At the beginning of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, a pretty amazing story emerged that was picked up by multiple news outlets. The story goes that a lone heroic Ukrainian fighter pilot shot down six Russian Air Force jets by himself on the first day of the conflict. Outnumbered and outgunned, he boosted the morale of Ukrainian forces and became a media sensation.
The story was amplified by social media as the lore of a heroic and rogue pilot grew. Some even posted that the pilot shot down a total of 40 aircraft before finally being shot down himself. Now in a Facebook post on Ukraine’s official Facebook page, they admit that the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ was never real.
The news comes after major news outlets questioned whether the story was true. Some outlets suggested that Major Stepan Tarabalka was the real ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ and recently killed in battle. In the post below though, Ukraine’s Air Force attempts to set the record straight both the story is a legend and that no single pilot shot down 40 aircraft, let alone the original story that a pilot shot down 6 in one day.
A translation of the post on Facebook states, the “Ghost of Kiev is a superhero-legend whose character was created by Ukrainians! This is a faster collected image of pilots of the 40th Air Force tactical aviation brigade, who protect the sky of the capital. What suddenly appear where they are not expected!”
These are the final days to see the ‘classic’ Southwest Airlines colors on a Boeing 737-700. Southwest plans to retire the final Boeing 737-700 in the ‘classic’ paint scheme later this month. When Southwest first started, they were known for their mustard yellow paint scheme. These jets plied the skies offering a unique paint scheme, quick turns, and low fares. At one time, founder Herb Kelleher once even referred to them as his “red bellied warriors.”
In 2001, Southwest introduced a new paint scheme known as Canyon Blue. The purple-ish colored jets still had a red belly. At the time, Southwest said they would maintain three jets in classic colors to honor founding members of the airline. The jets maintained the classic scheme albeit with a gold finish instead of the typical mustard yellow.
Over time, Southwest painted N792SW (as seen above) in their latest “heart” paint scheme that was introduced in 2016. Southwest then retired the plane dedicated to Herb Kelleher (N711HK) earlier this year. Now, the classic jet dedicated to Southwest co-founder and former CEO Colleen Barrett (N714CB) will be retired soon as well. Soon there will be no 737-700s in the ‘classic’ scheme.
Don’t worry, the ‘classic’ livery will soon be back
For any avgeeks who were about to cry from the news, take heart. Southwest plans to reintroduce the ‘classic’ livery later this year on a brand new Boeing 737-MAX8. The new jet will be the first special livery on a MAX jet. It will be dedicated to Southwest’s founder and former CEO Herb Kelleher. Some avgeek chatter has mentioned that the last ‘classic’ scheme lacked the white outlines on each window. Hopefully Southwest’s paint team will add back the white outline on the passenger windows to be true to the original.
A Southwest 737-200 in the mustard ‘classic’ livery with passenger windows outlined in white.(Wikipedia Photo by: RuthAS)
Colleen Barrett will also receive a new dedicated jet. Her jet will remain the only aircraft in the 2001 Canyon Blue scheme. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll post them as soon as they are spotted.
Today Spirit reiterated that they do not intend to pursue a merger with JetBlue. In a press release, the Board of Directors for Spirit announced that they still support the merger between Frontier and Spirit Airlines.
Spirit’s board said the merger with JetBlue “does not constitute a ‘Superior Proposal’ as defined in Spirit’s merger agreement with Frontier Group Holdings, Inc., parent company of Frontier Airlines, Inc., because it has determined that the proposed transaction is not reasonably capable of being consummated.
The press release added that “the Board continues to believe that the pending transaction with Frontier represents the best opportunity to maximize value and recommends that Spirit shareholders adopt the merger agreement with Frontier. Spirit’s Board of Directors also issued the following letter to JetBlue.”
How to Achieve Your Dreams of Flight Without Going Broke!
Have you ever heard this said about people pursuing a Private Pilot’s License?
