B-1B Lancer scheduled to land at LGB today, Nov 30

A B-1B Lancer is scheduled to land at Long Beach Airport (LGB) at 3:00 p.m. today.

JetBlue to Give Alaska Customers a New Option With Debut of Anchorage - Seattle Route

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (November 16, 2012) - JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announced plans to expand its schedule in Alaska with new nonstop service between Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The award-winning airline plans to launch a daily service for the summer season beginning in May 16, 2013.

JetBlue already offers Alaska travellers the only nonstop service between Anchorage and Los Angeles's convenient Long Beach Airport with a daily summer service - and nationwide connections - that will resume May 16, 2013. In addition, the new Anchorage-Seattle route will open up more connections for Alaska travellers onto JetBlue's Seattle-Boston, Seattle-Long Beach, and Seattle-New York/JFK routes.

"Seattle is the top destination for Alaska customers and today we're proud to announce a new option for getting there," said Scott Laurence, JetBlue's vice president of network planning. "Since we made our debut in Anchorage in 2010, locals have scooped up JetBlue's low fares and asked for more flights to more cities. We're very excited to build on the success of our L.A. route with this new Sea-Tac service."

JetBlue's schedule between ANC and SEA:

SEA to ANC: 8:00 p.m. - 10:40 p.m.
ANC to SEA: 1:00 a.m. - 5:25 a.m.

- Flights operate daily effective May 16, 2012-

JetBlue will offer travelers on its Anchorage flights a variety of uncommon perks including a first checked bag free (a), the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch), unlimited name brand snacks and drinks, as well as seatback entertainment including complimentary first-run movies from top Hollywood studios. All flights also include JetBlue's acclaimed customer service - at no extra charge.

Tickets for JetBlue's new Anchorage-Seattle service are expected to go on sale at www.jetblue.com on December 17, 2012.

RAAF Takes Delivery of Sixth C-17

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) received its sixth C-17 Globemaster III from Boeing on November 1 during delivery ceremonies at Boeing’s final assembly facilities in Long Beach. The aircraft is being assigned to No. 36 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberly near Brisbane. “I am delighted to accept the sixth C-17 on behalf of the Royal Australian Air Force,” said RAAF Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown. “The C-17 is a capability that has improved Australia’s reach locally, regionally and globally. Individually, the aircraft is impressive – but as a fleet, it has fundamentally enhanced our strategic airlift agility to meet the Australian Defence Force Air Mobility requirements.” Boeing has delivered 248 C-17s worldwide, including 218 to the U.S. Air Force active duty, Guard and Reserve units. India has 10 C-17s on order for delivery in 2013 and 2014. Pictured above are members of the RAAF.

(Photograph by the Business Journal’s Thomas McConville)

From The Archives: Golden West DHC-6 Twin Otter

Golden West Airlines DHC-6-200 Twin Otter N64141 (c/n 141) taken at Long Beach Airport. Note the Seaboard World DC-8 in the background. Unfortunately, this slide has been remounted so both the date of the slide and photographer are unknown. Any information for the date or photographer is always welcome as is personal stories related to the airline or aircraft.

(Photo: Stephen Tornblom Collection)

Sheriff's Helicopter Hit By Bird, Makes Emergency Landing In Middle Of Del Amo Blvd

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Helicopter is back at the Long Beach Airport today after making a precautionary landing in the middle of a busy Lakewood street last night. The landing was made after the crew heard a loud noise while in flight.

After setting down the American Euro Copter on Del Amo Blvd. between Paramount Blvd. and Cherry Ave. (within feet of Long Beach city limits) at around 8:50PM Sunday night, it was determined that the helicopter had collided with a bird.

"An outside check of the helicopter revealed that the loud noise was caused by a bird striking the fuselage [the cabin] above the pilot canopy,'' Aero Bureau Sgt. John Haughey said.

The helicopter sat on the pavement between a CVS Pharmacy and a Mobil gas station for about two hours, according the Department, while mechanics could come out and assess the damage. Haughey said that the helicopter was cleared to return to return to the Aero Bureau, located at the Long Beach Airport, at abouit 11PM, at which time the streets were reopened.

The forced landing caused no property damage or injuries on the ground, Haughey said.

The Cerritos-Artesia Patch also has some great video and photos from the scene.

AN-124 Visits LGB

Antonov Design Bureau Antonov AN-124M Ruslan UR-82008 (c/n 19530501006) arrived into Long Beach on Tuesday October 16th as ADB2164 at 720am from Winnipeg Int'l (CYWG). The aircraft brought in a satellite that will be launched by Sea Launch. The aircraft departed LGB on Thursday October 18th as ADB2166 at 1405 to Gander Int'l (CYQX). Below are some photos that were captured by Cabel Parker.

3 Super Puma Helicopters Acquired For Sheriff’s Department Air Rescue Squad

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A trio of smaller, faster and more powerful Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helicopters are poised to take flight over Southern California.

