Latest news with #Learjet
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
EDITORIAL: Rochester airport has an enviable safety record
Jun. 7—Most readers of this editorial will be familiar with the 1992 blockbuster film "A Few Good Men," starring Tom Cruise, Demi Moore and Jack Nicholson. (If you can't believe it's been 32 years since that movie hit the big screen, then you can't handle the truth.) Anyway, the film's male-centric title actually refers to a mid-'80s military recruiting campaign, in which the U.S. Marines Corps told the world, "We're looking for a few good men." Perhaps the Federal Aviation Administration should reboot and update that ad campaign. Our nation's air traffic control system is looking for good people — and it needs more than just a few. Nationwide, the pool of air traffic controllers system is short by about 3,500. And, based on current data from the FAA and staffing targets from something called the Collaborative Resource Workgroup (CRWG), the Rochester International Airport (RST) is one of just six airports nationwide that has less than 50% of needed controllers on staff. (The goal for Rochester is 23, and currently RST has 11.) Is that ideal? Of course not. But should these numbers concern people who fly into and out of RST? Not really. We can't recall any reported near-misses at RST, let alone any actual collisions involving planes. Yes, a pilot walked away from a single-engine plane crash earlier this year, but the accident had nothing to do with air traffic control. The last fatality at RST happened in 1985, when three people died during a training flight on a Learjet. Again, this was not due to a problem or mistake in the control tower. While we won't claim to have examined the records of every airport in the nation, we feel quite confident in saying that RST has an enviable safety record. We don't hesitate to use it or to have friends and family do so. And it's not as if RST, city leaders, Mayo Clinic or any other local governing body is somehow responsible for any staffing problems at the airport. Controllers are trained and assigned by the FAA and its operational arm, the Air Traffic Organization, which considers staffing levels at airports across the nation as it strives to keep the skies safe. The pool of available talent is assigned where it is most needed, and right now, RST doesn't appear to be anywhere near a crisis. We don't mean to downplay the very real shortage of controllers across the nation, but there does appear to be at least a slight disconnect between the current staffing levels and staffing goals that were set with the assistance of the air traffic controllers' union. In a perfect world, those targets would be achieved, but right now they appear unrealistic. We suspect that controllers at many smaller airports, including RST, would be thrilled if their airport reached 75% of the staffing goal. Hitting even that less-ambitious mark won't be easy, because air traffic control is a tough field to enter. To be considered as a potential candidate, one must be a U.S. citizen less than 31 years old with essentially perfect hearing, vision and blood pressure. You'll face a battery of physical and psychological tests, and even if you clear those hurdles and are admitted to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, there's no guarantee you'll complete the training. It's a demanding program, and the failure/dropout rate ranges from 30-50%. Those who graduate will enter one of the most stressful, thankless occupations in the world. Few professions require perfection on a daily basis, but such is the life of an air-traffic controller. There is no margin for error, no room for lapses in concentration. Some liken the job to a souped-up, insanely difficult remake of the classic video game Tetris — but in three dimensions, with human lives at stake with every move. The reward? Salaries start around $60K. The average annual pay nationwide is about $100K, with top earners reaching $160K. Retirement is mandated at age 56, but many controllers leave the profession years before that date due to burnout and/or health concerns. Given all that, we're surprised the staffing situation in airport towers isn't much, much worse. And here's the truth that everyone needs to grasp: The fix isn't simply to hire more controllers, or even to pay them more. The recent, much-talked-about breakdowns at Newark Liberty International Airport should serve as a warning that the entire air travel system is beginning to crack under the strain of using obsolete, 40-year-old infrastructure to monitor and guide nearly 17 million flights in American airspace every year. The flight delays and cancellations at Newark didn't originate with staffing shortages in the traffic-control tower; rather, they were due to hardware failures that, without warning, left controllers working blind and unable to communicate with pilots. Much to their credit, these controllers somehow managed to avoid disaster in the skies and on the runways. Not surprisingly, some employees took trauma leave after these incidents — which, of course, only added to bottlenecks on Newark's runways. What happened in Newark will happen elsewhere. It's only a matter of time. The latest cost estimate to modernize the national air-traffic control system is about $30 billion, and waiting won't bring the price down. Congress should authorize this spending ASAP, even if that means adding a new federal fee to the price of every domestic ticket sold in the U.S. With more than 800 million domestic passengers flying every year, an add-on of just $2 per seat would raise $16 billion in the next decade. We're already paying at least $35 to check a bag and $14 for a fast-food "value meal" as we wait for our flights, so we believe most fliers wouldn't balk at the thought of spending an extra $2 to ensure that the dedicated, highly trained people working in the tower aren't using technology that, by today's standards, is roughly equivalent to a corkboard and push pins.
