Man gets naked, tackled by pro soccer team on AA flight

American Airlines flight 725 diverted to Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City on Friday during its trip from Boston to L.A. after a passenger on board decided to strip down to his birthday suit. The male passenger, whose name was not released, emerged from one of the 757's lavatories completely nude when he was immediately confronted by Craig Tornberg, General Manager of the New England Revolution, a Major League Soccer team enroute to play in Southern California. Tornberg told the AP, "I said he should get back into the bathroom and put on his clothes. He said something strange to me. He said, 'I don't hear you. I don't see you." I thought that line never worked anymore, but the man complied and got dressed before making a beeline for one of the aircraft's emergency exits. That's when Tornberg and other members of the Revolution subdued the man who was then strapped to a seat by flight attendants. The flight crew elected to divert to OKC where the man was taken into custody and placed under psychiatric evaluation according to FBI spokesman Gary Johnson. Flight 725 continued on to L.A. one hour after the diversion minus one crazy naked guy.

(Fox News)

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Oriens glider so green it makes Ed Begley Jr. seem evil

Somewhere out there Al Gore is clapping for the ultimate concept in green air transportation, the Oriens glider. This ultra energy-efficient design recently won Roland Cernat the Lucky Strike Junior Designer competition for it's environmentally friendly innovation. Designed to be carbon-neutral, made from recycled materials, and completely recyclable itself, photovoltaic cells on top of its wings would provide power to an electric motor and retractable propeller mounted in front of the transparent fuselage. The see-through body would be made of polycarbonate while the frame of the aircraft would be constructed from a lightweight flax bio-compound that is CO2 neutral. While emissions free is the goal, a small internal combustion engine in the back could be used for safety purposes as a hybrid. Of course the main mission for this sleek little fellow is to coast effortlessly through the air as a glider with its highly aerodynamic body, V-tail, and "bionic loop" winglets tipping out its long wings. When you're all done with the Oriens, be sure to put it in your recycle bin and place it at the curb on Monday.




(Inhabitat via Gizmodo)

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AMAZING: Moon passes by Earth as seen from 31M miles away

Have to say this is pretty amazing...an alien's view of Earth with the Moon orbiting by. The video was taken from 31 million miles away by NASA's EPOXI spacecraft.

(BadAstronomy)

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Air Force buys palletized offices for cargo planes

4-Star General? First Class all booked up? Well you don't have to worry anymore because the US Air Force recently approved the purchase of palletized "offices in the air" which can easily be loaded into any military transport aircraft. These new luxurious accommodations should avoid the embarrassing mingling with grunts and ground pounders strapped to the canvas seat on the walls. The Senior Leaders In-transit Conference Capsule, or SLICC (pictured above), is an enclosed pod with work and rest areas that can be equipped with secure communications capabilities. The other is the SLIP, or Senior Leaders In-transit Pallet (pictured below), and is a lighted conference table with reclining chairs of which three are already in use by the Air Force with the intention of purchasing more. Both the SLICC and SLIP can be easily loaded and installed or removed from the Air Mobility Command's fleet of transports; and because of their compact design, unused space can still be occupied with cargo or "other passengers." Air Force Director of Maintenance Maj. Gen. Robert McMahon says the pallets "will allow senior leaders and dignitaries to perform their duties while traveling." He also adds, "because the pallets are on aircraft already equipped with defensive systems, and the fact that the planes don't look like they're carrying VIPs, travel will be safer into high-risk regions of the world." The Air Force intends on purchasing four SLIPs cost $290,000 each. The first SLICC will cost $2.7 million while two additional will carry a price tag of $1.9 million. Palletized secretaries not included.


(Air Force Link)

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Icon's A5 makes first flight, still very 007-ish

Less than a month after the Icon A5 was officially rolled out, the little amphibious Light Sport Airplane made its first flight last week according to an article from AVweb. The A5, with its sweet electrically folding wing design, launched from a lake in Southern California for the flight. "Everything went as well as an initial test flight possibly could go," said Jon Karkow, lead engineer and test pilot. This little carbon fiber beauty has garnered a lot of interest in its design and should be a crowd favorite at Oshkosh later this month where it will be on display. The $139,000 price tag is a nice incentive as well. Icon is anticipating deliveries in 2010 to all of those lucky pilots who will be making the rest of us green with envy. Who wouldn't want to fly this thing?


