PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds performed their first joint public flyovers in the northeast on Tuesday to salute America’s healthcare professionals and the military.
In what was likely the longest single-day journey for both squadrons, the Navy and Air Force jets executed a busy schedule. The combined 15-jets unofficially flew over 2,600 miles (4,184.29 km), during a non-stop seven-hour journey.
The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds fly over Philadelphia during Tuesday’s America Strong flyover. (U.S. Navy)
Under the blue skies of metropolitan New York, two squadrons flew in two delta formations, smoke-on, beginning at noon EDT. Their expanded flyover began over The Bronx, south to New York City, and around to Newark, NJ.
The jets then flew east to Brooklyn and past the Stature of Liberty before circling over to fly over Long Island. The 40-minute salute concluded with a long pass from Long Island Sound to White Plains and south over New York City.
[youtube id=”XwwAnEJAT5M” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”] Flying at about 400 m.p.h., each aircraft flew in close formation above crowds lining city streets and roof tops. Applause and cheers from the crowds welcomed the America’s two military jet aerobatic teams.
The pilots were then met by several Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers once an hour for aerial refueling. Each refueling pause allowed the pilots to consume healthy light snacks in their cockpit. There was no stopping on the ground for these aircraft.
The Air Force Thunderbirds fly over New York City, New York on April 28, 2020. (USAF SSgt. C. Bush)
“We are incredibly honored to have the opportunity to salute those working on the frontline of the COVID-19 response, we are in awe of your strength and resilience,” Blue Angels Boss Brian Kesselring said on Monday. “Thank you to all of those in essential industries keeping our nation moving forward. We will get through this. We are all in this together.”
A second extended flyover began over central New Jersey at 1:45 p.m. The jets flew northwest to Trenton, circled around, and flew south down I-295 to Philadelphia.
Smoke-on, the two delta formations made four passes across Philly’s metropolitan area. The jets then made their way south along the Delaware River to Wilmington at 2:17 p.m. to conclude the day’s events.
the U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly above Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut, during the America Strong Newark and New York City flyovers on Tuesday. (USANG SSgt. S. Tucker)
The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels are expected to announce the next flyover locations on Wednesday.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
These Are Some of the Last Videos of Jets Flying Low and Fast in Star Wars Canyon.
There was a place where the sound of freedom tore the sky and thundered across the landscape like nowhere else on earth. That place was Rainbow Canyon. Situated close to the western boundary of Death Valley National Park in California, the area is better known as Star Wars Canyon. Cut from the Santa Rosa Hills by lava from volcanic activity millions of years ago, the geology of the area strongly resembles that of the home planet of ‘Star Wars’ characters Luke and Anakin Skywalker- Tatooine.
VFA-151 vigilantes F/A-18E Super Hornet. image via us navy
The particular terrain feature, the canyon connecting the Owens and Panamint Valleys, at the end of the Sidewinder low level route is also referred to as the “Jedi Transition”. In use as a low-level training area since World War II and part of the R-2508 Training Complex, the area is restricted for use by military aircraft only and is normally administered by Edwards Air Force Base (AFB). But how the training route is flown changed after a dark day at the of July 2019.
US Navy Lieutenant Charles Z. Walker. image via us navy
When VFA-151 Vigilantes F/A-18E Super Hornet pilot Lieutenant Charles Z. Walker crashed in the canyon on 31 July 2019 the low-level training route was closed. Jet aircraft are still observed flying in the area, and even over the Jedi Transition into the Panamint Valley, albeit at 1,500 feet AGL, but the low-level flights were prohibited after Walker perished in the canyon. Rest in Peace Lieutenant. These HD videos (totaling well north of an hour’s worth) were shot prior to the crash and uploaded to YouTube by ManteganiPhotos.
Lockheed Put The Strategic in Strategic Reconnaissance With These Aircraft
The proverbial top-secret black cat was well out of the bag when Lockheed produced their promotional film “The Blackbirds Are Flying.” The YF-12A, SR-71A, and SR-71B made up the family of Blackbirds depicted in the film.
The film touches on many of the special materials, equipment, and crew requirements the Air Force Flight Test Center and the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing had to consider when operating these Mach 3±capable jets. Enjoy the film uploaded to YouTube by Periscope Film.
