Monday, March 31, 2014

Indy Transponder 31-MAR-2014 2345z

Mariposa Air Fair and Family Adventure Day to be Held on April 26, 2014 - Sierra Sun Times | It is http://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/advertise/advertisers/12616-mariposa-air-fair-and-family-adventure-day-to-be-held-on-april-26-2014Air Fair time!  Saturday, April 26th the Mariposa Air Fair and Family Adventure Day 2014, is taking place at Mariposa-Yosemite Airport.  The gate opens at 8 a.m. and the event lasts until 3 p.m...

Large drink sales to help fund Thunder Over Louisville - WAVE | LOUISVILLE, KY - This year's McDonald's Thunder Funder program, which will help raise funds for the 2014 Thunder Over Louisville Air and Fireworks show, kicks off on Tuesday, April 1. McDonald's Restaurants of Kentuckiana is the title sponsor of the program for the ninth consecutive year...

Iconic WW2 planes to soar skies above Thornbury Carnival - South Cotswolds Gazette | ... The festival takes place on Saturday, July 5 and will feature some fantastic new attractions in the form of two iconic World War One planes. This August marks 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War.The RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Fight team will delight crowds by flying a Spitfire and Hurricane over the Mundy field in the afternoon....

50th Hayward Air Rally to Fly to AirVenture * News from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh | March 27, 2014 - The Hayward Air Rally, which has tested pilot planning, navigation and flying skills on the West Coast for nearly a half-century, will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year in a big way - with a final destination of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh....

EAA Warbirds of America Announces Daily AirVenture Plans * News from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh | March 27, 2014 - A special Vietnam aircraft day will be one of the many highlights of the featured air show performances by the EAA Warbirds of America at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014. The Vietnam tribute will take place on Wednesday, July 30, during the daily AirVenture air show...

92-Year-Old Works to Preserve Flying History - KTUU.com | ANCHORAGE -Howard "Mike" Hunt wore a leather pilot's jacket from his time serving in World War II for a fundraiser to support the Commemorative Air Force. It's a nod to his service and his past. Hunt was born an Iowa farm boy with a dream of flying. Now he's working to introduce younger generations to the antique aircraft he loves....

Spitfire Mk.Ia N3200 Flies Again · Warbirds News | As reported on March 26, 2014 via Global http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/spitfire-mk-ia-n3200-flies.htmlAviation Resource, Historic Flying Ltd. in Duxford, England successfully test flew the latest masterpiece to emerge from their workshops; Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia N3200. There are now four airworthy Mark I Spitfires in the world, something almost inconceivable just a few years ago....

Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum Begins Busy Season | The Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum has begun in earnest to do some “Spring Cleaning” and start on some new projects that will improve the visitor experience.  The museum is preparing for the upcoming Midwest Airport Fun Days event planned for June 7-8 by arranging some of the aircraft in their historic 1929 Curtiss-Wright Hangar 2 for easier viewing.  Space is also being made in the hangar for...

McChord Air Museum & Heritage Hill Air Park — a Washington State gem * Travel for Aircraft | This museum is a gem and absolutely should be visited when in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Two main parts comprise the facility: McChord Air Museum and Heritage Hill Air Park. McChord Air Museum is both intimate and dense with its artifacts, relics and displays. Their two largest exhibits are the B-25 Mitchell nose which is positioned just below eye level...

New England Air Museum to Hold first ever Motorcycle Show · Warbirds News | ...A special feature of the day will be entry to the Museum’s Restoration Hangar. This is an opportunity to take a close-up look at the P-51D Mustang Racer, Burnelli CBY-3 Loadmaster and several vintage engines.The event will be held inside the Museum’s three large display hangars & our outside yard....

Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial a fitting tribute for Second World War airmen By Lincolnshire Echo | The Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial will be unveiled on the ridge above Lincoln’s South Common in June next year. The spire will include the names of all those aircrew who are listed in the three rolls of honour held in Lincoln Cathedral. The location of the memorial is most appropriate as the spire will be in direct line of sight of the cathedral which proved to be such a guiding landmark for the returning crews during the Second World War...

Collector hopes air museum plan will take off By Gavin Havery, Reporter |  A MUSEUM dedicated to aviation memorabilia spanning both world wars is to be opened in the North-East. Rare items, including uniforms, flying helmets with goggles, flags and models are to be displayed publicly in Dipton, near Stanley in County Durham...

