AVIATION

AVIATION NEWS

Jet Fuel Shortages Loom

“Airline industry officials are warning of potential disruptions to flight schedules this summer as jet fuel supply concerns and rising costs continue to develop amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said shortages could first affect parts of Asia before spreading to other regions, while European carriers are also assessing the financial impact of sustained higher fuel prices.

“European carriers are also assessing the financial impact of higher fuel prices, as several airlines reduce capacity or adjust schedules in response to rising operating costs.”

See here for the full story.

For additional info from Europe, see: https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/high-fuel-costs-disrupt-winter-2026-network-plans.

And if fuel woes weren’t enough, climate change will certainly affect the commercial airline business; see: https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/aviation-industry-warned-climate-pressures-will-reshape-travel.

Aviation Week Article: FedEx Urges Government Help to Grow SAF Supply

Jet Fuel will continue to be in short supply, and at higher cost. One possible help is the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). FedEx already uses SAF now at five major airports (ORD, MIA, LAX, DFW, and JFK), starting a year ago. Millions of gallons of SAF are involved, with a large saving in petroleum products. For more information on this encouraging development, see: https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/fedex-urges-government-help-grow-saf-supply.

Aviation Week Podcast: Airbus and Boeing CEO’s See the Future Differently

Evolutionary versus disruptive changes in technology, demand for new aircraft versus fleet optimization, advances in propulsion technology, and other issues make for an interesting discussion/comparison. See for yourself at: https://aviationweek.com/podcasts/check-6/podcast-why-airbus-boeings-ceos-see-future-differently.

AVIATION FYI

Results of UPS Crash in November 2025

“Boeing’s flawed analysis of a 2002 in-service incident masked the significance of nine subsequent occurrences before a 10th led to the fatal crash of UPS Airlines Flight 2976 in November 2025, details released during an NTSB hearing as part of the safety agency’s probe reveal. The troubling chain of events raises concerns about foundational industry processes meant to improve in-service fleet safety through hazard identification and risk analysis.

Testimony and documents made public during the 1.5-day hearing held May 19-20 in Washington show the accident was caused by fatigue cracking that originated in a lubrication channel inside a part within the MD-11’s No. 1 (left) engine pylon. The channel runs along the inside circumference of a collar, or race, that forms part of a steel spherical bearing. The bearing rests within two lug holes, or bores, and houses a bolt that attaches the lugs to a wing clevis, providing one of the two engine attachment points on each wing.

“Boeing understood from previous incidents that the race was susceptible to cracking. Several incidents also demonstrated that race damage could affect load distribution across the lugs, causing cracks or deformation.

“But Boeing’s analysis concluded that if one lug failed, the second would hold, keeping the engine and pylon attached to the wing. As Flight 2976 proved, Boeing was wrong.

“The MD-11’s left engine and pylon tore away from its wing right after rotation, when tension on the cracked lug was highest. Fatigue cracks in the lug bores gave way and both lugs fractured. The engine—its pylon still attached—pivoted forward and up, broke away from the wing, and passed over the MD-11’s rear fuselage.

“The stricken widebody lifted off but could not maintain altitude. It went down 4,200 ft. from the end of Louisville International Airport’s Runway 17 Right, in an industrial area. Its maximum recorded radio altitude during the 22-sec. flight was 29 ft. All three UPS pilots onboard and 12 people on the ground were killed.

Source: https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/ups-accident-probe-finds-trail-missed-clues

AVIATION LINKS AND OTHER INFORMATION

Let’s Recover a WWII TBD-1 Torpedo Bomber! The TBD-1 Devastator was the U.S.

Navy’s first all-metal, low-wing, carrier-based torpedo bomber. The Devastator went into service in 1937, but it was completely outdated by the time of Pearl Harbor. In spite of its flaws, it was used during the opening months of the Pacific campaign, including operations in the Marshall Islands and major carrier battles in 1942. It had to fly low, slow, and straight to launch its torpedo. Only 129 were ever built. The Devastators they were soon replaced by a more capable aircraft, the TBM Avenger, the aircraft flown by George H.W. Bush later in the War. But not before the ill-fated Torpedo Squadron 8 was annihilated at Midway in June, 1942.

American naval forces were reeling after Pearl Harbor, but the aircraft carriers weren’t in port that day, and were able to conduct raids on Japanese holdings in the mid-Pacific. On February 1, 1942, the carriers Yorktown and Enterprise struck targets in the Marshall Islands. Seventeen SBD Dauntless dive bombers and 12 Devastators (carrying bombs instead of torpedoes since they were after targets on land) from the Yorktown went to Jaluit Atoll. Their attack was thwarted by bad weather, and two of the Devastators became disoriented in the clouds to the point they lacked the fuel necessary for a return to their ship. They elected to ditch in the large Jaluit lagoon. All six crewmen from the two aircraft were captured, and would survive the War and, but only after some very rough treatment there and back in Japan.

The two Jaluit Devastators are still there and one of them is the focus of a new recovery effort, the Devastator Project, made by a “coalition of maritime archaeology, aviation preservation and naval history organizations.” The aircraft selected for recovery was Bureau Number 1515, piloted by “Ensign Herbert R. Hein, Jr., (with) navigator/bombardier Aviation Ordnanceman, Third Class (AOM3c) Joseph D. Strahl, and radioman/gunner Seaman First Class (S1c) Marshal E. “Windy” Windham.” The other, Bureau Number 0298, was manned by “pilot Lt. Harlan T. “Dub” Johnson, navigator Aviation Chief Machinist’s Mate (ACMM) Charles E. Fosha, and radioman/gunner Radioman First Class (RM1c) James W. Dalzell.”

[ASIDE: It’s a good thing the two crews eventually made it back home OK. My boss at my first job in Colorado Springs, a fine gentleman and decent golfer, was the son of Charles E. Fosha.]

The wrecks of several other Devastators are known, but none to date have been recovered and restored enough to be put on display anywhere, making this dud of an airplane a rare and important artifact! I wish the Devastator Project team the best of luck in their endeavor!

For more info, see: https://avweb.com/aviation-news/tbd-1-recovery-effort-world-war-ii-navy and https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/us-navy-announces-mission-to-recover-a-douglas-tbd-devastator.html. .

What’s It Like to Fly to Telluride? Telluride, Colorado, located in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, is a spectacular setting, home to celebrities famous, skiers, and festival goers. There are more private jets flying into its small airport, at over 9000’, than just about anywhere. AVWeb just posted a video of what landing there is like, in a propeller-driven plane. See: https://www.avweb.com/multimedia/featured-video-flying-into-telluride-a-stunning-high-stakes-approach.

And if you think that’s wild, try jeeping into Telluride over the (in)famous Black Bear Pass (if you are not too late; it recently was closed due to damage by a rockfall). For example, see: https://www.cntraveler.com/video/watch/the-road-less-traveled-traversing-black-bear-pass.

Oh, and watch out forfalling cars!