Tag Archives: Farnborough

709 Aviation Training

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:39:48 — 45.7MB)

Aviation training at the University of Maine Augusta, Boeing and Airbus orders at Farnborough, Delta TechOps LEAP-1B MRO, a fighter market forecast, an open fan engine demonstrator, dropping the KC-46 co-pilot, electronic bag tags from Alaska Airlines, airline pilots who decide to exit the plane, and rebalancing travel demand and airline capacity.

Aviation Training at the University of Maine Augusta

Aviation training at UMA - the Cirrus SR20. — UMA’s new Cirrus SR20 G6

UMaine at Augusta prepping a new generation of students for the airline industry

The University of Maine Agusta offers aviation training with a Bachelor of Science in Aviation program, through a public-private partnership with Maine Instrument Flight.

On the occasion of UMA’s introduction of their new Cirrus SR20, our Main(e) Man Micah speaks with:

Lt John Warren, Maine Air Guard KC-135 Pilot and UMA Graduate
Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Farnham, Adjutant General, Maine
Amber Kochaver, a recent Program graduate
Dr. Joseph Szakas, Interim President UMA
Greg Jolda, Aviation Program Director

Dr. Szakas flying the VR Simulator with Greg Jolda

UMA SR20 Being Admired - Gen Farnum and Greg Jolda — UMA SR20 Being Admired – Gen Farnum and Greg Jolda

Note that UMA also offers a program for remote pilots flying small unmanned aircraft or drones. The 8-course UAS certificate program allows you to become a certified FAA remote pilot.

Aviation News

Longtime EAA President Tom Poberezny dies as AirVenture 2022 kicks off

Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny has died at the age of 75. Tom was EAA president from 1989-2010 and succeeded his father, EAA founder Paul Poberezny. EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board Jack Pelton said, “It is not lost on us that Tom’s passing occurred on the opening day of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the event he led into world prominence as its chairman beginning in the 1970s.”

Boeing Arrives with Max Order Boon from Delta, ANA

At the 2022 Farnborough Airshow, Delta Air Lines ordered 100 Boeing 737 Max 10 jets with options for 30 more. All Nippon Airways ordered twenty 737 Max 8s and two 777-8F cargo variants.

Boeing Smokes Airbus at Farnborough Airshow

Boeing received 172 firm orders at Farnborough while Airbus saw 85 orders. However, Airbus holds a much more significant backlog than Boeing and received a commitment for 292 jets from Chinese customers recently.

Delta TechOps to provide maintenance services for next-gen LEAP engines

Delta TechOps will become a provider of MRO services for CMFI LEAP-1B engines. Delta TechOps provides support for Delta’s fleet of aircraft and more than 150 other aviation and airline customers worldwide.

Forecast International: Fighter Aircraft Market Worth $260B over Next 10 Years

Forecast International released a new study, “The Market for Fighter Aircraft” ($2050). The company projects over 3,855 fighters built from 2022 through 2031. In 2022 dollars, that represents $281.4 billion.

Airbus and CFM International launch a flight test demonstrator for advanced open fan architecture

Airbus and CFM International are collaborating on an open fan (open rotor or unducted fan) engine architecture. The Flight Test Demonstrator is under CFM’s Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engine (RISE) technology demonstration program. Testing is on an A380 with the engine replacing the usual #2 engine.

Air Force Considers Dropping KC-46 Co-Pilot on Some MIssions

The Air Force’s Air Mobility Command is thinking about reducing crew size on Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers during dangerous missions. The concern is that a conflict in the Indo-Pacific region could involve a Chinese anti-aircraft missile attack. Tankers are particularly vulnerable. Reducing the number of airmen onboard a tanker would minimize casualties.

This airline is launching electronic bag tags to speed up airport check-in

Alaska Airlines is selectively rolling out electronic bag tags that can be activated up to 24 hours before a flight with the Alaska Airlines mobile app. At the airport, touching your phone to the tag will display flight information. No check-in is required. The program starts at San Jose International Airport in California.

Captain Walks Off Alaska Airlines Flight After Fighting With First Officer

It was a disagreement between the two after a 90-minute weather delay. Following an announcement by the pilot, the plane returned to the gate. Live and Let’s Fly claims “a credible source” said the captain was arguing with ramp agents and barking orders.

Captain, Crew Abandon Passengers In Burning Plane

Reportedly, after an explosion and smoke on a Vueling plane, the captain and most of the crew ran out of the plane leaving passengers to fend for themselves.

