Tag Archives: MH 370

503 D-Day Squadron and the C-47

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:45:25 — 48.3MB)

A fleet of C-47 aircraft plan to fly over Normandy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Also, the DOT plans to take a closer look at FAA oversight of airline maintenance practices, a panel of experts looks at the disappearance of MH 370, and passengers react to airline food service takeaways.

Placid Lassie will join up with other aircraft of the D-Day Squadron in June 2019 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion. Courtesy D-Day Squadron.

Guest

Moreno “Mo” Aguiari, Executive Director of D-Day Squadron.

Moreno “Mo” Aguiari is the Executive Director of D-Day Squadron, an organization that plans to lead an American fleet of historic, restored C-47 World War II military aircraft in Daks Over Normandy in June 2019. That event includes a flyover of more than 30 international aircraft that will drop 250 paratroopers over the shores of Normandy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day and honor the citizen soldiers of the War.

The D-Day Squadron is the part of the Tunison Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Squadron’s education program tells the story of the citizen soldier to audiences at air shows and events off the flight line to honor the brave Americans and ensure their memory and significance is appreciated for generations to come. The group’s efforts are funded through the generous tax-deductible contribution of their supporters.

Mo is a sales/marketing and business development professional who received a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Milan and an Aeronautical Technician diploma from the National Avio School, also in Milan, Italy. He moved to the United States in 1999 to become a commercial pilot and became a US citizen in 2008. In addition to being the Executive Director of the D-Day Squadron, Mo also runs Warbird Digest and Warbirds News, a successful vintage aviation publishing company focused on the warbird and classic aircraft community.

Aviation News

Watchdog probes FAA’s review of aircraft maintenance at American Airlines and Allegiant Air

In June 2017, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general’s office announced they would audit how the FAA reviews airline maintenance practices. Now, the DOT inspector general’s office plans to focus on FAA response to complaints received about American Airlines and Allegiant Air maintenance practices. The DOT memo says they want to find out whether the FAA “ensures that Allegiant and American Airlines implement effective corrective actions to address the root causes of maintenance problems.”

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crash was deliberate, aviation experts suggest

60 Minutes Australia gathered an international group of aviation experts to talk about the disappearance of MH370. While not in complete agreement, many feel it was a deliberate criminal act by the pilot – a suicide/mass murder. See also What the 60 Minutes report into MH370 didn’t tell us.

MH370 – The Situation Room | 60 Minutes Australia

Why passengers are so angry about an airline’s decision to scrap tomato juice

Following Brian’s comments last week about airline takeaways, we have this story. United Airlines decided to drop Sprite Zero, Jim Beam, Courvoisier, and tomato juice from flights less than 4 hours. Customers reacted strongly on social media and United reversed the decision. For more on this, see United Airlines Just Made First Class Passengers Incredibly Angry. Now the Airline is Having Second Thoughts.

Listener Recording

Student pilot Nicki brings us installment #8 on learning to become a pilot.

Interview

Brian spoke with some members of the A-10 Demo Team at the Planes of Fame Airshow: Sr Airman Betty Chevalier (Team Public Affairs Representative). Tactical Sargent Dan Isaksen (Team Chief), and Capt. Cody Wilton (Team Pilot).

A-10 by Brian Coleman.

Mentioned

Boeing’s Been Granted A Patent For Turning The B-1B Into A Gunship Bristling With Cannons

Air Force special ops can’t afford the AC-130 gunship lasers

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

436 Flying Magazine’s Stephen Pope

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:53 — 46.7MB)

We talk with Stephen Pope, the Editor-in-Chief of Flying magazine. In the news, we look at a United Airlines computer problem, tracking passengers moving through the airport, the search for MH 370 concludes, ADS-B capable satellites, the latest Mitsubishi MRJ delay, B-2 bombers fly a 30-hour mission, testing tiltrotors, a possible lead in the 1971 hijacking by D.B. Cooper, and a tribute to Gene Cernan.

Guest

Flying magazine's Editor in Chief Stephen Pope

Stephen Pope, Editor in Chief, Flying magazine

Stephen Pope is Editor-in-Chief of Flying magazine. We talk about Light Sport Aircraft, third class medical reform, and flying with the Garmin G1000 NXi. Steve also explains how Flying is changing its look, content, website, and e-news product to compete with digital aviation news outlets. We also get some good suggestions for those who might consider aviation journalism as a career choice, either full-time or freelance.

