After Alaska Airlines planes bump runway, a scramble to ‘pull the plug’

On the morning of Jan. 26, as two Alaska Airlines flights from Seattle to Hawaii lifted off six minutes apart, the pilots each felt a slight bump and the flight attendants at the back of the cabin heard a scraping noise. As the noses of both Boeing 737s lifted skyward on takeoff, their tails had scraped the runway. Alaska’s flight operations staff quickly realized that a software bug was sending bad takeoff weight data to its crews. (www.seattletimes.com) More...

Unseen Footage of the SR-71 at Edwards AFB

Our friend recently posted a long lost VHS video of the SR-71. Filmed between 1990 and 1995, it features some amazing footage of our fastest Mach 3+ jet ever to grace the skies. (avgeekery.com) More...

PTEParis: Collins Aerospace showcases recently acquired FlightAware

Having acquired the digital aviation company, FlightAware, at the end of 2021 Collins Aerospace has been showcasing how data analytics and machine learning can improve decision-making and enhance overall airport operations during this week’s Passenger Terminal Expo (PTE) in Paris. FlightAware provides global flight tracking solutions, as well as predictive technology, analytics and decision-making tools, all of which are helping Collins unlock the full power of the connected ecosystem for its… (www.regionalgateway.net) More...

FAA: Pilots should be capable of flying aircraft manually when needed

WASHINGTON — According to Federal Aviation Administration, airlines need to provide more extensive pilot training to avoid potential accidents when pilots are forced to take manual control during emergencies or become confused due to erroneous flight data provided by automated systems. (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

New York woman gets prison term for altercation aboard plane

New York woman has been sentenced to four months in prison for interfering with crew members aboard a flight from Dallas to Los Angeles in February 2021 (abcnews.go.com) More...

Voted Out: Russia Loses ICAO Council Seat

Russia has lost its place on the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) 36-member governing council after failing to win enough votes from fellow members. The country's violation of Ukrainian airspace and "theft" of hundreds of foreign aircraft was cited against it. Russia out of ICAO governing council Russia will no longer be part of the ICAO's governing council following its actions in Ukraine this year. The country received 80 votes, six short of the… (www.msn.com) More...

Qantas Wants 100 Execs To Work As Ground Handlers For 3 Months

Qantas is asking 100 executives and senior managers to swap the soft office seats and personal assistants for a three-month spell as a ground handler. The embattled airline has put an HQ SOS out, asking for volunteers. The temporary work placements will run for 90 days on a five-day-a-week basis, although there is no suggestion the executives will receive the same low weekly wage as the permanent ground handling crews. (www.msn.com) More...

Stay warm in FlightAware merch!

Share your love of FlightAware with exclusive branded merchandise. New designs and items regularly added, so check back often. (flightaware.store) More...

Free Shipping in the FlightAware ADS-B Store from July 1-4, 2022

The FlightAware ADSB Store is offering Free Shipping on all orders (within the US) from July 1-4, 2022. Shop everything you need to make your own ADS-B receiver. (flightaware.store) More...

Pilot Who Became Incapacitated During American Airlines Flight Dies

An airline pilot who became incapacitated during a flight from Chicago to Columbus, Ohio, on November 19 has died. The pilot, whose name has not been released, was required flight crew aboard Envoy Air Flight 3556, an Embraer E175 operated as American Eagle, with service from Chicago O’Hare (KORD) to John Glenn International Airport (KCMH). According to LiveATC.com, approximately 30 minutes into the flight, the pilot flying as first officer notified air traffic control: “Need to return, the… (www.flyingmag.com) More...

FlightAware’s AeroAPI Now Delivers Robust Historical Aviation Data Quickly and Easily

We're proud to share that we're now making 17 years of historical data fully queryable through historical access in AeroAPI! - Access to FlightAware data back to January 1, 2011 - On-demand access to the most comprehensive aviation database (700+ million flights) in the world - Easily integrate both historical and real-time flight tracking, flight status, and predictive data into any application from a single source (flightaware.com) More...

Antonov Begins Designing New AN-225

Antonov Company has just announced that they will begin planning out the new design of the biggest aircraft in the world, the Antonov AN-225, shortly after it was destroyed in the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War. (aeroxplorer.com) More...

