Monday, February 22, 2010

Indy Transponder 22-FEB-10 0400z

Below, the audience at the fourth annual Valkaria Air Fest stared up at the sky in wonder watching the "First Lady of Flight's" Olympic level air tricks. ...

Missing this year was the RNZAF Red Checkers' usual acrobatics display – the squadron was grounded last month when squadron leader Nick Cree died after his ...

AirFest volunteers needed - Janesville Gazette (blog)
Volunteers are needed to help with Southern Wisconsin AirFest on Memorial Day ...

Our first airshow review of the year has been published today. Mike Rivett reports on the Al Ain Aerobatics Show from the heart of the UAE desert. The show saw some stunning displays from the like of the UK’s Jonathon Whalley flying the Hunter F58 “Miss Demeanour” ans South Africa’s “Goodyear Eagles.” The review can be found here.


Matt Younkin’s father Bobby Younkin, and Kyle Franklin’s father Jimmy Franklin were two of the best airshow pilots ever, with years and years of impressive experience in a very wide range of aircraft.  Known for both unique creativity and tremendous flying skill, they set the standard for excellent airshow performances again and again.  Sadly, they both lost their lives in an airshow accident while performing together in 2005. ...

Daily Headlines from the IndyTransponder can now be heard on...



A north Suffolk village has submitted plans to commemorate the crew of an American B-17 bomber which crashed nearby during the Second World War ...

The Dambusters WWII History Summary: Flood Damages from Dam Breach ... from Aviation History
The most daring 1943 raid on Germany's reservoirs and dams required expert pilots of RAF 617 Squadron to use an ingenious but unconventional weapons technology.

The Canadian Air & Space Museum of Toronto, Ontario Canada has launched a fundraising campaign to acquire a rare Sikorsky S-58T helicopter that had a ...

Aviation Museum in Amarillo, Texas? from You Fly, Girl by Cathy Gale
Reading the website of http://Amarillo.com - came across an editorial asking for serious discussion of an aviation museum.
I take the liberty of reproducing it here:
An exhibit saluting an important part of the Panhandle's history just might be ready to take wing.
It would be an aviation museum dedicated to honoring the Age of Flight and the role it has played in the development of the Texas Panhandle.
It's the brainchild of the Texas Air & Space Museum board, veterans of the English Field Air & Space Museum that used to occupy space adjacent to what would become Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.
The discussion has begun and it should continue. ...
Florene Miller Watson of Borger was one of the pioneering female aviators during World War II.
This region has plenty of museum expertise upon which organizers can draw. The American Quarter Horse and the Panhandle-Plains Historical museums both attract thousands of visitors annually. It wouldn't hurt one bit to ask those folks: How do you do it? ...

Feb 2010 AAA Meeting from Another Time 
My wife and I attended the February Texas AAA Meeting at Fort Worth's Meacham Field.  Our meeting was held at the Vintage Flying Museum.  This former World War Two hangar once housed B-29s and is now home to several flying vintage bombers.  The B-17 "Chuckie" makes her home here along with the B-25 "Pacific Prowler."  A recent bomber addition flew in just weeks ago is a A/B-26 Invader.  Our hosts Doc and Chuckie Hospers gave a short program that included the history of the museum and their beloved B-17. Joe Haynes passed on some history of the Texas Chapter and his involvement since the beginings of the group. Lynn Hearn also told of his flying history and chapter membership.  As the meeting came to a close members were treated to the sounds of a maintenance run on the B-25 is the crew did an engine run up.  About 50 members were in attendance.
Pictures from the meeting here.


(title unknown) from Aviation Trivia of the Day
While most nations that had used assault gliders operationally in the Second World War had already abandoned the concept with the end of the war, development continued in the Soviet Union on gliders not only for combat assault, but also for use internally for the delivery of cargo to inaccessible areas of the country. In 1947, the Soviet Air Force issued a specification for an assault glider for use by the Aviation of the Airborne Troops that could transport over 3.5 tons of cargo. Both OKB Yakovlev and OKB Ilyushin were selected to build prototypes- Ilyushin instructed to develop an all-metal design (the Il-32 and was generally unsatisfactory) and Yakovlev's design was to be all-wood and became the second use of the designation Yak-14 (the first Yak-14 was the original designation of the Yak-10 light liason aircraft and was one of the reasons the NATO code name system was created to avoid confusion).
The Yak-14 had a wooden structure with fabric skinning with a hinged nose section as well as a hinged tail  ...


Stairway to Heaven from Uplinks by Miles O'Brien
When I say the word “Zeppelin” – safety may not be the first thought that comes to mind…”Oh, the humanity” might…but these days the Zeppelin is not your grandfather’s airship.  In fact – a private company called Airship Ventures has set up shop – selling rides to tourists – at NASA’ Ames Research Center – trying to prove their business model is more than hot air.  Recently I caught up with the Zeppelin in the LA area – and it is some ride.
Watch my story from “This Week in Space” here.


Students given helicopter close-up from Arizona Daily Start
Dust flies into the air as students from Rattlesnake Ridge Elementary School watch as a Black Hawk (cq BLACK HAWK) helicopter assigned to Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Patrol (cq HOMELAND SECURITY, US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL BLACK HAWK) takes off from the school grounds on Thursday, February 18, 2010, in Marana, Ariz. Piloted by Jeff Northcutt (cq JEFF NORTHCUTT), the helicopter stopped at the school so kindergarten students could get a closer look. The students are studying various mode of transportation and they listened to Northcutt talk about the Black Hawk and got a chance to ask questions and walk through the aircraft. ...

On This Day in Aviation History: February 21st from NYCAviation.com


Americans in Orbit-50 Years update from RLV and Space Transport News
The Huntsville based Americans in Orbit-50 Years project continues to aim for a launch of a "Gemini IR (Improved-reusable) and 10,000 lb. of space science experiments into orbit" with a Falcon 9: Americans in Orbit event boosts space design goal - al.com. They are targeting February 20, 2012 as the proposed launch date. This will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first U.S. manned orbital mission, Friendship 7, piloted by John Glenn.
Nice to see that there are some people in Huntsville who believe that the future of Space Exploration Lies in Private Industry ...



Windows on the world from High Power Rocketry by R2K

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