We’ve seen and posted some pretty amazing feats of airlifters. As amazing as the C-17 or C-5 jets are, there is something really special about the Herc. With its four fans of freedom that allow it to takeoff and land in very short distances (even an aircraft carrier!), and its landing gear that means its displacement is uniquely light on landing surfaces.
This video footage features a pilot being trained to land a C-130J Hercules on an unusual surface…a beach. We think the footage is shot along various beaches on the shores of western Denmark, known as Vejers Strand.
The C-130 is able to land on such austere surfaces for a couple of reasons. The first is that the high wing, high lift aircraft is well suited for slow-speed landings and short takeoffs. Additionally, the gear is designed such that the weight displacement on the C-130 on a per-tire basis is actually relatively low. This means that the C-130 is less likely to create deep ruts or destroy austere runways surfaces like compacted sand or dirt.
The C-130 Hercules is a four engined turboprop military transport plane, designed and built by Lockheed. The aircraft is known for being able to use unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings. It was originally designed to transport troops, cargo, and medevac equipment. It has also been used as an AC-130 gunship, for airborne assault, for search and rescue efforts, for scientific research and support, for weather reconnaissance, for aerial refueling, aerial firefighting, and maritime patrol.
History of the Herc
The C-130 took its maiden voyage on August 23rd of 1954, and was introduced into service that same year. As of 2015, more than 2,500 of this type of aircraft have been built, and the aircraft is still in production today.
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is the main aircraft of Air Forces around the world. Primary users of the C-130 are the United States Air Force (USAF), the United States Marine Corps, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The most recent variant of this aircraft is the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules.
In 2007, the Lockheed C-130 Hercules became the fifth aircraft to celebrate 50 years of continuous service with its original buyer, which was, in the case, the United States Air Force.
It’s hard to believe that 2007 was more than a decade ago already. Back then it wasn’t as rare to see men and women from the Greatest Generation join events to share their stories. This video harkens back to a time not THAT long ago where WASPs, Tuskegee Airmen, and WWII vets saw over 20 P-51s take to the skies with the distinctive drone of their powerful engines. You’ll see no less than 20 P-51 Mustangs take off, two or three at a time, to fly in formation over the Gathering of Legends and Mustangs at Rickenbacker airport in Columbus, Ohio. The event took place between September 27th and September 30th of 2007.
This made-in-USA video footage was captured from the top of a twelve-foot high photography platform, with a prime seat to catch all the Mustang action. The awesome video clip, uploaded on January 5th of 2011, was produced by Steve Kauzlarich.
About the P-51 Mustang
The P-51 Mustang is an American long range, single seat, fighter bomber plane. Designed in 1940 by North American Aviation, it took ts maiden voyage on October 26th of 1940, and was introduced to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1942. The P-51 Mustang has been used in World War Two, the Korean War, and other conflicts. Its primary users have been the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Chinese Nationalist Air Force, and others. Since its introduction, more than fifteen thousand P-51 Mustang aircraft have been built. The per unit cost of a P-51 was about $51,000, way back in 1945.
image via national archives
The Mustang was originally designed to use an Allison V-1710 engine, but they were later outfitted with Rolls Royce Merlin engines, which improved performance at altitudes above 15,000 feet. The ultimate version of the aircraft, called the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7 engine, and armed with a set of six .50 caliber Browning machine guns.
Attention Avgeeks! There are only a few more months to see active US Air Force F-4 Phantoms flying at airshows. That’s right. In less than three months, the QF-4 program will be gone forever. With the expiration of the QF-4 program, that means that all associated heritage flights at airshows will also end. According to AirshowStuff, the final flying performance of the QF-4 will be on December 20th at Holloman Air Force Base with 4 other appearances between now and then.
Even if you can’t make it to see them in person, you can still be awed by watching them online. Our friends at AirshowStuff also shared some exclusive F-4 Helmet Cam footage with us. In an era of glass cockpits and multi-function displays, it’s so retro to see some old steam gauges in the Vietnam era cockpit. It’s also refreshing to see some precise stick and rudder flying powered by two afterburning General Electric J79s.
