LATAM

by

Volume 3 Issue 10 The Kaplanian Report


On The Boeing Front

Boeing Major Change in Building the 787 Out of Composite          Could End Jet Lag As we Know it

While engineering of the composite airframe of the 787 has been a challenge, it’s a decision that allowed Boeing to make a major change to its aircraft that could greatly reduce the effect of jet lag on its passengers.

“The 787 Dreamliner has a composite fuselage and that allowed us to pressurize it at whatever altitude we wanted because the material is not susceptible to fatigue”, Blake Emery, Director of Differentiation Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told Business Insider in an interview.

Currently, most airliners have cabin air pressure equivalent to that of an altitude of 8,000 feet, Boeing cut that down to 6,000 feet.

“To lower the cabin altitude, we actually increased the air pressure inside the cabin,”

Emery added. “It’s a bit counterintuitive for most people.”

In a study conducted by Oklahoma State University with the help of Boeing, “The research showed passengers’ bodies reacted at 6,000 feet similar to that at sea level,” Emery said. “So we decided to pressurize the Dreamliner at 6,000 feet.”

At 6,000 feet, the cabin air is more dense and has a greater level of oxygen saturation. As a result the body does not have to work as hard to oxygenate blood and sustain itself.

According to Emery, since there isn’t a perfect one-to-one correlation between altitude and jet lag, Boeing has taken the additional measures to mitigate the symptoms. These measures include an increase in cabin humidity as well as a new air-filtration system.

The 787 will not be the only Boeing jet to have a lower cabin altitude. The upcoming 777X mini-jumbo jet will also be pressurized at 6,000 feet, although it is primarily made of aluminum.

“Aluminum aircraft can be pressurized to 6,000 feet,” Kent Craver, Boeing Commercial Airplane regional director of passenger satisfaction, told Business Insider in an interview. ”In fact, most business jets are already pressurized to that level.”

Source : Business Insider/Boeing

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus Unveils New Livery on Second A350-1000 Test Aircraft 

The second Airbus A350-1000 flight test aircraft – the first to be equipped with full passenger cabin – was displayed September 23rd in a new carbon fiber-themed livery outside the manufacturer’s paint shop in Toulouse, France.

According to Airbus, the livery is inspired by the advanced composites technology incorporated in over 50% of the A350 XWB airframe.

As part of the aircraft’s certification campaign, Airbus will perform cabin and air systems tests on the test -1000 version. Early long flights and route proving evaluations will get underway in 2017, Airbus said.

The A350-1000 has the longest fuselage (243 feet) of Airbus’ A350 XWB family and seats 366 passengers. (This aircraft will compete with the 777-9X, which is 250 feet long and will carry 400 passengers).

As of August 30th, 195 A350-1000 aircraft are on order; customers include Gaudeloupe-based Air Caraibes, (three on order),Los Angeles-based Air Lease Corp., (nine on order), South Korea-based Asiana Airlines (10), British Airways (18), Japan Airlines (13), Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Air (26), Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways(22), Chile-based LATAM Airline Group (14),launch customer Qatar Airways(37), Chicago-based United Airlines (35) and UK-based Virgin Atlantic (eight).

Source : ATW/Airbus/Ed’s comments on passenger count and length.

    

    REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

Cebu Pacific Takes First High Capacity ATR 72-600

Philippine low-cost carrier, (LCC) Cebu Pacific Air, has taken delivery of the first ATR 72-600 High Capacity aircraft.

Configured with 78 seats, this new ATR 72 option has 10 additional seats compared to the standard 68-seat configuration of the aircraft.

Cebu Pacific will progressively replace its current fleet of eight 72-seat ATR 72-500s with a fleet of 16 new 78-seat ATR 72-600s.

In June 2015,the LCC ordered 16 ATR 72-600 plus 10 options, which will be operated by Cebgo, it’s wholly owned subsidiary. Deliveries will run until 2020.

Source : ATW

Dassault Falcon 8X Makes its Debut

Dassault Falcon 8X Makes its Debut at the Latin American Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (LABACE) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Falcon 8X makes its debut at (LABACE) as it seeks to drum up sales for the long-range tri-jet ahead of its validation by Brazilian certification authority in the fourth quarter of this year.

