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 Biggest Threat Wasn’t the Germans. It Was the Cold.”
Aviation was pretty spartan back in the 40s by today’s standards. The aircraft wasn’t pressurized, heat was nearly non-existent and the quarters were cramped. There were operational hazards at every turn. If every bit of exposed skin wasn’t covered, you could get frost bite in seconds. Yet the heroes of World War II battled the elements to defend freedom in Europe. They were brave men.
Take a tour of the interior of this Avro Lancaster, affectionately known to avgeeks as “the Lanc.” You’ll learn some fascinating facts about a bomber that helped turn the tide of war against the Nazis in Europe. Liz Dodds and Andrew Panton are your hosts. They’ll provide some fascinating facts mixed with a little dry British humor. The 25-minute video, uploaded by Rob Hayton offers a good look at the exterior, the interior, and even the cockpit of this pivotal aircraft.
image via IWM
The Avro Lancaster is a mid wing, cantilever heavy bomber. It is powered by four Rolls Royce, Merlin piston engines mounted on the wings. It first rose to fame through bombing missions by the British during the second world war. The Avro Lancaster has an oval shaped, all metal, five section fuselage, and also five main sections on the wings. The tail has twin elliptical fins and rudders.
image via iwm
One notable feature of the Avro Lancaster was an unobstructed bomb compartment, more than 33 feet long. The Avro Lancaster was capable of holding the largest bombs in the RAF. Then bulged doors were added so the aircraft could carry even bigger bombs. The Avro Lancaster could eventually hold a bomb that weighed 12,000 pounds.
image via battle of britain memorial flight
The Avro Lancaster was designed and built by Avro for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Its maiden voyage was on January 9th of 1941. The aircraft started service in 1942. Primary users of the Avro Lancaster were the Royal Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Royal Australian Air Force. Between 1941 when the first one was built, and 1963 when the model was retired, 7,377 Avro Lancaster aircraft were manufactured.
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.
