Tag Archives: Aviation museum

548 Champaign Aviation Museum

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A look at the Champaign Aviation Museum including their restoration work, the volunteers working on the aircraft, and the role of aviation museums. Also, 737 safety cards, the Scaled Composites Model 401, flight attendant trip brokering, Wow Air, and the 2018 Collier Trophy winner. First-hand impressions of the 2019 SUN ‘n FUN Fly-in and Expo as well.

B-17 restoration at the Champagne Aviation Museum.

B-17 restoration at the Champaign Aviation Museum.

Guest

Aimée Brower works public affairs, donor relations, and education at the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana, Ohio.

The mission of the museum is “Touching lives by restoring history.” Their guiding principles include honoring our veterans and their families, educating the public about the experiences of past generations that flew in combat, and educating the public about aircraft construction and maintenance techniques. They focus on education and resources of the WWII era, and the museum seeks to restore and maintain aircraft in flying condition for public appreciation.

In fact, the Champaign Aviation Museum strives to build a reputation as a center of excellence for the restoration and maintenance of WWII era aircraft. The museum is located next to Grimes Field Airport (I74) in Urbana, Ohio, just west of Columbus.

In our conversation with Aimée, we look at the history of the museum’s B-17G project, the many volunteers engaged in the restoration, salvaging parts from five different B-17s, fabricating other parts, and adding to the workshop space.

Champaign Aviation Museum

Champaign Aviation Museum

Aviation News

Passengers on Southwest Airlines thought they were flying on a Boeing 737 Max after confusion about their onboard safety cards

Emergency procedures for the 737-800 and the 737 MAX 8 are the same, and both aircraft have the same safety card, and some passengers are confused.

‘Secret’ Airplane Stops At FBO

A Scaled Composites model 401 was spotted at a Bowling Green, Kentucky FBO. It stopped for fuel on its way to NAS Paxutent River from Mojave. See Scaled Composites reveals mysterious new ‘Model 401’ prototype.

Video: The “Son of Ares” – Scaled Composites’ Mysterious Model 401

UAL Warns Flight Attendants Against Illicit Trip Brokering

United Airlines has warned its flight attendants to stop brokering flights that they will work for compensation.

Budget airline Wow Air collapses and cancels all flights, stranding passengers

Wow Air has ceased operations and advises scheduled passengers to seek “rescue fares” from other airlines.

Auto GCAS Team Wins 2018 Collier Trophy

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) has announced the recipient of the 2018 Robert J. Collier Trophy. The Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS) team “successfully complet[ed] a rapid design, integration, and flight test of critical, lifesaving technology for the worldwide F-35 fleet.” Auto GCAS was developed by Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Air Force, the F-35 Joint Program Office, NASA, and the Defense Safety Oversight Council.

Video: Auto-GCAS Saves Unconscious F-16 Pilot—Declassified USAF Footage

David’s List

David’s list of U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps non-transport variants of the C-130:

ABCCC
Combat King
Combat King II
COMBAT SENT
Combat Shadow
Combat Solo
Combat Spear
Combat Talon I
Combat Talon II
Commando II
Commando Solo
Compass Call
Credible Sport
Dragon Spear
GHOSTRIDER
GUNSHIP ii
HARVEST HAWK
HC-130H CROWN Fulton
PAVE PRONTO
PAVE SPECTRE
SKIBIRD
SPECTRE
SPOOKY
STINGER II
SURPRISE PACKAGE
FAT ALBERT

Mentioned

Final Cut: The Post War B-17 Flying Fortress the Survivors

Three Stooges-Head Noises

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne.

546 Women Take Flight at NEAM

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New England Air Museum, host of Women Can FlyThe Women Take Flight event at the New England Air Museum was held March 9, 2019, to commemorate Women’s History Month and in conjunction with Women of Aviation Worldwide Week. Visitors of all ages celebrated women’s contributions to aerospace history through a variety of hands-on activities, special events, and guest lecturers.

In addition to the lectures, Women Take Flight offered visitors the opportunity to meet women pilots, engineers, and industry professionals who were set up at tables throughout the museum. Airplane Geeks was there to capture interviews.

