Hawaiian Airlines is on the rise, expanding routes at an accelerating rate. To accommodate its growth, the carrier has agreed to purchase ten 787-9 Dreamliners from Boeing. The 787 Dreamliner will now become Hawaiian’s flagship aircraft for medium and long-haul flights.
The deal comes after management conducted an extensive review of Hawaiian’s existing fleet. President and CEO Peter Ingram says the Dreamliners’ “expanded seat capacity and extended range allows us to expand within our current route network and offer new destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.” The deal for the ten 787-9s is worth $2.82 billion and the airline has also purchased rights for another ten Dreamliners.
Passengers will enjoy the planes’ enhanced features on Hawaiian’s 787. Business Class has full-flat seats that recline into a comfy bed that is perfect for long-haul flights. Other features include larger windows and improved lighting systems with dimmers that can be adjusted to suit your body clock on long-haul flights over the Pacific. Premium economy passengers will also receive an upgraded experience with personal full HD widescreen monitors integrated with a smart entertainment system that includes music, movies and games. Even Economy passengers get little extras like a new roomier seat design and enhanced personal entertainment system. The state-of-the-art 787-9s have WiFi, socket and in-seat USB ports, optimized humidity and lower cabin pressure, a wider range of entertainment options including touch screen and even more.
Hawaiian Airlines will benefit from the 787-9’s increased fuel efficiency and range and will gain competitive advantage enhanced by Boeing Global Services. Hawaiian operates more than 200 daily flights including non-stop service to Hawaii from over 11 gateway cities, as well as service from China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Tahiti and South Korea and has plans for further expansion.
Airbus A330 Deal Dead In The Water
In a related move, Hawaiian Airlines is also cancelling their order for the Airbus A330-800neo order. Hawaiian placed this order reluctantly after Airbus cancelled the Airbus A350-800, a jet that would have been ideally suited for Hawaiians long-routes that are flown from its Honolulu base. The 787-9 purchase will allow Hawaiian to explore routes as far away as Europe.
In the United Airlines’ corporate offices on West Wacker Drive in Chicago, President and CEO Scott Kirby says he is “pressing the pause button” on a recently introduced lottery bonus program for employees that unleashed a firestorm of criticism on the internet. Employees posted comment after comment denouncing the program, after realizing it was a sneaky way for United to avoid shelling out tens of millions of dollars in bonuses.
Outraged employees rallied by signing an online petition on internal forum, Flying Together. The petition was signed by over 1,700 workers. Some commented that corporate executives are out of touch, saying, “This is NOT a way to boost morale! It does quite the opposite. I wonder what kind of bonus was given to those in the big tower who came up with this nonsense. They obviously don’t realize how this can affect some workers. Upper management is extremely out of touch with the average worker.”
77 West Wacker Drive, the headquarters of United Airlines, where CEO Scott Kirby is being forced to consider employee bonus program after online rebellion. Photo Kelvin Kang from Richmond Hill, Canada (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Other employees accuse United of pulling the wool over employees eyes in a move right out of American Airlines’ playbook, “When my friends at American Airlines warned me about things that would be coming out way with our leadership, I didn’t believe them. I do now. Whoever thought this would be a good plan, should be ashamed of themselves.”
Paying performance-related bonuses to workers cost United about $87 million for the full year 2017, while the lottery system would have cost only about $18 million. Simple math proves that, indeed, if the lottery would have remained in place, the airline would have paid out much less and a lot of employees would get way less.
After the much-publicized (and dare we say unexpected) backlash, United’s CEO informed employees Monday that the company is reconsidering the lottery bonus program, stating “Our intention was to introduce a better, more exciting program, but we misjudged how these changes would be received by many of you,” he wrote. “So, we are pressing the pause button on these changes to review your feedback and consider the right way to move ahead.”
So it appears as if it is pause, and possibly, rewind and delete for this hugely unpopular lottery-based bonus program to the relief of thousands of United employees. Score one for the online petitioners!
Bingo, and other lottery-like games of chance, are usually enjoyed by people in their leisure time who want to bet a few dollars on the off-chance of nabbing that elusive big win. Buy a lottery ticket or attend a local bingo hall and take your chances …. or fly to Las Vegas, perhaps?
But betting your savings or bonus does not require a flight to Vegas anymore, at least if you are a United Airlines employee. UA workers are now being asked to gamble with their employee incentive programs.
United tries to be different, but is it better?
Corporate giant United Airlines has a new plan in place to incentivize employees using a drawing that will award employees with cash, travel perks and even cars. And yet, cash incentive programs based on merit are being ushered out in a plan that might sound good on paper, but is reportedly not very well-received by actual United employees.
Photo by: Raimond Spekking (Wikipedia)
While the program is allegedly intended to reward top perfomers, it at least initially appears to randomly award incentives. According to the details of the new plan, one employee will be awarded a $100,000 prize each quarter that will be determined by a drawing. Sounds good, right? Not if you are the majority of other employees who will lose their quarterly bonuses to finance the prize for the ‘grand prize winner.’ Those lost employee bonuses are estimated to be between $63 and $7,589 per quarter, according to Inc.
Hmmm . . . . instead of showing up for work every day, perhaps United employees could just go to the local Quickie Mart and buy a lottery ticket. That seems to be the sentiment among workers who are not embracing the new program designed to “build excitement and a sense of accomplishment.” Apparently, the employees are anything but excited. In fact, the Chicago Business Journal reports that employees are rather angry and that the new plan has met with a “firestorm” of disapproval.
The disapproval is ironic since the new plan was expected to be well-received by employees and bolster customer service efforts. After a disastrous incident in which a passenger was dragged violently from a plane, the new incentive plan was meant to encourage United crews to pay more attention to passengers’ needs and improve customer service efforts, but it seems to be having the opposite effect.
