I'm trying to figure out what the folks over at Aero-news.net
have against aviation. In their main page right now they've got six articles about some kind
of aviation disaster:
Legend Cub Down In Lake Michigan, Pilot Missing
Israeli Air Strikes Hit Refugee Camp
Forest Service Workers In WA Finds Plane Missing Since January
One Known Fatality In OSH Taxiway Accident
Sunday Morning Storm Causes Plane Damage At ATW
Six Lost In MO Skydiving Plane Accident
I realize that there's bad news out there, and I even linked the taxiway accident at OSH yesterday because it was a freak thing at the major event of the year. But six stories? What will the average prospective student pilot think about flying if they read Aero-news.net? Likely they'll run away from flying on the spot.
It's not like anyone's head is in the sand. Everyone knows people get killed in airplanes. But why concentrate on it? How many accidents are covered in the major aviation media like "Flying", or AOPA's and EAA's excellent magazines? They may have a single monthly "I learned about flying from: xxx", but those are educational, not lazy journalism like Aero-news.net routinely practices.
On any given day I can easily find a handful of GA accident reports on the net. But I refuse to be lazy and link them simply because they're aviation "news".
The MSM covers airplane accidents perfectly well. They don't need any help.
Posted 17:00 GMT by Dennis Collins
Taxiway accident leaving Oshkosh.
Posted 16:39 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 31, 2006
Paul Irvine put together a photo essay of his trip from California to Oshkosh and back in one week.
Posted 18:48 GMT by Dennis Collins
Meanwhile back at Oshkosh... Van's aircraft has announced their LSA kit, the RV-12. Initially it will be a "normal" Van's kit, but will soon be extended to a very complete aircraft that does not require the 51% builder rule.
Posted 14:49 GMT by Dennis Collins
The last F-14 cat shot.
Atlantic Ocean (July 28, 2006) – Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), an F-14D Tomcat assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31), aircraft number 112, accelerates down the ship’s number three catapult during the final launch of an F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft. The last launch marks the end of an era for Naval Aviation. The F-14 will officially retire in September 2006, after 32 years of service to the fleet. Theodore Roosevelt is completing Joint Task Force Exercises with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Sheldon Rowley
Posted 14:39 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 30, 2006
I lucked out on weather for the trip home to AZ82. There was a storm that was forecast last night to just touch the OSH area, but luckily it stopped about 75 miles North East of the airport.
They parked the Sikorsky S-38 "Osa's Ark" next to the Lancair last night.
The route from Oshkosh to Mogollon AirPark goes across the southern section of the Colorado Front Range. More rain was forecast in New Mexico, and I was bored with flying through Santa Fe south of the big mountains. So I took the direct route that passes through the Front Range between the "Fourteeners".
Over the divide and under the clouds east of Pagosa Springs Colorado, with crystal clear lakes and alpine tundra below.
The high desert between ABQ and Flagstaff often has non-stop moderate turbulence in the summer afternoons. I was not looking forward to it, and had options in the plan to stop somewhere and finish the trip in the morning. But this is Monsoon season, and it wasn't as bad. Perhaps the rain soaks up some of the energy of the huge 3000 fpm thermals that top out at 15k feet in early summer.
The Painted Desert with some scattered showers. Much more impressive from the air.
Sight for sore eyes, long final to AZ82 with rain on the windscreen and over the airport.
Parked at AZ82. It seems like a universe away from this morning when the Lancair was parked next to Osa's Ark.
Trip Time:
AZ82 to Double Eagle II - 1.2
... to Hays, Kansas - 3.0
... to Iowa City, Iowa - 2.7
... to Dayton Wright Bros field - 2.4
Race from Dayton to Fond du Lac with three "pylon turns" - 2.6
... to Oshkosh - 0.1
Trip home from Oshkosh to York Kansas - 3.1
... to Durango Animas airpark - 3.7
... to Mogollon Airpark AZ82 - 1.5
Posted by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 6
July 29, 2006
Oshkosh - Day Six
All good things must end, and I've got to be at work in Phoenix on Monday. Tomorrow looks a bit dicy to get out though.
We'll see what happens. The weather forcast is from AOPA web site.
Depending on circumstances I'll sign off until Monday, when the usual programming of aviation News, blogs and cool stuff will resume.
Posted 9:37PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 5
The major show was all military. At times there were perhaps 40-50 airplanes in sight in the air at one time. Everything from Vietnam era helicopters to WW2 trainers participated.
A Mustang strafing run.
Fire, smoke, and re-enactors with an M-4 Sherman.
Big Bomber Formation equals Big Badda Boom.
The end of the show was a missing man formation. Not your usual flight of Mustangs, but with four heavy bombers.
I've never seen such a thing until Oshkosh 2006
Escorted by three Little Friends.
Posted 8:21PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 5
With all the excitement of the first day of Oshkosh, the new Cessna single engine lines, etc. I didn't get around to reporting how I did in the AirVenture Cup. The HangarView Lanciar came in fourth out of six in the Sprint class. My average speed was 195mph over 471 miles with a slight headwind. Not bad for 235 cubic inches. I'm not embarassed about that at all. That's a dramatic improvement over how it was running just a few months ago.
The plane ran like a dream. Full throttle for almost 2.5 hours at 1000 AGL. Fuel burn was 10 GPH, or maybe a bit less (the first screwup I did was overfill the header tank and pump out some fuel - who knows how much - so burn calculation is surely high). The weather was awesome. A few bumps at that altitude, but not bad at all. Temps were nice, no clouds, great folks to fly with. I'll be doing this again any time they will let me.
Posted 12:25PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 5
The Blue Angels made a fly-by after practicing their routine for the Dayton Air Show this weekend. They didn't land, just a quick buzz job.
Oshkosh has never hosted a major jet team because of the proximity of the town makes it impossible to do such a big show here. The fly-by today was a simple pattern in formation with no aerobatic stuff.
Posted 12:08PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 5
July 28, 2006
Oshkosh - Day Five
Seen on the ramp .....
Round Motor Row No 1 ...
Round Motor Row No 2 ...
Round Motor Row No 3 - Cessna 195 alley ...
Staggered Staggerwings ...
I understand this is a very good airplane....
This is probably 0.01% of the tent campers here ....
A running Cessna 195 - Oshkosh Air Conditioning (no, that's not me) ....
The ultralight runway was busy ....
Bell 47 look alikes ....
You can make any vehicle run with a Chevy Small Block ....
I don't know what it was, but it crossed the road ....
A Percival, and a few apparent Percival wannabees ....
Lockheeds (*not* Beech 18s) and Cessna Bamboo Bomber ....
Formation flying seems to be the norm here, whether on the taxiway or departure ....
Sikorsky S-38 clone "Osa's Ark" flew a bit today. She and her sister ship "Carnauba" are both here this year ....
Posted 7:31PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 4
When you absolutely, positively, *must* take your 7 best friends fishing.
The Sherpa Turbo 8
GW - 5500 lbs.
Takeoff at gross - 394 feet
Landing at gross - 233 feet
75% cruise - 172 mph
stall at gross - 42 mph
have to get a ladder to preflight the engine ....
Posted 7:20PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 4
There seems to be more airplanes at the Seaplane Base than I've seen in previous years. It's rockin. Three airplanes came in and offloaded luggage to the docks while I was there.
Not sure what the story is here.... Looks like a hell-of-a-ride though. Particularly without a seatbelt.
I took the "harbor cruise". The best deal at Oshkosh for two bucks. Everything else is expensive. Particularly galling is paying six bucks to park at the Seaplane base when I'm holding a reciept for the six dollar parking I paid over at the airport. Twelve bucks for parking in one day.
Water handling of seaplanes is an art form.
Lots of motorboats in very close proximity to fragile flight controls.
Posted 4:33PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 4
Found a good blogging spot at Wendt's On The Lake between Fond du Lac and Oshkosh on highway 45. They've got beer, a power plug for the laptop, and most important, they're within range of Verizon's National Access so I can post this. It's a popular watering hole for after the airshow.
