A Russian Su-24 fighter jet has crashed at Hmeimim base while attempting take-off. The crew on board did not eject and were killed. Reports have said that technical failure is suspected.
The plane was on its way to Syria, where airstrikes have been ongoing since 2015 in retaliation against President Bashar Assad. Defense industry spokespersons say Russia has conducted as many as 150 airstrikes against Islamic jihadists in Syria.
So far, Russia has lost 37 service men in the fight, including a Russian general who was killed in Deir Ezzor, ground zero for the military offensive. Russia also lost two fighter jets last year, a Mig-29 and an an Su-33. Both were deployed from a carrier off the Syrian coast.
As some of you AvGeeks may recall, air racing champion Steven Hinton recently set a new World Speed Record over Labor Day weekend of 531.272 MPH in his highly modified P-51 Mustang “Voodoo”, owned by Bob Button from Dixon, CA and sponsored by Joe Clark and Aviation Partners Inc of Seattle, WA.
The fastest lap actually reached a speed of 554.69 MPH, but Hinton’s average speed of 531.27 mph over four passes on the 3km course, located at Clark’s Ranch in a remote part of Central Idaho, officially made him and Voodoo the fastest piston engine propeller driven airplane in the world, ever.
Hinton and Voodoo take off for the record. Credit: Pursuit Aviation
According to The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, FAI – The World Air Sports Federation, Hinton’s new World Speed Record falls into the category for piston-engine airplanes with a takeoff weight between 3,000 and 6,000kg.
Documenting the historic event was Pursuit Aviation, a Southern California-based aerial cinematography company founded by Dan Friedkin and partner John Tamburro. Dan, who is chairman and CEO of The Friedkin Group, is founder and chairman of the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation and one of nine civilian Heritage Flight pilots qualified to fly in formation with U.S. Air Force single-ship demonstration teams. He also participates in air shows throughout North America and Europe, flying right wing for the Horsemen P-51 Flight Team, the world’s only P-51 formation aerobatic team.
John has been flying helicopters in Southern California for over 28 years which includes time covering major news events like the OJ Simpson chase, the LA Riots, and the Northridge earthquake as well as flying the top organ transplant teams in Los Angeles. He is qualified on various helicopter types and has specialized in the motion picture and television industry for the past 21 years. In that time, he has accumulated over 7500 hours flying in feature films, television and commercials with a range of experience including close air-to-air formation, low-level chases, and military operations.
Needless to say, they are not short on experience in either flying or aerial cinematography, and they put a new, highly customized aerial camera system and setup into action for Hinton’s big day.
The company recently released a high-impact video package of Hinton’s flight, which is worth taking a minute to watch above.
Partnering with SHOTOVER, Pursuit Aviation mounted their setup to a photo chase jet and put the groundbreaking 6-axis gyro stabilized F1 camera system to work, which is specifically customized for capturing fully-stabilized imagery at over 350 kts and under heavy G-loading.
“We can maintain stabilization throughout the performance envelope and capture the aerial sequences that others can’t,” said a company spokesperson. “The aerial cinematographer sits in the rear seat of the tandem-seat jet aircraft, and operates the nose-mounted system via a gimbal controller with integrated monitor in real time.”
Shotover F1 camera system controlled remotely from cockpit. Credit: Pursuit Aviation
Pursuit Aviation spent much time and effort conducting R&D in collaboration with Shotover to properly mount and flight test the P-51 system, and the company has some big plans ahead with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to support the agency’s ambitious Mars 2020 Rover mission, conducting flight testing in support of the Lander Vision System (LVS) which will be imperative to the successful landing of the Rover 100 million miles away.
But Hinton’s new record isn’t as straightforward as one would hope. The 3km Closed Course record was held by Lyle Shelton and “Rare Bear” at 528mph, and rules require Steve and P-51 Voodoo to beat their 4-pass average speed of 528 MPH by 1%, or roughly 533 MPH, to own the record.
They fell short of the FAI’s “1% rule” when Voodoo’s engine started showing signs of problems and a loss of oil pressure by Hinton’s third lap, forcing him to shorten his last turn around to complete the 4th run and recording the slowest speed of the 4 laps by 12mph.
