A man with a fake "gun" was stopped by TSA agents at Hilo International Airport in Hawaii, where it was found that "over 12,000 doses" of fentanyl were found inside resealable bags. The man was detained and faces a very steep bond for his possession of drugs.
On Saturday, September 21, Olaf Seyler (60) of Honolulu attempted to get through a TSA security checkpoint before an X-ray machine detected what appeared to be a gun inside his carry-on bag. This prompted TSA personnel to inspect his bag, where they found an imitation Glock 17 airsoft pistol, but also dozens of drug packets as well as some drug paraphernalia. Police officers were called to inspect the bag at approximately 2:55 p.m.
A total of 27 one-inch releasable packets containing a "powdery, rock-like substance" — later identified as fentanyl, were found inside the bag. Other items inside the carry-on bag included a packet of methamphetamine, a glass smoking pipe, and a digital scale.
Hawaii Police Department arrested Seyler on a suspected possession of narcotics, where he was then transported to the East Hawaii Detention Facility. His carry-on bag was confiscated and taken to the Hilo Police Station where a search warrant of the luggage was planned and executed on Sunday.
Local media reports that a total of 24.57 net grams of fentanyl were recovered from the 27 miniature packets. 0.63 grams of methamphetamine and an extra 0.93 grams of fentanyl were found in slightly larger packets.
The Drug Enforcement Administration states that 2 milligrams (.002 grams) of fentanyl is considered a lethal dose. Altogether, the overall drugs in Seyler's possession contained more than 12,000 of these doses.
Seyler was charged on Monday afternoon with first-, second-, and third-degree attempted promotion of a dangerous drug. A judge had set Seyler's bail at a hefty $210,000 bond. His next court date was scheduled for this past Wednesday.
As of now, there is no word if he faces additional penalties or charges for possession of his airsoft gun. According to TSA's What Can I Bring? page, realistic replicas of firearms are prohibited on carry-on bags.
In the United States and abroad, airport authorities confiscate hundreds of thousands of pounds of drugs every year, with no definite answers for how this epidemic can be reduced.
In two separate incidents in July, the Canada Border Service Agency stopped passengers who concealed methamphetamine in suitcases that they attempted to get through security. These two passengers carried a total of 24.84 kilograms (11.8 pounds).
Last month, the United States Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) found a five-pound bottle of gamma butyrolactone that belonged to a 26-year-old travelers that flew in from Spain. This drug is often described as "coma in a bottle" as it causes severe drowsiness to those that consume it.
And just last week, professional soccer star Jay Emanuel-Thomas and two other women were stopped at Glasgow Airport where the National Crime Agency found £600,000 worth of cannabis in multiple bags of luggage. A similar incident also occurred earlier in the year where two men attempted to sneak over £300,000 worth of cannabis into Scotland.
""" },{ "title":"Near Mid-Air Collision on United Airlines Flight Leaves Passengers Severely Injured", "blurb":"Two passengers were injured on a United Airlines flight from Newark (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO) after the pilots abruptly slowed their descent to avoid a potential mid-air collision with two other aircraft. ", "author":"Jasper Yu-Dawidowicz", "publishDate":"09/26/2024", "cover":"hlxDQGwvjldhocamjVGt.jpeg", "views":183, "bodyHTML":"""Two passengers were injured on a United Airlines flight from Newark (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO) after the pilots abruptly slowed their descent to avoid a potential mid-air collision with two other aircraft.
United Airlines flight 2428 was operating a scheduled service between EWR and SFO on Thursday, September 19th. The Boeing 757-200, registered as N12125, took off from Newark at 10:15 a.m. local time.
After over 5 hours of flight time, the United 757 began its initial descent into San Francisco. According to flight tracking data, the incident occurred above Lake Berryessa, only 75 miles from the San Francisco airport. ADS-B data showed a SkyWest flight just 1,000 feet below the United aircraft and a Southwest aircraft 3,000 feet below.
In a preliminary statement shared with PEOPLE, “United Airlines Flight 2428 responded to an onboard alert which occurred around 12:45 p.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 19 in Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center Airspace that another aircraft was in the vicinity… There was no loss of safe separation.”
