Tag Archives: Bombardier

491 Igor Sikorsky III

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:23 — 46.4MB)

Igor Sikorsky III joins us and talks about the history of his grandfather, aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky. Our airplane of the week is the Sikorsky VS-300. We also look at Boeing’s belief that the industry has put its cyclic business nature in the past, new fees proposed for air travelers, and the International Trade Commission report denying Boeing’s claim against Bombardier.

Igor Sikorsky’s plane in front of the Bradford Camps lodge.

Guest

Igor Sikorsky III gassing up at Munsungan Lake.

Igor Sikorsky III is the grandson of aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky and he conducts the annual “Sikorsky Weekend” at The Bradford Camps in the North Maine woods. It’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of Igor’s grandfather with family memorabilia, stories, and videos.

Igor gives us a few slices of the Sikorsky history, including how his grandfather was inspired at age 12 by a dream he had of flying over an ocean. We talk about the early days in Russia when the family entrusted their savings to him and then his time in Paris. That was the hub of early aviation where designers and other dreamers congregated to try and build flying machines. We learn about Sikorsky’s emigration from Russia to the U.S. where other Russian immigrants worked with him, sometimes without pay, to develop early aircraft.

Igor is a pilot himself and owns a Skyhawk on floats, which he uses regularly to ferry visitors to his camp and to fishing spots in Maine. We talk about the unique aspects of flying in the North Maine woods, and how having an airplane is critical to the life Igor and his wife Karen lead.

Igor tells us how he thinks his grandfather would have felt about the 2015 sale of Sikorsky Aircraft by United Technologies Corporation. We also learn about the Russian Imperial Stout that Two Roads Brewing Company produces each year to honor Sikorsky and Stratford, Connecticut.

Learn more about the annual Sikorsky Weekend at The Bradford Camps website, and be sure to visit the Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives.

Igor Sikorsky III plane at Munsungan Lake, Maine.

Does it get any better than this?

News

Boeing CEO: Aerospace now viewed as an industry with ‘long-term sustained growth’

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg says the industry has gone “from being a high-cycle business in the past” to now becoming “a long-term sustained growth business.”

New Aviation Fees Could Cost Travelers $3 Billion

The proposed 2019 Federal budget released on February 12, 2018, increases Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) fees, which could potentially cost consumers up to an additional $3 billion. Industry trade group Airlines for America (A4A) urged Congress to reject all TSA and CBP fee increases and instead return the billions of dollars now collected by the TSA and CBP and used for non-aviation related purposes.

U.S. ITC details why it rejected CSeries duties, says Boeing not hurt

The International Trade Commission published their 194-page ruling that rejected Boeing’s claim against Bombardier, saying “Boeing lost no sales or revenues.”

The Airplane of the Week

David tells us the history of the Vought Sikorsky VS-300 (Sikorsky S-42), the first practical helicopter in the United States and the model for most helicopters that were to come.

The Sikorsky VS-300. Credit: unknown (Smithsonian Institution)

Mentioned

New England Air Museum

Xtended Episode 79

The Fighter Pilot Podcast

Imperial notifies Transport Canada of potential aviation fuel quality issue

Accident: Spirit A20N near Fort Lauderdale on Jan 28th 2018, fumes on board, crew feeling increasingly incapacitated

Air Force Special OPS plane carrying US Commandos makes “surprise” landing in Libya

Leaping elk crashes low-flying research helicopter in Utah

North Korea Military Parade 2018: Best Moments – Parada Militar na Coreia do Norte 2018

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

488 NASA Chief Historian

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:42:53 — 47.1MB)

The NASA Chief Historian helps us look at some events from the past, anniversaries coming up, and what the future holds for NASA. Also, the International Trade Commission rules for Bombardier and against Boeing, more information about the pilot in the fatal Icon A5 crash, Putin wants a supersonic civilian airliner, and a look at big aerospace and defense deals in 2017.

Guest

Bill Barry, NASA Chief Historian.

Dr. William P. Barry is the NASA Chief Historian. We talk with Bill about the upcoming 60th anniversary of NASA on October 1, 2018, the 60th anniversary of the first U.S. satellite, and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo missions. Bill gives us some insights into the tragic Apollo 1 accident, known simply as “The Fire.”

Bill also tells us about the Space Launch System, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the emerging role of commercial space companies like Boeing and SpaceX. We touch on the change of the NASA administrator, and even jobs available at NASA through USAjobs.

Bill has been NASA’s Chief Historian since 2010. He began work at NASA in 2001 after retiring from a 22-year career in the US Air Force. Bill worked in NASA’s international relations office for several years, and served as the NASA European Representative at the United States Embassy in Paris before being appointed NASA Chief Historian. A graduate, with honors, of the United States Air Force Academy, Bill also holds a Masters Degree from Stanford University and a Doctorate from Oxford University.

Apollo’s Worst Day: Veterans of NASA’s moon program referred to it simply as “The Fire.” Did it have to happen?

This excellent article by Andy Chaikin appeared in the Dec 2016/Jan 2017 edition of Air&Space Smithsonian. See also Apollo-1 (204) and The Accident, taken from the Report of Apollo 204 Review Board.

Find more at the NASA History Program Office webpage, and follow NASA History on Twitter and Facebook.

Aviation News

100- to 150-Seat Large Civil Aircraft from Canada Do Not Injure U.S. Industry, Says USITC

The United States International Trade Commission is “an independent, quasi-judicial Federal agency with broad investigative responsibilities on matters of trade.” The USITC issued this statement on January 26, 2018:

“The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is not materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of 100- to 150-seat large civil aircraft from Canada that the U.S. Department of Commerce… has determined are subsidized and sold at less than fair value. As a result of the USITC’s negative determinations, no antidumping or countervailing duty orders will be issued.”

