The pilot was not injured and the first officer sustained minor injuries after both escaped from the sinking helicopter and swam to a nearby platform. There were no other passengers on board.
According to the report, the crew ran into rain with poor visibility during their flight from PHI's base at Amelia en route to the platform. The pilot turned the helicopter to the west in an effort to circle the rain shower after the crew was unable to spot the platform.
Shortly afterward, the first officer spotted the platform and the pilot in command asked him to arm the floatation devices and turn on the windshield wipers.
While turning, the pilot recalled his altimeter and airspeed and seeing the platform but did not see a visible horizon, the report said. The pilot also noticed that the floats were not armed and that rain on the windshield was obscuring his vision. He again repeated the request to the first officer.
Pilots End Strike That Cost PHI $4 Million Plus
The union leading pilots striking against PHI called an end to the walkout after 51 days in the hope that U.S. labor law would prod PHI to immediately hire back the strikers. The Office and Professional Employees Union International sent PHI an "unconditional offer to return to work" on Nov. 10, and verified it in writing at the company's request later. Theoretically, labor law requires a company to stop employing temporary workers immediately and hire back strikers on a seniority basis. But PHI did not oblige the union.
The company said management "is in the process of reviewing the details and implications of the union's offer, and will formally respond to the union in due course."
Separately, in n a Nov. 9 filing of its quarterly finances, PHI said the strike had cost it more than $4 million and was curtailing 15 percent of domestic U.S. offshore support flight hours and 10 percent of EMS ones. While revenue was up for the quarter, which ended Sept. 30, PHI estimated the strike had cost it $2.2. million in domestic offshore revenue and $800,000 in EMS revenue. PHI said it also had to spend $900,000 in the strike's first 10 days alone on such costs as "pilot overtime, last paychecks for striking pilots, and additional security at our Lafayette corporate headquarters and at all bases."
Era Helicopters Acquires Keystone's EMS Unit
Keystone Helicopter Corp. in November reached an agreement with Seacor Holdings LLC for the purchase of Keystone's Flight Services Div., which oversees its various emergency medical services operations..
The Flight Services Div. operates 35 aircraft for air medical operations at various remote base sites throughout the Eastern United States and Puerto Rico. The division employs more than 200 pilots and technicians that keep these operations running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Seacor's Era Helicopters will take over those operations.
"Seacor is a multi-billion-dollar company with diversified businesses, including helicopter operations," said David Ford, president of Keystone Helicopter, in a letter to the employees and customers of the company. "They have indicated that they have a strategic goal of growing their presence in that market, and see Keystone's Flight Services Division as an excellent fit with their existing operations. This bodes well for the division, as Seacor has the resources and the incentive to invest in growing them into an even stronger competitor in the Air Medical industry."
Keystone Helicopter is a full-service maintenance and completion center anchored by the Heliplex, a new, state-of-the-art technical services depot in Coatesville, Pa. It is a factory-authorized service center for Bell, Eurocopter, MD Helicopter, Rolls-Royce, Turbomeca, Pratt & Whitney, and Sikorsky products. It was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft in 2005. Keystone is positioned to play a major role in Sikorsky's operations, as key completions center for S-76s and S-92s and even as a potential manufacturing site for those aircraft. Sikorsky is pursuing FAA production certificates for those types at Keystone..
Eurocopter's Bregier Moves to Airbus, Succeeded by German
The board of directors of European aerospace conglomerate EADS has appointed Fabrice Brégier as chief operating officer of its troubled Airbus unit, effective immediate effect. Airbus has encountered significant delays for its A380 superjumo airliner and faces the prospects of major customers canceling orders, as U.S. parcel carrier FedEx already has done.
Brégier remains a member of the EADS executive committee.
Lutz Bertling has been appointed to succeed Brégier as president and CEO of Eurocopter and to join the EADS executive committee with immediate effect. He will report to EADS CEO Tom Enders. Bertling had served as executive vice president governmental helicopters from 2003 and was appointed CEO of Eurocopter Deutschland in April.
To further improve transparency within the Group, the EADS Board has appointed EADS CFO Hans Peter Ring as Airbus CFO effective January 1, 2007. Hans Peter Ring will remain CFO of EADS. Andreas Sperl, CFO of Airbus, will move to another operational function within the EADS Group.
The EADS Board has decided that the EADS CEOs Tom Enders and Louis Gallois will regularly report on all major projects, programmes, and matters of importance — including Airbus — to the two EADS Chairmen Manfred Bischoff and Arnaud Lagardère to better prepare board discussions and decisions.
Frost & Sullivan Study Sees Continued Growth in European Military Helos
While the European military helicopter market is coming to the end an extensive run of helicopter procurement, several factors should boost demand there through 2015, according to the international market-research firm Frost & Sullivan.
Its latest study finds that improvements in unmanned aerial vehicle technology will reduce the number of aircraft required to perform tasks now done by a much larger number of helicopters. But the need to move troops and supplies quickly over great distances in hostile terrain to support "operations other than war" means helicopters are likely "to play an increasingly crucial role in the kind of warfare that coalition forces are expected to wage in the near future," the study finds. At the same time, the increasing importance of naval forces to coalition troops is prompting a number of European militaries to participate in naval procurement program. Some of these are very large and will require a relatively large number of rotorcraft to operate from them. In fact, most new naval platforms are expected to carry some type of rotorcraft.
Canadian Cormorant Rescues Downed Helo Crew
A harrowing rescue operation saved three helicopter crash victims stranded on a cliff in bad weather Oct. 25.
The pilot and two passengers of a Vancouver Island Helicopter aircraft were conducting an assessment in Knight Inlet their helicopter apparently rolled when one of the passengers was trying to exit. The accident took place in the late afternoon.
Two crews from 19 Wing Comox were launched into low cloud, snow, sleet and wind. After several unsuccessful attempts to reach the men, the Cormorant landed to reassess the situation. As the fog lifted, the crew spotted a flashlight at a waterfall up the cliff. They followed the flashlight.
"We had to go up vertically, through cloud, making our way tree by tree through the snow and wind," said the aircraft commander," said the aircraft commander, Capt. Sean Morris.
Once in position, they was hoisted a rescue technician down to the crash site. He retrieved the victims.
Team US101 Tests Advanced Blades for VH-71
AgustaWestland recently began flight testing a high-performance variant of the EH101 fitted with new-technology British Experimental Rotor Program (BERP) 4 main rotor blades, more powerful CT7-8E engines and a new integrated cockpit display system. "This event brings together the technology that will give the next variants of the EH101 even greater mission performance," said Alan Johnston, AgustaWestland's managing director of military programs. "The additional capability these improvements will bring, especially increased payload in demanding hot and high environments, will be of great benefit to our customers who are experiencing ever increasing operational demands."
A key application of the added performance will be on the VH-71A U.S. presidential transport helicopter.
The BERP 4 Technology Demonstration Program, which is jointly funded by the U.K. Ministry of Defence and AgustaWestland, was launched with seven key objectives — reduced first cost, reduced life cycle costs, reduced rotor vibration at high and low speeds, improved hover and forward flight performance, improved damage tolerance, increased erosion resistance, and reduced signatures. Its next-generation advanced composite rotor blades are expected to deliver significant improvements in whole life costs and operational capability.
Analysis Finds Little Hope Of Pick-Up in Europe's Defense Spending
Defense spending on the European Continent is stuck in slow motion as many nations scramble to pay for operational costs and maintain professional armies, according to a report by Forecast International.
The "Europe Market Overview" notes that the newer Eastern European nations are undertaking the reformation of their forces to a professional NATO Alliance standard. Simultaneously, many European nations are participating in multiple overseas peacekeeping missions, ranging from Afghanistan and Lebanon to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The principal instrument of collective European defense and national security is NATO, where each member state is asked to contribute 2 percent of GDP toward its defense budget. Currently, very few European NATO members choose to do so, with the United Kingdom, France, Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey being the only members meeting the expected standard, the firm says.
That leaves 19 European NATO members falling short of the requirement, with Greece and Turkey achieving the standard largely in anticipation of war with each other.
According to the study, the trend in European defense spending is unlikely to change, as sizable growth will be substituted with small, measured, and generally consistent increases. Overall defense spending on the continent increased 5 percent — from $237 billion in 2005 to $249 billion — in 2006, but if Russian spending totals are removed, the increase declines to only 3 percent.
Texas A&M Lab to Study Better Blade Coatings
Researchers in Texas have been awarded a $1-million U.S. Defense Dept. grant to study how to better protect helicopter rotor blades from the effects of sand and moisture.
Researchers at the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, a member of the Texas A&M University system that operates a lab at Brooks City-Base, will work on improving protective coatings for main and tail rotor blades.
Congress has funded the project for Fiscal 2007 because of the research's importance to the Pentagon. "The current war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan are in sandy, desert terrain," said Dr. John Ayala, who will direct the research. "The sand is eroding the paint of the main and tail rotor blades of the helicopters, which has a big impact on the readiness of the helicopters. We can extend the useful life of rotor blades by having coatings that are not easily eroded."
China Sees Need For More Than 2,700 Civil Helos in 20 years
China's aviation sector is expected to require more than 2,700 civil helicopters of all types in the next 20 years, according to officials there.
The general manger of China's Aviation Industrial Corp. No. 2 (AVIC 2), Zhang Hongbiao, said his company would take about 15 years to command the technologies that are central to helicopter design and production. AVIC 2's goal, he said, is to try to make China one of the world's top helicopter producers by 2020.
Zhang made his forecast Oct. 16 during ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of China's helicopter industry. That industry began in 1956, and over the past 50 years it has produced more than 800 helicopters in 30 models. China has also participated in the design and production of international models, including the EC120, S-92 and CA109.
In 1999, AVIC was set up with the design and production of helicopters as its core business. Currently, China produces more than 20 helicopter models, ranging from the 1.5-ton HC120 to the 13-ton Z-8 series.
Zhang said that China lagged behind the international industry in terms of the number of helicopters and their usage, indicating a huge potential market for both overseas and domestic helicopter giants.
India Weighs Buying Dhruvs for Border
Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel posted at the higher reaches of India's Himalayan borders with Tibet may soon have a reason to smile as the nation's Home Ministry has approved a proposal for setting up a separate helicopter wing aimed at providing support for them in extreme weather and emergency conditions.
"The Home Ministry has approved the proposal. A Cabinet note is being prepared now for the final clearance," ITBP Director General VK Joshi said on the eve of 45th Raising Day celebrations of the para-military force.
The proposal calls for acquisition of seven Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) to help enable the border force to airdrop personnel and emergency supplies to its posts in the upper reaches of the Himalayas.
Most of its forward posts in Ladakh, Kumaon and eastern sector remain cut off during winter months and the border police was dependent on the Air Force for evacuation and other emergencies. "Having your own air wing is a far better option," Joshi said, adding the proposal was comprehensive, addressing issues like hiring of pilots and maintenance of the aircraft. The helicopters will also be used by Central Reserve Police Force and Special Security Bureau.
The ITBP chief also raised the issue of the inability of rotating its troops due to non-availability of reserve batallions for rotations. However, he said, the ITBP had approached the Government with a demand for raising 22 new battalions to help rotation of its personnel. "Out of the 35 years of tenure of our personnel, they spent an average 28 years in high-altitude locations... We need 22 more battalions for effectively rotating them," Joshi said.
India Hospitals Seek to Launch Helicopter EMS
Major hospitals in India have sought the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's permission for launching helicopter emergency medical services, according to the Press Trust of India. "We have received applications from some big hospitals seeking approval for construction of rooftop helipad and other infrastructure", DGCA chief Kanu Gohain said at a seminar on HEMS in New Delhi, adding that a final decision was yet to be taken. Maintaining that DGCA has already issued guidelines for developing HEMS facilities as well as those for constructing make-shift helipads, he said choppers should also conform to the standards, especially relating to noise pollution when are operating near hospitals and installation of life-saving equipment.
Earlier this year, the BM Birla Heart Research Center launched an air ambulance service for eastern India, the first time this type of service has been available in the area. The service is being provided with a single Bell 206 to the 4.6 million people of Kolkata in West Bengal, with the facility available for patients of BM Birla and the Calcutta Medical Research Institute.
Czech Republic Sells Sikorsky Supplier
The government of the Czech Republic was reported last month to have sold private investors controlling interest in the aerospace manufacturer Aero Vodochody, a key supplier of S-76 airframes for Sikorsky Aircraft.
Aero has been struggling since the fall of Eastern European communist regimes. In an effort to save the company by tapping new markets, the government in 1998 sold a 35.9 percent stake to Boeing in 1998. But Boeing returned its stake last year.
A Czech-Slovak investment group, Penta, was named as the winning bidding. A Penta subsidiary, Oakfield AS, reportedly offered 2.9 billion koruna ($128 million) for a 99.97-percent stake in Aero in a package that included $443 million in company debt. A Penta co-owner, Marek Dospiva, was quoted in Prague as saying "We shall do our best to maintain the Sikorsky project and to raise production." Production for Sikorsky is said to account for 87 percent of Aero's output, but only requires 300 of its 1,700 employees.
London Assembly Wants Faster Write-Downs For Older, Noisier Helicopters
The London Assembly, a watchdog on local government, wants the United Kingdom to grant helicopter operators faster depreciation of their aircraft to motivate them to replace older equipment with quieter models.
The assembly has been looking into helicopter operations in and around London and complaints about noise from them.
"Anecdotal evidence points to an increase in helicopter usage by commercial companies, emergency services, the military, advertisers and the media," writes the chair of the Assembly's environmental committee, Darren Johnson, in his forward to a report on the issues, entitled "London in a Spin: A Review of Helicopter Noise. "However, it has been very difficult to obtain accurate data to establish the extent of the problem."
Association Head Vows to Fight User Fees
The National Business Aviation Assn. reported record-breaking participation at its 59th Annual Meeting and Convention, which was held Oct. 17-19 in Orlando, Fla. Organizers counted 33,088 attendees, smashing the 31,665 count in Las Vegas in 1998. Last year's attendance came to 28,000.
Exhibitor participation was also robust, with booth space selling out one month in advance — another NBAA record. About 1,150 vendors displayed aircraft and other wares throughout 760,000 sq ft of floor space, which accounted for virtually all exhibition space at the Orange County Convention Center. Attendees could take a short shuttle bus ride to nearby Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), where 115 aircraft were on static display and open for inspection.
Although fixed-wing executive aircraft and related services and equipment accounted for the majority of interest at the NBAA convention, the corporate helicopter community was well-represented. Expo goers could climb aboard a twin-engine AgustaWestland Grand, a mock-up of a Sikorsky S-76D executive cabin, and the Bell/Agusta BA609 tilt-rotor simulator. Support companies, such as FlightSafety International, Garmin and Honeywell, were also on hand to share information on their products and services.
In his opening remarks to the attendees, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen vowed to keep the association's fight to reduce user fees at airports in front of Congress. "We recognize that Congress wants to help," said Bolen. "They are the 'board of directors' for the FAA."
The Air Transport Assn., which represents major airlines, has also been lobbying Congress to reduce airport user fees, but favor doing so by forcing general aviation to pay more of them. The NBAA — a general aviation-based organization — has been locked in a high-profile battle with the airline group to keep that from happening.
HeliFlite Adds New Bell 430 to Fleet
Newark, NJ-based HeliFlite, a fractional ownership and charter company that specializes in helicopter transport, is adding a fourth Bell 430 aircraft to its fleet of three 430s and one Sikorsky S-76. The aircraft is being added in response to the company's growing popularity among executives in the greater New York City area, which the company says accounts for about 90 percent of its flights.
