About this episode
A tri-wing jet concept, a court ruling and flight instruction, aviation fuel supply vulnerability, more baggage falling out of airplanes, Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, and an Across the Pond segment. Aviation News This Bonkers Tri-Wing Jumbo Jet Concept Reduces Fuel Consumption by 70% The SE200 concept airliner from SE Aeronautics is a tri-wing design with two rear-mounted engines and a double tail fin. The widebody jet would seat 264+ passengers and burn 70 percent less fuel than a plane of similar size. The SE200 is a 100% molded composite aircraft, with a claimed 80% reduction in CO2 emissions per seat kilometer. Flying at Mach .9, the jet would have a range of 10,560 miles at 500+ PMPG. American Airlines is adding refueling stops to some flights as fuel pipeline hack chokes supplies Colonial Pipeline’s insufficient security allowed a ransomware attack to shut down the company’s 5,500 mile fuel pipeline from the Texas Gulf Coast to New Jersey. This led to widespread gasoline shortages across the U.S. East Coast, and impacted the supplies of jet fuel. Airline fires 2 pilots after emergency door flew off U.P.-bound airplane just before takeoff Boutique Airlines fires 2 pilots, pulls out of Gogebic-Iron Co. Airport The emergency exit door separated from a Boutique Airlines flight just before takeoff from Gogebic-Iron County Airport in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. One passenger said his carry-on bag was sucked out. Apparently, the pilots failed to complete a pre-flight checklist. Honored at last: Remembering the heroes of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 Soldiers who went missing on secret US military mission in 1962 to be honored with Maine memorial On March 16, 1962, 93 soldiers, 11 crew, and 3 South Vietnamese soldiers boarded Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 for a secret mission to Saigon. They never arrived and the subsequent search and rescue operation found nothing. The families of those lost never knew what happened. The Warbird Adventures case Warbird Adventures , which operates a World War II P-40 fighter training aircraft certificated in the limited category, asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review an FAA emergency cease-and-desist order. The company was providing flight instruction without an exemption to FAR 91.315. In a two-page ruling Warbird Adventures, Inc., et. al. v. FAA. , the court refused to review the emergency cease-and-desist order. Across the Pond Pieter Johnson ( XTP Media ) and Gareth Stringer (Editor of Global Aviation Resource ) provide a special Across the Pond segment to mark the tenth anniversary of the first ATP segment on Airplane Geeks. For more great aviation content, listen to the Xtended podcast, including Episode 116 – Restoration Force & the Cockpiteers with Gavin Hoffen on his new book Restoration Force about cockpit restoration projects. Fridge Magnet Give-a-way Send an aviation-themed postcard to: Airplane Geeks Give-A-Way 2935 Mystic Mountain Lane Belton, Texas. 76513 While supplies last. Mentioned Teams compete in “Aircraft Pull” event to help Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine and Photos: Pull an airplane — raise some money Elite Airways in Auburn, Maine hosted an “Aircraft Pulling” event to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine. Teams competed to pull a 31,000-pound CRJ200 15 feet. The team that pulled the aircraft 15-feet the fastest won a trophy. Elite Airways also gave out two round-trip tickets to the team that raised the most money. Germany’s Greens plan to cut jet fuel subsidies -Bild am Sonntag Explore the Wright Flyer Air Force Chief Hints at Retiring the F-22 Raptor in Fighter Downsize and The F-22 will go away, eventually. But not before the Air Force gets comfortable with its successor Air Force awards A-10 pilot for skillfully belly-landing her plane without landing gear after ‘catastrophic’ failure Deke Slayton Airfest , La Crosse Regional Airport, Wisconsin, June 12-13.