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Tag: Aviation

  • How to Fly With a Personal Item

    How to Fly With a Personal Item

    I have always been a r/OneBag traveler. In my twenties and thirties, it was euphemistically called “backpacking,” even if actual hiking in the wilderness was only rarely involved. Bringing that one tiny bag that you could sling over your shoulders was often the only way you could hop onto that tiny inter-island flight or walk around a city looking for a hostel with air conditioning.

    I abandoned minimalist travel briefly when my spouse and I had small children. But now that they’re older, I’m inducting them into its joys. Buying plane tickets is more expensive than ever. Budget airlines like Frontier and Spirit have always up-charged for bringing carry-on bags, but now even standard airlines like United have started charging carry-on fees for the lowest-tier tickets. Now is a better time than ever to learn how to travel with only a personal item.

    If you think this is hard, let me tell you the mantra of the minimalist packer: The less you bring, the less time you spend making inane decisions and the more time you spend traveling. That shirt you thought would be perfect for Italy? You can’t wear it in the Vatican. Those trekking sandals that you thought you needed for hiking Hawaii? Everyone is in flip-flops. Leave it. If you really need it, you can get it there (you won’t). With less stuff you can go more places and have more money and energy to do things once you get there. Let us show you how it’s done.

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    Check the Under-Seat Dimensions

    I am always shocked by how many people don’t do this and find themselves in unnecessary brouhahas when boarding. Check the dimensions that each airline will allow for personal items, then grab a tape measure to get the dimensions of your bag.

    Here are the size requirements for several major airlines. We have not included any airlines that do not disclose personal-item size requirements on their website.

    If you live in the United States, you might be able to get away with some excess here or there. However, airlines in other parts of the world tend to be much stricter when enforcing size requirements. If you’re toeing a fine line, I have a few suggestions. First, pick a soft bag so you can just stomp it into whatever box the gate agents are pointing to when you get to the front of the line. Second, put a smaller bag inside your bag with your essentials, so you don’t have to carry the bigger bag everywhere you go once you arrive at your destination.

    Our Favorite Personal-Item Bags

    Pretty much any bag that fits these size requirements will work as a personal-item bag. I have used several bags in our guides to Laptop Backpacks and Tote Bags as personal items on flights. However, here are a few that have performed well in recent testing.

    The Best Duffel

    A soft bag gives you the most leeway when it comes to squeezing it under the seat in front of you. This is currently my favorite personal item and travel bag; I’ve taken it on three trips since August. While Wandrd states that its dimensions are 19 x 11.75 x 9 inches, I measured mine when packed and it came out to 17 x 12 x 8 inches, which is small enough to fit on almost every airline except Air Canada.

    Most duffels are, by design, black holes where you throw in a bunch of weird-shaped things. Wandrd’s has some structure and is exceptionally well-organized. There are multiple reinforced grab handles on either end as well as both sides, plus comfortable, padded backpack straps (with a chest strap!) for hauling ass through the airport. Two zippered compartments on either end segregate my dirty Birkenstocks and wet toiletry bag and bathing suit from my clothes, and there are a few internal mesh zipper pockets for tucking in your wallet and Kindle.

    A Roller Suitcase

    When I rolled this wee bag into the WIRED offices on a recent press trip, several people stopped and marveled at my tiny, tiny suitcase. The standout feature of the Take Off suitcase is that it’s a proper rolling suitcase, but you can pop the wheels off and slide it under the seat in front of you. On a recent trip with Alaska Airlines, however, I didn’t bother to take the wheels off, and the flight attendant did not hassle me about it.

    In addition to being adorable, this miniature suitcase works really well. The bumpers show no nicks or bangs, and I am very hard on suitcases. The wheels are easy to pop off, and you can put them in your pocket in a pinch. The grab handles fit my hands and are sturdy, and the telescoping handle extends a full 21 inches, which is the standard height of a suitcase handle, although if you’re taller than I am (5′ 2″) you may find that it’s a bit hard to pull behind you without knocking it with your heels. I have to say, though, that because the wheels are latched on, they rattle louder than other suitcase wheels, especially if you’re walking on a rougher surface like a sidewalk. This made me grate my teeth. However, if you’re not the kind of person who would prefer to slink through an airport like the Pink Panther, then this probably won’t bother you, and it didn’t affect the function of the suitcase at all.

    A Work Bag

    Does it make sense to buy a $400 American-made bag when you’re flying on a $40 Frontier flight? If you have to ask, you’re on the wrong article—any airline can be pleasant enough if you have the right gear, and this squared-off backpack Waterfield Designs artfully maxes out on size. Inside you’ll find two laptop sleeves plus a separate zipper pocket. The top has two zippered pockets, one with a lanyard for keys. The sides have two more zippered pockets large enough to hold a 20-ounce Fuji water bottle, if not one of those big cups the kids like nowadays.

    The padded backpack straps are a little snug on my larger frame but comfortable enough, and the padded sleeve holds it snugly on top of my full-size carry-on when I’m flying fancy (read: Economy Plus). I have tested the version made from a grayish-green waxed canvas, which has a natural look and is picking up patina, but there’s also a version with 1680 denier ballistic nylon. —Martin Cizmar

    Don’t Bring So Much Stuff

    Unless you’re traveling with a very specific purpose for which you’ll need a lot of gear, like ice climbing, you can cover your bases with much less stuff than you might think. You just have to be ruthlessly pragmatic, ditch all your fantasies, and discard the idea that you need “options” when it comes to how you dress.

    Are you really going to go for a run every morning, and if you are, is it really worth it to bring all that gear for what will be, at most, an hour out of your day? Do you really need a dress, or will you feel a little self-conscious and should’ve worn chinos like always? For example, here is how I packed for a recent three-day trip to San Francisco. Inside the Take Off Personal Item 2.0, I have:

    Adrienne So

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  • $460 Million U.S. Army Contract for Multi-Mode Aviation Radio Set Awarded

    $460 Million U.S. Army Contract for Multi-Mode Aviation Radio Set Awarded

    A $460 million U.S. Army contract for a multi-mode aviation radio set was awarded.

    The U.S. Army has awarded BAE Systems a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with a ceiling value of $460 million for the AN/ARC-231/A Multi-mode Aviation Radio Set (MARS). This award consists of hardware components, repair services, engineering and logistic support, and development for rotary-wing aircraft.

    The MARS system is designed to perform in the most demanding environments to provide warfighters with secure mission-critical information when they need it most.

    In today’s complex and contested battlefields, operators rely on fast and accurate communications to inform key decisions in the field. MARS’ programmability reduces the time to field evolving communication needs, special mission modifications, and performance enhancements. The software communications architecture and software-defined radio design enable fielding new capabilities as software-only upgrades.

    “We provide communication solutions with scalable software deployment in support of tactical missions where speed and relevance of information matter most,” said Amber Dolan, director of Adaptive Communications and Sensing at BAE Systems. “This airborne radio design enables the U.S. Army to upgrade their rotary-wing fleet with the latest secure waveform that can be tailored for each mission for years to come.”

    The AN/ARC-231A MARS system is comprised of the RT-1987 radio with associated ancillaries, including amplifiers and mounting bases. It is the newest generation of multi-band, multi-mission, airborne communications system with Type 1 Crypto Modernization. It’s focused on configurability and allows for flexible integration and mission deployment options that ensure interoperability for joint force operations. Available through foreign military sales, it provides internationally compliant air traffic control communications and full range of mandatory U.S. and NATO capabilities.

