Indy Transponder 30-December 1100z

NC Aviation Museum Has A Million Dollar Baby On Display For ... WFMY News 2, NC
"You can't beat warbirds or roller coasters," said the former Army intelligence officer. "I sure am glad I spotted that sign on 220 South. ...

MyFox Tampa Bay With day job down the drain, stunt pilot hits the skies from http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/
When a Zephyrhills stunt pilot lost his day job in the financial industry, he didn't look back -- he looked up. Paul Lopez does gravity-defying twists and turns, tearing through the skies over Zephyrhills. He hopes, despite the tough economy, he will make it big into one of the country's most popular spectator sports.

Pilot Lost In North Carolina Harrier II Downing from Aero-News Network
Believed To Be Harrier, Though Unconfirmed The Marine Corps pilot of a single-seat AV-8B Harrier II that crashed Monday in eastern North Carolina was killed in the accident, USMC officials confirmed.

Fence Check 12/29/2008 Harrier Crash at MCAS Cherry Point from http://www.fencecheck.com/
An AV-8B Harrier crashed near MCAS Cherry Point this afternoon. Sadly the pilot was killed. My condolences to the family and friends of the fallen Marine. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,473645,00.html
http://www.wnct.com/nct/news/local/article/breaking_news_harrier_crash_at_cherry_point/27373/

C150 Takes Unsuspecting Youngster On Wild Ride from Aero-News Network
Engine Starts Unexpectedly, Plane Briefly Lifts Off Stories about aircraft taking off without their pilots were common back in the days when many aircraft engines were started by hand. They still occasionally happen.

“The Butcher of Meigs Field” arrested By Tom Norton
There may be justice, after all. One of the chief architects of the still controversial 2003 demolition of Chicago’s Meigs Field has been arrested on federal bribery, corruption and fraud charges that include trying to sell the vacated U.S. Senate seat of President-elect Obama. John Harris, dubbed “The Butcher of Meigs” in aviation circles, was taken into FBI custody on December 9 along with Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. Harris became Blagojevich’s chief-of-staff in 2005 after working nine years for Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley in positions that included deputy commissioner of aviation. In that position, Harris was the official who oversaw the midnight demolition of Meigs Field on March 30, 2003. He was on the field when the bulldozers dug into the runway and is said to have treasured a framed photograph of himself at Meigs that night.

Final Biplane Expo set for June By Tom Norton
This year’s Biplane Expo in Bartlesville, Okla., will be the last of the annual fly-ins that began in 1987, organizers announced on Dec. 19. The National Biplane Association said increasing costs and staffing requirements were behind its board’s decision to end the event. The final Biplane Expo is scheduled for June 4 through 6. Calling it the “final aviation event for the organization,” NBA officials cited increasing costs and staffing requirements, as well as deteriorating national economic conditions, as reasons for discontinuing the event, according to the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise newspaper. During the past 23 years, nearly 2,500 biplanes have attended the Biplane Expo, along with more than 7,000 regular general aviation aircraft and 75,000 people, the newspaper reported. The National Biplane Association was formed in 1987 to further the legacy of the biplane aircraft and has conducted large and highly-attended biplane events in Bartlesville since 1987. The Biplane Expo, along with the Tulsa Regional Fly-In, “has helped to make Bartlesville a better known community in the sport aviation world,” supporters of the event said. Honored guests at the Biplane Expositions have included some of the most famous aviation personalities in the nation, including Gen. Paul Tibbets, pilot of the B-29 Enola Gay, which dropped the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, ending World War II. The Association will announce its honored guest for 2009, and other plans for its last expo, at a later date.

Fighter pilot, documentary filmmaker Aanenson dies from Aviation & Aerospace News Updated Constantly - Washington Post

Hawgsmoke 2008 - Every two years, the A-10 Thunderbolt II community gathers for a bombing, missile, and tactical gunnery competition. Known as Hawgsmoke, the competition tests the skills that A-10 pilots employ in the aircraft’s primary role of close air support. Read Article »

BTW: Falcon 9 integration update; Falcon 1 launch photos from RLV and Space Transport News
More pictures have been posted at SpaceX showing the Falcon 9 modules in transit to the Cape and coming together: The integration of Falcon 9 continued steadily through the long Christmas holiday, [...] Whether measured by weight or by cost, the majority of the Falcon 9 being assembled is actual flight hardware. If there are no unexpected delays, its possible Falcon 9 will be integrated before December 31st — certainly a great way to start off the New Year.
===BTW: It may have been posted for quite awhile but this summary page for the September Falcon 1 launch is new to me and has several photos I've not seen before. Note the small number of people in the crew on Kwajalein.

Frederick Airport Today from Airwarriors by brownshoe
I was out at the airport today (goofing off) and saw this little plane taxing to the “T” hangars. I was lucky enough to catch the pilot before he closed up the hangar and left. He was very nice, told me all about the plane, and let me take a few pictures…

Yourviewdotcom: Titan Missile Base - Cold War Relic from Blogging Pilots
Tucson is a good distance from coastal Southern California - nearl

The year 2008 in pictures from David Cenciotti's weblog - the most visited Italian Aviation Blog by David Cenciotti
It’s only when you get to the end of the year that you get the full picture of what has happened in the previous 12 months. Images collected during worlwide travels, flights and base visits, used to illustrate the most different stories dealing with the World of Aviation, provide a means to get a snapshop on the most important topics discussed on this site in the 2008. A sort of “debrief at a glance”…

Royal Air Force Red Arrows Display Team from Fence Check - Québec international Air Show 2008

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