Airplane Geeks - Episode 118 - The Return of Runway Girl [ 1:34:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (5692)

Mary Kirby, the “Runway Girl” returns as our guest to talk about airlines using social media to generate revenue, the future for inflight connectivity, Aircell’s business aviation strategy, and more. Mary blogs on FlightGlobal as RunwayGirl, follow her on Twitter, and be sure to visit RunwayGirlMaryKirby’s Channel on YouTube.

The week’s aviation news:

• Air Canada forges deal with United
• U.S., Japanese Airlines Win Approval for Alliance
• Southwest Wants Into Washington National
• Commercial rocketplane takes first gliding flight test
• Israel to pay $2.7B for F-35I jets

Mentions:

• SimpliFlying
• MySkyStatus by Lufthansa
• The official Frontier Airlines customer service assist Twitter account, FrontierCare
• Aircell for BizAv on Twitter
• Dragons of Thin Air: The Less Concise Fear of Flying Course

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Airplane Geeks - Episode 117 - Something Fishy Here [ 1:29:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (5924)

Guest Steven Frischling, who goes by “Fish,” writes the Flying with Fish blog and is the founder of The Travel Strategist which helps businesses use travel effectively and efficiently. David has a few more field interviews from the Oceana Airshow and Steve and Grant from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast have their Australia Desk report.

The week’s aviation news:

• Bombardier to launch new large business jet
• EADS To Rule On Airbus A320 Neo Decision
• Iraq offered new F-16s with older missiles
• Eurocopter X3 begins testing; company calls it a turboprop-helicopter hybrid

On airline consolidations:

• United is merged: CEO Smisek is ready to take on the world
• Southwest to buy AirTran for $1.42 billion
• Rival mergers put new pressure on American Airlines
• Avoiding the Reset Button

Mentions:

• Spirit of Wenatchee, Home of Miss Veedol
• Airspeed Podcast

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Airplane Geeks - Episode 110 - Social Media in Aviation [ 1:37:58 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (6031)

Guest Ashley Moore is Founder and President of The Aviation PR Group, which helps aviation businesses find their niche audience through marketing, public relations and communications. She’s an Embry-Riddle graduate, was associate editor for Professional Pilot Magazine, and she worked for NATA representing the interests of GA airports, FBOs and other aviation businesses.

We also have a special appearance by our new listener Harriat. We touch on just a few of her many aviation adventures.

The week’s aviation news:

• JetBlue memo questions flight attendant’s motive
• Southwest May Add Bigger 737 Jet for Busiest Routes
• Delta airline unveils option for customers to book flights on Facebook
• 5 social media lessons for Air Canada
• Russia, NORAD complete joint air defense drills
• GCI executive recalls plane crash that killed Ted Stevens
• Will pilotless aircraft be safer in flight?

Mentions:

• Speculation over delay of Air Force tanker contracts heats up – An interview with Richard Aboulafia

To listen to Podapalooza 2010 from EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, view event photos, and see all the aviation podcasts represented, visit these sites:

• Pilots Journey Podcast
• Mile High Flyers Podcast
• Student Pilot Podcast

Winners of the World Airport Data iPhone app giveaway:

• Kevin Heistermann
• Ben Stephens
• Stuart Stevenson

Listeners Harriet and Micah taken before their second helicopter flight out in Alberta in 2009:

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Airplane Geeks - Episode 109 - Plane Gabbing with Gavin [ 1:43:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (6908)

Guest Gavin Werbeloff is a long time aviation enthusiast who tweets as travel_buddha. He’s active on the online aero community, initially through fleetbuzz and then flyertalk, and he’s written a few pieces for travelcrisis.com.

The week’s aviation news:

• Only Two Bids for KC-X — US Aerospace/Antonov is OUT
• Report: Skywest might be interested in Comair
• Regional airlines SkyWest, ExpressJet agree to join
• July traffic rose 3.4 pct at Southwest Airlines
• Airbus A350 gets Asian boost as Cathay endorses jet
• Zimbabwe officials spark ‘unnecessary panic’ over London to Harare plane ‘accident drill’
• School Launches Aging Aircraft Maintenance Site

Mentions:

• Aging Aircraft Education & Training
• The World Airport Data app for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. (Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later)
• Addison Schonland’s IAGblog Podcasts
• FlightMemory

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Airplane Geeks - Episode 91 - Flying with Chris Manno [ 1:14:55 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (6882)

Our guest this episode is Chris Manno, an airline captain, teacher at Embry-Riddle University and sometimes at Texas Christian University, and writer of the JetHead blog. He also cartoons about life at the airline over at FlightcrewZoo.

We have a special appearance by Christopher White, Director of Public Relations for AirTran Airways. Chris was with us way back in Episode 48 to talk about AirTran’s inflight WiFi. This episode, Chris contributes to the discussion about the recent Southwest and AirTran videos “poking fun” at each other:

• Southwest Airlines Commercial: Battle Cry
• AirTran Video: Skip the Stampede

The week’s aviation news:

• AirTran Jabs at Southwest Air With a Cow Herding Ad
• W.T.O. Affirms Ruling of Improper Airbus Aid
• Airline Safety Bill Passes US Senate; 3407 Families Celebrate
• U.S. Senate passes $34.5B aviation bill aimed at updating air-traffic-control system, safety rules
• Dead Tired
• When Will Foreigners Be Able to Own US Airlines? Not Anytime Soon
• Pentagon Develops Plan to Buy New Air Force One Fleet

As ususal, we have our This Week in Aviation history lesson and the report from the Australia Desk.