Did somebody call bingo? The new non-merit-based United employee incentive program. Photo Edwin Torres Photography via Flickr. Photo Ken Iwelumo (GNU Free Documentation License)
“Awful idea. [Current] bonus program has everyone pulling in the same direction with a common goal. This is scratching a lottery ticket…” –Captain – B-737
“I would be embarrassed and mortified to win this lottery. If it was possible I wouldn’t allow my name to be released and I would give my ‘winnings’ to the Flight Attendant AFA Cause Charity. I win at the expense of tens of thousands of fellow employees? No thanks.” –Flight Attendant
“If I wanted to play in a lottery, I would just go my local 7/11. I recommend United management reconsider this morale killing program.” –Captain – A-320
The response was less than United’s leadership had probably hoped. The good news for United employees is that this change will not affect their other bonus programs like profit sharing. But for some employees who relied on the program to receive a little extra spending cash for perfect attendance, this change will be a big disappointment. That is unless those magical lottery balls roll in their favor. If luck shines their way, one lucky employee might be able to buy a new Tesla and a cruise.
Burlington, Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s is well-known for Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Truffle and Cherry Garcia ice cream, among other awesome flavors. The popular ice cream company founders are also known for supporting various causes including racial justice, marriage equality and fair trade, so it is no surprise that co-founder Ben Cohen has strong opinions. Unfortunately, Ben’s latest public stunt resulted in his arrest.
Over the weekend, the infamous ice cream entrepreneur demonstrated against plans in the works that would put F-35 jets in the air at the Vermont Air National Guard base near his home. Cohen was cited for violating the local sound ordinance after he strapped amplifiers to a rig behind his vehicle and repeatedly played the sound of an F-35 jet blast. How loud is an F-35 jet?
Saveourskiesvt.org says the F-35 is four times louder than the F-16, both when taking off and landing. Considering that Lmax is the maximum sound level, this is how the F-35 compares to the F-16:
When landing, the Lmax for the F-16 is 73dBA compared to 95dBA for the F-35. When taking off, the Lmax for the F-16 is 94dBA compared to the F-35 at 115dBA, roughly equivalent to a chain saw, depending on who you ask.
That means Cohen subjected Burlington residents to noise that is equivalent to the sound of chain saws/F-35 jet blasts repeatedly Saturday between 11am and 3:30pm. (I hope you weren’t trying to sleep in!) We can assume that Mr. Cohen was likely very successful in his efforts to raise awareness about the issue. I mean, how could you NOT hear this very loud protest? BOOM Chocolatta! (this writer’s favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor).
Getting ticketed. It’s either legal or it’s not, if it’s legal for the F-35 to make this noise 16 times per day, 52 wks a yr, for the next 50 yrs, it should b legal for us to do this limited demonstration of extreme jet blasts which are the subject of Item #6 on the March ballot. pic.twitter.com/vpDwsP9hdV
After being given several citations for noise violations from police, Ben Cohen went on Twitter and asked supporters to go to City Hall to show their support. He was taken into custody late Saturday afternoon.
The loud demonstration was staged to bring awareness to an upcoming ballot vote that will decide if F-35s are going to be housed in Burlington. It is expected that the Vermont National Guard will not be affected by Ben’s antics, since $83 million dollars has already been invested into the F-35 project.
The film “Aircraft Accident Prevention- Ground Accidents” was produced during the early 1960s and shot primarily at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville in Florida. The Navy created the film in an attempt to control the kind of preventable accidents caused primarily by human error. Accidents were on the rise and with the sophisticated jet aircraft in use by then and with more in the pipeline, the effort to reduce accidents was absolutely necessary. The upshot for the viewer today is the variety of historical Navy aircraft appearing in the piece. The film, shot in black and white, was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
The film features the squadrons and aircraft of Carrier Air Wing ONE (CVW-1). At the time the film was produced, CVW-1 consisted of VF-14 Tophatters flying the McDonnell F3H Demon, VF-11 Red Rippers flying the Vought F-8E Crusader, VA-172 Blue Bolts and VA-12 Flying Ubangis both both equipped with the Douglas A-4C Skyhawk, VA-15 Valions flying the Douglas A-1H Skyraider, VAH-11 Checkertails flying the Douglas A-3B Skywarrior, a detachment from VAW-12 Bats flying the Grumman E-1B Tracer, a detachment from VFP-62 Fighting Photos flying the Vought RF-8A Crusader, and a detachment from HU-2 Fleet Angels flying the Kaman UH-2A Seasprite.
Official US Navy photograph
Also featured in the film are single-seat Grumman F9F-6 Cougars assigned to VF-101 Grim Reapers as well as twin-seat F9F-8T Cougars assigned to Fleet All Weather Training Unit Atlantic (FAWTULANT). Also appearing in the film are Lockheed TO-2/T-33B Shooting Star trainers from FAWTULANT, Douglas A-1E Skyraiders from Air Task Group 202 (ATG-202), McDonnell F2H-4 Banshees from VF-101, North American AJ-2P Savage reconnaissance platforms from VAP-62 Tigers, North American FJ-3 Furies from VF-173 Jesters, and Lockheed P-2 Neptune maritime patrol aircraft from VP-18 Flying Phantoms.
These USAF Film Reports Were Originally Classified Because They Were Too Awesome!
The United States Air Force (USAF) produced films reporting the results of air strikes flown over North and South Vietnam. This film, produced by the 1532nd Photo Group using footage shot by the USAF 600th Photo Squadron and reporting on air airstrikes that took place during early 1968, features both familiar and unfamiliar strike camera footage. North American F-100 Super Sabre, Republic F-105 Thunderchief, and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter bombers, along with Douglas A-1 Skyraider and Cessna A-37 Dragonfly attack aircraft, are seen delivering ordnance. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm. Spoiler Alert: A bonus video lurks below the rest of the story.
