Diddy Complains Jet Fuel Prices Are "Too Motherf----g High"

That's right, even celebrities are feeling the pinch of these high gas prices. So much so that Sean "Diddy" Combs published a video blog on YouTube to complain that it is starting to cramp his style. "Gas prices are too motherf-----g high," the hip-hop mogul proclaims. "As you know, I do have my own jet, but I've been having to fly back and forth to L.A. pursuing my acting career . Now, if I'm flying back and forth twice a month, that's like $200,000, $250,00 round trip. F--- that. I'm back on American Airlines!" Diddy even makes a plea to his "Saudi Arabia brothers and sisters" to help him out and send him some fuel for his private jet. Somehow I don't think his "Saudi Arabia brothers and sisters" or any Americans are going to have much sympathy for Diddy. He does' add later to the site, "Attention all media and hate bloggers. This blog is just me making a joke about gas prices. Loosen up." Not sure if that's going to work. You can check out the whole video below and make up your own mind.

WARNING: Audio is NSFW

[Fox News]

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Political Conventions: TSA Busts Out New Technology, Uniforms

It's political convention season and if you're a delegate, like Jerry Springer, and you've flown into either Denver or Minneapolis/St. Paul recently, you may have noticed something new and different from our beloved TSA. In an attempt to bolster security for the added masses transiting these airports, the agency decided to throw in a few new technological gizmos like passive millimeter wave radar. This portable system, also known as standoff detection technology, measures energy generated by the human body to detect explosives hidden on a person. Used for years in other environments, this is the first time it has been employed at U.S. airports. The TSA claims the devices are safe and non-invasive, but don't be surprised if you develop webbing between your toes after getting a dosage. Another new gadget being used is the hand-held spectrometer which has the ability to penetrate sealed containers using laser technology to detect solid and liquid explosives. It cannot, however, tell you what's in that old tupperware dish that's been in your fridge for the last six months. Of course, not to be outdone by all of it's new toys, the TSA has had their Transportation Security Officers screeners at Denver and Minneapolis break out the controversial new uniforms to highlight their professionalism to the delegates and politicians alike. Convinced?



[Evolution of Security]

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SWA Tells The FAA Where To Stick Their Fine

This Friday marks the deadline for Southwest Airlines to pay the $10.2 million fine imposed by the FAA for failure to comply with its maintenance program and flying uninspected aircraft. Southwest does not intend on paying the fine, however. If you recall from the PointNiner archives, this scandal set off an embarrassing chain events both within the FAA and the airlines that led to numerous aircraft inspections and even some additional fines for other airlines. As far as the hefty price Southwest was slapped with, the airline is saying they plan on fighting it. A Wall Street Journal article claims a Southwest spokeswoman as saying "we simply don't agree with [the penalty] and want to talk about it further." The FAA hasn't said what they would do if Southwest doesn't pay up by Friday, but they do have a few options in their deck. The Journal says "typically, the next step is for the agency to ask the Justice Department to file suit on its behalf. With a number of other sizable enforcement cases already pending against other carriers it would be problematic for the FAA's leadership to back down now.” The other option, which is dicey, is to threaten to revoke Southwest's operating certificate but would require some major cojones on the part of the FAA. Let's sit back and see what happens next.

[Today In The Sky]

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Laser JDAM Gets First Kill

The two main types of precision guided bombs in the US arsenal today are guided by either GPS or lasers. But what if there was a way to combine the two on one bomb? That's exactly what the USAF did when it developed the GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition. The GBU-54 is essentially a 500-lb dummy bomb with a strap-on GPS guided tail and a laser guidance sight mounted to the tip. On August 12th this new munition scored its first kill when an F-16 from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Balad Air Base destroyed a "moving enemy vehicle in the Diyala province to support a combined Iraqi army and U.S. Marine operation." An urgent operational need for this type of munition was identified in 2007 and took only 17 months of testing and development before it was in theater for deployment. Lt. Gen. Gary L. North, the U.S. Air Forces Central commander and U.S. Central Commands Combined Force Air Component commander said, "The first combat employment of this weapon is the validation of the exacting hard work of an entire team of professionals who developed, tested and fielded this weapon on an extremely short timeline, based on an urgent needs request we established in the combat zone." While a regular GPS JDAM is perfect for hitting stationary targets, the new Laser JDAM allows the Air Force to strike mobile ground targets as well. This is especially crucial in the fight against VBIEDs. The footage from this engagement is allegedly depicted below.