It could be up to 3 years before flight capacity and pilot supply are ‘back in sync,’ American Airlines CEO says

CEO Robert Isom told investors the surge in demand is outpacing staffing levels. Mainline route capacity should be sufficient in about a year. Regional routes could take two or three years.

Mentioned

American Helicopter Museum Voted Best Museum for Families

History of El Avion

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, David Vanderhoof, Max Trescott, and Rob Mark.

513 Farnborough Airshow 2018

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:06:01 — 57.7MB)

This episode we take a look at some of the stories to come out of the 2018 Farnborough Airshow including the orders, the Boeing NMA, the Airbus A220, a startup airline, and engines powering new aircraft. In the news, we look at the Ryanair strikes, the top ten airlines, United flight attendants preparing to pitch the airline’s credit card, and the Airbus A321LR and XLR. We also have an interview with the director of the Portland International Jetport, and an important announcement.

Farnborough Airshow

The Farnborough Airshow was 16-22 July 2018. We talked about some of the stories from that week:

CFM to compete for NMA even if required thrust rises

Even if Boeing’s power requirement for the New Mid-market Airplane’s engines goes over 50,000 lb-thrust each, CFM International still plans to participate in the competition. CFMI is the joint venture between GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines (formerly known as Snecma).

Airbus, Boeing gain more than 960 aircraft orders at Farnborough

Airbus and Boeing announcing firm net orders and commitments for more than 960 aircraft, valued at $160 billion at list prices. This compares to sales of 917 aircraft announced at the Paris Air Show in 2017.

Airbus says Pratt & Whitney catching up on engine delays

Airbus has had up to 100 A320neo jets sitting on the ground waiting for engines, mainly from Pratt & Whitney.

United order for 70-seat E175s raises questions

United plans to take the 25 of the E175 SC variant in 2019, replacing Bombardier CRJ700s at a regional operator. The SC variant is configured with 70 seats instead of the US standard of 76 seats. United’s scope clause with its pilots limits it to 255 large regional jets with 70-76 seats, including 102 70-seaters and 153 76-seaters. The United chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) responded, “This aircraft is designed to hold over 80 seats and will be flown to outsourced express carriers in the 70-seat configuration. Revenue plummets and costs skyrocket. Bringing this flying back to mainline United Airlines will lower costs, increase revenue, and allow United to once again control its product.”

A220 gains ETOPS certification

Pratt & Whitney’s PW1500G geared turbofan has been granted extended twin-engined operations (ETOPS) of up to three hours. A total of 38 A220s are in service at Swiss, Air Baltic, and Korean Air. Another 424 are on order, including the 60 ordered by JetBlue Airways earlier this month.

Pratt engines to power planes for startup airline

Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Eric Schulz announced that Pratt & Whitney will supply at least 120 geared turbofan engines to power the 60 Airbus A220-300 aircraft for David Neeleman’s new airline. Airbus signed a memorandum of understanding at the Farnborough International Airshow with a group of “experienced investors” who plan to start the new U.S. airline.

GoFly Personal Air Taxi Competition Racks Up Support

GoFly was launched in September 2017 as a contest to create a personal aircraft that can fly a human 20 miles safely without recharging or refueling and using VTOL or near-VTOL capability. Pratt & Whitney is sponsoring the $100,000 Disruptor Award for the most innovative team in the competition. Over the next two years, teams will compete to win $2,000,000 in prizes. At the Farnborough Airshow, GoFly announced the 10 Winners of the GoFly Challenge: Phase 1.

Video: GoFly Prize: Celebrating the Phase I Winners

The LM-100J Wows a Global Audience at Farnborough Airshow

The Lockheed Martin LM-100J civil cargo plane performed a loop at the Farnborough Airshow.

Other Aviation News

Ryanair says biggest-ever strike to ground 600 flights next week

Labor issues continue at Ryanair with a strike by cabin crew scheduled for two days. Ryanair, published a list of cabin crew benefits on Twitter, while the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) convened a group called Cabin Crew United and released the Ryanair Cabin Crew Charter.

The World’s Best Airlines for 2018

The 2018 Skytrax World Airline Awards are out and Singapore Airlines tops the list, followed by Qatar Airways, ANA All Nippon Airways, Emirates, and EVA Air. U.S. carriers placed deep in the list. This year’s survey saw over twenty million entries.

United Becomes Latest Airline to Deploy Flight Crews to Pitch Credit Cards

Travel news website Skift reports that starting in September, United will join other airlines in pushing their branded credit card to passengers. Flight attendants will receive $100 for every customer they sign up. John Slater, the senior vice president of in-flight services said, “Some of our biggest competitors, including American, actively promote their cards through the Inflight division and have a sizable lead on the number of new customers their flight attendants generate by marketing the card on board. We need to answer this challenge just as we would any other competitive threat.”