Three previously-owned Eurocopter AS 332L1 Super Puma helicopters have been acquired by Los Angeles County for $31 million to staff the sheriff’s department’s Aero Bureau. The total acquisition, including training and parts, was $47 million, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said.

The helicopters are the latest in a long line of aircraft used for the Department’s Air Rescue-5 program, the rescue unit of the Aero Bureau. Since 1955, the Aero Bureau began with a Bell 47, making the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department one of the first law enforcement agencies on the West Coast to use helicopters. Piston-engine Sikorsky H-34 (military S-58) helicopters were acquired in the 1970’s, followed by turbine-powered Sikorsky S-58T’s.

The three new helicopters will replace three former United States Navy Sikorsky SH-3H Sea Kings that the department acquired in 1998 as parts and support for these aircraft became more expensive and difficult to obtain, according to Nishida.

“They look fantastic in person,” Nishida said. “They’re very sleek looking and are a little bit smaller than the old ones.”

The Super Puma is in fact about 25% smaller than the helicopters they are replacing, but carry the same number of people, sheriff’s officials said. They will be employed primarily as rescue aircraft, but their duties will also include SWAT insertions and extractions, Homeland Security support, maritime missions and personnel transport after natural disasters.

Once they are delivered, Nishida says these helicopters will be fully equipped the latest law enforcement technology. The choppers will be fitted with external hoists; nose-mounted, forward-looking infrared cameras – a first for a department rescue helicopter; night-vision compatible cockpits and multi-patient medical interiors.

For safety, these helicopters will be equipped with Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System/Terrain Awareness and Warning System (EGPWS/TAWS). The cockpits of these Super Pumas will also be equipped with GPS, instrument flight rules (IFR) capability and weather radar.
“The Super Pumas are equipped with advanced technological enhancements that will enable the Air Rescue 5 personnel to maintain the highest operational capability and the ability to fly in nearly all weather conditions,” Sheriff Lee Baca said in a statement.

Boeing sells 717 site in final Douglas Park land deal

LONG BEACH — Boeing Realty Corp. has sold the last parcel of the Douglas Park development by the Long Beach Airport that was once a center of aircraft manufacturing.

Irvine-based real estate company Sares Regis Group on Monday announced the acquisition of 160 acres, which with 33.6 acres the company already owned, gives it the lion's share of the 261-acre Douglas Park.

According to a press release, the group plans to develop the property with the potential for about 3.2 million square feet of premier office, industrial and retail facilities.

The purchase includes a 52-acre parcel on the site of the former Boeing 717 hangar at Lakewood Boulevard and Conant Street across from the airport.

Known for its iconic neon "Fly DC Jets" sign that is still on its rooftop, the building was shuttered in 2006 after the company ceased its commercial aircraft manufacturing there. The site consists of a 575,000-square-foot building and a 434,200-square-foot building.

"This is one of the largest and most exciting real estate purchases by Sares Regis Group," said Peter Rooney, president of Sares Regis Group's Commercial Investment Division, said in a news release. "Boeing has created a world-class master plan that has transformed the area into one of the most desirable new business locations in Southern California."

Terms of the acquisition, including the price, weren't immediately available.

Rooney couldn't be reached for further comment, and representatives with Boeing declined to comment Monday.

After plans for residential development at Douglas Park were cancelled years ago, recent commercial projects now planned include major industrial developments, a new hotel and a retail center.

Sares Regis has also moved forward with construction of a $95 million corporate headquarters development on the property it already owned, including seven industrial buildings on two separate parcels, to be called Pacific Pointe.

Nearby, developer Nexus Companies recently closed escrow on the purchase of 4.5 acres for a new Courtyard by Marriott hotel and 10,000 square feet of retail space.

Sares Regis' new 160 acres is made up of two 80-acre parcels and includes two former aviation production facilities.

The aircraft production hangars were built at the outset of World War II by Douglas Aircraft Co., whose workers turned out some 15,000 airplanes, including the legendary DC-3 transport and B-17 heavy bomber at the site.

"We have a long and gratifying relationship with Boeing and have enjoyed a very good working relationship with the City of Long Beach," Rooney said in the news release.

One of the 80-acre parcels includes two large aircraft hangars known as the 717 Facility. One of the hangars is topped by an iconic neon sign that reads "Fly DC Jets."

In 1997 McDonnell Douglas merged with The Boeing Co. Aircraft production at the facilities was ceased in 2006.

CBRE brokers Bob Smith, Brian DeRevere and John Schumacher represented both parties in the transaction.

(Kelsey Duckett - Press Telegram)

Long Beach Airport modernization takes a different approach

Long Beach Airport Director Mario Rodriguez has been in and out of airports more times than he'd like to say.

And no matter the airport, the experience is the same, he said.

"It's going through a concrete building, through a metal tube and another metal tube," said the Long Beach resident. "Everything feels the same."

