Updated: President George H. W. Bush was laid to rest today at his Presidential Library today in College Station, Texas. A 21-ship of F/A-18 Super Hornets with tailhooks deployed flew over to honor the late President. Video that was posted by FoxNews anchor Lauren Blanchard (Twitter: @LaurenBlanch12) and Twitter user Debbie Leland (Twitter user: @deblel) is posted below:
Watch this whole thing. A 21-aircraft missing man formation. The end when the aircraft with the name of #GHWB on the side peels off & disappears into the sky gave me goosebumps. pic.twitter.com/dZnnMX7X5G
The 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, will be laid to rest at his presidential library at College Station, Texas on Thursday. As part of the service, the US Navy will fly a special 21 jet salute over the gravesite. The missing man formation will be comprised of F/A-18 aircraft from eight squadrons. The jets departed out of Oceana to prepare for the unique flyover on Tuesday. The flyover will take place on Thursday afternoon after a final funeral service at a church in Houston. The body will then be transported by train to College Station. The internment ceremony is expected to begin at 4:15pm central time.
The flyover is the largest F/A-18 Super Hornet formation flyover ever conducted by the US Navy. It is meant as a special tribute to honor the 41st President who served honorably as a Navy pilot in World War II before continuing on to dedicate his career in public service. President Bush flew the Avenger in combat, surviving a crash landing and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism.
While the flyover tomorrow represents the largest F/A-18 missing man flyover formation, it isn’t the first time that such a large missing man formation was conducted for a presidential funeral. In 2006, the US Air Force flew a 21-ship of F-15s over the final resting place of former-President Gerald Ford.
A smaller missing man formation was also flown by F/A-18s for former-President Ronald Reagan’s funeral in 2004.
We will continue to update this story as we learn more.
Was that a tear in my eye? Ok, maybe. Every year, WestJet Airlines puts out an inspirational video. We’ve covered their viral videos every year. In a previous year’s video, the airline set up a Santa Claus video conference where passengers could ask for a gift they wanted, only to be surprised at the baggage carousel by wrapped presents at their destination. WestJet then followed that viral video up with a promise to grant 12,000 people their Christmas wish. Last year, they sponsored a large project to assist families whose homes were devastated by a Canadian wildfire. This year WestJet went for something different and once again, it’s pretty impressive.
WestJet Introduces a global Advent Calendar
This year, their famous Blue Santa will deliver special gifts for a total of 22 days. The theme corresponds with their recent push into providing more extensive long-haul service to Europe and Australia (beginning next year via a code share agreement with Qantas).
According to WestJet, “Over a month, spanning 16 countries and six continents, Blue Santa took to WestJet’s global skies to experience seasonal traditions and to spread holiday cheer. From Dec. 3-25, WestJet’s Advent Calendar will showcase daily his discoveries from around the globe with the help from worldy WestJetters – and may include a few extra surprises in between. WestJet’s Twitter feed and Facebook page will also be updated daily with WestJet’s Advent calendar content.
During his journey Blue Santa also surprised special guests with magical reunion experiences in London, England in WestJet’s Uniting Through Traditions video. The video features heart-warming reunions between Halifax parents and their far away daughter, a fun-loving Grande Prairie duo whose best friends live thousands of miles away and a long-distance couple with a story of true love.
“The storytelling in WestJet’s Advent Calendar and Uniting Through Traditions video underscores that being with the ones you love during the holidays is the greatest tradition of all,” said Richard Bartrem, WestJet’s Vice-President Marketing Communications. “Since our first Christmas Miracle in 2013, WestJet’s tradition has been to celebrate and promote the Christmas spirit with our guests through our caring culture. This year we’re thrilled to be able to take our Canadian spirit to the world through Blue Santa’s travels, while bringing some of the world’s spirit back home with us to share.”
Bush #1 Flew the Turkey Against Japan During World War II
December 7th 1941, “a date which will live in infamy”, was the start of the second world war for the United States and coincidently the public unveiling of the Grumman TBF Avenger. The Avenger, aptly named given the timing of it’s release, is known as the standard torpedo bomber of World War II.
Up until 1939, the Douglas Devastator had been the Navy’s standard torpedo bomber. However, with the quick development of new aircraft capabilities, the Devastator was already outdated by the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. To better defend the Pacific, the Navy needed a new aircraft with a top speed of 300 mph, a range of 1,000 miles (fully loaded), an internal weapons bay, 2,000 lbs. payload, and a ceiling of 30,000 feet.
The American Grumman TBF Avenger first entered service in the U.S. Navy at the Battle of Midway. It was not a promising start for the aircraft. Five out of the six in service were easily shot down during the battle by the Mitsubishi Zero fighters. Throughout the war the slow-flying torpedo bombers were used in a variety of other roles like: air support glide bombing, light transport, cargo transport, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine support.
Perhaps the most famous man to fly an Avenger in WWII is the late former President of the United States George H.W. Bush. He was the youngest naval aviator in the war and flew thousands of combat hours in the Avenger. September 2nd 1944 he was shot down when performing a dive bombing mission over Chichi Jima. He narrowly survived the event, while his two crewmen were never found.
Navy Lt. j.g. George H.W. Bush in the cockpit of his TBM Avenger, ca. 1944. (National Archives)
Because it could hold such a heavy payload, after the war the Avenger was converted into a fire bomber. The military equipment and guns were replaced with a large tank in the weapons bay that could hold water or flame retardant.
Bush Was Just a Teenager But Already Had the Heart of a Warrior
With the passing of one of our nation’s most esteemed presidents, we remember the young man that joined the Navy to serve –– duty, honor, country. George Bush was attending Phillips Academy in Andover Mass. when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. At school he was very active with school councils and sports, and was the senior class president. With a bright future ahead – he had already been accepted to Yale – he was advised to let the draft do its job and not enlist.
Bush Portrait via us navy
To War in a Turkey
Forever a servant of this nation, George ignored the wishes of his father and enlisted on his 18th birthday in 1942. His passion to serve was emboldened with a desire to “hold his own” apart from his family name. George worked hard and became the youngest Navy pilot of World War II. He was deployed with Torpedo Squadron FIVE ONE (VT-51) aboard the USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) in the Pacific flying TBM Avenger torpedo bombers at age 19 years and two days- the youngest Naval Aviator ever (at that time).
image via national archives
Fateful Mission
September 2, 1944, LTJG Bush had orders to fly a mission to take out a Japanese radio tower on the island of Chichi Jima. He and a two man crew consisting of LTJG William G. White, USNR, an intelligence specialist flying in the gunner’s position, and regular radio operator ARM 2nd Class John Lawson Delaney, USNR flew a TBM-1C Avenger torpedo bomber into anti-aircraft fire and the plane was hit at 8,000 feet. The aircraft caught fire. He bravely completed the bombing run before heading back to sea, the Avenger still smoking and flaming. Afraid the aircraft might explode at any moment, he decided a water landing was not an option.