The Commission’s final report will be published by March 2, 2018, can be accessed on the USITC website.

Roy Halladay Autopsy Findings Catch Industry by Surprise

Former baseball star Roy Halladay died following the crash of his Icon A5 in shallow water last November. An autopsy revealed that Halladay did not immediately die of the impact – a contributing cause of death was drowning. He also had “enough mood-altering drugs in his system to confirm he shouldn’t have been driving a car, much less flying an airplane.”

Russia’s Concorde: Putin proposes supersonic civilian aircraft based on its Tu-160 bomber

Vladimir Putin wants to build a civilian version of the Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic nuclear bomber as a supersonic passenger jet for wealthy customers. The United Aircraft Corporation has told Putin that designers already have a supersonic civilian airliner project.

Global aerospace and defense deals insights: Q4 2017

Pricewaterhouse Coopers reports that the global aerospace and defense industry saw $72 billion worth of deals in 2017. This betters the previous record of $67 billion set in 2015, and represents a whopping 79% increase over 2016. Nine deals with announced value greater than $1 billion accounted for 86% of the total value this year. Global Aerospace and Defense Deals Insights Year-End 2017 [PDF].

The largest deals from 2017:

United Technologies’ $30 billion acquisition of Rockwell Collins tops the list, followed by Northrop Grumman’s $9 billion acquisition of Orbital ATK, Safran’s $8 billion acquisition of Zodiac Aerospace, and Thales’ $5 billion acquisition of Gemalto.

Airline Story of the Week

Southwest Airlines rescues 62 stray dogs, cats from Puerto Rico

Sixty-two dogs and cats were rescued from hurricane-battered Puerto Rico, courtesy of Southwest Airlines.

Mentioned

The Aviators Season Seven.

AirSpace Podcast from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

NP Simulations, the UK flight simulator company based in London.

How Three High Schoolers Won EAA’s Founder’s Innovation Prize

See the Remora Systems website to learn more.

EAA’s Founder’s Innovation Prize (presented by Airbus)

Submissions will be accepted through June 1, 2018. Five finalists will be chosen to pitch their ideas in front of a panel of expert judges.

Interjet images by aviation photographer Paul Filmer:

Interjet at IAH in 2015. Photo by Paul Filmer.

Interjet at Toluca. Mexico. Photo by Paul Filmer.

Kiwi airline exec breaks record for world circumnavigation on commercial airlines

Andrew Fisher made a 52-hour, 34-minute journey from Shanghai to Auckland to Buenos Aires to Amsterdam and back to Shanghai. The old record was 55 hours.

Your ADS-B Questions Answered: Get the Facts Here

Did the airlines get an exemption from the 2020 ADS-B requirement, or not…

Rocket Lab’s ‘Humanity Star’ is New Zealand first satellite and the Humanity Star website.

No Passport or Ticket: How a Woman Evaded Airport Security and Flew to London

Credit

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

483 Aircraft Brokerage and Acquisition Services

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:41 — 46.6MB)

We talk about aircraft brokerage and acquisition of business aircraft with a vice president at Holstein Aviation. In the news, we look at the Delta Airlines order for A321neo aircraft, Boeing’s beef with Bombardier CSeries pricing, the NBAA statement on “Ethical Business Aviation Transactions,” Aerion Corporation gets help from Lockheed Martin and GE Aviation to develop a supersonic business jet, and the Atlanta airport power outage.

Holstein Aviation provides aircraft brokerage and acquisition services for business aircraft such as the Falcon 20.

Guest

Steve Fushelberger is vice president at Holstein Aviation, a team of professional aircraft brokers and acquisition specialists with domestic and international experience. They are responsible for some 4,700 transactions valued at over 10 billion dollars, and have 66,000 combined flight hours, with light, medium and heavy jet type ratings from nearly all major aircraft manufacturers. Holstein Aviation is one of the top 10 business aircraft brokerage and acquisition firms worldwide by transaction volume.

Steve Fushelberger

Steve brings extensive experience in the aerospace and defense industries with a career that includes sales, marketing, public and media relations, communications, advertising, and branding. He served as Vice President of Marketing at Cessna Aircraft Company, and Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Avolar business aviation operations of United Airlines. Steve held positions with Rolls-Royce in the corporate / regional airline aircraft, helicopters, defense, and advanced development businesses, and at AgustaWestland (now branded Leonardo) as the North American manager of marketing services.

His industry service includes public relations, public affairs, market research and advisory committees for the National Business Aviation Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and the Transportation Research Board, as well as on the Aerospace LEAN Manufacturing Communications Initiative, and support for the industry’s GAME Plan (General Aviation Marketing Expansion) during the late 1980s, and the Learning For Life Aviation Exploring Program.

Steve has a commercial pilot license with instrument, multi-engine, and seaplane ratings. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with a marketing concentration from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and he is a US Army and Indiana National Guard veteran.

Find Holstein Aviation at their website, on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also available is a company blog, the Fall 2017 edition of Business Aircraft Market Perspective magazine, and their Market Briefings.

Aviation News

Delta Air Lines to place order for Airbus jets

Delta ordered 100 firm/100 option A321neo aircraft with deliveries set to begin in the first quarter of 2020. The airline chose the A321neo over the Boeing 737 Max 10. Delta wouldn’t say if their choice was affected by the Boeing claims that Bombardier unfairly priced CSeries jets sold to Delta. Reportedly, many of the Airbus jets will be built in Mobile, Alabama. Pratt & Whitney GTF engines were selected to power the aircraft.

