Tag Archives: aerial firefighting

851 Supersonic Flight Ban

We speak with the Chief Pilot for a large European carrier about taking delivery of his airline’s first A321XLR, and with a fractional ownership pilot about changing from the Phenom to the Challenger Global 300. In the news, we look at lifting the supersonic flight ban, revamping the Army flight school, denying an unleaded avgas motion, reforming flight delay compensation, and considering the Fire Boss air tractor for fighting wildfires

Guests

Captain Al Evan is the Chief Pilot for a large European low-cost carrier. He was the Airbus and Pratt & Whitney liaison for the delivery of his airline’s first P&W-powered A321XLR.

Stephen Ivey is a pilot for a large fractional ownership company. He recently changed from the Phenom to the Challenger Global 300.

Aviation News

U.S. Lifts 50-Year Ban on Supersonic Overland Flights

Supersonic flight by civilian aircraft over the U.S. was originally banned in 1973 due to concerns about sonic boom noise pollution and potential damage on the ground. However, on June 6, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the FAA to repeal the ban and replace it with an interim noise-based certification standard.

The Order instructs the FAA Administrator to establish a standard for supersonic aircraft noise certification that considers community acceptability, economic reasonableness, and technological feasibility.

Army revamps flight school after deadly crashes

The U.S. Army is overhauling pilot training to focus on fundamental skills. The change in 2013 from TH-67 training aircraft to the LUH-72A Lakota helicopters contributed to the need for training adjustments. The Army determined that the quick advancement of inexperienced crews was leading to unsafe situations. The Army is considering outsourcing pilot training to a contractor-owned-and-operated schoolhouse.

Judge Denies G100UL Motion

A California judge ruled that GAMI’s G100UL is not “commercially available” and therefore cannot be mandated for sale in California to replace leaded aviation fuel. This comes after a motion by the Center for Environmental Health to enforce a 2014 consent agreement that says FBOs and distributors must sell a lower lead alternative that is “commercially available.” The judge ruled that the fuel must first be universally available to all piston-powered aircraft. There must be a “general consensus” from the industry and potential customers that the fuel is safe and appropriate for their use.

Europe Flight Delay Compensation Reform Coming, And It’s Bad News

The European Union’s flight delay compensation policy EC261 (sometimes called EU261), has been unchanged since 2014. Some EU transport ministers have been discussing reforms where passengers would have to experience longer delays before being eligible for compensation.

Currently, compensation ranges from €250 to €600:

€250 compensation if you’re delayed by at least two hours for flights under 1,500km (930 miles).
€400 compensation if you’re delayed by at least three hours for flights of 1,500-3,500km (930-2,200 miles).
€600 compensation if you’re delayed by at least four hours for flights over 3,500km (2,200 miles).

A new proposal would:

Provide €300 compensation if you’re delayed at least four hours for flights under 3,500 km.
Provide €500 compensation if you’re delayed at least six hours for flights over 3,500 km.

See DOT’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard.

What is a Fire Boss? The agriculture aircraft that doubles as a water bomber

Dave Frisch, the president of Portage Aircraft Specialties Ltd., sells Air Tractors designed for agricultural spraying. He says that if you add specially designed floats, these aircraft become a type of water bomber known as the Fire Boss. Being a small aircraft, the Fire Boss can scoop water out of smaller bodies of water and get into tighter spaces.

Video: Calls to use Fire Boss to battle wildfires

Mentioned

Spike Aerospace

Innovations in Flight

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, Rob Mark, and Max Trescott.

833 First Supersonic Flight

Boom Supersonic’s first supersonic flight with the XB-1, the Jeju Air crash in Korea, final NTSB report on United Airlines hard landing, and a hydrogen-steam hybrid cycle engine for single aisle aircraft. Also, small DJI drones, the upcoming FlightSimExpo, personal flying devices, SAF for supersonic aircraft, a mid-air collision final report, and a waterbomber damaged by a drone.

