On January 18, Atlas Air Flight 3885 was between Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the crew received a fire indication in the Boeing 747-8F’s No. 2 engine at approximately 3,000 feet. An emergency was declared and the aircraft returned to Miami with no injuries reported.

• READ MORE: NTSB Issues Urgent Safety Warning for Some Boeing 737s

No signs of an uncontained engine failure were found, the NTSB’s final report noted, though minor burn damage was reported on the GEnx engine’s thrust reverser fan duct. The aircraft returned to service nine days later on January 27.

According to the agency’s report, a third-party maintenance contractor was tasked with performing a borescope inspection on the No. 2 engine, requiring the removal of a plug. Both the mechanic and inspector certified that the inspection had been completed in line with maintenance manual standards.

The removed plug was found loose in the engine cowling, which resulted in the fire.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post NTSB Blames Boeing 747 Engine Fire on Shoddy Maintenance Work appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Replacing a VC-25A

In 2015 the Air Force announced plans to replace the pair of Boeing 747-200Bs that have served the president of the United States since 1990 with two Boeing 747-8s. The Air Force designation for the 747-200B is VC-25A, with the “V” denoting a VIP/executive configuration and the “C” standing for cargo.

Government officials noted the cost of maintaining the systems on the aging airplanes, coupled with less efficient and environmentally friendly GE-CF6 engines, made their replacement necessary. The newer aircraft, VC-25Bs, feature more fuel-efficient engines and modern systems.

The price of the modified jet is in the billions and paid for by U.S. taxpayers. The cost has been a point of contention since December 2016 when then-President-elect Donald Trump took to social media to decry the expense at “more than $4 billion” and ended with the phrase “Cancel order!” This led to then-Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg meeting with the incoming administration, and according to CNN, “promising to work to limit the cost of the new planes,” which it noted was actually $5 billion.

Normally, cost overruns are passed on to the U.S. taxpayers. But in 2018, Boeing, fearing a cancellation of the order, agreed to a fixed cost of $3.9 billion.

• READ MORE: Going with Glass: The Mother of All Panel Upgrades

The incoming administration wanted the aircraft to be ready by 2021, three years sooner than the planned delivery date. Boeing officials pointed out the aircraft, which, at the time, were in California undergoing the necessary modifications to serve as Air Force One and would require at least three years of flight testing before they could be delivered. In addition, it wanted a livery change, removing the robin’s-egg blue that has been on the aircraft since the John. F. Kennedy administration and replacing it with a dark blue and red stripe on the fuselage.

The COVID-19 pandemic shutting down factories and crippling global supply chains created further delays, which also added to the cost. In October 2023, CNN reported cost overruns on both aircraft had reached $1 million each.

In April 2023, current Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun was quoted by multiple sources saying the aerospace giant should not have signed the contract with the Air Force to produce the jets for $3.9 billion, calling the negotiation for the jets “a very unique set of risks Boeing probably shouldn’t have taken.”

In May 2023, the Air Force announced it was rejecting the color scheme because it would require additional engineering, as the dark blue paint would absorb more heat and could damage electrical components on board, and would have required additional testing for the FAA, again adding to the cost of the aircraft. In response, President Joe Biden ordered a return to the light blue that did not require additional testing.

As of press time, the aircraft were reportedly in California undergoing the test program. The Air Force, citing security concerns, would not give FLYING more details but did state that “flight testing is required to verify the aircraft meets airworthiness and mission-related requirements, and the Air Force and FAA use standard processes and protocols for testing this commercial-derivative aircraft.”

As far as alterations to the design go, the Air Force notes “the program has a defined set of requirements. While changes are possible, the goal is to minimize requirements changes.”

We’d Tell You, but…

Boeing points out the jets used by the president undergo a variety of Special Air Mission (SAM) modifications that include the ability to refuel in midair and an advanced telecommunications suite capable of air-to-air, air-to-ground, and satellite communications, not to mention a “super secret if we told you we’d have to kill you” security system.

• READ MORE: All Flight Jackets Tell a Story

The SAM aircraft are designed to be a self-sufficient “flying Oval Office,” complete with 4,000 square feet of interior floor space, quarters for the president and first spouse, conference and dining room, two galleys that can provide 100 meals at one sitting, office areas for senior

staff, including one that can convert into a medical facility if needed, and work and rest areas for the president’s staff, pilots and crew, and media representatives. In addition, unlike other 747s, Air Force One sports a self-contained baggage loader and front and aft stairs.

And those are just the details that aren’t classified.

Comparing the 747-200 and 747-8

• According to Boeing, the 747-8 emits 16 tons less carbon dioxide emissions than the 747-200.

• The 747-8 boasts a range of 7,730 nm miles, a gain of 995 miles.

• The cruise speed of the 747-8 is 0.855 Mach, making it the fastest commercial jet in the world.

• The maximum takeoff weight for the 747-8 is 987,000 pounds, a gain of 154,000 pounds.

• The wingspan of the 747-8 is 224 feet, 5 inches, a gain of 28 feet, 7 inches.

• The length of the 747-8 is 250 feet, 2 inches, making it a full 19 feet longer than its predecessor.

Presidents and Airplanes

Presidential aviation dates to 1910 when President Theodore Roosevelt took a flight in a Wright brothers biplane. He enjoyed the experience, calling it “the bulliest experience he ever had.”

The first sitting president to use an airplane as a mode of conveyance was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1943 traveled to a World War II conference in Morocco aboard a Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat.

FDR also made use of a specially modified Douglas C-54 Skymaster, named Sacred Cow, that was equipped with a special lift to accommodate the disabled president and his wheelchair. This established a rule that the president flies on a dedicated presidential airplane.

At the end of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second term, the Air Force opted to move from

propeller-driven aircraft to jets and ordered three Boeing 707s (VC-137As) designated SAM 970, 971, 972. At first, the jets had an orange nose. President John. F Kennedy commissioned the change in livery, resulting in the light blue and white paint job with the presidential seal that the aircraft have carried since.

