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May 2015
DFW NEWSFLASH - May 2015
Drone Wars tests the fineness and technical skills of drone pilots against one another in a unique competition. /Photo by John Starkey
Paper planes fly around the world Artist’s work finds new home at Love Field Code Quest sharpens student’s skills
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Competition takes drone command to new heights By Jess Paniszczyn Every drone owner faces a similar dilemma. Once you learn to operate your drone well enough so you do not run it into the first stationary object it flies past, you have to contend with the neighbors. There is the crazy lady who is convinced you are spying on her. The bizarre neighbor, who has the FAA on speed dial. And then there is that old guy with shorts swinging past his knees, who attempts to knock your drone out of the sky with his golf balls. The real problem, however, runs deeper than neighborhood technophobes. Drone users want a place where they can show their skills and be appreciated while learning in a cooperative and fun filled atmosphere. The Cavanaugh Flight Museum created a drone lover’s paradise when it hosted Drone Wars on Saturday, April 4. Featuring a 3-D, sideby-side obstacle course in an 11,000 square foot enclosed hangar, the event offered the first ever head-tohead drone precision racing. Classes included beginner, intermediate, and expert pilots racing electric, four rotor drones with up to 12-inch spans on the back rotors from motor to motor. “Drone Wars was totally awesome,” said competitor Richard Prince II, a.k.a. Gadget Man. “It was something that the community actually needs. It brings a little more
Spectators, Jenny and Ellie (4) Karlovetz, get as close as possible to watch the some of the most technologically advanced, individually owned drones in the area maneuver through the Drone Wars Flight Arena. / by John Starkey awareness about what is going on with drones. It’s going to create a hunger and thirst for new gadgets and technology along with new ideas regarding what we can actually do with drones to keep a lot of people out of trouble. “I enjoyed the wins, the losses, the crashes. To see some of these people maneuver their drones and fly them through different objects was fun. It’s just a wonderful place to be. Then afterwards, you get a chance
to look at the Museum and see all the planes. “I think the idea of this event will spread out. So before long we will have races everywhere,” he said. As a first of its kind event, the Cavanaugh Flight Museum’s staff was very happy with Drone Wars. “We had no idea how [the event] was going to go, because it has never been done before,” said Scott Slocum, Marketing Director for the Cavanaugh Flight Muse-
www.dfwnewsflash.com um. “We made up the course ourselves. We came up with the concept of the name, the competition and the racing rules. “The response from the crowd was phenomenal. We had more people here as spectators than competitors, which is a good thing. “We had 15 competitors total. The event tested their skills in a way they had not been tested,” he said. “This course was much more intricate and required more delicate skills on the controls than just speeding through the course. It was about being smooth and accurate. In truth, in drone flying that’s the way it is. “If you are flying movie cameras, you’re flying a pipeline inspection or you are doing a
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search, it is all about precision and accuracy. It is not about speed or flashiness. “There were a few spills out there, a few broken blades, but everyone seemed to walk away happy. Making its approach, a drone nears an obstacle it is required to fly through as part of the Drone The competi- Wars competition. /Photo by John Starkey tors were all very good. A 13-year-old being hosted by the Cavana- people are taking the best of won the competition. ugh sometime in the fall. The what others have designed “We really wanted to pro- event could not have mate- and are adding to technolomote young people in avia- rialized without sponsorship gy that is purchased off-thetion. Doing a future of avia- from HobbyTown USA. shelf. It is innovation makes tion event in a historical “Drone Wars was a lot of [Drone Wars] exciting. From setting like this is a good fun,” said Ted Sparrow, the that, we get other products pairing,” he said. owner of four area Hobby- and new inventions from evThere is already discussion Town USAs. “Some of these erybody experimenting.” of another drone racing event machines are handmade, so
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Viva Aerobus celebrates new DFW Airport flights
Celebrating a successful relationship, DFW Airport welcomes a Viva Aerobus flight with a shower of affection. /Photo Courtesy of DFW Airport
By Jess Paniszczyn As a mariachi band played and cake was served to guests waiting at the gate, Viva Aerobus, one of Mexico’s leading low-cost carriers, celebrated their service from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport to Monterrey and Guadalajara. When the flight landed, the Airport extended a formal welcome with a water cannon salute known as a “shower of affection” on April 16. Viva Aerobus launched service on March 28 with three weekly flights to Monterrey and Guadalajara, using Airbus A320 aircraft that seat 180 passengers and Boeing 737 aircraft that seat 148 passengers. “At DFW our vision is connecting the world, which brings new opportunities for travel and business to Dallas/Fort Worth,” said John Ackerman, executive vice president of global strategy and development at DFW Airport. “Viva Aerobus is a welcomed addition to DFW. Viva Aerobus is a leading airline in Mexico, which makes them a perfect partner for DFW. At DFW airport we are