Dassault Falcon president and chief executive John Rosanvallon says the Latin American country “has shown strong demand” for the 8X since the program’s launch in 2014. ”Four of the first 20 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered there,” he says. “That’s a great sign of a Brazilian market that might be turning the corner for the better.”

The Falcon 8X secured US and European certification in early July, and first deliveries have already started.

In preparation for the 6,450nm (11,900km)-range 8X’s entry into service, Dassault has begun ramping up production at its Bordeaux Merignac final assembly plant in southwest France.

As of this writing, serial number 29 is now being manufactured at the facility, and 15 aircraft are being outfitted at Dassault’s US completion center in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Source : Flightglobal/Dassault

                   

                      OTHER AVIATION NEWS

After 37 Years, Cathay Pacific Calls Time on the 747

Cathay Pacific is retiring its Boeing 747 passenger fleet after 37 years. Once a ubiquitous presence at major airports around the world, the aircraft approaching this age has now become a rare sight.

For aviation geeks gathered at the Hong Kong International Airport, soon they will only be able to spot the Hong Kong flag carrier’s passenger jet in a history book. The final 747 flight to Tokyo took off on the first of this month.

The original 747 was vital to Cathay’s development into a major global carrier. The airline received its first jumbo jet in 1979 when it was still a small regional carrier flying to a handful of Asian destinations and Australia. It only truly became global in 1980, when it started flying to London’s Gatwick with the second 747 aircraft in its fleet.

After October 1st, Cathay will continue to fly the jets in its cargo fleet, but it decided earlier not to adopt the new generation 747-8 for passengers.

But for Hong Kong plane spotters, it is hard to say goodbye to the Queen of the Skies. The association of Hong Kong Aviation Photographers said it is putting together a photo book to commemorate the occasion. Its member, Daryl Chapman, took an iconic photo of a Cathay 747 attempting to land at Hong Kong’s old Kai Tak Airport.

Source : Ed’s Research/China Aviation Daily

Las Vegas Lands First-Ever Airline Route to Mainland China

Hainan Airlines will begin flying from Las Vegas on December 2nd, launching three weekly flights to Beijing on Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The carrier announced its intention to operate the flights earlier this year, but received the needed regulatory approval in Mid September.

Hainan Beijing flights will give Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport its first-ever regularly scheduled nonstop route to mainland China.  It is a destination that accounts for one of the fastest-growing segment of visitors to Las Vegas, according to Las Vegas Review- Journal. The associated Press continues that theme, writing the new flights come as Las Vegas and Asian investors ”are going all in on Chinese tourism, as some of Las Vegas’ latest developments on an and off the strip target Chinese nationals and Chinese-Americans.”

The Beijing service becomes Las Vegas’ second regularly scheduled route to Asia. Korean Air also flies from Las Vegas to Seoul. For Hainan Air, Las Vegas continues a recent growth spurt for the carrier in the United States. The airline also has launched new routes from cities like Boston, Seattle and San Jose, California, the past few years.

Source : China Aviation Daily

Rockwell Collins was Selected By Boeing                                              for the 777x Touchscreens

Rockwell Collins will supply touchscreen flight displays for the Boeing 777X cockpit, ushering the technology into scheduled commercial aviation when the 777-9 enters service in 2020.

Boeing announced in July that the re-engines and re-winged 777x family would be the first airliner to feature touchscreen displays for the pilots.

The move follows the introduction of touchscreen displays in general aviation and business jet cockpits, including in Gulfstream’s new G500 and G600 aircraft.

The 777x cockpit will share a similar lay-out to the 787 family with five displays, but the former will include multi-touch format screens, allowing both pilots to touch the same screen simultaneously.

Source : Boeing/Rockwell Collins/Flightglobal

Egypt Air Agrees to Buy Eight Boeing 737 NGs

Cairo-based Egyptair has inked a deal to purchase eight new Boeing 737NGs, with the first delivery expected in February 2017, according to Egyptair statement.  The aircraft will be financed by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise.

Egyptair Chairman and CEO Safwat Musallam said, “the deal will provide us the competitive edge to achieve our growth targets and help us strengthen our presence in a wider region”.

