So it appears that, per the contract with the USPS, United Airlines, not the postal service or some third party, had to produce the “data” that showed it met the terms of the contract. Sounds a bit like letting the fox self-certify that he stayed out of the chicken coop! The USPS needs to write better contracts. In any case, doesn’t look like United flight crews, dispatchers, or maintenance were involved, so not a safety-of-flight issue.

(Written on 2021年03月01日)(Permalink)

“warned” is not the best word choice to describe what’s going on. If you click through from this AirwaysMag article to the AD, you’ll see that Boeing issued an Alert Requirements Bulletin about this issue on January 24. I think it likely that the problem has already been dealt with on most if not all affected planes. The AD itself takes effect March 29 and will then require compliance before further flight.

(Written on 2021年02月26日)(Permalink)

News reports and photos mostly zero in on failed fan blades, but the AD calls out failed 1st-stage LPC blade. ??

(Written on 2021年02月23日)(Permalink)

mary susan watkins: no need to shout, please check your caps lock

(Written on 2021年02月23日)(Permalink)

According to the article ‘hoteling’ means working at various offices, presumably in the Boeing Renton complex, or working from home, not working in actual hotel rooms. “Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal...wants himself and his leadership team to be mobile and to work closer to the airplane assembly lines instead of in an isolated corporate tower.”

(Written on 2021年02月20日)(Permalink)

The 757 was a successful program, until it wasn’t. Order volume tailed off. According to Wikipedia, it got only 7 orders over the last four years it was offered, as customers opted for the 737NG or the A320 from that other manufacturer. A revived 757 with new wings, new engines, new cockpit would essentially be a new airplane in the view of the certification authorities. After the 737MAX debacle, I suspect they won’t easily approve adding a derivative design onto an existing type certificate.

(Written on 2021年02月18日)(Permalink)

Reports like this just unnecessarily alarm the nervous flying public, and could erode pilot trust in confidentiality of ASRS reports. To report a mistake through ASRS you’d first need to recognize the mistake, and then you’d correct the mistake. I’d worry more about mistakes that aren’t noticed.

(Written on 2021年02月01日)(Permalink)

Yep, straight ahead, wings level, as you sink into the trees. ;)

(Written on 2021年01月30日)(Permalink)

If it operates below the Armstrong limit, that should be survivable, assuming rapid descent and prompt oxygen supply.

(Written on 2021年01月29日)(Permalink)

In a low-speed high-power situation, like accelerating for takeoff or initial climb, would a 4-engine B52 have enough rudder authority to handle yaw resulting from loss of an outboard engine?

(Written on 2021年01月29日)(Permalink)