Tag Archives: Australia

736 Autonomous Aircraft

We talk about autonomous aircraft with an Xwing executive. In the news, Airbus and Qatar Airways settle their dispute over A350 paint problems, a personal eVTOL, the 2019 report that explains how Boeing lost its way, a close call with a B737 taking off and a B767 landing on the same runway, the F-22 Raptor gets its first kill, and a Boeing 737 has crashed fighting fires in Australia.

Xwing Caravan taking off.
Xwing Caravan

Guest

Earl Lawrence is the Chief Compliance and Quality Officer at Xwing, a Part 135 air carrier operating across the United States. The company is building an air transportation system of certified autonomous aircraft, starting with the express regional air cargo market. Xwing has demonstrated an autonomous gate-to-gate flight with a cargo aircraft. The plane was able to taxi, take off, land, and return to the gate entirely on its own.

Headshot of Earl Lawrence, Chief Compliance and Quality Officer at Xwing
Earl Lawrence

Earl explains that the Xwing vision for autonomous aircraft doesn’t mean moving the cockpit to the ground or eliminating the pilot. It means taking the pilot out of the airplane and into a control center. A single pilot could provide guidance to multiple flights from one console while handling ATC communication.

Doing this offers cost savings, greater aircraft utilization, and more stable and predictable hours for pilots. Earl tells us about the positive impact on pilot lifestyle and the opportunity for some disabled people to become pilots.

Earl points out that Xwing is using autonomous technologies, but for the most part following existing regulations. Autonomy is needed to bring the price of flying down and make it simpler and more accessible to people.

Earl brings more than three decades of experience in the aviation industry to Xwing. Most recently, Lawrence served as the Executive Director of Aircraft Certification at the FAA, leading an organization of over 1,400 people that oversee all types of certification, production approval, airworthiness certification, and continued airworthiness of the U.S. civil aircraft fleet – including commercial and general aviation activities. Before joining the FAA, Earl spent sixteen years at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), where his efforts contributed to the creation of the Sport Pilot and Light Sport Aircraft categories. Throughout his career, Earl has consistently led the charge in bringing cutting-edge aviation technology to market.

Aviation News

Airbus and Qatar Airways settle A350 dispute

In 2021, Qatar Airways complained to Airbus that some A350 fuselage paint was peeling and unsightly. Qatar grounded some 30 aircraft and asked Airbus for compensation. Airbus said it was only a cosmetic issue, which they would address. But Qatar refused to take new deliveries and Airbus canceled the A350 contract with Qatar. And then Airbus canceled an order for A321neo jets. Qatar filed a lawsuit in London.

Now both parties have made up and “reached an amicable and mutually agreeable settlement.” Terms were not made public.

Press release: Qatar Airways and Airbus reach amicable settlement in legal dispute

Startup Says It’s Personal eVTOL is the One for Supercar Customers

Israeli company AIR has spent four years developing and testing a sport eVTOL “that is easy to handle and can be used daily.” Their mission is to “create personal, intuitive flying vehicles at scale, for exciting and safe experiences.” The winged multicopter seats two. You can pre-order the AIR ONE with a $1,000 deposit. The base price is $150,000. They have 300 pre-orders.

Artist's rendering of an Air One in flight.
Air One in flight.

The Long-Forgotten Flight That Sent Boeing Off Course

That flight is the headquarters move from Seattle to Chicago. “A company once driven by engineers became driven by finance.”

Fedex B763 and Southwest B737 at Austin on Feb 4th 2023, loss of separation on runway resolved by go around

A FedEx 767-300 was on final for a CATIII ILS approach to Austin Texas runway 18L and was cleared to land. The tower let the crew know that a Boeing 737 would depart prior to their arrival. The 767 was cleared to land. Meantime, a Southwest Airlines 737-700 was holding short on runway 18L for departure and was cleared for takeoff from that runway. The tower let the Southwest pilots know that a Boeing 767 heavy was on a 3-mile final. About 30 seconds later the Tower asked if they were on the roll, and the crew confirmed they were. Shortly thereafter (25 seconds) someone says “Southwest abort, the Fedex was on the go (around)”.

F-22 Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off Carolinas With Missile (Updated)

The large balloon traversed much of the country, sometimes over sensitive military locations. As the balloon moved off the coast, F-22 fighters from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force used a single AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile to bring it down.

Why stratospheric balloons are used in era of space-based intelligence

Balloons can hover closer to the ground and may be able to intercept communication or electronic signals that orbiting systems can’t. Balloons also offer more persistent, less predictable coverage over an area of interest.

