An F-16 from the 96th Test Wing dropped a fuel tank on a Florida neighborhood Jan 7 near Eglin AFB. It’s unknown right now whether it fell off, or was jettisoned, but it was pure luck that nobody on the ground was injured or killed.
The external tank fell in the town of Niceville, close to an elementary school that was closed at the time. Shredded wreckage was all over people’s yards. Residents reported a very strong smell too, so the tank was definitely not empty when it fell.
The fuel tank actually landed in someone’s driveway, just feet from their home.
“Only by the grace of God, it landed between two houses,” said Niceville City Manager David Deitch.
“There’s a lot of people standing around, wringing their hands about what they are going to do – as far as hazmat and so forth,” said resident KennethLowe to MidBayNews.com, who lives at the scene.
Some wreckage at the scene via MidBayNews.com
Investigation is underway
An Air Force Safety Investigation Board is currently trying to determine why it happened. A drone was flown over the scene to survey the area. No property damage has been reported, according to Eglin AFB.
The wreckage has since been removed from the scene. A spill response team from Eglin is currently leading the clean-up, which will take several weeks.
A 96th Test Wing F-16D Fighting Falcon lifts off from the runway at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
“Our environmental management team is working diligently to clean up the affected areas,” said Col. Michelle Sterling, 96th CEG commander. “We are communicating our efforts with the homeowners and want to assure the community we are engaged in clean up procedures.”
Engine Issues and Late Market Entry Kept the Tristar From Reaching Its Full Commercial Potential
The early 1970s were a magnificent era in aviation. Big was ‘in’ as airplane manufacturers explored a host of new technologies to deliver jet-flight comfort to the masses.
The theory was that a large aircraft could accommodate the expected growth of the industry while providing better comfort and enough range to connect the world. From this era came the mighty Boeing 747, the Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar.
Lockheed is Enticed by a Growing Commercial Market
Trans World Airlines L-1011-100 TriStar | IMAGE: By Eduard Marmet CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16625562
Back in the late 1960s, American Airlines went to Lockheed and Douglas looking for a widebody airliner smaller than the 747 but larger than the then-common Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. Douglas offered the DC-10. Seeing the large market potential, Lockheed offered the L-1011.
Lockheed was no stranger to the commercial market. Up until the early 1960s, Lockheed regularly offered commercial aircraft. The Constellation and later the L-188 Electra represented top-tier designs for the era. Lockheed had become more focused on the steady stream of military projects over time. Their C-130, C-141, and C-5 Galaxy offerings provided a seemingly solid source of income. While the C-5 provided a great platform to explore new technologies (like high-bypass engines, kneeling gear, and advanced cockpit design), it was fraught with issues and cost overruns. Lockheed returned to the commercial market with a goal to build the best medium sized-wide body on the market.
The Eastern Airlines promotional film from the early 1970s shows the enthusiasm behind Lockheed’s entrant into the widebody market (posted on YouTube by Periscope Films).
Advanced Features at Every Turn
A Delta Air Lines Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
Lockheed’s entrant into the wide-body market was meant to make a splash. The jet included three engines, meant to provide better economics than the more common four-engined aircraft of the day. The L-1011 offered cabin comforts of the larger 747 (wide seats, large open cabin) along with new amenities like a potable water system, an optional downstairs lounge, an entertainment system, and a crew elevator to keep most of the galleys out of sight of the passengers.
The aircraft itself offered advanced technology, such as Cat IIIc autoland, which enabled the jet to land at approved fields in zero visibility conditions on autopilot. The jet also featured DLC (a more advanced version was also featured on the C-17), enabling more stable approaches using variable spoilers to dissipate lift in approach conditions.
The “advanced” cockpit of the L-1011 TriStar | IMAGE: By CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15855299
Successful First Flight, then Engine Manufacturer Challenges Emerge
The rollout of the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar in 1970 | IMAGE: Jon Proctor https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31480277
Lockheed chose the Rolls-Royce RB-211 to power its new jet. The engine featured a seemingly more advanced design with higher thrust than the more conventional two-spool configuration of the day. It was seen as a differential from the Douglas design, which was to feature the General Electric CF-6. The L-1011 Tristar first flew on 16 November 1970.
Shortly after, Rolls-Royce encountered financial difficulties. The cost of the new engine bankrupted the famed engine manufacturer. It was only through US government guarantees secured by Lockheed that production would resume. Due to this delay, Lockheed’s new widebody wasn’t certified until almost 18 months later. By this time, Douglas’ DC-10 had already commenced service.
The L-1011 Tristar finally entered commercial service in 1972 with Eastern Airlines. TWA, Delta, British Airways (originally Court), Cathay Pacific, and Pacific Southwest Airlines all placed early orders for the jet. Airlines like TWA even produced ad campaigns around the jet, as seen in this commercial posted on YouTube by 4engines4fun.
Lockheed later offered optimized versions of the jet, providing improvements in range and performance. They also offered a shortened L-1011-500 version that gave the jet sufficient range to comfortably offer transatlantic service from any East Coast airport to locations deep within the heart of Europe.
Later operators included American Trans Air (ATA), Air Canada, Pan Am, United, and Saudia.
The L-1011 Ended Lockheed’s Love Affair with Commercial Offerings
The L-1011 was a mix of advanced design and disappointing initial performance. Lockheed couldn’t overcome its delayed entry to market, combined with weak performance from the initial versions of the aircraft. The jet sold a total of 249 aircraft to commercial and military customers. However, the relatively modest sales led Lockheed to conclude that focusing on military aircraft represented its best path forward as a company.
