tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35519222011-11-27T17:19:19.206-07:00Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comBlogger1511100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-45987306702635981392010-04-28T17:48:00.006-06:002011-08-29T11:30:49.436-06:00

Vote! Longmont - Registration and Candidate information / Twitter City Clerks Office - Election information, campaign laws, important dates, candidate information Unelect Sean McCoy - opinion site / YouTube Channel  / Twitter City Council - information on current members, minutes, and agendas Longmont Advocate - Blog and podcast with a local angle / YouTube Channel  /  Twitter Times-Call -

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-71722233137508846902009-06-18T21:15:00.000-06:002009-06-18T21:16:35.232-06:00

I want to thank Examiner.Com, and especially Nate Ferguson, for the opportunity to be the Denver Aviation Examiner for the last 6 months. I've recently resigned due to time constraints, but it's been a fun ride. I averaged over 5,000 hits a month and went out #4 in my category (Neighborhoods & Culture) nationwide for the year.But my involvement with them isn't completely over as I'll still help

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-15028782856940260212009-05-22T20:11:00.003-06:002009-05-22T20:12:39.467-06:00

In what’s sure to be yet another hot topic in the city of Longmont, Colorado, the wholesale extermination of prairie dogs at the Vance Brand Airport is under way. What’s going to be interesting is the interaction between the city staff that moved forward on it, and a few on city council who spoke out against it – and of course a few vocal citizens....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-68345482373584588142009-05-19T11:45:00.001-06:002009-05-19T11:46:53.703-06:00

In the FoxNews report in my previous story, it said the City of Longmont “planned to spend up to $14,000 to build a new barrier fence” to keep prairie dogs out of the airport movement area. The fence is built, and I thought you might like to see where and how your money was spent....rest of the article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-78650364826584388182009-05-19T00:38:00.001-06:002009-05-19T00:39:56.772-06:00

The scourge of Longmont’s Vance Brand Airport, its prairie dogs not its vocal pilots, are now national news. FoxNews did a piece called “Cute, Cuddly Menace”....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-65445590273693411832009-05-14T10:42:00.001-06:002009-05-14T10:43:45.656-06:00

Celebrity hero worship ain’t my thang. An endorsement by them often means less than nothing to me, and I’m sure others. Occasionally their comments are cringe worthy and do more damage than good. The latest example: Oprah Winfrey bragging about how great it is to have her own private jet....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-74837117928032572522009-05-13T10:43:00.002-06:002009-05-13T10:44:41.118-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-52966000082672149492009-05-11T18:07:00.002-06:002009-05-11T18:25:22.561-06:00

Previous poor planning and coordination of a flight over New York by an Air Force Boeing 747 (one of the Air Force One aircraft) just caused a cancellation of a legitimate flight in the same area. The situations couldn’t be much different though....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-66346630047975484802009-05-09T21:03:00.003-06:002009-05-09T21:10:43.099-06:00

Another site of mine that gets lots of traffic, in comparison to the amount of time I put into it, is a website for Geocaching. A few years ago, I came up with a site that combines aviation and geocaching, and have been getting email and requests for additions for years. I was never crazy about the design and requirements for its upkeep, so I've completely overhauled it and it's much easier to

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-17790137478432220542009-05-07T11:17:00.001-06:002009-05-07T11:18:55.595-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-47666274605552781822009-05-04T22:03:00.002-06:002009-05-04T22:04:24.893-06:00

Many of you may not be aware that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the labor union for air traffic controllers, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) have been in contract impasse since 2006....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-12974167447083435592009-04-30T22:53:00.001-06:002009-04-30T22:54:40.642-06:00

Statements Vice President Joe Biden made on the Today Show were quickly “clarified” by the White House shortly after. He said he wouldn’t want anyone in his family to get on an airplane or ride in a subway....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-85031055541667456502009-04-29T11:20:00.001-06:002009-04-29T11:22:02.836-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-42354594556164365382009-04-28T12:40:00.002-06:002009-04-28T12:41:09.728-06:00

