Word: aircrafting
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...safe. It may choose to draw on the model of the Israeli national airline, El Al, which has long faced the danger of hijacking. Although the airline resists talking about its security measures, it is known to conduct intense questioning and background checks of passengers before they board an aircraft. The pilots are sealed from the rest of the cabin, and armed air marshals are present on every flight...
...lost' transponders - and even turned off ones - are not that unusual. All aircraft flying at over 10,000 feet (above the altitude of small general aviation planes) or those in 'restricted' airspace in high volume areas around major cities, must have their transponders on. Generally, ATC will radio the pilot and tell him if a plane's transponder is out. A controller will then ask the pilot to turn the transponder back on (which is done by simply turning what looks like a radio dial on the plane's 'dashboard'), or asking if the plane has a second unit...
...agency could not account for seven planes. In fact, four of those planes turned out to be the downed ones - but that would take a while to sort out. Even more worrying was that it took the FAA another hour and a half to account for three other aircraft...
...airport the airline doesn't even fly to. JetBlue Airways, based at New York's John F Kennedy Airport, ended up with a plane at tiny Stewart Airport in upstate New York. United Parcel Service, which had 25 planes in the sky, had safely landed each of their aircraft at one of the company's eight hub airports. International flights, which were clearly getting low on fuel, apparently started dialing their transponders to indicate to Canadian controllers that there were emergencies on board. Some apparently even dialed in the 'hijack' code, and for a few frantic minutes the airspace near...
...high visibility display of law enforcement (possibly military police) at big airports, most notably in Washington and New York. All major airports will be swept by FAA and airport security before they are reopen. Knives, including the seemingly innocent Swiss Army knives, will no longer be allowed on aircraft or sold in airports. The FAA will consider expanding the use of 'sky marshals' who are armed law enforcement agents who regularly ride on US commercial aircraft. Random ID checks of airline employees and airport staffers will be increased, and more rigorous screening for metal objects will be implemented...