So when Long Beach Airport embarked on its $140 million modernization project, which will include a new terminal and parking garage and upgrades to the aircraft ramps and facades, those involved sought something different.

Today, work is more than halfway done on the passenger concourse, which will feature two terminal buildings, and 4,200 square feet of outdoor seating with patios, fire pits, cabanas, suspended lights and space for outdoor performances.

The new concourse will also include more than 10,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space managed by The Paradies Shops, which is bringing in local vendors such as Polly's Coffee, Sweet Jill's Bakery, 4th Street Vine, George's Greek Cafe and second locations for Long Beach Clothing Co., which will be called 562 Experience, and McKenna's on the Bay, whose second restaurant will be named McKenna's on the Fly.

"Long Beach is such a special place, and this is going to reflect it,  with outdoor dining and fire pits," Rodriguez said. "It's a whole different concept and feel, more of a resort feel. And it should be. We took the idea from resorts."

Studio One Eleven principal Michael Bohn, whose Long Beach firm was hired by Paradies to design the retail and outside space, said his team sought to capture the modern, crisp waterfront metropolis that is Long Beach, bringing in nautical features and taking advantage of the city's openness and outdoor living.

He also spoke of the Long Beach Marche, a high-end food court that will be modeled less like a cafeteria and more like an open market where passengers can wander through self-serve islands of fresh food or head to food stations serving up Long Beach eats. 

"What we're trying to do is make it a memorable and enjoyable place you would want to come to even if you weren't waiting for an airport," Bohn said.

Long Beach follows a national trend among airports in the midst of major renovations to remain competitive.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport recently opened its $1.4 billion terminal for international passengers. In Las Vegas, McCarran International Airport is opening its $2.4 billion Terminal 3. Los Angeles International Airport also is undergoing improvements. 

Rodriguez said Long Beach's take on the concourse is different from other airports.

"We don't believe that people are comfortable in huge, Taj Mahal spaces," Rodriguez said. "Resorts have comfortable spaces. You're going to get something you haven't gotten from another airport."

JetBlue CEO Dave Barger, who toured the construction site Friday, said he was impressed by the progress. He added that the improvements will benefit the bottom lines of JetBlue and other operators.

"From JetBlue's perspective, at altitude is where customers spend most of their time, but the battle is also won on the ground," Barger said. "People are looking at the price of their tickets, they're looking at the price of their parking, but also how well their ground experience is. This bodes well for our operations." 

His reaction was a far cry from 2009, when Barger suggested to an airline industry blogger that JetBlue might pull out of Long Beach because of delays in the terminal improvement project.

The project had been delayed for years as the city fought legal battles over the scale of the expansion and concerns about the potential increase in aircraft noise. Airport officials have maintained that current noise restrictions and a cap on the number of allowed daily flights will remain.

The new concourse is expected to be open in 2013, though the project is ahead of schedule and could be open earlier, Rodriguez said.

"Hopefully, we'll deliver a nice Christmas present," he said.

(Karen Robes Meeks Staff Writer Press Telegram)

Long Beach Airport has state's lowest average airfares again

LONG BEACH - Knowledgeable local travelers have recognized the Long Beach Airport tends to offer one of the more enjoyable travel experiences.


From its quaint art deco style to easy freeway access to abundant parking, manageable crowds and short security lines, it has been a go-to choice for travelers looking to escape the crush at Los Angeles International Airport.

What might be less known is Long Beach's affordability.

For the third straight quarter, the Long Beach facility has recorded the lowest average airfares in California and ranked No. 2 nationally, behind Atlantic City, N.J.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's latest quarterly report, the average round-trip domestic fare out of Long Beach was $229 in the final quarter of 2011. That ranks well below the national average of $368 over the same span.

Airport Director Mario Rodriguez said Long Beach's ability to provide low costs to its carriers is passed along to customers.

"Our primary focus is customer service, and keeping costs low is a part of that," Rodriguez said.

Long Beach also bucked a national airfare trend late last year by recording a 2 percent drop in fares, while national fares were rising by more than 2 percent for the quarter and 10 percent since the fourth quarter of 2010.

That doesn't mean a traveler will necessarily find the best deal flying out of Long Beach to one of its 14 destinations, the Department of Transportation report notes.


Cincinnati, Ohio and Houston/ Bush had the highest air fare averages at $504 and $494, respectively.

While Long Beach finished second to Atlantic City, it closed the gap, as the East Coast airport's average flight cost rose from $167 to $189 over the course of the quarter. Las Vegas was third at $267.

Rodriguez said Atlantic City and Las Vegas have casinos that subsidize flights, which keeps average costs down.

In a prepared statement, Mayor Bob Foster said: "There are a lot of great changes happening at the Long Beach Airport. ... But one thing that hasn't changed is that LGB is a very economical airport, with excellent service and a wide range of destinations."

In 2011, 3.1 million travelers passed through Long Beach Airport.

(Greg Mellen - Press Telegram)