On Oct 18, 1982, some aviation history was made in Central Florida when two Concordes, one from Air France, and the other from British Airways, made a dual simultaneous landing at Orlando International Airport (MCO).
It was the first time the famous droop-nosed supersonic passenger jets landed side by side on parallel runways.
But the simultaneous landing was no coincidence, it was a publicity stunt organized by Walt Disney World to hype the arrival of the sponsors of exhibits at Disney’s newly opened Epcot Center’s British and French pavilions.
Both Concordes approached MCO’s 12,000 foot long parallel runways from the south, and touched down 2 seconds apart, to the cheers of 35,000 spectators in attendance.
Such a stunt was attempted before in Washington D.C. in 1976, but heavy air traffic over Dulles International Airport ruined it; both planes landed over a minute apart.
No known video of the dual Concorde landing exists on the web. We won’t leave avgeeks looking for a Concorde video hanging though. We’ll leave you with this sweet 1991 video posted by Saúl Pérez Díaz showing how pilots flew the Concorde.
World War I Ace Eddie Rickenbacker Was Just One of the Many Saved by the Mighty OS2U.
Vought’s OS2U Kingfisher first took flight on March 1st 1938. This observation floatplane, conceived as a replacement for the Curtiss SOC Seagull biplane floatplane, operated from American Navy battleships, cruisers, and even a few destroyers via catapult and from shore bases around the world during World War II. In so doing the slow but steady Kingfisher earned the sobriquet “Eyes of the Fleet.” While the every single one of the 1,519 OS2Us Vought and the Naval Aircraft Factory built was so slow it had trouble getting out of its own way, some elements of its design and the methods used to build them were radically advanced and would be seen on tens of thousands of subsequent aircraft.
Official US Navy Photograph
Slower Than Molasses in January
The Kingfisher was designed by Vought engineers, and together with the Naval Aircraft Factory methods were devised to build the floatplane using spot welding- a first for production aircraft. This resulted in a stronger and more rigid structure with lower drag. The Vought engineers also added high-lift devices such as spoilers, deflector plate flaps, and variable geometry ailerons which together increased the camber of the wings. The added lift produced was appreciated because Kingfishers were underpowered by a Pratt & Whitney R-985-4 Wasp Junior radial engine which produced only 450 horsepower. All those horses pulled the advanced (for its day) airframe around at somewhere between 70 and a brisk 100 miles per hour with a “top” speed of 164 miles per hour.
Official US Navy Photograph
Operating Floatplanes From Capital Ships
The OS2U’s wings were mid-mounted with a single large float under the fuselage and smaller stabilizing floats mounted outboard on each wing. When launched by catapult Kingfishers on floats were brought back aboard after landing on a relatively flat surface produced when the recovering ship made a wide sweeping turn. The OS2U would then taxi onto a “sea sled” towed just below the surface. A small hook on the bottom of the float would engage the sled. This procedure allowed the OS2U to be craned aboard the ship from close aboard. The Kingfisher was armed with a pilot-fired .30 caliber machine gun mounted and firing forward in the nose as well as a defensive ring mount for either a single or dual .30 caliber setup aft for the gunner/radio operator/observer. Capable also of carrying a pair of 100 pound bombs or two 325 pound depth charges, the warload of the Kingfisher was modest. However, this seemingly innocuous floatplane could call in all sorts of ordnance when its crew observed targets or spotted for naval gunfire.
Official US Navy Photograph
Service Entry and the International Floatplane
Kingfishers began flying with the United States Navy (USN) in 1940. Several were sitting on Battleship Row catapults on December 7th 1941. Many of the initial batches of OS2Us were utilized either for flight training (both wheeled and float-equipped) or for inshore antisubmarine patrols along the Florida coastline. Kingfishers built by the Naval Aircraft Factory equipped several of these squadrons. Beaching gear allowed float-equipped OS2Us to operate from ramps. Early in the war Kingfishers were employed only by the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, but Australia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the Soviet Union, The United Kingdom’s Fleet Air Arm, and Uruguay also flew OS2Us. After the war ended the Netherlands operated Kingfishers as well.
Official US Navy Photograph
Rescuing Rickenbacker
When used as the scout planes they designed to be, Kingfishers flew long boring flights that were spiced with moments of sheer terror as they spotted for naval gunfire or flew rescue missions. Meat on the table for just about any marauding Japanese aircraft (including their float-equipped Nakajima-built A6M2-N Rufes– or Zeroes with floats), options available to Kingfisher crews were thin if forced to fight it out. But the exploits of the OS2U included two very high-profile rescues. The first was the rescue of World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker in November of 1942. Rickenbacker was aboard a Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress that ditched in the Pacific within sight of nowhere but a Kingfisher on patrol found him and facilitated his rescue.
Official US Navy Photograph
Improvise Adapt and Overcome
The other high-profile rescue involved one Kingfisher, on heroic Kingfisher crew flying from the battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55), the Balao-class submarine USS Tang (SS-306), and the Navy’s Operation Hailstone– the raids on the Japanese stronghold of Truk in April of 1944. Several Navy pilots had been shot down during their attacks on Truk but were in positions the lifeguard submarines, like the Tang, could not reach- Truk Lagoon. OS2U pilot Lieutenant John Burns and his crew landed in the lagoon and picked up one after another downed pilot- including another Kingfisher crew whose floatplane had capsized while attempting similar rescues. Of course Burns’ OS2U couldn’t take off with more than a single additional passenger. By the time the Kingfisher had ten soggy pilots and crew members inside and draped all over its wings it was barely afloat. But Burns taxied his nearly-swamped OS2U all the way to the Tang and rescue for all of them. Burns was decorated with the Navy Cross for his exploits that April day.