Steve is an award-winning aviation journalist and commercial pilot with multi-engine, instrument, and seaplane ratings. He has been writing for aviation magazines for more than 20 years on a wide range of flying topics.

Steve learned to fly at age 15 in a Piper Cub at Trinca Airport, a small grass strip in northern New Jersey. He worked as a line boy at the 60th Street Heliport in New York City and for First Aviation at Teterboro Airport. After soloing at 16, earning his private pilot’s license at 17, and gaining his instrument rating a year later, Steve enrolled at the University of Maryland as a journalism major, where he received his degree and completed an editorial internship with AOPA Pilot magazine.

After graduating, Stephen joined the editorial staff of Aviation International News, a business aviation trade magazine. During his 15 years with AIN he moved up the ranks to become Senior Editor directing avionics and technology coverage, Editor-in-Chief of Convention Publications and, in his last role with the company, Editor-in-Chief of Business Jet Traveler magazine. He joined the staff of Flying in 2010.

Steve has won seven Aerospace Journalist of the Year awards, including being named overall Aerospace Journalist of the Year in 2007. He has also won three NBAA Gold Wing Journalism Awards and has written for Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.

Aviation News

United Airlines resumes flights after temporary ground order

A computer problem with Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) temporarily grounded all domestic United Airlines mainline flights.

Cool or Creepy? Houston Airports now Tracking Phone Signals to Provide Checkpoint Data

Houston airports are now monitoring Bluetooth signals from travelers’ phones. This lets the airport track checkpoint wait times in real-time. In a news release, Houston airport spokesperson Bill Begley said, “The tracking is anonymous and uses a variety of filters to ensure both anonymity and accuracy, and then uses that data to provide an average time for travelers passing through the checkpoints.”

Search Ends For Malaysian Flight 370

In an MH370 Joint Communique, the Australian Government announced that the search for MH370 has been suspended. “The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness,” the joint statement read. “We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located.”

Aireon Launch Begins New Era for Satellite-Based Aircraft Surveillance

The recent successful SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch put the first 10 Iridium Next satellites into low-Earth orbit. Each satellite carries an ADS-B receiver to be part of Aireon’s global ADS-B-based aircraft-tracking system, operational by the second quarter of 2018.

Mitsubishi delays MRJ deliveries by two years

In its January 23 press release, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced “that MHI and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation will adjust the first delivery of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) from mid-2018 to mid-2020. The change is due to revisions of certain systems and electrical configurations on the aircraft to meet the latest requirements for certification.” See MRJ’s Latest Development Status and the Advancing the MRJ project PDF.

All we know about the U.S. B-2 bombers 30-hour round trip mission to pound Daesh in Libya

Two U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers flew a long-duration mission from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base.

Unique Tiltrotor Test Rig To Begin Operational Runs At NASA Ames

NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California is preparing for the first functional trial of a new Tiltrotor Test Rig.

New Lead on D.B. Cooper — May have Worked for Boeing!

New clues may point to the identity of the 1971 hijacker who disappeared with the ransom money, never to be found.

The Aviation Minute

Rob Mark takes a look at the Aireon launch and aircraft tracking.

Contributor Recording

Our Main(e) Man Micah brings us God Bless You Gene Cernan.

Credit

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

428 The Life of a Second Officer

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:28:11 — 40.4MB)

We talk about being a second officer with an expat from a major Asian airline. In the news, families of MH-370 victims take the search into their own hands, a new flight approach pattern is under study, a WASP T-6 trainer and a film, a looming strike at Chicago O’Hare, and a Suzy story.

Guest

Andy Bard is a second officer at a major Asian airline, and he currently flies the Airbus 330 and A350. Originally from Northern Europe, Andy now considers himself a lifetime expat, and for the past 15 years he has worked all over the world in sales and office jobs before giving it all up to pursue a career as an airline pilot.

Andy explains the role and responsibilities of the second officer, also known as a cruise pilot or cruise relief pilot. He tells us about the training provided by the airline and how the class was composed of both locals and expats. Some had flight experience, and others had very little.

We talk about the implications of heavy demand for pilots in a region that has relatively little general aviation activity. Andy also gives us some insight into the life of an expat pilot, as well as his impressions of flying the A350.

Before being hired by the airline, Andy had around 300 hours, with a FAA CPL with instrument and multi ratings. He also has as “frozen” EASA ATPL. To date, Andy has about 1,000 total hours, and he explains how the loggable hours for license purposes derived from second officer time are significantly lower.

