Parsing dates with timezones in Flex

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2009/07/27/parsing-dates-with-timezones-in-flex/ -->
<mx:Application name="Date_parse_test"
        xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
        layout="vertical"
        verticalAlign="middle"
        backgroundColor="white">
 
    <mx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            private const datStr1:String = "Wed Jul 22 14:29:30 PST 2009";
            private const datStr2:String = "Wed Jul 22 14:29:30 EDT 2009";
 
            private var timeZones:Array = [
                /* Hawaii-Aleutian Standard/Daylight Time */
                {abbr:"HAST", zone:"UTC-1000"},
                {abbr:"HADT", zone:"UTC-0900"},
                /* Alaska Standard/Daylight Time */
                {abbr:"AKST", zone:"UTC-0900"},
                {abbr:"ASDT", zone:"UTC-0800"},
                /* Pacific Standard/Daylight Time */
                {abbr:"PST", zone:"UTC-0800"},
                {abbr:"PDT", zone:"UTC-0700"},
                /* Mountain Standard/Daylight Time */
                {abbr:"MST", zone:"UTC-0700"},
                {abbr:"MDT", zone:"UTC-0600"},
                /* Central Standard/Daylight Time */
                {abbr:"CST", zone:"UTC-0600"},
                {abbr:"CDT", zone:"UTC-0500"},
                /* Eastern Standard/Daylight Time */
                {abbr:"EST", zone:"UTC-0500"},
                {abbr:"EDT", zone:"UTC-0400"},
                /* Atlantic Standard/Daylight Time */
                {abbr:"AST", zone:"UTC-0400"},
                {abbr:"ADT", zone:"UTC-0300"},
                /* Newfoundland Standard/Daylight Time */
                {abbr:"NST", zone:"UTC-0330"},
                {abbr:"NDT", zone:"UTC-0230"}
            ];
 
            private function simpleDateParser(value:String):Date {
                var dat:String = value;
                if (isNaN(Date.parse(dat))) {
                    var idx:uint;
                    var len:uint = timeZones.length
                    var obj:Object;
                    for (idx=0; idx<len; idx++) {
                        obj = timeZones[idx];
                        if (dat.indexOf(obj.abbr) > -1) {
                            dat = dat.replace(obj.abbr, obj.zone);
                            return new Date(Date.parse(dat));
                        }
                    }
                }
                // TimeZone not found, or conversion not needed.
                return new Date(Date.parse(dat));
            }
        ]]>
    </mx:Script>
 
    <mx:VBox>
        <mx:Label text="{datStr1}" fontWeight="bold" />
        <mx:Label initialize="event.currentTarget.text = simpleDateParser(datStr1);" />
        <mx:HRule width="100%" />
        <mx:Label text="{datStr2}" fontWeight="bold" />
        <mx:Label initialize="event.currentTarget.text = simpleDateParser(datStr2);" />
    </mx:VBox>
 
</mx:Application>