Tag Archives: MH370

695 Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:08 — 30.3MB)

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and how it is being made available, how you can save on airline tickets, an F-35 shoots down a drone, and the eighth anniversary of the loss of flight MH370.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Richard Thacker, Atlantic Aviation — Richard Thacker

Richard Thacker is the Director of Strategy and Operations at Atlantic Aviation. Rich has been with Atlantic for more than 30 years and has been a leading voice for the company, and broadly in the aviation industry on increasing sustainability through education and outreach.

Atlantic operates one of the largest FBO networks in the U.S. and they provide a full suite of services to the private aviation sector. We asked Rich to come on the show and talk about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) because Atlantic is making it available at some airports.

SAF is jet fuel and no change is required to the aircraft or ground support infrastructure. It can be freely co-mingled with JET-A. Rich explains why now is the time for sustainable aviation fuel. We look at sources, availability, and the cost of SAF.

There are two main producers of SAF at this time: Neste and World Energy. Most SAF comes from Neste, a supplier of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, through Avfuel. (See Neste’s role in sustainable aviation and Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Now Offering Neste MY SAF). World Fuel Services gets SAF through an agreement with World Energy.

Atlantic is providing SAF at its Aspen and Los Angeles locations but has plans for wider distribution. Rich notes that since SAF availability is primarily on the coast, road transportation is required to reach inland airports. For its Aspen facility, Atlantic uses renewable diesel in the tanker trucks since burning fossil fuel to deliver sustainable aviation fuel wouldn’t make sense.

Rich explains the “Book and Claim” process for purchasing fuel where SAF isn’t available. “Green credits” are purchased equal to the SAF premium and the SAF is consumed where it is available.

Atlantic is taking other measures to reduce carbon footprint, including switching to LED lighting and electrifying ground support equipment. For more on the classification of emissions, see the article What are scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions?

Scott’s Cheap Flights

Brian Coleman interviewed Scott Keyes, the founder and chief flight expert from Scott’s Cheap Flights, a service that notifies subscribers about great airline deals from their home airport. We learn how a hobby turned into a business and Scott provides some good context for the current state of airline fares. Free and paid membership options are available.

Scott’s Cheap Flights serves nearly 2 million members and has a distributed team of more than fifty travel aficionados. Scott authored a bestselling book divulging some of the secrets used to find amazing deals for members, Take More Vacations: How to Search Better, Book Better Cheaper, and Travel the World.

Through April 30, 2022, Scott is offering Airplane Geeks listeners a 25% discount on a Premium membership. Use the discount code GEEKS.

Israeli News Desk

Eyal relates that an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman released an announcement on March 1, 2022, about a shootdown of two Iranian UAVs in June 2021 carrying weapons destined for HAMAS. The interception and shootdown had been made by an Israeli F-35A, the first operational and actual kill for the F-35 family worldwide.

MH370

Rob Coates marks the eighth anniversary of the disappearance of flight MH 370. As of this date, the plane has still not been located.

American Helicopter Museum

Airplane Geeks listeners can enjoy a one-year individual membership at a 50% discount. For $25.00 (normally $50.00) you get:

Unlimited admission to the Museum for one year.
Two One-Day Guest Passes.
Admission to FamilyFest and SantaFest.
Invitations to Member Receptions.
10% discount on gift shop purchases.

The offer is good through May 31, 2022, at this link.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, Rob Mark, Max Trescott, and Brian Coleman, with contributions from Eyal Shay and Rob Coates.

640 Australian Women Pilots

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:22:21 — 37.7MB)

Amazing true stories of Australian woman pilots, predicting the air travel recovery, airline response to shifting demand, flying across the Atlantic on the jetstream, roles for USAF tankers, preventing cabin crew from disappearing, and an Alaska Airlines sweepstakes for lovers.

Guest

Kathy Mexted, author of Australian Women Pilots.

Kathy Mexted is a writer, photographer, and editor of AirSport Magazine from Sport Aircraft Association Australia, a general aviation organization. She’s written for several publications and her recently published book is titled Australian Woman Pilots, Amazing True Stories of Women in the Air.