Here's the view....
Posted 3:53PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 4
I spent some time checking out the Cessna LSA proof-of-concept. They parked it next to the No. 1 Cessna 172, celebrating it's 50th birthday this year.
The LSA looks like a very comfortable small airplane. The doors appear easy to enter and lots of space inside.
The LSA is mostly metal, and it appears that its only compound curve skin is on the belly. The interior is still missing on this airframe. If Cessna decides to go forward on the airplane they will fly it by the end of the year.
Posted 12:24PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 4
Yesterday ....
Today ... the Big News is that the Eclipse 500 earned its certification.
This airplane is the very first production VLJ from any manufacturer.
Conspicuously missing is any "EXPERIMENTAL" placard
Posted 12:01PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 4
July 27, 2006
Oshkosh - Day Four
Big fly-in, eh?
Only ... it's not Oshkosh. This is Fond du Lac where many prefer to fly into. They
set up a temporary tower, but the traffic is rather modest, and they have a bus to
Oshkosh.
This is the first year of the experiment of Monday-Sunday Oshkosh, rather than Wednesday-Tuesday, and the parking is actually looking comparitavely empty. Don't get me wrong, there are still *plenty* of AC here. But there are empty spots too, and I've rarely seen that.
The new schedule may be working as planned, where one group of pilots show up on the first weekend, and another show up the second, rather than the usual fly-out on Sunday leaving Monday and Tuesday empty.
Posted 8:03PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 3
If you come to Oshkosh, EAA will make sure your needs are taken care of....
Posted 8:03PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 3
Lots of folks have tried to make a go of rotary engines. Mistral is one I haven't seen. Nice looking. I have no idea if they're any good.
Posted 7:57PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 3
The most beautiful work of art I saw today was "Symmetry", built by Cory Bird of Mojave Ca.
Symmetry is a past champion, and I can see why. The only issue I see is the altitude it takes to leap into the cockpit.
Cory has one of the most surgically clean FWFs I've ever seen.
Don't look at the dustless tops of things, look at the bottom of the cowl where the c.r.a.p usually collects. Also check out the exit duct from the oil cooler that seamlessly exhausts into the exit air that you can see underneath the inlet side. I've rarely seen production equipment look as good. And everything you see is one-of-a-kind, hand built.
There was discussion among the bystanders whether this thing ever flies. Cory is from Mojave, and I saw this thing fly at CopperState in Arizona last year, so I assume it's flown at least from California to Phoenix, if not to Oshkosh this year.
Symmetry has a *cruise* speed of 210 knots on a 200hp IO-360. Wing span is 25 feet, empty weight is 956, and gross weight is 1350
Posted 7:54PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 3
I spent some time in the Forums today. Oshkosh has hundreds of forums, with some of the most knowledgeable people you will find anywhere.
This was the sheet metal forum. They're not talking about the easy stuff that everyone learned in A&P school, but instead they're teaching how to make any kind of aircraft skin you want from scratch. This is pure artistry. I'd heard that there were people with these kinds of skills, but I'd never met them in person before. I learned today that you can't "shop-anneal" 2024 aluminum, but you must take many hours in a controlled furnace or you're likely to crack it. Every aluminum type requires its own annealing technique, and some can be done in the shop and some can't.
Posted 7:24PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 3
You see all kinds of media and hype in play at Oshkosh. There are those that are all smoke and mirrors. And then there's the real deal with one of the largest motor companies in the world, Honda, jumping into the VLJ market with a real airplane that's been flying for a year or more.
Posted 7:14PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 3
So many toys. Such a small checkbook.
These are examples of installations done by Avionics Systems of Leesburg, VA.
Posted 7:06PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 3
This ain't your grandpa's O-200. Continental Engines are celebrating their 100th birthday in style.
The IO-200-LSE with fuel injection, cross flow jugs, electronic ignition and fuel control with optional instrument package. Target weight < 200lbs. Competitively priced. Available 2007.
Posted 7:49PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 3
July 26, 2006
Oshkosh - Day Three
Rumors are thick that Eclipse will announce certification this week. The folks in the tent all repeat the mantra, "are you staying for a few days"? "Then come back later in the week".
Their first "production" aircraft has been flying for a few days, and will be at Oshkosh soon. That may signal the announcement.
The Eclipse panel. Nice. Their electrical ground power unit had the interior all cool and dry too, even with the door open.
Posted 11:40PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
Lycoming showed off their "Heavy Fuel Engine Family", that they claim can be 4, 6 or 8 cylinders. producing from 150 to 350 HP.
Update: This is a Lycoming proof-of-concept. They haven't made a decision to produce it.
Posted 11:36PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
Aviatrix Canada had a discussion on her blog the other week about airplane "N" numbers, or "C" numbers in Canada. So what's with the number on this trimotor? It's obviously an historic marking, but I thought old American "N" numbers were "NC-xxxx". I couldn't find anyone around to ask here.
I think in the "NC" numbers, the "C" stood for "Commercial". Even light GA airplanes had commercial "NC" numbers, because they were certified and virtually every airplane did a flight for hire on occasion in those days. "NX" was for experimental, I'm certain.
Where the "N" part came from, I don't know. Although some posters on Cockpit Conversation said it was because of the "NC" flying boats that had just flown around the world when they came up with the scheme.
Posted 11:26PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
T-28 gaggle, left base to final.
Posted 11:15PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
Oshkosh Beer Call for the AZ82 folks.
Posted 11:10PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
The crowd was amazed that Harrison Ford seemed no worse for the wear after a flight in a Blue Angels F-18. No sick-sack in sight.
I've got to get a telephoto for next year.
Posted 11:08PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
Burt Rutan does several presentations and classes at Oshkosh every year. I went to his talk in the EAA Museum today on "Designs for Success".
Burt Rutan discusses "Designs for Success" in front of many of his aircraft designs at Oshkosh 2006.
Rutan believes that humans exist, instead of Neanderthals, because we explored. Because humans explored environments that were unfamiliar, and perhaps more difficult to live in, we didn't get trapped by the ice ages that wiped out other hominids. Humans exist because we took risks. If we don't explore space, and learn to live in it full time, our fate is to be trapped on earth and eventually suffer it's fate.
Rutan vividly remembers seeing Werner von Braun on a Disney TV show about "Tomorrow" when he was a kid in 1955. Von Braun had the audacity back before we had even orbited a satellite to show the concepts and techniques we could use to travel to Mars. In an obvious dig at NASA's Apollo Part Deux, he says that whatever we're doing now, we should be going forward, not backward.
Space flight in orbit must be enormously less expensive in order for regular people to afford it, it must be far safer, and he has no idea how to do that. He's hoping that his work will advance the science so that someone else can answer those questions.
In the first days of commercial air travel a person boarding an airliner had a 1 in 6,000 chance of dying on that flight. Within 3 years, using the same equipment, but with 3 years experience of what to do and not do, that rate was 1 in 33,000. That's the kind of safety we need for regular people in sub-orbital space, and he is convinced that he can do that. The current safety record in space is about a 1 in 70 chance of dying.
Rutan claims that the most dangerous time to use rocket engines is at sea level, in an atmosphere filled with oxygen, where anything that leaks is a hazard. For that reason alone, safe space travel must use rockets only in the far upper atmosphere, where any leaks will disperse, and cannot cause fire. He says that when our children fly in space, it will be from an air launch.
Rutan was working at Edwards Air Force Base when the only fatality took place in the X-15 program. The issue was an instrumentation failure, which caused the X-15 to be outside a very narrow angle-of-attack range that was safe for re-entry without going out of control. The shuttle has the same narrow AOA safety range. That was the impetus for the "care free" reentry system he developed for SS1. With the shuttle cock method, the vehicle can re-enter at any attitude, yet stabilize itself correctly, and slow down at a much higher altitude than the X-15.