According to audio from LiveATC.net, the pilots of UA2428 declared a medical emergency, with the pilots telling air traffic controllers “of at least one possible fractured ankle. I’m not sure about the other one. We had an RA and we pulled up and they got hurt when we were having the RA.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for United said, “Two customers, including one who was out of their seat at the time, reported possible injuries and were transported to a hospital. We’re grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers.”
The airline says the seatbelt sign was on when it maneuvered to “account for another aircraft at a lower altitude.”
United’s near-collision is the latest in a recent string of aircraft collision incidents. On September 10th, two Delta aircraft collided on the runway at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (ATL), leaving the tail of one regional jet almost completely severed from the fuselage.
Two days later, an Alaska Airlines flight aborted takeoff at a high speed to avoid colliding with a Southwest 737 crossing the same runway.
New AI software in airports across the United Kingdom are off to a bumpy start as CT scanners are mistakenly misidentifying many safe household items — with one of them being children's medicine. This new technology is now wasting more time for travelers than it's saving, leaving the major airports and airlines with ways to think of workarounds.
Families are constantly being stopped at a handful of U.K. airports over new CT scanners identifying children's medicine as "explosives". Among this medicine is the children's suspension Calpol and other liquid paracetamols. As these medical products are completely safe and legal to take through security checkpoints, the new systems seem to be experiencing glitches by not giving this medicine the "okay" to travelers that carry it.
Among the airports affected are Southend, London City, Newcastle, and Aberdeen.
Every time Calpol has been detected, these new security kits, which have cost airports more than £2,000,000 each to implement, are causing passengers to wait until security personnel checks their belongings individually.
A security source from an unnamed airport spoke to The Sun regarding this huge technical error:
“Calpol and other liquid nurofens are instantly being rejected. It’s causing huge queues as families always travel with the medicine...It’s only recently that we’ve been able to hand them back to passengers. Before that, we’d have to throw them away and tell families to buy more in the departure lounge."
The new CT scanners have been meant to accelerate the security process for travelers by examining content inside bags without their owners having to take items such as liquids and electronics out.
These new systems were also supposed to be the end of a 100 ml liquid limit, with airports originally allowing travelers to carry up to two liters with the new technology in place. But with these systems not working as intended, airports have encouraged travelers to still carry less than 100 ml of liquid. This limit was first imposed in 2006 after a terror plot came to light involving liquid bombs devised to sabotage a flight to the United States.
The U.K.'s Department for Transport have set a deadline for the new scanners to be fully functional on June 1st, with Birmingham Airport being the first airport to have the systems in May. Any airports in the U.K that missed the deadline will have to wait until next year to implement them. International airports such as Manchester, Gatwick, and Heathrow have faced delays in the new technology due to the overwhelming number of passengers each airport gets daily.
A Department for Transport representative told The Sun:
“Passengers should continue to check security requirements with airports before they travel and come prepared with liquids no larger than 100mL in hand baggage.”
The new security kits have so far been uneventful for airports, as passengers had to face queue times of up to three hours during the summer. At that time, however, Birmingham Airport spokespeople blamed the long wait times on ongoing construction throughout the facility.
It's not known at this time when an update might come for the glitches to be fixed and for the scanners to recognize the medicine as safe.
""" },{ "title":"United’s Overbooking Fiasco: Threatening and Downgrading Passengers", "blurb":"Passengers on two United Airlines flights faced shocking dilemmas: give up your Business Class seats or be denied boarding. The two instances were caused by different reasons, both of which we will analyze today. ", "author":"Hadi Ahmad", "publishDate":"09/26/2024", "cover":"P64nUcuii5o0buOh4KXl.jpeg", "views":383, "bodyHTML":"""Passengers on two United Airlines flights faced shocking dilemmas: give up your Business Class seats or be denied boarding. The two instances were caused by different reasons, both of which we will analyze today.
A few days earlier, three passengers traveling in United's Polaris Business Class faced an unusual situation. They were flying on UA923 from Los Angeles (LAX) to London Heathrow (LHR) operated by a Boeing 787-9.
The 787 has a dedicated crew rest area so that flight attendants and pilots can have a private area to rest for a few hours during long haul flights. For some unspecified reason, there was a funtionality issue with the crew rest on this particular aircraft.
Reportedly, maintenance crews tried multiple times to fix the problem but were unable to do so.
