Tag Archives: Learjet

641 AOPA Events for 2021

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14:40 — 34.2MB)

The AOPA events planned for 2021, Bombardier ending Learjet production, United Airlines investment in eVTOL, VFR charts move to a 56-day production cycle, F-35A engine issues impact the demo team schedule, and a TSA agent saves the day for some confused passengers.

Guest

Chris Eads, AOPA Senior Director, Outreach and Events

Chris Eads is Senior Director, Outreach and Events for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). He’s a private pilot and an AOPA member since 2001. He began working for AOPA in 2013. Chris flies VFR all over the country both for fun and as a part of his role leading AOPA events and regional fly-ins.

We focus on AOPA’s thinking and plans for events late in 2021 and even into 2022. The organization has released plans for two 2021 Aviator Showcase events. Each showcase will be a single-day event designed to provide new product and aircraft information to pilots, aircraft owners, and prospective buyers.

Aviator Showcase at Manassas, Virginia
Aug. 27, 2021, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
At Manassas Regional Airport (KHEF), hosted by Chantilly Air Jet Center.

Aviator Showcase at Fort Worth, Texas
Oct. 1, 2021, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
At Fort Worth Alliance Airport (KAFW), hosted by Alliance Aviation Services.

These events will be one-day gatherings in an exhibit hall, with an aircraft sales display and technology-related seminars. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with industry leaders in avionics and cockpit technology, flight planning, weather resources, aircraft manufacturing, and more.

To be sure AOPA is in alignment with current CDC guidelines at the time of the event, registration will open approximately 12 weeks prior to each event. Attendance will be limited according to CDC restrictions, and advance registration is required.

In addition to the two Showcases, AOPA is considering “pilot gathering air tours” for when the pandemic clears sufficiently. These would be similar to a barnstormer’s tour and include social functions, unlike the Aviator Showcase events.

Aviation News

Learjet, once the go-to private plane for celebrities, is ending production

Learjet, owned by Bombardier, will stop production later this year. Bombardier said it will concentrate on the Challenger and Global aircraft, which are more profitable. The company was started in 1962 by Bill Lear, with the first entry-into-service in 1963. The company was purchased by Bombardier in 1990.

Archer Aviation gets a $1 billion order from United Airlines, on the same day it announces a deal to go public

Archer Aviation Inc. announced that United placed an order valued at $1 billion for all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL). United has an option to buy an additional $500 million worth of aircraft. Archer also announced its merger with Atlas Crest Investment Corp. which takes the company public and allows the public to invest in the urban air mobility (UAM) market. United Airlines plans to have a role in the UAM market with “last mile” transportation between airports and urban destinations using low-emission eVTOL aircraft.

VFR charts to go on 56-day publication cycle in 2021

The 56-Day Visual Charts notice [PDF] was published January 15, 2021 and takes effect February 25, 2021. In shortening the update cycle for VFR charts to match the dates on IFR charts, the FAA will now be updating all charts every 56 days.

F-35 Demo Team Forced To Cut Airshow Appearances Due To Fleet-Wide Engine Issues

Turbine blades in the Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engine powering the F-35 are experiencing shorter than expected life. Some F-35As have been running close to design limits which is causing premature cracks in the turbine blade coatings. While not a flight safety issue, it is causing unscheduled engine removals. The depot system is apparently already backlogged, so this extra workload is adding to that problem. This impacts the available engine supply so the Air Force F-35 demonstration team is scaling back the number of air show appearances by about a third.

Wrong Portland: TSA officer helps family fly to correct coast

A family of three Spanish-speaking passengers landed in the wrong Portland airport – Oregon, not Maine. They were about 2,500 miles from where they wanted to be. A TSA agent escorted the family to a ticket agent, and learned the family only had $200. The agent personally provided the additional money that allowed them to book a flight to their correct destination.

Mentioned

Check Out These Stunning Images Of The Super Bowl’s Bomber Trio Flyover

Here’s why Army helicopters have Native American names

FAA Files Reveal a Surprising Threat to Airline Safety: the U.S. Military’s GPS Tests

Gerbino Flight Systems: Innovations in Flight

Gerbino rotorcraft by listener Harold.

