Episodes

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian and Jason take a deep breath and discuss the New Jersey drones. What are people claiming they’ve seen, why nearly all of the reports are just aircraft, and why you should never, never shine a laser or fire a gun at an airplane—identified or not. Plus, AerLingus takes its first (and second) A321XLRs, Boeing restarts 767/777 production, and the FAA finalizes drug and alcohol testing for repair stations outside the US. And NASA completes the first aircraft acc...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian and Jason are back from their travels and back in the studio for a full week’s worth of aviation news. We start with Boeing’s resumption of 737 production and a judge’s rejection of the plea deal negotiated by Boeing and the US Department of Justice. Then we head west for the first major moves by Alaska Airlines as it integrates Hawaiian Airlines into its operations. And in safety news, investigators begin analyzing the black boxes of the crashed Swift Air ...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian is joined by Flightradar24 colleague Chris Lomas in Stockholm as Jason finishes his travels in Asia. In this news this week, a marriage proposal involving a helicopter and Flightradar24, Lufthansa’s stake in ITA Airways clears the final hurdle, Aeroflot takes its first wet lease, and a fire fighting Airbus A319 is in the works. Helpful links for this week’s episode * A helicopter marriage proposal * Instrument calibration flight patterns Thank you for li...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Jason is traveling in Japan and Ian is prepping his Thanksgiving Turkey. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to discuss. An Azimuth Airlines SuperJet caught fire after a hard landing in Antalya. A Swiftair 737-400 operating for DHL crashed 1.5km short of the runway in Vilnius, killing one of four crew members on board. And Emirates took delivery of its first A350, but the flight path left many scratching their heads. Helpful links for this week’s episode ...

On this week’s AvTalk, severe turbulence leads to an inflight engine shut down on an SAS A330. A CargoJet 767 overruns the runway in Vancouver after a flap failure. A Southwest Airlines jet is struck by a bullet in Dallas. A Qantas A380 flew for a month with a tool in one of its engines. And hundreds of hamsters get loose on a TAP A321neo. Helpful links for this week’s episode * SAS A330 encounters severe turbulence * CargoJet 767 runway overrun in Vancouver * ATSB Qantas A380 engine tool re...

On this week’s AvTalk, at least three aircraft are struck by bullets while trying to landing in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Spirit Airlines could soon file for bankruptcy after Frontier walks away from a potential merger. And Colombian cargo carrier Aerosucre has yet another close call, striking the ILS array at the end of the runway while trying to depart Bogota. Helpful links for this week’s episode * Spirit Airlines flight 951 hit by bullets * FAA NOTAM restricting US flights in Haiti below 10,...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Boeing machinists in the pacific northwest ratify a new contract, ending a 53 day strike. We discuss what’s in the contract and where Boeing goes from here. Spirit Aerosystems, the maker of 737 fuselages, says it may not have long as a “going concern.” Spirit Airlines will furlough hundreds more pilots next year as it continues searching for a path out of the financial hole it’s in. The Wall Street Journal reports that Russia is behind the series of parcel fire...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we welcome Max Comer, and airline mechanic and the man behind social media sensation Airplane Facts with Max, which compares and contrasts interesting aviation information… and the works of JRR Tolkien. Also this week, the NTSB releases its preliminary report on the Frontier Airlines flight that made an emergency landing in Las Vegas last month. WestJet is sending a trio of hail-damaged 737s to the desert. Riyadh Air places a major order for its narrow body flee...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Boeing announces a $6 billion third quarter loss, while the company’s striking machinists reject the latest contract offer, sending negotiators back to work. A close call in Austin as TCAS comes to the rescue, while Indian airlines deal with a spate of hoax bomb threats. Frontier and Spirit could revive merger talks and it was a terrible week to taxi an aircraft at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Helpful links for this week’s episode * Boeing’s third quarter earning...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Boeing announces layoffs affecting 17,000 employees and the sunset of the 767 program. The 777X is delayed until at least 2026 and airlines are having trouble getting ahold of aircraft that are already certified. This is leading to some airlines refurbishing already well-worn aircraft and others canceling flights and routes. The US DOT OIG says the FAA (acronym much?) isn’t capable of effectively regulating Boeing. Sri Lankan investigators are probing a bizarre...

On this episode of AvTalk, a new report from the New York Times raises questions about Boeing’s differing response to 737 MAX operators’ requests for safety information following the crash of Lion Air 610. A passenger safely lands a King Air after the pilot is incapacitated. The NTSB issues a pair of preliminary reports. And when it comes to the 787, the FAA says a tired pilot is better than a headless pilot. Helpful links for this week’s episode * New York Times article on Boeing’s response t...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss Iran’s missile attack on Israel and the consequences (so far) for commercial aviation. The NTSB shakes its fist at the FAA over moist rudders, while the FAA’s investigation into United’s safety system turns up nothing. Qatar Airways is taking a 25% stake in Virgin Australia, with an interesting twist. A WWII-era bomb long-buried under a taxiway at Miyazaki Airport in Japan explodes. And NOAA is getting a new pair of hurricane hunter aircraft. Plus, w...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Boeing gives its striking machinists union its “best and final” offer. But how best and final is it? EASA informs A350 operators to ensure they’re cleaning their fuel hoses properly. Canada heads down a confusing path on its quest resolve airline complaints. And a United Airlines flight experiences an unusual TCAS Resolution Advisory as it prepares to land in San Francisco. Thank you for listening! Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? H...

