In Flight USA Article Categories
In Flight USA Articles
The Pylon Place - July 2011
Air Racers 3D - Force of Flight
By Marilyn Dash
The phone rang. A voice on the other end of the phone asked me if I would be interested in taking part in the Air Racers 3D IMAX movie being filmed about the Reno Air Races. Would I? Really? Of course I would! More phone calls, more emails, small moments of hysteria, and I was on my way to Reno to take part in the project.
From the press release: “Through the eyes of first-time competitor and rookie pilot Steve Hinton Jr., son of champion air racer and acrobatic pilot Steve Hinton, the film will chronicle the preparation for and competition in the world’s fastest motor sport: the legendary Reno National 
IMAX filming in preparation for the Air Racers - 3D movie (3D Entertainment)Championship Air Races. The film will be in IMAX 3D and 2D theatres in the US beginning in the fall.”
First Female Civilian Air Traffic Controller in the U.S.
By Carl E. Chance
Editor, WingsOverKansas.com
Mary Chance was one the country’s first recognized air traffic controllers. According to Andrew Pitas, former historian with the Air Traffic Controllers Association, Mary Chance VanScyoc was one of the country’s first recognized female civilian air traffic Controller’s in the United States. She played a vital role as one of many pioneer female aviation controller’s during World War II, representing well over 40 percent of the controller workforce.
Restoration of Glacier Girl, Part 3
Reprinted by permission of the Arkansas Educational Television Network
In Flight USA has run the story of Glacier Girl in three parts. The first part, the history of Glacier Girl, ran in the May Issue. The second part covered The Recovery of Glacier Girl and ran in the June issue. Here we present the third part that tells the story of the Restoration of Glacier Girl. This story leads us to AirVenture, July 25-31, where Glacier Girl will be on display.
Glacier Girl during restoration in Roy Shoffner’s hangar in Middlesboro, Kentucky.Restoration of Glacier Girl began in January of 1993, after all shipments of aircraft parts from the dig were finally gathered together. The restoration was being done in Roy Shoffner’s (project financier) hangar in Middlesboro, Kentucky. Under supervision of Bob Cardin (project coordinator for the 1992 expedition) warbird specialists began their task by disassembling the massive center section. After initial deconstruction of the plane began, it was evident that damage was more extensive than what appeared on the surface. The more they took apart, the more damage they found. The plane had to be taken apart down to the smallest manageable pieces, making sure each piece was marked for later identification. Parts were then cleaned and checked for functionality to determine if it could be used again, repaired for use, or replaced entirely. Damaged parts served as templates for construction of replacements.
Light Sport Flying With In Flight USA - June 2011
Recovery of Glacier Girl, Part 2
Reprinted by permission of the Arkansas Educational Television Network
In Flight USA will run the story of Glacier Girl in three parts. The first par, ran in the May issue and told the history of Glacier Girl. In this issue we run Part 2, The Recovery of Glacier Girl, and finally in the July issue we will cover the Restoration of Glacier Girl. This story leads us to AirVenture, July 25-31, where Glacier Girl will be on display.
On July 15, 1992, fifty years to the day after his rescue, 74-year-old Brad McManus stood on the ice cap surrounded by the recovered pieces of his late friend Harry Smith’s P-38, as chronicled in the documentary “The Lost Squadron,” and was flooded with memories of his wartime experience and the lifetime friendships that he held dear to his heart. A new mission was about to begin.
How do you get a P-38 out of the ice? Simple…melt the ice!
Well, maybe not as simple as that, seeing how it was 268 feet of ice. Basically, you start with a six-digit budget, followed by transporting tons of equipment that include arctic survival gear and heavy construction machinery, and top it all off with adventure-minded individuals willing to take the hardships and risks associated with one-of-a-kind expeditions to a hostile environment. That’s what it took to recover a P-38 from “The Lost Squadron.”