Pursuit Aviation’s SHOTOVER F1 camera and rig on the chase jet for Hinton’s recent World Speed Record. Credit: Pursuit Aviation
They did indeed fly faster than Rare Bear, giving them the speed record, but Hinton and Co did not beat Rare Bear’s record holding average speed (now a retired record).
“This was an awesome experience for everyone involved and we were thrilled to document Steven’s record-breaking flight using the SHOTOVER F1 camera system, which is truly groundbreaking technology in aerial cinematography,” said Friedkin (Founder, Pursuit Aviation). “It took a lot of test flights and extensive engineering to create a system that could withstand the extreme speed and force required for Steven to break this record and the setup performed great. The unique vantage points and quality of the video our team was able to capture of “Voodoo” is unlike anything that has been recorded at these speeds.”
“Flying and filming in the camera jet is like being in a real dogfight as I’d imagine – high speeds, high adrenaline, and high stress,” said Andrea Bassani (Aerial Cinematographer, Pursuit Aviation). “Shooting during a live event like the World Speed Record attempt presented unique challenges unlike anything I’ve experienced on closed-set filming with a carefully coordinated ‘shot list.’ The intensity of the flight and the pressures to ‘get the shot’ weigh heavily on you as a camera operator in the backseat flying with such legends as Steve Hinton, and his son, Stevo.”
Hinton and his team after setting the record. Credit: Pursuit Aviation
“This was a history making flight for both Steven and the aerial cinematography community as a whole, so I feel very privileged, humbled, and thankful to be a part of it,” added Bassani.
Recent Pursuit Aviation projects include the film “Dunkirk,” for which Dan served as an aerial unit coordinator, Spitfire pilot and helicopter camera pilot. Other major film and television projects include “Thor,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “Ray Donovan,” “24,” “Lethal Weapon,” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.” Pursuit Aviation provided everything from helicopters as well as camera platforms or picture ships to gimbals, camera equipment, and personnel in various forms depending on the production requirements. Pursuit Aviation has also done aerial shoots for the Horsemen Flight Team, which performs in air shows and puts on aerobatic displays in P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, F4U Corsair, F8F Bearcat, and F-86 Sabre aircraft. The company also documented the historic transatlantic flight of the “Berlin Express” P-51D Mustang this past summer as pilot Lee Lauderback flew it from the U.S. to England to perform in the Flying Legends Airshow in Duxford.
As for more footage from Hilton’s record setting flight, Pursuit Aviation has no plans to produce another video or release further footage, at least not at this time.
If they do, rest assured it will show up on AvGeekery.
.
– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography
The Tomcatters of Strike Fighter Squadron THREE ONE (VFA-31) recently returned from their 2017 deployment with Carrier Air Wing EIGHT (CVW-8) aboard the carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77). The deployment, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, also saw the Tomcatters participating in Exercise Saxon Warrior 2017 with the UK’s Royal Navy in the Atlantic Ocean. This cruise video, produced by VFA-31 and uploaded by YouTuber kekkats xD contains plenty of combat footage along with some sublime air-to-air footage.
VFA-31’s deployment began when the Bush and her Battle Group departed Norfolk on January 21st 2017. The squadron returned from deployment on August 21st. Port calls for the deployment included Souda Bay in Greece, Hidd in Bahrain, Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, Haifa in Israel, Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, and Mayport in Florida USA. Operating with the Bush were the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) and Hue City (CG-66), the Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Laboon (DDG-58) and USS Truxton (DDG-103), the Royal Danish Navy Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate HMDS Peter Willemoes (F362) and the underway replenishment ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6).
Official US Navy Photograph
For this deployment CVW-8 consisted of VFA-31 Tomcatters and VFA-87 Golden Warriors flying the single-seat Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet, VFA-213 Black Lions flying the twin-seat Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet, VFA-87 Bulls flying the Boeing F/A-18C Hornet, VAW-124 Bear Aces flying the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, VAQ-131 Lancers flying the Boeing EA-18G Growler, HSC-9 Tridents flying the Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk, HSM-70 Spartans flying the Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, and VRC-40 Rawhides Detachment 2 Bush Whackers flying the Grumman C-2A(R) Greyhound. During this deployment, LCDR Michael Mob Tremel of VFA-87 shot down a Syrian SU-22 Fitter fighter.