Air Force units mentioned in the film include the 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) Screaming Eagles of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), the 355th TFW Fighting Falcons of the 37th TFW, the 14th Air Commando Wing, the 309th TFS Wild Ducks of the 31st TFW, 308th TFS Emerald Knights of the 31st TFW, the 604th Air Commando Squadron (ACS) Mattel Marauders, the 389th TFS Thunderbolts of the 366th TFW, the 559th TFS Billy Goats of the 12th TFW, the 557th TFS of the 12th TFW, and last but certainly not least the 8th TFW Wolfpack.
Official US Air Force photograph
Dropping Everything But the Kitchen Sink
Interestingly the air strike footage is a mix of gun camera and strike camera pod footage. The narrator refers to napalm as “incindigel.” Several types of gravity bombs and munitions are seen in the film, among them M117 750 pound general purpose (GP) bombs, Mark 82, Mark 83, and Mark 84 high-drag bombs, CBU-25 cluster bombs, BLU-23 and BLU-27 napalm canisters, and 2.75 inch folding-fin aerial rockets (FFARs) launched from LAU-3 rocket pods.
Official US Air Force photograph
Bonus Video: A similar US Air Force summary film reporting on airstrikes in Vietnam from early 1966 uploaded by PersicopeFilm
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Retired Naval aviator and three-time Blue Angels Boss Greg C. Wooldridge has tossed his flight helmet into the ring for governor of Oregon.
Wooldridge, who earned his wings of gold as a naval pilot in 1971, wants to take an active position in helping his adoptive state advance in becoming a better state, and adds he wants Oregonians to be able to trust government again.
A Portland resident and conservative, Wooldridge has entered into his first ever political campaign, a race which has him gaining ground on the current Republican front runner Rep. Knute Buehler. The Republican Primary is May 15, and its winner will challenge current governor Kate Brown (D-OR) in the gubernatorial election on November 6.
Capt. Greg Wooldridge receives a salute in honor of the Blue Angels 50th anniversary in 1996. (US Navy)
“I am running because I want to save the state,” Wooldridge began during our exclusive interview on Thursday. “We are sinking, and I want to replace the captain of the ship. The ship is up on the rocks and we need to get it into smoother water.”
Under his pilot call sign “Wizard”, Capt. Wooldridge first led the F/A-18 Hornets stationed aboard the U.S.S. Midway during the late-1980s. Today, Wooldridge parallels his run for governor much like the calling he received from the U.S. Navy each time they needed a squadron leader.
“I don’t run from challengers, that’s not been my life — instead I run to challenges,” the former naval aviator continued. “I am a servant leader. I listen then I go into action and I get my team together and we start solving problems and making things better so that Oregonians can realize that exceptionalism exists in this great state.”
Greg Wooldridge, now 70, earned the distinction during the 1990s as the only person to command the Blue Angels for three separate tours. He first lead the flight squadron from 1990 to 1992 during a typical Boss’ two-year tour.
One of Wooldridge’s solo pilots during his first tour was then LCDR John “Gucci” Foley. Today, Foley and his former Boss continue to work together to provide motivational and uplifting discussions to companies and organizations.
“Having flown inches away from Boss as his wing man both in the Blue Angels and business, I know the steady confidence his leadership brings,” Foley confirmed to this aerospace reporter on Thursday. “He unites others in a way that brings out the best in those around him. Greg is exactly what we all need as a Governor.”
The 1992 Blue Angels pilots pose for their official photograph. Wooldridge is fifth from left. (US Navy)
In September 1992, Boss Wooldridge led his blue and gold F/A-18 Hornet team over to visit and perform in Russia and seven Euro-Asia countries on the first flight demonstration tour by a western squadron in that region. The tour came one year following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and became a proud moment for the Blue Angels. The Boss spoke highly of their visit to Moscow.
“Flying in Moscow was unbelievable,” he said with big grin. “They welcomed us with open arms and it was a tremendous experience. I got to fly a (Russian Air Force) SU-27 Sukhoi jet, and I took their flight leader up with me in my Hornet, and we got to experience some things that neither one of us never thought we’d do seeing each other countries.”
Wooldridge added that he brought back quite a few memories from that experience, among them was “a clarity that we are more similar than we are different; and that despite what you might hear, we are widely respected throughout the world and we are thought of as quite a great country.”
Commander Wooldridge was called back to serve as Boss the next year for a five month stint after CDR Robert Stumpf was removed from flight duty during the Navy’s investigation of Stumpf’s involvement in the Tailhook scandal of 1991. He was later cleared.
Wooldridge was asked a third time to helm the Blue Angels in 1996 during the squadron’s 50th anniversary season. Then Boss Donnie Cochran resigned in May as he feared his flying was below average and could endanger the team.
“I knew the culture of excellence of the Blue Angels — their team work and the trust — and it made that call back a pleasure to accept,” he explained. “The third time I came back I had not flown in over two years, and I said ‘I may not be able to do this’, and they said for me to give it a try and I did. Because the team pulled together so tightly around me we got it done… we had quite a great season that year.”
Since 1986, Oregon has been a blue state as voters have elected a democrat for governor each time. This year, Wooldridge hopes voters will keep him in mind as a candidate with stronger leadership skills.
“I bring a conservative agenda to take care of small business, and I definitely want families to feel that they can make it here,” he adds. “My leadership is what I bring and my desire to get things done, my passion for doing things, so that’s what I bring to the table.”
When the former Boss was asked if he still attends Blue Angels air shows, he grinned and said, “I do when they are in the area, and I still get a big charge out of it… it is terrific to see them operate and see that level of trust that we had when I was on the team.”
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and science. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)
It’s a long road for a Navy pilot to become carrier qualified.
