Free Republic

Denver airport’s air traffic control was reportedly struck by a staggering six-minute outage earlier this week after several radio transmitters suddenly went dark. The frequency outage meant that as many as 20 pilots were unable to reach air traffic controllers as they descended into Denver International Airport on Monday afternoon, ABC7 reported, citing sources. A controller eventually made contact with one aircraft on a “guard line,” which is typically only used when a pilot is in distress. That pilot was then able to contact other nearby planes and tell them to switch radio frequencies, the sources said. At the time...

The new system came from a private/public innovation challenge aimed at women who fly jets and say they often won't drink water for hours to avoid the 'mess' of traditional relief systems. Believe it or not, pilots relieving themselves mid-flight has become a national security issue. For decades, many military pilots who heard nature’s call — particularly those who fly fighters and especially women in those planes — faced an unpleasant reality: use the decades-old ‘piddle packs’ or other devices designed for mid-flight peeing, hold it the whole way, or risk dangerous dehydration by drinking so little water that you...

Veteran airline captain Sherry Walker said the infestation of DEI hiring programs has eroded safety standards so much that some pilots are afraid to take a bathroom break for fear their unqualified co-pilot might crash the plane in their absence. Walker, who has been a commercial airline pilot for nearly 35 years, made the alarming revelation to Tucker Carlson in a podcast that aired Monday. Carlson said he doesn’t want a person who espouses irrational propaganda — such as gender is a social construct — flying his plane. “That’s irrational,” Carlson said. “That’s what freaks me out. It’s irrational. So...

...master Army aviator told Breitbart News that they had been at risk for years. In fact, the aviator said, the Army was so strapped for experienced pilots that up through 2023 it was sending its most junior pilots fresh out of flight school to fly these specialized missions. At one point, an estimated 40 percent of the pilots assigned to these missions, which can include evacuating leaders in the event of an attack, were on their first assignment, the aviator said. “D.C. is some of the most challenging and restricted airspace in the country if not the world, so you...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the U.S military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels. Both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries. But the shootdown underlines just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become, with ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite U.S. and European military coalitions patrolling the area. The U.S. military had conducted airstrikes targeting...

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released photos of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) preparing for its overnight mission attacking Iran’s missile sites and air defenses — and the photos included several female pilots and crew members. As Breitbart News reported, the attack came in retaliation for massive Iranian attacks on Israel in April and early October. The strikes appeared to have been limited to military targets, not oil and gas industry sites or nuclear sites.

JACKSON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — When Helene hit the mountains of WNC, it was evident many would need relief supplies quickly. However, as many roads were destroyed, a fleet of volunteer pilots took to the skies, flying them into the Jackson County Airport. The airport sits atop the mountains at over 2,800 feet; of late, there's been heightened activity. "In 11 days, we've had 33% of what we would have in a whole year," said airport manager Jim Rowell. Shortly after Helene hit, he and organizer Crystal Cochran coordinated the arrival of hundreds of private volunteer pilots, who flew in...

Desperate residents of Hurricane Helene-ravaged Western North Carolina are relying on home-grown rescue efforts instead of waiting for the Biden-Harris administration’s financially depleted FEMA to get its act together. Not content to hold out hope for help some fear might not arrive in time, a handful of grassroots rescue operations have sprung up to render assistance by air, land and even on four legs. With hundreds more missing in the remote, unforgiving terrain and communication services damaged or nonexistent, the search for survivors grows more dire with each passing hour. Local airports like City of Statesville Regional Airport and Hickory...

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is getting skewered on social media for releasing a message asking drone pilots to no longer fly their drones “near or around rescue and recovery efforts” for Hurricane Helene victims. ” Drone pilots: Do not fly your drone near or around rescue and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said in an X post. “Interfering with emergency response operations impacts search and rescue operations on the ground,” it continued, sharing a video of Buttigieg repeating this sentiment.

Some aviation experts argue the FAA’s focus on ‘diversity’ instead of ’merit' in hiring pilots and controllers is leading to serious safety concerns... As the U.S. Justice Department decides whether to pursue a criminal case against Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating dozens of airplane incidents since January, including one in which a Swiss Air jet almost collided with four other planes on the runway at JFK International Airport in New York City. The FAA has more than 100 aviation accidents and incidents since the beginning of 2024. These include airplane and helicopter crashes, equipment and mechanical malfunctions,...