Boeing-Bombardier spat puts U.S.-Canadian trade deals in spotlight

At the recent U.S. International Trade Commission hearings, Boeing argued why it believes it was injured by Bombardier’s sale of C-Series jets to Delta. Reuters called it “a contentious hearing of the ITC” with Boeing accusing Bombardier of harming its ability to sell 737s in the U.S. market. Bombardier argued Boeing’s large 737 order book demonstrates that there has been no adverse impact from its CSeries jet, and also that Boeing does not manufacture a jet that competes with the CSeries.

NBAA: New Resource Underscores Industry’s Emphasis on Ethics in Business Aviation Transactions

In December 2017, NBAA’s Board of Directors approved the “Ethical Business Aviation Transactions“ statement that outlines best practices for ethical transactions between buyers and sellers of business aircraft products and services.

Lockheed Martin plans supersonic business jet

Lockheed Martin Corp. executed a memorandum of understanding with Aerion Corp. to develop the AS2 supersonic business jet. Lockheed will study the jet’s feasibility with Aerion over the next year and the two companies will build frameworks that guide engineering, certification, and production. Aerion hopes the GE Aviation-powered jet will be operating by 2025.

Video: Aerion Corporation Announces New Partnership

Dassault terminates Silvercrest contract; cancels Falcon 5X programme

Dassault Aviation chairman Eric Trappier says: “There is still a strong market need for a brand new, long-range aircraft with a very large cabin, so I have decided to launch a new Falcon project powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, featuring the same cross-section as the 5X [and] a range of 5,500nm.” The 5X program has been hampered by development delays for the Safran Silvercrest engine.

Christmas Travel Week Kicks Off With Atlanta Airport Power Outage

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport lost power this past Sunday, disrupting the entire network and stranding thousands of passengers. Georgia Power believes the power outage may have been caused by a fire which led to extensive damage in an underground electrical facility.

The Airplane of the Week

It’s that time of the year and David does his yearly Christmas card. This year he goes back to December 1944. Horsham St Faith was an RAF base taken over by the USAAC in 1942. It was home to the 56th Fighter Group flying P-47s and then 458th (H) Bomber Squadron flying B-24Js. But besides the history, there’s always a little Magic.

Brian’s Commercial Aviation Segment

Observations from Capt. Rick Bell on United Airlines.

Mentioned

AIN’s Human Factor: Tales from the Flight Deck podcast.

Japan Airlines signals supersonic ambitions

Keep your eyes to the skies: Airbus tests A350-1000 from Mitchell International Airport

Credit

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

477 Air Navigation with iFly GPS

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:23:03 — 38.0MB)

We talk with Adventure Pilot’s Brian Rutherford about aircraft route planning, air navigation, and iFly GPS. Also, Ryanair flight cancellations and pilot pay, a Bombardier CSeries order, and headway made for NextGen.

Guest

Adventure Pilot’s Brian Rutherford and the iFly GPS air navigation solution.

Brian Rutherford is sales and marketing manager for Adventure Pilot, makers of iFly GPS air navigation solutions. Brian describes the current air navigation landscape, the role of GPS and ADS-B, and how they work together. We look at the iFly GPS offerings and features.

iFly GPS is a multi-platform air navigation solution for iOS, Android, Windows, and dedicated systems that provides support for ADS-B traffic and weather. iFly GPS moving map navigation includes advanced features like geo-referenced hi-def VFR and IFR charts, de-cluttered vector mode, AutoTaxi+, RealView, and the comprehensive Active Alert System.

Brian holds a private pilot’s certificate and comes from the world of online retail, working at an Amazon subsidy called Woot.com as a buyer. He was a Sr. Brand Manager for a licensed apparel company called BioWorld. Brian also served on the board of EAA Chapter 1246, one of the largest chapters with 100+ dues-paying members.

Find Adventure Pilot on Instagram and Facebook, and be sure to listen for the special 10% discount code available to Airplane Geeks listeners!

Aviation News

Pilots’ pay rise set to cost Ryanair £88m a year

Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary has had to offer pilots a pay raise to get them to keep flying. This after “a rostering debacle” when the airline changed its holiday year. See also Ryanair cancels flights after ‘messing up’ pilot holidays and Ryanair may face legal action over flight cancellations.

Bombardier gets new CSeries jet order, but deliveries cut too

Engine delays from Pratt & Whitney will reduce 2017 CSeries deliveries to 20-22 from the 30 aircraft planned. Bombardier Chief Executive Alain Bellemare told analysts “This is a short-term issue that Pratt is actively addressing.” Meanwhile, Bombardier negotiated a letter of intent for 31 firm and 30 option CSeries orders from an unnamed European customer. The airframer says the order is not related to news that Airbus plans to take a majority stake in the program.

NextGen Progressing: Airlines Fail to Equip

AOPA describes NextGen progress contained in the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General report: FAA Has Made Progress Implementing NextGen Priorities, but Additional Actions Are Needed To Improve Risk Management. AOPA says the NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) has four priorities: multiple runway options, performance-based navigation, surface operations, and data communications (or DataComm):

Multiple runway options allow the FAA to reduce the separation between aircraft because of improved wake categorization standards. The FAA has implemented this capability at some busy U.S. airports including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Performance-based navigation lets aircraft fly more directly from departure to arrival using satellite signals. Initial operational capability is three months ahead of schedule in the Northern California Metroplex. Between September 2014 and April 2015, the FAA conducted a phased implementation of 44 routes covering the greater San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.

