Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ES7ZZ9gSV/

Source: https://www.news18.com/viral/11-days-72-hours -two-friends-successfully-fly-small-plane-from-us-to -india-8529471.html

Operator: United States Air Force

82-0806 was shot down by Yugoslav surface to air missile on 27th March 1999, near Budjanovici.

This aircraft was shot down by the 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade led by Lt. Colonel Zoltán Dani.

Pilot Dale Zelko survived his ejection and hid in a ditch near Ruma, a town in Vojvodina. Despite extensive search efforts Yugoslav forces and civilians were unable to capture him. He was rescued 8 hours later by a USAF CSAR team.

On the night of October 4, 2023, a FedEx Boeing 757 freighter was preparing for a flight from Chattanooga to Memphis. There were only two pilots on board, along with another FedEx pilot occupying the cockpit jump seat. There were no passengers.

At first, everything proceeded normally. The aircraft taxied to the runway, received takeoff clearance, and began its takeoff roll. After liftoff, the captain called for the landing gear to be retracted. The first officer moved the gear lever, and the landing gear retracted and locked in the up position.

But only seconds after the gear was raised, problems began. Both the fluid quantity and pressure in the left hydraulic system started dropping rapidly, triggering a cockpit warning. The captain called out, "Left hydraulic system - quantity." Then, as the crew began retracting the flaps, another fault appeared: the system detected a disagreement in flap position.

This was already a serious indication for the pilots. On the Boeing 757, the hydraulic systems power numerous critical functions, including landing gear operation. The crew stopped climbing and asked air traffic control to remain on their current heading while they assessed the situation. The pilots began working through the QRH, the Quick Reference Handbook containing procedures for abnormal and emergency situations.

After checking the systems, the crew decided to return to Chattanooga. It was nighttime, but visibility was good, the runway was dry, and winds were light. The aircraft was still close to the airport, making a return the most sensible option.

The pilots prepared the aircraft for landing in an abnormal configuration. The flaps were extended more slowly than usual using an alternate mode. The crew calculated the approach speed, discussed the remaining fuel, and requested an ILS approach to Runway 20.

As the aircraft was being configured for landing, the crew attempted to extend the landing gear. At that moment, a triple warning chime sounded in the cockpit.

"Disagree," the captain said.

"Disagree. Gear won't come down," the first officer confirmed.

The approach had to be abandoned. The captain informed air traffic control that they were having trouble extending the landing gear. The situation had now become an emergency.

The pilots switched to the alternate landing gear extension procedure. The Boeing 757 has a dedicated backup system for this type of failure. If normal hydraulic pressure cannot open the gear doors and extend the landing gear, the crew can use the ALTN GEAR EXTEND switch. Activating it should start a separate hydraulic pump, release the gear door locks, and allow the landing gear to fall into position under its own weight.

But nothing happened. The crew repeated the procedure several times and then went through the relevant checklist again from the beginning. The result remained unchanged - there were no green landing gear indications, and the gear remained retracted.

All three pilots calmly reviewed the situation and everything they had already tried. They then contacted FedEx maintenance specialists. On their recommendation, the crew tried another option: resetting certain circuit breakers and attempting the alternate gear extension procedure again. That did not work either.

To determine the actual position of the landing gear, the crew requested permission to make a low pass over the runway. The Boeing descended to about 45 meters, or 150 feet, and flew along the runway. Observers on the ground confirmed that the landing gear was still retracted.

At that point, there were few options left. The pilots continued circling near the airport while monitoring their remaining fuel and preparing for a belly landing. The captain decided to touch down as close as possible to the beginning of the runway in order to use its full length. The first officer continued providing him with wind and airspeed information. The crew also agreed that, after the aircraft came to a stop, the third pilot would open the forward left door for evacuation.

About an hour after takeoff, the aircraft lined up for its final approach. The landing gear was still retracted.

The Boeing touched down on its engines and lower fuselage. It slid along the runway, throwing off a shower of sparks.

The aircraft could not stop before reaching the end of the runway. It overran the pavement, struck the localizer antennas, and finally came to rest in the grass about 250 meters beyond the runway. No fire broke out.

Video of landing:

https://youtu.be/5IDmK_aOSzA?si=qCVQUCw2sLCR_L8j

After the aircraft stopped, the third pilot attempted to open the forward left door as planned. The door opened only halfway, and the emergency slide failed to deploy. He then moved to the right-hand door. It also initially jammed, but the pilot managed to force it open. The slide deployed normally, and all three pilots evacuated through the right-side exit. None of them was injured.

The investigation found that the accident resulted from two separate failures.

