The device might look like a portable rocket launcher, but it’s the latest attempt to make airports safe from rogue drones.
The SkyWall 100, designed by a company in England, could be the best weapon yet developed to counter possible threats from civilian drones.
The portable defense system, developed by Open Works Engineering, could provide the type of counter measures needed to safely bring down drones that are either flying with an intent to cause harm/damage who that accidentally stray close to restricted areas.
It was recently revealed that last month a drone came within 16 feet of an Air France jet as it was landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. That’s the closest encounter yet between a drone and an aircraft. The pilot had to disconnect the autopilot and take evasive action.
With the proliferation and sophistication of drones that are available for anyone to purchase, the idea of drones being used to deliver explosives or to bring down airliners is a burgeoning threat.
The SkyWall 100 system appears to be a reasonable deterrent when it comes to bringing down/capturing drones.
It’s similar to a bazooka or other shoulder-mounted weapons. The SkyWall 100 uses compressed gas and a smart-launch system. It fires a programmable projectile which releases a net that captures the drone and a parachute which brings the drone to the ground.
The SkyWall 100 is portable and can be deployed by a single operator. Open Works Engineering is also developing two more versions – a semi-permanent device needing two operators and one that will be a permanent installation.
The first 727 made its last flight today after a long restoration to bring it back to flying condition.. Photo by: Clemens Vasters
The week that was at Avgeekery.com. Here’s a look back at some of the top stories on our site from this week.
March 5, 2016
GROUNDED: An in-depth look of how and why the Boeing 717 series wasn’t a commercial success.
A POSITIVE STEP? The much-maligned and problem-plagued F-35 Joint Strike Fighter had a successful weapons test this week.
LAST FLIGHT: The original 727, an iconic three-engine jet that boosted commercial travel, made its last flight this week – a 15-minute hop to its final stop, a museum in Seattle.
747 STILL USEFUL: While production is being curtailed and many major airlines are phasing it out of their fleets, the 747 continues to have many uses.
GUILT OVER TRAGEDY: Thirty years after the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch, an engineer who argued against the launch is still haunted by the disaster.
VIDEO: JetBlue came up with a clever way to turn the nasty aspects of an election year into a great promotional contest.
VIDEO: A closer look at “Ed Force One,” the tricked-out 747 that’s carrying heavy metal band Iron Maiden on its world tour – with its lead singer at the controls.
VIDEO: An American who flew the British Spitfire on photo missions once had to make a wheels-up landing. Another veteran filmed it. Nearly 50 years later, the 16mm film was discovered. Some sleuthing connected the film to the pilot, who got to witness his emergency landing for the first time.
Emirates is one of many gulf airlines that have rapidly expanded over the past decade. Photo by: Jim Mumaw
The ‘Gulf Three’ are redefining the rules and not always for the better.
Unless you are an international jet-setter or perhaps an airline industry enthusiast, you may not have heard of three relatively new airlines that are taking the world by storm. Otherwise, you may probably be aware of the existence and may even have flown on one of these three airlines. They are collectively known as the Gulf Three and are made up of Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Emirates Airlines. Etihad and Emirates are both based in the United Arab Emirates, while Qatar makes its home in Doha, Qatar.
Etihad, Emirates and Qatar, founded in 2003, 1985 and 1993 respectively, have grown from nothing to become global aviation powerhouses in a few short decades. They collectively employ about 112,000 employees and have a collective fleet of 526 aircraft. And they are fleets of big wide body airplanes, not puddle jumpers. Emirates, for example, has a fleet of 60 A380 Superjumbo aircraft, and is the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 777 with a fleet of 149 of those widebody aircraft.
These three airlines have been embroiled in a controversy about alleged subsidies they have received from their respective governments which I wrote about here. Leading the charge against the Gulf Airlines is a consortium of US based airlines and their associated labor groups. Their contention is that the governments of Qatar and the UAE funnel billions of government dollars into their hometown airlines thereby allowing them to undercut their competition.
Emirates aircrew at Suvarnabhumi Airport (Thailand). Source: Wikipedia
For their part, the Gulf airlines counter that they deliver a far superior product to their customers than do American based airlines. This is the reason, the Gulf airline managements cite, for the competitive advantages they currently enjoy. All the Americans need to do to compete, they say, is to up their game.
And in terms of customer service satisfaction, the Gulf airlines do indeed deliver. The three Gulf airlines routinely wind up at the top of airline customer satisfaction surveys. For instance, the Gulf airlines took second, third and fifth place in the 2015 Conde Nast Traveller Reader’s Choice Awards.
