Airplane Geeks Podcast

Freelance aviation journalist Jason Rabinowitz joins us to talk about FAA deadlines, passenger behaviour on charter flights, and the state of U.S. airport infrastructure. Also, the best aviation museums, Jetblue’s new FlyFi system, travel technology, and analyzing travel data. Jason is @AirlineFlyer on Twitter and also see his Facebook page. Find Jason’s writing at Airchive, AirlineReporter, and the Runway Girl Network. The week’s aviation news: FAA Likely To Miss Deadlines on NextGen, UAS and PBN Is Bieber getting out of control? Joe Biden Says NYC Airport Like ‘Some 3rd-World Country’ From CNN, the World’s 14 best aviation museums: 14. Palm Springs Air Museum (California, United States) 13. Central Museum of the Air Forces (Monino, Russia) 12. Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum (Alice Springs, Australia) 11. Red Bull Hangar-7 (Salzburg, Austria) 10. Canada Aviation and Space Museum (Ottawa, Canada) 9. China Aviation Museum (Beijing) 8. Polish Aviation Museum (Krakow, Poland) 7. Pima Air & Space Museum (Arizona, United States) 6. State Aviation Museum of Ukraine (Kiev, Ukraine) 5. French Air and Space Museum (Le Bourget, France) – Jason 4. Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour (Washington, United States) 3. National Museum of the United States Air Force (Ohio, United States) 2. Imperial War Museum Duxford (Duxford, UK) 1. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.) David Vanderhoof’s segment: Suzie the Cirrus and her adventure with Mr. Alex. In this week’s Australia Desk: This week we have a recent interview with Matt Hall, talking about his preparations for the upcoming Red Bull Air Race season. For US listeners, there are two races this year – one in Forth Worth and the other in Las Vegas. Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: Pieter talks to Krzysztof Kuska Editor-in-Chief of Infolotnicze about the decision by the Polish military to proceed with buying the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 twin-engined jet trainer as its Lead-in Fighter Trainer (LIFT) aircraft to replace its aged fleet of over 100 PZL Mielec TS-11 Iskra jets; significantly under cutting BAE and Korea Aerospace/Lockheed Martin in the process.  Pieter learns the M346 and Yak 130 share the same development stable, but this does not fit comfortably with some in Poland. They also discuss the current pressure on the national airline LOT to look for both internal and external investment and its recent bad luck with the Boeing 787 service. Capt. Dustin “Skooby” Merritt describes flying on A-10 Thunderbolt II Maj. Matthew Sala talks about flying a LC-130 Follow Infolotnicze on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentioned: the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 [PDF] Virgin Atlantic gets up close and personal with Google Glass Cranky Concierge This guesthouse wouldn’t fly in most neighborhoods Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Mike Collins flew with pilot and aviation businessman Mike Laver around the world in a Mitsubishi MU–2 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the MU–2’s first flight. The 26,568 nautical mile journey required 98 hours of flight time. More information and photos at Around the world in 25 days and MU-2 Round the World: Around the world, by the numbers. See also the AOPA Live video and the interactive DeLorme InReach tracking map. Mike Collins is a long time professional photojournalist, currently the technical editor for AOPA Pilot and Flight Training. He’s also director of business operations for AOPA’s publishing activities, director of the International Society for Aviation Photography, and an instrument-rated private pilot. The week’s aviation news: Over 100 cities in China building or planning general aviation parks Big News for Big D! Southwest Airlines Announces New Nonstop Destinations NH city ignores FAA, uses drone for video Does Commercial Aviation Need A Mega-Twin? David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: the AgustaWestland AW-139 Helicopter. In this week’s Australia Desk: Steve’s back at last and Grant is very happy that he’s offered to do the editing. YAY! Once Steve manages to squeeze his funky wheel chair in behind the studio desk, the boys start chatting about the news and, wouldn’t you know it, here’s Qantas *sigh*: Qantas 747 maintenance going off shore General Peter Cosgrove steps down from QF board to become GG Virgin creates board positions for its big investors Airwork 737-300F damaged in hard landing at Honiara C27J transition team now with 35SQN – aircraft going to Texas for final fit out RNZAF supplements it massive jet fighter force with me T6-Cs Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: Pieter is off this week, but you can find him on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentioned: Martin Mars Water Bomber Tribute Delta’s 80′s In-Flight Safety Video Delta’s new 80′s-themed safety video is, like, totally tubular Group plans to bring Eastern Air Lines back to Miami Ryan’s C-9 variant of the DC-9 that visited Adelaide in 2009: photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, and his 717 trip report. The Naviator app. Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Richard Aboulafia is Vice President of Analysis with the Teal Group. He consultants for and advises many aerospace companies, and has published articles in Aviation Week, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Professional Pilot, and many other news and trade publications. We talk about what the KC-46A tanker means for Boeing, airliner orders and financing in the current environment of low interest rates, high cost of fuel, availability of cheap cash. Also, the fast growth rate of the commercial sector, the ramp down of military, and the recovery of the business jet market – poor recovery based on units, good recovery based on cash. With Richard, we consider the airline labor situation at United/Continental, the IAM/Boeing contract agreement, as well as the CSeries and how competitive reaction might affect its future. Richard comments on industry trends: The barriers to entry in the airliner business, Russia and China, a continuation of the Boeing/Airbus duopoly, and the supply chain. On the military side: the F-35 and over-capacity. Richard is presenting at the Asia Pacific Security Conference (APSEC 2014) 10 February 2014. The week’s aviation news: Boeing’s first KC-46A test tanker to fly this summer Aircraft finance on cloud nine as new money pours in With Flight-Attendant Battle, United-Continental Merger Looks Far From Finished Rockwell Collins Sees Business-Jet Rebound Sliding to ’16 RAA Statement on Today’s U.S. Supreme Court Air Wisconsin vs. Hoeper  Decision David Vanderhoof’s History Segment: David reports on the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar Behind the Scenes Open House, held at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum. In this week’s Australia Desk: ATC Ben, Damien, and Jonesy join Grant to talk about the new Brisbane West Wellcamp airport being built near Toowoomba. Damien has some fantastic analysis & raises a few points about its location, its impact on the military bases nearby and what it may mean for the existing Toowoomba airport. Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: Pieter talks to Mick Oakey Managing Editor of the digital and print magazine The Aviation Historian. Described as  ‘The modern journal of classic aeroplanes and the history of flying — aviation history for grown-ups…’  this is a high quality quarterly book type publication for the serious aerospace historian and the current edition features our previous guest Angela Waller – Before There Were Trolly Dolleys. The Aviation Historian also has a pretty good presence on Facebook and Twitter. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentioned: Girls With Wings! Flight training scholarships. Flights diverted after pilot Michael Cusato falls asleep on approach to Sydney Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Jack Suchocki (a former Eastern Airlines Captain) is President of Eyewitness Animations. They create professional forensic animations and courtroom graphics, including aviation accident reconstruction. These are used for investigations and litigation. An example is the Asiana 214 crash video they produced. The animations are accurate with respect to the events, scale, and time. Clients include U.S. Government agencies, industry manufacturers and organizations, television networks, and many others. We talk about where the data comes from for these animations constructed on personal computers and how they are used in accident litigation. The week’s aviation news: A New Order, and Announcing a Further Delay – What it Means for the CSeries? Abu Dhabi Plans Aviation Biofuel Project AWWA Sky Whale Plane Could Be The Future Of Air Travel (And It’s Utterly Massive) United to furlough 688 junior flight attendants SNA 2014: Heat From F-35, MV-22 Continue to Plague Big Deck Amphibs Flight Training, a GA Pilot and a Goose David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: the Douglas DC-9. In this week’s Australia Desk: Qantas copping a US$90k fine for not a form of tarmac stranding Qantas pulls their 737s out of Hobart & sticks to 717s Air India 787 lines up on Essendon GA airport instead of Melbourne airport Things get even more kooky with the new Toowoomba airport, starting with its name. (Damien Rose used to live in Toowoomba and knows the area well.) Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. View through the glass from Barcelona Tower In this week’s Across the Pond segment: Pieter talks to Jesús Calderon, Air Traffic Controller in the Barcelona Tower about recent changes to airfield procedures, why he is taking his ATPL exams in London and why Barcelona has been busier than Madrid this summer. We also get an insight into what an Air Traffic Controller thinks about when he takes a commercial flight as a passenger. Find Jesús on Facebook, Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentioned: Aviation Geek Fest 2014 [SOLD OUT] 5 Years Later, Still Feeling Impact of Plane Down in the Hudson Zach Sherwin – “Goose MCs” (5th Anniversary of the Miracle on the Hudson) This New Ocean Close call as ice rained from sky at Annadel Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Max, Rob, and David talk about why we’ve seen so many airline orders, why pilots land at the wrong airport, and why is it taking so long for the FAA to allow drones in the national airspace. Plus, listener recordings and emails. The week’s aviation news: Airlines go on a record new jet shopping spree Southwest Airlines grounds pilots who landed plane at wrong Missouri airport Liberate the Drones of Commerce  [Behind the WSJ paywall.] In this week’s Australia Desk: With Steve just about to go into the surgeon’s hands, Grant calls on ATC Ben, Jonesy and Kathy Mexted to help out. As you might expect, the result is a bit of a roller coaster as the team talks about: Qantas gets downgraded by another agency (Moodys) as expected but otherwise it’s still somewhat quiet. Air New Zealand A320 has an engine failure departing Melbourne (and doesn’t land in Kathy’s back yard). Boeing’s 787-9 test aircraft is in Alice Springs but rumour is it’s still not hot enough for them! RAAF 77SQN are preparing for Exercise Red Flag in Nevada. The Boeing and Thales consortium are selected for AIR 9000 Phase 7 (advanced helicopter trainer). Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: This week on Across The Pond, we go back to talk to Bill Leary, Director and Pilot at the AN2 Club. Bill tells us what ‘Big Bird’ has been up to since our last visit a few years ago and the impending COA in April, why ‘Big Bird’ is registered in Hungary and what she is like to fly. Still based at Popham Airfield in Hampshire, UK, we discuss plans for this flying season and hope it improves over a disastrous season last year. If you are a PPL Holder, you can fly ‘Big Bird’ or hire her for an event. Now that would be fantastic! Find her on Twitter as @An2Club, and more at The An-2 Club Display Team story on the Tom Mercer Photography site. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Listener Recordings: Manny talking Evan through the daily inspection Micah on Fudging Airline Fees. Evan Schoo on his First Solo. Mentioned: Cranky Concierge Afghanistan Gets Spooky Ghostriders as the AC-130H Ret Chickenwings Comics Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

We talk with Victoria Neuville Zajko about Women of Aviation Week, March 3-9, 2014, where young women are introduced to flying and aviation through a number of events around the world. Victoria tells us how to contribute by creating and sponsoring events. As she’s in the aviation insurance business, Victoria also tells us about that industry segment. Victoria is an instrument rated commercial pilot who works as a sales assistant for Aviation Insurance Resources. She’s also on the crew of the Stuck Mic Avcast, which has the tag line “An Aviation Podcast about learning to fly, living to fly, and loving to fly.” She blogs at Toriaflies, and is an active member of the Sugarloaf chapter of the Ninety-Nines, a VIP member of Women of Aviation Week and a member of Women in Aviation International and the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association. The week’s aviation news: Seattle machinists approve Boeing 777X production contract 2014 Outlook For Aviation Careers Brightens With Looming Pilot And Mechanic Shortages Trouble for the Twin-Engine Giants? Brazilians Aren’t Happy About $4.5 Billion Purchase Of Saab Gripen Fighter Jets Richard Aboulafia’s December 2013 Letter on why NSA spying of Brazilian leaders was not a factor David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: the Saab JAS-39 Gripen. In this week’s Australia Desk: Steve and Grant kick off the new year on the AusDesk by reporting about New Zealand! Glyn Powell, the man who made the fuselage & wings of the DH Mosquito recently restored by AvSpecs in NZ has been awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for his efforts. 787-9 visits NZ (AirNZ is the launch customer) and will then head to Alice Springs in Australia for heat testing. Brindabella retrenches 135 of 140 staff (some being kept to maintain aircraft as the administrator seeks buyers) () but some pilots are offered jobs by REX. Qantas is copping some flak for “manufacturing its own crisis.” First flight for the RAAF’s first C27J. Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: This week Pieter brings us some news stories that caught his attention over the break including; Ryanair’s charm offensive – is it now paying off? the launch of the Gaia spacecraft, and the roll out of Airbus A350XWB MSN2. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentioned: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum’s future in doubt as creditors claim Spruce Goose, other planes Meribel Flight with the Aeroclub De Meribel. Meribel France Meribel Flying Photos this is why we fly…. Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

OpenAirplane co-founders Rod Rakic and Adam Fast talk about the platform that makes it easy for pilots away from home to rent airplanes. Pilots fly more, increase their proficiency, and aircraft utilization is higher. Learn more about OpenAirplane with the handy online pilot’s guide and the operator’s guide.  See also the Support for Pilots FAQ and the Support for Operators FAQ. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Rod Rakic pioneered social media for aviation as the founder of myTransponder.com. Recently, Rob left his position as Director of the Digital Innovation for Sears Holdings, to concentrate full time on growing OpenAirplane. Rod started flight training when he was sixteen, and holds a FAA commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating. He flys for business and pleasure, and he’s an active Search and Rescue pilot with the Civil Air Patrol, where he serves as a Squadron Operations Officer, with the rank of Captain. Adam Fast loves software coding and flying GA aircraft. He’s been a software developer and a software consultant, but he combines that interest with aviation by geographically indexing the world’s aviation museums, working on aircraft management software for his flying club, building a scheduling system to automatically create an itinerary for the world’s largest airshow, and his own implementation of a glass cockpit. He’s a ham radio guy, holds a private pilot certificate, and has flown solo round trip to Oshkosh. Adam has also spoken to the International Space Station via both voice and data modes, and stood three miles away on the final launch of all three Space Shuttle Orbiters. We also look back on significant aviation stories from 2013, and ahead to what may make the news in 2014. The week’s aviation news: The year in aviation: Major changes afoot Airlines Say ‘Happy New Year’ With New Fees Textron to Acquire Beechcraft–Significantly Expands General Aviation Business with Addition of Beechcraft Products and Services David Vanderhoof interviews Lieutenant Commander David Tickle, who joined the Blue Angels in September 2010 and served as the Narrator and VIP pilot in 2011, the Opposing Solo pilot in 2012 and the Lead Solo pilot in 2013. He has accumulated more than 2,450 flight hours and 261 carrier arrested landings. His decorations include two Strike Flight Air Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various personal and unit awards. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: We return to the Middle East with Oussama Salah from Oussamas Take to look at new airlines starting in the Saudi market from Qatar and Saudi Gulf Air as well as the impact of a settling of political unrest in certain parts in now affecting aircraft orders. Will Airbus’s and Boeing’s keep raining down on MENA? Find Oussama Salah on Google Plus, and Facebook. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Listener Recording: Launchpad Marzari interviews Raimund Riedmann, the Redbull Chief pilot and Flight Operations Manager. Hangar 7 and The Flying Bulls. Mentioned: Trevor provided links to “Near Miss,” an ATC program from Discovery Canada: Near Miss 1, Near Miss 2, Near Miss 3, Near Miss 4, Near Miss 5. Martlesham Heath Control Tower Beech Baron landing at Courchevel Airport, France Bawdsey – Home of RADAR Cobra Mist Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Bill English is Investigator in Charge with the Office of Aviation Safety at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and he walks us through the NTSB investigation of the July 6, 2013 crash of Asiana Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport, from the first call to the investigative hearing December 11, 2013. Boarding the FAA airplane We talk about the assembly of the team and go-bag preparation, gathering initial information, and transport to the site. Bill continues with the on-site command post set up, securing the scene and harvesting perishable evidence. Site access and support area A major role of the Investigator in Charge is organizing the other agencies, manufacturers, support organizations, and other parties involved such as the airport authority, FBI, and Red Cross. Command post getting ready for an evening debrief Besides the key task of evidence gathering, the team must keep the public informed. That’s also an objective of the investigative hearing, which introduces factual information into the investigation and shows the public the progress being made. Over the course of the next six months, all the information will be assembled into a final report containing analysis and conclusions, probable cause, and safety recommendations. At another public meeting, the draft report will be presented to the Board for their deliberation and adoption. Links: The NTSB is an independent Federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the U.S. and significant accidents in other modes of transportation-railroad, highway, marine and pipeline. Investigative Hearing webcast archive. Asiana docket with documents associated with the investigation. Bill has been with the NTSB since 1999, and has been the lead investigator on numerous major aviation accidents in the US and around the world including the Continental Airlines 1404 accident in Denver, the 737/Legacy midair collision in Brazil, UPS flight 6 B747 fire in Dubai, a US Navy contracted B707 tanker, and most recently the Asiana Boeing 777 in San Francisco. Bill is also the NTSB’s resource for unmanned aircraft investigations and developed the civil unmanned aircraft accident investigations manual.  He worked for the FAA as an air traffic controller, quality assurance specialist, and in navigation procedure development. He is a certified instrument flight instructor and commercial pilot in single and multi-engine airplanes, flew aerial observation, corporate, and electronics test aircraft and has extensive experience in flight inspection and advanced navigation technology. Prior to joining the Board he was a contributing editor to IFR Magazine. Bill graduated from Embry-Riddle University in Aeronautical Science and his graduate work was in Geospatial Intelligence at Penn State. History Segment: This week, David Vanderhoof brings us a special Christmas story called, “Suzie the Christmas Cirrus!“ In this week’s Australia Desk: It’s not just Rob who reckons an AusDesk can be produced by just saying how Qantas and Jetstar are in trouble. Steve and Grant have had enough too and, even though lots of column inches are being generated this week about the group’s woes, they’re not going to spend time discussing the issues as they’re pretty much as they were last week. Instead, they’re going to hassle David a tad about the “Classic” Hornets then talk about another airline in trouble: sadly, Brindabella Airlines has gone under. To help smooth things over a bit with David, the boys chat about matters military: The RAAF will keep operating the Heron remotely piloted aircraft in Afghanistan despite the withdrawl of Australian troops. The RAN has a ceremonial acceptance of their first MH60R. After all that, it’s time to shut down the AusDesk studio and head for the beach ‘cos it’s Christmas in Australia and the sun is shining, the temperatures climbing and the holidays are about to commence. Wishing you a great [...]

