Airplane Geeks Podcast

Guest Jason Blair is the Executive Director of the National Association of Flight Instructors. Jason starting his flying experience at the age of 15, soloing at 16, and getting his private pilot’s certificate at 17. While he pursued both undergraduate and master’s degrees from Western Michigan University, he continued his flight training at local FBOs, obtaining his commercial and instructor certificates. He now serves as the Executive Director of the National Association of Flight Instructors, is an active CFI with over 2000 hours of instruction given, NAFI Master Flight Instructor, and an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner for both part 61 and part 141 training providers. He flies general aviation aircraft for much of his personal and business travel. He actively represents NAFI and the flight instruction community in a number of capacities including on the FAA’s Runway Safety Council, the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, the TSA Aviation Safety Advisory Council, NATA’s Flight Training Committee, and others. We talk to Jason about the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), its mission and objectives. Our conversation touches on the NAFI education foundation, how to pick a flight instructor who is a good match and how not to, if there are enough flight instructors to handle the number of pilots we expect to need, and other topics. You can follow Jason on Twitter as @skykid_jeb. The week’s aviation news: Feds target small plane safety — General aviation on NTSB’s ‘most wanted’ list NTSB Puts GA Safety on Most Wanted List First X-47B UCAS Catapult Launch Makes Naval Aviation History General aviation: waiting for the dawn General aviation set for takeoff as more airspace is available Training grants proposed to address pilot shortage Sky’s the limit for booming general aviation sector David’s Aircraft of the Week is the Boeing C-32B, also known as the Boeing 757. In this week’s Australia Desk report: Qantas dominated the aviation news in Australia this week as a so called “rebel group” of investors headed by former CEO Geoff Dixon and advertising guru John Singleton were said to be plotting to make a takeover bid for the board, removing Allan Joyce. They are apparently uphappy with the current direction of the board, particularly with regard to the recent tie up with Emirates. Dixon currently works of the board of Tourism Australia, and Singleton’s company has advertising contracts with both organisations. As a result of these rumour/moves, Joyce has pulled out of the Tourism Australia deal that Qantas has held for decades, taking $A40million in funding with him. Not long after that, Virgin Australia’s chief John Borghetti was said to have been in talks with Dixon – the man he would have replaced at Qantas had Joyce not been given the job – about Virgin filling the gap left by Qantas at Tourism Australia. It’s a big and very complex story that will no doubt fester along for months to come. In other news, the final RAAF AP3-C Orion has returned home from operations in the Middle East, bringing to an end a decade of service in that region. Also, November 30th saw the final day of C130H operations with at least one airframe rumoured to be housed at the Air Force Museum in Melbourne. 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 we have a special guest on Across The Pond that specialises in futuristic aircraft designs that not only stretch the imagination beyond our normal aviation boundaries, but expands our vision of what is possible. From Octuri, our guest explains his vision and drivers to design possible concept craft of the air, not just through dreamy ideas, but based[...]

