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863 How Washington Works
A former Senior Counsel on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation explains how Washington works with respect to aviation policy and oversight. In the news, a Production Specification for Swift Fuels 100R unleaded avgas, the DOT Solicitation for Air Traffic Control Integrator Contract, EMAS and runway overruns, carrier qualifications for new Navy fighter pilots, and the Boeing strike. Guest Alex Simpson is Senior Vice President at Cassidy & Associates, a bipartisan government relations firm, where he focuses on the transportation sector. Previously, Alex served as Senior Counsel on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation under Chair and Ranking Member Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). In that role, he led oversight of the FAA, TSA, NTSB, and the aviation industry. He executed over 25 hearings, including multiple high-profile hearings with airline and manufacturing CEOs, union leaders, DOT Secretaries, and FAA Administrators. Alex maintains close ties with the Senate Commerce and House Transportation & Infrastructure committees. Alex explains the major Congressional members and committees that create aviation policy and provide industry oversight. That includes the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, and the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. In addition, non-government stakeholders that influence policy decisions include organizations such as Airlines For America (A4A), ALPA, NATCA, Boeing, and even crash victim families acting as advocacy groups. Alex discusses a variety of topics, including ATC infrastructure, likely prime integrator candidates, and elements of a possible TSA reauthorization bill, such as the use of facial recognition technology at TSA checkpoints. Also, Boeing and the deferred prosecution agreement, lifting the 737 MAX production cap, and the 1500-hour rule for commercial airline pilots. We touch on consumer protection and the Full Fare Rule aimed at preventing deceptive airfare advertisements. As a Committee staffer, Alex drafted and negotiated the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. He also worked closely on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which included more than $25 billion for airport infrastructure upgrades. Before his tenure in the Senate, Alex practiced law at the U.S. Department of Transportation and Zuckert, Scoutt, & Rasenberger (now KMA Zuckert), where he helped clients problem-solve aviation issues, including those related to the Essential Air Service Program, airport landing rights (slots), antitrust, air carrier economic authority and fitness, federal preemption, and airport grant assurances. Aviation News Swift 100 R Gets ASTM Spec ASTM International recently approved a Production Specification for Swift Fuels 100R unleaded avgas. Swift is one of three unleaded fuel makers, and the first to get ASTM approval. Swift Fuels has devoted years of research working with the FAA, Lycoming, Continental Aerospace, Rotax, Textron Aviation, Piper, and others. The ASTM AvGas standards define the required chemical, physical, and performance characteristics for unleaded Avgas sold for aviation use. DOT Opens Solicitation for Air Traffic Control Integrator Contract The Department of Transportation issued an updated request for solutions to identify a Prime Integrator for the Brand New Air Traffic Control System. (Solicitation Number BNATCSRFSFINAL.) Submissions to the Request for Solutions - Brand New Air Traffic Control System at Sam.gov must be submitted by September 21, 2025. Carrier Qualifications Axed From Graduation Requirements For New Navy Fighter Pilots U.S. Navy Tactical Air (Strike) aviators in training are no longer required to take off and land from aircraft carriers before earning their Naval Aviator wings. A Navy official said “Students in the strike pipeline, those training to fly F/A-18s, F-35s, and EA-18Gs, are no longer required to qualify by landing on ...
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862 Bits & Pieces XXXIII
The 100-day MrBeast challenge to win a jet, a message from the Head of the Aviation Engineering Department at Tishk International University, Rob’s traditional Labor Day message, and Captain Dana returns to Maine. The MrBeast “100 Day Jet Challenge” The MrBeast “100 Day Jet Challenge” required a contestant, commercial pilot Armando Carrion, to live entirely inside a $2.5 million Dassault Aviation Hawker 2000 jet for 100 days. If Armando did that, he’d win the jet as a prize. If he stepped outside, he would lose everything. Obino and Dana. Armando was our guest in Episode 549. At that time, he had just retired as Special Ops top sergeant from a 21-year career in the U. S. Air Force. His service included aircrew on the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, and he specialized in flying light tactical fixed-wing, as well as special missions. Armando has been a volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) for 25 years and commanded two different squadrons. Since retiring, Armando has been flying commercial, charter, and privately. Brian and Micah speak with Armando and Obino. Video: Survive 100 Days Trapped In A Private Jet, Keep It https://youtu.be/pzBi1nwDn8U?si=Ds2KbiZc46DPWqPw MrBeast offers $2.5M private jet to pilot who survives 100 days inside without touching ground Aviation Engineering at Tishk International University Soorkeu A. Atrooshi, PhD, is the Head of the Aviation Engineering Department at Tishk International University in Iraq. He listens to Airplane Geeks and told us the podcast has provided a lot of information to fellow aviation knowledge seekers at the University. He submitted a brief message for this episode. Rob’s Labor Day Message Each year, Rob Mark sends a Labor Day message. Captain Dana Back in Maine In Episode 858, Captain Dana, an A320-family pilot, visited with Micah and talked about flying, his background, and how he traveled to Maine. Dana recently returned to Maine to visit with Micah but this time Brian was jealous that he couldn’t be there, so he sent Micah a series of questions for Dana to answer. Hosts this Episode Max Flight, Micah, Brian Coleman, and Rob Mark.