New York Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Owners of luxe steakhouse opening in Trump-owned building used COVID funds for personal expenses: lawsuit
The owners of a luxury Chicago steakhouse who are opening an outpost at a Midtown tower that's partially owned by Donald Trump allegedly used federal funds meant to pay employees' salaries during COVID for personal expenses – including $2 million on Learjet, according to a bombshell lawsuit. Maple Hospitality Group, the owners behind Maple & Ash, was accused of 'fraudulently' tapping $7.6 million in Small Business Paycheck Protection Program funds, according to the civil suit brought by investors in Chicago's Cook County Circuit Court. 'The MA restaurants never received a dollar of these funds,' according to the suit, which was obtained by The Post. 4 Maple & Ash, which opened its flagship steakhouse in Chicago in 2015, is the nation's fourth-highest-grossing restaurant with more than $35 million in revenue a year. Google Maps According to the complex case, the alleged misappropriation was part of a wider pattern of fiscal wrongdoing by Maple & Ash co-owner Jerald Lasky, his brother James Lasky and by companies controlled by them. Although the lawsuit refers only to 'private jet expenses,' the Chicago Sun-Times and radio station WBEZ traced the payment for the pricey Learjet in 2021 to 'a company whose president is James Lasky.' The owners have denied the charges in the complaint, which was first filed three years ago but received little media attention outside the Windy City. As reported in The Post in February, Maple Hospitality Group signed a lease for 12,000 square feet at 1290 Sixth Ave., which is majority-owned by Vornado Realty Trust but where the Trump Organization has a 30% passive stake. Trump's position reels in more than $60 million in annual rent revenue. 4 Maple & Ash co-owner James Lasky and his brother Jerald denied using federal funds meant to pay employees' salaries during COVID for personal expenses. Maple Hospitality Maple & Ash, which opened its flagship steakhouse in Chicago in 2015, is the nation's fourth-highest-grossing restaurant with more than $35 million revenue a year. But there seems to be as much sizzle in the Chicago court as on its fancy plates. Investors who helped raise $3 million each to open Maple & Ash in Chicago and in Scottsdale, Ariz., also claim the company wrongfully used profits to fund the owners' other restaurant brands in other cities, according to the complaint. The Laskys allegedly retaliated against the investors for filing the suit by dissolving their interests in the company, according to an amended filing. 4 A Maple & Ash restaurant will be opening at 1290 Sixth Ave. later this year. J. Scott Wynn James Lasky has been sanctioned by the judge in the case for failing to comply with court orders to turn over bank records and other information. He was ordered to cover plaintiffs' $191,000 legal fees resulting from withholding information, court records show. The lawyer for the investors, Michael Forde of Forde & O'Meara, said he hoped the case would finally go to trial early next year. James Lasky's lawyer, James Stamos of Stamos & Trucco, didn't immediately respond to an email and phone call. 4 Maple & Ash's newly opened restaurant in Miami. Google Maps The hospitality group launched another steakhouse in Miami in March. Haut Living magazine said the restaurant 'brings [the brand's] signature blend of refined dining, uninhibited energy, and indulgent luxury to the Magic City.' The Big Apple opening is slated for later this year.
