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Latest Climate Atlanta News

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:12:32 +0000

Congregations Caring for the Climate – Atlanta, GA
Image by Step It Up 2007 Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Atlanta had a special educational program about caring for God’s creation led by Rev. Woody Bartlett.

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Latest Weather Atlanta Airport News

admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:14:17 +0000

A Snowy Chicago O’Hare Airport
Image by cliff1066™ O’Hare International Airport is the second busiest airport in both the United States and the world, behind Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with 76,248,911 passengers passing through the airport in 2006; a -0.3% change from 2005. O’Hare also has a strong international presence, with flights to more than 60 foreign destinations. O’Hare was ranked fourth in 2005 of the United States’ international gateways, with only John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Los Angeles International Airport and Miami International Airport, serving more foreign destinations.

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Latest Weather Boston Hourly News

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 06:18:01 +0000

The China Town Bus (NYC)
Image by Michael McDonough Fung Wah Bus Transportation Inc. (风华捷运公司) is a bus company operating on the Boston–New York route. Founded in 1997, Fung Wah operates more than 20 buses with hourly scheduled service. Like other Chinatown bus services, Fung Wah operates from both traditional bus terminals (in Fung Wah’s case, South Station in Boston) and stops in New York’s Chinatown. The Fung Wah is known for its low fares in comparison to other bus and rail routes between Boston and New York. It originally provided van transportation between Brooklyn and Chinatown, and gradually grew to being a low cost intercity transit provider. A round-trip bus ticket can be purchased for and the trip usually takes around 4 hours depending on traffic and weather conditions. The bus normally makes a 10 minute rest stop each way. Due to the low prices, Fung Wah has become a popular way for young people and other travelers on a budget to travel between Boston and New York. The move to the Boston bus terminal was made only recently; before the buses, much to the chagrin of local residents and the Boston police, would load on narrow streets, blocking traffic. Fung Wah utilizes Van Hool C2045 and T2145 coaches. The name Fung Wah (in Chinese, 风华 (feng hua) is Cantonese for "Magnificent Wind." *Wikipedia

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Latest Weather Atlanta 10 Day News

admin — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:13:39 +0000

Weather.com 10-day forecast for Atlanta, Nov. 13, 2007
Image by rustytanton The weather says there’s a slight chance of rain several times over the next 10 days. The stupid governor is going to tell people that prayer worked, when really we already knew there was a good chance it would rain.

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Latest Weather Atlanta News

admin — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:12:45 +0000

Nasty weather
Image by VidiotGeek A storms abrew’n

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Latest Weather Channel News

admin — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:17:50 +0000

Weather Channel view
Image by gottasharepics (Kathy Dempsey) In the shelter, we had one computer we were using to monitor the storm. We were all relieved to see this view showing that the worst had just passed us and we had a little break in the weather before the tail end came through.

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Latest Weather Atlanta 7 Day Forecast News

