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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.
CAF Airpower History Tour
By Larry E. Nazimek
B-29 Superfortress Fifi prior to engine start at the Greater Kankakee Airport for the CAF’s AirPower History Tour. (Larry Nazimek)We have all been to airshows consisting of static displays with no flying demonstrations, those consisting of flying demos with no static displays, and those consisting of both. The Commemorative Air Force’s AirPower History Tour, however, is of a different type.
For this Tour, attendees may purchase tickets to ride in these historic aircraft of the Second World War. After the flights, attendees get to walk around the aircraft and even get a “tour” of their interiors. The show is a “tour,” because it travels to various cities.
I attended their event at the Greater Kankankee Airport (IKK), 60 miles south of Chicago. For this stopover, the CAF brought a PT-13 Stearman, T-6 Texan, C-45 Expeditor, B-25 Mitchell, and B-29 Superfortress.
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.
2017 Dayton Airshow Marred By Thunderbird Accident But Highlighted by Other Performers
By Mike Heilman
The Thunderbirds diamond practices upon arrival to 2017 Dayton Air Show. The Thunderbird arrived on Monday before the show but had to cancel their performances due to mishap with the team’s two-seat F-16D. (Mike Heilman)In 2106 the Dayton Air Show attendance suffered from a cancellation of the headline act two weeks before the show, when the U.S. Navy Blue Angels experienced a tragic accident at an air show in Tennessee. Once again in 2017, the show experienced another cancellation of the headlining act due to a near tragic accident of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. The mishap happened at the Dayton International Airport less than 24 hours before the show was scheduled to open.
Thunderbird number 8, the two-seat F-16D “Fighting Falcon,” was conducting a crew familiarization flight in the Dayton area when upon return to the airport the jet skidded off the runway and flipped over trapping the pilot Capt. Erik Gonsalvas and Tech Sgt. Kenneth Cordova for almost two hours. The Thunderbird crewmembers were transported to a local hospital in good condition. There was heavy rain at the time of the mishap from remnants of tropical storm Cindy.
On Friday Michael Emoff, Chairman U.S. Air & Trade Show Board of Trustees, held a press conference to discuss the weekend’s show after the mishap. “When you first hear about something like this you pray that everything is okay and for the health of those involved. Once you understand that everything is under control, you then start working on what I can do. My job as Chair of the air show is to ensure that we produce a safe and quality show for our community.”
Flying the Legendary Spitfire
By David Brown
Richard Paver’s superb shot of MJ627 shows the classic lines of the Spitfire/ (via Heritage Hangar)For many years, I had harbored the desire to fly a Spitfire. This dream started when I was allowed, as a schoolboy, to sit in the cockpit of a Spitfire at RAF Woodvale, and had persisted since my early flying days in England. Together with fellow Air Cadet, Alan Walker, I had spent my weekends at Woodvale supporting operations to fly other Air Cadets at 10 Air Experience Flight, which enabled us at the end of the day to wangle a quick 15-minute flight in the Chipmunks. After college in England, and more Chipmunk flying with the RAF and in civilian life, I started a career in the flight testing of jets, initially in England, and flew light aircraft at weekends.
I still had the Spitfire dream, but Spitfires (especially two-seaters) are rare. Time passed and we moved on, Alan advanced into airline flying, and eventually progressed to a Senior Captain position with Cathay Pacific flying the mighty Boeing 747. By then, I had moved to California where I worked in Flight Test and various Advanced Design groups, taught aeronautical engineering at a university and the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, and was lucky enough to be involved on the periphery of various warbird operations. We corresponded occasionally, and I saw on Facebook that he now flew a Robin, G-FEEF (aka Fifi), which he based in England. He was also an accomplished warbird pilot and flew Spitfires, Hurricane Sea Fury, the B-17 Flying Fortress, and even the notoriously tricky Messerschmitt 109… pretty impressive.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Interview With Astronaut, Chris Hadfield
By Shanon Kern
The following is an interview by In Flight USA reporter, Shanon Kern, with astronaut and author, Chris Hadfield. Chris started in general aviation at age 16 and has flown nearly every aircraft available. He currently has a book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life, on the New York Times Bestseller List.
SK: Over the last couple of years, you’ve kind of given the world a front-row view of space and what it’s like to be an astronaut. What made you decide to put everything out on social media?