HeliFlite's President and CEO Cory Brown described the Bell 430 as "the perfect helicopter," reporting that the average mission for the 430 consists of one or two passengers flying to destinations in Manhattan, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Brown also cited excellent factory support, cost efficiency and superior ride quality as other reasons for selecting the aircraft.
HeliFlite, which was founded in 1998, receives $360,000 per share for one of its Bell 430 aircraft, plus $9,000 to cover management costs. Trips are generally billed at about $1,100 an hour thereafter.
The company also offers its 25-hr HeliCard, which entitles the holder to 25 hr of flight time aboard a HeliFlite Bell 430 within one year. It guarantees 48-hr call-out availability without actually entering into a standard fractional ownership contract. — By Ernie Stephens
S-76D Powerplant Completes Successful Test Run
Pratt & Whitney Canada had aa successful test run of its PW210S turboshaft engine, which is slated to power the D-model of the Sikorsky S-76. Listed as a 1,000-shp-class powerplant, the PW210S was launched in early 2005 to compete in the intermediate-to-medium helicopter category. The successful test run of the engine at Pratt's Montreal facility in mid-October pleased its designers, who were quoted as saying "the engine ran exceptionally well."
The PW210S incorporates a dual-channel FADEC and advanced compressor and material technology. It will drive the S-76D's composite main rotor blades and new, environmentally-friendly Quiet Tail Rotor system. Sikorsky believes the installation of two PW210S in the S-76D will increase the helicopter's Category-A hot takeoff capability by nearly 1,000 lb over the S-76C+, the latter of which is powered by a pair of Tubomeca Arriel 2S1 engines.
Several companies, including Xavier Enterprises in Palm Springs, Calif and Premier Aviation Services Ltd in Ireland have placed orders for the S-76D. They hope to put them in service in 2009. — By Ernie Stephens
FAA Grants Ticket for New Bell 210/Huey Engine
Honeywell has received FAA type and production certification for the T5317BCV engine for the Bell 210 and UH-1. Under this program, Honeywell will induct T53-L-703 and T53-L-13B engines that meet certain standards and rework them and their components to manufacturer's specifications that will permit an FAA type certificate to be issued for the zero-time engine, the T5317BCV. One advantage of the engine is that it would free Huey operators to fly under rules other than restricted-category ones. Honeywell said the 1,800-takeoff-shp T5317BCVs will be backed by a full four-year/2,000-hr factory warranty.
L3 Introduces $15,000 Thermal Imager
Michigan-based L3 Communications introduced its small enhanced vision system called "IRIS" at the National Business Aviation Assn.'s 59th Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando, Fla. IRIS is a small, non-cooled, thermal imager that detects subtle variances in heat, and converts that information into a real-time graphic display of the environment. That image can then be viewed on a small monitor inside of the cockpit.
The unit comes in two parts — a 1.7-lb camera and a small monitor — that can be installed in a variety of locations on virtually any aircraft. The system's 320X240-pixel resolution allows it to detect animals on a runway, conflicting air traffic coming out of the sun, and obstructions obscured by fog and haze.
Unlike some thermal imagers sometimes call forward-looking infrared (flir) IRIS does not use cryogenic cooling or liquid nitrogen chambers, which add to the size and cost of those units, and reduces direct sunlight performance. Instead, IRIS uses barium strontium titanate, making it immune to the degrading effects of solar radiation. Video footage provided by L3 demonstrated the clarity of images, even when looking an otherwise undetectable aircraft approaching from the sun. — By Ernie Stephens
Second BA609 Civil Tilt-Rotor Prototype Flies at Italy Air Base
Bell/Agusta Aerospace's second BA609 civil tilt-rotor prototype, Aircraft 60002, performed its first flight Nov. 9 at AgustaWestland's facility located on the Italian air force airfield at Cameri, Italy. Pilot Pietro Venanzi and copilot Herb Moran completed the flight successfully at 1507 local time. During the 52-min flight, they performed left and right peddle turns, forward and aft flight maneuvers, several takeoffs and landings, nacelle position changes, and stability testing. Further flight test activities will take place in coming months in accordance with the program's test plan.
BA609 No. 60003 is already at the AgustaWestland facility in Cameri and No. 60004 is on the assembly line in Fort Worth, Texas. The four prototype tilt-rotor aircraft will perform all the flight-testing required in the U.S. and Italy. Aircraft No. 60001 is continuing to undergo flight test activities at Bell's Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas. To date, it has accumulated more than 100 hr of flight test time and has operated at 25,000 ft and speeds up to 304 kt (563 km/hr). Dual certification (European and FAA) is planned in 2010, with military qualification and deliveries following soon after.
NY's West 30th St. Heliport Marks 50 Years
October marked the 50th anniversary of New York City's West 30th St. Heliport, which in that time grew from a converted dock to one of the busiest helicopter facilities in the world.
Open around the clock seven days a week, the heliport is owned by the Trenk family. Father Al has run it for 26 years; daughter Abigail has been its president for 10 years. It is one of three public heliports in Manhattan.
The Trenks marked the anniversary with a party Oct. 4 at the heliport that was attended by neighbors from the blossoming Chelsea neighborhood around the heliport, regular clients and crews, and politicians.
The flights that used the landing pad 50 years ago mostly carried mail. Today, the heliport is used by businesses, the media, politicians, law enforcement officers, as well as movie and music stars. Tourists start and end their sightseeing jaunts there. Other than the tourists, passengers typically fly to the Hamptons beaches on Long Island, the casinos of Atlantic City and the three New York-area airports.
There are as many as 250 operations a day conducted at the heliport, and typically more than 45,000 a year.
Tilt-Rotor Training Device Makes Appearance
Bell/Agusta Aerospace used the National Business Aviation Assn.'s 59th Annual Meeting and Convention to display its BA609 civil tilt-rotor flight training device. Built by Bell engineers on a stationary platform, the flight deck is a faithful representation of the revolutionary aircraft's cockpit, and is partially surrounded by a 10-ft high projection screen that gives the pilots a 240-deg field of view of a computer-generated environment that can simulate pitch, roll and yaw.
The device is equipped with full-motion flight controls, glass instruments with basic navigation and engine performance information, and a few systems controls. Most other equipment, such as radios and subsystem switches, are graphic reproductions or non-functioning hardware.
Show attendees were treated to realistic forward and side views, especially in the nine and three o'clock positions, where computer-generated images of the engine nacelles could be seen tilting up and down through their ranges. A virtual airport was used as the default flight environment, where pilots could practice takeoffs, en route phases, and landings to a runway or helicopter pad.
BA609 test pilot Ray Hopkins was on hand to help convention attendees learn about tilt-rotor flight, but cautioned that the device was not intended as use a primary trainer. "This is a math model," said Hopkins. "It's an engineering tool."
The BA609 are in flight test. The design is expected to be certified in 2008. — Story and Photo by Ernie Stephens
MD Offering Free Manual Updates
MD Helicopters, Inc. is providing commercial Rotorcraft Flight Manual revisions free of charge to registered owners for the life of their helicopter.
An electronic form on its Web site, www.mdhelicopters.com, allows owners to register for the service. If a helicopter is sold or transferred, the new owner need only register on line to continue receiving free revisions.
MD is also providing an FTP site for free downloading of the commercial technical manuals and revisions, in Adobe® Acrobat PDF format, allowing for local printing of these publication.
Free downloads will be provided by registering and accessing the Electronic Technical Manuals Web site. The free services affirm MD's commitment "to enhance the level of customer service for the existing MD Helicopter fleet as well as new deliveries," said Jeff Snyder, MD's general manager for customer support.
Swedish Armed Forces Return to SAS Flight Academy
Swedish military pilots are returning to the SAS Flight Academy in Stockholm under a two-year contract for recurrent training in the Bell/AB212/412 full-flight simulator. Recurrent training is divided into two different aims for pilots waiting for a type rating on future helicopter types in the Swedish Air Force. The first is recurrent instrument procedure training and the second is tactical instrument training.
The Swedish armed forces chose SAS Flight Academy as their supplier for generic training even though they no longer operate the Bell 412. This is thanks to the versatility of SAS Flight Academy's Bell/AB 212/412 full-flight simulator.
In the past, the armed forces trained their helicopter pilots at SAS Flight Academy. Now, after a few years absence, they have decided to return. The academy has about 40 civilian and military customers training on the Bell/AB 212/412
Apache Lands On U.K. Carrier Ark Royal
A British Army Apache attack helicopter has landed on a Royal Navy Invincible-class aircraft carrier for the first time, marking another milestone in the return to service of the carrier HMS Ark Royal.
The aircraft, from 667 Sqdn., Army Air Corps, landed on Ark Royal as she lay alongside at Portsmouth Naval Base for ship-air integration trials. The Apache was moved around the flight deck and lowered on one of the aircraft lifts into the ship's hangar, giving Ark Royal's aircraft handlers experience in dealing with the type.
"Having the Apache on board was another milestone in Ark's return to operational status," said Cdr. Keith Muir, head of Ark Royal's air department. "It will contribute significantly to our ability to embark, sustain and operate the Apache and to deploy its potent capability from the sea as part of an agile mission group, wherever and whenever it is most needed."
Schweizer Ties Up With Chinese Firm to Build 300CBis
Schweizer Aircraft has selected Jiangxi Changhe Aircraft Company to supply airframe components and assemblies for the Schweizer 300CBi helicopter. This contract is the first project completed under the memorandum of understanding announced June 1 between Sikorsky and China's Aviation Industry Corporation 2 (AVIC 2) for collaboration on the development and manufacture of civil helicopters. AVIC 2 is the parent company of Jiangxi Changhe. Schweizer is a Sikorsky subsidiary.
"Sikorsky is excited to see the execution of one of the key strategies outlined in the MOU," said Carey Bond, Sikorsky vice president for corporate strategy and advanced programs. "Sikorsky is committed to investing in China and developing additional strategic partnerships with AVIC 2."
Schweizer 300CBis are used worldwide for training, transportation, aerial photography, airborne patrol, and many other missions. Changhe will ship the airframe and detail parts that it manufactures to Schweizer's Horseheads, N.Y., facility, where 300CBis will be assembled, test flown and delivered to customers.
"This agreement is part of Sikorsky's on-going effort to develop strategic global partnerships and business arrangements that create new opportunities for both parties," Bond said. "Demand for the 300CBi remains strong. Adding Changhe to the supply chain will enable Schweizer to increase its production rate, better meet customer requirements and provide additional customer value for a world-class product."
Under the MOU, Sikorsky and AVIC 2 agreed to discuss helicopter manufacturing, assembly, flight test, engineering design and analysis, and new product development in the light, intermediate, and medium classes. "AVIC 2 and its subsidiaries have excellent design and manufacturing capabilities, and Sikorsky is proud of this partnership," Bond said.
Turbomeca, Chinese Firm Team Up
During Air Show China, Turbomeca signed a joint venture contract with Beijing Changkong Machinery, an AVIC 2 company, aimed at creating the first joint venture between Turbomeca and an AVIC 2 company, namely Beijing Turbomeca Changkong Aero-Engine Control Equipment Co. Ltd.
This joint venture will assemble and test hydro-mechanical units of turboshaft engines for both Turbomeca and Beijing Changkong, for their respective markets. It will be located 30 mi north of Beijing in the Chinese partner new plant, located in a high-tech park.
Fuel control units and hydro-mechanical Units will be assembled and tested in this new joint venture. The joint venture entry into operation with its relevant production agreement is targeted to be in October 2007. In China, one helicopter out of two is equipped with Turbomeca engines or licensed products. Today, about 500 Turbomeca engines are being operated there.
A cooperation framework agreement was signed in 2005 with AVIC 2, concerning the delivery of 200 Arriel 2C engines to China, along with a partial production license. Turbomeca and AVIC 2 started working together in the 1980s, with a license for the Arriel 1 engine, initiated by China National South Aero Engine Corp.
Dart Buys Era STCs
Dart Helicopter Services has acquired 42 supplemental type certificates from Era Helicopters. It plans to expand Era's product line of auxiliary tanks, interior products, float systems, flight steps and avionics. The STCs acquired include auxiliary fuel tanks for the entire series of medium Bell products and the BK117, float systems for the Bell 212 and UH-1H, interior products for the B0105, flight steps for medium Bells and avionics components for several Bell and Eurocopter products. www.darthelicopterservices.com
Also, Canam Aerospace Inc. has chosen Dart for worldwide commercial distribution of its helicopter external load product lines, with the exception of Japan, Norway, the U.S. Military and OEM sales. Canam makes 14 products with a specialization in remote cargo hooks, electric swivels, long lines, carousels, grapples and cargo nets. With a history in AMO standards, Canam has maintained that philosophy with respect to its current manufacturing practices.
Sikorsky Aircraft Set to Open New Engineering Center in Fort Worth
Sikorsky Aircraft plans to open a new engineering center in Fort Worth, Texas, next year to support its growing U.S. government, commercial, and aftermarket business.
Presumably, the company is proceeding with the plans despite the loss of its H-92-based bid in the U.S. Air Force Combat Search-and-Rescue-X competition last month. With UH-60 production lines spooling up for the U.S. Army and potentially international customers and a new CH-53 model in development, Sikorsky has plenty of work ahead of it.
The new 25,000-sq-ft facility will be staffed with 100 or more experienced aerospace professionals drawn mostly from the Fort Worth-Dallas area. Job fairs are set to begin in January.
Particular skill sets required that Sikorsky is seeking include dynamic system design and analysis, avionic systems integration, and aircraft handling qualities. The facility will duplicate the IT hardware found in Sikorsky's main facilities in Connecticut and West Palm Beach, Fla. This will allow the Fort Worth Engineering Center to operate real-time and seamlessly with these and other Sikorsky facilities.
"Sikorsky is on pace to meet our plan of doubling revenues over the five-year period between 2003-2008," said Mark Miller, Sikorsky vice president, engineering.
The Fort Worth region is rich with experienced aerospace professionals who could make immediate and long-lasting contributions to some of the aerospace industry's most exciting development programs.
Current production programs at Sikorsky include the Black Hawk and Naval Hawk helicopters for the U.S. government and international customers, and the S-76 and S-92 helicopters for civil customers. Development programs include the CH-53K for the U.S. Marine Corps, the CH-148 Cyclone for the Canadian Maritime Helicopter program, the new S-76D, Black Hawk and Naval Hawk upgrades, and the X2 Technology demonstrator.
Within the past year, Sikorsky has hired nearly 600 new engineers and has opened third-party engineering design centers in Indiana, Kentucky and Montana.
NAASCO Signs U.K.'s Ross Aviation As Distributor
NAASCO Northeast Corp., located on Long Island, N.Y. and internationally recognized for the "Mercury Mod" starter generator improvement programs, has appointed Ross Aviation of Drybrook, Gloucestershire, England as its sole stocking distributor in the United Kingdom, with territories extending from Continental Europe to the Middle East as well as Greenland and Iceland.
"NAASCO products are a perfect compliment to our existing distribution capabilities," said Mark Biggs, managing director of Ross Aviation, "covering both rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft for our customers in Law Enforcement, Offshore oil support, EMS, Government Agencies, Military, Airlines and Private and Corporate Operators". Ross Aviation has expanded its rotable inventory to accommodate the high demand for NAASCO's 1000-hr Starter Generator brush life guarantee featured with the Mercury Mod and other ETR improved Starter Generators. Ross Aviation will also distribute NAASCO's complete line of repair and overhaul capabilities including actuators, relays, generator control units, etc.
Papillon Breaks Ground for "Largest Heliport in West"
Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters is poised to break ground this month on what could be the largest heliport west of the Mississippi.
The Monarch Enterprises subsidiary and largest helicopter-tour company in the world is developing a two-story, high-tech, reservation call center, air-traffic-control tower, two airplane hangars and space for more than a half-dozen helicopters (as well as six fixed-wing aircraft) on about eight acres of Boulder City Municipal Airport property. The land is being leased at current rates, a city official said.
The helicopter company continues to maintain space at McCarran International Airport, supporting operations that include tours of the Las Vegas Strip and other sightseeing-related services. But Papillon has forgone expanding there for reasons that include fuel costs, noise pollution and air-traffic constraints. The bulk of the company's operations will be Boulder City-based, including its maintenance and reservation facilities.
Papillon has had a presence in Boulder City since 2003, when parent company Monarch bought out Lake Mead Air, a fixed-wing service that provided tours of Southern Nevada's water supply. Monarch representatives have since planned to bolster operations at Boulder City, fast becoming that area's third-largest employer, according to Robert Graff, Papillon's vice president of marketing.


