ATLANTA — The Air Force F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team announced on Tuesday the selection of their new air show pilot who will perform during the next two years.
Maj. Joshua ‘Cabo’ Gunderson will serve as the Raptor Demo Team’s commander and pilot during 2020 and 2021 air show seasons. He is coming from the 90th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, where he served as 3rd Wing chief of advanced programs.
“It is incredibly humbling to be given the opportunity to serve as the next F-22 Demo Team commander,” Maj. Gunderson said on Tuesday. “The team is comprised of amazing Airmen showcasing American airpower, and I look forward to joining such an impressive legacy for the next two years.”
Gunderson grew up in Tampa, Fla. and attended air shows at nearby MacDill AFB. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2008; and later earned his pilots wings at Sheppard AFB in Texas two years later.
Air Force pilot Maj. Joshua Gunderson will lead the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team into the 2020’s. (USAF)
Cabo will command a busy first season with the team as they perform in four different countries. The Raptor Demo are scheduled to attend 22 locations performing either a full demonstration or their popular Heritage Flight.
The team will first travel to Southeast Asia to perform at the Singapore Airshow on February 15 and 16. The squadron’s first U.S. performance is planned for March 21 and 22 at the L.A. County Airshow in Lancaster, Calif.
The F-22 Raptor Demo Team’s 2020 schedule wil carry the team across four countries. (USAF)
“From the first time I saw jets at the MacDill Air Force Base Airfest, I have turned my eyes towards the skies and dreamed of being in the seat of a fighter jet,” he added.
In July, Maj. Gunderson will have a homecoming as the team performs at Elmendorf-Richardson’s 101st anniversary celebration. “Our Air Force is a family, and I am honored to serve along so many,” he added.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX achieved a huge milestone in safely launching astronauts from America’s Space Coast this spring as they performed an uncrewed launch abort test of their spacecraft on Sunday.
This flight test of the Crew Dragon’s launch escape system now moves SpaceX and NASA closer to launching astronauts from American soil. While NASA is focused on returning first to the moon, SpaceX will taxi astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
“SpaceX’s in-flight demonstration of Crew Dragon’s launch escape capabilities is designed to provide valuable data toward NASA certifying the spacecraft to begin carrying astronauts to and from the Space Station,” SpaceX Spokesperson James Gleeson said on Saturday.
Historic Abort Test Flight
The commercial company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft launched a top a Falcon 9 rocket at 10:30:00 a.m. EST, from the Kennedy Space Center. The uncrewed vehicle then successfully separated during a planned in-flight abort test.
Falcon 9 rocket breaks up from aerodynamic stress during the in-flight abort test on Sunday. (SpaceX)
As the abort sequence occurred in milliseconds, the Falcon’s core stage’s nine Merlin engines shutdown. The Crew Dragon is seperated followed by its SuperDraco thrusters then firing 85 seconds after launch. Eleven seconds later, the Falcon 9 then broke apart due to aerodynamic stress, and broke apart in a fireball off Cape Canaveral.
Once the spacecraft reached its high point of 131,000-feet, the bottom section known as the trunk separated nearly 2 1/2 minutes into the flight.
The Crew Dragon reached a velocity of Mach 2.2. Small thrusters then fired to maneuver the craft for a planned splashdown.
“For this test, Falcon 9’s ascent trajectory (did) mimic a Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station to best match the physical environments the rocket and spacecraft will encounter during a normal ascent,” Gleeson added. “However, SpaceX configured Crew Dragon to intentionally trigger a launch escape after Max Q, the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket.”
Crew Dragon’s trunk section seperates on scheduled during Sunday’s flight test. (SpaceX)
What looks to be a successful test concluded with spacecraft splashdown nine minutes after launch.
“As far as we can tell thus far, it’s a picture perfect mission. It went as well as one can possibly expect,” Elon Musk, founder and chief engineer of SpaceX said on Sunday. “This is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the SpaceX and NASA teams to achieve this goal. Obviously, I’m super fired up. This is great.”
SpaceX could be ready to launch America’s first astronauts from Cape Canaveral this spring. NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken could lift-off a top a Falcon 9 as early as April to spend two weeks in orbit.
Known as Crew Dragon Demo 2 mission, the two veteran astronauts will dock to the space station for an eight day visit. The crew will ferry up science and supplies to the orbiting laboratory, and later return used experiments to ground for analysis.
Sunday’s Falcon 9 launch occurred from the space center’s historic launch pad 39-A. The seaside pad is located near the site of NASA’s pad 39-B where astronauts will launch to the moon and Mars.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
ROBINS, AFB, Ga. — The thrust. The high G pulls. The spectacular views of our Earth from inside an incredible high performance military aircraft.
The feeling of pure excitement as I soared aboard a U.S. Navy Blue Angels F/A-18D Hornet. The images tell only half the story of my exclusive flight inside a majestic Blue Angels jet out of Robins, AFB near Macon.
The blue and gold Navy jet sat on the flight line under blue skies awaiting her crew — myself and her pilot Lt. Mark Tedrow. Upon each of my jet’s twin vertical stabilizers is a gold “7”. There are seven Blue Angels jets in service, six of which fly in formation during the air show.
Preflight excitement with my aircraft, a Boeing F/A-18D, as I neared ingress. (All Images by Andy Kalat)
Lt. Tedrow pilots the Angels’ no. 7 aircraft (in 2012). He has logged over 1400 flight hours inside military aircraft after earning his wings of gold in 2006. I was offered this unique flight by Robins, AFB and the Blue Angels staff two months prior, and now one of my life’s goal had arrived.
