Guest Christine M. DeJong is Manager, Technical Committee Operations with ASTM International, which creates industry standards, including aviation standards. Christine serves as the Staff Manager for three committees: F37 on Light Sport Aircraft, F44 on General Aviation Aircraft, and F39 on Aircraft Systems.

We talk about the history of ASTM, the makeup of the membership, the standards they are creating and maintaining, and who are they making them for. Also, how the Committee members work together to reach a concensus and why the standards change frequently.

Concensus for these standards requires a massive 90% agreement of Committee members, who meet frequently at airshows or events that otherwise bring many of the members together. The standards are constantly being revised based on lessons learned, accident investigations, and technology changes. Meetings are open to the public and private citizens can join the committees

The week’s aviation news:

• Jet Makers Avoid Risk by Redoing Old Models
• Consumer Groups want to Halt ETOPS on 787
• Engine testing delays HondaJet certification

Dornier Do 228

David Vanderhoof gives us some aviation history in his This Month in Aviation segment. David mentions the Dornier Do 228 and Rob reminisces about flying that aircraft.

In this week’s Australia Desk:

Qantas CEO Allan Joyce finds his way back into the news the week indicating that the airline’s profits are nowhere near the levels his team had predicted earlier in the financial year, and major creditor Deutscher Bank took notice also slashed its forecast back to just over $80million.

Meanwhile, Sir Richard Branson has been in Australia this week, talking up the newly branded Virgin Australia Regional Airlines as well as Virgin Galactic. He also indicated that he wasn’t above selling more of his stake in the group if he felt it prudent, and heaped praise on CEO John Borghetti and his team for their many successes.

Boeing opened a new Research & Development Centre in Port Melbourne during the week, securing it’s place as the largest such facility for the company outside of the United States.

Steve also extols the virtues of Yoo-Hoo chocolate drinks after finding them at a local US food importer in Melbourne. Grant is not so sure.

Links :

• Qantas profit forecasts slashed after Alan Joyce’s warning
• Is Richard Branson happy with local boy John Borghetti? You bet
• Boeing opens new R&D centre

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Angela Waller joins Pieter this week. Angela was a Stewardess back in the fifties and sixties and is Author of the book Before There Were Trolly Dollies. We get to hear what it was like in those days to travel by air and what Angela feels about modern air travel. An intriguing segment that goes back to the glory days of flight. Follow @AngelaWaller on Twitter.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Mentioned:

• Establishing Advanced AOC Systems for Single Pilot Operations
• #pilotday13, the hashtag for the NASM Become a Pilot Day

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Arthur Rosen blogs at My Opinion: Thoughts and Comments on General Aviation and he doesn’t hold back on his opinions. He’s a pilot, the AOPA-ASN (Airport Support Network) volunteer for Scottsdale Airport (SDL), past Chairman of the Scottsdale Airport Advisory Commission, he served on the Super Bowl Committee for Aviation, is past President of Arizona Soaring Association, an Aviation Expert for ABC TV-Phoenix, and a retired Judge!

We talk with Arthur about flight training and how it has become more about passing the test than learning to fly. Also, local airports and local politics – how residential development is an airport killer. Arthur has strong feelings about user fees, and how they, like land development, destroy aviation.

Arthur maintains that people do have an interest in learning to fly, but for many the cost is prohibitive. He has a pretty interesting prediction for small airplanes over the next five or ten years (it isn’t pretty), and he doesn’t buy the airline pilot shortage we hear about.

We discuss light sport aircraft and why they haven’t fulfilled the promise of being affordable entry-level airplanes. Also, legacy aircraft and FAA mandated TSO (Technical Service Order) equipment (Max gets confused because TSO means something different to ex-MRO guys), how the iPad is valuable for pilots with Foreflight and WingX dominating the apps market and training through the FAA Acquisition System Toolset (FAST).

Find Arthur Rosen on Twitter as @judge613.

The week’s aviation news:

• Business Aviation Safety Seminar: Used Properly, Copious Collected Data Enhances Safety
• Professionalism has NOTHING to do with the size of the airplane you fly
• Boeing Takes on the Concorde: The Next Supersonic Jet?
• X-51A Waverider Achieves Hypersonic Goal On Final Flight
• The Warp Speed of Today: Boeing’s X-51A WaveRider
• Boeing 777X could spur mini-jumbo battle with Airbus

David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: Vultee Vibrator or Valiant BT-13/SNV.

Defence Minister, Stephen Smith MP, releasing the 2013 Defence White Paper at Defence Establishment

In this week’s Australia Desk:

The Australian Government released its latest Defense White Paper this week, outlining updates on planned future equipment acquisitions for the Army, Navy and Air Force. On the aviation side of things, the purchase of 12 EA-18G “Growler” aircraft was announced, and Grant ponders whether this might mean the existing 12 “pre-wired” F18F+ Super Hornets already in the fleet will still be converted – as previously planned – into Growlers, while buying 12 new Super Hornets to replace them. Steve points out that this is far too logical for any government to consider. Additionally, there is speculation that the F-35 order book may be reduced from 100 airframes to 72.

Australia’s Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus, was in hot water this week after allegedly refusing to obey the instructions of a Qantas flight crew to turn off his mobile phone. The Federal Police was notified of the incident but were not required to attend the aircraft.

Former Qantas executive Rod Sharp took the reins at Tiger Airways this week, continuing the trend of ex-Qantas big wigs being poached away by John Borghetti, the CEO of Virgin Australia – who now own a controlling interest in Tiger, as reported last week.

No Speedos were harmed in the production of this segment

Links :

• New build Growlers, renewed commitment to F-35 mark new Defence White Paper
• Coalition gives differing scorecards for Collins Class subs
• Police called after Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus fails to turn off his phone on Qantas flight
• Ex-Qantas exec takes reins at troubled Tiger Airways

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

Commander Ian Sloan at Royal Navy Historic Flight

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

On our recent visit to the Royal Navy Historic Flight, Commander Ian Sloan told us about his plans to become an exchange pilot flying jets from a friendly nation’s aircraft carriers. Listen in and find out what aircraft type and what Navy, he is being seconded to.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Mentioned:

• Navy unveils squadron of manned, unmanned craft
• Here come the Vikings
• First of its Kind Aviation Quotes – [Flying Freedom Friendship]

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Guest Mary Kirby is Editor in Chief of the Airline Passenger Experience magazine and the APEX media platform. She has extensive experience as an aviation industry journalist.