    The radios will be developed and produced at BAE Systems’ facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with engineering support in Largo, Florida.

    With more than 100,000 radios deployed globally, BAE Systems’ battle-proven communications products offer nearly double the reliability of legacy products. The company’s compact radio sets also offer multi-band, secure anti-jam voice, data imagery transmission, and network-capable communications.

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  • The DJI Air 3S Is a Formidable Flying Camera

    The DJI Air 3S Is a Formidable Flying Camera

    As a UK resident currently without the certificate, I had to be quite careful where I flew the Air 3S. Living on the coast at least meant I was able to fly it out over the sea, where it could easily be kept the requisite distance from people, buildings, parks, and beaches. If I lived in the middle of a large town or city here, however, I’d find the restrictions too frustrating to deal with and opt for an ultra-lightweight, fly-anywhere drone such as the DJI Mini 4 Pro. I suspect most casual drone users feel the same way.

    Photograph: Sam Kielsden

    DJI Air 3S low light sample

    Twice as Nice

    Those who decide to pass the courses and deal with the paperwork will enjoy excellent rewards for their time, patience, and money. If the older Air 3’s camera performance was impressive, the Air 3S’s is stunning. The new 1-inch sensor delivers 14 stops of dynamic range and excels in challenging lighting, producing detail-rich, low-noise images at dusk and even at night. I shot the sample photos (above) in DNG RAW (the wide-angle camera shoots 50-megapixel stills; the telephoto 48-megapixel) and edited them using Adobe Lightroom, while the sample video was captured in 10-bit D-Log M and color graded and corrected with DaVinci Resolve Studio. I had a blast editing the footage, with the 10-bit original files offering a huge amount of scope to work with. You don’t have to shoot in D-Log M, however; the cameras support standard color profiles in both 8- and 10-bit quality and 10-bit HLG.

    There’s a wide selection of superb video and photo options available. While the Air 3S can’t shoot 5.7K footage (something offered by the DJI Mavic 3 Pro), it can shoot regular 4K videos at up to 60 fps, 4K slow-motion clips at 120 fps and Full HD slow-motion clips at 240 fps. It can also shoot 9:16 portrait-format videos, ideal for quick posting to social media channels, at a more than acceptable 2.7K resolution and 60 fps.

    I wouldn’t call the cameras perfect, of course. The lack of adjustable apertures makes a set of neutral density (ND) filters almost a compulsory purchase for anyone shooting video during the day, and even then, changing the filters is a fiddly process. Hopefully that’s one upgrade we’ll see DJI introduce with the Air 4, whenever it arrives.

    Sam Kieldsen

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  • Pilots Are Dying of Tiredness. Tech Can’t Save Them

    Pilots Are Dying of Tiredness. Tech Can’t Save Them

    In May 2023, Air India launched safety management software called Coruson, as well as BAM (Boeing Alertness Model), a fatigue-mitigation tool integrated into its rostering system, which is used by airlines to create and manage pilot schedules. Coruson, developed by cloud software company Ideagen, centralizes, analyzes, and reports on safety-related data—such as incidents, hazards, and risk assessments. BAM, developed jointly by Boeing and the software company Jeppesen, predicts and manages pilot fatigue by analyzing flight schedules and performance data. These tools were designed to prevent the creation of fatiguing rosters and pairings, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson noted in an internal message to employees. The carrier also introduced two new digital tools for its crew—the Pilot Sector Report app, to help pilots easily submit information on flight performance, incidents, and observations post-flight; and DocuNet, a digital management system that facilitates the storage, retrieval, and sharing of documents (such as flight manuals, training records, and compliance documents).

    Despite these measures, the airline was fined by the DGCA in March this year for violating FDTL limits and fatigue management rules. This May, Air India Express cabin staff called in sick en masse to protest against “mismanagement.” This followed a similar protest from the crew, mostly pilots, at Vistara airlines. Both Air India and Vistara are now owned by one of India’s largest conglomerates, the Tata Group, which took over the former from the Indian government in January 2022.

    Twenty-five of those who called in sick at Air India Express were terminated. Others were reportedly served an ultimatum. Those sacked were later reinstated by the airline following an intervention by the chief labour commissioner. Nearly a week before, the regional labor commissioner of Delhi had allegedly written to the Tata group chairman pointing to “blatant violations of labour laws” and insisting the legitimate concerns of the cabin crew be looked into. According to CNBC, Vistara employees said the agitation at their end had to do with recent salary updates, which fixed pilot pay at 40 flight hours—down from 70. Protesting first officers claimed that the new salary structure would result in an almost 57 percent pay cut. Under the new terms they would also have to fly up to 76 hours to earn what they were previously earning at 70 hours.

    To placate the pilots and get them back to work, management had assured them that salaries for the “extra working hours” would be credited once Vistara was integrated with Air India. At the time, two Air India pilots unions had written to the chairman of the company, saying that such issues were not isolated but systemic. Burnout was the other related issue, with many pilots complaining of inadequate rest and being pushed to their limits.

    Captain Singh, a former senior manager at AirAsia, tells WIRED that such effects significantly increase the risk of accidents, but also adversely affect pilot health in the long run. Tail swaps—rushing between different types of aircraft to take off immediately after disembarking from another—have become more prevalent under the 13-hour rules, and can further contribute to exhaustion, as do hasty acclimatization and, most significantly, landing three, four, or more flights consecutively, which Captain Randhawa described as a “severe energy management challenge.”

    In the 2024 “Safety Culture Survey” conducted by Singh’s Safety Matters Foundation in July, 81 percent of 530 respondents, primarily medium- to short-haul pilots, stated that bufferless rosters contribute to their fatigue. As many as 84 percent indicated concerns with the speed and direction of shift rotation. “That’s the problem with the new rostering softwares the operators are introducing,” a pilot from a private airline, who requested anonymity, says. “They’re optimizers designed to make pilots work every second of their 13-hour schedule, leaving no breathing room.” The buffer-deficient timetables push pilots to their limits, so any additional pressure—like unpredictable weather—can easily overwhelm them.

    Solving this issue with wrist-worn fatigue-measuring devices is contentious. But that isn’t the only problem. A year since they were hyped up, the buzz around fatigue-management tech has all but fizzled out. There have been no updates from IndiGo about the wrist device. Neither IndiGo nor the Thales Group responded to requests to comment.

    Parni Ray

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  • 9/11 Remembered on the North Shore

    9/11 Remembered on the North Shore

    DANVERS — At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Centers in New York City.

    At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower.

    At 9:59 a.m., the South Tower falls.

    At 10:29 a.m., the North Tower collapses.

    Within the same time frame, at 9:37 a.m., a third plane destroys the west face of the Pentagon, and at 10:03 a.m., a fourth plane is crashed into a field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, by brave passengers when they realized that the intent of the terrorists who had hijacked the plane was to crash it into the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

    On Wednesday, 23 years later, on Sept. 11, 2024, the Danvers Fire Department — as well as public safety agencies and local officials and residents across region and the country — gathered again, at 10 a.m., to commemorate the tragedy, the heartache and the bravery of that day.

