Flying High: The Eye-Catching HondaJet Lures Fans Both Famous And Practical

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A flash of insight woke Michimasa Fujino one night many years ago, when the Honda engineer had been researching aircraft design for the Japanese automaker. After puzzling over theories of optimal airflow he read in a 1930s fluid mechanics textbook, Fujino came to the solution midsleep. Unable to find a piece of paper, he tore a page from his calendar and drew a small jet with a dolphinlike nose and engines mounted over the wings.

By the time the first HondaJet customer took delivery, some two decades later in 2015, the jet still resembled Fujino’s visionary nighttime sketch, complete with Honda’s patented over-the-wing engine mount configuration and HF120 turbofan engines, which are jointly developed by Honda and GE Aviation. The combination of design and performance embodied in the plane has resulted in Honda Aircraft Company growing into the sixth-largest maker of business jets last year, even as industry sales have slipped nearly 20% worldwide since peaking over $22 billion in 2014, according to data from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. There are around 140 HondaJets in operation today.

“It is gratifying to see that our advanced technologies are tapping into new markets and that our hard work is paying off,” says Fujino, now the CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, the business unit spawned from his design. “My vision is to create new value in business aviation and personal mobility.”

Stretching 42.62 feet long and having a maximum takeoff weight of 10,700 pounds, the HondaJet is said by pilots to be crisp and precise to fly, like an airborne sports car. That’s an apt description since the plane is fastest in the very light jet category, with speeds topping out at 422 nautical miles per hour. At 18.5 inches in diameter, the HF120 engine generates 2,095 pounds of thrust, making this the smallest jet engine in GE’s portfolio. (GE’s largest engine, the GE9X, has a fan diameter stretching a full 135 inches.)

In addition to the dolphin nose — which reduces drag and improves pilot sight lines — the HondaJet is also easy to spot because of its unique over-the-wing engine mount configuration. After 20 years of research and development, engineers concluded that this design could increase fuel efficiency, reduce cabin noise and maximize cabin space in the jet’s small footprint. The plane can carry up to eight people, including the pilot. “The engines have proven to be reliable and are performing exceptionally,” Fujino says. “Honda and GE have fostered a great partnership.” The HondaJet has a 99.7% dispatch reliability rate, an industry standard measuring the percentage of planes that make scheduled departures within 15 minutes.

While the HondaJet has been marketed to business owners who require the flexibility a small jet affords, the combination of style and performance has been widening the aircraft’s appeal, from movie stars to ambulance services. Recently, a Hollywood actor became an owner after visiting Fujino at HondaJet’s headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, and getting a behind-the-scenes look at the jet’s construction. “He mentioned that the effort it takes to create a state-of-the-art aircraft reminds him of his hard effort in creating movies with creativity and passion,” Fujino explains. He says the star quickly tackled an intensive HondaJet training course in Greensboro, where new owners can become HondaJet type-rated. “He was one of the best-prepared pilots for the training and our instructor was very impressed by him,” Fujino adds.

While celebrity purchases provide a nice brand halo, the HondaJet’s practicality is allowing for a larger customer base. The company recently announced that Hawaii air ambulance company Wing Spirit purchased several HondaJets to begin medevac service in early 2020. The company bought HondaJet Elites, the updated version of the plane that adds about 214 additional nautical miles of range — to 1,473 nm — along with shorter takeoff and landing runway needs. The interior of the jet is similar in size to an ambulance, allowing enough room for medics, a patient on a stretcher bed and various equipment.

“Air ambulances are generally the quickest way to reach medical care when time is of the essence,” Fujino says. “Especially in this case in which patients will be transported between islands, the HondaJet is clearly the most effective method of transportation.”

The fixed-wing air ambulance market is growing at more than 9% a year and should hit $2 billion in service revenue by 2025, according to Grand View Research. Overall, despite the dip in recent years, worldwide business jet sales are projected to grow to $36 billion, according to Research and Markets, a research provider.

“As a result of our commitment to innovation, the HondaJet Elite is the fastest, farthest and highest-flying aircraft in its class, while also being the most fuel-efficient and comfortable,” Fujino says. “We have successfully designed and built an innovative aircraft that transforms people’s lifestyles.”

A-10 pilots receive Distinguished Flying Crosses for fierce Afghanistan battles

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Two A-10 pilots received Distinguished Flying Crosses earlier this month for their heroism during battles in Afghanistan, one in 2008 and another in 2010. (Air Force)
Two A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots received Distinguished Flying Crosses earlier this month for their heroism in the air during separate battles against the Taliban years ago.

Lt. Col. Tony “Crack” Roe and Maj. John “Sapper” Tice, both flight commanders with the 303rd Fighter Squadron, were recognized during a Nov. 2 ceremony at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri for their roles during the 2008 and 2010 missions.