Before a Student Naval Aviator (SNA) earns those coveted Wings of Gold, he or she will fly Beechcraft T-6B Texan II (JPATS) trainers with Training Air Wing FOUR (TRAWING 4) at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi or with TRAWING 5 at NAS Whiting Field near Pensacola. The next step determines whether they will become carrier qualified.
If the SNA is destined to fly either strike fighters in the Navy or the Marine Corps or the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye or C-2 Greyhound in the Navy, the SNA will be required to complete carrier qualification (CQ) flying the McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) T-45C Goshawk jet trainer.
Official US Navy photograph
At NAS Corpus Christi, Training Squadron TWO SEVEN (VT-27) Boomers and VT-28 Rangers provide primary flight training for TRAWING 4. At NAS Whiting Field, VT-2 Doerbirds, VT-3 Red Knights, and VT-6 Shooters handle primary for TRAWING 5. In the video clip T-45Cs from both NAS Meridian-based TRAWING 1 (tail code A) and NAS Kingsville-based TRAWING 2 (tail code B) can be seen bagging their first traps aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
Official US Navy photograph
TRAWING 1 consists of VT-7 Eagles and VT-9 Tigers. VT-21 Red Hawks and VT-22 Golden Eagles are assigned to TRAWING 2. Both TRAWING 1 and TRAWING 2 count about 250 SNAs, 75 instructor pilots, 80 civilian contract personnel, and 100 T-45Cs on their books. Student jet pilots from France, Italy, Spain, India, and Great Britain have all graduated from the advanced training syllabus.
Of course after SNAs become Naval Aviators they still have to train in the specific aircraft type they have chosen, usually accomplished at the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS)- informally known as the RAG (for Replacement Air Group).
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are currently busy training at their winter home in El Centro, California, getting ready for their upcoming 2018 air shown season. And while spectators and photographers are a common sight around the base during this time of year, those in attendance Feb 24 were treated to an incredibly close experience which literally knocked the hats off some of them.
Below, watch Navy Lt. Brandon Hempler, Blue Angel 6, take his iconic blue and gold F/A-18 Hornet into an extremely close low-transition takeoff directly over a crowd of folks gathered just outside the base perimeter.
One person was even blown off their viewing ladder, breaking their camera, while others got mouthfuls of dirt kicked up by the jet’s raw power as Lt. Hempler accelerated into a steep climb with his afterburners blazing.
Below, check out another great angle on the low-transition close encounter from Spencer Hughes.
The elite world-famous team arrived in Imperial Valley at Naval Air Facility, El Centro on Jan 3, kicking off an intense ten-week training session with the pilots flying two practice missions per day, six days a week, in order to meet the 120 training missions required to perform their upcoming public air show demonstrations safely.
Their first show is scheduled for March 10, at NAF El Centro for the base’s 48th annual air show, followed by the “Luke Days 2018” air show at Luke AFB, Arizona on March 17-18.
Lt. Brandon Hempler, 2018 Blue Angel 6, giving spectators at winter training in El Centro an incredible low-transition takeoff on Feb 24, 2018. Photo Courtesy: Tim Guzman / www.TimGuzmanPhotography.com
The team will then fly back to Pensacola, Florida on March 19, before heading to NAS Kingsville, Texas for the “Wings Over South Texas” air show March 24-25.
The team is slated to fly 59 demonstrations at 31 locations this year, ending the year back at home in Pensacola, Florida on Nov 3 for their annual “Homecoming Air Show“. They’ve showcased the pride and professionalism of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps for nearly 500 million people since 1946, and aim to inspire a culture of excellence and service to the country through their performances and various community outreach efforts throughout the year.
Blue Angels Flight Surgeon, LCDR Juan Guerra, produces some fantastic aerial photography when he takes to the skies with them for their practices, and shares them on his Instagram account. Check out some of his views from their practicing at El Centro this year below:
During training at El Centro, the four Diamond and two Solo pilots each fly a morning and afternoon training flight. In addition, “three days per week, a fifth, additional, training flight is conducted to integrate the Diamond and Solos to perfect the timing of the demonstration,” says Guerra.
The flights are conducted over a Naval Bombing Range known as ShadeTree Range.
Check out the team’s 2018 schedule HERE to see if they will be performing at an air show near you this year.
– Special thanks to Tim Guzman for his photos in this story.
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– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography.
NASA’s newest discovery mission InSight will launch this spring to begin the first extensive exploration of the Red Planet’s internal structure.
The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport, or InSight, is scheduled to lift-off for the Red Planet and into a predawn sky on May 5 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and land six months later upon the Martian plains of Elysium Planitia.
Launch officials will have only 35 days to launch the spacecraft during a period in which the Earth and Mars are perfrctly aligned. This mission will mark the first interplanetary mission to launch from the West Coast.
NASA’s InSight Mars lander in a Lockheed Martin clean room recently near Denver. (LMSS)
Taking the Temperature and Pulse of Mars
NASA hopes the spacecraft will provide new insight into several key questions such as does Mars have a liquid or solid core, and learn about the planet’s internal motions including the Sun’s effect on the fourth planet from our closest star.
“We will be landing a static lander and the main purpose is to deploy a seismometer instrument to see if there are any quakes on Mars,” Dr. Charles Elachi, former director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at CalTech explained to this aerospace reporter. “More importantly to use that signal from the quake to look at the internal structure of Mars, it’s core and how does it compare to Earth.”
The geophysical lander and it’s instruments were built by both American and international aerospace companies. Lockheed Martin Space Systems constructed and tested the lander, and the German Aerospace Center is responsible for building the HP3 heat probe. France’s space agency built the spacecraft’s seismometer known as SEIS which will measure seismic waves inside the Red Planet.
NASA’s JPL will instruct the lander to drill down into Mars to take the first internal temperature readings of another planet.
