Tag Archives: United-Continental

AirplaneGeeks 379 WOW Air and the Dubai of the North

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:59:03 — 54.5MB)

Skúli Mogensen, CEO, WOW air

Skúli Mogensen, CEO, WOW air

We talk with Skúli Mogensen, CEO of WOW air, the low cost carrier from Iceland. Also, Miami Rick from the Airline Pilot Guy show joins us and gives us his insights on flying the Boeing 777 Long Range Freighter. We talk about commercial pilot salaries, pilot training, the Convair F-106 Delta Dart, and flying the Falcon 7X at the Reno air races.

Guests

Skúli Mogensen

Skúli Mogensen is the CEO and majority owner of WOW air, an Icelandic low-cost airline. WOW air flies to Iceland from a number of European cities the whole year round, and they recently started flying to North America. The airline was founded in November 2011 and its inaugural flight was to Paris on May 31st 2012. WOW air is committed to providing the cheapest flights to and from Iceland, but doing so with a smile and providing a memorable service all the way.

Skúli is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in high-tech, specifically the mobile communications sector. He cofounded multiple companies including Arctic Ventures, a VC firm in Stockholm that invested in high tech companies in Scandinavia, and Islandssimi, which merged with Vodafone Iceland and is today the second largest Telco in Iceland. He also cofounded Montreal–based OZ Communications, which specialized in consumer mobile messaging technology used by Verizon, Sprint, T-mobile and other mobile operators. Oz was sold in 2008 to Nokia.

Skúli  is chairman of CAOZ, Ltd., a 3D computer animation and digital design company located in Reykjavík. He sits on the boards of a number of tech companies in North America and Europe including MP Bank, Carbon Recycling International, and Redline Communication. In 2011, he was named Iceland’s Businessman of the Year.

WOW air operates four Airbus A320 aircraft for short haul flights between Europe and Iceland. For flights to North America, WOW air operates the Airbus A321.

Miami Rick

Miami Rick flies a Boeing 777 Long Range Freighter for a multinational airline holding company based in Santiago, Chile. He flies mainly between the Americas and Europe.

Rick tells us about the differences between the passenger version and the freight version of the Boeing 777, and why it’s important to him that he understands the aircraft’s systems. We talk about training, flying passengers compared to flying cargo, and even the challenges of flying livestock.

Miami Rick has been a “freightdog” for about the last 5 years. Before his career moving boxes, he flew for the passenger division of his airline flying the Boeing 767-300ER. Rick provided passenger service for 6 years on routes between North and South America and Europe.

Rick’s perspective and contributions to the Airline Pilot Guy show are primarily those of a long-haul, heavy aircraft pilot. However, he is also a simulator instructor on the B757/767, and feel like a pilot really learns his craft when he is able to teach it and explain it simply and clearly because of the constant study and preparation that this involves.

Miami Rick started his flying career from a purely civilian background, learning to fly in general aviation aircraft in South and Central Florida, and flew countless types of light aircraft delivering them throughout the US. If that wasn’t enough, Rick also instructs new private, instrument and commercial pilots.

News

United Offers Pilots 13% Raise in Bid to Find Labor Peace

United Continental Holdings is reportedly offering pilots a 13% raise in 2016, followed by 3% and then 2% in the following two years. This comes from unidentified sources who are familiar with the negotiations, but not authorized to speak about them.

JetBlue Shakes Up Pilot Hiring by Training Them From Scratch

U.S. airlines hire pilots with flight experience. JetBlue Airways has a different idea and proposed to the FAA that the airline hire potential commercial pilots and provide them with ab initio training. JetBlue wants to start with a trial program called Gateway 7 for 100-seat Embraer SA E190 jet pilots. If that works, the airline will look at extending the program to larger aircraft.

JetBlue plans to start accepting applications in the first quarter 2016, and begin training in mid-2016. Pilots who complete the program would start as first officers in 2020.  Gateway 7 will consider applicants with no prior training as well as those with flight experience, and prospective pilots would pay for their own training.

British Airways named the ‘dirtiest’ transatlantic operator with the airline burning over 50% more fuel than the most efficient carrier

Environmental think tank International Council on Clean Transportation says British Airways is the worst airline for fuel consumption and carbon emissions on transatlantic routes. Norwegian Air Shuttle was found to be the most fuel-efficient. BA burned 51% more fuel per passenger than Norwegian.