Mary gives us some observations from the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2013 held in Hamburg April 9-11, 2013, including ultra-slim seats and positive hopes for passenger use of Personal Electronic Devices. IFE and connectivity are becoming the cost of doing business for airlines, and the inflight experience is approaching the multi-screen experience that people have now in their living rooms.

Mary proves she was right and Max was wrong when he predicted that IFE systems would be replaced by passenger owned entertainment content. If fact, we’re seeing more screens inflight and more aircraft are now ordered with embedded IFE.

We talk about who the inflight connectivity players are and what they are doing, and their participation in social media, including Panasonic Avionics, Gogo, OnAir. Jetblue has agressive plans with Live TV.

Reaching out to consumers through social media is new for the IFE industry, and Mary believes this B2B2C communication is not only taking over the IFE world, but we may see the same with interiors.

Speaking of interiors, Mary gives us some observations about the A350XWB and B787 interiors as they relate to the passenger experience.

Find Mary Kirby at the APEX Editor’s Blog and on Twitter as @APEXmary. Follow APEX as @theAPEXassoc.

The week’s aviation news:

• House passes bill allowing FAA to cancel air traffic controller furloughs
• FAA suspends furloughs, typo or not
• Hottie in seat 17D? Send her a drink!
• The Boeing 787 Dreamliner Rides Again: First Flight Dates for Each Airline

For a little change of pace, David relates historical aviation events to the all the aviation geek birthdays occurring around this time.

In this week’s Australia Desk:

United 747 collides with aerobridge at Melbourne Airport. Virgin Australia finally gets approval to buy 60% of Tiger Airways, while Singapore Airlines buys a chunk of Virgin Australia from Richard Branson.

Links :

• Plane sustains substantial damage in accident
• Virgin’s pounce on Tiger approved by ACCC
• ACCC clears Virgin’s Tiger takeover

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

Lt Cmdr Ian Sloane, Commanding Officer for the Royal Navy Historic Flight in front of the Sea Fury

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Returning to the Royal Navy Historic Flight we talk to Lieutenant Commander Ian Sloan about over wintering the aircraft and preparing for the airshow season.

Links :

• Royal Navy Historic Flight
• Royal Navy Historic Flight on Facebook
• Royal Navy Historic Flight – 40 Years of display flying 1972-2012

Mentioned:

• Flight 405 – DC10 Landing at The Highway!
• Plane sustains substantial damage in accident
• Lunch with Tim Ahern, Vice President of American Airlines, and a Behind-the-Scenes Tour of AA Terminal 8 at JFK Airport
• Maine Warden Service plane lands on turnpike
• Groom Lake – Area 51 A-12 Archangel CIA Project Oxcart
• A-12 Blackbird
• Endeavour has made it home! Exhibition Now Open
• Flight school flies away with five world titles
• Calhoun Air Center

Moving the Endeavour from LAX to the Science Center by Brian T. Coleman.

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

David Vanderhoof was invited to be a social media participant for the opening of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum’s new exhibit, Time and Navigation: The untold story of getting from here to there. He brings us recordings and interviews from the event.

The full selection of audio recordings, (with play times):

• Time and Navigation – Tour introduction (4:53)
• Time and Navigation – Role of the Clock (2:38)
• Time and Navigation – Navigating at Sea (4:03)
• Time and Navigation – Navigating in the Air (7:09)
• Time and Navigation – Navigating in Space (6:48)
• Time and Navigation – Satellite Navigation (6:50)
• Time and Navigation – Aviation Gallery (17:03)
• Time and Navigation – Clocks (4:44)

The Winnie Mae, the airplane Wiley Post flew in his record-breaking flights around the world in 1931 and 1933

Time and Navigation: The Untold Story of Getting from Here to There, Fact Sheet:

Opening April 12, 2013, National Mall building, Gallery 213

Presented in collaboration with the National Museum of American History

Sections: Navigating at Sea; Navigating in the Air; Navigating in Space; Inventing Satellite Navigation; and Navigation for Everyone.

Sponsored by: Northrop Grumman Corporation, Exelis Inc., Honeywell, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation, Magellan, National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation & Timing, Rockwell Collins and the Institute of Navigation.

“Time and Navigation” explores how revolutions in timekeeping over three centuries have influenced how people find their way. Through artifacts dating from centuries ago to today, the exhibition traces how timekeeping and navigational technologies evolved to help navigators find their way in different modes of travel, in different eras and different environments. Methods are traced through the decades to show that of all the issues facing navigation, one challenge stands out: The need to determine accurate time.

Twelve Things People Might Not Know about Time and Navigation

1. Although it was possible to navigate at sea before 1700, very precise positions could not be determined without accurate time and reliable clocks.

2. The earliest sea-going marine chronometer made in the United States was produced by Bostonian William Cranch Bond during the War of 1812.

3. Calculating position only by monitoring time, speed and direction is called Dead Reckoning. Measuring movement using only internal sensors is known as Inertial Navigation. Observing the sun, moon, or stars at precise times to determine position is known as Celestial Navigation. Radio Navigation systems use radio signals to maintain a course or fix a position.

4. The first several Soviet and American spacecraft sent to the moon missed it completely and crashed on the moon or were lost in space. Subsequent missions achieved their objectives as better techniques for guidance and navigation were developed.

5. When the first men went to the moon (Apollo 8), they used a sextant to help them navigate.

6. A spacecraft travelling across the solar system navigates by means of precisely timed radio signals sent back and forth to Earth. Navigators on Earth track its location and speed and transmit course adjustments. These techniques allow navigators to guide a probe to a planetary rendezvous or a pinpoint landing.

7. Space shuttles used onboard star trackers to locate their position in space with high accuracy. Once the shuttle reached orbit, the tracker automatically locked onto a star to orient the spacecraft.

8. The fundamental unit of time, the second, was defined in the past by the rotation of the Earth. Since 1967, the second has been defined by the signature frequency of a form of the element cesium.

9. A navigator on a ship at sea 100 years ago needed to know the time to the second. GPS satellite navigation works by measuring time to billionths of a second.

10. Albert Einstein’s understanding of space and time and relativity contributed to global navigation. Because GPS satellites experience lower gravity and move at high speeds, their clocks operate at a different rate than clocks on Earth. Since all the clocks in the system must be synchronized, a net correction of 38 millionths of a second per day must be added to the satellite clock’s time.