Bush in Avenger Cockpit
Bailing Out
Other U.S. Avengers in the area reported hearing Bush’s order to his crewmen to “hit the silk”. George heard no response from his crew but made a steep right bank to lessen the pressure on the rear door, thereby assisting his crew with escaping the stricken aircraft. At least one crew member made it out of the stricken TBM but neither crew member survived. Then George bailed out. He hit his head on the tail of the aircraft. After landing in the ocean he was able to free himself from his chute and swim to his life raft.
TBM Avenger
Rescue From Under Japanese Guns
George’s head was dizzy and bleeding and he was vomiting from taking in seawater. The young George’s fight wasn’t done yet. Japanese gunboats were coming for him now. He desperately started paddling, with his hands, away from his enemies. Fellow airmen, flying TBM Avengers and the Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters, strafed the Japanese boats and returned to the San Jacinto. He floated in his life raft for hours before he was hauled aboard the American Gato-class fleet submarine USS Finback (SS-230).
George H. W. Bush Was a Hero Way Before He Became a President 9
Reflecting on the Loss of His Crew
The following day George wrote this letter to his mother:
“Yesterday was a day which will long stand in my memory….I will have to skip the details of the attack as they would not pass the censorship, but the fact remains that we got hit….There was no sign of Del or Ted anywhere around. I looked as I floated down and afterwards kept my eye open from the raft, but to no avail….I’m afraid I was pretty much a sissy about it cause I sat in my raft and sobbed for awhile….I feel so terribly responsible for their fate, Oh so much right now. Perhaps as the days go by it will all change and I will be able to look upon it in a different light….Last night I rolled and tossed. I kept reliving the whole experience. My heart aches for the families of those two boys with me.”
Bush with his regular crew of radioman john delaney and gunner leo nadeau
Getting Back in the Saddle
After a month aboard the Finback, he got back to his crew on the San Jacinto and continued flying bombing runs through more enemy fire. Throughout Bush’s entire service in the Navy he completed 58 combat missions and flew 1,228 combat hours. He came home a hero and was later awarded the Navy’s Distinguished Flying Cross.
George H. W. Bush Was a Hero Way Before He Became a President 10
Bush Tells His Own Story
Here is an interview with G.H.W Bush uploaded to YouTube by US Naval Institute.
Out of all the risks that pilots can face in the cockpit, one of the oddest challenges can be avoiding wildlife on departure or landing. Collisions with birds are a well known risks. Many airfields have risk mitigation programs in place to reduce the risk. In some cases, aircraft alter their departure times and routes to avoid migrating activities. Yet as we saw with US Airways 1549, the risk is real. Aircraft continue to hit birds and sometimes even larger animals. Between 1990 and 2018, the FAA reports that there have been more than 179,000 wildlife strikes with the vast majority being birds. Over 97% of strikes are birds but the FAA reports that snakes, bunnies, deer, a fish (!!!) and even alligators have collided with aircraft.
A 2017 article by The Atlantic cites that there have been over 1,000 collisions with deer. While aircraft are much larger than deer, the collision can still be deadly as aircraft attempt to avoid the collision at high speeds. Most major airports limit this problem with extensive fencing (with its primary purpose for security) and the constant roar of loud jet noise. But even then, that is not a guarantee that wildlife won’t encroach near the runway. Last October, an American Eagle CRJ200 hit a deer at a regional airport in Pennsylvania. And in 2017, another American Eagle jet hit a deer on takeoff causing significant damage and resulting in an emergency landing. The ATC video is seen below.
As a passenger, should you be worried? Probably not. The odds of any strike is still really low. But as a pilot, you should always be prepared. And that includes thinking ahead to anticipate what you would do if you encounter wildlife on takeoff, departure, approach, and landing.
A man from Florida – enjoying his first day of vacation in Switzerland – was forced to ‘hang on’ to the Hang glider, after the pilot reportedly forgot to attach him to the aircraft. The incident took place during Chris Gursky’s recent trip to Interlaken, a beautiful city in Switzerland.
When the pilot of the Hang glider took off from a mountainside with Chris on his left side, it became clear that the poor passenger wasn’t attached at all, compelling him to clutch onto the glider with his bare hands for more than 2 minutes. He accomplished this feat at 4,000 feet and at 45 mph+ in order to avoid a certain fatal fall. The pilot made a critical error in the pre-flight setup by not attaching Chris to the glider. The pilot did all he could to get Chris down asap, while flying the glider with one hand and grabbing on to Chris’ harness. Even after the mistake, you have to give credit to the pilot for saving Chris’ life by staying calm and putting all his skills to the test.
Chris himself created a video of the scary incident and shared it on Youtube on November 26. He titled the video “Swiss Mishap” and it has since gone viral with over 7 million views. “My first time Hang gliding had an unexpected twist when I left the ground unattached from the glider,” Gursky captioned the clip of his “near death experience.”
“I just glanced down, and said this is it: I am going to fall to my death,” he said on Fox News’ “Sheperd Smith Reporting”. “It wasn’t my time, I was going to hold on as long as I possibly could.” He was confused as to what was going on initially with the takeoff: “Holding on for my life …Losing grip the whole way down.” “For 2 minutes and 14 seconds I had to hang on for my life!” he says about the scary scene, in which he hangs onto the glider as the aircraft soars at top speeds over a picturesque Swiss valley, before the pilot managed to make an emergency landing.
Because of the accident Chris Gursky tore his left bicep tendon in the crash, and had to have surgery on his wrist. Chris is planning to go Hang gliding again though as he did not get to enjoy his first flight. What a hero.
Christian Boppart, director of the Swiss Hang Gliding Association, said he knew who the pilot was but wanted to respect his privacy as the matter is taken up by authorities. “The pilot knew he made a terrible mistake, but afterward he made a good save,” Boppart said. “The first lesson is that you check before starting that everything is good, and that everybody is attached.” Boppart said serious injuries from Hand gliding in Switzerland are rare.
When we see a Hang glider fly in the sky, many people will probably think of flying paperclips with a man attached to it, right? Not quite. Hang gliding is an air sport in which trained pilots fly a glider using only the wind and thermals to stay in the sky. There is no motor involved, not even to get into the air. The glider is fully controllable. Pilots can land where and when they want and travel big distances. Actually, the world record for straight distance – held by Dustin Martin and Jonny Durand – reached an amazing distance of around 473 miles (761 km). The flight reportedly took 11 hours with an average speed of 43 mph (69 km/h) and it took place on July 3, 2012 from Zapata to Lubbock, Texas. It’s probably the closest experience for man to have, to be flying like a bird.
In the very early days of the sport – the early 1970s – pilots would literally hang by their arms onto the base bar of the glider during very short flights from small hills. But the gliders and the sport developed, where the pilots are suspended securely in a harness, although during Chris’ incident this was not the case at all.
Thank God Chris survived to tell his story. Let’s hope this won’t ever happen again. His video shows us once more why a good pre-flight check is so important in the world of aviation.
Air France has done it again with another fantastic air to air video. A few years back they produced an amazing “Au revoir” video to the Boeing 747 as they retired the fleet. The video showed the Queen of the Skies flying over Paris with the national performance team in tow. This time, Air France is back with a stunning video of the their new Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Air France’s Dreamliner fleet currently consists of 6 aircraft. Three leased and three owned aircraft. The -9 seats 276 people in three classes. Each 787-9 is outfitted with 30 Business Class seats, 21 premium Economy seats, and 225 Economy seats.
