Washington, D.C
Enstrom among select few helicopters in Washington, D.C. flyover
On May 11, Enstrom Helicopter Corporation had the distinct honor of taking part in a general aviation (GA) flyover of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The flyover was in commemoration of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)’s 85th anniversary.
The diverse group of aircraft included 15 chapters of planes, telling the story of GA in America, including aviation’s Golden Age, the postwar boom, and all the way up to modern business jets and wildfire-fighting airplanes.
Of the 60 or so aircraft that participated, only three were helicopters, distinguishing Enstrom as part of a select company.
“AOPA sent us an invitation back in January,” said Enstrom chief commercial officer Dennis Martin. “From there, I had to go through multiple briefings and background checks from the FAA and Secret Service. It was a fairly involved process”
FAA personnel and AOPA staff timed the operation to the second, organizing the flight based on aircraft and pilot capabilities. Officials shut down Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for an hour to make way for the flyover.
Martin flew the Enstrom 480B from Menominee, Michigan, to Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland, where he then flew down the Potomac along the designated flyover route.
After reaching Roosevelt Island, Martin took a turn at the Lincoln Memorial, flew down Independence Avenue, and dipped south at the Hirshhorn Museum. Martin and his fellow aviators flew at an altitude of about 1,000 feet, all just a half mile away from the White House, one of Washington, D.C.’s most restricted flight zones.
“It was surreal. Millions of people see these landmarks from the ground every year, but unless you’re the president, nobody gets to see them from the air,” said Martin. “And for the locals, they might typically only spot military aircraft or massive airliners in the airspace above D.C., so for 60 smaller airplanes and helicopters to fill the skies, it must have made for a unique and breathtaking experience.”
Following the flyover, Martin exited the restricted airspace and flew back up to Frederick. He recognized Enstrom’s participation in the flyover as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“But if AOPA ever hosts a celebration like this again, I’d accept an invitation in a heartbeat,” added Martin. “My 11-year-old daughter had a blast flying alongside me.”
For anyone unable to watch the flyover live, a rebroadcast is available here. You can also watch a highlight reel from the event here.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Enstrom.
Washington, D.C
Suspected National Guard shooter due back in court on two new charges
WASHINGTON – A deadly shooting case with ties to the National Guard and the White House is heading back to court, and prosecutors have now expanded the charges.
FOX 5’s Maureen Umeh reports this is one of the District’s highest profile cases, and the man accused in the ambush is expected to appear before a judge on Thursday.
What we know:
Prosecutors have added two new counts, and the hearing could help shape the direction of the case as it moves forward in federal court.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal is accused of opening fire on two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House the day before Thanksgiving. Prosecutors have now added two counts of assault with intent to kill, tied to the National Guard member who tackled and subdued him after the shooting.
READ MORE: Who is Rahmanullah Lakanwal? Afghan national accused of shooting 2 National Guard in DC
Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was killed. Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe was critically injured and continues to recover.
Lakanwal now faces first degree murder while armed, multiple assault charges, and several weapons offenses. Federal prosecutors say they are aggressively pursuing the case and note that nothing is off the table, including whether to seek the death penalty, one reason the case is now being handled at the federal level.
The indictment includes nine criminal counts. Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty to the initial charges.
READ MORE: Two new charges for alleged gunman in National Guard shooting
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Washington, D.C
D.C. set to receive $200M in federal funds
The House and Senate appropriations committees included almost $200 million in the first draft of an upcoming appropriations bill, which, if approved by Congress, would fund D.C. programs including school choice, college tuition, HIV prevention, clean rivers and police overtime.
If approved, $90 million would reimburse the District government for the cost of providing police and other support at events like large protests, state funerals and the upcoming 250 birthday celebration of the country.
While the Bowser administration is happy with the funding, the mayor sent a letter to Congress asking for an additional $10 million to offset the added costs to D.C. taxpayers for the federal surge, writing, “This higher funding level is also essential to support the ongoing federal law enforcement surge and the associated increased costs to the Metropolitan Police Department, including MPD’s work to coordinate with federal agencies, facilitate National Guard deployments, and sustain police overtime required to support the surge.”
There is also $40 million to fund D.C. tuition assistance grants, which help offset the cost of college tuition for D.C. high school grads. If approved, the funds would allow D.C. to increase the amount students could qualify for each year from $10,000 to $15,000 and boost the lifetime cap from $50,000 to $75,000.
“Which is a huge amount of money for families, and that’s going to help us help more of our residents on their pathway to getting degrees,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser’s chief of staff, Tomas Talamante.
Schools would benefit, too.
“We were able to get 17.5 for D.C. Public Schools and 17.5 million for D.C. public charter schools, as well as the 17.5 million that goes to the voucher program,” Talamante said. “We also were able to get money for HIV/AIDS prevention, about $4 million that we were able to secure for HIV/AIDS prevention. We were also able to secure $8 million for DC Water, which their clean rivers project is the huge tunnel-boring system that helps keep the Anacostia and our waterways clean.”
The legislation includes riders placing restrictions on recreational cannabis, and Congress could add other riders, including changes like doing away with cashless bail or photo traffic enforcement in the District.
The legislation still must go through the House Rules Committee before a full House vote.
Washington, D.C
DC weather: Wintry mix, snow showers possible late Wednesday into Thursday
WASHINGTON – A mild Tuesday is ahead for the Washington, D.C. region, with a brief chance of a wintry mix or even a few snow showers arriving late Wednesday into early Thursday.
What we know:
Tuesday starts cold, with temperatures in the 30s, but the day stays dry and warms into the low 50s with some afternoon sunshine.
Isolated showers move in Wednesday morning and linger at times throughout the day. FOX 5’s Taylor Grenda says colder air rushing into the region Wednesday into early Thursday could briefly flip that rain to a wintry mix or some light snow showers.
Any mix is expected to be brief and minimal. Snow chances should clear by early Thursday, leaving behind cold, blustery and dry conditions for the rest of the day.
What’s next:
Friday turns sunny but very cold, with highs only in the mid 30s. Saturday stays dry, and there’s a slight chance of snow showers returning on Sunday.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the FOX 5 Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
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