The Evergreen Aviation Museum is rolling out the red carpet Feb. 27 to celebrate the 11 Academy Award nominations received by “”The Aviator.”” The film, which has already won three Golden Globe awards, depicts the life of Howard Hughes and his contributions to modern aviation. The movie includes Evergreen Aviation Museum’s largest attraction, the “”Spruce […]
Transient ops at the ‘DC-3’ — at last
The infamous “DC-3” airports — the three general aviation fields inside the Flight Restricted Zone around Washington, D.C. — are once again open to transient traffic. Well, sort of. Open, that is, to anyone who wants to go through the Transportation Security Administration’s vetting process. For the DC-3, that means being fingerprinted at Reagan National […]
Virginia lawmakers look at diverting airport improvement funds
The Virginia General Assembly is considering a bill that would take $5 million a year “off the top” of the Commonwealth Airport Fund to use as incentives for airline service at “non-hub and small hub” airports. House Bill 1603, assigned to a House finance subcommittee Jan. 12, seeks to amend a portion of the Code […]
Need to know info
“Things My Flight Instructor Never Told Me” is filled with excellent advice, delivered with humor. “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” Author Michael Leighton says that summarizes his personal experience with general aviation. This rather slim volume is filled with excellent advice, developed from just such “experience” during a […]
‘Success on the Step’ chronicles the history of Kenmore Air
“Success on the Step” tells the history of Kenmore Air, started in 1946 by a pilot and two mechanics who wanted to “be our own bosses and be involved in aviation.” It was a one-plane operation based at Kenmore Air Harbor, basically a mud bog near Seattle. None of them had ever heard of a […]
A tribute to wartime flyers
Although a work of fiction, “A Common Glory” is based on fact and makes good use of historic photographs, as it weaves a charming but sometimes tragic Southern love story during World War II. George Westcott is a Royal Air Force pilot instructor, training RAF cadets at the U.S. Army Air Corps’ Cochran Field in […]
A new look at aviation’s first century
“Reconsidering a Century of Flight” is a compilation of a dozen long articles, by an interesting variety of aerospace writers, that takes a new look at aviation’s first century and its effects on society. Drawing on existing scholarship as well as new research, editors Roger B. Launius and Janet Daly Bednarek have divided the essays […]
Thanks for (sharing) the memories
When George Christie was 16 years old, aviation was in its Golden Age. Armed with a $5 Kodak camera, the young aviation buff had plenty of opportunities to take photos of his favorite thing — airplanes — and the personalities who flew them. Some of his favorites include shots of the Boeing Clipper at Lake […]
Commander Aircraft to be liquidated
Troubled times continue at Commander Aircraft Co., as the Bethany, Okla.-based company is set to be liquidated. After two failed attempts to find saviors for the bankrupt company, Commander’s December 2002 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing has been converted to a Chapter 7 filing by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. All operations at the company […]