Space Ship 1 re-entered the atmosphere at Mach 3, but its speed at "Max Q" was only 145 knots indicated, and occurred at 105 thousand feet. By contrast, the X-15 Max Q was around 600 knots IAS, and occurred at 65 thousand feet with much hotter temps. The heat protection on SS1 is not for re-entry, but for accelerating upwards under power.
Rutan claims that Return On Investment for spacecraft development takes half the time than it does for a General Aviation aircraft. There are "three or four" companies that will be buying Rutan manufactured Space Ship 2's. He is "in a hurry" now, working harder and faster than at any time in his life, while his company is growing and hiring people.
He compared the efforts today in space to the computer industry. We had personal computers for decades before "Al Gore invented the internet" and we discovered what they are best used for. He believes spacecraft will undergo the same development path, where it must be used by many thousands of people before one person has the bright idea that will make its use commonplace.
People who operate NASA spacecraft today are trained to only "use a checklist". Houston trains people to ignore their creativity. They must only do what's accepted, lest they not be allowed in space at all. That process destroys the opportunity to come up with the application that will open space travel for everyone.
Asked whether his "care free" re-entry will be used on orbital spacecraft, he reverted to Greenspan speak. He claimed that because of business ventures and ongoing projects, he can't talk about that kind of thing. He pointed out that he never shows his airplanes until they've flown. But from the tone, it sounds like he is now working on orbital re-entry systems, and some variation on his safety oriented shuttle cock aerodynamics will be used.
Rutan's dream is to fly around the moon in a big elliptical orbit. He says that it would take very little more money to make such a flight after achieving earth orbit. Moon landing is much harder though, mainly because of the moon launch costs. The lack of atmosphere on the moon allows you to do things you can't do on earth. He wants to buzz the mountains of the moon at 8000 mph ... and 3 feet altitude.
Burt Rutan and his trademark sideburns.
Posted 10:54PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
ANN claims confirmation that Honda has partnered with Piper aircraft to produce the HondaJet in the United States for the VLJ market.
Posted 9:18PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
Avweb has some vastly better pictures than mine of the new Cessna single. Definitely composite. It looks like they've got 4 doors on it, for easy entry in the back. Hat tip Jim*N*Texas.
Posted 9:04PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
When you just have to have that hard-to-get shot, a little hardware and Radio Shack goodies is all you need.
Posted 6:15PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
Only at Oshkosh will you see things like this. An Allison V-1710 powered, scratch built P-51A.
Posted 6:06PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
Blue Angel no. 7 giving a checkout ride to Harrison Ford, aka. Han Solo. Wonder how they got a wookie in the front seat of an F-18? Update: No, the navy doesn't let their pilots fly that low. That was the takeoff run.
Posted 4:56PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
My ex-boss Steve Hinton flying the P-38, with a P-51D and F-16 in a heritage flight.
Posted 4:36PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
You never know what you'll walk around the corner and find at Oshkosh.
The HondaJet has an unusual nose that improves aerodynamics.
This is a Honda designed engine. Their engine pylon is a bit different too. It was flying while I was attending Burt Rutan's presentation at the EAA Museum, but I'm told it is very quiet.
Posted 4:06PM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 2
July 25, 2006
Oshkosh - Day Two
Oshkosh 2006 begins with the B-1B arrival...
The B-one is an amazingly loud airplane. Great big engines with great big afterburners. With wings swept, it's almost like a huge fighter. Maybe the Thunderbirds should fly it. No one could get confused vs. the Blue Angels and those little bitty F-18s.
We parked our AirVenture Cup racers right next to the original AirVenture entry gate from decades past, only a few rows from show center.
Posted 5:33PM local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 1
Big announcement from Cessna:
Cessna goes Back To The Future with a whole new line of single engine piston aircraft. Cessna CEO Jack Pelton unveiled TWO new Cessna single engine aircraft on the first day of Oshkosh. First was the Cessna Light Sport proof-of-concept aircraft.
Duggy likes it.
The LSA weights 1320lbs, flies 120 knots with a 100hp four stroke Rotax engine. Cabin width is 48 inches, with major construction of aluminum plus composite cowl and wing tips. Cabin doors swing up to enter. It is NOT a Cessna 150 repro.
Cessna is surveying Oshkosh pilots for input on the LSA. It has yet to fly.
Posted 10:36AM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 1
More about the air race finish and Cessna's new Light sport aircraft later. The LSA announcement was a ruse to draw a crowd. The real news is that Cessna has committed to developing a whole new line of single engine piston aircraft and announced the first aircraft in a surprise fly by.
Update: This is apparently the 5 seat go-fast aircraft rumored for several weeks. Hat-tip to Jim*N*Texas. Cessna will not be showing the aircraft at OSH. The fly-by was all anyone will see. They will announce performance figures later. It was unclear from the fly-by whether it is composite or metal. But the lines hint at composite.
Update2: The announcement of the new Cessna product line was quite dramatic. With the whole crowd concentrating on the LSA aircraft that may never be produced, Jack Pelton announces that Cessna was committed to developing a whole line of single engine piston aircraft that would be price and performance competitive. He then said that the first aircraft had been flying for months, and here it is....
Cheers in the audience.....
Second Flyby .....
As Jim*N*Texas said, very "Cardinal Like" .....
Update3: Looks like the slow-pokes at Aero-news.net finally got the news out. HangarView.com - DailyAviator.com scooped them with news and pictures by at least 30 minutes.
Update4: This is a significant new development in the Aviation community. Half the population thinks that any small airplane with a propeller is a "Cessna". Yet the company hasn't come out with a new design that qualifies as a "Cessna" for decades, preferring to build bigger and bigger jets. Their confidence in the marketplace as evidenced that they will spend millions to certify a new product is promising for the growth of aviation.
Original post at 10:12AM OSH local by Dennis Collins - Oshkosh Day 1
July 24, 2006
Oshkosh - Day One
After months of work, and a thousand plus miles cross country for me, race day arrives with 60+ racers lined up, and great weather at Dayton's Wright Brothers Airport.
Many thanks to the people at Commander Aero (hangar on the right) for their great hospitality that included space in the hangar, lunches and breakfast.
Race No. 90 - ready.
In line for takeoff. The clock starts when you pass the departure end of the runway, gear up, balls to the wall.
Passing a Rutan canard type. Or was he passing me?
The race course went through Stirling Rock Falls, Rockford Ill. then the finish line at a private runway. After two hours plus at full throttle, low altitude, with three low passes over runways for a stopwatch, we land at Fond Du Lac WI. Oshkosh is held up with traffic, and as we stage to make the short hop to OSH we get the ultimate hurry-up-and-wait.
It's Battle of Britain time, and we're waiting for the call.
The race is merely an excuse to get to beer-thirty faster than anyone you know.
Flying the AirVenture Cup race was undoubtedly the most fun I've ever had on two wings. Kathy and I met many great people over two days of intense preparation, racing, and wind down.
Many thanks to the organizers who did an incredible job organizing transportation, meals in the Air Force Museum, racing and beer. If they will let me, I'll do whatever I can to help with future races.
Take a look at the beer thirty picture. Racers, I believe, are younger than your average EAAer. There were several who appeared to be 25-30 years old. Air Racing was what drove the development of aviation in the 30's in preparation for WWII, and later airline travel for the masses. I believe Air Racing is an important key to keep General Aviation alive and exciting.
Steve Whittman and other founders of EAA were fervent racers. I hope EAA will continue to do everything they can to support Air Racing, not only at the AirVenture Cup, but all over the world.
Posted by Dennis Collins
RVs departing in formation from Iowa City this morning in the distance behind the HangarView.com Lancair. They even used the radio correctly. "RV flight go to one two two point eight zero" ... [and members of the flight confirm with] "two" ... "three" ... "four".
Dayton Wright Bros. airport has a Wright "Model B" that flies passengers around the pattern. structurally it's fully modern. Even the posts are metal and it has rubber tires and a Lycoming engine (helicopter engine, I think). But check out the chain drive for the props. Even the figure eight cross over on the left side so it runs backward.