Rhyl artists help to create 25000 balloon Red Arrows sculpture - Daily Post North Wales | The piece won a silver award at the World Balloon Convention in Denver, Colorado in a team led by Sara and Mike Harris. It took 25,000 balloons and  a torn tendon to make an  inflatable Red Arrows  sculpture go off with a bang...

New Soyuz Trio Completes Two Day Trip To Station * Aero-News Network | Plan To Arrive In Six Hours Scrapped After Missed Engine Firing | A new trio of Expedition 39 flight engineers has arrived at the International Space Station after a two-day, 34-orbit trip. Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov was at the controls of the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft when it docked automatically to the Poisk docking compartment at 1953 EDT. Skvortsov was flanked by Flight Engineers Steve Swanson and Oleg Artemyev during the two day flight...

Smith And Palazzo: NASA’s Priority Should Be Space Exploration * Aero-News Network | Science Committee Leadership Questions Obama Administration Cuts To NASA Budget | The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing Thursday with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Jr. to examine the Obama administration’s fiscal year 2015 (FY15) budget and its priorities. Members on both sides of the aisle raised numerous concerns with the priorities represented in the President’s proposal that cuts NASA’s funding by $185 million...

Indy Transponder 31-MAR-2014 1700z

778 'Rosie the Riveters' show up to set world record - and save bomber plant - The Ann Arbor News | http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/03/778_rosie_the_riveters_show_up.htmlIt was as if hundreds of old World War II posters had come to life. The hangar at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti Township was a sea of red and white polka dot bandanas Saturday afternoon when 778 women came dressed as the iconic Rosie the Riveter in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record. They may have not had enough "Rosies" to set the record in October -- there needed to be 250 -- but now there were more than enough thanks to women like Heather Seyfarth and her daughter, Mairead....

Punta Gorda Air Show Draws Over 100K for Veterans-Themed Event - Newsmax.com | About 60,000 people showed up each day at the 34th Annual Florida International Airshow in Punta Gorda this past weekend, following last year's disappointing cancellation.  Fighter jets and vintage planes dating back to 1918 were on display to the delight of many, NBC reported. For many, however, the real stars of the show were the veterans who were in attendance for this year's theme, "A Salute to Veterans." Veterans in attendance included Ret. Air Force Lt. Col. Richard Cole, 99, and Ret. Air Force Maj. Gen. John Borling, 73....

New Smyrna Beach Balloon & Sky Fest ends on sunny note - Daytona Beach News-Journal | News-Journal/NIGEL COOK Patty Wagstaff performs during the New Smyrna Beach Balloon & Sky Fest air show in New Smyrna Beach on Sunday, March 30, 2014. Pilots performed spectacular aerobatic maneuvers Sunday afternoon, thrilling thousands of people attending the last day of the New Smyrna Beach Balloon & Sky Fest....

Video: Fat Albert And The South Texas Air Show - KIII TV3 | ...Meteorologist Alan Holt got to fly in Fat Albert and talked about the experience with 3 News Anchor Michael Gibson.

Military Matters: B-25 Mitchell Bomber - KIII TV3 | KINGSVILLE (Kiii News) -There are so many stories we found at this years, Wings Over South Texas Air Show in Kingsville including our Military Matters report. We came across a group called the DAV Flight Team who's mission is to fulfill promises to the men and women who served. Thousands of people walked through the gates at NAS Kingsville to experience...

Red Arrows take off for 50th display season - ITV News | The Red Arrows have taken off from their Lincolnshire base destined for Cyprus to complete training for their 50th display season. For the next eight weeks the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team will operate from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as the pilots practice their display ahead of the 2014 season....

Stunning new video shows what it's like to fly with the Red Arrows By Western Morning News | For those who have watched the Red Arrows display team and wondered what the view is like from the skies – wonder no more. A three-minute video has been posted online that puts the viewer in the passenger seat of a Hawk T1 during a team practice session over their home at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire...

Sun 'n Fun Fly-In expecting a big year - Bay News 9 | LAKELAND -- Organizers of Lakeland's annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-In are expecting a good year. Advance sales for the event are way up, according to organizers. President John Leenhouts said advance sales would typically be about $150,000 a week out from the event, but this year the sales are at about $300,000...

