Month: November 2022

Sorry guys, this is going to be a solemn blog post.  Also, it has been about a month since I’ve written one of these posts, so here goes nothing.  For this whole semester, I’ve maintained that I am an aviation enthusiast, and I love the topic of flight.  However, there is one thing that always manages to put me off: death.  The truth about aviation is that it is a dangerous game  Thousands upon thousands of people have died at the hands of flight.  Thankfully, aviation has only gotten safer throughout the years, and now it is considered one of the safest forms of transportation.  Still, when tragedy does strike, it seems so tragic and shocking, partly because of the often-violent nature of crashes.

I am writing this blog post due to an event that happened at an airshow recently.  “Wings over Dallas” is a very famous and credible airshow that takes place in Dallas, Texas (it’s in the name; I don’t think I need to say that).  Just over two weeks ago, two airplanes collided during a flight and exploded.  Six people perished as a result of the accident.  At first, people paid their respects and showed remorse for the situation.  However, the video of the accident was released very quickly due to the number of witnesses present.  I am not going to include a link to the video out of respect for the victims, but I am sure that you can find it on the internet if you truly must see it.  Not soon after the video was released, memes started to be released featuring the crash.  To be completely honest, I am a sucker for dark humor, but even this was too far for me.

This event also made me wonder about what the future may hold for these antique airshows.  These airshows often feature airplanes that were used in World War two and some that even predate the war.  The crash mentioned earlier involved a B-17 and a P-63. Pictures of these airplanes are shown below.

The B-17 was designed in the 1930s and produced in the early 1940s.  The P-63 was developed and delivered during the early 1940s.  These airframes are just about 80 years old.  Antique airplanes have been updated with new navigation and communication equipment, but the new equipment does not change the age of the body and the wings.  I think that the aviation community needs to reevaluate the risks that come with flying these antique airplanes in airshows.  Nonetheless, I do not believe that this will happen soon.  There are people much braver than me who are willing to hop, being the sticks of these beautiful beasts to keep them running and up in the sky.  There is no shortage of people who risk death for what they love, and no threat will stop them.

Here comes another airplane review, one that is much different than the rest. I had never heard of this airplane before; in fact, the first time I saw it was yesterday. Yesterday I learned that the United States military- the owner of the most airplanes in the world- has chosen a new aircraft to serve. This airplane is designated the AT-802U sky warden.

As soon as I saw this plane, I laughed at its bulbous cockpit, turboprop engine, and tricycle landing gear. I am sure many of you know what plane this contraption resembles. That’s right; this airplane is a crop duster. America is known for striving for perfection and innovation. The United States military is no exception to that rule, especially with its $770 billion budget. At first, it came as a surprise to me that the Air Force would field an airplane that was first built in 1990 for the agricultural marketplace., but one thing I’ve learned in aviation is to expect the unexpected. After reading several articles and watching a few YouTube videos, I understand the reasoning behind choosing this strange airplane as the military’s next project. It is all about money.

Yes, the military budget is $770 billion dollars, but why? We are a country in debt; a shit ton of debt. We are also not involved in any significant conflict right now. Yet we just dumped 2 billion dollars into buying a fleet of 75 crop dusters. After a bit of research, it all clicked for me. These airplanes are incredibly cheap to operate. On top of that, this airplane will serve as sort of a jack of all trades.

The A-10 Warthog (which I may do a future episode on) is the closest thing I can compare the Sky Warden to right now with the information I have. The Warthog is a close-air support airplane and is considered to be an incredibly cheap machine to fly. For every hour of flight time, the Warthog costs about $18,000 worth of maintenance. However, the Sky Warden, which I still can’t believe is actually happening, will cost less than $1,000 per hour. I mean, yeah, that’s still a lot of money, but in aviation terms, that is almost nothing.

We don’t need the most advanced technology for the enemies we fight now. We aren’t fighting large-scale wars against opponents like Germany or Russia (I hope not, at least) anymore. The majority of our attention goes to smugglers with makeshift equipment, such as the half-submarine half/boat pictured below.

The Sky Warden, though uncanny, is equipped with cameras, sensors, lasers, and all kinds of reconnaissance equipment. With a 10-hour loiter time, it will be perfect for what I will assume to be its intended purpose. It will be able to reliably spot incoming smugglers and relay the exact location to ground forces, which can then (hopefully peacefully and without struggle) capture the contraband. So yeah, I’m all for having a new plane that will help us out and keep cash in our pockets.