Lieutenant Burns’ OS2U in Truk Lagoon. Official US Navy Photograph
Serving Right Up Until the End
By the time the war advanced into late 1944 Curtiss’s own replacement for the SOC Seagull, the SC Seahawk, began to replace the Kingfishers in service. Other less-successful designs, notably the Curtiss SO3C Seamew, failed to adequately replace either the SOC or the OS2U. Kingfishers continued in service through the end of the war and were instrumental in the efforts to wrest the Japanese bastions so deeply entrenched in places like Saipan, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima. Several foreign nations operated their OS2Us well into the 1950s, Cuba was the last nation to retire operational Kingfishers in 1959. While no flyable Kingfishers exist today, several fine examples of these utilitarian aircraft can be viewed in museums.
Our friends at AirshowStuffVideos have just released their most recent compilation of the best of their military aviation footage shot during September of 2017. The video begins with footage of VFA-101 Grim Reapers Lockheed F-35B Lightning IIs operating from the deck of the new carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) Note the lack of catapult steam during the launches. Next United State Marine Corps (USMC) VMFAT-501 Warlords F-35C Lightning IIs and VMAT-203 Hawks AV-8B Harriers are seen refueling from USMC KC-130J Hercules tankers.
During the remainder of this video we see 163rd Fighter Squadron (FS) Blacksnakes of the 122nd Fighter Wing (FW) operating their Fairchild Republic A-10C Warthogs. Marine Corps Boeing MV-22B Ospreys and Bell UH-1Y Venom helicopters are seen operating from the assault carrier USS Kearsarge (LHD-3). Then HSM-74 Swamp Foxes Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks and HSC-7 Dusty Dogs MH-60S Knighthawks operate from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
Official US Navy Photograph
20th Bomb Squadron (BS) Buccaneers and 96th BS Red Devils of the 2nd Operations Group (OG) are seen operating their Boeing B-52H Stratofortresses from the runways at RAF Fairford in the UK. Then a Lockheed C-5B Galaxy, perhaps the last one powered by those screaming General Electric TF-39 engines, takes off from Westover Air Reserve Base (ARB) in Massachusetts. We see Navy Test and Evaluation Squadron TWO THREE (VX-23) Salty Dogs crews flying Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets from the carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78).
Official US Air Force Photograph
More B-52 action then takes place as B-52Hs from the Louisiana-based 2nd OG refuel from 100th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) KC-135R and French C-135FR tankers. Then from a dark and sandy place we see a 204th Airlift Squadron (AS) of the 154th Wing Hawaii Air National Guard (ANG) Boeing C-17 Globemaster III take off, followed by a Northrop Grumman/Boeing E-8C J-STARS with the 116th Air Control Wing (ACW) of the Georgia ANG launch, followed by a 203rd Refueling Squadron (AS) Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker of the 154th Wing Hawaii ANG take to the skies. Unidentified flying BUFFs (B-52Hs) round out the action in the sandbox.
Photograph Courtesy of Northrop Grumman
Also included in the video is footage of 104th FS of the 175th FW, Maryland ANG A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and Marine Corps VMFA-121 Green Knights F-35B Lightning IIs operating from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni in Japan during the South Korean “show of force” missions during September 2017.
Air Berlin long-haul pilots were determined to commemorate the last long-haul flights for the beleaguered airline. In a series of questionable sendoffs, Air Berlin pilots commenced a wing-wave departure from Düsseldorf and another flight buzzed the tower upon return. It was an odd sendoff for an airline bankruptcy that is anything but normal.
In this first video, you can see the last AirBelin departure receiving a water-cannon salute by the airport rescue crew at Dusseldorf earlier in the day. This is a traditional salute to commemorate the last flight. Not a big deal and a nice sign of respect to Europe’s 11th largest airline.
But then on departure, the AirBerlin’s A330 pilots decided to do a wing wave with passengers onboard. It’s not exactly an unsafe maneuver but its not exactly typical for an airliner either.
And this flyover now under investigation…
On arrival back in Düsseldorf, the last AirBerlin A330 flight-ever coordinated with tower for a low approach and flyby of the tower and terminal. Video shot from both the tower and the tarmac show that the jet was only 150-200 feet above the ground as it commenced the non-standard ‘missed approach’. The flyby appears to have been coordinated with tower as footage of the event was actually filmed from the tower. The jet later returned for an uneventful landing. According to an AirBerlin spokesperson, the investigation is under investigation. Both views of the flyby available on Youtube are shown below:
AirBerlin is an unusual bankruptcy
AirBerlin might be the most interesting and odd bankruptcy ever. In most airline bankruptcies, the airline either continues to fly with infused cash as it undergoes reorganization or folds immediately due to a lack of available cash. That was the case when Monarch shuttered earlier this month as thousands of travelers were left stranded.
In AirBerlin’s case, the airline filed for insolvency on August 15th but continued to fly. After AirBerlin was unable to secure additional funding, the airline announced that it would cease all services by October 28th. Tickets purchased for service after October 28th could be refunded if they were purchased after August 15th. If a customer purchased a ticket before August 15th, they were out of luck. A few weeks after the initial insolvency announcement, the airline announced that Lufthansa Group had reached a deal with the airline to purchase much of the short-haul assets from the bankrupt airline. The airline announced that long-haul services would cease on October 17th. Short haul flying will continue for the next week and a half. Flying by their subsidiary Niki is unaffected by the bankruptcy.
When Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) commissioned the film “The Wonderful Jet World of Pan American” in during the early 1960s, the airline had already been a world leader and airline pioneer for more than 30 years. Pan Am took delivery of their first Boeing 707 airliner for their fleet as the launch customer for the new jet. When that 707 made its first scheduled revenue flight in October of 1958, the airline world would never be the same again. Enjoy this in-living-color look back at the beginnings of the Jet Age, uploaded by YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
Boeing 707-320 Photograph Courtesy Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Boeing 707 and DC-8 Were Pride of PanAm’s Fleet
Pan Am had only been flying the big new jets for a couple of years when the film came out, making this a classic promotional film for jet airliner travel as well as for Pan Am. The airline also began flying the new turbofan-powered Douglas DC-8-30 series airliners in 1960, which along with the new turbofan-powered 707-320 series enabled the airline to fly transatlantic routes nonstop while making a profit. Pan Am retired the last of their Boeing 707s in 1981 after operating more than 130 of them. The DC-8 fleet by comparison numbered only 19 airframes which Pan Am flew for ten years ending in 1970.
On Tuesday October 17th at approximately 1100 local time a Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Hornet (C.15 in Spanish service) crashed immediately after takeoff from the military airbase at Torrejon near Madrid in Spain. The pilot, identified as 26 year-old Lieutenant Fernando Perez Serrano of Murcia in southeastern Spain, perished in the crash. The cause of the mishap is under investigation by Spanish authorities. This is the second very recent Ejército del Aire mishap resulting in the death of a pilot. A Eurofighter EF2000 Typhooncrashed near Albacete just five days ago.
Official Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) Photograph
Spain took delivery of 60 EF-18A of C.15 (single seat) and 12 EF-18B or CE.15 (two seat) Hornets beginning in 1985. Deliveries were complete by July of 1990. These first Hornets were later upgraded to F/A-18A+ and F/A-18B+ specifications, which essentially include the same computers, data buses, and data storage technology as those found in the F/A-18C and F/A-18D Hornets flown by the US Navy and Marine Corps as well as the ability to employ the AN/AAS-38B NITE Hawk targeting and FLIR pods.
Official Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) Photograph
In the first sale of surplus US Navy F/A-18 Hornets to a foreign nation, Spain obtained 24 more former US Navy F/A-18A Hornets and options for an additional six airframes during 1995. These aircraft were brought up to F/A-18A+ standard prior to delivery, which occurred between December of 1995 and December of 1998. There has as yet been no confirmation from the Ejército del Aire about the exact model (C.15 or CE.15) of the jet involved in the mishap. Avgeekery.com will update this story as events warrant.
Airbus has struck a deal with Bombardier to acquire a majority stake in the struggling C Series airliner program, in a move that redefines the competitive landscape between Bombardier and rival Boeing. The announcement comes on the heels of attacks earlier this year from Boeing who accused Montreal, Quebec-based Bombardier of selling the C-Series jets to Delta Airlines at suspiciously low prices.
A hefty 300% tariff imposed on C-Series imports into the U.S. by the Department of Commerce has been creating friction between Canadian and U.S. plane manufacturers. Is Bombardier trying to circumvent high tariffs by striking up a deal with Airbus? Publicly, the answer to that question is no. However the fact remains that the C-Series jets will now technically be American-made and, therefore, not be subject to any tariff at all.
Airbus has offered to shift final assembly of the C-Series jets to Mobile, Alabama. Currently, Airbus is already using the Alabama facility to manufacture single-aisle jets for U.S.-based airlines and has plans for expansion to accommodate the C-Series assembly lines.
Meantime, the International Trade Commission is about to announce a final ruling on claims of harm made by Boeing in February. Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders denies that the new partnership has anything to do with Boeing’s pending lawsuit, stating that the pair have been in the negotiation phase since August. But a Boeing spokesperson stated to Reuters that “this looks like a questionable deal between two heavily state-subsidized competitors to skirt the recent findings of the U.S. government. Our position remains that everyone should play by the same rules for free and fair trade to work.”
CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement last week that Delta had no intention of paying the 300% tariff and has tended to side with Bombardier on the matter. Speaking about Delta, Bombardier CEO Alain Bellemare said, “We feel confident they’ll be waiting for the right solution” and has discussed various options with the carrier, including waiting until the Alabama factory is up and running to take jets, which could be years from now. Today Delta declined to comment on the matter.
Under the terms of the new deal, Airbus will own a 50.01% majority stake in the airliner program; Bombadier will retain 31%, with the remaining 19% minority share being held by Investissement Québec. Airbus is not expected to make any additional investment in the C-Series jet program but Bombadier still gains plenty, including access to Airbus’ manufacturing, sales, customer service, and marketing networks. The deal is slated to close sometime during the second half of 2018.
Photo: Bombardier CSeries CS100 FTV-1 Fly-By the 06 runway at Mirabel Airport, before landing. Photo: Alexandre Gouger (wikimedia commons)
Raging wildfires in Northern California are responsible for the largest loss of life since the Cloquet Fire in 1918. According to CNN, some progress is finally being made fighting these fires that have left at least 40 people dead and burned approximately 5,700 structures since they first broke out October 8. Aerial firefighters are an integral part of the effort.
The fires broke out during severely dry conditions in Napa, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Butt and Solano counties, encompassing large land areas that include vineyards and wineries. Multiple fires engulfed parcels of land ranging in size from 1,000 to 20,000 acres. Many different kinds of aircraft are used in aerial firefighting including helitankers like the Erickson AirCrane or Bell 204, as well as fixed-wing aircraft such as Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) like the AT-802F.