    Moments later, the firetrucks rolled out of the Danvers station, red lights flashing, to commemorate the date. Six ranks of uniformed Danvers firefighters stood at attention.

    The first alarm was sounded, four bells of three chimes each, for the firefighters who went out to protect and save others, not knowing what lay ahead, or whether they would even return.

    A single bagpiper played a lonely tune, The Sounds of Silence, and chaplain Eric Baker recalled to the audience how that song “still reminds us of the brokenness of this world.”

    He reminded the audience of the death toll that day: 2,753 at the World Trade Center including the 343 firefighters who died trying to bring them to safety, 184 at the Pentagon, and the 40 passengers aboard UA Flight 93, who crashed their plane into the ground rather than allow the hijackers to fly on to Washington.

    The audience stood for a moment of silence to remember all of them.

    Then the last alarm sounded, three bells of three chimes each, the signal that the fire was extinguished, and the firefighters returned to their stations.

    The ranks of Danvers firefighters standing at attention saluted in memory of those who were lost on that awful day.

    The bagpiper played Amazing Grace, and its sounds faded slowly into the distance.

    By Buck Anderson | Staff Writer

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  • Here’s What the Inside of an Airbus Factory Looks Like

    Here’s What the Inside of an Airbus Factory Looks Like

    This story originally appeared on WIRED Italia and has been translated from Italian.

    This is the most important moment in the life of an airliner: when the new owner signs for it and picks it up, much like a driver picking up a new car from a dealer.

    The aircraft in question is an Airbus A321neo, and it is parked at Hamburg-Finkenwerder, the German city’s second airport, which Airbus uses for testing, logistics, and delivery of airplanes to customers. Gathered around the plane are pilots and cabin crew, as well as two executives from Wizz Air, the low-cost Hungarian airline that is about to take delivery of it.

    Airlines and manufacturers never disclose how much they pay for individual aircraft—partly because prices depend on many factors, including the number of planes purchased and the commercial history of each individual airline—but buying a plane is never cheap. The base price of a single Airbus A321neo is estimated to be around $110 million.

    This particular plane, registered by Wizz Air as H9-WNM, was produced in Airbus’s Hamburg factory in just over a year. The site is one of the company’s four production centers, the others being in Toulouse, France; Mobile, Alabama; and Tianjin, China. Known as final assembly lines (FAL), these giant workshops are where a plane’s structural parts, on-board electronics, hydraulic and mechanical components, and other pieces all come together.

    The final arming process of an Airbus A320neo in Hamburg.Photograph: Antonio Dini

    But before these components reach the FAL, they need to be manufactured. Some are made internally by Airbus, others by third parties, and together making them involves dozens of factories and centers around the globe. Then there is the formidable logistical challenge of bringing them all together. This complex ballet involves shipments by boat, train, road, and air, with a small fleet of special transport planes—known as Belugas—playing a key role. These aircraft, with their prodigious girth that makes them resemble beluga whales, were created by Airbus to move large components such as fuselages from one production center to another.

    Antonio Dini

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  • CrowdStrike Faces a Potential Tsunami of Lawsuits. Only the Fine Print Can Save It, Experts Say

    CrowdStrike Faces a Potential Tsunami of Lawsuits. Only the Fine Print Can Save It, Experts Say

    On July 19, Jonathan Cardi and his family watched as the departures board at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, turned from green to a sea of red. “Oh my gosh, it was insane,” says Cardi. “Delayed, delayed, delayed, delayed.”

    Cardi, a law professor at Wake Forest University and a member of the American Law Institute, was due to fly with Delta Airlines to a conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With thousands of other travelers, he spent the day lining up as staff kept telling people that flights “would be taking off any minute,” he recalls. But when it became clear that planes were going nowhere, he made the 11-hour journey by rental car instead. Others heading to the conference slept at the airport, Cardi later found out.

    The chaos was the result of a software update released by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, which contained a defect that crashed millions of Microsoft Windows computers. The IT outage, which disrupted airlines, financial services, and various other industries, is estimated to have caused more than $5 billion in financial losses. “Because there was so much money lost, there is going to be legal action,” says Cardi, who specializes in the field of law concerned with civil liability for losses or harm.

    That legal wrangling is already beginning.

    On July 29, Delta informed CrowdStrike and Microsoft of its intent to sue over the $500 million it claims to have lost as a result of the outage. A class action lawsuit has been filed by law firm Labaton Keller Sucharow on behalf of CrowdStrike shareholders, claiming they were misled over the company’s software testing practices. Another law firm, Gibbs Law Group, has announced it is looking into bringing a class action on behalf of small businesses affected by the outage.

    In response to WIRED’s inquiry about the shareholder class action, CrowdStrike says, “We believe this case lacks merit, and we will vigorously defend the company.” In a letter to Delta’s legal counsel seen by WIRED, a legal representative for CrowdStrike said that the company “strongly rejects any allegation that it was grossly negligent or committed willful misconduct.” Microsoft declined to comment. Delta’s legal counsel declined an interview request.

    Those hoping to recover financial losses will need to find creative ways to frame their cases against CrowdStrike, which is insulated to a great extent by clauses typical of software contracts that limit its liability, Cardi says. Though it may seem intuitive that CrowdStrike be on the hook for its mistake, the company is likely to be “pretty well-guarded” by the fine print, he adds.

    Limitation Clause

    Despite CrowdStrike conceding responsibility for the outage, neither direct customers nor businesses disrupted by proximity—i.e., the customers of CrowdStrike customers—will find it easy to recover their losses. The first question will be: What specifically would they be suing CrowdStrike for? There are a handful of theoretical options—breach of contract, negligence, or fraud—but none of them are straightforward.

    Although customers may argue that CrowdStrike breached its contract in some way, “the amount of money they could recover is likely to be severely limited by the limitation clause,” says Paul MacMahon, associate professor of law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The purpose of any such clause is to act as a sort of get-out-of-jail-free card, limiting the amount of money a software vendor has to pay out. The specific contents of the contracts entered into by CrowdStrike and its customers will differ from case to case, but the general terms and conditions limit CrowdStrike’s liability to only the amount its customers pay for its services.

    Joel Khalili

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  • Salem Harbor boater suffers head injury

    Salem Harbor boater suffers head injury

    The Salem Harbormaster’s office reported Sunday that a man suffered a head injury after he was ejected from one boat and struck by another.

    The man, who was in and out of consciousness after being struck, was transported to the Harbormaster’s Winter Island Road location about 7:30 p.m. to be treated by first responders.

    A med flight helicopter was requested to transport the injured man from Salem Willows Park to a hospital. However, the Harbormaster official didn’t disclose whether the victim was subsequently relocated.

    It’s unclear whether the man was a passenger or the operator of the boat. A Harbormaster’s Office official also didn’t disclose how the man was ejected from the boat or the size of the boat.

    In May, 65-year-old Gloucester resident John Masiz died while boating through Salem Harbor.

    The fatality occurred within Salem Sound, where a boat was reported to be crashed on the rocks off Misery Island just after 5 p.m. on a Saturday. A multi-agency search located Masiz’s body separate from the boat, several hours later, at 10:15 p.m., officials said.

    The Essex County District Attorney’s Office said in May the incident was under investigation pending autopsy results from the state medical examiner’s office.