“Think of InSight as Mars’ first health checkup in more than 4.5 billion years,” said InSight Principal Investigator Dr. Bruce Banerdt from JPL. “We’ll study its pulse by ‘listening’ for marsquakes with a seismometer. We’ll take its temperature with a heat probe. And we’ll check its reflexes with a radio experiment.”
InSight will drill deep into the interior of Mars, and will record the planet’s pulse and temperature. (NASA)
InSight to Deploy Ground Breaking Science Experiments
InSight’s 2.4 meter long robotic arm will place three science payloads onto the surface during the first 60 days. The first, a heat flow probe, will drill straight down to about five meters to learn how much heat is moving up toward the surface. These observations will offer a deeper understanding if Earth and Mars have a similar internal structure. The first drill motion into the surface is planned for late March 2019.
Later, the robotic arm will place two seismometers onto the surface in which one will look for and record any Marsquakes occurring from within in the crust, or caused by meteorite impacts on the surface. A second seisometer will record the planet’s surface wind.
The new lander will feature two engineering color cameras. One camera is mounted on the robotic arm between the elbow and the wrist, and will provide a 45-degree field of view, and record a panoramic view of the Martian surface. The second camera is mounted on the front of the lander and will provide a 120-degree fisheye view of the two deployed science payloads.
Spacecraft’s Voyage will Cover 485 million kilometers
The launch window for the United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 is May 5 thru June 8, and will have a two-hour opportunity each day. After orbit insertion and InSight’s seperation from the Centaur upper stage, two briefcase-sized CubeSats will seperate from the rocket’s upper stage and begin to trail InSight.
The objective of Mars Cube One will be to transmit data on InSight during its entery into the Martian atmosphere and landing. This will be a first test of sending two CubeSats to another planet, and will become a test bed for future missions.
Following a six month, 485 million km voyage to the Red Planet, the spacecraft will enter the Martian atmosphere at a speed of 14,100 miles per hour. Based on the exact launch date inside its window, InSight is expected to touchdown upon the flat plain at Elysium Planitia (4.5° N, 135.9° E), located just north of the Martian equator, on Nov. 26. JPL assures that even a launch delay of one to three weeks will still have InSight land the Monday after Thanksgiving at about 3:00 p.m. EST.
InSight is expected to operate for at least two Earth years (728 days) or one Martian year (708 sols). Dr. Banerdt acknowledged that InSight is part of a legacy of robotic exploration which will lay the groundwork for sending humans to Mars in the 2030s.
(Charles Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
When Rockwell and the United States Air Force (USAF) produced the film “B-1 On the Move – Supersonic” the Bone was still in test. Although the B-1A was a truly impressive and very capable bomber, political considerations did the aircraft in. President Jimmy Carter killed the program. President Ronal Reagan brought a modified version of the aircraft back to life a few years later in 1981. Bone fans will appreciate the footage of a young aircraft going through the testing program. The video was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
Today the Rockwell (Boeing) B-1B Lancer forms a significant part of the Air Force Global Strike command along with the stealthy Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit and the venerable Boeing B-52H Stratofortress. First envisioned during the 1960s as a replacement for both the Convair B-58 Hustler and the B-52, things didn’t quite go according to that plan. The B-1A program was chopped in part because of the capabilities of the Boeing AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM).
Official US Air Force photograph
The B-1B in service today differs from the B-1A in several ways. The B-1B boasts a lower top speed at high altitude ( Mach 1.25) but is faster at low altitude (Mach 0.96). The B-1B is also equipped with vastly improved avionics and defensive countermeasures. The B-1Bs airframe is also strengthened to allow a higher maximum takeoff weight leading to improved payloads. The B-1B entered service first with Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1986, became a part of Air Combat Command when SAC was disbanded, and though 100 total airframes were delivered, 67 of them serve today with Global Strike Command.
From our good friends at Airshow Stuff comes this clip of the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress Air Force serial number 61-0007 (CN 464434) performing flybys for the huge crowd of avgeeks at EAA AirVenture 2017. This particular BUFF, Ghost Rider, was the first B-52H to be regenerated from long-term storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) near Tucson in Arizona and returned to fully-operational flying status. Thanks to AirshowStuffVideos for uploading the clip to YouTube. Spoiler alert: There’s a bonus video down below…
The 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group based at Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker AFB spent 45,000 man-hours over 19 months transforming the mothballed 56-year-old strategic bomber into the 76th operational B-52H for Air Force Global Strike Command. Previously assigned to the 23rd Bomb Squadron (BS) Bomber Barons of the 5th Bomb Wing (BW) at Minot AFB before spending 8 years at AMARG in Type 1000 storage, the freshest BUFF in the fleet is now assigned to the 69th BS Knighthawks of the same 5th BW at Minot once again.
Official US Air Force photograph
Bonus Video: Bomber Day at EAA AirVenture 2017 featuring both airworthy Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers and a host of other warbirds as well as a Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit and a Rockwell (Boeing) B-1B Bone flying with Ghost Rider!
The United States Air Force (USAF) made the promotional film “Eyes of the Eagle, Wings of the Dove” during the 1980s. The Cold War was in full voice, and the Air Force was flying all over the world in all kinds of aircraft. The film depicts many of the aircraft in use at the time.
The soundtrack, credited to Chip Davis of Mannheim Steamroller, might be a bit 1980s MTV-ish, but it’s the visuals in the film that will catch and hold your attention. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
Captain Connie Engel, a pioneer during the 1980s, appears in the film. She was the first woman to solo in the Cessna T-41C Mescalaro and T-37 Tweet trainers, doing so before earning her USAF Pilot wings in 1977.Captain Engle later became the first woman to lead a two-ship formation as well as the first female T-38 instructor.
She also flew a T-38 as a chase aircraft during the Space Shuttle program. Engel’s husband Rich and her daughter Lindsey have all worn Air Force Blue and USAF Pilot wings.
