Indy Transponder 02-JUL-2011 1230z

Former Malmesbury schoolgirl on a wing and a dream - Wiltshire Gazette and Herald | At the age of six, Danielle Hughes, watched on in awe as the wing-walk team performed a display at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford. Now, at the age of 22, she will be returning to the air show on July 16 and July 17, but this time as one ...

A HUGE Airshow Attraction Returns - KIONrightnow.com | After more than 20 years since its last appearance, the Salinas Airshow announced the C-5A Galaxy cargo plane will be coming to the event as a static display. Commonly described as, "The Box That the C-141 Came In," the C-5A Galaxy was presented to the ...

Royal pilot 'nervous, but very excited' - Toronto Sun | In 1999 he joined the Snowbirds as team co-ordinator. As the current commanding officer of 437 Squadron in Trenton, Ont., his primary role is long-range transport of personnel and equipment, along with VIP transport. That includes royal guests...

Wings Over Houston at Ellington set for Oct. 15-16 - Your Houston News | Wings Over Houston Airshow is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community event produced by a volunteer effort of the Gulf Coast Wing and West Houston Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force, with support from the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston...

Fair St. Louis Airshow Preview - Practice Over the Mississippi River  from The Aero Experience by Carmelo Turdo: 

July 4 LT Dan Band Movie Launch on Gary Sinise Foundation Website  from Alabama Aviator - Aviation News | The Gary Sinise Foundation was officially formed in 2010 and is dedicated to serving our Nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. Serving Honor and NeedTM is the corner stone of the Foundation, which is built upon the principals of Gary Sinise, out of dedication to this country…

Weekend Photos - 2nd and 3rd July 2011  from Military Photos by vor033 | Thunderbirds in the United Kingdom:

Spitfire Recovery Unearths Unique Story  from AVwebFlash Current Issue | An RAF spitfire flown by American pilot Roland "Bud" Wolfe dug itself deep into a hillside on November 30, 1941, after he bailed out, and now, 70 years later, that aircraft has been recovered. The recovery effort included an aviation historian, a team of archaeologists and the BBC, and will serve as the subject of a documentary. According to the Derry Journal, a newspaper from the town where the aircraft had been based, Wolfe had joined the RAF before America's official entry into the war and lost his U.S. citizenship because of it. He'd been flying on patrol near the north coast of Ireland when his engine began to rapidly overheat and he bailed out. Wolfe was detained by members of the Local Defence Force and held by the Irish Army, but escaped on December 13, leading to what may be an even more unique story…

WWII vets get a chance to revisit the past via planes - Billings Gazette | The B-24, a World War II bomber, is the last B-24 in the world still flying. Lee Gissler stood on the asphalt for a long five minutes just staring at the B-17 Flying Fortress parked at the Billings Logan International Airport on Friday. ...

Former pilots honoured at Yorkshire Air Museum - The Press, York | OFFICIAL archives of a successful wartime air training scheme have been handed to the Yorkshire Air Museum. Between 1941 and 1943, nearly 8000 RAF pilots were trained in the USA, mostly flying Boeing Stearman bi-planes, in a scheme under the direction ...

How to Ditch a B-17, 1944 from Ptak Science Books by John F. Ptak | JF Ptak Science Books   Quick Post - This interesting article appeared in Life magazine on 1 May 1944 and addressed something I've not though about before with the magnificent Boeing B-17:

Tuskegee Airmen an Illustrated History 1939 to 1949  from Alabama Aviator - Aviation News | A new book on the history of the Tuskegee Airmen published by New South books presents the topic like no other. Not only providing detailed chronology and statistics, a wealth of photographs traces the Airmen from the beginning through training to combat and beyond. Rare captioned photographs along with actual letters and documents bring the story Tuskegee Airmen to life. Following the Airmen within the events of WWII, fighter pilot flying and the evolution of military aircraft during this period adds additional historical insight…