Aviation News

Boom Supersonic XB-1 first supersonic test flight

The first supersonic flight of the XB-1 demonstrator occurred January 28, 2025. The Boom XB-1 is the first independently developed supersonic jet, and the first civil supersonic jet built in America. The XB-1 first flew in March of 2024 and has been through a rigorous program of 11 test flights at steadily increasing speeds.

Video: XB-1 First Supersonic Flight

The Starlink Connection: XB-1 Flight Tests Harness Satellite Internet Streaming

The XB-1 team used a Starlink Mini to live stream XB-1 flight tests from the Northrop T-38 chase plane. Boom worked with SpaceX to pair the Mini with an aviation data plan. The Mini fits into the T-38’s rear cockpit, allows for an occupant of that seat, and does not impede the safe operation of the aircraft or the ejection seat.

Korean Airport Exec Dead Of Suicide After Jeju Air Crash

The executive was president of the Korea Airports Corporation from 2018 to 2022 and in charge of the 2020 renovation of Muan International Airport in South Korea. He was found dead at his home of an apparent suicide. Last December, a Jeju Air Boeing 737 ran off the runway and into a concrete support surrounding the localizer antenna, killing 179 of the 181 on board. South Korea has mandated the removal of concrete barriers at seven airports.

NTSB Faults United Airlines Pilot For Hard Boeing 767-300ER Landing That Cracked Fuselage

United Airlines flight 702, a Boeing 767-300ER (registered N641UA) flying from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Texas, experienced a hard landing. The First Officer had control of the plane as the mains touched down but the nosewheel hit hard and bounced a total of three times. The fuselage skin was buckled and fractured, and the underlying stringers and frames were damaged. The aircraft was repaired and eventually returned to operational service.

In its report [PDF], the NTSB found that the FO made nose-down inputs, contributing to the nosewheel abnormally impacting the runway, and were contrary to United Airlines’ procedures and training. In addition, the NTSB believes that deployment of the speed brakes and thrust reversers while the nosewheel was still in the air likely contributed to the second runway contact of the nosewheel and the subsequent damage to the airplane.

Simple Flying Video: NTSB: United Airlines Pilot At Fault For Boeing 767 Hard Landing That Cracked Fuselage

Pratt & Whitney Unveils Details Of Hydrogen-Steam Hybrid Engine Cycle

Pratt & Whitney has unveiled details of their Hydrogen Steam Injected Intercooled Turbine Engine (HySIITE) concept. Although much more work remains to be done, the concept could lead to commercial geared turbofans with zero carbon emissions and vastly reduced nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Cutaway image of the HySIITE engine concept, courtesy Pratt & Whitney. — Image courtesy of Pratt & Whitney

Neil Terwilliger, technical fellow for advanced concepts at Pratt, said “HySIITE is about us imagining if there were going to be hydrogen and that it was a viable decarbonization pathway, what kind of engine would take the best advantage of it? Should it look like engines do today, or should we do something different?” The steam injection increases mass flow, improves efficiency, and—Pratt says—dramatically lowers NOx emissions.

Pratt & Whitney Hydrogen Steam and Inter-Cooled Turbine Engine (HySITE)

HySIITE was studied under a two-year $3.8 million U.S. Energy Department Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) project that concluded in December 2024. HySIITE innovation could disrupt the aviation industry and represents an opportunity to preserve U.S. primacy in commercial aviation with novel fuels. The HySIITE concept aims to eliminate carbon emissions associated with aviation, make flying more efficient and significantly reduce NOx inflight emissions for commercial single-aisle aircraft. HySIITE could save the U.S. single aisle fleet an estimated $90B annually relative to SAF.