Guest Scott Winter is Assist Professor of Aviation Sciences, College of Aeronautics, Florida Institute of Technology. We talk about the aviation programs at Florida Tech, the research Scott is conducting, his experience working at Cirrus, and Flight Safety Foundation student chapters. Mixed in is some advice for those considering aviation careers, automated system trust concepts as they apply to passengers and pilots. Scott completed his Doctorate degree from Purdue University in 2013, where his dissertation research focused on pilot decision-making in irreversible emergencies. He presently conducts research in 3 foundational areas: pilots’ transition and information processing in glass cockpit aircraft, training pilots in very light jet operations, and enhancement methods for pilot cognition and decision-making. Prior to beginning his academic career, Dr. Winter worked in the Flight Standards and Operations Department at Cirrus Aircraft. During his time at Cirrus, he worked on designing various training manuals and educational tools. As a check airman, he oversaw the training and proficiency for company pilots. For two years, Dr. Winter served Cirrus as an international representative of the Flight Standards and Operations Department, where he obtained international flight experience in Europe, South America, the Caribbean, Australia, and South Africa. The week’s aviation news: Senators Demand Answers on Warrantless GA Stops Supreme Court to hear Wisconsin airline case Justices hear case of frequent flier, airline breakup Pilots Cited in July Jet Crash David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: the Noorduyn Norseman. (Image above) In this week’s Australia Desk: Rob’s got both Steve and Grant keeping their knees up this time, but that won’t help Qantas who are collapsing into a sea of red as they announce a $250-$300 million loss for the first half of the year. The Qantas woes are even impacting Jetstar who are threatening to withdraw their flights from Avalon Airport and have confirmed they’ll be closing their Darwin base. Finally, the RAAF have announced their Centenary of Military Aviation airshow will be held at Pt Cook in March 2014 Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: Air Serbia A319 Courtesy Air Serbia This week we welcome back Petar Voinovich from TangoSix to look at the main aerospace topics in Serbia. We first look at the intriguing relationship developing between the United Arab Emirates and Serbia which has resulted in Emirates investing a significant amount of money in the ailing Air Serbia. TangoSixPortal on Facebook and @tangosix on Twitter. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentioned: Aviation Careers Podcast Skydiver moves between gliders in mid-air Discovery – Understanding air traffic control [49 min] From Cape Town to Goodwood Xtended Podcast 18 – Cape Town to Goodwood Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Benet Wilson joins to talk about H.R. 1848: Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013 (SARA) and the role of the General Aviation cacuses in House and Senate, China’s easing of GA flight requirements, Wichita’s relationship building with China, commercial and military implications of China’s air-defense zone, and the American Airlines and US Airways merger. We also chat a bit about Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones) and “Amazon Prime Air.” Also, be sure to see Benet’s AOPA Top 10 Aviation Apps poll. (Cast your vote by December 16, 2013.) Benet Wilson is Social Media/eNewsletters Editor for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Her personal blog is Aviation Queen and on Twitter she is @AvQueenBenet. The week’s aviation news: Obama signs aviation revitalization act H.R. 1848: Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013 China Loosens Leash on General Aviation Flights James Fallows AOPA Interview on Aviation in China New policy eases GA flight restrictions in China Chinese aviation investor visits Wichita U.S. airlines complying with China’s new airspace demands U.S. B-52s flew over China’s controversial new air defense zone American Airlines and US Airways will merge to form world’s largest airline on December 9th Richard Herrmann’s first airplane solo flight at Sporty’s Academy: Click here to view the embedded video. In this week’s Australia Desk: PCDU crew members ATC Ben & Steven Pam join Steve and Grant this week.  The Qantas vs. Virgin Australia foreign ownership row dominated the local aviation headlines again this week with Australia’s Federal Treasurer, Joe Hockey, publically floating the concept of changes to the Qantas Sale Act (1992) which would permit foreign investors to acquire greater percentages of the airline’s stock.  Grant and Ben share their thoughts on how this might work, were it allowed to happen. Tony Abbott says no rush for decision on Qantas’s future Joe Hockey to resist stake in Qantas Virgin returns serve with call for Qantas marketshare investigation Steven Pam is PCDU’s chief photo and video guy who does an amazing job of making the team look good on the big (and small) screen. He’s also a professional photographer and videographer with extensive experience in the corporate and local TV industry….and he has a plan which needs your support! Steven is planning to travel to Oshkosh in 2014 to film a documentary that focuses on the psyche of people like us – AvGeeks! What is it that draws people to this wonderful niche? And how do we explain it to people who are not? Airheads will explore this issues and more, but it needs support. This week, Steven explains how he’s set up a fund at KickStarter to crowd source the finance. See Steven’s work at stevenpam.com.au and the documentary at airheadsdocumentary.com. Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: This week we welcome back Frenchez Pietersz from AviationPlatform to talk about Air France KLM and Alitalia’s woes facing a major re financing and restructuring programme. We also look a little deeper into the success of Europe’s award winning Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport and how they have bucked the trend across Europe of flat cargo volumes. Cargolux’s Boeing 747-8’s also feature on why they think they will bounce back from the flat cargo market when the need to bulky cargo items cannot fit the smaller 767, 777, A330 freighters. Aviation Platform is on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Listener Recording: Our Main(e) Man Micah with “The Music of Modern Flight.” Mentioned: Aviation Geek Fest 2014 Airspeed Online, Three part series: Inside Airshows. Part 1: Running Away[...]