proud that our work helps grow the economies of Dallas and Fort Worth and North Texas. Mexico represents almost 50 percent of our international travel. Trade and tourism between North Texas and Mexico continues to expand, and this new Viva Aerobus service strengthens these ties. “We thank you Viva Aerobus for your commitment to the Dallas-Fort Worth region,” he said. Viva Aerobus currently serves 21 destinations in Mexico with hubs in Monterrey and Cancun. The airline flies to three U.S. destinations in addition to DFW Airport. “We are thrilled to launch these two new routes, which represent a significant milestone in the development of our network across the United States, and to bring our low-cost travel option to Dallas passengers,” said Robert Zoller, Viva Aerobus COO. “The Dallas/Fort Worth market is critical for business, and these new services are a direct conduit to open new opportunities for trade and tourism, which represent a huge opportunity for signifi-
cant economic impact. “We are thrilled about being a permanent resident here in DFW. We love Texas. We love DFW. We’ve had very good success flying passengers to Houston and San Antonio. Those passengers have now indicated to us a very strong desire to fly to DFW, so as a result we are adding frequencies to both Guadalajara and Monterey. Hopefully in the future, we will be adding additional flights from other cities in Mexico to DFW.” Consul General of Mexico in Dallas, José Octavio Tripp Villanueva, was an honored guest at Viva Aerobus’ celebration. “As the Consul General of
Mexico it is a real privilege to be here at the airport celebrating the opening of another flight between Mexico and Texas in particular with two of the most important cities in Mexico, Guadalajara and Monterey, with two of the most important cities in the United States, Dallas and Fort Worth,” Villanueva said. “With this flight, we already have more than 20 connections between Mexico and Texas. This is an expression of the intensity that underlies the interaction between Mexico and Texas not only in economic terms but in social terms as well. “I am sure that everyone is very happy about having more options for benefits of the customers between Mexico and North Texas. Viva Aerobus and DFW airport are contributing to a more fruitful and productive interaction between Mexico and Texas,” he said. Since 2011, DFW has added 29 new international routes, 20 of those to new international destinations. Viva Aerobus is one of nine international carriers to announce or start service at DFW since then, extending the Airport’s recent run of international expansion.
Bringing a lively flare to the festivities, a mariachi band performs during the Viva Aerobus’ event. /Photo by John Starkey
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High school students put computer coding skills to test By Dimitrius Bradford Lockheed Martin Aeronautics hosted its fourth annual computer coding competition “Code Quest” in Fort Worth on Saturday, April 18. Forty-nine high school teams, made up of 145 high school students, put their problem-solving skills to the test in the competition. “These kids that we have are phenomenal,” said Gary Hicks, a student representative for R.L. Paschal High School’s team. “They are interested in just about every phase of everything. They want to push every button and learn about every single thing that’s out there.” The purpose of the competition is to test the problemsolving abilities of the students by having them solve complex computer anomalies within a set amount of time. “We have problems,” said Mark Peden, Vice President of Information Technology. “The problem is calculate this or make a pattern on your screen that looks like this or find the answer to this puzzle. It’s kind of like the stated problems you have in school. It’s a variety of problems, and they work in teams to solve them. The team that gets the most wins.” Luckily for any newcomers, preliminary placement is based on experience. “We have two categories: advanced and novice,” Peden said. “So if it’s everybody on a team’s first time, they’re novice. Otherwise, it’s advanced.” For students like Edward Nguyen, a senior at R.L. Paschal High School in Fort Worth, computer coding has been a passion years in the
Putting their skills to the test, area students gather for Lockheed Martin’s annual Code Quest competition. /Photo by Dimitrius Bradford
making. “I didn’t have my first computer science class until I was a freshman in high school, but I’d say where I started learning how to code was in 6th grade,” said Nguyen. “My math teacher at the end of the year taught students how to code in a calculator. I remember him showing us how to make little programs, and I got obsessed with it. I always liked making my calculators make little animations.” There are other sites across the country that also hold this annual competition. Currently the competition is held in Colorado, New York, California, Florida, Georgia, Washington D.C. and Texas. “We’ve been here for four years in Fort Worth,” Peden
