Aerotime

AUGUST 23, 2024

AeroTime is excited to welcome Michael Barnard as our columnist. Michael spends his time projecting scenarios for decarbonization 40-80 years into the future, and assisting executives, Boards and investors to pick wisely today. Whether it’s refueling aviation, grid storage, vehicle-to-grid, or hydrogen demand, his work is based on fundamentals of physics, economics and human nature, and informed by the decarbonization requirements and innovations of multiple domains.

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Center of Gravity Air Traffic Control Jet Lift 313

Cranky Flier

AUGUST 19, 2024

I’m back! I know at least some of you missed me, but I’m going to admit to cheating a little today. See, we were in Europe for two weeks with the kids, so I put this post together before we left to give me an extra buffer coming home. So, enjoy this and I’ll have more current stuff starting tomorrow. JetBlue has finally decided to give up on the West Coast.

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Threshold Airline Airlines Runway 312

Alaska Air

AUGUST 19, 2024

The time period for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to complete its regulatory investigation of the proposed combination of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines under the HSR Act has expired. This is a significant milestone in the process to join our airlines.

Airline 141

Airline Airlines 141

Simple Flying

AUGUST 20, 2024

The Boeing 777X program has faced another setback after a post-flight inspection of one of the aircraft led to the discovery of a failed engine mount, pausing the certification campaign of the type.

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Thrust 140

Aerotime

AUGUST 21, 2024

Discover Airlines, the leisure-focused airline of the Lufthansa Group , announced on August 21, 2024, that it is planning to expand its fleet and introduce revamped cabins on all three service classes it currently offers (Business, Premium Economy and Economy). Not much is known about the specifics of Discover’s new business class cabin, other than the fact that it will be fitted on its Airbus A330 fleet, and all seats will have direct aisle access.

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Airline Airlines 299

Cranky Flier

AUGUST 22, 2024

Of all the things that happened while I was on vacation, it was Breeze’s decision to roll into New Haven that caused more people to text me than anything else. (Good thing I had DND set on my phone… ) Since Avelo went into the market in 2021 and American walked away from its Philly flight, Avelo has dominated the airport on the central coast of Connecticut.

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Airplanes Airline Airlines 259

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 22, 2024

On the evening of Wednesday, August 21, 2024, just after 9:00 pm, the Hawaii Mars water bomber made its way to the British Columbia Aviation Museum under a picturesque sunset of pink and grey clouds. Delivered by Nickel Brothers Moving’s special transportation service, the aircraft was expertly maneuvered onto the museum grounds without a single scratch.

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Aerotime

AUGUST 19, 2024

A SWISS Boeing 777-300ER carrying 319 passengers became caught in a grassy area of Astana International Airport (NQZ) in Kazakhstan after diverting due to a medical emergency. The incident occurred on August 17, 2024, when flight LX161, operating a Boeing 777-300ER with registration HB-JNI, was flying from Narita International Airport (NRT) in Tokyo to Zurich Airport (ZRH).

Runway 290

Runway Airline Airlines 290

Cranky Flier

AUGUST 20, 2024

Right before I went on vacation, Spirit announced that it would be switching up how it sells tickets , going into bundled fares that would make marked differences in the product you’d get onboard. Late last week, the pricing was revealed, so now let’s take a look at how it’s been constructed. To start, we have to look at the bundles themselves.

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Airline Airlines 195

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 17, 2024

Well, a SWISS Boeing 777 is having a pretty rough day, after it diverted to Kazakhstan for a medical emergency. SWISS 7777 diverts to Kazakstan for medical emergency This incident happened today (Saturday, August 17, 2024), and involves SWISS flight LX161 , scheduled to operate from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Zurich (ZRH). The flight was flown by a six-year-old Boeing 777-300ER with the registration code HB-JNI.

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Runway Pilot 126

Simple Flying

AUGUST 21, 2024

Evidence is mounting that the Lockheed Martin SR-72 (aka the "Son of Blackbird") may be in production and nearing its entry into service. The United States has famously developed and produced spy planes in secret (like the F-117 Nighthawk). The Air Force is known to operate (or have in development) a number of secret or semi-secret stealth spy drones.

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Aerotime

AUGUST 22, 2024

Saudi Arabia may be considering the launch of a new cargo-only airline, according to a Bloomberg report published on August 20, 2024 , quoting unnamed sources with knowledge of this project. Little else is currently known about the initiative, which is reportedly being evaluated by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.

