Tag Archives: Trump

439 Aviation Marketing

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:43:29 — 47.4MB)

We look at specialty aviation marketing with Paula Williams from ABCI. In the news, we discuss President Trump’s meeting with airline and airport executives, and consider policies for ATC privatization, FAA leadership, airport infrastructure, and foreign carrier subsidies. Also, we look at 3D-printed turbine blades, a pilot melt-down, and Damian’s memorable flight, a creepy experience that saved his life.

Paula Williams, aviation marketing specialty firm Aviation Business Consulting Inc.

Paula Williams, Aviation Business Consulting Inc.

Guest

Paula Williams and her husband John formed aviation marketing specialty firm Aviation Business Consulting Inc. (ABCI) to bring the discipline and technology from the finance and education industries to the aviation industry. ABCI assists aviation companies that sell complex, technical, or high-ticket products or services by helping them communicate with aviation professionals in a clear compelling way through written content, images, and video.

Aviation News

U.S. Aviation Policies

The Trump administration has given us a lot to think about this past week. We touch on ATC privatization, NextGen ATC, the FAA leadership, airport infrastructure improvements, foreign carrier subsidies, and even the effect on aviation businesses of the President’s time spent in Florida:

Trump slams ‘out of whack’ FAA in meeting with airlines

Press Release – FAA Statement

U.S. Airports Were the Clear Winners in Trump Meeting, but What’s Next?

PBSO overtime at $1.5 million and growing as Trump set to return again

Responding to More Distortions of Air Traffic Control Reform

Survey Finds “No Reason to Privatize” ATC

Be sure to take the quick Airplane Geeks ATC Privatization Survey, which is open to both U.S. and non-U.S. listeners.

GE Rival Siemens, In ‘Breakthrough,’ Tests 3D-Printed Turbine Blades

Siemens says their Materials Solutions unit has successfully tested 3D-printed turbine engine blades made of a polycrystalline nickel superalloy. These were run above 1250 degrees Celsius.

Passengers Revolt At Ranting Captain

The captain for a United Airlines flight arrived out of uniform and proceeded to deliver a sharp monolog to the passengers, some of whom felt unsafe and left the airplane. The pilot also left the airplane and another flight crew arrived for the flight, which departed about two hours late.

Mentioned

GE Additive provides advanced machines and validated powders, as well as expert engineering services and production capabilities.

Sikorsky Seminar Weekend with Igor Sikorsky III at the Bradford Camps, July 7, 8, 9, 2017.

Gavilan College in Gilroy, California.

Engine failure on a Swiss Global Airlines Boeing 777-300:

Incident: Swiss B773 near Iqaluit on Feb 1st 2017, engine automatically shut down in flight

Boeing 777 carrying 300 passengers forced to make emergency landing on snow-covered runway

Crews work to replace engine on Swiss Air Boeing 777 stuck at Iqaluit airport

Stranded Swiss Airlines 777 Gets Replacement Engine Delivery in Canada

Engineers battle to fix Swiss plane stranded in icy northern Canada

Smithsonian Air & Space Museum – 360 spherical panoramas.

Retired Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, Ia Drang battle commander, dies at 94

Credit

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

 

438 Airline and Airport On-time Performance

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:39:10 — 45.4MB)

Airline and airport on-time performance measurements from OAG. Also, an update on the impact on aviation of new U.S. policies, a look at notable aviators in honor of Black History Month, air cargo expansion for Amazon Prime Air, aviation news from Super Bowl LI, and Boeing workers in South Carolina prepare to vote on union representation.

Punctuality League 2016 presents airline and airport on-time performance statistics.

Punctuality League 2016 presents airline and airport on-time performance statistics.

Guest

OAG analyst John Grant

OAG analyst John Grant

OAG aviation analyst John Grant started his career with the airlines, and continued with aviation consultancy services. We discuss the OAG Punctuality Report 2016 published January 2017. This annual report of airline and airport on-time performance is also available as a very useful Interactive Dashboard. The web-based tool allows you to visualize on-time performance, arrival capacity, and arrival frequency data by airline and airport category and region.

John explains how the rapid pace of airline schedule change and the desire for very current information has driven the services that OAG provides. We consider the huge history of data that is available and used by many organizations. While the printed schedules book is still the tool of choice for some, digitization and the desire for immediacy makes other OAG data formats more valuable for many others.

UK-based OAG maintains a huge network of air travel data and provides schedules, analytics, web and mobile flight tracking, articles, and reports.

Aviation News

Trump to meet with airline CEOs on Thursday: White House

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with airline chief executive officers Thursday February 9, 2017. This continues the President’s series of meetings with the business community.