“This is an incredibly unique and rare event,” Lt. Col. Rick Mitchellm commander of the 303rd, said at the ceremony, according to a Tuesday release from the Air Force. “Very rarely is the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded. Even more rarely is the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded twice in the same day to two members of the exact same fighter squadron.”

Roe received this DFC with a Valor citation — his third DFC — for flying a mission out of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, on June 5, 2008, to support an Army resupply convoy southwest of the base.

The soldiers were in a dire situation. Three of the convoy’s eight vehicles had been disabled by rocket-propelled grenade fire and they were pinned down. Before Roe and his wingman arrived, the soldiers were even down to their last clip of ammunition and making plans for a last-ditch charge to take the hill from which the Taliban was attacking them.

Retired Brig. Gen. Jim Mackey presents the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor citation to Lt. Col. Anthony Roe, a flight commander with the 303d Fighter Squadron, during a ceremony at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., Nov. 2. Mackey and Roe deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 and flew the mission together that earned Roe his third Distinguished Flying Cross. (Airman 1st Class Alex Chase/Air Force)
Retired Brig. Gen. Jim Mackey presents the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor citation to Lt. Col. Anthony Roe, a flight commander with the 303d Fighter Squadron, during a ceremony at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., Nov. 2. Mackey and Roe deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 and flew the mission together that earned Roe his third Distinguished Flying Cross. (Airman 1st Class Alex Chase/Air Force)
Roe and his wingman spotted the two sets of four vehicles on a road in the mountainous area and contacted one platoon’s leader over FM radio. Roe asked the soldiers in one convoy fighting the Taliban to mark the target. They threw out a smoke grenade, which landed on the hillside and rolled back down to their position.

“Next thing we hear is, ‘Do not shoot that smoke,’” retired Brig. Gen. James Mackey, who was Roe’s wingman that day and attended the award ceremony, said in the release. “We figured that out.”

The troops threw another marker about two-thirds of the way up the ridge line, this time landing on target. Roe and the platoon commander made sure friendly troops were not in harm’s way, and then he declared an Emergency Close Air Support situation, taking full responsibility for what was about to happen. At Roe’s command, the soldiers took cover inside their vehicles.

Roe opened fire with the Warthog’s feared 30mm cannon — but the shots missed their mark. Something was wrong with the elevation on his targeting system and the rounds went over the target. So, he manually corrected the elevation, Mackey said, and on the next pass fired seven rockets at the enemy — about 40 meters away from the American soldiers — and the fighting stopped.

The battle lasted more than an hour, the Air Force said, and Roe and Mackey arrived just in time to save the lives of 16 soldiers.

Two of those soldiers, Mauricio Arias and Joseph Parker of the 201st Engineering Brigade of the Kentucky Army National Guard, attended the ceremony at Whiteman, and received a standing ovation when Mackey asked them to stand and be recognized.

Tice’s moment of bravery came more than two years later, on Dec. 2, 2010. He flew out of Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan to support two Special Forces teams, who themselves were safeguarding Army engineers building a bridge in the Helmand River valley. The teams consisted of 50 Marines, 24 Green Berets and one airman serving as their joint terminal attack controller.

“The area was known for hostile Taliban fighters and they routinely came out to attack U.S. coalition forces,” Mitchell said.

While keeping watch over the area at the beginning of the sortie, Tice spotted a Taliban scout monitoring the soldiers’ positions. Tice alerted the JTAC on the ground, and the Joint Special Forces took out the scout.

But then, Taliban fighters hidden nearby sprung an ambush. The unleashed a barrage of RPGs, heavy machine gun fire, and small-arms fire and the battle erupted within seconds.

Col. Mike Schultz, commander of the 442nd Fighter Wing, pins the Distinguished Flying Cross on Maj. John Tice, a flight commander with the 303d Fighter Squadron. Tice, a prior-enlisted Army combat engineer, earned the DFC during a combat mission flown in Afghanistan that resulted in 32 enemy combatants killed in action. (Airman 1st Class Alex Chase/Air Force)
Tice swung into action. He dove low, within range of the small-arms fire and putting himself at risk “without regard for his own personal safety,” the Air Force said.

He conducted six low-altitude passes, targeting Taliban fighters at four different positions with 1,140 rounds from the 30mm gun. Tice killed 32 enemy combatants, and saved the lives of 75 U.S. troops, the Air Force said.

The DFC is the Air Force’s fourth-highest medal for heroism in combat, behind only the Medal of Honor, the Air Force Cross and the Silver Star.

“I’m humbled to be amongst these two,” Col. Mike Schultz, commander of the 442nd Fighter Wing, said. “I don’t feel quite adequate for even touching the medal. It’s that big of a deal. Sapper, Crack, brothers, well done.”