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Everything Ü need for social media. . .
We provide "Everything Ü need for social media". We Educate, Strategize, Implement, Manage and Report. Need a social media person or department but can't afford to hire anyone full time? We offer Flexible Social Media Staffing Solutions & Temps by the Hour, Day, Week, Month or Longer.
ÜberBlueDM teaches companies how to successfully develop and carry out their own social media programs. We also provide individual or small group coaching and instruction to educate you on a wide variety of social media topics. ÜberBlueDM assesses a company's objectives and marketplace, then works as a partner to create social media programs. The social media program is integrated with your company's traditional marketing and sales.
Interested in meeting to discuss your social media future?
Click HERE to take the brief survey!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Submit NJDMAVA 32 for performance awards, time off awards, on the spot awards and quality step increase. Three consecutive appraisals must be completed for quality step increase awards and performance awards. Attach the current appraisal to the NJDMAVA Form 32 for the performance award submission.
CA16s are only for CA1 Traumatic Injury. Contact HRO Employee Relations Branch for the CA16.
New employees begin PAA after serving the probationary period (12 consecutive months).
FERS (Federal Employee Retirement System) minimum retirement age and thirty years of service.
CSRS (Civil Service Retirement Service) age 55 and 30 years of service.
All Title 10 Honorable Active Duty and Title 32 under USERRA Law that was served during federal technician tenure.
After all leave has been used.
Submit to HRO all Title 10 orders / DD 214s with Honorable Discharge to HRO Benefits Section, HRO will calculate your service computation date. Military time that is:
The documents needed are:
Submit all these documents to the HRO benefits section along with a TSP (Thrift Savings Plan) Buyback form fill-out. Our office will then mail out the information.
Yes, you need to fill out a SF 2810 (Notice of change in Health Benefits Enrollment) and USERRA checklist prior to deploying to let HRO know what you want accomplished.
Go to www.abc.army.mil and open EBIS (Employee Benefit Information System) link on top right hand side of screen. Access site with your pin. If you do not have a pin or you are a new employee, register for site access. Click on circle icon labeled "Transactions" then choose the benefit to open and change / update.
For information on Dental and Vision benefits, go to www.opm.gov/insure. To enroll for Dental and Vision benefits, use the FEDVIPS website at www.benefeds.com.
Go to www.opm.gov/insure. Click on the state you live in to view list (Non postal worker bi-weekly pay).
| Department: Home | Army | Air | Veterans | Administration | Leadership | Youth Challenge | Sitemap | Links
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey, 2018
Department of Military & Veterans Affairs
P.O. Box 340
Trenton, NJ 08625-0340
Phone: 609-530-4600
Updated: June 13, 2018 8:51


