Washington (CNN) — Long hours flying under computer control may have dulled the skills of airline flight crews, according to a U.S. advisory board that recommends more manual flight time for pilots.

"They’re becoming very dependent upon using the autopilot, the auto-throttles, the auto flight system, the computers, to actually operate the entire flight," said Kevin Hiatt, a former airline pilot who sat on that board.

"What happens is, you don’t actually hand-fly or manipulate the controls, whether it’s a control yoke or a sidestick controller," Hiatt said. "Therefore, your computer skills get greatly enhanced, but your flying skills start to get rusty."

Those concerns were highlighted by the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 off the coast of Brazil.

When the crew received warnings that the aircraft was stalling high above the Atlantic Ocean and the autopilot shut down, the co-pilot started pulling the nose up — exactly the opposite of what he was supposed to do. When the pilot returned to the flight deck to correct him, it was too late.

French investigators found that the pilots had failed to discuss earlier stall warnings and had received no high-altitude training to correct the problem.

All 228 people aboard the Airbus A330 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris were killed in the crash. Investigators say that more than 70 bodies will never be recovered.

The same January, a Colgan Air commuter plane crashed in icy conditions on its approach to Buffalo, New York, killing 50 people. Investigators said the pilot had countermanded the aircraft’s system recommendations, something Hiatt and his panel say suggests that he had forgotten some key procedures.

The U.S. advisory committee, commissioned by Congress and working under the Federal Aviation Administration, found that jetliner crews are relying too much on autopilot. In some cases, pilots have the stick for less than three minutes during takeoffs and landings, and landings also can be done on autopilot, Hiatt said.

The committee found that the problem is not the fault of the industry or regulators but the result of evolving technologies and standards over the years.

The FAA would not comment on the recommendations, which were issued in late July. The Airline Pilots Association, the union that represents flight officers on 39 North American airlines, said airline safety "is a testament to the high levels of skill brought to the cockpit by the professional airline pilot."

The panel recommended that airlines provide guidance for manual flights in their operating manuals to encourage more actual flying by pilots. But experts say the problem may get worse because of the way younger pilots are trained.

"When you bring on a new pilot who has not been through some of the things that some of the older guys have, they’ve never flown an airplane that had anything but some computer activity on it," retired commercial pilot Jim Tilmon said. "They don’t understand what to do necessarily when something goes wrong with their computer."

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(CNN) — Veteran sailor Dennis Howard is preparing for one of the most challenging journeys of his life — a solo voyage around the world.

But on top of all the dangers associated with such a trip, including sleep deprivation, stormy seas and the threat of pirates, the 62-year-old American has an additional challenge to face.

Howard is legally blind.

"There’s no question in my mind that I can do this," he said. "There is also no question in my mind that I absolutely have to take it seriously 24/7, I need to be vigilant."

After suffering a severe form of glaucoma, which causes damage to the optic nerves, Howard had his right eye removed and lost most of the vision in his left.

"My doctor estimates around 5% of my vision remains," he said. "To see what I see you can cover your right eye and then look through a drinking straw with the other — that’s what I see.

"I can read a license plate from across the road, I just can’t see the car," he continued.

He plans to depart on his specially designed 20-foot (6.1 meter) boat the "Avalo" from San Diego, California, in late October. The voyage is expected to take around one and a half to two years, with Howard hoping to end the journey in France.

Although he admits it will be difficult, Howard sees the voyage as an opportunity to show others that disability needn’t be a barrier.

"After I lost my sight I didn’t go into the tailspin of despair and fear," he said. "But what I immediately gave up on in my head was sailing. I just thought, ‘well, I’ll never do it again.’

"But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I just had to change the way I sail … I want people to realize that they shouldn’t just give up."

But for Howard to get this far has not been easy. In order to get back in a boat, let alone sail around the world alone, he has had to learn how to sail all over again.

He said: "It would be false to say there is no additional challenge for me, but I put it in the realm of degrees of difficulty.

"I had to re-learn how to cross busy streets without a disaster after I lost so much vision and I am doing the same with sailing.

"There are the usual concerns about the boat and equipment; it would be foolish to not recognize the reality that things break and a thousand or two miles out at sea, these things can turn catastrophic. So I’ve spent more than a year reducing those chances."

Howard’s 20-foot boat has not only been re-fitted in order to make sailing easier, it is also equipped with essential technologies to ensure the safety of both Howard and other sailors, including an Automatic Identification System (AIS), which alerts Howard to ships within a 50-mile radius.