4 US B-52 bombers just got back from a month flying all around Europe — here’s what they were up to

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Four US Air Force B-52 bombers from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana arrived in England with about 300 airmen on October 10 for a bomber task force deployment.

The bombers were deployed to RAF Fairford to “conduct integration and interoperability training” with partners in the region and to “exercise Air Force Global Strike Command’s ability to conduct bomber operations from a forward operating location” in support of US Air Forces in Europe and US European Command.

Amid heightened tensions with Russia after its 2014 seizure of Crimea, bomber task force exercises over Europe are also meant to reassure US partners and to be a deterrent to Moscow — this deployment, like others before it, also saw US bombers fly close to Russia in Eastern Europe and the high north.

Below, you can see what US airmen and bombers did during the month they were in Europe.

Bomber Task Force 20-1 was “part of a routine forward deployment of bomber aircraft in the European theater that demonstrates the US commitment to the collective defense of the NATO alliance,” a US Air Forces Europe-Africa spokeswoman said.
Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber Fairford England
Two US Air Force B-52H Stratofortresses parked after arriving at RAF Fairford in England, October 10, 2019. US Air Force/Staff Sgt Philip Bryant
The Barksdale B-52s’ deployment to RAF Fairford was their first since this spring, the spokeswoman said, and comes not long after a B-2 Spirit bomber task force deployment in August and September that saw the stealth bomber accomplish several firsts over Europe.

BTF 20-1 missions kicked off a few days after the bombers landed in England.
Air Force B-52 bomber
A B-52H Stratofortress deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana takes off from RAF Fairford, England, October 14, 2019. US Air Force/Senior Airman Stuart Bright

The exercises were not only for aircrews. Munitions specialists deployed with the task force also practiced assembling BDU-50s — inert, unguided bombs.

Maintainers from the 2nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, part of the 96th Aircraft Maintenance Unit out of Barksdale, also provided routine and unscheduled maintenance for the B-52s to make sure they were ready at a moment’s notice.
Air Force B-52 bomber engine
US Air Force Staff Sgt. Stephen Zbinovec, 2nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 96th Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief, inspects the inside of the engine of a US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress at RAF Fairford, October 18, 2019. US Air Force/Senior Airman Stuart Bright

“Back home, people are focused on their job and will occasionally help out here and there,” said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Crowe, a B-52 expediter with the 2nd AMXS.
Air Force B-52 bomber
US Air Force airmen from the 2nd Bomb Wing prepare a US Air Force B-52H for takeoff during Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, at RAF Fairford, October 23, 2019. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Duncan C. Bevan
“Here, what seems to work is that everyone is all hands on deck. You may have an electronic countermeasures airman change an engine or an electrical environmental airman helping crew chiefs change brakes,” Crowe added.

When the bomber is scheduled to land somewhere that doesn’t have maintenance support for B-52s, a maintainer will go along as a “flying crew chief” to make sure the aircraft arrives safely and is ready to fly once it lands.

96th Bomb Squadron aircrew from to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana prepare to board a B-52H Stratofortress at RAF Fairford, October 14, 2019. US Air Force/Staff Sgt. James Cason
For a crew chief to qualify for that job, they must be at the top of their career field and complete hanging-harness training, a flight-equipment course, and go through the altitude chamber.

“We are essentially passengers on the aircraft, though we help the aircrew troubleshoot some things,” said Tech. Sgt. Gregory Oliver, a communications navigations technician. “However, when we land, we hit the ground running. We service the jet and get it ready to fly again.”

On October 21, the B-52s ventured east to the Black Sea, flying a 12-hour, extended-duration sortie to train with counterparts from Romania, Ukraine and Georgia.
Air Force B-52 bomber Black Sea
US Air Force 96th Bomb Squadron weapons system officers work in the lower deck of a 2nd Bomb Wing B-52H Stratofortress from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana in the Black Sea region in support of Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, October 21, 2019. US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano
A few days later, B-52s from Fairford headed to the Baltic Sea, teaming up with Czech fighters for exercises over another European hotspot.
Air Force B-52 bomber Baltic Sea
Three B-52 Stratofortresses assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana in formation after completing missions over the Baltic Sea for Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, October 23, 2019. US Air Force/SSgt. Trevor T. McBride
NATO’s Baltic members, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, are between Russia proper and its Baltic Sea exclave, Kaliningrad, where ground and naval forces are based, as well as air-defense systems, ballistic missiles, and what are thought to be nuclear weapons.

