I highly recommend taking ten minutes to watch this slide show from aviation and motorsports photographer Tim Adams. It gave me goosebumps. Most of the slide show is of classic warbirds. The other half is of the American LeMans Racing Series shot at Road America. I figure if you like classic airplanes you like race cars…right? If you haven’t seen an ALMS race you’re totally missing out. The season starts next weekend at the famous 12 hours of Sebring. Here is the ALMS 2008 schedule. See if the series is coming to a racetrack near you! I know, I got off the subject of aviation a tad bit but I couldn’t help it.
Archive for the ‘Military’
SR-71 Disintegration
The Digital Aviator posted a great story today of an SR-71 test pilot when one of his test flights went completely awry. I couldn’t even imagine getting in another plane yet alone another SR-71 after this experience. Can someone say big cahounas?
P-51 Four Horsemen
Here is a very cool aerobatic formation video of the P-51 Four Horseman. The background music is very cool and I’m amazed to see how graceful and precise the pilots are. Love the camera angles in the cockpits as well.
T-34c Mentors at Ben Epps
On my days off of work I always try to make it up to the airport (AHN) for a couple of hours to stare at the runways. Striking up random conversations and waiting for planes to land or taxi out for take off is a great way of forgetting the stresses of the day. It takes my mind off everything except aviation. Some days are are slow some days are busy. The beauty of just sitting on the bench right outside of the terminal is the unpredictability of
what’s coming next. It could be a business jet, a wardbird, a Cessna or a military trainer. You just never know. Once I get a handheld scanner I can listen for the next approaching craft but for now I like the uncertainty.
Yesterday, I was just about to leave the airport when I saw these two aircraft on the horizon. They were two T-34c Mentors (pic above) from the Navy. Whoa…have to see these things taxi up. Two minutes later they appeared right in front of the terminal. And to think I was just about to leave. After they arrived I wanted to stay for three more hours but I was hungry. Okay…I guess I have to eat.
SR-71 Obsession
I’ve always been completely fascinated by the SR-71 Blackbird. Ever since I was a kid I’ve thought it was coolest looking fighter/jet ever. I’ve never seen one in person but I’m making it a point from this exact day to make a venture to see the black beast. I’ll have to travel two hours plus to see her here but drive time is unimportant.
Anyway…my buddy sent me an interesting email about the Blackbird. Did some Google searching with some of the text within the email and it led to a post from a site called Pilot Speak. Here is an excerpt from the post about the Habu:
“Celestial navigation is automatic. There are about 50 stars programmed into the computer. These stars can be observed by the navigation system while parked on the ramp during broad daylight. Although the pilot takes off and lands the airplane manually, the navigation system is accurate enough to put the airplane on the runway in zero-zero conditions after flying nonstop from California to Iraq and return with four inflight refuelings.”
Enough said. Also check out the biography on Col. Richard Graham who flew the Blackbird back in the day. I’m itching to read one of the books he wrote called: SR-71 Revealed: The Inside Story.
Four New Pilots Selected to Fly F-22 Raptor
Four new pilots have been selected by the US Air Force to start training in the new F-22 Raptor. Four out of eight pilots were selected after taking a five week Raptor lead-in course. “This course is designed to be an intermediate step to (the pilots) taking the F-22 up for the first time and being successful” said one of the instructors. I couldn’t imagine being one of the eight pilots that would essentially have to wait five weeks to see if they’d be able to fly the new supersonic fighter. Had no idea that the program was so exclusive. The lead in course was done in F-16’s introducing the pilots to high-G environments and maneuvering dynamics similar to the Raptor. The pilots in the Raptor will experience nine G’s! Wow. The four pilots are now on their way to AZ where after two plus years of training they’ll be ready tackle the F-22 beast.
Snoopy’s Sopwith Camel
The video below features some background history of a very nicely restored British WWI Sopwith Camel. As the video progresses the Camel is shown flying next to a Spitfire, a famous WWII plane. Pretty cool to see two of the most famous warbirds flying right next to each other. I found it fascinating how the Sopwith rotary engine sounds and how it hard was to control during takeoff and flight. The scarf pilots had on was not for looks it was for wiping their goggles from the twelve pints of oil that flew overboard each hour. Give the video a watch, pay attention to the sound of the engine, and then continue reading the post.
So, I saw the above video sometime in the middle of October. A couple of weeks later during Halloween, I heard another Sopwith Camel. Stay with me, I’m getting somewhere. Its tradition for me to watch every year Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin. I really don’t think I’ve missed an episode since I started watching it as a boy. Anyhow, one of my favorite parts in the cartoon is when Snoopy gets on his Sopwith Camel warbird/doghouse and launches an attach against the infamous Red Baron. I noticed something very familiar. The sound of Snoopy’s engine was in fact an audio clip from a real Sopwith Camel engine. This made me giggle. Watch the clip from the Great Pumpkin below and at about 3:15 Snoopy’s engine starts. Call me a nerd but I thought it was awesome that they used a real Sopwith Camel engine sound for the cartoon.
Strange Denver International Airport
I have to admit that I have kind of a fond weakness for conspiracy theories, UFOs, unexplained phenomena and just plain weird stuff. I’m a huge fan of X-files, I want but have yet to buy the ‘I Want to Believe’ poster that Mulder has hanging in his basement FBI office and my green alien coffee mug is on its way for a X-mas gift to myself this year. With that being said, and please pardon my French, there is some weird shit going on at Denver International Airport (KDEN). Without spoiling all the fun, read what Anomalies Unlimited has written about it. Start doing some research and you’ll discover some bizarre factoids. For starters, ever notice that the runway layout is in the shape of a Swastika? Very creepy. Go ahead call me crazy.
Blue Angel Joy Ride
Check out these videos of an Atlanta Journal Constitution staffer taking a ride in a Blue Angel F-14 before an airshow. Gotta love the facial undulations and pass outs. Love the fact that they flew over Athens (AHN) to say hello. Click on each individual scene to watch em’ all.
The Bone Yard
A buddy of mine sent me a few photos of the AMARC, the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration more commonly know as “The Bone Yard”, located in Tuscon, AZ. The United States Air Force base was originally established to provide a storage location for old and retired aircraft no longer used by the armed forces following WWII. It is now “an active industrial complex that primarily promotes the regeneration of aerospace assets.” In other words, most of the aircraft there are able to be restored to capable flying condition if the need ever arises. It’s quite impressive how exact and accurate they park the aircraft. Like my friend said, it hard to comprehend how many aircraft are stored here until you see some pictures.