admin — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:12:40 +0000

Welcome to New Orleans
Image by Ken Lund Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is a public use airport in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is located 10 nautical miles (19 km) west of its central business district.[1] The airport’s address is 900 Airline Drive in Kenner, Louisiana. A small portion of Runway 10/28 is located in unincorporated St. Charles Parish. Armstrong International is the primary commercial airport for the New Orleans metropolitan area and southeast Louisiana. The airport was formerly known as Moisant Field, and it is also known as Louis Armstrong International Airport and New Orleans International Airport. Sitting at an average of 4.5 feet (1.4 m) above sea level, MSY is the 2nd lowest-lying international airport in the world, behind only Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport in The Netherlands, which lies eleven feet below sea level (4.5 meters below Normaal Amsterdams Peil)[2][3]. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, MSY served 9.7 million passengers per year, nearly all of them non-connecting. In 2008, it served 7,944,397 passengers, representing an increase of 5.5% over the previous year. MSY has one of the best safety records among U.S. airports.[citation needed] In February 2008, U.S. News And World Report ranked the travel experience at MSY 4th of the 47 busiest United States airports based upon the relatively small number of flight delays and frequently lower onboard flight loads.[4] Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was once a major gateway for Latin American travel from the United States. That travel mostly goes through other cities which serve as hubs for international legacy-airlines. MSY opened after World War II, replacing the older New Orleans Lakefront Airport (which kept the NEW and KNEW airport codes and now serves general aviation) as the city’s main airport[citation needed]. MSY was renamed in 2001 after Louis Armstrong, a famous jazz musician from New Orleans. The National Weather Service forecast office for the area was once located at MSY, but has moved to the suburb of Slidell, and now uses the non-airport codes LIX and KLIX. The airport was originally named after daredevil aviator John Moisant, who died in an airplane crash on this land (which was devoted to farming at the time) in 1910. Its IATA code MSY was derived from Moisant Stock Yards, as Lakefront Airport retained the "NEW" code.[5] Plans for Moisant Field were begun in 1940, as evidence mounted that New Orleans’ older Shushan Airport (New Orleans Lakefront Airport) was in need of expansion or replacement. With the advent of World War II the land became a government air base. It was returned to civilian control after the war, and commercial service began at Moisant Field in May 1946. On September 19, 1947, the airport was temporarily shut down as it was flooded under two feet of water by the 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane. Starting in 1946, and for the next thirteen years, passengers arrived and departed from a large, hangar-like makeshift structure, until a new main terminal complex debuted in 1959 towards the end of Mayor DeLesseps "Chep" Morrison’s administration. The core of this structure still forms much of the present day facility. During the administration of Morrison’s successor, Vic Schiro formal government-sponsored studies were undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of relocating Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to a new site, contemporaneous with similar efforts that were ultimately successful in Houston (George Bush Intercontinental Airport) and Dallas (Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport). This attempt got as far as recommending a site in New Orleans East; a man-made island was to be created south of I-10 and north of U.S. Route 90 in a bay of Lake Pontchartrain. However, in the early 1970s it was decided that the current airport should be expanded instead, leading to the construction of a lengthened main terminal ticketing area, an airport access road linking the terminal to I-10, and the present-day Concourses A and B. New Orleans Mayor Sidney Barthelemy, in office from 1986 to 1994, later reintroduced the idea of building a new international airport for the city, with consideration given to other sites in New Orleans East, as well as on the Northshore in suburban St. Tammany Parish. Only a couple months before Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, Mayor Ray Nagin again proposed a new airport for New Orleans, this time to the west in Montz, Louisiana. These initiatives met with the same fate as 1960s-era efforts in new airport building for New Orleans. Historically, Eastern Air Lines provided extensive service from MSY, including Boeing 727 Whisperjet service to Dallas, Tampa, and Miami, as well as to New York City and Atlanta. Utilizing such aircraft as 727s, Douglas DC-8s, and DC-10s, National Airlines at different times served Miami, Amsterdam, Tampa, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Through 1979, Southern Airways Douglas DC-9s frequented Armstrong International, a busy stop on its regional short-haul network. Delta Air Lines was another leading carrier at MSY, and for years carried more passengers out of New Orleans than any other airline. Its nonstop jet service to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles from New Orleans was advertised for decades on a prominent billboard sited on Canal Street downtown. Southwest Airlines now carries the most passengers in and out of New Orleans. MSY was also the hub for short-lived Pride Air, an airline which operated for three months in 1985 using Boeing 727 aircraft. On July 11, 2001, the airport was renamed after jazz musician Louis Armstrong in honor of the centennial of his birth. On July 9, 1982, Pan Am Flight 759, en route from Miami to Las Vegas, departed New Orleans International. The Boeing 727-200 plane took off from the east-west runway (Runway 10/28) traveling east but never gained an altitude higher than 150 feet (46 m). The plane traveled 4,610 feet (1405 m) beyond the end of Runway 10, hitting trees along the way, until crashing into a residential neighborhood. A total of 153 people were killed (all 145 on board and 8 on the ground). The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause was the aircraft’s encounter with a microburst-induced wind shear during the liftoff. This atmospheric condition created a downdraft and decreasing headwind forcing the plane downward. Modern wind shear detection equipment, protecting flights from such conditions, is now in place at Armstrong International and at most commercial airports. The airport was closed to commercial air traffic on August 28, 2005, shortly before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, and it remained closed as floods affected the city. The Associated Press reported on August 31 that MSY would receive humanitarian flights, and that the airport "has no significant airfield damage and had no standing water in aircraft movement areas", although the airport did, as the article put it, "[sustain] damage to its roofs, hangars and fencing."