In the video, the 787 flies over the French countryside with some fantastic cloud surfing footage. It truly is some stellar camera work. Check it out for yourself below:
Behind the scenes footage is even more impressive
Making a movie that stunning isn’t easy. It was quite a complex endeavor. The air to air footage was filmed in Ultra 8k by Airborne Films. The team utilized a customized Socata TBM single engine turbo aircraft. Underneath the right wing they added a Shotover F1 gyro stabilized system with a $20k RED Helium camera attached to it. Prior to filming, the crew conducted a series of required test flights to ensure that the unique camera mount wouldn’t interfere with aircraft operations in any phase of flight.
Planning for a shoot like this is much more involved than you might think. Although the final product looks effortless, significant planning was required. In the behind the scenes footage, pay particular attention to the amount of aerial choreography that took place. Every turn and camera position was preplanned. The photo shoot was even modeled virtually on custom software to ensure that the final product was perfect. The video is 13 minutes long, but if you are like us, you’ll watch the entire video a few times just to notice all of the unique details of a complex video shoot like this one. Kudos to the Airborne Films team!
After a busy holiday travel season, Allegiant Air is ready to retire the last of its McDonnell Douglas MD-80 fleet. The last Allegiant MD-80 took off from Fresno, California to Las Vegas on the evening of November 28th.
It landed at Las Vegas with a flyover of Las Vegas and a water cannon salute after landing. The Allegiant MD-80 fleet has connected small cities with world-class destinations around the United States for 16 years, but the low-cost carrier is ready to simplify and move forward with their fleet of Airbus 319s and A320s. The final flight was scheduled for November 28th to fly to Fresno and then back to their main hub in Las Vegas; a route they’ve done since Allegiant’s beginning in 1999.
An Allegiant Airlines MD-80
Allegiant Air’s Opportunistic Background
With the domestic proliferation of the Airbus A320 in the early 2000s, we started to see major airlines announce retirement plans for their McDonnell Douglas aircraft and begin selling their used MD-80s.
Allegiant used this time to purchase the MD-80 at a better price and continued to operate short to medium distance nonstop routes across the United States at a lower cost for their customers.
Allegiant Used To Only Fly The MD-80
In 2002 Allegiant was operating a fleet primarily of MD-80s bringing passengers from smaller cities to world-class leisure destinations like Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, and Southern California. Drew Wells, Vice-President of Revenue and Planning for Allegiant, said that they’ve done the same with the Airbus A320 by staying, “true to our core values and being opportunistic and bringing in the right fleet and aircraft when the right price point is there.”
In 2012 Allegiant put into action a 10 year transition plan. Now Allegiant is ready to retire it’s fleet of MD-80s in favor of the Airbus A320, ahead of schedule.
Photo by redlegsfan21. Post on Flickr.
Allegiant Transitioned from the MD-80 Faster Than Expected
The successful purchase of several used Airbuses accelerated the retirement of Allegiant’s MD-80s to this year instead of their planned retirement in 2019.
This caused some challenges for the carrier:
– Technicians were taking on the new aircraft at a rate never before seen by Allegiant Air. Great deals and a surprising order for brand new A320s from Airbus expedited the process. Allegiant’s crews took about 35-40 days to process each new aircraft. – Ensuring they have enough pilots trained and ready to safely man their new fleet has also put them under pressure. They anticipate being fully manned by March of 2019. – There was also a delay in receiving some of their new aircraft from Airbus which forced Allegiant to operate with 6 fewer aircraft.
How Does the A320 Change Allegiant Air?
As technology progresses, oil and fuel costs fluctuate, and the economy changes, Allegiant is always looking to maintain a cost effective means for air travel. The new Airbus fleet is significantly younger than the MD-80 and Allegiant is already seeing improvement in the fleet’s reliability, network possibilities, and revenue.
The MD-80 was designed and brought into production in the 1970s and today the approach to maintaining these aircraft is still very much prognostic.
Upgrading to the Airbus A320 comes with a modern maintenance platform, Skywise, that will ensure a more proactive approach to the maintenance of the aircraft. They’ll be able to better anticipate the maintenance needs of the aircraft, which means less downtime and more airtime for the fleet.
The A320 aircraft family is also more fuel efficient by about 30% and it has a better maximum takeoff weight than the MD-80. This opens the doors for new routes for Allegiant and a little more room for passengers. Now only Delta and American fly the MD-80 aircraft. American is scheduled to retire their MD-80 fleet in 2019 with Delta following by 2020.
Allegiant Air’s New Routes
This November Allegiant Air launched four new routes exclusively operated by their fleet. You can now fly between Phoenix, Mesa, and Saint George, Utah. They’ve also connected Punta Gorda with Omaha, Syracuse, and Appleton.
Streamlining the Fleet
Operating and maintaining two different aircraft types has been a logistical and financial headache. After a year of hard work bringing in the A320s and retiring the MD-80s Allegiant is looking forward to an updated, efficient and simplified fleet to bring them into 2019 and beyond.
Editors note: The original article incorrectly stated that the final flight was between Flint, Michigan and Las Vegas. We corrected the error.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian recently took a ride on an ultra rare Boeing 747SP, owned by the Sands Corporation. Their trip has attracted some scrutiny mainly due to the perceived environmental waste of flying a nearly empty jumbo jet. Twitter lit up with comments about how wasteful their trip was while other comments focused on the fact that they’d love an exclusive 747 ride too.
boarding a fkng 747 big ass plane for just themselves is a disgrace! They’re wasteful twats ruining the environment all so they can brag on the internet about how rich they are. Guess what, we all know! I hope the apocalypse reaps their asses FIRST! @kanyewest@KimKardashian
We at Avgeekery were more excited by the fact that West and Kardashian posted video of the inside of the classic VIP aircraft. To our knowledge, no other videos of the interior of this particular jumbo jet are available online. In the Instagram video, Kim highlights the many bedrooms inside the jet along with a section of the jet configured with mid-2000s style first class seats. In addition to the tour of the main cabin and the seating area on the second deck, she also shows Kanye sitting at one of the many lounge areas behind a large desk. While the jet appears far from new, it looks like it is incredible shape for being a nearly 40 year old aircraft. The interior configuration resembles another VIP configuration, Air Force One. That modified Boeing 747-200 is the President of the United States personal aircraft.
Tail number VP-BLK is one of the few remaining airworthy Boeing 747SP aircraft in the world. It is configured in a VVIP (that’s very VIP) configuration that is estimated to very comfortably sit around 60 people. The jet was originally designed for a three-cabin configuration with around 330 people. The Boeing 747SP has the characteristic features of a Boeing 747 but is significantly shorter, features a taller tail for stability purposes and has a modified wing with a simpler flap design to save weight. The jet was designed in the early 1970s as a way to offer jumbo jet amenities on routes that were too distant for the early Boeing 747-100s and -200s. Only 45 of the Special Performance version of the 747 were ever built, far below the expectations of Boeing. Today, there are less than 10 still in service, primarily serving as VIP aircraft for government officials.
