Today Alaska Airlines announced the destinations it will serve from Paine Field, home of the Boeing Everett Factory just north of Seattle. Alaska Airlines is now the country’s fifth largest airline after its purchase of Virgin America last year. Lately both the airline and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport have seen a huge spike in growth. Read more about Virgin America’s last days here:
SeaTac is reportedly having overcrowding and capacity problems since Delta made it a hub. The rapid growth of Alaska Airlines has added to the capacity issues.
Alaska is growing the larger Seattle market
Alaska has a strategic plan in place to expand service to the North Sound, which has a population of more than 1 million people. Access to routes out of Paine Field-Snohomish County Airport in Everett will save passengers north of Seattle about an hour of commute time to the airport.
KPAE is home to the Boeing Everett Factory where Boeing widebody planes are assembled. That means Avgeeks flying out of the airport can look forward to some great plane spotting, as well.
Alaska Airlines is going to fly 13 nonstop daily departures out of KPAE to eight cities when the service commences this fall, including:
— Las Vegas
— Los Angeles
— Orange County
— Phoenix
— Portland
— San Diego
— San Francisco
— San Jose
Because there are 13 flights, the most likely scenario is that most of them will be flown daily. A couple of routes could offer multiple daily flights, possibly even several daily flights to Portland.
The expectation is that the routes will be operated with Embraer 175s. Flight times are subject to government approval and will be announced later this year.
An ongoing international trade dispute is forcing Delta to alter its fleet plans, as the airline is forced to delay the retirement of some of its older gas guzzling MD-88s and MD-90s. Executive management announced on Thursday’s earnings call that the older fleet is going to be in use until the controversy surrounding the delivery of the C-Series is resolved.
The C-Series deliveries are delayed because Boeing accused the planes’ manufacturer, Bombardier, of being unfairly subsidized by the Canadian government. Boeing disputed Delta’s plan to buy 75 C-Series jets at ‘absurdly low’ prices. The pending resolution includes the possibility of huge tariffs being imposed on Delta for its C-Series imports.
Whether or not the tariffs actually materialize is still up in the air. In the interim, Delta is losing revenue. CFO Paul Jacobson said Delta expects its maintenance costs to be “a little bit higher than traditional first quarters.”
No resolution in sight for trade dispute
Late last year, the trade dispute grew even more complicated after Airbus swooped in and acquired the majority stake in Bombardier, moving part of its manufacturing to Alabama. This means the C-Series would be assembled in America and therefore might not subject to the ginormous tariffs.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian confirmed to investors and reporters Thursday, “Yes, we do know that we will not be taking the C-Series according to the current schedule, which would be taking delivery this spring.” Bastian said the current fleet will remain in service, “and to that end we have to invest in maintaining some aircraft, particularly MD-88s to keep them around a little bit longer than we were otherwise anticipating.” Mr. Bastian said most of the MD-88s should be retired by the year 2020 but the plan is more back end loaded than originally planned.
Flying the older planes will not only run up maintenance costs for the airline, it will also nix any projected fuel savings that had been anticipated when the smaller, fuel-efficient C-Series jets were to be put into service.
Very few other viable options besides keeping the Mad Dogs
Delta’s move to delay the MD-88 and MD-90 retirements comes as no surprise but one could argue that they could have used more regional aircraft or accelerated the delivery of other aircraft to make up for the delay. Unfortunately though, the challenges with regional flying (like the ongoing pilot shortage across both the military and for regional operators) means that extending the life of the Mad Dogs is a more viable option. Delta is aiming for a target of $100 million in fuel savings this year and is expected to take delivery of 60 additional fuel-efficient planes of different types.
By randomduck (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rudiriet/3272783944/) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
A worldwide ban on smart luggage starts today. More than 280 IATA member airlines including American Airlines, Delta, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian will no longer allow smart luggage in the cargo hold. That means if your checked baggage has a lithium ion battery or GPS tracker, it must be removed or you will not be able to check your bag.
So, you might be asking yourself, well, what the heck is smart luggage and why is it considered dangerous in the first place?
Smart Luggage 101
Smart luggage has built-in features. The most popular feature is a USB port for charging wireless devices but some also have electronic safety locks or GPS tracking.
Smart luggage has become increasingly popular over the past couple of years, mainly because there are a lot of people who worry about losing their suitcases while on a trip. If you are traveling to South Africa from the Midwest and the airline has lost your luggage, with GPS tracking, you will know where your lost stuff is before the airline does and can track it when it is on its way back to you.
Sounds pretty good, right? So, what could go wrong?
Exploding Cellphones and Hoverboards
If your smart luggage is powered by a lithium ion battery, it is a fire hazard similar to the exploding cellphones and hoverboards that have made headlines in the past few years. In October 2016, Samsung issued a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after over 100 of the devices spontaneously burst into flames.
In addition to the cellphone recall, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled over 500,000 hoverboards for the same reason. In the spring of 2017, two children died in a fire sparked by a hoverboard that had exploded. In both the cellphones and hoverboards, the explosions were caused by overheated lithium ion batteries.
The science behind the battery problem is pretty straightforward. If the battery short circuits because of a tear in the microscopically thin sheet of plastic covering the positive and negative ends, the hole creates a path that can conduct electricity. Once that electrical current hits the highly flammable lithium inside, the liquid heats up and if that process happens fast enough, the battery gets so hot that it literally explodes.