Regarding aerodynamics and performance though, it's a Wright Model B.
After the race brief, it was off to the Air Force Museum for dinner and adult beverages.
The AF museum has a huge collection, and much of it you will see no where else. This rare item is a tactical nuke like those that hung on the F-4Es I was a crew chief on in Germany in the late 70's. Every single day we had to check the start carts on the engines that were installed literally inches from these nukes. This one being inert we would have called a "shape", because it's shaped like a nuke, but it isn't a nuke.
Their nose art collection includes this from the B-52 "Grim Reaper II". This aircraft flew a 33 hour, 14,000 mile mission launching ALCMs into Iraq from Barksdale AFB on the opening night of Desert Storm.
From B-52G "Memphis Belle III".
A B-45C. My uncle worked on these in England.
Their WWI collection is by far the most extensive I've ever seen.
They had all the other usual museum suspects of course. B-52, B-1, B-2, F-82 Twin Mustang, P-51D, A-36, P-47, RB-50D, B-29, A-20, P-40, P-36, P-35, T-28, T-38, F-5, F-4C, F-4G, F-102, F-106, A-7, F-111, FW-190, Junkers JU-88. OK, my typing fingers are tired now. That's probably 5% of what they've got, plus lots of accessories.
Overall, I think the AF museum is much more impressive than the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. Granted, DC has all the glamourous aircraft like the Wright Flyer, Glamorous Glennis, and the Spirit of St. Louis. But the AF museum is much larger than the Air and Space museum, even including the new expansion at Washington Dulles. We blasted through it at a fast walk, and it took two hours for just a cursory glance at the big stuff.
Oh, the XB-70 is in another hangar "on base" that we couldn't get to. You have to take a bus ride there during the day. Bummed.
Tomorrow is the AirVenture Cup. Check details at the web site. Two aircraft will be telemetering their position and it will be covered on Oshkosh Radio live. If you're anywhere in the area, the first pylon turn at Sterling Rock Falls in Whiteside County IL will be a good place to watch. Not only will we zip through, but the T-6 mass formation will be practicing there earlier in the day, and I'm told several hundred people will be there just for that. The first racers may get there before 10AM local.
If they announce that "Race no. 90 crossed the finish line", that's me. Wish me luck.
Update: more deserving pictures from the AF Museum ...
An ultra rare Black Widow night fighter. I had thought that none existed in the world.
Bocks Car. The B-29 that delivered the second, and last, atomic bomb ever used. This airplane and it's weapon ended WWII.
And last: These are the goblets belonging to the Doolittle Raiders. Every year on their reunion, the living crewmembers toast each other. When one crewmember dies, their goblet is turned upside down, but because their names are written both right side up, and upside down, it can still be read.
The bottle of Hennessy, bottled the year of Doolittle's birth, is to be opened and drunk by the last two living members in honor of all the rest.
Posted 02:35 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 23, 2006
Oshkosh begins tomorrow.
Flew into Dayton Wright Bros. Airport just as it broke VFR. The weather is looking great for tomorrow. It's not even hot, and I hope it stays that way.
Race briefing is at 4:30 local. Then we load up in buses for a dinner at the Air Force Museum followed by an hour or two in the museum after hours. Cool. The second prototype XB-70 is there, the coolest airplane that ever existed. It flies about as fast and high as an SR-71, but carries a bomb load. Or if the theory espoused in Aviation Week is true, the third "unfinished" XB-70 is now the "first stage" of a space launch system. Who knows?
Pictures later. Got to go back to the airport and make sure the airplane is happy.
Posted 18:58 GMT by Dennis Collins
Laminar flow wing, 9500 feet over N.E. Arizona, into the rising sun.
Taxiing to parking at New Mexico's Double Eagle II airport, we noticed a folding table and chairs with laptops and sophisticated weather equipment out in the desert beside the runway. That didn't make sense. On shutdown it suddenly became clear as the prototype Eclipse Jet taxied out for takeoff. The lineboy said they've been flying it constantly for months.
Between Santa Fe and Los Vegas NM, there are innumerable valleys that can put Switzerland to shame. In the fall the aspen turn bright yellow and red, but today everything was green
Looks like there would be some good hiking in this South Eastern Colorado canyon.
After refueling in Hayes, Ks. we were 7500 feet above cotton ball clouds while avoiding some small thunderstorms. We landed in Iowa City, Iowa in light rain.
The line from Forrest Gump, "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get", could describe flying across the country from little airport to little airport.
Sometimes there are no rooms and you sleep on the floor at the airport. If they let you stay after closing time. But sometimes you luck into a place like the Alexis Park Inn and Suites in Iowa City.
They had several rooms left, and I splurged and picked the Pan American Clipper Honeymoon Suite. With an EAA discount, it's about the same price as a Holiday Inn.
Decor is a mix of Chinese and South Pacific, with pictures of Curtis and Boeing flying boats.
The Jacuzzi tub next to the king size waterbed is big enough to require it's own flotation device.
And of course, the room key comes complete with it's own "Remove Before Flight" key fob.
Tomorrow - on to the AirVenture Cup Starting line in Dayton Ohio.
Posted 02:05 GMT by Dennis Collins
We've arrived in Iowa City, Iowa. As far as we could get without fighting thunderstorms. It's forecast to be good weather in the morning and we've only got one leg to get into Dayton where we'll start the race into Oshkosh on Sunday.
Much more later. Cool pictures. And the room we've found to stay in is way cool. The Honeymoon Suite at an aviation theme hotel.....
But right now, food....
Posted 00:32 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 22, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 1
Already running later than I want, but that's OK. I'M ON VACATION! The race numbers are on the plane (Race No. 90). I'm checking weather right now. Dawn is here. Time to go.
First stop will be New Mexico at Double Eagle II. Next stop somewhere in Kansas depending on weather.
Posted 12:26 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 21, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 2
Tokyo Institute of Technology students fly plane powered by 160 AA batteries.
160 Panasonic Oxyride batteries, to be exact.
Posted 15:27 GMT by Dennis Collins
Major Hollywood movie will premere at Oshkosh. "Flyboys", inspired by the American pilots in the Lafayette Escadrille in the World War will premere to 500 lucky Oshkosh attendees. From the producer of "Independence Day" and "The Patriot".
Posted 12:48 GMT by Dennis Collins
The "ultimate" homebuilt will be at Oshkosh this year. A scratch built P-51A. Pix at the link.
Posted 12:38 GMT by Dennis Collins
Randy's Journal, a blog direct from Boeing's VP of Marketing, is the inside view from Farnborough.
Posted 12:21 GMT by Dennis Collins
Chick Pilot takes some time away from her new job as an Air Force instructor pilot for some funnies. All oldies but goodies.
Posted 12:08 GMT by Dennis Collins
Dave has more great pictures from the Front Office.
We are taking turns stretching in the rear of the flight deck while the other guy sucks 100 % oxygen at his duty station. Simply put, we are trying to stay awake. Myself, the co-pilot, and flight attendants, have been on duty since before yesterday's sunset and now we are looking at dawn's early light...
Altitude: 35,000 feet
Groundspeed: 519 m.p.h.
Fuel flow: 5,000 lbs. per hour
Posted 11:54 GMT by Dennis Collins
Less than 36 hours until takeoff for Dayton, and the race weather for Sunday is looking rain-free. I'll have to see if I can get a better long term forecast for clouds. This one is from AOPA.
Cell phone internet access is under test as we speak, and it works pretty well. Not quite as fast as broadband, but definitely better than dialup. Theoretically it covers Oshkosh and points nearby.
Posted 02:56 GMT by Dennis Collins
I noticed this line in an article about the new DC-10 firebomber.
For the first time, the U.S. Forest Service plans to send up an unmanned drone to watch for fires across the West, with test flights scheduled for next month.