Southwest Airlines has done it again! Southwest Airlines partnered with Pixar to promote the new Disney movie titled “CoCo”. “Coco” is a story about an aspiring musician Miguel and charming trickster Hector embark on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
As part of the promotion, Southwest has applied extensive decals on a Boeing 737-700 aircraft. The jet is emblazoned with the vibrant “Coco” logo and artwork inspired by the film. The jet was unveiled on Monday October 9th in Oakland. According to Southwest, the decals took over 30 hours of work to craft and apply on the jet.
In addition to the specially themed aircraft, Southwest has additional promotion tie-ins planned. According to the airline,
“Southwest is sharing the adventures of “Coco” with Customers onboard flights beginning Nov. 1, with the launch of the Disney/Pixar “Coco” OnDemand Channel, featuring complimentary movie clips and trailers to get everyone excited about “Coco” in 3D this Thanksgiving. Be sure to tune-in ahead of the film’s Nov. 22 theatrical debut. Later this fall, the music of “Coco” will come to life onboard the “Coco” aircraft with a Live at 35® inflight concert performance by Anthony Gonzalez, who voices Miguel in the movie. Customers will experience the sounds and culture up-close and in-the-moment as Anthony sings a song from the upcoming film accompanied by a guitarist.”
Video of Southwest applying the decals can be seen below:
Propaganda is used to incite fear or influence an audience towards a certain objective. The best propaganda can strike at the heart of the enemy without firing a single shot. This video is obviously meant to strike fear into the hearts of North Korea’s enemies.
In this YouTube clip, Werner Beroux captured footage broadcast on North Korean television showing North Korean pilots training for combat. On average, North Korean pilots only get about 20 hours of flight time annually. They fly in outdated aircraft like the Mig-21 with a few updated Mig-29s sprinkled in their inventory for show. With such an outmoded force, Kim’s training and highly-qualified instruction makes up for the lack of proficiency. Take notes, we break down how Kim Jong Un expertly trains his pilots in 5 easy steps:
Step 1: Give a rousing speech. Be sure an aide is nearby to take diligent notes. Smoke a cigarette to look extra intimidating.
Step 2: Use stick models to rehearse the plan to counter American ‘aggression’.
Step 3: Fly a practice Mission on a knockoff version of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Step 4: Takeoff on dirt in your Mig-21. Fly a very loose formation to avoid striking your wingman.
Step 5: Land safely before you reach min fuel. Celebrate victory with your comrades.
You can see the full video here:
What crap!
If you want to see how real pilots train, be sure to check out one of our many pilot training videos that we’ve shared. We’ll post two awesome ones below to help you forget about the North Korean trash posted above:
Over 56 Years of Service the Phantom II Continually Evolved
When the McDonnell Corporation made the promotional film “The Record Breaking McDonnell Phantom II”, the jet was essentially brand new. The company’s F-4 had already set numerous low-level and at-altitude speed and time-to-climb records. Of course the Phantom II went on to serve the United States for 56 years and continues to serve in other countries. This film takes a look at the early record-setting flights of early Phantom II variants. Thanks to YouTuber PeriscopeFilm for uploading it.
The Phantom II underwent numerous changes over its service life. In Air Force service the F-4E version of the fighter was fitted with a M61 Vulcan 20 millimeter cannon. The Navy and Marine Corps never did adopt a variant with an internal gun, but their F-4s (A, B, J, N, S, and reconnaissance RF-4B models) were equipped with strengthened landing gear and structures modified to operate from aircraft carriers. Later versions of the aircraft were equipped with maneuvering slats, more advanced radar and fire control systems, and uprated engines.
Official US Navy Photograph
Sunsetting the Phabulous One
Navy and Marine Corps F-4N and F-4S models were upgraded previously manufactured F-4B and F-4J models respectively. They received “smokeless” engines and other modifications that allowed them to remain viable during the late 1970s and 1980s. As Navy squadrons transitioned to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, Naval Reserve units continued to fly Phantom IIs. Fighter Squadron ONE SIX ONE (VF-161) Chargers were the last active-duty squadron equipped with the F-4S Phantom II. They flew them off the carrier USS Midway (CVA-41) for the last time on March 24th 1986. The Phantom finally retired at the end of 2016. Fittingly, their last flights involved supersonic flight and sonic booms.