Below is a video by YouTube user Speedbird of tail VP-BLK arriving a departing from Las Vegas, Nevada where the aircraft is based.
Meet Brittany, a successful flight attendant who doesn’t let diabetes Type 1 get in her way.
Many young people dream of a career in aviation. A booming aviation industry, great pay, unique benefits, and plenty of time off can make it an attractive career. Becoming a pilot or flight attendant isn’t easy though. In the case of a pilot, it takes years of slugging through expensive lessons, then gaining experience by acting as an instructor or taking lower-paying jobs before finally getting the chance to fly an airliner. While the path to become a flight attendant isn’t as lengthy, it still requires tremendous dedication and significant training. Dedication isn’t the only thing you need to make it in aviation though. You also need to be healthy. Certain disabilities and conditions can disqualify you. Diabetes (both Type 1 and Type 2) is a challenging condition for anyone interested in a career in aviation.
Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes is a limiting condition, but it doesn’t have to end your dream of a career in the skies. Currently, a person with Type 1 cannot be an airline pilot. If the condition is well controlled, they can only qualify for a Class 2 or 3 medical certificate. That qualifies someone to fly as an instructor or fly recreationally. A more-strict class 1 medical is required to pilot an airliner. A person with type 1 diabetes cannot currently gain a Class 1 medical certificate.
Fortunately, other career options exist in aviation for someone with Type 1 diabetes. Flight attendants are allowed to fly with diabetes as long as the condition is well controlled. We recently had the opportunity to chat with Britany Tomlinson, a flight attendant for a major airline who also has Type 1 diabetes.
Hi Brittany! Thanks for taking the time to chat with Avgeekery and share your story. We’d love to hear about your journey in aviation and how you became a flight attendant.
What aircraft do you fly on?
Hi! Thank you for the opportunity to share my story. I’m qualified to fly on the Airbus A319 and A320 as well as Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787 aircrafts.
How long have you been flying?
I’ve been flying for 2.5 years.
What made you fall in love with aviation?
The love for aviation was cultivated from a young age for me. I grew up hearing wonder-filled stories from my grandparents who met while working at Pan Am. My grandma was a stewardess and my Pappy ran the special services operations for Pan Am out of LAX so I was brought up in awe of aviation and the opportunities it brought to them.
On top of that, my mom and dad own and operate a WWII museum and Brewseum in Honolulu, so growing up and spending so much time in the museum, I was constantly being told incredible stories of aviation during WWII.
Tell us about your favorite aviation story in your career.
My favorite memories are always the interesting people I’ve met over the years in the skies. I really believe the people are what make this job so wonderful. I’ve met celebrities, people flying for the first time, children in love with aviation, people from other cultures, and my fellow flight attendants who go the extra mile to make sure everyone is safe and happy. I was even lucky enough to meet my boyfriend on a flight which is a memory that always makes me smile.
Being a Type 1 diabetic and a flight attendant makes you pretty unique and bad ass. How do you deal with this challenge?
Thank you! I wear an Insulin pump, which is about the size of a beeper and gives me a continual flow of insulin, and every time I leave for a trip I double and triple check I have all of my supplies just in case I’m gone for days at a time.
I used to have to check my blood sugar constantly by pricking my fingers but recently I was fortunate to start using the DexCom CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) which is a sensor I wear on the back of my arm that reads my blood sugar every three minutes and alerts me on my phone if I’m trending high or low. It’s been a life changer especially in this industry where I’m in different time zones and sleeping at odd times.
Are there any special requirements or briefings that you have to give to other crew members because of your condition?
Yes, I tell my crew members I’m diabetic before each flight because it’s information pertinent to the safety of our flight. We need all of the necessary information available in order to be prepared to get passengers safely from point A to B. Fortunately, I’ve never had an issue with my diabetes in my 2.5 years of flying. I always keep glucose tabs in my pockets however, just to make sure I have them readily available if I experience low blood sugar while I’m in the aisle. Every flight attendant is medically trained so I’m thankful we all know what symptoms to watch out for.
What advice do you have for men and women who have diabetes and still want a career in aviation?
I would tell those men and women with diabetes to not let society or this disease hold you back from fulfilling your dreams. However, you must be prepared for a complete lifestyle change, erratic sleep schedules, time zone changes, and long shifts. Despite all of this, I wouldn’t change it for the world. If you’re truly dedicated, there will be so many wonderful experiences that can and WILL make up for the hectic lifestyle this career brings. This career is not for the faint of heart by any means, but if you’re ready to put your health before anything else, it can be possible.
Thanks for joining us! We thank you for sharing your story and showing others how they can overcome challenges to achieve their dream of a career in aviation.
To learn more about diabetes and a career in aviation, check out sites like this:
We’ve heard of NASCAR using jet engines to dry the track after rain, but this is a new one.
Facebook user Jay Jacks posted an incredible video of two helicopters drying the field before today’s game against Auburn. Before the game, Birmingham received about .4 inches of rain. Not a huge amount but enough to make the field wet and potentially sloppy. Something had to be done to dry the field. After all, Alabama is 11-0 and haven’t lost in over a year.
Rain wasn’t going to get in their way of a pursuit of their second National Championship in as many years. Number one ranked Alabama wasted no expense to ensure that they would play on a crisp, dry field. They brought in two helicopters to dry the field. It made for a pretty incredible site. See the full, original video embedded below:
A former PanAm Clipper, one of the last flying Boeing 747 classic jets retired recently. Tail number N747GE which flew as GE’s flying testbed for its engine programs was the 25th Boeing 747 built. It first flew in 1969 and was later delivered to PanAm. The jumbo jet was sold to GE in 1992, shortly after the demise of PanAm World Airways.
Over the course of its 26 year career as a flying testbed, the jet flew nearly every engine that GE developed and maintained during the same period. The 747 most notably carried the now iconic GE-90 engine that would power a whole generation of long-range Boeing 777 aircraft. The jet also flew the GEnx engine which now powers the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
According to GE, “The transformation from passenger aircraft to a flying testbed required significant modifications, including removing seats, strengthening the left wing and tail for flight testing and installing data systems. The aircraft provided critical flight data on more than 11 distinct engine models and 39 engine builds, including widebody engines like the GE90, GEnx and the Engine Alliance GP7200, CF34 engines for regional jets, narrow body engines like CFM56 and LEAP, and the Passport for business aviation.”
GE’s Boeing 747 Testbed is taxied across a road to the Pima Air and Space Museum. Photo by GE
On November 15, 2018, the Boeing 747 lifted off one more time for its final flight from Victorville, California to Tucson, Arizona. It will be displayed at Pima Air And Space Museum. After landing at Tucson, the aircraft was towed to the museum. It will be on display at the museum yard, which now hosts a number of other historical aircraft including the YC-15, SR-71 Blackbird, and a number of rare World War II aircraft.