[AF Link]

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Sikorsky X2 Makes First Flight

Sikorsky's high speed technology demonstrator, the X2, made its first flight yesterday from the Schweizer Aircraft's rapid prototyping facility in Horseheads, New York. The 30 minute flight was a long awaited milestone as it was originally scheduled to take place two years ago. Designed to cruise at a whopping 250 kts, the X2 will start a test phase with work on hovering with its coaxial main rotors before completing a four phase program wrapping up with high speed flight. The test program is intended to assist Sikorsky with deciding whether or not to develop the X2 for civilian production by 2010. The X2 gets its power from a Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Co. (LHTEC) T800 engine that was originally developed for the now defunct RAH-66 Comanche helicopter. While its design is not completely original, it does feature new fly-by-wire controls and advanced avionics that engineers hope will counter the high vibration issues found in other coaxial rotor designs. Sikorsky could use the X2 as a stepping stone for both civil and military products featuring the coaxial, compound design which already improves over previous designs in the sexiness department.



Images: Sikorsky
[Flight Global]

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What I Want For Christmas: The Draganflyer X6

We see a lot of UAVs pop up on PointNiner, but this one has got to be one of the coolest. You've got to check out the videos on their website. They were enough to sell me on the Draganflyer X6. It's a remote controlled UAV with a carbon-fiber body that has three tips that contain two rotors each for control. The X6 has a oil-dampening vibration-killing mount that can be used to place a hi-def camera or night vision scope under the body for some James Bondish spying. It even has an on-board GPS and the ability to fly up to 30 mph as well as a 23 foot per second climb...straight up! Here you go, Aaron. This post takes all the guess work out of your Christmas shopping for me this year.






[Draganfly via Gizmodo]

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The Dawn Of Robot Wars

No, I'm not talking about Battle Bots here. I speaking about full on unmanned system vs. unmanned system in actual combat. This new era got off with a real bang when an MQ-9 Reaper dropped a 500-lb laser guided bomb on a remotely controlled Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) in Iraq last week marking a historic first. The Reaper, which began combat patrols in Iraq last month is really proving its mettle to the battlefield commanders over there as it starts to assume the roles previously occupied by manned systems. 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance and Attack Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Micah Morgan, said that they "searched for, found, fixed, targeted and destroyed a [threat] with just one aircraft." The Air Force already has an entire wing of UCAVs, but I'm thinking that's just the start. It won't be long before unmanned systems outnumber manned aircraft and pilots are exiled to air conditioned trailers where they play war half a world away. Countries around the world are following suit with development of their unmanned systems as well. Perhaps it will be the Major League Gamers that help us usher in the robotic apocalypse. Can anyone say Skynet?

[Aviation Week via Gizmodo]

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Astrospies, Satisfying My Unnatural Infatuation With Cold War Space Espionage

Thank goodness the boys over at Danger Room picked up on this one, because I would have died with a unfulfilled life if I had not seen it. Back in February the PBS program NOVA (one of my favorites) ran a show called Astrospies. The episode told the story of the U.S. and Soviet Union's attempts to get military spies into orbit during the 1960s. The U.S. Department of Defense tried to do this with something called the Manned Orbital Laboratory or MOL. I've heard about the MOL before through other channels but there always seemed to be a void of useful information on this secretive project, until now. The craziest part of these programs was their intentions to turn space into the eventual battlefield of tomorrow. If you're like me and a huge fan of space exploration and Cold War espionage then you've got to take an hour out of your day and geek out on Astrospies here on the NOVA site. As a bonus, you get all the sweet 1960's animations you could ever ask for.

Here's a little teaser to peak your curiosity.