News

MH-370: Families of those onboard missing aircraft to mount a debris-hunting trip to Madagascar

Six pieces of wreckage from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-370 have been found on the coast of Madagascar. The Voice 370 family association says “there has been no systematic, organized search by any responsible party. This leaves the (next-of-kin) no other choice except to take it upon ourselves to do something to find answers and closure.” Four Malaysians, two Chinese, and a French next-of-kin are planning a self-financed trip to Madagascar in December.

AOPA Air Safety Institute, UND Study Stabilized Approach

The University of North Dakota and the AOPA Air Safety Institute are studying the use of a continuous turning approach or “circular pattern” as an alternative to the traditional “box” or rectangular traffic pattern. The idea came out of a recent loss-of-control panel where it was thought that changing the landing pattern might improve safety and reduce loss-of-control accidents.

GA loss of control on NTSB ‘Most Wanted’ list for third year

The NTSB said “better training on how to eliminate distraction, avoid stalls, and manage weather issues will put pilots back in control and give them better command of their outcomes.” The GA accident rate per 100,000 flight hours dropped from 8.45 in 1994 to 4.66 in 2015, and the fatal accident rate dropped from 1.73 to 0.89 during the same period, according to the AOPA Air Safety Institute.

The ups and downs of being an airline pilot

This is not a news story per se, but it does contain some interesting aspects about being a notable airline pilot, including a story about past Airplane Geeks podcast guest Patrick Smith, publisher of the Ask the Pilot website, and author of the NY Times bestselling book “Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel.”

CAF Wants to Restore WASP T-6 Trainer & Fund Film

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) started a Kickstarter program to fund the acquisition and restoration of one of the actual AT-6 aircraft used for Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) flight training. This aircraft will be featured in a new film, Rise Above: WASP, narrated by actress Sigourney Weaver.

Hundreds of workers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport plan to strike on Tuesday, November 29

Some of the airport janitors, baggage handlers, cabin cleaners, and wheelchair attendants are paid minimum wage, which is $8.25 an hour in Illinois. They want to be paid $15 an hour and so they plan to strike. But after the very busy Thanksgiving holiday.

Airplane of the Week

David brings us another Suzy story, this one called Suzy and the Turkey Shoot. Suzy also appeared in Episode 279 Christmas, Episode 286 Valentine’s Day, and Episode 412 Stars.

Mentioned

Q&A: Benét Wilson, aviation journalist

The Order of the A-4 Tail Hook

Project 236 RAZORBAK by BOHinventing

Photos by Ian Allen from Ardmore

Credit

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

422 A Look at The Crash Detectives

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:30:14 — 41.3MB)

We talk about aviation accidents and look at a possible scenario for MH 370 with the author of a new book. Also, likely impacts of airline carbon offsets, building the giant An-225 in China, more fun with aircraft designations, and listener feedback.

Guest

Christine Negroni is a journalist, published author, speaker, and broadcaster specializing in aviation and travel. Her new book, THE CRASH DETECTIVES: Investigating the World’s Most Mysterious Air Disasters, is a look at the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370 in 2014, and other mysterious aviation accidents that have baffled the world.

Christine proposes a sequence of events aboard MH 370 that starts with aircraft decompression and pilot hypoxia, and ultimately leads to the aircraft flying on until it runs out of fuel. She supports the scenario with known facts and precedent from other accidents.

Christine Negroni

Christine has worked for many journalism organizations including, The New York Times, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Air & Space Magazine, Executive Travel Magazine, Parade, as well as a number of local newspapers and television stations.

She covered the TWA Flight 800 crash for CNN, and wrote the book, Deadly Departure. Christine was asked by the FAA to participate in the advisory committee formed to address problems surfaced the the investigations of TWA 800 and the fatal in-flight fire of Swissair Flight 111. After the 9/11 attacks, Christine joined aviation law firm Kreindler & Kreindler and qualified for membership in the International Society of Air Safety Investigators.

News

Airline Pollution Deal Hinges on Complex World of Carbon Offsets

The agreement for an international scheme for commercial aviation carbon credits we looked at previously was finalized in Montreal. On one level, the idea is simple: the cost of carbon credits incentivise the industry to develop lower-carbon fuels and technologies, while the money raised by the credits will fund environmental initiatives to help to tackle climate change. At issue is the quality and availability of the credits.

Is it all over for the age of cheap air travel?

What will be the impact of the carbon credits scheme on airlines?