Egyptair currently operates 20 Boeing Next Generation 737s and the 8 new aircraft will comprise the largest single-aisle aircraft type in its fleet.  The airline also has six 777-300ERs and two 777-200ERs.

Source : ATW

LATEST NEWS

  • Jeju Air, South Korean budget carrier, has announced its intention to order three new 737-800s, in a deal which it says is worth $287 million.
  • Jet2, the UK leisure carrier, receives first of the 30 Boeing 737-800s. The aircraft were ordered in two batches, comprising an order for 27 737-800s that was finalized in September 2015 and further three were ordered in December 2015.

  • El Al the Israeli flag carrier has agreed to take another Boeing 787-9 from an undisclosed lessor; taking to 16 the number of Dreamliners it plans to operate starting next year.
  • China Airlines has taken delivery of its first A350-900 XWB, becoming the 9th airline to operate the type.
  • Sichuan Airlines has signed an agreement to lease three A350-900s from AerCap and one from Air Lease Corp.
  • Boeing is set to roll the 500th 787 Dreamliner. The 500th 787-9 Dreamliner has begun final assembly on September 26th, which is scheduled to be delivered to Air France on November 28, 2016.
  • LATAM  receives first A350-900 XWB under AerCap leaseback arrangement.
  • Monarch Airlines is set to buy 15 new Boeing 737s after a major investment from shareholders.  The extra 15 aircraft, added to the 30 it already ordered in 2014, would put the airline on a secure footing for the foreseeable future.
  • The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) delivered the second ARJ21-700 to Chengdu Airlines.

  • Xiamen Airlines launched its service from Shenzhen to Seattle on September 26th. The service will be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with three flights per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

 

AIR CARGO

     Cargolux Takes Early Delivery of its Final 747-8F

It was not really an earth-shaking surprise, given the Luxembourg-based carrier has already taken delivery of thirteen of the type. But this one, number 14, is the last Cargolux had on order, and was delivered ahead of schedule.

Cargolux, for its part, had originally intended to take delivery of the aircraft in 2017, but in August of this year, made a decision to bring forward the delivery date. Cargo traffic has picked up recently, reassuring the carrier that now would be sensible time to add an additional aircraft to its permanent fleet.

Shedding a bit of light on recent traffic developments in North America, Pier Curci, Cargolux’s VP the Americas, noted strong transpacific demand – especially from the Hong Kong gateway.

Returning from the delivery, the evening of September 30th when LX-VCN took off from Seattle, it immediately entered revenue service. During its return to Luxembourg, Cargolux spared no time testing the features of its shiny new 747-8F. It was widely circulated that the aircraft would carry an aircraft engine on its maiden voyage.

Source : Cargofacts/Boeing Picture

  

                                MILITARY NEWS             

      Boeing Unveils Contender for Northrop T-38 Replacement

Boeing and Saab finally took the wraps off a purposefully designed jet trainer on September 13th to replace initially  the US Air Force’s fleet of more than 400 Northrop T-38s.

Showing off a design featuring twin, canted tails and a shoulder-mounted anhedral wing, the Boeing/Saab team will compete with a high-powered trainer with a 17,700-thrust GE Aviation F404-GE-402 with full afterburner.

“The team’s clean sheet design resembles Saab’s compact Gripen fighter and twin tails allow for more maneuverability at high angle of attack”, Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works Defense, told reporters. In its most recent draft request for proposals, the US Air Force called for 25 degree of high angle of attack.

“Typically, you grow tails extremely large for high angle of attack maneuverability and we chose to take a different path,” he says. ”Size relates to cost. The smaller and more compact, the more requirements you’re going to meet and the more affordable is.”

While Boeing focused on meeting the USAF’S requirements to keep costs down, their T_X offering allows for future growth potential, Davis says. That growth plan included the afterburner, which was not a USAF requirement, he says.

Source : Flightglobal/Boeing picture

 

                         

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com

by

Volume 3 Issue 9 September 2016

On the Boeing Front

 The 787 is Becoming the Work Horse of the Airlines that Acquired it

In spite of all the initial launch problems with the 787, it is proving that it is a capable, fine aircraft with all the airlines that bought it and are flying it.

