Indy Transponder 08-JUL-2011 2215z

Blue Angels set for hometown performance - Military Times | Greg McWherter, they resumed performing with the Quad City Airshow in Davenport, Iowa on June 18 and 19. This weekend, however, they have their first show over their home turf. Here are some shots from a practice session Thursday. ...

Look to the skies for family fun - Chicago Parent | Team AeroShell, Viper Airshows, Matt Chapman, Heritage Flight, F-15 E Strike Eagle, Lima Lima, the US Navy's F-18 Super Hornet and Aerostars will also participate. If you've never witnessed an air show at sunset, consider attending the twilight show ...

AirFest 2011: Ready for takeoff (VIDEO) - The Union of Grass Valley | Locally built kit planes, air racers, antique and classic aircraft, augment World War Two P-51 Mustangs, Hawker Sea Fury, Corsair, T-28s, AT-6s and many other warbirds. Two thrilling appearances of the Patriots L-39 Jet Team, airplane rides and ...

Jets over Detroit River practicing for races from www.windsorstar.com | ... In the air, pilots with the Navy's West Coast Super Hornet Demo Team are doing manoeuvres with the U.S. Armed Forces' "most impressive aircraft," the FA-18.   There will also be a biplane aerobatic show. 

Skagit Aero's Blog: Arlington Fly-In Is Here - From Antique Airfield News | The annual Arlington Fly-In is underway at the Arlington airport just a short flight south of Concrete. This is the biggest fly-in of the year for our area and the museum once again has a strong presence at the vintage barn display. ...

Wings of Freedom tour at Jabara - Kansas.com | It'll feature the B-17 Flying Fortress, the only fully restored and flying B-24J Liberator and the P-51 Mustang. Visitors can explore and learn more about the historic planes inside and out. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12. ...

PRS Images from www.aafo.com |OK, I stole a couple from last year here but figured it's all in the spirit of things. Was a great week at PRS and great to see "Precious" back 'roundin' the sticks.  Shaping up to be ...

Updates: Warbirds and Airshows

• Kokomo Wings and Wheels 
• Tom Wood Aviation Open House
  2011 Indianapolis Air Show
  WWII Weekend in Reading , PA
  Hamilton, ONT 2011 Air Show Photo Review
  Warbirds of Indiana    

Patrouille de France brings up Guynemermonument salute in Poelkapelle - KW.be | Poelkapelle - Friday morning, July 8 shaved eight Alpha Jets of the French team "Patrouille de France" above the Guynemermonument the symbol of the French Air Force. They were returning from the international flight and air meeting of Koksijde ...

Cockpit Footage from Paris Air Show - YouTube | Unique cockpit footage taken by Italian Air Force Typhoon display pilot Magg. Raffaele Beltrame during his Thursday display flight above the airfield at Le Bourget during Paris Air Show 2011. At times pulling 9g in the Typhoon, this footage gives us a real insight into the flight from a pilot's perspective. ...

Promoters in Dogfight Over Fort Lauderdale Air Show - NBC Miami | That was news to the city and Bryan Lilley, the Cocoa Beach air show coordinator who proposed the rebirth of Fort Lauderdale's version in June. Lilley was in talks for a two-year deal with the city to return military vessels, aircrafts and aerobatics ...
   
WWII Airborne Demonstration Team Open Hangar Day/Fly In - Frederick Press | To culminate the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team's Summer 2011 Jump School, the Team will be hosting an Open Hangar Day and Fly-In on July 23rd, 2011, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Open Hangar Day and Fly-In will be held at the historic Frederick Army ...

ILLINOIS SPOTLIGHT: Flying fortress brings back memories for WWII veterans
The Republic | Mace, a ball turret gunner inside a B-17 bomber for each mission, was wounded twice by shrapnel that exploded in the air. First in the right knee. Then in the left leg. Now at the age of 94 with two Purple Hearts, Mace still remembers how he and the ...

B-17, B-24J, P-51 aircraft flying into Loveland-Fort Collins airport for ... - The Republic | The B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24J Liberator and P-51 Mustang are expected to arrive shortly before noon on Friday and will be available for walk-through tours and excursion flights for a fee. The fee for walk-through tours is waived for World War II ...

Pimp My Ride – FA-18 Style - from Neptunus Lex | VFA-25 in Lemoore, California was my first fleet squadron, back in 1987-1990. The “Fist of the Fleet” had a ...

Boeing Model 215 Tiltrotor from The Unwanted Blog | A Boeing-Vertol tiltrotor design from 1970. Designed to USAF requirements, this could serve as either a transport or rescue craft. As a transport, the radius ...

How many people does it take to organise an Airshow? - The Feast Bowl | As I mentioned previously, airshows need a lot of people to make them work. As the Flying Display Director (FDD), I can’t hope to keep my eye on every single thing that’s happening and so I have a team to help me. Right at the top of the list is the Flying Control Committee (FCC). These are my flying and air display experts. Anybody can be a Display Director, but it takes a very experienced aviator to be ...

Fly-In Sponsors from Nordo News by Rich Davidson | As the annual Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In approaches, we always find ourselves looking for potential new sponsors.

Iowa City Aerohawks to host 19th annual air show - Iowa City Press Citizen | Nowadays when the Iowa City Aerohawks open up their flying field for their summer air show, hundreds and sometimes thousands will pack the sidelines to catch a glimpse of dogfights, acrobatics and other small-scale aviation feats. ...

Video: ‪Dust Up Series Trailer from Calgary Recreational and Ultralight Flying Club 

Murphy’s laws origin - Aviation Humor | It was named after Capt. Edward A. Murphy, an engineer working on Air Force Project MX981, (a project) designed to see how much sudden deceleration a person can stand in a crash.