I have carried a love for aviation since I was a child. My father began putting me behind the controls of Cessna planes as we soared at 20,000 feet when I was just five. He would be in my heart on this day.
Preflight
Dressed in my navy blue flight suit, I climbed aboard the high performance jet with caution. A very narrow ladder which is attached under the jet’s port wing was our entrance up the 15 feet and into the cockpit.
Preflight ingress briefing with the Blue Angels 7 jet chief maintainer on a sunny April afternoon.
The back seat of the cockpit is an aviator’s dream with the same instruments and controls as the pilot’s seat carries. The Blue Angels crew chief assisted my ingress and strapped me in with a 10-point harness to secure me in my rocket seat. Even my ankles and knee’s were strapped down with army green narrow belts.
The Boeing-built Hornet measures 56 feet in length and has a wingspan of 40 feet. The wings surface covers an area of 400 sq. feet.
Lt. Tedrow then followed up to give this military jet rookie a few preflight words and to ensure I was familiar with the cockpit controls.
Earlier, I was briefed on the cockpit’s layout and the ejection seat use. I was informed of how the seat would be used in the event of a bailout. There are several rocket’s under our seats which would fire to clear us up and away from the aircraft in an emergency.
Blue Angels pilot LT. Mark Tedrow offers up an easy going preflight briefing, including what not to touch.
My preflight briefing also included a special exercise I would need to do as we pulled greater than 4G’s (four time one gravity). Known as the HIC maneuver, I would squeeze my legs, take in a half breath and belt out “Hic” using my diaphragm. This would help keep blood flow in my upper torso and pool out of my head which would cause me to black out.
Following the briefing and just before my late-afternoon flight, Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal congratulated me on my flight in person at the air base. We exchanged short stories. Gov. Deal explaining how shook up he was as his plane hit turbulence a few days earlier.
Ingress
Loaded with 1,000 pounds of fuel, the F/A-18 was ready and it was time to fly as a Naval Aviator. The canopy closed and the jet came to life. Lt. Tedrow brought the craft’s single APU (auxiliary power unit) on line and the engines heated up.
My cockpit’s glass displays began popping up showing me altitude, direction and a wings level attitude. Upon clearance, we began rolling forward and then slowly began a 180-degree turn to taxi out to runway 33 at Robins. I was all smiles as I logged my first feet aboard this magnificent jet.
During the taxi out, Lt. Tedrow kept me comfortable with words of encouragement and what to expect at “lift-off”. He also told me to arm my ejection seat with the safe and arm device to my right.
The F/A-18D received clearance from Robins tower and we began moving down runway 33. Faster and faster we moved as Lt. Tedrow began calling out speeds in knots, “100 knots. 120. 160…”
I held my breath as I looked out the canopy watching the ground rush by us.
We took flight for a few seconds to retract the landing gear at 4:38 p.m. EDT, and then Lt. Tedrow stated here comes lift-off. I began to smile.
Lift-off!
Pointed nearly nose up and with the feeling of six-hundred pounds of sandbags on my chest, the ground left us in a hurry as we soared into the blue skies over central Georgia. Cockpit tones sounded.
It was a rush of adrenaline and unknown. The higher we climbed, the faster we traveled straight up toward 15,000 feet.
Once we reached altitude two minutes later, we flew south toward a designated flight box over southern Georgia to perform feats of aeronautical strength and discipline. We started out with a 180-degree roll which allowed me for the first time in my life to look down upon our planet with a 300-degree field of view.
Looking down from this attitude it is very different than seeing earth right side up. From this cupola, you can see what you are directly over and what’s off to both your left and right sides.
Lt. Tedrow was then ready to shake me up a bit and we were ready to pull some G’s.
We started out with a 5G left banking turn with the nose pitched up slightly. It was strong with the feeling of 800 pounds of sandbags on my chest and the exhilaration of pushing the limit’s of what my body would allow.
I felt great and my stomach never flinched. Lt. Tedrow slowed our aircraft down from about 300 knots to 120 knots and turned the craft toward the left with the nose pointed up as to not stall the Hornet.
I noticed slight vibrations in the wings as we held this attitude for a few moments, and could feel the craft shudder at this point. Next up, it was time to chase that demon in the sky – Mach 1.
As I stated, we had slowed down to about 120 knots and now it was time to travel faster than I have ever flown before. Calling out our air speeds, Lt. Tedrow accelerated the blue and yellow craft faster and faster once again, “200 knots. 300 knots… 400.”
You could feel the craft gaining more energy and we were really moving out now, “500 knots. 560. 600… and there’s Mach .90… .95… .96 and there’s .98 Mach”, Tedrow announced and then throttled down his engines as not to create a sonic boom over the town below.
He explained that he was not allowed to soar beyond Mach 1 over land. The sonic boom would shatter windows and cause slight damage to the area below. However, we achieved Mach .98 or 655 knots or 752 miles per hour.
He noticed I was a chance taker in the air and lined us up for a maneuver which I have waited my whole life to do — fly in zero gravity.
Much like NASA’s KC-135 aircraft, Lt. Tedrow angled the Hornet to allow for a negative G attitude. Thus, for 15 to 20 seconds I was lifted out of my seat as I flew over earth in a microgravity environment.
Talk about an incredible feeling. I looked down while using my mind to capture this one moment in time. I replied to my pilot, “Zero G and I feel fine”, echoing the famous line from astronaut John Glenn during his 1962 flight.