In honor of Air Force One, we proudly present the facts, figures, and little-known but pertinent minutiae of Presidential air travel. Enjoy the show!
Image courtesy Smithsonian- National Air and Space Museum
The First President to Fly
The first president to fly did so after he left office. On October 11th 1910 Theodore Roosevelt (26th President- 1901-1909) went for a four minute flight aboard a Wright Flyer with Wright Brothers employee Archibald Hoxsey at Kinloch Aviation Field near St. Louis in Missouri. Just three days later the former President of the United States (POTUS) was shot in Milwaukee but survived in part because the bullet was slowed by the steel eyeglass case and a thick folded up speech Teddy had in his chest pocket.
Image courtesy National Archives
The First Licensed Pilot President
Dwight D Eisenhower (34th President- 1953-1961) was the first President to hold a private pilot’s license, though he did not fly privately as POTUS. Eisenhower, who is perhaps better known for his contributions as General of the Army and Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II, learned to fly and soloed for the first time while he was stationed in the Philippines during 1937. He received his license at Fort Lewis near Tacoma in Washington during 1939. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower did not share Ike’s enthusiasm for flight.
Image courtesy Boeing
The First Sitting President in the Air
The first president to fly while in office was also a Roosevelt- Teddy’s distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt (32nd President- 1933-1945) flew from Miami in Florida to Casablanca in Morocco to meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1943. The Boeing Pan American Clipper Dixie Clipper flying boat took three legs and three days to carry FDR across the Atlantic Ocean to his meeting in Morocco. During the journey the POTUS traveled under the alias “Mr. Jones.”
Image courtesy National Archives
The First Presidential Aircraft
A Douglas RD-2 Dolphin amphibian was the very first aircraft to be designated as a transport for the President. Although so designated between 1933 and 1939 for FDR, he never flew in it. Then during 1943 at the direction of General “Hap” Arnold the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) modified a Consolidated C-87A Liberator Express (the cargo version of the same company’s B-24 Liberator heavy bomber) for use by FDR. The special C-87A was dubbed Guess Where II. Ironically although First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt used the aircraft, FDR never did fly in his C-87A either, but…
Official US Air Force photograph
First Presidential Aircraft Actually Used by a President
Instead, the first purpose-built aircraft on which FDR flew was a Douglas VC-54C Skymaster (specially modified Douglas C-54A Skymaster transport) named Sacred Cow. The Sacred Cow had the fuselage of a C-54A but the wings of a C-54B, offering greater fuel capacity. Other modifications to the Sacred Cow included an elevator to allow the POTUS to board the aircraft in his wheelchair, a conference room, private lavatory, hide-away bed, and later a refrigerator in the galley. President Harry S Truman (33rd President- 1945-1953) also traveled on the Sacred Cow– even signing the National Security Act of 1947 aboard the aircraft, thereby giving birth to the United States Air Force (USAF)
Official US Air Force photograph
The First Modified Jet-Powered Presidential Aircraft
The first jet used to transport the President of the United States was VC-137A Special Air Mission (SAM) 970 which began flying President Eisenhower in 1959. Customized jet-powered aircraft took over the full-time job of transporting the POTUS in 1962 when the Boeing VC-137C SAM 26000 (USAF serial 62-6000- a modified Boeing 707 airliner) entered service. President John F Kennedy (35th President- 1961-1963) used the aircraft for the first time on November 10th 1962 when he flew to New York to attend the funeral of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Before SAM 26000 departed Dallas that awful day in 1963, President Lyndon B Johnson (36th President- 1963-1969) became the only POTUS ever to be sworn in to office aboard an aircraft.
Official US Air Force photograph
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When McDonnell produced the film “The Phantom Joins the Fleet” during 1962 their F4H-1 (later F-4B) Phantom II was a new product. Featuring Fighter Squadron SEVEN FOUR (VF-74) Bedevilers flying from the nearly-new aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59) along with the rest of Carrier Air Wing EIGHT (CVW-8), the film takes a look back at what air ops aboard aircraft carriers looked like when the Phabulous Phantom joined the fleet. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
During July of 1961 VF-74 began their transition from the Douglas F4D-1 Skyray to the McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II and in so doing earned their sobriquet “first in Phantoms” by becoming the first deployable F4H-1/F-4B squadron. VF-74 first deployed aboard the Forrestal on August 3rd 1962. Over the next 20 years VF-74 would deploy to the Mediterranean 13 times and to Southeast Asia twice while flying the F4H-1/F-4B, F-4J, and F-4S variants of the Phantom II.
Official US Navy photograph
The other CVW-8 aircraft seen in the film include the Vought F8U-2N Crusaders of VF-103 Sluggers, the Douglas A4D-2N Skyhawks of VA-83 Rampagers and A4D-2 Skyhawks of VA-81 Crusaders, the Douglas AD-6 Skyraiders of VA-85 Black Falcons, the A3D-2 Skywarriors of VAH-5 Savage Sons, the Vought F8U-1P Photo Crusaders of VFP-62 Fighting Photos (Detachment), the Grumman WF-2 Tracers of VAW-12 Bats (Detachment), and the Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever helicopters of HC-2 Fleet Angels (Detachment).
Enjoy This In-Depth Look At E/A-18G Growler Flight Operations Aboard the USS Ronald Reagan
The Shadowhawks of Carrier Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron ONE FOUR ONE (VAQ-141) participated in two Western Pacific patrols as part of Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW-5) embarked aboard the forward-deployed Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) during 2016. Now based at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni near Hiroshima in Japan, the squadron called Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi near Yokohama home for many years. The “Outlaws” of VAQ-141 are showcased in this excellent high-definition cruise video, which was produced by the squadron and uploaded to YouTube by jdmc88.
