Tag Archives: Lightspeed Aviation

587 Lightspeed Aviation

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:22:04 — 37.6MB)

The Executive Vice President at Lightspeed Aviation talks about their new video series inspired by the people, business, and adventure of aviation. We also get caught up with FlightLink and ANR helmets. In the news, a new aircraft carrier is named for a WWII hero, the US Navy disrupts GPS systems, an autonomous A350-1000 take-off, Garmin electronic steam instruments, and the Delta 777 fuel dump over a populated area.

Guest

Lightspeed Aviation Executive VP Teresa De Mers

Teresa De Mers, Lightspeed Aviation Executive Vice President.

Teresa De Mers is Executive Vice President of Lightspeed Aviation responsible for marketing and corporate development. She is also a member of the company’s board of directors. Teresa earned her PPL in 1997 and an instrument rating a few years later. She loves flying small airplanes and the freedom that general aviation provides. Teresa joined Lightspeed in 2012 and she combines her passion for aviation with her passion for creating innovative products and market opportunities.

Lightspeed is focused on pursuing product innovation that brings new technology and genuine value to the aviation community. Their business model gives customers a personal and exceptional experience. The company also is privileged to give back through projects funded by the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation. 

As a way to help showcase the company’s passion for aviation, Lightspeed has created an episodic YouTube series titled Aviation – No Tie Downs. Recent episodes have featured an in-depth interview with retired Major General Hank Canterbury, some aerobatic flying with this former Thunderbird pilot, a tour of the museum of the US Air Force with friends from Sporty’s, a behind the scenes “day in the life” of an aerial formation team that flies general aviation aircraft, and a variety of interviews with international business leaders in the general aviation marketplace.

We talk with Teresa about the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation Foundation and some of its initiatives that are focused on growing the aviation population. The Foundation has partnered with AOPA on the Rusty Pilots program and the You Can Fly initiatives, and with the EAA and the Ray Aviation Scholarship program for young people who want to become a private pilot.

Teresa explains the Lightspeed FlightLink app that lets your iOS device act as a cockpit voice recorder. Recent changes include the ability to transfer files with Airdrop. We also hear about active noise reduction for helmets.

Find Lightspeed Aviation on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The Lightspeed Aviation Foundation is also on Instagram.

Also, check out the Lightspeed Blog with interesting articles by contributors, such as the Mountain Flying multi-part series by Colin Aro.

In 2020, look for Lightspeed Aviation at HAI Heli-Expo, Sun ‘n Fun, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and AERO Friedrichshafen, the German trade show dedicated to European general aviation.

Aviation No Tie Downs: Pulling some Gs with Major General Hank Canterbury.

Aviation News

U.S. Navy To Name Aircraft Carrier After WWII Hero Doris Miller

A new aircraft carrier is to be named for a mess attendant who assisted wounded sailors during the attack on Pearl Harbor and manned a .50-caliber machine gun on his stricken ship. The carrier will be the first one to be named after an African-American.

Navy exercise expected to disrupt aircraft GPS systems across Southeast

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued by the FAA warning about GPS disruptions in the US Southeast. Navy Carrier Strike Group 4 is conducting “GPS interference testing” off the extreme southeastern coast of Georgia. This has the potential to disrupt commercial and general aviation. Also possibly affected are the Wide Area Augmentation System, the Ground Base Augmentation System, and the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system.

Airbus releases photos of automatic takeoffs

Last December, Airbus tested an A350-1000 that was able to take off automatically, without pilot input. The Airbus system utilized image recognition technology and is part of the Airbus Autonomous Taxi, Take-Off, and Landing (ATTOL) project on aviation autonomy. Automatic vision-based landing and taxi sequences are planned for mid-2020.

Press release: Airbus demonstrates first fully automatic vision-based take-off

Video: ATTOL: Autonomous Taxiing, Take-Off and Landing test flight

Garmin launches electronic ‘steam’ instruments

Garmin announced the GI 275 electronic flight instrument that directly replaces legacy primary flight instruments in the cockpit. The GI 275 is suitable as a direct replacement for a variety of instruments including attitude indicator, attitude directional indicator (ADI), course deviation indicator (CDI), horizontal situation indicator (HSI), and engine indication system (EIS).

Fuel dump over L.A. schools puzzles aviation experts

Delta Flight 89, a Boeing 777, experienced an engine-related issue inflight and returned to LAX less than 20 minutes after takeoff. The airplane dumped fuel at about 2,000 feet over a heavily populated area. Reportedly, ATC was not notified of the fuel dump.

See also, Los Angeles teachers sue Delta after jet fuel dump over schools, playgrounds.

Mentioned

Vanderhoof International Airshow 2020, Vanderhoof, BC Canada, August 1 and 2, 2020.

Erebus Flight 901: Litany of lies?