To make matters worse, this issue occurred after passengers had boarded the aircraft. When it was decided that the crew rest issue could not be fixed, a gate agent had to come onboard and address the aircraft.
The agent specified that due to the issue, three Polaris passengers would have to give up their seats. This is because United crew members are guaranteed "horizontal rest" on long flights as per contract.
To make sure that passengers would comply with the request, the agent specified that unless three passengers gave up their seats, the entire aircraft would be deplaned.
Luckily for the passengers, they were given offers to downgrade to Economy Plus. These were a combination of cash and miles (and large amounts of them too). Eventually, three volunteers took these offers and the flight departed an hour late.
On the same day as the the LAX incident, another United London-bound flight faced a similar issue. This time, it was UA938 from Chicago (ORD) to Heathrow operated by a Boeing 767-300ER.
For context, the 767s that United flies to London are known as "High-J" 767s because of the premium-heavy cabin they have. On this particular occasion, the original aircraft operating UA938 was swapped to a higher-density 767 registered N647UA.
This aircraft has a fraction of the Polaris seats you would find on a "High-J" aircraft like N673UA for example. Because of this rare aircraft swap, 13 passengers who would have otherwise had a confirmed Polaris seat were forced to move back to economy class.
No other "High-J" 767s were available at the time so N647UA was the only choice of a plane if UA938 was to operate that night. The gate agents made it clear that unless 13 Polaris guests agreed to downgrade themselves to economy (not that they had a choice), no one would board the flight.
In a situation like this, the airline would have to refund the difference in fare price between business and economy. Eventually, 13 passengers complied with the request and the flight departed three and a half hours late.
These two situations represent scenarios that were out of the airline's control. In both cases, there are details we do not know.
In the case of UA923, we still do not know what the crew rest issue was that prevented it from being used. Furthermore, in the case of UA938, it has not been specified if any extra aircraft were available or what happened to the original aircraft.
How do you think the United crew handled these situations? Let us know.
""" },{ "title":"The Top 5 Shortest Airport Runways in the World", "blurb":"How long do you think an airport runway is? It's hard to tell, because we've probably never seen or experienced the full length of a runway in-depth. Before writing this article, I thought the typical runway for a major international airport would be around 10,000 feet (1.8 miles or 3 kilometers).", "author":"Sanghyun Kim", "publishDate":"09/25/2024", "cover":"0wX5GaVrN4VwPVYSnbfJ.jpg", "views":4268, "bodyHTML":"""
How long do you think an airport runway is? It's hard to tell because we've probably never seen or experienced the full length of a runway in depth. Before writing this article, I thought the typical runway for a major international airport would be around 10,000 feet (1.8 miles or 3 kilometers).
Turns out that I was roughly correct, as the four runways at LAX are between 8,926 feet and 11,095 feet in length. According to AN Aviation Services, the average runway length at significant airports is between 8,000 and 13,000 feet. This should be enough for large jets to take off and land safely, but these five airports introduced below have significantly shorter runways than the ones at LAX, one of them almost one-tenth in length. Some competent contestants, such as Tenzing-Hillary Airport (known as Lukla Airport), are also introduced.
The list will contain airports that have commercial service, excluding airports that are exclusively used by the military or is only open for private use.
St. Mary's Airport (ISC) is located in the Isles of Scilly, England, southwest of Cornwall. The airport opened in 1939, and has two runways. One of the runways is made of asphalt, 2,277 feet in length. The other 09/27 runway is a mixed asphalt/grass runway that is 1,722 feet long.
The airport serves an important purpose as the only air link between the mainland and the Isles of Scilly. The Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue service has a base here for airport emergencies. There is also a footpath near the end of one of the runways, which is closed by warning lights and bells for a few minutes every time an aircraft takes off or lands.
Isles of Scilly Skybus currently regularly serves the airport, with flights to Land's End Airport in Cornwall. Interestingly, Land's End Airport has an even shorter grass runway, 1,591 feet long, but sources seem to indicate that the grass runways were not used after the flooding in 2014. Other flights from St. Mary's Airport go to Exeter and Newquay, depending on the season.
As only one airline serves the airport, only DHC-6 Twin Otters and Britten-Norman Islanders fly to and from the airport.