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Cargo Airline Airlines 285

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 22, 2024

One of the most extraordinary warbirds in the skies today, the prototype North American XP-82 Twin Mustang, meticulously restored by Tom Reilly, is now available again for purchase through Platinum Fighter Sales. This aircraft, serial number 44-83887, is one of only five surviving P-82 Twin Mustangs and the sole flying example in civilian hands. The long-awaited moment for aviation enthusiasts arrived on January 28th, 2019, when the XP-82 completed its first “official” post-restoration flight in

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Lift Runway Pilot 122

Ask the Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

Unexpected Pleasures at a Terminal Near You. WITH SCATTERED EXCEPTIONS, airports don’t have a whole lot going for them. They’re noisy, dirty, poorly laid out, and just generally hostile to passengers. As my regular readers are well aware, I’ve made this point in numerous prior posts — perhaps too many times. Now, so that I’m not always harping on the negative, here’s something different. “Hidden Airport” is a semi-regular feature highlighting littl

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Ceiling Tarmac Jet Airline 122

Simple Flying

AUGUST 19, 2024

During the Farnborough International Airshow 2024 , Boom Supersonic unveiled its flight deck for the Overture. The company said it had reinvented the cockpit with a design that centers on pilots with safety at the forefront.

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Flight Deck Cockpit Pilot 127

Aerotime

AUGUST 23, 2024

A decision over the fate of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and its crew, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, now appears to be imminent. NASA has confirmed that the picture will become much clearer on August 24, 2024. In an update on August 22, 2024, NASA explained that engineering and spaceflight specialists from Boeing and the space agency were continuing to analyze data, ahead of a decision “this week on the path forward for the Starliner spacecraft’s return from the International Space Station”

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One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 23, 2024

As we see airlines continue to retire four engine planes, it’s pretty clear that the future of long haul aviation involves planes with two engines. In that sense, the two planes that are really revolutionizing long haul air travel are the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 (maybe the Boeing 777X will also eventually do that, but it’s not yet certified ). What makes these planes so incredible is their fuel efficiency, range capabilities, low operating costs, and relatively low capacity (at least compared

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Tail Jet Airline Airlines 120

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 19, 2024

Romain Hugault developed a passion for aeronautics at a very young age, earning his pilot’s license at just seventeen. Faced with the choice of pursuing a career as a pilot and drawing as a hobby or becoming a designer and flying for pleasure, he chose the latter. After studying at the École Estienne, he went on to illustrate aviation reference books, including some for the French Air Force.

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Pilot Airplanes Jet Weather 119

Simple Flying

AUGUST 18, 2024

The United States Air Force has found itself in the middle of a new age of Great Power Competition. Now FlightGlobal has claimed: " Overseas air bases can no longer be counted on as safe harbors for American aircraft forward deployed to conflict zones." This comes as the United States Air Force is building up its F-35As stationed in Japan while the Navy is replacing Super Hornets with F-35Cs on the USS George Washington (CVN-73) as it returns to Japan.

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Jet 127

Aerotime

AUGUST 20, 2024

Qatar Airways has acquired a 25% equity stake in South African airline Airlink, one of Africa’s largest carriers. The deal, which was signed on August 20, 2024, in Doha, builds upon years of collaboration between the two airlines, which already codeshare some of their flights. After this equity investment, the two airlines are expected to strengthen their partnership, enhancing the connectivity between their respective networks, cooperating in the commercial sphere and linking their respective l

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Airline Airlines Jet 284

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 19, 2024

While we’ve heard of airports temporarily halting operations due to security situations, this has to be one of the strangest such incidents we’ve seen… Hokkaido Airport closes due to lost scissors This incident happened on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at New Chitose Airport (CTS) in Hokkaido, Japan. Shortly after 10AM local time, a store in the departures area (past security) reported that a pair of scissors had gone missing.

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Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 21, 2024

In May of this year, the CAF Gulf Coast Wing announced the acquisition of an AC-47 that had been stored in a hangar at the Atlanta Motor Speedway Airport, south of Atlanta, since 2020. The aircraft was ferried to the Commemorative Air Force headquarters in Dallas for an initial evaluation and assessment of the restoration work needed. Spooky tucked away in an hangar at the Atlanta Motorspeedway Airport.

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Hangar 116

Simple Flying

AUGUST 17, 2024

The United States is one of the two top producers of fighter jets (the other being China, which produces a similar number ). The United States currently produces four types of fighter jets: the F-16 Fighting Falcon , the F-15EX Strike Eagle II , the F/A-18 Super Hornet (and Growler), and the F-35 Lightning II. Many of these aircraft are produced for export (the F-16 is only produced for export).

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Jet 125

Aerotime

AUGUST 21, 2024

Oman Air is rebranding its premium cabin experience with the introduction of a new business class product called “Business Studio”, which will replace first class. The new product will not involve a cabin refit, but an adjustment of some of the “soft” elements of the experience, such as the onboard service. Oman Air’s CEO, Con Korfiatis, explained that the change was motivated by diminished demand for its traditional first class product and the need to respond to the needs of the modern traveler

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Airline Airlines 284

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 21, 2024

We’ve seen a trend lately whereby more airlines have made free Wi-Fi available for more passengers. Japanese Star Alliance carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the latest airline to introduce free inflight connectivity. While this was announced a few months back, this improvement has just gone live in business class. ANA adds free Wi-Fi in business class as of August 2024 As of August 20, 2024, ANA has begun offering free Wi-Fi for business class passengers on international flights.