[Astrospies via Danger Room]

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PointNiner's on vacation

If you're a PointNiner regular or subscriber and have wondered where we've been all week, don't fear. We didn't get indicted in the Patty Wagstaff Oshkosh DUI scandal as accomplices. Instead, the PointNiner crew has been on vacation. I did manage a little vacation-blogging by throwing a few things out there on Saturday and Monday, but it's been quiet around here otherwise. Things should swing back in to motion on Thursday with some more juicy aviation goodiness but you'll just have to wait until then.

P.S., that really is Aaron at the beach in a Speedo.

See ya tomorrow,

Steve

PointNiner

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Single Engine B-17 & Other Rare Aircraft Pics

I like to pride myself in the history and knowledge of aircraft, but I am always more than willing to humble myself when I find out more than I knew (or thought I knew) before. Such was the case when I saw this picture of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress with one single turboprop engine instead of the typical four radial engines. I assume it's some sort of test aircraft and I noted the civilian registration on the wing, but if anyone knows more about this particular aircraft, please fill me in. I found it on this website that contains rare American aircraft, the majority of which come from the WWII era or just beyond. Most of the photos I had seen before, but I was highly intrigued to see many others which were completely new to me. Here are a few more rare B-17 shots for you.

Here's a JB-17G with a Wright XT-35 Typhoon Turboprop added to the nose.

Here's another 5-engine B-17, this time with a fifth radial engine and one big honkin prop.

This B-17 was modified to carry the Loon which was the US copycat of the German V-1 flying bomb.

You can find more rare wartime aircraft from other countries at the main host site.

Thanks, John ;)

[Rare Aircraft]


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Video Of Recent NASA/ATK Rocket Explosion

On Friday PointNiner brought you the story of an ATK sounding rocket launched from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility that didn't quite hit its mark. In fact, the Alliant Techsystems ALV X-1 rocket was abruptly terminated by the Range Safety Officer (RSO) following a "launch anomaly", according to a NASA press release. Now an amateur video has surfaced that shows the launch and subsequent abortion of the rocket that was carrying NASA's Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition (HYBOLT) and Sub-Orbital Aerodynamic Re-entry Experiments (SOAREX). Judging by the sound delay, I'm guessing the photographer was about 1.5 to 2 miles from the launch site. Sure makes for pretty fireworks, though.

[LiveLeak]

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iPhone Apps For Pilots Invokes Gizmo-Lust

Pilots gots to have their gadgets and the Apple iPhone is by far the top gadget out there right now. PointNiner's own Senior Editor, Aaron can tell you all about this phenomenon. Well if you're a fly(boy/girl) and you've got one of these slick beauties in your paws, here are a few new applications available at the App Store that may come in handy on a cross country or at a cocktail party.

FltPlan Airport Guide: This is a handy little airport guide with every airport in the U.S. Get everything from airfield information, to radio frequencies and much, much more! Price = Free.

FAA Wait: This is an iPhone version of the popular ATCSCC site that provides real-time data on airport flight delays. Price = $1.

Gulfstream Tanker: And finally, my favorite. Don't you hate it when you're trying to figure out whether or not to fill your Gulfstream GV with fuel at your present location or at your destination? Well stress no more because this handy calculator takes all the guess work out of how much you'll be saving (or losing).

[Gizmodo]

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NASA-Launched Rocket Explodes After Liftoff

An unmanned rocket carrying two NASA experiments exploded about 27 seconds after a 5:10 a.m. liftoff this morning on Wallops Island, just off the Virginia coast.  NASA actually aborted the takeoff, self-destructing the rocket.  No injuries or property damage reports have been made so far.  NASA did issue a warning for falling debris, but thought most, if not all, of the debris would end up in the Atlantic ocean.  NASA is investigating the cause, but is currently calling the issue an "anomaly." 

The Alliant Techsystems ALV X-1 rocket was carrying HYBOLT, a NASA experiment testing temperature and pressure during hypersonic flight, which is anything over Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. It also carried SOAREX, a new design for more efficiently delivering astronauts or equipment through the atmosphere on Earth or Mars.

Too bad for NASA.