Those Precious Few SR-71 Blackbirds
The Blackbirds served with the US Air Force from 1964 until 1998, although only a few jets were still operational after 1989. NASA operated a few of them for another year, finally retiring them in 1999. Lockheed’s famed Skunk Works turned out only 32 of them.
Operational accidents claimed 12 of them, but to its credit, although they were commonly flown over hostile territory and came under fire on many of those flights, none were ever lost due to enemy action.
SR-71B image via US Air Force
Impressive Even Now
The SR-71A was the main production variant. The SR-71B was a trainer variant. After the crash of one of the two two-seat SR-71B trainers, the single SR-71C was pieced together from two partial airframes to provide a second pilot training jet.
Blackbird statistics throughout the life of the program come out to 11,008 mission flight hours (2,752 of them at Mach 3+) during 3,551 mission sorties flown. Blackbirds flew a total of 53,490 flight hours (11,675 of them at Mach3+) over 17,300 total sorties flown.
UPDATE: This feature has been updated with Tuesday’s schedule.
PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds announced Friday that several joint flyovers across the United States will begin Tuesday to salute healthcare professionals and the military.
Operation America Strong will see each squadron fly a six-jet delta formation either together or separately. Some U.S. cities will see one squadron, while the larger cities will have both perform side-by-side.
“Flyovers in Newark, New York City, and surrounding boroughs will start at noon, and last approximately 35 minutes,” The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels announced on Saturday. “Flyovers in Trenton will start at 1:45 p.m. and last approximately 10 minutes. Flyovers in Philadelphia will start at 2 p.m. and last approximately 20 minutes.”
[youtube id=”0Q1_8IFWhC8″ width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”] The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels will fly across select areas hit the hardest by COVID-19. The complete schedule with locations is expected by this Wednesday. Each team flight will occur every one-to-two days until the middle of May.
“We’re excited to fly over cities across America as our way of saying thanks to the healthcare workers, first responders, and all the people who selflessly run into the breach working to keep America strong,” Gen. Dave Goldfein, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Adm. Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, said in a joint release Friday. “This is also our way of showing that we are all in this together and that America’s spirit will prevail.”
In the release, the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds laid out several flyover guidelines. The extended flyovers are designed to avoid contact with military bases and the public.
“Both teams are implementing various measures to maintain personnel and community safety,” the joint team release said. “This includes air-to-air refueling during transit and no scheduled stops en route to reduce potential exposure to the virus.”
A series of flyovers in May will salute healthcare professional and the military. (Glenn Watson/2018)
The Thunderbirds departed their home at Las Vegas on April 20 to fly cross country to NAS Pensacola — the home of the Blue Angels. The two teams spent the week performing a series of practice flights from the air base.
“For two demo teams with two different branches there’s a friendly rivalry there, but really we have the same mission,” Thunderbird Lead Solo pilot Maj. Michelle Curran said recently. “For us to be able to come down here to the Blue Angels home turf is huge for both teams in learning.”
On Wednesday, the Thunderbirds added red, white, and blue smoke to their formation and solo practices. Both squadrons have always used white smoke during air show performances.
America’s air show season may be grounded, but the Thunderbirds have not. Since April 11, the Air Force squadron has conducted two separate extended public flyovers of Las Vegas and Colorado.
Updated Flyover Schedule (EDT):
April 28… Newark, NJ / New York City ….. 12 p.m.
April 28… Trenton, NJ ………………………………… 1:45 p.m.
April 28… Philadelphia ……………………………….. 2 p.m.
Ed. note: AvGeekery.com will update this story to include the complete flyover schedule.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
NELLIS AFB, NV — The popular television series The Six Million Dollar Man featured a fictional test pilot turned astronaut who flew to the Moon and served as a pilot with the Air Force Thunderbirds.
The Six Million Dollar Man was Col. Steve Austin, “the world’s first bionic man”. Based on an actual crash of a NASA M2-F2 Lifting Body, Col. Austin survived a fictional crash by being fitted with bionic legs, a bionic arm, and a bionic eye fused to his biology.