The rapid speed at which this latest round of Swine Flu is spreading around the globe begs the question: Is air travel worsening the situation and turning this into a pandemic quicker than it would normally?...rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-16531310445454360502009-04-27T18:32:00.001-06:002009-04-27T18:33:30.649-06:00

I’m sorry, but this Air Force One photo opportunity over Manhattan was stupid on several levels. I’ve flown this complicated airspace, including right down the Hudson River and over the Statute of Liberty. Clearing the bridges, including the George Washington and the Verrazano, which this Boeing 747 also did, and staying below the Class B airspace is tricky enough in a 150mph airplane....rest

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-46404179175817733642009-04-26T23:04:00.002-06:002009-04-26T23:05:18.927-06:00

Back in February, in my first weekly aviation news roundup, one of the headlines read: AeroMexico Launches Denver-Mexico City Flights. In the article, Frank Galan, the Vice President if AeroMexico’s U.S. division said at the time the coming months include several heavy travel periods to Mexico, including spring break in March....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-41963377732834724492009-04-24T22:48:00.002-06:002009-04-24T22:49:21.332-06:00

One would assume the obvious that interaction between wildlife and airplanes can be a dangerous thing. But you wouldn’t know that in Longmont, Colorado where they are about to try something that from all reports no other airport has attempted....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-16650185855833681582009-04-22T10:43:00.001-06:002009-04-22T10:44:37.741-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of aviation news that occurred in Colorado and the surrounding area....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-40855678065690221362009-04-20T12:46:00.001-06:002009-04-20T12:48:07.649-06:00

A campaign is underway to better educate members of Congress on the importance of General Aviation, or GA for short. Leading this charge is one of the best organizations I’ve ever joined, aviation related or not, AOPA – Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-101475082866823002009-04-17T23:26:00.002-06:002009-04-17T23:27:30.358-06:00

Just when you thought Denver International Airport (DIA) couldn’t get any bigger, plans are being worked on to double the capacity and size. DIA opened in 1995 with 5 runways, later a 6th one was added. Now discussion includes a new 7th runway....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-50752055033668304172009-04-15T11:02:00.001-06:002009-04-15T11:03:29.113-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-19574277259138235892009-04-13T11:41:00.002-06:002009-04-13T11:42:22.384-06:00

It sounds like something straight out of the movie “Airplane”, unfortunately in this real life situation there was a death involved....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-74466734108140537702009-04-08T10:47:00.001-06:002009-04-08T10:48:47.395-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-37484781297123877702009-04-06T22:50:00.002-06:002009-04-06T22:53:21.837-06:00

The odd story of the airplane stolen from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada - the chase through a few states, and the eventual ending on a road in southern Missouri....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-10630271071508414202009-04-06T00:51:00.001-06:002009-04-06T00:52:44.075-06:00

It has not been a very good month for aviation in Montana. A crash you might not have heard of was near Kalispell involving veterinarian Hugh Rogers....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-70870521159421621212009-04-03T20:34:00.001-06:002009-04-03T20:35:49.030-06:00

This is second in my series of aviation-related movie reviews. This time around it’s “Pushing Tin”, a 1999 comedy starring John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton as air traffic controllers and Cate Blanchett and Angelina Jolie as their wives....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-22459517487691043862009-04-02T11:18:00.001-06:002009-04-02T11:19:53.329-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of story at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-78360823389915271292009-04-01T01:03:00.002-06:002009-04-01T01:04:29.888-06:00

Here are some of the aviation news stories you may have missed recently. Through an arrangement with "America's Finest News Source", The Onion, I've been given permission to use content from their website (that's no joke). So enjoy, I insist....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-33273459811323007532009-03-30T11:12:00.001-06:002009-03-30T11:13:44.655-06:00