A firefighting plane is grounded today in California, after hitting a drone in restricted airspace while fighting the raging fires ongoing around LA.
Details are scarce, but the Canadian CL-415 “Super Scooper”, call sign “Quebec-1”, took a football-size hole through one of its wings from the drone.
Canada sent 2 Super Scoopers to help fight the LA fires
The incident forced all planes to be temporarily grounded as the fires raged on. The plane in question is tail C-GQBG. Canada sent two of them to help.
The Super Scoopers are picking-up 1,500 gallons of water from the ocean and dropping it onto the fires. Other assets and crews are dropping retardants and fresh water from nearby lakes and reservoirs.
Two Canadian planes from Quebec have been involved in fighting the fires since Tuesday. (Los Angeles County Fire Department photo)
We expect the plane to be airborne again soon, based on the damage in the wing photo from LAFD. The FAA is investigating the collision. The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in restricted airspace. It’s unknown whether the drone was official use for the fires, or a hobbyist ignoring the law.
According to the FAA, flying a drone in the midst of firefighting efforts is a federal crime punishable by up to a year in prison or up to $75,000 fine.
“When people fly drones near wildfires, fire response agencies often ground their aircraft to avoid the potential for a midair collision,” says the FAA website. “Delaying airborne response poses a threat to firefighters on the ground, residents, and property in nearby communities, and it can allow wildfires to grow larger.”
Numerous drones have been sighted dangerously close to firefighting ops all week
Radio chatter this week has picked up numerous drone sightings over the fires and in the way or aerial assets, likely from ignorant hobbyists unfamiliar with the laws. Or worse, they simply don’t care.
There was another pilot that put up a drone to take pictures. It also grounded all aerial firefighting in the area temporarily.
Legitimate news media are in helicopters and operating drones outside of restricted airspace to document & operate in cooperation with authorities.
Cal Fire crews faced similar issues in 2024, when fighting several massive wildfires burning across Southern California.
Northwest Airlines was a pioneer in transpacific travel, but it was far from the most loved airline at times.
Aviation enthusiasts fondly recall Northwest Airlines, known for its red-tailed planes and vast Pacific network, but these memories are quickly fading since its merger with Delta Airlines over 15 years ago.
Many of those who remember Northwest probably lived in its hub cities, such as the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St.Paul (MSP), Detroit (DTW), Seattle (SEA), and Memphis (MEM), as well as a whole host of other “northern-tier” cities in the United States.
The Many logos of Northwest Airlines. Image: Northwest Airlines History Center
Northwest airplanes were fixtures in the skies above Asian cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Manila, and Taipei. For this reason, Northwest Airlines became Northwest Orient Airlines in 1947. The airline had an extensive network and grew into a fierce Pacific competitor.
Many air travelers remember this legacy airline with mixed emotions. If you lived in Asia, where Northwest dominated for years, flying on the airplanes with the red tails was a matter of prestige and affluence.
Northwest merged with Republic in 1986. When it acquired and merged with Republic Airlines in 1986, the airline dropped the “Orient” part of its name, symbolizing its growing US network to complement its strong international routes.
Residents of smaller communities in the western United States and the Upper Midwest—like Fargo, ND (FAR); Bismarck, ND (BIS); Great Falls, MT (GTF); Helena, MT (HLN); Bozeman, MT (BZN); Butte, MT (BTM); Missoula, MT (MSO); Spokane, WA (GEG); Rochester, MN (RST); and Madison, WI (MSN)—also miss Northwest and the numerous destinations It offered to such small cities. Northwest’s service was the primary way that residents in those cities could escape the winter cold to worldwide destinations on mainline jets.
In later years, Northwest struggled with labor relations and elderly aircraft. In 2008, it was absorbed into Delta Airlines as part of a merger.
Pacific Pioneers
Throughout its history, Northwest Airlines achieved remarkable feats, especially in the Pacific region, showcasing the ingenuity and dedication of its workforce. Its early accomplishments rivaled those of iconic carriers like Pan Am, cementing Northwest’s legacy as a pioneering airline.
A Northwest Stratocruiser in flight. Image: Northwest Airlines History Center
In 1931, Northwest developed its Great Circle Route to Asia from the United States via Alaska. This new way of flying halfway around the globe saved thousands of miles from the previous way across the Pacific, developed by Pan American Airways. The “long way” pioneered by Pan Am traversed the Pacific through Hawaii and other islands like Midway, Wake, and Guam.
Northwest partnered with Charles and Anne Lindbergh to publicize its new way of traveling to Asia. Lindbergh was an American hero who, just four years earlier, flew nonstop across the Atlantic from America to France.
In the 1940s and throughout World War II, Northwest flew troops and supplies for the US Government to Alaska. These men and materiel would eventually find their way to the war front in Asia. Shortly after the war, Northwest started painting the tails of its airplanes red since they flew over rough terrain in the western US, Canada, and Alaska. The company wanted rescuers to be able to find their airplanes if they went down in rough terrain or bad weather.
The airline grew with extensive service to Asia in the 1960s and 1970s, flying the 707, then later the 747 and DC-10 across the vast distances of the Pacific. Northwest even set up a domestic-like feeder network in Japan and other nearby nations with 727s and later 757s to connect asian cities to their international network.
Challenging Middle Years
In the late 1940s, Northwest wanted to get a jump on its competition, which was flying leftover DC-3s and DC-4s from the war. They contracted to eventually purchase 40 Martin 2-0-2s from the Martin Company. These airplanes were based, in part, on the designs Martin developed for bombers during World War II. Unfortunately, from 1948 through 1951, Northwest suffered five fatal Martin 2-0-2 crashes. They finally grounded the Martins and canceled all further orders. The Martin 2-0-2 debacle almost ruined the airline.