While there have been no reported incidents of exploding smart luggage to date, the IATA apparently does not want to take any chances. Tests show that the batteries in luggage are less of a threat to aircraft safety when the luggage is in full view or stored in an overhead bin where it can be reached quickly. But when the baggage with potentially explosive batteries is out of view in the cargo hold where it is not attended, the risk of fire is greatly increased.
What Passengers Should Expect
Just about every major airline on the planet is part of the ban. Smart luggage has been deemed not suitable for commercial air travel anywhere. The ban is in effect for North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Once at the airport, passengers carrying smart luggage should expect to be asked to remove the battery, GPS unit or other potentially hazardous technology from their luggage before it is checked. This is assuming that the battery can be removed (most can’t). Worst case scenario? If you recently spent some cash on trendy new smart luggage, you might be forced to leave it home because of the new ban.
It looked a little like the old KaiTak approach into Hong Kong yesterday at Honolulu International Airport.
UPDATE 1/14/18 10:59 PM PT: Officials are now saying that the body found on the runway was a stowaway. We’ll share additional updates as we learn more.
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This time of year, Kona winds (winds blowing from West to East) force arriving jets to land on the “26’s”. Heavy aircraft typically land on 26L, known as the ‘reef runway’. This means that airliners fly an LDA approach that keeps them away from the Waikiki coast. About a mile and a half from the runway, they align with final. The turn is sporty but most pilots are familiar with the approach.
Yesterday, an unfortunate and unusual event closed the reef runway forcing aircraft to land on 26R. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that runway 26L was closed because a pilot reported FOD (foreign object debris) on approach around 12:15pm local time. The FOD turned out to be a human body. How terrible!
The runway was closed for six hours while investigators scoured the area for evidence as to what happened. No details are available as to the cause of death. While a few go-arounds were reported, no delays were attributed to the closed runway.
On January 13, 2018 a Pegasus Airlines B737-800 on Flight PC8622 overran the runway during landing at Trabzon Airport in Turkey. After overrunning the far end of runway 11 at the airport, the Boeing 737 skidded off the left-hand side of the runway and slid downhill towards the Black Sea with 162 passengers and 6 crew members on board.
The aircraft with registration TC-CPF was flying from Ankara (ESB) to Trabzon (TZX). The accident occurred at around 20:25 UTC (23:25 local time). Trabzon Airport is an airport near the city of Trabzon in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. The Governor of Trabzon, Yucel Yavuz, states that all passengers and the crew on board left the aircraft safely. According to Turkish media 11 passengers suffered minor injuries and were brought to the hospital.
This Youtube video by İhlas Haber Ajansı shows the Pegasus Boeing 737 the next day at Trabzon Airport:
It was raining heavily at the time of the accident. As a result the runway was extremely wet during landing. The Boeing 737 had troubles with slowing down on the runway and according to the flight path it had a speed of 110 knots (127mph) on the last third of the runway.
Because of the accident Trabzon Airport was closed until 09:00 local time on January 14, 2018. The Turkish Aviation Authority SHGM is investigating the cause of the accident.
We’ve posted a number of stories and videos about the Boeing 747. Just last year, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines retired their fleet of Boeing 747s. Boeing has also struggled to find new customers for its passenger version, all but ceding the large passenger market to the upcoming Boeing 777-9 and Airbus A350.
Today there are only about 165 passenger Boeing 747-400s flying alongside a fleet of 35 Boeing 747-8i’s around the world. While that isn’t a ton of airplanes, there are still many opportunities to fly on the Queen of the Skies. The Boeing 747 classic fleet is all but extinct, save for Air Force One. That’s why watching this Boeing 747-300 classic get ripped apart is pretty disheartening.
The aircraft, registered D2-TEA, first flew in 1986 with Singapore Airlines. They retired the jet in 1997. TAAG Angola picked up the jet and flew it until 2010. The jet was finally broken up in 2017 by Nevergreen Aircraft Industries who posted the video of its final days. Scrap metal from a jumbo jet like the 747 can earn just shy of $100k. That’s a small consolation for watching the Queen of the Skies meet her final end.
The Boeing 757 is an amazing aircraft. It was built to replace the 727, offering a high-lift wing and overpowered high-bypass engines.
Approaching 40 years after its debut, the Boeing 757 is still one a staple in many US and European airlines. The Boeing 757 still maintains two unique capabilities that can’t be filled by other airlines. The first is the ability to takeoff from short, high-altitude, high-temperature airfields like Denver, Mexico City, and Vail, Colorado. The second is that the 757 has the ability to fly long, thin transcontinental and transatlantic routes. While newer entrants like the 737 NG and MAX and A320NEO series have begun to fill some of those roles, the 757 still operates on routes where even the newest MAX and NEOs still can’t touch.
Take an already overpowered jet and watch what it can do empty
That’s why this video of a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 is so impressive. During an airshow back in 2012, they decided to fly a routine with the sleek Boeing. After a series of low-passes, the jet climbs unrestricted in a gorgeous finale. The video was produced by Historical Aviation Film Unit and originally posted on Youtube.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force operates two Boeing 757s. Both aircraft were received by the force in 2003. They feature the unique ability to carry both passengers and cargo. In a cargo configuration, the jets can carry 11 pallets on the main deck. The jet can also be converted to a VIP configuration to fly governmental execs on ministerial and trade missions around the globe. Both jets are powered by Rolls-Royce RB211s. They are operated by No. 40 squadron.
Nothing gets me more annoyed than hearing people whine about the “CFI Shortage”. “I can’t find a flight instructor” seems to be the mantra of this generation of pilots. Now you may take offense to that if you are one of those students who “can’t find a CFI” to train you, but let me explain why there really is not a shortage, and why you are having the troubles that you are.