Man Sentenced After Laser Pointed at Delta Air Lines Aircraft

After the incident involving James Link from Rochester, MN, the vision of one of the pilots was impacted for several hours. On Thursday last week, a federal judge in Wisconsin sentenced the man to two years in prison for an incident that took place in 2021. (aeroxplorer.com) More...

United Airlines Flight Canceled After Taxiing for 8.5 Hours

On August 22, 2022, at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), a United Airlines Boeing 737-900ER taxied for 8.5 hours until the flight was cancelled—running out of fuel in the process. For more than eight hours the aircraft sat on the ramp awaiting its turn to depart. The flight, from Newark to Denver (DEN), was about to begin its journey when inclement weather—consisting of thunderstorms and lightning—caused delays. (aeroxplorer.com) More...

Sullenberger Abruptly Resigns as ICAO Ambassador

C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who successfully dead sticked an Airbus A320 to a safe landing on New York’s Hudson River in 2009 after hitting a flock of geese, said late last week that he would step down as U.S. envoy to the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), effective this Friday (July 1). (www.ainonline.com) More...

The Power of Predictions: Deep Learning Neural Networks Make Debut at FlightAware

FlightAware is excited to announce the introduction of Neural Network powered predictive models for FlightAware Foresight. Adam Suarez, Director of Engineering for Aviation Insight at FlightAware, discusses these developments and shares insights into the Predictive Technologies team's current projects. (blog.flightaware.com) More...

Boeing Is Currently Assembling The Last Ever 747 Jumbo Jet

The last Boeing 747 will soon roll off the manufacturer's production line as it is nearing completion on assembly as the freighter variant. Once the finishing touches are tidied up, and the aircraft gets rolled off, the final Boeing 747-8F will be delivered to Atlas Air as the cargo carrier's final delivery of the aircraft type, marking the end of an iconic half-century-long era in the aviation industry. From the start Production of Boeing's famous 'Queen of the Skies'… (www.msn.com) More...

FlightAware Aviation Stats Update: March 1, 2023

"COVID-19 put the brakes on aviation in March 2020. But almost exactly 3 years later, all regions of the world are showing big recoveries. This is especially true in China, where commercial aviation has finally come back to life in the last few weeks, with flight counts off only 15% from 2019 record highs"... (blog.flightaware.com) More...

United Airlines plane departing Maui plunged to within 800 feet of the Ocean, flight data shows

A United Airlines flight took a frightful dive, plummeting to merely 800 feet above the Pacific Ocean shortly after taking off from Maui late last year, flight data shows. The drop unfolded just 71 seconds after United Airlines Flight UA 1722 took off from Kahului Airport in Maui bound for San Francisco on Dec. 18, 2022 according to data from Flight Radar, a flight tracking website. A safety report was filed and the pilots are receiving additional training. (www.nbcnews.com) More...

B-1B Bomber Goes Inverted At Edwards AFB Air Show

One particularly highlight at the air show stood out. A B-1B Bone went inverted and followed through with a roll after an airshow flyby as part of their routine. (avgeekery.com) More...

VIDEO: Passenger Assaults American Airlines Flight Attendant

A Friday afternoon flight turned violent after a passenger assaulted an American Airlines flight attendant shortly after takeoff. The passenger was restrained and arrested upon the aircraft's arrival in Los Angeles. (aeroxplorer.com) More...

Last Boeing 747 rolls off assembly line after a 53-year production run

After more than 53 years and 1,574 planes built, the last Boeing 747 jumbo jet has rolled off Boeing’s famous assembly line in Everett, Washington. The 747 started commercial service back in 1970 with PanAmerican World Airways... (www.aviationweekly.org) More...

Airbus poised to corner Boeing with the new extended A220 variant

WASHINGTON — Developing a new commercial plane is a costly and time-consuming process that requires a lot of technical expertise, and there is no guarantee of success, as demonstrated by the Airbus A380, which was only produced for a short period of time. The iconic superjumbo couldn't earn back the $20 billion it cost to develop before it was discontinued in 2019. This is why the aerospace industry nowadays prefers to modify, lengthen, and redesign existing models at a much lower cost… (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

The flight tracker that powered @ElonJet has taken a left turn

A major independent flight tracking platform, which has made enemies of the Saudi royal family and Elon Musk, has been sold to a subsidiary of a private equity firm. And its users are furious. ADS-B Exchange has made headlines in recent months for, as AFP put it, irking “billionaires and baddies.” But in a Wednesday morning press release, aviation intelligence firm Jetnet announced it had acquired the scrappy open source operation for an undisclosed sum. (arstechnica.com) More...