[Daily Press]

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TSA's Damaged Planes Reaction: Fine The Airline

The recent post on a TSA inspector damaging 9 American Eagle aircraft at O'Hare drew an enormous amount of honest personal views on what people think of the TSA. This post should only exacerbate those feelings. Instead of apologizing for the now highly publicized incident of using sensitive TAT probes to climb on top of aircraft, the TSA is actually considering levying fines on American Eagle for not properly securing the aircraft. Here's what the TSA posted on their website:

On August 19 a Transportation Security Inspector (TSI) was conducting a routine compliance inspection on aircraft parked on the airfield at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport (ORD). The TSI inspected nine American Eagle aircraft to look for and test, among other things, access vulnerabilities or areas were someone with ill intent could gain access to the aircraft.

Aircraft operators are required to secure each aircraft when left unattended. The TSIs are encouraged to look for and follow through on vulnerabilities. During the inspection process at ORD the Inspector used a Total Air Temperature (TAT) probe – a probe that protrudes from the side of the aircraft that is used to measure outside air temperature – to pull himself up while investigating possible access vulnerabilities with the unattended aircraft.

The Inspector was following through on regulatory inspection activity. The Inspector was able to gain access to the interior of seven of the nine aircraft inspected, which is an apparent violation of the airline’s security program. TSA is reviewing the inspection results and depending on the conclusion, could take action with the airline, up to and including levying of civil penalties.

While the inspection process is a vital layer of aviation security, it is not TSA’s intent to cause delays or potential damage to aircraft as a result of our inspections. TSA took immediate steps to re-enforce education about sensitive equipment located on the exterior of a plane.

Somehow I don't think that last paragraph is going to make any Eagle pilots feel any better about the whole ordeal. The TSA's blog also was quick to point out that this was no ordinary screener but a highly trained and qualified inspector. Wait for it...wait for it...uhmm...nope. No credibility reestablished here.

[Evolution of Security]

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Commercial Pilot Sues DHS For Putting Him On "No-Fly" List

A commercial airline pilot is suing the Department of Homeland Security to have his name removed from the "no-fly" list claiming it has cost him his job with regional carrier Colgan Air. New Jersey native Erich Scherfen is not only a commercial pilot, but also a Gulf War combat veteran who claims, "My livelihood depends on being off this list." One reason Scherfen believes he is on the watch list intended to keep terrorists off flights is that he converted to Islam back in 1994. It's not just him either. His Pakistan-born wife is also on the list. Scherfen's lawyers have teamed up with the ACLU alleging the move by the TSA to put them on the list violates both of their civil rights. After flying for Colgan for a year, the airline suddenly placed him on a paid suspension because of the "positive match" and subsequently moved him to unpaid leave two weeks later. Although they are both Muslim, Scherfen asserts that both he and his wife have no ties to terrorism or even a criminal record. TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis claims "religious and political affiliation does not impact whether an individual is placed" on the list. Either way, Scherfen won't be able to make a living in his chosen profession until this is resolved which may take a while.

[TBO.com]
Thanks, Tom.

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Proton Launch Brings In-Flight Broadband Closer

Rockets, and airplanes, and broadband, and blogging...these are a few of my favorite things. This post combines all of them following the successful return-to-flight launch of the Russian Proton rocket after a 5 month complete redesign of the Breeze M upper stage. Launched August 18th from the Baikonur Cosmodrome this particular Proton was boosting into orbit the third and final Inmarsat I-4 communications satellite that will enable in-flight broadband Internet connectivity for commercial airlines through the service SwiftBroadband which is a division of Inmarsat. Andrew Sukawaty, chairman and CEO of Inmarsat said, "The Inmarsat-4s are the world's most sophisticated commercial network for mobile voice and data services, and the successful launch of the third I-4 allows us to complete the global coverage for our broadband services." And its not just the Internet. Air France started test using the voice elements for in-flight cell phone usage back in April. I'm looking forward to the day when PointNiner will be published from 32,000 feet.

[Runway Girl and Space.com]

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NASA's Orion Parachute Test: Phail!

