Leadership on the flight deck sets those apart from the general pilot population—and there are ways to build your capabilities in this regard with greater assumption of authority along the way. We spoke with longtime FLYING contributor Pia Bergqvist about her journey from a well-rounded general aviation pilot to the left seat of a regional airliner—and, most recently, to the right seat of a Boeing 737 for a major U.S. airline. Her experience illuminates one way to accomplish the goal of becoming an airline pilot, and in this Q&A she shares her tips for being prepared when the opportunity knocks:

FLYING Magazine (FM): How did you know you wanted to pursue a career as a professional pilot, and specifically as an airline pilot?

Pia Bergqvist (PB): I grew up in Sweden and dreamed of being a pilot since I was 8 years old. Unfortunately, the challenge in researching the path to get there in the era before the internet, along with the fact that I was a woman desiring a very male-dominated profession, made my dream job seem unattainable.

• READ MORE: Airline Pilots Must Not Dismiss Mental Well-Being

I finally began pursuing my career in my late 20s. One of the first things I did was to become a member of Women in Aviation International, and I attended the conference in 2000. I remember visiting several airline booths and being blown away by all the women who were airline pilots. At that time, the one that stood out the most was FedEx, where I met a Swedish pilot who described her job. She flew all over the world, had lots of time off, and made enough money to live by the beach.

FM: When you committed to the pursuit, how did you identify the airline(s) you wanted to aim for? How did that choice affect your plans for training and what you needed to have on your résumé before applying?

PB: At the time when I started flying, I would have needed a significant amount of time flying as captain of a twin-turbine aircraft, preferably at a regional airline, before applying for a position with a major airline. While FedEx was my top choice, other attractive choices included United, American, Continental, and UPS, as they were all flying internationally.

I based my pick of potential regionals on advice from flight instructors at the flight school where I received all of my primary training—Justice Aviation in Santa Monica, California. The regional airlines of choice on the West Coast were SkyWest, Mesa, and American Eagle. I applied for my first airline job on September 10, 2001. As a result of the tragic events that followed the next day [on 9/11], I shelved my airline dream for nearly two decades.

FM: How did you build time before applying? What were the minimums when you made the application 20 years ago versus five years ago?

PB: When I first started flying, pilots were getting hired by regional airlines with as little as 1,000 hours of total time and a hundred hours of twin time. The industry was booming. I built most of my flight time through flight instruction before sending in my application with about 900 hours [under] my belt. I also built some twin time by flying from Torrance, California, to Nantucket, Massachusetts, and back in a Beechcraft Duchess.

At that time, the interview process was much more rigorous than it is today, and applicants had to have the written ATP test completed. Regionals also conducted cognitive tests and simulator evaluations.

• READ MORE: Airline Pilots Flying to Age 67?

Today, the FAA requires airline pilots to have at least 1,500 hours (or 1,000 through a limited number of approved flight training programs) and to complete an ATP-CTP training program before they can take the controls of an airliner—a change that resulted from the Colgan Air crash in 2009. Most airlines these days, whether regional or major, only require an application

and an interview. Whereas the major airlines used to require turbine PIC [pilot in command] time, some pilots are now hired with just a few hundred hours as a first officer.

FM: What tips do you have for that first interview?

PB: The most difficult part of getting hired with a major airline is actually getting to the interview stage. Stay in touch with the captains and flight instructors that you fly with. They will be a great resource when it comes time to apply as you will need several letters of recommendation. Meeting with the hiring teams at job fairs, meet-and-greets, and aviation conferences are also a good way to get your foot in the door.

There are many things that go into a successful interview. Make it clear that you really want to be there. Go in with a positive attitude. Dress well and make sure you’re groomed to look the part. Professional interview coaching companies, such as Emerald Coast, Cage Marshall Consulting, Raven Career Development, and Career Takeoff, are almost a must for a successful airline pilot interview. They will provide practice scenarios, targeted to your airline of choice, that will develop the confidence you need as you sit down to get grilled.

FM: How did initial training at the regional go? What tips would you give for a prospective pilot to help them prep for success in training?

PB: The initial training at the regional level can be very challenging. There are many new concepts that go into flying in a professional crew environment versus flying in general aviation.

