Airship Ventures Arrives at ARC

Airship Ventures Zepplin Arrives at Moffett Field

"The Airship Ventures' Zeppelin ended its dramatic cross-country trek and landed at its new base location at Moffett Field on Oct. 25, 2008, at approximately 2 p.m. PDT.

This airship is the first to fly over the U.S. for more than 70 years. NASA and Airship Ventures entered into an agreement to use the airship to assist with disaster response agencies, for scientific research and educational training with local science centers and museums."

Zepplins Return to Ames

NASA ARC Internal Memo: Airship's Historic Return to Moffett Field

NASA Welcomes Airship Ventures Zeppelin To Moffett Field

"News media are invited to view the newest addition to Moffett Field - the first airship to fly over the U.S. for more than 70 years - on Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. This 246-foot-long Zeppelin, 50 feet longer than the Goodyear blimp, is capable of carrying up to 12 passengers and will be available for aerial tours of the San Francisco Bay Area."

Zeppelin returns stateside after 70 years, Las Cruces Sun News

Sinking to a New Low at the Washington Examiner

Steve Fossett revelation: remote viewer Ed Dames named Sierra Mountains crash site months ago, Washington Examiner

"As California authorities examine the very limited remains found at the site of famed aviator Steve Fossett's crash in California's Sierra Nevadas, it's time to take a look back. Months ago, a remote viewing prediction said search efforts in Nevada were wasted because Fossett had died in California."

Editor's note: A wonderful and generous man dies in a terrible plane accident. So what does former NASA PAO flack Patti Phillips do online at the Washington Examiner? She goes into full tabloid mode and engages in a bizzare meandering rant to suggest that some goofy psychic found the crash site last year via remote viewing. There's even a video clip of the nutcase. How pitiful - taking advantage of such sad news to promote your own wacko ideas. I am sure the trailer park crowd really enjoys your writing, Patti.

Lowell Thomas Awards: Astronauts and Pilots To Be Honored

2008 Lowell Thomas Awards Dinner: Exploring Earth from Above

"The 2008 Lowell Thomas Awards Dinner: "Exploring Earth from Above" will be held on Thursday, October 16, 2008 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Sponsored by the Explorers Club, the Lowell Thomas Award is presented by Rolex and the President of the Explorers Club to groups of explorers who have distinguished themselves in various fields of exploration. The 2008 honorees are: William A. Anders, Leroy Chiao, Martha King, Scott E. Parazynski, Dick H. Smith, and Brig. Gen Charles E. Yeager."

NASA/ATK Rocket Launch Failure

NASA and ATK Investigate Failed Launch of Hypersonic Experiments

"An Alliant Tech Systems suborbital rocket carrying two NASA hypersonic experiments was destroyed shortly after liftoff from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia Friday. No injuries or property damage were immediately reported. Most debris from the rocket is thought to have fallen in the Atlantic Ocean."

Media Telecon Scheduled to Discuss Rocket Launch Failure

"Representatives from NASA and Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, will hold a media teleconference Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. EDT to discuss this morning's failure of a rocket launch carrying two NASA hypersonic experimental payloads."

Wallops Launch Delayed 24 Hours

NASA and ATK to Launch Suborbital Hypersonic Experiments

"Two NASA hypersonic experiment payloads are scheduled for launch no earlier than Aug. 21 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia atop a two-stage suborbital rocket developed by Alliant Techsystems, also known as ATK, of Salt Lake City."

Wallops Island rocket launch rescheduled for tomorrow, PIlotOnline

"A launch planned for this morning from Wallops Island has been delayed by one day.
The launch is scheduled for tomorrow morning [22 Aug] between 5:10 and 6:10 a.m."

AIAA Report Now Online

AIAA Inside Aerospace Report and Recommendations Now Available Online

"AIAA's Report and Recommendations resulting from the sessions and discussions
held at Inside Aerospace--An International Forum for Aviation and Space Leaders,
held 13-14 May 2008 at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia,
is now available online."

Aviation Safety Reporting System Complaints Emerge

Pilots' reports on low fuel, AP

"The Aviation Safety Reporting System -- a database maintained by NASA -- has reports from pilots expressing safety concerns about airline directives pressuring them to fly with uncomfortably low fuel levels. NASA deletes names and other identifying information to encourage pilots, flight crews, dispatchers and others to identify safety problems, including their own mistakes."

Earlier NAOMS postings

Dropping the Ball at NASA Aeronautics PAO (Update)

Editor's update: I finally got a call from Beth Dickey at Aeronautics PAO - after I complained to PAO about zero response from her. I then had to push three times before she began to tell me why I was not invited to the 11 July Aeronautics media event. Why I never got the audio recording of that event is an even sillier story. This is a typical case of lack of coordination, planning, or concern for getting information to those of us who want to get it in front of a wider audience. NASA HQ Aeronautics PAO is inept as far as I am concerned. It is also uncalled for given the excellence that can be clearly seen in other PAO activities at HQ and across the agency.

Earlier notes below.

Editor's 28 Jul note: Still no response from Beth Dickey, NASA Aeronautics PAO about the Aeronautics media briefing I was excluded from 2 weeks ago. No reason why has ever been provided, despite requests. At that event, she commented that a recording was being made since I was not there. After sending several emails to her, someone else from PAO called and offered me a half hour interview with the Aeronautics AA. That's nice but: 1. I still do not know what they discussed at the original event and 2. wouldn't it just be more efficient for them to send me an audio recording than to ask an AA to spend 30 minutes out of his busy day to sit with one member of the news media and try to do the whole thing over again weeks later? It has been 2 weeks and Beth Dickey has not even bothered to reply to my requests. Again, when you see less aero news on NASA Watch than you'd like to see, this is why. I guess I will have to file a FOIA request to get the audio recording.

Editor's 11 July note: NASA's Aeronautics Directorate held a lunch time briefing for the Washington area media today. Everyone on the DC media list was invited by Beth DIckey - except me, it would seem. No email, no phone call - nothing. PAO personnel I spoke with were rather surprised that I was not invited by Beth. I only learned about this from another reporter who was leaving NASA HQ as I was about to walk in for another meeting. The next time NASA Watch readers want to complain about lack of aeronautics news at NASA Watch you should have a partial explanation as to why: NASA Aeronautics PAO doesn't really care if you know what they are doing.

The NAOMS Food Fight Is Not Over Yet

House Committee on Science and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight Seeks Information From FAA on Ending of Aviation Safety Survey

"The House Committee on Science and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight Chairman Brad Miller (D-NC) sent a letter to the Acting Director of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calling on him to work with NASA to reestablish a program to survey professionals in the air traffic system for better insight into air safety problems. Many of the safety problems of the last few months came to light solely because of whistleblowers stepping forward to identify problems in the FAA safety assurance system. The Subcommittee is working to understand the FAA's role in the ending of NAOMS and is requesting all records from between January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2004 related to the NAOMS program."