The call sign Air Force One was adopted after a 1953 incident when a commercially operated Eastern Airlines flight, 8610, crossed paths with “Columbine II,” a Lockheed VC-121-ALO Constellation, designated Air Force 8610, that was carrying Eisenhower.

Today, any airplane that carries the president of the United States is designated as Air Force One.

Can We Track Air Force One on FlightAware?

FlightAware uses a combination of sources to track flights, including radar data, transponder signals, and position reports from air traffic control. Air Force One, like other aircraft, emits a unique transponder code that helps FlightAware identify and track its position.

It is worth noting that while FlightAware provides a wealth of information, there may be limitations on tracking Air Force One because of security concerns. The exact location of the aircraft may not be displayed in real time, as certain flights may be subject to temporary restrictions or blackouts.

This feature first appeared in the January-February 2024/Issue 945 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Air Force One: The Next Generation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In 1964, Lacy was a demonstration pilot for Pacific Learjet, and he flew one of the first Learjet 24s into Van Nuys, California (KVNY), an airport that would become identified with him over the years—from the Air National Guard, to the charter company that he founded there in 1968, to the movie One Six Right, released in 2005, which capped his career as an actor and photo pilot. Lacy helped develop the Astrovision camera system mounted on Learjets and others. With it, he filmed for Bombardier, Boeing, and Lear, as well as other manufacturers, not only for marketing efforts but also flight test segments. Film credits for the Astrovision system include Flight of the Intruder, The Great Santini, Armageddon, and Top Gun.

Lacy raced airplanes as a passion, and served as president of the Air Racing Association from 1966 to 1970. He won the Unlimited category at the National Air Races at Reno in the stunning purple P-51 Mustang, Miss Van Nuys, he owned for many years. In 2010, he received the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award and was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Now, Lacy continues to give back, just as he always has over his career. Today, he’s working with the Aviation Youth Mentoring Program (AYMP, www.aymp.world), a women-owned and child-centered nonprofit committed to involving and inspiring underserved communities through aviation. AYMP students had the privilege to meet Lacy in person at the Van Nuys airport and learn what it takes to be an aviator. Through the Clay Lacy AYMP Flight Scholarship, Lacy has funded 12 students in 2023 for their private pilot certificates, and aviation management and/or aerospace education.

FLYING Magazine (FM): You started flying early in life in Wichita. Can you share a story from those teen years when you first took flight?

Clay Lacy (CL): I remember seeing my first airplanes when I was five years old. There was Continental Airlines flying into Wichita from Denver [Colorado], same time every day, in a Lockheed 12—smaller than a DC-3—and I’d watch it every day. When I was eight years old, my mother took me for a ride in a Staggerwing Beechcraft at the airport—I was into model airplanes by then. When I could see my house from the air, I just thought this was great. From that time until I was 12, occasionally, I would get a few dollars and buy a ride. My grandmother had a farm outside of Wichita…and across the road was a golf course, and in 1944 a guy named Orville Sanders started bringing airplanes in there. I started going over there and helping him. [My grandmother agreed to rent land to Sanders] and three weeks later there were airplanes landing there. So from the time I was 12, I got to fly almost every day.

FM: In flying for United Airlines, you saw the breadth of some of the greatest transport category airplanes ever built. Does one stand out as your favorite?

CL: I had a great career at United—a good company—I had the opportunity to be copilot on a DC-3 for my first year with United. The Convair came in new in 1952, so a year later—they had a contract with the union so the company just assigned people to be copilots—I was assigned it and what a lucky thing that was. It was a modern airplane, with a lot of new systems and good things—and just a great opportunity.

FM: You flew the Learjet early on, and worked with the company and Bill Lear. Any stories to share from that time?

CL: I was really immersed in corporate aircraft sales at an early age, and then I became manager of sales for Learjet in [11] western states in 1964, and with Al Paulsen and his company. I introduced Bill Lear—and his company got the distributorship for those states. I flew the Learjet and I met so many people, like half of Hollywood, giving them demonstrations on Lears. It was a great period in my life. And I started my own charter company in 1969.

FM: For the first flight of the “Pregnant Guppy,” how did that come about?

CL: There was a fellow in the Guard named Jack Conroy. He was always into something new. He had set a record in F-86s from LA to New York and back in one day. He ended up in 1961 building the Pregnant Guppy airplane, which is a big airplane—it would carry the [Saturn rocket] engines that would take man [up to] the Moon, in the Apollo program. Jack would build a lot of airplanes in those days, and I was test-flying most of them. So we flew the Guppy in September 1962—at the time it was considered the world’s largest airplane. It lost some speed—about 18 percent at a given altitude. But Boeing was interested in the project because they were in the process of building the 747. They were interested in how much performance it was going to lose [with the wider cross section]. They were very happy when the numbers came in.

FM: Any good memories of flying the F-86? What was it like balancing the flying with United and keeping your commitment to the Air National Guard?

CL: In January 1954, I went into the air force pilot training for 20 months and was in Georgia, Greenville, Mississippi; Del Rio, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nellis Air Force Base. I came back to United Airlines and the [Air National Guard] in September 1955. I got to fly F-86s on my days off [from the airline]—it was a great life. [The F-86] was a great airplane—I loved it. It was new to the USAF, then the Guard got it during the Korean War. I became head of instrument training for the Guard, and it gave me the opportunity to fly with the general, wing commander, and group commander. We had problems in the Guard, they had had several accidents—like seven accidents in one year—the year before I came in. They were primarily people on cross-countries, with problems in instrument flying. They had a big inspection—and our Air Force advisor chose me to do the instrument flying. I really knew a lot about it because of my job with United. When the inspection was over, he gave me a ’10,’ the highest score he could give me.

FM: What drew you to the P-51, and to race it in the Unlimited Class at the first Reno Air Races?

