Category Archives: Aircraft

LAX Maintenance: Stig Aviation

SpeedbirdHD has dramatically cut back on his insider views of LAX.  Stig Aviation is a new channel that fills that gap.  SpeedbirdHD focused on insane closeups of takeoffs and landings thanks to his unparalleled access.  Stig is a maintenance technician for a major airline who documents interesting aspects of the job through sixteen hour shifts which he nevertheless enjoys.  Tires, engines, cockpits, or fluids, he’s got the scoop.  He optimizes for mobile phones so the videos are all in portrait mode but other than that, there’s a lot of good stuff for the aviation curious.

Youtube Channel: Stig Aviation

 

Tristar Trifecta: The L-1011 and its troublesome engine

The L-1011 has mostly disappeared from the airways but is enjoying a burst of nostalgic appreciation.  Here are some history lessons and some technology lessons, at multiple levels of detail.

Youtube Channel: Mustard

Youtube Channel: The British Library

Youtube Channel: AgentJayZ

Neutral but ready: Swiss Air Force at AXALP 2017

Leave it to the Swiss to breathe new life into the airshow.  First, they don’t call it that.  It’s an Air Force practice open to that portion of the public willing to climb to ~7500 feet to  watch planes and helicopters fly through a mountain range, firing live ammunition at targets placed on the rock walls.   They’ve taken an event popular all over the world and Schweizenated it in their own  particular … idiom.

Here is the Patrouille Suisse flight demonstration team in action from the recently concluded AXALP 2017.  It’s a 360-degree video.  Click and drag on the screen to see all angles.  I don’t know how they did it but it is impressive.

Youtube Channel: Blick

 

Feathered prop: R.I.P Bob Hoover

Photo: D. Ramey Logan - Wikimedia Commons

Photo: D. Ramey Logan – Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a teenager, I was privileged to see him fly his Shrike Aero Commander at a Northern California airshow. As an adult, I got to see him at an event in his honor at Torrance Airport. Robert Hoover, the pilot’s pilot and long-time South Bay resident, passed away today in Torrance at age 94. Rest in Peace, Sir.