    Salem Harbor is a mixture of commercial and recreational vessels with more than 1,600 permitted recreational boats in Salem waters, according to the Harbormaster’s website.

    By Christopher Calnan | Staff Writer

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  • Boeing accepts a plea deal to avoid a criminal trial over 737 Max crashes, Justice Department says

    Boeing accepts a plea deal to avoid a criminal trial over 737 Max crashes, Justice Department says

    Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two deadly crashes of 737 Max jetliners after the government determined the company violated an agreement that had protected it from prosecution for more than three years, the Justice Department said Sunday night.Federal prosecutors gave Boeing the choice this week of entering a guilty plea and paying a fine as part of its sentence or facing a trial on the felony criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.Prosecutors accused the American aerospace giant of deceiving regulators who approved the airplane and pilot-training requirements for it.The plea deal, which still must receive the approval of a federal judge to take effect, calls for Boeing to pay an additional $243.6 million fine. That was the same amount it paid under the 2021 settlement that the Justice Department said the company breached. An independent monitor would be named to oversee Boeing’s safety and quality procedures for three years.The plea deal covers only wrongdoing by Boeing before the crashes, which killed all 346 passengers and crew members aboard two new Max jets. It does not give Boeing immunity for other incidents, including a panel that blew off a Max jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, a Justice Department official said.The deal also does not cover any current or former Boeing officials, only the corporation.Federal prosecutors alleged Boeing committed conspiracy to defraud the government by misleading regulators about a flight-control system that was implicated in the crashes, which took place in Indonesia in October 2018 and in Ethiopia less five months later.As part of the January 2021 settlement, the Justice Department said it would not prosecute Boeing on the charge if the company complied with certain conditions for three years. Prosecutors last month alleged Boeing had breached the terms of that agreement.The company’s guilty plea will be entered in U.S. District Court in Texas. The judge overseeing the case, who has criticized what he called “Boeing’s egregious criminal conduct,” could accept the plea and the sentence that prosecutors offered with it or he could reject the agreement, likely leading to new negotiations between the Justice Department and Boeing.Relatives of the people who died in the crashes were briefed on the plea offer a week ago and at the time said they would ask the judge to reject it.U.S. agencies can use a criminal conviction as grounds to exclude companies from doing business with the government for a set amount of time. Boeing is an important contractor of the Defense Department and NASA.

    Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two deadly crashes of 737 Max jetliners after the government determined the company violated an agreement that had protected it from prosecution for more than three years, the Justice Department said Sunday night.

    Federal prosecutors gave Boeing the choice this week of entering a guilty plea and paying a fine as part of its sentence or facing a trial on the felony criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

    Prosecutors accused the American aerospace giant of deceiving regulators who approved the airplane and pilot-training requirements for it.

    The plea deal, which still must receive the approval of a federal judge to take effect, calls for Boeing to pay an additional $243.6 million fine. That was the same amount it paid under the 2021 settlement that the Justice Department said the company breached. An independent monitor would be named to oversee Boeing’s safety and quality procedures for three years.

    The plea deal covers only wrongdoing by Boeing before the crashes, which killed all 346 passengers and crew members aboard two new Max jets. It does not give Boeing immunity for other incidents, including a panel that blew off a Max jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, a Justice Department official said.

    The deal also does not cover any current or former Boeing officials, only the corporation.

    Federal prosecutors alleged Boeing committed conspiracy to defraud the government by misleading regulators about a flight-control system that was implicated in the crashes, which took place in Indonesia in October 2018 and in Ethiopia less five months later.

    As part of the January 2021 settlement, the Justice Department said it would not prosecute Boeing on the charge if the company complied with certain conditions for three years. Prosecutors last month alleged Boeing had breached the terms of that agreement.

    The company’s guilty plea will be entered in U.S. District Court in Texas. The judge overseeing the case, who has criticized what he called “Boeing’s egregious criminal conduct,” could accept the plea and the sentence that prosecutors offered with it or he could reject the agreement, likely leading to new negotiations between the Justice Department and Boeing.

    Relatives of the people who died in the crashes were briefed on the plea offer a week ago and at the time said they would ask the judge to reject it.

    U.S. agencies can use a criminal conviction as grounds to exclude companies from doing business with the government for a set amount of time. Boeing is an important contractor of the Defense Department and NASA.

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  • Unbelievable facts

    Unbelievable facts

    Paint on an airplane can add 600 to 1,200 pounds, increasing fuel consumption.

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  • Bette Nash, world’s longest-serving flight attendant and aviation industry icon, dies at 88

    Bette Nash, world’s longest-serving flight attendant and aviation industry icon, dies at 88

    After serving the skies for nearly 67 years, Bette Nash, the world’s longest-tenured flight attendant, has died at 88 years old.

    “It is with sadness that we inform you of the passing of our dear colleague, Bette Nash, the longest-tenured flight attendant at American Airlines,” according to a memo to flight attendants on Saturday obtained by ABC News.

    Nash died on May 17 in hospice care after a recent breast cancer diagnosis, though she never officially retired from her role with American Airlines.

    Nash began her career in Washington, D.C., in 1957 with Eastern Airlines, which later became American Airlines. Despite being able to choose any route in the world, Nash primarily worked the DC-NY-Boston Shuttle so she could be home every night to care for her son who has Down syndrome.

    In 2022, she was honored with the Guinness World Record title for longest-serving flight attendant.

    “With her quick wit, magnetic personality and passion for serving others, Bette set an example not just for the flight attendant profession but for all of us in the airline industry,” Brady Byrnes, senior vice president of Inflight & Premium Guest Services for American Airlines, said in the memo.

    When Nash first started her aviation career, passengers would purchase life insurance from a vending machine before boarding — and flights cost $12 between New York and Washington. D.C., she told ABC News in a 2022 interview.

    At the time, Nash reflected on the strict restrictions regarding weight and personal relationships she and other flight attendants had to endure to maintain their careers.

    Nash said the airline would check on her at home to ensure she wasn’t living with a man because flight attendants had to be single. The airline also weighed her before shifts and could suspend her if she gained too much weight, she said.

    “You had to be a certain height, you had to be a certain weight. It used to be horrible. You put on a few pounds and you had to keep weighing yourself, and then if you stayed that way, they would take you off the payroll,” Nash said during a flight in 2017 with ABC affiliate WJLA’s cameras onboard.

    Before her passing, Nash attended regular flight attendant training per Federal Aviation Administration rules.

    “Bette was an industry icon, and those who flew with her knew her as a role model and consummate professional,” the airline said in the memo, adding, “Fly high, Bette. You’ll be missed.”

    Copyright © 2024 ABC News Internet Ventures.

    ABCNews

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  • Peabody corner named in honor of missing WWII airman

    Peabody corner named in honor of missing WWII airman

    PEABODY — Sgt. Walter Dombrowski was on patrol over the Pacific Ocean during World War II when his B-17 ran out of fuel. While most on board would survive the plane crashing into the sea, Dombroski, a 28-year-old Peabody native, would never be seen again.

    On Saturday, his family and local veterans dedicated a permanent marker of his service and sacrifice in front of his childhood home at 111 Central St. — 81 years after his final flight, and on the 40th anniversary of the Polish Legion of American Veterans Post 63 named in his honor.