Women of the Air Force Week  from What's On at RAF Museum London - 22 August 2011 - 28 August 2011 -
Women have been integral to performance of the Royal Air Force since the formation of the Women's Royal Air Force in 1918. Throughout the Service's history women's roles have changed radically,from being support staff in the 1920s and 30s, assisting with day to day duties, to serving permanently in their own right in today's Service. Recent years have seen the appointment of the first female Red Arrow in Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore and the first female Distinguish Flying Cross awarded to Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman…

Women Pilots in WWII | The Mary Sue  by Susana Polo | Meet Molly Rose, an octogenarian and one of the last surviving women of the RAF Air Transport Auxilliary, an organization of about one thousand pilots whose job was to move airplanes to where they needed to be…

Ford Tri-Motor N8407, Me, And Oshkosh 1970 (First Ever OSH)  by Martt |  Yep, that's really me as a 10 year old looking right at home in the right seat of N8407, the 4-AT Ford Tri-Motor that all these years later is owned and operated by the EAA. But this was 1970, the very first year for Oshkosh (after moving the EAA convention from Rockford, IL) and the airplane was owned by Dale Glenn. His last name was painted on the side of the airplane, but the pilot for OSH70 was Chuck LeMaster. Chuck had been associated with the airplane for years, but I'm pretty sure he was just acting as pilot at this time…

Oshkosh 2011  from Wasabi Air Racing by Elliot "Stinky" Seguin | Oshkosh is getting close, below are the dates that Scaled Composites will be speaking at this years EAA Airventure. I will be giving three talks this year and as always air racing will be covered.  As usual we will have Wasabi Swag for distribution at the talks. I hope everybody can make it out!.  EAA is dedicating Thursdays show to Burt for his retirement. Some Scaled engineers have restored a couple of Burt's old airplanes and will be flying them out to pay tribute to the boss man. Friday will include a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Voyager flights…

Building a Pilot – From the Ground Up  from Flight Monkeys by Chief Monkey | Some of us discover we have a desire to fly fairly late in life. We might be grown with kids, and a mortgage, and a career all competing for our time and our resources. But once the bug bites we get started. We study, we take an introductory flight, maybe we have a friend who inspires us or takes us up once in a while…

Indy Transponder 12-JUN-2011 1030z

Hemet Air show wows thousands - Press-Enterprise | Thundering engines put all eyes on the sky Saturday as thousands gathered for the Hemet-Ryan Air Show. But there was plenty to see on the ground as well, with more than 40 vendors and 30 static displays. Seeing the underbellies of ...

Cameron air show thrills in old-fashioned way - News-Press Now | From war veterans to infants, the friendly blue skies of Cameron welcomed visitors and planes both classic and new to its air show. Entering the city on Saturday, helicopters giving rides as well as planes taking off were audible for miles. ...

'Lt. Dan' flies high  from Air Combat Command - Top ACC Stories by acc.pai@langley.af.mil (9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs)  Even though he has been a strong military supporter and philanthropist, most remember Gary Sinise by his award-winning role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor, who he played in the 1994 film "Forrest Gump."  The Blue Island, Ill., native visited Team Beale June 6-9 to document the capabilities of the U-2 Dragon Lady and meet with Airmen to boost morale.   "Where ever I go for the military, they always call me Lt. Dan," he said. "What I really want to be remembered as is a good father, a man that does what he needs to take care of his family and someone who supports the troops that protect the country I live in. It's a dangerous world out there and anytime anything happens, the U.S. military is there to help."  more...

Sideways Dad: Spitfire in the kitchen - Times LIVE | Thomas and I found ourselves at Rand Airport a Sunday or two ago, watching an airshow featuring Harvards, Dakotas and a solitary but rather poignant Mustang. The airport has family associations. My late paternal grandfather, Lionel Alfred, ...