(AVweb)

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Another plane falls apart in the sky

A piece from a engine took out a chunk of pavement on a Missouri road after it fell off an airborne Delta Air Lines MD-88 yesterday. The aircraft, which had just departed St. Louis Lambert International Airport, shed one of its engine's tail cones that was about 18-by-20-inches or the size of a small wastebasket according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Tony Molinaro, a spokesman for the FAA, said Delta Flight 989 had just departed with 114 passengers when the flight crew heard a loud bang followed by an engine failure. The aircraft returned to STL and landed safely. This follows two 757s and a 767 shedding panels in flight earlier this year. What's the lesson here? Be sure to look up when you're outside. There may be an airplane about to fall on your head.

photo credit: Ivan Cholakov

(St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

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AirKnife takes a stab at AirSniper

I'll admit, when I first read about the half UAV/half assault rifle known as AirSniper, I laughed. Their "original" idea, X-Box controller, unique marketing style, and lack of a legitimate website made the whole thing seem like a joke. And then I saw they said they'd be at Farnborough, so I thought that maybe they're for real. Regardless, the whole thing seemed like an easy target to make fun of, and I wanted to at first, but recanted. Perhaps there really is a group (probably just one guy) who is trying to make a living like you and me by selling this idea of a killer drone that doubles as an infantry weapon. Well that didn't seem to stop blogger Chris Albon from poking a bit of fun at the AirSniper with his own idea, AirKnife. Anyway, click on both images for larger versions and tell me which one you think is for real. If any readers are at Farnborough, please stop by the UAV pavillion and let me know if you see the AirSniper. And remember, the enemy has guns and knifes too!



(Danger Room)

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NASA Needs Your Urine

NASA is at it again. This time their number one priority is collecting all the urine they can find, from anyone. NASA engineers are in the process of designing the Orion space capsule, which is one of the vehicles that will eventually take astronauts to the moon and be in space for a much longer time than any previous NASA missions, orbiting unoccupied in space for up to six months.

What is the big deal you ask? Getting rid of all the stored urine. According to NASA, urine is full of solids which clog up the urine venting system over a period of time. During a mission, the Orion capsule will be expected to process 30 liters a day, which translates into nearly 8 gallons of straight up urine. There is no such thing as "simulated urine" and there is only one way to get it, from the tap.

I hope they can get the toilet issue resolved so no other problems come up like the recent toilet issues on the ISS.

Below is what the memo actually said:

Sent: Friday, July 11, 2008 3:00 PM
Subject: Urine Collection Study Donor Request
Who: All Houston-SLS Associates, employees at 2200 Space Park, and any visitors to the building
What: Please donate your urine to our study
When: Monday, July 21 - Thursday, July 31 from 6 a.m. until goal amount is collected each day including weekends

The Orion Program will be holding a urine collection study starting Monday, July 21 and running through Thursday, July 31, 2008. We are looking for
donors as we need to collect a large amount of urine per day for the entire
11 day period. [...]

We will be hosting an informational meeting with encouraged attendance for
potential urine donors from 11-11:30 a.m. Thursday, July 17, 2008 in the
first floor conference room. In this meeting we will go over instructions
and guidelines for the study and introduce volunteers to the equipment that
will be used in the study. [...]

Please see the attached Donor Guide for further information on donating.

(NASA Watch)

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Millennium Falcon Cake

For all you Star Wars lovers out there, and I know you are out there...this cake is for you. The cake was made by Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, MD -- the bakery featured on the Food Network show Ace of Cakes.


(LaughingSquid)

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World's biggest A380 model lands at Heathrow

Construction of the world's biggest model of the world's biggest commercial jetliner is nearing completion at Heathrow Airport just North of Runway 09L/27R. The Emirates Airbus A380 was built by California-based Penwal Industries and is so large it had to be transported to Heathrow on a Polet Antonov AN-124. This bulging behemoth certainly makes the Lego A380 seem a bit diminutive. Some of the finishing touches include installation of the engines and placing the 'M' and 'T' on their respective sides in the word Emirates. These were left off initially as they are in the area where the fuselage barrels were joined. The A380 will now occupy a spot that was for years home to a one third scale British Airways Concorde. When BA decided to drop their advertising budget for the model, Emirates swooped right and took their place. Doesn't quite seem right, but oh well. Now can I get one to put in Aaron's lawn?



