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Thunder Over Georgia to Host Thunderbirds, F-22 Raptor this Weekend

Charles Atkeison
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Thunder Over Georgia to Host Thunderbirds, F-22 Raptor this Weekend

UPDATE: Thunderbirds opposing solo Maj. Michelle “Mace” Curran  will not perform with the squadron this weekend during the Robins Air Force Base  Airshow.
“I am dealing with some back pain which has temporarily taken me out of the cockpit,” Mace said who is continuing in rehab. “You better believe I’m doing everything I can to get it sorted out ASAP.”

MACON, Ga. — The tight precision flying of the Air Force Thunderbirds and the dynamic flight of an F-22 Raptor will headline this weekend’s Thunder Over Georgia Airshow at Robins Air Force Base.

The air base’s first airshow in three years will include both military and civilian aircraft performing flight demonstrations. Near the flightline, static aircraft will be on display while several family-friendly events entertain and educate visitors during the two-day event.

“We’ve assembled an incredible array of aerial demonstrations and ground displays focused on providing an understanding of Air Force missions and military capabilities, as well as the skills and professionalism of its people,” Robins AFB Installation Commander Colonel Brian Moore said from the flightline on Tuesday. “The weekend will be chock-full of excitement, family fun, and patriotic activities.”

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The F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team will perform during thunder over georgia airshow. (Chales atkeison)

The Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, known as the Thunderbirds, is led by Lt. Col. John Caldwell aboard the Thunderbird 1 jet. The six demonstration pilots also include left wing pilot Maj. Will Graeff aboard Thunderbird 2, Thunderbird 3 right wing Capt. Michael Brewer, slot pilot Maj. Whit Collins in jet 4. Maj. Matt Kimmel will perform high speed dynamic passes as the lead solo.

“As the jets take to the skies and fly only a few feet from wing tip to wing tip, the crowd gets a glimpse of the awesome skills and capabilities that all fighter pilots must possess,” Thunderbird spokesperson Maj. Ray Geoffroy said. “The solo pilots integrate their own loud and proud routine exhibiting some of the maximum capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.”

Popular civilian pilots scheduled to perform include Clemens Kuhling aboard his ChefPitts bi-plane; aerobatic performer Julie Clark; and Matt Younkin piloting his Twin Beech. and Disabled American Veteran Flight Team and their B-25 Mitchell bomber.

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Chef Pitts S1s biplane is one of several civilian aircraft performing at Robins AFB. (Charles Atkeison)

The U.S. Air Force Rapid Strike, a full motion simulator ride free to the public, will make its appearance at Thunder Over Georgia. Visitors can experience an F-22 Raptor flight, a C-17 cargo mission, and then move into a special operations ground strike all from your point-of-view.

The popular Kids Zone will allow youngsters to experience a military-style boot camp obstacle course, or climb the massive rock wall. Gates open at 9:00 a.m. both days and the opening ceremony is scheduled to begin two hours later. General admission and parking are free to the public in most areas.

Robins officials note that on-base parking is not available to non-military card holders. The air show will support several off-base parking lots to accommodate the general public with a shuttle bus running between the airshow and the lots.

Robins officials add, “People arriving from I-75 South may park at Middle Georgia Regional Airport on Airport Drive. Guests arriving from I-75 North should take Exit 149 for Middle Georgia Regional Airport on Avondale Mill Road.”

(Charles Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

The Tragedy of Aeroflot 593

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The Tragedy of Aeroflot 593

How a Child in the Cockpit of an Aeroflot Flight Just a Few Years After the Fall of the Soviet Union Brought Down an A310

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 the official State-owned airline Aeroflot began a difficult transition to Western-style competitive business model. Aeroflot had a justifiably earned reputation for poor safety, crew standards, maintenance, and unreliable equipment. The decision to begin a migration to Western aircraft until more modern Russian-designed and manufactured equipment could eventually compete.

Any transition to new technology and procedures are time-consuming, requiring man-hours and experience. When this is not done well, accidents happen. In an emergency situation, especially when there is confusion and distraction, even the most experienced plots can fall back on previous experience and knowledge. This is what occurred on March 23, 1994 aboard Aeroflot Flight 593, an Airbus A310 flying from Moscow to Hong Kong.