Building world’s largest aircraft in 30 seconds - www.emirates247.com | How much time do you think it takes to build the world’s largest aeroplane Airbus A380? May be weeks or months. No it takes less than a minute…

Meeting de Saint-Dizier 2011  from Passion pour l'aviation by Xavier

The pull of AVIATION - Press Herald | There's more to aviation than that," said Airport Director Paul Bradbury. As people of all ages milled about among smaller planes, others flocked to a military plane and helicopter parked at the far end of the tarmac. Isaac and Zoe Dinnerstein of Cape ...

Father's Day contest held for flight on B-17 in Port Angeles - Peninsula Daily | Wings of Freedom stop coordinator Alan Barnard and Ruddell Auto Mall owner Howie Ruddell have announced an essay contest for a father-son or father-daughter flight aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress. The iconic World War II-era aircraft is ...

'Flying Fortress' circles back for second time - In-Forum | Pilot Bob Davis walks around the B-17 bomber he landed in April at Pulliam Airport in Flagstaff, Ariz. Associated Press FARGO – The “Flying Fortress” is coming back to Fargo for the second time in three years, and it's offering rides again. ...

FLIGHTGEAR PHOTOS 1940-60s  from Heritage flight gear / flying gear displays | JUNE 2011 - More pilot flightgear photos from a era long ago ... when flightgear looked exciting and modern.  RAF Lancaster during WW2 walking away from their bomber after a sortie over Germany.  Note their Mae west life jackets, wool flight boots, parachutes packs, Irvin parachute harness and C type flight helmet…

Handley Page Hastings – coal, cod and the Cold War  from Shortfinals's Blog | The Handley Page H.P. 67 Hastings was an anachronism. At a time when most other large four-engined transports were being designed with tricycle undercarriages, the Hastings betrayed its WW2 roots and stuck with the ‘taildragger’ conformation, which makes ground-handling trickier, and imposes stricter cross-wind limitations on landing…

Model planes star at Waverly air show - Lincoln Journal Star | Fields' radio-controlled aircraft is among the attractions on display at this weekend's Huckfest air show hosted by the Lincoln Sky Knights model plane club. The show is part of a national tour and features enthusiasts from across the country. ...

LAUNCH Magazine is back online  from The Original Rocket Dungeon by Dick | After being down for over a year, LAUNCH Magazine's website is back on-line.  The word is that the magazine will be reincarnated in an on-line format, with reprints of past articles and, more importantly, new content.  Rocketeer Mario Perdue is helping Mark and Deb Mayfield (the original principals in the magazine) in getting it up and running…

Grand Rand Airshow 2011  from Airstrike Aviation Photography by Justin | The Grand Rand Airshow took place on 22 May 2011 at Rand Airport in Germiston. Many thanks to Canon for the use of some unique lenses…

Indy Transponder 08-JAN-2011 0200z

US Navy Aviation to Kick off Centennial Celebration -Blues 2011 Schedule from Alabama Aviator - Aviation News
-NAS Pensacola- A Centennial of Naval Aviation kickoff and birthday party will take place on Jan. 20 at Pensacola Naval Air Station, the Cradle of Naval Aviation. NAS welcomed its first aviation unit on Jan. 20, 1914, just three years after the Navy purchased its first planes on May 8, 1911. The event will feature military speakers, government and civic leaders, performances by the Navy Band New Orleans and historical exhibits and photographs. It is free and open to the public.  ...

GARY SINISE AND THE LT. DAN BAND RETURNING TO EAA AIRVENTURE IN 2011 #OSH11
Back by popular demand, actor and veterans advocate Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band will return to EAA AirVenture in 2011 as the grand finale of a day-long salute to veterans on Friday, July 29. The 59th annual edition of “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” will be held July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. ...

Editorial: Airport can help put wings on economic growth - Northwestern
Wittman Regional Airport has long been recognized as a potential economic growth engine for Oshkosh and Winnebago County. Yet much of the discussion often regressed to the "good old days" when the airport was the dominant regional passenger air travel hub. A terminal building sitting largely vacant not ushering a single passenger from its gates, the symbol of lost business and opportunities.
Fortunately, a new era of leadership in local government has put the past into the rear view mirror and now is looking to the future and taking ...

