Aviation Thread - News, facts, questions, photos, videos, etc.

[chefist]

A gorgeous looking plane.  Like something out of a sci fi movie.

Yup...the American Concord...years before the Concord flew...but for me, just one true love.



OH...I was walking to work last week here in So Cal...saw a C-47 in full D-Day striping flying over low...I was in heaven!

[albrecht]

1/3 of Pakistani commercial pilots have fraudulent licenses, often hiring others to sit in for their exams. 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/pakistan-international-airlines-grounds-third-of-pilots-after-crash-nkdwj8gxs

https://www.wsj.com/articles/nearly-a-third-of-pilots-in-pakistan-have-fraudulent-licenses-government-says-11593107077

[Taaroa]

https://twitter.com/200_zoka/status/1275738611686793216
https://twitter.com/TangAnZhu/status/1276533600087715840

1/3 of Pakistani commercial pilots have fraudulent licenses, often hiring others to sit in for their exams. 

Similar thing came out about India a few years ago.

[Taaroa]

https://youtu.be/mUSUXnr4dSo

[Taaroa]

Boeing Quietly Pulls Plug on the 747, Closing Era of Jumbo Jets
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-02/boeing-quietly-pulls-plug-on-the-747-closing-era-of-jumbo-jets

[Walks_At_Night]

Odd Duck here:

[Uncle Duke]

Odd Duck here:

That's an Optica, they were made in the UK and marketed as a low speed observation aircraft.  I saw one fly from a small, mostly helicopter airfield outside of London. Very odd looking and sounding aircraft. 

[Hog]

"Toss Bombing" nuclear weapons using the B-47 Stratojet.


https://youtu.be/s_fVtd5Sz9M

F-111's had the capability to emply a similar "over the shoulder" toss bombing technique when dropping the GBU-15.  The bomb continues upwards while the jet has changed direction and is escaping the area. 

peace
Hog

[GravitySucks]

"Toss Bombing" nuclear weapons using the B-47 Stratojet.


https://youtu.be/s_fVtd5Sz9M

F-111's had the capability to emply a similar "over the shoulder" toss bombing technique when dropping the GBU-15.  The bomb continues upwards while the jet has changed direction and is escaping the area. 

peace
Hog

When I was stationed at Plattsburgh AFB, we had two squadrons of FB-111s but there was a B-47 on static display outside of the gate.  The base is closed down now but they moved the B-47 to a small park and have an FB next to it on static display. Volunteers are currently refurbishing the B-47 to repair a bunch of panels which didn’t weather too well over the years.

[Uncle Duke]

https://youtu.be/IgD4QvxhFyU

[Jackstar]

I have a keen interest in aeronautics because I am desperately seeking to compensate for something.

Oh, Uncle. Cheer up! Have you ever seen Little Miss Sunshine? It's a great flick, and before the end of it, you'll perhaps know why I'm recommending it in this thread. Stick with the flick until the ending, though--it's a decent wrap-up. One of Alan Arkin's best performances!!

Also a great date movie. I'm just sayin'. Try it!

[Taaroa]

https://twitter.com/aldastan/status/1280490595929202689
https://twitter.com/USNavy/status/1279872308052733958
https://twitter.com/breakingavnews/status/1279816328224870400

[Hog]

5 engined 747-SP!
Followed by a B737-200.


https://youtu.be/LBA-LjsxvOE

I think it would look better, and probably perform better with a 6th engine in a mirrored position on the Port side of the a/c.

peace
Hog

[Hog]

Soviet Designed Air Launched Space Shuttle Rocket from a dual Fuselage Antonov An-225  Mriya(meaning Dream or inspiration)

Well here is the newest "big jet" to come from our friends in Russia.  To commemorate Putin's possible leadership until the year 2036, his friends in Moscow put together this Antonov AN-225 based Space Shuttle Launcher.

https://youtu.be/S3fAm8TGP1U


peace
Hog


Attachments
1) AN-225 with the CCCP's version of the US Space Shuttle on its back
2) AN-225 at 1990 airshow
3) AN-225 main landing gear
4) A brand new OV-099 (Orbiter Vehicle-099) aka Challenger on the back of Shuttle Carrier Aircraft(SCA) NASA-905 back in 1982.

[GravitySucks]

I wonder how many F-35Bs and Ospreys are onboard.

The Bonhomme Richard is on fire in San Diego. I hope all of the firefighters stay safe.

https://twitter.com/greggfavre/status/1282376995117113347

[albrecht]

I wonder how many F-35Bs and Ospreys are onboard.

The Bonhomme Richard is on fire in San Diego. I hope all of the firefighters stay safe.

[tweet]1282376995117113347[/tweet]

I wonder who is in that Zodiac making a get-away?
Kidding, I'm sure. Hope all are safe. The Navy has had some very questionable incidents over the past few years. And now I read that they are eliminating all physical fitness requirements, though this apparently is temporary due to Corona-Chan.

https://boomsupersonic.com/xb-1/  New "Concorde?"

[GravitySucks]

Live stream. Doesn’t look good.

https://twitter.com/cavasships/status/1282386773042233349

[Uncle Duke]

Live stream. Doesn’t look good.

https://twitter.com/cavasships/status/1282386773042233349

What I just saw from a news helicopter in SD looks like the smoke is coming from the hanger deck.