Get familiar with the flows, callouts, and other procedures that are written into the company’s standard operating procedures [SOPs] manual as early as possible. The only way to learn these procedures is by constant repetition, so having a “paper tiger”—basically a printed version of the flight deck layout—and using it for chair flying is a very good way to get ready. Understand that it can take hundreds of repetitions to learn the proper procedures to an acceptable level. Just keep going.

Practice the flows, callouts, and procedures for normal, non-normal, and emergency operations until they’re perfect. And keep practicing them during times when you’re not in simulator training or the actual airplane. Being able to immediately and accurately execute emergency procedures is critical in those rare and unexpected situations, such as an engine failure.

FM: What was upgrading to captain like?

PB: When it came time for me to move from the right seat to the left seat, it felt very much like it felt to become a flight instructor. I questioned whether I was really ready to be the one in charge of the ship.

The key to success was channeling what I had learned from the captains who I enjoyed flying with as a first officer. So, pay close attention to what the captains do to get the airplane off the gate; how they deal with challenging situations with passengers, gate agents, and rampers; what they do if there is an maintenance issue or emergency, and so on. The schoolhouse upgrade training is great, but the more experience you have seeing how the real-world operations go, the better.

The training is basically identical to the first officer training, albeit with different flows and more responsibilities. Often, captain candidates are paired with first officers through the training and check rides. Your partner can make or break you, in either seat, so do your best to find a good one.

FM: When did you know you were ready to apply for the next step, the majors?

PB: Most people in the industry consider [this to be] an unprecedented time in airline pilot hiring. Everyone I flew with, whether captains or first officers, at the regional airline was talking about moving on.

There were many first officers I flew with who moved on before I did. There were some things in my personal life that held me back, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the regional airline, [but] it was time to move on. The working conditions, destinations, pay, and retirement plans are more attractive at the majors, even with the huge pay bump we got at the regionals in 2022.

I was proud to be a regional airline captain. But now I feel like I have reached the pinnacle of my career.

FM: How did you approach that training differently, knowing what you know now?

PB: I found the training at the major airline much more relaxed. Perhaps it was because I was more prepared and ready for the hard work that is required of pilots in airline training departments. But it appeared to me that the level of respect at the major airline was higher.

At the regional level, there were hard limits on how many extra hours of training pilots could receive or how many events could be unsuccessful before they let a trainee go. As a result, the stress level was high.

From my very loosely gathered data, it appears that about 15 percent of the trainees at my regional airline were let go for one reason or another. That stressor didn’t exist at the major airline where I trained. We were made to feel very welcome and part of the family.

FM: What qualities do you think pilots need to cultivate to shine in a sea of candidates for the same role?

PB: Be professional, both in appearance and the way you handle yourself. Be prepared. Make sure you keep current on company SOPs, FARs, and instrument procedures, how to interpret weather data, and other details that you should be familiar with as a professional pilot. Build relevant flight time. Volunteer with aviation organizations to show your passion for the profession.

If you’re applying for a major airline job, go the extra mile and visit a job fair, conference, or meet-and-greet to get your name on the radar. Keep in touch with people you’ve met, and treat people with kindness and respect. Before an interview, seek help from one of several airline interview prep companies, but find a way to be yourself.

The stakes are way too high to just “wing it.”

This Q&A first appeared in the March 2024/Issue 946 of FLYING’s print edition.

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On Wednesday, Claudia Simpson Jones and Graham Simpson received the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award during a special ceremony at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The award is part of the agency’s recognition of safe pilots.

To be eligible for the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, the applicant must hold a U.S. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or FAA pilot certificate, have 50 or more years of piloting experience, or 50 or more years combined experience in both piloting and aircraft operations.

Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation from someone in the industry along with a detailed account of their aviation experiences. 

The application packets for Simpson Jones and Simpson were a little over an inch thick, and according to an FAA representative, “enjoyable reading.”

Simpson Jones, 79, started her aviation career with her first solo on December 3, 1967. As if that wasn’t enough of a memorable experience, an aviation luminary was in attendance. 

“William T. Piper was there the day I soloed,” Simpson Jones said. 

She earned her private pilot certificate in March 1968 and continued training, earning a helicopter rating, commercial certificate for airplane, seaplane rating, Airline Transport Pilot and CFI certificates, and type rating in a Boeing 737. She was one of the first women to be hired by a major airline when she became a first officer for Continental Airlines in 1977.