Barbuda Codrington Airport (BBQ) is located in the village of Codrington, Barbuda. Barbuda is the northern island that consists of the twin island countries of Antigua and Barbuda. However, this airport is scheduled for closure next week, October 2nd, as the new Burton-Nibbs International Airport will replace the current airport.
The current Barbuda Codrington airport has a single paved runway that is 1,640 feet long, making operations at the airport extremely limited to light aircraft or STOL aircraft. On the other hand, the new Burton-Nibbs International Airport has a single 6,099-foot-long runway.
Several airlines currently serve the airport, all of which fly only to V.C Bird International Airport in Antigua. It mostly sees Britten-Norman Islanders flying in and out.
The airport also has a very interesting IATA airport code, BBQ. It is unknown whether the new Burton International Airport will take the same IATA code.
Doti Airport (SIH) is located in Dipayal Silgadhi, Nepal. The airport opened in 1973, but the runway was only paved until 2020, when it was upgraded. The single runway is now asphalt and measures 1,608 feet in length.
Despite being upgraded in 2020, scheduled flights began in 2022 to Dhangadhi. Nepal Airlines is currently the only airline to fly to this destination. Flights are operated with Twin Otters, as is usual for airports with short runways.
One fun fact is that the airport is situated 1,893 feet above sea level, meaning it is nearly as high (slightly higher) as its own runway.
Heligoland Airfield (HGL) is located in Düne Island, Germany. The airport is on the east island, the smaller of two islands that form the Heligoland archipelago in the North Sea. There are three runways at the airport, with the longest being runway 15/33, which measures 1,575 feet, and the shortest being runway 6/24, which is only 846 feet long.
You may wonder why this article is using the longest runway for reference. This is because runway 15/33 (also the main runway) is the only runway that is approved for commercial service. This runway was actually shorter, at around 1,312 feet. Due to EU regulations on commercial traffic, the runway was extended to its current length in 2006.
The airport is served by only one airline, OFD Ostfriesischer-Flug-Dienst (which translates to East Frisian Flight Service). The airline offers scheduled flights to Heide–Büsum and Nordholz Naval Airbase. As is the case with airports with short runways, flights to Heligoland Airfield are mostly operated with OFD's Britten-Norman Islanders.
Being an airport in the middle of the ocean, winds, and weight restrictions (only up to 12,600 lb or 5,700 kilograms) make flying to the airport challenging. Only pilots who were trained to land here can fly to this airport.
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (SAB) is located in Saba, an island in the Dutch Caribbean. The airport was opened in 1963, but Hurricane Georges destroyed the terminal in 1998. The Dutch government funded the construction of a new terminal, and the airport resumed services in 2002.
The airport's single paved runway is 1,312 feet (400 meters) long, making it the shortest commercial runway in the world.
The airport is served by several airlines, but the local airline, Winair, provides the only scheduled service. It currently operates daily 15-minute flights to Sint Maarten (known for its famous beach approach runway). Other airlines also serve Sint Maarten and Anguilla as charter flights. While the airport sees a variety of aircraft compared to the ones introduced above, it usually sees Winair's Twin Otters the most.
While these airports surely have some very short runways, there are much shorter runways in the world that are not used commercially. Actually, there is a shorter runway than Juancho Airport's that sees regular traffic. It is Foula Airfield (FOA), which has a single gravel runway that is 1,252 feet long. However, the only flights to Foula (which come from Tingwall airport) are considered public service obligations, making the runway not eligible for 'commercial use'.
As mentioned initially, Lukla Airport (LUA) also has a very short runway. Unfortunately, the airport's single asphalt runway is 1,729 feet long, making it just 7 feet (2.1 meters) longer than St. Mary's Airport.
Interestingly, Westray Airport (WRY) and Papa Westray Airport (PPW) also have single runways that are the same length as Lukla Airport's runways, 1,729 feet long. These two airports are famous for being the departing and arrival airports for the shortest flight in the world.
""" },{ "title":"Flight Attendant Rips Off Extra Legroom Seat Cushions to Block Passengers from Self-Upgrading", "blurb":"Attendants on an American Airlines flight removed cushions from extra legroom seats to prevent passengers from sitting in them. See the reasoning behind this decision and what social media users have to say.", "author":"Joe Gvora", "publishDate":"09/25/2024", "cover":"j3LYGGtfShPasfaEVsUa.JPEG", "views":252, "bodyHTML":"""
In an attempt to keep passengers from sitting in seats with added legroom, and for the airline to save money, one American Airlines attendant came up with an unusual way to make these seats off-limits for passengers that didn't pay for them. Many on social media are opposing viewpoints on what happened on a particular flight earlier this month.
