Indy Transponder 24-OCT-2014 1430z

Blue Angels return to headline weekend air show * WJXT Jacksonville | The Navy's daredevil fighter jet pilots, the Blue Angels, are back in town for this weekend's air show in Jacksonville. After canceling most of its shows last year due to federal budget cuts, the Blue Angels return to NAS Jacksonville, where the...
   
3 tough guys test mettle in pre-airshow Blue Angel flights in Jacksonville * Florida Times-Union | The polished blue and gold paint of Blue Angel number 7 glistened in the Florida sunlight Wednesday on the runway at Jacksonville Naval Air Station. Three men, a 58-year-old philanthropist and ex-firefighter from North Carolina, a teacher and football...

Flying with the Thunderbirds was a thrill a minute * Fort Worth Star Telegram | As part of a preview for this weekend's Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, I was chosen to fly in the back seat of an F-16 Fighting Falcon with the Air Force Thunderbirds. I grew up with airplanes. My dad is a commercial airline pilot and owned a much...

Bonham hosts festival of flight air show * KXII-TV | The Blue Skies Parachute team will be dropping in for the opening ceremony, and aerobatic and military planes will put on a show for the crowd. Staci Murden, another organizer said she hope the event will spark the public's interest in flying. "When...

Copiah County Airport Celebrates New Runway With Nov. 1 Fly-In * Aero-News Network | First New Runway Constructed In Mississippi In More Than A Decade The first new runway constructed in more than a decade in the state of Mississippi will be unveiled at a celebratory ribbon cutting and aircraft fly-in at the Copiah County Airport (M11) on Saturday, November 1 at 10 a.m...

Blue Skies and Blue Angels Smile Upon Memphis Airshow * The Aero Experience | Last Friday, October 17, The Aero Experience was in Millington, TN for the 2014 Memphis Air Show rehearsal, (announcer, Danny Clisham corrected me when I referred to it as a practice show).  Photographers were allowed on the show grounds at 10 a.m., and that was the only down side of the day as I made the trip from Bonne Terre at 4 a.m. and arrived at 8 a.m. and had to wait. Once allowed onto the field, there was only an hour to photograph all the great acts participating in this year's show while they were on the ground. The weather was...

World War II airmen fly again in storied B-29 * Monterey County Herald | A B-29 bomber, passes over the shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain as it flies from Baton Rouge, La., en route to New Orleans, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014. The bomber will spend the weekend at the WWII AirPower Expo put on by the Commemorative Air Force and...

Antique Airplane Association Fly-In Part of Northern Midwest Road Trip * The Aero Experience | Fellow The Aero Experience Contributor Fred Harl and I made a Labor Day road trip to Iowa to visit the Mt. Pleasant Thresher Reunion (fascinating but no aircraft!) and the Antique Airplane Association Fly-In at the Airpower Museum near Blakesburg, Iowa.  We spent Friday at the AAA Fly In and later realized we were there for what turned out to be the best day of the weekend.  Weather through lower Iowa was quite wet that week with Thursday seeing over 3" of rain falling on the airfield, not a good thing considering the use of grass runways.  Friday morning provided clear skies and great weather until later in the afternoon when the skies darkened off to the southwest and clouds started crowding into the area...

Timeless Voices - Flora Belle Reece · eaavideo.org | After graduating from high school in May 1942, Flora Belle Reece took flying lessons so she could get the 35 hours necessary to join the WASPs - Women Airforce Service Pilots. She did join the WASPs, graduating with Class 44-W-4.

Museum hosts special programs and events honoring aviation * Kansas.com | Twelve of Beech's air racing trophies will also be on display. The museum hours are are 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and, 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $5 for adults; and $2 for children ages 12 and under. The museum is...

Evolution of Area 51 UNLV Forum by Author T.D. Barnes · tdbarnes | Tuesday, October 21, 2014, Area 51 veteran and author T.D. Barnes presented the Evolution of Area 51 in the UNLV Barrick Museum Auditorium as part of the Fall 2014 Lecture Series sponsored by the UNLV College of Liberal Arts. Barnes’ presentation was well received by a standing room only crowd attending to hear Barnes, Former Executive Director, Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame and long-time president of Roadrunners Internationale, provide a declassified insider’s account of the genesis of the facility within Area 51, it accomplishments and how it became a...

Stunning Hornet Awesomeness! by Tyson Rininger | Hornet Ball 2014 is here! Special thanks to the creativity of Wingnuts! Now sit back and enjoy!

Youngsters fly with the Eagles | News | The Press & Stdnard * Collection Today | Lowcountry Regional Airport Operations Manager Roger Medlin coordinated and hosted the 477 Young Eagles program in which 11 children, ages 8-17, were escorted by six local pilots on a Young Eagles flight on Oct. 11. “The program is about raising...

There's MORE HERE.   Updated frequently.

Indy Transponder 20-SEP-2013 1700z

Steven Hinton wins Reno Gold Number Five in 5…… · Joe Kates, Photorecon.net | September 15th, 2013. Piloting the highly modified P-51 Mustang Race #5 “Voodoo”, Hinton completed all 8 laps of the Breitling Gold race with an average lap time of 07:59.313 and a top speed of 482.074 mph. The win was a bitter sweet moment for team owner Bob Button and crew. After years of chasing Reno Gold this was to be the year the stars aligned for Button and Voodoo. All of us at Photorecon would like to congratulate the Voodoo team on a well-deserved win and for making “Purple the New Red”.

