Tag Archives: AC-130

503 D-Day Squadron and the C-47

A fleet of C-47 aircraft plan to fly over Normandy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Also, the DOT plans to take a closer look at FAA oversight of airline maintenance practices, a panel of experts looks at the disappearance of MH 370, and passengers react to airline food service takeaways.

Placid Lassie will join up with other aircraft of the D-Day Squadron in June 2019 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion. Courtesy D-Day Squadron.

Placid Lassie will join up with other aircraft of the D-Day Squadron in June 2019 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion. Courtesy D-Day Squadron.

Guest

Moreno "Mo" Aguiari, Executive Director of D-Day Squadron.

Moreno “Mo” Aguiari, Executive Director of D-Day Squadron.

Moreno “Mo” Aguiari is the Executive Director of D-Day Squadron, an organization that plans to lead an American fleet of historic, restored C-47 World War II military aircraft in Daks Over Normandy in June 2019. That event includes a flyover of more than 30 international aircraft that will drop 250 paratroopers over the shores of Normandy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day and honor the citizen soldiers of the War.

The D-Day Squadron is the part of the Tunison Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Squadron’s education program tells the story of the citizen soldier to audiences at air shows and events off the flight line to honor the brave Americans and ensure their memory and significance is appreciated for generations to come. The group’s efforts are funded through the generous tax-deductible contribution of their supporters.

Mo is a sales/marketing and business development professional who received a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Milan and an Aeronautical Technician diploma from the National Avio School, also in Milan, Italy. He moved to the United States in 1999 to become a commercial pilot and became a US citizen in 2008. In addition to being the Executive Director of the D-Day Squadron, Mo also runs Warbird Digest and Warbirds News, a successful vintage aviation publishing company focused on the warbird and classic aircraft community.

Aviation News

Watchdog probes FAA’s review of aircraft maintenance at American Airlines and Allegiant Air

In June 2017, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general’s office announced they would audit how the FAA reviews airline maintenance practices. Now, the DOT inspector general’s office plans to focus on FAA response to complaints received about American Airlines and Allegiant Air maintenance practices. The DOT memo says they want to find out whether the FAA “ensures that Allegiant and American Airlines implement effective corrective actions to address the root causes of maintenance problems.”

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crash was deliberate, aviation experts suggest

60 Minutes Australia gathered an international group of aviation experts to talk about the disappearance of MH370. While not in complete agreement, many feel it was a deliberate criminal act by the pilot – a suicide/mass murder. See also What the 60 Minutes report into MH370 didn’t tell us.

MH370 – The Situation Room | 60 Minutes Australia

Why passengers are so angry about an airline’s decision to scrap tomato juice

Following Brian’s comments last week about airline takeaways, we have this story. United Airlines decided to drop Sprite Zero, Jim Beam, Courvoisier, and tomato juice from flights less than 4 hours. Customers reacted strongly on social media and United reversed the decision. For more on this, see United Airlines Just Made First Class Passengers Incredibly Angry. Now the Airline is Having Second Thoughts.

Listener Recording

Student pilot Nicki brings us installment #8 on learning to become a pilot.

Interview

Brian spoke with some members of the A-10 Demo Team at the Planes of Fame Airshow: Sr Airman Betty Chevalier (Team Public Affairs Representative). Tactical Sargent Dan Isaksen (Team Chief), and Capt. Cody Wilton (Team Pilot).

A-10 by Brian Coleman.

A-10 by Brian Coleman.

Mentioned

Boeing’s Been Granted A Patent For Turning The B-1B Into A Gunship Bristling With Cannons

Air Force special ops can’t afford the AC-130 gunship lasers

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

 

AirplaneGeeks 378 NBAA 2015 Debrief

Aerion AS2 In-Flight

Aerion AS2 In-Flight, Courtesy Aerion Corporation

The 2015 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, a supersonic business jet, and new turboprop engines. Also, AC-130 Ghostrider, used Boeing 777 prices, the TSA, and ATC operating systems, AusDesk and Across the Pond segments, and lots of listener feedback.

News

Flexjet Order For 20 Supersonic Jets Boosts Aerion

Membership and charter services company Flexjet has placed a firm order for 20 Aerion AS2 supersonic jets, valued at $2.4 billion. Flexjet plans to use the jets for overseas flights and flights to China. The Aerion AS2 business jet is to have a top speed of Mach 1.5, carry eight to twelve passengers, with a range of 4,750 nautical miles at supersonic speed. See also the Flexjet press release: Flexjet to Purchase 20 Aerion Supersonic Business Jets.

Airbus Seeking Manufacturing Site for Supersonic Jet

Airbus Group is collaborating with Aerion on the three-engine jet. First flight is expected in 2021, with entry into service in 2023. Reportedly, Airbus and Aerion are looking for a US manufacturing site.

GE Aviation launches new turboprop engine

Textron Aviation and GE announced that Textron Aviation will power its single engine turboprop (SETP) with an all-new 1,300 shaft horsepower turboprop engine from GE Aviation. Textron’s SETP is expected to have a range of more than 1,500 nautical miles and speeds higher than 280 knots. GE expects to conduct the detailed design review (DDR) for the new turboprop in 2017, with the first full engine test in 2018.