NASA OIG on NAOMS: "Missed Opportunity"

Final Memorandum on the Review of the National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service

"The Government may have missed an opportunity to foster a deeper understanding of the aviation safety environment from 2001 through 2004 because its working groups were unable to reach a consensus on the validity or value of the NAOMS data. As a result, NASA was reluctant to publish a report detailing research and conclusions garnered from the collected NAOMS survey data."

Research Opportunities in Aeronautics

NASA Solicitation: Research Opportunities in Aeronautics 2008

"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters is releasing a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for foundational research in support of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). NNH08ZEA001N, entitled "Research Opportunities in Aeronautics" will be available on or about March 3, 2008."

Air Safety Report Update

Committee Asks GAO to Analyze NASA's Air Safety Survey Data

"Led today by Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, Committee leaders asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to analyze massive amounts of data on U.S. air safety that the National Aeronautics and Safety Administration (NASA) made public on New Year's Eve."

IFPTE on NAOMS

Letter From IFPTE To Congress Regarding NASA Handling of NAOMS Data Release, IFPTE

"On December 31st 2007, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin released redacted NAOMS data to the public. That moment should have been the beginning of a redemptive process in which NASA could move past this embarrassing episode. Alas, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin decided not only to repeat the inaccurate derogatory claims made at the October 31st House Science Committee hearing, but also to add a number of new inaccuracies to the mix (see a summary of ongoing disinformation below). His words, actions, and bellicose public behavior have seriously damaged NASA's credibility"

"False Statement #4: NASA's standard format for data release is PDF (portable document format)
At the press conference, the Administrator stated that "our standard format for data release is PDF format. ... I am sure that you know that the reason why we use PDF format is that the data cannot then be altered by others without our knowledge and still claim that it is NASA data." NASA however has no such policy. In response to a union query, NASA HQ responded that "First, the data to which Dr. Griffin refers pertains to data/information released by NASA Public Affairs (e.g., press releases), not scientific and technical information. Second, the use of the PDF format is a standard practice (not a policy) to protect the integrity of this data/information when released to the public."

Editor's note: This one takes the prize and clearly demonstrates blatant ignorance on the part of Mike Griffin and/or whatever staffer told him this. Mike, you can copy material out of these PDF files easily and import it to other software programs. Try it some time - you'll see.

Griffin Offers Official Excuses for NAOMS Release Process

Message from the NASA Administrator: 2008 National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (NAOMS)

"Some have said that the initial release date of 31 December was chosen because it was a "slow news day". That is not the case. It was the earliest date we could achieve."

Editor's note: Perhaps if you had not dragged your feet for a month you could have issued this information earlier.

"Finally, we have been criticized for releasing the data in PDF. This is the standard form in which we release data publicly when no particular format has been specified or requested. However, it is true that the sheer volume of NAOMS survey data makes the use of PDF data somewhat cumbersome. Accordingly, I have made an exception to our standard practice in this case, and both the initially redacted data, and all subsequent data, will be published on our website in Excel format."

Editor's note: When is the last time NASA issued 16,000 pages of data in PDF format? You may be a super brain, Mike, but the rest of us can't just ingest all of that data and analyze it in the format it was provided in.

Air Safety Report Update

NASA Updates Aviation Safety Data Website

"NASA updated its National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (NAOMS) website Monday to add a Microsoft Office Excel formatted version of previously posted files containing pilot survey responses."

Lawmakers hit NASA air safety report, Huntsville Times

"U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, wants the full report released to the public and he chided NASA officials for not releasing it in a way people could understand. "It took three years to compile the data and then another three years to publicly release it - in the form of a cumbersome and heavily redacted report." Shelby said in a statement to The Times. "If the NASA report was worth spending millions of dollars on, don't the taxpayers who paid for it deserve to see the results?"

Earlier NASA Watch posts

Lisa Porter Is Leaving NASA

Editor's note: NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Lisa Porter is leaving NASA to be the Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). Her last day will be 1 February 2008.

Jaiwon Shin will be the acting AA for Aeronautics.

No doubt the Market Inn (directions) will be jammed at COB on 1 February with sad HQ personnel.

Internal email from Lisa Porter below:

From: Porter, Lisa (HQ-EA000)
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 10:21 AM
To: [huge list]
Subject: ANNOUNCEMENT

All,

I wanted to have the opportunity to tell all of you this in person, but things are moving quickly and I do not want you to hear it from others, so I am unfortunately put in the position of having to send you an email.

I have been offered a really exciting opportunity to be the first Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), which will sponsor innovative research that will yield revolutionary game-changing capabilities for the intelligence community.

While I am very excited about this new opportunity, I am of course saddened by the thought of having to say goodbye to each of you. I have enjoyed working with all of you, and I am very proud of what we have accomplished together.

Jaiwon will become the Acting AA when I leave. My last day will likely be Friday, February 1. Final logistics details are still being worked out.

We will talk much more about this in the coming days. But I wanted to be sure you heard this from me first. I will be back in the office Thursday.

Lisa

Air Safety Survey Update: "contempt for the flying public"

Runaround on Air Safety, editorial, NY Times

"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has grudgingly released data from a four-year survey of pilots about the safety of American aviation. The information was released the day before New Year’s, with no interpretation of the findings and in a format that is very difficult for outsiders to analyze. If the agency intended to show contempt for the flying public, it succeeded."

Black Hole - What part of 16,208 pages from NASA is comprehensible?, editorial, Washington Post

"Release of the requested data, which are sensitive and safety-related, could materially affect the public confidence in, and the commercial welfare of, the air carriers and general aviation companies whose pilots participated in the survey," wrote NASA associate administrator Thomas S. Luedtke. That rationale was beyond unacceptable. Mr. Griffin was right to reverse course and promise Congress that the data would be released by the end of the year. Who knew he would do it in such a snit?"

Real World Reaction To NASA's Airline Safety PR

Friendly skies?: Only NASA knows the truth, editorial, Salt Lake Tribune

"In a display of institutional and bureaucratic arrogance that is distressingly commonplace in the Bush administration, NASA, aka the gang that couldn't fly straight, is stonewalling the press and public."

How safe is air travel, really?, Smarter Travel

"Just how ambivalent NASA was about making the report public can be clearly seen in the timing of the release. Adopting a tactic universally utilized to minimize media attention and coverage, NASA issued the report on New Year's Eve, the year's slowest news day."

