ECoastLife Updated OpinionNews, Comments, and Updated Opinion on Local Affairs Along Northwest Florida's Emerald Coast(Untitled)- August 28, 2003 News Herald Gets It Right After All Kevin Porter followed up on the Flight 4441 story, and found (as his TV colleagues did) that Delta Connection returned Flight 4441 to Atlanta because Atlanta has mechanics and spares, not because of runway length. Porter also noted that the companion story of a USAir Express diversion from Ft. Walton (12,000 ft runway) to Bay County was also driven by maintenance capabilities - Bay County has mechanics for the Beech 1900.http://www.ecoastlife.com/weblog/2003/08/28.html#a114 (Untitled)- August 27, 2003 The Flight 4441 Story - Consider Your News Source Today's News Herald ($Subscription required) reported that Delta Connection Flight 4441 turned back to Atlanta a couple of days ago after the pilot announced a minor mechanical problem and that the runway in Bay County was too short to land with this problem. The News Herald reported this part of the story, along with the connection with the proposal to relocate the airport to the St. Joe Sector. The NH also reported that..http://www.ecoastlife.com/weblog/2003/08/27.html#a113 (Untitled)- August 23, 2003 LinkAlert: Mike Boyd on the Airline Biz I have added a link to the The Boyd Group - Mike Boyd is as no-nonsense as you will find among airport consultants. I don't know how he keeps attracting clients with his contrarian approach, but he tells the truth. Looks like there is still a market for it.http://www.ecoastlife.com/weblog/2003/08/23.html#a112 (Untitled)- August 19, 2003 A Nice Week in the Panhandle Last week was an exception to the rain-rain days of this summer. We had childrengrandchildren in town and took time to do some sightseeing. South Walton county and Grayton Beach (the town and the state park) have to be the prettiest accessible beaches in the U.S. My personal favorite is Camp Helen in western Bay county, but the half-mile trek is too much for toddlers and infants. Tip: put a chair under the boardwalk at Grayton state park, no need...http://www.ecoastlife.com/weblog/2003/08/19.html#a111 (Untitled)- August 19, 2003 An Old Neighbor in Atlanta is in the News The Hapeville Ford plant (literally at the end and below Runway 8L-26R at Atlanta airport) has a murky future... Ford Plant Finds Efficiency Is No Protector. Ford's plant near Atlanta is one of the most productive car factories on the continent, but its future is in doubt. By Danny Hakim with Anne Berryman. New York Times: Businesshttp://www.ecoastlife.com/weblog/2003/08/19.html#a110 (Untitled)- August 19, 2003 PIP's Media Advisors The Victory Group of Tampa is the apparent brain trust who advised the Airport Authority to "go negative" against itself. Victory Group's claim to fame is the meteoric rise of U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, the orange-grove heiress who was Jeb's co-chair for the 1998 campaign and later was Secretary of State during the 2000 presidential election recount(s). As I have said before, the airport project does create jobs: $20 Million or so for Bechtel in..http://www.ecoastlife.com/weblog/2003/08/19.html#a109 |