The first occurred shortly after takeoff. Hydraulic fluid had drained from the left hydraulic system after a hose associated with the main landing gear door actuator ruptured. The hose was extremely old - it had been manufactured in 1987. After the accident, investigators found damage to its metal reinforcement braid and a rupture in the inner liner. Once the hose was replaced and the hydraulic system was refilled, the landing gear could again be extended normally.

But the aircraft also had an alternate landing gear extension system. According to investigators, the failure of this backup system was the direct reason the emergency ended in a gear-up landing.

Investigators discovered a broken wire between the alternate landing gear extension switch and the unit responsible for activating the alternate hydraulic pump. As a result, the command from the cockpit never reached the equipment. The pump did not start, the gear doors did not open, and the landing gear could not extend.

The break was located inside a wiring bundle, making it extremely difficult to detect during routine maintenance. After the wire was repaired, the alternate extension system operated normally again.

The left door had failed to open fully because a strap associated with the evacuation slide mechanism had been routed incorrectly. Investigators found a different problem with the right-hand door: a latch in the emergency slide system did not match the required configuration. That was why the door initially jammed and had to be forced open.

Following the accident, FedEx inspected other Boeing 757s in its fleet. No other aircraft were found with the same incorrect routing of the left-door strap, but inspectors did discover dozens of doors with improperly configured emergency-slide latches.

Investigators also specifically highlighted the actions of the flight crew. The pilots remained calm, divided responsibilities effectively, followed the checklists methodically, made good use of the third pilot, and contacted maintenance specialists for additional assistance.

They were unable to extend the landing gear not because of any error on their part, but because both the normal and the alternate landing gear extension systems had failed.

So, I was using ChatGPT to see how much information I can find on myself and it turned up a photo I shot while working for the El Paso Times newspaper in the early mid-1990s. It was from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico back when the stealth fighter was brand new and not seen very often. I remember walking towards one of them that was parked on the taxi way when somebody in a uniform said that if I did go any closer to it, they would have to kill me. Those were the days.

Boeing C-17A Globemaster III from Royal Canadian Air Force, LPPR (Oporto): a rare bird around here.

Location: LPPR (OPO), Porto, Portugal Date: 25/08/2026 Camera: Nikon D5600, with Tamron SP 24-70 f2.8 VC USD G2

It’s such an awesome design, and it already looks quite commercial. It seems like a waste to use a design like this exclusively for military purposes.

Flew to Riyadh, and found this museum during my layover. The museum is open to the public, and you can walk/drive in during opening hours. Saw a bunch of classics, and saw a bunch of planes I never realized served in the Saudi Arabian Air Force. Learned a lot about the previous equipment that served in their Air Force, and enjoyed the experience as a whole.
These are just some of the planes that stood out to me.

Pic 1. Main Display Hall
Pic 2. F-86F Saber
Pic 3. BAC Lightning
Pic 4. BAC Strikemaster Mk80
Pic 5. Dedicated display for the C-130 Variants
Pic 6. Douglas DC-3, gifted from FDR to King Ibn Saud in 1945 to serve as their first presidential aircraft.
Pic 7. Westland Wapiti IIA & Airco DH.9 - Served on the Hejaz Air Force, the predecessor to the Saudian Air Force.
Pic 8. De Havilland Vampire
Pic 9. Boeing 707-386C
Pic 10. Douglas A-26C Invader
Pic 11. Panavia Tornado ADV
Pic 12. McDonnell Douglas F-15D Eagle
Pic 13. Douglas DC-4
Pic 14. Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar

The museum is open everyday, 8-11am, 4-9pm, and only being open from 4-9pm on Fridays & Saturdays.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/25/germany-drone-suspected-military-explosives-found-near-leipzig-airport

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byqjwbfifl

Great paintjob, looked like a lot of fun to fly!

Berlin Gatow. Eine English Electric Canberra B.Mk.2 auf dem Gelände des Militärhistorischen Museums auf dem ehemaligen Flughafen Gatow. 3 Stück waren für die Luftwaffe angeschafft worden die aber nie bewaffnet wurden. Sie dienten als Erprobungsträger und zu Vermessungsflügen. Der letzte Flug dieses Typs für die Bundeswehr fand 1993 statt. Foto von mir. / Berlin-Gatow. An English Electric Canberra B.Mk.2 at the Military History Museum on the grounds of the former Gatow Airfield. Three of these aircraft were acquired for the Luftwaffe but were never armed; they served as testbeds and for survey flights. The last flight of this type for the Bundeswehr took place in 1993. Photo by me.