NASA's unreliable survey of air mishaps leads us around in circles, Cincinnati Inquirer

"NASA, which is charged with keeping an eye on the sky, reportedly has been keeping scary secrets about what really goes on in the wild blue yonder. Fasten your seat belt, because even figuring out the air safety report released on New Year's Eve gets hairy."

NASA Insults Pilots, Press and Public, Tampa Tribune

"This insult comes after the agency originally refused to release the information to the Associated Press on the grounds it "could materially affect the public confidence in, and the commercial welfare of, the air carriers." Which is it: too frightening or nothing to see? We deserve better, and if we don't get it, NASA needs better leadership."

NASA's stalling on study raises fear and questions, Denver Post

"The flying public still doesn't know whether to be concerned about safety in the skies or to take the word of NASA administrator Michael Griffin, who says the survey shouldn't be cause for worry. The only thing that is certain is that NASA did a poor job of handling the situation. This chain of events does not exactly inspire confidence in the judgment of the people who send astronauts into space."

NASA, not pilot, error, Plam Beach Post

"But Mr. Griffin's idea of disclosure is more subterfuge. The New Year's Eve release was a heavily redacted version of the study, and it was too disjointed to analyze. The edited information made it impossible to determine the responding pilot's experience, what type of plane the pilot flew, or details of the incidents described. Mr. Griffin said NASA wanted to protect the anonymity of respondents. Bunk. The real reason is what the agency has been saying all along: The survey's publication might damage public confidence in flying."

NASA taking prize for arrogance, Sun Sentinel

"Anything that can give the public understandable safety information on air travel is valuable. Congress knows that. The public knows that. And if NASA officials weren't so arrogant, they'd know it, too."

NASA Handled Study On Safety Improperly, The Intelligencer

"NASA, like any other federal agency, is supposed to serve the people, not any business or industry. It may be time for Congress to remind the agency of that."

NASA Releases Air Safety Report, Sort Of, Hartford Courant

"NASA released the heavily redacted survey results on New Year's eve without analysis, and presented it in such a way that independent analysis seems to be very difficult. It's as if we asked a waiter for a glass of water and he came back and dumped it on our heads."

Whither NASA? Safety study raises questions about space agency, Worcester Telegram

"The questions are inescapable: Why spend $11.3 million on a report that is useless to researchers and policymakers? Why is NASA dabbling in air safety studies rather than focusing on expanding the boundaries of human knowledge? Does the agency that put mankind on the moon have the right stuff to plan and execute the next phase of manned space exploration?"

Air Safety: Cause for study, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"It looks like NASA has taken lessons on how to handle intelligence from the CIA. The way the civilian agency has dealt with the release of a flight safety survey stinks of paranoia and secrecy."

NASA should provide clarity on air-safety report, Kansas City Star

"The immediate problem - magnified by NASA’s bungling - is how to interpret the data."

Air Safety Survey: Things That Don't Worry Mike Griffin Worry Me

NASA Releases Heavily-Redacted Airline Safety Study, Washington Post

"NASA Administrator Michael Griffin told reporters in a conference call that the agency had no plans to study the database for trends. He said NASA conducted the survey only to determine whether gathering information from pilots in such a way was worthwhile. Despite the lack of analysis by NASA scientists, Griffin said there was nothing in the database that should concern air travelers. "It's hard for me to see any data the traveling public would care about or ought to care about," he said. "We were asked to release the data and we did."

Editor's note: With regard to Mike Griffin's comment "It's hard for me to see any data the traveling public would care about or ought to care about." I am really wondering if Griffin even read these documents. I can't imagine that he'd be so dismissive if he had. Given his snooty, aloof remarks, I doubt that he even bothered to do so.

Oh yes - why is Aeronautics AA Lisa Porter so utterly silent about all of this ?

Below are some of the more troubling comments in this survey - I went through this one section and highlighted the ones that caught my eye. I am part of "the traveling public" and this stuff certainly troubles me.

NASA Air Safety Survey: Redacted Air Carrier Survey Responses with Unknowns in Flight Activity Fields

"Section D - a brief set of questions designed to elicit respondent feedback on the interview experience. Note: The responses to free text narrative questions D3A and D5 were disaggregated from the parent survey responses and were subsequently randomized."

• IT'S TAKING OVER 3 YEARS FOR NASA TO FIGURE OUT THERE ARE NO SAFETY PROBLEMS?
• I HOPE I WILL BE ABLE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY.
• PUT SURVEY ON INTERNET AND IT WOULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL FOR SURVEY
• I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU GUYS ARE INVOLVED IN THIS. FOR YEARS WE HAVE TRUSTED NASA TO DEAL FAIRLY WITH SAFETY ISSUES.
• ASK ABOUT MAINTENANCE AND DEFERRED PLANES; A MECHANIC SAID "I'M NOT HERE TO FIX IT, JUST TO DEFER IT."
• THE SECURITY PROBLEMS IN THE AIRPORTS. THEY ARE FIGHTING THE WRONG PROBLEMS. IT IS NOT THE PILOTS. PILOTS NEED TO BE ARMED. THEY HAVE AN UNUSAL AMOUNT OF SECURITY PROCEDURES FOR THE PILOTS YET NOBODY TALKS ABOUT SECURITY PROCEDURES FOR MECHANICS.
• ATC GIVES PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT TO CERTAIN AIRLINES, NAMELY [AIRLINE A] AND PILOTS CONSIDER THAT UNFAIR AND UNSAFE.
• PILOTS NEEDS TO MAKE THE SURVEY QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THESE QUESTIONS ARE STUPID, AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE DESK NEED TO BE DOING THE SURVEY.
• BANKRUTPCY AND FINANCIAL LIABILITY. NEW HIRE QUALIICATIONS. PILOT COMPENSATION FOR LESS EXPERIENCED PEOPLE.
• ATC SYSTEM CAN'T HANDLE NUMBER OF FLIGHTS 2 YEARS AGO

Air Safety Survey: Rampant Skepticism About NASA's Sincerity

NASA Says Study All But Worthless, AvWeb

"It's hard for me... to see any data here that the traveling public would care about or ought to care about." [Griffin] told puzzled reporters who thought they might be covering a press conference about aviation safety. Instead they witnessed the political lid being firmly closed on an issue that has dogged NASA for two months and which Griffin clearly wanted no more part of."

NASA Offers Airline Safety Data, NY Times

"Mr. Gordon and Representative Brad Miller, Democrat of North Carolina, who is chairman of the investigation and oversight subcommittee, pledged to push NASA further. Mr. Miller said that "if 80 percent of the pilots they ask agree to sit still for a half-hour survey, voluntarily, my conclusion is the pilots had something they wanted others to know about." "This is now 3 years old, and it's been dumped, unanalyzed and scrubbed of much of the useful information," Mr. Miller said."