Being towed to her new home. Original Flight Test Operations pilot Gary Possert long hoped that the Queen of the Skies would be retired to a cushy museum gig, versus being scrapped. His wishes came true. Photo by GE
The last flight was a bit of a bonus flight for the elderly Queen of the Skies. The trip to Pima wasn’t a guarantee. GE even produced a video of its expected last flight that took place earlier in January of 2018. It’s great to see that the Queen of the Skies–one of the last non-military derivative ‘classic’ Boeing 747s–will have a long retirement ahead of her.
One of the most common questions we get asked by passengers is how fast we’re going. Usually it is asked about takeoff or landing as it is easy to find out how fast we’re going at cruise. For that, simply look at the inflight entertainment system which gives a readout from the onboard GPS system. When I give an answer to the takeoff or landing speed, I’ll say it depends. On what you may ask? It depends on many factors, to include the weight of the aircraft, the wind, the airport elevation, the runway conditions (wet or dry) and even the terrain surrounding the airport.
Even after explaining all that, I have to give an approximate answer because our airspeed up front is given to us in knots and not the more familiar miles or kilometers per hour. A “knot” is a nautical measure of speed which means nautical miles per hour. A nautical mile is 6076 feet as opposed to a statute or “normal” mile which is 5280 feet. In ancient days, sailors would feed a rope over the side of their ship for a specified amount of time and then measure the number of knots (which had been tied into the rope at regular intervals) that had been pulled overboard. The number of knots pulled over was proportional to the speed of the ship.
Later on, a nautical mile was defined as one minute of arc along a meridian (north-south line) on a nautical chart. This made chart reading easier and was picked up by aviation as a standard navigation protocol since early overwater aviators would have to use the same charts as used for surface navigation.
That all sounds very interesting, but are we really using the GPS readout to determine our takeoff and landing speeds? No. We are not. Airplanes stay in the air by virtue of the wind moving over the wings. Not enough wind, the wing stalls and it drops like a rock. The question is how do we know how much wind is moving over the wing?
Bill Larkins [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsWind Over the Wings
To determine how much wind is flowing over the wings we use an airspeed indicator which is simply a sensor connected by plastic tubing to those odd shaped pointy things you see attached to the fuselage near the front of any airliner. Those are called pitot tubes. The tip of a pitot tube has a small opening which is connected by tubing to a pressure sensor. A measure of the air pressure from the pitot tube when compared to the ambient pressure is proportional to the speed of the aircraft through the air.
Pitot tubes, in combination with static ports (which measure ambient pressure) and their related indicators, are collectively known as the pitot-static system, and constitute one of the most vital systems on any airplane. This is why you usually see so many pitot tubes on the front of airliners. They provide redundancy.
At this point you may be raising an objection: But isn’t air a compressible fluid, and wouldn’t this compressibility skew the results as, say, temperature changed or other conditions changed? Why yes, yes they would Poindexter. Move to the front row and give yourself a star.
Notice the pilot tubes on this now retired Boeing 737-500. Photo by Bill Abbott. (Flikr)
ICE-T (Not a drink from Long Island)
Pilots of a certain age will remember the torture inflicted by their instructors by being required to perform the dreaded “ICE-T” problem using the E6B government issue “whizz wheel” circular slide rule. This usually occurred as they were struggling to realize their dream of being a jet pilot while attempting to not throw up in the flying sterno can known as the T-37 in the west Texas summer heat. ICE-T was not an exotic drink from Long Island, but rather an acronym which stood for Indicated Calibrated Equivalent True airspeed. These terms referred to an airspeed conversion from the indicated speed shown on your panel to your actual velocity through the air known as “true” airspeed.
Performing this calculation was a drawn out process using inputs such as your pressure altitude and temperature deviation (from a standard day). It was necessary because your “true” airspeed was used in navigation calculations such as time-distance-fuel determinations.
Today, of course, those calculations are all automated by an onboard computer known as the air data inertial reference unit or ADIRU. This system takes all the pitot static input data and combines it with attitude and position data from the inertial reference units (IRUs) to provide one stop shopping data supply to the pilots’ displays, the autopilot, and even the engines which use the data to optimize things like fuel burn.
DOD photo/Senior Airman Sheila deVera
Do We Have Enough Gas?
Once you know your “true” airspeed or actual velocity through the air, you need to apply your known wind correction to determine your actual velocity across the ground. This is important, because if the headwind is, say, 30 knots stronger than what you planned for, you might not have enough fuel to reach your destination. This can ruin your day on a long overwater leg.
In years gone by, flight plans would be “winded” with the latest forecast from aviation meteorologists. The plan was only as good as the forecast, and fuel needed to be closely monitored to determine if actual headwinds were greater than forecast. INS (inertial navigation) and GPS systems have greatly increased the accuracy of fuel planning as they give real time wind readouts. You instantly know if your plan was accurate.
Wind correction data input, as you might imagine, is also automated on modern transport aircraft and fed into the aircraft’s flight management system (FMS) through an automatic data upload. This system will give you a helpful INSUFFICIENT FUEL warning if it thinks you’re not going to make it. Usually this warning means that you fat-fingered your flight plan input and told the airplane that you’re going back to your origination as your destination or some similar easily rectified mistake.
In Conclusion
Airspeed is important for reasons beyond satisfying the curiosity of aviation fans. In the immediate short term, it keeps airplanes aloft by informing pilots when they are getting slow, which is an unforgivable sin in aviation. In the long term, knowing ground speed, which is derived from airspeed plus wind inputs, lets pilots know that they will arrive at their destination with enough fuel.
Our Profound Respect and Sincere Thanks Go Out to Every Veteran and Every Vet Family
Happy Veterans Day! From the grunts to the wing wipers, boomers and gas passers, brown shoes and black shoes; wearers of desert boots, jungle boots, LPCs, boondockers, jump boots, flight boots or deck boots; MOPPs, brain buckets, ACHs, MICHs, SPHs, HGUs, berets, boonie hats, pith helmets, leather helmets, dixie cups, 50-mission crush hats, M1 steel pots, flak helmets, or Kevlar PASGTs; scrambled eggs or plain visors on your combination cap; campaign hats or pisscutters; red, purple, yellow, brown, green, blue, or white flight deck jerseys with cranials and goggles (always on of course)- thank you.
Image via USAF
More Than the Suit
Whether you turned out in OD green, BDUs, ACUs, fatigues, dress blues, pinks, Class As, or whites; tiger-stripe, chocolate chip, woodland, coffee stain, MARPAT, or NWU camo; khakis or cracker jacks; heated suits, space suits, flak suits, poopie suits, or blue suits; khaki, dayglow orange, sage green, or desert tan cotton or Nomex zoombags and speed jeans; were a grunt at the front, tip of the spear, or in the rear with the gear; ground pounders, lifers, or newbies; built, fused, or uploaded JDAMs, MOABs, ASRAAMs, Paveways, GPs, Snakeyes, Rockeyes, Walleyes, SRAMs, or Zunis; with facepaint or flash cream- thank you.
