Saturday, November 30, 2013

Indy Transponder 30-NOV-2013 0615z

Al Ain Aerobatic Show takes to the skies [Friday] - Khaleej Times | It’s time to look up at the skies. Two solo fighter-jet displays, a jet school bus and the famous indigenous Fazza skydiving team are to be seen at the 10th Al Ain Aerobatic Show that takes off today...

The Ultimate Classic Weekend · Warbirds News | PRESS RELEASE-One of New Zealand’s longest running, iconic events is teaming up with a brand new event to offer what’s believed to be a world first.Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow and the nearby Highlands Motorsport Park have announced they’re working on a joint ticket for their events next Easter.The new combo ticket will allow people to have one day at Warbirds Over Wanaka and one day at the ‘Highlands Revival’ Easter motor racing festival. Ticket buyers will be able to choose which day they go to which event...

Video: Santa Claus fly-in, Portage Airport - wiscnews.com | Santa Claus comes to the Portage Airport in Portage, Wis., on Nov. 29, 2013. More than 100 people greeted him at the annual event.

Lauderdale Air Show canceled for 2014 - Sun-Sentinel | Next year's Lauderdale Air Show has been canceled because Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport would have to shut down all its flights during the performances to accommodate it...

EAA AirVenture 2013 – More Air Show - Other People's Airplanes | In this episode of Other People's Airplanes, we talk about exactly nothing. Please enjoy this special feature containing airplanes doing what they do best.

WWII fighter ace had keen sense of humor - San Antonio Express | James W. Empey, who fought in two wars and earned the title of fighter ace, died at home Nov. 21. He was 89. His 30-year military career started in 1942 as an 18-year-old aviation cadet in the Army Air Forces. Empey was assigned to the 59th Fighter Group for training as a P-39 pilot and was then assigned to North Africa in 1943...

CoolPix: The Amazing Days Of The X-15 (Post Flight B-52 Fly-Over) - AirPigz | I've been feeding a revived X-15 addiction here the last week or so, and this image from the early days of the program http://airpigz.com/blog/2013/11/29/coolpix-the-amazing-days-of-the-x-15-post-flight-b-52-fly-ov.htmlsure drips with 1960's aerospace awesomeness. I've even got a sideline project in the works that includes North American's rocket-powered speedster... the one that spent quite a bit of time at the edge of space while we marched our way toward the Apollo program...

Forgotten aircraft reborn at Sonoma County airport - The Press Democrat | This may be closest that the Sonoma County aviation buffs come to unearthing buried treasure. A letter from out of the blue advised Christina Olds of the Pacific Coast Air Museum that a woman in Marin County wished to donate her airplane...

Armless Fil-Am pilot to help disabled typhoon victims - ABS CBN | MESA, Arizona – Armless Filipino-American pilot and motivational speaker Jessica Cox's family in the Philippines was not spared from super typhoon Yolanda’s (International name: Haiyan) fury. Cox’s great-aunt was among the thousands who lost their lives...

Corsica: the Canadian CF-18s conduct live fire and drop bombs (PHOTOS) - Translated | Exercise SERPENTEX, which runs from November 26 to December 6, 2013, is an annual multinational training exercise and close air support organized by the French Air Force, Corsica (France)...

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving 2013!

We trust you all enjoyed a wonderful day with family and friends.  While it's been a tough year for the Air Show industry - we still have MUCH to be THANKFUL for.  May the rest of your weekend be enjoyable and full of THANKS.



Here's what happened in the last 24+ hours:

U.S. is first ever "Feature Country" at Singapore Airshow - DigitalJournal.com | Singapore Airshow, Nov 28, 2013 - (ACN Newswire) - Singapore Airshow will introduce a new key highlight known as the "Feature Country" in 2014, and the United States has been designated as the first "Feature Country" at the show, scheduled to take place from 11-16 February 2014 at the Changi Exhibition Centre...

Organizers of air show seek help to plan 2014 show - St. John Valley Times | FRENCHVILLE, Maine - The Aroostook Aero Club is looking for volunteers and planning committee members to take part in an air show scheduled for Aug. 16-17, 2014 in conjunction with the 2014 World Acadian Congress / Congres mondial acadien 2014.

Wilson Airport to go into festival mood during upcoming Air Show weekend | The Kenya Breweries sponsored ‘Tusker Air Show’ is returning to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport on the weekend of 14th and 15th of December, offering two days of aerial spectacles, acrobatic flying, parachuting and more for those making their way to Africa’s busiest airport. Coinciding with the long holiday weekend, on December 12th will Kenya celebrate their 50th year of Independence from Britain, the show is the aviation sector’s contribution towards the...

Row after Cape air show cancelled - IOL News |Cape Town - A furious row has erupted over the South African Air Force’s decision to pull the plug on Cape Town’s Wings and Wheels Air Show, with the local aviation fraternity claiming political interference as the root cause....

The Red Arrows show is Britain's way to support the UAE vision - The National | I have never hung upside down in a plane before this week. Since I was a little boy, I have marvelled at the acrobatics of the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows. Everyone in the UK knows about them. Every child wants to be up there flying with them. This week, for me, that boyhood dream came true...

BREAKING NEWS – Owner Says “Goodbye” To Historic Paint Scheme, “Hello” Unicorn - WARBIRD RADIO | A popular P-51 owner says he’s repainting his airplane to “reflect a more peaceful and harmonious idea of life, not war and destruction”.  The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous until next week, tells Warbird Radio the decision comes after several months of self discovery and soul searching...

EAA Christmas in the Air Arrives Monday | EAA's annual holiday open house to the community, Christmas in the Air, is Monday, December 2, 3-8 p.m., at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh.

New Promo for LiveAirShowTV

"Where Heroes Have Flown" - Yankee Air Museum B-17 Flight Experience | They are our country's greatest generation who answered the call of freedom in one of history's most epic battles. This short film from...

Rob Holland 2013 Year End Review

Want to Help the Reno Air Races?  Here's how

Final survivor of B17 bomber that crashed onto Burnham beach dies - Burnham-On-Sea | Walter http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2013/walter-skinner-dies-28-11-13.phpSkinner, the final survivor of the crew of an American B17 Flying Fortress which crash-landed on Burnham-On-Sea beach on December 31st, 1943, has died peacefully back home in the United States. He never forgot the town that came to the help of the crew and offered hospitality that fateful night, and even returned to thank Burnham's residents in 1995. Iris Rowe of Westonzoyland, who has specialised in tracing and recording the memories of American servicemen who served in the UK during World World War Two, met Mr Skinner several times....