Northwest introduced the Martin 2-0-2 into its fleet with some challenges. Image: Northwest Airlines History Center
At the same time Northwest was dealing with the Martin 2-0-2 issues, they were also flying Douglas DC-4s. Flight 2501, a DC-4 flying from New York to Seattle, went down in Lake Michigan with 58 aboard. Some debris and human remains were found floating on the water, but the wreckage was never found. Divers still search for the wreckage to this day.
Another infamous incident happened in 1971. A passenger who bought his ticket under the name “D.B. Cooper” hijacked a Northwest 727 as it flew between Seattle and Portland. When the plane returned to Seattle, he was given $200,000 in ransom and parachutes obtained from the Issaquah Skyport just outside of Seattle. Cooper demanded to be flown to Reno. While the 727 flew over southwestern Washington State, Cooper parachuted out of the aft open stairwell. Cooper was never found, but some of his money was discovered along the banks of the Columbia River in 1980.
A Northwest Airlines Boeing 720B in cruise | IMAGE: Northwest Airlines History Center
Northwest Airlines’ Fleet History Was Especially Diverse
Northwest’s fleet of aircraft over its long history was impressive. Throughout its long history, Northwest flew a wide variety of airplanes: DC-3s, DC-4s, DC-6s, DC-7s, DC-9s, DC-10s, Martin 2-0-2, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Lockheed L-188 Electra, Boeing 707s, 727s, 747s, and 757s, plus several others. It tried utilizing Super Constellations and even Douglas DC-8s. Northwest later sealed a deal with Airbus and flew a large fleet of Airbus A319s, A320s, and A330s.
A Northwest Airlines Douglas DC-9 in the famous “bowling shoe” livery | IMAGE: AeroIcarus (CC 2.0)
Many avgeeks remember that toward the end of their history, Northwest was known for flying an extensive network with elderly DC-9 aircraft. In the late 1990s, the airline refurbished its fleet with modern interiors instead of buying newer and more efficient jets, as other airlines were doing at the time. The move did save the airline money initially. However, the rapid rise in fuel prices in the early 2000s led to significant expenses as they operated a significantly less efficient fleet than their competitors. Delta finally retired the last Northwest DC-9 (in Delta colors) in 2014.
Labor Relations And Coorporate Raiders Resulted In A Mixed Legacy Of Service
There are probably as many negative memories of Northwest, too, though. It wasn’t always in jest when air travelers would sometimes call the airline “Northworst.” The company was notorious for its turbulent labor relations and the numerous strikes it had to endure from its unions. Because the airline had such a strong presence in their hubs and Midwest cities, many passengers felt trapped by the need to fly on an airline with disappointing on-time arrivals, old aircraft, and disappointing service.
The airline was also known for its penny-pinching and severe cost-cutting measures, especially in the 1990s and 2000s, when corporate raiders used Northwest to make themselves rich at the expense of employees, their families, and the flying public.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Northwest suffered economic and air travel downturns after the Gulf War and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The airline’s previous debts, corporate governance challenges, and geriatric aircraft made it particularly vulnerable.
Northwest Reaches The End of Its Road
A Boeing 747-400 in Northwest Airlines’ last paint scheme. Image: Northwest Airlines History Center
Northwest filed for bankruptcy in September 2005, emerging in May 2007 with a new paint scheme and a renewed emphasis on service. Unfortunately, that new focus was short-lived as the spike in oil prices in 2008 and the Great Recession forced a wave of consolidations between airlines in the industry.
In April 2008, Northwest announced it would merge with Delta Airlines. The merger was completed in January 2010, ending a proud legacy of the red tails plying the Pacific. Still, Northwest Airlines was a pioneer of the airline industry, connecting the Pacific in unique ways. Despite difficulties throughout the years, they were an airline with a proud history, many outstanding employees, and many firsts that grew the Pacific market into what it is today.
Frontier Airlines has announced it will start three popular domestic routes from New York City (NYC) starting this Spring.
Frontier will offer introductory prices starting at just $19 per passenger. This gives travelers a golden opportunity to fly from New York City to Miami for just $19.
Frontier Across America
Frontier Airlines has issued a press release announcing the start of three new routes from John F. Kennedy International Airport in NYC. Once each new route begins service, Frontier will also offer a special discount price for a limited time only.
Starting 30 March, 2025, Frontier will fly from John F. Kennedy Airport to Miami once daily. Fares for this flight start at just $19.
On 22 April, 2025, Frontier will begin its New York-Dallas route. This route will take place four times per week with fares starting at $29.
Beginning in May, Frontier will start service from New York to Los Angeles. The airline will fly between cities once daily starting 1 May, 2025. Travelers can take advantage of the introductory fare and fly one of the most popular routes in America for just $49.
Image: by Acroterion from Wikimedia Commons
Frontier Airlines Vice President of Network and Operations Design Josh Flyr shared these comments about the new NYC routes:
“This is an exciting day for consumers as we once again expand our offerings at JFK…With the launch of these ultra-low fare flights to Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles, we are increasing the availability of affordable travel to top destinations for New Yorkers, as well as making a New York adventure or business trip that much more affordable for budget-savvy consumers across the United States.”
JFK Introductory Fare Terms
Customers have until 14 January at midnight Eastern Standard Time to book a flight involving one of these three new routes to be eligible for a discount. Though there are blackout dates that apply, travelers can schedule their flight for as far back as 18 August 2025. Refer to Frontier’s press release for a list of blackout dates.