601 Business Aviation

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:23 — 38.7MB)

The CEO of Imperium Jets explains the current demand for business jets, particularly from new charter customers. Also, Airbus lays off 3200, Boeing pulls out of the $4.2B Embraer deal and pushes back the projected date for 737 MAX return to service, some post-COVID-19 airliner seat designs, American Airlines checked bag fees, and a 42-foot limousine built from a Learjet.

Guest

Lidor Revah is CEO and co-founder of Imperium Jets, a company that matches business aviation operators with brokers and travel agents. Imperium developed all-in-one private aircraft booking software that brings business jet brokers and operators together. Brokers get access to flights, and business aircraft operators get access to brokers. 

The business aircraft sector is active in these troubled times and Lidor explains that with COVID-19, more people are looking to business aviation for their transportation needs. These are often people who hadn’t utilized this service in the past.

Reasons for turning to business jets include the unavailability of commercial flights, the perceived safety of bizjets, evacuation flights, travel to funerals, humanitarian flights, and cargo shipments.

Many new customers are going to charter brokers and travel agents for the first time. Often they are surprised at the shorter airport wait times and the service level found on business aircraft flights. Lidor talks about the prospects for business aviation retaining some of the new customers after the pandemic.

Lidor founded two travel-focused companies, has been featured in Fox Business, Quartz, and LeehamNews among other publications, and is an ex-special forces soldier.

Aviation News

Airbus to furlough 3,200 staff at Broughton factory in Wales

The company’s 135,000 employees were told to brace for potentially deeper job cuts due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aerospace sector. Britain’s job retention scheme allows employers to furlough staff and claim cash grants up to 80% of wages, capped at 2,500 pounds per worker.

Boeing pulls out of $4.2 billion deal for Embraer’s commercial jet unit

Brazil’s Embraer says Boeing ‘wrongfully terminated’ deal for $4 billion tie-up

Boeing backed out of the planned $4.2 billion deal to buy an 80% stake in Embraer’s commercial aircraft division. The Brazilian company is not amused and says “Embraer believes strongly that Boeing has wrongfully terminated the (agreement).” Boeing says Embraer failed to meet conditions for closing the transaction.

Boeing pushes back target date for fixing 737 Max as coronavirus hinders progress

Sources tell CNBC that Boeing’s latest expectations for returning the 737 MAX to service indicate late summer 2020. Two software updates and a recertification flight remain to be accomplished.

How airplane seats could look in the post-coronavirus era

Italian manufacturer Aviointeriors has shown two airline seat concepts that look to provide some protection for passengers. Glassafe has transparent upper body hoods while the Janus concept features rearward-facing middle seats. (See #PaxEx Podcast 72, The future of air travel in a post-pandemic world for more on this.)

American Thinks Now is the Perfect Time to Raise Checked Baggage Fees

Fares between Europe, Israel, Morocco and the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, and South America will be subject to a $75 per bag fee.

Someone turned a Learjet into a street legal 42 foot limo, and it’s for sale.

The street-legal Learjet limo is 42 feet long and 8 feet wide. Power comes from an 8.1 liter Chevy V8 and the 17,000 watt sound system simulates jet sound as the vehicle drives down the road. The “Learmousine” is scheduled for auction at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The winning bidder will also receive a custom-built 44-foot trailer and a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD to pull it.

Bad Aviation Movie Contest

The “winner” is Airplane vs. Volcano, first submitted by Brian Burke, who calls it “the worst aviation film ever to exist.” His YouTube channel is called Just Plane Silly, A Comical View of Aviation, where you’ll find a review of the movie:

Mentioned

#PaxEx Podcast: The future of air travel in a post-pandemic world

Co-hosts Max Flight and Mary Kirby break down how COVID-19 is rapidly changing virtually every touchpoint of the passenger experience, and consider whether air travel will be forever altered at the airport and in-flight.

Replay: Aerospace Industry Business After Hours Webinar hosted by the New England Air Museum with guest presenter Richard Aboulafia.