What does a CFI do?
A flight instructor is someone who has at least 250 flight hours and has taken at least 4 checkrides. At a bare minimum, this person has spent $40,000 to get their certificates (often times much more, like $75k+).
Now you are asking someone as a student pilot to get into a beat up training airplane (which is not know to be the safest activity) and fly with you while being paid $15-$30. It is important to note a CFI is only paid when they are with you flying, so often a CFI that works an eight hour day may only take home $60-$70 for an entire days work. Now this instructor spent a lot of money to get where they are, and they probably love aviation, but love doesn’t pay the rent, so less than $100/day pay (especially with flight training loans they have) just isn’t going to cut it.
[/three-fourths]
What does the CFI end up doing?
[two-thirds-first]Well since they are only making $100 a day or less as a CFI, they look for other part time employment to supplement their income. Although the love flying, they can’t afford to fly with you and be paid $30/hr or less. They end up driving for uber, working in restaurants, picking up other flying gigs, or leaving aviation altogether to work in corporate America for a few years to pay back their loans before they can even dream of being able to affort toworkas a pilot. Imagine that, you can’t evenafford to workthe wages are so low.
What about other types of instructors?
Well when my girlfriend made me take dance lessons, we paid an instructor $100/hr. When my buddy took golf lessons he paid a golf pro $150/hr. When my sister took tennis lessons, she paid a tennis instructor $125/hr ($250 for a two hour lesson!). The key difference here between a flight instructor and these other professions is this:
You don’t loose your license or die when you step on a students toes, serve a ball into the net, or hook a golf ball into the trees. You stand a very good chance of ruining your career and/or life when you make a momentary lapse in judgement while teaching in an airplane.
On top of the instant reproductions of making a mistake as a CFI, you run the real risk of having a student fall into a momentary lapse in judgement years into the future, which could possibly end their life and open you up to years of litigation, taking away any pennies you had managed to save up from that part time Uber job. Why on earth would I expose myself to this for less than $30,000 year. Valet boys make $40,000+ a year. That sounds better than flight instructing right now (I had a very close friend quit instructing to be a full time valet).
How can this be fixed?
Fix it the same way the airlines did. Two years ago the airlines starting crying about a “PILOT SHORTAGE”. Well yeah, they were offering $28,000/ year for new hire pilots, and it would be at least 5 years before you would break $50,000/year (this is after years of flight training and racking up hours). $28k or even $50k is not a fair starting wage to a pilot in the airlines! Pilots that go to the airlines are not “starting their careers”, they have been pilots for years (and should be compensated as such)!
Anyways, to fix the problem the airlines had of only 3-5 guys showing up for new hire class every two weeks, they raised pay from $28k to $60k for first year FO’s. Guess what, classes are full at 25 guys every two weeks and wait listed until March 2018.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PILOT SHORTAGE! THERE IS A PAY SHORTAGE!
So how are we going to fix the problem for CFI’s? Actually quite simple. Two things will fix it instantly:
Students Sign airtight liability waivers protecting individual instructors
Instructors are salaried by schools at $45,000/ year starting regardless of hours flown, and are limited to being at the FBO 50 hours per week unless paid overtime.
Where will the money come from?
Well it won’t grow on trees despite that fancy fertilizer I bought last month! Students will ultimately have to pay more per hour for flight instruction received, and especially pay cancellation fees when canceling a lesson last minute. Now some might think this would make flight instruction more expensive BUT IT WILL NOT!
Student’s will also have to be willing to fly in less expensive airplanes with less fancy glass cockpits. Note: I’m not suggesting flying beat up cheap airplanes, I’m saying, smaller, more fuel efficient airplanes that do not have Garmin panels. No GPS will teach you how to fly, but an instructor will. Spend your money on your instructor, not paying for a fancy 172 with a G1000. Fly a solid, airworthy, Cessna 150 or Aeronca Champ instead.
Remember!
The airlines doubled pilot pay in the last two years and didn’t raise ticket prices. Maybe its time flight schools took a closer look at where they are spending their money!
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TAMPA — Six World War II aircraft of the world famous GEICO Skytypers Air Show Team will blaze a trail above many of the top air show sites across America as they launch this spring into their 12th anniversary season.
The team announced their 2018 air show schedule on Wednesday as they prepare for their winter practices in Florida. They will perform at 15 locations, and perform 29 flight demonstrations.
The GEICO Skytypers continue to carry the torch forward for the Greatest Generation of pilots, demonstrating their story high above the air show crowds during their demonstration. The Skytypers’ dedication and skill inspires many to want to learn more about the history behind these aircraft and the aviators who piloted these silver doves through the smoke blackened skies of war.
The GEICO Skytypers six-plane formation will blaze a trail across the United States during 2018. (Charles A Atkeison)
“We have an exciting schedule for the 2018 air show season including a couple of new shows, several rotational show sites, and a number of regular stops on our tour” said Steve Kapur, the team’s Skytyper 8 pilot and marketing officer. “Whether new or old, the best part of each event weekend is meeting air show fans from the youngest of future aviators to veterans who trained in our aircraft.”
The team will begin the season over Vero Beach in Florida, and the following week, will kick-off the inaugural Wings Over Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, as they co-headline both shows with the Blue Angels. A busy May will see performances over Fort Lauderdale, Tampa Bay, before heading north to Hampton Roads, Virginia, and Jones Beach, New York.
The squadron’s popularity has risen as they continue to co-headline many of the nation’s top air shows performing with the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy’s Blue Angels. The civilian team, whose history dates back to the early 1980’s, will celebrate its 12th anniversary season as the GEICO Skytypers.