Navy F/A-18 makes first "no hands" carrier landing from Sky Talk | The Navy has moved one significant step closer to staging and using unmanned aircraft from aboard its aircraft carriers.  Last Saturday a Boeing F/A-18D Hornet guided by ...

Photo of Note from Flightblogger by Jon Ostrower

Shuttle Atlantis Beats Weather, Launches on Schedule - TheLedger.com | Atlantis has blasted off on NASA's last space shuttle launch.  The historic liftoff occurred Friday morning, 30 years and three months after the very first shuttle flight.  Four astronauts are riding Atlantis to orbit. The shuttle is bound for ...

Video: Final shuttle mission lifts off for ISS - MSNBC | Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in what is NASA's final space shuttle mission.

Space shuttle: The early years - The Guardian  | The space shuttle Enterprise at Fairford air base in Gloucestershire on 20 May 1983. It had stopped for refuelling en route to the Paris air show. Photograph: Frank Martin "What is needed," says John Hodge, the British manager of Nasa's Advanced ...

End of an era in technology (the world’s most awesome tweetup) by Robert Scoble | ... What was that? NASA invited 150 people to the Kennedy Space Center to get a very intimate look at the operation here. They gave us better access than a lot of the press get and I think I met four astronauts so far. ...

Indy Transponder 20-JUN-2011 1030z

Airbus pulls damaged A380 out of flying display at Paris Air Show  from PhotoBlog | The damaged right-hand wing-tip of an Airbus A380, the world's largest jetliner with a wingspan of almost 80 meters, is seen on the tarmac on the eve of the opening of the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, near Paris, June 19. Airbus said on Sunday it was pulling one of its flagship double-decker A380s out of a flying display at the Paris Air Show, compounding a series of embarrassing hiccups for the EADS unit at this year's big-ticket industry event…

Racing Aces flying high again: Belton woman part of 2011 Air Race Classic team - Temple Daily Telegram | Victoria Holt, back, and Dianna Stanger take a practice flight in the Aviat Husky they will be racing starting Tuesday in the 2011 Air Race Classic. Courtesy photo On Tuesday, 50 teams of women with their heads in the clouds and ...

Florida Tech competes in air race - Florida Today | Florida Tech student Safiye Ademoglu, left, and instructor Victoria Dunbar will be flying in the Air Race Classic in a Cessna 172. / Michael R. Brown, FLORIDA TODAY New student pilot Safiye Ademoglu has about 60 flight hours all accumulated in Florida, ...

Always reaching higher: Barb Goodwin, 76, of Kalamazoo, competing in ninth ... - Kalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com | Goodwin, 76, will be competing in the Air Race Classic Tuesday through Friday. KALAMAZOO — For many, retirement is a time for leisurely activities. The same can be said for Barb Goodwin — except her idea of relaxation is to take to the skies. ...

Sunday June 19  from Air Race Classic 2011 by Jo Alcorn and Michelle Bostick - It was time for the first mandatory briefing.  Roll call first, then welcoming comments from the President, Marolyn Wilson (center), followed by presentations from Gretchen Jahn (left) and Denise Waters (right), both ARC Directors.  It was an attentive group.....

Happy Father’s Day!  from Air Race Classic by ejackson | First and foremost we want to say Happy Father’s Day to our amazing daddys ..Gary Price and Dewey Murdock! We love you and thank-you for the love and support all our lives!  Today has been another busy day of race prep. We started off first thing this morning with our first “all-racer’s” briefing…

Doug Matthew’s F4U-4  from Moose Peterson Aviation Photography | PRS in Reno this past week saw an amazing collection of planes, especially warbirds and one of the highlights was Doug Mattew’s F4U-4 Corsair. Fresh from the paint shop, it’s in gorgeous condition. It has gone through this past fall an extensive fitting of guns, missiles and tanks in preparation for Oshkosh in a couple of weeks (not here because of the races). The F4U-4 was at PRS for a number of reasons… 

YouTube - Women in aviation: Molly Rose ATA ferry pilot of Spitfire aircraft  - Flightglobal chatted with Spitfire first officer Molly Rose at an RAeS seminar. She talks about how she learned to fly at a young age, being accepted by her male colleagues, ferrying Spitfires and twin-engined bombers during WW2…

What Did You Do This Weekend?  from VAF Forums by chrispratt:

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has created two new $5,000 scholarships, the AOPA Flight Training Scholarship and the Erral Lea Plymate Memorial Scholarship, which will help two student pilots pursue an FAA Sport, Recreational, or Private Pilot certificate. Continue Reading »

Travel Air 12Q/W, G-AAOK – a fine aircraft, just built at the wrong time  from Shortfinals's Blog | You would think that an aircraft company founded by Clyde Cessna (1879 – 1954), Lloyd Stearman (1898 – 1975) and Walter Beech (1891 – 1950) – all later to become giants of the aviation world – could not fail. You would be wrong. These three founded the Travel Air Manufacturing Company in 1925,  to manufacture training and touring aircraft, just before the Great Depression hit. Despite some success in the air racing world and a few sales to private owners, the company failed in 1929 and the rights to the Travel Air designs were taken over by the Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Corporation Inc…

An aviation legacy - EAA Biplane, G-AVZW  by shortfinals …The EAA has, over the years, issued a series of plans for aircraft of their own design, one of which was the EAA Biplane. Paul Proberezny asked Jim Stewart of the Allison Engine Company to lead a team of engineers in the design of the EAA Biplane, an aircraft which turned out to be rated at +6g/-6g and capable of taking a range of engines anywhere from 85 to 150 hp. The aircraft was unusual in that despite having enough power to have two seats fitted, it was always intended to be a single-seater; this restricted the potential market, somewhat. Never the less, over 130 sets of plans were sold (at $20 a set), and at least 88 aircraft were completed and flown in the USA…

