Tag Archives: Aviation museum

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.

AirplaneGeeks 286 – Jason Rabinowitz, the AirlineFlyer

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National Museum of the United States Air Force

Freelance aviation journalist Jason Rabinowitz joins us to talk about FAA deadlines, passenger behaviour on charter flights, and the state of U.S. airport infrastructure. Also, the best aviation museums, Jetblue’s new FlyFi system, travel technology, and analyzing travel data.

Jason is @AirlineFlyer on Twitter and also see his Facebook page. Find Jason’s writing at Airchive, AirlineReporter, and the Runway Girl Network.

The week’s aviation news:

From CNN, the World’s 14 best aviation museums:

14. Palm Springs Air Museum (California, United States)

13. Central Museum of the Air Forces (Monino, Russia)

12. Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum (Alice Springs, Australia)

11. Red Bull Hangar-7 (Salzburg, Austria)

10. Canada Aviation and Space Museum (Ottawa, Canada)

9. China Aviation Museum (Beijing)

8. Polish Aviation Museum (Krakow, Poland)

7. Pima Air & Space Museum (Arizona, United States)

6. State Aviation Museum of Ukraine (Kiev, Ukraine)

5. French Air and Space Museum (Le Bourget, France) – Jason

4. Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour (Washington, United States)

3. National Museum of the United States Air Force (Ohio, United States)

2. Imperial War Museum Duxford (Duxford, UK)

1. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.)

David Vanderhoof’s segment: Suzie the Cirrus and her adventure with Mr. Alex.

In this week’s Australia Desk:

This week we have a recent interview with Matt Hall, talking about his preparations for the upcoming Red Bull Air Race season. For US listeners, there are two races this year – one in Forth Worth and the other in Las Vegas.

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.

Yak-130

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Pieter talks to Krzysztof Kuska Editor-in-Chief of Infolotnicze about the decision by the Polish military to proceed with buying the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 twin-engined jet trainer as its Lead-in Fighter Trainer (LIFT) aircraft to replace its aged fleet of over 100 PZL Mielec TS-11 Iskra jets; significantly under cutting BAE and Korea Aerospace/Lockheed Martin in the process.  Pieter learns the M346 and Yak 130 share the same development stable, but this does not fit comfortably with some in Poland.

They also discuss the current pressure on the national airline LOT to look for both internal and external investment and its recent bad luck with the Boeing 787 service.

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

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 184 – Vicki Portway, National Air and Space Museum

National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Guest Vicki Portway is Head of Web & New Media for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. We talk about the Museum’s online outreach, the fantastic Become a Pilot Day in June, and the Space Shuttle Discovery target arrival of April 17 at Dulles Airport and transfer to the Udvar-Hazy Center April 19, replacing the Enterprise, which goes to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City.

You can find the National Air and Space Museum on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter. Vicki is on Twitter as sluggernova.

The week’s aviation news:

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the Supermarine Attacker.

In this week’s Australia Desk report, Steve is back from vacation, Rob Fyfe announces his pending retirement as CEO of Air New Zealand, Qantas announces Carbon Tax related fare rises (Steve vents about the Carbon Tax), Qantas credit rating downgrade, and Grant tries the mood detecting music machine one last time.

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.

On Across The Pond this week, Pieter talks to Dave Lees, Managing Director of Southampton Airport in the UK. Dave explains to us how he will make Southampton already one of the UK’s highest performing regional airports, even better.

You can find Southampton Airport on Twitter at @SOU_Airport and at www.southamptonairport.com. Pieter can be found on Twitter as @Nascothornet or XTP Media’s Facebook Page.

Mentioned in the episode:

 

Milestones of Flight, Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

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

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

 

Episode 156 – Lusk Likes History

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Frontiers of Flight Museum

Brian Lusk is the Corporate Historian for Southwest Airlines and a long time airline veteran. He writes for Southwest’s blog, Nuts about Southwest and Tweets as @blogboy. We talk with Brian about preserving airline history, the Frontiers of Flight Museum, and Southwest at AirVenture 2011.