The Skytypers’s six Navy SNJ-2 aircraft will demonstrate the dog fight flying styles and maneuvers flown by the “Greatest Generation” 70 years ago. The team will tell you they are not an aerobatic squadron, but a formation squadron, who tell the story of the pilots who controlled the skies during World War II and Korea.
“It’s a very dynamic demo with a lot of things happening very quickly with some maneuvers a tribute to the era of the generation of these World War II airplanes,” said team boss Larry Arken. “Other things are done for the spectators view like a heart or a bomb burst, and other maneuvers are tactical maneuvers which the military still uses.”
In May, the Tampa Bay Airfest will be a homecoming for one Skytyper pilot who previously trained in military jets at the Tampa air base. As the team’s senior Lead Solo pilot, Steve Salmirs is looking forward for the upcoming air show, and it was very noticeable.
“This is an incredibly exciting airshow for me,” Salmirs said as he paused near the team’s six silver SNJ-2 aircraft. Salmirs trained at MacDill AFB in 1984 to complete his primary F-16 fighter training.
Steve has flown with the team since 1996, and today, wears many hats including assisting in designing new formations and managing training. “I am thrilled that GEICO has allowed me to come full circle and use the skills I have acquired to entertain the crowds at my training base. I am stoked,” he added.
The Skytypers demonstrate incredible precision during their 20 minute demonstration as they maneuvere into different attitudes. Each of these World War II aircraft have a rich history behind them. These SNJ-2’s and the pilots of yesterday helped the Allied Forces protect democracy and the freedoms we have today.
The GEICO Skytypers carry the torch forward for the Greatest Generation of pilots, demonstrating their story high above the air show crowds during their demonstration. The Skytypers’ dedication and skill inspires many to want to learn more about the history behind these aircraft and the aviators who piloted these silver doves through the smoke blackened skies of war.
GEICO Skytypers 2018 Air Show Schedule:
April 21-22 Vero Beach Air Show, Vero Beach, FL
Apr 28-29 Wings Over Myrtle Beach Air Show, Myrtle Beach, SC
May 5-6 Ford Lauderdale Air Show, Fort Lauderdale, FL
May 12-13 Tampa Bay AirFest, MacDill AFB, FL
May 18-20 Air Power Over Hampton Roads, JB Langley Eustis, VA
May 26-27 Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach, Jones Beach, NY
Jun 2-3 NAS Patuxent River Air Expo, NAS Patuxent River, MD
Jun 9-10 RI National Guard Open House Air Show, Quonset Point, RI
Jun 16-17 Ocean City Air Show, Ocean City, MD
Jul 14-15 Great New England Air and Space Show, Westover ARB, MA
Jul 25-29 EAA Air Venture Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI
Aug 23 Atlantic City Airshow, Atlantic City, NJ
Sep 22-23 NAS Oceana Air Show, NAS Oceana, VA
Oct 6-7 Maryland Fleet Week and Air Show, Baltimore, MD
Oct 27-28 NAS Jax Air Show, Jacksonville, FL
On the ground, members of the GEICO Skytypers spend their time at each air show site visiting education centers and hospitals with their public outreach program. The team will also host student groups at the air show for a group discussion plane side, and the chance to climb aboard their aircraft.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and science. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)
Yesterday marked the official end of the existence of Virgin America as a stand-alone airline from an operating certificate perspective. While you’ll continue to see Virgin America branded aircraft and website for a little longer, the brand continues its slow march to retirement. Officially though (as far as the FAA is concerned), both airlines are one single airline now, operating with standardized procedures and under the Alaska callsign.
Alaska Airlines purchased Virgin last year as part of a strategy to expand its footprint in California. The merger has created a $2.6 billion-dollar company with 286 aircraft and 1,200 daily flights. Alaska is now the country’s fifth largest airline. Twenty-five daily flights have been added out of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego.
Many changes ahead
The combined brand will create change for passengers throughout the next year or two. Alaska Airlines’ Boeing jets are receiving a major upgrade with all new cabins. Virgin America jets will also get a makeover. First class is being expanded from 8 seats to 12 on Virgin Airbus jets, with the remainder being upgraded later this year. High speed satellite wifi is being phased in starting this fall, as well.
Virgin America’s famous purple and pink cabins will be replaced by a more neutral blue in 2018.
If you enjoy Virgin America’s unique ambience, take heart. Fans will be relieved to know that many of the carrier’s signature characteristics will remain including boarding music and free in-flight entertainment. There will be a slight change in the nightclub-like mood lighting which will be changed from pink and purple to a more pale blue.
Callsign “Redwood” is retired
As the Virgin America brand is integrated into Alaska Airlines, the livery is getting a new paint job. The callsign “Redwood” will disappear and the SOC operating certificate is being retired. The front line crew will be sporting new uniforms designed by Luly Yang starting this summer.
Alaska Airlines’ Vice President of Marketing says, “While the Virgin America name is beloved to many, we concluded that to be successful on the West Coast we had to do so under one name – for consistency and efficiency, and to allow us to continue to deliver low fares.”
It is like a scene out of a sci-fi movie: air taxis zooming around the city, landing on heli-ports and transporting passengers to and from their daily activities. It sounds pretty futuristic, right? Well, it may not be as farfetched as you may think.
Bell and Uber are accelerating the development of air taxis. Photo Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopters is showcasing their new urban air taxi design at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week. The Bell Aircraft Corporation is a U.S. aircraft manufacturer that’s well known for developing and manufacturing several important military and civilian helicopters, including Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft.