Helmets from FenceCheck Forums

Exhibition to feature photos of iconic aircraft from aviation's heritage - Yorkshire Post
All the images were taken at RAF Waddington, RAF Coningsby and the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby and many feature iconic aircraft ...

2010 Reno Air Races - Will Whiteside - LiveAirShowTV
Will Whiteside is the pilot for Race 5 - Voodoo. LiveAirshowTV got a few minutes with him during race week at the 2010 Reno National Championship Air Races. Will gives us some insight into what it's like for him to race this great plane, and go on board when things go wrong.

OMGosh! Museum Quality, Half Scale (UAV) Hughes H-1 Racer from AirPigz
Wow, this couldn't get much cooler! A half scale flying model of the Hughes H-1 racer... and it has a 35 hp radial engine! Even better, it's being built by the guys at Aero Telemetry for the 75th anniversary celebration of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) which will take place July 14-17, 2011 at the AMA headquarters in Muncie Indiana... just 2 hours down the road from me! You can count me in : ) ...

Pilot flew into Canadian history - The Whig Standard 
A Kingston man will be heading to Hamilton in May to relive a summer spent flying in some of the most difficult conditions a pilot can face.
Victor Bennett will be attending an induction ceremony by Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame as a now-defunct company with which he once flew will receive a special award for its contribution to Canadian flying history. ...

Two stories from ExpressJet Forum 
... Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.
This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Medal of Honor.  ...

SBD glider - AOPA Online
Warbird operators like the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) do everything they can to minimize risk. They limit their flying to good weather, install modern avionics, and train regularly.
But there’s no getting around the fact that World War II-era fighters and bombers are complex pieces of machinery with systems that failed regularly when they were new. Seventy years later, those same engines, ...

Flying Wild: Alaska Fog from Latest Vlog 
Today's clip sees a pilot John Ponts dealing with a fog bank while transporting his pax in Alaska. According to the national transportation safety board 22% of all small plane crashes in the US, occur in Alaska.

WW2 Women Spitfire Pilots - ATA from Pilots of America Message Board 
There's a show on the BBC about the women pilots in the ATA. The women's group within ATA was organized to use female pilots to transport planes during WW2. I guess it was the model for our WAAC. It's on the BBC but we can't get the whole show here in the states - at least I can't. I did find a 10 minute version on youtube. Here's a link. It looks like a great program.

Women's Vertical World Record 2010  - YouTube
World Record 41 way vertical skydiving record

Aviation Heritage Park secures T-33 for display - BG Daily News
It’s another aircraft and another story for Aviation Heritage Park at Basil Griffin Park in Bowling Green.
The park has acquired a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star to honor Glasgow native and Western Kentucky University graduate Gen. Russell Dougherty. Dougherty frequently flew the plane from Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Neb., to Washington, D.C., while he served as commander of Strategic Air Command. Dougherty died in 2007 at age 86.
Dan Cherry, president of Aviation Heritage Park, said the park’s entire ...

Former St. Louis Science Center CEO Douglas King Now Leads Seattle's Museum of Flight from The Aero Experience 
Douglas R. King assumed the role of Museum of Flight President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2011. King was previously the president and chief executive officer of the Saint Louis Science Center, the fourth largest science center in the country, where he served since 1995. ...

Friday Fabulous Flyers... from Flight To Success
Today was the day I wanted to announce the $100 Pilot winner for the Fly It Forward Contest. I wanted to announce the winner of the most Female Friendly Airport in the world, too! But that mystery continues...
I know there were more people who flew and must be in this $100 contest. They just didn't leave me their numbers. I've made a list below--- If you're on it, leave a comment how many women you flew this year. If ...

Hot Air Balloon Festival Clark Pampanga 2011 - kathangisip
The 2011 Clark Subic Hot air balloon fiesta is now in motion!!!
The festival will begin from Feb 10 up to 13 of 2010. Here is the tentative schedule of events of the festival for 2011. ...