CL: I always thought it would be fun to do the air racing—I had never done it. I was flying for United, early January 1964, into Reno [Nevada], and I got snowed in one day and I was walking around downtown, and I went by the Chamber of Commerce’s office. They had a sign in the window that the air race was coming in September, and I went in and got the information on it. The next day I was back in Al Paulsen’s office, and I said, ‘They’re gonna have races in Reno, and I’d like to get an airplane and fly it, a P-51.’ He looked shocked, and he said, ‘I just talked to a guy on the phone, and he wants to trade me a P-51 on a Cessna 310 he had for sale.’ The guy was in Lewiston, Idaho. In those days, the P-51s weren’t worth near as much as they are today. So Al wanted $17,500 for the Cessna 310, and…Al told him [he’d give him] $7,500 on the P-51. It was low time, one of the very last ones built— and it flew very nicely.

FM: You’ve made the move from pilot to philanthropist full-time—but you’ve been involved with charitable work all of your career. Tell us about the Clay Lacy Foundation, and the Aviation Youth Mentoring Program you’re involved in now—and what drives you to support kids?

CL: It’s something that I got into some time ago, just overall supporting kids. It’s been a good experience. I’ve had so much fun in aviation—I’m told I might be the highest-time pilot; I have over 55,000 flight hours. I love people in aviation—they’re good, honest people, I think. You tend to be honest in aviation, because if you’re not, you get in trouble if you’re a pilot. So they make good role models for young people. If [a young person] is really interested, they need to meet people who are in aviation who can sponsor them and help get them going.

Quick 6

Is there anyone living or dead who you would most like to fly with?

So many good friends…one being Bill Lear

If you could fly any aircraft that you haven’t flown yet, what would it be?

Several aircraft that I’ve filmed but not flown—like the SR-71

What’s your favorite airport that you’ve flown into?

When I was flying the line for United, Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport

What do you believe has been the biggest innovation breakthrough or event in aviation?

With the advances we’ve made in supersonic flight by the 1950s, I’m surprised we’re not flying faster now. But the increase in safety—it’s remarkable.

What is one important life lesson you’ve learned from being a pilot?

Learn all that you can—always be on the lookout to learn something new.

When not flying or promoting your charitable foundation, what would you rather be doing?

I have a place in Idaho, in the mountains. But, the main thing has always been airplanes and the people in aviation.

The post A Life in Pursuit with Clay Lacy appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Pilots have long held a deep connection to the airplane that Joe Sutter and his team built. I for one devoured the legendary engineer’s book, 747: Creating the World’s First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures, and witnessed from afar the genius woven into that airplane. I would have loved to have talked with Sutter, or Jack Waddell, Boeing’s chief test pilot who took the first 747 on its initial flight on February 9, 1969.

Sutter and Waddell are no longer with us, though their legacy lives on in Boeing’s engineering corps. On the event of the final production unit’s departure from the factory at Everett, I sought out two of the pilots who know the airplane intimately from a more recent viewpoint within flight test operations. I spoke with them about one of the greatest airplanes of all time—and one that will still ply the airways for decades to come.

The Hands of Fate

Curt Gottshall, current engineering chief pilot for Boeing’s 747-8 program, and Kirk Vining, a former engineering project pilot on the 747-8 freighter and intercontinental passenger programs, both had an early connection with the airplane that would play out in in- credible ways over their careers.

For Vining, it was on his first flight lesson, just after takeoff with an instructor out of Anchorage International (PANC), seeing the 747 on climbout come under the wing as he tried his first left turn. For Gottshall, it was during his freshman year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, when he set the lock code to his briefcase to “7-4-7.”

READ MORE: The Last 747, Queen of the Skies

Vining took the desire to become an airline pilot with him to Wichita State University in Kansas, where he studied aeronautical engineering in pursuit of the four-year degree required to fly for the airlines at the time. But that degree led him to an internship and then a full-time role with local OEM Learjet as an engineering flight test pilot. There he had his first con- tact with FLYING too: “I hold a world record with Mac McClellan. He and I and Pete Reynolds flew the Lear- jet 31A from Aspen, Colorado, to Washington, D.C., [featured] in the November 1994 FLYING magazine. I have a little cameo in there—you can see my picture in the flight deck leaning forward trying to get my face in the photo.”

The experience in Part 25 certification testing set him up well to join Boeing in 2005. “The Learjet, though it’s small, the performance isn’t all that different than a 747,” says Vining, who noted that a couple of airlines have flown Learjets in the past with flight decks set up like that of the 747 to use in training their pilots.

First Contact with the Queen

Vining recalls well his first flight in any 747 model: “[It was] actually in the Large Cargo Freighter (LCF, also known as the Dreamlifter), the one that carries around parts for the 787. The pilot mentoring me on my first takeoff said, “Don’t worry, the LCF flies just like a 747”—but at that point, I hadn’t even flown a 747, so how was I supposed to know? After gaining more experience, I found the Large Cargo Freighter did fly like a 747-400. When we built the 747-8, we dialed it in to fly like the models before it as well.” Vining conducted the first flight of the second 747-8 to roll out of the factory.

INFOGRAPHIC: By the Numbers

Gottshall came to the 747 Classic models from the operations side before coming to Boeing. As a con- tract pilot for Japan Airlines, he transitioned from the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 as a captain, noting the differences between the DC-10 and the -100s, -200s, and -300s that JAL was flying at the time. “With the implementation of body gear steering [in the 747], the oversteer required—even though it’s longer, bigger, and with a higher stature—wasn’t quite as much as that required on the DC-10” to line up accurately on the runway centerline.

During his tenure with JAL, he also operated the 747 into airports that required a circling approach, such as Fukuoka International (RJFF), which at the time only had an ILS to one runway end. “Most folks with trans- port category type ratings have a ‘no circling’ limita- tion,” says Gottshall. “That wasn’t good enough for the [Japanese Civil Aviation Board] because they actually used [the circling approach]. So we had to go set up a syllabus to do the training. I believe it was in Wash- ington Dulles where we could actually do an approach, keep it in sight, and do the whole FAA demonstration so that we didn’t have that limitation on our license when we went back to Japan.” Gottshall recalls that the 747 handled the approaches quite well.

