In Flight USA Article Categories
In Flight USA Articles
Golden Age Air Tours: See the Bay Area From a Totally New Perspective!
By Bert Botta
DC-3 DNA
N341A Golden Age Air Tours DC-3 (Courtesy Bert Botta)The seed of DC-3 passion was planted in me early. As a four-year-old boy, my mother and I flew on a United Airlines DC-3 from SFO to FAT (Fresno Air Terminal) to see relatives. During that flight I was feeling cramped so I asked mom if I could get out on the wing so I could see better.
For years after that flight, and after seeing way too many WWII movies, I found myself fantasizing about flying a DC3 over Africa, with my white scarf flowing out the window, landing on a dirt strip carved out of the jungle and having the kind of adventures that only a young boy can dream up.
Many years later, I would finally be able to see really well from the front seat of, first the Boeing 707 and then many more aircraft types as a pilot for TWA. But, after a few short years in the co-pilot’s seat when the airline industry began a steady decline, I was bumped back to the flight engineer seat for ten years. That left me itching to spread my wings as a “real pilot” and look out the front window again.
Fast forward to April 4, 1975 when I flew the final leg of my DC-3 Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) rating ride on a LOC (localizer) Runway 10R approach to the Monterey, Calif., airport. Because the government was generous enough to grant me 30 hours of GI Bill money toward my DC-3 type rating I was able to pursue my dream of flying the grand old dame and, once again, see really well from up front.
The memories of those days lingered dormant somewhere deep inside until recently when I was fortunate enough to get a ride in the Golden Age Air Tour’s DC-3, N341A out of Oakland Airport. And the memories came flooding back.
I never did get the white scarf but 26 years at TWA, the greatest airline in the world, sufficed as a pretty good substitute for those misplaced African adventures.
A Visitor’s Guide to History at Concord’s Buchanan Airfield
By Lea Buonocore
Buchanan Field Airport is located in Contra Costa County, Ca., in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. The Buchanan Field Airport has a very interesting and extensive history, although it is seen as a small airport. The land was purchased by Contra Costa County in 1942 for about $88,000. Contra Costa County operated the airport until the United States Air Force took over the operations. The army was able to include extra land, add new facilities, and build a training base for pilots. This was referred to the Concord Army Air Base.
Big changes occurred for the Concord Army Air Base in 1946. The War Assets Administration determined that Contra Costa 
(Photos courtesy www.co.contra-costa.ca.us)County take over the airport’s ownership again. The ownership was finalized in 1947 when the airport was named William J. Buchanan Airport after County Supervisor Buchanan. Buchanan served on the County Board of Supervisors for many decades. However, the U.S. Army continued to use the airport occasionally. The Army most commonly used the site during the Korean War.
In 1977, Buchanan Field was very successful in activity, with about 400,000 operations. Buchanan Field was one of the most active airports in the United States. Astonishingly, it surpassed San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in flights per day. However, during the busy and prosperous time, the small county voiced complaints regarding the noise. This restricted certain aircraft activity from operating at the airport. The airport faced new changes in the 1990s when the Board of Supervisors updated the airport’s master plan. Several commercial properties grew in the near area of the airport. However, the airport faced many challenges in terms of growth. The airport is located in the middle of Concord and does not have a lot of room to grow. There are also noise concerns to this day.
The Lone Star Flight Museum’s Big Move
The Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Field has postponed both it’s ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening. “Due to weather impacts from Hurricane Harvey and current rescue and recovery efforts, we will postpone our ribbon cutting and grand opening until a more appropriate timne,” said Douglas H. Owens, Lt Gen (ret.), Our thoughts and prayers are with our staff and community and all those affected by the storm and flooding. We will support recovery efforts as we are able and look forward to bringing our new museum to Houston when it’s time.”
By Nick Viggiano
Staggerwing T-6 (Courtesy of Nick Viggiano)As of the publication of this article, the Lone Star Flight Museum will be settling into their new home in Houston, Texas. The Grand Opening is scheduled for Sept. 2, 2017. After being based at Scholes International Airport on Galveston Island since 1990, the Museum is moving to Ellington Airport in Houston.