Expounding upon Bell’s long history of successful innovation, Chief Executive Officer Mitch Snyder says, “The future of urban air taxi is closer than many people realize. We believe in the positive impact our design will have on addressing transportation concerns in cities worldwide.” Snyder says Bell has an ongoing R&D program that will eventually provide options for “safe, reliable transportation services to the world.”
At CES 2018, convention goers get to see what it’s like to be inside an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) through the use of augmented reality. Simulations portray cross-city day and night trips.
Inside the cabin, passengers can use embedded technology to catch up on the news, share documents or take conference calls. Meantime, a monitor display gives passengers in the back seats a view of what’s on the road (or in the air) ahead.
eVTOLs will have both civil and military applications, according to Scott Drennan, Bell’s Director of Engineering Innovation. Air taxis are expected to be licensed under the FAA’s new powered-lift category developed for tiltrotors.
Bell is partnering with Uber to accelerate development of these futuristic aircraft. But, for this week at least, the future is now at CES in Las Vegas.
One of the most popular sights at any air show was always Heritage and Legacy flights, with military aviation past and present joining in the sky in symbolic formation spanning generations from WWII, Korea and Vietnam to the present day.
But over the last several years, one of the biggest questions you’ll hear at air shows across the U.S. is, “will Navy Legacy flights ever return?”
Legacy formation break, Hornets in full burners. Photo Credit: Mike Killian (Gary Baker photo pilot)
The Air Force has their Heritage program. The Navy used to do so with a Legacy program too, but they stopped several years ago. And they will remain stopped until the air show and aviation community helps, or the Navy decides to pay for it, which will not happen.
So the Navy Tailhook Legacy Flight Foundation (NTLFF) has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $20,000 to, “support flying warbird aircraft to and from mandatory formation training with the Navy’s TACDEMO teams,” says Bernie Conaway, President/Director of Operations at the NTLFF. “This training must be accomplished prior to the Navy approving the return of the Tailhook Legacy Flight program in 2018.”
For 15-20 minutes at various show sites each year, the Navy’s single ship F-18 Hornet and Super Hornet Tactical Demonstration teams from Strike Fighter Squadrons VFA-122 and VFA-106 shred the skies for spectators and show off some of the various capabilities of the jet and the men and women who crew them.
But from time to time, in past years at least, they were joined at the end of their demos by old Navy warbirds for something called a “Naval Aviation Tailhook Legacy Flight”, where the past and present of Naval aviation would come together in the sky.
Such a sight has virtually vanished due to budget issues over recent years though, and therefore are not officially back on air show rosters yet. The formations, however, are still flown on case by case basis on rare occasions, the most recent being at the Cleveland National Air Show Sep 2-4, 2017, when TAC DEMO took a hint from the Air Force Heritage Flights and wanted to fly some Legacy passes with the CAF Dixie Wing Corsair also performing at the show, and so they secured the necessary approvals to do it.
Although the Navy funds the training and execution of the active duty demos, due to the fiscal situation dating back to sequestration in 2013 they are currently unable to provide funding for the civilian side of the program.
Navy Legacy formation and tribute to VFA-15, joined by Scott York in his P-51 Mustang “Quick Silver” and Jim Tobul in his F4-U Corsair “Korean War Hero” at the 2017 TICO Warbird Airshow. Photo: Mike Killian (Team Aeroshell photo pilot)
Matter of fact, the TAC DEMO pilots in Cleveland weren’t even aware there used to be an official Legacy program, which speaks volumes to the length of the time Legacy flights have now been grounded.
For the program to return, warbird crews must train with the active duty TAC DEMO flight crews on each TAC DEMO team prior to the start of the air show season, but to accomplish this the warbird aircraft and their crews need to transit to either NAS Lemoore in California (VFA-122 Demo Team), or NAS Oceana in Virginia (VFA-106 Demo Team).
The costs to transit these warbirds and their Legacy trained crews to select TAC DEMO show sites to fly the Legacy Demos, is expected to cost at minimum $300,000 annually.
Two Super Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-106 “Gladiators” in formation with Thom Richard flying the Commemorative Air Force Dixie Wing’s Corsair. Photo Credit: Mike Killian (Gary Baker photo pilot)
For this reason, the NTLFF was established in 2015 to raise the funding necessary to accomplish Tailhook Legacy training, and then execute Legacy flights at all the air shows on the TAC DEMO team’s schedule.
“Your support will provide the funding to fly these aircraft to training, and once training is complete, your support will provide for moving these warbirds to each show. Unlike the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation, we’re not funded by a billionaire, we are Navy verterans who are trying to bring the program back,” added Conaway.
“Without support, the program will remain grounded and these majestic formation flights will not grace the skies,” he adds.
For more information on the grassroots civilian non-profit NTLFF organization, and to donate, please visit https://www.ntlff.org.
ROME, GA — John Young. He was the astronaut’s-astronaut.
A depression-era youth who grew up in northwest Georgia to become the seventh man to walk on the moon discussed his life in his recently released autobiography.
As a young boy attending school in Cartersville, located 40 miles north of Atlanta, John W. Young late in his life wrote about his meager life in the small town. And, how his strengths carried him on to college and into a flying career with the U.S. Navy and later upward to NASA.
Forever Young: A Life of Adventure in Air and Space (2013) is the book on the life of a true American hero, John Watts Young. Co-authored by James R. Hansen, Forever Young puts you on the flight deck and in the cockpit as Young prepares to push America forward in the space race and toward space research.