Kathy’s book tells the stories of ten Australian women pilots, and we look at three in particular. Gaby Kennard flew around the world in a Saratoga, mostly following Amelia Earhart’s route. In a ferrying operation, Lyn Gray had to ditch a Seminole 500 miles off Hawaii, requiring a U.S. Coastguard operation. Patricia Toole flew cargo and passenger flights in rugged and dangerous New Guinea. Meeting Patricia just before her death motivated Kathy to tell the inspiring stories of these women pilots.

Aviation News

Air travel recovery likely pushed back to 2022

The optimism that the Covid vaccine would quickly turn everything around for the travel industry may have been premature. We see the slow pace of vaccinations, which may not prevent you from transmitting the virus to others, mutations popping up, closed borders, and no consensus on so-called “vaccine passports.” The International Air Transport Association that in a worst-case scenario, passenger traffic may only improve by 13 percent this year.

Airlines Are Ditching Business Hubs and Rerouting Flights to Florida

Leisure travel is showing signs of life, but business travel is not. Since convenience is important to leisure travelers, airlines are responding with more direct routes.

Fly like the wind: Pilots are about to cross the Atlantic in a whole new way

More than 1,300 flights used to occur daily over the North Atlantic. Radar cannot cover the entire distance, so to maintain safe separation, the organized track structure (OTS) was created. Safe, but not the most efficient. However, Reading University researchers found that over the course of a typical winter, a 2.7% saving on carbon emission per passenger could be obtained if aircraft flew routes that took advantage of the wind.

Air Force Hunts for Ways to Use Not-Quite-Ready Tankers

The behind-schedule Boeing KC-46 tankers are still in testing because of the improvements needed for its refueling system. In addition, two problems exist with the plane’s auxiliary power unit. The Air Mobility Command is “exploring limited operational capability for the KC-46.”

Airline to confiscate cabin crew’s passports after second flight attendant goes missing during layover

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said it will confiscate cabin crew passports during layovers. Twice now flight attendants have gone missing for the return leg of a round-trip.

Alaska Airlines offers pandemic’s locked-down lovers a chance at free flights

This offer expired, but Alaska Airlines held a contest where 100 couples won roundtrip tickets. The “Booking for Love Sweepstakes” requested stories from couples who had “a long-distance love that began during the lock down or was separated by stay-at-home orders.”

AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 Update

Planning for the 2021 event continues, but with Covid-19 protocols in place. Get the latest information at the EAA page for Oshkosh 2021 Covid updates.

FAA Creates Gateways for new Presidential TFR

AOPA has been working with the FAA and other agencies since October to gather information about how future presidential TFRs might impact general aviation operations, part of a yearslong effort spanning many administrations to mitigate the economic damage and inconvenience that these restrictions can cause.

Mentioned

DARPA Disc Rotor Helicopter and other projects

Video: DARPA/Boeing DiscRotor

A Curator Special: The Impossible Case of MH370, a special episode of the podcast Monocle 24: The Curator from Monocle.

Hampton Roads Helicopters, a full-service aviation company for both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft based at Hampton Roads Executive Airport (PVG).

542 Airline Seats

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:26 — 38.7MB)

Airline seats from Layer Design that you control with an app, Boeing-Embraer deals, business jet deliveries, re-engining the B-52 fleet, regional jets and scope clauses, lithium-ion battery ban on commercial flights, another MH360 theory, F117 rumors, and flying with a fake license. Also, an airplane of the week, and two must-see videos.

“Move” prototype airline seats. Courtesy Layer Design.

Aviation News

Airbus economy seat prototype: Are these the future of airline cabins?

London-based Layer Design has developed the prototype “Move” airline seats for Airbus. These are intended to improve the experience of Economy Class short- to mid-haul flying. Sensors in the seat and measure seat tension, temperature, pressure, and movement. The Move app can be used to maintain optimal ergonomic comfort.

Boeing-Embraer Venture Gets Shareholders Approval

Embraer shareholders approved the deal to sell 80 percent of their commercial jet division to Boeing. They also voted to approve a separate JV for the KC-390. Regulatory approval is pending.

The Vision Jet Was the Most-Delivered Business Jet in 2018

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) says Cirrus delivered 63 SF50 Vision Jets, 22 in the fourth quarter. Bombardier delivered 60 Challenger 350 jets, the Cessna Citation Latitude had 57 deliveries, the Embraer Phenom 300E light jet saw 53 deliveries, while HondaJet and the Cessna Citation CJ3+ tied at 37 deliveries. Overall, business jet deliveries increased to 703 last year, up from 677 in 2017.