I imagine there are some astronauts in Houston that cringed when they saw this video. Last month NASA crashed a mockup of their new Orion spacecraft in the desert during a test of the launch abort parachute system. After being pushed out of the back of a C-17 to simulate an aborted launch altitude, things got a little out of hand and a little nasty. Wired Science writes:

"In the test, a number of "set-up" parachutes are deployed. Some are used to pull the pallet out of the plane. Then the capsule is pyrotechnically separated from the pallet, which has its own parachute recovery system. The capsule then has a "programmer" parachute and two stabilizer parachutes that are used to set up the test configuration. It was this programmer chute that failed to inflate properly causing the capsule to fall much faster then planned. All this happened before the Orion parachute test could even begin."

Needless to say, the mockup was heavily damaged from the free fall. NASA engineers are reviewing the test setup while managers assure astronauts that Alaskan King Crab fishing is by far the most dangerous occupation.

[Wired Science]

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F-15 Goes Mach 2 On Synthetic Fuel

The US Air Force successfully completed a flight test of its experimental synthetic fuel with a fighter for the first time this week by using an F-15 Eagle. The F-15 seemed to take to the new fuel pretty well as it screamed up to Mach 2.2 during a 55 minute test flight. The Air Force has been testing the fuel on larger aircraft in their fleet including a C-17, a B-52 and even a B-1 that was the first to break the sound barrier using the 50-50 blend of synthetic fuel and JP-8. This new test was the first on a light and maneuverable fighter jet, though. The fuel is created by using the proven Fischer-Tropsch method of deriving fuel from coal which is a process the Germans used during WWII to satisfy their insatiable need for war-time fuel. While the synthetic fuel mix is marginally better on the environment than traditional fuel, the main reason the Air Force is conducting this research is to see if it can reduce their need for oil and save Uncle Sam a little money. The US Air Force is, after all, the world's largest consumer of jet fuel which is why they'd like to certify all of their aircraft on the new mix. Next up for testing is the Air Force's newest (and baddest) fighter, the F-22 Raptor, which could start as early as next week.

[Danger Room] [Photo: Op-For]

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Tropical Storm Fay Seen from ISS

Video speaks for itself, however, it is very amazing considering how big it looks from 225 miles up.

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Spanair Crash in Madrid

Spanair has confirmed that flight JK5022 from Madrid to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands was involved in an accident in Madrid at 2:45 p.m. local time Wednesday.  Early reports from emergency workers place the number of fatalities at 45 with an additional 40 injured, which is very unfortunate and likely to change since several conflicting reports of casualties exist.  The accident was caused by a runway overrun on an attempted takeoff by the MD-82.  

Spanair is owned by Scandanavian airline SAS.  Stay tuned to PointNiner for new developments.

UPDATE: 164 passengers and 9 crew total.  19 survivors as of 8:00 a.m. 8/21/08.

(Reuters)

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Pilot Departs Without Authorization

I keep thinking I have read the weirdest news stories and I keep proving myself wrong.  A Cessna 172 made an unauthorized (without clearance) takeoff from Roanoke (VA) Regional Airport and then continued to circle for several hours before returning to land without incident.  This was not just a few minutes of circling either, the plane departed at 11:00 a.m. and did not land until 2:30 p.m. that afternoon.  The pilot, Samuel Shields, 50, caused several business owners to evacuate a strip mall near Smith Mountain Lake as the Cessna was precariously circling in the vicinity and had made threats about crashing there.  About 25 business owners at Bridgewater Shopping Center also evacuated as a precaution.

When Shields first departed, he flew below the radar so he could not be tracked.  Communication was established with Shields about 90 minutes into the flight.  The Virginia State Police helicopter was also dispatched to shadow the aircraft on his flight while the FBI talked to him on the radio.

After all this, the FBI says it will not charge the Shields with any criminal charges.  But fear not because the FAA has opened an investigation to determine if Shields violated any federal regulations...right.  As the Cessna was rolling down the runway for its unauthorized takeoff, Shields wife called the police saying she had dropped him off at the airport so he could work on his aircraft and that he was suicidal.  To take the cake, Shields is a flight instructor and a retired air traffic controller!

Thanks to Elliott for sending this in.