John Young flew twice aboard Gemini; he flew twice to the moon; and commanded two space shuttle missions aboard Columbia. (NASA)
Young described his father’s job at a Cartersville filling station as a temporary one after being laid off from a prominent job as a world traveling civil engineer during the height of the economic collapse.
Young, who passed away on 5 January 2018 at the age of 87, wrote about his love of model airplanes as a young boy, and how it set the stage for his adult life.
Following high school graduation, Young enrolled at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and graduated in 1952 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. Young later became a naval aviator having graduated from Navy Test Pilot school in 1959, and in 1965, he soared into orbit with Gus Grissom aboard the first Gemini space flight.
His third trip into space was Apollo 10 which became the first Apollo mission to carry the lunar module to the moon. The flight was note worthy as it set the stage for the first moon landing two months later.
The crew of Apollo 10 also set the record for the fastest speed ever traveled by humans, 24,791 m.p.h., as their command module raced toward earth.
In all, John Young flew in space six times, including two trips to the moon and twice as commander of the space shuttle Columbia. He logged 35 days in space of which four days were spent on the lunar surface.
During Apollo 16, he and Charlie Duke explored the Descartes Highlands on the moon during three moonwalks. The pair collected 211 pounds of lunar material and travels some 16 miles in their lunar rover.
The self-described Georgia boy even hopped up the slopes of Stone Mountain, located on the Moon, and named it for the popular quartz monzonite mountain located east of Atlanta.
Young’s final space flight landing in 1983 proved to be his most “exciting”, as he describes it.
Columbia’s computers which controlled landing began to “crash” hours before her touchdown. Then minutes prior to her dynamic landing in the California desert, power units which help the shuttle fly began to fail, and Columbia’s aft section caught fire caused by leaking fuel.
Young officially left NASA on December 31, 2004, following a storied career. In all, according to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Young “logged more than 15,275 hours flying time in props, jets, helicopters, rocket jets, more than 9,200 hours in T-38s, and six space flights of 835 hours”.
Forever Young is an incredible read, fast paced at times with great insight into Young’s mind as he takes you with him as he soars into earth orbit and upon the vast ocean of space. The book delves quickly into the early days of human spaceflight, including both NASA’s highlights and low moments.
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and science. Follow his updates via Twitter @Military_Flight.)
A scary situation as passengers had to evacuate on slides
A ramp collision between a WestJet Boeing 737 carrying 168 people and a Sunwing 737 on Friday night at Pearson Airport in Toronto resulted in a fuel leak and subsequent fire. Passengers were terrified as they watched the inferno in horror, unaware if the fire would grow. Children were screaming and chaos ensued as everyone wondered if it was their plane that had caught on fire or if it was the empty plane next to them. The order was eventually given to evacuate the Westjet aircraft. The scene was captured in vivid detail on video:
The plane collision happened about 6pm as a Sunwing jet was being repositioned on the ramp by third-party ground crews and the WestJet flight was returning from Cancun, Mexico. Following the crash, flames engulfed one of the Westjet aircraft’s wings. Flight attendants scrambled to control the situation as fears arose about a possible fuel leak.
Passenger Gustavo Lobo told CBC News, “Panic set in when [we saw] what seemed to be fuel spewing from the crash. Out of nowhere there was an audible crunch and the plane rocked slightly. We looked out the window and saw that the plane had backed up into us.”
According to Sunwing, the accident was caused by ground handlers that were working for a third-party company, Swissport. Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is conducting a full investigation.
WestJet spokeswoman Lauren Stewart said there were no injuries and that “emergency crews were on hand and responded immediately.”
Sunwing tweeted, “There were no Sunwing crew or passengers onboard at the time of the incident. We are awaiting further information from Swissport and will provide more details as they become available.” Swissport has not commented on the incident.
U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa this week released new video of two occasions in November and December 2017 where U.S. Air Force F-15s from RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, were called to intercept Russian fighters near the Baltics.
Both intercepts were initiated because Russian Navy Su-30 Flankers “did not broadcast the appropriate codes required by air traffic control and had no flight plan on file,” said the U.S. Air Force.
The F-15s are with the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, belonging to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, but were deployed to Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, as part of a four-month NATO Baltic peacetime air policing mission.
They’ve conducted approximately 30 intercepts with the objective to ensure the sovereignty of the Baltic airspace.
At the end of the video, Lt. Col. Cody Blake, 493rd Fighter Squadron commander, provides answers to questions on intercepts and the Baltic Air Policing mission.
A U.S. RC-135U flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea was intercepted by a Russian SU-27 June 19, 2017. Photo: USAF/European Command
Back in June, another intercept occurred over the Baltic Sea which was deemed as “unsafe” when an armed Russian SU-27 Flanker met up with a U.S. RC-135U reconnaissance plane in international airspace, coming very close with a high rate of closure speed and poor control of the aircraft.
The Russian jet reportedly came within just 5 feet of the wingtip, before flying under and coming up off the other wingtip. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the U.S. plane “swerved dangerously” towards the Russian jet, but the U.S. military claimed the flight crew did nothing to provoke the incident.
Another similar intercept occurred just a month prior too, when another Russian jet came within 20 feet of a U.S. NAVY P-8A Poseidon over the Black Sea.
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– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography
During the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture 2017 at Oshkosh in Wisconsin there were scores of thrilling airshow performances by everything from single aircraft to group formations and mass flyovers. But the highlight of the show was, for many in attendance, the performance by the US Navy Blue Angels on Fly-In Friday. The Blues were able to perform their full “high” show thanks to CAVU conditions at KOSH that day. This video of that performance, uploaded to YouTube by our good friends at AirshowStuffVideos, showcases the Blue Angels and the raw power of their F/A-18C Hornet jets.