The rare footage came features an F-4 formation departure from the AirVenture Airshow at Oshkosh. On departure, you’ll see a high speed pass, photo pass, and dirty pass. That’s the old ‘mini demo’ routine they used to do when they were part of the Heritage Flight program. After departure, they climbed straight out after the dirty pass and transitioned to cruise.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure (or perhaps the terror) of taking off in a commercial plane from Orange County at John Wayne airport, you’ll know that it is a takeoff unlike any other. Just seconds after liftoff, you will feel your stomach drop as the airplane does a very abrupt pushover. This pushover, similar to what you might feel on a rollercoaster or perhaps a hilly backcountry road, will make you light in your seat. You might even feel yourself being restrained by your seatbelt.
The next thing that you will notice is that the sounds in the cabin will change. Specifically, they will get much quieter. The roar of the engines that accompanies all takeoffs will diminish dramatically. You will sense that the nose of the aircraft has dropped significantly. The incline, or what pilots call the “deck angle” will have gone from the usually steep angle used for most takeoffs, to one that is barely distinguishable from level flight. And all this will seem to be happening much too close to the ground.
Finally, you may become aware of an annoying thumping that you feel in your chest. Don’t worry, that’s only your heart pounding.
You may think that this is it…game over…and wonder if there’s enough time to squeeze a goodbye text to your loved ones before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. But you should rest easy. You are not going to die (at least not today). What you have just experienced is known as a noise abatement takeoff. They occur hundreds of times weekly at John Wayne and are an FAA approved and in fact government mandated maneuver. That’s right; pilots and airlines will be fined if they don’t perform this type of takeoff.
So why, you may ask, are you being subjected to an experience that should probably be featured at the nearby Disney theme park? Well, as I mentioned above, noise. Noise and of course politics. For John Wayne airport is the only airport which mandates such a drastic noise reduction profile. And as legend has it, the Duke himself, the airport’s namesake, had a hand in getting those restrictions put in place.
The departure path from John Wayne airport flies almost directly over Newport Beach. As you may know, Newport Beach is a very well-heeled community. And while I’m not going to make judgements on wealth accumulation, one thing wealthy people are good at is getting things done. Starting with the arrival of the first turboprops and jets in the 1970s, community activism followed soon thereafter. Eventually, lawsuits were filed, and the restrictions were put in place.
A little history about John Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport dates back to 1923 when a landing strip was first opened by a man named Eddie Martin to host a flying school. Then known as Martin Field, Orange County assumed ownership in 1939 with the airport becoming to be known as Orange County Airport. The name was changed to John Wayne Airport in 1979 in honor of actor John Wayne, a nearby resident, upon his death.
Noise restrictions at the airport date back to 1985 when a local group representing residents who lived under the departure path sued the county. The resulting settlement implemented noise regulations and curfew requirements, which remain in force today. Noise meters are deployed along the departure path to measure the sound footprint of each departing aircraft. Those restrictions are unique in being some of the first of their kind, and also just about the only of their kind.
In 1990, Congress, fearing that many localities could eventually hamstring the growth of aviation by implementing their own patchwork of noise restrictions, passed the Airport Noise and Capacity Act which outlawed curfews at airports. John Wayne was grandfathered in, however, due to the original lawsuit being filed in 1985.
Why the Rollercoaster?
So knowing why airplanes have to fly quietly, you may be wondering about the “how”. And specifically, you might be wondering why airliners don’t just use less thrust from the get-go instead of the roar followed by the pushover and silence. Without getting too technical about takeoff performance, much of it comes down to the runway length at John Wayne airport, or to be more specific, the lack of runway length.
The longest runway at John Wayne is less than 6000 feet long. At a scant, 5701 feet to be precise, it is one of the shortest runways if not the shortest runway in the nation from which large commercial aircraft fly.
It is the nature of gaining flying airspeed in a very short distance which necessitates the full power takeoff. Once airborne, but before the flaps are retracted, the aircraft reaches a “cutback” altitude of about 800 ft. It is here where the engines are throttled back either manually or by the auto-throttles to a thrust which meets the minimum required climb gradient of about 2.5%. Less thrust also means a shallower climb angle, hence the pushover.
Once beyond the noise sensitive area, or about six miles after takeoff, the aircraft resumes its normal climb profile using full climb thrust.
Are noise abatement departures more dangerous?
I suppose that depends on your definition of the word dangerous. Any time you monkey around with large power changes on a turbine engine, you increase the odds of something going wrong. In fact, many engine failures occur not on initial thrust application such as takeoff, but rather on a large thrust reduction. That said, the odds of that ever happening are infinitesimal. Still, it isn’t unknown for engines to fail as was dramatically illustrated by the uncontained engine failure on a Southwest Airlines 737 several weeks ago. Infinitesimal odds, but not zero.