Guest Jon Bird is the Creative Manager for Social Media with American Airlines. We talk with Jon about how American Airlines came to establish a social presence, using it as a reputation management tool and as a “crisis management” tool, as opposed to a marketing tool. American employs an integrated model for both offense (the engagement side) and defense (customer relations issues). They use social media to talk to their customers, listen to their customers, and watch their customers talk among themselves about their American Airlines experiences. We discuss American “advocates” among their customers and how AA works to strike up relationships with them. Also, other American initiatives in the social media space for their customers. American Airlines is active on Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. You can follow Jon on Twitter as @JonBird_video The week’s aviation news: American Airlines Recalls Furloughed Pilots Airports wrestle with Wi-Fi issue End of an era as Airbus sells last two A340 jets David’s Aircraft of the Week is the Convair R3Y Tradewind. In this week’s Australia Desk report: Steve talks about his RAAF C-130H ride over Sydney during the week and presents and interview with the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Tony Charles. Grant also got amongst the action at RAAF Base Richmond getting a tour of the control tower and a great view of the C-130H fleet practising for a big week of farewell flights. In other RAAF news, the Boeing Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft have achieved IOC, marking a major milestone in Australian Defence Force capability. 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: On Across The Pond this week we talk to a new regional expert, this time from Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Oussama Salah has significant airline, corporate and consultancy experience and in the segment we look at the regions main airlines and airports. Like our other regional experts on ATP we will get regular updates from Oussama on key MENA aviation issues. Find Oussama on Twitter as @obsalah, on his blog Oussama’s Take, and on Facebook. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mount Hood after departure from Portland International by David Salisbury Mentions: Weber Shandwick Bowling for Soup X-14 UltraLight: Researched & Revisted Hirobo One-Man Helicopter Is Battery Powered Nick Grant Adventures Air France 447: Final report on what brought airliner down N867LA at Sportys by Ray From the Mailbag: Bob Iversen’s calculation of the amount by which the atmosphere would cool if the EU’s Emission Trading Scheme it was implemented: According to Math! How much CO2 by weight in the atmosphere?, there is a total of ~ 3×10*12 (3 trillion) tonnes of CO2 in earth’s atmosphere. The EU ETS wanted to reduce aircraft emissions from a “baseline” of 2.19×10*8 (219 billion) tonnes of CO2 down to 2.08×10*8 tonnes by 2013 (Commission sets first emissions cap for aviation sector). Doubling the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increases the global temperature by ~ 1.2C to 3C, depending on what model is used (The Discovery of Global Warming ). That’s a “sensitivity” of ~ 4 to 10×10*-13 C/tonne (0.4 to 1.0 pico C/tonne). The EU’s desired reduction of 1.05×10*7 tonnes would result in **Gasp** 4.2 to 10.5×10*-6 C (no more than 10 millionths of a deg. C) less warming!!! Feel free to check the math. We didn’t! Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

From time to time we take the week off, usually because of a holiday when we want to spend time with our families. But because we don’t want to leave you without your weekly dose of the Geeks, we do something we usually call Bits & Pieces. Each of us comes up with some kind of recording and we mash them all together into an episode. So this is one of those Bits & Pieces occasions as we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. Last episode some co-host said instead of calling it Bits & Pieces, “it’s a Wings and Thighs” episode, hence the title. Here’s what we have for you: Rob Mark speaks with Josh Baynes, senior PR specialist at Rockwell Collins, and also Bryan Rennekamp, senior marketing manager for the Heads Up Guidance system. They discuss the HGS Flight app we’ve been talking about the last few episodes, and also the real thing you might find in an airplane. See the Rockwell Collins Head-up Guidance (HGS) with Synthetic Vision video on YouTube. David Vanderhoof was at the Space Shuttle swap this past summer at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center. He brings us interviews with: Jim Sokolic, Operations Manager at NASA Dryden Jay Estes, Deputy for Flight Test Integration in the Orion Program Orfield Tigue from the Office of Education, NASA DC Headquarters Paul Rodrian and Jeff Pollett, Lockheed Martin Denver, Human Space Flight John Yembrick, NASA Social Media Manager Steve Vischer and Grant McHerron have an extended Australia Desk that focuses on the insanity of politics around