(Flight International)

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Neal Boortz gives PointNiner the nod

PointNiner got an awesome endorsement today from another aviation enthusiast who just so happens to also be the host of the nation's 6th largest syndicated radio talk show. Neal Boortz, the host of the Neal Boortz Show, placed PointNiner in with his "Reading Assignments" on the Nealz Nuze page of his website for July 15th. Somewhere towards the bottom of the stack he comments, "Here's a blog all you aviation nuts will enjoy" with a direct link to PointNiner.com. I've been a fan of Mr. Boortz for quite a while listening to him on KKAR 1290 in Omaha, so this really tickled me pink. Neal owns both a Mooney Ovation2 and a Super Decathlon. Now we just need some more celebs to give us a shoutout.

(Boortz.com)

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Banner-towing Cessna tries surfing instead

The pilot of this Cessna 150 had a lively 4th of July weekend. While towing a banner on Independence Day with his aircraft over the Surfside residential community beach just North of Seal Beach, California he lost engine power and was forced to ditch the aircraft in the ocean about 100 feet off the beach. The video starts up almost immediately after impact. Local life guards were able to drag the pilot and sole occupant out of the Cessna and back to the beach where he was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The pilot did manage to drop his banner shortly before bringing her in.

(LiveLeak and Press Telegram)

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New photos from B-2 crash (again)

First was the takeoff crash of the B-2 on the island Guam back in February. Then two months later, the first photo was released. Two months after that, the videos of the crash were released along with the final investigation report. Now over a month after that, in true Pentagon fashion, the Air Force has released these new photos from the crash site at Anderson AFB when the B-2 Spirit of Kansas stalled on takeoff and augered in due to a "moisture buildup" on a sensor. Check out the guys inspecting the ejection seat at the bottom of the stack. Maybe in another two months, we'll get some more pictures or video of the world's most expensive aviation accident.





Photos courtesy of the United States Air Force

(Popular Mechanics via Danger Room)

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777 Freighter first flight

The newest member to the Boeing 777 lineup made its inaugural flight yesterday when world's first 777 Freighter took off for the first time at Paine Field in Everett, WA. The 777F, dubbed "the world's most capable twin-engine cargo airplane" by Boeing, completed a three and a half hour test flight with only one minor issue of transmitting telemetry data back to engineers on the ground. Some of the flight tests therefore had to be cut short but Boeing is already working on the issue to get her back up in the air soon. Based on the 777-200LR, the 777F "will be capable of flying 4,885 nautical miles (9,047 km) with a full payload, making it the world's longest-range twin-engine freighter." With 78 firm orders on the books, Boeing is anticipating certification by Q4 with delivery to launch customer Air France shortly thereafter. One of the most interesting features of the 777F is its main deck cargo door is actually located aft of the wing instead of aft of the cockpit like many cargo aircraft. I'm not sure the intent, but it should help with CG while loading I would suspect. When I finally see FedEx colors on one of these, I'll be a happy man.

(Boeing Press Release)

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FAA trying to woo teens for ATC jobs?

I can imagine a $100,000 hiring bonus would sound pretty sweet to any senior graduation from high school. But then that's the point, right? Well, that's what the FAA is hoping for as they undertake a massive recruitment project aimed at replacing its post-PATCO air traffic control workforce who are nearing retirement. They have even gone to the extent of "trolling" New York area high schools and placing ads on Craigslist and even popular social websites like MySpace in an attempt to attract some young talent. In fact, by 2011, 59 percent of all controllers will have less than five years on the job according to the New York Post representing a major shift away from a well experienced workforce. One area of particular focus are five TRACONs around the New York Area. While these represent some of the busiest airspace in this country, acting FAA Administrator Bobby Sturgell seems confident with bright, young, and enthusiastic talent, no matter where it comes from to take on this big responsibility as can be seen in the video below. Not everyone is too happy with this new approach, though. Barrett Byrnes, a traffic-controllers union official from JFK Tower commented that "Giving new people $100,000 bonuses while the people doing the work day in and day out, year after year are getting their brains kicked in is just a slap in the face." Unfortunately, the gals in the Fox News video are confused in to thinking ATC uses the latest and greatest in technology, which teenagers should be accustomed to. Got to love that WWII technology we call RADAR. At least these new classes of controllers should be around to see NextGen fully implemented in a shift from RADAR to satellite-based technology that has taken the FAA a bureaucratically appropriate amount of time.