So no, it isn’t dangerous in the conventional sense of the word. Avoiding flights out of Orange County to avoid takeoffs using this procedure would be silly. And likely more dangerous, as a longer commute up the freeway to LAX would definitely expose you to more absolute danger in your car. Of course, the safest course of action is to hide under the bed, which still won’t protect you from meteorites…or dust bunnies.
So when you do get on that airplane leaving the Orange County, be sure to get a window seat on the left side of the airplane which gives the best views of Catalina, relax and enjoy the ride. But don’t put your arms in the air and scream as if on a real rollercoaster. People will stare.
A highly organized set of rules and procedures allow efficient traffic flow between North America and Europe.
More than two thousand flights a day cross the North Atlantic. However, there is no radar coverage over the North Atlantic, so planes must fly according to a unique set of procedures. They follow a set of daily tracks that behave like highways in the sky.
These are called North Atlantic Tracks, or NATs. The tracks are used by planes that fly at altitudes between 29,000 and 41,000 feet. In this way, the planes can steer clear of each other, as there are potentially hundreds of planes all traveling the same route at the same time, with no direct radar coverage. Airliners use satellite-based tools and HF radio to report position and communicate with controllers in Canada, Scotland, New York or Santa Maria depending on their location.
The North Atlantic tracks are flexible. They are changed daily to take maximum advantage of jet stream winds. The jet stream winds have an average wind speed of about 110 miles an hour, sometimes much higher. Planes that fly in and with these winds can cut an hour or more off their arrival times. For instance, an eastbound flight from New York to London normally takes about six hours and 15 minutes but over time a flight can shave almost an entire hour by taking advantage of the winds. The return flight back to the US is against the winds though. A flight from London to New York could take almost seven hours.
NATs are an amazing example of international cooperation to ensure safe and effective travel across the Atlantic.
STS-9 was the ninth NASA Space Shuttle mission, and the sixth flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. It was launched in November 1983 on a nine-day mission carrying the first Spacelab laboratory module into orbit.
STS-9 was notable for its “firsts.” While this was not Commander John Young’s first Shuttle flight, he was the commander of STS-1, the first Shuttle flight.
STS-9 was a mission of many firsts
This was the first time the Shuttle orbiter flew with six crew members.
It was the first flight for a member of the European Space Agency.
It was the first Spacelab laboratory module mission.
The mission went so well, the mission was extended to 10 days, making STS-9 the longest duration Shuttle flight at that time.
The flight events progressed smoothly. The six astronauts, working in teams of three, worked 12-hour shifts in the Spacelab. Work in the Spacelab went so well that the mission was extended to 10 days, making it the longest-duration shuttle flight at that time.
The Spacelab 1 mission was highly successful, proving the feasibility of the concept of carrying out complex experiments in space using non-NASA persons trained as payload specialists in collaboration with a Payload Operations Control Center (POCC).
Some firsts were not positive
Four hours before scheduled re-entry, one of the flight control computers crashed when the Reaction Control System (RCS) maneuvering thrusters were fired. A few minutes later, a second computer crashed in a similar fashion, but it was successfully rebooted. Young delayed re-entry and allowed the Shuttle to drift in orbit for several hours, double checking their systems.
Re-entry went smoothly and all systems appeared normal throughout the descent and landing.
Then a fire…
What no one knew was that about two minutes before touchdown, two of the three APUs caught fire in the APU compartment in the rear of the Shuttle. The APUs provide hydraulic pressure to operate the orbiter’s flight controls and landing gear.
Unaware of the fire, the crew landed the orbiter without difficulty. The fire continued after the wheels stopped, eventually burning itself out, causing major damage to the compartment. The fact that there had been a fire was not discovered, however, until the APU compartment was opened during post-flight inspections.
Post-flight analysis revealed the first computer failed when the RCS thruster motion knocked a piece of solder loose and shorted the CPU board.
The fire in the APU compartment was caused by a hydrazine fuel leak. Hydrazine is used as a fuel for the RCS thrusters.
During a post-flight press conference, Young remarked that when the first computer failed “…my knees started shaking. When the next computer failed I turned to jelly.” (John Young – Mission Report STS-9)
Ukraine: Where Regulations Must Just Be An Opinion
Eastern European air forces seem to have some different flyover rules than the rest of the world. If a US Air Force pilot attempted this, he or she would lose their wings and probably go to jail! This isn’t the first time we’ve seen some ‘unique’ flying by Eastern Bloc nations. We’ve seen some impressive low passes from the Slovokian Government A319 and Russian SU-24s buzzing the tower.