CoolPix: Midnight Miss III Up-Close As She Wins T-6 Gold At Reno 2013 - AirPigz | Way back in the late 60's my dad took me to the Reno Air Races (1967 thru 1970) when I was just a wee lad (born in 1961) and I still have memories of watching the Formula One racers, the Biplanes and the Unlimiteds... but when the T-6's raced in those days I mostly just thought hmmm, those guys are sure noisy and don't really go very fast! Well, now that I'm a lot older and a little wiser, I have more respect for the T-6's and their race efforts...

National Naval Aviation Museum Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary  - Aero-News Network | The Public Is Invited To Visit The Museum, Located In Pensacola, FL, And Join The Celebration | The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation invites the public to visit the Naval Aviation Museum in celebration of its 50th anniversary. The Foundation plans three days of special events and aircraft displays on Oct. 3, 4 and 5, culminating with a black-tie 50th anniversary gala on Saturday, Oct. 5. Visitors are invited to enjoy special 50th anniversary menu at the Cubi Point Café, and shop for limited-edition anniversary items at the Flight Deck Museum Store. The foundation says it is an opportunity to be part of history and celebrate this community treasure, the National Naval Aviation Museum...

New England Air Museum to Host Open Cockpit Day and Great New England RC Swap Meet on October 13th By Warbirds News | The New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, will be holding two special events on Sunday, October 13th; their fall Open Cockpit Day and the Second Annual Great New England RC Swap Meet. Visitors will be allowed to climb in to some of the Museum’s vintage warbirds and see the latest and greatest in radio controlled model aircraft...

Flying The North American Harvard Mk II - Warbirds News | Skipper Hyle ever since he used the hear his grandfather talk about flying from his early days with Eastern Air Lines wanted to own a prop airplane. He instructed for a while, then join the USAF, and now flies for the airlines. Skipper also holds a type rating in the P-51 Mustang which flies regularly with the CAF Dixie Wing...

Hidden Thespian Skytrain - Travel for Aircraft | Though not secret to students and staff of the G-Star School of the Arts there is a Douglas C-47 Skytrain otherwise hidden to most of the world — except through film and production which is the school’s specialty. These images were taken on a Sunday, explaining the absence of people in them, and the solitude allowed for a bit of observation...

Elephant walk turns into ‘Freedom Launch’ · Dominic Perry, Flight Image of the Day This shot of some of its biggest aircraft comes from the US Air Force. It shows a 22-aircraft “freedom launch” on 11 September at Travis AFB in California. It says: “Seven Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs and 11 KC-10 Extenders alongside four Lockheed Martin C-5B Galaxies from the 60th Air Mobility Wing lined up in what is historically referred to as an “elephant walk,” then launched consecutively over 36 minutes to take part in Air Mobility Command missions. The first plane in the lineup, a C-17, launched at 8:46 a.m., the same time terrorists crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City 12 years earlier.”

New Book Cover My Odyssey to Area 51 by Area 51 veteran Barnes · tdbarnes My Odyssey to Area 51 by Area 51 veteran Thornton D. Barnes now enhanced with new book cover and additional photos is now available in paperback and e-book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CreateSpace, Smashwords, iTunes, Kobo, and Sony, both nationally and internationally. Available on Kindle, Nook, iPhones, iPads, computers, and almost all ebook readers.

A Reunion 10 Years In The Making - Aero-News Network | Jetblue Pilot Inspires Student To Seek Career In Aviation | Ten years ago, JetBlue Airways Captain Eric Scott invited a young traveler to visit the cockpit and unknowingly changed this boy's life. Elijah Hedrington was just five years old, traveling to Burlington, VT as part of the Fresh Air Fund. This program provides free summer experiences to New York City children from low-income communities. Elijah's escort happened to be Sheila Donnell, a JetBlue Inflight crewmember who volunteers for the program. On this flight, Sheila introduced Elijah to Capt. Scott. Capt. Scott invited Elijah into the cockpit...

Indy Transponder 26-APR-2013 0245z

Tennessee Hall of Fame inductees announced from General Aviation News | The Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame will hold its 12th Annual Gala & Inductions Ceremony Nov. 9. Four people will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, including Milton “Preacher” Brandon, Lt. Col. Herbert W. “Bill” Powley, Rear Admiral Jimmie W. Taylor, and Montill Warren....

Airshow, Ely-Pusher, Spirit of Freedom to headline Festival of Flight from General Aviation News by Ben Sclair | Suffolk, Va. – “Bob Coolbaugh’s replica of the 1911 Ely-Curtis Pusher which he built and flew around the country for the 2011 100th anniversary of the US Navy will attend,” the May 4-5, 2013 Virginia Regional Festival of Flight as reported by fly-in manager Judy Sparks. And the Berlin Airlift Foundation’s 4-engine C-54E, The Spirit of Freedom, a flying museum of the Berlin Airlift will pay a return visit.”...

Seaplane Adventure | Saturday May 4th | 10AM-3PM | In the early years of aviation, airplane
technology advanced in leaps and bounds-yet airport development lagged behind. Into this void came the seaplane, an aircraft able to fly without need of runways to any destination near an ocean or lake.  By the 1930s seaplanes held...

The show must go on: Pensacola Beach plans July air show, concert without the ... - Pensacola News Journal | The Pensacola Beach July air show will go on without the famous Blue Angel flight demonstration team and with the addition of a free Saturday night concert. W. A. “Buck” Lee, Santa Rosa Island Authority executive director, announced the news during a ...