In the Skytrax Awards, which bill themselves as “the Oscars of the aviation industry”, the Gulf Three placed first, fifth and sixth. Delta, as the top rated US international carrier, came in at a dismal 45th place while United and American placed quite a bit further down the list.
There’s Something Wrong in Paradise
So it would seem that the US carriers do indeed need to tighten up their customer service game a bit, but as usual, there’s more to the story. Over the past several years reports have leaked out about hiring practices and working conditions for cabin crew at the Gulf airlines and they don’t paint a very flattering picture.
The three Gulf airlines hire their cabin crew from all over the globe including many impoverished areas. For many of these employees, a job with an international airline is a dream ticket into a jet-setting lifestyle. Except that it apparently isn’t.
Reports of long hours, low pay and stringently enforced limits on marriage, pregnancy and weight plague the Gulf airlines. A 2014 Wall Street Journal article noted that pregnancy may result in termination at all three Gulf airlines. Flight attendants must also remain single for the first five years of their contracts as well or seek the airline’s permission to marry.
Other critics maintain that workers at the Gulf airlines live in a climate of fear for their jobs and are under daily surveillance in their company provided dormitories. The companies insist that strict security is necessary for the safety of their cabin crews. Qatar Airways in particular has a reputation for being quite severe in its treatment of cabin crew. From the Economist:
Allegations of harsh treatment and overbearing scrutiny are commonplace. Many complaints centre on the accommodation provided to cabin crew, where rigid curfews and restrictions on visitors create a less-than-homely atmosphere. Swipe-in door keys and CCTV on the premises have fuelled speculation–warranted or otherwise–that management are interested in more than just their employees’ safety.
Given that even appearing in public without a niqab can be problematic for women in Doha, having extra security precautions for a dormitory full of young, single women far from home in an Islamic country may not be unreasonable.
Union Sour Grapes?
Earlier in 2015, several US flight attendant unions also jumped into the fray when Etihad announced new service to Orlando, Florida claiming that the Gulf airlines had “abhorrent labor standards”.
One can’t help but notice that many of the complaints about working conditions are coming from labor unions. It should also be noted that unions are illegal in the Gulf states where these airlines are headquartered. It must be teased out, then, whether the conditions are truly as horrid as is being reported or whether the reports contain a measure of union hyperbole.
My guess is that there is a pinch of truth on both sides of this story. Emirates states that it receives over 400,000 applications annually from 143 different nations for jobs across their network so there seems to be no lack of enthusiasm for those wishing to sign on. Conversely, with those types of numbers, it can be easy to see that should an employee have an infraction or be anything less than completely submissive, it is far easier to sack them for a younger replacement.
Hypocrisy of the Elites
Getting back to the popularity of the Gulf Three airlines with elite status flyers, I must confess to being completely amused by the comment sections on the various news and opinion websites which report on this story. Here’s a good example (typos and grammar in the original):
Yes the middle east carriers have unfair working practices But I prefer to fly on those airlines than american carriers as the staff in general are rude and not interested in any service what so ever . Plus the middle east carriers have young crews who are either more motivated or scared not to do there job properly so makes for a more enjoyable flight. I think the american carriers have just realised that the gulf carriers are so much better and just jealous thats all
Yes, of course, who doesn’t appreciate young, attractive and motivated (scared) flight attendants? This commenter is likely more correct than he realizes: US airline managements are no doubt quite jealous of the freedom their Arab counterparts have to fire flight attendants when they get married, old or overweight…just like it used to be here back in the “halcyon” days of the 1960s.
Who also doesn’t have at least a bit of nostalgia for the image that Leo DiCaprio presented in Catch Me If You Can as he traipsed in his pilot uniform through the airline terminal accompanied by half a dozen young, alluring and razor thin flight hosties? One need not look too far into aviation literature to find a paean to the good old days of “coffee, tea or me?”
Well, we are living in the future that we created here in America. Oddly enough, we won’t buy tickets on our own airlines, but instead opt to be served by young hotties who can be fired on a whim.
I personally believe that there probably exists some middle ground between what is effectively third world indentured servitude as practiced by the Gulf Three, and the hardened battle-ax ingrates employed with depressing regularity by US airlines who seem to relish bashing into your kneecap with the cart.
Some lessons often need relearning. We should be careful for what we wish, for the aviation gods have a sense of humor and may smite us by granting our wishes.
Up to 585,000 lbs of Jet, Flown Around the World, With a Whole Lot of Skill, Dedication and Heart.
C-17 pilot Jon Leech wanted to find a way to share his love of flying and the airlift mission with others. He produced a kick ass video of his flying that would make any #avgeek proud. The video was uploaded to YouTube by Skyride 10. Jon’s story and details below the video.