One unfortunate aspect of the show was the conspicuous absence from the Oshkosh skies of Fat Albert, the Lockheed Martin C-130T Hercules support airlifter assigned to the team and flown by a Marine Corps flight crew. Due to the tragic crash of a Marine Corps VMGR-452 KC-130T in Mississippi on Monday July 10th 2017, the Marine Corps grounded the remaining KC-130T and C-130T aircraft until an investigation could be conducted. Fat Albert performed at airshows later during the Blue Angels 2017 performance season.
Official US Navy photograph
During 2017 the Blues flew 62 performances at 32 airshows and events along with more than 90 practice demonstrations- in front of millions of fans in places like Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake in California, Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro in California, Brunswick in Maine, Lakeland in Florida, New Orleans, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort in South Carolina, Idaho Falls, Millington in Tennessee, and Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB) in Louisiana.
Official US Navy photograph
The Blue Angels also visited Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina, Rome in New York, Millville in New Jersey, Ocean City in Maryland, Milwaukee, New Windsor in New York, the Naval Academy at Annapolis in Maryland, Latrobe in Pennsylvania, MCAS Miramar in California, San Francisco, Huntington Beach, Seattle, Chicago, Ypsilanti in Michigan, NAS Oceana in Virginia, NAS Jacksonville and Pensacola in Florida, Fort Worth, Houston, and many more…including this very memorable performance at Oshkosh!
Woops! Some sky gawkers were so captivated by the launch that they forgot to pay to their driving…
The rocket and its smoke contrail drew the eyes and imaginations of millions upward into the twilight skies. Millions of people stopped what they were doing for a few moments to look up into the sky. Holiday travelers stared out car of windows in bumper to bumper traffic, there was even one accident on the I-10 that was associated with the riveting display. (The accident occurs at 1:16 into the video).
Incredible sight ripped across the skies of Southern California and Arizona just a couple days before Christmas. The show in the night sky was created by the launch of a two stage SpaceX Falcon9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
The combination of twilight and created an unexpectedly stunning display because as the rocket gained altitude the exhaust plume was illuminated by sunlight creating a spectacular sight in the night sky. The rocket was launched to the South over the Pacific, giving the city of Los Angeles and most of Southern California a front row seat.
Why was the evening launch so visible?
This video explains the launch sequence and the science behind the rocket trail.
The above video was produced by photographer Jesse Wilson who is a SpaceX enthusiast. He was tracking the launch ahead of time and unlike the millions of Southern California viewers who were caught by surprise Wilson setup his equipment in and multiple cameras in Yuma, AZ to shoot the launch.
BONUS: Here’s one of the highest quality videos we’ve seen of the launch.
If at first you don’t succeed, don’t give up. Try, try again.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) in the Netherlands is definitely one of the most spectacular airports in the world to go to if you want to see awesome stormy landings and go arounds with extreme crosswinds. And all of this within a few hundred yards from the runway with no fences. While its probably not that fun for the pilots, it’s always a joy to see the pilots battle the extreme crosswinds and gusts on runway 18R, also known as the Polderbaan. It’s on the bucketlist of many planespotters around the world. These 2 videos will either make you very thankful for not having to experience such a hairy go around and landing. Or it will be a moment you’ll never forget because you were totally reliant on the pilots skills and perhaps a prayer or two.
A new A350 goes around and gives it a second try
The first video, filmed on September 13, 2017 shows a China Airlines A350 performing a spectacular Go Around while flying perhaps only 10 feet above the runway before the pilot made the wise decision to add some thrust into those powerful Rolls-Royce engines to climb away from the runway to safer heights. The beautiful sound of this will put a smile on the face of many avgeeks. The A350 was already pretty far on the runway to land safely in those extreme conditions. This has got to be the most spectacular Go Around ever performed by a widebody airliner. If this wasn’t enough, the pilot showed his pilot skills on the second attempt to land the A350 with gusts up to 60 knots. The landing was so in control and so smooth, showcasing the pilot’s many flighthours of training and experience.
Video courtesy of Jerry Taha Productions
If at first you don’t succeed, the Emirates A380 tries again
The second video, filmed on February 23, 2017 shows an Emirates A380 doing a Go Around after battling the severe gusts and crosswind on the second attempt to land the Super Jumbo. The pilot already didn’t succeed to land the A380 on the first attempt and because it still was too dangerous on the second attempt, he had to make the hard, but wise decision to divert to Frankfurt Airport in Germany, where he landed the plane safely. The extreme conditions were so dangerous, ATC decided to close runway 18R and ordered all the other airliners to land on runway 27, also known as the Buitenveldertbaan. This is a runway that often will be used during a storm, when landing on runway 18R is no longer safe because of severe crosswinds and gusts. On runway 27 the planes will still have severe gusts, but they will have an extreme headwind instead of an extreme crosswind, making it less dangerous to land.
PASADENA, Calif. — A pair of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber will honor the men and women of organ donors and their recipients during a fly over as the Tournament of Roses Parade kicks off on New Year’s Day.
The B-2 from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri will join up with the two F-35A’s from Edwards, AFB for the 8:00 a.m. PST start of the 129th Rose Parade (ABC-TV, NBC-TV).