Back in 1991, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, Aeroflot leased 5 Airbus A310 airliners. Flight 593’s pilot was Andrey Danilov with a total of 950 hours in the Airbus 310; Co-Pilot Igor Piskaryov had significant time and experience as well but less than 500 hours total flying Airbus aircraft.

The Sterile Cockpit Rule

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The A310 cockpit, similar to the ill-fated Aeroflot 593 jet. Photo: Alex Beltyukov CC 2.0

It’s a well known fact that after September 11th, access to the cockpit is extremely restricted–typically to only the pilots, aircrew jumpseating, and flight attendants if there is a specific reason to enter. Prior to those events, rules were occasionally more lax. Most western nations banned visitors to the cockpit during flight but occasionally a guest would be permitted to see the cockpit, especially on some lesser regulated carriers. Additionally, most airlines followed a “Sterile Cockpit” Rule that eliminates distractions to the flight crew through conversation or interruptions that are not directly related to piloting the aircraft.  While strictly enforced on takeoff and landing phases, it is expected a basic level of crew discipline and decorum is enforced at all times.

 At the time, the culture at Aeroflot was much more lax. On March 23, 1994, Relief Pilot Yaroslav Kudrinsky brought his two children, son Eldar and daughter Yana into the cockpit. He invited Eldar to sit in the left hand seat and hold the control column. Eldar was warned not to touch anything else. He did what many kids would do. He didn’t listen to his parents. He inadvertently hit the autopilot switch and disengaged the roll component of the autopilot. The jet immediately began to bank abruptly. Co-pilot Piskaryov tried to correct. Eldar was ordered to get out of the seat, but things went wrong very quickly. Both pilots were used to the audible alarm signals used in Russian-made aircraft, the Airbus instead used warning lights to warn of malfunctions or important alerts. Time wasted in reacting to the unfamiliar alerts allowed the aircraft to go into a series of climbs and then dives, the last one being a fatal one, resulting in a crash with loss of all passengers and crew 75 totals.

Confusion Aboard the ill-fated Aeroflot 593 Flight

 In the moments leading up to the crash, the crew worked frantically at deciding what was happening and how to disengage the problem. Their delay caused precious time and lost altitude. Cockpit conversations show that the confusion over what had happened, getting Eldar out of the left hand seat, and figuring out how to correct the oscillations all wasted valuable recovery time.

Flight 593 demonstrated how a lack of following established procedures, and a serious lack of judgement can lead to disaster. Under severe stress, humans fall back on habits and muscle memory. The seconds lost in translating old reactions to newly learned ones are multiplied many times over. When you add in distractions caused by the presence of unfamiliar persons in close proximity to the emergency (such as the two children and violating the most basic safety procedures) and confusion, the situation isn’t likely to end well. It was an accident that could have easily been avoided. A visit by the child when the jet was at the gate could have both avoided an incident and checked the box for a visit to see the cockpit.

Aeroflot Today is not the “Aero-flop” of the 1970’s.

Aeroflot today is a far cry from the airline that flew during the Soviet Union and led to the accident of flight 593. Aeroflot spent much of the 90s refreshing its fleet and adapting to Western standards. The airline’s safety record has improved. Prior to the end of the Soviet Union, the State-owned airline was derided as “Aero-flop”, the inefficient, crude domestically manufactured aircraft and poor safety and maintenance earned the criticism. They were amongst the most dangerous airlines in the world. Over the past 15 years, they underwent a modernization program. Today they fly a mostly-western fleet of Boeing 777, 737NG, and some of the latest Airbus narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. The have modern maintenance procedures and crew training in line with the rest of the world. While the crash landing of the Sukoi Superjet 100 in 2019 was a setback, their operation is regarded as modern. Aeroflot is a member of the SkyTeam world alliance, joining the ranks of Delta, Korean Air, and KLM.