Graceful Flight Characteristics

Indeed, pilots who have flown the 747 relate that she’s a gentle giant, with relatively benign handling characteristics at low speeds, as well as surprising maneuver- ability for an aircraft with such mass and such a long wingspan—225 feet for the 747-8.

“I tested high speed and low speed in the 747-8, and demonstrated full aerodynamic stalls,” recalls Vining. “It stalls at full aft stick even better than a Cessna 172. It’s an amazingly light and flexible airplane for its size, so we designed the fly-by-wire ailerons [in the 747-8] to automatically help dampen out any vibrations and smooth out the ride.”

Gottshall agrees. “The 747—even at that large of a mass—is very maneuverable, so you have quite a large operational window. People think that you have to plan hundreds of miles in advance—it is true that if you want to have a perfect, steady trajectory, you need to think ahead. But it does have the capability and the maneuverability to make corrections and make them fairly aggressively. With the exception of the last thousand feet on the approach; you don’t want to be aggressive—you want to stay in that stabilized approach criteria.”

The primary difference between the flying that test pilots do against what pilots flying the line experience lies in the exploration of the flight envelope—on purpose. Gottshall compares it directly to his operational flight time. “When we go out and do things with flight test—especially post-production—we test to make sure that everything works, all of the relief systems work, all of the indication systems work, and things like that, which are [procedures] that we try very hard to stay away from in operations. [In normal ops] you don’t want to hear the overspeed warning come on, or you don’t want to see the load relief on the flaps. You plan and operate in a manner to try and stay away from all those things.

Truly Fond Memories

Gottshall notes that while the 747 is no longer in production, his role on the program continues, with work on continuous improvements to the 747-400 and 747-8, including a checklist of updates on the horizon.

The first jumbo jet will continue to fly on with the regular work made by the engineering teams to improve it.

As to what stands out to him the most about the 747, Vining sums it up well. “There’s so many things,” he says, “but whether it’s the feeling that you’re taxiing around in a three-story apartment building, or just the stall characteristics. It’s just such amazing performance, gentle behavior—and what a capable machine.

The 747 and the Last Flight Engineers

The lack of a globally connected, extensively reaching supply chain during the height of the 747’s operation in the 1980s and ‘90s meant that the flight crew’s navigator/engineer was an engineer in the British sense—a maintenance chief critical to keeping the aircraft engines and other systems healthy during its long-haul trips to Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Capt. Stephen Yeates, who flew the Classic -100, -200, and -300, and the -400 for British Airways during that period, recalls regular instances when the engineer truly enabled the show to go on.

“We lost a windshield piece to a bird strike over Pakistan and made an emergency landing in Karachi, which was an outstation at the time with little on-site maintenance capability. If we didn’t have the engineer on board, we would have been waiting far longer to get back underway.” Advances in technology also have played a significant role. “Nowadays, you have Rolls-Royce or GE monitoring engine performance from the ground, as opposed to the engineer along with you, always fiddling with the engines to keep them running perfectly,” says Yeates with a fondness for the incredible knowledge those engineers possessed.

Indeed, respect for the engineer runs across the board of those pilots we interviewed. Something’s lost, says Gottshall, in not having the deep knowledge that the engineer provided, and the extra mind to put to the task in the event of a complex abnormal or emergency situation. As it was with British Airways, “in Japan, there were professional flight engineers,’ recalls Gottshall. “They had been in that position for 20 or 25 years and knew every single possible piece of that airplane, right down to the nuts and bolts.”

“I’m just so privileged to have been able to share those years with it,” he concludes. To a pilot, the fond feelings for the 747 remain—and the opportunity to fly the jet goes on, we hope for decades to come. 

This article originally appeared in the May 2023 Issue 937 print edition of FLYING.

The post Boeing 747 from the Flight Deck appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Atlas Air took delivery of a 747-8 freighter on January 31, 2023, marking the end of an era for an iconic aircraft that transformed air travel and made it accessible to the average person. From the 747-100 to the 747-400, and then the modern 747-8, The Boeing Company built both passenger and freighter versions, and many used 747s that began in passenger configurations were converted to freighters by third-party engineering firms.

A live webcast of the delivery ceremony took place that afternoon. Thousands of people—including current and former employees as well as customers and suppliers—were on hand at the factory in Everett, Washington, to mark the historic occasion.

Most pilots may not realize that the 747 was originally designed—by the legendary aerospace engineer Joseph Sutter and his team—with freight in mind, unlike most airplanes built for passengers with a cargo variant.

The jumbo jet globalized trade in terms of range, size, and economies of scale it offered. The unique nose door allowed for long and outsized loads, and many of the main-deck pallets common today were developed in direct response to the introduction of the 747.

Flying the 747—as well as flying on the 747—was an experience that no other aircraft offered, with a staircase to the upper deck. It was so culturally and economically significant, and had such a unique figure, that it had its own nickname: Queen of the Skies.

Air Force One, which has carried U.S. presidents around the world for decades, is a special version of the 747 with the military designation VC-25. The jet was regularly seen on TV ferrying the Space Shuttle for NASA to Florida for launches.

On June 4, 2007, the Dreamlifter, a specially modified 747-400 used to transport major assemblies of the all-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, gained type certification from the FAA.

Boeing began deliveries of the 747-8 freighter a decade ago. The latest model is 18.3 feet longer than the 747-400 and accommodates four additional main-deck pallets and three lower-hold pallets. The same type of engines power it—the General Electric GENX-2B—as those on the 787 Dreamliner.

Although Boeing will no longer manufacture new 747s—and most passenger versions are retired in favor of more fuel-efficient twin-engine jets—the 747-8s are sure to grace the skies for several more decades, steadfastly contributing to the global economy.