For more background, see Study: Intro Bonus Offers for Travel Rewards Cards Nearly Triple in 10 Years by Benét J. Wilson.

An Airbus A321XLR Could Be a Game Changer for JetBlue

JetBlue has the option to convert some of its Airbus A321neo orders to the A320LR with a range of up to 4,000 nautical miles, but they must give Airbus 24 months notice. JetBlue is considering where they can make the greatest margins – on domestic flights with the A321neo or transatlantic flights with the LR neo variant. But a possible A321XLR with a 4,500-mile range may be on the way with a larger center fuel tank and increased maximum take-off weight.

Interview

Our Main(e) Man Micah spoke with Paul Bradbury, airport director at Portland International Jetport about a number of topics that impact the airport and the community.

See Federal grant will fund improvements to help jetport handle more passengers.

PWM Airport Director Paul Bradbury & Main(e) man Micah.

Mentioned

Brian Coleman attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Compton Airport for a new DC-3 food truck:

DC3 food truck

“The Columbia” from the Undone podcast, by Gimlet from January 23, 2017.

Craftplicator

The Wings Over New Zealand Show.

National Advanced Fire & Resource Institute (NAFRI).

Tankers Is a Job for a “True Airman” from Flying Magazine. For more aerial firefighting videos, see the Neptune Aviation Services Inc. YouTube channel.

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

512 Aerial Firefighting

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:32:39 — 42.4MB)

The COO of an aerial firefighting company tells us about the aircraft, the pilots, and flying the missions. In the news: early Farnborough orders, the rebranded CSeries (now the Airbus A220), a Rolls Royce Hybrid VTOL concept, and an engine OEM says, “not so fast.” Also, Pieter Johnson’s aviation weekend (rather amazing), listener Nicki takes Brian on a flight, Hangar Hotel, and information about AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 gatherings of aviation podcasters and listeners.

Aerial firefighting with the BAE 146-200 jet. Courtesy Neptune Aviation Services.

Guest

Dan Snyder is the chief operating officer of Neptune Aviation Services, an aerial firefighting company and the primary provider of large airtanker services to the United States Forest Service for more than 25 years.

Dan tells us about Neptune Aviation’s transition from the Lockheed P-2V Neptune to the BAE 146-200 jet for aerial firefighting. In making its selection to replace the aging aircraft, the company considered factors such as jet spool-up time and how to slow the aircraft. Another significant issue was the culture change going from radial to turbofan.

We look at how the fire retardant tanking system was designed and the approvals required. Dan describes the life of an air tanker pilot and what Neptune looks for in a pilot. We touch on safety issues, Forest Service contract models, and aerial firefighting safety – now and in the past.

Aerial Firefighting. Courtesy Neptune Aviation Services.

Aerial Firefighting. Photo courtesy Neptune Aviation Services.

Dan has been involved in both flight and maintenance related aviation for over 24 years. At Neptune Aviation Services, he manages all of Neptune’s day-to-day operations, including aerial firefighting operations. Prior to his current position, Dan spent time in Alaska flying and maintaining aircraft. He served as Director of Maintenance for several repair stations and operators and flew for various corporate operators. Dan also has experience as a Part 142 ground and simulator instructor, a part 135 check airman, and an FAA examiner in several corporate jet types. Dan continues to fly and flight instruct from time to time. He holds FAA ATP, CFI, CFII, A&P, and IA certificates.

In Alaska, Dan flew a de Havilland Buffalo. This video features the Buffalo, but that’s not Dan flying (we don’t think): CC-115 de Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo STOL Takeoff.

Aviation News

Airbus Takes The Lead At Farnborough With 186 Order Commitments, Advantage In Asia

The Farnborough International Airshow kicked off this week, launching the annual “contest” for orders. The forecasts point to the most aviation growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Airbus placed orders for 186 planes compared to 175 for Boeing. The A320neo picked up 159 orders and options and the 737 MAX received 145. Additionally, Airbus had orders for 27 A350 aircraft while Boeing reported that United Airlines had previously put in an undisclosed order for four 787-9 planes.

Airbus wins JetBlue order for its newly rebranded A220

The same day that Airbus unveiled the A220 name for the jet formerly known as the Bombardier CSeries, JetBlue announced it would buy 60 of the A220-300 jets. These are to replace JetBlue’s 60 Embraer E190 aircraft and are powered by Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) PW1500G engines. These A220s will be assembled at Airbus’ Mobile, Alabama, facility.