Water bombers are fixed wing aircraft used in aerial firefighting. Photo Thomas Hays, Stillwater, US (wikimedia commons)
Bringing Out the Big Guns
Today a converted Boeing 747-400 Supertanker has been re-purposed to join the California firefighting effort. Engadget.com reports the behemouth jumbo passenger plane has amazing capacity and can dump up to 19,200 gallons of flame retardant or water from as low as 200 feet AGL in six seconds, then can climb away at 6,000 feet per minute when empty. The plane is the largest jumbo Boeing passenger plane and is somewhat of a dinosaur, this particular aircraft first being put into service by Japan Airlines back in 1991.
Piloting a low-flying jumbo jet above lashing flames requires aviators that are experts at the top of their field, who have the expertise to navigate the hilly terrain around the vineyards. The process is exacting and precise: it requires firstly, assessment by the lead pilot who flies into the belly of the beast in the heart of the fire and chooses the heading, altitude and escape route for the mighty 747 Supertanker. When ready to go, the smaller lead plane flies the route first, then moves out of the way so the 747 can make its run. Once complete, the tanker goes back to be refilled by ground operators. The operators have the ability to refill the tanker with foam or gel and water in less than half an hour, so the aircraft can fly the route again.
Using the 747 Supertanker in aerial firefighting is surprisingly economical, reportedly with the lowest cost-per-gallon-dropped of any fire tanker aircraft. Seeing this huge jumbo jet flying only 200 feet above ground at low speed is enough to make any experienced pilot bristle uncomfortably in his or her seat but the aircraft has better forward and peripheral visibility than almost any other jet and pilots say it is remarkably easy to maneuver.
The California National Guard says it is cautiously optimistic about getting the fires under control in the coming week. They have deployed an estimated 2,200 soldiers and airmen. The Nevada National Guard and Cal Guard have also deployed resources, including 25 aircraft for fire mapping, firefighting, transportation and damage assessment.
ROME, Ga. — The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will join top military and civilian performers this weekend as they headline the Wings Over North Georgia Airshow at the Richard Russell Regional Airport.
Great weather is forecast over Rome for this sixth annual airshow which is expected to become the largest airshow in the middle south this year. With the strong sale of ticket packages combined with the publicity of the Blue Angels, airshow management expects nearly 40,000 guests to attend on Saturday and over 30,000 on Sunday.
The family fun weekend will have great food, live music, and will assist the comunity as they support the Toys for Tots drive. The hallmark of the weekend will include a Parade of Veterans as the airshow pauses the flying performances to focus on those who served in America’s military — both past and present.
A Homecoming for three Blue Angels Pilots
The Navy’s premiere Flight Demonstration Squadron will turn up the thrust as the pilots of the six blue and gold jets display the handling characteristics and precision flight of the F/A-18 Hornet. The Blues are scheduled to perform at 3:05 p.m.on Saturday and Sunday.
At one point during the Blue Angels 40-minute performance, the Diamond Team of four jets will soar in front of the crowd at nearly 400 m.p.h., each flying only inches apart. They will then move behind the crowd to set up for their next maneuver while the two solo jets line up for a high speed maneuver in which they make a close fly by of one another from opposite sides of the airfield.
Photo by: Charles A. Atkeison
The Rome airshow will be a special one for three of its pilots, and a few of the team’s maintenance personnel, as they prepare to close out the 2017 season in three weeks.
Blue Angel 5 pilot and lead solo Commander Frank Weisser, and Angel 6 pilot and opposing solo LT Tyler Davies hail from Atlanta and Kennesaw, respectively. The Blues C-130 transport aircraft pilot Major Mark Montgomery is a native of nearby Cartersville.
This special homecoming will also include two metro Atlanta natives who maintain the airframes and hydraulics of the Blue’s Hornets, Chief Petty Officers Daniel Yater and Demaude Prescott, and AD1 Shane Miller, of nearby Woodbine, who works of the jets power plants will be in Rome.
The Rome show will be flight demonstrations no. 55 and 56 of the Blue Angels 62 airshow season.
Civilian Aircraft to Highlight the Airshow
The sounds of World War II will echo across the Rome airfield as four historic AT-6 Texans perform not just aerobatic flight, but the actual maneuvers flown by the pilots of the Greatest Generation.
The aircraft of the AeroShell Aerobatic Team will demonstrate many of the flight profiles flown by the pilots as they trained during the war.
Photo by Charles A. Atkeison
“People don’t understand that these airplanes are all veterans of the military — they served their country and trained our pilots to fly,” AeroShell pilot Steve Gustafson explained on Monday. “The instructor sat in the back seat and the student in the front. They had machine guns and rocketry and you taught them. They left their training in these aircraft and graduated up to the fighters, and then went straight into battle.”
Gustafson’s admiration for these advance trainers continue as he passes 31 years with AeroShell, and having passed over 5,050 hours of flight time in his AeroShell aircraft.
The USSOCOM Para-Commandos parachute demonstration team will skydive from 12,000-feet above the crowd in a heart-felt patriotic moment to deliver the American flag. Civilian performers will take to the sky to pump up the aviation fans as Jim Tobul’s F4U Corsair and Scott Yoak’s P-51D Mustang “Quicksilver” fly back-to-back performances.
Rob Holland, a champion aerobatic pilot who performed at EAA Oshkosh 2017, will perform aboard his MXS-RH aircraft. Buck Roetman will entertain the crowds as he pilots his yellow Christen Eagle bi-plane.
Also, arriving into Rome will be the New York Air National Guard’s massive C-17 Globemaster III, which will perform one flight demonstration each afternoon. The C-17 is a heavy lift air refueling aircraft, and can ferrying 170,500 pounds of cargo or up to 100 service personnel over long distances.
North Georgia’s Top Family Event
A massive Kids Zone play area will allow children of all ages to play and jump on aviation-themed bounce houses, educational activities, swings, and a climbing wall. Located inside the main gate, wristbands will be available for purchase for unlimited fun all day.