Surface operations have improved. The FAA has implemented the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Surface Visualization Tool (SVT) ahead of schedule at five terminal radar approach control facilities. The system allows tracon controllers to better monitor congestion and plan for changes on airport runways and taxiways, especially during inclement weather.

Data comm has been implemented at towers across the nation, approximately two and a half years ahead of schedule.

AOPA says, “Despite the achievements being made with NextGen technology and modernization, the airlines and their front groups remain critical of the current airspace system and are calling to overhaul it entirely.”

The OIG report states, “FAA is making significant progress in implementing the four NAC priorities. However, the Agency lacks a comprehensive process for effectively identifying or assessing risks, which could hinder its ability to fully implement its priorities. For example, while FAA took some steps to identify risks, it did not fully engage or include all stakeholders or effectively evaluate the severity of the identified risks to ensure its implementation milestones were realistic. In addition, FAA is not proactively mitigating risks to keep the NAC priorities on track. In particular, FAA and industry will need to mitigate several complex risks for capabilities expected for implementation and benefits delivery in the 2019–2020 timeframe, such as resolving issues with DataComm technology installed in aircraft. However, the Agency has not developed a detailed mitigation plan to address identified risks, involved industry in its decision-making process, or transparently reported its progress in this area.”

Mentioned

Stratux – A Raspberry Pi-based homebuilt ADS-B In receiver. Also available in the iFlyGPS store. For more information, see Live Weather and Traffic for Less Than $120 from EAA.

H.R. 4188: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 621 Kansas Avenue in Atchison, Kansas, as the “Amelia Earhart Post Office Building.”

OGTA #11 – South Dakota Warrior: the John Waldron Story

John Mollison tells us that “Old Guys and Their Airplanes” (OGTA) released the award-winning documentary film South Dakota Warrior. The film explores the character behind World War Two’s Battle of Midway hero, LtCDR John C. Waldron.

Waldron established himself in history by leading his torpedo bomber squadron (VT-8) in what appeared to be a futile attack against the Japanese carrier fleet during the opening moments of the crucial battle on June 4, 1942. The story causes the viewer to examine the qualities and responsibilities of leadership. Waldron, along with 28 other men of his squadron, was killed during the battle. He valued his Native American (Lakota) heritage and made reference to this fact as a personal inspiration.

Sky Spotters – an entertaining comic from XKCD.

Credit

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

474 The 2017 NBAA-BACE Convention

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:48:16 — 49.6MB)

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.

472 The Martin Aircraft Jetpack

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:31:36 — 42.0MB)

The chief test pilot for Martin Aircraft Company tells us about the Martin Jetpack. Also, the major engine failure of Air France Flight 66, the Emirates A380 that descended below the glideslope on approach, dumping and subsidization claims against Bombardier, a Boeing 737 near miss, and the Airbus Laminar Flow Wing Demonstrator.

Guest

Prospero “Paco” Uybarreta is head of Aircrew & Testing, and the chief test pilot for Martin Aircraft Company Ltd. The Martin Jetpack is an optionally piloted hovering air vehicle currently being developed and tested in New Zealand.

Paco explains the recent interest in personal VTOL air vehicles and describes the use cases. He also tells us about how the Martin Jetpack is more of a small vehicle platform than a backpack-style jetpack. We look at how the regulatory agencies treat vehicles like this, safety considerations, and why the Jetpack operates in both manned and unmanned modes.

Paco has been an experimental test pilot for the U.S. Air Force, Bombardier Aerospace, and Scaled Composites. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and has over 4,400 total pilot hours in 44 different aircraft types with 1,000 instructor pilot hours, 600 flight test hours, and 460 combat hours.

He holds FAA ATPL, Transport Canada ATPL, FAA CFII, and CAA CPL and Cat 1 Test Pilot certificates, with multiple type ratings in Boeing, Bombardier, Beechcraft, and Mitsubishi jet aircraft, and an AV-L39C Experimental Authorization. Paco was the 2015 recipient of the prestigious Iven C. Kincheloe Award for outstanding flight test accomplishments with Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

Paco has been signed off by the New Zealand CAA as a Category 1 test pilot for the Martin Jetpack, which means he is able to conduct manned flight tests of the Martin Jetpack now that it has been awarded experimental aircraft status. He is also approved to train a team of pilots to act as test pilots for the new prototype aircraft. To that end, Paco has designed a test pilot course based on CAA requirements. This includes six hours of academic learning and ten hours of Jetpack simulator training in techniques and maneuvers along with actual flight training.

Learn more about the Martin Jetpack at the Martin Aircraft website, and follow the company on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Aviation News

Air France A380 Makes Emergency Landing After Engine Blows Apart

Air France flight 66 flying from Paris to Los Angeles with 497 PAX experienced a major engine failure at 37,000 feet. The plane diverted to Goose Bay airport in Canada without incident. Photographs published by the passengers show the fan, fan case, and the forward portion of the nacelle missing from the Engine Alliance GP7200. See: Air France Press release: Information About Flight AF066 Paris Los Angeles on 30 September 2017 and Engine breaks up on Air France Airbus A380, forcing emergency landing in Canada.

Engine Alliance GP7200. Red oval shows the missing portion of the engine. Engine rendering courtesy Engine Alliance.

Engine Alliance (EA) is a 50-50 joint venture between GE and Pratt & Whitney. The Fan Module is built by Pratt & Whitney and the Low Pressure Compressor (LPC) is built by Safran Aero Boosters.