On an unspecified American Airlines flight, presumingly an international flight from the U.S., Threads user Crystal Summerz explained how a male flight attendant pulled cushions off of six Main Cabin Extra seats to keep passengers from switching to those seats.
During the flight, passengers sat in these seats of their own will, as they were all empty. Attendants told the passengers they were premium seats that cost $150 extra, and they had to return to their original seats. Despite warnings over the PA system, passengers were still moving to these seats, and that was when an attendant decided to remove each seat's cushion.
Summerz' post on Threads has since been deleted, but this was her original message:
"Is American Airlines the new spirit of the sky? A passenger went to sit in these empty seats. No one was using the six empty seats. The flight attendant said he needed to move because they were $150. Someone else went to sit there and told the same thing. An announcement was made not to sit in the seats. Two more times ppl went to sit there because it was six seats open, and he literally tore the cushions off.😂once we departed they said if you leave anything on, you will be returning to the USA"
This story has apparently caused a heated debate on whether American Airlines is in the right to prohibit economy class passengers from moving to upgraded seats for free.
"A lot of people defending the airline here. Quick reminder, paying for emergency, aisle, window, closer to the front is just some BS the Airlines realized they could get away with because weak people caved. The next step is you are on a flight that is mostly empty and they have everyone stacked on top of each other because they refuse to pay to spread out. First 20 rows empty and everyone on top of each other in the back. You all know that is ridiculous!," said @sdwilson11.
"yeah but…once the plane takes off, there’s no $$ to be made on those seats anyway. not sure why they made such a big deal out of that," added @sandiego_cindy.
"Wouldn’t you… Want someone in the exit row? At least one person?," replied @mm1970sb.
"I can answer this. Main Cabin Extra seats cost more. Flight attendants are instructed by our procedures to direct passengers back to their original seats if they’re not in Main Cabin Extra. Sorry, but you can’t just self upgrade. You can pay the upgrade fee and be upgraded if the seat is available but if a premium customer complains it’s our head on the line. You can speak to the gate agent about potential upgrades before boarding. It’s not a power trip, it’s our job," explained @Jasonpoststhings.
"Sit where ya paid for. Fools make flying so hard," @Mchughshawn retorted.
"Before anyone sits at the emergency exit seats FAs need people’s consent of willing and able. So unless you are specifically booked into those seats, People can’t just claim those seats even if they are empty," remarked @peter.alina.
Main Cabin Extra seats haven't just five additional inches of legroom for passengers. Passengers' other perks include free Wi-Fi, a free carry-on bag, free snacks and drinks, and priority boarding. So, it makes sense for American Airlines to be stingy when passengers try to sneak into these seats.
At one point, however, American Airlines did allow passengers to move to any seat in the cabin once the doors on the plane closed, and even explained on the website that economy passengers could switch to premium seats freely if available. A policy change has apparently happened, in which the airline no longer mentions or encourages this.
As of this writing, Southwest Airlines is the only "Big 4" airline to allow open seating for passengers, but this will change next year as a means to make flights "more orderly and comfortable".
""" },{ "title":"Malaysian Nationals Caught Smuggling $500,000 Worth of Cannabis At Glasgow Airport", "blurb":"Two Malaysian immigrants were caught at Glasgow Airport smuggling a high amount of drugs. Find out how long they will be in jail for and see how this compares to similar incidents at Uk airports earlier in the year.", "author":"Joe Gvora", "publishDate":"09/25/2024", "cover":"1ochJdEZ0WP7Yx67mU2T.jpeg", "views":287, "bodyHTML":"""
A couple of Malaysian immigrants were caught at Glasgow Airport in Scotland trying to smuggle a couple of large suitcases full of drugs. While the men committed the act in April of this year, they've just received their sentences, which will make them rethink their international travel plans.
Border Force personnel stopped Vincent Chiamingsan (31) and Ng Zhan (33) at Glasgow Airport. Upon examining the duo's two black suitcases, authorities have managed to find 69 vacuum-tight bags of herbal cannabis, which experts at Paisley Sheriff Court say the entire pack is worth a street value of £343,080, which is close to USD 500,000. The drugs overall reportedly weighed 34.3 kg, or 75.6 pounds.