The Chief Chuck Teston Story (USAF Ret) * WARBIRD RADIO – On this episode of Warbird Radio Presents, Retired USAF Chief Master Sergeant Chuck Teston shares some life lessons with WRL’s Matt Jolley.  Teston’s 31-year active duty career included being a Looking Glass flight crew member, academic instructor, first sergeant with the largest communications group in the Air Force, a Senior Enlisted Advisor […]

Topgun in the Mid-1980s: Building on the Legacy – Part Three · Photorecon.net, Dave "Bio" Baranek | PART 3: Critical Decisions and Events of the Mid-1980s. I was an F-14 RIO who joined my first Fleet fighter squadron in 1981. In 1982 I attended the Topgun class as a student (by then it was five weeks), and in 1984 I was selected to return as an instructor. The following events and decisions occurred during my time as an instructor and contributed to Topgun's evolution and continued validity.

Southern Indiana scout planning monument to Tuskegee Airmen - Evansville Courier & Press | http://www.courierpress.com/news/2013/nov/27/southern-indiana-scout-planning-monument-tuskegee/SEYMOUR, Ind. — Tim Molinari of Seymour has his eyes set to the skies. The 16-year-old plans to be a pilot, either flying commercial planes, military aircraft or working for NASA. "I've grown up interested in aviation and love everything about it," he said....

Atlanta Aero Club To Host CAF Dixie Wing At 57th Fighter Group Restaurant · Warbirds News | The Aero Club of Metropolitan Atlanta will host members and vintage World War II-era aircraft of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Dixie Wing during the business club’s upcoming meeting on Saturday, December 7th at the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant located at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport.  The two organizations will discuss a shared passion for aviation and the CAF Dixie Wing’s plans for the preservation of historic aircraft and ongoing education programs for schools, youth groups and civic organizations.  The aircraft will be on display for restaurant patrons, 11am-4pm...

Video: Historic X-1 on display at San Diego Air & Space Museum - 10News | "Breaking the sound barrier changed the scope of what was going to be done in aviation and space," said San Diego Air & Space Museum President Jim Kidrick, who is a former Naval aviator. It took eight tries, but on the ninth attempt, Yeager, Cardenas ...

Russian Museum of Long Range Aviation - EnglishRussia | Photo journal

Two U.S. B-52 bombers help Cessna in Alaska in a memorable rescue mission · David Cenciotti | Few days before flying “violation” of China’s new ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone), the iconic B-52H Stratofortress bomber was involved in another memorable operation. On Nov. 10, two B-52s, respectively launched from Minot and Barksdale AFB with radio callsign Hail 13 and Hail 14, were flying over Alaska, when they were called from Anchorage ATCC (Air Traffic Control Center), asking for their assistance: contacts with a Cessna plane had been lost after its pilot became disoriented after flying into bad weather...

Hahnweide sunset - Apron 6 | The sunsets during the oldtimer flieger treffen at Hahnweide were simply amazing. The weather was beautiful and when the sun was setting the skies turned from orange to dark blue. These are the sunset pics I was able to make together with the Lightning picture I published earlier. And when talking about lightnings, the last evening […]

[Photo] Fighter jet flies between sea twisters By David Cenciotti | Each time we receive a weird photo we always wonder whether the image is genuine or photoshopped. Some images are so accurately edited that it is extremely difficult to prove that they were doctored by post-processing softwares. But, this is not the case....

12 Radical, Unbuilt Airports From 100 Years of Air Travel - Gizmodo | As you curse the rat's nest of terminals, walkways, and people movers of whatever transit hub you're using to get home this week, it's easy to forget how extraordinarily sophisticated the average airport is. They're works of art, really—but they're nothing compared to the airport concepts artists have dreamt up over the last 100 years....

'AvGeeks' uncovered in planned documentary - Australian Aviation | Pam plans to shoot an independent documentary at next year's EAA Airventure event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, featuring some of the characters he meets at the week-long festival of flight. Airventure attracts upwards of half a million people, some of whom ...

Top student is a real high flier - Auckland stuff.co.nz | Playing with radio-controlled aircraft as a 15-year-old and watching his mum work towards her pilot's licence at North Shore Aero Club inspired him to pick his career. "I went up with her and got hooked," Mr Vialoux says. The Wings ceremony marks the ...

Dodo Chapter Honored for Young Eagles Efforts - EAA - The Experimental Aircraft Association | The Chicago 'DODO' Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen was honored recently for its efforts on behalf of the EAA Young Eagles program.

Astronauts plan turkey meal in space (watch video) from RGJ.com | NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins share their plans for Thanksgiving dinner aboard the International Space Station.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Indy Transponder 27-NOV-2013 1600z

Paulding air show seeks to break from airport authority after two years - Neighbor Newspapers | The second annual Salute America Air Show last month earned a slight profit and entertained more than three times the attendees of the prior year, its director said last week. Before its third year, however, this bird hopes to leave the nest. Brent Sparks said an estimated 12,000 to 18,000 people filled Silver Comet Field airport near Dallas to watch the wide variety of acts for the second annual show. Sponsorships totaled $325,000, and the various performers and attendees spent $20,000 in area hotels and motels, Sparks said....

M-345 HET in new Frecce Tricolori display team livery unveiled · David Cenciotti | On Sept. 24, http://theaviationist.com/2013/11/27/frecce-new-livery/2013, the Italian Minister of Defense announced that the Frecce Tricolori, Italian Air Force’s aerobatic display team will replace their MB.339s with the...

Reno Air Races CEO: 'We're in trouble' from RGJ.com | The National Championship Air Races isn't broke, but Reno's 50-year-old aviation event does need financial help to make it through the first quarter of the year and ensure a 51st year and beyond, its president and CEO said Tuesday...

Timeless Voices - Tom Bitters · eaavideo.org | Tom Bitters served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War as an Airborne Sensor Specialist onboard Grumman OV-1 Mohawks with the 244th Aviation Company (Aerial Surveillance). He logged 366 hours of combat time while in Vietnam.