Here’s Jon’s story and the details about the video above:
“Growing up my fondest memories were listening to the stories of when my Dad, uncles and grandpas were in the Navy. Without question I knew I was headed in the same direction, only because, even at that age, I recognized the value and importance of the skills they gained, experiences, and especially their friendships which inevitably evolved into extended family they still see today. When I was lucky, some of the stories they told of their world were supported by still pictures.
shellback initiation. image via gerald ford library
They would tell the tale of when and where it was taken, why, and the crazy people who were around at that time; the band playing in random bars on random islands, the “shellback” initiation (google it…), launching missiles, etc. Looking back at it, I would pay to have had GoPros and hand-held cameras available for all of them back then; that would be the only thing that would have made it better. So, on my third deployment flying the C-17, I decided to avoid having my friends and family wish the same. This was my attempt to capture and share what I am so fortunate to see and do every time we go gear up.”
image via uSAF/DVIDS
A World-Wide Experience
“The video was shot all over the world on various missions. We flew pretty frequently and at times it felt routine. However, there were some instances I will never forget and that I am fortunate to have captured. One such instance was flying a full jet of troops out of country on what happened to be our crew member’s daughter’s birthday. Unfortunately he had missed quite a few of her birthdays, but wanted to send something heart felt home to her. Watch what he does, along with other experiences I am so fortunate to have been a part of. Hope you enjoyed it!”
The only camp in the world where you can experience what it was like to load and drop bombs from WWII bombers.
Bright sunlight glitters in the bluebird sky as streaks of white contrails stream behind the lumbering bomber force like beacons pointing the way. Dream-like in flight, little is heard save the roar of engines and cold wind. Frosty oxygen masks work hard to keep life flowing and the men themselves strain their weary eyes to keep vigil at 20,000 feet. With no warning a dark cloud appears above and to the right moving quickly toward the formation. What seems to be a swarm of insects suddenly turns into the bombers and the cloud is now individual specks growing larger by the second. The intercom screams, “Bandits, 2 o’clock high!” Machine guns turn in unison to the coming threat while enemy fighters fly into range. First one burst of fire is seen from a neighboring B-17, and then twenty or more streaks of tracers are unleashed at the gray intruders. Twinkles on the wings of the enemy fighters show evil intent and what looks like popping flashbulbs appear around the bombers. Like a hailstorm swiftly passing, the enemy vanishes and is replaced by a hundred puffs of greasy smoke. Flak engulfs the heavily laden planes. For a moment the formation flies straight and level and a rush of wind announces that the bomb bay doors are open. Every muscle and nerve is tight with anticipation and fear. The intercom crackles with the welcome words, “Bombs Away!” A collective sigh of relief is breathed by over a hundred men… now they can head home…
These flashes of history crowd the senses of participants in the one of a kind Bomber Camp as they fly a “mission.” This experience is the realized vision of Taigh Ramey, owner of Vintage Aircraft in Stockton, California. He felt that the Living History Flight Experiences and Aircraft Tours offered by organizations were just not enough to truly show modern audiences what the people of the 1940s went through in WWII. He believes that to truly understand what it was like for the men who trained and fought in the US Army Air Forces that it had to be experienced firsthand. Taigh talked with Rob Collings of the Collings Foundation and asked what he thought about dropping concrete bombs, shooting machineguns and operating turrets on the Collings Foundation’s B-24 “Witchcraft.” Bomber Camp was born. Soon the WWII Living History organization, “The Arizona Ground Crew Living History Unit, Inc.” and some other dedicated historians responded to the call for action and met at Stockton Field California to load 250lb concrete bombs and blank adapted guns onto Witchcraft.
Photo by Roger Cain (Provided by Bomber Camp)
The first mission was flown with a crew of WWII USAAF Veterans in May, 2007. The Veterans got a chance to get back into their old crew position and feel as though they were young again as they took off into the wild blue yonder on a bombing mission. For this mission, there was no enemy aircraft or FLAK to be concerned with, a first for our crew of Veterans. This was merely a test run though, because Taigh had bigger plans, he intended to repeat this mission again with student participants or “Cadets” as they would be called.