Don't tell me that there're going to have TFRs all across the West looking for fires... That's what they do along the border when they're flying their multi-million dollar Predator drone looking for illegals, declare a "Temporary" Flight Restriction for 6 months or more. The forest service has already gotten into the nasty habit of declaring a TFR every time a stump is smoking, whether there's any abnormally high amount of air traffic in the area or not.
Posted 00:44 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 20, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 3
Ok, here's a cool pix of an F-15E refueling. It's a cool picture. You should link to the full size image and see the details.
Master Sgt. Todd McPeak refuels an F-15E Strike Eagle during an Operation Iraqi Freedom mission on July 18. Sergeant McPeak is a KC-10 Extender boom operator with the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brian Ferguson)
Here's one of the details:
Who let that Aggie fly a Jet?
Posted 23:30 GMT by Dennis Collins
Aero-news.net is talking out their exhaust pipe on their Garmin 496 "scoop".
Garmin International told Aero-News FIRST Thursday (we love saying that...) about its latest cool and useful gadget -- the GPSMAP 496
The Luscombe-silvaire Yahoo Group had the news on new 496 features days ago.
Posted 23:00 GMT by Dennis Collins
Marines airlift US citizens from Lebanon.
Beirut, Lebanon (July 18, 2006) – A U.S. citizen calms a child flying to Akrotiri, Cyprus, from Beirut, Lebanon in a U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, assigned to the "Blue Knights" of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron Three Six Five (HMM-365). At the request of the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon and at the direction of the Secretary of Defense, the United States Central Command and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24 MEU) are assisting with the departure of U.S. citizens from Lebanon. U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Gunnery Sgt. James H. Frank
Posted 15:41 GMT by Dennis Collins
F-14 fleet retirement delayed because of Middle East action. The carrier Theodore Roosevelt and Tomcat fighter squadron VF-31 are deploying.
Posted 15:20 GMT by Dennis Collins
Posted 15:02 GMT by Dennis Collins
Atlantic City's Airport, the "Oldest" in the country, to close.
When there aren't enough pilots, this is what happens. If you know anyone who might like to learn to fly, it's time to join AOPA's Project Pilot, and get them in the air. Better yet, if you know someone who's stopped flying, get them *back* in the air. Anyone with a middle class income can afford a Luscombe or Sport Pilot airplane.
Posted 14:54 GMT by Dennis Collins
Bonehead media article of the week:
Is Angelina Jolie Endangering Kids With New Airplane?
The actress owns a $360,000 Cirrus SR-22 and has been spotted taking boyfriend Brad Pitt and kids Maddox, Zahara and baby Shiloh for trips in the speedy jet.
Here's Angelina and her "speedy jet".
Posted 14:41 GMT by Dennis Collins
US Airways advertising is for Barf Bags.
Posted 14:33 GMT by Dennis Collins
First jet airliner used as a firebomber, and it wasn't the 747 that was in the news a while back.
Posted 14:27 GMT by Dennis Collins
Update: The auction for 4 dates for lunch or a round of golf with Burt Rutan and Brian Binnie is over.
Package #1 - bid $3550.00 - 8AM tee time on July 28.
Package #2 - bid $4050.00 - 2PM tee time on July 28.
Package #3 - bid $860.00 - 8AM tee time on July 29 [MINIMUM NOT MET].
Package #4 - bid $2550.00 - 2PM tee time on July 29.
I wonder what the minimum was on that #3 package? If someone knows, zap me a line. Maybe the EAA would re-open the bids on it.
Posted 14:20 GMT by Dennis Collins
Brian Webb at SpaceArchive.info says the Minuteman III launch has been delayed 24 hours. See the link and down below for details.
Posted 14:12 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 19, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 4
What a way to see Hawaii....
Capt. Michael Blake looks out of his F-15 Eagle on approach to the island of Oahu, Hawaii, on July 16. He was flying a mission in support of the Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2006. The captain is a pilot with the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)
Posted 21:47 GMT by Dennis Collins
If you were an F-15 jock, and your boss told you he had 14 surplus AIM-7 Sparrow missiles to "destroy", what would you do? Well ... be first in line to shoot them, of course!
F-15 Eagles fire AIM-7 Sparrow missiles at a tactical air-launched decoy off the coast of Hawaii on July 16 during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2006. The F-15s are from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)
I guess it's a good test to see if the radars don't interfere with each other and each track the right missile. Just guessing, of course. I really don't know how these things keep their signals from crossing.
Posted 21:31 GMT by Dennis Collins
The first forcast for the AirVenture Cup race to Oshkosh is in: (need to be AOPA member to link)
Looks like the starting line in Dayton is just out of the rain, and Oshkosh has a patch. This is way to early to count on this forcast holding. Just FIVE days to the race!
Posted 21:08 GMT by Dennis Collins
Airbus announces details of the revamped A350 at Farnborough. It will be 45% composite by mass vs. 50% composite in the Boeing 787. It will compete with the 777 and 787, and they're boasting a 7% operating cost reduction vs. the 787.
Airbus will renegotiate their existing 100 firm orders for the current failed A350 design.
Posted 15:22 GMT by Dennis Collins
Raytheon completes tests for India's GAGAN system (WAAS).
Posted 15:14 GMT by Dennis Collins
Brian Webb at SpaceArchive sent out a Minuteman III launch alert:
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled to launch from North Vandenberg Wednesday morning as an operational test to demonstrate the weapon system’s reliability and accuracy. The six-hour launch window is from 1:01 to 7:01 a.m. PDT.
The missile's three unarmed re-entry vehicles are expected to travel approximately 4,200 miles, hitting a pre-determined water target in the Marshall Islands.
Got to Brian's web site for viewing information.
Posted 14:17 GMT by Dennis Collins
Cyprus (July 16, 2006) - U.S. citizens exit a U.S. Marine Corps CH-53 helicopter assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24 MEU) in Cyprus, following their departure from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. At the request of the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon and at the direction of the Secretary of Defense, the United States Central Command and U.S. Marines are assisting with the authorized departure of U.S. citizens from Lebanon. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Demetrio J. Espinosa)
Posted 03:39 GMT by Dennis Collins
Marines recalling CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from the bone yard.
Posted 03:32 GMT by Dennis Collins
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen likes airplanes.
Posted 03:18 GMT by Dennis Collins
Police Helicopter pilot dies from a heart attack during preflight.
Three weeks ago [the pilot] had his yearly medical checkup required by the Federal Aviation Administration, and it gave no indication of any sort of medical problems.
Posted 02:14 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 18, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 5
Discovery landing tomorrow.
Possible landing tracks.
Track for landing on orbit 202
Track for landing on orbit 203
Posted 04:49 GMT by Dennis Collins
Instapundit notes that tomorrow (today) is the 10th anniversary of TWA flight 800 and links an Ann Althouse blog on the subject.
"We studied if it had been a missile, what would it have done to the fuselage? We had scientists in the desert shooting rockets into old fuselages," [said Robert Francis, the former vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.] "We didn't find a single piece of wreckage that would have pointed to that kind of explosion. So I say to the missile theorists, 'Show me something."' ...
I suppose it's so hard to believe that this was just an accident because:
1) It was just a few days before the Atlanta Olympics, and we were expecting
something.
2) There were just too many credible witnesses that saw a "rocket", including
military pilots in flight at the time, who had been fired on in combat
and knew what such a thing looked like.
3) My personal conspiracy theory is that the government has a policy of not
"acknowledging loses" in terrorist incidents, if there is another plausible conclusion.
This costs the bad guys a "victory", but the downside may be that they seek to
do bigger acts that we can't explain away. Flight 800 could be explained away,
but 9/11 never could have.
But then there's this:
That's a Flight International image close up of a hole arced in a wiring conduit inside a 727 wing tank. It exploded with enough force to destroy the wing last year in Bangalore India while it was being towed.