Large contingent of overseas participants for Warbirds Over Wanaka - Voxy | A large contingent of overseas participants is expected to add a strong international flavour to the Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow this Easter. Guest performers, exhibitors and media will soon be travelling from Poland, France, the United States, Lithuania, Switzerland and beyond to take part in the event which begins in just over three weeks...

LA County Airshow 2014 * Photorecon.net | On March 21st and 22nd, the City of Lancaster held the inaugural Los Angeles County Air Show at William J. Fox Airfield. The Air Show was headlined by the United States Navy Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels. With so much aviation history stemming from the Antelope Valley and neighboring communities, the air show was a tribute to the valley’s rich aviation heritage, and the aerospace pioneers who have paved the way for future generations to come....

Airshow Franco-Belge in lens-Benifontaine - Translated | After the success of the Air Holidays 2007, http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fpassiondesavions.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F03%2Fairshow-franco-belge-lens-benifontaine.html%3Futm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2Bblogspot%252FJTGq%2B%2528Passion%2Bpour%2Bl%2527aviation%2529&langpair=fr|en2010 and 2012 respectively which hosted 22,000, 30,000 and 53,000 spectators, the next major air show will be held Sunday, May 18, 2014 on the airfield Lens-Bénifontaine. The theme will be the Franco-Belgian Friendship. Pascale Alajouanine-Duhoo which is the official sponsor of the Meeting of Lens-Bénifontaine since 2007, will again to that of 2014....

Death of a hero * Bayou Renaissance Man | ...Jeremiah Denton, the downed Navy pilot who was paraded before television cameras by the Viet Cong and confirmed U.S. suspicions of prisoner maltreatment during the Vietnam War by blinking out the word "torture" in Morse code, has died. He was 89....

World's only flying Superfortress to touch down Valdosta - WALB-TV | VALDOSTA, GA (WALB) -You can see a rare sight Monday, when the Commemorative Air Force's (CAF) iconic Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber FIFI -- the only remaining flying example of the aircraft in the world --- lands at Valdosta Regional Airport. FiFi will be accompanied by the famous C-45 Expeditor Bucket of Bolts and a PT-17 Stearman...

Video: Vintage planes from Wanaka auctioned off * Emily Cooper 3 News Reporter | A collection of rare cars, motorbikes and planes has gone up for auction in Wanaka. More than 50 items, including a 1924 Bentley, a 1938 Harley Davidson and a Tiger Moth aircraft, went under the hammer for the Warbirds over Wanaka Community Trust...

Air Race F1 Receives Approval From The Official Formula One Air Racing Associations * aviationpros.com | Air Race F1, the first international Formula One air racing series, which will launch in Lleida Spain on 1st June, has announced that the three major Formula One Air Racing Associations have formally agreed to sanction the event, granting Air Race F1 recognition as an http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/scot-flies-the-saltire-in-revival-of-aerial-race-1-3358256official international competition by all active governing bodies of Formula One Air Racing....

Scot flies the saltire in revival of aerial race - Scotsman | ...Des Hart is to compete in the Air Race F1 – piloting his plane at levels as low as 35ft while racing eight other aircraft at speeds of up to 250mph on a two-km circuit above Lleida-Alguaire Airport in Catalonia, Spain. Hart, from Perthshire, is one of only three British pilots to compete in the major international race, and the only Scot in a field of 14. Formula One flying is still performed in Reno, in the US, but was stopped in Britain in the late 1980s because of safety concerns and the high cost of running the racing aircraft...

Plane which ‘cheated death’ rolled out at Yorkshire Air Museum on 70th anniversary - The Press, York | SEVENTY years after its first outing, the story of a famous Second World War Two aircraft which cheated disaster time and time again is being remembered at the Yorkshire Air Museum this weekend. On the night of March 30, 1944, the Halifax bomber Friday the 13th rolled down the runway at RAF Lissett near Bridlington, bound for Nuremburg in Germany...

Ohio Capital Budget Includes Funds For Historic Wright Brothers Factory · Warbirds News | Efforts to secure and restore the historic Wright brothers’ airplane factory have taken an important step forward with the inclusion of funding in Ohio’s capital budget bill.  The budget bill for fiscal years 2015 and 2016 includes $250,000 to acquire and secure the two Wright Company buildings for eventual use by the National Park Service. Ohio Gov. John Kasich introduced the bill Tuesday to the state legislature.  “This is one small step toward opening the Wright Company factory to the public as a unit of Dayton’s national park, but it’s a giant leap in terms of gaining recognition for the importance of this project,” said Tony Sculimbrene, executive director of the National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA)....