Boeing incorporated improvements to the aircraft that include the introduction of simplified display and control(DCA) software, which in mid-2014 was cited as the third largest cause of delays after issues with spoiler control units and brakes.  “Since then, we have rolled a couple of block software changes,” says Mike Fleming, Boeing’s 787 vice president for service & support.

“We continue to track every interruption on the fleet, and the engineering teams review it to understand if it’s a known or new problem. Over the last two years, the rate of new problems has come down on the aircraft. Once we know about them we are devising improvements,” adds Fleming, who says that the main focus for improvements is now on elements of the flight controls, electrical system, software and air conditioning system.

The key issues are “a combination of things. Most are component problems as opposed to system problems or integration issues,” he says.

The following are comments from airlines that are flying the 787:

  • The economics of the aircraft are strong. Air Canada recently told investors that when it switched from the 767 to the 787-8 between Toronto and Tel Aviv, it was able to carry 31% more passengers and 350% additional cargo while using 3% less fuel.
  • After a difficult start, LOT Polish Airlines stated that one of its aircraft, which is wet leased to Air Europa, has enjoyed a dispatch reliability of almost 100%. “As such, it is the most reliable Boeing 787 in the world,” says LOT. In terms of fuel burn against the 767-300 which the airline used before the 787, shows average savings of 10-11% on the same routes.
  • All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the largest airline operator of the 787. On August 17th, the airline took delivery of its 50th 787 Dreamliner, a 787-9.  The airline is pleased with the aircraft and stated that fuel savings versus the 767 are at 21% for the long-haul flights & 17% for short-haul.

As of this writing the fleet has accumulated 1.3 billion revenue miles, saving 9 billion pounds of fuel in the process. The aircraft has opened new nonstop markets that did not exist before this airplane went into service.   An impressive feat.

Source : Aviation Week/Boeing/Ed’s Research from Various Sources.

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus Decision Concerning the on A380

Qantas Airways said it does not want the remaining eight A380’s it still has on order because the 12 aircraft it operates now are sufficient to meet demand, further dimming future sales prospects for the aircraft.

“Our intention is that we are not taking those aircraft”, Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said on Friday August 5th at an airline conference in Brisbane, Australia.

Qantas was one of the original operators of the A380 and looked to become one of the biggest buyers of the A380.Joyce has pushed back delivery of the remaining planes for about two years now, joining customers including Virgin Atlantic, that have not outright canceled orders but are unlikely ever to have them fulfilled. That leave Emirates of Dubai as the one committed buyer of the aircraft.

Airbus announced a drastic cut in production last month of the A380, saying it would build about 12 of the planes annually compared with close to 30 in recent years, Emirates’ orders amount to close to 50 percent of the model’s backlog.

Following Airbus’ latest decrease, it will produce one A380 a month come 2018, more than halving the current rate of monthly jets.

At present,13 airlines operate the aircraft: with Etihad, Qatar and Asiana Airlines most recently taking their first A380s back in 2014.

But while production on the A380 has slowed down, it remains somewhat unclear at this stage how this will impact on the MRO segment, with some of the aircraft now reaching the age for some of their first D-checks.

Source : China Aviation Daily/Ed’s Research

                     

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                                       The 100th Series 400 Twin Otter

The 100th series 400 Twin Otter took flight recently from Viking Air’s production facility in Canada. The aircraft, serial number 944, will be operated by Pacific Sky Aviation, Viking’s sister company demonstrator. Headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, Viking holds the type certificates for all out-of-production de Havilland aircraft, from the DHC-1 Chipmunk through the DHC-7 Dash-7 50 passenger STOL regional airliner, and provides exclusive spare parts manufacturing for the legacy de Havilland fleet.

The company launched the upgraded Twin Otter program in March 2007, the first version flew from Viking’s final aircraft assembly facility in Calgary, Alberta, in March 2010; Transport Canada issued the aircraft’s Type Certification the following June. Series 400 Twin Otters now operate in 29 countries.

Recently Tara the Nepalese regional carrier has signed a purchase agreement with Viking for three Twin Otter Series 400s.

