The 6th anniversary gala for the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor is set for Thursday, Dec. 6. The public is invited to spend a gala evening at the museum with military, civic and community dignitaries on Historic Ford Island as Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor celebrates its 6th Anniversary. The gala is raising funds for […]
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Fire during instructional flight
This September 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Cessna 172RG. Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor. Location: Tulsa, Okla. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to the CFI, the landing gear was […]
The power of purple
“I’ve never seen one that color before!” That’s what people usually say when they first set eyes on the Cessna 152 owned by Mary Rosenblum of Troutdale, Ore. Unlike so many airplanes that are predominantly white with an accent color, in the sunlight Rosenblum’s aircraft appears purple, as in Barney the Dinosaur was the painter. […]
Self-service saves
Being well into the second half-century of my life, I vividly recall how, in 1973, the OPEC oil embargo, knee-jerk government-imposed price controls and the subsequent shortage of gasoline wreaked havoc on our nation’s economy. On my 16th birthday of that year, Nov. 6, I soloed an airplane for the first time at the late, […]
Tuskegee University welcomes airmen home, commits to new generation
TUSKEGEE, Ala. — After more than 60 years, part of Tuskegee’s aviation legacy recently returned to historic Moton Field. Four original Tuskegee Airmen were welcomed back to the historic training site by the National Park Service and Tuskegee University President, Gilbert L. Rochon, on Sept. 15. “The Tuskegee Airmen are an intrinsic part of the […]
Season 3 of ‘The Aviators’ takes off
The television reality show “The Aviators,” which follows the adventures of a group of pilots and aviation experts, has launched its third season. The debut episode of Season 3 became available to PBS stations across the U.S. Sept. 17, with each of the season’s 13 additional installments becoming available every proceeding Monday. Viewers can purchase […]
Air Zoo to celebrate WASPs
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Air Zoo is celebrating the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) with a special reunion and presentation on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 1 p.m. The public is welcome to attend this program in honor of the first female pilots to fly U.S. military aircraft. Guests will learn all about the WASP, their […]
Boy Scouts can earn American Heritage badge with help of real aviation experts
POLK CITY, Fla. — Boy Scouts of all ages, both troops and individuals, are once again invited to share in the excitement of earning their American Heritage badge with the help of aviation experts at Fantasy of Flight during the fourth annual Boy Scout Aviation Camporee, Friday, Oct. 5 ,through Sunday, Oct. 7. Throughout the […]
Aging aircraft researcher identifies optimal teardown process
WICHITA — Unlike most researchers at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), Melinda Laubach-Hock doesn’t focus on new high-tech aircraft materials. That’s because she is the director of the Aging Aircraft Laboratory, where disassembling, inspecting and documenting the condition of out-of-service aircraft is the norm. Laubach-Hock’s recent doctoral dissertation, “Structural Teardown and Analysis: Evolution […]