The Airplane of the Week

F-106 Delta Dart

This week David settles a Twitter argument about how ugly interceptors are. He talks about the sexiest interceptor of all time, the F-106A. Visit the F-106 Delta Dart site for the full “Cornfield Bomber” Pilotless Landing story.

The Australia News Desk

Steve is relaxing in Fiji but still takes a moment to chat with Grant and record some content for the OzDesk.

Virgin Australia were the most punctual airline in October but Steve’s aborted take off in one of their aircraft heading to Fiji won’t be helping them achieve the same result in November’s results.

Meanwhile, following on from our story last month about Alliance Airlines getting their Fokkers serviced in Austria, it seems that Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines are taking a 12% stake in Alliance in return for giving them Austrian’s old Fokkers.

Falcon 7X at Reno

In conjunction with P1 Magazine, Rob brings us an interview with Dassault Falcon 7X demonstration pilots.

Mentioned

Jamestown Airshow by Ryan Hothersall

Jamestown Airshow by Ryan Hothersall

Jamestown Airshow Flickr Album

The An-2 Colt Experience

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 377 Flight Simulation on the PC

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:33:50 — 43.0MB)

Airbus A319 Czech Airlines OK-MEK

An enthusiast talks about PC flight simulation, Dubai Air Show 2015 debrief, flight training with the Cirrus Aircraft SR22 at Emirates, antitrust lawsuit blocks United’s plan to purchase slots, and bag fees increase at low cost carriers.

Guest

Guest Nicolas Jackson talks about PC-based flight simulators. We learn that you can create the flight simulation experience you want – from flying a GA airplane in the pattern around your local airfield, to a transcontinental commercial flight.

We talk about alternatives to Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX), such as Lockheed Martin’s Prepar3D® simulation software and X-Plane from Laminar Research. Nicolas recommends the Steam edition of FSX distributed by Dovetail Games for new simmers. He also tells us about VATSIM.net, an international online flying network, and broadcasting on Twitch.tv, a live streaming video platform and community for gamers.

Nicolas Jackson

Nicolas Jackson

Nicolas Jackson fell in love with aviation at the age of 10 when he got his first ride in a GA aircraft. Five minutes at the stick and he was hooked. Soon after that first flight, he bought Sierra Pro Pilot 99. He later switched to Microsoft Flight Simulator starting with FS98 and running all the way to FSX. He started flying on the international online flying network VATSIM with complex airliner add-ons in 2006, and hasn’t looked back since. Nicolas currently flies a variety of FSX aircraft and co-hosts the Unicom Podcast as part of The IFlySimX Team.   

 

Resources for flight simulation:

News

Boeing, Mostly Booked Until 2020, Comes Up Empty at Dubai Air Show

The Airbus A350 and A320 family, as well as the Boeing 787 and 737, are sold out to 2020 and beyond. Airlines and leasing companies have no incentive to purchase more airplanes.

OPINION: Dubai air show sees lack of commercial sales from Middle East

Bombardier unveils launch customer for CS300 airliner

airBaltic becomes the launch customer for the CSeries CS300 airliner when it takes delivery in the latter part of 2016. The Latvian flag carrier has orders for 13 firm and 7 options for the 160 passenger CS300.

Bombardier said it has 603 orders and commitments for the CS300 and CS100, 243 of which are firm orders. Also, Bombardier said it was nearing completion of the CS100 flight test program and was “on track” for certification of the airplane by Transport Canada this year. CSeries flight test vehicles took more than 1,000 flights during testing.

DUBAI: SuperJet confirms March delivery and winglets for CityJet

CityJet plans to take delivery of the 98-seat Sukhoi Superjet 100 in March 2016. The Irish regional airline is negotiating for 15 Superjets with 10 options.

DUBAI: Embraer details plan for E2 test fleet

Embraer plans to build six test aircraft as part of the E2 E-Jet re-engining program: four of the E190-E2 variant and two of the E195-E2. Both E195-E2s and three of the E190-E2s would be ready by end of 2016, with the fourth following in 2017. The Pratt & Whitney PW1900G will power the planes, and Dutch lessor AerCap will be the launch customer for the 97-seat E190-E2.

DUBAI: USAF secretary to redouble efforts on sluggish FMS process

US Air Force secretary Deborah Lee James says industry and regional partners voiced complaints that the approval process for US foreign military sales is slow.

Military spend outshines orders at Dubai Airshow

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force bought two Saab Global 6000 long-range surveillance aircraft, and will upgrade two existing Saab 340 jets. Lebanon will purchase six Embraer Super Tucano aircraft for basic missions and training. Boeing says five customers are interested in its Maritime Surveillance Aircraft, a long-range spying plane. Lockheed Martin was awarded a $262.8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to service Saudi Arabia’s F-15 sniper targeting system.

