Tag Archives: baggage

713 Women Aviators

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We talk with two women aviators. The first had a dream of flying, changed careers, persisted, and eventually became a Boeing 777 pilot. Then a Marine pilot in training from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204 tells us about flying the MV-22.

In the news, the DOT wants to see action from the airlines, an Apple AirTag leads law enforcement to a bag thief, two pilots reportedly fell asleep and overflew the runway, and seaplane service expands in the eastern U.S.

Tami Ueda-Heuer

This is the story of an insurance claims adjuster who went to flight school, left her job to become a flight instructor, lived frugally to pay off her debt, got married and had a child, and was furloughed. Tami was passionate about flying and very persistent. She flew charter and regional and she is now the First Officer on a Boeing 777 for a major US airline.

Lt Rachel Hardinger

Our Main(e) Man Micah spoke with Lt Rachel Hardinger USMC, a Marine pilot in training on the MV-22 Osprey. Her squadron’s mission is to “Train the world’s finest tiltrotor pilots, aircrew, and maintainers for the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204 traveled from North Carolina to Maine to perform training operations.

Micah and Lt Hardinger in front of the MV-22. — Micah and Lt Hardinger

Aviation News

Buttigieg Warns Airlines to Help Travelers or Face New Regulations

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants the airlines to step up regarding flight cancellations and delays. The DOT sent letters to the CEOs of 10 U.S. airlines, saying the department is considering additional rules “that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience disruptions.”

Buttigieg announces DOT dashboard for delayed, canceled flights

The DOT plans to launch an interactive dashboard before the Labor Day weekend. Travelers will be able to find out what each airline offers in the event of a delay or cancellation. Buttigieg wrote, “The Department is creating an interactive dashboard that provides air travelers with a single venue where they can locate easy-to-read, comparative summary information on the services or amenities that each of the large U.S. airlines provide when the cause of a cancelation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control.”

AirTag leads to arrest of airline worker accused of stealing at least $15,000 worth of items from luggage

Two travelers reported missing luggage. One of them had an Apple AirTag inside her bag which indicated the location of the device. Police arrived at the residence and found the missing bag of one passenger, and just the AirTag owned by the other. A 19-year-old has been charged with two counts of grand theft.

According to the Department of Transportation, through May, 237,828 items of luggage have been reported missing. That compares to 132,071 bags during the same period last year. For detailed information, including the rate of mishandled bags by each airline, see the July 2022 Air Travel Consumer Report from DOT.

Ethiopian B738 at Addis Ababa on Aug 15th 2022, pilots asleep

On Aug 15, 2022, the pilots on an Ethiopian Airlines flight reportedly fell asleep. ET-343 departed from Khartoum (Sudan) for Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). The plane passed the top of descent, maintained FL370, and continued along the FMC route for the approach and overflew runway 25L. At that point the autopilot disconnected and the alert woke the pilots up. They then flew the aircraft for a safe landing on runway 25L. Both pilots have been suspended and the incident is under investigation.

Tailwind launches DC-ish semi-seaplane service from New York City

Tailwind Air announced nonstop seaplane service from Manhattan’s Skyport Marina (NYS) to Washington, D.C.’s College Park Airport (CGS). Scheduled service begins September 13, 2022, and will be operated by a fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans with eight Economy Plus leather seats. Tailwind is offering a “buy one seat, and a companion flies with you free” launch promotion available on the company’s website until September 10, 2022.

Tailwind Air Cessna Grand Caravan in flight. — Tailwind Air

Hosts this Episode

Your hosts: Max Flight, David Vanderhoof, Rob Mark, and our Main(e) Man Micah.

708 Spurwink Farm Fly-In

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Fly-in conversations, lost baggage woes, limiting airport passenger volume, and a missed runway crash investigation.

25th Annual Spurwink Farm Fly-In and Pancake Breakfast

Max Flight and our Main(e) Man Micah attended the fly-in on July 10, 2022, at the Spurwink Farm in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. This annual event is held at the grass strip on the Farm and is hosted by EAA Chapter 141 on the first Sunday after Independence Day. The fly-in is well-attended with a wide variety of aircraft flown in for the pancake breakfast.

We captured conversations with several who were in attendance, including some listeners and friends of this podcast:

Fred Wilcoxen tells us about his Bede BD-5 micro-homebuilt airplane.

Douglas Corrigan relates his story about getting the aviation bug as a youngster and now working ATC.

