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Renaissance Men
By David Brown
The dictionary Definition of a Renaissance Man is: A person who excels in various areas.
Luffwaffe Day at flying Heritage collection (FHC) at Paine Field, north of Seattle. In a cloud of oil smoke, with Bud Granley in the cockpit, the DB 601 of the Messerschmitt comes to life. (David Brown)This certainly applies to the father and son team of Bud and Ross Granley, who have both been successful in challenging careers as instructor pilots, fighter pilots, airline pilots and now fly together as Washington state-based Granley Airshows. Their displays range up and down the West Coast of the USA and into Canada.
Bud learned to fly on a Royal Canadian Air Cadet scholarship and started flying with the RCAF in 1956. He progressed through basic and advanced training in the T-6 and T-33. He flew Sabre jets at Baden-Baden in Germany for three years and was later an instructor and demonstration pilot on the T-6 at Red Deer, Alberta. Bud’s first chance to pilot a warbird was a P-40, and he has since gone on to fly many vintage aircraft. Bud retired from United Airlines in 1997 and continues flying T-6 displays together with the Fouga Magister jet and a number of warbirds.
Ross has had a career piloting jets in the RCAF, which has included flying with the Snowbirds for two seasons, and flying CF-5 and CF-18 fighters. On leaving the RCAF in 1997, Ross started flying for United Airlines and currently flies out of San Francisco.
Behind the scenes: Air Show Audio
By Clark Cook
for the Blue Angels narrator at the 2011 Lemoore Air Show. (Clark Cook)As the National Anthem is sung, all eyes are skyward as the jumper carries our nation’s colors towards the ground at airshow center. For the team at Air Show Audio, this is a critical moment in which they are prepared and ready to act in case of a malfunction in the sound system.
Air Show Audio’s motto is the “Can Do” Attitude and it certainly lives up to its name. Long before most of the performers and static displays arrive, the dedicated crew is already meticulously setting up and running sound checks. Air Show Audio utilizes a transport trailer which doubles as an observation platform for the announcer, air boss, FAA and any other essential personnel. The inside of the trailer also serves as an office for the soundboard operator. Besides providing high quality audio at airshows, Air Show Audio serves as a communications center.