Redacted Air-Traffic Safety Survey Released, Washington Post

"Jim Hall, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, also criticized the way NASA released its database. "When a government agency is not transparent with the American people, particularly on an issue like safety, they are not fulfilling their responsibilities and earning their pay," Hall said."

Report containing thousands of pilot complaints is released, CNN

"Robert Dodd, the principal investigator on the study for seven years, said he was "disappointed and perplexed" when he learned NASA initially would not make the findings public."

NASA releases a cryptic study of air traffic safety, Houston Chronicle

"We are willing to release the data, but we -- NASA -- are not willing to draw conclusions from it," Griffin said. "NASA does not have any plans to analyze it. That is for the broader community."

Public served poorly by NASA's grudging release of safety data, The Morning Journal

"Without adequate information from NASA about how to look at and interpret the mountain of data, outsiders such as news organizations have a formidable task in trying to understand the problems identified by pilots and then trying to measure the performance of the FAA and aviation industry in dealing with the problems. If that doesn't worry NASA or the aviation industry, it should worry the public. NASA should be forced to present the report's findings in a manner that the public can find meaningful."

Air Safety Survey: NASA's Sluggishness Made Things Worse Than They Needed To Be

NASA Gives Glimpse of Air Safety Survey, AP

"He dismissed suggestions that NASA chose to release the data late on New Year's Eve, when the public is distracted by holidays and news organizations are thinly staffed. "We didn't deliberately choose to release on the slowest news day of the year," Griffin said."

Editor's note: Aw c'mon, Mike. Your staff punted again and again on this until it spilled into the holidays. On 31 October 2007 you testified before Congress that NASA would release the data. Yet it took you more than 2 weeks to issue the memo that would convene the panel that would look at how this could be done. Had you issued that memo on the same day that you appeared before Congress this data could have been released before the holidays. Indeed, had NASA moved to comply with publicly stated interest of Congress - concerns voiced weeks earlier (in October), this information could have been released even sooner. Instead, NASA tried to stall and kick the can down the road - issuing nonsensical comments such as Thomas Luedtke's FOIA resonse to AP:

NASA Sits on Air Safety Survey, AP

"Release of the requested data, which are sensitive and safety-related, could materially affect the public confidence in, and the commercial welfare of, the air carriers and general aviation companies whose pilots participated in the survey," Luedtke wrote in a final [FOIA] denial letter to the AP.

Why Is NASA Sitting on this Airline Safety Report?

NASA Aviation Safety Data Release

NASA National Aviation Operational Monitoring Service (NAOMS) Information Release

"This Web site contains responses collected from the air carrier and general aviation pilot surveys as part of the NASA National Aviation Operational Monitoring Service (NAOMS) project from April 2001 through December 2004. Relevant information is contained in the accompanying documentation. In the interest of timeliness, this first release is by nature conservative to ensure the responses do not contain confidential commercial information or information that could compromise the anonymity of individual pilots. Efforts will be made in 2008 to release additional NAOMS information that was redacted for this release."

Gordon Comments on NASA's Initial Release of Air Safety Survey Data

"At our October 31 hearing, NASA agreed to release the NAOMS data by year's end. I am pleased they've met that initial commitment, however NASA itself concedes that this is not the most complete data set that they intend to release. I expect NASA to complete the data release process as soon as possible. Excessive delay would be in no one's best interest."

NASA Media Briefing to Discuss Release of Aviation Safety Data

"NASA will hold a media teleconference on Monday, Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. EST, to discuss its release of the National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (NAOMS) data."

NASA expected to release pilot survey, AP

"NASA expected to release results Monday from an $11.3 million federal air safety study it previously withheld from the public over concerns it would upset travelers and hurt airline profits. The research conducted over four years shows that safety problems like near collisions and runway interference occur far more frequently than previously recognized. NASA promised to publish on its Web site some results of its survey. But it indicated that the data — being released on the afternoon of New Year's Eve — would be published as formatted. It said the data would come in printed reports rather than in any tabular data format that would make analysis by outsiders easier."

IFPTE on NASA Aviation Survey

Letter from IFPTE To Rep. Gordon Regarding NASA Aviation Safety Research Projects

"It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that categorically refusing to release government-financed aviation safety research data to the public using the argument that it might adversely affect corporate profits is egregiously wrong. We are pleased that all the raw data have been released to your Committee and that NASA has pledged to release all of the properly de-identified data to the public by December 31st, 2007. It is regrettable that this was not NASA HQ's initial decision.

It is, however, worrisome that NASA now appears to be hedging on its public promise of full release of all legally releasable information before the end of the calendar year. It is ridiculous to argue that NASA will take a year and needs to hire expensive outside consultants to handle a data-filtering process that can best be handled by those aviation experts who designed and implemented the survey and who are most experienced at releasing de-identified aviation safety reports. Taxpayers are much more likely to trust this process if it is performed by scientists in the trenches motivated by their passion for aviation safety than if it is led by political appointees or senior managers who cannot be expected to render an opinion that conflicts with that of the Administration."

Aeronautics Vs Actual Air Travel

NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale's Blog: The First 'A' in NASA

"Now, every time that I fly, I think about NASA's contributions to our air transportation system, and how remarkable our nation's progress has been in creating a very safe system, over a relatively short span of time, that supports nearly 50,000 flights in a 24-hour period. I am also excited about the possibility of a future system that safely meets our nation's growing demand to take to the skies while ensuring that the environment is protected."

Less Free To Move About The Cabin, Washington Post

"Over the course of a year that many airline passengers would rather forget, most attention has been focused on travel woes created by record-setting flight delays. But another trend may be causing as much havoc and frustration for passengers: Planes have never been so packed, federal data show."

Airline Safety Survey Update

Union Raps NASA Chief, AP

"A union representing NASA employees accuses the agency's administrator of unfairly tarnishing agency employees by disparaging and misrepresenting a federal air safety project. NASA weeks ago drew intense criticism for withholding results of the research, fearing it would upset travelers and hurt airline profits. The union disputed Michael Griffin's criticisms of the program, in which thousands of commercial and private pilots were interviewed. It said his comments to Congress at an oversight hearing in October appeared to reflect fears the pilots might report to NASA higher rates of safety problems than are recorded by Federal Aviation Administration's own monitoring."