Guest Max Trescott joins the conversation with us on Dubai Air Show orders and the Boeing 777X, the future of General Aviation and what pilots need to do now, the new FAA mandate for sleep apnea testing, FCC considering inflight cell phone use, and MU-2 stall training. In the listener mail segment, we talk about difficult approaches, airport security, over-reliance on automation vs. hand flying the airplane, runway debris, flying in Russia, a highway landing, and more. Max Trescott was the 2008 National CFI of the Year. For all his pilot training books, CDs, and iPhone GPS guides, visit G1000Book.com. Also see also his personal blog, Trends Aloft. The week’s aviation news: Dubai Airshow soars to become the world’s top aviation event Boeing launches 777X at Dubai Air Show Gulf Airlines’ Wild Shopping Spree The Future of General Aviation is You, so Get Cracking! by Max Trescott EAA Medical Council Pans FAA Sleep Apnea Testing Proposal CDC BMI Calculator FAA Medical Chief Targets Fat Pilots And Controllers AOPA to ask FAA to suspend implementation of new sleep apnea policy FCC To Reconsider Aircraft Cellphone Ban Phone calls on planes? Please, no! by Benét J. Wilson Inflight Voice Call Debate is Red Herring by Mary Kirby MU-2 Stall Training Rules Conflict with New Technique by Rob Mark David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: This week David gives thanks to our friends and listeners. In this week’s Australia Desk: Etihad A330 pilot declares Mayday!, Virgin Australia goes after Qantas who asks for employee support, Indonesia suspends some relations with Australia and departs planned exercises with noisy F-16’s, and RAAF C-17 training. Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. Su-22 used for ground attack in Poland. Taken during Zlot 2013 at Krzesiny Air Base Courtesy – Krzysztof Kuska In this week’s Across the Pond segment: We talk to Krzysztof Kuska, Editor in Chief at leading Polish aerospace website Infolotnicze about developments in the Polish military procurement for both helicopters and a lead in jet fighter / trainer. We also discuss the fragile state of Polish legacy carrier LOT as well as the threat of the new Berlin Airport on surrounding airports in Poland. See infolotnicze in English on Facebook and on Google+. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentioned: TSA officer killed in LAX shooting bled for 33 minutes before receiving help Logan runway gets debris detectors Xsight Systems VMM-161 “The Greyhawks” 62 Years of Assault Support History Skippyscage by Paul Filmer China gets ready for takeoff Multi-rotor volocopter a “revolution in aviation” Stemme S10 Airplane Lands on Maine’s I-295 During Rush Hour Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Phil Derner, Jr. from NYCAviation joins us to talk about his job as a Flight Dispatcher for a major airline. We talk about Flight Dispatcher roles and responsibilities: building a safe and legal flight plan, monitoring the flight, communicating with the pilots, making routing and fueling decisions, and more. We have an interview with Mike Karrels, also a Flight Dispatcher for a major US airline. He calls it “the greatest job in the world.” We get some additional insights into the profession from Mike, who writes the My Fifty Percent blog, “A flight dispatcher’s view of the airline industry.” On Twitter, find Phil at @NYCAviation and Mike at @my50pct. The Week’s Aviation News: Winners and Losers in American–US Airways Merger Settlement Deal to drop airline merger suit said to turn on meeting U.S. number Union’s Rejection Puts Future Home of Boeing 777X in Doubt Army pursuing family of Osprey-like aircraft Textron Scorpion Aims For December First Flight Hybrid ESTOLAS aircraft combines aspects of a plane, helicopter, hovercraft and airship David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: The Convair B-58 Hustler, Part II. In This Week’s Australia Desk: Steve and Grant are introduced to a whole new term this week: “Drip Pricing” – it seems the ACCC are using the term to cover all the various additional charges that most airlines (especially the “low cost” ones) are using. Apparently they may be considered “false representation” or “misleading or deceptive conduct.” Meanwhile, in other news: The newly elected Australian Federal government has launched their Aviation Safety Review as they promised in the election (a kept promise? Grant is amazed!) Virgin Australia are raising an extra $350 million via a “rights issue” which could be an indication that they *might* go private (despite Air New Zealand denying it strongly). Air New Zealand are themselves suspending trade of their shares as the Kiwi government looks to sell down their share to 53% The Australian Defence Force provides heavy lift assistance to help get emergency equipment, supplies & medical teams to the Phillipines. Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. Tecnam P2002JF Sierra In this week’s Across the Pond segment: We talk to Etienne Maillard an Air Traffic Controller in the Geneva Tower about the new wake turbulence rules at the airport, changing flying school, flying the Tecnam and Robin DR400 and the oncoming winter season. If you visit Etienne’s Flicker Account you will see some of the most amazing aerial shots he has taken whilst flying in the Alps, as well as some great shots from Geneva Tower. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. F4U Corsair Mentioned: India’s Martian MOM lays another perfect orbital egg Arrowhead Stadium, 49 Plane Flyover, Chiefs vs Raiders Boeing tests second 787-9 Dreamliner in United States Digital bag tags could make paper luggage tags obsolete Top 100 Airplanes: Platinum Edition And Flying Heavy Metal with Bruce Dickinson via Mick in Perth: Episode 1 – Jet Race Episode 2 – Jet Set Episode 3 – Size Matters Episode 4 – Safer Skies Episode 5 – Watch This Space Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Guest Christine Negroni is author of the book “Deadly Departure” about the crash of TWA 800 (Now available as an eBook.) Her reporting appears in The New York Times and she has worked as a network television correspondent for CBS News and CNN. She blogs at “Flying Lessons” and you can follow her on Twitter as @cnegroni. We talk about how the TWA 800 accident helped Christine become interested and involved in aviation, the quality of aviation journalism these days, her report of the 1952 crash of a BOAC Hermes in Africa and how some of the original reporting was not completely accurate. Christine also has some thoughts about the recent television documentary “TWA Flight 800,” which puts forth a missile conspiracy theory. Christine has spoken with the Co-Producer and others involved in the documentary. The Week’s Aviation News: New FAA Rule “Advances” Pilot Training Back to the Fundamentals of Flight Skunk Works Reveals SR-71 Successor Plan TSA plan to stop staffing exit lanes causes clash with airports Airline industry swooping in to prevent cyberattacks David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: The Convair B-58 Hustler. (Photo above) In This Week’s Australia Desk: With Grant back on deck this week, we start by talking all things 787 with the news that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has cleared Jetstar to add it’s first such aircraft to their AOC, allowing them to begin passenger flights starting very shortly. Air New Zealand has a number of 787-9 aircraft on order for their fleet and announced this week that the Auckland to Perth will be the initial route to see service.  We’re tipping their cabin will be a tad less squashy in a 302 seat configuration, compared with the 335 on offer from Jetstar. Qantas announces March 2014 as the closure date for their 747 maintenance facility at Avalon Airport in Victoria, with the loss of over 300 jobs.  As reported last week, unions were desperately trying to come up with ways to save the facility, but Qantas seemed determined to close it and is proceeding accordingly.  With the continuing draw down of their 747-400 fleet from 34 airframes to a projected ten by next year, Qantas says they don’t have the workload to justify keeping the base open.  They’ve offered to re-deploy as many jobs as possible to facilities in Brisbane and possibly Melbourne, but its feared that 747 maintenance work for the remaining fleet will go overseas. In defence news, the Royal Australian Air Force has started EA-18 Growler training in earnest with the first crews heading to the US for transition work with the US Navy.  The RAAF is acquiring 12 airframes of this type, which are due to begin service within three years. Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: This week Pieter brings us some news stories that caught his eye, including the passenger growth numbers in Europe, the Europeans Space Agencies space craft ATV4 Albert Einstein and the successful first flight of the e-Go. Mentioned: Marriage Maiden Heaven X-Planes at Dryden Airbus pushes for 18-inch minimum seat width on jetliners Feeling cramped? How to battle the shrinking airline seat I Noticed This Tiny Thing On Google Maps. When I Zoomed In… Well, Nothing Could Prepare Me Google Maps link to the memorial Virgin America Safety Video Dima’s Corner: In-Flight Cabin Safety Videos Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Guest Kevin Hiatt is CEO and President of the Flight Safety Foundation, an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety and the prevention of accidents. We talk about the recent International Aviation Safety Summit: approaches (stabilized and otherwise), tactical safety and strategy, and a presentation from BEA on the lengthy AF447 investigation and the (inaccurate) suggestion by some that they were covering up for AF and Airbus. Also from the Summit: Data gathering and sharing, and safety culture, including from the airline perspective. Dave Barger, Jetblue CEO, described how safety is one of the Jetblue five values.  