13 Minutes to the Moon: The Apollo 13 Story

Australian family recreates cancelled 15-hour Europe flight in home loungeroom

 

415 Airman Certification Standards

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An FAA Designated Pilot Examiner talks about checkrides, the old Practical Test Standards (PTS) and the new Airman Certification Standards (ACS).  Also, government interest in airline IT system failures, pilot recruiting in China, the Boeing cabin of the future, the huge ATC applicant response, and Textron interest in Learjet.

Guest

Jason Blair is an active single and multi-engine instructor. He is a National Association of Flight Instructors Master Flight Instructor, and an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner for both part 61 and part 141 training providers. Jason was involved in the early stages of the FAA/industry efforts that developed the new Airman Certification Standards (ACS) that became effective June, 2016.

Jason Blair

Jason Blair

In this episode, Jason explains the differences between the Practical Test Standards and the new Airman Certification Standards, and when they apply. He offers advice for private, CFI, and ATP checkrides, and explains some of the common errors made by applicants. Jason tells us about the checks that Examiners make, the process they follow, and what the FAA is looking for. We also hear about the process for becoming an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner.

Jason was named the 2016 Michigan CFI of the Year by the FAA, and over 1000 pilot certificates have been issued in Jason’s role as Examiner. Jason writes for a number of aviation publications and he’s active in the general aviation industry.

Starting his flying experience at the age of 15, and soloing at 16, Jason received his private pilot’s certificate at 17. While he pursued both undergraduate and master’s degrees from Western Michigan University in non-aviation fields, he continued his aviation passion through flight training at local FBOs, obtaining his instrument, commercial, and instructor certificates.

Jason flies general aviation aircraft for much of his personal and business travel, and has served as the Executive Director of the National Association of Flight Instructors, and represented the flight training community on a variety of committees including the FAA’s Runway Safety Council, the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, the TSA Aviation Safety Advisory Council, NATA’s Flight Training Committee, and others. Currently, Jason works for a variety of companies and associations focusing on flight training regulations, procedures, and safety as a writer and consultant.

News

U.S. senators quiz airlines on IT systems after Delta disruption

Senators Richard Blumenthal and Edward Markey sent letters of concern to a number of airlines in the wake of recent computer system failures at Southwest and Delta. They point out that with such a concentrated industry, any one outage can affect a large portion of commercial aviation, and inconvenience many travelers. The senators want to know how affected travelers will be accommodated, and what measures are being taken to ensure the security and reliability of airline IT systems.

China-based airlines are putting up lots of cash to recruit foreign pilots

Industry projections put the greatest airline growth in Asia. Boeing projects that the number of commercial planes in China will triple by 2034. Bloomberg says that means China will need to hire 100 pilots per week over that time period, and they are paying big salaries to get them: as much as five times more for new hires, and in some cases about 50 percent more than senior captains at Delta. See also Chinese Airlines Wave Wads of Cash to Lure Foreign Pilots.

Dim the lights, order lunch: Boeing develops smartphone app for jet cabin interior of the future

Boeing is looking at a future cabin experience that includes the ability for passengers to interact with the airplane from their smartphone. Commercial Airplanes’ Product Development engineers have created an airplane cabin technology demonstrator they call v-Cabin where concepts can be developed and tested. Passengers could control personal lighting, order food or drink items, interact with the IFE system, and even check lavatory availability, all over a wireless network.

As of Aug. 15, 2016, the FAA says 29,000 applicants have applied for the 1,400 positions

It comes as no surprise that the interest in open ATC positions is very high.

Cessna-maker Textron Inc would be interested in Bombardier Inc’s Learjet ‘at the right price’

Will Textron seek to add Learjet to its portfolio?

The Airplane of the Week

The OV-10 Bronco, Part 1. If your specs are drawn right, you get an aircraft that can successfully complete its mission. Sometimes that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what it can do. This episode we talk about development and combat and Medal of Honors. In Part 2, we’ll look at foreigners, civilians, and the return to combat.

Mentioned

David participated in the AirlineGeeks/American Airlines activities for National Aviation Day. His interviews and stories will be presented in episode 417 Bits and Pieces XV.

In episode 39 of Lucas Weakley’s The Logbook Podcast, Don “the pre-buy guy” Sebastion tells some more great stories.