In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, Wings Over North Georgia will support the Toys For Tots program. Guests arriving on both show dates are asked to bring one unwrapped toy to support the local Rome area.
“Toys collected will be provided to children within Chattooga, Floyd, and Polk Counties that would otherwise have a bleak Christmas,” Greater Rome Area Toys for Tots Coordinator Hal Gosnell said on Monday. “Ninty-seven percent of all donations to Toys for Tots goes towards providing toys for the program as no salaries or personnel costs are paid from donations.”
Airport and remote parking lots will open each day at 7:30 a.m., with buses taking guests from the satellite lots to the airshow gates. Gates will open at 9:00 a.m., and the opening ceremonies will kick-off each day at 11:15 a.m. followed by the first flying performances at noon.
Tickets for the Wings Over North Georgia remain available on-line at WingsOverNorthGeorgia.com. Several of the VIP ticket packages have sold out, with only general admission, family four-packs, and airport reserved parking available as of Tuesday.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
We recently shared a very viral video of an Emirates Airbus A380 landing in crosswinds at Dusseldorf. To be kind, the landing was less than stellar. In the video, you see the pilot touch down harshly on the mains. He or she then kicks in too much rudder, then overcorrects in the opposite direction, leading to dangerous swerving on the runway that was finally dampened as the aircraft slowed.
Video has now been posted by T4ig4 on Youtube of landing from the passenger’s perspective. In the video, you can sense that the landing was pretty rough. You get a sense of the firm touchdown. Then, pan your eyes to the runway edge markings, you’ll notice that it almost disappears (indicating that the aircraft is swerving to the right) followed by a correction back to centerline.
It’s an interesting perspective of a rough landing.
The original video is below. It has now been seen over 11M times on Youtube.
Aviation sure has changed. Back in the 1980s, airports were filled with DC-10s, 727s, DC-9s, and a number of L-1011s sprinkled in for good measure. Airline seats were roomy and cabins were filled with smoke. Back then, the Airbus A320 wasn’t even flying yet. Passengers complained about bad airline food, but those that flew would get three square meals, not just peanuts. It was a different era. Some things were better, some weren’t.
A Boeing 727 Window Seat To A Different Era
This video posted by VideofromGeorge is a rare insight into a flight from Chicago O’Hare to Orlando, Florida. Filming a flight back in the ’80s wasn’t an easy task. The person that filmed this video probably had a large TV-style video camera with a Betamax or VHS tape. He captured a very different era of commercial aviation than what exists today. He captured the safety announcements and even the announcement right after departure that made every non-smoker cringe, “Cigarette Smoking Is Now Permitted At Your Seat.”
Check out the video, you’ll be treated to a host of Eastern aircraft along with United and Continental DC-10s and 727-200s. Those Saul Bass colors were beautiful!
“To win in combat with trained aircrew and combat ready aircraft whenever called upon to support and defend the Constitution of the United States through the military element of power”
Electronic Attack plays a critical role in military aviation warfare, taking out an enemy’s defenses, radar and anything dependent on electronics to operate. These squadrons essentially blind them and take out their ability to attack or defend, before sending in the fighters/bombers and ground crews to clean house.
ZAPPERS over the Pacific Ocean. Photo: Mike Killian (photo pilot Sean VanHatten)
In 1959, the U.S. Navy commissioned its first Electronic Warfare squadron. Originally known as Carrier Early Warning Squadron Thirteen (VAW-13), they flew AD-5Qs and adopted the nickname ZAPPERS.
They were re-designated Electronic Attack Squadron 130 (VAQ-130) nine years later, and supplied support detachments aboard all Pacific and Atlantic aircraft carriers, flying the EAK-3B Skywarrior to provide electronic countermeasures and air-to-air refueling capabilities.
An EA-6B Prowler assigned to VAQ-130 Zappers lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) on Dec 8, 2010. This deployment marked the last time the Zappers would fly the EA-6B. Credits: USN
They moved to NAS Whidbey Island, Washington in 1975, located just north of Seattle, now home to all Navy tactical electronic attack squadrons, and transitioned to flying the EA-6B Prowler until late 2010, when they switched to flying the new state of the art EA-18G Growler, a variant of the Super Hornet.
Most recently they have seen action in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria for 7 months while in both the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, and earlier this year released a cool Cruise Video from their OIR Deployment in 2016.
Watch the VAQ-130 ZAPPERS 2016 Cruise Video Above!
VAQ-130 has maintained a vigorous schedule as part of sustainment and the Optimized Fleet Replenishment Program throughout 2017. They completed a Large Force Exercise week with Carrier Air Wing THREE in Oceana, VA at the beginning of March, and during the first two weeks of April detached aboard the USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER for their Sustainment Exercise, which involved a deck certification followed by an intense 10 day war game with both Large Force Exercises and Carrier Strike Group Exercises.
This summer they intercepted the total solar eclipse off the coast of Oregon too, but the flight did not go according to plan, because Seattle ATC refused to let them rendezvous with the photo ship, me, even though ATC was well informed ahead of time by multiple people involved in the mission.
VAQ-130 Dragons intercepting a total solar eclipse Aug 21, 2017. Photo: USN
– The following information provided to the author directly from Chief of the Navy’s office:
Their two-seater, twin-turbofan Growlers integrate the latest electronic attack technology, including the ALQ-218 receiver, ALQ-99 jamming pods, communication countermeasures, satellite communications and features the APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar.
It’s a variant of the combat-proven F/A-18F Super Hornet Block II, and retains all of the F/A-18E/F’s multi-mission capabilities with its validated design, capable of a wide range of enemy defense suppression missions.