Rolls-Royce Indianapolis to compete for $1B U.S. Air Force contract, new jobs

In 2017, U.S. Air Force announced plans to replace the ancient Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines that currently power its B-52 bombers. Rolls-Royce wants to bid on the 650 re-engine contract with its F130 engine. The Air Force hasn’t yet issued an RFP

United Airlines Orders First Class Regional Jets – But They’re Not For You

This is a story about scope clauses, under configuring an airplane and sending a message to the labor union, according to writer Samuel Engel. United plans to seat 50 in the CRJ550, a new variant of the Bombardier CRJ-700 series aircraft that normally seats 70-76. The plan is 10 first-class seats, 20 economy-plus seats, and 20 economy-class seats.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces Major Rule to Strengthen Safety Provisions for Lithium Batteries Transported by Aircraft

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in coordination with the FAA, issued an Interim Final Rule that prohibits the transport of lithium ion cells or batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft. In addition, lithium ion cells and batteries must be shipped at not more than a 30 percent state of charge aboard cargo-only aircraft. For further information, see the Interim Final Rule as submitted to the Federal Register. You may submit comments to the Rule under Docket Number PHMSA‑2016‑0014 at Regulations.gov.

‘Desperate’ final 12 minutes of MH370 passengers and crew

March 8 marks the 5th anniversary of the loss of MH370. In his book The Hunt for MH370, Journalist Ean Higgins explores a theory that portrays the flight crew as valiantly trying to deal with a cockpit fire.

Let’s Talk About The Rumor That F117s Have Flown Missions In The Middle East Recently

F-117 Nighthawks have been spotted flying over Death Valley recently. One source claimed that F-117s were sent to the Middle East on a highly covert mission.

Senior SAA pilot fired for flying with fake licence for 20 years

A South African Airways pilot flew for 20 years on a forged airline transport pilot license. This came to light during an investigation into an over speed incident.

Video of the Week

FIRST LOOK – New USAF F-35 Full Aerobatic Demonstration!

A video of the new aerobatic demonstration routine flown by the US Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team. Filmed opposite the crowd at the 2019 Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona.

The Airplane of the Week

Nakajima B5N, Type 97 Bomber (the “Kate”) at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, formerly known as Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor.

Nakajima B5N, Type 97 Bomber (the “Kate”) at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.

The Zero.

Mentioned

Women Take Flight, at the New England Air Museum, Saturday, March 9, 2019.

SUN ‘n FUN, April 2 – 7, 2019, Lakeland, Florida.

USAF Female Fighter Pilots: March 8 recruitment campaign upcoming movie

Listener Jonathan behind the bar on the Emirates 380.

493 The Flying Tigers and the Forgotten War

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:38:47 — 45.3MB)

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.

Having 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:

National Helicopter Museum, Stratford, Connecticut.
National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida.
National Museum of Commercial Aviation, Forest Park, Georgia.
National Model Aviation Museum, Muncie, Indiana.
National World War II Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana.
National Airline History Museum, Kansas City, Missouri.
National Soaring Museum, Elmira, New York.
Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, Dayton, Ohio.
National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.
National Aviation Hall of Fame, Dayton, Ohio.
National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, Virginia.

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.

490 The Airbus A350

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:40:26 — 46.0MB)

We talk with an Airbus A350 captain who has a long history flying commercial aircraft. In the news, we consider one-person flight crews, U.S. airlines looking to scale back consumer protection regulations, ADS-B vulnerabilities for military aircraft, and largest ever Piper order for training planes, plans for the Air Force bomber fleet, and Southwest runs out of glycol. We also have a conversation about ATIS with the Chief of the Air Traffic Control Division at Robert Gray Army Airfield.

Malaysia Airlines A350. Photo by H Gousse, courtesy Airbus.

Guest

Airbus A350 Captain Bill Palmer.

Bill Palmer is an A350 captain and an instructor pilot/check airman. He has been heavily involved in Airbus training since the early 1990’s, and Bill is the author of Understanding Air France 447 and other publications on Airbus flight control laws. Bill also holds a commercial glider rating and flies his Rolladen-Schneider LS-3 for fun in southern California.