The Cadet Class of 44-1 assembled at the Stockton Field Aviation Museum Hangar on May 28, 2008 in the early morning hours. The next 48 hours would be an immersive experience into the culture, lifestyle and training indicative of 1944. Cadets learned aerial navigation, bombing principles (including the operation of the Norden Bombsight), aerial gunnery, military drill, operation of the ball turret and top turret. They trained on the live fire gunnery range with various small arms working up to the turret trainer truck and the ANM2 Caliber 50 Machinegun. Back at the Airfield they trained in the ball turret trainer so that they would be able to operate the ball turret in flight. On day two, Class 44-1 assisted with the loading of 250lb concrete bombs into the bomb bay of Witchcraft. Underwent a mission briefing and then flew off into the unknown on a bombing mission. The waist guns blazed away and the ball turret spun as the gunner searched for any sign of enemy aircraft in the area. As the plane approached the target area the bomb bay doors opened and the Norden Bombsight put the bombs right onto the target just as it had done 64 years ago.
This scene has been repeated nearly every year since, with a B-24 or B-17, adding new components to the training, atmosphere and program for each new Cadet Class. But now in 2016 we’re gonna up the ante! The Cadet Class of 44-7 will be using the B-24 “Witchcraft”, B-17 “909” and the B-25 “Tondelayo” in combined bomber operations. Hap Arnold, Chief of the Air Corps would be proud to know that this will be the Largest WWII bomber sortie of its kind in recent history! Nowhere else will you be able to help to bring WWII aviation back to life in such a unique and special way. It is truly an amazing experience.
If you are over 18 or 16 with a legal guardian accompanying you, have a desire to truly experience the training that the “Greatest Generation” went through and want to fly your own bomber mission, you are a candidate for Class 44-7. You can enlist at www.planetreg.com/E610101818154966 or contact the Recruiting Command Center at 209-982-0273. Follow them on Facebook too: Bomber Camp.
Cost for Bomber Camp is $4000.00 and includes all training materials, uniforms, equipment, ammunition, food and lodging. Cadets stay in a hotel from Tuesday, May 31st until Friday, June 3rd. Training will be from Tuesday May 31st at 1800 hrs until Thursday June 2nd in the evening. With food provided from the 1944 Army Cookbook and while training with the 3033rd Army Air Forces Base Unit, 60th Training Squadron, Stockton Army Air Field, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into an incredible time warp. Travel expenses to and from Stockton, California are the responsibility of the individual Cadet.
What’s better than flying around like a rockstar? How about being a rockstar and flying yourself and your band in a 747-400 around the world!
A few weeks ago, an Avgeekery.com news roundup led with the item that Iron Maiden’s world tour would make its way around the globe via a customized 747. There’s even more to the story than just a tour to promote the heavy metal band’s “Book Of Souls” album.
Lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson is a licensed pilot and he will captain and pilot “Ed Force One.” He underwent special training in order to be cleared to fly the jumbo jet.
“When the opportunity arose from my friends at Air Atlanta Icelandic to lease a 747 for The Book of Souls World Tour, of course we jumped at the chance, who wouldn’t?” Dickinson said in a news release. “The greatest benefit of travelling in a 747 is that because of its colossal size and freight capacity we can carry our stage production and all our stage equipment and desks in the cargo hold.”
The United States portion of the tour is underway and Dickinson is as thrilled to be flying a 747 as he is about performing. This video shows him seeing Ed Force One, a 747-400 Jumbo Jet, for the first time.
In the second video, Bruce does a walkaround of the Ed Force One Jumbo Jet. The video was originally posted by “Made In Cardiff”, a local news organization in the UK.
The 717 could have been more than just a single model. There were plans for a regional sized jet and a stretch model the length of an MD-80.
Even prior to the introduction of the Boeing 717 into commercial service, there were ideas to develop stretched and shortened versions to complement the basic 106-seat Boeing 717-200.
Born as the McDonnell Douglas MD-95 and launched in November 1995 when Valujet Airlines ordered 100. The aircraft was re-named “Boeing 717“ in January 1998 and entered service with AirTran – the successor of ValuJet – in September 1999.
The Boeing 717 earned high marks for efficiency, quietness, and comfort. The basic design of the Boeing 717 bears the pedigree of the Douglas DC-9 with further evolvement into the highly successful MD-80 series and then the MD-90.
The DC-9/MD-80 earned high reputation for robustness, durability, efficiency, and comfort while the MD-90´s hallmark were the very quiet and clean IAE V2500-engines. The DC-9 and MD-80 enjoyed longevity and were widely used by many airlines around the world. The majority of DC-9-operators also selected the MD-80.
However, the MD-90 can´t be described as a business success due to many cancellations by major customers and the fact that the MD-90 (without a family of differently-sized aircraft) was not able to compete with the Boeing 737-series and the Airbus A320-family.
While the commercial success of the civil branch of McDonnell Douglas declined during the first half of the 1990s but at the same time, McDonnell Douglas developed their new 100-seater MD-95.