Emirates Airline Selects Cirrus Aircraft SR22 for Flight Training Academy Fleet

Emirates Flight Training Academy is going to use a fleet of twenty-two Cirrus SR22 aircraft for its flight training program.

U.S. Tries to Block United’s Acquiring More Slots at Newark

United Continental Holdings Inc. wants to buy 24 slots at Newark Liberty International Airport, from Delta Air Lines Inc. The U.S. Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit to block the sale.

Justice Department antitrust chief Bill Baer says, “Allowing United to acquire even more slots at Newark would fortify United’s monopoly position and weaken the ability of other airlines to compete. That would leave the 35 million air passengers who fly in and out of Newark every year holding the bag.”

Frontier, Spirit Airlines raise bag fees for holidays

Last year, ultra low cost carrier Spirit Airlines began increased bag fees for the holidays, and they are doing the same this year. Frontier Airlines is also increasing their bag fees, but not just for the holidays. Frontier says they’ll charge a higher fee during the college spring break season, and during the summer travel season, from June 9 through Aug. 16.

Senator blasts airlines for holiday bag-fee boost; Frontier chief strikes back

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, the ranking Democrat on the Senate’s transportation committee sent letters to major airline CEOs asking them not to raise bag fees. Nelson wrote, “These increased surcharges fly in the face of declining fuel costs and appear focused on increasing profitability on the backs of American families,”

Airplane of the Week

Dassault Rafale

Dassault Rafale

This week David looks at the tip of the spear for the Armee de L’Air, the Dassault Rafale.

Across the Pond

Vueling

Pieter welcomes back Diego López-Salazar from Aeropodcast to talk about his recent visit to Airbus and their Innovation Day presentations. They talk about some of the non-flying innovations Airbus is creating that may well find uses in other industries, such as Airbus Glasses, waste compactors, and paper cable ties. Pieter and Diego also get a short discussion in on the latest British Airways news, that IAG owned Vueling boss Alex Cruz is to become Chairman and Chief Executive of British Airways.

Follow the Spanish-language Aeropodcast on Twitter and Facebook.

Mentioned

Terrafugia founder Carl Dietrich appears in the movie “Back in Time,” a documentary tribute to the Back to the Future movie series. The film is available on Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes, with tour dates running through November 24th. (The Terrafugia segment starts at 1:13:30 if you want to skip straight to it.)

Connie’s 60th Birthday Start Up

25 Things You Didn’t Know About Air Force One

New Routes Mean More Noise for Some Homes Near Airports

Credit

Post photo Airbus A319 Czech Airlines OK-MEK courtesy aerosoft.

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

AirplaneGeeks 374 Air Show Performer and Air Racer Vicky Benzing

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:37:11 — 44.5MB)

 

Vicky Benzing

We talk with Vicky Benzing, a pilot, skydiver, aerobatic performer, and air racer. In the news, we have earnings reports for Boeing and some of the airlines, an air show parachutist lands in the crowd, an angle-of-attack indicator video for GA aircraft, the effect of Syrian sand on Russian jets, and Boeing fears the loss of the ExIm Bank.

Guest

Vicky Benzing is an accomplished pilot, skydiver, aerobatic performer, and air racer.  She has more than 7000 hours of flight time and over 1200 parachute jumps in a flying career spanning over thirty years. Vicky currently holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating as well as a commercial rating in helicopters and seaplanes.

Vicky BenzingWe talk with Vicky about aerobatic performances at air shows, including training and preparation, the “chicken dance,” the maneuvers Vicky likes, and which ones the audience likes. Also, the difference between flying the Stearman and flying high performance jets, how competing in the Reno Air Races compares to flying aerobatics at air shows, and what the crowd interaction means to a performer like Vicky. Along the way, Vicky tells us about skydiving and that the United States Parachute Association is a good resource for finding jump zones and advice.

In 2005, Vicky began training with air show legend Wayne Handley. She entered in aerobatic competitions throughout the US, and won first place in the Intermediate category in both the Northwest and Southwest Regional Championships in 2006. Two years later, she placed in the top 10 finishers at the US National Aerobatic Championships in the Advanced category.  

Vicky Benzing performing

Vicky Benzing performing

In between flying aerobatic competitions, Vicky began performing in air shows and today she focuses her energies on her airshow flying.  Vicky holds a surface level waiver and a formation card, and has flown well over 100 air show performances at venues across the US, including performing at the airshow during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.

