Jill Rutan Hoffman is a pilot, author of two aviation books (First Flights and Oshkosh Memories), and she comes from a family of aviation dreamers. Her father, Dick Rutan, piloted the Voyager aircraft around the world non-stop, and her uncle, Burt Rutan, designed the Voyager, SpaceShipOne which won the Ansari X-Prize, the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, and many others. Jill joins us to talk the week’s aviation news and her aviation experiences.

Also making an appearance is Kim Welch, an Airplane Geeks listener and frequent commenter on our content. We’d heard so much from Kim that we decided to get him on the show.

• The Last Four Minutes of Air France Flight 447
• Kim Kardashian outs air marshal via Twitter
• General aviation offers a reminder of vulnerability
• New air traffic control technology could mark a revolution in travel efficiency
• Will Northrop Grumman bid on tanker?
• Republic Airways Holdings Becomes First North American Customer for Bombardier CSeries Aircraft with Order for up to 80 Airliners
• Bombardier’s Win May Prod Airbus, Boeing to Upgrade Engines

David Vanderhoof has his This Week in Aviation segment, and Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast have their Australia Desk report.

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/.

Guest Martin Rottler talks about aviation education and how exposure to flying affects academic performance by young students. Martin is an airline business junkie, and an FAA licensed commercial pilot for single and multi-engine aircraft, a CFI, and he holds an Instrument Rating. Currently, Martin is a graduate student working on a Master’s Degree at the University of North Dakota. He blogs at http://martinrottler.com/.

• Military compassion helps Haiti
• Air Force, FAA use Russian aircraft to move mobile air traffic control tower to Haiti
• Schwartz: Tanker Fixed Price May Change
• USAF Chief Scientist Looking To Change Game
• American Airlines parent AMR closes dire decade with $1.47 billion loss for 2009
• Southwest posts Q4 profit as costs drop
• Southwest CEO: Energy is bigger than healthcare
• United CEO: There will be another airline merger
• JAL Bankruptcy Filing Sets Off Reorganization and State-Led Bailout
• NASA Announces Designs for Personal Flying Suit
• CES: AR.Drone helicopter controllable by iPhone
• Al Qaeda linked to rogue aviation network

David Vanderhoof has another This Week in Aviation, Steve Visscher and Virtual Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast have their Australia Desk report, and Court has another Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment.

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/.

Guest Allen Howell joins the conversation about the role of aviation in the Haiti disaster, as well as the private jet business in general. Allen is the CEO of Corporate Flight Management which offers aircraft services and charters from facilities in Smyrna and Nashville, Tennessee. He also writes at the Plane Conversations blog which offers content about private jet travel.

• Air Force Brings Order To Haiti Airport
• Airlines organizing Haiti earthquake aid
• Tighter airline security could increase business jet use
• U.S. Airlines May Raise Fares, Fees Further in 2010 Profit Bid
• Government fixes up airline gripe site

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.

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/.

Max and Court are joined by Michael Maya Charles, author of “Artful Flying.”  Michael gives us his take on the week’s news, as well as a great look into his book.

• Breathe easier about air quality on jets

• USAF 2010 Request Lacks Major New Initiatives

• Study: US Air Traffic Control Vulnerable to Cyberattack

• United: The Incredible Shrinking Airline

• Country music mecca takes a new, private approach to airport

Max’s pick of the week is Proceed on Course.

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.

We had a great time talking with Mary Kirby, or perhaps better known as RunwayGirl from the Runway Girl Blog.  She takes the time to talk earnings (or lack of), bad PR, and snakes.  Yes, snakes.

• EADS Willing to Consider Splitting Air Force Tanker Contract With Boeing

• Four snakes ground Qantas plane

• Analysts weigh in on Southwest Airlines’ loss and prospects

• Two years of the biggest business travel stories

• White House: Easing Cuba travel restrictions likely to lead to more flights

• United Airlines to charge overweight passengers for two seats

Max’s pick of the week is aircraft.factualtv.com

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.

Henry Harteveldt from Forrester Research joins the geeks as we discuss just about everything that flies.

• Airline Delivers Dead Body to Pet Store

• Yale student sues airline for $1M over lost Xbox

• Budget airline abandons toilet charge idea: report

• Aviation documentaries headed to a screen near you

• Rivals unite against delay of competition for Air Force tanker

• Virgin America says it remains U.S. ‘citizen’

Brett Snyder is back once more as he takes a break from the Cranky Flier Blog to spend some time talking shop with The Airplane Geeks.  Since we missed last week, we’re doing an all news episode.  Considering everything that’s happened, it wasn’t difficult to fill the time.