If such a thing had happened to Flight 800, the parts containing the tell tale evidence, like this wiring conduit, would have been ejected from the 747 immediately and would have hit the ocean miles from where the rest of the plane impacted. There would be virtually zero chance to find it.
Maybe it was just an accident. It's just that the fuel tank story sounded so lame. I had never heard of such a thing before. And there were all those eye witnesses. But then, eyewitnesses can see what they want to see, particularly when the right story will get them on TV, or a book deal.
Posted 03:51 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 17, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 6 (less than a week!)
Marines working on "Hot Eagle", Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion - SUSTAIN. The object being to insert a small team of Marines anywhere in the world within two hours. Might be a good tool to use if we see a tall arab in a Pakistani village some day.
Posted 15:46 GMT by Dennis Collins
I happened to notice an article about an F-4C Phantom on display in Enid Oklahoma. I've looked in vain for years to find one of the Phantoms I was a crew chief on back in the mid-70's. Doing some research, I was able to find out that the Enid F-4 wasn't one of mine, but I did find a list of all US military aircraft on static display. From there, I finally found one of the planes, F-4C SN 63-07702 at "Industrial airport, Pratt (KS) deteriorating on a post".
Checking RunwayFinder.com in the satellite image mode, there it was:
Maybe I could make a fuel stop there on the way to Oshkosh.
Posted 14:49 GMT by Dennis Collins
Training Video for driving behind a 747.
Posted 01:43 GMT by Dennis Collins
MV-22 Ospreys complete "self deployment" to England.
Posted 00:56 GMT by Dennis Collins
North Korea linked to Iranian C-802 cruise Missiles in a report by GlobalSecurity.org
In early 2000 it was reported that North Korea and Iran were jointly developing an advanced version of the C-802 cruise missile. These missiles initially acquired by Iran were not equipped with advanced systems, and the missiles acquired by Iran were rather outdated. Iran turned to North Korea for missile system technology, and the two countries are jointly developing an upgraded version with improved accuracy.
Posted 00:34 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 16, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 7
Lebanese coastal radars destroyed:
Major-General Gadi Eizenkot, head of the General Staff Operations Branch, said in a briefing held at the Kirya base in Tel Aviv that “in the evening hours we destroyed all of Lebanon’s coastal radars. The reason for the radars’ destruction was the part they played in the attack on an Israeli missile boat on Friday, in which one soldier was killed and another three went missing.”
Brigadier-General Noam Page of the Navy said that the IDF was not aware that Hizbullah had in its possession a C802 missile of the type fired at the boat.
Posted 23:58 GMT by Dennis Collins
An April 17 Newsmax article says the Iranians have Chinese designed C-701 and C-802 radar guided missiles.
Eagle1 posted in March on the C-701, likely used in the attack. The Chinese version can evade anti-missile missiles.
Update: IDF claims the attack was from a C-802 missile, not C-701.
Posted 23:36 GMT by Dennis Collins
ABC News says that the Israeli warship damaged was not struck by a Hezbollah UAV, but was instead an Iranian manufactured cruise missile.
"We can confirm that it was hit by an Iranian-made missile launched by Hezbollah. We see this as very profound fingerprint of Iranian involvement in Hezbollah," [IDF Brig. Gen. Ido] Nehushtan said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Another Hezbollah missile also hit and sank a nearby merchant ship at around the same time, Nehushtan said. He said that ship apparently was Egyptian.
Posted 23:17 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 15, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 10
Third day of runway cratering missions at Rafik Hariri International airport.
AP photo via Fox News.
Posted 14:31 GMT by Dennis Collins
Israeli attack on fuel tank farm at Lebanon International Airport.
Image from Chinese news agency
Posted 03:44 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 14, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 11
The Missile Defense Agency conducted a successful Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) test yesterday morning at White Sands NM.
Launch at dawn.
Bullseye.
Copyrighted AP photo of pre-dawn THAAD test. Click on picture for a link to a larger copy.
Posted 18:43 GMT by Dennis Collins
Boeing reports their UAV "Unmanned Little Bird" demonstration helicopter flew unmanned for the first time on June 30.
Look Ma, no hands.
Posted 16:08 GMT by Dennis Collins
The "Genesis I" was sucessfully launched by entrepreneur Robert T. Bigelow using an ISC Kosmotras Dnepr rocket into a target orbit of 550km altitude at 64 degrees inclination.
5:20 PST
Bigelow Aerospace has received confirmation from the Genesis I spacecraft that it has successfully expanded.We have also confirmed that all of the solar arrays have been deployed.
Bigelow, an owner of a large hotel chain, wants to use inflatable structures such as this to build a space hotel. The guy's serious enough to actually get hardware into orbit. But he's got a long way to go.
Posted 03:04 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 13, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 12
We just got Oskhosh reservations at the Audubon Inn in Mayville Wi. It's a Victorian hotel recently restored to better-than-new glory with a first class restaurant, Jacuzzi tubs, and four-poster beds. A bit of a drive to Oshkosh, but I've driven farther to work in the past.
That's what the place looked like when it was built, the building on the right with the tower. About the only change in the scene today is the paving on the street.
But don't try to call them up for a reservation. I think we got the last room. But there are always rooms in Milwaukee or Madison, an hour or so away.
Posted 14:46 GMT by Dennis Collins
Update on the eBay bidding for lunch and a round of golf with Burt Rutan and Brian Binnie during Oskhosh:
Package #1 - current bid $430.00 - 8AM tee time on July 28.
Package #2 - current bid $885.00 - 2PM tee time on July 28.
Package #3 - current bid $383.88 - 8AM tee time on July 29.
Package #4 - current bid $250.00 - 2PM tee time on July 29.
The minimum bid still hasn't been reached on any of them.
Update July 14: The bids are the same, except #4 is now $255. Minimum hasn't been reached on any of them.
Posted 14:38 GMT by Dennis Collins
NASA has some great video from the right solid rocket booster during the recent launch of Discovery. It's 12+ minutes, and goes from launch to burnout at 150k feet, and apogee at 220k feet, then all the way to splashdown 140 miles down range. Amazingly, the camera doesn't go underwater, and you can see the parachute shrouds below in the water. It apparently floats standing upright in the water.
Things to watch for: Note the slow adjustment of the Shuttle elevons during the climb. Also watch the change in the character of the SRB exhaust plume as it spreads with altitude. After separation, you can see Discovery flash past the camera view 4-5 times as the SRB spins around, eventually appearing as a star fading in the distance.
Cool video.
Real Video download is
Here.
Windows Media download is
Here.
If those links are broken, you can find them at the STS-121 mission page, as well as more images and videos.
Posted 13:50 GMT by Dennis Collins
Shuttle Discovery delivers second "droid" to ISS.
Six years ago, MIT engineering Professor David Miller showed the movie Star Wars to his students on their first day of class. There's a scene Miller is particularly fond of, the one where Luke Skywalker spars with a floating battle droid. Miller stood up and pointed: "I want you to build me some of those."
MIT undergrads flight-test a prototype droid onboard NASA's KC-135 reduced gravity aircraft.
Posted 05:17 GMT by Dennis Collins
V-22 Osprey has engine trouble on trans-atlantic flight to Farnborough England. Tiltrotor lands at Keflavik for engine change.
Posted 04:58 GMT by Dennis Collins
Holloman goes Hollywood.
Airmen filling the roles of extras on the set of the movie "Transformers" run for cover while a camera crew on a four-wheeler captures the action during filming at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., on May 31. The movie is scheduled for release in July 2007. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Larry A. Simmons)
Posted 04:50 GMT by Dennis Collins
Indian rocket failed seconds into launch. Pix at link.
Posted 04:40 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 12, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 13
The English Electric PR9 Canberra recce aircraft returned from duty in Afghanistan last month and will do a farewell flyover and retirement on July 28 after almost 60 years in service.
A 39 (1 PRU) Sqn Canberra PR9 is made ready for an early sortie during the last operational deployment. [Picture: Sgt Graham Spark RAF]
Posted 15:31 GMT by Dennis Collins
Serious security breach of Indian Prime Ministers Jet.