A Boeing 737-300 Has Crashed Fighting Fires In Australia

Early reports indicated both pilots were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The 737 was operated by Coulson Aviation to help firefighting efforts in the Fitzgerald River National Park. After dropping the load at around 700 feet, flight tracking data shows the plane reaching about 1,800 feet and then crashing.

Australia News Desk

While it hasn’t exactly been your stereotypical summer weather in Australia, we haven’t (yet) seen any snow – and certainly none in Sydney.  Snow, however, was exactly what greeted a Sydney-bound passenger this week as confusion with the airport code when booking saw him arrive in a rather chilly Sidney, Montana

G’day? Man Realizes Too Late He Bought a Ticket to Sidney — not Sydney

Meanwhile, the Qantas and Emirates codeshare agreement noted up ten years this week.  We look at what that has meant to Australian travelers.

10 years on, has the Qantas-Emirates partnership delivered?

Qantas is still in the sights of local media, however, with another turnback, this time for a QantasLink Dash 8 due to severe turbulence.  The event forced CEO Allan Joyce to go on the offensive, pointing out a few facts about turnbacks, comparing them not only to airlines overall but specifically the local QF rival, Virgin Australia

Qantas passenger and flight attendant rushed to hospital suffering head and neck injuries after sudden turbulence

Mentioned

Video: What it’s like to fly the Opener BlackFly eVTOL

AOPA Podcasts

The people who live inside airplanes

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, Rob Mark, and Max Trescott. With contributions by Grant McHerron and Steve Vischer.

679 Teaching the Next Generation of Pilots

Erika Armstrong joins us to talk about teaching the next generation of pilots. In the news, GE plans to split into three companies, preliminary details on the MD-87 crash, Boeing liability for 737 MAX crashes, and a Northeast Alliance update. Also, the Australia Desk and the MotoArt/Plane Tag festival.

Guest

Erika Armstrong, teaching the next generation of pilots

Erika Armstrong has had an extensive career as a Red Cross, charter, corporate, cargo, hazmat, and air ambulance pilot and captain. She flew 28 different aircraft before going to the airlines and eventually becoming captain on a B727-200.

We look at teaching the next generation of pilots and the effects of Covid on student pilot instruction. Erika has been focused on teaching student pilots to spend more time looking at themselves and understanding their startle reflexes in order to better react in an emergency. Erika also comments on student pilot diversity and the high washout rate.

Erika believes this is a good time to become a pilot and explains how business aviation has opened up due to the pandemic. We also hear how business aviation is different from commercial aviation, especially from a pilot’s perspective.

Concerning unruly passengers, Erika makes a good point that airlines and airports should look at how they can help passengers de-stress.

Erika is an aviation professor at Metropolitan State University in Denver, the Vice President of Business Development and Director of Instructional Design at Advanced Aircrew Academy, and the author of A Chick in the Cockpit.  Erika uses the power of social media to educate and share the joys of aviation to inspire the next generation of pilots. Find her on LinkedIn, Facebook, her website, and @armstrongerika1 on Twitter.

Aviation News

General Electric Announces Split Into Three Public Companies

GE’s health care business is to be spun off in early 2023, then in 2024 the renewable energy, power equipment, and digital businesses will be spun off. What will remain is GE Aviation, the engine-manufacturing operation. See: GE Plans to Form Three Public Companies Focused on Growth Sectors of Aviation, Healthcare, and Energy.

Runway Excursion, McDonnell Douglas MD-87

The NTSB provided details of the fatal October 19, 2021 crash of Boeing MD-87, N987AK, operated by 987 Investments LLC. The plane overran the departure end of runway 36 at Houston Executive Airport (TME), Brookshire, Texas after a rejected takeoff. The left and right elevator geared tab input rod links were found to be damaged. This is similar to the damage found during an investigation of a Boeing MD-83​ which crashed after a rejected takeoff on March 8, 2017. See: Rejected takeoff and runway excursion at Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Boeing Accepts Sole Responsibility for 737 MAX Crashes, Wins Agreement that Avoids Punitive Damages

The joint court motion was filed by Boeing lawyers with lawyers for the families of the 157 victims of the 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia. The company accepted sole liability for the accident. Boeing explicitly agreed that the pilots were not at fault.

The defendant, Boeing, has admitted that it produced an airplane that had an unsafe condition that was a proximate cause of Plaintiff’s compensatory damages caused by the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident.

American Airlines Ends 60 Years of Shuttle History With New York-Boston Exit

American Airlines acquired the legacy assets of the Eastern Air Shuttle when it merged with US Airways in 2013. American plans to end the Boston to New York LaGuardia service by summer 2022. Instead, Northeast Alliance partner JetBlue Airways will operate the Boston – LaGuardia route for both carriers. Boston to New York JFK and Washington Reagan National service will continue under American branding.