Cat mistakenly left on plane, makes three trips between New Zealand and Australia in 24 hours

A Maine Coon cat named Mittens traveled freight on Air New Zealand as her family flew from Christchurch, New Zealand to Melbourne, Australia. After arriving and waiting three hours, Mittens didn’t show up. That was because Mittens was still in the cargo hold, on the way back to New Zealand, a 7.5-hour flight. Back in New Zealand, the pet moving company met Mittens and made sure she was on a flight to Melbourne where she was reunited with her family.

This World War II-Era Airport in Central California Needs a New Owner

Eckert Field Airport (1Q1) in Strathmore, California is for sale. The airport was first used by the U.S. Army Air Force for training during World War II.

Mentioned

FlightSimExpo 2025 takes place June 27-29 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.

Apply for FlightSimExpo’s Weekend Community Seminars.

30 Coolest Machines That Makes you Fly

Pilot’s errors, other issues cited as probable causes in fatal NLV midair plane crash

Little Drone, Big Damage

Alberta Wildland Firefighters posted images of the damage on their facebook page.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, Rob Mark, and Max Trescott.

665 Spirit Airlines Meltdown

Spirit Airlines cancels over 2000 flights, American Airlines offers free TikTok access, a cargo flight returns to Narita with a fire indication, a GA gallery is coming to the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, and aviation jet fuel shortages impact aerial firefighting operations. Also, an Across the Pond segment with Pieter Johnson and managing editor of Aerospace magazine, Tim Robinson.

Aviation News

Spirit Airlines’ meltdown: Carrier cancels thousands of flights

Spirit Airlines canceled more than 2000 flights around the country, resulting in long lines of passengers trying to find flights. At Fort Lauderdale International Airport in Florida, the wait to re-book was as long as 2½ hours on August 7 and grew longer.

‘We couldn’t get in front of it.’ Spirit Airlines CEO explains what caused the carrier’s meltdown

Spirit Airlines says all this was caused by weather, technology outages, travel volume, and staffing shortages. Delays caused crews to time out. On one day alone, Spirit canceled 450 flights, 56% of its operation. Spirit does not have interline agreements which compounds the problem.

American Airlines Takes TikTok to New Heights with Free Inflight Access for Customers

American Airlines provides some free inflight WiFi offerings, and they’ve just added TikTok, the popular social networking service owned by Chinese company ByteDance. On Viasat-equipped narrowbody aircraft, American will let you connect free for 30 minutes.

Rubio Calls on American Airlines to Suspend “Innovative Partnership” With TikTok

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to American Airlines Chairman and CEO Doug Parker after the airline announced an “innovative partnership” with TikTok.

“As you know, in 2019, the U.S. Government launched a national security review of TikTok due to data privacy and data security concerns — a review which remains active to this day.”

“By partnering with TikTok, American Airlines is now lending its brand credibility to a company that endangers national security and the data security of tens of millions of Americans, many of them minors. I urge you to suspend American Airlines’ ‘innovative partnership’ with TikTok while the U.S. Government completes its investigation into the national security risks posed by the Chinese-owned app.”

Fire in cargo compartment | National Cargo Boeing 747-400 | Tokyo Narita, ATC

A National Cargo Boeing 747-400 (B744), registration N756CA, performing flight NCR891 / N8891 from Tokyo Narita International Airport (Japan) to Seoul Incheon International Airport (South Korea) during climb out of Narita Airport, about at 27000 feet, reported a fire indication in a cargo compartment and requested return back to Narita.

A New Gallery Celebrates the Variety That Is General Aviation

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has a new general aviation gallery scheduled to open in 2022. The Thomas W. Haas We All Fly gallery will tell the story of GA, how it impacts everyday life and how it has influenced society. This will be through interactive exhibits and audiovisual displays and is scheduled to open in 2022. The Thomas W. Haas Foundation made a $10M donation for the gallery.

Aviation fuel shortage could affect aerial firefighting

Air travel dropped as a result of the pandemic, and the supply of Jet A aviation fuel scaled back. Now air travel is rebounding but fuel logistics has not. Shortages include the fuel supply for firefighting. One contributing factor is that a wildfire could explode in no time at all and when that happens the demand for fuel in that area can soar.