In 2010, Vicky began racing in the National Championship Air Races.  She was chosen “Rookie of the Year” twice by her fellow Sport and Jet Class racers, and made history in Reno this year as the “fastest woman” racer ever in the history of the Reno Air Races, flying Dianna Stanger’s one-of-a-kind L-139 jet on the race course at 469.831 mph. See Live from the Reno Air Races with SkyChick and Team Darkstar for a video interview with Vicky and Dianna.

L-139 at Reno Air Races

L-139 Courtesy Dark Star Racing

In addition to her aviation pursuits, Vicky holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from UC Berkeley and has enjoyed a successful career in the Silicon Valley high tech industry.  Vicky is currently Vice President of the Sport Class Air Racing Association and is on the Board of Directors of the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, CA.

Vicky is sponsored by APECS Aerospace Corporation, an engineering consulting firm that specializes in providing support to aviation maintenance repair organizations.  Other sponsors are Oregon Aero, maker of seating systems and helmet and headset upgrades and ASL Camguard, creator of advanced engine oil supplements to reduce engine wear.

News

Faster production of jets pushes up Boeing’s profits

Boeing Co. third quarter earnings were up 25 percent to $1.7 billion, and the company raised its earnings outlook for the year. In the quarter, Boeing delivered 199 commercial jets versus 186 jets a year ago.

Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson said many wide-body jets coming off lease in the near future, will be available relatively cheaply, and will compete with new more fuel efficient jets.

American Airlines posts record profit but worries more about low-cost competitors like Spirit

Lower fuel spend helped jump net income 80 percent to $1.69 billion. Because 87 percent of American Airlines fliers fly only once a year and buy tickets based on price, next year American will offer cheap tickets with “less frills” on certain nonstop routes where it competes with discount carriers.

Alaska Air reports record profits from its busiest summer ever

The airline reported record quarterly profit of $274 million, and the busiest summer in the airline’s 83-year history.

Southwest Airlines reaps record $584M quarterly profit

With record net income of $584 million on revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, Southwest beat the same quarter last year which had net income of $324 million on revenue of $4.8 billion. The company put $228 million into its profit-sharing program.

Cheap fuel helped Delta set record profits

Delta’s operating margin grew to 21 percent and earnings per share were up 45 percent. Delta saved $1.1 billion in fuel costs year-over-year last quarter.

Allegiant Air profits leap 213 percent in 3rd quarter

Lower energy costs contributed to good financial performance and profitable growth of the network.

United, in turmoil, reports drop in revenue

United Continental saw lower sales for the quarter and missed its profit forecast.

Parachutist crashes into tent at Wings Over Houston Air Show

At the Wings Over Houston Airshow, a parachutist from a vintage Lockheed C-60 and using a WWII-era parachute landed in the crowd and took down a small tent. He suffered a broken limb. No spectators were injured.

FAA Video Provides Primer On AOA Displays

For those looking for an introduction to angle-of-attack indicators in GA aircraft, the FAA has a new video to get started. The 19-minute video includes an introduction to angle-of-attack indicators, their use and general advice on installation in airplanes – plus references to FAA documents for further research. It also has demonstrations of three AOA indicators in the market – Alpha Systems, Bendix King, and Safe Flight. The devices have gained increased attention in the last year as the FAA’s safety arm focused on studying loss-of-control accidents, which can be mitigated with AOA indicators, the agency said.

Harsh conditions are foiling Russian jets in Syria

Russia is finding it difficult to keep its military aircraft in the air in Syria. A significant percentage of its attack planes and transport aircraft are grounded.

​Boeing CEO: Losing Export-Import Bank “means loss of jobs”

Boeing is concerned that Congress will not reauthorize the ExIm Bank, which acts as the official export credit agency of the United States federal government.

The Australia News Desk

Airline boss promises ‘a tiger can change its stripes’

The boys are back and the comedy flows as they report on Tiger Airways apparently improving their customer experience and even getting a new call center. Steve is less than enthused!

Qantas to unveil Retro Roo II in November

He is, however, rather excited about the next Retro Roo colour scheme from Qantas. As we record an existing 737-800 is in the paintshop at Townsville getting one of the old Qantas paint schemes applied. We’re hoping for the V-Jet look.

Virgin to sell entire Fokker 50 fleet

Meanwhile, Grant gets to run his Big Motor Fokker vs Little Motor Fokker joke as Virgin are selling off all their Fokker 50s.