The week’s aviation news:

Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron have their Australia Desk report. Be sure to listen to the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

This week on Across the Pond, Pieter Johnson talks with Gareth Stringer Deputy Editor of Global Aviation Resource (@gaviationr) about The Hanger, a social media portal for all those interested in aviation. Gareth is @Gareth_Stringer on Twitter.

Mentions:

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

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 152 – Become a Pilot

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Charlie, Milford, David, Max, Rob, Dan

We join Milford and Charlie from FlightTime Radio for a live broadcast from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center for the seventh annual Become a Pilot Family Day and Fly-In.

Featuring:

Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron – the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast.

Shawn Knickerbocker – FAA DPE for airplanes, helicopters, gliders, and motorgliders.

David Weber – Maryland Delaware Rocketry Association.

Admiral Dennis Fitzpatrick – with over 3,100 hours and 655 carrier arrested landings.

Dr. Peggy Chabrian – President, Women in Aviation, International.

Captain Sara “Clutch” Joyner (selected to be the Navy’s first female carrier air group (CAG) commander).

We greatly appreciate the contributions made by our listeners to fund the second half of the broadcast, and all the Airplane Geeks listeners who came out to see us and spend the day at the magnificant Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. We’ve said it before, and it’s worth saying again: We have the best listeners of any podcast!

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

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 149 – Loads of Listener Mail

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Stephen Tornblom, Chino Airport
Photo by Stephen Tornblom from his birthday trip to Chino Airport.

We talk with Milford Shirley from FlightTime Radio about their live broadcast at the upcoming Become a Pilot Family Day and Fly-In, June 18, 2011 at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center next to Dulles International Airport. Max, Rob, Dan, and David plan to join in the show along with some other aviation podcasters.

The week’s aviation news:

Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast provide their Australia Desk Report. Follow the podcast on Twitter at @pcdu, Steve at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment, Pieter Johnson gets an update from David Cenciotti on Operation Odessy Dawn in Libya, what it was like to break an international aviation story to the world, and how to track those “untraceable” black ops flights. Be sure to see David Cenciotti’s Website and follow him on Twitter at @cencio4. On Twitter, Pieter is @Nascothornet.

We spend a lot of time this episode talking about some of the great listener mail we’ve received. Click these links for more information:

Blue Angels’ almost crash: the risk of Controlled Flight Into Terrain during formation aerobatics – David Cenciotti’s blog post and video.

On 100 low lead aviation fuel: 100 Octane Unleaded Aviation Fuel – A Website dedicated to the distribution of information about the fuel crisis facing users of piston engines in General Aviation, and the promotion of an unleaded 100 octane fuel. Flying G100UL: Yeah, It Works.

On the new Pan Am TV show: ABC 2011 Fall TV Premiere: Pan Am and Pan Am, ABC Show, To Explore 1960s Flying Culture (VIDEO).

N709DN Takeoff, a 777-200/LR test flight video.

The Jetstar war on pilots.

Possible federal aid cuts could jeopardize air service in small communities.

Texas House passes bill banning TSA airport groping and Senate stirs pot with TSA groping bill, sanctuary cities.

Brunswick International Fly-In.

From Dan W. concerning air ambulance operations:

Barnstorming, the movie.

Michael O’Leary on Spanish fines:
Texto íntegro de la carta: cortesía con el ministro pero ultimátum en negrita and the Google translation:
Full text of the letter: courtesy to the minister but bold ultimatum.

On the NTSB publication of final report on the Gol 1907 accident: Command of Aeronautics, General Staff of the Aeronautics, Final Report, A-00X/CENIPA/2008 [PDF].

United Reinstates, Quickly Withdraws, 9/11 Flight Numbers.

Boeing KC-135: The Ultimate Caffeine Delivery Machine

DC area museum ideas:

Ryanair To Ground 80 Aircraft Next Winter.

F-35A may need mods to fix range shortfall.

Whew, that was a lot of listener mail!

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

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.