11. Increasingly reliable clocks and improved navigation methods have allowed navigators to calculate spacecraft positions with greater accuracy. By 2012 missions could be tracked with 100,000 times the accuracy possible in the early 1960s.

12. Atomic clocks in GPS satellites keep time to within three nanoseconds—three-billionths of a second.

The week’s aviation news:

• FAA approves resumption of Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights
• How Boeing Rescued the 787
• Open Skies strike threatens to stop air traffic
• Israel’s 3 Airlines Strike Over EU Proposal
• Sometimes Saying No is Just Plane Stupid

In this week’s Australia Desk:

Grant is back on deck this week as we discuss the release of the new Qantas uniforms, revealed this week to much fanfare. Eight former Royal Australian Navy Kaman SH-2G Super Sea Sprite helicopters, which never saw service after the programme was scrapped two years ago, have been purchased by the New Zealand Government for their Navy at a cost of $A200million ($NZ244million – $US210million). And keeping in the recent theme of aviation lobby groups wading into the upcoming federal election early, the Australian Airports Association is asking the government to consider backing a fund to assist struggling remote area airstrips to the tune of $20million.

Links:

• Qantas shows off new crew uniforms
• NZ buys choppers rejected by Australia

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week we look at what’s been happening in the Benelux countries and France with Frenchez Pietersz from Aviation Platform. New low cost carriers, KLM baggage fees and the threat of european hub domination from Schipol all get discussed.

Follow Aviation Platform on Twitter as @AviPlatform on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Mentioned:

• Hijacking With Androind at Flying And Technology blog.

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Jeff Nielsen (“Capt. Jeff”) flies for a major legacy airline and produces the Airline Pilot Guy podcast, subtitled: The View From My Side of the Cockpit Door. Jeff served in the Air Force as a C-141B and T-37 Instructor Pilot, and in his commercial career has flown the B-727 (all seats), the L-1011 (as First Officer) and the “Mad Dog” MD-88/90 (as Captain). In Airline Pilot Guy, Jeff presents news and views from an airline pilot’s perspective, and answers listener questions about airlines and flying.

We talk to Jeff about Porter and the CSeries, B787 batteries, lights in the cockpit (laser beams and St. Elmo’s Fire), being an airline pilot, and many other topics. See the Airline Pilot Guy Facebook page, Jeffs personal Facebook page, and follow him on Twitter as @airlinepilotguy.

The week’s aviation news:

• Porter aims to become Canada’s 3rd national airline
• CSeries Order Could Bring Major Shift In Porter Business Model
• Porter’s CSeries order still faces hurdles
• CSeries on track for first flight in June, says Bombardier
• Drones replace ‘The Right Stuff’: Fighter pilots make way for remote warfare
• Researcher shows how to hack (and crash) a passenger aircraft with an Android phone…
• Aircraft Hacking – Practical Aero Series (pdf)
• Investigators Probe Jet’s Crash Into Sea In Bali

In this week’s Australia Desk:

With Grant off this week due to illness, PCDU team member Ben Jones steps in to help bring us this report.

In the news, Virgin Australia issues a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange announcing it’s acquisition of Skywest is complete and right on cue, the first Skywest Fokker 100 in Virgin colours makes it debut in Perth.

The last RAAF F-111C to fly, A8-109, is transported by road from Queensland to Wollongong in New South Wales to take up residence at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS). The aircraft, now fully decommissioned, has been fully repainted in 1980s era colour scheme.

Further news this week on Australia’s first two F-35 JSF airframes, designated AU-1 & AU-2. Lockheed says they are on schedule to be delivered by 2014, at which point RAAF aircrew can begin training.

The latest PCDU video is now online – Steve’s review of the RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Taker Transport, including footage of refuelling of two 77SQN Hornets over eastern Victoria RAAF Airbus KC30A Multi Role Tanker Transport.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

Hurricane at the recent RAF Northolt Night Shoot.  Photo Courtesy of Global Aviation Resource and Gordon Jones

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Pieter is joined by Gareth Stringer, his fellow co host on Aviation Xtended and Editor at Global Aviation Resource. They discuss some of the changes made to GAR that have invigorated some of the aviation social media tools and improved quality of the GAR family of products.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Tiger Moth

Mentioned:

• Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase.
• Lake Hood Seaplane Base.
• Skytrax.
• More Turbulence For Planes Amid Climate Change.
• Weather: Jet Stream Blamed For UK Cold Snap.
• 3D Antarctic Ice Map ‘Clue’ To Climate Change.
• Study Says Climate Change Shrinks Animals.

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

We talk with the grandson of aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky about his grandfather and the annual Sikorsky Weekend that Igor holds at his sporting camp in the North Maine Woods. Igor flies a Skyhawk float plane to ferry visitors to his camp and to fishing spots in Maine.

You’ll hear stories about his grandfather – how he viewed life and those around him, his visions for the helicopter, and his interests in religion and astronomy, among others. Igor holds a great collection of historical records and memorabilia from the life of his grandfather, and he brings that out for Sikorsky Weekend. Other Sikorsky memorabilia can be found at:

• Igor Sikorsky Archives
• New England Air Museum
• Helicopter Museum in Philadelphia

The week’s aviation news:

• FAA delays contract tower closings to June 15
• Boeing completes 787 battery certification test flights
• Boeing Poised for 787 Battery Fixes With Teams in Japan
• The Pain And Iron Rain In India

The Aircraft of the Week:

David continues his series on the Skyhawk with the international versions.

In this week’s Australia Desk:

Recorded on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne near Princess Bridge (sheltering from the rain). We speak to Doug Worrall, an airline pilot and iPad/Android app developer, about his new game, LEO – Low Earth Orbit, available in iTunes and Google Play. Doug explains his motivation to create a challenging game that makes the user think and consider the laws of physics. The impetus for the game was his son’s school not offering physics as a subject any more, due to lack of interest.

In the news:

• The Australian Government, after gifting 4 ex-RAAF C130-H aircraft to Indonesia, announce the sale of five additional airframes to that country.
• Air Samoa announces a Pay For What You Weight scheme for air fares…Steve is horrified!
• A routine go-around by a Qantas aircraft at Sydney during the week is cause for an appalling, ill-informed article on ABC News during the week. Doug explains the realities of a go-around and why they’re reasonably routine and very safe practice.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week we travel to Italy to talk to Federico Bossi, Air Traffic Controller in the Milan Tower. He shares his experiences as well as telling us about his passion for flight simulation. Federico is @AeroFede on Twitter.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Mentioned:

• Jamie Dodson’s Nick Grant Adventures books.
• My Opinion: Thoughts and Comments on General Aviation
• Classic Air Force

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Guest Anthony Nalli is the Executive Producer / President of FourPoints Television Productions, which brings us The Aviators. This TV series has a weekly viewership of ten million and their fourth season comes out later this year.