STL is poised to become one of the few privatized airports in America. In 2012, Congress established the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Privatization Pilot Program as a means of testing initiatives that would generate access to private capital for public airports. This means private companies could lease, manage, develop and even own them. Nearly 40 percent of European airports are privatized. Of the 12 airports in the U.S. that have applied for the FAA program in the past two decades, only Luís Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico remains publicly held.
Main terminal, Lambert International Airport. By Matthew Hurst (Flickr: Main Terminal, Lambert) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsPresident Trump proposed a major infrastructure overhaul during his campaign, to include “a bold, visionary plan for a cost-effective system of roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, railroads, ports and waterways, and pipelines.” Trump’s plan reduces federal intervention and moves the dial toward the private sector to own, operate and fund domestic infrastructure. A major challenge has existed for some time within the U.S. aviation infrastructure, in that passenger demand outstrips the existing capacity-constrained facilities.
In St. Louis, an advisory team to create an awareness program and vet potential investors is expected to be in place by October 20. So far, the program is receiving wide support. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson has been a vocal proponent and created the advisory team.
Devastating Effects on STL from 9-11 and TWA Collapse
Jet taking off from Lambert International in 1985, during TWA’s heydey. Photo Jon Proctor, wikimedia commons
The city’s Deputy Mayor of Economic Development Linda Martínez points out that private investment in STL was important in the airport’s recovery following 9-11. She says privatization would increase the possibility of further improvements. Lambert has been on shaky ground since 9-11 and the TWA collapse in 2001, which cut the number of passengers going through its gates in half. STL has seen a slight rise in traffic over the past couple of years, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but is hoping for an even greater uptick following improvements made with private monies from shareholders which could offer financial and other incentives to airlines to offset the higher Lambert landing fees.
What’s next…
Since almost all domestic airports are under the umbrella of the federal government, they are bound to restrictions on landing fees. The FAA limits public airports to using only so-called non-aeronautical revenue like concession profits or parking charges to pay for airline incentives, again putting airports like STL with notable drops in traffic at a disadvantage. Landing fees tend to be higher at airports with less traffic which makes attracting new business difficult, a situation that private investment could quickly remedy.
The advisory panel plans to launch campaigns to inform the public and gauge the opinion of the public, business and elected officials before moving forward. The move toward privatization would also require approval from the FAA, Board of Estimate and Apportionment and Board of Alderman.
Patrol Squadron SIXTEEN (VP-16 or PATRON 16) transitioned from the Lockheed P-3C Update IIIR Orion to the Boeing P-8A Poseidon in 2012. Since then the War Eagles have been flying the nation’s newest maritime patrol aircraft out of Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville as part of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11 (PATWING 11). The War Eagles were the first squadron to transition to the P-8A and the first to deploy overseas with the Poseidon. This video was shot during VP-16’s highly successful 2015-2016 deployment to Japan and the Western Pacific (WestPac). Thanks to YouTuber E. S. for uploading it.
VP-16 War Eagles P-8A Poseidons. Official US Navy Photograph
VP-16 can trace their lineage all the way back to 1946 when the squadron was formed as Reserve Patrol Squadron NINO ZERO SIX (VP-906) at NAS Jacksonville flying Lockheed PV-2 Harpoons. The squadron has also been designated Medium Seaplane Squadron FIVE SIX (VP-ML-56) when flying Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats and VP-741 before being designated as VP-16 in 1951. After flying Catalinas the squadron flew several models of the Lockheed P2V Neptune and after 1964 flew most of the various models of the Lockheed P-3 Orion.
VP-16 War Eagles P-8A Poseidon. Official US Navy Photograph
American Airlines Flight 192 was cancelled today after a ground support vehicle caught fire near the Boeing 777-300ER. First photos and videos that appeared on social media looked as if the aircraft itself had caught fire. Additional images though more clearly showed that it was only a “K-loader” used to load cargo into the cargo hold of the aircraft and not the aircraft itself.