[Video] Egyptian DHC-5 Buffalo utility aircraft performs belly landing * The Aviationist | You don’t see this kind of maneuver every day. Reportedly filmed on Mar. 24, at an undisclosed airport, the following footage shows a textbook landing of an Egyptian Air Force DHC-5 Buffalo plane...

NASA Marks Tenth Anniversary Of Successful Mach 7 Hyper-X Flight * Aero-News Network | March 27 was the 10-year anniversary of NASA’s successful Mach 7 Hyper-X flight. During this flight, the 12-foot-long X-43A research vehicle set a world speed record for an “air breathing” (jet-powered) vehicle...

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Indy Transponder 28-MAR-2014 0930z

http://www.kiiitv.com/story/25096566/bishop-teacher-gets-to-fly-with-blue-angels
Bishop Teacher Gets To Fly With Blue Angels - KIII TV3 | It was a once in a lifetime experience for Tracy Smith, a 3rd Grade Teacher from Bishop. She flew with the Blue Angels. Her students were on hand for the experience.

Aerobatic team to fly WWII aircraft at Sky Fest in New Smyrna Beach * news-journalonline.com | NEW SMYRNA BEACH — Mark Henley’s flying schedule at this weekend’s Balloon & Sky Fest will hearken back to the training paths that many World War II fighter pilots followed. Henley, as part of the renowned AeroShell Aerobatic team, will fly in formation with three other pilots in 1940s AT-6 Texans, which were the primary training aircraft for U.S. airmen during the war....

Military aircraft will again be a no-show at Freedom Fair - TheNewsTribune.com ...For a second consecutive year, the Freedom Fair air show on Tacoma’s waterfront will be an all-civilian affair. Despite attempts to secure military demonstrations, the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration will be bereft of active duty jet fighters, bombers and helicopters. Even Tacoma’s unofficial bird, the Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster III, will be a no-show....

Slovak Air Force returns to the RAF Waddington International Air Show with a tribute to Czechoslovakian pilots involved in D-Day Operations * UK Airshow News - Flightline UK | With participation already confirmed from 9 countries, the Organisers of the RAF Waddington International Air Show are delighted to announce another addition to this year’s displays. The Slovak Air Force has confirmed that it will be making a welcome return to the show, demonstrating its L-39CM CM Albatross jet trainer. The aircraft is specially painted this year to celebrate the life and achievements of Sqn Ldr Otto Smík, a young hero of the English skies who fled Slovakia at...

British pilot Nigel Lamb: Any sports fan will enjoy watching Red Bull Air Race - Metro | Nigel Lamb is an experienced pilot who competes in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. The 57-year-old was in the Rhodesian military as a youngster but now competes for Great Britain. He started the season with fifth place in Abu Dhabi....

CAF’s F8F Bearcat Makes Rare Flight at Palm Springs Air Museum · WarbirdsNews | The F8F Bearcat operated by the Commemorstive Air Force SoCal Wing will make a rare flight exhibition at the Palm Springs Air Museum this Saturday, March 29, 2014. The Flight Exhibition will take place following the Commemorative Program, FLYING WITH THE BLUE ANGELS, by Larry Packer. The Blue Angels, the United States Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, was formed in 1946, making it...

World's Only Flying B-29 Superfortress Landing In Valdosta Monday - WCTV | March 27, 2014 – Residents of Valdosta will witness a rare sight this Monday when the Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) iconic Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber FIFI -- the only remaining flying example of the aircraft in the world --- lands at Valdosta Regional Airport accompanied by the famous C-45 Expeditor Bucket of Bolts and a PT-17 Stearman. The aircraft, all part of the CAF AirPower History Tour, will be on display and offering rides throughout the stop. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the B-29. The ramp will be open to the public Monday through Wednesday, March 31 through April 2....

Michael Imhoff new executive director of Air Force Museum Foundation * National Museum of the USAF Top Stories | 3/27/2014 - DAYTON, Ohio -- The Air Force Museum Foundation formally announced today the appointment of Mr. Michael P. Imhoff as Executive Director, effective March 10, 2014. The Air Force Museum Foundation is a philanthropic, non-profit organization that raises money for buildings, programs and other initiatives of the National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF). Imhoff was previously the Vice President, Supply Chain, Real Estate and Facilities at NiSource, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio....