Source : Business & Commercial Aviation/ Picture

                                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

 Alaska Airlines Breaks Ground on New Aircraft Maintenance          and Engineering Facility in Anchorage, Alaska

On August 22nd Alaska Airlines broke ground on a new $40 million aircraft maintenance and engineering facility located at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The design of the new 105,000 square-foot facility by Anchorage based artifact firm McCool Carlson Green was also unveiled.

The new facility will be more than double the size of the current hanger and holds two 737-Max 9 aircraft, which will be the largest and widest in Alaska Airlines fleet. The current facility, located about a half mile from the new site, measures only 37,500 square feet and is unable to accommodate the newer, larger aircraft.

Construction will begin in the fall of 2016 and is scheduled to be complete in the second quarter of 2018. The new facility will house 80 engineering and maintenance employees in Anchorage,” said Kurt Kinder, Alaska Airlines Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering.

Source : Alaska Airlines Press Release

 

      American Airlines Retiring 20 MD-80s in One Day 

American Airlines retired 20 of its MD-80 jets on Tuesday August 23rd. All 20 aircraft were sent to Roswell, New Mexico, as part of what American called “one of the largest single-day aircraft retirements in airline history.”   

Of the 20 planes headed to the New Mexico desert, 17 were originally delivered to American Airlines.  The three others were inherited by American via acquisition of TWA. The average age of the 20 retiring jets is 28 years old. The 140-seat MD-80 arrived to Roswell throughout the day arriving at a clip of about one every five minutes during an 85-minute window starting at 11:20 a.m. local time. Still, American Spokesman Josh  Freed said, “Today’s 20 retirements do not indicate an acceleration of MD-80 retirements.”

“It’s just that we have a long-term MD-80 retirement plan and with the busy summer flying season winding down, August 23rd was a good day to take care of these,” Freed adds.

American had 87 MD-80s remaining in its fleet as of the second quarter of 2016.  By the end of the third quarter, American says that number will have dropped to just 53 – aided in large part by this mass retirement.  Freed said some MD-80s will remain in the carrier’s fleet “through at least summer of 2018.”

In Roswell, two full-time American employees processed incoming aircraft as they arrived. Planes can sit indefinitely in storage in Roswell, where the desert air helps keep the idle aircraft from corroding. Some find second lives, taken to cargo carriers or by smaller airlines in the developing world. Others face a stark end – raided for parts or scrapped altogether.

Source : USA Today/American Airlines  

 

 Rockwell Collins Nears Finish Line with Cockpit Displays  

Rockwell Collins is planning to deliver the final software load to Boeing for the 737 MAX cockpit displays in the middle of this month, followed by initial deliveries of the final hardware components by year end.

The handover will wrap up four years of design, development and test work made more challenging by Boeing’s goal of maintaining maximum commonality between the 737NG and the 737 MAX, in part to retain common type ratings between the two minimal “differences training” for pilots.

Boeing is targeting 2017 for first deliveries of the re-engined and otherwise modernized 737, for which it has garnered more than 3,200 firm orders.

“One of the things that has been a challenge for us and for Boeing is that we are taking a 2015 display system and sticking it on an airplane that was designed in 1964,and has not changed all that much in terms of hydraulics, electrical and air conditioning systems,” Keith Stover, MAX program chief engineer for Rockwell Collins, said.

Source : ATW/Rockwell Collins Picture

                 

LATEST NEWS

  • Albawings Albanian start-up based in Tirana, Albania has taken delivery of its first aircraft, A Boeing  737-500.
  • Armenia Air has taken delivery of its first two aircraft. The carrier, which launched services earlier this year using a Boeing 737-700 leased from Georgian Airways has acquired two of its own-former Westjet 737-700 and a 737-500.
  • Precision Aircraft Solutions completed its 50th Boeing 757-200 freighter conversion.
  • Rolls-Royce has won a $1.5 billion order from China Eastern from China Eastern to power 15 Airbus A330 aircraft.
  • Thai Airways has take delivery of its first of 12 Airbus A350s.The aircraft, an A350-900,is on lease from US-based CIT.

