Tag Archives: D-Day

575 U.S. Army Golden Knights

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16:40 — 35.2MB)

Interviews with the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team and the crew chief of the T-38 Spirit of Alliance at the Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show. In the news, internal Boeing messages about the 737 MAX, an almost 20-hour non-stop flight from New York to Sydney, the German airfare tax increase, and aviation travel perks to encourage ground transportation by train. Also, registering a foreign plane in the U.S.

U.S. Army Golden Knights

The Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show was held on October 19 – 20, 2019, at the Fort Worth Alliance Airport. Performers included the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team. Our reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari rode in the jump plane and interviewed Golden Knights SFC Roman Grijalva, SSG Morgan George, and CW4 Felicia Marlow.

Launchpad with the U.S. Army Golden Knights.

T-38 Spirit of Alliance

Launchpad speaks with Butch Wonderland, crew chief of the T-38 Spirit of Alliance in its Thunderbirds paint scheme.

Video: Ross Perot Jr.’s T-38 (Spirit of Alliance) “NX385AF”

Aviation News

Text messages show Boeing employees knew in 2016 of problems that turned deadly on the 737 Max

In 2016, a text message from Boeing’s chief technical pilot for the 737 to a technical pilot said the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was engaging “itself like crazy,” and called the problem “egregious.” Furthermore, the chief technical pilot said that he basically unknowingly lied to the FAA. In a letter to Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg on Friday, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said: “I expect your explanation immediately.”

More:

Human guinea pigs about to embark on world’s first 20-hour airline flight

Qantas flew the first non-stop commercial airline flight from New York to Sydney after 19 hours and 16 minutes in the air. During the flight, a series of experiments were conducted to assess the health and well-being of those on board. Three ultra-long-haul research flights are planned.

More:

Germany’s Increased Aviation Taxes Are Set To Come Into Force In April 2020

An increase in the so-called German “climate tax” will likely cause airfares to increase. The tax increase of 38% and will affect all domestic and Europe flights as well as mid and long-haul. Revenue from the tax will be used to offset train VAT by over 10%.

BART proposing plan to let riders jump security lines at SFO

Passenger numbers at LAX are increasing but more and more of them are using Uber and Lyft for ground transportation. The use of trains is down 10%. Now the BART Board of Directors is considering offering transit riders with access to “priority” airport security check-in lanes.

Report

Buying a Plane, Part 6

Reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari explains how he registered his Focke-Wulf in the United States.

Mentioned

Libertas - 75th Anniversary of D-DayLibertas – 75th Anniversary of D-Day

In this documentary video, veterans’ advocate CJ Machado trains with the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team in preparation for the group’s jump at the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. We also hear surviving heroes of the “Greatest Generation” recount their experiences liberating Europe.

CJ Machado was our guest on Episode 529, in November 2018.

Airliners.net, Airfleets.net, and the Plane Finder app

Hawker Sea Fury “September Fury” – Race 232 Reno 2013

574 Airtime Videos

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:58 — 46.7MB)

The new Airtime video series provides insights into innovators and disruptors, including Dale Klapmeier, co-founder of Cirrus Aircraft. In the news, we discuss the FAA Women In Aviation Advisory Board, the augmented and virtual reality market in aviation, AOPA’s Air Safety Institute GA Accident Analysis, and the Porsche / Boeing collaboration for an urban air mobility aircraft. We also have the return of the Aviation Minute.

Guest

Stephen Newton, producer if Airtime.

Stephen Newton, producer of Airtime.

Stephen Newton is the founder and managing partner of the consultancy Elixirr. Stephen is a qualified pilot, an Airplane Geeks listener, and he’s produced a new series called Airtime where he interviews CEOs and founders of forward-thinking and disruptive companies. Stephen flies his guests in a Cirrus SR22T to locations that have some relationship to the story being told.

Airtime is a show that is interesting to business people and aviators. Through travel to the places that formed them as humans, you get to know the people behind innovative concepts and learn how that helped them build their visions for the future.

Cirrus Aircraft co-founder Dale Klapmeier is the guest on the second episode of Airtime. It’s a story about someone who has created something meaningful, significant, against all odds, and what it took to pull it off. The lessons are not just “aviation lessons,” they apply anywhere.

Stephen believes creating and foreseeing innovation in the business world is similar to the spirit of aviation held by pilots and the restlessness and curiosity they experience along with the need to manage risks.