the Sydney Airport and the potential for using Canberra as the second Sydney airport. Our European contributor Pieter Johnson sent in an uncut conversation with Tim Gresty, Managing Director of Cognitio, a marketing company with extensive airline experience. They chat about ways that airlines market themselves, how the press releases in the news section of their websites reflect their strategies, Ryanair going after Aer Lingus, and bacon buttys. Tim relates a story about launching Hapag Lloyd Express in the UK. The 787 GEnx by Brian Coleman Mentions: Cloudahoy Bob’s Cloudahoy flight A frequent flyer’s perspective on United’s new 787 service 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 Nils Haupt is Director and Head of Corporate Communications for The Americas, Lufthansa German Airlines. We talk about the airlines and associated companies that fall under the Lufthansa airline group, their cargo operations and how Lufthansa is dealing with the severe night flight ban in Frankfurt. Also how Lufthansa operating in a high cost country means they have to deliver quality. We touch on competition with low cost carriers, the Germanwings strategy, and cooperation with United and Air Canada. Nils comments on their 747-8 experience, the cost of fuel, the schedule for interior upgrades, and much more. We also talk about some of the recent aviation labor activity, big news on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, bizjet engine advances, and the attempted Predator shoot down by Iranian jets. The week’s aviation news: American Airlines moves closer to pilot contract Machinists union approves new Bombardier contract TSA Grabs Union Contract EU sees progress on UN airline emissions deal EU Suspends extension of plane emissions trading rules New Technology Brings Business Jet Operating Costs Back To Earth Iranian Pilots Tried (and Failed) to Shoot Down a U.S. Drone David’s Aircraft of the Week is the Sukhoi Su-25 “Frogfoot.” In this week’s Australia Desk report: There is a disturbance in the Force as the Qantas pilots union agrees with management on an issue. In this case, Qantas is refusing to pay the operators of Brisbane International Airport up front for the construction of a new runway. In other news, Qantas announces further maintenance job cuts – nearly 500 more to go from Avalon and Sydney, and some aerial fire suppression operations go a little wrong in New South Wales after a helicopter fills its bucket from a sewerage treatment pond and deposits the contents on 29 firefighters. Yuk! 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: Pieter gets an update from Diego López-Salazar from Aeropodcast.com. First his recent delayed trip to China, then we cover Spain and of course his pet topic Ryanair! Find Diego on Twitter as @dlopezsalazar. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentions: Lufthansa Social Media Newsroom Hot Air Balloon Simulator Security Camera Recorded Plane Crash In Brazil CAUGHT ON VIDEO A unique trip around North Korea Stephen’s LGB Blog Dos Gringos An Unexpected Briefing Differing Conops Vie For U.S. Navy Delivery Mission Moab’s Delicate Arch from 6500 by Jodi Listener Jodi working on her Commercial in the Bell 206 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 John Zimmerman is a Vice President at Sporty’s, one of the world’s oldest and largest pilot shops. They also offer gifts, memorabilia, apparel, models and other items for aviation enthusiasts through their Wright Brothers catalog. Sporty’s Flight Center includes Sporty’s Academy a Part 61 flight school that also provides a degree program in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati, Clermont College Professional Pilot Training Program. We talk with John about last week’s National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting & Convention, iPad and tablet apps for aviators, flying the Robinson and R-44 helicopter, Air Facts journal, and more. Follow Sporty’s on Twitter as @Sportys, the Air Facts journal as @airfacts, and John’s personal Twitter account, @JTZim. The week’s aviation news: Hawker Beechcraft abandons business-jet market. Beechcraft Reveals Plans for New Turboprop, Piston Models. IS&S and EAI Announce Production Order for Eclipse 550 Flightdeck. HondaJet Production Line Starts Rolling Along. Airlines & Hurricane Sandy: What Do Airlines Owe Passengers Displaced By ‘Acts Of God’?. In this week’s Australia Desk report: Its QANTAS Annual General Meeting time again and its just the same news as the last three years…so we didn’t pay much attention to it! The big news of the week is that Virgin Australia have purchased 60% of Tiger Airways, giving them a low cost carrier of their own. This after Singapore Airlines bought 10% of Virgin Australia. The three way deal also sees Virgin looking to buy out regional carrier Sky West. In similar fashion, Air New Zealand have formed an alliance with Cathay Pacific which see the latter taking ANZ passenger to Europe beyond Hong Kong. This frees up ANZ aircraft to operate more flights into the USA instead. 