[6] In early September, the airport opened only to military aircraft and humanitarian flights, and served as a staging center for evacuees. The airport reopened to commercial flights on September 13, 2005. At about 2:30 EST in the morning on February 3, 2006, a tornado touched down on the grounds of MSY. The damage from the tornado was significant but primarily confined to Concourse C, where American, United, AirTran Airways, and international arrivals were based. Many temporary repairs dating from Hurricane Katrina failed, including one roof patch, forcing airlines based in the concourse to relocate operations to vacant gates. Jetways and other ground equipment also sustained damage. As of late 2006, all of this had been repaired. MSY reopened to commercial flights on September 13, 2005, with four flights operated by Delta Air Lines to Atlanta and a Northwest Airlines flight to Memphis. Slowly, service from other carriers began to resume, with limited service offered by Southwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, and American Airlines. Eventually, all carriers announced their return to MSY, with the exception of Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines, America West Airlines (which merged into US Airways two weeks later) and international carriers Air Canada and TACA. In early 2006 Continental Airlines became the first airline to return to pre-Katrina flight frequency levels, and in September 2006, to pre-Katrina seat capacity levels. MSY served 7,944,397 passengers in 2008, or 82% of the all time high of 9,733,179 passengers who used Armstrong International in 2004. As of August 2009, MSY’s operations will be at ???% of their pre-Katrina status, measured by airlines’ daily seat-count. Eighty-one percent of daily roundtrip flights will have been restored at that point, as well as 83% of the number of domestic cities served daily (scheduled) nonstop and 50% of international cities served (scheduled) nonstop. [edit] Incentives to airlines On November 21, 2006; the New Orleans Aviation Board approved an air service initiative to promote increased service to Armstrong International: Airlines qualify for a .75 credit per seat toward terminal use charges for scheduled departing seats exceeding 85% of pre-Katrina capacity levels for a twelve-month period. Airlines qualify for a waiver of landing fees for twelve months following the initiation of service to an airport not presently served from New Orleans. On January 17, 2008; the city’s aviation board voted on an amended incentive program which waives landing fees for the first two airlines to fly nonstop into a city not presently served from the airport. Under the new ruling, landing fees will be waived for up to two airlines flying into an "underserved destination airport." The incentive previously referred to service to a "new destination airport." The airport is also continuing its incentive to airlines that reach 85% of their pre-Katrina flight frequencies. [edit] Incentives to passengers In November 2006, the airport opened a "cell phone lot" at the corner of Airline Drive and Hollandey Street across from the Airport Access Road to allow people picking up arriving passengers to wait until an arriving passenger calls to say they are ready for pickup. Also, on December 6, 2006 Armstrong International launched an million maintenance campaign to clean and improve the terminal environment. Dubbed Music To Your Eyes, the campaign is designed to transform the airport into a more visitor-friendly facility, with improvements to lighting, cleanliness, seating, baggage claim maintenance, curbside congestion, and designated smoking areas. [edit] Facilities and aircraft Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport covers an area of 1,500 acres (607 ha) at an elevation of 4 feet (1 m) above mean sea level. It has three runways: 10/28 is 10,104 by 150 feet (3,080 x 46 m) with a concrete surface; 1/19 is 7,001 by 150 feet (2,134 x 46 m) with a concrete surface; 6/24 is 3,570 by 150 feet (1,088 x 46 m) with an asphalt surface.[1] For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2007, the airport had 129,228 aircraft operations, an average of 354 per day: 58% scheduled commercial, 21% general aviation and 19% air taxi and 1% military. At that time there were 19 aircraft based at this airport: 21% single-engine, 21% multi-engine, 42% jet and 16% helicopter.[1] [edit] International services Armstrong International’s Concourse C, located in the airport’s West Terminal, contains a fully enclosed US Customs, Immigration, and FIS facility. The majority of the concourse’s 15 gates offer direct access to this area and are thus capable of accepting foreign arrivals from all over the world, on aircraft as large as Boeing 747-400s. As of 2009, MSY’s scheduled international nonstop service consists of AeroMexico Connect, offering Embraer Regional Jet service to Mexico City, Mexico. [edit] Past international services Before Hurricane Katrina (2005), regularly scheduled international services from Armstong International were provided by Air Canada to Toronto and Grupo TACA to San Pedro Sula in Honduras. Historically, MSY has hosted routes to nearly thirty nonstop international destinations, several of them intercontinental. In the early 1980s, the city was a stop on the British Airways flight between London and Mexico City. The Lockheed L1011 aircraft used for the route landed in New Orleans to pick up passengers and fuel. National Airlines also flew nonstop to Amsterdam from MSY, using DC-10 aircraft. At different times Eastern Air Lines offered nonstop service to Caracas, Venezuela and Panama City, Panama. Continental Airlines offered flights to Mexico City and Cancun in the 1980s, as did AeroMexico, and TWA offered Mexico City service with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 equipment in the 1990s. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Aviateca, LACSA, TAN/SAHSA and TACA provided service to several Central American destinations. TACA was even headquartered in New Orleans, departing the city in 1982. These carriers are today either bankrupt or a part of Grupo TACA. Twice weekly seasonal New Orleans to Montego Bay nonstops via the Jamaica Shuttle/Casino Express (typically operated by chartered Boeing 727-200′s or 737-300′s) operated during most of the 1990s and into the 2000s. Laker Airways operated twice weekly seasonal B727-200 flights between New Orleans and Freeport, Bahamas in the early 2000s. Vacation Express operated twice weekly seasonal charters between New Orleans and Cancun for several years using a mix of B727-200, B737-200, B737-300, and MD-80 equipment; This service was suspended after the company decided to concentrate on selling seats on scheduled flights instead of chartering aircraft. All international service into MSY was suspended while the FIS facility was closed post-Katrina. The facility reopened to an influx of chartered flights arriving from London, Manchester, Bournemouth, and Nottingham, UK – all carrying tourists in for Mardi Gras and set to depart aboard a cruise liner. In May 2006, International Charter and Tours (via the auspices of Miami Air International) announced it would begin [scheduled-basis] charter nonstop flights between New Orleans and the Honduran cities of San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba to cater to the demand of Latin American traffic in the absence of TACA. This service is currently offered on a seasonal basis only. [edit] Return of scheduled international service In August 2009, City Skies Air will announce nonstop service linking MSY with Cancun, Mexico as well as Tegucigalpa, Honduras and San Pedro Sula, Honduras[8]. Flights will be operated utilizing Boeing 737 aircraft, and operated via the auspices of Swift Air. On December 12, 2008, AeroMexico (and its regional subsidiary Aerolitoral) were granted USDOT permission to offer scheduled nonstop service between MSY and Mexico City [9]. On April 7, 2009, it was announced that AeroMexico will indeed begin offering nonstop service between New Orleans and Mexico City on July 6, 2009. The daily flight will be operated by Aerolitoral dba AeroMexico Connect. There are also ongoing negotiations which may see the carrier add nonstop service to Cancun as well. [10][11] TACA provided summer seasonal charter flights nonstop from MSY to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, with continuing service to San Salvador, El Salvador in June 2008. There has thus far been no indication as to when or if that carrier plans to return to MSY on a scheduled basis. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong_Airport