Julien Achard (BonjourBluesky’s co-founder), ready for...  exit at Skydive Maubeuge - Photographer : Nicolas GLOTIN (thanks Nico for sharing!):

NASA | ART 50 Years of Exploration – SpacePod 2011.06.20  from Spacevidcast by Tim Bailey - A traveling art exhibition featuring 73 works by some of America’s leading artists has been organized by the Smithsonian Institution to honor NASA’s 50th birthday.  “NASA | ART” opened Oct. 25 at the Art League of Bonita Springs in Bonita Springs, Fla. The exhibition remained there until Jan. 19, 2009, then travel to 10 other museums through 2011. The show was put together by NASA and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, in cooperation with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum…

Indy Transponder 16-JUN-2011 1030z

Early results show drop in Rockford Airfest attendance - Rockford Register Star | Spectators watch the US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team during Rockford AirFest on Sunday, June 5, 2011, at the Chicago Rockford International Airport. By Brian Leaf ROCKFORD — Some 60000 people attended Rockford AirFest 2011 at Chicago Rockford ...

Airshow to take flight Saturday - Denton Record Chronicle | The biggest difference at the Denton Airshow this year is the addition of modern military aircraft demonstrations, made possible by a 1000-foot addition to Denton Airport's runway. “The [military] aircraft are heavy ...

Everything in order for Purdue pair in Air Race Classic - Journal and Courier | She and pilot Allison Springer leave today for Iowa to prepare for the Air Race Classic. / (By Jordan Kartholl/ Journal & Courier) After attaching decals to the right side of the airplane on Wednesday, Purdue University's air race duo opened the door ...

Purdue women air racers ready for Classic event - Media Newswire | WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University students Allison Springer and Chantel Steele will participate in the 34th annual Air Race Classic all women's transcontinental air race from June 21-24. (Media-Newswire.com) - WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue ...

RV's and Rockets at 2011 Reno Pylon Racing Seminar!  from VAF Forums by rvmills | This week is the 2011 Reno Air Racing Association Pylon Racing Seminar (PRS), and there are 4 RVs and 2 Rockets participating! I thought I'd blog a little here this week, to try and give our VAF family a taste of what its like to turn props on the biggest Air Racing Stage in the World!  PRS is where pilots earn the qualification to run in the big show in September. Pilots that have raced in the last 3 years or have completed PRS in the past 2 years do not need to complete PRS to compete in September. However, if you do not meet those criterion, you must complete PRS to race in the show…

UARC Air Racing Program Shuffles Team Roster, Dumps Controversial Pilot  from Aero-News Network | Event Spokesman Confirms FAA Race Approvals Still Under Way... BUT NOT YET GRANTED In a story broken last week by ANN and earning extensive concern and attention from the airshow and air racing community, we have confirmed that UARC (Ultimate Air Race Challenge) has eliminated controversial Pilot David Riggs from its program. First described as "Mixed Martial Arts with Airplanes," it appears that the fledgling race program is reshuffling its pilot roster in order to present a more conservative profile to an industry wary of controversy and the potential of bad press…

KPAE Paine Field: FHC's Fw 190 Debut Saturday, June 18 from kpae.blogspot.com | Earlier this spring the Flying Heritage Collection finished restoration of the world’s only original flying condition German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5, now on display inside the collection’s hangar facility located at Paine Field in Everett, Wash.  After carefully rebuilding the aircraft, the Flying Heritage Collection will debut the workhorse German fighter plane this Saturday in a free-to-the-public Fly Day event…

Veteran lamented role in WWII's end - Tulsa World | aviator Ben West: The Sapulpa native flew 35 combat missions as a B-29 navigator-bombardier during World War II. He delivered warnings of an atomic bomb attack and regretted the loss of civilian life but was glad to help end the fighting. ...

Cheraw Airport hosts breakfast fly-in - Cheraw Chronicle | The rest of the Fly-In participants flew mostly Mooneys, Cessnas and Pipers of various models and years. The South Carolina Breakfast Club was founded in 1938 and has continued every two weeks since then. Sometimes the turn-out is dismal if the weather ...

The 6th FAI Women’s World Gliding Championships has started !  from Fédération Aéronautique Internationale - FAI - by fca | The 6th FAI Women’s World Gliding Championships started yesterday in Sweden. 47 pilots from 12 Countries are at the airfield of Arboga, enjoying warm hospitality and beautiful landscapes, to select the best gliding lady in three classes, Club, Standard and 15m...

Booklist: Callsign Revlon  from You Fly, Girl by Cathy Gale | Call Sign Revlon: The Life and Death of Navy Fighter Pilot Kara Hultgreen, by Sally Spears - In October 1994 Navy Lt. Kara Hultgreen died when her F-14 fighter jet crashed into the ocean during an attempt to land aboard an aircraft carrier. As the first woman to fly the high-powered Tomcat in a fighter squadron, Hultgreen was already a visible figure in the debate over whether women should serve in combat, and her death only intensified that debate. After her crash, sources within the Navy released documents to show that Hultgreen was an unqualified pilot who got through training because she was a woman…

Winged acquisitions:Chico Air Museum to attempt cross country transport of F-15 - Enterprise-Record | CHICO — The rich aviation history of Chico began in 1913 when 16-year-old Thaddeus Kerns built and flew a small plane in south Chico. It continued through the 1940s and 1950s when Chico Army Airfield was the training ground for thousands of military ...