[Hog]

Boeing Quietly Pulls Plug on the 747, Closing Era of Jumbo Jets
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-02/boeing-quietly-pulls-plug-on-the-747-closing-era-of-jumbo-jets

Such an iconic piece of Americana.  Wiki says that as of Jan 2020 Boeing has built 1,557 of these beasts .

peace
Hog

[Jackstar]

https://komonews.com/amp/news/local/alaska-airlines-plane-forced-to-land-in-seattle-after-passenger-threatens-to-kill-everyone


My old job.

[Hog]

https://komonews.com/amp/news/local/alaska-airlines-plane-forced-to-land-in-seattle-after-passenger-threatens-to-kill-everyone


My old job.

Crazed Canadian white make stands up and double taps said passenger threatener with some 5.56mm NATO to the brainstem.  A hush comes across the passengers and the Captain via the loudspeaker stays. OK folks were had a slight delay but we'll be leaving the gate right away.  Crazed white Canadian returns to his seat and clears the chamber of his C-8 carbine and says  " Hey sorry about the mess. eh... could I get a beer?  Molson Export, please."

That's my "undercover Federal Marshal who saves the day" fantasy type of dream.  It was all a dream. I mean who carries around a C-8 carbine?  It's fun to dream.  Tony Soprano packed heat sometimes, esp. when the Soprano family went to the mattresses.  I remember Tony falling asleep while holding a blacked out M14 that the Baccala" gave him as a birthday gift when he and sister Janice spent a weekend together at a lakehouse.  7.62NATO, some serious stopping power.

peace
Hog

[Taaroa]

5 engined 747-SP!
I think it would look better, and probably perform better with a 6th engine in a mirrored position on the Port side of the a/c.

Qantas has been known to ferry engines slung underneath the wings of their (now retired) 747s. Can't be that big of an extra fuel burn since they were able to do Perth - Johannesburg in that config according to this article:
https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/how-qantas-ferried-an-engine-on-the-wing-of-a-747/

[Uncle Duke]

Photo sent to me by a friend who lives in St George, UT which was under threat of a wild fire.  He lives in a nearby neighborhood to where the photo was taken.

[Kidnostad3]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/34832/veteran-sailor-on-why-navy-ships-can-be-most-vulnerable-in-port-and-how-to-change-that

BRAVO ZULU, CHIEF

[albrecht]

https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-53420819

[Walks_At_Night]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ252vuf-bs

[Walks_At_Night]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ252vuf-bs

NVM - it is just cops hassling old people.   

[Uncle Duke]

NVM - it is just cops hassling old people.   

Interesting the guy mentions it was "RAF Police" making people move.  The performance was being done at the RAF College at Cranwell, but it's not clear if the spectators were on base or off base.  If it's off base as I suspect, the spectators are being forced to move for their own safety (out from under the flight path of the performing a/c) and/or to protect the a/c from one of spectators whipping out an SA-7 and taking a shot at them.

The British CAA is very sensitive to airshow safety after a series of airshow crashes that resulted in spectator casualties. The most notable mishap was several years ago when a civilian owned Hawker Hunter crashed into spectators watching the airshow along a road just off the airport, much like the spectators were trying to do in the video you posted.  See the video below, and notice where the spectators are parked.


https://youtu.be/pvHplYmh2f8

[Walks_At_Night]

Interesting the guy mentions it was "RAF Police" making people move.  The performance was being done at the RAF College at Cranwell, but it's not clear if the spectators were on base or off base.  If it's off base as I suspect, the spectators are being forced to move for their own safety (out from under the flight path of the performing a/c) and/or to protect the a/c from one of spectators whipping out an SA-7 and taking a shot at them.

The British CAA is very sensitive to airshow safety after a series of airshow crashes that resulted in spectator casualties. The most notable mishap was several years ago when a civilian owned Hawker Hunter crashed into spectators watching the airshow along a road just off the airport, much like the spectators were trying to do in the video you posted.  See the video below, and notice where the spectators are parked.


https://youtu.be/pvHplYmh2f8

Yeah - I was just being a Weisenheimer.    The highway that intersected that road looked real busy and obviously was not blocked.  Maybe they shut it down just before the action started?   Lorry Driver Lives Matter!

[Taaroa]

British Airways retires entire 747 fleet after travel downturn

British Airways has said it will retire all of its Boeing 747s as it suffers from the sharp travel downturn. The UK airline is the world's largest operator of the jumbo jets, with 31 in the fleet.

"It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect," a BA spokesman told the BBC. "It is unlikely our magnificent 'queen of the skies' will ever operate commercial services for British Airways again due to the downturn in travel caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic," the spokesman added.

The 747s represent about 10% of BA's total fleet. It had planned on retiring the planes in 2024 but has brought forward the date due to the downturn.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53426886

Not particularly surprising. The writing has been on the wall for 4 (and 3) engined commercial jets for a long time now as they're too inefficient compared to 2 engined designs; the pandemic has just accelerated their phase out. Will possibly see similar moves with the A380 as although they're more efficient compared to the 747, they need to be fairly full to make a profit on flights.