Indy Transponder 12-APR-10 1945z

Sun 'n Fun Promises Lively Start To Show Season from AVwebFlash Current Issue
For the next week, Lakeland, Fla., will be the center of the aviation universe, as the little airport becomes the busiest field in the world, with more than 40,000 takeoffs and landings expected during Sun 'n Fun. Tuesday, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will thunder in, and they will fly again Thursday through Sunday. Each afternoon the skies will fill with aerobatic performers and flight demonstrations of new and unusual aircraft, with a night airshow on Friday. More than 450 educational forums, seminars and workshops will take place during the week, and more than 500 exhibitors will display aircraft of all kinds and other products and services of interest to aviators. Among the guests who will be giving talks are Jeff Skiles, first officer in the "Miracle on the Hudson" ditching (click here to view Paul Bertorelli's recent interview with Skiles), and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. AVweb staffers are already on site, ready to bring you daily reports, videos, and podcasts with all the latest news from the field.

Ode to our days in the sun from General Aviation News
As Sun 'n Fun 2010 prepares to kick, our Short Final columnist Deb McFarland reminisces about past fly-ins:
If I were feeling perky, I would quip that the sun is shining, the air is warming and spring is finally here. It's kind of hard to be perky after this past winter with its days of dreary cold and persistent wind. Instead, I feel more like demanding, "Spring, what the heck took you so long?" ...

The Matamata Airshow and Carnival from AeroHub
Matamata aerodrome. 13th March, 2010. | A report by Mike Feeney of Hamilton, New Zealand
The savage weather 'bomb' which had ripped through Wellington and the east coast, had fortunately cleared the skies so Saturday dawned fine and clear with only light sou-westerly winds crossing the Piako district. At about 10.00, a group of the lads, in a variety of aircraft, formed up and set off around the district and over Matamata to 'show-the-flag' and let the rural and towns-folk know that the 'Matamata Airshow and Carnival' was a goer. ...

Bonhomme faces pack of fast-flying Rivals in Perth - Aviation.ca
[Editors Note: As of this writing, Canada's Pete McLeod is in 5th place in overall standings with seven points. Congrats Pete, all of Canada is cheering for you! Fly safe.]
Defending champion Paul Bonhomme secured the first trophy of the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship with his hard-earned victory in difficult weather conditions in Abu Dhabi last week. The British ace also made the uncomfortable discovery ahead of the second race in Perth, Australia on April 17/18 that unlike last year there is not only one rival to worry about - but rather at least a half dozen challengers. ...

Learn How To Be A Red Bull Air Race Pilot In T3 Issue 110, Out Now - Gizmodo Australia
Fancy yourself as a Red Bull Air Race pilot? In this issue of T3 we caught up with Australia's Air Race ace ...

The Wombat of Happiness from Team Bonhomme #55 Pit-News
Team Bonhomme arrived in Australia on Friday last week ready for another challenge to see who can go fastest in an aeroplane... I travelled from the UK, Nigel from Missouri and Wade had travelled straight to Australia from Abu Dhabi.  ...

Doolittle Raiders reunion to draw B-25 bombers from AviationDayton
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders are to hold their 68th reunion this week at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. An armada of vintage B-25 Mitchell bombers – the airplane the Raiders flew – is to gather here in their honor. ...

Aero's over for this year from Unicom
The organisers deserve to be sipping champagne tonight. The show that took place every other year has been successfully transformed into an annual event. Yes, there were a few people who moaned about a lack of visitors (only really evident on Thursday) and the organisers had to do a little creative planning to ensure that the show looked full when some exhibitors were cutting back on space (no big stand from Cessna, Cirrus only exhibited outside etc.), but given that aviation is suffering under the weight of a major recession it was pretty bloody impressive. ...
   
Aviation history finds a home - TbNewsWatch.com
The goal of NOAHC is to record the aviation history of northwestern Ontario. Milne said the dates go back as far as 1910 when the first aircraft flew out of ...

Overhauled plan for Fort Edmonton shifts focus to history - Edmonton Journal
It also suggests an expanded focus on aviation history and First Nations heritage. But gone are some of the more controversial suggestions contained in the ...

This Week In Military/Aviation History 12-18 April from Warbirds Online

Toronto team praised for role in Apollo 13 mission - CTV.ca
Forty years ago, the world waited as three American astronauts on the Apollo 13 mission drifted perilously through space after an oxygen tank was ruptured ...

Aerial Videography Panel from Airspeed by Stephen Force (Steve Tupper)
With principal photography for Acro Camp coming up in a just over a month, I thought that now would be a great time to gather some of new media's most noted experts on capturing images aloft and pick their brains for an hour. ...

The Photography Club: Dayton Air Show 2010 by Ken Crites
The Dayton Air Show is going to be the weekend of July 17-18 this year and is going to feature the Blue Angels, my favorite. I am including the link to the photo pass form in case you might be interested. It was worth the money last ...

Wittmund, Germany from FenceCheck Forums
Eurofighter's nose gear fails to extend from TAKEOFF TUBE
SCREAMING LOUD: Air show jets through Eglin (PHOTO GALLERIES, VIDEO) The Northwest Florida Daily News