American Airlines Unveils Stand Up To Cancer Aircraft

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American Airlines Unveils Stand Up To Cancer Aircraft

American Airlines, fresh off the retirement of the MD-80 fleet, has unveiled a new look for one of their Airbus A321 aircraft. American already has a small sub-fleet of specially painted heritage livery aircraft celebrating all of the airlines that make up the current airline today. This special scheme is different. It honors those fighting cancer.

In a statement today, American said that the A321 features 22,627 names of cancer survivors, patients and those we have lost to cancer. Names were submitted by the public throughout the month of July, all of whom donated $25 or more to have their loved one’s name added to the plane, resulting in more than $825,000 for cancer research.

Each person fighting cancer has a story. American shared two unique stories. One is Patrick Swayze, a pilot himself, who was added to the plane by his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi Swayze. Among the names is also Tug McGraw, added by his son Tim McGraw, who lent his talent to promote the fundraising campaign in this year’s public service announcement. 

AA Stand Up To Cancer Jet

Inaugural flight carried cancer survivors

To celebrate the flight of the newly painted aircraft, American flew cancer survivors from Los Angeles LAX airport to Orlando, Florida. Before the flight, passengers were greeted by the Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders. Onboard the jet, they were treated to entertainment by Noah Schnacky and comedian Marina Franklin.

The aircraft was crewed by volunteers who themselves all had connections to cancer. According the press release, “one of the pilots will be American Airlines First Officer Brandon Bailey, who appeared in the Stand Up To Cancer PSA alongside Tim McGraw. Bailey Stands Up for his mother, Machelle, who faced cancer while Brandon was deployed to Afghanistan.”

Upon arrival at Orlando, passengers will receive VIP treatment as they enjoy a day at Universal Studios Orlando.

Stand Up To Cancer Plane Labor Of Love by Maintenance Personnel

American’s official Stand Up To Cancer plane was unveiled to American Airlines team members at the company’s Base Maintenance facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, yesterday. Over three days, Tech Ops – Tulsa team members carefully added 22,627 names to the aircraft exterior.

Once complete, the plane was ferried from Tulsa to LA for the inaugural flight. After the weekend concludes, the American Airlines’ official Stand Up To Cancer aircraft will re-enter American’s fleet.

SAS Unveils New Livery

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SAS Unveils New Livery

SAS – Scandinavian Airlines reveals first livery update since 1998

SAS did something that they haven’t done since last century (21 years to be exact). The airline announced a new livery to adorn their newest jet in the fleet–the A350. Over the next few years, the most of the fleet will be repainted to match the updated look.

SAS began service in 1946 under the name Svensk Interkontinental Lufttrafik. It was formed shortly after World War II ended. Developed to be the official airline of Denmark, Norway, and Sweeden, the airline now flies to over 120 destinations utilizing a mixed fleet of 737NG (-600,-700, and -800), A320, A330, A340, and the newest A350 addition. They also offer regional service provided by the ATR-72 and CRJ-900.

New SAS Livery features bolder colors but looks strikingly similar to a mix of Lufthansa, Delta and Emirates.

The previous SAS livery was very simple featuring small blue Scandinavian titles on a slightly grey fuselage with a blue tail and orange engines. This updated livery features a large silver metallic SAS adorned across the front third of the fuselage along with silver engines and a very Lufthansa-like blue tail. The engines and winglets are also accented in the same color blue. SAS aircraft will also have a bold silver Scandinavian title painted on the belly of the fuselage, similar to Delta and Emirates schemes.

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Photo: SAS. SAS unveiled their new livery on Sept 19, 2019.

On the website highlighting the release, SAS CEO Rickard Gufstafsen stated,

“The new livery design is a symbol of our future, a more sustainable and a competitive future for SAS, but one that also embraces our heritage.”

This is just the fourth livery in the company’s history. While most of the fleet will receive the new scheme, the Boeing 737-600 sub-fleet will definitely retire in the old colors. It is expected to be retired in the next few months.

After September 11th, America’s Heart Shined Through

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After September 11th, America’s Heart Shined Through

Today is the anniversary of the attacks of September 11th 2001.  If you lived through the events of the day, you’ll recall the shock and horror as the towers fell and the Pentagon was attacked.