Along with VAQ-141, CVW-5 consists of Strike Fighter Squadron TWO SEVEN (VFA-27) Royal Maces, VFA-115 Eagles, and VFA-195 Dambusters flying the single-seat Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet, VFA-102 Diamondbacks flying the twin-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet, and Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron ONE TWO FIVE (VAW-125) Tiger Tails flying the Grumman E-2D Hawkeye.
Official US Navy photograph
The Rest of the Wing
Rounding out CVW-5 are Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron ONE TWO (HSC-12) Golden Falcons flying the Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron SEVEN SEVEN (HSM-77) Saberhawks flying the Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, and Fleet Logistics Support Squadron THREE ZERO (VRC-30) Providers Detachment 5 We Deliver flying the Grumman C-2A(R) Greyhound.
The United States Navy Precision Flight Demonstration Team, also known as the Blue Angels, flew the McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II during performances for only five loud and fast show seasons between 1969 and 1974. In 1972 the Blues were awarded the Navy’s Meritorious Unit Commendation for the two-year period from March 1st 1970 to December 31st 1971. The promotional film “Diamond In the Sky” was produced by McDonnell Douglas during those remarkable years. This great film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
When the Blues transitioned to the F-4J the Phabulous Phantom became the only aircraft used simultaneously by both the Navy and US Air Force Flight Demonstration Teams. The US Air Force Thunderbirds flew the F-4E variant of the Phantom II during the same 1969 to 1974 period as the Blue Angels operated the F-4J. The also F-4J necessitated changes to the Blue Angels performances. The available thrust provided by the Phantom’s twin GE J79 engines allowed the Blue Angels to perform the “Dirty Loop” maneuver. The F-4J was also considerably faster than the Grumman F11F-1 Tigers they replaced, resulting in additional maneuvers being added to the Blue Angels’ performances.
Official US Navy photograph
During the time the film was produced the Blue Angels were commanded and led by US Navy Commander Harley Hall (Flight Lead and #1), with US Marine Corps Captain Kevin O’Mara (Right Wing and #2), US Navy Lieutenant Bill Beardsley (Left Wing and #3), US Navy Lieutenant Jim Maslowski (Slot and #4), US Navy Lieutenant Skip Umstead (Lead Solo and #5), US Navy Lieutenant Bill Switzer (Opposing Solo and #6), US Navy Lieutenant Commander J.D. Davis (Narrator and #7), and US Navy Lieutenant Dick Schram, who was the Public Affairs Officer.
North American Aviation (NAA) produced the film “V for Vigilante” to promote their then-new A3J-1 (later A-5A) Vigilante. The Viggie would of course go on to an impressive career, especially as a Mach 2 reconnaissance platform flying some of the hairiest missions in Southeast Asia. But NAA didn’t yet know just what kind of monster they had on their hands when they made this film during the late 1950s. This retrospective covering the development of the most advanced jet of its time was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
Though the Vigilante was originally intended to replace the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior in the carrier-borne nuclear strike role it never actually did so. The reconnaissance variant developed from the A-5B, the RA-5C, was the most advanced Viggie– so advanced in fact that many of the RA-5C airframes were rebuilt from earlier A-5A and A-5B nuclear strike variants. The aircraft was an engineering marvel with enough high-tech gadgets to keep scores of technicians busy.
Official US Navy Photograph
The first heads-up display (HUD). The first fly-by-wire control system. One-piece wing skins. The list of innovations and firsts seemed endless. But even though the Vigilante was equipped with all manner of defensive electronic warfare systems, attrition was so high during the Vietnam War that NAA actually re-opened the production line to build more of them. Inertial navigation systems, television camera systems, and that critically important reconnaissance attack navigator (RAN) in the second seat (with the tiny windows) all made the RA-5C unique for its time.
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. — The Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team is poised to begin an exciting season before the large crowds of local air shows as they demonstrate the power and maneuverability of this premier multi-role fighter.
Viper Demo Team commander Major John “Rain” Waters, who proudly refers to the F-16 Fighting Falcon as a “tremendous asset to our Air Force”, will lead the squadron as the sole pilot poised to perform maneuvers and high speed flat passes at 23 air show sites hosting over 2.1 million in attendance.
The Team, who joined up with fellow airmen of the A-10 Demo Team, and a P-51 Mustang to perform over Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, has released their updated air show schedule which will include stops along the Atlantic coastline and the nation’s heartland.
“We go out there and we’re showcasing the capabilities of a fourth-generation modern fighter and what it’s able to do,” Maj. Waters said. “Showing that in order to get that one airplane airborne, and myself to fly the demonstration, it really takes a whole team.”
Viper Demo Team commander and pilot Major John “Rain” Waters returns for his second season with the team. (USAF)
The Fighting Falcon, nicknamed “Viper” by its pilots, are now scheduled to perform as many as 50 flight demonstrations during air shows across the United States, including three performances in London, Ontario in September. The crowds below will witness the F-16’s handling characteristics highlighted by great American music.
“Our mission is to inspire the next generation of young men and women to join and serve,” said Air Force chief spokesperson Michelle Clougher of Joint Base Langley-Eustis on Thursday. “Engaging the community is important and by traveling to air shows across the nation we are able to connect with the people who might not have had the opportunity to meet someone who serves in the military.”
Each flight demo will include a series of high performance climbs, flat passes, and several dizzying corkscrew maneuvers. Major Water, who now begins his second season with the team, confirms that these are not stunts, and instead are maneuvers used by pilots deployed overseas and, in some cases, combat situations.
“When I fly the demonstration, it’s not necessarily combat maneuvers what we do, but it shows the agility and the maneuverability of the F-16 of when we go to combat that the aircraft can perform,” Rain explained.
During many of the shows, pyrotechnics will be set off as a Wall of Fire highlights the Viper’s High Speed Pass over the airfield. Once Maj. Waters begins a vertical pull up following a long flat pass, the Wall of Fire will ignite simulating a bombing run.
