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Prestwick Galaxy

by | Sep 30, 2024 | Aviation News, Spotting

Prestwick Ramblings

When I was at Prestwick yesterday, sitting on the North side was a Lockheed Galaxy. It is strange, not so long ago a visiting C-5 was quite the thing. Now a Galaxy barely elicits a mention in most spotting forums, changing times or is spotting fundamentally changing. There will be the usual flurry of photographs on social media, followed by the usual flurry of oooh’s and aaaah’s.

A changing hobby

Is spotting undergoing a fundamental change, probably, there is now an immediacy that was never there before. With applications like “have I seen it”, you can filter ADSB to show just the frames or scrapes that you need. Although you do have to give them a copy of all your existing data, before it will work for you. But to me, there seems to be an element of cheating (it just feels like it) to this.

Seeing the phone screen of aircraft, you poke one with a stylus or a finger and the icon vanishes from the screen and the entry apears in your database. Pretty nifty huh? Pretty soulless if you ask me, I have considered moving my own application data into a commercial package but the task is pretty daunting.

But Data from the ADSB network, the FAA and any number of other places can be manipulated, or incorrectly entered. Having recently watched a purported Stinson flying at 45,000 ft and 450 Kts, I’m guessing that the Hex Code was wrong – unless there had been a recent upgrade to the Stinson. As to the data being manipulated, well there are the FAA’s LADD and PIA programmes – so not so much manipulated as hidden or obfuscated.

Back to Basics

Going back to basics sometimes seems a drastic solution, but if we rely on the technology we have to rely on the data. It is simple to identify an aircraft using the Mk I eyeball, a dot at 30,000 ft – you have to go with what the tech says. This as I’ve said for the most part is OK, but there will be errors and they will be hard to identify.

Sometimes I miss the old notebook and pen, funny that – because the old logbooks are still readable.

 

Support this site.

It does take some time and effort to create these downloads, also there are a number of costs associated with running the site. So if you can consider supporting this site with a donation it would be helpful, if you find the site useful then why not treat me to a doughnut – or even a doughnut and a coffee if you’re feeling really flush.

Or if you are thinking of ordering something from Amazon then you could click the link to get there, it doesn’t actually cost you anything. And it will help me to pay for the site hosting, which is getting more expensive like everything else.

But regardless of whether you donate or not, I hope that the contents of the files are of some use, also bear in mind that the files are as dated in the bar graph on the down load page – I will try and produce a new data set every month or more frequently if time allows.

Please note these files are provided for personal use, if you want to use them for any other purpose or if you want to make them available through your own site – get in touch first.

 

 

Been and Gone

by | Sep 28, 2024 | Airport History, Aviation History, Aviation News, Spotting

Last KC10 Extender

It would seem that the last KC10 Extender has been and gone at Prestwick, or anywhere for that matter. I was a spotter before they were a thing, I’m still a spotter after they have gone. It seems odd to know that there will never be another one as a Prestwick Visitor. There was something quite majestic about them, now the feeling will be nostalgia.

Only photographs and log books will record that they were ever at Prestwick, survivors are now relegated to museums. I’ll no doubt feel the same when the Galaxy and the Stratotanker goes, but there’s progress for you.

Enthusiats would have felt the same when any number of aircraft were retired from service. At least now there is more focus on preserving some examples, I doubt that we’ll see one flying though. There are examples of large aircraft being kept flying, but I’m confident when I say you won’t see a Red Bull Extender.

Still that’s progress for you!

 

Support this site.

It does take some time and effort to create these downloads, also there are a number of costs associated with running the site. So if you can consider supporting this site with a donation it would be helpful, if you find the site useful then why not treat me to a doughnut – or even a doughnut and a coffee if you’re feeling really flush.

Or if you are thinking of ordering something from Amazon then you could click the link to get there, it doesn’t actually cost you anything. And it will help me to pay for the site hosting, which is getting more expensive like everything else.

But regardless of whether you donate or not, I hope that the contents of the files are of some use, also bear in mind that the files are as dated in the bar graph on the down load page – I will try and produce a new data set every month or more frequently if time allows.

Please note these files are provided for personal use, if you want to use them for any other purpose or if you want to make them available through your own site – get in touch first.

 

 

Global Airlines – The New Story

by | Sep 24, 2024 | Aviation History, Aviation News, Spotting, Spotting News

Global Airlines – Maybe?

So it looks like I and many other  armchair aviation experts might have to eat our words, Global Airlines, that’s the one with the A-380 sitting at Prestwick and not the other one. Are indeed moving forward with plans for a trans atlantic service, from Gatwick to New York.

They have announced in social media, that they have struck a deal and that the A-380 will leave Prestwick for re-certification in Germany. Although at the time of this post there was nothing that I could see on their website.

So it is possible that people will be able to view the only ever A-380 departure from Prestwick, having witnessed the possible only ever landing – makes you think doesn’t it!

 

Support this site.

It does take some time and effort to create these downloads, also there are a number of costs associated with running the site. So if you can consider supporting this site with a donation it would be helpful, if you find the site useful then why not treat me to a doughnut – or even a doughnut and a coffee if you’re feeling really flush.

Or if you are thinking of ordering something from Amazon then you could click the link to get there, it doesn’t actually cost you anything. And it will help me to pay for the site hosting, which is getting more expensive like everything else.

But regardless of whether you donate or not, I hope that the contents of the files are of some use, also bear in mind that the files are as dated in the bar graph on the down load page – I will try and produce a new data set every month or more frequently if time allows.

Please note these files are provided for personal use, if you want to use them for any other purpose or if you want to make them available through your own site – get in touch first.

