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This week our scheduled guest was called away at the last minute, so the Geeks go it alone to talk about some of the recent aviation news and discuss a lot of interesting listener mail. Of course, we also have David’s This Week in Aviation history segment, Steve and Grant’s Australia News Desk, and Pieter’s Across the Pond Segment.

The week’s aviation news:

• NTSB releases recommendations for air races
• NTSB Provides Investigative Update and Issues Recommendations to Increase Safety at Air Races
• State Department Seeks Expanded UAV Security Fleet
• Airlines hit record highs for on-time flights, luggage handling
• Live Virtual Constructive technology set to revolutionize air combat training
• Why Doesn’t Snow on the Wings Matter?

David’s aircraft of the Week: the Rockwell Space Transportation Systems OV-103, otherwise known as the Space Shuttle Discovery.

In this week’s Australia Desk report: Steve has a new get rich quick idea as Qantas operates an A330 from Sydney to Adelaide on April 13th partially powered by biofuel, Qantas A380 VH-OQA takes to the skies after 18 months of repairs following its infamous incident above Indonesia in 2010.

Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

This week on Across the Pond, Pieter talks to Frenchez Pietersz from Aviation Platform about airline news from the Benelux countries of Europe, that’s Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. With so much to cover we focused this week’s talk on Belgium and Holland, how the KLM Air France merger is developing, and how Lufthansa is challenging them with flights from Brussels.

You can dind Aviation Platform on Twitter as @AviPlatform, on Facebook, and on LinkedIn. Find Pieter Johnson on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, and also on Facebook at XTPMedia.

Links from Listener Email:

• Lightning Strike via John Arvin.
• Bush and Arctic Pilot, recommended by Chris.
• DC-3/Dakota Historical Society, Inc. also from Chris.
• Lost In Oscar Hotel, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Piper Cub.
• Space Shuttle Discovery to Fly Over Washington Metro Area April 17 and…
• Shuttle lands here soon, so sorry Houston from Harry.
• RAF sonic boom jets spark resident alarm after helicopter emergency from Ben.
• Squawk codes & Transponders via Tim Robinson.

Permission to use the post photograph has been obtained from the photographer.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.