said. “Last year we added a couple of other sites. We added Marietta, Georgia and New York. This year it’s kind of caught fire, and it’s national. We’ve got Sunnyvale, Denver, still in Fort Worth, Marietta, but also Washington D.C. and Orlando.” Peden concluded that the career outlook for students who have an interest in computer coding is both positive and promising, with competitions such as Code Quest helping to facilitate students who show talent in computer programming. “We’re doing this because we think it’s good for the kids and because it gives them an opportunity to understand a little bit about what their skills are and what they may want
to do for a living,” Peden said. “We think it’s good for the company and the country. The whole country needs scientists and engineers, so it’s just a win, win, win across the board.” This is good news for students like Nguyen, who has aspirations to run his own business someday while preparing to attend college. “Right now, I am planning on majoring in computer science and electrical engineering,” Nguyen said. “I’d like to start my own business one day. I want to make a startup that did what Dropbox and Skype did by changing our lives by introducing a new product. That’s reaching for the stars, but that’s my dream.”
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Work of art finds new home at Dallas Love Field By Jess Paniszczyn The seven million travelers who pass through Dallas Love Field’s ticketing hall have something eye catching to remind them of the beauty of light, and perhaps to offer them something relaxing beyond the hustle and bustle of flying. Four works of fused glass, 12 by 15 feet, created by Dallas artist Octavio Medellin (1907 – 1999) were recently set into metal frames and hung in front of the large wall of windows lining one side of the hall. “The work itself was originally installed at the Trinity Lutheran Church on Gaston Avenue in 1960,” said Kay Kallos, Public Art Program Manager at the Office of Cultural Affairs for the city of Dallas. “What is going into Love Field is the bell tower glass. It was a large glass wall, which is now installed in four sections. “Octavio Medellin’s work was done in 1960, so it reflects the style of the last renovation of the airport, [which] was done to capture the midcentury feel of Dallas Love Field. It works very nicely from a stylistic standpoint. “It is not traditional stainedglass. It is fused glass, which means that Octavio Medellin developed his own techniques and glazes to create color on the surface of the glass that was then baked like an enamel piece would be in a kiln,” she said. “The color sits on the surface of the class. Then he added other pieces of glass on the surface, which were then also baked in the kiln to fuse with the original glass, so you get both color and texture. It is quite unique in terms of glass work.”
Octavio Medellin worked and taught in Dallas for years. The SMU Bywaters Special Collections at the Hamon Arts Library houses a number of interesting collections including approximately 4500 35-mm slides taken by Medellin. “Medellin taught at the Dallas Museum of [Fine] Arts for 21 years,” Kallos said. “He lectured at SMU, and he was part of the founding establishment for the Creative Arts Center that was founded in 1966 and continues on today. “He was an important figure in Dallas cultural history. He not only did a lot of work here that was collected by the Dallas Museum of Art and other regional and national museums, but he was an extremely important mentor to other artists who continue to work in the Dallas area,” she said. In the spring of 2013, the artwork faced an uncertain future when the Trinity Lutheran Church was scheduled for demolition. Former students of Octavio Medellin involved the larger art community and the city in an effort to save the art. The YMCA of Dallas now stands on the land where the church once was. On his way to Nashville, Adam Groom took some time to appreciate the new pieces of artwork added to Love Field’s ticketing hall. “I think they look good,” Groom said. “The hardware on the outside is sort of rustic looking and interesting in that realm. I like the way it integrates with the glass on the inside not being a perfect square, but sort of all these different shapes on the out-
side matching the shapes on the inside of the glass and the colors. It looks beautiful.” Hurrying to catch her flight to Phoenix, Betty Strong probably would not have noticed the artwork if it had not been pointed out. “I wasn’t looking up, so I was oblivious to it,” Strong said. “But I kind of like it. It’s different.” Stephanie Burrola, a customer service representative for Southwest Airlines, is relatively happy with the new addition, however, her inner art critic would like to see a few alterations. “I think it is beautiful,” Bur-
rola said. “It is different. A lot of people stop and notice it. It’s a good enhancement. “Personally, I would’ve chosen brighter, more positive, uplifting colors. For 2015, they should’ve thrown a little color in there with it. I’m just going to be honest. But it is interesting. It’s nice, but it would be really nice if it had color. Color makes you happy.”