Six P-38s Scheduled for Chino 2013 from Photorecon by Betsy Murphy | We just got back from the Chino Media Preview for this year. Wow did they drop a bomb on us. Looks like we are going to see (assuming nothing breaks) six P-38s on the field. Five will fly and there will be one static P-38 from the Yank’s Museum at Chino. All the prior reports said they would “only” have....

AIRSHOW NEWS: New Look Tucano Joins Wings & Wheels Line-up from Flightline UK - UK Airshow News | Wings & Wheels is delighted to confirm the RAF Tucano will be showing off its new desert camouflage design in an impressive aerobatic display on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey....

AIRSHOW NEWS: Big cats take over at RAF Cosford Air Show from Flightline UK - UK Airshow News | With a fascinating selection of Jaguars on display, RAF Cosford’s 75th Anniversary Air Show is offering a big cat line-up that will be seen nowhere else this summer.

GoPro: The Wing Walker - YouTube | Join Teresa Stokes as she risks life and limb performing aerial acrobatics for the crowd at the 2012 EAA Airventure Show!

"Air Racers" - The Edwardsville Intelligencer | In 1909, just six years after the Wright Brothers' inaugural flight, a young American named Glenn Curtiss won the very first air race in Reims, France. At that race, Curtiss made history when he completed two laps in 15 minutes with a top speed of 46 mph.

Aussie aviator searches for skeleton in Fiji - Fiji Times | ...The 56-year-old's Fiji layover is to search for the remains of American aviator Amelia Earhart who disappeared over the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937 while attempting to circumnavigate the globe in a Lockheed Electra aircraft....

Death by P-38 By Don Hollway | That Saturday afternoon the "Opium Den"—the smoky, sweltering, ramshackle command bunker at Henderson Field, on Guadalcanal—was packed with Navy and Marine brass hats. Lowly flyboys Captain Thomas Lanphier Jr. and Major John W. Mitchell, commanding officer of the U.S. Army Air Forces' 339th Fighter Squadron, arrived last, but were treated like guests of honor. Mitchell was handed a teletyped radio message marked "Top Secret": a flight schedule for an inspection tour by Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto....

'There and back again' – The 305th AMW story - Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst - McGuire Air Force Base | ...A number of these Airmen were teens who lied about their age in order to enlist. They shipped out to Chelveston with a minimum of training to fly B-17s, planes well-known for being cumbersome. The Americans flew many successful missions, and the 305th BG saw so much success that, in July 1945, the USAAF chose the group to stay behind after the war, move to St. Trond Airfield, Belgium, and execute aerial mapping missions for the Allies....

Luftwaffe colour photos from Let Let Let - Warplanes by Nico | During the Second World War some 1000 photographers were active on all German fronts to make propaganda shots for publication in well-known German magazines like Signal. Also the...

Yankee Air Museum Begins $6 Million Campaign to Make Its Home in the ... - ReadMedia | YPSILANTI, MI - The Yankee Air Museum on Monday evening announced a $6 million campaign to purchase and undertake necessary separation and renovation costs for the area of the former Willow Run Powertrain Plant that ...

FlightTime Radio Show 262 | Today we get to talk to a real Globetrotter, Captain Judy Rice. Judy has flown some legs of a global flight and shortly she will take off in her Cirrus and circle planet!

Combat Air Museum to hold 20th annual celebrity pancake feed - Topeka Capital Journal | Anyone looking to support a Topeka landmark and get all-you-can-eat pancakes at the same time may want to consider attending the 20th annual Combat Air Museum celebrity pancake feed Saturday at Forbes Field. Going from 7 a.m. to noon in hangar ...

EmP – The Nuclear Winter by Thornton D. Barnes from Special Projects by tdbarnes | EmP by Thornton D. Barnes is now available in paperback and ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and CreateSpace. EmP joins Barnes’s autobiography...

Teen and mom learn to fly together from General Aviation News By AMELIA T. REIHELD  | Parents of teenagers, take note: Here is a mother/daughter bonding experience that doesn’t involve shopping for shoes. It all started a year and a half ago, when then-14-year-old Amy White took her first airplane ride ever. It was a Young Eagles flight at Edenton Northeastern Regional Airport (EDE) in North Carolina, and Amy got to ride shotgun with an EAA member from Suffolk, Va. Amy was enthralled, totally sold....

June 8 Marks 20th Annual EAA International Young Eagles Day from EAA - The Experimental Aircraft Association | Thousands of young people will take to the sky in GA aircraft on Saturday, June 8, as EAA volunteers continue a 20-year aviation tradition - International Young Eagles Day.

EAA Chapter 242 Flies 10,000th Young Eagle from EAA - The Experimental Aircraft Association | EAA Chapter 242 of Columbia, South Carolina, marked its 10,000th Young Eagle flown on April 13 at Jim Hamilton L.B. Owens Airport (CUB). The lucky Young Eagle, Luke Williams, flew with chapter member Tom Roberts, EAA 697606, in his homebuilt RV-7A.

Indy Transponder 25-APR-2013 2345z

Auburn-Opelika Air Show takes flight - The Corner News | Supported by the Auburn Opelika Tourism Bureau, Auburn Chamber of Commerce and community sponsors, the air show is the first in Auburn since 1984. Beth Witten, coordinator of the Auburn-Opelika Air Show, is excited about the event because it is ...

WWII Heritage Days keeps the spirit alive this weekend in PTC - The Citizen.com | Experience the sights and sounds of the Greatest Generation when the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Dixie Wing hosts the tenth annual “WWII Heritage Days” April 27-28. The history festival will be held at the Historical Airpower Facility, Atlanta ...

