Cargo airlines purchase retired passenger aircraft despite their fuel inefficiency because acquisition costs outweigh operating expenses when planes fly fewer hours and loads can be optimized. Unlike passenger carriers…
It's Friday the 8th of May. My name is Juan Brown. You're watching the Blanco channel. Time to cover a couple of quick NTSB preliminary reports that just came out. First, the NTSB preliminary report on the sling…
A Cessna 421C twin-engine aircraft crashed on April 30, 2026 near Wimberley, Texas, killing pilot Justin Glenn Appling and four other members of his local pickleball team. The aircraft encountered severe thunderstorms…
United Airlines flight 169, a Boeing 767-400, struck a bread truck on the New Jersey Turnpike during a visual final approach to runway 29 at Newark Airport, impacting the vehicle's landing gear approximately 630 feet…
United Airlines flight 169, a 24-year-old Boeing 767-400 carrying 221 passengers and 10 crew members, struck a lightning pole and the roof of a bakery truck on the New Jersey turnpike while attempting to land on runway…
- How far could an airline CEO go in order to get back at his old airline? Or more specifically, could United Airlines merge with or even take over American Airlines in order to create a single supersized American flag…
A light jet features three rear seats suitable for children and adults with substantial legroom. The aircraft also includes an additional seat behind the pilot and offers ample passenger space throughout the cabin.
United 277 go around. Alaska 553 go around. >> In my professional career, I have done a few go-arounds while I was in flight school. Done a few goounds while I was flying commercial jets. And I don't ever know of any…
On January 29, 2025, PSA Airlines flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army UH-60 helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, ending a 15-year safety streak in American commercial aviation, with both aircraft…
The Waco Aircraft Company closed on April 29, 2026, eliminating 60 jobs in Battle Creek, Michigan after German businessman Dieter, who purchased the company in 2018, invested over $40 million in a production facility…
A United Airlines Boeing 737 collided with a small red drone on April 29, 2026, while descending through 3,000 feet to land at San Diego International Airport. The pilots successfully completed their landing and…
A video presents a true cost analysis of an airplane offered for sale, detailing both the purchase price and operational expenses. The breakdown provides prospective buyers with comprehensive information about the total…
An airplane broker presents a detailed cost analysis of a Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet listed at $2.6 million, breaking down both acquisition and operational expenses. The aircraft's true hourly operating cost reaches…
Five fatal aircraft accidents occurred in April 2026, including a Beachcraft Bonanza that crashed shortly after takeoff from Crystal Airport near Minneapolis killing a state legislator, and several Mooney and Cessna…
Aircraft cabin windows contain three layers with a small breather hole in the middle layer that equalizes pressure and temperature differences between them. This hole prevents the layers from bending inward or outward…
The theft of 12 shipping containers of worn-out jet engine parts in January 2026 exemplifies an ongoing aviation industry problem: the proliferation of unapproved or counterfeit aircraft parts. The 1989 crash of Partner…
On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah, a 22-year-old R&B singer, and her production crew departed Marsh Harbor Airport in the Bahamas in a Cessna 402 Bravo after filming a music video. The aircraft used for the return flight was…
Airliners do not have brakes on nose wheels because the main landing gear, positioned near the aircraft's center of gravity, provides more effective braking, while adding brakes to the nose gear would require structural…
The NTSB preliminary report is out on the Air Canada CRJ jet, which collided with the firefighting truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport on March 22nd at 11:37 at night. My name is Juan Brown. You're watching the Blanco…
- On Thursday, 23rd April 2026, the NTSB released a very detailed preliminary report on the runway incursion accident that happened at LaGuardia Airport on 22nd March, 2026. The accident occurred when a CRJ-900…
A Cessna 172 rental aircraft struck high-voltage power lines during a forced landing in Pacoima, California on April 20, 2026, when its landing gear caught the wires and caused the aircraft to be knocked from the sky…
A jet in this category features seven seats in its cabin, capable of comfortably accommodating all passengers depending on fuel load and range requirements. The cabin is notably spacious rather than cramped, providing…