JD is a retired military pilot who now flies long-haul cargo in a Boeing 777. He flew up from New Jersey in his Cessna 177B Cardinal.

Mike Smith brought his beautiful Sonex up from Massachusets.

We talked with Bill Barry, the former NASA chief historian and now glider enthusiast.

Spurwink Farm is a 40-stall private boarding facility owned by the Sprague family. We spoke with MaryLou Sprague who tells us how she and her late husband Phineas (Phin) started a relationship with EAA Chapter 141 and how the airstrip came about.

Video by Steve Martin: 2022 SPURWINK FARM FLY IN!

Finally, the “Oreo Cows.” Are they Lakenvelder cattle (Dutch Belted cow) or the Belted Galloway? Let us know.

Aviation News

Airlines to stop selling tickets as Heathrow puts 100,000 daily passenger cap

Airports are experiencing severe operational problems as a result of staff shortages and increased travel. This has impacted baggage processing and thousands of bags are piled up at some airports. Through September 11, 2022, London Heathrow wants to limit the number of departing customers to 100,000. Heathrow’s pre-pandemic levels were between 110,000 and 125,000 daily departing customers.

In face-off with London Heathrow, Emirates airline says it won’t cut capacity

Emirates says they won’t agree to limit passengers at Heathrow. They plan to continue operating six daily A380 flights into the airport. Emirates said Heathrow gave them 36 hours to reduce capacity on its daily A380 flights. “Their communications not only dictated the specific flights on which we should throw out paying passengers but also threatened legal action for non-compliance.” In a statement, the airline said, “Until further notice, Emirates plans to operate as scheduled to and from (Heathrow).”

Delta Airline Flies Plane From UK To US Just To Deliver 1,000 Pieces Of Stranded Luggage

Delta Airlines responded to the huge volume of lost baggage at London Heathrow by using an empty Airbus A330-200 to fly the bags home. The bags flew in the baggage bins, not in the passenger cabins.

An airline was sick and tired of airport luggage chaos. Its solution was brilliant

Icelandair has a different passenger-friendly solution: Fly their own baggage handlers on the plane instead of relying on overworked and under-staffed airport workers. Icelandair took this action for flights to Amsterdam’s Schipol airport.

Pilots failed to see Presque Isle runway before 2019 plane mishap, investigators find

CommutAir, operating a 50-seat Embraer EMB145 as a United Express flight, missed the runway on March 4, 2019, and ended up in the snow. Of the 31 passengers and crew, thankfully only three suffered minor injuries. The NTSB investigation revealed that the instrument landing system was out of adjustment by about 200 feet to the right of the runway. At least six other pilots previously encountered the problem, but none filed a company safety report.

Mentioned

UMA Acquires New Airplane for Expansion of Aviation Education Program

Use these tips to keep your time at the airport as easy as possible

From the American Helicopter Museum & Education Center:

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, David Vanderhoof, Max Trescott, and our Main(e) Man Micah.

699 Apple AirTag for Tracking Luggage

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:31:23 — 41.8MB)

Using the Apple AirTag to track your checked baggage (and maybe a podcast host?), airlines drop flyers from no-fly lists, Bombardier headquarters in Wichita, aircraft leased to Russia, Cirrus fuel flow issues, a plane-swap stunt, the Tecnam 2-seat trainer, and air ambulance costs.

Aviation News

This man is trolling his airline with PowerPoint presentations to find his missing bag

This is the story of a couple who used an Apple AirTag to find and track their lost checked bags.

These airlines are letting passengers banned for mask violations back on planes

After a federal judge ruled that the CDC exceeded its authority to mandate masks for travel, airlines began to drop their mask requirement. But some airlines are also dropping the no-fly status for some passengers who refused to comply with the previous mask mandate.

Bombardier Designates Wichita Its U.S. Headquarters

The company says Bombardier Defense will bring 200 jobs to the area and also announced details about a partnership with the U.S. Air Force to modify business jets in Kansas as part of a potential $465 million order. Bombardier Defense offers versions of the Challenger 650 and Global 6500 and 7500.

Air Lease Claims $802.4 Million Write Off After 27 Leased Jets Stuck In Russia

Air Lease Corporation is writing off aircraft leased to Russia and is pursuing insurance claims to cover their loss. After the economic sanctions, leases for the planes were terminated but the planes remain in Russia. According to a report by Fitch Ratings, “insurers and reinsurers could face claims as high as $10 billion in a worst-case scenario due to the grounding of planes in Russia.”