(New York Post via Fox News)

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Surveillance camera captures USA Jet crash

It can be a bit difficult to make out, but this video from a surveillance camera captured the last few moments before that USA Jet DC-9 crash at the Saltillo Airport in Mexico last Sunday. The video shows the DC-9 enter what appears to be a significant roll on its final approach to the runway. A bright flash near the aircraft suggests it may have clipped a power line before exiting the frame and crashing on to a nearby road. The impact explosion fills the screen with white light. Unfortunately, one of the pilots did not survive. No word on the state of the other pilot.

(Flight International)

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Bombardier finally launches the CSeries

This announcement wasn't too much of a surprise, but it is good news nonetheless for Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. The much delayed, nearly shelved, redusted and refined C-Series aircraft was finally launched today at the Farnborough Air Show with launch customer Lufthansa signing a letter of intent for 60 aircraft. What was almost bigger news than the launch was Bombardier's announcement to build the C-Series final assembly plant at its Mirabel-Montreal site instead of a proposed Kansas City plant as hoped by this blogger. I am glad to see that highly contentious decision finalized though, just for the sake of seeing a C-Series aircraft in the air soon. Powered by the revolutionary Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan, the new C-Series of aircraft is being touted by Bombardier as "the greenest single-aisle aircraft in its class." Its 2 x 5 seating will lend to two initial developments of the C-Series. Both a 110-seater and a 130-seater aircraft are planned but I'm sure that could be adapted as is the thing to do with this manufacturer. Bombardier sees a market for 6,300 aircraft in the 110 to 149-seat category which they would love to fill with C-Series. Bravo, Bombardier. It's about time. Now, if we can only get Northwest to retire their DC-9s for some of these.

Here's what she'll look like in Lufthansa colors. Nice.
(photo credit: Flightblogger)

(via Bombardier)

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Introducing the new PointNiner feed widget!

We're proud to announce that PointNiner has teamed up with the cool folks at SpringWidgets to introduce our new Feed Widget. As you can see, the widget has taken the place of the old "Recent PointNiner Posts" section in the sidebar. It essentially does the exact same thing as the older version by letting you surf the titles of our recent postings, but this one looks 100x more modern than the old boring links did. The coolest part about this new widget is that you can get one too. If you click on the "Get your own PointNiner feed widget!" you'll be able to customize a reader box like the one below and place it anywhere you can squeeze a snippet of html on to a website like your MySpace or Facebook page. Or, if you are a super PointNiner nerd fan, you can even download the widget straight to your desktop to stay on top of the latest PointNiner news and postings.


And if you haven't already subscribed to PointNiner, don't forget to do so by clicking here. Subscribing allows you to retrieve the most recent posts from PointNiner as they are burned into the matrix through the magical and mystical powers of RSS. If you like to kick it old-school and get the latest PointNiner posts through email, you can also do that here. One last shout out, we'd like to thank the guys over at FeedBurner for keeping our crap burnin'.

The PointNiner Crew

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First 767 gets blended winglets, already looks sexier

Your looking at the first pictures of the first Boeing 767 to receive a pair of blended winglets from Aviation Partners Boeing. This American Airlines bird got her winglets pinned on this Thursday just down the street from PointNiner at American's widebody maintenance base at the Kansas City International Airport. In an article from HeraldNet, Aviation Partners Boeing claims 767-300ER operators can expect to see savings of 350,000 gallons of fuel each year with winglets. That's about a 6% savings and is quite the incentive considering how much jet fuel has gone up in price in the last few years. The winglets should also improve the jet's range by 360 nautical miles and increase the payload by 12,000 pounds. This has led the new 767 winglets to be quite popular with operators as 121 sets have already been ordered. Aviation Partners Boeing already has a large following from carriers with their highly successful 737 blended winglet program.



(photos copyright Todd Wade via Airliners.net)

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C-130 blown up (by the good guys)

What's the best way to remove a stranded C-130 from a barren field in a hostile area North of Baghdad? Well, if you are the US Air Force, the answer to that question is simple, blow it up. That's exactly what the 447th Air Expeditionary Group did this week when it was decided that "dismantling by a series of controlled detonations would be the safest and most effective way to remove the remainder aircraft to a safe location" according to Col. David Pavey the Group commander. The aircraft made an emergency landing in the area on June 27 after the flight crew experienced an in flight problem after takeoff from Sather Air Base, adjacent to Baghdad International Airport. The remaining pieces were hauled back to Sather AB by truck. Check out the video below. Explosions start to take place around 2:00 minutes into the clip. Click on any of the photos for a larger version.