B747-400 Global SuperTanker – A fascinating 3D tour of the Global SuperTanker by Matterport. See also What It Feels Like to Fly a Firefighting 747.

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 335 Flying in Luxury

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:30:48 — 41.6MB)

Lufthansa 737-500 photo copyright Jurgen

Converting airliners to private/corporate jets, a ballistic recovery parachute deployment, American Airlines pilots approve their contract, the Bombardier Learjet 85 is on hold, and the B747-8 is chosen for Air Force One.

Guest

Kent Scott is CEO and Founder of Trident 737 ER, LLC, which is in the business of modifying the Boeing 737 into private/corporate jets. He’s had a lifelong career in aviation that includes serving as President and COO of Emery Worldwide Airlines, Senior Flight Training Captain at American International Airlines (Kalitta), and VP-Flight Operations at Polar Air Cargo. Kent was also a 727 and DC-8 captain at Evergreen International Airlines, and Captain at Trans World Airlines, where he was elected head of the 4,000-member TWA Pilot union.

News

Video Shows Plane Using Parachute to Ditch into Ocean Near Maui

A Cirrus SR-22 on a ferry flight to Australia with a low fuel indication deployed the recovery parachute over the ocean near Hawaii. A National Guard C-130 captured video of the event.

Pilots Union Approves Contract With Airline

Nearly 95 percent of the eligible American Airlines pilots voted, with about 66 percent of them approving a new contract. They’ll receive an immediate 23% pay increase, and a 3% annual increase for the next five years.

Bombardier Learjet 85: Window of Opportunity Slams Shut

The Learjet 85 is “on hold” due to “weakness of the market.” Bombardier President and CEO Pierre Beaudoin says, “We will focus our resources on our two other clean-sheet aircraft programs under development, CSeries and Global 7000/8000.” A number of manufacturing cost cutting strategies have run into difficulties.

Limited Impact for Boeing in Air Force One Win

Under the Presidential Airlift Recapitalization program, the Boeing 747-8 has been selected as the next-generation Air Force One.

Airplane of the Week

Douglas F4D-1 Skyray

David Vanderhoof tells us the history of the Douglas F4D-1 Skyray.

The Australia News Desk

Bens new Cessna 172

With Grant stuck half way between Melbourne and Sydney with car troubles and lack of connectivity, Ben Jones steps in to join Steve instead this week.

Ben recently purchased a Cessna 172 on the east coast of Australia and flew it nearly 2,000nm back to his home base in Perth, Western Australia.  In this segment he talks about the buying experience, pre-purchase inspections and the 5 day trek back to Perth, dealing with the odd weather complication and instrument hiccup.

Airplane Geeks on Ice

Cassidy

In his 6th report, Juan Fernandez from McMurdo Bay in Antarctica tells us about rotorcraft at the continent at the bottom or the world.

Mentioned

The newly launched NATS blog includes an interactive 360 panorama view from inside Heathrow Tower in London, a view very rarely seen by members of the public.

Credit

Lufthansa 737-500 photo copyright Jurgen.

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

 

 

AirplaneGeeks 302 – Ace Abbott is the Rogue Aviator

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Air Atlanta 727

We talk with Ace Abbott about flying the F-4 Phantom, Learjet, and B727. Also, tracking airliners, the Gulfstream IV crash, pilots in the back being called to duty. We talk about the Ford Tri-motor, FAA pressure for commercial UAS operations, aviation in the Middle East, and news from down under.

Guest Ace Abbott Morris entered the U.S. Air Force after graduating from college and became an F-4 Phantom pilot based in the Far East.  After the Air Force, Ace became a Learjet corporate and charter pilot, and during the last 22 years of his career, he flew Boeing 727s, accumulating 11,000 hours in the captain’s chair with several different airlines.

Ace blogs at The Rogue Aviator, tweets at @aceabbott, and hosts book presentations with aviation organizations throughout the country. His second book, Dead Tired: Pilot Fatigue – Aviation’s Insidious Killer, looks at the implications of pilot fatigue.

