NAVY TAC DEMOS

Due to unresolved issues related to funding of the federal government, the schedule of U.S. Navy F/A-18 tactical demonstrations during the 2011 air show season will be released one month at a time, at least through the early part of the season. Air shows scheduled to host Navy tac demos during March are NAF El Centro on March 12; Luke Days at Luke AFB on March 19, the Tyndall AFB Air Show on March 25; the Golden Wings over Meridian show on March 26; and the Annual MCAS Yuma Air Show and Open House on March 26.

Additional details on the Navy tac demo schedule will be announced via Fast Facts when the April schedule is approved later this month.

ICAS HAS TALENT DVDs NOW ON SALE

The ICAS Foundation proudly presents a professionally-edited DVD of the 2010 ICAS Has Talent event. Featuring the musical and comedic performances of ICAS members, it is a memorable record of an unusual and highly entertaining talent showcase. Available for purchase on the Foundation website at www.icasfoundation.org, a single copy is $20, plus $2.00 shipping. All proceeds benefit ICAS Foundation programs.

GOULIAN SIGNS THREE-YEAR DEAL WITH WHELEN ENGINEERING

Air show performer and ICAS member Michael Goulian recently announced a new, three-year partnership with Connecticut-based Whelen Engineering Company, a manufacturing company that makes lighting and warning signals for use in the aviation and automotive industries.

This partnership will debut at the Sun' n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida in late March. Other Whelen/Goulian aviation events in 2011 will include EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh; the AOPA Summit in Hartford, Connecticut; and one other air show in the US to be announced at a later date.

USING THE ICAS WEBSITE

The Google-powered search engine on the ICAS website is located in the upper left corner of the ICAS homepage (www.airshows.aero) and is critical to the efficient use of the site. Google search is an especially powerful and sophisticated search engine, but it does come with an obligation to highlight the “Ads by Google” listings that appear before your search results.

Those “Ads by Google” typically appear in a box at the top of the page listing search results. Below that box are the results from your actual search and, with few exceptions, they will be pages from the ICAS website.

We have found that the search engine works well, but if you have a different experience, we are eager to hear from you so that we can make appropriate adjustments and changes to the site.

LIMA LIMA TO ONCE AGAIN FLY AEROBATICALLY IN 2011

Thanks to an AMOC (Alternate Means of Compliance) issued by the FAA to the T-34 Spar Corporation in the fall of 2010, the entire Lima Lima Team has had FAA approved repairs made to their T-34 Mentors and are once again approved to fly aerobatics. The team’s first aerobatic performance will take place later this month at the San Isidro Air Base in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. All of the team’s subsequent 2011 performances will include aerobatic maneuvers.

MEXICAN AIR SHOW SEEKS PERFORMERS

The biennial Aeroexpo show held in Mexico every other year will be held at the Toluca Airport in Toluca de Lerdo in southern Mexico on April 7^th, 8^th and 9^th of this year. Show organizers are looking for air show performers to participate in the event.

In addition to the air show portion of the event, Aeroexpo serves as a trade show for the country’s airlines, fractional ownerships, flight schools, air taxi operators, and aviation manufacturing companies. This year, the event will be held at an airport with a field elevation of 8,500 feet.

Click here to visit the website of the Aeroexpo 2011. If you are interested in performing at the event, send your e-mail inquiries to Humberto Lobo del la Garza at sugerencias@grupolomex.com.

CAF WINS “DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS” COMPETITION

Twenty-five years ago, the Texas Department of Transportation commissioned a series of “Don’t Mess with Texas” television commercials to engage Texans in litter prevention. To celebrate the silver anniversary of the campaign, Texas DOT held a Celebrity Face-Off in which citizens were encouraged to vote for their favorite from among a pool of 38 different commercials.

The winner? This clever spot featuring the Commemorative Air Force which originally aired in 1991, five years after the award-winning “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign had begun.

ICAS MEMBERS DRIVE REALITY TV SHOW EPISODE

What happens when a reality television show collides with an infomercial-type product commercial? Focus Rally: America, a web-based, 18-minute video presentation that uses a nationwide, scavenger hunt-type competition to promote sales of the Ford Focus automobiles.

Stage Seven of the Rally brought contestants to Pleasant Valley Airport near Phoenix, Arizona, where the contestants took part in a wingwalking-oriented challenge. Producers developed a game in which contestants rode on the top of ICAS member Hartley Folstad’s Stearman biplane flown by ICAS member Lee Oman as they read a “secret message” spelled out on the top of the wing of ICAS member Jon Melby’s Pitts Special. ICAS member Margie Stivers provided training to the wingwalking contestants.

Click here to watch the episode.

MYNNING INDUCTED INTO MICHIGAN AVIATION HALL OF FAME

Jim Mynning, a Michigan native, air show legend and member of the ICAS Foundation Air Show Hall of Fame, will be inducted into the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 21.

An air show barnstormer of the classic variety, Mynning performed as many as five acts in one air show, including speedboat-to-plane transfers, comedy acts, and car top landings. More recently, he has served as chairman of air show operations at EAA’s AirVenture for more than 15 years.

In addition to his many and varied accomplishments in the air show community, Mynning was owner or co-owner of three different Michigan airports. He is an active aircraft builder and restoration specialist. The highlight of his career as an airline pilot was being named United Airlines’ pilot of the year in 1974.

POPULAR MECHANICS FEATURES NALLS’ HARRIER

With a circulation of more than 1.2 million, Popular Mechanics is one of the 100 most widely read magazines in America. And, in this month’s issue, its readers will be reading a detailed article about ICAS member Art Nalls’ restoration of the British Sea Harrier jump jet.

This detailed article looks at both the operational issues related to a civilian flying a retired military jet and the unique challenges of restoring this kind of multi-million dollar aircraft. To read the entire Popular Mechanics article on the restoration of Nalls’ SHAR, click here.

FAST FACTS VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Thanks to You Tube, easy-to-use editing software and the proliferation of video cameras, aviation-oriented video snippets have become commonplace. We’ll use this space in Fast Facts to highlight particularly interesting examples during the 2011 air show season.

Click here to see the first one in our series.

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