Magnificent!
We flew a few more 360-degree rolls and Tedrow made a second straight vertical climb. My stomach felt great and I can recall never wanting this flight to end.
Forty minutes into my flight, we began to return north to Robins, AFB, but not before we spent a few minutes to scout out the Warner Robins region for tall structures for the upcoming Blue Angels air show.
Our F/A-18 Hornet soared to a low deck over the city of Warner Robins and began a complete circle to inspect and report back on towers and structures 200-feet or higher the six Hornets will need to look out for during their two performances.
I spotted a few grey towers which Lt. Tedrow said he had missed, and he pointed out a few water towers south of the runway. I was proud to help the team out any way I could.
A Journalist's Flight Day with the Navy's Blue Angels 12
As we neared our landing, we let a smoke train out from the rear of the Hornet to say a warm hello to the city down below. As fuel ran low, we began a few turns to bleed off energy as to land with less speed at a gentle 160 knots.
The first turn was the biggest and it was a left banking turn which took us up to 7G’s of pressure on the body. I successfully executed my HIC maneuver.
Lt. Tedrow lined us up with the runway, and we came in for a main gear touch down at 5:25 pm, followed by the nose. “Thank-you, Lt. Tedrow, for a wonderful flight. God bless America,” I exclaimed as we rolled down the runway.
As we rolled to a stop near the Robins flight office, Lt. Tedrow spoke of how well I did, and he explained it was great to have someone up there with him who didn’t leave a mess.
During my flight, a million things rushed through my mind. My family. My late father and his encouragement in aviation. And, the way I’ll view this flight in the years to come.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
[Editor’s note: This feature was originally published on NBC Atlanta’s 11Alive.com in April 2012, by Charles A Atkeison.]
At Only $9,000,000, you can own a king’s former flying palace
We love looking at airplane classifieds in Controller magazine. There are a host of Cirrus planes, some private jets, and helicopters. All great flying machines. Occasionally, we come across a very unique aircraft. We have to say that this latest ad for a 1979 Boeing 747-SP qualifies as one of the more unique jumbo jets available for purchase on the market today.
Yes, for only a cool $9M, you can own one a Boeing 747-SP with a fantastic history. The jumbo jet used to fly the Qatari Royal family. It mixed accommodation seating for 88 in a mostly luxurious configuration. The nose of the lower deck features a giant bathroom and bedroom. Plus you’ll get a nice reception lounge with seating by rank, a dining room, and plenty of storage. In the back there are a set of business class seats and an economy seating section for your in- laws.
The 747SP is a rare jet that you can own!
The ‘SP’ model is a rarity. This particular jet was even once part of the PanAm fleet! There are only about 10 flyable aircraft left in the world.
The jet was originally designed for a three-cabin configuration with around 330 people. The Boeing 747SP has the characteristic features of a Boeing 747 but is significantly shorter, features a taller tail for stability. It has a modified wing with a simpler flap design to save weight. The jet was designed in the early 1970s as a way to offer jumbo jet amenities on routes that were too distant for the early Boeing 747-100s and -200s.
Only 45 of the Special Performance version of the 747 were ever built, far below the expectations of Boeing. Of those remaining in service, they primarily serve as VIP aircraft for government officials. Sands resorts also operates two of the type in a VVIP configuration.
The Purchase price won’t be your only expense
While $9M is pretty steep, it is actually relatively cheap for a Boeing 747, especially one that used to be owned by Qatari Royal Flight (that’s the Qatari king’s fleet). The problem is that $9M is just your down payment on this luxurious jet setting lifestyle. From there, you’ll have to consider that filling the jet with 50,000 gallons of Jet-A won’t be cheap. While I’m sure you could negotiate a sweet volume discount, FBO fuel prices at places like LAX run between $6-$7 a gallon. That’s about $300,000 to fill ‘er up not including any landing or parking fees.
Then you have to add in the expenses to pay for the 3 person cockpit crew, cabin crew, maintenance crew, ground support. Catering, lav service, cleaning crew, and flight planning costs add up too. And while the airframe is only about half-way through its service life, you’ll still have to shell out money for engine overalls, regular maintenance, a heavy check or two, and storage fees if you decide to park it for more than a couple of days. Even turning on the APU for an hour just so you have some A/C and a reading light will set you back a few grand. Bottom line is that unless your net worth is north of the mid-9 digits, you’ll probably be eating packaged ramen noodles to afford this beauty even if you were a multi-millionaire before you started this buying spree.
While researching this jet, we came across a fellow avgeek, Sam Chui who was lucky enough last year to fly on this exact jet. He profiled his flight and gave an excellent tour. It’s worth a watch:
On January 10, 1990, the McDonnellDouglas MD-11 took to the skies for the very first time over Long Beach, California. Like most first flights, it was a moment to celebrate the work and accomplishments of engineers and factory workers. Yet the launch was far from ideal. The joy of a first flight would be short lived.
MD-11 falls short of performance and sales targets
The MD-11 was designed to be the next-generation of the relatively successful DC-10 family. The DC-10 itself had a rough start with the crash of American 191 at O’Hare and subsequent grounding for months. Over time though, the DC-10 became the back bone of international trunk routes for airlines like United, Continental, and American. The hope was that McDonnell Douglas could replicate that success with a larger version that had enough range to fly transpacific with significant cargo.