ATP ATMONAUTI AIRSHOW (thank you Marco Tiezzi!)  from Bonjour BlueSky :

Solar flight hopes to pave way - Sky News Australia | So of course, the aeroplanes will make some evolution, it will not always stay so big, so light, so sensitive to the weather, but this is a first step, now we are showing that an aeroplane with zero fuel, just on solar power, can fly day and night with ...

Balloon fest is next week - Tualatin Times | As always, the sky will be dotted with brightly colored hot air balloons in the early morning hours, but Saturday evening the 2011 Twilight 5k race will bring a new time (and a new name) to the Bridging the Gap 5k/10k run. The race has been renamed and ...

Indy Transponder 15-JUN-2011 1030z

It’s That Time Again – PRS  from Moose Peterson Aviation Photography - The venerable, reliable and historic T-6 Texan is one of the highlights of PRS, Pylon Race Seminar that occurs each June. PRS is where aircraft and pilots who are new, requalifying or just getting in course time come to get ready for the Reno Air Races in Sept. Held at Stead airport, PRS is a four day event where all classes of racers are on the course. At the same time a select group of photographers are permitted on the course to photograph the racers…

Thousands expected at Hamilton air show this weekend - Stoney Creek News | Gates open at 9 am for static displays and the air show is slated to begin at 2 pm and run as long as two-and-a-half hours. The museum has brought back the Father's Day weekend air show after a 10-year absence. While he has more than 24000 hours of ...

Two B-17 Flying Fortresses chase each other through the skies...  from You like airplanes, too? | Two B-17 Flying Fortresses chase each other through the skies over 2008 Flying Legends Airshow. The lead aircraft is “Liberty Belle” which was sadly lost June 13, 2011 after a forced landing (and subsequent fire) in a corn field. Happily, all crew and passengers were unharmed and able to exit the plane safely. Photo by Pete. Full version here.

Smoke and flames at airport - Bundaberg NewsMail | But at the end of the day no-one was really injured as organisers of the Wide Bay Australia International Airshow ran through a series of emergency scenarios. They were making sure their systems were in place to deal with anything that happens at the ...

Air Force Armament Museum — a place to see things that fly and go BOOM!  from Travel for Aircraft | The Air Force Armament Museum is not really near anything or along the way to anywhere unless you are on US 98 going through the panhandle near Pensacola. That being said, though, it is easy to get to from either US 98 or I-10, and the panhandle possesses Florida’s most spectacular sand dunes and brilliantly white quartz sand beaches. It is adjacent to Eglin Air Force Base, requires no base access, has free parking as well as entry but no eating facility nor is there one close by — and it is worth the trip as fits a national museum…

Booklist: Wings Around the World  from You Fly, Girl by Cathy Gale | WINGS AROUND THE WORLD: The Exhilarating Story of one Woman's Epic Flight from the North Pole to Antarctica, by Polly Vacher - Polly Vacher wanted to become the first pilot to complete a solo flight around the world via both Poles in a single-engine aircraft. Her 60,000 mile voyage would take her to every continent. She prepared meticulously for two years and had garnered multifarious sponsors…

Local group offers aviation experience for youth - Carroll County Comet | The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 256 will host a Young Eagles Flight Rally at the Delphi Municipal Airport for youth ages 14-17, June 18, beginning at 9 am The rally is intended to create interest in aviation for young people. ...

Indy Transponder 02-JUL-10 1030z

Air Show Provides Fun For All – WLNS | If you're looking for a fun way to spend the 4th of July weekend, you can always head over to Battle Creek for the annual "field of flight air show" and ...

Two Chances To Fly With The Thunderbirds – Avweb | Two Chances To Fly With The Thunderbirds The US Air Force Thunderbirds have been offering flights to special ...

Weather gives lift to Day 1 - Battle Creek Enquirer | On the first day of the 2010 Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival, several aircraft, including the US Air Force F-22 Raptor, ...

Fair St. Louis information, Air Show returning this year – KSDK | Air show times are Saturday at noon and Sunday, July 4th at 10:45 am and 5:15 pm. Fair St. Louis kicks off Saturday with the Veiled Prophet parade at ten. ...

Snowbirds to Fly in Gatineau - Ottawa Start | Summary: Vintage Wings of Canada (VWoC) proudly welcomes the highly acclaimed Canadian Forces Snowbirds to their summer Open House and pays tribute to the ...

Annual fundraiser air show set for Saturday - Malakoff News | The 7th Annual Thunder over Cedar Creek Lake Air Show will be held July 3 featuring military aviation. Performances will include the US Air Force B1 Bomber, ...

Waddington Air Show organisers gear up for hot weather and huge crowds - Lincolnshire Echo | MORE than 140000 visitors are expected to flock to the county's largest air show this weekend. Organisers say they are gearing up for hot weather and huge ...

Fence Check | Aviation Photography from http://www.fencecheck.com/ It's an event filled weekend – Wow! Look at all the aerotainment events we can go to THIS WEEKEND! Enjoy your Fourth of July! - The staff at the Indy Transponder.