Zhan told authorities that the bag he was carrying didn't belong to him despite his name being printed on the tags attached to it. At a later point, he changed his story, explaining that the bag was given to him by someone else and that he wasn't aware of what was inside.
"At first, they told me the thing inside to bring in is birds nest, and they don't allow us to check the bag in Thailand, when checking in, so in Thailand, I met Vincent at the airport but they put both luggage in my name when it should be one Vincent and one me," Zhan told Govan Police. "I also been lied to by the people who said it was birds nest, I do not know what was inside I never get any pay for this." Chiamingsan declined to talk to investigators.
The cases cleared check-in at Dubai Airport. The men originally were on a trip from Thailand to Scotland to smuggle the cannabis, with Dubai, UAE, providing their connecting flight.
Both men have been in custody since May 1 of this year and have since pleaded guilty to "fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on importation" of drugs and to being aware in possession of cannabis, an illegal, Class-B drug in Scotland.
At Paisley Sherrif Court, Zhan and Chiamingsan were sentenced to 20 months in prison equally. Both men have been previously jailed for three years and four months for previous crimes. They are expected to be released from prison in May 2026.
Deputy procurator for Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) Sineidin Corrins commented on the sentencing:
“Justice has been served and these individuals are now serving prison sentences...I hope that these convictions and the sentences send a strong message to others involved in this kind of drug-trafficking behavior and demonstrates the ability of police and prosecutors to investigate, prepare and prosecute crime of this nature.”
This hasn't been the only instance of smuggling through Scotland's airport, as earlier this month, soccer star Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and two other women were caught trying to smuggle 60 kg of cannabis valued at £600,000. Like the two men, these cases also came from Thailand, followed by Dubai.
The United Kingdom has documented that the number of drug smugglers found at airports has skyrocketed since 2023, as 378 arrests have been made, and 15 tonnes of cannabis have been confiscated so far this calendar year. In one day alone last month, 11 different British passengers flying from Thailand were stopped and taken into custody. The country has also logged many arrests of passengers who were also flying in from the United States and Canada.
""" },{ "title":"How Much Does It Cost To Become a Pilot?", "blurb":"Article covering how much it costs to become a pilot. Also covered are differences in cost between Part 61 and Part 141 schools", "author":"Richard Rafalski", "publishDate":"09/25/2024", "cover":"TEB-VU9LA3YAWcdZWBZ8FyQ3.JPG", "views":1068, "bodyHTML":"""Becoming a pilot is an ambitious goal that many people desire to achieve in their lifetime. Whether you want to simply become a small airplane pilot or take it all the way to the commercial airlines, the journey to get there requires a lot of work and a lot of practice to perfect the skills needed to fly an airplane both professionally and safely. But just how much does it cost to do all of this?
Well,, it all depends on what you want to do and how you want to get there. In this article, the costs of becoming a pilot will be discussed under the pricing of a simple Part 61 training school, except when it is clearly stated that a Part 141 school would be the better option.
To put it plainly, a Part 61 flight training school is a "pay as you go, do what you want" training environment, where the instructor and student simply choose what they want to do for that particular day. Once everything required is checked off, the student is sent off to their FAA check ride.
Becoming a private pilot is the first step in any future pilot's endeavors, and it gives you the ability to not only fly a plane by yourself but take others up with you on flights where you all share the same purpose of going out to fly.
Training for a private pilot certificate is usually the most inexpensive rating in the entire scheme of things, as it doesn't necessarily take a lot of time to complete the required hours as set by the FAA (most students get their PPL with about 60 hours of flying time).
On average, it costs anywhere between $14,000 and $20,000 to get this initial rating, depending on how fast you learn and how many hours you accumulate to satisfy the instructor to sign you off. This includes required and optional equipment such as a headset, navigational charts, books, and the cost of taking the written exam.
Becoming a commercial pilot involves getting two new ratings allowing you to fly for hire and make money from it. Obviously, you have your commercial rating, but to fly more than 50 miles from home base on a flight for hire, you also need an instrument rating, which is an entirely different training course from commercial.
