StoleIt

If Boeing's past performance is an indicator of future performance...this will definitely be on time and under budget. /sarcasm

You forgot: 1a. Manipulate slides to make it look like everything is green by lying/changing denominator to get boss promoted

Restarting the KC-135 line was never going to happen. Little known fact, outside of the tanker TOAD community, is the -135 isn't even a 707 airframe. It's the 367-80 (B-717/720), which shares very little in common with the 707 besides general appearance. Completely different fuselage and wing.

NTSB Released today: Read the Investigation Preliminary report. Read the NTSB's urgent recommendation report on mitigating the risk of midair collisions at DCA. Some highlights that popped out to me: At 2047:40, the crew of flight 5342 received an automated traffic advisory from the airplane’s traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) system stating, “Traffic, Traffic.” At this time, the aircraft were about 0.95 nm apart, as shown in Figure 3. At 2045:30, PAT25 passed over the Memorial Bridge. CVR data revealed that the IP told the pilot that they were at 300 ft and needed to descend. The pilot said that they would descend to 200 ft. The PAT25 FDR indicated that the radio altitude of the helicopter at the time of the collision was 278 ft and had been steady for the previous 5 seconds. At 2047:58, or 1 second before impact, flight 5342 began to increase its pitch. FDR data showed the airplane’s elevators were deflected near their maximum nose up travel. And the airplane rolled about 450°, impacting the water in an approximate 45° nose- low attitude with a left roll about 90°. PAT was at least 60 feet high...not sure if those helicopter routes are supposed to be AGL or MSL, but DCA is only 14 ft field elevation but either way they were high. The CRJ must have seen the PAT too late and applied full deflection. How terrible that must have been for the passengers and crew before impact.

The "Zelensky is a dictator/wont hold an election" talking point is taken in such bad faith. It's in their constitution. Also, how does one hold a free and fair election while a significant amount of their population/territory is occupied? How do you account for citizens of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson? I'd imagine they are all voting pro-Putin right now. Not saying there isn't a lot of valid criticism you can throw at this conflict, our involvement, and Zelensky...but "he is a dictator because he suspended elections" is one of the more idiotic talking points.

Classic Boeing: https://www.twz.com/air/cracks-in-kc-46-pegusus-tankers-halt-all-deliveries

Fine, but I'd also like to Q3 the requirements branch that bought the R model engines without flat bottoms. The AF decided it was cheaper to Q3 people than add some breathing room to landing a, looks at calendar, 80 year old airplane. So if we hold the pilots responsible than I also want everyone else in the stupidity tree to be held to the same standard.

I think AA is actually doing pretty good financially. They are paying down their higher rate debt extremely aggressively which is causing their profits to be much lower compared to their peers. Their revenue, $54B, is slightly behind DAL ($61B) and UAL ($57B), but not enough for me to be alarmed. Granted, I do think AA has a much larger middle management group of do-nothings (inherited from all the mergers) that neither UAL or DAL have AND AA is much more unionized compared to DAL. Long term, AA doesn't really prioritize long haul widebody flying. We have the least numbers of WBs on property and the smallest on order (but at least we have more than SWA/B6/F9/etc...suckers). Oh and we turned down the cheapest A350 order on the planet...but that dude at least got fired 2 years later. Granted, we have some of the newest 777-300s (2013's) BUT some of the oldest 777-200s (1999's). But with the recent interior refresh of the -200s those will be around for at least another decade...which is good because there are only about 30 more 787s on order with nothing after that. Unless a miracle, or tragedy, happens I imagine AA will be a 787 WB only airline in the future when they start to park the trips. That being said, the average fleet age of AA is 13.8 years old which is younger than DAL (14.9) and UAL (15.9). **All this was written by an airline pilot so don't take this as sound financial information.**

Chang's return must have rattled JQP out of his retirement, because Tony Carr has a new article: https://radarblog.substack.com/p/rise-of-the-gutless-air-force-colonel

Don't forget, at least he was the second highest compensated airline CEO. Now he can afford more turtle necks.