MD-95 Could Have Been a Family Of Jets
The MD-95 was seen as the perfect solution for many operators to replace their DC-9s and to augment their MD-80s. That led McDonnell Douglas to announce development of an MD-95 family. That led to a shorter-fuselage MD-95-10 and a stretched MD-95-50 to complement the basic MD-95-30. When Boeing took over, those concepts became the Boeing 717-100X and Boeing 717-300X, respectively.
The development of a Boeing 717-family was seen as an important step by many analysts. Providing buyers with versions that fit their needs while maintaining consistency in maintenance were considered great selling points.
It´s noteworthy that the stages of development and/or potential evolution were mentioned during the entire production-run of the 717 and even during certification and flight-testing.
Source: Boeing (Uploaded to www.MD-80.com)
The larger Boeing 717-300X would have been enlarged to 138 to 147 feet with a capacity for 128 to 145 passengers. AirTran was seen as the most likely airline to order this stretched version to augment their Boeing 717-200s. There were also sales-efforts to companies belonging to the “Star Alliance” including Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, and Lufthansa.
Sketch of the Boeing 717-100x (Source: Boeing, Uploaded to MD-80.com)
The Boeing 717-100X would have been a shortened variant of the 717-200 with a total length of 108 to 114 feet and a capacity of approximately 85 passengers in two classes. This version generated interest by British Midland Airways amongst others as part of a purchase of the smaller 717-100X and the basic 717-200.
Others like Aerolineas Argentinas/Austral saw the 717-family of all three versions as an attractive solution to standardize and modernize their fleets.
In 1999 there was also a concept called the “Boeing 717-200 Lite.” Weighing in at under 50 tons, this version would save money on daily operations due to lower fees, etc.
End Game For The Boeing 717: Not Enough Orders
Boeing also worked to develop best practices with smaller companies that lacked the infrastructure of larger carriers. Olympic Aviation and Bangkok Air were typical customers with their small 717-fleets and regional routes.
Additionally, there were ideas to de-rate the BR715-engines electronically to lower thrust-settings in the interest of longer engine life.
Boeing was only interested in producing three version of 717s if the orders were sufficient. Sales were sluggish and in 2005 Boeing announced it would discontinue production the following year.
What started with the DC-9 four decades earlier ended with that decision. Delta ordered 15 DC-9 aircraft and currently operates the largest world’s largest fleet of MD-80/-90/Boeing 717s.
Special thanks to Peter Breiting for being an Avgeekery guest author. You can learn more about the DC-9, MD-80 and its derivatives from MD-80.com.
About the author:
Peter Breiting, born in in Hamburg/Germany, maintains the largest enthusiast-site dedicated to the MD-80, MD-90, Boeing 717 and DC-9. Educated as a merchant for wholesale trade, he has no job-related connection to aviation but is always looking to break into an aviation career.
Astronaut Scott Kelly. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz
It turns out that if “The Martian” had been completely realistic, Matt Damon would have been about 6-foot-2 when he finally returned to Earth. Damon is 5-foot-10. But it turns out when you’re in space for extended period of time, the spinal column expands. We have proof of this. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly returned to terra firma after 340 days in space at the International Space Station. He’s two inches taller than when he left.
“Astronauts get taller in space as the spine elongates,” NASA’s Jeff Williams said, “but they return to preflight height after a short time back on Earth.”
Kelly relished the opportunity to “tower” over his twin brother Mark when they were reunited in Houston. The twins volunteered to take part in NASA’s “Twins Study.” NASA will evaluate what the different environments of space and Earth will have on identical twins.
Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko landed in barren, frozen Kazakhstan on Wednesday. They each checked into the International Space Station 340 days ago.
“I don’t mean to say it’s not fresh on the space station,” he said, “but there’s nothing like new cold air coming into the capsule.”
A photo of Commander Kelly’s first meal on earth.
For NASA, Kelly’s nearly year-long mission is one of the first steps toward a mission to Mars (and it’s not to rescue Damon). A mission to Mars in the 2030s requires studying how the body and mind will fare during the 2½-year trip.
On his flight back to the United States, he took a congratulatory phone call from President Obama. And, like a lot of folks do on social media, he posted a Twit pic of his in-flight meal – a salad.
The first 727 made its last flight today after a long restoration to bring it back to flying condition.. Photo by: Clemens Vasters
A 15-minute flight required two decades of work plus the vision and determination of one man.
Boeing’s first 727 made its last flight Wednesday. N7001U left the Museum of Flight Restoration Center up at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. – its home for the last 25 years – and made a brief return to the skies for the short flight to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in Seattle.
This fall, the 727 will move into the Aviation Pavilion, a 140,000-square-foot facility that will house about 20 restored aircraft, including the first 737 and first 747.