Interviews

Leah is a senior at a girl’s high school participating in the year-long Sikorsky STEM challenge with a project to modernize cockpit control mechanisms. [Starts at 1:36]

Mary Ann Cannon is Vice President of Commercial Engine Programs at Pratt and Whitney. She has had a 30-year career at Pratt, and was one of the guest speakers. [Starts at 7:39]

The Ninety-Nines were at the event in force and we spoke with Glenna Blackwell and Lori Plourd. Glenna is from the Connecticut Chapter of the Ninety-Nines. [Starts at 14:51]

Former Air Force pilot Kristi Fleischmann is from Acrojet, which provides in-aircraft training for professional and high-performance aircraft pilots. The company is now actively trying to address the pilot shortage by creating and presenting STEM in aviation programs for students at the middle and high school level. [Starts at 29:09]

Debbie Reed is the newly appointed executive director of the New England Air Museum. We talk about the museum, the employees and volunteers, restoration activities, and the programs and events this year. [Starts at 42:32]

University of Connecticut senior Alexis Coppola and Assistant Professor Dianyun Zhang from the Department of Mechanical Engineering talked with us about composites in aviation. [Starts at 56:20]

Shaesta Waiz flew around the world solo in a Beechcraft Bonanza. She has an interesting history and a strong drive to shape the future for girls and young women in aviation and STEM. She’s the founder and president of Dreams Soar, Inc. [Starts at 1:05:02]

The Museum

The New England Air Museum museum is located adjacent to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut midway between Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts.

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne.

Event Photos

UConn table.

The UConn table.

Fun with balloons.

Glenna and Lori, Ninety-Nines.

Kristi Fleischmann and her husband, both pilots!

Explaining the C-5.

Pilot Shaesta Waiz.

New England Air Museum Executive Director Debbie Reed.

 

Aircraft Powerplants from Liquid Cooled to Jet Turbines

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“When we look at the powerplants on airplanes in the  Historic Flight Foundation inventory, we see they are dominated by air cooled radial engines.  We will follow the evolution of the air cooled powerplant to the jet turbines.  The basic engines actually evolved prior to 1927 and were then enhanced by better manufacturing, fuels, propellers and superchargers.  We will also meet, in some cases, the same imaginative brains that created the production jets before 1957.”

Aircraft Powerplants from Liquid Cooled to Jet Turbines

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“When we look at the powerplants on airplanes in the  Historic Flight Foundation inventory, we see they are dominated by air cooled radial engines.  We will follow the evolution of the air cooled powerplant to the jet turbines.  The basic engines actually evolved prior to 1927 and were then enhanced by better manufacturing, fuels, propellers and superchargers.  We will also meet, in some cases, the same imaginative brains that created the production jets before 1957.”

Wings Over New Zealand Forum Meet and Special Flight

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Wings Over New Zealand is having another of our popular Forum Meets, this time at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, situated at Wigram, in Christchurch on Saturday 30th of June 2018. There will be guest speakers, a chance to mix with fellow aviation fans and special guest Bryan Cox, the legendary WWII Corsair pilot, instructor, author and still flying at 93 years old. This event is NZ$10.00 at the door, but you need to let me know if you’re coming so you will be on the list.

Then the next day on Sunday 1st of July, thanks to a Givealittle Fundraising effort, Bryan Cox will fly in the de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth NZ1443 that he flew in during his training 75 years ago. This will be happening at Rangitata Island Aerodrome in South Canterbury – about an hour south of Christchurch. All will be welcome to come along, there’s a lot of other things to see there in the Brodie family’s historic aircraft collection at the famous airfield. See the WONZ Forum for more at http://rnzaf.proboards.com

493 The Flying Tigers and the Forgotten War

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The Flying Tigers, the search for MH370 four years after its disappearance, a newly designated national aviation museum, flight training in the F-104 Starfighter, slow acceptance of ADS-B, and the selection of the new FAA administrator.

Flying Tiger Curtiss P-40C Courtesy San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive.

Curtiss P-40C Flying Tiger. Courtesy San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive.

Guest

Charlene Fontaine is the founder and executive director of the Flying Tigers 69th DRS Association, Inc. She is an advocate and speaker for veterans, youth, and trauma victims. Charlene speaks at air shows, conferences, schools, and reunions to inspire youth to learn history and to honor our elders and all those who serve our country.

Charlene Fontain, Flying Tigers 69th DRS Association.

