Salem-News.com Aviation articles Page 26

US Signs Deal With Tajikistan for Afghan Transit

Kyrgyzstan voted to oust U.S. operations after receiving more than two billion dollars in loan and aid guarantees from Moscow, which had been irked by the US military presence in Central Asia.

(DUSHANBE, Tajikistan ) - The United States and Tajikistan have signed an agreement for the transport of non-military cargoes to Afghanistan. This news comes from US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher.

“Yes, it’s done,” said Boucher, in response to a question about the long-expected transit deal with the ex-Soviet republic that neighbors Afghanistan.

El Toro`s Radium Contaminated Hangar `In Limbo`

Hangar 296, constructed in 1944 is over 200,000 square feet in area. It is the second of two huge maintenance hangars in the highly industrialized section of El Toro.

(IRVINE, Calif.) - A huge maintenance hangar at former MCAS El Toro remains “radiological restricted” over California Department of Public Health concerns about a Navy radiological survey.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has not approved an MCAS El Toro hangar contaminated with Radium-226, despite a July 2002 Navy report recommending unrestricted use.

Airplane Crashes Near Cove, Oregon

The crash happened near Cove in Eastern Oregon, near Union.

(COVE, Ore.) - Oregon State Police and local emergency responders are on scene of a small plane crash with one confirmed injury near Cove.

Initial information indicates there was only one person on the plane. That person was reportedly taken by a private vehicle to an area hospital.

Police Identify Victims in Morning Plane Crash

The crash site is near the summit of Chehalem Mountain, at approximately 1000 feet of elevation.

(NEWBERG, Ore.) - Investigators say two died this morning when their light plane crashed in rural Yamhill County, near Sherwood.

Yamhill County Sheriff Jack Crabtree said that the pilot, 49-year old Steven Robert Fordyce of Salem, and 53-year old Pamela Jean Lusardi of rural Marion County, were both killed instantly when Steven Fordyce's 1959 Piper PA-22 crashed at 7:35 a.m. Wednesday.

Israel`s Military Supplies to India

Alliances between nations are getting harder to track, and they have certainly changed since the end of the Cold War.

(TORNOTO, Canada) - India's main supplier of advanced military hardware is Israel. In the 1990s India took a major decision to procure arms from Israel after its much-touted Defense Research and Development Organization failed to develop any high-end weapons systems.

To keep abreast of its neighbors, from 1965 till 1997 India purchased weapons from the Soviet Union, and later Russia - the preferred choice for the last 40 years as its weapons were cheap, reliable, rugged and direct copies of advanced weapons in the West.

Russian Jet Fighters: Formidable Opponents of Western Technology

If politicians eventually press the U.S. into another war, our pilots may be up against hardware that carries very harsh and severe consequences.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Americans historically tend to have a superiority complex toward other nations when it comes to military hardware and technology. Yet most probably won't be surprised to learn that people in other nations have the same problem.

I think Russian military aircraft have caught up to ours. You'll have to watch the video of the SU-30 below and you may have a similar opinion.

Veterans Support Reintroduction of `The TCE Reduction Act`

Presumptive disability for diseases linked to TCE contamination is the fairest way to honor the service of veterans.

(SOMERDALE, N.J.) - The Veterans for Change (VFC), a small but proactive organization, plans to petition Congress to reintroduce “The TCE Reduction Act,” and to include exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) for military bases with TCE contamination of groundwater under the VA's Presumptive Disability category.

The Veterans for Change’s (VFC) mission is to promote positive changes in the treatment and rights of all veterans, especially relating to benefits claims, claims appeals, medical treatment, VA facilities, PTSD, Agent Orange, POW/MIA recoveries, diabetes, dioxins and related issues affecting veterans and their families.

Why the Navy Wants to Conduct Operations Off Oregon

Drawing a line between the fate of the El Toro Marine air base and the proposal to conduct Naval operations on Oregon's coastline.

(SALEM, Ore.) - I think Sherlock Holmes would be a good consultant on this one; but in his absence I'll take a stab at delivering my theory on why the Navy suddenly wants to bring a military presence to the Oregon coast.

Our regular readers know Salem-News.com has been covering the toxic contamination of the old El Toro Marine base in Southern California since just before last summer.

Continental Plane Crash in New York Kills 49

A passenger plane crashed into a home located a few miles from the Buffalo airport in New York.

(MANASSAS, Va.) - Continental Connection flight 3407 crashed at about 10:20 p.m. EST Thursday as the aircraft was enroute between Newark and Buffalo.

Airline personnel and local authorities have already begun working to confirm the number of people on board and their identities.

PTSD Flight 1549

The intrepid Captain – cool as a cucumber said he doesn’t know how soon he will be able to fly again.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - There seems to be a whole bunch of people who think that PTSD is for sissies – NO WAY! The near lethal catastrophe of Flight 1549 and ditching in the Hudson River should give them a wake up call.

The entire event occurred over about 5 minutes and of these 155 people some are psychologically scarred for life.