As the events of the day unfolded, it became clear that the four planes that were hijacked were part of a sophisticated plan that was launched by a Al Qaeda. The terrorist group had found refuge in an Afghanistan under control of the Taliban.  America and the world had to do something to avenge the attacks.

Less than a month after the attack, then President Bush made a joint address to Congress where he said,

“On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.  These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations, and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime.”

An armada of B-1s, B-52s, and B-2s were enroute to attack the Taliban in an operation that became known as Operation Enduring Freedom or OEF.  Targeted attacks combined with special forces would quickly to the demise of the Taliban as a formal government entity.

America Also Dropped Aid To Afghans After September 11th

During the speech, President Bush also acknowledged that an important component of this new campaign would be to provide aid to the Afghan people who were oppressed by the fanatical Taliban regime.  Senior decision makers and allies were careful to not portray this war as a war between religion but instead as a war between good and evil. Bush added,

At the same time, the oppressed people of Afghanistan will know the generosity of America and our allies.  As we strike military targets, we’ll also drop food, medicine and supplies to the starving and suffering men and women and children of Afghanistan.

Airlift’s Role in the Launch of OEF: Enter the C-17

In 2001, the C-17 was still a relatively new platform with limited combat experience in the Balkans.  As OEF kicked off, the C-17 received the call to operate a 10,000+ mile round robin from Ramstein AB in Germany to Afghanistan and back without landing.  The Globemaster would prove its potential for extended combat operations. The C-17 dropped food and medicine from a high altitude to avoid any potential enemy fire.  One of the first missions was documented by the TV show “Inside Edition”.  It showed a C-17 crew airdropping pallets of food and supplies under the cover of darkness using night-vision goggles.  In the midst of war, the crews of the C-17 delivered American generosity halfway across the world.

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We all know that 18 years later, America is still involved in Afghanistan.  Terrorism still exists and many would argue that the threat is as severe today as it was back in 2001. Almost 3,000 lives were lost that day.  The aviation industry would be upended and changed forever. On an even larger scale, America as a nation would be changed forever too as it became entangled in OEF and later a wider war against terrorism in Iraq and now major swaths of the Middle East.

It’s worth noting that even as America reeled from the attacks, they recognized that remaining a principled nation was an important component of potential success.  The C-17 Globemaster was a vital tool to carry out America’s strategy.  It would later prove to be a workhorse of OEF and OIF.

Air Force Academy Releases The Greatest (Football) Uniform Ever

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Air Force Academy Releases The Greatest (Football) Uniform Ever

Ok, we admit it, we’re a bit biased and love the C-17 here at Avgeekery. But even if you are a C-130 driver or love big FRED, you have to think this uniform is pretty outstanding.

For the past few years, the Air Force Academy Falcons Football Team has donned alternate uniforms as part of the Air Power Legacy series. This is the fourth uniform in the series. You might remember the World War II inspired Tiger Shark Nose Art effort or the F-35 uniform in 2017 or the AC-130 digs last year.

This year’s C-17 inspired uniform is particularly intricate. The uniform is flat grey in color, just like the Globemaster. It features reflective material, symbolizing the combat lighting system that is on the side of the actual aircraft’s fuselage. Instead of the players name on the back, the uniform features nine bases where the C-17 has a presence. They include: Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, March Air Reserve Base, California, Travis Air Force Base, California, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Notably missing from the list are the Air National Guard bases of Pittsburg,  Jackson, Miss., Stewart ANG Base, N.Y., Memphis, Tenn., Martinsburg, W.Va., and Charlotte, N.C.

The Air Force Academy Falcons will wear this uniform when they play Hawaii on October 9th.  You can read more about the new uniform here.

American Airlines Bids Farewell to MD-80 After Nearly Four Decades of Service

Mike Killian
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American Airlines Bids Farewell to MD-80 After Nearly Four Decades of Service

Today, American Airlines (AA) bid a heartfelt farewell to the iconic ‘Mad Dog’ MD-80, closing out a career spanning 37 years with the company, as AA looks ahead and modernizes its fleet of aircraft.

