Zean Nielsen is the CEO of Cirrus Aircraft. In this follow-up to last year’s interview, we get caught up with current Cirrus directions and plans. Zean succeeded co-founder Dale Klapmeier in 2019. Prior to joining Cirrus, Zean was executive vice president of North American sales for James Hardie Industries, and he held senior marketing executive roles at Tesla.
Mack and Zara Rutherford. Credit: Jo Vlieghe.
Zara and Mack Rutherford are two young pilots who flew around the world solo. They each did it independently of the other and in opposite directions. Zara was the youngest female to ever do it (started at age 18, and completed at 19). A year later, her brother, Mack, did it starting at age 16 and finishing at 17, to become the youngest person ever to do it.
Guests from Spurwink Farm Fly-in and Pancake Breakfast
Our Main(e) Man Micah recorded interviews at this year’s Spurwink Farm Fly-in and Pancake Breakfast:
John Tait is a retired air traffic controller who has worked in both GA and commercial operations and has some interesting perspectives.
Seth Whidden is a recent high school graduate who earned his PPL and now has an aviation job with Northeast Air, a large FBO at KPWM.
Everybody loves pancakes at Spurwink!
George Gal and his Carbon Cub at Spurwink Farm.
Mentioned
Latin Aerospace Industry Expo
The Expo is organized by the Latino Pilots Association (LPA). The First Annual Latin Aerospace Industry Expo presented by United Airlines will be held on September 15, 2023, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.
The LPA is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2015. They aim to inspire, develop, and support the Latino aerospace and aviation communities and eliminate socio-economic barriers through representation, financial support, education, and mentorship. The LPA has over 1,900 active members.
The event kicks off National Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 (Sep 15 – Oct 15). See Expo Fees and the Registration link.
Whirly-Girls Open 2024 Scholarship Season
The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. announces the opening of the 2024 scholarship season. Deserving female aviators and maintainers can apply for over $500,000 of helicopter training and educational scholarships. These scholarships advance the helicopter industry by strengthening the talent pool and increasing diversity. Applications are available online and are due October 1, 2023.
Scholarship applications are due October 1, 2023. Scholarships will be formally presented at the Whirly-Girls Annual Banquet on February 25, 2024, at the HAI HELI-EXPO in Anaheim, CA. For more information on attending the banquet, please visit www.whirlygirls.org.
Hosts
Hillel Glazer, our Main(e) Man Micah, and Max Flight
We speak with four women working for air navigation services provider Air Navigation Solutions Ltd (ANSL). We also talk with the president of Hartzel Propeller.
Sophie Mills, Sharon Utting, Emma Hawksworth, and Vicky Bhogal-Hunt work for Air Navigation Solutions Ltd. ANSL is the air navigation services provider for Edinburgh and Gatwick airports. They also provide simulation training for Cambridge City Airport. We discuss their experiences as women in the aviation industry.
From left to right – Sophie Mills, Sharon Utting, Emma Hawksworth, Vicky Bhogal-Hunt.
JJ Frigge is president of Hartzell Propeller. He’s responsible for all operating elements of the business including the development and execution of Hartzell Propeller’s strategy.
JJ Frigge
JJ began at Hartzell in 2011 as the company’s controller. In 2013 he took responsibility for the day-to-day business team as well as managing the company’s marketing and brand-building efforts. Prior to Hartzell Propeller, JJ spent 10 years as a finance manager at Proctor & Gamble. He is on the Communications Committee of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
A 2001 Cum Laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame, JJ serves his community as a member of the board of directors and past president of the United Way of Miami County. He is also a past president of the Miami County Humane Society.
We look at UPS Airlines, including the fleet, the pilots, the technology, and the processes employed. Also, the Perlan 2 altitude record flight, GA accident rates, an F-35C incident, and pizza for 159 American Airlines passengers. We celebrate the 97th birthday of a WASP, look at the Immortal Red Baron air show act and a new Old Guys and Their Airplanes video. We also have a promo code for tickets to the 2018 Audi Stuart Air Show.
UPS Airlines 747-8F. Courtesy UPS.
Guest
Jim Mayer is public relations manager for UPS Airlines. He’s based at the airline’s headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky.
Jim Mayer, UPS Airlines Public Relations Manager.
We talk about the UPS Airlines fleet makeup: the “brown tails” (including the new 747-8F freighters) and the small feeder aircraft vendors. Jim explains the daily cycle at the Worldport® global air hub in Louisville, Kentucky. This is the world’s largest automated package sorting hub, where they experience airplane landings every 70 seconds over about a three hour period each night.