White Silence

Electric Aircraft Pilot Training Is Arriving

AirplaneGeeks 390 Lightspeed ANR Headsets

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:36:48 — 44.3MB)

We learn all about Active Noise Reduction headsets with the founder and CEO of Lightspeed Aviation. In the news: Bombardier job cuts and a CS300 order, the NASA aeronautics budget request, United 747 retirements, and the FAA reauthorization bill stalls. We also have the winner of the John Mollison print.

Allan Schrader

Allan Schrader, founder and CEO, Lightspeed Aviation.

Guest

Allan Schrader is founder and CEO of Lightspeed Aviation, a leading producer of active noise reduction headsets for aviation. Lightspeed introduced their first product in 1996 at EAA AirVenture and continues to develop and offer innovative products.

Allan tells us how he started Lightspeed and the sound cancellation technologies involved. We learn about the labs dedicated to delivering quieting, comfort, and fidelity; the headset trade-in program; and the different acoustic signatures of GA airplanes, helicopters, and airliners. Allan also talks about the introduction of the wireless headset, and integrating headsets with cockpit information to enhance the cockpit experience.

Allan has a civil engineering degree and an MBA, and started his career at Tektronix  where he learned about product development and operations. Allan left Tektronix to launch a startup company producing wireless headsets, then after five years he and some of his Tektronix co-workers started Lightspeed Technologies to design and make Active Noise Reduction headsets.

News

Bombardier to Cut Workforce by 10%, Gets New CSeries Orders

Bombardier plans to cut about 7,000 jobs from its worldwide workforce of 71,000. Layoffs are expected in both Canada and Europe, split between the company’s plane and train operations. The better news is that Air Canada placed orders for 45 firm and 30 option CS300 airplanes.

Boom! NASA Wants to Bring Back Supersonic X-Planes

The $19B FY 2017 NASA budget request asks for $790M to be used for aeronautics research impacting the safety, capacity, and efficiency of the air transportation system; a major new experimental flight initiative to demonstrate and validate new technologies that dramatically reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and noise, and open new markets for U.S. industry; and research and development for revolutionary low carbon emission aircraft, including associated transportation systems, as part of a multiagency effort to enable a 21st century clean transportation system.

See:

United Airlines tells pilots it may retire all of its Boeing 747s by 2018

Aviation journalist Brian Sumers reports that almost a year ago, United indicated that its 747 fleet would be around for a while, with maybe a 2020 decision point based on aircraft maintenance requirements. Now however, pilots were told that 747 retirements may occur at a faster rate. If United does move to retire the 747 quickly, they say they will accelerate deliveries of new widebodies.

Reauthorization Bill Stalled In Committee

The FAA reauthorization bill which would privatize ATC will not be introduced to the full House as scheduled. Facing widespread opposition to the bill, Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster will instead try and consolidate support. Expect the bill to be amended before it re-emerges from Committee.

John Mollison Print Giveaway

Grandpas Untold StoryWe announce the winner of the John Mollison signed print showing the B-25 flown by Dick Cole and Doolittle, Bud Anderson’s P51B, Alden Rigby’s P51D, and Maury Magneson’s P47. John was our guest on Episode 388 where he told us about his “Old Guys and Their Airplanes” video documentaries.

We also play a moving recording called “Grandpa’s Untold Story” that describes how the picture of one man’s B-17 came to be on the wall of his grandson.

Airplane of the Week

Listener Glenn Towler tells us the history of the English Electric Lightning.

Mentioned

Airfare is finally getting cheaper

Why We Fly Podcast

Ryan Hothersall’s photos of the E4 when it visited Adelaide, South Australia in 2005.

Credit

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

 

Episode 166 – Delta Knows Social Media

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (37.1MB)

Cessna Corvalis TTX

Guest Susan Elliott is a senior member of the Delta Air Lines cross-divisional social media team. She has primary responsibility for leading strategy and implementation efforts surrounding issue management within emerging media. Susan also acts as company spokesperson and maintains day-to-day relationships with top-tier media and digital influencers. Like us!

Delta maintains a strong Twitter presence at @Delta, (for promotions and availability) @DeltaAssist (for customer service issues), and @DeltaNewsroom (issues management primarily for the news media). You can also find Delta on Facebook and YouTube, and at the Delta Blog. Susan’s own Twitter handle is @SusanCElliott.

The week’s aviation news:

In this week’s Australia Desk Report, Steve and Grant talk about the RAAF order for the 6th C-17, Tiger Airways, Delta and Virgin Codeshare, Boeing pilot forecast for that region, and even a supprise cameo appearance by another Visscher. Find them on the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

In our first Grill the Geeks segment, Dan get’s stumped by listener Jeremy, who asked, “Who has the Boeing customer number G1? H5? JH?” We also had no idea how to answer, “What is the Albuquerque box effect on hot air balloons?” Better luck next time.

Max played his interview from the AOPA Aviation Summit with Alan Klapmeier, CEO of Kestrel Aircraft Company.

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/.