(photo taken prior to detonation during setup)

(via Air Force Link)
(video 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs)
(U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Allen)

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Lost laptops rebuttal

Apparently, not everyone was convinced that 10,000 to 12,000 laptops go missing at US airports as originally reported by the Ponemon Group (no affiliation to the Pokemon Group) last week. An article by Computer World is claiming that the data just doesn't add up that high. For instance, the original report claimed that nearly 1,000 laptops go missing each week at Miami International Airport alone. A check by Computer World with airport officials revealed only 38 reports of missing or lost laptops in the last 12 months. And it goes on. The report also said that 450 laptops are reported lost, missing or stolen at Reagan National Airport each week, but the airport authority claims only 276 laptops were turned in to lost and found for all of 2007. Obviously that doesn't take into account the possibility of stolen laptops or those left on an aircraft or at the security checkpoints which would be kept in the property of the airlines and TSA, respectively. Sari Koshetz, a TSA spokeswoman, commented that the TSA "consider(s) this study very nonscientific." Larry Ponemon, head of the Ponemon Institute, claims he still stands by his numbers but plans to revise the study to better explain his methodology. For instance, Ponemon considers someone who momentarily forgot their laptop bag, say, in the restroom but returned to claim it 30 seconds later to be in this group. Not surprisingly, the original study was sponsored by Dell to pimp their laptop security services.

(via Computer World)

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Baltimore passenger hides mace in his "body cavity"

This post practically writes itself. A passenger trying to go through the security checkpoint at the Baltimore Washington International Airport this last weekend was detained after it was learned that he was attempting to smuggle a can of mace through the checkpoint...in his poop chute. Security screeners were tipped off when the man ran from the checkpoint barefoot straight to the nearest restroom. His shoes were still on the X-ray table when he abandoned the line because the placement of the can was, undoubtedly, quite uncomfortable. Airport police caught up with the man as he was attempting to discard the "recovered" mace. The can of mace was confiscated (hopefully with rubber gloves and a Ziploc baggie) and the individual was eventually allowed to rebook his flight. Of course, the man was denied boarding again when he showed up at the checkpoint because he had a bottle of lighter fluid on hand. I'm guessing with these skills, the man has spent a little time behind bars. At least he wasn't trying to hide a medieval mace in his cavity.

(via Terminal Madness)

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Concorde loses its nose in Brooklyn

I knew Brooklyn had some bad neighborhoods, but come on. This poor Concorde was damaged on July 1 at a recreational facility in Brooklyn when a truck hauling equipment from a Jamaican soccer-and-cricket festival hit it and tore off its distinctive needle nose. Concorde G-BOAD was temporarily sitting at the facility to await a renovation of its home pier where it normally sits on display along side its caregiver the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Museum President Bill White told the AP that the nose should be reattached and repaired within two weeks. He also apologized to British Airways, the owner of G-BOAD, for not providing better security of the aircraft. She is one of only 11 survivors in the world, sparking some enthusiasts to demand better respect for the world's only supersonic airliner.



(story via USA Today)
(photos copyright by Matt Sokol and John Musolino, respectively)

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DoD reopens tanker contract bidding, bypasses Air Force

It shouldn't come as a big surprise to anyone that the bidding has reopened for the lucrative aerial tanker contract. Especially after the GAO sustained Boeing's bid protest last month regarding the award given to the team of Northrop Grumman and EADS. What is a bit of a shocker, is that the new competition for the replacement of the KC-135 will not be overseen by the Air Force, as it was before. This time the DoD will run the contest straight from the Pentagon due to an overwhelming lack of confidence in the Air Force to manage the contract. Congressman Norm Dicks (of WA, it should be noted) was quoted as saying "I think it's better. No one has any faith in the Air Force." The GAO report pointed out some "significant errors" made by the Air Force in the original contest and suggested that Boeing might have won the contract if not for these mistakes. Boeing was pitting, and will again, its 767-based refueler against Northrop Grumman's Airbus A330 based tanker. The $35 billion contract will now have a limited rebid by the Pentagon, who claims they will pick a new winner by the end of the year. Meanwhile, a ragged old KC-135 somewhere around the world is begging to be put out of its misery.