Two NASA Pilots Have Died

Editor's note: According to a NASA Watch Reader on Saturday "Two longtime, national level leaders in Civil Air Patrol died when their CAP plane crashed last night on Mt. Potosi just west of Las Vegas, Nevada. Colonel Ed Lewis, former Pacific Region commander and Colonel Dion DeCamp, current Nevada wing commander, were on board the aircraft. A Las Vegas Metro PD helo crew reportedly spotted an explosion on Mt. Potosi and upon investigation found the crash site. The two were enroute to California where the California Wing Conference begins today. Between them, Colonels Lewis and DeCamp had almost 60,000 flying hours as military, commercial, CAP and civilian pilots and the Cessna 182T they were flying was less than a year old. Col. Lewis was also a research pilot for NASA. NOTE: Ed flew the DC-8 flying laboratory and several other NASA science aircraft. He resided at Rosamond Sky Park in California where he kept a Cessna Skylane and a Harmon Rocket. He was the aviation safety officer at Dryden and an instructor pilot for several of their aircraft."

NASA Airline Safety Project Update

NASA blows millions on flawed airline safety survey, New Scientist

"Has NASA wasted $11.3 million on a flawed survey of airline safety? likely. The agency commissioned a telephone pollster to ask 29,000 pilots about their near misses, runway collisions and technical problems. At first, the poll seemed to show that these events had previously been alarmingly under-reported. Engine failures, for instance, were cited in NASA's survey at four times the rate recorded in the Federal Aviation Administration's incident records."

Airline Survey Update

Two Months Before Release of NASA Pilot Survey Data, Aviation Week

"It started out as a program to identify emerging aviation safety problems. But six years and $11.3 million later, it has mushroomed into a public relations headache for NASA Administrator Michael Griffin that's hurting his credibility with Congress. Now Griffin is working to mollify incensed lawmakers and calm a media frenzy without violating the confidentiality of the 24,000 commercial airline and 5,000 general aviation pilots that participated in the study."

Report: Pilots slept on overnight flight, AP

"Two commercial pilots allegedly fell asleep on a flight between Baltimore and Denver, with one pilot waking up to "frantic" calls from air traffic controllers warning them they were approaching the airport at twice the speed allowed. The March 2004 event, which was discussed during a Congressional hearing Wednesday, was reported by the captain on the flight on NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System, which allows crew members to anonymously document incidents. Details of the "red eye," or late night/early morning flight, including the airline, flight number, or number of passengers aboard are not included in the reporting system. It did note the type of airplane, an Airbus A319, which are flown by Frontier Airlines and United Airlines."

NASA's winking apology - Releasing flying-safety survey by discrediting it?, Opinion, Daytona Beach News-Journal

"It's good to note that the current presidential administration's apparent ban on admitting to mistakes, apologizing and reversing course doesn't apply to all federal government agencies."

Air Safety Concerns in Congress

House Committee on Science and Technology Committee Members to NASA: Public Has a Right to See U.S. Air Safety Survey Data, House Science Committee

"Chairman Gordon and other Members called on NASA to release the data claiming the public has a right to know about the safety of travel in the nation's skies. Administrator Griffin announced at today's hearing that NASA would release the NOAMS data, reversing NASA's earlier stance. Several questions regarding the specifics of the release still remain, however, and the Committee plans to follow up with NASA to make sure the data is made publicly available in a timely manner."

NASA to release pilot survey - Hall urges balance of transparency and confidentiality, House Science Committee Republicans

"Today, Griffin agreed to release the data, once it is appropriately "scrubbed" to protect the anonymity of the pilots who were surveyed. He also expressed his regret for the language NASA used in responding the FOIA request, saying, "I regret any impression that NASA was in any way trying to put commercial interests ahead of public safety. That was not and never will be the case."

NASA to Release Disputed Data, NY Times

"The administrator of NASA told a Congressional hearing today that his agency would soon release data from tens of thousands of interviews with pilots about safety issues, information that NASA previously said could damage the airline industry. But at the hearing, the administrator, Michael Griffin, and the survey’s designers disagreed so deeply about the purpose of the survey and the usefulness of its information that they barely sounded as if they were talking about the same project."

Griffin Sets The Record Straight

NASA Internal Memo: Message from the Administrator - October 24, 2007

"I have been made aware that a request from the Associated Press for information from a NASA safety survey of airline pilots was withheld under the Freedom of Information Act. The request was for raw data and other aspects of the ongoing project. In a letter to the news organization, one of the several reasons for denying the request for the data cited concerns for "public confidence" and for the "commercial welfare" of air carriers. This rationale was based on case law, but I do not agree with the way it was written. I regret the impression that NASA was in any way trying to put commercial interests ahead of public safety. That was not and will never be the case."

Opposing view: We value openness, Mike Griffin, USA Today

Earth to NASA: Sunlight, not secrecy, is the best way to stop accidents, USA Today

NASA Chief Regrets Agency's Statement, AP

Lisa Porter's New Action Item

"Sent on behalf of John Sullivan - Director, Center for Advanced Manufacturing (Purdue University)

Due to an emerging issue with aviation safety, NASA Administrator, Michael Griffin has asked Dr. Porter to cancel her trip to Purdue to handle this issue. Again, we will work with NASA to re-schedule her visit to campus. Below is the link to the news article regarding this important issue.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/10/22/nasa.air.safety.ap/index.html"

Why is NASA Sitting on this Airline Safety Report?

NASA Sits on Air Safety Survey, AP

"A senior NASA official, associate administrator Thomas S. Luedtke, said revealing the findings could damage the public's confidence in airlines and affect airline profits. Luedtke acknowledged that the survey results "present a comprehensive picture of certain aspects of the U.S. commercial aviation industry." The AP sought to obtain the survey data over 14 months under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. "Release of the requested data, which are sensitive and safety-related, could materially affect the public confidence in, and the commercial welfare of, the air carriers and general aviation companies whose pilots participated in the survey," Luedtke wrote in a final denial letter to the AP. NASA also cited pilot confidentiality as a reason, although no airlines were identified in the survey, nor were the identities of pilots, all of whom were promised anonymity."

Editor's note: This is a yet another rather dumb public stance for NASA personnel to take. I wonder how the "public" will feel when they learn that their government is openly witholding important information from them regarding their safety?

File Your Own Freedom of Information (FOIA) Request and see what NASA does or does not send you.

Statement by NASA Administrator Mike Griffin on Pilot Survey

"I am reviewing this Freedom of Information Act request to determine what, if any, of this information may legally be made public. NASA should focus on how we can provide information to the public -- not on how we can withhold it. Therefore, I am asking NASA's Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research, Lisa Porter, to look into this situation, including ensuring that all survey data are preserved, and report to me as soon as possible."

NASA Faces House Hearings on Air Safety, NY Times

"A House committee said Monday that it would hold hearings into why the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is withholding 24,000 responses by pilots for airlines and other companies to a government-sponsored safety survey."