“Oh, that guy? He has about 80 hours in his logbook, but no license. He only flies a few times a month, so he gets stuck learning and relearning the same maneuvers.”
“Yeah, I started flying lessons one summer. Soloed, logged a bunch of hours, but never actually got my license.”
“I’d love to learn to fly, but it seems so expensive. I have no idea where to start.”
You’ve probably heard versions of these stories before. Aspiring private pilots face all kinds of headwinds en route to getting the FAA license. The time, effort, and energy required to follow through on the hours of training, studying, and preparing for the check ride are demanding. Many student pilots fizzle out in the first few weeks of training once the motivation, or the money, runs out. But if you can do it right from the start, few goals are more rewarding than taking your flying ambitions all the way to the Private Pilot’s License. Below are six “hacks” that I learned from getting my Private Pilot’s License that will help you get there.
Six Great Hacks for Crushing Your Private Pilot’s License 8
1. Block Out the Time
Learning how to fly is like learning a new language: The best way to advance quickly is by immersing yourself in it. I started flight training at the beginning of May 2020 and got my private pilot’s license by mid-August. For those three-and-a-half months, I flew 3-4 (and sometimes 4-5) days a week. The days I wasn’t flying, I’d throw myself into ground school. Often, I’d fly in the mornings and do 2-3 hours of ground school in the afternoon.
The key is blocking out a solid chunk of time where you can focus intensively on flying. If you’re only able to fly once every two weeks, you’ll spend most of each lesson refreshing and re-learning what you went over before. Flying consistently, especially at the beginning of your aviation education, is the best way to build on the skills you’re acquiring without spending time revising those skills before you move to the next one. Better efficiency in your training means better efficiency in your budget.
image via cessna / textron
Many pilots who fail to get this point get stuck in limbo. Similar to the first story above, they fly once a month and learn and relearn the same skills, logging time and spending money but never flying with the consistency it takes to progress through the check ride. Don’t get stuck in that trap!
Finding the chunk of time to devote to intensive training can be difficult. Here are a few practical tips:
Block out time when the weather in your local area allows for consistent flying. (Late spring to early summer, for example, was a great time to learn in Texas.)
Set a demanding but realistic deadline that will motivate you to finish.
Visualize your goal in concrete terms. For example, “I’m going to fly my wife and kids to our family beach vacation in August.” “I’m going to fly my mom to the historic airfield she’s always wanted to visit before I leave the country for grad school in four months.” You get the picture.
image via cessna / textron
2. Find the Right Instructorfor your Private
You’re going to spend a LOT of hours with the person who’s teaching you to fly. Make sure that you get along. At minimum, make sure you feel comfortable asking that person questions and admitting when you don’t know something. Make sure they understand your aviation goals and have the incentive to help you reach those goals as efficiently as possible. Sometimes, younger instructors who are building hours for the airlines are more likely to help you progress quickly than more experienced instructors who have less incentive to expedite your training.
While there are advantages to hiring multiple instructors—it’s always helpful to get different perspectives and may help you schedule a lot of hours in a short amount of time—you’re more likely to progress faster if you work with the same instructor, since they’ll be able to learn your habits and track your development more closely.
image via cessna / textron
My flight instructor was the highlight of my private pilot training, but it took trial-and-error to find the right match. I took my first discovery flight with a 70-year-old CFI who gave me the creeps. I switched to a retired Marine-turned-corporate-pilot, and it took my training to a different level. He had an inexhaustible bank of stories, and I still hear his voice in my head on key flight maneuvers.
More than once, that voice has been the difference between a safe flight and a bad outcome. (Landing NORDO after an electrical failure in a Class Charlie international airport, for example, I heard him say the whole time, “Pitch for airspeed, throttle for power.” It helped me keep calm and manage the situation successfully.)
image via cessna / textron
3. Make Every Lesson Count
You can’t control the weather or the ATC red tape, but you can control the quality of the time you spend in the plane and face-to-face with your instructor. Maximize that quality by showing up well prepared.