"It’s great, it shows me exactly where the ship is, what its course is, how fast it’s going and what its name is," he said.

As well as being tailored to Howard’s needs, the "Avalo" has been redesigned to be as eco-friendly as possible. The boat’s diesel engine has even been replaced by a small outboard charged by solar panels.

"The boat is about as green as it’s possible to get. All of my equipment onboard from my radio communications to my navigation equipment is powered by wind and solar-generated power," he said.

Throughout his trip Howard will be in regular contact with a group of schoolchildren in Ohio who also live with disabilities.

"I’m hoping along with the educational information about weather, science and geography, these kids who are starting off in life with a particular difficulty can look at this and think they don’t need to be limited in what they do."

Asked what his greatest concern was before the trip, Howard answered: "It’s not the sea, it’s not the storms, the pirates or even my eyesight — it’s my mental state.

"Despair is a common human emotion," he continued. "At sea for months under conditions of deprivation and occasional terror, and with no one with whom to interact and commiserate, despair can become overpowering if you let it."

But Howard is convinced it is all a price worth paying.

"Those who have never sailed in blue water, particularly alone with the moon and stars and phosphorescence and wildlife and the majesty of the ocean would have to struggle to appreciate how beautiful it is."

Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here

(CNN) — U.S. gasoline prices have held steady over the past two weeks and could soon drop due to lagging demand, the latest Lundberg Survey found.

The nationwide average price of a gallon of self-serve regular slipped down a fraction of a penny, holding at just under $3.61, survey publisher Trilby Lundberg told CNN. Crude oil prices have remained steady, while Hurricane Irene has had little impact on refineries along the East Coast, she said.

But by grounding flights and keeping residents hunkered down, Irene and lingering high unemployment has put a big enough dent in demand for fuel that prices are likely to fall in the next two weeks, Lundberg said.

"It’s a non-story for supply. It’s a big story for demand," she said.

But gas prices remain an average of 91 cents per gallon more than they did a year ago. And underneath the stable national average were regional shifts, with prices dipping in the eastern and Gulf states and increasing in the West and Midwest, she said.

The Lundberg Survey tracks prices at about 2,500 filling stations across the United States, most recently on August 26. The highest average price found was in Chicago, at $4.02 per gallon; the lowest was in Tucson, Arizona, at $3.26.

Average per-gallon prices in other cities:

Atlanta: $3.60

Billings, Montana: $3.62

Boston: $3.71

Houston: $3.43

Indianapolis: $3.75

Miami: $3.67

Minneapolis: $3.83

Newark, New Jersey: $3.44

Salt Lake City: $3.50

San Francisco: $3.77

Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here

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Yosemite National Park, California (CNN) — A 17th person has died in Yosemite National Park, which has been experiencing a higher than usual number of fatalities this year, authorities said.

Authorities have identified a man who fell Monday evening off Half Dome, the park’s renowned soaring granite formation in the Sierra Nevada, park officials said Wednesday.

The person, whose body was recovered Tuesday at the base of Half Dome by rangers, was identified as Ryan Leeder, 23, of Los Gatos, California, park officials said.

The incident appears to be accidental and remains under investigation, park spokesmen said Wednesday.

The 17 deaths are about twice the usual rate at Yosemite, officials said.

Authorities are searching for answers to explain the recent rash of deaths at the national park in California.

In July, near Yosemite’s beautiful Mist Trail, a young man lost his footing, slipping close to the edge of a waterfall. A female companion frantically grabbed for him but stumbled.

Another hiker followed and the three were swept over the powerful 317-foot Vernal Fall. Authorities at Yosemite National Park are still searching for two of the bodies.

That month was the busiest July for the park since 1985, with 730,487 visitors, park officials said. Last year, the park recorded 4,047,880 visitors, according to a statistical chart provided by park spokesmen.

While five visitors have died this year from natural causes, the others were accidental and often preventable, officials said.

Rangers say some visitors partake in dangerous practices such as hiking treacherous trails in flip-flops, climbing over safety rails to take better pictures or swimming perilously close to waterfalls.

Witnesses told park authorities that the three hikers who were swept over the waterfall in July had climbed over a safety rail.

"We don’t station a ranger in every possible dangerous place that’s out there," said Kari Cobb, a park ranger. "People have to come here and realize that Yosemite is nature, and it is a very wild place."