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Fold your paper wisely and fly far By Jess Paniszczyn Tens of thousands of pilots carefully selected their paper, plied their craft and launched their creations for the Red Bull Paper Wings
A young pilot launches his plane in the hope of one day competing in Austria. /Photo by John Starkey
Worldwide Paper Plane Contest. People from more than 80 countries spread over four continents entered, but only a handful made it to the final round which will be held in Salzburg, Austria on May 8 – 9. This year’s competition took off on Dec. 1, and on April 2, it came to the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas. Most of the young pilots vying for recognition in the local round of longest distance, longest airtime and acrobatics competitions were area college students who chose to fold glider or jet style aircraft. “My friend said this was only second to the actual
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Red Bull Air Races,” said Tim Elliott, a senior studying MIS/ computer science at Baylor University. “I went to that last year, so I was pretty pumped about the same thing but in paper form. I absolutely enjoyed myself. I got to fly an airplane in real-time. It was pretty fantastic. I think the best part was losing and learning to live with it. “To be honest, I haven’t made a paper airplane since fourth or fifth grade, so I took someone else’s who didn’t want theirs and went with the flow. So I think the value of it is learning to benefit from others. I probably won’t get my license be a pilot. “Anyone who didn’t come out today missed out. There’s a lot of great paper out here that you didn’t get to see fly through the air. Next time, come out, fold some paper and get down,” he said. Beau Bentley, a sophomore studying civil engineering at the University of Texas, planned on participating in every competition. “We came out for the Red Bull Paper Air Wings to see if we could throw a paper
plane for a trip to Austria. That would be kind of cool,” Bentley said. “I’m competing in all three events just to see what will happen, but my plane is designed for distance. “I don’t really know the secret for designing a plane for distance. If I knew that, we would probably do better in the distance. I’m hoping for even weight, a little heavier in the front, not as heavy in the back. I will throw it up and let it arc down maybe, hopefully and see what happens,” he said. The various techniques of paper plane throwing were the nemesis of Aaron Presley, a senior finance and accounting major studying at the University of North Texas. “I’ll be competing in the distance and the hang time categories,” Presley said. “I think I need to figure out a good way to throw them. I have some solid aircrafts here, but the technique is what I need to get down. I’m going to put my all into it and hope that it goes far. “I’ve been messing around with paper airplanes for as
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College students socialize and share paper plane building strategies while preparing to take center stage in the Bull Paper Wings Worldwide Paper Plane Contest. /Photo by John Starkey
www.dfwnewsflash.com long as I can remember. I never considered doing this competitively until earlier this morning. “Precision is the big thing I have been struggling with in my design. You have to have really tight creases, and the aircraft has to be symmetri-
DFW NEWSFLASH - May 2015 cal or else your plane will be lopsided. There is no room for error in this kind of competition. I’m going to put it all on the floor out here and hope that I can walk away with a medal,” he said. Another participant from Baylor University, Reeves
Atkins, a senior studying history and French, enjoyed looking around the museum. “If you’re interested in airplanes, there are a lot of them out here,” Atkins said. “It’s a great experience if you’re interested in flight and aerodynamics. There are a lot of
Page 9 cool people, and all around it is a really cool event.” The Red Bull Paper Wings winners from the Frontiers of Fight Museum round were Aaron Presley – Distance, Beau Bentley – Airtime, and Alexander Aldiab – Acrobatics.