The company eventually settled on a 18 ft 7inch stretch of the DC-10-30 fuselage with an expected range of 6,800 NM. The type officially launched in 1986 with 10 airlines most notably including Federal Express, Korean Air, and SwissAir. Marquee customers like Singapore Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines later signed up with firm commitments. The first delivery of the jet was made to Finnair on Dec 7, 1990.
At the time, McDonnell Douglas was short on cash. The MD-11 was originally intended to be a significant step forward for the industry, but limited cash for development meant that compromises had to be made. For one, McDonnell Douglas had relatively limited subscale testing investments during development. It meant that an issue with adverse airflow around the pressure pylons wasn’t discovered until a research project with NASA after launch of the type.
NASA participated in a number of tests with the MD-11. This image is from a test that evaluated how an aircraft could successfully land without control inputs. (Photo: NASA.gov)
At launch, the MD-11 fell significantly short of performance targets and guarantees to the airlines. Range and fuel burn numbers were so disappointing that Singapore Airlines cancelled their order even before any delivery was made. Sales were sluggish too.
American Balked At the Poor MD-11 Performance too
American Airlines originally had 50 MD-11s on order. The aircraft was supposed to both augment the DC-10 and take up the bulk of international flight as the airline expanded its hubs at San Jose and Los Angeles, California. American also wanted to utilize the jet to fly nonstop from DFW to Tokyo.
Unfortunately, the CEO at the time Robert Crandall was “very unhappy” with the performance of the jet. In an Los Angeles Times article from 1991, the Airline disclosed that the jet fell 6% short of fuel consumption targets along with a host of mechanical issues. McDonnell Douglas made improvements shaving off 2%. Still, that meant that American’s newly launched route from Tokyo to San Jose, California required either a fuel stop or load restrictions depending on the weather conditions.
American worked out many of the operational kinks eventually but ended up crafting a deal with FedEx to offload their MD-11s to the cargo airline. American only accepted 19 aircraft in total. By 1999, the MD-11 fleet was retired at American Airlines.
MD-11 Takes Second Fiddle
After a number of performance improvement packages, McDonnell Douglas eventually fixed many of the original issues that plagued the MD-11. But by 1995, Boeing had wooed the market with a competing 777 jet that could outperform the MD-11 with one less engine. MD-11 sales stalled, leading to a total of only 200 aircraft built and sold.
As major airlines offloaded the MD-11, the aircraft found a niche with a few second-tier charter airlines like World Airways. Most passenger MD-11s were either retired early for parts or converted to cargo aircraft. KLM retired their last MD-11 passenger carrying aircraft in 2014, bringing an end to passenger MD-11 operations.
KLM Retired their fleet in 2014.
As of January 2020, around 115 cargo MD-11s fly the skies. Most fly with FedEx and UPS. Many MD-11s are scheduled to be retired within the next few years at major cargo operators like Lufthansa. FedEx is also reducing their dependence on the type.
McDonnell Douglas eventually merged with Boeing bringing an end to any possible further development of the discussed MD-11X or the fanciful MD-12 double decker that resembled the eventual A380. Many analysts expressed that their poor returns on commercial aircraft led to the merger with Boeing. While that analysis is up for debate, a subpar refresh of the DC-10 certainly didn’t help matters.
As we celebrate the beginning of the MD-11’s fourth and most likely last decade of service, check out this video of a beautiful FedEx MD-11 departure filmed by YouTube user BostonAirborne.
Engine Issues and Late Market Entry Kept the Tristar From Reaching Its Full Commercial Potential
The early 1970s was a magnificent era in aviation. Big was ‘in’ as airplane manufacturers explored a host of new technologies to deliver jet-flight comfort to the masses.
The theory was that a large aircraft could accommodate the expected growth of the industry while providing better comfort and enough range to connect the world. From this era came the mighty Boeing 747, the Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar.
Lockheed is enticed by growing commercial market
Back in the late 1960s, American Airlines went to Lockheed and Douglas looking for a widebody airliner smaller than the 747 but larger than the then-common Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. Douglas offered the DC-10. Seeing the large market potential, Lockheed offered the L-1011.
Lockheed was no stranger to the commercial market. Up until the early 1960s, Lockheed regularly offered commercial aircraft. The Constellation and later the L-188 Electra represented top-tier designs for the era. Lockheed had become more focused on the steady stream of military projects over time. Their C-130, C-141, and C-5 Galaxy offerings provided a seemingly solid source of income. While the C-5 provided a great platform to explore new technologies (like high-bypass engines, kneeling gear, and advanced cockpit design), it was fraught with issues and cost overruns. Lockheed returned to the commercial market with a goal to build the best medium sized-wide body on the market.
The Eastern Airlines promotional film from the early 1970s shows the enthusiasm behind Lockheed’s entrant into the widebody market (posted on Youtube by Periscope Films).
Advanced features at every turn
Lockheed’s entrant into the wide-body market was meant to make a splash. The jet included three engines, meant to provide better economics than the more-common four-engined aircraft of the day. The L-1011 offered cabin comforts of the larger 747 (wide seats, large open cabin) along with new amenities like potable water system, optional downstairs lounge, entertainment system and crew elevator to keep most of the galleys out of sight of the passengers.
The aircraft itself offered advanced technology like Cat IIIc autoland meaning that the jet could land at approved fields in zero visibility conditions on autopilot. The jet also featured DLC (a more advanced version was also featured on the C-17) enabling more stable approaches using variable spoilers to dissipate lift in approach conditions.