AIR-INDIA One’s security has been breached. The security agencies have reported a serious lapse on board when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Germany in April.
I didn't do it :-)
Posted 02:35 GMT by Dennis Collins
The Tacos go to Korea.
Tech. Sgt. Mike Geske, front, and Staff Sgt. Carl Valvota secure a Mark 82 bomb to an F-16 Fighting Falcon at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, on July 5. The aircraft is from the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Fighter Wing at Albuquerque. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson)
Posted 02:03 GMT by Dennis Collins
Boeing says it can save 30,000 gallons of fuel per airplane, per year, by painting engine nacelles a single color. Helps the laminar flow or something.
Now if they can just figure a way to keep the bugs off the leading edge....
Posted 00:24 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 11, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 14
Pictures of new curved large wingtip on A320:
Posted 04:28 GMT by Dennis Collins
Flight International catches the first glimpse of a wildly modified non-flying 747 for the new James Bond film, Casino Royale.
Posted 04:23 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 10, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 15
Bonehead media article of the week. The Lexington Herald-Leader in a Mcclatchy article says that cargo aircraft are "Unsafe at any Altitude", and "Cargo planes largely unregulated by FAA or anyone else".
That's right, pilots for cargo lines don't have to pass multiple tests with multiple ratings. There's no certification requirements for cargo planes. The avionics in cargo airplanes are home-built affairs by college geeks with no oversight from the FAA. Cargo airplanes don't have to contact ATC and get clearances, and their mechanics have no training requirements, and no one has any licenses they might lose. Pilots don't have to have physicals at cargo lines either, so all the pilots who've failed physicals fly cargo planes. All FARs are "void" for cargo carriers.
Right.
An argument might be made that cargo aircraft safety is worse than passenger airlines. But since either cargo lines or passenger lines must be the "worst", I think it's appropriate that cargo won that contest. To argue that they're "largely unregulated by FAA or anyone else" is just laughable. If anything, there is a great deal of over-regulation by the feds. The hurdle for certification is so great that common aircraft engines were designed 50 or 60, or like the Lycoming in the HangarView Lanciar, almost 70 years ago. Avionics breakthroughs like ADS-B must be adopted by multiple government and bureaucratic agencies, so they've languished on the test-bench for literally 20 years.
Unfortunatly the case that over-regulation has damaged aviation, and even aviation safety, is a hard case to make to someone who isn't in the industry. And it isn't likely to jolt the emotion of fear in average media consumers, so it won't tend to sell newspapers.
The author of this piece is Ronnie Greene, likely a reporter for the Miami Herald. I haven't yet found an e-mail address, so if anyone does let me know so I can send a link.
Posted 13:36 GMT by Dennis Collins
DOHUK PROVINCE -- The Sunn Pest was an environmental enemy to the citizens of Dahuk, Iraq in years past. With some crop spraying, the harvest is starting to increase and the Sunni pest is on its way out to pasture.The 403 rd Civil Affairs Battalion helped the Kurdish Regional Government rid this year's wheat harvest of the insect in order to increase grain quality...
The U.S., in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture-Baghdad, then contracted Skylink, a Bulgarian crop-dusting company to spray farm land where farmers had placed markers indicating participation in the program.
Story and photos by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Petibone 138th MPAD
Posted 05:58 GMT by Dennis Collins
Then, 1986:
I feel the need .....
Now, 2006:
... the need, for speed.
Four F-15 Eagle pilots from the 3rd Wing walk to their respective jets at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 5, for the fini flight of Maj. Andrea Misener (far left). To her right are Capt. Jammie Jamieson, Maj. Carey Jones and Capt. Samantha Weeks. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown)
Posted 05:31 GMT by Dennis Collins
Airlines told to avoid the Kamchatka route off the coast of North Korea.
Posted 04:48 GMT by Dennis Collins
Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are building a Boeing 767-200 "Party Plane".
Posted 04:21 GMT by Dennis Collins
Would you like to have lunch or a round of Golf with Burt Rutan and Space Ship One pilot Brian Binnie? Here's your chance.
During Oshkosh, EAA is auctioning off 4 packages of lunch or a round of golf for you and a friend benefiting the Gathering of Eagles which supports education, historic preservation, and the inspirational endeavors that prepare youths of all backgrounds to become the aviation pioneers of tomorrow.
Package #1 - current bid $100.00 - 8AM tee time on July 28.
Package #2 - current bid $810.00 - 2PM tee time on July 28.
Package #3 - current bid $100.00 - 8AM tee time on July 29.
Package #4 - current bid $100.00 - 2PM tee time on July 29.
The minimum bid hasn't been reached on any of them yet.
Posted 03:12 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 9, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 16
Air Force chief of staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley presents the F-35 "Lightning II".
The F-35 was named in honor of the famed Lockheed P-38 Lightning if WWII, and the 1500 mph English Electric Lightning jet from the 50's. English Electric is now BAE Systems, a major partner in the F-35.
May she be as successful as another sequel, the F-4 Phantom II.
Posted 03:55 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 8, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 17
Another beautiful picture by Dave from Phoenix.
Two thousand feet above us is another airliner flying the same direction and through the same gap in the line of storms... The scene is surrealistic....
Position: 25 miles north of Salina
Altitude: 35,000 feet (max altitude at current weight)
Destination: Boston
Visit Dave's blog site and click on the picture for a larger version. He takes lots of great images and you might want one for a screen saver.
Posted 20:38 GMT by Dennis Collins
AOPA makes the point that a proposed new requirement for extra training for VFR pilots anywhere within 100 miles of the DC ADIZ amounts to an expansion of the airspace restrictions.
The bottom line is that terrorists don't follow airspace rules. If they did, 9/11 wouldn't have happened. The DC ADIZ is only a tool for Washington DC to regularly remind itself that 9/11 happened, every time the Senators get chased out of their chambers because a Cessna 150 got lost. It's usefullness to actually prevent terrorism is somewhere around zero.
Posted 04:03 GMT by Dennis Collins
Lots of "Temporary" flight Restriction areas in the West for fires, the red zones on the map from RunwayFinder.com.
Question: Why is a TFR required on every fire?
I can understand that it might be annoying to have a GA aircraft buzzing around
firefighters. But it's not like there's so much firefighting traffic around any one
fire that there's a serious threat of mid-air, except perhaps the largest of fires.
The TFR around the recent "Potato" fire near the HangarView home at AZ82 was in effect for a week or more, and I never saw a single aircraft over there. I'm sure there were some, but obviously not so many that a TFR was required for safety reasons or else I would have seen at least one.
OK, fires often are accompanied by lower visibility. So? Nail pilots for violating visibility rules already in place if that's a problem.
Posted 03:33 GMT by Dennis Collins
An F-16 Fighting Falcon tests the new aircraft arresting barrier at the end of the runway at Balad Air Base, Iraq, on Tuesday, July 4. The new barrier is expected to increase safety by catching aircraft before they roll off the end of the runway. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Tony Tolley)
Posted 01:01 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 7, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 18
The Dallas Morning News says that the F-35 will be the "Lightning II". Cool.
"Lightning II" will be the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's official nickname – a decision the Air Force chief of staff is to announce Friday at Lockheed Martin Corp.'s plant in Fort Worth.
Grand Prairie native Gen. Moseley is a history buff who was expected to dub the F-35 the "Lightning II" because the original P-38 Lightning was one of World War II's most famous fighter planes. And the P-38 was built by Lockheed.
I spent months working on that P-38 in the picture. (Don't tell anyone, but the two or three ripped out screw holes on the bottom of that right wing were because JK and I got too ambitious about removing the leading edge before all the screws were out.)
Posted 19:03 GMT by Dennis Collins
The wreck of the Sikorsky S-38 once owned by S. C. Johnson company has been found on the ocean bottom in Manokwari Bay Indonesia during an expedition by the Johnson family. After flying the S-38 to Brazil in 1935 in search of Carnauba, the Johnson family sold the plane to a Petroleum company.