Australia News Desk

Steve and Grant provide news and views from Down Under:

Australia’s International Border Reopens

Virgin Australia re-opens new-look Melbourne Lounge and launches new menu

First QANTAS A380 to land back in Australia today

A question of timing – the future of the RAAF’s air combat force

RAAF’s mysterious surveillance missions from Singapore

Video: ADM Podcast – 100 Years of RAAF

MotoArt/Plane Tags Festival

Brian attended the first annual MotoArt / Plane Tag festival at the company shop in California. He spoke with:

  • Dave, a serious Plane Tag collector
  • Kevin White, the MotoArt Production Manager
  • Dave Hall, the MotoArt CEO

Mentioned

An Anniversary of a Disaster, & a Celebration All in One – November 12, 2021marked the 20th anniversary of the crash of American Airlines flight 587 in New York City.

637 Travel Industry

Travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt talks about the impacts of COVID-19 and the 737 MAX on air travel. In the news, new CDC test requirements for air passengers entering the US, airlines benefiting from the relief package, booking the middle seat, growth of air cargo, F-35B qualifications for the Italian navy, Australia orders the Apache, and aviation event postponements.

Guest

Travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt.

Henry Harteveldt is a well-known travel industry analyst and founder and president of Atmosphere Research Group. He has an extensive background in marketing, planning, distribution, and strategy, and he was head of Forrester Research’s global travel research practice. Henry launched Atmosphere Research in 2011 which helps travel industry clients understand emerging trends and opportunities in areas such as brand strategy, distribution, product development and retailing, customer experience, loyalty marketing, and digital commerce and technologies. The firm’s worldwide clients include airlines, lodging firms, cruise lines, car rental agencies, travel agencies, GDSs, financial services firms, and technology companies.

Aviation News

CDC to require all air travelers to US to show negative coronavirus test

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding the requirement for a negative COVID-19 test to all air passengers entering the United States. Within 3 days before departure to the United States, air passengers are required to get a viral test and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (paper or electronic copy) to the airline or provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger. This order was signed by the CDC Director on January 12, 2021, and will become effective on January 26, 2021. Media Statement: CDC Expands Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement to All Air Passengers Entering the United States.

Airlines get relief funds, but travel rebound may take a while

The new Covid-19 relief package provides $15 Billion for airline salaries through the end of March. Southwest Airlines canceled planned furloughs, and United and American say they’ll bring back thousands of furloughed employees.

Delta Keeps Middle Seat Ban in Hopes of Spring Recovery

United Airlines never stopped booking middle seats but other airlines have started booking them. Delta says they’ll keep the middle seats open at least through March.

Air Cargo Construction Is Booming, Thanks to Amazon

Passenger traffic is down but air cargo is flourishing. At Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Amazon Air is building a 798,000-square-foot sorting center, complete with a seven-level parking structure. It’s part of Amazon’s commitment to a $1.5 billion, three-million-square-foot air cargo hub at CVG.

FedEx handled an average of 6.2 million air packages a day in 2020, up 48 percent compared to 2016. The company just opened a $290 million, 51-acre project at the Ontario International Airport in Southern California. At Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, the second-largest air cargo airport in the United States after Memphis International Airport, the plan is for $500 million in new freight and package handling and sorting facilities.

Atlas Air Buys The Last 4 Boeing 747 Aircraft Due To Be Built

Atlas Air has agreed to purchase four 747-8 freighters. The aircraft will be delivered by 2022 and would be the last four 747-8s to roll off the production line.

DHL Express orders eight more B777 freighters

DHL Express ordered 14 B777Fs in 2018 and has taken delivery of the first 10. Now they’ve ordered 8 more with first deliveries are scheduled for 2022. John Pearson, CEO at DHL Express: “Although the current health crisis has pushed pause on several areas of life, global trade did not stand still.”

Italian Navy Aircraft Carrier Cavour To Start F-35B Qualification Next Month

The Italian Navy STOVL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing) aircraft carrier is expected to arrive at Naval Station Norfolk in mid-February for F-35B aircraft qualifications with the U.S. Marine Corps. The Italian Navy ordered a total of 15 F-35B fighter jets. The Italian Air Force has the same amount on order (in addition to about 60 F-35A models).

Apache chosen as armed helicopter replacement

Steve Visscher reports that the Australian Defence Department has announced it will replace the Army’s fleet of Tiger ARH’s with AH-64E Apache Guardians. The new aircraft will come into service in 2025, replacing the Airbus/Eurocopter fleet, which have been in service only since 2003.

