#International Air Transport Association

[beingjellybeans]

A Look into the World's Busiest Airports and Their Operations

When the COVID-19 pandemic happened, travel came to a crashing halt. Airports that were usually one of the busiest of places in cities and urban areas became ghost towns where only the most essential travels are permitted to go through. These days, air travel is back in full swing, as it makes up for the lost 2 to 3 years of business. If you’re a student pilot in flight school, your prospects…

[mjitransportbahamas]

Delve into the world of Bahamas freight delivery with our comprehensive infographic. Learn about the seamless logistics, extensive island-wide reach, and the sustainable practices employed by these freight experts. Get insights into how they streamline shipping operations, ensuring reliable and eco-conscious cargo transportation across the Bahamian archipelago. Whether you're a business seeking efficient shipping solutions or a curious explorer, this infographic sheds light on the vital role of Freight Delivery Company in bahamas

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[allthecanadianpolitics]

According to a new report, having a Canadian passport continues to be more advantageous than owning a U.S. passport. On Wednesday, the Henley Passport Index released its ranking of the world's most (and least) powerful passports in 2025. Based on exclusive official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the index ranks the world's 199 passports according to the number of destinations they can access without a visa.

Continue reading

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[trainsinanime]

Trains in Miraculous Ladybug - The Season 6 Tram

Part 1: The Metro Train

Part 2: The Metro Station

Part 3: Startrain

Part 4: The Gare du Nord

Part 5: The Bus

It's a new season, and we got a new art style, new trains, buses, cars, villains and anxieties in the world of Miraculous Ladybug! Mostly trains, of course!

At the end of season 6, the right person got elected mayor, which immediately transformed Paris into a wonderland of walkable urbanity and plentiful urban transit, even more so than before. That's literally canon. As part of that, the city has gotten trams. A lot of them. And they're weird. Time to restart this series of posts that I thought I'd finished long ago!

This will only focus on the trams we see, because there's just one episode out yet, "The Illustrhator". This will contain spoilers for what happens to the trams there. There is also a new bus that we see very briefly, but I'm hoping other episodes will tell us more about that.

The Vehicle

The trams we see are single four-axle vehicles. Yes, four axles, we do get to count them.

The design looks like they're individual small wheels rather than connected axles, which is a common design that has its advantages and its drawbacks. The floor tram is entirely at one level, seemingly about 30-40 cm above rail height.

We do get to see its interior as well. Nice big windows, different seating layouts, a big wheelchair area, and readers for Navigo RFID tickets at all doors. And, interestingly, fold-down seats, which are a feature on older Paris metro rolling stock.

We get a tiny hint of the inside of the cab as well. According to the display, we're going forward, and we're on line T3A towards Porte De Vincennes. And we're going 70 km/h.

There is actually a real-life Paris line T3A that does terminate at Porte De Vincennes (where you can change for the T3B), and I want to talk more about that, but before we can go there I need to talk about the rear of the train first. It has an open platform!

The rear platform

Don't worry about it being raised in the air here, that's just because the tram is currently falling down because the bridge is collapsing.

But don't worry, that is not a supervillain thing, the bridge just did that on its own, that's perfectly fine…

…right? The characters treat it like it's perfectly fine that this bridge just partially collapses without any supernatural interference, but, uhm, I have concerns. Questions even. Frankly I'm far more worried about that than about any supervillains. Alya and Nino later interview the mayor, and they completely ignore that a city bridge collapsed while a tram was going over it.

Sorry, I keep getting distracted. The rear of the tram has an open platform, which looks silly, is silly, is completely unrealistic, and I love it! See, while I am not aware of any trams like that, unless you count partially open ones like the San Francisco Cable Cars, but those are not quite the same.

However, there is a precedent for this platform, because Paris has a long history of city buses with such platforms. A good example is the Renault TN series

Picture from Wikimedia Commons, taken in 1950 by Sven Goliath, published by the Stockholm Transport Museum Commons

These were mostly a thing in the 1930s, but then got brought back in limited numbers in the 1960s after a Saviem SC10 had an accident that destroyed most of its rear, and RATP decided to be funny while rebuilding it. Later Saviem built these busses in series.

Picture from Wikimedia Commons, Tumblr won't let me link to the actual page there but it's on the Wikipedia article, taken by Sauvabus (bus historical association), published under CC-BY 4.0 international

All buses since then have put their engine at the rear, which has a lot of benefits, but also means it's right where this platform would go, so this has fallen out of fashion. Today you can only experience it when the one private transport museum near Paris has its monthly opening day, which is something I really need to visit one of these days. Here's a video showing the experience:

So there is precedent for this rear platform. Does it serve any purpose? Not really. Is it fun? Absolutely! And that's all it was on the Saviem SC10 as well, really. I love this platform. It's historic, it's quirky, it's fun, it's great.

The show definitely aims for a retro-futurist vibe now, seen e.g. in cars, like this modern take on the Citroën DS:

This modern take on this 60s and 70s legendary classic is what the modern DS brand should do, instead of their array of generic boring SUVs. Anyway, I'm not going to go too far into that, if I start talking about the cars in Miraculous Ladybug I'll never stop (yo is that a modern Peugeot 504? They literally modernised Aphrodite from Only Murders in the Building!). But I will say that this detail matches nicely.

The Infrastructure

Look at that station! Gorgeous! The designers of this show have created a tram stop in the style of the famous Guimard metro entrances, with their beautiful Art Nouveau design. That's amazing. I wish real tram stops in Paris look like that.