China plans to resurrect The World’s Largest Plane by restarting Antonov AN-225 ‘Mriya’ production

China will reportedly sign a deal with Ukraine to re-start production of the giant AN-225 cargo aircraft. Ukraine will also “provide a complete transfer of technology for the turbofan engines to be license produced in China…”

Airplane of the Week

David provides more fun with military aircraft designations.

Listener Recording

Part 3 of Ric’s series on getting a type rating in the Lear 45.

20160926_065904_600

Mentioned

EAA Oshkosh 2016 post on AgTalk with great photographs.

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 392 Aviation Safety with Todd Curtis

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:31:13 — 41.8MB)

Dr. Todd Curtis, founder of AirSafe.com, talks about about MH370 on the second anniversary of its loss, laser and drone threats to aviation safety, an aviation maintenance competition, and improving the quality of media reporting of aviation accidents. In the news, we discuss supersonic planes, all-woman commercial flights, the longest flights, and air service to Cuba.

Guest

Dr. Todd Curtis

Todd Curtis is an aviation safety analyst, author, and publisher. He founded AirSafe.com in 1996 to provide the public with useful information about airline safety, fear of flying, plane crashes, TSA security, and other issues of concern to the traveling public.

While an airline safety engineer at Boeing, Todd was directly involved in many plane crash investigations, including TWA flight 800, and he was part of the engineering development team for the 777.

In addition to writing several books on aviation safety and security, Todd has also written the book Parenting and the Internet. He’s been a frequent on-air aviation expert on CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, Fox News, CBC, BBC, Discovery Channel, NPR, and many other major news media outlets around the world.

See:

Visit AirSafe.com for airline safety and security information, as well as information about fear of flying, flying with cash, child travel, the airline complaint process, baggage tips, and much more. Follow @airsafe on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

News

QueSST X-plane concept, courtesy Lockheed Martin

NASA selects Lockheed Martin to design supersonic X-plane

Under the preliminary design phase of the quiet supersonic technology (QueSST) program, Lockheed Martin will lead a team to design a half-scale supersonic X-plane that uses boom-suppression technology. NASA administrator Charles Bolden said, “Now we’re continuing that supersonic X-plane legacy with this preliminary design award for a quieter supersonic jet with an aim toward passenger flight.”

NASA plans to start building the supersonic X-plane in 2019, with first flight scheduled in 2020. The acoustic survey would begin in 2021 in southern California and continue for several years. The Lockheed Martin team includes subcontractors GE Aviation and Tri Models Inc.

World’s longest all-women operated flight is ready for take off

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Air India set the record for the longest all-women operated and supported flight, which flew non-stop on March 6 from New Delhi to San Francisco. The cabin crew, cockpit crew, check-in staff, and customer care staff were all women

Air India will operate 20 all-women domestic flights on March 8

Air India said it would fly 20 all-women domestic flights March 8 to commemorate International Women’s Day. Every year, International Women’s Day is celebrated by Air India with all-women crews on selected international and domestic sectors.

Boeing 777 Flies Seven of the World’s 10 Longest Airline Routes

The longest flight in the world is the 8,819 mile flight between Dubai and Auckland, New Zealand. Emirates inaugurated the route with an A380, but switched to the 777-200LR the next day. Of the ten longest flights in the world, the B777 is used on seven of them, and the A380 flies the other three.

Starting June 1, 2016, United will begin the 8,446-mile San Francisco-Singapore service with a 787-9, making it the third-longest flight in the world, and the longest scheduled flight by any U.S. carrier.

These Are All the Proposed Flights From America to Cuba

The U.S. and Cuba have agreed to permit 110 daily flights between the two countries: twenty daily flights to Havana, and ten daily flights to nine other international airports. The deadline for airlines to submit applications to the Department of Transportation for proposed flight routes has expired, and eight airlines applied.

Listener Recording

My Favorite Airplane – Yet Again, by Micah, our Main(e) Man.

Mentioned

Airplane Geeks Podcast Archive

Aviation Geek Fest Seattle 2016

Bjorn’s Corner: Engine architectures

Leading Edge Photography

Why did the half-plane, half-helicopter not work?

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 362 The Doctor is in… Talking About Medical Issues

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:57 — 46.7MB)

Doctor (and pilot) Stephanie Plummer on inflight medical emergencies, hypoxia, 3rd class medical reform, and more. News on MH370, cosmic rays and passenger safety, an emergency Allegiant Airlines landing, and hackers hit United Airlines. Also, the NASA UTM Drone conference, the CH-46 Retirement Ceremony at the National Air & Space Museum, an Australia Desk, and plane spotting the 427th Special Operations Squadron.