Serious Moscow A380 incident investigated

The Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is investigating an Emirates Airbus A380 that “descended below the glideslope on approach” to Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport. Emirates flight EK131 descended to 400 feet at 14.8 kilometers from the runway, aborted the approach, made a second unsuccessful attempt to land, then finally landed safely.

Bombardier C Series faces stiff penalty in initial trade ruling

The U.S. Commerce Department is sympathetic to Boeing’s complaint that Bombardier is “dumping” CSeries passenger jets at below manufacturing cost. That was not unexpected. But what wasn’t expected is the preliminary decision to recommend a 220% tariff on Bombardier. See: US government recommends 220% import tariff on CSeries.

WTO to Probe Canadian Jet Subsidies in New Blow to Bombardier

Brazil asked the World Trade Organization to investigate Canada’s alleged use of more than $3 billion in government subsidies. Brazil claims the loans, equity infusions, grants, and tax credits offered to Bombardier harmed Embraer.

Airliner Reportedly Narrowly Avoids Hitting Glider

A United Airlines Flight 246 flying from Vancouver to Chicago reportedly had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with a glider. The pilot had to execute a climb 400 feet and banked the Boeing 737 hard to the right.

Airbus’s ‘Blade’ Laminar Flow Wing Demonstrator Takes Flight

BLADE is an acronym for Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe, an EU-sponsored Clean Sky aeronautical research program. BLADE looks to achieve a 50 percent reduction in wing friction and up to 5 percent lower CO2 emissions. The Airbus A340 named Flight Lab made its first test flight in France with two transonic laminar outer wings and a flight-test-instrumentation station in the cabin. Airbus news release: European laminar flow research takes a new step with Airbus’ BLADE Flight Lab.

Airbus BLADE test aircraft. Image courtesy Airbus.

Airline Story of the Week

Air India pilot becomes world’s youngest female commander of a Boeing 777

At age 30, Anny Divya became the youngest woman captain of a Boeing 777. See also: Air India’s all-female crew makes history with round-the-world flight.

Mentioned

Fog grounds planes at Huntington Beach air show practice

Listener Anurag created a Power BI dashboard from air crash data starting from 1908: Accidents and Fatalities Trends. He also posted the LinkedIn article Visualising a century of aircraft accidents with Power BI.

Listener Joe built a Vans RV-7A over a period of 4 ½ years and then this past summer flew it to all 48 contiguous states in the span of a two-week vacation. Nevada County couple builds plane and travels to each of the 48 contiguous states. See Joe’s 4-part series on his Rough and Ready Aerospace blog: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Elon Musk proposes city-to-city travel by rocket, right here on Earth

BFR | Earth to Earth

Credit

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

456 What to Watch For at the Paris Air Show

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:22:50 — 37.9MB)

Five things to watch for at the 2017 International Paris Air Show. Also, a ruling that allows the Commerce Department to proceed with its investigation of claims by Boeing that Bombardier is engaging in unfair pricing, the European Union proposes rules for complaints of alleged discriminatory practices, a temporarily grounding of F-35 fighters, certification of the Diesel Cessna Skyhawk JT-A, and the Director General’s Report to the IATA Annual General Meeting.

Paris Air Show Preview

Anand Parameswaran, Sr. Vice President – Aerospace & Defence, at Cyient authored What to watch out for at the 2017 International Paris Air Show. The report details five areas that warrant our attention:

The OEM migration from manufacturer to service provider
The impact of global politics on the defense industry
Building the future aircraft with additive manufacturing
Automating the A&D lifecycle
The rise of the East and Chinese influence in aerospace

Cyient is a global leader in engineering design services, design-led manufacturing, networks and operations, data transformation and analytics.

Anand Parameswaran heads up global Aerospace and Defence at Cyient and leverages Cyient’s capability across product design, manufacturing, and aftermarket solutions. He works around the world with OEMs and tier 1 suppliers.

Aviation News

US allowed to investigate prices of Canada’s Bombardier jets

The U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled that the Commerce Department can proceed with its investigation of claims by Boeing that Bombardier is selling jets in the U.S. at below fair price. Boeing says the CSeries planes benefit from illegal government subsidies. Canada warned it could cancel a planned $2 billion purchase of 18 Boeing military jets over the dispute.

USITC Votes to Continue Investigations on 100- to 150-Seat Large Civil Aircraft from Canada

News Release 17-087, June 9, 2017: “The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is threatened with material injury by reason of imports of 100- to 150-seat large civil aircraft from Canada that are allegedly subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value.”

“As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of this product from Canada, with its preliminary countervailing duty determination due on or about July 21, 2017, and its antidumping duty determination due on or about October 4, 2017.”

EU to tackle unfair airline competition with new rules

Air France KLM and Lufthansa have been complaining that Gulf carriers receive illegal government subsidies. Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad all deny the charge. Now the European Union has proposed rules to allow EU governments and airlines to submit complaints of alleged discriminatory practices to the European Commission.

F-35 flights halted at 1 base after hypoxia-like incidents

The U.S. Air Force temporarily grounded F-35 fighters at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona because of five incidents where pilots reported hypoxia symptoms. In each case, the airplane’s backup oxygen system worked as designed and the pilot was able to land the plane safely.

Diesel Cessna Skyhawk JT-A Awarded FAA Certification

The FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified the Cessna Turbo Skyhawk JT-A with next-generation Garmin G1000 NXi avionics.

IATA AGM: Defending the Business of Freedom

The Director General’s Report on the Global Air Transport Industry was delivered at the IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Cancun, Mexico.