 

 

Registers Update 16th September 2024

by | Sep 17, 2024 | Aviation News, Downloads, Registers, Spotting

Latest Register Files

So as soon as I say that I think the Australian civil register update frequency has dropped to once a month. A nuw update drops two weeks later, just to prove me wrong. The register files on the download page have now all been updated, with the files dated the 16th of September 2024.

Again feel free to download the files, for your personal use only. You should note that these are at the date specified on the downloads page, as is the record count.

As the Australian file seems to have the longest update interval, no I’m not going to specify the interval as it seems to change whenever I do. So all the files will carry the date where Australia updates the available register. The canadian and US files are updated on a daily basis, but the work of consolidating the data files on a daily basis is more than I want to do.

These files will be ahead of commercial products for just a short time, until the updaters catch up.

 

Support this site.

It does take some time and effort to create these downloads, also there are a number of costs associated with running the site. So if you can consider supporting this site with a donation it would be helpful, if you find the site useful then why not treat me to a doughnut – or even a doughnut and a coffee if you’re feeling really flush.

Or if you are thinking of ordering something from Amazon then you could click the link to get there, it doesn’t actually cost you anything. And it will help me to pay for the site hosting, which is getting more expensive like everything else.

But regardless of whether you donate or not, I hope that the contents of the files are of some use, also bear in mind that the files are as dated in the bar graph on the down load page – I will try and produce a new data set every month or more frequently if time allows.

Please note these files are provided for personal use, if you want to use them for any other purpose or if you want to make them available through your own site – get in touch first.

 

 

Global Airlines – The Old Story

by | Sep 13, 2024 | Airport News, Aviation News, Spotting

Global Airlines Narrative

As an enthusiast you’ll appreciate that Global Airlines, founded in 2021 by travel expert James Asquith. And from a glance at the Global Airlines web site it will be driven by his passion for travel and his dissatisfaction with the subpar experiences he’s had on countless flights. With his experience visiting 196 countries by age 24, James knows the airline industry well and aims to fix these issues by focusing on exceptional customer experience. Remember the magic of flying as a child? Global Airlines is committed to bringing that feeling back. Now, with a top-tier team of aviation experts, Global Airlines is ready to take off—while you simply sit back and relax.

The Vision – James Asquith

We are revolutionising commercial flying. We’ve all suffered for far too long with long security queues, late flights, lost luggage, inedible food and constant poor customer service. Global Airlines offers fast relief from the aches and pains associated with commercial air travel. We bring joy at every interaction and delight at every touch point. Take a deep breathe, welcome aboard.

Ready to take off?

Reading the blurb on the Global Airlines web site, they are going to be starting a scheduled trans Atlantic service in 2025. With that in mind, how are they doing up to now? Well they have acquired their first Airbus A-380 and have managed a trans Atlantic flight (positional). But the aircraft is sitting at Prestwick Airport, with no significant visible change. There has been some minimal activity around the aircraft, but nothing that would lead you to believe that it is anywhere near service ready.

Given Mr Asquith and his top-tier team’s vision, the remediation of all that is problematic for the regular flyer – the timescales may be somewhat optimistic. But we can all live in hope, it’s what dreams and nightmares are made of. Global Airlines has been silent on progress since early June, but they still have time to meet the tight timescales.

The Aircraft

Was stored in an arrid storage facility and is now parked in the damp, salty and corrosive Prestwick environs. The deterioration of the aircraft will only accelerate, it may well never leave Prestwick and end up being broken up in situ.

The Airline

Global Airlines went dark in June, nothing of any substance since. For a company that will need to establish and maintain a nearly 80% load factor to break even. They do not seem to be particularly bothered about generating interest in the business, they have spent even less time explaining how they will mitigate things outwith their control – like lost luggage and security delays.

The Future

I’d like to think that this would be a successful venture, but in truth I don’t see any progress – maybe I just don’t read the right stuff. The approach taken by Mr Asquith seems to me to be incredibly naive, this is someone who has no airline experience except as a passenger. And he is going to change the aviation industry, I don’t think so. Even if he surrounds himself with experienced airline people, most of them are going to be new to the world of startup airlines.

There seems to be issues with the airline name, although Mr Asquith decided on it years ago – running a search for “Global Airlines” doesn’t return the expected results.

I’d just love to see his business plan and given where all this seems to be headed, I’d really love to see his business continuity plan. Although before you get started on one of them, you should have customers that you care about.

The funding required for a project like this is immense, getting not one but four A-380’s getting them liveried fitted out as required. Along with the requirement for an AOC and all the hundreds of pre-requisites, will cost a lot. I’d go for a nine digit number and the first digit is not a one. I’ll carry on watching this with interest, but suspect that the A-380 will lie at Prestwick longer that the Norwegian 787’s.

 

Survivor Series

by | Sep 10, 2024 | Aviation News, Spotting, Survivor Series

The Survivor Series

To I have decided to create a series of posts relating to survivor aircraft, the posts will be type based and for each type there could be four or more posts. The number of posts depends on the number of surviving aircraft, as an example for the TSR.2 it’s likely to be just a single post. For an aircraft like the Hawker Hunter or the North American F-86 there are likely to be more posts,

Post Contents

The posts will contain an overview of the known survivors, when I say known – they’re the ones that I know about. If I’ve missed some out, it’s not deliberate it’s because I didn’t know about them. So if you read a post and know of an ommission or error, let me know and I’ll fix the post. The data for these posts is in the main from my own database, as there’s a 25 year accumulation of data there is always the possibility that something out of date has slipped through the net.

Post Frequency

When ever I get a chance, I’ll do a little bit more for the posts. But there are other things that always seem to get in the road, it is easy to go off on a tangent.