The final days of October saw the Barksdale B-52s conduct interoperability training with the French air force over France.
Air Force B-52 France Dassault Rafales
French air force Dassault Rafales fly next to a US Air Force B-52H over France in support of Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, October 25, 2019. US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano
And with Polish F-16s over Poland.
Air Force B-52 bomber Poland F-16
Two Polish Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcons engage in a planned intercept of a US Air Force B-52H over Poland during Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, October 28, 2019. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Duncan C. Bevan

The B-52s also exercised with British Typhoon fighter jets, which practiced intercepting the bombers over the North Sea.
Air Force B-52 bomber RAF Typhoon
A US Air Force B-52 in formation with Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft from 3 Squadron at RAF Coningsby over the North Sea, October 28, 2019. Cpl. Alex Scott/UK Ministry of Defense
At the end of October, B-52s at Fairford joined US Strategic Command’s Global Thunder 20, an annual command-and-control exercise to train for Stratcom-specific missions, with a focus on nuclear readiness.
Air Force B-52 bomber Fairford
A US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana taxis toward the flight line at RAF Fairford in support of Global Thunder 20, October 28, 2019. US Air Force/Senior Airman Stuart Bright

The B-52s also headed out over the Norwegian Sea to train with Norwegian F-16s.
Air Force B-52 bomber Norway F-16
Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s next to a US Air Force B-52H in Norwegian airspace during training for Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, October 30, 2019. US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano
BTF 20-1 started November with a change of scenery, heading to Saudi Arabia, flying with Saudi F-15s and US F-22 stealth fighters in support of US Central Command.
Air Force B-52 bomber Saudi Arabia F-15
A US Air Force B-52H and Saudi Arabian F-15C Eagles conduct a low pass over Prince Sultan Air Base in support of Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, November 1, 2019. US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano

By November 6, three B-52s were back in the high north, flying into the Arctic Circle over the Barents Sea with Norwegian F-16s and with US Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
Air Force B-52 bomber Norway fighter jet
A US Air Force B-52H and three Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s fly toward the Barents Sea region of the Arctic during Bomber Task Force 20-1, November 6, 2019. US Air Force/Staff Sgt. Trevor T. McBride
One flight-tracker showed the B-52s flying into the Barents, turning south near the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Arctic and then flying west near the Kola Peninsula. Both are home to Russian military facilities, including the Northern Fleet’s home base.
Air Force B-52 bomber Norway
A US Air Force 96th Bomb Squadron pilot flies a US Air Force B-52H during training and integration with the Royal Norwegian air force in Norwegian airspace in support of Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, November 6, 2019. US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano
The Russian navy and scientists recently mapped five new islands near Novaya Zemlya that were revealed by receding glacier ice.

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The US Air Forces Europe-Africa spokeswoman declined to elaborate on where the B-52s flew while they were over the Barents.
Air Force B-52 bomber Norway fighter jet
A US Air Force B-52H and three Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s fly toward the Barents Sea region of the Arctic during Bomber Task Force 20-1, November 6, 2019. US Air Force/Staff Sgt. Trevor T. McBride
“The mission in the Barents Sea region served as an opportunity to integrate with our Norwegian allies to improve interoperability as well as act as a visible demonstration of the US capability of extended deterrence,” the spokeswoman said.

Two days after returning from the Barents exercise, the B-52s took off from Fairford on their way back to Barksdale.
Air Force B-52 bomber RAF Fairford
A US Air Force B-52H takes off from RAF Fairford to return to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, at the end of Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, November 8, 2019. US Air Force/Senior Airman Stuart Bright

BTF 20-1 finally concluded on November 13, after four weeks of continuous bomber presence in England that included flying 32 sorties with other bombers, tankers, and fighters; exercising with 13 other partner forces; and dropping 60 practice munitions in four countries.
Air Force B-52 bomber RAF Fairford
A US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress takes off from RAF Fairford to return home to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, at the end of Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, November 8, 2019. US Air Force/Senior Airman Stuart Bright
BTF “rotations provide us with a consistent and near-continuous long-range weapon capability, and represent our ability to project air power around the globe,” said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, commander of US Air Forces Europe-Africa.
Air Force B-52 bomber RAF Fairford
A US Air Force 2nd Bomb Wing B-52H Stratofortress takes off from RAF Fairford to return home to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana in support of Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1, November 8, 2019. US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano
“Being here and talking with [our allies and partner militaries] on their ranges makes us more lethal,” said Lt. Col. John Baker, BTF commander and 96th Bomb Squadron commander.

Airbus to Showcase ‘Future of Flight’ at Dubai Airshow 2019

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The Dubai Airshow is an important platform for Airbus to highlight its best-in-class products and innovative services to customers.

AIRBUS
At the Dubai Airshow, which runs from Nov. 17-21 Airbus will showcase its wide range of innovative technologies, products and services from market leading commercial and military aircraft to helicopters and space systems.

The Dubai Airshow is an important platform for Airbus to highlight its best-in-class products and innovative services to customers. Airbus’ continued participation at the largest aviation event in the Middle East demonstrates its continuous commitment to enhancing the aerospace and aviation industries in the UAE and wider region.

