The warmth of a bright red glow traveling across the evening sky will allow the U.S. and Canadian Air Force and NORAD to assist Santa Claus with his special delivery of gifts on Christmas Eve.
NORAD is marking their 64th year tracking St. Nicholas across most of the western hemisphere. Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature which can allow satellites and radar to detect Santa — code name Big Red One.
Jolly ol’ St. Nicholas visited with the Air Force Thunderbirds last week at Nellis AFB, NV. (USAF)
The tiny sleigh filled with gifts is expected to arrive over the east coast of the United States on Tuesday at about 11:20 p.m. EST, as he continues his delivery flight, NORAD officials said. Located in Colorado Springs, NORAD will follow the jolly elf’s travels using radar, satellites, and jet fighters.
“In addition to our day-to-day mission of defending North America, we are proud to carry on the tradition of tracking Santa as he travels along his yuletide flight path,” Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, said on Monday. “The same radars, satellites, and interceptors employed on December 24 are used year-round to defend Canadian and American airspace from threats.”
NORAD’s upgraded multimedia website will allow children to follow Santa’s journey in real time, while listening to holiday music or viewing special videos. App stores offer a special portable technology app NORAD Tracks Santa which will allow users to download and track the holiday voyage.
Volunteers monitor phones and computers while tracking Santa Claus at the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center on Peterson AFB, Colo., (USAF)
Volunteers will support the NORAD operations center to answer children’s phone calls from across the globe at 1-877-HI-NORAD, beginning at 6:00 a.m. Air Force officials will field questions in eight languages — English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.
The start of NORAD’s 64-year association with Santa began in 1955. NORAD’s public affairs describes how this holiday spirit took flight.
“A local newspaper advertisement informed children they could call Santa directly – only the contact number in the advertisement was misprinted. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the crew commander on duty, U.S. Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, the predecessor to NORAD.”
“Col. Shoup was quick to realize a mistake had been made, and assured the child he was Santa. Shoup then assigned a duty officer to continue answering calls. Thus, a tradition was born, and continued when NORAD was formed in 1958.”
NORAD officials remind children to fall asleep early on Christmas Eve to ensure a speedy trip by Santa. “We love the opportunity this time of year to be able to say to everyone, ‘Sleep tight. We have the watch’.”
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
Mohawk Airlines certainly boasts a tumultuous past littered with crashes, fatalities, and even a hijacking. However, on the positive side, it was also known as the first U.S. airline to hire an African-American flight attendant.
But many readers not familiar with the Mid-Atlantic, regional commercial airline might know it less for its history operating for a few decades from the 1940s until the early 1970s, and more for its appearance on the show Mad Men, as a client of fictional ad agency Sterling Cooper.
So what’s the Mohawk Airlines’ true story?
Mohawk Airlines Ascent to Popularity
Mohawk Airlines didn’t actually become Mohawk Airlines until the 1950s, the name chosen because of the many routes the airline offered in the Mohawk Valley of New York State. Before that, the airline was Robinson Aviation, founded in the 1940s and operating on a very small scale. It was after the purchase of several aircraft (some “modern” Douglas DC-3s to complement the tiny Beechcraft Model 18 aircraft), some rebranding, and some leadership restructuring that Mohawk Airlines grew to carrying 2 million passengers in 1953, serving 15 airports and generating $24.3 million in revenue.
Mohawk Airlines: The Airline Of Many Firsts
All this time, Mohawk Airlines operated out of Ithaca, New York, before moving to Utica and introducing Convair 240 aircraft to its fleet in the mid-1950s, around the same time it historically hired the nation’s first African-American flight attendant, Ruth Carol Taylor. Unfortunately for Taylor, the airline was not open-minded enough at that time to allow married attendants to serve its passengers, and so Taylor was dismissed shortly after her hiring for her marriage.
However, this was far from the only “first” that Mohawk Airlines was accomplishing during this time period. Mohawk Airlines was the first airline to introduce pressurized aircraft to local routes in New York State. It was the first airline to use centralized, computer-based reservations services. It was the first regional airline to use flight simulators and to fly jets, with the addition of the BAC 1-11 aircraft to its fleet.
These years of the late 1950s and the early 1960s were Mohawk Airlines’ heyday — it just didn’t know it yet. The airline’s fleet grew to include Convair 440 aircraft, the Martin 4-0-4 and the Fairchild Hiller FH-227. In total, Mohawk Airlines would serve nearly 50 different airports over its lifetime, including several international destinations (Toronto and Montreal). It would operate more than 75 aircraft over its lifetime as well.
In the late 1960s, though, the accidents started.
Descent into History, Not The Good Kind
Mohawk Airlines experienced its first accident in 1963, though it would not be its deadliest, not at all. A Martin 4-0-4 aircraft attempted to take off in Rochester, during inclement weather. The aircraft flipped after its wingtip hit the ground and seven people were killed.
In 1967, a BAC 1-11 aircraft on its way to Washington, D.C., caught fire in the rear and all 34 people were killed when the aircraft crashed into a rural town in Pennsylvania.
Just two years later, 14 people died when a Fairchild-Hiller FH-227B aircraft crashed off the shore of Lake George in New York, as it attempted to land.
In 1972, an aircraft of the same make crashed into a house in Albany as it tried to land at the local airport. Seventeen people died, including one person at the home.
Most notably, though, Mohawk Airlines experienced a hijacking in 1972, when a flight from Albany to LaGuardia was diverted to Westchester, also in New York. The hijacker did not hurt any of the passengers, but asked for $200,000 in cash while holding the crew hostage. The hijacker received the money and then demanded the crew fly the plane to another airport in New York State, where he tired to drive away once landed, but was killed by the FBI.
Crashes, Hijacking Didn’t Stop Growth
Meanwhile, in 1962, even though Mohawk Airlines had grown considerably, it hadn’t raised its profits past what they were in 1953. In 1971, Mohawk Airlines finally couldn’t pay its bills any longer.
In 1972, Mohawk was merged with Allegheny Airlines, which was headquartered in Pittsburgh and operated many similar routes. Of course, Allegheny Airlines would later become known as US Airways, which American Airlines purchased with much media coverage in 2015.
Embattled Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg resigned today, effective immediately. Boeing announced in a statement that “Dennis A. Muilenburg has resigned from his positions as Chief Executive Officer and Board director effective immediately. Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith will serve as interim CEO during the brief transition period, while Mr. Calhoun exits his non-Boeing commitments.”
Now-former Boeing CEO, Dennis Muilenburg
In the short statement, Boeing alluded to the 737MAX crisis but did not directly cite the cause stating, “The Board of Directors decided that a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the Company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders.”
Tumultuous Road for Muilenburg
The now former Boeing CEO became leader of the aerospace company in July of 2015. Back then, Boeing was on the precipice of launching three major programs that would set the direction of the company for years to come. The Boeing 737 MAX was intended to compete with the Airbus A320NEO series. Boeing was also close to launching the 777X which would both serve as the nail in the coffin for the A380 super jumbo and cement Boeing’s lead in the large aircraft space well into the 21st century. At the time, Boeing was also approaching the reveal of the Starliner, their entrant to commercially fly astronauts to the International Space Station.