We talk about how The Aviators got started, how it covers pretty much everything that flies, and where the story ideas come from. Plus we get a little taste of what to expect in future episodes.

The Aviators is not geared strictly for pilots and aviation enthusiasts – the content appeals to others as well. Find them on most PBS stations, in iTunes, Hulu, and Amazon on Demand. Follow them at @TheAviatorsTV on Twitter and see their Facebook and YouTube pages.

The Aircraft of the Week:

David continues his series on the Skyhawk with the A-4E though M, and the Two Holers.

The week’s aviation news:

• Central Idaho airport officials opt to sue FAA
• Texas Takes Over Tower Funding
• Airports Suing FAA: Tower Shutdowns Planned By Federal Aviation Administration Prompt Lawsuits
• Airlines Should Charge Obese Passengers More, Economist Says
• US Flies B-2s over Korean Peninsula

In this week’s Australia Desk:

The ACCC finally grant approval for the Qantas & Emrates tie-up, and not a moment too soon as a celebratory flyover of Sydney by two A380s – one from each carrier – in formation was operated four days later to mark the commencement. In other news, its smiles all round at Virgin Australia as their pilot unions signed off on a new enterprise agreement which will see increased job security and pay rises between 14.2% and 28.4%. We also get an explanation of how Grant is not a weed wacker.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

Rosetta swings by Earth

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week’s Across The Pond is a Bits and Pieces episode. Pieter talks about how he finds his guests and what’s exciting in the world of Space exploration and travel.

See:

• Xtended Ep.09: Space Exploration, Space Travel and Moondust
• NASA
• Skylon spaceplane engine concept achieves key milestone
• Rosetta
• My rocket’s bigger than yours… the multibillionaires trying to win the space race
• Flying, Freedom, Friendship

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Jon Ostrower, Aerospace Beat Reporter for The Wall Street Journal returns as our guest. We talk with Jon about the Boeing press briefing in Tokyo where they annoyed the NTSB over 787 battery issues. Jon attended the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) Americas Conference and we get his impressions from that event, including industry concern about the sustainability of the huge narrowbody order volume in light of uncertainty about the future economic situation.

We discuss Airbus progress on the A350 widebody (will we see it for the Paris Air Show?) and a larger Bombardier CSeries that starts to encroach on 737/A320 class airliners. Their test aircraft strategy employs a bit of concurrent flight testing. We also talk about the operating economics of old aircraft versus the new fuel efficient planes.

Follow Jon on Twitter as @JonOstrower, visit his Facebook page and his photos on Flicker.

The week’s aviation news:

• FAA releases final list of tower closures
• NTSB scolds Boeing over public comments on 787 batteries
• Controller Praised for Saving Hypoxic

In this week’s Australia Desk:

The Regional Aviation Association of Australia calls for more assistance from Canberra for the increasingly struggling regional sector…but receives a less than favourable response from Canberra

Fiji Airways (formerly Air Pacific) launches the first of three new A330s, which will replace its ageing fleet of B747-400s

Grant speculates about the LionAir’s possible plans to enter the Australian market

A minor fire in the Melbourne ATC Centre causes an evacuation and delays in the skies over south eastern Australia during the week,

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

In memory of Sub Lieutenant Derrik Armson, Barracuda Pilot in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. See Naval Air History and follow @navalairhistory.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Ryan’s Su-30MKK Flanker G 1:72 scale model

Mentions:

• A-4 Skyhawk Association
• Airline Pilot Guy

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Guest Jack Pelton is with Aviation Alliance LLC, a new venture created to remanufacture Cessna 421s as the Aviation Alliance Excalibur. He’s the retired Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer for Cessna Aircraft Company. Currently, Jack is serving as Chairman of the Board and acting President/CEO for the Experimental Aircraft Association.

We talk with Jack about remanufacturing aircraft and how older airplanes like the 421 could be victims if 100LL goes away, and how Aviation Alliance has set up the business to utilize the services of other companies.

Also we discuss the numnber of open leadership positions at aviation associations, lithium ion batteries, how AirVenture is looking for this year, the effects of sequestration, current drivers for business aviation, and even Jack’s antique airplane collection.

The week’s aviation news:

• Revealed: Pilot of Air France jet that crashed in Atlantic Ocean killing 228 people had just ONE HOUR sleep before flight
• Principato to Leave ACI-NA
• Why the 787 battery fix will work

In this week’s Australia Desk:

Airport news from Australia: a new airport, a new runway, and a new lounge. Also attendance at the Avalon airshow.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

Mentions:

• Business Jets and ATC User Fees: Taking a Closer Look.
• Girls With Wings, Inc.
• Flying the Feathered Edge

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Robert W. Poole, Jr. is the founder of the Reason Foundation, a free market think tank that conducts public policy research. He has been a long time advocate of air traffic control system reform.

We talk to Bob about the recent World ATM Congress in Madrid and the ATC Global 2013 conference in Amsterdam where his presentation Why Not Call it “Privitization”? being delivered by Graham Lake. Bob reflects on how Nav Canada, the Canadian civil air navagation services provider, represents a good model for others, the challenges faced in the U.S. and how the budget situation affects aviation. Who is going to take action? The Government? Industry?

The Reason Foundation offers two newsletters, the Airport Policy and Aviation Security Newsletter and the Air Traffic Control Reform Newsletter, which are available at no charge upon request. Also, be sure to visit reason.tv for a variety of topical videos.