On a practical level, get the sleep, nutrition, and caffeine (“nectar of the gods,” my instructor says) that you need to be mentally sharp. On an aviation level, study on the ground what you’re covering in the air ahead of time. For example, if you’re working on steep turns, read about steep turn procedures in the FAA textbook and “chair-fly” (i.e. simulate) the maneuver the night before. By the time you get in the plane, the actual steep turn will be review, and you’ll master the skill much faster.
Another key is to keep an ongoing aviation journal. Take the time after the lesson to debrief your mistakes. Take notes and draw diagrams. Set specific goals for fixing those mistakes next time you practice the procedure. On this point, I think often of what a friend and F-35 pilot told me his squadron would do before flying sorties over the South China Sea: “Always chair-fly the mission.”
Qantas unveiled their long awaited ‘project sunrise’ solution today. Long considered the holy grail of aviation, a non-stop connection between London and Sydney seemed impossible, then economically unfeasible, then with COVID, undesirable. Qantas’ announcement today finally will make the route a reality beginning in 2025. It will save passengers hours in travel time but result in over 19 hours in the air, enabling a flight so long that passengers will see two sunrises between takeoff and landing on flights between London and Sydney.
Finding the Right Aircraft
Image: Qantas
Qantas and other airlines have sought to connect London and Sydney on a non-stop route for decades. There have been the occasional nonstop charter and demonstration flights between London and Sydney utilizing the Boeing 777 and 787. The problem though is that the distance is so great that flights were severely weight restricted, making daily travel uneconomical.
The sheer distance between cities means that passengers who want to fly today between two distant cities have lengthy layovers in places like Singapore, Hong Kong, or Perth. This means that travel typically results in well over a day of travel in each direction. Qantas initially had to identify an aircraft that could make the record setting route economical. They originally tested the route using a Boeing 787. In 2019, they announced that the A350 would be their jet of choice for the route. Today, Qantas announced an order for 12 A350-1000 jets along with an order for A321XLRs and A220-300 to grow and refresh their fleet.
Image: Qantas
Research to make the flight tolerable
At 19 hours, it would be the world’s longest scheduled route. A flight that long is nothing to sneeze at. It presents real challenges that could affect physical and mental health if they were not proactively addressed. Qantas began a series of research flights using a Boeing 787-9 to identify how to make the future route more pleasant and safe for passengers. During the flights, they flew only 40 employees on each route, utilizing surveys and post flight evaluations to find the optimal solution for dining, personal space, entertainment, and health.
How They Will Make The Flights More Pleasant
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “New types of aircraft make new things possible. That’s what makes today’s announcement so significant for the national carrier and for a country like Australia where air travel is crucial.
“Throughout our history, the aircraft we’ve flown have defined the era we’re in. The 707 introduced the jet age, the 747 democratized travel and the A380 brought a completely new level of comfort. The A350 and Project Sunrise will make any city just one flight away from Australia. It’s the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance. As you’d expect, the cabin is being specially designed for maximum comfort in all classes for long-haul flying.”
Qantas’ A350 aircraft will be configured with just 238 passengers. That’s about 30% less than what other airlines fly on comparable jets. The jets will provide more space for passengers in all cabins of service. Premium cabins will comprise 40% of the overall cabin space. First class will introduce a new seat which is actually a private suite offering a seat that transforms into a bed, a 32″ entertainment screen, plenty of storage and a seat for visiting passengers.
Qantas will introduce a well-being zone for all passengers to offset the lengthy flight. Image: Qantas
Economy passengers will also benefit as they will have 33″ of legroom. That’s more akin to economy-plus space on most domestic carriers. One major announcement is that the long haul A350 cabins will offer a ‘well being’ space for all passengers. This is a dedicated space for passengers to stretch their legs. The airline will offer screens offering relaxing videos that guide passengers for proper stretches. It will also offer snacks and self-serve hydration stations in areas that won’t get in the way of flight attendants’ service galleys.
