More time to apply for UH master's

The University of Hawaii at Hilo is extending the application deadline for its Master of Education program.

The deadline is now Nov. 15 for admission in the spring semester.

The Master of Education degree program requires five semesters and two summers to complete, with courses offered on Wednesday evenings and special summer sessions.

For information about the degree program and other teacher education programs, contact department adviser Terry Reveira at 974-7748 or treveira@ hawaii.edu. Online applications and information can be found at hsblinks.com/15k and hsblinks.com/15l.

International students spent $160M last year

International students and their dependents spent $160 million in Hawaii during the last academic year.

That is according to a study released yesterday by the state and the Hawaii-Pacific division of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism says the financial estimate is based on surveys of Hawaii schools authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to enroll nonimmigrant students.

The institutions include universities and colleges as well as vocational, language, technical and high schools.

According to the survey, the top five places of origin for the more than 13,000 international students were Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and China.

FAA to break ground for new tower

The Federal Aviation Administration will hold a groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow for a 100-foot-high, $38.9 million air traffic control tower at Keahole-Kona Airport that will provide controllers with a better view of the runways.

The current, 51-foot tower was built in 1970 to control a 6,500-foot runway. A 1993 extension of the runway to 11,000 feet made it difficult for controllers to see the end of the north runway. Construction will begin in December, and the FAA hopes to start using it in May 2012.

The new tower will feature a 7,000-square-foot base building that will include offices for the air traffic and technical operations managers; a facility library with a tape room; and a backup power system.

It will also include an additional radar display and a touch-screen display communications system. The current system uses push buttons to call up radio frequencies.

The FAA says annual flights into and out of Kona have more than doubled during the last 20 years, to 131,000 in 2008 from 60,000 in 1989.

The FAA will preserve an old Hawaiian trail near the new tower that was not covered by an 1801 lava flow.

Jet nearly hits Honolulu-bound plane

A Midwest Express Embraer E190 jet came within 100 feet of colliding with a Honolulu-bound jetliner on the runway at Los Angeles International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said yesterday.

A radar analysis scheduled for today will reveal how close the planes were.

The pilot of Midwest Express Flight 1503 landed on Runway 25-L and exited the center taxiway at about 2:50 p.m. Sunday.

An air traffic controller told the pilot to turn onto another taxiway and stop short of Runway 25-R.

Although the pilot correctly read back the instructions, he crossed the hold lines for Runway 25-R, which are about 200 feet from the edge of Runway 25-R, said Ian Gregor, FAA spokesman. The controller saw what was happening and told the pilot to stop just as an alarm went off in the tower, Gregor said.

“;At the time, a Northwest Airlines Boeing 757 was on its departure roll on Runway 25-R,”; Gregor said.

“;We believe the taxiing aircraft was within 100 feet of the departing aircraft,”; Gregor said. “;It shouldn't have been closer than 200 feet.”;