We don’t have many details on this flyover other than it’s a Ukrainian IL-76 and the flyover is both impressive and downright nuts. Just watch:
On October 4th of 1989, a Rockwell B-1B Lancer from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, crash landed in Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The nose landing gear would not extend, so the crew consulted with engineers and maintenance personnel. The crew decided that the plane would attempt a landing on the dry lakebed, where a softer, dryer surface promised less damage to the bomber.
The B-1B landed, spewing smoke and dust while its nose gently dug into the ground. While the incident caused some damage to the bomber, it appeared to be light. The jet was later returned to service.
You can read more about the incident in an original article from 1989 here.
The Rockwell B1-B Lancer is a jet powered, heavy strategic bomber, primarily used by the United States Air Force (USAF). It is a four engine, long range, supersonic aircraft.with mach speed capability. The Rockwell B1-B Lancer served in combat during Operation Desert Fox, and in Kosovo the following year. The B1-B has also supported American forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq.
The The Rockwell B1-B Lancer was manufactured by Rockwell International, which is now a part of Boeing. The B-1B entered service on October 1st of 1986 with the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command as a nuclear bomber. The B1-B had a unit cost of about $283 million back in 1998. Roughly 100 Rockwell B1-B aircraft were built.
The Air Force announced that the nickname of the new Long Range Strategic Bomber known as the B-21. In a speech by Secretary of the Air Force, Deborah James announced the new name. It will be known as the B-21 Raider.
The contract to build up to 100 aircraft was awarded to Northrup Grumman last year. Northrup also built the B-2. Analysts say the program will be worth around $80 billion in total, providing a boon to Northrop and its key suppliers, but the Air Force has said only that it expects to pay $511 million per plane in 2010 dollars.
The announcement of the B-21’s nickname follows the Air Force’s attempt at a naming contest earlier this year. Last spring, the Air Force announced that anyone could submit a name for the new bomber. A formal vote was never announced, presumably to avoid naming the aircraft something lame or offensive. The B-21 Raider shares the same nickname as the proposed Sikorsky S-97 Raider Helicopter. No word yet on whether that craft will change its name.
Airplanes have revolutionized our nation and changed the way candidates campaign.
The airplane has been an important campaign tool for presidential candidates from the early 1950s. Not all candidates, however have had a dedicated campaign plane. Many simply used on-demand charters of business aircraft. And very few actually had access to aircraft owned by them or their families. Most dedicated campaign aircraft were leased for the campaign, paid for out of campaign funds.
Initially, the lines between campaign airplanes and official presidential airplanes, i.e., “Air Force One,” were somewhat blurred. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to fly while in office and to have an aircraft, a Douglas DC-4 for official travel.
After 1950, any national campaign for office required the ability to travel efficiently around the country. Below are our picks for the top eight aircraft used by presidential candidates beginning with Harry Truman in 1948.
Number 8 – Douglas DC-6
President Harry Truman had use of a Douglas VC-118 (VIP version of the DC-6) as a Presidential aircraft. The aircraft, dubbed “Independence,” was equipped with a galley for meals, plush seating in a forward cabin, a communications center, bunks, and standard airline seating in the back. This aircraft served as Truman’s official presidential aircraft, the equivalent of “Air Force One,” even thought that call sign had not yet been adopted. This plane is part of the Presidential Collection at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF), and is open for public inspection.
In 1952, Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson typically flew on a DC-6 chartered from American Airlines with the words “Stevenson Special” on the side of the aircraft. The press corps flew on a separate aircraft that took off after Stevenson’s plane and landed before it did “so that if he {Stevenson} crashed they would be on the ground to report the accident.” (A Voice for the Underdog,” Ray Boomhower, 2015)
President Truman’s VC-118 (DC-6) named “Independence) (NMUSAF Photo)
Number 7 – Lockheed Constellation VC-121
The Constellation, military designation VC-121, was President Dwight D. Eisenhower’ preferred aircraft. As Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, he had flown on an earlier model of the Constellation. He had named it the Columbine for the state flower of Colorado, his wife Mamie’s home state. While running for President, he flew on the Columbine II, a VC-121. Until recently, Columbine II had been sitting in a desert in Arizona. A team from Bridgewater, Virginia took a year to return it a flyable condition. It was flown to Virginia where the interior will be restored to just the way it was when Eisenhower last used it in 1954. Columbine III is part of the NMUSAF Presidential Collection in Dayton, Ohio.