Guest

Dr. Stephanie Plummer

Dr. Stephanie Plummer is a frequent co-host on the Airline Pilot Guy podcast. She’s an instrument-rated commercial pilot who flies primarily for personal enjoyment. As a physician, Dr. Steph answers the occasional listener question regarding in-flight or aviation-related medical topics.

We talk about the frequency of inflight medical emergencies, medical supplies on airlines, and what you do if you are a doctor on a flight and the call for help goes out. Also, we cover the three classes of aviation medicals in the US, and the role of aviation medical examiners, and 3rd class medical reform for private pilots.

Dr. Steph gives us a good tutorial on the forms and effects of hypoxia, time of useful consciousness, and effective performance time. She tells us about hypoxic hypoxia, hypemic hypoxia, carbon monoxide poisoning, stagnant hypoxia, and histotoxic hypoxia.

In her day job, Dr Plummer is a physician practicing in the Charlotte, NC area. She has a degree in Osteopathic Medicine (DO) from what was formerly The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, now part of Rowan University, School of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a traditional rotating internship through the Crozer-Keystone Healthcare System in the Philadelphia area and then did her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Dr Plummer then went on to a fellowship program for interventional spine and now she works with a predominantly Orthopedic Spine group as one of their non-surgical providers.

Aviation Medical Resources

FAA AC 121-33B Emergency Medical Equipment (PDF)

FAA AC 121-34B Emergency Medical Equipment Training (PDF)

Outcomes of Medical Emergencies on Commercial Airline Flights from The New England Journal of Medicine.

What medical conditions does the FAA consider disqualifying? from FAA Pilot Medical Certification Questions and Answers.

A Guide for Prospective FAA Aviation Medical Examiners from FAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) Training.

Aviation Physiology (PDF), common medical considerations affecting pilots in flight. A booklet from FAA.

News

MH370: Reunion debris discovery lifts hopes for missing flight clues

Boeing 777 Wing Flaperon (Part_No._657_BB) Last week, a piece of a Boeing 777 called a “flaperon” was found washed up on Reunion Island, in the western Indian Ocean. If it proves to be from MH370, which is likely, it may provide clues about the missing jetliner.

Long-haul air passengers at risk from cosmic rays, government fears

The earth’s atmosphere provides some degree of protection against cosmic rays. The higher you go, the less atmosphere you have above you blocking this high-energy radiation. We’ve seen studies in the past that suggest pilots are vulnerable to long term effects. Now solar radiation in the form of magnetically charged particles is of concern. Public Health England (PHE) has established The Cosmic Radiation Advisory Group, which includes experts from British Airways, the Cabinet Office, the Department of Health, the Met Office, and some universities.

Allegiant Air pilot pleads with tower to make emergency landing

An Allegiant Airlines pilot with a fuel emergency wanted to land at Fargo’s Hector International Airport. The airport was closed because the Blue Angels were practicing for an air show, and an exchange between the pilot and the tower ensued.

Hackers with ties to China said to breach United Airlines

A group of China-backed hackers has been linked to a May or June attack on United Airlines. This is supposedly the same group that breached the US Office of Personnel Management and health insurer Anthem Inc. The hackers may had had access to passenger lists and information about United’s mergers and acquisitions strategy. But they don’t know for sure.

Airplane of the Week

Photos courtesy David W. Aungst

David attended the CH-46 Sea Knight “Phrog” retirement ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. David interviews:

Corporal Greg Hamper, HMX-1 MV-22 Crew Chief.
Major P.B. Benning, HMX-1 MV-22 and former CH-46E pilot.
Lt. Colonel Dominic DeFazio, Commanding Officer HMM-774 and pilot of BuNo 153369, the retiring CH-46E.

Be sure to see the article Phrog Farewell by museum specialist Roger Connor, and the fly-in video CH-46 Retirement Ceremony Aug 1, 2015.

Gen. J.R. “Jack” Dailey, USMC (Ret.)

DM Vanderhoof

Special thanks to Nick Partridge and Sarah Banks of the National Air & Space Museum.

The Australia News Desk

HATS 135 factory acceptance No.1. (Airbus Helicopters)

It’s a week of firsts for the Australian Defence Force as the boys give progress on still more new or updated airframes coming down under:

Meanwhile, Qantas long-haul pilots have approved a new wage deal.

But it’s terrible news for the Australian helicopter charter industry as Bronwyn Bishop resigns (Satire).