Light Sport Flying With In Flight USA - June 2011
Re-Tread
By Ed Downs
No, not old tires, although many of us “re-treads” appearing in this month’s sonnet do have some “spare tire” issues. The re-treads being referred to are former pilots who have decided to give flying another go. Sport Pilot has opened doors that some may have thought were closed. This writer was reminded of the “re-tread” market, just the other day, while teaching a class at Yingling Aviation, an historic Cessna dealer located in Wichita, Kansas. During our lunch break, I wandered over to the Cessna Skycatcher final assembly hangar to look at new planes on the assembly line. While looking through a viewing window and talking with one of my students, a young line attendant approached us and asked if we would like to join a retired couple (in tow by the line attendant) and go into the hangar for a closer look. Of course, we joined them. It turns out, no sales personnel were available and the line attendant was doing his best to talk about the C-162. My offer to help promote the plane (very familiar to me) was readily accepted. Joe, the retired guest, was considering reentering aviation after a 40-year hiatus, but knew nothing about Sport Pilot or LSAs. Skycatcher pricing, performance and simplicity left Joe quite impressed, especially after we discussed just what he would have to do to re-enter flying. Of primary importance was the ability to get back into flying without the need to participate in the FAA medical bureaucracy.
Safe Landings - June 2011
Goodies and Gadgets - June 2011
Eddie Stinson: a True Pioneer in the Early Years of Aviation
By Alan Smith
Stinson 108-3, the last Stinson design. (Larry Westin)Edward (Eddie) Stinson was born in 1894 in Ft. Payne Alabama. Nine years later, he learned of the success of the Wright brothers in their mission to build and fly a powered airplane at Kitty Hawk North Carolina and his fascination with aviation was born.
At age 16, he dropped out of school, and headed for St. Louis where two men were building their own powered aircraft. There he convinced them that he should be their test pilot. He didn’t mention that their kite-like airplane was the first airplane he’d ever seen. He did manage to get it into the air but stalled and crashed, destroying one wing. The two gentlemen of St Louis decided aviation was not for them and gave Eddie 
Stinson Detroiter, the first Stinson. (PilotFriend)the wrecked aircraft as payment for his attempt to fly it.
What's Up?! - May 2011
Before I begin … I never know where …
By Larry Shapiro
I never know where to place items of special importance to me, and hopefully to you. Should they be at the beginning of my column or at the end of it? This is especially true when it’s sad news. I’ve told you many times that there are many great Airshow stars out there giving people major neck problems. There are some class acts and there are some really classy acts.
Most of you know how painful it is for me personally when I lose one of these class acts and that has just happened again with the passing of Bill Reesman. Okay, so he was the Air Force officer I always wanted to be. Okay, so he flew the Red Bull Mig. Okay, so he also owned Bob Hope’s corporate jet. Okay, so he married the beautiful and lovely Julie and no matter what anyone says, he stole her away from me. Okay, so that’s my other fantasy. The Airshow business lost a star. I’m angry and I’m entitled to be angry … because I said so and as I always remind you, this is my column and I can feel any way I want.
Light Sport Flying With In Flight USA - May 2011
Is Your Tower Asleep at the Mike?
By Ed Downs
The answer to the question posed in the title of this month’s column might be, Sport Pilots don’t care. To be sure, recent weeks have set the media ablaze with stories of fear and trepidation, as brave, but apparently helpless, pilots are forced to land their airplanes without the critical and essential words from the FAA of “cleared to land.” Media experts (really?) would have the general passenger public believe that landing without a tower in operation to utter those empowering words, “cleared to land,” leaves all aboard in deadly peril. Okay, perhaps this writer is being a bit dramatic, but having a general belief that landings can not be made safely without a tower clearance does not do recreational flying any good from a PR standpoint, when citizens discover that their local community airport is “uncontrolled.”
Safe Landings - May 2011
It has been said that the only voluntary act in aviation is the decision to take-off. Every action after take-off involves the skillful management of risk, the enjoyment of flight and a continuous stream of decisions that result in a safe landing.