The ZAPPERS of Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ-130, off the coast of Oregon Aug 21, 2017. Photo: Mike Killian
Its vast array of sensors and weapons provides the warfighter with a lethal and survivable weapon system to counter current and emerging threats. They can counter enemy air defenses using both reactive and pre-emptive jamming techniques, and are highly effective in the traditional stand-off jamming mission, but with the speed and agility of a Super Hornet.
Dramatically enhanced situational awareness and uninterrupted communications enables the Growler to achieve a higher degree of integration with ground operations than has been previously achievable.
With its Advanced Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, digital data links and air-to-air missiles, the EA-18G has self-protection capability and is effective for target identification and prosecution.
Its high commonality with the F/A-18E/F, nine available weapon stations and modern avionics also enables cost-effective synergistic growth for both aircraft, setting the stage for continuous capability enhancement.
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– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography
When the United States Air Force (USAF) Precision Flight Demonstration Team transitioned from the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II to the Northrop T-38 Talon in 1974, they did so in large part because the entire formation of T-38s used only slightly more fuel than a single F-4E. Anyone who saw the Thunderbirds perform their show in the Phantom II and then again in the T-38 had to feel the difference between the two aircraft. Here’s a film promoting the Thunderbirds and their T-38 Talons uploaded by AIRBOYD. Enjoy!
The transition to the Talon also resulted in changes to the performance routines flown by the Thunderbirds. The shows flown in the T-38 showcased the aircraft’s comparatively high maneuverability and tight turning radius. The switch to the Talon also brought to an end the days of the slot aircraft (number 4 in your programs) flying with the sooty vertical tail surfaces. Thunderbird 4’s vertical stabilizer retained the same polished tail colors as the other aircraft from that point forward.
Official US Air Force Photograph
The Thunderbirds’ United States Navy (USN) counterparts, The Blue Angels, switched from the F-4J model Phantom II to the Douglas A-4F Skyhawk in the same timeframe and for the same reasons as the Thunderbirds switched to the T-38. Their entire formation of A-4Fs used about the same amount of fuel as a single F-4J. And their performance routines too were modified to showcase the Skyhawk’s strengths.
When President Bush Came Aboard the Lincoln in Navy 1, History Was Made and a Museum Piece was Created
When President George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) to give his “Mission Accomplished” speech to the crew in 2003 he did so in a unique way. He was the first and so far only sitting President to log a trap (arrested landing) aboard an aircraft carrier. The President came aboard the Lincoln in Lockheed S-3B Viking Bureau Number (BuNo) 159387, assigned to Sea Control Squadron THREE FIVE (VS-35) Blue Wolves. The aircraft was flown by VS-35 Executive Officer Commander Skip Lussier and Lieutenant Ryan Phillips. Here is a video clip of the momentous moment when Navy 1 trapped aboard the Lincoln uploaded by the AP Archive YouTube channel.
VS-35 was a component of Carrier Air Wing FOURTEEN (CVW-14) at the time. BuNo 159387 was accepted by the Navy in May of 1974 as an S-3A variant. For about 15 years the aircraft was operated by VS-29 Dragonfires of CVW-11. The jet also operated with VS-31 Topcats of CVW-7 and by VS-29 again. 159387 earned an Operation Desert Shield ribbon with VS-29 and was assigned to VS-35 during the late 1990s. With the Blue Wolves the jet earned another combat ribbon, flying missions over Iraq. Not long after her duty as Navy 1 was complete, 159387 was grounded and flown to the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola. The jet is displayed there today. The Blue Wolves S-3B Vikings were finally grounded when the squadron was disestablished after their final deployment in March of 2005.
“Navy 1” 159387 at the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Photo by the author.
The United States Air Force (USAF) produced the promotional film “Toward the Unexplored” in 1967. The film features the history of Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) from its beginnings as Muroc Dry Lake and World War II target range to the testing being performed at Edwards at the time the film was produced. Thanks to YouTuber Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture for uploading this history lesson and time capsule of Air Force research and development at Edwards. Watch for an appearance by then-Colonel Chuck Yeager himself. Ad Inexplorata!
The film features America’s first jet fighter aircraft, the Bell XP-59. It then moves through programs such as the early X-planes, the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing, the zero-launch North American F-100 Super Sabre, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Bell X-3 Stiletto, Convair’s B-58 Hustler, the General Dynamics F-111, Lockheed’s SR-71 Blackbird, the Ling Temco Vought XC-142 tilt-wing testbed, the North American X-15, and lots more. Rocket engine testing, range telemetry, and test administration is all included in this comprehensive look at Edwards AFB circa 1967.
United Airlines is in the midst of a farewell tour of sorts for its Boeing 747-400 fleet. As we have previously reported, United is retiring its ‘Queen of the Skies’ and replacing it with a combination of Boeing 777-300ERs and the forthcoming A350XWBs at the end of the decade. While the 747 is a majestic aircraft, time has caught up with the jumbo jet. It is not nearly as efficient as the newer large-twin jets and maintenance costs have risen as they have aged.
Still though, United recognizes the important role that the Boeing jumbo has played in the history of the airline. United has operated the type since 1971. They have flown the -400 model since 1989. In a blog post, they stated,
Since her induction into our fleet, the Boeing 747 aka the “Queen of the Skies” has been one of our most recognizable aircrafts with a unique upper deck, giving her an instantly recognizable hump silhouette. Over the years, she’s built up a considerable fanbase, winning the hearts of customers and employees alike. Before she flies into the sunset next month, join us as we pay homage to the Queen of the Skies after 47 years of service with United.
