+1 I'm with you.

Consider one more add-on? Guessing a lot of permits, tho.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1759149524.jpg

Pilatus PC 12.... Single pilot.... Capable of landing on smaller strips including grass. Being able to land at smaller county airports is much nicer/easier compared to landing in the big cities at massive busy airports.

Back in the 1990s I was working for a man that owned a Bellanca Super Viking. He liked to go eat at the Wiley Post airport, and rode with him to lunch. On the way back we stopped to look at a Pilatus in front of a aircraft sale place owned by a friend. There was a guy dressed as a captain, and he was there as an employee of Pilatus. The owner of the aircraft sales asked if we might want to fly up to Enid, for pie. The boss said sure, and we were happy to go. It is a 15 minute flight or so, and we landed and ate some of the famous pie at Woodring Airport in Enid, OK. Great pie that many pilots land there just for pie.

We flew back and I said to the boss, so this is what is like to be really rich. It is nice to fly in a airplane like that.

Nothing worse than a windy day and attempting a cross-wind landing at Wiley Post.

Lots of people come to WPA to learn cross wind take of and landings. My business partner is a flight instructor. He was in Florida on a project teaching a pilot to use the same camera system we use. There was a 10 knot cross wind and the guy was freaking out.

We keep our airplane at Sundance Airport. It is not unusual to see the wind sock standing straight out.

Flew into there one morning in the late 80's. Pilot was an ex-Vietnam fighter pilot.

He wasn't happy, I wasn't happy. I drove back home in a car that afternoon. He's probably still in the closest bar to the airport, trying to forget.

PBY would be tough to get parts for I bet

yeah.. but those side windows!

There's a book 'not a good day to die' about battle of shah-i-kot valley. On the way to setting up the assault the powers that be mistook the rag tag 200+ person allied afghan army convoy for bad guys and the ac130 went to town on them for a good while, I think until the plane got low on fuel. From all the hoopla I've read I'd have thought they'd all be dead with a bullet every square inch but they seemed to come off with minor casualties, they fixed up the trucks and kept going.

Not sure its true or not but the account really surprised me. Maybe just because Afghanistan is covered in granite boulders to hide behind.

Oh and man was that book unkind to the seals and navy admirals, so maybe its all just a giant grudge fest.

In the 1980's I got back from my second cruise and had some leave coming. A friend of mine, who was a C-130 pilot at VXE-6, asked if I wanted to ride to the "ice" with him in his Herc.:
Pt. Mugu, California to New Z and beyond.

Ok.

I have written about that little adventure before...didn't get to the "ice" (other those in my drinks in Christchurch) but if you tricked out a C-130 I'd be so in.

I give you, VXE-6:

<iframe width="1016" height="571" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qxe123FVo3s" title="Antarctic Flying with VXE-6" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Don't forget this add on.

https://militarymachine.com/wp-conte...4e9dkgwein.jpg

If I can't have a Concorde or a B1A, a B52 will do. I like to make a grand entrance.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standar...sbell.jpg.webp

This would do it for me:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1759185129.jpg

https://ottoaerospace.com/news/windowless-jets-offer-digital-experience-on-future-flights/

No aero drag from windows, saves weight, full length oled panels with cameras. Flexjet is onboard with a big commitment.

Still a tube and wing. Here’s efficiency https://www.jetzero.aero/.

I am not sure the windows weigh more than the screens and cameras and wiring to make it worth while. Also not sure the windows add much drag on a conventional riveted aluminum fuse.

Cool concept, but the graveyard of aviation is littered with cool concepts. Not to mention building airplanes and turning a profit is pretty damn hard. Time will tell how this one pans out.

No buts with this one just wait... The principals have been working the concept over 30 years and now they have the backing to make it a reality.

The Demonstrator for the Air Force "is on track for first-flight in 2027." The Demonstrator is being built in partnership with Scaled Composites, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman.

The blended wing aircraft itself is is great, nothing particularity new, however.

As always, logistics and passenger acceptance will drive sales.

All I care about, well, used to care about, is leg room, a big seat and a mute button for every other passenger on the flight.

We have been using the PC-12 lately. It is nice, comfortable interior, large payload and smooth landing (trailing link). The downside is that it is a bit slower and doesn't fly as high as a jet. In poor weather conditions it is probably spending more time in the muck.

For us, the charter setup with a different plane for each mission works best...no need to pick and stick with just one aircraft. It's potentially less expensive route too, depending on usage.

For small loads, the small CJ or Phenom 100 are pretty sweet. Would like to try the Eclipse to see where it lands.

I am currently looking at the Aerolite 103 though...

I want to know how many people I'll have to climb over to get to my center seat. The airlines won't "waste" space on more aisles than "necessary".