Rolls Royce Reveals Hybrid VTOL

At Farnborough, Rolls-Royce showed a hybrid VTOL concept that could carry four or five passengers at speeds up to 217 knots with a range of up to 435 nm. The design should be flying by the “early 2020s.” The concept vehicle uses a gas-turbine to generate the electricity that powers six electric propulsors. A battery provides energy storage.

Engine Maker to Boeing-Airbus: Not So Fast on 737, A320 Ramp

CFM International has signaled Boeing and Airbus to be careful about increasing their production rates. With record backlogs of B737 and A320 family aircraft, the airframers are motivated to increase the rates but CFMI wants to catch up before committing to a higher production rate.

Across the Pond

Pieter Johnson tells us about his aviation experiences over a weekend – one memorable, one hopefully not to be repeated.

Recorded Segments

Brian Coleman goes flying with listener Nicki.

Brian Coleman and Nicki.

Airplane Geeks Reporter-at-Large Launchpad Marzari talks with Kelly Criddle, senior marketing manager for Hangar Hotel. Mentioned is Fredericksburg Brewing Co.

Photo courtesy Hangar Hotel

Mike Harris from the Why We Fly podcast provided a run-down of some podcast / social media events happening at Oshkosh this year.

Nick Herring provides some very nice feedback and introduces us to V1: The Podcast.

Mentioned

Aircraft in Pretoria crash was a 1954 Convair 340, recently acquired by a Dutch museum

Two Qantas pilots in South African Convair 340 plane crash

Wonderboom plane crash: It was a ‘thank you’ flight

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

414 F/A-18, F-16, PBY, and P8 from Farnborough International Airshow 2016

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:40:23 — 46.0MB)

More interviews from the Farnborough 2016 Airshow. We also discuss the future of widebody airliners, the U.S. Air Force pilot shortage, jetBlue air turbulence, an F-22 grounded by bees, an evacuation at a JFK terminal, a ride with the Geico Skytypers, and does the U.S. needs an airshow like Paris?

Farnborough International Airshow 2016

We bring you more interviews from the Farnborough 2016 Airshow. You’ll hear about the F/A-18, the F-16, the PBY, and the P8.

Carlos Stebbings (holding mic) of the Plane Talking UK Podcast along with Micah and Brian interviewing US Navy Aviator Lieutenant Jeff “Hoagy” Hanley about flying his F/A-18 Super Hornet. (Photo courtesy of Dan Harrington.)

Micah talking with Matt Smith of the Plane Talking UK Podcast about the F-16 Fighting Falcon and why it’s called a Viper. (Photo courtesy of Dan Harrington.)

PBY-5A Catalina Miss Pickup posing with (from left to right) Pilot Pip from the Plane Safety Podcast, Captain Al Evans from Flightfear Solutions, Carlos Stebbings and Matt Smith from the Plane Talking UK Podcast, Micah, Brian and Captain Rod, Miss Pickup’s pilot. (Photo courtesy of Dan Harrington.)

Lithograph of P-8A Poseidon 168754, autographed and presented to Brian and Micah in Farnborough by Patrol Squadron 30 ‘VP-30’ based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.

News

Atlas backs the B747 freighter as Boeing considers its future

Boeing has announced a cut in the 747 production rate, and in a regulatory filing stated the possibility that production of the 747 could end. At the same time, Airbus plans to cut the production rate of the A380. Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings chief executive Bill Flynn said there are three options for large widebody intercontinental cargo aircraft: the B747-800, the B747-400 and the B777. The 747 has load and loading advantages and Atlas Air looks forward to a long useful life.

Air Force sweetens bonus in facing pilot shortage

The U.S. Air Force needs 700 more fighter pilots by the end of 2016, and the shortage could reach 1000 within a few years.. Airlines offering higher salaries, better benefits, and long term career opportunities entice pilots to leave the service.

JetBlue turbulence puts 24 in hospital

A JetBlue A320 flying from Boston to Sacramento encountered rough turbulence, and was diverted to Rapid City, South Dakota. At least 22 passengers and two crew members were taken to a hospital for evaluation. Passengers reported flying out of their seats and even hitting the ceiling.

In a February 2016 article titled What Causes Turbulence? 10 Things You Need to Know, Conde Nast Traveler reports that the FAA says approximately 58 fliers are injured by turbulence each year. And PetaPixel tells us about a Military Plane Plunged 4,400ft when Pilot’s Nikon Got Stuck in the Controls.