Flight 80 departed Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) at 9:00 a.m., before landing at Chicago O’Hare 2 hours later.

AA is transitioning to newer fuel-efficient aircraft that offer customers more highly sought-after amenities, such as “industry-leading high-speed Wi-Fi and more inflight entertainment and access to power,” according to the company.

Captain Bruce Taylor, a 25-year MD-80 veteran, flew the plane into retirement today, N984TW, which was actually the last MD-80 ever built and originally a TWA bird. The plane will now fly to its final resting place in Roswell, NM, along with most of the remaining 26 aircraft.

As we wrote about previously, back in the early 1980s American Airlines took a gamble on the MD-80. McDonnell Douglas was desperate for business, so American’s CEO at the time (Bob Crandall) negotiated a sweetheart deal, where the airline received a fleet of new MD-80s to try out for a ridiculously low rate.

The good news for McDonnell Douglas was that American loved the 5 abreast jet. The updated DC-9 allowed American to grow a fortress hub at DFW and connect Chicago O’hare and the East Coast. American eventually purchased over 200 of the type. After the acquisition of TWA, the fleet grew to approximately 370 in service at its peak.

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Over the past 5 years, American has been retiring the type. They have been replaced by 737-800 and 737-8MAX jets. Some MD-80s were supposed to even outlive American’s 737-800NG fleet as American has begun retiring some 737-800s. However, the sidelining of the 737-MAX8 has delayed retirement. American has also acquired second-hand A319s from Frontier Airlines to make up for the lost capacity.

Avgeek Rents Helicopter To Get Perfect Footage of Retiring American Airlines Mad Dogs

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Avgeek Rents Helicopter To Get Perfect Footage of Retiring American Airlines Mad Dogs

With American retiring their MD-80s, we knew that there would be some interesting stories of fans who would take that extra step to see the Mad Dog one last time before her retirement. We came across Andy Luten, a dedicated avgeek and travel blogger who had a story we just had to share. He went to great lengths to put together a great video about the MD-80 that included an amazing air-to-air shot of the jet. Here’s our chat with Andy and how he got that unique photo.

Thanks for joining us. So tell us a little bit about yourself and your passion for the MD-80. Why are you such a fan?

I’m a part-time travel blogger, part-time photographer, and have a full-time job in financial software for a big conglomerate, which takes me all over the world. When you spend as much time on airlines as I do, you can’t help but become a bit of an avgeek, so it took me a while to build up my avgeek chops but now I’m proud to be one! When it comes to the MD-80, I’m a bit of a dork when it comes to origin stories. I enjoy reading etymology dictionaries to see the histories of word definitions, for example. I love the MD-80 because it connects us directly back to the beginnings of the jet age of aviation, since it’s just a stretched DC-9. It’s not as quick as the newer birds, it doesn’t fly as high or as far, but it’s just a workhorse that puts its head down and gets to work. I identify with that a lot.

What was your earliest memory of the MD-80?

The MD-80 was always something that kind of happened to me, since I became based in Dallas and back in the mid-aughts when the MD-80 was seemingly all American flew. But when I started flying a lot for work in 2009 and began the Status Life I really began to appreciate the unique seating configuration and the old school design of the MD-80, if for no other reason than it was different from the ho-hum boringness of the 737/A320.

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How do you feel about American Airlines retiring the plane?

Is it possible to agree with and hate a decision at the same time? I’m not privy to any inside info here so this is just speculation, but I imagine American had been deferring costly and intense C checks on the MD80 fleet for years and it would cost an insane amount to keep them in the skies. Many of the airframes are only 30 years old, so there’s still some value to them on the used market (and indeed American sold many of theirs to other airlines). Newer jets are more efficient and generally the fewer aircraft types you have as airline the better off you are from a maintenance standpoint, since you have to stock parts and hire mechanics for fewer types. Overall it’s just cheaper for the aircraft to get rid of them than keep them in the sky, so I get it…but I hate it.