CH: I served as an astronaut for 21 years. I’ve always felt that a really vital part of the job was to share the experience, not to keep it to myself. So, through the whole 21 years, I used all the technology I could think of to share it. I used ham radio. I used Castle Blends 70 mm film and Imax movies. I spoke in thousands of places in person, but it wasn’t until my third space flight that social media was invented. That was when we had connectivity. The space station is not the best place all the time, but it has Internet connectivity. So you could take a picture and often within a few minutes share it with the world, so it was really just a continuation of what I’d been doing for 20 years, and I was doing my absolute best to use the technology that existed to share a really rare human experience. It’s just been amazing to see the result of that work.
Inside the Gentle Giant
By David Brown
Imposing from any viewpoint, the Super Guppy can carry an amazing variety of shapes inside its 25 ft wide, 25 ft high, and 96 ft long cargo compartment. Based on the Boeing Stratocruiser and modified with a greatly enlarged fuselage, turboprop engines, reinforced landing gear, and a side-opening cargo nose, this is the only flying example of the five Super Guppies built. (NASA)When a giant turboprop cargo plane recently droned into Long Beach in Southern California, it marked the latest chapter in a fascinating tale.
When NASA needed to move a large box-shaped structure some 30 ft long and of 10,000lb weight across country from Southern California to NASA Langley in Virginia, they did not have to look far. As it happens, NASA owns and operates the sole remaining operational Turbine Super Guppy (out of the five built during the ‘60s to carry outsize pieces of cargo). The Super Guppy (NASA 941) is currently based at the NASA facility in El Paso, Tex., and flew from there to the west coast to pick up its cargo. The payload on this occasion was a composite, double-deck multi-bay box made for NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project. This test article represents a 75 percent scale version of the center section of a hybrid wing-body aircraft (think of a scaled-up X-48, flown at NASA Dryden some years ago) but now built of a lightweight, damage tolerant stitched-composite structural concept dubbed PRSEUS (Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure) built by Boeing Research and Technology in Huntington Beach, Calif. and assembled in Long Beach. The innovative structure comprises carbon-epoxy panels, which are infused with resin and cured by vacuum pressure without having to use a large autoclave, which would normally be required.
Where American Legends Live On: Yanks Air Museum Welcomes AOPA to Chino, California
By Donia Moore
Setting the Stage
Imagine a younger America where patriotism was the order of the day and dashing heroes boldly flew legendary aircraft, fighting wars to defend American ideals of freedom at all costs. Envisage new and unconventional aircraft turning the tides of history forever. Discover more than 200 fully restored proud American legends of yesterday living on at world-class Yanks Air Museum in Chino, Calif.
A Stellar Trio
The “sister” ship of the famous “Ryan N.Y.P.” Spirit of Saint Louis, piloted by Charles “Lucky” Lindberg. The aircraft is made of welded chrome-moly steel tubing, solid spruce spars and covered with fabric (Yanks Air Museum) The lanky, quiet young U.S. mail-carrier ambled out to the airstrip and climbed into his Ryan B-1 Brougham. On May 20-21, 1927, this former barnstormer/wingwalker wasn’t flying his regular route. He was on his way to accomplish the first solo non-stop New York to Paris flight. He caught the imagination of the world. The popularity of his five-seat passenger transport sky-rocketed. Demand was so high among aviators that production of the B-1shot up to three planes a week for a price of $9,700.00 per plane. Only 142 of these were eventually built. Today, the only flyable Ryan B-1 in the world, the “sister” ship to Charles “Lucky” Lindberg’s “Spirit of St. Louis,” is at Yanks Air Museum in Chino, Calif.
Seven Lockheed 12s Confirmed for Oshkosh
Joe Shepherd’s Lockheed 12, N2072. (Courtesy of Joe Shepherd and EAA)It’s always great to see a freshly polished Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior on the flightline at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and some years you’ll be lucky to see two. But this year, visitors to the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration could see seven of the iconic golden age executive transport airplanes parked together in the Vintage area, and there’s a chance as many as eight or nine could show up. “That could set some sort of modern day record for the number of Lockheed 12s together at one time,” says one of plane’s owners trying to make it happen.