Rather than head to the scrapheap like so many other outdated aircraft, this plane is unique. It was Boeing’s prototype 727 and went directly into service with United Airlines.
Bob Bogash, 71, is a former Boeing engineer. Most his retirement years have been spent as the driving force to restore the first 727. He convinced the Museum of Flight that restoring the plane so it could fly to its final destination would be cheaper than dismantling it and moving it by truck.
“My wife calls (historic airplanes) my mistresses,” he said. “They have all the key characteristics of a mistress: good-looking, very demanding, and they cost a lot of money.”
In 1984, Bogash was in charge of the Museum of Flight’s aircraft acquisition team and in 1984 he approached United Airlines about donating N7001U when it went out of service.
In 2004, FedEx donated a 727 that was cannibalized for parts. The restoration cost $500,000 and the donated labor of volunteers is estimated in the millions of dollars.
This 727-22 was delivered to United Airlines and began its commercial service on Oct. 7, 1963. Its last commercial flight was on Jan. 13, 1991 when it was donated to the museum. The aircraft spent over 64,000 hours in the air, made 48,060 landings and carried an estimated three million passengers.
When Boeing stopped making the 727 in 1984, the company had produced 1,832 – the most aircraft in a series it had produced (the 737 eventually broke the record.)
The original Boeing 727
First flight: 1963
Operator: United Airlines
Dimensions: 133 feet 2 inches long, wingspan of 108 feet
Top speed: 632 miles per hour
Passengers: Capacity of about 130; the plane carried nearly 3 million passengers during 27 years in service.
Total 727s produced: 1,832 at the Renton plant from 1962 to 1984.
Whisperjet Meets DreamlinerToday we moved our Boeing 727 prototype at Paine Field for a little photo op with a brand new United Boeing 787. This 727 “Whisperjet” entered service with United in 1964. Next week the Dreamliner flies away to enter service with United, while our bird flies to her new home at the Museum. Today they were United together. The Museum’s 727 Project Manager, Bob Bogash, crewed the 727 during the event. #727finalflight Commemorate the final flight: www.museumofflight.org/727-appeal
Lt. Col. George Watkins, the 34th Fighter Squadron commander, drops a GBU-12 laser-guided bomb from an F-35A Lightning II at the Utah Test and Training Range Feb. 25, 2016. The 34th FS is the Air Force’s first combat unit to employ munitions from the F-35A. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jim Haseltine)
Is the much-maligned and mega-expensive F-35A Joint Strike Fighter moving toward operational reality?
The Air Force announced Tuesday that F-35A JSFs successfully dropped laser-guided bombs during tests last week. The 388th and 419th fighter wings at Utah’s Hill Air Force Base participated in the tests.
“This is significant because we’re building the confidence of our pilots by actually dropping something off the airplane instead of simulating weapon employment,” Lt. Col. George Watkins said in an Air Force statement.
It’s the first time such bombs had been launched with jets designed to deploy after so-called initial operational capacity. IOC is declared when the planes are deemed ready for combat.
The F-35 is also known as the Joint Strike Fighter because it’s intended for use by the Navy, the Marine Corps and 10 foreign countries, in addition to the Air Force. It is designed as an aerial version of a Swiss Army knife and could replace current aircraft like the F-16 and the A-10.
A single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth fighter, the F-35 has been plagued by delays, cost overruns and a multitude of other issues. It’s currently four years behind schedule in terms of when the original project was started. The current price tag is $400 billion – making it the most expensive weapons
system in American history. It could ultimately wind up costing $1 trillion.
But designing and producing a next-generation fighter that is a jack of all trades isn’t cheap or easy.
The F-35’s aviation technology ranks among the most sophisticated in the world — designed to conduct air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strikes, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
It’s also designed to allow pilots to immediately share data with one another and their commanders; it can penetrate enemy territory without being detected by radar; and its specialized helmet display gives pilots a 360-degree view of their surroundings.
The F-35 has three main models: the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing version that will be used by the Air Force, the F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing version that will be used by the Marine Corps and the F-35C carrier-based version that will be used by the Navy.
American Eagle Embraer ERJ-175LR at Miami International Airport. Photo by: Venkat Mangudi
In the cyclical airline industry, these should be the good times. What gives?
Earlier this week Republic Airlines declared bankruptcy stating that a lack of pilots resulted in lost revenue due to grounded flights. Anyone in the travelling public reading this story must be confused as to how an airline can go bankrupt in this time of cheap fuel. After all, planes are jammed full and stories of record profits being set by airlines abound.