Whether you’re a proud member of the Betio Bastards, Old Ironsides, Hell on Wheels, Red Bull, Gunslingers, Diamondbacks, Mad Foxes, Spearhead, Americal, Railsplitters, Dirty Dozen, Blue Foxes, Debden Eagles, Zemke’s Wolfpack, Bloody 100th, Soaring Stallions, Green Bats, Ghostriders, Buzzards, Old Buzzards, Blue Diamonds, Black Sheep, Stingers, Tacos, Green Mountain Boys, Happy Hooligans, Red Tails, Spikes, Black Cats, Vampires, Bomber Barons, Red Devils, Beeliners, Pegasus, Green Mountain Boys, Flying Tigers, Ugly Angels, Death Jesters, Black Knights, Warlords, Zappers, Garudas, Wallbangers, Jolly Rogers, Red Rippers, Swordsmen, Black Aces, Kestrels, Pukin’ Dogs, Arabs, Sundowners, Sunday Punchers, Skinny Dragons, Thunderchickens, Totems, Tomcats, World Watchers, Wizards, Conquistadors, Providers, Warbucks, Sabrehawks, Sea Dragons, Fleet Angels, Dragon Slayers, Grandmasters, or thousands of others- thank you.
Image via US Navy
Code for Jobs Well Done
To the graduates of Canoe U or the Blue Zoo, Quantico, USMA, or USCGA; AOCS, NACCS, or ENJJPT; who went to boot camp, a recruit depot, or basic training; COs, XOs, JOs, CAGs, butter bars, full bulls, NFOs, GIBs, RIOs, FNGs, PCs, or OODs; wing kings, PJs, dot chasers, BB stackers, EWOs, DSOs, crowd pleasers, or one stripers; served in TFWs, TRSs, BSs, ARWs, AACSs, ACCSs, TEGs, ARSs, FTWs, RQWs, SRWs, SBWs, SOSs, TAC, SAC, MAC, ACC, AMC, ARRS; were PPCs, FAWs, TACCOs, SENSOs, or R2D2s; were bus drivers, flat hatters, trash haulers, crew chiefs, loadmasters, ravens, snipes, bubbleheads, rotorheads, squids, spooks, sparks, commos, intel pukes, swabbies, Coasties, pingers, ordies, checkers, shooters, tweakers, or nukes (glowing just a little in the dark)- thank you.
Image via USAF
Doing Their Duty
Whether you ate C rations, K rations, MREs (three lies for the price of one), gray veggies, green eggs, sliders, rollers, SOS, or mystery meat in a chow hall, mess deck, or from a roach coach/gut truck; drank lifer’s juice, bug juice, or “potable” water; climbed mountains, stairs or ladders; slept in a bunk under a ceiling, in a rack stacked four high under a low pipe-festooned overhead in a berthing compartment, under the stars out in the open, or well below zero in a bag; closed doors, hatches, or panels; stormed beaches, assaulted atolls, fought in trenches, slogged the paddies, called in artillery, flew CAS, prayed for CAS, flew CSAR, guarded arsenals, swabbed decks or mopped floors, deployed almost anywhere on earth from the bottom of the deepest ocean to the edge of space and beyond, came home, and deployed again far too soon- thank you.
Image via USAF
Jobs That Needed Doing on All the Ships at Sea and More
To all of you active duty, reserve, guard, and retired jarheads, dogfaces, tunnel rats, desert rats, G.I.s or leathernecks wearing MOLLE or ALICE; chest plates or shemaghs; working in sick bays or field hospitals; sweating the gas or passing it; 11Bs, 13Ts, 14Zs, 15Rs, 19Ks or 25Ls; 0211s, 0331s, 0317s, 0481s, 0521s, 0681s, 0844s, 0911s, 4212s, 8026s, FiSTers, or 7556s; ABs, AEs, ATs, BMs, CTs, EODs, GMs, NSs or PRs; ‘gators, wizzos, airdales, cones, jocks, scope dopes or shellbacks; CHENGs, COBs, CWOs PFCs, SWCCs with the SBTs, or just haze-gray-and-underway sailors crewing AKs, AEs, DDs, DEs, DDGs, AGERs, BBs, CAs, CGNs, FFGs, FFs, AOEs, LHDs, LSDs, LCSs, MSOs, SSs, CVEs, CVLs, CVAs, CVNs, PCs, SSNs SSBNs, SSGNs, AGOSs, ATFs, LCACs, APDs, PBRs, RCBs, SOC-Rs, or CCBs- thank you.
Whether your battle was Kasserine Pass, Gela, Centuripe, Anzio, Monte Cassino, Overlord, Cobra, Arnhem, Bastogne, Remagen, Bataan, Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, Tassafaronga, Buna, Bougainville, Kolombangara, Bismarck Sea, Tarawa, Eniwetok, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Matterhorn, Bloody Ridge, Chosin Reservoir, Pork Chop Hill, Inchon, Old Baldy, the Pusan Perimeter, Hamburger Hill, Ia Drang, Khe Sanh, Dong Ha, Arc Light, Linebacker, Dak To, Flaming Dart, Market Time, Tet, Bolo, DeSoto, Iron Hand, Kham Duc, Steel Tiger, Cambodia, Laos, Nickel Grass, Frequent Wind, Lebanon, the Dominican, Gulf of Sidra, Grenada, Just Cause, Earnest Will, Praying Mantis, Eagle Claw, El Dorado Canyon, Khafji, 73 Easting, Mogadishu, Rhino, Kabul, Tora Bora, Al Faw, Kandahar, Karbala, Basra, Deny Flight, Desert Strike, Desert Fox, New Dawn, Allied Force, Fallujah, Mountain Thrust, Medusa, Kamdesh, any of thousands of other clashes, or any period of the Cold War, and indeed any battle or war, anywhere- thank you for running toward the gunfire. Or for doing what it took to prevent it.
Image by Joe Rosenthal via US National Archives
They Also Served. And Well
Man or woman, dead of night to death by noon; if you were Delta, Ranger, SEAL, Force Recon, Night Stalker, DEVGRU or AFSOW; snake eaters, frogs, operators, weekend warriors, brown hats, crunchies, MPs, SPs, or hurricane hunters; docs, jaw breakers, techies, nurses, weather guessers, medics, tops, gunnies or chiefs; whether your slogan was IYAOYAS or YARFO or FM- from someone who was one once upon a time to all the rest- past, present, and future- thank you and your families for your sacrifice, service, and devotion to these United States of America.
PENSACOLA, Fla. — The cradle of naval aviation will host the final air show of the year for the Blue Angels this week as they perform their popular demonstrations above the airfield at the Naval Air Station Pensacola.
The Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron known as the Blue Angels will perform on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The team’s high-gloss blue and gold jets will perform nearly 31 high precision maneuvers to demonstrate the handling characteristics of the F/A-18 Hornet.
The Blue Angels Diamond Team includes “Boss” and newly promoted Captain Eric “Popeye” Doyle in Angel 1, LCDR Damon Kroes, Maj. Jeff Mullins, LCDR Nate Scott. The two solo pilots, LCDR Tyler Davies and LCDR Brandon Hempler, will push the envelope of their Hornets as they perform high speed passes near the speed of sound.