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861 Floatplane
We talk with a floatplane pilot who flies the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver commercially. In the news, we look at strategies for modernizing the air traffic control system, striking flight attendants and some who wish they could, and a wingsuit accident takes the life of an ICON Aircraft co-founder. Guest John Crawford flies the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver commercially on the Canadian West Coast. He began flying Beavers when he was the Chief Pilot and Operations Manager for a company specializing in floatplane training, where he overhauled the training program. In addition to his full-time flying job, John also has a coaching program that helps pilots get their first flying position without the unnecessary and expensive detour of instructing. He helps student pilots with resumes, job search beyond job ads, interview preparation, and more. John Crawford and the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver. John describes his path to becoming a floatplane pilot, learning to fly, and using taildragger and bush-flying experience. He notes the origin of the Beaver and the challenges of flying a floatplane compared to other aircraft, including obstructions in the water, winds, and docking. John’s coaching project started as a proof of concept but has grown to include Canadian, U.S., and international students. We look at his teaching methods, the pattern of floatplane student pilots who do well learning to fly, and how John shows people how to get work. John also provides a valuable perspective on flight instructing in general and how teaching is not for everyone. See John’s website, find him on YouTube, and on Instagram. Aviation News The ‘brand new’ ATC system might not be as new as you think The National Airspace System today is built on three main software platforms that help transmit flight plan data, collect aircraft position information, and display all of that on the screens of air traffic controllers: the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) used by approach and departure facilities, En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) used by enroute facilities, and the Advanced Technologies & Oceanic Procedures (ATOPs) used by oceanic facilities in California and New York. The FAA said that combining these three protocols into a single common automation platform would be more efficient. That proposal is a pillar of the administration's ATC modernization plan, and it would cost an estimated $31.5 billion. Instead of replacing STARS, ERAM, and ATOPs, FAA chief Bryan Bedford said the agency is exploring a cheaper way to connect the systems that "will look and feel and act exactly the same" as a common platform without actually being one. "There's technology that we can stick in between ERAM and STARS and ATOPs and the user, you know, a new interface. These interfaces actually exist today. We can take that data, we can re-present it across the users of the NAS." US flight attendants are fed up like their Air Canada peers. Here’s why they are unlikely to strike Hourly wages for flight attendants can be very low relative to the cost of living. Some can’t afford housing in their home base location and must therefore commute from a lower-cost region. Discontent is amplified when FAs are not paid until the cabin door is open. Airline strikes are rare due to the Railway Labor Act of 1926, amended in 1936 to include airlines. For airline workers to strike, Federal mediators must declare an impasse. But even then, the president or Congress can intervene. Air Canada reaches deal with flight attendant union to end strike as operations will slowly restart Ten thousand Air Canada flight attendants went on strike, but that ended with a tentative deal that includes wage increases and pay for boarding passengers. ICON founder dies in wingsuit accident ICON Aircraft co-founder Kirk Hawkins died August 19, 2025, in a wingsuit accident in the Swiss Alps.
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860 The Edge of Disaster
A guest panel discusses aircraft accidents, air turbulence injuries, airline and airframer culture, pilot training and experience, FAA shortfalls, and other topics that impact the flying public. In the news, the 90-second evacuation rule, the fatal Jeju Air crash at Muan Airport, and Zunum Air’s suit against Boeing for the misappropriation of trade secrets. Guests Chris Manno became an Air Force pilot after graduation from college and served seven years as a squadron pilot in the Pacific. He flew as a pilot with American Airlines for 35 years and was a captain for 29 of those years. Over his career, Chris logged over 25,000 hours of jet time. He’s a cartoonist and author of many books. Chris has just written a new book based on actual airline incidents titled Whiskey Air. It's a fictionalized deep-dive into actual airline incidents. James Albright co-wrote Whiskey Air. He’s a fellow USAF pilot (they flew together in a squadron in PACAF) who went on to command a USAF squadron, then retired and spent another twenty years as a corporate pilot. He also writes safety analysis for AvWeek. Erin Applebaum is a Partner in the aviation practice at Kreindler & Kreindler LLP. She represents the interests of passengers severely injured or killed in general aviation and commercial airline accidents. Erin is currently on the team representing numerous victims of the DCA midair collision. She's also handling cases on behalf of several passengers from the February 2025 Delta Air Lines crash in Toronto. Erin is a foremost authority on litigating claims governed by the Montreal Convention, the international treaty on commercial air travel. Erin’s other major cases at Kreindler include the Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 catastrophic engine failure and the Liberty Helicopters doors-off tour helicopter crash in the East River. For the past six years, Erin has played a key role in Kreindler’s fight against Boeing in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302/737 