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Dancing With The Stars Derek Hough Receives 2014 GLSEN Inspiration Award
Give it up for Dancing With The Stars Derek Hough! Last night, he was presented with a GLSEN Inspiration Award for writing about his "bullying" experience in his book "Taking The Lead" and how he was able to overcome it. You can view loads of photos at Getty Images. Pure Derek Hough also has lots of coverage including photos, red carpet video, a live blog, quotes from the night, and more.


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Tuesday night March 14
Opening response and confession of sin
The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
Our help is in the name of the Lord
who made heaven and earth.
Brief silence
Most merciful God,
we confess to you,
before the whole company of heaven and one another,
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed
and in what we have failed to do.
Forgive us our sins,
heal us by your Spirit
and raise us to new life in Christ. Amen.
Favor us, Lord, and deliver us.
Lord, come quickly and help us.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Baptized into thy name, mysterious one in three
Charles Wesley
Baptized into thy name,
Mysterious One in Three,
Our souls and bodies claim,
A sacrifice to thee;
And let us live our faith to prove,
The faith which works by humble love.
O that our light may shine,
And all our lives express
The character divine,
The real holiness;
And then receive us up, to adore
The triune God forevermore.
The Word of God
Psalm 139
Examine me, God! Look at my heart!
Lord, you have examined me.
You know me.
You know when I sit down and when I stand up.
Even from far away, you comprehend my plans.
You study my traveling and resting.
You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways.
There isn't a word on my tongue, Lord,
that you don't already know completely.
You surround me—front and back.
You put your hand on me.
That kind of knowledge is too much for me;
it's so high above me that I can't fathom it.
Where could I go to get away from your spirit?
Where could I go to escape your presence?
If I went up to heaven, you would be there.
If I went down to the grave, you would be there too!
If I could fly on the wings of dawn,
stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean—
even there your hand would guide me;
even there your strong hand would hold me tight!
If I said, "The darkness will definitely hide me;
the light will become night around me,"
even then the darkness isn't too dark for you!
Nighttime would shine bright as day,
because darkness is the same as light to you!
You are the one who created my innermost parts;
you knit me together while I was still in my mother's womb.
I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart.
Your works are wonderful—I know that very well.
My bones weren't hidden from you
when I was being put together in a secret place,
when I was being woven together in the deep parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my embryo,
and on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me,
before any one of them had yet happened.
God, your plans are incomprehensible to me!
Their total number is countless!
If I tried to count them—they outnumber grains of sand!
If I came to the very end—I'd still be with you.
If only, God, you would kill the wicked!
If only murderers would get away from me—
the people who talk about you, but only for wicked schemes;
the people who are your enemies,
who use your name as if it were of no significance.
Don't I hate everyone who hates you?
Don't I despise those who attack you?
Yes, I hate them—through and through!
They've become my enemies too.
Examine me, God! Look at my heart!
Put me to the test! Know my anxious thoughts!
Look to see if there is any idolatrous way in me,
then lead me on the eternal path!
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
Examine me, God! Look at my heart!
Psalm prayer
Creator God,
may every breath we take be for your glory,
may every footstep show you as our way,
that, trusting in your presence in this world,
we may, beyond this life, still be with you
where you are alive and reign
forever and ever.
Scripture reading
Isaiah 58:6-7
Isn't this the fast I choose:
releasing wicked restraints, untying the ropes of a yoke,
setting free the mistreated,
and breaking every yoke?
Isn't it sharing your bread with the hungry
and bringing the homeless poor into your house,
covering the naked when you see them,
and not hiding from your own family?
Lord, I entrust my spirit into your hands.
Lord, I entrust my spirit into your hands.
For you, Lord, God of faithfulness—
you have saved me.
I entrust my spirit into your hands.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
Lord, I entrust my spirit into your hands.
Watch me with the very pupil of your eye!
Hide me in the protection of your wings.
Silence may be kept.
Gospel canticle
The Nunc Dimittis (Song of Simeon)
Save us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep may rest in peace.
Now, master, let your servant go in peace according to your word,
because my eyes have seen your salvation.
You prepared this salvation in the presence of all peoples.
It's a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and a glory for your people Israel.
Luke 2:29-32
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
Save us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep may rest in peace.
Brief silence.
Thanksgiving and intercession
Open prayer is offered.
Silence may be kept.
Almighty God,
may we, by the prayer and discipline of Lent,
enter into the mystery of Christ's sufferings;
that by following in the Way,
we may come to share in the glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We will lie down and fall asleep in peace
because you alone, Lord, let us live in safety.
Abide with us, Lord Jesus,
for the night is at hand and the day is now past.
As the night watch looks for the morning,
so do we look for you, O Christ.
May God bless us,
that in us may be found love and humility,
obedience and thanksgiving,
discipline, gentleness and peace.