Successful first flight, then engine manufacturer challenges emerge
Lockheed chose the Rolls-Royce RB-211 to power their new jet. The engine offered a seemingly more advanced design with higher thrust than the simpler and more common two-spool configuration of the day. It was seen as a differential over the Douglas design that was to feature the General Electric CF-6. The L-1011 Tristar first flew on November 16, 1970.
Shortly after, Rolls-Royce encountered financial difficulties. The cost of the new engine bankrupted the famed engine manufacturer. It was only through US government guarantees secured by Lockheed that production would resume. Due to this delay, Lockheed’s new widebody wasn’t certified until almost 18 months later. By this time, Douglas’ DC-10 had already commenced service.
The L-1011 Tristar finally entered commercial service in 1972 with Eastern Airlines. TWA, Delta, British Airways (originally Court), Cathay Pacific, and Pacific Southwest Airlines all placed early orders for the jet. Airlines like TWA even produced ad campaigns around the jet as seen in this commercial posted on YouTube by 4engines4fun.
Lockheed later offered optimized versions of the jet providing improvements in range and performance. They also offered a shortened L-1011-500 version that gave the jet long enough legs to comfortably offer transatlantic service from any east coast airports to locations deep within the heart of Europe.
Later operators included American Trans Air (ATA), Air Canada, Pan Am, United, and Saudia.
The L-1011 ended Lockheed’s love affair with commercial offerings
The L-1011 was a mix of advanced design and disappointing initial performance. Lockheed couldn’t overcome their delayed entry to market, combined with weak performance from the first versions of the aircraft. The jet sold a total of 249 aircraft to commercial and military customers. But the relatively paltry sales led to Lockheed determine that focusing on military aircraft represented its best path forward as a company.
Editors note: The original version of the story incorrectly cited that the RB-211 engine had a two spool configuration. We corrected the story to accurately reflect that the design was actually a three spool engine.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A new decade of rocket launches began Monday evening as a SpaceX Falcon 9 thundered away from America’s Space Coast to place 60 internet-relay satellites into orbit.
This launch was confirmed as the first official rocket launch under the new U.S. Space Force.
SpaceX is in the midst of building and launching their own network of data and Internet spacecraft known as Starlink. The commercial company hopes to blanket the Earth with thousands of Starlink spacecraft located at about 350 miles above.
The Falcon 9 launched on time at 9:19 p.m. EST, from launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral AFS. This was the fourth mission for this reusable Falcon first stage.
Riding a top a 300-foot golden flame into the clear night, Falcon’s nine Merlin 1D engines pushed the candle stick rocket skyward. Just over two minutes after launch, the main stage separated, fired it’s thrusters, and began its short journey back to Earth.
Meanwhile, the second stage’s engines continued the payload’s journey to low Earth orbit.
Nearly nine minutes following launch, the Falcon’s first stage booster completed a successful pin-point return. The burnt candle stick touched down on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean a few hundred miles off the South Carolina coast.
SpaceX batch of 60 Starlink internet relay spacecraft prior to deployment. (SpaceX)
Sixty-one minutes into the mission, the 60 flat-panel satellites were successfully deployed. Each Starlink weighs 260 Kg and features four array antennas and one large solar array.
“After deployment, over the course of one to four months, the satellites use their on board thrusters to raise from an altitude of 290 km to 550 km,” SpaceX Spokesperson James Gleeson said. “During this phase of flight the satellites are closely clustered and their solar arrays are in a special low-drag configuration, making them appear more visible from the ground.”
SpaceX expects to launch two more Starlink batches of sixty during the next month. That will bring the combined total of Starlink spacecraft to 300.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
Put this video on the list of things that aren’t supposed to happen. On Friday, Air Canada Express (operated by Jazz) flight AC8684 experienced a loss of one of the right tire of the left main gear on departure.
The Bombardier Dash-8 Q300 turboprop flight was scheduled to operate from Montreal to Saguenay. In the video, you can see the tire sparking on departure. As the aircraft rotates, the wheel separates from the gear assembly. Not a sight you want to see as a passenger (or as a pilot for that matter). The video, posted by Plane Spotting Aviation on YouTube is seen below.
Fortunately, the main landing gear has two tires. The flight made an emergency return where the pilot made a safe landing on the remaining main gear tire without further incident. The cause of the incident has not been released.
About the Dash 8 family
An Air Canada Express (Operated by Jazz) Dash 8-300. Photo by: ERIC SALARD from PARIS, FRANCE [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]
The Dash-8 is a rough and tumble turbo-prop family of aircraft. The smallest and oldest -100 offers the ability to connect very small fields to larger transportation network. It accommodates between 37-39 passengers. It first flew in 1984. The larger -300–the same aircraft as the incident in this story– can accommodate between 50-56 passengers. The -300 version first flew in 1989.
The largest -400 (also known as the Q400) is the longest stretch version of the aircraft. It features more powerful engines, a more modern cabin, and can accommodate up to 78 passengers. The Q400 has a service ceiling of 27,000 feet. Unrelated and somewhat infamously, the Q400 was the same type of aircraft that was stolen by a distraught employee and later crashed near Seattle back in 2018.
Rising genres of micro airlines offer unique travel options. Some offer private jet-like experiences at affordable prices, others offer subscriptions, and others offer service to cities that don’t traditionally support air service.
As travelers demand more unique, tailored, luxurious travel experiences, an emerging genre of airlines are rising to meet that demand. This emerging class of small carriers tend to cater to customers who value time more than the lowest possible fare. They offer business class-like products even in some aircraft that are too small to offer a luxuriously large seat. These carriers focus on providing travelers with a small, near-private flying experience in an effort to elevate the traveling experience over the more typical regional jets that stuff passengers like sardines. To be honest, we’re not even sure what to call these types of companies yet. They are a hybrid of charter and a regional carrier. Many also offer subscription services for an even more modern twist. We’re going to go ahead and call them ‘micro airlines’.