Overall the air transport industry is generating profits above its cost of capital. In 2017 the global airline industry is expected to generate a $31.4 billion profit on $743 billion in revenues.

Protectionism is replacing globalization, and that’s a threat to the industry.

Flying remains the safest form of long distance travel. IATA is concerned about states not fully investigating air accidents.

The landmark Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) was agreed to at the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) 39th Assembly. Seventy states representing at least 80% of anticipated future growth have indicated their voluntary participation in the scheme. The U.S. pulling out of Paris Agreement is cause for concern.

Alternatives must be found to the electronics ban on large portable electronic devices.

IATA is concerned about a looming infrastructure crisis is looming. Existing infrastructure is inadequate and development plans are not ambitious enough.

IATA urged governments to be cautious when privatizing infrastructure assets.

Listener Recording

Brian asks, “How do aviation writers come up with aviation topics?”

Mentioned

F-35A Filmed Rehearsing Its New Flight Demonstration Routine In Preparation For Paris Air Show 2017

U.S. Air Force F-35A “AF-78” tail number 13-5072 from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah performed a low show aerial demonstration practice for the 2017 Paris Air Show, near Fort Worth, Texas. Aviation photographer Caulun Belcher of Texas shot the video of the F-35A rehearsal.

Paying a Price for 8 Days of Flying in America

Reporter Sarah Lyall spent a week crisscrossing the U.S. in Economy class. She provides a day-by-day account of her trip.

Plane Resurrection

Great show, available on Netflix, watch it if you can. They are also on Twitter and Facebook.

Have you ever wondered what a jet sounds like if you were just floating at altitude without an engine?

A high altitude weather balloon experiences a close flyby from a Delta Airbus A319.

On YouTube: RAW AUDIO | EXTREMELY close Airbus A319 flyby captured by GoPro on a High Altitude Weather Balloon

Credit

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

451 Talking About Planes with Carl Stebbings

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:30:12 — 41.3MB)

Carl Stebbings, the host of the Plane Talking UK podcast, helps us discuss the Chinese Comac C919 first flight, an F-35B assembled in Italy, a UK airline trade group manifesto, a vintage de Havilland Vampire literally tears up a runway, Boeing accuses Bombardier of dumping the CSeries in the U.S., a report on the May 2016 crash of EgyptAir MS804, and the first fatal crash of the Icon A-5 amphibious LSA.

Guest

Carl Stebbings, Plane Talking UK Podcast

Carlos (Carl) Stebbings is the host of the Plane Talking UK Podcast. He joins in our conversation of recent aviation news, and he also tells us about some of his memorable flights including a Tupolev Tu-134 and riding in the jump seat of a B757. Carl’s favorite remains the L-1011 Tristar, but he also talks about the DC-10.

The Plane Talking UK Podcast started in 2013 as an audio show, but it’s now a live program with a chat room and PTUK YouTube channel. We hear how Carl got started with podcasting and about the exciting plans for his 200th episode.

Like many AvGeeks, Carl’s love of aviation started at a young age as he was able to do a lot of traveling. He has flown on more aircraft types than most people can mention and Carl is an avid plane spotter, as well as a private pilot in training.

Carl the owner of a mobile disco business and when he isn’t spinning CDs or podcasting, he works for the largest book printer in England. In addition, his very understanding, long-suffering wife, Gemma, has grown to accept that most holidays will involve losing her husband at the airport while he goes off plane spotting!

Aviation News

China’s New Jetliner, the Comac C919, Takes Flight for First Time

The Chinese Comac C919 airliner made its first public flight May 5, 2017. The C919 is a single-aisle twin in the same class as the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320neo, and powered by the CFM56 LEAP-1C.

First F-35B Assembled Internationally Rolled Out of Cameri FACO Production Facility

David Cenciotti writes in The Aviationist that “the first F-35B, the Short Take-Off Vertical Landing variant of the the F-35 Lightning II, destined to the Italian Navy, rolled out of the Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Cameri, in northwestern Italy.” This is the first F-35B assembled internationally. First flight is planned for late August, with delivery to the Italian MoD in November 2017.

This Cool Footage Shows U.S. F-35A Lightning II Combat Planes Flying Through The Famous Mach Loop For The First Time

UK airlines set out manifesto asks for new Parliament

Airlines UK, the industry association that represents UK-registered carriers, published a manifesto of policy actions for the next Parliament. The association believes these would result in stronger, more competitive UK airlines.

Vintage plane rips up runway during take-off in Wolverhampton

This video from a vintage air show at Wolverhampton’s Halfpenny Green Airport shows how the jet blast from a de Havilland Vampire ripped up the runway as it took off.

OPINION: Boeing’s CSeries trade complaint lacks credibility

Boeing says Bombardier is selling CSeries jets in the U.S. at “absurdly low” prices and as a result, the company has suffered an injury to its business. Boeing wants the Commerce Department to impose duties on Bombardier.

Reports: French investigators suspect fire caused EgyptAir crash

Reportedly, French air accident investigation agency BEA found no trace of explosives on the bodies of the victims of the crash of EgyptAir MS804 which disappeared over the Mediterranean in May 2016. The A320’s Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), indicated smoke in an avionics bay under the flight deck and in a lavatory.

Two Killed In Icon A5 Crash

An Icon A-5 amphibious LSA crashed in California May 8, 2017, killing two people on board. Both were Icon employees. This is the first fatal crash of the airplane.

Mentioned

Listener Luke sent us the link to a video interview with Captain John Hutchinson, discussing some interesting facts about the crash of Air France 4590.