American Airlines warns about jet fuel shortages around the U.S., asks pilots to conserve

Last month, American Airlines said it might have to add stops to some flights because of fuel delivery delays. They also asked pilots to save fuel when they could. Airlines have experienced delays due to a lack of truck drivers, trucks, and fuel supply.

Across the Pond

In this week on Across The Pond, Pieter talks to fellow Xtended presenter and Managing Editor of Aerospace magazine, Tim Robinson. They discuss Tim’s recent award of the International Aerospace Media award 2021 for his article on Airbus developing hydrogen-powered aircraft as well as his news item on the current worrying trend of air rage and its impact on aircraft safety.

ZEROe concept aircraft formation flight, courtesy Airbus.

Best Commercial Aviation submission – Airbus spearheads hydrogen moonshot

Back to air rage and cabin baggage issues?

Mentioned

Brad “Launchpad” Marzari EAA Memorial – A campaign to honor Launchpad with bricks at the EAA Brown Arch at Oshkosh and donate to the EAA Aviation Foundation.

The Pacific Airshow is adding a two-night Afterburner Music Festival at Huntington City Beach on October 1 and 2, 2021.

The Unchained Eagle

661 Bambi Buckets for Aerial Firefighting

We learn about the Bambi Buckets carried by helicopters in aerial firefighting operations. In the news, the wreckage of the cargo jet that made a water landing is located, Richard Branson flies into space, the F-35A wins a Swiss competition and Germany buys the P-8A Poseidon, but China isn’t having a lot of success exporting their fighters, thoughts on supersonic transports, unruly passengers and defense training for flight attendants.

Bambi Buckets produced by SEI Industries Ltd. — The Bambi Bucket, courtesy SEI Industries Ltd.

Guest

Sergio Fukamati is the aerial firefighting director at SEI Industries Ltd., maker of Bambi Buckets. SEI Industries is an industrial fabric products manufacturer established in 1978 and best known for its Bambi Bucket Systems used in aerial firefighting operations worldwide. These lightweight, strong, and flexible firefighting buckets were first introduced in 1982 and since then have become a very successful firefighting tool. The Bambi Bucket is now used in over 115 countries by more than 1,000 helicopter operators.

Sergio has over 25 years of international business management experience. He is a professional engineer and a registered project management professional. Sergio has led the Aerial Firefighting Division at SEI Industries Ltd, in Delta, BC, Canada since 2017.

SEI Industries – Pushing the Bambi Bucket Further

Video: Wildfires and Bambi Buckets

Video: CAL FIRE MV-22 Osprey Bambi Bucket Demonstration

Aviation News

Wreckage located of Boeing cargo jet that made emergency landing off Hawaii

Transair Flight 810 has been found on the seafloor at depths between 360 and 420 feet, about two miles off the shore. Parts of the Boeing 737-200 cargo plane were located using a Side Scan Sonar and Remotely Operated Vehicle. The wreckage is too deep for divers to recover the flight data and cockpit voice recorders and plans are being developed to recover the aircraft.

Richard Branson goes to space

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson becomes the first billionaire to travel to space aboard a spacecraft he helped fund. Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space plane landed safely at Spaceport America. Branson announced a partnership with charity fundraising site Omaze where people can donate to the nonprofit Humanity for Space. The winner gets two seats on a Virgin Galactic commercial flight. See Win Two Seats on One of the FIRST Virgin Galactic Flights to Space.

Lockheed’s F-35 Topples Competition in Swiss Fighter Contest

Switzerland has chosen the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter in a $6.5 billion competition against Eurofighter, Dassault, and Boeing. The Swiss Federal Council said the F-35 offered the highest performance for the lowest price, although it noted that the F-35 did not achieve the best performance in the area of offsets.