Non-aeronautical income accounts for lion’s share of revenues in global airports MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Airports have traditionally been dependent on passenger traffic and airlines for revenues. As customer expectations change and airline operators struggle to sustain profits, airports are diversifying their sources of income to include non-aeronautical avenues, such as duty free shops and lounges. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Analysis of the Global Airport Industry, reveals that in the United States alone, the proportion of non-aeronautical revenues accounted for 44.8 percent of the total airport revenues in 2012. The trend is similar in developing countries too. While aeronautical revenues in China’s Guangzhou airport grew 8.7 percent, nonaeronautical revenue grew 28.2 percent in 2012. Safety concerns along with government regulations and
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interference often close viable growth opportunities in the airport industry. Airports need to manage critical resources, such as air space and runways, while complying with government regulations and simultaneously increasing profits. “To achieve this balance, airports are investing heavily in optimizing revenue per visitor,” Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Renganathan Krishnamurthy said. “Providing parking facilities, conference rooms, and boarding and lodging facilities opens up new opportunities for income generation.” Further, airports are improving cargo traffic. By building specialized cargo facilities, expanding technologies and hiring personnel to reduce overall handling time, air cargo can be made an attractive proposition for timeconstrained businesses. Apart from an increased focus on non-aeronautical revenue, governments and airports are constructing airport cities to boost overall business in the surrounding regions. An aerotropolis or airport city is an urban planning and development concept in which an entire town or city’s business revolves around an airport and its re-
lated activities. “This centerpiece approach is expected to significantly drive revenues for airports,” Krishnamurthy said. “However, airport cities are longterm strategies. It will require
the consensus of a host of stakeholders along with effective planning and execution to make the concept commercially viable on a global scale.” SOURCE Frost & Sullivan
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First NEXCOM Segment 2 air traffic control radios ‘go live’ FAIRFAX, Va., April 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The General Dynamics Mission Systems CM300/350 V2 VHF and UHF air traffic control (ATC) radios are the first radios to go into operation at an airport as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Next Generation Air-ground Communications
(NEXCOM) Segment 2 modernization program. Installed at Floyd W. Jones Lebanon Airport in Lebanon, Mo., the General Dynamics-built digital, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) radios are easier and more cost-efficient to maintain and vastly improve the clarity of voice communications among air traffic con-
trollers and pilots. Over the next 10 years, the General Dynamics-built CM300/350 V2 ATC radios will replace aging ATC radios at more than 1,800 FAA locations nationwide. “The improved communications clarity, reduced congestion on radio channels and im-
proved network operations of the VoIP-based CM300/350 V2 radios will help keep the national airspace one of the
Page 12 safest in the world for pilots and their passengers,” said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics Mission Systems. The General Dynamics Mission Systems radios are the first VoIP UHF and VHF radios approved by the FAA for ATC communications. The CM-300/350 V2 radios will be installed in airport ATC towers, FAA regional centers and training facilities. The General Dynamics ra-
May 2015 - DFW NEWSFLASH dios were approved for use throughout the National Airspace in June 2014. NEXCOM Segment 2 is part of the FAA’s NEXCOM program to modernize ATC radios and associated equipment used to control the National Airspace. General Dynamics has been providing ATC radios to the U.S. government since 1992. SOURCE General Dynamics Mission Systems
Airborne assault training Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne) ride in the back of a U.S. Air Force C-17 “Globemaster” on their way from Austin to North Texas Regional Airport on March 28. The battalion was conducting assault landing training to simulate seizing control of the airport. SOURCE U.S. Army National Guard
Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Scovell
