Indy Transponder 18-AUG-2011 0930z

In Memory: Teen remembers flying with Greg Poe - Northwest Cable News | NAMPA -- Wednesday evening, family and friends remembered beloved Idaho aerobatic pilot and motivational speaker Greg Poe at a memorial service at the Idaho Center. He died of a heart attack July 24. Poe was known for "Elevate Your Life", ...

Photo Gallery: Thousands Attend Blue Angel Air Show - NorthEscambia.com | Thousands of people turned out for a Blue Angels practice Wednesday morning in Pensacola, including many North Escambia area residents. As always, the Blues wowed the crowd at the Pensacola Naval Air Station with their show. Blue Angel practice shows ...

All eyes on the skies at AC airshow - 6abc.com | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - August 17, 2011 (WPVI) -- It's called Thunder Over the Boardwalk, and the annual Atlantic City Air Show lived up to its name. An enormous crowd gathered on the beach and boardwalk as thousands of pairs of eyes turned skyward, ...

Selfridge flexes 'muscle' - Macomb Daily | Sean Campbell, a fighter pilot at Selfridge and the director of this weekend's 2011 Selfridge Air Show and Open House. For the true muscle lover, it's often a split decision on the best part of the relationship — getting behind the wheel or spending ...

Waterloo airport to host motorbike, aircraft shows - Waterloo Record | Airshow approaches Technical Sgt. Ed Cole of the Viper East F16 Demonstration Team, guides Maj. Ryan Corrigan's F16 fighter to a parkeing position just before the pitot probe on the plane's nose breaks his skin at Waterloo International Airport ...

Red Arrows flypast will start four days of fun - Bournemouth Echo | THE Red Arrows will signal the start of the Bournemouth Air Festival today with a flypast over the seafront. The Diamond Nine will roar into view at 11am before the launch event takes place. It will see an offshore raiding craft bring ...

National Aviation Day is August 19  from Alabama Aviator - Aviation News | Friday is National Aviation Day, observed in the United States on August 19 each year, the day that the history and development of the aviation is celebrated. It coincides with the birthday of Orville Wright who, together with his brother Wilbur, made significant contributions to powered flight. National Aviation Day is a federal observance but it is not a public holiday in the United States…

CAP Launches 70th-Anniversary in Louisville  from Alabama Aviator - Aviation News | NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS - More than 600 Civil Air Patrol members are taking flight to Louisville, Ky., this month as the organization begins its observance of 70 years of service to America.  CAP officially celebrates its 70th anniversary on Dec. 1 of this year, but will get started early at the 2011 Annual Conference and National Board meeting Aug. 17-20 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown…

100th Anniversary Winston Salem Air Show  - In 1911, crowds gathered for the first Winston-Salem Air Show and gazed in awe as Lincoln Beachey, then the world's greatest exhibition flyer, who commanded the sky with his signature “loop the loop” act in a rickety ...

High above the valley, a fortress in the sky - Allentown Morning Call | The B-17 taxied to a halt on the tarmac at Lehigh Valley International Airport and a line of grown men with Christmas-morning eyes emerged from its silver belly into the roaring wash of the propellers. ...

The Lethal Focke-Wulf 190  from Moose Peterson Aviation Photography » The Focke-Wulf 190 stalked the large bomber flights over Europe in WWII brining down thousands of allied aircraft. That’s why this plane probably fascinates me to no end. There is only one “original” Fw-190 flying in the world right now with a number of partial (like this one) to completely fabricated versions…

Vintage plane acquired by museum – WLOX | Those who are creating the "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum" in Gulfport were thrilled to buy a 1952 Martin 404 at auction. They say the vintage plane will be perfect for their South Mississippi museum that will educate people and celebrate the ...

Vacation Snaps  from MRC Aviation by Mike Condon | It was hard work returning to the cold of NZ following three weeks vacation in the Northwestern USA states of California, Oregon and Washington.  The following images where taken at the Evergreen Air and Space Museum at McMinnville outside Portland, Oregon.  The centre piece for the main 'hanger' is the Spruce Goose which dwarfs the rest of the exhibits… http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/the-museum/

Yuma airport makes economic impact - Yuma Sun | BY GEN GROSSE - SPECIAL TO YUMA SUN This is the fourth of a five-part segment celebrating Yuma's rich aviation history in celebration of National Aviation Day – Aug. 19. Friday, reporter Chris McDaniel will share his experiences during his first flight ...

