Tag Archives: LiveATC.net

746 Live ATC Transmissions

Live and recorded ATC transmissions from LiveATC.net. In the news, the FAA Acting Administrator is stepping down, Airbus and Air France are cleared in the Air France Flight 447 accident, the FAA has some advice for terrain avoidance and warning systems, and ADs for Boeing 747-8s and B-17s.

Guest

Dave Pasco, founder and CEO of LiveATC.net.

Dave Pascoe is the founder and CEO of LiveATC.net, the world’s largest aviation radio voice data collection. Dave has had a life-long obsession with radio and technology, which led him to an MSEE degree and a career that spans RF technology to large-scale IT systems management.

Dave made a few minor detours along the way. One of those detours turned into LiveATC.net, which Dave started in late 2002. The service hosts live audio streams and archived voice data from over 3,000 channels of air traffic radio transmissions at over 1,400 airports and ATC control areas. Dave is also an active instrument-rated private pilot and avid ham radio operator.

Dave describes how the service is used by pilots, student pilots, CFIs, flight schools, aircraft operators, FBOs, the NTSB, and more. Volunteers capture the transmissions, often with a simple Raspberry Pi and a software defined radio. In addition, Dave often supports events such as EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Sun ‘N Fun, and the Air Race Classic.

Aviation News

FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen To Depart Agency

Nolen announced he’d be leaving the FAA to spend more time with his family. He became Acting Administrator in April 2022 when former FAA Administrator Steve Dickson stepped down before his term was finished.

Air France and Airbus cleared over fatal 2009 Rio-Paris crash

Air France Flight 447, an A330, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009, killing all 228 people on board. A French court has determined that a causal link between any possible errors made and the crash could not be proved. “A probable causal link isn’t sufficient to characterize an offense,” the judge said in her statement. Families of the victims were shocked and angered by the finding.

FAA Issues Notice Warning Pilots Not To Silence TAWS Alerts

A terrain avoidance and warning system (TAWS) seeks to avoid controlled flight into terrain accidents. TAWS is the generic term for a ground proximity warning system (GPWS). According to the notice, “Alerts from TAWS can become a nuisance or a distraction to pilots when flying at altitudes below the alerting threshold of the system. This may result in the pilot’s decision to inhibit the system. Inhibiting warning systems and ignoring warnings, combined with deteriorating weather conditions leading to loss of visual surface reference and situational awareness, has been found to be the cause of some CFIT [controlled flight into terrain] accidents.”

FAA Proposes New Airworthiness Directive For Boeing 747-8 Aircraft

The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) concerning “cracks in stringers, common to the end fittings, forward and aft of the pressure bulkhead at station (STA) 2360 at multiple stringer locations” on 747-8i and 747–8F series aircraft. The proposed AD would require repetitive inspections of stringer sidewalls and certain stringer assemblies.

In its investigation, the FAA determined that during assembly, un-shimmed or incorrectly shimmed gaps larger than what is required caused “excessive and sustained internal tensile stresses and resulted in stress corrosion cracking in the stringers.”

See also: AD Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (AD NPRM) – FAA-2023-0657

Coming Airworthiness Directive Expected to Ground All Airworthy B-17s

The FAA is preparing to issue an AD that will likely ground all B-17 aircraft due to “wing spar issues.” The Yankee Air Museum has already grounded its Boeing B-17G (“Yankee Lady”) in anticipation of the AD. The upcoming AD may be a result of wing spar issues found in the EAA’s B-17 “Aluminum Overcast.” That plane has been grounded since April 2021.

GlobalAir.com says in Rumors fly of AD that will ground all B-17 aircraft that Hangar Thirteen is restoring a B-17 and posted on Facebook about the Yankee Lady. The post noted that wing spars are a common issue within the B-17 community, citing a 2001 AD from the FAA concerning cracking and corrosion of the wing spar chords, bolts and bolt holes of the spar chords and wing terminals, and a correction of any problems found during inspections.”

According to Aero Vintage, there are now only four operational B-17s left. While there may be 46 total complete airframes and 18 registered in the U.S., many are currently being restored or used as display pieces.

Australia News Desk

Aviation pioneer Max Hazelton sadly passed away shortly before his 96th birthday after quite the career. Max was the founder of Hazelton Airlines which became a subsidiary of Ansett Airlines and then merged with Kendell Airlines to become Regional Express (aka REX) after Ansett went under in September 2001.

Vale Max Hazelton

Speaking of REX, they’ve taken a financial stake in a local electric propulsion company.

Rex Takes Stake In New Technology Electric Aircraft

Meanwhile, Qantas’ bid to take over Alliance Airlines is blocked by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Qantas are not happy about it.

Qantas’ Purchase of Alliance Blocked

Finally, a former RAF Mustang arrives at the Hunter Fighter Collection in Scone where it was reassembled to static display in just three days.

Ex-RAF Museum P-51D Arrives in Australia

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, Rob Mark, David Vanderhoof, and Max Trescott. Contributions by Grant McHerron and Steve Visscher.