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DFW AIRPORT POLICE REPORT Intoxicated Person April 14 at 3:41 p.m. Officers were dispatched to Terminal A, Gate 35 in reference to an individual cursing during flight. Upon arrival officers met with the captain of an American Airlines flight who advised them of a passenger seated in the far back of the aircraft who appeared intoxicated and unruly. The officers made contact with the individual who exited his seat upon request and walked off the aircraft willingly. Officers relocated the man to the A 35 gate area. He swayed as he walked and repeatedly kept saying, “What’s going on? I haven’t done anything wrong.” The officer could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the man. The man was unsteady on his feet and continued cursing even when asked to stop as he appeared to have trouble comprehending. The officer asked if he had been drinking, and he replied, “Yes, a couple of beers.” An officer placed the man under arrest for Public Intoxication as he was a danger to himself and or others if left alone. Officers then relocated the man to the upper level roadway where he was seated on the bench. While waiting for transport, he made the following statement to officers, “Do you have a gun? Will you just shoot me? Give me the gun, and I will shoot myself, because you just cost me my job.” The man made a forward movement as if he was getting up as he said, “Will you shoot me if I run?” Officers secured the man in his seat until transport arrived. While enroute to the jail, the repeatedly hit his head against the side of the patrol unit. DFW EMS was dispatched to the jail where they treated the man on scene. The man was placed in the jail cell but was removed and placed in the restraint chair for his own safety as he was striking his head against the jail cell bars. Criminal Trespass April 15 at 1:50 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Terminal A, Baggage Claim 28 to check the welfare of an individual who refused to exit the restroom. DFW/DPS Communications advised construction crews were working in the restrooms and would need the area to be vacated to complete their work and a female had locked herself inside the Assisted Care restroom and had refused to exit for over an hour. Upon arrival, the officer knocked on the door of the restroom and the lady began yelling, “What the fuck do you want?” The lady said she had diarrhea and told me to leave her alone. I explained I was dispatched there but there were concerns for her welfare after being inside the restroom for over an hour. I further explained it was unsafe for her to be inside
while construction crews were working. The lady insisted I leave her alone and said she just wanted privacy. Additional officers arrived and decided to give her a few moments to finish in the restroom while they conducted a walkthrough of Terminal A, Public Side. Upon returning to the area of baggage claim 28, they observed the lady seated near the exit doors. She was muttering incoherently under her breath as officers approached. When asked if she was flying out of DFW Airport today, she said she was not. Asked how she had arrived at the airport, she said, “By train.” Officers informed the lady if she had no further business at the airport, she would need to leave. The lady then began to say she was waiting for her sister. Officers asked if her sister was coming to pick her up, and she said her sister was flying in. When asked what airline her sister would bearriving on, as well as the time and flight #, she appeared to be making up her answers as she went. An officer told her he did not believe her. The officer offered to assist the lady in locating a homeless shelter and she agreed to accept help. While an officer attempted to call an Emergency Night Shelter, the lady became irate and decided she would not go to a shelter. She advised the only way we could get her to leave the airport was to take her to jail. An officer contacted the DFW Airport on Duty Terminal Manager and advised him of the encounter with the lady, and he decided to serve her with a Notice of Criminal Trespass. The manager explained to the lady that she was no longer allowed at DFW Airport at Terminal A. The officer explained and issued the lady her copy of the notice. The lady then asked if we would take her to a 24 hour gas station so she could sit down and wait to catch a bus. Officers then transported the lady to an Exxon gas station at the intersection of Esters and Pioneer in Irving at her request. Criminal Trespass April 12, 4:24 p.m. Officers were dispatched to Terminal E 31 Known Crewmember door in regards to a breach of security. An officer arrived on scene and was informed a passenger had entered the Known Crewmember door, bypassing TSA Security Screening, and was continuing on to a Delta flight departing from Terminal E Satellite. Upon arrival the officer observed two TSA Agents standing at the E30 seating area. The door guard stated the passenger in question was seated in the last chair. MCR verified the individual was the passenger involved in the breach. The officer escorted the passenger to