For a few of the pilots, this weekend will mark their final performances as the Blue Angels conclude their 72nd anniversary season. Kroes, Scott, and Davies will return to fleet in a few weeks as new faces join the Blues.
NAS Pensacola will host the Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow November 3 and 4. (Charles Atkeison)
Former Blue Angels lead solo pilot John “Gucci” Foley summed up on Wednesday what the annual Homecoming air show means to him. Foley, who served with the Navy’s elite flight demonstration squadron between 1989 and 1991, feels this air show above any other is a very special one.
“It is a deep sense of purpose with a connection to something larger than self,” Gucci explained. “Homecoming is about connection, inspiration, and gratefulness; and to honor the current team and their families.”
Foley, who travels as a popular motivational and keynote speaker for corporate and private leadership, takes pride in watching his former squadron perform. Watching their practice this week, his face grinned often and he pointed skyward occasionally with insider comments as their six jets prepared for the special weekend.
“I encourage and draw joy from the newbies,” Foley added as he referenced the new Blue Angels pilots and team members. “I reconnect with past teammates — tradition never retires. This is why I’m glad to be here!”
Former Blue Angels pilot John Foley meets with current pilot Nate Scott on Wednesday. (Blue Angels)
The former pilot also reconnected with current slot pilot Nate ‘Utah’ Scott on Wednesday at their home base. Nearly three decades ago, LCDR Foley met with a then five-year-old Nate during the San Francisco air show which launched a dream for the youngster.
“In 1990, I was (Blue Angel) #7 and took this picture on the pier at San Francisco,” Foley described as the two shared memories of that special day, including a framed photograph. “I flew out to help celebrate that moment this week with his family.”
John Foley’s patriotism and belief in inspiring children and adults to reach for higher goals in life can also be seen within the Blue Angels. Reflecting on the special photograph featuring Scott and himself, Foley turned with a smile to say, “This continues today as Nate and the team inspire the next generation. The Blues do this everyday to thousands of people.”
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
A Boeing 737-MAX 8 operated by Lion Air has crashed. Flight JT 610 took off at 7:20am local time from Jakarta. It was scheduled to arrive in Pangkal Pinang just an hour and twenty minutes later.
The aircraft lost contact with controllers just 13 minutes after departure. FlightRadar shows that the aircraft last reported its position over the Java Sea, about 40 miles from the coast of Java. While ADSB data on the web can sometimes prove inaccurate, the flight speed and altitude profile looked slight unusual. The 737 flew much of its departure at over 300 knots and only reached a max of 5,400 feet MSL. On initial departure, the aircraft climbed to 2,000 feet, then descended back down to 1,400 feet before beginning a shallow climb at over 300 knots. The final ADSB return from FlightRadar24 shows a steep drop in altitude before the aircraft ceased reporting. There were 178 passengers onboard the aircraft.
Pesawat Lion Air rute Jakarta – Pangkal Pinang dengan no. penerbangan JT 610 mengalami lost contact pada pukul 06:33. Telah dikonfirmasi bahwa pesawat tersebut jatuh di laut sekitar Karawang#LionAir#JT610#LostContactpic.twitter.com/36zea1ILDR
CNN is quoting the Indonesian Transport Minister who said that they pilots requested a return to base shortly after departure.
#breaking 178 adults, 1 child, 2 infants, 2 cockpit personnel and 6 flight attendants on crashed Lion Air #JT610. Indonesian Transport Min. says the Boeing 737-8 Max “requested a return to base before finally disappearing from the radar” on flight from Tangerang to Pangkal Pinang
There is no word on the condition of those aboard yet but video posted by Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Head of BNPB Information and Public Relations Center, shows that the likelihood of survival from the debris profile is slim. Additional photos show personal effects recovered from the Java Sea.
Serpihan pesawat Lion Air JT 610 yang jatuh di perairan Karawang. Beberapa kapal tug boad membantu menangani evakuasi. Video diambil petugas tug boad yang ada di perairan Karawang. pic.twitter.com/4GhKcRYkpG
Indonesian-based Lion Air has had a troubled safety record and was even banned from the EU for a while due to significant safety concerns. In addition to a number of incidents, this would be their 5th major accident in less than 19 years of operations. This particular 737-8MAX was only two months old.
This is also the first major accident of a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Boeing’s latest 737 MAX family offers more efficient LEAP-1B engines, along with upgraded winglets, minor aerodynamic improvements, and a fly-by-wire spoiler system. The first 737 MAX 8 aircraft was delivered in 2016.
This is breaking news. We’ll post updates in the story as we receive them.
We love the creativity of airplane modelers. They are able to shrink the thrill of aviation and put it into smaller scale for everyone to enjoy. We’ve seen Boeing 747s that are so large, we’re pretty sure that you could fly a real human inside. But this A-10 model stands above the rest.
It was recently flown by Kurt Tötsch who flew it at the Barone Rosso Airshow 2018. The ultra-realistic model features nearly exact maintenance panels and even has a frightenly accurate 30mm gun. The model jets flying characteristics are pretty realistic too. Check out the scene where it rolls into a strafing run followed by an egress with a barrel roll. It looks scary enough to frighten the Taliban!
The model is built by Mibo. (http://www.mibojets.com/product/a10-1/) If you are interested in purchasing one of your own, be sure to set aside plenty of cash. This model isn’t cheap. A kit will set you back almost four thousand Euro. That’s about $5,200 just for the kit. Engines and accessories will cost you even more.
This year’s Culpeper Air Fest started with a fall chill in the air and overcast skies. Fortunately the clouds began to break up, in time for the start of the show.
Flying activities kicked off with an impressive display of remote control aircraft. These handmade planes are fun to watch, especially the flying lawnmower. Only in America can you see a “lawn mower”. Aerial performers, from the nearby Flying Circus Airshow, started the piloted show with a patriotic parachute jump to start the day’s fun. The Airshow also brought their wing walking talents to the show.
Former Astronaut Joe Edwards beat up the field in his North American T-28 Trojan, showing what this old bird still had some serious capability in it.
Art Nalls flew solo demonstrations in both the L-39 Albatros as well as his own FRS2 Sea Harrier. As the only privately owned Sea Harrier in the world, this aircraft, XZ439, is a rare bird indeed. Later on, the Warrior Flight team flew a stunning two ship performance featuring L-39s.
The Air Fest also conducts science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities for area students, to encourage the children’s interest in these fields. Culpeper fifth graders were treated to hands on STEM exhibits as a field trip days before the show.
The twelve ship Potomac Flight, conducted a large formation flyover with nine North American T-6 Texans, two Douglas C-47s, and a Beechcraft C-45. The previous day, the Potomac Flight took part in a rare overflight of the Pentagon and Arlington Cemetery to honor disabled American veterans.
Manfred Radius flew his acrobatically rated Salto II sailplane, in an elegant demonstration of both his talent and the aircraft’s capability.
The Military Aviation Museum flew up a Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, to take part in a heritage flight with the Sea Harrier. Sadly this flight was canceled due to unfavorable winds, though the beautiful warbirds taxied out on the field for the crowd to admire.