Service is expected to begin in 2025. Other long distance routes like Sydney to the east coast of the United States and Australia to other destinations in Europe are possible with the new fleet.
The Airbus A320 is one of the most popular narrow-body jets ever to fly. With more than 5,000 built and another 8000 orders, there is a high likelihood that you’ve either flown on one before or will fly on one soon. It’s a nice ride.
The jet is wider than the 737. For pilots, the plane is also fly by wire, has a side stick instead of a yoke and even a fold-out tray table in each crew position. There is one very peculiar thing about the jet. Before takeoff when the engines are starting and after landing (typically at the gate), the jet makes an odd barking noise. Why is that?
Yep, the Airbus A320 sounds like a barking dog after its lands
For the first time traveler, they might think that their jet is carrying a pack of race dogs in the cargo compartment below. This video above from DAR 4K does a nice job of capturing the noise. We can assure you. It not a dog (or pack of them). It’s actually a noise made by the PTU or power transfer unit.
A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 taxies | IMAGE: Spirit Airlines via Facebook
Here’s your answer: The Power Transfer Unit is Why The Airbus A320 Sounds Like A Barking Dog
The PTU transfers power from one hydraulic unit to another. In the A320, there are actually three hydraulic systems. Two hydraulic systems are powered by each engine with a third system powered by an electric backup pump.
The PTU provides hydraulic power across the systems. The hydraulics are used in flight to power the control surfaces, landing gear deployment and retraction, nose wheel steering, breaking system on the ground and movement of the flaps and slats. The system’s power is shared but fluid is not. This setup ensures that even with an engine off, you still have full hydraulics available.
The reason that the Airbus A320 sounds like a barking dog when departing the gate is because typically only one system is running. After arrival, typically one engine is shut down. That means that the system is utilizing the PTU to ensure that the entire hydraulic system stays pressurized.
It’s a great system that works and ensures that pilots have access to all controls at all times. But it can be a bit annoying, particularly if your are sitting in rows 15-20.
If you’ve ever flown to Vegas, you know that the flights tend to be a little more wild than your typical flight from Denver to Salt Lake City. But this one tops the cake! A recent Southwest Airlines flight hosted a wedding with creative decorations and an interesting backstory.
The Inflight Wedding Wasn’t Planned
Pam and Jeremy were flying on a different airline when their flight was cancelled at DFW. According to the post on Southwest’s Instagram account, a fellow passenger overheard that they had a wedding appointment planned in Vegas later that day. He mentioned to them that they could still make it as Southwest had flights to Vegas from Dallas Love Field. So they made the 9 mile trek across town to catch a Southwest flight. That fellow passenger turned out to be a guy named Chris. Chris was also an ordained minister.
Southwest Airlines Pilot Noticed Her Carrying Her Dress…The rest is history
When she boarded her flight, the captain noticed Pam carrying her dress. Pam explained her challenging journey and and joked that she should just get married on the flight. The pilot said, “let’s do it!”
After takeoff, the flight attendants hung up toilet paper streamers near the bulkhead, turned out all the blue call buttons to light the aisle, and started playing “Here comes the bride” on the speaker from their cell phone. The bride and groom changed into their wedding clothes and the officiant received a sash for the ceremony made out of swizzle sticks and snack pouches. A photographer was even on the flight and available to capture the moment. The wedding venue was set. What followed was a very cute wedding complete with a captive audience capturing the moment on video.
Bride Made Some Funny Airborne Quips In Her Wedding Vows
A couple wed on a recent Southwest flight from Dallas Love Field to Las Vegas. Photo: Southwest Airlines
The bride and groom took in the moment. 625 days earlier they met on Bumble. Jeremy said that Pam is the “best thing to ever happen to me.” As Pam said her wedding vows, she added that she loves her with her now husband with her whole heart. She said she can’t wait to be Jeremy’s “copilot through life. She’ll be his cross to the crosscheck. And any turbulence, I want to weather it with you.”