Mentioned

The UAV Digest Episode 106, UAS Traffic Management

Observations from the NASA Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Traffic Management Convention, including the Amazon Prime Air proposal for drone traffic management.

The LogBook

A podcast by Embry Riddle Aeronautical University student Lucas Weakley with aviation stories told in the first person.

427th Special Operations Squadron

You didn’t see this:

SOCOM CN235

Brian’s United 737-8 window seat…

Brian's United 737-8 window seat

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 340 Designing Aircraft Propellers

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:27:54 — 40.3MB)

E-2C+ Hawkeye

Conversation with an aircraft propeller designer, the ongoing search for MH370, LaGuardia Airport: Delta skids off the runway and the “perimeter rule” may become history, and NASA has plans for NP2000 propellers,

Guest

Anthony Falzone is the developer of the open source, public domain aircraft propeller design software named PROP_DESIGN.

We talk with Anthony about basic propeller design parameters and the mathematics involved. He tells us why propellers (which are really rotating wings) have different numbers of blades, and he explains propeller pitch, including variable pitch props.

PROP_DESIGN can be used to design aircraft propellers, but it also works for similar products such as propfans, open rotors, unducted fans, and geared turbofans. With the software, you can find the optimum geometry for any given operating condition, analyze takeoff condition, design swept blades, and much more.

Anthony is retired now, but he worked in the aerospace industry for over twelve years, holding positions at Hamilton Standard, Pratt & Whitney, McCauley Propeller Systems, and Atlantic Inertial Systems. He also did contract work for the Air Force Compressor Aero Research Lab, and designed the propeller for the General Atomics Predator B and Altair unmanned aerial vehicles.

News

Investigators find no unusual signs among MH370 pilots and cabin crew

On the March 8 anniversary of the disappearance of flight MH370, the Malaysian Ministry of Transport made available the MH370 Safety Investigation website, which provides links to the Interim Statement and Factual Information on the investigation of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

Search for MH370 could end soon

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss has said the country’s search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 “cannot go on forever.” The current phase of the search is scheduled to end in May.

NTSB issues 2nd report about Delta accident at LaGuardia

The Delta Air Lines Inc. plane that skidded off a runway at LaGuardia Airport last week injured 23 passengers and damaged about 940 feet of the airport’s perimeter fence.

Flights Between New York LaGuardia And The West Coast May Not Be A Fairy Tale

You can fly from New York’s JFK airport to California, and you can fly from Newark Liberty airport to California, but under the “perimeter rule,” in most cases you can’t fly from LaGuardia to a destination more than 1,500 miles away. Except on Saturday or to Denver.

The perimeter rule was established in 1984 to combat overcrowding at LaGuardia, but the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is considering lifting the rule.

NASA selects UTC Aerospace Systems NP2000 Propellers and Electronic Propeller Control Systems for a P-3 aircraft

The NP 2000 propellers are large, 8-bladed propellers used on the Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (a tactical airborne early warning aircraft), the Grumman C-2A Greyhound (twin turboprop cargo plane used for aircraft carriers), and on C-130 Air National Guard aircraft.

NASA uses their P-3 for scientific investigations and as a technology test bed for new airborne and satellite instrumentation.

The Australia News Desk

Steve is solo this week as Grant returns from hot air balloon operations interstate. This week we present an interview with Andre Zimmerman from Pilatus Aircraft about the development of their new PC-24 business jet, recorded at the 2015 Australian International Airshow.

Mentioned

MH370 conspiracy theories and why we believe them – Rob Mark contributes to this video report.

Explore every yard of where planes go to die in amazing resolution: Bing unveils interactive map of biggest aircraft graveyard in the world – The map shows 2,600-acres of Arizona desert where several generations of military aircraft are stored. It lets you zoom in and look at the planes using an aerial view of the site.

Les Chevaliers du Ciel HD Promo – (Sky Fighters) with all actual footage.

New Hampshire lake is only ice runway in lower 48 states.

Mayday Machine – Talks about the NASA Ames Research Center, Intelligent Systems Division testing their Emergency Landing Planner software, and other automation issues.

Pilot Error – Trailer for the independent film.

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 324 The California Science Center

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:27:43 — 40.2MB)

Malaysia Airlines woes, F-35C conducting at-sea testing, what to do about thin airline seats, American flight attendants reject contract proposal, and Southwest Airlines Captain grabs the controls.