As for the tram stop itself, it's a low floor island platform with walkways to the sides, which matches modern standards for new tram stops worldwide. The track has gras planted on it, which is also common and popular, as it helps absorb noise, water, heat and pollution and it just looks nice. Yes, side platforms are more common, but this is still what a modern urban light rail network can and should look like. The only thing unrealistic about it is how pretty it is.

It should be noted that there's no overhead lines here, so the trains are powered by batteries, probably. That, or hydrogen, but a hydrogen tram would be a supremely bad idea, nobody would ever build something like that…

…except for Hyundai for some reason.

God that thing annoys me by its very existence. Hydrogen is expensive and will remain expensive for the next few decades, and this is what you're spending it on? A tram!? Trams should run with overhead wires. That's the good thing about a tram, you know where it's going to be, so you can put a wire there to give it power, and then you don't have to worry about batteries or hydrogen storage or whatever…

Sorry, I got distracted. Anyway, no overhead lines is realistic, and if they ever say, "it's a hydrogen tram" in future episodes, that'll be realistic too, even if it shouldn't be.

Instead let's look at this!

Closer…

Yeah! They finally fixed the metro map! The old one was an unholy mess of lines that didn't match anything (which I complained about before), but this one clearly has the Seine flowing through Paris as it should, with the island in the middle. The transport lines on it don't seem to match anything I can recognise, neither Metro nor RER, but let's just assume they are the new tram lines that happen to go this way.

Compared to the real thing

Real-life Paris abandoned trams in the 1930s already, being a negative trend-setter there. It didn't help that trams were limited to lower top speeds than buses were at the time. However, since the 1990s, trams have made a huge comeback in the Paris region.

(Aside: Note that I say the Paris region. There's only really one tram line in Paris itself (plus a few stops from the other ones). Where Berlin or London absorbed most of their suburbs at some point in the 20th century, Paris didn't, so the actual Paris part of the Paris region is surprisingly small. That's why Paris has both far fewer and way more inhabitants than e.g. Berlin, depending on what you count.)

Anyway, the tram lines in Paris mostly serve the suburbs, providing tangential connections from one suburb to the next so you don't have to take the metro or RER into the city centre, change at fucking Châtelet-Les Halles, and ride back out again. A unique feature of the the tram network is that each line is separate, with its own tracks and maintenance facilities, and at times very different technologies used. Most of the tram lines don't connect to other tram lines at all, each line is just out there doing its own thing. And since they're out in the suburbs, as a tourist you're unlikely to ever see one if you don't go looking for it.

The exception to that is the T3, divided into T3A and T3B, which runs in a 3/4 circle around Paris along the outer boulevards. The final quarter is where rich NIMBYs live, so it'll be a while until the circle gets closed, I fear.

This actual T3 is run with long bi-directional vehicles with no open platform anywhere in sight, and pleasant but considerably more boring stations. It does have green track (meaning with grass) in many places, though, and it has overhead wires.

In Paris, the trams are used as very long buses (with some overlap with really tiny metros) in underserved areas. Serving areas outside the city core is really the main thrust of Paris transit development at the moment, with a 200 km metro extension, the Grand Paris Express, being built exclusively to better connect the suburbs. This mega project is one of the coolest things happening in public transport anywhere in the world at the moment. The trams augment this.

I do actually think that some trams in Paris's city centre could make sense, to replace the busier bus routes. And there are definitely thoughts about that, but with all the money going towards doubling the size of the Metro, I don't think we'll see that very soon.

The verdict

I like that tram. I don't think it's what Paris would actually have, a longer articulated bidirectional model without a rear platform would make more sense, but I love the quirkiness of it. This season is off to a good start.

[a-d-nox]

what's a solar return?

any time the sun transits and becomes exactly conjunct your natal sun (it is in the exact sign and degree it was in when you were born), you undergo a solar return. solar returns happen every year on your birthday. my solar return is coming up this october, so i thought "why not?let's continue my thoughts about the return charts."

but what can a solar return chart show you?

literally everything about your year ahead. you just have to look at it and know what you are looking at/for. so let's break it down some of the basics...

sun

energy/aura, attention you receive this year, leadership opportunities, creativity, pride/ego/dignity, how generous you are, individuality, personal development, self-awareness, what makes you happy, celebrations, and self-expression.

moon

emotions / emotional responses, self-care, comfort zone / safe space, femininity, mothers / matriarchal / maternal instincts, family, nostalgia, pregnancy/fertility, baking/cooking, adaptability, menstruation, and habits/routines.

mercury

communication/gossiping, mindset / reasoning skills, perception, writing, social media / cellphone use, short trips, ground transportation, and mannerisms.

venus

romance, beauty/aestheticism, pleasure(s), art/entertainment, self-love, harmony, femininity, sentimentality, how you compromise, parties/celebrations, and possessions.

mars

passions/desires, self-confidence, ambition, anger/aggression, competitiveness, athletics / physical energy, impulsivity, courage/bravery, tasks, masculinity, assertiveness, sexuality, and violence.

jupiter

luck, abundance, wealth, success, opportunity, popularity, wisdom, air travel, ease, higher education (college/university), optimism, justice/retribution, law, and fulfillment.

saturn

work, achievement/mastery, challenges, karma, fathers / patriarchy / paternal instincts, fears, guilt, delays/limitations, discipline, responsibility, past issues that are prevalent this year, practicality, stability, endurance, maturity, and grudges.

uranus

friends/fans/followers, technology, fluctuation/change, rebellion, independence, originality, unexpected things / surprises, and chaos.

neptune

creativity, selflessness, escapism, intuition, hidden things, deception/lies/delusion, confusion, inspiration, and addiction/fascination.

pluto

change/transformation, power, sex/seduction, death, intensity/magnetism, obsessions, manipulation, and purging.