Pensacola Beach air show will go on - Pensacola News Journal | Tom Campanella, chairman of the Santa Rosa Island Authority, standing at podium, talks about the just-announced Pensacola Beach Air Show scheduled for July 12 and 13. SRIA Executive Director Buck Lee, far left, made the announcement at the SRIA ...

Kirby Chambliss, Misty Blues Skydiving Team, Rob Reider, and Rob Holland Ultimate Airshows Confirmed for Jones Beach! | ...some AWESOME news to announce. With all of the gloom and doom of military airshow cut backs because of the sequester, I am pleased to announce that Jones Beach will definitely have a SOLID civilian line up!...

Clacton: Aerobatic team set for debut air show outing - East Anglian Daily Times | The Trig Aerobatic Team will bring a unique blend of classic vintage glamour and dynamic close formation flying that captures the spirit of aviation. Their Pitts biplanes perform at air shows and private events throughout the UK and Europe and will be...

Biggin Air Show set for take off - This is Kent | "What we're looking to do now is something new and innovative rather than just revive a 48-year-old air show; something which embraces the local community to a greater extent while allowing us to also do our day job running an international airport.

Video: Solar Impulse plane prepares for flight around the world in 2015 - Yahoo News | Just one week before he embarks on a historic flight across America next week, Swiss 'scientist-adventurer' Bertrand Piccard took to the skies over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge yesterday in Solar Impulse, a solar-powered airplane that is capable of flying both day and night without fuel.....

Video: Solar plane takes 16-hour flight - Today

Fantasy of Flight Cutting Operating Schedule to 4 Days a Week from news | LL | http://www.theledger.com | AUBURNDALE | Fantasy of Flight, an aviation-themed attraction, is reducing its operating schedule from seven days a week to four....

Soaring With The Eagles by Thornton D. Barnes from Special Projects by tdbarnes | Former NASA and Area 51 veteran Thornton “T.D.” Barnes announces that his book “Soaring With The Eagles” is now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle. Soaring With The Eagles is an account of how he became...

She was the first woman to fly a jet worldwide in 1944. After the war, prohibite... from Women of Aviation's Facebook Wall | She was the first woman to fly a jet worldwide in 1944. After the war, prohibited from flying powered-aircraft, Hanna Reitsch took up gliding and set many records, many still standing today...

Voodoo jets retired from public display - The News Herald | PANAMA CITY — Even after two F-101 Voodoo jets are removed from their display perches at the city marina and Gulf Coast State College, the legacy of U.S. Air Force pilots who flew those planes will never be forgotten, Panama City Mayor Greg Brudnicki said Wednesday....

"Somtimes I Don't Know Everything" from Flight To Success by Karlene Petitt | T.H.ursday's with Tom Hill | ...I have mentioned flying our little Beech 1900 all the way from the Continental United States to the Hawaiian Islands a few times. I found out...

Indy Transponder 27-JAN-2012 2230z

National Aviation Hall of Fame Adds Aerospace Pioneers to Board - ASB | The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) today announced the addition of two outstanding aviation professionals to their Board of Trustees, Jack Pelton and George Saling. Jack is the retired Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cessna Aircraft Company. A native of California, Jack has over three decades of aviation experience. He joined Cessna in 2000 as Vice President of Product Engineering. He was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2003 and Chairman in 2005. Prior to joining Cessna he was Senior Vice President of Engineering for Dornier Aircraft. He started his career at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California....

Air show set to return to Boundary Bay this July - Delta Optimist | The air show will return to Boundary Bay Airport this summer after a oneyear hiatus.  Delta council approved a request earlier this month from Alpha Aviation, the company that has the longterm lease to operate the municipally-owned airport, to once again host an air show. The event is to...

RAF Tucano and Hawk Displays 2012 on the web - Flightline UK | The 2012 RAF Display Team are starting to appear on the internet.  The RAF Tucano Display will be flown by by Flt Lt Jon Bond and the aircraft is currently recieving some ‘Diamond Jubilee’ markings. You can...

Pioneering aviator Harriet Quimby centenary approaches - Flightglobal | A centenary is soon upon us but this event had been overshadowed by a tragedy which shares the same anniversary month.  Harriet Quimby was the first female aviator to fly an aeroplane solo across the English Channel from an airfield at Whitfield to land near Boulogne Sur Mer on the 16th April 1912.  But this pioneering and inspirational achievement by a female aviator was...

WWII hero Kuroki enters Neb. Aviation Hall of Fame - Kearney Hub | ...Kuroki, 94, was born in Cozad and grew up in Hershey. After the Pearl Harbor attack that pulled the U.S. into WWII, Kuroki tried to join the military but encountered strong resistance in a time when Japanese Americans were being moved to internment camps.  Kuroki persisted and became a gunner on B-29 and B-24 bombers. After his 25th mission, that usually earned airmen a trip back home, Kuroki volunteered to keep flying....

Pearl Harbor aviation museum to screen documentary on Flying Tigers pilot shot down in China - The Republic | The Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor will host an event celebrating the legacy of the Flying Tigers, the famed volunteer force of U.S. pilots who fought in China at the start of World War II.  Li Xiaolin is the president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and will present her documentary, Touching the Tigers, at the museum Monday....

Monrovia's Own Tuskegee Airman - Patch | The Monrovia Historical Museum's exhibit on a Tuskegee Airman from Monrovia is on display at the Krikorian Theater in conjunction with the release of a movie about the famous African-American WWII pilots....