Eventually her career took her to Southwest Airlines and the captain’s seat as well. She became an simulator instructor for Alaska Airlines for a time, eventually retiring from aviation in 2000 with 24,000 hours logged.

Among her aviation accolades, she served as the first president of the International Society of Women Airline Pilots (ISA+21).

She didn’t learn to fly to get to the airlines, she said. Also a musician, she originally learned to fly as a means of transportation, flying her band around in a Piper Cherokee Six.

“I had maybe 40-something hours at the time, and the band would just jump in the airplane and we’d go,” she said, noting that music remains a big part of her life.

She was working as a CFI when she intercepted her younger brother Graham on his way home from high school. Ten years his senior, she was in charge, she said. Simpson said he remembers her telling him, “We’re going to the airport for an hour,” and she then gave him a flying lesson.

Graham Simpson soloed on September 23, 1970, in a Piper Colt and earned his private pilot certificate in 1971 right after his 17th birthday. Like his sister, he spent the next few years adding ratings, including commercial, helicopter, instrument, CFI, Flight Engineer, ATP, and type rating in a B-737 and Airbus A320. 

Simpson spent 41 years at the airlines, racking up more than 30,000 hours. Some of those were flown in the former Piedmont Airlines 737 now on display at the Museum of Flight. 

“The last time I was in this airplane was in 1985,” said Simpson, taking the left seat for a photo op with his sister.

The post Brother, Sister Receive FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The flight had originated from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) in Arlington, Virginia.

• READ MORE: Additional Passengers Sue Alaska Airlines, Boeing

The incident is the latest for the airline operating a Boeing aircraft. In January, a door plug installed on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 blew out during a flight, prompting the airline to temporarily ground its fleet of the aircraft.

The crack was minor, according to a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines: “The crew followed their checklists, and the aircraft continued safely to its destination as scheduled.” 

• READ MORE: NTSB Chief Testifies That Boeing Is Stonewalling on 737 Door Plug Blowout

There was no danger to the flight crew or passengers, as Alaska Airlines’ 737 fleet is equipped with five-layer windscreens that have an outer pane, three inner layers, and an inner pane, the spokesperson added.

• READ MORE: NTSB Hearings Set in Boeing Door Plug Failure Probe

“If an inner pane cracks, the other pane and layers can maintain cabin pressure. Our maintenance team inspected and repaired the windshield, and the aircraft is back in service,” the spokesperson said.

The post Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737 Windscreen Cracks During Landing appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As we settled into the Boeing 737’s cozy cockpit and started to build our nests, I recounted some of the more maddening episodes of my last four-day tour and told John that after this trip my wife and I were headed to Italy for 11 days of sightseeing, hanging out on Lake Como, and attending the Formula 1 race at Monza. John, for his part, revealed that this pairing would be his very last outing in the senescent, unloved 737 as henceforth, he was departing for the sunlit uplands of the Airbus A330.

John’s pronouncement induced a flood of conflicting emotions. On one hand, I hate to lose good first officers who I actually know, and John is not the only cockpit companion who has recently succumbed to the glittering charms of an international widebody fleet. But on the other hand, he’s been at the airline for six years, and in these heady days of explosive advancement, that’s considered quite a long time indeed to hang out in the right seat of a narrowbody aircraft. John’s promotion to the A330 will yield him a considerable leap in both pay and quality of life, not to mention a welcome change of scenery. I’m glad for him, and a little jealous too. I was a Boeing 757/767 FO for four years, and the fleet took me to five continents. I miss that flying. I’d like to do it again.

To pilots who haven’t done both, the differences between domestic and international airline flying must seem a bit frivolous, perhaps even ego driven: There is the prestige and romance of jetting across oceans versus the workaday squalor of flogging aging “little” airplanes up and down interstate corridors three or four times a day. To be sure, there is absolutely an element of that. Rolling down the runway in a 370,000-pound airplane, lifting off with ponderous ceremony, and embarking on a transoceanic journey of some 4,000 miles always gave me a really warm, stirring sense of contented excitement, a feeling of setting off on a grand adventure. Few domestic routes impart such a poignant sense of wonder. And to be sure, friends and strangers are always more interested to hear about your exploits in Barcelona than a 12-hour layover in Cleveland.

