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Tanker Contract

February 24, 2011 by · Comments Off on Tanker Contract 

Tanker Contract, (AP) – The Air Force has awarded a contract for one billion and 35 to build the next generation of air refueling tankers from Boeing Co. The announcement was made at the Pentagon Thursday afternoon after the close of financial markets. He was certain to be good news in Washington state and Kansas, where most of the work on the tanker will be done. The decision was a blow to the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., which also had an offer for the contract. It was a big disappointment for Alabama, which had relied on the work at military base long vanes. The Air Force has tried for nearly a decade to replace its aging fleet of tankers from the Eisenhower era, the equivalent of a flight service station.

The United States announced Thursday the winner of a 35 billion U.S. Air Force tanker-refueling contract to Airbus and Boeing contested by the Department of Defense.

The decision will be announced at 17:10 (2210 GMT), said Col. David Lapan, spokesman for the Pentagon.

Several analysts have tipped the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, parent company of France-based Airbus, to win the politically charged contest; one of the largest procurement contracts in U.S. history.

The U.S. Air Force has been trying for almost a decade to begin to replace its tanker fleet of Boeing KC-135 built dating back to 1950.

At stake is a contract, estimated at 35 billion and, for the first 179 tankers.

In a surprise twist in a long saga, the Air Force on Thursday and received a 35 billion contract for Boeing aerial truck rather than a European company that builds Airbus aircraft.
Pentagon officials said the decision was based solely on price. Boeing’s offer was more than 1 per cent lower than its rival, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, officials said. If the bids were within one percent, the Air Force would have affected 92 of the additional requirements for the plan as a tiebreaker, and some of them were widely thought to promote the wider plan of EADS.

Reaction to the decision was taken even as the Pentagon was the conclusion of his news conference, paving the way for a possible fight in Congress.

Rival Boeing, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, argued that his plan was bigger and better. And legislators of the Gulf Coast, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, relied on the promise of EADS to build an assembly plant in Alabama, which would have created thousands of jobs.

“I’m disappointed but not surprised,” said Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama. “Only in Chicago politics could tip the balance in favor of the lower plane of Boeing. EADS offers clear that the aircraft performance. If this decision is, our fighters will not get the higher quality components they deserve. ”

EADS has also aligned the company of other politically important states like Ohio, to supply parts, and legislators in these states could raise questions about the decision as well. The company has days to decide on protest against the decision.

Sonic Boom

August 18, 2010 by · Comments Off on Sonic Boom 

Sonic Boom, About 2 pm today the walls of the offices of downtown Seattle Weekly shook and Twitter exploded with news of similar rumors around the state. With President Obama in the city, I’m sure some of you think something along the lines of, “We are at war!” Or, “Seafair is still going on?” But according to the FAA, the sonic boom came from two fighter jets sent to Portland after a driver violated presidential airspace. Not a word about who this driver, or when he or she was flying. We’ll let you know when we learn.

UPDATE: CBS News’ Mark Knoller peeps that Breach was a small private seaplane is within eight miles of Air Force One

Knoller says the seaplane had landed by the time the fighter jets were scrambled. And the pilot is being questioned. Bet that does not scare in the slightest.

UPDATE: KIRO has a picture of the seaplane.

Beware! Maybe … rub you with his skates.

King 5

August 18, 2010 by · Comments Off on King 5 

King 5, military fighter jets scrambled to respond to a violation of air space around Air Force One in Seattle, causing sonic booms were heard across western Washington.

North American Aerospace Defense Command spokesman John Cornelius said the F15 aircraft were sent from Portland, Oregon, as the president was visiting Seattle after a report that an aircraft violated the restricted airspace. He said the plane left the restricted area of the Air National Guard planes arrived.

The pilot landed in Lake Washington in Kenmore and was greeted by Secret Service agents. He and his passenger were returning home after a weekend at Lake Chelan. They reported seeing the planes as they flew from Seattle area and the mountains.

Once the plane landed the pilot and his passenger were interviewed by the Secret Service.

When the president is visiting is a radius of 10 miles from downtown Seattle and up to 18,000 feet, where it is to fly commercial aircraft. Extended another 20 miles, to be a radius of 30 miles, there can be private air traffic if the driver has a legitimate flight plan, if that person is in contact with air traffic control and if that person has the aircraft transponder on.

There is no system to notify private pilots about the airspace restrictions. It is incumbent on them to check to see if the restrictions are in place.

911 overloaded call centers

emergency agencies across Western Washington were flooded with calls from people who heard and felt a boom double on 13:50

Det. Ed Troyer with the Sheriff’s Department Pierce Co. said the system was down 911 through landlines in the Pierce County area for a while and the car alarms for home and broke his arms.

KING 5 News was flooded with calls and emails from people who heard and felt the explosions. Many people reported that their houses shook.

The Office of the King County Sheriff reported that about 300 calls came in the 911 center.

Birney Elementary School | USsPost.com

February 26, 2010 by · Comments Off on Birney Elementary School | USsPost.com 

Birney Elementary SchoolBirney Elementary School | USsPost.com:Another story of school shooting happened again today. A woman teacher of Birney Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington was shot to death by a gunman. According to the police official, the teacher was gunned down at Birney Elementary school before the students arrived for class.

The gunman, who is believed to have known by the woman teacher – was found dead a few blocks away shortly after wards.

This Birney Elementary shooting tragedy happened at about 7.30am.

Although the paramedics had arrived at the scene and tried to save the woman teacher, but they failed to save her life.

While in the area connected to the incident, there was also another shooting, The Tacoma News Tribune reported.

Birney Elementary School caters for around 400 children up to now.

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