Space Force HQ to move to Alabama.

The United States Space Force, the most junior, least needed, and most stupid branch of the American military, is moving to Huntsville, Alabama, in part because Donald Trump is demented vengeful twit.

Trump is responsible for the Space Farce in the first place, creating a new branch of the military for no sensible reason, by taking the Air Force Strategic Command, which did make sense, and making it its own branch of the military.  At least initially, it's enlisted members were reassigned from the Air Force to the Farce.  Officers may have been as well, but those officers in this role above the very senior level would have had little choice in any event.

The relocation from Colorado Springs will be expensive and may impair the ability of the Farce to perform its mission for a time.

President Biden really missed his chance and should have reassigned the Space Farce to the Air Force.  Frankly, if I was President, at this point I'd reassign it to the Coast Guard and put the Coast Guard back in the Department of the Treasury, where it belongs.  After commissioned Space Cadets resigned I might move it back to the Air Force.

The Aerodrome: Union reps defy order, flights cancelled.

The Aerodrome: The Aerodrome: Canadian government intervenes in A...: The Aerodrome: Air Canada cancels flights (August 15) due to labo... : Air Canada is facing a flight attendants strike and is basically star...

Strike back on. 

The Aerodrome: Canadian government intervenes in Air Canada strike.

The Aerodrome: Air Canada cancels flights (August 15) due to labo...: Air Canada is facing a flight attendants strike and is basically starting to shut down.

The Canadian government forced the parties back to work. 

Air Canada cancels flights (August 15) due to labor trouble.

Air Canada is facing a flight attendants strike and is basically starting to shut down.

And now the FAA

The FAA is being subject to the Musk/Trump employee cuts.  The agency was already understaffed.

Interestingly, the one person I sort of know of who works for the FAA was a rabid Trump supporter.

I wonder if he is now?

Shameful.

Absolutely shameful

January 31, 2025

This one is shameful beyond all measure:

This is, frankly, shameful in the extreme:

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

SUBJECT:       Immediate Assessment of Aviation Safety

On January 29, 2025, a commercial aircraft and a military helicopter horrifically collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.  American families today woke up without their loved ones after what should have been a routine trip, and the entire Nation mourns the loss of the victims.

This shocking event follows problematic and likely illegal decisions during the Obama and Biden Administrations that minimized merit and competence in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The Obama Administration implemented a biographical questionnaire at the FAA to shift the hiring focus away from objective aptitude.  During my first term, my Administration raised standards to achieve the highest standards of safety and excellence.  But the Biden Administration egregiously rejected merit-based hiring, requiring all executive departments and agencies to implement dangerous “diversity equity and inclusion” tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with “severe intellectual” disabilities in the FAA.   

On my second day in office, I ordered an immediate return to merit-based recruitment, hiring, and promotion, elevating safety and ability as the paramount standard.  Yesterday’s devastating accident tragically underscores the need to elevate safety and competence as the priority of the FAA. 

Consistent with the Presidential Memorandum of January 21, 2025 (Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation), I am further ordering the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (Administrator) to review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior 4 years, and to take such corrective action as necessary to achieve uncompromised aviation safety, including the replacement of any individuals who do not meet qualification standards.  This review shall include a systematic assessment of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols during the Biden Administration.

Consistent with the Presidential Memorandum of January 21, 2025, the Secretary and the Administrator shall take all actions necessary to reverse concerning safety and personnel trends during the prior 4 years, instill an unwavering commitment to aviation safety, and ensure that all Americans fly with peace of mind.

Shameful.

Trump is pitting people against each other on racist grounds.  He's an embarrassment to the country.

Midair Collision over the Potomac.

I don't usually deal with national politics here, but here's this: Lex Anteinternet: The Madness of King Donald. The 25th Amendment Wa...: 

January 30, 2024

A helicopter/aircraft collision occurred last night near Washington D.C.  The helicopter was a Blackhawk, and therefore a military helicopter.

Trump took to social media:

Let's face it.  Trump is simply stupid.  The nation has elected a wealthy, dimwitted, vengeful, ignoramus.

WTF is wrong with Donald Trump?  The question is serious.

He has no business commenting on an air disaster in this fashion.

"[L]ooks like it should have been prevented".  D'uh.  It was under your watch, even though I'm not saying its your fault, Don.  Are you saying that your administration should have prevented it?

The relative speed of aircraft taking off and helicopters in flight doesn't lead to a "gosh, why couldn't people see this?

Shameful.

Blog Mirror: NTSB Issues Wings Over Dallas Midair Report

 

NTSB Issues Wings Over Dallas Midair Report

The NTSB says the lack of standardized procedures and the inherent limitations of human performance contributed to the Wings Over Dallas collision in 2022.

Airport customs office named for Leatham

 

Airport customs office named for Leatham

Delta To Pull Out Of Casper Airport, Last Flight Is Dec. 3

Lex Anteinternet: Space National Guard? Spare us.

Lex Anteinternet: Space National Guard? Spare us.: 

Space National Guard? Spare us.

The time has come to create a Space National Guard as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Space Force.  So as president, I will sign historic legislation creating a space National Guard.

Donald Trump, yesterday, at the National Guard Association Convention.

The Space Force is frankly absurd and ought to be abolished, with its enlisted men folded back into the Air Force and its officers assigned permanent duty at Tasty Freeze drive up windows. 

But a Space Force National Guard?

Please, no.

Of course, if a bill like that passes through Congress, and as goofy as Congress has been in recent years, it probably would, no State Governor is going to turn down the chance to have the Mos Eisley Space Guard station put in their state, so every state will end up with a squadron of "Guardians".

The Space Force is flat out dumb.  It's duties belong in the Air Force.  One of the unfortunate legacies of the Trump administration, however, is this absurd new branch of the service.

Would that sanity would reign and it would go away.

Ukrainian Yak-52 two-seat primary trainer shoots down Russian drone. Як-52 над Одещиною

City of Casper Councilmen grill Airport Board

This over withdrawing support for the subsidy payments for the flight to Salt Lake City.  Casper complained it had received no notice of this occurring, and is concerned what it will mean.

AT-6's (SNJ's) from the film Tora! Tora! Tora!, Natrona County International Airport.

I heard them flying over downtown and looked up and saw them flying, but didn't notice the Japanese markings.  After realizing what they were, I went out the next day and to see if they were still there, and they were.

These are the SNJ's that were altered and remodeled to closely resemble Japanese Navy A6M's (Zeroes) and Nakajima B5N's (Kates) for the 1970s movie Tora! Tora! Tora!.  The resemblance to the Japanese aircraft is truly remarkable.

The Commemorative Air Force maintains and flies this team of aircraft today, preserving the excellent replica work done for the film.

In this instance, these aircraft were on their way to an airshow in Salt Lake City.

AT-6 in original markings.

AT-6 alte4red to resemble B5N.

SNJ rebuilt to resemble A6M.

The Delta Blues*

In local and semi local news:

1.  Last Saturday evening, a Delta Airlines 757 bound from Atlanta to Salt Lake City lost cabin pressure and had to land at the Natrona County International Airport.

2.  On June 17the Casper/Natrona County International Airport Board of Directors notified the Fly Casper Alliance (FCA) that it voted to withdraw support for the minimum revenue guarantee which has kept SkyWest flying as the Delta Connection to Salt Lake.  This will almost surely end commercial air service from Casper to SLC.

Footnotes

* The reference is to the type of blues associated with the Missippii Delta.

Lex Anteinternet: Tuesday, June 13, 1944. D+7. First use of V-1s on London.

Lex Anteinternet: Tuesday, June 13, 1944. D+7. Heavy fighting in N...: 

Tuesday, June 13, 1944. D+7. Heavy fighting in Normandy.

The first V-1 rockets were launched on London.

V-1s are, basically, a pulse jet drone, and therefore heralded an advance in weaponry which we're only now seeing the full application of in combat.  One of a variety of late war German "Wunderwaffe", they were primitive in their category and while they affected terror, they stood no chance of being war altering.  The same can not be said of the V-2, which was a ballistic missile and truly revolutionary.

Armed drones would be revolutionary, but it would not really be until the advent of cruise missiles that they'd become effective.  With advances in targeting, they're now a massive dangerous weapon which has been one of the things which has allowed Ukraine to disproportionately take on Russia in the ongoing Russo Ukrainian War.

Blog Mirror: Casper Loses Out On Being Home For $100 Million National Championship Air Races

 

Casper Loses Out On Being Home For $100 Million National Championship Air Races

Blog Mirror: Frustrated Natrona Commissioners Call $650K SkyWest Guarantee ‘Extortion”

Frustrated Natrona Commissioners Call $650K SkyWest Guarantee ‘Extortion”

 

Casper airport to hold first annual 5K fun run/walk

A "rash decision" on pilot retirement age.

The House Committee on Transportation, operating in a Boomer dominated era in which there's a persistent belief that nobody every gets old, voted to extend airline pilot retirement age from 65 to 67.

The Air Line Pilots Association, a commercial pilot's union, opposed the measure, stating:

The rash decision to move an amendment on changing the statutory pilot retirement age, without consulting agencies responsible for safety, or studying potential impacts of such a change as has been done elsewhere, is a politically driven choice that betrays a fundamental understanding of airline industry operations, the pilot profession, and safety.

The measure now goes to the full House.