Posted 23:55 GMT

Hangarqueue!

Sunday Afternoon Hangar Barbeque - the Hangarque

Posted 15:50 GMT

Reader Gary Lynch e-mails:

Two weeks ago the Planes of Fame Northrop N9MB developed an engine fire in the left engine as it departed Chino Ca. for a photo flight. The chase aircraft saw the smoke and Ron brought the plane in for a safe landing and the fire folks got it out ASAP. The aircraft sustained major damage to the left engine bay, but the fire wall kept it from spreading to the wooden structure of the wing. It’s estimated that it will take a year to repair the damage.

Northrop N9MB Flying Wing

I was looking forward to seeing the "Flying Wing" at their airshow in a couple of weeks. Darn.

If you're around So. Cal. next weekend, they're having a WWI aircraft display on May 6. Their big airshow where they roll everything out of the hangars and fly them is May 20-21.

Posted 15:28 GMT

Warbird Recovery is announcing that they've flown their ME-262 clone "Tango Tango" over Germany on April 25. This was the first time an ME-262 has flown in Germany since 1945.

Me-262 flies in Munich Germany for first time since 1945

April 30, 2006

Posted 05:10 GMT

I believe I saw a smoke trail of a Vandenberg missile launch from Scottsdale Az this evening.

Probable Missile launch from Vandenberg AFB as seen from Scottsdale AZ

I don't see any announcements from Brian Webb at spacearchive.info or Brian Lockett at the Goleta Air and Space Museum, but I'm pretty convinced this is a missile trail. It was in the right location, and there were zero airliner contrails in the sky, so the weather conditions weren't right for that. Many launches from Vandenberg are right before dusk, so the timing is right.

I've seen these things from Los Angeles, but I don't remember seeing one from the Phoenix area before. It's amazing how they squiggle up in the high altitude winds. If you didn't know that this kind of thing was normal, you'd never believe that a rocket going basically "straight" through the atmosphere could do this.

Update: Nobody seems to know what this was. I'm still convinced it was a rocket launch from Vandenberg, so it must have been classified.

April 29, 2006

Posted 19:34 GMT

There are some great aviation videos on the net. But this is a "must see".
This weekend is the Atlanta NAS air show, and the Blues gave Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Steve Beatty at ride. It comes in 5 parts, and their titles ought to give you an idea what this is like:

Blue Angels give ride to Atlanta Newspaper reporter

Posted 19:01 GMT

AOPA has a story on a 91 year old on his first solo.

Cliff Garl (AOPA 5271619) had always been interested in learning to fly, but he wouldn't get around to it until he was almost a century old. On April 24, the 91-year-old Seattle area resident soloed in a Cessna 172....

I wonder if they cut his shirt tail off?

Posted 15:45 GMT

Brian Webb at spacearchive.info e-mails that the Delta II rocket with CloudSat and other spacecraft *finally* flew this morning.

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. – Vandenberg AFB launched a Delta II rocket today at 3:02 a.m. The rocket took off from Space Launch Complex-2 carrying NASA’s CloudSat and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations, or CALIPSO, satellites.

April 28, 2006

Posted 19:44 GMT

It would stand to reason that Southwest, the airline that brought you the slapstick passenger briefings would be the first to start it's own official employee blog.

Many airlines frown on employees blogging. Ellen "Queen of the Sky" got fired for posting slightly racy pictures on her blog that wouldn't get banned from a grade school. Dave at FL390 and Aviatrix Canada are very protective of any information about who they work for, no doubt for fear of reprisal from the company.

A sort-of exception is Randy the Boeing sales (marketing) guy who has a site right on Boeing.com. But that's as much a sales blog as anything, so that doesn't really count. Although he does have some interesting information on occasion, and when he does I link him.

Congrats to Southwest. It's no wonder their employees are such happy folks. Their company trusts them enough to let them speak their mind under the company logo.

Posted 15:56 GMT

Fox News reports that a police office had his gun taken from him and was shot twice at the United ticket counter in Cleveland. The man was shot by a second officer and both are hospitalized.

Posted 14:06 GMT

The film "United 93" opens this weekend. It seems like movie reviewers are giving it very high marks, "Two Thumbs Up" etc. My feeling is that this is going to be another "Titanic", where everyone knows how it will end, but you can't help but watch all the same.

A lot of noise has been made that this is "too soon" to be reminded of 9/11. But I like the response I saw of Todd Beamer's father on Fox News, who said "it's too soon to forget".

There are no Hollywood stars in the movie. In fact, many characters are played by themselves or aviation professionals, aircrew members and flight attendants. The movie may not be "entertainment", but nevertheless I think it is a must see movie by anyone in the aviation business.

United 93 logo

April 27, 2006

Posted 19:30 GMT

A Predator 2 drone crashed outside of Tubac Arizona early this morning. This should give some ammo to the AOPA, which has been fighting with the feds over airspace used by drones in this area.

MQ-1 Predator drone over Nevada

Air Force photo of MQ-1 Predator over Nevada

Posted 19:30 GMT

Fox News says that the CIA has conducted 1000 "undeclared" flights over European countries. It claims that an international air treaty requires flights to be declared that have a "police" mission.

Is the CIA a police force?

The Iranians are building nukes, but I'm sure this is a much more important issue for the EU to bring up.

Posted 13:22 GMT

Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates writes in Air Force Link about a recent mountain bike ride several airmen took with the President.

“At first we were like, ‘Should we get him wet or dirty or not?’” Lieutenant Boma said. “But the president tore through the trail -- puddles, mud and all -- without even flinching.” ... “He is a fantastic bike handler and appears to be in great shape,” Sergeant Diede said. “And, he seemed to enjoy himself out there, too.”