"Was The Movie Accurate?"  - CAF Red Tail Squadron's Blog | Today’s blog was going to be about history and landing gear, but a great opportunity for our readers “landed” here instead!  It was announced just two days ago that the CAF Red Tail Squadron will host two FREE webinars (think seminar on a website) on February 1 and 4 - that’s next Wednesday and a week from tomorrow.  The webinars will be in the same format and with the same guests; we’re just running it live twice so that people have a choice as to when they want to participate....

Red Tails Disappoints - Airspeed | ...I just got home from seeing Red Tails. I had heard that the film had received less than stellar reviews, but I made it a point to avoid others’ opinions and go see the film for myself....

Two killed in Tiger Moth plane crash at Maryborough - The Courier | TWO men, including the pilot, are dead after the Tiger Moth plane they were flying in, hit trees at Maryborough yesterday. The pilot was the owner of the plane. Police said witnesses reported seeing the vintage Tiger Moth crash shortly after take-off about 5pm. The Tiger Moth burst into flames in trees at the northern end of the bitumen runway....

Mosquito TT.35, TA719, ‘AirSpace’, IWM Duxford – the film star that inspired a movement! from Shortfinals's Blog |  This is the middle of the TV/film awards season; the ‘Golden Globes’ have gone, soon it will be time for the ‘Oscars’. As the film stars move down the red carpet to a volley of camera flashes, you can hear the speculation, ‘Wow! What a colourful outfit! ‘Has she had any work done, do you think?’ Well, here is one film star who is decked out to dazzle, AND she’s had LOTS of work done under that skin! The story of TA719, a Mosquito TT.35, is fascinating...

My E-Book Library - tdbarnes - Roadrunners Internationale | Thornton D. "TD" Barnes and Colonel Sam Pizzo have uploaded Kindle e-books Velma and the Desert Fox and A Man of Many Hats for download and review....

January 27 – Aviation History - CRUFC

Norah O'Neill | Friday's Fabulous Flyer - Flight to Success | ...This is how Norah’s aviation adventure began.  23-years-old, and no home to return to, she’d made her decision to learn to fly. She found a nighttime job in Kodiak Alaska’s most prominent bar, frequented by prostitutes. She worked all night, slept for a few hours in the morning, and took flying lessons in the afternoon before she went back to the bar to work. Living in a furnace room of an old house, she exchanged housework for rent, so every penny could go to the airport. She learned to fly, became an instructor, then became a charter pilot....

Thirsty work for Italian Eurofighters - Flightglobal's Image of the Day | This striking image of a formation of four Italian air force Eurofighters being supported by a Lockheed Martin KC-130J tanker during a...

Drone will use energy from the sun and wind - NEWS ABOUT AVIATION AVIATION NEWS | The student Wesam Al Sabban, University of Queensland, Australia, accepted a challenge that few post-docs would face.  He is building an unmanned plane that uses the wind and the sun to stay long periods in air....

Barge Carrying Atlas Rocket Crashes Into Bridge from SPACE.com | The two launch vehicles are apparently undamaged.

Slingshot around the moon for US$150m - CNET Australia | According to the Smithsonian magazine Air & Space, anyone with a spare US$150 million laying around may have the opportunity to hop aboard a future lunar flight. One person has already bought the first ticket, Air & Space reports....

What do you Make of the “Houston, we have a problem” Film Claiming that a Secret Yugoslavian Space Program was the Source of American Success in the Space Race? - The National Air and Space Museum | They have got to be kidding! At least that’s what I thought, but apparently not. I received a call from Richard Solash, a reporter with Radio Free Europe about ten days ago to discuss a film being made by Slovene director Ziga Virc and writer Bostjan Virc that alleges that Tito’s Yugoslavia had a secret space program and secretly sold space knowledge to NASA, in the process making Tito rich and making if possible for the U.S. to achieve its Apollo program. Here is...

Apollo 1 - Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | January 27, 1967 Tragedy struck on the launch pad during a preflight test for Apollo 204, scheduled to be the first Apollo manned mission. It would have been launched on February 21, 1967, but Astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee lost their lives when a fire swept through the Command Module (CM).  The astronauts entered the...

Astronaut Jerry Ross, First Seven-Time Space Flier, Retires - PRNewswire | Jerry Ross, the first person to launch into space seven times, has retired from NASA. In a career that spanned more than three decades, Ross spent almost 1,400 hours in space and conducted nine spacewalks to rank third on the list of most extravehicular activity time in space....

Roadrunners Internationale: A reunion in the ''middle of no where'

CIA,  secret base, black projects, aliens?  Put those together in the 'middle of no where' and what do you get? A very special,unique gathering in the southern Nevada desert about 150 miles north of Las Vegas. Former workers at the infamous Area 51 made the trek on October 5 to the tiny oasis of Rachel, Nevada--only just about 20 miles away from the secret base that does not really exist.  Roadrunners Internationale, an organization of those who worked at Area 51 during the dark days of the Cold War caravanned along with CIA staffers and aviation enthusiasts to the infamous Little A'Le'Inn right off the Extraterrestrial Highway to meet and greet locals and tourists on a cold, rainy and windy day in the high desert.

'Who would've ever thought we would someday be all together, here in Rachel talking about what we did in secret more than 50 years ago," said Thornton T.D. Barnes, president of Roadrunners Internationale. "We are so glad that now we can share with others."

