Sky Talk

'Flight For Control': Pilot says her scary airline novel is based on real life in the business

Karlene Petitt wasn’t too surprised when a JetBlue Airways pilot snapped and launched into an in-flight tirade a few weeks ago.

The Delta Air Lines pilot and veteran of nearly three decades flying passenger jets, has written a thrilling page turner novel that revolves around over stressed, crazed pilots doing far worse things.

“Flight For Control” is a gut-wrenching, fear-of-flying inducing yarn that imagines the unimaginable. A series of unexplained airline crashes that kill hundreds of passengers.

The book is an exciting, if occasionally terrifying read. What makes it not quite plausible but still frightening, especially in the wake of recent events, is that Petitt says it reflects the upheaval in the airline industry and the frazzled emotional health of all its employees.

The lead character and ultimately heroine is Kathryn Jacobs, a former National Transportation Safety Board crash investigator. After a 10-year leave to try out wife and mother duties, the NTSB asks her to return to work to investigate the unexplained crashes.

Kathryn’s husband, Captain Bill Jacobs, is a senior airline pilot with a strong Machiavellian streak running for president of the pilots union. His real plan is far bolder, one with many victims.

While her twin daughters are off at camp, and Bill is immersed in his campaign, Kathryn secretly begins her investigation and what she finds is shocking beyond belief. Would a pilot intentionally crash a plane loaded with passengers?

The what-happens-next and who-done-it makes “Flight for Control” gripping. It’s well written, especially for a self published novel by a first time author.

(To see more about Petitt or order her book go to her website: Flight to Success. It's also available through Amazon.com.

To cope with the strains of a deregulated, highly competitive and cutthroat business the airlines in “Flight for Control” are cutting wages and pensions, pushing employees to the brink. Pilots are financially and emotionally bankrupt due to fatigue, furloughs, and loss of seniority and the recent arrivals are being poorly trained and ill prepared for emergencies.

If it sounds familiar it should, Petitt said in an interview. It’s based on what she sees among her pilot and flight attendant colleagues and friends. We interviewed Petitt at the recent Women in Aviation conference in Dallas.

The idea for the novel, Petitt said, came to her a few years ago when her then employer, Northwest Airlines, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Pilots’ anger was boiling and morale sinking.

“One of these guys sent out a message that said, ‘I don’t give a damn what they give us at this point. We’re going to shut these guys down,’” Petitt said. “I thought how far would a pilot go? Would they really try to shut an airline down?”

Petitt, who has a master’s degree in counseling, got another glimpse into the emotional state of pilots while working with an employee assistance program for Northwest pilots.

“We got so many calls of personal crisis,” Petitt said. “Family stuff. Just stuff that you know is stress going on between finances and working too much and tearing relationships apart. They’re not home for their kids. Their kids are into drugs.

“These people have worked their entire lives and they’re losing it. They’re losing seniority. They’re losing income, homes and pensions.”

It makes you hope your pilot doesn’t lose it entirely in flight, at least not when they’re at the controls.

- Bob Cox

 

American wins court battle over $30 million TSA grant

A federal appeals court has told the Transportation Security Administration it needs to reconsider its decision to deny a $30 million grant reimbursement request from American Airlines.

According to this Reuters article, the court found in favor of the Fort Worth-based carrier who had said the TSA promised to reimburse the airline for enhancing its baggage screening system at JFK Airport in 2002.

The TSA denied American's claim for almost $30 million, "saying it had limited funds and had to prioritize security risks," the article says.

American issued this statement on Tuesday afternoon: "American Airlines has said all along that it incurred significant expenses by modifying the design of its baggage system at New York JFK in order to benefit the TSA and its operations at this key U.S. airport.  TSA initially agreed to pay for the modifications, but ultimately decided not to do that.  Today’s Court decision affirms that the federal statutory mandate requiring payment was not followed in this matter.  Given the Court’s decision, American looks forward to meeting with the TSA to discuss this further."

-Andrea Ahles

9/11: Coping with airport security a permanent part of air travel

There were no body scanners at airports on Sept. 11, 2001.

No rules about liquids in 3-ounce containers. No taking off shoes and walking barefoot through a guarded checkpoint.

But after 9-11, airport security changed dramatically and rapidly. At Dallas/Fort Worth Airport alone, $300 million has been spent on security upgrades in the past decade.

Today, passengers must show government IDs that match boarding passes and undergo different types of screening before heading into the gate area.

Many have complained that their privacy has been compromised either by overaggressive pat-downs or invasive body scanners. Yet even as security systems continue to evolve in response to passenger complaints and ongoing threats, coping with airport security has become a permanent part of life for U.S. air travelers.

“There is the hassle factor in the airport experience,” said Bill Swelbar, an airline researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Security is tighter, lines are longer and we now have the TSA that is not going away, and that is a cause from 9-11.”