Aesthetics aside, though, there are real distinctions in the working environment between domestic and international fleets. “It’s like a whole different airline,” goes the common refrain. Things are far more relaxed, much more “gentlemanly” to use an archaic but apropos term. We have only one leg per duty period on which to concentrate our energies. There are three pilots to share the load (four on flights of more than 12 hours). We show up at the airport 90 minutes or more before departure and have all the time in the world to go through our preflight duties. Dispatch usually completes the release well ahead of schedule and is quite proactive in heading off potential problems. Likewise, there are multiple gate agents plus a supervisor to ably handle most passenger issues in conjunction with the purser. In domestic flying, it often seems that the captain is the default troubleshooter. With international operations, very few problems make it forward of the cockpit door.

With an augmented crew of three pilots, you spend one-third of the cruise time absent from the flight deck, resting on your designated break. Long flights are rather shortened by being broken up into thirds as pilots cycle in and out. I found that most international flights of eight or 10 hours practically flew by, in comparison to five-hour domestic transcontinental flights that seem to drag on forever. It helps that you change out cockpit companions every three hours or so, keeping conversation fresh. Even if you can’t stand the person—and I’ve found maybe two or three of these in 19 years of airline flying—you only need to stew in silence for a few hours before being relieved.

Relief pilot is not a predesignated position at my airline. Theoretically, the captain assigns duties at the beginning of the trip, but in practice they will usually fly the first leg and let the two first officers hash out the rest among themselves. The relief FO normally takes the first rest break and then relieves the pilot flying (second break) and pilot monitoring (third break) in turn. This made it an unpopular position on eastbound trans-Atlantic legs, where first break often coincides with a circadian high and an active meal service, making for difficult rest (most of our 767s lack a bunk room like the A330; we use a first-class seat with a curtain). As a lifelong flexible sleeper, I usually volunteered for relief duties on these flights, and, besides the gratitude of my fellow FOs, was often rewarded with a flying leg on the westbound return.

I took a lot of pride in being a good relief pilot, especially during high-workload periods at busy international airports, where a sharp relief crew can be worth its weight in gold. You see a ton from the jumpseat and can often help the flying pilots head off trouble before it ever begins. My crowning moment came during a takeoff from London-Heathrow (EGLL), when the captain’s oxygen mask started spontaneously free flowing, but the sound was masked by unusually loud packs. Just after rotation, I realized the source of the noise and, throwing off my harness and headset, flew across the cockpit to smack the errant mask into submission. We all glanced up at the crew oxygen gauge; it was barely above the minimum, saving us from a mandatory divert. The captain bought the layover beers that night.

You might suppose the primary draw of international flying to be the layovers, and in my case you wouldn’t be wide of the mark. I took full advantage of 24- to 48- hour Europe layovers and 36-hour South American interludes, cramming in as much adventure as was prudent. It’s instructive that I’ve written about many international layovers in these pages—flying a microlight in Germany and a classic Robin taildragger in France,

hang gliding in Rio, visiting a World War I aerodrome in Italy and a flying boat museum in Ireland—while spilling minimal ink over their domestic counterparts.

I also enjoyed the international crew dynamic. It’s not unusual for all three pilots and a majority of the flight attendants to at least meet for happy hour, if not for dinner or a night on the town. This is much rarer on the domestic side at my airline, though I’ve put good effort into rectifying that since upgrade, with better-than-average results.

• READ MORE: A Primer on Pilot Certificate Conversions

A lot of my compatriots, however, don’t necessarily care if they quaff Maibock in Munich or Miller in Milwaukee, and an equal number profess indifference to the cabin crew’s participation, or lack thereof, in layover fun. The real draw of international flying, for most, is that it’s supremely efficient. In John’s new category of Seattle A330, even junior pilots can easily cram a full month’s flying into only 12 days, leaving the rest free for family, hobbies, or second careers or businesses. The trips are also very commuter-friendly, with late report times and early releases. On international fleets, there’s very little the company can legally do to reschedule you to cover broken trips. One need not fear storms up and down the East Coast. At worst, you go home early with full pay.