The Final Customers

All-cargo airline Atlas Air will operate the final production 747 freighter for global logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel under a dedicated contract. The airplane bears the livery of Apex Logistics, a Hong Kong-based air-freight forwarder that K+N acquired in 2021. In total, Atlas received the final four 747-8s produced by Boeing. Two are assigned to Kuehne + Nagel, and one is flying under the control of Cainiao, the logistics arm of e-commerce platform Alibaba.

Atlas Air, based in Purchase, New York, is the largest operator of 747s in the world. As of the time of delivery, it will have 43 747Fs, including nine -8s. All told, it has 50 jumbo jets, including the seven 747s it flies as passenger charters for the military, sports teams, and other airlines, according to the FlightRadar24 database.

Other airlines still operating large 747 cargo fleets include Cargolux, Cathay Pacific, Kalitta Air, Korean Air, and Singapore Airlines. In passenger service, airlines include Lufthansa, Air China, Asiana Airlines, and Max Air at the time of publication. And Korean Air has operated 10 of the model 747-8, configured with six seats in first class, 48 in business class, and 314 in economy.

People hold fast to their memories and impressions of the 747. Graham Perkins, a senior vice president for sales and marketing at Atlas Air, grew up near the airport in Calgary, Alberta, and fell in love with the 747 at an early age. “All three major Canadian carriers flew the 747s into my city, and I would plane spot with my binoculars to see these giants coming and going,” he said in Atlas Air’s Tailwinds blog. “To say I was in awe of the size and grace of these aircraft would be an understatement. And it is something I still feel to this day every time I see a 747.”

Today, Graham works with shippers who need the 747 for airlift. “Knowing the capabilities and performance of these incredible aircraft makes my job to place these planes that much more enjoyable,” said Graham, who celebrated his 20th anniversary with Atlas in September. “It is a source of pride to know that we operate the largest fleet of 747s in the world, and our customers value this from us.

“A lot of [Atlas’] success and attitude to win was developed on the back of the 747 itself. We should all be very proud of that and very thankful for this incredible aircraft that changed aviation forever. Luckily, we will see our latest deliveries flying for the next 30 to 40 years, so our success will continue well into the future.”

No matter where the last flight takes place of the 747, there’s no doubt it will be long in the future, as it continues to function as a valuable part of the global supply chain. The jumbo jet’s impact on connecting the world cannot be overstated.

This column originally appeared in the May 2023 Issue 937 print edition of FLYING.

By the Numbers

The post The Last 747, Queen of the Skies appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Now with the advent of the “still kinda new” Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020), the default airliners seemed pretty good to me over the past few years, but not great. They are loved for their good looks and ability to travel to and from great expanses of the sim globe, but not much more. The default sounds were horrendous—and still are. Luckily, that was solved by a little company called FTSounds, which has redone many of the default aircraft sound sets to something far closer to the real thing. Now in addition to that, the default jetliners recently got a makeover in terms of systems modeling and avionics updates by the Working Title company. These free upgrades got pushed automatically by recent in-sim, mandatory updates, so by the time you see this, you’ll already have the newly enhanced heavy jets. 

• READ MORE: Your First Sim

I was thrilled to find out all this was integrated seamlessly and works so well. The newly done avionics fidelity didn’t cause any performance or dreaded frame rate reduction either. Now our default jets are looking and performing as they should, like a costly add-on. Until PMDG releases the upcoming 777 and 747, the default 747 and Boeing 787 complement the realism and fidelity of the currently available PMDG 737NG and BBJ lineups for MSFS2020.

To initiate an autoland in the airliners, you’ll need to make sure your FMS is properly set as in any flight, with the destination, runway selection, ILS chosen, speed performances, etc. Be sure to have spoilers armed and auto brake set to whatever you want. On a long runway like Denver International Airport (KDEN), where I did this example, I had auto brakes off completely and used full reverse to stop the jet (or at least to 60 kts per usual real-life stuff ). The FMS on the Boeing 747 and 787 auto select the frequencies, so you’ll not need to calculate or hunt those down. Once the airplane is on the initial approach, it will look similar to any ILS.

Once a certain distance is hit, it will proceed to LAND 3 or LAND 2 modes. LAND 3 will utilize all three autopilots and perform the entire event all the way to rollout with self steering and runway tracking to a stop. In this example, the autothrottle is on, holding a target landing approach or V_REF of 151 kts. It’s wild to see the throttles moving on their own, but they do. No matter the weather and wind, this thing works.

On short final, you may see a FLARE annunciation, but you’ll not need to do anything, as it will do that maneuver all by itself too. It will round out, hold the nose up, and allow a gentle sink rate onto the pavement. If you watch it closely, it’s almost a lesson on how to land a heavy jet with perfection each step of the way. As in real life, if you do this in zero-zero, you may never even see the runway at all. Maybe at night you’ll see the centerline lights, but the only indication you’ve landed is the spoiler snatch back, or touchdown sounds.

The slowdown and rollout with the gentle wobbling back and forth to keep the centerline was fabulous as I had not expected all this detail. In some autoland sim models, you’ll have to kick off the autopilot yourself since it’s not going to steer precisely. Now, I only fly a bizjet in real life, so I haven’t experienced real autolands or equipment at different runways—maybe they don’t all allow precision to a stop.

I have been practicing autolands in both Microsoft Flight Sim and X-Plane products over the years, and it’s especially rewarding in zero-zero. When I recorded these screenshots, I was using live weather and wasn’t sure how precise it would be or even if it would work correctly, so I was happy to have great weather. I now have no doubts that if you’re flying a default 747 or 787, it will perform just as perfectly when unable to see. Just remember the centerline may be easier to see at night in zero-zero than during the day. Autoland on jetliners has been around far longer than I ever knew, going way back to the 1970s when most airliners had that functionality built in. The great trijets, such as Lockheed L1011s and McDonnell Douglas DC-10s, used this technology just like the 747s and the Boeing 757s and 767s in the 1980s. 

For the real die-hards, I would recommend the plethora of YouTube videos or other online resources available on the subject. It’s amazing how much great material is available for the inquiring mind on real-world operation. 

The best website to totally geek out on is run by a friend of mine, Steve Giordano. 