A few years later, Col. Austin went undercover with the Thunderbirds during the episode “The Thunderbird Connection”. The plot had the squadron of five T-38A Talon jets travel to a fictional Middle East country to save the life of a young prince.
A fictional Middle East ruler greets the Air Force Thunderbirds during “The Thunderbird Connect”. From R to L, an actor played Thunderbird 1; a real unnamed Thunderbird was #2, Lee Majors as #3; Real Thunderbird Capt. Lloyd W. Newton is #4; and an unnamed real Thunderbird is number five. (NBC)
Watch ‘The Thunderbird Connection’ Free on NBC
The episode first aired on November 28, 1976, and is now available on NBC-TV streaming for free. The nearly two-hour episode is divided into part one and part two. It is listed as 1976’s second-most-watched television show.
The episode features original Thunderbirds inflight views and cockpit video. Some of the video is grainy, but serves as historic footage from their flights. The story was also filmed in part on the flightline of Nellis AFB — the home of the Thunderbirds.
The 1976 Air Force Thunderbirds perform a special maneuver Designed for “The Six Million Dollar Man”. (USAF)
America’s Ambassadors in Blue had received the T-38A Talons two years earlier due to the oil crisis. It used far less oil than their McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II. The aircraft is the only training jet flown by the squadron.
“In 1974, a spreading fuel crisis inspired a new aircraft for the team, the T-38A Talon,” Thunderbirds public affairs officer Capt. Remoshay Nelson explained. “Although the Talon did not fulfill the Thunderbirds tradition of flying front-line jet fighters, it did demonstrate the capabilities of a prominent Air Force aircraft.”
Maj. Chris G. Patterakis served as the actual Thunderbirds commander and flight leader during 1975 and 1976. In the Six Million Dollar Man episode, fictional Paul Miller is Thunderbird one.
THE OFFICIAL 1976 AIR FORCE THUNDERBIRDS PILOTS PORTRAIT. (USAF)
Of the four other pilots, Steve Austin serves as Thunderbird 3. In 1976, the squadron’s first African-American pilot Capt. Lloyd W. “Fig” Newton served as the actual slot pilot. Newton is one of the five pilots featured, although he and two other real Thunderbirds are not credited.
The evening the TV show originally aired, the real Thunderbirds were spending the night at MacDill AFB near Tampa, Florida. Their planned flight demonstration earlier that day had been cancelled due to weather. They returned to Nellis AFB the next morning.
(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
JetSuite, the innovative private jet company suspends service. Their scheduled subsidiary JSX continues to operate.
JetSuite, the private jet service carrier, suspended service this past week. It joins a growing number of air services and airlines who have suspended service as part of the COVID-19 pandemic striking the globe.
In a statement on their website, JetSuite posted,
“The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting state of emergency around the country has caused an unforeseeable, dramatic downturn in the entire aviation industry and our business in particular. As a result, effective April 15, 2020, we have grounded our fleet and furloughed most of our crewmembers. For those of you who were scheduled to fly this week or in the weeks ahead, please accept our deepest apologies for this sudden, but unavoidable and necessary, cancellation of all flights until further notice. With our call center now closed, you may contact us by email at guestservices@jetsuite.com so we may gather your information and follow-up accordingly.”
JetSuite started as a service flying EMB Phenom 100 and 300s and later added the Legacy L650. When they first started service, they were seen an an innovator in the private jet industry. They offered Suite Deals to rent the jet on empty positioning legs. Average people could rent the small private jets for around $1300 total. At $300-$400 per seat, the cost to fly a small group in a private jet rivaled last minute tickets between popular destinations like LA and Las Vegas.
A video posted on YouTube back in 2018 by Ryan Bomar profiled the service and the private jet experience onboard a Phenom 100.
There is currently no indication wether the private jet component of JetSuite plans to return. It is important to note that they didn’t declare bankruptcy or officially state that they are permanently shutting down the private jet service in their statement.
JSX, Their Airline Subsidiary, Is Still Flying
JSX is JetSuite’s subsidiary offering scheduled service on the west coast. That service has not been affected by JetSuite’s suspension of their private jet service.