Germany signs on for Five Boeing P-8A Poseidon Aircraft

This maritime surveillance aircraft sale is under the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. The P-8A is used for anti-submarine warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search-and-rescue operations.

The World Doesn’t Want Beijing’s Fighter Jets

China hopes to become a major exporter of fighter jets but hasn’t found much success. Most countries don’t want to partner with Beijing. Between 2000 and 2020, the United States exported $99.6 billion in military aircraft, Russia exported $61.5 billion, France exported $14.7 billion, while China exported only $7.2 billion worth of military aircraft.

Does Supersonic Flight Have A Future?

This audio report from NPR’s Hear & Now takes a look at supersonic aircraft being developed.

US to require airlines to refund fees on baggage if delayed

The US Department of Transportation plans to propose that airlines would refund baggage fees if they fail to deliver a passenger’s bag within 12 hours of touchdown for US flights, or within 25 hours after an international flight. Also, airlines would have to refund the fees charged for other services if the service was not provided.

TikTok video shows woman on American Airlines plane duct-taped to her seat after she tried to open the door mid-flight

Reportedly, the passenger attacked flight attendants and attempted to open the plane’s front door.

TSA will resume defense training for airline employees

Voluntary classes for airline flight crews were paused in 2020 due to the pandemic. Now the Transportation Security Administration says they will resume in July. The FAA says airlines have reported more than 3,000 incidents involving unruly passengers since January 1, 2021.

Mentioned

Episode 82 – Rainbows and Unicorns

توظيف الذكاء الاصطناعي برسم مستقبل النقل الجوي بأميركا [or David in the press.]

512 Aerial Firefighting

The COO of an aerial firefighting company tells us about the aircraft, the pilots, and flying the missions. In the news: early Farnborough orders, the rebranded CSeries (now the Airbus A220), a Rolls Royce Hybrid VTOL concept, and an engine OEM says, “not so fast.” Also, Pieter Johnson’s aviation weekend (rather amazing), listener Nicki takes Brian on a flight, Hangar Hotel, and information about AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 gatherings of aviation podcasters and listeners.

Aerial firefighting with the BAE 146-200 jet. Courtesy Neptune Aviation Services.

Guest

Dan Snyder is the chief operating officer of Neptune Aviation Services, an aerial firefighting company and the primary provider of large airtanker services to the United States Forest Service for more than 25 years.

Dan tells us about Neptune Aviation’s transition from the Lockheed P-2V Neptune to the BAE 146-200 jet for aerial firefighting. In making its selection to replace the aging aircraft, the company considered factors such as jet spool-up time and how to slow the aircraft. Another significant issue was the culture change going from radial to turbofan.

We look at how the fire retardant tanking system was designed and the approvals required. Dan describes the life of an air tanker pilot and what Neptune looks for in a pilot. We touch on safety issues, Forest Service contract models, and aerial firefighting safety – now and in the past.

Aerial Firefighting. Courtesy Neptune Aviation Services.

Aerial Firefighting. Photo courtesy Neptune Aviation Services.

Dan has been involved in both flight and maintenance related aviation for over 24 years. At Neptune Aviation Services, he manages all of Neptune’s day-to-day operations, including aerial firefighting operations. Prior to his current position, Dan spent time in Alaska flying and maintaining aircraft. He served as Director of Maintenance for several repair stations and operators and flew for various corporate operators. Dan also has experience as a Part 142 ground and simulator instructor, a part 135 check airman, and an FAA examiner in several corporate jet types. Dan continues to fly and flight instruct from time to time. He holds FAA ATP, CFI, CFII, A&P, and IA certificates.

In Alaska, Dan flew a de Havilland Buffalo. This video features the Buffalo, but that’s not Dan flying (we don’t think): CC-115 de Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo STOL Takeoff.