An Evening with Matt Hall

Finally, Steve’s going to be Em-Cee for the Angel Flight charity dinner at Bankstown in Sydney on Saturday, October 31, 2015. Get on down and support the cause if you’re in the area!

OzRunways with Matt Hall

Mentioned

AOPA Live This Week for October 22, 2015 has a really good special report from the Red Bull Air Races in Las Vegas. Matt Hall from Australia (and frequently heard on Plane Crazy Down Under) won the race. Second place finisher Paul Bonhomme from Great Britain won the championship.

These are the 15 coolest airline paint jobs in the skies What airline do you think has the coolest livery?

Reclining seat to blame? Southwest flight returns to LAX after ‘altercation’

Crammed-in jet passengers get uptight when the seat’s not upright

Inside the RAF – Britain’s Ultimate Pilots Episode 1 2015

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 373 Airplane Repossession

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:37:59 — 44.9MB)

Airplane Repo

Airplane repossessions, European investigations of possible anticompetitive practices in commercial aviation, United Continental Holdings new CEO in the hospital, the launch customer for the ultra-long-range Airbus A350, the final US Airways flight, and airline growth into Latin America and the Caribbean.

Guest

Ken Cage is owner and president of International Recovery & Remarketing Group (IRG).  IRG specializes in services such as investigation, recovery, and remarketing of specialty assets, including aircraft and yachts. Their repossession agents are licensed, bonded, and insured by the State of Florida. Ken joined IRG in 2005, and has been involved in thousands of repossessions and investigations in all 50 states, as well as several foreign countries.

Ken describes the process that initiates an aircraft repossession, how the owner is located, the preparation work required, actually taking the airplane, and how it is sold to recover the note-holder’s investment.

We ask Ken where he finds the pilots to fly the planes away, what their role is, and how they contribute to a safe repo. Ken also describes how the Airplane Repo TV series came about, and how closely it matches the reality of Ken’s professional experiences.

Ken is a licensed repossession agent, private investigator, and yacht broker with over 20 years experience in the banking and collections industry. Ken has experience in skip tracing and investigation in the finance sector.

Ken has been a member of many organizations related to the investigation field including American Society of Industrial Security, the International Society of Healthcare Safety and Security, the National Association of Chiefs of Police, Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA), National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA), and International Association of Marine Investigators (IAMI).

Follow Ken on Twitter at @KenCageRepo and on Facebook at Ken Cage Airplane Repo. See also the Discovery Channel webpage for the TV series Airplane Repo, and the Airplane Repo Fan Club on Facebook.

As an extra surprise, our Main(e) Man Micah joins us this episode as a guest co-host!

News

Europe Mulls Aircraft-Parts Competition Investigation Amid Airline Complaints

IATA and the European Commission are looking into possible anticompetitive practices in the marketplace for aircraft, engines, spare parts, and maintenance services. IATA says they are looking into the problem. The EC hasn’t launched a formal investigation, but is “closely monitoring competitive conditions as regards maintenance of engines and components of large commercial aircraft.” [Article WSJ paywall]

United CEO suffers heart attack, shares drop even lower

United Continental Holdings Inc’s new CEO Oscar Munoz has suffered a heart attack, just weeks after he took the job.

Singapore Air To Re-Start Non-Stop Singapore-US Flights With New A350 Variant

A350-900ULR

A350-900ULR Courtesy Airbus

Singapore Airlines has signed an agreement to be the launch customer for the new A350-900ULR, an ultra-long-range variant of the Airbus A350. This will let them resume non-stop flights between Singapore and the United States.

Singapore Airlines has 63 firm/20 option A350-900s on order. They will convert 7 firm and 4 options to the -900ULR, which will have a range of up to 8,700nm. The Airline also has 20 purchase options, four of which will be converted into firm A350-900 orders. This results in 67 firm A350s and 16 options.

Singapore Airlines operated non-stop flights between Singapore and both Los Angeles and New York with A340-500s until 2013, when the airplanes were retired.

Final US Airways Flight Completes Journey, Lands in Philly

An Airbus A321 became the last US Airways branded flight when it landed in Philadelphia. From now on they’re all American Airlines flights. The plane was designated as Flight 1939, named for the airline’s founding year.

U.S. airlines betting big on Latin America, Caribbean flights

Southwest, JetBlue, and Spirit are adding destinations to Latin America and the Caribbean. A strong U.S. dollar makes overseas travel attractive for Americans, and a growing Latin American middle class has more disposable income and looks to travel to the U.S.