United’s last scheduled revenue flight of a Boeing 747 will be a flight from San Francisco International to Honolulu. It will commemorate United’s first flight in a 747. United also applied throwback titles on one 747 to commemorate the decades of service by the double-decker jet.
My first B-52 combat mission in Vietnam in 1973 left questions I still cannot answer—chief among them, whether I killed anyone. As part of a bomber crew flying out of Andersen AFB, we dropped thousands of pounds of ordnance over Cambodia’s Parrot’s Beak, but the true impact remains unknowable.
I only flew two live bombing runs in August 1973, before President Nixon’s final bombing halt prior to the negotiations that ended our involvement in the war a few months later. But the first mission captured all the terror, anticipation, wonder, and angst of flying into a war.
A B-52G departs Andersen AFB during the Vietnam War. Photo: Defense Media
Preparing for My First B-52 Combat Mission from Andersen AFB
The mission began after dark at Andersen AFB, Guam, in the western Pacific Ocean. The crew bus dropped us at the hot loading zone on a far corner of a field, a remote location that would provide some protection for the base if something went wrong while loading over fifty thousand pounds of bombs in the bomb bay and on wing pylons of our B-52D.
A full moon painted the bristling black warbird in a ghostly light, a formidable metal dragon that would righteously drop explosive mayhem onto America’s enemies, or so I thought at the time. I paused and slowly put down my flight bag to stare in awe. Was I really a part of this? What was I about to do?
The Approach to Parrot’s Beak
Six hours after takeoff, we approached the target area over Cambodia’s Parrot’s Beak region as one of a half-dozen three-ship bomber formations. Each cell was named for a tree. We were Oak Flight; others were Pine, Maple, and Birch.
As the lead aircraft copilot for my cell (for some unknown reason, I got to be lead on my first mission), I had to announce the impending bomb drop on “Guard,” the international radio frequency all-aircraft monitor. This would allow aircraft in the vicinity to vacate the area and avoid the “rain” of our falling bombs. (As an aside, this is the same rain referenced in the Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”)
I had been warned to switch my radio toggle from the interplane frequency to the Guard channel before transmitting the warning. Being a raw rookie, however, I gave the entire two-minute spiel on interplane to the great amusement of the other copilots. “Hey, lead, want to try that on Guard?” they snickered on the interplane frequency.
Then, in the early morning darkness, the bomb run began over an Asian jungle. Our three-abreast, triangular-shaped formation banked steeply, ominously, onto the bomb run heading. The radar navigator, who would throw the switch to drop the bombs, informed the crew that we were approaching the IP, or Initial Point, to begin the run.
The Haunting Voice on the Radio
Just as we passed the IP, a male Asian voice began transmitting in Cambodian on our radios. He sounded as if he were babbling in an opium den, and his voice disturbed and frightened me. I feared he might be an apparition warning us off our task, a voice of doom giving a last opportunity to save ourselves, or a soon-to-be victim in the target zone making his last hopeless statement to his slayers.
He continued talking, as if relating a story to a fellow opium smoker, while our formation approached the target.
No matter what I did to my radio controls, I couldn’t make the voice stop.
In the near distance, 33,000 feet below us, the ground glowed red, eerily, from explosions from preceding bomber formations. A mist hung over the terrain, giving the area the look of a graveyard in a horror movie.
Bombs Away: Experiencing the B-52 Strike
The radar navigator began the countdown, “Ten . . . nine . . . eight,”—the apparitional voice continued his drunken soliloquy on the radio—“Three . . . two . . . one . . . bombs away!”
The aircraft shuddered lightly as the bombs unhooked from the wings and dropped from the bomb bays of our three aircraft in a ten-second release sequence that would obliterate an area equal to three football fields and unleash a shock wave that would kill any unshielded creature within half a mile.
North Vietnamese soldier and author Bao Ninh later wrote that the immediate aftermath of such a strike resulted in “a rain of arms and legs dropping before him on the grass.”
We waited as the radar navigator counted down to detonation, about fifty seconds for the bombs to fall 33,000 feet, “Three . . . two . . . one . . . impact!” The thin clouds around our aircraft reflected hundreds of small bursts of light from below. It was done. The radar navigator announced the closing of the bomb bay doors.
“We flew on in the darkness in silence as I pondered what we had done. I ponder it still.”
As you probably know by now, Southwest Airlines announced their intention to serve Hawaii this past Wednesday night. There has been speculation about if and when Southwest Airlines would begin service to Hawaii for years. Driving these rumors is the fact that they’ve been removing many of the obstacles holding them back from flying to the islands.
For instance, flying long distances over water requires specially equipped and maintained aircraft. Known as Extended Operations (ETOPS) certification, the aircraft and crew have to demonstrate an ability to lose an engine and to safely divert to an alternate airport. Southwest has been operating ETOPS compliant aircraft, and trained their crews in over water navigation procedures several years ago. So why did they wait so long to start service?
One reason to not serve the Hawaiian Islands is that it is a very difficult market in which to make money. This may seem counterintuitive as Hawaii is one of the premier vacation destinations in the world, but let me explain.
Leisure or Business?
Airlines rely on two types of passengers to make money: business and leisure. Business passengers are by far the more profitable customers as they are usually on a tight timeline, and are not generally flexible in their travel plans. Many times they have to travel at the last minute. These factors mean that airlines can charge business passengers a lot of money which ends up making them high margin customers.
Leisure passengers, on the other hand, often plan their vacations well in advance, and are more cost conscious as opposed to time sensitive. Add in that money used for vacations is discretionary, meaning that a small increase in cost may mean going to a cheaper destination or not going at all, and you can see that airlines are competing for these passengers on price. The leisure market ends up being a high volume, but low margin business. And Hawaii is the quintessential leisure market.