To understand all this, it is important to note that Republic isn’t a “real” airline in the customary sense. That is, you can’t go online and buy a ticket on Republic Airlines. Republic, like most “regional” airlines, is simply a provider of aircraft and crews to their major airline partners. Their aircraft are flown under the banners of American Eagle, United Express, and Delta Connection.
The agreements which bind Republic and other similar airlines to their partners, known as “capacity purchase agreements”, delineate the terms under which aircraft and crews are provided to fill the schedules dictated by those major airline partners. Once signed, as with any contract, the terms are set. And again, as with any business contract, there are likely a host of penalties imposed for non-performance of the terms of those contracts. This is all routine business stuff.
Revenue Restricted but Costs Unbound
The regionals, then, are bound on the revenue side of their ledger by the contracts they’ve signed. They don’t get to raise prices on their flying customers because they don’t really have any. Their customers are the major airlines with whom they have signed contracts. Passengers are the cargo who incidentally happen to be on the airplane. You can easily see how incentives are aligned for the “enhanced” customer experience that most regional airlines provide.
The only way for a regional airline to increase profit, then, is by reducing costs.
One cost input that most likely wasn’t considered highly variable was that of labor, specifically pilots. One of the main reasons the regional airline model even exists is that it functioned as an end run around union contracts at the major airlines. Several decades ago major airline unions (ALPA, APA) allowed loopholes in their contracts allowing their airlines to outsource the operation of smaller aircraft thinking that the amount of flying would remain small.
That was a strategic mistake for the unions as “regional” airlines grew unabated using new fast and capable jets. Regional airline enplanements grew from 27 million passengers in 1985 to about 160 million passengers in 2014 taking a huge bite out of the flying done by the unionized pilots at the major network carriers. The reduced costs from the regional airline operations also allowed the major airlines to field a competitive response to the explosive growth of younger low cost carriers (LCCs), notably Southwest.
The Model Breaks Down
That model more or less worked because younger pilots were willing to accept the low wages offered by the regional carriers in exchange for the flight hours they needed to apply for a job at the major airlines where the money is. In a sense it was a deal with the devil because the existence of the low paying regional jobs came at the expense of the higher paying flying at the majors. It might have been considered an industry wide “B” scale, but the model persisted.
With the crash of Colgan 3407 and the subsequent legislation which raised the minimum hours required for any pilot to work at a regional by five times, the wheels have apparently come off. Any pilot who wishes to work for any commercial airline must now have a minimum of 1500 hours.
This new requirement has effectively shut down the pipeline for new pilots. As the major airlines now must hire thousands of pilots to replace retiring pilots, the regionals are losing pilots faster than they can be replaced causing them to cancel flights for a lack of pilots.
Republic itself was losing around 40 pilots per month and couldn’t cover their schedule. This meant lost revenue. Last year Republic was even sued by Delta for breach of contract in not fulfilling its obligations, the irony being that Delta is hiring away many of Republic’s pilots.
A result of the pilot shortage is a bidding war for the fewer pilots remaining available for hire. One need only click over to the Republic corporate home page to see multiple appeals to prospective pilots. For pilots with the requisite number of hours, it’s a good time to be looking for a flying job.
As far as the Republic bankruptcy is concerned, this is nothing more than a renegotiation opener by Republic to gain more favorable terms with its major partners while avoiding the penalties in its existing contracts. As the pilot shortage worsens, fares will likely increase and service to smaller cities is likely to be curtailed or ended.
Are We any Safer?
A good way to start a bar fight or internet brawl on a pilot forum is to question the need for the higher hours requirement. It should be noted that both the Colgan pilots far exceeded the new hours requirements. The problem in that crash was identified as a weak captain and fatigue. It should also be noted that the Air Force routinely puts its pilots in the seat of advanced fighter and multiengine heavy transport aircraft with only about 200 hours of experience. I know because I was one of them.
That said, it appears to be highly unlikely that the 1500 hour requirement will be relaxed any time soon. The topic is simply too much of a political hot potato. My guess is that we will see more shrinkage and possible bankruptcies of regional airlines along with major airlines bringing some of that flying in-house in order to keep ahold of their pilots.
The Jumbo Jet, aka The Queen Of The Skies, has assumed many forms. As reported recently on Avgeekery.com, the 747 is being phased out by most of the commercial aviation providers. But since its inception in 1970, the 747 has been put to use in a variety of ways. While its beauty is unmatched, its real claim to fame is its versatility.
We’d like to list 747 different ways that the jet has been used…but even The Queen isn’t that versatile. Here are seven different uses in which the 747 has excelled.