7/02/10 |	Vintage Fly and Air Display 2010
7/02/10 |	South Swedish Vintage Fly-in 2010
7/02/10 |	Independence Day Airshow 2010
7/03/10 |	Celebrate St Louis Airshow 2010
7/03/10 |	Kokomo Wings & Wheels 2010
7/03/10 |	Battle Creek Field Of Flight 2010
7/03/10 |	Dubuque Air Show & Fireworks 2010
7/03/10 |	National Cherry Festival Airshow 2010
7/03/10 |	RAF Waddington International Air Show 2010
7/03/10 |	Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake 2010
7/03/10 |	London City Airport Fun Day 2010
7/03/10 |	BAF Open Days 2010
7/03/10 |	Westflug-Festival 2010
7/03/10 |	Engiadina Classics 2010
7/03/10 |	American Barnstormers Tour 2010
7/03/10 |	Welzow Fly Days 2010
7/03/10 |	Air Bremerhaven 2010
7/04/10 |	Tacoma Freedom Fair Air Show 2010
7/04/10 |	American Air Display 2010
7/04/10 |	Meeting Aérien GAM-SAT Valence 2010
7/04/10 |	I Love America 2010
7/04/10 |	Meeting Aérien Niort 2010
7/04/10 |	Vintage Wings Canadian Forces Appreciation Day 2010
7/04/10 |	Capo d`Orlando Airshow 2010
7/04/10 |	Red, White, & Boom 2010

 

The Pylon Place  Speed, Angels and Rookies by Dasher | Pylon Racing Seminar took place in the Northern Nevada Desert around the middle of June. The attendance was higher than expected with lots of Rookies wanting to join the ranks of Air Racers. I will do a quick rundown of who, what and where in this month's column and expand on it once the attendee lists are out for the races.  Everything is a moving target at Reno, except the pylons, of course. So be patient and expect late breaking news – as it always happens. Today, let's talk about the Rookies…

Air race, primary, role model - Southeast Missourian | The 34th Annual All Female Air Race Classic finished in Maryland last Friday. Beverly Cleair of Cape Girardeau (who might be the best female ...

Pilot Angelina Jolie likes to fly low with Shiloh as her passenger - Angelina Jolie gave her daughter Shiloh a high flying thrill ride in LA on Tuesday when she took her along on a flight lesson. She was in the pilot's seat, an instructor by her side, while the four-year-old was strapped into a safety seat in the back of the tiny plane. It has been reported that Angelina, 35, who received her pilot's license in 2005, has already promised Shiloh lessons of her own.

'The Aviators': Must-see TV from General Aviation News by Meg Godlewski | One of the major complaints pilots have about television shows depicting aviation is that they often get it wrong. In Hollywood, airplane engines suddenly quit with alarming frequency and pilots attempt to fix the problem by holding the stick full aft until impact. Don't you wish for a TV show made for aviators by aviators? Introducing "The Aviators," a Canadian-based program slated to premiere on Public Broadcasting Stations in Canada and the United States in September. "The show is essentially a magazine show of aviation stories," explained Anthony Nalli, executive producer. "We like to say that it is for anyone who has ever gazed skywards."

Spins with Barry from Aviation - I have a really cool Air Force ride coming up in California in a couple of weeks. Think helmet, mask, and speed jeans. (Yeah!) And, although I've filmed other people doing aerobatics a lot lately, I haven't flown a lot of aerobatics. Out of respect for the crew chief (and personal pride), I decided to get up and crank an airplane around for an hour or so…

Flying With Hurricane Hunters To Alex - WKRG-TV | I have actually wing-walked on the top of a bi-plane, and strapped in with the Blue Angels. I've jumped out of an airplane. ...

Wings Of Freedom To Return To Kansas With WWII Aircraft from Aero-News Network | Liberator, Mustang, And Flying Fortress Will Visit In July A sight seldom seen since the 1940's, the Wings of Freedom tour is scheduled to stop Salina with circa WWII aircraft including the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Nine O Nine" Heavy Bomber, Consolidated B-24 Liberator "Witchcraft" Heavy Bomber and P-51 Mustang, July 12 to 14.

Flying in a B-17 – cincinnatidotcom | Experience a ride in Liberty Belle, a WWII B-17 bomber at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati Ohio. For more information go to ...

It Makes Marines Want To Puke - Strategy Page | Back in the later 1930 when tha Boeing B-17A bomber first came out (Not the actual B-17 used during WWII by the way), they tried to "up gun" the Bomber by ...

Admire community upset about stolen WWII veterans memorial - KTKA.com | The Army Air Force pilot was shot down in his B-17 bomber during World War II. His nephew Earl Lyddane says, "The people thought enough of him that they ...

What Pilots Fly: A new book by Sue Hughes of PowderPuff Pilot from You Fly, Girl by Cathy Gale | Author/CFI Sue Hughes has just released her third "Claire Bear" book, giving young girls a glimpse of What Pilots Fly. See Sue at Oshkosh, in the Authors' Corner, too! http://powderpuffpilot.com | Powder Puff Pilot Debuts New Picture Book for Aspiring Aviators - Third Title in the Claire Bear Series | June 29, 2010 – Aurora, Colorado – Aurora publisher Powder Puff Pilot announced the debut of their third aviation book for children, Claire Bear Explains… What Pilots Fly. Like the first two picture books in the series, it stars Claire Bear, a pinkclad aerobatic performer and mentor for aspiring young pilots. The series is the brainchild of Sue Hughes, a pilot since 1996 and a current flight instructor and aviation technical writer, with the goal of introducing the thrills and excitement of aviation to a new generation…

'Screamin Eagle' lands in Santa Fe from General Aviation News by Janice Wood | Bob Talarczyk of Santa Fe, N.M., sent us these photos of a recent stop of "Screamin Eagle" at Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF) and a brief report: John Kokshoorn of Gold Coast, Australia, dropped by the Santa Fe Municipal Airport on his way to Reno, Nevada, to get some training with Larry Salganek of Jet Wardbird Training Center. Kokshoorn arrived in his newly refurbished Czechoslovakian L-29, named "Screamin Eagle," purchased from the Romanian Air Force, Squadron 54, through Dave Cannavo of Aero Enterprises, which is based in New Castle, Delaware.