German Aces Speak II * Travel for Aircraft | Heaton and Lewis’s sequel to The German Aces Speak is as good as the original since it compliments and reinforces but does not repeat or rehash the Luftwaffe’s perspective of World War II by four additional aces — as well as the Luftwaffe’s rebirth due to the onset of the Cold War. The four aces treated in...

NASA s Super Guppy makes a special delivery - eTurboNews | NASA’s Super Guppy, a wide-bodied http://www.eturbonews.com/44101/nasa-s-super-guppy-makes-special-deliverycargo aircraft, landed at the Redstone Army Airfield near
Huntsville, Ala. on March 26 with a special delivery: an innovative composite rocket fuel tank. The tank was manufactured at the Boeing Developmental Center in Tukwila, Wash...

Wagstaff teams for teaching - AOPA Pilot | “Starting an aerobatic school gives me and my instructors a chance to pass on our experience in aerobatics and upset training, and to help create more skillful and safer pilots,” Wagstaff said in the March 26 announcement. “We have already attracted students from Australia, Europe, and Canada, and we are hoping to become one of the premier aerobatic training centers in the world.”

Indy Transponder 29-MAR-2014 0200z

This weekend's shows * Fencecheck

Pep Rally Kicks Off 2014 Wings Over South Texas Air Show - KIII TV3 | ....Thousands of school children from across the Coastal Bend were on hand for the event, which included words from various staff and servicemen from NAS-Kingsville, a remote control airplane demonstration, cockpit footage from the Blue Angels and more....

4th Annual Florida International Air Show returns - Wink News | PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - This weekend the thrill seekers and young at heart will see the ride of the lifetime as some of the most iconic pre World War II aircrafts comes to our area. One military branch will be performing in tactical fighter jets. The 34th Annual Florida International Air Show runs March 28-30th at the Punta Gorda Airport. This is their first time back in Florida since 2008....

Air show celebrates aviation's past and present By Shelby Webb | PUNTA GORDA - Retired Lt. Col. Richard Cole looked wistfully over the rows of metal giants silently filling the runway. During World War II, Cole spent more than 500 hours inside a massive B-25 bomber...

Durant hosts Take to the Skies Air Fest - KXII-TV | DURANT, OK -- The city of Durant is hosting their second air show this weekend and this year they are adding some new attractions. The show will be held at the Durant Regional Airport all day Saturday...

Historic planes on display at Cecil Airport this weekend - First Coast News Historic World War II aircraft, including the B-29 Superfortress bomber FIFI, will be on display this weekend at Cecil Airport....

Yankee Air Museum offers no cost, hi-gloss family event - Hometownlife.com | The Yankee Air Museum is inviting everyone to its 19th annual Bomber Buffing Saturday, April 5.The four-engine B-17 heavy bomber "Yankee Lady" and twin engine B-25 medium bomber "Yankee Warrior," located on the west side of Willow Run Airport, in Hangar 1, Bay 8, need their aluminum skin polished to a high gloss. Winter inspections and maintenance are complete, and the planes have been washed. The polishing is the last step in preparing for the 2014 flying and air show season....

YPSILANTI TWP: Yankee Air Museum to make 2nd world record attempt with 1 ... - Heritage Newspapers | YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP — With just over a month left in the Save the Bomber Plant campaign, the Yankee Air Museum announced Friday that they only have $1.5 million left to reach the $8 million fundraising goal. The deadline for the year-long campaign to save the historic Willow Run Bomber Plant is May 1....

Superstars of Aerobatic Performers! * aviationpros.com | WEST COVINA, CA -- Meet your favorite aerobatic performer up close and personal! Concorde Battery is pleased to announce that several popular airshow performers will be in our booth at Sun ‘n Fun signing posters of their amazing performances captured on camera....

[Video] Take a back seat ride with the Red Arrows and their 50th anniversary tail fin - The http://theaviationist.com/2014/03/28/red-arrows-backseat-ride/Aviationist | UK’s Red Arrows celebrate their 50th aerobatic season this year....