SOFIA Observatory in flight. Credit: NASA
Flying Observatory
This month NASA is using a 747 as an airborne platform for SOFIA – Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. A heavily modified Boeing 747 Special Performance aircraft is able to fly near the edges of the atmosphere, thus providing better visibility than observatories on earth. Cloudy nights prevent and/or limit star gazing.
This 747 carries a 17-ton, 8-foot telescope that is mounted behind a sliding door in the side of the fuselage. The door measures 16-by-23 feet. The fuselage was shortened by 55 feet, which increases its performance capacities.
Its range and ceiling make it perfect for studying the stars and planets. It can stay airborne for over 12 hours and has a range of over 7,000 miles plus a ceiling of 45,000 feet. That allows it to fly above the troposphere. Water vapor obscures infrared light and only .2 percent of the Earth’s water vapor is above the troposphere.
Thus ends today’s science lesson but we still have more unique 747s below!
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain
Air Force One
Since 1970, a version of the 747 has served as Air Force One, one of the modern icons of America. Currently the Air Force employs two Boeing VC-25A, which are specifically configured and highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft.
The ability to stay airborne and be refueled, along with its size, makes it a perfect mobile headquarters for the Commander in Chief. Plus the 747’s four engines provide a safety margin not found on current the larger two-engine commercial jets.
The two planes currently in use are about to reach the end of their 30-year life spans. In January, the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing an initial contract worth $25.8 million to produce the next generation. Boeing will customize its 747-8, its latest model, to become the next Air Force Ones. The new aircraft should be in service by the end of this decade.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is carried on the back of a 747. Credit: NASA
Space Shuttle Ferry
The end of the space shuttle program in 2011 ended one of the great spectacles in aviation. Space shuttles were launched in Florida but often landed at Edwards Air Force base in California.
To transport the 83-ton spacecraft back to its starting point, two specially equipped 747s were used. Equipped with two additional vertical stabilizers, the 747s flew at 285 mph at 13,000 to 15,000 feet when transporting the shuttle.
Late last month, NASA unveiled an exhibit at Space Center Houston. NASA 905, one two modified 747s that transported the space shuttle, is being displayed at Independence Plaza. On top of the 747 is a replica space shuttle called Independence. Visitors can go inside each craft.
The 747 Supertanker during the 2010 Carmel forest fires in Israel. Credit: ShacharLA
Fire Fighting
Evergreen International Aviation, a company based in Oregon, converted four 747 cargo planes into aircraft that could deliver nearly 20,000 gallons of water and/or fire retardant chemicals. The company hoped to use its big plans to drop big loads to help fight fires.
Last year, Global SuperTanker Services, LLC stepped in and took over Evergreen’s planes and plans. The use and effectiveness of 747 super tankers has yet to be determined.
A 747 Dreamlifter takes off. Credit: Yamaguchi Yoshiaki
If you want to see a tricked-out 747, consider the Dreamlifter, aka Large Cargo Freighter.
The 747 is one of the most recognizable aircraft because of its “bulge” in the fuselage that extends from the cockpit aft. The Dreamlifter accentuated and expanded that bulge for nearly the entire length of the fuselage.
At 65,000 cubic feet (1,840 cubic meters) the cargo hold is the world’s largest. The tail swings open to load cargo. Boeing uses the Dreamlifter to transport aircraft parts for the 787 to its assembly plants around the world. The modified 747 went into service in 2007.
In 2013, Atlas Air Boeing 747 Dreamlifter en route from John F. Kennedy International Airport to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kan., mistakenly landed eight nautical miles away at Colonel James Jabara Airport.
Airborne Laser Testbed known as the YAL-1A. Credit: US Air Force
Weapons Platform
About 20 years after Star Wars, the U.S. Air Force tried out its own “light saber.” In 1996, funding was approved and tests began to equip a 747 with a nose-mounted laser. The Airborne Laser Testbed was part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency
The 747 was equipped with a chemical oxygen iodine laser that could track and destroy a missile during its boost phase. Six years ago during a test flight the system successfully tracked and destroyed a missile.
However, prohibitive expense of the project and the plane’s limited range led to the project being de-funded and shelved.
Jumbo Jet Gimmicks
The 747 is such an iconic plane that companies and businesses like to come up with ways to garner attention.
A year ago, when Samsung was launching its GalaxyS6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 edge, it wanted to make sure supply would equal demand. The company enlisted a fleet of 747s to get the devices delivered.
Boeing, which manufactures the 747, is based in Seattle and has a long history with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. The team’s recent success led to Boeing doing special paint jobs on 747s each of the last two years. Last season, Boeing’s Seahawks-themed paint job went on a newly designed 747-8 freighter with an up-graded paint job.