1h/asc

identity, approach/mindset this year, physical appearance, mannerisms, and your presence.

2h

money/finances this year, material possessions, self worth, what you are giving/receiving, and resources.

3h

communication/gossip, mind / method of thinking, sibling relationship(s), interests, ideas/information, ground transportation, social media / cellphone use, publishing, and short trips.

4h/ic

homes/houses, family matters, parents (mainly maternal figures), inner child work you do this year, inheritance, traditions you practice this year, self-care you do this year, and femininity.

5h

children, talents / hobbies / entertainment / creative pursuits, drama, short-term romances, pleasures/gifts, fertility, and joy/delight/jubilation

6h

daily routine, health/fitness/diet, work/duties, self-improvement / shadow work, hygiene, and pet(s).

7h/dsc

long-term relationships / marriage / partnerships, how you care for others (if you care for others), minor legal pursuits, contracts/negotiations, known enemies, close associates / business partners, and equality/harmony/sharing (how you promote it and how (if) you receive it).

8h

changes (external and internal), death (internal and external), shared finances, what you invest in, stocks/taxes/inheritance/loans/assets, intimacy (intellectual and physical), secrets/mystery, mental health / trauma you experience, and possible surgery/operations.

9h

wisdom you gain, major legal pursuits, new beliefs/ethics/philosophy milestones, college/university, and air travel / travel abroad.

10h/mc

career, public image / status / reputation in society, responsibilities towards society/others, authority, paternal figures, and your professional aspirations (the progress you make towards them this year).

11h

friends/companions/allies/groups, ideals/desires, how your different this year as opposed to years past, technology, networking/socializing, and parties (formal and informal).

12h

how you heal this year from you past / mental health journey, karma, sleeping habits, your experience with solitude/isolation this year, unknown enemies, illusions/delusions you have about your situation, fears / self-limitation, losses, and what you secretly/subconsciously want most this year.

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© a-d-nox 2023 all rights reserved

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in September 2024

01/09 unofficial With Sir Tim Attended a church service at Crathie Kirk. ⛪️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

10/09 As Colonel-in-Chief, visited The King's Royal Hussars at Aliwal Barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire. 🪖

Sir Tim represented Princess Anne at a Service of Thanksgiving for Sir Clive Johnstone (National President of the Royal British Legion) which was held at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster, London. 🌹

11/09 Visited Estuary Services Limited and named a Pilot Vessel in Ramsgate Royal Harbour, followed by a Reception at Royal Temple Yacht Club. 🍾🚤

As Patron of the English Rural Housing Association, opened a new development at Carpenters Yard in Shepherdswell near Dover, Kent. 🌳🏠

12/09 As Patron of Citizens Advice Scotland, visited Penicuik Citizens Advice Bureau. ⚖️

As Patron of the International Sheep Dog Society, attended the International Sheep Dog Trials at Syde Farm in Lanarkshire. 🐑🐕

Unofficial Sir Tim attended the launch of the Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 🏙️

13/09 Attended the Southampton International Boat Show. 🚤

As Patron of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, visited the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Ilchester, to mark its 60th anniversary. ✈️⚓️

As Patron of Save the Children UK, attended a Concert at Cheap Street Church in Sherborne, to mark 30 years of support from the Cambridge Choral Scholars. 🎶

16/09 As President of Victim Support, visited the Bristol Service at St Werburghs Community Centre, to mark its 50th anniversary. 🤝

As Patron of Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union, attended the Annual Volunteer Awards Reception at Lockleaze Sports Centre in Bristol. 🏉

17/09 As Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Logistic Corps, visited the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron at A Hangar in Royal Air Force Benson. 🚁

As Patron of the National Transport Trust, attended the Annual Awards Ceremony at Fawley Hill Museum, in Henley-on-Thames. 🏆

As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, attended a 30th anniversary reception at the Corporation of Trinity House. 🍾

18/09 As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited ApparelTASKER Sustainable Garment Manufacturer in London. 👕👖

20/09 As Patron of the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society, attended a Members' Development Day at Podehole Farm in Thorney. 🐮

21/09 Unofficial With Sir Tim Departed from Kemble Airfield and arrived at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. ✈️🇳🇱

With Sir Tim Attended a Reception at the Airborne Museum Hartenstein, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem. 🪂

22/09 With Sir Tim As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, attended the Annual Service of Commemoration at Oosterbeek Airborne Cemetery. 🪦🌹

With Sir Tim Visited the house of “the Angel of Arnhem” in Oosterbeek. 🏠👼🏻

Unofficial With Sir Tim, departed from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and arrived back at Kemble Airfield. ✈️🇬🇧

24/09 As President of the Scotch Chef’s Club, visited Hugh Black and Sons Limited in Stirling. 🥩🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

As Patron of the Royal Highland Education Trust, attended a Food and Farming Day at Solsgirth Home Farm in Dollar. 🎓🚜

As Patron of Opportunity International United Kingdom, held a Dinner at St James’s Palace. 🌍 🍽️

25/09 On behalf of The King, held an Investiture at Windsor Castle in the morning and afternoon.

26/09 As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, inaugurated the Loos British Cemetery extension and attended a Reburial Service of Unknown Soldiers. 🇬🇧🇫🇷🪦

Attended a Reception at the Town Hall, Place de la République in Loos-en-Gohelle, France. 🇫🇷🥂

As Patron of Sense International, attended a Dinner at Church House, Westminster, to mark the 30th anniversary of the charity. 🦯🦻🎂

27/09 Opened Hull Trinity House Academy in Hull, East Yorkshire. 🏫

As Patron of the Sailors’ Children’s Society, presented awards at the “Anchor of Celebration” ceremony at Hull Trinity House. 🏆⚓️

As Patron of the Spinal Injuries Association, attended a 50th anniversary reception at SIA House in Milton Keynes. 🦽🎂

30/09 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Minchinhampton Centre for the Elderly, visited Horsfall House, to mark its 30th Anniversary. 🏡🎂

As Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Logistic Corps, visited the Gurkha Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Support Battalion to mark the redesignation of 170 Headquarters Squadron at Imjin Barracks. 🪖

Total official engagements for Anne in September: 33

2024 total so far: 313

Total official engagements accompanied/represented by Tim in September: 5

2024 total so far: 86

FYl - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won't be posting everyone's engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.