Florida ‘fly-in, drive-in’ canceled

The DeLand Sport Aviation Showcase in Florida that was originally planned for November 12 to 14, 2020 and postponed until January 2021 has been delayed again until November 2021.

National Warbird Operator Conference Move In 2022

The Conference originally scheduled for February 25028, 2021 has been postponed to February 24-27, 2022 at the same venue at the Omni Corpus Christi Hotel in Corpus Christi, Texas.

First Dream Chaser Mission Delayed

Sierra Nevada Corporation announced that the first Dream Chaser civilian space plane mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed to 2022. The uncrewed cargo mission to the ISS will be the first of at least six to be conducted under a Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract with NASA.

Video: AOPA Live This Week – January 14, 2021

AOPA announced that the 5th annual Bob Hoover Trophy award ceremony will be virtual and live online on February 3, 2021, at 8:00 PM Eastern. The Hoover Trophy will be presented to legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan. The inaugural Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Aviation Inspiration Award will be presented to Gen. McGee himself, and he’ll make the first presentation of this award to a deserving young military aviator and aviation leader, Kenyatta Ruffin.

California man lived inside O’Hare Airport security zone for 3 months — because he was afraid to fly during COVID, prosecutors say

Aditya Singh, 36, arrived at the airport on a flight from Los Angeles on October 19, 2020. Allegedly, he had been living inside the airport’s security zone ever since. The man was found to have an airport worker’s misplaced credentials. Assistant State’s Attorney Kathleen Hagerty said he survived “largely from other passengers giving him food.” Police took Singh into custody and he’s been charged with felony criminal trespass to a restricted area of an airport and misdemeanor theft.

536 AOPA with Tom Haines

Tom Haines from AOPA joins us this episode to talk about the organization’s accomplishments and future priorities. In the news, we look at seven airline innovations, the fatal training accident rate, and the ANA dual engine shutdown. Also, Launchpad Marzari on snarge, plans for an around-Australia charity flight, and an idea to open Meigs Field Airport for a new kind of aviation.

Guest

Tom Haines, AOPA SVP of Media, Communications & Outreach.

Tom Haines, SVP of Media, Communications & Outreach. Courtesy AOPA.

Tom Haines is Senior Vice President, Media, Communications & Outreach for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He hosts AOPA Live This Week with Melissa Rudinger, and he owns and flies a Beechcraft A36 Bonanza. Since soloing at 16 and earning a private pilot certificate at 17, Tom has flown more than 100 models of general aviation airplanes.

We look back at some of AOPA’s accomplishments from 2018, and ahead to future imperatives. Tom talks about ATC privatization and how the 5-year reauthorization means it is unlikely to come up again soon, the 2020 ASDB mandate and the need for agreement on the path for NextGen, and the drive for lower cost solutions for the general aviation fleet.

We also take a look at the activities of the AOPA Washington, DC office as well as the regional fly-ins planned for 2019. There will be three this year (see 2019 AOPA Fly-In locations revealed) and the season kicks off May 10 and 11, 2019 at AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Maryland, at Frederick Municipal Airport. The second fly-in will take place June 21 and 22 in Livermore, California, at Livermore Municipal Airport. The third fly-in of the season will be on Sept. 13 and 14 in Tullahoma, Tennessee, at Tullahoma Regional Airport. This year is the 80th anniversary of AOPA and the celebration at Frederick promises to be something special.

Tom touches on AOPA’s drone pilot membership and email newsletter, as well as the magazines and other resources and programs that the organization provides. The You Can Fly program offers a STEM curriculum for high school students, the Rusty Pilots initiative, and activity with flight schools to help students complete their training. The 2019 You Can Fly Challenge is now open with the Ray Foundation offering $2 million in matching funds.

Tom also explains AOPA’s role in the May 9, 2020 Arsenal of Democracy flyover. This is expected to include nearly 100 vintage warbirds in 24 formations representing the major battles of WWII.

Aviation News

These Airline Innovations Will Change the Way You Fly

Airlines are engaging aviation think tanks, looking for the next big thing. Air France and KLM have incubation studio Big Blank. IAG, the parent company of BA, Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus, has its accelerator, Hangar 51. Lufthansa has the Innovation Hub and JetBlue has Technology Ventures.

