Le Bourget air show 2021 to be canceled

The biennial Paris Air Show scheduled to take place in June 2021 has been canceled due to uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. All exhibitors will get a full refund, and the event will next be held in 2023, the French Aerospace Industries Association said in a statement on Monday. The show at Le Bourget airfield outside the French capital is among the largest aviation events in the world, where airlines typically announce large orders and manufacturers showcase new models. (www.bloomberg.com) Plus d'info...

Airlines will no longer be required to transport emotional support animals

Airlines no longer will be required to accommodate travelers who want to fly with emotional support animals such as pigs, rabbits and turkeys under a final rule announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The new rule now defines a service animal to be a dog that is “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability” and limits the number of service animals a person can travel with to two. It also requires airlines to treat… (www.msn.com) Plus d'info...

So Long (and Good Riddance) to CNN Airport News

Will we finally get some peace and quiet at the gate? (askthepilot.com) Plus d'info...

Delta CEO says airline will permanently ban passengers 'who refuse to display basic civility'

The CEO of Delta Air Lines has announced that the carrier will permanently ban passengers who disrespect fellow customers or crew. CEO Ed Bastian laid down the law in a memo sent to employees Friday, and shared with Fox News. The executive revealed that the airline has already added over 800 people to its no-fly list for refusing to wear mandatory face masks during travel, along with news of the company's latest policy. (www.foxnews.com) Plus d'info...

God Speed Michael Collins. May you Rest in Peace.

The Forgotten astronaut of Apollo 11 Michael Collins has past away today at the age of 90. He has finally found a place in space where he made history in June of 1969 (www.msn.com) Plus d'info...

Father and Son, Airplane to Airplane

About 40 minutes northwest of Houston is the suburb of Tomball, Texas. In the early 1970s, before Interstate 45 became five lanes, Tomball was a far-flung outpost with a population of fewer than 3,000 residents, a single traffic signal, and an airport named Hooks Field (DWH). (www.aopa.org) Plus d'info...

American Airlines responds to video of pilot threatening to 'dump' passengers in Kansas

American Airlines has issued a statement defending the actions of a pilot who said he would "put this plane down in the middle of Kansas and dump people off" if they didn’t behave on a flight leaving from Washington D.C. on Friday. (www.foxnews.com) Plus d'info...

Student Pilot Loses Engine During Solo Flight And Nails The Emergency Landing

On May 22, Brian Parsley departed Concord, North Carolina in a 1968 Cessna 150J for a “solo long cross-country” flight. At about 2,200 feet above sea level and nine miles from his home airport’s runway, the engine of the Cessna sputtered to a stop. With only 1,500 feet of altitude to work with, there was no chance of making it to the airport, so he took it in for an emergency landing. (jalopnik.com) Plus d'info...

‘WELCOME TO PERTH’: Rooftop Sign Scares Passengers Flying Into Sydney Airport

A “welcome to Perth” sign painted on a building rooftop is scaring fliers descending to Sydney airport into thinking they have been flown to the wrong Australian city. The prank was spotted by a passenger coming into land at the country’s busiest airport and shared on Reddit. The building, in the Sydney suburb of Sydenham, is directly on the flight path. The building owner, Brad Heasman, told Australia’s Traveller he has been quietly waiting for someone to notice it since painting it three… (www.independent.co.uk) Plus d'info...

Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier, dead at 97

Chuck Yeager, the historic test pilot portrayed in the movie “The Right Stuff,” is dead at the age of 97, according to a tweet posted on his account late Monday. "It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET," said the tweet, attributed to his wife, actress Victoria Scott D'Angelo. "An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered… (www.foxnews.com) Plus d'info...

800 People Evacuated From Kabul Aboard A Single C-17 Cargo Jet: Reports

Whether the number is accurate or not, at least the Air Force was mostly on the ball. Aerial refueling needed as unlikely fuel available in Kabul. 800 people would give a load of around 160,000 lb so that is pushing the limits weight-wise but that would also be overcome with the aerial refueling with a lower TOW. This loadmaster is a natural as a supervisor in a sardine canning factory. (www.thedrive.com) Plus d'info...