It’s a great post by Southwest Airlines. Known for being a bit unconventional, they’ve held concerts in the skies with famous artists. They are also known for their flight attendants dressing up for holidays like Halloween and Christmas. This is the first time we’ve seen a full wedding in the skies. Best of luck to the couple! Be sure to check out the entire post by Southwest below.
The Airbus A380 might not have been a commercial success but it still won its way into the hearts of faithful avgeeks. With two full decks, the jet is able to seat up to 800 people in a single class seating arrangement.
More About the A380’s Sad Bad Timing
When it was first introduced in 2005, Airbus expected it to be a runaway success. Their theory was that congestion at hub airports like LAX and London Heathrow would require larger aircraft to support continued growth. Unfortunately, the economic downturn of 2008 struck at about the same time when larger 777-300ERs were becoming more common and the 787 was introduced. Airlines realized that they could fly more efficient aircraft to bypass the hubs altogether or carry slightly smaller loads with the efficiency of two engines instead of four. Particularly after the pandemic, the A380 fell out of favor. Airlines like Lufthansa, Air France, Thai, Ethiad, and Malaysia all retired their fleets less than 15 years years after introduction.
Thai Airways A380 image via Airbus
You Still Can See Thai Airways Fly an A380 (Sort of)
Even with the real Thai Airways having retired their A380s back in 2020, there is still one way to see one fly. Christopher Ferkl from Austria built a 1/13 scale A380 in Thai colors. In the video below, his creation takes flight.
The massive RC model jet is 20 feet long with a wingspan of 18.5 feet. That’s huge! The model is powered by 4 M166TS engines that provide 166N (about 37 pounds) of thrust each. The jet carries about 2.2 gallons of fuel and has operational landing gear and flight controls. According to the video, it took 3 years to build, quite the labor of love!
Check out this awesome video from our friends at RCScaleAirplanes on Youtube. Their video has already racked up a few million views in just the first few weeks!
The F-22A Raptor is an Awesome Machine, But This Video Captures its Sheer Beauty as Well
The video was shot during a demonstration of the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor fighter by pilot USAF Major Joshua ‘Cabo’ Gunderson at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska during July of 2020. The footage was captured from the open door of a Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter hovering at approximately 3,000 feet using a Phantom Flex4K camera shooting at a blistering 1000 frames per second (FPS)! The video was uploaded to YouTube by Dustin Farrell. Enjoy!
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor entered service with the US Air Force in December of 2005 but did not achieve full operational capacity until two years later. F-22As equip Air Force Fighter Squadrons as well as Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units. The 187 operational F-22As are operated by a total of 12 squadrons. The F-22A flown in the video, F-22A Block 30 Air Force Serial Number 07-4139, was delivered to the 90th Fighter Squadron (FS) Dicemen of the 3rd Operations Group of the 3rd Wing, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) in March of 2009.
An F-22 Raptor aircraft performs a high-speed bank at the Marine Corps Community Services-sponsored annual air show Oct. 3, 2008, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dan T. Le/Released)
The Dicemen: More Than 100 Years of Distinguished Service
The 90th Fighter Squadron (FS) Dicemen is one of the oldest squadrons in the United States Air Force. The squadron was first created as the 90th Aero Squadron on 20 August 1917 at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I as a Corps observation squadron. During World War II, the unit earned the Distinguished Unit Citation and the Presidential Unit Citation for its services in the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) while flying Douglas A-20 Havocs and North American B-25 Mitchell bombers as part of Fifth Air Force. The 90th Bombardment Squadron was one of the units that pioneered the use of their medium bomber aircraft as commerce-destroying strafers. During the Cold War the squadron fought in the Korean War and Vietnam War.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Paul Lopez, F-22 Demo Team commander, performs the stiff-pitch maneuver during the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show Sept. 7-8, 2019. Founded in 2007, the F-22 Raptor Demo Team showcases the unique capabilities of the world’s premier 5th-generation fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Sam Eckholm)
Bonus Video
This awesome video of USAF pilot Major Joshua ‘Cabo’ Gunderson explaining the maneuvers he flies in the Raptor was uploaded to YouTube by F-22 Demo Team.