[bbglewis]

adulthood is crazy because why do I have beef with the international air transport association

[usafphantom2]

Skunk Works’ Latest Stealthy Tanker Concept Revealed

The USAF is firming up requirements for a stealthy tanker to fit with its Next Generation Air Dominance ecosystem, which could change dramatically due to cost.

Joseph Trevithick Posted on Nov 6, 2024 7:35 PM EST

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works advanced projects division has put forward a new vision for a stealthy pilot-optional aerial refueling tanker.

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works advanced projects division has put forward a new notional vision for a stealthy pilot-optional aerial refueling tanker. This comes as the U.S. Air Force is refining requirements for a future Next Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS) ‘system of systems’ and amid serious concerns about how the service expects to pay for that and other modernization priorities.

Skunk Works provided a rendering of its latest tanker concept refueling a pair of F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, seen at the top of this story and below, to The War Zone. A different view of this same conceptual design was first shown publicly at the Airlift/Tanker Association’s (ATA) recently concluded annual symposium, as reported by Aviation Week.

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

The rendering shows an aircraft with swept main wings and horizontal stabilizers with canted outboard vertical stabilizers. The tanker also has stealthy (low-observable) features, including a chine line that wraps around the forward fuselage and continues on either side behind the wing roots and saw-tooth panel lines at various points. Low observable shaping on its wingtip pods is also evident. Where the aircraft’s engine intakes might be situated is not entirely clear, but there is a single large shrouded ‘platypus-like’ exhaust with serrated edges at the upper rear of the fuselage.

The tanker is shown with a pair of refueling booms extending from pod-like sponsons toward the end of each main wing. The boom refueling method is the U.S. Air Force’s preferred means of getting gas into other aircraft in flight. It is possible that the booms on Skunk Works’ new design concept could also be configured to provide fuel via the probe-and-drogue method, which the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps prefer. Probe-and-drogue is also used to refuel Air Force CV-22 tiltrotors, as well as helicopters across the U.S. military. This system is often installed internally on the centerline rear of large tankers, such as the Air Force’s KC-46 and now-retired KC-10, as well as the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT).

Whether or not the booms might be expected to collapse and/or retract when not in use is unclear. Though such a system could offer aerodynamic and radar signature-reducing benefits, it could also limit the strength of the boom. That, in turn, could present potential operational limitations and safety concerns. The booms on traditional tankers have been known to break under the wrong circumstances as happened just earlier this year in a mishap involving an Air Force KC-46 and an F-15E Strike Eagle combat jet, which you can read more about here. The KC-46, specifically, has been beset by various technical and other issues over the years, including a still unsolved “stiff boom” problem that prevents it from being used operationally to refuel A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft at all.

A KC-46 refuels an A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft during a test. USAF

Aviation Week had reported that Skunk Works’ notional design is pilot optional, with no clear provision for a crewed cockpit seen in the renderings available. It is possible that a cockpit could be fitted, as required, in place of a faired-over section on top of the forward fuselage. Another variation of the rendering might also exist showing a cockpit.

A pilot-optional design versus a completely uncrewed version does offer certain benefits. The War Zone previously explored this in detail after the emergence of the stealthy Model 437 Vanguard technology demonstrator jet from Northrop Grumman subsidiary scaled composites earlier this year, writing:

“Unmanned aircraft are still quite restricted as to where and how they can operate. A pilot totally changes this massive bottleneck and means the aircraft can be flown wherever it needs to go, to participate in any developmental flights or training exercises, no matter how complex. It can do this unburdened by typical drone airspace restrictions and the need for chase aircraft that can be required in certain situations. Just ferrying to a different location while manned, so it can access airspace where it can fly as if it were an unmanned aircraft, is a giant advantage.”

“For many tests, having a human onboard can accelerate the speed at which they can be accomplished. At its most basic, initial primary flight testing of the airframe will go far faster with a pilot at the controls. Overall, more risks can be taken when executing autonomous activities with a pilot there to take over and act as a safety backstop if needed.”

Skunk Works has publicly shown a number of other notional advanced crewed tankers in the past, including a boom-equipped one with an almost fighter-esque appearance just earlier this year, the features of which we previously explored in detail. Lockheed Martin has presented variations on a blended-wing-body design concept configured for boom and probe-and-drogue refueling, as well.

A rendering of a stealthy crewed tanker concept that Skunk Works distributed earlier this year. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

A model of a blend wing body aircraft concept that Lockheed Martin displayed in the late 2010s and said could be adaptable to meet future tanker requirements. Joseph Trevithick A model of a blend wing body aircraft concept that Lockheed martin displayed in the late 2010s and said could be adaptable to meet the requirements of what was then known as KC-Z. Joseph Trevithick

Lockheed Martin art from the late 2010s depicting stealthy blended wing body tankers fueling aircraft using the boom and probe-and-drogue methods. Lockheed Martin

“Our team continues to explore a variety of configurations that deliver mission effectiveness through a connected, affordable, survivable and autonomous next generation tanker capability,” a Skunk Works spokesperson told The War Zone when asked for more details about the newest notional design. “We look forward to providing the U.S. Air Force with the range and endurance needed to fulfill the future of NGAS as it continues to define requirements.”