Last month, Frontier introduced UpFront Plus, which is a brand-new premium seating option that offers additional legroom and a guaranteed empty middle seat. These new seats will be installed by late 2025 and will be available on every aircraft from Frontier.
As time goes on, there are fewer and fewer veterans still alive from WWII. In a few years, none will be left. So, it was a real privilege last summer to watch this WWII P-51 pilot climb onboard a Mustang once again, recalling his time flying the iconic fighter over war-torn Europe.
Major Elmer Pankratz (USAF retired) flew 43 recon missions over Europe after the Battle of the Bulge, and flew over 800 hours in the P-51. At over 100 years old, he is still funny, witty and sharp, and remembers WWII like it was yesterday. He served with the 160th Squadron, 373rd Group, 9th Air Force.
Watch this WWII P-51 Pilot Climb Onboard a Mustang Again 22
Granting a WWII veteran’s wish
I met up with Pankratz at the National Warplane Museum’s warbird air show in Geneseo, NY last July with my colleague AJ Bartucca (we both worked on the air show’s media team). Pankratz only wished for one thing; to climb back in a Mustang, his “Aluminum Sweetheart” as he calls it.
I work with most of the warbird community and half the air shows and museums across the country, so this was a wish easy to grant. I called my friend Scott Yoak, who was in attendance performing in his P-51D “Quick Silver”, but he was flying. So, I called another Mustang pilot friend, Louis Horschel, who was also in attendance for the show.
Louis Horschel in his P-51 “Mad Max” with Scott Yoak in his P-51 “Quick Silver”. Photo by Mike Killian
Both Louis and Scott have a special place in their hearts for our veterans, so I already knew they would accommodate. I linked up with Louis and we waited for Elmer to arrive with his son. At the same time, Scott landed and parked his Mustang. I filled him in on Elmer’s wish, and without hesitation Scott invited him onboard.
Reunited with his Aluminum Sweetheart
“This is a dream. It’s a dream…,” said Pankratz as he marveled at the plane. “One way or another, even if I have to flap my arms I’m gonna get up in that cockpit.” He smiled ear to ear as he walked around the Mustang to the front, where we had a ladder waiting to help him up on the wing.
Watch as Pankratz revisits a P-51, 80 years after he flew them over war-torn Europe
Pankratz wasted no time getting back in the saddle, cane and all. A group of us made sure Mr Pankratz could climb onto the plane safely, while Scott and Louis both helped him get into the cockpit. As he sat down, cheers erupted from a crowd gathered, and Pankratz threw his fists up in celebration.
For the next 15 minutes, both Scott and Louis joined Pankratz, recalling his time in the war and flying the legendary fighter plane.
Watch this WWII P-51 Pilot Climb Onboard a Mustang Again 23
A walk down memory land
“They (Nazis) shot at me plenty of times, light flak and heavy flak,” recalled Pankratz of the war. “We usually flew at 5,000 ft., but in those days I could see a dog running down the road from a mile away, and 5k ft is about a mile. We found out that light flak, which was mostly 20mm rounds, well those round were really reaching and less accurate at 5k ft. The heavy flak seemed to get more accurate after it gets up a ways, and that goes on and on.
So, 5k ft was just the safest for us to be flying. You could still be shot by both light and heavy flak, because you’re within range. One day, I saw a tracer come right over my canopy.”
Watch this WWII P-51 Pilot Climb Onboard a Mustang Again 24
“Usually they (Nazis) had 4 anti-aircraft guns in a box, and they would follow the most accurate one,” recalled Pankratz about dodging anti-aircraft fire. “So, whatever he shot at, all the other guns would follow on the same target. You had an awful lot of lead flying in your direction. That’s how it was about halfway through.
Towards the end of the war, there was nothing left. I would fly over and Germany was decimated. When I flew over cities all I saw was rubble. If you were a very small town we left that alone, that wasn’t worth anything. So, they left that alone. A very very small town was the safest place Germans could get.”
P-51 air show pilots Louis Horschel (left) and Scott Yoak (right) with WWII P-51 veteran Major Elmer Pankratz (Mike Killian photo)
Pankratz is German himself, but felt no guilt in the war
“I am a German extraction,” said Pankratz. “A lot of people have asked me if I felt guilty, maybe shooting at my cousins down there. I wasn’t born in Germany, but my folks were.”
“No, I didn’t feel bad about it. They were the enemy, but I didn’t have any hate for them, until I found out about the concentration camps. That’s when I didn’t want to be German anymore. When I found out about them, how brutal they were, and I got more and more details….. In fact, I have pictures that a Head Intel Officer took at one of the camps. He took the pictures and I developed them and printed a set for him and a set for me. The pictures have never been published. They are all the same, stacked bodies and skeletons with skin hanging on them, just terrible stuff.”
P-51 air show pilots Louis Horschel (left) and Scott Yoak (right) with WWII P-51 veteran Major Elmer Pankratz (Mike Killian photo)
God willing, Scott will fly Mr Pankratz in the Mustang this year, as long as he is healthy enough for it. I will be documenting to tell the story! Stay tuned…
No connections, $10 airfares, and poor management…Skybus was a perfect case of poor execution by a startup airline.
Skybus was a privately held ultra-low-cost airline operating out of Columbus, Ohio. Its goal was to be the least expensive carrier in the US. In fact, the company’s slogan was “Only Birds Fly Cheaper.”
That may have been factually true, since Skybus was known for selling ten one-way seats on each flight for only $10 each. At the time, airline executives aimed for a forecasted CASM (Cost Per Available Seat Mile) 28% lower than Southwest Airlines, which would generate huge profits for investors like Fidelity, Morgan Stanley, Nationwide Mutual Capital, and Tiger Management. To meet this lofty goal, Skybus slashed expenses and had novel ways of generating revenue, not the least of which was severely underpaying employees.
