In this very special episode, we learn the source for the noises Rob makes on the podcast, Grant McHerron and Steve Visscher from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast come on for their Australia Desk Report and we don’t tell Rob it’s them live, and David Vanderhoof treats us to a little holiday cheer Airplane Geeks style. Dan rounds out a full cast and adds his own special charm.

• Business aviation group pulls ads from USA Today
• The future of US regional airlines: big changes imminent
• China picks CFM to power future aircraft -Les Echos
• Test Pilots Discuss Historic First Flight of Boeing’s 787
• Airlines announce deal to buy greener jet fuel
• BA Christmas strike blocked by high court
• You say “drone,” I say “remotely piloted”
• Reporter’s Notebook: NORAD to track Santa
• NORAD Tracks Santa

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Our guest this episode is Joshua Abramson, he’s the Airport Manager at Winchester Municipal Airport, and also an aviation advisor for the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) which carries out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating agencies. We talk with Josh about issues of concern to regional airports. His website is Airport Solution, which is home of the Airport Executive blog.

The news:

• Airbus, Boeing wooing United Airlines for plane order
• Virgin America Sees Ownership Shift Over 10% With New Investors
• American Airlines ups the ante in battle with Delta over JAL
• Seeking FAA funds, airport hopes sale fares lure fliers
• Metro Airport Explores Wind Power
• American’s flight attendants stage mock strike

David Vanderhoof has another This Week in Aviation. His links this week are The Flying Clippers and Pan Am Clipper Flying Boats.

We also have Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast with their Australia Desk report. The guys sent along a second bonus clip that we found very funny and think you’ll enjoy. We also have some listener mail.

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line:  (361) GEEKS01.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Benet Wilson, Aviation Week’s Online Managing Editor for Business Aviation, again joins Max, Rob, and David to talk about the week’s aviation news. We also discuss how aviation journalists keep current with the news (or ahead of it) and we have some tips and resources that help you stay current with aviation news.

David Vanderhoof has another This Week in Aviation, and Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast have their Australia Desk report. We also have some listener mail.

• Hawker to attend Dubai Airshow
• Delta suspends pilot held in Georgia plane incident
• London arrest just the latest in pilot drinking episodes
• Airbus Freighter Makes Maiden Test Flight
• Boeing’s 747-8 Freighter Leaves Factory
• Boeing completes first round of 747-8F gauntlet tests
• Airbus military transporter cleared for testing
• Side-of-Body Installations Complete on First Boeing 787 Dreamliner
• Film: Amelia
• Hilary Swank drenched in sweat after her first flight lesson
• Southers Flies High at Confirmation Hearing

For aviation news:

• Alltop
• Jetpedia
• Addict-o-matic (airline example)

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave us voice mail on our listener line at (361) GEEKS01.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Featuring Steven Frischling, the founder of The Travel Strategist site as well as the popular travel blog Flying With Fish.

• Inquiry Finds French Flight Struck Ocean Intact
• What if airplanes could transmit info from flight data recorder?
• France claims crashed A310 failed 2007 inspection; teenaged passenger survives
• Alterative fuels specifications pass first certifying hurdle
• Boeing Shopping In South Carolina?
• ANA adds five 787s to order, to issue nearly $2 billion in new stock
• Justice Department opposes antitrust immunity for Continental to join United Airlines team

We also have a report from the boys down under at the Airplane Geeks Australia Desk, a This Week in Aviation segment, a bit by Courtney (remember him?), and listener mail.

Dan selected Flightlevel350.com as this week’s aviation website pick of the week, a great source for aviation videos.

Don’t forget to send us your ideas for Airplane Geeks T-Shirts!

Follow the Airplane Geeks on Twitter as @AirplaneGeeks, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love. You can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

Ben from the One Mile at a Time blog joins Dan, Max and Rob to talk aviation news and how to fly a lot of miles on the cheap.

• Boeing delays 787 first flight again, cites excessive stress in ‘upperwing join area’
• In Blow to Boeing, Qantas Drops Order
• Boeing Delay Upends Plans of Leasing Firms
• Clear service for fliers abruptly shuts down
• FAA panel to develop rules on pilot fatigue by September
• Terrified tourists boycott Thomas Cook flight home after being told to sit at back ‘to help balance the jet’
• Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary wants passengers to carry all their bags to the plane
• Second Domestic Airfare Hike of the Year Initiated
• Airlines Reaffirm Environmental Commitment
• ATA Voices Concerns to Speaker Pelosi Regarding Cap and Trade Legislation
• Airlines jacking up summer airfares
• Computer Failures Are Probed in Jet Crash

We also have our report from the Airplane Geeks Australia Desk, an additional airline news report from Stephen, and a This Week in Aviation segment.

Dan’s aviation website pick of the week is Widgetheads.net, a Delta Air Lines fan site.

Don’t forget to send us your ideas for Airplane Geeks T-Shirts!

Follow the Airplane Geeks on Twitter as @AirplaneGeeks, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave us voice mail at (81….

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love. You can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

Kevin Garrison of the Hoglog blog returns this week and has news as his latest book “CEO of the Cockpit” hits the shelves.

• Airlines Seek to Reassure Passengers in Outbreak

• Boeing 787 advancing toward test flight by July 1

• The Road to 787 First Flight – May 3 – Into the sunshine

• Small plane crash-lands into portable potties

• We asked for Photoshopped Air Force One photos – and you delivered!

• Tired pilots plea

Max’s pick of the week is airsports.tv.

Don’t forget to send us your ideas for Airplane Geeks T-Shirts!

The Airplane Geeks are now on Twitter! You can follow us @AirplaneGeeks.