Critics Assail NASA's Refusal to Release Air Safety Survey, Washington Post

"This is like a drug manufacturer finding out through trials that there are problems with a drug and not making the public aware because they don't want to reduce the sales of the drug or scare the public," said Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), chairman of the Science and Technology Committee. "It could be enormously helpful in a wide range of areas in trying to understand mishaps."

What NASA Won't Tell You About Air Safety, Slashdot

"According to a report out of Washington, NASA wants to avoid telling you about how unsafe you are when you fly. According to the article, when an $8.5M safety study of about 24,000 pilots indicated an alarming number of near collisions and runway incidents, NASA refused to release the results. The article quotes one congressman as saying 'There is a faint odor about it all.' A friend of mine who is a general aviation pilot responded to the article by saying 'It's scary but no surprise to those of us who fly.'"

Our View: Heads should roll if NASA won’t release its airline-safety study., Faye Observer

"And to make sure that none of the information gets out, NASA also has ordered its survey contractor and all subcontractors who worked on it to return any information they have on the project and to dump it from their computers by the end of this month. NASA, of course, has a long and troubled history with safety issues, with tragic — and preventable — accidents marring a record of epic achievements. At times, the agency simply doesn’t get the importance of making safety the No. 1 priority. This is one of those times."

Editorial: Why NASA secrecy?, New Albany Tribune

"The report cost taxpayers — not NASA, not Luedtke, but the American taxpayer — $8.5 million. The survey was conducted by the Battelle Memorial Institute, which interviewed about 24,000 commercial and private pilots over about four years. Let Luetdke’s obfuscation speak for itself:"

Policy on the Release of Information to the News and Information Media, NASA (PDF)

"Principles.

(a) NASA, a scientific and technical agency, is committed to a culture of openness with the media and public that values the free exchange of ideas, data, and information as part of scientific and technical inquiry. Scientific and technical information from or about Agency programs and projects will be accurate and unfiltered.

(b) Consistent with NASA statutory responsibility, NASA will "provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof." Release of public information concerning NASA activities and the results of NASA activities will be made promptly, factually, and completely."

Gordon, Miller, Udall Direct NASA to Halt any Destruction of Records Relating to the NAOMS Project

"By this letter, we are directing NASA to halt any destruction of records relating to the NAOMS project, whether in the possession of the agency or its contractors, and as defined in the attached Appendix. Destruction of documents requested as part of a Congressional inquiry is a violation of criminal federal law. 18 U.S.C. 1505."

Help Find Steve Fossett

Steve Fossett Challenges

Steve Fossett Missing: Help find him by searching satellite imagery, AmazonMechanicalTurk.com

"On Monday, September 3, 2007, Steve Fossett, the first person to fly a plane around the world without refueling and the first person to fly around the world in a balloon went missing in Nevada. An airplane he was flying failed to return. No one has any idea where he is. Through the generous efforts of individuals at several organizations, detailed satellite imagery has been made available for his last known whereabouts."

Steve Fossett Is Missing

Branson hopes to trace Fossett with Google images, Reuters

"I'm talking with friends at Google about seeing whether we can look at satellite images over the last four days to see whether they can see which direction he might have been flying and whether they can see any disturbances anywhere that they can pin from space," he said from Barcelona, Spain.

Fossett's latest adventure was attempt to break land speed record, AP

"Adventurer Steve Fossett has had a lifetime of daring achievements, most of them at high altitude. His latest record-setting dream brought him back to terra firma. Fossett's small plane disappeared Monday as he was scouting dry lake beds in western Nevada, apparently searching for an optimum spot to set a world land speed record."

FAA Head Moves to AIA

FAA administrator takes job with aerospace lobby, Reuters

"The administrator of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration was named chief executive of the Aerospace Industries Association on Tuesday, the top lobbying group for aerospace manufacturers. Marion Blakey's five-year term at FAA ends on Sept. 13. She will remain with the agency until that time, a spokeswoman said."

Hey, Where's My Flying Car?

Exciting NASA Air Competition Full of Dull Planes, Gizmodo

"NASA handed out $250,000 in prize money this weekend to aircraft designers who competed in a competition to create personal air-vehicles. But don't be fooled by the picture and think that the event was full of flying cars, experimental planes and UFO-shaped discs—all the entrants were standard-looking planes, as you will see in the videos after the jump. The event was part of the Centennial Challenges, the government-sponsored competitions that aim to have us all flying to the office in the morning and taking holidays on the moon as soon as possible. The money was given out in six categories: speed, short takeoff, efficiency, handling, noise and overall best."

Don't Fly on JetBlue

Held Prisoner on JetBlue - The Airline That is Afraid To Fly, SpaceRef

"I used to like JetBlue. Not any more. Just a month and a half ago I found myself on the inaugural flight from San Francisco to New York with Jet Blue's CEO aboard. The service was good that day. But not today. Indeed, today I felt like a prisoner."

Congress Hears About NextGen

Committee Examines the Progress and Problems of the Next Generation Air Transportation System Initiative

"Hope and good intentions by themselves are not going to be sufficient to ensure success," added Chairman Udall. "We are going to need commitment, accountability and ultimately, effective performance by all involved...and I am troubled by indications that all may not be going as well as hoped with the NextGen effort."

Joint Planning and Development Office: Progress and Key Issues in Planning the Transition to the Next Generation Air Transportation System, GAO

Rep. Ken Calvert Concerned Over NASA's Restructured Role In Developing NextGen

Monster Plane To Fly Over Washington

Editor's note: Word has it that an Airbus 380 - which landed at Dulles Airport last night - will be doing a flyover up, down, and around the Potomac and Washington, DC today between 11:15 and 12:30. The idea is to get photos of this uber monster plane set against the U.S. Capitol building - thus rubing our collective noses in this accomplishment (I suppose). Heads Up Lisa Porter - competition overhead!

Editor's 11:18 am EDT note: I just saw this monster fly over my house (I live close to Dulles) heading Southeast toward Washington. It looks to be the size of a C5A - but much more graceful.

ARC's Hangar One Saved?

Hangar One rumor confirmed, Mountain View Voice

"Marv Christensen, NASA deputy director, told a local newspaper that any plan would require a "synergistic" partnership with the companies, the names of which were not disclosed. Despite rumors to the contrary, Google reportedly said it has no need for an airstrip, and eBay founder Jeff Skoll also claims to have no involvement in the talks."

Aeronautics Policy Discussion At AIAA Reno Meeting

Analysis of New National Aeronautics R&D Policy and Next-Gen Aerospace Work Force Needs, AIAA

"On Wednesday, January 10, Richard Russell, assistant director for technology from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will provide an analysis of the new National Aeronautics R&D Policy. This national roadmap provides institutional support for robust, sustainable aeronautics research investment and requires federal agencies to set definable milestones for achievement."