Aircraft flown by the 90th Fighter Squadron over their more than 100 years of existence include the Sopwith 1½ Strutter (1918), the Salmson 2A2, (1918–1919), the SPAD S.XI (1918–1919), the Breguet 14 A.2 (1918–1919), the de Havilland DH-4 (1919–1932), the Boeing GA-1 (1921–1922), the Douglas O-2 (1921–1928), the Curtiss A-3 Falcon (1928–1934), the Curtiss O-1 Falcon (1920s – early 1930s), the Thomas-Morse-Jefferies XO-6 (1920s – early 1930s), the Curtiss A-8 Shrike (1920s – early 1930s), the Curtiss A-12 Shrike (1933–1936), the Northrop A-17 Nomad (1936–1939), the Curtiss A-18 Shrike (1939–1941), the Douglas B-18 Bolo (1939–1941), the Martin B-12 (1939–1940).
B-25J Mitchell medium bomber. image via national archives
U.S. Air Force Maj. Josh Gunderson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander and pilot, flies a practice demo at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Dec. 6, 2019. Representing Air Combat Command, the F-22 Demo Team travels to air shows all across the world showcase the performance and capabilities of the world’s premier 5th-generation fighter. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Sam Eckholm)
Breeze Airways, the newish airline founded by David Neeleman (previously founder of Morris Air, Azul, and JetBlue), announced a major expansion this week.
Breeze announced new service from Westchester County, just north of New York City. The relatively small airport is convenient for commuters who live in the suburbs north of New York City. While airlines have served the airport for years, the relatively small terminal, noise and capacity restrictions have limited its potential to grow into a true reliever airport for the three primary New York City airports. Most airlines fly to destinations up and down the east coast with a focus on providing routes that allow connections to hubs that enable passengers to connect to other cities.
First major route new announcement for the Airbus A220
Breeze’s current route structure as of April 21,2022. Image: Breeze Airways
Breeze is taking a different approach. Beginning this quarter, Breeze will introduce the Airbus A220 to compliment their existing fleet of EMB-190 jets. They will leverage the unique capabilities of the Airbus A220-300 to provide non-stop service from Westchester County to the west coast. Breeze will offer flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. They are also introducing service to Jacksonville, Savanah, New Orleans, Charleston, and Norfolk. Keeping with Breeze’s operational approach, not all destinations will be served daily.
The A220 offers the ability to takeoff on shorter runways, fly coast-to-coast, carry about the same amount of passengers as a Boeing 737-700 in a very modern cabin, all while sipping fuel with efficiency that rivals the larger MAX and NEO offerings by Boeing and Airbus respectively. The airport has significant noise, passenger volume, and operational restrictions. The A220’s noise profile, capacity, and range are a perfect fit for the airport.
See the new interior of the A220. Breeze has blocked embedding of the video but you can click on the link below to watch the video on YouTube.
The world hasn’t quite been the same since 2019. So much has changed. Back then, the world was ‘a-ok’ with silver bird, American Airlines MD-80s flying passengers to destinations around the country. Once American retired the jet on September 4th, all hell seemed to break loose just a few months later: Coronavirus, masks, recession and war soon followed. The world is just starting to recover.. We’re blaming it all on American retiring the MD-80 fleet.
For those just a little nostalgic about the good ole’ days, there are still five cities around the country where you can see seven American Airlines MD-80 in full red, white, blue, and silver livery. Beginning in 2009, American donated a total of 8 jets, seven of which are still in AA colors. Here’s your list:
Four Jets in Oklahoma
Board the MD-80 at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. Photo: Avgeekery
Tulsa was the home of the world’s largest MD-80 maintenance facility. For almost 30 years, they maintained every American MD-80 that ever flew. American donated not one but two MD-80s to causes around the city. The first one is the most accessible. It is located at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. With paid admission, you can board the MD-80, sit in a real first-class seat and watch an immersive video projected above you in the cabin. The jet is beautifully preserved, polished regularly, and you can tour it.