715 Airline Seats

A human factors and ergonomics expert explains the importance of airline seat comfort and safety. We also talk with the founder and CEO of LiveATC.net and present our traditional Labor Day message.

Airline Seats

Photo of Dr. Mica Endsley
Dr. Mica Endsley

Dr. Mica Endsley is the Government Relations Chair for the Human Factors & Ergonomics Society (HFES). She’s also president of SA Technologies, a situational awareness research, design, and training firm. She was formerly the Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force.

Mica joins us to talk about airline seats from comfort and safety perspectives, taking into account the scientific human factors data that is relevant to this subject. The FAA is currently addressing seat size at the direction of Congress so this is a timely topic.

Airline seating has a massive impact not only on the physical comfort but also on the psychology and overall well-being of travelers. So much so that the HFES wrote Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Policy Statement on Airline Seating [PDF] which outlines and endorses a number of changes to airline seating. HFES makes six recommendations in its report:

  1. The FAA should update its standards to account for widespread physical changes of the average passenger. This should reflect requiring seat widths and seat belts that accommodate 95 percent of the general population.
  1. The FAA should mandate a minimum seat pitch to accommodate the seated height of 95 percent of the general population (38.5”). Alternatively, 3 or 4-point restraints should be provided, as is done in some aircraft for premium cabins.
  1. The FAA guidelines should specify the inclusion of footrests and adjustable lumbar supports to reduce neck and back strains and injuries.
  1. FAA policy on emergency evacuations should include consideration for variation in waist size in addition to age and gender.
  1. When updating seat dimension standards, the FAA should take into consideration possible adverse health effects of airline seats and review whether larger seating spaces should be mandated for long-duration flights.
  1. The FAA, internally as well as through the National Academies and the National Institutes of Health, should determine whether the body of research regarding airline seat dimensions is sufficient to draw a full range of recommendations. If there is not sufficient research available, the FAA should request additional research on this topic.

Comments in response to FAA Request for Comments in Minimum Seat Dimensions Necessary for Safety of Air Passengers (Emergency Evacuation) [PDF]

Mica’s educational background is in Industrial Engineering with a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Tech University and a Master of Science degree from Purdue University.  She earned her Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Southern California. Mica is recognized internationally in the field of human factors, situational awareness, and related areas. It’s very much an honor to have her speak with us today.

Labor Day

Rob Mark presents his annual Labor Day message.

LiveATC.net

Hillel Glazer, our Aviation Entrepreneurship and Innovation Correspondent, brings us another “Beyond the Press Release” interview from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022. This time he speaks with Dave Pascoe, the founder of LiveATC.net.

LiveATC.net logo

The site is a popular resource for those who enjoy listening to and talking about Air Traffic Control. LiveATC.net is a listener and advertiser-supported site: volunteers with scanners can join the network and contribute data. LiveATC.Net was the first site to provide both live and recorded ATC audio transmissions with instant archive retrieval.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, David Vanderhoof, Rob Mark, Brian Coleman, and Hillel Glazer.

664 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 – Part 2

Continued coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 with the National Air Transportation Association, teTra Aviation, Pod-A-Palooza, and EAA Radio.

National Air Transportation Association

Airplane Geeks Innovation and Entrepreneurship Correspondent Hillel Glazer speaks with Ryan Waguespack, Sr. VP of the National Air Transportation Association on the role of the association, the market, challenges, and opportunities. NATA represents airports, FBOs, and other aviation businesses and services with an emphasis on local, rural, and general aviation interests and benefits in aviation.

teTra Aviation

Hillel also talks with teTra Aviation CEO Tasuku Nakai and Engineer Koya Kuwamura to discuss their vision for eVTOL and UAM as well as their current product which they brought to Oshkosh. teTra is the winner of the “Pratt and Whitney Disruptor Prize” in the GoFly Prize competition awarded in Feb 2020. This is a great example of how competition can bring new participants with out-of-the-box ideas to create new markets.

Pod-A-Palooza

A group of aviation podcasters assembled for what has been the annual gathering called Pod-A-Palooza. That event at Oshkosh has been organized by different people over the years, most recently by Airplane Geeks reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari. With his tragic passing, many podcasters and others wanted to get together and say something about our friend Brad. Thanks to Pipistrel Aircraft for letting us use their booth space.

Among others, you’ll hear Ken VeArd from Pilot Partner, Jim Goldman from the Uncontrolled Airspace Podcast, Nicholas Tupper (@FOD-Tupper), Steve Tupper from the Airspeed Podcast, Dave Pascoe from LiveATC.net, Max Flight from the Airplane Geeks podcast, Mike Harris from the Why We Fly podcast, and Pilot Kent from the Pilotcast podcast.

EAA Radio

EAA Radio broadcasts from Oshkosh during AirVenture. Max Flight was interviewed for a segment and we’d like to thank EAA Radio for making the recording available.