In exchange for the low fares, passengers were required to pay extra for everything and were offered merchandise for sale. The airline was the first to charge for baggage. Delta, United and Northwest would later follow suit and charge fees for checked baggage, as well. Skybus also sold advertising space inside and outside the aircraft.
Its business model was similar to European ultra-low cost carrier Ryanair, flying routes not offered by other airlines, mostly into secondary airports. As an example, a route through Portsmouth, NH served the Boston market.
Skybus was in operation for slightly more than two years between March 2006 and April 2008. The company cited rising fuel costs and the lagging economy as reasons for shutting down. But the real reasons for its demise were probably more complicated and likely had to do with a lack of foresight from management more than anything else.
The bad press from the Christmas 2007 cancellations certainly did not help Skybus and fuel costs at the time were definitely on the rise; however, it may be the threat of unionization that was the final nail in the Skybus coffin.
Skybus Pilots Attempt at Unionization
Below-market compensation was part and parcel of the Skybus business model. Flight attendants were paid a measly $9 per flight hour and asked to sell merchandise on commission to supplement their salaries. Pilots’ wages were also well below the norm. A captain’s salary was about $90,000 compared with $120,000 at airlines like United.
Skybus pilots were organizing a union and had plans to join Local 747 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in Houston. They had enough signatures for a referendum, and it was expected that unionization would be complete by April 2008. Unionization and having to pay pilots at-par wages would have been a real drag on Skybus’ bottom line and would also pave the way for other employee groups to unionize.
It is probably not a coincidence then that the airline ceased operations in April 2008, shutting down any possibility for unionization and no longer padding the wallets of their prominent investors.
Ken Fielding/https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenfielding [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Here is a brief rundown of the discount airline’s history:
Spring 2005: Founder John Weikle saw an opportunity when America West pulled out of its Columbus hub. Weikle began raising capital, and when Skybus commenced operations, it was one of the most well-capitalized airlines in history.
April 2007: Skybus announced its initial eight routes, all originating from the hub at Port Columbus International (CMH).
May 2007: The airline announced plans for major expansion, even though these expansion plans were not a part of the original business model. That summer, the DOT granted Skybus permission to fly internationally to Cancun, Mexico, and Nassau, Bahamas.
October 2007: Service cuts were announced on long-haul routes. Management blamed rising fuel costs.
Christmas 2007: The carrier made headlines for canceling about 1/4 of its scheduled routes over two days, citing issues with two of its seven planes. Management neglected to secure de-icing contracts ahead of the winter months. This led to significant additional de-icing costs and an onslaught of consumer complaints.
February 2008: Skybus ended service to the West Coast with the exception of one daily nonstop flight to Burbank, CA.
April 4, 2008: The airline totally ceased operations. Here’s a terrible video of the last flight.
In recent years, movies like “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact” about have shown asteroids threatening the Earth and showing devastating effects from impacts. Planetary defense efforts and the possibility of such events are not just science fiction.
NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have been working together to learn about potential dangers from asteroids and other near-Earth objects. They have also taken concrete steps to be able to protect us if a dangerous asteroid did come our way.
DART Planetary Defense Mission Deflects Asteroid
On 24 November 2021, NASA launched the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The goal of this planetary defense initiative was to strike an asteroid with a spacecraft moving at high speed to try to change its orbit and deflect it away from Earth.
DART also carried a small satellite from the Italian Space Agency (ASI). This was the Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids (LICIACube). It was about the size of a shoebox. It split apart from DART several days before the impact.
DART launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base on planetary defense mission to attempt to deflect an asteroid. | Image: NASA
The target for the DART mission was the Dimorphos moonlet, which orbits the larger asteroid Didymos. Dimorphos is about 6.8 million miles from Earth Neither object was a threat to Earth, but they were relatively close considering the vast distances between objects in space. Didymos is about a half mile in diameter, and Dimorphos is about 525 feet in diameter.
Image showing size of Dimorphos moonlet compared to Roman Colosseum. Image: ESA
DART reached the Didymos system on 26 September 2022 and recorded its own images up to a few seconds before the impact. These images were able to pinpoint the exact impact site within one meter. DART struck Dimorphos 7:14 p.m. and it took 38 seconds for signals confirming the successful impact to reach Earth. DART was moving at about 14,000 miles per hour at impact.
Detailed Images from Satellites and Telescopes Provide Proof of Successful DART Mission
The LICIACube was able to take detailed images of Dimorphos from before and just three minutes after the impact. These showed debris around Dimorphos following the collision, important confirmation of the success of this planetary defense initiative.
Image from the Hubble Space Telescope of Debris from Dimorphos following impact with DART Spacecraft. | Image: NASA
The mission then shifted to analyzing the effect of the collision. Since DART’s impact with Dimorphos, astronomers have been using ground-based telescopes, the LICIACube, and the Hubble Space telescope to observe it. Their investigation has confirmed that DART did change Dimorphos’s orbit around Didymos.
“This result is one important step toward understanding the full effect of DART’s impact with its target asteroid” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Image of Dimorphos eleven seconds before DART Spacecraft Strikes it on Planetary Defense Mission. | Image: NASA
European Space Agency Launches HERA Mission to Study DART Impact
To perform a follow-up observation of DART, the ESA launched its Hera mission on 7 October 2024 to revisit Didymos and Dimorphos. Hera, which ESA calls “Europe’s Flagship Planetary Defender,” launched on a Falcon 9 Rocket from Cape Canaveral.