Back in 2011, American Airlines donated a MD-80 to Tulsa Tech’s aviation program. They still have the aircraft. We haven’t seen any recent photos though but the jet is located at the Riverside Campus location.
Back in 2015, American donated a MD-80 to Oklahoma State University’s engineering school to serve as a maintenance trainer. Seven years later, the jet’s American titles look a little faded but is still in pretty good shape. Public tours aren’t available but you could always say you are interested in joining the school and they will probably offer a tour!
One of the last MD-80s donated by American arrived at Metro Tech Aviation Academy at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City. The center offers AMT training for high school and adults. While the school nicknamed the jet “Zelda”, we’ve heard that most still call her “Mad Dog.”
Romeoville, Illinois (90 min from Chicago)
Lewis University is home to a pretty robust technical aviation program. American Airlines donated the MD-80 (N501AA) in late 2019. The university has the distinction of maintaining the last American Airlines MD-80 that ever flew. While the jet is no longer airworthy, they keep the jet pristine and run the engines regularly. You can see the aircraft by pulling near the school’s fence located at the airport in Romeoville. Occasionally, they even offer tours of their aviation school.
Miami, Florida
American Airlines donated an MD-80 (N234AA) to the GT Baker aviation technical college back in 2010. American first flew the aircraft to Miami International. They then used a crane to hoist the MD-80 over an adjacent expressway and towed it on major streets to the school. The MD-80 is still there providing technical training to high school and college students. While you can’t get a tour of the jet, you can see the American Airlines jet (sans engines) by driving near the school.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Museo Del Nino Des Carolina in Puerto Rico is a children’s museum that hosts one of the two American MD-80s in the world still open to the public. The MD-80 is open for tours will an interior that offers interactive exhibits. The jet was originally donated in 2011.
San Juan is actually home to two retired American Airlines MD-80s. Besides the museum, the other one is located at a local aviation academy. Unfortunately, the aviation academy jet was repainted into a silver and blue scheme with the American Airlines markings removed.
Bonus: Former AA MD-80 jet in TWA colors in Kansas City
Tristar Experience has stored the TWA Wings of Pride MD-80 jet in Kansas city. This aircraft also flew for American for a number of years after the merger with TWA back in 2001. You can learn more about the jet in a story we did back in 2017 here.
1989 started off with VF-32 Swordsmen chalking up a Navy-2, Libya-0 score when they splashed a pair of Libyan Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-23 Flogger fighters over the Gulf of Sidra. Flying GYPSY 202 (F-14A BuNo 159437) that day was pilot LT Hermon Cook with RIO LCDR Stephen Collins. Flying GYPSY 207 (F-14A BuNo 159610) was VF-32 squadron CO CDR Joseph Connelly along with RIO CDR Leo Enright from the Carrier Air Wing THREE (CVW-3) staff. The 1989 Fighter Fling video was uploaded to YouTube by cmtecarvalho.
1990 began with the first F-14D model Tomcats reaching the Fleet. 1990 was also about Operation Desert Shield. But even before the 90s began, F-14 squadrons VF-191 Satan’s Kittens and VF-194 Red Lightnings were disestablished (in 1988). The 1990 version of the Fighter Fling video was uploaded to YouTube by Bydlo.
Well Fighter Fling 1991 should have been one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, Fighter Flings ever. After all, Tomcats had gone to war during Operation Desert Storm. But Fighter Fling 1991 never got off the ground. Because Tailhook 1991. And the first F-14Ds were delivered during 1991. Just to make the point there’s this video uploaded to YouTube by Triple Nickel.