Aviation News

Airbus Takes The Lead At Farnborough With 186 Order Commitments, Advantage In Asia

The Farnborough International Airshow kicked off this week, launching the annual “contest” for orders. The forecasts point to the most aviation growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Airbus placed orders for 186 planes compared to 175 for Boeing. The A320neo picked up 159 orders and options and the 737 MAX received 145. Additionally, Airbus had orders for 27 A350 aircraft while Boeing reported that United Airlines had previously put in an undisclosed order for four 787-9 planes.

Airbus wins JetBlue order for its newly rebranded A220

The same day that Airbus unveiled the A220 name for the jet formerly known as the Bombardier CSeries, JetBlue announced it would buy 60 of the A220-300 jets. These are to replace JetBlue’s 60 Embraer E190 aircraft and are powered by Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) PW1500G engines. These A220s will be assembled at Airbus’ Mobile, Alabama, facility.

Rolls Royce Reveals Hybrid VTOL

At Farnborough, Rolls-Royce showed a hybrid VTOL concept that could carry four or five passengers at speeds up to 217 knots with a range of up to 435 nm. The design should be flying by the “early 2020s.” The concept vehicle uses a gas-turbine to generate the electricity that powers six electric propulsors. A battery provides energy storage.

Engine Maker to Boeing-Airbus: Not So Fast on 737, A320 Ramp

CFM International has signaled Boeing and Airbus to be careful about increasing their production rates. With record backlogs of B737 and A320 family aircraft, the airframers are motivated to increase the rates but CFMI wants to catch up before committing to a higher production rate.

Across the Pond

Pieter Johnson tells us about his aviation experiences over a weekend – one memorable, one hopefully not to be repeated.

Recorded Segments

Brian Coleman goes flying with listener Nicki.

Brian Coleman and Nicki.

Airplane Geeks Reporter-at-Large Launchpad Marzari talks with Kelly Criddle, senior marketing manager for Hangar Hotel. Mentioned is Fredericksburg Brewing Co.

Photo courtesy Hangar Hotel

Mike Harris from the Why We Fly podcast provided a run-down of some podcast / social media events happening at Oshkosh this year.

Nick Herring provides some very nice feedback and introduces us to V1: The Podcast.

Mentioned

Aircraft in Pretoria crash was a 1954 Convair 340, recently acquired by a Dutch museum

Two Qantas pilots in South African Convair 340 plane crash

Wonderboom plane crash: It was a ‘thank you’ flight

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

474 The 2017 NBAA-BACE Convention

The National Business Aviation Association’s 2017 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE). Also, Airbus takes a majority position in the CSeries program, the Global Supertanker is firefighting in California, the Scaled Composites experimental Model 401 first flight, and trouble for Kestrel in Wisconsin and Maine.

Guest

Arthur Rosen is a retired Judge, AOPA-ASN (Airport Support Network) for Scottsdale Airport (SDL), and Chairman Emeritus of the Scottsdale Aviation Commission. He served on the Super Bowl Committee for Aviation, he’s past President of the Arizona Soaring Association, and an aviation expert for ABC TV-Phoenix. Arthur blogs at My Opinion: Thoughts and Comments on General Aviation. Follow him on Twitter at @judgearr.

NBAA-BACE Convention

Arthur, Rob, and Brian all attended NBAA-BACE held Oct. 10–12 in Las Vegas, and we explore their impressions of the event. Brian recorded some of the speakers, and the following are condensed versions:

Opening Remarks from the Keynote: Ed Bolen and Clark County City Commissioner Lawrence Weekly:

Congresswoman Dina Titus, Representative for Nevada’s 1st congressional district:

Michael Huerta – FAA Administrator:

Robert Sumwalt – NTSB Chairman:

Capt Jim Lovell – Retired test pilot and astronaut:

Rob and Brian at NBAA BACE 2017.