Boeing 737 MAX 9 at Paris Air Show 2017. Photo Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, Germany (CC BY 2.0)
Three Major Failures: 737MAX, 777X, Starliner and a host of non-minor setbacks
Three and a half years later and all three of Boeing’s largest projects are delayed at best, with significant setbacks for all three platforms that put Boeing at real material risk of losing its lead in the industry on the commercial and space fronts. The 737MAX is grounded. The 777X’s first flight is delayed until next year. And the Starliner’s first test launch ended with a computer malfunction that resulted in an unsuccessful orbit insertion that missed the ISS.
There weren’t many successes during Muilenburg’s tenure. The Boeing 737MAX debacle stands as the longest grounding of an airliner ever. What was previously a cash cow for the manufacturer is now more of an anchor. Airlines like United, American, and Southwest keep pushing back the relaunch date. At one time the hope was that the jet would be recertified by December. Now it looks to be sometime next year. But with the constant delays and the fact that they have not announced what needs to be done to recertify the jet makes it more than just a nil possibility that the jet might not fly again.
Additionally, the 777X program was supposed to be a clear win as it added new engines and a 787-style wing to an already successful jet. What followed was a series of delays involving engine issues for the new flagship jetliner and a very public leak showing the jet failing its max pressurization testing just short of its target goal.
The Boeing Starliner miscue might have been the last straw for Boeing’s board. The space craft should have been a clear and relatively simple win for the company. It utilized a scaled-up capsule design to simplify spaceflight to the International Space Station. Its first test flight was significantly delayed. During its launch this past week, the craft lifted off safely but an anomaly led to an error in orbit insertion. The craft never rendezvoused with the ISS in orbit. Instead, it touched down safely days later without reaching its planned destination. Another failure for Boeing.
Welcome home, #Starliner. Thanks to the Boeing and @NASA team for the safe re-entry and landing. The data we are gathering from this orbital flight test will help prepare for future missions and the launch of @Commercial_Crew astronauts. pic.twitter.com/MWhkVTF1XE
It’s not a complete surprise that Boeing canned their CEO today (resignation is the official term.) But we have to wonder if it was just poor performance or something more. The 737MAX, 777x, Starliner are the primary issues, of course. But then Boeing is also facing challenges on other fronts. The KC-46 has had significant issues. Boeing’s long-rumored NMA still hasn’t launched and it seems other airlines are defaulting to an upgraded A321NEO instead. Boeing’s fighter program is mostly a few F-15Xs, Growlers and the upcoming T-7.
Boeing’s KC-46 tanker. Credit: Ken Fielding, Flickr.com photos.
Are the problems at Boeing more deeply than the public knows? Hopefully not, but we aren’t holding our breath either. Will Boeing return to its true culture of innovation versus its more McD approach of modifying existing airframes? The past decade of Boeing reminds us more of McDonnellDouglas than the original Boeing that existed before the merger.
Any fan of aviation should hope to see Boeing’s ship righted under new leadership soon and the return of an engineering first culture that values safety, ingenuity, and transparency.
Wintertime winds in Chicago can be brutal. It’s cold, cloudy, and often windy. In fact, it’s not uncommon for crosswinds to gust upwards of 30-40 knots (about 35-45 mph) during and after a winter storm. Chicago is known as the ‘windy city’ after all.
The Curious Spotter, an avgeek and spotter on Youtube, recently posted a video that captures the thrill of watching jets takeoff at O’hare during gusty crosswinds. The video features takeoffs with winds averaging 20 knots with gusts upward of 35 knots. In his own words, “In this video I was plane spotting from the top a parking garage. Winds were blowing from a 270 degree angle 20 knots with gusts up to 35 knots. The takeoff runway was 22L which means that the wind was blowing the aircraft at a 50 degree angle to the right relative to the center line of the runway.” That means that the jets featured in this video had a crosswind component of up to 27 knots.
Most jets are permitted to safely takeoff with crosswinds of 25 to 30 knots depending on the limitations of the particular aircraft.
Professionalism on display with the crosswind takeoff video
If you’ve ever piloted an airplane, you know that crosswind takeoffs and landings are some of the most challenging aspects of flying the plane. For professional pilots, crosswind takeoffs and landings are all part of a days work and they are fairly common.
In the video, you’ll see that there is a slight variation of takeoffs and landing quality. Most likely it’s due to the gusty nature of the winds that day in Chicago. But every takeoff is safe at a minimum. And some of the departures in this footage are downright textbook in crosswind technique.
Watching this video is a testament to the professionalism of the pilots that fly passengers daily. They make it look easy and that should build your confidence that your next flight (regardless of weather conditions) will be safe, thanks to the many talented men and women who will fly your jet.
FedEx retires MD-10 that once did a very late gear deployment at Chicago O’Hare
In the brain of truly dedicated avgeeks, mentioning the MD-10 with tail number N559FE might trigger a unique memory. Back in October of 2012, the newly-converted MD-10 (a former DC-10) was on approach to Runway 28 at Chicago O’hare international airport. Chicago Airport Spotter filmed the approach. The only problem was that N559FE was approaching the field without its gear deployed. The tri-jet finally lowered its gear less than a mile and a half from the runway at about 200 feet AGH and touched down smoothly just 36 seconds after the gear handle was likely slung. Check out the video below
It was a small moment of infamy for a DC-10 that otherwise faithfully served the aviation industry for almost 47 years. According to Planespotters.net, tail number N559FE first flew in July of 1973. It first flew with Western Airlines, later transferring to Capital Air, the Hawaiian Express, followed by World Airways, Arrow Air, Air Hawaii, then American Airlines. It was converted to a freighter in 1999 and joined FedEx, where it served the next 20 years. FedEx converted the DC-10 to an MD-10, adding a glass cockpit and reducing the required cockpit crew component from 3 to 2.
FedEx retired the jet on December 18th, 2019. It is now ‘based’ in sunny Victorville. Soon it will be joined by a number of other MD-10s and A310s as FedEx rightsizes and modernizes its fleet. FedEx is replacing the jets with more modern Boeing 777F and 767-3Fs. It also allows the company to cut costs as it adapts to a changing global air freight market.
Ok, so the MD-10 is retired. Why was the late gear deployment such a big deal?
You see, most airliners on approach put their gear down at or before the final approach fix, typically around 5-7NM from the runway. That gives a full 2-3 minutes to ensure the gear is deployed and checklists are completed for landing. With a visual pattern, gear is deployed before turning base and often earlier to bleed off speed.
In the case of this FedEx MD-10, it looks like they deployed the gear just 36 seconds before touchdown. At this point, they were probably only about 200 feet above the ground (assume a 3 degree glide slope). Assuming 2.7-3 miles a minute, the jet was less than 2 miles from the end of the runway when it started to deploy the gear. On most jets, there is a GPWS warning system alerting the crew that the gear is not deployed and in the proper configuration.
While no one on our staff flies for FedEx, it would be hard to believe that this approach didn’t violate company procedures. Most airlines require stabilized approach criteria. This includes airspeed, power setting, configuration, and of course gear. At airports like O’Hare, it can be more challenging than most to comply with both standard procedures and controller requests. Controllers can push pilots to keep their speed up in order to squeeze as many aircraft onto the runway as possible in a set time. Busy airspace should never take precedence to safe operations though. It is something both controllers and pilots understand and appreciate.
We’ve seen some speculation on what might have occurred in the video but we never saw anything more official posted than a rumor on various forums. Because of that, we’ll refrain from comment on why the gear deployment was so late in the case shown on the video. We’re just glad that gear was down and locked in this case…a gear deployment that late leaves no margin for error. Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, right?