Native American teen reaches for the sky from Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Blog by Greg | Those who read my February AOPA Flight Training column, Navajo Pilot, about young Tyler Allen of Window Rock, Arizona, will appreciate the the wonderful EAA News article that appeared online today regarding his attendance at EAA Air Academy camp. Read Ric Reynolds's inspiring article, Native American Teen Reaches for the Sky. Good goin' Tyler!

Dodge Roadside Bombs in a — Wait For It — Flying Car from Wired: Danger Room by Spencer Ackerman | Big military problem: Unfriendly forces hide bombs in the roads of Afghanistan, Iraq and, inevitably, future war zones. What to do about it? Well, obviously: Hit a button on the back of a steering wheel and vertically lift your vehicle off the road, into the sky, and out of the range of an improvised explosive device. Why didn't the big brains at the Pentagon's anti-roadside bomb squad think of that?...

Global Hawk to Demonstrate Autonomous Aerial Refueling from Flightglobal Events | Northrop Grumman will work to demonstrate unmanned air vehicle to unmanned air vehicle refuelling with two RQ-4 Global Hawks under a $33 million deal with...

CoolPix - Modern Military: V-22 Osprey Will Stir Air At Oshkosh 2010! by Martt | Yep, here's another CoolPix with the Bell-Boeing V-22 already... but technically it's actually the Air Force version known as the CV-22. Oh, wait, the other one is the CV-22 version too. Oh well, the bottom line: both this and the previous Osprey CoolPix are off-the-scale fantastic! (If you don't say 'wow' when you click the above pic, there may be something wrong with you!)…

Rockets fly at competition - Aurora Beacon News | Eyes were wide open in wonderment last weekend at the Great Lakes Cup 2010 Rocketry Competition and Expo, held in a vacant field off Orchard Road in Oswego. ...

Light a Rocket off for 99¢ from Rocket Racing League Games by smitty | Rocket Racing League will be on sale for 99¢ in the App Store July 2nd through July 6th! - A new Multiplayer Mode and (2) additional Locations will be released soon. Light off a Rocket on this 4th of July!!! Download: Rocket Racing League for iPhone & iPod Touch

Chino, Madera and PRS Preview

Planes of Fame Does it Again

by Marilyn Dash
The Planes of Fame Airshow gets better every year. Each year we turn to each other at the end and say, “That was the best ever, how will they ever outdo THAT!” But, the following year, they do.

This year was the salute to “The Greatest Generation” and it was quite a salute. Jonna Doolittle Hoppes led panel discussions with the following veterans: Maj. General John "Johnny" Alison (the 'father' of Air Force Special Operations, WWII ace, and Korean War veteran); Clarence "Bud" Anderson (P-51 'Old Crow' triple ace in WWII); Col. John Doolittle (WWII and Korean War veteran); Bill Holloman (Tuskegee Airman P-51 pilot); Huie Lamb (P-47 and P-51 pilot); Wilbur Richardson (B-17 ball turret gunner, Purple Heart recipient); William "Bill" Spengler (P-51 "Buzzin Cuzzin"). This panel discussion was broadcast over the speaker system while many of the visitors walked the Airshow grounds to see the aircraft.

Then, sixteen P-51 Mustangs took to the air to open the show. There are people in this world who have never seen a P-51, nor seen one fly. And we were treated to the sight and sound of 16 of them singing to us from the air.

Later the Horsemen did their three-ship Mustang formation aerobatic sequence. Their act is a show stopper and truly breathtaking! The way Jim Beasley leads Ed Shipley and Dan Freidkin through the routine, the closeness, the precision and the gracefulness is wonderful.


Credit: Jason Fisher
Caption: Mustangs and more Mustangs

A first for me was seeing the N9BM, more commonly known as the Northrop Flying Wing, take to the skies.

A little history lesson… In the early 1940’s Northrop Aircraft built four 1/3 scale N-9M flying wing prototypes to prove the feasibility of the YB-35 long range bomber. Once the YB-35 program was canceled, every N-9M test model was scrapped – except the final N-9MB which sat out in the Edwards Air Force Base boneyard until Ed Maloney, founder of the Planes of Fame Museum, “liberated” it.


Credit: Victor Archer
Caption: Northrop Flying Wing – the only one in the world

Ron Hackworth then led a 13 year reconstruction of the mostly wood aircraft. In April 2006, the N-9MB suffered an in-flight engine fire. The aircraft was landed safely with limited damage. Donations to the museum were solicited for its repair and the aircraft has been fully repaired. Hackworth piloted the N-9MB for the Airshow. “I've never flown it anywhere where the reaction was anything less than complete amazement,” he says.

It takes over 250 PoF volunteers and the sponsorship of the County of San Bernardino and the vision of Ed Maloney to make this show work each year. A record number of attendees, over 40,000, enjoyed the aviation history, inspirational and educational experience.



Credit: Victor Archer
Caption: Incredible Aerobatics were also on the schedule at Chino

Please visit the Planes of Fame Museum and consider making it to the Airshow next year.

Madera Returns for Year 2

Madera did it again. They are creating a whole new tradition for Warbirds over Central California. Joe Conway and his volunteers and sponsors put on a wonderful show, with A10s and F18s Demos and four B-25s in the sky. It was a terrific show.
And, for the second time in two weeks, we were entertained by Clay Lacy doing an aerobatic sequence in his Lear 24. No kidding – I’m serious! It was a very enjoyable show. Clay is still an innovator in aviation and I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve next.


Credit: Mike Brewer
Caption: Clay Lacy in his Lear 24

I am thrilled that the show is continuing and growing with another record crowd for Madera. Good luck to all and let’s hope it grows bigger and better every year.