Charlene Fontaine

Started in 2005, the nonprofit Flying Tigers 69th DRS Association carries forward the legacy and history of the Depot Repair Squadron as well as all Flying Tigers. We talk about the history of the Flying Tigers, including the clandestine formation of the American Volunteer Group (the “AVG”) – the 100 pilots and almost 300 ground crew who went off to war under a one-year contract. Charlene tells us about the formation of the 14th Air Force after the contract, and we learn about the iconic shark’s teeth and where we find them on other aircraft.

Charlene loves all things that fly, starting with kites and the gyroscope that was given to her at age four by her father. She flew in a plane at 15, and her college years were spent with open cockpit planes, helicopters, and hot air balloons. Charlene developed a deep desire to learn about her father’s adventures designing airplanes, repairing them, and being a crew chief during WWII.  

Flying Tigers DRSHaving consulted internationally for over 30 years, Charlene’s clients include a wide variety of corporate industries ranging from the military to medical, manufacturing, law enforcement, and non-profits. Working with CEO’s and senior management, Charlene developed projects, teams, and programs that align the organization with their customers’ needs and range from customer service, change management, conflict resolution, creativity, productivity, sales and total quality management.

Charlene has authored a number of books, and speaks at schools, military bases, civic organizations, and air shows sharing the history and stories of the Flying Tigers and CBI Veterans as well as representing them in China. She has film industry experience and “The Forgotten War: China, Burma, India” is currently in production. The Forgotten War: CBI Promo.

Visit the Flying Tigers 69th DRS Association website and find them on Facebook.

News

Malaysia says new search for flight MH370 to end mid-June

March 8, 2018, is the 4-year anniversary of the disappearance of MH370, carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in 2014. The search by Australia, China, and Malaysia ended in January 2017 at a cost of around US$160 million. In January 2018, Malaysia agreed to pay the U.S. firm Ocean Infinity up to US$70 million if it found the plane within 90 search days. The Seabed Constructor vessel started searching on Jan 23.

Triple WWII ace accepts national designation for Colorado Springs aviation museum

The Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs has been designated by Congress as a national aviation museum. Accepting the designation on behalf of the museum was 96 year old retired Air Force Col. Clarence “Bud” Anderson. Bud flew a P-51 Mustang in World War II, and his plane, “Old Crow,” was flown in as a surprise from the National Warbird Hall of Fame in OshKosh.

Other national aviation museums:

F-104 Flight Training Launches At Florida’s Kennedy Space Center

A new civilian training program for licensed pilots is offered by Starfighters Aerospace with a fleet of Mach 2+ Lockheed F-104 Starfighters at NASA’s Kennedy Shuttle Landing Facility. The training ranges from three to ten days, depending on the pilot, and is authorized by a Letter of Deviation Authority (LODA) issued to Starfighters by the FAA.

FAA Blames Airlines for Lack of Wider ADS-B Use

FAA associate administrator for Aviation Safety Ali Bahrami testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure’s subcommittee on aviation. He told the subcommittee that the ADS-B system is fully operational, but its use is limited because the airlines don’t have the onboard equipment required.

Also testifying were representatives from the NTSB, NASA, ALPA, and the DOT’s Office of Inspector General. They talked about drone regulations, pilot shortages, and privatizing ATC. Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced after the hearing that the provision to privatize ATC would be dropped from the reauthorization legislation, HR 2997.

In Pushing HIs Pilot for FAA Administrator, Trump Shows His Disregard for Safety

Writing in Forbes, past guest Christine Negroni writes that President Trump does his [private pilot Capt. John Dunkin] no service by putting him forward as a candidate to lead the Federal Aviation Administration. Find the process for appointing the FAA Administrator in Title 49 U.S. Code § 106 – Federal Aviation Administration.

Airline Story of the Week

United Airlines pilot hand-delivers woman’s lost engagement ring

Contributions

Airplane Geeks Reporter-at-Large Launchpad Marzari has a little fun with the phonetic alphabet.

Listener Ron took a ride in a gyroplane for his birthday and created a short adventure report for us.

Mentioned

AIN’s The Human Factor: Tales From the Flight Deck podcast

We Can Do It! Women in Aviation and Space

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

458 The Intrepid A-12 Blackbird

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Jeanette Remak and Joe Ventolo Jr. from Phoenix Aviation Research tell the story behind the Lockheed A-12 Blackbird at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in Manhattan. In the news, we look at FAA reauthorization bills and the battle shaping up in Congress, this year’s Paris Air Show, the Catalina Flying Boats’ DC-3 aircraft, the youngest pilot in Australia, and an Israeli court ruling on reseating women in the airplane.