As already noted, the Air Force currently describes NGAS as a proposed family of systems, which could include a crew or uncrewed stealthy tanker, or a pilot-optional design, or some combination thereof. Boeing has also been pitching a land-based derivative of the MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone that it is developing for the U.S. Navy as a possible option for NGAS.

The complete NGAS ‘system of system’ is also expected to include existing non-stealthy tankers like the KC-46 and the KC-135 with various self-defense and other upgrades. The Air Force has also been actively exploring ‘buddy store’ podded aerial refueling systems that can work with aircraft configured to use the boom, which would also allow other aircraft, including tactical jets, to contribute to this refueling ecosystem.

Uncrewed tankers could be paired with crewed ones in a hub-and-spoke arrangement, with the drones helping ferry fuel to areas closer to the tactical edge while reducing risks to human aircrews. It is worth noting here that Skunk Works’ new rendering shows a notional design that can be refueled in flight itself.

Other tactics, techniques, and procedures could also help reduce the vulnerability of key aerial refueling assets, including linking up with receivers at lower altitudes below an enemy’s radar horizon. This is something the Air Force’s special operations community already has experienced doing, including with a pocket fleet of specialized KC-135RT “receiver-tankers” that can refuel and be refueled in mid-air, which you can read more about here.

A mid-air refueling capable KC-135RT about to link up with a regular KC-135 tanker. USAF

The War Zone has been highlighting the increasingly critical need for stealthy or otherwise more survivable tankers for years now. Expanding and evolving air defense threats, especially in the context of potential high-fight with China have only underscored this reality and are key drivers behind the Air Force’s current NGAS planning.

“Essentially the threat, China again, has reached out with new counter-air systems that could threaten our aircraft, especially tankers, at longer ranges, beyond the ranges which we normally would refuel fighter planes,” Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said in a keynote address at the same ATA symposium where Skunk Works first rolled out its new tanker rendering. “This put our whole tanker acquisition strategy in question. It is still in question, but we are working to resolve the uncertainty as quickly as possible.”

Critical factors in this ongoing debate are range considerations, which are particularly pronounced in the Pacific region, together with the typically short combat radii of America’s current tactical combat jet fleets. This, in turn, puts existing tankers dangerously close to, if not inside anti-access/area denial bubbles near-peer competitors like China have already established and continue to expand.

Stealthy tankers that are not meant to penetrate deep into high-threat airspace, but to persist and operate on the edges of those zones, allowing existing tactical airpower and newer platforms to make it to their targets, could be part of changing that equation. Air Force plans for a new sixth-generation crewed stealth combat jet and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative have been set to have significant impacts in all this, with discussions about their expected ranges (and other capabilities) also tied in with how NGAS evolves. Procurement of a stealth tanker could help trade range and thus the complexity and cost of these new tactical platforms, while also keeping existing ones more relevant. The NGAD combat jet program is currently undergoing a deep review and the outcome of that reassessment will also have direct ramifications for the NGAS and CCA efforts.

In addition, “unfortunately, any new [tanker] design cannot be fielded for several years at best, even if affordable,” Kendall warned while speaking at the ATA gathering, highlighting potential lower cost-near term alternatives, such as upgrading existing tankers.

An artist’s depiction of a blended wing body concept aircraft employed in the tanker role. This art was produced in relation to a program called Speed Agile in the late 2000s-early 2010s. Public Domain An artist’s depiction of a Speed Agile concept aircraft employed in the tanker role. Public Domain

The Air Force’s top civilian also added new and even more dire remarks to a growing chorus of concerns about the affordability of a host of next-generation modernization efforts beyond NGAS that the service has previously described as essential for fighting and winning future high-end conflicts.

“The variable that concerns me most as we go through this analysis and produce a range of alternatives is going to be [the availability of adequate resources.] … to pursue any combination of those new designs,” Kendall said, referring to the NGAD combat jet and CCA drones, as well as NGAS.

You can read more about this brewing budgetary crisis here.

The Air Force is hoping to have firmer understanding of its NGAS requirements before the year is out. At that point, it may be clearer whether or not something like Skunk Works’ newest design concept is what the service is looking for to meet its future aerial refueling needs, if it can afford them.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Latest in U.S. Air Force

[athena5898]

LEBANON (PrR)(Al-Akhbar) — Washington and the US embassy in Lebanon did not allow Iraqi Airways to land at Beirut airport to establish an air bridge to provide aid for the displaced, insisting that the aid must pass through Jordan for inspection first.

Washington also threatened to sanction Middle East Airlines (MEA) if it transported wounded patients from the Israeli pager attacks, on 16 and 17 September, on its flights to receive treatment abroad.

The US embassy also reportedly receives a list of all passenger names traveling through Beirut International Airport from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

[lboogie1906]

Léopoldine Doualla-Bell-Smith (January 11, 1939 - May 9, 2023) After she graduated from high school at the age of 17, she was sent to Paris for ground hostess training by Air France and moved to UAT for flight training. She began flying as a stewardess with UAT which merged to become part of Union de Transports Aeriens. She didn’t know that she was making history as the first Black person to serve as a flight attendant for any airline. She took to the air the year before Ruth Carol Taylor who is credited with being the first Black flight attendant in the US.

In 1960 she was invited to join Air Afrique. She was the only qualified African in French aviation; her employment identification card was No. 001. She was promoted to Air Afrique’s first cabin chief. During her time as a flight attendant, she flew throughout Africa and as far away as Australia. Because of the color of her skin, some white passengers treated her like an outcast, but dark-skinned passengers often welcomed her presence. She experienced sexual harassment; on one occasion, she slapped a white man who had touched her breasts.