(Roanoke Times)

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TSA Inspector Damages 9 Planes At O'Hare

Nine American Eagle aircraft were grounded today at Chicago O'Hare after they were damaged by a TSA inspector according to ABC News. TSA spokesperson Elio Montenegro confirmed the incident occurred when an inspector was conducting an overnight security check and decided to see if he could climb on top of parked aircraft in order to gain entry into them. Unfortunately, instead of using a ladder, the TSA inspector decided to use the aircraft's sensitive exterior probes to climb up on top. Specifically the TAT (Total Air Temperature) probe was selected as a foot hold. No word on what type of aircraft were damaged but American Eagle pilots were obviously furious with this act and one was quick to post on an online forum, "The brilliant employees used an instrument located just below the cockpit window that is critical to the operation of the onboard computers." Another commented the TSA agents, "are now doing things to our aircraft that may put our lives, and the lives of our passengers at risk." Forty Eagle flights were delayed today as a result of the inspector's action. Montenegro assured that the "inspector was following routine procedure for securing the aircraft that were on the tarmac." Interesting tactic by the TSA as I guess a plane that can't fly is the most secure plane.

[ABC News]

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Cessna Crashes In Yao, Japan Street

A single engine Cessna crashed today into a busy street in Yao, Japan which is outside Osaka.  To me it looks like a Cessna 210 Centurion, which has a pretty outstanding safety record.  

Some news agencies are reporting no injuries and some others are reporting the two passengers suffered only minor injuries (which I find to be more believable).  No one on the ground was injured.  Apparently fuel was leaking from the aircraft, which may have led to the accident occurring.  The aircraft had just departed from Yao and was returning due to engine trouble.  Sounds like it was luck that no one on the ground was injured as the intersection was a very busy one with several buildings around it as well.  As you can see below, the aircraft suffered extensive damage, losing a wing and its gear along with severing its empenage (tail section).

(NZ Herald via AP)

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More Lasers Aimed at Cockpits

Once again, PointNiner is reporting on some fools who like to point lasers into cockpits of aircraft as they approach the destination airport.  The pilot of a passenger jet was temporarily blinded by a laser device as the aircraft came into land at Durham Tees Valley Airport.  The KLM jet, with 40 passengers on board, landed safely after the first officer took the controls on Sunday night.  Then a police helicopter was dispatched to the area and it too was targeted by the 19 year old assailant, who was then promptly arrested and charged with two counts of endangering aircraft.  

I'm not sure what it is going to take, but it seems pretty dumb as a laser beam has to come from somewhere and it's not to hard to figure out where if you just follow the beam to its source.   Get a clue morons.

Thanks to Tom for sending this in. 

(BBC)

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Lockheed Cormorant Not Starring In Halo 4

Straight out of a Sci-Fi movie, the Lockheed Martin Cormorant is hands down the coolest idea for a UAV that I have ever seen. I had come across the video below a while ago but hadn't posted it because I couldn't find a suitable version to embed until now. Known as a MPUAV (Multi-Purpose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) the Cormorant is being designed to launch from 150 underwater on the back of a Trident ballistic missile submarine. Once it reaches the surface booster rockets carry it to a height and speed where the internal jet engine can take over. It can then cruise stealthily and autonomously over enemy territory to engage targets or collect intelligence before landing back in the water where it will be collected by an underwater drone and reeled back into a launch tube. Lockheed Martin sees this as a perfect fit for the US Navy who needs ideas on what to do with some of their Ohio-Class nuclear subs after the signing of Start II, the second strategic weapons reduction treaty. The Cormorant is science-fiction meets science-fact at its greatest. Two divisions within Lockheed Martin are working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to fulfill my fantasy of seeing the Cormorant get off the ground get out of the water.

[Lockheed Martin via Gizmodo]

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Political Conventions: NORAD Says, "Don't Make Us Shoot You Down"

If you routinely fly out of an airport within 100 miles of either Denver or Minneapolis, you might see the poster above tacked to the wall at your FBO this week. These are being distributed to remind pilots of the upcoming Democratic and Republican Conventions and the more important Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) that will be associated with them in an attempt to keep the little bug smashers from violating airspace. CONR (Continental NORAD Region), the FAA and the US Secret Service are teaming up to make pilots aware of the TFRs which go into effect from August 25th to September 4th. And for those reckless pilots who don't check NOTAMs, NORAD will have some F-16s out there to "kindly remind you" of where you don't belong.

