UPDATE Jan 5, 2015: I know many of you are anxious and waiting for the tickets. We are too. We have hit some snags in finalizing the schedule, which we need to do before we can sell the tickets. Do not worry AGF15 is still happening on Feb 21 and 22. We are hoping to have the scheduling done SOON, give you all a heads up on when the tickets will go on sale and then sell them. They will be first come, first serve, with a wait-list after they are sold. Thank you for your support and patience. – David
We heard the feedback from many of you! Aviation Geek Fest Seattle 2015 will NOT be over the Valentine’s Day weekend (also Presidents Day weekend). AGF15 will be held on February 21st and 22nd, 2015 in Seattle.
I know you want more details, but at this time, that is all that we have. In the next few months, we will be working hard with the Future of Flight, Museum of Flight, and Boeing to come up some great AvGeek adventures. There will be some things that look familiar and hopefully some new things as well.
If you have not already done so, please sign up for the AGF email list. Any updates will be sent via that list and posted on AirlineReporter.
A group of AvGeeks in front of a Boeing 747-8I – Photo: The Boeing Company
I know, I know, you all want details, but we just don’t have them yet — but soon. If you have ideas in what you want to see for Aviation Geek Fest 2015, then feel free to leave them in the comments, but no promises.
Likely tickets will be sold on a first come, first serve basis, as they have been in previous years. They sold out in about 3 minutes last year — they are in high demand.
What is Aviation Geek Fest? Oh man… hold on to your boots — it is a two-day aviation adventure of epic proportions. See what we have done in the past:
Thanks everyone for your amazing support with this event and we cannot wait to see you in February!
Air Caraibes Airbus A330 over the bay, about to land – Photo: Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter
My fiancee and I, chatting earlier this year while I was at my computer:
“Hey sweetie, did you realize our honeymoon cruise stops for a day at St. Martin?”
“Um, I think so, yea…”
“Did you know that is where they have the beach with the planes that just about land on your head?”
“Like the videos and pictures you showed me? Wow! That’s awesome! Sounds like we should spend that day there at that beach, you think?”
“Oh man, I am SO marrying the right woman!”
The author standing directly below a Boeing 737 about to land – Photo: Julian Cordle
When I tell people I’m into aviation, my (now) wife likes to describe me to others as “like the super-excited train guy, but with planes”. Tongue-in-cheek, of course. In any case, once we made plans to visit world-famous Maho Beach on St. Martin, she listened to me tell her many times “I can’t believe I get to actually BE THERE” while I was browsing the many stunning photos online.
At the front of the first narrowbody set is the flight deck from the movie “Airplane!” – Photo: Ben Granucci | NYCAviation
Story written by Ben Granucci and appears on NYCAviation.com
In 1998, Talaat Captan was a writer and movie producer shooting scenes in an airport for the movie Ground Control, starring Kiefer Sutherland. After experiencing great difficulty coordinating the logistics involved with filming in an active airport, Mr. Captan knew that there had to be a better way. A self described aviation enthusiast himself, he founded Air Hollywood shortly after filming wrapped. The goal of Air Hollywood is to have a studio where all types of aviation scenes can be produced in a film-friendly environment. We recently visited the Air Hollywood studios and got to see all that they had to offer.
Right this way, please!
Right this way, please!
We started with a tour of their collection of full aircraft sets. Air Hollywood has several complete aircraft interiors that can be quickly and easily reconfigured to not only provide a wide variety of interior looks, but also permit filming from any angle necessary. Instead of replicating particular types of aircraft exactly, they have three more generic interiors. As we entered the building, we stepped into a scenery piece that was built to look like a jet bridge. Just like you would board an airliner, we walked down the ramp and turned a corner to see what looked to be the entrance door of a aircraft.
Once upon a time, this was the business end of a 727. Today it is being rebuilt into a fully functional movie set complete with switches that click and lights that glow – Photo: Ben Granucci | NYCAviation.com
However this was not an aircraft at all, but rather the studio’s widebody set. With a shell made of wood and an interior made of aircraft cabin panels, this piece of scenery was somewhere between a Boeing 767 and an Airbus A330 in width. In the condition that we toured it, it was equipped with a small business class cabin and a slightly larger economy class cabin.
All components of the cabin can be removed and replaced in a matter of minutes versus the several hours that a real aircraft would require. The entire aircraft interior, including the seats, were all purchased used. Mr. Captan explained to us that new components are cost prohibitive. For example, one first class seat alone can cost upwards of $30,000 when purchased as new, while the used cost is a fraction of that.
Continue reading Behind the Scenes of Airliners in Movies – Air Hollywood on NYCAviation.com
The HUD on Alaska Airlines’ newest flight simulator. Notice Mount Rainier off in the distance on the left.
When Alaska Airlines recently reached out to me, asking if I would like some time in their brand-spanking-new Boeing 737-800 flight simulator, I didn’t know if I should reply with just “yes,” or “hell yes.” (I actually think I went for the latter).
The simulator was so new that it hasn’t been added to Alaska’s training schedule (that will start next week). That was a huge benefit, because it allowed me to experience the simulator for over an hour. I have had the opportunity to be in six other simulators, but typically they are in high demand, so the max time in one is about 15-20 minutes. I was excited to give this one a full-on ride.
Taxiing at Seattle Tacoma International Airport. The attention to detail was amazing.
Captain Burton, our instructor Dave, PR guru Halley and I had a great time (I felt special that I was given the Captain’s seat). We flew by downtown Seattle, made a difficult approach into Juneau, completed a foggy aborted landing, and more. The only thing Captain Burton wouldn’t let us do is a barrel roll — that’s okay, but I had to ask.
To learn more and follow along with my simulator adventure, check out the full story (with more photos and video) on Alaska Airlines’ new blog. When you are done there, you can also check out more photos of the simulator and Alaska’s flight operations center on our Flickr.
Continue Reading Flying High at Ground Level – Checking out Alaska’s New Flight Simulator
The first Boeing 787-9 for All Nippon Airways (ANA), seen at Boeing Field while conducting tests for Boeing Photo: Mal Muir | AirlineReporter
Several weeks ago, Air New Zealand became the first airline to take delivery of the new Boeing 787-9 — the stretched Dreamliner. With much pomp & circumstance, they took ownership of their “All Blacks” livery aircraft and flew it away back to New Zealand.
Then, just before the end of July, the second 787-9 was delivered to All Nippon Airways (ANA) (JA830A), and it quietly slipped away into the night off to Japan. At the time, it was unknown who might commence 787-9 flights first.
ANA’s first 787-9 departing Everett on delivery to Japan – Photo: Boeing
Air New Zealand, being the first to take delivery, did not plan to start their 787 on a new route until October when they would begin service from Auckland to Perth. The Kiwis had decided to operate flights back and forth between New Zealand & Australia to get their crew used to the aircraft (as this is their first 787) and although they were operating flights with crew onboard, there were a few with just friends and family. Despite that, it was ANA who would challenge the spot as first to operate the newest 787 model.
ANA was the first airline to take delivery of the 787-8, and they originally put it to work on domestic flights within Japan. The airline is also now the largest operator of the 787, with a total of 30 in service; 29 of those are the smaller 787-8, which is split between a long-haul configuration and a higher density domestic configuration.
The newest arrival to the fleet is set up in a domestic configuration as well, with a whopping 395 seats onboard. Meant to replace high-capacity 767s in Japan, the new aircraft will run back and forth between the Tokyo Haneda hub and other major Japanese cities like Osaka and Fukuoka. But could ANA get a 787-9 into service before Air New Zealand? You bet!