Guests

Janet Remak and Joe Ventolo Jr. with the A-12 on the Intrepid

Janet Remak and Joe Ventolo Jr. with the A-12 on the Intrepid.

Jeannette Remak is the owner of Phoenix Aviation Research. She’s a military aviation historian, a writer, author, artist, and photographic engineer. Her books include XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla and A-12 Blackbird: Declassified.

In the mid-1990s, Jeannette worked as the volunteer Aircraft Historian for the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in Manhattan. She performed research for maintenance and restoration, and worked on the aircraft under her control at the museum, including many U.S. Naval and U.S. Air Force aircraft on loan. Jeannette restored sheet metal, she controlled airframe titanium corrosion, and she appropriated parts and specialized equipment for work on A-12 aircraft.

Working with the US Navy’s Curator office, Jeannette is responsible for the rescue of the Sikorsky RH-53D that is the lone survivor of the failed United States hostage rescue mission in Iran. The CH-53D is now restored and on display at the JFK/ US Navy Seal Training School in North Carolina.

Jeannette has a degree in Commercial Photographic Engineering and obtained her Master’s Degree in Aviation Science in 2000. Jeannette also has a degree in Commercial Photography from the NY Institute of Photography.

Joseph A. Ventolo, Jr. is the former curator of the National Museum of the US Air Force. His career started in November 1959 when Joe joined the 269th Combat Communications Squadron of the Ohio Air National Guard. In 1965, he received a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant as a communications officer. He left the Ohio Air National Guard in 1966 and transferred to the Air Force Reserve where he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and remained in the Air Force Reserve until 1970.

In 1962, Joe joined the staff of the U.S. Air Force Motion Picture Film Archives at Wright-Patterson AFB as a Motion Picture Archivist. In 1979, he transferred to the U.S. Air Force Museum’s Research Division as the Museum’s Historian. Two years later he became a Curator of Aeronautics. Joe has co-authored articles that appeared in such periodicals as Air Enthusiast, WW I Aero, and Friends Bulletin. In 1993 he was appointed Curator of the U.S. Air Force Museum and named Curator of the United States Air Force. He remained in that position until his retirement in 1995.

Joe is currently a co-owner/consultant with Phoenix Aviation Research. He has co-authored articles in the Atlantic Flyer, and written three aviation books, all with Jeannette Remak.

Their first book, XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla was published in December 1998. Their second book, A-12 Blackbird: Declassified, was published in December 2000. And a third book, The Archangel and the OXCART: The Lockheed A-12 Blackbirds and the Dawn of Mach III Reconnaissance was published in 2008.

Jeannette and Joe previously appeared in Aviation Xtended #59 talking about the XB70 Valkyrie. Jeannette talked about the shuttle disaster in Aviation Xtended #54.

Phoenix Aviation Research Facebook page with all the photos.

Phoenix Aviation Research business page.

Jeannette Remak books on Amazon.com.

The United States Air Force Art Collection paintings by Jeannette Remak.

From the Paris Air Show

2017 Paris Airshow Highlights

Airbus secured 326 orders with Boeing getting 571. Boeing debuted the 737 Max 10 and offered some insights into the 797 model. Airbus presented the A321neo and the A350.

Qatar Airways wants to buy 10% of American Airlines

In a statement, American Airlines said: “Qatar Airways indicated that it has an interest in acquiring approximately a ten percent stake.”

The world’s biggest commercial plane just got more impressive

Airbus unveiled the A380plus, with 4% lower fuel cost. The plane features winglets and seating for 575 in four classes.

Boeing planning on hypersonic jets for commercial flights, though the Concorde’s memory lingers

Boeing says we could see hypersonic jets in commercial use in the next decade or two.

Pratt & Whitney Expands PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ Engine MRO Network

Eagle Services Asia (a JV between Pratt & Whitney and SIA Engineering Company Ltd.) will provide maintenance services for the PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engine.