FlightAware Predictive Technology Added to The United Airlines Operational Toolset

FlightAware announced today that United Airlines has integrated its predictive data tool into the airline's operational toolset to help decrease the instance of preventable delays; reduce missed passenger connections; and help prevent flight cancellations. FlightAware operates the world's largest flight tracking and data platform, fusing thousands of data sources around the world to provide the most accurate and comprehensive flight tracking intelligence. Over half of all estimated… (flightaware.com) Plus d'info...

(Live) Central to Aviation: Conversations, with Eamonn Brennan, Director General of EUROCONTROL & Daniel Baker, CEO of FlightAware

Join Eamonn Brennan, Director General of EUROCONTROL, and Daniel Baker, CEO of FlightAware, as they sit down to discuss the aviation industry's future with an eye to sustainability, efficiency, and survival vs. thriving in a post-COVID world. Event info: March 24, 2021, 11:00 AM CDT/5:00 PM CET. Register here: (go.flightaware.com) Plus d'info...

FlightAware Webinar: Leveraging the Firestarter SDK to Access the World's Central Aviation Platform

Firehose is FlightAware's live global data feed of complete real-time and historical flight/aviation data and Firestarter is the free development accelerator that makes it easier to access than ever before. In this webinar, learn how Firestarter can save hundreds of developer hours, reduce time to market for your integration, limit switching costs, and more. Plus see live practical demonstrations, and learn best practices in using Firestarter. (go.flightaware.com) Plus d'info...

Woman drank, vaped, refused mask on flight to Charlotte. Now she’s been fined $17,000.

A woman who was kicked off her flight to Charlotte in February for drinking alcohol, trying to vape and refusing to wear a mask has been hit with a $17,000 fine by the Federal Aviation Administration. The woman was flying from Key West, Fla., to Charlotte on a Republic Airways flight on Feb. 28, according to the FAA. The agency says it has seen a nearly 300% increase in cases of unruly passengers so far this year compared to the number of incidents reported for all of 2020. The penalty was among… (www.yahoo.com) Plus d'info...

The Soviet flying beast that never really took off

The only surviving prototype of this unusual plane now sits dilapidated in a field near Moscow, but it was once the hope of the Soviet Union against US submarine attacks. The Bartini Beriev VVA-14 -- the letters are an acronym for "vertical take-off amphibious aircraft" and 14 was the number of engines -- was designed to take off from anywhere without a runway and to be capable of sustained flight just above the water surface. (www.cnn.com) Plus d'info...

NTSB determines cause of Addison plane crash that killed 10

The NTSB said in a report the June 2019 Addison, Texas plane crash that killed 10 was caused by the pilot's failure to control the plane after one of the engines lost thrust just seconds after takeoff — and audio recording from the beginning of the flight shows the pilot failed to follow checklists and adhere to emergency procedures. (www.wfaa.com) Plus d'info...

Collins Aerospace to acquire FlightAware

Collins Aerospace has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held FlightAware, a leading digital aviation company providing global flight tracking solutions, predictive technology, analytics, and decision-making tools. (www.collinsaerospace.com) Plus d'info...

Study Finds Pilots’ Brains Work Differently

Medical science has now confirmed what your family and friends have been telling you since the first time you strapped in and maybe before that. Your brain works differently than that of non-flying folks and contrary to what those in your immediate bubble might think, that’s actually a good thing, well mostly. (www.avweb.com) Plus d'info...

Seawind Saga: Pilot who crashed in Lake Michigan had 7 crashes in 7 days

Dennis Collier, a licensed Traverse City pilot, paid $110,000 for the 2010 Seawind on a Saturday, ended up in the drink a week later, and on the way crashed — by his own account — seven times, in seven days in four states. (www.record-eagle.com) Plus d'info...