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Latest Accuweather Philadelphia News

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 12:09:07 +0000

find the car
Image by paladinsf Expect heavy snow – at times falling an inch an hour – starting tomorrow night and continuing through the day on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Winds could also become a concern, especially near the Shore, hampering visibility and causing drifting. The forecast has folks around the region reconsidering plans. Camden has already announced early dismissals for students tomorrow, and Cumberland County canceled its yearly Winter Eagle Festival, scheduled for Saturday morning. Philadelphia could get six inches to a foot of snow – without getting the worst of it, according to meteorologist Anthony Gigi of the service’s office in Mount Holly. Perhaps a foot and a half could fall in Cape May County, southern Delaware, parts of Maryland and northern Virginia, but if the track moves a little north – and it might – Philadelphia might get the max, he said. [Update: As of midafternoon, AccuWeather was warning the the storm could be worse than previously suspected, and the weather service had issued Winter Storm and Blizzard Warnings. See link at right to "An even scarier forecast: 'Paralyzing.' "]

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Latest Weather Network Boston News

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:18:12 +0000

Marine Week Boston, 2010: Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey garbled camera shot: “More Fonzie, less helicopter”
Image by Chris Devers Posted via email to ☛ HoloChromaCinePhotoRamaScope‽: http://cdevers.posterous.com/false-color-osprey-on-boston-common. Pictures kept coming out like this until, Fonzie-stylee, I gave the camera a good solid whack on the side. Yes, that really fixed it. • • • • • Pasted from Wikipedia: Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey • • • • • The Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey is a multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. The V-22 originated from the U.S. Department of Defense Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) aircraft program started in 1981. It was developed jointly by the Bell Helicopter, and Boeing Helicopters team, known as Bell Boeing, which produce the aircraft.[4] The V-22 first flew in 1989, and began years of flight testing and design alterations. The United States Marine Corps began crew training for the Osprey in 2000, and fielded it in 2007. The Osprey’s other operator, the U.S. Air Force fielded their version of the tiltrotor in 2009. Since entering service with the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force, the Osprey has been deployed for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Contents • 1 Development •• 1.1 Early development •• 1.2 Flight testing and design changes •• 1.3 Controversy •• 1.4 Recent development • 2 Design • 3 Operational history •• 3.1 US Marine Corps •• 3.2 US Air Force •• 3.3 Potential operators • 4 Variants • 5 Operators • 6 Notable accidents • 7 Specifications (MV-22B) • 8 Notable appearances in media • 9 See also • 10 References • 11 External links Development Early development The failure of the Iran hostage rescue mission in 1980 demonstrated to the United States military a need[5] for "a new type of aircraft, that could not only take off and land vertically but also could carry combat troops, and do so at speed."[6] The U.S. Department of Defense began the Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) aircraft program in 1981, under U.S. Army leadership. Later the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps took the lead.[7][8] The JVX combined requirements from the Marine Corps, Air Force, Army and Navy.[9][10] A request for proposals (RFP) was issued in December 1982 for JVX preliminary design work. Interest in the program was expressed by Aérospatiale, Bell Helicopter, Boeing Vertol, Grumman, Lockheed, and Westland. The DoD pushed for contractors to form teams. Bell partnered with Boeing Vertol. The Bell Boeing team submitted a proposal for a enlarged version of the Bell XV-15 prototype on 17 February 1983. This was the only proposal received and a preliminary design contract was awarded on 26 April 1983.[11][12] The JVX aircraft was designated V-22 Osprey on 15 January 1985; by March that same year the first six prototypes were being produced, and Boeing Vertol was expanded to deal with the project workload.[13][14] Work has been split evenly between Bell and Boeing. Bell Helicopter manufactures and integrates the wing, nacelles, rotors, drive system, tail surfaces, and aft ramp, as well as integrates the Rolls-Royce engines and performs final assembly. Boeing Helicopters manufactures and integrates the fuselage, cockpit, avionics, and flight controls.[4][15] The USMC variant of the Osprey received the MV-22 designation and the Air Force variant received CV-22; reversed from normal procedure to prevent Marine Ospreys from having a conflicting designation with aircraft carriers (CV).[16] Full-scale development of the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft began in 1986.[2] On 3 May 1986 the Bell-Boeing partnership was awarded a .714 billion contract for V-22 aircraft by the Navy, thus at this point the project had acquisition plans with all four arms of the U.S. military.[17] The first V-22 was rolled out with significant media attention in May 1988.[18][19] However the project suffered several political blows. Firstly in the same year, the Army left the program, citing a need to focus its budget on more immediate aviation programs.[20] The project also faced considerable dialogue in the Senate, surviving two votes that both could have resulted in cancellation.