Guest

Our guest this episode is Dr. Kenneth Phillips, the Aerospace Science Curator of the California Science Center. The Center aims to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone through memorable experiences.

Phase III of the Science Center’s 25-year Master Plan features the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center; the SKETCH Foundation Air and Space Gallery; the Roy A. Anderson A-12 Blackbird Exhibit and Garden; and development of the Creative World permanent gallery.

We talk with Ken about the Center’s mission, how the exhibits flow from one to another and tell a story, the role of a museum curator, and the different skill sets of the supporting staff. Admission to the California Science Center is free.

Ken has served as Curator for Aerospace Science since 1990 and develops the California Science Center Foundation’s programs and exhibits on aeronautics and space exploration. As Curator, he is responsible for creating the vision that shapes these programs and leading the team in the process that includes concept and storyboard development; multiple phases of design; prototype development and testing; artifact acquisition; audiovisual production; exhibit fabrication and research on visitor learning.

You can find the California Science Center on Facebook and Twitter.

News

MH370 Maybe Declared Officially Lost By December 2014, Says MAS Director

Maybe they will, maybe they won’t, but in any event, Malaysia Airlines seems headed for privatization.

F-35C

F-35C Initial At-Sea Testing Progressing Aboard USS Nimitz and F-35C Completes First Arrested Landing aboard Aircraft Carrier

The carrier variant of the F-35 is making progress in testing on the USS Nimitz.

New thinner ‘park bench’ airline seats, and what you can do about them

George Hobica (creator of airfarewatchdog.com) offers five possible solutions.

American flight attendants reject new contract

AA Flight Attendants say no to a new contract, by just 16 votes. Next, the issue goes to arbitration where the final agreement will be less attractive to the FAs.

Southwest Airlines Captain Broke Safety Rules Before 2013 New York Accident

The Southwest pilot in the LGA crash pulled the throttles back over the co-pilot’s hand, and lost her job.

David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week

David takes a moment to pay tribute to all Veterans.

The Australia News Desk

Grant’s birthday has aligned with Qantas releasing a retro livery that dates back to when he was born. He and Steve think it looks great!

Meanwhile, Grant’s been off flying hot air balloons and passing his biennial flight review while Jonesy’s flying his “new” Cessna home and Steve’s started a new job with the railway. It’s all “GO” at the AusDesk!

Listener Recording

Harriet and Micah

Micah tells the story of Harriet’s Helicopter Pilot.

Mentioned

SeatGuru – Everything you need to know about the seats on your next flight.

PT6Nation – All about the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop.

Flying Legends Air Show 2014 – A video trailer.

Air Tindi De Havilland Canada DHC-7-103 Dash 7 photographs from Ryan Hothersall: C-GCEV, C-GCPY, C-GCEV, C-GCEV, C-GUAT.

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 311 – Travel Skills

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:29:16 — 40.9MB)

This Episode: A great new resource for business travelers, an FAA hangar policy change, the airliner manufacturing ramp-up, an MH370 update, the Griffon Lionheart, and some space news.

Guest

Chris McGinnis has had a long career in travel journalism, appearing on television and writing online. He recently created the Travel Skills blog, part of Boarding Area network, with news, information, tips, advice, and trip reports. Chris also co-hosts the #travelskills chat on Twitter with travel guru Johnny Jet every Friday morning at 9:00am Pacific Time (noon Eastern). There you’ll find topics discussed for an hour by people who are passionate about travel.

The News

New FAA Hangar Policy Draft: Much Confusion in GA Community

The FAA issued a draft policy that addresses the allowed uses for hangars at airports that receive federal grant funding. The policy as stated impacts airplane homebuilders.

GE Aviation invests $50M in 3-D printing plant

Alcoa Continues Aerospace Push With $1.1 Billion Pratt & Whitney Deal

Boeing, United Technologies Stockpile Titanium Parts

GE’s upgrade to their 300,000-square-foot Auburn, Alabama manufacturing plant is intended to let them mass produce fuel nozzles for the Leap-X engine. More broadly, we talk about the huge manufacturing ramp up required to satisfy the production requirements for new aircraft such as the A320neo family, 737 MAX, Comac C919, and Irkut MC-21.

Australia to announce next MH370 search

Malaysia Steps In to Save Its Reeling National Airline

Australia has selected Dutch company Fugro Survey to undertake the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The operation is expected to begin in September and last as long as a year. We also see that the Malaysian government plans to take full control of the company through a stock, buyback and restructure the airline’s operations.