Frank and TD having a laugh "at the aliens expense"

Barnes was joined by Frank Murray, project pilot for the CIA operated A-12 'Archangel' (predecessor to the SR-71)  The A-12 is still the fastest and highest manned aircraft ever built. Designed by engineering genius, Kelly Johnson the A-12 was first test flown at Groom Lake in April, 1962. It's operational mission was short, but was imperative to our national security, including the first photo reconnaissance shots in 1968 when the North Koreans seized the U.S.S. Pueblo. "Best plane I ever flew," said Murray. "She was ahead of her time and served us well."

The "Black Mailbox"

The Roadrunners meet in Las Vegas every two years reuniting, sharing stories and memories of their roles and experiences working at Groom Lake.  They are joined by spouses, associate members and friends to ensure their legacy stay alive and future generations are educated on the program.

And, of course to take field trips such the one to Rachel.  "We made a stop at the Black Mailbox," said Jeff Hollenbeck, associate member. "Although  the mailbox is  really white." The mailbox belonging to local rancher is widely known as a place where UFO buffs claim people get abducted by the aliens.

At the Inn, cameras were flashing and people  conversing while enjoying an 'Alien Burger." The CIA store had among many items, various mugs, shirts, coins and hats for sale with both the CIA logo and the A-12. This writer also bought a bottle of Little A' Le' Inn red wine. 

Murray even bought some 'out of this world' items at the Inn.This has been a great experience," he said. "'Funny being out here after all these years."   Barnes, who is also the Director of the Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame (NAHF) "This all ties together with NAHF, too, he said.'There is so much aviation history right in Nevada."

Stay tuned for more news from 'no where'.

Contributed by:  Connie Pardew

NVAHOF 2011 Hall of Fame Selections

Contributed by TD Barnes, President Roadrunners Internationale

ANNOUNCING THE NEVADA AEROSPACE HALL OF FAME
2nd ANNUAL INDUCTION CEREMONY and DINNER

*William A. Ivy	George E. Crockett	Patrick A. McCannon	Florence J. Murphy	Charles P. Winters	Willam M. Stead	Jane A. Miller	**Walter T. Varney

HENDERSON, Nevada - On Friday, October 14, 2011, at 7pm, the Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame (NVAHOF) will hold its 2nd Annual Induction Ceremony. Much like last year's induction ceremony, this event will mark the official NVAHOF recognition of a select group of aviators, all with a special relationship to the state of Nevada.¬ The 2011 NVAHOF inductees are: William A. Ivy, first in flight over the state of Nevada (1910), Senator Patrick A.McCarran (submitted first bill for separate Air Force and multiple bills forming regulatory structure of aviation industry), Walter T. Varney (First Commercial Airmail Route), Florence J. Murphy (Commercial pilot and Bonanza Airlines executive), George E. Crockett (Founder of Alamo Air Field and Alamo Airways), William M. Stead (Founder of the Reno Air Races), Brigadier General Charles P. Winters (Test pilot and commander over multiple formerly classified programs), and Jane Miller (Flight Nursing Pioneer).

The past year has been an exciting and productive one for NVAHOF. While we have not yet settled on a permanent physical home for the NVAHOF, we continue our mission of increasing awareness of Nevada's unique aerospace history through public outreach and the on going development of our website. Originally organized as a student project of the Las Vegas Art Institute, the development of the site in 2011 included the launch of the "virtual museum" portion of the site. We invite the public to view the site at:http://nvahof.org/ .

Information on last year's inductees can be viewed at: http://nvahof.org/?page_id=6.

NVAHOF public outreach and educational activities for the past year included: promotional presence at the Reno Air Races and the Nellis Air ForceBase Open House, and Naval Air Station, Fallon. NVAHOF also participated in the reunion of the Atomic Curtiss Marines and meetings of the Daedalians Fighter Flight #62 at Nellis AFB. Last September, NVAHOF organized and participated in a 10-day, Oxcart Legacy Tour in Washington, D.C. Former workers of Nevada's Groom Lake facility gave presentations at the Defense Intelligence Agency(DIA), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum, the Capitol Hill Club, and the International Spy Museum. Follow NVAHOF activities starting on our website at: http://nvahof.org/?page_id=5, http://nvahof.org/?page_id=5&paged=2, http://nvahof.org/?page_id=5&paged=3 

On September 23rd, NVAHOF will participate in an educational tour of Bigelow Aerospace in North Las Vegas. On October 4th, The NVAHOF has collaborated with the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering and UNLV Department of History to present a special edition of the College of Engineering's Dean's Conversation Series. Dr. David Robarge, Chief Historian at the CIA, NVAHOF Director T.D. Barnes, and former CIA A-12 Blackbird pilot, Frank Murray will lead a candid and informative discussion on the CIA's A-12 program. Panelists will field audience questions related to declassified activities during the CIA's Project OXCART. Later that month, NVAHOF members will tour the Predator and Reaper programs at Creech AFB. This is a special tour arranged for officials from the Central Intelligence Agency at Langley VA, and local representatives from UNLV's College of Engineering and the Atomic Testing Museum.

About the Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame

The Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame is a non-profit, educational foundation dedicated to preserving the legacy of the men and women who pioneered aerospace within the State of Nevada. The Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame established and maintains an ongoing means of honoring individuals who have contributed in asignificant manner, to the development, advancement, and promotion of aerospace in the Battle Born State of Nevada, or elsewhere. NVAHOF also honors individuals who were not native to Nevada, but whose careers enhanced the aerospace climate world wide as well as in space. The mission of NVAHOF is unique as it especially recognizes and honors the men and women of the Cold Warwho worked within the CIA, USAF, and civilians, who worked in secrecy at Groom Lake, the Nevada Test Site, the NASA High Range, Tonopah Test Range, Nellis AFB, Creech AFB, the Fallon Air Station, Stead AFB, and related sites in the state of Nevada.