text:
I need the generated PDF to have "alt" text associated with each image so that a screen reader can read the alt text to the visually impaired user. I understand that essentially just including the "alt" text as the caption, or as part of the caption would be sufficient in reality, but we are dealing with government legal requirements and it would be far easier to be able to just check that box.
Has anyone done this? Any help appreciated. Thanks.


text:
Toni Blackman
Our Fellows
Toni Blackman
1999 Global Fellow
Founder of FreeStyle Union
Toni Blackman 1999 Global Fellow
Uses oral improvisation as the basis for the human and creative development of emerging artists by providing workshops on artist development. These workshops emphasize writing, speaking, and performance as well as ego management, holistic health care, the study of hip-hop history, and the rapper's role as storyteller and historian.
Toni Blackman is an international champion of hip-hop culture, known for the irresistible, contagious energy of her performances and for her alluring female presence. She's all heart, all rhythm, all song, all power, a one-woman revolution of poetry and microphone. An award-winning artist, her steadfast work and commitment to hip-hop led the U.S. Department of State to name her the first ever hip-hop artist to work as an American Cultural Specialist. She has served in Senegal, Ghana, Botswana, and Swaziland where her residencies include performance, workshops, and lectures on hip hop music and culture. She recently toured Southeast Asia with Jazz at Lincoln Center's Musical Ambassador program and has shared the stage with artists including Erykah Badu, Mos Def, The Roots, Wu Tang Clan, GURU, Bahamadia, Boot Camp Clic, Me'Shell NdegeoCello, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Jill Sobule, and Rickie Lee Jones. Her first book, Inner-Course, was released in 2003 (Villard/Random House).
Bold Idea and summary information may only be accurate as of the awarding of the Fellowship. Echoing Green attempts to maintain current Experience information, but for their most recent status it may be best to contact the Fellow directly.
|Andrew Butcher
|Growth Through Energy & Community Health Strategies (GTECH)
|Heather Hochrein
|EVmatch, Inc.
|Fred Swaniker
|African Leadership Academy
|Delphine Konda
|Girls Excel
|Katie Redford
|EarthRights International
|Akshay Saxena
|Avanti Fellows