All eyes skyward as air show looms - shropshirestar.com | Every year, tens of thousands of people from all over the UK flock to the show – the region’s biggest aviation event and one of only two official RAF air shows anywhere in the country....

Yak-130 jets of new aerobatic group to fly over Red Square at Victory Day parade - ITAR-TASS | MOSCOW, March 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Four Yak-130 training planes of a new aerobatic group of the Russian Air Force would participate in the air parade over Red Square in Moscow on May 9, Air Force spokesperson Igor Klimov told ITAR-TASS....

Aviator, POW, Resister, Senator, Hero - The Weekly Standard (blog) | Admiral Jeremiah Denton is dead at 89. Americans of a certain age will remember him, if not by name, then as the returning Vietnam POW who stepped off the plane at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines and concluded some remarks with the words, “God bless America.”...

70 years in the making: WWII soldier to be honored - Clinton Herald | ...Apparently, he was a handsome and accomplished young man who joined the military service during the war and became a P-38 “Lightning” fighter pilot. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on Feb. 19, 1942, transferring to the U.S. Army Air Corps in June 1942....

Planes' fighting chance * Otago Daily Times | One of the pilots, Keith Skilling, of Katikati, flying a German Fokker DVII, said he grew up on the Taieri where his father, Hugh, was chief flying instructor for the Otago Aero Club. Mr Skilling, who attended The Taieri High School, left Dunedin in...

[Photo] Two Lightnings fly together: F-35A and P-38 over Luke Air Force Base · The Aviationist

Dedication of World War II hangar set at BGE · General Aviation News Staff | The Decatur County Board of Commissioners will conduct a dedication ceremony Saturday, April 5, for Phase I of the World War II Hangar renovation project at Decatur County Airport (BGE) in Georgia....

CAF Houston Wing Fly-In and Open House Set for April 12-13 · WarbirdsNews | The Houston Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) announced the annual Fly In and Open House will take place April 12 -13, 2014 at the West Houston Airport. The Fly-In and Open House is a great event for all ages, as visitors will have a chance to get up close and view authentic World War II aircraft. . In addition to seeing the amazing aircraft, the hangar museum will be open for tours and there will be fly-overs throughout the day. Enjoy drinks, food, souvenirs, or purchase a ride in one of the Warbirds....

Happy Birthday To The Consolidated PBY Catalina · WarbirdsNews | The Consolidated PBY http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/fun-facts/this-day-in-history/happy-birthday-consolidated-pby-catalina.htmlCatalina flew for the first time seventy-nine years ago today. The PBY was named “Catalina” for the resort island off the coast of California by the British, which satisfied the Royal Air Force requirement that aircraft names be representative of the manufacturer. A World War II...

Sky high: Young aviators take flight with Civil Air Patrol * Marines.mil | The Experimental Aircraft Association offered Marine Corps Logistics Base Marines' and civilian-Marines' children an opportunity to co-pilot a flight to areas in Albany, Ga., through the Young Eagles Program. Capt. Gene Fandel, Civil Air Patrol...

Children who yearn to fly welcome at Young Eagles event * Dailysunnews | PROSSER – It's time again for children who want to fly to get their parents to sign them up for a Young Eagles free flight. The Prosser chapter of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) will be hosting a Young Eagle event on Saturday, May 17, from...

Wings of Dreams: CANCELLED - Due to weather - Fly-In / Cruise-In Breakfast - March 29



WOD Banner 
We are cancelling the
March 29 Fly-In/Cruise-In Breakfast
due to impending bad weather and a medical issue involving our scheduled speaker Barry Smith.
  
We wish Barry a quick recovery and look forward to seeing her and other WASP at our future events.
  
Our next Fly-In / Cruise-In Breakfast will be scheduled on
Saturday, May 3, 2014  from 8:00 am to 10:00 am.

  

We look forward to seeing you next time!
  
The May "Fly Into History" program -  The Doolittle Raid
Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum | 7100 Airport Road | Starke | FL | 32091

Friday, March 28, 2014

The Air & Space TV Channel

Colleagues, please enjoy this update on the ongoing mission to spread the passion of flight and space through an adventure, sport and lifestyle TV programming service.  Best regards, Phillip Hurst


An emerging cable TV and Internet channel about the people and stories of flight and space - past, present and future.

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(In this issue...)

