2018 Oklahoma City Aviation Thread

[s00nr1]

OKX-PHL off to a good start. The flight is booked full today (76/76) and tomorrow the first flight is booked about 75% and the second flight is full.

Only one flight today for scheduling purposes. (Don’t have to ferry a flight in last night)

Have to think this route will do very well with its European/Northeast US connection implications.

[no1cub17]

Also noticed that UA is running 1x daily A319 on OKC-ORD! Pretty awesome as IIRC that last time OKC-ORD got true mainline service was when AA briefly flew S80s on the route, I want to say 2001-2002. Pretty sure after that it was exclusively RJs. Maybe this will convince AA to run at least a daily 737 to ORD as well! Wishful thinking I know...

[catch22]

Also noticed that UA is running 1x daily A319 on OKC-ORD! Pretty awesome as IIRC that last time OKC-ORD got true mainline service was when AA briefly flew S80s on the route, I want to say 2001-2002. Pretty sure after that it was exclusively RJs. Maybe this will convince AA to run at least a daily 737 to ORD as well! Wishful thinking I know...

Enjoy it while it lasts it’s only for June. Maybe a few days in a July.

[no1cub17]

Enjoy it while it lasts it’s only for June. Maybe a few days in a July.

Ah that stinks - figured it was a seasonal upgauge but didn't think it'd be for just a month!

[catch22]

Ah that stinks - figured it was a seasonal upgauge but didn't think it'd be for just a month!

Some weird schedule load. They added a ton of mainline throughout the US from ORD IAH and DEN. But most don’t stick. Almost like they are just trying to get some data if these markets can actually support some more capacity. I don’t think that’s the strategy but thats what it feels like.

[OUman]

It seems Amazon's free shipping is coming at a cost to air cargo pilots. This shouldn't be happening again, especially after mutltiple incidents/accidents involving pilot fatigue over the years.

[no1cub17]

Some weird schedule load. They added a ton of mainline throughout the US from ORD IAH and DEN. But most don’t stick. Almost like they are just trying to get some data if these markets can actually support some more capacity. I don’t think that’s the strategy but thats what it feels like.

Isn't F9 doing basically the same? Fly a route for a few months and if it doesn't work, can it quickly (OKC-SAN?). Sounds like something Scott Kirby would do. He would fit in much better at a ULCC IMO.

[catch22]

Isn't F9 doing basically the same? Fly a route for a few months and if it doesn't work, can it quickly (OKC-SAN?). Sounds like something Scott Kirby would do. He would fit in much better at a ULCC IMO.

Not really the same. This is just tinkering with capacity on well established routes. Frontier is using a dartboard, drunk sometimes.

[catch22]

It seems Amazon's free shipping is coming at a cost to air cargo pilots. This shouldn't be happening again, especially after mutltiple incidents/accidents involving pilot fatigue over the years.

These topics always come up around contract time. While I’m not a pilot, our contract is nearing the negotiating stages (next year) and the rhetoric is already pumping from the company on how costs are up (true) and from the union on how staffing is down but workload is increasing (true) and safety is at risk (eh).

Both sides just try to set the tone for the negotiation. Company wants to do what’s best for the company and the union wants to increase opportunity for members. Both say silly things leading into these.

[OUman]

Hmm, interesting . Pretty sure Atlas' pilots are not negotiating at the moment for a new contract (from what I can gather). The article does mention however that many pilots are leaving Atlas for other carriers and that many of the new pilots jump ship, making a pilot shortage that much worse. I see what you're saying though. The article did say that while everything is within the new safety limits, it is just barely. If some of the concerns are true however, this page does raise some eyebrows.

[mike1k]

Early this morning, between 1:00am and 1:30am what sounded like a small jet flew over my house 3 times in about 10 minute increments. Any idea what this was? Touch and goes from Tinker? I guess it could have been 3 separate planes, but I doubt it. The sound was much quieter than the typical commercial jet. Those jets usually fly south a little further after take off to avoid the highly populated areas before turning east. Needless to say it was irritating.

[LakeEffect]

Early this morning, between 1:00am and 1:30am what sounded like a small jet flew over my house 3 times in about 10 minute increments. Any idea what this was? Touch and goes from Tinker? I guess it could have been 3 separate planes, but I doubt it. The sound was much quieter than the typical commercial jet. Those jets usually fly south a little further after take off to avoid the highly populated areas before turning east. Needless to say it was irritating.

Where do you live?