Southwest Airlines Celebrates First Mother/Daughter Pilot Duo

On July 23, 2022, Holly and Keely Petitt piloted their first Southwest Airlines flight together, making it the first mother and daughter duo for the carrier. (www.gatechecked.com) More...

Pilot Unions Form Coalition to Oppose Single-Pilot Operations, Citing Safety Concerns and Profit-Driven Motives

MONTREAL, CANADA — Pilot unions are strongly opposing single-pilot operations for commercial aircraft, labeling these automation-dependent concepts as profit-driven and posing significant safety risks. The Air Line Pilots Association International, European Cockpit Association, and International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations have formed a coalition to counter such initiatives and are committed to protecting the safety of passengers. (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

Superjumbos return to skies

Nice to see the A380 coming out of their mothball state. (www.bloomberg.com) More...

Edwards to Host First US Supersonic Airshow in 13 Years

For the first time since 2009, the birthplace of supersonic flight is about to have an air show open to the public on-base. And considering the history of Edwards AFB and flight testing done there, the lineup and variety of aircraft will be quite unique from any other air show in the nation. (avgeekery.com) More...

Pilot sues Southwest Airlines after colleague exposes himself

A Southwest Airlines pilot is suing the company, her union and a former colleague who pleaded guilty last year to dead-bolting the cockpit door during a flight and stripping naked in front of her. Christine Janning alleges that Southwest retaliated by grounding her after she reported Michael Haak to the company and the FBI, that it kept him employed despite an alleged history of sexual misconduct and that managers disparaged her in memos. She also alleges that the Southwest Airlines Pilots… (www.msn.com) More...

Nashville airport cop threatens to arrest stranded passengers waiting to rebook cancelled Southwest flights

An airport police officer allegedly threatened to arrest passengers for trespassing when they were stranded at the Nashville International Airport amid widespread holiday flight delays. In a video, posted on Tuesday by former state house candidate Brad Batt, an officer can be heard saying, “You will be arrested for trespassing.” All around him, a group of dismayed passengers tries to explain that they no longer have valid tickets for the nearby gate because of problems with their flights. “Are… (www.msn.com) More...

1 Dead, 9 Missing After Floatplane Crashes into Puget Sound

One person was killed and nine people remained missing, including a child, after a floatplane crashed Sunday afternoon in Puget Sound in Washington state, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The agency said in a press release the plane was flying from Friday Harbor, a popular tourist destination in the San Juan Islands, to Renton, a southern suburb of Seattle. (apnews.com) More...

Cargo plane breaks loose at Anchorage airport

A Korean Air cargo plane became unsecured and rolled unguided down a Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport lot Monday morning, impacting and damaging a parked truck and fence, according to officials. (www.alaskasnewssource.com) More...

United is reportedly close to place largest-ever widebody order in history

According to sources familiar with the matter, United Airlines is close to placing an order for more than 100 widebody aircraft as it evaluates offers for both the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350. If materializes, it will be one of the largest-ever long-haul airplane in history. (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

Close call at Austin Airport when a FedEx 767 attempted to land while a Southwest 737 was taking off

The Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board are investigating an aborted landing in Austin, Texas, on Saturday morning by a FedEx cargo plane that had been set to land on a runway on which a Southwest Airlines jet was also cleared to depart from, the agencies said. (airlive.net) More...

Wrong fuel tank cap leads to accident

The pilot reported that during the preflight inspection, he filled the Piper J-4A’s forward (main) fuel tank to about 1 inch below the top and noted that the auxiliary fuel tank contained 4 gallons of fuel. The pilot used a stick to “dip” the two fuel tanks and validate the amount of fuel in them. The pilot planned on departing from North Omaha Airport (3NO) in Nebraska for flight operations in the airport’s traffic pattern. Before the takeoff, the fuel selector was positioned for the forward… (generalaviationnews.com) More...

Southwest Airlines cancels thousands of flights after winter snowstorm

The winter storm that disrupted thousands of travel plans over the weekend has created an epic pile-on of flight cancellations for Southwest Airlines, leaving thousands of families stranded, with some waiting for days to fly back home. (www.cbsnews.com) More...