All of which explains why the international fleets go insanely senior at my airline. John is just now able to hold A330 first officer status, but he could have held Seattle 737 captain more than two years ago. Likewise, I would be slightly more junior as an A330 FO than I am as a 737 captain. Despite that—and the prospect of a 20 percent pay cut—the idea of taking a downgrade looks attractive each time I see the A330’s monthly bid package.

Pretty much my entire career—and my life—has been divided up into roughly five-year chunks. Whenever I do anything for that long, I tend to become bored and knock over the house of cards to see what I can build next. I’ve been a 737 captain for three and a half years, and while I’m still reasonably engaged, I’ve started to eye my next move. The most optimistic projections show that I might be able to hold A330 captain in six years (be still my heart). I probably ought to go “learn French” on an Airbus product in the meantime, which in Seattle means A320 captain or A330 FO.

Which to choose? I won’t lie. I do enjoy flying with “my own favorite captain” every single week, and to be stripped of that fourth stripe does involve a certain subjugation of the ego. On the other hand, I’m writing this column at a table overlooking the Grand Canal in sunny, beautiful Venice, sipping an Aperol spritz and remembering a time not so long ago when this was my everyday work life. It’s tempting, very tempting, to go back to that. We’ll see, but John and I may yet fly together again somewhere across the glittering sea.

This column first appeared in the November 2023/Issue 943 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Allure of International Flying Lies Across the Glittering Sea appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“I am announcing several leadership changes as we continue driving BCA’s [Boeing Commercial Airplane] enhanced focus on ensuring that every airplane we deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements,” Deal said in the email. “Our customers demand, and deserve, nothing less.”

For starters, Ed Clark, the vice president of the 737 Max program in Renton, Washington, is leaving after approximately 18 years with Boeing. His departure comes just more than a month and a half after a Renton-built Boeing 737 Max 9 lost a door plug shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon.

According to the preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the bolts that were supposed to have been installed to hold the door plug in place had been removed in order to perform quality control maintenance at the Renton plant and were never reinstalled.

There were no serious injuries from the January 5 event. As the Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 passed through 16,000 feet, the door plug departed the aircraft. The blowout tore up the cabin, ejected loose objects, and twisted seat frames. Since the incident Boeing and its suppliers have been under the microscope as questions are raised about quality control and oversight at the aerospace manufacturing giant’s commercial aircraft division.

• READ MORE: Alaska Airlines Grounds 737 Max Fleet Following Explosive Decompression

According to Deal’s email to employees, Katie Ringgold, who has enjoyed a long career at Boeing, including having spent the past four years as vice president of 737 delivery operations, will succeed Clark as vice president and general manager of the 737 program and Renton site.

“Ringgold’s replacement as vice president, 737 delivery operations, will be named soon,” Deal said.

The email goes on to name Elizabeth Lund to the new position of senior vice president for BCA quality.

“She will lead our quality control and quality assurance efforts, as well as the quality initiatives we recently announced, within BCA and the supply chain,” Deal said. “Elizabeth is uniquely qualified for this position, given her extensive leadership experience and knowledge of our airplane programs, production system, engineering, and supply chain.”

Lund will report to Deal and serve on the company’s executive council as chair of the Boeing Quality Operations Council.

Deal said Boeing’s Carole Murray, who has been with the company for 12 years as a key player in the 787 program as well as serving as vice president of BCA total quality, is “now on special assignment to help the company achieve a smooth transition and… focus on accelerating our quality initiatives.”

Mike Fleming, a leader in Boeing’s customer support division, is succeeding Lund as senior vice president and general manager of airplane programs. According to the company, Fleming is tasked with overseeing the 737, 767, 777/777X, and 787 production programs and will continue leading the customer support team with an emphasis on meeting operational needs while working to implement company quality initiatives to minimize rework and traveled work in Boeing’s factories.

Fleming will report to Deal and serve on the executive council as chair of the Program Management Operations Council. 

Don Ruhmann, formerly 787 chief project engineer, will succeed Fleming as vice president of development programs and will also report to Deal. Ruhmann’s replacement has yet to be named.

The post Boeing Changes Leadership of 737 Program appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The statement continued that under consultation with the FAA, “Boeing had issued a Multi-Operator Message (MOM), urging operators of newer single-aisle airplanes to inspect specific tie rods that control rudder movement for possible loose hardware.”