Another factor in the Hawaiian market is of the airlines’ own making. That factor is their loyalty programs. Decades ago, the airlines figured out that giving away free flights to loyal customers was a great way to keep those customers from jumping ship (so to speak) to another carrier which beat them by a few bucks on price. One of the premier destinations for loyalty program redemptions, however, was Hawaii. This meant that the airlines found themselves flying full airplanes to the islands with very few paying customers, a huge number of them being redeemed “miles” flights.
The type of aircraft being flown can also affect the profitability of a particular market. Wide-body aircraft carrying several hundred passengers enjoy an economy of scale which lowers costs. The fixed costs of maintaining gates and ticket counters are essentially the same for all airliners, so an airline flying wide-body aircraft can spread those costs over more customers. This is a disadvantage for airlines with only narrow-body aircraft such as Alaska and Southwest.
All of these reasons have made Hawaii a difficult market that up to now Southwest has elected to forego. But something made them change their mind, and that something was from outside their company.
It’s War!
In April of 2016, Alaska Airlines announced their intention to acquire Virgin America creating a west coast powerhouse airline with national aspirations. For decades, Alaska was content to serve their fiercely defended home turf of Alaska from their Seattle hub, along with west coast routes including Mexico, while only occasionally venturing east of the Mississippi.
The addition of the Virgin America network added a robust transcontinental capacity giving the new entity a significant east coast footprint. They also decided that the time was good to challenge Southwest for primacy in one of the largest markets in the country: California.
Southwest has long been the primary carrier for California intrastate travel having wrested the old PSA routes away from USAir back in the early ’90s. Flying California intrastate routes as many as six times daily, Southwest has more or less had that market sewn up until earlier this year. Starting in March, Alaska announced new service and frequency to cities such as Burbank and Sacramento, Southwest strongholds. A fare war has subsequently broken out with fares as low as $57 for intrastate travel.
No Holds Barred
Fare wars, while good for airline travellers while they last, can be brutal to the bottom line. Alaska did not start this fight without intending to either win, (unlikely) or at least to grab a good chunk of Southwest’s California market share. A war of attrition will batter both airlines’ financial results even though Southwest is somewhat better positioned to prevail as they have lower overall costs than Alaska.
Alaska, though, does have some tricks up their sleeve which will keep them in the fight. One is that they have codeshare agreements with 15 other airlines to include large international carriers like British Airways and Emirates. Southwest does not codeshare at all. Funneling passengers into a worldwide network brings in revenue and exposes their product to more potential customers.
The other feature that Alaska has is Hawaii. They’ve been flying there for years, even though it may not be a huge revenue generator. And this is an ace in the hole when you are fighting for California. As it turns out, over half of all Hawaii tourists originate from California.
The whole point of loyalty programs is to capture customers who will then fly one particular airline for both business and leisure travel. When you are trying to build brand loyalty, as Southwest is, not serving one of the largest nearby leisure destinations means that you are inviting your customers to fly on your biggest competitor. This is the real reason that Southwest has finally decided to fly to Hawaii.
In Conclusion
A fare war over California means that there are huge consequences at stake. Alaska is attempting to establish a larger presence on the west coast after their merger with Virgin America, while Southwest does not intend to let one of their largest markets be challenged. In order to compete against this new attack, Southwest has to offer their customers access to Hawaii unless they want to see their customers fly on the competition for both business and leisure.
When US Navy Fighter Squadron ELEVEN (VF-11) Red Rippers returned from their 2004 deployment with Carrier Air Wing SEVEN (CVW-7) aboard the carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73), an era came to an end for the Red Rippers. During that eventful Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment the Red Rippers flew repeated bombing sorties over Fallujah west of Bagdad in central Iraq for 48 hours. After the squadron returned from deployment to Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana in Virginia they began transitioning to the McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F/A-18F Super Hornet. This video, produced by the Red Rippers and uploaded by YouTuber Triple Nickel, chronicles the last VF-11 Tomcat Cruise.
Carrier Air Wing SEVEN (CVW-7) deployed aboard the carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) from January 20th 2004 to July 26th 2004. During this deployment CVW-7 consisted of VF-143 Pukin’ Dogs and VF-11 Red Rippers flying the Grumman F-14B Tomcat, VFA-136 Knighthawks and VFA-131 Wildcats flying the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet, VAQ-140 Patriots flying the Grumman EA-6B Prowler, VAW-121 Bluetails flying the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, VS-31 Topcats flying the Lockheed S-3B Viking, and HS-5 Nightdippers flying Sikorksy HH-60H Rescue Hawk and SH-60F Seahawk helicopters. On April 20th 2005 VF-11 delivered the last of their F-14B Tomcats to the AMARG “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) near Tucson in Arizona, ending 24 years of Tomcat operations.
When the British Airways Film Unit produced the promotional film “Transatlantic Supersonic” in 1976, the Aérospatiale / BAC Concorde supersonic transport (SST) had only just entered scheduled service with British Airways. The Concorde was jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. A total of 20 Concordes were built including the first six airframes used for testing and development. Thanks to YouTuber PeriscopeFilm for uploading this look at the Concorde.
The Concorde was flown by only two airlines- Air France and British Airways. The Concorde was capable of flying at just over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 (1,354 miles per hour or 2,180 kilometers per hour) at the aircraft’s cruising altitude of 60,000 feet. The aircraft could be configured to seat from 92 to 128 passengers. The Concorde flew for the first time in 1969 but took until 1976 to enter service. The last operational Concorde was retired in 2003. The world’s only other operational SST was the Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 Charger, 16 of which were built and operated by the Soviets for only six years.