(via MSNBC)

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Ticks on a plane! (I can't believe I just used that title)

A United Airlines flight from Denver to Des Moines was delayed for 6 hours yesterday after a passenger discovered a tick in economy class. Airline spokeswoman, Robin Urabanski, told the AP that between one and three tick were found on the aircraft (that hard to narrow down?). United decided not to continue flight 1178 with an infested airplane so another was flown in to take its place. The tick-plane was cleaned subsequently returned to service later that day. It is unknown to United how the ticks may have gotten on the plane in the first place. Come on, you've seen some of the people that sit in coach, right?

(via USA Today)

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Half blimp, half helo, all heavy-lift

Boeing announced today a partnership with Canadian firm SkyHook International to build the JHL-40 (Jess Heavy Lifter). SkyHook secured the patent for the JHL-40 and brought it to Boeing's Advanced Rotorcraft Systems division to see if they could develop the behemoth. This bad boy will far surpass the lifting capabilities of any rotorcraft out there due to its unique design. The entire weight of the aircraft is kept airborne by the helium envelope making the JHL-40 neutrally buoyant. This means the four rotors are dedicated solely to lifting the payload which can reach 40 tons. The team sees the JHL-40 as a perfect fit for hauling over the Canadian Arctic and Alaska where the aircraft can travel up to 200 miles without refueling. Boeing intends to build two prototypes at its at its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Park, PA. SkyHook will own and operate all other JHL-40s for customers worldwide. The aircraft should enter service as soon as it receives certification from Transport Canada and the FAA.



(via Boeing)

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F-16 Encounter: Redux (now with video & audio)

Remember the PointNiner post from March about two pilots who complained about getting harassed by an F-16? . . . . I'll take that as a no. Well, the FAA has released the audio tapes and the radar playback of that incident as seen from a controllers point of view at Albuquerque Center. To quickly bring you back up to speed, an F-16 from Luke AFB intercepts a Pilatus PC-12 in a Military Operations Area (MOA) in Arizona. When the pilot of the PC-12 complains to the controller, another pilot, in a Beechcraft Premier says he was also intercepted. At one point, the F-16 was allegedly only 10 feet away from the PC-12. The AOPA jumped all over this incident when it happened and was the one who was able to procure the video from the FAA. Pete Lehmann, AOPA manager of air traffic services comments “everyone involved agrees that we must work together to find ways to safely share airspace and prevent similar incidents in the future.” When I first heard about this incident several months ago, I didn't think much of it. Then I watched this video. That F-16 looks like he is deliberately pouncing on that PC-12. I think the Air Force owes those pilots at least a new set of clean underwear.

(via AOPA)

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757 nose cone crumpled by bird

A Northwest Airlines 757 took a birdstrike right to the nose yesterday on a flight from Detroit to Tampa according to a spokeswoman for Tampa International Airport. There were no injuries to the flight crew or the 182 passengers on board flight 478, but the aircraft has been removed from service until the dent can be banged out with a hammer. Must have been a big bird but the picture doesn't really show any blood or snarge consistent with a birdstrike though.

UPDATE 7 JULY 20:15Z: The New York Times is now reporting that a spokesperson from the FAA is ruling out a birdstrike. Of course, they wouldn't say what caused the damage. The plot thickens...

Picture property of CNN.com

(via CNN and KXAN)

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Obama's jet makes emergency landing

A Midwest Airlines MD-81 carrying Senator and Presidential hopeful Barack Obama made an emergency landing at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport this morning after a reported "flight control anomaly". The aircraft, N804ME, diverted to St. Louis during its flight from Chicago to Charlotte. After departing Chicago and vectoring around some thunderstorms, the flight crew said they started to experience "elevator control forces that were heavier than normal." A post landing investigation revealed an in-flight deployment of the aft emergency exit slide within the tail cone. Sounds like the airplane pooped its pants, along with all 48 passengers on board. Fortunately, the nose cone never separated from the aircraft. The NTSB is investigating. Hopefully it wasn't this guy.

(via NTSB)

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Angry passenger leaves plane on emergency slide

A first-class passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight became so angry that a passenger in coach was going to exit the aircraft before him on arrival into Georgetown, Guyana that he decided to pop open an emergency exit and ride the evacuation chute ride off the plane on to the ramp below. Local police told the Associated Press that the man, who arrived from New York, appeared to be intoxicated and was arrested shortly after the stunt. Delta reps claim they will be filing charges against the man for interfering with flight crew members. Judging by Delta's schedule, I'm figuring the man got a free ride down the slide of a Boeing 757. (sarcasm)Good for that man. He's way more important then the cretins back in cattle class(/sarcasm).