On this episode of AvTalk, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines secure Department of Transportation approval of their merger. As the Boeing Machinists’ strike enters week two, the company is implementing a long list of measures to hoard cash. In other strike news, Air Canada and its pilots union have reached a tentative agreement, but it still needs to be ratified. Ian heads to Dorkfest and SpotLAX in Los Angeles and chats with Kevin and Rudy from YouTube channel Airline Videos Live about the...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, a Delta A350 clips a CRJ-900, knocking the regional jet’s tail off. Brazilian investigators release their preliminary report on the crash of VoePass flight 2283. Boeing reaches a tentative labor agreement with its machinists union, but the union rank and file are not happy. Air Canada’s pilots could be on strike as early as September 18. And Southwest Executive Chairman and former CEO Gary Kelly is stepping down next year as the airline continues to try to hold ...

On this week’s AvTalk, a fuel hose failure on a Cathay Pacific A350 prompts fleet-wide inspections of the Trent XWB engine. Russian investigators release their preliminary report on the Gazpromavia SuperJet crash—and incorrectly installed angle of attack sensors feature prominently. Plus, a vulnerability in the US’ Known Crewmember system could have theoretically allowed anyone to bypass security. And the US seizes Venezuela’s presidential jet and flies it to Florida. Helpful links for this wee...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss Dominic Gates and Paige Cornwell’s article in this week’s Seattle Times detailing how the door plug on the Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX was reinstalled without the proper bolts, allowing it to blow out of the aircraft shortly after departure on January 5th. We also learn via Aviation Week that cracks have been found in the inactive Boeing 777X test aircraft as well. Italian investigators release their preliminary report on the LATAM 777 tail strike in Mi...

On this week’s episode, Boeing’s 777X test fleet is grounded after separated or cracked thrust links are found on all three aircraft. An update on the VoePass 2283 investigation. Elliott Management, the activist investor group trying to replace Southwest Airlines’ board of directors and top management unveils its list of candidates for the board. There’s a battle among low cost carriers brewing in… Connecticut? And the FAA says check your 787 pilot seats for missing button covers. Helpful links...

On this week’s AvTalk, we’re joined by Nomadic Aviation Group founder and pilot Steve Giordano to discuss the circumstances around the crash of VoePass flight 2283. Giordano breaks down some of the important terms surrounding the accident and describes in detail the key points of turboprop flying as it relates to what we know so far about the crash and the conditions in the area at the time. Helpful links when listening to this episode * ADS-B data and flight playback * Deicing boots on an AT...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, the NTSB holds two days of investigative hearings on the Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX exit door plug blow out. What we learned from the hearings and what we still don’t know. Tensions in the Middle East continue to rise, and we’re on NOTAM watch. And Crowd Strike, Microsoft, and Delta Air Lines continue to trade legal threats. Useful links * Background on AS1282, the NTSB’s public docket, and NTSB hearing archive * Cessna 172 ferry flight to Hawaii * New IndiGo...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we’re joined by Ned Russell and his dog Heathrow to break down the appointment of Kelly Ortberg as Boeing’s new CEO. We also unpack Boeing’s second quarter earnings report, which while not particularly cheerful does have a few bright spots. Southwest and Spirit Airlines each announced massive changes, with Southwest adding assigned seating and extra legroom and Spirit following Frontier into fare bundling, including offering a true first class product. Will the...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss the Crowd Strike outage and why it took Delta Air Lines so much longer than everyone else to get their operations back on track. The FAA is increasing scrutiny of Southwest Airlines after a third low descent incident in just four months—this time a flight approaching Tampa was as low as 150 feet nearly 5 miles from the runway. A Saurya Airlines CRJ-200 crashes on departure in Kathmandu we discuss what we know so far. As Airbus celebrates EASA certifi...

On this week’s episode, Ian heads to the basement because TORNADO is in the METAR. And it’s finally some good news for Boeing as the 777-9 begins certification test flights. A Gazpromavia Superjet crashes outside of Moscow and we learn more about the incident a few weeks ago where a Southwest flight departed on a closed runway. Helpful links * BEA report on 9H-EMU incident in Paris Thank you for listening! Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for futu...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Boeing agrees to plead guilty to felony charges, the NTSB issues its preliminary report on the Southwest Airlines flight that experienced “Dutch roll,” and two CRJ-900s come closer than they should have in Syracuse. Plus, a pair of Air India Express engine problems, Delta and Riyadh Air’s surprising new partnership, and the catering on one Delta flight was bad—very, very bad. Thank you for listening! Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast?...