President Eisenhower’s Columbine III Lockheed Constellation (NMUSAF Photo)
Air Traffic Control (ATC) uses either the airlines flight number or an aircraft’s tail number for radio identification. During a flight into washing late in Eisenhower’s presidency, the tail number of the Constellation and an airline flight number were identical, causing confusion that resulted in the two aircraft coming dangerously close to each other. Shortly after that, it was decided that any aircraft with the President aboard would have the call sign “Air Force One.”
President Eisenhower’s Columbine III Lockheed Constellation (NMUSAF Photo)
Number 6 – Convair 240
In 1956, during the campaign for Eisenhower’s re-election, Richard Nixon, then vice-president, used a Convair 240 chartered from United Air Line. It was named “Vice President Nixon’s G.O.P. Congressional Special.”
Four years later, John F. Kennedy’s father purchased a Convair 240 from American Airlines for $270,000 for young Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Kennedy named the aircraft “Caroline” in honor of his daughter. The interior of the aircraft had been modified into a flying office with a full galley, bathrooms, a bedroom and work desk. There were sixteen seats for Kennedy and his staff. Once elected, he would move up to the first purpose-built “Air Force One,” a Boeing 707.
Kennedy’s Convair 240, one of the few aircraft actually owned by the candidate’s campaign.
Number 5 – Boeing 727
Jimmy Carter became one of the first candidates to have a jet for a dedicated campaign aircraft. His campaign leased a Boeing 727 from United Airlines in 1977. Appropriate for the peanut farmer from Georgia, the aircraft was named “Peanut One.”
Coincidentally, Peanut One’s primary pilot was James Kenneth Carter—no relation to the candidate. They became friends during the nearly year-long campaign.
The 727 was a popular airplane for campaigning. It had been designed for operations into and out of short runways, making it useful for visiting smaller towns and airports. Barry Goldwater, during his bid for the Presidency in 1964 used a chartered 727 named “Yia-bi-ken,” a Navajo phrase meaning “House in the Sky.” The aircraft interior was divided into three sections: a front cabin for the senator, including bunks. This was followed by 20 first class seats for staff, and Mrs. Goldwater’s hairdresser. The aft cabin had 54 for press and additional staff.
During the period from the 1960s through the 1990s, very little press notice was taken of candidates’ aircraft. Campaign aircraft were just another tool used by candidates, and deep online research often turns up nothing but brief anecdotal references of a candidate’s aircraft. There are several references to Hubert Humphrey’s aircraft, probably a 727.
Walter Mondale also apparently used a 727, called “Minnesota Fritz,” in recognition of his father. The only photo online shows him in a set of airstairs at the very front of the airplane, with the Minnesota Fritz insignia. Obviously, the airstairs were placed in a position to show off the Minnesota Fritz insignia, but it looks like Mondale may have exited through the copilot’s window.
Identifying the type of aircraft was a challenge too. Boeing used the two “eyebrow” windows above the main cockpit windows on early 707s, 727s, and 737. Eventually, a news article mentioned “727” in reference to his aircraft.
George McGovern also used a 727, christened Dakota Queen II after the WWII B-24 bomber, the Dakota Queen, that was name in honor of his wife Eleanor.
Jimmy Carter greets press as he steps off of Peanut One, a Boeing 727 during the 1977 campaign.
RC airplanes seem to be getting bigger and bigger. This 1:2 scale (yes…half the size of an actual aircraft) Saab Grippen jet is probably the largest jet we’ve ever seen! It’s so big that it either required a trailer to bring it to the field or it must be assembled before flight.
In any case, the flight didn’t turn out as intended. After only a few minutes of flying, the model was completing a flight line pass when the model’s vertical stabilizer ripped off. In an instant, the rest of the jet broke apart and fell to the ground in a blaze of glory leaving the poor operating crew to run after their prized flyer. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that anyone was hurt. Back to the drawing board!
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two pilot aircraft designed to meet the requirements of the United States Marine Corps. The original Cobra was designed in the 1960s and received upgrades and modernizations until the 1980s. According to the Official Bell Helicopter Website, “The Zulu is the only attack helicopter in the world with a fully-integrated air-to-air missile capability.” Each General Electric T700-GE-401 turbo shaft engine on the Cobra AH-1Z produces 1,800 shp and impressive climb rate of 8.2m per second.
