3 Links I Love: Idiocy in Kansas City, The Supersonic Dilemma, Another 747 Tribute

Dec 22, 2017

More Reading on This Topic: 747, Links I Love, MCI – Kansas City

This week’s featured link:
Now what? KC Council’s airport vote creates chaos and betrays voters – The Kansas City Star
Do you hate local government? Here’s a story for you. If you recall, the good people of Kansas City overwhelming approved the new airport terminal, finally. But guess what? The city council has now put the project back into limbo by shooting down the deal with the construction firm. This scathing editorial is one side of the argument. I’m sure others will be happy to point out the holes in the process that led to this point, but the point is that this whole thing has been handled very poorly. It’s remarkable Kansas City can function at all.

Two for the road:
The Supersonic dilemma – Leeham News and Content
I’m not going to pretend like I understood even half of this article, but if you get out of the weeds, you can see the broader point here. Engines for supersonic transport are hard, and what works on a 737 isn’t going to work well on a faster airplane.

Farewell to the 747, the Plane That Shrank the World – Bloomberg
Ok, ok, just one more. Right? Then I can quit. I can totally do it on my own for sure.

Brett

9 responses to “3 Links I Love: Idiocy in Kansas City, The Supersonic Dilemma, Another 747 Tribute”

Bill Hough

Dec 22, 2017 at 8:07 am

If I lived in Kansas City, I’d be livid at the City Council right now. As for the SST article, I remain cynical of these new SST proposals for reasons set forth in this article, plus REG Davies’ book “Supersonic (Airliner) Non-Sense” from 20 years ago. If you can find a copy, read it.

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Southeastern

Dec 22, 2017 at 9:49 am

Wow I wish I were a lawyer in KC. Lot’s of money to be made on the endless lawsuits that are going to commence and cost KC tax payers millions of dollars.

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BetterKCI

Dec 22, 2017 at 11:56 am

KC resident here. As is depressingly common in local politics, the past week’s dust-up was due to: an unforced error on the part of the City’s legal team, posturing by some City Council members (the mayor is term-limited out in 2019, and half the council is positioning for a run), and contradictory demands by women-/minority-owned contractors (which are less likely to be union) and other contractors (which are likely union).

If you want another reading of why the City Council initially voted down the MOU, here you go: https://www.pitch.com/news/blog/20986572/whats-happening-with-the-kansas-city-airport-is-astonishing-but-not-for-the-reasons-you-probably-think

As of yesterday, the negotiations with Edgemoor are back on again, at least: http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article191131454.html

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Yosef

Dec 22, 2017 at 12:06 pm

Do not apologize, rather continue with these beautiful tributes to the queen!

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A Kindred Soul aka Norman L. Wherrett, Jr.

Dec 23, 2017 at 4:45 am

Cranky, we’re not done with the 747. Please get in touch with CA and AZ ‘bone-yards’ and shop prices for a hull suitable as a “not-so-tiny house”. Then we can create our own Dorkfest Trumpville near LAX. Norman Wherrett

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Cary

Jan 5, 2018 at 10:14 am

Dissenting article for you on this KCI issue.
https://www.pitch.com/news/blog/20986572/whats-happening-with-the-kansas-city-airport-is-astonishing-but-not-for-the-reasons-you-probably-think

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Sean S.

Jan 14, 2018 at 7:28 am

Arriving late to the party but I agree with the dissenters. As someone who has spent many a city council meeting in public comment time haranguing city council members about poorly thought out contracts that left tax payers on the hook, the circumstances and the final MOU of the deal were terrible. There was absolutely no just cause provisions, no claw backs if the developer didn’t complete work. Despite the teeth gnashing of the editorial board, public council votes are not some secretive cabal, but I can tell you secret negotiations with developers that only present a lopsided contract at the end certainly ARE an example of the problem of most government contract bidding. Elected bodies have the right and should exercise more often the right to can lopsided deals with private contractors.

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dtgtyo

Jan 15, 2018 at 5:38 am

I had the privilege of being part of Pratt & Whitney’s flight test team that covered its ‘birth” starting in late 1968. It was an exciting time for us as well as the engines were more than twice the size of anything we had in commercial production at the time. To say the learning curve was steep would be a gross understatement and dealing with Joe Sutter was no picnic. Because of less than desired compressor stall margin I had the further ‘pleasure of flying with the entire run of -100’s and making adjustments to the engine as needed so it would pass the infamous “bodie test”. Over the years since then I have logged many mile on that, my aircraft of choice; more often than not to NRT where JAL had close to fifty at one time!
Oh the war stories that were never written…….

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

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1. A Kindred Soul aka Norman L. Wherrett, Jr.
  
  Jan 15, 2018 at 10:05 pm
  
  Bill Allen “Bet the (Boeing) company” on the 747. TELL US ALL about the 747 prototype’s 4-engine flame-out during icing tests and ATC clearance to ditchHull #1 in frigid Puget Sound. Norman Wherrettaka A Kindred Soul
  
  Reply