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Jet Airline Airlines 119

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 23, 2024

Last week, the Planes of Fame Air Museum of Chino, California welcomed the donation of a new airplane that flew into Chino Airport on August 13. The aircraft in question is a Beechcraft D17S Staggerwing, widely considered to be one of the most attractive airplanes by aviation enthusiasts. With its top wings slanted back from the bottom wings (hence the origin for its name), retractable landing gear and plush interior, the Staggerwing was seen as the last word in luxury aircraft for its time, bei

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Airplanes Jet Pilot 111

Simple Flying

AUGUST 17, 2024

On August 7th, a Delta Air Lines flight had to return to its departure airport roughly 90 minutes after takeoff due to fumes in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely without incident. However, some crew were sent to the hospital after landing. None of the passengers needed medical attention.

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Aerotime

AUGUST 23, 2024

In the latest development in their efforts to reach a new contractual agreement over pay, scheduling and retirement, disgruntled Air Canada pilots have overwhelmingly backed strike action. In a recent union vote, 98% of Air Canada pilots authorized the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) to call a strike, although negotiations will continue in the short term.

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Pilot Jet Airline Airlines 281

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 20, 2024

The Boeing 777X is Boeing’s latest and (theoretically) greatest aircraft, which is eventually supposed to become the largest passenger jet in production. The catch is, the plane has experienced some major certification issues — while the plane was supposed to start commercial service in 2020, that timeline has now been pushed back until 2025. Well, there’s now potentially yet another setback, as reported by The Air Current.

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Thrust Airplanes Jet Airline 117

iPad Pilot News

AUGUST 20, 2024

Understanding pressure altitude and GPS altitude in aviation apps iPad Pilot News Ten years ago, ForeFlight introduced synthetic vision and gave pilots a new way to view the world on their iPads. Nowadays, most other aviation apps offer a similar view. In addition to a 3D view of terrain and obstacles this shows glass cockpit-style tapes for speed and altitude, making it an excellent backup tool in case of panel avionics failure.

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Altimeter Indicated Airspeed Pitot Tube Groundspeed 111

Simple Flying

AUGUST 20, 2024

Last Thursday, COMAC delivered its 29th ARJ21 aircraft (registration number: B-656L) to Air China. With this delivery, Air China's ARJ21 fleet temporarily surpassed that of Chengdu Airlines and China Southern Airlines , making it the airline with the largest ARJ21 fleet.

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Airline Airlines 123

Aerotime

AUGUST 22, 2024

Wizz Air is considering launching another round of its incredibly popular “All You Can Fly” pass after the airline sold out in just 48 hours, according to Bloomberg. Wizz Air’s “All You Can Fly” pass was launched on August 13, 2024, offering travelers the chance to buy unlimited travel with the airline for 12 months through a single purchase. According to Bloomberg, 10,000 passes were made available, costing €599 ($556) each, with Wizz Air confirming to the news outlet that it was “still assessi

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Airline Airlines 278

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 23, 2024

Air Senegal will be ending its route to the United States, which it launched a few years back, as reported by AeroRoutes. I can’t say I’m surprised, and if anything, I’m amazed it lasted this long. Air Senegal cuts Dakar to New York route As of September 19, 2024, Air Senegal will be discontinuing its 3,830-mile route between Dakar (DSS) and New York (JFK).

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Airline Airlines Jet 116

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 19, 2024

By Adam Estes Nearly every person on earth has seen a Cessna 172 fly overhead, and most of the world’s pilots get their first flight lessons and make their first solos behind the controls of a 172. However, the favorable flight characteristics of the 172 have also seen the aircraft used as military trainers with the United States Army and Air Force as the Cessna T-41 Mescalero, serving the same purpose of introductory flight training as the Boeing-Stearman Model 75 did during the World War II.

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Pilot Knot Jet 111

Simple Flying

AUGUST 20, 2024

Hailstorms are more than just a minor inconvenience for aircraft; they represent significant hazards that can compromise safety, cause costly damage, and disrupt operations. Here are five key reasons hail poses such a danger to aircraft and a deeper understanding of hail as a weather event.

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Weather 123

Aerotime

AUGUST 22, 2024

Few things capture the public imagination like the sleek lines of supersonic aircraft. The Concorde did the trick back in the day, managing to achieve a truly iconic status. Fast forward a few decades and Boom Supersonic, a startup that aims to bring back commercial supersonic flight, also wants its aircraft to be a head-turner. As if the uniqueness of its design was not enough, Boom Supersonic is looking for ideas to emblazon its aircraft with original, eye-catching liveries.

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Flight Deck Airline Airlines Runway 277

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 23, 2024

Us avgeeks can often have pretty strong aircraft preferences. Sometimes our picks are rational (like based on a plane’s capabilities, passenger comfort, etc.), while other times we just like the way a plane looks or sounds. In this post I thought it would be fun to share my favorite aircraft, and then I’d love to hear what planes OMAAT readers like most.

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Jet Airplanes Tail Cockpit 114