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An experimental NASA aircraft designed to perform supersonic commercial travel while reducing the sound generated by sonic booms was approved for final assembly on Thursday.
The X-59, also known as the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD), is NASA’s first experimental aircraft in three decades. Aircraft construction is taking place today at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Skunk Works plant in Palmdale, California.
Lockheed Martin is currently constructing the first Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator for NASA. (LMA)
A $250-million contract awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2018 will see the aircraft built and tested during 2020. The X-59 is expected to make its inaugural flight from Edwards AFB, Calif. in 2021 to deem it is safe to fly.
Following a series of test flights, NASA will receive the aircraft in late-2021 to close out Phase one. Phase two will have a NASA test pilot first fly the X-59 to Mach 1 over the Edwards test range in 2022.
NASA research test pilot Jim Less is one of two pilots waiting in the wings to perform those first supersonic flight tests. “A supersonic manned X-plane,” Less said during a NASA interview. “This is probably going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. We’re all pretty excited.”
NASA and Lockheed hope the design of the aircraft will dampen the ground shaking noise caused by a sonic boom. Any aircraft which travels faster than the speed of sound, or Mach one, will cause a sonic boom.
The forward assembly of the X-59 takes shape in December 2019 at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. (LMA)
The X-59 is designed to fly at an altitude of 55,000 feet and travel at a speed of nearly 940 mph. This speed is over Mach one, and NASA hopes the X-59’s sonic boom will create a sound equal to that of a car door closing.
“The long, slender design of the aircraft is the key to achieving a low sonic boom,” Peter Iosifidis, Lockheed Martin program manager for the Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, said. “As we enter into the manufacturing phase, the aircraft structure begins to take shape, bringing us one step closer to enabling supersonic travel for passengers around the world.”
Data from several key locations will record the energy of the first flight of the X-59 in 2021. (NASA)
During the third testing phase, the X-59 will fly across several communities of the United States to gather sound and shock wave data between 2023 to 2025. Sensors around the aircraft; military aircraft flying nearby; and feedback from engineers and the community on the ground will provide information as to how quiet the LBFD really is at the speed of sound.
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
Paramount Pictures released the second Top Gun: Maverick trailer. While the previous Top Gun: Maverick trailer focused on the plot, this second trailer was heavy on flight footage.
As we mentioned in our first post, Mav is back with a story that is most likely entertaining and pretty fanciful. While it is highly unlikely that he would still be in the military as a Captain over 30 years later, Mav still looks spry in this latest clip. In fact, he somehow looks nearly identical to the way he did back in the mid-80s. About the only thing that has changed is that the Navy’s most famous fictional pilot has upgraded his F-14 Tomcat for a F/A-18 Super Hornet (Although we’ve heard rumors that the F-14 makes a cameo). This clip shows Mav back in the cockpit, deftly teaching students how to fly the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
This latest trailer doesn’t really reveal any new story lines other than Mav returns to teach the next generation how to fly. Still though, it gives avgeeks everywhere something to look forward to for next summer. Based on this preview, the high fidelity F/A-18 footage is sure to delight, even if the plot turns out to be corny.
Top Gun: Maverick flies into theaters on June 26, 2020.
If you had to pick the world’s original aviation city, you would probably mention Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where the Wright brothers made their first flight. Or you might pick spots around the country and world where aircraft are produced like Seattle or Toulouse. Or you might even pick a city with exceptionally heavy air traffic like Atlanta or London Heathrow. You would probably wouldn’t think of Dayton, Ohio (unless, of course, you were a particularly knowledgeable avgeek with a focus on the history of aviation). Yet Dayton is, to many, inarguably the original aviation hub. Home of Wright-Patterson AFB and the US Air Force Museum, the city is awash in aviation history.
The Birthplace of Aviation
Wright Brothers Home in Dayton
The Wright brothers flew their first flight at Kitty Hawk but they called Dayton home. The brothers owned a bicycle shop in the city. It was there that they tinkered with designs that eventually led to the first heavier-than-air powered aircraft to fly with a pilot onboard.
Two years after the Kitty Hawk flight, the brothers would fly the Wright Flyer III in Dayton. Their work and the increasing interest in aviation would lead to the formation of Dayton Airport in 1928, making it one of the oldest airports in the world (in the Top 20, if not the Top 10). While that original airport came up against a bit of hardship, particularly in the face of the start of the Great Depression, it had so much support that it would eventually be turned into a municipal airport with three runways, opening with flights offered to the public in 1936.
Later in its life, the Dayton airport would go on to serve the U.S. military during World War II, as the U.S. Army leased the airport and it became the Dayton Army Airfield from 1942 to 1945. Afterward, the Federal Government deeded the airfield back to the City of Dayton, along with the surrounding military facilities, adding up to more than 550 acres of property. At that time, as a result, Dayton Municipal Airport was the largest commercial airport in Ohio.
The military’s interest in the airport still remained. Just two months after the property was deeded back to the city, a division of the Ohio Air National Guard was re-activated and stationed at the airport through the 1950s, with hundreds of military and civilian employees working and living at the airport.
Commercial Service to Dayton
Three days after Dayton Municipal Airport opened in 1936, TWA’s forerunner, Trans Continental and Western Airways, began service to Dayton with three flights daily. Dayton would later become a TWA focus city. In 1957, TWA provided the most departures out of Dayton, with 56 per week. At that same time, American provided 13 and Lake Central, four. Non-stop flights served New York, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. TWA was the first airline to begin jet service from the airport, in 1961, with Convair 880 aircraft flying on a route to Chicago (at the same time, the airport was further expanding, adding a new terminal to the tune of $5.5 million). TWA even offered widebody connecting service on their L1011s to the west coast.
PHoto: Dayton International Airport/flydayton.com
City’s Boom Makes Dayton a Commercial and Freight Hub
TWA’s focus on Dayton would be surpassed by Piedmont Airlines in the 1980s. Piedmont offered non-stop service between Dayton and nearly 30 destinations, as far away as California. The hub, Piedmont’s second in the nation (and followed only by hubs in Baltimore and Syracuse), was said to defy analyst expectations by exceeding traffic predictions. At the time, Piedmont was the 10th largest airline in the United States, and the 17th largest in the world. It joined the rank of major airlines as its annual sales exceeded $1 billion.
Additionally, at the time, Dayton was home to three major Fortune 500 companies. When you added in the business traffic from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the city was thriving.
The non-stop West Coast service to Los Angeles began in 1984. It was also Piedmont’s first foray into first-class service. In 1985, Piedmont opened a reservations center at the airport. Once Piedmont merged with US Airways, US Airways would continue operating out of the Dayton hub for several years.
Dayton’s Boom in Cargo Service
At the same time that Piedmont was operating heavily out of Dayton, freight carrier Emery Worldwide grew Dayton into a freight hub. They built an air freight sortation facility at the airport, completed in 1981. From 1946, when Emery was the first freight forwarder to receive a carrier certificate from the U.S. government, until 1986, Energy would remain the largest freight forwarder and integrated air carrier in the country. Its Dayton facility was one of the world’s largest air freight facilities, through the 90s. Emery constantly built onto the facility, making it larger and larger.
The facility, later taken over when UPS acquired Emery, would operate until 2006, when UPS closed the facility and moved its operations to Louisville, Kentucky.