And as always, you must get your PPL first, so combining the costs of these 3 ratings under a part 61 school, you're looking at about $45,000 to $50,000 total. Beyond here (and I have this covered in the next section) is about the furthest I recommend going with Part 61 training schools.
This is because their non-structured training courses can rack up unnecessary amounts of extra money if you are trying to pursue ratings beyond a simple commercial license for charter and contract work.
To become a commercial airline pilot, you need everything that we have covered in the last two sections, plus a multi-engine rating and an airline transport pilot rating (ATP).
As it sounds, they allow you to fly multi-engine aircraft and fly as a pilot transporting large groups of people in an airline environment. Plus, you'll need a way to build hours up to the FAA requirements of 1,500 flight hours. Usually most people seeking this will become a flight instructor, which is an additional rating requiring more money.
Suppose your goal is to become an airline pilot and you want to do it quickly. In that case, there is a separate training style apart from part 61 that is more structured, faster paced, and sometimes approved for lower hours minimums below 1,500 if tied into attending a university that is qualified for a restricted ATP.
That is a Part 141 flight training school, and the costs of it (while quite large) can be lower than a Part 61 school because you follow a strict syllabus that completes everything you need in the shortest amount of time possible.
I am going through a Part 141 training syllabus to become an airline pilot, and the base program rate from private through commercial ATP (including flight instructor ratings) is $110,000.
This one is a bit of a niche market, but I still believe it should be covered. While you aren't necessarily going to pay for anything becoming a military pilot, you will owe them a large time commitment.
The minimum contract duration for a military pilot is 10 years, which only begins after you complete the necessary training. To become a military pilot, you must become an officer, which is a whole endeavor in itself.
All in all, you are investing a serious amount of money (or time if going the military route) to become a pilot. The costs can add up quickly, and my best piece of advice to anyone interested in doing this is to make sure it's something that you want to do, and will enjoy what comes out of the thousands of dollars spent on it.
Perhaps take a discovery flight and ensure you are comfortable with the environment of small training aircraft and can comfortably spend multiple hours a day training in them, along with being able to handle the general motion involved with flying. But if you do enjoy it and you are serious about the commitment, the rewards are undoubtedly satisfying.
""" },{ "title":"Coffee Stain Costs Couple $3,000 for New Flight to Bali", "blurb":"A couple was prevented from boarding a Virgin Australia plane to Bali over a stain. Read what the couple had to say about getting halted at the check-in counter and Virgin's response to the media.", "author":"Joe Gvora", "publishDate":"09/24/2024", "cover":"JY3XubbWP5DSWFIoZppw.jpg", "views":1658, "bodyHTML":"""
An Australian couple was stopped from boarding a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney, Australia to Bali, Indonesia after gate agents noticed a "microscopic coffee stain" on one of their passports. The couple claims the airline canceled their boarding, resorting to them having to pay for "stupidly expensive" impromptu tickets.
Australian DJ and music producer Sean Ferres was slated to fly with his girlfriend, Brooke Ashe, to Bali. The agent at the check-in counter, however, noticed a coffee stain on the right side of Ashe's passport, which was enough to keep the couple from flying. The influencers wasted no time in expressing their feelings to their social media followings.
Ferres posted this message to Facebook to his 9,000 followers: "Virgin Australia decided that this microscopic coffee stain on Brooke’s passport made it 'unreadable' and denied us boarding our flight to Bali...Virgin then promised us they will reschedule us onto another flight at no cost once we sort the passport out."
Ferres claimed that the airline later marked the two of them “no-shows,” and they were told they had to pay for new tickets on a new flight.
"Of course, all flights the next day are either sold out or stupidly expensive,” Ferres added. Ashe posted a video of herself to social media, revealing further details on their trouble at the airport: "So I've just been rejected my flight to Bali and I'm currently stranded in the middle of Sydney airport. No idea what to do or where to go. I literally just got told if they let me into Bali, the military and the security in the airport would have put me into a cell."
"Basically, there was a tiny bit of water damage at the bottom of my passport... I travel all the time and it's never been mentioned to me before... Obviously, I'm really upset."
Of all the couple's options, they opted to fly with Jetstar to the tune of around $3,000 AUD.
Despite the flight being delayed for two hours, Ferres pointed out that the couple managed to check in and board the plane "without interacting with a single human". He added that Jetstar didn't have any problems with Ashe's passport and never have for any other international flight in the past.