[21][22] Despite the Senate’s decision, the Department of Defense instructed the Navy not to spend more money on the Osprey.[23] At the same time, the Bush administration sought the cancellation of the project.[23] Flight testing and design changes The first of six MV-22 prototypes first flew on 19 March 1989 in the helicopter mode,[24] and on 14 September 1989 as a fixed-wing plane.[25] The third and fourth prototypes successfully completed the Osprey’s first Sea Trials on the USS Wasp in December 1990.[26] However, the fourth and fifth prototypes crashed in 1991-92.[27] Flight tests were resumed in August 1993 after changes were incorporated in the prototypes.[2] From October 1992 until April 1993, Bell and Boeing redesigned the V-22 to reduce empty weight, simplify manufacture and reduce production costs. This redesigned version became the B-model.[28] Flight testing of four full-scale development V-22s began in early 1997 when the first pre-production V-22 was delivered to the Naval Air Warfare Test Center, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. The first EMD flight took place on 5 February 1997. The first of four low rate initial production aircraft, ordered on 28 April 1997, was delivered on 27 May 1999. Osprey number 10 completed the program’s second Sea Trials, this time from the USS Saipan in January 1999.[2] During external load testing in April 1999, Boeing used a V-22 to lift and transport the M777 howitzer.[29] In 2000, Boeing announced that the V-22 would be fitted with a nose-mounted GAU-19 Gatling gun,[30] but the GAU-19 gun was later canceled.[31] In 2000, there were two further fatal crashes, killing a total of 19 Marines, and the production was again halted while the cause of these crashes was investigated and various parts were redesigned.[32] The V-22 completed its final operational evaluation in June 2005. The evaluation was deemed successful; events included long range deployments, high altitude, desert and shipboard operations. The problems identified in various accidents had been addressed.[33] Controversy The V-22′s development process has been long and controversial, partly due to its large cost increases.[34] When the development budget, first planned for .5 billion in 1986, increased to a projected billion in 1988, then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney tried to zero out its funding. He was eventually overruled by Congress.[32] As of 2008, billion have been spent on the Osprey program and another .2 billion will be required to complete planned production numbers by the end of the program.[2] The V-22 squadron’s former commander at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Lt. Colonel Odin Lieberman, was relieved of duty in 2001 after allegations that he instructed his unit that they needed to falsify maintenance records to make the plane appear more reliable.[2][35] Three officers were later implicated in the falsification scandal.[34] The aircraft is incapable of autorotation, and is therefore unable to land safely in helicopter mode if both engines fail. A director of the Pentagon’s testing office in 2005 said that if the Osprey loses power while flying like a helicopter below 1,600 feet (490 m), emergency landings "are not likely to be survivable". But Captain Justin (Moon) McKinney, a V-22 pilot, says that this will not be a problem, "We can turn it into a plane and glide it down, just like a C-130".[31] A complete loss of power would require the failure of both engines, as a drive shaft connects the nacelles through the wing; one engine can power both proprotors.[36] While vortex ring state (VRS) contributed to a deadly V-22 accident, the aircraft is less susceptible to the condition than conventional helicopters and recovers more quickly.[5] The Marines now train new pilots in the recognition of and recovery from VRS and have instituted operational envelope limits and instrumentation to help pilots avoid VRS conditions.[32][37] It was planned in 2000 to equip all V-22s with a nose-mounted Gatling gun, to provide "the V-22 with a strong defensive firepower capability to greatly increase the aircraft’s survivability in hostile actions."[30] The nose gun project was canceled however, leading to criticism by retired Marine Corps Commandant General James L. Jones, who is not satisfied with the current V-22 armament.[31] A belly-mounted turret was later installed on some of the first V-22s sent to the War in Afghanistan in 2009.[38] With the first combat deployment of the MV-22 in October 2007, Time Magazine ran an article condemning the aircraft as unsafe, overpriced, and completely inadequate.[31] The Marine Corps, however, responded with the assertion that much of the article’s data were dated, obsolete, inaccurate, and reflected expectations that ran too high for any new field of aircraft.[39] Recent development On 28 September 2005, the Pentagon formally approved full-rate production for the V-22.[40] The plan is to boost production from 11 a year to between 24 and 48 a year by 2012. Of the 458 total planned, 360 are for the Marine Corps, 48 for the Navy, and 50 for the Air Force at an average cost of 0 million per aircraft, including development costs.[2] The V-22 had an incremental flyaway cost of million per aircraft in 2007,[3] but the Navy hopes to shave about million off that cost after a five-year production contract starts in 2008.[41] The Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office in Amarillo, Texas will design a new integrated avionics processor to resolve electronics obsolescence issues and add new network capabilities.[42] Design The Osprey is the world’s first production tiltrotor aircraft, with one three-bladed proprotor, turboprop engine, and transmission nacelle mounted on each wingtip. It is classified as a powered lift aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration.[43] For takeoff and landing, it typically operates as a helicopter with the nacelles vertical (rotors horizontal). Once airborne, the nacelles rotate forward 90° in as little as 12 seconds for horizontal flight, converting the V-22 to a more fuel-efficient, higher-speed turboprop airplane. STOL rolling-takeoff and landing capability is achieved by having the nacelles tilted forward up to 45°. For compact storage and transport, the V-22′s wing rotates to align, front-to-back, with the fuselage. The proprotors can also fold in a sequence taking 90 seconds.[44] Most Osprey missions will use fixed wing flight 75 percent or more of the time, reducing wear and tear on the aircraft and reducing operational costs.[45] This fixed wing flight is higher than typical helicopter missions allowing longer range line-of-sight communications and so improved command and control.[2] Boeing has stated the V-22 design loses 10% of its vertical lift over a Tiltwing design when operating in helicopter mode because of airflow resistance due to the wings, but that the Tiltrotor design has better short takeoff and landing performance.[46] The V-22 is equipped with a glass cockpit, which incorporates four Multi-function displays (MFDs) and one shared Central Display Unit (CDU), allowing the pilots to display a variety of images including: digimaps centered or decentered on current position, FLIR imagery, primary flight instruments, navigation (TACAN, VOR, ILS, GPS, INS), and system status. The flight director panel of the Cockpit Management System (CMS) allows for fully-coupled (aka: autopilot) functions which will take the aircraft from forward flight into a 50-foot hover with no pilot interaction other than programming the system.[47] The glass cockpit of the canceled CH-46X was derived from the V-22.[48] The V-22 is a fly-by-wire aircraft with triple-redundant flight control systems.[49] With the nacelles pointing straight up in conversion mode at 90° the flight computers command the aircraft to fly like a helicopter, with cyclic forces being applied to a conventional swashplate at the rotor hub. With the nacelles in airplane mode (0°) the flaperons, rudder, and elevator fly the aircraft like an airplane. This is a gradual transition and occurs over the rotation range of the nacelles. The lower the nacelles, the greater effect of the airplane-mode control surfaces.[50] The nacelles can rotate past vertical to 97.5° for rearward flight.[51][52] The Osprey can be armed with one M240 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 in caliber) or M2 .50 in caliber (12.7 mm) machine gun on the loading ramp, that can be fired rearward when the ramp is lowered. A GAU-19 three-barrel .50 in gatling gun mounted below the V-22′s nose has also been studied for future upgrade.[31][53] BAE Systems developed a remotely operated turreted weapons system for the V-22,[54] which was installed on half of the first V-22s deployed to Afghanistan in 2009.[38] The 7.62 mm belly gun turret is remotely operated by a gunner inside the aircraft, who acquires targets with a separate pod using color television and forward looking infrared imagery. U.S. Naval Air Systems Command is working on upgrades to increase the maximum speed from 250 knots (460 km/h; 290 mph) to 270 knots (500 km/h; 310 mph), increase helicopter mode altitude limit from 10,000 feet (3,000 m) to 12,000 feet (3,700 m) or 14,000 feet (4,300 m), and increase lift performance.[55] Operational history US Marine Corps Marine Corps crew training on the Osprey has been conducted by VMMT-204 since March 2000. On 3 June 2005, the Marine Corps helicopter squadron Marine Medium Helicopter 263 (HMM-263), stood down to begin the process of transitioning to the MV-22 Osprey.[56] On 8 December 2005, Lieutenant General Amos, commander of the II MEF, accepted the delivery of the first fleet of MV-22s, delivered to HMM-263. The unit reactivated on 3 March 2006 as the first MV-22 squadron and was redesignated VMM-263. On 31 August 2006, VMM-162 (the former HMM-162) followed suit. On 23 March 2007, HMM-266 became Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (VMM-266) at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.[57] The Osprey has been replacing existing CH-46 Sea Knight squadrons.[58] The MV-22 reached initial operational capability (IOC) with the U.S. Marine Corps on 13 June 2007.[1] On 10 July 2007 an MV-22 Osprey landed aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the first time a V-22 had landed on any non-U.S. vessel.[59] On 13 April 2007, the U.S. Marine Corps announced that it would be sending ten V-22 aircraft to Iraq, the Osprey’s first combat deployment. Marine Corps Commandant, General James Conway, indicated that over 150 Marines would accompany the Osprey set for September deployment to Al-Asad Airfield.[60][61] On 17 September 2007, ten MV-22Bs of VMM-263 left for Iraq aboard the USS Wasp. The decision to use a ship rather than use the Osprey’s self-deployment capability was made because of concerns over icing during the North Atlantic portion of the trip, lack of available KC-130s for mid-air refueling, and the availability of the USS Wasp.[62] The Osprey has provided support in Iraq, racking up some 2,000 flight hours over three months with a mission capable availability rate of 68.1% as of late-January 2008.[63] They are primarily used in Iraq’s western Anbar province for routine cargo and troop movements, and also for riskier "aero-scout" missions. General David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, used one to fly around Iraq on Christmas Day 2007 to visit troops.[64] Then-presidential candidate Barack Obama also flew in Ospreys during his high profile 2008 tour of Iraq.