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: Etienne Maillard calls from Geneva in Switzerland to give us an update on GA and his progress as an Air Traffic Controller. Etienne can be found on Twitter as @Flightlevel150. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. The Matterhorn by Etienne Maillard on his cross country flight. Mentions: HGS Flight app for iPad, Head Up Guidance System from Rockwell Collins. Captains of the Clouds with James Cagney. From Vintage Wings of Canada: Hollywood and the RCAF go to War and Ghosts of Saskatchewan. Langley man guilty of pointing laser Laser aimed at B.C. helicopter a ‘real danger’ Boeing Now Has A Missile That Destroys Only Electronics And Leaves All Else Intact This F-15 Aerial Dogfighting Video Was Shot Entirely By Pilots Avspecs Facebook page. Flying DH Mosquito KA114. A questionable way to avoid airline baggage-check fees Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com. This episode is sponsored by: the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

The weather spawned by Hurricane Sandy took out David and Max, although Rob was comfortably situated in Orlando, Florida for the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention. Not wanting to leave you without an episode for the week,we gathered up what we could and produced this “mini-episode.” We have David’s interview with Lieutenant Jay Kircher from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City in New Jersey. Steve and Grant had a light news week but submitted an Australia Desk report nonetheless with a third airport for Melborne and spam from Tiger Airways (you can opt in but try opting out!). Our European contributor Pieter Johnson has an Across the Pond segment with Tim Gresty, Managing Director at Cognitio, about airline super hubs and the threat to the European superhubs such as London Heathrow from the middle east and this is being affected by the alliances as well as joint ventures such as those being formed by Qantas, breaking decades of traditional links with airlines such as British Airways. This short show is rounded out by voice mails from a couple of listeners. 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. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Look for a full episode next week with another great aviation guest. 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 Dan Hampton is the author of Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat. He served in the United States Air Force for twenty years (1986–2006) and is a graduate of the elite USAF Fighter Weapons School, USN Top Gun School (TOGS), and USAF Special Operations School. Dan has flown many combat missions in the F-16 as a Wild Weasel. These are elite Air Force fighter squadrons whose mission is to fly behind enemy lines to draw fire from surface-to-air missiles and artillery. Without being shot down, they destroy the threats and make the skies safe for the aircraft that follow. Stephen Trimble from Flight Global’s The DEW Line joins us for a bit as a guest co-host. Follow him on Twitter as @thedewline. The week’s aviation news: Hawker Beechcraft sale to Chinese firm collapses. USAF $AVE Vortex Surfing Flights Cut Fuel Use 10%. USAF remembers birds exist, tests ‘vortex surfing’ for aircraft. CAE & APS Partner to Deliver Upset Training to ab initio students. In this week’s Australia Desk report: Grant tells us about his latest hot air balloon pilot-in-command adventures, a kangaroo causes havoc at Melbourne Airport’s high rise parking lot, Qantas spends $A30million on further upgrades to its new Brisbane maintenance centre (which all but confirms the demise of their facility at Avalon in Victoria), Flight Centre is in hot water with the Government over alleged anti competitive behaviour towards Singapore Airlines, the New South Wales Police Force team are victorious in a charity “Haul A Herc” competition at RAAF Base Richmond near Sydney, the New Zealand Defence Force signs a five year deal with Hawker Pacific for four B200 aircraft, and we make a correction to last week’s article regarding Fiji Airways. 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: In the last of the Royal Navy Historic Flight mini series, we talk to Lt Commander Glen Allison, the pilot of the Fairey Swordfish display aircraft. We find out what its like to fly an 80 knot bi plane versus his day job of Commanding a Lynx unit. For more see Royal Navy Historic Flight and Fly Navy Heritage Trust. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentions: The Plane Crash. British Explorer Prepares To Dig Up 140 Mint Condition Spitfires That Were Buried In 1945. Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Airplane Geeks Mission Control by the Art Department at ThrombyAir.com. Max Trescott was the 2008 National CFI of the Year and produces training books, CD’s, and iPhone GPS guides. Max knows flying and how to teach it like few others. He’s a frequent speaker at AOPA Aviation Summits and this year’s event was no exception – Max presented on flying the new WAS-based approaches and also tips for learning to fly a glass-based cockpit. We talk with Max about the Aviation Summit in Palm Springs which launched with the Parade of Planes and saw many interesting announcements and product introductions. Find Max Trescott at his site MaxTrescott.com, at G1000book.com, and on Twitter as @MaxTrescott. Brett Snyder, the Cranky Flier, joins us as a guest co-host. Brett also offers travellers flight services at Cranky Concierge, and you can follow @CrankyFlier on Twitter. The week’s aviation news: 24 Miles, 4 Minutes and 834 M.P.H., All in One Jump. Qatar Airways to join Oneworld Alliance. All Three Airline Alliances Undergoing Big Changes. AA pilots picket oneworld welcome ceremony for Qatar Airways. Airline passenger arrested wearing bulletproof vest, flying with bizarre weapons cache was mostly playing by airport security rules. Feds: Passenger had murder directions on computer. In this week’s Australia Desk report: An RAAF Air Traffic Controller is stood down pending an investigation after a “Loss of separation assurance” incident near Darwin, Fiji Airways reveals new A330 livery, Avalon Airport in Victoria given approval to become Melbourne’s second international airport, the Federal Government grants formal approval for the Qantas/Emirates deal, RAAF AP3-C Orions from 10SQN returning to Australia after 10 years continuous deployment in the Middle East. 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: We continue the Royal Navy Historic Flight Mini series with a look at the Sea Fury. Pieter continues our behind the scenes look at the Royal Navy Historic Flight. This week we get to talk to Chief Engineer Howard Reed about the rebuild of the Swordfish and what it takes to get it and then keep it air worthy. For more see Royal Navy Historic Flight and Fly Navy Heritage Trust. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Listener Jodi’s 1978 Cessna 152 Mentions: AOPA Flying Club Finder. West Valley Flying Club. LiveATC.net. China Clipper DVD in Amazon.com. Pub near Dulles Airport lets patrons listen in as air-traffic controllers talk to pilots (O’Malley’s Pub, in the airport’s Holiday Inn.) Mosquito Show 29th Sep 2012 Photos in the The Wings Over New Zealand Forum. D.H.98 Mosquito Photo’s Please, Just Because I love looking at them in The Aviation Forum. D.H. 98 Mosquito to fly in New Zealand! in FerrariChat. Legal Fee Voyeurism: American Airlines’s Big-Time Bankruptcy Bills. Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.  

Adam White (Director) and Kara Martinelli (Producer) from Hemlock Films create aviation films. In 2003, the documentary film The Restorers was produced with 8 short stories about people restoring planes. That was followed by the movie Red Tail Reborn with the Red Tail Squadron of the Commorative Air Force. Since then, the orginal Restorers begged to become a television series, and the pilot episode follows the “Miss Mitchell” B-25 from the Minnesota CAF chapter to the 68th Dolittle Raiders reunion. We talk about Adam and Kara’s passion for aviation and how they came together. Adam says, “warbird restorations connect people to their past.” We also touch on the old Cleveland air races, mentioning Bob Odegaard (who sadly passed away last month) and his Super Corsairs. Adam and Kara self-funded the pilot (which has aired on PBS), and are they looking for additional investors so they can film more episodes and look for a television channel to pick up the series. Find more at the The Restorers site, the Hemlock Films site, on Facebook and YouTube, and on Twitter. The week’s aviation news: FAA Creates Fuels Program Office to Facilitate General Aviation Transition to Unleaded Avgas Coalition lauds new Avgas Fuels Program Office Mosquito Flies again for the first time in 30 Years American Airlines Says it Fixed the Seats Why is American Not Trying Harder to Calm Safety Fears?   Rob at APS training   Rob in the Extra 300: Rob attended an upset prevention and recovery media day with Aviation Performance Solutions and he gives us his observations from the event. APS provides upset recovery training in an Extra 300 that teaches pilots about flight situations they wouldn’t encounter in the usual training. David’s aircraft of the week is the Bristol 152 Beaufort. In this week’s Australia Desk report: Airservices Australia under investigation after a Virgin Australia 737 is “lost” for 30 minutes en route from Sydney to Brisbane, US Navy EA18G “Growlers” arrive at RAAF base Amberley in Queensland to begin training RAAF crews in preparation for the type’s introduction in 2018, sad news with the loss in Queensland of aviation identity Des Porter and five passengers following the crash of his classic DeHavilland Dragon in poor weather. 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: Pieter continues our behind the scenes look at the Royal Navy Historic Flight. This week we get to talk to Chief Engineer Howard Reed about the rebuild of the Swordfish and what it takes to get it and then keep it air worthy. For more see Royal Navy Historic Flight and Fly Navy Heritage Trust. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentions: Geneseo (New York) Air Show from the 1941 Historical Aircraft Group Museum. Yankee Air Museum, The Yankee Air Force. DARPA Steps Toward UAV To UAV Refueling Jay Leno pays attention to American Airlines Whirly-Girls International scholarships. Airport 24/7: Miami on the Travel Channel Rob in the Extra 300 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 Nigel Howarth is Senior Fleet Analyst with Aviation Week. We talk with Nigel about fleet forecasts and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) forecasts: who purchases fleet forecasts, how these forecasts are developed, and how they are used to help a variety of aviation companies plan their manpower, other resources, and capabilities. Nigel also talks about the linkage between the price of oil and regional jet retirements, and comments on the Embraer and CSeries outlook. Nigel gives us a taste for just how complicated MRO forecasting is, and that segment is such a large part of the market, both commercial and military. Airplane Geeks listener John Arvin joins us as a Special Guest Co-host. John is an airline pilot and the man behind The Aviation Advocate. Find John on Twitter as @theAvAdvocate. The week’s aviation news: Accusations fly between American Airlines, pilots; no talks on tap United Airlines CEO Smisek talks 787s and mojo We need drone aircraft, says police chief In this week’s Australia Desk report: The hangover from the Australian Football League grand final is evident as Steve’s team, the Hawks, lost to the Sydney Swans….but in aviation news, Air New Zealand announces a share buy back while several members of its board of management are leaving, Qantas contemplates removing each of their A380s from service for up to eight weeks at a time to repair wing cracks, a study this week also finds that Qantas is losing domestic market share while Virgin remains steady and Tiger Airways increases, CASA commences a study into the use of RAAF Base Richmond as a temporary second Sydney airport, as farewell activities get into gear for the retiring RAAF C130H fleet, a website has sprung up showing what’s happening and when – any former C130H personnel are invited to attend – details at C130-H: End of an era. 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: Pieter is granted behind the scenes access to the Royal Navy Heritage Flight based at RNAS Yeovilton in the UK. This is the first segment of a 4 programme mini series we are producing in partnership with the RNHF to promote their work. In this episode Pieter talks to Display Manager Katie Campbell about the purpose of the RNHF and how it delivers its services. Future segments will cover behind the scenes in the hanger and a discussion with the pilot of the Fairey Swordfish. See Royal Navy Historic Flight and Fly Navy Heritage Trust. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentions: Accident: Swiss A343 near Kazan on Sep 2nd 2012, unruly passengers prompt return to Zurich FedEx Plane Crash at Narita International Airport In Tokyo 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 Chris Sloan is Executive Producer of the television series Airport 24/7: Miami, premiering October 2 on the Travel Channel. Chris is also the founder of the Airchive.com website which contains a wealth of aviation memorabilia and items of historical significance, and lots of interesting things for aviation enthusiasts. We talk with Chris about Airport 24/7: Miami, which provides a fascinating inside view of the daily activities at Miami International Airport. It’s not a documentary and it’s not contrived reality. It’s about the stories, adventures, and difficult situations that people who work in a major airport find themselves dealing with every day. Follow Chris on Twitter as @airchive. David’s Aircraft of the Week: Dornier Do 27 (pictured above). The week’s aviation news: MV-22 Osprey Tested In Japan As airport security ‘precheck’ plans grow, lines could shrink Why BAE-EADS merger is double trouble for Boeing EADS-BAE tie-up hampered by French government: Report In this week’s Australia Desk report: A quick update on our activities at AusFly 2012 including our first attempts at air show commentary. In the news, Virgin Australia pilots reject the company’s enterprise bargaining proposal, Virgin refers the Qantas/Emirates deal to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, Qantas is closing it’s first class lounge in Singapore but is rumoured to be chasing Singapore Airlines for closer ties, a crocodile ascapes its cage on a Qantas flight from Brisbane to Melbourne…no, seriously!….and more Airbus tanker concerns as a refuelling boom falls from a test aircraft in flight. 