It was not an easy decision to move, but after Hurricane Ike in 2008, it was a smart move. Ike flooded the facility with three to eight feet of water and caused extensive damage to aircraft (not flown out of Ike’s path), the facility, and artifacts. One of the artifacts lost was Tex Hill’s “Blood Chit.” The American Volunteer Group or “Flying Tigers” issued a piece of silk (approximately 7x11 inches) with the Chinese National Flag & instructions in Chinese to protect this pilot from the Japanese, to take care of him, and get him back to the base.
Legendary: Spirit of Aviation Lives through Wings of Freedom Tour
By David Brown
Inspection of #4 engine on 909 before the afternoon flight. Maintenance is an ongoing campaign with these old airplanes. (David Brown)The annual Wings of Freedom Tour is operated by the Collings Foundation and involves a number of vintage warbirds circumnavigating the USA, displaying the aircraft and giving rides, but mainly to keep the spirit of WWII aviation alive.
For the tour in 2017 a quartet of aircraft is involved:
- · B 24J Witchcraft (N224J)
- · B17G “909”
- · B-25 Tondelayo
- · TP-51D Mustang “Toulouse Nuts”
After wending their way from Florida to Texas, and stopping at many cities, the tour arrived in Southern California during the latter part of April. A crowd of more than 200 people is clustered on the ramp at Torrance airport, centered at the Western Museum of Flight near the base of the tower. A cellphone rings to inform us that the bombers have left Van Nuys. However, the Mustang has a mechanical problem and will be along later… maybe. The sky is overcast. It’s just the maritime layer that is common along the California coast. And we wait.
Yanks Air Museum
Experience the Legacy of American Aircraft
The P-40 Warhawk. (Courtesy Yanks Air Museum)Imagine a time back in historical America, when adventurous men and women flew our legendary aircraft for fun, for show, for profit, to set new world records or to fight and defend our freedom at all costs. Come to Yanks and see the aircraft that turned the tides, and changed the fate of America’s history forever. Oh, and don’t forget, these aircraft can fly!
At Yanks Air Museum, in Chino, California, the desire to honor and preserve historical aircraft has held a prominent place in their legacy since 1972. Founded by Mr. and Mrs. Nichols, who began the search for these world-renowned aircraft, that now span more than a century and a wide variety of eras, wars, conflicts, and events. When you step into one of their hangars, you are instantly transported to another time. You’ll feel a sense of wonder and awe as you explore airpower and how it has changed the world.
Mid America Flight Museum 2016
By Nick Viggiano
Scott glover flying the P-51, Andrew Kiest flying the Beech 18 and Kelly Mohan flying the T-28. Matt Bongers was flying the photo plane SNJ-3. (Mid America Flight Museum)I started a new aviation journey about a year ago. Two friends who did not know each other (at the time) were pulling me to Mount Pleasant, Texas, and the Mid America Flight Museum. One longtime friend, Jason Bell, who lives in Mt. Pleasant, was finally bitten by the aviation bug and was pursuing his private ticket. The other, longtime friend, Erik Johnston, an aviation videographer, was volunteering and producing YouTube videos for the Mid America Flight Museum, based at the Mt. Pleasant airport.
Well, after a minimum of arm-twisting, one Saturday in February, I headed east from Dallas to visit my friend, Jason, and the Mid America Flight Museum.
After meeting up with and having lunch with Jason, we headed to the museum. As we drove onto the airport, in a hanger off in the distance, I spotted two gleaming three-blade props! Just the props were visible in the sunlight, and the rest of the aircraft was in the shadows.
I blurted out P-38! JB answered NO. As we got closer, I was dumbfounded! Now, I know my warbirds and military aircraft, but I am so-so with classic civilian aircraft. The aircraft turned out to be a rare bird. The Howard 250 is a post-war executive conversion of a Lockheed Loadstar and one of the only four built with tricycle-landing gear.
Crash Landing at Kimbolton, England – 1944 After a Bombing Raid Over Germany – in His Own Words
By Barbara Title
Byrd “Bert” Ryland in uniform. (Courtesy Barbara Title)“Our target that day was Hanover, Germany. Right after the bombs, we received three close hits that not only knocked out number four engine and caught number three engine on fire but also injured my co-pilot in the right leg, and my bombardier was also wounded in the upper leg. We went from 27,000 feet to approximately 5,000 feet in a spin. As we got it under control at 5,000 feet, the fire went out on number three, and we were able to feather it. By throwing out most of our equipment, we were able to maintain altitude across the North Sea. The crew took care of the wounded, and the co-pilot stayed in his seat to help me control the aircraft.