text:
AUBURN UNIVERSITY – Following a national search, Auburn University President Jay Gogue has selected Timothy Boosinger as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Boosinger's appointment was approved by the Auburn Board of Trustees at its June 22 meeting.
Boosinger, who has served as interim provost at Auburn since June 2011, will continue to oversee the academic programming for twelve colleges and is responsible for fostering the advancement of the university's strategic plan. He has an extensive background in teaching, research and administration, serving as dean of Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine from 1995-2011.
"Dr. Boosinger has done an excellent job as interim Provost for the past year and we look forward to his continued leadership as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs," Auburn President Jay Gogue said. "Our administration and faculty have enjoyed working with him to strengthen Auburn's academic programs. His experience as an Auburn dean for 16 years gives him special insight into the needs of our 12 colleges and schools. Most of all, I believe our students will benefit as he helps shape the future of Auburn University."
Boosinger earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1976 and a Ph.D. in pathology in 1983, both from Purdue University. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine in 2004.
Prior to being appointed dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Boosinger served as the associate dean for academic affairs from 1993-1995, having joined the Auburn University faculty in 1983. He has served multiple terms as a university senator and has chaired search committees for university leadership positions.
"I am honored to have been asked to serve as Provost and look forward to working with students and faculty as we address current and future challenges," Boosinger said. "As a land-grant university we have a continuing commitment to the improvement of the quality of life in our state and nation, and I am pleased to be a part of that mission as Auburn's provost."
National leadership positions include six years of experience on the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education that accredits all colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States and Canada, plus four schools in the United Kingdom, three in Australia, and one in New Zealand.
From 2006-09, Boosinger served as an officer for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, and was president in 2007-08.
Contact: Mike Clardy, Office of Communications and Marketing, (334) 844-9999 (email@example.com)


text:
Mironized.com is the online portfolio of Miron Theodoridis (aka Miron Design). A Designer & Developer from Greece providing quality solutions for every budget to clients all over the world since 2005.
Get in touch via e-mail or send a message via Facebook.
Copyright © 2005 - 2019 Mironized.
All rights reserved.
Client: SadDoLLs
Location: Greece
Info: CD package for the 3rd album of the darkwave metal band, SadDoLLs.


text:
Base de Conhecimento
Os Mais Populares
How do I find the IP address of my site?
We incorporate virtual hosting for our web sites. You do not have a unique IP address for...What name servers do I point my domain to to host with you?
Your domain must be pointing to these name servers: Primary: NS1.KSHIP.COMSecondary:...What can my file names be?
File names can be any name up to 254 characters in length. Special symbols are not allowed....What name should I use for my "Homepage"?
default.htm is the default name for a "homepage". You can also use index.php,...How can I transfer or register a domain name?
You can register a new name or transfer your existing domain by clicking here. You...


text:
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
Mobile Menus: Cub Scouts - Scouts BSA - Venturing - Sea Scouts
Do these:
- Talk to an artist in your area or to your art teacher about the different occupations in the art field. Make a list of them.
- Create a scrapbook (portfolio) of your Artist activity badge projects and show it to your den leader.
And do five of these:
- Draw or paint an original picture out-of-doors, using the art materials you prefer. Frame the picture for your room or home.
- List the primary and secondary colors. Explain what happens when you combine colors.
- Using a computer, make six original designs using straight lines, curved lines, or both.
- Draw a profile of a member of your family.
- Use clay to sculpt a simple object.
- Make a mobile, using your choice of materials.
- Make an art construction, using your choice of materials.
- Create a collage that expresses something about you.
- While you are a Webelos Scout, earn the Cub Scout Academics belt loop for Art.
Please report any issues with this page.


text:
Do you want to play Blu-ray discs on Mac EI Capitan, Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion? Do you want to play Blu-ray movies on iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook, Mac Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, etc? If so, there is an ideal solution. All you need is an USB External Blu-ray Drive and a great EI Capitan Blu-ray player software. And USB Blu-ray drive is very easy to get, you may try your best to get a powerful Mac Blu-ray Player Software. And Mac EI Capitan Blu-ray Player from UFUSoft is the your best choice.
Mac Blu-ray Player, one of the best Blu-ray and video playing application for Mac EI Capitan, Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion users, can bring users amazing Blu-ray movie watching experience. This software is able to play most popular commercial Blu-ray disc, Blu-ray folder and Blu-ray ISO image fileswith wonderful image and sound quality. Also this player enables users to choose the specific Blu-ray title/chapter to play.
This UFUSoft Blu-ray Player for Mac EI Capitan/Yosemite/Mavericks/Mountain Lion enables users to play nearly all video files, like MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV, MTS, MXF, etc. This professional player could bring users the best video/picture/sound quality. And the user-friendly interface makes the Blu-ray/video playing quite simple.
Mac Blu-ray Player for iMac/Mac Book/Mac Pro could plays any commercial Blu-ray disc/DVD with AACS or BD + encryption released in different regions and load/play the BD disc directly without any quality loss.
Step 1: Insert your BD into the Blu-ray driver. Download and install the UFUSoft Mac EI Capitan/Yosemite Blu-ray Player. Then Run the program and two buttons are in the middle of the interface: "Open File" and "Open Disc".
Step 2: Click on the 'Open Disc' button and select the BD in the pop-up dialogue. After a couple seconds of loading, you can enjoy the Blu-ray movies on OS X EI Capitan 10.11/Yosemite/Mavericks/Mountain Lion freely.
Otherwise, you can press "Open File" button to play Blu-ray ISO files or videos in other media formats.
In addition, there are three advanced interfaces for advanced configurations for the output settings. These interfaces allow you to set parameters regarding title, subtitle and audio.
Now you can enjoy the high HD Blu-ray movie with super high audiovisual quality on Mac OS X 10.11 EI Capitan/10.10 Yosemite/10.9 Mavericks/10.8 Mountain Lion.


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VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Phoenix Coyotes' trade for Antoine Vermette is starting to pay off.
Vermette scored the winning goal and added two assists as the Coyotes held on for a 5-4 victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.
The Coyotes won for the second time in eight games (2-4-2) after overcoming an early 2-0 deficit against a rejuvenated Canucks squad that featured several different forward and defense combinations.
"We didn't make it easy on ourselves to go out and spot them a 2-0 lead early," Phoenix coach Dave Tippitt said. "But we knew they were going to come hard [after] all the talk about days off and being rested."
Rostislav Klesla, Shane Doan, Oliver Ekman-Larson, and Gilbert Brule also scored for Phoenix, and Ray Whitney had three assists. The seventh-place Coyotes increased their lead to three points on the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference.
After a slow start following a Feb. 22 trade from last-place Columbus, Vermette has two goals and four assists in his past five games after getting only one point in his first six.
"It is [nice to contribute], no doubt about that. First couple of games it was almost a joke," he said. "I was right around it and if you keep doing the right things it's nice to get rewarded at such good timing. Guys are playing well and it's nice to get rewarded."
Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, David Booth, and Dan Hamhuis scored for the Canucks, who have lost six of eight. Hamhuis' goal was his first in 35 games.
Vancouver was 2 for 3 on the power play while Phoenix was 2 for 2. Both teams had gone five games without scoring with the man advantage.
The high-scoring game came after the teams' previous two matchups were both decided by 2-1 scores, with each getting a victory.
"It's usually not the way we want to play, but certainly we'll take the points tonight," Vermette said. "If we find a way to win, that's good. But, usually, we play a tighter defensive game. We'll take it at this point no matter how we get it."
Brule's tiebreaking goal gave the Coyotes a 4-3 lead with 1:39 left in the second period as Taylor Pyatt put a shot in off him as he stood in the crease over fallen goalie Roberto Luongo. The goal was allowed to stand following a video review.
Vermette gave the Coyotes a two-goal cushion on a power play 1:38 into the third period as he put in Ekman-Larson's rebound. The goal came after Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa took a retaliatory slashing penalty on Daymond Langkow.
Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said his club gave up too many odd-man rushes that resulted in goals.
"There's a lot of things that we have to clean up, because if you look at their chances, that's where their chances came from," Vigneault said. "It wasn't from spending a lot of time in our end, because they didn't spend a lot of time in our end tonight."
Hamhuis pulled Vancouver to 5-4 with 7:49 remaining as he moved in from his point position to stuff in Daniel Sedin's rebound. The goal was Hamhuis' first since Dec. 23 against Calgary.
"We played good enough to win tonight but they ended up getting one more than us," Bieksa said. "A potential first-round opponent right there. We got a taste of what that series would be like."
Burrows made coach Alain Vigneault's decision to pair him with Jannik Hansen on the third line look smart right away. On the line's first shift of the game, Burrows put in Hansen's pass from behind the net at 2:18. The puck fluttered past Phoenix goalie Mike Smith after Burrows failed to get good shot on it.
Kesler made it 2-0 about seven minutes later as he knocked in Henrik Sedin's cross-ice pass during a power play. The assist was Sedin's first point in nine games and the power-play goal was Vancouver's first since the last meeting with Phoenix on Feb. 28.
The goal came moments after Smith had robbed Kesler on a similar play, gloving his slap shot from roughly the same spot.
Klesla pulled Phoenix within a goal at 11:22 of the first as he fired in Vermette's long rebound. Doan tied the score about five minutes later as he went wide around Luongo on a 2-on-1 and jammed the puck past the goalie.
"It was one of those that you're coming across trying to get to the net," Doan said. "[Whitney] told me about trying to stuff it. ... I found a way."
The teams combined for 31 shots in the first period as Vancouver outshot Phoenix 18-13.
In the second period, the Canucks took a too-many-men penalty, and it cost them as Ekman-Larson put in a slap shot at 7:58 during the ensuing power play. The puck appeared to hit Hansen's skate as he cover the Coyotes' defenseman near the blue line and then change direction.
But the Canucks got a power-play chance of their own soon after the goal, and Booth put in Chris Higgins' pass from behind the net to tie it at 3.
- Vancouver winger Manny Malhotra was an unexpected scratch due to an undisclosed personal issue. He took part in the club's morning skate.
- Canucks winger Dale Weise played after being scratched for the previous six games.


