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5 de 20

841 Political Campaign Charter
Political campaign charter aircraft, tariffs and the aerospace industry, Boeings NGAD fighter contract, the adaptive cycle engines to power it, corrosion issues on A220 jetliners, the shutdown of Heathrow, and the resilience of airports to power outages. Guest Jonathan Tasler is Vice President at Advanced Aviation Team. He manages charter aircraft for political campaigns and high-net-worth VIPs. We learn what is involved in transporting presidential and other political candidates, and Jonathan tells us some interesting stories. Jonathan describes how he ensures that a political campaign charter is flown safely to the intended destination on time. We learn that the charter requirements can change as a campaign progresses and presumptive candidates emerge. For example, larger dedicated planes with special campaign livery can become necessary. Jonathan explains how critical it is that candidates do not miss major events. Sometimes he even arranges backup planes and standby crews. We also discover why some charter airlines don’t want to be involved in political campaigns and others are happy to be part of a campaign. Jonathan also tells us about campaign security and how the Secret Service may participate in some flights. Jonathan is a veteran of political campaign charters. He grew up in the industry as his father coordinated all the charters for the Bush/Quayle campaign. Over the years, Jonathan has worked with both Republicans and Democrats, including George W. Bush, John Kerry, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and many others. He coordinated aircraft charters for a major party candidate in every US Presidential Campaign cycle since the Bush/Cheney campaign in 2000. Find Advanced Aviation Team at their website, on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Some political campaign charter incidents: John Edwards' Campaign Plane Makes Emergency Landing - John Edwards’ Boeing 727-200 had to make an emergency landing after a press member's battery exploded in the overhead bins. Ann Romney's Plane Makes Emergency Landing - Ann Romney had electrical fire and smoke in the cabin of Challenger 600 and made an emergency landing in DEN. John Kerry’s Boeing 757-200 developed a crack in the windshield in flight. This subsequently developed into a complete spiderweb. Obama plane incident could have been disaster - Barack Obama onboard Midwest Airlines MD81 had control surface issues after an inflatable slide opened in flight. ‘Several failures’ led to 2016 plane crash with Vice President Mike Pence, investigation says - Mike Pence’s Eastern Airlines B737 overran the runway at LGA. (Not an Advanced Aviation Team contract.) Aviation News Trump’s Tariffs Could Deal a Blow to Boeing and the Aerospace Industry The aerospace industry is concerned that tariffs on aluminum and steel will raise manufacturing costs. There is particular concern about tariffs on Canadian and Mexican products since the North American aerospace supply chain is highly integrated. At a recent investor conference, Boeing’s chief financial officer said the direct effects of the tariffs on Boeing would be limited, however, they could impact companies further down the aerospace supply chain. Those suppliers have struggled with material and labor shortages. Kevin Michaels, a past guest and a managing director of the AeroDynamic Advisory consulting firm, said the tariffs could raise costs for the aerospace industry by about $5 billion annually. Boeing wins Air Force contract for NGAD next-gen fighter, dubbed F-47 The U.S. Air Force has awarded the contract to develop the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter. Lockheed Martin competed with Boeing for the F-47 sixth-generation fighter, while Northrop Grumman dropped out of the competition in 2023. The Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract is thought to be worth about $20 billion.
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1:32:35
840 Spirit Airlines Bankruptcy
We look at Spirit Airlines exiting bankruptcy, fundamental changes at Southwest Airlines, the non-functional CVR in the Philadelphia Learjet crash, helicopter route restrictions around DCA, a bill permitting property owners to shoot down drones, the JetZero blended wing body (BWB), Sikorsky’s “blown wing” VTOL, and countries looking beyond the F-35 for 5th-generation fighters. Aviation News Spirit Airlines exits bankruptcy 4 months after filing for Chapter 11 protection Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2024. The airline continued operations through the proceedings. Spirit has reorganized its corporate structure, converted $795 million of debt into equity, and received $350 million in new equity from existing investors. Spirit changed its fare product structure with several tiers of premium seating. Southwest Airlines Threw Away Its Biggest Selling Point—And That’s Exactly Why It Had To Start Charging For Bags Gary Leff writes, “Southwest is going to charge for checked bags, start expiring flight credits, and introduce no seat assignment basic economy.” Gary says this will end Southwest's product differentiation. Also that people are going to be bringing on a lot more carry-on bags, slowing down boarding. More carry-on bags means full overhead bins and customers having to gate-check bags. NTSB - Black Box from Plane in Deadly Philly Crash Never Recorded Audio On January 31, 2025, at 1807 eastern standard time, a Learjet 55 airplane, Mexican registration XA-UCI (call sign MTS056) was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The two pilots, two medical crewmembers, and two passengers were fatally injured. One person on the ground was fatally injured, 4 people were seriously injured, and 20 people incurred minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 129 air ambulance flight. The airplane was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR). The CVR was recovered from the initial impact crater under 8 ft of soil and debris and was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, Washington, DC, for processing and readout. The recorder displayed significant impact-related damage as well as liquid ingress. After extensive repair and cleaning, the 30-minute-long tape-based recording medium was auditioned to determine its contents. The CVR did not record the accident flight and during the audition it was determined that the CVR had likely not been recording audio for several years. NTSB: Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report, Learjet 55, Philadelphia, PA Helicopter Route Permanently Closed After Deadly Black Hawk Collision with Plane After the NTSB highlighted the number of close calls in the DCA area, the FAA has permanently restricted helicopter flights. Excluded from the helicopter restriction are presidential flights, law enforcement flights, and lifesaving missions. The FAA is looking at other airports where different aircraft types share the same air space, including Boston, New York, Baltimore-Washington, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles. NTSB urges ban on some helicopter flights at Washington airport where 67 people died in midair crash The NTSB recommended a ban on some helicopter flights in the DCA area. Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said in just over three years, there were 85 close calls when a few feet (meters) in the wrong direction could have resulted in the same kind of accident. Tennessee congressman proposes allowing property owners to shotgun low-flying drones Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett has sponsored HR1907, the Defense Against Drones Act [PDF] that would allow a property owner to use a shotgun to shoot down drones flying 200 feet or lower over their property. The bill also requires the property owner to report the aircraft and its registration number to the FAA within 60 days of the drone shooting. Related: S.F.