Ok, so you have to tell us this story of how you RENTED a helicopter to get the perfect air-to-air video of a Mad Dog departing DFW. How did it all come together?

Well, I’ve been working on content for the MD-80 retirement for my blog (Andy’s Travel Blog) for a while and I really wanted a picture of an MD-80 that nobody else could get. I’m a semi-professional photographer and have quite a bit of aerial photography experience so I thought a helicopter could get me there. I’ve previously flown over DFW to get some terminal building shots but the picture I have of the MD80 on that flight was ever-so-slightly out of focus and very far away. I knew I could do better. While I was at Founder’s Plaza at DFW Airport doing some planespotting on Saturday, I saw a helicopter flying very low over the field at DFW. I know enough about the airspace at DFW and what the towers generally allow to know that the pilot had some special access. Luckily I have a very high resolution camera, which I pointed at the helicopter so I could get the tail number. I looked up the tail number, found the phone number for the owner, had a chat with him to see if he could get me where I needed to be, swallowed nervously when he told me the price, and up we went yesterday morning! We managed to go up between two banks of flights so initially there were no flights departing (and those that were departing weren’t MD-80s). We had about 10 minutes left before we needed to leave and head back to the hangar when I saw an MD-80 being pushed back from the gate. We received ATC clearance to remain on-site until the MD-80 departed and followed the jet as it taxied, lined up, and then rocketed down the runway. My pilot got me in the perfect position for an epic air-to-air shot of the MD-80 taking off, and the resolution was absolutely flawless!

Once the Mad Dog at American is retired? What’s next for you to follow?

Well I’ll go through the normal 5-step grieving process then will have to find a new normal and move on. I really think what’s next will be boredom when I get on a jet, because unless I’m flying Delta’s lovely new A220 everything will just be another boring 3-3 jet. What won’t change are all the amazing memories…not only of the jet itself but where it took me and the memories I have because of it.

Enjoy this beautiful video tribute to the American Airlines MD-80 by Andy. You can read more about his passion for the MD-80 on his blog here.

The Cookies Are Coming Back! Midwest Express To Relaunch By End Of Year

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The Cookies Are Coming Back! Midwest Express To Relaunch By End Of Year

Avgeeks always love an airline comeback. The trouble is that almost every one of them fails. In the past few years, we’ve seen PeoplExpress and Eastern Airlines fail. PanAm’s multiple reincarnations have failed. And the rumored World Airways restart still hasn’t happened either. So when we heard about Midwest Express restarting, we have to admit that we were more than just a little skeptical. The crazy thing is though, that their plan might actually work. Let’s dig a bit deeper…

What Made Midwest Express So Special?

The original Midwest Express was known for business class service with cookies, leather seats and full meals. Over time, the airline added coach class service to remain competitive. They refreshed their fleet of DC-9 aircraft with MD-80s and later Boeing 717s.

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Flikr Image: BriYYZ (CC 2.0)

But after 9/11, the airline struggled to maintain market share as the industry changed and became much more cost conscious. Midwest Express was acquired by Republic Airways, part of a merger with Frontier Airlines. The two airlines co-existed and codeshared but was eventually rolled into Frontier’s operations. The end of Midwest Express was actually sad to see. The Boeing 717s were returned, the standout customer service was outsourced, and even the cookies were hit or miss at the end.

What’s the plan?

The new Midwest Express will focus on underserved markets from their base in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They announced that they will begin service to Cincinnati, Omaha, and Grand Rapids with additional cities to be added later, three markets with no direct flights from Milwaukee. The refreshed Midwest Express is looking to restart service by the end of the year.

In order to simplify the startup process, they have hired Elite Airways to operate the routes on the airline’s behalf. Elite will utilize CRJ-200s in full Midwest Express colors. Of course we all know that the CRJ isn’t exactly the airliner known for comfort.

Per the announcement, “This operating agreement with Elite Airways is a key step to bring much-needed nonstop service back to Milwaukee,” said Greg Aretakis, president of Midwest Express. “We identified Elite Airways as a well-suited partner due to its extensive operating experience, high-quality customer service approach, and exemplary safety record. By partnering with Elite, we expedite bringing our service to the market while we pursue federal licenses required to operate independently.”