www.dfwnewsflash.com the public side of the terminal. While escorting the individual to the public side, MCR notified the officer that the passenger did not make any contact with any other passengers. The passenger was very emotional and tried to explain entering the door was an accident. She stated she originally walked towards the exit door, realized she was in the wrong place, and turned to enter the Known Crewmember door. She stated she showed the door guard her boarding pass and was allowed to enter the sterile side of the terminal. The passenger stated she was scheduled to depart on Delta at 4:35 p.m. The officer informed the passenger she had caused a security breach by accessing the sterile side of the airport without going through TSA Security Screening. The door guard, stated she told the passenger, “this is KCM and for crew only, you’ll have to go through the E33 checkpoint”. According to the door guard, the passenger flashed her boarding passed and walked through the door. The door guard stated after alerting her superiors of the incident, she ran after the passenger. She made contact with the ticket agent for Delta Airlines at E30 and informed her of the situation. According to the door guard, the ticket agent escorted the passenger off the plane and back to the seating area where the officer made contact with her. Witness 2 stated she saw the passenger, talking to the guard watching the exit. Witness 2 stated she then saw the passenger go in the crew entrance despite being told by the guard “no, you can’t go that way.” She saw the passenger run through the crew member door after being told to stop. Witness 3 he was watching the exit door when the passenger, exited the sterile side. Witness 3 stated he told the passenger she would have to go back through TSA screening in order to get back to the sterile side of the airport. He showed her the TSA checkpoint E33 but the passenger was furious and walked over to the crew member access point. Witness 3 stated, “the officer told her that was for crews and not regular passengers but she was furious to listen.” The Known Crewmember door has a “Do Not Enter” sign prior to reaching the door. There is a sign stating the access point is for Known Crewmember and a sign stating there is no entry, violators will be prosecuted for Criminal Trespass. The signs posted on the property at the entrance of the sterile side are reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders, indicating that entry is forbidden. Due to the passenger entering building without effective consent, and having notice that entry was forbidden, the passenger was arrested for Criminal Trespass. TSA and FBI were notified of the incident.
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U. S. CUSTOMS REPORT Ultra-light aircraft detected dropping drugs from the sky YUMA, Ariz. – Agents working at the Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations Center detected an ultra-light aircraft fly over the Colorado River and into the United States. Yuma Border Patrol agents responded to the area and, with assistance from Office of Air and Marine Yuma Air Branch pilots, recovered 231 pounds of marijuana dropped into an agriculture field. The marijuana’s estimated value is $115,500. All drugs were seized and processed for destruction per Yuma Sector guidelines. CBP seizes counterfeit clothes in luggage DALLAS, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border
Protection officers working at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport seized 220 clothing items with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of just over $22,000 found in a passenger’s checked luggage. CBP officers conducted an inspection of a passenger arriving from Vietnam with six checked bags and discovered multiple clothing items in commercial quantities that appeared to be counterfeit, violating intellectual property rights. The counterfeit items included 82 different Adidas products ranging from tank tops to windbreakers, 36 different Abercrombie items, 65 Chanel pieces, 12 Nike sweatshirts, 15 Ralph Lauren items, and an assortment of other name brand designers. The seized items did not appear to be of the quality consistent with legitimate goods as the
items included unusual lettering and labeling and the markings on the clothing were not manufactured by the trademark holders. CBP targets and seizes imports of counterfeit and pirated goods, and enforces exclusion orders on patent-infringing and other IPR violative goods. In fiscal year 2014, CBP and Homeland Security Investigations recorded more than 23,000 seizures worth an estimated $1.2 billion. Heroin found in underwear at JFK JAMAICA, N.Y. — U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers in New York are always discovering interesting concealment methods. Hiding heroin in underwear is another way that one would-be smuggler attempted to transport illegal drugs into the United States.