The FAA reported that the aerospace company “discovered an additional undelivered aircraft with a nut that was not properly tightened.” The agency is asking the airlines that utilize the 737 to “work through their approved safety management systems to identify whether any loose hardware has been detected previously and to provide the agency with details on how quickly these inspections can be completed.”

• READ MORE: Boeing: Extra Holes Drilled in 737 Max Pressure Bulkheads

According to the Seattle Times, Boeing recommended operators inspect their 737 Max “out of an abundance of caution,” and noted there had not been any “in-service incidents” caused by possible loose hardware.

It was noted that prior to pushing back from the gate, airline crews conduct preflight inspections of each aircraft, checking rudder function, among other things.

The post Operators of Boeing 737 Max Need a Bolt Check appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A Mexicana de Aviación Boeing 737-800—operating as MXA 1788—made the inaugural flight Tuesday morning, departing Felipe Ángeles International Airport (MMSM) near Mexico City and landing at Tulum International Airport (MMTU) around 1:30 p.m. local time. 

Tickets for the flight cost $92, which government officials said was about a third cheaper than commercial offerings, The Associated Press reported. Cabin crewmembers were civilians, officials said.

Enlace desde el #AIFA @aifaaero a Palacio Nacional @lopezobrador_ @GobiernoMX @SEDENAmx @SICTmx @SENEAM_mx @MexicanaVuela_ @mexicana_air @vuelaTAR para dar inicio operaciones de #MexicanaDeAviación. #STZFRM pic.twitter.com/i2INVBqe7a

— STZFRM (@stzfrm) December 26, 2023

Earlier this year, the Mexican government spent $48 million to buy the Mexicana brand, which folded 13 years ago following bankruptcy proceedings and years after its privatization, Reuters reported. The development comes as a company controlled by the country’s defense ministry has expanded control of 11 airports throughout Mexico, including four last month.

The military’s role in the “rescue” of the national airline is to protect it from corruption, according to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico.

“When we talk about public companies, they are people’s companies.” López Obrador said at a news conference Tuesday. “For example, Mexicana and Aeroméxico, all railways, ports, airports, telephone companies, most banks, all the mining companies, the oil production, the entire electrical industry…And suddenly new rulers arrive with the idea that these public companies had to pass into the hands of private individuals, and a great fraud is carried out.”

“The important thing is that this Mexican airline is rescued after acts of corruption.”

The airline will initially serve 14 airports, including both popular tourist destinations as well as underserved communities, officials said.

“Operation is starting with five aircraft, three 737-800 and two Embraer [ERJ 145], but we are considering starting next year to have, through an American company, the rental of other Boeing aircraft,” said Secretary of National Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval González.

The post Mexican Army-Run Airline Makes First Flight to Resort Town appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The E-7 Wedgetail, a military variant of the Boeing 737 jet, will be equipped with a radar able to detect hostile aircraft, missiles, and ships at great distances. It is set to replace NATO’s fleet of E-3A AWACS aircraft that have operated since the 1980s.

NATO is expected to retire its fleet of 14 E-3A aircraft around 2035. The current AWACS aircraft, which is based on a Boeing 707 airliner, features a distinctive radar dome mounted on the fuselage and conducts a range of missions, from air policing to evacuation operations and a spectrum of wartime missions.

According to NATO, the E-3A is capable of detecting aircraft more than 250 miles away and can monitor an area the size of Poland, Reuters reported.

“Based at Geilenkirchen Air Base in Germany, the AWACS have flown in every major NATO operation, including the fight against ISIS as well as on NATO’s eastern flank following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” NATO said.

• READ MORE: NATO Ramps Up Maritime Air Patrols in Baltic Sea

Last month, NATO deployed its AWACS aircraft as it ramped up maritime surveillance and reconnaissance flights in the Baltic Sea region, following reports of possible sabotage of undersea infrastructure.

The first of the E-7A aircraft is scheduled to be operational by 2031, and the fleet is expected to also be based at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen.