Engine Number One Installed on B-29 “Doc” · Warbirds News | Steve Jantz reports that last Saturday a small group of volunteers installed the the first engine on “Doc”. This is a milestone on this ongoing project. Two more engines await preparation and to be installed. A fourth engine is in the finishing stages at Anderson Aeromotive,, Grangeville, Idaho. Progress Continues...

Videos: Sweet 'Wheel Landings' With The Under-6-Pound RC C-47! - AirPigz |  I expect that you need to have some taildragger experience in your logbook (or loads of RC taildragger time) to really appreciate how cool it is to see this 10 foot wingspan C-47 making such wonderful 'wheel landings'. If you aren't fluent in 'taildragger', 'wheel landings' are the ones where the tail stays nice and high as the airplane approaches the runway well above stall speed, then the...

The Wings Over New Zealand Show – Fighter Pilot Bernie Farrell – Ep4 | WARBIRDRADIO – Dave Homewood is back with another great show.  Listen in as Dave talks fighter jets with former New Zealand aviator Bernie Lewis.  In his prime, Bernie was no stranger to the F-86 cockpit...

Oil worker finds a nearly intact WWII-era Kittyhawk deep in the Sahara - IO9 | A Polish oil worker http://io9.com/oil-worker-finds-a-nearly-intact-wwii-era-kittyhawk-dee-1471982159?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+io9%2Ffull+%28io9%29out on a survey in the Sahara Desert recently stumbled upon this incredibly well-preserved Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk. Riddled with bullet holes and featuring the tell-tale signs of a crash landing, the remains tell a harrowing story — one with a likely tragic ending...

WW1 Bomber Wings Found in Garage · Warbirds News | The unique remains of a First World War Handley Page O/400 bomber aircraft have been saved by a team from the RAF Museum.Members of the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre at the RAF Museum Cosford, have succeeded in rescuing a number of wing sections from a 95 year old bi-plane bomber which had been used to support a garage roof in Connah’s Quay, Flintshire. The 25 foot long wooden wing sections included four examples of the lower starboard wing and one lower port wing...

Armstrong Whitworth Argosy - Travel for Aircraft | A design of the late 1920s at the direction of Imperial Airways the Argosy was built to be powered by three engines for greater reliability — beginning a trend built upon by Fokker, Ford and Stinson. Flying from 1926 through 1935 the Argosies flew European circuits as well as routes connecting Europe to the Middle and Near East for Imperial Airways — carrying as many as 20 passengers as far as 405 miles (652km) in an enclosed cabin, though the pilots were exposed in an open cockpit in an upper flight deck. Argosies were en evolutionary step in luxury passenger travel as well as reliable air mail service (a service more secure than many land routes)....

Vampires of Las Vegas  - Vintage Wings of Canada | In the period immediately after the Second http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/444/language/en-US/Vampires-of-Las-Vegas.aspxWorld War, there were two major surpluses created which would ultimately be a breeding ground for either great ideas or bad ideas. Immediately following cessation of hostilities around the planet, war production ground to a halt and the world found itself with hundreds of thousands of surplus aircraft and just as many surplus aviators. Most aircraft would meet the salvage blade and the smelter's fiery furnace. Most pilots would return to civilian life, the bulk of them to never fly again...

Harrier by Jonathan Glancey, review - Telegraph.co.uk | Like the Hurricane, the Harrier is no beauty. Its appearance was dictated by the Cold War considerations that brought it into existence. Nato wanted a light tactical support fighter capable of taking off vertically or in a very short space, that could operate from makeshift bases in forest glades and back roads and therefore be less vulnerable to enemy air strikes. The resulting downward-slanting wings and huge lateral air-intakes give it a hunched, bug-like demeanour. Somehow, though, it looks right. In its long service life it has proved to be brilliantly versatile, capable of doing far beyond what it was originally designed for. As well as the Falklands, the Harrier saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Balkans...

Fighter pilot goes above, beyond call of duty - F-16.net | Maj. Adam Thornton, 56th Training Squadron instructor pilot, says he will never forget this mission. It was the longest mission he had flown, one in which he eliminated multiple enemy targets and earned an Air Medal for going above and beyond the call of duty. Thornton was in an airplane on his way to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., from Shaw AFB, S.C., for a temporary duty assignment, when in midflight his plane changed course and headed back to Shaw. His unit had been activated in response to Operation Odyssey Dawn, the 2011 U.S.-led operation in Libya to implement a no-fly zone and prevent forces loyal to President Muammar Gaddafi from carrying out air attacks on rebel forces....

UCAP340 "Flying in the Chicken Suit" | Falling out of good planes, jumping out of broken planes, and flying something plane-like into the clouds. This and more on the Uncontrolled Airspace General Aviation Podcast.

Miami Dade Fire Rescue's First Female Pilot Kalynn Cresse Is Living Her Dream - NBC Miami | Kalynn Cresse has dreamt of flying since she was 18. Now, after more than 2,000 hours spent in the skies, the 25-year-old is living out her dream as Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's first female pilot...

Volocopter: 18-propeller electric helicopter takes flight - CNN | Indeed, the Volocopter's simplicity sets it apart from other helicopters, and its creators hope in the future commuters will be able to take their electric aircraft to work, instead of languishing in gridlocked cars below. The European Union is already ...

Tennessee Teen Wins Igor Sikorsky Youth Innovator Award - Aero-News Network | Sikorsky Aircraft has given a 15-year-old Tennessee teenager its 2013 Igor Sikorsky Youth Innovator Award and a $1,000 scholarship check for imagining an electrically driven helicopter designed specifically to serve humankind by mid-century...

Dad gets a shot at space travel - Auckland stuff.co.nz | The 49-year-old Silverdale Primary School caretaker has been getting used to G forces by letting friends take him on flights from the North Shore Aero Club in Dairy Flat. The astronaut training programme includes fighter jet flights, a session in a G ...

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Indy Transponder 26-NOV-2013 1400z

Toys for Tots fly-in slated for L52 · General Aviation News Staff | The fifth annual Toys for Tots Fly-In will be held Saturday, Dec. 7, at California’s Oceano Airport (L52). The fly-in will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pilots are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy. The Oceano Airport Toys for Tots event is in cooperation with the US Marine Corps...