    “This street is home to some of our most vulnerable residents in the city: our seniors,” Peabody Veterans Agent Steve Patten said at the corner of Wilson Terrace and Central Street, now named in Dombrowski’s honor.

    “He went down while on patrol. He’s still on patrol, he’s still watching over,” Patten said, pointing to the new black and bronze sign bearing Dombrowski’s name. “And he’s doing it right where his family lived. God bless, buddy.”

    Dombrowski was one of the thousands of servicemembers to be declared missing in action during World War II.

    He was born in Peabody in 1913 to Joseph and Anna (Sobocinski) Dobrowski and enlisted in the U.S. Air Corps in 1940. After serving stateside, he was transferred to the 360th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Heavy Bomber Group at Hickam Field, Hawaii, in 1942.

    On June 15, 1942, Dombrowski and eight other crewmen boarded a B-17 at Hickam Field to patrol the Pacific, just days after the Battle of Midway and seven months after their plane and its pilot survived the Dec. 7, 1941, attacks on Pearl Harbor.

    The crew eventually lost track of their position and, low on fuel, ditched the plane around 9 p.m. about 130 miles from their base.

    Seven of the crewmembers were able to escape the plane as it went down and successfully deployed a life raft. But the top hatch failed to open for Dombrowski, serving as the plane’s radioman, and gunner Pvt. Walter Dutkiewicz of New Jersey.

    The seven crew members would be found by the Navy and Army Air Force during a rescue mission and survive, but not Dutkiewicz and Dombrowski. They were declared dead that day and remain missing in action.

    Their names are memorialized at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at the Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu.

    “Not only did Sgt. Dombrowski give up his life, but he gave up his future and everything that would have come from that,” Patten said. “His children, their children. Little League games, spending time with family and friends and loved ones at the holidays: he gave up everything.”

    Dombrowksi’s nephew, Walter Doblecki, was born in September 1942 and named in his honor. Despite never knowing his uncle, Doblecki has always felt a strong tie to him, he said at Post 63’s 40th anniversary luncheon ceremony at the Portuguese American War Vets post on Tremont Street ahead of Saturday’s dedication.

    “Growing up, my Aunt Teresa always seemed to be exceptionally warm and friendly toward me,” Doblecki said. “Looking back, I think I reminded her of her brother Walter, and the joyful youth that she shared with Walter and my mother Wanda.”

    Doblecki was joined by other nieces and nephews of Dombrowski Saturday, including Peabody Ward 4 City Councilor Julie Daigle, Dombrowski’s great-niece.

    “Walter Dombrowski was the brother of my grandmother Teresa Rydzewski, so this is extra special, but either way I appreciate Walter (Blazewicz Jr.) recognizing our veterans and the people that have served in our community, in our culture,” Daigle said. “Thank you for continuing to keep that alive.”

    Blazewicz started Post 63 in 1984 and is the current commander. Rydzewski was the first president of the post’s Ladies Auxiliary Chapter and a member until her death in 2012.

    Blazewicz and his wife, Ann, were the main organizers behind Saturday’s events. They were joined by fellow members, other area veterans organizations and State Sen. Joan Lovely, State. Rep. Tom Walsh and Peabody City Council President Stephanie Peach.

    It was a “great feeling” seeing a hall filled with veterans celebrating his post, Blazewicz said.

    “I am proud of this post’s record of service to our community and nation, but the success of this post is not due to my organizational skills,” he said. “A successful post needs consistent hard work and diligent efforts by dedicated members to enable it to achieve success.”

    That’s been the case for Post 63. Even so, its membership, and the number of veterans posts around the North Shore, is dwindling alongside the number of WWII, Korea and Vietnam vets still alive.

    Robert Dunne, commander of the Peabody Veterans’ Council and senior vice commander of Post 63, said Saturday he hopes younger veterans of all types of service will step in to keep these groups afloat.

    “These organizations are our advocates. They’re the ones who go to legislators and say, ‘Hey, we need more medical services, we need to have PTSD coverage,” he said.

    “They’re more than just organizations people go to hangout and discuss what they did when they were in service.”

    By Caroline Enos | Staff Writer

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  • Police/Fire

    Police/Fire

    In news taken from the logs of Cape Ann’s police and fire departments:

    GLOUCESTER

    Sunday, May 5

    10:02 p.m.: A crash with property damage only was reported on Washington and Mansfield streets.

    5:16 p.m.: Police took a report of child abuse.

    4:23 p.m.: Trash dumping was reported on Eastern Point Boulevard. A pile of cutup posts and lumber dumped in a pile off to the side of a back driveway was discovered in a homeowner’s backyard. The homeowner gave a description of a man he had confronted on his property. The man told the homeowner he was “just checking the place out,” the report said. The homeowner said the man appeared to be acting suspiciously and he believed he was casing the home. The man then walked down the driveway and left. The homeowner did not see if he got into a vehicle. A neighbor did not see anything. Police planned to check with Eastern Point security to review footage to identify the man and a possible vehicle.

    3:15 p.m.: Police planned to file a criminal complaint against a 61-year-old New Hampshire woman on a charge of assault and battery on a police officer at the Rockport Police Department where people are held in custody with the Gloucester Police Department presently under renovations. 

    1:03 p.m.: Police provided mutual aid to Manchester police on Summer Street.

    5:59 a.m.: A hypodermic needle was retrieved from Commercial Street and dispose of safely.

    Saturday, May 4

    7:32 p.m.: Police assisted the Fire Department with a medical emergency.

    Crashes with property damage only reported on Grant Circle on Washington Street at 11:02 a.m., Washington and Addison streets at 3:03 p.m., Washington and Poplar streets at 4:02 p.m., Market Basket on Gloucester Crossing Road at 4:44 p.m., Elm Street at 5:53 p.m., andon Walker Street at 7:16 p.m. 

    Fire Department was assisted with calls from Walker Street at 2:05 p.m. and from McPherson Park on Prospect Street at 6:25 p.m.

    5:03 p.m.: Loitering was reported at Walgreens on Main Street.

    2:34 p.m.: Police responded to a disturbance on Essex Avenue.

    9:12 a.m.: A crash with injuries was reported at 54 Eastern Ave. Police planned to file a criminal complaint against a 53-year-old Gloucester man on charges of driving with a suspended license, negligent operation and a marked lanes violation. A vehicle was towed from the scene.

    9:07 a.m.: Debris was reported on Addison Street.

    7:11 a.m.: No action was required for a report of credit card fraud from Heights at Cape Ann.

    1:11 a.m.: As a result of a report of a suspicious motor vehicle at the Man at the Wheel statue on Stacy Boulevard and Western Avenue, police arrested a 61-year-old resident of Bow, New Hampshire, on charges of driving under the influence of drugs, disorderly conduct and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Police arrived to find the vehicle parked on the boulevard in the center of the Fisherman’s Memorial, between the Man at the Wheel statue and the cenotaphs — the granite blocks and bronze plaques —and the railing. Police found the driver with her eyes closed, swaying her head side to side, and mumbling to herself. When ordered to put the car in park and shut it off, the woman at first refused, but eventually did so, th police  report said. The woman said she was on her way to New Hampshire from Logan Airport in Boston and decided to come to Gloucester “to speak with the ocean,” the report said. The woman became agitated as an officer asked her questions. She reportedly jumped out of her vehicle in an angry manner, telling police she could park somewhere else and there was no reason for them to be there. An officer informed the woman he had never seen a person park a vehicle in this manner in the 32 years he has lived in Gloucester. Police then asked her to submit to field sobriety tests, and after jumping up on the granite blocks and showing signs of impairment during two of the tests, police arrested her on a charge of disorderly conduct. The officer concluded the woman was driving under the influence of drugs, the report said. Police requested the vehicle be towed and saw fresh damage on both its sides. Police did not locate illegal drugs in the vehicle, but found the driver’s prescription for lorazepam. Police filed an immediate threat for her right to drive in Massachusetts.