MAX litigation. She was appointed by the court as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 cases and was instrumental in the victims’ families’ effort to overturn the Deferred Prosecution Agreement between Boeing and the Department of Justice. Discussion In this episode’s roundtable, our guests bring their knowledge and experience to the discussion of important issues faced by the industry, including: The 90-second evacuation rule. The liability of the airlines, airports, and the regulators. Boeing’s corporate culture, reputation, and the DOJ’s criminal case. Profit motives over safety. Decision making in the cockpit and being the captain that sometimes has to say, “no.” Lack of FAA oversight resources and the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). Delegated oversight authority. Injuries sustained due to air turbulence. See: Whiskey Air on Amazon Chris Manno's author page Code 7700 page by James Albright Rough Skies Ahead: Legal Options for Turbulence Injuries [PDF] by Erin Applebaum and Taylor Sandella. Aviation News Senator Pushes FAA to Examine Aircraft Evacuation Rules Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) sent a letter to the FAA asking the agency to compare its 90-second evacuation standard against recent incidents. The rule originated in the late 1960s and requires aircraft manufacturers to demonstrate during certification that all passengers and crew can evacuate the aircraft within 90 seconds, even with only half of the emergency exits available. Duckworth’s letter: “While FAA has yet to disclose how long any of the referenced passenger evacuations took, these incidents once again raise serious questions about FAA’s 90-second evacuation standard as well as FAA’s assumptions about how evacuations occur in real world conditions (such as the assumption every passenger will comply with instructions to deplane without carry-on bags).”
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859 F-35, Eurofighter Typhoon, and the Future Combat Air System
Foreign nations consider F-35 alternatives such as the Typhoon and FCAS, Denver Airport studies the use of a small modular reactor, Astronaut Jim Lovell passed, Senate bill blocks ATC privatization, NTSB hearings highlighted, and the Regional Airline Association calls for accredited flight training programs to be recognized as professional degrees. Aviation News Spain rules out F-35 order, prioritizes Eurofighter and FCAS The Spanish Ministry of Defense has decided to “prioritize investment in European industry” and will consider the Eurofighter Typhoon or the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) over the Lockheed Martin F-35. The Spanish government wants to replace its aging fleet of McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets and AV-8B Harrier II aircraft. Previously, the F-35 was considered a leading candidate. Talks with Lockheed Martin are now suspended. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, courtesy F35.com. Other potential foreign F-35 customers, including Canada and Portugal, have signaled doubts about joining the American-led program amid geopolitical strain with the Trump administration. Swiss lawmakers are calling for the government to cancel a $9.1 billion order for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighter. Denver to look at nuclear option for power at Denver International Airport The Denver airport (DIA) “issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to study the feasibility of building a small modular (nuclear) reactor (SMR) on the DEN campus. The study is part of DEN’s overall efforts to meet future clean energy demands.” A new Colorado law reclassifies nuclear energy as a clean energy resource. See the press release: DEN to Pursue More Alternative Energy Options for Future Needs and A nuclear reactor at the Denver airport? Here’s what you need to know. Professor Thomas Albrecht, director of the Nuclear Science and Engineering Center at the Colorado School of Mines, said, "The idea, with many of the small modular reactors, is you can drive them up on a semi. put them down on a concrete pad and plug them in, and they just go. The idea of many of these designs is you could keep adding them." The study will cost up to $1.25 million and is expected to take between 6-12 months to complete, at which time DEN, along with its partners, will evaluate the findings and determine next steps. NASA Administrator Reflects on Passing of Astronaut Jim Lovell Astronaut James A. Lovell was a pioneering NASA astronaut best known as the commander of Apollo 13 and as one of the first humans to orbit the Moon, having flown a total of four space missions—Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13—more than any astronaut in NASA's early years. Astronaut James A. Lovell, NASA. Gemini 7 (1965): Set an endurance record of nearly 14 days in orbit and accomplished the first rendezvous of two manned spacecraft, a vital maneuver for Moon missions. Gemini 12 (1966): Commanded the final Gemini mission, featured Buzz Aldrin as pilot, and executed complex extravehicular activities, closing the Gemini program successfully. Apollo 8 (1968): Served as Command Module Pilot for the first crewed mission to leave Earth's orbit and enter lunar orbit, making him and his crewmates the first humans to orbit the Moon and see its far side. Apollo 13 (1970): Commanded the ill-fated lunar mission that suffered a catastrophic explosion en route, forcing a dramatic turnaround and Moon flyby. His leadership in crisis turned it into an inspirational story of survival; Lovell and his crew made it back safely, an event celebrated worldwide and dramatized in the 1995 film "Apollo 13". See Former Astronaut James A. Lovell - NASA and EAA’s Jack Pelton on the Death of Astronaut Jim Lovell. Senate ATC modernization funding bill blocks privatization The Senate Appropriations Committee bill to fund the Department of Transportation, including the FAA, in 2026 seeks to block any attempts to privatize the U.S. air traffic control system.
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