The goal is to foster, promote, and encourage a better sense of appreciation by the public of those persons' contributions and the role of aerospace,and to perpetuate the memory of those honored by means of public displays and announcements.

Except in cases involving national security concerns, archival materials collected in the course of researching the above mentioned individuals, will be filed for future historical reference. Exceptional and responsible consideration will be given to selection of nominees without compromising the secrecy of their deeds and accomplishments.

The primary educational objectives of the NVAHOF focus on honoring the past while promoting the future of aviation. NVAHOF provides a state-wide Speakers Bureau for outreach within the community. They have also created an accessible archive of Nevada aviation history on the organizations website. An on-linevirtual museum and artifact archive/storage satisfies the final educational objective, while the NVAHOF searches for a permanent home for is collection.The uniqueness and diversity of Nevada's aviation projects make it the most important state in the nation in regards to cutting-edge aerospace technology and development.

*WHO: The Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame (NVAHOF)

WHAT:&Second Annual Induction Ceremony and Dinner***

WHERE: Henderson Executive Airport, 3500 Executive Terminal Drive,Henderson, NV 89052

WHEN: Saturday, October 14, 2011 at 6pm

***Due to lack of sponsorship, dinner attendance is limited. Those wishing to
attend this nobleevent are welcome. Please contact either of the NVAHOF Directors of Communication and Development identified below.

Reception 6: p.m.
Dinner 7: p.m.
Seats $75.00 each

Dawn Barlow-Curtis 702-561-6372 kvdb01@aol.com Director Southern Nevada
Connie Pardew-May 775 530-2297 cpardew@att.net Director Northern Nevada

*Photo credit: Courtesy, History Colorado
**Photo credit: United Airlines Historical Foundation

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Air show provides thrills for spectators in Millville - Cherry Hill Courier Post | Air Force veteran Billy Werth and Navy veteran Dan McClung, both Red Eagles pilots, fly within a few feet of each other during the Millville Wheels & Wings Airshow 2011 held at Millville Airport over the weekend. / CODY GLENN/New Jersey Press Media ...

Parachuters, World War II planes highlight air show's second day - Columbia Missourian | Nathan said they were his favorite part of the air show. Nathan's dad, Bryan Lantermant, said they like coming to the Memorial Day air show every year because it has a "nice flavor" and because there are so many different aircraft to see...

Flying high - BBC News | Tens of thousands of spectators lined the seashore to watch the flying displays, which included the rare Vulcan bomber on day one and the Red Arrows on day two. A wide range of aircraft took to the skies for the 26th Southend Air Festival, ...

Letter: Continue air show tradition - Historic City News | The St. Augustine Air Show was a great American way to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday and a military service salute for our community. It was a fantastic show, loaded with family fun and full of exciting aerial entertainment for all ages...

PHOTO GALLERY: Audience enjoys second day of Salute to Veterans Airshow - Columbia Missourian | Joe "Rifle" Shetterly prepares for a slow-motion barrel roll in front of the crowd in his A-10 West Thunderbolt II fighter jet at the 23rd annual Salute to Veterans Airshow at Columbia Regional Airport on Sunday, May 29. In addition to rolls, ...

Adventurist Boone was WWII pilot, entrepreneur - San Antonio Express | In 1944, Boone put his flying skills to the test by serving as a B-17 pilot during World War II. He flew 30 bombing missions over Europe. Boone died Saturday of complications from a fall. He was 88. Boone was a fortunate B-17 bomber pilot, ...

Martin Jetpack hits the 5,000 feet milestone, could come to market within 18 months (video)  from Engadget by Amar Toor | OK, so the Martin Jetpack may not have gone into commercial production quite as soon as we'd anticipated, but there's still hope on the horizon. Over the weekend, Glenn Martin's flying machine successfully climbed some 5,000 feet above sea level, marking a new milestone in the 30-year, $12 million project. Remotely controlled by a tailing helicopter, the 250-pound craft used its two "superfans" to power itself skyward at about 800 feet per second minute, before safely parachuting back to Earth from a height of about 3,000 feet…

Post Area 51 book and video releases  from Special Projects by tdbarnes | The National Geographic Channel documentary Area 51 Declassified released on May 22, 2011 has generated acclaims worldwide, however the Annie Jacobsen book, Area 51 an uncensored history of America’s Top Secret military base has generated a whirlwind of controversy concerning the author writing and Little Brown publishing the heroics of the Area 51 veterans in a manner that for many affiliates their sacrifices and contributions to the atrocities of the Nazis and Cold War Russia while mixing the activities of DOE at Area 51 with the sourly depicted atomic events and activities of the AEC (now DOE). This is an ongoing and highly volatile debate with the potential of going global. Listed below are various videos appearing in the media… 

Area 51 Unsensored History  from Special Projects by tdbarnes | AREA 51 An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base - AREA 51, An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base by Annie Jacobsen was released on 17 May 2011, five days prior to the release of the National Geographic documentary “Area 51 Declassified” on the National Geographic Channel. Several of the veterans featured in the book participated in Annie Jacobsen’s book signing at the Paseo Verde Library in Henderson, Nevada on 26 May 2011. Hosted by Arlene Caruso, Assist Branch Manager, Area 51 and Atomic veterans Harry Martin, Jim Freedman, TD Barnes, Roger Andersen, Richard Mingus and Al O’Donnell all engaged in a fascinating Q & A with a huge crowd that ended up being standing room only… 