Boeing launches MAX 10 at Paris Air Show to challenge Airbus neo jet

Boeing said it has 240 orders and commitments. Some orders are conversions from earlier orders for other MAX models. The MAX 10 is a stretch of the MAX 9 that seats up to 230 passengers and is designed to compete with the Airbus A321neo.

PAS17: The Revolution Will Be Data-Driven, Airbus Looks Skywise

Airbus launched a new open aviation data platform called Skywise to support digital transformation of the industry. The Skywise aviation data platform was developed in collaboration with Palantir Technologies. See the video: Airbus launches new open aviation data platform, Skywise.

Watch the F-35 pull mind-bending aerial tricks at the Paris Air Show

Test pilot Billie Flynn told Aviation Week, “After 10 years since first flight, with our first opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and the maneuverability of the F-35, we are going to crush years of misinformation about what this aircraft is capable of doing,”

Video: F-35 Aerial Demonstration Debut at 2017 Paris Air Show

Japan trio to develop small-jet engines with Pratt & Whitney

P&W signed an MOU with Japanese Aero Engines, a consortium of Japanese manufacturers. The partners will spend more than 100 billion yen ($898 million) to create small-aircraft engines.

CAE Outlook Says Half of Future Pilots Haven’t Yet Begun Training

CAE announced that the industry will need more than a quarter of a million cockpit crewmembers over the next 10 years. The CAE Outlook says:

  • 85,000 will be needed in the Americas,
  • 50,000 in Europe,
  • 30,000 in the Middle East and Africa and
  • 90,000 in the Asia-Pacific region.

Other Aviation News

Airline Bumping Protection, Easier Drone Permits Aim of Bill

Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa. introduced a proposed FAA reauthorization bill in the House. The Bill prohibits passengers from being removed from a flight after they’ve boarded, privatizes ATC, and requires airlines to post resources for stranded passengers online when the airline is disrupted by a computer outage. It also calls for the faster development of a traffic management system for small drones, faster approval process for commercial drone operators, and a new certification system for small-drone commercial operators.

Catalina Flying Boats’ DC-3 aircraft make an aerial farewell before final departure

Catalina Flying Boats is retiring its historic DC-3 aircraft for a pair of single-engine turboprop Cessna Caravans.

Canberra 16-year-old Jade Esler Australia’s youngest pilot

Teenager Jade Esler has become Australia’s youngest licensed recreational pilot. She funded the training by selling about 20,000 cupcakes.

Israeli Judge Says Airlines Can’t Reseat Women At Request Of Men

Jerusalem’s Magistrate Court ruled that it was discrimination to ask a female passenger to change seats because an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man said he did he not feel comfortable sitting next to her.

Mentioned

After the 2017 Innovations in Flight event at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Jonathan Baron took David up in his Shark LSA. Jonathan was our guest in Episode 442 Shark Aero.

David Vanderhoof and Jonathan Baron with the Shark.

David Vanderhoof and Jonathan Baron with the Shark.

Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner and 737 MAX 9 Fly Together in Dramatic Display

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 386 Steve Hinton and Planes of Fame

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Guest Steve Hinton is a record holding air racer, president of Planes of Fame Air Museum, and owner of a military aircraft restoration company. In the news, United is replacing 50-seaters with larger aircraft, more bad behavior by airline crew members, military drone crashes, desert beetles and airplane frost, and airlines sucking away regional pilots. Also, the Boeing P-26 Peashooter, and the A-10. Again.

Northrop N9MB

Northrop N9MB. Courtesy Planes of Fame Air Museum

Guest

Steve Hinton is an American aviator who held a world speed record from 1979 to 1989 and won six Unlimited-class air races, including two national championships. He won four consecutive Unlimited races in one year, and remains the only pilot ever to do so. He retired from racing in 1990.

Steve Hinton

Steve Hinton

Steve is now president of Planes of Fame Air Museum with locations in Chino, California and Valle-Grand Canyon, Arizona, and owner of Fighter Rebuilders, a military aircraft restoration company.

On August 14, 1979, Steve set the piston-driven aircraft 3-kilometer world speed record at 499.018 mph in the highly-modified RB51 Red Baron at Tonopah, Nevada. At age 27, he was the youngest person ever to capture the speed record.

On September 16, 1979 while racing the RB-51 in Reno, Steve’s plane suffered catastrophic engine failure. He finished the race in second place, but crashed short of the runway. Although the plane’s fuel erupted in a fireball, the cockpit was thrown away from the fire and Steve survived with a broken back, leg, and ankle.