When the crew inspected the aircraft prior to trying to land my ball turret, gunner told me that the left main gear was partially hanging down and was holding on by hydraulic lines only. I couldn’t get any indication of gear condition, so the engineer tried to crank it down. It still didn’t come down, and I elected to land it in that condition, as I couldn’t have gone around after an approach and sure as hell didn’t want to bail out when I might have been able to save it. I made a good landing as far as it goes until I lost control of speed.
Tuskegee Airman Reflects on Time in Service
By Staff Sgt. Regina Edwards, 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
(This feature is part of the “Through Airmen’s Eyes” series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)
Tuskegee aircrew was one of his best memories. (U.S. Air Force illustration/Staff. Sgt. Regina Edwards)“I’ve come a long way from picking cotton in the fields with my grandfather,” said retired Master Sgt. Leroy Mazell Smith, who has lived a life few could probably imagine.
He was born on an Arkansas bridge during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927; son of a logger and farmer, Smith grew up in Pine Bluff, Ark. His mother, who cared for him and his two siblings, left school at the age of 13.
He credits his upbringing to his grandfather whom Smith picked cotton with. He said his grandfather taught him the value of hard work and perseverance.
Smith graduated from high school in Fordyce, Ark., at the age of 16. While there, he attended preflight aeronautical classes, changing the course of his future.
Author George Leopold gives NASA Pioneer Gus Grissom His Due in Calculated Risk: The Supersonic Life and Times of Gus Grissom
By Mark Rhodes
Author George Leopold’s biography of Astronaut Gus Grisson, Calculated Risk: The Supersonic Life and Times of Gus Grissom (Purdue University Press) is a thoughtful and comprehensive attempt to not only tell the story of Grissom’s life but most notably put Grissom’s accomplishments in context and perspective as one of the original seven NASA astronauts. Grissom, who died tragically during a pre-launch test for the Apollo 1, is a unique figure in NASA lore and history in that he was one of the few astronauts to not fully “tell his story” in the form of a memoir.
Mr. Leopold, who writes frequently about the space program, methodically traces the arc of Grissom’s rise from small town in Indiana to enlisting at the end of World War II as a teenager in the embryonic U.S. Air Force then studying engineering at Purdue before ultimately re-enlisting in Korea where he saw action in the skies (interestingly enough, unlike several of his future astronaut peers, Grissom never had an official kill, as he primarily functioned as a wingman). Post Korea, Grissom distinguished himself as one of the first rank of American test pilots at Edwards Air Force Base.
Everything changed in Grissom’s life in 1957 when Sputnik was launched into space throwing the Cold War into a very high gear overnight. Grissom competed with over 100 exceptional and accomplished candidates to be one of the “Mercury Seven” astronauts. This distinguished group of American test pilots was thrust into immediate celebrity status thanks to flattering, gushing profiles in Life Magazine. Grissom was particularly uncomfortable with this development, as the work the test pilots did was hardly public knowledge and was in many instances top secret. Grissom also didn’t possess a high degree of the natural swagger and charisma of his peers (particularly John Glenn who was preternaturally media savvy). Despite this, Grissom became the second American in space and was part of the first man-maneuvered space flight as one of the astronauts in the Gemini program.
Contrails: Our Vanishing Past
By Steve Weaver
The magnificent Supermarine Spitfire, just before the eventful flight. (Courtesy Steve Wesaver)I watched as the Spitfire, a veteran of the Battle of Britain, gently touched the sod of the country it had fought for some 70 odd years ago. The roll out was straight, and the track was true and the beautiful craft had slowed to almost a taxi pace when suddenly the left wing went down. The big fighter slewed and started to go over. It poised with the tail high in the air, just at the tipping point, where an inch further would send it onto its back, then it settled back on the right main gear and the left wing tip, the tail still high above the ground. There was a collective moan from the watching crowd, mine probably one of the loudest.