F-22 Raptor grounded by swarm of almost 20,000 bees

192nd Fighter Wing Aircraft Maintainers at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia discovered a swarm of honey bees attached to the exhaust nozzle of an F-22 Raptor engine.

Airplane of the Week

Skytyper David!

David went flying for the first time in 2 years. He had the privilege of flying with the Geico Skytypers in a three ship formation over the Atlantic City, New Jersey coastline. Thanks to Jim Record for being an awesome pilot, and to Brenda Little for the opportunity.

Geico Skytypers SNJ-2, the Navy’s version of the Texan T-6, a WWII training plane.

Geico Landing over KACY 08-15-2016 (Raw video of the flight.)

Mentioned

UK fraud probe casts shadow over Airbus jet sales

Credit

Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

412 AirVenture Oshkosh and Farnborough Airshow 2016

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:36:24 — 44.2MB)

We report on AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 and the Farnborough International Airshow. As a bonus, David tells us another story about his favorite little Cirrus Suzy, who goes flying with some astronauts.

Airbus A400M at Farnborough International Airshow 2016, by Carlos Stebbings.

AirVenture Oshkosh 2016

Rob Mark attended Oshkosh and gives us his thoughts on the event. He tells us about the Martin Mars, Camp Bacon, and the Airbus E-Fan electric airplane. The EAA celebrated the two millionth Young Eagle and the AOPA Air Safety Institute honored Cirrus Aircraft with the first Joseph T. Nall Safety Award.

Rob took a look at the very interesting 2.5 ounce ADS-B unit from uAvonix. (See his article in Flying magazine.) He also tells us about FlyOtto, a service that makes it easy to find, book, and pay for trips on privately chartered aircraft with a mobile device or from your computer. Rob comments on the Textron Cessna Denali single engine turboprop that debuted at Oshkosh.

The EAA announced that Ihab Awad had won the inaugural Founder’s Innovation Prize presented by Airbus Group for his “Airball” flight display. This creative concept combines a variety of sensor inputs into a graphical ball that the pilot uses to help prevent loss-of-control. The paper submitted to the EAA for Airball is publically available.

See also Hillel’s Oshkosh photo album.

Farnborough International Airshow 2016

Brian Coleman and Micah attended Farnborough this year, and they bring us the first group of interviews from the Airshow:

Micah and Brian talk with Raul Tenna of Airbus and discuss the capabilities of the new A400M Military Transport.
Carlos Stebbings and Matt Smith from the Plane Talking UK podcast tell us about their show.
Brian and Micah team up with Carlos Matt Smith to talk about the engine and capabilities of the F-35B.
Airbus Captain Al Evans specializes in fear-of-flying and Micah and Brian discuss his techniques that help fearful flyers overcome their anxiety.
Eoin, a long time listener from Ireland, just moved to England and recently started a new career in aviation as cabin crew.
Listener Nelson from Portugal talks about his favorite aircraft at Farnborough.
Brian and Micah speak with Mary B. Lyons, who has been attending and photographing the Farnborough Airshow since 1998. She is the author of Fabulous Farnborough Photos, documenting almost 20 years of the Airshow in pictures.

We’ll have additional interviews from Farnborough in the next episode.

The podcast crew in front of the F-35. Note the lift fan behind on the right.

The whole crew having breakfast on Captain Al. Front left to right, Captain Al, Calos Stebbins, Brian, back Micah, Pilot Pip, Matt Smith.

Aircraft of the Week

Suzy Goes to the Stars

David’s favorite little Cirrus Suzy goes flying with some astronauts, and Pilot Rob gets a jaunt in a T-38. Also, we have a new friend at the airport, Jenny.

Some hints about the story:

NASA Langley Research Center uses a SR-22 as optionally manned aircraft to test UAS integration.

The NT-38s are named after Christa McAuliffe and Judith Resnick, both of whom perished on the Challenger.

The Lockheed Vega was made famous by Wiley Post and Amelia Earhart. Post flew it around the world solo using the world’s first pressure suit. Amelia flew it solo across the Atlantic, and non-stop across the United States. Vega also became a division of Lockheed, and this is the reason the Navy used the company code “V” in the PV-1 Ventura, P2V- 7 Neptune, and the greatest of all military transports, the GV-1.

Lockheed also built the Altair, designed by Jack Northrop like the Vega. There never was a Denab, (maybe the name wasn’t sexy enough). Lockheed’s aircraft were named after stars and constellations. Think about it. Hercules, Galaxy Constellations, Neptune, and Orion.

Mentioned

Max was a guest on episode 20 of the Podcast Engineering Show, talking podcasting tech.

