If it is essential sales wouldn't be dropping. Planes like the 787 have done more to alleviate traffic at traffic constricted airports by being profitable flying to less congested airports. Consequently dropping 380 orders in favor of a more profitable 350. Profitability per seat mile works on a full passenger load but if half the season its only running a 50% load factor things go downhill fast. On the other hand many have said they will only fly overseas on planes with 4 burning so when the 340, 380, and 747 are gone what will be the recourse.

(Written on 13/02/2019)(Permalink)

Did you read the report, how the blade went through the airplane damaging another engine and pieces of the plane were knocked off so it was uncontrollable? It appears they did their investigation very thoroughly and it is not the first 4 engine prop plane to crash due to loss of one propeller.

(Written on 07/12/2018)(Permalink)

That doesn't get much, if any, coverage. I believe it was Martin Caidin's book "A Torch to the Enemy" that listed Japanese cities with the percentage of city destroyed. The fire bombing on march 9 - 10, 1945, caused the greatest loss of life in a bombing mission in human history.

(Written on 08/08/2018)(Permalink)

I certainly saw a lot of reporting on this in the mainstream media - when this happened 5 months ago with frequent updates ever since.

(Written on 30/04/2018)(Permalink)

They do use smaller planes on many USA flights - where the airport is too small to accommodate the 747. If I remember correctly, the plane is usually one of the Air Force's 757 VIP planes. That plane then becomes Air Force One for the flight. Problem is it cannot accommodate the entire entourage nor does it have the communications.

(Written on 18/05/2017)(Permalink)

The price Trump quotes is way overstated as the requirements are still being established. Cost of the airframes will be standard pricing with discounts. Then comes the outfitting. Remember when President Reagan ordered the current planes early in his presidency the airframes were completely rather quickly but it was the middle of President G.H.W.Bush's presidency before the Air Force innards were complete and they have had continued updates since - countermeasures against hand held missiles an example. Its not a dressed up pimpmobile.

(Written on 08/12/2016)(Permalink)

Designed for nuclear delivery to be able to carry the very large nuclear weapons of the era, but really obsolete in that need for ages. Able to reconfigure to carry massive iron bomb loads used in Nam. From the start realization of difficulty to penetrate USSR defenses so also served as missile launch platform. Still around because of its ability to carry the massive loads at a cost much lower than B-1B or B2.

(Written on 20/09/2016)(Permalink)

I saw an item on the Blue Angels and the condition of their aircraft. Something that caught my eye was in an event the reporter witnessed, one of the BA's had an equipment malfunction, landed, and resumed the air show in the dual cockpit "media show" plane. People may slam the BA and Thunderbirds for spending money needlessly, but they are people in whom our country feels good about itself and they deserve the best equipment, not the hand me down older version F/A-18. They are our country's representatives - Super Hornets.

(Written on 03/06/2016)(Permalink)

Thee is always a need for a backup - one example is during long maintenance periods or when upgrading comm systems. Can't postpone travel for a president because the "car is in the shop". Size - the media hoard that is always accompanying. Question I never researched is what does each member of the media pay - do they pay like it was an airliner on the same route? First class price? Full fare if it is a sudden trip and they haven't booked 2 weeks in advance? Does what they charge the media actually pay the fuel & lube cost of each flight? As for the A-380, aren't there more airfield limitations? After all the 757 fleet fills in as Air Force 1 on flights into US mainland airfields where the VC-25 won't fit. If I remember correctly, the VC-25s were ordered during Prez Regan's first term yet it was Prez GHW Bush who first got to use the already obsolete plane. The time needed for all the modifications, mainly installing all the comm equipment. Won't the cost of each plane be les

(Written on 29/01/2015)(Permalink)

Being part of an accident investigation team several times, it was always amazing how we could screen the scattered parts and pick out items that stood out as pre accident rather than post accident. I have a shadow box of DC-10 parts picked up from the crash site 34 years after the crash reminding me engineers screw up and people die. I learned from a Skunk Works metallurgist who started off my first investigation lecture by showing these screw ups, manufacturing and engineering, and gained my attention forever.

(Written on 08/01/2014)(Permalink)