Hera should reach the Didymos system in January or February of 2027. Scientists hope it will provide important information useful for future planetary defense efforts.
Hera Spacecraft during Mission to Didymos Asteroid System. | Image: ESA
A Boost from Mars on Hera Mission
The trip will require several complex maneuvers including passing within about 3100 miles of Mars. This will use the planet’s gravity to accelerate the spacecraft.
“We are very fortunate that Mars is in the right place at the right time to lend a hand to Hera,” says Pablo Muñoz from ESOC’s Mission Analysis team, who planned Hera’s journey. “This enabled us to design a trajectory that uses the gravity of Mars to accelerate Hera towards Didymos, offering substantial fuel savings to the mission and allowing Hera to arrive at the asteroids months earlier than would otherwise be possible.”
Hera to Examine Impact of DART Mission
Once Hera arrives at the Didymos system, it will begin series of close observations. It will perform five observation passes, each getting closer to the surface of Didymos. On its fourth pass, Hera will fly at about 3100 feet above the surface and eventually land on Dimorphos.
During the mission, Hera will examine the density and shapes of Didymos and Dimorphos. It will also observe changes in the movement and orbit of Dimorphos and closely examine the impact crater from DART.
European Center Maintains Data on near-Earth Objects
All of this work to study ways to protect Earth from asteroids and other objects is based on real data. In recent years, the ESA has been keeping track of objects from its Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC), the operational center of its Planetary Defense Office. It gathers information from telescopes and other sensors.
The NEOC is at ESA’s ESRIN site in Frascati, Italy. It is the the central access point for an entire network of European near-Earth object data sources. The NEOC uses the data to study orbits, monitor impacts, and analyze potential risks. This includes giving nations timely data regarding objects moving close to Earth.
Small portion of risk list from ESA near-Earth Objects Coordination Centre Database. | Image: ESA
A near-Earth object is an asteroid or comet which passes close to the Earth’s orbit. This means it is within about 28 million miles of Earth’s orbit. The NEOCC also has a website with current information and statistics on asteroid numbers, upcoming close asteroid flybys, and ESA’s asteroid risk list.
Kiwi Airlines typified the saga of starting an airline in the 1990s.
With low fares and high quality, Kiwi International Airlines should have been a stand out success story. But like most airlines of the post-deregulation era, internal conflicts, FAA issues, competition and a few too many customer perks, the airline failed. The story behind Kiwi is fascinating even though its an all too common story of failure in the industry.
Kiwi was founded in 1992 with Robert Iverson, a former Eastern Airlines pilot, along with several other pilots from various failed, sold, and merged airlines. In the beginning stages of their plan, they referred to themselves as the “Kiwi Acquisition Group,” referencing the Kiwi bird that couldn’t fly.
The name stuck and after several investments from the founding pilots and their new employees, they officially became Kiwi Airlines. Kiwi International Airlines was a Part 121 employee owned and operated airline. The airline was focused on a very low cost experience for the consumer without sacrificing quality. Great meals, decorated aircraft, and low cost airfare were hallmarks of Kiwi service.
Kiwi Airlines launched on a high note.
Employee motivation was initially very high due to higher than average pay averaging up to double the pay at other airlines. The pay, combined with very positive labor relations meant that the airline started off on a very positive note. After acquiring two Boeing 727-200 aircraft, the airline proceeded to make their first flight in September of 1992 from Newark International Airport to Chicago’s Midway airport.
The airline was committed to customer ease and satisfaction flying various non-stop routes, many of which were departing from smaller, more accessible airports. Throughout the year, they maintained an impressive safety record and made many customers happy.
Quickly began to struggle
Not everything was great at Kiwi though. Despite making money off of half-full passenger loads due to a favorable cost-structure and creating extremely satisfied customers, the airline had a $6 million loss in its first year.
Just 18 months later, the airline had its first major issue on its hands. Thirteen of their acquired aircraft were grounded by the FAA because they had concerns about their pilot documentation procedures. They lost $2 million because of this misstep but quickly fixed the issue.
Even with their challenges, Kiwi Airlines continued to grow and customers enjoyed the service. Thanks to their great customer service and strong safety record, the Conde Nast Traveler named Kiwi the best domestic airline in the United States.
The airline had acquired 16 leased aircraft and employed over 1,000 individuals by 1995. They added additional routes and grew rapidly. That same year, Iverson was removed from his leadership post. He eventually spoke out against Kiwi Airlines just as the airline began experiencing the first real business and operational challenges and suffering major monetary losses. The hits kept coming.
Kiwi Airlines owed several million dollars to the IRS. They also owed money to various airports around the country. The FAA grounded many of their aircraft and determined that a large amount of their pilots were undertrained.
Kiwi Airlines maintained that these actions were an over-reaction and continued to push their safety record as evidence. The attention didn’t help their bottom line. Many employees were laid off and those that remained had to accept a 17% pay cut.
Bankruptcy follows
Additional layoffs continued in 1996. Kiwi’s paper value was only worth an estimated $35 million. In September of that year, Kiwi Airlines officially began chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. They suspended most of their operation in October of 1996, except for charter flights.
In January of 1997 attempted to startup again by running a limited schedule flying its trunk routes. Unfortunately it didn’t last long. By the end of 1998, they were deep in the red again. They owed several airports over $750,000 total and the United States Department of Transportation began several investigations into the airline for failure to meet federal fitness standards for air carriers and various other issues.
In March of 1999 Kiwi Airlines was still hanging on, although barely, despite several changes of those in charge of the company and various attempted bailouts and loans. They were only operating charter flights with four aircraft left in their fleet, flying to six cities with less than 500 individuals employed. In December of 1999, the aircraft finally called it quits and was liquidated.