In 1974, NASA created the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) to allow aviation professionals to share experiences in a frank, non-punitive manner. The ASRS structure allows pilots and other aviation professionals to file an anonymous report of an incident, error or occurrence that the contributor feels might be of value to others. These reports are gathered, analyzed and data based by NASA experts and made available to all interested parties as a tool for creating pro-active aviation safety programs. Additionally, NASA distributes an electronic publication, “CALLBACK,” which contains selected, de-identified, reports on a free subscription basis. In Flight USA is proud to reprint selected reports, exerted from “CALLBACK,” for our readers to read, study, occasional laugh at and always, learn from. Visit http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/ to learn how you can participate in the ASRS program.
Motor Skills: Getting Off to a Good Start
A motor skill is a learned sequence of movements that combine to produce a smooth, efficient action. This month’s we look into another type of motor skill- the skill required to produce a smooth, efficient (and safe) aircraft engine start.
The Pylon Place - May 2011
Aviation Museums - Education and Community Contribution
The best hands-on exhibit is flight in a general aviation aircraft. (Steve Wallace, Planes of Fame)By Marilyn Dash
An Aviation Museum brought me to flight. My entire flying career can be traced to that fateful day when I walked into the Hiller Aviation Museum and volunteered. I’ve told the story many times how Stan Hiller took a special interest in inspiring me to become a pilot. With his nudging and the opportunity to meet so many pilots who were available to teach, share, and inspire – I was on my way.
Since then, I have travelled to many other Aviation Museums around the country and have found so many reasons to dedicate this month’s column to these museums, their volunteers and the programs they have in place today to inspire our youth to dream of aviation as a career or just a passion.
Dark Horse Unearths an Aviation Comic Chestnut with the Rick Masters Series
By S. Mark Rhodes
(Dark Horse Comics)Dark Horse Comics has recently released Volumes 1 and 2 collecting the very early comic adventures of the Buddhist superhero called The Green Lama. Within these volumes there is buried an interesting aviation comic titled Rick Masters. Within the narrative of the comic, Masters is a former WWII ace who was discharged from the army having been labeled by the military as an “invalid” (the term the comic uses). Masters, a predictably capable and resourceful aviator re-invents himself as a kind of mercenary/adventurer/aviator who teams up with his Native American cohort/partner Twin Eagles (AKA “Mike”) who is an ace mechanic and a first-rate aviator in his own right.
Masters was created by Walter Gardern (with workmanlike art by Ira Turner) as a dashing creation seemingly inspired by dashing stars of the silver screen during the 30s and 40s such as Errol Flynn. Masters’ adventures started out as pretty much standard issue stuff dealing with saboteurs, smugglers, gangsters and the like. Eventually though they moved into a slightly more sci-fi realm traveling back in time and testing out early versions of “flying squirrel suits.” In this way, the strip was apparently influenced by some of the scientifically advanced pulp fiction stuff like Doc Savage and G-8 and his Flying Aces that were forerunners of traditional comics.
The First Transoceanic Flights
By Alan Smith
Everyone knows about Charles Lindbergh and his 1927 flight from Long Island NY to Paris, but there were others that took on the Atlantic challenge and he was not the first to cross the Atlantic. The London Daily Mail had put up a fifty thousand dollar prize for the first non-stop crossing by air, and a number of pilots had their eye on that. The first actual Atlantic crossing had been made by a U.S. Navy NC-4 Curtiss flying boat in early 1919, but it was far from non-stop and took weeks with engine and navigation problems. In June of 1919, two British teams were at St John’s, Newfoundland with converted biplane bombers. They had shipped the planes over to Newfoundland to attempt West to East crossings with prevailing winds as a tailwind.
Harry G. Hawker and McKenzie Grieve planned to try with a Handley-Page bomber powered by four Rolls Royce engines, while John Alcock and navigator Arthur W, Brown were preparing a Vickers Vimy twin-engined bomber that had been built too late to be used in WW I. Both crews, of course, were thirsting for the Daily Mail prize, and both were making preparations at Lester’s Field near St John’s.