    Friday, May 3

    9:14 p.m.: Police planned to file a criminal complaint with a charge of trespassing against a 49-year-old Gloucester resident of no known address. Police were dispatched for a report of a man sitting on the railroad tracks off Dory Road and refusing to move so that the inbound train could pass. While police were heading there, dispatch informed responding officers that witnesses said the man was walking toward the Cleveland Street crossing but was still on the tracks. Police walked the tracks about a half mile approaching the train but were unable to locate anyone on the tracks. The train engineer and conductor described the man as tall, balding with curly hair on the sides and wearing a red sweatshirt. This description matched that of a man police had escorted off the tracks in the same location the day before. Police eventually caught up with the man. Police reminded him of their prior conversation regarding trespassing on the tracks. He told police he has nothing to do and his family has always walked the tracks. He was not trying to harm himself, he was just bored, he told police, who told the man the tracks are posted as “No Trespassing,” and that they would be charging him for trespassing.

    Crashes with property damage only reported at the Blackburn Rotary at 2:13 p.m., and on Pirates Lane at 5:38 p.m.

    1:51 p.m.: Trash dumping was reported on Elm Street. A caller reported trash that has been put out a week in advance.

    10:40 a.m.: A 54-year-old Gloucester resident was arrested on an active warrant for a restraining order violation. The man was taken into custody after a motor-vehicle stop of a white Ford truck on Poplar Street and Bertoni Road. The man was taken to Peabody District Court.

    10:04 a.m.: A disabled vehicle was reported on Hesperus and Western avenues.

    7:42 a.m.: A report of annoying phone calls was under investigation. The log refers to charges being sought.

    ROCKPORT

    Monday, May 6

    Noon: The Fire Department was dispatched to a Drumlin Road address.

    Sunday, May 5

    2:48 p.m.: A medical emergency ambulance transport was conducted from a Main Street address.

    8:13 a.m.: The Fire Department was dispatched to a Granite Street address.

    Saturday, May 4

    Medical emergencies: Individuals were taken to the hospital by ambulance from the intersection of Beach and Main Streets at 10:36 a.m., the intersection of Thatcher Road and Tregony Bow at 11:19 a.m., the intersection of Thatcher Road and Highview Road at 11:34 a.m., and a Main Street address at 2:03 p.m.

    ESSEX

    Monday, May 6

    7:36 p.m.: A police investigation was conducted at a Pond Street address.

    7:27 p.m.: An ambulance transport was conducted from the intersection of Apple Street and Western Avenue.

    5:01 p.m.: A report was made about a motor vehicle crash on John Wise Avenue.

    1:17 p.m.: A report was made about a motor vehicle crash on Main Street.

    Sunday, May 5

    5:38 p.m.: After a report of an injury, a medical ambulance transport was refused at a Western Avenue address.

    9:56 a.m.: A medical ambulance transport was conducted from a Sagamore Circle address.

    Saturday, May 4

    7:29 a.m.: A request was made about a public utility on Martin Street.

    MANCHESTER

    Monday, May 6

    11:07 p.m.: Suspicious activity was reported on Ancient County Way at 9:59 p.m., at the intersection of Pine and Pleasant Streets at10:20 p.m., and at the Pine Street Fields at 11:07 p.m.

    4:53 p.m.: After a motor vehicle stop at the intersection of Pine Street and Parsons Lane, a written warning was issued.

    4:34 p.m.: A complaint was made about an animal on Allen Avenue.

    2:46 p.m.: A report was made about lost and found property at a Central Street address.

    1:53 p.m.: A report was made about a motor vehicle crash on Jersey Lane.

    1:48 p.m.: A community policing event was attended to at a Lincoln Street address.

    1:27 p.m.: A report of a structure fire was confirmed at a Boardman Avenue address. “It was just contained to an oven,” said Lt. Robert Cavender. “It was out before we even got there. It was just a small oven fire contained to the oven.”

    1:17 p.m.: Acomplaint about noise at the intersection of Sea and Summer Streets was lodged.

    8:27 a.m.: A transport was conducted at a Central Street address.

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  • How to Watch the Boeing Starliner Launch

    How to Watch the Boeing Starliner Launch

    It’s been a rough few years for Boeing, but now the company is about to fly closer to the sun than ever before. After nearly a decade of development and delays, the first crewed launch of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft is happening today. Here’s how to watch it live.

    The launch is a jointly planned event between Boeing and NASA, and is scheduled for Monday, May 6, at 10:34 pm EDT, 7:34 PDT. You can watch the livestream of the launch a few ways. It will stream on NASA’s official website and YouTube channel, as well as on NASA+, the agency’s subscription service. If you’re on mobile, the stream is also available on the NASA app. You can also watch it right here.

    The livestream starts about four hours before the planned launch time, at 6:30 pm Eastern, 3:30 Pacific.

    The launch of the Starliner has been a long time coming. With this highly anticipated liftoff, Boeing will officially be the second company (after SpaceX) to partner with NASA to carry humans into space. The Starliner will be crewed by NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who will head to the International Space Station. The plan is for the astronauts to remain there for a week or so, then return to planet Earth, reentering the atmosphere aboard the same craft and then landing under parachutes.

    If this mission succeeds without a hitch, it will also likely be a welcome hit of good news for the troubled aviation company. Boeing has drawn a lot of presumably unwanted attention in recent months, as an array of technical malfunctions on its commercial airline flights have terrified travelers and made headlines. These events come not long after two of Boeing’s 737 Max planes crashed in 2018 and 2019. Clearly, Boeing is eager to claw back some public goodwill and write a whole new chapter centered around a future of bringing more people into space.

    Boone Ashworth

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  • Boeing’s weakness has a lesser known rival from Brazil gearing up to compete, and American Airlines’ CEO is a fan

    Boeing’s weakness has a lesser known rival from Brazil gearing up to compete, and American Airlines’ CEO is a fan

    While Boeing struggles with regulatory hurdles and delivery delays, a smaller competitor known for its regional and business jets may be raising its ambitions to compete—possibly at its own peril.

    Brazil-based airplane manufacturer Embraer is reportedly exploring the idea of creating a next-generation narrow-body jet, the Wall Street Journal reported. Embraer’s new aircraft would take on Boeing’s 737 Max jets and Airbus’ A320 aircraft. It would mark the smaller company’s first attempt at direct competition against the two aerospace giants, which effectively control the market for planes with more than 130 seats.

    Embraer’s ambitions picked up after a 737 Max operated by Alaska Airlines lost a panel in midair in January, sources told the Journal. That incident prompted U.S. safety regulators to limit Boeing’s production.

    While Embraer denied reports that it would build a competing plane, a spokesperson told the Journal that it “certainly has the capability” to do so.