In my recent weekly news roundup there was the following headline and article from the Vail Daily: Eagle County tries to keep airport controllers. It tells the story of the control tower at Eagle County Airport near Gypsum, Colorado, and its staffing issues....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-41977194481146130912009-03-27T09:47:00.002-06:002009-03-27T09:48:05.146-06:00

The Federal Aviation Administration has a program with their Safety Team (acronym FAAST) that is worth checking in to. Their mission is: “To improve the Nation's aviation safety record by conveying safety principles and practices through training, outreach, and education."...rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-6798614425994902502009-03-25T11:07:00.001-06:002009-03-25T11:08:59.977-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-6281047766224728132009-03-23T10:41:00.002-06:002009-03-23T10:42:42.834-06:00

Information on the flight track, the airplane, and the layout of Butte airport and the crash scene of this horrible accident....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-5006546314513745542009-03-20T00:23:00.001-06:002009-03-20T00:24:35.834-06:00

The sad and tragic news came across today that renowned pilot and author Sparky Imeson’s airplane wreckage was found after a two day search, he did not survive....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-39064626807770285492009-03-18T23:21:00.001-06:002009-03-18T23:23:12.035-06:00

If anyone can make any logical sense out of this, I’m all ears. The Washington Times and several websites are reporting that President Obama “secretly ends program that let pilots carry guns.”...rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-49934607817715286942009-03-18T10:30:00.001-06:002009-03-18T10:31:47.085-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of the article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-9782608257494939092009-03-17T17:35:00.001-06:002009-03-17T17:37:00.704-06:00

CBS 4 Denver has covered Denver International Airport’s safety situation twice in the last month. In the interest of "infotainment", they may have been a little loose with the story....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-88885665523012781672009-03-16T11:35:00.002-06:002009-03-16T11:36:52.784-06:00

A documentary I recently watched asked the question “Will my grandchildren ever ride in an airplane? It was a gripping question, because the answer might very well be no.”...rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-55446765283492273882009-03-13T10:09:00.001-06:002009-03-13T10:11:05.724-06:00

How could improvements in position reporting, situational awareness, and course guidance ever turn out to be a bad thing? Sounds impossible, right?...rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-36751826926944934122009-03-11T11:23:00.001-06:002009-03-11T11:25:37.834-06:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-22447666352550440442009-03-10T11:16:00.001-06:002009-03-10T11:17:43.275-06:00

There was a time when air traffic controllers were not only allowed to sit in jump seats of airliners, but were encouraged to do so. The idea was to enhance awareness of who we work with and what they go through....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-43303332838197828562009-03-07T16:50:00.001-07:002009-03-07T16:51:33.864-07:00

Not only did the radio world lose a legend in the last week, the aviation world did as well. Some of you may not have known about Paul Harvey’s interest in aviation....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-32513301335607249192009-03-06T21:10:00.001-07:002009-03-06T21:11:49.710-07:00

Flying at night is an experience that shouldn’t be skipped, and like mountain flying, it should be respected. Combine the two and you have to take a lot into account and plan accordingly....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-74941866017106499262009-03-04T11:42:00.001-07:002009-03-04T11:43:21.366-07:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-63247326311557774812009-03-02T23:45:00.001-07:002009-03-02T23:47:13.534-07:00

See fake airplanes, scary landings, paintings at lightning speed - YouTube aviation videos have it all....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-89695001831796958212009-02-27T19:45:00.001-07:002009-02-27T19:46:50.598-07:00

Most often when you hear about airplane incidents and accidents, it’s the flight crew and passengers you learn the most about. Sometimes it’s the heroic action they took, sometimes its pilot error in the report. But it’s not too often you hear about the air traffic controller(s) who work these flights....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-47808875136459730532009-02-25T12:07:00.001-07:002009-02-25T12:08:45.451-07:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-49855496293430072212009-02-23T19:39:00.001-07:002009-02-23T19:41:27.955-07:00

CBS4 Denver did a couple of stories about recent changes for arrivals into Denver Intl. As always, there’s a little bit more to the story than meets they eye....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-9314348195133018822009-02-21T14:35:00.001-07:002009-02-21T14:37:28.947-07:00