Bill describes the transition to the A350 as like going from DOS to Windows. The aircraft shares some commonality with A380, and Bill describes fly-by-wire and the flight control laws. We also hear about other features of the A350, such as the paperless cockpit implementation and the availability airport runway, taxiway, and gate information to pilot. The plane will calculate landing distance and brake to the correct speed for the selected taxiway. Bill also describes the A350 runway overrun protection and the auto-flight system’s automatic TCAS and wind shear recovery.

Bill started flying at the age of 15, soloed on his 16th birthday and completed his private certificate at 17. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and holds a BS in Aeronautical Science. He earned his flight instructor certificate in 1978 and has been instructing almost non-stop since then while holding airplane, instrument, multi-engine, and ground instructor certificates. Besides light aircraft he has also taught on the 727, 757, A320, DC-10, and A330, and written manuals for the DC-10, A330, and B-787 fleets. He has also produced numerous training publications and videos for the various fleets as well.

Visit Bill’s webpage Understanding Air France 447 and his Trend Vector blog. His books Understanding Air France 447, Airbus A330 Normal Law: Putting fly-by-wire into perspective, and Airbus Flight Control Laws: The Reconfiguration Laws are available on Amazon.com and at other retailers.

Aviation News

Boeing raises prospect of only one pilot in the cockpit of planes

At the Singapore Airshow, Boeing research and technology vice-president Charles Toups said, “We are studying [one pilot operations], and where you will first see that is probably in cargo transport, so the passenger question is off the table.” Also at the Singapore Air Show, ST Aerospace showed the concept for an unmanned freighter piloted by an artificially intelligent computer. ST Aero was optimistic about an unmanned freighter within the next five years.

Airlines seeking to snuff traveler rights?

In the Wall Street Journal, Scott McCartney reports that last October the U.S. Department of Transportation asked airlines to suggest changes or cuts to regulations. Airlines for America filed 222 pages of comments. United Airlines added 50 pages.

Vulnerable To Cyber Attacks, ADS-B May Expose F-22s To Web Based Tracking GAO Warns

A 45-page Government Accountability Office report titled Urgent Need for DOD and FAA to Address Risks and Improve Planning for Technology That Tracks Military Aircraft [PDF] says that neither the Department of Defense nor the FAA has taken significant steps to mitigate security risks associated with openly transmitting flight data from military aircraft.

Piper Receives Largest Trainer Order in Company History

Chinese Fanmei Aviation Technologies has ordered 152 training aircraft from Piper Aircraft. Fanmei is Piper’s dealer in China, and a subsidiary of Sichuan Fan-Mei Education Group Co., which provides aviation education in China. This is reported to be the largest single order for training airplanes in Piper’s history. The seven-year purchase agreement is valued at $74 million and includes 100 Archer TX single-engine trainers, 50 twin-engine Seminoles, one Seneca twin, and one Piper M350.

Air Force outlines future of bomber force

In its Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request, the Air Force outlined plans for its bomber fleet, which include a plan to update the B-52 Stratofortress fleet, continue modifications to the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets, while continuing to acquire B-21 Raiders.

‘How does one airline run out of de-icer?’: Some gripes at Midway after Southwest’s cancellations

Southwest Airlines had to cancel more than 250 flights from Midway Airport after running out of de-icing fluid. One of the glycol tank pumps wasn’t working properly and some of the de-icing fluid could not be accessed.

Updated 6/10/2019: Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) has updated its informational guide webpage. See Chicago Midway International Airport (Guide).

Interview

Reporter-at-Large Launchpad Marzari talks about ATIS (automatic terminal information service) with Mark N. Vick, Chief, Air Traffic Control Division, Directorate of Aviation Operations at Robert Gray Army Airfield, Fort Hood Texas, a military joint-use airport that operates alongside Killeen–Fort Hood Regional Airport.

Mentioned

Rolls-Royce UltraFan® – The Ultimate Jet Engine and Lego Ultrafan in the flesh! @RollsRoyce, a video on Twitter by Andrew Smyth‏.

Nine Aviation and Space Achievements Compete for the 2017 Collier Trophy [PDF] and GA Companies Among Those Vying for Collier Trophy.

