Kalen Bucknell

Pilatus PC-12 First Officer - Air Bravo

[The CW Sports @TheCW_Sports]

"I think he's wasted."

A fan just hopped the fence to chat with @sheldoncreed 🤣

[Jordan Bianchi @Jordan_Bianchi]

This is NASCAR's fifth consecutive sell out following Charlotte, Nashville, Michigan and Pocono.

[Jeff Gluck @jeff_gluck]

The haulers are parked with an aircraft carrier backdrop. #NASCAR

[Jordan Bianchi @Jordan_Bianchi]

1. There are sections of the track that wide with runoff areas, and other sections that are narrow with little margin for error.

2. Seems inevitable that the tire packs will get smoked, multiple times.

3. Backdrop is absolute sick.

4. Track is noticeably bumpy.

[Ben Bearup @TheAviationBeat]

The latest from the 787 Dreamliner factory in North Charleston, SC. 📷: @BoeingSCSpotter

[Jeff Gluck @jeff_gluck]

Update on the Coronado course construction: NASCAR reports 98 percent of the walls on the drivers' right side is completed and 95 percent of the walls on the drivers' left side is completed.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr. @DaleJr]

This week will be one of the coolest things I've ever been a part of. NASCAR on Prime will broadcast the @NASCARSanDiego race from an aircraft carrier. Join us for a special day of racing on Sunday as @SportsonPrime will be live from the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson.

Photo: Getty

[nascarcasm @nascarcasm]

I'm like "I thought we did away with 'win an in'" and then realized @J_Allgaier's points lead is that insane

[Jeff Gluck @jeff_gluck]

Christopher Bell says he hit the wall so hard at Michigan, his ear piece popped out and he had no communication with his team.

Bell "knew my wrist was broke right away because I couldn't disconnect my shirt."

His foot "hurt really bad," but it was just bruised.

He also knew right away his head was OK because he didn't black out, remembered everything (including staring at the MICHIGAN USA sign right before slamming the wall) and passed the concussion tests in the care center.

"Super, super blessed I didn't hit my noggin."

[Motorsport @Motorsport]

This wreck was so hard, the frame cracked. 😳

[KC-10 Driver ✈️ 👨‍✈️ B-737 Wrangler @MCCCANM]

I got a lot of questions about flying a “Cost Index” (CI) on an airliner.

Can’t blame you…I’d never heard of it until I got to the airlines. An explainer:

Airlines are concerned w/ keeping costs down. The margins in the industry are very low, so minimizing cost means you can keep ticket prices lower & stay competitive.

There are many costs to account for, but CI only relates to the airplane in flight. In this regard, the competing cost factors are fuel & time (time is cost of the crew…it actually includes other factors, but that’s too much info). You can save time by flying faster, but that burns fuel. You can save fuel by flying slower, but that burns time.

(That gets complicated…you can burn vastly more fuel by flying really slow, but that’s a lesson in aerodynamics & more than we need here. Just keep in mind we’re talking about trying to save a couple hundred pounds of fuel, which isn’t a lot on one flight, but if you’re airline does a few thousand flights a day, that’s a lot of money!)

So, the Cost Index is an attempt to balance the two competing costs to produce the most efficient result.

There is a formula involved, but I don’t know it & you won’t care, so we’ll skip that (but you can google it). Anyway, the Dispatcher (who builds the flight plan & checks the weather, etc.) selects a CI based on conditions. I imagine it’s probably automated, but I don’t actually know.

If the winds are favorable & you’ll be early, you’ll get a low CI. Usually a CI of 10. No need to burn extra fuel to get there even earlier…you’ll probably just end up waiting for a gate, anyway.

If you are late, you’ll get a high CI…like maybe CI 120. It’s basically “Go fast”.

The CI references can be different for different model jets. On the 737, the highest is usually 120…but other jets may be able to do CI 200 or more. The airlines may also regulate how high the CI can be set…at mine, on the 737 the highest CI is 80. It used to be 120, but they analyzed the data & backed it down. This is because anything over CI 80 produces speeds over .80 Mach (the 80 & .80 are not related!), and the maximum is .82 Mach. In the 737, if you hit a decent bump at .80 Mach, there is a good chance you will suddenly exceed .82 Mach & now it’s an overspeed, which requires an inspection (but almost never does damage unless it’s an egregious overspeed).

Anyway, you plug the CI into the computer. It runs the formula & decides the speed to fly, based on fuel burn. Now, the thing to know is that CI is *not* a speed. It produces a speed, but it’s based on the weight of the jet & efficiency. If you change the weight of the jet, you’ll get a different speed. Guess what happens as we fly? Yep, we burn fuel & our weight changes. So, the computer is re-running this formula & coming up with new speeds. You can start out flying at .76 Mach, but as you go along it will speed up to .78 Mach (or whatever).

The pilot can change the CI anytime they want. They can also just “hard code” a speed for the jet to fly. When crossing the ocean, I usually hard code the speed, rather than letting the jet modulate. This is because I have to meet certain times at each waypoint & don’t want the jet to change our speed (it wouldn’t be that dramatic to throw us off more than 2 minutes usually, but I don’t want it). When over land and in radar coverage, I let the CI run the show when it comes to speed.

CI is usually only a factor in cruise, but it does change how fast the jet will fly in climb or descent. A high CI can command a speed I don’t like in these phases of flight…like I won’t let the 737 climb at a speed faster than 325 knots, for the same overspeed reason described earlier. I go in & change the speed, which overrides the CI.

Ok, I’m about out of space. Hope that helps! As always, I’m simplifying things to try & give the layperson an understanding. Just remember that the CI produces a speed, but that’s not what it is. It’s fuel burn.

[Jon Ostrower @jonostrower]

First LATAM E195-E2 here on Embraer’s final assembly line.

[Jeff Gluck @jeff_gluck]

We know Hamlin joined the 50-50 Club this weekend with his 50th pole, but looks like that’s the last guy in for awhile. Check out how far away the others are:

[Kurt Busch @KurtBusch]

Thank you, everyone, for the well wishes, support, & love for my brother and our family. I reflect back on the days Kyle and I raced anything we could get our hands on.
I will forever be grateful for the memories we made, the lessons you taught me, and the brotherhood we shared.

[Jeff Gluck @jeff_gluck]

Denny Hamlin says he put plans in motion starting Monday morning to come up with the tribute flag and logo for Kyle Busch in case he won Michigan. Denny says they were able to collaborate with RCR to get the stylized 8 and combine it with the JGR 18 (the 1 was used and is in black).

Denny also acknowledges how pissed Kyle would have been today, but Denny says he would have told Kyle: "You'll be here around here longer. You'll get me back."

[Jeff Gluck @jeff_gluck]

Denny's reaction to this: "Those are legends. And then there's me."

[FOX: NASCAR @NASCARONFOX]

"BE LIKE BIFF. DO IT FOR DALE. AND DRIVERS START YOUR ENGINES!"- Cleetus McFarland gives the @NASCAR_Trucks command from behind the wheel at Michigan

🦅🏁

[Jeff Gluck @jeff_gluck]

Was Nashville a good race?

[NASCAR @NASCAR]

Our best drivers take on America’s Navy for control of the runway.

Coming soon to @PrimeVideo on June 5.

[SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) @SiriusXMNASCAR]

👀 "I was quitting at the end of the year, if I'm being perfectly honest with you."

@J_Allgaier speaks on his potential future for 2027 and beyond with @JRMotorsports.

More → https://t.co/MKhd9eLpQA