Cockpit View from U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress (VIDEO)

Following up, "Take a Peek Inside the Massive 'Stratofortress' B-52s Currently Doing Laps Around Eastern Europe."

Is the Russian Air Force Actually Incapable of Complex Air Operations?

At Instapundit, "'One of the greatest surprises from the initial phase of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been the inability of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) fighter and fighter-bomber fleets to establish air superiority, or to deploy significant combat power in support of the under-performing Russian ground forces. On the first day of the invasion, an anticipated series of large-scale Russian air operations in the aftermath of initial cruise- and ballistic-missile strikes did not materialise'."

Flying Marines

This is hard to beat:

Sure we could've chosen to vaccinate the world and thus dramatically reduce the chance of variants like delta and now omicron from having emerged but, c'mon, why would we do that when we can make Marines fly! FLYING MARINES! C'mon, why would we not put all our money into this?! https://t.co/hpC8nwC6Fk

— Stephen Miles (@SPMiles42) January 7, 2022

Blue Angels Cockpit Cam

Seen just now on Twitter:

The Defense Department just released this cockpit-cam footage of the Blue Angles honor flight over NYC today. pic.twitter.com/wCkuBHy9gK

— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) April 28, 2020

The Air Force is Buying New F-15s

This is really cool.

At Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Air Force Is Buying New F-15s After All: The F-15X will complement the F-22 and F-35 in tomorrow's aerial battlefields."

The U.S. Air Force Is Buying New F-15s After All: The F-15X will complement the F-22 and F-35 in tomorrow's aerial battlefields: #USAirForce #Boeing 🇺🇸👍 https://t.co/JbS1Rhl3Dv

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) February 21, 2019

Woman 'Sucked Out' and Killed on Southwest Airlines Flight (VIDEO)

What a freakin' nightmare.

At CBS This Morning, "Southwest victim was partially sucked out of shattered window."

Emotional Support Hamster Flushed Down the Toilet

Well, perhaps it's better to get a larger animal --- like a peacock --- to avoid traumatic situations like this.

At the Miami Herald, "Bad info from Spirit Air led me to flush pet hamster down airport toilet, student says" (via Memeorandum):

Bad info from Spirit Air led me to flush pet hamster down airport toilet, student says https://t.co/Qw6RF47CQR Via @DavidOvalle305 pic.twitter.com/2PQ4ZmwgHh

— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) February 8, 2018

Before Belen Aldecosea flew home from from college to South Florida, she twice called Spirit Airlines to ensure she could bring along a special guest: Pebbles, her pet dwarf hamster. No problem, the airline told her.

But when Aldecosea arrived at the Baltimore airport, Spirit refused to allow the tiny animal on the flight.

With her only friends hours away at campus, Aldecosea was stuck. She says an airline representative suggested flushing Pebbles down an airport toilet, a step that Spirit denies. Panicked and needing to return home promptly to deal with a medical issue, Aldecosea unsuccessfully tried renting a car and agonized for hours before doing the unthinkable.

She flushed Pebbles.

“She was scared. I was scared. It was horrifying trying to put her in the toilet,” Aldecosea said. “I was emotional. I was crying. I sat there for a good 10 minutes crying in the stall.”

Aldecosea, 21, of Miami Beach, is now considering filing a lawsuit against Spirit over the conflicting instructions that wound up pressuring her into making an anguished decision with a pet certified by her doctor as an emotional support animal. She shared her story with the Miami Herald weeks after the story of an emotional support peacock — denied entrance to a United Airlines flight — went viral on the Internet.

This case is much different, said her South Florida attorney, Adam Goodman. “This wasn’t a giant peacock that could pose a danger to other passengers. This was a tiny cute harmless hamster that could fit in the palm of her hand,” he said.

A spokesman for Spirit acknowledged the airline mistakenly told her that Pebbles was allowed. But he denied that a Spirit employee recommended the option of disposing of her pet in an airport restroom.

“To be clear, at no point did any of our agents suggest this guest (or any other for that matter) should flush or otherwise injure an animal,” spokesman Derek Dombrowski said...

More.

Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner (VIDEO)

I love this:

Small Plane Crashes on I-405 in Irvine (VIDEO)

Well, this is likely to make the national evening news broadcasts, from right here, nearby home.

At the O.C. Register, "Small plane crashes on I-405 freeway at MacArthur, catches fire, 2 hospitalized."

And at CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "Plane Crashes on NB 405 Freeway in Irvine."

The Truly Lethal F-22/F-15C Combination

Interesting piece, from Dave Majumdar, at the National Interest, "America's F-15 and F-22 Stealth Raptor: The Ultimate Combination?"

The latest by @DaveMajumdar: https://t.co/XbKO2MQ948

— National Interest (@TheNatlInterest) April 5, 2017

Two 'Super Scoopers' Arrive in Van Nuys to Help Fight Seasonal Wildfires (VIDEO)

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles.

This is cool:

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's Gatling Gun (VIDEO)

Via CNN:

B-25 Bomber Refurbished and Air-Worthy Again (VIDEO)

This great!

Can you believe it, but this is the only B-25 remaining today.

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Josh Rubenstein Flies with the Blue Angels (VIDEO)

Very cool.

Rubenstein's the chief meteorologist at CBS News 2 Los Angeles.

It's a ride of a lifetime.