This is a short video of the Bell AH-1 Cobra Taking off and Landing at Willow Run Airport’s Thunder Over Michigan. I mixed the audio into 5.1 Surround Sound for your listening enjoyment! Prepare to hear the rumble of the Cobra’s engines as the helicopter begins its descent and landing. For best results with 5.1 audio, use Surround Headphones or playback on a home theater system!
In the C-5, no takeoff is uneventful. Those jurassic TF-39 turbofans suck every ounce of air into their engines to power the massive 700,000 beast forward. No where is this miracle of late ’60s technology more evident than this takeoff from an austere field at Ilopango International Airport in El Salvador. The C-5 crew gnat’s assed their TOLD (Takeoff and landing data), set the power to max and made one spectacular takeoff from the dusty, third-world strip.
The C5 Galaxy is a large, four engine, military transport aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed. The landing gear of the C5 has sixteen wheels at the back and four at the front. With its heavy strategic lift capability, it proudly serves the United States Air Force (USAF), carrying oversized loads. The C-5 Galaxy is among the largest military aircraft in the world.
The C5 Galaxy embarked on its maiden voyage on June 30th of 1968. The USAF has been operating the C-5 Galaxy since 1969. The C-5 Galaxy has supported military operations in major conflicts in Viet Nam, Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as in the Gulf War. The C-5 Galaxy has also been used for bringing relief aid to devastated communities.
Lockheed suffered significant financial problems in developing the C-5 Galaxy. Soon after entering service, cracks in the wing were noticed on several units, so the whole C-5 Galaxy fleet was restricted until the problem could be solved.
In total, 131of this type of aircraft have been built. As of 2016, the per unit cost of a C-5 Galaxy is between 100 million and 262 million USD, depending on the model. The C-5 Galaxy is still in service today but the fleet is slowly being ‘right sized’ to less than 60. The remaining C-5s in service are undergoing conversion to the C-5M. The C-5M Super Galaxy is an upgraded version of the C-5 Galaxy, with all new engines and modernized avionic systems, which are designed to extend the service life of the C-5 beyond 2040.
It always amazes me when ground vehicles somehow manage to hit aircraft.
Flight KA691 started out like any other flight. The pilot called for pushback and then called ground to taxi to the runway for departure. This flight wouldn’t make it any further than the tarmac though. Just as the Airbus A340 started to taxi forward, an airport service truck driver plowed right into the number 2 engine. The Dragonair flight wasn’t going anywhere.
In the video, you’ll see that another ground worker signaled to the crew to stop the aircraft that was taxiing forward at a crawl. The pilot requested to ‘hold position’. Within a few minutes, emergency personnel arrived to rescue the injured driver and the aircraft shutdown. The passengers were eventually offloaded and boarded another aircraft for a very delayed departure to their destination.
No word on how this incident happened. It could have been a medical emergency or the driver could have been distracted.
Boeing takes the wraps off their entrant into the Air Force’s T-X competition to replace the T-38 Talon.
Under the cover of night, Boeing moved its T-X aircraft to a hangar in St. Louis for the unveiling ceremony. Boeing’s entrant into the T-X competition is a clean-sheet design that features a single engine jet with twin tails, a “stadium-seating” cockpit and advanced avionics and senors that will permit a more complete pilot training program for fighters and bombers.
Boeing’s design is riskier than some of the other potential T-X competitors. As a clean-sheet design, the trainer jet could be seen as a more risky option for the Air Force if selected. Boeing has made efforts to lesson the risk by applying its commercial manufacturing experience in tooling and manufacturing. They also claim that the first two aircraft built are production examples, not prototypes.
The T-X program is 20+ year project
The T-X program started as a study in 2003 with a stated goal to replace the T-38 Talon. Design requirements emerged in 2011. With 4th and 5th generation aircraft as the primary fighter weapons systems, follow on training programs have had to shoulder much of the training that the T-38 aircraft cannot do. According to Brig. Gen. Donlop, “Currently, 12 of 18 advanced pilot training tasks can’t be completed with the T-38, relying on fighter and bomber formal training units to complete the training at a much greater cost.” The T-X program is designed to close the gap in training that currently exists.