GE Aviation’s Advanced Turboprop Engine

P&WC Launches Most Powerful PT6 Turboprop

Pratt & Whitney Canada announced a Dash A version of the 867-shp PT6-140 turboprop engine used in the Cessna Caravan. It features 15% more power and 5% better specific fuel consumption than comparable engines in its class.

Textron Aviation Unveils Hemisphere Jet

The Cessna Citation Hemisphere will feature a 102-inch diameter cabin, a range as far as 4,500 nm, with a maximum cruise speed of at least Mach 0.9. First flight of the $35 million jet is expected in 2019.

NBAA Charity Event Raises $505,000 to Support Life-Saving Flights for Corporate Angel Network

The annual NBAA/CAN Soiree charity benefit raised funds to help support CAN’s life-saving flights for cancer patients.

NBAA’s Single-Pilot Team Creates Loss-of-Control Safety Video

With loss of control in flight (LOCI) accidents resulting in more fatalities in business and commercial operations than any other category of accident over the last decade, reducing LOCI is a priority of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and aviation professional organizations across the globe. The NBAA Safety Committee Single Pilot Safety Working Group produced this video and story of “John,” a single owner-pilot who finds himself in a loss of control situation. The 10-minute video stars Airplane Geeks co-host Rob Mark.

Best and Worst Airlines: Find Out Which Carrier to Fly

Consumer reports conducted a survey of more than 20,000 passengers who took a domestic nonstop flight. The fliers rated the airline on comfort, carry-on space, ease of check-in, in-flight entertainment, and fees.

Brand New AC-130 Ghostrider A Total Loss After Going Inverted While Out Of Control

An Air Force Special Operations Command AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship was flown inverted at 15,000 feet in a test flight, but exceeded its operating g limits and design load and will have to be scrapped.

Why A Boeing 777 Only Costs $10 Million

A new 777-200ER has a list price of $277 million. If you assume a 30% discount, $194 million is a likely purchase price. Delta says it was offered used 777’s from Boeing for $10 million, a lot less than the book value and professional appraisal cited by others.

City,TSA spar over screening services

The Transportation Security Administration will not be providing screening services at the Greater Lake Klamath Regional Airport in Oregon. The TSA says the airport passenger load is too variable and infrequent to warrant the expense. The alternative system would have passengers from Klamath Falls screened at destination Portland.

Flight chaos as airport admits its air traffic control PCs still run Windows 3.1

Orly airport in France has been experiencing groundings and flight delays due to the air traffic control system breaking down. The French air traffic controller union said the problem was that the air-traffic software runs on Windows 3.1.

Man busted for shining laser pointer at aircraft

A 40 year-old man was arrested in California after shining a green laser at a Southwest Airlines plane preparing to land at Sacramento airport. A California Highway Patrol plane sent to find him was hit by the same laser, which made it easy to track down his location.

Aircraft carrier crew creates Star Wars spoof

The crew of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower won the internet Friday with a mock trailer Sea Wars: The Force Awakens.

The Airplane of the Week

Thanksgiving Turkeys and Fullbacks, from David.

The Australia News Desk

Big news this week as the RAAF lands one of their C17s on the Wilkins ice runway.

Our Prime Minister needs a bigger executive jet to take his entourage with him on longer summit missions.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer is trying to offload his lovely Citation X as well as his MD80s that have been sitting around for awhile.

TigerAir’s first 737 has been seen in the wild.

On the Mark

Rob’s Aviation Minute has evolved into On The Mark, a video report on AviationPros.com. The inaugural episode Who Was Really in Command of Malaysian Flight 17? covers the ins and outs of regulation 91.3 which gives pilots complete control over aircraft en route. But what happens when regulation 91.3 runs up against route efficiency and corporate profits? And how do Malaysian flight 17 and Metrojet flight 9268 fit into the discussion?

Across the Pond

Photo Copyright XTPMedia

Photo Copyright XTPMedia

With support being shown for France last week, Pieter brings us some French news along with the sounds of the French Navy Display Team made up of two Super Etendards and a Dassault Rafale-M.

Photo Copyright XTPMedia

Photo Copyright XTPMedia

Mentioned

Jetblue Teams Up With Rob Gronkowski for Most Bro-tastic Airline Commercial Ever

Sukhoi Superjet 100 Orders, deliveries and operators

DCS: NEVADA Test and Training Range Map – Teaser and M-2000C for DCS WORLD Teaser flight sim videos.

PilotEdge professional air traffic control for flight simulators.

Emirates: #HelloJetman

Armed with unguarded ambition and the vision to push boundaries beyond the unthinkable, Jetman Dubai and Emirates A380 take to the skies of Dubai for an exceptional formation flight.

Is China a real threat to Boeing and Airbus?

The Last Adventure in AviationA 28 minute audio program about from BBC Radio about the world of ferry pilots in Britain.

Andover Flight Academy

“I Sit Around” – Airline Pilot Parody

Lionheart over Tennessee:

Lionheart over Tennessee

Courtesy Chris Davis, EAA 190, Moontown, 3M5

Credit

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