Kiwi had many things passengers wanted in an airline, but unfortunately the late 1990’s were tough for the entire industry and even a tougher time to start a successful airline. Like many other upstarts, Kiwi failed. Despite the sad finish, Kiwi flew over 8,000,000 passengers with no incidents and left the industry with a surprisingly strong safety record.
Millions of people are traveling this holiday season to see family and friends. For one grinch near Miami airport, interfering with flights using a green laser put him on the naughty list.
A man was arrested near Miami International Airport for pointing a laser at moving aircrafts on Christmas Day. It’s a problem that the FAA says is more common than you think.
It’s Not Easy Seeing Green
Miami-Dade police reportedly arrested a Brazilian national for directing a green laser pointer at aircraft landing at Miami International Airport on Wednesday.
Officers arrested Francisco Teixeira, 45, near the airport after an American Airlines flight landed. The pilot filed a complaint with police, pinpointing the location where the laser likely originated.
Police claim that Teixeira was inside a room at a nearby La Quinta Inn when he pointed the laser. Officers found a laser pointer inside his room during a search. The pointer emitted a green laser just as the pilot described.
Photo: American Airlines
Officers were able to confirm the device was used to disrupt flights as they were on approach to Miami International Airport.
Teixeira is facing charges of abuse of a laser lighting device, which is a felony offense under both federal and Florida laws. He is currently being detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
If convicted, he may face large fines and possible time in prison.
The FAA Cracking Down on Laser Pointers
This is an ongoing challenge for pilots and crew flying aircraft around the globe. Following headlines of drone discoveries in the Northeast, the FAA issued a warning to not point laser pointers at the sky.
“Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard and a violation of federal law,” the FAA’s statement reads.
The FAA explains that laser pointers can distract or temporarily blind aircraft pilots. When a laser is directed at a cockpit, the laser light can refract off of items in the cockpit like a window or a HUD causing the green light to scatter throughout the cockpit.
The sudden burst of light can significantly impede cockpit duties or even cause lasting eye damage. With each commercial flight carrying tens or hundreds of passengers at a time, there’s much more at risk than what most troublemakers with laser pointers realize.
Image: By Tomás Del Coro from Wikimedia Commons
“Intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft isn’t a prank, it is a federal crime with lasting consequences,” says President of the Air Line Pilots Association Capt. Jason Ambrosi.
The FAA reports at least 15 laser pointer-related injuries occurred in 2024. The organization also notes that pointing a laser at an aircraft can result in monetary charges and up to five years in prison.
Bottom line? Don’t even think about pointing a laser in the sky and definitely not at any aircraft.
In the early days of aviation, it was a preferred practice to ‘foam the runway’ if an aircraft had a landing gear emergency. The thinking behind this practice was that if an aircraft had an emergency, fire retardant foam would be sprayed on the runway by emergency personnel to prevent sparks from igniting leaking fuel or the aircraft itself on arrival.
In earlier days of aviation, the concept of foaming the runway was seen as a best practice. Piston driven aircraft and airliners were slower. Runway length was typically not as much of a factor due to the relatively low speed approaches of the aircraft. Foaming the runway was seen as a way to prevent fires from starting.
The video below shows how firefighters deployed foam on the runway prior to a known arrival of an aircraft with a gear malfunction.
Aircraft were generally less reliable. Landing gear issues were more common and training on such scenarios were not as rigorous. Foaming was seen as the best option at the time but has been superseded by other approaches.
Foaming The Runway Is a Time Intensive Process
There are many difficulties with ‘foaming’ a runway. First, it is a lengthy process. A runway can be anywhere from one to three miles long. This means that it can take a lengthy time to deploy the fire retardant chemicals. Emergencies can happen fast.
While firefighting crews typically respond to an unexpected incident in less than 3 minutes, the time and coordination necessary to foam a runway in a coordinated manner with many vehicles would be much lengthier and time-consuming.
Foaming The Runway Requires Significant Chemicals
The amount of fire retardant necessary to ‘foam’ a runway can be significant. All airfields have a limited amount of fire vehicles and fire retardant chemicals. This means that some retardant that could be used to put out a fire after an incident would have already been disbursed prior to the incident. An FAA circular from 1966 highlights some of the risks with foaming the runway due to a landing gear malfunction. This circular was rescinded in 1987 by the FAA.
Advances in pilot training and aircraft safety
As modern aircraft have improved over time, landing gear and hydraulic systems have improved in robustness and reliability. This makes the likelihood of a landing gear malfunction much less common. While landing gear malfunctions still occur, they are relatively rare. Aircraft systems are more robust as well to reduce the likelihood of leaks and increase the amount of redundancies in case of a malfunction.
Additionally, pilot training has better emphasized the importance of fully diagnosing emergencies and utilizing alternate systems to deploy landing gear and flaps. This means that pilots are more comprehensive in their diagnosis and resolution of issues, lessening the frequency of landing with an unresolved issue that could require foaming the runway.
Improved Firefighting Techniques
An airport firefighting truck at Edmonton, Canada. Image: Alex Juorio (CC 2.0)
Aircraft systems and pilot training play a large part in successfully resolving aircraft incidents safely. Firefighting techniques have also improved drastically over the years. Airport firefighters regularly train to meet modern response time requirements.
They are trained how to best approach an aircraft to most effectively fight a fire and keep passengers and crews safe. Firefighters also have better tools to spot ‘hot spots’ on a stricken aircraft and more precisely target a fire.
