Indy Transponder 15-December 1100z

Airboss Ralph Royce Awarded 2008 ICAS Sword of Excellence from Alabama Aviator - Aviation News
Las Vegas- The highest honor of the International Council of Airshows, the Sword of Excellence was awarded to Air Boss Ralph Royce in a ceremony at their convention on Thursday night. With perhaps an entire lifetime devoted to aviation, pilot, warbird driver, airshow expert, safety advocate and just plain miracle worker Ralph Royce received the award…

WhiteKnightTwo takes a stroll from Mojave Skies by Alan Radecki
Late Friday afternoon, the Virgin Galactic Scaled Composites WhiteKnightTwo, named VMS Eve, was out and about doing low-speed taxi tests, as technicians tweaked the #2 and #3 engines (note the removed pylon access covers). According to media reports, the WhiteKnightTwo will be capable of carrying up to 34,700 pounds to an altitude of 50,000 feet, which would be the launch altitude for SpaceShipTwo. Although initially designed as the "mothership" for Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, further uses of the aircraft include the possibility of launching unmanned satellites into earth orbit. VG president Will Whitehorn told FlightGlobal.com (here) that such a launcher is being dubbed "LauncherOne". A solid rocket booster with a parachute stabilization system (such as used by AirLaunch LLC) could be launched from WhiteKnightTwo as high as 70,000, according to Whitehorn, speaking to Flight International at the 4th Appleton space conference at the UK's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory this past September.

40th Anniversary Of Apollo 8 Celebrated from AVwebFlash Current Issue
photos by Robert KirchnerClick for more photosThe San Diego Air and Space Museum honored Frank Borman, James Lovell Jr. and William Anders for the milestones they achieved as the first humans to travel to the moon and back in a capsule the size of a Volkswagen front seat. It was a historic evening that allowed a sold-out crowd of guests to mingle with numerous astronauts and NASA dignitaries; see students receive awards from the Ford Motor Co. for their Green Energy Ideas; hear the Apollo mission's technical background from Glynn Lunney, NASA Flight Director; listen to Borman's, Lovell's and Anders' recollections woven with humorous anecdotes; and share their unique perspective on Earth and its place in the universe.

Thunderbirds Will Return To Mather For ‘09 Air Show - Last year, nearly 80,000 people attended the California Capital Airshow in Mather. 2009's event is expected to bring in just as many visitors when it is held on September 12 and 13 at the Mather Airport. Joining other demonstrations, the airshow will welcome the Air Force Thunderbirds flight-demonstration team. The team will be headlining the event with their second appearance at the California Capital Airshow.

Willow Run Bomber Plant and 3509th Army Air Force Base album Kos Fotki.com From public.fotki.com
Willow Run Bomber Plant and 3509th Army Air Force Base - Presented are scans of original negative taken during the WW2 years of the Willow Run factory, the base, and some publicity photos. Thanks to Sam Sturgis, who preserved the original negatives and who also scanned them to provide these photos.

RocketShip’s Klar: XCOR Will Deliver What It Promises at Parabolic Arc from Google Blog Search: "Rocket Racing" by unknown
That, coupled with the fact that their two rocket-powered vehicles, built for the Rocket Racing League, have been successfully flown leads me to believe that Lynx will be equally successful. XCOR simply does everything the right way. ...

Canadian NORAD Region Names Santa’s Escort Pilots from Headline News - Canada's Air Force, National Defence
As Christmas gets closer, the Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region has put the finishing touches on plans to track and escort Santa Claus when he visits Canada by naming four CF-18 fighter pilots as his official escorts.

Flying With The United States Air Force Academy Glider Program from Reggie Paulk by reggie.paulk@gmail.com (Reggie Paulk)
Come along on a flight with Captain Erich Kunrath and myself as we fly in a Blanik L-23 sailplane from the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

Air Force Heritage to be Displayed at Raaf Base Wagga - Webnewswire.com
Air Force’s local heritage will return to public display at RAAF Base Wagga from next year. Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, Dr Mike Kelly AM MP today announced Air Force will spend up to $65000 completing the refurbishment of the museum ...

Museum's B-29 gets a new home -- safe from weather Kansas.com
BY MOLLY MCMILLIN The historic B-29 Superfortress that had been resting outside the Kansas Aviation Museum has found a new temporary home, one that brings it in out of the weather.

17 Signs that Your Airplane Preservation Hobby may be impacting your home and family life… from Arizona Keough by Ryan Keough
Why only seventeen? Because we’re too busy with the airplane project to come up with three more! Hope you enjoy the chuckles… and hope they don’t hit too close to home! THE LIST…

Boy Scout Group Receives Big Award - WEAU-TV 13, WI
The Blue Angels presented the Chippewa Valley Council Boy Scouts of America with the 2008 Best Air Show of the Year award at a convention in Las Vegas on ...

Happy Holidays - Capt Force Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is from Airspeed by Stephen Force (Steve Tupper)
This is a regular blog post. If you’re looking for show notes or links to show audio, please check out the other posts. If the story as told to me by the EAA is true, in the early 1920s, engineer William B. Stout sent out a number of letters to wealthy potential investors asking $1,000 from each. In his letter, he said, in relevant part, "For your one thousand dollars you will get one definite promise: You will never get your money back."…

EAA 822 Captures the Spirit of an Aviation Christmas from Alabama Aviator - Aviation News
WETUMPKA AL- Included with the December meeting of Wetumpka EAA Chapter 822 was their annual Christmas party. Member David Ramsey hosted the event that included food, beverage and his beautifully decorated antique collection of aircraft and vehicles. An estimated 75 members and guests attended…

This Week in Military/Aviation History 15 - 21 December from Warbirds Online by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr.

Milestones of Flight: 12/1 from Cut and Paste Aviation by KenInfinite
Milestones of Flight: 12/14 from Cut and Paste Aviation by KenInfinite
Milestones of Flight: 11/22 from Cut and Paste Aviation by KenInfinite

Janesville family to honor missing WWII soldier - Janesville Gazette, WI
The uncle, US Army Air Force Cpl. Richard Grutza, was a gunner in a B-25 Mitchell bomber that was shot down in Papua New Guinea during World War II. ...

Local museum to display new WWII artifact - Daily Comet, LA
We are entering it in a national contest of “most interesting military artifact” contest, along with a piece of a B-25 bomber that hit the Empire State ...

Tuskegee Airman from Indy too ill to attend inauguration from IndyStar.com - Top Stories
Walter Palmer, Indiana's last living Tuskegee Airman, battling stomach cancer.

There must be better ways to wash your helicopter Press Telegram news article, with video

Warbirds over Wanaka finds home - Otago Daily Times, New Zealand
Warbirds Over Wanaka now has a permanent base at Wanaka Airport, reinforcing the organisation's trust's desire to have a strong community focus, ...

Groups want Gunsan air show canceled - Stars and Stripes
By Jimmy Norris and Hwang Hae-rym, Stars and Stripes SEOUL - Civic groups are at odds with the city of Gunsan over an air show in which airmen at Kunsan Air Base have participated. According to Yun Chul-soo, spokesman for the Gunsan Civil Movement to ...

Oct 11, 2009: EAA Chapter 67 Fly in/Drive in BBQ from Fly-In Calendar - I80: Noblesville Airport - Noblesville, IN
Jun 27, 2009: EAA Chapter 67 Pancake Breakfast from Fly-In Calendar - I80: Noblesville Airport - Noblesville, IN

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