Steve became the chief test pilot for the Tsunami Racer in 1987. Some of his notable wins in air racing include:

  • 1978, Mojave, Red Baron
  • 1978, Reno (Unlimited National Champion), Red Baron
  • 1979, Miami, Red Baron
  • 1979, Mojave, Red Baron
  • 1985, Reno (Unlimited National Champion), Super Corsair
  • 1990, Sherman, Texas, Tsunami

Steve is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and charter member of the Motion Picture Pilots Association. He has worked on more than 60 films. In 2002 he received a nomination from the World Stunt Awards for the Taurus Award, Best Aerial Work in Pearl Harbor.

News

United buying 40 new 737-700s to upgrade fleet; misses Wall Street forecast

United intends to retire many of its 50-seat regional fleet by 2019 and replace them with larger aircraft. This is just the first buy. FlightGlobal reports United has 256 50-seat regional jets and had “considered the 110-set Bombardier CS100 and both the 90-seat Embraer 190 and 120-seat E190-E2 aircraft.”

Brian's United 737 seat sheet

Brian’s United 737 seat sheet

See also: United, Southwest buy 73 Boeing jets in blow to Bombardier and United Chooses Boeing, doesn’t Eliminate CSeries.

Alaska Airlines Captain David Hans Arntson arrested for flying while drunk

The man faces Federal charges for allegedly flying two Alaska Airlines flights while under the influence of alcohol. Arntson was selected for drug and alcohol testing after he landed at John Wayne Airport.

SkyWest flight attendant charged with making bomb threats on two flights in North Dakota and Virginia

Former SkyWest flight attendant Justin Cox-Sever faces Federal charges for making bomb threats on several flights. In one case, he claimed he was being extorted, but he later recanted that claim.

America’s drone crisis revealed

A Washington Post investigation says that over 400 large U.S. military drones have crashed since 2001. In one incident, the pilot didn’t realize she had been flying the aircraft upside-down. In another, the pilot didn’t notice he had squeezed the wrong red button on his joystick, putting the plane into a spin.

How a Namib Desert beetle could help stop frost on airplanes

Scientists at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute think they have learned something about controlling frost from a beetle that lives in the desert. The Namib Desert beetle can collect water in the air through bumps on its shell which then directs water droplets into the beetle’s mouth. The scientists believe they can scale this up to work on large objects, like airplanes.

Seaport Airlines dunks San Diego

Seaport Airlines based in Portland, Ore., has been forced to drop some routes because of a pilot shortage. Seaport executive vice president Tim Sieber said, “A lot of regional airlines are undergoing this challenge right now, one we think will last a long time.” He said once Seaport pilots accumulate 1,500 hours of flight time, they typically leave for more lucrative jet-flying jobs on bigger airlines, and their vacancies are not being filled fast enough by newly-licensed pilots. “We’ve downsized the airline to one where we can focus on providing a reliable level of service with our smaller fleet,” Sieber said.

The Airplane of the Week

David tells us the history of the Boeing P-26A Peashooter.

Boeing P-26A Peashooter

Boeing P-26A Peashooter at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, by David Vanderhoof

Listener Recordings

  • Christopher Sims talks about affordable air charter travel, and creating a secondary charter market.
  • Our “Main(e) Man” Micah brings us the last conversation on the A-10. Maybe.

Mentioned

  • Drone Magazine UK interviewed Max Flight for their January 2016 article (Issue#2) about drone podcasts. Find more about the magazine at their Facebook page.

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 367 Bits & Pieces XV

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Alan Brown F117

Alan Brown

This Episode: F-117A designer Alan Brown, Duxford Flying Legends Airshow, Landing Aircraft in a Whiteout, Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center, the C-5 Galaxy, aviation safety, and a Labor Day message.

This is a Bits & Pieces episode. If you’ve been with us for a while, you know what that means. If you are new to the show, this is something we do occasionally instead of our usual format.

You see, we record Airplane Geeks Monday evenings, but sometimes Monday is a national holiday and we want to spend the day with our families and friends. Since we don’t want to leave you without a show to listen to, we put together something we call Bits & Pieces.

The Bits & Pieces idea is simple: We ask the co-hosts and contributors to provide pre-recorded segments for the episode, then we just stitch them together and it’s Bits & Pieces. This time we really encouraged you to send us recordings, and we were pleased to have received a number of them.