-Aeronautics Policy Released While Everyone is On Vacation
-Workforce Session at AIAA Reno Meeting

Workforce Session at AIAA Reno Meeting

45th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 8-11 January

Thursday, 11-Jan-2007: The Public Policy Committee will continue its Excellence in Aerospace Discourse Series at the Aerospace Sciences Meeting with a discussion on the next generation of aerospace professionals. Speakers include:

• Dr. Paul Nielsen, President-Elect for AIAA and Director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute
• Dr. Lisa Porter, Associate Administrator for Aeronautics at NASA
• Dr. Annalisa Weigel, Assistant Professor of Aeronautics & Astronautics and Engineering Systems at MIT
• Dr. Robert Walters, President-Elect for the Aerospace Department Chairman's Association and Chairman of Virginia Tech's Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering.

Aeronautics Policy Released While Everyone Is on Vacation

President Bush Signs Executive Order Establishing National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy

"President Bush signed an Executive Order (EO) establishing the nation’s first Aeronautics Research and Development Policy. The EO was accompanied by release of a supporting Policy document developed by the Aeronautics Science and Technology (S&T) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The overarching goal of the Policy is to advance U.S. technological leadership in aeronautics by fostering a vibrant and dynamic aeronautics research and development (R&D) community that includes government, industry, and academia."

National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy
Executive Order: National Aeronautics Research and Development

Editor's 21 Dec 2006 note: Once again the White House has slipped a policy related to NASA's Charter out the back door while no one was looking. NASA posted links to these materials on its website but apprently does not see any value in issuing a press release. This is rather odd given all of the talk by Mike Griffin - before Congress - about the need for such a policy. Yet despite this oversight, PAO did manage to get a release titled "NASA's KSC Providing Assistance to Santa on Christmas Eve" out to an eager world.

Press Briefing by White House Press Secretary Tony Snow 20 October 2006: NASA Excerpt

"Q Tony, can you say a few words about the new Bush space policy that was released, strangely enough, on a Friday afternoon before Columbus Day, on the website of the Office of Science and Technology --

MR. SNOW: You mean the strategy that, strangely enough, was announced in July?

Q No, it was put on the website on the weekend of Columbus Day."

Why is NASA so Shy ABout Promoting the News White House Space Policy?, earlier post

OMB Deputy Director Johnson Thinks NASA's Mission Statements are "Baloney"

White House Makes Annual One Paragraph Statement on VSE

Wright Brothers Day, 2006 - A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

"Today, our Nation follows the Wright brothers' example of innovation as we continue to explore the frontiers of air and space. My Administration has outlined a vision for space exploration that includes a return to the Moon and a long term human and robotic program to explore Mars and the solar system. By working to expand the realm of the possible, we can gain a better understanding of the universe and continue the journey that the Wright brothers began more than a century ago."

House Wants GAO Aeronautics Report Implemented

House Science Committee Leaders Urge Implementation of Aeronautics Report Recommendations

"The Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Science Committee and the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics today called on the Administration to implement the recommendations in a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the challenges of creating a new air traffic control system, known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS)."

Another Place To Fall Behind

Propulsion lab work at Marshall to pick up, Huntsville Times

"Advanced propulsion is just like aeronautics. It is something NASA and America has been on the cutting edge of for decades," said Keith Cowing, who runs the NASAWatch.com Web site. "Cut this type of research, and America runs the risk of losing that edge, and other nations will zoom ahead." Cowing said the lab hasn't been used much because "that building is an echo of things begun under former administrators Dan Goldin and Sean O'Keefe." Advanced propulsion was part of a Goldin-era Space Launch Initiative program, and O'Keefe supported finding ways to increase spacecraft speeds to travel to Mars and other planets."

NRC Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics

Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics: Foundation for the Future, Steering Committee for the Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics, National Research Council

"The U.S. air transportation system is very important for our economic well-being and national security. The nation is also the global leader in civil and military aeronautics, a position that needs to be maintained to help assure a strong future."

Virtual Flying at ARC

NASA's virtual space exploration, CNet

"NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley is home to SimLabs--simulation laboratories where you can take control of a virtual airport or explore the skies and space with the Vertical Motion Simulator. Take a look inside the facility."

Lisa Porter Faces Congress Again

House Science Committee Democrats Question Wisdom of NASA's Plans to Cut and Restructure Aeronautics Research Program

"Yet, instead of investing more in the highly productive aeronautics enterprise that has been built up within NASA and its predecessor organization over the last nine decades, NASA is in the process of dismantling those capabilities as it turns its attention elsewhere and reallocates resources to new ventures," added Rep. Udall."

House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee to Examine NASA Aeronautics Program Tomorrow

"Tomorrow, the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the response of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences on how NASA should run its civil aeronautics research and development (R&D) program."

Talking Points: Full Cost Management and Overhead Simplification, NASA HQ

"While it appears that the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) will take a significant hit as a result of this accounting change, the overhead simplification structure is a good thing for ARMD."

Workforce and Accounting Update

Letter from NASA Administrator Griffin to Rep. Wolf Regarding Workforce Issues

Letter from NASA AA for Legislative Affairs Chase to Rep. Kucinich Regarding Workforce Issues

Talking Points: Full Cost Management and Overhead Simplification, NASA HQ

"While it appears that the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) will take a significant hit as a result of this accounting change, the overhead simplification structure is a good thing for ARMD. ARMD will still have the same direct buying power. ARMD will not lose research dollars. But the change will free ARMD from the fiscal responsibility of having to carry the majority of overhead costs for the four research Centers."

Langley 757 Mothball Update

NASA LaRC Internal Memo From Lesa Roe Regarding B-757

"The Associate Administrator of Aeronautics Research has informed NASA Langley that, based on the comprehensive restructuring of the Aeronautics Program, there is no NASA Aeronautics Program need for the B-757 beyond September 30, 2006."

What Lisa Porter Said - And What NASA Wants You To Think She Said, earlier posting

"...from ARMD's perspective, we do not see a need to specifically maintain the 757 in our arsenal."

Previous aeronautics postings

Nature-Inspired Wonder

Lockheed Martin to Design Nano Air Vehicle to Monitor the Urban Battlefield

"Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) leads a team that will design a remote-controlled NAV, similar in size and shape to a maple tree seed. A chemical rocket enclosed in its one-bladed wing will power a sensor payload module more than 1,100 yards. Delivered from a hover and weighing up to 0.07 ounces, the module will be interchangeable based on mission requirements. Besides controlling lift and pitch, the wing will also house telemetry, communications, navigation, imaging sensors, and battery power. The NAV will be about 1.5 inches long and have a maximum takeoff weight of about 0.35 ounces."