After twelve years as a flight attendant, She left Air Afrique to become manager of Reunited Transport Leaders Travel Agency in Libreville, Gabon. She relocated to DC to study English at Georgetown University. She returned to Gabon in 1976 where she was hired by Air Zaire as station and office manager at the Libreville airport. She supported the Skal Club, the international association of professionals, leaders, and friends who were seeking to promote travel and tourism in Africa.

She retired in 2003 and moved to Denver where they established the Business and Intercultural Services for Educational Travel and Associated Learning. She volunteers at Denver International Airport through their ambassador program. She was honored at the fortieth anniversary of the Black Flight Attendants of America organization at Los Angeles International Airport’s Flight Path Museum. She was honored during the International Women’s Day celebration in Denver on March 10, 2019. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[thrustle]

The Sky – Not a Limit, but a Home of Safety

At home, we feel protected. It’s the place where everything is familiar, where we can rely on the safety and comfort it provides. Similarly, aviation is built on the principle of absolute safety. When we step aboard a plane, we should feel as we do at home—secure and at ease.

Aviation is one of the most tightly regulated and technologically advanced industries in the world. Every flight is the result of hundreds of checks, precise coordination, and uncompromising attention to detail. Aircraft undergo regular inspections, crews undergo rigorous training, and air traffic monitoring and control systems operate 24/7 to ensure the safety of every journey.

So why do so many people fear flying? Perhaps it’s because we’re accustomed to seeing the sky as something unpredictable. Yet the truth is quite different: aviation is one of the safest modes of transportation in the world. The statistics speak for themselves—your chances of being involved in a flight accident are exceedingly small, far lower than the risks associated with cars, trains, or other forms of transportation.

For instance, according to international studies, the risk of a fatal aviation accident is approximately 1 in 16 million flights. In comparison, the likelihood of being involved in a car accident is thousands of times higher. This is no coincidence—it’s the result of tremendous effort and a relentless focus on safety.

The sky may seem vast and unfamiliar, but in reality, it’s a home where safety is the highest priority. From the moment you board to the moment you land, airline crews, engineers, technicians, and control authorities work together to ensure your comfort and security.

So, the next time you look at the sky, don’t see it as a limit. See it as a home of safety—a place you enter with trust and leave with new memories.

[iww-gnv]

OMAHA, Neb. -- United Pacific railroad has reached a tentative deal with a major union regarding paid sick leave. The railroad and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers said that the deal reached over the weekend provides up to eight paid sick leave days to around 5,900 railroad employees. While all Union Pacific employees receive some form of paid leave, the proposed agreement will provide the union members an additional five paid sick days annually, prorated for 2023. Starting next year, they also will have the ability to convert up to three paid leave days for use as paid sick time. If ratified by workers, Union Pacific, which is based in Omaha, Nebraska, will have paid sick leave agreements in place with all 13 of its labor unions, making it the second railroad in the industry to to do so.

[thehopefuljournalist]

In the previous post I introduced Greenpeace. These are some wins from June posted on their website.

- Hyundai Construction Equipment commits to help stopping illegal mining in the Amazon

Greenpeace East Asia released the Stop the Excavators report in April of this year, calling to heavy machinery manufacturers to take measures that prevent their equipment being used illegally, in ways that cause violations of human rights.

This exposé revealed that Hyundai Construction Equipment is apparently the favoured brand used in illegal mining in Indigenous Lands in the Amazon.

Hyundai has now announced a series of measures to protect the forest, and will act to prevent this in the future.

- ReconAfrica suspends oil drilling in Okavango Delta

The Canadian oil company ReconAfrica has stopped drilling in Namibia’s Okavango Delta, after it was faced with lawsuits and environmental concerns. For now, the drillings have only been suspended, but this is a step in the right direction, proving that people power can work wonders.

In 2019, ReconAfrica announced fracking in some of Africa's most sensitive (both in terms of water supplies and as livelihoods for the communities in the area) environmental areas. Namibian youth climate activists, indigenous, environmental and human rights groups have been working since then to prevent this from happening.

- ASEAN steps up commitment to end forced labour and human trafficking practices of migrant fishers

In May 2023, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) leaders officially adopted the first ASEAN Declaration on Migrant Fishers Protection in history. This declaration follows many years of active campaigning by human rights advocates and civil society organizations. The campaign aims to push stronger policies to protect Southeast Asian migrants working in fisheries and their rights.

This declaration emphasised that protecting and fulfilling the rights of migrant fishers is an entire migration cycle (recruitment, placement, and repatriation), and so is a shared responsibility among the ASEAN states.

- Local fishers and civil society join forces to reforest mangroves in Senegal

The local community in the traditional fishing town Joal in Senegal started reforesting mangroves in a show of what direct action is really about.

Joal is located near mangrove forests, that are essential breeding grounds for many fish species, and are vital therefore for the fishing communities in those areas. They also store more carbon than tropical forests, and are capable of curbing climate impacts such as floods.

- Dutch creative agencies choose to no longer work with fossil fuel companies

23+ creative agencies in The Netherlands put together a Fossil No Deal, stating that they will stop working with fossil companies and no longer encourage fossil passenger transport. They call it verdrag verantwoord verleiden, a treaty for responsible seduction.

- Thailand applies new PM2.5 ambient standard

In the beginning of June, the new PM2.5 ambient standard was officially applied in Thailand. 

The new standard is now 15 μg/m3 for the annual standard and 37.5 μg/m3 for 24-hour standard, which is in keeping with the revised WHO air quality guidelines. This is a big step in the right direction to help reduce PM2.5 and solve air pollution in the country.