Speedtapefilms.com and its associated YouTube videos present great HQ cockpit action from all around the globe as Giordano and his team ferry jetliners around for banks and various new owners.

The post Amazing Autolands appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A real American Airlines 747-100 was used for the movie. Many of the flying scenes were real as well. After watching the movie, I knew I wanted to be an airline pilot when I grew up. That was the era of actually being able to go to any airport and see big, loud, powerful airliners up close and personal. My dad would often take me to Ontario, California (KONT), east of the San Fernando Valley where I grew up, to gawk, listen, and even climb onto jetliners in between flights. 

Back in the 1970s, if a kid wanted to see a jetliner’s flight deck in person, all you had to do was ask. Today, kids aren’t even allowed to look at transport category jets up close, unless they’re a ticketed passenger. Even then, the design of today’s airline terminals, with more emphasis on shopping than watching, make this task difficult. I think airline terminals have been designed with the goal of preventing you from seeing anything outside. This result is that nobody cares anymore, there’s no excitement at hand, and the awe and privilege have all vanished into the past. Since 9/11, kids are not given the chance to enjoy aviation and, for the most part, are actually discouraged because of “security.”

I got my first ride on a 747 in 1976 on an all-charter 747-200 going to London from San Francisco. I recall the outside boarding experience, climbing up the massive stairway and gazing at the huge engine pods and fan blades up close. The graceful-yet-pudgy body of the jet was huge and massive. I imagined the noise, wind, and violence just outside the doorway where I stood that would soon be happening at 600 mph. 

More than 40 years later, I am still in awe but frustrated at never having been lucky enough to have flown on a 747 since then. I never became a 747 pilot but am fortunate to have gone into corporate jets as a captain on a Bombardier Challenger 300. So now my joys turn to those replications on Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or X-Plane. Let’s take a look at the current offerings and what might be the best.

MSFS2020 Default 747-8i

Microsoft has certainly knocked it out of the park with the visuals. All aircraft in MSFS2020 are photorealistic and accurately modeled with size and scale of individual parts and pieces. 

The almost 3-year-old “new sim” has gone through some major updates. Just this summer the 747 has received a major realism upgrade to systems, avionics, and handling. This 747-8i Intercontinental has gone from a lightweight, simple aircraft that was mostly a visual model with not much else behind it to a quite sophisticated version. 

Very close to detailed payware versions, this one is now complete with FMS that actually works the way it should. This is a hard thing for even commercial add-on companies to do, and Microsoft got some great programming by the folks at Working Title Aero to enhance the flagship Boeings (the default 787 has been redone as well to great standards). The performance loading, automatic V-speed, and N1 calculation is all done for you like the real thing. Approaches load automatically as well without having to tune radios. The avionics appearance, colors, and fonts have all been redone as well. Up-close viewing, the precision and quality is apparent. I am still dumbfounded at the visuals that can run at such high frame rates and smoothness. 

The flight model is good, better than previous MSFS2020 offerings, yet still feeling far too lightweight, with less momentum, less drag, and less resistance than what a real 747 should be when converted to a desktop sim—perhaps too “sporty.” However, you can absolutely notice the difference between this and the default 787 or a 320. It’s enjoyable to hand fly and is the heaviest feeling of the other airliners. Since I like to grade things, I’d give it a solid “B” on flight dynamics and believability. Visuals gets an “A-plus.” 

In a private session, I had the pleasure of flying a real 777 Level D sim at Boeing for many hours once, and I can only use that as my litmus test on a personal level, having not flown one myself in the real world. The autopilot on this model since the recent updates works great, is precise, and will perform a full autoland if set up properly. To me, this is a definite sign of an acceptable flight model. 

Sadly, the sound set that comes with it is terrible. I am a huge sound fanatic, and this disappointing fact has plagued it since MSFS2020 came out. Luckily, you can replace the sound set with FTSim+ Sounds for a much better experience for the 747-8 that is also updated often. 

X-Plane SSG 747-8i

The 747-8i offered by add-on company SSG has been around for years now and updated often. It is now a definite favorite of mine for the X-Plane 11 and 12 platforms. However, because of my affection for XP11 now and not 12 yet, I use it in XP11 as the older sim version is more refined and stable and performs far greater than the newest XP12, which is still in its infancy. 

This 747 flies very well in this program in comparison to the MSFS2020 version and has a lot of systems modeling behind it. The sound set is pretty good. The hand flying is great, feeling much heavier at all weights than the Microsoft version. Momentum, rolling friction, drag, and weather effects all seem to play a bit more of a part in the feeling and observing the realistic performance of this beast. 

The 747-8i is the most beautiful of all the 747 models in my opinion. Because of the limitations in X-Plane, it is not photorealistic nor textured as well as the Microsoft counterpart. Some shadowing errors occur as well, with a blocky and not smooth appearance caused more by an X-Plane limitation. 

The SSG 747-8i flight deck is a bit oddly scaled with some difficulty in obtaining that proper captain view, as the MSFS2020 version has a larger-scaled window with somewhat better panel and view over the glareshield. But thanks to SSG and many updates, the frame rates are high and smooth with close-up views precise and well done. This jetliner is a keeper, and I would give it a solid “B-plus” for flight characteristics. Visuals less so—a solid “B.” 

X-Plane 747-200 Classic 

This 747 Classic came out a few years ago for the XP11 community and was made by a small group of mostly military enthusiasts making add-ons. It blew away the 747 fan community when it was launched. I never spent much time with it, because of my own love of the more modern versions. However, just a week ago I decided to revisit this newly updated gem. After spending some hours flying this rendition, I feel as if I flew a real 747. 

Seriously noticeable flight characteristics and hand-flying qualities make me wonder how good the other two are I just spoke about, unless the more modern versions are more maneuverable and lighter to the touch. Maybe they are? Fans of X-Plane know the “blade element theory” is the reason behind this sim heralding higher praise from aeronautical engineers and pilots. I’d say this is the injection that probably pushes this model over the top of flight dynamics. You can feel and see it under all flight regimes.