I'm Confused, Mike

Remarks by NASA Administrator Griffin at the Space Foundation Dinner, Farnborough International Airshow

Editor's note: Mike Griffin states: "However, as we try to meet this challenge, the answer is not for NASA to re-organize or abandon one of its core missions to focus on the other two, as some pundits have recommended be done with our aeronautics research program."

Then, a few moments later he says: "In restructuring our aeronautics portfolio, we are taking a long- term, strategic approach to our research to ensure that we pursue the cutting-edge of research across the breadth of aeronautics disciplines required to support revolutionary capabilities in both air vehicles and the airspace in which they fly."

So, let me see if I understand this: it is unacceptable to Mike Griffin to "reorganize" NASA's aeronautics program - but it is OK to "restructure" the very same program. When you "restructure" something, don't you need to "reorganize" as part of the process?

I'm confused, Mike.

Langely's 757 To Be Mothballed

Reader note: "I just came from an "all-hands" meeting for the Flight Research Services Division (FRSD) at NASA LaRC. We were given official notice that NASA Langley has been ordered to mothball its B757 research aircraft. The 757 aircraft is to be stored at Dryden in a "flight-ready" status. Apparently the Hill was told this last night."

Experts Weigh In On NASA Aeronautics

House Science Committee Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Hearing: "The National Academy of Sciences' Decadal Plan for Aeronautics: A Blueprint for NASA?

Prepared Statements:

In Case You Missed This

NRC Report: Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics: Foundation for the Future, NRC

"With leadership comes opportunity, particularly with regard to setting international standards for aircraft certification and operations. A position of continued leadership would allow the United States to ensure that viable, global standards continue to be established for the application of emerging technologies and operational concepts. Without such standards the global aviation market and the global transportation system will be fractured into separate fiefdoms ruled by national and regional aviation authorities acting independently."

The Sad State of Aeronautics Funding

Going global - Playing with the big boys in aviation means playing with Airbus, Opinion, Daily Press

"Subsidization could work both ways. An Airbus contract would help support researchers and facilities that would be available for other, homeland-focused work. It might help stop the loss of jobs at NASA Langley, which totaled 600 last year. Europe's investment in aeronautics research would, in effect, help fill the gap left by the United States' abandonment of it as a priority."

Editor's note: As I have said before, on one hand, I think it is great that companies such as Airbus are committed to supporting such research and that their interest goes beyond political boundaries. However, on the other hand, I think the need to seek such foreign support is a sad indicator of the state of aeronautical research - both government and private sector - here in the U.S.

Sad State of U.S. Aeronautics

Space-age education, Daily Press

"Money from Europe for aeronautical research? Bring it on, says Bob Lindberg, president and chief executive of the National Institute of Aerospace, answering critics of his organization's courtship of business from Airbus, which is owned by Belgian and British interests."

Editor's note: On one hand, I think it is great that companies such as Airbus are committed to supporting such research and that their interest goes beyond political boundaries. However, on the other hand, I think the need to seek such foreign support is a sad indicator of the state of aeronautical research - both government and private sector - here in the U.S.

AAU Letter on NASA Budget Issues

Association of American Universities Letter to Rep. Wolf Regarding FY 2007 Funding for NASA Science and Aeronautics

"As president of the Association of American Universities (AAU), representing 60 leading U.S. public and private research universities, I respectfully request that, as you develop the FY07 Science, State, Justice, and Commerce Appropriation Act, you strive to appropriate no less than $5.5 billion and $959 million in federal funding for NASA's science and aeronautics mission directorates respectively."

Porter All Hands Replay - In-House Only

Editor's note: Looks like LaRC management made sure that their workforce saw the Porter all hands. Now if only the rest of the world could see (or read) what she actually said. See following memo:

From: "Michael Finneran, Head, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE"
Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 15:28:12 -0400
To: (All Employees at Langley Research Center)
Subject: REPLAY Schedule for Dr. Porter's All Hands

The May 30 all hands meeting with Dr. Lisa Porter, Associate Administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, will be replayed on the following schedule on LaRC Channel 9:

Tuesday, May 30: 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Wednesday, May 31: 2 a.m., 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m.
Thursday, June 1: 2 a.m.

NRC Aeronautics Report Due For Release Next Week

NRC Report on NASA's civil aeronautics program

"Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics – Foundation for the Future, a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council, provides a list of high-priority aeronautics research projects NASA should pursue to improve the air transportation system and help the U.S. remain a world leader in the field."

LaRC Aeronautics Update

Editor's note: Sources report that Aeronautics AA Lisa Porter went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon. LaRC officials were also asked to meet yesterday (Thursday) with Sen. Warner's office - that delegation consisted of LaRC Center Director Lesa Roe, Dave Hinton, and Howard Lewis. Yesterday I submitted a request to HQ PAO asking for a verbatim transcript of Porter's LaRC all hands (which J.D. Harrington have told me that they have) and asked for additional information on these Congressional visits.

Editor's update: I just got a call from Harrington who confirmed these two visits and said that Porter's visit to the Senate Appropriations Committee was scheduled "weeks ago". Harrington would not tell me what was discussed during these visits. In addition, he told me that they do not have a transcript of the entire Porter all hands event and that he only had a portion (the 757 question) transcribed. When I asked why the entire event was not transcribed (so as to dispel confusion) he said that this was not PAO policy to do so and that the "target" audience heard what she had to say. I suggested posting audio recordings (i.e. podcasts) so that there would be no confusion over what was - or was not said - and he said he would forward that suggestion to his management.

What Lisa Porter Said - And What NASA Wants You To Think She Said (earlier post)

Langley's "flying lab" could be on chopping block, AP

NASA 757's fate is up in the air, Daily Press

"Lisa Porter, associate director for NASA's Aeronautics Research Management Division in Washington, D.C., has told employees at NASA Langley that her group questions the need for research airplanes in general. "We did not see a need to specifically have the 757," she said in a meeting at Langley that was not open to reporters."

What Lisa Porter Said - And What NASA Wants You To Think She Said

Editor's 30 May 2006 5:42 pm EDT note: At an all hands meeting at LaRC today, NASA AA for Aeronautics, Lisa Porter, told the audience that NASA "does not need research aircraft". She then specifically cited LaRC's Boeing 757 as "no longer needed."

Editor's 31 May 2006 4:02 pm EDT note: NASA LaRC just posted this summary of Porter's all hands talk yesterday. Alas, the summary is mostly fluff and chock full of buzz words and Powerpoint sentences. No mention is made of the topics raised during the question and answer portion of the event - other than mentioning that she answered question