A Sharp Decline
In 1986, the City of Dayton celebrated owning the airport for 50 years and the airport marked a passenger milestone of 4.5 million passengers. In order to accommodate increased traffic, a $50 million renovation was planned and then completed in 1989.
However, other factors would cause airlines like Piedmont and Emery and their successors to either move their hubs away from Dayton, or to close up shop altogether. One of these factors would have certainly been the decrease in manufacturing and industrial work in and around Dayton. For decades, the city was home to major players in American industry — NCR, Mead Paper Company, Dayco, Phillips Industries and others. In the 1980s and 1990s, however, jobs began moving out of Dayton, the population shrunk and, as a result, travel to the area, both business and leisure, shrunk with it.
Dayton would soon find that its once booming hub of an airport had become little more than a regional spot on the map.
Into the Modern Age of Aviation, One Step at a Time
Dayton, though, is nothing if not resilient. The airport continued to welcome other airlines following the de-hubbing of its largest carriers, both commercial and cargo, and it made baby steps toward keeping its facilities modern.
The first low-cost carrier came to the airport in 1995, AirTran Airways.
Yet more renovations occurred in the late 1990s, with a $25 million investment in the terminal building. The renovations lasted until 2002 and included new climate control systems, lighting, windows, doorways, ceilings, carpeting and shopping and dining outlets.
Following the tragic events of 9/11 in 2001, the Dayton airport would be one of the first airports in the nation to re-open for business.
Shortly after, Frontier Airlines began service between Dayton and Denver in 2005. Southwest joined Frontier in offering budget service to Dayton with flights to Denver as well, in 2012, and would also eventually offer service to other destinations, such as Florida, Baltimore and Chicago. It was estimated that this service would increase passenger traffic in the airport by 15 percent or more.
Dayton International airport in 2011 (Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Texas141)
However, both Southwest and Frontier would pull out of the airport shortly after and move on to airports in Cincinnati and Columbus, just an hour away. Frontier discontinued its Dayton flights in 2013, facing competition from Southwest. Southwest Airlines lasted until 2017, though it gradually reduced its service before its eventual defection to Cincinnati.
Allegiant Air took Frontier’s place in 2015, soon becoming the only budget carrier serving Dayton, offering service to Florida.
All the while, the airport focused on improvement projects, such as the construction of a new air traffic control tower in 2011, a new multi-level parking garage in 2009, runway and roadway projects in 2009 and further ticketing counter and parking expansions in 2018.
Is there hope for Dayton International Airport in the future? Dayton leaders and airport officials seem to think so, as do travelers who’ve recently visited the airport’s beautiful new terminal facilities.
In 2017, the airport welcomed 138 aircraft operations per day, across its three paved runways.
The airport is currently served by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Express (with seasonal Allegiant Air services). As of September 2019, there were 669k passenger enplanements on the year, with American Airlines (American Eagle) taking credit for most of those. That number represents a slight decrease from 2018. Passengers can currently fly nonstop to Atlanta, St. Petersburg, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Detroit, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Houston and Washington, D.C.
The airport also reported this year that it had doubled the number of charter passengers it serves since 2015. Much of this growth is attributed to the launch of a music center near Dayton, which draws in headlining acts that often fly private aircraft into the airport, as well as increasing activity at casinos near Dayton. Sun Country Airlines is the largest provider of charters through the airport.
Additionally, cargo service still takes place at the airport, with FedEx Express flying to and from Memphis. (Otherwise, though, save for this smalls service, the cargo ramp sits empty.)
— Dayton International Airport (DAY) (@DAY_IntlAirport) October 29, 2019
The airport is hoping to attract more carriers with renovations moving forward, including low-cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines and Frontier. The renovations, which recently wrapped up, included new architectural features, wider TSA lanes, new restrooms, new USO space for military members and new shopping and dining options. Overall, the airport looks great now, though its future can’t be based on renovations alone.
The new interim director of the airport also has their eye on attracting more service to the airport. The city will face some difficulty in the years ahead, especially if they’re looking to land Southwest again, considering the airline’s difficulties following the MAX saga have led to significantly reduced growth by the airline and a reduction of service from other markets that are traditionally better known. New services from Frontier, Allegiant and Spirit are not out of the question though.
The city that invented modern aviation is stuck between celebrating their past, and making investments that they hope will drive a more prosperous future.
LAS VEGAS — The U.S. Air Force’s five hottest flight demonstration teams announced on Tuesday their individual air show schedules which will highlight a busy 2020 season.
The Thunderbirds, the F-22 Raptor, the F-35A Lightning II, the A-10C Thunderbolt II, and F-16C Viper — each a separate Air Combat Command demonstration team — will headline popular air show sites across the United States and abroad. The news gave the selected show sites cause to celebrate as the news was announced.
“The New York Air Show is excited to feature the Air Force Thunderbirds and F-22 Raptor,” New York Air Show Spokesperson Chris Dirato told AvGeekery.com following the announcements. “You can be sure that fans will be treated to some incredible performances.”
Thunderbirds 2020 will include their first female lead solo pilot, Maj. Michelle Curran. (Charles Atkeison)
The Thunderbirds will kick-off their season in February with a flyover of the Daytona 500 as the national anthem concludes. The six-jet team will spend the following month practicing six days a week before traveling to their first air show at Laughlin AFB, Texas.
The F-22 Demo Team will welcome a new pilot who will also command the team in the coming weeks. The new pilot will be announced publicly in late-January. The squadron is schedule to travel to Southeast Asia to perform at the Singapore Airshow in February.
“As a “thank you” for the outstanding support from Del Rio, Texas, and the surrounding community, Laughlin Air Force Base will host an open house and air show on Saturday, March 14, 2020,” Lt. Col. Gregory Moulton, Commander of the 87th Flying Training Squadron, said. “The one-day event will be headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.”
Currently, the F-35 Demo Team are in the process of training a new pilot for the upcoming season. The team will perform at 16 show sites across the United States.
The Air Force’s F-35A Lightning II will perform at sixteen show across the United States in 2020. (USAF)
Several locations will feature both teams performing one after another, including in Anchorage, Alaska and the New York Air Show. The Thunderbirds is scheduled to perform at 36 locations during 2020, while the F-22 Demo team will perform at 25 sites.
The A-10, also known as the Warthog, is also training a new pilot who will also lead the demo team in 2020 and 2021. The crowd favorite Warthog will visit 20 locations.