16 Awesome Photos From The Tremendous Dubai Airshow - Business Insider | For four days last week, the aviation world's attention turned to the United Arab Emirates for the 13th edition of the http://www.businessinsider.com/2013-dubai-airshow-in-photos-2013-11biannual Dubai Airshow. This year's show was a smashing success, as airlines ordered over $206 billion worth of new planes — more ...

PAF contingent lands back after Dubai Air Show - HispanicBusiness.com | Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Contingent, Sunday, landed back at Operational Base after participating in the static as well as aerobatic segment in Dubai Air Show 2013. PAF comprised three JF-17 Thunder, Super Mushshak, pilots and technicians. For Pakistani participants it was satisfying moment when curtains were lowered for the 13th Dubai Air Show-2013, one of the biggest air shows of the world, which also included an impressive display of PAF JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft for the second time in the show....

Target smashed as £21k is raised for charities through Bournemouth Air Festival - Bournemouth Echo | They received £7,000 each thanks to sales of the air festival brochure, which was produced by the Daily Echo and Bournemouth Tourism, and through £2,000 raised by the Patrons' Scheme, made up of businesses that support the event. Each brochure sold...

As air races deadline looms, RSCVA signals potential support from RGJ.com | The president of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority on Monday said his organization will consider upping its commitment to the Reno National Championship Air Races, following the air races' announcement last week that it must find...

Do the Reno Air Races Have a Future? - Flying Magazine | ... A letter from the Reno Air Race Association's (RARA) president and CEO Mike Houghton, posted on the Reno Air Race website, announced that the event has been in the red for three consecutive years and that the organization needs to raise $500,000 by mid-December. RARA has also been forced to make some tough decisions in the process, imposing furloughs and wage and benefit cuts, and reducing its staff from seven to five people. While the contact information on the website has not yet been changed, one of the positions that was eliminated was that of Valerie Miller-Moore, director of marketing and public relations...

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013: Lockheed Shooting Star Jet Warbirds Keep the Excitement Alive at Daily Airshows - The Aero Experience | Airshow organizers faced the challenge of providing jet aircraft performances in the absence of the military jet teams during the 2013 airshow season, and EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013 was no exception.  As discussed in the previous feature, the role of jet action in the daily airshows was  filled by civilian warbird jets performing as individuals or in teams such as the Black Diamond Jet Team.  One of the most popular warbird jets on the...

Edmonton museum awaiting permission to fly old plane 33 kilometres - Calgary Herald | EDMONTON - The Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton is pleading with Transport Canada to fast-track permission to fly an old Boeing 737 to an airport in Villeneuve, just 33 kilometres away. The museum is currently located at the City Centre Airport near Edmonton's downtown...

Flying Tigers can bring Taiwan, China and US closer: Nell Calloway - WantChinaTimes | The history of the Flying Tigers — the American Volunteer Group of US pilots who came to the Republic of China's aid during World War II — can be very useful to promote multilateral understanding and friendship between China, Taiwan and the United...

Commemorating the 72nd Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor · Warbirds News | A series of events will be held at The Pacific Aviation Museum on December 7, 2013 to commemorate the 72nd Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Listings are below. December 5th – 7th Anniversary Dinner Gala: “Some Enchanted Evening,” 5:30 to 9:30pm at Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. A fundraiser for the Museum...

Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, celebrates anniversary of arrival of Handley Page Victor V-bomber XL231, Lusty Lindy - The Press, York | Yesterday marked 20 years since the Handley Page Victor V-bomber XL231, or Lusty Lindy, first touched down at the Yorkshire Air Museum at 2.20pm on November 25, 1993. The Lusty Lindy was started up and made a slow taxi down the runway, before ...

Ruth Rowland Nichols | [Yesterday] in 1930 Ruth Rowland Nichols set off to make a speed record for a transcontinental crossing of the U.S. She wasn’t the first woman to fly solo across the U.S., as some sources list, but she did set the record for fastest flight time. Arriving in Burbank on December 1, Nichols set a women’s transcontinental record of 16 hours, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, and on her return trip she set a Los Angeles to New York City record of 13 hours, 22 minutes. Nichols fell in love with flying when her...

If you thought aircraft carriers are immune to rough seas, then watch this photo · David Cenciotti | Aircraft carriers are among the world’s most powerful and deadly weapons systems. Even if they can almost freely move across the planet’s ocean to bring their embarked Carrier Air Wing where needed, the flying activity launched by the deck of a flattop can be affected by bad weather and….rough seas...

NASA releases new video of ‘comet of the century’ as it gets set to wiz by Earth at 1.3 million km/h - National Post | For months, all eyes in the sky have pointed at the comet that’s zooming toward a blisteringly close encounter with the sun. The moment of truth comes Thursday — U.S. Thanksgiving Day....

Airspeed Online: It's Up! Airspeed Posts "Tuskegee 3" to Complete its "Inside Airshows" Series




Check out a classic Airspeed episode like Making Good on a Deal.
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Tuskegee 3 Hits the Airspeed Feed

A note from Steve:

It's up! The third and final installment of the Inside Airshows series. It's called Tuskegee 3 and it's the story of a nine-month period during which I began ab initio training in TG-7As and then followed the opportunity all the way into the waivered airspace, performing for airshow crowds.
If you know me, you know that I'm a huge airshow fan. Airshows are why I started Airspeed almost eight years and more than 200 episodes ago. But even though you might have stood right next to me at the fence as we cheered for our favorite performers - or even if you're a performer who's taken me up on a media ride - you probably didn't know what was really on my mind. I wanted to do more than just watch. I wanted to climb over that fence and go see for myself what it was like to fly in an airshow.