Former top diplomats, tech giants blast immigration order as court showdown looms

The travel ban is working its way through the judiciary system, and at this time the end result is far from certain.

AOPA: Executive Order Won’t Delay BasicMed

AOPA has updated this story with the latest information that BasicMed is still on track for May 1, 2017.

AOPA Live This Week – February 2, 2017

Benét Wilson is celebrating Black History Month by honoring a different aviator of color every day of the month. Follow her on Twitter as @AvQueenBenet. The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor hosted a Tuskegee Airmen Hangar Talk to pay tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen and the vital role they played during World War II. Click to see photos of the event.

Colonel Charles McGee, courtesy Pacific Aviation Museum.

Colonel Charles McGee, courtesy Pacific Aviation Museum.

Colonel McGee fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, and holds a record for one of the highest three-war total of fighter combat missions of any pilot in United States Air Force history. Colonel McGee began his military service as one of the Tuskegee Airmen in the 332nd Fighter Group.

His career in the U.S. Army Air Corps and U.S. Air Force spanned 30 years and three wars, where he flew 409 aerial combat missions. During his military career, Colonel McGee was awarded the Legion of Merit with Cluster, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal (25 times).

Also honored at the Hangar Talk was WWII Tuskegee Airman Philip Baham. Baham served as a crew chief for the 337th Composite Group at Tuskegee Army Air Field. He is a dedicated volunteer at Pacific Aviation Museum, sharing his story with visitors as a greeter in the lobby of Hangar 37.

Amazon picks Kentucky airport as site for air cargo hub

Amazon announced it is creating a new centralized air hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG) to support its growing fleet of Amazon Prime Air cargo planes. When the hub opens, Amazon expects to create more than 2,000 new jobs engaged in loading, unloading, and sorting packages. In 2016, Amazon entered into agreements with two carriers to lease 40 dedicated cargo airplanes.

The Super Bowl’s Private-Jet Problem

Textron Aviation, Bombardier prep for the big game

Turkish Airlines Makes Powerful Superbowl Statement: Widen Your World

We look at aviation stories from Super Bowl LI, including the large volume of private jets flying in and out for the event, the swarm of Intel drones that accompanied the halftime show, and the Turkish Airlines commercial aired during the game.

Diapers on display as Boeing campaigns against Machinists in S. Carolina vote

Boeing production workers in North Charleston, South Carolina are set to vote February 15, 2017 on union representation by the International Association of Machinists (IAM). The company website https://weareboeingsc.com/ is filled with material intended to influence workers not to vote for union representation by the IAM. The IAM counters with their own page: https://www.facebook.com/boeingworkers/.

The Aviation Minute

Rob Mark comments on the FAA decision to allow the closure of Santa Monica Airport.

Listener Recording

Ruben asks why regulators like the FAA create the rules, but are also the ones that police the rules.

Aircraft wheel thermal fuse plugs

Aircraft wheel thermal fuse plugs. Illustration courtesy AME Voice.

Aircraft wheel thermal fuse plugs. Illustration courtesy AME Voice.

Last episode, listener Sam described how he was on the ground at Dubai airport waiting for a flight to be pushed back, when he  heard a loud explosion followed by the sound of hissing air. We suspected the nose wheel tire fuse plug blew. Well, we did a little research on aircraft wheel fusible plugs.

From Airliners.net: “Fusible plugs offer protection from tire blowouts caused by thermal expansion that is generated in the tire under extra hard braking conditions. These fusible plugs are fitted in the tubeless wheel hubs by means of a fusible alloy that melts under excessive heat conditions and allows the plug to be blown out by the tire air pressure. This prevents excessive pressure buildup in the tire by allowing the air to leak away slowly.”

See Aircraft Wheel thermal fuse plugs on the AME Voice blog.

Mentioned

Season 1 of Plane Resurrection is now on Netflix. Each episode follows the transformation of a wreck to a restored airplane, and presents the history of the aircraft. The first season’s episodes cover the P-51 Mustang, Hurricane, Triplane, Stearman, T6 Harvard, and Percival Q6. Must watch!

Credit

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

437 Aviation News Roundtable

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:27:15 — 40.0MB)

A roundtable discussion of current aviation news, issues, and topics from our listeners. They include: the effects of the U.S. immigration ban on airlines and airports, the impacts of new executive orders on regulations like 3rd class medical reform, the bad news for Santa Monica airport, American Airlines passes on in-seat screens, another airline is grounded by a computer problem, clarity on ADS-B for non-electric aircraft, a review ordered of the F-35C and the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. Also, glass cockpit vs. round gages, the 2017 Aerospace Media Awards, a warm airline story from Alaska, exploding airline tires, and the Global Supertanker 747 in action.