CHICAGO, July 20 (Reuters) - United Airlines (UAL.O) , opens new tab CEO Scott Kirby has acknowledged that the carrier's pilots are shunning promotion to the captain's chair, hurting its flight capacity in the fourth quarter, confirming what Reuters reported earlier this week. Multiple pilots at United told Reuters that senior first officers have been avoiding promotion to captain as they do not want the unpredictable schedule that comes with the bigger paycheck, creating headaches for the Chicago-based company

The Minority Pilot Advancement Foundation launched today during Black History Month with the goal of bringing 600 minority and women pilots per year into the aviation industry. By educating, inspiring and funding minority teens in aviation careers, the Foundation is poised to drive generational change by breaking the cycle of lack of advancement opportunities, and to help alleviate the significant pilot shortage in the United States. Because of that shortage, major airline companies have dropped the need for a four-year degree as a prerequisite for employment as an airline pilot, opening opportunities to youth who may not realize that a...

The Covid 19 shot is an experimental “Medical Trail” and since that is the case, all pilots that have taken part in the experimental program must be grounded because of health dangers, such as blood clots and heart problems.

Federal investigators said that Boeing didn’t make pilots aware that when a plane rapidly depressurizes, the cockpit door will fly open ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The cockpit door aboard last week’s troubled Alaska Airlines flight surprised the flight crew by swinging open seconds after the fuselage suffered a potentially catastrophic rupture, according to the chair of the federal agency investigating the incident. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said during a news briefing Monday that the cockpit doors flew open immediately after the paneled-over exit door popped off of the fuselage. A flight attendant had to try three times to get it...

New data from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) provides further evidence that the COVID-19 shots carry significant health risks, including multiple heart issues.Lieutenant Ted Macie is an active-duty officer with the U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps who serves as a health administrator and medical recruiter. His wife Mara Macie is running for Congress in Florida’s Fifth District. Both have been speaking out against the Pentagon’s COVID jab mandate and its treatment of service members who objected.In a video uploaded to social media, Lt. Macie cited a July letter from U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness Gilbert Cisneros...

USA Wow, The Insanity Continues Navy Medical Officer reveals Covax Vaccine Related Heart Issues. These numbers are astounding. "Myocarditis up 151%, Ischemic heart disease up 69%, pulmonary heart disease up 62% and Heart Failure is up 973%" (49 second video at link below) https://twitter.com/Risemelbourne/status/1729337006914990526

Two private planes collided on the runway of a Houston airport early last week. Luckily, no one was seriously injured, and the ultimate nightmare scenario of a midair collision did not transpire. Investigators are still looking into the incident, though early reports suggest the air traffic controllers were responsible. ... “We just had a midair,” the pilot of the Hawker is heard saying in an audio recording posted on LiveATC.net, which shares live and archived recordings of air traffic control radio transmissions. Someone in the control tower responds by saying, “Say what?” “You guys cleared somebody to take off or...

CAPTAIN Shane Murdock says the air industry is ‘poised on the precipice of disaster’. A pilot for more than 40 years and a qualified air accident investigator, he has found official data that back up his claim of impending global catastrophe. He adds: ‘When correlated, the data indicate there is an enormous problem that is having, and will have, a significant impact on aviation safety worldwide. There is enough evidence to be sending out red flags.’ There have been many tragedies this year. Phil Thomas, a young graduate of the Cadiz, Spain, flight training academy, fell ill and died suddenly...

OUTSIDE KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukrainian pilots are honing their skills in virtual F-16 fighter jet cockpits as they anxiously await approval to travel abroad for training. A Ukrainian pilot gave a demonstration to a reporter from The Hill in an exclusive visit to a secret facility this month, where the cockpit simulation was displayed on large computer monitors for a small audience. Andrii, a Su-27 fighter pilot who goes by the call sign ‘Sabre,’ sat in a mock jet seat with a joystick, pedals under his feet, and a throttle to the left. The action takes place in a virtual...

As we commemorate the 9/11 terror attacks, we're taking a look back at "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell's 2021 interview with Air National Guard pilots Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville and Heather Penney. They recounted the harrowing events from that Tuesday morning in 2001 when they heroically rushed into their F-16 fighter jets in what they knew might be their last mission to protect the nation's capital after the World Trade Center attacks in New York City. Tune in for exclusive Air Traffic Control audio over the Eastern seaboard.