A replay of our conversation with USAF Maj. Brian Shul from Airplane Geeks Episode 375.
Guest
Brian Shul served as an Air Force fighter pilot from 1970-1990. Shot down during the Viet Nam Conflict, and unable to eject, he rode the plane into the jungle and was seriously burned in the ensuing fireball. Lucky to be alive, he spent a year in the hospital and was told his flying days were over.
Miraculously, after many surgeries and months of physical therapy, Brian returned to active flying duty. He went on to fly the A-7D, he was in the first A-10 squadron, he taught at the Air Force’s TopGun school in the F-5B, and his flying career culminated by flying the SR-71 spy plane.
After retiring from the Air Force, Brian pursued his writing and photography by starting his own business with Gallery One. He was the first man to write a book about flying the SR-71, all illustrated with his own photography. Brian flew extensively with the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels and wrote books about both teams.
Sadly, Brian Shul died on May 20, 2023, in a Reno, Nevada hospital. The cause of death was reported as cardiac arrest. He was 75.
A ruling in the Northeast Alliance antitrust suit, American Airlines flight attendants troubled by the “ConnectMe” app, new service and routes from Breeze Airways, Republic Airways to fine pilots who leave early, Cessna Citation Ascend unveiled, and a YouTuber charged in the crash of his plane.
In a May 19, 2023 ruling, the judge in the Northeast Alliance antitrust suit determined that the Alliance “substantially diminishes competition in the domestic market for air travel.” The Department of Justice alleged that by codesharing and collaborating to run complementary route networks through New York and Boston, the Northeast Alliance would “eliminate significant competition between American and JetBlue that has led to lower fares and higher quality service for consumers traveling to and from those airports.” Unless the ruling is appealed, the Alliance must end within 30 days.
In the first months of 2020, executives at American Airlines and JetBlue negotiated and signed a first-of-its-kind alliance, in which the two carriers essentially agreed to operate as one airline for most of their flights in and out of New York City and Boston.
This case turns on what “competition” means. To the defendants, competition is enhanced if they join forces to unseat a powerful rival. The Sherman Act, however, has a different focus. Federal antitrust law is not concerned with making individual competitors larger or more powerful. It aims to preserve the free functioning of markets and foster participation by a diverse array of competitors. Those principles are generally undermined, rather than promoted, by agreements among horizontal competitors to dispense with competition and cooperate instead. That is precisely what happened here.
In May 2022, American Airlines announced they were partnering with Microsoft “to use technology to create better, more connected experiences for customers and American Airlines team members… American will use Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform for its airline applications and key workloads.”
Now the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) representing American Airlines flight attendants takes issue with the Airline’s “ConnectMe” app. The mandatory internal messaging app works within Microsoft Teams and allows flight attendants to communicate with gate agents, pilots, and engineers during pre-boarding and boarding.
The union says they didn’t have any input into the use of ConnectMe, interruptions through the app are a distraction, and there is a “constant barrage of texts [which] prioritizes another department’s objectives over safety which should be first and foremost.”
LCC Breeze Airways is announcing new cabin features, a new class of service, and the launch of some new routes. The “Breeze Ascend” first-class section upgrades its previous “Nicest Fare” seats. It will be introduced on its A220 aircraft and offer more space, premium seats and cocktails, and free snacks. Onboard WiFi is coming to the A220 fleet through Viasat satellite internet. The price is TBD and the rollout is expected to be complete by early 2024. See Cranky’s comments on this in Cranky Weekly Review Presented by Oakland International Airport: WestJet Fights off Strike, Breeze Gets Even Nicer, and More…
The new Republic Airways New First Officer Career Advancement Pathway Program Agreement is designed to retain pilots, but it comes with some provisions:
Pilots must stay with the regional airline for at least three years.
After one year, pilots may have the opportunity to graduate to the captain position but will need to fly as much as they can in order to do so.
New hires are committing to being a captain for two years.
Pilots who voluntarily break the agreement and leave the airline before the three-year mark are subject to a $100,000 fine.
If a pilot resigns before the three-year mark, they are not allowed to work for any other competing airline within a year.
Teamsters, the union representing the airline’s pilots, filed a grievance against Republic, saying the agreement is problematic.
The fifth-generation Citation 560XL arrives in 2025 at a price of $16.7 million. Changes include a new and larger flight deck and cabin windows, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D engines, and interior improvements. The APU now is approved for unattended operation and the cockpit incorporates the latest version of the Garmin G5000 integrated flight deck, as well as Garmin’s 3D exocentric view airport diagrams on PFDs, including runway and taxiway signs, obstacle symbols, and building images.
It’s a felony charge for the YouTuber who deliberately abandoned his plane in 2021 and recorded the event while he parachuted out, in an effort to get views.