As part of the Star-Telegram's 9/11 tenth anniversary coverage, I took a look at airport security and how much it has changed in the past decade. Click here for the full story in Friday's edition.

-Andrea Ahles

Two men pulled off of American flight leaving D/FW

Two men were apparently pulled off of an American Airlines flight scheduled to depart Dallas/Fort Worth Airport this morning for Washington D.C. Reagan National.

According to NBC-DFW, the incident started when a passenger on board flight 1316 observed suspicious behavior and notified crew members. Passengers were told to deplane and then underwent additional security.

The flight was scheduled to depart at 10:40 CDT but was eventually canceled by American, according to the flight data website, Flightstats.com.

“It never left the gate,” said American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith. “While it was still at the gate, there were some observational concerns observed...something of concern that was observed initially by a passenger, then pointed out to the crew.”

Smith said he could not confirm reports that two men were removed from the plane.

Smith said law enforcement agents, including the Transportation Security Administration and airport police, quickly became involved and elected to have the 140 passengers deplane. All bags were removed from the plane and rescreened and once empty, the MD-80 aircraft was rescreened as well, Smith said.

“I’m not aware of anything found that was of ultimate concern,” Smith said.

Because of the length of time the rescreening process was taking, Smith said the airline decided shortly after noon to cancel the flight and rebook passengers on other flights departing to Washington today.

UPDATE: The Transportation Security Administration, which handles airport security, issued this statement.

"At approximately 11:35 AM CDT, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was notified by flight crew on American Airlines flight 1316 (DFW-DCA) about the suspicious behavior of two passengers. Out of an abundance of caution, the pilot in command requested that all passengers and their luggage be rescreened. The plane was swept with negative findings and local law enforcement interviewed the passengers in question. The passengers were released and allowed to rebook their flights."

-Andrea Ahles and Deanna Boyd

TSA debuts new scanning software at DFW Airport

Naked body scanning images are gone from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

On Friday, the Transportation Security Administration debuted new software for the airport’s body scanners that eliminates “passenger-specific” images, instead showing security screeners a generic, computer-generated outline of a person.

The fourteen scanners at DFW have been updated with the new software and about 40 other airports across the country that use advanced-imaging technology machines will also get the new software over the next few months.

TSA spokesman Luis Casanova said passengers will also be able to see the same outline that the TSA officer sees and that a separate TSA officer in a remote screening location is no longer needed with the software.

“Both you and the officer will see the same thing,” he said, adding that if there are no security “anomalies” found on the scanned passenger then an image is not created, but instead a green screen with the words “OK” are flashed for the TSA officer.

The TSA had been criticized for its use of body scanners with privacy advocates saying the scanners were intrusive and too revealing. Passengers that refused to walk through the body scanners were then subjected to pat-downs which some said were too invasive.

Responding to passenger concerns, the TSA began testing the new software in February at airports in Las Vegas, Atlanta and Washington D.C. The TSA said it expects the new software to decrease the number of officers needed to staff viewing rooms and eliminate construction costs for those remote viewing rooms.

-Andrea Ahles

American and Delta to take part in TSA "trusted traveler" pilot program

American Airlines and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport will be testing the government's new "trusted traveler" program this fall.

Transportation Security Administrator John Pistole said on Thursday that the government will conduct a pilot program that will allow certain travelers to proceed through expedited screening.

"Enhancing identity-based screening is another common sense step in the right direction as we continue to strengthen overall security, and improve the passenger experience whenever possible," Pistole said.

The pilot program will be available to certain American Airlines' frequent fliers who are flying on the carrier through DFW Airport and Miami International Airport. Delta Air Lines will also participate in the pilot program allowing certain frequent fliers traveling on the carrier through Atlanta and Detroit airports to bypass some security screening.

The airlines will determine which passengers will be eligible for the program, which the TSA said is limited to U.S. citizens and is voluntary.

American spokesman Tim Smith said that the details of the program are still being worked out.

"It will probably be initially offered to more frequent, premium, high-mileage travelers at first who will have to opt in," Smith said.

The TSA said it plans to eventually expand the pilot to include United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, US Airways, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, as well as additional airports.

-Andrea Ahles

Over 25,000 security breaches at U.S. airports since 2001, government report says

There have been more than 25,000 security breaches at U.S. airports since 2001, according to new government documents released on Wednesday.

More than half of those breaches were people entering "limited-access" areas without permission or unauthorized people going from airport buildings to planes, reported USA Today which received an advance copy of the Department of Homeland Security report.

Transportation Security Administration spokesman Nicholas Kimball told the newspaper that "the breaches represent a tiny fraction of 1% of the air travelers who used U.S. airports in the past decade. The term 'breach' is broadly defined and can mean accidental violations that pose no real danger to the public, he said."

The documents have been presented at a House subcommittee meeting Wednesday morning and also detail:

-6,000 security breaches where Transportation Security Administration screeners did not properly screen passenger carry-on items.