The week’s aviation news:

• NTSB releases interim factual report on JAL 787 battery fire investigation and announces forum and investigative hearing
• Airports can make case to keep their control towers open
• Congressional Republicans challenge LaHood on FAA furloughs
• Air Traffic Control Newsletter #100
• Backlash from airline employees over move to allow knives on U.S. planes

In this week’s Australia Desk:

• Former Qantas & Australian Airlines Chief Executive, James Strong, dies at age 68
• Tiger Airway/Virgin Australia deal further stalled by the ACCC
• CASA considering changes to the Civil Aviation Regulations to facilitate UAV operations better, and based on weight
• Qantas considering purchasing 747-400F freighters
• Qantas profit increases party on the back of 787 compensation from Boeing

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

In the last of our mini series episodes from Southampton Airport we look at how social media is being used to coordinate all of the airports activities and programmes when we talk to Marketing Manager Vicky Parkes.
We are also delighted to see the recent news that Southampton Airport, branded as ‘The airport you can Breeze Through’ has smashed its targets for getting passengers through security with passengers waiting less than 5 minutes 98.2% of the time, and less than 10 minutes 99% of the time in 2012.
We would like to thank Lucy Calvert for all of her support in producing this mini series.

Useful Southampton links:

• Southampton Airport email newsletter
• Southampton Airport on Twitter
• Southampton Airport on Facebook
• Southampton Airport on YouTube
• Southampton Airport Blog

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Volunteer/Pilot Chelsea Tugaw explains preflighting Upper Limit’s R22 

Mentions:

• 3 On Your Side: Thrown Off United Flight For Taking Photo
• London helicopter crash pilot decided to pick up client despite warnings
• The Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Harriet Baskas writes the monthly At the Airport column for USA Today, as well as occasional features at NBCnrews.com and MSN Travel. She also manages the collection of online Airport Guides at USA Today.

We talk about the recent Travel Goods Show in Las Vegas and some of the products of interest to air travelers. Also, things airports have been doing to increase the experience like better restraurants and bars with broader appeal, a liquor store in baggage claim, and even free land lines that are advertiser supported. Rob even learns something interesting he didn’t know about Chicago’s O’Hare Airport! Rob even learns something interesting he didn’t know about Chicago’s O’Hare Airport!

Find Harriet’s blog at Stuck at the Airport and follow her on Twitter at @hbaskas and @stuckatairport.

The week’s aviation news:

• JetBlue unveils first A320 with sharklets
• JetBlue Airways and Airbus Reach Agreement to Retrofit the Airline’s Airbus A320 Fleet with Sharklets
• JetBlue entry to Google Glass contest suggests airport usage
• Pentagon says to resume F-35 flights

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Recorded at the end of the final day of Avalon 2013 – The Australian International Air Show. We talk to Eamon Hamilton, Public Affairs Officer for Air Lift Group, Royal Australian Air Force, about the Air Show from the RAAF perspective. We also include a brief discussion about the F-22 Raptor display over Avalon, the first time this aircraft has been displayed in Australia skies, and include a clip from our interview with the display pilot, Major Henry Schantz.

Find full Avalon 2013 daily video and audio coverage at www.planecrazydownunder.com.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

Southampton Airport Fire & Rescue

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

On the Southampton Airport miniseries this week we talk to the airport Fire Service. What are their capabilities, strength and how do they stay alert for the 1.7 million passengers that travel safely through the airport every year.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Westland WS51 Dragonfly at the Helicopter Museum by Bob

Mentions:

• Flashback Fridays: Farewell to a Friend, the post on Nuts About Southwest about the loss of Brian Lusk.
• Excerpt from the interview with Brian Lusk on the Airplane Geeks Episode 156, originally published July 19, 2011.
• Lauda Air Flight 004
• Glory Hole: When You Lose Everything You Love, Your Final Flight May Be Your Best, by Captain Terry Reece
• Sopwith Triplane at the Aero Space Museum of Calgary
• Air France Flight 296 | Airbus A320 Crash
• Piaggio Reveals Unmanned Avanti
• Singapore’s leap into the space industry

LOT 787 parked at ORD by Scott

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

This aircraft features a glass cockpit with side-stick that creates an unusual amout of room. Attention was given to
how the pilot and the plane interact together – presenting information rather than data so pilots can be decision makers instead of processors of data. That has an impact on safety, but also comfort.

Alan also collects diecast model airplanes and has a collection that could easily be called giant. Follow @KestrelAircraft on Twitter.

The week’s aviation news:

• Small plane crashes in eastern Georgia, killing 5
• United Airlines grounds Dreamliners through June 5
• F-35s grounded as precaution after crack found in engine blade

David’s Aircraft of the Week is a bit of a surprise. It’s the Sopwith Triplane!

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

We continue with the Southampton Airport mini-series this week and look at what’s required to keep the airport terminal clean and tidy by talking to Operations Manager Karren Pattar from Amey. Southampton achieved platinum in the 2012 Loo of the Year Awards (LOYA).

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Rob talks with David Parker Brown about Aviation Geek Fest 2013.

Mentions:

• Spoof of American’s new ad about the Merger
• Feb 2013 El Centro Photocall Clip by Stephen Tornblom
• Japan Identifies Oil Leak, Cockpit Cracks in 787 Dreamliner
• 50 Tales of Flight: From Biplanes to Boeings, an eBook by Owen Zupp
• A Yank in the Luftwaffe – A World War 2 suspenseful thriller in France, an eBook by Robert V. Ricard, illustrated by Stephen Ricard

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt returns as our guest. Henry is now with Hudson Crossing. Previously, he was Chief Research Officer and Co-Founder of Atmosphere Research Group, and before that he was with Forrester Research.

We talk with Henry about the merger of US Airways and American Airlines, including labor relationships, maintenance, competitive effects, the merging of company cultures, and other steps necessary before the deal is done. We also touch on airline brand loyalty and airline fees.

The week’s aviation news:

• Airbus Abandons Plan to Use Controversial Batteries in New Jet
• Service Cuts May Follow Merger of Airlines
• Air Force increases projected KC-46 flying hours, crew ratio
• Cirrus ramps up Hiring in Duluth for VisionJet

This week David takes a break from his Aircraft of the Week segment and gives his views on budget sequestration, a means of budget control used under the Budget Control Act of 2011.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

We’re joined by Ben Ippolito, a PCDU team member and Air Traffic Controller, to discuss future changes to air traffic management in Australia and the news that authorities are looking at ways to better integrate civil and military systems.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week we visit the world’s largest dedicated helicopter museum. With over 80 aircraft from all parts of the world its a wonderful place for all Avgeeks and certainly a hidden gem of a museum.