Airmen from Travis Air Force Base mountain bike with President Bush

Posted 01:05 GMT

An F-22 canopy jammed at Langley AFB, trapping the pilot for 5 hours. After all attempts at opening failed, the fire department cut it open. Replacement cost - $182k

f22 Raptor canopy jammed, and is cut open by fire department

April 26, 2006

Posted 14:55 GMT

The 70th anniversary of the first flight of the Spitfire was re-enacted on March 5th with a flyover of Southampton England by a formation of 5 Spitfires. On board the lead ship was 93 year old Alex Henshaw, the chief test pilot during WWII, who flew his first Spitfire from Eastleigh in 1939.

5 Spitfire fighters fly over Southampton England on the 70th anniversay of the planes first flight

Links:
BBC article
Southampton web site

Posted 14:36 GMT

Standing room on airlines? The Houston Chronicle reports that :

Airbus has been quietly pitching the standing-room-only option to Asian carriers, though none has agreed to it yet. Passengers in the standing section would be propped against a padded backboard, held in place with a harness.

Reminds me of those Japanese "hotels" where they pack you in a hole in the wall in a dorm setting, along with a few hundred of your closest friends.

Posted 13:54 GMT

The ATC union is in bitter negotiations with the FAA. They're going back to the bargaining table, but the threat is that all those controllers hired after Reagan fired the striking controllers in the 1980's will suddenly "retire".

This might be a very good time to push through genuine changes in how ATC does it's job. That we have a handful of humans verbally directing a dozen or more aircraft over a single frequency is positively prehistoric. That's almost the same paradigm as in the 30's, with guys up on wooden stands with flare guns clearing landing approaches. We've improved communications, about 60 years ago with radios. And we've improved the visibility of the controllers with radar. But other than that, it's same-same.

Who "clears" you in your car when you pull out onto the freeway? No one. Yet if you mis-time the merge a second or two one way or another you'll kill yourself and maybe others. Granted, the consequences in life are greater with a 747 full of people, but the "time to disaster" there is usually measured in minutes, not seconds, as it is on the freeway. And navigation on the freeway is measured in feet, not miles, as on an airway.

We have equipment in the airplane today that can tell you where you are within inches and literal nano seconds. Not just over the inner marker, but anywhere. And there are computer systems and RF digital radios that can communicate at megabit speeds, cheap enough to have a handful of backup networks on-line constantly. That we can't use these tools to come up with an airway control system that's orders of magnitude better in every way vs. the 60 year old human-in-the-loop technique we use now is just a tragedy.

April 25, 2006

Posted 15:56 GMT

Dave's Navigation Light:

Position: Underneath Cygnus
Altitude: 35,000 feet
Groundspeed: 560 m.p.h.
Magnetic course: 102 degrees

Posted 15:34 GMT

Virgin Galactic is training pilots. They're looking for pilots with military background, but with a "safety culture of an airline".

Posted 15:26 GMT

Launch of Cloudsat and the "A Train" has been delayed again because of unavailability of a tanker for a critical tracking aircraft. Colorado State University has information here..

Current launch time is April 25 - 03:02 PDT (am) from Vandenberg. NASA TV will be covering the launch.

cloudsat and the A-train

Update: It's delayed again. I'll post info on the next attempt later today.

April 24, 2006

Posted 04:28 GMT

Aviatrix Canada has a lousy check ride.

... He warns me that I'm not using my other crew member to best advantage, and I mutter below the squelch level of the microphone that that's because he won't do anything I ask him to. He realizes I'm speaking, but when he asks, I say "disregard." ...

Posted 04:28 GMT

The U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center is currently wind-tunnel testing Shuttle external tank sections to verify computer simulations and test foam and aerodynamic ramp designs. Testing schedules appear tight to launch Discovery on time by July 1.

shuttle aerodynamic computer model image

Posted 02:38 GMT

Aljazeera says that a British passenger was harassed as "white trash" by Qatar Airways.

According to passengers on board Qatar Airways flight 110 from Doha to Dubai last week, Egyptian check-in supervisor Seham Samei launched a loud aggressive verbal onslaught of a terrified looking British passenger.

"She verbally abused, even calling him white trash, then threw his bags onto the floor" said witness George Hanover. "A group of us tried to complain about Seham Samei but Qatar Airways staff refused to take any action.

Posted 01:58 GMT

Two F-16s from Buckley Air Force Base intercepted a United A-320 today as it deverted to Denver after a passenger attempted to open the door in flight. Three Secret Service Agents in route to California helped subdue the passenger, Jose Manuel Pelayo-Ortega.

The Sacramento Bee reported that SRA Joe Pena, an airman at Travis AFB aboard the flight, described the incident as like a bar fight. "I heard a bunch of commotion, and I heard somebody yell 'What are you doing' and 'Get down,' then I saw the guy put into a chokehold, put on his back and pinned down so he couldn't move."

April 23, 2006

Posted 23:34 GMT

Delta pilots union agrees to 14 percent pay cut, and agree not to block the airline from attempting to cancel their pension plan. Rank and file will vote on the accord the last half of May.

April 22, 2006

Posted 15:34 GMT

Brian Webb at spacearchive.info is alerting for a Delta II launch early tomorrow morning.

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. – Team Vandenberg is set to launch a Boeing Delta II rocket, carrying NASA’s Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations and CloudSat satellites from Space Launch Complex-2 on North Vandenberg at 3:02 a.m. Friday. The Delta II rocket will carry the CloudSat and CALIPSO satellites into a 438-mile circular sun-synchronous orbit.