Air Force Thunderbirds 2020 Air Show Schedule:
February 16: Daytona 500, Daytona Beach, Florida (Flyover) Mar 14: Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, Texas – Fiesta Of Flight Mar 21-22: Luke AFB, Arizona – Luke Days Air and Space Expo Mar 28-29: March ARB, Calif. – March Field Air and Space Expo: Thunder Over the Empire” April 4-5: Lakeland, Florida – Sun-N-Fun Fly In and Expo April 18-19: Maxwell AFB, Alabama – Beyond the Horizon Air and Space Show April 25-26: Columbus AFB, Mississippi – Wings Over Columbus May 2-3: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale Air Show May 9-10: Beale AFB, Calif. – Wings Over Recce Town, USA May 16-17: Shaw AFB, South Carolina – Shaw Air and Space Expo May 23-24: Miami Beach, Florida – Miami Beach Air and Sea Show May 28: Colorado Springs, Colorado – USAFA Graduation Fly Over June 6-7: Salinas, Calif. – California International Airshow June 13-14: Ocean City, Maryland – OC Air Show June 20-21: Youngstown ARB, Ohio – Thunder Over The Valley June 27-28: Hill AFB, Utah – Warriors Over Wasatch Air and Space Show July 4-5: Battle Creek, Michigan – Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival July 11-12: JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska – Arctic Thunder July 18-19: Duluth, Minnisota – Duluth Air and Aviation Expo July 22: F.E Warren AFB, Wyoming – Cheyenne Frontier Days July 25-26: Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota – Ellsworth Air and Space Show August 1-2: Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota – Grand Forks AFB Air Show August 15-16: Chicago, Illinois – Chicago Air and Water Show August 22-23: Avoca, PA – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Armed Forces Airshow August 26: Atlantic City, New Jersey – Thunder Over The Boardwalk Airshow August 29-30: New Windsor, New York – New York Air Show September 5-6: Gardner, Kansas – Kansas City Air Show September 12-13: London (Ontario), Canada – Airshow London September 19-20: Huntington Beach, Calif. – Pacific Airshow October 3-4: Minden, Nevada – Aviation Roundup Airshow October 10-11: Edwards AFB, Calif. – Aerospace Valley Air and Space Show October 17-18: Fort Worth, Texas – Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show October 24-25: Rome, Georgia – Wings Over North Georgia October 31-November 1: Sanford, Florida – Central Florida Air and Space Show November 7-8: New Orleans, Louisiana – NASJRB New Orleans Air Show November 14-15: San Antonio, Texas – JBSA Air and Space Show
2020 Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team Air Show Schedule:
(USAF)
2020 Air Force F-35A Lightning II Air Show Schedule
(USAF)
2020 Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II Air Show Schedule
(USAF)
2020 Air Force F-16C Viper Demo Team Air Show Schedule
(USAF)
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off into the blue skies over America’s Space Coast Thursday successfully placing a resupply craft on a course toward the International Space Station.
The Dragon supply craft is making its third voyage to the space station, having flown in 2014 and 2017. Loaded with 5700 pounds of science experiments, the Dragon will spend one month docked to the station.
As the countdown reached zero, the Falcon’s nine engines roared to life lifting the commerical rocket off it’s seaside pad at 12:29:24 p.m. EST. The white rocket thundered into the deep blue sky riding a golden flame toward space.
The golden dot of SpaceX Falcon 9 heads to space leaving a smoke column behind. (Charles A Atkeison)
Minutes later, the core first stage seperated. Dragon successfully arrived on orbit and deployed its solar arrays and high gain antenna.
Unlike recent Falcon 9 launches, this was the first flight for this Falcon core stage. Once it had expended its fuel, the first stage separated and performed a controlled landing a top a floating platform located 180 miles east of Jacksonville, Fla.
SpaceX’s 19th supply mission since 2012 carries new science experiments which will study bone and muscle loss contributed to microgravity. Their findings will create a medication designed for astronauts performing long duration space flights.
Another experiment will look into how fire reacts and can be safely contained in a zero-gravity environment. Also riding to Earth’s orbital lab is a small satellite built by college students in Mexico known as AzTechSat-1. The cubesat will be deployed from the station in early January.
NASA’s nearby Kennedy Space Center hosted nearly 40 social media guests to view the launch. The popular NASA Social allowed the average citizen an opportunity to watch the launch from only 2.8 miles away.
“With the advent of social media, we are reaching people who may not get their news from the press,” NASA Internet Services Manager Brian Dunbar explained. “We try to connect with folks who use social media, some are focused on aerospace and some are not, and it gives them a look at what we do and they in turn convey that to their followers.”
On Sunday, space station commander Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency will grapple the cargo ship with a 55-foot robotic arm at about 6 a.m. Following Dragon’s capture, NASA’s mission control near Houston will command the arm to slowly align the craft with the station’s Harmony port for docking.
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
These days, it is fairly common for commercials and viral videos to tug at your heartstrings. An emotional video is one tool that advertisers use to build brand loyalty, especially during the Christmas season. Add in a unique twist or unexpected turn and the result is viral video gold. The amazing thing is that we fall for it even when we know the tricks that advertisers use to manipulate your emotions!
Back in 2013, WestJet set the standard for an emotional and touching Christmas video. It was really the first time in a long while that an airline did something nice for their passengers and filmed it. If you recall, the late 2000’s and early 2010s were part of an era of airline austerity. Back then, airlines thrived on minimalism. It was a race to the bottom with less food onboard, smaller seats, less service, mergers ‘to serve you better’ and more fees.
Merry Christmas from WestJet. Photo: WestJet 2013 Christmas Miracle Video capture.
So to see an airline roll out a campaign where they spread the holiday spirit was downright fascinating. To date, almost 50 million people have seen the video. Unsurprisingly, the video has aged really well. There is something really creative and exciting when you watch passengers semi-jokingly tell a cheesy Santa video console at a gate what they want for Christmas only to see that WestJet’s Santa and his team of elves (employees) actually deliver the requested gifts at their destination to grateful passengers.
This WestJet Video Tugs At Your Heart Strings
Six years later, we checked out this video and once again we might have a little something in our eye. It’s just allergies, right?
WestJet has continued this tradition. And each year we post on their video. While the original will probably always be the best, we’re excited to see what this year’s WestJet Christmas video will bring. WestJet posted online this week that this year’s video is coming soon. We can’t wait.
We all know the Pope’s iconic PopeMobile, but how does this oh-so-important international figure get around when he’s zipping through the skies to his next destination? There is, of course, the papal plane, but the Pope also takes a variety of local carriers when he travels abroad. Here’s how he’s been doing it since the first papal flight in 1964.
The Papal Plane
Let’s get one big misconception out of the way. The pope does not own a plane. The Vatican just charters an airplane whenever the pope travels and, since the pope is often traveling out of Italy, he flies the Italian national carrier Alitalia quite a lot. When the pope is on the plane, it’s referred to as the papal plane, and sometimes Shepherd One (though that’s not an official call sign). Alitalia has, however, reserved a special flight number for the pope, AZ4000.
Once the pope is in a foreign country, he flies that country’s national carrier or a major carrier for that nation. For example, when he’s in the United States, for example, he flies American Airlines. Previously, he flew TWA on return trips from the US.
The plane is a normal commercial jet and the pope sits in the first row by himself. There’s nothing really crazy luxurious about the journey (though in decades past, airlines would install a special bed for the pope, if he was flying a long distance; that doesn’t typically happen anymore).
The pope’s entourage of approximately 30 people sits with him. The press fills a good majority of the jet. There are usually about 70 or so people (who, by the way, are required to pay for their flights). Sometimes the two groups mix and mingle, other times not so much, all depending on who the pope is and what he prefers.
Papal Plane has heavenly benefits for all
Depending on what airline is acting as the papal plane at the moment, passengers receive special service, as the airline typically rolls out the red carpet in celebration of carrying the pope, providing first-rate service for everyone, including the press.
Not every airline gets the honor of carrying the pope, though. An airline has to possess a strong safety record. Of course, the airline also needs a long-haul aircraft available to ferry the pope around. In some cases, there hasn’t been an aircraft available in a country the pope was visiting. For example, when Pope Francis visited Uganda, and so Alitalia came and picked up the pope and took him back home.