For more, see The Helicopter Museum website, The Helicopter Museum on Facebook and @HeliCollections on Twitter.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Mentions:

• FAA Directive Sheds Light On Emirates Engine Shutdown
• Lowest flyby ever, Argentinian FMA IA 63
• Fighter plane’s incredible fly-by caught on camera
• Life as an Airline Pilot

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Two U.S. Navy North American RA-5C Vigilantes, David’s Aircraft of the Week

We welcome Lynda Meeks and Jodi Brommer to the podcast. Lynda is Executive Director of Girls With Wings, Inc. and has been our guest in the past. Jodi is an avid listener and former US Navy Seabee. She also served as a convoy 240B gunner in Iraq, with 143 missions. Taking advantage of the GI Bill, Jodi is continuing her education and helicopter training.

Since both Lynda and Jodi have flown them, we talk about flying helicopters. Jodi is now training in the Bell 206, having gotten her private in the R-22, and instrument rating in the R-44. Lynda is moving to Hong Kong to become an Airbus simulator instructor for an airline. Girls with Wings continues on, in fact they are in their Spring scholarship session for flight training right now.

We talk about the non-profit Institute for Women Of Aviation Worldwide and the Women of Aviation Week with events planned for March 4, 2013, which you can follow at Twitter hashtag #woaw2013. The iWOAW is an independent consortium of businesses and organizations that seeks to foster diversity and thus growth in the air and space industry.

The week’s aviation news:

• Concessions Likely To Get US Air-AMR Off The Ground
• Google to Begin Work on Their Own Private Airport in San Jose
• Google execs’ jet fleet could head to San Jose Airport as $82 million general aviation facility proposed
• 787 Completes first battery test flight: Flightaware track
• Americans Confident Humans Will Walk on Mars Within Two Decades

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the North American A-5/RA-5C Vigilante.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Virgin Australia & Tiger Airways still facing Australian Consumer & Competition Commission concerns over their merger leading to an airline duopoly in Australia.

Qantas announces that it’s pushing ahead with 787 procurement an anticipates no delays…just as Boeing announces production delays.

Qantas and British Airways deny any tension over recent route network changes.

Air Pacific is searching for a new CEO as David Pflieger announces his impending departure.

Aviation Australia, a Brisbane based training organisation, looks to Asia for new business.

The RAAF marks 10 years of C130 operations in the Middle East.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Pieter relates the initial findings from the Red Wings Tupolev Tu-204 crash while attempting to land at Moscow Vnukovo on December 29, 2012. Then he asks Rob for his thoughts on why this happened. It’s a story about landing gear compression, reverse thrusters that could not be deployed, and brakes that couldn’t stop the aircraft.

For more, see: Crashed Tu-204 powered forward as pilots tried reversing thrust and TU-204 Plane crash-lands into Moscow highway.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Rob at SimpleFlight.net

Rob Mark provides a clip from the SimpleFlight.net show: JetWhiner & AirplaneGeek at Heart!

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

F-22 by Ian Kershaw

This episode we feature contributions from our listeners: comments, feedback, news items, links, and more, from email and recordings.

You’ll hear about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, USAF Museum lecture series recordings, good aviation books, Institute for Women of Aviation Worldwide, stories of aviation as first love, the F-22 Raptor and the YF-23, the F-35 performance bar, aviation’s carbon footprint, fear of flying, personal electronic devices inflight, a petition to change an airport name, privacy invasion by drones, an Iranian fighter (perhaps), and thoughts on aviators we have lost.

The week’s aviation news:

• US Air Force hopes to upgrade aggressor F-16s
• Report: FAA slow to implement new airline-safety regulations
• Boeing 787 grounding persists; Airbus comfortable with A350 batteries
• Failure Modes Featured In 787 Battery Reassessment
• NTSB’s Hersman Reportedly a Top Candidate for Transportation Secretary
• Move Past LaHood… and the Sooner the Better

Cessna c-190 by David Vanderhoof

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the Cessna C-190/195.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Grant has been in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week as a guest of Malaysia Airlines as they formerly joined the One World alliance. He met and spoke with a number of high ranking airline officials including Qantas CEO Allan Joyce, and recorded some interviews with a number of them. For this edition, he calls in from the business class lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport as he wait to board his flight for the return trip to Melbourne.

In this report:

• Q quick interview with the CEO of OneWorld, Bruce Ashby
• The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission gives the green light for Virgin Australia’s purchase of Sky West
• The federal government is selling the fleet of former Royal Australia Navy Sea King helicopters as parts, retaining on example for preservation at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at NAS Nowra, New South Wales.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

YF-23 on taxiway

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

We return to Scotland to talk to Ian Grosz about his passion for flying the J4 Auster. A taildragger with not too much performance buts lots of personality.

See @AusterPilot on Twitter and The Auster Diaries.

Jodi and Bell Long Ranger

Mentions:

• aviationweek.com/787 for continuing stories on the 787 fleet grounding
• National Museum of the US Air Force – Museum Podcasts
• Institute for Women Of Aviation Worldwide (iWOAW)
• This Is What Regret Looks Like To The US Air Force
• Pentagon lowers F-35 performance bar
• Your Biggest Carbon Sin May Be Air Travel
• Disruptions: Fliers Must Turn Off Devices, but It’s Not Clear Why
• Do Electronic Gadgets Really Affect an Airplane’s Instruments?
• Interference from Electronic Devices
• Eve Cogan
• Flight of the Drones

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

We talk with Major Brandon “Cain’n” Abel, and Major John “Manson” Appelt, Experimental Test Instructor Pilots from the USAF Test Pilot School. Greg Morris from Gauntlet Warbirds joins in.

The USAF Test Pilot School is a 48 week program for classes of 20-24 students. Graduates go on to test and evaluate weapons systems as test pilots or test engineers. We talk with Cain’n and Manson about the selection process for admission into the School, the variety of aircraft flown at the School, and what a flight test mission involves.

The week’s aviation news:

• NTSB Chairman says ‘We have not ruled anything out’ in investigation of Boeing 787 battery fire in Boston
• Pinnacle Airlines To Move HQ, Hundreds Of Employees To MSP
• $550,000 from state helped to lure Pinnacle airline jobs
• Stunt pilot who has shared runways with motorcyclists is now under FAA investigation for Lancaster Airport fly-by
• Chicago Meigs Field (CGX) is Dead … Really

David gives us a debrief on the Airpigz.com meetup at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. and at the Udvar-Hazy Center next to Dulles.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Qantas experiences teething problems with its new alliance partner as their booking system allocates premium economy seats on Emirates aircraft – a class not available with that carrier.