Helicopter Museum completes Heritage Lottery Fund project  from HeliHub.com News | The Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare has successfully completed a £387,000 project under a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) programme to upgrade its conservation and educational facilities and introduce new skills training. The four year programme has seen the construction and fit out of a humidity controlled library and archive centre and adjacent film/lecture theatre, as well [...]

Couple nurtures GA's next generation - AOPA Pilot | He has given rides to more than 1000 youngsters under the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program as an EAA member since 1996. Largent is part of a team whose other member is his wife, Ginny, who organizes aviation events and ...

Please Consider Signing The Petition To Save 'Hangar One' Now!  by Martt | This amazing image of Hangar One at Moffett Field in the 30's was the very first CoolPix I ever posted. It was so cool having an interesting image like this available to see in hi-res that I changed my thinking right away to make hi-res one of the identifying features of an AirPigz CoolPix…

Today in Aviation History – August 18  from Calgary Recreational and Ultralight Flying Club by bikeal

Indy Transponder 04-JAN-2010 1130z

Blue Angels land in Lincoln to kick off air show - Lincoln Journal Star | The lieutenants were here to talk about the Guardians of Freedom Air Show, which will be in Lincoln on Sept. 10-11. (JACOB HANNAH / Lincoln Journal Star) ...

Blue Angels are back – KYMA | It's that time already ... with the new year also comes the Blue Angels training season. Monday afternoon, at about 1:15 pm PST, the Blue Angels pilots ...

Blue Angels Return to Lincoln - KPTM-TV | The Navy's Blue Angels are preparing for a big return after not flying for five years. Lt. Todd Royles of the Blue Angle #8 said, "It's going to be great, ...

Red Checkers training again after troubled year - Radio New Zealand | The Royal New Zealand Air Force's aerobatics display team, the Red Checkers, are back training together after two incidents last year, one of which left a ...

Freedom Flight prepares for takeoff from General Aviation News by Janice Wood | Beginning Jan. 15, two Able Flight pilots will fly more than 1,000 miles to meet with wounded veterans in four states to tell them how they can receive an Able Flight scholarship. Heather Schultz and Sean O'Donnell were paralyzed as a result of spinal cord injuries and both earned their pilot licenses with Able Flight scholarships. Looking for a way to give back what was given to them, they created Freedom Flight 2011…

Freedom Flight 2011 Tour Schedule Announced from Aero-News Network | One Thousand Mile Tour To End At Sebring Sport Aviation Show Beginning January 15th, two Able Flight pilots will fly more than a thousand miles to meet with wounded veterans in four states to tell them how they can receive an Able Flight scholarship…

First 2011 WAC Luncheon Slated For New National Center For Aviation Training from Aero-News Network | Panel Discussion January 18 Will Feature WSU President Don Beggs, NIAR President John Tomblin, New NCAT President Tony Kinkel The Wichita Aero Club will move its first monthly luncheon of 2011 from its traditional site at the Wichita Airport Hilton to the campus of the new National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT) on Tuesday, January 18…

Event Promoting is Everyone's Business from Successful Event Promoting by Linda Sparks | Paul is technically "the organizer" but he's not in charge of promotion. Promotion is someone else's job.  Clearly though he has oversight for the area and a tremendous amount of interest.  Let's face it, as organizer he can plan and organize a remarkable event, but if ultimately it is poorly attended, his hard work (and major investments in programming) will be underappreciated.  AND without adequate ticket sales, net proceeds will be weak, and that puts next year's event into jeopardy as well…

Two skywriters use the heavens as their pulpit - MiamiHerald.com ``These are God's love letters to his children,'' explains Stevens, 68, a retired aviator who started the sky writing mission 12 years ago when living in ...

WWII B-25 'Skunkie' looking for a home - The State | It became the centerpiece of the Doolittle Raiders' 50th anniversary, held in Columbia in 1992, and subsequent reunions. The Raiders volunteered for what ...

World War II looking for new home - Myrtle Beach Sun News | The Richland County Airport Commission has turned back a request by the newly formed SC Historic Aviation Foundation to house the plane in the historic ...

A Real Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Is In The Air!
by Martt | The last time this airplane flew was July 19th, 1943. What that means is this is a 'real' German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 rather than the replicas that have surfaced in the last several years. Any Fw 190 is amazing, but to know that there is an actual example that's been faithfully restored is pretty phenomenal. The first flight actually took place about a month ago, with veteran race and warbird test pilot Steve Hinton at the controls, but since I somehow missed it when it happened, I thought you may have too…

FAA Light-Sport Aircraft Safety Seminar-2011 - AvStop Aviation News | The FAA Production Studios at Sun 'n Fun has become a well-known fixture at the popular spring airshow. Throughout the year the FAA Safety Team National ...

Why teaching the young to love flying is important | General ... by GAN Staff | One year, a brilliant teacher even brought her entire class to fly in the Ellensburg EAA Young Eagles program. It is a lot of work and expense for the pilots to spend their own money to fly the kids. Some pilots have even flown up from ...

Project Palladium: Testing Soviet Radars from Aviation Trivia of the Day by JP Santiago | When the Lockheed U-2 made its first overflight of the Soviet Union on 4 July 1956, it was common knowledge that its apparent invulnerability was time-limited as advances in Soviet air defense systems were sure to eventually bring one down. In fact, USAF analysts were in the planning stages of a replacement to the U-2 long before it even made its first flight. The first such study was for an exotic liquid hydrogen powered aircraft called Suntan from Lockheed which ended up getting canceled in 1959 at the urgings of its designer, the legendary Kelly Johnson. Running parallel to the Suntan which was an Air Force project, the CIA had two studies going for a U-2 replacement- one was a subsonic design code named Gusto and the other was a supersonic design that ultimately became Oxcart…

Today in Aviation History – January 4 from Calgary Recreational and Ultralight Flying Club by bikeal

January 5 from Cut and Paste Aviation by KenInfinite

The "Harrier" Final days PHOTO. Tribute. (Set 1 of 3)
from PPRuNe Forums by Old Photo.Fanatic | This is my Photo. tribute to the final days of the "Harrier" I covered the final days in three sessions, so follows three seperate sets of Photos. over three "posts". They are a result of sessions in the recent very cold/wet/windy/weather!!!!! The conditions did not make for best Photography, but it was a "Must do" situation. The results are mixed but overall I was pleased with them. Hope they meet with approval, observations/comment welcome. Enjoy!!

CAREER OF AVIATION ICON BOB HOOVER TO BE SALUTED DURING EAA AIRVENTURE 2011 #OSH11

Aircraft flown by Hoover to be featured during air show on Tuesday, July 26

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — (Dec. 16, 2010) — Saluting his iconic aerobatic career along with heroic service in World War II, EAA AirVenture 2011 will honor Robert A. “Bob” Hoover with a special day of recognition on July 26, part of the 59th annual edition of “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” on July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

       Hoover (EAA #21285), a 1988 inductee to the National Aviation Hall of Fame, is best known for his air show performances in a Shrike Commander and P-51 Mustang and in a flying career dating back to World War II. The “Tribute to Bob Hoover” Day on Tuesday, July 26, will feature an afternoon air show with many of the legendary aircraft flown by Hoover over the years, in addition to programs chronicling his experiences and achievements.

       “We are honored to pay tribute to one of the greatest aviators in history, Bob Hoover, as part of what’s building to be a very memorable AirVenture 2011,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA and AirVenture chairman. “Bob has been a fixture at our convention for decades. Everyone marvels at the aircraft and maneuvers synonymous with Bob, and will enjoy hearing about his experiences firsthand.”

       Considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of modern aerobatics, Hoover enjoyed a remarkable air show and air racing career after flying 59 missions in World War II and escaping a POW camp by commandeering a German Focke-Wulf 190 in April 1945.

       Upon his return to the U.S., Hoover enrolled in test pilot school, after which he flew a variety of aircraft from the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star to the Northrop N9M flying wing. He most famously worked with Chuck Yeager on the X-1 project, serving as backup pilot and was flying chase when Yeager broke the sound barrier.