We all know the stories of dogs in pet carriers sitting in the cargo hold of airliners. What about dogs that fly in private aircraft?...rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-77788627929469122852009-02-18T17:13:00.001-07:002009-02-18T17:14:46.256-07:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-50924750236895070752009-02-16T12:46:00.001-07:002009-02-16T12:48:14.619-07:00

The FAA is considering consolidating the some weather services with a report due this week. What’s to be decided is whether or not to take out of the ARTCC’s (Air Route Traffic Control Centers – or Centers for short) their specialized weather unit, technically known as the Center Weather Services Unit, or CWSU....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-88566948539861709982009-02-13T21:16:00.002-07:002009-02-13T21:17:32.740-07:00

The FAA has issued an advisory to aircraft to be on alert for falling satellite debris....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-50817094764795323342009-02-13T10:08:00.001-07:002009-02-13T10:09:44.010-07:00

With more and more air traffic and fewer places to put those airplanes, here's a trip down memory lane of the airports that used to be....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-72057091320393481252009-02-11T12:29:00.002-07:002009-02-11T12:30:26.548-07:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred between 2/4/09 - 2/11/09 in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-79423564570994335542009-02-09T15:56:00.001-07:002009-02-09T15:57:59.664-07:00

The contrasts between Katie Couric's fawning over and latching on to one aviation accident, and the one where she said the pilot belonged in jail for crashing into a...jail....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-9395176856640896472009-02-07T22:29:00.002-07:002009-02-07T22:31:19.206-07:00

The Federal Aviation Administration has released to the public the audio from the incident involving US Airways Flight 1549. I’m sure those that have heard it have a few questions, like what’s this “Cactus” you keep hearing....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-52785326994284195362009-02-06T00:16:00.001-07:002009-02-06T00:18:24.117-07:00

From time to time I want to focus on specific ways to cross the Continental Divide and some of the most used passes. First up is Rollins Pass, also known as Corona Pass....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-17383608555567943852009-02-04T12:10:00.001-07:002009-02-04T12:11:47.433-07:00

Here’s a wrap-up of news that occurred in, around, or involving aviation in Colorado....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-63996188161016308362009-02-03T00:56:00.001-07:002009-02-03T00:58:08.966-07:00

Some info and trivia from "the day the music died" that you may not have known, like how this crash took a back page to a major airliner crash on the same day. Plus documentation right out of the official crash report....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-6417945764673224302009-02-02T11:52:00.001-07:002009-02-02T11:53:46.316-07:00

Tired of the same old Valentines Day? How about skydiving, a hot air balloon ride, simulated airplane dog fights, or aerial tours in a classic airplane? A Valentines to be remembered for sure....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-20368899735008300412009-01-30T01:00:00.001-07:002009-01-30T01:02:43.714-07:00

It’s unfortunate that for many of you, the first you’ve heard of a great aviation site will be under such sad circumstances. Airliners.Net is a site with thousands of pictures of just about every type of airplane ever made. One of my favorite sections is the older pictures of airlines that no longer exist. The horrible news that broke Thursday is that it’s General Manager, Paulo Emanuele, died

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-55708147360596505052009-01-29T01:59:00.001-07:002009-01-29T02:01:07.934-07:00

If you’re thinking about flying to or around the area of the Super Bowl (Sunday Feb. 1 in Tampa Bay, FL), you may want to become acquainted with the airspace restrictions that will be in place....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-17243277254139155622009-01-27T01:08:00.001-07:002009-01-27T01:10:15.218-07:00

Citigroup is using $50 million of its $45 billion of capital that it received from the U.S. government to buy a new airplane. The news wires, newspapers, and blogs are afire with this story, but not a lot is being said about the airplane specifically, so here’s some info on it. The airplane in question is a Dassault Falcon 7X (pictured) and is about as big and expensive as private jets go....