The Airplane of the Week

David's desk

David’s desk

David continues his Journey to the Force awakened by discussing the Seinar Fleet Systems TIE Fighter and it’s derivations. It has almost as many variants as a C-130. Almost but not quite.

Across the Pond

RootshootPieter talks to Gary Wilson from Routeshoot, a smartphone and tablet app being utilised for aviation. It is designed to record video and tag GPS coordinates together so that the user can see where and when they were at a location, along with a video record. Pilots are using it for IFR purposes and commercial organisations such as utilities are using it to track their products and equipment filmed and coordinated using helicopters and UAS. Follow them at @RouteShoot.

Mentioned

Spicewood Airport 88R video.

The Deadly Cargo Inside MH370: How Exploding Batteries Explain the Mystery

Credit

Post photo: Ken Cage is the guy on the left. The big guy on the right is bounty hunter, MMA fighter, and champion power lifter Danny Thompson.

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

AirplaneGeeks 331 The Good, The Bad, and The TSA

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:22:36 — )

TSA Pre Check

How the TSA treats a man marked as a terrorist, an inside job smuggling guns on an airline, airport security concerns, a former Korean Air executive arrested, United and Orbitz sue over the “hidden city” ticketing strategy, and an AirAsia QZ8501 update.

Guest

After being convicted of releasing animals from fur farms in 2005, Peter Young was labeled a “terrorist” by the TSA. Since then, flying has been quite interesting for Peter. 

You see, Peter was placed on the TSA’s Selectee List. This is not the same as the No Fly List. If you are on the Selectee List, you can fly on an airline, but you are subjected to “enhanced screening.”

Peter has since experienced all manner of “special treatment” from the TSA. He’s been refused entry onto planes, been tailed through airports, and told his Starbucks coffee might be a bomb.

In October 2014, Young launched The Jetsetting Terrorist blog, to document his often hilarious but never boring experiences with the TSA as he travels around the U.S. marked as a “terrorist.” Follow Peter on Twitter as @flyingterrorist.

News

4 large objects found in AirAsia wreckage and victims search

Sonar has picked up large objects, the flight was not certified to fly on that day, why ATC didn’t authorize an increase in altitude, and why pilots don’t turn back.

Arrest warrant for ex-Korean Air exec in nut rage

Heather Cho, the former VP of Korean Air’s in-flight service and the daughter of the Korean Air Chairman, has been arrested. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation investigation determined that Cho’s behavior violated the Aviation Safety and Security Act, which bans any behavior that disturbs airplane operation.

Gun Smuggling on Plane Reveals Security Oversight

In December, a former Delta employee was arrested in New York after allegedly carrying 16 firearms and ammunition in a backpack on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta. This was after a month long investigation.

A Delta baggage handler with access to secure airport areas brought the firearms into the terminal and transferred them to the man, who had already gone through the regular airport security checks.

A Gift to the Jihadis: The Unseen Airport Security Threat

Airport security focuses on passengers, but baggage handlers and other airline employees with access to restricted areas could be bigger threats.

Millennials Worry Most That Airport Security Is Becoming Too Lax

More than 740,000 travelers are now enrolled in the TSA’s “Precheck” program, A survey by Harris Interactive shows that younger people are more worried about lax security than older travelers.

22-year-old raises $33,000 in fight with United Airlines

Aktarer Zaman, founder of the airfare advice site Skiplagged.com, is being sued by United and Orbitz for providing “unfair competition” and promoting “strictly prohibited” travel. Zaman’s website helps air travelers find “hidden city” tickets. Zaman is raising funds to pay for his legal fees at GoFundMe.

David Vanderhoof’s Airplane of the Week

Short Belfast

The Shorts Belfast, a four-engine turboprop freighter produced by Short Brothers.

Aviation Movie of the Month

Always, a 1989 film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, and John Goodman. The film introduced Brad Johnson and featured a cameo by Audrey Hepburn.

The Australia News Desk

The boys are back for 2015 and wondering what happened to last week? Something about holidays and memos, it would appear!

In this Desk, Steve and Grant cover the WA Police Air Wing being grounded due to pilots quitting, the last flights of Qantas 767s (well, sort of) and regional airline SkyTrans closing the doors but in the most controlled and well managed method we’ve ever seen!

Airplane Geeks on Ice

Juan Fernandez provides his second report from Antarctica, this time on the Pegasus crash. Visit AirplaneGeeks.com/ice for more information and some great photos.