Last Boeing C-17 Leaves Long Beach Assembly Plant (VIDEO)

End of an era.

At Boeing, on Twitter, "Last #Boeing C-17 Globemaster III departs Long Beach Airport TODAY noon Pacific."

Also, "I was here for the first 24 years and I am here for the last. Goodbye C-17. Thanks for the memories."

YouTube video here, "C-17 Beoing Last departure from Long Beach Airport."

Plus, reports at KTLA News 5 Los Angeles, "Last Boeing C-17 flight leaves Long Beach, ending era of California aircraft manufacturing," and LAT, "Last Boeing C-17 takes flight as California aerospace era ends."

China Rolls Out First Large Passenger Jet (VIDEO)

This is interesting, at WSJ:

BEIJING—China’s first large passenger jet rolled off the assembly line on Monday after years of delays, bringing Beijing’s dream of developing a rival to Boeing Co. and Airbus Group SE closer to reality.

Still, the single-aisle C919 airliner won’t be delivered to airlines for at least another three years, highlighting the difficulties China has faced in becoming a global player in aviation.

Developed by state-run Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd., or Comac, the twin-engine jet was initially set for its first flight in 2014, ahead of commercial deliveries starting in 2016. Production setbacks forced Comac to repeatedly extend its deadlines. Company executives say flight testing should start next year, with deliveries expected in 2018 or 2019 at the earliest.

Comac hasn’t disclosed list prices for the C919.

Thousands of guests, including government officials and aerospace executives, witnessed the C919’s rollout at an assembly plant near Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport, according to Chinese state media.

As patriotic songs blared in a large hangar, the C919 prototype—decked out with white, blue and green Comac livery—emerged from behind red curtains under a banner that proclaimed “Dreams take flight” in Chinese, footage aired by state broadcaster China Central Television showed. The jet was then towed past guests before slowing to a stop just outside the hangar.

The 158-to-174 seater, designed in Shanghai but incorporating components sourced globally, relies on foreign technology, including avionics from Rockwell Collins Inc. and engines developed by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric Co. and the Snecma engine unit of France’s Safran SA. The jet is expected to undergo ground and flight tests spanning two to three years, before attaining certification from China’s civil-aviation regulator and entering commercial service.

China unveiled plans to develop the C919 in 2006 as part of a decadeslong effort to create an advanced aerospace sector capable of breaking the Airbus and Boeing duopoly. Coming after an abortive effort in the 1970s and early 1980s to develop a large commercial jetliner, the C919 was meant to help satisfy growing air-travel demand on the mainland, competing with the likes of Airbus’s A320 family and Boeing’s 737 series.

Airbus and Boeing, in separate emailed statements, congratulated Comac and welcomed competition from the Chinese aerospace firm, saying the aviation market is large enough to accommodate an additional manufacturer.

Airbus and Boeing, for their part, are seeking to shore up their market shares in China by building up an industrial footprint on the mainland, and developing new aircraft that can outperform coming Chinese rivals. Airbus assembles some A320s in the northeastern city of Tianjin, while Boeing in December announced plans for a 737 completion-and-delivery center in China, where aircraft will be painted and interiors installed.

Both companies also plan to widen the number of jets they make using carbon-fiber composite materials, which are lighter and considered more efficient. Boeing Chairman Jim McNerney said last year that Boeing was considering a new composite-materials aircraft that would replace its 737 Max in part because of potential competition from the C919...

More.

MCAS Miramar Pre-Show with Blue Angels (VIDEO)

The air show's this weekend.

This was a special treat.

Watch, at ABC News 10 San Diego, "The Blue Angels blast into MCAS Miramar."

Piper Cherokee Aircraft Lands on Red Hill Avenue in Irvine (VIDEO)

This would have to be the trippiest thing you ever saw.

Watch, at the O.C. Register, "Video: Small plane seen touching down on Irvine street."

And at LAT, "Video captures plane speeding down Irvine street":

A week ago, a small plane landed on an Irvine street.

Now, video has emerged showing the Piper Cherokee aircraft quickly gliding down Red Hill Avenue, looking much like a normal car.

The plane was approaching John Wayne Airport when its engine failed. No one was hurt, and the plane eventually came to a stop.

A flight school owns the plane. Here is the video...

British Airways Plane Catches Fire on Las Vegas Runway (VIDEO)

It's a miracle no one was killed. Initial reports had passengers jumping down the emergency chutes and running for their lives.

Watch, at KTNV News 13 Las Vegas, "British Airways plane reportedly catches fire at Las Vegas airport."

More, "Live at McCarran after fire," and "Victims in McCarran fire."

At Least 7 Dead as Fighter Jet Crashes Into Highway at Shoreham Airshow Near Brighton (VIDEO)

This is absolutely horrible.

At Telegraph UK, "Dramatic footage shows moment plane crashes into several cars," and "#Shoreham air show crash: Wreckage burns on road in aftermath."

Also, "#Shoreham death toll 'may rise' after plane smashes into wedding limo and three other cars."

And see London's Daily Mail, "Gym instructor and two footballers are named as first victims of airshow jet crash...and police warn death toll of seven likely to rise."


The Dan Tube unedited video is here, "Shoreham Air Show, Sussex - Plane Crash."

UPDATED: "Shoreham Air Crash Death Toll 'Rises to 11'."