Heavens Above

The 101-year-old woman who flew Spitfires in WW2

MH370: Malaysian military sidelines crash investigators as power play emerges on search team and MH370 conspiracy theory involves Seabed Constructor and chest from shipwreck.

Credit

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

418 Airline Security and Safety

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:31:07 — 41.7MB)

Aviation security since 9/11, smartphones on airplanes and more lithium-ion battery woes, the Boeing middle of the market airplane, another idea on how to find MH370, flying commercially to Cuba, and a review of the movie Sully.

Guest

Cynthia Drescher

Cynthia Drescher is a professional travel journalist, a contributing digital editor at Condé Nast Traveler, and a contributing editor at the Runwaygirl Network.

We discuss how airline and airport security have changed in the fifteen years since the 9/11 attacks. Also, the current issue with smartphone battery fires and how the airlines are responding. Cynthia recently examined safety problems when passenger smartphones fall into airplane seats, and we talk about what the airlines might do in response.

Cynthia visited Cuba, having flown there on the first JetBlue flight. She tells us about the travel experience and her impressions of the country and its people. We also learn which airplanes Cynthia enjoys, and the one that is not her favorite.

Follow Cynthia on Twitter at @JetSetCD, and on Instagram.

News

How Airport Security Has Changed Since 9/11

It is estimated that the U.S. has spent almost $100 billion on security since the September 11 attack. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created by Congress, we have hardened and bulletproof cockpit doors, no-fly lists, detection machines of various sorts, shoe removal, limits on liquids, profiling, checkpoints, and much more. Are we more secure? And what’s next?

Air Force, Running Low on Drone Pilots, Turns to Contractors in Terror Fight

Drones play a large role in the military response to terrorism. A drone requires a pilot, and with lots of drones, the U.S. Air Force needs lots of drone pilots. Private contractors are being used for reconnaissance missions, but are prohibited from being “trigger pullers” and firing weapons.

Samsung’s exploding Galaxy Note faces airline bans

Some Galaxy Note7 smartphones have experienced lithium-ion battery fires. While Samsung has stopped sales of the phone and has initiated an Exchange Program for U.S. consumers, airlines and the FAA are taking action.

The necessity of smart stowage for smartphones on aircraft

Guest Cynthia Drescher describes the safety implications of smartphones that slip inside airline seats, and what might be done about it.

Can Boeing compete with the Airbus A321neo? And does it want to?

In the mid-size aircraft arena, the Boeing 737 MAX 9 is losing to the Airbus A321neo, which is larger and has a longer range. This size-class has been called MOM, or Middle Of the Market, while Boeing is calling it the New Mid-range Airplane or NMA. Such a plane could be a 737 stretch, while others are saying a new twin-aisle is possible.

Drifting Flaperon Decoys Next MH370 Gambit

There’s a new idea in the search for MH370: Drop Boeing 777 flaperon replicas into the sea at suspected crash sites, and see if any end up at the beach on Reunion Island. That’s where a flaperon from the 777 drifted. If one of the replicas does as well, the drop point gives you a targeted area to search.

Lawsuit seeks to block Alaska Airlines’ $4 billion acquisition of Virgin

The plaintiffs argue the deal would weaken competition in the industry, causing job loss and higher fare prices.

The Aircraft of the Week

af-2w_af-2s_vs-25

David continues through this collection of listener-requested aircraft of the week. This week’s aircraft was requested by Mike Stuemer. The Grumman AF Guardian was the bridge between two Classic aircraft: the Grumman TBF Avenger and the S-2 Tracker. It was too big, too slow, and flown in pairs, but it wrote the book on how to track subs.

In the next few weeks, David will take on the challenge brought forth by Chris Ruark: the F-105 Thunderchief, or THUD!

Movie Review

Rob Mark reviews the film “Sully.”

Mentioned

Airventure 2016 in my Sonex – from Mike Smith

How to Eat an Airplane

Tesla hires top designer Randy Rodriguez, man behind: Nissan 370Z, Titan and ICON A5 aircraft

Airbus Loses 2 Orders, Boeing May Gain $7 Billion Fighter Sale

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team 360VR Experience Launched at Oshkosh 2016

AeroShell 2016 VR Experience 360

Yankee Air Museum Destroyed In Fire (OV-10 Bronco Association)

Yankee Air Museum (Wikipedia)

Yankee Air Museum (official site)

The F-35 Stealth Fighter May Never Be Ready for Combat

Credit

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

411 Making Airlines Remarkable

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:32:28 — 42.4MB)

Airline branding and marketing strategies, Farnborough International Airshow 2016 coverage, an MH370 update, Southwest Airlines revenue and a system glitch, a large Chinese amphibian, a few world records, and news from Maine.