Text book go-around. Great job on the SWA crew. Listening to the audio and the biz jet definitely was at fault. Dude had no SA on what runway he was blowing through. SWA2504 landing 31C, FLEXJET560 did the incursion. ATC audio (fast forward to 12 minutes): https://archive.liveatc.net/kmdw/KMDW-Gnd-Twr-Feb-25-2025-1430Z.mp3 Textual synopsis: https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1iy89dc/audio_and_transcript_from_this_mornings_runway/

AA traditionally shuts down the school house during peak summer months. I don't exactly recall when that usually starts but I wouldn't go into a full "sky is falling" panic just yet...even though, ironically, that also seems to happen every year when the summer push starts.

Haven't the Houthi's been downing Reapers on and off for a while now? https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-american-mq9-reaper-drones-2ca2dc1c5316ca5473c3843d97780b2b

https://www.newsweek.com/russian-drone-strikes-chernobyl-nuclear-plant-sarcophagus-ukraine-video-2031027 I mean seriously...

Today. Crew got out. Second EA-18 incident in recent memory.

I haven't landed 15, but I have on 33 in the baby bus. Unless it's moist, or I'm in a 320 or 321, I will brief the possibility of a last minute runway change at DCA. It's basically to be expected, doubly so for those who fly an RJ. So while maybe causal, I wouldn't say the "circle" maneuver from runway 1 to 33 at DCA is that cosmic for those who fly in and out of DCA frequently. Just another hole in the Swiss cheese model though, sadly.

Nobody wants the Palestinians. Jordan and Egypt refuse to take them again after the first time was disastrous and they tried to destabilize those respective governments. In fact, nobody (to include the Palestinians) likes the idea: Source Sadly, I think the status quo is the best way forward with Gaza. Just let them fester in their shit hole but actually monitor their UNRWA activity so it isn't a terrorist jobs laundering business. Also, monitor where the concrete and other rebuilding materials are going for once. US troops on the ground in Gaza will be Trump's Afghanistan. Another insurgency that has no end and will cost us lives and treasure while any engagement, legal and justified or not, will hurt our image. It's a regional problem that I'm happy to let Egypt, Jordan, and Israel hammer away at.

Counter argument: https://6abc.com/post/army-black-hawk-crew-involved-dc-crash-made-top-pilots-thousands-hours-experience/15849913/ Except for maybe new folks at the 1st Heli and some RJ pilots, I'd wager nearly everyone else flying in the NCR is extremely experienced.

Aaaand not as neat. Glad the pilot got out. Is this karma for resurrecting the other one? https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/military/2025/01/28/f-35-crashes-at-eielson-air-force-base-military-officials-say/

Further progress, kinda neat: https://theaviationist.com/2025/01/26/first-public-glimpse-of-the-franken-lightning-built-from-two-damaged-f-35s/

Yes, and I laughed about how 4Chan pulled one over on tons of people. This is NOT that. If you can't see that then you clearly lack the ability to think critically or overcome your own bias. The dude did the Nazi salute...twice. Now the WHY has me curios. Also, interested to see if he will comment on it or just continue to delete/ban people on X for discussing it.

He can say whatever he wants while still doing a Nazi salute. Doesn't erase the actions of performing that gesture. He could have recited the "ha'tov ve'ha'metiv" (Jewish blessing), in Hebrew, but it still doesn't make it any better. Maybe it's because he is autistic. Maybe it's because he likes the Romans. But just dismissing it as TDS or leftist talking points is basically doing the same thing you claim but in the opposite direction. I'd like some follow up on the matter if he is involved in the government...just as I'd like follow up to any other government official supporting Hamas/ISIS/etc.

I watched the video. Dude does it twice. Unless there is some South African cultural connection to this gesture it really can't be explained away or dismissed.