Greenpeace Thailand is still not at rest, though, and are continuing to fight to get the PM2.5 at its source, that is from the industries.

- In New Zealand, FSC abandons plans for ‘GE learning’ process

Greenpeace Aotearoa and other environmental organizations have been pressuring the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification scheme to abandon its plans for a ‘Genetic Engineering (GE) learning’ process.

The long-standing principle of not certifying GE trees came under threat  after pressure from FSC certified plantation  company Suzano from Brazil that has a subsidiary doing GE eucalyptus tree research trials (for glyphosate resistance). 

- Citizens say yes to net zero emissions in Switzerland

 Swiss citizens have voted in favour of a new law to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The new climate law, which was initiated seven years ago, passed a referendum with about 59% of the voters.

Net zero is now enshrined in the “federal law on climate protection, innovation and strengthening energy security“.

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see, news from your own countries, or if you'd like to add anything or share.

I'm also here to listen, my DMs and Asks are always open :)

Love you all, and see you next time, be safe!

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA seeks innovative Artemis lunar logistics, mobility solutions

NASA is asking U.S. industry to submit innovative architecture solutions that could help the agency land and move cargo on the lunar surface during future Artemis missions. Released in September, the agency's request for proposal also supports NASA's broader Moon to Mars Objectives.

Previously, NASA published two white papers outlining lunar logistics and mobility gaps as part of its Moon to Mars architecture development effort that augmented an earlier white paper on logistics considerations. The current ask, Lunar Logistics and Mobility Studies, expects proposing companies to consider these publications, which describe NASA's future needs for logistics and mobility.

"NASA relies on collaborations from diverse partners to develop its exploration architecture," said Nujoud Merancy, deputy associate administrator, strategy and architecture in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Studies like this allow the agency to leverage the incredible expertise in the commercial aerospace community."

Lunar logistics drivers, needs

Logistics items, including food, water, air, and spare parts, comprise a relatively large portion of the cargo NASA expects to need to move around on the moon, including at the lunar South Pole where the agency plans to send crew in the future.

The Lunar Logistics Drivers and Needs white paper outlines the importance of accurately predicting logistics resupply needs, as they can heavily influence the overall architecture and design of exploration missions.

As the agency progresses into more complex lunar missions, NASA will require more and more lunar logistics as the agency increases mission frequency and duration. This current proposal seeks industry studies that could help inform NASA's approach to this growing need.

Lunar mobility drivers, needs

The white paper discusses the transportation of landed cargo and exploration assets from where they are delivered to where they are used, such as to locations with ideal lighting, away from ascent vehicle landing sites, or near other assets. These distances can range from yards to miles away from landing locations, and the ability to move around landing sites easily and quickly are key to exploring the lunar surface efficiently.

NASA's current planned lunar mobility elements, such as the Lunar Terrain Vehicle and Pressurized Rover, have a capability limit of about 1,760 pounds (800 kilograms) and will primarily be used to transport astronauts around the lunar surface. However, future missions could include a need to move cargo totaling around 4,400 to 13,000 pounds (2,000 to 6,000 kg). To meet this demand, NASA must develop new mobility capabilities with its partners.

Lunar surface cargo

The Lunar Surface Cargo white paper characterizes lunar surface cargo delivery needs, compares those needs with current cargo lander capabilities, and outlines considerations for fulfilling this capability gap. While cargo delivery capabilities currently included in the Moon to Mars architecture—like CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) and human-class delivery landers—can meet near-term needs, there are substantial gaps for future needs.

Access to a diverse fleet of cargo landers would empower a larger lunar exploration footprint. A combination of international partnerships and U.S. industry-provided landers could supply the concepts and capabilities to meet this need. The request for proposals doesn't explicitly seek new lander concepts but does ask for integrated assessments of logistics that can include transportation elements.

"We're looking for industry to offer creative insights that can inform our logistics and mobility strategy," said Brooke Thornton, industry engagement lead for NASA's Strategy and Architecture Office. "Ultimately, we're hoping to grow our awareness of the unique capabilities that are or could become a part of the commercial lunar marketplace."

This is the latest appendix to NASA's Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2). Solicitations under NextSTEP seek commercial development of capabilities that empower crewed exploration in deep space. NASA published the latest NextSTEP omnibus, NextSTEP-3, on Sept. 27.

IMAGE: Illustration of logistics elements on the lunar surface. Credit: NASA

[mariacallous]

Amazon deliveries could be headed for some turbulence in the new year. Pilots for US-based Air Transport International, a cargo airline that ferries Amazon packages from its fulfillment centers to airports nearer to its customers, voted to authorize a strike last month. During the three and a half years the union has been negotiating with ATI, wages in the industry have soared, and ATI’s pilots complain that their pay has fallen behind. Meanwhile, they say ATI is facing record attrition as pilots jump ship to better-paying carriers.

A strike could throw a wrench in Amazon’s logistics network. ATI, owned by holding company ATSG, operates half of the 80 US aircraft currently in service for Amazon, according to an estimate by Planespotters. But the pilots, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association union, can’t walk out until at least next year.

Federal law requires airline labor disputes to be mediated by the US government’s National Mediation Board, which will implement a 30-day cooling-off period if it determines the parties have reached an impasse and they refuse arbitration. If a resolution isn’t reached during that time, the pilots can walk off the job or the airline can lock them out. Some 98 percent of ATI’s 640 pilots participated in the vote and only one didn’t vote to authorize the strike.

Amazon outsources the operation of its air service, which it calls Amazon Air, to a small network of cargo airlines whose pilots fly Amazon-branded planes. In the US alone, they collectively operate more than 330 daily flights for Amazon between more than 50 airports, according to the logistics consultancy MWPVL International.