Jodi Bromer, #AvGeek, EMS pilot.

Jodi Bromer, #AvGeek, EMS pilot.

Aviation News

How Trump’s abrupt immigration ban sowed confusion at airports, agencies

President Trump signed an executive order that fulfilled a campaign promise for new immigration policy. The order restricts immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries, it shuts off refugee admission for 120 days, and bans admission of Syrian refugees until further notice. This caused a certain amount of confusion among airlines, airports, government agencies, and the public. Demonstrations against the change broke out at many airports.

Presidential Executive Order on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs

Among other provisions, this executive order requires that for every new regulation issued, at least two prior regulations must be identified for elimination. How this impacts an agency like FAA is uncertain.

Regulations on Hold – EAA Monitoring Impact on Medical Reform

The Trump administration has ordered that no new regulations be published in the Federal Register. Also, that regulations that have been issued, but not yet taken effect, are pushed out 60 days. What does that mean for third-class Medical Reform, and the recently finalized Part 23 small aircraft certification regulations?

FAA Agreement allows Santa Monica to close its Airport after 2028

The FAA agreed to allow the City of Santa Monica to close the Santa Monica Airport as early as 2028. The City is also allowed to shorten the runway to just 3500 feet, eliminating larger business jets. Jack Pelton, CEO/Chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association stated, “We were surprised at the announcement of the settlement between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica regarding its airport. It is certainly a disappointing development, first concerning the immediate ability to shorten the runway, and the ultimate ability to close the airport in 2028. While we can only guess at the inside discussions to reach this settlement as to our knowledge, the airport’s stakeholders were not a part of it, the founding principles of FAA grant assurances are to maintain stability for an airport and its users as part of the national airspace system, above local political maneuvering.”

For American Airlines New Technology Means Fewer In-Seat Screens

American Airlines believes in-seat entertainment screens are a technology without a future. So rather than install screens in the seats of its Boeing 737Max airplanes, the airline will offer passengers free entertainment they can watch on their mobile phones, tablets, and laptop computers.

FAA Clarifies ADS-B Mandate For Non-Electrical Aircraft

The ADS-B Out rule takes effect January 1, 2020. If your airplane was originally certified without an electrical system, the rule doesn’t apply. But what if that same aircraft subsequently had batteries and an electrical starter installed?

Palm Beach County aviation head: Trump flight limits will hurt airport

POTUS vacations at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. About 8 miles away is the Palm Beach County Park Airport, also called Lantana Airport. County commissioners are learning that they’ll have to abide by the wishes of the Secret Service, and they are worried about the financial impact of operating restrictions.

Delta’s U.S. Grounding Is Lifted After Latest Computer Glitch

Delta Air Lines experienced a computer problem that grounded U.S. domestic flights for 2 1/2-hours. About 170 flights were affected.

Mattis Orders Comparison Review of F-35C and Advanced Super Hornet

A Pentagon review of the capabilities and cost of two aircraft has been ordered by Defense Secretary James Mattis. He wants to compare the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and an upgraded version of the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet.

Reports: Trump Says He’s Cut $600 Million From F-35 Costs

President Donald Trump says that Lockheed has cut $600 million from the program cost for the F-35. This would be for the 90 planes of LRIP Lot 10 (Low-Rate Initial Production).

Pilots, Aviation & The Paradox of Progress

The paradox for aviators is that while automation makes flying easier for pilots, it is also “reducing the number of seats for them in the pointy end of airplanes.”

Listener Recording

Fabian, a 23 year old Aerospace Engineering & ATPL Student from Germany provides feedback on Micah’s piece last episode on the death of Gene Cernan.

Mentioned

Hidden Figures, the movie about Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson – three African-American women who worked at NASA at the beginning of the U.S. manned space program.

Email Debt Forgiveness Day

Air Facts Journal, the journal for personal air travel – by pilots, for pilots.

2017 Aerospace Media Awards. The closing date for nominations is Friday 24th March 2017.

Foster Brooks (Airline Pilot)

Routehappy’s 2017 WiFi Report

Air Methods

Delta flight makes unexpected landing in Cold Bay, FAA points to engine trouble. See also the picture album.

Il-76 in action fire fighting in Chile.

#SuperTanker en plena acción, registrado desde el aire. Qué notable. (#SuperTanker in full action, recorded from the air. How remarkable.)

Two aircraft are working with the 747 SuperTanker

Global SuperTanker Services, LLC

Credit

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