I see that a Southwest flight landed at WRWA at 12:46 am (delayed 18 minutes from scheduled), and another Southwest at 1:58 am (delayed 1 hr, 25 minutes)...

[mike1k]

SW 119th and May. I checked the time when the first plane flew over as it seemed odd, it was straight up 1:00....again about 1:15 and 1:30.

[ditm4567]

SW 119th and May. I checked the time when the first plane flew over as it seemed odd, it was straight up 1:00....again about 1:15 and 1:30.

Last Saturday, two F-15/16's (some sort of fighter jet, not a big plane guy) flew over Lake Hefner when I was out there around 4:45 p.m. Maybe some sort of test flights are happening out of Tinker...?

[catch22]

https://flyokc.com/sites/default/fil...nplanement.pdf

10% gain for May. Up 12% on the year.

ViaAir 30% load factor.

[gopokes88]

https://flyokc.com/sites/default/fil...nplanement.pdf

10% gain for May. Up 12% on the year.

ViaAir 30% load factor.

Wasn’t last month 25%? Progress? I guess?

[catch22]

Wasn’t last month 25%? Progress? I guess?

I’m curious as to their pricing. I’d think since they see consistent low LF, why aren’t they selling 10 seats at a very low fare to drum up interest? They could be running 55% or so if they did that. Your variable costs generally increase as load factor goes up (higher weight more fuel burn), but your fixed costs (lease/financingin aircraft payments, rent, crew, etc.) are spread out at a higher load factor. Recovering some of those fixed costs on some $49 one way tickets wouldn’t be a bad idea. Current prices are $175 one way I think.

[s00nr1]

https://flyokc.com/sites/default/fil...nplanement.pdf

10% gain for May. Up 12% on the year.

ViaAir 30% load factor.

Fantastic passenger growth for AA. I'd be interested in knowing what their LF's are.

[gopokes88]

I’m curious as to their pricing. I’d think since they see consistent low LF, why aren’t they selling 10 seats at a very low fare to drum up interest? They could be running 55% or so if they did that. Your variable costs generally increase as load factor goes up (higher weight more fuel burn), but your fixed costs (lease/financingin aircraft payments, rent, crew, etc.) are spread out at a higher load factor. Recovering some of those fixed costs on some $49 one way tickets wouldn’t be a bad idea. Current prices are $175 one way I think.

Agreed. $175 isn’t too expensive but it’s not cheap either.

[catch22]

Not sure if I mentioned this or not, but the seasonal Sunday Orlando flight will continue into this new Southwest schedule that was announced recently. I was curious if they would trade Orlando for Nashville but it appears they will be running both on Sundays still. I am hopeful they can extend either one to daily.

[mugofbeer]

Where do you live?

I see that a Southwest flight landed at WRWA at 12:46 am (delayed 18 minutes from scheduled), and another Southwest at 1:58 am (delayed 1 hr, 25 minutes)...

I saw Tinker is one of the locations taking B1s to work on the ejector seat problems. Maybe it has to do with that?

[shawnw]

Tinker is the programmed depot maintenance facility for B-1s (worked for the program for years), so every plane in the inventory visits Tinker every 5 years for scheduled maintenance. Just saying B-1s flying around the area is not an unusual thing. Also, there is no confusing the sound of a B-1 for a "small jet". It has a long, deep, rumble of a noise that is fairly distinct among the aircraft we get around here.

[catch22]

Tinker is the programmed depot maintenance facility for B-1s (worked for the program for years), so every plane in the inventory visits Tinker every 5 years for scheduled maintenance. Just saying B-1s flying around the area is not an unusual thing. Also, there is no confusing the sound of a B-1 for a "small jet". It has a long, deep, rumble of a noise that is fairly distinct among the aircraft we get around here.

Doesn’t have the same type of engines as the F-15? Just more of them?

I’m not super familiar with the military birds.

[mugofbeer]

Tinker is the programmed depot maintenance facility for B-1s (worked for the program for years), so every plane in the inventory visits Tinker every 5 years for scheduled maintenance. Just saying B-1s flying around the area is not an unusual thing. Also, there is no confusing the sound of a B-1 for a "small jet". It has a long, deep, rumble of a noise that is fairly distinct among the aircraft we get around here.

Thanks!

[shawnw]

Doesn’t have the same type of engines as the F-15? Just more of them?

I’m not super familiar with the military birds.

Different engines. The F-15 produces about 48,000 pounds of thrust, whereas the B-1 is capable of 120,000.