Skydiver Jumps into Net from 25,000 Feet – a skilled professional, or a foolish stunt?

Credit

Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

411 Making Airlines Remarkable

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:32:28 — 42.4MB)

Airline branding and marketing strategies, Farnborough International Airshow 2016 coverage, an MH370 update, Southwest Airlines revenue and a system glitch, a large Chinese amphibian, a few world records, and news from Maine.

Guest

Shashank Nigam, CEO, SimpliFlying

Shashank Nigam is the CEO of SimpliFlying, a large aviation marketing strategy firm. We talk with Shashank about airline branding strategies and how they need to be different from those of typical consumer goods. He tells us about the changes implemented by some of his airline clients to better serve the new connected traveler, how airlines should manage crisis, and the value of empowered employees.

A sought-after consultant and speaker on aviation marketing, Shashank started SimpliFlying in 2009 as a blog on airline marketing. Since then, he and his team have built SimpliFlying into a global leader in airline consulting, having worked with more than 70 airlines and airports over the past seven years. Their latest projects include the Bombardier CSeries launch, and a re-design of the customer service strategy for Cebu Pacific. Shashank has a book coming out about airline marketing called SOAR. The book shares how some of the most innovative airline brands delight customers and inspire employees.

Farnborough International Airshow 2016

Brian, Micah, and the Trent

We kick off our coverage of the Farnborough Airshow with two interviews by Brian and Micah. First, we hear from Capt. Jeff and Dr. Steff from the Airline Pilot Guy show. They discuss their efforts to put together the live recording and meetup at Farnborough. Then Brian and Micah have an interesting conversation with Airbus A350 XWB marketing director Mike Bausor about the A350. We’ll bring you many additional interviews in future episodes.

The guys also had an opportunity to speak with Rolls Royce about the Trent Ultra in development. The Ultra will be a geared turbofan with all-carbon fiber fan blades. Perhaps most interesting, the fan blades will have adjustable pitch and be fully reversible, eliminating the need for thrust reversers. The engine in development after the Ultra features electrically driven fans powered by constant speed turbines that drive a generator.

Seated from left to right: Captain Nick, Captain Jeff, Dr. Steph. Standing: Markus Völter (Omega Tau), Micah, Carlos Stebbins (Plane Talking UK), Pilot Pip (Plane Safety Podcast) , Captain Al Evans (PTUK guest host and contributor), Brian. Photo by Daniel Hannington,

The F-35 on static display.

News

MH370 Pilot Flew a Suicide Route on His Home Simulator Closely Matching Final Flight

This publication “obtained a confidential document from the Malaysian police investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that shows that the plane’s captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, conducted a simulated flight deep into the remote southern Indian Ocean less than a month before the plane vanished under uncannily similar circumstances.”

Southwest Sees Revenue Reversal As Terror Fears Hit Delta, United

Southwest’s second quarter earnings per share were up 15.5% to 1.19, slightly under estimate. Revenue was up 5% to $5.38 billion, and traffic growth was 6%, while capacity was up 4.8%. See also Southwest Airlines: “Things Are Getting Better” An Update and an Apology on Systemwide Outages and Delta Air Lines Will Slow Growth to Ensure Business Travelers Pay Higher Fares.

China introduces Boeing 737-sized seaplane

The state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China just introduced the AG600, the biggest amphibian of any modern military.

Fedor Konyukhov breaks world hot air balloon record

64-year old Russian balloonist Fedor Konyukhov flew around the world solo in eleven days.

The Last Flight of the Round-the-World Solar Flight

Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg have realized their dream of achieving the first ever Round-The-World Solar Flight! From the Solar Impulse website: “Beyond this historic milestone, the two Swiss pioneers will continue to urge the global implementation of energy efficient solutions through the creation of the International Committee for Clean Technologies and leverage the expertise and technology gained over the years in Solar Impulse by launching new innovative projects, such as the development of solar powered drones. Join the movement with #futureisclean.”

Mentioned

Video Captures Apparent Spin Accident

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Wins Best Air Show – The results from the USA Today 10 Best U.S. Airshows voting.

Boeing’s Centennial Projection Spectacular – A highly recommended video.

This plane could cross the Atlantic in 3.5 hours. Why did it fail?

Credit

Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

410 Ask Patrick Smith, He’s a Pilot

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20:32 — 36.9MB)

An airline pilot and world traveler talks about the theater of air travel, airport security, cockpit automation, and the aesthetics of airliners. In the news, we discuss Farnborough 2016, Airbus, Boeing, and the F-35B. Also, the FAA authorization extension, third class medical reform, and the Boeing B-29 Superfortress known as “Doc.”