Static and flying displays

On the static display, visitors will be able to get up close to Airbus’ range of commercial aircraft. This includes the A350-900, the cornerstone member of the A350 XWB Family, Salam Air’s A320neo, from the world’s most popular single-aisle aircraft family, as well as EGYPTAIR’s A220-300, the newest member of the Airbus single-aisle family. Airbus will also display an ACJ319 from K5 Aviation, highlighting the comfort and space on offer, and echoing the trend towards larger cabins in new-generation business jets. An ACJ319, operated by K5 Aviation on VVIP charters, will highlight the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet. Airbus corporate jets have a strong presence in the Middle East market with both the ACJ320 Family and VVIP widebodies.

In the customers’ display, Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways will showcase their A380s, giving the opportunity to tour the popular double-decker and see its award-winning products across all classes.

The daily flying display will include the A330-900, a variant of the Airbus A330neo, as well the A400M airlifter.

Airbus Helicopters will display Kuwait Police’s H225, tailored to the specifications of the Kuwaiti police force. The 11-tonne twin-engine helicopter is the choice of commercial operators and governmental agencies due to its long range and all-weather capabilities.

Meanwhile, Airbus Defense and Space will present the A400M new generation airlifter and the highly versatile C295 military transport and mission aircraft as well as the A330 MRTT, “Multi-Role Tanker-Transport”, the only combat-proven new-generation tanker.

As the official founding partner of Air Race E, Airbus will present the first example of an electric race plane scheduled to compete in the world’s first electric airplane race series launching in 2020. The competition will drive the development of cleaner, faster and more technologically advanced electric engines that can be applied to urban air mobility vehicles and eventually, commercial aircraft.

At the Global Air Traffic Management show in the exhibition hall, booth 157, Airbus UTM and Airbus companies Metron Aviation and NAVBLUE will demonstrate how Airbus is helping the Air Traffic Management industry minimise delays, reduce fuel costs and balance demand and capacity through Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM).

How aerial firefighters attack wildfires with air tankers, Broncos, and Super Hueys

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By  | [email protected] | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED:  | UPDATED: 

If air-traffic controller is one of the most stressful jobs and firefighting is one of the most dangerous, then you get an idea of what it’s like to be an air tactical group supervisor.

Aircraft that douse flames with water and bright red Phos-Chek fire retardant are a common sight in California. Aerial firefighting requires municipal, county, state and federal agencies to communicate on the ground and in the air.

Fire Capt. David Hudson has been an air attack group supervisor for 2.5 years and is based at Hemet-Ryan Airport’s air attack base, which deploys aircraft to fires from the Pacific Ocean to the Colorado River. Hudson says, “Cal Fire has air bases strategically located so aircraft can reach a fire in 20 minutes after a call.”

When above a fire, Hudson sits in the back of an OV-10 Bronco and coordinates with the ground commander on a strategy to get ahead of the fire and manage all the aircraft entering the fire zone.

“The dozers and guys on the ground put the fire out. Our job is to try and get ahead of the fire and box it in,” Hudson says.

How the fire zone works

Refill and return

Phos-Chek is made by a company in Ontario. If the air base in Hemet needs more, a truck will refill its supply in about an hour. The retardant is a mix of a chemical salt, water, clay or a gum thickening agent and a coloring agent.

Laying it down

In addition to coordinating where aircraft should go, the air tactical group supervisor tells pilots how much retardant coverage is needed.

A longer line is generally needed for grass fires. Brush fires, with their heavier fuel, require a more concentrated drop.

This chart shows a 1,200-gallon heavy air tanker’s coverage length, in feet.

Covering California

Cal Fire bases are positioned so aircraft can reach any place in the state within 20 minutes.

The supertanker based at McClellan Air Force Base and traveling 600 mph could be over Los Angeles within 35 minutes.

Frequent flyers

Most of Cal Fire’s aircraft were purchased from the Department of Defense.

OV-10 Bronco (maximum speed: 280 mph)

Cal Fire uses these for aerial command and control of aircraft on wildfires. The crew consists of a pilot in the front and an air attack supervisor in the back. Pilots for Cal Fire cannot fly more than seven hours in a day.

Grumman S-2T (maximum speed: 270 mph; gallons carried: 1,200)

By 2005, all of Cal Fire’s air tanker fleet had been converted to S-2Ts. The tankers are used for fast initial attack drops of fire retardant. They are flown by a single pilot who must often fly in steep canyons and strong winds and just hundreds of feet off the ground.

UH-1H Super Huey (maximum speed: 126 mph; gallons carried: 360)

All Cal Fire helicopters are flown by Cal Fire pilots, while air tankers and air tactical aircraft are flown by contract pilots. Helicopters can be used for medical evacuations, backfiring operations, infrared mapping of incidents and numerous nonfire emergency missions.

Where retardant cannot be dropped

Many places in Southern California have aerial retardant avoidance areas. These are mostly near waterways with sensitive species. The map below is from the U.S. Forest Service’s avoidance map viewer.