Micro Luxury Airlines: Private Jet-like service with near-coach fares
You’ve probably heard of several of the new breed of carriers that are out there, but maybe didn’t realize what exactly they offered or how they differed from private jet chartering services or something similar.
JSX, formerly known as JetSuiteX and owned by JetSuite, for example, is technically a regional, micro airline, but it’s branded as a “hop-on jet” service, with short-haul flights on the West Coast. It operates Embraer ERJ aircraft only, 14 in total, fitting 30 passengers each. During your flight, you receive drink and snack service and much of the same amenities you’d find on a regular aircraft (like charging portals at your seat). Due to the small cabin and official designation as a scheduled charter, security checks are not required before boarding. Additionally, thanks to JSX’s cozy relationship with JetBlue (JetSuite’s CEO Alex Wilcox was a JetBlue founding exec), you can even earn TrueBlue points when flying with JSX.
Taos Air is another micro-luxury airline that has taken off in the past couple of years. The airline is actually a public charter that uses Advanced Air LLC’s Donier 328 Jets. Similar to JSX, they offer flights from private terminals with limited security requirements, complimentary ground transportation in Taos, no baggage fees, and even 100% carbon offset. Taos Air flies from LA, Austin, Dallas and Carlsbad, California
Did you know there’s a direct flight from Dallas or Austin to Taos (more departure cities to come)???
— Resort Properties of Angel Fire (@rpangelfire) January 19, 2019
Subscription Services are growing too
XO, formerly known as JetSmarter, works a little bit differently. It sells memberships that allow you to book private aircraft if you so wish, but it also offers its members single seats on “shuttles,” that you’d book just like any regular flight. You basically get a seat on a scheduled flight that takes place on an actual private jet, but you’re sharing the private jet with strangers. XO’s shuttle routes take you between popular destinations primarily on the East Coast, such as New York City to Florida, though flights to popular vacation destinations, like Vail, are also available.
WheelsUp is similar. You can purchase a membership that allows you to buy private flights, but you can also just book single seats on private aircraft and you take the flight with strangers. What makes WheelsUp different than XO is you get the ability through the WheelsUp community to talk with your fellow passengers, negotiate how much each of you pays for a flight and settle on a departure time that fits all your schedules.
Surf Air is a little more typical for a micro-luxury airline, operating off a set flight schedule only. The nascent airline operates small, single-engine aircraft (the Pilatus PC-12NG) rather than large, commercial aircraft. Still though, you’re flying with strangers, up to seven other passengers at a time. Destinations are mostly located on the West Coast, but flights to Texas cities are also available. SurfAir charges a monthly fee with the ability to utilize the pass for any flight without additional costs.
Cape Air and Boutique Air: Micro regionals to airports too small for traditional regional service
Carriers like JSX, WheelsUp, and SurfAir all seem to be filling a similar niche. But then you also have another category of carrier that offers limited service on small aircraft to more austere destinations. Those two airlines are Cape Air and Boutique Air.
Cape Air is one of these. The small airline with its fleet of Cessna twin-engine 402s caters to mostly New England travelers looking to get to popular vacation spots on the coast, such as Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, although Cape Air also occasionally flies between small cities in the Midwest, as well as between a few Caribbean destinations. New England Airlines is similar, flying between Westerly, Rhode Island, and Block Island, Rhode Island, exclusively.
Why are Micro Airlines Becoming a Popular Choice?
Beyond the small service and the luxe feel that can come with some of these micro airlines (though not all), they offer several perks that many frequent flyers find desirable.
1.) Breeze through security
Generally, the security process, as well as boarding and prep for take off, takes much less time than what you’ll experience with a larger airline, since you’ll typically not need to go through a commercial airport terminal. This doesn’t mean, however, that security standards with these micro airlines are lax. The aircraft and crew are held to the same standards that all the big guys are.
2.) Easy to access airports
Saving you even more time, many micro airlines fly into big destinations, but choose to fly into less congested airports, so you can count on fewer delays overall. Some passengers have even reported that micro airlines have cut their travel time in half, a great perk for people on business but also for the busy family where time is at a premium.
3.) Flexible booking policies
Many micro airlines have flexible booking policies. Subscription service airlines allow last minute cancellations. Most of the non-subscription airlines we mentioned allow changes with little to no fees. But each micro airline has different policies. And airlines like JSX have different cancellation policies based on the fare class you booked.
4.) The feeling of private flying without the cost and fees
Additionally, if you really want the luxury of flying private, but you just can’t afford it, these micro airlines give you a somewhat similar experience. Yes, you’ll still be flying with strangers and you’re still sharing the plane, but there’s a big difference between sharing an aircraft with seven people and sharing it with a hundred or more.
5.) Pet friendly
Lastly, micro airlines just offer added little benefits that many travelers find attractive, from allowing your pet to fly free in the cabin, to more overhead room in the cabin thanks to removed overhead bins (like JSX). The best part for travelers with pets is that they don’t even have to pretend that they are flying with an emotional support animal.
How Much Will a Ticket Cost?
Ticket costs all depend on where you’re going and which micro airline you choose. The level of luxury a micro airline offers plays heavily into the ticket price, even though flying with a micro airline is far cheaper than flying private.