An F-35A Lightning II practices recently over the desert lakebed of Edwards AFB. Image: USAF
As the two F-35 jets flank the bat like B-2, each F-35 will represent millions who have contributed to the organ donation program. “The F-35 on the left of the B-2 will represent all organ donors, while the F-35 on the right will symbolize all who have received organs that have prolonged their lives,” Edward’s 412th Test Wing confirmed.
One individual will be honored by both the Air Force and the Donate Life America organization.
Air Force F-35A pilot Major Benjamin “Chex” Meier, who suffered a massive head injury and was declared brain dead in 2015, donated many of his organs to save the lives of eight people who today welcome in 2018.
U.S. Air Force Airmen and officers and the family of Maj. Benjamin “Chex” Meier pose with his Rose Parade floragraph at Edwards AFB. Image: USAF Kenji Thuloweit
“Major Benjamin Meier saved the lives of many through his service as an Air Force pilot,” President and CEO of Donate Life America David Fleming said on Friday. “We are grateful to partner with the Air Force to honor Major Meier’s memory as not only a war hero, but also as a donor who helped save and heal the lives of many more through organ, eye and tissue donation.”
In addition to the honored fly over, a handmade floragraph of Major Meir made from dried flowers, seeds, and spices will be included on the Donate Life America parade float. Major Meir served with the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron at Edwards at the time of his death.
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
This holiday is setting records for air travel. By the time New Year’s, Christmas and Thanksgiving are over, USA Today predicts more than 51 million people will have passed through airport gates. That is an increase of about 3.5% over last year. Carriers say air travel in general is seeing an uptick since fares are not rising as fast as inflation.
With the large crowds come ginormous appetites. Walking through airports carrying all those gifts and excess baggage can make you ravenous, but many folks have said losing weight is their New Year’s resolution. What is a hungry traveler to do?
Here is how airlines stack up when it comes to providing in flight meals. According to this year’s Airline Food Survey from dietdetective.com, there are a few clear leaders that have pulled ahead of the pack and a few not-so-savory fliers pulling up the rear.
2017’s Healthiest Airline Is ….
This distinction goes to Delta and Virgin America. The two are tied for first place for healthy options. A move toward sustainable, nutritious foods and a moderate calorie count put them at the head of the class.
Delta has decreased average calorie count per meal from 628 to 559. Vegan, vegetarian, non-GMO, gluten-free, and kosher items are available for those with special dietary needs or preferences. More kudos to Delta for providing the Tapas box, the only non-GMO snack box offered by the domestic airline industry. It includes Super Seed Crackers, Snapea Crisps, almonds, hummus, quinoa with pepper dip and even a bit of dark chocolate. Must have those antioxidants!
Lunch Box from Delta Airlines, 2017’s Healthiest Airline. Photo Eric Salard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
And now every class of passenger can join the feasting. Delta joins American in once again offering complimentary meals in economy class on some routes. It has been more than 15 years since these airlines offered a meal to economy class passengers. Bon apetit!
Alaska Air has acquired Virgin America and plans to maintain the current meal standards at least until next year. Virgin is unique in that it provides nutritional information as well as calorie counts. No other airline does that.
When flying on Virgin America, vegetarians can enjoy a quinoa wrap that checks in at a healthy 420 calories. Meat eaters can have the Protein Plate with roasted chicken and farro salad, a nutritious punch that is sure to keep you full for hours.
From the Best … to the Worst
We know at this point you are probably wondering who else made the list. Because we are optimists, we will start with the rest of the top contenders.
1.) Delta and Virgin America
3.) Air Canada
4.) JetBlue
5.) Alaska Air
6.) United Airlines
7.) American Airlines
And the bottom dwellers….
8.) Frontier
9.) Southwest
10.) Allegiant
11.) Spirit
12.) Hawaiian
They weren’t impressed with Hawaiian
Hawaiian Airlines holds down the bottom with less healthy food on offer than any other airline. For this, Diet Detective gave them the dubious “Shame on You” award. (Shrugs … don’t shoot the messenger! I am just reporting).
Photo: Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines apparently did not do a good job replying to reporters’ requests for info. This lack of transparency meant the nutritional information is an estimate. While Hawaiian does offer food on all of their Pacific long-haul flights, the menu does not offer much in the way of healthy options. They offered no non-GMO, no organic or sustainable options, et cetera. Oh, the humanity!
Hawaiian has hummus and pita chips on the menu. It provides some semblance of a proper diet with its balanced protein/fat/carb ratio. And the salted macadamia nuts do provide some vitamins and minerals but you would be packing in a lot of calories, 550 to be exact. That equates to 119 minutes of walking. Popcorn would be a better option, right? Nope. The caramel macadamia nut popcorn sure sounds delicious but in my opinion, it should be classified as a dessert with its sky-high sugar content and 600 calories (which would equate to 130 minutes of schlepping through the airport for one small snack). Not ideal for a bikini body, but to be fair you’re probably on vacation when you fly them and aren’t that worried about the calories.
Other food trends: Small is Becoming Smaller. Your Bag of Peanuts is Shrinking
It is not your imagination. Snack foods on offer at most airlines are indeed shrinking in size. Large packages are being replaced by smaller ones and in some cases, snacks are being totally eliminated. Maybe it is an effort to improve health statistics for the airlines. Maybe it is a way to save them money. Either way, snacks are getting pretty skimpy.
For those airlines who are offering free munchies, the types of snacks they are giving passengers are not very healthy. Expect to get an extra dose of unneeded salt and sugar with your packaged goodie. Depending on what you are washing it down with, this may be just fine with you. Just remember if you have health problems or are watching your weight, read that label. Full details of the Airline Food Survey can be found here:
