Sequestration: All the bad news in one place

U.S. Navy Blue Angels - FB Page | Blue Angel fans, Thank you for your continued support and patience. Unfortunately, we have not heard any official word regarding the status of our 2013 air show season. We are standing by. As I write this, the pilots are finishing up their third practice of the day. They, along with the entire maintenance and support team, continue to put 110% effort into every flight and look forward to demonstrating the pride and professionalism of the Navy and Marine Corps. Thank you again for your support! Your Blue Angels Public Affairs

U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds - Official website | ...The implementation of across-the-board cuts in federal spending has caused the curtailment of the Thunderbirds 2013 show schedule. Effective April 1, all of the team’s performances have been cancelled. The team still plans to perform at the Titusville, Fla., air show March 23-24.

U.S. Navy Tac Demo - FB page | Dear USN TACDEMO fans, Due to the impacts of sequestration and the status of the US Government's continuing resolution for 2013, the USN TACDEMO coordinator at Commander, Naval Air Forces has authorized me to pass the following unfortunate news: "The USN TACDEMO teams will execute the air shows at El Centro, CA, Columbus, GA, and Key West, FL in March of 2013 and then SHOULD WE STAY SEQUESTERED we will be forced to cancel all remaining shows on a MONTH BY MONTH basis. Airshows scheduled after March of 2013 should not expect a USN TACDEMO team until notified otherwise as the US Navy is uncertain how long it will take, once a...

Air Force cuts aviation support at public events - af.mil | 3/1/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- As the Air Force braces for potential sequester, leadership has cancelled all aviation support to public events for at least the remainder of the fiscal year and is standing down the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team to save flying hours to support readiness needs.
Effective today, active-duty, Reserve and Guard units will cease all aviation support to the public. This includes the cancellation of support to all air shows, tradeshows, flyovers (including funerals and military graduations), orientation flights, heritage flights, F-22 demonstration flights and open houses, unless the event includes only local static assets.
Additionally, the Air Force will cancel the Thunderbirds' entire 2013 season beginning April 1.
The Thunderbirds and Heritage Flight crews will...

Our latest issue of The Magazine

February-March issue of the Magazine is now available for download from www.AirShowsReview.com

Featuring excellent photographic coverage of the NAS JAX, air show, Joint Warrior-2 NATO exercise from Scotland,  NAS Pensacola air show, Aviation Nation 2011 Nellis AFB with a special section remembering the 65^th Blue Angels Anniversary and tribute to the ACC Single Ship Demo Teams who will be missed in 2012!

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In wake of Reno crash, feds to probe air show, race safety - USA Today | RENO, Nev. – A federal hearing will examine the safety of air races and air shows after a horrific crash killed 11 people and injured more than 70 at an event in Reno.  The hearing announced Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board is not solely related to the Sept. 16 disaster at the National Air Race Championships, but the 47-year-old competition will be included in the review, agency spokesman Terry Williams told The Associated Press....

NTSB To Investigate Air Show Safety - AVweb | The NTSB will hold a hearing next month to gather information about the safety of air races and air shows, the board said on Friday. During a one-day meeting on January 10, the board will hear from regulators, aviation organizations, industry groups, and airport authorities to learn about safety practices, procedures, and protocols. The board also will gather information about the safety regulations and oversight in the planning and execution of these events. In September, a pilot and 10 spectators were killed in an accident at the Reno Air Races, and several performers died in U.S. air show accidents over the last season....

Penny Wise/Pound Foolish??? USAF Reduces Air Show Support In 2012 - Aero-News Network | A major draw for air shows large and small is the ability for the public to see military aircraft much closer than they would probably be able to otherwise. But looming defense budget cuts may spell at least a temporary end to the displays by Air Force planes at many shows, often seen as an effective recruiting tool....

Innovators Recognized at Air & Space Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Scoop San Diego | (Mission Times Courier, San Diego, CA) - He’s a six-time World Series champion, a Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster and an integral figure in the San Diego community. Coleman’s biggest accomplishments, however, lie outside of the baseball diamond, he says. “I’ve done a lot of great things in baseball. There’s no question about that,” said Coleman, who’s served as a radio broadcaster for the Padres for nearly four decades. “But nothing surpassed that day (April 1, 1944) when I became a naval aviator and the second lieutenant in the [U.S.] Marine Corps,” he said, while boasting a smile.  Coleman isn’t the only person to have taken pride in his military feats.On Nov. 5, the San Diego Air & Space Museum recognized him, and several others, during its 48th Hall of Fame Induction Celebration, Legends of Flight, an...

Betty Haas Pfister, a Woman With Wings, Dies at 90 - New York Times | Ms. Haas Pfister, a two-time winner of the All Women's International Air Race, died on Nov. 17 at her home in Aspen, Colo., her daughter Suzanne said. She was 90. After that first flight, Suzanne Pfister said, “Mom made a deal with her father that she ...

WASP First Day Cover  - You Fly Girl | A First Day of Issue Cover or First Day Cover is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope franked on the first day the issue is authorized for use within the country or territory of the stamp-issuing authority. Sometimes the issue is made from a temporary or permanent foreign or overseas office. There will usually be a first day of issue postmark,...

First Responder F-15 Gets New Home - PacificFlyer | More than 1,000 people attended the unveiling last month of the 9-11 First Responder F-15A at the Pacific Coast Air Museum (PCAM), the fighter aircraft that patrolled the skies over New York City after the attacks began.  This F-15, 77-0102 ("102") is now on permanent display in a one-of-a-kind exhibit at the museum, located at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, Calif. During a somber ceremony ...

Flabob Salutes Vets - PacificFlyer | In a series of touching ceremonies reminiscent of life in this country 60 years ago, Flabob Airport in Riverside, Calif. honored America's veterans on Nov. 12.  Despite some early showers, thousands of people from the surrounding communities turned out to dine in a military mess tent complete with SOS (officially it's known as "creamed chip beef on toast," but if you don't know what SOS stands for, ask a vet....

9 ° THE WING AIR FORCE ONE REALITY 'IN EVOLUTION - Air Units | The 9th Wing was born February 26, 1934 at Ciampino bomber and which department has the baptism of fire fighting in Somalia in 1936. The Flag of War received the Silver Medal for Valor for the participation of the Department operations in North Africa during World War II.  The 9th is in the "framework" until September 1967, when reconstituted as a Fighter Wing Interceptors about "Carlo Romagnoli" Grazzanise (Caserta) on 1 January 1969 is called the ace Francesco Baracca, a World War II assuming, along with the 10 th Fighter Group, the "Prancing Horse" black as a symbol....

Alberta Aviation Museum fights the clock to buy fastest plane in Canada - Edmonton Journal | EDMONTON - The Alberta Aviation Museum has only 10 days left to raise $47,000 for a fighter jet that’s a major part of the province’s aerospace history.  For seven years, the museum has been looking for a Starfighter F-104, the fastest plane ever operated in Canada and a key part of Edmonton’s aviation repair industry. They just found one, at a cost of $70,000, and have collected $23,000 in donations so far....

Working on Fire - Air Strike | Working on Fire recruits and trains young men and women from marginalised communities as skilled wildland fire fighters to reduce the personal and economic harm caused by unwanted wildfire. There are currently more than 4000 people deployed at over 100 WoF bases across South Africa....

APR issue V3N2 now available - The Unwanted Blog | At long last, Aerospace Projects Review issue V3N2 is now available....

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USAF REDUCES AIR SHOW SUPPORT IN 2012 - ASB | ACC statement about reduction of single-ship demo teams in 2012 | We face significant fiscal constraints and are making tough decisions about the best ways to continue providing combat airpower to warfighting commanders, which is what we do as the Air Force’s primary force provider. One decision we’ve made is to sponsor one single-ship demonstration team for the 2012 air show season, scaling back from the six teams we’ve historically sponsored – A-10 East & West, F-16 East & West, F-15E and F-22....

Hawaii marks 70th anniversary of WWII attack on Pearl Harbor with survivor ... - Hawaii Magazine.com | This month, the historic sites of the National Park Service's World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, in tandem with military personnel at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, will mark Pearl Harbor Day with 70th anniversary ceremonies and ...

Blue Angels will be part of the air and sea shows for June Star Spangled ... - ABC2 News | "This will be the first time that we're in the Baltimore area, especially with such a unique setting as right on the water front at Fort McHenry we can't ask for a better venue," said Blue Angels flight team member Lieutenant Commander Todd Royles....

Baltimore Co. brings in Blue Angels to announce 1812 event - Baltimore Sun | Navy Lt. Mark Tedrow has no problem reconciling an air show with a commemoration of the War of 1812, an era that precedes flight by almost a century.  The Blue Angels pilot said he looks forward to flying over the Inner Harbor, Middle River and Fort McHenry — birthplace of the national anthem — during a bicentennial celebration in June....

A poignant flypast: Moment the Red Arrows said goodbye to one of their own - Daily Mail | This is the moving moment Britain's RAF said goodbye to one of their own following the funeral today of the Red Arrows pilot who died after being ejected from his aircraft. Shortly after the service for Flight Lieutenant Sean...

First ever Red Bull Air show to kick off on Dec 3 - Sunday Times.lk [video] | The first ever Red Bull Air Show in Sri Lanka will be a treat for adventure loving crowds, as champion pilot Peter Besenyei creates magic in the sky at the Unawatuna Beach strip on December 3. With many years of acrobatic flying experience with 4 FAI ...

Robins officials already hard at work on April open house and air show - WRWR The Patriot | It’s cold outside … bundling weather some would say.  But Robins Air Force Base officials are already hard at work planning next April’s open house and air show.  The featured attraction for the April 28-29 extravaganza will be the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron flying the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet. A Blue Angels advance team visited Robins last month to conduct a site survey and Lt. Col. Dwayne Gray said the visitors were very pleased with what they saw.

Podcast: Col. C.E. “Bud” Anderson – The Warbird Rescue Hour | WARBIRD RADIO – This week on the Warbird Rescue Hour the guys welcome WWII Triple Ace Colonel C.E. “Bud” Anderson (USAF Ret.).  Col. Anderson flew P-51′s with the famed 357th Fighter Group in the skies over Europe.  As his military career advanced, Col. Anderson was assigned to Edwards Air Force Base where he served as Chief of Flight Test Operations and Deputy Director of Flight Test....

WWII, Air War in the Pacific - Planes of Fame | The theme is ‘WWII – Air War in the Pacific’, featuring our Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero Fighter... The only completely original A6M5 left in the world that still flies!  Open to the public, we present a discussion panel of aviation historians and veterans followed by a question & answer period and flight demonstration, featuring the Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero. At 12:00 noon, the Membership Sponsored raffle flight will be in the PT-17 Boeing Stearman....Saturday, December 3, 2011 10am–12 noon...

The Vintage Aviator Airshow - Part 3 - YouTube | Flying display of replica and origional WW1 aircraft from The Vintage Aviator collection at Masterton New Zealand.

RAAF honours F-111 personnel from Australian Aviation Magazine | Personnel who flew, maintained and supported Australia’s long serving F-111 fighters have been honoured at a ceremony marking the one year anniversary of the ...

45000 residents evacuated after WWII bomb found in German city - DigitalJournal.com | Stars and Stripes reported the World War II era bomb is believed to have been dropped by the British Royal Air Force. The region where Koblenz is located has been experiencing a dry spell, and as the water levels dropped in the Rhine, locals discovered ...

Jerry Coleman - ScoopSanDiego.com | Jerry Coleman, a six-time World Series champion and Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster, was recognized Nov. 5 by the San Diego Air & Space Museum for his career as a naval aviator. He engaged in 120 missions, earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 13 Air Medals and three Navy citations and was one of the few baseball players to have served in both World War II and the Korean War.

Supermarine’s Spitfire from General Aviation News by Meg Godlewski | The Spitfire is perhaps the most recognizable English airplane from World War II. The elliptical wings, tapered nose and tailwheel profile combine to make it one of the sleekest and sexiest designs in the sky. For most pilots, owning an airworthy Spitfire is financially out of reach. That is, unless you opt for building a replica Spitfire — and a great many aviators are doing just that, says Mike O'Sullivan, CEO and founder of Supermarine Aircraft, which sells the kits to build the 90% scale replica Spitfire....

North American’s B-45 Tornado — unknown and remarkable from Travel for Aircraft | North American’s B-45 Tornado — unknown and remarkable Though little known today, the North American B-45 Tornado was an aircraft of historical firsts: First four jet engine bomber in the USAF inventory First jet aircraft capable of nuclear weapon delivery First muli-jet aircraft to aerial refuel The “A” model was perhaps too adventuresome to fly with [...]

Families: The weekend is jam-packed with holiday festivities - Lincoln Journal Star | Holiday Air Affair, Strategic Air & Space Museum, Ashland, gets started at 9:30 am Saturday. The 501st Legion Storm Troopers will escort Santa Claus into the museum at 10 am Photos with Santa will be available 10:30 am to 2 pm inside the FB-111. ...

Charlie Hewitt and Fly Right Films - Flight to Success |...Charlie Hewitt, Fly Right Films Producer, is not only a film producer, but he’s a pilot, entrepreneur, father, and talented musician. He’s now flying around Alaska creating movies to improve aviation safety. His story is amazing, and Charlie an inspiration... proving that creativity and flying can meld into the perfect combination of learning....

No Need for a GPS, a Calendar Will Do! from Flight Monkeys by Chief Monkey | What to do, what to do? Imagine that you’ve got a pristine 1946 Piper Cub hangared near your summer home in Indiana. And then imagine that you’ve decided you’d like to move that classic beauty to central Florida, nearly 1,000 miles away – with winter coming on.  Well, if you’re Jim Torphy, a noble man of nearly 90 years of age, you call in a ferry pilot. And when you’ve got old friends like Steve and Jo Alcorn in your Rolodex, it isn’t hard to settle on who you’re going to toss the keys to....

Calshot 1927 - X planes | “Calshot 1927, Gloster Napier IVB, N222 seen on the slipway at Calshot prior to the 1927 Schneider Trophy Race” (via)

The adventure of your lifetime awaits YOUR permission to begin! - Fly with Amelia | ...On some days, my adventures will include flying the Cirrus to beautiful, exotic destinations, but other days my adventures may simply include...

WWII Radio Broadcast - Tampabay.com | ... 1940s-era syndicated radio show Lum & Abner sets the stage, preceding the live broadcast of MacDill Field Radio News, performed exactly as it aired on WDAE in 1941. A short panel discussion will feature residents who grew up in Tampa during WWII.

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Photos: 2011 ACC Aerial Demo Teams certify from Air Combat Command | Every year the Air Combat Command Aerial Demontration Teams must receive certification given by the ACC commander prior beginning any performance or starting air show tours. The Viper West, A-10 East and F-22 Raptor demo teams were just a few that converged at Langley Air Force Base, Va., Feb. 1-3, to practice and showcase their aircrafts' capabilities. ... slideshow.

Waiting to conquer the skies - Deccan Herald | Participation in this year's air show has shot up and the best of the aviation entrepreneurs from across the world are descending in the City for the air ...

Index - sfapt.org | Great new photo on Special Foarces Asso. Parachute Team website. "Bo Kinnison bring in US Flag kicking-off football game at Freedom High School, Morganton NC, 2008. Photo by Jeremie Chapin." http://sfapt.org/

Video: Ryan Mathews rides in F/18 Super Hornet - Sign On San Diego
San Diego Charger Ryan Mathews got a taste of what its like to be a Naval Aviator last week. Check out the video linked above. If you'd like to see for yourself, come on out to the CONA Open House and Parade of Flight, this SATURDAY.

Centennial of Naval Aviation - Heritage Paint Schemes from FenceCheck Forums

Am I High Aviation flight school of Wisconsin celebrates Women of Aviation Worldwide Week - womenofaviationweek.org | To celebrate Women of Aviation Worldwide Week, Am I High Aviation is planning a day of free movies and flying. On March 13, tasting flight will cost just $20 at Stevens Point Municipal Airport. What a deal!

Mike on Boston’s ‘Chronicle’ TV Show from Mike Goulian Airshows | Tune in to watch Mike Goulian on Chronicle, a Boston based nightly television show with anchor, Anthony Everett. Mike helps Anthony make his dream come true – starting his quest to learn to fly. Anthony spent the day with us at our hangar in North Andover, MA to experience the passion of flying at Mike’s flight school, Executive Flyers Aviation. ...

DH Mosquito RR299 from Vintage Aeroplane Writer | From the 'gone but not forgotten' file, I decided to dig out a selection of shots of the world's last flying Mosquito, RR299, G-ASKH as it was operated by British Aerospace. ...

Aerial Beauties - The Most Beautiful Vintage Airplanes from Another Time by Dan Linn | A note from my friend Jeff today had my mind racing this afternoon.  What are my top ten favorite airplanes?  We talked of what our guidelines were... existing airplanes... extinct types... and just what we thought were the most beautiful airplanes ever built.  Beauty, as in ...

EAA Webinar Tells the Story of Canadian Pilot Training as the "Aerodrome of Democracy"
from The Aero Experience | Today's EAA Webinar featured Rob Fleck, Vintage Wings of Canada President, telling the story of Canadian pilot training during  ...

Applications for $60,000 Electric Flight Prize at EAA AirVenture 2011 Now Being Accepted from Aviation Blogs | Applications for the $60,000 Electric Flight Prize at EAA AirVenture 2011, showcasing the accomplishments and viability of flight powered exclusively by electricity, are now being accepted. An Initial Application Form, along with the official rules, is available to download atwww.airventure.org/electric.  Three flight competitions held during EAA AirVenture 2011, scheduled for July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, along with an ...

Aviation Charity Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize from Planenews Aviation News Portal | Wings of Hope a St. Louis-based aviation charity that implements poverty reduction strategies to help those in need attain self-sufficiency, has been nominated for a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, the organization announced Feb. 2. ...

Actor Wins Wright Memorial Trophy from Pacific Flyer | Approximately 900 members of the aviation community were at the Aero Club of Washington Wright Memorial Dinner recently to see aviator/actor Harrison Ford accept the 2010 Wright Memorial Trophy.  The trophy honors Orville and Wilbur Wright and commemorates the anniversary of man's first powered,  ...

One famous aviator has died and one has quit flying from Pacific Flyer | Charles H. Kaman, 91, credited with introducing the first turbine-powered helicopter in 1951,  ...  Arnold Palmer, 81, a pilot since 1956 is not just a famous golfer ...

Ground Broken For New Museum of Flying from Pacific Flyer | A ceremonial ground breaking was held January 21 for the future Museum of Flying location at 3100 Airport Avenue.  In April 1989, the Museum was opened on the north side of the Santa Monica Airport. Originally founded in 1974 by Donald Douglas Jr. as the Douglas Museum and Library located on the South side of the Santa Monica Airport, the Museum ...

The Need for Speed - Air & Space Magazine | How six X-planes took aviation to 7,000 mph.

WWII pilot recounts crash-landing of recovered bomber - WIS | The B-25-C bomber crashed in Lake Greenwood back in 1944 during a training mission. Now a pilot who survived the crash is telling his story as he relives ...

World War II: Douglas TBD Devastator from About.com Military History | Often dubbed a failure due to its brief World War II service, the Douglas TBD Devastator was a revolutionary aircraft at the time of its introduction. Created in response to a 1934 request for a new torpedo/level bomber by the US Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAir), the TBD Devastator featured a monoplane  ...
Photo via Warbird Resource Group

Movie Monday - February 8 - The Indispensable KC-135 from FlightBlogger - Aviation News, Commentary and Analysis | SEATTLE -- The timing of this particular Movie Monday is very intentional. This coming Friday Boeing and Airbus will submit their bid to the Department of Defense to replace 179 KC-135 (Boeing 707) tanker aircraft.  ...

Today in Aviation History – February 8 from Calgary Recreational and Ultralight Flying Club 

Aviation photographer aims to 'capture the feeling of each flight' - San Diego Union Tribune | Aviation photographer Erik Hildebrandt was upside down in one of the Blue Angels planes when he took this shot during a ...

Birthday News and Flying Again - autogyro circumnavigation of the globe | Today is Norman’s Birthday and he wants to thank everybody for the overwhelming amount of Birthday wishes he has received.  To say thank you he has written a detailed account of his recent trip back to the Philippines to carry out essential work on ‘Roxy’. He has also added a sub-note detailing the plans for his return from Woodlands to the UK. As you will ...

Boy, 7, tries to buy fighter jet on eBay for £69K - News.com.au | AN overenthusiastic seven-year-old London boy almost bought today his very own real-life Harrier fighter jet on eBay for £69,999 ($113,515).  The British-built Harrier jump jet was for sale on the site - but for a fixed price instead of an auction.  A youngster hit the "buy it now" button to purchase the restored fighter jet, causing his father to quickly apologize to the sellers and tell them his son was not able to buy the aircraft out of his pocket money.  ...

3rd Annual NFCC Amateur Rocketry Conference, Feb 18-20 from Rocketry Planet | MADISON, Florida USA — The North Florida Community College (NFCC) in Madison and the NFCC Sentinel Rocketeers cordially invite amateur research rocketry enthusiasts in northern Florida and the southern Georgia and Alabama areas to join them for their 3rd Annual Amateur Research Rocketry Conference later this month. The NFCC Sentinel Rocketeers are National Association of Rocketry Section #675 and ...

Construction Begins on 1,000-MPH Rocket Car from Autopia by Chuck Squatriglia

Space Shuttle May Fly Without NASA [Space] from Gizmodo by Sam Biddle | Already missing the soon to be shelved Space Shuttle? You might not have to, with private contractor United Space Alliance considering a $1.5 billion a year proposal to take the fleet private. ...

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Angels pilot dreamed of flying - St. Joseph News-Press | The Navy Blue Angels attracted a lot of attention as they tore up the airspace over St. Joseph Friday afternoon at the Sound of Speed ...

Aviation Heritage Park Getting "Blue Angels" Jet – WBKO | It's a vintage F-9F Panther, just like the one Kentucky aviator Johnny Magda flew when he commanded the Blue Angels in 1950. Magda was also a World War II ...

24th Annual Central Texas Air show takes off in Temple - News 8 Austin | The pilots at the Central Texas air show have only one goal: to please the crowd with their tricks and stunts from up above. Carl Falcione is with the Viper ...

Doolittle Raider Reunion from CAF Minnesota Wing Blog by Commemorative Air Force, MN Wing | It was an honor to be a part of history this month. "Miss Mitchell", along with 16 other B-25s, overflew the USAF Museum, and were able to meet, chat and dine with 4 of the remaining Doolittle Raiders (out of 8). This gathering was larger than any in recent history, equal to that of the filming of Catch-22! The pictures speak for themselves. What a trip!...

Historic bomber a loud and spectacular warbird - ReporterNews.com | The plane was one of several in town this weekend for the Big Country AirFest at Dyess Air Force Base. A World War II-era B-25 from the Commemorative Air ...

Aviation Days land at Lunken - The WWII B-25 bomber "Yankee Warrior" flies during Aviation Days at Lunken Airport. Get up close to jets, warbirds, sport airplanes and the people who fly, repair and control them during Lunken Airport Aviation Days, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Lunken Airport, 262 Wilmer Ave., East End. Planes on display include a historic B-25 World War II bomber, "Yankee Warrior," to commemorate this year's final reunion of the famous Doolittle Tokyo Raiders…

Pilot is reunited with his WWII Spitfire in London - A pilot has been reunited with a part of a Spitfire he flew in World War II after it was found in Canada. Wing Cdr Peter Ayerst signed the piece of the aircraft, which he piloted on a test flight in 1945, at an event in Biggin Hill, south-east London. The 89-year-old, from Westcliff, Essex, recalled "many hairy moments" he had flying Spitfires during WWII…

Red Bull Air Force - He's been known to fly in formation with former Red Bull Air Race World Champion Kirby Chambliss – though while Kirby pilots his Zivko Edge 540, ...

Nimrod arrives at Bruntingthorpe from Aeroplane Monthly News | Nimrod XV226 made its final flight from RAF Kinloss in Northern Scotland to Bruntingthorpe Airfield in Leicestershire on Tuesday 27th April where it joins the Cold War Jets Collection. See it landing on video!..

The Aviators Army / PBS Email Campaign / Our Next Winner Is... - The Aviators will be distributed to all 356 affiliates this September and it is expected that many of them will begin airing the series right away while many others will find a time slot for the series over the following few months. Our goal for Austin is to ensure that all station managers and program directors (1) know what The Aviators is about, (2) know when it will be available to them, and (3) to let them know that our army of fans wants them to run the series sooner than later in their respective markets. The show has already been premiered to a PBS audience at the PBS Technical Conference last month in Las Vegas, NV where the show was reported to be "the hit of the conference" so we already have a very good head start!...

Air Combat Command opens access to social media sites from Air Combat Command - ACC Headlines by acc.pai@langley.af.mil (Air Combat Command opens access to social media sites) Starting May 1, bases across Air Combat Command will have access to more than 30 social media websites. The decision to allow open access to the sites was based on a Department of Defense directive published in February, where officials highlighted the capabilities of social media. Testing began March 30 at five Pacific Air Force bases. The implementation schedule remained on time, and Air Force Space Command, Air Education and Training Command and Air Mobility Command bases began providing access to social media sites April 26.
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Downed U-2 Pilot's Son on Own Mission from http://www.military.com/ - Fifty years ago Saturday, U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down while flying a U-2 spy plane over the Soviet Union, a dramatic episode of the Cold War that pushed the rival superpowers closer to confrontation. Now his son has come to Moscow on a mission of his own: By telling his late father's story, he hopes to help preserve Cold War history and prevent future generations of Russians and Americans from ever again facing the threat of nuclear war.

Around the Hangar - Finishing Up Maintenance from CAF Minnesota Wing Blog by Commemorative Air Force, MN Wing | Okay, so maintenance will never be finished, but we are rolling the aircraft out from a maintenance heavy winter, and have begun to operate some of them. This set of pictures covers the last month of work, and it was a LOT of work! Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen!..

Hangar Sale from CAF Minnesota Wing Blog by Commemorative Air Force, MN Wing | This is our second year of a Hangar Sale for the community. People are welcomed to bring in their goods and sell them, and the membership gathers up things that are no longer needed and sells it off. Last year saw a huge profit due to hardware that was for sale. This year, we didn't have as much for sale, but that didn't stop us from making a decent profit, and have some fun!..

New LASP proposal set to travel  from www.ainonline.com : Latest News by Curt Epstein | The Transportation Security Administration has completed the revision of the large aircraft security program (LASP) and the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking is set to begin its circuit to the Department of Homeland Security and Office of Management and Budget for review, according to the agency…

Touching History . . . from Aerographs Blog by admin | As a fan of history, it is not often that one has the opportunity to "touch" history. And yet, I had the rare chance to do just that last week, when I photographed several WWII aviation artifacts in a private collection. They belong to my friend and P-51 Mustang fighter ace, Bob "Punchy" Powell. Having lived through the dark days of WWII, he has since amassed quite a collection of memorabilia, including several items I'd never seen before…

UP Aerospace rocket launch in NM to be webcast from RLV and Space Transport News | A message from the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium about next week's launch of a UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL vehicle with student payloads at Spaceport America: Education Launch to be Webcast Live at LaunchNM.com - LAS CRUCES, NM – The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium (NMSGC) is planning to webcast the Second Annual Education Launch live from Spaceport America on Tuesday, May 4. The UP Aerospace SL-4 rocket is scheduled to launch at 6 a.m. MDT, and will be seen live on the Internet at the NMSGC website (www.launchnm.com/the_launch.php) via Ustream, a leading live interactive broadcast platform…

May 1 from Cut and Paste Aviation by KenInfinite

2003 -- The Operation Northern Watch mission ended. Between Jan. 1, 1997 and the final Northern Watch sorties on March 17, 2003. More than 100,000 American, British, Turkish and French airmen had rotated through Incirlik AB, Turkey, to enforce U.N. Security Council resolution north of the 36th parallel in Iraq.

2003 -- U.S. President George W. Bush declared the major combat operations in Iraq to be over on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in a speech before 5,000 crewmembers.

1999 -- The U.S. Air Force Reserve Command mobilized its first units to support Operation Allied Force. Eventually the command called six tanker wings and one rescue wing to active duty.

RAPTOR SET FOR RAPTUROUS AIR TATTOO RETURN

    It’s a case of ‘second time lucky’ for one of the world’s newest and most exciting jet fighters when the F-22 Raptor makes a welcome return to the Cotswolds this summer – two years after its planned UK debut appearance was rained off.

  

    Now the aircraft, from the US Air Combat Command, will be returning to the Air Tattoo on July 17&18 to demonstrate why it is capable of outperforming any existing fighter aircraft in air-to-air combat. The Raptor represents a new generation of fighter aircraft incorporating state-of-the-art stealth technology, sophisticated weaponry and vectored thrust giving it an unrivaled combination of secrecy, power and maneuverability.

  

    Air Tattoo Deputy Director of Air Operations Robert Windsor said he was delighted to see the aircraft return to perform at the Air Tattoo.

    He said: “The Raptor is one of the jewels in the crown of military aviation and its display in July will be among the highlights of the seven-and-a-half-hour flying display. I recall that the pilot and his ground crew were tremendously friendly and professional throughout their stay with us – despite their obvious disappointment. I am really pleased that they will finally be able to perform for our large and appreciative Air Tattoo audience!”

    The Air Tattoo, which is held in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, is the world’s largest military airshow and attracts around 300 aircraft from across the globe. This summer’s event will stage special tributes marking the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. In addition to the flying display, visitors can enjoy a large static aircraft park plus a wide range of ground-based activities including a concert stage, fairground rides, and the interactive Tri@RIAT area for youngsters. For details and to buy tickets, visit airtattoo.com