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-16288455218049677512009-01-26T11:19:00.001-07:002009-01-26T11:20:58.560-07:00

About 85% of airplanes flying today use Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT’s) that will no longer be monitored by satellite after February 1....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-45714699602140082682009-01-23T09:29:00.001-07:002009-01-23T09:31:03.428-07:00

The Associated Press reported on 1/14/09 that Grand Junction Regional Airport’s (KGJT – formerly known as Walker Field) traffic was up over 43,000 passengers from the previous year. I didn’t get in touch with their Chamber of Commerce, but I can bet a big chunk of that increase wasn’t originally meant to go there....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-65133763415734932172009-01-21T11:41:00.001-07:002009-01-21T11:43:28.534-07:00

It may feel like a secret location to some, or a secret guilty pleasure, but airplane and airport watching is popular all over the country. Many airports have locations nearby to sit and watch the activity at the airport. Some are well known, some known just to the purists who go there....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-91538775627520675822009-01-19T15:24:00.001-07:002009-01-19T15:26:20.261-07:00

Prior to 9/11, the only time pilots ever thought of ADIZ’s (Air Defense Identification Zone) was when crossing international borders. By definition, an ADIZ is an area of airspace defined by a nation within which "the ready identification, the location, and the control of aircraft are required in the interest of national security.” One ADIZ in particular has become permanent, the Washington D.C

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-15471979527017802632009-01-17T18:04:00.003-07:002009-01-17T18:06:15.833-07:00

On January 22nd, actor Harrison Ford will be honored at the Living Legends of Aviation Awards in Los Angeles. Mr. Ford has been the chairman of the Young Eagles program of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) since 2004. This program helps get children interested in aviation. Mr. Ford has been a promoter of this program and has taken up nearly 300 kids in his own aircraft. Previous

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-91018979650481489032009-01-15T22:44:00.001-07:002009-01-15T22:46:09.802-07:00

To say that US Airways Flight 1549’s captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger and his copilot had the “right stuff” to pull off a successful ditching into the Hudson River is to put things mildly....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-18909158047208107132009-01-13T18:01:00.001-07:002009-01-13T18:03:53.334-07:00

I may have underestimated Marcus Schrenker when I compared him to D.B. Cooper, this is sounding even more convoluted. But first, before getting into the gossip being splashed all over the net, here’s some more info on the flight and the airplane....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-40393040330675705582009-01-12T19:23:00.001-07:002009-01-12T19:25:40.957-07:00

Back in 1971, a man named Dan Cooper (forever to be known as “D.B. Cooper) got a couple hundred thousand dollars in ransom and jumped out the back of a Boeing 727. Authorities are still on this unsolved case.Today comes word that in an equally elaborate scheme, a 38 year old Marcus Schrenker allegedly tried to pull off a Piper Malibu crash while he parachuted before impact....rest of article at

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-59696009185725640272009-01-10T11:03:00.002-07:002009-01-10T11:07:00.938-07:00

I’ve been a fan of aviation related movies since the first “Airport” movie. Of course, any aviation enthusiast will tell you the greatest aviation movie ever made is “Airplane”, but in that one they weren’t necessarily going for authenticity. Since getting into the industry, I do tend to look at these movies now with a more critical eye towards the details. Here I’ll review the 1998 movie “

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-63143799859446699992009-01-08T12:19:00.001-07:002009-01-08T12:21:20.729-07:00

Many consumers would assume Garmin just makes their Nuvi street GPS units and XM Satellite Radio just delivers music. But both are large players in the aviation world....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-59833778360484994392009-01-07T11:37:00.001-07:002009-01-07T11:39:01.364-07:00

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is coming to Las Vegas January 8-11. There will be a couple of aviation companies on display, one in particular that interests me is FLIR Systems....rest of the story at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-51779713383277743452009-01-05T12:55:00.001-07:002009-01-05T12:57:45.260-07:00