Bill Ott, a hiker, said he has seen people swimming in dangerous waters.

"We saw a number of people wading just steps from going into the faster water. It’s crazy. Just crazy," he said.

Visitor Tim Timmerman said he has a plan to keep his family safe.

"We aren’t worried because we think if you stay where you’re supposed to stay, you’re safe and it’s exciting," Timmerman said. "It’ll be a little scary for them, but it’s not dangerous if you do what you’re supposed to do."

CNN’s Casey Wian reported from Yosemite National Park.

Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here

(CNN) — Flying may get just a little less frustrating and a bit more transparent starting Tuesday, when new federal airline passenger protection rules go into effect.

"It’s huge," said Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights.org, who has fought for the changes for years.

"If you’re flying on (Tuesday), you’re 400% better off than you were before."

The Association of Passenger Rights also applauded the rules, calling them long overdue.

"If you talk to most air travelers … traveling on the airlines is about as popular as the U.S. Congress right now," said Brandon Macsata, a spokesman for the group.

Here is what you need to know about the Department of Transportation’s new protections:

Bumping compensation gets a boost

Passengers involuntarily bumped from oversold flights are now eligible for more money.

Under the new rule, bumped passengers can get up to $650 if the airline can get them to their destination within a short period of time (within one to two hours of their originally scheduled arrival time for domestic flights), or up to $1,300 if they are delayed for a long time.

Before Tuesday, the amounts were capped at $400 and $800 respectively.

Inflation adjustments will be made to the compensation limits every two years.

Always take cash rather than flight vouchers, Hanni advised.

"Vouchers come with a lot of caveats. Anytime the airline offers you a voucher, it’s to their benefit, not yours," Hanni said.

"If they give you a $1,300 voucher, it’s worth about a quarter of that to the airline as opposed to having to give you cash."

International flights get tarmac delay limit

International flights stuck on U.S. airport tarmacs more than four hours must now allow passengers to get off the plane or face huge fines, with exceptions allowed for safety, security or air traffic control-related reasons.

Macsata called it a step forward, but said he would have preferred for this protection to be consistent with the three-hour rule that already exists for domestic flights.

The domestic provision has significantly reduced the number of lengthy tarmac delays since it was implemented last year. Fourteen flights were stuck on the tarmac for three hours or more in June, compared to 268 flights in June 2009, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

But Hanni said the extra hour allowed for international flights is still an improvement.

"Four hours is a heck of a lot better than 12 and we’ve had a lot of complaints from people who sat for 12 hours on international flights prior to takeoff or after landing," Hanni said. "So we’re making headway, that’s a huge deal."

International airlines operating to and from the United States must now post contingency plans for lengthy delays, customer service plans and contracts of carriage on their websites.

Bag fee refunds

If you pay extra to check a piece of luggage and the airline loses your bag, it must now refund the bag fee. (Airlines already must compensate passengers for lost or damaged baggage.)

"That’s just common sense," Macsata said.

Hanni also wanted the airlines to be required to refund the fee if your bag is delayed, but wasn’t successful in having that provision included.

Where refunds are due, airlines must now provide prompt refunds of fares and optional fees.

More to come

This isn’t the end of new rules for fliers.

The federal government postponed a handful of other consumer protections that were scheduled to go info effect Tuesday after airlines and travel agents said they needed more time to implement the changes.

Those rules, now set to begin on January 24, 2012, will require airlines to prominently disclose all potential fees on their websites and will ban carriers from raising prices after a ticket purchase.

Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here

(CNN) — Here are some of the latest travel-related developments stemming from Hurricane Irene:

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– John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports will reopen to arrivals only at 6 a.m. ET on Monday. Departures will begin at noon ET Monday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. LaGuardia airport will open to arrivals and departures at 7 a.m. ET Monday.

– There were no incoming or outgoing flights Sunday out of the five New York-area airports — John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, Teterboro and Stewart — operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. That meant there were "thousands of flights canceled, with 150 to 200 people a flight," said agency spokesman Steve Coleman, speculating that "probably tens of thousands of people" are affected.

– Philadelphia’s International Airport closed Saturday at 10:30 p.m. and reopened at 4 p.m. Sunday. Spokeswoman Victoria Lupica estimated that about 1,135 flights would be affected by the closing.

– Baltimore-Washington International is "monitoring terminal and airfield drainage, checking generators and securing any equipment that may become airborne as a result of high winds," said Paul J. Wiedefeld, the airport’s executive director.