(via MSNBC)

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Kalitta 747 crashes...again

A Kalitta Air 747 crashed this morning on takeoff from the Bogota, Columbia airport this morning killing two individuals on the ground. Somehow all eight crewmembers and individuals on board the 747 survived the crash with varying injuries. The US based Kalitta aircraft was operating for another carrier hauling a load of flowers to Miami. This is the second fatal airline crash in two days involving US based air carriers. The other was a USA Jet DC-9 that crashed yesterday in Mexico. This is also the second Kalitta 747 to crash on takeoff this year. The other taking place on May 25 in Belgium.

(via MSNBC and Flight International)

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2 Big Avro Bombers

No, this one is not from the PointNiner Heritage File. This picture of two of the most significant bombers in RAF history was actually taken yesterday in Waddington, England. What an amazing sight to see an Avro Lancaster and an Avro Vulcan flying in formation. This particular display was the first flying display of an Avro Vulcan in 15 years and the aircraft just received its permit to do so only two days prior. The Lancaster is PA474, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster, while the Vulcan is XH558 belonging to the Vulcan to the Sky Trust. Cheers to the crew who have been working hard over the years to get this magnificent jet bomber flying again. Amazing photo, wish I could have been there.

click on the image for a larger version

photo credit: Mick Bajcar

(via Airliners.net)

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USA Jet crash photos

Sadly, this accident claimed the lives of one of the two crewmembers on board this DC-9-15 when it crashed this morning during approach to the Saltillo Airport just west of Monterrey, Mexico. The aircraft was registered as N199US and belonged to the American charter freight and passenger hauler USA Jet Airlines. The captain was killed in the crash, while the first officer suffered severe burns. Both were US citizens. Weather was reportedly clear at the time when the aircraft slammed onto a road near the airport. The NTSB has dispatched a team of investigators to assist the Mexican government in its investigation. This incident saddens me as I've worked several USA Jet baby DC-9 operations over the years. R.I.P. and the prayers of the PointNiner crew go out to the families on this one.





(story via CNN.com)
(pictures via Vanguardia)

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PointNiner Heritage File: the real "Bronx Bomber"

I don't think that this is how the New York Yankees got that nickname, but it sure is a great shot that I highly doubt you'll ever see again. This B-17 Flying Fortress makes a low fly over of Yankee Stadium at the start of Game 1 of the 1943 World Series. Note that painted on the grandstand is "Buy U.S. War Bonds" and the even funnier "See Score Card for Alert Instructions".

click on the image for a larger version

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"Traffic is a Space Shuttle on short final"

I sure thought this photo looked fake, but it comes straight from the boys at NASA and the Kennedy Space Center. The image shows the Space Shuttle Discovery as it makes its final approach to Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the KSC. The mission wrapped up on June 14 as STS-124 with the landing that took place mere seconds after this photo was taken with the orbiter over the approach lights. Pretty crazy shot. I've seen a lot of aircraft head-on during final, but this one takes the cake. Image cropped a bit to better squeeze within the already limiting confines of the blogosphere.

click on the image for a larger version

Photo credit: NASA/Kevin O'Connell, Scott Haun

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Cirrus "The Jet" first flight

I meant to post this yesterday when it happened but I never got around to it so here's to some holiday blogging. General Aviation aircraft manufacturer Cirrus took it's personal jet up to the skies for its first flight yesterday morning at the Duluth International Airport in Duluth, MN. The aircraft, known only as "The Jet" made a 45 minute jaunt around Duluth in a test flight where it "performed flawlessly." This test aircraft, dubbed "V1" for verification and validation testing, was equipped with a full airplane ballistics parachute like every other Cirrus aircraft which should provide an ounce of confidence to it's up to 4 passengers and 2 crew. Once certified, Cirrus expects pilot-owners of "The Jet" to be able to cruise this sweet little ride up to 25,000 and 300 knots. Most notable of "The Jet" is its V-tail, which Cirrus claims to be the first application of this design on a major consumer aircraft in 60 years. "The Jet" is also equipped with a single Williams FJ33-4A-19 jet engine set on the aircraft's centerline in a "backpack" position for "smooth handling and excellent engine efficiency." Move over VLJ, the personal jet is set to revolutionize aviation. Of course, Cirrus won't be alone in this market as their competition from Piper and Diamond should keep the GA jet battle lively.