Loss of Engine Power Due to Excessive Fuel Flow in Cirrus SR22T Aircraft

Following previous investigations of SR22T accidents, the NTSB is asking Cirrus Aircraft and the FAA to take action on some safety recommendations. In these accidents, engine power was lost when excessive fuel was introduced to the engine during takeoff climb.

The FAA revoked the pilot certificate of Trevor Jacob, a former Olympic snowboard competitor turned YouTuber, who posted a viral video of himself parachuting out of a 1940 Taylorcraft that he claimed had malfunctioned.

The man who claimed the engine failed on his 1940 Taylorcraft then jumped out and filmed the subsequent crash has received a letter from the FAA. His act of operating the aircraft in a “careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another” has cost him his license.

FAA Investigating Failed Plane Swap

Red Bull and Hulu organized a stunt where two pilots jumped out of their respective Cessna 182s with the intent of maneuvering to the other’s plane and regaining control. The FAA denied approval for this plane swap, which was carried out and streamed anyway. One of the planes ended up crashing.

FAA apologizes for no advance warning before parachute jump, Capitol evacuation

The Army Golden Knights parachute team conducted a pre-game demonstration at the Nationals Park baseball stadium in Washington D.C., but the FAA failed to notify the U.S. Capitol Police. When the team plane approached, Capitol Police evacuated the Capitol and some nearby buildings.

Tecnam Unveils P-Mentor Certified Two-Seat Trainer

The Tecnam Aircraft P-Mentor is a new two-seat piston aircraft designed for student training. International deliveries are expected to begin in the next four months.

Facing rising costs, LifeFlight sets up in-house air operations

A non-profit Maine-based emergency air ambulance service outsourced its aviation operations. That service ultimately ended up being owned by a large venture capital firm and costs increase dramatically. So LifeFlight brought its aviation operations back in-house.

Mentioned

New England Air Museum

The Journey is the Reward

AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 to Celebrate Young Eagles 30th Anniversary

Someone just crashed into a Vision Jet!!!

Tesla Model Y Operator Appears To “Summon” Car Straight Into a Parked Jet

The Wheel Bearings Podcast

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, Max Trescott, Rob Mark, and our Main(e) Man Micah.

Episode 252 – The Airplane Geeks Turn Five

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We celebrate five years of Airplane Geeks episodes. Courtney Miller, Steve Visscher, and Grant McHerron join in and we recall some early moments.

The week’s aviation news:

Australia Desk:

Find Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net. Also streaming 9:00am Saturdays on Kinglake Ranges Radio, a community radio station covering the greater King Lake area.

Dean Mcbride – Fighting to save our Heritage at Panshanger

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Having solo’d from Panshanger in a Piper Tomahawk 13 years ago, the airfield has a very special place in Pieter’s heart, but it has a much richer heritage. He talks to Dean Mcbride about ‘Holwell Hyde’ and its role as a decoy airfield during the Second World War and how he is desperately trying to gain recognition for the role of the airfield as it faces the inevitable threat from development and encroachment from housing. Maybe this is not youir airfield but it could be soon.

Links: Petition, Website, Facebook.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Mentioned:

Kinglake Ranges Radio live stream.
UKGA
LEO: Low Earth Orbit from Doug Worrall
Cabin crew reveal how to get an upgrade
In pictures: Global flight paths
Shhhh! Pratt Competing To Make Quieter Jet Engines
#Avgeeks: The new warriors on terror

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Episode 143 – Little but Mighty

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Our guest this episode is Stephanie Gehman, the Manager of Marketing and Customer Service at Harrisburg International Airport (MDT). We talk about current airport issues and how this one competes with larger airports in the region. Follow them on Twitter at @HIAairport.

Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast have another great Australia Desk Report.

In his Across the Pond segment Pieter Johnson talks with Tim Robinson, Editor of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s magazine Aerospace International about the effects of the UK Strategic Defence Review, where draconian cuts have been made to the Defence budget. Follow Tim on Twitter at @RAeSTimR, and Pieter at @Nascothornet.

The week’s aviation news:

Mentions:

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/.

Episode 72 – On Board with Heather

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (43.0MB)

Laviator Dan

This week’s guest is Heather Poole, a flight attendant for a major U.S. airline who authors the blog Another Flight Attendant Writing. She also writes the Galley Gossip column on Gadling and is working on a book of essays. Find her on Twitter as @Heather_Poole. Besides talking about some of the week’s aviation news, we also learn about laviators!

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. We also have some mail.

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave us voice mail at (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/.