This week’s segments:

Interview with F-117A designer Alan Brown

Max Trescott interviews, Alan Brown, an aeronautical engineer by training, who was program manager and chief engineer for the F-117A Stealth Fighter from initial concept until the first production aircraft was built.

Duxford Flying Legends Airshow

Listener Ray Williams sends his report from the Duxford Flying Legends Airshow held July 11-12, 2015.

Hawker Nimrod I

Hawker Nimrod I

DH89-Rapide

DH89-Rapide

Line up at Duxford Flying Legends

Line up at Duxford Flying Legends

Morane-Saulnier 406 D-3801

Morane-Saulnier 406 D-3801

Hispano HA-112 MIL (Buchon)

Hispano HA-112 MIL (Buchon) G-AWHE [Note non-Bf109 bulges on engine cowling to house the Merlin engine]

Lightning and Mitchell in a flypast

Lightning and Mitchell in a flypast

Landing Aircraft in a Whiteout

Geeks on Ice reporter Juan Fernandez, who brought us the Reports from an Airplane Geek from McMurdo Station Antarctica series, shares a short story about the special procedures to land an airplane under the zero visibility conditions of a whiteout.

Emergency Whiteout Landing

 

Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center

Brian Coleman stops in the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center while he was on vacation in Idaho.

Bird Aviation Museum_1

Bird Aviation Museum_2

Bird Aviation Museum_3

The C-5 Galaxy

C-5 by Paul Filmer

C-5 by Paul Filmer

Listener JD gives us some interesting facts and experiences from the perspective of a C-5A instructor pilot with over 5200 hours in the airplane, including 192 combat sorties before retiring in 2013.

Across the Pond

PA-38-112 Tomahawk, G-BNDE

PA-38-112 Tomahawk, G-BNDE (copyright XTPMedia)

Pieter Johnson discovers a “new” source of information on aviation safety whilst photo editing: the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB). It’s a gentle and sobering reminder of safety in the air (and on the ground).

Rob Mark on Labor Day

As the grandson of a Chicago Labor Leader and a former ALPA pilot himself, Rob adds his own unique two cents about the meaning of Labor Day.

David Vanderhoof Gives Thanks

David makes Max blush, but more importantly he gives you a sense of what this podcast means to us. We are truly blessed to know each other, our guests, and many of you. It’s all quite remarkable.

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 289 – Airplane Geeks Unplugged

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F-86H

We tackle the show without a guest, and take the opportunity to to fly largely unedited for a more raw, intimate episode.

We talk about flying ability based on gender and airliner recycling as alternative housing. On the technology front, we look at jet engine developments and the application of 3D printing to aerospace manufacturing.

Listener mail topics include aviation museums, the British Airways Future Pilot Programme, beer and wine on flights, good aviation books, and where you can buy your own bomber.

David even proposes an aviation cooking show and looks for recipes like Mitsubishi Meatballs, Boeing Bouillabaisse, Airbus Avocados, and Piasecki Pancakes. David also mentions a “dollar nineteen” airplane. Want to know what that is? Look it up on Emmanuel Gustin’s Aircraft Nicknames page.

The week’s aviation news:

In this week’s Australia Desk:

Steve and Grant are rather exhausted after the RAAF’s Centenary of Military Aviation air show at Pt Cook. They cover some topics in summary:

  • The RAAF announces the first 2 pilots they will send over to learn to fly the F35

  • Qantas confirms job losses of 5,000 & early retirement of their 767s & more 747s

  • The Boxkite replica flew at the air show & looked great (check out the video we posted to our YouTube channel & Facebook page)

From there, we then play an excerpt from Steve’s interview with Air Marshal Geoff Brown, Chief of Air Force (RAAF)

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.

Rob Mark’s Aviation Minute: The Transportation Security Administration and Weapons.

Etihad

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

We continue the discussion with Oussama Salah from Oussamas Take  on developments in the Middle East ….but ‘spreading worldwide’ might be a better description. In our discussion this week we wonder if Alitalia will remain in one piece and where the growth stops, as Ireland and Switzerland get added attention.

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

Lancaster

Mentioned:

F4U at Pima

Listen to the NBAA Flight Plan podcast from the National Business Aviation Association.

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