Inside look at a 737 plane crash from a flight attendant. JetBlue to purchase Spirit Airlines, Piper Aircraft and CAE partner on electric aircraft, 2 million aviation professionals needed, FAA wants secondary fight deck barrier, EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2022 numbers.

710 Plane Crash

Aviation training at UMA, orders at Farnborough, Delta TechOps, fighter market forecast, open fan engine demonstrator, KC-46 co-pilots, electronic bag tags, bad airline pilots, travel demand and airline capacity.

709 Aviation Training

Fly-in conversations, lost baggage woes, airports limiting passenger volume, and a missed runway crash investigation.

708 Spurwink Farm Fly-In

This episode is dedicated to the Boeing 707 with guest from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute which displays a Boeing VC-137C used as Air Force One for seven U.S. presidents.

707 Boeing 707

Flight delays and cancellations, long lines, higher fares, and travel woes with Johnny Jet. Also, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta tips, Spurwink Farm International Fly-In, PlaneTags Festival, ultra-efficient business plane.

706 Airport Flight Delays

Air Force One paint scheme and production problems, F-35 Aggressors, Israeli extended range F-35s, Delta “juniority benefit,” Piedmont wage increases, U.S. Navy safety stand-down.

705 Air Force One

The B-1 BONE bomber, certifying the 737 Max, NGAD, Germany heavy-lift helicopter, piloting an A330 while sleeping, prison time for unruly passenger, staff shortages at European airports.

704 The Supersonic B-1 BONE

FAA IASA program, Bombardier’s biz jet strategy, another AN-225, American/Sabre antitrust verdict, ALPA and pilot retirement age, Southwest safety defect lawsuit, Facebook scam, NEXUS interview report.

703 FAA IASA Program

Remembering Glen Towler, pilot shortage, Icelandic Air, air mobility, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Boeing E-7, airborne nuclear command and control, aviation media awards, careers, eVTOL certification, BA pilots, 1,500-hour rule, electric seaglider.

702 Aviation Smorgasbord

How aviation weather intelligence affects airlines and airports, the FAA wants radio altimeters replaced, Easyjet has a solution to fly with less crew, Spirit Airlines says no to JetBlue, an electric airplane first, jail time for some unruly passengers, and Virgin Atlantic flight training requirements.



Guest







Scott Gilmore is the Global Vice President and GM of Aviation at Tomorrow.io, a company that provides an aviation weather and climate security platform. Scott has over 40 years in the aviation industry, including 27 as a pilot. He drives Tomorrow.io’s aviation go-to-market offerings, including sales activity, revenue management, and the product roadmap.



Scott explains the sources and uses of aviation weather data, and how weather intelligence results in fewer turnbacks, more payload, and better fuel load. He also tells us about the impact on airport ground staffing and de-icing planning.



Tomorrow.io is deploying its own constellation of LEO weather satellites equipped with radar and microwave sounders. This will provide global coverage with a significantly improved refresh rate. Scott describes the goal of being able to machine generate a custom “TAF” (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) for any selected location.



It’s with noting that the non-profit TomorrowNow.org is committed to helping vulnerable populations adapt to the climate changes that are happening now.



Prior to Tomorrow.io, Scott served as the Head of Flight Deck Solutions with The Weather Company, an IBM Business; Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships at the International Air Transport Association (IATA); and Director Of Business Development Airline Industry Solutions, and Head Of Application Development Aircraft Mission Kit / Electronic Flight Bag at Unisys. Scott was a Senior Strategic Airlift Manager C-5, C-17, and Tanker Operations with the United States Air Force. He’s an FAA Rated Flight Engineer with over 21,000 hours in the flight deck, an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic, and a member of the American Association of Airport Executives.



Aviation News



FAA wants U.S. airlines to retrofit, replace radio altimeters



The FAA wants to establish "an achievable timeframe to retrofit/replace radar altimeters in the U.S. fleet" due to possible interference from C-Band 5G wireless service. So they are meeting with telecom and airline industry officials where they can hear "options and commit to actions necessary to meet these objectives."



EasyJet to take out seats so it can fly with fewer crew



Staff shortages are affecting commercial flight schedules globally and EasyJet has a solution to reduce its cabin crew from four to three legally: Take out the back row of seats in its A319 fleet. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulates the number of cabin crew based on seats, not passengers on board.