Personal Diversion Lands Air Force Pilot In Hot Water

A Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilot checked in on time for his flight but will carry a stain on his record for the expense and disruption it caused. Capt. Nathaniel D’Arcy was commanding a CP-140 Aurora, the RCAF equivalent of the U.S. Navy P-3 Orion, in a training exercise off the west coast of Canada in May of 2019 when he remembered he’d forgotten to check in for an airline flight booked for the next day. He broke off the mission in search of a cell signal, flying the thirsty four-engine… (www.avweb.com) Plus d'info...

Why Does Aviation Use Nautical Miles?

Apart from pilots and sea captains, most of us use either the Imperial or the metric system when calculating how far we need to get to where we are going. However, aviation navigation has adopted the ways of its marine counterpart, as it also travels across distances great enough to cross several latitudal lines. Not to mention to save air traffic control a great deal of potential confusion when communicating with international pilots. (simpleflying.com) Plus d'info...

Watch a plane fly through a tunnel -- and set a Guinness World Record at the same time

The 41-year-old Italian stunt pilot on Saturday successfully maneuvered a custom-modified Zivko Edge 540 race plane through the twin Çatalca tunnels along the Northern Marmara Highway in Turkey. (www.cnn.com) Plus d'info...

FedEx Express retires world's last MD-10-10 freighter jet

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE — FedEx Express retired its last, and also the world's last, MD-10-10F on June 4, 2021. The 43.6-year-old aircraft with registration N562FE (MSN 46496) operated in a passenger configuration by American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines before being converted into a freighter for FedEx in 2004. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Plus d'info...

Sunrise Takeoff of 767 at LAX Video

Gorgeous views and sounds after takeoff. So cool to see the sun slowly peek over the horizon. (youtu.be) Plus d'info...

Boeing cites risks in design of A321XLR, Airbus' newest jet

Boeing has raised concerns over the design of arch-rival Airbus’ newest narrow-body jet, the A321XLR, saying a novel type of fuel tank could pose fire risks.The US plane giant’s intervention is not without precedent in a global system that regularly allows manufacturers to chime in whenever safety rules are being interpreted in a way that might affect the rest of the industry. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Plus d'info...

Alaska Airlines 737 hits bear

Yesterday, Alaska Airlines flight 66 hit a brown bear while landing in Yakutat, Alaska (www.foxbusiness.com) Plus d'info...

149 Kg Concorde RC Model - Simply Amazing!

I hope this isn’t inappropriate for this forum but I can’t think of an audience more likely to be inclined to appreciate it. Just when you think you’ve seen it all... (youtube.com) Plus d'info...

Delta CEO blasts Biden proposal to require Covid tests for domestic travelers

The proposal to require domestic airline passengers to prove they have tested negative for Covid-19 is a "horrible idea," according to Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian. Bastian told CNN's Poppy Harlow Tuesday that the proposal being discussed by the Biden Administration would drain testing resources away from people who need it more. He said the number of confirmed Covid cases transmitted during air travel since the start of the pandemic has been "absolutely minimal." (www.cnn.com) Plus d'info...

After 25 Years, NTSB to Dismantle TWA 800 Reconstruction

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will soon dismantle the skeletal reconstruction of Trans World Airlines flight 800, the Boeing 747-100 that exploded over the Atlantic Ocean nearly 25 years ago. (www.flightglobal.com) Plus d'info...

Mid-Air Collision Between 2 Small Planes Above Colorado

FAA Investigates Mid-Air Collision Between 2 Small Planes Above Cherry Creek Reservoir South Of Denver. (denver.cbslocal.com) Plus d'info...

FAA chief not ready to re-approve Boeing 737 Max

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chief Steve Dickson conducted a nearly two-hour evaluation flight at the controls of a Boeing 737 MAX on Wednesday (September 30), a milestone for the jet to win approval to resume flying after two fatal crashes. Dickson, a former military and commercial pilot, and other FAA and Boeing pilots landed shortly before 11 a.m. local time (1800 GMT) at King County International Airport - also known as Boeing Field - in the Seattle area. "I like what I saw on… (www.yahoo.com) Plus d'info...