Su-25 Attack Jet Crash May Point To Wider Russian Airpower Issues

Video has recently emerged showing the fiery demise of a Russian Su-25 Frogfoot attack jet, moments after taking off from its base, apparently on a mission as part of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian aviation expert Piotr Butowski has confirmed that the location of the Su-25 accident was indeed Millerovo air base in Rostov Oblast, drawing the same conclusion as Stefan Büttner. In the image below, the characteristic helicopter operating area can be seen more fully, this time from the… (www.thedrive.com) More...

Delta Pilots retirement salute

Kind of a quick taxi and a short salute but, Delta Air Lines Airbus A350 N510DN pulling into the gate for a pilot retirement after operating flt 95 from AMS 8-9-22 (www.youtube.com) More...

American Airlines Agrees to Buy 20 Supersonic Planes from Boom

American Airlines has agreed to purchase 20 supersonic Overture planes from Boom Supersonic, the companies announced Tuesday. (www.cnbc.com) More...

Video: Delta Boeing 757 and a single-engine Cessna almost collide over Orlando

ORLANDO, FLORIDA — A single-engine Cessna aircraft almost collided with a Delta Boeing 757 passenger jet over Orlando International Airport in an incident that the FAA is currently investigating. (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

Wizz Air rescued 1 of its 4 Airbus planes stranded in Ukraine in a daring stealth mission at low altitude

An airline rescued an Airbus plane stranded in Ukraine for seven months in a daring mission. Flightradar24 data appeared to show the WizzAir jet flying at 10,000 feet with its transponder off. WizzAir confirmed it repatriated the jet on Tuesday following an "in-depth risk assessment." An airline rescued one of its planes stranded in Ukraine in a daring escape that involved flying at a low altitude and turning off its transponder, data suggests. Budapest-based Wizz Air repatriated one… (ca.news.yahoo.com) More...

Boeing Teases a New Jet that Could Replace 737 MAX

ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Boeing is exploring the possibility of introducing a cutting-edge plane it has been developing alongside NASA into its lineup in the next decade, Boeing's CEO Dave Calhoun confirmed. (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

Grounded Russian Antonov AN-124 Will Be Flown to Ukraine

Canada will give a grounded, Russian-registered Antonov AN-124 to Ukraine. The move comes amidst a new round of sanctions against the Russian government and enterprises within the country. (aeroxplorer.com) More...

Wing Spar Crack Repairs Slow Down Airbus A380 Return To Service

Operators of older Airbus A380s are finding that cracks in some areas of wing spars are making a return to service a significantly longer process, as inspections and repairs take weeks to complete. (aviationweek.com) More...

FlightAware Predictions delivered in Hermes

Join us August 11 to learn about Hermes™, the Collins Aerospace Enterprise Fleet Management Solution, which enables the complete management of airline messaging environments through custom configurations and business logic to automate the flow of data. Hermes is now offering FlightAware Foresight predictive ETAs, giving users an advanced and accurate view of all airline operations. (go.flightaware.com) More...

First Customer Lear Jet To Be Restored

The world’s oldest Lear Jet is on its way to its birthplace where a group of enthusiasts hopes to restore it to flying condition. (r.smartbrief.com) More...

Lufthansa Wants to Upgrade Their Passenger 747s

Our crews love the 747, our passengers love it, even plane spotters and photographers love it,” said Spohr. “It’s just so good looking! And that’s why we at Lufthansa are currently looking into another upgrade for our 747-8 in all classes, to fly this airplane way into the next decade. It’s something we are proud of, to represent this amazing airplane for many more years.” (avgeekery.com) More...

Video and Pictures: Korean Air plane skids off runway in Philippines, severe damage reported

CEBU, PHILIPPINES — A Korean Air Airbus A330-300 jet with 173 people on board overshot the runway at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines late on Sunday. No injuries were reported. (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

This California Airport Will Allow Non-travelers to Meet Loved Ones at the Gate

An airport in California is stepping back in time to an era when family and loved ones were allowed to meet travelers at the gate. The Ontario International Airport, which sits about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, will introduce a new program that allows non-travelers to secure an online visitor pass and access the post-security side of the terminal, according to the airport. These non-travelers will then be able to either greet loved ones at the gate or hang out with them before they depart. The… (www.yahoo.com) More...

EasyJet pilot makes a 360º so passengers could see view of the northern lights

A most welcome flight diversion. That’s a rarity for commercial airline passengers, but it’s what travelers on at least two flights got this week when their planes looped around to give everyone a good view of the northern lights. (www.cnn.com) More...