The Cirrus Vision Jet was showcased in Dayton as a groundbreaking aircraft designed for general aviation. The jet represents a significant innovation as the first true jet that allows non-professional pilots to…
The Cirrus Vision Jet is a single-engine light jet designed for accessibility to newer pilots, featuring interior design elements similar to Cirrus's piston aircraft to facilitate easy transitions. The aircraft seats up…
A Twin Comanche aircraft lost both engines on April 18, 2026, while flying toward Auburn Airport near Seattle and made a forced landing in a field 2.4 miles short of the runway with both occupants walking away unharmed.…
The Vision jet is the only civilian jet equipped with a ballistic parachute system integrated into the aircraft, a feature derived from the SR22 design. The system has been validated through real-world testing, with…
Pilots or air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport transmitted meowing and barking sounds on the radio on April 12, 2026, during a sterile flight phase when such transmissions are prohibited,…
who actually made the aircraft that you'll be flying on next. It may well have a Boeing, an Airbus, or an Embra logo by the door when you board. But is that badge really the answer? Well, no, not really. And to see an…
Thai Airways Flight 261 departed Bangkok for Suratani on December 11, 1998 with 146 people aboard an Airbus A310 crewed by experienced pilots who had been given adequate rest. The destination airport had multiple…
The Cirrus Vision Jet is a single-engine private aircraft designed for fuel efficiency and equipped with distinctive safety features including a built-in parachute system and automatic landing capability. The plane's…
Air France flight 025 aborted takeoff at LAX when the takeoff hold lights illuminated red as the aircraft began its departure roll, signaling that a Gulfstream had crossed over the hold short lines on the runway. The…
Juan Brown at Santa Monica with a quick field report update. On Monday, the 13th of April, another Beechcraft Baron was lost in a training accident. What appears to be another clear case of a loss of control of the…
The FAA is phasing out 100 low lead aviation fuel by 2030 due to lead toxicity, requiring piston engine aircraft owners to modify their engines or switch to alternative fuels at costs ranging from a few thousand dollars…
On April 11, 2026, Icelandair flight 521 deviated from its planned approach to Keflavik and descended to approximately 100 meters over Heimaey island in Iceland, a significant violation of aviation rules. The Boeing 757…
There was a double-fatal accident on Wednesday, the 8th of April, at Marana Regional Airport, Marana, Arizona. My name's Juan Brown, you're watching the Blanco Lirio channel. Let's check it out. The victims have been…
- This is Thunderbird 6, an F-16C taking off for an air show in Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho back in September of 2003. Unfortunately though, even before takeoff, the pilot, US Air Force Captain Chris Elroy…
A retired Cal Fire chainsaw foreman demonstrates bore cutting techniques and essential safety practices while felling a standing dead tree using a Stihl 500i fuel-injected chainsaw. The instruction covers proper chain…
A leaseback strategy allows airplane owners to monetize their aircraft by renting them to operators at a set hourly rate while the operators rent them to customers at a higher rate, creating an arbitrage opportunity.…
Southern Airways Flight 242, a DC-9 carrying 85 people, departed Huntsville, Alabama on April 4, 1977, headed for Atlanta amid rapidly developing severe weather including multiple tornadoes across the region. Despite…
Airlines shifted from polishing planes to painting them because polished aluminum requires extensive maintenance—washing, inspecting, and repolishing three times yearly—making it costlier than the additional fuel needed…
The Vajont Dam in northern Italy was the site of one of the biggest dam disasters in modern history, though its structure remains intact and is now accessible to tourists despite no longer holding water or generating…
AOPA is holding Sun N Fun 2026 at Lakeland Air Airport April 14-19, featuring presentations including a Blanco story discussion and a pilot town hall with new board chairman Luke Whipler. The organization announced it…
On February 28, 2026, the outbreak of war in Iran forced closure of critical commercial aviation routes over the Gulf, leaving aircraft already in transit with rapidly disappearing diversion options. Pilots faced fuel…
A passenger aboard a commercial flight punched a flight attendant while praying on the cabin floor during in-flight meal service. The assault violated FAA regulations prohibiting interference with crew members, and law…
In the late afternoon of August 4th, 2020, Beirut was alive and bustling with activity. Nurses were delivering newborns, people returned home from work, and a bride was preparing for her wedding photos. Just another…
A 1973 Bonanza A36 crashed on March 22, 2026, in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Five Lakes after experiencing an engine failure that was preceded by turbocharger malfunction while en route from Monterey to Truckee,…
Delta Airlines Flight 104 experienced a catastrophic uncontained low-pressure turbine failure on a Pratt & Whitney 4000 engine during takeoff from São Paulo, Brazil on March 29, with missing turbine blades and stator…
The September 11th security fee generates over $4.5 billion annually but has been diverted toward reducing the national deficit since the 2013 bipartisan budget act rather than funding the TSA as intended. The TSA is…
- Can a small, aerofoil-shaped device like this revolutionize aviation safety? And if so, how? Aircraft stalls, as in where an aircraft wing or its stabilizer exceeds its critical angle of attack and effectively stops…
- Why does this fighter jet have a strange-looking fin under its fuselage? And what does it have in common with this fighter jet or with this Airbus A340 and its strange wings? Well, today we're going to look at…
A US Air Force KC-135 air refueling tanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12, 2026, following an apparent midair collision with another KC-135 that carried six crew members. One KC-135 returned to Tel Aviv with…
UPS permanently retired its MD-11 fleet following a November 2025 crash, while FedEx announced plans to return its 29 MD-11 freighters to service by May 2026 after working with Boeing and the FAA on required inspections…
- Airport closures, airport dramas, jet engine dramas and some industrial finger-pointing. These are just some of the aviation stories that either grabbed the world's attention in the past few weeks or if they didn't,…
- Can one aircraft do basically everything? Well, the C-130 Hercules, or the Herc as it's known to its friends, is primarily a military cargo aircraft. But it has also been used to carry paratroopers, it can land on…
A United Airlines wide-body flight crew failed to understand an air traffic control clearance to climb and maintain 10,000 feet at "speed your discretion," requiring the controller to clarify that this instruction…
Airbus issued emergency software updates for approximately 6,000 A320s after discovering a solar radiation vulnerability in the ELAC 2 flight control computer, following an in-flight upset incident on a JetBlue flight…
The Boeing 787 uniquely avoids cabin smoke events by replacing the traditional engine bleed air system with electrical power for pressurization, heating, and other aircraft functions. While conventional bleed air…
JetBlue Flight 1191 diverted back to Boston after passengers reported a customer smoking marijuana in the lavatory during flight. The pilot confirmed the cockpit was secure and requested descent to burn fuel before…
Various nations operate specially configured government aircraft including Germany's Airbus A350-900, the United Kingdom's Airbus A330-200 Voyager, India's Boeing 777-300 ER, and Saudi Arabia's Boeing 747-400, each…
In life, if you're doing something and you're asking if the police are around, it probably means you're doing something that you shouldn't be doing, which is exactly what's going on here. When this pilot asks if the…
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. American 186 declaring a medical emergency. >> I got sent this audio because someone said they thought it was extremely disrespectful that these pilots of Air Force One, which is the call sign of…
An American Airlines mechanic named Paul was convicted of smuggling cocaine through JFK airport as part of a drug ring that transported $250,000 worth of cocaine on every flight by hiding it in a lower avionics…
Wow. Incredibly. >> If you ever hear pilots say, "Wow, incredible." during your landing, it's rarely because you did something so good that they were just like very impressed by it. It's usually because something was…
KM is the oldest airline in the world, still operating today. And several of their crew members were part of a heist, stealing a reported $80 million in uncut diamonds. Or at least that was the impression that the…
A pilot at LaGuardia Airport requested information from air traffic control about his position in the takeoff sequence to plan fuel consumption during a ground delay. The controller responded dismissively, stating that…
Inside this flight attendants bag is cocaine with an estimated street value of $3 million. This JetBlue flight attendant's name is Marsha Reynolds. And this photo was taken moments before her trying to smuggle the…
Aviation moves fast. The brief lands every morning before show time.