Tom Cruise is Still Developing a Competing 'Flying Tigers' Film ... - Flying Tiger News
Though we once heard news that Tom Cruise was going to be working with director John Woo on his story about the WWII air fighting squadron Flying Tigers, that turned out to be a bit of a mix up. Instead, Woo and Cruise were each ...

Teenager gets donor liver plucked from burning wreckage of crashed plane - Small world News Service
”There's one thing to be told you're going to die if you don't get a new liver but to get one which had just been in a plane crash blows my mind. ...

Wright Flight - Morning Blend [video]
Wright Flight, Inc. is a non-profit corporation which was founded in 1986 in Tucson, Arizona by Robin Stoddard.
Robin, an Air Force Reserve fighter pilot, noted the profound effect that airplanes have on youngsters. He decided to use that interest ...

Space Shuttle Landing Sites  - AirBoyd.tv
NASA has a roster of runways around the globe that could host a shuttle landing.

Space shuttle Discovery's launch to be delayed past Feb. 3 - Orlando Sentinel
The final flight of space shuttle Discovery will have to wait — again.
Nagging structural problems with the shuttle's fuel tank have delayed its planned Feb. 3 launch to the International Space Station by a couple of weeks — or longer — although NASA has not made a new launch date official. ...

GARY SINISE AND THE LT. DAN BAND RETURNING TO EAA AIRVENTURE IN 2011 #OSH11

July 29 concert sponsored by DAV, Warbirds of America caps day-long salute to vets

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — (Jan. 6, 2011) — Back by popular demand, actor and veterans advocate Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band will return to EAA AirVenture in 2011 as the grand finale of a day-long salute to veterans on Friday, July 29. The 59th annual edition of “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” will be held July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

      Performing at AirVenture for the second consecutive year and third time since 2008, the band will take to the Theater in the Woods stage for an evening concert hosted by EAA Warbirds of America and Disabled American Veterans. Last year’s concert drew more than 6,000 attendees and again will be the highlight of a veteran-focused day. Further details will be announced as they are finalized.

      Sinise, who is best known for his role as Vietnam veteran Lt. Dan Taylor in the classic film “Forrest Gump” and as star of the hit TV series “CSI: New York,” plays bass in the Lt. Dan Band and is a well-known supporter of veterans as well as active-duty military.

      “We are thrilled to welcome back Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band to AirVenture,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA and AirVenture chairman. “Gary Sinise has been a tremendous supporter of our veterans and active duty military personnel and we’re proud to have the opportunity to join Gary in thanking our veterans for their service to our nation.”

      “The genuine interest Gary Sinise shows for our veterans fits perfectly with our objectives to pay tribute to our veterans at EAA AirVenture on July 29,” said Rick Siegfried, EAA Warbirds of America president.

      The Lt. Dan Band covers everything from Bruce Springsteen to Linkin Park, Aretha Franklin to Jimi Hendrix. Following the band’s first hit concert at Theater in the Woods in 2008, EAA Warbirds of America and Disabled American Veterans teamed up to sponsor the band’s return in 2010 and again this year.

      “Gary Sinise is a longtime advocate for Disabled American Veterans and continues to shine the light on our mission to build better lives for America’s disabled veterans,” said Wallace E. Tyson, DAV National Commander. “As a patriotic and family friendly venue, EAA AirVenture is an ideal setting to feature the Lt. Dan Band.”

       The 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, represents this nation’s disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives for our nation’s disabled veterans and their families.

       EAA Warbirds of America is a non-profit organization and division of EAA that is dedicated to the preservation of former military aircraft, better known as “warbirds.”  Since 1964, EAA Warbirds of America has worked to “Keep ’em Flying.”

       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 will commemorate this notable anniversary as well as 100th anniversary of air mail service. Special themed days planned are “Tribute to Bob Hoover” Day on Tuesday, July 26, Navy Day on Wednesday, July 27, and “Tribute to Burt Rutan” Day on Thursday, July 28.

      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.