[AF Link]

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Airplane Gets Snagged In Power Lines

It's unbelievable that this seems to keep happening, but another plane got tangled up in some power lines this time in Germany. It happened today while the small sport plane was on approach to a rural airfield in the Bavarian town of Durach. The 65 year old pilot and his wife sat upside down in the cockpit for two hours after their landing gear snagged the 380,000 volt lines. The two were ultimately rescued by local emergency services with cherry pickers. Captions look like Hebrew or something so I can't quite tell what they're saying, but I'm sure it's along the lines of "lotse dummkopf".

[Daily Mail]

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New Airline Fees Get Out Of Control

This play on new airline rates and fees is courtesy of Mad TV and is actually from PointNiner's oldest source...my 84 year old grandfather.

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Guy Blows RC Helicopter Out Of The Sky (Audio NSFW)

I guess this is what you do when you've got time and money to waste. Anybody got a clue with the accents as to where this may be?

[LiveLeak]

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Brits Get Creative With New UAVs

The UK Ministry of Defence kicked off its Grand Challenge competition finals today on Salisbury Plain with 11 competitors vying for the RJ Mitchell Trophy and a potential developmental contract with the UK Armed forces for their UAVs. Each team gets one hour to send their systems (both airborne and ground-based) into Copehill Down village to indetify threats from a mixture of props and real actors portraying enemy combatants. Copehill Down is not actually a real village, but a mockup of a generic European village as a FIBUA (Fighting In Built Up Areas) training ground. While some of the teams competing are relative uknowns, European defence heavyweights like Qinetiq and Thales have also joined the fray. A winner will be picked on the 19th. Here are a few of the entries:

This guy is the Peterborough based-Geoff's Flying Saucer (GFS) Project lithium polymer battery powered prototype coanda effect UAV (that's a mouthful).

This is an internal combustion engine that can be used by the GFS and actually receiving US military funding as well.

Quad-rotors were big this year. This is the London based-Swarm Systems and the University of Manchester's Tumbleweed. And here is a video of the I-Spy Tri-Rotor

Qinetiq was displaying their Cortex UAV prototype that takes off and lands on its tail, but converts to conventional flying in the air. The competition version had previously crashed. Here is a cool video of it in flight.

All picture credits: Flight Global

[Flight Global]

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PointNiner Olympic Edition: Diver Trades Swim Suit For Flight Suit

In 2004 Justin Dumais was at the Olympic Games in Athens diving from 3 meters into the water. Now he is diving from 20,000 feet while dropping precision weapons onto targets. The former Olympian used to dive with his brother Troy in the men's synchronized three-meter springboard diving event. Troy is competing again in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, but Justin has left the diving world for the dog-fighting world and flying F-16s for the South Carolina Air National Guard's 169th Fighter Wing at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Columbia, S.C. 1st Lt. Dumais is currently attending the Night Systems Training Course at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona while his brother and former partner is participating in an individual diving event in China. While Dumais misses diving and would have loved to compete in the Olympics with his brother again, he is definitely happy with his current gig and believes his diving experiences prepared him for being a Viper driver. "I spent my entire life getting ready for seven seconds of competition," he said. "That is pretty much what we do everyday here flying F-16s. You never know when you will be called to go do your job. Generally, it is in a split second when you need to pickle off a bomb or strafe a target. [Diving] definitely lends itself to what I'm doing now."

I can already envision the next crossover headline: Stripper Trades G-String For G-Suit

[AF Link]

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ATC Tapes Reveal Obama Emergency More Serious Than Previously Indicated

Remember that emergency landing of Barack Obama's campaign plane last month at St. Louis Lambert? Well the FAA has now released the ATC tapes of the conversation between the pilots and controllers after an emergency slide deployed within the tail cone of the Midwest Airlines MD-81. ABC News called out the airline and the FAA on how serious the incident really was after they both tried to downplay the whole event. It sounded serious enough to me the first time but this is what they found.