       Hoover, who served as the official starter at the Reno National Championship Air Races for three decades, began working for North American Aviation in 1950, where he tested and demonstrated the company’s civil and military aircraft. When the company merged with Rockwell International in 1968, he began demonstrating the strength of the Shrike Commander twin-engine business aircraft, putting it through rolls, loops, and other maneuvers usually not associated with executive aircraft.

       The Shrike Commander routine was renowned for its energy management as Hoover performed aerobatics with the engines stopped. As part of the finale, he shut down both engines, then executed a loop and an eight-point hesitation slow roll as he headed back to the runway, where he touched down on one tire, then the other, during landing. Hoover later added to his legend by pouring a cup of tea without it spilling while performing a slow barrel roll, video of which has been widely distributed among aviation enthusiasts.

       In 1993, Hoover had his medical certificate pulled by the FAA, beginning a three-year fight against the FAA’s emergency revocation power. EAA joined Hoover in questioning FAA’s authority without due process, leading to his reinstatement in 1995. EAA’s efforts helped result in Congress passing the Hoover Bill in 2000, giving an FAA certificate holder the right to immediately appeal an emergency certificate revocation to the National Transportation Safety Board.

       AirVenture 2011 has been classified a Tier 1 event by the U.S. Navy as it celebrates the Centennial of Naval Aviation throughout next year. Several top-level attractions and events will commemorate this notable anniversary as well as 100th anniversary of air mail service. Other current days planned are “Tribute to Burt Rutan” Day on Thursday, July 28, and Navy Day on Wednesday, July 27.

      Advance purchase admission tickets and camping for AirVenture 2011 are now available at a discounted rate at www.airventure.org/tickets. 

      EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH is The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.airventure.org. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAAupdate.  

CoolPix - homebuilt: Fab Focke-Wulf FW 190 Replica At Reno 2010

By Martt at AirPigz                                                                 (click pic for hi-res)

When I was about 12, I built a 1:48 scale model of the short nose Focke-Wulf FW 190. I painted it in a really good camouflage scheme, and it was actually the only one of the many plastic models I built that I was really pleased with how it turned out. I've been pretty severely attracted to the FW 190 since those days as a kid, so I was very excited to see this one at Reno, shown here in a nice big CoolPix.

It looks like this one was recently flown for the first time by Steve Hinton and is owned by Frasca International, the flight simulator people out of Urbana, Illinois. If I have my info correct, it's one of the FlugWerk replicas from Germany, and has a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine in it. It was raced at Reno by John Malony, but not hard and not as a serious contender. But wow, it was very cool to see it in the air!

I was impressed with the paint job as the airplane appeared very authentic. Not a 'show plane' paint job, but one you could believe was representing the airplane just as it would have looked in the Luftwaffe. It also looked smaller than I expected by a little bit. The one or two I've seen before were in a museum, and seeing this one out in the open around other warbirds made me realize it's not as big as I had thought. Comparing dimensions to the P-51 Mustang shows that it is indeed a little smaller all the way around.

The one thing that stirs me big-time about the FW 190 is those long, wide-stance, aggressive gear legs. It's the same thing that makes the Hughes H-1 and the F-8 Bearcat look so stinkin' hot to me. The P-51 is a very beautiful airplane, but its gear legs just don't affect me the way these other aircraft do. I know, I'm a weirdo... but I'm a very happy, aggressive-gear-leg-lovin' weirdo : )

New FW-190 follow-up

We posted pictures of the maiden flight of a new FW-190 on May 11. Thanks to all the friends we've made on Facebook, we stumbled across this video of the flight as well. Enjoy!

Fw-190 1er décollage
Uploaded by pdu21. - Watch auto videos

A New FW 190

I received an email from Frederic Cottin in France. Regular readers may recall I met Frederic at the Reno Air Races last September. Frederic was kind enough to send the following pictures with a summary of what has taken place. I've paraphrased Frederic's summary below. Credit to Frederic for the photos also!

There is a new Focke Wulf 190 flying in the skies of France and Frederic was there to see the first flight. This Fw190 was not build during WW2, instead it is one of the "new" Fw 190 builds in Germany. The aircraft arrived one year ago in France at Darois airport unassembled. A three person team worked through numerous challenges to get her put together, and last Saturday she made her maiden flight. This aircraft is equipped with a Russian engine (same as the Lavochkin LA-9).

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Thank you Frederic!