The Pylon Racing Seminar Preview

Yes, PRS is right around the corner. And with that, the phone calls begin. Who will at Reno in September, and who will be a no-show? This is the beginning of Silly Season.

The good news is we have Rookies. The latest count is five students in F1, one returning and four new. And a fan favorite aircraft is said to be returning.
The Biplanes have six rookies. This is the largest class we’ve had in years and a great sign for our division.

The Jet class has five students, including some jets you may never have seen before. Iskra, Provost and Paris Jet are all scheduled to be there.

We have one student in T-6, and four in the Sport Class. The Sport Class will likely have a Diesel Powered entry and possibly a Subaru Powered entry as well come September.

We currently have four Rookies in Unlimited and lots of returning aircraft that will make the fans very happy. I don’t want to jinx it and tell you what the excitement is all about, but suffice it to say – if things go as expected the fans will be thrilled with the line-up for September.

I’ll be headed to PRS and will report back here next month. Until then..

Fly Low, Fly Fast and Turn Left.

Marilyn Dash
Ruby Red Racing

Indy Transponder 27-JUN-09 0515z

The Horten 229 Flying Wing - Updated HITLER'S STEALTH FIGHTER - Indy Transponder
Show airs on TV Sunday night!

Horten Ho 229 Spirit of Thuringia: The Horten All-Wing Jet Fighter - available at Amazon

National Guard Airshow Ready to Fly - WLNE-TV (ABC6)
All the action will be found skyward with the Quonset Airshow coming up this weekend. ABC6 Meteorologist Steve Cascione has more. ...

2009 RI National Guard - Providence Eyewitness News
Two jet-fighter-performance teams will be headlining this year's Rhode Island National Guard Air Show: the world-famous US Navy's Blue Angels, ...

Valle to host vintage warplanes - Arizona Republic
"The B-25 will be coming, and there will be a couple P-51 Mustangs and also a rare treat, the P-38s are supposed to be here," said Bob Reed, director and ...

B-Mets Front Office Staff Member Takes Flight Blue Angels - BMets.com
The Blue Angels are the US Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron. A Blue Angels flight demonstration exhibits choreographed refinements of skills possessed ...

Tattoo - All systems go - Edwards Air Force Base
... Air Force Band of Flight, active-duty and heritage aircraft flyovers, medal presentations and a musical performance by country music star Aaron Tippin. ...

Air Force Staging Freedom's Call Tattoo - WHIO Radio
Patrons will be wowed by military aircraft flyovers...entertainment by country music artist Aaron Tippin and an incredible fireworks show. ...

Record crowds at Margate's Big Event - Yourthanet
Tens of thousands of people made their way to Palm Bay near Cliftonville and watched aerial displays from the likes of the Red Arrows. ...

Red Arrows pilot flies past daughter's school - Grimsby Telegraph
Ellie Heaton, seven, of Grimsby, watched the skies with classmates at South Parade Primary School as her dad flew with the legendary Red Arrows overhead. ...

Red Arrows mark end for Delaval Middle School - ChronicleLive
The pupils at Delaval Middle School, in Blyth, Northumberland, looked on in awe as the Red Arrows performed a stunning flyby. The event, which took place ...

Snowbirds to Perform at St. John's Air Show - VOCM
The Snowbirds will take to the skies over St John's come August. The Canadian Air Force CF-18 Demonstration Team will perform at the 2009 Air Show at St. ...

Snowbirds show begs question: What else is possible? - Orillia Packet & Times
Kudos to the Community Foundation of Orillia and Area for pulling off an event like the Snowbirds air show that amazed thousands of spectators Wednesday ...

Yorkshire Air Show Centenary Education Event Takes Off!! - Beverley Guardian
The launch of the Centenary Event of Britain's First Air Show has really taken off with a staggering response from schools across the whole Yorkshire region.

Old Buckenham Air Show this Sunday - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press
Back for another year at the airfield, the Old Buckenham Air Show on Sunday features the stirring sights and sounds of the Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, P51 Mustang, Boeing Stearman display, ...

(GEN) TURKISH AEROBATIC TEAM PERFORMS IN AUSTRIA - Turk.Net
The Turkish Stars, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Turkish Air Forces, made a half-hour show in Zeltweg, Austria during the international Airpower09 ...

BIGGIN HILL: International air fair set for take off at airport - News Shopper
The International Air Fair will entertain the crowds tomorrow (June 27) and Sunday (June 28) when Spitfires, Vulcan bombers and the Red Arrows take off from ...

Motorists pointed to best route for Quonset air show - Providence Journal
... of Transportation is reminding motorists that they should take the new Route 403 highway to this weekend's RI National Guard Open House and Air Show. ...

Family fun at the fete - Rutland and Stamford Mercury
The fete, organised by The Friends of Bourne Westfield, includes attractions and activities for all the family such as football shoot-out, and a flypast by ...

The best midsummer fair yet - Rutland and Stamford Mercury
A Spitfire flypast roared overhead, while visitors enjoyed different ales, tasty treats and various shows – including a fun dog event, a model boats display ...

Fly-past features at event - TeleText
... Hall and Park this weekend for the celebrations. The celebrations include a fly-past, infantry displays and a free fall display by a sky-diving team.

Collingwood airspace a-buzz with historic planes - Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin
On top of that our fabulous formation flying and aerobatic specialists, the Snowbirds, were scheduled to do a Collingwood flypast some time the next day. ...

Honduras airshow aids local hospital from AF.mil Photos
Honduras airshow aids local hospital
Master Sgt. Bryan Spangler signs an autograph for a Honduran boy June 20 at San Pedro Sula, Honduras. More than 30 Airmen participated at the international airshow. The more than $35,000 proceeds from the show will help build a children's intensive care unit at a local hospital. Sergeant Spangler is a Viper East F-16 Demonstration Team team chief.