In a statement about the incident to Avgeekery.com, American Airlines said,
“An external piece of loading equipment had a mechanical issue and caught fire while preparing to put cargo in the hold of American Airlines flight 192 from Hong Kong (HKG) to Los Angeles (LAX). As a result, a pallet on the loading equipment containing non-hazardous goods also caught fire. Boarding had not yet started when this occurred and no passengers or crew were injured. The aircraft, a Boeing 777-300, has been taken out of service to be evaluated by our maintenance team.”
While the aircraft never caught fire, the cargo and k-loader were very close to the aircraft. The cargo door appeared to be exposed to significant heat and flames. We wouldn’t be surprised if the aircraft was out of service for a few days as a maintenance team determines if a new cargo door and/or additional repair work to the fuselage skin is necessary.
American Airlines operates a fleet of 20 Boeing 777-300ERs. The aircraft is the largest in the fleet. The larger 777 flies many of American’s flagship routes between hubs at DFW airport and Los Angeles to Asia.
Below are photos and video of the incident that were taken by Twitter and Instagram users at the scene:
Cargo fire at Hong Kong Airport. Not yet known damage to this American Airlines Boeing 777 pic.twitter.com/at96EO4ftS
Let’s be honest avgeeks, no one grows up and says “One day, I want to be a tanker pilot”. With frequent deployments in the desert, super-old equipment, and crappy air conditioning, it’s not usually student pilot’s first choice at pilot training. Even the KC-10, which used to be called a “Gucci” plane is getting long in the tooth.
But one guy used the magic of flight to make the KC-135 actually look kinda cool. YouTuber Xanderduke has posted a few videos over the years of his deployments. He combined his artistic ability and a GoPro to capture some beautiful scenes.
Joking aside, the KC-135 and KC-10 tanker fleet play a critical role in our nation’s defense. Fighters wouldn’t be able to loiter on station. Aeromedical evacuation flights would have to stop short of their destination, and bombers would lack the unlimited range that they enjoy. More importantly, we thank the men and women make great sacrifices to fuel the fight.
It was a different time. Plenty of manning, great technology (for its time), a wide assortment of aircraft, and a good work/life balance for the airmen. But they still faced the dreaded ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection).
The film “The Air Force Reserve- Always Ready” was produced by the Air Force Reserve (AFRES) during 1980 and documents that year’s Exercise Paid Redoubt. The exercise involved nearly every facet of AFRES capability and capacity at the time, simulating multiple scenarios and mission variables over the two week-long Colorado event. In the video below, uploaded by YouTuber Airboyd, you’ll see not only the aircraft and crews but the personnel behind the scenes who made the difference between chaos and control.
In the film, Lockheed C-130H, DC-130H, and HC-130H Hercules aircraft appear in their tactical airlift, drone control, and rescue command and control and refueling roles respectively. A Sikorsky HH-3H Jolly Green Giant flies a simulated combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission, complete with close air support provided by Cessna OA-37B Dragonfly aircraft.
Official US Air Force Photograph
When it comes to the tactical fighter role, the 457th Fighter Squadron (FS) Spads of the 301st Fighter Wing (FW) fly their Republic F-105D Thunderchiefs from Carswell AFB in Texas to the exercise. Lockheed C-141A Starlifters and C-5A Galaxies provide logistical support for Paid Redoubt.
For years, United Airlines has wowed crowds with a display of “The Queen” at San Francisco’s Fleet Week. Every year, United flies their flagship Boeing 747-400 over the bay to celebrate sponsorship of San Francisco’s big air and sea show.
What makes this flyover unique is that this will be the last year that the city will see the Queen fly over the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Bay. They plan to retire the 747 fleet on November 7th with the final scheduled revenue flight from SFO to Honolulu.
We’ll leave you with two videos. Above you’ll see United’s Instagram post capturing the flight. Below you can see an amateur YouTube video posted by wanderlust1k. While the quality isn’t professional, it gives you a good idea of the profile that the Boeing 747 flies at the show.