  • Aseman Airlines of Iran plans to buy 20 Mitsubishi Regional jets. The aircraft will be acquired through a lease-purchase contract.
  • Silk Way Airlines Azerbaijan’s national air cargo carrier received another new Boeing 747-8 F aircraft. This is 4th Boeing 747-8F aircraft operated by the airline.
  • BOC Aviation lessor BOC (Bank of China) Aviation has ordered another five Airbus A321s,to be delivered in 2017,all five are to be leased to an Asian carrier.
  • Aerolease Aviation Miami based lessor has firmed an order for 10 Mitsubishi MRJ90 regional jets with options for 10 more.
  • LATAM LATAM Airline Group has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo from the airframe’s facilities in Toulouse, becoming the first Americas operator of the re-engined narrow body.

 

  • Aviall Boeing subsidiary has signed an agreement to acquire up to 36 CF6-80A engines powering the 767 and A310 aircraft from GE Aviation.

                           

IN FOCUS

                         Boeing 747 Designer Joe Sutter Dies at 95

Boeing engineer and aircraft designer Joe Sutter, who achieved aviation icon status as the “Father of the 747”, died on August 30th at age 95. 

Known principally for ushering the West’s first wide body airliner into service in 1970, barely four years after the program launch, despite severe technical, supplier and production obstacles. Sutter also played roles in multiple Boeing aircraft programs spanning seven decades.

Sutter a native of Seattle, began his career with a summer job at Boeing in 1940 while studying for an aeronautical engineering degree at the University of Washington.

In the library of Boeing history books, Sutter’s role in the company is widespread, from delivering the technical data that drove the decision to use a T-tail on the 727 to recommending underwing podded engines on the original 737-100.

His preference for mounting engines underneath the wings would have a lasting impact on the industry beyond Boeing.  Sutter’s legacy, however, is forever linked to the 747, the Boeing aircraft credited with opening international air travel to the masses.

“Joe lived an amazing life and was an inspiration, not just to those of us at Boeing, but to the entire aerospace industry,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive Ray Conner wrote to employees.

AIR CARGO

             Online Retailer Amazon Enters the Air Freight Market 

Amazon signed agreements with Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent company of Atlas Air and Air Transport Services Group, under which those companies will each operate 20 767s for Amazon.  Amazon will be operating under the name Prime Air.  Amazon got its first branded 767-300 ER Freighter the company calls “Amazon One”.  The aircraft, registration N1997A, flew on August 5th during the Boeing Seafair show.

Aircraft N1997A was manufactured in 1994 and is powered by General Electric CF6 turbofans, according to Flight Fleets Analyzer. The aircraft N1997A had accumulated 90,000 hrs and completed 17,400 cycles as of November 2015 according to Analyzer.

Atlas expects to have the 20 aircraft flying for Amazon by the end of 2018.  As part of the deal, Atlas gave Amazon the right to purchase up to 20% of Atlas stock over five years, and the possibility to purchase another 10% of shares.

That deal followed an announcement in March that Air Transport Services Group had reached an agreement to operate 20 767s for Amazon. The Air Transport Services deal gave Amazon the right to purchase 19.9% of Air Transport Services shares.

Source : Flightglobal/Photo Amazon

      

                                                 MILITARY NEWS

 Resurrected B-52H Returns to Flight After Eight Years in Storage 

A US Air Force Boeing B-52H is back in flight after spending eight years parked in storage in the Arizona desert. The regenerated Stratofortress, nicknamed Ghostrider, completed first flight on August 30th at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, rising into the sky without a painted livery.

The base’s Air Logistics Center was tasked with restoring the airworthiness of the unretired B-52H, reversing a normally one way trip for aging military aircraft to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB near Tucson, Arizona.

The Air Force will use Ghostrider to replace another B-52H severely damaged by fire in 2014, restoring the strategic bomber fleet to approved levels. The Air Force maintains a fleet of 58 B-52s in active duty force and 18 more in reserve units.

Ghostrider, tail number 61-007,arrived at Tinker last fall before entering the boomer’s firsts programed depot maintenance cycle in 12 years.  The Air Logistics Center plans to complete several more flights of the B-52H at Tinker before handing the bomber over to an operational squadron at Minot AFB, North Dakota.

Source : Flightglobal

                         

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com