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1:25:07
838 Aerospace Supply Chain
The aerospace supply chain with the co-founder and CEO of a manufacturing startup, the Airbus A350 production outlook, GE Aerospace Catalyst turboprop certification, a Senate bill to boost the ATC workforce, a call for retired controllers to return to the job, and KC-46 tanker cracks. Guest Vishal R. Sanghavi has been a leader in the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry for nearly two decades. He co-founded Jeh Aerospace in 2022 with his long-time colleague Venkatesh Mudragalla. This US-based company manufactures aerospace and defense components. Vishal describes the reasons for the current aerospace supply chain problems and the demand/supply gap. He notes structural issues such as the difficulty obtaining and retaining workers, inflation, and lack of supply chain transparency. Easing these problems can partly be addressed by viewing supply relationships strategically rather than transactionally. Vishal tells us why OEMs don’t vertically integrate more than they do, and how quality is assured throughout the supply chain. Vishal is on a mission to build Jeh Aerospace into a technology-driven manufacturing company that will deliver quality parts 10x faster, better, and cheaper. Jeh looks to transform the field with talent and technology creating a digitally native organization that provides data for advanced analytics. Vishal explains factors that influence geographic locations for manufacturing facilities, such as access to talent, cost efficiencies, where the large markets are. Vishal’s entrepreneurial journey began at the Indian business conglomerate Tata Group, where he built and led large multimillion-dollar businesses and became one of the youngest Chief Experience Officers for the group. He spearheaded numerous aerospace businesses during his tenure, including the Tata Boeing Joint Venture (JV), Tata Sikorsky JV, and Tata Lockheed JV, which manufactures large and complex aerospace systems. Before that, Vishal honed his skills at TCS, where he consulted Fortune 100 companies on business processes and technology. Vishal is an electronics and telecommunication engineer educated at RAIT, Mumbai University, and is currently pursuing the Smart Manufacturing Program at MIT. Vishal was selected for the TAS program, Tata Group’s premium leadership cadre, and nominated by Boeing for its Organizational Leadership Program at the Boeing Leadership Center (BLC) in St. Louis. He is a certified Gold Assessor of the Tata Business Excellence Model, based on the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award. Aviation News Supply Chain Challenges Limit A350 Production to Six Aircraft Per Month, A350F Deliveries Delayed to 2027 Airbus had originally intended to produce about nine A350s per month in 2025. Now it looks like six per month is the most that can be expected. Also, the A350F launch is pushed out to 2027. Supply chain disruptions, including those from component supplier Spirit Aerosystems, are cited as the problem. Airbus reports that the A350 family has 1,363 firm orders from 60 customers, with 644 aircraft delivered as of January 2025. Firm orders for the A350F stood at 63. GE Aerospace Catalyst Turboprop Engine Gains FAA Certification The new GE Aerospace Catalyst turboprop engine was announced in 2015 and is planned to power the Beechcraft Denali. The Catalyst Data Sheet [PDF] says the engine family is aimed at the 1200-1400 SHP range; includes integrated digital engine and propeller control; and automatically optimizes fuel flow, prop pitch and speed, bleed valves, and variable stators. As much as 18 percent lower fuel burn and 10 percent higher cruise power compared to competitors in the same size class is claimed. 60-second promotional video: The Catalyst engine for Beechcraft Denali https://youtu.be/1NUVXdeihCE?si=YaAXIIUIFAZUbH86 Transportation Secretary supercharges hiring, Senate bill to bolster workforce Senators proposed the The Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Ac...