Mentioned

Marin's Bushcaddy

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 284 – Industry Analysis from Richard Aboulafia

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KC-46 with F-15E Strike Eagle

Richard Aboulafia is Vice President of Analysis with the Teal Group. He consultants for and advises many aerospace companies, and has published articles in Aviation Week, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Professional Pilot, and many other news and trade publications.

We talk about what the KC-46A tanker means for Boeing, airliner orders and financing in the current environment of low interest rates, high cost of fuel, availability of cheap cash. Also, the fast growth rate of the commercial sector, the ramp down of military, and the recovery of the business jet market – poor recovery based on units, good recovery based on cash.

With Richard, we consider the airline labor situation at United/Continental, the IAM/Boeing contract agreement, as well as the CSeries and how competitive reaction might affect its future.

Richard comments on industry trends: The barriers to entry in the airliner business, Russia and China, a continuation of the Boeing/Airbus duopoly, and the supply chain. On the military side: the F-35 and over-capacity.

Richard is presenting at the Asia Pacific Security Conference (APSEC 2014) 10 February 2014.

The week’s aviation news:

Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar

David Vanderhoof’s History Segment:

David reports on the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar Behind the Scenes Open House, held at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum.

In this week’s Australia Desk:

ATC Ben, Damien, and Jonesy join Grant to talk about the new Brisbane West Wellcamp airport being built near Toowoomba. Damien has some fantastic analysis & raises a few points about its location, its impact on the military bases nearby and what it may mean for the existing Toowoomba airport.

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.

BOAC

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Pieter talks to Mick Oakey Managing Editor of the digital and print magazine The Aviation Historian. Described as  ‘The modern journal of classic aeroplanes and the history of flying — aviation history for grown-ups…’  this is a high quality quarterly book type publication for the serious aerospace historian and the current edition features our previous guest Angela Waller – Before There Were Trolly Dolleys. The Aviation Historian also has a pretty good presence on Facebook and Twitter.

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

Mentioned:

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

Episode 258 – MAFFS: Fighting Wildfires with the C-130

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146th Airlift Wing C-130

Lt Col Bryan Allen is a MAFFS-qualified pilot with the 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, Channel Islands Air National Guard Station. MAFFS is the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, the equipment that can be quickly inserted into a C-130 military cargo transport to turn it into an air tanker to fight wildfires. With a shrinking commercial aerial firefighting fleet, MAFFS provides the additional capacity often needed to protect life and property when a wildfire breaks out.

We talk about how MAFFS works, the C-130 aircraft utilized, and the different units that have MAFFS capability. The selection process for MAFFS qualification is very rigorous and we learn about the extensive training required.

The 146th Airlift Wing is on Twitter at @146AirliftWing and on Facebook. Be sure to also take a look at the MAFFS – Air Expeditionary Group 2013 Facebook page, and the MAFFS 4 Papoose Incident West Fork Complex Colorado video. Awesome flying by these guys!

United 737-800 with the split scimitar winglet

The week’s aviation news:

Bonus:

Scott Spangler brings us a pre-view of AirVenture 2013, including Janet the Gannet: World’s Only Flying Fairey Gannet T5 Landing at Oshkosh.

Republic XF-84HXF-84H Thunderscreech

David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week is the The XF-84H Thunderscreech, the loudest aircraft ever built! Hear it on Youtube.

RAAF C-130J over Sydney_400

RAAF C-130J, A97-460, over Sydney Harbour last week. Photo courtesy of Nigel Pittaway

In this week’s Australia Desk:

Steve is feeling a tad below par this week after coming off eight years of night shift into early morning starts, and editing of this week’s segment was interrupted when his son, Chris, ended up in the local hospital after a basketball training accident. Despite all this fun, we managed to get a few stories out.

In the news –

Plans for a new large scale private airport in southern Queensland begin to take shape with both major airlines expressing interest in the project. Some of the local residents in the area are less impressed with claims that the local government has fast tracked the project with little scrutiny.

Airfield of dreams built for gas boom

Locals ‘left out’ over Wellcamp airport

The RAAF’s 37 Squadron last week celebrated their 70th anniversary in style with a two ship C-130J formation flight over Sydney. PCDU’s Kathy Mexted was along for the ride and interviews will be in the next PCDU episode.

An Australian team from the University of Queensland is heading to Norway to test out their latest scramjet design. The test flight, although short, is expected to reach speeds of up to mach 8.

