Ben from the One Mile at a Time blog joins Dan, Max and Rob to talk aviation news and how to fly a lot of miles on the cheap.

• Boeing delays 787 first flight again, cites excessive stress in ‘upperwing join area’
• In Blow to Boeing, Qantas Drops Order
• Boeing Delay Upends Plans of Leasing Firms
• Clear service for fliers abruptly shuts down
• FAA panel to develop rules on pilot fatigue by September
• Terrified tourists boycott Thomas Cook flight home after being told to sit at back ‘to help balance the jet’
• Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary wants passengers to carry all their bags to the plane
• Second Domestic Airfare Hike of the Year Initiated
• Airlines Reaffirm Environmental Commitment
• ATA Voices Concerns to Speaker Pelosi Regarding Cap and Trade Legislation
• Airlines jacking up summer airfares
• Computer Failures Are Probed in Jet Crash

We also have our report from the Airplane Geeks Australia Desk, an additional airline news report from Stephen, and a This Week in Aviation segment.

Dan’s aviation website pick of the week is Widgetheads.net, a Delta Air Lines fan site.

Don’t forget to send us your ideas for Airplane Geeks T-Shirts!

Follow the Airplane Geeks on Twitter as @AirplaneGeeks, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave us voice mail at (81….

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love. You can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

This is Court’s last episode as he leaves the podcast to head North in search of employment.  Rob Mark from JetWhine.com and Dan Webb from ThingsintheSky.com replace Courtney as Max’s co-hosts and, as usual with these two, things get funny quickly.

• Crash Prompts Call For Black Box Reforms

• United May Purchase 150 Planes From Boeing or Airbus

• US shells out $10M for unmanned aircraft that can perch like a bird

• AOPA and EAA work to protect, grow GA

• House passes Chaffetz bill banning ‘invasive’ airport screenings

• Budget Airline to Charge for Toilet Use (…again)

• Southwest Airlines pilots turn down new deal

Max’s pick of the week is AerHub.

Don’t forget to send us your ideas for Airplane Geeks T-Shirts!

The Airplane Geeks are now on Twitter! You can follow us @AirplaneGeeks.

Make sure to sign up for our new newsletter, “Airplane Geeks Week in Aviation.”
We’ll be bringing you these show notes, as well as some of the week’s news we didn’t have time to cover.
You can sign up at AirplaneGeeks.com.

Brother Love is responsible for this episode’s opening and closing
music, and you can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

If you have a question or a comment for the Airplane Geeks, you
can send it to thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. If you have
a question or comment you’d like mentioned on the podcast, this is the best
way to go about it.

We had a great time talking with Mary Kirby, or perhaps better known as RunwayGirl from the Runway Girl Blog.  She takes the time to talk earnings (or lack of), bad PR, and snakes.  Yes, snakes.

• EADS Willing to Consider Splitting Air Force Tanker Contract With Boeing

• Four snakes ground Qantas plane

• Analysts weigh in on Southwest Airlines’ loss and prospects

• Two years of the biggest business travel stories

• White House: Easing Cuba travel restrictions likely to lead to more flights

• United Airlines to charge overweight passengers for two seats

Max’s pick of the week is aircraft.factualtv.com

Don’t forget to send us your ideas for Airplane Geeks T-Shirts!

The Airplane Geeks are now on Twitter! You can follow us @AirplaneGeeks.

Make sure to sign up for our new newsletter, “Airplane Geeks Week in Aviation.”
We’ll be bringing you these show notes, as well as some of the week’s news we didn’t have time to cover.
You can sign up at AirplaneGeeks.com.

Brother Love is responsible for this episode’s opening and closing
music, and you can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

If you have a question or a comment for the Airplane Geeks, you
can send it to thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. If you have
a question or comment you’d like mentioned on the podcast, this is the best
way to go about it.

Evan Sparks joins The Geeks this week as we talk aviation policy.  There’ s quite a bit of emails and we finally get our listener voicemail up.  Of course, as usual there’s the news:

• ASA grounds 60 jets over bad inspections

• Jetstar Asia revamp with Choo Tek Wong partnership

• The Battle for the Armrest: Could a New Design End Elbow Wars?

• Experts say biofuel-powered commercial flights possible within five years

• 1 Billion Passengers Expected In 2021

• Airline passengers revolt against hours spent on the tarmac

• Oberstar Questions Virgin America

Max’s pick of the week is e-Go Aeroplanes.

The Airplane Geeks are now on Twitter! You can follow us @AirplaneGeeks.

Make sure to sign up for our new newsletter, “Airplane Geeks Week in Aviation.”
We’ll be bringing you these show notes, as well as some of the week’s news we didn’t have time to cover.
You can sign up at AirplaneGeeks.com.

Brother Love is responsible for this episode’s opening and closing
music, and you can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

If you have a question or a comment for the Airplane Geeks, you
can send it to thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. If you have
a question or comment you’d like mentioned on the podcast, this is the best
way to go about it.

Max and Court welcome Will Hawkins, Rico Sharqawi, and David Allen from APilotsStory.com and Pilots Flight Pod Log Podcast.  We wrap up 2008, and discuss the breaking news out of Denver:

Data recorders found after Denver plane accident

ExcelAire Pilots Face Criminal Trial

British Airways, Qantas Talks Fail on Ownership Split

AOPA: TSA Plans To Step Up GA Scrutiny At Commercial Airports

TSA to listen to pilot concerns on proposed security program

Ten Worst Air Travel Stories of ‘08

Max’s pick of the week is the Plane Spotter Radius Search.  Drag the little plane spotter guy to some location on the map (typically someplace near you) and it shows the planes within a 10 mile radius.

The Airplane Geeks are now on Twitter!  You can follow us @AirplaneGeeks.

Make sure to sign up for our new newsletter, “Airplane Geeks Week in Aviation.”
We’ll be bringing you these show notes, as well as some of the week’s news we didn’t have time to cover.
You can sign up at AirplaneGeeks.com.

Brother Love is responsible for this episode’s opening and closing
music, and you can visit his site at brotherloverocks.com.

If you have a question or a comment for the Airplane Geeks, you
can send it to thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. If you have
a question you’d like mentioned on the podcast, this is the best
way to go about it.

First up, an obituary for EAA Director Emeritus Bob Gyllenswan
News for this week:

• Passengers suing to block Delta-Northwest deal get trial date
• UPDATE:Boeing Takes Controlling Stake In Parts JV With AVIC I
• US lawmaker: Bring back air – safety survey
• Boeing Joins Lockheed Martin On Blackswift
• Plane makes emergency landing at Manila

We also go through listener emails and voice mails as we hear from former guests Dan Webb and Ryan Keough.

he intro music is once again produced by Bruno Misonne.  Check out Bruno’s aviation music at http://www.brunomisonne.com.

If you have a question or a comment for the Airplane Geeks, you can send it to thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com.

You can also leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252. If you have a question you’d like mentioned on the podcast, this is the best way to go about it.