The launch is currently set for April 22 at 3:10 a.m. PDT. It was resceduled from this morning because of a communications link issue.

Information Links:

SpaceFlightNow.com
Delta II factsheet

Posted 15:22 GMT

Architect David Hertz of Santa Monica Ca. is designing a house in the desert for Francie Rehwald constructed out of a Boeing 747.

"When I showed it to her in the office, she just started screaming,"

meditation dome made from boeing 747 nose

Image - David Hertz

The 747 isn't merely dropped in the desert and hooked up to the electric grid. Instead, Hertz cut up the airplane into various pieces for roofs and walls and constructed the rest of the house around it. For example, the ailerons will be used for the patio awning, and the nose section is a "meditation dome".

The problem is that the FAA is concerned that passengers flying overhead on the approach to Los Angeles will think it's a real crash site. So Ms. Rehwald has agreed to paint identifiers on the wing/roof to identify it.

Posted 15:22 GMT

Brian Lockett at the Goleta Air and Space Museum e-mailed me some great images he took in Phoenix on April 7. Here's one of the last Boeing 707's with paying passengers arriving at Sky Harbor Airport. Lots more great images at Brian's web site.

Boeing 707 with paying passengers arrives at Phoenix Sky Harbor - April 7, 2006

April 21, 2006

Posted 19:54 GMT

Scott Crossfield, X-15 pilot and first to fly faster than Mach 2.0 was killed yesterday in a cross country flight from Prattville, Alabama, to Manassas, Virginia. Crossfield was the only occupant, flying his personal Cessna 210.

Scott Crossfield in his space suit at Edwards AFB

Scott was a member of the Aviation Hall of Fame. When Will Rogers was inducted into the Hall in the 1980's, my parents were the director and manager of the Will Rogers Memorial, and were invited to participate in the induction ceremony. They arrived during the day, and the Hall of Fame arranged for someone to take them around the Air Base and show them the sights. They spent a good couple of hours with the nice man, who drove them all over and explained everything.

That night on the ceremony stage, they discovered that the "nice man" was Scott Crossfield. Just as he was to the last, Scott was always an aviators aviator, and a true gentleman.

Posted 15:35 GMT

Scott Crossfield's airplane missing in Ga. It's not known whether Crossfield was flying the aircraft.

Update: Aero-news says that Crossfields Cessna 210 has been located. The Coroner is en route to the scene, but there is still no confirmation whether Crossfield was on board the aircraft.

Posted 15:20 GMT

General Aviation engine manufacturer, Thielert AG, builds a new factory:

Hamburg – At Altenburg-Nobitz Airport Thielert AG is rigorously advancing its growth strategy. The Hamburg-based aircraft engine manufacturer is to build a third German facility there. Before 2006 is over a new production building is to be completed and begin operations....

As part of their quick expansion, Thielert recently purchased Superior Air Parts in the US, which included it's Lycoming clone engine line. Americans aren't nearly as open minded about GA aircraft engines as the Euros. Check out their web site for info on the Centurion lines of Certified Diesel (Jet A) piston engines that are extremly efficient. They may have a heavier weight per HP than a Lycoming, but once you fly a few hours you've saved the weight just in fuel. Not to mention the savings in dollars.

The only part I don't like about Thielert engines is they don't support engine overhauls. After TBO (which is very long) you have to buy a factory new engine. They claim this is somehow costs less, but I don't think I buy it.

Posted 05:32 GMT

Pensacola, Fla. (April 17, 2006) - Engineering Technicians Beddy Mcbride and Allen Dunbar, overlook the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA 34), during preparations to sink the vessel. Oriskany is schedule to be scuttled 22 miles south of Pensacola in approximately 212 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico May 17, 2006, where it will become the largest ship ever intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. U.S. Navy photo by Photographers Mate Airman David R. Quillen

Technicians overlook the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA 34), during preparations to sink the vessel

Posted 04:53 GMT

Dave flies Against the Sun, and reads aircraft manuals.

... So, that leaves performance manuals, flight operation manuals, and my favorite... The A-320/319 aircraft manual. I think I will calculate the cruise altitude again.

Posted 04:43 GMT

Aviatrix Canada goes on a Ride Along.

Something is not quite right. The airplane is in a 20 degree bank with a 2000 fpm descent rate, and airspeed is climbing rapidly. Neither pilot in a control seat seems to care. I ask, "who has control?" "He does," says the trainee FO, with cheerful unconcern. The captain's head is lolling over to the side with his chin down on his chest...

Posted 04:29 GMT

Randy, the Boeing marketing guy, talks about company strategy. Just why *is* it that they've kicked so much Airbus butt recently?

We have been observing recently on the U.S. side, that carriers are starting to get their revenues up... probably by the end of this year, the U.S. carriers could be realizing an operating profit. And it's likely they'll be entering the order cycle late in 2006 or early in 2007.

April 20, 2006

Posted 19:32 GMT

Eight of the surviving 16 Doolittle Raiders hoisted their engraved goblets yesterday to their fallen brothers. The Goblet Ceremony is normally held in private, but this year retired Col. Dick Cole, 90, presided over their honored roll call and toasted Lt. Col. Horrace Crouch, the Raider who died since their last meeting.

Doolittle Raiders raise their goblets for their fallen brothers

Col. Cole was accompanied by Cadet 1st Class Nathan Chal, an Air Force Academy senior, and his grandson. Nathan was inspired by his grandfather to join the Air Force.

Posted 15:40 GMT

Flight International says that an Eva Air 747 was forced to go around as the sole tower controller goes missing at Seattle Sea-Tac.