Back in 2016, JetSuite started offering scheduled service called Jet Suite X, now known simply as JSX. They fly a fleet of Embraer EMB-135 jets outfitted with just 30 leather seats. We profiled the airline back in 2019. The jets has wifi and extended leg room. Free snacks and alcoholic drinks are served onboard. The true market differential for the airline is that they offer service from private jet terminals meaning that passengers could avoid security and show to their flight just 15-20 minutes prior to departure.
JetSuite Packs Up Shop Due To COVID-19, JSX Continues Service 14
The airline has implemented COVID-19 safety protocols and has waived changed and cancellation fees. The airline also offers charter service on their EMB-135 fleet.
Call this video a window into the past. It is amazing to think that in just 40 years, every single type of plane featured in this video is now retired. Most of them are now proverbial beer cans.
In this great video by Youtube user VideofromGeorge, you’ll see a host of Boeing 727s, DC-10s, a DC-8 stretch, and even a North Central Convair CV-580.
North Central was a ‘local service carrier‘. A few months after this video, North Central merged to become Republic Airlines. Republic eventually became part of Northwest Airlines. Northwest eventually merged with Delta Air Lines.
Much like today, Chicago was dominated by United Airlines. At the time, it was the largest airline in the city. American Airlines also had a significant presence back in the day. Today, they are the second largest carrier at O’Hare.
DENVER, CO — The Air Force Thunderbirds performed a series of flyovers across Colorado on Saturday to honor the COVID-19 health care workers and salute the graduates of the Air Force Academy.
Under overcast skies, America’s Ambassadors in Blue timed the flight with exact precision. Six F-16 Fighting Falcon jets performed a delta formation salute across the Centennial State.
A flyover of Colorado Springs and the Air Force Academy at 12:33 p.m. MDT, began the squadron’s flying event. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Thunderbirds traditional air show over the academy’s graduates had been cancelled.
Air Force Academy class of 2020 graduation. The video picks up prior to the Thunderbirds flyover. (USAF)
The Air Force Academy‘s class of 2020 graduation has been noted as being historic. The cadets are the first class to graduate in April, and the first class to commission officers into the new United States Space Force.
“The Thunderbirds are thrilled to continue on a tradition of culminating the Air Force Academy graduation and welcoming our newest second lieutenants into our Air Force,” said Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbirds commander and leader. “We are proud to provide this one defining moment for these young American’s lives as they become officers in the world’s greatest Air Force.”
America’s Ambassadors in Blue salute the Air Force Academy Class of 2020 Graduation. (USAF)
The extended flyover began at 1:29 p.m. MDT, over the north Colorado town of Greeley. The squadron performed westward to Windsor and Fort Collins. The formation then began a southward flight along Interstate 25 to Loveland, Longmont, Boulder, Denver, and Buckley Air Force Base.
Lead solo pilot Maj. Michelle Curran said, “(I’m) looking forward to seeing all the mountains and snow in beautiful Colorado while supporting all the frontline workers against COVID-19.”
The Thunderbirds needed to aerial refuel a few times during the afternoon. They later traveled across Fort Carson and Pueblo prior to returning home to Nellis AFB near Las Vegas.
“Our team is honored to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the countless Coloradans working every day to support their communities during this difficult time in our nation,” Caldwell added prior to the flight. “We want Coloradans to look up from their homes and enjoy the display of American resolve and pride while keeping frontline responders in their hearts.”
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
The Most Famous Spitfire Has More Acting Credits Than Any Other Airworthy Spit
Avgeeks everywhere appreciate the art of the low pass. Whether it’s a prop job or jet, watching an aircraft fly at low altitude and high speed just puts warmth in the heart of aerospace fans. Many of the low passes observed today are, in some way, attempting to emulate the low pass featured in this video.
Withstanding The Test of Time
The classic and still-awesome clip was shot for use in a documentary about the Supermarine Spitfire on the occasion of its 60th Anniversary, which occurred in 1996. Flying the Spitfire, LF Mark IXb serial MH434, was Ray Hanna.
Hanna (1928-2005) was a former Royal Air Force (RAF) Red Arrows demonstration team pilot, and accomplished stunt pilot, and at the time was the owner of MH434. Hanna also was a personal friend of the presenter who was forced to duck when the Spitfire roared by him.