[65] The only major problem has been obtaining the necessary spare parts to maintain the aircraft.[66] The V-22 had flown 3,000 sorties totaling 5,200 hours in Iraq as of July 2008.[67] USMC leadership expect to deploy MV-22s to Afghanistan in 2009.[66][68] General George J. Trautman, III praised the increased range of the V-22 over the legacy helicopters in Iraq and said that "it turned his battle space from the size of Texas into the size of Rhode Island."[69] Naval Air Systems Command has devised a temporary fix for sailors to place portable heat shields under Osprey engines to prevent damage to the decks of some of the Navy’s smaller amphibious ships, but they determined that a long term solution to the problem would require these decks be redesigned with heat resistant deck coatings, passive thermal barriers and changes in ship structure in order to operate V-22s and F-35Bs.[70] A Government Accountability Office study reported that by January 2009 the Marines had 12 MV-22s operating in Iraq and they managed to successfully complete all assigned missions. The same report found that the V-22 deployments had mission capable rates averaging 57% to 68% and an overall full mission capable rate of only 6%. It also stated that the aircraft had shown weakness in situational awareness, maintenance, shipboard operations and the ability to transport troops and external cargo.[71] That study also concluded that the "deployments confirmed that the V-22’s enhanced speed and range enable personnel and internal cargo to be transported faster and farther than is possible with the legacy helicopters it is replacing".[71] The MV-22 saw its first offensive combat mission, Operation Cobra’s Anger on 4 December 2009. Ospreys assisted in inserting 1,000 Marines and 150 Afghan troops into the Now Zad Valley of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan to disrupt communication and supply lines of the Taliban.[38] In January 2010 the MV-22 Osprey is being sent to Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response relief efforts after the earthquake there. This will be the first use the Marine V-22 in a humanitarian mission.[72] US Air Force The Air Force’s first operational CV-22 Osprey was delivered to the 58th Special Operations Wing (58th SOW) at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico on 20 March 2006. This and subsequent aircraft will become part of the 58th SOW’s fleet of aircraft used for training pilots and crew members for special operations use.[73] On 16 November 2006, the Air Force officially accepted the CV-22 in a ceremony conducted at Hurlburt Field, Florida.[74] The US Air Force’s first operational deployment of the Osprey sent four CV-22s to Mali in November 2008 in support of Exercise Flintlock. The CV-22s flew nonstop from Hurlburt Field, Florida with in-flight refueling.[5] AFSOC declared that the 8th Special Operations Squadron reached Initial Operational Capability on 16 March 2009, with six of its planned nine CV-22s operational.[75] In June 2009, CV-22s of the 8th Special Operations Squadron delivered 43,000 pounds (20,000 kg) of humanitarian supplies to remote villages in Honduras that were not accessible by conventional vehicles.[76] In November 2009, the 8th SO Squadron and its six CV-22s returned from a three-month deployment in Iraq.[77] The first possible combat loss of an Osprey occurred on 9 April, 2010, as a CV-22 went down near Qalat, Zabul Province, Afghanistan, killing four.[78][79] Potential operators In 1999 the V-22 was studied for use in the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy,[80] it has been raised several times as a candidate for the role of Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control (MASC).[81] Israel had shown interest in the purchase of MV-22s, but no order was placed.[82][83] Flightglobal reported in late 2009 that Israel has decided to wait for the CH-53K instead.[84] The V-22 Osprey is a candidate for the Norwegian All Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter (NAWSARH) that is planned to replace the Westland Sea King Mk.43B of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 2015.[85] The other candidates for the NAWSARH contract of 10-12 helicopters are AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin, Eurocopter EC225, NHIndustries NH90 and Sikorsky S-92.[86] Bell Boeing has made an unsolicited offer of the V-22 for US Army medical evacuation needs.[87] However the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency issued a report that said that a common helicopter design would be needed for both combat recovery and medical evacuation and that the V-22 would not be suitable for recovery missions because of the difficulty of hoist operations and lack of self-defense capabilities.[88] The US Navy remains a potential user of the V-22, but its role and mission with the Navy remains unclear. The latest proposal is to replace the C-2 Greyhound with the V-22 in the fleet logistics role. The V-22 would have the advantage of being able to land on and support non-carriers with rapid delivery of supplies and people between the ships of a taskforce or to ships on patrol beyond helicopter range.[89] Loren B. Thompson of the Lexington Institute has suggested V-22s for use in combat search and rescue and Marine One VIP transport, which also need replacement aircraft.[90] Variants • V-22A •• Pre-production full-scale development aircraft used for flight testing. These are unofficially considered A-variants after 1993 redesign.[91] • HV-22 •• The U.S. Navy considered an HV-22 to provide combat search and rescue, delivery and retrieval of special warfare teams along with fleet logistic support transport. However, it chose the MH-60S for this role in 1992.