Tag Archives: P-51

522 Aviation is Your Future at ERAU

Dr. Patti Clark, a Program Chair at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide, describes the Aviation is Your Future course offered free online for youngsters aged 8-12. We also hear about sustainability in the aviation industry. In the news, we look at the latest FAA reauthorization bill, engine maintenance and new wings for the A-10, forgetting to pressurize the cabin, misspelling your airline name, falsifying FAA medical records, and beards and oxygen masks. We also learn about the XP-82 Twin Mustang, as have some interviews from this year’s Dorkfest, including one very special celebrity.

Guest

Dr. Patti Clark

Dr. Patti Clark

Dr. Patti Clark is Program Chair, MS in Aviation and Aerospace Sustainability, at the College of Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide. She is also editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Aviation Management.

Patti is one of the instructors of the Aviation is Your Future course, a project of the Woman in Aviation International Chapter at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide. It is a self-paced Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that celebrates Girls in Aviation Day which is October 13, 2018. The course targets children aged 8-12 and is intended to help attract more people into aviation. The modules are self-paced and should take the youngsters about 6 hours to work through.

Parents can register their children at any time and the course will be open from October 8 through 23, 2018.

Patti talks about the Master of Science in Aviation and Aerospace Sustainability program and how sustainability is created through three legs: economic, environmental, and social. We learn how the aviation industry needs to design for sustainability.

Patti holds a Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics as well as a Master of Aeronautical Science (Management and Safety specializations) from the Embry-Riddle. She also holds Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration with a specialization in Aeronautical Science Management from Northcentral University in Prescott Valley, AZ.

Patti’s aviation career started with active military service in 1977 as an aircraft jet engine mechanic. She followed that career path through several USAF Reserve and Guard assignments. After leaving military service, she continued to work with the USAF as an aircraft and engine Air Force Engineering Technical Services (AFETS) specialist.

Patti went on to earn her graduate degree and ultimately her doctorate, worked on DoD environmental and safety projects, and held several director positions at Embry-Riddle.

Along the way, Patti was named the Executive Director and Airport Manager for the Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, GA. In 2013, Patti accepted a full-time faculty position in the Embry-Riddle College of Aeronautics.

Learn more at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University website, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Free Online Courses (MOOCs).

Aviation News

FAA reauthorization doesn’t address airline fees but contains some wins for consumers

Once again, Congress is scrambling to pass a reauthorization bill for the FAA, since funding runs out on September 30, 2018. We look at what’s in the 1,200-page bill, and what’s not.

Moody A-10 engine maintainers make history

The Moody Air Force Base in Georgia has achieved a remarkable readiness level for the General Electric TF34 engines that power the A-10C Thunderbolt II. All TF34 engines in the fleet are repaired to serviceable status. The achievement is attributed to last year’s continuous process improvement event.

Senate approves full-year funding to repair A-10 aircraft

The U.S. Senate approved $65 million in funding for upgrades to the A-10 wings. The measure next goes to the House of Representatives.

Airline Passengers Bleed From Ears and Nose After Crew Forgets to Pressurize Cabin

The flight crew on Jet Airways Flight 697 neglected to pressurize the cabin, which caused the passengers some distress. Passengers reportedly said that no oxygen was flowing from the masks that dropped down. The airline disputes the claim. The aircrew has been taken off active duty.

This Major Airline Painted a Plane – And Spelled Its Own Name Wrong

It’s all over mainstream and social media. Photographs of Cathay Pacific show the newly painted plane bearing the logo “Cathay Paciic.”

To watch how an airliner is painted, see these videos:

Jetstar’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner – Put Together Quickly

Asiana Airlines A380: Painting (Episode 2)

Delta pilot accused of lying about mental health issues to keep flying

A Delta Air Lines pilot was indicted on charges that he falsified FAA medical records necessary to obtain his airman medical certificate. Three other airline pilots have been indicted for making false statements to the FAA in their medical certificates paperwork.

Pilot Beard Ban Debunked

A study by the Environmental Medicine and Physiology Unit at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver indicates that facial hair does not affect the delivery of oxygen from a mask.

The Airplane of the Week

Patti tells of her visit to see the XP-82 Twin Mustang being rebuilt by Tom Reilly. Then David gives us a little history of this unusual airplane. See August XP-82 Twin Mustang Update.

F-82G by DM Vanderhoof

F-82G by DM Vanderhoof

BETTY Jo. P-82B by DM Vanderhoof

BETTY Jo. P-82B by DM Vanderhoof

David’s 72nd Monogram kit

David’s 72nd Monogram kit

Interviews

Brian Coleman attended Dorkfest 2018 at LAX and recorded conversations with a few of our listeners and past guests. There was also a very big surprise guest in attendance.

Mentioned

Audi Stuart Air Show, November 2-4, 2018 in Stuart, Florida.