Elite Airways will provide the initial aircraft, flight crews and maintenance service for Midwest Express, and Midwest Express will establish its own reservations system, customer service operations and in-flight amenities to support the new flights. All public-facing customer interaction, including the branding on the planes, will be Midwest Express. In addition to providing flight operations, Elite will work in tandem with Midwest to complete regulatory and operational steps for Midwest to obtain its own airline operating certificate.

Will This Reboot Work?

The simple answer is ‘who knows?’ There are reasons for optimism though. The airline has had a real office in Milwaukee for the past few months in preparation for a restart. The new Midwest Express is reportedly well financed with former senior leaders from the original airline at the helm of the new upstart. On the positive, most Wisconsin residents have fond memories of the airline. If you mention the name Midwest Express to someone from Milwaukee, they will instantly mention the cookies. So they have the positive local vibe going for them.

They also have a compelling use case. Milwaukee has grown significantly with service from significant Southwest, JetBlue and Delta but there are still holes in the network. The new Midwest Express hopes to fill the gaps. The hope is that exceptional service, direct flights, leather seats (on a CRJ), and yes, cookies will convince locals to give the rebooted airline a try. We have to be honest though, there are very few successful airlines that have been started this century. There are even fewer successful startup airlines that leverage other airlines to provide services. It doesn’t mean that success is impossible, it just means that it is improbable. We wish them luck!

Pull 9Gs With Michael Goulian In This Gorgeous 360 Video

Greg Jacek
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Pull 9Gs With Michael Goulian In This Gorgeous 360 Video

While attending Thunder Over Michigan 2019, I had the opportunity to film with
Michael Goulian’s Aerobatic Team. With a Go Pro mounted to the aircraft’s wing and the aerosport team’s 360 degree camera in the cockpit, viewers have a choice
between two unique perspectives of the performance. Fly along as the pilot pulls
upwards of 9G’s during this adrenaline filled thrill ride.

Pilot: Michael Goulian
Aircraft: Cirrus Extra 330SC
Michael Goulian Aerobatic Performance at Thunder Over Michigan 2019 (360 VR
Video)

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Michael Goulian’s Aerobatic Performance at Thunder Over Michigan 2019 (4K)
Video

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Cleveland Airshow to Host Top Military and Civilian Aircraft

Charles Atkeison
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Cleveland Airshow to Host Top Military and Civilian Aircraft

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Labor Day weekend on Ohio’s northern coast will have top military and civilian aircraft performing high speed aerobatics and low-level flying during the annual Cleveland National Airshow.

The three-day event returns to the Burke Lakefront Airport near the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. The massive family air show will showcase performances by the Air Force Thunderbirds, GEICO Skytypers, and local aircraft from the Coast Guard and Metro Life Flight.

The Thunderbirds will perform a 45-minute flight demonstration each day aboard their F-16 Fighting Falcons. The six pilots, lead by Lt. Col. John Caldwell in Thunderbird 1, will fly nearly 40 maneuvers demonstrating the diversity of the tactical fighter with the two solos at high speeds and the diamond in a tight formation.

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Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander, recently performs a high-speed pass. (USAF)

The Air Force’s F-35A Lightning II and A-10 Thunderbolt II will turn up the thrust as they demonstrate maneuvers at an average speed of 500 m.p.h. This year will mark the F-35 Demonstration Team’s first visit to this air show.

“We are thrilled and honored to be a part of the first F-35 Tactical Demonstration tour bringing one of the world’s most advanced aircraft to Cleveland,” Kim Dell, Executive Director of the Cleveland National Air Show, said. “We know our loyal air show fans will be eager to see what this incredible aircraft is capable of during its first full demo in Cleveland.”

Guests will also witness the F-35 in a commemorative Heritage Flight as it flies with the A-10C and a World War II P-51 Mustang Bum Steer. The Air Force Heritage Flight has become a crowd favorite across the United States as it honors the pilots and aircraft of yesteryear through today.

