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In Flight USA Articles
Skies to Stars: How Big is Big?
By Ed Downs
Even with a modest amateur telescope, one can see unimaginable distances and travel through nearly endless time. Distance numbers that are simply difficult to picture in a visual manner sometimes challenges even the pros. Units of measurement, like miles, kilometers, lunar units, astronomical units, light years, parsecs, kilo parsecs and many more are used to describe the vastness of our universe with modest success. Spacecraft have now reached planets as close as Mars, and as far away as Pluto, but what is the real relative distance being traveled to visit our closest planetary neighbors? Most classroom models of our tiny solar system show the planets as being equally spaced as they circle the sun. The fact is, if made to scale, some classroom models would take up several city blocks.
This writer was recently gifted a terrific book, The Total Skywatcher’s Manual, authored by Linda Shore and David Prosper, both representing the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. This is an absolutely “must have” book for any individual who wants to know more about all things astronomical, written in a fun and entertaining manner and filled with incredible illustrations. It is divided into multiple, short chapters of information, with “Chapter 110” teaching one how to construct a proportionally correct model of our solar system. This is a real revelation and great fun for both adults and kids. Follow along as The Total Skywatcher’s Manual gives you a perspective that is jaw dropping.
Engine Failure on Way to Museum
Jet Edge Reaches New Heights
Flying Club Giveaway
The Lost Squadron
Editorial: A New Pilot Certificate, With No Written Exam of Flight Test?
By Ed Down
Absolutely, existing pilots with a current Flight Review can now obtain a new pilot certificate by taking a short, web-based, instructional course and filling out a form on the FAA website. And yes, you too, can become a “Drone” Pilot! The long-awaited FAR 107 is now in play, and as an instructor for the weekend training experts at Aviation Seminars, I have just received a course update that enables “0” time “Drone Pilot” wannabe’s to attend a weekend course, take a written exam and, with a simple application, become qualified to operate a Drone commercially. As a currently certificated pilot, you can enter the commercial Drone market with ease.
It has been my intent to quickly undergo the web-based training course (which I did, very nicely done) and then apply for my Drone Pilot Certificate, yet another “notch in my log book.” Regrettably, while FAR 107 (this is the rule for commercial Drone operators) is up and running and the training and test are in place, the required FAA application forms will not be online until after Aug. 29, so this “Drone Pilot” wannabe is just going to have to wait. While seemingly not connected with big plane flying, it should be noted that FAR 107 commercial Drone operations in Class “G” airspace are permitted with no special permission from the FAA. Remember, about 85 percent of all public use airports are in Class “G” airspace. It should be noted that failure to understand how this new FAR works could end up with you receiving a fine of up to $27,500 in civil penalties if you fail to operate even a recreational drone incorrectly. Fines of up to $250,000 and three years in jail are possible if a drone is involved in something that turns out to be illegal. Yep, the fine print can hurt!
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.
China and the Flying Tigers
By Nina Jobe
The C-47is still painted up with Normandy D-Day white stripes and Buzz Buggy. The hope is to get the decals changed to CBI/CNAC in China - the new CBI/CNAC decals are already aboard for transport. (Barbara Bussler)The Chinese Theater in WWII is most famous for the Flying Tigers, a story that began with the formation of the “American Volunteer Group” or “AVG” in April of 1941, well before Pearl Harbor, under Claire Chennault through secret arrangements authorized by President Roosevelt. Pilots from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were permitted to resign from the military to head to China to train pilots for the Chinese Air Force under Chinese Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai-shek. Incentivized by the lure of adventure and/or high pay (approximately three times what they made in the U.S.), the first group arrived in Burma in Nov. of 1941. Once the attack on Pearl Harbor had occurred, their motivation changed to patriotism against Japan.
Japan began their invasion of China in 1931 in the far Northeast section known as Manchuria and grew to full conflict by 1937, marked by the clash at the famous Marco Polo Bridge. Japanese occupation of eastern China left the only route for bringing food and military supplies, etc., to China via the Burma road into Kunming. Once Burma also fell to Japan, the only way left was by air transport from India over the Himalayas known as the “Hump”– initially by C47s (DC3s). China National Aviation Corp. (CNAC), in which Pan Am held a 45 percent ownership, pioneered the routes and was later joined by the U.S. Army Air Forces. This operation was later successfully copied as the pattern for the Berlin airlift.