Sources: Cal Fire, National Wildfire Coordinating Group, U.S. Forest Service

Photos from Cal Fire and staff

 

Navy demonstrates new shipboard air traffic radar at Webster Field

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Naval Air Warfare Center, Webster Outlying Field, MD – November 1, 2019 – The Navy demonstrated its new Shipboard Air Traffic Radar, AN/SPN-50, for the first time October 23, 2019 at Webster Field in St. Inigoes, Maryland.

The AN/SPN-50 , which is currently in the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase, is scheduled for a production decision in late 2020.The AN/SPN-50 radar will begin replacing the Navy’s current radar system, AN/SPN-43C, on Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships in fiscal 2021.

“We’re bringing new capability for the warfighter so they can do their job better,” said Capt. Kevin Watkins, Naval Air Traffic Management Systems program office (PMA-213) program manager. “The current radar has been in service since the mid-1960s, and while its mission and procedures remain stable, it’s aging and its analog technology presents inherent performance limitations. A technology update is needed to close supportability gaps and mitigate these performance limitations.”

AN/SPN-50 provides aircraft position, radar signal and radar data at a larger range. Air traffic controllers use the data for aircraft sequencing and separation, airspace identification and containment, safety alerts, weather processing, and landing guidance.

The new digital radar system, with its modern radar processing, improves target detection and tracking in the presence of competing clutter and addresses spectrum restrictions currently experienced with AN/SPN-43C.

“ATC surveillance capability is key to reduced launch and recovery cycle times, and current and future sortie rates for the carrier air wing,” Watkins said.

With the new system air traffic controller teams on the ships can actually train onsite on the ship during times when they’re not flying and during times when the ship is not deployed. That will also allow the sailors to be ready when called away to go.

AN/SPN-50 is based on the agile production radar system, Sea Giraffe Agile Multi-Beam (AMB), currently operational on the Navy’s littoral combat ships. The U.S .Navy has used the Sea Giraffe AMB since 2005 on its Independence-class LCSs for air and surface surveillance.

In addition, AN/SPN-50 provides critical compatibility with the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) whereas EASR and AN/SPN-43C are not as compatible.

The program is scheduled to reach Initial Operating Capability for AN/SPN-50 in late 2022. Following, the first two operational systems are scheduled to be installed; one on aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), for operational testing, and on the future amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA-8), which is currently being built. Twenty five AN/SPN-50 Shipboard Air Traffic Radars are scheduled to be procured through fiscal 2028.

Working side by side with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) from prior to contract award through successful system delivery, a team from the Shipboard Air Traffic Control (ATC) Systems Branch at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Webster Outlying Field (NAWCAD WOLF) Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATC&LS) Division helped to execute the successful test of the AN/SPN-50 pedestal and antenna.

“The Shipboard ATC Systems Branch engineering team’s collaboration with NSWCPD, along with their pursuit of detail and engineering soundness, resulted in the successful execution of the shock test of the first mast-mounted, shock-isolated antenna on Navy ships,” said Larry Whites, ATC&LS Division director.

The NAWCAD WOLF team also provided engineering assistance during the program execution in many different areas, including mechanical and electrical engineering, IFF, radar and software expertise as well as system integration work into a shipboard environment; development, submission and coordination of the Ship Change Documentations and associated requirements; coordination with stakeholders; and installation planning.

How a control tower works: Moving planes on the ground

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As passengers, we board the plane, get seated and play with our smartphones, patiently waiting for that moment when the plane pushes back. However, behind the scenes, there’s a lot of coordination with planes from around the world landing, departing, taxiing and just about to push back.

I recently visited the Los Angeles (LAX) control tower to learn how the puzzle pieces are coordinated to get the planes from the gate to the runway. The process is fascinating.

Getting clearance

Prior to an aircraft pushing back from the gate, LAX Tower must issue a clearance of the airline’s planned route and destination. 90% of commercial aircraft use a form of electronic “clearance delivery” which allows the controller and aircraft to communicate by computer. The tower can OK a requested route and the pilot can indicate compliance with the clearance with a click on their flight management computers. General-aviation aircraft (e.g. private jets) and many foreign carriers do not participate in this electronic system, so they will call up the tower on a special frequency, requesting clearance verbally. This clearance includes notice of the frequencies to monitor, initial projected direction of flight, altitude on departure and the confirmed routing.

The ramp tower: airline-controlled

Once the pilots have received this clearance, the aircraft will be given a time to push back from the gate. At this point in the process, the airlines deploy ground controllers of their own on the ramp to assist, rather than jam up the tower. These so-called “ramp towers” operate in non-movement areas. Although there is plenty of movement as planes are pushed back from the gate with tugs, it’s an area not under the control of Air Traffic Control (ATC.) At LAX, United, Delta, American and Alaska all control the movement on their own aircraft near the gate. This system makes sense; the tower controllers are quite far away from the action to be able to supervise aircraft pulling in and out of gates. And these non-movement areas are tight, even at large airports like LAX.