Additionally, the T-X program will attempt to field a jet that is much easier to maintain with the ability to rapidly integrate emerging sensors and technology. The T-X program selected must be able to comprehensibly integrate with training devices such as ground based trainers and simulators to reduce actual flying requirements.
The T-X contract is expected to be awarded in 2017. Over 350 T-Xs are expected to be purchased. If the contract and program stays on track, operations of the T-X should begin by 2024.
Is your Instagram account filled with posts of food, beach scenes, and selfies? If you call yourself a true #avgeek, you need to change that. Instagram is one of the best places to see unique photos and videos of your favorite jets and airports. There are tons of great accounts out there (including our own at @avgeekery). Here are some of the best accounts that we’ve really grown to love.
We love accounts that show aviation for what it is. It is a fascinating career but the day to day life isn’t always a walk in the park. American Airlines MD-80 turned 737 pilot documents the quirkiness of flying the line. His MD-80 photos irreverently documented the life of a MadDog pilot. He had no qualms joking about the steam gauges and ancient technology. Even his Instagram handle is a nod to the annoying “Stabilizer Motion” call by bitchin’ betty. Now on the 737-800, we’ll have to see how he handles the more ‘luxurious’ flying life.
How does this guy not have 100k followers already? Centered around SFO, Anthony’s account is filled with beautiful shots of unique aircraft that fly into the major West Coast hub. If there is a unique jet flying into the Bay area, he is bound to post a photo. We love his passion for spotting and his detailed knowledge of almost any aircraft.
With over 62,000 followers, Instaaviation posts and reposts some really unique photos and videos. We appreciate the fact that its not just US centric but makes a point of posting interesting aviation photos from all over Europe too. Plus, the #instaaviation hashtag is a staple in the Instagram avgeek world.
If there was any account that could be ported into a college aeronautical sciences textbook, this would be it. Sentinel Chicken mixes beautiful original photography and #avgeekschoolofknowledge comments. His descriptions read more like an aeronautics or history lesson, but that is why we love it! This might be the one account on Instagram that you’ll get smarter just by following.
We’re pretty sure that this guy has it all. He’s a 787 Dreamliner pilot who also flies a jet on the side for fun. He travels the world and documents his journey. He also loves to take pictures, including scenes of beautiful girls and planes. I’m not sure there is anything better in life.
Honolulu is one of the busiest airports in the Pacific. It is also in a relatively isolated part of the world. In fact, the route from HNL to the US West Coast is one of the longest routes in the world without a viable alternate. HNLramper takes advantage of his unique location by photographing not just the daily assortment of jumbos but also the rare birds that stop on their long journey to Asia.
Christian’s account might be one of the most underrated accounts on Instagram. As a Boeing 747 pilot, he travels around the world and takes some of the most stunning photographs on Instagram. If you are an Avgeek, you need to follow his account.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKQ0q4Ngzfn
Do you have other Instagram accounts that we should be following? Let us know!
“We have to have fun sometimes,” says the pilot to Air Traffic Control.
This video footage, taken with a Panasonic HDC-SD90 camera, and published on January 3rd of 2014, shows a pilot doing things pilots don’t normally do with passengers onboard. In the video, you’ll see the pilots land their shiny white Scandinavian Airline System (SAS) 737-700 jet aircraft at Skiathos airport in Greece (aka the St. Maarten of the Med). As the plane approaches short final, the pilots flying the Boeing NextGen decides to do a wing wave to the crowd below as it glides past the tropical trees.
Flight discipline is an important component of being a professional aviator. As a professional pilot, you are entrusted with a multi-million dollar machine. One small mistake and lives are in danger. It’s a fact that mistakes happen but procedures like stabilized approaches and crew resource management are proven to prevent accidents. There appears to be a break down in flight discipline in the cockpit in this video.
While we’ll admit that this particular wing wave wasn’t egregious (less than the 747-8 delivery flight in 2015), it was a poor decision. It might have looked cool on video but showboating is dangerous and unprofessional. We expect professional airline pilots to be pros at all times…even if there are no passengers onboard. Save the fun for those days off.
The Boeing 737-700, otherwise known as the 737NG (Next Generation) is a short to medium range, narrow body jet airliner. It has been in production since 1996, and is still in production today. The Boeing 737-700 is more than 110 feet in length, with a wing span of more than 117 feet. The distance from the plane’s double wheeled tricycle landing gear to the top of its towering tail is more than 41 feet. The Boeing 737-700 took its maiden voyage on February 9th of 1997. The 737-700 is still in service. Its primary users are Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Ryanair, WestJet, and Lion Air.