The History of Glacier Girl: Part 1
Reprinted by permission of the Arkansas Educational Television Network
Owned by Rod Lewis this flight of the P-38 Glacier Girl flown by Steve Hinton, and the two F7F Tigercats flown by Stewart Dawson and Rod Lewis, were photographed from the ramp of an Alaska ANG C-130 over Pyramid Lake, Nevada during the Reno National Championship Air Races last September. (Jim Dunn)Editor’s Note: In Flight USA will run the story of Glacier Girl in three parts. This first part is the history of Glacier Girl. In the June issue of In Flight USA, Part 2 will cover The Recovery of Glacier Girl, and finally in the July issue we will cover the Restoration of Glacier Girl. This story leads us to AirVenture, July 25-31, where Glacier Girl will be on display.
As “Europe first” was the policy declared by then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Operation Bolero began its phase in history as a massive buildup and movement of Allied aircraft into the European theatre. It was Tuesday, July 7, 1942, just seven months since the attack on Pearl Harbor that had thrust the U.S. into the war.
The most daring aspect of Operation Bolero was the actual flight overseas in stages, refueling in Labrador, Greenland and Iceland. Only the second of many flights to come during this operation, none of the pilots of what has now become known as “The Lost Squadron” knew their flight to England would end on the ice cap in Greenland.
Wild Weather at Sun 'n Fun
By Ed Downs
Photos Courtesy of EAA
(EAA Photo)This April edition of In Flight USA is going to press just as information is being received regarding a severe storm, now being reported as an F1 Tornado that hit the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In and Air Show site at Lakeland’s Linder Regional Airport. It is now known that some 15 attendees and/or exhibitors received injuries ranging from minor scrapes and abrasions to broken bones. Forty to 50 aircraft were seriously damaged or destroyed. These aircraft included those on display by vendors and many visitor airplanes, including homebuilts and classics. Numerous vendor tents and displays were destroyed. The staff at In Flight USA wishes to extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery from personal injuries and a 
(EAA Photo)successful financial recovery from the enormous financial strain such a disaster places on all affected.
Our April cover, the Legend Cub, an S-LSA manufactured by American Legend Aviation of Sulfur Springs, Texas, represents a snapshot of the courage and tenacity of the vendors who have been hit hard by this storm. Dave Graham, Director of Marketing for American Legend, commented, “We knew storms were on the way and secured everything the best we could. When it did hit, there was little warning. Our team rushed inside our display tent and hung on for dear life. I can now say that I have soloed a tent!”
The Official Word From Sun 'n Fun: All Safe, Property Damage Extensive
As of In Flight USA’s deadline on Friday, April 1, there were only minor injuries suffered by people on the ground, however, damage to aircraft and property was extensive following a severe weather system that ravaged the Lakeland area on Thursday, March 31.
Bird Dog
By Russ Albertson
During WWI, with the introduction of the airplane in combat, aerial reconnaissance was now free ranging and commanders could get a far better idea of enemy troops facing them. The Piper L-4 Grasshopper served as the U.S. Army spotter plane in WWII and remained in service until 1949 when the Army put out a contract for an all-metal plane to replace the Piper.
Light Sport Flying With In Flight USA - April 2011
Sport Pilots and Flight Planning
By Ed Downs
Is there something different about a shiny, new Sport Pilot planning a cross country flight and what we might expect to see from a typical pilot coming out of the pre-GPS world that preceded the late 1990s? It is possible that there is, and pre 90s aviators might be able to learn a thing or two.
As spring fights its way into existence to end a long, cold winter, many are planning flying trips to a variety of business or recreational locations. A lot of aircraft owners are beginning to realize that their passion for recreational flying may dribble over into the more mundane transportation needs for which they have used the airlines in the past. Policy and pricing changes within the airline industry have become increasingly customer hostile, service to cities other than major hubs has been further reduced, and the TCA continues to add significant inconveniences to the travel experience. The fact is, point-to-point travel time for most trips of less than 600 miles is significantly less in the typical S-LSA than by modern airliner. The bottom line is that many more folks will turn to their recreational hobby planes for day-to-day travel needs.