Irish Examiner
14-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Ireland should ask Qatar for new Government jet, suggests senator
Ireland should ask Qatar for a new Government jet, a senator has suggested. The Department of Defence has signed a deal to purchase a French-made €53m Falcon 6X, with delivery expected in December. But Independent senator Aubrey McCarthy has suggested Ireland should ask Qatar, which is set to gift US president Donald Trump a 0m plane, for a similar deal. 'Given Qatar's apparent willingness to provide such high-value assets as diplomatic gifts, should Ireland explore similar avenues? If jets are being handed out, perhaps we should throw our diplomatic hat in the ring. Maybe we could talk them into giving us a Learjet or a Gulfstream or something that is not as flash as the one for Air Force One but has leather seats, decent wi-fi and perhaps a microwave for heating sausage rolls. Ms McCarthy has called upon the foreign affairs minister to explore diplomatic negotiations, telling the Seanad: "While we do not need a palace in the sky, such diplomacy could yield a significant rate to Irish taxpayers". US president Donald Trump has defended accepting a jet from Qatar, saying Air Force One is 40 years old. Picture: AP /Manuel Balce Ceneta ABC News reported Mr Trump will use the plane as a new version of Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library. Mr Trump defended the idea, saying the existing Air Force One was 40 years old. 'We're the United States of America. I believe we should have the most impressive plane," he told Fox News host Sean Hannity. The Falcon 6X will have a total seating capacity of 17 persons and a passenger capacity of 14. It will be operated by the Irish Air Corps from Baldonnel.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Learjet crew returns after record-setting Polar flight
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Touching down in ICT on Monday, a Learjet has become the first plane of its kind to perform a polar circumnavigation. The trip took the four-pilot crew five days to complete, as they flew from the Southern Polar Region to the Northern. Through exhaustion, five continents, and weather delays, the crew landed back on the same runway they took off from, and as they touched solid ground for the first time in two days, they received a hero's welcome. 'That tin can right there gets smaller and smaller each hour you spend in it,' pilot on the Polar Mission, Josh Podlich, said. Taking off from Wichita on Thursday, the original flight plan was supposed to get them home in three days. Weather delays in Argentina stalled them, and extended the trip from a Saturday touchdown to a Monday one. Captain Bart Gray oversaw the flight as the wheels set down on tarmac after 23,000 miles and 58 hours of flight time. 'We've been in the airplane for about two and a half days, so a shower is definitely at the top of the list,' Gray said. REAL ID enforcement starts this week: 5 things to know Across the five continents they stopped in, his crew got a bird's eye view of oceans, mountains and glaciers. 'You cross a waterway, and you approach a landmass and it's solid ice and snow as far as the eye can see. The uninterrupted mountains and terrains, it's gorgeous. Untouched by humans,' Podlich said. Their four-foot-tall, ten-foot-long cabin became a well-oiled machine of work and sleep. Everybody kind of does their part, and then we're all just excited to get moving … When you're in the airplane, you're either sitting in the cockpit talking to the other guy or sleeping in the back,' Gray said. In the crowd waiting on the tarmac were pilot Kirby Ezelle's wife and daughter. 'They got me. It was great. I did not expect to see her and my wife here, that was nice, a great surprise,' Ezelle said. They say their hard work paid off, but the Learjet crew is just happy to set foot back on solid ground. 'It's a testament to the airplane. It's a testament to the airplane that Bill Lear built,' Gray said. The Classic Lear Jet Foundation aims for the mission to drive attention and funds to their cause of restoring the first Learjet sold in Wichita to flight conditions. You can watch a live interview with the Learjet captain below: For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
McConnell AFB boosts security with training exercise
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — People who live near McConnell Air Force Base may notice a lot more activity this week. On Monday, the base kicked off a five-day training exercise near the southern training grounds. Neighbors and people passing by may see smoke and extra traffic, and hear more noise from the area. If you need to visit the base this week, you may have a longer wait at the gate because increased security measures will also be in place. Learjet completes polar trip, returning to Wichita today For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
