Idaho Congressional Delegation Takes Fight To Cabinet
Level
While many GA supporters fight for their local urban airport,
others are trying to keep those isolated, yet important,
backcountry airstrips open. AOPA and members of Congress from the
western United States are working closely together to make sure
millions of acres of wilderness remain accessible by air. The
entire Idaho congressional delegation has called on Agriculture
Secretary Ann Veneman to guarantee public access to four
backcountry airstrips in the Frank Church-River of No Return
Federal Wilderness Area. The department's U.S. Forest Service has
issued a decision closing the Dewey Moore, Mile-Hi, Simonds, and
Vines airstrips to all but emergency operations. AOPA has appealed
that decision.
The pilot who was forced to land in Limerick (PA) Jan. 15 after
nearly colliding with a police helicopter wants prosecutors to
return his plane while he awaits trial on charges of risking a
catastrophe and reckless endangerment. John V. Salamone, through
his lawyer, filed court papers Wednesday seeking the return of his
Piper Cherokee. "The district attorney has taken some steps to
impound his airplane, and there's no authority to do that, and he
would like to be able to sell his airplane. He doesn't have any
intention of flying it, but he'd like to be able to sell it,"
defense lawyer Joseph P. Green Jr. said. A judge is expected to
rule on the matter by March 22 after prosecutors respond to the
request.
The Air Zoo in Kalamazoo (MI) will pay tribute to the history of
flight with the opening of an interactive aviation museum this May.
The new Air Zoo will feature more than 80 vintage aircraft,
character actors in the roles of famous aviators, amusement rides,
Smithsonian exhibitions and 4-D theaters, which combine 3-D
filmmaking with other special effects. The new 120,000-square-foot
facility, which nearly doubles the space of the current campus,
will allow the Air Zoo to educate visitors about aviation through
hands-on, multi-sensory experiences.
Attendance Soars At National Air and Space Museum's New
Facility
The Smithsonian has reached yet another milestone. The National
Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center has welcomed
more than a half million visitors since the Smithsonian facility in
Chantilly (VA) opened to the public Dec. 15. The attendance
milestone was reached on the last day of February, putting the
total number of visitors for the 11 weeks of operation at 510, 658.
The Udvar-Hazy Center was an immediate hit with the public,
attracting just under 220,000 visitors in its first two weeks of
operation alone.
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