Tiger Airways profits slip as they await a ruling by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission on their proposed takeover by Virgin Australia.

Jetstar Japan takes delivery of two new A320s.

The first former RAAF C-130H to be gifted to Indonesia (formerly A97-006) takes to the skies following deep maintenance in preparation for the transfer.

The USAF confirm they are sending two F-22 Raptors to this year’s Australian International Air Show (Avalon), and unlike their last visit in 2011, this time they’ll be putting on an aerial display.

Grant is heading to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week as a guest of Malaysia Airlines to cover their launch into the One World Alliance.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Naval Air Historian Matt Willis joins us to discuss his new book on the Fairey Barracuda a mono wing fleet air arm torpedo bomber from the second world war. Designed to be a mulit functional aircraft, the ‘Barra’ suffered reputational challenges from its perceived weaknesses. However, it proved itself many times and flew well into the ‘50’s.

Not a single complete airframe is left of the 2,600 Barracuda’s built but there is a project being delivered by the Bluebird team and supported by the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton to recreate a lasting memory to this both beloved and sometimes sneered upon aircraft. To Pieter, it is of course the chariot on which his father flew the majority of his fleet air arm missions and activities and therefore remembered with a little more fondness than others.

Matt can be found at www.navalairhistory.com and on Twitter @NavalAirHistory.

Matt’s published books include: Blackburn Skua and Roc and Junkers Ju 87 Stuka.

Naval History Links:

• Fairey Barracuda Wreckage and Recollections
• Barracuda Rising From the Wreckage
• The Royal Navy Historic Flight

In Memorium:

• Aviation Loses a Great Man and a Better Friend by Phil Derner, Jr.
• A Great Aviation Geek Is No Longer Here
• Plane that crashed in Antarctica may have turned too early

Mentions:

• Adventures of Cap’n Aux
• Jetstar pilot mobile txting stuff up uncovered in ATSB inquiry

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

David Parker Brown from the Airline Reporter.com blog returns as our guest.

We talk about the grounding of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, the new American Airlines livery, and using personal electronic devices on flights.

David is organizing the Aviation Geekfest in Seattle February 16 and 17, 2013 with lots of exciting activities planned for the event.

Also find Airline Reporter.com on Twitter as @airlinereporter and on Facebook.

The week’s aviation news:

• All Boeing Dreamliners Are Grounded World-Wide
• Lithium Batteries Central to Boeing’s 787 Woes
• FAA airworthiness directive requires 787 battery system modification
• FAA Grounds all Boeing 787s. Now What?
• Scott Spangler Takes the Left Seat at Jetwhine.com
  
• Pilots at Memphis-based Pinnacle Airlines overwhelmingly approve concessionary contract
• Amazon has high hopes as FAA mulls guidance for PED use during takeoff and landing
• FAA To Pilots: No Personal Devices
• Elegant ditching of a Cessna 310 (although possibly in embarrassing circumstances)

NTSB photo of Lithium Ion battery

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the The Martin 167 Maryland bomber.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Qantas reduces its 787-8 order by one airframe (not related to the current AD issues) while their management is still managing to upset the their international pilots, BAE Systems to test their Taranis stealth UAV in the remote Outback areas of Australia, HNZ takes delivery of three new AW109SP helicopters for use on a ten year contract with mining company Rio Tinto, and the federal government blocks a bid by a local municipal government to have a second airport built in their area.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

We find out this week why North Sea Helicopter Pilot Ian Grosz intends giving something back to aviation in the form of Take Off a scholarship programme focused at youngsters in Scotland. Follow @Austerpilot on Twitter.

AN-12 arriving in Calgary by Ian Kershaw

Mentions:

• B-52 flight, 50 years ago in Maine, led to key safety changes
• On Gratitude and Flying from the Bill Next Best Blog
• SAS captain uses whiskey to deice wings of aircraft

The music in Pieter’s recordings:

The music for both Across The Pond, Xtended and my segment on PCDU is performed by a UK band called WhiteHarts.

If you would like to see where they are on the internet you can go to my Blog – AlphaTangoPapa.Blogspot.com and see the very large credit to the band along with the links to their website presence. Not saying no one has ever been there but its quite prominent on the front page below the Airplane Geeks logo.

The link to me, is that my son Anthony played Bass for WhiteHarts for a while. They no longer play as WhiteHarts but all still play in some format or other. The guy singing the track I use in ATP which is called ‘Seven’, is Joe Bernie.

The track I use on Xtended (called ‘Epic’) is now exclusively Xtended’s to use and has not yet been published by the band (and I think unlikely to be).

The guitar infills I sometimes use you are correct are by one of my brothers, although since being involved in an road traffic accident, he is no longer able to play, which is very sad as he was very talented.

And finally I am a drummer (in the very distant past) so you never know, there might one day be a percussion insert!

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Steve Tupper, aka Stephen Force, produces the Airspeed podcast and is the man behind the Acrocamp aerobatics documentary. He’s is an aviation lawyer, a private pilot, and serves as a Civil Air Patrol Major and search-and-rescue pilot.

Steve tells us about the Civil Air Patrol and it’s missions: airforce assigned inland search and rescue with a fleet of 550 single engine piston aircraft, aerospace education, and the cadet program. We talk about Acrocamp, which brought together a diverse group of pilots to learn aerobatic aircraft. Also, the Acrocamp documentary movie, and what aerobatics does to pilots.

Follow Steve on Twitter as @StephenForce and also see his facebook page.

The week’s aviation news:

• Boeing Fire Spotlights Hazard of Plug-in Cars, Laptops
• Dreamliner plane review ordered by US regulators
• Eclipse Hopes To Build USAF Trainers
• Chinese investors acquire Enstrom Helicopter

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the Antonov AN-12 NATO “CUB,” the C-130 of the East.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Grant is off this week, so Steve is flying – or podcasting – solo. A China Southern student pilot makes an emergency landing at Mangalore, 75 miles north of Melbourne, after the starboard wheel fell off his Piper Warrior in flight. After a bringing the aircraft to a stop, the pilot walked away un-harmed. Virgin Australia spent the week switching over to its new Sabre booking system, and was mostly praised for its handling of a very challenging process. Their domestic airline code has also changed from DJ to VA. In defence news, the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshall Geoff Brown announces the re-activation of 35SQN, better known as “Wallaby Airlines”, as preparations for the introduction of the C-27J Spartan continue.”