Aussie Scramjet to unlock hypsersonic travel secrets

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

Neil preparing for his first overnight adventure as PICNeil preparing for his first overnight adventure as PIC

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week on Across The Pond, Pieter welcomes back Neil Bradon, our adopted British pilot flying in the USA. Since we last talked to Neil he has literally ‘lived the dream’, flying to international airports and Air Force air bases. Now through relocating from Arizona to Oregon he tells us about the change in flying style and his forthcoming visit to the worlds largest air venture. Visit Neil’s adventure at his blog Flying Tin.

Mentioned:

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

Episode 217 – Fleet Forecasting

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Photo by Stephen Tornblom

Guest Nigel Howarth is Senior Fleet Analyst with Aviation Week. We talk with Nigel about fleet forecasts and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) forecasts: who purchases fleet forecasts, how these forecasts are developed, and how they are used to help a variety of aviation companies plan their manpower, other resources, and capabilities. Nigel also talks about the linkage between the price of oil and regional jet retirements, and comments on the Embraer and CSeries outlook. Nigel gives us a taste for just how complicated MRO forecasting is, and that segment is such a large part of the market, both commercial and military.

Airplane Geeks listener John Arvin joins us as a Special Guest Co-host. John is an airline pilot and the man behind The Aviation Advocate. Find John on Twitter as @theAvAdvocate.

The week’s aviation news:

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

The hangover from the Australian Football League grand final is evident as Steve’s team, the Hawks, lost to the Sydney Swans….but in aviation news, Air New Zealand announces a share buy back while several members of its board of management are leaving, Qantas contemplates removing each of their A380s from service for up to eight weeks at a time to repair wing cracks, a study this week also finds that Qantas is losing domestic market share while Virgin remains steady and Tiger Airways increases, CASA commences a study into the use of RAAF Base Richmond as a temporary second Sydney airport, as farewell activities get into gear for the retiring RAAF C130H fleet, a website has sprung up showing what’s happening and when – any former C130H personnel are invited to attend – details at C130-H: End of an era.

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. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Pieter is granted behind the scenes access to the Royal Navy Heritage Flight based at RNAS Yeovilton in the UK. This is the first segment of a 4 programme mini series we are producing in partnership with the RNHF to promote their work. In this episode Pieter talks to Display Manager Katie Campbell about the purpose of the RNHF and how it delivers its services. Future segments will cover behind the scenes in the hanger and a discussion with the pilot of the Fairey Swordfish. See Royal Navy Historic Flight and Fly Navy Heritage Trust.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Mentions:

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

Episode 189 – Darryl Jenkins

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Guest Darryl Jenkins is a seasoned airline analyst, Chairman of the American Aviation Institute, and author of the Handbook of Airline Economics.

The week’s aviation news:

In this week’s Australia Desk report: the Qantas Asian venture takes a dive as Malaysia Airlines pulls out of the Red Q proposal, Air New Zealand is upsetting customers with its new “bid for a seat” frequent flyer programme, and Airbus Military offers the RAAF a 6th KC30A tanker.

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.

In his Across The Pond segment, Pieter Johnson talks with Diego López-Salazar from Aeropodcast.com to give us an update on the airlines in Spain. They discuss Spanair, Iberia Express and Volotea and the Spanish Government’s step down from privatisation. Pieter can be found on Twitter as @Nascothornet or XTP Media’s Facebook Page.

Mentioned in the episode:

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/.

Episode 136 – Spotting with Jason

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F-15 by Jason Bong at Red Flag

Our guest this episode is Jason Bong, one of the writers and photographers at PHXspotters, a great site for plane spotters and aviation enthusiasts. Jason attended the annual Red Flag event and captured some amazing photographs of military aircraft. See his post, Rookie at Red Flag.

Visitors to the Phoenix area who want to photograph at airports will want to contact PHXspotters for local advice, tips, and spotting support. You can also find the group on Facebook.

In addition to the airplane spotting discussion, we have aviation news from the past week, The Australia Desk Report by Steve and Grant from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and Pieter Johnson his Across the Pond segment.

The week’s aviation news:

Mentions:

More aviation reading:

  • Airways and Airwaves by Dave Gwinn.
  • Hard Landing: The Epic Contest for Power and Profits That Plunged the Airlines into Chaos by Thomas Petzinger Jr.
  • Splash of Colors: The Self-Destruction of Braniff International by John J. Nance.
  • The Sporty Game: The High-Risk Competitive Business of Making and Selling Commercial Airliners by John Newhouse.
  • Naked Airport: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Revolutionary Structure by Alastair Gordon.

Photo by Brodie Winkler

Photo by Brodie Winkler

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/.