Once the plane is pushed back, the pilots will contact the LAX Tower’s ground controllers on one of a number of radio frequencies depending on where their aircraft is situated on the ramp.

Enter paper strips

Paper strips with information relating to Alaska Airlines flight 1232 from LAX to Chicago O’Hare. From left to right: flight number, aircraft type, a computer code (581), bar code to scan into the computer, special code to designate the flight (7212), departure time in Greenwich Mean Time (18:45 or 6:45p.m.), requested altitude (37,000 feet), airport of origin in four-letter code, route of flight and destination.

Up in the tower, the flight information is printed on a small strip of paper. The ground controllers organize the flights on these strips of paper like a puzzle. They’ll electronically scan a bar code on the strip, which loads the information on a screen in front of them. They shuffle strips on their desk to keep track of aircraft movements. It’s still decidedly low-tech, but a system that works. One controller will transfer responsibility for the aircraft along the chain, and the paper signifies that transfer.

Organizing the flights at the ground controller’s station.

The ground controller will assign a route for the aircraft to taxi, which depends on where the aircraft starts on the ramp, its wingspan, and where she’s heading. (You can follow along on your route, watching for the taxiway markings along the route.) Some aircraft, such as the Boeing 777-300ER, the A380 and the Boeing 747-8, are too large for some taxiways, so they have special taxi routes designated for them. This adds to the complexity of getting so many aircraft from the gate to the runway without clipping wings.

Sometimes, aircraft from a particular gate will request a route that requires them to cross to the other side of the field. At LAX, this takes place on taxiway Q and S (seen in the middle of the airport diagram above). In this case, a ground controller on one side of the tower will physically walk the flight strip over to his colleague on the opposite side of the cab, remaining at all times hooked in to their radio.

Quarter football

At LAX, the tower is in the middle of four sets of parallel runways. As the plane begins to taxi across the field to the other side of the airport, so goes the strip, as described above.

Once the aircraft is nearing a runway, the ground controller will physically pass the strip to the local, tower controller.

And by pass, I mean flick the strip down a long table to the local controller, like quarter football.

The Federal Aviation Administration is working on electronic paper strips, rolling out the transition from tower to tower over time. LAX is slated to go live with the system in 2021. But these paper slips have been tried and true for decades.

Finally, the local controller will issue the takeoff clearance to the pilots.

In the image above, American Airlines 4 (an A321T on the way to JFK) has pushed back, leaving the gate at 11:31 a.m. The American ramp tower will have controlled the movements of this aircraft to this point, after which the American pilot will call up the tower requesting taxi instructions.

Already on a taxiway and nose to nose, you’ll see Air Canada 573 (an Airbus A319 on the way to Vancouver) and Alaska 1899 (an Airbus A320 on the way to SFO). The Air Canada jet pushed back earlier than Alaska and has an earlier departure time; ground control called for it to taxi out with the Alaska plane following behind. Each plane departed on runway 24L, making a right turn northbound after takeoff.

Ground control is a highly coordinated, moving puzzle; this is how the puzzle is made.

Mike Arnot is the founder of Boarding Pass NYC, a New York-based travel brand, and a marketing consultant to airlines, none of which appear in this story.

Midwest ATC Wins President’s Citation of Merit Award from ATCA

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Midwest ATC’s team at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, was recently awarded the President’s Citation of Merit Award from the Air Traffic Control Association.   Midwest ATC Team Bagram serves the United States and NATO coalition forces under Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and Operation Resolute Support in a 24/365 combat environment. Our team members respond quickly to the dynamic operational tempo in the Southwest Asia AOR, and adapt and confront a variety of challenges each day.  The team’s superior performance is reflected in both Quality Assurance Evaluation inspections and customer comments received.  The team excels in the pursuit of excellence in safety and efficiency while controlling a wide variety of aircraft including military fixed and rotary wing, commercial air carrier and cargo, and UAVs, all the while managing multiple airfield construction projects without allowing disruption to the mission.

Best Airport/Transit/Award of Merit Excellence in Safety: Ellington Airport Air Traffic Control Tower and Utility Building

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Ellington Airport Air Traffic Control Tower and Utility Building
Houston
Best Project and Award of Merit, Safety

Owner: Houston Airport System
Lead Design Firm/Civil Engineer/Structural Engineer: AECOM
General Contractor: Clark Construction Group LLC
MEP Engineer: VoltAir Consulting Engineers
Structural Engineer for Utility Building: Concept Engineers Inc.

An innovative plan for erecting structural steel improved safety, quality and scheduling on the Ellington Airport Air Traffic Control Tower and Utility Building project in Houston.