What It's Really Like Piloting Private Jets For The Rich And Famous

Flying privately owned aircraft gives pilots a unique lifestyle within the spectrum of aviation jobs. The set of challenges they face can be very different from those of flying airliners. Among the greatest challenges is passenger behavior. In a short period of time, pilots are all but guaranteed to experience some of the wildest interactions and witness some of the craziest behavior of their lives. (www.thedrive.com) Plus d'info...

Aircraft parts rain on Broomfield, Colorado as plane makes emergency landing at Denver airport

Debris from a commercial jet rained down on Broomfield on Saturday afternoon, and the distressed flight made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport. Denver firefighters based at the airport responded to an “emergency landing” at about 1:35 p.m., said Capt. Greg Pixley, a fire department spokesman. The crew of United Airlines Flight #328, which departed Denver at 12:15 p.m. bound for Honolulu, “reported an engine issue” after takeoff, said Alex Renteria, a DIA spokeswoman. The plane… (www.denverpost.com) Plus d'info...

America Has a GPS Problem

Spoofing or otherwise interfering with GPS satellite signals is cheap and easy now thanks to gadgets costing as little as $20. Teens and delivery drivers use these to cloak their whereabouts. In 2013 a trucker reportedly interfered with KEWR's tracking system after activating a GPS jamming device in his vehicle. GPS' vulnerability has made it ripe for tampering by U.s. adversaries, criminal organizations and other bad actors. At the end of 2018 Congress mandated creation of a… (www.nytimes.com) Plus d'info...

Boeing 737 Max completes first passenger flight since 2019 grounding

Wednesday was a big day for American Airlines and Boeing as it was the first time since March 2019 that passengers flew on a 737 Max. The jetliner was grounded worldwide following two deadly crashes overseas. (www.cbsnews.com) Plus d'info...

Thanksgiving Flight Traffic

See 2020 vs. 2019 Thanksgiving travel numbers, plus the latest traffic data from around the world. (flightaware.com) Plus d'info...

The Pentagon Is Using the SR-71's Legendary Engine for ... Something

Pratt & Whitney started working on the Metacomet two years ago, according to Aviation Week & Space Technology. The company’s Gatorworks division is dusting off its work on the J58, which allowed the SR-71 to reach a record-breaking Mach 3.2, with the hopes of using it to help create a new engine capable of propelling a new vehicle even faster. (www.popularmechanics.com) Plus d'info...

Pilots Draws Syringe With Needle To Celebrate Vaccine Distribution In Europe

In the latest stint, the pilot of a Diamond DA20 (registered D-ENIG) took to the skies of Germany on December 23 to draw the picture of a syringe and needle. The flight which took off from Friedrichshafen Airport in Friedrichshafen, Germany, took a total time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, and was done to celebrate the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in Europe. (www.gatechecked.com) Plus d'info...

Aerlytix Leverages FlightAware’s AeroAPI™ to Power Aircraft Leasing Insights

HOUSTON – February 2nd, 2021 – Aerlytix Ltd, an aviation finance technology specialist, is delighted to announce a partnership with FlightAware, the global provider of flight information and insights, that delivers a new and innovative automated fleet monitoring solution – the Aerlytix Alert Tracker. (flightaware.com) Plus d'info...

The veteran spyplane too valuable to replace

Satellites – and drones – were intended to replace it. But the 65-year-old Lockheed U-2 is still at the top of its game, flying missions in an environment no other aircraft can operate in. (www.bbc.com) Plus d'info...

Flight attendant loses 2 teeth in assault by passenger

A Southwest Airlines flight attendant was assaulted by a passenger and lost two teeth in the attack last weekend, according to a union president, who complained to the airline’s CEO about unruly passengers. “Unfortunately, this is just one of many occurrences,” said the union president, Lyn Montgomery. She said there were 477 incidents of “misconduct” by passengers on Southwest planes between April 8 and May 15. A Southwest spokesman said Tuesday that the incident happened Sunday morning after a… (www.yahoo.com) Plus d'info...