Today in Aviation History – May 30  from Calgary Recreational and Ultralight Flying Club by bikeal

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CIA's Supersonic Spy Plane: The A-12 OXCART | International Spy Museum from http://www.spymuseum.org/ - Thursday, 23 September, 6:30 pm | "Forty-five years ago…a group of young Air Force pilots volunteered to be 'sheepdipped' from the Air Force to the CIA to fly an unidentified aircraft at an undisclosed venue to replace the U-2."  --Frank Murray, A-12 pilot | The Air Force's high-flying SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft, which literally flew faster than a speeding bullet, is legendary.  Much less well known is the CIA's version, the A-12, which first flew two years before the SR-71 under the OXCART program.  Built by Lockheed's famous "Skunk Works," the plane was an engineering marvel.  It made repeated flights over Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, providing photographs to commanders in less than 24 hours from the end of a mission.  In 1968, in a ten minute mission that photographed all of North Korea without being detected, an A-12 located the captured American spy ship, Pueblo.  Only recently has the veil of secrecy been lifted from this amazing aircraft, allowing the full story to be told, including its enduring legacy.  Now the program's pioneers gather to share its history: from sky-high successes to fiery crashes.  CIA chief historian David Robarge will be joined by program veterans Robert B. Abernethy, inventor of the J-58 engines used in the A-12, Thornton D. Barnes, hypersonic flight specialist, and S. Eugene Poteat, the CIA officer who assessed threats to the A-12, and others. Kenneth Collins, an A-12 pilot who flew six missions over Vietnam, will also tell his story, along with other test pilots. Tickets: $12.50 per person | Members of The Spy Ring ® (Join Today!): $10 | Purchase Tickets Now: Print Tickets Online / Pickup Tickets Bandung Air Show to start Thursday - BANDUNG: More than a hundred planes will soar through West Java's skies when the Bandung Air Show opens on Thursday.The four-day… Autumn Air Show Celebrating Sally B's 65th Birthday Sunday 10 October from AVIATION-NEWS by Marcel van Leeuwen | The Autumn Air Show celebrates both the 65th birthday of B-17 Fortress G-BEDF years of the B-17 Fortress. The only B-17 currently flying in Europe, crowds with her majestic display and is a favourite with IWM Duxford visitors. She has been based at the Museum, operated by B-17 Preservation, for 35 years. Closing the air show [...] OC Air Show is turning a profit - Delmarva Daily Times | OCEAN CITY -- The Ocean City Air Show turned a profit in its third year at the resort, according to an ...

Dereham remembers Battle of Britain - Dereham Times | Dereham mayor Robert Hambidge organised for the Spitfire to do the flypast and was delighted that so many local people turned out. ...

Audience treated to stunning display at RAF Leuchars airshow - Scotland Courier | The past, present and future was poignantly marked at the RAF Leuchars Airshow on Saturday when some of the world's most formidable war machines took to the ...

55000 flock to Williamtown airshow - Port Stephens Examiner | FEARS of widespread gridlock on Port roads were unwarranted as 55000 people flocked to a largely successful Williamtown Air Show at the weekend. ...

Aero-TV: The 2010 PRA Convention -- A Quick Look At Rotorcraft's Premier Event from Aero-News Network | As The Rotor Turns... Over Mentone! Every year, the most dedicated fans of sport rotorcraft journey to a sleepy little airport in a small town in Indiana, by the name of Mentone. The town hosts a pretty neat little airport that, among it many claims to fame, is the home of the Popular Rotorcraft Association and a dynamite yearly rotorcraft gathering that gets its buzz on right after Oshkosh…

Airport Update RENO - from aroundthepattern.com by Tracy | The clean-up is moving along. When I got to the airport this morning those rocks were still on the taxiway centerline. It was nice that they put the blue drum next to them to help mark the hazard. By about 2 pm they had been removed, so I now have a clear route to the runway…

China's annual flying competition - 3News NZ | The event is organised in celebration of China's first aviator Feng Ru, who built his first plane in Oakland, US, and flew its first test flight at the age ...

Discovery at Launch Pad for Final Flight from Spaceports by jack@jackkennedy.net (JackKennedy) On September 20, Space shuttle Discovery left the Vehicle Assembly Building headed to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It arrived the morning of September 21, where it will stay until its scheduled launch on Nov. 1 for its STS-133 mission [video].

Name This Reno 2010 'Mystery Detail' For An OSH11 Bacon Sandwich! by Martt | Here's a fun little challenge I dreamed up for you... be the first person to correctly name the AIRCRAFT MAKE, MODEL, AND WHAT PART THIS IS and you'll win a 'bacon sandwich' at Oshkosh 2011. Put your answer in the comments area, and be sure you have all the info: aircraft make, model and what part it is. This pic was taken at Reno just a couple days ago - that's your only hint…

Young Eagles Day and Simsbury Fly-In « Skylark Flyers Blog by Paul | A busy weekend is finished. We had our fall Young Eagles event, and while we only had 20 kids fly with us, everyone had a good time. Pepsi donated soda to us, and Hot Seat loaned us their flight simulator system for the weekend. ...

Free airplane rides offered to children - Fond du Lac Reporter | The Fond du Lac Chapter 572 of EAA will hold its second Young Eagles rally on Oct. 2. Generally, children, 8 to 17, who have not participated in the Young ...