Scott Winter, Assistant Professor of Aviation Sciences at the College of Aeronautics at Florida Institute of Technology presented on runway excursions. Other topics we covered: NextGen ATC, where that’s going, and the impact on safety. The role of data in the future of flight safety world-wide. Flight Safety Foundation is working with the Mitre Corporation to take safety from a reactive mode (investigating accidents and implementing changes to prevent recurrence) to predictive mode using data to pinpoint areas that warrant examination to reduce future risk. Before joining the Foundation, Kevin was the Vice President for Corporate Safety and Security at World Airways. Kevin was also with Delta Air Lines for 26 years in a variety of positions, including Chief Pilot at the Atlanta International Pilot Crew Base.  The Week’s Aviation  News: Next Gen on Sequester Chopping Block Flight Safety Foundation and MITRE Collaborate to Transform Global Aviation Analytics Soon You’ll Be Able To Use Electronics During Your Entire Flight, FAA Says FAA: Portable Electronic Devices [link to PED ARC report] LAX shooting: Latest on suspect, victims and warning that may have come too late By Daniel from Sydney Australia In This Week’s Australia Desk: Grant is taking a break this week so PCDU’s Western Australia correspondent, Ben Jones (aka Jonesy) joins Steve for this report. In the news, it’s Melbourne Cup week which, although a horse racing event, provides aviation enthusiasts a feast of extra aircraft and aircraft movements to check out.  One Melbourne based helicopter pilot didn’t enjoy the festivities quite so much when her Bell 206L flipped onto its side and crashed as it went to depart a local executive shuttle point in the city’s north.  Luckily, she escaped the wreckage with little more than a finger injury. Qantas maintenance staff at it’s beleaguered Avalon base have approached the company with an offer to take three months off without pay, in a desperate bid to save the facility from closure.  It appears the company is determined to progress the closure plans however, as it continues to reduce it’s Boeing 747 fleet.  Avalon is the current home of Qantas 747 maintenance in Australia. Ben tells us about local Perth-based participation in this year’s annual World Flight Australia, a virtual airline event that raises much needed funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Mentioned: A Confession at Dragons of Thin Air: A most unusual fear of flying course The inside story of Bombardier’s $4-billion gamble on a super quiet jet EATNN TTUNA SNWCH – hold (at) MAYYO: More on the Secret Language of the Skies The happiest airline story ever: Man and smartphone reunited by awesome customer service Public invited to view Doolittle Raiders’ final toast The Pentagon Channel Photos: This episode’s photos are provided by our listeners. Thanks to @nzaircraftfan for the Mustangs and Daniel from Sydney Australia for the Cessna 182 in flight! Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at Opening and closing mu[...]

  Guests Jon Ostrower from the Wall Street Journal and Molly McMillin from The Wichita Eagle discuss the just concluded National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) 2013 Convention. This year the event saw 1100 exhibitors and over 25,000 attendees. Jon and Molly give their observations of the event, including the demand for business jets and the outlook, new programs and money going into product development, the unveiling of Dassault 5X, Learjet’s 50th anniversary and the Learjet 85, Beechcraft making it through bankruptcy, lithium batteries, new Aviation Partner scimitar winglets, and consumer electronics in cabin interiors. Molly was the recipient of the NBAA’s 2013 Journalism Award for her article, “Corporate Planes Give Business Owners an Edge.” The Week’s Aviation News: Boeing readies patch for fire-damaged 787 Blue Angels Announce Full 2014 Air Show Season A Quiet Trip to the Ozone Hole Boeing, Lockheed Martin Team for US Air Force Bomber Program Ryanair’s O’Leary’s at it again David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: The Ryan NYP, the Spirit of St. Louis by Randy dePasquale. In this week’s Australia Desk: There’s no AusDesk Report this week, but David uncovers some spooky hidden messages from the boys down under, just in time for Halloween. Banned by the EU Avia Air Traffic flies BAE 146’s amongst others. Jason Smart flew on this aircraft type on his travels. In this week’s Across the Pond segment: We ask Jason Smart back onto the show to talk about his travel writing career that has seen him travel to every former ex Soviet state in his book The Red Quest. We then follow Jason’s journeys through the airlines and aircraft he has flown around the world, his scariest flight ever and what the food served on some airlines tastes like. A different look at the aviation sector through the eyes of someone who has flown on banned airlines and broken airliners. His books can be found at www.theredquest.com and cover an amusing look at his travels through Europe, Asia, the America’s and The Middle East. Certainly many of these could be added to your holiday shopping list. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentioned: Podcast F1 Brazil The Effects of Space Weather on Aviation From Errol Cavit on folding wings: DH Dragon having its wings unfolded A view of the Minor and Fox Moth with folded wings D-Day 2013 Warbirds Open Day North Shore Classics Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at brotherloverocks.com.