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Thousands of flights were canceled because of the advancing storm.

Major airlines — including US Airways, American, United, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and AirTran — dropped ticket-change fees for passengers scheduled to fly to or from many cities along the East Coast this weekend and early next week.

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AirTran

AirTran canceled more than 300 flights through Monday, according to spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver.

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American Airlines

American Airlines canceled all flights in the Washington area from noon Saturday to noon Sunday and all flights at Raleigh-Durham International Airport scheduled for Saturday, said spokesman Ed Martelle on Friday.

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Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines canceled about 2,100 Delta and Delta Connection flights between Saturday and Monday. Delta service was suspended Saturday in Norfolk, Newport News/Williamsburg and Richmond, Virginia.

The airline’s flights in the New York area; Philadelphia; Boston; Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Portland, Maine, will not operate on Sunday.

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JetBlue

JetBlue canceled almost 900 flights by Friday night ahead of the storm. Most of those are Sunday and Monday flights out of the New York metro area and Boston, spokesman Mateo Lleras said.

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Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has 740 cancellations from Saturday through Monday.

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United and Continental

United and Continental airlines canceled 2,300 flights for Saturday and Sunday, the carriers said in a joint statement.

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US Airways

US Airways canceled close to 2,200 flights between Saturday and Monday, with the bulk of those cancellations on Sunday.

The airline suspended operations Saturday at New York-area airports and will not operate out of the metro area on Sunday, said airline spokesman Todd Lehmacher.

US Airways won’t operate Sunday in Philadelphia, the Washington metro area or Boston.

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New York

Some subway service will start at 6 a.m. ET Monday. Service will be less frequent than normal and customers should expect longer waits and crowded trains. Damage assessment to the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will continue.

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Pennsylvania

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority closed down late Saturday because of a tornado warning in Philadelphia, according to SEPTA representative Jerri Williams.

– Waterways leading to the Port for Long Island Sound were closed early Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Waterways approaching the Port of New York remain open. Authorities have shut down all cargo and bunker handling operations at the two ports.

– The storm has caused changes in sailing dates and itineraries for dozens of cruises in the Northeast, Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda, CruiseCritic.com reported.

– North Carolina ports closed in Morehead City and Wilmington.

– All PATH and New Jersey Transit rail service was stopped Saturday and will remain suspended until further notice, with the exception of the Atlantic City Rail Line, the governor’s office said Sunday.

– North Carolina rail transportation was canceled for Saturday.

– After suspending all service north of Jacksonville, Florida, and east of Toledo, Ohio, and Indianapolis through Sunday, Amtrak said most service, including northeast regional trains between Philadelphia and Washington, will resume Monday. Trains between Boston and Philadelphia were canceled for Monday.

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– The Broad Channel Bridge, the Cross Bay Bridge, and the Marine Parkway Bridge in the Rockaway Peninsula section of Long Island closed, according to officials at New York’s MTA and the Department of Transportation.

– Greyhound bus lines has canceled some trips to destinations along the Atlantic Coast.

Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here

Editor’s Note: Check out "Open Story: Hurricane Irene," a collaborative effort of CNN and iReport contributors who are documenting the storm as it moves across the Atlantic Ocean. Read more about Hurricane Irene from CNN affiliate WSAV.

(CNN) — Leisurely vacations in the Caribbean have quickly turned into a race to get out of the region for tourists, planes and cruise ships in the path of Hurricane Irene.

The storm continued to pound the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday.

As the huge hurricane churned northwest toward the United States, it forced more than a dozen cruise ships to change their itineraries, CruiseCritic.com reported.

Those ships include the Carnival Sensation, which had been docked in Freeport, Bahamas, but is coming back to Port Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday night — or several hours earlier than scheduled — to stay out of harm’s way, said Jennifer de la Cruz, a Carnival spokeswoman.

"It’s ahead of the storm and it’s fine," de la Cruz said.

"We monitor the storms closely and make strategic changes to the itineraries to keep them away from the storm. The nice thing … is that there are a lot of destinations in the Caribbean, so we have lots of options."

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean evacuated CocoCay, its private island resort in the Bahamas, the cruise line said on its blog.

Port calls are not expected to resume in Nassau until Saturday, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation said.

The dangerous storm has prompted the ministry to recommend "strongly" that people with plans to travel to the Bahamas in the next few days postpone their trips.

It also asked tourists already there to leave.