Swanky music, bell bottoms, and crazy human tricks defined the 70’s.
In 1976, Clay Lacy, a famous businessman and movie pilot, was requested to pilot a DC-8 in one of the weirdest stunts in the history of aviation. It was called The Human Fly.
Rick Rojatt, a costumed Canadian stunt actor, made the request. For promotional reasons, Rick wanted to stand on top of a DC-8 wearing a fly costume, with the words “The Human Fly” painted along the side of the jet. He wanted the plane flown over the Mojave Desert and over Texas.
Rick Rojatt was dressed in a fly costume when he spoke to reporters about being ready to stand on the wing of a flying lear jet aircraft.
That’s easy for Clay Lacy to say. Clay Lacy piloted the plane. Rick Rojatt was the one who performed the stunt, and nearly got himself killed when it suddenly started raining. Rain hits pretty hard when you are traveling at great speeds. Fortunately, the pilot was able to see Rojatt on the screen via camera. When Rojatt passed out and his arms fell to his sides, Clay Lacy landed the plane. Rojatt was helped down with a cherry picker and stuffed into an ambulance, from where he emerged a short while later, limping from where the rain had hit him in the legs. At over 250mph, the rain became like rocks. Said Rojatt, “The rain was like bullets.” After months of recovery, Rojatt would heal but there hasn’t been an externally attached DC-8 passenger since (or on any airliner for that matter).
Any avgeek is a fan of a little post-cold war fighter rivalry…even if it’s just at an airshow.
This video footage, uploaded on August 10th of 2016, features the vertical takeoffs of a Polish MIG-29 and a VS F-22 Raptor, against the backdrop of a cloudy grey sky at the 2016 Royal International Air Tattoo.
The MIG-29 blows black smoke as it prepares to take off in the early evening light. You can see the heat rising around the aircraft as fire shoots out the two Kilmov RD-33 afterburning engines. At just a few feet off the ground, the MIG-29 shoots skyward in a near vertical direction. Next, an F-22 Raptor does the same trick, only the F-22 appears to be more graceful as it commences its near vertical departure. In our humble opinion, the F-22 takes the prize. But wow…Spectacular show of force by both jets.
About the Mig-29
The MIG-29 is a twin engine jet fighter aircraft, designed in the Soviet Union. Introduced in 1982, the MIG-29 is still in service. Its primary users are the Russian Air Force, the Indian Air Force, the Ukrainian Air Force, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, and others. More than 1,600 MIG-29 aircraft have been built between 1981 and today.
About the F-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a single seat, twin engine, all weather stealth aircraft. It took its maiden voyage on September 18th of 1997. After much testing and tweaking, the F-22 Raptor was introduced to the United States Air Force in 2005. Between 1996 and 2011, 195 Raptors were manufactured.
The Boeing P-8A Poseidon is a 737 that was modified to be used by the United States Navy. It is characterized by a long, sleek, strengthened fuselage and the characteristic Boeing tail. It is more than 129 feet long, with a wing span of more than 123 feet including a very unique set of raked wingtips instead of winglets. From the ground to the top of the tail, the plane is more than 42 feet tall. The Boeing P-8A has an average cruise speed of 440 knots, and a maximum speed of 470 knots. The P-8A is designed to carry torpedoes, harpoon missiles, and other weapons.
This video clip, published on September 5th of 2016, shows a Boeing P-8A Poseidon making a very sporty (AKA Navy-style) tactical approach and landing on a rainy, slippery runway, at the Farnborough 2016 airshow.
NextGen Sub Hunting Navy Jet Makes Sporty Approach to Wet Runway 11
The Boeing P-8A took its maiden voyage on April 25th of 2009, but needed further testing. It was finally introduced to the U.S. Navy in November of 2013. As of January 2015, there have been 29 Boeing P-8A aircraft manufactured. The P-8A’s first international customer was India, whose ministers of defense signed a 2.1 billion dollar agreement on January 4th of 2009. Primary users of the Boeing P-8A are the United States Navy and the Indian Navy.
In November of 2015, the UK announced its intention to purchase up to nine Boeing P-8A aircraft, at a cost of 3.2 billion dollars. The most recent international entities showing interest in the Boeing P-8A are Italy, Turkey, Norway, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Video was originally posted by TopFelya on Youtube. You can follow his Facebook page here.