I got to see the real prototype 747 at the Boeing museum at Seattle’s King County International Airport (KBFI) recently, so I was excited to test-fly the same thing here. Using my Honeycomb flight controls and Bravo throttle quadrant (available at Sporty’s) on this hulking behemoth was a joy. Pushing up those four throttles together and hearing the spool up of the four early turbofans was an audible gem. Just the taxiing procedure alone was a blast, feeling and dealing with the momentum and physics at hand. She dips, sways, and tilts on the drive to the runway—heavy, precise, and accurate the whole time. 

The most noticeable thing this 747 offers is the feeling at rotation. You actually have to tug firmly on the yoke to get the “Queen of the Skies” to let her nose unplant. Then the mains will give up their grip, allowing her to fly. You can feel this on each and every takeoff, varying the effect naturally on the weight you’re at. I don’t feel this on the other sim models at all. This Felis 747 seems so alive, so dynamic, and more realistic than any 747 on any sim I have ever used. It gets an “A-plus” for both flight physics and visuals as well. Despite the inability of having photorealistic aircraft in XP, this is as close as it gets, with my discerning eye saying I can see nothing out of scale or placement. The sound set is very well done tool, not requiring any add-on company to replace it.

I will say in regard to the advanced systems at play here, in XP11 on my 3070 GeForce-based laptop, I did have to turn down a few graphics options to get a high frame rate. Mostly the complexity of objects taken down a notch to only high, instead of dense, brought up performance about 20 percent when using this model. I get 35 to 45 frames per second on cockpit view in most locations. Before fiddling, the fps was in the 20s, which is not fast enough for smoothness and flight quality. 

There’s not much to not love on the Felis 747. It will bring you back to a day when hand-flying skills were dominant, and autopilots were just getting sophisticated but had to be watched. Nowadays, the pilots have to be watched, as autopilots have the upper hand. 

For anyone loving Airport 1975 as I did, you’ll be happy to know the entire passenger cabin is modeled—even the spiral stairway. I’ve not yet taken long trips on this as I was having just too much fun on tight, lightweight patterns banging out takeoffs and landings in preparation for this piece. The 747 with only a few hours of fuel, about 60,000 pounds, and not much payload only requires 5,000 feet of runway to take off and land easily. V_REFs can be in the 125- to 135-knot range as well. As mentioned, all speed functions are easily obtained on the EFB, depending on weight and takeoff configuration.

For anyone wanting to precisely pilot these beauties on long haul journeys, many videos and written publications exist. The Felis 747 will be hard to beat for a long time, as it’s the only sim 747 model I’m confident saying is totally real for either X-Plane or MSFS2020. 

The post Replicating a Simulated ‘Queen of the Skies’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California

William Turner, VP Operations, Hiller Aviation Museum

“My favorite aircraft would be Lincoln Beachey’s 1913 Little Looper. This is the first airplane to do a loop in the United States.”

About the aircraft: the Little Looper is a Curtiss-style pusher biplane built by a team working under direction of Lincoln Beachey, a San Francisco native. At the age of 18, Beachey learned to fly powered airships, and by 1913 he was looking at flying airplanes. In 1913 Beachey directed aircraft designer Glenn Curtiss to design and build an airplane strong enough to sustain the forces of a loop. The Little Looper was it. The revolutionary airplane was powered by a 80 hp Gnome engine.

The Visitor’s Favorite: 1971 Boeing 747-100

You don’t need to have the entire airplane to make visitors happy, notes Turner. The visitor’s favorite at the museum is the cockpit of a Boeing 747.

“We have the front end of a British Airways 747. It is painted in Flying Tigers colors in honor of the donor that made the exhibit possible for us. The aircraft is open to the public and they can climb up the spiral staircase and sit in the cockpit. This is by far our most popular exhibit. Especially popular with kids!”

The 747, also known as the “Queen of the Skies,” is synonymous with air travel and professional pilot careers.

The post Museum Spotlight: Hiller Aviation Museum appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hotel Costa Verde, Quepos, Costa Rica

Located on the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Forest, this colorful Boeing 727 appears to be flying through the trees, but it’s really more of a tree house—a luxurious one. The 1965 airframe that once served in the South Africa Air and Avianca Airlines fleets now sits on a 50-foot pedestal and has been refurbished with teak furniture and paneling, and a deck built onto its right wing. The hotel’s broad range of accommodations also includes a Cockpit Cottage and Cockpit Cabana built from salvaged aircraft. 

TWA Hotel

John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK), Queens, New York

Whether picking up guests or embarking on a trip, I have never enjoyed going to crowded, chaotic Kennedy Airport except for the opportunity to gawk at the stylish old TWA Flight Center designed by Eero Saarinen. Its time as an airline terminal ended in 2001 but it reopened in 2017 as a hotel where aviation fans can spot airplanes from an infinity pool overlooking the airport tarmac and enjoy drinks in a 1960s-style sunken lounge worthy of TV’s “Mad Men.”

Jumbo Stay

Arlanda Airport (ESSA), Stockholm, Sweden

This hotel will help visitors appreciate just how much space is available on a Boeing 747. The former Queen of the Skies airliner’s interior is refitted with a range of rooms, from basic dormitory-style spaces to the upscale “cockpit suite,” with a panoramic view of the airport. There is a conference area in the former first class cabin, a café, and a bar. Also called the Jumbo Hostel, the airplane is known for its mostly modest accommodations, many with shared bathrooms.

Hangar Hotel

Gillespie County Airport (T82), Fredericksburg, Texas

Here’s one you can easily fly to in a Cessna 172, as it is next to the ramp of a general aviation airport. And for those of you who saw Top Gun: Maverick and really wished you could live in a giant airport hangar like Tom Cruise’s character, this could be your place. While it looks like a classic 1940s original, the 50-room hotel was built in 2003 and decorated with aviation memorabilia and 1940s artifacts. There is an airport diner and a military-style Officer’s Club that features live music on weekends.