[ABC News]

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Slow Approach Led To Swiss Butt Scrape At London City

It's been almost a year since that Swiss International Air Lines RJ100 landed hard on its rear end at London City Airport but investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch have finally released their findings. It appears that a wind shift, combined with a below normal approach speed led to a sudden sink rate right before landing. In an attempt to stop the sink the pilot instinctively pitched the nose of the RJ up 9.3° which led to a tail strike before the main gear touched down. The violent tail strike cracked nine frames in the aft fuselage, damaged stringers, and obviously by the picture, extensively damaged the tail skin. "The aircraft was already in a low-energy state," says the AAIB. "Then the thrust was reduced and this reduction, and the loss of headwind component, both made the situation worse." London City is known for having one of the most difficult and steepest approaches due to its location and noise sensitivity issues which demands a "high degree of accuracy" especially when it comes to managing final approach speeds. Just check out this video from another Swiss RJ100 as it goes bouncing down the runway after slamming onto the deck at London City. Swiss has already amended its training program for operations at London City to prevent these types of incidents from reoccurring.



[Flight Global]

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American Slapped With Big Fine, Still Has Enough Cash For New Planes

Five months after the FAA started it's maintenance crackdown following the Southwest Airlines debacle, the agency is still at it. This time they've dropped the hammer on American Airlines with a $7.1 million fine for differing safety related maintenance items on their aircraft. They are alleging the airline flew two MD-83s 58 times last December while knowingly using the wrong provisions of its Minimum Equipment List (MEL). For both aircraft, the problems were noted by an FAA inspector or in the pilot's log, however, American maintenance returned both aircraft to revenue service only to make the fixes at a later date. Part of the fine also includes past deficiencies in its drug and alcohol testing programs and for allegedly operating aircraft in past years without timely inspections of emergency escape path lighting systems. The FAA is adamant with the high amount on the fine because they believe "the carrier did not follow important safety regulations intended to protect passengers and crew."

In an unrelated story from the same day, American sealed the deal with Boeing to finalize an order for an additional 26 Next-Generation 737-800s bringing their total on order to 36. The move comes as American desperately tries to jump start it's fleet renewal program amidst high oil prices with a fleet backbone of fuel hungry MD-80s.

[FAA and Boeing]

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Air Force Uses Beetle Skills To Repel Water, Hydrate Troops

A team from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research has developed a new transparent coating for aircraft and optical elements on aircraft that will repel water by causing it to "to bead up into drops and roll or bounce off a surface." Apparently they've never heard of Rain-X. The Air Force has the intention of using the new coating to prevent corrosion on aircraft and reduce ice formations. Led by Dr. C.J. Brinker the team included the Brinker Nanostructures Research Group at the University of New Mexico and Sandia National Laboratories. Dr. Brinker indicated the technology allows them to control the behavior of the water for a specific behavior that will allow the Air Force to "to define the pathways along which water droplets will roll." The most interesting part of this story is that in addition to keeping water away, the team learned that the technology can be used to combine extremely water-repellent and water-absorbent materials to actually draw moisture out of thin air. The Air Force is envisioning this new method of collecting water without using energy as a means of potentially supplying water to troops where the supply is scarce. According to Brinker, this tactic is allegedly modeled after the Namib Desert beetle which collects water droplets on its back from vapor in the air. The research team will likely transfer the technology to commercial applications so you can plan on waterproofing your iPhone and using it as a canteen in the future.



[AF Link]

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Sweet Backseat View from the F-15E

Ever wanted to sit in the backseat (WSO) of an F-15E strafing some bad guys in the desert?  Well I'm sure some of us would enjoy the ride, however, this may be as close as you get.  The video is long, but very cool...for those wondering when the pilot is strafing, see and listen at 1:22 in the video.  Also, for those who do not know, but are familiar with the F-15 "family" of aircraft, the F-15E is the sibling that is specially modified for air-to-ground operations, as opposed to F-15A through F-15D, which are all air-to-air variations.

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Ride Your Harley (or other motorcycle) and Take it with You

MotoPOD wants every motorcycling pilot to have one of these $10,000 storage pods strapped underneath their Cirrus, Cessna, or other aircraft.  Sure it might shave off a few knots and use up several pounds of useful load, but hell, you can take your road transportation with you!  No more driving the scary 1982 Jalopy courtesy car at your destination.

A video of it in action...

(MotoPOD via Gizmodo)

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