"Even though the hotels in the Bahamas are fully prepared to accommodate guests under these circumstances, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation is strongly recommending that all visitors voluntarily evacuate the destination," the ministry said.

Tourists abandon Bahamas as Irene nears

The Bahamas Hotel Association’s hurricane cancellation policy is in effect for travelers who need to postpone or cancel their vacation in the islands. The policy allows vacationers either to use their deposits or payments toward a future stay at the same property or request a full refund.

If you plan to fly in or out of the region this week, most carriers will let you change your itinerary without a fee.

United Airlines will allow changes for travel to, through and from more than a dozen airports in the Caribbean — including San Juan, Puerto Rico; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and several locations in the Bahamas — for travelers scheduled to fly through Friday. Continental Airlines has a similar policy.

Delta Air Lines is waiving change fees for travelers scheduled to fly to, from or through Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Bahamas through Thursday.

US Airways also has relaxed its change-fee policies for passengers scheduled to fly to or from several Florida cities — including Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami — through Friday.

The policy also applies for travel to or from the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Turks And Caicos through Sunday.

American Airlines has issued a travel waiver for passengers flying to or from more than a dozen airports in the Caribbean, including St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos through Friday.

JetBlue is waiving change/cancel fees and fare differences for fliers traveling to and from the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos.

Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here

Editor’s Note: Check out "Open Story: Hurricane Irene," a collaborative effort of CNN and iReport contributors who are documenting the storm as it moves across the Atlantic Ocean. Read more about Hurricane Irene from CNN affiliate WSAV.

(CNN) — Travelers and airlines are casting a wary eye on the projected path of Hurricane Irene, getting ready to change plans if necessary as the storm gets closer to the United States.

The powerful storm battered the Bahamas on Thursday and is forecast to pound much of the U.S. East Coast starting early Saturday.

American Airlines cancelled 126 flights Thursday, mostly out of Miami and the Bahamas, an airline spokesman said.

Most carriers are allowing travelers in the Caribbean to change their itineraries without a fee, and those policies have been extended to parts of the United States. Airlines have posted travel waiver policies for the Caribbean and the East Coast on their websites.

Amtrak has canceled most train service operating south of Washington for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. Service in the Northeast corridor is not affected at this point, but more cancellations may be necessary in the coming days, Amtrak warned.

A mandatory evacuation order was in effect for residents and visitors in Hyde County, North Carolina, which includes Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks.

Nearby Dare County, which includes Manteo, Nags Head, Duck and historic Kitty Hawk, had an evacuation order for tourists only. But state officials hope they will come back as soon as the storm passes.

"By late Sunday or Monday morning, North Carolina, with any good luck, will be open for tourism again," Gov. Bev Perdue said, according to CNN affiliate WRAL.

If you are planning to travel along the East Coast in the next few days, call your hotel and find out what its policies are in case you need to cancel, advised Anne Banas, executive editor at SmarterTravel.

Also keep on top of what your airline is doing, she said, especially because this kind of weather event is not considered to be within carriers’ control.

"You don’t want to be stranded at the airport," Banas said.

"The only thing you’re entitled to in that situation is a refund. So if you’re stranded at the airport, you’re not necessarily going to get food vouchers or hotel vouchers."

To avoid getting stranded, check with your airline and consider rerouting or rescheduling your trip.

Major airlines — including US Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and Air Tran — have dropped ticket change fees for passengers scheduled to fly to or from many cities along the East Coast this weekend.

Some airlines have extended change-fee waivers into early next week.

Irene affects cruises

The huge hurricane has forced more than 20 cruise ships to change their itineraries, CruiseCritic.com reported.

"We monitor the storms closely and make strategic changes to the itineraries to keep them away from the storm," said Jennifer de la Cruz, a Carnival spokeswoman.

"The nice thing … is that there are a lot of destinations in the Caribbean, so we have lots of options."

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean evacuated CocoCay, its private island resort in the Bahamas, the cruise line said on its blog.

Port calls are not expected to resume in Nassau and Grand Bahama Island until Saturday, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation said.

The dangerous storm has prompted the ministry to recommend "strongly" that people with plans to travel to the Bahamas in the next few days postpone their trips.

The Bahamas Hotel Association’s hurricane cancellation policy is in effect for travelers who need to postpone or cancel their vacation in the islands. The policy allows vacationers either to use their deposits or payments toward a future stay at the same property or to request a full refund.

Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here