Indy Transponder 23-JAN-10 0900z

Man to Break Sound Barrier Jumping from Edge of Space from Gizmodo by Jesus Diaz | This man—looking as badass as Ed Harris in The Right Stuff—is Felix Baumgartner. He actually has The Right Stuff: The cojones to reach the edge of space in a weather balloon. Up to 120,000 feet—and then jump. Baumgartner will join United States Air Force Captain Joe Kittinger as the only man to jump from near space altitude. Kittinger jumped on August 16, 1960, from the Excelsior III balloon, which at the time was flying at 102,800 feet—that's 19.47 miles or 31 kilometers up in the sky. Compared to Baumgartner, however, Kittinger's suit looks miserable…

Cleared for Launch from Aerial Sports Feed (Red Bull Staff) | Felix Baumgartner introduces the world's press to Red Bull Stratos, his attempt to make a record-breaking freefall jump from the edge of… Watch Video


Near space diving plan from RLV and Space Transport News | Felix Baumgartner, with the support of Red Bull, will attempt a high dive from 36,575 meters by jumping out of a helium balloon gondola: 'Space diver' to attempt first supersonic freefall - New Scientist - Jan.22.10. This could be a step towards high altitude space diving from rocket vehicles. I've posted the following simulation before but it is such a cool video I can't resist posting it again (select high def, full screen for the full effect):

The Red Bull Air Race is different from all other motorsports ... by Brian Gray | The Red Bull Air Race has held races in major metropolitans such as London, Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, and in the US in San Diego, Detroit, San Francisco, and Monument Valley, Utah. Of the fifteen race pilots from around the world, ...

Hux Steps Down for 2010 from Air Race News Watch | After much soul searching, Nigel 'Hux' Huxtable has decided to step down as technician to Nigel Lamb and Team Breitling in the Red Bull Air Race World Championships for 2010. 'Hux' will take up a full time position as Chief Engineer at Air Training Services (ATS) based at Wycombe Air Park in the UK.

Pilots lay groundwork for 2010 with busy off-season from Air Race News Watch | SALZBURG, Austria - It might be virtually impossible to simulate the special demands of a Red Bull Air Race track but that has not stopped many of the pilots and their teams from working hard through the off-season to improve their planes and performance ahead of the 2010 season…

Sneak peek at Oz Day aerobatics – Beth Rivers - PerthNow | Royal Aero Club of WA manager and pilot Trevor Jones said there will be about 50 planes to entertain the crowds and also celebrate the 80th Anniversary for ... See the pics here  Ever wondered what it would be like to take in the Australia Day air show from the seat of a spiralling Tiger Moth - rather than being one of the thousands craning their necks on the ground? The Sunday Times' and PerthNow photographer Bohdan Warchomij this week got a pilot's eye perspective of the amazing aerobatics, which provide a prelude to the fireworks each year. Warbirds, helicopters, water bombers, floatplanes, Tiger Moths and RAAF's PC-9s and Hawk jets will nose-dive, climb and spiral over the Swan River in a spectacular display of skill. Read full story

NASA Astronauts Presenting Special 'Space Veteran' Super Bowl Coin from NASA Breaking News | The crew of the space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission will deliver a specially minted silver medallion to National Football League officials at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

How do you get an ATC tower onto a plane? from Things with Wings by Adrian Schofield | An FAA website posted this great picture of a portable ATC tower being loaded onto an Antonov An-124 at Homestead Air Reserve Base, to be shipped to Haiti. The second shot is from the USAF.

P-38 Lightning Newsletter -- Monthly News About Our Favorite WWII Airplane from p38assn.org | Hi, P38 Fans: Lots of great content for you this month. New videos and photos -- so, don't forget to click on the Photos/Videos link in the nav bar above. We also have news about an event you're not going to want to miss, coming up in April. You'll also find quite a few P38s going down for the count, which I don't think you will have seen before, because they are from a family's private photo collection. Don't forget to mark your calendars for April 3. You'll see why below... So, have fun! Blue skies, Kelly Kalcheim

EAA's Replica 1909 Bleriot XI Nears Completion. from Planenews Aviation News Portal by gil | EAA staff and volunteers from The Aeroplane Factory have been hard at work for more than three years building a replica 1909 Bleriot XI monoplane, the same model Louis Bleriot designed, built, and flew over the English Channel more than 100 years ago. Now the finish line is in sight, and it's looking more and more like AirVenture 2010 attendees will have a chance to see the completed replica spring to life.

B-17 'Flying Fortress' 75th Anniversary Part of Big Celebration at EAA AirVenture 2010 from EAA - The Experimental Aircraft Association | The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress," perhaps the most readily recognized bomber of the World War II era, will be center stage for its 75th anniversary during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010.

Janesville group has extra scholarship money for future pilots - WKOW-TV.com | For the past nine years, the expert pilots who perform at the Southern Wisconsin AirFest, have indirectly helped train dozens of young pilots who ordinarily ...

82-year-old aviator gets high school diploma – KATU | Marshfield teacher Jeff Eberwein teaches an aviation history course at the high school, inspired by Long and his adventures. He and his students worked ...

Time Lapse Video: Salvaging US Airways Flight 1549 from Flightblogger by Jon Ostrower | A little more than a year after one of the most impressive landings in the history of aviation, N106US, formerly known as Flight 1549, will be on the auction block. Word on the street is that  there are some very interested buyers out there with some very creative plans for this Airbus A320. David Martin, who lives just above the site of the water landing, spent 72 hours filming time lapse video of the recovery effort to remove the submerged aircraft from the Hudson River. The result is more than a little bit impressive. Also, word to the wise, check the carfax history on this plane before making any bids, I hear that it might have some water damage.

40 years of the Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jet' from Bayou Renaissance Man by Peter | The Boeing 747, the first wide-body airliner, widely known as the 'Jumbo Jet', celebrated 40 years of commercial service today. The first revenue flight of the 747, a Pan American World Airways aircraft, took place on January 22nd, 1970. (It was supposed to have departed the previous evening, but an engine problem forced a six-hour delay, with the result that it finally departed in the small hours of the following morning.)…

On This Day in Aviation History: January 23rd by Phil Derner Jr. | On this day in aviation history, we experienced the final communication from the Pioneer 10 spacecraft in 2003, saw the crash of World Airways Flight 30 at Boston Logan Airport in 1982, and a popular French monoplane, the Bleriot XI, makes its first flight.