Foam Can Introduce Additional Complexities
There are a few other reasons why foaming a runway is no longer the preferred option in an aircraft landing emergency. Modern airliners have precise landing data to ensure a safe stopping margin when landing. This information is based on the approach speed, runway available, winds, and surface friction.
A foamed runway has the effect or reducing the surface friction verses a dry runway. That means that the landing distance on a foamed runway would be significantly longer. While all aircraft have landing data for wet and snowy runways, the type of foam used could vary by airport meaning that the precise friction on a runway may be indeterminate.
In any emergency, you want to control the variables. Foaming the runway can add additional complexity and unknown risk.
Lastly, many firefighting foams contain PFAS. These are chemicals known to cause harm to the human body and the environment. While the chemicals are still needed for actual firefighting, the usage of them have been limited in training to reduce harm and long-term environmental risk.
In the late summer of 1980, as a Short 330 copilot, I encountered the Grim Reaper again. I thought he might lay off me since I wasn’t in a combat aircraft or in a combat zone, but here he was, empty eye sockets and all, watching over my shoulder.
The final mission leg one night took us from Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) to Salisbury, MD, with a 2100 takeoff time with a full load of 30 passengers. The weather briefing had been ominous with severe thunderstorms forecast, but takeoff and departure toward the Chesapeake Bay Bridge had been clear. Shortly after crossing the Bay, however, we picked up a dire radar depiction in the vicinity of Salisbury, a bright red return with a narrow yellow perimeter indicating a powerful storm. It was about ten miles from the Salisbury Airport but seemed headed in roughly that direction, southwest to northeast. We approached from the northwest.
As we reached 30 miles from the field, the storm had moved to within five miles of the airport. I considered that we should return to Baltimore because it would be a very close call on beating the storm to Salisbury. But, this was the last leg of the day, Salisbury was our domicile, and get-home-itis suggested maybe we should give it a shot. As a relatively new commuter copilot in the Short 330, I asked the captain, Deano, if we might consider returning to BWI.
“Naw,” he said, “we can make it.” With that he pushed up the throttles and the race was on.
With more than ten miles’ visibility we could clearly see the runway and airport as we lined up on a nine-mile final. It looked like we had it made. The storm, a towering black column with crackling lightning, seemed about two miles on the other side of the runway, but it was obvious we would get there before it did and land with clear visibility.
A Short 330 (or any plane) is no match for a giant thunderstorm. (Wikipedia commons)
Thunderstorms are impressive creatures. They can develop as eight-mile-high vacuum cleaners violently sucking up the ground air around the storm base and propelling it upward violently until it spews out the top of the column. As the low-level air is sucked off the ground, it must be replaced, usually from the air several hundred feet above it. As this air above the ground air is pulled downward toward the ground, it too must be replaced, usually with some of the ground air rising into the storm. This creates vertically circular eddies swirling around the storm at irregular intervals.
Just as I declared to myself we were home safe on about a one-mile final, we encountered one of the violent, vertically circular vortices in the clear air just ahead of the storm. This is termed the frontal gust that, if observed from the ground, displays trees with branches thrashing and bending back and forth in the strong wind. We had a fifty-fifty chance of getting an updraft or downdraft.
By Ardfern (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Had we hit a downdraft, we would have all been dead in the cornfield off the approach end of the runway in about three seconds. But my guardian angel saved me and we caught an updraft.
Suddenly we were not in control of the plane. I felt as if a giant invisible hand had scooped us up and raised us into the sky, a sensation similar to a rapidly rotating Ferris wheel after you pass the bottom of the circular arc and begin to rise rapidly.
Deano pulled the throttles to idle and shoved the nose downward in a futile attempt to descend to the runway that had begun to pass under us. Despite idle power and 15 degrees nose low attitude we rose at 1,500 feet per minute. The power of this force made me later realize we could never have recovered if the air column had been going down instead of up.
Finally, as we neared the departure end of the 5000-foot runway, the upward force released us and left us 1,500 feet above the ground and gasping in terror. But we were back in control of the plane. I’m sure the passengers sensed our plight. We raised the gear and flaps and sped away from the mayhem we had just encountered. A few miles from the airport we did a large 180-degree turn to appraise our chances of getting back to the field. The sight as the airdrome location came back into view sucked all the air from my lungs.
The storm had moved on to the field, blocking our return. Further, in its mass to the southwest and threat of moving to the northeast, it had blocked any possible return to BWI with our current fuel load. Behind us was nothing but the Atlantic Ocean. Except…
Twenty miles away and five miles from the shoreline lay the Ocean City, MD airport with 5000 feet of runway. Unfortunately, it was closed for the night, no lights, no tower, nothing. Further, although we had visual conditions, we didn’t know exactly where the field was located and had nothing to guide us there except an educated guess from the road network leading to the resort.
Again we went to full power to reach Ocean City with the storm roiling up behind us. We made our guess on the airport location and illuminated our landing lights, turning to and fro trying to sight the runway. Finally, there it was, all 5000 beautiful feet of concrete. We configured with gear and flaps and headed straight for it. We had no idea which way the wind was blowing and didn’t care, we were putting it down immediately regardless of the wind.
The frontal gust had not quite arrived so the winds seemed near calm. We landed, and as we rolled down the runway, the passengers broke into applause and cheers. We turned off at the end of the runway and began taxiing back toward the terminal. About the time we arrived at the gate area, the frontal gust arrived and then the storm with rain as heavy as I have ever experienced with the wind rocking the plane on its landing gear.
(Excerpt from “Flying the Line, an Air Force Pilot’s Journey, Military Airlift Command, 1981-1993,” by Jay Lacklen. Click here to buy the book.)