Meanwhile, the AOPA is reporting that Congress will soon take up the issue of ATC modernization. They need to keep this incident in mind and perhaps we can get a bit farther on the way to genuinely new ATC systems without human controllers who disappear and leave 747s circling the airport.

Posted 04:53 GMT

eDefenseOnline says that at least 20 different types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are currently being developed by the U.S. military.

Global Hawk UAV-3 unmanned aircraft returns to Edwards AFB

Posted 04:20 GMT

Vice President Richard B. Cheney congratulates Marine Staff Sgt. Joseph Bowman after reading the enlistment oath to 18 Airmen, Soldiers and Marines at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., on Monday, April 17, 2006. The vice president addressed a crowd of more than 600, thanking the troops for their contributions and sacrifices. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Laura K. Smith)

Vice President Richard B. Cheney reading the enlistment oath to 18 Airmen, Soldiers and Marines

April 19, 2006

Posted 15:30 GMT

A video has hit the net of someone tagging Air Force One. If the Air Force can't protect Air Force One at Andrews AFB, then how much security do we really have flying the airlines? Is the standard Airport Anal Exam really worth it?

Air Force One being tagged with spray paint at Andrews AFB

April 18, 2006

Posted 23:59 GMT

Afghan National Army Air Corps aviators began training with Task Force Falcon aviators and U.S. Army soldiers at Bagram Air Base Afghanistan April 11.

The arrival of the 18-person team marks the first assignment of Afghan aviators here in 15 years.

The aviators will use two Russian-made Mi-17 Hip helicopters for training and to move supplies and equipment with coalition forces.

Many Afghan crewmembers served here previously but departed in the 1990s during Afghanistan's civil war.

"The airfield was the front line of fighting (between the Northern Alliance and Taliban), so most of the pilots stayed away," said ANA Air Corps Capt. Abdullah, a pilot. His last assignment to Bagram was in 1991.

Article by Sgt. Stephanie van Geete

Afghan National Army Air Corps aviators land an MI-17 Hip helicopter at Bagram Air Base

Posted 23:29 GMT

Dave at Flight Level 390

There it is... 3,000 feet below the aircraft. We have a good view of the ridge line that a 727 struck at 270 m.p.h. thirty two years ago while attempting an instrument approach into Dulles International....

Posted 21:59 GMT

Aviatrix Canada has some culinary advice from her airline operations manual for post-crash meals. And "it must be true, as every page has been approved by Transport Canada."

Posted 21:41 GMT

Air Force Link says that the AF is committed to UAV development.

The Global Hawk (UAV-3), below, spent three years deployed in the War on Terror, returning in Feb.

Global Hawk UAV-3 unmanned aircraft returns to Edwards AFB

Posted 20:21 GMT

Reuters is saying that US sets stage for Boeing-Airbus tanker contest

They might want to read down a bit in this web-site and learn how Airbus airframes disintegrate when exposed to hydraulic fluid.

Here's Boeing's entrant, the 767 tanker:

Boeing 767 Tanker airplane refueling F-15 air force aircraft

Posted 19:25 GMT

On 2 October 1969 CWO Michael J. Novosel distinguished himself while serving as commander of a medical evacuation helicopter. He unhesitatingly maneuvered his helicopter into a heavily fortified and defended enemy training area where a group of wounded Vietnamese soldiers were pinned down by a large enemy force. Flying without gunship or other cover and exposed to intense machinegun fire, CWO Novosel was able to locate and rescue wounded soldiers. In all, 15 extremely hazardous extractions were performed in order to remove wounded personnel. As a direct result of his selfless conduct, the lives of 29 soldiers were saved. The extraordinary heroism displayed by CWO Novosel was an inspiration to his comrades in arms and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

For his actions, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

CWO Novosel was laid to rest at Arlington Cemetary on Thursday, April 13, 2006. Six Medal of Honor recipients attended the service along with Army Vice-Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody, who offered the eulogy and presented the flag to Novasel's son, Michael J. Novosel Jr

Congressional Medal of Honor winnner Michael J. Novosel laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetary

April 17, 2006

Posted 19:25 GMT

The NY Post and other media outlets have been reporting "Flight 587 Flaws" found in Airbus A300 series aircraft. The NTSB has released a Safety Recommendation that contains some very chilling language.

On November 23, 2005, the rudder ... on an Airbus A300-600 airplane operated by Federal Express, ... was damaged during routine maintenance. To asses the extent of the damage, the lower rudder rib was removed and the rudder was examined. In addition to the damage that occured during maintenance, the examination found a substantial area of disbonding between the inner skin of the composite rudder surface and the honeycomb core. A tap test inspection [mechanic bangs on the thing and listens with his "trained" ear for damage] determined that a disbond of approximately ... (3 square feet), existed. Further examination of the disbonded area revealed traces of hydraulic fluid. Hydraulic fluid contamination between the honeycomb core and the fiberglass composite skin can lead to progressive disbonding, which compromises the strength of the rudder. Further tests on the damaged rudder revealed that a rapid propagation of the disbonding damage could occur during flight.

Rapid propagation of disbonding eh. Let's don't get excited over anything here. All we've got are accidents waiting to happen. [/sarcasm]

Here's more:

On March 6, 2005, an Airbus A310-300 [this is ANOTHER incident] ... experienced an in-flight separation of its rudder ... shortly after departure from [Cuba on a flight to Canada] While at an altitude of 35,000 feet, ... the flight crew heard a loud bang followed by vibrations that lasted a few seconds. [On landing] the crew discovered that most of the airplane's rudder had separated in flight with only the bottom closing rib and the spar between the rib and the hydraulic actuators remaining. Further examination of the vertical stabilizer determined that its two rearmost attachment lugs were damaged due to the high stresses associated with the rudder failure and separation. These high stresses may have been dangerously close in magnitude to those that caused the in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer during the November 12, 2001, accident involving American Airlines flight 587.