Prior to that time, I was a private pilot, CAP SAR/DR pilot, and aerobatic competitor at the IAC Primary (most basic) level.  Nothing wrong with that mix of general aviation flying but, at the end of the day, it's not airshow flying.  Then, through an unlikely set of circumstances, a huge amount of work, and the trust and efforts of many people, I flew show performances as part of a three-ship demo team.  This two-hour episode contains the story of that journey, complete with cockpit and other audio, music, and lots of commentary.  
Epic stuff?  Yes and no.  And the end of the day, you could point out that I'm flying USAF Academy surplus motorgliders that suffer bird strikes from behind, that what my team does in the box isn't that flashy or complicated, and that I'm way too into this. And you'd be right. But that's the point of the story. This is what happens when a fan becomes a player.  
For airshow fans: This is two hours of answers to the questions that you probably never thought to ask about heat, humidity, peer pressure, standards, desire, effort, sweat, Nomex, avgas, loneliness, quiet, focus, flow, glory, and excitement - all in good measure.
For airshow pilots: This is the story of a guy who admires you so hard it hurts and who understands that perfection is expected and excellence will be accepted. A guy who wanted to demonstrate the most sincere form of flattery by imitating you as best he's able. We each choose our heroes.  A very lucky few of us find ourselves suddenly and unexpectedly walking a ramp or sharing a box with those heroes.  This is an ode to those heroes.  Especially to those who turn out to be as human as any airshow fan, but are all the more heroic because of it. 
And for all of the above: This is a story about what every one of us owes to his or her 10-year-old self.
The show notes to the episode, complete with pictures and credits, are right here and there's even a direct link to the MP3 audio.  You can listen right there on the Airspeed website or subscribe and download it through iTunes or your favorite other podcatcher.

I'm very proud of this episode and of the series.  I think that Tuskegee 3 in particular is the best stuff I've ever put in the feed.  It took more than a year to fully write, edit, and record it and it includes cockpit audio, briefing audio, character voicing, specially-licensed music, and everything else that I thought it would take to tell this story of what it's like to be a first-time airshow pilot.  I hope that you'll listen to it and, if you like it, I hope that you'll pass it along to others.
In the meantime, thanks for letting me fly for you and with you.  And for listening when I tell you the stories that you inspire.  I'll fix my safeties and I'm glad to be here.

Smoke on!

- Steve

__________________________________________

You can listen to the entire Inside Airshows series by subscribing to the Airspeed feed or by checking out the show notes page for each episode:

Part 1 - Running Away to Join the Circus (Ramp Crew and Pyro)
Part 2 - With a Mic in My Hand - (Team Narrator)
Part 3 - Tuskegee 3 (Airshow Pilot)

Monday, November 25, 2013

Indy Transponder 25-NOV-2013 1630z

Video: Lambeau Field flyover is first for EAA's WWII B-17 bomber - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Green Bay — On a clear, cloudless Sunday, pilot Sean Elliott lined his aircraft right on the large oval http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/lambeau-field-flyover-is-first-for-eaas-wwii-b-17-bomber-b99149571z1-233226961.htmltarget and aimed the B-17 bomber toward its objective. The bomb bay doors opened but no ordnance dropped. Plenty of cameras clicked, though....

Reno Air Races cuts staff, must raise $500000 - Las Vegas Sun | Air race president and CEO Michael Houghton, in a statement, says immediate financial assistance is needed in order to put on the 51st annual event in September. Insurance alone to cover the air races was over $2 million in 2012 and $1.2 million in 2013...

Happy Birthday To The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito · Warbirds News By Aviation Enthusiasts LLC | Seventy-three years ago today, the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito took flight for the first time.  One of the most useful Allied aircraft of World War II, the Mosquito performed as a bomber, fighter, anti-shipping and photo-reconnaissance platform.  The key to the success of the “Wooden Wonder” was its light wood construction and the power of its twin Merlin engines, which gave it the speed to out-fly almost every other aircraft type of the war.  Nicknamed the “Mossie” by its crews, the...

The last tense minutes of a fighter pilot about to eject from an F-16 hit by enemy fire over Serbia · David Cenciotti | The following video and audio were recorded by the U.S. Air Force F-16CG #88-0550 belonging to the 31th Fighter Wing from Aviano airbase, Italy, which was shot down during a combat mission over Serbia during Allied Force. The F-16, callsign “Hammer 34? was egressing from the target area located near Novi Sad, at 02.00 AM LT on May 2, 1999, when a Serbian surface-to-air missile exploded close to the plane, causing heavy damage to its engine...

Chico Air Museum gets F-86 Sabre Jet - Enterprise-Record | CHICO — There's nothing unlucky about its 13th aircraft, in the view of the Chico Air Museum. On Friday, an F-86 Sabre Jet arrived at the air museum's new headquarters on Ryan Avenue. The nonprofit air museum acquired the fighter aircraft that was a workhorse of the Korean War...

Aircraft Restoration: Vought (XF-8A) XF8U-1 Crusader - The Lexicans | The Museum of Flight located in Everett, Washington is undertaking restoration of a Vought F-8 Crusader, known as . However this isn’t just any F-8. The aircraft undergoing restoration is BuNo: 138899, was the first F-8 built served as the prototype for a production run totaling 1219 aircraft...

YP-24 - Travel for Aircraft | The U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) desired a modern replacement of the Berliner-Joyce P-16 and the Detroit Aircraft Corp. (DAC) joined with Lockheed Aircraft to produce the YP-24 in 1930 — the chief designer was Robert Woods of DAC. The aircraft looked much like the biplane P-16 but was a monoplane and with retractable landing gear — which was the Lockheed firms main contribution, essentially the wing of the Lockheed Altair...

Poll: Awesome Or Ugly? The Vought V-173 Flying Pancake - AirPigz | ...This time around the http://airpigz.com/blog/2013/11/20/poll-awesome-or-ugly-the-vought-v-173-flying-pancake.htmlchosen aircraft is the Vought V-173 'Flying Pancake'. There was only one built, with the first flight taking place in 1942. With that high deck angle and those massive props, it's easy to think of this all-wing testbed as a bit of a beast, but the reality is that it weighs about the same as an older Cessna 172 (both the empty and gross weights) and it's only got a total of 160hp coming from...

Aviation's key role in Nelson history - The Nelson Mail | It fills a gap. The only other volumes of Nelson aviation history that Mr McConnell is aware of are a slim book, Flying Home, produced by the Nelson City Council in 1985, and a Nelson Aero Club 50th jubilee commemorative magazine, published 30 years ago...