Jim tells us about cockpit technology projects, the hot spare aircraft that stand ready, and the UPS Flight Path program with Ameriflight to help keep new pilots in the pipeline.
UPS is the official logistics provider for Expo 2020 Dubai and we talk about the daily nonstop flight from the Worldport hub to Dubai, UAE. Made possible with the Boeing 747-8F freighter, this route improves time-in-transit from North and South America to Middle East destinations by one business day.
Of course, over the years UPS Airlines has encountered some unique shipments, and Jim tells us about a few of them, as well as recent humanitarian flights to Puerto Rico.
Jim joined UPS in 2003 following a career as an Emmy-award-winning broadcast reporter. As PR manager at UPS Airlines, Jim manages media relations and external communications for one of the world’s largest airlines. He has traveled extensively around the world, helping to tell the UPS story, including coverage of major facility expansions in China and Europe; and unique charter moves such as whale sharks and humanitarian aid flights.
Jim is a Chicago-area native and has a B.A. in Telecommunications from Indiana University in Bloomington.
The Airbus Perlan Mission II pressurized glider has been out riding atmospheric pressure waves, and it’s reached more than 76,000 feet. That’s believed to be the record for subsonic human flight in a winged aircraft. This meant the flight crossed the Armstrong Line, the altitude above which a human’s blood will boil without some kind of protection.
The AOPA Air Safety Institute’s Joseph T. Nall Report [PDF] says that the general aviation overall and fatal accident rates are at a 10-year low. Fatal crashes decreased to 0.84 per 100,000 hours. Accidents with pilot-related causes make up 74 percent of non-commercial, fixed-wing accidents. Accidents related to mechanical and maintenance issues made up about 16 percent of the overall total.
An F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter flying from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) was damaged during an aerial refueling exercise. The engine ingested debris from an aerial refueling basket.
American Airlines Flight 2354 from Los Angeles to Dallas/Fort-Worth experienced extreme thunderstorms and was diverted to Wichita Falls, Texas. The next flight to DFW was the following day. Captain Jeff Raines responded by ordering 40 pizzas from the local Papa John’s store, and even hand carried the pizzas from the delivery car to the waiting passengers.
November 2-4, 2018 in Stuart, Florida you can experience the Treasure Coast’s largest annual event with breathtaking performances including by the United States Marine Corp Harrier, the Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team, the Phillips 66 Aerostars, and others. Of course, there will be many static displays like The Movie Memphis Belle, the C-17 Globemaster III, and the OV1 Mohawk.
At the Stuart Air Show, you can also take advantage of rides offered with special guests, including a Cobra Attack Helicopter and a T-6 Texan. Plan your Audi Stuart Air Show experience now at stuartairshow.com.
Also, starting September 17th, Airplane Geeks has teamed up with the Stuart Air Show for a week of aviation trivia. Each day September 17 – 23rd at 6 pm on their Facebook page, they will be posting an aviation-related trivia question. The person with the most correct answers (and who answers the fastest) will win 4 tickets to their VIP event on November 2nd! That is a $600 value! Learn more about the Stuart Air Show at stuartairshow.com and on Facebook.
We are thrilled to be able to bring our listeners a special ticket offer to the Stuart Air Show. Use promo code “geekspodcast” at checkout to enjoy a special $10 ticket offer through October 31, 2018.
Immortal Red Baron
At the Blue Bonnet Air Show at the Burnet, Texas Municipal Airport, Airplane Geeks reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari interviewed Stefan Trischuk of the “Immortal Red Baron” air show. This was a different act as it was a staged dogfight with another airshow performer.
Immortal Red Baron
Jane Doyle
Also at the Blue Bonnet show, Launchpad met Mrs. Jane Doyle, celebrating her 97th birthday. Jane is one of the last WASP.
Mentioned
Artist John Mollison has released another “Old Guys and Their Airplanes” video featuring 2nd Lt. James Kunkle who flew P-38s with the 9th Air Force over Europe during WWII. Jim was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his combat action on Sept. 16, 1944. In this video, Jim describes a terrific dogfight that he experienced in 1944 where he took on 20 or so German fighter planes. OGTA #12 – Split Second – The Jim Kunkle Story.
Listener Hendrik sent in a picture from his wedding to his lovely wife Marielle. If you remember a few weeks back, on their way to Hawaii for their honeymoon, they got a tour of Los Angeles from Brian during their LAX layover. Featured in the picture is a Beluga, Marielle’s favorite plane, carrying some precious cargo: their wedding rings.