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1:28:52
837 Southwest Airlines and Elliott Investment Management
Southwest Airlines and the pressure from Elliott Investment Management, the Asiana Airbus A350 that triggered a Low Altitude Alert at SFO, the Turkish KAAN fighter jet export opportunities, and the possibility that India may become an F-35 customer. Also, boomless cruise, the Philadelphia Learjet crash, and aircraft mechanic classifications. Aviation News Image courtesy Southwest Airlines Southwest caves further to Elliott as chief transformation officer steps down Southwest Airlines has amended its agreement with Elliott Investment Management that allows Elliott to increase their ownership of the airline to 19.9%. Previously the cap was 14.9%. Elliott wants to make strategic and operational changes, as well as changes at the airline’s executive level and board of directors. Chief financial officer Tammy Romo is retiring April 1, 2025 and Southwest named former Breeze Airways president Tom Doxey as Romo’s replacement. Southwest announced that chief transformation officer Ryan Green would be leaving the company. Other executive positions are said to be at risk. 2 Southwest Airlines Board Members Stepping Down Due To Elliott Investment Management The airline is shrinking its board from 15 members to 13 as part of an agreement with activist investor Elliott Investment Management. Two more Southwest board members will step down in April. Southwest Airlines Announces Reduction in Corporate Overhead Workforce Recently, Southwest announced a 15% layoff (1,750 positions), the company’s first-ever layoff, “focused almost entirely on corporate overhead and leadership positions.” Southwest said the move is expected to save the company $300 million annually. Asiana Airbus A350 Triggers Low Altitude Alert at San Francisco Airport After Dropping to 275 Feet With 3 Miles Still To Go The alert was triggered in the control tower after the Asiana plane dropped as low as 275 feet while flying at 174 knots. The pilots were notified and then performed a go-around. UAE Plans to Develop New Fighter Jet Based on Turkey's KAAN The Turkish Aerospace Industries KAAN fighter is being developed with sub-contractor BAE Systems. The stealthy, twin-engine jet is planned to replace the Turkish F-16s and be exported to others. UAE has expressed interest and Saudi Arabia has a deal for 100 fighters. Video: KAAN İLK UÇUŞUNU GERÇEKLEŞTİRDİ [KAAN trailer] https://youtu.be/ZhgCXY1E5vs?si=UV-SzFyKCLD_LMCz India Could Be America’s Next F-35 Customer President Donald Trump offered to sell Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Russia has offered to build the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter in India with locally sourced components. The Russians have only produced a small number of the aircraft and have not yet demonstrated the ability to fully support them. Over 1,000 F-35s have been produced and sales have been made to 20 different countries. Mentioned Video: The Incredible Sounds of the Falcon Heavy Launch (BINAURAL AUDIO IMMERSION) - Smarter Every Day 189. (Binaural recording. Must use good quality over-the-ear headphones for proper effect.) https://youtu.be/ImoQqNyRL8Y?si=7UnvVuWvJguGiv1f Sonic Boom: Six Decades of Research - NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) recommended by listener Andy. Aircraft maintenance licence (Part-66) in Finland. Hosts this Episode Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, Max Trescott, and David Vanderhoof.
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55:53
836 Air Traffic Control Safety
We discuss recent aviation accidents, explore potential litigation, and consider changes to the U.S. Air Traffic Control system. Guest Erin Applebaum returns as our guest for this episode. Erin is a Partner in the aviation practice of Kreindler & Kreindler LLP, a New York law firm. She specializes in litigation for passengers who were injured or killed in general aviation accidents and commercial airline disasters. Erin previously joined us in Episode 831 Advocating for 737 MAX Crash Victims and Episode 777 Aviation Accident Litigation. We discuss the Delta Air Lines CRJ-900 regional jet crash at Toronto's Pearson Airport. Because this occurred the same day the episode was recorded, few verified facts were available. Erin also helps us consider the Washington National midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Blackhawk helicopter. We look at the U.S. air traffic control system, including staffing needs, outdated systems, and alternatives such as privatization such as that used by other countries. Along the way, Erin explains litigation under the Montreal Convention and how aviation attorneys obtain clients. We look at the quality of communications between controllers and pilots, the types of altimeter types and implications for safety, traffic screens, the current status of the B737 MAX litigation, and the Federal Tort Claims Act. We also have thoughts on how to respond when people outside the industry ask, “Is it safe to fly?” Erin has devoted her career to advocating for justice and fighting for the advancement of aviation safety. She serves on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Boeing 737 MAX litigation. Erin is part of the legal team representing the 737 MAX crash victims in the federal criminal case against Boeing. Aviation News We used the following sources for our conversation. Note that some are behind a paywall and others require free registration. Black Hawk crew might not have heard crucial tower instruction, NTSB says Pilots got 100 collision warning at DCA From 1920s Thinking to Digital Autonomy: After 100 Years, It’s Time To Rethink How Air Traffic Control Works US senators call for increased funding, staffing for air traffic control How Elon Musk Will Bring ATC Under Control, By Robert Poole, Reason Foundation. Victims’ Families of Boeing Crash Ask New US Attorney General for Meeting on Criminal Plea Agreement Elon Musk Vows To Cut FAA's "Senseless" Supersonic Boom Noise Regulation Mentioned Hosts this Episode Max Flight, Rob Mark, our Main(e) Man Micah, and Max Trescott.
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1:35:54