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’s Across The Pond segment welcomes back Tim Gresty for the first of several discussions on the airline sector. This week Pieter talks to Tim about the emerging trend of low cost carriers adding prices and making service additions, crossing the boundary from lower cost into full service. Is this going to be the end of low cost flights or is it just another way for the LC airlines to make more money? Tim will join us next time to talk about airline superhubs. Tim Gresty can be found at www.cognitio.co.uk. Mentions: BAE Systems European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) Italian Coast Guard base Catania Fontanarossa unveiled British Airways Boeing 747-400 in D-Check – YouTube Samsung’s Galaxy Note to become official ‘phablet’ for American Airlines flight attendants 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 Tom Haines is Editor-in-Chief and Sr. Vice President, Media for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He’s a pilot who has covered General Aviation for many years. We talk about Tom’s fantastic Self-Fly Safari in Africa through Hanks Aero Adventures in Cessna 182′s. Tom wrote about this trip in the August 2012 issue of AOPA Pilot magazine. [PDF] The AOPA Aviation Summit is in Palm Springs, California this year October 11-13 and we talk about that, including the parade of planes which you can see at AOPA Live This Week. The Summit features 100 hours of seminars and 400 exhibitors. Tom also describes AOPA activity in response to the dwindling number of pilots. They’ve hired Adam Smith to run a new center at AOPA, and they are creating resources to help make GA more attractive and the flight training experience more successful. To help reduce the drop out rate, AOPA is introducing field guides: one for student pilots, one for flight schools, one for flight instructors. Follow Tom on Twitter as @tomhaines29. The week’s aviation news: No New Aviation Taxes — There’s A Better Way to Go User Fees in the Aviation Industry: Turbulence Ahead Ryanair boss slams ‘idiot’ who forgot boarding pass Airlines cutting middle man AMR Faces Pilots’ Appeal Over Contract Rejection Ruling Cracks Spur Board to Urge Check of Dreamliner Engines In this week’s Across the Pond segment: This week on Across The Pond, we have a really exciting opportunity to talk to one of the main players in public relations in the aerospace industry. Stephanie Schierholz is Social Media Manager at @Raytheon and President at Women in Aerospace. Prior to this she was Social Media Manager at NASA, Public Affairs Specialist at NASA, and Director of Communications at Space Foundation. Stephanie tells us what its like to be the public face of these amazing aerospace organisations and what those Astronauts are really like to work with. Stephanie can be found on Twitter as @Schierholz. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentions: TURBULENCE on Flight BA 244 – Buenos Aires(Ezeiza) to London(Heathrow) 2 planes collide in Holland! Most difficult landing in the world – Bhutan? Flagship Detroit Homer Hickam Post photos by listener Neil: The Flagship Detroit, a 1937 fully restored DC-3 flown all over the U.S. raising money so people can share the history of this magnificent aircraft. Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Beechcraft B17R Staggerwing by Stephen Tornblom Guest Mary Kirby is from the Airline Passenger Experience Association where she is Editor-in-Chief of the Airline Passenger Experience magazine and the APEX Media Platform. Mary considers the passenger experience to start when the decision is made to take a flight and continue through to boarding, where the airline then has the passenger captive in terms of the experience. We talk Inflight Entertainment (IFE) tech and how wireless is taking off with video streaming to personal devices. Also, how Southwest Airlines with their Row 44 satellite system is absorbing the AirTran fleet with their GoGo air-to-ground system. Mary maintains that the US carriers are ahead of others with inflight connectivity and long term revenue sharing agreements with vendors. Now that the pipe to the aircraft is in place, we’re seeing all manner of inflight connectivity business models: some free, some pay per use, and some supported by advertising and promotions. Visit the APEX blog and follow Mary on Twitter as @APEXmary. Coming up 17 – 20 September 2012 is the APEX EXPO in Long Beach California. (Twitter hash tag #APEX12.) We also talk about airport security, should it be privatized, the cost/benefit analysis, and the impact of airport security on the travel experience. American Airlines is in the news with the pilot contract, a Downs Syndrome flyer, and a 9/11 negligance law suit. Also, more bizarre behaviour in Philadelphia. The week’s aviation news: GOP platform seeks privatization of airport security Costs, Benefits, and Efficiency of Aviation Security Measures American to end pilots’ labor contract American Airlines throws kid with Downs Syndrome off flight Airlines face trial over 9-11 terror attacks Philly love triangle leads to plane scare, arrests In this week’s Australia Desk report: Qantas announces an alliance with Emirates, along with major route structure and schedule changes, Tiger Airways resuming Melbourne – Adelaide operations from November, and outcry in New Zealand over massive aviation user fee hikes by their government. 