You may have heard of “transition towns”, but here’s one better: a device to help you transition from town to town as quickly as possible. A flying car!Also a humorous video from The Onion titled “Mean Automakers Dash Nation's Hope For Flying Cars”...rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-2490119577290156042009-01-02T18:34:00.002-07:002009-01-02T18:39:16.001-07:00

Those in the aviation community were surely saddened to hear about the death of actor John Travolta’s son Jett today, he was 16. Most know Mr. Travolta through his long acting career, but he’s also been an avid aviator and ambassador for aviation for years....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-15333280591524503372008-12-30T15:09:00.002-07:002008-12-30T17:25:07.985-07:00

In upcoming articles I’ll talk about crossing the Continental Divide and night flying in the mountains. Unfortunately, there was an accident recently on the Colorado/New Mexico border that was near the Continental Divide, and at night. The FAA’s preliminary report can be found at this link....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-26332707253343221982008-12-28T01:45:00.006-07:002008-12-30T15:11:32.673-07:00

As a pilot I’ve flown over some of the higher terrain in the United States, whether it’s the Sierra Nevada or the Rocky Mountains. As an air traffic controller, I’ve worked aircraft above and around these ranges, both can be equally challenging at times....rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-50587204993533022282008-12-27T18:19:00.006-07:002008-12-30T15:06:00.142-07:00

I’m sure the question of what kind of aircraft Santa Claus would fly has been pondered in hangars for decades. NORAD tracked Santa again this year, explaining “the only logical conclusion is that Santa functions within a different time-space continuum than the rest of us do.”...rest of article at Examiner.Com

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-10109280368049025002008-12-27T12:04:00.002-07:002008-12-27T12:11:51.259-07:00

Those bigger and better things? Check out my new site:http://www.examiner.com/x-2215-Denver-Aviation-Community-ExaminerThat's right, I'm the new Denver Aviation Community Examiner. Some or all of the posts from there may migrate over here, still mulling that all over.This is an opportunity to reach as many people as all of my previous websites/blogs combined, multiplied by ??? I'm honored to

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-37261255259044003622008-12-18T11:06:00.001-07:002008-12-27T18:17:30.093-07:00

Currently I'm mulling over an offer to take this blog to a much larger audience. It's possible my readership could go from about 8 to about 1000 times that by writing this stuff on a different site, with pay. As usual, time is the biggest problem, squeezing it all in and everything else I do. Definitely no shortage of interesting material to work with, something new every day. If I do this,

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-70164543337336977982008-11-23T17:22:00.000-07:002008-11-23T17:45:29.485-07:00

LET THE SEASON BEGIN - Winter 2008/2009 is about to start, with the kickoff being November 26, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving - the supposedly "busiest day of the year". Some would say the following Sunday is, or the day after Christmas, etc etc, we will see. Either way, the projections so far are not much lower than last year, regardless of any economic downturn. We have a bunch of newbies

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1176348077763764922007-04-11T21:11:00.000-06:002007-04-11T21:21:17.766-06:00

CHANGING OF ASPENS (RUNWAY) - For the next couple of months, Aspen Airport will be closed for runway resurfacing. Oddly, the controllers remain, perhaps doing some air quality control as opposed to air traffic control. Well, they still have their approach control airspace to babysit. Once nice side effect is that we get to have the shelf above Eagle and can climb unrestricted. I could almost get

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1176347247625463562007-04-11T20:43:00.000-06:002007-04-11T21:07:27.636-06:00

ADDITIONS TO THE HOLE - As I wrote earlier, the "hole" was absorbed into a larger low altitude area. Along with the airspace comes some new characters we have to deal with. Of course I'm talking about not just different users/pilots, but the dreaded (okay, not so dreaded really) tower controllers! I had the pleasure of visiting some of these fine facilities last week, unreimbursed of course. I

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1176345785503923982007-04-11T20:35:00.000-06:002007-04-11T20:43:05.516-06:00