Dyess Airman tapped for presidential maintenance by Airman 1st Class Alexander Guerrero, 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs | 11/22/2013 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Not many Air Force maintainers get a chance to be part of the aircraft fleet that provides support to the President of the United States, but for one Dyess Airman that prestigious opportunity has arrived...

CoolPix: Retro-Art Desktop Pic Of The Amazing Bugatti 100p (Out Of The Past) - AirPigz | To me the Bugatti 100p is one of the most beautiful airplanes ever designed. It's also pretty fascinating that it never actually flew... but of course an extensive project to build a flying replica has been in the works for years now, and it's getting very close to completion. Check out the Bugatti 100p project on facebook for lots of pix and info on the replica...

Aviation mechanic remembers lifetime in Fairbanks - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner | Aviation mechanic Jim Anderson grew up on Eights Avenue in downtown Fairbanks. When he was a little boy, he liked to run down Cowles Street to Weeks Field, where he would walk into an airplane hangar, stand there and just watch the mechanics work...

Armstrong’s Close Call - Air & Space Magazine | I'd STILL be groping for the dang ejection handle! These guys and the entire space program at that time deserve kudos for what they accomplished with basically a pencil and slide rule andless computer power than your new car. I can remember watching that black and white image of him stepping off the LEM onto the lunar surface. Remarkable then and still today! He said of himself, "I am, and ever will be, a white socks, pocket protector, nerdy engineer."...

Video: Astronaut Hadfield shares 'unbeatable point of inspiration' with PBS Host Miles O'Brien - Spaceports | Col. Chris Hadfield captured the world's curiosity when he tweeted videos of everyday life on the space station and covered David Bowie's song "Space Oddity." Science correspondent Miles O'Brien talks to the retired Canadian astronaut, author of "An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth," about the importance of space exploration.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Indy Transponder 24-NOV-2013 2015z

Red Arrows to wow Abu Dhabi Corniche today - The National | The display will begin at 3.15pm – weather permitting - and will last approximately 25 minutes. It will demonstrate the very best of the pilots’ skills and precision flying, organisers say...

Video: B-17 Bomber lands in Green Bay - Fox11online.com | ASHWAUBENON - A piece of World War II history has landed in the Green Bay area. Visitors got an up-close look at a historic B-17 bomber Saturday. It's nicknamed the "Aluminum Overcast." The plane is fully restored, and is even still able to fly!...

2013 COPPERSTATE Fly-In & Aviation Expo a Big (Non-Towered) Hit! - Photorecon.net | CASA GRANDE, ARIZ. (Nov. 20, 2013) — More than 500 aircraft and 6,100 attendees from 12 countries http://photorecon.net/2013-copperstate-fly-in-aviation-expo-a-big-non-towered-hit/and 37 U.S. states converged on the 41st-annual COPPERSTATE Fly-In & Aviation Expo at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport (Casa Grande, Ariz.) a few weeks ago. This attendance figure tops the 2012 number by more than 600...

Inside Airshows – Part 3: Tuskegee 3 – Audio Episode Show Notes * Airspeed Online | If you want to understand a subculture or an experience, a great way to do that is to take an outsider and plunge him into the place you want to know about, wait awhile, then drag him back to the surface and wring him out to see how it changed him.  It’s even better if you can get the guy to wring himself out.  You begin to realize that not everybody who writes about the majesty of flight does it because he’s a fighter pilot.  Some of us write because we’re not fighter pilots....

Doolittle's Raiders - Napa Valley Register | Six days after the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, I celebrated my 12th birthday. I remember that Sunday morning attack like it happened yesterday. Our citizens were in shock, and their morale was low.      Then, four months later, we learned that U.S. bomber crews, in retaliation for Pearl Harbor, had taken off from an aircraft carrier, bombed Tokyo and other Japanese industrial cities and proved that U.S. aircraft could reach the Japanese homeland. Our morale recovered...

Happy Birthday To The Grumman F9F Panther · Warbirds News By Aviation Enthusiasts LLC | The Grumman F9F Panther flew for the first time sixty-six years ago today.  A single-seat carrier-based fighter and attack aircraft, the F9F was the first Navy jet to go to war and the first to try an inflight-refueling system.  Panthers flew 78,000 combat sorties during the Korean War and scored the first air-to-air “kill” by the Navy in the conflict, downing a North Korean Yakovlev Yak-9 on July 3, 1950.  The Navy’s first jet-versus-jet “kill” was also accomplished by a Panther when the type dispatched a MiG-15 on November 9, 1950.  Grumman built 1,382 aircraft between 1947 and 1953.  The...

Ju-52 air to air, making off - Apron 6 | And this is how it’s done. Sitting in a Do-27 flying next to a Junkers 52. Not really a close formation but good enough to get some good images from...

Experimental Aircraft Programme Now On Display At Cosford · Warbirds News | PRESS RELEASE-Christmas has come early at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford with the arrival of the Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP) technology demonstrator. This experimental jet helped pave the way for the renowned Eurofighter Typhoon and thanks to support of BAE Systems is now on display to visitors within the Museum’s Test Flight collection....

'Fatal Incident' plays loose with historic tragedy - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner | FAIRBANKS — On Sept. 18, 1944, an Army Air Transport Command flight left Fort Richardson en route to Ladd Field, carrying 16 servicemen heading home on furlough, two Northwest Airlines pilots, and a civilian. Flying on instruments, the C-47 flew over Denali National Park, crashing into what was thought at the time to be Mount Brooks (it was actually an unnamed peak, later called Mount Deception in honor of the victims), 19 miles from Mount McKinley. Forty-four men hiked the 20 miles of rugged terrain in a recovery effort, reaching the site on Nov. 10, only to find the plane buried under 10 feet of snow. None of the bodies was recovered....

Three new board members for EAA · General Aviation News Staff | EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — Three aviators with extensive experience in diverse areas of the aviation community have joined the top leadership of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) as the newest members of the EAA Board of Directors...

Blue Skies Frank · Warbirds News By Elena DePree | The warbird community has lost a great person and outstanding restorer,Frank Arrufat died on Wednesday after a long battle with cancer.Frank Arrufat built the Corsair called Kathleen, named after his wife. It is now Corsair 489 and is flown by the Texas Flying Legends Museum. Frank was a superb individual and just a really great guy to know.