MH434 image via alan wilson
Every Movie Star Starts Somewhere
Spitfire Mk. IX MH434 was completed at the Vickers Castle Bromwich assembly plant during the summer of 1943. The aircraft was first flown during August of 1943 by chief Supermarine test pilot Alex Henshaw.
The most famous Spitfire went into action later that same month with RAF 222 Squadron based at RAF Hornchurch. The Spitfire saw combat on multiple occasions, scoring 2 ½ victories and damaging another Luftwaffe fighter before being stood down and placed in storage in March of 1945.
MH434 image via John5199
Combat and That First Credit
MH434, the most famous spitfire, next served with 322 Squadron, Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force), beginning in 1947- primarily as a ground attack machine- but never in Holland. The aircraft was shipped to the Dutch East Indies and was the first Spitfire reassembled in Java after that lengthy journey by ship.
MH434 suffered a wheels-up landing while there but went back to Holland by ship. The aircraft was returned to service in 1953 with the Belgische Luchtmacht (Belgian Air Force) as an advanced training aircraft, assigned first to the Advanced Pilot School at Koksijde and later to 13 Wing at Brustem where its primary mission was target towing.
MH434 ended up on the Belgian civil registry in 1956. It was during this time in Belgium that MH434 first appeared on screen in The Longest Day.
MH434 image via breitling
You’ve Seen This Spit Before
Purchased and brought back to the UK by British airline pilot Tim Davies in 1963, the Spitfire appeared in several movies during the 1960s (full list below) and was sold to the Chairman of Cathay Pacific Airways after starring in the film Battle of Britain. After a memorable appearance in A Bridge Too Far, Ray Hanna bought MH434 in 1982 and started up the Old Flying Machine Company around the aircraft.
The aircraft underwent a comprehensive overhaul during the winter of 1994-1995. When not made up for movie roles, MH434 still wears the colors of its original outfit- RAF 222 Squadron.
Ye Olde Flying Machine
Ray Hanna (1928-2005) and his son Mark Hanna (1959-1999) were the driving force behind the Old Flying Machine Company. They flew warbirds in the movies listed herein, with Mark taking the lead and flying memorable scenes in Empire of the Sun, Air America, Saving Private Ryan, Memphis Belle, and Tomorrow Never Dies.
Mark perished from injuries sustained when the restored Hispano Aviación HA-1112 Buchon (essentially a license-built Merlin-powered Messerschmitt Bf-109G) he was flying crashed in Spain. Ray continued flying and passed away due to natural causes in 2005.
Mark (left) and Ray (Right) Hanna. Image via the Old Flying Machine Company
Bang NEXT PAGE below for the full list of MH434’s screen credits and more great videos!
This is the article I didn’t want to write. About a month ago, I sat down at my computer to lament the fact that Delta’s MD-88 fleet was rumored to be retiring early due to COVID-19. That rumor turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg.
Delta is the last major operator of the MD-80 and MD-90 family. The fleet is likely to retire soon. Photo: Venkat Mangudi / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
The next few weeks would turn even the most hardened aviation fanatic’s stomach sour. Some reports have stated that passenger traffic on airlines are down 96% from last year. The big four US airlines have massively cut flights, we’ve seen airlines fold, hundreds of planes parked in the desert and a number of types of airliners fly off into the sunset, probably never to fly again.
Classic Airline Fleets Disappearing
In some ways, it feels like September 11th all over again for the airline industry. Shortly after 9/11, classic airliners like the Boeing 737-200, 727 and DC-9 were rapidly retired unceremoniously from fleets as bean counters right-sized their fleet in anticipation of the economic downturn.
In this case too, airlines are beginning to do the same. Delta has stated that they expect to retire fleets early to meet the smaller demand. Although the MD-88s and MD-90s are still flying for now, it is expected that they will retire the famous T-tails sooner rather than later.
American Airlines has announced that they will retire the Boeing 767-300 and 757-200 fleet earlier than expected. With thousands of flights cancelled right now, there are decent odds that both the 767 and 757 have already flown their last revenue flights in American Airlines colors.