A "MONUMENT" TO ATC EXCELLENCE - Okay, maybe I'm going overboard a little (just a little), but we had a friendly 172 pilot named Tim heading towards Monument Valley Airport recently who needed a little extra help. Natalie, one of the newer "hole"meisters was working Tim towards the airport, but it was getting to be dusk and Tim was having a hard time finding it, it's not easy to find in broad

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1169160466953550932007-01-18T15:38:00.000-07:002007-01-18T15:47:46.963-07:00

GOATHEAD NO MORE - One of our favorite guys down in Farmington, TA, is leaving for greener pastures. From Farmington brown to Seattle green, what a shock to the system, 2% relative humidity to, what, 100%? He's the one I'd get chewed out by management for answering tower calls with "goathead". Yes, they actually typed that up on a critique. Great, so now one less regular down there and I'm

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1168754860827267552007-01-13T22:28:00.000-07:002007-01-14T12:28:31.160-07:00

NEW FEATURE ALERT - Check out all the hyperlinks below. It's easier to talk about something if I can show you. So starting with these posts there are links to airport and approach info, courtesy of Airnav.Com, a great aviation site.MUG SHOT - Any of our friends down in Rifle reading? I was the lucky recipient of one of their "Request Rifle" mugs, pretty nice one, too. I thought everyone was

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1168579997306978562007-01-11T21:59:00.000-07:002007-01-11T22:34:39.300-07:00

A WHOLE NEW HOLE - It's almost hard now to call "the hole" "the hole" anymore. The transition to the new area is done, and I went into this new all low altitude area. They can take me out of the hole, but they can't take the hole away from me, or something like that. Here's the deal: What was referred to as "The Hole" was a low altitude position between, roughly, Grand Canyon and Alamosa. It was

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1163466887051907972006-11-13T17:33:00.000-07:002006-11-13T18:14:47.066-07:00

HOLE CLOSING RUMORS #267 So here it is, the skinny on where "The Hole" is going, and with it your humble correspondent. It, and I, is/are being reassigned to another area, aka "specialty". This area is known as Area 1, or the Central Area, soon to be known as the "low altitude only" area. I finally got my wish and am now training on the sectors I don't already have in that new area. So fear not

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1122391295608145522005-07-26T09:13:00.000-06:002005-07-26T09:21:35.613-06:00

BIRDS OF A FEATHER Today worked a C182 with a callsign close to my own. Sure enough, same year and model. We got to chatting on the freq, this is an Austin, TX based pilot/airplane. Looking forward to comparing notes.HOLE CLOSING RUMOURS PT. 12 The on-again, off-again situation with this sector moving to another area is in the off-again mode. It may be a little difficult for yours truly to

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1115090262413617452005-05-02T21:02:00.000-06:002005-05-02T21:17:42.416-06:00

SAD NEWS FROM FMN TOWER We at ZDV were sad to hear about the death of one of the controllers at Farmington Tower. Gil (ND) and his wife died in a car accident in the last week. We'll miss hearing his voice over the landline.FMN GETS A NEW GUY Heard a new voice over the landline as the tower picked up a new controller with the initials of CR, which are the real initials of yours truly, so he

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1114487958587718602005-04-25T21:58:00.000-06:002005-04-25T22:00:03.980-06:00

SLIP SLIDING AWAY Ya, I know I've been slipping in my entries here. And soon "The Hole" will slide right out of my area. The latest rumor is October '05! Once that happens I'll no longer work hardly any GA airplanes as I'll only work FL270 and above. Then again I could always transfer to the new area that works only FL260 to the ground, hmm. Enticing. "The Hole" has gotten pretty crowded anyway.