Many micro airlines offer subscriptions on top of individual flight fees. So, for example, Surf Air requires you to pay $2,500 per year for a general membership (giving you access to all routes and a waiver for cancelation or flight change penalties), but then each flight that you take starts at $500 per flight.
If you want to book just a single seat for a flight on XO for the coming weeks, from, say, Washington, D.C., to Atlanta, then you can look at paying around $2,500 or more. However, you’re not paying for a yearly membership, just your single flight.
With JSX, you could fly, in mid-December, between Las Vegas and Burbank, and pay a mere $338 round-trip. This is possible thanks to JSX’s Hop On fares, which come with cancellation fees, change fees, charges for overweight bags and charges for over-the-phone bookings, but it’s still a great deal regardless.
With some of the less luxuriously-branded airlines, like if you booked a trip on Cape Air, maybe taking one of their Chicago flights to Decatur, Illinois, in mid-December, you could expect one-way fares starting at just $59. For a short flight with short waiting times, and a small plane that lessens the crowds, a price like that seems like a no brainer.
So Why Aren’t Micro Airlines Even More Popular?
It’s a question that begs to be asked, especially when you look at very affordable flights like those offered by Cape Air.
For some micro airlines, though, the cost of operating can be too expensive to grow beyond their market niche. The cost of fuel and operation exceed what the market will pay for their services. In other cases, micro airlines price themselves out of their market. It is a given that more expensive tickets and memberships can only thrive in certain markets. While there are plenty of rich clientele in markets such as New York City and Los Angeles, when you start serving destinations like Texas and St. Louis, your target demographic drops dramatically.
Micro airlines aren’t guaranteed success
Many micro airlines have failed in the last few years. Cal Jet Elite, for example, operated daily service between Las Vegas and Carlsbad, for about half a year only, September 2017–April 2018. It operated one CRJ-700 aircraft, with room for 63 passengers, until it announced it was going to attempt to expand its service, at which point operations ceased and they haven’t picked back up since.
Via Airlines lasted a little longer, operating Essential Air Service to underserved communities in the Mid-Atlantic, 2014–2019. Though it only boasted a fleet of six Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft that fit 50 passengers each, it served more than 30 routes over its lifetime before it declared bankruptcy earlier this year.
The story is the same for other micro airlines throughout the recent history of aviation. When micro airlines attempt to offer affordable service while reducing all the things most travelers hate about flying commercial (crowds, long lines, long wait times), they seem to run out of money.
Could these newer, luxe-focused micro airlines, with membership structures and pricier fees, have cracked the code as to what makes a micro airline work in the long run?
The Future for Micro Airlines
If current and recently past trends continue, the future for micro airlines is clear. Micro airlines are growing to meet the market demand. The focus will continue to shift toward a more exclusive flying experience that’s individualized, luxurious and perk-heavy — as well as more expensive and centered around business travel, luxury, and first-class travel markets. And while micro airlines are certainly more affordable than flying private, they are unlikely become the ‘new’ regional jet experience for most of us. CRJ-200s for the masses!
Everyone talks about the latest and the greatest and the newest aircraft. You see them in the news all the time, from Airbus’s A321XLR to Boeing’s more notorious 737 MAX jets. However, what about the oldest airliners? The ones that you get on and they’re like a blast to the past, that don’t have any fancy bells or whistles or amenities.
Would you feel nervous flying on a jet that’s possibly older than you are? Believe it or not, most airliners that are well taken care of can easily last decades and operate perfectly safely. In fact, there are many jets flying today that are over 20 years old. Here are a few of the airlines taking advantage of that and getting every last bit of productivity from their planes before retiring them.
As of earlier this year, American Airlines boasted an average fleet age of 10.8 years. It’s not that old really, especially when you look at airlines internationally like Austrian, with an average fleet of age almost 15 years–the highest in Europe. Still — that’s just the average. What are some of the oldest aircraft in American Airlines’ fleet?
American Airlines has a long history with the MD-80, as the first major U.S. airline to use the aircraft. At one point, American was flying more than 360 of them, at its peak MD-80 usage in 2002. This usage accounted for more than a third of all MD-80s produced.
American Airlines, however, finally said goodbye to its MD-80s in September of this year, retiring its remaining 26 in service to Roswell, New Mexico.
Delta Air Lines
You know how we compared American’s aircraft ages to Austrian’s, and noted the difference between 10 and 15 years? Well, Delta has even Austrian’s average airline age beat, with an average fleet age of 15.8 as of earlier this year. This is a decrease, though, from Delta’s average fleet age as of 2017, 17 years, thanks to the slow but steady retirement of their MD-88s and MD-90s.
Delta currently flies the oldest airliners in the United States, with its more than 100 MD-80 and MD-90 aircraft averaging 26 years of age. Delta is also the last remaining operator of the MD-90, but it does plan to phase out its usage of the aircraft. It expects to retire all of its MD-90s by 2022.
United Airlines
United Airlines comes close to Delta with an average fleet age of 15.1 years. Its average fleet age can be most likely traced back to its Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, many of which are about 20 years old on average. As of October, United Airlines operates a fleet of nearly 800 aircraft, with all those aircraft being Boeing and Airbus aircraft. United has announced a fleet renewal though. Over the next couple of years, they will replace their aging Boeing 757s with new Airbus A321NEO-XLRs.