Seven projects are described:

  1. Facial recognition at the airport/virtual passports (BA at JFK)
  2. Interlinked services that automatically rebook after disruptions (Lufthansa’s Yilu)
  3. Flight delay prediction. (JetBlue Technology Ventures’ Lumo)
  4. Pay for flights by the hour, or in bulk, rather than one ticket at a time (JetBlue’s Skyhour and Flightpass)
  5. Automated self-driving baggage cars (BA)
  6. Real-time baggage tracking and reimbursement for “lost” bags (Lufthansa Linea)
  7. Electric VTOL flying cars.

Number of fatal training accidents drops 35%

A report from the AOPA Air Safety Institute (ASI) and Liberty University School of Aeronautics looks at 240 fatal instructional accidents in piston-engine airplanes from 2000 – 2015. The greatest risks in flight training are loss of control inflight (54%) and midair collisions (10%).

ANA Boeing 787 dual engine shutdown upon landing

B787 ANA Flight NH985 from Tokyo Haneda to Osaka Itami touched down, and when the thrust reversers were deployed the pilots noticed both Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines had shut down. Was this a software glitch? Perhaps an issue with the Thrust Control Malfunction Accommodation (TCMA) system for which Boeing has a 2002 patent?

Mentioned

Teenager Solomon will be flying around Australia in March of 2019 to raise money for Angel Flight and to promote the aviation industry to kids his age. On my trip, he will be stopping at schools to hold a fundraiser and to talk about the aviation industry. The trip is being planned to take 30 days and to visit 25 schools, covering a distance of 7,500nm with around 75 hours of flying. See Solomon’s Facebook page: SoloMan around Australia, his website, and the GoFundMe site: SoloMan Flight – Angel Flight Fundraiser.

Flyabout, a documentary film by Monika Petrillo

Willie L. Wilson, candidate for mayor, with an interesting Meigs Field proposal.

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne.ANA

526 Delta Air Lines Celebrates

Delta Airlines celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Delta/Northwest merger, opening their new engine repair shop, and their first A220-100. An American Airlines a baggage handler gets an unexpected free ride, then another one home. We look at the latest on the fatal Lion Air crash, Boeing 737 MAX data servers, and two Iceland airlines that plan to join forces. Also, young pilot Solomon’s interview with an aviation Youtuber in Australia, and Launchpad Marzari talks with Snowbird #1.

Aviation News

‘Just getting started:’ Merger and A220 event celebrates Delta’s past, present and future

Some two thousand Delta Air Lines employees celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the Delta/Northwest merger, the grand opening of a new 127,000-square-foot state-of-the-art engine repair shop at Atlanta, and the arrival of their first Airbus A220-100.

Doctor accuses Delta of in-flight ‘racism’: ‘#BlackWomenDoctors do exist’

Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford noticed a passenger in distress next to her on a Delta flight operated by Republic Airline. Stanford says that while attending to the passenger, the cabin attendants questioned her medical credentials. A nearly identical situation occurred in 2016: A black doctor barred from helping on a flight gets an apology — and triggers a policy change.

Napping American Airlines baggage handler trapped in cargo hold on flight to Chicago

Apparently, one way to fly from Kansas City to Chicago is to get drunk and fall asleep on the job in the cargo hold.

Lion Air crash updates

Amid desperate search for crashed Lion Air jet’s black box, some answers may be back in the United States

Lion Air crash should remind us not to rush to judgment

Lion Air crash: Investigators recover 69 hours of flight data from black box

Lion Air jet’s airspeed indicator malfunctioned on 4 flights

The Boeing Aero publication from the 4th quarter of 2014 describes the Advanced Onboard Network System in the 738 MAX aircraft.

Icelandair to buy budget rival WOW

Icelandair says the brands will continue to operate independently. Icelandair shareholders and regulators must approve the acquisition. Icelandair operates an all-Boeing fleet while WOW is an all-Airbus fleet.

Interviews

Sixteen-year-old pilot Solomon talks with aviation Youtuber Stefan Drury, an expat Brit living in Australia. He makes videos on YouTube for viewers to experience the world of aviation, get travel tips and ideas, learn about gear and gadgets, and follow his adventures in regularly posted vlogs. Stefan’s website is stef747.com.

Solomon

Solomon

Some examples of Stefan’s videos:

Pilot confidence self doubt – The Imposter Syndrome

Practising ELECTRICAL EMERGENCIES Cirrus SR22 G6

How Good is Qantas Inflight WIFI?

INSIDE an Air Traffic Control Tower

Also, Launchpad Marzari interviewed Canadian Forces Snowbird #1, Major Denis Bandet.

Blues and Snowbirds by David Vanderhoof, July 3, 1976.

Blues and Snowbirds by David Vanderhoof, July 3, 1976.

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.