Above & Beyond: Boeing’s Centennial Traveling Exhibit
By Larry E. Nazimek
Entrance to Boeing’s “Above and Beyond” exhibit. As one walks through the entrance, the B & W Seaplane is the first thing they see. (Larry E. Nazimek)Boeing, whose headquarters is in Chicago, is celebrating its centennial, and their travelling exhibit, “Above & Beyond,” is making its rounds. We visited the exhibit as it opened in Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry.
Marcellus Rolle, of Boeing’s Centennial Anniversary Communications Office, explained, “Boeing does business worldwide, so there are actually three of these exhibits: one for the U. S., one for Europe, and one for Asia, in the appropriate languages. This one is in English, with Spanish subtitles.”
The first thing one sees as he enters the exhibit, is a ¼-scale model of the B & W Seaplane, named after its designers, William Boeing and U. S. Navy Lt. Conrad Westervelt. Made of wood, metal, and fabric, it was the first Boeing product. Its first flight was on June 15, 1916, and its maximum speed was 75 mph.
An Uprising Generation Setting Aviation World Records
Annamarie Buonocore Interviews Robin Petgrave, Founder of Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum
A Fictional Aviation Action Story
Annamarie Buonocore Interviews Author Spencer Anderson, the author of several aviation-themed historical fiction novels, was present and signing copies of his books. His book of high interest, The Last Raider, (Synergy Books Publishing, 2014) is a touching story about a former WWII B-25 pilot who
One Six Right Takes its Place in the Pantheon of Great Aviation Documentaries
By Mark Rhodes
One Six Right celebrates the connection of the general aviation airport, community and pilot. The quote “The Airport Runway is the Most Important Main Street in any Town” begins the Documentary One Six Right: The Romance of Flying (Anniversary Edition) (Terwilliger Productions) occupies a niche mini masterpiece of documentary film and aviation history. The film’s general subject is the history, ordeals, and basic contemporary state of the community airport and the pilot’s who frequent them. One Six Right focuses on one particular airport; Southern California’s venerable Van Nuys Airport, which is considered the busiest General Aviation airport in the U.S. The film has built a bit of a cult following, as pilots and aviation enthusiasts rave about how well the film communicates the romance and thrill of private aviation while working hard to dispel some of the misconceptions, large and small, relating to the operation and purpose of the 21st century general aviation airport. The film is a riposte to the idea that private and general aviation airports create excessive noise pollution and are populated by “one percenters” who give private aviation an aura of elitism. It does make a strong case that the general aviation airport is the key to a healthy aviation culture in the U.S. and is crucial to international commerce and “ground zero” for training the next generation of pilots.
Contrails: Fokker’s Over West Virginia
By Steve Weaver
The Red Baron didn’t fly them, but a little known fact is that the Fokker Aircraft Company had a factory in Glen Dale, West Virginia from the late ‘20s to about 1934, which produced the Fokker Tri Motor made famous by the Byrd Expedition.
After World War I, Anthony H. G. Fokker (1890–1939), the famous Dutch aircraft designer whose fighter planes were the scourge of Allied airmen throughout the War, also designed and built a series of successful civilian airliners during the 1920s.
One of his two American assembly plants was established in 1928 in Glen Dale, Marshel County in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. An adjacent grass landing strip, now named Fokker Field and still used for local sports flying, was the site of Fokker the test flights. At its peak, the Fokker plant employed 500 people from Glen Dale, Moundsville, and from the nearby Wheeling area. Fokker’s best-known airliner, used by airlines throughout the world, was the high-wing Tri Motor F-10A manufactured at Glen Dale.
The Cradle of Aviation Celebrates the Rich Aviation and Space Heritage of Long Island and Much, Much More
By Mark Rhodes
“The entrance of The Cradle of Aviation Museum makes a dramatic backdrop for the author’s grandchildren, Jackson and Sloane” (Mark Rhodes)Long Island has been the location of many seminal events related to aviation such as the first night flight (1916); the first flight of pilotless aircraft (1917); and of course Long Island’s Roosevelt Field was the takeoff point for what remains probably the most famous flight in U.S. History: the first solo transatlantic flight by Charles Lindbergh in 1927. Long Island also was, for many years, the home of The Grumman Aircraft Aviation Corporation (later changed to the Grumman Aerospace Corporation), which was a major player in the Space Race during the Cold War. The result of this is that Long Island has long been considered “The Cradle of Aviation.”