John Hutchinson on Air France Flight 4590

Credit

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

430 Captain Nick: Born to Fly

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:34:52 — 43.5MB)

We talk with an Airbus captain and former military pilot. In the news, a charter flight runs out of fuel and crashes, first delivery of the Bombardier CS300, an airline pilot suffers a heart attack, managing massive amounts of aviation data, charging for overhead bins, an autopilot system for general aviation, and a big pay raise for Delta pilots. Also, flying the Diamond DA42NG, and remembering December 7, 1941 and the 75th anniversary of that day.

airBaltic CS300. Photo courtesy Bombardier.

Guest

Captain Nick Anderson

Captain Nick Anderson always wanted to be an airline pilot. He joined the Air Cadets at age 13, went solo in a glider at 17, gained a flying scholarship at age 18 and earned a Private Pilot’s Licence. Capt. Nick joined the RAF at age 21 and trained on the Chipmunk, Jet Provost, Folland Gnat, and Hawker Hunter. He then streamed to fighters and posted to No 43 (F) Sqn, The Fighting Cocks, flying the F4 Phantom FG1.

During a 19 year career, Capt. Nick moved from the Phantom to the Hawk T1 trainer as an A1 fast jet Qualified Flying Instructor, then back to the Phantom to become a Qualified Weapons Instructor. He then moved to Australia on an exchange tour flying the F/A 18 for the No 77 Sqn RAAF, and finally back to the UK to fly the Panavia F3 Tornado Air Defence Variant.

After obtaining his Air Transport Pilot’s Licence and leaving the military, Capt. Nick joined an airline, flying the Airbus A340-300, Airbus A340-600, and the Airbus A330-300 on long haul flights.

Currently, you can hear Capt. Nick and his Plane Tails segment on the Airline Pilot Guy podcast with Captain Jeff, Dr. Steph, and Miami Rick. Find Capt. Nick on Twitter, Facebook, and at his website Nick Anderson Photographic.

News

Pilot told Colombia controllers plane ran out of fuel before crash

Not Enough Fuel: The Disgusting Truth About LaMia Flight 2933

Brazilian soccer team’s airline was warned it didn’t have enough fuel before taking off on fatal flight

LaMia charter flight 2933 from Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia to Medellín in Colombia crashed November 28, 2016, killing 71 of the 68 passengers and 9 crew. Apparently, the Avro RJ-85 did not have sufficient fuel for the route flown.

World’s first Bombardier CS300 aircraft arrives in Riga

Exclusive: On Board the Delivery Flight of the first CS300 to airBaltic

airBaltic, the national airline of Latvia, became the first airline to take delivery of the Bombardier CS300. Commercial operations are set to begin December 14, 2016.

Airline pilot suffers heart attack at Glasgow Airport

The captain of a KLM flight about to leave Glasgow for Amsterdam suffered a heart attack as the plane taxied to the runway. The crew and a passenger resuscitated the pilot. He was listed in stable condition at the hospital.

GE Aviation Launches Configuration Data Exchange to Reduce Maintenance Costs

#PaxEx Podcast: Diving into big data as IoT of aviation takes flight

Why bizav is also a key market for GE’s new data exchange

The Configuration Data Exchange connects aviation companies and provides a “data pipeline” for operations, maintenance, and configuration data. The two-way asset data flow can support airlines, MROs, lessors, OEMs, and parts brokers. In #PaxEx Podcast #41, industry consultant Michael Denis explains why operators need to know how to process the data and make it meaningful.

Travelers react to United Airlines plan to charge extra fee for use of overhead bins

United Airlines has a new ticket option called “Basic Economy,” which allows passengers to bring only one small item on board, which must fit under the seat. Checked bags incur a fee.

New Autopilot STC Project Follows EAA’s Lead

The STC Group is leading a project to certify the Trio Pro Pilot autopilot system in Cessna 172 and 182 aircraft. This is a “two-axis system with full navigation capabilities, envelope protection, return-to-level and 180 degree turn features for unintended IMC encounters.”

Delta pilots get 30 percent raise by 2019 in new contract

Eighty two percent of the pilots voting have ratified a new four-year contract, retroactive to the beginning of 2016. Delta’s 13,000 pilots get an immediate 18% pay raise, and a cumulative 30% percent by Jan. 1, 2019.

The Airplane of the Week

Remembering December 7, 1941, the 75th anniversary of the day that will live in Infamy, and a few of the people who were there: Lt. Phillip Rasmussen and his P-36A, P-40 Pilots George Welsh and Kenneth M. Taylor, Nakajima B5N2 “Kate” pilot Mitsuo Fuchida.

Mentioned

Diamond DA42NG – Max Trescott has been flying a new Diamond and tells us his reaction.

Diamond DA42. Photo courtesy Diamond Aircraft.

12 Planes of Christmas – An online giving campaign from the Commemorative Air Force.

Shark US – VLOG 1 – Cheese Burgers and Milkshakes at the Robin’s Nest Flying the Shark US to the Robin’s Nest Cafe at Shannon Airport (KEZF) in Fredericksburg, Virginia for a “$100 hamburger.”

The RV-4 VH-NOJ Jon Johanssen flew around the world is now preserved at the South Australian Aviation Museum.

Air Tractors in action as water bombers during a bad bushfire north of Adelaide South Australia during November 2015.

Credit

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

424 A Center for Aviation Studies

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:38 — 46.6MB)

The Ohio State University’s Center for Aviation Studies, a student pilot killed under mysterious circumstances, new wings for F-15C/Ds, new airline regulations, Bombardier layoffs, seat assignments by passenger size, hot props, airshow and air race reports, and a paint job that fails as a conspiracy theory.