“The minimum radius turn is an exciting maneuver to fly and watch,” Clougher said without hesitation as we stood near the windy Langley flightline. “It’s impressive to see such a fast jet turn with such a tight turning radius. After pulling 9G’s throughout a turn most fighters would be sluggish and limited on their ability to maneuver but the Viper can still roll, climb, and flip upside down. The minimum radius showcases the speed, maneuverability, and agility of the F-16.”
At the conclusion of the Viper Team’s nearly 20 minute performance, the F-16 will be joined in flight by a legacy aircraft, such as the P-51D Mustang, to begin the crowd favorite portion of most air shows — the Heritage Flight. As the song We Remember plays across the grand stands along the airfield, the F-16 and an Air Force aircraft of yesteryear will perform several low passes around the crowd in a moving tribute to the airmen of the past, present, and future.
Based at Shaw, AFB in Sumter County, South Carolina, the Viper Team has had the honor to proudly display one of the top aircraft for the Air Force. Many of the air shows hosting the Navy’s Blue Angels welcome the Viper Team to give balance with the military branches.
The newly released 2018 Viper Demo Team schedule. (USAF)
“While the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds are fan favorites, the military jet demo teams offer the opportunity to focus on the capabilities of a single aircraft,” said John Cowman, President of JLC AirShow Management, on Thursday. “The F-16 Viper Team performs an incredible demonstration wowing fans across the United States. For Wings Over Myrtle Beach, the Shaw AFB-based team is a short flight away from our air show in April.”
Maj. Waters will perform at two South Carolina air shows on Saturday, April 28 — Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Waters will pilot the F-16 between the two shows which lie 90 miles apart along the Lowcountry. Joint Base Charleston will also host the Air Force Thunderbirds during its Saturday only show.
Clougher, who also goes by the call sign “Ambush”, later added, “The maximum performance climb is another favorite. The ability to climb from 300 feet to 15,000 feet in a matter of 10 seconds is impressive. For the crowd they truly get a sense of the raw power of nearly 30,000 pounds of thrust with an aircraft that weighs less than 28,000 pounds.”
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and science. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)
Recently, Florida’s Space Coast took notice of an unusual flock of birds prowling their skies. Pave Hawks and C-130s are a common and expected sight, assets of Patrick Air Force Base and the U.S. Air Force Reserve 920th Rescue Wing, but not A-10s, who came to Florida to hone their Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) skills alongside the 920th’s Guardian Angel airmen of the 301st Rescue Squadron.
“Operation Space Coast” kicked off on Jan. 22, beginning a two-week exercise with six A-10 Thunderbolt II’s from the “Red Devils” 107th Fighter Squadron / 127th Wing from Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mi., joining the 920th for various multi-airframe CSAR simulations.
An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the “Red Devils” 107th Fighter Squadron / 127th Wing from Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, flying CSAR training ops with 920th Rescue Wing Airmen in central Florida recently for “Operation Space Coast”. Photo Courtesy: Larry Titchenal
“In Michigan during the winter months it becomes difficult to train due to the weather, and this year we joined Airmen here at Patrick Air Force Base to ensure our pilots remain current with their training requirements,” said Capt. Jason Davenport, a 127th Wing A-10 pilot. “It also gave us an opportunity to train out of our comfort zones, in new environments and with people we could be working with during future operations.”
The “Red Devils” are one of the oldest flying units in the U.S. Air Force, first organized as the 107th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas, in August 1917 in response to the U.S. entry into World War I.
The 920th doing what they do best, rescue. Photo: Mike Killian
Responsible for a variety of demanding missions and ready to deploy at a moment’s notice, the 920th’s airmen are trained to perform some of the most highly-specialized operations in the Air Force, and their elite Pararescuemen (better known as PJ’s) are among the most highly trained emergency trauma specialists in the U.S. military.
Recently, the 920th was honored for their heroic rescue of two German citizens whose vessel caught fire several hundred miles off the Atlantic coast of Florida last summer, which involved 80 unit members to pull off. For the first time in 20 years, the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service awarded the Medal of Honor on Ribbon for Rescue Missions at Sea in Gold in a special ceremony to the 920th.
Capt. Jason Davenport, A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot from the 107th Fighter Squadron sits inside the flightdeck during a preflight inspection, Feb. 2, 2018 at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. Six A-10s joined Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing to hone combat search and rescue capabilities with multi-airframe training operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jared Trimarchi)
For Operation Space Coast, some of the CSAR training involved four A-10s and a Pave Hawk with the 301st Rescue Squadron / 920th Rescue Wing working together to rescue a downed pilot behind enemy lines (no live ammo was used).
The A-10s also practiced aerial refueling with fellow 127th Wing aircrews flying KC-135 Stratotankers, as well as providing close air support for ground forces.
Local avgeeks monitoring radio chatter also noted the A-10s were running training ops at Avon Park Bombing Range, expending GBU-38 munitions.
“Training with the aircrew from the 301st Rescue Squadron provided outstanding training because it is hard to simulate protecting a helicopter back home,” Davenport added.
An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the “Red Devils” 107th Fighter Squadron / 127th Wing from Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, flying CSAR training ops with 920th Rescue Wing Airmen in central Florida recently for “Operation Space Coast”. Photo Courtesy: Larry Titchenal
“Training with other units enhances combat search and rescue scenarios because it is more effective than simulating aerial assets,” added Maj. Rob Baker, a Pave Hawk pilot from the 301st Rescue Squadron / 920th Rescue Wing who participated in the exercises.
Both pilots said the training was a success and built stronger relations.
“The training went great, and we accomplish what we set out to,” Davenport said. “We really appreciate the support of the Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing and look forward to working with them again. We do this type of training to ensure whenever we are called to bring home our brother or sister we are ready and effective.”
– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography
