Aviation adjacent https://au.news.yahoo.com/boeing-whistleblower-found-dead-us-211331098.html

https://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/news/200/boeing-whistleblower-found-dead-in-charleston-after-break-in-depositions/

Remember when "if it ain't Boeing I ain't going"?

"There is nothing harder on laurels than resting upon them."

Best
Les

(A cross-post of mine from another thread)

Ok, I will admit I'm no pilot, I don't work for an airline etc etc. I do, however, fly a LOT.

And it sure seems to me that Boeing can't get a break right now. And IDK how many aircraft they have up in the air on a given day, but it must be many thousands. And things like this are just inevitable.

Further, how many Boeing aircraft have actually crashed recently?

And of those crashes (if any), in how many of those were pilots or ground crews at fault?

Sure - Boeing may have some systemic issues to deal with, and maybe they aren't the same company they used to be (which isn't unique in this day and age), but the press have sunk their teeth in and won't let go. They are acting as if all of this is related and a somewhat new phenomenon. And my personal opinion is that their are many in the media who are connecting mostly unrelated dots, that they have taken aim at a great company - that does a lot of good for this world - and would like to see it fail. It's what they do to all great institutions...

My $.02 anyways...

I guess the OSPREYs aren't grounded anymore. Saw about 18 of them yesterday doing laps around Miramar.

I wonder what Osprey pilots do when they leave the military.

When an Army, Air Force, Navy or Coast Guard pilot leaves the service with ~1500 hours or more of flight time, they can get a Military Competency conversion (Mil Comp) of their military certificate to a civilian FAA certificate. They can then go fly in the civilian world as an airline pilot, helicopter pilot and make a decent wage (a very decent wage if you go into the airlines - $500K a year for senior Captains).

There are no civilian Tilt Rotor or Osprey type of aircraft flying in the civilian world. An Osprey pilot leaving the service and looking for a flying position would have zero options.

Stopped at the I-8 rest stop near El Centro and got a Blue Angel air show yesterday on our way to Phoenix

A friend of mine got out as an OSPREY pilot, not sure of his hours but most all of it is classified as turbine, multi, instrument. Navigation, airspace and airport procedure knowledge is the main experience points. He works for United now. Another guy I know flies a S76 for an offshore oil rig company on the gulf coast

All military pilots receive either fixed wing or rotorcraft initial flight training (or both like Seahawk). An Osprey pilot would then move onto an Osprey transition.

Those pilot must have had enough total time of either fixed wing or rotor flight time along with their tilt rotor (Powered Lift is the actual category) to be hired. It really comes down to what the individual employer (and their insurance company) will allow.

I met a pilot with Osprey flight time and B-52 flight time, he could have easily gotten a job with an airline due to all his B-52 flight time.

Edit: Did a little research, it seems some airlines do recognize tilt rotor time but getting your ATP (Airline Transport Pilot certificate) can be tricky coming out of the service if you have a lot of mostly tilt rotor time and not much fixed wing time.

Not a good look for Boeing, https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/boeing-lost-video-footage-showing-work-max-jet-door-blowout-ntsb-rcna143241.

There is no way they do not know who installed the door.

This SR-71 Blackbird Cockpit Tour Is The Most Fascinating Thing You’ll See All Week

Veteran SR-71 pilot gives a highly detailed tour of both cockpits and shares incredible recollections from his time flying the legendary jet.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/this-sr-71-blackbird-cockpit-tour-is-the-most-fascinating-thing-you-ll-see-all-week

Just had the painful reminder of of how easily .020 safety wire will deeply pierce your finger.
Used the fishing line and some .020 to make a needle for pushing thru some leftover Serrano peppers to hang and dry.
Clean up, bandage and hopefully not repeat.
I know not really aviation related but kind of

How many other P47 check rides happened today? :)

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https://www.airpowersquadron.org/dubuque-iowa

$4000 for a 40 minute ride in a P51. Yeowch!

Take a swag at what a rr merlin tbo is.... they didn't build them to last.
Those hydroplane tools used them all up.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711090234.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711090234.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711092042.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1711092042.jpg

It made be tax deductible..?

Only $150 more than the 2006 B-17 flight pops and I took.
And the UH-1 is only $125 dollars. And no ZSU-23 embellishment as a bonus.
https://thunderovermichigan.org/attractions/air-adventures/

Not saying it is out of line, but it is pricey for just a ride.