Guest

Patrick Smith

Patrick Smith is an active airline pilot, air travel blogger and author. He is curator of the Ask the Pilot website, and author of the NY Times bestselling book “Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel.”

Patrick has appeared on hundreds of radio and television outlets, including PBS, Discovery Channel, CNN, the BBC, and National Public Radio. His work is regularly cited in print publications worldwide and he was voted one of the “25 Best Bloggers of 2013” by TIME magazine.

Patrick took his first flying lesson at age fourteen. His first job with an airline came in 1990, when he was hired as a copilot on 15-passenger turboprops earning $850 a month. He has since flown cargo and passenger jets on both domestic and intercontinental routes. He has flown the 767, 757, 737, MD-80 and DC-8, plus five different turboprops, including the Dash-8 and ATR.

Patrick’s self-published punk rock fanzines and poetry journals of the 1980s and 1990s are considered among the more peculiar works of literature ever produced by an airline pilot. He also travels extensively in his spare time, and has visited more than eighty countries.

News from Farnborough 2016

Airbus to cut A380 production rate in 2018

Boeing modifies one MAX model and is seriously studying two more new airplanes

Boeing Strikes Out at the Farnborough Airshow

Five ‘wow’ moments at the world’s ‘greatest’ airshow

First F-35 Flight At Farnborough Airshow by AIRBOYD

Other News

Medical Reform Becomes Law

EAA Reaches Its Goal! Third-Class Medical Reform Now Law!

It wasn’t easy, but B-29 Doc takes to Wichita skies

Airplane of the Week

Part II of the Mirage III: The Exports. David discusses the Mirage IIIE and its export successes. Listen to Part I on Episode 402.

Mirage III E from the Royal Australian Air Force. TSGT Curt Eddings.

Credit

Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

AirplaneGeeks 308 – AirVenture Oshkosh Preview with Jack Pelton

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:35:10 — 43.8MB)

Airbus Test and Evaluation Aircraft A350 on final approach - Copyright XTPMedia

EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2014 preview, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and the Farnborough International Airshow.

Guest

Guest Jack Pelton is Chairman of the Board of the Experimental Aircraft Association (the EAA). He’s the retired chairman, president, and chief executive officer for Cessna Aircraft Company. Jack was Sr. Vice President of Engineering for Dornier Aircraft in Munich, and he started his career at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach CA. Also, he was a member of the board and past chairman of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and served on the board of directors of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).

We talk about AirVenture Oshkosh 2014 – what’s new and what to expect, including the USAF Thunderbirds, static displays, air-features, the 100th anniversary of WW I aviation, forums and workshops. KidVenture, and the One Week Wonder build of a Zenith 705.

Jack gives us an update on the EAA focus topics: the 3rd class medical, 100LL fuel, ADS-B implementation costs, and views on the shrinking pilot population.

You can find the EAA at EAA.org. on Twitter as @eaaupdate, Facebook, and Instagram.

News

The Downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17

We talk about airliner routes over areas of military conflict, counter-measures on civilian aircraft, and preserving the integrity of the crash site and allowing access by investigators.

The Farnborough Interational Airshow

Aircraft orders announced at the show, the A330neo is launched, and the B737 MAX 8.

David Vanderhoof’s Airplane of the Week

LM-2 At the NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE Museum on the MALL. DMV Photo

On the 45th anniversary of Apollo 11, we talk about the Grumman craft that couldn’t move on Earth: the Lunar excursion module.

See Apollo 15 Ascent stage launch video and Lunar Lander Model photo (the Bug).

The Australia News Desk

Steve and Grant are joined by their friend Owen Zupp who has recently finished re-enacting the first airmail flight in Australia to help celebrate its centenary. He’s also recently launched a new website called The Pilot’s Blog, seen great traffic from his new book, and been in France with the new A350.

Find more from 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.

Rob Mark’s Aviation Minute

Rob talks about safety and General Aviation airplanes.

Across the Pond

Pieter brings us a report from the Farnborough International Airshow as he walks along the flightline taking in the aircraft on display. He also has the chance to talk to Managing Editor of The Aviation Historian to preview their latest edition, which has a Farnborough link.

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

Credit

Post photo: Airbus Test and Evaluation Aircraft A350 on final approach – Copyright XTPMedia.

Airplane of the Week photo: LM-2 at the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall. DM Vanderhoof Photo.