High Altitude Charts:


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To Fly: Launching the Air & Space TV channel

As we enter the new season, A&S Media Group continues our mission to launch the first TV channel about flight and space.  Launching SyFy, Golf, Reelz, Nuvo, G4 and other networks, we know this can be another successful channel telling entertaining and inspiring stories to tens of millions of TV homes and Internet viewers.

The next step?  Just as Sundance Channel was launched with Robert Redford and Showtime Networks, Golf Channel with Arnold Palmer and PGA Tour, and the new AXSchannel is a collaboration of Mark Cuban and Ryan Seacrest, we believe that the right financial and strategic partners from our own industry will ultimately become the champions and co-founders of an aviation and space channel.

So, as we refine programming and marketing plans, A&S Media Group also keeps up our efforts advocating the merits of Air & Space TV.  We're educating industry insiders as to how compelling the channel will be.  We've reached out to many aviation and space industry proponents, including major organizations like AOPA, EAA and NASA, communicating how important it can be to their missions.

Support continues to mount and we are confident that, over time, this opportunity will find its way to partners who share the vision and understand the powerful benefits of Air & Space TV...for its partners, viewers, our industry and for the future.  One thing is for certain: we are committed to the pursuit of our primary objective to create a successful, far-reaching media brand with a lasting positive impact and strong legacy.

The Channel Surf Report

This is a very active time in the cable network industry, as channel owners seek to capitalize on their distribution footprints.  As a result we’ve seen several transactions where owners have sold or divested their interest in underperforming channels, usually relaunching them with a new programming theme or target audience.  Most notable is the recent sale of Al-Gore-founded Current TV to Al Jazeera for $500M, which is now seen in over 70 million TV homes as Al-Jazeera America.  (Gore reportedly netted over $100M personally from the deal.)

In other case network owners rebrand their channel's content by bringing in a strategic partner for joint venture.  Examples of this include OWN, the joint venture between Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications which took over the Discovery Health channel slot.  Following the success of Food Channel, Scripps Interactive launched the similarly-themedCooking Network in the place of its strugglingFine Living.

As for new channels are not rebrands, some notable celebrities have taken advantage of the Comcast buyout of NBCUniversal.  Part of the conditions for that massive transaction required a “fair licensing fee” launch of a few minority owned-and-operated channels.  Thus you have Ervin “Magic” Johnson launching Aspire,Constantino  “Said” Schwartz starting up Baby First Americas, and Sean “P Diddy” Combs backing the new music-themed Revolt.  Combs, wanting to expand Revolt's reach, has offered $200 million to buy another music channel,Fuse, which reaches 74 million TV homes.  Interestingly, Comb's former sweetheart Jennifer Lopez is also making a bid for Fuse, to add to a channel she supports known asNuvoTV.  NuvoTV itself was rebranded from SiTV,one of the channels A&S Media principals helped launch.

STEMming the Decline

Young Eagles. Let's Go Flying. JumpStart. FAASTeamYouth. Careers in Aviation. Educate to Innovate. Live Your Dream. Outreach Aviation. Cleared to Dream.  It seems there are as many programs to encourage more pilots and STEM students as there are organizations.  Probably the most successful program documented to date - Be a Pilot - ended years ago.  That campaign bought 17 weekly commercials on various TV channels encouraging viewers to request a certificate for a $49 introductory flight.  Over a few years, some 260,000 certificates were requested, 20% of which led to flight training.  Even at the problematic, typical student dropout rate of 80%, that accumulates to over 10,000 new pilots -  which is perhaps on par with the entire 20 years of the Young Eagles program.

When it comes to mobilizing a mass audience, nothing can touch television - just look at the astounding success of the infomercial business.  Now think of what a channel - whose viewers already have an affinity for its programming theme - could accomplish if it ran not 17, but 50 weekly "learn to fly" or STEM encouragement messages a week!

The TV industry also has several examples of national grass-roots activation campaigns that have been quite successful.  Initiatives like Cartoon Network’s "Move it Movement Tour" and Golf Channel’s "Drive, Chip and Putt Tour" harness a combination of a large TV network marketing budget,  affiliate service provider's local market support and the unmatched ability of a channel and its digital extensions to promote and televise events to create powerful, momentum-building outreach programs.

We look forward to bringing to bear the reach and resources of a major TV and Internet network for the purpose of growing aviation participation and STEM education.

Despite all the Internet video, the bulk of consumer viewing time is overwhelmingly spent watching live TV.