May 2015 - DFW NEWSFLASH
Page 14 On April 1, Mr. Ivan Rodrigo Vidal Forero, a Colombian citizen, arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport from Bogota, Colombia and presented himself for inspection. CBP officers escorted the passenger to a private search room where they conducted a physical search of his person, and discovered two cylinders in the subject’s groin area. The two cylinders contained a brown powdery substance that tested positive for heroin. An approximate weight of 2 lbs. of heroin was seized, with an estimated street value of more than $61,000. CBP officers placed Forero under arrest and turned him over to Homeland Security Investigations. He now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges. All defendants are
considered innocent until proven guilty. CBP seizes prohibited meat, intercepts destructive pest DALLAS -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists stationed at the Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport, were notified March 27 that they intercepted one of the most feared pests, Khapra beetles, from a passenger’s baggage when they intercepted beans containing immature insects. Khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Dermestidae), is considered the world’s most destructive insect for its ability to destroy stored grain, cereal, and stored foods; it is the only insect that requires regulatory action, whether encountered dead or alive. In the
U.S., there are six states which have the most potential for establishment because of their hot dry climates. Those states are: Arizona, California, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The international traveler arrived to DFW airport from Sudan, he presented a negative custom declaration for any agriculture goods, but when asked directly about his declaration, he verbally amended to include bean seeds. However, when CBP agriculture specialists conducted a baggage exam, they discovered cooked boneless beef, cooked and minced sheep meat. Also discovered were bean seeds that contained two immature beetles and three cast skins. All of the food items were seized, and the insects found in the beans
972-870-1992 were sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologists for identification. According to the USDA, the Khapra beetle is one of the 100 worst invasive species worldwide. If the beetle is left undisturbed in stored grain, it can cause significant grain loss, and in the case of seeds, it can lead to significant reduction in seed viability. Since October 2014, CBP agriculture specialists at DFW have 24 Khapra beetle interceptions in luggage. In fiscal year 2014 nationwide, CBP agriculture specialists intercepted Khapra beetles 197 different times, with CBP agriculture specialists working at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport leading these interceptions. SOURCE U.S. Customs and Border Protection
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION REPORT Former U.S. Army Colonel pleads guilty to making false statements and conflict of interest in connection with helicopter procurement contracts TUSCALOOSA—A former colonel in the U.S. Army pleaded guilty on April 20 in federal court for criminal misconduct arising from his duties associated with various helicopter procurement contracts at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Al. U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton, Special Inspector General John F. Sopko for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations James B. Burch of the Defense Department’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s (CID) Major Procurement Fraud
Unit made the announcement. Norbert Vergez, 49, formerly of Mesa, Ariz., pleaded guilty to two counts charging false statements and one count charging conflict of interest. No sentencing date has been set. “Colonel Vergez placed his own financial ambitions and personal loyalties above his duties as a member of the armed forces,” Vance said. “In doing so, he betrayed the U.S. Army values of honesty, integrity and selfless service, which are hallmarks of military service. This prosecution highlights our commitment to hold responsible those who, by word and deed, corrupt the government contracting process.” According to his plea agreement, Vergez served from 2010 to 2012 as the program manager for “Non-Standard Rotary Wing Aircraft” (NSRWA), a component of the Army located at Redstone Arsenal, which was responsible for contracts involving certain “non-standard” helicopters,
including the Russian-made Mi-17. Vergez pleaded guilty to three instances of making false statements and using false writings in communicating with the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DODIG) in connection with a DODIG audit of a Mi-17 overhaul contract administered in part by NSRWA. One aspect of the audit had to do with the role NSRWA played in certain contract disputes that involved various contractors and subcontractors in the contracting chain, including a third-tier subcontractor known as Avia Baltika Aviation Ltd. (AVB). Vergez admitted in his plea agreement that on two occasions he made or caused his office to make false representations to DODIG that his office had no direct contact with AVB concerning its subcontract on the Northrop Grumman contract, when, as Vergez then knew, he and his direct subordinates at
NSRWA had significant direct contacts with AVB related to its subcontract. Vergez also admitted that on Feb. 1, 2012, he directed a subordinate official to create and sign a document bearing the typed date Dec. 5, 2011, representing that a $3.67 million claim by AVB under the contract was reasonable. As a result of this backdating, it falsely appeared that the subordinate official had approved the $3.67 million payment before directions were given to Northrop to make that payment. That document was then provided to DODIG in response to its requests for supporting documentation surrounding this attempt to have Northrop pay AVB. According to the plea agreement, Vergez admitted that he engaged in a criminal conflict of interest by taking official acts as a government official to assist a helicopter manufacturing company in negotiating a “foreign military sale” and adjusting a contract so that the company received payment faster than originally agreed upon at a time when Vergez was negotiating future employment with that company. Vergez further admitted that he made false statements in his “Confidential Financial Disclosure Report,” a government ethics form, for the year 2012, by not disclosing that his wife had received a Rolex wristwatch from the wife of a representative of AVB; that he had accepted an offer of employment with a private company; and that he had received a $30,000 check from that company. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), DCIS, CID and the FBI investigated the case. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Mark H. Dubester of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section (on detail from SIGAR) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry Cornelius and Ramona Albin are prosecuting the case. SOURCE Federal Bureau of Investigation
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