Pylon Racing School from aroundthepattern.com by Tracy
Last week the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) conducted it's 2009 Pylon Racing School (PRS) at Reno-Stead Airport, Reno, NV. There are three situations that require a pilot a pilot to attend PRS. Photo courtesy of Ron Klutts (@Captain_Ron). First, if a pilot has never raced in the National Championship Air Races he or she would have to receive their race certification by graduating from the PRS course. Second, even if a pilot is certified to race in a given class of aircraft, if he or she decided to race in a different class of aircraft they must go through the course again in that new aircraft class. An example would be a pilot who is certified to race in the Biplane Class and decides to race a Sport Class aircraft. Photo courtesy of Ron Klutts (@Captain_Ron).And lastly, even if a pilot has been certified to race in a particular class in the past, if they have not raced in the previous three years, they must attend PRS and be re-certified to race again. You can find more information about signing up to attend PRS at the Reno Air Racing Association website. ...

Red Bull Air Race Pilots At AirPower 09 from Red Bull Red Bull Air Race Feed
ZELTWEG, Austria - Four Red Bull Air Race pilots arrived in Zeltweg Styria, Austria, at the AirPower09. Current World Champion Hannes Arch, Alejandro Maclean, rookie Matthias Dolderer and Peter Besenyei will perform a Red ..

Bob Hoover - FU Hero - from Fighter Pilot University
Bob Hoover. Remember when Gordo Cooper in "The Right Stuff" would pose the question, "Who's the greatest pilot you ever saw?" I don't think that most fighter pilots I know would argue the fact that Bob Hoover is one of the greatest pilots of all time.
Bob Hoover learned to fly at Nashville's Berry Field while working at a local grocery store to pay for the flight training. He enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard and was sent for pilot training with the Army Air Corps. During WW 2, he was assigned to the Spitfire-equipped 52nd Fighter Group in Sicily. In 1944, on his 59th mission, his malfunctioning Mark V Spitfire was shot down by a Fw 190 off the coast of Southern France and he was taken prisoner. He spent 16 months at the German prison camp Stalag Luft 1 in Barth, Germany. ...

Mort Crim to fly LSA 7,400 miles around US this summer for 74th birthday. by EAAupdate (Dick Knapinski)

Planes in his veins: 10-year-old aircraft enthusiast enjoys giving ... - In-Forum
Listening to Braden Hagen describe the planes at the Fargo Air Museum might lead one to believe the tour guide once flew them.

Pilots giving free plane rides in Richland to youths Saturday Mid Columbia Tri City Herald
It's part of a national program called the Young Eagles, Williams explained. The joy of aviation needs to be shared, said Williams who owns a Cessna 172 and ...

Teens Attending Youth Leadership Program in New York Visit ... - PR Web (press release)
... got a surprise last week when they received an invitation to visit CBS The Early Show, broadcast from the deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. ...

Radio-controlled aircraft swoop into Empire - Traverse City Record Eagle, MI
Show highlights include world class, competition-level aerobatics helicopter pilots, and a miniature turbine-powered jet that will fly across the flight line at close to 200 miles per hour. Traverse City resident Nick Harwood has flown helicopters for ...

WK2 at Oshkosh and details about future testing from RLV and Space Transport News
As announced a few months ago, WhiteKnight Two Eve will be on public exhibit at the Oshkosh Air Show this July 27-Aug.2. Rob Coppinger says that following this event we can expect to hear more information about Scaled's plans for WK2 testing: More WhiteKnight Two testing details after Oshkosh - Spaceflight. I would also expect that Burt Rutan will talk about plans regarding the whole WK2/SS2 project in his presentation at the show.

Solar Powered Airplane from Neptunus Lex
A Swiss team believes that they may be ready to fly a solar powered plane around the world by 2012:
Dr Piccard, who made history in 1999 by circling the globe non-stop in a balloon, says he wants to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies…
The flight would be a risky endeavour. Only now is solar and battery technology becoming mature enough to sustain flight through the night – and then only in unmanned planes.
Don't expect him to make it in one hop, though – the plane will only make good 25 knots over the ground, meaning a circumnavigation could take as long as 25 days.
A cool idea, with very little in the way of practical application – at least for the now.

Solar Impulse Is Revealed - from AVwebFlash Current Issue
An aircraft was unveiled Friday in Switzerland that aims to take off with one pilot aboard and fly day and night propelled only by solar energy, flying around the world without expending any fuel or expelling any pollution. The team led by Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg believes the goal is unachievable "without pushing back the current technological limits in all fields." The craft measures 61 meters in span and will carry aloft about 3300 lbs of aircraft and 12,000 photovoltaic cells. There are more efficient options, but the 130 micron monocrystalline silicon solar cells were chosen for their combination of light weight and efficiency. The cells are dispersed over 200 square meters of surface area as part of a 12 percent efficient propulsion chain designed to deliver about eight horsepower from four motors. ...

Video: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 vs Blue Angel F/A-18 - FastestCar.com from Patrick
This time the ZR1 is not going against another supercar, but an F/A-18 Hornet from the Blue Angels squad. Corvette ZR1 has 638 horsepower and sprints from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.3 seconds and has a top speed of 205+ mph (330 km/h). ...

Eurofighter Typhoon from FenceCheck Forums
Video previewing the RI Air National Guard air show this weekend: I love my job by prcotter (prcotter)
Tinker Airmen make mark in 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' from AF.mil Photos
Iowa - Quad City Airshow 2009 - Davenport - 06/20/09 from FenceCheck Forums