We talk about flying the 727, with occasional #2 engine compressor stalls and the #3 engine coming off the plane from blue ice strikes. Also, flying the F-4 Phantom in Korea, and the future of remotely piloted aircraft, probably first with cargo airplanes.

On the high performance Learjet, Ace encountered a variety of celebrity passengers, as well as in the 727.  He comments on what airline pilots say about flying these days, and the contributions made by ALPA for pilots and for aviation safety.

The week’s aviation news

Airlines want tracking technology to prevent another MH370

Like most all of us, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) doesn’t want to see a repeat of MH370. So IATA has created a taskforce that includes airlines, pilots, flight safety organizations, and flight tracking and navigation service providers. This tracking task force (not a data streaming task force) should report their recommendations in September, 2014.

NTSB: Plane never took off from ground, black box data shows

We get an update on the Gulfstream G-4 accident, and learn that the plane was traveling at 165 knots on the runway, and the black boxes point to brake pressure and thrust reversers before the crash.

Local USAF pilot helps in airline emergency

Any pilot in the back of the plane has daydreamed about what they would do if the assistance of another pilot was needed. Capt. Mark Gongol (who normally flies a B-1B Lancer) had the opportunity to actually live out that scenario on a commercial B737 flight.

The Aircraft of the Week

Tri-Motor at MDQ 2

Jamie Dodson tells us about the Tri-motor.

The Australia Desk

Grant’s sulking because Max forgot his name last week and it takes all Steve’s producer skills (and a few beers) to get him back into the groove. Once that’s achieved, it’s on with the show.

CASA acknowledges that the new Wellcamp airport near Toowoomba is likely to have airspace issues once it’s up and running.

Meanwhile, Sydney’s second airport at Badgerys Creek will take up to a year just to get through discussions and negotiations.

The recently released Aviation Safety Regulation Review is recommending some major changes in CASA’s approach to industry

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

At the risk of droning on, Rob has something to say about industry pressure on the FAA to allow commercial use of unmanned aerial systems.

Across the Pond

Qatar Airways

Pieter Johnson continues his discussion with Oussama Salah this week, focussing on the Middle East and recent developments including Apartment Suites on aircraft through to the new Doha Hub.

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

Mentioned

Listen to the NBAA Flight Plan podcast from the National Business Aviation Association.

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 198 – Kip Hawley on the TSA

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (45.6MB)

Kip Hawley

Guest Kip Hawley was Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from July 2005 to January 2009. He’s also just written the book, “Permanent Emergency: Inside the TSA and the Fight for the Future of American Security” available through his website (KipHawley.com), Amazon.com, and many bookstores.

We talk with Kip about how he came to be the TSA Administrator, the risk that business aviation presents, and the Large Aircraft Security Program. Kip explains why the full TSA “body search” shouldn’t be necessary and he gives us some interesting details about the plot that led to the ban on liquids over 3 ounces. We consider calls to privatize the TSA, and discuss managing security and managing risk, the public perception of “the threat” and just how large it really is, security theater, the cost of technology, behavioral profiling, the effects of TSA security on the travelling public and thus on the commercial aviation industry, the history of Blogger Bob from The TSA Blog, and even a little peek inside the Bush oval office.

Kip observes that the risk in counter-terrorism is nonlinear, whereas in aviation safety it is linear. We have to be looking for nonlinear risk but a lot of the risk models used came out of the FAA safety regime and don’t apply well to security.

The week’s aviation news:

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Alligator Airways loses court bid to overturn CASA grounding, Army temporarily grounds Tiger Armed Recon Helicopters, Lockheed Martin ready to begin training RAAF pilots, Sydney Airport CEO claims the airport has plenty of spare space for expansion, Airservices Australia CEO steps down unexpectedly, China Southern to establish the “Canton Route” from Australia to the UK, Air Pacific announces a re-branding to Fiji Airways.

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.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Pieter Johnson asks our adopted Spanish correspondent Diego Lopez-Salazar from Aeropodcast.com to give us some feedback on his recent trip to Mexico. He gives us a summary of the airline structure there and the key carrifull service, low cost models.

Find Pieter Johnson on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, and also on Facebook at XTPMedia.

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.