Most airlines that work with Amazon also devote a large share of their businesses to transporting cargo for other customers, including DHL and the US military. In recent years, ATI has gone all-in on the retailer, however. Amazon deliveries now comprise 94 percent of ATI’s flying hours, according to the pilots’ union, making the company and its workers dependent on the ecommerce giant.

ATI’s pilots’ union says that more than a third of the airline’s pilots have left so far this year, after 27 percent of them departed last year. The union says 42 percent of its pilots are currently on probation, meaning they’re in their first year of service. “We’re watching our carrier disintegrate,” says Mike Sterling, chair of the ATI pilots’ union.

The pilots’ union says they have delivered a 98 percent on-time performance rate, but the rapid turnover and declining experience levels are threatening that. “This market is highly competitive, and ATSG is diminishing its ability to provide quality service to Amazon,” says Sterling. “We think this is a conversation that needs to be had between all three parties.” Amazon and ATI did not respond to requests for comment. During an earnings call in May, ATSG’s former CEO said that ATI’s service quality remained outstanding, but acknowledged that training replacements for departing pilots had raised costs for the airline.

When the pilots’ union negotiated a contract with the company in 2018, pilots’ pay, benefits, and schedules were competitive with similar airlines, says Josh Hoy, a captain who started at the airline seven years ago. He initially looked at the job as just a stepping stone but decided to stick around when ATI’s relationship with Amazon took off. “It was a really exciting time, being on the ground floor of that kind of growth,” he says. “I started to have the conversation with my wife and said, ‘I think this might be the place to stay.’”

However, “as time went on, we’ve fallen far behind,” Hoy says. ATI’s union says its pilots are paid less on an hourly basis than those at all of Amazon’s seven other carriers. “We operate under the same rules, in the same airspace, on the exact same routes. The airplanes cost the exact same to operate,” says Hoy. “Everything is exactly the same, except for our pay.”

No Fondness for Labor

Amazon generally goes to great lengths to avoid engaging with unions and to deter its employees or those who work for its contractors from joining them. The company spent the last year and a half unsuccessfully challenging the first and only union victory at a US Amazon warehouse. When employees of a delivery contractor in Southern California unionized earlier this year, Amazon refused to jointly bargain with the workers and terminated its agreement with the contractor. “Amazon has not demonstrated a real fondness for labor,” Sterling acknowledges. “I would love to change that narrative with them.”

The last and only time Amazon faced a strike by one of its air carriers was in 2016, during the early days of its air cargo operation, when 250 pilots for ABX Air walked off the job. A judge deemed the strike illegal, however, and ordered the pilots back to work the following day. Nonetheless, a former Amazon Air employee told WIRED last year that Amazon suspended its business with ABX for several weeks after the strike ended to demonstrate the relative power it held in the relationship, which soon soured.

ATI’s pilots are taking a less antagonistic tone in hopes of bringing Amazon to the negotiating table. “What we don’t want to do is affect our customers,” says Sterling. “We’ve done a lot to protect our obsession with Amazon.” However, he says the intransigence of ATSG’s management has left the pilots with no choice but to call a strike.

“This side of Amazon’s network is the most vulnerable to labor strikes,” says Marc Wulfraat, president of logistics consultancy MWPVL. If drivers or warehouse workers strike, the company can shift the flow of products and packages to one of its many nearby warehouses, but airports are fewer in number and farther apart.

Amazon could compensate for a walkout at ATI by shifting volume to other air carriers under the Amazon Air umbrella, but only if they have the capacity to handle the influx at all of the airports. It could also transport some of its packages by truck instead, which it did during the brief 2016 strike. However, this could result in slower shipping times and reduced service, says Wulfraat, which flies in the face of Amazon’s mantra of customer obsession.

Pilots also have the advantage of being generally in a strong position across the airline industry. “It’s still a very, very hot job market” for pilots, says Geoff Murray, a partner who works on aerospace at management consultancy Oliver Wyman. Plummeting demand for passenger pilots during the pandemic sent many into early retirement, worsening an existing pilot shortage that got more acute as the industry bounced back. Wages have soared. Oliver Wyman estimates that captains’ pay at the US mainline carriers, such as Delta and UPS, has increased 46 percent since 2020, while regional carriers have increased pay by 86 percent.

Pilot Drew Patterson came to ATI in 2021, attracted by the work-life balance the airline offered, but as the carrier lost pilots, he has seen his workload creep up and his schedule become more unpredictable. With fewer crews to operate the same number of flights, “everybody else's schedule gets compressed,” he says. “Sometimes you can be away from home for a long time.”

Long-term, he thinks Amazon’s continued growth should be a good thing for ATI and its employees, so he’s been willing to stick it out. But he’s not so sure all of his colleagues will feel the same about current conditions at the company.

“All of this has a real house-of-cards feeling to it,” says Sterling. “We just can’t sustain what we’re doing.”

[collapsedsquid]

On the evening of Monday, July 15, while traveling to Zanjan for the Muharram religious mourning ceremony, the ex-president's chief security officer noticed that the air conditioner in his primary vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser, was malfunctioning, the London-based Iran International TV network reported. He then advised the former president to switch to another car. While in transit, the SUV spun out of control, collided with another vehicle in the convoy, and eventually stopped after hitting another car. The incident was reported to the authorities five days later. Ahmadinejad's chief security officer discovered the ongoing A/C issue and requested that Ahmadinejad use a different vehicle, per the report. The Land Cruiser was instead used to transport Ahmadinejad's associates and bodyguards when it spun out.

Fucking GenZ assassins can't get the job done apparently