[92] • SV-22 •• The proposed anti-submarine warfare Navy variant. The Navy studied the SV-22 in the 1980s to replace S-3 and SH-2 aircraft.[93] • MV-22B •• Basic U.S. Marine Corps transport; original requirement for 552 (now 360). The Marine Corps is the lead service in the development of the V-22 Osprey. The Marine Corps variant, the MV-22B, is an assault transport for troops, equipment and supplies, capable of operating from ships or from expeditionary airfields ashore. It is replacing the Marine Corps’ CH-46E [57] and CH-53D.[94] • CV-22B •• Air Force variant for the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). It will conduct long-range, special operations missions, and is equipped with extra fuel tanks and terrain-following radar.[95][96] Operators • United States • United States Air Force •• 8th Special Operations Squadron (8 SOS) at Hurlburt Field, Florida •• 71st Special Operations Squadron (71 SOS) at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico •• 20th Special Operations Squadron (20 SOS) at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico • United States Marine Corps •• VMM-161 •• VMM-162 •• VMM-261 •• VMM-263 •• VMM-264 •• VMM-266 •• VMM-365 •• VMMT-204 – Training squadron •• VMX-22 – Marine Tiltrotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron Notable accidents Main article: Accidents and incidents involving the V-22 Osprey From 1991 to 2000 there were four significant crashes, and a total of 30 fatalities, during testing.[32] Since becoming operational in 2007, the V-22 has had one possible combat loss due to an unknown cause, no losses due to accidents, and seven other notable, but minor, incidents. • On 11 June 1991, a mis-wired flight control system led to two minor injuries when the left nacelle struck the ground while the aircraft was hovering 15 feet (4.6 m) in the air, causing it to bounce and catch fire.[97] • On 20 July 1992, a leaking gearbox led to a fire in the right nacelle, causing the aircraft to drop into the Potomac River in front of an audience of Congressmen and other government officials at Quantico, killing all seven on board and grounding the aircraft for 11 months.[98] • On 8 April 2000, a V-22 loaded with Marines to simulate a rescue, attempted to land at Marana Northwest Regional Airport in Arizona, stalled when its right rotor entered vortex ring state, rolled over, crashed, and exploded, killing all 19 on board.[37] • On 11 December 2000, after a catastrophic hydraulic leak and subsequent software instrument failure, a V-22 fell 1,600 feet (490 m) into a forest in Jacksonville, North Carolina, killing all four aboard. This caused the Marine Corps to ground their fleet of eight V-22s, the second grounding that year.[99][100] Specifications (MV-22B) Data from Boeing Integrated Defense Systems,[101] Naval Air Systems Command,[102] US Air Force CV-22 fact sheet,[95] Norton,[103] and Bell[104] General characteristics • Crew: Four (pilot, copilot and two flight engineers) • Capacity: 24 troops (seated), 32 troops (floor loaded) or up to 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) of cargo (dual hook) • Length: 57 ft 4 in (17.5 m) • Rotor diameter: 38 ft 0 in (11.6 m) • Wingspan: 45 ft 10 in (14 m) • Width with rotors: 84 ft 7 in (25.8 m) • Height: 22 ft 1 in/6.73 m; overall with nacelles vertical (17 ft 11 in/5.5 m; at top of tailfins) • Disc area: 2,268 ft² (212 m²) • Wing area: 301.4 ft² (28 m²) • Empty weight: 33,140 lb (15,032 kg) • Loaded weight: 47,500 lb (21,500 kg) • Max takeoff weight: 60,500 lb (27,400 kg) • Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Allison T406/AE 1107C-Liberty turboshafts, 6,150 hp (4,590 kW) each Performance • Maximum speed: 250 knots (460 km/h, 290 mph) at sea level / 305 kn (565 km/h; 351 mph) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)[105] • Cruise speed: 241 knots (277 mph, 446 km/h) at sea level • Range: 879 nmi (1,011 mi, 1,627 km) • Combat radius: 370 nmi (426 mi, 685 km) • Ferry range: 1,940 nmi (with auxiliary internal fuel tanks) • Service ceiling: 26,000 ft (7,925 m) • Rate of climb: 2,320 ft/min (11.8 m/s) • Disc loading: 20.9 lb/ft² at 47,500 lb GW (102.23 kg/m²) • Power/mass: 0.259 hp/lb (427 W/kg) Armament • 1× M240 machine gun on ramp, optional Notable appearances in media Main article: Aircraft in fiction#V-22 Osprey See also • Elizabeth A. Okoreeh-Baah, USMC – first female to pilot a V-22 Osprey Related development • Bell XV-15 [106] • Bell/Agusta BA609 • Bell Boeing Quad TiltRotor Comparable aircraft • Canadair CL-84 • LTV XC-142 Related lists • List of military aircraft of the United States • List of VTOL aircraft References Bibliography • Markman, Steve and Bill Holder. "Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey Tilt-Engine VTOL Transport (U.S.A.)". Straight Up: A History of Vertical Flight. Schiffer Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7643-1204-9. • Norton, Bill. Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, Tiltrotor Tactical Transport. Midland Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-85780-165-2. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: V-22 Osprey • Official Boeing V-22 site • Official Bell V-22 site • V-22 Osprey web, and www.history.navy.mil/planes/v-22.html • CV-22 fact sheet on USAF site • www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/v-22.htm • www.airforce-technology.com/projects/osprey/ • Onward and Upward • "Flight of the Osprey", US Navy video of V-22 operations

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Image by Andrew Teman This ad from Microsoft showed up adjacent to the weather map I was just looking at. After about 20 straight days of rain in Boston, it seemed like an appropriate image to sit next to this forecast…

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