Aviation News

Delta Vows Not to Pay U.S. Duties on Bombardier’s C Series

Despite the tariffs recommended by the U.S. Commerce Department, Delta Air Lines says they will not pay import duties on the 75 CSeries aircraft it ordered from Bombardier. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said, “I can’t tell you how this is going to eventually work out. There may be a delay in us taking the aircraft, as we work through the issues with Bombardier, who is being a great partner in this.”

Airbus to buy majority stake in Bombardier CSeries program

Airbus Group is buying a majority stake in Bombardier’s CSeries program. The CSeries headquarters will remain in the Montreal area but a second assembly line for the 100- to 150-seat plane will be set up at Airbus’ facility in Alabama.

Cal File Calls for “The Largest Tool”

The Global SuperTanker is fighting wildfires in California.

Bombardier’s Global 7000 Debuts in Vegas

The fourth of Bombardier’s Global 7000 test aircraft debuted in Las Vegas the NBAA-BACE
Called “The Architect” it is the “largest purpose-built business jet in the industry.”

Scaled Composites Completes First Flight of Secretive Experimental

Scaled Composites conducted the first flight of the experimental Model 401 proof-of-concept airplane. The airplane (N401XP) was designed for a “proprietary customer” and is the first of two commissioned.

Wisconsin suing Kestrel Aircraft over loan debt, stalled financing

Kestrel Aircraft Company evicted from Brunswick Landing

In 2012, the state of Wisconsin gave Kestrel $4 million in state loans and more in tax incentives to build a plant that was to employ 665 people. Kestrel didn’t build the plant and is in default on their loan payments. Meanwhile, Kestrel has been evicted from its facility in Maine for failure to meet its financial obligations.

Airline Story of the Month

Letter: A positive airline experience

One passenger’s Southwest Airlines experience after giving up her seat.

Aviation Story

Our Main(e) man Micah tells a story about seeing the Blue Angels prior to the The Great State of Maine Air Show.

Our Main(e) Man Micah

Trip Report

Brian’s “big trip” continues with conversations at the Hamburg meetup with listeners Hendrik, Jan, and Christof talking about their flying experiences.

Then Brian talks with listeners Tilman and Matt about GA flying in Europe during the meetup in Berlin.

Tilman, Brian and Matt

Mentioned

Video: Unbelievable Airbus A380 Hard Crosswind Landing during a storm at Düsseldorf

Video: A fond farewell to the Boeing 747

Credit

Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

448 Aerial Firefighting with the Global SuperTanker

Aerial firefighting with a Boeing 747-400, airline policies for overbooking and bumping passengers, Mar-a-Lago air restrictions for presidential visits, and F-16 fighter service life.

The Global SuperTanker in Chile for aerial firefighting operations. Courtesy Global SuperTanker Services, LLC, (c) Bill Gabbert.

Guests

Capt. Tom Parsons, Assistant Chief Supervisor/Pilot and Scott Olson, VP Maintenance for Global SuperTanker Services, LLC. The company was formed in 2015 and acquired a B747-400 to use for aerial firefighting and other operations.

We talk about the kinds of missions the Global SuperTanker can fly, and Tom and Scott explain the aircraft modifications, the loading and delivery system, and the recent activity in Chile fighting wildfires. We also learn about the coordination required for all the air and ground participants in this kind of operation.

Related resources:

Wildfire Today, wildfire news and opinion.
Fire Aviation, news & commentary about aerial firefighting.
Interview with lead plane pilot Jamie Tackman about the 747 air tanker.

Aviation News

The passenger who was violently removed from the United Express flight operated by Republic Airways intends to take legal action. The man’s lawyer claimed his client lost two teeth and his nose was broken. We discuss the resulting media storm, airline practice of overbooking flights, and the procedure for bumping passengers.