That was more than a year ago. And this is just now hitting the media? I remember pictures of the AA587 flight with the bolts still in the fuselage and the ripped up composite attach lugs where the vertical stabilizer used to be.

Here's a plane spotter image of the aircraft that lost the rudder taken in Calgary in 2004. Note the two vertical stripes on the lower left of the rudder. They look like crinkles, but I'd wager they're from hydraulic fluid melting the decal on the skin. The plane spotter guys say other Airbus aircraft have these marks. I'd start looking at those first.

Airbus A-300 series airplane that lost rudder over Cuba

Remind me to fly Boeing until this gets sorted.

Posted 02:40 GMT

Brian Lockett at the virtual Goleta Air and Space Museum has quite a collection of images. In Jan 2003 he spotted an NT-43A (modified Boeing 737) in formation with a B2 Spirit Bomber orbiting over Death Valley. Apparently the NT-43A is a radar test aircraft imaging the radar cross section of the B2 in the radar dead zone around Death Valley. (Hat Tip Jim In Texas) Thanks to Brian for allowing me to post his image here.

Northrop-Grumman B-2A Spirit and Boeing NT-43A aircraft in formation over death valley

The NT-43A is rarely seen in public, probably being flown from Groom Lake. These two aircraft were seen again by a photographer about 3 weeks ago.

April 16, 2006

Posted 02:24 GMT

Hat Tip to Sam from Blogging at FL250 for the new idea at Continental to outsource crew scheduling.

Posted 01:32 GMT

Next Tuesday, April 18, will be the 64th anniversay of the Doolittle Raid on Japan. Many history buffs are familiar with the results of the raid, which led Japan to hold a significant number of aircraft in the home islands for defense, rather than operating them in the field against the US. But Doolittle's raid did more than that.

The Japanese high command was deeply embarrassed by the raid, which led Yamamoto to schedule the Midway Attack in which Japan lost it's naval superiority in the Pacific six weeks later. Without the Doolittle Raid, the war in the Pacific, which lasted months longer than the war in Europe, could have had a considerably different ending.

B-25 aircraft takes off from carrier Hornet on Doolittle Raid

Next week, April 18-19, the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB Ohio will host the 64th annual reunion of the Doolittle Raiders. Follow the link for event scheduling which includes movie screenings and autograph sessions.

April 15, 2006

Posted 20:08 GMT

Delta Pilots reach a tentative agreement with the airline today.

Posted 14:06 GMT

Blogging will be a bit light today. I've got spend to my day off painting a bit on the house. A homeowners chores are never done. I'll be up-the-hill at AZ82 this weekend, so check back in, I'll make more.

Posted 13:55 GMT

C-141C Lockheed Starlifter tail number 67-0166 makes a pass over Scott Air Force Base, Ill on it's final flight before being included the Air Mobility Command airpark under construction there.

With a '67 tail number, this airplane must have been converted from the original short C-141A. I wonder how many missions to Vietnam it made.

C-141 StarLifter aircraft fly-by on last landing

Posted 13:42 GMT

Brian at spacearchive.info lists a Minotaur launch for this after noon between 17:10 to 20:10 PDT. Readers in Southern California might get a view of the launch. I was always amazed how the smoke trail from the Vandenberg launches would snake around in the high altitude winds. It's quite impressive.

I don't intend to make this site all-rockets-all-the-time, but there's just been quite a bit of news on that front the last week or two.

April 14, 2006

Posted 01:05 GMT

Aero News is reporting that Nemesis NXT racer "Relentless" has had a landing accident today on a dirt field near Glenwood, New Mexico after reporting an in-flight fire. Pilot Kevin Eldridge is reported to have gotten out of the airplane before it was destroyed by fire.

That's a real bummer. I really looked forward to seeing the Nemesis racers fly at Reno this year.

Update: A mutual friend quotes Kevin as saying "Strong Plane - Lucky Pilot". There are hopes that "Relentless" only has wing and gear damage and may be repairable. Maybe they'll make it to Reno yet.

Air Race sport class airplane relentless

Photo copyright Relentless Air Racing Team.

April 13, 2006

Posted 21:41 GMT

Sea Launch will begin live web cast of the launch of JCSAT-9 in a bit over an hour from now.

Posted 16:32 GMT

Fred J. Christensen, WWII ace with 21.5 victories Flew West at the age of 84.

Col Christensen stayed in the Air Force Reserve, retiring as Col. in 1970. He was famous for flying with a black cat in the cockpit of his P-47 for "luck", and once shot down 6 JU-52's on one mission that his squadron caught in the landing pattern at the Luftwaffe airfield at Gardelegen.