Make sure to sign up for our new newsletter, “Airplane Geeks Week in Aviation.”
We’ll be bringing you these show notes, as well as some of the week’s news we didn’t have time to cover.
You can sign up at AirplaneGeeks.com.

Brother Love is responsible for this episode’s opening and closing
music, and you can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

If you have a question or a comment for the Airplane Geeks, you
can send it to thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. If you have
a question or comment you’d like mentioned on the podcast, this is the best
way to go about it.

Jon Ostrower, AKA Flightblogger, joins The Geeks  this week as we cover the latest news.  We talk everything from the 787 to Formula One!

• Concorde to Fly Again (Not Really)

• Babbitt Named to Lead Federal Aviation Administration

• Virgin moves into Formula 1 sponsorship
• Pet-Centric Airline to Take Flight?

• Southwest looking at new aircraft?

• 787 Probably Will Fly by End of June

Max’s pick of the week is Mako’s RC Jet Club.

The Airplane Geeks are now on Twitter! You can follow us @AirplaneGeeks.

Make sure to sign up for our new newsletter, “Airplane Geeks Week in Aviation.”
We’ll be bringing you these show notes, as well as some of the week’s news we didn’t have time to cover.
You can sign up at AirplaneGeeks.com.

Brother Love is responsible for this episode’s opening and closing
music, and you can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

If you have a question or a comment for the Airplane Geeks, you
can send it to thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. If you have
a question or comment you’d like mentioned on the podcast, this is the best
way to go about it.

Benet Wilson from the Aviation Week’s Business Aviation Now blog joins the geeks as we talk about the latest news in aviation.  Make sure to follow Benet on Twitter @bizavweekly.

We learn two things in this episode:

1. Canadian Geese are mean.
2. Swans are meaner.

You’ll see.

But first, the news:

• NTSB: Plane crew saw significant ice before crash

• Fuller supports FAA funding bill in congressional testimony

• The eskimo isn’t smiling at Virgin America
  • Virgin America Should Be Considered “American” for Now

• It’s Official–Canada Geese Hit Flight 1549

• Carson: Boeing prepared for possible 10% 2010 production cut
  • Boeing Frontiers

• Cessna: Business Aircraft Are Good for Businesses
  • CessnaRise

Rand Peck joins Max and Court this week and Court goes on a couple of rants.  Rand joins us from his site at FlyingWithRand.com and his blog, Rand Peck, a Life Aloft.  There’s plenty of news to talk about, and we hit the highlights.

GA groups call for industry input on TSA plan

US House Transportation chairman takes aim at alliances

Aurora Flight Sciences Displays GoldenEye 80 Unmanned Aircraft at Virginia AeroSpace Legislative Reception

Max and Court welcome Martt Clupper of AirPigz.com on this episode as they talk about the latest in aviation news, and provide a bit of commentary to spice it up.

Victims of Plane Crash Worked for Air Travel Sites

Pilots turn out in force to tell TSA impact of security plan

Obama Officials Tell Citibank To Ditch Plans For $50 Million Private Jet

JAL Flight Brings Aviation One Step Closer to Using Biofuel

Airline losses for fourth quarter mount

S7 cancellation latest hurdle for 787 program

Richard Aboulafia, an industry analyst and VP of analysis at Teal Group, joins The Geeks this week as we talk airplanes.  It turns out that Richard is not only very knowledgeable about the aviation industry, but he’s also very funny.  We spend almost the entire hour talking with him about the news:

Airlines’ on-time performance improves in Oct.

Invest in Aviation Infrastructure, Groups Tell Congress; Relatively Small Investments Could Yield Big Local Returns

Analysts see worrying trend in airport incursions

Embraer Phenom Wins Brazilian Certification

Bombardier to bring CSeries 110 to market first

ANA Mulling Seeking Compensation On Boeing 787 Delay

Airbus and Boeing plan loans for buyers

AIA dailyLead Special Report: Looking forward to 2009

Captain Chris from the Plane Madness Podcast joins Max and Court this week as they talk podcasting, and the week’s news.  Fortunately, it seems like we may be seeing some improvement to the sound quality, thanks to Chris, and to the hundreds of listeners who’ve put up with some trying podcasts.  Regardless, this is another heavy news week:

FAA Warns Winter Travel Delays Possible Due To Runway De-icer Shortage

Airbus, Turkey sign A350 cooperation agreement

FlightBlogger: Airbus Dreamliner Dossier Revealed

US aviation industry needs foreign cash, Barack Obama told

US negotiator Byerly stands firm on ownership, cabotage changes in near term

Three airlines drop self-reporting safety program

Susan Pruitt of Flight Plan Magazine join Max and Court this week. The new magazine is the topic of discussion, as well as the news of the week.

787 first flight date now officially up in the air

Embraer posts 70% profit drop, ‘studying’ larger aircraft

Air Taxi Company Closes New Round Of Financing

Tough Times In Wichita: Cessna Says It Must Reduce Workforce

EAA Rallies Members to Demand More Time to Comment on Onerous TSA Proposals

Max’s pick of the week is the hoglogblog. In the author’s own words, it is created by “Kevin Garrison, Aviation expert and professional smart-ass”.

Make sure to sign up for our new newsletter, “Airplane Geeks Week in Aviation.”
We’ll be bringing you these show notes, as well as some of the week’s news we didn’t have time to cover.
You can sign up at AirplaneGeeks.com.

We’re also happy to announce our partnership with Flightline Internet Radio.
You’ll be able to hear excerpts of The Airplane Geeks weekly.

Brother Love is responsible for this episode’s opening and closing
music, and you can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

If you have a question or a comment for the Airplane Geeks, you
can send it to thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. If you have
a question you’d like mentioned on the podcast, this is the best
way to go about it.