Airlines other than Alitalia that have flown the current pope include LATAM, Air Baltic, TAP Portugal, Aeromexico, American Airlines, Etihad, LOT Polish Airlines and Sri Lankan, just to name the major players. Back in the day, TWA frequently carried the pope when he was returning to Rome from the US. Given all the frequent flyer miles that Pope Francis has racked up, it just makes sense that he’s also flown on the latest and greatest aircraft, including an Etihad 787 Dreamliner and Air Baltic’s new Airbus A220.
Looking to mimic Pope Francis’s U.S. flight experience for yourself?
All you have to do is hop aboard one of American Airlines’s Boeing 777-200 aircraft, particularly aircraft N776AN (you’ll know it’s the one when you see the commemorative plaque at the 2L door). When the pope flew with American, the aircraft was outfitted with the Papal Coat of Arms and the old Flagship First-class seats (it’s since been refurbished with the new American Airlines seats). The seat that Pope Francis used can still be found on display at the C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth.
American Eagle (Operated by Republic) flight 4439 took off from Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport on November 6th with a crew of four and six passengers onboard. They were headed to New York’s LaGuardia Airport on a regularly scheduled flight. Passing through 14,000 feet, the Embraer 175 experienced a suspected runaway trim event.
The audio from the event is pretty sobering. You can listen to the ATC tapes in the YouTube video below. The pilot initially requested to stop the climb at 14,000, then asked for a return to Atlanta airport. Over the course of the next few minutes the situation sounded increasingly dire as one of the pilots reported, “We’re in a stalling situation.” adding that they couldn’t pitch the aircraft down.
Based on the ground track, it appears that the pilots then banked the jet in a left turn in an attempt to reduce the climb rate in accordance with the ‘runaway trim’ checklist suggestion. While such a maneuver sounds aggressive, it is actually a technique to avoid a stall when pitch authority is compromised. At this point, the crew sounds like they executed the entire “Pitch Trim Runaway” checklist. The crew reported soon afterwards that the jet appeared to be under control. The crew landed the Embraer under ‘direct law’ without further incident back at Atlanta’s airport. It is important to also call out the controllers for presumably working so well behind the scenes to clear all possible conflicting traffic in very busy airspace. You can see the full flight path here in detail from FlightAware with both the initial turn to the left and subsequent turns presumably to lose altitude before landing.
The preliminary report has not been released yet. It will be interesting to read when they first noticed the runaway trim. With such a light jet (only 6 passengers) and a cool fall evening, it is possible to have initially interpreted a higher climb rate due to a light aircraft when it actually might have been the initial stages of a runaway trim condition. It will also be interesting to learn whether this was only a runaway trim situation or a more complex emergency that involved the malfunction of multiple flight control systems.
Crew Coordination and Systems Knowledge Saves Lives
While it is too early to speculate on the cause or the actions of the pilots on American Eagle (callsign Brickyard) 4439, it is apparent from the ATC audio that they faced a very serious mechanical malfunction. Along with engine failures at critical times of flight, scenarios like runaway pitch trim are some of the most challenging mechanical emergencies to deal with while flying crew aircraft. In such moments, it is vital that crews successfully execute memory items (called boldface in military aircraft). These initial memorized checklist steps are intended to address the most critical actions necessary to keep the aircraft flying.
The memory items for the E175 in such an incident are designed to disconnect the autopilot and cut off both trim systems. After the initial items are completed, the theory is that there is now time to identify the malfunctioning system, diagnose the problem and safely continue the flight or land when able.
While all we have to go on right now is the audio from American Eagle flight 4439, it sounds like overall they made the right decisions in an extraordinarily difficult situation and safely landed the jet. Working together as a crew is critical to safely resolving emergencies, especially control malfunctions. In such a situation, it is important to first fly the airplane, execute the checklist (including the memory items/boldface immediately), communicate your intentions with the crew, then ATC, plan for the next steps, and then safely land the jet.
On Thursday, United Airlines finally unveiled their new Star Wars themed plane. Departing from Houston, a bold, black Boeing 737 took to the skies. The jet features a split personality between the First Order and the Rebels with an appropriate red and blue light saber adorning each side of the tail on the jet.
The jet first flew from the paint hangar in Amarillo, Texas to Houston Intercontinental for the first leg of its ‘epic’ journey over the next year. United released a video of the meticulously detailed paint job. You can see it below:
United’s Star Wars Plane Is a masterful bit of advertising for both the airline and movie
United’s new Star Wars jet.
Source: United
The special Boeing 737 is a flying billboard for the final installment of the Star Wars series titled “Rise of the Skywalker”. It will remain in the special livery for the next year.
The interior of United’s new Star Wars Plane.
Source: United’s Instagram story
Inside the jet, United’s version of the ‘Millennial Falcon’ features both blue and red headrests along with a plaque commemorating the special plane. United also teamed with the popular FlightTracker24 to show the flight as a Millennial Falcon icon instead of the typical jet. Click here to see where the jet is today.
In addition the paint scheme, and special interior, United also announced a new safety video that will excite the die hard Star Wars fans with movie references. Check it out below!
Avgeeks have been anticipating the reveal of this special jet for months. United first showed a model of the jet even before they revealed their new livery. It led to rampant speculation (and later confirmation) that United’s new livery would feature bold billboard titles similar to American, Hawaiian and Southwest livery refreshes over the past few years.
United on a streak with new special paint schemes
In just the past 4 months, United has really upped their livery game. First they announced a new livery. Then they unveiled two new special schemes celebrating women artists on 757-200. And this now Star Wars plane. Are more special schemes on the way? Nothing official but many avgeeks hope for the return of a special Saul Bass scheme on a jet one day.
United’s Star Wars Plane at Chicago O’Hare. Photo: José Wolfman Guillén
Ancient Airlines: A look at unique and quirky airlines throughout aviation history
It may sound like a bad joke, but yes, Hooters Air was definitely a real airline and, yes, it was owned by that restaurant. You know the one — with the scantily clad waitresses and the pretty good hot wings. So, how exactly did a slightly questionable restaurant chain start and successfully operate an airline, at least for the approximately three years it was in business?
Founded in 2003, Hooters Air was operated by Pace Airlines, which the restaurant chain’s founder also owned (Pace Airlines, by the way, is out of business now, too, ceasing all operations in 2009). Headquartered at Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) in South Carolina, the airline started as a way to drum up business for the restaurant, but then people actually flew it, with the airline’s primary demographic being golfers flying to Myrtle Beach, before Hooters Air expanded to reach other popular destinations throughout the country.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and her crew are visiting Gwinnett County Airport this weekend to raise support for educational programs designed to inspire future aviators.
The aircraft known as Aluminum Overcast is one of the last flight worthy B-17s able to fly with passengers. Owned by the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this B-17 and her crew are educating visitors on the importance of its mission during the Second World War.
Today thru Sunday, EAA’s Gwinnett chapter 690 is working with the crew of the historic warbird to inspire the public’s interest in aviation-related fields. Guests are invited to tour inside the B-17 and even fly aboard the silver flying fortress.
‘Aluminum Overcast’ pilots John Litiachi and Lorraine Morris prepare for flight in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Morris says the B-17 is like flying “a cement truck without power steering”. (Charles Atkeison)
“EAA 690 is fortunate to be able to host the B-17 Aluminum Overcast Tour as it helps to provide funds to support our youth programs,” EAA spokesperson Louis Pucci said on Thursday. “Our youth programs include a STEM-oriented aviation build program; Young Eagles, an introduction into aviation; youth aviation summer camp, and flight scholarships.”