Nigerian airlines are threatening to ground domestic flights amid soaring jet fuel prices



Nine Nigerian airlines issued a statement saying that

701 Aviation Weather

Memoir of TWA flight attendant, Delta to pay flight attendants during boarding, Jet Airways won’t hire male F/A, American fires some reserve F/As, new 747-8 to the boneyard, fuel shortages, F-15EX headwind.

700 Flight Attendant

Using AirTag to track baggage, airlines release some flyers from no-fly list, Bombardier headquarters in Wichita, aircraft leased to Russia, Cirrus fuel flow issues, plane-swap stunt, Tecnam 2-seat trainer, air ambulance costs.

699 Apple AirTag for Tracking Luggage

Airline travel challenges, mask mandate, Global 7500, boarding with stairs, airline amenity, giving up your seat, turbofan failures, not ditching, airport therapy animals.

698 Airline Travel Challenges

JetBlue and Frontier eye Spirit Airlines, Air France B777 and DHL 757 make emergency landings, Collier Trophy winner announced, some airlines replacing regional flights with buses, Boston shuts down crash pad.

697 JetBlue and Spirit Airlines

Max Trescott and Rob Mark share some scary piloting moments.

696 Where are the Airplane Geeks

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and how it is being made available, how you can save on airline tickets, an F-35 shoots down a drone, and the eighth anniversary of the loss of flight MH370.

695 Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Designing an airline livery and celebrating the 400th episode of the Plane Talking UK podcast.

694 Airline Livery

Bye Aerospace electric airplane, AeroShark aircraft skin, Collier Trophy finalists, hydrogen fuel-powered engine, lasers pointed at aircraft, F-35C crash video leakers, closing the airspace.

693 Bye Aerospace Electric Airplane

Flight data aggregation site ADSBexchange, lawmakers want civil action against Boeing, Nexflix releases 737 MAX documentary, United Aviate Academy will fly Cirrus, electric/gas hybrid plane, aircraft technology export, FAA Administrator to leave, autonomous helicopter.

692 ADSBexchange

Managing a runway rehabilitation project and minimizing the effects on operators, the airport, and the public. In the news, airports are hamstrung in dealing with drone threats, handling emergency landings, some Boeing 737 Max charges are dropped, and North Atlantic tracks below FL330.



Guest



Paul H. Bradbury, P.E. is the airport director for the Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Portland, Maine. 







The Jetport is planning a runway rehabilitation project that will see 34,000 tons of asphalt removed and replaced over 27.5 acres of pavement. A runway lighting upgrade will require 19.7 miles of wire and over 5,000 flights will be affected as the primary runway is closed for two months. The airport has been working with operators and the public to minimize the impact.



Paul explains the difference between runway maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. We learn about the pavement management plan that includes an assessment of runway condition. Also, the difference between concrete and asphalt runways, and how the paving contractor was selected. 90% of this project was funded through the Airport Improvement Program.



Beyond the runway rehabilitation project, Paul brings us up to date on the Jetport’s de-icing fluid recovery process that allows them to resell the fluid to other airports. The Jetport is the only airport in the U.S. doing this.



Other topics in our conversation with Paul include Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), drone incursions at airports, unruly passengers, and flight diversions.



Portland jetport’s primary runway to close for nearly 2 months this spring



Runway 11-29 Rehabilitation Project website



Paul was appointed the airport director in 2008 and is responsible for the overall management, operations, and planning for the Portland International Jetport. He’s a licensed professional engineer with a B.S. in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Paul is an avid runner, triathlete, and snowmobiler.



Aviation News



Airports face legal, policy hurdles in countering chronic drone threat



Airports around the world have been plagued by drone incursions, but the actions they can take are very limited. The non-profit, FAA-funded National Safe Skies Alliance issued a report in September 2021 titled “Airport Response to Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Threats.” [PDF] Both passive and active counter-drone technology exists, but in the U.S., only four federal agencies can use them: the Departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, and Justice.



Is This The Worst Airline Passenger of 2022, So Far?



Frontier Airlines flight 1335 from New York to Orlando had to make an emergency landing in North Carolina. A passenger was convinced the woman in the seat behind him was stabbing him with needles and stealing his DNA. When the man started harassing others, six passengers restrained him and tied him down to his seat. Local police were waiting at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

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Airplane Geeks Podcast

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