Mentioned
AeroXplorer (previously TheExplorerBlog) is an aviation photography and news source that provides industry news and an airframe photography database with more than 30,000 photos. They have a map showing many airports. Click on one and see spotting photos from that airport.
Brian Shul, our guest from Episode 375 (2015) died on May 20, 2023. He was an Air Force fighter pilot, flew A-7D, flew A-10, taught at the Air Force’s TopGun school in the F-5B, and became an SR-71 spy plane pilot.
We speak with an SR-71 crew member, instructor pilot, Wing Commander, airline pilot, and author. In the news, we look at the Airbus Helicopters H160, an F-35 report from the Government Accountability Office, the grounding of the B-1B fleet, and new airports for Thailand. Also, North American fliers are happier, five must-see TV programs about airplanes, the Texas Aircraft Expo, and listener feedback.
Guest
Col. Richard H. Graham in the SR-71 cockpit.
As a 15 year veteran within the SR-71 community, Col. Richard H. Graham is uniquely qualified to tell the Blackbird story. Col. Graham entered the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance program in 1974 and after several years as a crew member, he became an instructor pilot in the SR-71. In 1978 he was selected as the Chief, Standardization/Evaluation Division. In 1980 Col. Graham became the SR-71 Squadron Commander of the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron. Following four years in the Pentagon, Col. Graham was selected to be the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing Commander at Beale AFB in June 1987. He has written five books about the SR-71.
We talk about the models of the 50 Blackbirds that were built and their safety. Nineteen were lost, all but one in the first 6 years. Col. Graham tells us about the SR-71 ejection seat and the aerial refueling procedure that uses liquid nitrogen to prevent fuel tank explosions. We also compare the SR-71 with the U-2, and learn about measuring fuel drips, “unstarts,” and the pilot selection and training processes.
Col. Graham’s books are available on Amazon.com, but also on eBay where he offers autographed copies. Look for eBay seller ID SR-71 pilot 1974-1981.
Prior to entering the SR-71 program, Col Graham flew 210 combat missions in Vietnam in the F-4C/D Phantom as well as the Wild Weasel mission. He was a command pilot with more than 4,600 military flying hours. His military decorations include three Legion of Merit awards, four Distinguished Flying Cross medals, and 19 Air Medals.
After serving 25 years in the Air Force, Col. Graham flew for American Airlines for 13 years, accumulating over 8,000 flying hours. He was initially hired at American Airlines as a Flight Engineer, flying the B-727 and DC-10. After 2 years he moved to the right seat of the MD-80 and his last 3 years Rich few as a captain on the MD-80.
With over 16,000 hours total flying time, you can find Rich flying and teaching at McKinney (Texas) Airport (TKI) for the Texins Flying Club.
The Airbus Helicopters H160 medium duty helicopter is the first of the H generation. Airbus says “the entire design was based on one overriding goal: to create added value for customers in terms of performance, economic competitiveness, safety, and comfort.” The H160 features an advanced “automatic recovery mode” designed to help pilots in difficult situations.
The annual Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the F-35 (published June 5, 2018) has identified 966 open deficiencies. About 20% of them are expected to remain open when the Pentagon is scheduled to begin full-rate production. The GAO is advising the Pentagon hold off until these are addressed.
The entire fleet of B-1B bombers is grounded as a result of an issue with the aircraft’s ejection seats. This follows from the safety investigation after an emergency landing of a B-1B at Midland International Air & Space Port in Midland, Texas on May 1, 2018.
Maya Bay is closed for four months as a result of over-tourism causing coral reef damage and pollution. At the same time, the approval of two new airports has been criticised by environmentalists.
A program that helps get women into the pilot’s seat, American Airlines and FedEx aircraft fires, tech to help your bags from getting lost, another flying car (possibly), the Cirrus VisionJet receives FAA Certification, and we lose a legendary pilot.
Guest
Mary Latimer and her husband, Lawrence, have been in aviation since they met in 1970. They have been involved in the aerial application industry, ferry, maintenance, rebuild, flight training, freight, and corporate aviation.
Mary created the nonprofit Girls in Flight Training (GIFT) Academy that gets women into the cockpit. The goal of this female-friendly flight school is to identify and address the various issues that may be causing women to abandon flight training, and to assist them in overcoming those obstacles. GIFT Week is a once-a-year “Women Only” event that gives women in any phase of their flight training the opportunity to come together to further motivate their aviation training.
A flight instructor since 1974, Mary is a designated pilot examiner (for private, commercial, and instrument). She was named Flight Instructor of the year for the Lubbock, Texas Region in 2013. Mary is also a retired air traffic controller with twenty-four years of service and flies the Cessna Conquest II twin. She’s an A&P mechanic with Inspection Authorization and an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner.
American Airlines Flight 383, a Boeing 767-300ER, experienced an uncontained engine failure and aborted the takeoff. The dramatic fire that resulted was captured in amateur video.