You can check out a video of the first flight HERE.




(via AVweb)
(photos courtesy of Cirrus Design)

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Happy 4th of July!

To all of our American visitors and subscribers, we would like to wish you a happy Independence Day. For good measure, here's a picture of two of our favorite things, aviation and explosions. Picture taken of C-130H in Madison, Wi. of 440th Airlift Wing, Pope AFB during 2007 Rhythm & Booms fireworks.

The PointNiner crew.

photo credit: Joe Oliva

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Pakistani plane pelted with hail

This Pakistani International Airlines Boeing 777 was operating Paris-Milan-Lahore recently when it encountered a monster of a thunderstorm in flight that produced some good size hail. Obviously the hail blasted the nose cone and shattered the wind screen. Damage was also done to the leading edge of the aircraft's wings. Registration was AP-BHX.

Unknown photo source.




(via Airliners.net)

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US airports claim 10,000 laptops a week

A recent survey by the the Ponemon Institute stated that more than 10,000 laptop computers are lost or stolen at US airports every week. Nearly 65% of those laptops are never returned to the owner and half of which contain sensitive corporate information. The study was sponsored by Dell as a means of promoting their new laptop data protection services for those business travelers who spent too much time drunk at the airport bar embarrassingly flirting with their married coworker. The majority of the lost laptops end up with the TSA at the security checkpoint where they were forgotten about by their owners the same way they forgot where they parked their car in the garage. I'm still amazed at these numbers though. I'm so paranoid traveling with my laptop that I'm more likely to forget my shoes at the checkpoint than my computer.

(via USA Today)

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Quadrotor UAV probably smarter than you

If I was a grad student at Stanford, this is the program I'd want in on. The Stanford Testbed of Autonomous Rotorcraft for Multi-Agent Control, or STARMAC, is a UAV being developed there with some incredible capabilities. With four rotor blades, GPS-based technologies, ultrasonic ranging, and a host of sensors to compliment an impressive on-board computer processor, this little guy could be the predecessor to futuristic spy drones used by the military (or video game developers). Check out in the video when they start throwing beach balls at it. We used to do stuff like that in college and they never called it research.

(via Gizmodo)

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PiperJet Production Photos

Look at the baby 727 (w/o the two side engines).




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Piper Aircraft + Jet Engine = PiperJet

Check out this video of the new PiperJet starting up and preparing for low-speed taxi tests. Tge PiperJet is powered by a Williams FJ-443A jet engine with FADEC, which is reportedly a breeze to operate. The next major milestone for the POC jet will be high-speed taxi tests. Stay tuned.

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Japanese jet dumps fuel into Lake Michigan

An All Nippon Airways Boeing 777-300ER had to dump about 1,450 gallons of jet fuel into Lake Michigan on Monday after it developed a problem after takeoff from Chicago O'Hare. Elizabeth Isham Cory, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the aircraft sustained what could have been a birdstrike and subsequent engine failure. In order to land back at Chicago without being overweight, the widebody had to jettison what turned out to be about 4% of it's fuel load. To avoid doing this over the populated suburbs surrounding Chicago, the flight crew swung the aircraft out over Lake Michigan and did their business. Cory said that "when fuel is dumped above 5,000 feet, in temperatures above freezing, about 98 percent of it can be expected to evaporate before hitting the ground." That means the friendly fish of Lake Michigan will only have to share the waters with about 32 gallons of Jet A. Still, I'm thinking their may be some enviro-nuts who aren't too happy about this.

(via Chicago Tribune)

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Crazy Omaha Weather

I think we can all agree that the weather this spring/summer has been a little strange throughout the country. As you may or may not know, Pointniner is authored/edited by two aviation nuts from Omaha, Nebraska. A local photographer, Rich Carstensen, took these storm pictures as it came through Omaha last Friday (June 27). The storm did not produce any tornadoes, however, it produced up to 115 mph straight line winds. The storm was pretty destructive to the Omaha and surrounding areas. I know this might not be aviation related, but the connection is there as most aviation people are somewhat weather people as well. As you can see, some of the photos are from during and after the storm.









(Image credit: R. Carstensen)

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