Gary's Flight Journal

AUGUST 21, 2024

Garys Flight Journal - Our Flying Adventures The realization of a boyhood dream. Private Pilot July 17, 2006 - Instrument Rating August 19, 2010 Wednesday, August 21, 2024 Old Hobby, Renewed Interest Posted by Gary at 8:59 AM Email This BlogThis! Share to X Share to Facebook Share to Pinterest No comments: Post a Comment Newer Post Older Post Home Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) About Me Gary Im an Instrument Rated Private Pilot with 1590 hours, I love to travel with my Bride and explore new

Pilot

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.

Airline

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.

Airplanes

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

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.

Thrust

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.

Cargo

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.

Airline

Simple Flying

AUGUST 18, 2024

On August 16, the United States Western District of Washington District Courts Judge Richard A. Jones signed an order that, in part, requires the US Navy to study changing Boeing EA-18G Growler operations from NAS Whidbey Island in Washington State to Southern Californias NAF El Centro. The judicial order arises from multi-year litigation against a US Navy environmental impact study effort that started in 2013 due to some NAS Whidbey Island neighbors not being happy about Boeing EA-18G Growler s

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

Airline

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.

Runway

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

Ceiling

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.

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

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.

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

Lift

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.

Flight Deck

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”

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 23, 2024

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has just published an update to a very outdated rule, which actually had some implications for an airline recently, as flagged by PYOK. Aircraft “no smoking” signs no longer need to turn off Regulators have very strict guidelines that they require airlines to follow, and that’s for good reason — it contributes to how safe aviation is.

Airplanes

Alaska Air

AUGUST 19, 2024

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Airline

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).

Jet

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.

Pilot

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

Tail

Airline Geeks

AUGUST 23, 2024

After 15 months of working as chief operating officer at Delta Airlines, Michael Spanos is leaving the company on August 31.

Airline

Simple Flying

AUGUST 18, 2024

The charter aircraft utilized by the vice-presidential candidate for the US Republican Party on Friday had to perform an emergency diversion back to its point of origin after one of the aircraft's doors experienced a technical malfunction. There were no injuries reported, and the aircraft was back in the air once the issue was sorted.

Aerotime

AUGUST 23, 2024

US cargo airline Atlas Air has secured the services of three Boeing 747-8 Freighters through a long-term finance lease agreement with lessor BOC Aviation. On August 22, 2024, Atlas Air Worldwide declared that the agreement came in response to “strong global demand for dedicated large widebody airfreight capacity,” driven by a surge in the e-commerce sector.

Cargo

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).

Airline

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 20, 2024

The Military Aviation Museum is partnering with the Air.Show Tour and NATO for the NATO Joint-Power Demonstration over Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Wednesday, August 21st. This event will showcase the Italian Air Force’s Frecce Tricolori jet team, the F-22 Raptor Demo Team from Langley AFB, and the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet Demo Team from VFA-106 at NAS Oceana.

Jet

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.

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.

Flight Deck

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.

Jet

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.

Pilot

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.

Jet

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

Airline

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 22, 2024

In 2021, plans were announced for a Ritz-Carlton to open in Zermatt, Switzerland. I was very much looking forward to this, given that it would’ve almost certainly been the most luxurious ski resort in Europe that’s bookable with points. I just randomly checked on the progress of this project, and unfortunately there’s some bad news, which happens all too often when hotel projects are announced years in advance.

Airline Geeks

AUGUST 21, 2024

In the wake of stiff competition, some Korean carriers have rolled out new pet-related amenities to entice interested passengers.

Jet

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.

Airline

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

Airline