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Major Cody “ShIV” Wilton, pilot and commander of the A-10C Demonstration Team, will perform at the Cleveland National Airshow. (Charles A Atkeison)

The Army’s Golden Knights Parachute Team will drop in twice each day, including delivering an unfurled American flag during the national anthem. Civilian aerobatic pilots Julie Clark and Mike Wiskus are scheduled to demonstrate high speed aerobatics, including a few nose dives.

The six World War II aircraft of the GEICO Skytypers will blaze a trail above Burke Lakefront Airport as they display select war time maneuvers. The pilots and maintainers of these silver warbirds carry the torch forward for the Greatest Generation of pilots, demonstrating their story high above the air show crowd.

“We are excited to reveal this season’s 20-maneuver demonstration at the Cleveland National Air Show,” GEICO Skytypers squadron commander and team flight lead Larry Arken said on Wednesday. “Air show attendees will see first-hand what these warbirds are made of.”

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The pilots of the GEICO Skytypers Airshow Team will perform twice each day during the Cleveland Airshow. (Charles A Atkeison)

The team’s 16-minute flight demo is not their only feature during an air show. The forecast of clear to partly cloudy skies over the airport will allow the team to create a massive sky written message at the opening of the show.

The outcome are massive letters the size of the Empire State Building in which someone standing 15 miles away in any direction can witness. The speed of the six SNJ-2 aircraft in a line abreast formation can create nearly 25 characters in under two minutes.

The family-friendly event include the Kiddie Koncourse for children up to age 7. The area can allow parents to give their children an area to escape the aircraft noise and have fun on their level with fun activities and changing stations.

Good weather is forecast for the 54th annual Cleveland National Airshow on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Guests can park at the airport or nearby parking lots, or even commute via a Rapid station. Gates will open at 9 a.m. each day and the flying will begin thirty minutes later.

(Charles Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

Smoke-On! Air Force Jets Perform New York City Flyover

Charles Atkeison
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Smoke-On! Air Force Jets Perform New York City Flyover

NEW YORK — The thunder of nineteen military aircraft from the United States and Great Britain performed a close formation flight down the Hudson River on Thursday concluding with a patriotic flyby salute of the Statue of Liberty.

Separated by mere feet, the tandem flight of six Air Force Thunderbirds jets were followed by the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows’ nine-jet delta. Twin F-22A Raptors and two F-35A Lightning IIs formed a dark diamond over the skyline’s blue sky.

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Britain’s Royal Air Force Red Arrows fly over New York ahead of the U.S. F-35s and F-22s. (All Images: RAF Red Arrows)

Minutes later, the gap between the Thunderbirds and the Red Arrows opened as the two jet teams went smoke-on. White vapor trails streamed from the first, while red, white, and blue vapor streaked from behind the latter.

During the formation, Red Arrow 10 flew as the chase aircraft, photographing the jets from different angles. It was also the 20th aircraft over the Hudson. RAF pilot Adam Collins maneuvered his aircraft over and around the planes to allow SAC Rose Buchanan to capture several stunning shots from the back seat.

“It’s certainly a history making flight,” New York Airshow spokesperson Chris Dirato said on Thursday. “It was exciting to see these teams make their way down and back up the Hudson River, while passing the Statue of Liberty. Talk about a great photo opportunity!”

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The formal formation began at 9:30 a.m. EDT, and lasted nearly 15 minutes. Each jet team is in the New York City area to perform at a nearby air show this week.

The Red Arrows will join the Navy’s Blue Angels to headline this weekend’s New York Airshow from Stewart Airport in Newburgh. The Blue Angels’ six-jet delta formation was scheduled to fly over the Hudson, however the squadron had to back out Wednesday “due to operational requirements”.

“The (Hudson) flight was a terrific preview of this weekend’s New York International Air Show,” Dirato added. “We’re excited that the RAF Red Arrows will be performing. They are considered one of the world’s premier aerobatic display teams, so we’re honored to be one of only a handful of air shows in the U.S. to host them.”

(Charles Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

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