The tower is critical to military and aviation missions and activities at the Ellington Joint Reserve Base. The tower, built in 1955 was damaged by Hurricane Ike.

A key challenge was to erect the steel structure for the tower’s top level in a way that ensured safety and kept the project on schedule. The original plans called for the structure to go up within six weeks, but that time frame was shortened by unforeseen delays.

Working with the steel subcontractor, Clark Construction Group developed a plan to build the steel structure on site and on ground level and then lift it into place. Because the lift had to take place in a single try, the team relied on temporary steel bracing—along with extensive collaboration.

Adding to scheduling demands, federal, state and local aviation agencies required early entry into the tower during construction to install equipment. To make this possible, the project team completed equipment rooms early and commissioned power and communication systems ahead of schedule.

The concrete and steel structure is built to withstand extreme weather conditions and features hurricane-rated window systems, three separate IT rooms and a dedicated utility building with redundant emergency systems.

Over the course of 155,000 worker hours, the project team had zero lost-time incidents or recordables. The contractor took a culture-based approach to safety and implemented safety rubrics geared toward daily onsite safety.

The Dangers of a Rejected Takeoff

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The pre-takeoff briefing in a transport category airplane always includes the flying pilot’s intentions should an emergency or anomaly occur during the takeoff roll. The reason to have all the duck’s in a row is that once the aircraft accelerates to decision speed, there are precious few seconds available for much thinking. Decision speed – V1 – is defined as the last chance to bring the airplane to a halt using reverse thrust and maximum braking and be certain it will remain on the hard surface.

Once acceleration continues beyond V1, short of extraordinary luck, the chances of halting the airplane on the runway are nil. The crew knows for certain they’re going off the end. The only unknown is how far because the aircraft manufacturer offers no stopping data based on higher speeds. The crew has essentially become test pilots. During initial and recurrent training, pilots do practice rejected takeoffs, of course, but usually under rather ideal conditions, with the instructor calling for the abort just prior to decision speed. Exercise complete.

In the real world, a rejected takeoff is not always so cut and dry, nor are crews always successful in handling this dangerous event. In the 2014 Gulfstream GIV accident in Bedford, Massachusetts, the crew’s complacency with the airplane made them feel comfortable skipping important items in the pre-takeoff checklist, in that case, a flight control check. Had they followed their company’s and Gulfstream’s standard operating procedure, one of the pilots would have moved the control wheel back and forth and left and right prior to taking the runway to ensure the flight controls were operating before they reached rotational speed. Had they followed SOPs, they’d also have realized the aircraft’s gust lock was still in place. But they didn’t.

When the 73,000-pound jet reached rotation speed, VR – about 100 knots that day – the flying pilot attempted to raise the nose of the Gulfstream, but the control wheel stubbornly refused to budge. The airplane continued accelerating for an additional 30 seconds and was estimated to be traveling at about 160 knots when it ran off the end of the runway and crashed with the crew unable to stop the airplane. All seven people aboard the Gulfstream died that day.

Sometimes, a little luck is available to a crew and passengers when things get ugly as they did during a real-world rejected takeoff last summer. The two ATP-rated pilots in the cockpit of a Cessna Citation 560 XL rejected their takeoff past VR on the 6020-foot long Runway 2 at the Oroville Municipal Airport (OVE), Oroville, California. The aircraft, destined for Portland, Oregon was operated as a Part 135 charter flight by Delta Private Jets about near midday in VFR weather conditions with two pilots and eight passengers in the cabin. What happened once the Citation took the runway is eerily similar to the experience of the Gulfstream crew at Bedford, except that the pilot flying called for the pre-takeoff checklist before launching.

The NTSB said, “Following the completion of the checklist, they initiated the takeoff and the non-flying pilot called ‘airspeed alive,’ V1, and VR. The pilot flying stated that ‘It was just a weird sensation,’ as he pulled the yoke back and the airplane didn’t lift off. The pilot flying further stated that he pulled the yoke back a second time and noticed no movement of the nose. Shortly after, the non-flying pilot called for an abort, and the pilot flying applied full thrust reversers and maximum braking.”

Prior to takeoff, the crew calculated their takeoff speeds and required runway distance should they begin the abort prior to V1. But the Citation was long past V1 when they tried to stop the airplane, so “the airplane exited the departure end of the runway, impacted a ditch, and skidded across a grass-covered area, where a post-impact fire ensued.” The aircraft came to rest nearly 2,000 feet beyond the departure end of the runway where the fire destroyed most of the airplane.

The good news about this rejected takeoff accident was that all 10 people on board escaped the burning airplane without a scratch. The cause behind the mechanical issues faced by the Citation pilot in California is still under investigation by the NTSB.

This story was updated at 8 pm EST on October 8, 2019.

By Rob Mark
October 8, 2019