Women in Aviation plans UAE launch to attract more women in Middle East to the industry - The National | DUBAI // A US aviation organisation is aiming to attract more women to the industry in the UAE and across the region. Women in Aviation plans to launch its UAE chapter next month, and will offer scholarships in an attempt to raise the profile of the industry. “Everybody knows about aviation and that it involves piloting, ticketing or flight attending,” said Mervat Sultan, the organisation’s president, on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow last week...

Topgun in the Mid-1980s: Building on the Legacy – Part Two - Photorecon.net, · Dave "Bio" Baranek | When considering why Topgun flourished, much credit must go to the enduring culture established by the earliest instructors and handed down to their successors. They met the essential requirements for  a “school”: obtain accurate intelligence and develop effective tactics. The following items, on the other hand, were matters of choice that became part of the standards that defined Topgun...

A life of flight, awards and meeting famous folks - GoDanRiver.com | “I started working for the Aero Club at Langley where they teach dependents to fly. I started with three airplanes and built it up to 17,” he said. “I started under a light pole, then a shed and then they built me a nice hangar. “Someone made me a nice ...

Jeff Mitchell: Aerobatics ace to take at-risk kids under his wing - The Salinas Californian | Friday morning I was up and out early for a trip to Rancho Cielo. What a great place full of energy and full of hope for some of our most at-risk kids. Established and founded by retired Superior Court Judge John Phillips, the place gives troubled kids a chance to get back on their feet and to learn a craft or a trade that can lead to a real job. But I was there Friday not to take the nickel tour but to attend an assembly being led by National Aerobatics Champion and Salinas native Sean D. Tucker...

SUN ‘n FUN to gift 12 Flights of Christmas to children · General Aviation News Staff | SUN ’n FUN CAMPUS, LAKELAND, Florida — For the second year in a row, 12 lucky children will find a certificate under the tree this year for an airplane ride on Jan. 11 at SUN ’n FUN. For any family finding it difficult to put gifts under the Christmas Tree this year, there is a no-cost option. Through Dec. 18, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors or friends can complete a form found on the SUN ’n FUN website. Nominate a child ages 7-18 by completing a 500-word essay describing the circumstances and provide the reason a child should be selected...

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Indy Transponder 23-NOV-2013 1700z

Red Arrows aces paint the Dubai sky red, white and blue in awesome aerial display during Middle East tour - Daily Mail | The Royal Air Force's Red Arrows paint the skies above Dubai a patriotic http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2512292/Red-Arrows-aces-paint-Dubai-sky-red-white-blue-awesome-aerial-display-Middle-East-tour.htmlred, white and blue in a breathtaking display during their major tour of the Middle East. The aerobatic team is in the region to strengthen trade links and to provide a little ...

Reno Air Races cuts staff, salaries - RGJ.com | The Reno National Championship Air Races issued a statement late Friday saying it must raise commitments for a half million dollars by Dec. 15 “to address the operational costs of 2014.” If it can’t raise the money, “some painful decisions will have to be made,” said Air Races spokesman Mike Draper. Those “painful decisions” could include canceling next year’s Air Races, Draper said...[photos too]

LiveAirShowTV:  And while we're on the subject of Reno.... Sunday at 6:00pm EST on FOX Sports 1's Jones & Mosley Show will have a story on the the 2013 Races. LiveAirShowTV worked with Fox Sports on this story by providing video from our coverage. If you miss it, or just watching football, we will have a link to the story after it airs. Little by little the word is getting out about this great event!

NWOC 2014 Attendees To Tour Cavanaugh Flight Museum · Warbirds News | PRESS RELEASE-Dallas, TX (Nov 18, 2013) – The Cavanaugh Flight Museum will open its doors exclusively to NWOC attendees on Saturday, Feb. 22. This private opening will give participants the opportunity to see all the exhibits close-up and unfettered by crowds. Museum staff will be on hand to answer questions and point out exhibits of historical significance...

EAA AirVenture tickets available online - The Sheboygan Press | OSHKOSH — Advance purchase admission tickets and camping are now available for the 62nd annual edition of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, providing more convenience for those traveling to “The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration.” The weeklong 2014 ...

Officials in dogfight over air show location - nwitimes.com | HAMMOND | Mayor Thomas McDermott engaged South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority President Speros Batistatos Friday in a verbal dogfight over moving the air show out of Lake County. "It's a travesty," the Hammond mayor complained on his...

Northern California Aerobatic Club - IAC Chapter 38 | ...Our next meeting will be held January 26, 2014 and our guest speaker will be...drum roll...the legendary Wayne Handley with a talk he assures will both inform and entertain. A judges school is in the works for February as well....

CAF Members Approve National Airbase and Bylaw Change · Warbirds News | PRESS RELEASE- Midland, Texas November 22, 2013 – The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) announced today that the election regarding the 2013 proposed amendment to the bylaws has concluded with a 75.10% vote in favor of the proposed amendment. The membership vote for approval of the bylaw amendment clears the path for the CAF Board of Directors to build a CAF National Airbase that will become the organization’s headquarters...

ROC-US wartime alliance should be remembered: Chennault's granddaughter - WantChinaTimes | CACW pilots flying fighters and bombers like the P-40, P-51 and B-25 also destroyed 1,500 Japanese vehicles, sank several hundred thousand tonnes of Japanese merchant and naval vessels, and took a heavy toll on Japanese ground troops, facilities, ...

Aviator Memorial at NAS Lemoore - The Lexicans | The Facebook Lexicans have decided to pitch in on this effort making a donation in Lex’s name. Someone mentioned also posting here so that the non-Facebook Lexicans can participate as well. And so here we are… So here’s what we know, NAS Lemoore is planning a memorial out there to honor Fallen Aviators. The WSO asked me if the Lexicans would be interested in donating in Lex’s name, I assured her that we would. Everything seems set up and ready to go. The WSO...

Event marks anniversary of bomber's arrival at Yorkshire Air Museum - The Press, York | THE Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington is planning a dramatic high-speed aircraft run to mark the anniversary of one if its star attractions' arrival at the museum. The nuclear bomber the Handley Page Victor V-bomber XL231, “Lusty Lindy”, will have been ...