“Surveillance and control aircraft are crucial for NATO’s collective defense, and I welcome allies’ commitment to investing in high-end capabilities,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. “By pooling resources, allies can buy and operate major assets collectively that would be too expensive for individual countries to purchase. This investment in state-of-the-art technology shows the strength of transatlantic defense cooperation as we continue to adapt to a more unstable world.”

The post NATO to Modernize AWACS Fleet with Boeing E-7A appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Boeing has used numerous ecoDemonstrator aircraft over the years to improve industry understanding of the impacts aviation has on the environment. Most recently, the Arlington, Va.-based manufacturer has used an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, 777-200ER and 787-10. The 737 MAX 10 which will be used during the air-to-air flights has been painted with a special livery signifying the environmental mission the aircraft will carry out. 

• READ MORE: Boeing Unveils 777-200ER SAF Demonstrator

In-Flight Testing

The 737 will fly with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in one tank and conventional jet fuel in another, allowing atmospheric comparison data between the two to be captured by the NASA DC-8, which will be following the 737 in flight. Specifically, the NASA airborne science lab will be capturing emissions produced by each fuel type and contrail ice particles. The goal of the testing is to gain more of an understanding of how fuel designs, engine combustion and other technologies can reduce atmospheric heating. 

According to Boeing, SAFs can reduce emissions by 85% of the fuel’s life cycle. Created from blends of materials, such as cooking oil and agricultural waste, SAFs are the most promising fuel source for significantly reducing emissions in the aviation industry in the near future. Per the press release, Boeing has committed to deliver aircraft entirely compatible with SAFs by 2030. 

NASA’s mission integration manager for Sustainable Flight National Partnership, Rich Wahls, believes deploying the agency’s DC-8 will be extremely beneficial stating “Flight testing is complex and resource-intensive, yet it’s the gold standard for understanding how sustainable aerospace innovations affect changes in contrails and climate.”

Based in Palmdale, Calif., NASA’s DC-8 is a four-engine rarity in the current aviation world. Joining NASA in 1985, the 53-year-old aircraft is still going strong, collecting atmospheric data across the globe and studying changes in the environment. The test bed also has the ability to monitor and track space borne objects, along with offering an inexpensive way to test instrumentation to be deployed on satellites. 

As the launch customer of the longer -10 variant, United is demonstrating their continued support in furthering SAF research. The 737 MAX 10, with the option for 10 more seats than the shorter -9, will reduce fuel emissions by 20% compared to the aircraft types it will replace, says Boeing.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post Boeing, NASA, United Partner on In-Flight SAF Study appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

That’s the question the FAA is trying to answer in regard to a near-miss incident between a Cessna Citation and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 at San Diego International Airport (KSAN) last week.

In an interview with CNN, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said the Citation came within 100 feet of the airliner. The incident occurred shortly before noon PDT Friday.

According to an FAA spokesperson, an air traffic controller had cleared the Citation to land on Runway 27 then instructed Southwest Flight 2493 to taxi onto that runway and wait for instructions to depart.

“The facility’s automated surface surveillance system alerted the controller about the developing situation,” the agency said in a statement. “A preliminary review of the event showed that an air traffic controller instructed the pilot of a Cessna Citation business jet to discontinue landing because a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 was still on the runway awaiting clearance to depart.”

According to CNN, LiveATC.net archived ATC audio indicated the pilot of the Citation apparently noticed the Southwest 737 on the runway, as the Citation pilot transmitted “Verify Four Hotel Victor is still clear to land?”

The tower controller replied, “Citation Four Hotel Victor go around, fly the published missed approach.” The Citation pilot replied, “Alright, going around, Four Hotel Victor,” and aborted the landing.

The Southwest flight was then instructed to taxi clear of the runway because there was another airliner on a 2-mile final.

“We’re participating in the FAA’s internal review regarding an incident that occurred Friday just before noon local time at the San Diego International Airport, where a Southwest aircraft was cleared onto the same runway that a Cessna Citation aircraft was also cleared to land,” Southwest said in a statement. “Our aircraft departed without event and the flight operated normally, with a safe landing in San Jose [California] as scheduled.”

According to an FAA spokesperson, the agency is sending experts to San Diego to investigate. “The team will determine the closest proximity between the airplanes as part of the review,” the spokesperson said.

The post Near Miss Between Southwest Jet, Citation Under Investigation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.