Aviation News

FAA Launches Women In Aviation Advisory Board

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced that the FAA has established a Women in Aviation Advisory Board to “provide independent advice and recommendations to the FAA in supporting women’s involvement in the aviation field.” The Board was established to meet the requirements of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (PDF).

The augmented and virtual reality market in aviation is projected to grow from USD 78 million in 2019 to USD 1,372 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 61.2%

This from a new report, “Augmented and Virtual Reality Market in Aviation by Technology, Function, Component, Application, Product, Vertical And Region – Global Forecast to 2025.” The report says AR/VR growth will come from increasing efficiency and cost savings in aviation in functions such as manufacturing, maintenance, airport operations, airline operations, aviation training, and others.

AOPA’s Air Safety Institute Releases 28th Nall GA Accident Analysis

The report looks at airplanes that weigh less than 12,500 pounds and helicopters of all sizes. Despite an increase in GA total flight hours, the overall fatal accident trend is down.

Porsche is building an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) with Boeing

Porsche and Boeing signed a memorandum of understanding to “explore the premium urban air mobility market and the extension of urban traffic into [the] airspace.” A concept for an electric VTOL vehicle is being developed by Boeing, Porsche, and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences.

Mentioned

Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, October 19-20, 2019.

The D-Day Squadron announced a partnership with the documentary film Into Flight Once More, produced by Sound Off Films, which is currently in production and raising completion funds for an anticipated 2020 release. The film commemorates the D-Day Squadron’s crossing of the Atlantic with fifteen historic C-47 and DC-3 aircraft to honor the 75th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 2019.

554 Bits & Pieces XXIV

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13:28 — 33.7MB)

The upcoming Innovations in Flight Family Day and Aviation Display at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, a trip report from an aviation tour of the Pacific Northwest, Micah’s update of his piece on flight simulators, observations from the D-Day Squadron gathering in Connecticut, Launchpad Marzari’s personal connection to the Normandy invasion, and the smoke oil used by airshow performers.

This is a Bits & Pieces episode with recorded segments from the hosts and contributors. The segments that make up this episode:

Innovations in Flight

Max and Micah talk about the Innovations in Flight Family Day and Aviation Display at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum coming up June 15, 2019. The museum is located next to Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia, just west of Washington, D.C.

Max’s Pacific Northwest AvGeek Adventure 2019

Max and Isaac give a trip report on their adventure visiting aviation-related and other destinations in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, and around Seattle, Washington. They toured the Viking Air factory and stopped in at the BC Aviation Museum, the NAV Canada Victoria Harbor Tower, the Vancouver Flight Center, the Canadian Museum of Flight, the Historic Flight Foundation, the Museum of Flight, and several other attractions.

Victoria Harbor

DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400. Courtesy Viking Air.

Viking Air Tour Group

BC Aviation Museum

NAV Canada Victoria Harbor Tower View

Canadian Museum of Flight

Historic Flight Foundation

Museum of Flight

See the photo album for more images.

The Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission exhibit is open through September 2, 2019, at the Museum of Flight. Be sure to listen to the Flight Deck Podcast, produced by the museum.

Music of Modern Flight – Redux

Our Main(e) Man Micah refreshes his piece on flight simulation that we played in Episode 277.

D-Day Squadron

This year is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Normandy. Commemoration activities are planned in Europe, including Daks over Normandy, where C-47’s and other aircraft will recreate paratrooper drops. The North American contingent of these WW airplanes is called the D-Day Squadron. Many of those aircraft assembled at the Waterbury-Oxford Airport in Connecticut before beginning their journey to Europe. Max Flight attended and was fortunate enough to take a press ride in Placid Lassie, a beautiful C-47 that was originally delivered to the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1943. See Max’s photo album of the event.

That’s All — Brother inflight from Placid Lassie.

D Day Doll at Sunrise

Miss Virginia

Virginia Ann Departing for Europe

Video: D-Day Squadron’s Departure Prep For Normandy

Launchpad Marzari and his Personal Connection to D-Day

Our Airplane Geeks reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari has a personal connection to the D-Day invasion, and he tells us the story.

Normandy Invasion Map in Launchpad’s Office. Click for hi-resolution image of the map itself (20 MB).

Smoke Oil

A few episodes ago, we wondered what smoke oil was all about. We got some good listener feedback that helps explain what it is and how it is generated.

AeroShell Smoke Oil Data Sheet (PDF).

Smoke oil – the essence of every air show from Warter Aviation.

Credit

Photographs by Max Flight, unless noted otherwise. Normandy Invasion map by Launchpad Marzari. Outtro by Bruno Misonne.