An American 757 on approach. Photo by Venkat Mangudi (P1160895) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Unfortunately, this crisis is way bigger than just some classic planes retiring
The COVID-19 crisis is far worse than watching some great ‘classic’ aircraft retire. There is a real human cost to this crisis. The pandemic is more like an economic tsunami where wave builds upon wave, each more destructive than the last. Most scheduled international service from the United States to other nations has been cancelled. Travel to/from areas that have been hardest hit is just a fraction of what it used to be.
Airlines like JetBlue have consolidated service in major metropolitan areas like New York, Washington DC, Boston, LA, and San Francisco to just one airport in the region. Frontier and Spirit have requested dispensation from the requirements of the CARES act to temporarily stop servicing airports that have little to no traffic right now.
As part of the need for airlines to right-size their labor force to match demand, airlines have cut hours across the board for all employees. Over 600 American pilots have taken early retirement to reduce the chances of furloughs for the remaining crew members. Other major airlines have cut hours to the contractual minimums for both pilots and flight attendants. Ground and support staff are affected by reduced flying along with all of the people who work at the now shuttered stores and restaurants at major terminals across the country and most of the world.
Some airlines have shuttered, stopped all service, or declared bankruptcy
FlyBe, a regional carrier based out of the UK, shut its doors forever last month citing COVID-19 as the final straw. The airline had been struggling prior to the pandemic but the rapid shutdown of the airline caught staff and customers by surprise.
A post shared by Jacob (3.3k) (@plane_spotting_380) on
Two US based feeder carriers have closed. TransStates Airlines, a feeder carrier for United and American with roots back to TWA, has also folded. They had planned to conduct an orderly shutdown by the end of the year but moved up the closing date when business dried up in the wake of COVID-19. Compass Airlines, a feeder for Delta and American, also closed in this wretched business environment.
Europe isn’t faring much better. Lufthansa has shuttered discount carrier Germanwings with no intent to resume service post crisis. They have also suspended a majority of their international long-haul service by all of the carriers in their group.
Other airlines have intentionally shut down temporarily instead of flying empty aircraft. Canadian Dash 8-400 operator Porter Airlines suspended service until June.
Canadian leisure airline Sunwing has suspended all southbound service until the end of May. European discount airline EasyJet has also suspended service indefinitely.
Charter operator Miami Air declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They have been hard hit by the lack of leisure travel and the suspension of all sports leagues too. The airline will continue to operate during reorganization.
What’s next for hard hit airlines?
The US government bailout bill for airlines will help prevent immediate furloughs and service cuts immediately in most cases. As part of the package, airlines must avoid layoffs before September. They also must continue to operate to all markets (albeit at a reduced schedule) as a condition of the grants and loans. It is interesting to watch as airlines like Alaska has added unique city pairs to ensure they are following the requirements of the bailout while cutting unnecessary flying. Who would have thought that you would see a non-stop flight between Minneapolis and Columbus, Ohio or Dallas and Houston on Alaska metal? Strange times indeed.
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737NG. (Photo: Avgeekery)
Still, it is hard to see airlines bouncing back immediately once the primary crisis passes. Social distancing, a term that is now part of almost everyone’s vernacular, won’t immediately fade. That means that we are likely to see ‘space blocked’ jets with open seats to reduce the possibility of virus transmission. Restrictions on travel, especially international travel, will remain for the foreseeable future. And the economic impact of the crisis will mean that businesses will likely limit air travel to just essential purposes while many hold off of leisure travel in order to save cash.
A smaller industry to emerge
Airline CEOs have publicly stated that their airlines will emerge much smaller from this crisis. Delta’s CFO publicly stated such last month. Large aircraft like the already sunsetting 747 is likely to face an early retirement at carriers like Lufthansa and British Airways. Qantas and KLM already retired the Queen of the Skies in their fleets. The Airbus A380 could also be the odd-plane out. Air France has already retired the fleet. Qantas has shelved all but two of the giant airplanes. Lufthansa has put a sizable portion of their A380 Super fleet off to pasture too.