Better Late Than Never; Eclipse Covers Payroll

Boeing, Northrop tanker news

New runways open at 3 of nation’s busiest airports

Southwest employees grumble about Mexican code-share deal

LaGuardia The Target In Southwest ATA Bid

Bush: Government should ‘make airlines more accountable’

And our grand finale:

• Tanker bids could take 4 more years
• DayJet Parks VLJ Fleet For ‘Economic Reasons’
• Madrid crash plane failed to deploy wing flaps, investigators find
• U.S. airlines may post record profits next year, analyst says
• Hopes of rescue bid for Alitalia look slim

Max also brings his pick of the week, Airchive.net.

Brother Love is responsible for this episode’s opening and closing music, and you can visit his site at http://www.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.

Max and I had this great episode lined up for this week…Then Ike hit.  Actually it took more than Ike to produce the 80mph winds that hit Cincinnati Sunday.  Apparently a cold front, combined with the remnants of Ike are the culprits of my lack of electricity for the past 3 days and counting.

So, after a 1.5 hour drive to electricity and internet this morning, all I can offer to all of you loyal airplane geeks is a self portrait of myself during the blackout (above), and a list of news we would have covered if I’d have had power.  I promise we’ll be back next week (assuming my power will be back up by then), and Max and I will bring you great aviation discussion with another great guest.  Until then, here’s the news:

• Airbus outlines Power8 Plus to workers, seeks savings through ‘internationalization’
• Boeing Gets Reprieve in Fuel-Tanker Contest
• UAL Story Blame Is Placed on Computer
• Eclipse reorganizes corporate structure
• ‘More airlines at risk’ as XL’s collapse strands thousands
• Warning: 30 airlines will go bust this year
• How an online time warp blindsided United Airlines
• Airline Aims To Advertise On Bald Heads
• Ike remnants blamed for Midwest deaths, blackouts

See you next week!

Court

• FAA, Congress revisit Eclipse 500 certification
• Boeing may bail on tanker competition
• American launches inflight Web services
• TSA Snafu Grounds Nine Planes at O’Hare Field
• United Tests Food Choices in Business and Economy

And don’t miss this week’s main topic as Max, Court, and Dan discuss their top five picks for history’s least successful airliners.

The intro music is once again produced by Bruno Misonne.  Check out Bruno’s aviation music at http://www.brunomisonne.com.   Brother Love is responsible for the closing music, and you can visit his site at http://www.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.

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.

This week, Max and Court welcome Brett Snyder of the Cranky Flier blog.  Brett brings his insight to the industry, and discusses Allegiant and Frontier in detail.  If you’d like to fast forward to Brett’s interview, it begins at 15:30.

Several topics are discussed in the news section including:

• Re-regulation gets a push
• Jet fuel dumped over Lake Michigan likely will degrade within a week, experts say
• Continental ordered to trial in Concorde explosion
• Pentagon to outline new tanker strategy ‘very soon’

Max’s pic of the week:

http://www.solidworkspilot.com/
Paper Pilot: Battle of the air
This is just about the coolest paper airplane page you’ll find.  A true time sink for airplane geeks.

The intro music is once again produced by Bruno Misonne.  Check out Bruno’s aviation music at http://www.brunomisonne.com.

A special thanks to Chris and Jorge for their engaging emails about the Air Force tanker situation and the future of pilot hiring.  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.

This week we welcome Ryan Keough of TattoosinFlight.com to the Airplane Geeks as he takes us through his new collection of aviation related tattoos.  If you have an aviation related tattoo, Ryan is interested in showing it off.  You can see his latest collection at tattoosinflight.com.

Max’s pick of the week is Takeoff Tube.  You can view their outstanding aviation video collection at http://www.takeofftube.com

Once again, this week’s intro music courtesy of Bruno Misonne.  Check out his site at http://www.brunomisonne.com.  Our ending music is by Brother Love.  You can learn more about brother love through his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com.

This weeks News:

• Airlines weigh more jobs cuts, fees to offset fuel
• United flight canceled after upset pilot refuses to fly
• Continental to exit 15 cities, industry struggles with record-high fuel prices
• Democrats Vow to Block Airport-Slot Sale
• GAO Finds Faults in Tanker Replacement Award

If you have any questions or comments, please send us emails at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. Leave a message and we’ll get you on the podcast.

The new Eclipse 400 single engine jet is in the news.

The main discussion this week covers the problems with service in the airline industry. How can the airlines fix the problems, and more importantly, should they? There are some interesting comments on this one.

Max has is pick of the week, which you can also view at: http://www.treeflights.com

If you have any questions or comments, please send us emails at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. Leave a message and we’ll get you on the podcast.