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 229 – Bits and Pieces IX

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (55.3MB)

Engine Alliance GP7200, center cut sketch

This week we bring you a collection of segments:

Max has a conversation with Mary Ellen Jones, President of the Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. EA produces the GP7200 engine for the Airbus A380. Max talks to Mary Ellen about the formation of EA and how two fierce competitors can come together in a joint venture. We look at who manufactures which parts of the engine, how they are integrated, and how the engine is maintained. We also touch on Mary Ellen’s involvement with the Connecticut Airport Authority, and how she is trying to improve the experience at Connecticut’s airports. [Starts 3:24]

Find Engine Alliance on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

First Operational F-35B Joint Strike Fighter

David, Rob, and Max had the opportunity to speak with Major Aric Liberman, an F-35B pilot with Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona. We talk about the F-35, being part of the future, and engine performance. The Major compares the F-35B to previous generation tactical fighters like the F-18, and touches on the level of automation, and F-35 stick and throttle controls. [Starts 24:46]

See First F-35B Delivery to MCAS Yuma on YouTube, and Pratt & Whitney Congratulates U.S. Marine Corps for World’s First F-35B Lightning II Operational Squadron.

The segment from our commercial pilot and flight instructor teammate Rob Mark is about the realm of flight instruction. It’s actually about not learning to fly, to be more precise. In this piece, Rob tells us about how two different people influenced his life in aviation. One man nearly convinced him to stop flying forever, while the other saw a spark that convinced Rob not to give up on a dream. This is an Airplane Geek’s tale called … “The Day I Quit Flying.” [Starts 52:17]

In this week’s Australia Desk Report, Grant attempts to recover from his New Years celebrations as the boys present an abridged version of their interview with Mac “Serge” Tucker, a former RAAF F/A18 pilot and Fight Combat Instructor who has recently publish a book talking about his experiences. They cover the importance of USAF exchange postings for RAAF pilots, his concerns about the introduction of the F-35 into Australian service, and his thoughts on the increasing use of un-manned aerial vehicles. [Starts 1:07:40]

Mac’s book is called “Fighter Pilot – mis-adventures beyond the sound barrier with an Australian Top Gun.” The full interview is featured in episode 96 of Plane Crazy Down Under.

Farnborough Air Sciences Trust

In his Across the Pond segment, Pieter visits the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST). Described in the Sunday Times as one of the Top Ten Geeky Holiday Spots on the Planet, FAST is dedicated to maintaining the memory of all of the fabulous aviation and aerospace innovations and developments throughout Farnborough’s history. [Starts 1:21:35]

Listener Ian Kershaw provides a brief review of the book “Vulcan 607” by Rowland White. [Starts 1:45:29]

Amber Nolan

Finally, Max interviews Amber Nolan, a travel writer who is trying to visit all 50 U.S. states by hitch hiking rides on General Aviation aircraft. [Starts 1:47:59] Support her adventure on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

Rio’s famous Copacabana beach (and Sugarloaf mountain) taken on departure from Santos Dumont by Dima from Dima’s Corner

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 207 – Getting Ready for AirVenture

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (47.8MB)

Rich Bergmann is a Senior Executive with Accenture and gives us some observations from Farnborough, airline strategies, and what’s happening with the defense segment. We talk about new commercial airliners from Russia and China, and maintenance strategies for commercial operators. Also, global capacity constraints in view of the order backlog, and even what it takes to be considered for an aviation consulting position.

Rob is already at Oshkosh for AirVenture and is joined by Benet Wilson, Scott Spangler, and Peter Moll, the Director of Wittman Regional Airport. In particular, we talk with Peter about airport preparations for AirVenture. Visit Wittman Regional Airport on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

The week’s aviation news:

CAC CA-15

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the CAC CA-15, also known unofficially as the CAC Kangaroo.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Steve calls in from work to discuss Qantas dumping their Blackberrys for iPhones, Emirates being the third largest employer of Australians of any airline, Etihad getting approval to increase their ownship of Virgin Australia to 10% and the RAAF getting some of their aircraft repainted. All this and investment properties on this week’s AusDesk.

Find more from 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.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week on Across The Pond we welcome back pilot and Journalist David Cenciotti, David often publishes really exciting and leading edge aviation articles on his Website (TheAviationist.com) and although at Farnborough we didn’t get the chance to cath up with him then so we talk to him this week about recent V22 incidents, the Turkish F4 that was shot down over Syria and the Spartan Gunship. David also shares his views on some of the aircraft highlights from Farnborough including an amusing story about the Yak130.

You can find David on Twitter as @Cencio4
and his website which is really worth visiting and then tracking is http://www.TheAviationist.com.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

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