Friday Flyer – July 28, 2023

As a new Wisconsonite, I felt it was important to mention that one of the largest air shows in the US is going on this week in Oshkosh, WI.  It’s the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh air show.  Here are some details about the show.  One fun fact is that the frequency of the control tower at the airport becomes the busiest frequency in the world during this show.  It’s awesome to see all of the planes coming in for it.  Lastly, here’s a cool conversation with an air traffic controller at the airport with some fun insight about the event. If you ever get the chance to go, it looks like it is definitely worth it.

Stories from this week

  • Last week I shared a story about United Airlines huge new pilot contract.  That deal seems to have upset the balance previously struck with American pilots and now they want something far closer.  That’s put the previous deal at risk.  Management did offer an increase, so we’ll see if that’s enough to satisfy the pilots. 
  • Sustainability in the aviation industry is a popular topic.  Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a big way that the industry is working on achieving it.  Towards that end, Rolls Royce and Virgin Atlantic have completed testing and are preparing for the first 100% SAF transatlantic flight.  There’s a long way to go to make SAF affordable and sustainable, but having the technology work with it is a huge step.
  • This was a cool story that picked up the news from this week that PROS B2B solutions have been deployed at Qatar Airways Cargo.  It’s a great achievement for the PROS team that made this happen.  It’s also a great testimony for what other airlines can do with our Cargo solution.
  • This piece is from a few weeks ago, but it is great insight into the mind of one of the top CEOs in the industry these days (Scott Kirby of United).  Normally this news source is paid only, but this article is free.
  • Finding capacity while manufacturers are behind is a big deal in a high demand environment we have right now.  That’s mean bringing A380s out of retirement or parking.  That’s exactly what Etihad has done with their 380s and those are now starting to hit the skies again.
  • Lastly, to wrap up the week on a fun note, when catering issues hit, some airlines might delay the flight or simply not serve food. In this case, British Airways went into the airport and bought buckets and buckets of KFC chicken.  Each passenger was entitled to one piece of a chicken.  Obviously a tough situation for the airline, but a creative solution to keep the passengers as happy as possible on a long flight.

Interesting Aviation Fact

You may have noticed that many airlines prefer to have liveries that are white with a bit of color added in.  Some of us prefer quite the opposite, but there are a few reasons why airlines often stick with the white livery.  Here’s an article on it.

Cool Aviation Photo

This week’s photo was taken at the Oshkosh Airshow and it is the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy.  It is amazing this thing is still flying!  Here’s some additional details about the plane as well.  And just in case you are bored and want to see thousands of pictures of cool airplanes, here’s the link to the airshow’s Flickr page with plenty of cool pics!