-2,616 security breaches involving an individual accessing "sterile areas" at screening checkpoints without being properly screened.

-1,318 incidents where an individual gained unauthorized access to aircraft operations.

-Andrea Ahles

Airlines warned of new terrorism threat, media reports say

Airlines are being told that terrorists are considering surgically implanting explosive devices into humans for terrorist attacks.

The Huffington Post is reporting that the government has warned airlines of this new security threat although there is no intelligence pointing to specific plot.

"Placing explosives and explosive components inside humans is not a new idea," the article says. "But a U.S. security official says there is new intelligence pointing to a fresh interest in using this tactic."

The Transportation Security Administration says travelers coming to the U.S. from overseas may experience additional screening, according to the article.

UPDATE: Here is a link to the Associated Press article about the terrorism warning.

 

-Andrea Ahles

More fun with air travel

I'm generally not one to complain much about the quality of airline travel and service, or even security procedures. 

But a quick weekend jaunt out of Dallas-Fort Worth to Savannah, Ga. aboard American Airlines (technically American Eagle) and back (on Delta) gave me a couple of reasons to work up a little outrage.

First, on the outbound trip American left my bag behind, a garment bag containing most of the weekend's essentials -- all of mine and some my wife's. Since the pilot announced we were departing late while they rearranged baggage to balance the weight of the full ERJ-145 regional jet, my guess is they removed it to lighten the load or took it off and forgot to put it back on. 

Since it was the last flight of the day to Savannah there was no chance for the bag to catch up that night. It didn't come on the first flight the next day, either. Or the next flight. Or at all, until the following day. Wearing the same clothes for 48 hours gets a little unpleasant.

Initially, American's staff was pleasant helpful. The gate agent in Savannah took the information and told us the bag was still at DFW but should be along the next morning. 

At mid-morning the next day I got a call from American's lost baggage department telling me they weren't quite sure where the bag was. A few hours later I called back and was told they still had no answer. My next call that evening was detoured into automated phone system hell and I finally gave up waiting for an answer.

The next day I called again and got a live agent. After much stern discussion, he finally managed to locate my bag. It had arrived in Savannah overnight. Great. Well, he said, it could be delivered to my hotel sometime in the next two to four hours. By this point, really sick of my clothes and ready to head for Wal Mart to buy something clean to wear, I chose to make the 20 minute jaunt back to the airport and pick the bag up myself. A nice gate agent had it waiting and courteously handed it over, but only after telling me that they had previously been told to send it back to DFW. Huh? 

Ok, all's well that ends well, as long as American agrees to refund my baggage fees and perhaps makes some other peace offering.

Then came the trip back and my first experience with what are apparently TSA's new security procedures. Nearly four years ago I had a complete knee replacement. I walk around pain free thanks to a nice chunk of titanium, but I routinely set off metal detector alarms (all but once -- at DFW!) and get to undergo a friendly, relatively non-threatening or even aggravating going over with a wand and gentle pat down. Again, safety in mind and it not being a big inconvenience, I don't complain.

On the flight out of DFW I went through the new body scanner in Terminal B, got the six-second once over by the machine and was allowed to put my shoes and belt back on and go catch the plane. Loved it.

But coming back and going through security in Savannah was entirely different. There was no metal detecting wand. This was no pat down. It came very close to being groped. The agent warned me what he was going to do and why, but since it was my first time on a plane in several months I was not prepared. Every limb and the entire torso was aggressively massaged, to put it delicately, right up to the brink of qualifying as a sexual assault (maybe past that point if you were a woman). Then the agent tested his gloves and hands and clothes to see if he had picked up any trace of explosive.

Look, I want to be safe when I fly. I want the TSA to watch for terrorists. But if every person with an artificial knee or hip is going to have to go through this (and they do) and put up with this level of, well, groping, there must be a better way. Message to Congress. Buy more body scanners. Now. If somebody is so delicate of mind they don't want to be scanned, then let them know the alternative.

And message to Congress, or TSA, or somebody: Let's figure out how to screen for real terrorists, not old folks with metal body parts.

Shoot, I'd even shaved my goatee so I could not possibly have looked too threatening.

- Bob Cox 

 

Travelers want Congress to make fixing the airport security system a priority

Travelers don't like body scanners and they think the airport security system is inefficient, a new survey found.

"Travelers are frustrated with our nation's aviation security system," said Roger Dow, U.S. Travel Association chief executive, who sponsored the survey.

The survey found that 75 percent believe there must be a better way to provide airport security. The online survey questioned 1,000 travelers between November 29 and December 10.

More than half, about 54 percent, said they want the incoming Congress to make fixing the airport security system a high priority in 2011. Two-thirds of those surveyed called the current system ineffective.

"Travelers don't have a clear vision in their mind on how to improve it," said Bob Perkins, managing partner at Consensus Research, the firm that conducted the survey. "They just want it solved."

Here's a link to a powerpoint presentation discussing the survey results.

-Andrea Ahles