P-47 WWII fighter ace Fred Christensen

Posted 06:01 GMT

Brian Webb at SpaceArchive.info was nice enough to send me some high resolution images of the MinuteMan III Launch on April 7. Here's his narration:

Last Friday at dawn, California's central coast was treated an interesting display. Many people saw it, but didn't know what it was. The American Meteor Society's Bob Lunsford even received a couple of reports of a fireball.
In reality it was the launch of a Minuteman III missile from Vandenberg AFB. Lift-off was originally set for 3:02 a.m. PDT, but technical problems delayed the launch until 6:00 a.m.
Attached are two photos I took of the launch taken with my Nikon D70 digital SLR at ISO 400 with a manual 24mm Nikkor lens. The photo location was the mountains north of Santa Barbara, California at an elevation of 3,000 feet.
The first image shows the start of the second stage burn. There are two blips on the missile trail caused by the tumbling, flashing first stage (it had just been jettisoned). Low clouds filled the valley in the foreground. The exposure was 6.9 seconds. The f/ stop was probably f/4. The time was 06:01:16 PDT.
The second photo shows the third stage burn. The exhaust plume was illuminated by sunlight and created a large, glowing orb against the dawn sky. There was a bright, fuzzy core surrounded by a larger, tenuous area. The mountain at the bottom of the frame is Broadcast Peak. This photo is a good representation of what I saw at this point. The exposure was 3.5 seconds at f/4. The time was 06:02:49 PDT.

Update from Brian: I was more than 50 miles from the silo and heard a low rumble from the launch at T+4 minutes.
Here's more info of the second photo: The third stage burn created a large cone of sunlit exhaust with the missile at its apex. If I had been at the launch site, I would have been looking directly up the cone and seen a large round disk in the sky.
Since I was below the exhaust plume, but 50 miles off to the side, I saw an asymmetrical glowing cloud.

Click the image for high resolution....

Posted 05:22 GMT

Randy, the Boeing Sales Guy (OK, *Marketing* guy), blogs about their new hangar doors. You've got to read it.

Boeing Airplane company hangar door mural - aerial view

Posted 04:44 GMT

Sam stirs up trouble with himself over the Age 60 Rule and the prospects of changing it to 65.

Greybeard: The age 60 rule is wrong, always has been. It has no basis in medical research, and is simply age discrimination meant to hold down labor costs.
Whippersnapper: No argument here, Pops. I agree that it's a bad rule. On the other hand, we have a lot of guys and gals on furlough, with retirements their only hope of recall.

The not-funny part is where Sam claims that if the Congress forces the FAA to adopt the international age 65 rule, they'll respond with new "astronaut physical" requirements. I hope not. I gave a bi-annual to an 80 year old ex-747 captian one time, and he was pretty good. Had his little plastic check-list for flying his Meyers 200, and try as I might I couldn't stump him with something he couldn't quickly roll up on that checklist and respond with. Hardest bi-annual I ever gave, and he was great. I don't think I'm ready for 80 year old captians, but 65? Sure, why not?

Posted 04:01 GMT

An F-16 crashed two miles south of Luke AFB about 9:51 this morning near the intersection of Cotton Lane and Camelback. The aircraft was part of a two ship formation and flame was seen by an eye witness shortly after takeoff. The pilot was seen walking around after the crash, but was taken to a nearby hospital.

This image from Phoenix Channel 12 was taken by a civilian eye witness, and appears to show the pilot on a stretcher being taken from the field.

F-16 aircraft crash survivor taken from field at Luke AFB Arizona

The AF has had a string of bad luck recently. On March 14 an F-16C from Kunsan Air Base Korea crashed into the West Sea (pilot ejected OK). On April 3 all crew members of a C-5 from Dover AFB survived a crash after an engine problem on takeoff. Then today a pilot survives an F-16 crash after an engine problem on takeoff.

The personal side of this: When I was an F-4C crew chief in the 70's at Luke AFB, we used to hang out near the end of that runway drinking beer after the graveyard shift, and watch F-4's and F-104's land and takeoff. It was a pretty cool place, because you could drive up to within a couple hundred yards of the end of the runways, outside the base perimeter fence, and no one was around. I drove past there a couple of years ago and I was amazed that the AF hadn't bought up all that land and closed the roads. I seem to remember that when the F-104's screamed over our heads on landing that it seemed we could have hit them with a rock. Maybe we couldn't, but it seemed like it.

Update: I forgot about the F-16 lost in Utah on March 30, and the F-16 from Shaw lost on April 6. That's 4 F-16s and one C-5 lost in less than a month.

Posted 03:19 GMT

Many people don't know that the Air Force Pararescue force is comparable to the Navy Seals and Army Rangers. I met a guy when I was in AF Basic that was headed for this training and tried to persuade me to apply for it. Oh, well, opportunities lost...

Air Force Link has some images from recent training.

Instructors soak Airman 1st Class Michael Lauria and fellow trainees as they carry a log during pararescue indoctrination training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, on Thursday, April 6, 2006. The 10-week indoctrination training is the first hurdle of intense physical and mental training for pararescue hopefuls. It prepares them for the 12 to 15 months of extreme training they must pass to become Air Force pararescue members. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.)

Air Force Pararescue trainees at Lackland AFB Texas

April 12, 2006

Posted 14:24 GMT

The countdown has begun for the Sea Launch of the JCSAT-9 communications satellite, on April 12, at 4:30pm PDT (23:30 GMT).

Go to the Sea Launch Web Site for real time streaming video beginning about 10 minutes before the flight.

Sea Launch control ship and launching platform

Photo copyright by Sea Launch.