    Embraer already has a cheerleader in American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, who complimented the manufacturer on the carrier’s quarterly earnings call last month. American’s fleet includes three types of Embraer Regional Jets, all with fewer than 100 seats. 

    “I want to give a shout out to Embraer,” he said. “They have delivered day in and day out, throughout the pandemic, no matter the concerns of their supply chain.”

    When asked about delivery delays from Boeing, however, Isom had a different message: “Get your act together.” 

    Analysts at Bank of America led by Ronald Epstein echoed Isom’s sentiment, cheering on the possibility of Embraer taking a shot at the duopoly between Boeing and Airbus in a Friday note. The BofA analysts pointed out that between 1999 and 2019, Embraer was largely on time and on budget with its projects.

    “They really are an engineering marvel,” they wrote. “Therefore, we have no doubt Embraer could develop an excellent jet to compete in the same class as the 737 Max and the A320neo, on budget, on time and at a fraction of the cost of the other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).”

    Morningstar equity analyst Nicolas Owens told Fortune that Embraer is one of a few, if not the only company, that could enter this market. But that doesn’t mean it will—or that it should.

    Owens said that while Embraer is a capable company, it is a fraction of the size of Boeing and Airbus and would be overwhelmed by the incredible cost of designing a new plane, scaling up production, and then convincing exceptionally skeptical carriers to take a chance on the new model.

    Embraer’s biggest plane at the moment, the E2, is smaller than the 737 and A320, and only about 100 of them have been produced since 2018, Owens said. Meanwhile, Boeing and Airbus are building 100 planes between them per month.

    “Embraer has some of the know-how in terms of design and technology, but not the hands-on know-how of what it takes to scale up building an even-larger jet,” Owens told Fortune in an email. “I don’t know where they’d get the startup funds to launch this product that wouldn’t see revenue for almost a decade.”

    Even the more optimistic analysts at Bank of America argued that Embraer would need to be creative to bring a competing plane to market, possible financing it through risk-sharing partners, direct investment by partners, or some other strategy. It would also have to deal with capital, geopolitical, and market access problems.

    It was the latter of these issues that made the difference the last time a competitor tried to take a shot at Boeing and Airbus, explained Owens in an April note. After spending more than 10 years and billions of dollars launching an aircraft to compete with the duopoly, Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier was forced to sell its CSeries jet at a steep loss to Airbus after Boeing petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce to hit it with a tariff for selling the plane below production cost. Another example lies in Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi, which last year folded a 16-year effort to develop a regional jet. 

    The newest company to take on Boeing and Airbus, the CCP-backed COMAC, still relies on many U.S.-based parts and has a long while before it can produce them at any sizable quantity, Owens said.

    While Embraer’s ambitions are high, the reality of bringing a new plane to market may be too much to overcome, Owens wrote in a note for Morningstar.

    “Boeing and Airbus are the only two capable suppliers of globally competitive aircraft larger than 130 seats, and we don’t see any globally competitive new entrants entering the market anytime soon,” he predicted. 

    Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez

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  • Skyryse One Helicopter – Wicked Gadgetry

    Skyryse One Helicopter – Wicked Gadgetry








    Skyryse One Helicopter 3


    Skyryse One Helicopter 2







    The Skyryse One Helicopter is a platform for the SkyOS system that simplifies rotary wing controls while increasing safety at the same time. The automated system eliminates the cyclic stick, collective level, throttle and anti-toque pedals all for one simple control yoke that the pilot uses to control everything. In addition, a centrally mounted touchscreen controls instruments, engine start, and automated takeoff and landing sequence.

    Kyle

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  • Dubai reveals massive plans for the world’s busiest airport

    Dubai reveals massive plans for the world’s busiest airport

    (CNN) — When it comes to airport expansion projects, the Gulf States are abuzz and the competition is fierce.

    A mammoth airport in Saudi Arabia has already set records for size, but new plans in Dubai are ratcheting up the race to be the world’s busiest airport by passenger volume.

    Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Airport currently wears the crown as the largest airport in the world by area. At a whopping 780 square kilometers (about 300 square miles), that’s bigger than neighboring country Bahrain.

    CNN

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  • The Dangerous Rise of GPS Attacks

    The Dangerous Rise of GPS Attacks

    The disruption to GPS services started getting worse on Christmas Day. Planes and ships moving around southern Sweden and Poland lost connectivity as their radio signals were interfered with. Since then, the region around the Baltic Sea—including neighboring Germany, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—has faced persistent attacks against GPS systems.

    Tens of thousands of planes flying in the region have reported problems with their navigation systems in recent months amid widespread jamming attacks, which can make GPS inoperable. As the attacks have grown, Russia has increasingly been blamed, with open source researchers tracking the source to Russian regions such as Kaliningrad. In one instance, signals were disrupted for 47 hours continuously. On Monday, marking one of the most serious incidents yet, airline Finnair canceled its flights to Tartu, Estonia, for a month, after GPS interference forced two of its planes to abort landings at the airport and turn around.

    The jamming in the Baltic region, which was first spotted in early 2022, is just the tip of the iceberg. In recent years, there has been a rapid uptick in attacks against GPS signals and wider satellite navigation systems, known as GNSS, including those of Europe, China, and Russia. The attacks can jam signals, essentially forcing them offline, or spoof the signals, making aircraft and ships appear at false locations on maps. Beyond the Baltics, war zone areas around Ukraine and the Middle East have also seen sharp rises in GPS disruptions, including signal blocking meant to disrupt airborne attacks.

    Now, governments and telecom and airline safety experts are increasingly sounding the alarm about the disruptions and the potential for major disasters. Foreign ministers in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have all blamed Russia for GPS issues in the Baltics this week and said the threat should be taken seriously.

    “It cannot be ruled out that this jamming is a form of hybrid warfare with the aim of creating uncertainty and unrest,” Jimmie Adamsson, the chief of public affairs for the Swedish Navy, tells WIRED. “Of course, there are concerns, mostly for civilian shipping and aviation, that an accident will occur creating an environmental disaster. There is also a risk that ships and aircraft will stop traffic to this area and therefore global trade will be affected.”

    “A growing threat situation must be expected in connection with GPS jamming,” Joe Wagner, a spokesperson from Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security, tells WIRED, saying there are technical ways to reduce its impact. Officials in Finland say they have also seen an increase in airline disruptions in and around the country. And a spokesperson for the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency, tells WIRED that the number of jamming and spoofing incidents have “increased significantly” over the past four years, and interfering with radio signals is prohibited under the ITU’s rules.

    On the Upswing

    Attacks against GPS, and the wider GNSS category, come in two forms. First, GPS jamming looks to overwhelm the radio signals that make up GPS and make the systems unusable. Second, spoofing attacks can replace the original signal with a new location—spoofed ships can, for example, appear on maps as if they’re at inland airports.

    Both types of interference are up in frequency. The disruptions—at least at this stage—mostly impact planes flying at high altitudes and ships that can be in open water, not people’s individual phones or other systems that rely on GPS.

    Matt Burgess

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  • Police/Fire

    Police/Fire

    In news taken from the logs of Cape Ann’s police and fire departments:

    GLOUCESTER

    Friday, April 12

    7:28 p.m.: Debris in the roadway was reported on Washington Street.