KLM has retired their Boeing 747 fleet. Photo: KLM Twitter Feed
Airlines that had planned on buying the new Boeing 777X, A220s, A320neos, A350s, and additional 787s will likely seek to hold on to older aircraft. Some already have delayed deliveries of new jets. With less demand, shaky financials, and relatively low oil prices, it just makes sense to fly existing metal versus embarking on a buying spree. Boeing and Airbus’s record production rates have already taken a significant hit. Painful cutbacks on aircraft production is a certainty in the short term. Boeing faces additional challenges with their troublesome 737 MAX too.
Passengers wallets will also likely lose out after this crisis. It is likely that even when the pandemic subsides, airfares will rise as airlines seek to ‘right size’ their available seats to the actual demand resulting in less discounts for the remaining service.
An industry that seemed unstoppable just a few months ago, is now stopped dead in its tracks. The irony of this latest downturn is that just two and half years ago, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker stated that
“I don’t think we’re ever going to lose money again.”
It is ironic that his airline is among the first in line at the bailout window begging for at least $12B of the $50B fund to survive.
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker
The airline industry truly is a boom or bust industry. The good times might have seemed like they would last forever, but sooner or later the party had to come to an end. The ending for the industry this time was more like a screeching halt on a short runway by a newly-hired copilot versus a smooth, graceful touchdown by an experienced grey-haired captain. Let’s just hope that both pilots get the opportunity to fly again sometime soon.
What do you do when the world is engulfed in a pandemic and the first part of the 2020 airshow season is cancelled? Do you sulk at home in your mom’s basement? No way! You make your own airshow!
Martin Bridge produced his own ‘stay at home’ airshow’. It’s a pretty creative endeavor. It features the world famous Red Arrows along with a host of Tornados and other airshow guests.
You have to admire Martin’s creativity. His ‘airshow’ has gone viral and rightly so. He’s produced two videos so far. It’s the right mix of macabre humor and creativity. We at Avgeekery are fans. We salute Martin as he lifts the spirits of avgeeks worldwide during this pandemic.
Parts 1 and 2 featuring both the F-35, C-17s, and the world famous Red Arrows are in the clips below…
What do you think? Did it scratch the airshow itch? Comment below…
LAS VEGAS, NV — The Air Force’s Air Demonstration Squadron took the skies above their home town to perform a flyover on Saturday to honor the COVID-19 health care workers across America.
The Thunderbirds five-plane delta formation of F-16 Fighting Falcons flew smoke-on across the Las Vegas community. The military jets salute across the valley began at 2:31 p.m. PDT, beginning a 25-minute extended flyover.
The Thunderbirds’ flight path began at Nellis Air Force Base and took them through Centennial Hills, the Summerlin area, and over to Spring Valley. The squadron then flew along the Las Vegas Strip, and down to Henderson prior to their return to Nellis.
Las Vegas station KTNV provided live coverage of the event.
“It is an honor to fly for the Americans at the forefront of our nation’s fight against the coronavirus,” Thunderbirds leader Lt. Col. John Caldwell said on Friday. “They are true heroes and we look forward to demonstrating the support of the 685,000 total force Airmen of the U.S. Air Force for healthcare workers, first responders, and COVID-19 essential personnel in Las Vegas and across the nation.”
During the flyover, a sixth Thunderbird and a grey F-16 flew as chase aircraft to record the event. The local Air Force community has adopted the phrase “Vegas Goes Blue” in honor of the medial teams.
The Air Force Thunderbirds flew over Las Vegas to show appreciation and support for the healthcare workers, first responders, and essential personnel on the front lines to combat COVID-19. (USAF)
The squadron also flew 16 American flags during the flyover. Each will be given to the 16 local hospitals and health care facilities around Las Vegas.
“(We) want to give a big shout out to the healthcare workers and first responders across this country, especially the ER staff and ICU staff,” Thunderbirds Flight Surgeon Lt. Col. (Dr.) Noel Colls said prior to the flyover. “Y’all are on the front lines of keeping us safe from the Covid-19 outbreak.”
The Thunderbirds will next perform a flyover of the Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony on Saturday, April 18. Their next public air show performance is the weekend of June 13-14, over the beaches and boardwalk of Ocean City, Maryland.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