Guest

Shashank Nigam, CEO, SimpliFlying

Shashank Nigam is the CEO of SimpliFlying, a large aviation marketing strategy firm. We talk with Shashank about airline branding strategies and how they need to be different from those of typical consumer goods. He tells us about the changes implemented by some of his airline clients to better serve the new connected traveler, how airlines should manage crisis, and the value of empowered employees.

A sought-after consultant and speaker on aviation marketing, Shashank started SimpliFlying in 2009 as a blog on airline marketing. Since then, he and his team have built SimpliFlying into a global leader in airline consulting, having worked with more than 70 airlines and airports over the past seven years. Their latest projects include the Bombardier CSeries launch, and a re-design of the customer service strategy for Cebu Pacific. Shashank has a book coming out about airline marketing called SOAR. The book shares how some of the most innovative airline brands delight customers and inspire employees.

Farnborough International Airshow 2016

Brian, Micah, and the Trent

We kick off our coverage of the Farnborough Airshow with two interviews by Brian and Micah. First, we hear from Capt. Jeff and Dr. Steff from the Airline Pilot Guy show. They discuss their efforts to put together the live recording and meetup at Farnborough. Then Brian and Micah have an interesting conversation with Airbus A350 XWB marketing director Mike Bausor about the A350. We’ll bring you many additional interviews in future episodes.

The guys also had an opportunity to speak with Rolls Royce about the Trent Ultra in development. The Ultra will be a geared turbofan with all-carbon fiber fan blades. Perhaps most interesting, the fan blades will have adjustable pitch and be fully reversible, eliminating the need for thrust reversers. The engine in development after the Ultra features electrically driven fans powered by constant speed turbines that drive a generator.

Seated from left to right: Captain Nick, Captain Jeff, Dr. Steph. Standing: Markus Völter (Omega Tau), Micah, Carlos Stebbins (Plane Talking UK), Pilot Pip (Plane Safety Podcast) , Captain Al Evans (PTUK guest host and contributor), Brian. Photo by Daniel Hannington,

The F-35 on static display.

News

MH370 Pilot Flew a Suicide Route on His Home Simulator Closely Matching Final Flight

This publication “obtained a confidential document from the Malaysian police investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that shows that the plane’s captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, conducted a simulated flight deep into the remote southern Indian Ocean less than a month before the plane vanished under uncannily similar circumstances.”

Southwest Sees Revenue Reversal As Terror Fears Hit Delta, United

Southwest’s second quarter earnings per share were up 15.5% to 1.19, slightly under estimate. Revenue was up 5% to $5.38 billion, and traffic growth was 6%, while capacity was up 4.8%. See also Southwest Airlines: “Things Are Getting Better” An Update and an Apology on Systemwide Outages and Delta Air Lines Will Slow Growth to Ensure Business Travelers Pay Higher Fares.

China introduces Boeing 737-sized seaplane

The state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China just introduced the AG600, the biggest amphibian of any modern military.

Fedor Konyukhov breaks world hot air balloon record

64-year old Russian balloonist Fedor Konyukhov flew around the world solo in eleven days.

The Last Flight of the Round-the-World Solar Flight

Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg have realized their dream of achieving the first ever Round-The-World Solar Flight! From the Solar Impulse website: “Beyond this historic milestone, the two Swiss pioneers will continue to urge the global implementation of energy efficient solutions through the creation of the International Committee for Clean Technologies and leverage the expertise and technology gained over the years in Solar Impulse by launching new innovative projects, such as the development of solar powered drones. Join the movement with #futureisclean.”

Mentioned

Video Captures Apparent Spin Accident

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Wins Best Air Show – The results from the USA Today 10 Best U.S. Airshows voting.

Boeing’s Centennial Projection Spectacular – A highly recommended video.

This plane could cross the Atlantic in 3.5 hours. Why did it fail?

Credit

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