    6:35 p.m.: No action was required for a report of a hold-up alarm at the Market Basket on Gloucester Crossing Road.

    5:35 p.m.: Larceny was reported on Granite Street.

    4:57 p.m.: A caller reported the theft of a computer delivered to his home on on Bayfield Road. The report states the driver took a picture of the box when it was delivered, but when the person went to grab the box, it was not there. The resident suspected the driver took it and he planned to follow up with the FedEx fraud division.

    3:36 p.m.: A burglary/past break-in was reported on Nashua Avenue.

    3:04 p.m.: Police planned to file a criminal complaint against a 16-year-old on a charge of assault and battery on Pleasant Street.

    2:17 p.m.: A crash with property damage only was reported at 129 Prospect St.

    12:47: Police took a report of fraud on Prospect Street.

    Thursday, April 11

    8:07 p.m.: After a traffic stop on Eastern Avenue at Webster Street for a car without any tail lights on, police filed a criminal complaint against a 22-year-old Gloucester resident on charges of a motor-vehicle lights violation and driving without a license. The driver produced a registration but not a license when stopped. Using a translation service, the man provided the officer with a passport. Dispatch confirmed the man had no license status, only a learner’s permit. The driver contacted his boss who translated for them both. The driver was told he was going to be summonsed to court for unlicensed driving and a licensed driver arrived to take the SUV away.

    6:36 p.m.: A 29-year-old Gloucester resident was arrested on two counts of breaking and entering into a vehicle/boat in the daytime to commit a felony, resisting arrest and larceny under $1,200. A witness reported seeing a man rummaging through the passenger seat of his father’s car as it was parked on Elwell Street. The witness contacted his brother who was at home and called police. The brother went outside and saw the 29-year-old going through the vehicle from the passenger seat. He asked the suspect what he was doing, and he said he thought the vehicle belonged to his cousin. The brother said he did not believe the suspect and asked him to empty his pockets, but he did not recognize any of the belongings. The father then came out and checked his car, telling police he left his doors unlocked. He did not notice anything missing, with items from the center console strewn about, including a plastic change holder that had been removed and discarded on the floor. The suspect repeated that he thought the car belonged to his cousin, but refused to say what he was doing, what he was looking for, or who his cousin was. He could not describe the vehicle his cousin owned. The man said he had come from a local establishment and police said they could smell an odor of alcohol about him. Police went to arrest the man, but he resisted. One of the officers drew his stun gun and ordered the suspect to stop resisting and the man complied. The man was searched and police found miscellaneous property in his pockets. During booking, officers learned from dispatch there was a second report of a car break in the area, with the owner of a 2010 Toyota Corolla, reporting loose change, a half a roll of quarters and a Zippo lighter missing from his vehicle, consistent to what was found in the suspect’s possession. Police later obtained security camera footage showing the suspect walking onto Elwell Street and checking the driver’s side door of a 2020 Chevrolet before walking down the street and getting into the passenger side of the father’s car.

    Debris in the roadway was reported on Route 128 north at 2:21 p.m. and between Grant Circle and A. Piatt Andrew bridge on Route 128 south at 2:03 p.m..

    6:16 a.m.: An unwelcome guest was reported on Sheedy Park at Pleasant Street.

    Wednesday, April 10

    Crashes with property damage only at 5:16 p.m. on Grant Circle, and at 6:11 p.m. on Elm Avenue. 

    5:22 p.m.: Vandalism to a car was reported on Rockland Street. During the night, someone took a blow torch to the Ford Escape and damaged it. There were no suspects in the incident.

    5:20 p.m.: An assault as a result of a landlord/tenant dispute was reported on Centennial Avenue.

    4:59 p.m.: A hit-and-run crash with property damage only at 178 Washington St. resulted in police planning to file a criminal complaint against a 49-year-old Gloucester man on charges of driving with a revoked license as a habitual traffic offender, leaving the scene of property damage and negligent driving. Police came upon the scene and found a parked rented 2023 Nissan on the northbound side of Washington Street with damage to the driver’s side rear quarter panel. The other car, a 2018 Jeep Compass, had fled the scene. The red Jeep could be seen on video provided by a nearby restaurant fleeing to the intersection of Grove Street and turning right. The video showed the crash, with the Jeep traveling at a high rate of speed, crossing the white fog line, striking the parked car, and pushing it forward one foot. The Jeep crossed the double yellow center line nearly striking an oncoming vehicle. The driver of the oncoming vehicle told police he turned around on Washington Street and attempted to follow the Jeep on Grove Street but lost it as it sped away. Police eventually located the Jeep matching the description given in a driveway on East Main Street. The Jeep was found with a jack under the passenger side and the damaged front tire was raised in the air. Police spoke with the driver who eventually admitted to driving the Jeep, which he did not own. He told police he fled because his license was revoked.

    3:32 p.m.: Police responded to a report of trespassing on Atlantic Street.

    2:59 p.m.: A disabled vehicle was reported on Grant Circle.

    12:45 p.m.: Police took a report of stolen property.

    12:30 p.m.: Police took a report of drug activity.

    10:12 a.m.: Police took a report of fraud, identity theft. A resident reported she had contacted Xfinity after her cell phone stopped working a couple of days before. After speaking with the Xfinity fraud department and obtaining a new SIM card, the resident noticed an attempt to withdraw $2,500 from her bank account and attempted charges to her Amazon account. Both of these were stopped. The resident has since contacted her bank and changed all of her passwords linked to her phone.

    ESSEX

    Friday, April 19

    3:15 a.m.: An individual was assisted at a John Wise Avenue address.

    Thursday, April 18

    Assistance was given to individuals on John Wise Avenue  at, 4:36, 5:05 and 5:19 p.m. and on Martin Street at 5:18 p.m.

    Medical emergencies: Taken to a hospital by medical ambulance was person having difficulty breathing on Lufkin Point Road at 12:56 p.m. and a person who had fallen on Grove Street at 4:07 p.m.

    MANCHESTER

    Thursday, April 18

    Traffic stops were made at the intersection of Pleasant Street and Old Essex Road at 7:52 p.m., at the intersection of Bridge Street and Highland Avenue at 9:39 p.m., and on Lincoln Street at 10:41 p.m. Officers issued a written warning and two verbal warnings, respectively.

    Investigations were conducted by police on School Street at 3:23 p.m. and Tucks Point Road at 9:53 p.m.

    3:11 p.m.: An individual was aided at a Central Street address.

    Complaints about animals on Beach Street at 10:26 a.m., The Plains at 11:17 a.m. and Smiths Point Road at 2:15 p.m.

    10:05 a.m.: A report was made about a motor vehicle crash at a University Lane address.

    9:36 a.m.: The Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire Department doused a fire in a red dump truck in the vicinity of 129 Pine St. According to a post on Facebook, the North Shore Regional 911 Center alerted the Fire and Police departments to a reported vehicle fire. Engine 1 and C1 responded and crews using a single line quickly extinguished the flames. There were no injuries.  

    1:05 a.m.: Police issued a verbal warning to an. individual on Beach Street.

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  • History Happenings: April 12, 2024

    History Happenings: April 12, 2024

    Cool under pressure. On this day in 1930, the newspaper reported that Stuart T. Bliss of Newburyport, a student pilot with Skyways Flying service, rose to the occasion when both wheels dropped off as he was about to land. The…

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