Winvian’s Helicopter Cottage

Morris, Connecticut

Winvian Farm’s guest rooms have names that pique one’s curiosity, like “Secret Society” and “Maritime.” And then there’s “Helicopter,” which is just as it sounds. A restored 1968 Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican rescue chopper sits in the middle of the cottage. Inside the fuselage is a sofa and other furnishings with spaces for sipping cocktails and watching movies. In the cockpit the original crew seats, gauges, and switches remain.

Vliegtuigsuite Teuge

Teuge, Netherlands

You might feel a bit like a Cold War-era spy ascending the stairs to this 1960 Ilyushin 18 turboprop that, according to the hotel, was used by East German Communist Party officials. But once inside you will find that the luxurious furnishings have more of a capitalist feel. The whole airplane, about 40 meters long, has been refitted as a suite for two guests that includes a hot tub, separate shower, infrared sauna, mini bar, three flat-screen televisions, DVD player, and a “comprehensive” collection of DVDs.

The post Sleeping on the Airplane: Six Aviation-Themed Hotels appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In a two-part interview released on Aerotime Hub, pilot Dmytro Antonov discussed how engineers would use an existing second fuselage of the An-225 to construct a complete airplane. He also offered reasons why the iconic type should return to the skies. 

“Everybody knows that we are going to do it, no matter what,” Antonov said. “It is confirmed at the highest political level, so, things are in motion.”  

For those who haven’t been following the An-225, the enormous 33-year-old Cold War-era cargo lifter was designed to carry the Soviet space shuttle Buran. In February it was destroyed during fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces while parked in a hangar at Ukraine’s Gostomel Airport (UKKM).

The wreckage of the #An225 has been seen by many by now. I still remember seeing it fly over Kyiv last summer – seeing it like this was dramatic. It’s being salvaged for parts that might be useful – maybe we’ll get another Mriya (Dream) someday. pic.twitter.com/3ABtFXfHrC

— Kersti Kaljulaid (@KerstiKaljulaid) June 23, 2022

Owned and operated by Ukraine’s Antonov Company before it was destroyed, the twin-tailed transport with a 290-foot wingspan was powered by six Ivchenko Progress D-18 turbofan engines and could fly up to 250 tons at least 4,000 km (2,159 nm) in about five hours. 

‘Mriya-2’

Antonov, who isn’t related to the company’s namesake—Soviet designer Oleg Antonov—spoke about initial decisions project managers face. “Now we have to decide which parts of it we can use for its next life. We have to make a step-by-step plan for building the second Mriya. Also, now, before the war ends, we have to start working with potential hardware vendors. We need to calculate the cost of all the equipment that will be installed on the Mriya-2, the cost of the work we are going to put into it.”

• READ MORE: Mourning the An-225 Mriya

Help from Airbus, Boeing, and Others

To minimize the cost of building and testing a new An-225, the airplane “has to be an exact copy of the first Mriya,” Antonov said. “I think even our engineers do not have any doubts about that.” The new version should include modern components that don’t affect aerodynamics, he said. “The latest aircraft—Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A380, A350—their technology has to be taken into consideration. We have to start working with Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer. We have to look for solutions.”

The Second Airframe

“The second airframe exists, although we can’t talk about its whereabouts right now.” Antonov said 60 percent to 80 percent of the airframe is complete, “depending on how you measure it.” 

Details about the new airplane “can only be published after the end of the war. What I can say right now, is that a lot of work has to be done to even start this project.”

#Ukraine‘s President Zelensky thanks the students and employees at “Antonov”, the Ukrainian airline, who created a model of their “Mriya” (Dream) aircraft, the world’s heaviest and with the largest wingspan, which the #Russians destroyed in the first days of the war. pic.twitter.com/AghJdEyh7o

— Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) June 20, 2022

Construction of the second airframe began in the early 1990s, when Mriya’s success as a heavy cargo lifter prompted plans to build three additional An-225s. But when the Soviet Union collapsed, the second An-225 project was abandoned—unfinished and largely forgotten. 

In 2018, a second An-225 airframe—presumably from that second aircraft—was photographed sitting in a hangar on the outskirts of Kyiv, according to CNN. 

Photos showed the airplane disassembled inside a huge facility, including its fuselage, wings, nose gear, and tail. Now, after the destruction of Mriya, Ukrainian state defense organization Ukroboronprom has estimated that rebuilding the An-225 would cost about $3 billion.

• READ MORE: Antonov Launches Mriya Fundraiser

The Fleet

In the interview, the veteran pilot revealed details about additional Antonov aircraft that were destroyed or damaged during fighting at UKKM, including an An-74 twin-engine transport jet and the company’s only Antonov An-26 twin turboprop transport, he said. “As for the damaged aircraft, a decision to restore them has to be taken.” He said two damaged An-124 Ruslans owned by the company remain in Ukraine. Five additional An-124s are located outside the country, he said. “They are conducting flights as usual.”

Producing new parts for the second Mriya could also help to modernize Antonov’s surviving An-124 Ruslans. “In some sense, this might reduce the cost of modernizing [the second] Mriya herself,” he said.

Boeing 747 Versus Antonov An-124

Antonov said the An-124 Ruslan continues to be a relevant cargo platform that can compete with other air lifters. The Boeing 747, for example, “can’t carry the 40-foot shipping containers,” he said. “An-124 can, though.”

“Nothing else comes close to it,” he said. “Even the American Lockheed C-5, which is very similar, is not as well-designed as the Ruslan.”

• READ MORE: Comparing the World’s Largest Airplanes

‘The Most Important Task’

The pilot also said company managers are considering what he called “the most important task”—a large-scale project aimed at reconstructing airport infrastructure at UKKM. Plans have been submitted, including a new cargo terminal, a small passenger terminal. “The base of our company has to be brought back, and the base for testing our aircraft,” he said. “The project is going to be large.”

The post Ex-Captain on New An-225: ‘We Are Going To Do It’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.