The main culprit for aging US fleets in the US is retiring…
While some airlines have some older 757s and 767s, airlines with MD-80 fleets drove up the aircraft age considerably. Almost all McDonnell Douglas jets will be retired by the end of 2020.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and MD-90s aircraft that you saw/see in American Airlines’ and Delta’s fleets didn’t just plague those two carriers’ average fleet ages. As of two years ago, Allegiant Air was averaging a fleet age of nearly 20 years because the majority of its fleet were those same aircraft. Today, Allegiant is a much modern fleet of A320 based aircraft. As I mentioned earlier, American also retired their fleet. Today, Delta is the only major US airline that still operates the MD-88 and MD-90 aircraft.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-80s series debuted in 1980, with the first commercial airliner to operate one of these very popular aircraft being Swissair. Likely many of us have flown on one in our lives, as the twin-engine, single-aisle jetliner was (and still is, in some cases) popular on short-range, regional flights and, at its debut, was one of the most fuel-efficient commercial airplanes available (though that’s obviously not the case any longer). The MD-80 was used by more than two dozen different major carriers around the world, with American Airlines being the first major U.S. carrier to order the aircraft, leasing 20 from McDonnell Douglas in 1982 (to replace its Boeing 727-100 aircraft). McDonnell Douglas ceased production of the MD-80 aircraft in 1999.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-90 series, on the other hand, was introduced in 1995, with the first airline to feature the aircraft being Delta, who is now the only remaining operator of the MD-90. The MD-90 was considered an improvement upon the MD-80, with better fuel efficiency and a longer fuselage. However, not as many airlines flew the MD-90, and certainly not to the extent that American Airlines used the MD-80. Other than Delta, the largest user of the aircraft was Saudia Arabian Airlines, who, at one point, had 29 MD-90s in its fleet. Production ceased in 2000.
What’s the oldest airliner in the rest of the world?
Though some younger avgeeks might be shocked to see aircraft flying at 26 years old or older, those are far from the oldest aircraft the sky.
Multiple Canadian airliners still operate Boeing 737-200 aircraft in the northern regions of the country. And a number of Fokker F-100 (from the early 1990s) and Boeing 737-300 and -500s still operate in Africa and Asia.
WestJet Airlines continued their holiday tradition in 2019 with another WestJet Christmas Miracle. Each year, the marketing geniuses at the airline dream up a viral video campaign that not only celebrates the season but also highlights the heart and compassion of WestJet employees.
The first video back in 2013 celebrated Christmas with a video-screen Santa who asked travelers at the gate what they wanted for Christmas. It looked like a cheap marketing gimmick. Imagine the passengers’ surprise when they arrived at the baggage claim only to see the actual gift arrive on the carousel with their name on it. It’s pretty incredible and touching for even the most hardened holiday grinch. 2018’s video was a tearjerker as well.
2019 WestJet video takes a slightly different approach
The 2019 video takes a slightly different approach. WestJet’s now famous blue Santa offers lucky winners increasingly attractive gifts or the option to donate them to a family at the Ronald McDonald House. It’s definitely a different take from recent videos but it works. It harkens back to the real meaning behind the season with cases of real people (who undoubtedly love to take the gift for themselves) deciding to give to others out of a sense of selflessness.
Kudos to WestJet for spreading the love this holiday season. While I’m sure that passengers occasionally have an experience that falls short of expectations, it is neat to see an airline that takes pride in celebrating the holiday through the service to others.
The warmth of a bright red glow traveling across the evening sky will allow the U.S. and Canadian Air Force and NORAD to assist Santa Claus with his special delivery of gifts on Christmas Eve.
NORAD is marking their 64th year tracking St. Nicholas across most of the western hemisphere. Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature which can allow satellites and radar to detect Santa — code name Big Red One.
Jolly ol’ St. Nicholas visited with the Air Force Thunderbirds last week at Nellis AFB, NV. (USAF)
The tiny sleigh filled with gifts is expected to arrive over the east coast of the United States on Tuesday at about 11:20 p.m. EST, as he continues his delivery flight, NORAD officials said. Located in Colorado Springs, NORAD will follow the jolly elf’s travels using radar, satellites, and jet fighters.
“In addition to our day-to-day mission of defending North America, we are proud to carry on the tradition of tracking Santa as he travels along his yuletide flight path,” Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, said on Monday. “The same radars, satellites, and interceptors employed on December 24 are used year-round to defend Canadian and American airspace from threats.”
NORAD’s upgraded multimedia website will allow children to follow Santa’s journey in real time, while listening to holiday music or viewing special videos. App stores offer a special portable technology app NORAD Tracks Santa which will allow users to download and track the holiday voyage.
Volunteers monitor phones and computers while tracking Santa Claus at the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center on Peterson AFB, Colo., (USAF)
Volunteers will support the NORAD operations center to answer children’s phone calls from across the globe at 1-877-HI-NORAD, beginning at 6:00 a.m. Air Force officials will field questions in eight languages — English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.
The start of NORAD’s 64-year association with Santa began in 1955. NORAD’s public affairs describes how this holiday spirit took flight.
“A local newspaper advertisement informed children they could call Santa directly – only the contact number in the advertisement was misprinted. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the crew commander on duty, U.S. Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, the predecessor to NORAD.”
“Col. Shoup was quick to realize a mistake had been made, and assured the child he was Santa. Shoup then assigned a duty officer to continue answering calls. Thus, a tradition was born, and continued when NORAD was formed in 1958.”
NORAD officials remind children to fall asleep early on Christmas Eve to ensure a speedy trip by Santa. “We love the opportunity this time of year to be able to say to everyone, ‘Sleep tight. We have the watch’.”
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