David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week

Lionheart

David is off this week, but Jamie Dodson from NickGrantAdventures.com steps in to tell us about the Griffon Lionheart, an American single-engined, six-seat biplane designed and produced in kit form for home building by Griffon Aerospace of Harvest, Alabama.

Across the Pond

Pieter is back reporting on the European Space Agency news that the Rosetta mission is now close to Comet 67P, ATV5 is close to docking with the ISS, the possibility that the UK will get its own Spaceport. Listen to Ep.27 – From rocket history to spaceplanes for more space content.

Listener Recording

Harriet and Micah

Micah tells the story, “Favorite Flights I Never Flew.”

Mentioned

The 8 best beds on a Boeing 777

Chris McGinnis’ video tour of the crew rest area on Cathay Pacific’s new Boeing 777-300ER.

Boeing looking to expand presence in South Africa

Boeing Partners with South African Airways to Turn New Tobacco Plant into Jet Fuel

Activities include training, manufacturing, and biofuels. Boeing and South African Airways signed an agreement last year to establish a sustainable aviation biofuel supply chain in Southern Africa.

Photos from Paul Filmer

NCAR by Paul Filmer

NCAR FRAPPE and NASA DISCOVER-AQ Operations in Colorado – July 2014

Aviation News – NCAR FRAPPE and NASA DISCOVER-AQ Operations in Colorado

Xtended Episode.29 – FIA 2014 (Live)

Pieter in the A350

Recorded at the Farnborough International Airshow, Pieter and Tim talk to Jean Vincent Reymondon, Social Media Manager with the Media Relations Department of the Airbus Group. You’ll also hear interviews with several key suppliers.

Credit

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

AirplaneGeeks 304 – Searching Out Interesting Aircraft

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (40.0MB)

We talk about about the USA Today general aviation safety report, airline social media strategy, the youngest person to circumnavigate Australia solo, something new in the search for MH 370, the airline market in Scandinavia, and carbon airplane brakes.

Guest

Bernie Leighton travels around the world in search of aircraft to learn about, experience, and photograph. He’s been obsessed with Russian aviation in particular since he was very young. Bernie writes his stories for AirlineReporter.com.

Bernie will go anywhere to fly on anything. He spent four years in Australia learning about how to run an airline, while putting his learning into practice by mileage running around the world. You can usually find Bernie in his natural habitat: an airport.

We talk with Bernie about some of the interesting planes he’s found and even flown on, how he selects his destinations, and photography (his collection is on Flickr). We also learn about Russian ekranoplan ground effect aircraft and where you can get your own small passenger ekranoplan, the Aquaglide from the Russian Arctic Trade and Transport Company. They have a video library of photographs.

Bernie has flown in a Genex AN-26 in Belarus in Eastern Europe, landing with a cargo door stuck open. He characterizes flying in Russia like this: the Russian aviation culture is operational practicality with a respect for safety, versus Western devotion to safety at the expense of operations.

The week’s aviation news

Safety last: Lies and coverups mask roots of small-plane carnage

In the past five decades, almost 45,000 people have been killed in private planes and helicopters. Investigations have said pilots caused or at least contributed to 86% of those accidents.USA Today says their investigation shows that many accidents are caused by defective parts and dangerous designs, and manufacturers have covered up problems and lied to regulators.

Airlines: Is a Customer Service Mindset at Odds with a Social Media Culture?

Marisa Garcia writes about the airline passenger experience in her Flight Chic blog. In this post, she blogs about a discussion of airline social media strategy at the SITA IT Summit in Brussels. American Airlines has built a large, very responsive social media culture that involves many employees at many levels. JetBlue Airways seems to favor more of a traditional, face-to-face customer support strategy.

David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week

The Cessna 336/337 O-2A Skymaster. Cessna’s push-me-pull-me went from Air Taxi to director of air strikes in South East Asia. The aircraft’s chainsaw buzz brings back fond memories to both Rob and David.

The Australia News Desk

This week the boys are chatting with Alex Fisher, a 17 year old who’s currently flying solo around Australia to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and become the youngest person to circumnavigate Australia solo by aircraft in the process.

Find more information at his Flight of Solidarity website and follow him on Twitter at @fltofsolidarity.

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 tells us about the deleted files from the MH 370 pilot’s flight simulator.

Across the Pond

This week Pieter returns to talk to Marisa Garcia about the airline market in Scandinavia. They discuss key airline and airport developments and focus on Norway. Marisa can be found at FlightChic.com.

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

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.