Rumors of TV's death have been exaggerated.

  • Cable network industry CF will grow at 9.4% CAGR to about $50B by 2021 – twice the $22B, 2012 estimate.  Average CF margin will grow from 40.9% in 2012 to 45.1% by 2021.
  • Total basic network net revenue will grow at a CAGR of 8.2%, reaching $109.69 billion by 2021. (SNL Kagan)


Copyright © 2014 A&S MEDIA GROUP LLC, All rights reserved.

Wings of Dreams: Next Fly-In / Cruise-In Breakfast - March 29

WOD Banner 
Fly-In/Cruise-In Breakfast
  
Saturday, March 29, 2014
8:00 am - 10:00 am
(Rain or Shine)
  
Keystone Heights Airport, Florida (42J)
Former Keystone Army Airfield - WWII Air Base


  
  
 
  
WOMEN AIRFORCE SERVICE PILOTS (WASP) OF WORLD WAR II
 
Presentation by WASP Barry Smith 44-W-6

The year was 1942. The world was at war. America's greatest generation was in a life and death struggle for freedom and democracy. Our boys were being shipped overseas by the thousands to defend our way of life.

As the United States raced to build its air power and airplane production went into high gear, all available male pilots headed overseas for combat duty. As a result, America's armed forces had a critical shortage of pilots to move military aircraft from factory to airfields and perform other essential aviation operations in the states.

To fill this void women, many just out of their teens, answered the call and stepped forward to volunteer for the war effort - to fly for their country. The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) became America's first female military pilots, flying every type of aircraft and warbird used in the war effort.

WASP Barry Smith, born in Chittenango, NY, learned about the WASP program from her brother, an Army Air Corps pilot. She used her money from working as a secretary to take flight training, then applied and was accepted into the WASP program. After graduation, she was assigned to Blackland Army Air Force Base in Waco, Texas, where she served as a multi-engine engineering test pilot for the twin-engine AT-10 and UC-78.

 

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Next Star Party TBA


   Stargazing from 7 - 9 pm - Free admission,
   donations always appreciated (weather
    permitting - call 352-256-8037 for recorded  
   message re: weather status report)


Upcoming Fly-In Schedule 

- May 3 - The Doolittle Raid Commemoration
  Presentation by Keystone Height Jr/Sr High 
  School history students; Flying the B-25 - by Bob
  Oehl, B-25 instructor pilot

- June 7 - D-Day/Normandy Campaign
  Commemoration

*This Fly-In date was changed from April 5 to  March 29, due to Sun 'n Fun  (April l-6) and scheduling conflicts. Wings of Dreams is organizing the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) visit to Sun 'n Fun for the sixth consecutive year.

Thank you to our
March 29 Fly-In Sponsors!
  
Johnny's Bar-B-Q & Catering
  
Dr. Rich Rogers
Dr. Ming Chow
  
Express Air Flight School
  
- Photos by Trace Choulat
  
- Website Support by  
   Unicorn Web Development
    
Facility provided by Keystone Heights Airport
  
 
BREAKFAST BUFFET
  
Menu
 
Scrambled eggs, grits, bacon, ham, biscuits, fruit, juice, coffee

$7 per person
$4 per child (9 & under)

Free breakfast for WWII and Korean War veterans

First come, first served
.
All proceeds to benefit Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum
FOR MORE INFORMATION

flyin@wingsofdreams.org

www.wingsofdreams.org

Call:  352-256-8037

 Download Fly-In Flyer
    
Download New Wings of Dreams Overview  
 
    PILOT INFORMATION
 
  Elevation: 196 ft.
  Pattern Altitude 1196
  Frequencies:
  CTAF/UNICOM - 122.7

  WX AWOS-3 - 124.275
  JAX APPROACH - 121.3

  Airport Office: 352-473-0031



  
WASP Panel at the 2013 Sun ' n Fun

Barry Smith (center) shares her experiences during WASP training at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, and flying as a multi-engine engineering test pilot during World War II. (L-R WASP Kay Hilbrandt and Nell Bright also shown in photo.) Seven WASP and one WASP trainee gathered together at the 2013 Sun 'n Fun to celebrate the WASP 70th Anniversary.
  
Photo by Trace Choulat
  
Click link below to view other images.

 




Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum | 7100 Airport Road | Starke | FL | 32091