Posted 13:45 GMT

I just got into a rant on the Luscombeairplanes users group on Yahoo regarding Mode S transponders and the design of the ATC system, so I'll post it here:

Mode S is not only an ATC controller job protection system, it is also the Airline Monopoly and GA Flight Deterrent System.
I've been involved on the periphery of this stuff since I was on the ADS/B design committee (see www.ADS-B.com) around 10 years ago. I didn't stay on the committee, and I'm not very familiar with what they ended up with, particularly the data link spec.
Anyway, take a look at the traffic on your average freeway and compare it to the traffic on your average airway. Not the same thing you say? Why?
The differences are 1) aircraft don't have well defined "highways" with lanes to remain within. 2) aircraft can't see one another, but must rely on verbal directions from ATC (even though some have TCAS and now ADS/B systems which are only meant for emergency avoidance, not actual plane-to-plane relative navigation). 3) aircraft sometimes have a difficult time staying within tight boundaries (within feet) because of performance and weather reasons.
One thing to mention; Air traffic moves in 4 dimensions, Latitude, Longitude, Altitude, and Time. As long as no two aircraft have all four of those values nearly identical, no one will hit another.
Solve those problems above (1 and 2 are easy, 3 is a bit harder for GA aircraft), and airspace could conceivably handle traffic that looks more like what you see on the Star Wars home planet than today's airways. And with aircraft mass produced in much greater numbers, they shouldn't cost more than a generic SUV.
Google up some of the "Highway In The Sky" info. That's a bit simplistic, but it's a good start.
Today's ATC based system is positively prehistoric. If the Wright Bros. had today's computer and digital RF technologies, no one would have even considered basing air traffic on verbal commands given from one controller to a dozen or so aircraft that are virtually blind to one another. With a dozen two-pilot aircraft per controller, there *could* be 24 pairs of eyes looking out after their own behinds, rather than one pair of eyes looking out for conflicts and verbally telling one of them at a time what to do. Try assembling a dozen people in a room blindfolded and get them to do useful work with one another by mere verbal commands, and that's basically what we've got.
I doubt this will change until some other method of managing traffic, a far superior one, becomes common knowledge among pilots. So in the end this is a sales promotion problem, not a technical or even government inertia problem.
Lacking independent wealth, I have no idea how I could change the status quo. But given the time and/or money, perhaps one could build an internet based flight simulator system based on this advanced concept and invite large numbers of pilots to operate it simultaneously. It wouldn't be terribly hard to build such a thing. Microsoft Flight Sim I believe has enough hooks in it to write an external package with new panel displays and internet communication that you could create this future air traffic system, test it, demonstrate it, and sell it to the airplane community.

Well, it was a rant. Every once in awhile you've just got to mouth off.

April 11, 2006

Posted 19:30 GMT

Internet scuttlebutt says that the C-5 accident of April 3 was caused by a reverser unlock of the #2 engine while flying with over 700k lbs gross weight and 300k lbs of fuel on board. The airplane had the latest version of cockpit glass, but unfortunately only one of the pilots was very familiar with it and the new Flight Management System. The crew decided because of weight to fly a full flap approach. When the crew selected Flaps 40, the aircraft was too slow, with the pilot who was familiar with the FMS head down in the cockpit and confusion about who was flying the airplane. The airplane got too slow and into the shaker and hit the ground tail first breaking it off. The rest of the airplane hit hard, with some of the passengers receiving spinal compression injuries. Some of the guys at the crew table behind the pilots came to rest with their legs hanging off into the air.

If this version of the story is true, these guys were very lucky that none of the fuel dumped from the left outboard tank went off. Lucky they all survived.

Air Force C-5 aircraft crash site - airplane broken in two

Posted 19:14 GMT

After the successful HyShot III and IV scramjet flights in recent weeks, the University of Queensland in Austraila has announced an $8.5 million partnership with Boeing for scramjet development.

HyShot III scramjet launch via rocket in Austrailia Outback

Posted 14:04 GMT

The San Francisco Chronicle Reports that in January a "lights-out" C-130 carrying 6 members of Congress from Iraq to Kuwait was fired on by an SA-18 shoulder fired missile. Military spokesmen will not confirm, but apparently the C-130 mounted AN/AAQ-24 Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) system defeated the missile.

AN/AAQ-24 Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) laser

10 April, 2006

Posted 01:21 GMT

Sea Launch has departed Long Beach for a flight next week:

The Sea Launch team plans to launch the JCSAT-9 communications satellite on April 11, at the opening of a 34-minute launch window, at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (23:30 GMT).

The Sea Launch vessels are on their way to the launch site in international waters of the Pacific Ocean, at 154 degrees West Longitude, south of Hawaii. Upon arrival, the launch team will initiate a 72-hour countdown, ballasting the Launch Platform 65 feet, to launch depth, and performing final tests on the launch system and the spacecraft. A Zenit-3SL vehicle will lift the 4401 kg (9,703 lbs) spacecraft, to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO)

Sea Launch rocket launch

Photo Credit: Sea Launch

9 April, 2006

Posted 23:55 GMT

Boeing has announced the first engineering releases for the new 747-8. I hadn't heard of the thing, so I did some research and discovered that the -8 will include some significant technology from the new 787 Dreamliner (which is where they get the -8 part). I had read that Boeing has had recent success booking orders, but hadn't known why. Apparently part of the reason is:

... the passenger and freighter versions of the 747-8 will allow operators to maximize their profitability. Seat-mile costs for the 747-8 Intercontinental are 8 percent lower than the 747-400, with comparable trip costs. The 747-8 Intercontinental is more than 13 percent lighter per seat than the A380, and as consumes 14 percent less fuel per passenger. That translates into a trip-cost reduction of 22 percent and a seat-mile cost reduction of more than 6 percent compared to the A380.

The 747-8 is the only large airplane that fits today's airport infrastructure, giving airlines the flexibility to fly to more destinations. The 747-8 will fly into the 210 airports worldwide served by the current 747 family, using the same pilot type ratings, services and most ground support equipment. With a range of 14,815- km (8,000-nmi), the 747-8 Intercontinental can connect nearly any major city pair in the world.

Boeing 747-8 airplane

8 April, 2006

Posted 23:55 GMT

Alan at Mojave blogs the X-37 free flight today.