Shortly after touching down, the left main landing gear on a FedEx DC-10 collapsed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport. The two pilots escaped safely from the resulting fire. Fire crews arrived quickly, found a trail of fire down the runway.
According to Delta, the average cost to get a lost bag to the passenger is $70. Delta invested $50 million on an RFID-based tracking system which is more reliable than traditional barcodes. Delta’s mobile app even lets passengers locate their RFID-equipped bags on a map.
The Monterey Herald newspaper in California published photos of a possible flying car being developed by Zee Aero. Reportedly, Zee is financed by Google founder Larry Page. The aircraft has “an array of small propellers mounted on booms in front of and behind the wing, and a pusher prop mounted beneath the tail.” The Zee website states, “We’re designing, building, and testing better ways to get from A to B.”
Conversation with an SR-71 spy plane pilot, Northrop Grumman wins Long Range Strike Bomber contract, an aerostat breaks loose, Quebec steps in to shore up Bombardier, team forms to produce a “declaration on cyber security” for aviation, and China shows the first COMAC C919 airliner.
Guest
Brian Shul
Brian Shul served as an Air Force fighter pilot from 1970-1990. Flying close air support during the Viet Nam Conflict, he was shot down near the Cambodian border. Unable to eject, he rode the plane into the jungle and was seriously burned during the ensuing fireball. Lucky to be alive, he spent a year in the hospital and was told his flying days were over.
Miraculously, after many surgeries and months of physical therapy, Brian returned to active flying duty. He went on to fly the A-7D, he was in the first A-10 squadron, he taught at the Air Force’s TopGun school in the F-5B, and his flying career culminated by flying the SR-71 spy plane.
Retiring from the Air Force in 1990, Brian pursued his writing and photography by starting his own business with Gallery One. He was the first man to write a book about flying the SR-71, all illustrated with his own photography. He did a second book, both of which are now the most popular SR-71 books worldwide. Additionally, Brian is the only man in America to fly extensively with both the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels writing books about both of those teams.
The Pentagon awarded Northrop Grumman the contract to build the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B), over the proposals from Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The 80-100 plane fleet is scheduled to enter service in the 2020’s after more than $20 billion in development expenditures. According to Defense News, the component manufacturers have been competitively selected but not announced.
Northrop Grumman launched the Americas New Bomber website and is asking American citizens to sign a letter partitioning elected officials to support the new bomber.
The Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System, (JLENS) is a pair of tethered balloons meant to detect threats to the U.S. such as missiles and manned or unmanned aircraft. According to Raytheon, JLENS “is a system of two aerostats, or tethered airships, that float 10,000 feet in the air. The helium filled aerostats, each nearly as long as a football field, carry powerful radars that can protect a territory roughly the size of Texas from airborne threats.”
Each of the airships is called an “orbit” and the one at Aberdeen Proving Ground north of Baltimore, Maryland broke loose. It was escorted by F-16’s until it came down in Pennsylvania. The 6,700 foot tether was reported to take out power lines causing outages for more than a few people.
After CSeries and Learjet 85 program writedowns, Bombardier posted a $4.9 billion loss in the third quarter. The Learjet 85 program was canceled and the Quebec government will take a 49 percent stake in the CSeries program. Bombardier is a major Quebec employer.
IATA’s 24th AVSEC World Conference was held October 26 – 28, 2015 in Dublin and addressed many cyber security risks. A team has been formed to produce a “declaration on cyber security” that would go to the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in September, 2016. ICAO member states could sign the declaration if they wish, but this doesn’t create mandatory standards.
The United States, Germany and Britain all had overflight warnings in place for Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, where a Russian passenger plane went down killing all 224 people on board.
COMAC (the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) rolled out the first C919 airliner which will now undergo ground tests before making its maiden flight in 2016. It is expected to enter service in 2018 or 2019. COMAC said it has orders for 517 of the aircraft.
The Australia News Desk
OzRunways fundraiser
Steve’s had a good time at the OzRunways fundraiser for Angel Flight with Matt Hall but now it’s back to work and producing the OzDesk.
Pieter reflects back on the iconic Harrier by reviewing the latest book on the subject. Published a few months ago by Grub Street Books, it is a collection of personal stories from RAF and Royal Navy pilots and crewmen. Robert Marston, a Harrier pilot himself, draws together accounts from those who worked with this aircraft. The excitement, camaraderie, and pride shine through in the personal stories of those whose lives were changed by their experience of this iconic aircraft.
pursued his writing and photography by starting his own business with Gallery One. He was the first man to write a book about flying the SR-71, all illustrated with his own photography. He did a second book, both of which are now the most popular SR-71 books worldwide. Additionally, Brian is the only man in America to fly extensively with both the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels writing books about both of those teams.