This EAA chapter, like many across the United States, is made up of volunteers who are pilots or who have worked in the aviation industry. In addition to the education and events, EAA will help one earn their pilot’s license.
Inspiring the next generation to fulfill a career in aviation is the goal of this B-17s crew. They fly the hulking aircraft backed by 20,000 hours of flying time.
The window view over the port wing of the B-17 ‘Aluminum Overcast’. (Charles Atkeison)
Aluminum Overcast is 75-years-old and remains a living testament to the men who crewed the thousands of B-17s during the war. For many visitors, they are drawn to the aircraft to honor a relative who had served aboard the massive aircraft.
“This flies like a cement truck without power steering,” Aluminum Overcast pilot Lorraine Morris said moments after landing on Thursday. “The only hydraulics we use are for the breaks and the cowl flaps — everything else is manual.”
During a typical B-17 flight, the aircraft burns nearly 200 gallons of fuel per hour. Its four engines hold 37 gallons of oil and 1700 gallons of fuel each. Many of the B-17s were fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks during the war.
The B-17 Flying Fortress was a hero of World War II Across Europe and the Pacific. (Charles Atkeison)
“You sit in the aircraft and you can’t really dwell on flying the airplane because you get all choked up,” Morris discussed as we sat in the cockpit. “You think of all the men that were in it, and all the people who didn’t come back.”
Morris added that the stories from her passengers have been unbelievable. She only wished there was enough time to tell them all.
“Some people will come up to it to pet it, and one gentleman kissed it because he kissed the B-17 every time he got done with the flight,” she said. “Many people will not even come near it because there are too many memories.”
The EAA Aluminum Overcast tour concludes in a few weeks following four stops across Georgia. Flights and tour details are available here.
November 08 – 10, 2019 | Lawrenceville, GA November 12, 2019 | Milledgeville, GA November 15 – 17, 2019 | Savannah, GA November 22 – 24, 2019 | St. Simons Island, GA
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
PENSACOLA, Fla — The North American air show season began with a star-spangled flyover salute above Super Bowl LIII and was followed by several jaw-dropping aviation moments during the year ahead.
AvGeekery.com has compiled our top six “oh wow!” stories we covered during the 2019 air show season. We know that each time a military or civilian aircraft performs, it is truly stunning.
We take a look back at both the historic and interesting moments of the recent season. If you recall one aviation moment which made you gasp this year, please comment below.
Aerobatic ace Julie Clark performsaboard her T-34 Mentor. (Image: Clark Airshows)
6. Aerobatic Airshow Pilot Julie Clark Retires After 40 Years
Julie Clark began flying American aerobatics in 1978, and on October 19, she said farewell as she retired from the air show industry. Clark’s patriotic aerobatics aboard her T-34 Mentor aircraft pushes the limits of flight.
Across North America, Julie has been a staple at air shows for forty-two years. Nicknamed “Free Spirit”, Clark has flown the same aircraft everyone of those years. She laughs and says, “It’s my best friend”. Her final performance will be on November 17, during Nellis AFB’s Aviation Nation air show.
“I’m gonna miss being apart of this great industry,” Clark said “We talk about STEM/STEAM and bringing in young people into this industry. We need that, we want to keep the crowds up and we want to keep the innovations going.”
5. Navy’s Super Hornet Demo Team Cancels Season
The U.S. Navy’s popular Super Hornet demonstration team cancelled their five remaining air show appearances in June in order to train new pilots. The squadron performs at air shows across North America aboard the Rhino — an F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet jet.
An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to VFA-106, performs a touch-and-go on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in April. (US Navy)
Known as the VFA-106 Gladiators, the demo team decided to spend the last half of the season training new pilots for 2020 and beyond. The announcement came as the Navy’s last legacy Hornets are being phased out for the Super Hornets.
“The mission of VFA-106 is to provide the fleet with superbly trained replacement aircrew to support fleet readiness,” VFA-106 Commander Brandon M. Scott said on Wednesday. “This mission will always take priority over displaying the remarkable Super Hornet across the country.”
4. Canadian Snowbirds Pilot Safely Ejects Prior to Crash
The Royal Canadian Snowbirds suffered their first jet crash in years on October 13 as the team prepared to perform at the Atlanta Airshow.
One of the Royal Canadian Snowbirds CT-114 jets performs during a recent air show. (RCAF)
The Snowbirds nine CT-114 Tutor jets had just taken off from Falcon Field about fifteen miles from the air show site at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. As the investigation continues, details of the Snowbird 5 accident have not been released.
What we know is an issue occurred aboard the Snowbird 5 jet minutes following take-off. Pilot Captain Kevin Domon-Grenier pointed the jet toward a vacant field and successfully ejected away. He was recovered and visited a nearby hospital for a few hours to be checked out.
It was the squadron’s first crash in eleven years. Moments following the crash, the rest of the air show was cancelled.
3. U.S., Great Britain Air Force Jets Perform NYC Flyover
The jets of the United States and the United Kingdom performed one of the largest military flyovers on August 22 above New York.
The late-morning tandem flight featured six Air Force Thunderbirds jets, followed by the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows’ nine-jet delta. Two American F-22A Raptors and two F-35A Lightning IIs followed in a diamond formation.
Britain’s Red Arrows salute the Statue of Liberty during their flight over the Hudson River. (RAF)
The massive formation over Manhattan brought sky watchers to the windows of the skyscrapers. Social media was abuzz with images and video of the rare formation as the nineteen jets flew past.
“It was certainly a history making flight,” New York Airshow spokesperson Chris Dirato said. “It was exciting to see these teams make their way down and back up the Hudson River, while passing the Statue of Liberty.”
The Navy’s Blue Angels were originally to have also flown. However, the team dropped out one day prior due to having logged the maxium flying hours for the week.
2. Allied Warbirds Retrace D-Day Route on 75th Anniversary
America’s own D-Day squadron successfully flew fifteen C-47s/ DC-3s to the United Kingdom in May to join up with their European counterparts to create a historic June fly over to honor the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
Three C-47A Skytrains soar over the White Cliffs of Dover on May 31, during one of several practice flights leading up to their D-Day flight. (photo: Rich Cooper/D-Day Squadron)
The U.S. C-47A Skytrains and DC-9 aircraft flew in a huge formation with their European counterparts. They crossed the English Channel on June 5 for a formal flyover over Normandy Beach in France.
“Few veterans of D-Day are still with us, and this celebration may be our last chance to honor these brave war heroes,” D-Day Squadron’s executive director Moreno Aguiari told AvGeekery.com. “We are committed to ensuring their significance and sacrifice is fully appreciated for generations to come.”
The aircraft also dropped nearly 200 paratroopers over France along the way. A few of the Skytrains in attendance, Thats All — Brother! and Placid Lassie, make regular stops at U.S. air show sites.
1. First Female F-16 Demo Pilot Announced … then Quickly Replaced
The U.S. Air Force announced on January 29 the selection of the first female to both command and pilot the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team for the next air show season. Thirteen days later, Capt. Zoe “SiS” Kotnik was removed from duty due to a lack of confidence by her base commander.