White Knight aircraft taxis after X-37 free flight

Update: from Space.com

According to Jan Walker of DARPA External Relations the White Knight and ALTV took off from the Mojave, California airport at 6:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). At 7:28 a.m. PDT, White Knight released ALTV within the Edwards Air Force Base test range airspace at an altitude of 37,000 feet.

After release, the ALTV touched down on runway 22 at Edwards AFB at 7:31 a.m. PDT.

“ALTV’s autonomous landing sequence and initial touch-down were flawless and fully according to plan,” Walker reported, “but ALTV did not stop in the distance expected and rolled off the end of the runway. ALTV’s steering was nominal for the full length of the runway.”

They also say that the X-37 damaged the nose wheel on landing. From going off the end of the runway no doubt.

Alan also reports that ATC gave White Knight a hard time about getting a specific drop altitude which delayed release and caused White Knight to come home bingo fuel.

Posted 05:40 GMT

Aviatrix blogs an engine fire while dead heading to her new job.

The prop on my side spins down rapidly, feathered, and the aircraft has braked to a stop.

The captain's voice comes over the PA, "Remain seated!" He may not know yet that the engine is on fire. A moment later he changes the command to "Evacuate!" He specifies the exit.

The FA is standing, yelling out the shouted commands that are as much a mantra to her as the engine failure procedures are to me.

Posted 04:58 GMT

An F-16 from Shaw AFB crashed last night 35 miles off the coast of South Carolina. The pilot was picked up by a Coast Guard Helicopter and taken to a nearby Navy ship.

Posted 04:31 GMT

Senior Master Sgts. Brian and Kathy Rust use a boat to commute to work at the North Dakota Air National Guard in Fargo, N.D., on Monday, April 3, 2006, after the rising Wild Rice River flooded the roads near their home. Both are with the 119th Fighter Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp)

Air Force Sgts use boat to cross flooded North Dakota river

Posted 04:31 GMT

Alan blogs an X-37 free flight scrub this morning. (But he's got great pictures)

So what's a couple of knots of wind speed amongst friends? For the X-37 and its elusive quest to fly free, it meant yet another last minute call to abort the mission and RTB. ... As they say, try, try again....

White Knight airplane carries X-37 over Mojave Ca.

7 April, 2006

Posted 05:25 GMT

Brian Webb at spacearchive.info has information on a Minuteman launch at Vandenberg tomorrow morning

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled to launch from North Vandenberg Friday morning as part of a developmental test to demonstrate the ability to the weapon system’s effectiveness in a stressed environment on extended range. The six-hour launch window is from 3:01 a.m. to 9:01 a.m. PST (Ed - Brian says this is probably PDT).

The missile's single unarmed re-entry vehicle is expected to travel approximately 5,100 miles, hitting a pre-determined water target near Guam in the northern Mariana Islands.

Posted 05:10 GMT

Sam does the Bump and Grind

I reach for the altitude alerter and twist it down to 20,000 feet. BAM! Whoops, 19,700. I reach for it again. Boom! Again, the turbulence makes me spin the alerter past my target, to 20,300. Okay, let's just... BOOM! Argh! 18,900! .... I'm starting to realize that push-button airplanes just aren't designed with moderate turbulence in mind.

Read it all.

Aircraft instrument panel blurry from moderate turbulence

Posted 04:24 GMT

The Exposive Ordinance Disposal guys have got to be some of the bravest of the lot. SRA Ahlf, below, destroys a Russian Bomb at Bagram AFB left over from the Afghan-Soviet war of 1979-1989.

Senior Airman Cory Ahlf shovels mud to help hold an ammo can covering a C-4 explosive charge on Thursday, March 30, 2006. Airman Ahlf is assigned to the 755th Expeditionary Mission Support Group as an explosive ordnance disposal journeyman. He is deployed from F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jennifer Redente)

explosive ordinance disposal in Iraq destroy unexploded russian bomb

6 April, 2006

Posted 15:41 GMT

Air Force Links has an article about barrier (arresting cable) operations. Most people don't realize that Air Force aircraft have hooks like Navy aircraft. They're just not usually as beefy because they're used only in emergency and often at slower speeds of a rollout, not right at touchdown.

This was a test last friday at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C..

F-16 catches barrier cable similar to Navy carrier airplanes

Posted 01:13 GMT

Fox News has a story about an Iranian "radar evading flying boat". Yeah. And I have an F-16 in the hangar at Mongollon Air Park.

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran said Tuesday it had tested what it called a "super-modern flying boat" capable of evading radar. State TV showed a brief clip of the boat's launch.

"Due to its advanced design, no radar at sea or in the air can detect it. It can lift out of the water," the television said. It said the boat was "all Iranian-made and can launch missiles with precise targeting while moving."

Looks like a Russian surface effect vehicle to me.

5 April, 2006

Posted 22:20 GMT

Aerobatic pilot Sean Tucker bailed out this morning in Lafayette La. after his control stick broke shortly after takeoff while he was traveling to Sun & Fun. Local media reports that he got hung up in the airplane momentarily while exiting the cockpit, but finally exited and parachuted to safety. The airplane was destroyed.

Update: Aero-News says that Sean was flying a practice session when the control stick broke requiring some 15 minutes of trouble-shooting before he bailed out at a reported 8000 feet. He landed with no injuries.

Posted 19:01 GMT

Delta Air Lines pilots voted by 94.7 percent to authorize a strike on Tuesday. They have yet to set a date to begin the strike.

One thing about Pilots unions. When they go on the picket line, they look good.

Posted 15:38 GMT