The couple was able to make it to Bali. Ferres documented that there was no problem getting through the airport's e-gates. Contrary to what agents apparently told Ashe, the airport security at Bali didn't reprimand the couple for the mark on her passport.
Ferres had one more thing to say on social media about the Sydney-Bali flight:
“Absolutely blows my mind that 25 years after the invention of the internet – in an age where even a $500 phone has advanced facial recognition – we still rely on a flimsy ass piece of paper to leave the country.”
Virgin Australia responded to questions from news.com.au regarding the incident. A spokesperson stated that passengers need documents that are in good condition to be permitted on flights:
The spokesperson adds that the Conditions of Carriage section on the company website has more details on passports and what constitutes as good or bad condition.
In Virgin's Conditions of Carriage, the New York Post has found that Indonesia will fine airlines for $3,290 if they allow passengers to travel using a "damaged" passport. So it didn't seem like the Sydney airport agents were making claims up regarding cell time. Indonesian law also states publicly that travelers can't use damaged passports. This also includes passports that are considered “wet”.
""" },{ "title":"Victims of Deadly Singapore Airlines Turbulence Flight Accuse Airline of Trying To Settle Compensation Claims", "blurb":"Singapore Airlines is attempting to settle with passengers on the May 20 flight that left one dead and dozens injured. See how the attorney responded and read his explanation as to why his clients deserve much more.", "author":"Joe Gvora", "publishDate":"09/24/2024", "cover":"YNa87uIGdwyZ59toq42W.jpg", "views":2661, "bodyHTML":"""
After the deadly May 20 turbulence event that has left one passenger dead and dozens more injured, Singapore Airlines has been trying to settle with victims of those on board flight SQ321. A lawyer representing these victims, however, doesn't believe the offer is good enough.
As of this writing, Singapore Airlines is offering $25,000 USD as “final compensation” for severely injured passengers and $15,000 to those who suffered minor injuries. The airline has also reportedly expressed interest in paying for medical care and have fully refunded tickets for all passengers onboard.
However, attorney and director at the Carter Capner Law firm Peter Carter argues that the families of these affected passengers deserve “substantial payouts,” and that the airline is attempting to "low-ball" passengers by trying to settle with the victims "on the cheap to the serious detriment of injured passengers".
Carter admitted that the passengers have been invited to apply for payments for medical bills, but this payment plan requires a signature from the passenger. It's not known at this time if any passenger has signed up for these medical expense payments.
“The true compensation to which passengers are entitled can only be formulated by reference to their permanent impairment that is then projected over their lifetime," Carter said. “Spinal surgeons, neurologists and other medical specialists require patients wait until at least 12 months post-injury before they are prepared to attempt that assessment.”
The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau of Singapore published a preliminary accident report of flight SQ321, revealing that the pilots didn't turn the "Fasten your seatbelt" signs on soon enough before the Boeing 777-300ER plunged 178 feet in elevation.
News.com.au reports that the seatbelt light was only on for just eight seconds before the horrific turbulence began, which reportedly lasted nearly 5 seconds.
Carter mentions that because the pilots knowingly flew into a thunderstorm, the plane could have been rerouted or diverted. Carter had evidence that also showed that other planes diverted and SQ321 was the only flight that stayed the course. He states this as proof that the crew should be held liable for the harm done to passengers on the flight.
“Passengers need to know this was not a freak accident and they are therefore entitled to substantial compensation, not just the expense payments the airline has so far offered,” said Carter.
Carter also goes on to claim that many injured passengers should get compensation as much as $1,000,000 AUD:
“We are convinced the true facts will show there was crew responsibility for the accident and that the airline’s compensation liability to passengers is therefore unlimited. Many passengers will be entitled to seven-figure compensation.”
On the flight, Geoff Kitchen, 73, passed away during a suspected heart attack from the event of turbulence. Kerry Jordan was also left a tetraplegic caused by the turbulence and is paralyzed from her chest down. Six other passengers suffered serious head injuries. Following the turbulence, the pilots diverted the flight to Bangkok, Thailand. 211 passengers and 18 crew members were aboard the flight.
Singapore Airlines has yet to publicly respond to Carter's statements.
""" }]