Capt. Zoe Kotnik IS all smiles after a certification flight at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. (USAF SRA K. Reaves)
For nearly two weeks, Capt. Kotnik was the gem of the Air Force across social media. Her own social media account — filled with gratitude and cockpit videos set to popular music — was deleted the day of the stunning announcement.
“I removed Capt. Kotnik from her position as the commander of the Viper Demo team, because I lost confidence in her ability to lead the team,” Col. Derek O’Malley, Commander of 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB, stated on February 11.
Kotnik said on Jan. 29 that she looks forward to having “an influence on younger generations.” She was poised to break new ground for women in her new job.
“I know first hand how impactful air shows can be and what a difference it makes to young people to see just one example of what they too can do and who they can become,” she added.
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
It’s hard to believe that its already been almost two months since American Airlines retired their MD-80 fleet. If you recall, the Mad Dog retired to some really unique fanfare that honored the long-serving jet. As huge MD-80 fans, we covered the drawdown and eventual retirement of the beloved jet.
The skies over DFW are quieter since American retired their fleet of MD-80s. But if you are an avgeek, you are probably still missing those old smokey JTD-8s and shiny American fuselages over the DFW Metroplex. Well today, spotters at DFW got one last treat. Tail number N9677W flying as AA flight 9648 departed from DFW at 3:32pm en-route to her retirement spot at Roswell, New Mexico. There she joined many other American Airlines MD-80s who are also resting comfortably in the low-humidity environment.
If you look at the video above, you’ll see what is likely to be the start up of the last American MD-80 at DFW Airport. (Be sure to check out the puff of smoke at 3:30 as the APU shuts down after start up.) Special thanks to our friend Dylan at Boneyard Safari for the video.
The MD-80 aircraft stayed behind for a few months even as the rest of the fleet departed for Roswell. American Airlines said the jet stayed behind for deicing training at DFW Airport. There were a few rumors that N9677W might be headed for Founders Plaza at DFW Airport originally. Unfortunately for avgeeks, her flight to Roswell proves that the rumor for that particular aircraft will not materialize.
A few of AA’s Mad Dogs will probably escape the shredder
While most of the MD-80s will be turned into scrap metal, there are a few that might find a second life. A few MD-80s sent to Roswell over the past couple of years have returned to service, most notably for Laser Airlines in Venezuela and Everts Air Cargo, based out of Alaska.
The MD-80 that flew today was only 20 years old having first flown in 1999. American acquired TWA’s MD-80s back in the merge between the two airlines in 2001. As part of the acquisition, American continued to operate some of the last MD-80s off the line from the Long Beach factory until the retirement of the type in September. When American retired the fleet, some of the aircraft had flown around half the cycles approved for the type, meaning that structurally, the jet could still fly safely for a number of years longer with the required maintenance and upkeep.
Photo: Everts Air Cargo
Possibly two more chances to see an American MD-80 Mad Dog fly
If you missed today’s last American MD-80 flight out of DFW, there is still a bit of hope to catch an American MD-80s departure. There are four American Airlines MD-80s parked at the Tulsa maintenance center. It is rumored that those two jets will be donated to aviation maintenance schools sometime in the future. We’ll keep you updated as we find out more.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A secret military winged spacecraft glided out of Earth orbit on Sunday touching down at the Kennedy Space Center at the conclusion of a record breaking mission.
The uncrewed Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle spent 780 days in space performing detailed experiments for the military. The winged spacecraft glided on automatic from low Earth orbit to a pin-point landing at 3:51 a.m. EDT.
Today’s landing was the second by an X-37B on the three-mile-long runway previously used during NASA’s space shuttle program. The runway is adjacent to the X-37s designated processing facility next to the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building.
This flight was scheduled to deploy several small satellites and perform classified “on-orbit testing of emerging space technologies,” according to the Air Force. The space plane is operated from a control room while on-orbit with an open payload bay facing Earth.
The X-37B is an experimental test program to demonstrate technologies for a reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform for the U.S. Air Force. (USAF)
“The safe return of this spacecraft, after breaking its own endurance record, is the result of the innovative partnership between government and industry,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein said on Sunday. “The sky is no longer the limit for the Air Force and, if Congress approves, the U.S. Space Force.”
The classified flight of the reusable mini-space shuttle lifted off a top a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the space center nearly 26 months ago. This was the third mission flown by the first of two reusable X-37Bs.
“The X-37B continues to demonstrate the importance of a reusable spaceplane,” Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett stated. “Each successive mission advances our nation’s space capabilities.”
The Air Force has announced the sixth mission of the X-37B program is scheduled to launch a top a ULA Atlas V rocket in spring of 2020.
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
Southwest Airlines reported their third quarter earnings this week. At the earnings call, CEO Gary Kelly was asked about whether Southwest was considering other aircraft in the wake of the 737 MAX grounding. His answer, while not totally surprising, did raise some eyebrows. He stated that Southwest Airlines’ board of directors has asked the company to look at other options to diversify the fleet.
Southwest and 737s are like Peanut Butter and Jelly
Since Southwest’s first flight back in 1972, the airline has been a Boeing 737 airline. With the exception of a couple stints flying the 727 in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Southwest has flown every generation of the ‘baby Boeing’ jet to include the grounded MAX -8 series. Southwest has thrived with the jet. A single fleet type simplifies scheduling, training, maintenance, and operational equipment are all reasons why flying just the 737 made sense. Over the past decade with the 737NG series, Southwest has been able to offer transcontinental service and more recently unlock central America and Hawaii with a single type of jet.
Why would Southwest have a change of heart?
For Southwest, the MAX was supposed to represent a new era of service. With more efficient engines, Southwest would be able to add extended routes like Phoenix (possibly even Denver) to Honolulu and Houston to Central and South America. After the two 737 MAX crashes by LionAir and Ethiopian Airlines, the MAX was grounded back in March, taking 5% of Southwest’s fleet and expansion plans off the table for all of 2019.
The single fleet type that for so long was seen as a benefit, is now seen as a potential liability for the airline. With the MAX grounded and potential pickle-fork issues with NG-series jet, Southwest is beginning to realize that they could be in a very vulnerable position if there is another 737 grounding in the future.
The fact that Southwest might choose a second jet is far from a foregone conclusion. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has a much more nuanced statement both in a CNBC interview and the recent earnings call after Q3-2019 earnings. In the call, Gary was asked to comment further based on the CNBC interview and discussion of Southwest needing to acquire a second fleet to remain competitive.
Gary replied, “Mike ([Van De Ven]-Operations VP) led that effort as late as 2011 when we agreed to launch the MAX. We gave a very serious look to an alternative…I wouldn’t prejudge the answer at all. We’ve been extremely successful for 48 years with a single fleet type. I know that our Vice President of Flight Operations would agree…So, there are plenty of good arguments for just I really feel like it’s just acknowledging the obvious and I feel like we have a duty to look at the question and especially in light of what’s going on right now. So, hopefully that answers part of the question.”
You can read and listen to the full call here. It makes for an interesting listen but it doesn’t exactly sound like Southwest is feeling an immediate need to stray from their winning formula very soon.
What could Southwest choose?
Even without an immediate push to acquire a second fleet, we are avgeeks and we love talking about the ‘what-ifs’ of the aviation industry. If Southwest decides to pursue a second fleet, they have a number of options on the table that they could select from and one fanciful one that makes us think…what if? We look at 4 potential options.