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

495 Heritage Flights

The president of Planes of Fame tells us about the museum, restoring warbirds and historic aircraft, and flying heritage flights. Also, we look at the world’s largest jet engine, restraints on open-door helicopter flights, United Airlines and dogs, facial scanning at airports, the Boeing 737 Max 7 first flight, hacking the aviation industry, and GPS vulnerabilities.

P-51 Mustang, always a crowd-pleaser for heritage flights

Planes of Fame Air Museum P-51 Mustang

Guest

Steve Hinton is president of Planes of Fame Air Museum, which opened in 1957 and now has a collection of over 150 aircraft, more than 50 of which are flyable. The mission of the museum is to preserve aviation history, inspire interest in aviation, educate the public, and honor aviation pioneers and veterans. The Museum spans the history of manned flight from the Chanute Hang Glider of 1896 to the Space Age of Apollo, with locations in Chino, California and Valle-Grand Canyon, Arizona.

Planes of Fame Airshow 2018We talk with Steve about the Museum and the annual Planes of Fame Airshow, in 2018 to be held May 5-6 at Chino Airport in California with about 45 flying warbirds.

Steve explains how the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation pairs modern aircraft with fighter aircraft from the WWII, Korea, and Vietnam eras for dramatic heritage flights around the world. This year he flew a P-51 Mustang leading two A-10s and an F-16 in the heritage flight over the Super Bowl LII opening ceremony.

Steve held a world speed record from 1979 to 1989 and won six Unlimited-class air races, including two national championships. He won four consecutive Unlimited races in one year and remains the only pilot ever to do so. He retired from racing in 1990 and was honored in 2016 with the Crystal Eagle Award from the Aero Club of Northern California.

Steve also owns Fighter Rebuilders, a military aircraft restoration company. He was our guest on Episode 386 in January 2016.

Learn more at the Planes of Fame Air Museum website, follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Aviation News

GE starts flight trials for world’s largest jet engine

On March 13, from Victorville, California, GE’s new GE9X engine flew more than four hours mounted to the company’s 747 testbed aircraft. The 100,000-pound thrust-class engine has a 134-inch fan and is intended for the Boeing 777X, scheduled for EIS in 2020.

Video: GE9X engine soars

Chopper flights with open doors, tight restraints grounded

Open-door helicopter flights are popular with tourists and photographers, but recently one of these flights went down in a river, killing all 5 passengers on board. It appears that they were unable to escape from the harnesses that held them in the chopper. The family of one victim has filed a lawsuit and the FAA issued a temporary nationwide ban on open-door flights unless they are equipped with restraint systems that open with one action.

United Airlines Chartered a Private Jet to Send Irgo the Dog Home

Bad press seems to dog United Airlines frequently these days. But they went above and beyond after mistakenly shipping a German Shepherd Dog to Japan. They returned the pooch via a privately chartered jet.

Facial Scanning Now Arriving At U.S. Airports

Customs and Border Protection is testing biometric scanning at some U.S. international airports at boarding points. Cameras at the gate send passenger photographs to CBP where they are checked against photos on file and to make sure that person is booked on the manifest. Some critics point to possible bias and privacy protection issues.

Boeing Says New 737 MAX 7 Aircraft Completes Successful First Flight

The smallest member of the family, the Boeing 737 MAX 7, flew on March 17, 2018, for 3 hours and 5 minutes. The flight test program now begins with certification and delivery expected in 2019. The airplane has a maximum capacity of 172 passengers and a range of 3,850 nautical miles.

Russian Hackers Attacked U.S. Aviation as Part of Breaches

Bloomberg reports that hackers were attempted to penetrate the U.S. civilian aviation industry early in 2017. Details aren’t provided, but Jeff Troy, executive director of the Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Center (A-ISAC), said the attack had limited impact. Also that the industry has taken steps to prevent a repeat of the intrusion. US-CERT has issued a detailed report.

Keeping NextGen on the air

A task group co-chaired by AOPA looked at GPS interference when certain military activities are conducted. GPS signals are fragile, says AOPA and the FAA needs to ensure that alternate navigation aids and capabilities are available. The March 2018 report contains 25 recommendations:  Operational Impacts of Intentional GPS Interference: A Report of the Tactical Operations Committee in Response to Tasking from the Federal Aviation Administration [PDF].

Airline Story of the Week

Pratt & Whitney showcases the role of women in powering flight

Although not specifically about commercial aircraft, it is a great story about the contribution woman have made to Pratt & Whitney.

Interview

Airplane Geeks Reporter-at-Large Launchpad Marzari speaks with Ken VeArd from Pilot Partner about getting paper out of the cockpit. Ken was kind enough to offer a discount code for Airplane Geeks listeners. The interview begins at about 1:28 into the episode.

Mentioned

The Sticks, Stories, Scotch blog by listener Aaron.

Fingertrouble showed us a photo of this Short SC.7 Skyvan operated by Pink-Skyvan in Europe for skydiving activities:

Short SC.7 Skyvan

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.