Local Pilots to Host Young Flyers in Quest to Hit 5000 - Southern Pines Pilot | The rally, co-sponsored by the Moore County Airport Authority, is part of the EAA Young Eagles Program, created to interest young people in aviation. Since the program was launched in 1992, volunteer EAA pilots have flown more than 1.8 million young ...

Indy Transponder 23-NOV-2013 1300z

EAA's B-17 Makes NFL Debut Sunday - EAA | Aluminum Overcast takes pregame flyover at http://www.eaa.org/news/2013/2013-11-21_eaas-b-17-makes-nfl-debut-sunday.aspLambeau Field | November 21, 2013 - One of America's most historic military aircraft will fly over one of football's most venerable sites on Sunday, as EAA's B-17 Aluminum Overcast performs the pregame flyover at Lambeau Field before the Green Bay Packers-Minnesota Vikings game at noon (CST).

Open Letter to Our Air Race Fans - Reno Air Racing Association | Dear Air Race Supporters, On the heels of a spectacular and historic 50th National Championship Air Races, the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) is looking forward to the next 50 years. This year's event marked a recovery from the many emotional, financial and operational challenges of the last three years. The crowds were back, the weather was good and the racing was thrilling and safe. However, as we work to build for the future, we are faced with a set of significant challenges posed in the wake of a third year of financial losses. As a not-for-profit organization, RARA is committed to preserving and growing air racing and we are dedicated to creating long-term financial sustainability. As such, we have carefully evaluated our current financial position and we have been forced to make some agonizing and difficult decisions. Effective immediately, we have implemented furloughs and wage and benefit reductions on all RARA staff. Additionally, we have made the heartbreaking decision to eliminate certain positions....

Reno Air Racing Association Announces Cuts - KTVN | The president of the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) announced Friday the implementation of furloughs, wage and benefit reductions; as well as the elimination of certain positions, effective immediately...

Jimmy Graham, an NFL Star Takes Off - Men's Journal | Graham has been defying expectations for so long now, he doesn't bat an eye when nonbelievers scoff at his latest ambition – to become a competitive airplane racer in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. "In my life," he says, "the sky is ...

The Family Legacy Continues, Col.Paul Tibbets IV Qualifies on B-52 · Warbirds News | The grandson of the pilot whose historic World War II mission helped end that conflict set a milestone of his own Thursday.Col. Paul Tibbets IV, Air Force Global Strike Command deputy director of operations, was certified to fly the B-52 Stratofortress bomber, making him one of a handful of fliers qualified to fly all three of the U.S. Air Force’s bomber platforms. He flew the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers during previous assignments...

Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham inquest: Shocking footage will not be shown ... - This is Lincolnshire | Distressing amateur film footage of Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham being ejected from his aircraft will not be shown publicly at his inquest, a coroner has ruled. Flight Lieutenant Cunningham, 35, died after his ejector seat fired while his Hawk T1 ...
   
Flying Tigers' 70th anniversary exhibition kicks off in Taipei - China Post | TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan military yesterday kicked off an exhibition marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese-American Composite Wing (CACW) in commemoration of this joint organization that represents one of the strongest ...

Wright Brothers History Questioned by Gustave Whitehead Historian | TIME.com | ...Without Jane’s involvement, Brown’s research and website – gustave-whitehead.com – would’ve likely been relegated to the far reaches of the Internet. With Jane’s on board, however, Brown appeared to have tipped history’s scales in favor of Whitehead for the first time. But a number of aviation historians and academics are lining up against Brown, including those at the Smithsonian, the longtime home of the Wright Flyer. “When you get right down to it, to the Whitehead claim, there is – no – evidence,” says Crouch, the Smithsonian’s curator. “None.” Born in Dayton, Ohio, where the Wright Brothers grew up and tested many of their planes, Crouch has been with the Smithsonian for almost four decades. He wrote a book chronicling the Wrights’ achievements as well as a history of aviation from kites to manned space flight. In 2000, President Bill Clinton appointed Crouch to the Chairmanship of the First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board....

Santa to visit New England Air Museum · General Aviation News Staff | WINDSOR LOCKS, CONN. — The New England Air Museum will hold its annual Santa Visit & Behind the Scenes Tour Friday, Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving. Santa, who will meet and pose for photos with children between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will have a gift for each child...

T-6 formation - Apron 6 | Two more photo’s from one the photoflights during the Hahnweide treffen. We were lucky to have these two T-6's next to the Dornier. The first one is a behind the scenes photo showing how it is done. The second one shows one of the T-6's flying above the forrest. As the sun was already […]

Maintenance Airmen keep A-10s in the air - ACC | U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Adam http://www.acc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123371782Fingleman, 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, cleans an A-10 Thunderbolt II canopy prior to flight Nov. 18, 2013, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The A-10 Thunderbolt II can be serviced and operated from austere bases with limited facilities near battle areas.

This is what happens inside an AC-130U Gunship firing 105mm projectiles - The Aviationist | The following footage shows  Special Missions Aviation Airmen during preflight, and live fire training mission aboard a U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command AC-130U gunship over Hurlburt Field and the Eglin Air Force Base range [photos]

Air & Space Magazine:

Airplane enthusiast builds life-size replicas out of scrap metal - The Globe and Mail | ...Their front lawn now features a 1918 DR1 Fokker (the same kind of plane the Red Baron flew), a 1916 Sopwith Camel (cartoon character Snoopy's plane), a 1944 Spitfire Mark 9 and its rival, a 1944 Messerschmitt ME 109 G, modelled after German flying ace Adolf Galland’s plane (although, in this case, it’s a mustached mannequin setting at the controls). Although the planes are static and don’t fly, the rudders and other controls are operational....

Former CAP cadet joins Air Force, becomes 'Master Air Pilot' - Headline News - Civil Air Patrol | KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- As a child, he was inspired by meeting a commercial airline pilot as he walked down the aisle greeting passengers. At 15, he completed his first solo in an AT-6 Texan World War II trainer and went on to serve four years in Civil Air Patrol. Now after nearly 24 years of service, he is being recognized for his accomplishments as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. Meet Lt. Col. Alexander Newuman, chief pilot of the 1st Special Opeations Squadron at Kadena Air Base, who was presented a Master Air Pilot Certificate from the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators’ based in London, England, during a recent banquet at the Guildhall in London.