Guest

Martin Rottler

Martin Rottler, M.S., CFI, is a Lecturer and the Industry Relations Coordinator for the Ohio State University’s Center for Aviation Studies in Columbus, OH.

Martin explains the degree programs offered for students seeking professional pilot, management, operations, airport planning, or airport management careers. We discuss the passion for aviation that students have today, the cost of education and flight training, the pilot shortage, and accumulating hours with activities such as giving flight instruction, flying 135 cargo, and skydiving operations. Martin talks about efforts to increase student diversity, as well as pilot cadet programs in conjunction with airlines. These offer several benefits to students, including tuition reimbursement, airline company introductions, ground school, and social events.

osu As a lecturer, Martin is primarily responsible for teaching several courses a semester and advising students. As the Center’s Industry Relations Coordinator, Martin is the primary point of contact for the program’s industry partners across all facets of the aviation industry, including airlines, business aviation, and airports.

Martin brings a variety of aviation experiences to his teaching, having worked in Corporate Flight Operations for Cirrus Aircraft in Duluth, MN and in Flight Operations Quality Assurance at Korean Air in Seoul, South Korea. He currently holds a Commercial Pilot certificate, an Instrument Rating and is a Certified Flight Instructor.

Learn more about the Ohio State University’s Center for Aviation Studies at aviation.osu.edu and follow the Center on Twitter at @cas_osu. Martin’s home page is MartinRottler.net, he’s @martinrottler on Twitter, and he’s also has on Instragram.

News

Student Pilot Killed in East Hartford Crash Died of Smoke Inhalation, Thermal Injuries

Student pilot Feras M. Freitekh, a Jordanian national, was killed and his instructor, Arian Prevalla injured when their twin-engine Piper PA-34 crashed on Main Street, in East Hartford, Connecticut. The crash site is directly across the street from Pratt & Whitney. Reportedly, Freitekh was arguing with his instructor before the flight.

AOPA Asks Supreme Court to Hear Aircraft Liability Case

In 2005, an airplane crashed after an engine failure, killing the pilot. His spouse sued the engine manufacturer, claiming a carburetor design defect. In 2014, a U.S. District Court found that there was no design defect in the carburetor because the engine was certified and approved by the FAA. A U.S. Court of Appeals reversed the decision in April 2016, ruling that FAA certification of the engine did not mean there was no design defect, and the FAA does not preempt state law standards of care as far as aviation products liability goes.

USAF looks to push F-15C/Ds out to 2045!

How do you extend the service life of F-15C/Ds to 2045? With the F-15C/D Wing Replacement Program. The new wings will be based on the F-15E production wing

With his time on Air Force One short, Obama touts new airline regulations

President Obama recently described new regulations aimed at increasing airline competition protecting customers interests. Not all airlines are in favor of these rules, which include:

A refund of checked bag fees if your bags are delayed
Airlines have to publish more information about their on-time arrivals and lost baggage
Protections for disabled passengers
Greater price transparency for online ticket platforms

Bombardier plans to shed thousands of jobs through 2018

Bombardier plans to eliminate 7,500 more jobs as part of the company’s previously announced five-year turnaround plan. The workforce reductions affect both the aircraft and rail businesses.

Hawaiian Airlines Will Continue to Assign Flight Seats Based on Passenger Weight

Federal complaints against Hawaiian Airlines claimed the airline practice of assigning seats only at the terminal discriminated against Samoans. The complaint has been denied and Hawaiian will continue the policy on flights between Honolulu and American Samoa.

The Airplane of the Week

This week, the conspiracy theorists came out to play. VFC-12 debuted a new camouflage scheme, based on the SU-34 Fullbacks seen in action over Syria. Photos of the new camo appeared first on Facebook, on a page that is dedicated to Adversary and Aggressor aircraft. The photos were then somehow hijacked into a story about the U.S. planning a “false flag” operation in Syria.

Photo by David Vanderhoof.

Listener Recording

Ted attended the Red Bull Air Race in Indianapolis and sent us a great audio report.

Race plane, airliner, and helicopter at the Red Bull air race. Can you spot all three? Photo by Ted.

Mentioned

FS In Focus Show Podcast With Nick Anderson, Max Flight and Tracy Shiffman

Max Flight was a guest on the FS In Focus podcast with host Nicolas Jackson. The show aired live on Sky Blue Radio on October 15th, 2016. The episode starts with Capt. Nick from the Airline Pilot Guy podcast, then Max comes in at 1:03:00 talking jet engine technology. Tracy Shiffman from VATSIM’s Worldflight charity group starts at 1:42:00.

Goodbye, Queen of the Skies

Brian has been traveling quite a bit lately, including to Singapore and Hong Kong. He did manage to see the last flight of the Cathay 747.

Huntington Beach Airshow

img_0497_600

Back in California, Brian caught the Huntington Beach Airshow and recorded an interview with Staff Sgt Danny Wolfram of the United States Air Force. He was entertained by the “Screamin Sasquatch,” a biplane with a jet engine.

Screamin’ Sasquatch

Applications Open for EAA Founder’s Innovation Prize

Do You Know Your Canary? [PDF] on the FAA Portable Reduced Oxygen Training Enclosure program.

Jodi Brommer and the Model 61 Long-EZ

Goolwa to Bankstown via Griffith Oct 2016 photo journal from Mark Newton.

Paul Filmer visited North Korea for the airshow and came back with some amazing photographs. Find some at Global Aviation Resource and more at Paul’s site, Skippyscage.

Paul Filmer

Credit

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