text:
Kelsec Systems
A Passion for Embedded Systems & Wireless Technology
Engineering for embedded wireless sensors
Bluetooth Smart (4.0) design and integration. Iridium satellite Short Burst Data for remote areas
Electronic Design
PCB Design with Altium & Firmware development for microcontrollers. EMC for FCC,IC & CE compliance.
Smartphone Friendly
Nowadays, everything is on the network. We make sure your application will be IOS or Android ready.
Electronic Sensors
Multiple sensors with I2C or SPI communication. Accelerometer, Gyro, Pressure, Magnetometer, Temperature, GPS, etc.
Contacting Kelsec
Kelsec Systems provides engineering expertise for embedded hardware and software development.


text:
Councilors say the proposal has become more complicated in recent weeks
BROCKTON – In the coming week, the City Council will be grappling with a proposed plan to restructure the leadership of the Brockton Police Department with a police chief serving under a civilian police commissioner.
The proposal, which is the brainchild of Ward 6 City Councilor Michelle DuBois, addresses a decision by the Boston Retirement Board, which limits Chief Bob Hayden, whom Mayor Bill Carpenter is seeking to make the city's first police commissioner, to 960 hours of work per year.
Hayden, who served in the Boston Police Department for 28 years, was originally seeking to freeze his pension while he served as chief and commissioner, but after almost two months of discussions the board notified the city two weeks ago that Hayden would not be able to do so while retaining his health insurance.
"The main element was Chief Hayden did not want to give up his health insurance, given his medical condition," said Bob Buckley, Carpenter's chief of staff.
Now, Hayden is subject to the laws governing post-retirement employment for state or municipal employees who collect a pension, essentially making him a part-time chief.
The switch from a full-time chief to a part-time commissioner has become the latest twist in what has been a months-long process that has featured court hearings, committee meetings and multiple amendments.
"It has all become a complicated situation to be truthful," said Ward 3 Councilor Dennis Eaniri, the chairman of the Ordinance Committee where the item was originally debated.
The confusion that the ordinance has generated both within City Hall and the public-at-large has painted city government in a poor light, according to some of the councilors.
"It doesn't look good for city government to be honest," said Councilor-at-large Moises Rodrigues. "It makes us look like we're all over the place."
Rodrigues added that the recent retirement board decision highlighted the importance of the council doing its due diligence on the ordinance before its final vote.
"Imagine we had approved it in the form when it was first introduced and we came to find out weeks later that it was wrong and you can't do that. How dumb would we look," Rodrigues said.
While the process has proven to be contentious at times, Councilor Shaynah Barnes said all of the parties involved are working towards a compromise.
"It'll wash out. I think everyone is on the same page of compromising at this point," said Barnes.
Barnes compared the council's progress to the expression you have to learn how to walk before you can run.
"We're not quite running yet, but we're at least walking together," Barnes said.
Edward Donga may be reached at email@example.com.


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Items which are legal, but banned from the building, will not be confiscated if the owner is willing to return the item to their vehicle.
All items of contraband left abandoned on the outside of the Hall of Justice shall be confiscated when located by security personnel.
All persons found with drugs, drug paraphernalia, illegal weapons or other illegal items at the front entrance shall be arrested.
Disorderly persons, intoxicated persons or persons refusing to comply with screening procedures shall not be allowed entry into the Hall of Justice.


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Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination
W. Morrow, 1997 - Music - 377 pages
Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy is a far-reaching study of how music captivates us so completely and why we form such powerful connections to it. Leading us to an understanding of the pleasures of sound, Robert Jourdain draws on a variety of fields including science, psychology, and philosophy. He uses music from around the world to show how melodies work, how rhythm differs from beat, and why some sounds are beautiful and others ugly. Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy looks at the evolution of music and introduces surprising new concepts of memory and perception, knowledge and attention, motion and emotion, all at work as music takes hold of us. Along the way, a fascinating cast of characters brings Jourdain's narrative to vivid life: "idiots savants" who absorb whole pieces on a single hearing, composers who hallucinate entire compositions, a psychic who claimed to take dictation from long-dead composers, and victims of brain damage who can move only when they hear music. In each of these, Jourdain assures us, we will see parts of ourselves. Using such examples, he helps explain the parallels between music and language, and asks how the brain reacts to each.
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LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - ajlewis2 - LibraryThing
I read the first 3 chapters, but got lost in the depths of information about music. I then read the last chapter. The book explains in great detail how very complex our ability to appreciate music ... Read full review
LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - viking2917 - LibraryThing
Interesting read on the pyscho-acoustics of how the brain hears and reacts to music. Interesting theories, but many of them are ultimately unconvincing to me. Interestingly mentions a study that ... Read full review
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absolute pitch activity amusia anticipations arises auditory imagery auditory system basal ganglia bass beat Beethoven body categorization century cerebral cortex Chapter chord cochlea complex composers composition concert hall consonant cycles per second damage dissonance emotion evolved experience frequency frontal lobes harmony hear hemisphere hierarchy ideas improvisation individual inner ear intervals kind language later left brain less levels listening loud means melodic contour melody memory meter middle ear mind motions motor cortex move movement Mozart muscles musical structures musicians neurons notes octave octave equivalence opera orchestra overtones Parasaurolophus particular patterns perceive perception performance phrasing piano piece Pink Panther pinnae pitch space play pleasure polyrhythm primary auditory cortex relations resonance reverberation rhythm rhythmic right brain savants scale tones scans score sensation sense simple singing skills sometimes song sort sound string symphony temporal tend There's tion tonal center triad tune vibrations visual voices words


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For Crystal Tanner, whose disability may eventually require a wheelchair, winning the St. Jude Dream Home this past month was a huge blessing, but it's all out of reach.
"I couldn't stop smiling for three days," Tanner said.
After maxing out her credit card to get fifty $100 raffle tickets for the home drawing, Tanner ended up winning the grand prize of a $550,000 home in Aurora.
"I was in a depression this last year," Tanner said. "Every time I looked at the video of the house, I couldn't turn down this idea that this house is exactly like I would make it."
But because she can't afford the $180,000 in taxes, Tanner may have to forfeit the prize. She shared a letter with 9NEWS written by St. Jude's legal department that indicated if she can't come up with the money, she'll have to give up on the home.
"I have been just devastated," Tanner said, adding she can't get a loan because she relies on disability income.
Tanner lives with cerebellum ataxia, a condition that causes loss of control of muscle as her brain deteriorates. She said the large home would have been perfect for her condition for improved mobility.
"I was already mostly packed and now I am just depressed. I was on Cloud 9 for so long," Tanner said during an interview in front of the home.
"Prizes and awards are income. They're gross income," said CU Denver professor Eric Zinn, who oversees a graduate program at the university's business school. "And you're taxed on the value of the award."
A disclaimer found on St. Jude's website makes it clear winners are responsible for taxes on prizes.
"If you're given the option of property or the cash, you should always take the cash because that way you can get the money to pay the taxes associated with your prize winnings," Zinn said.
St. Jude is not offering any cash option in this case. 9Wants to Know found other charities which do home raffles will offer winners a cash prize option if they can't afford the taxes.
This is the statement from ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital:
"We work closely with winners as they make determinations about payment of the required taxes, and we welcome them to call us for further discussion. They also have the option to decline the home. Please know we do our very best to communicate the IRS-imposed requirements of the ticket holders through online and print materials prior to and during the purchase."
When asked why St. Jude is not offering a cash prize for Crystal, a spokesperson said, "Every giveaway is unique. In this case, a cash prize was not included in the package nor was it advertised that way."