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

Wasatch Mountains by listener Jodi

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Our Mini Series continues from Southampton Airport this week.Continuing our look behind the scenes we go back to talk to Dan Townsend about some innovative solar powered LED lighting being used for aircraft movements signalling and upgrades to the lighting on the aircraft stands.

Find more about Southampton Airport at SouthamptonAirport.com and their blog, and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Todd Erickson’s father with the Champ, now and then

Mentions:

• When Thunder Rolled: An F-105 Pilot over North Vietnam
• Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War
• Thunder Tales
• Biofuels could lead to mass hunger deaths: U.N. envoy
• Must the poor go hungry just so the rich can drive?

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Guest Richard Aboulafia is Vice President, Analysis at Teal Group. We look at some of the major aviation developments from 2012 and look ahead to what we can expect in 2013.

We discuss narrowbody orders and the need for efficient aircraft in order to compete. With narrowbody technology on a plateau, it’s the efficiency of the engines that drive the economics.

China and Russian commercial aircraft prospects are covered as is Chinese military aviation. Also, prospects for general aviation in the U.S., the retirement of the Space Shuttles, the growth of commercial launch capability, and what that means for aerospace.

As for Boeing, Richard says watch the promptness of the 787-10 launch, and the 777X. Meanwhile Airbus is physically establishing itself on U.S. soil to mitigate exchange rate vulnerability, maybe put pressure on the unions, and help their prospects for the next military competition.

F-35 partner country concerns with price and delivery, airframer reluctance to take on commercial risk, and program vulnerability in times of budget crunch. Also watch the Korean FX3 fighter competition between the F-35 and the F-15. Even the USAF tanker resurfaces with issues getting the new hangars for them.

See Richard’s personal site at RichardAboulafia.com.

The week’s aviation news:

• APA Pilots Opposing USAir Merger
• AMR Sees US Airways Merger Review Concluded Within Weeks
• Delta to own Memphis-based Pinnacle

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the Aeronca 7AC Champion.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Looking forward to upcoming issues for 2013, the Qantas/Emirates tie up is going ahead as the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission gives its approval, while Virgin faces an uphill battle to get it’s buy out of Tiger Airways & Sky West approved. ADS-B will factor in the news in 2013 as Australian carriers who operate above FL290 are required to use install equipment and use it by mid December, and the LSA (RA-Aus) sector is facing an interesting period as CASA exercises its oversight powers and grounds up to 1,000 aircraft.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week on Across The Pond we return to Southampton Airport in the UK to continue with a new mini series focusing on behind the scenes. Last year we spoke to Dave Lees, Managing Director who gave us his strategy for growth and customer service at the airport and who has now kindly allowed us a behind the scenes look at some of the areas we don’t normally see. This week we talk to Dan Townsend, Airport Assurance Manager who tells us all about their innovative and world leading technology used for avian control.

Find more about Southampton Airport at SouthamptonAirport.com and their blog, and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Must attend events:

• AirPigz National Air And Space Museum MeetUp January 25-27, 2013 (Washington DC)
• Aviation Geek Fest 2013

Mentions:

• Desert Pilot: I got My Tailwheel endorsement!
• Desert Pilot: Some pics of Flying the Champ
• Deaf Pilots Association
• Gulfstream reveals new supersonic aircraft, inlet designs in patent filings
• Airplane Geeks The missing Episodes
• TheSRQPilot on YouTube

A Skycrane dipping at the Fern Lake Fire, Colorado by Paul Filmer

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Engine Alliance GP7200, center cut sketch

This week we bring you a collection of segments:

Max has a conversation with Mary Ellen Jones, President of the Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. EA produces the GP7200 engine for the Airbus A380. Max talks to Mary Ellen about the formation of EA and how two fierce competitors can come together in a joint venture. We look at who manufactures which parts of the engine, how they are integrated, and how the engine is maintained. We also touch on Mary Ellen’s involvement with the Connecticut Airport Authority, and how she is trying to improve the experience at Connecticut’s airports. [Starts 3:24]

Find Engine Alliance on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

First Operational F-35B Joint Strike Fighter

David, Rob, and Max had the opportunity to speak with Major Aric Liberman, an F-35B pilot with Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona. We talk about the F-35, being part of the future, and engine performance. The Major compares the F-35B to previous generation tactical fighters like the F-18, and touches on the level of automation, and F-35 stick and throttle controls. [Starts 24:46]

See First F-35B Delivery to MCAS Yuma on YouTube, and Pratt & Whitney Congratulates U.S. Marine Corps for World’s First F-35B Lightning II Operational Squadron.

The segment from our commercial pilot and flight instructor teammate Rob Mark is about the realm of flight instruction. It’s actually about not learning to fly, to be more precise. In this piece, Rob tells us about how two different people influenced his life in aviation. One man nearly convinced him to stop flying forever, while the other saw a spark that convinced Rob not to give up on a dream. This is an Airplane Geek’s tale called … “The Day I Quit Flying.” [Starts 52:17]

In this week’s Australia Desk Report, Grant attempts to recover from his New Years celebrations as the boys present an abridged version of their interview with Mac “Serge” Tucker, a former RAAF F/A18 pilot and Fight Combat Instructor who has recently publish a book talking about his experiences. They cover the importance of USAF exchange postings for RAAF pilots, his concerns about the introduction of the F-35 into Australian service, and his thoughts on the increasing use of un-manned aerial vehicles. [Starts 1:07:40]

Mac’s book is called “Fighter Pilot – mis-adventures beyond the sound barrier with an Australian Top Gun.” The full interview is featured in episode 96 of Plane Crazy Down Under.

Farnborough Air Sciences Trust

In his Across the Pond segment, Pieter visits the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST). Described in the Sunday Times as one of the Top Ten Geeky Holiday Spots on the Planet, FAST is dedicated to maintaining the memory of all of the fabulous aviation and aerospace innovations and developments throughout Farnborough’s history. [Starts 1:21:35]

Listener Ian Kershaw provides a brief review of the book “Vulcan 607″ by Rowland White. [Starts 1:45:29]

Amber Nolan

Finally, Max interviews Amber Nolan, a travel writer who is trying to visit all 50 U.S. states by hitch hiking rides on General Aviation aircraft. [Starts 1:47:59] Support her adventure on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

Rio’s famous Copacabana beach (and Sugarloaf mountain) taken on departure from Santos Dumont by Dima from Dima’s Corner

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.