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1092353282508680692004-08-12T17:18:00.000-06:002004-08-12T17:29:58.123-06:00

END OF AN ERA Well, Scotty really called it quits. He's retired and enjoying the good life, I'm sure we'll hear from him from time to time. I hear pilots ask about him, that's for sure. NAVAJO NATION TAKE OVER AIRPORT In yet another "first", had an odd situation recently. A Lifeguard flight took off from Chinle, AZ and told me there was something going on down there that I better warn other

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1076653885587321442004-02-12T23:31:00.000-07:002004-08-12T17:33:59.490-06:00

CATCHING UP: WHERE DO I BEGIN Got a subtle reminder from Joe at FMN Tower that it's been too long since I posted here. He's right, I've let you down and now must do the honorable thing. But instead of THAT, I'll just post instead. As I wrote in November, these darn trainee's are clogging up The Hole. No less than 3 radar trainee's have been back there lately, puts a cramp on my time there.

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1068166277925747312003-11-06T17:51:00.000-07:002008-09-13T18:37:41.907-06:00

SNAKE IN THE HOLE Well, not a lot new going on these days in The Hole. But the Farmington (FMN) VORTAC has been changed to the Rattlesnake (RSK) VORTAC. You can thank Scotty for that one. Now we need to change Cortez (CEZ) VOR to something else, say, Mesa Verde VOR? I like it. Reason for changing VOR names? There was a big push years ago to not have airports and VORs have the same name

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-1057449725506953252003-07-05T18:02:00.000-06:002008-09-13T18:37:41.913-06:00

CATCHING UP: "DREAMTEAM", HOLE STYLE Yep, it doesn't happen often, Scotty and I working The Hole together. But it hapenned recently, twice in a couple days! FMN Tower didn't know what to make of it, hearing our alternating voices and all. It's that rare. At first I had Scotty sit with me just so he could take it from me, didn't really need the help. But then it exploded, rock & roll as they

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-952624982003-06-03T19:20:00.000-06:002008-09-13T18:37:41.922-06:00

FMN TOWER HAS AN OPENING TA reminded me it's been a long time since this site's been updated. Oddly enough, the updates have slowed down because of the previously mentioned shift changes that put me and Scotty on the same team (see MORE RIFF-RAFF POSSIBLE 1/26/2003). So now, Scotty's a campin' back there and yours truly is mostly banished to the real control room. But hey, he's on vacation or

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-915875212003-03-28T22:07:00.000-07:002008-09-13T18:37:41.930-06:00

THE HOLE GETS BIBLICAL Had an aircraft going to Holbrook, AZ today. Forgot the identifier so I asked, he replied "Paul 14", for P14, the 3 digit identifier for the airport. I reminded him we use "Papa" for P, just for laughs. He said he was using a biblical reference. Well, it was Sunday.

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-884550942003-02-02T21:43:00.000-07:002008-09-13T18:37:41.935-06:00

ONE OF THOSE DAYS I’m sure this title will become a recurring theme, those odd and strange days that happen too often in The Hole. Check this out… UNREACHABLE CHARTS Had a Twin Otter today going to Farmington, then changed to Grand Canyon. Rides were rough, up and, mostly, downdrafts galore. It got so bad for this guy his charts slid backward to the point he couldn’t retrieve them. He then

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-883151852003-01-31T00:26:00.000-07:002008-09-13T18:37:41.941-06:00

MORE “HOLE-CLOSING” RUMORS Previously I mentioned that someday “The Hole” will go away, being swallowed up into the rest of the area that it resides. Well, it gets worse: The airspace that makes the sector interesting may be taken over by a different facility, Albuquerque Approach to be exact. The story goes, and this has been talked about for a while now, that they’ll take over Farmington

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551922.post-880765092003-01-26T20:46:00.000-07:002008-09-13T18:37:41.948-06:00

MORE RIFF-RAFF POSSIBLE Me and Scotty have been able to do a pretty good job in the last year of keeping The Hole manned at all times by one of us. Starting in April we have nearly identical shifts, whereas right now we rarely occupy that seat at the same time. Those hours and days neither of us are there, riff-raff will run rampant at the sector unchecked. Users beware! RANDOM INTENTIONALLY

Chris Rodrigueznoreply@blogger.com