Tragically the show had a fatal crash, the night before when aerobatic pilot Jon Thocker was killed. Preforming a special night routine for show sponsors, Thocker was a member of the two man team from Redline Airshows. Both the NTSB and FAA were on the scene to investigate, though the cause has not been officially determined. After conferring with state and federal officials, the Air Fest organizers fittingly went on with the show Saturday morning.
The Culpeper Air Fest bills itself as, “Best Little Air Show in the East”, and this simply does not do the show justice. The show continues to improve, be it the: growing STEM educational training, increased number of performers, professionalism of the organizers, and overall showmanship. It will be a joy to experience the Culpeper Air Fest in the years to come.
Britain’s Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team announced today they will perform at air show sites across the United States and Canada during a nine-week visit in the summer of 2019.
Nicknamed the Red Arrows, their nine BAE Systems’ Hawk T1 Mk1 jets will demonstrate above the Americas this August and September. Around ten air show locations and fly-bys will be announced in a few months as the host locations.
The tour, code named Western Hawk 19, will also see the Red Arrows fly with military and civilian aerobatic teams, including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the Canadian Snowbirds. The squadron is popular for their Diamond Nine shape formation and close formation maneuvers.
The Red Arrows 55th anniversary season will begin in May with show dates in the United Kingdom. The team will spend about ten days preparing themselves and the jets for their trip across the Atlantic in July.
The RAF Red Arrows and USAF Thunderbirds performed together over the U.K. in July 2017. (RAF)
The Red Arrows’ 2019 season begins with their 4,961st display in the team’s history which dates back to 1965. Their 5,000th event may take place in August during their North America tour.
“The Red Arrows’ pilots, engineers, and support staff have been delighted to support numerous events promoting science, technology, engineering, and maths – helping to inspire the next generation of RAF personnel,” Wing Commander Andrew Keith said this week. “We look forward to building on the success of 2018, flying the flag, and promoting the UK in 2019.”
The squadron concluded their 2018 season on October 12, having visited 60 show sites across the U.K. and Europe. The team also spent this past summer celebrating the Royal Air Force’s 100 anniversary year.
“After an incredible year celebrating RAF100, it seems only fitting that the Red Arrows prepare to illuminate the skies of our closest allies in 2019, celebrating and strengthening our incredible relationship with the U.S.,” Britain’s Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said on Sunday.
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team Red Arrows’ Hawk T1 jets perform inverted in 2018. (RAF)
Winter training for the Red Arrows’ 2019 season officially begin this week following a two-week break for its pilots to allow the maintenance crews time to prepare the jets. The team will also welcome a few new pilots to the team for next year.
“The first half of the Red Arrows’ display consists of synchronized, formation aerobatics, followed by a more dynamic second half,” Keith said. “Red (Arrows) 1 to 5 form the front section of the team’s formation, known as Enid, and Reds 6 to 9 make up the rear part called Gypo.”
He added, “The Synchro Pair, Reds 6 and 7, perform the highly-popular opposition maneuvers during this latter section of the show. During a display, Red 10 acts as the team’s supervisor who maintains two-way radio contact with the team leader (and) provides the commentary.”
The squadron is based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire in central England.
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday released their investigative report into the fatal crash of a Thunderbirds pilot last April detailing the cause and events surrounding the accident.
Thunderbirds slot pilot Major Stephen Del Bagno, 34, died during a training flight maneuver over the Nevada desert as the squadron prepared for their next air show. After experiencing a negative 2-G (gravity) maneuver followed quickly by a positive nearly 9-G maneuver, Maj. Del Bagno past out only to regain consciousness too late to avoid the crash.
The USAF Aircraft Investigation Board, led by Brig. General Case A. Cunningham, states in their report that Maj. Del Bagno was not at fault for the crash. Gen. Cunningham’s final words confirmed the pilot simply could not transition his body during this push-pull effect from a “diminished tolerance to positive G’s induced by the physiology of exposure to negative G’s”.
The squadron of six F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft were in the midst of practicing one more day over the desert floor located just north of their Las Vegas home at Nellis Air Force Base. The Thunderbirds were scheduled to depart Nellis the next day for their next air show site at March Air Force Base in California.
Thunderbirds diamond days prior to the April crash with Maj. Stephen Del Bagno third from top. (USAF)
Under good weather conditions, the aircraft performed the High Bomb Burst Cross maneuver — a favorite with air show crowds. As the aircraft fly in different directions afterwards, the jets then began their return to formation known as the High Bomb Burst Rejoin.
It was at this moment that Thunderbird 4 pilot Major Del Bagno experienced the negative 2-G force to an extremely high 8.5 G’s. He blacked out for several seconds before regaining consciousness a split second prior to the crash. He never attempted to eject.
At impact, his airspeed was recorded at 419 knots with his F-16C at an attitude of “57 degrees nose low with 89 degrees of left bank”. The forces on the aircraft were recorded at 4.5G’s.
“As (Maj. Del Bagno) initiated the Split-S at 1028:59 (a.m. local time), (he) selected idle power on the engine throttle and pulled back on the control stick to drop the nose of (Thunderbird 4) toward Thunderbird 1 to affect the rejoin. This operation took the Thunderbird 4 from -2.06 G’s in inverted flight to a maximum of +8.56 G’s at 1029:03 a.m.,” the official investigative report outlined.
“Approximately one second later at 1029:04 a.m., the pilot experienced a G-LOC and stopped providing deliberate flight control inputs with the aircraft at 68 degrees nose low. The pilot began a period of absolute incapacitation with the aircraft accelerating through 356 knots calibrated airspeed and rapidly descending through 6,556 feet mean sea level.”
“For approximately the next five seconds, the pilot remained in a state of absolute incapacitation and made no deliberate flight control inputs with the aircraft accelerating through 415 knots at 60 degrees nose low and 406 feet. At 1029:09 a.m., the pilot began deliberate flight control inputs as he transitioned from absolute to relative incapacitation. The aircraft impacted the ground at 1029:10 a.m. fatally injuring the pilot.”
Seconds later, the Range Safety Officer and the Thunderbird 6 opposing solo pilot Maj. Matt Kimmel radioed, “Knock it off!”. Thunderbird 5 lead solo pilot Maj. Whit Collins then climbed high over the crash site to look for a parachute.
One minute following the crash, Thunderbird leader Lt. Col. Kevin Walsh ordered the two solos to retun home to Nellis as they reported they were low on fuel. He then told Thunderbird 2 and 4 to return to Nellis. Lt. Col. Walsh remained above the crash site as emergency vehicles arived minutes later.
The Thunderbirds perform the High Bomb Burst over Cleveland, Ohio last season. (USAF)
During the last 90 days with the Thunderbirds, the report states that Maj. Del Bagno piloted the F-16C a combined 79 times and logged 92.9 hours. Del Bagno joined the Thunderbirds five months earlier.
The report adds weather was not a factor in the accident with calm winds, a 10 mile visibility, and “a few clouds at 14,000 feet (and) a broken ceiling at 19,000 feet”.
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