“In 2007, we were able to gather three L-12s in one place on the West Coast,” said Les Whittlesey of Coto de Caza, Calif. Whittlesey is the proud owner of NC18906, SN 1277 – an airplane manufactured in 1939 that won a Gold Lindy in 2006. The airplane was also featured in the August 2007 EAA Vintage Airplane magazine.
World War II Weekend 2014
By A. Kevin Grantham and Stan Piet
Greg Shelton’s stunning performance in his FM-2 Wildcat was one of many highlights of the show. (A. Kevin Grantham)Seventy years ago, on June 6, 1944, the largest invasion in history took place when the Allied Forces landed on the shores of the French coastal town of Normandy. This monumental affair put an end to Adolf Hitler’s total domination of the European continent and eventually brought about the successful conclusion to war with Germany. The men and women who can still relate to what is was like to be part of the D-Day invasion are rapidly passing on to a better world, and many wonder if future generations will remember the sacrifices that were made to rid the world of tyranny. No one can predict the future, but the members of the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum are determined to never forget as each year they stage an air show extravaganza affectionately known as World War II Weekend.
The event was held at Spaatz Field (Reading Regional Airport) in Reading, Pennsylvania over the June 6-8, 2014 weekend under bright blue skies with white puffy clouds. The warbrids feature at the show included the Yankee Air Museum’s Boeing B-17G Yankee Lady, Douglas C-47, and their North American B-25 Yankee Warrior. Rounding out the medium-bomber force was Tom Duffy’s B-25 Takeoff Time, Delaware Aviation Museum’s B-25J Panchito, and Mid-Atlantic’s own B-25J Briefing Time. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) also had their Consolidated LB-30/B-24A on station. This particular aircraft presented the public a rare opportunity to ride in an early model bomber.
Historic Flight Foundation At Kilo-7 Offers Collection Of Important Aircraft Produced Between 1927 And 1957
In Flight USA thanks the Historic Flight Foundation and HFF volunteer Liz Matzelle for the use of our cover photo. The Foundation website is www.historicflight.org.Historic Flight’s mission goes beyond serving as trustees of an era. They want you to experience the roar of their F8F “Wampus Cat” taking off; Watch engineers at work restoring the aircraft to flying condition; Share the rush of viewing international treasures from all angles.
Whether you’re an experienced aviator, a student of history, or a newcomer to aviation, Historic Flight will spark and fuel your passion. Sited at the southwest corner of Paine Field, Wash., Kilo-7 offers a journey into the energy, hard work, and passion that fueled aviation from 1927 through 1957. Like the aircraft in their collection, the hangars at Kilo-7 are designed to reflect beauty, durability, and honestly expressed materials.
Every aircraft in their collection has a unique “backstory.” Some are packed with drama, some simply offer prime examples of the roles aviation played during 1927–1957— and fun facts about the people and events that make up the aviation world. Dig into to collection, learn more, and come back soon for new stories! The collection includes the following and their stories can be found on the organization’s website: http://historicflight.org/hf/collection/ The collection includes Waco Upf-7, North American P-51b, Mustang, Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Ixe, Grumman F8f Bearcat, Canadair T-33 Silverstar, Beechcraft, Staggerwing D-17s, North American B-25d Mitchell, and Grumman F7f Tigercat.
C-17 Flight Nostalgic for Father-Son Airmen
By Senior Airman Tom Brading
Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
Retired Chief Master Sgt. Bob Morris and son Tech. Sgt. Mike Morris pose in front of the last C-17 to land at JB Charleston-Air Base, S.C. (Courtesy JB Charleston)For one family, the term “like father, like son” has never been more true.
Any father would be proud to watch their son be a part of the arrival of the last C-17 Globemaster III to Joint Base Charleston. However, retired Chief Master Sgt. Bob Morris felt more than pride knowing his son, Tech. Sgt. Mike Morris, 437th Airlift Wing Operations Group standards and evaluations loadmaster, was in the aircraft, he also felt nostalgic.
Bob was an active duty loadmaster on the first C-17 that flew into the Charleston Air Force Base. And, more than 20 years after that historic flight, Bob stood among a crowd of onlookers as the Air Force’s final C-17 landed on the flightline of JB Charleston - Air Base, S.C. and completed the fleet.
Aviation Ancestry: August 2013
Outfitting the Model 450 with tricycle landing gear would have necessitated the placement of bulges in the wings.