In fact, such is the case that Long Island has one of the finest aviation museum’s in the country (arguably second only to the Air and Space Museum) titled, appropriately enough, The Cradle of Aviation Museum, which celebrates the richness of aviation history and particularly the rich aviation history of Long Island in a very grand and inspiring manner. The entrance offers a dramatic touch with cathedral-like ceilings with a soaring wall of glass panes and historic and vintage aircraft hovering majestically above ground forever in flight. Among the aircraft greeting you at the entrance is a sleek and powerful looking Grumman F-11F (Grumman of course having manufactured aircraft and developed NASA technology on Long Island for much of the 20th century).
Memphis Belle Gets Her Instrument Panel, 2018 Display Date
By Ron Kaplan
Officials from the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force donated the pilot’s instrument panel from the Boeing B-17F Memphis Belle to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force during a ceremony last month.
The Memphis Belle is one of the most famous aircraft in World War II history. In May 1943, it became the first U.S. Army Air Force’s heavy bomber to complete 25 missions over Europe and return to the United States.
Several decades later, in Oct. 2005, the historic aircraft arrived at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, near Dayton, Ohio, where staff began a careful, multi-year conservation and restoration effort, including corrosion treatment, the full outfitting of missing equipment, and accurate markings, to bring the aircraft back to pristine condition.
Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou Makes Top Secret Visit to Yanks Air Museum in Chino, Calif.
By Donia Moore
(Courtesy of Yanks Air Museum)Most people love surprises. The people at Yanks Air Museum in Chino, Calif. received a double whammy of a surprise when officials recently arranged a top-secret visit of Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou to the museum. A fan of aviation history and vintage aircraft, Ma came to meet with 92-year-old retired Lieutenant Colonel Harold Javitt, USAF. Javitt is a former member of the 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force. Nicknamed the Flying Tigers, the group consisted of three squadrons with approximately 30 aircraft each. It was composed of pilots from the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), Navy (USN), and Marine Corps (USMC), recruited under presidential authority and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The fierce shark-faced nose art of the Flying Tigers remains one of the most recognizable images of any individual combat aircraft or combat unit of World War II. The Flying Tigers were responsible for defending China against Japanese forces during World War II. Javitt and his family members have been invited to participate in Taiwan’s military parade held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of victory over Japan.
365 Aircraft You Must Fly
Outlines the Bucket List for the Serious Aviator
By Mark Rhodes
The De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle was meant to enable “Fighting Soldiers from the Sky”A fun, educational, and definitely inspirational read, 365 Aircraft You Must Fly By Robert Dorr (Zenith Press) is well within the vein of “bucket list” works such as 1,001 Books/Movies/Places you must read/see/visit before you die. As one would expect, there is a lot of aviation exotica in this work, such as the 1909 French Bleriot XI of which two restored examples exist and are distinguished as the oldest flyable aircraft in the world at present. Also here is the De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle from the mid-50s, which was intended to be a kind of “personal helicopter” to be piloted by the everyday soldier on the front lines. A few were produced and even tested. Ultimately, they were considered too unreliable and unrealistic for real world military applications.
Mentor In a Poopy Suit
By Bert Botta
The USS Randolph (CVS-15) underway on February 27, 1962. (USN Photo)In June of 1957, with the ink still wet on my high school diploma, the U.S. Navy shipped me off to my first duty station, Barin Field, Alabama.
As part of the agreement I made with the Navy as a reserve sailor, I committed to serve two years active duty immediately upon graduation from high school.
One year later, after serving my time at “Bloody Barin” as it was known throughout the Pensacola Training Command because of the frequent aircraft accidents among cadet pilot trainees, I received orders to report to Antisubmarine Squadron VS39 in Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
After arriving at Quonset, I spent a few months finding my niche in the squadron and preparing for my first deployment to the north Atlantic with VS39 aboard the U.S.S. Randolph, an aircraft carrier based out of Norfolk, Virginia.