Fisk Johnson said Tuesday the plane was located in 90 feet of water during a drive [dive?] trip in which he was accompanied by his brother and sister, Curt Johnson, chairman of JohnsonDiversey, Inc. and Helen Johnson-Leipold, chairman and CEO of Johnson Outdoors and chairman of Johnson Financial Group, as well as their mother, Gene Johnson.
Image from EAA Airventure. The Sikorsky was at Oshkosh last year.
Posted 15:08 GMT by Dennis Collins
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has decided to require pilots and controllers to take an English proficiency test by 2008. They must pass with a level four "operational" score.
Watching NASA TV and listening to the Russian downlink, I guess they'll be exempt.
Posted 14:22 GMT by Dennis Collins
Discovery just completed the "backflip" maneuver to shoot pictures and is clear for docking.
Watching the slow ballet of spacecraft I can hear the "Blue Danube" waltz and see the Shuttle Orion as it docks with the space station in 2001 A Space Odyssey.
Image from www.celestiamotherlode.net
Posted 14:09 GMT by Dennis Collins
Discovery is scheduled to dock with the ISS tomorrow at 10:52 EDT.
A camera on the shuttle's robotic arm captured this image of Discovery's payload bay and crew cabin. Photo credit: NASA TV
Posted 05:21 GMT by Dennis Collins
If you like Air Force jets, you'll love F-16.net.
Posted 04:19 GMT by Dennis Collins
Boeing is working on a large UAV (61 meter wingspan) that will be hydrogen powered with a 10 day loiter duration.
Posted 03:58 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 6, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 19
Aero-news is reporting that Cessna has joined the Light Sport Manufacturers Association, and will announce a new LSA aircraft on opening day of Oshkosh.
Retooled Cessna 152 maybe?
I'll be there and let you know.
Posted 22:06 GMT by Dennis Collins
North Korea is still firing missiles. After shooting a total of 6 yesterday, they fired another today.
An unconfirmed translation of this article on another blog post said:
It is possible that N. Korea launched six additional launches of short-range and shore-to-ship missiles, in addition to six launches of Taepodong-2, Nodong, and Scud surface-to-surface missiles, during dawn and morning hours of July 5th.Senior government sources said, "The confirmed launches so far by N. Koreans are one Taepodong launch and five launches of Nodong and Scud missiles, totaling six. However, we have indications that, between 7am and 8:13am, six additional missiles are launched, which we are trying to confirm." These additional missiles are likely to be 'Seersucker' shore-to-ship missiles (range: 100~120km) and Scuds(range: 300~500km.)
That makes 13 reported firings so far. The Seersuckers are cruise missiles and may not be observable by space based detectors, or Aegis based radars over-the-horizon.
Meanwhile, the Ausies are saying:
Australia expects North Korea to test-launch more missiles soon despite the international furor caused by the communist nation's series of launches Wednesday, the Australian foreign minister said.Alexander Downer made the comments after making a telephone call to North Korea's ambassador to Australia, Chon Jae Hong, to protest the surprise launches.
North Korea is an obvious failure at missile technology. But one thing they succeded in doing was keeping the news of yesterdays Shuttle Discovery launch off the front pages of the newspapers. Getting such attention was probably their only goal.
Update:
The North Koreans have issues. from STRATEGYPAGE
North Korean officials engage in even more bizarre behavior. For example, food and fuel supplies sent to North Korea have been halted, not to force North Korea to stop missile tests or participate in peace talks, but to return the Chinese trains the aid was carried in on. In the last few weeks, the North Koreans have just kept the trains, sending the Chinese crews back across the border. North Korea just ignores Chinese demands that the trains be returned, and insists that the trains are part of the aid program. It's no secret that North Korean railroad stock is falling apart, after decades of poor maintenance and not much new equipment. Stealing Chinese trains is a typical loony-tune North Korean solution to the problem. If the North Koreans appear to make no sense, that's because they don't.
HatTip: Instapundit
Posted 15:45 GMT by Dennis Collins
The plan for Oshkosh:
After much begging and pleading and purchasing of Sparkling Beverages of Choice, it's been confirmed that I'll be flying the HangarView.com Lancair 235 in the AirVenture Cup Race.
The number on the tail and the radio callsign will be "Race number 90".
Go take a look at the fancy AirVenture Cup web site. Be sure to download one or two of the videos. The "10 Minute Highlight Reel" or "Fly the Race Course" are good.
The Lancair is in the "Sprint" class, 235 Cubic Inches and less, which is almost totally made up of Vari-EZs. Normally the Lanciar should make little flakes of fiberglass and foam out of small engine Vari-EZs, but these guys are a bunch of engine tweekers, so this is going to be a real race. Race No. 90 has just a garden variety O-235 with a constant speed prop, so there will be no over-reving. Whatever the results, it will be serious fun.
After that is Oshkosh. The Laptop and digital camera are all primed and ready. And I've got a Verizon cell phone high speed internet access that is supposed to cover Oshkosh, so if all works well I should be on-line live from Oshkosh for the week.
Only 20 more days.....
Posted 00:02 GMT by Dennis Collins
July 5, 2006
Days till Oshkosh: 20
India to build their own "GPS" system.
Bangalore, July 4: A satellite-based system to be built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore in the next five to six years will enable New Delhi to provide positioning, navigation and timing services across the country and neighbouring areas, officials said here today.
Addressing an industry meet on satellite navigation and talking to reporters later, G Madhavan Nair, Secretary in the Department of Space, said the Indian Regional Navigation System will consist of a constellation of satellites and a large ground network.
"The system is a totally independent navigational system based on a constellation of eight satellites," said Nair, who is also chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The system is regional, which I assume must mean the satellites are geosync. With only 8 sats, a regional system I believe is all that is possible. The Indians are also building a "WAAS" system for aircraft they call "Gagan".
Posted 22:52 GMT by Dennis Collins
Bonehead media article of the week:
The cause of a fatal plane crash here Monday has been tentatively linked to the propeller's apparent failure to turn ...
Posted 22:44 GMT by Dennis Collins
Radio news just announced that North Korea has launched their T-dong-2 missile. Nothing about it on the net yet.
Other blog posters are saying that it was *not* their Taepodong II missile that's been siting on the pad for weeks. In any case, here's a drawing of it.
Update: It's not known whether this was the Taepodong II or not. What is known is that it landed in the Sea of Japan.
Several weeks ago it was announced that there were two Aegis cruisers off the coast of North Korea. More recently an Aegis demonstrated a mid-course intercept of a target missile in space as it was staging using an SM-3 missile.
Update-2: Fox News says *three* missiles were fired:
The two U.S. officials later told FOX News that the Taepodong-2 was the third rocket to go up. It failed 35 seconds after launch.
Taepodong II = Dud.
Posted 20:05 GMT by Dennis Collins
Awesome launch of Discovery. NASA TV had some external tank shots that were very interesting. Particularly at main engine shutdown and tank jettison. Lots of stuff going on that I've never seen before. If anyone has some links of all the various camera angles they replayed after the launch, let me know. I can't get into the NASA web site at all now. Will probably be that way for awhile.
Posted 19:29 GMT by Dennis Collins
Discovery is a little more than 30 minutes from launch, and all is Go. I won't try to give minute-by-minute coverage as I might if this weren't already covered well by the NASA web site, NASA TV and others. Fox News will cover the flight live and no doubt some of the old media TV will as well.
Godspeed crew of Discovery. No matter how risky this flight might be, I wish I were with you.
Posted 18:00 GMT by Dennis Collins
India will build a network of ground based radars that can determine wind speeds in real time.
Between 10-12 Stratosphere-Troposphere, radars at various universities and scientific institutions across the country, will be set up to gather atmospheric data that will be collated at a central hub, he said.If all goes well these radar stations, that will capable of me