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Although it might be overshadowed by the new iPad reviews looming large, select journos have had some time with the new Apple TV, and have posted largely positive reviews. Just to recap, the new Apple TV introduces 1080p video streaming, access to cloud-stored iTunes movies, and a brand new user interface. The $99 price point has stuck, and so has the hardware design.
TechCrunch's MG Siegler sees the new Apple TV as a threat to traditional disc-based HD media.
No, Apple didn't give a huge incentive for current Apple TV owners to upgrade to the newer box. But they gave a huge incentive to millions of people without an Apple TV to get one. And that's bad news for Blu-ray.
The Verge's Joshua Topolsky wants to see more content available on the new Apple TV.
If Apple can get the content in place — even Hulu and HBO Go apps would go an awfully long way — the Apple TV will be a truly killer device, whether or not the company ever decides to make an actual TV set. Until then, devices from Roku and Western Digital still provide more complete options for cord-cutters.
MacWorld's Jason Snell likes the pricetag.
At $99, the third-generation Apple TV continues to be as excellent a value as the previous model—and now it supports higher-quality video too. That's a good thing.
The Loop's Jim Dalrymple loved the new cloud access on the new Apple TV.
The Apple TV is the epitome of convenience. With iCloud, I have access to all of my iTunes Match music and videos, so I don't need to connect to a computer anymore. I can purchase movies, TV shows and I can watch content from Netflix. That's perfect.
So, the general concensus is that while the new additions are awesome, there aren't a lot of hooks for existing Apple TV owners to upgrade. Are any of you without an Apple TV thinking of picking one up? Apple TV diehards, are you itching to upgrade, even if it's just for the 1080p stream? If you spot any other great new Apple TV reviews out there, feel free to drop a link in the comments.


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|Rapala Deep Tail Dancer FYP
The Deep Tail Dancer® is specifically designed to dive deep into where the lunkers lie during the mid-summer to early fall months. The Deep Tail Dancer will prove to be an angler's best companion. Incorporating all the positive attributes that have made the Tail Dancer® a success, the Deep Tail Dancer features an enlarged extreme diving lip that plummets the lure to as deep as 30 feet unassisted. Front red VMC® Pyramid Point hooks (for a wounded minnow simulation) offer quick piercing and the strength to withstand the fiercest battles.
|Art. No
|Running Depth
|Body Lenght


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Dear A&E Network,
On behalf of the millions of Duck Dynasty viewers and the American public your recent decision to suspend Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson is a gross injustice and one that will not be stood for.
Although Mr. Robertson is an employee of A&E Network at the time of his interview he was not speaking on behalf of your company but rather from his own, deep-felt, and passionate beliefs never once stating that his views were that of your network.
Mr. Robertson was asked a question by a reporter and he answered it honestly. Mr. Robertson is a devote Christian who was simply stating how he felt about a controversial issue.
As his employer what gives you the right to police what an employee can and cannot say on his own time?
Duck Dynasty is filled with religious overtones and Mr. Robertson's beliefs are well known. Mr. Robertson did nothing out of the ordinary and as a matter of fact his beliefs are no different than what is pictured on the show every week.
While you may not agree with Mr. Robertson's views what gives you the right to take action against him? Do you plan on suspending everyone within your company with whom you disagree with?
We, the aforementioned viewing public ,demand you re-think your decision to suspend Mr. Robertson and reinstate him immediately.
Fans of the #1 Rated Cable Show in US History!
Jack Cunningham
This petition closed over 5 years ago
By changing the minds of those at A&E.


text:
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Stitches & Craft Show Melbourne
I've got a couple of major events coming up, not least of which is the Stitches & Craft Show where we'll have an indie incubator stall for a full 5 days.
Now, for those who have or haven't visited the Stitches & Craft Show in the past - abandon all preconceptions you might have about it!! The show has been completely bought out by Living Creatively, who's mission is to redefine 'craft' and make the show a much more modern affair.
I'm really hoping the show will be a great success. Myself and the other Ink & Spindle girls will also be putting on a bunch of workshops and seminars (details to appear online soon), so please come along to one of them! My workshop will be about glass etching - with cute and modern designs or whatever you like. Should be a heap of fun.
10 comments:
- Tinniegirl said...
It's going to be great. I'm going to be in the Incubator too and will be teaching some workshops on collage. See you there.
- 5:50 pm
- renae said...
I cannot wait until the show! I'm trying to convince my sister to come this year now that it won't all be 'country craft' and quilts. Not that I minded that in the past, but this year sounds so much better!
- 9:04 pm
- Leni and Rose said...
Oh boy, I know that "time flying" feeling! With less than 3 weeks left, it's panic stations over here!
I'm in the incubator as well - see you guys there, it's going to be ace fun!
- 11:12 pm
- Hollabee said...
yikes deadline!
- 11:35 pm
- Leslie said...
Sounds interesting. I was in two minds about going as every time I've been I come away disappointed most of the exhibitors stuff was just not for me. In other words it was lacking a modern edge.
So I will definitely have to make a visit this year.
- 10:19 am
- Rosalind said...
any chance of making an appearance to Sydney S&C?
- 7:42 pm
- P R I M O E Z A said...
cool, thanks for the heads up about the image makeover of the show!
- 8:39 am
- smileykylie said...
Lara, I'm so glad you blogged about the change to the stitches and craft show, my friend and I vowed never to go again after the last few were SO disappointing, maybe you could suggest to them that they advertise it as "under new management"!!! might just have to go then...:)Kylie
- 8:51 pm
- Leia Martin said...
I am so looking forward to stitches and craft in melbourne, especially with support and endorsement from you, and 'real living' mag. Completely un-related, but I commented a few weeks ago on 'pictures speaking 1000 words', I just recently took a leaf out of your book and widen my blog and posted from flickr, it is unbelievable the difference in quality. So big thanks for pointing that out.
- 6:32 pm
- englishrose said...
I'm glad you mentioned that it is going to be a more modern affair, I've been debating for weeks about whether to go or not, and now I've seen your post I'll definitely go, thanks!
- 8:07 pm


text: September 24, 1999 - Bayonne Outguns Camden In Battle For The Battleship, New Jersey Voters Tell Quinnipiac College Poll Bayonne outguns Camden in the battle for the Battleship New Jersey, according to a Quinnipiac College Poll released today. By a 51 - 36 percent margin, New Jersey voters would prefer that the World War II battleship be docked as a museum in Bayonne. North Jersey voters favor Bayonne 67 - 18 percent, while South Jersey voters favor Camden 67 - 25 percent. Central New Jersey voters prefer Bayonne 53 - 31 percent. "In the battle between North and South, the North has won again. The Battleship New Jersey was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, right across the river from Camden. But Bayonne is in North Jersey and that's where the votes are," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac College Polling Institute. From September 14 - 21, Quinnipiac College surveyed 783 New Jersey registered voters. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent. The Quinnipiac College Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as a public service and for research. For additional data: www.quinnipiac.edu 32. The World War II Battleship New Jersey is being returned to the state for use as a museum. Would you rather it be docked at Camden or Bayonne? Tot South Central North Camden 36% 67% 31% 18% Bayonne 51 25 53 67 DK/NA 13 8 16 14