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: On Across The Pond this week we talk to our adopted student pilot Neil Bradon to monitor his progress flying in the USA. He gives us the great news that he has passed his check ride and is amassing flying hours at a rapid pace but not simply in the circuit, Neil is taking on some challenging cross country flights as well. We are absolutely delighted Neil is now a qualified pilot. Well done Neil. Neil can be found on Twitter @Pilot_NGB and at his blog pilot_ngb’s aviation blog. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast. Mentions: Steve Frischling, Flying With Fish Seat 1P !! on Flyertalk Skyvector. AOPA Flight Planning Heathrow pods: ULTra PRT | Fully Charged. Rand Corporation reportCosts, Benefits, and Efficiency of Aviation Security Measures. What Did Neil Armstrong Really Think Of Business Jets?. Help fund the Neil Armstrong Memorial on Indiegogo. Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

6th Airlift Squadron C-17A Globemaster III On May 11th, 12th and 13th, 2012 the Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst hosted its first Open House in two years. David Vanderhoof was there and brings us a series of interviews from the event. What is Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst? In 2005 BRAC or the Base Realignment and Closing Commission ordered the consolidation of the three bases located in central New Jersey. On October 1st 2009, Fort Dix, Naval Air Station Lakehurst and McGuire Air Force base merged into Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst. JB-MDL has over 42,000 acres of land and supports over 44,000 thousand Solders, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines, Active Duty, Reserve and Guard. Of the 12 Joint Bases now in the United States, it is the only one to have all branches, of the US Military Services. The “Host” of the joint base is the 87th Air Base Wing, of the United States Air Force. They are responsible for over 3933 buildings, their maintenance, and the security of the three facilities. The three bases have integrated well, and inter-service co-operation is a hallmark of JBMDL. Examples of this are the New Jersey Army National Guard aviation unit is based at Lakehurst, with the Marines MAG-49 Headquarters is at Fort Dix. JB-MDL is also hosting EAGLE FLAG the Expeditionary Operations School. Interviews: Capt. Cory Simmons, 6th Airlift Sqn C-17A Globemaster III Lt. Anthony Petrone, VR64 Condors US Navy Reserve, C-130T Hercules Lt. Andy Kolbecker 108th ARW NJ ANG, KC-135R Stratotanker Capt. Beckwith – HMLA773 Det B Marine Air Group 49, AH-1W “Whiskey” Cobra Senior Airman Keith McLaughlin -2nd Air Refueling Squadron, KC-10A Extender Staff SGT Miranda – 1-150th Helicopter Battalion New Jersey National Guard, UH-60L Black Hawk 621st Contingency Response Wing – Col. Chris Patterson Links: 87th Airbase Wing 305th Air Mobility Wing 108th Air Refueling Wing NJ Air National Guard MAG-49 621st Contingency Response Wing Like them on Facebook: 87th Air Base Wing 621 CRW JB-MDL MAG-49 VR-64 C-130T Hercules 108th Wing KC-135R Engine 2nd Air Refueling Squadron KC-10A Extender 108th Wing KC-125R Stratotanker David would like to thank the following people who provided him with the opportunity to bring this to you: Tech Sergeant Parker Gyokeres of the 621st Public Affairs Office, I’ll never forget the whirlwind tour and the hospitality. Staff Sergeant James Stewart of the 621st Public Affairs Office, Captain Brooke Bzozowske of the 621st Public Affairs Office, and the rest of the 621st. Bill Addison of the 87th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office, who went out of his way so I can bring you these interviews. Steve “Sound Effects” Visscher, who did what I am never able to do, edit! Lastly the men and woman who are Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst America’s East Coast Gateway! HMLA-773 DET B UH-1N HMLA DET B Inserting repellers CH-53E HMH-772 with a Sling loaded Humvee Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

The first Monday in September is “Labor Day” in the United States. For many, the holiday symbolizes the end of Summer, but it is really intended to celebrate the American worker. The exact origin of Labor Day is the subject of some dispute, but it seems to have been originally proposed in 1882. Over the following years, a number of States celebrated Labor Day. Finally, in 1894, the U.S. Congress passed legislation creating Labor Day as a national holiday. In this recording, originally published in 2010, Rob Mark talks about the history of Labor Day and his own role in labor unions, including the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) strike, the rise of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), and the Airline Pilots Association (APA).