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Airplane Geeks - Episode 85 - Sitting with RunwayGirl [ 1:27:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (5193)

Guest Mary Kirby (aka, RunwayGirl) from Flight Global joins in a discussion of the week’s aviation news, the airline seat debacle, and inflight entertainment and connectivity. Mary is a recognized authority on these topics and brings insight you won’t find elsewhere.

• JAL Picks American, but Delta’s Hardly a Loser in This Tussle
• U.S. grants oneworld airline alliance antitrust immunity
• Michael O’Leary challenges Stelios to a “Chariots of Fire” race around Trafalgar Square
• Director Kevin Smith doesn’t like getting kicked off Southwest Airlines flight
• Take a Peek Inside the 747-8 Test Plane
• Airport body scans defy Islamic law
• U.S. ‘Star Wars’ laser plane successfully shoots down ballistic missile for first time

David Vanderhoof has another This Week in Aviation, and Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast have their Australia Desk report.

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Airplane Geeks - Episode 82 - Rainbows and Unicorns [ 1:41:31 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (4281)

Guest Martin Rottler talks about aviation education and how exposure to flying affects academic performance by young students. Martin is an airline business junkie, and an FAA licensed commercial pilot for single and multi-engine aircraft, a CFI, and he holds an Instrument Rating. Currently, Martin is a graduate student working on a Master’s Degree at the University of North Dakota. He blogs at http://martinrottler.com/.

• Military compassion helps Haiti
• Air Force, FAA use Russian aircraft to move mobile air traffic control tower to Haiti
• Schwartz: Tanker Fixed Price May Change
• USAF Chief Scientist Looking To Change Game
• American Airlines parent AMR closes dire decade with $1.47 billion loss for 2009
• Southwest posts Q4 profit as costs drop
• Southwest CEO: Energy is bigger than healthcare
• United CEO: There will be another airline merger
• JAL Bankruptcy Filing Sets Off Reorganization and State-Led Bailout
• NASA Announces Designs for Personal Flying Suit
• CES: AR.Drone helicopter controllable by iPhone
• Al Qaeda linked to rogue aviation network

David Vanderhoof has another This Week in Aviation, Steve Visscher and Virtual Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast have their Australia Desk report, and Court has another Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment.

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 64 - Experiential Journeys [ 1:19:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (4514)

Guest Jeffrey Ward, the Savvy Navigator, has been in the travel industry for over 20 years, about half of that with American Airlines. He now provides travelers with experiential journeys to places like South Africa, Argentina, and Costa Rica.

We have the week’s aviation news and our report from the Airplane Geeks Australia Desk. David Vanderhoof joins us for his This Week in Aviation history lesson, Dan Webb interviews Gary Kelly, the CEO of Southwest Airlines, and we have some listener mail.

The news:

• Airbus Loans Toward A380 Jumbo Faulted in WTO Ruling
• Boeing’s tanker bid may gain from WTO ruling on Airbus
• Zapping things from the sky: Airborne Boeing laser blasts ground target
• Airline losses ‘hit $1bn a month’
• Lufthansa, JetBlue Launch Code Share
• Evergreen Aviation 747 drops retardant on California wildfires
• Drunk pilot: Where have you hidden the runway?

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Airplane Geeks - Episode 63 - Free Junk Kept Forever [ 1:26:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (4351)

This episode’s guest is Mike Friesen, Principal at Leading Strategies, a provider of  consulting services and coaching for aviation executives, particularly in the airport industry. He’s also a former U.S. military pilot, having flown the F-4 Phantom and the F-15.

We talk about aviation news from the past week and we have a report from the Airplane Geeks Australia Desk (which is expecially amusing this time). We also have our This Week in Aviation history lesson from David Vanderhoof, and some listener mail.

The news:

• Seatbacks in Position and Empty, Please
• NTSB calls for new air traffic rules over Hudson River
• FAA: Southwest operating 40-plus 737s with uncertified parts
• National Business Travel Association International Convention & Exposition
• Cliff Notes: Seven key items from today’s 787 announcement
• Virgin America’s Second Quarter Results Show Improvement

A photo of the Etrich Taube, the airplane mentioned in David’s This Week in Aviation segment as the first aerial bombardment of a city by a fixed wing aircraft, can be found in Wikipedia.

The photo above is of our own Dan Webb at the National Business Travel Association International Convention & Exposition. It was taken when he wasn’t collecting free junk.

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 62 - The Youngest Airplane Geek [ 1:18:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (4057)

Evan, from the Evan Flys website, joins Dan, Rob, and Max to prove that airplane geeks come in all sizes and ages. Evan has a passion for aviation, especially warbird aviators and airshow performers. In fact, he’s interviewed a number of them, he can be heard on Flight Line Internet Radio, and he writes a monthly column for Atlantic Flyer magazine.

• SWA ‘seriously considering’ Canada/Mexico/Caribbean flying in 2011
• Government clears air crew in recent runway stranding
• Eclipse Aviation purchase approved
• Flight Delay Predictor Saves Airport Time and Hassle
• NTSB Needs to Re-Admit NATCA to Investigation
• What’s up with the naked unruly fliers? and Man Strips Naked On Plane, Punches Lady In Face
• Fly kid grounded

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave us voice mail at (812) 757-4252.

This episode’s opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. Visit his site at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.