United is promising to make major customer service changes

JetBlue Founder Backs Overbooking After United Flight Fiasco

Here’s why overbooking flights is actually a good thing

Delta CEO: Overbooking Flights is a ‘Valid Business Process’

Passengers removed from overbooked flights on US airlines – in data

The 10 Worst Airlines for Overbooking

In other news:

FAA: 5 aircraft violated Mar-a-Lago air restrictions during Trump stay

U.S. Air Force extends F-16 fighter’s service life

US Air Force chief ambivalent on F-15 Eagle retirement

Mentioned

The Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP)

Jet engine thrust reverser examples:

Credit

Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

Episode 258 – MAFFS: Fighting Wildfires with the C-130

Lt Col Bryan Allen is a MAFFS-qualified pilot with the 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, Channel Islands Air National Guard Station. MAFFS is the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, the equipment that can be quickly inserted into a C-130 military cargo transport to turn it into an air tanker to fight wildfires. With a shrinking commercial aerial firefighting fleet, MAFFS provides the additional capacity often needed to protect life and property when a wildfire breaks out.

We talk about how MAFFS works, the C-130 aircraft utilized, and the different units that have MAFFS capability. The selection process for MAFFS qualification is very rigorous and we learn about the extensive training required.

The 146th Airlift Wing is on Twitter at @146AirliftWing and on Facebook. Be sure to also take a look at the MAFFS – Air Expeditionary Group 2013 Facebook page, and the MAFFS 4 Papoose Incident West Fork Complex Colorado video. Awesome flying by these guys!

United 737-800 with the split scimitar winglet

The week’s aviation news:

Bonus:

Scott Spangler brings us a pre-view of AirVenture 2013, including Janet the Gannet: World’s Only Flying Fairey Gannet T5 Landing at Oshkosh.

Republic XF-84H XF-84H Thunderscreech

David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week is the The XF-84H Thunderscreech, the loudest aircraft ever built! Hear it on Youtube.

RAAF C-130J over Sydney_400

RAAF C-130J, A97-460, over Sydney Harbour last week. Photo courtesy of Nigel Pittaway

In this week’s Australia Desk:

Steve is feeling a tad below par this week after coming off eight years of night shift into early morning starts, and editing of this week’s segment was interrupted when his son, Chris, ended up in the local hospital after a basketball training accident. Despite all this fun, we managed to get a few stories out.

In the news –

Plans for a new large scale private airport in southern Queensland begin to take shape with both major airlines expressing interest in the project. Some of the local residents in the area are less impressed with claims that the local government has fast tracked the project with little scrutiny.

Airfield of dreams built for gas boom

Locals ‘left out’ over Wellcamp airport

The RAAF’s 37 Squadron last week celebrated their 70th anniversary in style with a two ship C-130J formation flight over Sydney. PCDU’s Kathy Mexted was along for the ride and interviews will be in the next PCDU episode.

An Australian team from the University of Queensland is heading to Norway to test out their latest scramjet design. The test flight, although short, is expected to reach speeds of up to mach 8.

Aussie Scramjet to unlock hypsersonic travel secrets

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.

Neil preparing for his first overnight adventure as PIC

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week on Across The Pond, Pieter welcomes back Neil Bradon, our adopted British pilot flying in the USA. Since we last talked to Neil he has literally ‘lived the dream’, flying to international airports and Air Force air bases. Now through relocating from Arizona to Oregon he tells us about the change in flying style and his forthcoming visit to the worlds largest air venture. Visit Neil’s adventure at his blog Flying Tin.

Mentioned:

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

Episode 64 – Experiential Journeys

South African Airways photo. http://www.flysaa.com/
Guest Jeffrey Ward, the Savvy Navigator, has been in the travel industry for over 20 years, about half of that with American Airlines. He now provides travelers with experiential journeys to places like South Africa, Argentina, and Costa Rica.

We have the week’s aviation news and our report from the Airplane Geeks Australia Desk. David Vanderhoof joins us for his This Week in Aviation history lesson, Dan Webb interviews Gary Kelly, the CEO of Southwest Airlines, and we have some listener mail.

The news:

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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/.